ã€ŠHero (Spider-Man)ã€‹


 Chapter One

    It was dark out, and I still hadn¡¯t gone home. I¡¯d known today was coming, but I guess it hadn¡¯t felt real yet. Not until I¡¯d finished camp and the reality of the situation had suddenly come crashing into me. The anger and resentment had crept in slowly, all of my hidden thoughts and feelings bubbling to the surface. I gripped my bag tighter. I didn¡¯t deserve to feel this way. I¡¯d said yes in the first place, hadn¡¯t I? I should¡¯ve just sucked it up and accepted it instead of whatever I was doing right now.

    But I still didn¡¯t want to go.

    It didn¡¯t make sense. Big Sis was the one sending me away in the first place. She¡¯d made me feel this way. She was the one that had me sitting here, wallowing in my own resentment. So, why the hell did I want to stick around? I sighed, loosening the grip on my bag. I knew the answer. It was the same reason I didn¡¯t want to go home. Hope. I was still holding on to hope that one day she¡¯d turn around and everything would be fine. Going home now, and leaving? Possibly forever? That would kill any hope I had. If today was real, it meant I¡¯d just been deluding myself for the past three years.

    ¡°Hey kid, we¡¯re closing up now so you¡¯re going to have to go¡± Marco shouted from behind the counter of his pizza shop. I glanced up at him and nodded.

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s it then¡± I mumbled, before releasing a sigh and standing up. It was time to go home. I stepped outside, a cold wind blowing across my face, and started down the road. I¡¯d take the long way. It¡¯d give me more time to muster up the courage to just accept the situation.

    I frowned. Big Sis would probably be understandably angry that I¡¯d flaked out and made everyone wait for hours. Actually, knowing that it might be a better idea to call her before I got home. I didn¡¯t want her making a scene if we still had guests. I turned on my phone fearing the worst. It was bad. There were enough missed calls and messages to make my brain hurt. I didn¡¯t even bother scrolling through the messages, instead just calling Bid Sis straight back. The phone rang once before it was answered, Big Sis¡¯ voice breathless on the other end of the line.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± she said, worried

    ¡°I¡¯m coming home. I... just wanted to let you know¡± I replied awkwardly.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she said her voice still concerned.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ yeah¡±

    ¡°Where were you?¡± she said, hints of anger already seeping in.

    ¡°I''m¡­ I¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t answer, falling silent instead.

    ¡°Lucas, answer me¡± she said, the concern gone. I opened my mouth to say something, but I didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Answer me chico!¡±

    ¡°I was at the library¡± I lied. She didn¡¯t respond, and my insides shrivelled up in the silence. She was angry. I heard her signature frustrated sigh, and then she cursed under her breath in Spanish.

    ¡°Sis I-¡°

    ¡°No. Don¡¯t say another word. Come home quickly so we can be done with this mess¡± she said. She hung up, not even bothering to wait for a response. I breathed a sigh of relief my shoulders slumping. That hadn¡¯t gone anywhere near as badly as it could have. Usually, Big Sis wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to shout at me over the phone, so t¨ªo and the others were probably still over. Welp, no point walking back home depressed, I¡¯d already moped for a few hours. I slipped my air-pods in, threw my hood up and put on my playlist, humming to myself as I strolled down the street. Things were bad, but that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t enjoy the walk home. No way was I ever letting anything stop me from enjoying my music. Not even this.

    -

    The music had made the walk feel short. Now standing in silence outside my apartment building I was starting to wish I hadn¡¯t gotten so engrossed. I looked up at the keypad and went to type in the code before pausing. It might be better to give everyone a twenty second warning to stop any spur of the moment decisions that could happen if I just appeared; even if they were expecting me. I raised my hand, hesitating for a split second and then pressed the buzzer, cringing with apprehension. The sound of ringing turned to static followed by a small beep.

    ¡°I¡¯m home¡± I said.

    ¡°Took you long enough¡± Sofia, my younger sister, said, her voice reverberating through the damaged speaker.

    ¡°Just open the door¡± I replied.

    There was a buzz, then the lock clicked and I pushed the door open. I made my up the stairs to the third floor, dragging my feet. I stood in the stairwell for a few seconds and pressed my head against the door. It''d be fine. Yeah, it''d be fine. I stepped into the hall and came face to face with Big Sis, her eyes blazing with fury, as she stood rigid.

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    ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re playing at?!¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to keep everyone waiting¡± I said.

    ¡°Well, you did. Just hurry up and pack your things. T¨ªa and t¨ªo both have work early tomorrow and you¡¯re keeping them¡± she said harshly. She spun on her heel making her way down the hall to our door. I froze at the statement. She seemed almost eager to get rid of me. Scratch that, she was eager to get rid of me, to the point that she was getting impatient I hadn¡¯t left already.

    I clenched my fists.

    ¡°Do you hate me or something?!¡± I said angrily, surprising myself.

    ¡°What?!¡± Big Sis said, turning back to me. Her tone immediately removed any fight I¡¯d had, replacing it with a deep fear.

    ¡°I- nothing. Nothing¡± I said, looking down at the ground.

    ¡°If you¡¯ve got something to say, spit it out¡± she said, the anger at my question apparent. I stayed silent, and Big Sis shook her head. ¡°How dare you even ask a question like that?!¡± she said still angry, ¡°You think I hate you because I¡¯m always reprimanding you?! It¡¯s not my fault you cause me so much grief!¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t-¡°

    ¡°You weren¡¯t what?¡± she interjected. ¡°You weren¡¯t trying to make me feel bad? Cause you were!¡±

    ¡°I- it wasn¡¯t about that!¡± I said with a sudden frustration. I glanced up at her as she made her way back over to me, her face contorted in anger.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever shout at me!¡± she said, raising a warning finger in front of my face. I looked to the ground. Her gaze of anger lingered on me for a moment before she stepped back. ¡°Let¡¯s stop this. You need to go¡± she said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°What?¡± she said faltering. ¡°Lucas you said you were okay with this! You can¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°Look I know what I said, okay? I just¡­ I don¡¯t know¡±

    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know? You know how big of a deal this is! I mean you know how much effort it took to get you into that school?! I mean t¨ªa and t¨ªo waited hours just to make it easier for you. For god¡¯s sake you start tomorrow!¡± she said exasperated.

    ¡°I just¡­ changed my mind¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°You don¡¯t get to change your mind!¡± she said clearly frustrated. I looked at the floor as she stepped back from me putting her hand to her head. ¡°I mean¡­ what? You can¡¯t just... expect people to just bend to your every whim?! Why¡¯re you being so stupid?! Why didn¡¯t you say something earlier?¡±

    I shrugged, still looking at the floor. There was a beat of silence, and the sound of hushed whispers on the other side of our door echoed softly through the halls. Sofia and Quinten were listening. Crap.

    ¡°Lucas¡­ Lucas look at me¡± Big Sis said, the anger gone.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m being stupid, I¡¯ll pack my stuff¡± I said, avoiding her gaze. I stepped past her and made my way over to our door the sound of footsteps scurrying away. I stepped inside the apartment and made straight for my room. I passed the living room and gave a wave to everyone. T¨ªa Adriana, t¨ªo Jamie, Sofia, and Quinten sat down, playing a game of Monopoly.

    ¡°Hey everyone. Sorry for making you wait. I¡¯ll grab my stuff and we can go¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine Lucas, you don¡¯t have to apologise. I know you wouldn¡¯t make us wait for no reason¡± T¨ªa Adriana said with a kind smile. I nodded, before turning down the hall and cringing. I couldn''t tell if she was being genuine or not. Probably not. I slipped inside my room and looked around. It was completely bare except the bed in the corner and suitcase by the door. I glanced out the window and sighed.

    ¡°I guess this is goodbye¡± I said softly.

    I grabbed the suitcase, and stepped back outside, Sis and Sofia waiting just outside my door. Sofia wrapped me in a tight hug before I could say anything, and I gave her a light hug back. Big Sis stepped in to hug me but hesitated, her eyes distant. Sofia pulled away her eyes teary.

    ¡°Why¡¯re you so emotional? I thought you¡¯d be celebrating¡± I said only half joking. She hit me lightly and wiped her eyes.

    ¡°Promise you¡¯ll visit on the weekends?¡± she said.

    ¡°Uh... I don''t think I can. If Maria comes around, I¡¯ll probably visit too¡± I said. Sofia pouted but didn¡¯t say anything, instead hugging me again. I hugged back tighter this time, closing my eyes and resting my chin atop her head.

    I opened my eyes as she pulled away. T¨ªo, T¨ªa and Quinten stood in the hallway, waiting patiently. I glanced at Big Sis, whose eyes still looked distance, and smiled faintly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡± I said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to keep you guys waiting¡±

    ¡°You need help with the suitcase?¡± T¨ªo said.

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good¡± I replied.

    I pulled my suitcase down the hall following the others. T¨ªo opened the door and stepped outside followed by Quinten. T¨ªa stopped and gestured for me to go first smiling.

    ¡°Wait?!¡± Big Sis said her voice echoing through the hallway. My head whipped around in surprise. Sis stood in the hallway, uncharacteristically looking unsure of herself, her eyes slightly wet. She went to say something but hesitated, looking into my eyes as though she was trying to communicate something beyond words.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I promise¡± I replied, before turning and stepping through the door followed by T¨ªa. She closed the door softly behind her, and a pang of guilt stabbed through my stomach. I was missing something, but I didn¡¯t know what.

    ¡°Are you alright Lucas?¡± T¨ªa asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± I said. I gripped the handle to my suitcase tighter and made my way down the hall.

 Chapter Two

    I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. I groaned sitting up and looking around. Light streamed through an open window, illuminating the white walls in light I had to shield my eyes from. The scattered light gave the empty room a glow, seemingly emphasising the emptiness. The sound of car horns blaring, and the general chaos of early morning traffic in the distance spilled into the room. I checked the alarm clock on the bedside desk. 09:25. Uh¡­ that didn¡¯t seem right. Wasn¡¯t the opening ceremony for new students at 10:00? Wait, weren¡¯t we supposed to be there 09:30, at the latest, to drop off our stuff. No, no, that couldn¡¯t be right; somebody would¡¯ve woken me up. I frowned standing up and stretching, before walking over to the window and peering outside. A few people walked through the relatively quiet street, the sun bathing everything in a golden glow. The view from the window wasn¡¯t anything special compared to the one back home; we were in the middle of Brooklynn and facing away from all the skyscrapers. I didn¡¯t know exactly what I¡¯d expected, but I guess the New York in my mind was still a bit fantastical. Eh, the view from the roof was probably nicer.

    I yawned and stretched out, before stepping out the room. I peered into the main hallway, the smell of pancakes wafting through the air.

    ¡°T¨ªa? T¨ªo?¡± I called out. I was met with silence. I frowned and made my way further down the corridor, passing the living room and stopping in the kitchen. The house was empty, with a note left on the counter next to the pancakes. I picked it up, scanning it.

    ¡®Sorry we couldn¡¯t drop you off, but good luck with your first day boys!¡¯

    ¡°Hmm¡­ thanks I guess¡± I said, grabbing a pancake. I stretched again then bit into the pancake, enjoying it''s sweetness.

    I paused and frowned. What time had T¨ªo and T¨ªa left? A knot slowly formed in my stomach as any sense of dreariness I''d had faded into memory. Big Sis had said they¡¯d had to be up early, so they probably wouldn¡¯t have been around to wake us up. If Quinten was still asleep, we had a big problem.

    ¡°Quinten?!¡± I said loudly. Nothing. Crap he must¡¯ve been sleeping. I jogged around before finding his door and knocked loudly.

    ¡°Hey Quinten! Wake up man, I think we¡¯re late¡± I shouted. I heard the creak of a bedframe and then a loud thud. Quinten groaned and then the door creaked open. I could barely make out a Nets poster in the darkness before Quinten poked his head through the small gap.

    ¡°Good morning¡± he said yawning, ¡°What¡¯d you say?¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯re late man¡± I said. He frowned rubbing his eyes.

    ¡°What time even is it?¡± he mumbled.

    ¡°It¡¯s half past nine¡± I said.

    ¡°Huh?!¡± he replied loudly, the weariness in his body language evaporating. Just from his reaction I could tell we were already in deep shit.

    ¡°The station''s like five minutes from the school. It¡¯s like a twenty minute journey so if we catch a train, we might make it¡± he said.

    ¡°That gives us what¡­ five minutes to get ready and make it to the station. That¡¯s cutting it a bit close, no?¡± I said.

    ¡°Well hurry up then¡± Quinten said closing his door. Crap. I didn¡¯t even have enough time to shower. I leapt back towards the guest room, and flung open my suitcase, rummaging around frantically. I found my school uniform, ignoring just how creased the shirt was. I changed quickly, leaving my tie and half my buttons undone. I didn¡¯t have time to fix them now. I grabbed my suitcase struggling to close it properly, and then burst into the hallway. Quinten was already putting on his shoes by the door. I stood next to him and forced my feet into my trainers.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can wear those¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll change later¡± I replied. He sprinted towards the living room where his luggage was, as I stuffed my laces into my sides. I glanced in the mirror by the door and ruffled my hair. The blazer was a bit big, but it didn¡¯t look too bad on me. I looked kind of professional, if you ignored the undone tie, mess of buttons, and the fact that I looked half asleep.

    ¡°Stop staring at yourself in the mirror. Let¡¯s go!¡± Quinten shouted, as he barrelled towards me, with his luggage. I grabbed mine and threw open the door. Quinten took the lead as we made our way out of the apartment building, sprinting down the road with our luggage in tow. We weaved deftly through the pedestrians as we sprinted towards the station, my heart hammering in my chest.

    The station was closer than I¡¯d thought, but actually getting our luggage into the subway was a different problem entirely. I struggled, stumbling down the steps as my hands trembled under the weight of my luggage. We reached the terminal and Quinten fumbled with some money in his pocket before getting us tickets. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation we bolted down to the tracks, barely avoiding slamming into unsuspecting bystanders. We slipped onto the train as the doors closed, both of us breathing heavily; earning a few glances from some of the passengers. I seriously needed to start exercising more.

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    I sat down, holding the handle of my suitcase, and clutching my bag to my chest.

    ¡°So¡­ you didn¡¯t set an alarm either?¡± I said glancing at Quinten.

    ¡°Of course I did! Shit. I must¡¯ve set it for six thirty pm by accident¡± he said, clenching his fists.

    ¡°Calm down man.¡± I sighed, ¡° We made the train didn¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re still late. I mean we¡¯re late on the first day! God, I¡¯m so dead. Dad¡¯s going to kill me, Alexandra¡¯s going to kill me, and Mum is most definitely going to kill me¡± he said frantic. Geez.

    ¡°Well play it off, just say there was some traffic, and then train delays. Believable right? They¡¯ll understand¡± I said. Quinten fell silent, his face still wrought with anxiety. I slapped the seat next to me.

    ¡°Just sit down man, you¡¯re good" I said. He sat down next to me, his shoulders relaxing slightly. I checked my phone. 09:32.

    ¡°See man, we¡¯ll be fine¡±

    -

    We were anything but fine. The train had gotten delayed and the stop that had been five minutes from the station had been closer to ten minutes away. On top of that we¡¯d shown up at the wrong entrance and had to circle all the way around to the back. In that moment the school had felt a lot bigger than I¡¯d remembered. By the time we¡¯d reached where we were supposed to be Murphy¡¯s law had hit us full force. We were drenched in sweat, I¡¯d tripped and my jumper had gotten dirty, Quinten¡¯s suitcase had fallen apart, and a pretty older female student had been made to tie my tie, which was up there with some of the more embarrassing moments of my life. Worst of all, the moment we¡¯d stepped into reception they¡¯d confiscated my air forces. I¡¯d been given slippers to wear for the rest of the day till I got the ¡°appropriate footwear¡±. Stupid uniform, it¡¯s not like anyone was going to be looking at my feet.

    I trudged down the hallway, wiping sweat from my forehead as an assistant teacher led me to my homeroom class. Quinten had been taken ahead of me, whilst they¡¯d stolen my shoes. I peered out the window down at the streets of New York. The school felt bigger than when I¡¯d come for the exam, but I guess being on the fourth floor in a school really put things into perspective. The buildings were a bit too modern for my tastes, but who was I to complain, the facilities were way better than my middle school.

    ¡°So, are you nervous for your first day?¡± the assistant said turning to me. I shrugged.

    ¡°Uh not really? I don¡¯t know, I haven¡¯t thought about it¡± I lied, yawning.

    ¡°Oh, ok¡± she said. I glanced at her. She was slightly taller than me, with stylish pair of glasses and long blonde hair. Her name had been¡­ Heather, I think. She¡¯d seemed friendly enough even if she¡¯d been reluctant to take me to homeroom, which I couldn¡¯t exactly blame her for.

    She frowned and paused, slowing down slightly. I was grateful, the speed we¡¯d been walking at was making the slippers grind against the balls of my feet. I needed to get these off as soon as possible.

    ¡°Your name was Lucas right? Lucas Escarra?¡± she asked. I nodded.

    ¡°Does your sister go here?¡± she asked hesitant.

    I felt my shoulders droop,

    ¡°Yeah. Not that she¡¯d advertise the fact we were siblings. I think she was surprised I got in in the first place¡± I said dejectedly. Maria and I had never seen eye to eye, because of how uptight she was. She didn¡¯t exactly get on with everyone, but she definitely had it out for me.

    ¡°Ah we¡¯re here. Classroom 4-12¡± she said. She knocked on the door and the sound of a voice droning on came to a halt.

    ¡°Come in¡± the voice called out. Heather opened the door slightly and gave an apologetic smile.

    ¡°Apologies Ms Jane, I¡¯ve brought the late student¡± Heather said.

    ¡°Thank you, Hailee¡± the teacher said, her voice surprisingly soothing when not projected through a metal door. Hailee, whose name I had gotten really wrong, stepped back from the door and motioned for me to go inside.

    ¡°Good luck¡± she whispered before walking off quickly.

    I stepped into the classroom, a normal sized classroom with a large floor to ceiling window on the far side that overlooked the inner garden at the centre of the main building. That¡¯s where things stopped looking normal. For some reason there weren¡¯t any desks, the students seated around science tables instead. I looked over the group of twenty something students, all of them staring back at me intently. A few of the girls were cute which was a bonus. There were only sixty students in a cohort, and three homeroom classes. When you thought about it like that the school definitely felt oversized.

    ¡°Hello Lucas. You¡¯re late, please sit down next to Yerin¡± the homeroom teacher said, her soothing voice lined with hints of annoyance. My eyes fixed upon her and I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. I¡¯d seriously lucked out. Ms Jane was a seriously hot twenty-something, with a mess of frizzy red hair, and a beautiful face painted with freckles. She wore a well fitted black jumper over a white shirt, and blacks trousers.

    ¡°Uh wow¡­ uh¡­sorry I¡¯m late. Won¡¯t happen again¡± I said stiffly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that. Being late on the first day doesn¡¯t give me the best first impression, so you better not break any promises you make¡± she said.

    ¡°Ok¡± I said, before making my way over to my seat, celebrating internally. I sat down by the window next to Yerin, a cute girl with pale skin and shoulder length jet black hair. Was God making up for my journey here?

    ¡°Sorry about that students, now back to rule 12 of the general code of conduct. Always treat your fellow students with respect.¡±

 Chapter Three

    I pressed my head against a locker, groaning. It was the first day and I¡¯d already been reprimanded three times for speaking out of turn. For some reason no one here seemed to find me funny. Stupid elitists. The teachers had gotten annoyed too, but it''s not like I was interrupting their lessons. The school wasn¡¯t having us do any work. For some reason they''d decided it would be a good idea for every teacher to have half an hour to introduce themselves and give a preview of what lessons would be like, as though that didn¡¯t take five minutes. I¡¯d managed to weasel my way into getting a hall pass to go to the toilet because my I couldn¡¯t take anymore of the mind-numbing introductions. My brain wasn¡¯t built to listen to people talk about nothing for hours on end. Lunch was next, but it felt further away than ever.

    ¡°Hey, do you mind not making out with my locker?¡± a voice said behind me. I glanced back to see a guy towering over me. He had at least a whole foot and a half on me. I stepped away scowling. I couldn''t even laze around in peace. He shook his head muttering under his breath as he opened his locker. I backed away, slowly taking my time as I made my way back to the class.

    I¡¯d forgotten that the other years were already in the full swing of things. Hopefully I didn¡¯t run into Maria, because she¡¯d have more than earful to give me if she found out I''d been late on the first day. I yawned, walking past classrooms and peering inside briefly as I went along. Even if I was already bored, even I had to admit that the school was pretty fancy. I couldn''t remember exactly how many stories there were but it was at least seven. Floors were sorted into different subjects, with humanities and sciences being on the fourth and maths and English being on the third. Auditoriums and reception were on the first floor, and the second floor was supposed to be homerooms, offices and rooms for extra curriculars. Unfortunately for us they were doing construction work on half of the 2<sup>nd</sup> floor and an auditorium. So now I had sit on those god awful stools in homeroom for probably the rest of the year. At least the dorms were in a separate building connected by a bunch of walkways.

    I didn¡¯t understand what had possessed the school to make such a big building. I guess everything was flashy in New York. Except the traffic. The traffic just felt worse and I wasn¡¯t even in it. Still, the flashiness was all a bit too much for me. The uniforms, ceiling to floor tinted windows, the embedded ceiling lights, and all the high tech stuff they had all over the place, was really starting to rub me the wrong way. It didn''t feel like a school here. I couldn''t feel any life in the place. I wasn''t going to like it here. In fact, I was already really starting to hate this place. Ok, Hate was a bit strong. Dislike maybe? I sighed, still dragging my feet behind me. I knew it was irrational; disliking a place I hadn¡¯t even been at for two hours. It felt like I wasn¡¯t giving it a chance. Scratch that, I wasn¡¯t. I wanted to be home. I''d known that before I''d even gotten here.

    Not that I could just up and leave. Well, I¡¯d just cause some trouble and get suspended for a few days so I could go back home. Then Big Sis would probably scream at me long enough to make me want to come back, and then I¡¯d start to remember all my issues with home. Boom. Problem solved. And I''d get a few days off school. God I was a genius. I turned back towards my class and started making my way through the halls. Hmm, how could I get suspended? I could pull off a few pranks? Yeah, that sounded good. Plus, if I got a few pranks in maybe today wouldn¡¯t be so boring.

    -

    The cafeteria was loud, even if it was just us freshman in here. It was probably because of the echo seeing as the cafeteria ¨C sorry ¨C the refectory was absolutely huge. Everyone was talking loudly with excited expressions having already formed small groups of friends. I hadn¡¯t made an effort to talk to anyone, and the group of three kids from my homeroom who¡¯d shared all the same classes as me, weren¡¯t making an effort to talk to me either. I sighed and tugged at my tie, feeling self conscious. My jumper was still dirty, but I couldn¡¯t take it off because my shirt was so creased it looked wrinkly, and that would definitely earn more stares.

    I looked around the hall. Everyone looked super professional and seemed to be glowing with ambition. I felt out of place. Welp, what could you do? I glanced further up the line. This was taking forever. Hmm¡­ I pulled my student ID lanyard out of my pocket and slipped it on. I tightened my tie, and dusted off my blazer. Presentation was key. I slunk my way past the line, walking with purpose. It worked like a charm, with a few people glancing at me but nobody saying anything. I slipped in front of a large group towards the front of the line and grabbed a tray, staring ahead nonchalantly.

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    The sounds of conversation behind me slowly ground to a halt.

    ¡°Uh¡­ excuse me?¡± someone said behind me. I ignored them, stepping forward as I surveyed the food. Dammit half the selections were salads. That was great, just great.

    ¡°Excuse me¡± the person said louder, grabbing my shoulder. Oh great, he was one of those. I glanced behind me feigning confusion. The group of seven all stared at me in silence, the blonde guy closest to me having tapped me on the shoulder.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked innocently.

    ¡°You can¡¯t just cut the line¡± he said loudly.

    ¡°Ah. I¡¯m allergic to red meat¡± I said ¡°they told me to head to the front before all the food I can eat is gone¡± I lied.

    ¡°Oh, sorry¡± he said his face flushing slightly.

    ¡°No worries¡± I replied turning back around. I grinned mischievously. God it worked every time. I picked out my food, and then made my way over to a table.

    ¡°Lucas!¡± a voice called out. I turned to see Quinten sitting at a table with a few others. There was a glowering brunette with tan skin that I sort of recognised, and the other three were complete strangers. Two of them looked like siblings both black, with similarly strong face shapes, and the third was a small Asian girl with jet black hair. Crap, I couldn¡¯t avoid just avoid them now that we¡¯d made eye contact, I guess I¡¯d have to sit with them. Maybe if I didn''t speak maybe they''d just assume I was shy. Cautiously, I made my way over to them sitting down next to Quinten.

    They all looked at me expectantly but I ignored them and attacked my food.

    ¡°You¡¯re as gross as ever¡± the brunette said. I frowned looking up at her.

    ¡°Do I know you?¡± I asked, ¡°I mean you look familiar.¡± Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, and she turned to Quinten.

    ¡°Is he being serious?¡± she asked, clearly annoyed. Quinten laughed awkwardly.

    ¡°Lucas this is Rachael, from my middle school. You met her at a few of my birthdays¡± he said. Oh, now the glare made a lot more sense. Had I gotten her with the bucket of water or paint? Quinten continued, interrupting my train of thought.

    ¡°This is Kaden, my roommate. This is his sister Jada and this is her roommate Keiko¡± he said pointing to the others. All three greeted me with small gestures, and I nodded before going back to my food.

    They started talking again discussing the school and it¡¯s facilities with wide eyes and talking about their teachers with such a cheery tone it made me feel ill. Quinten must¡¯ve realised I wasn¡¯t making an effort to join the conversation because he turned to me and loudly asked, ¡°So what¡¯d you like about the school so far?¡± I shrugged back in response.

    "Come on Lucas. There''s gotta be something" he said. Dammit he couldn''t take a hint. Time to switch tactics.

    ¡°Nothing really. Actually, my homeroom teacher¡¯s pretty hot¡± I replied.

    ¡°You are seriously so gross¡± Rachael said.

    ¡°Thanks¡± I replied cheerily. I went back to eating my food quickly. Hopefully that finished my food and stood up.

    ¡°Can you close your mouth when you eat¡± Quinten said. I sighed.

    "Look man, just let me finish my food and I''ll be on my way" I replied.

    "What? To where?" Quinten said.

    ¡°Uh¡­ can¡¯t we just leave?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, you idiot¡± Rachael spoke up, ¡°You have to wait till lunch is over. We¡¯re supposed to talk to each other¡±.

    Oh. I sighed. I was trapped here. Great, just great.

    "You don''t have to sit with us, you know?¡± Keiko said, her tone slightly confrontational. It caught me off guard. She¡¯d barely said anything before now. Hmm maybe I should play a little prank on them.

    ¡°Sorry if I''m acting weird. I just... want to go home¡± I mumbled, exaggerating the misery in my voice. Everyone¡¯s expressions softened, even Rachael¡¯s.

    ¡°Uh¡­ it¡¯s ok if you¡¯re feeling homesick. We all are a bit¡± Rachael said, her voice comforting. I snickered, but covered my mouth.

    ¡°I just¡­ sorry if I¡¯m acting moody¡± I said, feigning tears.

    ¡°I-it¡¯s ok! I didn¡¯t, I didn¡¯t mean to upset you¡± Keiko said panicked. I burst out laughing, and everyone around the table froze, there faces a mixture of confusion and surprise.

    ¡°Gotcha! Ah man, you guys should see your own faces right now! The way the mood shifted was so fucking funny¡± I said, chuckling.

    ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡± Jada said, staring at me with a confused expression.

    ¡°Come on. How did nobody find that funny?¡± I replied. "You usually laugh at stuff like that" I said nudging Quinten with an elbow.

    ¡°Is he always like this?¡± Jaden asked turning to Quinten and Rachael.

    ¡°Yes¡± Rachael said without hesitation, whilst Quinten made a face.

    ¡°Oh come on guys, it was funny¡± I interjected.

    ¡°What about it that was funny?¡± Rachael said angrily.

    ¡°Why¡¯re you so horrified? Did I hit a nerve or something?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Go die in a ditch¡± Rachael said.

    ¡°Whoa. That was completely uncalled for¡± I said with an exaggerated innocence.

    ¡°Oh shut up¡± Rachael replied.

    ¡°Geez¡± I said. The table fell silent, everyone giving me weird looks.

    ¡°Well, I can tell we¡¯re I¡¯m not wanted,¡± I said standing up.

    ¡°You can¡¯t leave Lucas¡± Quinten said, exasperated.

    ¡°Eh, I¡¯ll figure something out. Later losers¡± I replied, finishing the sentence with an exaggerated accent. I left my tray behind strolling over to the door. I''d glad I''d gotten out of there quickly. Weirdos. As I neared the doors a teacher stooped me.

    ¡°Uh, sorry but you¡¯ll have to wait for your group¡¯s called before you can leave¡± he said.

    ¡°Ah, no, I was late and Ms Jane wanted to talk to me about it during lunch¡± I replied. He frowned and checked his watch.

    ¡°She wanted me to get their a bit early, so she can get ready for her next lesson and eat¡± I added. He nodded, relaxing slightly.

    ¡°Do you need a teacher to take you there?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It''s ok. It''ll probably be quick. Thanks man¡± I said, before slipping through the door. Damn. It was that easy. I looked around before picking a random direction to head in. It was time to explore this place.

 Chapter Four

    I listened closely before peering around the corner. Nothing. Perfect. I stepped out and quickly made my way down the corridor, my heart hammering in my chest. I came to a stop at a metal door and tested it. It was locked. I carried on further down the hall, my heartbeat loudly thumping in my ears.

    Right now, I was exploring somewhere I probably shouldn¡¯t be. But after a quick look around the bottom floors I''d gotten bored. Sure, the school looked fancy, but there wasn''t exactly anywhere special I could just chill at without getting caught immediately. I didn''t want to have to worry about people just walking in on me. I was looking for proper hiding spots, the kind you could go when you were skipping class. The lower floors had all been too open, with cameras everywhere. So I''d gone higher. They hadn''t said what was above the lower floors, but they had mentioned they were off limits.

    Now that I was here I knew why. They were dusty and filled with random machines, wiring and huge metal pipes. Probably stuff that kept the building going. I''d managed to slip through a door that read ¡®Personnel Only¡¯, in big bold lettering. It''d caught my eye and I''d just opened it. It wasn''t my fault it wasn''t locked. Probably should''ve been; I''d seen at least three rats in here already. It was pretty dark up here so I couldn''t tell. Anyway, now that I''d found myself exploring this maze, I was starting to get bored. It had been fascinating for all of five minutes, but the novelty was starting to wear off. It was just a bunch of locked doors, dust and wiring.

    Suddenly I froze. I could hear voices. They sounded close. Really close. Crap, I¡¯d been too caught up in my own thoughts and stopped paying attention. I heard the creak of a metal door and a low blue light settled on part of the wall just around the corner. The voices suddenly got a lot louder. Shit.

    "Hey man if they don''t have orange juice then I don''t want a drink" a voice said.

    "You need to drink man, this job''s gonna take a while" a different, closer voice responded. He was about to come into the hallway and I was about to get caught red handed. The corridor was too long to make a run for it without being spotted. Did I run and pray they wouldn''t see my face? But what if they caught me? Crap. They were still talking, but I only had a few seconds before whoever it was came around the corner. I looked around frantically and spotted a door slightly up ahead I hadn''t tried yet. I darted towards it and tested the handle. It was unlocked. I threw it open and it screeched slightly. Shit. I shut it behind me and stilled my breathing. The voices had stopped. Crap, crap, crap. I waited, my body trembling as I pressed my back against the door. There were a few seconds of silence.

    "You grabbing lunch or what?" the first voice said.

    "You didn''t hear that?" the second one responded.

    "Hear what?" the first said. There was another pause and I heard the sound of footsteps pass the door. I needed to run. But if I moved they''d hear me. Shit.

    "Eh it was probably some rats. See you in a bit Bob" the second voice said. I tiptoed and peered through the door¡¯s slits, catching a glimpse of a guy in a high-vis walking down the corridor.

    "Remember nothing but orange juice" the first voice, Bob, called out. The guy in the high-vis chuckled as he walked. He disappeared from my vie and I breathed a sigh of relief. Now, how to get out of this. Did I wait till he got back, or did I go now and pray he didn''t double back and spot me? What if the other guy heard me leave? Dammit. Wait what would even happen if they caught me? They were construction men. They didn''t have an obligation to rat me out. And even if they did it''s not like I should be afraid of trouble. I wanted to get suspended, didn''t I? Well, it was one thing if I was caught skipping in the halls and a completely different matter if I got caught in a no students zone. I sighed and looked around the room I was in. It was mostly empty with a few boxes in the corner and some wiring running along the walls. I paused, spotting a door on the other side of the room. I made my way over to it, reading the red lettering on the door. ''Stairwell to roof''. I tested the door and it opened to a set of metal stairs that spiralled upwards. Oh yeah.

    -

    I sat on the roof relaxing as the chaotic sounds of New York¡¯s traffic echoed around me. There hadn¡¯t exactly been much to explore on the stairwell and the first door I¡¯d reached had been blocked. Lucky for me all the stairwells had side doors that were interconnected, and I¡¯d managed to find an unlocked door leading to the roof. There was a great view of downtown Brooklynn and the East River from here. It was kind of noisy considering we were smack dab between the Brooklynn and Manhattan bridge, but it wasn¡¯t all too bad. Kind of peaceful when you got used to it. I didn¡¯t know the time, but considering I¡¯d fallen asleep, woken back up, and sat around for half an hour it was probably close to the end of the school day. This was probably enough to get a suspension, or at least the first step towards one. I¡¯d probably over done it a bit though. Still, I couldn¡¯t believe it had been this easy. I shifted slightly, feeling an uneasiness roll around in the pit of my stomach. I ignored it. I''d gotten exactly what I wanted. I didn''t care if I got in trouble with some random teacher I didn''t know, and when Big Sis found out she''d be as mad as she always was.

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    Suddenly a small tingling shot through the side of my neck. I recognised it as the telltale sensation of an insect crawling across my skin. I swatted at it and my hand came away with a smear of insect juices. Gross. I wiped it on my trouser leg, then wiped at my neck. I lay back down closing my eyes as I enjoyed the breeze, trying to find a comfortable position again. The sound of metal creaking shook me from my peace and I sat up to see a security guard walking over to me. Crap.

    -

    The school definitely didn¡¯t mess around. I¡¯d been taken to the principal¡¯s office immediately and now I sat face to face with her. She was more imposing than I remembered. She was African American with a large well kept afro, piercing brown eyes, and angular glasses. She wore a grey blouse, with a white top, and her office was absolutely spotless, with various academic achievements, awards and framed newspaper clippings about the school lining the wall.

    ¡°Do you understand why you¡¯re here?¡± she said in an icy tone. I gulped.

    ¡°Yes¡± I replied.

    ¡°Then tell me¡± she said. I hesitated.

    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ skipped class on my first day, and went on the roof which is a big no-no.¡± I said.

    ¡°Good. Now tell me why you did it¡±

    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ I¡­ I wanted to skip class¡±

    ¡°Ok. Do you think that¡¯s a reasonable excuse?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± I said trailing off.

    She broke eye contact, picked up a pen and scribbled something down. She tapped a few things onto her computer then sat still.

    ¡°What should I do with you?¡± she said, still looking at her screen. We sat in silence for a few moments.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a rhetorical question Lucas, what should I do with you?¡±

    ¡°Uhm, a suspension¡± I said. Her eyes narrowed as she turned to me.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what usually happens if you break this many rules?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m asking why you want a suspension¡± she said. I froze, and I must¡¯ve given something away, because a small smile played on the principal¡¯s lips. I looked away.

    ¡°Are you not going to answer my question?¡± she asked. I shook my head.

    ¡°Very well. I think a two months of afterschool detention would be suitable. We¡¯ll postpone it till you settle in, give you a chance to get to know your fellow students. Is that ok?¡±

    ¡°Yes Miss¡± .

    ¡°I¡¯ve already called your guardian and notified them about the situation. I don¡¯t want to see anything like this again, or we could be looking at expulsion. Am I clear?¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°You can go. Take this timetable with you. Your sister¡¯s outside to take you to your dorm room¡± she said.

    Shit.

    I stood up and turned to the door. I hesitated then reached for the handle and opened it. Maria towered over me, her eyes burning with the anger of a thousand suns as her glare bore right through me. I closed the door softly, and laughed awkwardly.

    ¡°Hi Maria. I didn¡¯t expect to see you so soon¡± I said.

    ¡°Shut up¡± she said coldly. I shut up and looked at the floor.

    ¡°Do you have any idea what you¡¯ve done?¡± she said. ¡°Can you even fathom the magnitude of stupidity it takes to pull off what you did today?¡±

    ¡°No I-¡±

    ¡°I told you to shut up¡± she said, anger all but apparent in her tone. I felt my insides squirm, as though trying to escape the fate that was about to befall me.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to apologise to Big sis immediately, and you¡¯re going to make sure this never happens again¡± she said, jamming her phone into my chest. I nodded, and dialled Big Sis.

    The phone rung three times before she answered.

    ¡°Hello? What¡¯s happened now Maria?¡± Big sis said on the other end of the line sounding tired. I didn¡¯t say anything, instead cringing as my spirit disintegrated.

    ¡°Maria?¡± Big sis asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s me¡± I whispered. I pulled the phone away from my ear as a string of Spanish curse words exploded from the phone loud enough to hear without speaker phone on. When the cursing stopped I put the phone back to my ear, the sound of Big Sis¡¯ ragged breathing the only thing I could hear.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± I said, quietly.

    ¡°Sorry?! Sorry?! Do you think sorry even begins to cover it! How stupid can you be?! I just¡­. I can¡¯t¡­. we¡¯ll talk about this later when I don¡¯t feel like I want to kill you¡± she said. The call ended and I handed the phone back to Maria, sniffling. She snatched it away.

    ¡°Stop crying. You did this to yourself¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not crying¡± I said.

    ¡°Whatever. Just follow me¡± Maria said, walking off. I trudged behind her following along. This most definitely hadn¡¯t been worth it.

 Chapter Five

    The dorm rooms were big. Bigger than three times the size of my room back home. Even better, my roommate was one of the four late arrivals who wouldn¡¯t show up till next week, so I had the whole room to myself. The first thing I did was set up my PS4. I¡¯d pretended it had broken during the summer, and told Big Sis I¡¯d thrown it in the trash. If she¡¯d known I¡¯d still had it, I would¡¯ve never have been allowed to bring it with me. The only problem was that I didn¡¯t have a TV, but I¡¯d sort that out using some of the money I¡¯d saved up to get one on the weekend.

    I took the nicer bed, and moved around the wardrobes to make sure I got the slightly bigger ones too. The bathroom was pretty nice too, with a bathtub shower, and a regular toilet. I mean there were only 240 students in the school at once, and considering how big the dorm building was it didn¡¯t seem that outrageous to have en suites.

    I showered, and changed quickly, hopping into my bed. I still didn¡¯t have my shoes back, which was annoying. I¡¯m pretty sure we could wear them during non school hours. Eh, it didn¡¯t matter, I could just wear my sliders in the common area. I texted Quinten to see what he was doing. He saw it but didn¡¯t respond meaning he was either busy with work already, or he was probably hanging out with Rachael or one of the others from lunch. Annoying.

    Hmm, what now? I¡¯m pretty sure you needed permission to just leave, so that was off the table. Dinner from the cafeteria was open from 17:00 till 19:30. I glanced at my phone. It was 16:07 now so I¡¯d have to wait for that too. I frowned. The principal had seen right through me, so any kind of suspension was off the table. That meant I really was stuck here. If I wanted to have fun I was going to have to socialise with the other kids.

    I hopped up from my bed and slipped into my sliders and a hoodie before stepping out from my room, with the key I¡¯d been given. I walked down the hallway, peering into some of the open rooms with other students talking to each other. I made my way down the stairs at the end of the hall and turned down the corridor towards the common room. I felt a small pit in the bottom of my stomach as I neared the common room, the sound of voices and laughter echoing into the hallway. The sliding door to them room was slightly open, and I peered inside to see a large nicely organised area with couches, a few tables, and a wall covered in photos. A set of stairs on the wall led to a mezzanine where a group of people were gathered. I stepped inside carefully. It felt like a well-designed library with ambiance lighting, and without all the books.

    From inside I could see two pool tables in the back, and a TV in the corner surrounded by people sat in beanbags. In the middle of the room there were some people playing twister.

    ¡°Hey there, welcome to the freshman common room¡± an upbeat girl said. I stared at her blankly, and she laughed. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t introduce myself. I¡¯m Erica, a senior here at NYTA.¡± I nodded in response.

    ¡°I¡¯m Lucas¡± I replied. She paused for a second, scrunching up her face in a slight frown.

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    ¡°Ah! I thought you looked similar. You¡¯re Maria¡¯s little brother, right? You¡¯ve got the same mean look¡± she said laughing again. That was starting to get annoying. And what did she mean by mean look. I didn¡¯t look anything like Maria.

    ¡°Right now we¡¯ve got a bunch of different activities going on¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s twister, pool and foosball tables, there¡¯s a few board games over there if you want to play. Over by the chill zone they¡¯re watching Terminator, and upstairs there¡¯s a few computers for recreational use. Just remember not to do anything inappropriate with them¡± she said cheerily.

    ¡°¡­ok¡± I responded back. I quickly made my way over to one of the pool tables watching as two guys played together.

    The game ended quickly, with the lightskin guy losing and the south Asian guy celebrating his victory just to rub it in. They both glanced at me.

    ¡°Do you wanna play?¡± the lightskin guy asked.

    ¡°Uh sure. I¡¯m Lucas by the way¡± I said, taking the pool cue from him.

    ¡°James¡± he said sticking out his hand. I shook it. ¡°And this is Kasun.¡± Kasun grinned and shook my hand as well.

    Kasun quickly set up the table again and let me start. I fudged the break, and Kasun proceeded to wipe the floor with me effortlessly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry man, I played a lot with my dad¡± he said, grinning ear to ear. Well, I guess some of the kids here would have the kind of money that allowed them to casually have a pool table.

    ¡°Well you definitely seem to enjoy winning¡± I laughed. I handed the pool cue to James, and sat on a couch as I watched them.

    ¡°So what homeroom are you in?¡± Kasun asked.

    ¡°Ms Jane¡¯s. I think it was class 3¡± I replied.

    ¡°Oh, I heard there was some trouble with a kid in class three already¡± James said. I cringed internally.

    ¡°Huh? What happened?¡± Kasun asked.

    ¡°I overheard one of the teachers saying a kid from class three had gone missing during lunch¡± he said.

    ¡°On the first day as well, that¡¯s kind of crazy¡± Kasun said potting two balls at once. He turned to me. ¡°Did you hear anything about it?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­it might¡¯ve been me¡± I mumbled. They both turned to me surprised.

    ¡°I just got lost, wasn¡¯t that big a deal¡± I said. Kasun nodded while James frowned.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you were supposed to be in my English class. That was like an hour after lunch.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they just let me chill in my dorm once they found me¡± I said, trying to play it off.

    ¡°Oh¡± James said turning back to the table.

    We carried on chatting for a bit it when a large group of people came down the stairs and stopped to watch and play pool. I was relegated to an outsider in the conversation. I got up and moved over to the ¡®chill zone¡¯. I sat down next to one of the beanbags and watched a few scenes from Terminator 2. Suddenly I was being shaken awake. I sat up groggily, wiping the spit from my mouth as a few people laughed. I¡¯d fallen asleep and fallen onto the girl next to me.

    I stood up embarrassed as the others chuckled, and the girl shot me a glare. Even worse it was Yerin, the girl I sat next to in homeroom. I bolted, not wanting to stick around and make it even more awkward. As I ran through the common room I felt a wave of nausea pass through me. I felt weird. Sickly. I slipped out the door I crashed into someone. The collision sent shockwaves through my body, and it took everything I had to not throw up instantly. I glanced at the person I¡¯d collided into, it was Rachael and she looked less than happy, clutching her stomach. I bolted past her not bothering to apologise as I sprinted for my dorm room. I stumbled and fell to the ground. I recovered and carried on running before barging inside my room and slamming the door. I dived for the toilet and barely managed to throw up into the toilet bowl.

    I groaned leaning my head on the wall. I hurled again, before washing out my mouth. I was hungry all of a sudden. Really hungry. I was a shivering mess too, drenched from head to toe with sweat. I stepped out the toilet, and crawled into bed as I clutched myself tightly feeling like my veins were on fire. I closed my eyes as stars flew across my visions. I felt so tired.

    ¡°Help¡± I mumbled, ¡°Somebody help.¡±

 Chapter Six

    I opened my eyes to complete darkness, and the sound of banging. I groaned sitting up, but the bedsheets didn¡¯t come off my face.

    ¡°Wake up Lucas, you¡¯re late for homeroom¡± someone said. I recognised the voice of the security guard, Abel. Why was he- wait, late for homeroom?! I jumped up frantically trying to pull at the bedsheets but they only seemed to stick to my skin.

    ¡°G-give me a second¡± I shouted. I clawed at my bedsheets, struggling uselessly to pull them off me. What the hell? Why was this so difficult. I carried on straining until there was a loud tearing sound and light exploded across my vision almost blinding. Ow. It my eyes a few seconds to adjust, but when they did I realised the room was a complete mess. There was strands of what looked like silk all across my bed, connecting to the wall and feathers were everywhere with an empty pillow sack and parts of the bedsheet stuck to my arms.

    What the hell was happening?! I tried to pull myself off the bed, but everything I touched seemed to stick to me like glue. Abel banged on the door again.

    "Hello?! Did you fall asleep again?!" he shouted.

    "N-no, I''m just not decent" I said. Eventually I managed to rip myself off the bed, pieces of the bedsheet still stuck to my body. I breathed heavily, trying to make sense of the situation. Had someone pulled a prank on me? Rachael maybe? Either way this was seriously too far. Wait, that didn''t make any sense. I¡¯d locked the door and fallen asleep alone.

    ¡°Hey kid, you decent yet?¡± Abel said.

    "Y-yeah" I replied. I looked around the room at the mess. Oh shit. If the faculty saw the room like this, after yesterday I was getting expelled. I absolutely did not want to get expelled. Big Sis would crucify me. I tried to peel at the pieces of bedsheet stuck to me before giving up, and deciding to crack the door open so the rest of the room wasn''t visible. I peered through the gap. The security guard stood outside arms folded across his chest.

    ¡°Everything okay in there kid?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah everything¡¯s fine man. I just... my phone died so I missed my alarm¡± I replied.

    ¡°Right, right. Get ready quick. You¡¯ve already five minutes late for homeroom¡± he said calmer now.

    ¡°Ok. Thanks for waking me man¡± I said. He just waved a dismissive hand back, and started walking away. I closed the door and turned to look at the rest of the room. Didn''t they have a cleaning crew? Shit. I needed to clean this up before I left.

    As I tried to step away I realised one of my hands was stuck to the door. Oh come on. I struggled to pull it off, the door buckling as my hand stayed glued to it. It shook back and forth violently, my hand still stuck. I pulled harder, putting my foot up against the wall to gain leverage. Why the hell was this happening?! I finally managed to pull it free, but instead of falling to the ground I stayed upright. My foot had gotten stuck against the wall. I let out a sigh. What the hell was even happening?

    -

    I rushed through the halls as I zipped up my bag for homeroom. I¡¯d managed to finally unstick myself from the wall and had showered quickly. My tie wasn¡¯t done, and underneath my uniform, pieces of my clothes from yesterday and bedsheet were still stuck to me like glue.

    But I was on the way to class. Not that class seemed all that important right now, but I¡¯d already caused enough trouble yesterday, and missing homeroom on my second day would only make things worse. I came to a stop outside my classroom and threw the door open. To hard. The door slammed with a loud bang. Everyone¡¯s head whipped in my direction, and I froze.

    ¡°How nice of you to join us Mr Escarra. You are however fifteen minutes late¡± Ms Jane said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± I replied. She sighed with a clear disappointment that felt like a knife through my chest.

    ¡°Just sit down¡± she said. I nodded, my shoulders slumping. I stepped into the classroom to sit down and felt my hand resist me. Oh crap. My hand was stuck to the door. I fumbled trying to pull it off, and the door rattled loudly. Everyone was staring. Crap, crap, crap. I ripped it off and stumbled backwards, crashing into one of the benches. I laughed nervously into an awkward silence, then cleared my throat. Slowly, making sure not to touch anything, I made my way to my seat. Everyone resumed their conversations, but I could feel their eyes on me.

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    It felt a bit too loud, like my senses had been turned to the max. I wanted to cover my ears but was afraid I wouldn¡¯t be able to take my hands off afterwards. I put my hands under the table pressing my wrists against my knees. A sudden pressure shot through my hands, and I felt something move. I glanced under the table to see small strands of white silk like substance connect from my wrist to my trousers. I pulled my wrists away, and the silk like substance detached from my wrists but stayed stuck to my knees. What the fuck was that?! I stared at my wrists, before trying to wipe away at the silk strands on my trousers. My finger got stuck and I stopped moving my hand not trying to tear my pants. I groaned, unable to unstick my finger and put my head to my desk.

    ¡°God he¡¯s so weird isn¡¯t he¡±

    ¡°Yeah, tell me about it¡±

    My over sensitive ears were picking up on everything, even the whispers from people on the other side of the classroom. Great to know people already thought I was a weirdo before the second day had started. I tried to ignore their conversation, but people were really mean when they thought you couldn¡¯t hear them. I felt the silk detach from my fingers, and covered my ears with my hands to drown out the sound. It didn¡¯t help all that much.

    ¡°Just get through today¡± I whispered to myself, ¡°just get through today¡±

    -

    It was break time and I sat in the nurses office. She¡¯d checked my fever and a few other things and had told me I was fine. She couldn¡¯t give an apt diagnosis on stickiness which wasn¡¯t surprising. She¡¯d let me stay because I¡¯d told her I felt sick, but really I felt fine. I was just seriously confused. Had it been something I ate? No, if eating something could make your skin this sticky I doubt they¡¯d put it anywhere near food. I sighed, staring at the ceiling. What to do? I could definitely unstick myself from things, but I couldn¡¯t just live like this. Hopefully it would wear off later. I just had to pray.

    I heard the sound of footsteps and voices before the curtain got drawn back, and Quinten stood over me with Rachael and Jaden by his side. It was clear he¡¯d forced them to come.

    ¡°Are you okay Lucas?¡± he asked concerned.

    ¡°I¡¯m sticky¡± I said solemnly, still staring at the ceiling.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just go. He¡¯s clearly just doing this for attention¡± Rachael said.

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m actually just sticky¡± I said.

    ¡°What are you talking about?! We thought you were ill?¡± Quinten said exasperated.

    ¡°Just watch¡± I said sitting up. I pressed the back of my hand onto a box of tissues by my bedside, and felt it stick. I held my hand up, and shook my hand slightly. The box stayed stuck to it.

    ¡°See¡± I said, a feeling of numbness to the absurdity of the situation washing over me. Suddenly it dropped to the floor. Huh?

    ¡°Stop messing around man. I thought you were actually sick!¡± Quinten said the anger seeping into his voice. He spun on his heel and left followed by the other two. Rachael shot me a glare as they left. Wait, why was it suddenly not working? I pressed my hand to the wall and it stuck. I tried to pull it away but nothing happened. Was it because I was relaxed? I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. My hand slipped off the wall. Oh. Oh great. I closed my eyes again and relaxed my entire body. All the pieces of fabric under my uniform just slipped off.

    ¡°It was seriously that easy?¡± I said, looking at my hands. Hmmm¡­ interesting. I could test that out at the end of the day, but right now I was feeling hungry.

    -

    I finished my last bit of homework and closed my maths textbook. I yawned stretching out as I stood up. If I was going to set a bad first impression I was at least going to make sure I got good grades. Considering nobody wanted to hang out with me, that was easier than expected. I literally had nothing else to do. I frowned, looking down at my hands. Well, there was something I could do. I¡¯d been thinking about this all day. What if the stickiness was strong enough to keep my entire body weight glued to the wall?

    If this failed, I was going to look like an idiot. I walked over to the wall and pressed my hands against it. I felt them stick, and breathed deeply, before jumping up and putting my feet against the wall. I stayed still stuck to the wall. Oh. Oh shit. I relaxed my left hand and pulled it away from the wall, and then I pulled my right hand away. I straightened out.

    ¡°Holy shit¡± I said. I was standing on the wall like it was the floor. Could I walk around? I focused, nearly falling but quickly gained the hang of it. I walked onto the ceiling and stood there like everything was normal. This was insane! Wasn¡¯t this basically a super power?! What else could I do? Oh yeah that white string stuff! I looked down at my wrists and slapped them together. Nothing. How had it worked in class again? Oh right. I pressed down hard on my left wrist  A quick stream of the white silk like substance shot from my hand and stuck to the wall. I grabbed it, detaching it from my wrist. I pulled at it. It was pretty strong. Wait what if I... I threw my right hand forward, tightening the muscles around my wrist and a burst of the silk shot forwards and stuck to the wall in a webbed pattern. I laughed loudly. What the hell?! This was fucking amazing!

    My sudden lack of concentration made my feet slip, and I fell from the ceiling towards the ground. Instinctively I threw my hands out hoping to break my fall. Instead I caught myself in a handstand and expertly flipped landing on my feet. I blinked a couple times, then looked at myself. I jumped up with an inhuman agility, and landed on the ceiling almost soundlessly holding myself there with my arms and legs.

    ¡°Ok this is fucking amazing¡± I said. I jumped from the ceiling to the wall, but messed up the landing and slammed into it, before flopping onto my bed. Ow. I jumped up again and landed on the wall. I burst out laughing as I ran around the room, jumping from wall to wall. Suddenly a loud knock came from my door.

    Uh oh. I hopped up and cracked the door open so they wouldn¡¯t see the mess inside. A short guy in a large green jumper and jeans stared at me with an annoyed expression on his face.

    ¡°Can you keep the noise down? I¡¯m trying to do homework¡± he said.

    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah. Sorry¡± I said, laughing nervously. He nodded and went back to his room. I closed the door and leant my head back resting it against the frame.

    I looked around the room at the strands of silk. I leapt up to the ceiling soundlessly again and let out a small chuckle. One thought went through my mind. How the hell did I make money off of this?

 Chapter Seven

    We stood in the gym hall in our gym clothes. It was all the guys from our year group so there were around thirty of us. I¡¯d never particularly liked gym class, but the facilities at this school were definitely made it seem a lot more interesting.

    The gym teacher a massive red bald guy, with arms the size of tree trunks blew a whistle for our attention.

    ¡°All right you sissies! I¡¯m Mr Bernard! Today we¡¯re going to test your physical capability, and grit!¡± he roared. ¡°We¡¯ll be doing a bunch of physical fitness tests to size you up, and sort you into two groups for lessons you can handle!¡± There were a series of groans from everyone, me included. I should¡¯ve realised the moment I¡¯d seen all the equipment the assistant teachers had brought out.

    ¡°Now to make this a little interesting, we¡¯ll start with the beep test!¡± Mr Bernard said grinning manically. There was a series of louder groans as we were all directed into a single line, and the beep machine was turned on. God, I hated this damn thing. I zoned out as the familiar introduction voice explaining things reverberated from the speaker. I¡¯d always sucked at endurance stuff, and sticking to walls wasn¡¯t going to help me here. The first beep sounded, and we took off. Eh, I wouldn¡¯t push myself. It¡¯d be nicer if I didn¡¯t wake up sore tomorrow.

    Slowly people started to fall behind and exit the test. I wasn¡¯t even breaking a sweat. We carried on, and eventually Quinten fell out. Ok, whatever had happened had definitely boosted my endurance because there was absolutely no way I had more stamina then Quinten. Before long it was just me and three other guys, Jaden included. I slowed down and intentionally dropped out, not wanting to look too suspicious. I was barely sweating and didn¡¯t feel tired at all.

    The test ended and we split up into two groups. Ours had our measurements taken. I was 5¡¯4¡¯¡¯. Still short, but half an inch taller than I had been last month. At least I was growing quickly. Then we did some more tests. I didn¡¯t break a sweat in any of the endurance tests. It was unnerving suddenly being so much better at endurance. What the hell had happened to my body?

    I couldn¡¯t come up with any reasonable conclusion. Not that I¡¯d be able to with my understanding of biology. This was way above college level, let alone high school freshman level. If I wanted to figure this out I¡¯d have to let a proper scientist know. Could a proper scientist even figure out what had happened? I didn''t know. And either way, I was a little reluctant to tell anyone but Quinten, so that was off the table. The only reason I hadn¡¯t said anything to Quinten yet was because he was intentionally avoiding me. It must¡¯ve been because of the tissue box stuff. He¡¯d come around.

    We moved onto strength tests, and I quickly realised that I was stronger too. I don¡¯t know how I hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but it been more than apparent when I¡¯d destroyed everyone in the grip strength test. I¡¯d played it off pretending it was faulty, and that I¡¯d barely applied pressure. Mr Bernard had given me a different one and I¡¯d toned it down getting a slightly higher than average score on the next one. I¡¯d need to be careful about exerting my strength, but I guess I rarely ever exerted myself, so I¡¯d probably be fine. Gym classes ended and we went to the showers. I glanced at myself in the mirror. I didn¡¯t look any different. I sighed, now that the initial excitement the question of what had happened was starting to worry me more and more.

    -

    ¡°Remember the homework will be due next Tuesday. Have a great day everyone¡± Mrs Simmons said as the class prepared to leave. I got up, and started packing my bags. The lesson hadn¡¯t been boring but my mind had been elsewhere. I needed to test what I could do safely, and then figure out how to make money off of it. Suddenly someone slammed their bag into me as they walked past. I turned to look at them as two of girls followed after the perpetrator, giggling. They all turned to look at me as they left. It had been Kate. Weird. I¡¯d just avoid her.

    I stepped out into the hall and made my way toward the library. Maybe I could find something about superpowers or metahumans there. I stopped by my locker on the way, struggling to unstick myself from the mess inside. I was still getting the hang of it which was starting to get annoying.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    I yawned as I walked through the chaos of the hallways. For a private school outside of lessons things were a lot more informal than you¡¯d assume. It¡¯s not like it was a bad thing, but it kind of stood out. I made my way down the stairs past all the art installations on the walls. There tons of annual in school and out of school extra-curricular competitions and events. I guess it made sense that a prep school would push those for students, but I didn¡¯t like the idea that it was mandatory to join a club. Quinten was trying out for the basketball team. We were supposed to go together but I doubted he¡¯d force me to now that he wasn¡¯t talking to me. I would have to find one eventually though.

    I stepped inside the library. It was large with two separate floors, massive bookshelves lining the walls, and tonnes of tables throughout the room. The reception desk was curved around the pillar in the centre, with the three receptionists tapping away at their computers. There were a decent amount of kids in here, but it still felt empty. I guess that was more a testament to it¡¯s size than anything to do with the amount of students who used the library. I paused as the slippers rubbed against my feet. It was one of the only rooms in the school with a carpet floor. I guess they¡¯d done it to make it feel comfortable, but with my heightened sense of touch it just felt weird.

    Now where could I look? Would there even be a metahuman section, or would those books just be in science? I walked over to the reception desk and one of the receptionists, an older lady with greying hair and a permanent frown looked up at me expectantly.

    ¡°What can I do for you today?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Do you have any books on metahumans and the human anatomy?¡± She tapped at her keyboard and glanced up at me again.

    ¡°Do you have any specific book in mind?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Uh¡­ not really, just anything to do with those topics¡± I replied. She sighed loudly.

    ¡°Well the human anatomy books are in the biology section of sciences. We¡¯ve got a lot of those. The metahuman books, however, are everywhere. There¡¯s not enough of them to give it it¡¯s own section so they¡¯re put into the other main topics the books are about. You¡¯ve got metahuman books in the history, the sciences, and a few in fiction. Do you want to look around or pick out books from the computer?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I can look around¡± I said. She nodded and went back to tapping away at her keyboard as I walked away.

    Hmm, it was probably best to look for the metahuman books in the sciences section. Something there might explain what the hell was happening, or how metahumans even came to exist in the first place. I remember vaguely learning about it having something to do with WW2, but I couldn¡¯t remember it exactly.

    I reached the biology section and flicked through some books. I grabbed two on the human anatomy but none of the metahuman ones seemed remotely helpful. They were all huge books about stuff I barely understood. I picked up one just in case it came in helpful, then I moved to the history section to see if I could find something interesting.

    I flicked through the books trying to find something on metahumans when I finally came across it. The dark history of the super soldier. The cover was a black and white picture of a bunch of scientists watching an inhumanely large man with no hair wave a black flag with eagles on it, through the air. I flipped to the blurb.

    In the modern day the super soldier is seen as a beacon of hope and peace. With many of the first superheroes being super soldiers who fought for the allies in the chaos of World War Two; and various stand-out superheroes in the modern era like The Kansas Wonder, British Hope, and the beloved leader of the Vanguard, Icon. However, the origins of the super soldier and the dark roots of its history in Nazi Germany involving human experimentation, dark agendas, and secretive societies is largely unknown to the public. In this book I, Harold Johnson, am going to explore and detail the dark truths, and history behind the super soldier.

    I flipped the book back. Whoa, that was a bit¡­ much. And the Kansas Wonder? How old was this book? I checked the date. 1999. That made sense. Not many people spoke about the Kansas Wonder after some controversy back in 2003 a few years before I¡¯d been born. I couldn''t remember exactly what had happened, but I also couldn''t remember caring that much about it. Anyway, the book seemed interesting, plus it¡¯d give me something to do. I put it on top of the pile and made my way towards the front desk.

    -

    I sat in my room flicking through the human anatomy book, and metahuman book. All I¡¯d gotten from this was that I¡¯d need to dissect myself, or have a bunch of scans done, which I was more than reluctant to do. On top of that the super soldier book had put more than just the fear of God into me in terms of experimentation. Some of the stuff governments around the world had done to the children of some of the first super soldiers was insane and had definitely made me reconsider telling any authorities what had happened to me.

    I closed the book and sighed. This had been a dead end. I dropped the book onto my bed and hopped down from the ceiling to the floor, landing with a small thud. I wanted to test what I could do. Like really test what I could do. Sitting on the ceiling was cool and all, but after today I was starting to yearn for more. I mean I could do front flips with ease now! I could throw myself across the room and catch myself on the wall! And I was making a concerted effort to be careful. What could I do if I wasn¡¯t? I sighed falling back onto my bed. There were two days till the weekend. If I wanted somewhere to practice, I¡¯d need to get a pass to leave.

 Chapter Eight

    The weekend had finally arrived. I hadn''t managed to get a pass to leave because it was still the first week, which had been a bummer. I still wasn¡¯t on good terms with anyone, but I didn''t really mind. Nothing else major had happened the entire week, except that some freshman had thrown up in one of the music rooms. Right now there were a few activities for freshman, and some try outs happening back at school, but I had bigger fish to fry. Because of my pestering since Wednesday, I¡¯d managed to get permission to leave for two hours, citing I was visiting a relative. My t¨ªa and t¨ªo were close enough that the school had taken the bait and given me a free pass. I wasn¡¯t actually going to visit them, I¡¯d just needed the excuse to get outside. It gave me an hour to test out my powers and an hour to find a job. I also had to buy that TV.

    Since Wednesday I¡¯d spent all my down time hanging from the ceiling and coming up with a plan to make money. I¡¯d thought about robbing someone, but that was too risky, and I didn¡¯t want to get in any serious trouble. Plus, I¡¯d feel bad. So I¡¯d decided to get a job. I¡¯m pretty sure I could find a warehouse, dock or somewhere they needed people to lift things without anybody asking questions. And if that didn¡¯t pan out maybe I could go to Vanguard tower and ask for a job as a superhero.

    I chuckled. No way I could be a superhero. What would they call me? Sticky man. No way, just the idea of it sounded lame. If my powers had been a bit cooler than maybe, but even then probably not. Either way just being sticky wouldn¡¯t cut it, and I didn''t see how the white stuff would be good for fighting. There were villains who could throw trucks, and lift buildings. What would I do, stick to them? They¡¯d just crush me like a bug.

    I paused, looking around, before stepping into the alley next to a decrepit, old looking building that had been boarded up. This looked like somewhere no one would want to go. A perfect place to test out my powers. Looking up at the wall I spotted one of the windows at the top without any barricades. It was kind of high up, but I couldn¡¯t sneak in through anywhere else. I glanced down either end of the alley nervously, and then pressed my hands against the wall. I breathed deeply before slowly clambering upwards, my hands pressed flat against the wall. I didn¡¯t dare look down until I¡¯d pulled myself inside. The top floor was an empty open plan flat. There were a few boxes in the corners, but the thick layer of dust blanketing the room told me everything I needed to know. I set my bag down on the floor, and back flipped onto the ceiling with a soft thud. I crawled across the ceiling quickly before leaping back down to the floor. What exactly was I going to do? I mean I could make more noise here, but I already knew how my sticky skin worked. I frowned. I guess I could experiment with the silk from my wrists.

    I hadn¡¯t figured out exactly how it worked, but if I flexed my forearm in a certain way I could make the stuff jet out of my wrists. I didn¡¯t see how it was useful, it''s not like I could attach it to something and retract it. I paused. It had been pretty strong though. I pointed my hand at the ceiling and pushed my arm forward. A stream of silk shot out from my wrist and stuck to the ceiling, and instantly the realisation hit me. It was web. Spider web. Suddenly my the wall crawling and agility were starting to make sense. I groaned as I jumped up hanging upside down mid air from the web. I really was an idiot sometimes.

    This was a big step in the right direction though. Now that I knew what my powers were maybe I could figure out how I¡¯d gotten them. Had I come across any spiders recently? Not that I could remember. Maybe it¡¯d happened while I was sleeping? I shook my head, I was wasting time, I could think about this later in my room. I dropped to the floor again and leaped towards the far side of the room. I landed against the wall, catching myself on it, and then leapt off the wall just to see how far I¡¯d go.

    I underestimated my strength. I slammed through one of the barricaded windows and shot out into the air above the opposite alley, flailing wildly. I spun through the air when a burst of static shot through my brain, a flash of electricity putting my body into motion. Danger. Instinctively I stuck my hand out wildly, and felt the pressure of a web escape my wrist. Suddenly my arm went taught and I straightened out. I lifted my legs up narrowly avoiding slamming them into the floor as I swung through the alley on the end of a web. As I reached the end of the arc whatever the web was holding onto broke, and I flew through the air between the two buildings.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    I¡¯d like to say I did it gracefully, but I¡¯d be lying. I screamed, in a high-pitched shrill voice. Thankfully my body didn¡¯t need my conscious thought to react accordingly. There was a sudden buzz and my hand shot out grabbing at the wall, instantly stopping my fall with a jolt of the arm. I clutched the wall with the rest of my limbs pressing myself against in completely as I breathed heavily. What the hell had I just done? I glanced down the alley to see a mom and a kindergartener staring at me their jaws on the floor. The kindergartener waved, and I gave a small shaky wave back. The mum pulled her daughter away, quickly hurrying off.

    Suddenly my hands slipped and I fell down the face of the wall crashing to the ground. Ow. My entire body shook, but nothing hurt which was good. I thanked god for giving me extra durability as a superpower otherwise I¡¯d be a pancake right now. I let myself lay on the ground, breathing heavily. At least I had a better understanding of how strong the webs were. If I was going to keep testing out my powers I¡¯d need to wear a mask so no one else saw my face.

    -

    I stood on the roof of a different building. This one was smaller, with only four stories, which was still pretty high. I wore a balaclava over my face now, which had costed a tad more than I¡¯d expected. But it felt worth it. Even if I had spent nearly all my money. When the strangers had seen me I¡¯d felt exposed. Really exposed. Hopefully they didn¡¯t say anything or ever see me again. I shook my head before peering over the edge of the building. I needed to focus. I crawled down onto the face of the wall and steadied myself.

    This was the smallest building I could find close by. I didn¡¯t want to test out what I was going to do on anything taller. I stepped from the edge steeling myself. This didn¡¯t seem like a good idea anymore. Well it hadn¡¯t seemed like a good idea in the first place, but at least the idea seemed fun. Now it just seemed scary. The plan had been to try jumping from building to building. Super parkour or something like that. I knew I could take the fall, and I didn¡¯t really have anything better to do. Not that the boredom was enough to overcome the fear.

    I could feel my mind slowly closing off the idea as I stood on the wall, waiting for something to happen. What if I messed up and hurt myself? I sighed and closed my eyes. I should just go home. This was silly. As I turned to climb back up the edge I slipped and plummeted down the face of the wall. I shouted again, but this time I reacted quickly. I kicked out, pushing off the wall face I¡¯d been standing on and backflipped through the air landing on the opposite building. I breathed heavily, focusing on sticking to the wall.

    That was twice now. I was getting too lax whilst sticking when I barely had the hang of it. That flip had been pretty cool though. I glanced upwards, and then flung myself back across the alley. I landed on the wall, and instantly did a back flip back to the opposite building. I whooped as I leap frogged between the buildings before landing back on the roof I¡¯d started on. Ok, that was more fun than I¡¯d expected. I leaped from the roof and landed on the roof of the next building over, stumbling before breaking out into a run. I jumped over to the next building landing on the side, and started to crawl upwards before breaking into a sprint.

    ¡°Now this is what I¡¯m talking about!¡± I shouted. Suddenly my foot slipped and I smacked into the wall before falling off the side. I screamed as I fell, flailing through the air. I was too far away from any wall to push off of, and I was definitely higher than four stories. I really was an idiot.

    As I plummeted to my death a bunch of thoughts shot through my mind. I thought about my sisters, my parents, Quinten, that weird super soldier history book, and all the questions people would probably have about my death. Then one thought shot through my mind, the web. I stretched out my hand and fired a web for one of the buildings. It stuck and I felt it go taught. Instantly my trajectory went from downwards to forwards. I shot through the air before curving up and losing grip on the web. I flew out of the alley into the street. I screamed as I shot down towards a building face.

    I shot a web out at the building behind me and felt myself arc through the air at ridiculous speeds. I let go again before shooting a web at a building and pulling myself directly towards it before I could swing out of control. I landed against the building and held myself there breathing heavily as I pressed my head against the wall. I glanced down, quickly turning back to the wall. I was high. High enough that the faces of the people pointing up at me were hard to make out. Ok, that was enough experimenting for today. I was going to get myself killed.

 Chapter Nine

    I fumbled with my bag as I stood at my locker. I double checked my timetable, groaning. I had History. It was half-way through Tuesday, and I still hadn¡¯t made any friends. It seemed like over the weekend when I¡¯d been experimenting with my powers and struggling to find a way to sneak a TV I¡¯d brought into my room, everyone had formed full fledged friend groups. And I wasn¡¯t part of any. There was a burst of static in my brain and I felt a presence behind me. Not again. A ball of paper hit me in the back of the head, and a group of guys behind me laughed.

    I ignored them. Annoying. On top of all the superpower stuff, and trouble with the faculty, some kids had decided to start messing with me. There were two groups, Kate¡¯s group and Derrick¡¯s posse. I had no idea what their issue with me was, but I guess shit like this happened to everyone one way or another. I winced as I straightened out, slouching again. I was also getting seriously bad growing pains. I didn¡¯t know if it was power related, but they¡¯d started on Sunday morning and only gotten worse.

    I made my way to class and sat at my desk. The lights were off, and the blinds closed, so we were probably going to watch something. The class spoke in hushed whispers amongst themselves as Mr Brand sat behind his desk waiting for everyone to come. I rested my head on my arms laying down on the desk and groaned. I really hoped whatever this was went away soon.

    The sound of students steadily got louder as more and more people came into class. Suddenly a burst of static went off to my right. It was probably another paper ball. I waved my hand to swat it away and felt my hand smack against something that felt suspiciously like a person. I glanced up. The guy who sat behind me looked back at me.

    ¡°Uh¡­ you¡¯re sitting in my seat¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh, just sit in front of me or something¡± I said, before resting my head back on the desk. I was in too much pain to move one seat over, it¡¯s not like anyone would say anything. The guys footsteps tracked to the chair in front of me before he sat down.

    ¡°If we get in trouble, I¡¯m pinning it on you¡± he said.

    ¡°Sure¡± I replied back.

    ¡°Alright class. Today we¡¯re going to be watching a short documentary on the Great Depression, and then have a short discussion. Pay attention because I¡¯m going to give you homework on it after class¡± Mr Brand said. I kept my head on the desk. I could just watch it later.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    -

    I opened my eyes as I was shaken awake. Mr Brand stood over me with his arms crossed and the rest of the class laughed.

    ¡°I¡¯m in trouble aren¡¯t I¡± I said.

    ¡°Just wait outside¡± he replied.

    -

    Students streamed out of class as the bell for lunch went. A few glanced at me, and Kate shot me a disgusted look as she brushed up against me, but most of them ignored me. I thought about leaving but Mr Brand put a hand on my shoulder as I went to.

    ¡°Come back inside Lucas¡± he said. I followed him back inside, my legs feeling like lead pipes.

    Mr Brand sat down behind his desk, arms crossed.

    ¡°Why did you think it was ok to fall asleep in my class?¡± he said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t I-¡° I started.

    ¡°So you knew it was wrong, but did it anyway?¡± he interjected. I paused. Crap. Were all the teachers here good at reprimanding students.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± I said, my shoulders slumping, ¡°I¡¯m just really tired.¡±

    His expression softened.

    ¡°Just try to go to sleep earlier. I know it can be difficult adapting to a new environment, but if everyone else can do it, you can too¡± he said, ¡°I won¡¯t tell anyone about this but don¡¯t do it again. You can go.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, sir¡± I said sincerely. Trudging out the classroom, I yawned before wincing. I needed the day to end quickly.

    -

    I woke up to a knock at my door. It was dark outside and my lamp illuminated the room. I hopped down from the ceiling and grabbed the mini TV before stuffing it under my bed, along with the PlayStation. The knock came again, louder this time.

    ¡°Coming, just give me a sec¡± I said. I pulled the webs off the ceiling and shoved them under my bed as well. I winced as I stood up, but quickly wiped my hands and opened the door. The security guard, Abel, stood behind a tall guy with tan skin and dark brown hair. He carried a red suitcase, a duffel bag and a backpack.

    ¡°Lucas this is Eric, you¡¯re roommate. Eric, meet Lucas. He¡¯s not the most well behaved, but he¡¯s not as mean as he looks¡± Abel said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two to talk.¡± Abel left. I¡¯d have to talk to him later about that mean looking comment.

    ¡°Uh¡­ hi¡± I said stepping out of the doorway to let him past.

    ¡°Hey¡± he said sticking out his hand. I shook it and he stepped inside looking around.

    ¡°It¡¯s big right?¡± I said.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± he mumbled trailing off. He put his suitcase down and dropped his duffel bag on his bed.

    ¡°So¡­is everyone here nice?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I guess. Depends on who you ask¡± I replied. He nodded sitting down on the bed and an awkward silence settled over the two of us.

    ¡°Uhh¡­ so what took you so long to get here in the first place?¡± I asked. He chuckled to himself slightly.

    ¡°My Mom booked for the wrong flight and then just made up an excuse as to why I¡¯d show up a week late. She says it was an accident, but she probably did it on purpose. She didn¡¯t really want me to come¡± he said, looking at the floor.

    ¡°Oh. Well, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine. The food¡¯s pretty nice here so¡­ there¡¯s that¡± I replied back.

    He nodded.

    ¡°So what do you do on your time off?¡± he asked. I tried not to show any visible reaction, at the question. The answer was run around the walls or hang from the ceiling but I couldn¡¯t just tell a stranger that. Wait, if he was here could I even do that anymore? Crap.

    ¡°Uh¡­ you ok?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Huh? Oh yeah. Um¡­ have you ever played pool?¡± I asked.

 Chapter Ten

    I was buzzing. I¡¯d finally figured it out. A way to make money from my superpowers. The plan had come to me in the middle of last night, and it was fool proof. I was going to buy a burner phone, stick posters up everywhere, and have people pay me for random errands. I¡¯d have to specify weekends only, but it was a start. It was Friday and I¡¯d finished all my homework so I was free to put up all the posters I¡¯d made today. I couldn¡¯t get permission to go out this late, but I could stick to walls so it¡¯s not like they could stop me getting out the window. There was only one problem. Eric.

    He''d had tons of homework to catch up on, so he was working away at his desk listening to music. I couldn¡¯t just hop out the window whilst he was here. And I couldn¡¯t go to the roof either, apparently they were supposed to keep it locked and all the security guards had gotten into trouble when I¡¯d gone up there. They locked the doors and had someone watching the floor at all times now, for ¡®safeguarding¡¯ purposes.

    I frowned. I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯d mentioned something about basketball. Maybe I could introduce him to Quinten? Heh, that was a great idea. I jumped up and tapped him on the shoulder. He paused his music and glanced up at me.

    ¡°Hey man, you need to take a break. You¡¯ve been working for hours¡± I said.

    ¡°Uh ok? Did you have something specific in mind that we could do?¡± he asked. I grinned.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked¡± I replied.

    -

    We strolled down the corridor, I¡¯d texted Quinten for the first time in a while, and he¡¯d actually responded. I guess distance really does make the heart grow fonder. He was in one of the study rooms on the common room floor. He hadn¡¯t mentioned who else he was with, but it wasn¡¯t too difficult to guess. We came to a stop outside the room. I could hear the sound of voices inside, and the door was slightly ajar. I knocked and the voices paused. A head peeked round the door. It was Rachael. Her curious look instantly turned to a glare when she saw me.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she said.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be asking that. Where¡¯s Quinten?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Why?¡± she responded back.

    ¡°I wanted to introduce my roommate Eric¡± I said pointing to him. She glanced at Eric and instantly her face flushed red.

    ¡°Hi¡± she managed to squeak out, as she brushed her hair out of her face. Eric gave a small wave back. I frowned, looking at Rachael¡¯s expression.

    ¡°Uh¡­ you going to open the door?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry¡± she said, opening the door and stepping back. I stepped inside seeing Quinten¡¯s group of friends gathered around a game of monopoly they¡¯d set up on the floor.

    ¡°Room for two more?¡± I said grinning as I stepped in. Everyone groaned when they saw me, but Quinten quickly shushed everyone.

    ¡°Everyone, this is Eric. He¡¯s my roommate. He got here a bit late so he doesn¡¯t really know anyone. I brought him over to introduce him¡± I said.

    ¡°Hi everyone¡± he said behind me. Everyone greeted him back.

    ¡°We have room for two more, right guys?¡± Quinten asked.

    ¡°Yeah, it should be fine¡± Rachael said enthusiastically. Keiko and Jada looked apprehensive, but I guess Rachael¡¯s word was enough to sway their opinion. Eric sat down next to Quinten, and I saw my chance.

    ¡°Wait a second guys, I left my phone back at our dorm¡± I said, ¡°You can start without me.¡±

    ¡°Gladly¡± Rachael said rolling the dice. I shot out of the room and ran straight back for my dorm. I burst inside threw on my hoodie, slipped into my shoes, and threw on the balaclava. I grabbed my bag, opened the window and peered outside. It was high, but I¡¯d be fine, right? I took a deep breath and climbed out onto the exterior wall. I closed the window again and crawled across the building avoiding windows. When I was close enough, I leaped to the next building over landing on the wall. Now, where to put the signs? Storefronts would be good. Streetlights too. Maybe even on a couple parked cars. I felt my heart leap as I slipped and quickly focused on gripping the building. I looked from side to side then down. It wasn¡¯t that far down so swinging wouldn¡¯t be that dangerous. I¡¯d been sort of itching to do it again since last week Sunday. I steeled myself, tightening my bag straps, and then I jumped, I sailed through the air my heart in my mouth. Before I reached the ground I threw my hand out, sending a web out that stuck to the building. I felt it go taught again, and swung my entire body forward as I arced over the ground.

    I let go with intent this time zipping forward over the street. I let myself float through the air before sending out another web and swinging around a building above a road. My heart thumped loudly in my chest, but I felt in control. I sent out another web and pulled myself forward, before landing on the side of a building. Woah. I didn¡¯t want to sound arrogant, but this was kind of easy. I looked down. I was pretty high up, but if I fell there were tonnes of places I could send a web to.

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    I steeled myself and jumped again, shooting a web at a building further down the road. People shouted and pointed at me as I swung through the air, and I let out a roar of laughter. Instead of just letting go I flung myself upwards with a burst of strength and flipped through the air before sending another web out and carried on swinging. This was fucking amazing! I swung through the city, soaring over everybody with a chaotic grace as I somersaulted through the air, the static shocks in my head warning me of any incoming obstacle years before it reached me.

    I came to a stop on a huge building steadying myself against the wall. The fear kept me glued firmly to the wall, but the adrenaline cursing through my veins amplified my excitement measures beyond any fear. I stared out over the city of New York, a warm sense of fulfilment washing over me with the sunlight. The feeling was spectacular. I hopped off the side of the building, letting out a cry of joy as I fell through the air. I shot a web and let go near the ground, pulling myself onto a building with a web. I sat on the side as people stared up at me. I quickly searched for phone stores. Great, there was a cheap one close by. I hopped off the side of the building and swung away.

    -

    I trudged out the store earning a few stares. It had been harder getting a burner phone without ID than I¡¯d thought. It was also kind of funny how many people assumed you were robbing them when you wore a balaclava. Thankfully the third shop, as dingy as it was, had given me a cheap phone almost immediately. I didn¡¯t know exactly just how much that said about the establishment, but I had my new phone now. I pressed a few buttons checking the number. Perfect. I pulled out all the pieces of paper, found a post box and got to work. I pulled out the double-sided tape and stuck one onto the storefront. Then I hopped onto the wall above the shop and pulled myself away with a web.

    I swung through the air, keeping close to the ground as I looked for places to put the posters up. I slapped a few onto random windows facing inward and put the rest through the streets. Halfway through the pile I realised I was going to need a lot more. I could just make more tomorrow. I was caught off guard by a sudden group of people shouting at me as I swung past them. I stopped on a building and turned back to look at them. They all pointed to the top of a building where a woman stood on the edge of the building. Uh¡­ I didn¡¯t want to deal with this.

    I went to web away but paused. If the situation was what I thought it was, I couldn¡¯t just let this woman jump. I sighed. I shouldn¡¯t have come down this street. Sure that sounded bad, but everybody below us probably expected me to save her somehow. What if I messed up? I shuddered. Let''s not think about that. I pulled myself up the building with a web before clambering up the side. The cries of the people below didn¡¯t stop. As I got closer to the top the woman¡¯s face came clearer. She had blonde hair and was wearing a messy shirt with white trousers covered in stains. She was sobbing, mascara running down the sides of her face. She must¡¯ve been in her late twenties or early thirties. When she saw me shock passed over her face and then she screamed.

    ¡°STAY BACK!! I¡¯ll jump!¡± she shouted her voice hoarse. I stopped. Geez. I glanced back down at the people below. They were still shouting up at us.

    Well, what now? I couldn¡¯t just leave. I looked back up at the woman. Dammit. I carried on climbing up.

    ¡°STOP!¡± she shouted. ¡°Stop! Please¡­ just leave me alone.¡± Her sobbing grew louder and I felt a pang of guilt. I stopped and looked back down at the ground. I wasn''t supposed to be here. This didn''t feel right. I glanced back up and a shoe bounced off my head. What the?

    ¡°Hey man!¡± I shouted back, ¡°What the hell¡¯s wrong with you?¡± She froze at the sound of my voice.

    ¡°I- I told you to stop¡± she said. I kept climbing as she stared at me confused. I clambered over the edge as she stared at me, sniffling.

    ¡°Uh¡­ can you not jump? Please? I¡¯ve got things I have to do and I kind of don¡¯t want this on my hands¡± I said nervously. I paused. ¡°Can I say that? Is that weird to say?¡± I said, panicking slightly. She stared at me her mouth wide open. "I take that back, that was weird. Sorry I''ve never done anything like this before. Please don''t jump. I don''t want anyone dying or anything like that."

    She carried on staring at me her expression completely shocked. I''d fucked up hadn''t I?

    ¡°You¡¯re just a kid¡± she said. I froze this time.

    ¡°No... No¡± I replied deepening my voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. For the shoe¡± she said, her voice distant.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, just step back from the edge¡± I said. She didn¡¯t move. ¡°Please?¡±

    She let out a little chuckle which slowly turned into a hearty laugh then quickly dragged into a sob. My phone buzzed in my pocket, but I ignored it.

    ¡°A-are you okay?¡± I asked, unsure of what to say.

    ¡°Of course not¡± she replied through sobs, trembling. There was a buzz of static in my head, a shift like something absolutely horrible was about to happen. Then she fell. I reacted instinctively, leaping over the edge and shooting out a web for her. It stuck to her torso and I pulled her up towards me, her body surprisingly light. She crashed into me and I grabbed her mid air, flipping as her upwards momentum changed our trajectory. We flipped wildly, my heart hammering in my chest as her screams filled my ears. I couldn''t see, her hair in my face. Something. I needed to do something. I held the woman tighter with one arm and reached out behind me for the wall. I felt a spike of panic as my arm flailed in open air. Shit. I couldn''t tell where the wall was. I clamped my mind shut in fear. We were going to hit the ground. Time slowed, and the buzz in my head came to life. I felt the static in my head grow, warning me of the incoming ground, of my proximity to the woman, of the crowd beneath us and the buildings around. I could feel everything. Before I''d realised it, I shot out a web. I felt it go taught and then we swung above the street, the wind racing past my ears. We were close enough to the ground now. I let go of the web and grabbed the woman with both arms, raising her slightly. I landed on the ground, cracking the asphalt underfoot. I breathed heavily for a few seconds, trying to make sense of what I''d just done. The woman held me for dear life, her entire body trembling with fear.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t want to die. I didn¡¯t- I-¡° she broke into wracking sobs again. I held her tightly with one arm as I brushed her hair out of my face. I set her down, and she lost her balance, her knees giving out. Before I could say anything a small group of people swarmed us. I jumped out of the crowd and landed on the side of a building. I breathed a sigh of relief seeing a police car arrive. Suddenly there was a burst of applause and cheering. I looked down to see they were cheering me. The small crowd that had gathered at the base of the building were cheering for me.

    The realisation caused a sudden rush of embarrassment and I instantly webbed away, the crowds cheers growing louder. I carried on swinging for a while, a weird feeling passing through my chest. I got so distracted one of my webs missed a building and I crashed onto a roof. Ow. I stood up dusting myself off, then felt my legs give out from under me. I caught myself on the ground and stood back up. I stared out over the city for a few seconds, completely silent. That had felt weird. In a good way. I¡¯d never had anything like that happen before. I definitely wasn¡¯t doing that again, but... it felt nice. I didn''t know why. I guess I just felt appreciated. I pulled off my bag and reached into it. I only had one flyer left. I stared at it for a few seconds then shrugged and walked over to the edge of the building, flipped off the side and caught myself on the wall with a hand. I slapped the flyer on the window next to me, then swung away. I yawned. Today had been weird. It was time to head back.

 Chapter Eleven

    I swung through the streets enjoying the sense of freedom it gave me. I flung myself upwards and flipped through the air as I descended before firing a web and shooting skywards as people below shouted, pointing at me. Thankfully I¡¯d managed to get almost the whole day out to ¡®visit family¡¯. It was Sunday, and after an entire day of radio silence, I¡¯d finally gotten my first call. The call had been a random guy who¡¯d wanted help carrying boxes as he moved out. I checked the directions to the address he¡¯d sent me. I was close by.

    Now that I was thinking about it, what was I supposed to charge? A certain amount or just however much people were willing to pay? I probably should¡¯ve had this stuff figured out already.

    I stopped against a building on the street and walked down the side till I stood on the ground. I stopped a random lady, ¡°Uh do you know what building this is?¡± I asked pointing at the address on my phone. She pointed to one of the ones further down, giving me a confused look. I strolled down the street to find a guy standing outside the building focused on his phone.

    ¡°Are you¡­ Jacob Mazovyck?¡± I asked. He looked up before staring at me for a few seconds.

    ¡°Are you the guy? You sound like a kid¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m the guy¡± I replied deepening my voice. He carried on staring at me.

    ¡°Uh¡­ ok. I just need to move some heavy boxes down to that truck. Are you sure you can do that?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got superstrength man. It was on the flyer¡± I replied.

    ¡°Right¡­¡± he said trailing off.

    ¡°What floor do you live on?¡± I asked. He frowned but answered anyway.

    ¡°The fifth. Just follow me up¡± he said. I glanced up. His windows were open.

    ¡°No need. Just stay down here¡± I said. I leaped upwards onto the wall and dashed up the side of the building stopping by his window, and quickly slipping inside.

    The house was bare, with a few boxes stacked by the front door. I grabbed one and walked it over to the window, webbing it and slowly lowering it down to the guy at the bottom. I went back and did the same for the other four, before jumping out the window and landing onto of the streetlight. I hopped down to the guy as he stared at me in shock.

    ¡°Pretty cool right?¡± I said grinning under my balaclava.

    ¡°Yeah, that was spectacular¡± he said. I felt a slight flush of embarrassment but kept it down. I loaded the boxes back into his car quickly, and the turned to him unsure of how to approach the question of money. He broke the silence first.

    ¡°So how much?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Uh¡­ fifty dollars¡± I said. He frowned but shrugged, reached into his wallet and handed me the money.

    ¡°Thanks¡± he said before hopping into his car and driving off.

    I stared at the cash in my hand dumbfounded. Fifty dollars for about two minutes work. That was insane! My burner buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out fumbling for it.

    ¡°Hello?¡± I answered.

    ¡°Uh¡­ is this the guy from the metahuman handyman flyer?¡± a woman said uncertainly. I grinned.

    ¡°That¡¯s me. How can I help?¡±

    -

    I swung through the air humming to myself. It was the afternoon now, and things had slowed down. I¡¯d gotten nine calls so far. Three of them had been prank calls. Two of them had been direct complaints about leaving footprints on windows, and the other four had all been asking for help. I¡¯d made four hundred dollars, mostly because the last lady had seemed rich, so I¡¯d charged a teeny bit extra. But that had been about two hours ago. I stopped on top of a roof sitting on the edge as I snapped a quick picture of the view with my phone, and instantly put it into hidden.

    I sighed, rubbing my hands together before tucking them under my armpits. My stomach rumbled. Maybe it was time to go back? No I still had four hours till I was allowed out, so I was going to make the most of it. I¡¯d just get something to eat from a hot dog stand or something like that. I hopped off the edge of the building and fell through the air enjoying the sensation of falling. Now that I wasn¡¯t absolutely terrified of slamming into the pavement and meeting a grisly end, falling felt completely freeing.

    I shot a web out behind me and swung backwards, arcing around the building I stood on. I backflipped as I released and shot out another web as I stabilised spinning into the next swing. I heard a shout below and ignored it when there were another series of shouts telling me to stop. Not again. I stopped landing on a building as I turned to look at the scene. A bunch of people pointing somewhere I couldn¡¯t see. I swung over to them landing in front of the group.

    They all shouted over each other in a mess of voices.

    ¡°Stop! One at a time man¡± I said. A guy stepped forward.

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    ¡°A guy just took my phone and legged it ¡° he said.

    ¡°I think he took my watch too. I had it half a second ago¡± another guy said, stepping forward.

    ¡°Ok¡­ what do you want me to do?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Stop him!¡± the small crowd of people shouted at me.

    ¡°Ok, ok¡± I said. Geez. I vaulted into the air and webbed down the street they¡¯d pointed down. I spotted the guy from a mile away. He was being chased by a woman in heels who was running surprisingly fast, and an older guy.

    I zipped overhead landing in front of the guy. He stopped, and went to cross the road, but I webbed his back and yanked him towards me. His feet kicked up taking the wing mirror off one of the cars in the road before he thudded onto the sidewalk in front of me. He groaned clutching his rib and dropped the bag he¡¯d been holding. I picked it up and opened it, seeing it was filled with wallets, watches, two handbags and some loose cash. Ah, a pickpocket.

    I looked up at all the people around staring at me, a few of them clapping, while others looked uncertain. The tall lady in heels emerged from the crowd to see me standing over the groaning man. She walked over to him, kicked him and then snatched the bag from me. She pulled out a purse, huffed, kicked him again, dropped the bag and walked off. So no thank you?

    The older man appeared a few seconds after breathing heavily. He took a second to catch his breath before thanking me and taking a watch from the bag. I glanced down the street to see if the others were coming. They weren¡¯t. Did they expect me to go all the way back to them? I glanced inside the bag. Maybe I could run off with it all, I mean they wouldn¡¯t know who I was.

    Nah. Wasn¡¯t worth the trouble.

    I leaped into the air and swung back to the small crowd. I landed amongst them and opened the bag for them to take their stuff.

    ¡°Wait a second¡± I said as all of them started to leave.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± someone said. I peered inside the bag. There were still a few wallets in there, as well as all the loose cash. I paused. I guess it wouldn¡¯t hurt too much.

    ¡°Nothing¡± I said. I swung away to a rooftop and opened the plastic bag. I pulled out the wallets and grinned to myself. I¡¯d give the wallets to the police, but the loose money was mine. I mean how the hell was I supposed to know who it belonged to. I dumped the money into my bag, and then paused. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t hurt to take the money from the wallets either. I started checking the wallets. The police wouldn¡¯t know how much money was in the wallets before they¡¯d been handed in, and they¡¯d have no way to prove I¡¯d taken any. It was a win-win. For me, of course.

    Suddenly the static shot through my brain. Above me. I dived to the side, webbing my bag and pulling it towards me. A person slammed into the ground where I¡¯d been, transparent insect wings fluttering on their back. They had long brown hair tied into a ponytail and wore a shiny purple costume with white trim. From the costume alone I could tell they were a superhero ¨C I mean who else wore such a brightly coloured costume. The good thing was they weren¡¯t one I recognised. That meant she probably sucked. She paused and looked up at me grinning.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯ll be my first criminal with powers. My first supervillain¡± she said. There was another burst of static warning me danger was coming. Her wings fluttered and she darted towards me.

    ¡°Supervillain?!¡± I said confused diving out the way. She swung for me wildly but I dodged every punch using the danger sense and my insane agility.

    ¡°I think you¡¯ve got me confused for someone else!¡± I said, ducking a wild blow. Her arms were covered in a weird transparent armour, and from the sound of her fists cutting through the air I could tell she had some kind of superstrength.

    ¡°Shut up. I know you stole those wallets!¡± she said, obliterating an antenna with a swift kick.

    ¡°I was going to give them back!¡±

    ¡°Yeah right! You going to tell me the balaclava¡¯s a fashion statement next?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m serious! I literally just stopped a pickpocket and gave a bunch of people their stuff back. And the balaclava is a fashion statement!¡±

    The fight stopped, the girl breathing heavily as the fluttering of her wings slowed.

    ¡°Can we talk now?¡± I said.

    ¡°Sure, just let me knock you out first¡± she replied diving towards me and swinging a punch. I ducked, and decided enough was enough. I pulled myself across the roof with my web, grabbed the plastic bag and dived off the edge of the roof. I needed to get as far away from here as possible. Actually, scratch that, I¡¯d just take them to the police station with all the money inside.

    I felt my danger sense go off, and I webbed to the side. The butterfly girl shot through the air, her wings fluttering violently. She was fast, changing directions almost instantly as I dodged. I landed on a building and started legging it across the wall, full sprint. I was fast. Really fast.

    ¡°Stop!¡± she shouted behind me.

    ¡°Just leave me alone!¡± I shouted back. My danger sense buzzed and I pressed myself flat against the wall as she shot past. I jumped down, and started swinging back the way we came. I swung faster this time, releasing the web at the apex of my arc. I was covering serious ground. I pulled out my phone and searched frantically for directions to the police station. It was close. Good. My danger sense buzzed and I flipped upwards as the butterfly girl shot underneath me. She slammed into a wall, but quickly shook it off turning back towards me.

    ¡°Ugh! How are you doing that?!¡± she shouted.

    ¡°None of your business Ms Butterfly¡± I shouted back.

    ¡°They¡¯re dragonfly wings, moron!¡± she shouted, zooming towards me. I couldn¡¯t keep dodging her, I¡¯d mess up at some point. I had to stop her. As she zoomed up at me, I suddenly turned to her catching her off guard. I shot mini bursts of webs at her face and wings. They slammed into her, covering her mask, and gluing together two of her wings. She slowed down then veered wildly, before crashing to the ground cursing.

    ¡°Later loser¡± I shouted back in a mocking tone as I headed for the police station. I rounded the corner spotting it, and relaxed, slowing down.

    My danger sense buzzed again, violently this time. Huh? I glanced behind me to see if it was playing up. Mistake. Butterfly girl slammed into me with the force of a truck and I felt my ribs explode in pain as we tumbled through the air. We crashed to the ground just outside the police station. I recovered quickly, but she didn¡¯t. Her momentum had carried her past me, and she¡¯d definitely hit the ground harder than I had. The web of cracks in the concrete told me more than enough. I darted towards the entrance as I heard her shout at someone to stop me. I burst through the doors, accidentally breaking some of the glass with my strength. Everyone inside turned to me, and hands went to guns. I held up my hands lifting up the bag of wallets.

    ¡°I¡¯m returning these¡± I said, breathing heavily. I was met with silence. ¡°Well not returning, I didn¡¯t take them. Some pickpocket stole them. I¡¯m giving them to you so you can give them back¡± I continued. My shoulder ached, but I ignored it. A cop stepped toward me pulling out his gun. Other cops followed, but my danger sense didn¡¯t buzz.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± he said, eyeing me. Huh?

    ¡°We¡¯re you not listening? I just said¡± I said, pointing at the bag.

    ¡°Drop it and back up¡± he said. I dropped it and backed up slightly. He stepped over and picked it up. He checked inside and nodded.

    ¡°He¡¯s telling the truth. They¡¯re just wallets¡± he said to everyone.

    ¡°So can I go?¡± I asked. He shook his head.

    ¡°We¡¯ll need to detain you to ask a few questions. Take off the balaclava slowly¡± he said.

    ¡°Not doing that¡± I said, backing up as I brought my hands down, tightening my bag straps.

    ¡°FREEZE!¡± he shouted. Suddenly my danger sense buzzed more violently then ever, and I vaulted out the window. The crack of gunfire sounded behind me and the people in the street dived for cover. I jumped up and stuck to the wall above the police station, looking for the fastest way out of there.

    I spotted the butterfly girl unconscious in the street as I went to zip away. I suddenly remembered the less than cordial relationship law enforcement had with superheroes, and metahumans in general. I sighed, and webbed her up to me, throwing her onto my shoulder as a few more shots sounded out behind us. I was dropping her off on some random rooftop and going home.

 Chapter Twelve

    Litter duty sucked. Unfortunately, because of the detentions, I¡¯d be doing this for at least the next eight weeks. I sighed. Why did we even have afterschool litter picking club? Who the hell had thought that would be a good idea?

    ¡°Hey Lucas, try to keep up with the others¡± Mrs Nakahama called out to me. I sighed and sped up. I had to wear a stupid hi vis jacket whilst people stared at me picking up trash. They were probably wondering why my hi vis was the only silver one. Well it wasn¡¯t bad enough that I got forced to do this, but apparently I had to wear a different coloured hi vis for safeguarding purposes. Like being forced to be here because of detention made me a threat. I kicked a plastic cup. Stupid.

    ¡°Lucas I know you don¡¯t want to be here, but don¡¯t kick rubbish around. I¡¯ll have to report you if you do, and you and I both don¡¯t want that¡± Ms Nakahama said. I ignored her but didn¡¯t kick anything else. This whole situation was annoying. I could be out right now making hundreds of dollars, but no, because of the stupid principal I was stuck doing this for an hour and a half every Monday. There were other community things she¡¯d scheduled for me to during the other days of the week. God the next month was going to be a drag. I clenched my fists and kicked the wall.

    ¡°Lucas!¡± Mrs Nakahama said.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t rubbish¡± I mumbled. She sighed and muttered under her breath.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be kicking anything. Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re falling too far behind the others¡± she said. I groaned, picking up the pace.

    ¡°You know this would feel a lot faster if you weren¡¯t grumbling every five seconds¡± she said.

    ¡°Ok¡± I mumbled back. I stuck an orange plastic cup with my poker and then slipped it into my empty bag. This couldn¡¯t end any slower.

    -

    I trudged down the freshman boys dorm corridor hands in pockets. Some other students milled about in the hallways giving me the occasional glance. Litter duty sucked. Hopefully tomorrow would be better but I highly doubted it. I stopped at my door and unlocked it stepping inside. Rachael and Eric were sitting at Eric¡¯s desk going through homework together. She glanced up to see me and then whispered something to Eric. I ignored her and just fell face first onto my bed groaning. The sounds of utensils and paper being moved around told me Rachael was probably leaving. Did she really hate me that much? I mean I¡¯d only messed with her that one birthday and it seemed like she had a lifetime of hate stored in her heart. There were muffled whispers and the sound of the door opening.

    ¡°Uh¡­ see you later Lucas¡± Eric said before the door slammed shut. Huh? I looked up to see they¡¯d both left. Oh. Sweet! I jumped up, reached under my bed and grabbed my balaclava. I switched out my jumper, threw on my balaclava and grabbed my bag. I climbed out the window and started to close it when my danger sense buzzed. The door. Someone was coming inside.

    I didn¡¯t have enough time to open the window, leap inside, take off my balaclava and act natural, so I did the next best thing. I leapt to the bathroom window slipped through the gap and then pulled the door shut with a web.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± I heard Eric say tentatively.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± I called back, my heart thumping loudly in my chest.

    ¡°Do you want to come hang out with us?¡± Eric asked. I heard muffled whispers and then an abrupt silence.

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    ¡°Sorry man, I think I ate something funny. I¡¯m probably going to be in here for a while¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s fine. Join us when you¡¯re¡­ free. We¡¯ll be in the same study room¡± he said. There were more muffled whispers and then the door closed.

    I breathed a sigh of relief, leaning against the wall. I pulled out the burner phone and turned it on. I only had one missed call. I locked the bathroom door and dialled the number back. It rung a few times before someone picked up. There were a few seconds of silence so I spoke up.

    ¡°Uh¡­ hello? Did you need some help with something¡± I asked.

    ¡°Sure do¡± a familiar voice said. It was butterfly girl.

    ¡°Oh what the hell, what do you want?¡± I said back, leaping from the building and swinging through the air.

    ¡°Meet me on the Empire state building¡± she said.

    ¡°No¡±

    ¡°Just do it. I want to apologise¡±

    ¡°No thanks. I¡¯m hanging up now¡±

    I hung up and blocked the number. I was staying as far away from the Empire state as possible. She had to be stupid if she thought I was falling for that. Now, time to explore. I hadn¡¯t really been to Harlem yet, and the new flyers in my bag were just dying to get put up.

    -

    I sat on the side of a building watching the sun between the skyline as I ate a hot dog. The views up here really where something else. I hadn¡¯t gotten any calls today, but maybe I would soon. And even if I didn¡¯t it¡¯s not like I hadn¡¯t made more than enough for two weeks. I mean $400 in one day was just insane. I¡¯d be able to replace that horrendous box of bolts with a proper TV soon. I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to hide that under the bed without damaging it though. There was also the problem with getting Eric in on the program. I hadn¡¯t told him about the ps4 under my bed yet, so I had no idea how he¡¯d react. Maybe I¡¯d have to buy another controller just to make sure he had incentive not to tell anyone.

    My danger sense buzzed, and I jumped off the side of the building landing on a street light. I looked around, nothing. Weird.

    ¡°I¡¯m up here stupid¡± a voice said above me. I looked up, and my heart sunk.

    ¡°How the hell did you find me? Aren¡¯t butterflies supposed to be slow?¡± I said, readying myself for a fight.

    ¡°I said it already, I¡¯m a dragonfly. And don¡¯t talk with your mouth full. It¡¯s gross¡± she said, floating to eye level.

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t fight here, there¡¯s too many people¡± I said, eyeing her.

    ¡°Do you not listen. I told you I wanted to apologise¡± she said annoyed. I frowned, pulling my balaclava over the bottom of my face.

    ¡°You could¡¯ve just done that over the phone¡± I said, still suspicious.

    ¡°Fair point, but I wanted to ask for help and show you something interesting¡± she said. I frowned backing up slightly. This was weird. Very weird. My danger sense wasn¡¯t going off. so things were okay for now.

    ¡°Go on then¡± I said. She grinned.

    ¡°Sorry about yesterday. I got excited about the idea of fighting a super villain and I just ignored what you were saying. Also thanks for getting me away from the police, you didn¡¯t have to do that, and that could¡¯ve ended seriously badly for me¡± she said. Oh. She actually had wanted to apologise. She even seemed kind of genuine.

    ¡°Is that it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No. I wanted to ask for your help taking down this drug ring. I found one of their hideouts and I think a-¡°

    ¡°Woah, woah, woah!¡± I said waving my hands about. ¡°Did I miss something? Drug ring?! What the hell are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re like the main distributors of drugs in New York. They used to call themselves the Hunters, but recently they¡¯ve started calling themselves the Bears¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t clear anything up!¡±

    ¡°I just want you to help me. I might be able to take their hideout down on my own, but with you, we could definitely take it down¡± she said.

    ¡°Why would I help you take down a drug cartel or whatever?¡± I asked dumbfounded. She frowned.

    ¡°Why not? It¡¯s cool¡± she said.

    ¡°No thanks. It just sounds insanely dangerous¡±

    ¡°Weren''t you just swinging around the city like forty feet in the air¡± she said, crossing her arms. I frowned.

    ¡°Why¡¯re you even asking me anyway?¡± I said, ignoring her comment.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re a superhero as well. I¡¯m not just going to ask some random guy on the street.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a superhero.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ then what are you? You stopped a pickpocket yesterday, no?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but that was a one off. I¡¯m a metahuman for hire. Didn¡¯t you read the flyer?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I thought that was... I dunno, like a way to get people to call you if they were in danger?¡±

    ¡°Nope, it¡¯s an ad. I tell people what I offer, and they pay me for it.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what? You get paid?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Did you not read the flyer? What about metahuman for hire don¡¯t you get?¡±

    She frowned, pausing for a second. Welp, I was done here.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving¡± I said.

    ¡°Wait!¡± she shouted. I paused, glancing back. ¡°What if I said there¡¯s stolen money at the HQ?¡± Hmm? Interesting.

    ¡°I¡¯m listening¡± I said. She looked at the people beneath us before turning back to me.

    ¡°If you help me, I won¡¯t say anything if you take a tiny bit of money. The rest we leave for the police, ok?¡± she said.

    ¡°Deal¡± I said. She frowned, before straightening out, a grin slowly forming. She floated a few feet into the air and then waved me over.

    ¡°Come on, this is going to be so cool¡± she said.

 Chapter Thirteen

    I swung through the air, trying my best to maintain a steady altitude. Butterfly girl flew slightly above me. It was darker now, not completely dark, but the sun had nearly fallen past the horizon. I glanced up at butterfly girl. I needed to stop calling her that. What was her actual hero name?

    ¡°Hey, Ms butterfly, what¡¯s your superhero name?¡± I said. She glanced down at me, descending slightly.

    ¡°I told you they¡¯re dragonfly wings. And I¡¯m called Chrysalis¡± she said.

    ¡°Chrysalis? But isn¡¯t that what happens to butterfly larvae?¡± I replied.

    ¡°Yes. I know it sounds silly, but Chrysalis just sounded cool, you know?¡± she said. I shrugged. Fair enough.

    ¡°Wait, before we do this you need to have a name. What should I call you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Uh¡­ Arachnid? White web? Spider? I don¡¯t know man. I¡¯m not a superhero so it doesn¡¯t really matter¡± I replied.

    ¡°Well I need something to call you¡± she said. She paused, chuckling slightly. ¡°Arachnid sounds like a super villain name, and white web is kind of¡­ lacklustre. Spider¡¯s too simple¡­ hmm how about Black Widow?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No, just call me spider. Black Widow sound like a super villain name as well¡± I replied.

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°Yep¡±

    Suddenly she veered to the right and beckoned me. I followed and we stopped on a rooftop. She crouched and pulled me down next to her. She fumbled around with her breast pocket before pulling out a mini camera, snapping a photo and putting it away.

    ¡°You see that building over there, the one with the graffiti of Athena on the side?¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Yeah? Uh, why¡¯re you whispering?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s the building. We go in fast and hit hard till everyone¡¯s down. Then we look around for some clues, tie everyone up, and tip off the police¡± she said, still whispering.

    ¡°Uh, sure. Quick question, why¡¯re you whispering?¡± I repeated. She zipped off into the air, leaving me behind. Great. I leapt off the building and yanked myself through the air with a web. I shot across the sky as Chrysalis hurtled through the air ahead of me. As Chrysalis smashed through one of the windows, it suddenly dawned on me that I was in way over my head. This was seriously stupid. Well, I¡¯d just let her do all the heavy lifting, grab the money and run. I followed behind her, landing in what looked like a lab.

    A bunch of people in lab coats, and masks were already running for the one exit door shouting in what sounded like Russian. Chrysalis went to work, her skin suddenly taking on a shiny glint in the harsh laboratory lighting. She slammed into two of the lab coats knocking them to the floor where they didn¡¯t get up, and then she zipped across the room and knocked out two more. Suddenly the exit door burst open, and in stepped a bunch of guys in black suits carrying guns.

    My danger sense buzzed and I dived to the side as gunfire erupted from the doorway. I leapt around the room as gunfire trailed me, my heart in my mouth. My danger sense guided me out of harm¡¯s way but I felt like I was a hair¡¯s breadth from death. I could barely think, which was probably a good think because it let me rely on my danger sense. I just prayed Chrysalis was ok. I wouldn''t know what to do if she died. The gunfire stopped for a second and my danger sense faded. I didn¡¯t give them a chance to reload. I grabbed a beaker and threw it as hard as I could at the group of suits. It shattered on the first guys head and he fell to the floor as the others shouted in pain, firing wildly.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    I dodged the gunfire, a bullet tearing a hole through the side of my bag. Chrysalis suddenly appeared from behind a cabinet and slammed one of the guys into the wall with a ridiculous amount of force and knocked out the last guy with a quick jab. There was silence for a few seconds, and then I fell to the floor my knees giving out. The sweat on my body suddenly felt cold as wind blew in from the completely obliterated window. There were bullet holes everywhere.

    ¡°Jesus christ¡± I said.

    Chrysalis stook a hand out and I took it as she helped me up.

    ¡°Cool right?¡± she said. I looked her up and down. Her costume was riddled with bullet holes. The shiny texture on her skin had cracked in a few places, and small bits of blood seeped out.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡± I asked concerned. She glanced at herself.

    ¡°Oh I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve never fought against people with AR¡¯s before, so it might leave a bruise. I¡¯m not sure¡± she said. I stared at her dumbfounded, my heart still beating heavily.

    ¡°Come on, we need to tie them up before they wake up. Then we look for clues and call the police¡± she said. I nodded and started searching the lab. She stopped me and pointed at the door.

    ¡°We tie them up first. Plus, they only keep stuff for drugs in the lab. Everything important will be outside¡± she said. I nodded. She pulled out wire from a pocket on her belt and started tying up the suits. I walked over to them and started webbing them up. I didn¡¯t know how long it would last, but it would do the job. We finished tying everyone up, and then she handed me a pair of gloves.

    ¡°So we don¡¯t leave any finger prints¡± she said.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve really thought this through¡± I said. She grinned, pleased at the compliment. We stepped out of the lab and into what looked like a regular apartment. There were pictures of a family in the hallway, and regular furnishings throughout the house. Was this how they kept up a front? Strange.

    We split up to look through everything. I didn¡¯t find anything important until I searched the toilet. In the toilet¡¯s cistern there were three bags taped to the sides above the water. Each of them was labelled with something written in Russian. I pulled them all out and ripped them open. A grin spread across my face. Each of them was a bag of money. A lot of money. Perfect. I opened the plastic seal on one of them and emptied it into my bag. The weight from just one stack off bills had me cackling maniacally.

    ¡°Spider! Come look at this¡± she said. I left the toilet and made my way to one of the rooms. Chrysalis was sifting through a bunch of papers.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°A fucking goldmine. One of the guys here must¡¯ve been important because he¡¯s got tonnes of letters on important stuff¡± she said. I stepped over next to her and looked over a bunch of letters, some with pictures paper clipped to the end.

    ¡°Uh¡­ they''re all in Russian. Can you read Russian?¡± I asked.

    ¡°A little. It¡¯s enough to read the important parts¡± Chrysalis said. She dropped a bunch of the paper onto the bed, folding the rest and stuffing them into a pocket.

    ¡°Let¡¯s call the police and go¡± she said. She paused when she saw the bags of money in my hands.

    ¡°Uh¡­ can I keep one bag?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No. That¡¯s way too much. Take like $50 dollars and leave the rest¡± she said. I opened one of the bags and looked at the wad of cash.

    ¡°They¡¯re all hundreds¡± I said.

    ¡°Just take one¡± she said, stepping past me. I shrugged and took two bills before sealing it and dropping it on the bed. I wasn¡¯t going to mention the cash I¡¯d already put in my bag. I glanced at some of the documents on the bed, then stepped out of the room. Chrysalis was already on the house phone speaking to the police.

    She hung up quickly and turned to me.

    ¡°They¡¯re on their way. Let¡¯s go¡± she said. I nodded, and we quickly left through the window we¡¯d entered from. We stopped on a nearby building.

    ¡°You were pretty good back there. I¡¯ll let you know when I find another hideout¡± she said.

    ¡°Wait, this is going to be a regular thing?¡± I asked. She sighed and crossed her arms.

    ¡°Will you really only do it if you get paid?¡± she said. I thought back to the fuck ton of money I¡¯d just made. If they¡¯d all been one-hundred-dollar bills, then I had to have at least five grand in my bag. If I kept this up, then I wouldn¡¯t even have to worry about money anymore. I felt a small smile contort my balaclava.

    ¡°Nah, just call me¡± I said. She grinned, her posture relaxing. Then her wings fluttered, and she slowly started to ascend.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you around¡± she said.

    ¡°Cool. See you later¡± I replied. She waved and went to go before pausing.

    ¡°Hey Spider. Do you want me to make you a costume?¡± she asked. I paused before looking down at my clothes.

    ¡°Nah. I¡¯m not a superhero, remember?¡± I said. She laughed.

    ¡°Well see you later¡± she said, zipping away before I could reply. I smiled and leaped off the edge of the building and swung away. Today had been scary as shit. But it had definitely been worth it.

 Chapter Fourteen

    This was seriously not cool. Either I¡¯d left my locker open by accident, or someone had found a way to open the lockers. One way or another, I now had a bunch of garbage in my locker. Judging from the way Derrick and his cronies were laughing at me, I¡¯d say it was them. I shot them a glare and they laughed harder. I sighed, grabbing all the rubbish and garbage, and putting it into a small plastic bag. I slammed my locker shut and dumped the garbage in a dustbin nearby. Gross, now I needed to wash my hands. I made my way to the toilet and quickly washed my hands, when my phone buzzed.

    I checked. It was Quinten, and there was only one message. It read;

    Meet me in the refectory. We need to talk.

    What was all that about? I hoped it wasn¡¯t anything serious. I washed my hands and then made my way to the cafeteria. I wonder if it was about Rachael and Eric. No, Quinten was never big on romance, so I don¡¯t see why he¡¯d text me just to talk about that.

    I spotted him standing outside the cafeteria. He saw me and waved me over, his demeanour slightly unsettling.

    ¡°Hey man. What¡¯d you want to talk about?¡± I asked as we stepped inside.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take this wrong but are you¡­ fitting in ok?¡± he asked. I frowned.

    ¡°Yeah. Why?¡± I asked. He hesitated to answer, looking for the right words for a few seconds.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think everyone realised they were treating you a bit harshly because of your stupid joke. Completely unnecessary by the way. Weird too. But that¡¯s besides the point. Everyone¡¯s open to hanging out with you now so¡­ you don¡¯t have to avoid us¡± he said.

    ¡°Avoid you? Where¡¯s this coming from?¡± I replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m confused. On Wednesday, when you brought over Eric and just left. Didn¡¯t you leave because you felt uncomfortable?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Uh not really, I just¡­ didn¡¯t want to play monopoly¡± I lied. I couldn¡¯t tell him I¡¯d been swinging around the city as a metahuman for hire. How would I even begin to explain that? If I told him he might end up telling Alexandra. Then it''d reach t¨ªa and t¨ªo. Then it would get to Big Sis. Given she was already seriously pissed with me I doubted her finding out would go down well. I could already picture her screaming at me because I¡¯d tried to fight guys with guns.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked. My burner phone repeatedly buzzed in my blazer pocket.

    ¡°Give me a sec, I need to take this¡± I pulled out my phone and answered it.

    ¡°Hello?¡± I said covering the speaker so they wouldn¡¯t hear the noise of the cafeteria.

    ¡°Uh hi, are you that superhero that helps people for money? You sound kind of young¡± a woman asked, tinged with concern.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a su¡­ ¡° I paused glancing at Quinten, ¡°¡­yeah man, that¡¯s me. What¡¯d you want?¡± I said, deepening my voice slightly. Quinten tried to grab my attention, but I ignored him.

    ¡°Uh¡­ how much do you charge?¡± she asked, her voice slightly strained.

    ¡°Depends¡­ what do you need?¡±

    ¡°My fianc¨¦e''s leg is broken, and there¡¯s no way we can afford an ambulance. Could you take him to the hospital?¡± she said, the worry more apparent in her voice now. I paused. I hadn''t expected that. I didn¡¯t want anybody''s health to be in my hands, but I was already talking to her. It¡¯s not like I could just say no.

    ¡°Uh yeah. I -I can do that¡± I said.

    ¡°Thanks. We live in Chelsea on W 22nd St. I''ll stick a white top out the window. If you could get here quickly that would be appreciated¡± she said, her voice slightly emotional.

    "I''m on the way" I said.

    "Thank you" she said. The line went dead. Well¡­ money was money. Hopefully it wasn¡¯t too bad. I didn¡¯t want this guy''s leg to fall off whilst we were swinging.

    ¡°Who was that?¡± Quinten asked.

    ¡°Sorry man, gotta run¡± I said.

    ¡°Wait!¡± he said grabbing me. I slipped from his grip and jogged away.

    ¡°Lucas!¡± he called out.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon!¡± I shouted back, weaving between the crowd of students. It was time to make some money.

    -

    I swung from building to building checking my watch. It had taken a bit longer than I¡¯d wanted to get here, but I still had tonnes of time before lunch ended. I landed down on the street asking for directions, and quickly took back to the sky.

    Finally, I swung onto the street. I spotted the white shirt dangling out the window and landed on the wall next to it. I paused. Should I call? I didn''t want to accidentally go in the wrong person''s house because I hadn''t double checked. I fumbled with my bag and reached inside, looking around for my phone. Suddenly a concerned looking Latina peered out the window.

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    ¡°Come in, quickly!¡± she said, the panic in her voice apparent.

    I quickly made my way into the apartment to find the fianc¨¦e laying on the floor next to a ladder with a leg bent out of shape.

    ¡°Can you take him?¡± the woman asked, her voice desperate. I nodded. I stepped toward him looking at his leg.

    ¡°Looks bad, right?¡± he said.

    ¡°Uh¡­ not the worst I¡¯ve seen¡± I replied, trying to keep the situation light.

    ¡°Stupid really. I knew the ladder was faulty. Could¡¯ve fixed it as well¡± he said through gritted teeth. He was trembling.

    ¡°No worries man, just¡­ hold on a sec¡± I said.

    "You sound like a kid" he said with a frown.

    "I-I''m not" I replied. Big sis had taught us all basic first aid, so I knew that if I was going to swing around with him to the hospital I¡¯d probably need to make a splint first. I looked around for something before grabbing a blanket. I wrapped it around the leg as the guy grimaced. Then I grabbed random things in the house to create a makeshift splint. It didn''t look quite right, but I''d have to make do. I picked him up, which was surprisingly easy, and put him over my shoulder. Hopefully his leg wouldn''t swing around too much.

    ¡°What hospital are you going to?¡± the Latina asked me.

    ¡°Uh¡­ the closest one?¡± I said. I hadn''t planned this properly.

    "Lennox Health is nearby" she said with slightly teary eyes.

    "Ok. I''ll go there. S-sorry" I said nervously.

    "Keep him safe, ok?" she said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine Rosita. Seriously¡± the guy said. Rosita kissed him, and then rushed out the door. I hopped out the window and started swinging through the air, making sure not to go too fast. I fumbled with my phone, tapping in directions to Lennox health. And... got it. Thank god, it wasn''t far.

    ¡°Uh, superhero kid. That stores getting robbed¡± he said, through gritted teeth. I glanced down to see a bunch of guys in balaclava¡¯s run out of a store, hop on bikes and book it. Crap. I didn''t want to deal with that.

    ¡°I¡¯ll, uh, deal with you first¡± I said, trying to ignore the situation.

    ¡°You¡­ you don¡¯t have to. Just... leave me on a rooftop or something. I¡¯ll be fine¡± he said, breathless.

    ¡°You sure?¡± I asked in a pleading tone. He nodded. Dammit. I debated whether or not I should help. I''d look bad if I just let the robbers go now that he''d pointed it out. Ah, screw this. I zipped to a rooftop and set him down carefully before diving off the edge to the group with the bikes. One of them spotted me, and pulled out a gun, firing at me before I¡¯d even reached them. His aim was so bad my danger sense didn¡¯t even go off until after I landed on the streetlight above them.

    I dodged a few shots, letting my danger sense guide me as I planned my next move. I probably should''ve been more scared than I actually was, considering people were shooting at me. Wait, if I was easily strong enough to lift a grown man then surely I could¡­ I dodged another shot before yanking a guy towards me with a web. I left him dangling from the streetlight and snatched his gun away from him. The others stopped firing at me, splitting off in different directions. I webbed one of the guys feet together and he fell to the ground. I landed next to him and knocked him out cold with a well placed blow. Damn. This was easy.

    I jumped up and swung after the others. I yanked one guy up to me and webbed him to the wall, before just webbing the final guy to the floor. Wow, the webs were actually pretty useful for fighting. I grabbed all the items they¡¯d stolen and swung back to the store, handing them back over. I swung away quickly, not bothering to listen to the store owners¡¯ thanks. I reached the rooftop and grabbed the guy again. Jumping off the building, I shot out a web and swung down the street.

    ¡°Wow,¡± he said through a clenched jaw, ¡°that was pretty quick.¡±

    ¡°Yeah man, let¡¯s just focus on getting you to the hospital¡± I replied. I was starting to get worried, the colour had drained from his face and he was starting to sweat profusely. Suddenly my danger sense went off, loud and clear. I zipped us over to a wall, dodging as a car flew through the air where we had been and crashed into a building.

    ¡°What the hell?!¡± I shouted. I looked down to see two metahumans fighting as civilians ran away screaming. Holy shit.

    ¡°Go!¡± the guy shouted. I listened, leaving the guy on the rooftop before throwing myself towards the battle. It suddenly dawned on me that I was throwing myself into the middle of a fight for no good reason other than some guy had told me to. Dammit, I should''ve just ignored the damn call.

    I landed on one of the streetlights above the fight. The street was in absolute chaos. I recognised one of the fighters. It was Panzer, one of Athena¡¯s regular villains. A neo nazi nut in hulking suit of armour who regularly tried to take over New York. I¡¯m pretty sure she was supposed to be in jail. The other person, the one who¡¯d thrown the car, wasn¡¯t someone I recognised. They wore a blue hoodie, jeans, a blue ki mask and some ski goggles. Strangely they weren¡¯t wearing any shoes. Whoever they were obviously trying to dress the part of a superhero but was failing miserably. Neither had noticed me yet, so I took the chance to attack Panzer as the guy in blue charged towards her.

    She spun around before I could reach her, swinging wildly with a massive metal arm. I dodged landing on top of her suit. I crawled around as she reached for me, her large metal hands slamming against her armour with enough force to put the fear of God into me. And then suddenly we went flying. I caught a glimpse of the guy in blue as we hurtled through the air. I pressed myself flat against the armour trying not to piss myself. We crashed into some cars, but Panzer took the brunt of the blow and I only felt the after-effects of the sudden stop.

    I looked behind us at the property damage, my heart sinking. Before I could say anything a blur of pink slammed into Panzer. This time I jumped off before we even reached five feet off the ground. She went flying and slammed into the side of a building. I landed on the ground and put my hands my head in horror and said a few choice words in Spanish. This amount of damage was insane! Where the hell was Athena?!

    I glanced to the side. A girl in a pink version of the get up stood next to me, not wearing any shoes either. I understood why now. They must¡¯ve had some type of superspeed. That didn¡¯t matter right now though.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡± I shouted at her. She seemed caught off guard by the sudden outburst.

    ¡°Uh¡­ stopping the villain. Who are you?¡± she asked

    ¡°Are you fucking insane?! I- the damage! Look around!¡± I shouted. She looked around for a second, before shrugging.

    ¡°Damage happens during fights¡± she said casually. The was a slight woosh and the blue guy stopped next to me.

    ¡°She down?¡± he asked. The sound of whirring and hydraulics moving told me everything I needed to know. The speedsters readied themselves, but I stuck my hands out.

    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with this. You two stop, you¡¯ve done enough damage anyway¡± I said.

    ¡°No way! We got her to this point, you can¡¯t just take the credit!¡± the girl said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about credit, just stop throwing things around!¡± I hissed. I vaulted towards the building as Panzer stood back up. I webbed her legs to the ground then landed on top of her. She swung wildly for me, but I crawled all over her, pulling at wires, and tubes and webbing her up.

    The fight ended without much struggle. With her suit failing and web slowly tying her up tighter and tighter, she gave up. I webbed her down some more for extra measure, and then looked around at the damage. The road was destroyed, the side of this building was absolutely ruined, and there were just upside-down cars lying everywhere.

    I turned to the blue and pink clowns.

    ¡°I had no part in this!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°Damn right you didn¡¯t!¡± the guy shouted back.

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re the ones that took her down¡± the girl added on. Glad they got the message. I zipped up to the roof I¡¯d left the guy up on. Crap, he was unconscious. I grabbed him and leaped off the side of the building. Hopefully he wouldn¡¯t die. I mean he hadn¡¯t been bleeding or anything. It was probably just the pain. I glanced back as I swung towards the hospital. Hopefully no one had gotten hurt back there. That could¡¯ve been dangerous.

 Chapter Fifteen

    I sat outside the vice principals¡¯ office, sighing. Because of the whole mess with the guy during lunch, I¡¯d shown up to class fifteen minutes late. Ms Jane ¨C who also happened to be my physics teacher ¨C had not liked that one bit. Completely unacceptable behaviour, she¡¯d said. I wished I could¡¯ve explained what had happened, but that would only cause more trouble. I leant my head against the wall, slouching in my seat. Hopefully the vice principal didn¡¯t get my sister involved with this.

    I felt my burner phone vibrate in my pocket. I glanced at the door and pulled it out. It was Chrysalis. I hesitated but answered.

    ¡°Hey Spider, I found another hideout. Can you meet me at the Flatiron building?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I don¡¯t know. Maybe tomorrow?¡± I said.

    ¡°Why? What happened?¡± she asked, concerned.

    ¡°I was late for class. I¡¯ll probably have detention¡± I replied. She laughed hard, before suddenly stopping.

    ¡°Wait how old are you?¡± she asked. I paused. Would she not bring me if I gave the wrong answer? I know I¡¯d already made more than enough money, but the idea of another five grand was too tempting to let go.

    ¡°Uh¡­ how old are you?¡± I replied.

    ¡°Just tell me how old you are. I asked first¡± she said. I paused.

    ¡°Eighteen¡±

    ¡°No way you¡¯re eighteen¡±

    ¡°Ok, ok. I¡¯m sixteen¡± I lied.

    ¡°Crap, you¡¯re older. I thought I had a year on you¡± she said. ¡°Anyway, just let me know if you¡¯re free. See you around.¡±

    ¡°Ok. See you tomorrow, I guess.¡±

    She hung up, and I slipped the phone back into my pocket. I sat still twiddling my thumbs for a few seconds before the sound of footsteps thundered down the hall. Maria came into view, and I felt my lungs collapse. I hid myself behind my bag, but she ripped it off of me dashing it to the floor. I stared at her feet.

    ¡°Uh¡­ hi¡± I said. She grabbed me by the ear and shook my head violently.

    ¡°Are you stupid?! Fifteen minutes late?! What the hell were you even doing?!¡± she said harshly.

    ¡°Ow, ow. I¡¯m sorry. I lost track of time¡± I replied. She let go of my ear and sat down next to me.

    ¡°Have you spoken to Mr Becker yet?¡± she said, cold.

    ¡°No.¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Good. Tell him your sorry and that you¡¯ll do anything. I don¡¯t want you getting expelled¡± she said.

    ¡°I won¡¯t get expelled. I was just late for class¡± I replied. Maria shot me a glare, and I sunk back in my chair.

    The door creaked open, and a student stepped out followed by Mr Becker. He was a tall man in his late thirties or early forties with a clean-shaven face, and a strong jaw. He wore a thick pair of glasses, and his brown hair was slicked back with gel.

    ¡°Come in Lucas. We have a lot to talk about¡± he said. I stepped inside. His office was mostly empty. He didn¡¯t have anything on the walls, and only had a few utensils on his desk, with a filing cabinet sat next to it. He only had two pictures on his desk. One of a college basketball team, and the other a picture of him, a blonde woman, and a girl that looked like both of them in a graduation gown.

    ¡°Lucas, I think you know why you¡¯re here¡± he said. I nodded. ¡°So what do you want me to do about it?¡± he said.

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°I- I don¡¯t know¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯s a problem. You see I was wondering if you had any ideas because all of my suggestions feel a bit¡­ unreasonable¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ what¡¯re the suggestions?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked. First we¡¯ve got an extension of your mandatory community service. We¡¯re looking at an extra two months there. Then we¡¯ve got a suspension, though Mrs Kaede warned me you were pining for that. And then we have expulsion, which I think is far too unreasonable for your second week. I know you¡¯ve caused a lot more trouble than we¡¯re used to but it¡¯s not that serious¡± he said. There was a small moment of silence, as I felt my heart thump in my chest.

    ¡°The extension. I¡¯ll do the extension¡± I said. Mr Becker frowned and leaned back in his chair.

    ¡°Not the suspension? Interesting¡± he said. He scribbled down something on a sheet of paper.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t do this again alright. Oh and you¡¯ll be seeing a counsellor from now on. School mandated¡± he said looking up at me and smiling.

    ¡°Ok¡± I said.

    ¡°You can go¡± he said. I stood up, slightly confused, and stepped out of the office.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Maria asked curtly.

    ¡°I have to do extra community service or whatever¡± I said sighing.

    ¡°Be grateful you idiot. You¡¯re getting off light¡± she said. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

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    ¡°I know, I know¡± I replied. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ve got to go to reception to help with some grunt work¡± I replied.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t let this happen again¡± she said, storming off.

    ¡°It was nice to see you too¡± I called out to her.

    -

    I stood next to the photocopier as some of the teachers laughed in the lounge just beyond. I stared out the window my mind blank. I sighed hanging my head. Another two months and a stupid counsellor. Why did the school even have counsellors? Annoying. Why hadn¡¯t I just taken the suspension? I mean it¡¯s what I¡¯d wanted in the first place. It must¡¯ve been the way Mr Becker had asked me the questions. Where all the faculty here so good at catching students off guard, or was I just easy? Suddenly, my danger sense buzzed, and I instinctively ducked. The window smashed, and bits and pieces of shrapnel embedded themselves into the wall. I could hear a few panicked shouts from in the staff room, and outside. I jumped up looking out the window. A car had slammed into a building nearby, and it had exploded upon impact.

    Holy shit. There was a crater in the side of the building. I could see someone dangling from the edge of it holding on for dear life. Then in the distance I heard a deep guttural roar. I turned to look down the road. A humanoid monster about fifteen feet tall made of a haphazard mishmash of animal body parts roared in the middle of the street. The blue and pink idiots ran around punching it randomly and throwing things at it. They must¡¯ve thrown the car. Shit. Did I go and help? That thing, looked way too above my paygrade. Suddenly Chrysalis zipped down through the air towards the monster, slamming it to the ground. It recovered quickly, grabbing her and threw her into a building.

    In an instant I leapt from the room bursting through the door and sprinted towards my dorm room. I needed to help. I booked it through the halls, dodging the few people that weren¡¯t staring out of the classroom windows. I reached my dorm room to find the door wide open. Eric must¡¯ve gone to check the commotion. I slammed the door, grabbed my balaclava, threw a hoodie on over my shirt, and swapped out my school trousers. If someone recognised those it¡¯d be bad. I climbed out the window and paused. I was shaking. Badly. Did I really have to do this? The sound of another roar echoed through the air. Dammit, I didn¡¯t have time to think. I leapt off the building and swung around the side of the building swinging faster than I ever had before.

    I glanced back to see half the school staring at me as I swung towards the battle. I breathed deeply looking watching the fight as it happened. I was really doing this. I hadn¡¯t had as much time to think about it with Panzer, it had just sort of happened, but this felt a lot more real. I ignored the gut wrenching fear and swung to a stop on a building nearby. I webbed the monster, but it yanked me towards in with a surprising amount of strength. I flew through the air and my danger sense buzzed. I dodged a swing that would¡¯ve taken my head clean off and landed on the monster. It had multiple faces on its head, and all of their breath stunk.

    All the faces roared at me and I leapt off of the monster as it brought it¡¯s fists down on where I¡¯d been, slamming them against itself. It stumbled and fell. Suddenly a car flew overhead, missing the monster and flying towards another building. I grabbed it with my webs and yanked it back away from the building, and directly at myself. Oh shit. I caught it with my hands, denting the surface but holding it easily. I dropped it to the ground, leaving it. I glanced behind me at the blue guy.

    ¡°STOP THROWING CARS!!¡± I screamed. I couldn¡¯t see his face, but his body language told me enough. He didn¡¯t seem to care. Suddenly I remembered the building the car had crashed into earlier. I¡¯d completely forgotten about it when I¡¯d seen the monster. Shit. Did I stay to fight the monster or go back and help? Shit. Shit!

    The decision was made for me. The monster roared and my danger sense came to life. I flipped through the air dodging a punch from a fist the size of a tree trunk. I landed on the floor as a pink blur slammed the monster to the ground. I took my chance webbing it to the ground repeatedly until it couldn¡¯t move. Chrysalis landed, covered in a bunch of scrapes, carrying two civilians.

    ¡°Chrysalis, the building back there!¡± I shouted pointing towards the building near the school. She nodded and zipped away at ridiculous speeds. I took to the air swinging towards the building. Chrysalis grabbed the person hanging on the edge and flew towards the ground.

    I landed inside, looking around. Fortunately the building hadn¡¯t caught fire, but the explosion could have definitely hurt someone.

    ¡°Hello?!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°Help!¡± I heard someone wheeze. I ran through the apartment before finally seeing the scene. A guy was trapped under a collapsed wall, and a woman lay on the floor unconscious shards of glass sticking out of her.

    ¡°Help her first¡± he said. I nodded. I walked over to the woman unsure of what to do.

    ¡°Screw it¡± I said. I picked up her holding her carefully and jogged back to the hole in the building.

    ¡°Chrysalis!¡± I shouted. She shot out from below. ¡°Take her to the hospital, quick¡± I said. She nodded and took her shooting off without a word. I darted back inside and lifted the wall off the guy. He¡¯d been trapped in a pocket so the damage wasn¡¯t that bad, but one of his legs was broken. I laughed to myself, before quickly making a splint, and throwing him over my shoulder. He¡¯d passed out already. I paused. Did I leave now, or check with the guy in tow? Crap.

    A sudden roar from the street put the fear of God into me. The ground shook beneath my feet and I saw the girl in pink go careening through the air before slamming to the ground and not getting up. Shit. I raced to the makeshift exit, and looked down the street. Blue was getting manhandled by the monster as it pulled itself free from my web. I jumped down from the building landing amongst the crowds at the ends of the street. I handed the guy to them.

    ¡°Take him to a hospital. His leg¡¯s broken¡± I said. I vaulted into the air and swung back towards the monster.

    I needed to take him out before he caused anymore damage. It turned, somehow sensing me coming, and chucked Blue at me. I caught him and landed on a street light. I webbed Blue to the streetlight and hopped down darting towards the monster. My heart pounded in my chest as it roared. This was Athena level supervillainy. Where the hell was she?! The monster swung for me, but I dodged the punch landing on it¡¯s arm. I crawled up it¡¯s arm, avoiding damage as it tried to fling me around and slam me into the ground. Suddenly an idea came to me. I¡¯d fight like a spider. I shot out webs, connecting them to it¡¯s arm. I didn¡¯t stop the stream, instead I continued crawling around it as it tried to attack me. Slowly but surely a blanket of web started to bind it¡¯s limbs together limiting it¡¯s movement. I was doing it!

    Suddenly a burst of fire erupted from it¡¯s mouth sending me flying. I patted myself out quickly, the face of my hoodie slightly burned. Shit. I looked up to see the monster struggle to move in it¡¯s bound state. I felt a surge of anger burst through me, and I shot out a set of webs, yanking it over. It stumbled and I darted towards it, leaping up into the air and bringing my hands down on it¡¯s head as hard as I could. The monster slammed through the ground, and we fell in a mess of asphalt and web, crashing into the sewer. I jumped up, pulling myself back to the surface as the monster was dragged away by the water. I didn¡¯t follow, a sudden fatigue washing over me. My arms trembled from the blow I¡¯d dealt the monster, and my hands shook. My feet were wet with sewage and my hoodie had been straight up burned. But I¡¯d won.

    I looked around at the collapsed section of the road. Damn I was strong. I fell to the floor, laying on my back, noticing the news helicopter from the air for the first time. Crap. I struggled to stand up.

    ¡°Hey! Get this stuff off me man. Not cool!¡± someone shouted behind me. I glanced up at Blue. His ski goggles had shattered partially, and there was some blood on his ski mask. I jumped up to him bringing my face close to his.

    ¡°If you ever pull shit like you did today again, I¡¯ll do worse than just tie you up¡± I said, shaking with anger.

    ¡°Are you threatening me?!¡± he said angrily. I paused, before standing up.

    ¡°Yeah. Tell pink what I said too¡± I said, before webbing away. If the police found her unconscious and him tied up I wouldn¡¯t mind if their identities got revealed.

    ¡°Idiots¡± I mumbled. I landed amongst the crowd who I¡¯d given the guy with the broken leg.

    ¡°An ambulance is on it¡¯s way¡± a lady said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m faster¡± I said, grabbing him and swinging away.

 Interlude One - J Jonah Jameson

    Jonah didn''t like it. Not one bit. The new superheroes who had no idea what they were doing, the sudden influx of villains, and the absolutely idiotic news stations who were already publicising Athena''s disappearance. The situation was starting to look dire. Crime was definitely going to spike now that it was public news that Athena was missing, and support from the Vanguard probably wouldn''t come for months. Not that it was common knowledge but they were off world and now Might''s brat, Genesis, was running things. She was smart, but she didn''t have the management chops. Jonah highly doubted she was paying any attention to what was happening in New York right now. He let out a hearty sigh.

    Now he had to make an important decision. He''d already decided what the paper''s focus for the upcoming weeks was going to be, but now he had to decide what they were putting on the air. The paper''s consumers were of an older demographic, a following that had reason to trust him even if they shouldn''t. It meant he could be slightly more lenient with the truth if it meant giving them a better sense of the danger that was coming. Reporting was different. It wasn''t so much about trust as it was about engagement. You could straight up lie, portray clear bias, and even spout complete nonsense; if it was controversial, people engaged. You didn''t need respect or reputability, you just needed a recognisable brand, good hosts, good visuals, and an agenda. It wasn''t exactly the method he favoured, but if it got people speaking about the topic it was enough. Social media was important too. For younger viewers it represented the company''s brand. Jonah couldn''t understand social media all that well, but he was smart enough to know that it affected ratings.

    But either way, he needed to get back to the question at hand. He needed to decide what we were going to focus the televised reports on. There were two plans; framing the new heroes as incompetent or framing Genesis. Framing the new heroes would be easy. The two speedsters, Pink and Blue, had obliterated streets, cars and even killed people in collateral, trying to take down that monster. They deserved whatever shitstorm was coming their way. The Dragonfly and Spiderman weren''t as bad, but they definitely didn''t know what they were doing and he knew he could get away with tagging them onto the end of the mess of recent events as accomplices. If he did it properly he could generate more support from the New York populous for the proposed superhero control legislature. According to polls, the police and healthcare professionals were already on his side, but firemen and teachers weren''t, and the average citizen had grown indifferent. The same for a majority of the police too. They didn''t like her because she made them look incompetent but when you had an all powerful hero backing you up, you tended to take things a bit easier. They''d all grown too comfortable with Athena saving them so regularly, they didn''t realise just how bad the city had gotten. The Athena effect as he liked to call it.

    But, that was besides the point. Jonah''s first option was clear and concise, generate hate and pass the bill. His second option however had a lot further reaching implication. Pinning the blame on Genesis could jeopardise the entire company. From the Bugle''s image and credibility, to his own if it got out he''d started the whole fiasco. Genesis was popular. More than popular. If he got on the wrong side of her fans it could be an absolute shitshow. But he could use that to generate engagement. If speaking about anyone would get you coverage it was Amanda Farrow. But if he pinned the nationally rising crime rates and disasters on her and it worked, it''d tarnish her reputation forever. Throwing a shadow over the entire Junior Vanguard and reducing their credibility to the general public could cause a lot of problems in the future. But he''d be bringing attention to the superhero epidemic and maybe, possibly, even generate enough national interest for laws to be passed nationally.

    Not that he cared too much about what happened outside of New York.

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    Still there was too much was at risk with that plan. It risked the company and everyone''s in it''s job''s and careers. It risked people''s faith in the Junior Vanguard, who - even if people forgot - were the Vanguard''s successors. And it was the kind of morally grey that was a bit too dark for his tastes. But he was still thinking about the choices. Between risking the future of the entire country''s current and probable future protectors, or having one city hate a few kids.

    It was clear which one was more reasonable.

    If the negative effects of the average New Yorker''s standard of living became apparent as he pinned the blame on the new heroes, it would, without a doubt, generate more than enough support to have the metahuman restriction legislature passed in New York under special laws. If he did the right thing the only people negatively impacted would be the new superheroes. Four people. Only four kids.

    Four kids.

    Jonah glanced at the envelope on the table in front of him. He didn''t want to open it. If he did, he knew it would affect his decision. Cloud his judgement to some degree. It probably already was and he hadn''t even opened it. It brought forward all the insecurities he had about his capability. All the doubts about the decisions he''d ignored until now. It made Jonah think about the invisible box of morals his agendas confined him to and all the mistakes he''d made because of it. It made him question everything. But he still couldn''t throw it away. A part of him knew he deserved this. A sick twisted part. Or maybe the only part of him that wasn''t.

    There was a knock at the door. He leant back in his chair, letting out a relieved sigh. Thank god. He needed a moment there. He''d almost been crushed under the weight of his own thoughts.

    "Come in" Jonah said loudly. The door to his office opened and the sound of telephones and a cacophony of voices flooded the room. Betty stepped in carrying a stack of papers followed by Eddie, who didn''t close the door behind him.

    "Mr Jameson" Betty said, leaving the stack of papers on his desk.

    "Thank you Betty" Jonah replied with a sigh. She left quietly shutting the door behind her, as Eddie stood taking in the room around with his stupid shit eating grin. He was holding a folder. Jonah sighed.

    "Eddie, just email me the photos. I''m busy" Jonah said. Eddie laughed, the sound grating against Jonah''s ears and slapped the envelope against his hand.

    "Sorry Mr J, I just prefer a bit of face to face action you know? Makes me feel more at home here" he said, grinning.

    "Just give me the damn photos and get out" Jonah said.

    "Sure thing boss" Eddie said, dropping them onto the desk. "Trust me Mr J, your going to like these ones."

    Jonah shot him a glare and Eddie laughed backing away before doing an awkward shuffle spin, tripping slightly and then stepped out the office, failing to close the door again. Jonah sighed and went to stand up, but Betty quickly flashed him a smile and closed. He let out another relieved sigh. Her help was probably the only reason he hadn''t retired yet. He needed to give her a raise. Jonah snatched Eddie''s envelope off the desk and stared at it. The only reason that kid even had a damn job was because his mum was a majority shareholder. A shame, he''d have fired him a long time ago if I could. He tore the envelope open and sifted through a bunch of photos. He threw most of them away, but paused on a few of Dragonfly and spiderman eating on top of a building. Spiderman covered in ketchup and parts of his own burger. Hmm, kid got lucky. These would work.

    Jonah threw the rest in the bin and sighed, glancing at the pile of paper Betty had left him. He leant forward and brought his hands to his face, before looking down at the words on the front of the brown envelope he''d received a week ago

    ''To J Jonah Jameson. From Athena''

    He looked away. He didn''t want to read it. He knew what it was and it was already doing enough damage.

    His whole mission was to ensure the right people were doing the right things. Hearing the right things. Seeing the right things. He''d just wanted to keep her in line. Someone had to. He''d... he''d never meant for this.

    Jonah stood up, his neck stiff and back tight. He was getting old. Too old for all of this. He turned to face the window and stared out over the city, the sound of traffic distant from his office, but present all the same. He glanced up at the sky. It was a cold empty blue.

    "God dammit Athena" Jonah muttered to himself. "Where the hell are you?"

 Chapter Sixteen

    I woke up to pain.

    ¡°Ow!!! Fuck. Fuck!!¡± I shouted, as my body seized up. I stopped moving and a sense of relief washed over me, before the pain slowly ebbed back. The growing pains were worse than yesterday.

    ¡°You ok?¡± Eric asked.

    ¡°No¡± I replied, already tired. I lay in bed for a few more minutes till I¡¯d come to terms with the fact the pain probably wasn¡¯t going to just disappear. I stood up wincing, and Eric frowned at me.

    ¡°Are you¡­ taller?¡± he asked. I shrugged, the movement sending waves of pain through my back.

    I trudged to the bathroom and locked the door. Then I caught a look at myself in the mirror.

    ¡°What the hell man?!¡± I shouted.

    -

    I sat in the refectory eating breakfast with Eric. It was Sunday morning, two days after the fight with the monster thing. It had been everywhere on the news, everyone at school was talking about it, and everyone had an opinion on it. There was one big question everyone had from the fight, including me. Where the hell was Athena? The fight had gone on for about twelve minutes before I¡¯d even showed up, so there was no way she wouldn¡¯t have heard about it. She was supposed to be the poster girl of New York, but she¡¯d just upped and disappeared for a few days. Usually she dealt with stuff like this, and she dealt with it well.

    Comparatively yesterday had been a disaster. The only one who wasn¡¯t really getting shit was Chrysalis, and even then people were saying she didn¡¯t do enough and left before the fight even finished. I felt like my criticisms were unfair. First off, I wasn¡¯t a superhero. Secondly, I had no way of knowing that I was strong enough to break the road. I¡¯d beaten the thing anyway, so at least there was that. The blue and pink duo were getting dragged through the mud, which did put a smile on my face.

    They¡¯d totalled 21 cars just from this fight and injured at least 37 people. Two people had died of their injuries, which was kind of insane. The people had come together and were trying to sue, but there wasn¡¯t anyone to sue. The duo hadn¡¯t made a reappearance though, which was a good sign. Hopefully it would stay like that. I sighed. I just felt bad for the deceased¡¯s families. The news report on the TV changed coverage of the fight to something about the Bederson Research Centre and Eric suddenly perked up.

    ¡°Hey, are you going on the school trip there?¡± he said.

    ¡°Dunno¡± I replied, tired.

    ¡°I think you¡¯ll like it. If you want to come, you might need to tell Ms Jane. She took a register of everyone who wanted to go at the start of physics. She sent an email as well. I think it was $30, and you need permission from your mum or dad. That should be fine, right?¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah¡± I mumbled back.

    I winced, shifting in my seat slightly. If things weren¡¯t going better today, then I¡¯d have to cancel on Chrysalis again. I could barely do anything like this. I¡¯d missed four phone calls yesterday, and I¡¯d probably miss more today. I groaned, resting my forehead against the table. This had to be something to do with my superstrength, but it didn¡¯t make sense that the muscle pain was all over my body.

    I sighed. Eric had been right earlier. I was noticeably taller, and definitely more muscular. I¡¯d be celebrating if it didn¡¯t hurt so damn much. Hopefully this was the extent of it; I didn¡¯t want to suddenly grow mandibles or and extra set of legs.

    ¡°Morning guys¡± a voice called out to us. It was Rachael, and she was with Keiko. ¡°Morning¡± Eric said as they sat down. I groaned back, closing my eyes.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Keiko asked.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s growing pains. He¡¯s had them since Saturday¡± Eric said. There was a beat of silence in which I had no doubt everyone just stared at my pained expression, before Rachael spoke up.

    ¡°So Eric, a bunch of us were thinking about doing something for Quinten¡¯s birthday next Friday. Are you down to help?¡± Rachael asked. It was weird to hear her voice sound so cheery.

    ¡°Sure. Shouldn¡¯t you be asking Lucas though?¡± he replied. There was another beat of silence.

    ¡°Uh¡­ do you want to help Lucas?¡± Rachael asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m good¡± I wheezed.

    ¡°Seriously? It¡¯s your cousins birthday¡± Keiko said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get him a gift¡± I said groaning.

    ¡°A gift? We¡¯re all getting him gifts. The least you could do is help us plan something for him.¡± she said frustrated. I looked up still slouched to see she was glaring at me.

    ¡°It¡¯s just his birthday. He doesn¡¯t really care¡± I said yawning.

    ¡°God you¡¯re so weird. Are you a psychopath or something?¡± she said, a look of disgust passing across her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to tell you Quinten doesn¡¯t like celebrating his birthday. What¡¯s your problem with me man?¡± I said getting agitated. It was ten o clock on a Sunday. I didn¡¯t need her whining in my ear.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve got a problem with you. You¡¯re weird¡± she said, getting angry.

    ¡°Hey, calm down guys¡± Eric said looking between us.

    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no need to get riled up¡± Rachael said looking at Keiko. Keiko shot me a glare.

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    ¡°I have no idea how the two of you are related. Your parents clearly didn¡¯t raise you properly¡± she said.

    I slammed my fist into the table, denting the surface. Everyone turned to us, and the cafeteria went silent. Keiko looked at me with a look of shock.

    ¡°Lucas calm d-¡° Rachael started.

    ¡°TAKE THAT BACK!¡± I said, pointing at Keiko with a rigid finger, vehemence dripping from my voice. Eric grabbed my shoulder, but I pushed him off. I stood up, trembling with anger. Pain lanced through my body, but I ignored it.

    ¡°What the hell is going on here?!¡± A teacher said, walking up to us. I ignored him, walking towards the door.

    ¡°Stop young man!¡± the teacher shouted, but it was already too late. I barged out the doors then ran back to my dorm.

    -

    I sat wrapped in covers, staring out the window. What a bitch. Who even talked like that to other people. She didn¡¯t know anything about me or my parents. She didn¡¯t know anything about me. She didn¡¯t know anything. I sighed and hung my head. I shouldn¡¯t have shouted though. Or broken the bowl. I should¡¯ve just got up and left. I buried my face into my pillow and groaned. Now Eric probably thought I was weird too.

    My phone buzzed. I checked it. It was a text from Chrysalis. It read Still in pain? I sighed again. I didn¡¯t want to say yes, but I also didn¡¯t want to get shot because I was in too much pain to dodge. Hmmm, I still wanted to hang out with her though. She was more fun than anyone here, that was for sure. I texted back. Yh. Do you still wanna hang out?

    I didn¡¯t wait long for a reply. Yh. Meet at the Flatiron? I¡¯ve got a surprise for you. She was down. Perfect. What kind of surprise? I hope it wasn¡¯t anything weird. I grabbed my balaclava and opened the window. Now I just had to get used to swinging around whilst in pain. I hope nobody asked me to stop any muggings, because I¡¯d be useless.

    -

    ¡°Who? The ski-mask speedsters?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Wow, I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t think of that name. I just thought of them as clowns. Their costumes were ass¡±

    ¡°Says you!¡±

    ¡°Hey. I¡¯m not a superhero. And anyway that¡¯s besides the point. I¡¯m just glad we haven¡¯t seen them again¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean why?! They killed people¡±

    ¡°I know but¡­ I feel like you¡¯re being a bit harsh. They were trying to help¡±

    ¡°By throwing cars at buildings?¡±

    ¡°Ok fair, but all they need is a bit of guidance. I think after this whole fiasco they¡¯d probably listen to some constructive criticism¡±

    I sighed, and took another bite from my burger. I wasn¡¯t getting through to her. Well it didn¡¯t matter. Those idiots probably wouldn¡¯t come back again. I finished the final bits of my burger in two quick bites and stood up, stepping onto the side of the building. I winced slightly but ignored the pain breathing deeply.

    ¡°You okay?¡± Chrysalis asked, concerned.

    ¡°No.¡± I replied curtly. I pressed my back and feet to the wall and looked out over the city. I was really starting to enjoy these views.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve got something that might cheer you up¡± Chrysalis said. I frowned.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Here¡± she said dangling a bag over my head. I grabbed it, and opened it, seeing a black hoodie and full mask. I pulled out the hoodie. It had a symbol embroidery of a spider on the front.

    ¡°Uh¡­ what is this?¡±

    ¡°I mean you¡¯re old hoodie got burned so I thought I¡¯d get you a new one¡± she said.

    ¡°Oh¡­ thanks. Why the symbol though? And the mask?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be a costume. Don¡¯t you like it?¡± she said. I sighed.

    ¡°I like it. I mean it¡¯s nice, but¡­ I¡¯m not a superhero. Having a costume might make people misunderstand¡± I said. There were a few seconds of silence when Chrysalis¡¯ wings fluttered, and she appeared above me floating upside down.

    ¡°Why¡¯re you so against being a superhero?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I¡¯m just not one.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not an answer¡±

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m just lazy. I don¡¯t want that type of responsibility¡±

    ¡°I mean you helped a bunch of people the other day¡±

    ¡°That was different. I saw it from school and I-¡° I paused, realising I¡¯d just given away a part of my identity. Chrysalis realised instantly too.

    ¡°Uh¡­ forget I said that¡±

    ¡°Wait you go to that prep school?!¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡±

    ¡°Wow. I mean that¡¯s a pretty fancy school. Are you smart or rich?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Neither. Can we stop talking about this¡±

    ¡°I guess. But only superheroes have secret identities you know?¡± she said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes.

    We both perked up at the sound of sirens down the street. We glanced at each other.

    ¡°Are you¡­?¡± Chrysalis said. I shook my head.

    ¡°That¡¯s all you. I¡¯m already in enough pain, I don¡¯t need to get shot¡± I said. She nodded and zipped away. I sighed, turning back to the view of the city. I stretched out, a jolting pain passing through my body. Climbing back to the top of the roof, I glanced at the hoodie in my hands. I guess it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try. I slipped into the hoodie. It was a bit big, but I liked it. I looked around, ducking down before I swapped my balaclava for a mask.

    It felt a lot more constricting, but I could breathe easier. It was thinner than the balaclava, and the lenses worked nicely with the mask. They hid my eyes as well, which was pretty neat. I lay flat on the ground and looked out over the sky. The pain had subsided a bit since this morning, everywhere but my feet. I slipped off my shoes and felt the pressure decrease, the cooling breeze a heavenly reprieve. I glanced at my shoes frowning. That was weird. It was like my new shoes were already too small. I laid back down sighing. I¡¯d be able to buy new ones, but I just prayed that I wouldn¡¯t keep growing inhumanely fast. Eric had already noticed, and I don¡¯t think it would take much more for other people to notice either.

    The sound of shouts rang out from below, and I instantly hopped to my feet. Crap. I hope it wasn¡¯t anything serious. I peered over the edge and felt my heart shoot into my mouth. It was a huge lizard. If the manhole cover was any indication, it¡¯d come out the sewer and started chasing after people. I steeled myself, tensing, and jumped off the edge of the building. I felt my heart leap for a second, and pain shoot through my body. I ignored it and shot out a web, swinging through the air then vaulting, and landing a few feet from it. My entire body protested, yelling at me to stop moving about so much. The pain was only getting worse, but I deigned to ignore it. I shot out a web and yanked the monster towards me, pain shooting through my arms. It flew through the air and crashed to the floor a few feet away from me, before roaring in protest.

    My danger sense buzzed, and I hopped over an attempt to swat me, before the lizard roared in my face again. It seemed to ready itself and then charged at me surprisingly fast. I panicked, darted to the side and swung wildly, hitting him in the eye. Intense white-hot pain shot through my arm, freezing me in place. The lizard stopped instantly screeching as it reeled from the blow. It rolled on the floor kicking his legs violently as he screeched. The pain faded slightly, and I backed away. That could¡¯ve been bad. It continued squealing clutching at it¡¯s eye.

    ¡°Uh¡­ sorry?¡± I said, unsure of what to make of the situation. It roared at me and then crawled back to the sewer and disappeared without a trace. What the hell? That had been weirdly easy. People stared at me and started cheering and clapping. I gave an awkward wave, wincing at the sharp pain that shot through my arm. I slid the manhole cover back over the sewer and turned back to the building I¡¯d jumped off, slowly crawling back up.

    That had been weird. Had that been Geck, or just a big lizard? Geck was one of Athena¡¯s big villains. Supposedly. That¡¯d just seemed like a scared animal to me. Maybe it was a rivalry thing, or maybe his eyes were just his weakness. Who knew? I reached the top and glanced over at my shoes and then down at my unmatching socks. Crap. I must¡¯ve looked stupid. I sighed and laid down on the floor. I my arms and legs were already seriously tired from just climbing up a few stories. Geez. The sound of fluttering buzzed overhead and Chrysalis landed.

    ¡°Did I hear roars from back here?¡± she said concerned.

    ¡°Yeah, it was this giant Lizard. I hit him. He ran away¡± I said nonchalantly.

    ¡°Uh¡­ what?¡±

    ¡°Massive lizard, like ye big¡± I said, making a wide gesture with my hands. ¡°I think it might have been Geck, but I never seen a good picture him, so I''m not sure¡±

    She stared at me, then glanced back down at the streets below, and then back at me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you can say you¡¯re not a superhero¡±

    I shrugged and winced.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to hang out for a while. If someone spots me and expects help when I¡¯m like this, we¡¯ll both be in trouble¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Just let me know when you¡¯re back in action. Taking down the bear cartel will be a lot easier then¡±

    ¡°Sure thing¡±

 Chapter Seventeen

    I slapped my bedside alarm and yawned sitting up. My bed creaked underneath me and I winced slightly, traces of pain still shooting through my back. Eric was already getting ready, slipping into his shirt. I sighed and stood up.

    ¡°Good Morning Lucas¡± he said.

    ¡°Morning¡± I replied moodily. Eric looked me up and down.

    ¡°You going to be ready in time? I¡¯m pretty sure we have to be on the bus in thirty minutes¡± he said. I groaned again.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡± I said, stepping into the bathroom. I grabbed my toothbrush and started the shower, before glancing in the mirror. I looked stupid. My pyjamas barely fit me anymore thanks to this stupid growth spurt that had happened over the past week. I¡¯d always wanted to be taller, but growing four inches in the span of two weeks wasn¡¯t exactly what I¡¯d had in mind. People hadn¡¯t really said anything to me, not that I really spoke to anyone but Eric, but they¡¯d definitely noticed. I was nearly as tall as Quinten now, which was saying something. He¡¯d let me borrow spare shirts, and trousers, but I definitely needed to get new clothes. All my casual wear was too small, and it was starting to get embarrassing.

    -

    A group of students stood outside the back of the school filling onto a coach. Mrs Jane waved students on, ticking names off her list as she went. I stood behind to Eric, hunched as he excitedly talked to Rachael about the trip. Jaden stood next to Quinten talking with him. Fortunately, Keiko was talking to Jada further ahead in line, so I didn¡¯t have to worry about either of them. Someone accidentally jabbed me with an elbow, and I yelped, straightening out as a sprite of pain lance through my back.

    ¡°Oh Sorry¡± the guy behind me said. I shot him a glare and didn¡¯t say anything else.

    ¡°Hey, are you taller than me?¡± Rachael said, turning to me. I shrugged and mumbled a groan.

    ¡°He definitely is. He grew like half a foot in the past week. He¡¯s just slouching all the time, so it¡¯s hard to notice. It¡¯s crazy¡± Eric said. Rachael frowned at me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe this. Stand up straight¡± Rachael said, staring at me.

    ¡°I¡¯m good¡± I replied. Rachael rolled her eyes and went back to conversation with Eric. We slowly filed onto the bus, and I found myself sitting towards the front, next to the window seat.

    The bus started after a quick talk from the teachers, and we made our way through the early morning New York traffic. I watched the buildings as we passed through the streets. They were still doing construction work on the road I¡¯d obliterated, and there was black tarp over the buildings the ski speedsters had ruined. It felt weird being in a bus. I¡¯d gotten small glimpses of New York from my escapades as spider, but never really from the street. It was like I was rediscovering the city. Pretty cool to see the buildings from below rather than above. Really made me think about how high some of the buildings I¡¯d been on were.

    The best pulled into a parking spot, and the teachers had us quickly file off the bus. I looked up at the fantastical piece of architecture we¡¯d stopped outside. It was a modern behemoth, with lots of reflective glass, and a uniquely modern style the building definitely stood out. The Bederson Research Centre. A more than recent science centre established in the city of New York dedicated to creating renewable energy and solving ecological problems. I didn¡¯t know what architect had designed it, but it had definitely been a famous one.

    ¡°Alright everybody, we¡¯re going to start with a guided tour of the museum area, and then some of the labs. You¡¯ll be allowed to explore on your own after we¡¯ve had lunch. Listen to all the instructions you¡¯re told, for your sakes and ours, and if you have any problems please tell us. Understood?¡± Mr Tanner said to the group.

    ¡°Understood Mr Tanner¡± everyone said in unison. We walked down the road to the entrance of the building. The large marble steps leading to the arching, yet rigid structure of the entrance didn¡¯t exactly feel welcoming, but who was I to judge.

    The group made its way up the stairs and towards the reflective glass doors. I caught a glimpse of myself in the glass and straightened out slightly. I looked seriously moody slouching so much. I wrapped a curl of my hair around my finger, brushing it away from my eyes. I really needed a haircut as well.

    We stepped inside, the lobby a wide and open modern space. Off to the right there were artifacts hanging from the ceiling and a statue of Bederson outside the entrance to the museum, with a large plaque that I could barely read with my improved vision. The father of nuclear energy. Now that was a title. The statue in the lobby was a bit much, but I guess if you were as prolific as Jack Bederson people made monuments for you. I mean the place had been built in his memory after all.

    I yawned as we made our way over to the museum entrance, glancing up at the artifacts tethered to the ceiling. They were large overlapping hollow spheres with an empty socket in the centre. They looked scientific, but old. They were probably World War Two fission cores. I didn¡¯t bother to read the plaques on the wall to find out the specifics.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    We stopped outside the entrance to the museum, a group of tour guides greeting us. They all wore blue polo shirts with BRC initialled in gold on the chest.

    ¡°Hey everyone!¡± a bright and excited bespectacled olive-skinned brunette said, with a bit too much cheer. ¡°Welcome to the Bederson Research Centre. I¡¯m Izzy¡±

    ¡°Jason¡± A fair skinned tall blonde-haired guy said stepping forward.

    ¡°Hayden¡± A mid height dark skinned guy with a buzz cut said.

    ¡°I¡¯m Peter¡± a shorter brown haired guy said raising a hand awkwardly.

    ¡°And I¡¯m Gwen¡± a short blonde said stepping forward. ¡°We¡¯ll be your tour guides today. We¡¯ll be able to go in once we¡¯ve sorted out groups. I do have to inform you that the cinema room is closed due to a few technical issues, so we won¡¯t be able to watch the short documentary as expected. Sorry about that. Hopefully, you¡¯ll enjoy today¡¯s tour anyway¡± she said turning to glance back at the other guides, nervously.

    Great. We¡¯d been stuck with a bunch of newbies and weren¡¯t even getting the full tour. So much for getting our money¡¯s worth.

    ¡°Alright everyone¡± Ms Jane said turning to us. ¡°There¡¯s 30 of you so get into groups of six.¡± I glanced at the others. I didn¡¯t mind if I wasn¡¯t in their group, but I didn¡¯t know who else I¡¯d group with apart from them. Eric seemed to take the hint.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay with Lucas¡± he said.

    ¡°I will too¡± Quinten said moving to stand next to me. I frowned.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing you know¡± I said annoyed. Quinten rolled his eyes, as Jaden moved next to him.

    ¡°You can go with Keiko and Jada if you want¡± Eric said uncertainly to Rachael. She frowned at him and sighed, before huffing and making her way over to them.

    ¡°Well she didn¡¯t seem happy¡± I said. Quinten elbowed me and I felt a slight spark of pain.

    Cole and Callum joined our group, and we were assigned to Gwen, the blonde. Our group left first, making our way down a small snaking hallway with matt black walls and sparkling small lights that emulated stars. Gwen talked about the mission of the research centre and something else but I couldn¡¯t be bothered to listen, boredom already drowning out my surroundings. I¡¯d signed up for the trip out of curiosity and from a day off school, but now all I felt was apathy. The past few days had been pretty boring, and today didn¡¯t feel any different.

    We made our way down one of three corridors and up a set of stairs. We exited the starlit hallway into an even larger open area with a high ceiling, and white walls. There were exhibits and monuments littering the hall, with pictures covering the walls.

    ¡°Welcome to the Bederson hall of history. This part of the museum is dedicated specifically to the father of nuclear energy, and the history behind his discovery before and during the Manhattan project¡± Gwen said, a small smile playing across her face. Well, at least someone was enthusiastic.

    -

    I lay down on a bench taking up all the seating space. We¡¯d mostly finished the tour, and were taking a quick toilet break. The Bederson halls of history had been pretty boring, just stuff we¡¯d learned in class with a few bits of framed memorabilia for show. The history of sustainable energy had been a lot more interesting, but still nothing you couldn¡¯t read off the internet. Right now we were halfway through the history of ecological research which was just a mess. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯d expected to have more than three exhibits because I had no idea what was going on in this section. You had animal research history, climate change history, and some stuff about energy again. It was like a mishmash of random things they couldn¡¯t fit elsewhere. There¡¯d even been a project by someone from our school a few years back for recycling that was still up.

    I sighed.

    ¡°Uh, you okay?¡± a semi-concerned voice asked. I leaned my head slightly to see Gwen, our tour guide standing over me slightly.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± I replied turning back to the ceiling.

    ¡°Oh ok. If you feel sick or anything, just let me know. Ok?¡±

    ¡°Will do¡± I replied sighing again. I blew my hair out of my face again and caught her still looking at me concerned.

    ¡°What?¡± I said with more anger than I¡¯d expected.

    ¡°Sorry for staring. You probably get that a lot. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen anyone with heterochromia in person before¡± she said chuckling nervously. I frowned.

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±

    She raised an eyebrow looking at me quizzically.

    ¡°Your eyes. They¡¯re different colours¡± she said.

    I jumped up, reaching for my face. The tour guide stared at me confused so I bolted for the toilet before things got weirder. I stopped in front of a mirror lifting my hair up to get a good look at my eyes. I paused, frozen in place. Neither of my eyes were brown anymore. One of them was purple, and the other a reddish amber. I dropped my hair over my face and stepped back from the mirror. What the hell? I looked down at my hands and thought about what had happened over the past few weeks. I¡¯d just assumed the changes had stopped, that I¡¯d gotten superpowers and that was it. But with the growing, and now the eyes, who knew what else was happening to my body.

    I needed to tell someone. I needed to make sure whatever the hell this was wasn¡¯t changing me on some fundamental level. I had to make sure I could at least hope to live some kind of semblance of a normal life. I breathed deeply, failing to calm myself. My hands shook and I felt myself break out in a cold sweat.

    ¡°I thought you said you didn¡¯t need the toilet¡± Quinten said walking over to the sink next to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± I replied back. He frowned, looking at me confused but didn¡¯t say anything. I wiped my forehead and walked out of the bathroom and sat back down on the bench.

    ¡°You, okay?¡± Gwen asked me, more concerned than before.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± I said.

    ¡°Good. Sorry if I said something weird¡± she responded.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok¡± I replied still shaken. She breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the opposite end of the bench. Quinten stepped out of the bathroom, and sat down next to me, between the two of us.

    ¡°You enjoying the tour?¡± she said, turning to him.

    ¡°Yeah. All the exhibits are really cool¡±

    ¡°Nice. What¡¯s been you¡¯re favourite part?¡±

    ¡°Probably the history of renewable energy. Some of the animal ones seemed pretty cool too¡±

    ¡°Yeah, everyone likes the history of energy. It¡¯s the main thing this place is known for besides Bederson¡±

    The conversation seemed to still for a second, before Quinten spoke up.

    ¡°What¡¯s your favourite exhibit?¡±

    ¡°Ehh¡­ I¡¯d probably have to give it to exhibit about the electron cores. They¡¯re cool and it¡¯s what my mum works on.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re mum works with electron cores?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she works at this research centre. It¡¯s part of the reason I¡¯m an intern here¡±

    Their conversation dragged on until the others came back. I was too focused on trying not to break down and have some sort of existential crisis to pay attention to the rest of the tour. We reached the lunch hall, and sat down to eat our food in groups, everyone discussing how cool the museum had been. I ate my food slowly, and quietly trying to deal with the nagging feeling in my stomach. I didn¡¯t have anyone I could tell. No one I knew that knew anything about science at the very least.

    Suddenly my danger sense buzzed and I jumped up, spinning around frantically. Two people in lab coats looked back at me surprised. I stared at them surprised too. I recognised one of them. An older Hispanic man who¡¯d I¡¯d last seen years ago, at my parents funeral. He stepped forward, taking off his glasses.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± he said.

 Chapter Eighteen

    I stared at him dumbfounded. Was this a sign from God? Had my prayers been answered almost instantly? It¡¯s like my danger sense was more than just for danger. It had to be something closer to intuition. The older man stepped forward to shake my hand as Quinten stood up behind me. I shook it almost in disbelief. He moved to Quinten shaking his hand as well.

    ¡°Dr Gonzales, it¡¯s good to see you again¡± Quinten said.

    ¡°Ricardo¡¯s fine.¡± he replied. ¡°Look at you two! You¡¯re all grown up¡± he said. The pale guy next to him, coughed, looking slightly annoyed.

    ¡°Ah yes, where are my manners. Lucas, Quinten. This is Lindon Johnson, my lab assistant¡± Ricardo said. Lindon scowled, giving us a quick nod.

    ¡°Sorry this was so sudden. I saw Quinten and thought I recognised him, and here the two of you are. It¡¯s great to see you two again¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too¡± Quinten said. I just stared at Ricardo nodding blankly. Lindon mumbled something to Ricardo.

    ¡°Apologies boys, but I¡¯ve got to get going. Hopefully we could see each other again in the near future¡± he said. Crap, he was leaving. How the hell did I get him to stay? How the hell did I even tell him about my entire situation? No, I was thinking about too much at once. Was telling him about the situation the right thing to do? Could I even trust him? I wasn¡¯t sure, but if I didn¡¯t, who knew what else could happen to my body.

    I needed to take it one step at a time. I needed to stay in contact with him. How did I do that? Shit he was leaving, I needed to say something. Anything.

    ¡°Where are you going?!¡± I blurted out. He turned back to me with a soft smile.

    ¡°Our lab. We¡¯re doing some research on animals, and Lindon needs a bit of help with something he left waiting. Sorry I had to cut our meeting short¡± he said. A lab? Perfect.

    ¡°Could we see it?!¡± I said desperately, ¡°What you¡¯re working on?¡±. Quinten elbowed me, but Ricardo¡¯s eyes lit up.

    ¡°Well if we¡¯re allowed to show you then I don¡¯t see why not. It¡¯d be great to get youngsters interested in our field of work. Right Lindon?¡± he said, grinning. Lindon¡¯s scowl grew, but he didn¡¯t say anything, and Ricardo laughed. I felt my fear dissipate and relief wash over me. If I could get him alone then maybe I¡¯d be able to explain the situation.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to bother you¡± Quinten said, sheepishly stepping in front of me.

    ¡°Nonsense. We¡¯d be glad to have you¡± Ricardo said.

    ¡°Ok¡± Quinten said, a hint of surprise in his voice, ¡°I think we¡¯ll have to ask our teachers first¡±.

    We made our way over to Ms Jane, and after a quick discussion, our group of six were making our way through the personnel only corridors. Cole and Callum spoke amongst themselves excitedly, whilst Gwen talked with Lindon and Ricardo. I trailed slightly behind Quinten, Jaden and Eric, my mind racing. I¡¯d taken the first step, but what now? I wasn¡¯t sure if I could get the two of us alone, or if I could even trust him in the first place. I¡¯d been banking on the fact that he was trustworthy, but now that I actually had a chance to tell him, the rose tint was starting to fade.

    I mean I barely even remembered the guy. I hadn¡¯t seen him in years. And even then, I¡¯d never really known him. I didn¡¯t even know he¡¯d worked here. He¡¯d just been a friend of mum and dad. How the hell was I supposed to talk to him about my situation and trust him to keep it a secret. For all I knew he¡¯d blow me off as crazy, or worse just tell everyone. Then I really was finished. I felt my stomach churn. I hated this. Regardless of what I did I was risking my chance at a normal life. I mean I couldn¡¯t just keep making money off of this forever. If I did it long enough one day I¡¯d slip up and my identity would get exposed. And it definitely wasn¡¯t worth it if people kept expecting me to save them every time I went for a swing. But even if I quit the fun stuff, there was still the chance my body mutated in some unforeseen way, and my life was screwed anyway. Shit. I shuddered. I had to go through with this, regardless of whether or not it was a pipe dream. If the alternative was waking up one day to find out I¡¯d grown eight legs, then I was ok with risking exposure. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be too bad. Well I¡¯d probably hate the fame but who knows, I might be able to make serious money off of it.

    We stopped by a door and Lindon pressed his keycard. With a hiss the door slid across the floor, revealing a short walkway with glass windows either side. Underneath us we could see various scientists working with equipment. We exited the other side of the walkway, with another swipe of the keycard.

    There were armed guards here. Ricardo assured us it was ok, and that Oscorp, the financial backers for most of the research projects were excessive with their security measures.

    ¡°Nothing dangerous ever happens here¡± he said, as we stepped into another hallway, and got into a lift. We made our way up to the third, and highest floor, the glass door raising us through the semi-sphere that was the main body of the building. Eric leaned close to the window watching as we ascended the floors.

    We stepped out, and continued walking down a short corridor, coming to a stop at the end. Lindon swiped his card this time, and we stepped inside a high tech lab, filled with strange machines. Rows of glass boxes with mice chittering away, lined the room, organised in rows of coloured tabs. Lindon quickly made his way over to one of the boxes and pulled on some gloves.

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    ¡°Welcome to our lab¡± Ricardo said smiling. ¡°Here we research the effects of certain energies on the living organisms. I¡¯ll give you a quick rundown of everything we do, and feel free to ask any questions. But first, everyone please grab a pair of goggles to your right. We don¡¯t want any accidents.¡±

    -

    Ricardo led us around the room, explaining the complexities of the various machines, and their exact uses to us, before moving on to what exactly they were doing to the mice. It essentially boiled down to the fact that they were charging water and other fluids with different energies, which was confusing in and of itself, and then giving groups of mice different combinations of the fluids to see responses.

    ¡°Most of the time nothing happens¡± Lindon said, his voice devoid of any emotion, ¡°but sometimes we do get side-effects. The point of the experiments are to get positive ones, but I¡¯m not going to sugar coat it, most of the time the mice that do get affected die. In some case they mutate before they die, but that¡¯s usually if the fluids administered aren¡¯t distilled enough. Sometimes the energies they emit are enough to kill other living organisms too, though that usually fades quite quickly¡± he said. The air in the room seemed to shift slightly. Ricardo chuckled nervously.

    ¡°Lindon can be a bit blunt sometimes. It¡¯s not as bad as it seems. Like Lindon says most of the time nothing happens. Only twelve mice have died, and eight mice have experienced positive side-effects. Improvements in health, and physical capability. We even had a case where a positively affected mice emitted energy that resulted in the other mice gaining positive effects, in some cases even altering physical appearance to that more similar to the original mouse. There¡¯s even evidence for positive changes in the genes expressed, though we¡¯ve only just begun researching that.¡± Everyone seemed to relax given the new information, but my heart froze.

    ¡°Do the mice that die experience any positive side effects?¡± I said. Ricardo¡¯s face fell for a second, but he instantly replaced it with a smile.

    ¡°Great question. Typically, yes. That sounds a bit strange but it means there¡¯s probably a certain threshold related to specific combinations of the fluids that when passed leads to death. Once we find the threshold, our research will flourish¡± he said. Lindon frowned and turned away to take a look at some of the other mice. The others asked a few questions, but I just stood frozen, feeling numb.

    I¡¯m pretty sure whatever I¡¯d come into contact with had been changed somehow, by some kind of energy. All the side-effects had been listed. It represented me to a tee, and even explained Chrysalis. If I was right, it meant I could die. Or maybe I was already dying. Holy shit. I had to tell her. I quickly excused myself for the toilet, leaving the lab and sprinting down the hall. I burst inside and locked myself in the stall. I pulled out my burner phone, and quickly typed away, fumbling with the keys. The message was a mess, with typos throughout, but I¡¯d sent it to her.

    I waited a few seconds and decided to call instead. I called waited a few rings before the call picked up. It was noisy, the sounds of kids shouting and talking over one another filling the background. A voice I didn¡¯t recognise picked up.

    ¡°Hello?¡± a girl¡¯s voice said. I paused.

    ¡°Who¡¯re you?¡± I asked. The sounds muffled for a second and I heard a few muffled voices before another response.

    ¡°That should be my question. Why¡¯re you calling Amy?¡± the voice responded. I froze. These must have been her school friends. Did she not have a second phone? Ok, that was a bit unreasonable, but why did her friends just have her phone, had something happened to her?

    ¡°Hello?¡± the voice said.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you have her phone?¡± I said, more annoyed than expected.

    ¡°Geez, you¡¯ve got an attitude. Just answer my question¡± she said. Suddenly there were a few muffled cries, and the sound of rushing air.

    ¡°Sorry about that. Who¡¯s this?¡± a familiar voice said over the phone.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I think I you¡¯re friend told me your civilian name¡± I mumbled. There was a pause.

    ¡°Well shit. Why¡¯re you calling instead of texting? Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°I- we might be in trouble¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Our powers. I think I figured out how we got them. It¡¯s bad. Really bad¡±

    ¡°What? Wait how?¡± she said, steadily getting more concerned.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to alarm you, but did you get your powers recently. Like within the past month¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Did you come into contact with any weird¡­ mice?¡±

    ¡°What? I- I don¡¯t think so. Are you saying a mouse did this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. If it did, then I need you to get to the Bederson Research Centre¡±

    ¡°What? Slow down, you¡¯re not making any sense¡±

    ¡°Sorry I- no, this is important.¡± I took a breath. ¡°Ok, just meet me. We can meet at six, by the Research Centre. I¡¯ll explain everything there¡±.

    -

    I sat on top of the building opposite the research centre. I hadn¡¯t managed to get Ricardo alone because he¡¯d been busy and we¡¯d been steered away to another lab with everyone else. Now I was stuck trying to think of ways to get to him. Thankfully, Chrysalis hadn¡¯t arrived yet, but I was still coming up with nothing. I bit my thumb nervously. If this didn¡¯t pan out we could be screwed. At the same time, I was starting to think maybe I was worrying about nothing. I hadn¡¯t even asked if they did tests on other types of animals. I didn¡¯t even know if Chrysalis had gotten her powers by other means. But even then, a nagging feeling sat at the back of my mind, similar to the buzzing from my sixth sense. I shuddered, a cold wind passing over me.

    Fluttering sounded overhead and I turned to see Chrysalis land a few feet away.

    ¡°Spider, what¡¯s this about? A week of silence and then you call out of the blue?¡± she said. I stood up.

    ¡°Sorry, this is important though¡±.

    ¡°Wait, why¡¯re you so tall?¡±

    ¡°I- don¡¯t worry, we need to talk about this first¡±.

    ¡°Talk about what? You¡¯re scaring me¡±

    ¡°I already said it over the phone but we might be in danger. I mean, we could die. We might be okay, but we need to get checked first¡±

    ¡°What?! We could die?! What¡¯re you talking about?!¡±

    ¡°Calm down. I know it sounds crazy, but I went on a school trip to the research centre today. I think I saw the experiment that gave us our powers. Some of the subjects they had mutated, like we have. Then they died.¡± Chrysalis stared at me her expression hard to make out, her mask obscuring her eyes.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t figure out most of the details, but I think I¡¯m right. No, I know I am. I can¡¯t explain it, but we need to get tested or have someone figure out what happened to us¡±

    ¡°I- how?¡±

    ¡°The scientist who¡¯s working on the project, I know him. He can help us¡± I lied. I felt bad lying, but it was for her own good. If she left and I was right, then she could be in serious danger. Chrysalis stood frozen for a second but nodded.

    ¡°Do we have to go inside or¡­¡± she trailed off. I paused and looked at her then looked away.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to get in with our costumes¡± I said. I glanced back to her and saw her face shift. I needed to give her assurance. I stepped back from the edge of the roof and took off my mask. I brushed the mop of hair out of my eyes and stuck out my hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m Lucas¡± I said. She paused looking from my hand to my face. She took my hand, and pulled off her mask, grinning stupidly. She had brown eyes, high cheekbones and an awkwardly set nose. Her fighting prowess suddenly made a lot more sense.

    ¡°Amy¡± she said. I smiled slightly, then turned back to the research centre.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to go inside in normal clothes, and then I¡¯ll be able to get a hold of our guy¡± I said.

    ¡°I hope you know what you¡¯re doing¡± Amy said. I felt my heart jump a little. I hope I did too.

 Chapter Nineteen

    I walked through the lobby towards the front desk. It was a lot busier, and now that it was dark outside, lights lit up the interior, giving the room a grander aura. Amy trailed slightly behind me, wearing a Yankees cap, blue sweater, and a pair of jeans. Apparently, she went around her regular day with her wings folded underneath her clothes. She said it hurt a bit, but she didn¡¯t really have an alternative.

    We stopped by the front desk, waiting behind a short line of people. I glanced at Amy as she looked around nervously. It was weird suddenly being her height. She¡¯d been a quite a bit taller than me before, but now we stood at eye level. I might¡¯ve been a slight bit taller. I tugged at the sleeves of my hoodie. It was too small, but I hadn¡¯t had a chance to buy any more. That was a lie. I just couldn¡¯t be bothered.

    ¡°So do you just tell them who we¡¯re here to meet?¡± Amy asked. I nodded, before looking around again. My dread slowly started to increase as we got closer and closer to the front of the line. Would this work? I had no idea.

    We reached the front of the line, and the receptionist flashed me a smile before typing a few things on his computer.

    ¡°So, how can I help?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Uh¡­ we¡¯re here to see Dr Ricardo Gonzales?¡± I said. He frowned.

    ¡°Are you supposed to have someone meet you?¡± he said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just need to talk to him¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s not an official meeting, I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t really help. The reception is more for the museum correspondence than anything on the science side of things¡± he said.

    ¡°Ah, well there¡¯s probably someone waiting to take us. I just thought we had to sign in our something¡± I said laughing nervously.

    ¡°No worries. People do it all the time¡± he said.

    We stepped out of the line and made our way to a bench around one of the pillars in the lobby. Shit. What now? I didn¡¯t have his number or anything, and I hadn¡¯t been able to talk to him one on one before we left, so he didn¡¯t even know I was here.

    ¡°I¡¯m kind of hungry, is there anywhere to eat?¡± Amy said.

    ¡°There¡¯s a food court, we could head over there¡± I replied, trying to keep the fear out of my voice. We made our way over to the food court, passing the souvenir stores on our way. As we entered the bustling food court, I spotted Lindon, struggling to carry food and a holster with two cups as he fished around for his keycard.

    I rushed over to him, calling out his name. He turned, a look that passed for surprise crossing his face before his scowl came back.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± he said.

    ¡°I have to talk to Ricardo¡± I said.

    ¡°We¡¯re busy. Wait till he¡¯s finished work to bother him¡± he said spinning around. I grabbed him, holding him by the shoulder.

    ¡°This is important!¡± I pleaded. His look of surprise at my audacity turned to a sneer, and he tried unsuccessfully to pull away from my grip.

    ¡°Let go of me¡± he said with an unexpected vehemence.

    ¡°It¡¯s about your experiments¡± I said desperate, as I let him go.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Leave before I call security¡± he said, turning away. I felt my heart sink. I needed to do something, anything to convince him that he needed to let Ricardo see me. Suddenly it hit me.

    ¡°Did you ever do tests on spiders? On dragonflies? On other insects?¡± I asked. He spun around, narrowing his eyes as he stared at me.

    ¡°How do you know about that?¡± he said.

    ¡°I think I came into contact with one. My friend too¡± I said gesturing to Amy. He scowled again.

    ¡°Impossible. Stop harassing me with nonsense¡± he said. I grabbed him again, this time exerting more strength than I¡¯d intended. Lindon jolted, as though he¡¯d suddenly been yanked from behind.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got the side-effects¡± I said.

    His eyes widened, as he looked at me, and then glanced at my hand.

    ¡°Let go¡± he said.

    ¡°Please this is-¡°

    ¡°I¡¯m letting you in. I just can¡¯t move you idiot¡± he said. I let go stepping back. He turned and opened the door, holding it open for the two of us. We stepped inside and Amy shot me a look.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say a word until we reached the lab¡± Lindon said as we made our way down the corridor. Amy poked me in the side.

    ¡°I thought you said they were expecting us¡± she whispered.

    ¡°I may have embellished the truth¡± I replied. She frowned but didn¡¯t say anything more as we continued.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Sorry¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°I said no talking¡± Lindon said. We both fell silent making our way down the stretch of corridors. We reached another set of doors and Lindon swiped his keycard, before stepping out onto a walkway. Underneath the walkway was still bustling with scientists. I recognised Peter and Gwen working together on something with a few others. I guess they¡¯d been more than just tour guides.

    We made our way down to the other side of the walkway and Lindon swiped his card again. We stepped past some armed guards who eyed us but said nothing. Then we got in the elevator and went up to the lab. When we stepped inside, Ricardo was busy writing on some sheets of paper.

    ¡°I brought some guests¡± Lindon said. Ricardo looked up and frowned.

    ¡°Lucas? Why¡¯re you here?¡± he said taking off his glasses.

    ¡°I needed to talk to you¡± I said.

    ¡°About what? I¡¯m sure Lindon wouldn¡¯t have brought you up here without a good reason¡± he said stepping forward. He glanced at Amy then turned to Lindon.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s true or not, but they¡¯re both saying they came into contact with some of Otto¡¯s test subjects¡± Lindon said.

    ¡°Impossible. They destroyed all his research over a month ago¡± Ricardo said.

    ¡°I know¡± Lindon said, then he glanced at me, ¡°but the boy¡¯s strong, and his eyes¡­ they look exactly like the colours displayed on subject S-14B¡±

    Ricardo turned to us and frowned putting his hand on his chin.

    ¡°What do you want to do Doc?¡± Lindon said.

    ¡°I told you just call me Ricardo¡± he mumbled, still deep in thought.

    ¡°Ok, explain this to me. From the beginning¡± he said, looking between me and Amy.

    ¡°About three weeks or so ago, when I first came here everything was normal for like a day, and then I just¡­ had superpowers. Spider related superpowers¡± I said. Ricardo nodded and turned to Amy. Amy hesitated before breathing deeply.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I don¡¯t remember coming into contact with anything, but one day, just over a month ago, my back started to hurt, and I noticed something was growing out of it. I grew dragonfly wings. I checked on the internet because I was so freaked out. I can also create a sort of exo-skeleton, and I¡¯m strong¡± she said.

    ¡°Can you show me?¡± Ricardo said, his face as expressionless as stone. Amy flushed slightly.

    ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯re going to have to look away, while I take the bandages off¡± she said.

    ¡°There¡¯s a shower room at the back in case we get any contaminants on our skin. You can change there¡± Ricardo said. Amy made her way over to the back of the room. Suddenly Lindon perked up his head.

    ¡°Wait are you Dragonfly, and Spider-man?¡± he said. I frowned.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re talking about us, but those aren¡¯t our names¡± I said. Suddenly he stood up and stepped towards me. My intuition buzzed, and he grabbed me by the shoulders. He looked at me intently, almost crazily.

    ¡°This is incredible!¡± he said.

    ¡°Lindon¡± Ricardo said calmly. Lindon looked back at him and then back to me, realisation passing over his face.

    ¡°Sorry¡± he mumbled stepping back.

    ¡°Can you show us your abilities?¡± Ricardo said. I nodded and turned to the wall. I pressed my hands against it, and crawled up the side, stopping when I reached the ceiling. I glanced back down to see both of them looking up at me in shock. I jumped back down and landed on the ground.

    ¡°Is there anything else you can do?¡± Ricardo said, looking at me his eyes wide.

    ¡°I can fire webs, uh¡­ I¡¯m strong. All my senses are like dialled to the max man. Plus I have this sort of intuition that alerts me of things just before they happen¡± I said.

    ¡°Incredible¡± Ricardo said.

    We all turned at the sound of a door opening, to see Amy step out of the contaminant shower. She had her blue jacket on backwards, with the back only zipped up halfway. Her wings fluttered slightly, glittering beautifully in the light.

    ¡°My God¡± Lindon said.

    Ricardo instantly started clearing a table, before grabbing a pen and clean sheets of paper. He handed Lindon a set of keys.

    ¡°Lindon grab two full test kits. We¡¯ll need to test urine, blood, saliva, everything¡± he said. Lindon quickly left the room.

    ¡°So are you going to see if we¡¯re okay?¡± I asked. Ricardo nodded.

    ¡°You said it¡¯s been about three weeks, so you two should be okay, but we¡¯ve never had human test subjects before. Plus, Dr Octavius used radiation on his subjects. We were the group that got assigned to testing the research on mammals, and as you can see, we¡¯re still struggling with mice¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s kind of cold in here. Can I change back now?¡± Amy said.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. We¡¯ll have to take a sample of the wings to make sure they¡¯re not harmful. It¡¯ll be a small sample, and I¡¯ll take it first so you¡¯ll be able to change¡± Ricardo said. Amy huffed and sat down in a chair, looking at some of the mice. I took the seat next to her and spun around in my chair.

    ¡°Wait, I¡¯m confused. Who¡¯s this Dr Octavius guy?¡± Amy said.

    ¡°He¡¯s a scientist here. Well, was. He was in charge of the experiments we were doing now. He was fired two months ago. There was a dispute between him and the financial backers over the applications of his research. He only experimented on insects and sea creatures. The suits from Oscorp wanted him to experiment on mammals because of the human application. That¡¯s where the profit lies.¡±

    Ricardo sighed and took a seat.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing he didn¡¯t take to it¡± Amy said.

    ¡°No. He had a fanatical obsession with insects, mostly arachnids and cephalopods. No idea why. It¡¯s a shame really; he was a brilliant man¡± Ricardo said.

    ¡°So how did his research get loose? They didn¡¯t just dump it right?¡± I asked.

    ¡°They gave us all the paperwork and research. His interns, Peter and Gwen gave us a basic rundown of their research and that¡¯s all we know. All the subjects were destroyed by Oscorp. Well at least they told us they were. Now I¡¯m not so sure¡± he said.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that bad? Like really bad? I mean, what if we¡¯re not ok? Couldn¡¯t there be other people like us in danger?¡± Amy said.

    ¡°Worse. There¡¯s no guarantee that mutations can¡¯t affect the mind¡± Ricardo said, crossing his arms.

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re saying the mutations could¡¯ve affected our brains?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t won¡¯t to alarm you, but it sounds like it did in your case. The spider sense of yours sounds like a neurological phenomenon. You seem fine, and you very well could be. But there¡¯s no guarantee that someone else receives a mutation that doesn¡¯t affect their mental capacity or drive them completely insane.¡± Ricardo said.

    ¡°So you could get someone affected by a mosquito, who suddenly wants to drink a ton of blood, and happens to have superstrength?¡± Amy asked.

    ¡°Yes¡± Ricardo said. I shuddered at the thought, then paused.

    ¡°Wait there¡¯s no reason it has to be humans that mutated, right? What about other animals?¡± I said. Ricardo nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s probably more likely, and more dangerous. Given how many test subjects there were, we could be looking at a hundred or so meta-organisms, roaming the streets. That would be an absolute disaster. We can only pray Oscorp hasn¡¯t been as foolish as we¡¯re assuming¡± he said.

    ¡°Holy shit¡± Amy said. The door opened and Lindon stepped inside with a bunch of medical equipment.

    ¡°We should be fine right? I mean we would¡¯ve seen these monster insects already, right?¡± Amy said.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way to tell how quickly the mutation occurs. So, there¡¯s no way to say¡± Ricardo said, pinching the bridge of his nose. ¡°Once we¡¯ve tested you it¡¯ll take a few hours to process your results, and probably a few days to accurately determine what¡¯s happened to you, if that¡¯s even possible. You¡¯ll have to return for routine checkups, but we can organise something¡± Ricardo said standing up.

    ¡°Can you¡­ not tell anyone about this?¡± I asked. He paused and nodded.

    ¡°You have my word¡± he said.

    ¡°Thanks¡± I said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You came to me for help. I owe it to your mother and father to do something for you at the very least¡± he said. Then he turned to Amy. ¡°Now then, a small sample of your wings.¡±

 Chapter Twenty

    I sat in class, my head resting in my hand. Mr Hartwell continued talking about longshore drift and the rest of the class scribbled down notes. I sighed, glancing out the window. It had only been two days since we¡¯d been at the lab but Ricardo hadn¡¯t updated me apart from saying that the samples they¡¯d processed so far were okay. Still, I was anxious. After the conversation back at the lab, I didn¡¯t know whether it¡¯d be a good thing if we were okay or not. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something really bad was about to happen to the city. If we were perfectly healthy, then there was a chance that there were others out there who were too.

    It had made me really think about how I¡¯d been using my powers. Sure, I¡¯d saved a couple people, but I¡¯d mainly been out for money. I¡¯d realised instinctively that I¡¯d be able to use my powers to make money, which wasn¡¯t wrong in and of itself. The problem was just how I¡¯d gone about it. It had been fine at first, but then I¡¯d tried to justify stealing money from strangers wallets. Who knows what else I would¡¯ve tried to justify. The ski-speedsters were recent, what if they¡¯d been mutated as well. In the two times I¡¯d seen them they¡¯d caused more than enough damage, without a care. What if there were others out there who were worse?

    I sat up breathing deeply. Leaning back in my chair and looked back at to the front of the class. I was probably worrying too much. If there were others like me and Amy, they would have shown up already. Amy and I were fine, and nothing was wrong. There was nothing to worry about. I yawned and blew hair out of my face. My sense buzzed lightly, and a piece of paper hit me in the back of my head. That had been happening too. Derrick and his goons had just been getting more and more annoying. I just chose to ignore it. They¡¯d stop eventually.

    The bell went and I stood up, packing my things. My sense buzzed a little louder this time, and Derrick past me, followed by the rest of his goons. They laughed among themselves as they left. I sighed. Idiots. I shoved the rest of my books into my bag and slipped it onto my back. I trudged out the classroom, making my way towards my locker. We had gym class now, which would actually be enjoyable now that I wasn¡¯t in crippling pain.

    -

    ¡°Listen up class!¡± Mr Bernard shouted. ¡°Today we¡¯re playing basketball again. We¡¯ll do the basics and then get into some games! Now, make some damn layup lines!¡±

    God he was loud. I shuffled along with the others standing at the back of the line. ¡°Look at his uniform. He looks so fucking goofy¡± Derrick whispered loud enough for me to hear. I grit my teeth and tugged at my t shirt. It wasn¡¯t my fault I¡¯d grown so much. Idiots.

    Mr Bernard went through the basics of a layup and then blew the whistle. I was in the advanced class, so people didn¡¯t exactly struggle. We quickly went through all the basics, before Mr Bernard organised us into groups of three. I scowled when I realised I¡¯d been placed with Derrick. He wasn¡¯t exactly pleased either. We made our way over to a purple set of bibs and put them on.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get in my way¡± he said.

    ¡°Just fuck off man¡± I said back, scowling. I¡¯d been ignoring him but he was really starting to get on my nerves. What the hell had I done to him? He stepped towards me clenching his fists, and Marcus, our teammate, stepped between the two of us.

    ¡°Come on guys. Settle this later. Let¡¯s have some fun¡± he said. Derrick stopped and shot me a glare before backing off.

    ¡°Idiot¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Alright groups 1 to 3 are on that hoop, groups 4 to 6 are that hoop, and so on! Play to seven! Ones and twos! Winner stays on! And I don¡¯t want to hear any of you sissies complaining about soft fouls! Am I clear!?¡± he shouted.

    ¡°Yes sir¡± we said back in unison. He must¡¯ve been a drill sergeant or something like that before he¡¯d become a gym teacher.

    We made our way over to the hoop we¡¯d been assigned. Dammit. Quinten and Jaden were on one of the teams, and the other team had a guy who was at least 6¡¯3¡¯¡¯. And I thought I¡¯d gotten tall.

    ¡°We¡¯re going first¡± Derrick said snatching the ball from the 6¡¯3¡¯¡¯ guy. Well, it was nice to know he was an asshole all around, and not just to me. The other teams did rock, paper, scissors, and the team with the 6¡¯3¡¯¡¯ dude won out. Shit. The others on the team were a short scrawny black kid, and a slightly stocky white guy, who looked like he wrestled. Hopefully they weren¡¯t too good. Derrick took the ball to the top of the key and checked up.

    The moment the ball came back to his hands he shot a three and clanked it off the rim. Idiot. Before anyone else had a chance to react I shot past the wrestler kid, grabbed the ball, and did a put back.

    ¡°He¡¯s fast, stay close to him¡± the tall kid said to the wrestler. Derrick and the tall kid checked up again, this time the wrestler pressing his entire body weight against me.

    Derrick grabbed the ball and thundered towards the tall kid. He barged the tall kid out of the way and continued driving. The short guy shot over to help and plucked the ball from his grasp. It zipped from his hands to the tall guy who had already backpedalled behind the three-point line. Crap. Instinctively I dived and grabbed the ball out of mid-air. Mid way through my flip to land gracefully I realised that there was absolutely no shot, a regular person could ever pull that off. I stopped and pretended to flail crashing to the floor.

    When I stood up, most of the gym was staring at me in shock.

    ¡°You okay?¡± Quinten said rushing over.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine¡± I said. I stood up and dusted myself off. I passed the ball to Marcus, who stared at me confused for a second.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s play. The retard says he¡¯s fine¡± Derrick said, clapping his hands together. Asshole. Regardless of the comment¡¯s details it seemed to shake Marcus awake, and play resumed. I purposefully held back, realising that my instincts were a lot sharper than a regular person, even without my sense. We lost pretty quickly once we turned over possession and sat down on a bench to watch as the other group played.

    ¡°Come on guys. I can¡¯t do everything¡± Derrick said, huffing as he sat down.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything¡± I shot back.

    ¡°Says you. You must¡¯ve hit your head, you missed some easy shots¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah, and you air balled threes left and right. You sucked man¡± I said.

    ¡°Shut up, weirdo¡± he said.

    ¡°Hey, at least I¡¯m not the one with a deformed face¡± I replied. He stood up, turning towards me.

    ¡°You got something to say asshole¡± he said, clenching his fists. I felt a burst of rage flood me and I stood up as well.

    ¡°Yeah, I do, you ugly fuck. What¡¯s your problem with me?! Leave me alone¡± I said, angrily. The anger seemed to catch Derrick off guard, and he took a step back. He was slightly shorter than me now, even if he was stockier.

    ¡°Hey guys calm down¡± Marcus said.

    ¡°Butt out of this¡± Derrick said to him, before turning back to me. ¡°Do you know what my problem is with you? You don¡¯t belong here. I don¡¯t know why you didn¡¯t get expelled for the shit you pulled already¡± he said with an unexpected vehemence. He jabbed me in the chest with a finger. ¡°You don¡¯t take any of your classes seriously, you¡¯re late all the time, and you¡¯re just plain weird. Even your own cousin doesn¡¯t like you. Nobody does¡±

    I felt a burst of anger and clenched my fist to hit him.

    ¡°Whoa! Slow down there¡± Marcus said standing up between us. I paused, and stepped back, looking down at my hands. I felt all the rage subside, replaced by a horrified fear. I¡¯d been about to punch him. Hard. I¡¯d lifted people with ease, shattered brick, even wrenched a car through the air. I would¡¯ve taken his jaw straight off. I could¡¯ve blown his head off. I fell to the bench my knees suddenly weak.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought¡± Derrick said smiling to himself. He kicked me in the shin and sat back down.

    This was the exact problem I¡¯d been thinking about earlier. I couldn¡¯t just do whatever the hell I wanted with these powers. If I did, then who knew what that could evolve into. It would be dangerous. I put my face into my hands my world spinning. How the hell had it taken me this long to realise this? Thank God, Amy had stopped me when I¡¯d been pocketing the money from the wallets. I owed her a big thanks. I sighed. I needed to hand the money over to the police. Sure, it¡¯d be nice if I could buy a TV, new clothes, and whatever other stuff I needed, but the money wasn¡¯t mine. I¡¯d taken it from a bunch of criminals selling drugs.

    I sat up, leaning against the wall. I¡¯d give the money over and get help from Ricardo. If he found out what had happened, maybe he could fix this. I definitely didn¡¯t deserve these powers, that much was obvious.

    -

    I sat in the lab spinning around in a chair.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to make yourself sick you know?¡± Amy said. I shrugged, and Amy stopped me with a foot.

    ¡°Stop. Watching you spin so much is making me dizzy¡± she said. I pushed off her chair and continued to spin around, when the door opened to the lab. Lindon and Ricardo stepped back inside, carrying food from downstairs. Ricardo handed me and Amy sandwiches and a bag of chips. He had a small smile on his face.

    ¡°Well I¡¯ve got some good news¡± he said, taking a seat.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re ok. From what we can see at least. There weren¡¯t any major complications, and none of the minor ones are life threatening¡± he said.

    ¡°Minor complications?¡± Amy asked with a hint of concern.

    ¡°Well Lucas probably has some issues digesting dairy products, and you¡¯ve got slight colour blindness¡± Lindon said, before taking another sip of water. ¡°But aside from that none of the samples we took or tests we had you do came back with anything significant. I would like to have you scanned, but it¡¯s not necessary. Plus it might cause a bit too much trouble, and someone might catch on¡± Ricardo said. Amy breathed a sigh of relief, but I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

    ¡°Can you fix this?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m confused. Fix what?¡± Ricardo said.

    ¡°The mutations. I- I don¡¯t want to be like this¡± I said.

    ¡°What?¡± Amy said, turning to me. ¡°What¡¯re you talking about?!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want this, ok? You may be ok with it, but this is messing with my life. I just want to live normally¡± I said.

    ¡°But what about fighting bad guys? You seemed like you were warming to it? I mean you fought against that monster thing when you didn¡¯t have to! That¡¯s got to mean something right?¡± Amy said, more upset than I¡¯d expected.

    ¡°Why¡¯re you so upset?¡± I said.

    ¡°I-¡° she paused, and then suddenly retreated into herself looking away. ¡°Never mind.¡±

    The was a beat of silence, then Ricardo spoke up.

    ¡°Sorry Lucas, but we can¡¯t help you, right now. We still don¡¯t even fully understand how this happened to you. We just know that you¡¯re medically stable¡± Ricardo said. I felt my shoulders droop.

    ¡°We can help given time though. You¡¯d have to come here regularly, and we¡¯d probably have to take some record of our findings. This is too big to just keep all off the books¡± Lindon said.

    ¡°I- ok. As long as it¡¯s anonymous then I¡¯m fine with that¡± I said. I glanced at Amy who sat on her chair silently. She glanced up at me and noticed me staring. She looked away, and then her gaze hardened. She stood up and walked towards the door.

    ¡°Amy?¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving. I got what I came here for¡± she said. She stepped out and closed the door behind her. I sat still for a second confused. Why was she just leaving? Why was she so upset? I got up and rushed after her, barely reaching the lift in time. We stood in silence for a few seconds.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why did you just leave?¡± I said, confused.

    ¡°Why do you care?¡± she said, hands in her pockets.

    ¡°What? Why¡¯re you acting like this?¡± I said. She held my gaze for a second, and then looked away. She sighed, then mumbled something under her breath. There were a few more seconds of silence, as I waited for an answer. None came.

    ¡°Why¡¯re you so upset?¡± I said.

    ¡°Maybe because you¡¯re being stupid! I mean think about what you said. You can help people. Actually, help people. And you¡¯re just what¡­ throwing that away. Not even! You¡¯re actively trying to get rid of your gift!¡± she said, her anger palpable.

    ¡°Whoa, whoa. Where is this even coming from?¡± I said.

    ¡°I- we could be a team! Genuine superheroes! And saying you don¡¯t want this anymore is like¡­ just telling me to fuck off¡± she said, her face going red. Why was she getting so angry?

    ¡°I said I wasn¡¯t a superhero! I never wanted any of this.¡± I said back, exasperated.

    ¡°I know what you said! But then why wear the mask I gave you? Why wear the hoodie? Why take to the streets and help people? I mean I¡¯m still waiting for you to tell me you¡¯re good to go on the bears thing!¡± she said emphatically waving her hands. ¡°I just¡­ don¡¯t get you. At all.¡±

    Why had I put on the mask she¡¯d given me? I didn¡¯t have a good reason. I¡¯d worn it just because she¡¯d given it to me. It hadn¡¯t been anything more than a gift from a friend.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about¡­ everything. But you can¡¯t expect me to just be a superhero. I don¡¯t want that¡± I said.

    ¡°If you haven¡¯t noticed, you already are one. Spider-guy or whatever the bugle calls you¡± she said crossing her arms, her voice devoid of emotion. The lift came to a stop and she walked out. I paused and followed her, eyeing the guards that looked at us. They watched us carefully, their visors obscuring their eyes.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯ll do the thing with you, but that¡¯s it okay? I can¡¯t do anything else¡± I said. One of the guards opened the door and we made our way down the walkway.

    ¡°Fine¡± Amy said, not looking up at me. When we reached the other end of the walkway guards opened up this door as well. Weird, there hadn¡¯t been any guards on this side of the walkway before. Well, it worked in our favour. Without key cards we would¡¯ve been stuck in the walkway without anyone on the other side.

    We made our way through the rest of the hallways in silence.

    ¡°Actually, not fine. You help me take down the Bears, and then you can stop¡± she said.

    ¡°What but-¡°

    ¡°You set me back like a week with my investigation, which means they¡¯re more prepared now. So you owe me. You can still quit afterwards¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡­ ok¡± I said, instantly regretting it. I didn¡¯t want to end our friendship on bad terms, so I didn¡¯t really have a choice. Amy turned to me and smiled slightly, the edges of her mouth picking up in a miniature imitation of her signature grin.

    ¡°Come on. I¡¯m hungry and my mom¡¯s cooking sucks. Let¡¯s grab some pizza¡± she said.

 Chapter Twenty One

    I climbed out of the bathroom window and crawled up the wall until I was on the roof. Eric was busy in the common room, and no one else really came to our room. If we got this done quickly, then I¡¯d be able to get back without anyone noticing; and if not, I could just pretend I fell asleep on the toilet. I stretched out quickly before swinging away through the streets. Even though I was taller I felt a lot more agile now. Swinging felt easier, more freeing, and wall crawling on all fours felt natural. Thankfully I wasn¡¯t having any urges to create a massive web and eat bugs, so it was probably just comfort from a physical change, not a mental one. I came to a stop on the side of the Flatiron as people stared up at me. I climbed up to the roof, and spotted Amy in a slightly newer costume. It had the same colour scheme with black trim, and looked slightly bulkier, with more padding.

    ¡°New suit?¡± I said.

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a bit more durable so my mum doesn¡¯t have to keep stitching the old one together¡± she said.

    ¡°Wait, your mum knows about this?¡± I said, astounded.

    ¡°Yeah. I sort of just told her when the wings grew, and I¡¯ve just kept her updated since. She¡¯s pretty cool about it¡± she said.

    ¡°Uh¡­ wow. She makes your costumes too?¡± she said.

    ¡°Nah, my sister makes my costumes, but Mum does the repair sometimes¡± she said.

    ¡°Your sister knows as well?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Anyway, let¡¯s go. I¡¯m going out later so, we have to make this quick¡± she said.

    ¡°Fine by me¡± I said, I turned to leap off the side of the building.

    "Wait?!" Amy said.

    "Huh? What''s wrong?" I said turning back. She fumbled with one of the pockets and pulled out her camera. She snapped a selfie, waited for the photo to print and then stuffed it back into her pocket. She turned to me and flashed a thumbs up.

    "...Was that necessary?" I asked.

    "Absolutely" she said, before zipping off into the air.

    I leapt from the side of the building and swung, following slightly behind Amy. Now that I knew her name I¡¯d have to remember not to use it. It should be fine. We carried on making our way through the city, before eventually stopping on top of a building in Harlem. Chrysalis crouched down next to the edge of the building, and pointed at an apartment building, nearby. Before she could start talking I held up my hand.

    ¡°You know there¡¯s no point in whispering, right?¡± I said. Amy frowned.

    ¡°I do it to set the mood, ok?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re just going to blast through the window either way right?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ just let me have this¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine. Go on¡±

    She grinned and leaned in slightly.

    ¡°The windows on this apartment are reinforced. My exoskeleton¡¯s not that great against tougher sharp objects, so if it shatters it might cut me. I¡¯m going to go through the wall. Ok?¡± she whispered. I frowned, but didn¡¯t say anything, putting up my thumbs.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go¡± she said. She stood up and charged towards the edge, zipping off the side of the building. I followed, diving off the edge and swinging away. I glanced at the wall of the building, then down at the street below. Hopefully there wouldn¡¯t be any debris that fell on the street. I frowned, wait what about the people inside?

    ¡°Chrysalis wa-¡°

    What sounded like an explosion drowned out my shout. The wall in front of me seemed to implode, a plume of dust and brick peppered me. I coughed and darted to the side landing on the window next to the wall. I glanced at the street below. Thankfully no one was down there. I heard shouts from inside and looked back at the window. There were a bunch of guys in black suits inside, staring back at me. In the middle of them was a woman whose arms seemed to be glowing. She barked an order in Russian and my sense screamed at me. I dived from the window, and then was instantly deafened by another explosion. Blinding light hit me along with a wave of heat, and my spider sense screamed louder. I contorted my body through the air on pure instinct, avoiding large chunks of brick, and shards of glass as I fell through the plume of dust and smoke. Even with my spider sense sharps of glass and brick cut across me, cutting through my mask and hoodie.

    I recovered quickly, actively using my enhanced senses and spider sense to feel out my surroundings in the cloud of smoke. I webbed away, landing on a separate building. What the hell was that?! I looked back at the building hearing shouts and gunfire. There were two holes in the building now. The one where the window had been had burn marks around the edges, with smoke and dust still pouring out. We were dealing with a metahuman. Shit. I darted back towards the building. I needed to get Amy out of there. I landed in the hole Amy had made, to see her pushing against a door that wouldn¡¯t budge. We were in another lab, similar to the first one, and there two people in lab coats on the floor, unconscious.

    I looked back up at Amy, she was preparing to smash through the wall.

    ¡°A- Chrysalis! We need to go! They¡¯ve got a metahuman!¡± I shouted. Suddenly my spider sense screamed. I vaulted backwards towards the hole in the wall and webbed Amy, pulling her towards me. A wall of fire burst through the side wall as we fell out of the building. I flipped and webbed back to the wall, letting go of Amy. She floated looking back up, as smoke poured out the side of the building.

    ¡°Shit! We have to take them out before they do more damage!¡± Amy said.

    ¡°No! No way! Whoever she is, she nearly just eviscerated us!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll deal with her, you take out the guys inside¡± Amy said. She zipped away at a frightening speed, faster than I¡¯d seen from her before. She flew through the larger whole, where the window had been and I heard a crash from the other side of the building, followed by gunfire. Shit. I fired webs upwards, latching onto the edge of the apartments and sling-shotted myself to the roof. I rushed to the far side to get a better look at what was going on. Amy flew through the air at a ridiculously fast speed, tussling in the air with the lady, who¡¯s entire body was glowing.

    They crashed into the roof of a building, skidding across it. Crap. I went to follow, but Amy spotted me as she stood up. She pointed at the apartment below me with a rigid finger. I hesitated then swore, leaping back down towards the apartment, my heart in my chest. Now I had to take on a bunch of guys with guns, whilst my friend fought alone against someone who could create walls of fire. This superhero shit was way too stressful.

    I landed on the side of the building and peered through the hole. The suits all stood around one guy, around my age, wearing a brown hoodie and jeans. They were shouting at each other in Russian. Perfect. I fired a constant stream of webs at them, webbing them together in a jumbled mess of limbs. When they fell to the floor, stumbling over each other, I dropped down landing in the building. That had been easy.

    My spider sense buzzed, and I jumped to the ceiling as a blast of cold air shot towards me, freezing part of the wall behind me. It had come from the guy in the hoodie. The webs hardened and cracked as the guys skin glowed. Crap. I darted towards him from the roof, but my spider sense buzzed, and I darted to the side. A large icicle tore through one of the suits, narrowly missing me as the brown hoodie stood up. He screamed at me and I felt the entire room grow cold. My hairs stood up on end, and I felt an overwhelming fear overcome me. I screeched, an unholy sound coming from my mouth. Instinctively I dived off the end of the wall, shattering the brick underfoot. I grabbed the guy, digging my fingers into his shoulder, then slammed him into the floor. His eyes rolled up into his head, and he lay unmoving.

    My spider sense buzzed with a poignant keenness, and I spun around, punching a guy in the jaw. He flew across the room and crashed to the floor. My spider sense roared again, and I darted to the side. A gunshot cracked behind me. I dodged two more shots, then wrenched the gun from his grip with a web. The gun shattered against the wall as the suit cried out clutching his hand. I leaped at him and slammed him into the wall. I stood over him, my blood roaring in my ears and my heartbeat resounding throughout my entire body. I breathed heavily, slowly becoming aware of the silence. I looked down at my hands. My nails had become long, sharp, black claws. Blood covered my right hand, dripping to the floor, as black liquid seeped from my nails.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    The claws slowly transformed, shrinking back into my regular nails. I felt a fog I hadn¡¯t even noticed disappear, my heart rate slowing down. What the hell? What the hell?! I turned to the guy in the brown hoodie, a dark pool of blood spreading from his shoulder. I watched as it spread, his skin growing paler as some of the veins on his neck turned black.

    I rushed over to him, ripping off the hoodie. The gouges in his shoulder leaked a mixture of blood and the dark liquid that had seeped from my nails. A wreath of black veins circled the cuts, slowly spreading. Shit. Shit. I wrapped what was left of the hoodie around his shoulder, pulling it tight to stop the bleeding. I pulled off my bloodied glove and threw it to the floor. Blood still stained my hands. I wiped my hand on my hoodie repeatedly, my breaths quickly growing faster. The blood wasn¡¯t coming off. Why wasn¡¯t it coming off?!

    I felt my spider sense buzz, and I leapt to the ceiling, looking behind me.

    ¡°Whoa. Calm down Spider, it¡¯s just me¡± Amy said, landing down as she dropped the unconscious woman on the floor. I felt myself calm down slightly and dropped back to the floor. Amy looked okay, apart from the fact that some of her suit was burned and there was a red handprint that looked like it had burned itself into her skin.

    ¡°Crap, are you ok?¡± she said, stepping over to me. I reached for my face and felt that parts of the mask had been shredded by the debris, and that a small bit at the top of my mask was gone, along with some of my hair. My hoodie wasn¡¯t much better, more of a rag barely holding together, my skin a patchwork of red marks underneath.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± I said. Amy breathed a sigh of relief as sirens wailed, not so far in the distance.

    ¡°You tie them up, and I¡¯ll start the search¡± Amy said. She looked around. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll find much, but it¡¯s worth a shot¡± she said. I nodded absentmindedly, my brain still far away. I webbed up all the people, and sat down on the floor, staring at my glove. I¡¯d completely lost control. I¡¯d felt threatened, really threatened, for the first time since I¡¯d gotten these powers and I¡¯d snapped. That unholy screech hadn¡¯t been me. I felt my shoulders slump. This was exactly what I¡¯d been afraid of. Losing control. I glanced at the injured men in suits, my eyes finally falling on the ice guy. Amy was wrong. This wasn¡¯t a gift. It was nowhere close. Getting rid of it as soon as possible would be the right thing to do.

    I felt a hand grab me on the shoulder, and I spun around, slapping it away. Amy stepped back looking at me concerned.

    ¡°Spider are you ok?¡± she said. I looked down at my hands and then the chaos around the room, slowly starting to tremble. I felt like my throat was constricting, and I could barely breath through the mask. I ripped it off, strands of hair sticking to my forehead with sweat as I took in a deep lungful of air. I felt my shock turn into anger contorting my face.

    ¡°I- No! This was a mistake!¡± I shouted. ¡°I- why did you¡­ why¡­¡± I fell to my hands, my legs suddenly giving out. Amy rushed over to me, grabbing me.

    ¡°Hey! Calm down. It¡¯s ok¡± she said, her voice soothing. I wiped my wet eyes, and let out a shaky breath, as Amy helped me to my feet. She looked me over again and her expression shifted. She carefully put on my mask, and then picked me up in a princess hold and zipped out of the room.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, you c-¡° I started.

    ¡°You¡¯re not fine¡± she interrupted with a harshness I didn¡¯t expect. ¡°Just sit tight, we¡¯re nearly there.¡±

    We carried on flying for a bit before slowing down and zipping down an alley. We landed on a fire escape, and Amy opened a slightly ajar window, before struggling to carry me and step inside. I stopped her and took to my own feet slightly wobbly. All the cuts were starting to sting now, no doubt the adrenaline wearing off.

    ¡°Where are we?¡± I said, leaning against the wall.

    ¡°My house. Come on, my sister¡¯s a nurse, she¡¯ll treat you¡± she said. I shook my head.

    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m fi-¡°

    ¡°If you say you¡¯re fine one more time I¡¯m going to lose it¡± she said, the harsh tone back. ¡°Are you going to get inside on your own or do you want me to carry you?¡±

    ¡°Alright man. Geez¡­¡± I said, stepping through the window.

    ¡°Sit down, I¡¯ll bring Rachael in here¡± she said.

    ¡°By you desk or...¡±

    ¡°Anywhere¡¯s fine¡± she said pulling off her mask, then taking out her hairband. Her hair fell around her head stopping at her shoulders. Her expression of concern was much more apparent now. She opened her door a crack and peered out of it, before stepping out and shouting for Rachael, who I assumed was her nurse sister.

    I took a seat at the desk, pulling off my mask, and looked around. Amy¡¯s room was not what I¡¯d expected. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d been expecting, or even if I¡¯d been expecting anything at all. She had polaroid pictures all over her walls, even on the ceiling. The pictures were seemingly random. From pictures of random stores, trees, and places all over New York to family photos and random shots of herself. There was even a picture of someone¡¯s foot on a disco ball. There had to be hundreds. I looked down at her desk. It was messy with utensils and paper strewn everywhere.

    Next to the desk and by her bedside was a small cabinet. A Gloria action figure and Icon funko pop sat next to a picture frame. I arched my head to get a better look. A picture of her family laughing in a photo sat in the frame. A tall blonde hulk of a man with a Viking beard, her father, stood at the back laughing as he clutched a shorter brunette with olive skin and a perfect copy of Amy¡¯s signature grin plastered across her face. Three girls stood in front of them. I instantly recognised a younger Amy, with her signature grin, her hair a lot longer than it was now. She looked around eleven in the photo taken. Next to her stood a slightly taller blonde with her eyes crossed, making a silly expression. She looked like Amy, but with a slightly leaner face, paler skin, and green eyes. Her hair was cut really short. The third girl was the oldest, with brown hair like Amy¡¯s, green eyes like her father and sister and a skin tone closest to her mother¡¯s, a small grin on her face. She was pretty cute.

    The door opened again behind me and Amy stepped in followed by one of the most beautiful women I¡¯d ever seen in my life. It was an older version of the tallest sister in the picture She wore a nurse uniform and had slight bags under her eyes.

    ¡°Oh, you took off your mask¡± Amy said, unsure.

    ¡°I- sorry¡± I replied, not sure what to make of it either.

    ¡°Lucas this is Rachael. Rachael, Lucas¡± Amy said, awkwardly. Heather stepped past her and put a first aid kit on the desk. She had a serious look on her face.

    ¡°Could you take your hoodie and shirt off for me. I need to get a better look at the cuts¡± she said. I paused but obliged.

    She looked me over for a second and paused.

    ¡°What cut you?¡± she asked, her face serious.

    ¡°Uh¡­ shrapnel. Glass, pieces of brick. Stuff like that¡± I said. She made a face.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do the best I can but this might take a while. There¡¯s a lot of cuts and I¡¯ll need to make sure there isn¡¯t any debris inside before I clean them¡± she said.

    ¡°He can stay. If it¡¯s that bad, he stays¡± Amy said. Rachael glanced between the two of us.

    ¡°I can stay. I¡¯ll get in trouble, but I¡¯d rather not go to sleep with glass shards in my stomach¡± I said laughing. Amy seemed to relax at my joke, but Rachael didn¡¯t say anything, only frowning.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get you some water. It¡¯s the least I can do¡± Amy said before walking off. Rachael pulled out some tweezers, disinfectant, a needle with thread and a wad of plasters, before starting with the cuts at my stomach. Amy came back with the water quickly, and I sipped at it, grateful. I winced slightly as she worked. Most of the time it didn¡¯t hurt that much, but small stabs of pain from the two cuts that needed stitches had been pretty intense. We sat in silence for a few minutes before Amy spoke up.

    ¡°You look a bit better¡± she said.

    ¡°How so?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Earlier you looked like you¡¯d seen a ghost. I don¡¯t know, you just seem like you¡¯re in less pain¡±

    ¡°I told you I was fine¡±

    ¡°You most definitely aren¡¯t fine¡± Rachael interjected. ¡°You were probably in shock earlier. I mean this much shrapnel makes me think of a bomb. It¡¯s no wonder you were shaking so much.¡± Amy and I both went silent.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get why anyone would want to do this. I mean how old even are you?¡± Rachael said, the frustration apparent.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± crap I couldn¡¯t remember whether I¡¯d told Amy I was sixteen or eighteen.

    ¡°Knock it off sis. You don¡¯t have to give your whole, ¡®leave it to the police¡¯ spiel every time you¡¯re treating someone¡± Amy said. Before Rachael could respond, the sound of the door opening alerted us all. Amy glanced out the door to check who it was.

    ¡°Why¡¯re you here?¡± her voice sounded distant behind the door.

    ¡°Wow, way to welcome someone. Aren¡¯t you excited to see me?¡± a female voice said back.

    ¡°Yeah, but you never visit these days, I just wasn¡¯t expecting you¡± Amy responded.

    ¡°Yeah, well I¡¯m here now. Where¡¯s mum? I¡¯m hungry¡± the woman said.

    ¡°She¡¯s working late¡± Rachael said loudly.

    ¡°Hey Rache!¡± the voice shouted back, ¡°What¡¯re you doing in Ames¡¯ room?¡± There was a beat of silence, and Amy glanced back inside.

    ¡°You¡¯re not hurt, are you?¡± the woman said, to Amy, her voice filled with concern.

    ¡°No, I brought a friend¡± Amy replied.

    The sound of heels clacking against wood panelling grew closer and the door swung open. A tall blonde woman with short hair, a bunch of face piercings, and a stylish set of clothes stared back at me.

    ¡°Oh my god! Are you ok?¡± she shouted.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± I replied.

    ¡°No you absolutely are not¡± Rachael said, glaring at me as she put a plaster on my chest.

    There was a horrified shout, and the blonde grabbed what was left of the hoodie.

    ¡°Calm down Heather¡± Rachael said.

    ¡°Calm down? Look at the hoodie! This took me hours, and I had to use components I¡¯d made for other projects. Now it¡¯s ruined¡± Heather said.

    ¡°Well you can just make another one, right?¡± Amy said.

    ¡°Oh sure muscle brain¡± she said sarcastically. Then she turned to me. ¡°Once you¡¯re finished getting patched up, let me take your measurements so I can make you a proper costume. One that will hold up.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t-¡° I started before wincing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move¡± Rachael said quietly. Suddenly the sound of the door opening again turned everyone¡¯s heads.

    Heather disappeared instantly, rushing towards the new arrival before I could finish my sentence. Crap. I glanced at Amy but she wasn¡¯t looking, watching Heather instead.

    ¡°There we go¡± Rachael said putting a final plaster by my collar bone. ¡°Now don¡¯t do any strenuous activity for a while. No superhero antics or anything like that. We don¡¯t want the stitches coming out¡± she said.

    ¡°Ok. Thanks¡± I replied. She gave me a soft smile that made my heart flutter.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡± she said standing up. She threw a bunch of tissues, and cotton buds in the bin, then opened Amy¡¯s cupboard. She fished around for a bit, before pulling out a Yankee¡¯s T-shirt and handing it to me. I slipped into it, when Amy slipped back inside.

    ¡°Come on. I want you to say hi to my mom¡± she said.

 Chapter Twenty Two

    I¡¯d gotten in far too deep. It had started with a friendly conversation with Amy¡¯s mum, and now I was eating dinner with them. Heather had already taken my measurements and their mum had even offered to cut my hair. I¡¯d tried to leave more than once, but it¡¯s like everyone was working to keep me here. I couldn¡¯t find it in my heart to say no. I sighed. I was definitely in a lot of trouble back at school. I was just praying for some reason, Eric hadn¡¯t gotten back to our dorm and started asking around for me.

    ¡°So Lucas, whereabouts do you live?¡± Amy¡¯s mother, Regina or Mrs Andrews (as I referred to her) asked.

    ¡°Mum!¡± Amy said.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a question¡± Mrs Dillons asked.

    ¡°Technically I live in New Jersey. I just go to prep school here¡± I said nervously.

    ¡°Oh wow! You go to one of those fancy prep schools! Which one?¡± Heather asked, excitedly.

    ¡°NYTA¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh, you must be smart¡± Rachael said.

    ¡°Or rich¡± I joked. Everybody laughed, and I felt some of the nervous tension I¡¯d been holding up diminish.

    ¡°Is it alright for you to be out at this time?¡± Mrs Dillions asked.

    ¡°Yeah. Juniors and Seniors are allowed to leave for as long as they want. You just have to get back before curfew¡± I said. I wasn¡¯t lying there, only implying I was in the 16-18 range. If Amy realised I was 14 it¡¯d become a hassle to explain why I¡¯d lied. It¡¯s not like we were going to be doing this superhero thing for much longer anyway. The rest of dinner was nice. It reminded me of dinners with mum, dad, and the others; which made it feel all the more bittersweet.

    Once everyone was finished, I helped pack away the plates and clear the table, listening to Heather and Rachael tell me the intricate details of Amy¡¯s most embarrassing stories. Once we finished, Mrs Dillions posed the question again.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to cut your hair?¡± she said.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to bother you¡± I replied, trying gently to say no.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Amy said surprising me.

    ¡°Uh¡­ well¡­¡± I stuttered.

    ¡°Come on, Mum¡¯s just going to shape it up. I¡¯d feel bad if you went back to school and got made fun of for something that¡¯s partially my fault¡± Amy said. I frowned, before glancing back at Mrs Dillion.

    A few moments later I was sitting in a chair with a gown around me as Mrs Dillion snipped away at my hair. Amy had gone to shower, and the other two had both gone to their rooms. I sat in the corner of the main room, gazing out the window as Mrs Dillion cut my hair.

    ¡°You have nice eyes. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen it in person before¡± she said gently.

    ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s sort of recent. It happened when I got my¡­ abilities¡± I said.

    ¡°You¡¯re as incredible as Amy¡± she said, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°I mean you both got these gifts recently and you just decide to help people straight away? I don¡¯t think I could do that¡± she said. I didn¡¯t say anything, choosing to stay quiet.

    ¡°Thank you for¡­ doing this with her. I was opposed to it at first, but it¡¯s not like I can stop her. It brings me peace of mind that she¡¯s got a friend in all of this¡± she said. I felt an unfamiliar feeling tug at my heart. The feeling brought back a sense of fleeting memories that disappeared as soon as they came. I had to say something. Something genuine. I couldn¡¯t just let her say that without a proper response.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad I met your daughter too¡± I said. She didn¡¯t say anything, only chuckled.

    We stayed silent for a few more moments before Mrs Dillion stopped snipping.

    ¡°All done!¡± she said, grinning.

    ¡°Thank you¡± I said, avoiding her gaze.

    ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do¡± she said. I nodded.

    ¡°I should probably go now. Thanks for having me¡± I said.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome here anytime¡± she said, grinning.

    -

    It was loud, explosions of fire and debris raining down around me. I ran leaping from side to side, the debris getting closer and closer. Suddenly my feet froze in place. The crackle of ice spreading across the floor instilling fear into my heart. I looked down to see the guy with the brown hoodie, soaked with blood, his veins were a web of black against his skin. He released an unholy screech, holding onto my leg and I felt my body freeze over before shattering into a thousand pieces.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    -

    I leapt upwards with a start clutching at my front. My heart beat loudly, thudding in my chest. It took a few moments for me to recover, looking around the room slowly. A faint light glimmered outside, the beginnings of a sunrise. I lay back down then rolled over, wincing. My body stung in weird places, with a few sharp pains shooting across my front. I closed my eyes, but after a few minutes sleep still wouldn¡¯t come. Most of yesterday seemed like a blur, but maybe my mind was playing tricks on me to keep me sane. I couldn¡¯t remember why I¡¯d woken up, but I remembered the fear.

    I got up, careful not to make a sound as to not wake Eric. He snored softly, resting in a strange sleeping position. I crept to the bathroom and closed the door behind me. I lifted up my top to see the field of plasters across my stomach and chest. A few had come off and underneath were slight red scars. The stitched cuts also seemed like they¡¯d healed well already. I peeled off a few more plasters, before realising most of them were fine as well. I must have had some form of enhanced healing. That was weird, but I wasn¡¯t complaining. I finished by peeling the two plasters on my face off.

    Hopefully the small scars disappeared. If someone mentioned them, I¡¯d have to come up with an excuse though. I dumped the plasters into the bin, then paused. I couldn¡¯t just leave that there, or Eric would ask questions. I webbed the bin bag up to me and stepped out into the room, shoving it under my bed. Gross, but I didn¡¯t have anywhere to put them.

    I looked at the PS4 and the crappy old TV, then the bag of money. I needed to get rid of them. All of them. The PS4 and the TV would be a distraction. My grades were already falling behind and I needed to actually focus. The money¡­ well the money just wasn¡¯t mine. If I didn¡¯t give it to the police then I needed to give it to a charity of some kind. I stood back up and got back into bed. I sighed and closed my eyes.

    Thankfully Eric hadn¡¯t been in the room when I¡¯d gotten back. I¡¯d cut it close, but it seems like whatever Quinten and the gang did kept them all together past eight thirty. I ruffled my hair. It felt weird having shorter hair. It looked good, but I felt exposed. I yawned and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. I wasn¡¯t really tired. I pulled my burner phone out of my bag, peering at the Yankees top, and Chrysalis mask inside. I couldn¡¯t believe I¡¯d swung home in that. Hopefully nobody had seen me or taken any photos.

    I turned on the phone and glanced at the time. 05:34. I had about an hour and a half until breakfast was open. I shot Amy a text.

    U up? Need 2 talk

    I waited a few seconds when a message popped up immediately. That was fast.

    I¡¯m up. What u want to talk about?

    I stared at the message for a few seconds, trying to get my thoughts in order. I tapped away for a bit then paused, then deleted the message. I pressed the phone to my forehead. I didn¡¯t want to upset her, but I needed to let her know.

    ¡°Just send it man¡± I whispered. I tapped away a bit and then paused. I closed my eyes and hit send.

    I don¡¯t know if I can keep doing this.

    There. I¡¯d said it. The speech bubbles appeared then disappeared, before reappearing. My heart hammered in my chest. I¡¯d actually sent it. My phone buzzed in my hands.

    Y?

    I thought for a second.

    I don¡¯t know. Afraid I guess

    She read the message but didn¡¯t answer. I sighed and let my hand fall to my side. I¡¯d upset her. Dammit. Suddenly the phone buzzed repeatedly in my hand. She was calling. I hesitated but picked up.

    ¡°Hello?¡± I answered.

    ¡°Hey¡± she replied softly.

    ¡°Why¡¯re you even up at this time¡± I whispered, chuckling.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep. I was¡­ I was thinking about your face e-¡°

    ¡°My face?¡±

    ¡°Not like that idiot. The expression you had back at the Bears hideout¡±

    ¡°Sure¡±

    ¡°Oh shut up" she replied, a hint of humour in her tone. She went silent. "I- I¡¯m sorry if you felt pressured to¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡± she said quietly.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just¡­ I wanted to let you know. I just... didn¡¯t want to upset you¡±

    ¡°I get it. I''d know why you''d want to stop. I¡¯m not upset¡±

    There was a lull in conversation, both of us unsure of what to say. She¡¯d said she wasn¡¯t upset but I could tell she was. She was just saying it to make sure I didn¡¯t feel bad. I felt my face twist in anguish. I didn¡¯t want to do this superhero thing, but I didn¡¯t want to upset Amy. I mean she¡¯d just introduced me to her family. Her mum had cut my hair and her sister was making me a costume. I mean she¡¯d already made me a costume. Plus, outside of Eric, she was the only person I felt comfortable talking to. She was my only friend. If I stopped this hero thing then would we even keep talking to each other, or would we slowly drift apart.

    I let out a sigh.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Amy asked.

    ¡°I¡­ can we keep in touch?¡± I said sheepish.

    ¡°¡­Yeah. I¡¯d like that¡± she said softly. I felt relief flood my chest; more than I¡¯d been expecting.

    ¡°Now that I¡¯m officially a civilian I¡¯d like to say it¡¯s pretty cool knowing a superhero on a first name basis¡± I said, chuckling. Amy chuckled as well. Then I paused, furrowing my brow.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you become a hero in the first place?¡± I asked, curious. Amy went silent.

    ¡°My dad¡­ he was a firefighter and¡­ well I just wanted to be like my dad. Live my life in his memory you know¡± she said.

    We went silent again. I wasn''t sure how to respond.

    ¡°It¡¯s silly, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°No. I think it¡¯s pretty amazing¡±

    ¡°Thanks. That¡­ that means a lot¡±

    I paused for a second thinking to myself. What would my parents think of this situation? I know my mum would tell me that there was absolutely no way she would let me even think of doing something that dangerous. My dad would probably agree. But what would they do with the powers? They¡¯d probably try to research it to help people. That just reinforced the idea that I was doing that right thing with Ricardo, but it still felt like I was missing something. Suddenly the thought popped into my head.

    ¡°What would Big sis do?¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Huh? Sorry I didn¡¯t catch that¡± Amy said.

    ¡°I wasn''t¡­ I- I was just... thinking about what my big sister would do if she was in my position¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh, ok. What''d you think she''d do?¡± Amy asked. It was obvious, I mean it was Big sis after all. Even if she didn¡¯t want to, she¡¯d help people. She always did. She¡¯d do the research with Ricardo and help Amy with the Bears. I mean come on, this was the same woman who¡¯d dropped everything at 18 to raise her three younger siblings, even when she hadn¡¯t had to. She¡¯d chosen not to send us off to t¨ªa and t¨ªo and go to college, simply because it would¡¯ve made their lives harder, and she hadn''t wanted to bother them when she could do it. She was my role model. Everything I''d ever dreamed of being, even if it didn''t always seem like it. If I was going to do anything, then it¡¯d probably should be what Big Sis would do.

    Dammit. I couldn¡¯t believe just this was enough to change my mind. I took a deep breath. I needed to tell Amy. I scrunched up my face and took a deep breath. The images of the explosion, and my hands covered in blood flashed in my mind and I felt a shiver down my spine. I couldn¡¯t do it. I wasn¡¯t my big sister. I wasn¡¯t anywhere near as strong as her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for starting this conversation so early¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It was nice to talk to you Lucas¡±

    ¡°I¡­ yeah. Talk to you later I guess¡±

    ¡°Talk to you later. Bye¡±

    ¡°Bye¡±

    She hung up and I lay there for a few seconds before glancing at the time. 05:37. That had felt a lot longer. At least I felt like I¡¯d gotten a weight off my shoulders. For the most part. A new knot of guilt had tied itself tightly in my stomach. I guess the idea that my Big sis would probably be a lot better suited for these powers was weighing on my conscience. I sighed and rolled over. It wasn¡¯t the time for this. I needed to sleep!

 Chapter Twenty Three

    I yawned, stuffing a random cup into my bin bag. Why the hell did we have to do this on the weekend?! I rubbed my hands together before blowing on them. Winter was starting to roll in and it was getting cold. I spun around looking for more litter and caught Mrs Nakahama eyeing me. I nodded at her awkwardly and she nodded back. She¡¯d been wary of me ever since my first litter pick, but I guess now she didn¡¯t have anything to complain about. Sure, I wasn¡¯t talking to the other students, but I didn¡¯t think that was enough reason to chew me out. I was still picking up the litter.

    I picked up another piece of trash and threw it into the bin. I turned around the corner slightly behind the students at the front of the group. I paused, looking up at a brightly coloured mural of the Vanguard. It looked pretty cool. Icon stood in the centre, Saviour and Might to the left, and Express and Medbay to the right, with the large hulking figure of Pride standing over them. They hadn¡¯t really managed to capture Saviour¡¯s glow, and Might¡¯s helmet seemed a bit off but it seemed good enough. It captured the heroic essence they seemed to exude.

    ¡°Cool right?¡± someone said behind me. I glanced behind to see an older student walking over to me. He was one of the heads of the litter pick group. I think his name was Ryan.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess¡± he said.

    ¡°Who¡¯s your favourite?¡± he asked with a small smile.

    ¡°I know he¡¯s everyone¡¯s favourite but definitely Icon¡± I said.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with that. Mine¡¯s Might. I guess I just like the idea of a regular guy fighting alongside giants¡± he said.

    ¡°Eh¡­ I wouldn¡¯t call him a normal guy. I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s got some kind of minor superstrength. And isn¡¯t he like the smartest guy in the world?¡± I said.

    ¡°I mean yeah, but compared to the rest he¡¯s basically a regular guy¡±

    ¡°I guess. I mean I¡¯m not saying he isn¡¯t cool, but he definitely wouldn¡¯t be second on my favourites list¡± I replied.

    ¡°Who would then? Actually tell me your whole list, I wanna know where you put him¡± he said.

    ¡°Well Icon first. Pride second because he¡¯s super cool, literally a half dragon. Uhh let¡¯s see, MedBay¡¯s pretty nice with the curing diseases and all. Then I¡¯d put Saviour, then Might and Express¡± I said.

    ¡°Hmm, you put MedBay pretty high¡±

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    ¡°Yeah well most people don¡¯t because she¡¯s not as good at fighting as the others, but she¡¯s cured like a hundred different diseases¡± I said.

    ¡°Fair enough. She is underappreciated, but-¡±

    ¡°Hey Ryan! Help us move this bin!¡± a voice called out interrupting him. He turned and glanced back at a bunch of others standing in an alley further down.

    ¡°It was nice to talk to you Lucas¡± he said walking away, ¡°You should try to talking to everyone! It¡¯ll make this more fun.¡±

    I felt a smile appear on my face and glanced back at the mural. I reached down with my garbage collection stick and picked up a piece of litter and dropped it into my bag. Maybe this wasn¡¯t so bad.

    -

    I yawned as I headed to my room. I was finally finished with garbage and now I could relax in my room. Well, I had homework to worry about, but that wasn¡¯t that big a deal. I slowed down as I passed the common room. I paused to glance through the window. It was movie night, with a bunch of people sitting in the corner by the large flat screen. I didn¡¯t recognise the film they were watching. I paused for a second considering if I should join them or not. Nah, I had better things to do than watch half a film.

    I started walking down the corridor again when my spider sense buzzed faintly. I felt my heart jump slightly and I leapt backwards, narrowly avoiding walking into someone as they turned the corner. I let out a sigh, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. I was seriously on edge.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± a familiar voice said somewhat surprised. I looked up and saw Quinten and Keiko side by side. Keiko avoided my gaze, but Quinten stared at me, his eyebrows raised.

    ¡°Hey¡± I said.

    ¡°You cut your hair¡± he said. I nodded and we stood in awkward silence for a few seconds.

    ¡°Welp, I¡¯ve got to go¡± I said, making an attempt to leave.

    ¡°Wait¡± Quinten said. He glanced at Keiko. ¡°Keiko¡¯s got something to say.¡±

    I paused and glanced back to see the pained expression on her face. Oh right, the whole thing she said about my parents. I was mostly over that. I know she hadn¡¯t known my parents weren¡¯t alive. She hadn¡¯t meant it the way I¡¯d taken it. I¡¯d just overreacted.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologise. I mean I was being a dick and you didn¡¯t know. Later¡± I said walking off.

    I made my way up the flight of stairs to my hallway and walked down to my room. The light was on and the door was slightly ajar.

    ¡°Hey Eric¡° I said stepping inside. I paused, my face contorting with horror. I darted out the room slamming the door behind me. Eric and Rachael had been kissing each other. I guess I should¡¯ve seen that coming. The door swung open and a red faced Rachael glared at me.

    ¡°W-why didn¡¯t you knock?¡± she said, her voice filled with embarrassment.

    ¡°The door was open¡± I said, ¡°Wait you¡¯re not even supposed to be on this floor.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this, ok?¡± she said storming off.

    ¡°¡­ sure¡± I muttered.

    I stepped inside and closed the door softly behind me. Eric stood over his desk randomly shifting things around. The back of his neck was beet red.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be embarrassed man¡± I said before flumping onto my bed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone, ok? I don¡¯t want to get her in trouble¡± he said.

    ¡°No worries¡± I replied. I rolled over onto my back and looked at the ceiling. So much for homework, I could already feel myself drifting off. This is what I got for waking up at five in the morning.

    ¡°Hey man, I¡¯m pretty tired. Could you get the light switch?¡± I said. Eric turned it off without a word.

    ¡°Thanks¡± I replied. As I felt my thoughts calm down as my mind slowly shut off, I thought back to my conversation with Amy in the morning. I felt the knot of guilt in my stomach tighten. I¡¯d call her tomorrow. Just to talk.

 Chapter Twenty Four

    I¡¯d completely forgotten about the guidance counsellor. So when someone had shown up at my dorm and told me I had to meet Mrs Hatton at one, I¡¯d nearly laughed in their face. I wasn¡¯t laughing now, sitting outside an office dreading what was about to happen next. Hopefully it wouldn¡¯t take too long, but I¡¯d been sitting here for a while now. I glanced at my phone. 13:15. Did I leave? No. This was school mandated so I might get in trouble if they found out I skipped it.

    I tapped my foot restlessly. I wanted to call Amy. It¡¯s all I could think about. I still felt bad for effectively quitting on her, even though it¡¯s what I¡¯d wanted. I sighed and pulled out my burner phone. I kept it off because I still got the random call from people who¡¯d seen the flyers, but most of them were probably gone by now. Taken down or obliterated by the elements. I doubted the people whose windows I¡¯d stuck it to had been very happy.

    I stared at my burner phone and felt a weird mix of emotions. It was a reminder of both the good and the bad things I¡¯d done in a mask. God, I couldn¡¯t believe I¡¯d actually tried to be a metahuman for hire. It felt so weird thinking about it now. I stared at the phone, furrowing my brow. I could transfer Amy¡¯s contact info to my regular phone. I needed to get rid of this one.

    Suddenly the office door swung open. I fumbled with the burner before catching it. I slipped it into my pocket as I looked up to see a dark-haired woman in her late thirties stare at me warmly.

    ¡°Sorry about that. You can come in now Lucas. Please, leave your shoes at the door¡± she said warmly. I stood up and took of my shoes before walking inside. The office was a bit bigger than Mr Becker¡®s. This felt more like a room. There was a sofa filled with cushions, a large chair, and a smooth red rug covered the floor. There was a desk in the far corner with a computer on it and a few utensils, but nothing else. Drawings and paintings of landscapes lined the walls.

    ¡°Take a seat. I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s in the sofa or the chair¡± she said. I nodded and took a seat in the chair. I swivelled around in it as she took a seat opposite me.

    ¡°So, Lucas, what do you want to talk about today?¡± she asked. I frowned.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to decide that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I mean you¡¯re the guidance counsellor I just thought¡­¡± I trailed off as she scribbled something on her notepad.

    ¡°Uhhh¡­ what¡¯s that for?¡± I asked.

    ¡°My notes. So Lucas, what¡¯s troubling you?¡± she asked. I let out a deep breath and leant back in my chair.

    ¡°That¡¯s kind of vague, no? I mean do you mean right now, or like¡­ in general¡± I asked.

    ¡°How about both?¡± she said scribbling something down. I frowned but didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m pretty hungry right now. And I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll still be serving lunch once we¡¯re finished here. How long will this take, again?¡± I said.

    ¡°I usually let my first sessions run a bit longer than half an hour, so as long as it needs to¡± she said.

    ¡°Half an hour?!¡± I said surprised. She scribbled something down and I shut up.

    ¡°So what¡¯s troubling you in general?¡± she asked.

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    ¡°I¡­ not much really. I guess life just like anyone else¡± I said.

    ¡°Life. Ok. What in particular¡± she said.

    ¡°Uh¡­ School. Friends. Family. You know¡­. Life¡± I replied.

    ¡°Are you having trouble with school?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No. Well yes, but no. The works fine but I¡¯ve been late to class a few times, I¡¯ve forgotten some homework and I¡¯ve missed a lot of lessons for the first month, especially here. I mean I don¡¯t think any other student in my year has missed a single lesson. That¡¯s kind of incredible, no?¡± I said.

    ¡°This is a boarding school Lucas¡± Mrs Hatton said calmly.

    ¡°Yeah but¡­¡± I trailed off. I couldn¡¯t say anything more without absolutely ruining my life.

    ¡°But what?¡± Ms Hatton asked.

    ¡°Nothing¡± I replied sighing.

    We sat in silence for a few seconds, before she spoke up again.

    ¡°Are you struggling with making friends here?¡± she asked. I paused.

    ¡°N-no¡± I stuttered. She scribbled something down.

    ¡°How many friends do you have?¡± she asked. I leaned back in the chair frowning. This was starting to feel weird. Invasive almost.

    ¡°Two¡± I said.

    ¡°What are their names?¡±

    ¡°Eric and Amy. Well¡­ I guess Eric¡¯s more of an acquaintance. He¡¯s nice but we don¡¯t really talk outside of the dorm¡± I said.

    ¡°Ah Eric¡¯s your roommate. And what about Amy?¡± she asked. I paused.

    ¡°Can I get in trouble for stuff I say in here?¡± I asked. Mrs Hatton paused, lips pursed.

    ¡°Yes and no. I¡¯m here to help you, but I¡¯m not a therapist. We don¡¯t have confidentiality between us, but as a rule of thumb, I won¡¯t share anything you tell me in confidence unless it puts you or others at risk. Would you prefer I keep all the details of talks private?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°Ok. And Amy?¡±

    ¡°I know her from out of school¡± I said sheepish. Ms Hatton paused again.

    ¡°Given the context I assume that to means you¡¯ve been sneaking out of school¡± she said. I didn¡¯t say anything and she scribbled something down.

    ¡°Have you been sneaking out of school because of this Amy person?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡­ not at first. I guess more recently yes, but I decided to stop¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ we had a disagreement and sort of realised we wanted different things. We¡¯ll still talk but¡­¡± I trailed off.

    ¡°How old is Amy?¡± Mrs Hatton asked as she scribbled something down.

    ¡°A year older than me¡± I said. Mrs Hatton nodded.

    ¡°Would you mind telling me what the disagreement was over?¡± she asked.

    ¡°There was something she wanted to do and I just¡­ it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to do it¡­ I just¡­ I can¡¯t. I think she sort of just expected me to and when she realised I didn¡¯t want to she was hurt. She says it¡¯s okay, but I can tell that it¡¯s not. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt her. ¡± I mumbled. What the hell why was I telling her all of this?! It¡¯s like she¡¯d unzipped my mouth and my thoughts were just spewing forwards. Mrs Hatton scribbled furiously for a few moments before looking back up at me.

    ¡°Lucas¡­ this might feel a bit personal and you¡¯re free to not answer, but was Amy trying to coerce you into a sexual relationship?¡±

    ¡°What?! No! No. It wasn¡¯t like that¡± I replied back, shocked.

    ¡°Was it some form of illegal activity? Drugs?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No. You¡¯ve got it all wrong, she was trying to get me to do the right thing¡± I said looking away.

    ¡°The right thing? What do you mean by that?¡± she asked.

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t say¡± I said.

    ¡°Is it related to some form of abuse? Domestic violence?¡± she said. I shook my head.

    ¡°Lucas if you or this Amy person is at risk I need to know¡± she said, a concerned edge to her voice.

    ¡°We¡¯re fine. No one¡¯s getting hurt¡± I lied, relaxing my posture.

    Ms Hatton nodded and scribbled something on her notepad.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, if you think this is the right thing, why can¡¯t you do it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡± I said.

    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you try it? I know it may seem dt¨ªaing but the fact that you feel like you¡¯re disappointing your friend seems to be seriously affecting you. If you don¡¯t like it, just tell her. If she¡¯s really your friend she¡¯ll accept it¡± she said. I paused and looked down at my hands. The images of the claws and blood flashed in my mind.

    ¡°Would that be ok?¡± I said looking back up.

    ¡°I think it would. Though I¡¯d advise you to start getting authorisation to leave school¡± she replied.

    I felt myself deflate into my seat, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders and the knot of guilt in my stomach come undone. I guess it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try again. I mean I¡¯d backed out the second it had gotten difficult. Nobody had gotten seriously injured. I mean I was probably putting Amy at more risk not helping.

    ¡°Lucas I also think it would do you a lot of good to join a social club. That way you could make more in school friends¡± Ms Hatton said.

    ¡°That¡­ sounds like a good idea actually¡± I replied. Ms Hatton cracked a smile. We continued talking for a bit before the session ended. We said our goodbyes and I left. I quickly found a quiet place and pulled out my burner phone. I stared at it for a few seconds before breathing deeply and turning it on. I called Amy, my heart rate growing faster with every ring. I was really doing this.

    ¡°Hello?¡± Amy said on the other end of the line.

    ¡°Hey Amy. I¡¯ve¡­ I need to tell you something¡±

 Chapter Twenty Five

    Lindon drew a vial of blood from me before placing small samples on a long row of glass rectangles.

    ¡°It¡¯s interesting you know. I¡¯ve been taking samples for a while now, but you don¡¯t seem to scar¡± he said.

    ¡°You figured out why that is yet?¡± I asked. He shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say exactly what mutation¡¯s had what effect. For now, we only really know about this paralytic venom you produce¡± he said. I nodded and spun around in my chair before stopping to look at the mice. There were a new set of boxes towards the end of the lab, the ones they were running experiments on with a mix of my blood.

    I felt kind of bad, but at the very least it was going towards a good cause.

    ¡°Is that all for today, or do you want me to do something else?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No that¡¯s all¡± he said. I hopped up, put on my hoodie and grabbed my keycard.

    ¡°Actually, could you move that machine in the corner. We need more space and it¡¯ll be a hassle without you¡± he said.

    ¡°Sure¡± I replied. I walked over to the machine and gently pushed it further into the corner.

    ¡°Thanks¡± he said. Suddenly Ricardo barged inside with a pained expression.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lindon said his voice riddled with concern.

    ¡°It¡¯s Oscorp, they¡¯ve sent someone to do a check of our research. Lindon you need to tidy the lab. Lucas you need to leave. Quickly. I¡¯ll escort you. We don¡¯t want the guards asking questions again¡± he said. I nodded and followed Ricardo out the lab, giving Lindon a small wave as we left.

    I followed Ricardo down the hall, heading straight for the elevators when I froze. My spider sense was ringing loudly. Something here was dangerous.

    ¡°Lucas? Lucas? You need to go¡± he whispered harshly to me. We heard the ding of the elevator and both turned to see three people step out laughing. I recognised two of them. They had been tour guides. Gwenda and Pete? Gwanda and Pat? I couldn¡¯t remember. They were wearing their lab coats and laughing as they spoke to a handsome, well-dressed guy around their age. I recognised him from television. Harry Osborne. The son of Norman Osborne and the heir to Oscorp, the multi-billion-dollar company. Guards accompanied the three of them and my spider sense shook as I stared at the group. This couldn¡¯t be good.

    They all seemed to notice us at the same time. Gwanda frowned upon seeing me, clearly recognising my face. Shit.

    ¡°Ah, Mr Osborne. I assume you¡¯ve been sent to check on our research¡± Ricardo said with a perfect smile, stepping forward to greet him.

    ¡°Dr Gonzales¡± Harry replied with a warm grin and a firm handshake, ¡°Mr Osborne is my father, please, just call me Harry.¡± His eyes turned to me and he frowned.

    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Sorry, this is my nephew, Lucas. He drops by from time to time to say hello. He was just leaving¡± Ricardo said.

    ¡°Is that allowed?¡± Harry asked with a puzzled look glancing back to the other two and the guards.

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    ¡°He¡¯s got a pass¡± one of the guards said with a shrug. Harry gave me a second glance.

    ¡°Do you know anything about anything?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± I stuttered glancing to Ricardo.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just stay here for now and I¡¯ll ask you some questions later¡± he said, waving his hand dismissively. ¡°Dr Gonzales, this is Peter and Gwen, they were the lab assistants of¡­ the previous researcher¡± Harry said. They both shook Ricardo¡¯s hand and gave me small nods of acknowledgement. Harry pointed to the guard that had shrugged and then at me.

    ¡°You stay with the kid.¡± Then he turned to everyone else and clapped his hands, a bright smile lighting up his face. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got going on.¡±

    They all walked off back to the lab leaving me standing outside with the guard. I glanced at him. The armour looked pretty high grade, especially for just a random guard.

    ¡°So kid¡± the guard said, his voice crackling slightly, like it was over an intercom, ¡°you know about any of that science shit?¡± he asked. I shrugged and he chuckled.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the armour from?¡± I asked abruptly. The guard turned to me, his expression hidden by the helmet. His entire demeanour seemed to shift.

    "Sorry, I just thought it looked kind of cool" I mumbled.

    ¡°It''s fine kid. I don''t know for sure since they don¡¯t tell us that kind of stuff. Pretty sure it¡¯s from Might Industries though. It¡¯s seriously high tech. Night vision, heat vision, automatic translation and transcription, and that¡¯s just the visor¡± he said, sounding excited.

    There was a pause.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone I told you that¡± he said quietly.

    ¡°I won¡¯t¡± I replied.

    ¡°Hey, 1-0-4, bring the kid in¡± a voice called out behind us. We turned to see another guard standing in the doorway to the lab beckoning us. I immediately I felt uneasy. I walked forward anyway trying to think of a way out of this situation. I stepped inside and everyone was looking at me.

    ¡°Your name was Lucas, right?¡± Harry said. I nodded.

    ¡°This blood, is it yours?¡± he asked. I felt my hands and feet grow cold, and my stomach start to churn. Was this it? Was my cover blown? I glanced at Ricardo and he offered a small nod. Was he telling me to say yes? My eyes darted back to Harry as everyone stared at me in silence, my heart beating wildly.

    "Lucas, is this blood yours?" he said, his tone more serious now. I glanced back at Ricardo and Lindon, who both gave me more vigorous nods this time. They were telling me to admit to it. Wasn''t I fucked then? Was there something I was missing? There was more awkward silence and I felt my shoulders sag as everyone''s gazes weighed down on my shoulders.

    ¡°Y-yeah¡± I mumbled. This was it. My life was over. It was bound to happen eventually, but I hadn''t expected it to be like this. Or to happen so soon.

    A loud clap made me jump, shaking me from my thoughts. I looked up to see Harry clapping his hands and then start laughing loudly.  What? What was happening? Had he gone insane? He turned to Ricardo and slapped him on the shoulder.

    ¡°This is brilliant! I mean you¡¯re using the more successful formulas mixed with human DNA on the rats. Human trials without human trials! This is exactly the kind of innovation I like to see¡± he said, grinning crazily.

    ¡°T-thank you Mr Osborne¡± Ricardo said, his voice dry. Harry paused for a second, putting his hands on his hips and staring off into space.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got consent forms from the boy¡¯s guardians, right? If you do this with more subjects at a greater age range, then we could think of increasing your funding and getting you your own lab. How much are we paying the kid¡¯s parents?¡± he said.

    ¡°He volunteered¡± Lindon said. Harry started clapping, grinning wilder.

    ¡°You guys deserve a round of applause. You¡¯ve taken this project from that hack and done exactly what we asked for! No, you¡¯ve far exceeded the fact. Kudos. Kudos¡± he said.

    He lifted his finger slightly above his head and made a circling motion. Without a word the guards circled around him, Peter and Gwen.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be getting an email from my secretary. Hopefully we can get you a bigger lab somewhere a little nicer than this dump¡± he said.

    They left the door closing softly behind them and Ricardo slumped into a chair, breathing a sigh of relief.

    ¡°What just happened?" I said, still confused. Lindon shrugged.

    "I mean that went well... I think?¡± I said, also slumping into a seat.

    ¡°Yes. Yes, it did. I thought he¡¯d ask questions about you, but it seems he only cares about the money. Figures¡± Ricardo said.

    ¡°I thought I was done for¡± I said.

    ¡°Well let¡¯s just be thankful he¡¯s a money-grubbing idiot and no one else said anything¡± Lindon added. We all sat in silence for a few seconds.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t come back for a while. It¡¯ll probably start to get busy around here and I wouldn¡¯t want to trouble you anymore than I already have. I¡¯ll call you to let you know when you can come back¡± Ricardo said. I nodded. That was probably a good idea.

    ¡°I¡¯d escort you out, but there¡¯s a few things I have to sort out now. Moving labs is going to be a nightmare¡± he added.

    ¡°Well, see you guys later¡± I said with a wave. They both waved back. I closed the door softly behind me and made my way to the lift. Thank God that hadn¡¯t ended poorly. That could¡¯ve been serious trouble. I checked the time on my phone. 17:47. I felt my heart jump. It was nearly time to meet Amy.

 Chapter Twenty Six

    It always felt weird walking around New York. I¡¯d swung through the streets a lot more than I¡¯d walked through them. Well, technically I hadn¡¯t because of the litter picks, but that didn¡¯t count because I¡¯d been too annoyed to think about it then. I glanced back down at my phone and took a right. It should be just ahead. I looked up, looking at all the stores on this road. There it was. Tapestries and Textiles. I made my way over to the shop and stepped inside. I took a second to look around taking in all the beautiful, patterned rugs and fabrics that lined the walls. There were even some on the ceiling.

    I made my way closer to the front, seeing racks of nice clothes as well.

    ¡°Hey there, are you looking for anything in particular¡± a voice behind me asked. I spun around to see a twenty something woman smiling brightly at me. She was pretty, with hair dyed a dark blue, a lip piercing and large hoop earrings.

    ¡°I was looking for Amy¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh you¡¯re Lucas! She¡¯s in the back with Heather. You can head inside¡± she said, cheerily.

    ¡°Thanks¡± I replied, making my way to the back. I walked past the counter and through a row of dark silk curtains and found myself at a door. I opened the door and peered inside to see Amy and Heather watching TV in a nicely decorated room. Amy was already in costume. They both turned back to see me, and Amy¡¯s face lit up.

    ¡°Hey¡± I said with a smile.

    ¡°Hey Lucas!¡± Heather said excitedly.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you¡± Amy said standing up, her cheesy grin plastered onto her face.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too¡± I replied. I felt a nice warmth in my chest. It did feel good to see Amy again. Amy glanced at her sister and Heather jumped up and darted into a separate room.

    Heather came back in grinning and holding a bunch of fabric. She handed it to me.

    ¡°Your costume, try it on. Bathrooms over there¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡­ thanks. Seriously¡± I said. I stepped into the bathroom and locked the door. I held the suit up. It was predominantly purple with parts of black and white trim. This was seriously high quality. The colours weren¡¯t exactly my taste, but black, white, and purple worked well together. I guess the colour scheme made you think of a spider, so it was probably fitting. I liked the style too. I ran my fingers across the surface, feeling the web pattern. I held it up again staring at the large white spider symbol on the chest against a backdrop of purple.

    I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I was really doing this. Seeing the suit really put things into perspective. It reminded me of all the misgivings I¡¯d had in the first place. I shook my head. That didn¡¯t matter. I¡¯d promised Amy that I was going to help her with The Bears. Even if it was only for now, I was going to be a superhero. I threw of my clothes leaving them on top of the toilet and then slipped into the costume. It fit well. It felt exposing, but I guess I¡¯d just get used to that. I held onto the mask, grabbed my clothes and stepped out of the toilet.

    ¡°How does it look?¡± I said.

    ¡°Ten out of ten¡± Heather said grinning. Amy grinned as well.

    ¡°It looks good. Really good¡± she said. I nodded, feeling my face flush. She stood up, putting on her mask.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Amy asked, her tone suddenly serious. I pulled on my own mask and nodded.

    ¡°Let me get a picture before you go!¡± Heather said excitedly.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea sis¡± Amy said.

    ¡°Oh come on, I¡¯ll put it in my hidden¡± she said. Amy hesitated for a second.

    ¡°Ok fine¡± she said. Heather grabbed her phone and snapped a picture of the two of us standing together. She smiled looking at it and showed us. I righted my mask slightly.

    ¡°Come on Lucas, we¡¯ve got bad guys to catch¡± Amy said, making her way to the fire escape in the corner.

    ¡°Break a leg¡± Heather said. I gave her a thumbs up as Amy stepped outside. We stepped into the alley next to the building and closed the door behind us. I rubbed my hands together. I could really feel the cold now. Dammit. Amy¡¯s wings fluttered and she floated slowly into the air.

    ¡°Come on Spider-man. Let¡¯s go¡± she said.

    ¡°Spider-man?¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s what the news called you. It¡¯s basically Spider. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d mind¡± she said. I shrugged.

    ¡°You can use whatever. Let¡¯s go¡± I said. I leapt up onto the wall and fired webs up to the roof yanking myself upwards. I soared up to the roof and landed before breaking into a sprint.

    I leapt from the edge of the building and fired a web far out in front of me, yanking myself forwards. I shot forwards twirling through the air before firing another web and swinging downwards into the main street. The cars beneath rushed up to me and I swung through them before shooting upwards. I came to a stop and time seemed to slow down as I stared out at the New York skyline in front of me, bathed in the glow of golden sunlight.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    I looked down as I started to fall again, seeing people pointing up at me. I shot out another web as I fell, my heart hammering wildly in my chest, and swung through the street again. The buildings beside me turned to blurs as I arced downwards, the sound of rushing wind filling my ears.

    I let out a cry of joy as I swung my legs forward, my heels almost skimming the cars below me. I shot out another web and pulled myself up it as I swung forwards, before leaping onto the roof of a building. I landed in stride still sprinting and flipped effortlessly over a vent before sliding under a tube. I hopped back up and did a backflip as I came off the building. This was amazing. Seriously.

    My spider sense buzzed, and I shot out a web, zipping away before I hit any pedestrians. I swung upwards and landed on the side of a building staring over the street. I stood up on the wall face, facing perpendicular to the ground. People stared, looking up at me. I looked down at my hands. I didn¡¯t feel cold anymore. I felt alive. I hadn¡¯t realised how much I¡¯d missed swinging about.

    I heard a faint buzz above me and turned around to see Chrysalis.

    ¡°Having fun?¡± she said with a grin.

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°Well have fun in the right direction next time. We¡¯re going the wrong way¡± she said, laughing.

    ¡°S-sorry¡± I said, feeling my face flush.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Keep having fun. Just follow me¡± she said. She flew away and I followed, leaping from the side of the building and sending out a web.

    We soared through the streets, Chrysalis flying slightly ahead of me. Her wings glowed in the sunlight, the rainbow hue of the wings enhanced. I had to admit, she looked pretty cool. We turned and reached Queensboro bridge. I glanced back as we swung further across it, watching as the buildings grew further away.

    ¡°Spider!¡± Chrysalis shouted above me. I looked up as she floated down.

    ¡°Yeah?!¡± I shouted back over the wind.

    ¡°You see that warehouse, the second one from the bridge?! That¡¯s us!¡± she said.

    ¡°Got it!¡±

    We carried on down the bridge before Chrysalis suddenly descended, landing by the shore of the east river and under the bridge. I let myself fall before swinging and landing on the ground.

    ¡°I¡¯ll carry you. We¡¯ll go high and land on the roof so they won¡¯t see us¡± she said whispering.

    ¡°Why not just barge in?¡± I whispered back.

    ¡°This place is a bit bigger. I think it¡¯s one of their main hideouts¡± she said.

    ¡°So¡­ be prepared for metahumans and lots of suits?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Suits?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ like goons. Random henchmen, you know¡±

    ¡°Whatever, you ready?¡± she asked. I nodded. She floated up and grabbed me under the armpits before shooting high into the sky. I felt my stomach lurch as we ascended higher and higher. We shot past the top of the Queensboro bridge and I glanced down.

    ¡°Holy shit¡± I croaked. I watched, my heart in my mouth as everything became smaller beneath us. Suddenly we veered left then shot forwards. I felt queasy. Chrysalis could change direction quickly. My stomach lurched before I could even realise what was happening. I clamped my hand over my mouth as I tried not to vomit up the contents of breakfast and the ground zoomed up towards us. I shut my eyes lifting my knees to my chest. Then we stopped. I felt myself fall again and my heart shot into my mouth, but I landed on the roof with a slight thud. I peeked one eye open, as Chrysalis hovered over me, trying not to laugh.

    I stood up quickly and she put a finger to her lips. She pointed to the far end of the warehouse and pulled out her phone and pointed at the camera. I nodded. I¡¯m guessing she wanted to take a few photos before we attacked. She landed and we crouched low as we walked to the edge of the warehouse. We peered over the edge. Now that we were closer to the edge and one of the windows I¡¯d expected to hear the sound of voices inside, but it was quiet. Outside, there wasn¡¯t anyone around except for one guy who sat in a car completely still. He looked like he was sleeping.

    I glanced at Chrysalis, and she shrugged. Was she just going to take the photos from this window anyway. Well, that didn¡¯t feel very careful. Chrysalis motioned for me to stay back before floating down to the window. I felt my heart hammer in my chest as I stared at the guy sleeping in the car. Chrysalis floated back up to the roof frowning. She showed me the photos. The lighting and angle weren¡¯t great but it was clear what was going on. There were loads of science equipment in the centre, surrounded by glass walls. This was definitely some kind of main production lab. Question was where was everyone? The place seemed to be completely empty.

    ¡°D-do we go in now?¡± I whispered, nervous. Before Chrysalis could answer I felt my spider sense buzz. I grabbed Chrysalis and dived out the way. Someone shot past us and spun mid air sliding across the roof. Before I had a chance to get up they shot towards us with a woosh of air and slammed into me, sending a shock of electricity through me that sent me flying. I flew through the air and slammed to the ground, skidding across the gravel. My spider sense buzzed and I dodged as someone attempted to crush me from above. They dived towards me with their hands outstretched, electricity crackling between their hands. My spider sense screamed at me and I panicked, swinging a wild punch. It connected and they went flying, crashing to the ground. They didn¡¯t get up.

    I didn¡¯t have time to think about what that meant before I heard a shout behind me. Chrysalis was wrestling in the air with the guy who had first attacked us. I webbed him from the ground and yanked him downwards towards me. They both crashed to the ground, with Chrysalis on top of the assailant. She recovered first and hit them with a mean right hook, swiped their feet of the ground and drove and elbow into their solar plexus. She hit them with two concise punches to the face and they didn¡¯t move again.

    My heart pounded in my chest. I needed to get used to this again. I glanced between the two, breathing heavily. I recognised the equipment. It was similar to the Oscorp¡¯s guards but with extra modifications. The first and larger assailant¡¯s armour was brown, with patches of neon yellow. The smaller assailant¡¯s armour was just dark electric blue. Both their visors were orange.

    ¡°Who the hell are these guys?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No clue¡± Chrysalis replied. ¡°Tie them up quickly and let¡¯s check inside.¡± I nodded and grabbed the two, webbing them up to the ground. We headed inside to find that the place was empty. We split up looking around, but all the compartments had been emptied, with nothing left behind. The only thing here that told us this had been a hideout was the lab.

    ¡°They knew we were coming¡± Chrysalis said frustrated.

    ¡°You think they packed up a few days before?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ it doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡± she said. Suddenly the warehouse rattled. Something had hit the walls outside. We rushed outside, Chrysalis far faster than me.

    ¡°Shit¡± she said as I exited the building. Strands of web lay all over the place and I watched as our the larger of our two attackers dived into the east river, carrying the smaller one on his back.

    ¡°Do we follow?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t fly if I get my wings wet, and the thought of fighting those electric gt¨ªalets underwater makes me nauseous¡± she said. Dammit. I felt my shoulders slump. This hadn¡¯t gone well at all.

 Interlude Two - Herman Schultz

    Herman pulled himself out of the water, breathing heavily. The oxygen tank symbol in his HUD, beeped red. That¡¯d be annoying to fix. He glanced at Rosa and set her down on the side of the sewer.

    ¡°Dynamo? Dynamo?! Come on kid, wake up!¡± he said, concerned. She didn¡¯t move. Shit. He turned her over, took off her control panel and pressed a few buttons. He grabbed her helmet and pressed the button on the back before pulling it off. There was a hiss of air and the helmet came off. Rosa didn¡¯t look good. A large bruise had formed on the side of her face. What the hell? That shouldn¡¯t have been possible. He glanced at the helmet noticing a small crack across the visor. He¡¯d been right to run away. The two of them would¡¯ve had trouble taking the girl out alone, but the spider guy seemed to eyes in the back of his head, along with the strength to crack Might glass. And they¡¯d both tanked thousands of volts seemingly effortlessly.

    This wasn¡¯t good. If these were the guys they needed to take out they¡¯d need to do some serious planning. He glanced at Rosa. No. He¡¯d gotten too cocky and let the money cloud his better judgement. The down payment they¡¯d given us was enough. If it meant putting Rosa at risk, he didn¡¯t need the rest. He¡¯d rather let Alexsei and Ana come after us than those two. Well, if the purple duo were going after them, that wouldn¡¯t be long.

    Suddenly Rosa coughed, shifting her head. Herman crouched down and steadied her.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok, it¡¯s ok¡± he whispered, calming her. She took a second, her eyes flitting around, but eventually come to focusing on him.

    ¡°What the happened?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Things went south fast. I had to play possum so they we could get out of there when they let their guard down¡± Herman replied.

    ¡°You ran? Why?!¡± she said, her voice filled with confusion.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°We couldn¡¯t beat them. We can¡¯t. Or at the very least it¡¯s not worth it¡± he said.

    ¡°But the m-¡±

    ¡°We already got enough from the downpayment. Forget about the money. I said it¡¯s not worth it¡± he said curtly.

    ¡°What are you talking about?! Have you lost your mind?! Where¡¯d your confidence go?¡± she said pushing him away and standing up.

    ¡°Dynamo, listen to me-¡°

    ¡°No, you listen. We¡¯re talking about millions here. 4.3 million! That isn¡¯t worth it?!¡±

    ¡°NO!!¡± Herman shouted.

    His voice echoed loudly through the sewers and Rosa stepped back, surprised.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t recall, the spider kid knocked you out in one punch¡± he said. She looked away, her face a mixture of frustration and shame.

    ¡°When your dad died, I promised I would take care of you. When you found out about this I agreed to teach you because I wanted you to be able to protect yourself. When you pushed and pushed to join me on these jobs I only agreed under the condition that you would always listen to me. No matter what. If I say this isn¡¯t worth it, then it¡¯s not worth it. Ok?¡± Herman said. Rosa nodded silently. He sighed.

    ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to shout at you¡± he said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± she replied.

    ¡°Rosa I-¡°

    ¡°Come on uncle, I said it¡¯s fine¡± she said fixing her helmet back on. Herman nodded, silent this time.

    ¡°So, what about the job? Aren¡¯t the twins going to be pissed?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No doubt. We need to lay low for a while. That means no jobs¡± he said.

    ¡°That sucks. I guess it gives us time to do some upgrades though¡± she said.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll deal with upgrades, you focus on school. You¡¯re a smart girl, you shouldn¡¯t be falling behind¡± he said. He couldn¡¯t see her face, but from her shift in posture alone, he could tell Rosa had scowled. Suddenly his helmet buzzed. He was getting a call from Ana. He raised a hand, motioning for Rosa to be quiet and picked up.

    ¡°What happened Shocker? You didn¡¯t report and my men are saying you didn¡¯t meet at the rendezvous? Where are you?¡± a graceful voice with a hint of a Russian accent said on the other end of the line.

    ¡°Sorry Ana, deals off¡± he said curtly. There was a pause.

    ¡°Are you fucking with me?!¡± she said.

    ¡°Nope. Don¡¯t look come looking for us. We will defend ourselves with necessary force if need be¡± he responded. He heard a string of curse words in Russian and then the line went dead.

    ¡°She as mad as you expected?¡± Rosa asked.

    ¡°Surprisingly, no. But we still need to lay low. She¡¯ll definitely send someone after us, but right now, she¡¯s got bigger problems to deal with¡± he said. Rosa nodded.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s move. You¡¯ve got school in the morning¡±

 Chapter Twenty Seven

    This was the worst. The absolute worst. The groans from around the class signified everyone seemed to agree with me.

    ¡°Settle down everyone¡± Ms Jane said. ¡°I know students find it difficult when they can¡¯t choose who you work with on a project, but it¡¯s an important skill to learn.¡±

    ¡°But do we have to do it in these groups?¡± Gordon spoke up.

    ¡°Yes. No ifs, buts, or maybes. I want you guys to figure this out on your own. And remember your group will all be marked down if someone fails to participate. Class dismissed¡± she said. There was a groan in unison but Ms Jane didn¡¯t seem to care. Did she actively hate us? Probably not, but she was a really harsh teacher.

    I stood up stuffing things into my bag when I felt someone jab me in the side. I turned to see Kate glaring daggers at me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that you weirdo. God I really don¡¯t want to have to talk to you¡± she said in her haughty tone. I furrowed my brow.

    ¡°Then why are you?¡± I said.

    ¡°Are you stupid? Actually, don¡¯t answer that, it was a silly question. You¡¯re in my group, give me your snap so I can put you in a group chat¡± she said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have snapchat¡± I said awkwardly. She just stared at me for a few seconds before making an aggravated sound and walking off. Weird.

    I made my way to the front of the class as Ms Jane typed away at her computer.

    ¡°Uh miss¡±

    ¡°No Lucas, you can¡¯t change groups¡± she said. Crap. I groaned, slumping as I walked away. This project was going to be a nightmare. Hopefully we could get through it whilst interacting as little as possible, but that was probably a longshot. Why the hell was she in so many of my classes?! I trudged out the classroom. I needed to go to the library to return the books I¡¯d borrowed. They were way overdue and I¡¯d gotten an told off for it twice already. I¡¯d make my way to lunch afterwards.

    I walked through the halls, taking my time to admire the school when my phone started vibrating. I looked around and then pulled it out to check. It was Ricardo. I answered.

    ¡°Lucas?! Lucas?¡± he said almost frantic.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You need to get over here as fast as you can. We¡¯ve made a major breakthrough and we need some more samples immediately¡± he said.

    ¡°I- how big is this?¡± I said.

    ¡°If this works, we could get rid of your gifts and fix the potential problem of those mutated by loose test subjects rampaging through the streets¡± he said. I froze. Already? I¡¯d just decided to become a superhero and I was already being faced with the choice of getting rid of my powers.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± Ricardo said.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m coming, just give me a sec¡± I said.

    I turned back down the hallway and started running. I ran through the building before finally reaching my dorm. I locked the door and reached under my bed, grabbing the bag with my new suit in it. I stared at it. Nah, it was too much hassle to put on and take off. I looked out the window. Could I make it out the building without anyone seeing me? That might be a bit risky. Ah what the hell?

    I unlocked the room door and rushed into the bathroom and locked the door. Just in case Eric needed something in here. I didn¡¯t want him asking too many questions. I threw open the window and crawled onto the wall outside the wind flapping my tie into my face. Now that I was out here this didn¡¯t seem like such a good idea. I couldn¡¯t get away fast enough without someone seeing me.

    I glanced upwards and a thought popped into my mind. Now that could work. I sprinted up the wall, keeping as low as possible so people wouldn¡¯t spot me from their dorms. I reached the top of the dorm building and looked around. No one could see me from here, thank God. I shot out webs to either side of the building and held them tight before stretching them back. There was a building that I was aiming for. Hopefully I moved fast enough that even if they did see me, they couldn¡¯t recognise the uniform, much less my face.

    I pulled the webs a bit more and, with my heart thumping in my mouth, jumped forwards. The wind pressed against my face, forcing my eyes shut as I shot through the air. My spider sense buzzed and with my eyes still closed I tucked and rolled. I hit the ground and rolled across the floor before slamming into something. Ow. I opened my eyes. I was on a roof. I looked around. Phew, it was the roof I¡¯d aimed for. I stood up and dusted myself off, before descending down a fire escape. I made my way through a few alleyways before finding myself on the street.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    I ran through the streets at a breakneck pace. Why the hell did I want to get there so quickly? Did I really want to lose these powers that badly? Had I not changed at all? I ignored my internal anguish and carried on running, finally I saw it, the massive globe of glass and the towers that surrounded it, the Bederson Research centre. I rushed up the steps and burst inside. I slowed down, heading for the food court with a long stride.

    I entered the food court and spotted Lindon waiting by the doors. Two guards stood just outside the doors. Odd. I rushed over to him earning a few stares.

    ¡°Quickly, we might not get this chance again¡± Lindon said. He turned to step inside, but the guards stopped me from entering.

    ¡°He¡¯s with me¡± Lindon said.

    ¡°He¡¯s got no pass¡± one of them said. Crap. Lindon pulled his off and draped it around my neck.

    ¡°Is that better?¡± he said. The guards just stared at us for a few seconds before glancing to one another.

    ¡°Just come through¡± the one on the left said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone we did this¡± the second one said as Lindon ushered me down the hall.

    There were more guards now. A lot more. I didn¡¯t have time to focus on it, but the number was alarming. Something was going down. As we made our way over the walkway I saw the lab beneath us was completely empty. Weird. We exited and hopped in the elevator. We stood in silence as Lindon tapped his foot, watching as everything grew smaller beneath us.

    ¡°Why is this so urgent?¡± I said. Lindon looked at me with a frown.

    ¡°I phrased that wrong. Why did I need to get here so quickly? Couldn¡¯t you take samples later?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No. We managed to pull off exactly what we needed, but we weren¡¯t prepared and we don¡¯t know exactly how we did it. It might not be repeatable for a while¡± he said. I looked at him confused.

    The elevator came to a stop and we emerged, jogging over to the lab. Lindon opened the door and I paused at the sight before me. The lab was a mess, with almost all of the back wall covered in large scratches and black ooze. Ricardo sat in front of a bunch of lab equipment, a patch of blood on his lab coat.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Lucas, you¡¯re here! Quickly, quickly, we need some venom and some blood, we don¡¯t want this solution to dissolve¡± he said, ignoring my question. I rushed over to see a vial of black ooze moving about on its own. With every second it slowly shrank and its movements became more frantic. I closed my eyes and furrowed my brow, focusing on my fingers. I felt my nails grow and the poison start to seep out of them. I hung my fingers over the vial and let the poison fall onto the thing, watching as it¡¯s movements steadily calmed down.

    ¡°What is that thing?¡± I asked.

    ¡°A mouse. Or at least it was¡± Lindon said.

    ¡°What the hell happened to it?¡± I said slightly horrified.

    ¡°We bombarded it with negative energy¡± Lindon said.

    ¡°Why?!¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing new. When the formula¡¯s are failing and the mice are dying we bombard it with negative energy to see if we can get a reaction. This is the first time anything¡¯s happened¡± Lindon said. I glanced at Ricardo who was still deep in thought.

    ¡°How does this help with removing my powers?¡± I asked. Ricardo finally glanced at me.

    ¡°Roll up your sleeve first, we need to give it some blood to stabilise it¡± he said. I frowned and just nodded. Ricardo turned back to look at the ooze, his face a mask of concern.

    ¡°This¡­ thing isn¡¯t like anything we¡¯ve ever seen before. It¡¯s difficult to call it an organism because it can barely sustain itself on its own. Sorry, I¡¯m getting off topic. It absorbs negative energy. It damaged the transmitter and a few of our other machines. Theoretically, if we injected enough of this into your body, we could reverse the mutations caused by the original spider¡± he said. I glanced at the ooze as it seemed to grasp at the glass, as though trying to reach me.

    I was suddenly a lot less sure about this. I finished rolling up my sleeve and Lindon took a vial of blood, before administering it to the ooze. Ricardo walked off, took a seat in a chair and grabbed a bunch of paper before scribbling away. He looked around for a second and his face contorted into disgust.

    ¡°Lindon contact the clean up crew. We need to clean this space up before we bring the volunteers¡± he said. Lindon didn¡¯t respond.

    I glanced at him watching as he just stared at the black ooze with wonder.

    ¡°Should I go?¡± I asked. I was met with silence. ¡°Lindon?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± he said turning to me.

    ¡°Do you still need me? Or can I go?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll escort you out¡± he said. I glanced back at the lab as followed him out, staring at the black ooze. It wasn¡¯t exactly what I¡¯d expected, but we were finally making progress.

    -

    Now I¡¯d done it. I sat outside the principal¡¯s office my face buried in my backpack. Ms Hatton had told the faculty about my unauthorised leaving, and they¡¯d been watching out for me. Because I¡¯d been wearing my uniform I¡¯d strolled back in without a care in the world and the receptionist had instantly gotten onto me. I was a fucking idiot. Dammit, I was so screwed. I heard the sound of arguing voices coming down the hall. They quickly grew nearer with the sound of recognisable thunderous footsteps. I recognised those voices. It was Maria, but she¡¯d brought Quinten¡¯s sister, Alexandra, too. Crap. They were gonna tear me a new one.

    ¡°Lucas how many times does this need to happen?!¡± Maria said aggressively.

    ¡°Maria, calm down¡± Alexandra said.

    ¡°Look at me when I¡¯m talking to you!¡± she said, still angry. I kept my face buried in the solace of my bag.

    ¡°Maria stop shouting at him, this isn¡¯t helping¡± Alexandra said. Maria went silent and I heard a thud as she sat down in the seat next to me. There were a few seconds of tense silence.

    ¡°Lucas, you need to talk to us¡± Alexandra said. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Nothing¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°We can¡¯t hear you with your face in the bag. Talk to us properly¡± Maria said, her anger barely restrained. I lifted my head out of my bag and glanced up at Alexandra then to Maria.

    ¡°Sorry¡± I said.

    ¡°Sorry?! You can¡¯t jus-¡°

    ¡°Maria. Stop shouting at him. He¡¯s your brother but that doesn¡¯t authorise you to verbally abuse him¡± a voice said cutting through the air. We all turned to see the principal standing in her barely open doorway.

    She turned to me, a look of disappointment across her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m busy right now Lucas, so your lucky you won¡¯t have to receive a lecture. All I can say is expect a suspension. You can leave¡± she said, closing her door. I felt my heart sink. Goddammit, I couldn¡¯t do anything right. I gripped the sides of my bags tightly and hung my head. I felt tears well up beneath my eyelids. Now I had to tell Big sis what had happened.

 Chapter Twenty Eight

    I sat in my room in silence, staring at my phone, as I waited for the inevitable call. Big sis still hadn¡¯t rung yet, but she was going to. The school day was over but Eric was out with his friends. Or maybe with Rachael, it didn¡¯t matter. I had the room all to myself, which was a good thing and a bad thing. It gave me a chance to sit here and reflect on my choices in silence. Not that I was doing as much reflecting as I was wallowing in self-pity.

    Ever since I¡¯d come to New York my life had been a mess. The powers, school, the arguments, the isolation, all of it was unbearable. The only thing that seemed to be going right was the science stuff and I was barely even doing anything for that. But even that was getting me into trouble. I¡¯d even nearly messed up this hero thing with Amy and I was starting to have second thoughts about that already. I was a mess.

    I jumped as my phone buzzed. I looked at the caller ID. It was Big Sis. I hesitated to pick it up. What would I say? Did I tell her? But what if people started asking questions and it eventually led to people finding out I was a part-time superhero? It wouldn¡¯t take much to figure out I was the anonymous test subject in Ricardo and Lindon¡¯s experiment. Then what about Amy? If they¡¯d kept any documentation on her then could people review CCTV footage and figure it from there? Shit. I didn¡¯t know what to do. I wanted to say something, to confide in the person I¡¯d relied on for my entire life, but I couldn¡¯t. I¡¯d already caused enough trouble as it was. I didn¡¯t need to ruin her life and the lives of everyone close to me as well.

    I picked up the phone and answered. There was heavy, ragged breathing on the other end of the line.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± I whispered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡± she replied in a harsh definite tone. ¡°Do you know how hard I worked to get you to where you are?! I can¡¯t even¡­¡± she trailed off. I heard her choke up before taking a deep breath.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be staying with T¨ªa and T¨ªo. Sofia and I¡¯ll visit on the weekend. We¡¯ll talk properly then¡± she said. The phone beeped in my ear. She¡¯d hung up.

    A wave of emotion passed through me, and I clutched my chest. I clenched my shirt tightly, feeling buttons pop under the force. I hated this feeling. Knowing how badly I¡¯d disappointed her. It was the last thing I¡¯d ever want to do. I felt my head start to spin with sorrow and I stood up, clutching my head. I needed to do something. Something good. Anything to get rid of this horrible feeling.

    Suddenly the idea came to me. I dived to the floor and reached under my bed, grabbing the bag of money. I had this. I could give this back. I¡¯d hand it over to the police and come back without this horrible feeling. I grabbed the bag with my suit in it and rushed into the bathroom. I started to change frantically pulling on my suit. I froze when I caught myself in the mirror. Tears streamed down my face and my eyes were puffy and red. I looked away feeling the sudden weight of reality. This was a terrible idea. There was no doubt in my mind that if I was found missing with suspension looming then I¡¯d get expelled.

    But what else could I do?

    I had no one to talk to here. No one I could confide in. No one I could tell how I was feeling. At NYTA Lucas Escarra was completely and utterly alone. I looked down at my costume, staring at the spider symbol on my chest. Spider-man had someone to talk to. Spider-man had Chrysalis. Spider-man had Amy. And right now, I wasn¡¯t Lucas Escarra. I was Spider-man. I turned to the mirror and pulled on my mask, concealing the look of defeat. The feelings of sorrow dissipated as I stared at the empty lenses of the mask. I didn¡¯t look sad anymore. I didn¡¯t look like anything. Right now, I could have any expression on my face, and no one would know. I pulled out the burner phone and looked down at the bag of money. I had someone I needed to call.

    -

    I swung through the air gracefully, steadily getting closer to the police station. I¡¯d agreed to meet Chrysalis near her house so we could hand off the money together. It¡¯d be a great way to get in the good books with the police. It was getting darker a lot faster now, and there were lights on all around the city. I¡¯d never swung around with it so dark before. It was weird. I paused as I heard a shout from an alley. I brought myself to a stop on the side of a building and listened carefully. The noises of the city made it difficult to focus, but my enhanced hearing allowed me to hear clearly. There was something going on in that alley. I shot out a web and swung across the street. I landed in the alley. There were four guys, and a girl. One of the guys was on the floor, unmoving as the three others stood over the girl.

    They all turned to me and bolted almost instantly. I webbed two of them and yanked them back. They flew through the air, crashed to the ground hard and didn¡¯t get up. The third guy bolted out the alley. Not on my watch. I leapt upwards and fired a web swinging out of the alley and onto the street. He ran, barging people out the way and stumbling over his own feet. I fired another web and swung past him before dropping down and landing in front of him. He skidded to a stop and tried to turn around but it was too late. I hit him hard and he fell to the ground clutching his stomach. I hit him in the stomach hard again and then slapped him in the face knocking him out. I webbed him to the floor.

    I looked up at the people around me who stood still, watching the spectacle, their faces uncertain.

    ¡°Nothing to see here. Just your friendly neighbourhood Spider-man¡± I said. I wrenched the guy upwards by the lapel and leapt into the air, before swinging back to the alley. The girl and the first guy on the floor were gone. Didn¡¯t matter. I grabbed the two others, webbed the trio together and stuck them on my back. Then ran up the side of the building, leapt off the roof and carried on swinging towards the police station.

    ¡°Spider!¡± a voice said from above me. I glanced up as I swung. It was Chrysalis. ¡°You¡¯re late¡± she said as she descended, ¡°I was waiting for almost half an hour.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, a lot more crime happens at this time than you think¡± I said, pointing to the guys on my back. She glanced back at the trio.

    ¡°Oh, sorry. Want me to carry one?¡±

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Nah, they¡¯re just petty criminals¡±

    ¡°¡­ok. Uh quick question, why¡¯d you want to do this now though? Couldn¡¯t it have waited till tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s important we do this as soon as possible¡±

    ¡°Sure¡­ why¡¯re putting on a voice though?¡±

    ¡°This is Spider-man¡¯s voice¡±

    ¡°¡­ok. Why though?¡±

    ¡°It makes me sound more professional, and people won¡¯t recognise my voice¡±

    ¡°Fair enough. I just-¡± she trailed off. There was silence for a few seconds.

    ¡°You just what?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Fire. Let¡¯s go¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Fire! Let¡¯s go¡±

    ¡°W-wait! What about the money? What about these guys?¡± I said. Chrysalis turned to look at me incredulous.

    ¡°Forget about that! Don¡¯t you see the smoke?! People could be in trouble!¡±

    ¡°I- the police station¡¯s right around the corner. It literally won¡¯t take any time¡±

    ¡°Are you serious?! I¡¯m not arguing about this! We¡¯re wasting time. Let¡¯s go!¡±

    I felt my head start to spin again and I glanced at thugs on my back, then down at the bag of money.

    ¡°You go, I¡¯ll catch up¡± I said, as I rushed off the edge of the building.

    ¡°What?! Lucas?! Lucas!¡± she shouted. I ignored her as I swung away. I landed outside the police station and threw open the doors. Heads turned towards me and the cops suddenly seemed on guard. I let the thugs fall to the floor and put the bag of money on the reception desk.

    ¡°From Spider-man and Chrysalis. These guys were attacking someone and the bag¡¯s got money from a bunch of Bear¡¯s hideouts. Give it to charity or something¡± I said. I heard the click of a gun and turned to see a cop pointing one at me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move¡± they said.

    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ve got to go. There¡¯s a fire down the road¡± I said. I turned to leave and felt my spider sense buzz. I darted to the side as the crack of a gun firing echoed through the room. I webbed to the door and yanked myself through one of the glass windows as gunshots cracked out behind me. Jesus Christ. Talk about trigger happy. I landed in the street and leapt into the air before swinging towards the plume of smoke.

    I swung quickly, steadily nearing the raging flames. As I got closer I could see that they were on an apartment building. Crap. I landed on the building next door, feeling the heat against my skin. My heart beat rapidly in my chest. I had to go into that? That? I breathed deeply calming myself down. I was Spider-man right now, not Lucas. I could do this. I prepared to leap from the edge of the building when my spider sense buzzed. There was an explosion and I was sent flying backwards as two figures emerged from the burning building in a wave of fire. They crashed to the top of my building, giving me just enough time to recognise them.

    One of them was the armoured guy who¡¯d attacked us at the warehouse, and the other was the fire woman from one of the hideouts. Why the hell were they fighting each other?! Didn¡¯t matter, I had to stop them. I fired webs at the two, trying to stick them to the ground, but the billowing heat from the woman made it difficult to contain them. She blasted the armoured guy in the chest with a burst of flame and he went flying, crashing into a separate building. She turned and spotted me and my spider sense roared. I dived to the side as fire engulfed half the roof. I carried on leaping away and dived over the side of the building as the fire spread, engulfing the entire roof behind me. I caught myself on the side wall. My heart thudded painfully in my chest as the heat alone seared my arms. A flurry of memories rushed to me, my head filled with the sound of tyres screeching and the horrifying feeling of unbearable heat. I felt my body tense, my muscles freezing in place. Why was I remembering that now of all times!?

    I tried to move but couldn¡¯t. All my senses seemed turned to the max, and time seemed to slow down. I could feel the texture of the brick underneath my fingers, see every lick of flame flickering across the building in clear detail, taste and smell the acrid stench of burning in the air, and hear the screams of the people inside the building. I felt small, the edges of my vision dimming. The cacophony of screams reminded me of the accident. I needed to get away from here. It was too much. I couldn¡¯t do this. Why the hell had I even left my house in the first place? I was so afraid right now I couldn¡¯t even move. I couldn¡¯t be a hero. I wasn¡¯t Amy.

    Amy? Where the hell was Amy?!

    I felt my spider sense screech in my ears, but it felt distant, like it was in the background. My spider sense roared louder, but it only served to paralyze me more as I felt another wave of heat wash over me. I flinched slightly, clamping my eyes shut as my body grew hot. I heard a shout and something thudded it my side, shattering my ribs. I flew through the air before slamming into the ground, my side screaming out in pain. I writhed in pain on the floor, clutching at my ribs, my mind unable to comprehend the pain. I barely had time to register Amy was standing over me when my spider sense screamed loudly. I didn¡¯t have time to move before I was flung through the air.

    I crashed to the floor, smoke steaming from my suit as I struggled to regain my wits. My ears rung and my body shook. I looked up to witness the horror before me. Amy lay on the floor unmoving, her wings burnt to a crisp. All throughout the street civilians lay on the floor screaming, whilst those further away ran. The scene was so eerily familiar I didn¡¯t even need to take a good look to see what had happened. A car had exploded and people had died. I wanted to look away from the chaos, but my eyes were transfixed. I felt sick. The fire girl stumbled across the street, walking over to me and Amy. She wasn¡¯t on fire anymore, but I could still feel the heat emanating from her.

    My spider sense whirred constantly, growing louder as she walked towards us. I needed to get up. I needed to do something. But my body didn¡¯t listen to me, the feeling in my arms slowly starting to give out. The woman reached Amy and stepped on her back, her foot glowing white hot.

    ¡°That¡¯s for nearly putting me in prison¡± she said. Amy¡¯s eyes shot open and she writhed in pain screaming out. With a sudden burst of strength I pushed myself forwards and lunged at her. The woman hit me across the face with more strength than I¡¯d expected and I slumped to the floor. My side screamed at me, the pain consuming my thoughts. I barely had time to register the build up of heat right above of me as my spider sense screamed.

    ¡°And this is for nearly killing my brother!¡± the woman screamed. She grabbed me by the shoulder and instantly all the pain in my side vanished. My shoulder burned, with more pain than I¡¯d ever felt before. The pain twisted my mind, contorting my thoughts as every cell in my body begged for mercy.

    She let go and I was met with a momentary relief, followed by waves of more pain spreading through my arm. I collapsed to the floor. I could barely make out the woman, but she wobbled as she stood over the two of us, gasping for air. Something in me seemed to realise this was it. I was about to die. I felt my spider sense buzz as she started to glow again.

    ¡°And this is for the Bears!¡± she screamed. Her hands glowed white hot and she brought them downwards. Before she could fire Amy shot to her feet and grabbed her hands, pointing them up. A blinding fire filled the sky, the heat almost unbearable. It disappeared almost as soon as it had appeared and the woman slammed to the floor beneath Amy. Amy stumbled and then collapsed as well.

    Huh?

    I was¡­ alive?

    I was alive.

    Amy had saved me. She¡¯d saved us. I fought with all my strength to roll over and push myself off the floor, ignoring the waves of pain that ripped through me. I crawled over to Amy. She was barely breathing. I needed to get her away. I needed to get her to a hospital.

    ¡°Help¡± I croaked out barely as the bystanders looked at us and the burning building.

    ¡°Somebody help¡± I croaked. Everybody just stared at us, nobody moving.

    I turned back to Amy to see the burns on her back. Oh god. This wasn¡¯t happening. This wasn¡¯t happening. I needed to get her to a hospital now. I stood up, using all my willpower not to vomit and picked up Amy, slinging her onto my back. I heard the sound of heavy metal footsteps behind me and turned around.

    It was the armoured guy from before. His suit was ruined, melted and disfigured in parts. He walked weirdly, barely moving as he stumbled down the street. He stretched a hand out to me.

    ¡°You¡¯re a hero, right?¡± he said, his voice crackling over an intercom, ¡°Please, my niece is in there. I can¡¯t walk properly, and I can¡¯t take off the suit. Help me. Help me find her¡± he said pleading. I turned away and fired a web, yanking us away.

    ¡°No! No!!!¡± he screamed behind me, falling to the floor. I ignored him, ignoring all the guilt and the pain as I swung away. I needed to focus on Amy. I had to get Amy to safety.

 Chapter Twenty Nine

    I swung through the air and landed on the fire escape with a thud. I stumbled slamming into the window which sent waves of pain through my side. I fell to the floor and struggled to stand up. I hoisted myself up and picked up Amy, then opened the window. I fell inside with a crash and Amy landed on top of me. I wheezed, struggling to breathe. It felt like my lungs were being crushed. I coughed, tasting iron in my mouth. The door to Amy¡¯s room swung open and I heard a gasp. I could hear shouting, but I could barely make it out, as the edges of my vision started to fade.

    Suddenly Amy was pulled off of me and I could breathe again. I breathed deeply, my side shouting at me to stop. I sat up steadying myself on the floor. I watched as Heather kneeled over Amy, her face filled with concentration as she checked her pulse. Amy¡¯s mum stood in the doorway, her hand over her mouth as she stared at Amy lying on the floor. I ripped my mask off, my face hot. My shoulder still burned with a steadily underlying stinging pain growing worse by the second. My side throbbed painfully and every breathe felt like torture. The pain was getting worse.

    I leant against the wall closing my eyes and breathing heavily. I needed to sleep. I just needed to rest my head. I heard a voice calling out to me, but it sounded distant. Then I was shaken awake. I opened my eyes. It was Heather.

    ¡°Lucas, stay with me. Don¡¯t fall asleep. Just try to keep your eyes open¡± she said. I nodded, sitting up straight again. She was right, that wasn¡¯t a good idea.

    There was groan behind her and I watched as Amy sat up, holding her head. Her mum pulled her into a hug, crying. Heather rushed back over to her and pulled stuff out of her medical bag. Amy looked confused as Heather asked her a bunch of questions then shined a light in her face. She swatted the light away and turned away from it. She looked at me and frowned, before turning back to her mum and Heather.

    ¡°H-how did I get here?¡± she stuttered.

    ¡°Amy it¡¯s ok. You¡¯re safe now¡± her mum said.

    ¡°Just try to relax ok, I think you hit your head¡± Heather said.

    ¡°What about the fire? Is everyone ok?¡± Amy asked. I felt my heart sink as the others glanced at me. Amy turned to look at me as well.

    ¡°Lucas?! Are you ok? What happened?¡± Amy said, panicked. I tried to say something but coughed hard and fell to the floor breathing heavily as I clutched my side. I couldn¡¯t breathe properly. It felt like my left side was heavy and I couldn¡¯t breathe.

    Amy rushed over to my side.

    ¡°Lucas!¡± she said, kneeling over me her face riddled with concern.

    ¡°Amy! You have to sit down. Let look at him¡± Heather said, her voice shaky. Amy stepped back and Heather replaced her pulling out a stethoscope and placing it against my back.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± I wheezed looking at Amy¡¯s feet. I glanced up at her. ¡±I heard their screams and ran anyway. I took you and ran. I was scared. I¡¯m sorry¡± I said, trying not to cry.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°What?¡± Amy said, the realisation apparent in her voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±

    ¡°Lucas stop talking. You need to focus on breathing¡± Heather said, her voice shakier than before.

    ¡°You left people in the burning building?!¡± Amy shouted, incredulous. I sat up pushing Heather away.

    ¡°I had to! You were hurt and I had to worry about you first!¡± I said. A look of horror crossed her face and she stood up getting ready to fly out the window.

    ¡°Amy no!¡± her mother shouted. Amy froze as she went to jump out.

    ¡°W-where are my wings?¡± she stuttered.

    ¡°Amy sit down¡± Heather said pleading.

    ¡°Where the hell are my wings?!¡± Amy screamed, the panic in her voice apparent. I forced myself to stand up and reached out for her. She slapped my hand away.

    ¡°D-don¡¯t touch me¡± she said, her eyes on the verge of tears. I felt my heart shatter. Amy was distraught and I couldn¡¯t do anything. No, there was something I could do.

    ¡°I can go back. I can help¡± I said. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes and nodded. I webbed my mask up to me and forced myself through the window, pulling my mask on. I dived off the fire escape and fired a web as Heather shouted after me. I swung through the streets towards the smoke as my body screamed at me. I swung faster than I had before. I couldn¡¯t let Amy down. I¡¯d made enough mistakes already, I couldn¡¯t fuck this up.

    I reached the street and felt my heart sink as I brought myself to a stop on a building far away. Smoke still billowed from the remains, but the fire was gone. Police cars and fire trucks sat in a semi-circle around the building. The armoured guy sat in the back of one of the police cars, his helmet off, looking defeated. I couldn¡¯t see the fire woman anywhere. But there were tarps on the floor. Tarps covering bodies. At least seven people who had made it out had died.

    I leapt up onto the building I was on and sat down. I watched as the grey smoke billowed into the sky and hung my head. I felt sick. I couldn¡¯t go back to Amy and tell her this. She¡¯d blame herself and me. I needed to go home. But where was that? Dammit. I had to get back to school. The only thing that could make this day worse was getting expelled.

    -

    I slipped inside through the bathroom window and landed to the ground without a sound. I winced and sat down on the toilet, breathing deeply. It wasn¡¯t getting any easier to breathe. I stood up and felt my legs give out from under me. I crashed to the floor.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± an alarmed voice said. It was Eric.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± I said. Shit.

    ¡°You sure, you¡¯ve been in their a while¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m f-¡° I broke out into a coughing fit, spraying blood all over the floor. Shit. Shit this was seriously bad.

    ¡°Lucas?!¡± Eric said more alarmed, ¡°Why can I smell smoke?¡±

    Shit, shit, shit. I pulled off my mask and gloves. Wincing I threw my school uniform on over the top. I webbed together the gap in the buttons and covered it with my tie. I glanced at myself in the mirror. Shit. I had a slight bruise on the left side face and I stunk of smoke, and burnt flesh.

    ¡°Lucas?!¡± Eric said. I sprayed myself with deodorant still wheezing and then threw open the bathroom door.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± I said, stepping past him.

    ¡°Why¡¯re you still in uniform?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Why does it matter?¡± I shot back. He stared at me, frowning for a few seconds.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong man? You look terrible? Were you crying?¡± he asked.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter¡± I said flopping onto my bed. I winced and tried to lay still closing my eyes.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± Eric asked.

    ¡°Just leave me a-¡± I broke into a coughing fit and fell off the side of the bed. I crashed to the floor and rolled onto my front coughing harder. Blood covered the floor.

    ¡°Holy shit man! I¡¯ll get someone! Just stay here!¡± Eric said. He rushed to the door but I webbed him back, pulling him to the floor.

    ¡°Don¡¯t. Please¡± I said, coughing. Shit. Shit. I lay on my hands and knees, taking a second to try and make sense of this absurd situation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone¡± I whispered, ¡°just please, don¡¯t tell anyone.¡±

    I looked up at Eric who just stared at me then at the web in shock.

    ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t tell anyone!¡± I shouted, standing up with clenched fists. He nodded silently and I felt a wave of relief wash over me before I crashed back to the floor.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± he said tentatively making his way over to me.

    ¡°S-sorry for shouting¡± I wheezed.

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s ok. I just¡­ is it bad? Are you dying?¡± he said, his hands shaking.

    ¡°No, I- I just hurt my side. I¡¯ll be fine¡± I said.

    ¡°Ok. Do you want me to get anything or?¡±

    ¡°No, no¡± I said as tears welled up in my eyes. ¡°I just- I just need a second¡±

 Chapter Thirty

    I opened my eyes to the sound of shuffling. Waves of pain shot through me and I lurched upwards, only to be hit by more pain. I grabbed my side curling up into a ball as I groaned. I was going to be sick. I hopped up and rushed to the bathroom ignoring the waves of pain. I grabbed the sides of the toilet and hurled. I took a second to breathe deeply my whole body shaking. The insides of the toilet were a reddish-brown mixture of stuff I didn¡¯t want to even look at. I wiped my mouth and flushed the toilet.

    The pain was fading now. My body throbbed, my ribs and shoulder still hot with pain, but more bearably now. I was still in my shirt. Crap, I¡¯d forgotten to change. What day was it today? Thursday? Friday? I didn¡¯t know. Crap. That was bad. I stood up and trudged back into the bedroom. I fell back into bed staring at the ceiling.

    Yesterday had been an absolute shit show. I hope Amy was ok. I paused. Would it be ok to call her? She¡¯d be angry, I could already tell, but I needed to know she was fine. I reached over the side of my bed, ignoring the pain in my ribs and shoulder for the umpteenth time. I grabbed my bag and fished around for the burner phone. I grabbed it and went straight to contacts. I glanced at the time. It was probably best if I shot a text first. I sent a text and waited a few minutes. Nothing.

    Crap.

    I let my finger hover over the dial button. If she really didn¡¯t want to talk to me, she¡¯d hang up. I pressed call and it instantly went to an answering machine.

    ¡°The number you¡¯re trying to call is currently unavailable¡±

    I let my phone fall by my side a sinking feeling in my chest. She was probably just asleep, or maybe her phone was off. It was fine. I¡¯d just call her later. It was ok. She was ok. I brought my knees to my chest, wincing, and lay in the foetal position.

    -

    I came to being shaken awake. I glanced up to see Eric, wincing slightly as I moved. My side throbbed, but I felt more ready for the pain this time. I grit my teeth and sat up.

    ¡°The cafeteria¡¯s going to close soon¡± he said.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°If we want to get breakfast we have to go the cafeteria. I¡­¡± he hesitated looking over me with a concerned expression.

    ¡°I¡­ what time is it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°10:21¡± he said.

    ¡°Huh? What day is it today?¡± I asked wheezing.

    ¡°It¡¯s Saturday¡± he said. I sighed laying back down. I really was out of it.

    ¡°Do you want me to bring you something back?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll come too¡± I said, sitting up again. I pulled myself off the bed and stood up. I grabbed a set of clothes from the drawer and went into the bathroom. I slowly and painfully took off my school uniform. Every move I made hurt my side and shoulder, draining me of energy and leaving me struggling to breath. Getting everything off gave me a good look at the Spider-man suit.

    The shoulder was hard to look at. With parts of the suit charred and indistinguishable from the burned flesh underneath. The entire left side of my suit was covered in holes, with red scraped skin beneath them. I could see through one of the holes a large dark purple patch sat around my rib area, no doubt a serious bruise. I reached to take the suit off but paused at the white-hot pain that shot through my shoulder as I pulled at it. I stared at the mirror and sighed. This thing wasn¡¯t coming off anytime soon.

    I struggled through the pain putting my clothes over the top of the costume before stepping out of the bathroom. I grabbed a hoodie and threw it on to cover the sleeves.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡± I said. We left together and walked mostly in silence; my attention focused on ignoring the pain in my side.

    ¡°I- Can I ask what happened?¡± Eric said suddenly. I shot him a glance.

    ¡°No¡± I said.

    ¡°Ok. Sorry¡± he replied.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    We made it to the cafeteria and sat down in one of the corners. The cafeteria was mostly empty now and the breakfast caterers had started packing up. I stared aimlessly. I needed to talk to Amy. If I couldn¡¯t call her, I¡¯d go to her house. I couldn¡¯t believe I¡¯d just gone back to school. Sure, I¡¯d panicked, but Amy must¡¯ve been worried sick. I paused. If she had been, why hadn¡¯t she called me? I hadn¡¯t had any missed calls or anything like that. I felt my side start to throb harder. No, I was thinking too much. Her phone was probably dead or broken. She took it with her everywhere, so it made the most sense. That meant I couldn¡¯t call her. No wonder she hadn¡¯t answered my texts. I¡¯d just head over to her house to make sure she was ok.

    Eric nudged me and I glanced up. He was looking at the TV on the wall next to us. I glanced up at it and felt my body tense up. A young reporter stood in front of the remains of the burning building, with police officers and a few firemen.

    ¡°-eports say that as of now we have 31 injured, 2 with life threating injuries and 12 dead. The fire was believed to be started by Ariana Boscovich, a metahuman with links the Bears, an organised crime syndicate based in Harlem. It¡¯s believed the perpetrator attacked the building in an attempt to kill the prolific criminal, Shocker, who was revealed to be Herman Schultz, former cop, though no motive had been discovered at this time. Currently both are being held in custody, and police are hard at work to uncover the mysteries behind this tragedy. We¡¯ll update you on the situation when more comes in, but all I can say is this really is a sad day for New York¡±

    The screen cut to a news anchor in the studio, and I looked away, my heart hammering in my chest. 12 dead. Twelve people had died. I brought my hand over my mouth. I was going to be sick. I got up and rushed to the toilet. I threw up, my vomit still a reddish brown. I needed to talk to Amy. I needed to talk to Amy now.

    -

    I walked down the street, nervously tapping my fingers against my leg. I¡¯d had to sneak out of school. Because of my recent behaviour they hadn¡¯t given me permission to leave, so I¡¯d told Eric to cover for me and left out the window. I¡¯d walked most of the way to Amy¡¯s house. It had taken me a bit longer to figure out where I was, but I hadn¡¯t wanted to put on my mask. It just didn¡¯t feel right.

    I turned a corner and saw the building. Crap. I made my way across the street and then into the alley. I glanced up to the window, my hands sweaty. I just had to apologise. She¡¯d be angry at me, but she had every right. I¡¯d froze and she¡¯d had to save me. I¡¯d been too afraid and I¡¯d screwed up any chance we¡¯d had at saving people. I had to let her know the deaths weren¡¯t her fault. They were mine.

    I looked down the alley and into the street. It was clear. I rushed up the side wall, the pain in my side and shoulder an afterthought to the anxiety I felt. I hopped up onto the fire escape and peered inside. I froze. Amy¡¯s room was a mess. Her stuff was strewn everywhere, and her chair was broken, shattered into pieces that lay on the floor. A lump lay in her bed, unmoving. No. No, no, no. I went to open the window and hesitated. I knocked lightly and the lump shifted. A head popped out and my heart leapt as I saw Amy, a bruise on the side of her head and bloodshot eyes staring back at me.

    I gave a small wave and her expression instantly shifted to anger. She hopped out of bed in a flash and threw open her window.

    ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± she said accusatorily.

    ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry¡± I said my voice breaking.

    ¡°Just go. I don¡¯t want to see your face again.¡± she said, her hostility evident.

    ¡°Amy, let me-¡± I said reaching out to her. My spider sense buzzed and she slapped my hand away.

    ¡°I said GO!¡± she shouted loudly. We stared as she breathed heavily, her breaths ragged as though she was on the edge of tears. My heart thumped loudly in my chest. I¡¯d expected this, but it hurt more now that I was experiencing it.

    ¡°Amy please. Let me explain¡± I said. My spider sense buzzed, and I ducked as she threw her Icon action figure at me.

    ¡°Just leave me alone!¡± she shouted, slamming the window shut. I stared at her as she got back into bad. This couldn¡¯t be it right? I couldn¡¯t just let it end like this. I grabbed the window and opened it again.

    ¡°Amy! I¡¯m sorry. I should have gone straight to the fire with you! I wasn¡¯t thinking properly and I¡¯m sorry. I know I should¡¯ve tried harder to save the people in the fire and I¡¯m sorry I was so afraid. I¡¯m sorry you got hurt saving me. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry for everything. I¡¯m so sorry¡± I said breaking into tears.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care how sorry you are! People died and it¡¯s your fault! You¡¯re a fucking coward! Y-you ruined everything!¡± she shouted with heaving sobs. My world seemed to shatter around me, the walls of comfort I¡¯d constructed in my mind crumbling to dust.

    I couldn¡¯t be here. This wasn¡¯t real. It was all a bad dream. Amy would get angry at me, but not like this. She¡¯d gotten upset but she¡¯d never shouted at me. Never insulted me before. I suddenly felt keenly aware of everything around me. The stinging of pain throughout my body. The tightness of the costume. The prickly feeling of my clothes against my skin. Every twitch. Hitched breath. Even the wetness of tears welling up in my eyes. I felt my insides start to shrivel and twist up into knots. I couldn¡¯t breathe. I couldn¡¯t breathe.

    Amy was still shouting at me, but I wasn¡¯t, a white noise permeating my brain, drowning out all sounds. She stumbled and fell, catching herself on the windowsill. She trembled, crying as she leant on her arms resting across the frame. She looked up at me with hatred in her tear-stricken eyes and carried on shouting. Fear gripped me and I felt my body seize up. My spider sense buzzed, and Amy reached out grabbing my wrist. I wrenched my hand from her grip and stumbled backwards. My spider sense was still buzzing. It wasn¡¯t safe here. Before I realised what was happening, I¡¯d leapt off the fire escape. I landed on the wall opposite and sprinted up the side. I reached the roof and carried on running, leaping between buildings as my heart hammered in my chest.

    I slipped and fell rolling across a roof before falling off the edge, slamming into a wall and then hitting the floor. I writhed in pain before curling up into a ball and clutching my legs. Tears streamed down my face. My heart raced and my breathing grew faster and more frantic. I couldn¡¯t calm down. I shook with fear unable to control my body.

    ¡°Help. Somebody. I need help¡± I croaked my vision blurry. No one responded. I was alone. No. I still had some hope. Ricardo and Lindon. They could right this for good. They could take away these powers and fix everything. I forced myself to stand up, struggling slightly. With this new hope I¡¯d regained some control over my body. I fought against the pain using the wall of the alley to walk. It grew more difficult with every step, but one thought kept me going. I was finally going to be done with this mess.

 Chapter Thirty One

    I stumbled through the main doors and into the open hall of the BRI. I earned a few stares, but I didn¡¯t care. I walked with purpose towards into the food court and towards the staff only doors. I stumbled and crashed into someone, falling to the ground. I winced in pain clutching my side as I tried to stand up.

    ¡°Sorry about that. Are you ok?¡± a familiar voice asked. I glanced up. It was Peter, the guy who¡¯d visited the lab with Harry Osborne.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine¡± I wheezed.

    He helped me up and held me steady as I regained my footing.

    ¡°You sure you¡¯re okay?¡± he asked. I nodded and walked towards the staff doors before he could say anymore. One of the guards by the entrance stopped me.

    ¡°Where¡¯s your pass kid?¡± he asked. Shit.

    ¡°I need to get through. I have to talk to Ric- Dr Gonzales. It¡¯s urgent¡± I said.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got no pass, so we can¡¯t let you through¡± the other guard said.

    ¡°Please¡± I said, my voice shaking.

    ¡°Sorry kid¡±

    I felt my hands start to tremble and my breaths grow quicker.

    ¡°Please. I just need to talk to him. Call him down here or something¡± I said, grabbing his arm.

    ¡°What the? Get off!¡± he said slamming his gun into my sternum. I stumbled backwards and the guard raised his weapon slightly.

    ¡°Woah, woah, woah. Calm down. He¡¯s with me¡± I heard behind me. I glanced. It was Peter.

    ¡°No pass and he doesn¡¯t get in¡± the guard said lowering his weapon. Peter pulled a pass out of his pocket and draped it around my neck. The guards glanced at each other, and I felt a wave of relief as one reluctantly opened the doors to let us through.

    ¡°Thanks¡±

    ¡°No problem. Your name was... Lucas?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you were Peter, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You heading up to Dr Gonzales for volunteer stuff?¡± he asked. I nodded.

    ¡°Let me walk with you, I was just about to head over their anyway¡± he said.

    We walked past some guards, less than before, and he opened the door to the walkway. I peered through the window, glancing over the various scientists working away. I turned back to Peter who was looking down too, smiling softly. He was looking down at Gwen. I looked away, feeling like I was invading his privacy. We carried on walking, the silence carrying for a few seconds before he spoke up.

    ¡°So¡­ you enjoying the volunteer work?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡­ yeah¡± I muttered.

    ¡°You ok?¡± he said. I went to nod again but stopped myself.

    ¡°I had an argument with my friend¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t think she ever wants to talk to me again¡±

    ¡°¡­oh¡±

    There was another moment of silence.

    ¡°Why do you work here?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Uhhh¡­ I like science¡± he chuckled. ¡°Plus it pays the bills¡± I frowned.

    ¡°Do you not like working here?¡±

    ¡°I used to like it a bit more. Felt like I was giving more to society but there was a whole fiasco with my mentor an-¡°

    ¡°Dr Octavius?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah. I hit a bit of a rough patch after he got fired, but that¡¯s no reason not to tough it out, right?¡± he said with a slightly forced chuckle.

    We exited the other side of the walkway and walked into the elevator. I felt my side throb as it started to ascend. I winced slightly, watching as everything became small beneath us.

    ¡°Do you think this project is going to help people?¡± I asked, surprising myself.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Peter replied.

    ¡°This project¡­ will it help people?¡±

    ¡°No doubt. It might take a few years before we see real results, but the moment we see real human application, this project is going to change the world.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ good¡± I said. I felt my spirits lift; a bud of hope blossoming.

    We stepped out the lift. There weren¡¯t any guards on the top floor today. Weird. We walked down the hall in silence, reaching the lab door. Peter knocked twice but was met with silence. He frowned and knocked again harder. Nothing.

    ¡°Wait, I might still have access¡± he said. He swiped his card, and the panel flashed green. He pushed open the door slightly and glanced inside.

    ¡°No one¡¯s in¡± he said stepping out. Weird, there was usually always someone here at this time.

    ¡°They might¡¯ve gone out for lunch?¡± I said. Peter shrugged.

    ¡°Do you want to w-¡± Peter was interrupted by the sound of glass smashing from inside the lab. We both glanced at each other then back at the lab door.

    ¡°Hello?¡± Peter called out, stepping towards the door cautious. He pushed it open slightly and I peered inside behind him.

    The lab looked normal apart from the smashed beaker that lay close to the door. It lay in the middle of the room, nowhere close to any of the lab¡¯s tables.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°What the-¡° My spider sense roared. Instinctively I grabbed Peter, fired a web and yanked us backwards. It didn¡¯t matter. Black tendrils shot out from the open doorway and grabbed us, yanking us back inside. We crashed to the floor, rolling through the glass. I looked up just in time to see a hulking pitch-black monster flying towards me with it¡¯s mouth agape. I flipped out of the way, landing on the wall as it screeched at me.

    Peter scrambled backwards as the monster turned to looked at me.

    ¡°Lucasssss¡­ you shouldn¡¯t have come¡± it said gleefully licking its red stained teeth with a long tongue. Chills went down my spine. I recognised the voice. It was distorted but I recognised it.

    ¡°Ricardo?!¡± I said, feeling panic starting to set in.

    ¡°Yes Lucasss. I finally succeeded. I mean look at me!¡± he said, standing tall with glee.

    ¡°What did you do?!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? I succeeded! What happened to you was near impossible to replicate, but we tried. We really did. But it was foolish to try and change humans on a fundamental level. Fortunately, we had you! We stumbled across the happy little accident that is this power!¡± he yelled raising a fist.

    ¡°What are you talking about?!¡± I said my voice trembling. ¡°What about the cure?¡±

    ¡°Cure?! Boy don¡¯t you understand what you¡¯ve been gifted! Pure unadulterated POWER!!¡± he shouted, slamming his fist through a table. Shards of glass, plastic and metal sprayed across the room as I stared at him, still in shock.

    ¡°No! Y-you said you could cure me!¡± I shouted back, tears in my eyes.

    ¡°WHO CARES?!!!¡± he shouted, slamming me against the wall with tendrils of the black gel. The force knocked the wind out of me and the edges of my vision grew dim. Peter threw a glass at him and it smashed harmlessly against the back of his head. He glanced at Peter grinning, then turned to me as I struggled pointlessly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not perfect though. This power, it isn¡¯t stable. It needs negative energy and blood. It hungers for it¡± he said, licking me, leaving the horrible smell of blood and ooze.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to go like this, but we had to eat Lindon. He¡¯d spent so much time in here his body was basically radiating with the energy. If I''d listened to he whenever he droned on about safety he might''ve lived! Gods he was delicious. And you will be too. Once I eat you, I¡¯ll eat the girl. And then I¡¯ll hunt down every last one of the people the insects and altered and eat them alive. I''m going to thoroughly enjoy every second of it¡± he said grinning.

    I felt my world shatter, all the feelings of hope I¡¯d had vanish in an instant. All fight went out of me as Ricardo opened his mouth hideously large and went to eat me. Suddenly I was on the floor as Ricardo screamed, his form shifting wildly. Wisps of smoke sizzled on his back as Peter grabbed me, pulling me for the door. I stumbled to my feet and felt my spider sense buzz. I grabbed Peter and jumped upwards as tendrils slammed against the floor where we¡¯d been.

    Ricardo roared and lunged at us, but I webbed one of the lab tables, yanking it up and slamming it into his face. I turned to dive for the door and felt something grab my leg. I dropped Peter as I was yanked backwards my spider sense ringing in my ears. I spun around to see Ricardo¡¯s mouth open inhumanly wide. I webbed, covering it, and bounced off the webbing as Ricardo fumbled.

    ¡°The acid!¡± I heard Peter shout behind me. I webbed the beakers of acid and whipped them around, slamming them into Ricardo¡¯s face. He roared again, stumbling into one of the machines. I watched as he stumbled, writhing in pain as parts of his gel-like body bubbled and popped, and I felt a surge of anger. It had all been a lie. He¡¯d never been trying to cure me. Because of him, I¡¯d ruined my relationship with Amy. He was the reason I¡¯d felt okay with not trying to be a hero. He was the reason I¡¯d rationalised it to myself, the reason I¡¯d given into my anger, the reason all of this bad stuff had happened in the first place.

    ¡°YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO CURE ME!!¡± I shouted with a newfound anger.

    ¡°I worked years to reach this position, all for this! And you want to just throw away your power! You¡¯re pathetic!!! Just like your parents!!¡± he shouted.

    I was on top of him before I realised what was happening, my claws out. I screeched violently as I stabbed my claws into him, raking them across his body. He roared back, grabbing me and chucking me across the room. I slammed into a machine, but got right back up, my body burning with fury. Ricardo dived towards me and I webbed him, yanking myself across the room and kneeing him in the face.

    I hit him hard, with all the power I could muster, and he slammed into one of the machines, almost collapsing it completely. I dived on top of him and rained a hail of blows down, the floor shaking underfoot. He was shouting, trying to talk to me, probably pleading for his life, but I didn¡¯t listen. He roared and grabbed me by the neck trying to force me back, but I sunk my claws deep into it, feeling an arm. I tore it off, screeching as I did. He cried out in pain and threw me across the room. I slammed into the far wall and stood up, stumbling as more waves of pain shot through my body. Peter was already lifting me up. He was trying to say something, shouting actually but I couldn¡¯t hear him. My ears were ringing loudly. No, it wasn¡¯t my ears, it was something else. The room suddenly grew bright, and I turned to see one of the machines glowing with energy. I felt my spider sense reverberate throughout my being. I grabbed Peter and dived behind a table as Ricardo screeched and lun-

    -

    I felt myself start to stir. I coughed a few times, my side burning with pain. I opened my eyes but couldn¡¯t make sense of what I was seeing. I tried to move but felt something heavy pushing down on top of me. My eyes adjusted and I realised I was looking at rubble, with streams of light weaving through it and tons of dust. I heard a slow breathing next to me, and glanced to see a heavily bleeding Peter, sitting down next to me his leg trapped.

    ¡°Peter?¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Lucas? Thank God, you¡¯re alive¡± he said groggily, relief filling his face as he continued breathing heavily. I looked at the piece of rubble on top of me. It was a beam that lay across my chest. That¡¯s why it was difficult to breathe. I winced and took a quick sharp breath. I pressed off the floor with my back and felt the beam shift slightly. I slipped my arm out from underneath, and hoisted the beam up a bit further. There was a creaking and the sound of rubble moving elsewhere, and I paused. My spider sense wasn¡¯t going off. I pushed the beam a bit higher and freed my other arm. I pushed it up just a bit further and yanked myself out with a web. The beam slammed to the ground, the sound reverberating all around us as.

    I glanced at Peter. He¡¯d passed out. I lifted the rubble off his legs and hoisted him onto my shoulder. I looked around and started making my way through the rubble. What the hell had happened? Had the floor to the room fallen? No that wouldn¡¯t explain this much damage. An explosion? That would explain the smell of smoke. I felt a shiver pass down my spine as I saw a patch of blood and a severed leg lying on the floor. I looked away not wanting to throw up.

    I carried on climbing through the rubble, hearing sirens in the distance. There were shouts and screams and voices closer. I emerged from some rubble, finding myself in part of the main lobby. It was chaos. People were being evacuated by security as others stood and stared at the rubble. People stood looking on with shocked faces, some people covered in cuts and bruises. Dust filled the air. Some people rushed over to me, grabbing me as I fell and taking Peter off my back. They stood over me asking questions, but I could only stare at the rubble.

    Had my fight with Ricardo I caused this? I looked at the ground horrified. No. No way. This couldn¡¯t be happening. I felt tears start to trickle down my cheeks as I brought my hand to my face. I felt sick. No, worse than sick. I felt filthy. I¡¯d killed people again.

    I felt a hand touch my shoulder and I slapped it away, breathing heavily. The crowd looked at me with worried expressions. There were too many people here. I stood up and stumbled away. The people tried to stop me, but I just forced them out the way heading for the doors. I couldn¡¯t stay here. My stumbling turned to a faster walk as I exited the building, people giving me stares at all the dust and blood that covered my clothes. My clothes. I glanced down. They were in a bad way, but only a small bit of the suit peeked through a hole in my jacket. I covered it with my hand as I quickly made my way through the crowd going down the steps.

    I reached the bottom of the steps, moving through the crowd that stood still, looking on aghast. I didn¡¯t dare look back, not wanting to feel even more sick than I already did. It didn¡¯t matter. Just thinking about what had happened and seeing all the people around me was starting to make me feel worse. I started shoving people out the way, frantically pushing people. I burst out of the crowd and onto a street. A car braked sharply, honking it¡¯s horn at me. I broke into a run, ignoring the hot pain that shot through my shoulder and side. I needed to get away. I needed to get far away.

    -

    I slipped through the open window, panting heavily as I slumped on the floor. I dry heaved before clamping my hand over my mouth. I slammed the window shut, and drew the blinds, not wanting to look at the plume of smoke that reached high into the air. I could still hear the sound of sirens in the distance. God dammit. God dammit!

    ¡°Why me? Why is this happening to me?¡± I said, trembling as I struggled not to cry on the floor. I tore my hoodie off and stared at the spiderman costume underneath. I grabbed at it and started tearing it off of me, sobbing as I did so. When I was finished, the room was a mess, with bits of the suit strewn everywhere. I breathed heavily, wheezing, then stood up and trudged into the bathroom. I turned on the shower and sat in there for a while, washing off the dirt. It didn¡¯t matter. I still felt filthy.

 Chapter Thirty Two

    I sat on my bed, staring at the wall. I wasn¡¯t thinking of anything in particular, and I didn¡¯t want to. I felt empty. Hollow. I was probably in shock. Or maybe I was just trying to avoid responsibility. It didn¡¯t matter. It didn¡¯t feel like anything did. I glanced around the room. I¡¯d cleaned up but it still felt messy. I looked down at the mask and two phones in my lap. T¨ªo had texted to tell me he was going to pick me up today. I sighed. Amy had called as well, but I hadn¡¯t picked up. I didn¡¯t have the courage to call back. I just¡­ couldn¡¯t. I hung my head. She¡¯d been right about everything. I was a fucking coward.

    A knock came from the door. I got up slowly, limping over to it. I opened it to see Abel the security guard standing outside, next to Haliee one of the receptionists.

    ¡°Do I have to bring my things with me?¡± I asked, before either of them said anything. They both looked at me concerned.

    ¡°Lucas are you ok?¡± Haliee asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Do I have to bring my stuff?¡± I said, sniffing.

    ¡°I- you¡¯ll be back in a week, so only essentials. You can leave the rest of your stuff here¡± she said. I nodded.

    ¡°We¡¯ll give you a chance to pack if you¡¯re not re-¡°

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± I said. I slipped into my shoes and grabbed my bag. I trudged out of the room, following the two down the hall. We earned a few stares as we made our way, and I tried not to limp, but it was difficult with how stiff my body felt.

    We entered the main stairwell, giving us a good view of the smoke that was still rising from the research centre. I instantly looked at the floor, my grip of my bag strap tightening. The image of the severed arm flashed in my mind and I felt a pang of sickness. Haliee must¡¯ve noticed, because she spoke up.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be ok Lucas¡± she said cheerily, ¡°It¡¯ll only be for a week. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll pass in the blink of an eye¡±. I nodded, not bothering to respond. We reached the reception and Haliee led me into the office, telling me to wait for a bit. I sat still for a few minutes consumed by a feeling of numbness. My burner phone buzzed repeatedly, the feeling of the vibration lingering even after it stopped. I tried to ignore it, shutting my eyes and clutching my bag tighter.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± I heard a voice say. I looked up. Haliee stood over me with a concerned expression, T¨ªo at her side. He looked sadder than expected.

    ¡°Hey Lucas¡± he said.

    ¡°Sorry¡± I replied weakly. I stood up and followed the two of them out. Haliee spoke to the both of us before saying goodbye and making her way back into the office. T¨ªo looked around the lobby for a second before glancing down at me.

    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten a lot taller¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°Got a haircut too¡± he said before glancing around again. ¡°So¡­ is Quinten not coming to see you off?¡± he asked.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t spoken in a while¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh¡­ I wanted to see him¡± he said solemn. He turned back to me, ¡°You okay?¡± he asked. I nodded as we exited the building.

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just worried about how bad a beating big Sis is gonna give me¡± I said, forcing a smile. T¨ªo gave me a small smile back, chuckling.

    ¡°Come on, I didn¡¯t park that far away¡± he said.

    ¡°You brought your car?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to talk to you privately. Talking about this kind of stuff on the train is¡­¡±

    ¡°I get it¡± I said.

    We walked over to the car in silence, the air souring. T¨ªo opened the car, and we both climbed in. He started the car and drove off, joining the traffic. He turned on the radio, and turned the music down so it was barely audible.

    ¡°Did you see what happened to the research centre?¡± he asked. I gripped my bag tightly and nodded.

    ¡°Over a hundred dead. It¡¯s terrible. They¡¯re saying it was a seriously unstable electron core¡± he said. I felt my body break out into a cold sweat. I couldn¡¯t breathe properly. Over a hundred? No. No, no, no. T¨ªo carried on talking, but I couldn¡¯t hear him, the sound of my thoughts drowning everything out.

    Over a hundred dead. The words felt like daggers, stabbing straight through ignorance. Why the hell had I just run away? I hadn¡¯t even tried to save anyone. I hadn¡¯t even attempted to take Peter to the hospital. What if he¡¯d died? I felt a fog start to cloud my brain, like the rest of my body was shutting off. What if there were still people trapped in the rubble. I¡¯d run like a fucking coward when people were dying again, all because I couldn¡¯t take it. I could¡¯ve at least tried to save them. Amy wouldn¡¯t have even hesitated. Dammit. I needed to do something. I needed to do something now. I sat up and turned to T¨ªo but felt myself hesitate.

    Did I really have to help? Wouldn¡¯t it just be easier to stay in the car and not get involved?

    I froze. What the hell was I even thinking about?! Was I really worrying about myself in a situation like this?! I leaned over, clutching my bag tighter as tears streamed from my eyes. T¨ªo was still talking, louder now, but I couldn¡¯t hear him over the sound of my anguished sobs. Why was I like this? People were dying because of something I¡¯d done, and I couldn¡¯t even work up the courage to help. I felt the car pull over as T¨ªo put his hand on my back, shouting my name. He pulled me into a hug and I just sobbed harder.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    -

    I sat in the mostly empty guest bedroom, the sound of rain pattering against the windowsill echoing through the room. The wall felt cold against my back, and not in a good way. Occasionally the sound of my burner phone buzzing on the bedside table interrupted the silence. I pulled the pillow over my head tighter continuing to ignore it.

    I was at T¨ªo and T¨ªa¡¯s house, and Big Sis was on her way. But I couldn¡¯t even think about that. Right now, my mind was consumed with something else. Images of the wreck, of the severed limb, of the chaos, of everything floated around in my head. The buzzing from the phone stopped and I loosened my grip on the pillow slightly. I couldn¡¯t talk to Amy. If she was calling to apologise, to tell me everything she¡¯d said was wrong, then I¡¯d have to tell her what had happened. And if I told her I¡¯d just prove her right. And that¡¯s only if she was going to apologise. If she was calling just to insult me, I don¡¯t think I could take that either. Hearing the insults and knowing she was right¡­

    I shook my head, dispelling the dark thoughts.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± a concerned voice said. I glanced up to see my t¨ªa standing in the doorway, her face filled with worry.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± I said, sniffling. She rushed over to me calling out to T¨ªo.

    ¡°Lucas?! It¡¯s ok honey, it¡¯s ok¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± I said, angrily, pulling away from her as I stood up. There was a silent pause between us, the sound of T¨ªo¡¯s footsteps hurrying towards the room.

    T¨ªa stepped towards me and I stepped back.

    ¡°Seriously, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine¡± I said weakly. The phone buzzed on the bedside table again and I felt myself freeze. T¨ªa glanced at me and then at the phone with a concerned look. She reached for the phone but I darted past her and snatched it off the table, holding it away from her.

    ¡°Hello?¡± I heard a small but recognisable voice say. I glanced at the phone my heart pounding in my chest. I¡¯d accidentally picked up.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± Amy¡¯s voice said, filled with emotion. I crushed the phone in my hand, shattering it with ease. I stared at the remnants as they fell to the floor.

    I turned slowly my eyes landing on T¨ªo and T¨ªa as they looked at me worried. T¨ªa stepped over to me and took my hand instantly, scanning it with a ferocity.

    ¡°Lucas what the hell is going on?¡± T¨ªo said stepping over to me. T¨ªa raised her hand, stopping him, then let go of me.

    ¡°Lucas, please just tell us what¡¯s wrong. If you tell us we can help you¡± she said. I looked between the two of them, then down at the broken pieces of my phone.

    Images of the wreck at the research centre flashed through my mind and I instantly felt sick. The thought that Lindon was dead, and that Ricardo had probably died in the explosion made the nausea worse. How was I supposed to just accept that I might have killed all those people? It¡¯s not like I could tell anyone right? I looked up at Tio and tia¡¯s faces. But what if I could? What if I at least tried?

    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ no one was supposed to get hurt. None of this was supposed to happen¡± I said, my voice shaky and my eyes wet.

    ¡°Someone got hurt?! Did someone hurt you?!¡± T¨ªa said panic seeping into her voice. I felt a sudden rush of emotions and hung my head, bringing my hands to my face. The sound of their voices became background noise as my thoughts started to consume me. I couldn¡¯t explain this to them. How could I tell them that I¡¯d gotten people killed without ruining their perception of me? How could I explain any of this? All the superhero stuff, the lab stuff, these stupid powers? It would just bring up more questions; ones I couldn¡¯t answer. I couldn¡¯t tell them everything that had happened in the past month without making everything even worse.

    But I needed to. I couldn¡¯t just carry this. The only other person that knew even half of what I¡¯d done was Peter, and he wasn¡¯t someone I could confide in. I didn¡¯t know if he was even still alive. I felt a stab of guilt. There was only one person that was coming to mind right now, and the rest of my body was screaming at me that talking to her was a bad idea. But she hadn¡¯t sounded angry. She¡¯d sounded like she wanted to talk. And I¡¯d basically hung up on her because I couldn¡¯t stomach how she¡¯d react. Dammit.

    ¡°Lucas? Lucas?!¡± I heard loudly as someone shook me. I pulled my hands away from my face and looked up at them. They stared back at me expectantly.

    ¡°I- there¡¯s someone I need to talk to¡± I mumbled quickly before slipping between the two of them. I darted out the room, through the hall and towards the front door. I snagged a jacket and pulled it over my hoodie as I felt a sense of unease bubbling in my gut. Was I really going to talk to Amy? I paused as I stared at my shoes and let out a small sigh.

    I winced as I felt a hand grab my shoulder and spin me around.

    ¡°Where the hell are you going?!¡± T¨ªo said looking at me incredulous. I pulled away from him, grabbing my shoulder.

    ¡°I- you wouldn¡¯t understand¡± I said.

    ¡°Then help me to. You can talk to me Lucas. You can talk to us! This whole mess would be easier if you just told us what was happening¡± T¨ªo said.

    ¡°I- I can¡¯t¡± I sighed.

    ¡°Why not?¡± T¨ªa said.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t¡­ I promise I¡¯ll explain everything once I get back¡± I said.

    ¡°No way we¡¯re just letting you leave¡± T¨ªo said.

    ¡°Please. I have to talk to someone¡±

    ¡°Then talk to us!¡± he shouted.

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡± I said, frustrated.

    ¡°Why not?!¡± T¨ªa repeated.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know! Just let me do this!¡± I shouted. There was a pause as they stared at me shocked. I looked at the floor.

    ¡°Sorry¡± I mumbled.

    T¨ªa muttered something in Spanish, and walked past me, grabbing her shoes.

    ¡°What are you-¡°

    ¡°We can¡¯t let you just leave on your own. It¡¯s the reason you got excluded in the first place. Plus this seems to be important, so it might explain something¡± she said dryly.

    ¡°But¡­ you can¡¯t-¡°

    ¡°Either we¡¯re coming with you, or you¡¯re not going at all¡± she said. Crap.

    ¡°You can¡¯t both come. What if Big sis and Rosa show up when we¡¯re not here¡± I said. T¨ªa made a face.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go¡± T¨ªo said, pulling his jacket off a hook.

    ¡°Az¨²car you shouldn¡¯t-¡°

    ¡°Lucas is right, and lord knows I can¡¯t promise I wouldn¡¯t burn the paella if I stayed¡± T¨ªo said with a slight smile, before turning to me. ¡°It¡¯s not far right?¡±

    ¡°No¡± I lied.

    ¡°Come on then¡± he said, slipping into his shoes. I pulled mine on and opened the door as T¨ªo gave T¨ªa a quick kiss. She turned to me and quickly pulled me into a slightly painful hug.

    ¡°When you get back I want you to tell us everything, ok?¡± she said.

    ¡°Ok¡± I winced. She let go and I stepped out the apartment, followed by T¨ªo. The door closed softly behind us.

    We made our way down the hallway and down the stairwell in silence. I quickly glanced at T¨ªo, who had a solemn expression on his face.

    ¡°So, is it walkable distance or do we need to take the car?¡±

    ¡°We should probably take the car¡± I said.

    ¡°Thought so¡± T¨ªo sighed. He glanced at his watch. ¡°It might be a better idea to take the train, I don¡¯t want to have to drive during rush hour¡± he said. I nodded, my mind slowly drifting elsewhere. We stepped out of the building and made our way down the street to the closest station.

    ¡°So, who is this person you so desperately need to talk to?¡± T¨ªo asked.

    ¡°¡­ it¡¯s the person who kept calling¡± I said. T¨ªo frowned.

    ¡°Are you sure this is a good idea?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know¡±

    ¡°Lucas I need you to be honest with me. Is this the person you¡¯ve been leaving school to see? Are they forcing you to meet with them?¡±

    ¡°No. No, you¡¯ve got the wrong idea¡± I said. ¡°Well¡­ they are the person I¡¯ve been meeting with, but it¡¯s not like that. They¡¯re a friend. She¡¯s my age¡± I said. T¨ªo paused and let out a small chuckle.

    ¡°She?¡± he said, with a slight smile.

 Interlude Three - Amelia Andrews

    Amy sat on her bed in silence, staring out the window as the sounds of traffic filled the space between her thoughts. She hugged her legs to her chest tightly, resting her chin on her knees. Amy¡¯s eyes were still puffy, and a heat lingered on her face. She blinked repeatedly, as her vision blurred, still staring at the rust red bricks of the adjacent building. She glanced down at the Icon funko pop next to her, it¡¯s head poorly glued back onto its body. She¡¯d thrown it at him. The last gift she¡¯d ever gotten from her Dad, and she¡¯d thrown it at Lucas in a fit of rage. She buried her head into her knees, feeling her insides twist up in a mixture of guilt and self-pity. She couldn¡¯t understand why she was pitying herself. She didn¡¯t deserve it, and it only made the guilt feel that much worse.

    She let out a haggard sigh, and looked back up at the wall, eyes wet. She was the worst. She¡¯d disrespected her dad¡¯s memory and insulted the one person outside of her family who knew about all this. Not even, he was actually involved, helping her live her dream. They¡¯d gotten close, she felt like she had a real friend, someone she wasn¡¯t hiding anything from. And she¡¯d turned on him in a second. The memories from earlier flashed through her mind. Amy flinched, not wanting to recall. She¡¯d been so angry, so upset that she couldn¡¯t even remember what Lucas had said. She just remembered that he¡¯d looked so distraught. She¡¯d forced him into this, convinced him that he had to fight crime with her. She¡¯d thought his concern about getting hurt was silly. And then the second she¡¯d gotten her wings burnt to a crisp she¡¯d lashed out at him.

    She still didn¡¯t know what exactly she¡¯d been angry about. That he¡¯d run? That she¡¯d had to save him and lost her wings? He¡¯d just been afraid. He¡¯d told her that. He¡¯d tried to tell her so many times. She¡¯d seen it in his eyes when she¡¯d first fought the fire girl. She¡¯d ignored him till it was too late, and now everything was a mess.

    She¡¯d called to apologise. She¡¯d called so many times. He¡¯d picked up for a second. She¡¯d been hopeful, but he¡¯d hung up immediately after hearing her voice. And now she couldn¡¯t call him. The phone had rung before but now it just told her the number was unavailable. It probably meant he¡¯d blocked her. How was she supposed to talk to him now? She knew he went to that fancy prep school, but she couldn¡¯t just show up and ask to talk to him. That¡¯d just be weird, right? But she needed to talk to him. To tell him how sorry she was. To tell him that she hadn¡¯t meant any of it; she¡¯d just been angry and afraid.

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    She scoffed. Ironic.

    She¡¯d lost the one thing that had made her special, and she¡¯d lashed out at everyone around her. Maybe she had deserved to lose her wings.

    No.

    That was wrong. She¡¯d done everything she could to be a good superhero. She¡¯d sacrificed time with friends, grades, her mental health, and any form of free time she could imagine, just to do a better job at this thing. Even her family had gone above and beyond. They¡¯d done so much to help her fulfil this silly little dream, and now it was gone. She wasn¡¯t angry at any of them, or even really the supervillain. She was just angry at the world, for giving her all this hope. For giving her the chance to live out her dream and just snatching it away. She¡¯d finally had an actual passion. Something she was good at, that she enjoyed, that she could dedicate herself to.

    She¡¯d never really had anything like this before. She wasn¡¯t good at anything, aside from fighting and she didn¡¯t even really enjoy that. She wasn¡¯t like her sisters. She couldn¡¯t make people happy like Heather could, she didn¡¯t have her creativity or skill. She wasn¡¯t kind like her mum, she clearly wasn¡¯t kind-hearted or smart and she definitely wasn¡¯t supportive. And she was never going to be able to help people the same way Rachael did. Before she¡¯d gotten her powers, she¡¯d just messed about at school, hung out with her friends and gone to the boxing gym every Thursday. She¡¯d kept her fascination and obsession with heroes under wraps. She¡¯d kept the daydreams of beating up bad guys and protecting people all to herself. Because she hadn¡¯t been strong enough to protect anything. Then the whole hero thing had happened and it had been so amazing. She¡¯d helped people, felt actually useful for once, and even made a great friend.

    And now it was ruined.

    She could probably still be a hero without her wings, but it wouldn¡¯t be the same. If Lucas ever spoke to her again, and they somehow ended up sorting everything out, she¡¯d just be a burden. She¡¯d just have to become a fire-fighter. That had been the plan from the start, right? She glanced at her wall, looking over the pictures she¡¯d taken all around the city. Pictures of the Bears hideouts, from high up in the sky and of cool things she¡¯d seen during patrols. Her eyes settled on the selfie of Lucas and her, that she¡¯d taken on the Flatiron. Amy wiped her eyes sniffling. At least it had been fun while it lasted.

 Chapter Thirty Three

    I sat on the subway, wiping my wet palms on my sweatpants. There were too many thoughts in my mind for me to focus on one particular thing, but I knew I was anxious. Whether it was because I was starting to reconsider trying to talk to Amy, or the fact that I¡¯d probably have to explain everything to t¨ªo the second we got there. Dammit. That had been half the point of leaving in the first place; I didn¡¯t want to tell him.

    I glanced at him and looked away. How would I even approach this? What if Amy was angry again because I¡¯d hung up on her? What if my confession went just as badly as I thought it would? Argh! I grabbed the sides of my head and started tugging at my hair. Why was everything so difficult? I felt t¨ªo nudge me.

    ¡°You alright?¡± he asked softly.

    ¡°I¡­ yeah¡± I whispered back.

    ¡°You don¡¯t look it. We can turn around whenever, ok?¡±

    I went to say something but hesitated.

    ¡°You want to turn back?¡±

    ¡°¡­no¡± I mumbled. I couldn¡¯t say the thought hadn¡¯t crossed my mind, but I felt like I needed to do this. I always ran from anything uncomfortable, so it wasn¡¯t like this feeling was out of the ordinary. I just needed to get over myself. I let my hands fall into my lap, and I leaned back in my seat. I felt a wave of dizziness and clamped my eyes shut, grabbing my face to centre myself.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± Uncle asked, concerned.

    ¡°Sorry. I just¡­¡± I trailed off. There was a beat of silence.

    ¡°I think we should go back Lucas. This doesn¡¯t feel right¡± he said.

    ¡°No. Please tio, just let me do this¡± I pleaded.

    ¡°Why? And don¡¯t say you don¡¯t know¡± he asked, his voice filled with emotion. I paused.

    ¡°I¡­ just don¡¯t want you guys to hate me¡± I said.

    ¡°Lucas¡­ Lucas look at me. Why would we¡­ how could we ever hate you?¡± Uncle scoffed.

    ¡°You just would, ok? I just¡­ if I do this, I feel like no matter the outcome, I can at least accept your guys¡¯ reaction.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be scared of how we¡¯ll react. I promise you, no matter what you¡¯ve done, none of us will ever hate you¡± he said.

    ¡°You can¡¯t say that, y-¡°

    ¡°I can¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t! You don¡¯t know what I did! How can you know you won¡¯t hate me?!¡± I shouted. Tio looked taken aback for a second before shooting a glance around, and then putting a hand on my shoulder, pulling me closer.

    ¡°Not here¡± he whispered. ¡°But I promise you, even if you¡¯ve done something wrong, none of us will ever hate you.¡±

    I felt a tiny glimmer of hope appear in the recesses of my mind, but it was still shrouded by darkness. How could he promise me that? Would he still have the same expression when he¡¯d found out I¡¯d killed people? When he found out all the stuff I¡¯d done, all the things I¡¯d kept from him, would he still love me. No. He wouldn¡¯t. I hung my head, feelings of shame swirling through my gut.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡­ok. Thanks¡± I mumbled, half-heartedly. The carriage rattled and we sat in silence for the rest of the journey, more and more dread building up. I wiped the sweat from my palms as we stepped out of the station, my heart hammering in my chest.

    What did I say? I knew I had to apologise, but what words could I say to convey just how sorry I was. I couldn¡¯t think of anything. I¡¯d have to start with I¡¯m sorry and pray the right words came. And that she let me talk. I didn¡¯t want to get bombarded with insults again. But it was probably likely I would. I leaned my head back cringing, then wiped my hands on my coat. God I was so nervous. I was trembling. I shoved my hands into my pockets and felt my hand brush against my mask.

    I paused for a few seconds, hundreds of different thoughts swirling through my head, before gripping it tightly in my hand. I needed to throw it away. Even if this went well, it was a reminder of one of my biggest fuck-ups. I was never putting the costume back on. I¡¯d already destroyed it, so that wouldn¡¯t be difficult. It was just the principle. I wasn¡¯t a hero, and trying to be one would just get more people hurt.

    A hand clamped down on my shoulder, and I turned to look at tio, his expression concerned.

    ¡°Are we going in the right direction?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yeah, why?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of sirens. I think there might be something going on¡± he said. I turned to see a police car zoom down the street, it¡¯s sirens blaring. I could here more in the distance too. Actually, they didn¡¯t sound too far away. I frowned. Wasn¡¯t Amy¡¯s house in that dir-

    I froze, the sound of my heart thumping steadily filling my ears. A slight tingling buzzed at the back of my mind. No. No, no, no! I was running. Faster than I should¡¯ve been, but I didn¡¯t care. I could hear shouts now, see people walking away, some people jogging even. I turned the corner and felt my heart sink, a sense of despair washing over me. The top half of Amy¡¯s apartment building was in pieces, a layer of fine dust permeating from the wreck. Just outside, a manhole cover lay bent and twisted on the floor, chunks of concrete surrounding the hole torn to pieces. There was a blockade of police cars, the lights from their roofs bathing everything in an alternating glow of red and blue. A small crowd had gathered, just beyond the blockade, staring at the wreck and chattering amongst themselves.

    My spider sense buzzed loudly now, and I felt an indescribable sensation grip my heart. He was here. Ricardo was here. I stumbled, falling to the floor, my legs feeling weak from fear. This wasn¡¯t happening. No. No way this was happening. The explosion had killed so many people and he¡¯d been right at the centre of it! He couldn¡¯t be here. He had to be dead. My spider sense continued buzzing. I looked, up at the building. I had to help Amy. I leapt up, running and leaping over the barriers. A policeman grabbed me and pushed me back, shouting obscenities in my face. Everyone was looking at me now, dammit, this wasn¡¯t helping. I needed to get past the barricade without being spotted. I rushed away, quickly finding an alley. I pulled my mask on, threw off my coat and sprinted up the side of the building. I jumped between the gaps from building to building, before finally leaping through the window of her apartment building. It was a mess.

    ¡°Amy?!¡± I shouted. The building shook and I heard a shrill shriek followed by a loud crashing sounding. I rushed through the building, checking over the wreckage for any sign of Amy. I ignored all the blood and debris searching solely for her. Flecks of black ooze were splattered all over the place sending chills through my body. I couldn¡¯t believe I¡¯d been so stupid, that I hadn¡¯t even checked to see whether or not that monster had still been alive. I¡¯d just run. He¡¯d told me he would do this. He¡¯d told me once he was finished with me he¡¯d come for Amy. And I¡¯d ignored it all just to wallow in self-pity.

    The building shook again and I heard a cough. I spun to see Amy¡¯s sisters. Heather and Rachael grimacing as they tried to raise a piece of rubble off an unconscious little boy¡¯s leg. I rushed over to them and pulled the rubble off him. I grabbed the three, wrapping them up in a web and leapt out of an obliterated window, quickly swinging to the roof of a separate building. Heather fell to the floor in relief and I helped her up.

    ¡°Amy?! Where¡¯s Amy?!¡± I said.

    ¡°S-she¡¯s fighting a villain. It knew who she was!¡± Heather said panicking.

    ¡°Where?¡± I said. Suddenly the ground shook violently. The force was so great I couldn¡¯t tell whether the origin came from within the building or outside of it. I felt a hand on my shoulder and spun around.

    ¡°They went down¡± Rachael said, pointing towards the lower floors.

    I didn¡¯t wait for more, leaping off the side of the building and swinging back into the dust cloud. I rushed around, more frantic now, when I spotted a lone figure on the floor, surrounded by a pool of blood. Even through the dust I recognised her.

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    ¡°Amy!¡± I shouted. I rushed over to her, running through the wreckage as she lay motionless on the ground. Her legs were trapped underneath rubble and she was surrounded by a pool of blood. Her arm was gone and the colour was quickly draining from her face.

    There was so much blood.

    ¡°Oh god! Amy! Amy?! Stay with me¡± I said, grabbing her. I covered her stump with my hand, blood soaking into my jacket. Dust swirled around us, and there was a screech and the sound of shifting rubble. I looked around frantically feeling a palpable fear in my chest. My spider sense whirred, warning me of danger in all directions from the darkness around us.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± Amy gasped, her eyes watering as she clutched onto me tightly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t apologise Amy, this is my fault. I messed everything up and I let this happen. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry¡± I said sobbing. I lifted her up and felt her grip tighten on my jacket. I jogged forward, glancing down at her. She went to say something but coughed out blood. Fear shot through me and I slowed to a stop adjusting the way I held her.

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re¡­ coward. You¡¯re¡­ not¡­ a coward¡± she wheezed, blood seeping out her mouth.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk Amy! I¡¯ll get you somewhere safe and we can talk after¡± I said. I could feel it under my hands. Her ribs were crushed, and they¡¯d probably punctured her lungs. I started running again. I needed to get her to safety quickly.

    ¡°Thank you¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk, just try to stay still¡±

    ¡°For¡­ coming back. Thank you, Lucas¡± she said, her eyes distant. I webbed the stump to cut off the bleeding, clutching her tightly.

    ¡°Hang on! Hang on Amy!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°Take this¡± she said, pressing me a couple of photos against my chest, she pulled out her pocket.

    ¡°Give them to me l-¡°

    My spider sense screamed and I yanked myself to the side with a web as the ceiling above and came down with a thunderous crash. Black ooze shot out from the darkness and twisted towards me, grabbing Amy and yanking her from my weakened arm.

    ¡°NO!¡± I screamed. I fired a web at the wall and pulled myself forwards, throwing a wild kick into the darkness. My spider-sense screamed and I pulled myself to the side with a web. Instantly Ricardo¡¯s monstrous face emerged from the shadows and I felt a hand grab me. Too late. I was slammed me into the floor, the ground beneath me disintegrating. I fell as the monster shrieked diving downwards toward me. Amy was flung, her body flailing through the air between us as we fell. I fired out a web and yanked her back as the monster¡¯s ooze shot out. I clutched her tightly as my spider sense cried out, warning me of the oncoming ground. Ricardo barrelled through the air towards me. No time. I flung Amy to the side and fired a web to cushion her fall. I tried to fire another, but Ricardo slammed into me and we crashed into the ground together.

    My ears were ringing and my body throbbed. My chest felt worse than it ever had. I was bleeding. No, it was Amy¡¯s blood from before. I glanced up to see her hanging from the ceiling by a web, groaning. I needed to get her to safety. Suddenly, something grabbed my leg and flung me upwards. Shit. I flipped through the air and watched as the monster lunged for Amy. I webbed her and yanked her away from him, before slamming into the ceiling and crashing through multiple floors.

    I opened my eyes, my mask damaged as I coughed blood onto the floor. I¡¯d blacked out. I looked up to see Amy slam the monster against a wall, stumbling. My hope was quickly replaced by horror as she struggled uselessly against tendrils of the black goo. Time seemed to slow as the monster¡¯s jaw unhinged; it¡¯s mouth opening wide as it¡¯s maniacal laughter echoed through the building. I fired a web to pull Amy back, crying out. My shout and the monster¡¯s laugh were drowned out by a guttural shriek as Amy thrashed about, trying desperately to escape the monstrosity before her. My web latched onto her back and I yanked backwards.

    She crashed into me and we slid across the floor, before coming to a stop. I pulled her towards me, covering her stump with webbing as I scrambled backwards. Ricardo¡¯s laughter echoed through the darkness. I glanced down at Amy and felt my world shatter.

    Her head was gone.

    She slipped from my grasp and her body slapped against the ground with a wet thud as unholy amounts of blood seeped out of her neck. I stared at the body, frozen. My mind couldn¡¯t comprehend what I was seeing.

    Amy was dead.

    ¡°Deliciousss¡± the monster said, his voice shaking me from my trance. I looked up at him, his smile stretching impossibly wide as he licked his red stained teeth. ¡°Now, time for secondsss¡± he said, diving to me.

    The ground shattered as I lunged at him, roaring with an unconstrained fury. I sunk my claws into him, and we crashed through two floors and a wall before slamming through the ground with a deafening boom. I was instantly blinded as we crashed into the water, unsure of which was up or down. My spider sense buzzed and I spun around, swinging my fist with enough force to cut through the water with ease. It slammed into something, and I felt the vibrations of a shriek shake the water. My sense buzzed again but it was too late. I felt something grab my wrist and yank me forwards. I kicked out, feeling my soles thud against something tough. Then I was flung. One second I was in water and the next I was flying through the air. I crashed through brick and flailed about before smacking against the asphalt.

    My ears rung loudly and I heard another crash followed by screams. My spider sense buzzed and I darted forwards again, catching Ricardo off guard. Seeing the surprised expression on his monstrous form filled me with even more blinding rage and I clenched my fist hard. My fist connected with another boom, sending him flying and shattering the windows around us. I didn¡¯t give him a moment¡¯s reprieve, charging towards him as he crashed into a building. He started to get up and I jumped, cutting through the air and slamming him with my feet. I stuck to him as we crashed out the other side of the building and spun through the air. Digging my claws through his ooze and cutting through flesh, I roared in his face as he shrieked in pain. I felt the ooze latch onto me, trying to force me away from him, but it only made me hold tighter. We crashed to the ground and he suddenly pulled me inwards, opening his mouth wide. Mistake. I dived forwards, pulling myself through the ooze with a web and slammed into his regular body underneath. In a mess of the ooze as it suffocated and surrounded me, I clawed through it to latch onto his body. I felt soft flesh beneath my claws and tore at it, feeling the ooze shudder with pain along with a much closer, pathetic squeal. I was thrown from the ooze, crashing to the ground. My arms were covered in blood and the monster stumbled, clutching at it¡¯s stomach as blood seeped to the floor.

    I stood again, feeling light-headed. I stepped forwards anyway, my body contorting, my transformation fuelled by anger rather than fear. My claws were longer, my venom melting through the pavement. I was keenly aware of Ricardo, and only him.

    I¡¯d kill him. I¡¯d take his body and break it. I¡¯d grind his bones to dust and burn whatever was left. I¡¯d tear off his head, split his skull and liquefy his brain. Even if he regenerated, I¡¯d kill him. I¡¯d kill him over and over and over and over. It would never be enough. Not even if I did it a thousand times.

    I darted towards with a demonic roar and he roared back, lunging at me. I raked my claws across his face, before stabbing into his neck. He slammed into me with a shoulder and sent me flying into a car. I crashed into it hard and he continued charging at me.

    ¡°YOU BASTARD!!¡± I cried, picking up the car and bringing it down on his head. It exploded in a burst of fire sending me flying. My ears were ringing as I forced myself to get up, ignoring the pain. I looked around, spotting Ricardo. He was still alive, struggling to stand up.

    I webbed him towards me and hit him hard enough to shatter my hand, the force of the punch sending a wave of pressure that knocked people off their feet. I held him though, keeping him stuck to me. Then I hit him again twice as hard. Then again and again. And again. I hit him, releasing all my anger. My anger at this stupid mess of a situation. At all the pointless death, the needless destruction, all the promises and lies. I hit him to make up for all of it. But most of all because he¡¯d taken Amy from me. He¡¯d stolen the one chance I¡¯d had to apologise. And it was all my fault.

    I stood over him, crying my eyes out, my body shaking with sobs. The symbiote seeped off of him and down into a sewer, disappearing completely. He groaned, tears streaking down his face too, his body a red broken mess. I held him by what was left of his right shoulder, holding my fist above his face. My left arm shook, my bones broken and muscles torn to bits from the force of my punches. I stared at his face. He was trying to say something.

    ¡°S-stop. L-lacked¡­ control¡­ sorry¡± he mumbled. I stared at him for a few seconds, sniffing. I had him right in front of me. He didn¡¯t have the ooze, he wasn¡¯t regenerating, he was finished. I could kill him now and there¡¯d be nothing he could do to stop me. I raised my fist pulling it back, as I stared at what was left of his face. I tightened my fist, my body shaking with frustration.

    I couldn¡¯t do it.

    Of course, I couldn¡¯t. Even at the end, I was a coward.

    I let my hand fall to my side, feeling even more tears start to stream down my face. The hints of a smile formed on Ricardo¡¯s face.

    ¡°T-thank you¡­ Lucas¡± he whispered. Memories of Amy flooded through my mind, stopping on the image of her lifeless body on the floor. I slammed the monster into the ground, shattering his skull and spilling his brains across the pavement. I fell to the floor, kneeling over his corpse for a few seconds, shaking as I took deep breaths.

    I¡¯d killed him. I¡¯d killed him in cold blood.

    I stepped back, standing as I looked down at ,his body, my breath starting to hitch in my throat. I stared at my hands, then stumbled backwards. I was suddenly assaulted by my senses, all of them picking up everything within the immediate surroundings. The screams, the smell, the destruction, all of it. People lay dead nearby, crushed by debris. More people screamed from inside the buildings I¡¯d flung Ricardo through. I fell to my knees and pulled up the mask, vomiting onto the floor. I needed to get out of here. I needed to find Uncle and we needed to go. I scrambled up and webbed up towards a building. I paused, hearing the shouts and cries for help. I couldn¡¯t leave these people behind. Even if I didn¡¯t deserve to be a hero, they didn¡¯t deserve to be left to die. Amy wouldn¡¯t have wanted that. I turned back around and swung down towards the wreckage, spotting a child crying out as he clutched a teddy bear. I grabbed him, leaping away from falling debris. He looked up and spotted my mask, clutching me tighter.

    ¡°Everything¡¯s gonna be ok¡± I lied, through tears.

    -

    I sat next to an ambulance soaking wet, my t shirt soaked with the blood from my broken arm.  I¡¯d passed out at some point trying to save people. When I¡¯d opened my eyes, it had been dark, well as dark as it could be with all the flashing lights.  I¡¯d taken off my mask and hoodie, then made my way out of the wrecked building I¡¯d been in. A bunch of medics had grabbed me before I¡¯d even realised what had happened. They thought I was one of the injured. I hadn¡¯t bothered to correct them, only asking for a phone so I could call my uncle. Someone had said they¡¯d get me one, but that had been at least half an hour ago. I hadn¡¯t wanted to think about it; I¡¯d actively tried not to, but with every passing second it became more and more real.

    We¡¯d been close when I¡¯d ran. He¡¯d probably followed me and gotten caught up in the crowd looking for me. The crowd in the street I¡¯d obliterated. I¡¯d tried to ask about a passing paramedic where the injured people on that street were, and her expression had been enough of an answer. I stared at the only picture Amy had given me that wasn¡¯t stained with blood. It was a picture of the entire city, the sky bathed in the pinkish glow of a sunset. Tears began dropping to the floor. I tried to wipe my eyes with my good arm, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Dammit. Even after I¡¯d given up this charade, I¡¯d still managed to ruin everything. I¡¯d killed Ricardo, Amy and my tio. My sobs grew deeper as I curled up.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± I mumbled. ¡±I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

 Interlude Four - Peter William Parker

    Peter groaned, opening his eyes slightly. His head pounded, and his limbs ached, but most of all, he felt hungry. He couldn¡¯t make anything out with his vision so blurry, the edges of it darkened. He wasn¡¯t wearing his glasses. He went to rub his eye but the effort felt too demanding. He was tired. So so tired. He closed his eyes.

    ¡°Peter?! Peter?!¡± a familiar voice said. ¡°I think he¡¯s awake. l saw his eyes move! Harry get the nurse!¡±

    It was Aunt May. He recognised that worrying tone anywhere. He felt the pressure on my hand accompanied by a warmth, as the sound of a door slamming shook the room around him. The grip on Peter¡¯s hand tightened as he flinched. She was holding his hand fiercely.

    ¡°He¡¯s awake?¡± another voice said, hopeful, followed by the sound of rushing footsteps. That had to be MJ.

    ¡°Peter? Peter? Can you hear us?¡± another voice said. Was that Grandpa? Peter struggled to open my eyes again, barely able to muster the effort.

    Grandpa Will, Aunt May, and MJ stood over me, worry creasing their faces.

    ¡°What happened?¡± he mumbled, his words slurring.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to talk Pete. It¡¯s ok¡± MJ said, resting a hand on his shoulder. Aunt May clutched his hand tighter, and Grandpa Will¡¯s expression softened into a smile, his eyes slightly wet.

    ¡°I guess I am dying first after all¡± Grandpa said with a dry chuckle. May hit him lightly, and MJ shot him a look. Peter laughed slightly before wincing in pain and grabbing his side. Tubes tugged at him as he shifted and he suddenly felt like the world was spinning, any semblance of gravity he¡¯d just had, gone.

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    It took him a while to feel stable again, the dizziness steadily ebbing into nausea. The others were still at his side, closer now. Harry was here too and so was a nurse. A nurse? He was in the hospital. How had he not realised that before? He felt a sudden jolt of panic and shot up, pushing the nurse back. His body erupted with pain as he tried to speak. Vomit spewed from his mouth, drenching his bedsheets. He coughed multiple times, struggling to breathe before slumping onto his side. He breathed heavily for a few seconds as the commotion around him blurred into a singular distant feeling.

    But his mind still felt sharp. Peter remembered everything. Lucas, the monster, the fight, the fear, and the explosion. Past that it was a blur. He couldn¡¯t remember how he¡¯d gotten out, only remembering that Lucas had been ok. The whole place had been a mess. He could still feel the vibrations of the explosion in his hands even now.

    A negative energy explosion.

    How had it even happened? The machine had been broken while it was on, but for an explosion to occur, any and all fail-safes would¡¯ve had to be turned off. Whatever Dr Gonzales had done, it had accidentally resulted in something only theorised about. Maybe it had something to do with whatever he¡¯d turned himself into? Peter barely even understood the math required to know why it theoretically was possibly, and there was a big leap between theory and practice.

    He felt himself shiver, wincing. The sensation brought him back to reality. The energy had devastated the centre. People had died. Lots of people had died and he was thinking about the science of it all. A wave of nausea washed through him and he felt his consciousness start to wane. That wasn¡¯t good. He couldn¡¯t fall asleep. He needed to stay awake. Right now, everything felt wrong. He didn¡¯t even know what had happened in the aftermath. He didn¡¯t know anything. Was Grady ok? Was Sajani ok? Was Bella ok? Was Gwen ok?! He felt fear clutch his heart as the trembling worsened, his face wet with sweat. This was a mess, and he was too weak to do anything. Just like before. Just like always.

    Peter felt himself curl up, clutching at his chest, his face buried into someone¡¯s warm embrace. His breaths started to slow and the fear faded. He felt himself start to drift off again, but he didn¡¯t fight it this time, allowing himself to fade into the warmth. As his mind drifted he could only pray everyone was ok.

 Peters Story - Chapter One

    I awoke with a start, my mind sharp, my thoughts clear, and my body hot. My heart raced and I was drenched in sweat. I sat up quickly, scanning the room as my head thumped along to the sound of my heart. The room was lit by a dim light that glowed faintly behind my headstand. It didn¡¯t look like a normal hospital room, it looked sleek, more modern. That was probably Harry¡¯s doing. I glanced outside. It was dark out, the dead of night. The windows were large and tinted, with a great view of the city, peppered with lights, beyond. The night sky was dark, and even from up here I could hear sirens echoing through the streets. There were a lot. Far too many. It was bad, wasn¡¯t it?

    I clenched my fists as I lay against the headboard, the bed creaking slightly under my shifting weight. I looked down at all the tubes connected to my arms, marked with small bruises and closed cuts. I frowned. I was already healing. How long had it been? A few days? Then what were the sirens for? Had the explosion caused more damage throughout the city? I looked around quickly but couldn¡¯t find any sign of a clock or a phone. I had no way to tell the time. I pulled out the tubes and wires, wincing at the sharpness of the pain before standing up. Apart from the slight ache in my leg, I felt ok. I made my way over to the windows, peering outside. A large plume of smoke still filled the sky, fading into the sky above. If there was still smoke it couldn¡¯t have been more than a few hours. Then how was I already healing? Had my injuries not been as bad as I¡¯d expected? Well, Lucas had taken the brunt of the blast. Considering he was definitely a metahuman, so he was probably a lot more durable than your average person, but to take the brunt of an explosion like that¡­

    I felt a stab of guilt. Hopefully he was ok. I didn¡¯t want anyone else dying because of me. I winced, a hot pain lancing through my head. As I stepped back, my eyes focused on my reflection. I looked like shit. My hair was a tangled mess with dry patches of crimson peppered throughout. I had a large bruise on the left side of my face, and my eyes were red, puffy, the greens of my irises only barely visible slits. I hadn¡¯t looked this bad since high-school.

    I paused, frowning. My glasses. I blinked quickly. I didn¡¯t have any contacts in and I was seeing just fine. Weird. I walked over to the door and tested it. It opened smoothly and I peered outside into a spotless marble hallway. Yeah, this was definitely Harry¡¯s doing. I went to step forwards and stumbled, feeling a burning pain in my chest. I grabbed my heart falling to the floor and struggled for breath. You idiot. You¡¯re in the hospital for a reason.

    I ignored the thought and hefted myself off the floor, sweating. My gown clung to me, the fabric smooth against my skin, and my face burned, the air hotter than the cold marble floor. I steadied myself against the door, still struggling for breath and heard a gasp. Before I could even look up, there were hands holding me tightly.

    ¡°Peter?! Are you alright?! What happened?!¡± a familiar voice said.

    It was Aunt May. I could hear it from the worry in her voice. I tried to slip from her grasp and stand up myself, but she held onto me with an iron grip.

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    ¡°I¡¯m alright¡± I mumbled, before breaking out into a coughing fit.

    ¡°Nurse! Nurse!¡± May shouted before cursing under her breath.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright¡± I said, pushing myself up. It took me a few seconds to stand up properly and I was struggling for breath afterwards. Something must¡¯ve happened to my lungs and heart.

    May helped me back over to the bed and set me down softly. I took a few deep breaths, my lungs still burning.

    ¡°Peter?¡± May said, her voice filled with concern.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± I said. I laid back down and took a few seconds to recover before sighing. By the time I¡¯d recovered, Aunt May was already at the door, calling for a nurse. I tried to call out to her but ended up coughing hoarsely. I gave up and laid back down, resting my hand on my still burning chest.

    The nurse came in a few moments later, reattaching everything I¡¯d taken off and scolding me for getting up. May watched nervously, waiting for the nurse to finish before giving him a piece of her mind for not coming sooner. He left quickly, after apologising profusely. May sat down next to me and placed her hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°If you need anything from the nurse, then just press this button on the side of your bed. He¡¯ll come quickly¡± she said. I turned to her and nodded, wincing slightly.

    Turning back to look up at the ceiling, I closed my eyes. Apart from the low hum of the headboard light, the room was quiet. I wanted to lie here, blissfully unaware of my surroundings, but my mind wouldn¡¯t let me. The sound of another siren zooming through the street sent a shiver down my spine. I opened my eyes and sat up, gritting my teeth as not to wince again.

    ¡°Peter lie back down. We don¡¯t want you hurting yourself¡± she said sternly. I turned to her dreading my next words. Is there a good way to phrase this. I mean, how can you even ask your mom whether or not your friends are dead in a nice way? Maybe slowly is the best way to do it. Or maybe it¡¯s better to get it over with quickly. I didn¡¯t have to worry about this with Uncle Ben. I was just realising now the not knowing might be worse. I let out a breath, I just needed to get it over with.

    I grimaced, looking up.

    ¡°Are they still, getting people out the wreck?¡± I asked. That¡¯s not what I wanted to ask. May¡¯s mouth twisted, contorting her stern expression into one of sadness.

    ¡°No, they got everyone out quickly. There was¡­ another incident with two metahumans. They¡­ a lot of people died¡± she said. Jesus. I don¡¯t know how to respond to that. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s appropriate for me to feel relieved that the sirens aren¡¯t for the research centre.

    ¡°Peter I-¡°

    ¡°Are my friends ok?¡± I asked, accidentally interrupting her.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry¡± she replied. I closed my eyes, my heart dropping. Dammit. I look back up at her, my eyes wet.

    ¡°At least tell me Gwen¡¯s fine¡± I said, my voice desperate.

    Her expression shifted, and my heart shattered. I want to look away, but I can¡¯t, my gaze fixed on her expression, praying with all my being I¡¯ve misinterpreted it somehow.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Peter¡± May said, her grip on my hand tightening. She didn¡¯t need to say anymore. Her apology was enough. I felt my hands start to tremble and I bit the inside of my cheek to centre myself. My head starts to spin, my body trying to escape the moment. I clench my fists. I need to say something. Anything.

    ¡°I¡­are Uncle George and Aunt Helen ok?¡° I mumble, my mouth not feeling like my own. Aunt May looked up, her eyes watery. She has a look of pity.

    ¡°I- they haven¡¯t reached out yet. We¡¯ve sent our condolences, but for now, we¡¯re giving them space¡± she said. I nodded slowly, looking away.

    I looked to the window, out at the city, searching aimlessly for something amongst the lights. I don¡¯t find anything. This doesn¡¯t feel real, but I know it is. I can feel it on every bruise, cut and scrape covering my body.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ I-¡° my words turn into chokes as I clutch at my chest, a different kind of pain burning at my heart. My body¡¯s finally caught up to my mind. Dammit. I promised myself I wouldn¡¯t cry in front of May again. She pulled me into a hug, clutching me tightly. She mumbled something, but I can¡¯t even hear her over the sound of my own sobs. She¡¯s gone. Gwen¡¯s dead.

 Peters Story - Chapter Two

    They¡¯d discharged me. It hadn¡¯t take long, only about four days. The nurse had said something about me being lucky and that I healed fast. I couldn¡¯t remember, but I hadn¡¯t exactly paid much attention to. I hadn¡¯t paid much attention to anything. It was weird. Like everything in my mind was on pause. No, that wasn¡¯t right, it was closer to being on auto pilot or standby. Still no. I just couldn¡¯t explain it. All I know is I hadn¡¯t felt like this for Uncle Ben. Maybe because I¡¯d been younger, less understanding. The thought didn¡¯t do anything to appease the guilt it made me feel.

    I breathed deeply, releasing my thoughts and glanced at MJ. She looked as flawless as always, but her normal focus and determination was gone. Instead, she looked tired, though the three empty coffee cups in her car door didn¡¯t exactly make that a difficult conclusion. If I¡¯d known, I wouldn¡¯t have let her do this. She¡¯d taken the day off just to take me home. Probably to give herself a little bit of a break too, but it just seemed like it was stressing her out more. She glanced at me and I averted my eyes quickly. If she caught me looking, she might think I was worried. I was, but I didn¡¯t want her to say anything. The conversation would just devolve into something we both didn¡¯t want it to become, though she probably knew that.

    I shifted in my seat, wincing slightly. The harsh blaring of horns and car engines sounded distant behind the closed windows. Or maybe it¡¯s just the fact that I¡¯m so wrapped up in my thoughts. I squinted and adjusted my glasses, before letting out a sigh. I took them off and slipped them into my pocket. The nurse said my eyes were fine, but it¡¯s weird that my vision was just suddenly¡­ better? Maybe the explosion knocked something in my eye lose. The nurse hadn¡¯t bothered to do an eye test after all. I¡¯d need to go see Dr Clancy.

    ¡°You okay Pete?¡± MJ said. Resisting a sigh, I nodded. I guess she didn¡¯t realise I didn¡¯t want to talk.

    ¡°Is that a yes?¡± she asked, her tone playful.

    ¡°Yeah¡± I replied, annoyed. There¡¯s a beat of silence. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m being rude¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can be as rude as you want¡± she replied, her voice filled with pity.

    ¡°No, I- I¡­ you¡¯re taking the time to pick me up and I just¡­ sorry¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok Pete¡± she said. I didn¡¯t reply. My foot throbbed dully, as the car came to a stop. The noise from the traffic intensifies for a second before dying down. I glanced at MJ again. She looks even more tired than she did a few seconds ago. I need to say something.

    ¡°How¡­ uh¡­ are you doing? Ok?¡± I asked awkwardly.

    ¡°Yeah I¡¯m-¡° her voice cracked, betraying her emotions. She went silent for a few seconds. I didn¡¯t speak, unsure of what to say.

    ¡°Sorry¡­ I just¡­ the past few days have been tough¡± she said, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡± I replied, not sure what else to say. Harry was always great in situations like these. I wish I had even half his social capability. It would at least make moments like this easier.

    ¡°Thanks¡± she said, ¡°for asking how I¡¯m doing. Because of this mess I¡¯ve been around home a lot and my Dad just¡­¡±

    She went silent. Everyone in the neighbourhood knew how her dad was. He was the considered the neighbourhood drunk at the best of times.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡± I repeated.

    ¡°Thanks¡± she said again, her voice raw. We carried on driving in silence, before I frowned, looking around.

    ¡°Uh MJ, I think you missed a turn¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking you home Pete¡± she responded.

    ¡°Wait back to Aunt May¡¯s? You don¡¯t n-¡°

    ¡°Pete stop. I¡¯m taking you home, no if¡¯s, but¡¯s, or maybes¡± she said. I went silent, before feeling a bubble of annoyance rise in my chest. She was treating me like I child again.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a kid MJ¡± I replied. ¡°Take me to my apartment¡±

    ¡°No. Aunt May¡¯s worried sick. It¡¯s best if you stay with her so she can take care of you¡°

    ¡°I don¡¯t need her to take care of me¡±

    ¡°Well she needs it¡±

    I went silent. MJ was right. Aunt May did need the peace of mind. I was being stupid. Dammit, why was I so against it in the first place? It¡¯s not like I hadn¡¯t been dreaming about Aunt May¡¯s homemade food regularly. It was probably the situation. I wanted to be alone. To deal with this alone. It¡¯s bring back all the wrong memories if I grieved in my childhood home. May would dote on me and we¡¯d probably spend our time looking through photo albums and watching films together all day. It¡¯d be Uncle Ben all over again. And I didn¡¯t want that. But not spending now with May because of a selfish reason like that? I¡¯d regret it forever.

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    ¡°Sorry¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay Pete¡± MJ replied.

    -

    I got out the car and stared up at the house. It looked as old as I remembered, though I had visited a few months ago. The light in the living room was on and the blinds were drawn. Aunt May was probably waiting with food on the table. I felt the corners of my mouth pull up into a smile before the bruises on my face took away the joy. I winced, stepping around the car and onto the sidewalk. MJ waited for me to head up the steps first, so I did, coming to a stop and pressing the doorbell.

    Aunt May opened the door and pulled me into a hug, before pulling away and kissing me on the forehead. I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the sudden rush of nostalgia, as I stepped past, pulling my shoes off. May hugged MJ as she stepped inside and then closed the door behind her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got dinner on the table when your ready¡± she said with a warm smile.

    ¡°Thanks¡± I said, putting my shoes on the rack. I made my way through the hall, scanning over the photos on the walls. They were filled with memories, and a particularly painful picture of me, Gwen, Uncle Ben and MJ. Aunt May had taken that one. I remembered the day we¡¯d taken it. We¡¯d gone to the zoo for my twelfth birthday. It¡¯d been fun. I remember playing the fact game with Gwen at each exhibit and being scared of the lions to the point that I¡¯d decided to skip the exhibit. I felt my smile fade. It had been the summer before MJ had started high school, the year Uncle Ben had died. I came to a stop staring at Gwen¡¯s face in the photo. What other memories about her were locked deep within the depths of my mind? What little details had I forgotten about her? Maybe looking through the photo albums wouldn¡¯t be so bad.

    I felt a tap on my shoulder.

    ¡°Peter?¡± Aunt May said, a note of concern in her voice.

    ¡°Sorry¡± I said forcing a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s eat, I¡¯m hungry¡±

    -

    Dinner had been good. Aunt May¡¯s famous chicken pot pie. The three of us had sat down and eaten together, smiling and making jokes around the table. The warm and comforting atmosphere had been bittersweet. When it got late MJ had gone next door. Aunt May had offered her the guest room, but MJ had come up with some excuse. Something about promising to do something for her Dad while she was around. I didn¡¯t understand why she cared about him so much, but I guess he was still her father. I felt like I should¡¯ve said something, but I hadn¡¯t. I never did.

    I sighed and rolled over, my bed creaking under me. My arms and legs throbbed dully, while my chest protested with every breath. The memories of the explosion still feel unreal, like a faded nightmare that won¡¯t get out of my head. But the pain¡¯s real, so the memories must be. It meant I knew more than anyone else. Knowing what had happened made it even worse. I¡¯d seen it up close and personal. From what I¡¯d seen on the news during my stay there had been a ton of speculation before the Norman Osborne had held a press conference to confirm that there had been a negative energy explosion. The news stations had reported on it for hours, it had been international news. I mean it was about the possibility a new type of powerful bomb being discovered. Hopefully nobody figured out exactly what had happened for a while. We didn¡¯t need anymore weapons of mass destruction.

    I sighed. And then there¡¯d been all the news coverage of the big fight. That had been televised more than something that bad usually would be, because all the media had already been there. Twenty one people had died. 144 had been seriously injured. I didn¡¯t know exactly what had happened, I¡¯d only seen the same two videos that were plastered all over the internet. The first was shaky handheld footage of Spiderman and the monsterized Dr Gonzales a girl had posted on social media A video of Spiderman saving people before disappearing.

    There wasn¡¯t anything else of the fight, only eye-witness accounts of people who¡¯d been nearby. But there was plenty of footage of the damage. The bugle hadn¡¯t hesitated to use it to condemn Spiderman ignoring the footage of him saving people. I¡¯d had the footage on repeat, unsure of what to do. Did I tell everyone the monster had been Dr Gonzales? But how would I explain it? Would I have to tell the world that Lucas was Spiderman? It was better to not risk it. He was only a kid. If the bugle found out his identity, they¡¯d ruin his life. If I did have to explain what happened at the BRC, they might even pin the blame of the explosion on him too. I couldn¡¯t let that happen.

    I sighed. I was getting too worked up about this. Or maybe I was forcing it, thinking about all this to distract myself. If I was it wasn¡¯t working. No matter how much I try to think about anything else, I can¡¯t stop picturing Gwen¡¯s face. I sat up, wincing slightly. It¡¯s late. 01:37. I can¡¯t believe I stayed up that long, just thinking. I need to sleep, but I know I can¡¯t. I swung my legs off the side of the bed, frowning as I stared at the floor. The photo albums were in the basement. I know I shouldn¡¯t, that this probably wouldn¡¯t make things better, but it might, and God I needed to feel better. Plus, if I cried, I didn¡¯t want it to be when I was looking through them with May.

    I stood up, my bed creaking as I eased off of it. I crept to the door and opened it, slipping into the hall. I tiptoed across the landing, avoiding all the creaky floorboards and then slowly made my way down the stairs. Everything seemed so loud when you were trying to be quiet. I reached the bottom and walked through the downstairs hall slowly, peering at some of the pictures in the dim moonlight. I finally reached the basement door and pushed it open, the hinges creaking slightly. I stepped inside and closed it behind me, making my way down the wooden steps. I searched blindly for the light and pulled at the string, the bulb flickering on.

    It was as dusty as I remembered. Some of the boxes had moved, ones with my name on the sides. I felt a small smile form on my face, before I spotted boxes with ¡®BEN¡¯ written on the sides, and it quickly faded. I scanned the boxes quickly, memorising their locations so I could put everything back where it had been. I looked around through the boxes with my name, carefully flicking through old clothes, the occasional Beyblade, a colouring book, and overachiever medals from elementary. I paused and lifted out a leather covered booklet. On the front it read ¡®PETER: 2008-2009¡¯. I would¡¯ve been seven or eight in these photos. I opened it quickly and started flicking through, a rush of memories coming back to me. Pictures of May and I planting seeds in the garden, me and Ned both dressed up as Might for Halloween, Uncle Ben teaching me how to ride a bike. There were so many memories. I paused as I came across the first photo of Gwen. It was the two of us, both dressed up as Might for Halloween. I continued flicking through. Another one of us at the beach, another of us getting first and third place in a science competition. I felt my hands start to tremble. There were so many photos of her. I paused on a picture of us at her birthday, all smiles. The moment felt so far away, but so close at the same time. A droplet of water thudded onto the picture followed quickly by a few more. My body shook with sobs as I clutched the album to my chest hugging it tightly.

    I sat there for a while, even after the tears stopped. And then I put everything back, turned off the light and headed back up to bed as quietly as I could.

 Peters Story - Chapter Three

    It¡¯s sunny today. The light beams through the window of my childhood room, illuminating the half the room and bringing with it a gentle heat. It warms my skin as I stare out at the great blue sky. It¡¯s pristine, absolutely spotless, which is a shame. Gwen liked clouds. I¡¯d never been able to pin down why, but she¡¯d always been fascinated by them. She would¡¯ve like there to be a few on this day. Probably. I can¡¯t say for sure. And it''s not like I could do anything about it if I knew. I let out a deep breath. I¡¯ve been doing that a lot the past few days. Gwen used to do it when she was stressed. She used to scrunch up her nose too. She did that even when we were young. Whenever she was annoyed, frustrated or tired, which was a lot now that I think about it. I used to cheer her up with a little joke and she¡¯d give me that small knowing smile. There was probably a little pity in it too, considering I sucked at making jokes. A smile played on my lips, but it quickly disappeared.

    Moron. You shouldn¡¯t be smiling today.

    I turn to look at the clock, stepping into the shadow and feel the heat on my face fade. 11:17. I¡¯ve got just over twenty minutes. I should probably finish getting ready. I lean over my bed and grab the tie from off my nightstand. It takes a few seconds, but my bruised hands remember how to tie it. I pause as it tightens around my neck, the sensation familiar. It¡¯s on the periphery of my mind but I can¡¯t place it. Ah, prom. Nearly five years ago now. Gwen had tightened my tie whilst we¡¯d been in the limo. She¡¯d been worried and made it too tight. I remembered now.

    Prom had been great. I¡¯d picked up Gwen and Aunt Helen had taken so many photos. I couldn¡¯t blame her though, Gwen had looked amazing. After her mum had stopped showering us with attention we¡¯d gotten in the rented limo and made our way to school. I¡¯d expected Gwen to be all nervous, and jittery, but she¡¯d been in perfectionist mode. It¡¯s why she¡¯d tried to fix my hair, my tie, my glasses, and even the shine of my shoes. Perfectionist mode meant she felt helpless. I hadn¡¯t asked, but it probably had something to do with her Dad. Whenever he was doing something big she always felt helpless. I understood the feeling better than anyone. It¡¯s probably why she felt so comfortable trying to ¡®fix¡¯ me. She¡¯d done it the entire prom and I hadn¡¯t minded. But Gwen always felt guilty about her perfectionist episodes it afterwards. I repeatedly told her I didn¡¯t mind, but I guess she still felt like she¡¯d done something wrong. It had been even more apparent at prom.

    She¡¯d started feeling guilty after the dance. I¡¯d been my usual clumsy self, and she¡¯d snapped at me to at least try and not step on her feet. I¡¯d found that quite funny. Afterwards she¡¯d been overly quiet, just staying close to me. We¡¯d sat in the corner sharing one of those drinks with the special straws. I remembered it clearly because I¡¯d wanted to kiss her. I hadn¡¯t because it would¡¯ve been inappropriate. She was too busy worrying about her dad and we¡¯d technically gone as friends.

    I could see in her eyes, that she¡¯d felt like she¡¯d ruined the day. She hadn¡¯t. I wish I told her that. At the time, I¡¯d thought it better to not say anything. Out of sight out of mind or something like that. It had been a completely on brand mistake. I was always making those in all my relationships. I really wish I¡¯d said something though. She¡¯d brought it up again recently, but had completely failed to mention she¡¯d been worried her dad might die. We¡¯d been talking about our Prom¡¯s with the others and she¡¯d said how bad she¡¯d felt for ruining it for me. I¡¯d tried to play it down, but the others had just given me looks of pity, and Bella had scolded her for being insensitive. They didn¡¯t understand, and I didn¡¯t expect them to. Why should they? I let out a deep breath. It didn¡¯t matter now anyway. None of it mattered now.

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    I slipped into my suit jacket, the weight of it heavy across my shoulders. I dusted it off and tucked in my shirt before doing up the buttons. I walked over to the mirror, checking over myself. The bruise on my face has gone down and my eyes were clear, sharp. I didn¡¯t look as miserable as I felt. I just look tired. The suit¡¯s a bit too big. It was Uncle Ben¡¯s. It¡¯s been more than ten years and I¡¯m a lot bigger now, but I still don¡¯t fit into it. I¡¯m still not half the man he was. I sigh, more unwanted memories flooding into my brain. I¡¯m realising now that I¡¯ll probably never get used to funerals.

    I¡¯d been too young to understand the pain of my parents¡¯ one, just old enough to feel the crushing weight of Uncle Ben¡¯s, and now I was old enough to understand why I was hurting, but still too young to process the pain. Or maybe every funeral was different; they were for different people after all. Still, they were all loved ones. I didn¡¯t have many of those, and even among them Gwen had been special. I don¡¯t know what it was, she¡¯d always just captivated me. It definitely helped that we were the same age, but there was something else too. Maybe it was her curiosity, maybe it was her perseverance, or maybe it was her smile. She¡¯d had a great smile.

    And now she¡¯d never smile again. Or maybe she¡¯d be smiling down from heaven or some kind of afterlife. I never really believed in any of that stuff, but whenever bad things like this happened, I always questioned myself. It¡¯d be better if I could blindly believe she was existing peacefully in the afterlife, waiting for me. Either way, Gwen had been too young to die. Or maybe you¡¯re never too young? Some people have to bury their kids after all. Still, she deserved to live. Well, everyone does, but she really deserved it. She was amazing. Not just because she was smart, not just because she was pretty, and not because of all the awards she¡¯d won, or all the people¡¯s lives she touched, but because she was Gwen. The one and only, absolutely incredible, Gwen Stacy.

    Does that even actually mean anything?

    I don¡¯t know, but it felt like it did. Grief makes me ramble, I guess.

    I walked back over to the window and stared out at the street. The car¡¯s already waiting. It¡¯s sleek, black and seemingly soulless. In absolutely contrast to it¡¯s bright and glowing surroundings. And glow it does. The sun¡¯s light gives all the streets colours a radiance only seen in movies and those nicely shot ads. It¡¯s too good. Maybe because I feel so bleak inside.

    I glance back up at the still spotless sky, the sun¡¯s glow creating a smooth gradient of baby blues. Today¡¯s perfect. I can even hear kids playing in the background, the sound of their laughter echoing from down the street. It reminds me of my childhood. When Uncle Ben, MJ, Gwen and I would all play on the front lawn. Throwing frisbees, playing tag with Einstein - Gwen¡¯s Labrador, and best of all laying in the grass staring up at the clouds. We would have the most fun on nice days.

    ¡°Nice days¡­¡± I mumbled, still staring up at the sky. I stare at the sky for a while, feeling the warm pressure of the sun on my face and the chill of grief¡¯s weight on my shoulders. Slowly, a single solitary cloud floats across the sky. I watch it and before it disappears from view take a quick picture with my phone. The sound of children¡¯s laughter continues to echo through the street and I watch as a few kids cycle down the road on their bikes.

    It¡¯s a nice day today. That¡¯s a good thing. Or at least it should be.

    A soft knock comes from my door. I don¡¯t say anything even though I know I should. After a few seconds it opens anyway. It¡¯s May. I don¡¯t hear what she says, but I know it¡¯s time to go. I flash a smile as she hugs me, then looks me up and down, complimenting how good the suit looks on me. There¡¯s a sadness in her eyes as she says it and a feel another, familiar stab of guilt. She gives me a small kiss on the forehead then makes her way out the room. I look around slowly then pick up the photo on my bedside and slip it into my suit pocket. I glance back and take a final look at the cloud before it disappears from view. May calls my name, worried, and I let out another tired breath. Even if it¡¯s bitter, it¡¯s time to go. I definitely don¡¯t want to be late today.

 Interlude Five - Captain George Stacy

    There¡¯s a lot of people here. More than George thought there¡¯d be. So many people he recognised, though they were a lot older than he recalled. May, William, Peter, MJ, that scumbag Phillip, some of Gwen¡¯s friends he''d seen before but whose names he don''t know and a few of his buddies from the department are here. Harry''s not here, but he''d let them know he couldn''t attend beforehand. That''d been a shame. There¡¯re people he didn¡¯t know too; so many new faces. It was comforting but saddening at the same time. And it just confirms George''s fears and the one question that¡¯d been swirling around in his mind for years. Just how much had he missed? There was no way to know. Helen kept telling him it¡¯s not as bad as he was making it out to be, that he loved Gwen and she knew that. But George could see in her eyes she didn¡¯t completely believe that herself. He spent years working overtime, missing things because he wanted to make the city a better, safer place. He knew it had slowly torn them apart, but he justified it to himself, telling himself over and over again that he¡¯d make up the time. That eventually, he¡¯d do enough to be able to relax and spend that time with his family. But now it was too late. He¡¯d never be able to spend time with his little girl again. The thought alone was enough to crush his spirit.

    If Gwen¡¯s gone, then what was this all for? Nothing?

    That couldn¡¯t be right. But maybe it was. He let out a sigh, feeling his shoulders slump further. He didn¡¯t know anymore. He felt like he didn¡¯t know anything. Some nudged him. It was Helen. From the look on her face it was apparent she was trying to not cry. George probably looked similar.

    ¡°It¡¯s us honey. You don¡¯t have to say anything if you don¡¯t feel up to it¡± she whispered softly. He looked up. It was quiet, everyone¡¯s gazes fixed on him, their eyes filled with pity. Oh. He stood up slowly, the church bench creaking under his weight. Together they walked to the front, George clutching Helen¡¯s hand tightly. Thank God she was here. He definitely wouldn¡¯t have been able to do this without her. They came to a stop behind the podium, and he looked up at the crowd, before glancing at Helen.

    She stepped forward, taking the lead. He felt a small amount of relief. Seriously this woman always knows what to do. Hopefully her courage could give him the confidence to read his speech without breaking down. He let out a breath and looked up. She was already speaking to the crowd. She was going to say a few words and then read Gwen¡¯s favourite poem. George hadn¡¯t even known she''d had own. God. He''d brought a speech. He''d never been any good at writing, but Helen had said it was perfect, that Gwen would¡¯ve loved it. He could only pray that was true.

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    ¡°Do you want to read out what you¡¯ve written hon?¡± Helen whispered, turning back to him. She¡¯d already finished? That''d been fast. Or maybe he was just slower than usual today.

    ¡°I.. yeah¡± he replied. George stepped forward, fumbling for a few seconds before pulling out the paper. He unfolded it and placed it on the podium, his hands steady, but my mind racing. He looked over the words, reading them clearly but still unable to say anything. The crowd felt even bigger from up here. Helen put a hand on his back, calming his nerves.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Take your time¡± she whispered softly. He clamped my eyes shut, wiping his sweat stained hands on trousers. It only took a few seconds for his mind to grow still, but in front of the crowd it feels like forever. Here went nothing.

    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever experience anything like today¡± he said. That¡¯s not what he wrote. Screw it, he might as well talk before getting to the speech. ¡°It¡¯s been strange. I, uh¡­ it¡¯s comforting to see how many people cared for my little girl. I think I can only hope for half as many people at my funeral¡± I said to a small chuckle. I¡¯m floundering. And making the speech about myself. This is her day you buffoon, say something about her.

    ¡°Gwen is¡­ was amazing. Everybody here knows that; they felt it. She was a capable, and kind individual. Smart as a whip too. And I¡¯m sure she did great things and would¡¯ve done even greater if¡­ if she were still here¡± he said, his voice raw and eyes teary. He hung his head, taking a moment of silence.

    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ prepared a short speech for Gwen. I¡¯ll read it now¡± George said, looking down at the crinkled sheet of paper.

    ¡°For as long as I can remember Gwen was a curious child. She was always us asking me ¡°why?¡±. Why is the sky blue? Why is the grass green? Why are the clouds that way? By the time she was seven, I stopped being able to answer her questions. I think around that time is when we started to get a sense of just how smart my little girl was. Whenever she got an award or a participation trophy, and even when she didn¡¯t, I was always proud of her. Proud of her passion, y¡¯know? ¡­God, I hope she knew that. I¡­ just¡­¡± he paused and took a breath.

    ¡°In the past few days I¡¯ve been asking myself the same question Gwen did. Why? Why did my little girl die? The truth is, I can¡¯t answer that. No one can. What happened was a tragic senseless accident that none of us could¡¯ve seen coming.

    I think that¡¯s what makes today so difficult. Knowing that an accident took my daughter¡¯s life. Even though she¡¯s in a better place now, it¡¯ll be a while before we can see her again. It reminds me of when she went off to college. I thought Helen would be the one to worry, but I was a mess. I took the day off and spent all my time fretting over whether or not she was packed, when she was going, what time she needed to be at for where, I was worried about everything. I thought I¡¯d kept my feelings hidden, but she¡¯d noticed. She always did. She took my hand and with that beautiful smile of hers, my little girl told four words that eased my worries. Do you know what she said? She told me that ¡®Everything would be ok¡¯. I hope we can all try and remember her words for today too. Thank you for listening, and may God be with you all.¡±

 Peters Story - Chapter Four

    I sat at the kitchen table; my mind elsewhere as I stared at some pancakes. Why did pancakes look like that under the sun? Was it their texture? Was it even every pancake, or just May¡¯s ones? I¡¯d never thought about it before. It seemed like a silly question, but my mind seemed to be fixed on it. Was it because I was hungry?

    ¡°Pete?¡± MJ said, poking my shoulder.

    ¡°Huh?¡± I responded.

    ¡°I called out to you three times. You zoned out again. Eat. The food¡¯s getting cold¡± she said.

    ¡°Oh sorry¡± I said. Aunt May chuckled slightly. Blinking slowly, I yawned before stabbing into my pancakes lazily. I took a bite, savouring the smooth buttery texture of the pancake in my mouth. I quickly started devouring the pancakes on my plate, scarfing them down quickly.

    ¡°Slow down¡± MJ said laughing, ¡°I know I told you to eat but the food¡¯s not going anywhere.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault May¡¯s such a good cook¡± I retorted.

    ¡°Thank you dear¡± Aunt May said, sipping from her mug. MJ rolled her eyes still smiling and went back to her food. I took a sip of my hot chocolate and started eating again, slower this time.

    ¡°How¡¯s Ned doing?¡± May asked.

    ¡°He says it¡¯s cold in London¡± I said with a chuckle.

    ¡°Is he still calling you everyday?¡± MJ asked raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°Yeah? What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± I said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. How¡¯s is he doing, aside from the cold?¡± MJ said.

    ¡°Well. He says it¡¯s fun studying over there, though it has only been a month¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the college called again?¡±

    ¡°Kings, I think¡±

    May and MJ locked eyes and let out a burst of laughter. I felt a small smile play on my lips before taking a bite out of my pancakes.

    ¡°So is Harry finally going to drop by today?¡± May asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He¡¯s busy¡± I replied.

    ¡°He can¡¯t take an hour out and come down here to visit? It¡¯s nearly been a week¡± MJ, her tone slightly angry.

    ¡°It¡¯s only been four days. And you know he would if he could¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡­ yeah. But it feels- I don¡¯t know-¡° MJ said

    ¡°Frustrating?¡± I interjected.

    ¡°Yeah¡± MJ sighed.

    We went back to eating, and I finished quickly, before grabbing the extra pancakes and devouring them as well.

    ¡°Peter. If you¡¯re going to eat fast, at least have table manners¡± May said.

    ¡°Sorry¡±

    ¡°Speaking about cleanliness, Pete, when are you going to shave?¡± MJ said.

    I rubbed my face, the prickly softness of my stubble tickling my fingers.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I kind of like it¡± I said, half-jokingly.

    ¡°Shave it¡± MJ said with a smile, but serious eyes. She took my plate and walked off to the kitchen. I glanced at Aunt May.

    ¡°She might have a point¡± she said.

    ¡°Not you too¡± I replied exaggeratedly, as Aunt May chuckled.

    ¡°Just tell me if you want more food. I¡¯ll be in my room¡± she said, getting up. She gave me a kiss on the forehead and walked away slowly, glancing back at me as she left the kitchen. I smiled back softly at her. She disappeared and I looked down, staring into my mug. My distorted reflection looked back at me. I sighed and looked out through the window at the front lawn. I needed to do something today.

    -

    My face was smooth again, but I didn¡¯t feel any cleaner. I felt exposed. The scarf wasn¡¯t helping the early winter chill keep my cheeks warm either. I buried my hands deeper into my pockets and shuddered, bunching up my shoulders. I¡¯d needed to get out the house. It was nice being with MJ and Aunt May, I really did enjoy their company, but I was getting stuck in a rut. I hadn¡¯t done anything of note in days. I hadn¡¯t even been taking care of myself. It had all felt wrong, somehow. But not doing anything wasn¡¯t going to help either. I knew I needed to start doing stuff. There were a whole bunch of things I needed to sort out, like stuff with work and college, actually meeting up with my friends rather than just talking to them over the phone and sorting out what I was going to do with mine and Gwen¡¯s research project.

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    All this stuff to do and I¡¯d decided on a walk. I was just distracting myself in a different way. At least I was actively thinking about my stuff now, even if it all seemed so bleak.

    Suddenly my brain buzzed, my mind burning as my synapses screamed, warning me of an incoming presence. I stumbled, the shock of it catching me off guard. A moment later a baseball shot through the air and bounced across the ground, narrowly missing me. I looked around confused for a second, my heart in my mouth, and my vision swimming. What the hell had that been? It had felt like an anxiety attack.

    ¡°Sorry!¡± I heard a voice shout. I scanned around until my eyes settled on a small group of what must¡¯ve been middle schoolers, one of them holding a baseball bat.

    ¡°Can you throw the ball back?!¡± one of them shouted before getting hit in the stomach by another. They quickly devolved into arguing amongst themselves.

    I frowned, then picked up the ball and called out to them. They carried on arguing. They hadn¡¯t heard me.

    ¡°Hey!!¡± I shouted again. They paused and turned to me.

    ¡°Heads up!¡± I shouted, before throwing it back to them. It soared through the air, sailing way over their heads. Wait, what? It carried on, shooting through the air before disappearing with a sploosh into the lake way off in the distance. I looked down at my hand, then back up at the boys who all just stared at me, silent. How the hell had I thrown it that far?!

    ¡°S-sorry!¡± I called out to them. They just carried on staring at me before turning back to look where the ball had gone. I stuffed my hands back into my pockets and walked off quickly. What in the world had just happened? I didn¡¯t know, but it wouldn¡¯t do me any good to stay here.

    I glanced back at the boys as I went to exit the park. I felt bad, but I couldn¡¯t exactly get the ball back for them. I¡¯d said sorry, that would have to be enough. As I made my way onto the street, I pulled out my hand again, staring at it. I flexed my fingers, feeling a newfound strength I hadn¡¯t noticed before. Something weird was going on. I needed to get home.

    -

    I sat on my bed, staring at my hands. I flexed my fingers, more tentatively this time, feeling the tremor of power. I looked around my room and grabbed a baseball off the shelf. I gripped it tightly preparing to squeeze then stopped. I held it out in front of me and looked away, before closing my fist with ease. The baseball exploded into a mixture of bits and pieces that sprayed across the room, peppering the walls with a shower of thuds.

    ¡°Peter?!¡± May called out concerned. Crap.

    ¡°I¡¯m ok! Everything¡¯s fine!¡± I shouted back. The sound of the stairs creaking told me May wasn¡¯t listening. I rushed over to my door and peered out onto the landing as she reached the top of the stairs.

    ¡°What happened? Are you alright?¡± she said.

    ¡°Yeah I just was messing around with¡­ marbles. Just some marbles. They went everywhere¡± I mumbled. She paused, staring at me with a quizzical look.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you clean up¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Really May, I can clean it up myself¡±

    ¡°Alright. Just don¡¯t slip, we don¡¯t want you hurting yourself again¡±

    ¡°No problem¡± I said, preparing to slip back into my room.

    ¡°Wait a second young man¡± she said, making her way over to me. She gently pulled my head down and kissed my forehead, before making her way down the hall to her room. I closed my door softly, and looked back around my room, the remnants of baseball strewn across the floor. I glanced at my hand and then slumped against my door. I couldn¡¯t believe it. I was a metahuman.

    How had this happened? Some kind of exposure to something? But why now? Wait, had it been the explosion? That made the most sense. I felt my heart thump loudly in my chest as the implications of the idea started to set in. Oh fuck. No, no, no. I felt a slight panic start to rise in my chest and I threw open my door before rushing downstairs. I bolted for the garage, locking the door behind me. I looked around frantically, throwing boxes, trinkets and pieces of paper around until I found what I was looking for. I grabbed the scanner and plugged the device into the wall before flipping the light at my workstation on.

    It took a few seconds for it to calibrate and turn on, but when it did, the screen flashed white. I gulped and pointed it at myself. It buzzed. I turned it away from myself, and the buzz steadily faded. I slumped to my knees. Oh god. Oh god no. Hands shaking I pressed a few buttons waiting for the numbers to show. There was a low buzz and a few numbers flashed across the scanner. I held it towards myself, and the numbers shifted before flashing.

    Two hundred and thirty four Li¡¯s.

    That didn¡¯t make any sense. If I was irradiated with that much negative energy I should¡¯ve died ages ago. It would¡¯ve killed me instantly. It¡¯d been too weeks since the explosion, so to have as much negative energy as I did right now would mean I¡¯d have to have had an incredible amount on the day of the explosion. That much would¡¯ve killed me and anyone who touched me. Hell, technically I was still dangerous now. Was the scanner broken? I switched it off and on again, then scanned the wall facing me.

    Zero.

    Nothing. That didn¡¯t make sense, I was at Two hundred and thirty-four Li¡¯s, I had to be releasing more than enough negative energy to my surroundings to get picked up on the scanner. I sighed with relief. It must¡¯ve been broken. But then what about the superstrength? I turned it on myself, my hands trembling less now, and scanned again. It beeped loudly and numbers flashed against the screen.

    Two hundred and thirty-four Li¡¯s.

    I stared at it, confused. I turned it back on the wall.

    Zero.

    Back on myself.

    Two hundred and thirty-four.

    Either the scanner was broken in a weird way, or I was stable. The negative energy explosion might¡¯ve done what Otto, Gwen and I had been trying to do for years.

    I jumped up abandoning the scanner and pulled my phone out of my pocket. I scrolled through my contacts quickly and stopped on a familiar name. Otto. If I could bounce ideas off of him, explain what had happened, we might be on the cusp of figuring this all out. I called, but it went straight to voicemail. Not now, dammit! Why was he still completely off the grid?

    Wait, even if I could call Otto I still had my own equipment. I could run my own tests, see if this really was what I thought it was. I turned to my boxes, looking around in a frenzy. I searched frantically, falling short with every box, switching over and over as the mess steadily piled up around me.

    ¡°Come on. Where are you?¡± I muttered to myself. Dammit, it was probably at home. I needed to get better at sorting out my stuff. Especially equipment as important as this.

    I burst out of the garage and rushed over to the stairs, fumbling for my shoes.

    ¡°Peter?¡± May said, from the top of the stairs.

    ¡°I¡¯m just going out¡± I replied.

    ¡°You just went for a walk? Where are you going?!¡±

    ¡°I left something at home. Just going to grab it¡± I said, throwing open the door. I jogged down the front steps, still pulling on my jacket as the cold hit me.

    ¡°Peter!¡± May called out from the house as I jogged away.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back! Don¡¯t worry!¡± I shouted back to her as I took off down the road. I felt guilty, but this was important. And it finally gave me something to do.

 Peters Story - Chapter Five

    I was probably running a lot faster than I should¡¯ve. I didn¡¯t care, as long as I wasn¡¯t hurting anyone. My feet pounded against the sidewalk as my heart thumped in my chest and my blood rushed through my body. My arms and legs felt like well-oiled machines, maintain a smoothness and fluidity I¡¯d never thought possible. My mind buzzed, alerting me of anything incoming as I slipped through the crowds of pedestrians, steadily getting closer to my apartment.

    I leapt up the small flight of steps and burst inside, almost taking the door off its hinges. I sprinted up the stairs, the usually arduous task a breeze now, and came to a stop outside my door. I took a few deep breaths as I searched for my keys, my body feeling electrified.

    I felt incredible. Strong too.

    I pulled out my keys and opened my door, flying into my room before I¡¯d even taken the keys out the door. The room was a mess of papers and boxes of trinkets. I felt a pang of sadness as I spotted a few post it notes of Gwen¡¯s handwriting, imploring me to clean up. I shoved the feeling down and dove into the boxes, sifting through the heaps of wire and metal, all muddled into one big puzzle. Finally I pulled out the safety wristbands we¡¯d had. Dr Gonzales hadn¡¯t taken them, so I had a few spare. I slapped it over my wrist and turned it on. The screen came to life and I flinched as the band flashed red, blaring loudly. I stared at the screen as it measured negative energy exposure. It was constant. Two hundred and thirty-four Li¡¯s.

    I couldn¡¯t believe it. It was real. The piece of junk on my wrist proved it. The number wasn¡¯t changing. I¡¯d had a sustained amount of negative energy for at least four days and I wasn¡¯t dead. We¡¯d only had seven other cases like this, and all the subjects had lived, their bodies permanently improved. They hadn¡¯t even been harmful to any living organisms around them. I felt my knees give out, and I sat on my bed feeling lightheaded.

    It could work on humans.

    I was staring at the proof of Otto¡¯s life¡¯s work. No, I was proof Negativisation could work properly. If I could just run a few tests, do a few calculations, I could figure out exactly what had happened to me. If I figured this out, it would be big. Even bigger than the news about the explosion. I could make it so my work, Otto¡¯s work, but most importantly Gwen¡¯s work could be remembered forever.

    ¡°Peter?¡± a voice with an accent said behind me. I glanced back to see Helga, my landlord, standing in my still open doorway, her face wreathed with concern. I pulled off the wristband and fumbled with it, switching it off.

    ¡°Hi. Sorry about the noise Helga, I¡¯ll try to keep it down¡± I said, with an awkward nod.

    ¡°I¡­ we hadn¡¯t heard from you. Sasha called but you didn¡¯t answer. Are you¡­ is everything ok?¡± she said. They hadn¡¯t heard from me since the explosion. Oh. She thought I¡¯d died.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯ve just been staying at my mum¡¯s house. I should¡¯ve called. Everything¡¯s fi-¡± I froze, the words catching in my throat as Gwen¡¯s face flashed through my eyes. I looked to the floor then back up at Helga, her face still filled with emotion. She¡¯d loved Gwen. I couldn¡¯t tell her now, it¡¯d break her.

    ¡°Peter?¡±

    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine¡± I said, forcing a slight smile. She let out a relieved sigh and nodded.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry us like that again¡± she chuckled; her worry gone.

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    ¡°I¡¯ll try not to¡± I laughed back. She placed the key on the countertop by the door, turned and left, flashing me one more smile before closing the door behind her.

    I sighed hanging my head. I hadn¡¯t even thought about that. Who else had tried calling me that didn¡¯t really know any of my family?

    Everyone in my photography group. Oh shit.

    ¡°Helga! C-can I borrow your phone?! I there¡¯s someone I need to call¡± I said.

    -

    ¡°Yeah sorry about not calling earlier, my phone got destroyed in the accident¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok Peter, really¡± Joy said back in a comforting tone. ¡°I-if you need any help then don¡¯t be afraid to ask us for anything, ok?¡± she said, her voice filled with a mixture of pity and concern. I felt my insides twist, my stomach tying itself up in knots.

    ¡°I¡­ thanks¡± I replied. There was an awkward pause. ¡°I should probably get going now¡±

    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll¡­ that¡¯s fine¡±

    ¡°Bye Joy¡±

    ¡°Bye Peter¡±

    I hung up and sat on my bed, staring at the floor. I had a weird taste in my mouth, and it wasn¡¯t anything I¡¯d eaten. It was weird. I knew why she¡¯d been so concerned, had so much pity, it¡¯s because she cared about me. I knew the pity was justified. I¡¯d lost someone. Not just someone, the closest person to me in the entire world. I¡¯d pity anyone in my position, try to make them feel better. Then why did I hate this feeling so much? It felt weird and wrong and I didn¡¯t know why I was feeling this way. It wasn¡¯t normal, right? Or maybe it was. I glanced up, catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror, a dark expression covering my face. I looked angry. No, this definitely wasn¡¯t normal.

    I heard the door swing open before hearing a hushed shout, and it closed again. I glanced up, frowning as hushed whispers came from just beyond the door.

    ¡°Hello?¡± I called out, standing up. The voices went silent and then a knock came from the door.

    ¡°P-pete?!¡± Sasha said, ¡°Can I- is it ok if I come in?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine¡± I said back. The door opened and a skinny, dark-haired woman stepped inside, her eyes wet. Before I could say anything, she pulled me into a hug, before quickly pulling away.

    ¡°Sorry¡± she said, letting out a nervous but relieved chuckle.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok¡± I said, the feeling working it¡¯s way back into my gut.

    ¡°I- my mum said you were back and everyone was fine. How¡­ is everything ok?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I was in the hospital for a few days, and I¡¯ve been at my aunt¡¯s since¡± I said. ¡°Sorry about not calling.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologise¡± she said. ¡°Uhm¡­how¡¯s Gwen? Is she ok?¡± Sasha asked, glancing around. The question hit me like a gut punch, leaving me breathless as nausea rolled through my stomach. I bit the inside of my cheek, centring myself.

    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ not here right now¡± I replied.

    ¡°Oh. Tell her I said hi¡± Sasha said awkwardly. We stood in silence for a few awkward seconds. Sweat began to bead my forehead as everything started to feel overly real.

    ¡°I was making a sandwich. Do you want¡­ can I make you something?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No. I¡¯m fine¡± I said back curtly.

    ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s ok¡± she said, nodding. ¡±It was good to see you. I¡¯m just glad to know you¡¯re ok.¡± I nodded my mouth too dry to speak. She stood for a few seconds nodding, before awkwardly walking back over to the door.

    ¡°Bye Pete¡± she said, with a small wave. I waved back and she flashed a smile before closing the door.

    I fell back onto my bed, my hands trembling. Why had I lied? No I hadn¡¯t lied, I just hadn¡¯t been totally truthful. I felt my face twist into a mask of anguish. Was I really trying to justify this to myself?! I¡¯d just lied to Sasha and Helga, some of the nicest people I¡¯d met, because what, I couldn¡¯t take a little pity. God, what was wrong with me?! I had to tell them. They cared about Gwen too. I felt a mix of apprehension and fear swirl around, stopping me from getting up. Dammit. I couldn¡¯t do it now. Sure I was being a coward, but I¡¯d just told them everything was ok. I couldn¡¯t immediately rip that away from them. Or was it crueller to let them live a lie for however long it took me to overcome my fear of judgement. They didn¡¯t deserve that.

    I stood up and walked over to the door, reaching for it but pausing. I steeled myself and opened the door. Sasha walked past and glanced back at me. She was wearing a coat and her Mum, Helga, was walking down the stairs just ahead of her.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I- nothing¡± I replied, closing the door. I stared at the door, hearing their footsteps against the creaky wood fade and then disappear. I pressed my head against the door and let out a haggard sigh. God dammit. I leant against the wall and slowly slumped to the floor, resting my hands on my knees and hanging my head. They¡¯d been going somewhere, so I couldn¡¯t talk to them now. I didn¡¯t have their phone number memorised, so even if I had a phone I couldn¡¯t call them. She definitely wouldn¡¯t have lied to their faces. I sniffed and looked up, staring out the window at the clouds. Gwen had probably had their number memorised. I doubt she would¡¯ve left them worrying over this for so long.

    I hung my head and sat there for a while, unmoving.

    Eventually, I sighed, stood up and stretched out. I looked around the room, spotting all of Gwen¡¯s clean-up post its and a few notes pinned on the calendar. I¡¯d clean up first, then I could head back to May¡¯s. She was probably worried sick.

 Peters Story - Chapter Six

    I¡¯d told myself I would head straight home, but I guess I never really did respect my own wishes. I probably should¡¯ve thought it through and done this another time, when I wasn¡¯t carrying a box with all this stuff. If it started raining, I¡¯d be screwed. But right now, those concerns felt insignificant. It felt weird, seeing the headstone for Gwen¡¯s grave. I¡¯d seen it at the funeral, but that had been different. More surreal. This felt a lot realer and I didn¡¯t know what to make of that. I just knew I didn¡¯t like it. I set the box down, and then rested the bouquet of roses with the other flowers at her grave. There was a lot of those. A sea of red flowers, with a few yellow ones mixed in. Red had always been her favourite colour.

    I fidgeted awkwardly unsure of what to do. What did I usually do when I visited Uncle Ben, and my parents? There wasn¡¯t exactly something I did regularly, I mean I talked sometimes. Did I talk to her gravestone, or was it too soon? I mean I couldn¡¯t just stand here, that¡¯d be rude, right? But sometimes I just sat in front of Uncle Ben and my parents¡¯ graves. That didn¡¯t feel rude, it felt serene. But I mean I¡¯d only started coming regularly near the end of highschool, when Ned had lost Jedd, his dog. This was new, fresh. It hadn¡¯t been long enough for me to prepare for this. But I¡¯d come anyway. I had to do something. I paused and glanced up at the sky.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­uh¡­ it¡¯s cloudy today¡± I said, staring at the swirls of grey and white. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯d like these kinds of clouds. Probably a bit too grey for your taste¡± I mumbled. I looked back down at the gravestone, pausing for a bit, as if I expected an answer. I was met with a depressing silence.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I think I might¡¯ve made a big breakthrough on our research. Well¡­ it was pure luck, but I think the incident did something to me. If I can get some data on this then I think I can convince someone to fund your and Otto¡¯s research. Hopefully I can get in contact with Otto somehow. He¡¯s still¡­ off the grid¡± I said. ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ I don¡¯t know what else to say. I cleaned up my apartment for once. I finally read all your notes. Some of them were actually pretty funny. Uh¡­ what else¡­ oh, Helga and Sasha are ok. They were relieved I hadn¡¯t¡­¡± I trailed off.

    ¡°I¡­ I haven¡¯t told them about you yet. Sorry. I know it was wrong, that I should¡¯ve told them I just¡­ I didn¡¯t want them to worry. I know how much Helga liked you and I¡­¡± I let out a shaky sigh.

    ¡°I miss you. Like, really miss you. I know it¡¯s only been a few days, but I¡¯m starting to realise how much I relied on you. For everything¡± I said, my eyes watering. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do now. Living without you feels weird somehow. Not even including all the stuff you helped me with. Just not having your presence here¡­ knowing you won¡¯t be nearby ever again¡­ I¡­ I just really miss you¡± I said.

    I was met with silence and felt my shoulders sag.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go and visit Uncle Ben and my parents. I¡¯ll come back soon, hopefully with Harry. MJ will probably want to come too¡± I said.  I picked up the box and took another glance at the gravestone, before staring out over the field of them. There were so many. And for each of them an entire family who at some point had probably felt like me. I sighed and started walking. The others weren¡¯t that far. They were buried close to each other. I always felt weird going though, because of the empty spot next to Uncle Ben. I knew what it was for, but Aunt May had never actually said it. It had really unnerved me the first time I¡¯d realised. I¡¯d brought up my concerns with Gwen and she¡¯d talked me down. I felt a weak smile form on my face.

    I slowed down, feeling overly conscious that I was carrying a box as a group of people walked past me. I carried, on slowing down when I spotted a small group of people standing over a grave in black suits. Crap, it was a funeral. There were only seven people, including the celebrant. That was a shame. I went to turn around when I froze. Lucas was there. He was crying, a lot. I watched for a few seconds before feeling like I was intruding.

    I turned away and took the route around them, to get to Uncle Ben, Mom and Dad. I set down the gifts I¡¯d brought them and lit a candle. I said a few words to Uncle Ben and then sat in front of my parents¡¯ graves. I couldn¡¯t remember them very well, outside of a specific memory of eating ice cream with them on my birthday, they were practically strangers. I knew mum had been a doctor and dad a bio-medical engineer. Good ones too. They¡¯d specialised in virology. They¡¯d died when I was four. Some kind of virus they¡¯d contracted whilst in Africa on one of their trips. Killed them both.

    I¡¯d been staying with Aunt May, and Uncle Ben at the time, like I always did whenever they had to go on their long trips. I¡¯d never gone back home. Aunt May had been upset, but I remembered Uncle Ben had been devastated. He¡¯d lock himself away in his shed for hours at a time. I hadn¡¯t really understood, just thought my vacation had been extended. It¡¯d taken me a few years to really understand, and by that point it had been so long ago it hadn¡¯t affected me all that much. It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t care, but it felt so removed from the rest of my life I didn¡¯t know what to feel. I felt guilty sometimes. But I still made efforts to visit and see them. I looked up at the graves, then glanced at my watch and sighed. I¡¯d been here for an hour. I needed to go home.

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    I stood up, picking up my box and making my way towards the exit. I walked in silence, not really thinking about anything in particular, watching as radiant beams of sunlight spilled through the occasional gap in the clouds. I slowed down as I neared the exit, spotting a figure sitting under a tree. I recognised him. It was Lucas again, just staring at something he held in his hands. He looked gaunt, as though he hadn¡¯t eaten in a few days and his resting face frown was replaced with a profound sadness. I watched as he sat unmoving for a few seconds, his hair blowing lightly in the wind. Did I say something? Maybe it was better to leave him alone? He glanced up, and as we made eye contact I felt a low buzz throughout my brain. I understood it straight away. He was like me.

    Lucas¡¯ eyes widened, and he stood up with a start before standing in front of the tree awkwardly.

    ¡°Uh¡­ hey¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± he said, back, breaking eye contact. He was apologising? What for?

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologise. I¡­ are you okay?¡± I asked, not sure what else to say. He glanced down at the small piece of white card he held in his hands and his expression shifted. He looked down at the ground and went to say something before stopping himself. He wiped at his eyes, trying not to cry.

    ¡°Hey, hey, it¡¯s ok¡± I said, rushing over to him. I supported, him, stopping him from falling over. He clutched me tightly, his tears becoming full blown sobs.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the explosion¡± he sobbed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I left you behind.¡± What?

    ¡°Lucas it wasn¡¯t your fault. And you didn¡¯t leave me, you saved me. You saved my life¡± I said. His tears slowed slightly and he looked up at me, confused.

    ¡°But I-¡°

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault, it was Dr Gonzales¡° I said. He broke down again, his sobs heavier this time.

    Had he really blamed himself for the explosion, for all those people¡¯s deaths?

    It took a while, but eventually he stopped crying. We sat under the tree together in silence, watching the sun slowly come out again. I wasn¡¯t sure now was the right time to bring up the whole brain fuzz thing earlier, but it seemed like he needed the company.

    ¡°Do you come here often?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡­ at least once a month¡± I said.

    ¡°Does¡­ does it get any easier?¡±

    I paused taking a second to answer his question.

    ¡°Not really. You just sort of, learn to live with it¡± I said. He nodded, picking at the grass. We sat in silence for a few more seconds.

    ¡°I thank you for saving me¡± he said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The acid you threw at him, Ricardo I mean, if you hadn¡¯t done that I would¡¯ve died¡±

    ¡°You saved me too¡° I responded.

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault we were even in danger in the first place¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°He used my powers to make himself into that thing. It¡¯s what the volunteering was for. I thought¡­ I wanted him to cure me¡°

    I recalled his cry of rage and sadness back at the lab. The memories bringing back a hint of the fear I¡¯d felt.

    ¡°That¡¯s not your fault¡± I said, feeling myself break out into a cold sweat.

    ¡°I still got people killed¡± he said back.

    ¡°You fought him twice and beat him. You saved a ton of people¡±

    His face contorted into a pained expression. He went to say something but paused, retreating into himself.

    ¡°I killed people¡± he mumbled.

    ¡°You saved them, it¡¯s not your fault you had to fight Dr Gonzales in the middle of the city¡±

    ¡°No. I should¡¯ve dealt with him beforehand. I should¡¯ve made sure he¡¯d died in the explosion, I just ran and¡­ and¡­¡± he trailed off, his voice wavering slightly.

    ¡°You¡¯re a hero Lucas, you-¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong¡± he said curtly. ¡°None of this was ever supposed to happen. Somebody like me wasn¡¯t supposed to get these powers. I¡¯m immature, stupid, and I can¡¯t control my anger. I¡¯m not a good person. I don¡¯t want to be a hero anymore. I never wanted to be one in the first place¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong Lucas. you¡¯re only fo-¡°

    ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± he shouted, back angrily. For a moment my brain buzzed, and his face was contorted into a rage filled glare. I caught a glimpse of sharpened teeth, as his irises momentarily became slits, and claws extended from his hands. They were gone as soon as they appeared, replaced by a look of shame. He brought his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.

    ¡°Sorry¡± he mumbled. We sat in silence. I couldn¡¯t just leave. I knew I needed to say something, but what? How could I tell him everything would be ok when it clearly wasn¡¯t? I glanced at him as he looked at the ground, still too ashamed to meet my eyes. I felt a sudden intense emotion, watching him as he sat there, still. Something about the look in his eyes. It reminded me of myself, when Uncle Ben had died.

    He was just a kid.

    ¡°I can do it¡± I blurted out.

    ¡°What?¡± he said, shocked.

    ¡°I-  if it¡¯s too much, you can leave it to me¡± I said.

    I paused. What was I even saying? I looked back up at him. He frowned, then his expression shifted, his confusion replaced by a solemn expression.

    ¡°You felt it earlier too?¡± he said.

    ¡°That tingling sensation?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The spider sense¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know exactly what happened but¡­ it¡¯s like we¡¯re the same now¡± I said, still for some reason desperately trying to reach him.

    My heart beat steadily in my chest as he looked back at the ground. What was I even doing right now? Why was I doing this? I¡¯d just tried to say something comforting without thinking. Maybe it was because I couldn¡¯t bear to see the kid suffer, or maybe I¡¯d just said it selfishly, to make myself feel better, like I was actually doing something. All to appease my conscience. Or maybe he just needed help and I¡¯d responded. I didn¡¯t know. It was probably a mix of all of them. I didn¡¯t have a good enough grasp of my emotions to understand what I¡¯d just done. But I could still feel the weight of my words. Hopefully he said no. I didn¡¯t have the guts to be a hero.

    ¡°I¡­ could you¡­ would you really do that?¡± he said, looking up at me. I felt my heart drop slightly. I was really shitting the bed today. Dammit. I couldn¡¯t just say no. I stared into his eyes, the sadness clear, but behind them a hint of hope. I recognised that look. He was searching for an out, a way to get away from the pain; and my words had given him that. No, they¡¯d only given me the possibility. To rip it away from him now would just be cruel. I couldn¡¯t be cruel. Even if I wasn¡¯t sure of myself, I had to reassure him somehow.

    ¡°Absolutely¡± I replied.

    He broke into tears again, mumbling an incoherent apology as he slumped forward. I caught him as he leant forward, holding him awkwardly. He pulled me into a hug as he cried onto my shoulder. It felt awkward, I didn¡¯t really know him, and I might¡¯ve just lied to his face so that he¡¯d feel better. He was just a kid I¡¯d met in unfortunate circumstances. But he needed someone to lean on. I couldn¡¯t just leave him alone.

 Peters Story - Chapter Seven

    I sat at home, silent as I stared at the ceiling. It was sunrise now, and I hadn¡¯t gotten any sleep last night. Too many thoughts and feelings had been swirling around inside of my head. Mainly guilt. What the hell had I done? I¡¯d not only lied to Helga and Sasha but I¡¯d promised Lucas I¡¯d take his place as a superhero. I glanced at my bag. I still couldn¡¯t believe he¡¯d given me his suit. He¡¯d had it on him, told me he¡¯d wanted to bury it with Amy, but couldn¡¯t bring himself too.

    I sat up and grabbed my bag, I pulled out the mask and the poorly taped together costume and stared at them. It felt surreal. I¡¯d only seen his costume once from reports about a fire, and his mask had been plastered all over TV from reports about his venom fight. Having this didn¡¯t feel right. It¡¯d been given to me, but it felt like I¡¯d stolen it.

    ¡°Peter?!¡± I heard.

    I spun around at the sound of my door opening, stuffing the costume under the bed.

    ¡°Peter?¡± May said.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± I said, my heart skipping a beat.

    ¡°Did you not here me?¡± May asked with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°Oh no I¡­ I was just day dreaming¡± I said.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m fine¡± I replied. May stared at me for a few more seconds before letting out a small sigh. She made her way over to me and kissed me on the forehead.

    ¡°Breakfast¡¯s ready when you want it¡± she said, smiling softly at me.

    ¡°Thanks¡± I said. She made her way out the room closing the door softly behind her. I turned back around, taking the mask out from under the bed. I stared at it again in the darkness of my room.

    ¡°Dammit¡± I mumbled.

    I stuffed the costume back in the bag and put it under my bed.

    -

    I opened the door to the shed and stepped outside, coughing as I pulled off my goggles and mask. I could practically taste the dust gross. I looked around the garden then glanced back inside, sighing at the rest of the mess I had to clean up. I¡¯d decided to set up the shed as a base of operations. I needed it to set-up my equipment if I was going to run any tests. May had given me the space for science stuff years ago when she¡¯d gotten the container for all the garden stuff. I¡¯d used it a lot before I¡¯d moved out, but since then I¡¯d just used it to store stuff. I hadn¡¯t realised how messy it was now.

    It¡¯d been a nightmare to set-up so far. I hadn¡¯t even finished tidying up all my stuff up and I still had to safety proof the room afterwards. Judging from the amount of dust, I was probably going to have to clean it properly too. I was supposed to meet up with the others at four, so this would probably have to be a I groaned and pulled my mask back on, before dusting my hands on my trousers. At least the heavy stuff wasn¡¯t difficult to lift anymore.

    I glanced behind me at the sound of the back door creaking open. Aunt May stepped out with Grandpa Will following behind. I was grinning before I even realised.

    ¡°Pete we have a guest¡± May said with a knowing smile.

    ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s good to see you¡± I said, pulling him into a hug.

    ¡°It¡¯s great to see you too son¡± he said, chuckling. He adjusted his glasses and stepped back from me, his hand resting on my shoulder.

    ¡°You look like you¡¯re healing well¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah, I feel fine already¡±

    He glanced behind me. The shed didn¡¯t exactly look flattering right now.

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    ¡°Don¡¯t work too hard, alright son?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not¡± I said defensively. He gave me a look.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tone it down¡± I said.

    ¡°That¡¯s my boy¡± he said patting me on the shoulder. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s head inside, get something to eat¡±

    ¡°I need to clean up fir-¡°

    ¡°Nonsense. It shouldn¡¯t rain today. Come on, let¡¯s eat¡±

    I smiled as I followed him inside. He was as kind-hearted and stubborn as always. We made our way into the kitchen as May took grabbed a plate of sandwiches she¡¯d made. I took it from her and followed Grandpa into the living room, setting the sandwiches down, before taking a seat. May came in with her hands full. She set down three plates, and then a tray with pancakes and waffles on it.

    ¡°Everyone want orange juice¡± she asked with a warm smile.

    ¡°That¡¯d be great¡± I said. Grandpa flashed a thumbs up and she made her way back into the kitchen.

    ¡°So son, what were you working on in the shed?¡± Grandpa said, helping himself to some waffles.

    ¡°Just clearing out the shed¡±

    ¡°Keeping busy, that¡¯s good. Any reason for it?¡±

    ¡°Well I was just thinking of setting some tools and stuff up in there¡± I said. ¡°Good it¡¯ll give you more of a reason to stop by¡± he chuckled. I laughed too. That had been part of the reason. I was definitely enjoying it here more than I thought I would.

    ¡°Sorry boys, there¡¯s no juice. I need a few things for dinner too so I¡¯m going to head over to the store¡± Aunt May said, stepping into the living room doorway.

    ¡°Want me to get it for you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay Pete. Enjoy your Grandpa¡¯s company¡± May said. She quickly got ready and gave me a quick kiss on the forehead before leaving.

    ¡°She¡¯s too nice, your aunt¡± Grandpa said chuckling. ¡°Don¡¯t stay here too long. She¡¯ll spoil you rotten¡±

    I chuckled slightly, helping myself to some of the pancakes. I went quiet, helping myself to a bite. I glanced out the window, trying to see if I could catch a glimpse of May. I couldn¡¯t but I paused, glancing up at the sky. There were a lot of clouds today.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong son?¡± Grandpa asked.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got that look faraway look in your eye. The one where you get all cooped up in your own head. What¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me kid¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± I let out a sigh. ¡°Just grief I guess.¡±

    He nodded silently.

    ¡°She was a good person, that Gwen. It¡¯s a shame¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah¡± I mumbled back, staring at my pancakes. I¡¯d been trying not to think about it, about her, I didn¡¯t feel sad anymore. Instead, a deep longing sat in my chest. I wonder how Sajani and the others felt. We¡¯d texted about it, but I needed to see them in person. I¡¯d sort that out today. If I remembered. With what happened with Lucas, the situation with Helga and Sasha, and the random bouts of grief, I¡¯d probably forget.

    ¡°Talk to me son¡± Grandpa said,.

    ¡°Sorry, I was just thinking¡±

    ¡°I know. You¡¯re mum used to do that too. She got it from your grandmother¡± he said with a wistful look.

    ¡°What were my parent¡¯s like? I know I¡¯ve asked you this before, but I was younger then¡±

    ¡°They were smart. Kind too. They were alike in all the good ways and different in all the great ways¡± Grandpa said, putting on a grand voice.

    I felt myself smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious Grandpa¡± I said, still trying not to grin.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious too. Your parents were great. They weren¡¯t perfect and had their fair share of problems, but they were good for one another¡± he said, smiling as he looked at me.

    ¡°Have I ever told you, you have your m-¡°

    ¡°Mother¡¯s eyes?¡±

    Grandpa grinned.

    ¡°You look like your father, the kind of punch-able face you warm up to eventually¡± he said chuckling, ¡° but you¡¯ve got your mother¡¯s eyes.¡±

    I chuckled at his comment and helped myself to some more pancake.

    ¡°What about you? How are you doing?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Age is age son. Soon I¡¯ll be singing Hallelujah with the angels¡±

    ¡°Grandp-¡°

    ¡°Come on kid. I came here to see you, not gripe about my back pains¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah, well if it¡¯s anything serious, tell me¡±

    ¡°Son I-¡°

    ¡°Tell me¡± I said, firmly. Grandpa huffed, adjusting his glasses, and went back to his waffles.

    Grandpa¡¯s health was always a sore topic. He always tried to play it off with a joke whenever anyone asked him, and it had just gotten worse since a fall he had last year. He¡¯d only fractured his hand, but the whole experience had just made him more difficult to deal with in terms of any kind of medical help. I glanced at him and sighed. I guess I could understand it though. Not liking the pity. Considering how I was already, I¡¯d probably be worse when I was his age. I already made life harder for everyone around. Like keeping distance from May so she didn¡¯t coddle me, lying by omission to Helga because I couldn¡¯t stomach the pity, and even

    The promise. God dammit what was I going to do for that. I mean I had to do something.

    ¡°Son?¡± Grandpa said.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Faraway look again. What you thinking about?¡±

    ¡°Nothing¡±

    ¡°Peter¡±

    ¡°It was just something I did. I was just thinking about it¡±

    ¡°Something you did? Can you be a bit more specific?¡±

    ¡°I made a promise. A stupid one that I probably won¡¯t be able to keep. But I can¡¯t just it take back, I-¡°

    I threw up my hands and sighed. ¡°Do I try anyway?¡±

    ¡°Well, a promise is a promise¡± Grandpa said. He was right. If I didn¡¯t want this responsibility, I shouldn¡¯t have taken the suit. ¡°Give yourself some credit son. I know you¡¯re smart enough to not make stupid promises.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t count on that¡± I chuckled, ironically. Grandpa sighed.

    ¡°If you feel like it¡¯s stupid, or that you can¡¯t do it, then you don¡¯t have to¡± he said, his expression serious. I frowned.

    ¡°But-¡°

    ¡°If you¡¯ve got a good enough reason, the other person will understand¡±

    I nodded, looking away. I didn¡¯t know Lucas well enough to know how he¡¯d react. But I couldn¡¯t just give him back the costume. I¡¯d seen the hope in his face when I¡¯d offered to be a hero for him. If I gave back the suit I¡¯d be taking that away. I was just repeating myself. I leant back in my chair, my shoulders sagging. This was all so tiring.

    Steadily Grandpa got up and stepped closer to me.

    ¡°Stand up son¡± Grandpa said, his gravelly voice unusually gentle. I did and he pulled me into a hug, his grip firm. ¡°Things probably feel bad right now, but it¡¯ll get better. I hope you know that.¡±

    I felt my eyes grow wet and I hugged him tighter.

    ¡°Thanks Grandpa¡±

 Peters Story - Chapter Eight

    It was easier to think upside down. Probably cause of all the blood rushing to my head. Or maybe that was the last dregs of sleep wearing off. Either way, I was working faster. I finished checking the bracelet and clipped it onto my wrist. Hopefully this worked. I pressed the on switch.

    ¡°Ow¡± I said wincing as sparks flew from my contraption and zapped my fingers. I sighed and dropped down from the ceiling, landing on the shed floor. I set the bracelet down and I looked around from a screwdriver. My heart dropped at the sound of fizzing behind me. I spun around to see the bracelet smoking slightly, an acrid smell oozing from the bubbling white liquid seeping from the gaps on the bracelets control panel.

    ¡°No, no, no!¡± I cried.

    I darted forward, switching it off. The sizzling slowed down.

    ¡°Moron¡± I mumbled. I poked it, the web fluid still slightly warm. The battery had probably overheated and damaged the casing for the fluid. I wasn¡¯t getting it open anytime soon. Dammit. I set the bracelet aside next to the other failed attempts and sighed. I sucked at this stuff. I was better at material science and mechanics. Gwen had always been the brains when it came to circuits and cells. I sat still for a few seconds, my mind blank. The smell the burnt fluid gave off knocked me back to reality.

    ¡°Come on you idiot. Don¡¯t just sit there¡± I mumbled. I picked up one of the terrible blueprint drawings I¡¯d made and started to look for where I¡¯d messed up.

    I didn¡¯t have a name for the bracelets yet, but the aim of this whole thing was to create webs. As it turned out, I wasn¡¯t exactly like Lucas. For starters I didn¡¯t have any claws or fangs, and whatever the web was I didn¡¯t have that either. My skin was adhesive at least. I¡¯d had fun with that, even though it had taken an hour or so to get used to it. It had made cleaning out the shed a lot much easier.

    Ah, there it was that made sense. No wonder the battery had malfunctioned. I grabbed a pen and began making a few revisions when a knock came from the shed door. I hid the blueprints quickly and put a box over the failed bracelets. I stood up and opened the door.

    May stood in the garden and from her posture alone I instantly knew something was wrong.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, stepping forward.

    ¡°It¡¯s MJ, she¡¯s asking for you but¡­ she doesn¡¯t seem well¡± May said. I jogged over to the house, May following closely behind. MJ stood in the hall, her hair messier than usual and her eyes bloodshot red. She didn¡¯t look happy. At all.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go¡± she replied. I frowned.

    ¡°Go where?¡±

    ¡°Are you coming or not? I can leave without you¡± she snapped. I glanced at May behind me. She gave a silent nod, her eyes still filled with worry.

    ¡°Sure I¡¯ll come, I just¡­ what happened? Did¡­ did your dad-¡°

    ¡°We can talk about it on the drive¡± she said, turning on her heel and slamming the door behind her.

    I grabbed my shoes, quickly slipping into them before Aunt May wordlessly handed me my jacket. She kissed me on the forehead quickly, and I rushed out the front door, thundering down the front steps. MJ was already in her car, the engine humming. I slipped into the passenger seat and turned to her.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, concerned.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to see Harry¡± she said. I jolted slightly as she pulled away, stepping a bit too heavily on the gas.

    ¡°Did he call you?¡± I said, uncertain.

    ¡°No¡± MJ replied. It was silent for a few seconds. I glanced at the time.

    It was 12:30. On a Sunday.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have your theatre thing today?¡± I asked. She snorted, rolling her eyes.

    ¡°MJ?¡±

    ¡°This is more important Peter. Seriously, you¡¯re a scientist but sometimes your so stupid¡± she said, clearly frustrated.

    ¡°Hey. I¡¯m just worried, ok? You show up crying an-¡°

    ¡°I¡¯m not crying¡±

    ¡°You look like you were¡±

    ¡°Well I wasn¡¯t¡±

    ¡°Did your dad do-¡°

    ¡°Don¡¯t. I¡¯m warning you don¡¯t even go there¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to help. You¡¯re obviously not ok¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. And it wouldn¡¯t even fucking matter if I wasn¡¯t¡± she said clearly pissed.

    Another awkward silence.

    ¡°Are you-¡°

    ¡°Just be quiet Pete¡± she said. I turned to look back at the road, unsure what had just happened. She was clearly pissed. Was she like this because Harry hadn¡¯t visited yet? I thought we¡¯d gone over that. I glanced at her again, her gaze of determination more focused than usual. She was seriously angry.

    ¡°MJ y-¡±

    ¡°What did I just say?!¡± she shouted angrily, turning to me.

    ¡°Your seatbelt¡± I mumbled, gesturing to it awkwardly. She turned back to the road and went silent. After a few seconds she grabbed her seatbelt, pulling at it furtively as it resisted her. She only pulled harder, dropping the subtlety and cursing to herself before she choked back a sob. She threw the seatbelt at the window, the metal of the clip banging against the glass. She cursed again and pulled over, breathing heavily as she ran her hands through her hair.

    ¡°MJ what¡¯s wrong?¡± I said, concerned. She ignored me, continuing to gulp down breaths.

    ¡°MJ?¡± I said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°Just give me a second¡± she said, pushing me back.

    ¡°Ok¡± I said, pulling away.

    I watched her for a few moments, as she breathed heavily. I felt helpless, unsure of what to do. Steadily MJ regained her composure before letting out a haggard sigh and leaning back in her chair.

    ¡°Sorry¡± she mumbled.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok¡± I said awkwardly.

    ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m sorry I snapped at you earlier¡± she said.

    ¡°Really it¡¯s ok¡± I said. We both went silence. I needed to say something. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, nervously. She shot me a look before turning back to face the road.

    ¡°There¡¯s¡­ uh¡­ a student in my homeroom. He was a troublemaker. Not a bad kid, but not everyone adjusts well to boarding life. He skipped a few classes and was late a lot¡± she said, sniffing. ¡°He¡¯d just been suspended. The principal was reluctant, but she called me and I pushed for it. It was only for a week. He was supposed to spend time with his family, straighten out, y¡¯know?¡±

    She took a breath. ¡°He and his Uncle got caught up in that metahuman fight. He got injured and his uncle didn¡¯t¡­ he didn¡¯t¡­¡± she took another breath.

    ¡°The uncle was another kid¡¯s dad. I had him for Physics. He was a good kid. And now his dad¡¯s dead. He was devastated. If I hadn¡¯t pushed for suspension the maybe¡­ maybe none of this would¡¯ve happened. And knowing I caused this, on top of all the stuff with Gwen. I tried to call her this morning y¡¯know? I just¡­ fuck¡±

    Her hands were shaking, and I didn¡¯t know what to do. I knew I needed to say something, but I was too afraid. What if I said the wrong thing? MJ might hate me forever. But still I needed to say something. My friend needed me.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. You couldn¡¯t have known¡± I said, taking her hands. I can¡¯t tell if her hands are trembling more or mine, but when she looks up at me, I can see the hope in her eyes. I pulled her into a hug as she broke down crying again. I¡¯d never done something like this before. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was right, if I needed to do more or if I was over stepping. But right now it didn¡¯t matter, she needed a hug. And as I felt my eyes grow wet, I know I did too.

    We sat there for a while, a hundred different thoughts flying through my head until I felt a sense of peace wash over me. MJ had stopped crying as well but we still held each other. I watched out the window as a few people passed and the occasional car.

    ¡°You can let go now¡± MJ whispered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t want to¡± I said back. We both let out a chuckle, held each other for a bit longer and then slowly pulled away.

    ¡°That felt¡­¡°

    ¡°Good?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    MJ rubbed her eyes and then turned the car back on.

    ¡°Are we-¡°

    ¡°Still going to Harry¡¯s? Yes¡± MJ said. I went to say something but stopped. She was fixed on this, and I didn¡¯t gain anything trying to stop her. Plus, I did want to see Harry. I needed to thank him for taking care of me.

    ¡°Lead the way¡± I said.

    ¡°We¡¯re driving you idiot¡± MJ said chuckling.

 Peters Story - Chapter Nine

    It was always weird going to Harry¡¯s. Whenever we met outside it was always in a regular coffee shop, diner or pizza place. Sure he always covered the bill, but he didn¡¯t flaunt his wealth. Hell, he even dressed as badly as me; not that he¡¯d agree with that. Maybe it was because he hadn¡¯t gone to private school like his siblings, or maybe it was because he was just a nice guy. It was just most of the time he didn¡¯t feel like a billionaire. He always said that he wasn¡¯t, that it was his parents money, but we both knew that wasn¡¯t true.

    That¡¯s why whenever we showed up to his house, whenever I met people that worked for him, it was so weird. I could feel the wealth, literally see the extravagance. And it made me feel out of place. It was like when he was talking to his bodyguards, or Dr Gonzales, at the BRC. It had felt so weird, so¡­ off. It didn''t feel like the Harry I knew. The one that couldn''t eat pizza without making a funny face, the one who was too shy to talk to girls, the one who made it his mission to be the funniest guy in the room. I tried not to think about it, the cognitive dissonance between Harry, and my perception of him. But at times like this, that just wasn¡¯t possible.

    ¡°Would you like me to take your jacket Mr Parker?¡± Harry¡¯s maid, Helena said.

    ¡°N-no, I¡¯m okay¡± I said.

    ¡°You sure? It¡¯s boiling in here. You¡¯re already sweating¡± MJ said, side eyeing me.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. We probably won¡¯t be here that long¡± I said.

    ¡°That¡¯s ok Mr Parker¡± Helena said.

    ¡°Peter¡¯s fine¡± I responded. She nodded with a polite smile and walked off.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That we won¡¯t be here that long. Harry¡¯s going to talk to us whether he likes it or not¡± MJ said.

    ¡°I know but he''s probably busy. Just don¡¯t be too¡­ you know¡± I said. MJ raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°What?¡± I asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± MJ said, crossing her arms.

    ¡°You know, you get¡­ pushy, when you''re upset¡±

    ¡°Pushy?!¡±

    ¡°Forget I said anything¡± I said not wanting to make things worse.

    ¡°No. Elaborate. Please¡± she said her tone dripping with annoyance.

    ¡°Sorry. I just- I know you¡¯re upset that he didn¡¯t show at the funeral and I-¡°

    ¡°And you aren¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°I am¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like it¡±

    I went silent.

    ¡°Sorry¡± MJ said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± I said. Should I be angrier than I already was? Probably. I didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Pete I-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine MJ. I¡¯m just trying to tell you not to get angry at him. He lost Gwen too¡± I said.

    ¡°I know¡­ I¡¯m just here to talk to him. I¡¯m¡­ worried. He¡¯s always been a bit sensitive and-¡°

    I didn¡¯t have a chance to hear the rest of what MJ was saying. My spider sense buzzed, and I spun around, coming face to face with a grinning Harry as he closed the door behind him. He wore a shirt and suit trousers, his top button undone and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His eyes looked tired, completely juxtaposed to his excited expression.

    ¡°Who¡¯s always been a bit sensitive?¡± he said, stepping forward, arms wide.

    ¡°Harry¡± MJ said with a smile stepping forward and pulling him into a tight hug. He smiled at me as he hugged MJ

    ¡°Are you¡­ free to talk?¡±

    ¡°Come on it¡¯s you guys. I should¡¯ve come to see you earlier. Now make yourself at home and let me get you something to drink¡± he said walking towards his open kitchen.

    -

    ¡°That reminds me of high school¡± I said, chuckling before taking a sip from the way to fancy wine glass.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t bring up school. I spend enough time there¡± MJ said laughing. ¡°Remember when I tutored you guys?¡± MJ said.

    ¡°Oh my god. Remember when my dad found out you were tutoring Pete?¡± Harry said laughing.

    ¡°He offered $200 for every session, and when I turned it down he said he¡¯d pay for my college as well¡± MJ said chuckling.

    ¡°Your mum didn¡¯t let you turn that down did she?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No way. I thought it

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    ¡°The lessons were worth it. You got me through sophomore year, before ditching us. Then Pete had to pick up the slack¡± Harry said with a grin.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it like that¡± MJ said chuckling.

    ¡°What did you do with the money again?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Almost all of it went to school stuff and I saved the rest. Mum put it in an account for me, just to make sure Dad didn¡¯t touch the rest.¡±

    ¡°Good for you. You took my dad for everything he was worth. He¡¯s never had any sense for money that man¡± Harry said, his smile fading slightly.

    ¡°I feel kind of bad, then I remember he¡¯s a billionaire¡± MJ laughed. Harry chuckled at the comment, and then snatched the wine glass off the table. He poured MJ more and offered me, but I shook my head. I probably shouldn¡¯t get drunk, even if it was wine drunk, with super strength.

    Suddenly MJ¡¯s phone started ringing. She frowned and pulled it out her pocket, and the color drained from her face.

    ¡°Sorry, I have to take this¡± she said getting up. Harry and I glanced at each other before turning back to MJ. She spoke over the phone for a few seconds, mumbling something to someone.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be over in a sec¡± she said, before hanging up.

    ¡°What was that?¡± I asked, concerned.

    ¡°Work. Sorry I need to go¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡± Harry said. MJ nodded.

    ¡°I can have someone drive you if you-¡°

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can walk it from here. It was great to see you Harry. Sorry about this¡±

    ¡°No worries¡±

    She walked off, Helena handing MJ her jacket and opening the door for her.

    ¡°You know what that was about?¡± Harry asked me.

    ¡°I¡­ one of her students lost a family member in the big fight last week. She¡¯s not... she''s worried¡± I said, images of a depressed Lucas flashing through my mind.

    ¡°Mmmh¡± Harry said, downing his wine glass. I frowned but didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°So, how have you been Pete? You healing alright?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yeah. Thanks for that by the way. The hospital stuff I mean¡±

    ¡°Come on Pete, we¡¯re best buds. I wouldn¡¯t just let you die¡± he said. We both went silent, the air awkward now that MJ was gone. When was the last time we¡¯d been alone together? High school? Probably. Ever since college, we¡¯d always hung out with Bella, Grady, Sajani, Ned and Gwen. Come to think of it we were never really alone together in high school either. Gwen and Ned were almost always with us. That was weird to think about.

    ¡°How¡¯s Ned?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Oh, Ned¡¯s good. He says it¡¯s rainy in London. I¡¯ll tell him to give you a call.¡±

    ¡°He did a few months back, but I was just thinking he¡¯s been radio silent for a while. He must not have my new number.¡±

    More silence. I needed to stop being so awkward. It was Harry. My best friend.

    ¡°How are things with the BRC? I mean, it¡¯s what¡¯s kept you busy, right?¡± I asked. His expression shifted slightly and he leant back in his chair, sighing.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say, I¡¯m fucked¡± he said.

    Oh.

    Harry leant back his head and let out a shrill one-note laugh before, looking back at me.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a few ways to minimise the damage, but I don¡¯t like any of them. And either way, any shot I had at being CEO in the future got blown to smithereens along with the damn building¡± he said, taking a swig from his glass.

    He stood up, and made his way over to my couch, sitting down next to me.

    ¡°What about you? How¡¯s your mental health or whatever?¡± he asked. I paused staring at him uncertainly.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Harry are you ok? I mean y-¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re on you now Pete"

    ¡°Harry don''t ¡°

    "I shouldn''t have said anything. I don''t really want to talk about it" he sighed.

    "Ok. That''s... fine" I said, still concerned.

    ¡°Now answer my question. Properly¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ okay, I guess."

    "You don''t look okay"

    "I don''t?"

    "You look like you''ve been crying" he said. I didn''t reply, and looked away, feeling embarrassed.

    "It¡¯s fine if you aren¡¯t ok man. You were the closest to Gwen after all¡± he said. I nodded.

    ¡°I just¡­ I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s like after the explosion, everything just stopped. I mean, I haven¡¯t done anything. I haven¡¯t tried to do anything. Well¡­¡± I trailed off.

    ¡°Well what?¡±

    ¡°I made a stupid promise. It¡¯s nothing¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°Come on Pete, tell me¡±

    ¡°I just¡­ I promised someone I¡¯d do something¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡±

    ¡°I do. I do. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m trying but I-, it¡¯s not¡­ I¡¯m not sure it¡¯ll work¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a lot of responsibility. I don¡¯t think I can handle it¡±

    ¡°Pete you¡¯re the most responsible person I know. If you think it¡¯s too much then it probably is. Ask for help¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡±

    ¡°I am literally right here¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t ask you to help with this¡± I said. Harry sighed and we both went silent again. I couldn¡¯t just tell him about Lucas. I was saying too much already.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do something¡± Harry said. I looked up at him frowning.

    ¡°Like what?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Something big. Something that distracts us from all the outside noise. I know I need to do something that isn¡¯t about the BRC, and this''ll probably help you. You won¡¯t feel so stuck anymore¡±

    ¡°Define something big. That could be anything¡±

    ¡°Something big that¡¯s good¡±

    ¡°That does not narrow it down¡±

    ¡°Well then we make a list. You¡¯re the smart one, what comes to mind when we think of something big that¡¯s good?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. UBI? Free healthcare? Charities?¡± I said.

    ¡°Charities? What kind?¡± Harry said perking up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. All of them I guess¡±

    ¡°Pick a specific one¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ one that provides relief for disasters?¡±

    Harry pondered for a second.

    ¡°I think we could do that¡±

    ¡°You can?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯d have to just be for part of the city, but yeah. We could have a fund that helps people out during disasters or whatever¡± he said casually.

    ¡°You¡¯d do that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah man, we could even name it after Gwen or something¡± he said. I stared at him in disbelief for a few seconds, then pulled him into a tight hug, quickly toning down my strength so I didn¡¯t crush him.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright man. I¡¯m just trying to make this situation better¡± he said. I pulled away, wiping at my eyes. He put a hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry man. It¡¯s alright¡± he said.

    ¡°No I just¡­ thanks. This means a lot¡± I said. He smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯m not some saint Pete. I just want to feel good about myself for once, before my life gets ruined¡±

    I frowned.

    ¡°Is it about the research centre?"

    "I-"

    "Harry, come on. Just tell me what''s bothering you¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ let¡¯s just say I¡¯m not exactly going to be popular in New York, even if I start a charity¡±

    ¡°What why?¡±

    ¡°I was in charge of the BRC Pete. It¡¯s not that difficult to¡­ extrapolate¡± he said throwing his hands upwards.

    ¡°They pinning the blame on you?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re trying to¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be okay man. I mean everyone knows it was an accident¡±

    ¡°Scientists like you maybe. But to everyone else¡­¡± he trailed off, shaking his head.

    ¡°But it¡¯s not your fault¡± I said, the memories of Dr Gonzales flashing through my mind.

    ¡°In business it¡¯s always someone¡¯s fault Peter. Always¡± he said, staring at the floor. His look was distant but for the first time that night his eyes seemed focused.

    I felt an uneasy feeling in my stomach at his dark expression. MJ was right, he¡¯d always been a bit sensitive. But he wouldn¡¯t do anything drastic, right? With the way he was talking, I wasn¡¯t so sure.

    I leant forward and put a hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°You know you can talk to me about anything man¡± I said. He let out a small chuckle as he eyed his wine glass.

    ¡°Harry, talk to me¡± I said. My spider sense buzzed and he threw a pillow at me. I ducked and looked up at him to see him, shaking his head smiling.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt myself Pete. I¡¯m dumb, not stupid¡± he said.

    ¡°Just make sure to call me if you ever feel down, okay?¡± I said. He looked up at me and held eye contact for a few seconds, his expression softening.

    ¡°Sure thing man¡± he said, looking away. He took a another deep swig from his glass.

    ¡°If you¡¯re mental health or whatever was fucked up, or something was going on with you, you¡¯d tell me right?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°Yeah. But I''m not always the most talkative¡± I said, chuckling uncertainly.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious Pete. I know you don¡¯t want to talk about your promise or whatever, but if something was really troubling you, you¡¯d tell me, eventually, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course, we¡¯re best buds¡± I said. Harry smiled slightly and raised his glass to me. I clinked it with my own and we both downed our drinks. I let out a refreshed sigh.

    ¡°To best buds¡± I said, with a smile.

    ¡°To best buds¡± a grinning Harry replied.

 Peters Story - Chapter Ten

    I sat on the ceiling of the shed, clipping the bracelet onto my wrist again. I¡¯d reworked it completely. No battery, just mechanical functions. Now I didn¡¯t have to worry about it overheating or having anything affect the web fluid. It had taken a while but it should work. I adjusted the bracelet, the smooth metal cold against my skin.

    I aimed down at the floor and pressed on the circular pad. A burst of the web shot forwards, the strands sticking to the floor. I pulled and felt it stretch slightly before hearing the floorboards creaked. It held. Perfect. I jumped down and landed on the floor. I fired a web at the ceiling, laughing to myself as I marvelled at it. I¡¯d used a mix of a few ideas I¡¯d had in college, but mainly one I¡¯d had about a liquid that could be converted into a fibre when under pressure. I held the web tightly and lifted my feet off the ground. I laughed harder as I turned upside down, hanging from the web. ¡°Perfect¡± I said dropping down. I looked over it again. I probably shouldn¡¯t fire anymore, it¡¯d take about an hour to disappear and I didn¡¯t want the shed covered in web from floor to ceiling. Now that I was finished, I could probably call Ned, then May would have dinner ready.

    I yawned stepping out of the shed and froze. It was dark and all the lights were off.. I pulled out my phone. It was 22:00. Dammit, I¡¯d missed Dinner. I turned off the light in the shed and made my way over to the house quietly. I closed the back door quietly and looked around. I grabbed a note off the counter.

    ¡®Your supper¡¯s in the oven, with some pancakes for desert. Love May.¡¯ I opened the oven and pulled out a plate of lukewarm beef brisket, with Aunt May¡¯s homemade fries and some broccoli on the side. I smiled slightly, but it disappeared quickly. I needed to talk to Aunt May. I¡¯d been sort of avoiding her whenever we didn¡¯t have guests. She¡¯d probably sensed I wanted space and kept her distance slightly. I was just using her kindness against her, and that just wasn¡¯t right. I needed to just man up and talk to her.

    But not right now. She was probably sleeping and even if she wasn¡¯t I needed to get my thoughts in order. I could do it in the morning. Tomorrow I could get everything sorted; I would go home and tell Helga and Sasha the truth, I would meet up with Bella, Grady, and Sajani, and I would talk to Aunt May. But right now, I needed to sleep. I was tired.

    I finished off the last piece of my food and put the leftover pancakes in the fridge. I slowly crept down the hall, trying not to look at the photos on the walls. I reached the stairs and climbed up on the wall, careful to not make any noise. I stayed on the wall, climbing soundlessly down the hall before reaching my room, opening my door slightly and then climbing inside. I dropped to the floor quietly and then unceremoniously slumped onto my bed. I needed to change but I could do that in a bit. I lay there, my breaths easing as they slowed. I opened my eyes as to not fall asleep and stared out at the moonlit sky. It was peaceful tonight, serene. It reminded me of nights when Uncle Ben would tuck me in. He¡¯d read me a bedtime story, but unlike May, he¡¯d always give it a special twist at the end to keep me guessing. Then he¡¯d praise me. Tell me all sorts of wonderful things whenever I got sad, and even sometimes when I didn¡¯t. I smiled faintly.

    The memories were so clear I could hear his words.

    You¡¯re special Peter. You¡¯ll do amazing things, probably change the world.

    I chuckled to myself. Hopefully he was right.

    I sat up, stretching as I let out a yawn. Getting up I stretched out and made my way over to my wardrobe. It was mostly filled with old stuff, but some of it still fit me. I probably should¡¯ve brought clothes from home too. I undressed, changing into a some shorts and a white top. I walked back and took off the bracelet, setting it on the nightstand. I paused, glancing at the bag that peeked out from under the bed. It was fine. I glanced at the bracelet on the bedside. I was making enough progress already. I didn¡¯t need to think about it now.

    I lay down in bed, the supports creaking slightly. Staring at the ceiling I lay still, waiting for sleep to come. But now, for whatever reason, my mind was wide awake. I shifted slightly, trying to find a comfortable position. Still sleep didn¡¯t come. I sighed and sat up, glancing at the bedside table. I stared at the bracelets, then reached under the bed and grabbed the bag. Silently I opened it, pulling out the mask. I set it on my lap staring at it in a peaceful silence.

    I knew why I couldn¡¯t sleep. Because of this stupid thing. It had been two days now since I¡¯d taken this, and I still hadn¡¯t done anything. Sure I¡¯d made the web bracelets or whatever, and I¡¯d come up with ideas for stuff I could use to repair the costume, but I hadn¡¯t done anything. I hadn¡¯t saved anyone. I¡¯d just sat at home thinking about things and that wasn¡¯t going to do anything. If I really wanted to do something, then I needed to go outside. Now. It didn¡¯t matter if I wasn¡¯t ready if I was going to do this then I couldn¡¯t put it off till tomorrow. I couldn¡¯t wait until I felt ready because I never would be.  There was probably someone out there suffering right now, calling out for help, for a hero and there was no one there to help.

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    I stood up, my heart beating wildly, my body trembling. I was doing this. I was really doing this. I pulled out the costume. I couldn¡¯t wear it, not in the state it was in. I¡¯d wear a hoodie, I had a purple one I could turn inside out. The mask was damaged, but not enough to cover my face. I searched quietly for my hoodie and pulled it on. I frowned then took it off and put it into a bag. I could change somewhere else. I didn¡¯t want anyone spotting me in the same clothes that Spider-man would be wearing. I stuffed a pair of joggers, and some gloves into the bag before slipping the bracelet on and fastening it. I crept onto the landing, climbed downstairs and grabbed some shoes. I glanced at the front door. That¡¯d make too much noise. I climbed back upstairs and opened my window, leaping down into the garden. I made my way around the side of the house and then out onto the street. I took a deep breath. I needed to find somewhere to change.

    -

    I sat in an alley between two bins, my hands trembling. I¡¯d made my way to downtown Queens because it was probably where I was likely to find the most crime in a place that was still reasonably close to home. I¡¯d found a secluded spot, hidden and changed. I¡¯d done everything except put on the mask. I¡¯d sat here for the past twenty minutes, too afraid to do anything. Even insulting myself hadn¡¯t worked. I glanced down either side of the alley. I needed to suck it up and go out there. I mean if I didn¡¯t someone was going to see me sitting here in these clothes. Then I definitely couldn¡¯t go out. I went to pull the mask on again and hesitated again. I let out a sigh. Dammit. Why was I like this? Gwen wouldn¡¯t have been afraid.

    I took a deep breath, grit my teeth, pulled on the mask and stood up. I felt stupid, but I needed to do this. I stepped out of the alley, looking around as the few people in the street gave me weird looks. Right so now I needed to¡­ I hadn¡¯t thought this far. I guess I needed to patrol. I glanced down at my web bracelet. I probably should¡¯ve figured out how to swing with this thing first. I mean I couldn¡¯t just run around. Well figuring things out was why I was here anyway, right? I tightened the straps on my bag and looked around. I aimed my web bracelet up at a building and fired. The web shot out attaching itself to the wall face. Now I just had to think about mechanics of it. Hmm, it shouldn¡¯t be too hard. I leapt up and backwards, climbing up the web and then swung forwards as my momentum came back down. I swung forwards in an arc, the wind rushing past me. I let go close to the bottom of the swing and shot forwards at incredible speeds. Hands shaking and head buzzing I fired another web, and repeated, swinging through the street. My heart felt like a hammer trying to break out of my rib cage, the sense of swinging nauseating. I came to a stop on top of a building and quickly scrambled over the edge towards stable ground. It took a few seconds to recover but I lay there for at least five minutes. Ok, I needed to keep repeating that until it didn¡¯t make me feel sick. Exposure therapy. I stood up and walked over to the edge of the building.

    I took a breath and clamped my eyes shut. My body refused to jump off the edge. Alright then. This was ok. This was fine I could just try again. I took a step back and braced myself before throwing my body forwards. I was doing it! I jerked backwards, my feet glued to the ledge. God dammit. I took in a breath and stared out over the street below. Nothing was happening right now. I could take a few seconds to gather my thoughts. I stepped back from the edge and sat down with a sigh. Well at least I knew it worked. I looked down my wrist, the grey metal poking out between the gloves and hoodie.

    It stood out too much. I could dye it the same colour as the costume maybe? I also needed to think of a name other than web bracelet, I mean it didn¡¯t exactly roll off the tongue. Web rope? No that was just describing the web itself. Web dispenser? Absolutely not. Web gun? No. Web shooter? Kind of aggressive, but it sounded nicer than the other names. Web grappler? No. I think I¡¯d just go with web shooter. Either way, this whole things would definitely be easier when I made a second one. I heard a shout from down below and hopped up. I peeked over the edge of the building to see four guys chasing one dude. That couldn¡¯t be good. I took a deep breath and leapt off the side of the building, firing a web and swinging my body forwards. My heart shot into my mouth but I ignored it as I cut through the air and let go, propelling myself forwards with a final push. I landed between the chasers and the runner, stumbling slightly before coming to a halt.

    ¡°Stop right there¡± I said. They all froze staring at each other as they panted heavily. I glanced behind me. The runner had kept sprinting away.

    ¡°Why were you guys chasing him?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you care?¡± one of them said, stepping forwards.

    ¡°Well we don¡¯t want anyone doing anything bad do we¡±

    ¡°Oh shit you¡¯re Spiderguy. What the hell are you doing out here?¡± another said, pulling out his phone.

    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to help people¡± I said.

    ¡°Well stop that other guy. That¡¯d help us. He owes us money¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can just detain him because he owes you m-¡°

    Before I could finish my spider sense buzzed and I dived to the side. Water splashed over the spot I¡¯d been before. I glanced up. A woman threw a glass at me and I caught it.

    ¡°Fuck you Spider-Man!¡± she shouted. Huh? She disappeared and then came back, hurling pieces of garbage at me as she cursed.

    ¡°What the hell¡¯s wrong with you?!¡± I shouted back.

    ¡°You put my nephew in the hospital in your stupid fight!¡± she shouted. Oh.

    ¡°S-sorry¡± I said back, uncertain how I was supposed to reply. She responded by throwing the whole rubbish bag at me. I caught it, only to have it explode as I did. Slightly warm garbage juice sprayed over me and the guys behind me all broke out into laughter. I shook my hands and wiped them on my pants, but they were just as dirty. I glanced up. The woman had closed her window.

    Dammit. Frustrated I kicked the rubbish then gathered it up with web and took it to a bin in an alley nearby. I sat on the bin for a few minutes, silent. This had been a shitshow. I hadn¡¯t even done anything. Well it was probably for the best if I went home for the night. I was tired.

 Interlude Six - Harrison Osborne

    Everything was fucked. Irreparably fucked. He couldn¡¯t even trust his closest friend. Well it¡¯s not like his closest friend could trust him either. Harry didn¡¯t know which was worse. He knew he¡¯d lied with intent, knew what he¡¯d done was wrong, but he¡¯d still done it anyway. Pete¡­ Pete hadn¡¯t lied. It had felt like a lie, but he¡¯s just not said anything. Harry had sort of avoided any conversation that could end up with him revealing what he knew. That had been stupid. But he hadn¡¯t had the guts to do it. Even after getting wine drunk. He¡¯d been too afraid to bring out the hard liquor. Scared it would turn into a screaming match. That wasn¡¯t right, it wouldn¡¯t become a screaming match. Peter didn¡¯t lash out when he got angry, he turned inward. It was probably a good thing he hadn¡¯t brought out the liquor. He wouldn¡¯t have been able to live with the shame once he¡¯d gotten sober.

    He chuckled to himself, the sound filled with irony. Pete had seen right through him, effortlessly. He¡¯d let the mask slip for half a second and bam, Pete had known he¡¯d wanted to hurt himself. It¡¯s like he had a sixth sense. For everything he didn¡¯t want him to see and nothing he did. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

    It wasn¡¯t Peter¡¯s fault.

    It wasn¡¯t Peter¡¯s fault he didn¡¯t have the courage to release the footage on his own. It wasn¡¯t Peter¡¯s fault Harry couldn¡¯t go against his father. It was Peter¡¯s fault Harry¡¯s conscience, as warped and twisted as it was, still existed. He didn¡¯t know if that was a good thing. Maybe if he watched it again, he¡¯d be able to figure it out.

    He hit play on the video again.

    ¡°You bastard! What¡¯ve you done?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve finally achieved it. I¡¯ve achieved perfection ¡°

    ¡°SOMEONE! HELP! HE-¡°

    Harry watched the feed unflinchingly as the sound of the man¡¯ s screams echoed around his room. He¡¯d seen it hundreds of times already and it didn¡¯t get any easier to watch. But he made sure he did. Maybe this time the shock of it all would change his mind.

    He continued watching, the seconds in the bottom corner of the feed ticking away. Four seconds, three, two, one¡­

    The familiar sound of the door creaking open slightly, followed by-

    ¡°No on-¡±

    Harry¡¯s face twitched. The sound of the door closing cuts off the sentence, but he can tell, could tell on the first watch it was Peter. Silence for six seconds. The door creaks open again.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    He flinched at the sound of Peter¡¯s voice. He always did. Wasn¡¯t sure why.

    ¡°What the-¡° The kids voice. And it begins. There¡¯s a sickening thud, and the crack of concrete.

    ¡°Lucasssss¡­ you shouldn¡¯t have come¡±

    ¡°Ricardo?!¡±

    ¡°Yes Lucasss. I finally succeeded. I mean look at me!¡±

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    ¡°What did you do?!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? I succeeded! What happened to you was near impossible to replicate, but we tried. We really did. But it was foolish to try and change humans on a fundamental level. Fortunately, we had you! We stumbled across the happy little accident that is this power!¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?! What about the cure?¡±

    ¡°Cure?! Boy don¡¯t you understand what you¡¯ve been gifted! Pure unadulterated POWER!!¡±

    ¡°No! Y-you said you could cure me!¡±

    ¡°Who cares!!!¡±

    Another sickening thud. The kid¡¯s gasps as he struggles for air are even worse. And Pete scrambling about in the background, his eyes glued to the monster. The crash of glass. It does nothing.

    ¡°It¡¯s not perfect though. This power, it isn¡¯t stable. It needs negative energy, blood, and brains. It hungers for it¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to go like this, but we had to eat Lindon. He¡¯d spent so much time in here his body was basically radiating with negative energy. Gods he was delicious. And you will be too. Once I eat you, I¡¯ll eat the girl. And then I¡¯ll hunt down every last one of the insects and altered and eat them alive. And I¡¯ll enjoy every second of it¡±

    He turned the volume down. The acid splashed against the monster, it¡¯s damning screeches sounded like the cries of tortured souls in the depths of hell.

    The kid grabs Peter, running for it. The monster gives chase. Tables fly and the room becomes a mess, years of planning and months of work reduced to debris in seconds.

    ¡°The acid!¡±

    Harry flinched but fixed his eyes upon the screen again. He enjoyed this moment the most. The scuffle is artistic in a way. The savage monster and desperate boy. It reminds Harry of him and his father. Only the boy wins.

    ¡°YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO CURE ME!!¡±

    A sickening boom and the audio cuts out. The camera shakes with every blow as blood spatters the wall. Then light strobes across the room. The kid gets thrown and Peter rushes over to him. Then a flash of white and nothing. Harry sighed and stared at the black screen. Unfortunately, because of the complete idiots running the security system this was the only footage he had. Nothing had been recorded in any of the labs before his visit because of ¡®legal reasons¡¯. Even though it wasn¡¯t necessary he was dying to know what else had happened in that lab. It might have been able to save him without him having to release the rest of the footage. Watching it again had just made that feeling worse. Part of him so desperately wanted to release the tape.

    If he released the tape Harry would be okay. Sure a few people might blame him, but most would pin it on the monster. Once they found out he was a scientist he¡¯d be crucified, if he wasn¡¯t dead already. But the boy¡¯s life would be ruined too. Everyone would know who Spider-man was. Lucas Escarra. Three sisters. The eldest was his guardian Dead parents. Blood type A negative. Born 19/05/2009. Only fourteen years old.

    Only Harry, his father, and Viktor knew. A few scientists too. And it was supposed to stay that way. His father had told them. Not because of any moral, simply because Norman was worried that the footage might contain the secret to the negative energy bomb. He was doing everything he could to try and recover some of this venom. Harry had managed to argue against kidnapping the kid, but he wasn¡¯t sure how long that would last. He¡¯d said it was more trouble than it was worth, that they didn¡¯t want someone that strong as an enemy. That had been a lie. It had been too close to MJ, too close to the good part of his life. Plus, he didn¡¯t want the kid to suffer for his victory. He needed the win to be flawless in his mind. That way, it at least made it worth it. That way the video would stay secret. Harry couldn¡¯t ruin the boy¡¯s triumph, even if it denied his own.

    He leant back into his sofa, it¡¯s impeccable softness anything but a comfort. The silence was almost deafening, or maybe it was just the thrum of blood roaring in his ears. It didn¡¯t matter. He grabbed the remote from beside him and switched on the television, the light casting a glow over the rest of the room. It was the Bugle¡¯s 24 hour broadcast. It wasn¡¯t exactly his cup of tea, but Lauren liked to watch it whenever she couldn¡¯t sleep. He went to flick through the channels before pausing. His brow furrowed. It was a late, to the point that you could call it early, but he was sure he wasn¡¯t seeing things. They were showing a handheld recording, from the aspect ratio probably a phone.

    ¡°Spider-Man¡± he whispered to himself. The kid was back on the streets and from what was happening it didn¡¯t look like people were happy. Someone had thrown a garbage bag at him whilst a group of kids had recorded laughing.

    Harry turned off the TV and scowled. He didn''t need to see that, it''d just make him feel more pathetic. He closed the laptop too and looked out over the skyline, peppered with lights that glowed in the darkness. Finally his eyes settled on Oscorp tower. That was it then. After all that work, it had slipped between his fingers in a single fucking night. He¡¯d never have it. Harry downed his drink. It didn¡¯t matter. If he couldn¡¯t have it, he¡¯d burn it down.

 Peters Story - Chapter Eleven

    Someone was tapping me on the back of the head.

    ¡°Wake up sleepy¡± a familiar voice said. I groaned, sitting up and adjusted my glasses. Gwen stood in front of me, staring at me with a sly smile.

    ¡°Huh?¡± I said, yawning.

    ¡°Come on Pete, Otto will kill us if we¡¯re late¡± she said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine¡± I said.

    ¡°You take his kindness for granted sometimes. Now seriously come on¡± she said. I pulled myself up, stretching lightly. I looked over my desk, searching for my reports. Crap had I lost them? This would be the second time.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got yours here silly¡± she said handing them to me.

    ¡°Thanks, I almost had a heart attack¡± I said. Gwen rolled her eyes, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards into a smile and we made our way out into the corridor and up a small flight of stairs.

    I yawned again. when a weird sensation

    Blood seeped through her clothes as dust, and debris seemed to grow out of her skin. The lights in the lift flickered and her eyes grew dark.

    ¡°You let me die, just like Uncle Ben right?¡±

    ¡°No! No Gwen it wasn¡¯t like that.¡±

    ¡°Then how comes you didn¡¯t die. You were right there, next to the explosion, weren¡¯t you? How comes

    I felt my shoes grow wet and looked down to see black ooze seeping into the vents of the elevator. I stumbled backwards and fell, splashing onto the floor. I looked up to see Gwen¡¯s blood stained face stare at me unflinchingly, her judging eyes fixed upon my face.

    ¡°How is that fair Peter? How is that fair?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sor-¡±

    My voice hitched in my throat. I tried to speak again, but I couldn¡¯t say anything. My voice didn¡¯t work. I tried to move, but the ooze held me down. No, it pulled me deeper into its endless abyss as Gwen stared at me uncaring. I could see my face reflected in her empty eyes, the fear and guilt etched into it so clearly. I tried to struggle, tried to scream, but it was no use. And as I was dragged down further, I recognised the twisted maniacal laughter of Dr Gonzales echo in my ears. As my head started to submerge the elevator started to glow with a blinding heat. I tried to scream, out crying as I struggled and then with a deafening roar everything went white.

    -

    I opened my eyes with a start, sweat covering my body and my heart beating out of my chest. I took a few seconds to calm down before I slumped back onto the ceiling, my hands still trembling. I¡¯d had the same dream three times now. It always started with me doing something with Gwen and then getting trapped in the black ooze. I wiped my cheeks and then my brow, letting out a shaky sigh. I needed to stop thinking about it and get ready. I was finally meeting Bella, Grady and Sajani today. I hadn¡¯t had a proper chance to talk to any of them since the¡­ event, even at the funeral. I looked down at the time, tilting my head to get a better view. 11:19. I had an hour and a bit.

    I sniffed myself and made a face. I still smelt like garbage. I dropped down and landed on the floor, soundlessly. I opened the windows letting the stink out of my room. I¡¯d gotten home late last night and decided to not take a shower so I wouldn¡¯t wake Aunt May. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have. I glanced at the bag next to my bed and sprayed the contents with deodorant again, before zipping it shut.

    I grabbed some clothes to change into and stepped out into the hallway. I could hear MJ and Aunt May laughing together downstairs. I crept quietly to the bathroom and started a shower. As I stood there, all my thoughts were fixed on what happened last night. It hadn¡¯t exactly been what I¡¯d expected. I understood why the woman had been so angry, but had she really needed to throw garbage at me? I sighed. It didn¡¯t matter, I just had to deal with it.

    My thoughts went back to the dream. Unlike before it was sticking in my mind, the memories of it becoming sharper rather than fading away. Her words rung in my head, drawing out a guilt from my stomach. She wasn¡¯t real. That hadn¡¯t been Gwen. It was the twisted part of my psyche that was just blaming me for her death. It hadn¡¯t been my fault. It hadn¡¯t.

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    My replacement phone buzzed, and I let out a breath I hadn¡¯t realised I¡¯d been holding. I turned off the shower and dried myself quickly, putting on my clothes. I didn¡¯t smell anymore thank God. I checked my phone. It was Sajani. She had to reschedule to half an hour later. That was fine, it gave me more than enough time to make my second web-shooter and run a few tests on myself. I paused. It gave me more than enough time. I felt my heart drop slightly. I¡¯d have enough time to go to Helga¡¯s before we met up.

    Enough time to tell them Gwen was dead.

    Well, it could wait till after, couldn¡¯t it? I mean I didn¡¯t have to do it beforehand. I¡¯d stick to the plan and wait till after lunch. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. No, I was just putting it off again. I clasped my hands together. If I was going to do it, I was going to do it now. Even the web-shooter could wait.

    ¡°Morning¡± I called out, as I rushed down the stairs.

    ¡°Morning¡± MJ and Aunt May called back.

    ¡°Your breakfast is in the oven¡± Aunt May added. The smell of pancakes wafted past my nose. I paused, my laces hanging loosely in my hands. I should probably eat first.

    -

    I stood outside my apartment building, clutching my memorial card from the funeral. I held it tightly, looking at Gwen¡¯s face on the cover. She was smiling brightly as she looked at the camera, her eyes sparkling despite the lack of light. It was a photo I¡¯d taken on her 21<sup>st</sup> birthday. The photo wasn¡¯t that great, it wasn¡¯t centred, there wasn¡¯t enough light, and I¡¯d been too drunk to hold the camera properly. But there was something about it. I wasn¡¯t sure, maybe it just captured Gwen¡¯s essence, or maybe it was her smile. I thought back to when I¡¯d taken the photo. It had been the group of us from college and I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯d all been drunk out of our minds. Harry had made sure it was extravagant, so there hadn¡¯t exactly been a limit to the number of drinks we could have. I¡¯m pretty sure Grady had passed out whilst singing in the karaoke booth. I let out a small chuckle, wiping at my eyes before looking up at the building.

    I stepped inside, trudging up the steps slowly. My heart thumped, growing quicker with every step. I flinched as the stairs creaked beneath my feet and the sound of voices grew closer. Before I realised it, I was on the landing. I made my way over to Helga¡¯s door and stared at, letting out a heavy breath. My shoulders slumped and I knocked on the door. My heart sunk to the pit of my stomach as footsteps drew closer and then the door creaked open slightly. Sasha poked her head around the door and her curious expression turned into a smile.

    ¡°Hey Pete!¡± she said, smiling widely as she opened the door.

    ¡°Hey Sasha¡± I replied, dejected. Her smile disappeared.

    ¡°Woah, you okay? What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked, stepping forwards.

    ¡°I¡­ I lied to you. I¡¯m sorry¡± I said.

    ¡°What?¡± she said, the confusion apparent on her face.

    ¡°When I came back the other day I lied¡± I said, my voice shaky. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to but I did. It was wrong and I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    ¡°Peter? What are you talking about? Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Gwen¡¯s not¡­ Gwen¡¯s not okay¡± I said sniffling. Sasha¡¯s concern twisted into fear.

    ¡°Is she in the hospital?¡±

    ¡°No Sasha she¡¯s¡­¡± I trailed off, fighting back tears. I took a deep breath and turned back to Sasha, her face filled with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity.

    ¡°Gwen¡¯s not with us anymore¡± I said tearfully. ¡°She died in the explosion. I¡¯m sorry Sasha. I should¡¯ve told you sooner.¡±

    Sasha stepped back, a look of uncertainty on her face. She stared at me with wet eyes, uncharacteristically silent. She looked as though she was searching for something, anything in my expression that would help her make sense of what I¡¯d just said. I handed her the memorial card and she stared at it, her hand trembling in disbelief.

    ¡°There was a funeral already?¡± she said the hurt in her voice palpable. Her eyes sparkled with tears.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± I responded, placing a hand on her shoulder. She just stared at the card, still. I gave her a few seconds to process things before speaking.

    ¡°Is¡­ your mum here?¡± I asked.

    She shook her head.

    ¡°Will she be back soon? I¡¯d like to tell her. I don¡¯t want you to have to do that¡±

    ¡°She won¡¯t be back for a while. I¡­ I can tell mum¡± she said, looking up at me.

    ¡°I can come back¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine Pete. Really¡± she said, offering me back the card.

    ¡°Keep it. It¡¯s for you¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡± she mumbled. I stood there, unsure of what to do. She glanced up at me and pulled me into a hug quickly. I hugged back and she buried her face into my shoulder and clutched me tightly. She didn¡¯t cry, but the silence was enough to tell what she was feeling.

    She pulled away almost as soon as she¡¯d hugged me and let out a nervous laugh as she wiped her eyes.

    ¡°Sorry¡± she said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. No need to apologise.¡± She nodded and we both stood in silence for a few seconds.

    ¡°I¡­ thanks for letting me know¡± she said sniffling.

    ¡°I should¡¯ve told you before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok. I get why you didn¡¯t. We were so happy to see you and¡­ that must¡¯ve been hard.¡±

    ¡°I still shouldn¡¯t have lied.¡±

    ¡°You were hurting. It¡¯s¡­ok¡± she said. I watched her closely. She was struggling to keep it together.

    ¡°Do you want me to stay for a bit or-¡°

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine¡± she said abruptly. She took a shaky breath, staring at the ground then looked up at me. ¡°Sorry¡± she said, barely audible.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok if you need space. If you need me, I¡¯ll be next door¡± I said. She nodded and then closed the door.

    I stood there for a few seconds as the sound of footsteps disappeared further into her apartment. Then faintly I heard the sound of crying. My shoulders slumped further, and I sighed. I pinched the bridge of my nose then looked up at the ceiling. I¡¯d just have to leave her alone. If Sasha wanted to talk to me, then she¡¯d knock. I opened my apartment door and instantly slumped face first onto my bed. After a few seconds I sat up and glanced at my watch. 12:19. Oh right, I was meeting with the others wasn¡¯t I. I¡¯d have to leave in twenty minutes. What if Sasha knocked expecting me? Should I cancel? No, that wouldn¡¯t be fair to my friends. I¡¯d just slip a note under her door with my number, then she¡¯d be able to call me. I slumped back into my bed with a sniffle. Hopefully I wasn¡¯t as much of an emotional mess when I showed up. I didn¡¯t want to bring everyone down even more.

 Peters Story - Chapter Twelve

    ¡°Would you like a receipt?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°No problem, have a nice day¡± the cashier said.

    ¡°Thanks¡± I responded, taking my bag as she handed it to me. I stepped out into the street and glanced in my bag. The gifts seemed reasonable enough. I looked up, taking in my surroundings. Despite the slight winter chill the sky glowed. Sunlight washed over the city bathing everything in an afternoon glow. The streets were busy, people chatting away as they went about their lives. I started making my way down the road, spotting a few stores that were advertising Halloween merchandise for next weekend. We usually had some kind of party at one of our houses, but it probably wouldn¡¯t be appropriate this year. Maybe we could do it next year or have a get together during next month.

    I turned the corner and felt myself tense up as I spotted the others standing outside the coffee shop we frequented. They stood talking to each other, smiles across their faces as their laughter spread through the street. I guess everyone had planned to get here a few minutes early just like me. I walked towards them, taking the scene in. Sajani had a cast on her left arm. She hadn¡¯t mentioned that. Grady had a few healing scrapes on his face and Bella looked otherwise fine, but I knew she had a bruised rib.

    Grady noticed me first.

    ¡°Pete!¡± he said, his smile growing wider as he stepped towards me pulling me into a hug.

    ¡°Hey man¡± I said hugging him back, tighter than I¡¯d expected. Grady stepped away and Sajani and Bella stepped forward smiling at me. Sajani pulled me into a hug and Bella joined in hugging the both of us. Grady pulled the three of us into a hug and we all pulled away, laughing slightly as we did.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you Pete¡± Sajani said. I nodded.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s goof to see all of you as well¡± I responded.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside¡± Bella said. We all stepped inside, the smell of coffee and confectionery assaulting us along with a cacophony of noise. The coffee shop bustling with life. It must¡¯ve been popular. I mean it did seem nice. That¡¯s probably why we¡¯d come here. TV screens in the corners played various channels, though no one really seemed to be paying all that much attention to them.

    We made our way through the store to the back of the queue. I pulled out my gift bag and pulled out my gifts handing everyone theirs. I¡¯d gotten them all keychains. Sajani a mini paintbrush, Grady a might symbol, and Bella an atom model with moving parts. It wasn¡¯t the best gift, but it was something.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have¡± Bella said, taking her gift with a wide smile.

    ¡°Well, I just felt like I had to get you guys something¡± I said.

    ¡°Thanks man¡± Grady said, ¡°Your food¡¯s on me.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to-¡° I started.

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem¡± he said.

    ¡°I was planning to pay for everyone, so neither of you have to worry¡± Sajani said. I went to say something, but Sajani just shook her head. Well, I wasn¡¯t going to argue that hard.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s everyone been up to? Besides staying at home?¡± Grady asked.

    ¡°Literally nothing. Well if lots of Netflix and the occasional doctor¡¯s appointment is nothing¡± Sajani said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve just been writing my blog, so nothing much. Ah, things have also been kind of tense with my landlord, and I don¡¯t really know what¡¯s going to happen. I¡¯m probably going to move though¡± Bella said.

    ¡°I had to

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    They all turned to me.

    ¡°Uh¡­ well I¡¯m cleaning out my shed. I¡­ I¡¯m just setting up some of my equipment in there so I can do some experiments. Pass the time you know?¡± I said.

    ¡°What kind of experiments?¡± Grady asked.

    ¡°Just¡­ stuff¡± I said. Grady went to say something but was interrupted.

    ¡°Next please¡± the cashier said.

    We stepped forward and ordered our food, before making our way to an empty table in the corner. We all sat around the table, silent. I glanced around nervously to see that the others had similar expressions. We all didn¡¯t know what to say. The silence lasted a few more seconds before Grady spoke up.

    ¡°So¡­ any luck finding jobs?¡± he chuckled nervously. Sajani snorted and Bella chuckled as well. I felt the corners of my mouth tug up into a slight smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been too busy with trying to get my parents off my back¡± Sajani said, ¡°They¡¯ve been so worried about this whole mess they¡¯ve barely let me leave the house.¡±

    ¡°My dad¡¯s the same. He¡¯s never seemed like the doting type but he flew all the way over from home the second he heard what happened¡± Grady said.

    ¡°Oh that¡¯s good, right?¡±

    ¡°Probably. He might¡¯ve been more worried about the BRC than me though¡± Grady said with a forced laugh. The rest of us chuckled nervously, before returning to an awkward silence. It was obvious what we were all thinking about. The four of us together like this just brought back memories of Gwen.

    ¡°Have you guys heard from any of the supervisors yet?¡± Bella asked.

    ¡°I got an email, but it was basically a bunch of nothing¡± Sajani said.

    ¡°I got one from the supervisors too. I think it was automated¡± Grady said, before turning to me.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been checking my emails, but if you all got one then I probably did too¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll need to check if I got it on a different email¡± Bella said.

    ¡°Oh, Dr Connors also sent me one, but that wasn¡¯t about management it was more personal. He sent one to Hayden and Izzy too.¡±

    ¡°Shoot it probably is a different email. Dr Li probably would¡¯ve done something like that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s nice¡± Sajani said, ¡°I wish Dr Wallen cared about us that much.¡± The other three shared a glance with each other and bust out laughing.

    The sound of their laughter grated against my ears. What the hell was so funny? Why were they laughing at a time like this? Gwen was dead and they were laughing.

    Why was I being like this? The irrational anger was unfamiliar, new. Was it because I was with the friend group I usually hung out with when Gwen had been alive. That didn¡¯t make any sense. I¡¯d laughed and been all happy yesterday with Harry and MJ, we¡¯d all been close to Gwen. I clenched my hands into fists as a darkness rose up from my chest. God, I could feel it again. That pit in my stomach. I was going to be sick.

    ¡°Pete are you-¡°

    ¡°It was nice to talk to you guys¡± I said standing up. They all looked up at me concerned.

    ¡°Sorry, I should¡¯ve said before but I can¡¯t stay any longer. I have to do something for my mum¡± I said. They all glanced at each other.

    ¡°Sorry, I know I¡¯m forgetful¡± I said, forcing a chuckle.

    ¡°Well¡­ just let us know when you¡¯re free again¡± Bella said, worried.

    ¡°Yeah, we need to all do something together¡± Grady added.

    ¡°Sure thing. Bye guys¡± I said, turning to leave.

    ¡°Pete?¡± Sajani said, uncertain. ¡°If you need to talk, you can call us, alright?¡±

    I paused then nodded. Walking out of the coffee shop felt exhausting. My body was heavier than usual, and I could almost feel an ache in my bones. I trudged down the street aimlessly, my ears starting to ring. I stumbled and a woman caught me.

    ¡°S-sorry¡± I mumbled embarrassed. I walked off. I shook my head and carried on down the road. I came to a stop at a junction, leaning on a streetlight. I couldn¡¯t believe that had just happened. Dammit. I¡¯d ruined the meet-up with my stupid emotions. Something wasn¡¯t right. I didn¡¯t just feel sick. A low rolled through my brain and settled. I paused, feeling my breath hitch in my throat. Everything felt close. Too close. Suddenly my brain buzzed. I jumped up alert, frantically looking around. My spider-sense only grew louder as I looked around. Everything was dangerous? This didn¡¯t make any sense. I stumbled backwards, my senses all dimmed by the constant buzz. A loud horn cut through the air and I turned to see a car had stopped inches away from me. I stumbled, falling onto the floor and looked around, breathing becoming harder. People stared at me from the street looks of annoyance, shock and confusion filling their faces.

    The woman in the car was shouting at me, but I couldn¡¯t hear it over the deafening drone of my spider sense. I stood up, my hands trembling. I clutched the sides of my head as the buzz grew louder and I struggled for breath. I scrambled over to the sidewalk and before I knew it, I was running. I crashed to the floor, the pain sending waves of shock through me. I forced myself up and pulled myself into an alley, barely able to breath now. I felt lightheaded, like I¡¯d just run a marathon. I writhed about in delirium, trying and failing to escape the panic.

    I stopped writhing and curled up into a ball, pressing my head against the cold brick wall. The buzzing only got louder as I clamped my eyes shut and struggled for air. The sounds of the street, the smells of the alley, the feeling of the clothes on my skin, everything overwhelmed me. Taking up space in my head and pushing against each other as if fighting for attention, all amplified by the incessant buzzing of my spider sense. I shook, begging for anything to free me.

    Eventually the panic started to fade. The relief that came with it was nauseating, and I instantly threw up all over my shoes. I wiped my mouth and breathed deeply, still shaking. I stood up, slowly, holding myself to the wall. I closed my eyes, relaxing against the cold hard stone. I had no idea what had just happened, but I never wanted that to happen again.

    I pulled out my phone and called MJ.

    ¡°Hey Pete, what¡¯s up?¡± she said.

    ¡°I need you to pick me up¡±

 Peters Story - Chapter Thirteen

    I¡¯d finished the web shooter and now I had nothing to do. Well, I probably should be out doing Spider-Man stuff, but I didn¡¯t have it in me right now. I felt tired No that wasn¡¯t right. Drained; like I¡¯d been holding something up for hours, days even. I didn¡¯t know why. Well, I did. Kind of. But I couldn¡¯t fix it, so it didn¡¯t really matter.

    I dropped down from the ceiling of the shed and messed up my landing, crashing to the ground on my back rather than my feet. Dammit. I stood up and dusted myself off, before taking off my goggles and stepping out the shed. I strolled into the kitchen, as Aunt May hummed along to something on the radio. As soon as she noticed me, set stopped what she was doing and turned to me.

    ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°MJ had to leave quickly, but she¡¯ll be back¡±

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have to w-¡°

    ¡°Peter¡± Aunt May said sternly. I let out a sigh. ¡°We¡¯re just worried about you¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be¡±

    ¡°Pete. Just talk to me¡± Aunt May said. I didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Peter, please¡± she pleaded, taking my hands in a firm grasp. I looked into her eyes and saw the look of anguish and worry I¡¯d been fretting. I looked away in shame. Of course, she¡¯d be this worried.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Aunt May¡± I said, my voice cracking with emotion. She held my hand tightly for a few more seconds then let out a sigh, and let go.

    ¡°Do you remember when Uncle Ben used to put you to bed?¡± Aunt May said. Memories floated through my mind of Uncle Ben tucking me into bed and telling me stories. A warmth flooded through my chest. He¡¯d always been good at telling stories. He¡¯d been good at talking in general. And getting other people to talk.

    ¡°I¡­ yeah¡± I mumbled. I pulled Aunt May into a hug, and she hugged me back.

    When we finally pulled away, she gave me a quick kiss on the forehead and smiled gently at me.

    ¡°You¡¯re special Peter¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like it¡± I chuckled dryly. May chuckled as well.

    ¡°Well, you are to me. Try not to forget that¡± she said. She gave me another quick kiss on the forehead and left the room.

    That last comment had definitely been a sly reminder that I could open up to her. I sighed. I kept telling myself that I was getting better, being proactive, actually finally doing stuff; but I was avoiding all the big things. I still hadn¡¯t really spoken to Aunt May about any of this. I really did need to talk to her, it probably would make me feel better. But maybe that¡¯s what I was afraid of. I didn¡¯t want this to feel good. I wanted to wallow in my sadness and anger at the world, because if I didn¡¯t, if I tried to feel better, wasn¡¯t that disrespectful to Gwen? I should feel sad. I needed to keep feeling sad, to know I cared about her, didn¡¯t I?

    But then when did it stop? A year from now? Two years? A decade? Never? If I actually ever started enjoying life again, wouldn¡¯t I still feel guilty? Dammit, I was just making everything feel worse. This is why I needed to talk. Letting my thoughts stew over in my head was just going to make me sick. I needed something to distract myself.

    I walked into the living room, grabbed the remote and switched on the TV. May didn¡¯t have Netflix so I was stuck with cable. I flicked through the channels before stopping on a rerun of Law and Order. I¡¯d seen it before. Eh, it was okay. I could just tune out and switch off my brain. I shifted slightly, making myself more comfortable on the couch.

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    -

    I awoke with a start, pausing as I felt a hand on the side of my face ruffling through my hair. I glanced up to see MJ look down on me. My head was resting in her lap. I sat up wiping the sleep from my eyes as I looked around the living room in confusion.

    ¡°You okay?¡± MJ asked.

    ¡°Mm? Yeah I¡¯m¡­¡± I trailed off, pausing as my gaze focused on the TV. I stared at the screen in disbelief. MJ said something but I was too engrossed to hear it. Holy shit. I leant forward, listening closely as the report continued.

    ¡®¡­ is at Central Park, apparently calling for the Spider-Man, the infamous masked vigilante who recently garnered media attention after a fight demolished several residences in the west side of Manhattan. Reports state that the villain arrived at central park only a few minutes ago and took two parks residents hostage, whilst angrily calling at park inhabitants to find Spider-man. The villain¡¯s identity has yet to be uncovered but police are currently on route to-¡®

    I tuned out the noise, my attention changing to what was on the screen. The live feed continued, showing a man standing amidst a circle of yellowish spikes, and two people cowering as they stood in a smaller circle of spikes. There was a supervillain, specifically after me. A supervillain. Holy shit. I jumped up, but stood still, the situation so absurdly surreal that I didn¡¯t know what to do. I mean I had to go, didn¡¯t I? The guy had hostages and he was specifically calling out for Spider-Man. I grabbed the bag out from under my bed and held it tightly. I could feel a panic start to rise up in my chest. I pushed it down and steeled myself, glancing at MJ before making my way upstairs to grab the costume. If I thought about this for too long, I¡¯d chicken out. I grabbed the bag and went back downstairs.

    ¡°Peter? What¡¯s wrong, where are you going?¡± MJ asked, worried.

    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ left my phone at my house. I¡­ I was going to meet Sasha at Central Park. I need to tell her I¡¯m okay¡± I replied.

    ¡°Wait a se-¡°

    ¡±I¡¯ll be back quickly¡± I added, bursting out the front door before she could say anything. She called out but I sped walked away from the house, ignoring her as guilt slowly consumed my conscience. I shook my head. My personal problems with lying to MJ could wait. If she knew what I was about to do she¡¯d probably try to stop me. I couldn¡¯t let that happen. People actively needed my help and right now, that was all that mattered.

    -

    Wind whipped past my ears as I cut through the air at ridiculous speeds. I was on top of a train, flying through the neighbourhoods of Queens. It had been an insane, spur of the moment idea, but I¡¯d needed to get to central park quickly and I hadn¡¯t had the guts to swing.

    My body thrummed with nervous energy as I tried to think about the villain and the encroaching fight, but my mind was too focused on the situation at hand. Being on the outside of a train was scarier than being on the inside. A lot scarier. Even worse, I had to jump off soon. If I was going to get there as quickly as possible, I¡¯d need to and then swing across the side of the Queensboro bridge and through Manhattan. I couldn¡¯t just hop off the train and onto a taxi and tell them to drive me there. Even if taking the train was faster, the whole thing was really just to stall the inevitable.

    I could see it coming up now, as we rocketed towards it. I wasn¡¯t ready for this. I could feel it, the fear, deep in my bones. It kept me glued firmly to the roof of the train as my spider sense shook, warning me of the danger of my surroundings.

    The panic from earlier still lingered. It made me feel claustrophobic. I was hyper aware of everything, my brain even warning me of the clothes on my back. I closed my eyes, forcing it down again. It was paralysing. But the train barrelled forward anyway as we drew closer to the jump point. I pried my hands away from the roof of the carriage, then closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It was now or never. My eyes flew open and I leapt upwards with as much force as I could muster, throwing myself through the air.

    I flew, soaring upwards as a mixture of excitement and fear flooded through me. My upwards velocity slowed before I began to arc through the air and I started to descend downwards towards the bridge. Panic gripped me momentarily, my body seizing up as I plummeted. I clamped my eyes shut, the wind roaring in my ears now. I needed to move. I needed to stop being so afraid dammit. But I couldn¡¯t change the way I felt. This shit was scary. But even if it was I needed to push through. For my sake and the people that needed me.

    With a sudden burst of willpower my eyes flew open and I fired a web. It shot out latching onto the side of the bridge and I flew downwards for a few more fearful seconds before . I leapt off the end of the web as I came to the end of the arc and through shaky hands fired another web, swinging in a large arc, my feet nearly skimming the water as cut through the air. I fired another web, pulling myself up it slightly before launching myself off the end and shooting upwards. I continued swinging, a confident grace gradually forming in my movements as I swung across the bridge and then above the streets of Manhattan. For a moment, everything faded replaced by a euphoria. Despite my fear, and the situation, I felt excited. I was doing it.  I think I got part of why Lucas travelled like this. Web swinging could feel amazing.

    I stopped on a building overlooking the park, take a moment to breathe as my entire body shook with adrenaline. The sound of sirens echoing in the distance. The helicopter overhead circled around a specific part of the park. There it was. I took a deep breath and slapped myself lightly.

    ¡°Brave. Like Uncle Ben¡± I whispered. I leapt off the building and swung through the trees towards the commotion and landed, spotting the mess instantly. The man stood, in the middle of a clearing, two hostages, trapped by spikes of sand. He locked eyes with me instantly and roared with an incredible hatred.

    ¡°SPIDER-MAN!!!¡±

    Oh boy.

 Peters Story - Chapter Fourteen

    The villain charged towards me with loud thunderous steps. Spikes grew in place of his fists and the sand seemed to vibrate with his anger as he drew closer. Had he completely forgotten about the hostages? I frowned and leapt over him as he stabbed at me, my heart leaping into my mouth. That had been dangerously close. I fired a web and as I went to swing towards the hostages, something grabbed my leg and pulled me back down to earth with a fury. I slammed against the ground and the sand guy kicked me, across the floor. I skidded, but recovered quickly and leapt up again, wincing slightly. He was charging at me again. Shit. I raised my shaking hands, balling them into fists. He swung at me and I dodged before tripping him with a web and darting towards the hostages.

    This guy seriously had it out for me. At least I could use that against him. My spider sense roared and I jumped back as spikes shot out of the sand on the ground, then dodged again as he stabbed at me from behind. I dodged under another wild swing and swept his legs out from under him. As he fell, his hand morphed and growing large. With no time to dodge he flattened me against the ground. I punched through the hand but it morphed again pulling me towards him. He hit me with his other fist the blow heavy, and I punched back. We scuffled on the ground for a bit before I kicked off of him, taking a chance to spit the sand out of my mouth and breath. Both of us got up, even further from the hostages. There was a moment of silence between us, the sound of the helicopter rotors beating overhead and police sirens in the distance filling the space. He still glared at me, the incredible hatred clear in his eyes.

    ¡°Spider-Man! You bastard!¡± he shouted , rushing at me.

    ¡°W-what do you even want with me?¡± I said, dodging an attack.

    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know!!¡± he roared, stabbing at me again.

    I evaded and landed slightly away from him. I fired a web at him, but it couldn¡¯t stick against the sifting sand of his body. Dodging another attack I tried to rush past, but more spikes of sand emerged between me and the hostages, and the villain attacked me again. I just couldn¡¯t get around. He was faster than he looked and his morphing made it difficult to pinpoint exactly where he could reach. I¡¯d have to knock him out then rescue the hostages, or just stall till the police got here.

    I frowned. With powers like these he would¡¯ve been at least some kind of noteworthy villain, but I didn¡¯t recognise him. Who was he? I hadn¡¯t really stayed up to date with any heroes and villains that weren¡¯t the Vanguard or New World, past high-school. I¡¯d never seen him before. He wasn¡¯t wearing a costume or anything, just plain clothes.

    ¡°Who even are you? Why¡¯re hurting innocent people?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You wanna act all high and mighty now there¡¯s camera¡¯s here too, huh?! Don¡¯t pretend you care about innocent people!!¡± he roared, leaping towards me.

    I dodged his attack and tried to push him backwards. My hands sunk slightly into his sand body. Crap. He grabbed me, throwing me across the floor. My spider sense buzzed as I looked up to see a wave of sand coming towards me. It crashed into me, before attempting to crush me. I heard a shout of anger and my spider sense buzzed. I dodged a spike that embedded itself in the ground next to me feet and then the sand guy grabbed me by the neck. I clawed at his hand furiously to no avail, as he pulled me closer.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to gouge your eyes out you fucker¡± he said, the hatred in his voice burning brightly.

    Instantly terror filled my heart and I wrenched myself from his grip, leaping as far backwards as possible. My hands trembled as my heart beat out of my chest. I stood still frozen by fear. This guy was trying to kill me. I¡¯d known that before, but now I felt like I understood it. Holy shit. The urge to run suddenly felt a lot more present in my mind. The screams of the hostages shook me out of my daze.

    ¡°Focus dammit¡± I mumbled. I leapt upwards and pulled myself towards them with a web. Big mistake. Waves of sand surged towards me in a torrent as I shot through the air. I pulled myself to the side with a web, only to be assaulted by a sea of spikes. I didn¡¯t have time to think. A crackle of electricity shot through my brain and my body weaved through the spikes of sand instinctively. The moment a part of me landed on the ground I used my entire body to throw myself away from the barrage and leapt as another wave of sand tried to crush me.

    I came to a stop, glancing between the charging villain and the hostages behind him. More sand swirled around him now, as he ran at me, followed by a wave of it. Jesus. My hands felt cold and I was drenched in sweat. I stumbled backwards as wisps of sand moved towards me, the screams of the hostages echoing in the background. I needed to do something, but I was too afraid. The only keeping me alive right now was my spider sense. I dodged another spike and stepped back, steadily getting further from the hostages. Their screams grew louder. I shot webs forwards, preparing to slingshot myself to them but hesitated as the sand nearby shifted slightly.

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    ¡°Come on, dammit!  Get your head in the game¡± I whispered harshly. I clenched my fists, searching desperately for something to help me. Of course there wasn¡¯t anything, I was in the middle of a damn park. I was panicking, not thinking straight. I needed a way to calm myself. What could I do?!

    ¡°Let go of the hostages! Coward!¡± I shouted. The sand guy roared with anger and the wave following him surged forwards.. Oh crap. I flipped dodging sand spikes effortlessly. My spider sense flared and just as I landed another wall of sand crashed into me., sending me flying across the floor. I jumped up quickly, dodging a cartoonishly large sand hammer.

    ¡°You¡¯re the coward!!!¡± he shouted, swinging his arm hammer at me again. My spider sense buzzed but I slipped as I tried to dodge and the hammer slammed into me. The wind left my lungs and the world twisted.

    Suddenly I was on the floor, gasping, as my side throbbed with pain. I forced myself up again, as the sand man continued to approach. That hadn¡¯t worked at all. I was still scared shitless, but now he was pissed and I was hurt. Gwen would¡¯ve made a joke about how lame that was. I paused. Jokes. Gwen used to make jokes to lighten the mood. Why not try that? It¡¯s not like I had anything left to lose.

    ¡°Is¡­ is that all you¡¯ve got? Second graders hit harder than that!¡± I shouted. I dodged as another wave of sand crashed next to me accompanied by an angry roar.

    ¡°Hey man how does your power work? Do you even have clothes anymore? Isn¡¯t showing all this sand some kind of indecent exposure?¡± I said.

    ¡°Shut the hell up!!¡± he shouted, extending to large hammer fists at me. I dodged and landed closer to the edge of the clearing. I was drawing him even closer.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you know this, but there¡¯s a beach project the city¡¯s trying to get started. Maybe it could be your 9-5? Or is kidnapping students more your thing?¡± I said.

    ¡°SHUT UP!!!¡± he roared, leaping towards me. I yanked myself to the side. This was it. I took a deep breath and fired webs towards the hostages. Sand shot towards me again, but this time I responded early. I charged, diving past the spikes and fired a web towards the hostages, pulling myself closer to them. I swivelled through the air weaving in and out of sand attacks before landing and breaking into a sprint. My heart beat out of my chest and I was still more than afraid, but I was running towards the danger. Holy shit it was working. The jokes worked. The mental fog of fear had lifted slightly.

    My spider sense buzzed and I hurdled a few spikes, drawing closer to the hostages¡¯ cries for help. Suddenly the sand in front of me swirled up, materialising into a man. I dodged as he swung a punch, but his arm extended around me, turning into sand. He held me tightly and I gasped as the pressure increased. In a panic I pushed back with as much strength as I could muster. It broke the sand apart with ease and he stumbled backwards, eyes wide. I pulled my fist back and hit him, my arm passing through his chest. He gasped then disintegrated into a pile of sand. The sand around us stopped moving and I froze. Had I just killed him?

    ¡°You¡­ bastard¡± I heard the sand around me rumble, barely audible. Thank god. I still needed to be more careful though. As the sand started to move again I rushed over to the hostages, most of them already running. One, a teen boy, sat on the floor, his whole body shaking and unable to stand up as a similar looking girl shook him. I grabbed them both and swung away quickly. Relief washed over me and my body began to ache as the adrenaline wore off. I¡¯d saved people. I¡¯d fought against an actual supervillain and saved people.

    ¡°Put us down!¡± the girl shouted, clutching me tightly. Whoops. I came to a stop in a square and landed on the floor, setting the two down carefully.

    ¡°A-are you alright?¡± I asked. The guy nodded as the girl pulled him quickly into a hug. I let out a sigh of relief, leaning against the wall momentarily when my spider sense buzzed. I spun around just in time for the spike aimed at my stomach to cut through the side of my leg. I stumbled staring up at the sand that swirled through the air before it condensed and a foot slammed into my chest. I crashed to the ground, feeling the brick break underneath my back as all the wind left my lungs. A heavy sand fist slammed into me before I could do anything, crunching against my face and filling my suit with sand. Then everything was upside down. I crashed against something and fell to the floor.

    I groaned, picking myself up. I looked over to see the sand man advancing slowly over towards me, a look of hatred in his eyes. People rushed out of the square, and the cop cars I¡¯d heard within the park sounded a lot closer. He¡¯d followed me. I don¡¯t know why I thought he couldn¡¯t. I coughed out sand, spraying it inside my mask and stumbled away from the villain my entire body aching with pain. My leg was bleeding, badly. I webbed the wound up, wincing. My spider sense buzzed and I dodged as he brought down a hammer where my head had been.

    ¡°Spider-Man!!!¡± he screamed swinging his hammer wildly at me as I stumbled backwards, narrowly dodging. Spikes grew on the end and grazed the side of my face, cutting through the mask. I stumbled backwards and he grabbed me with an extended arm. Then his hammer turned into a spear and he thrust forwards. Suddenly my mind grew sharp, the realisation that I was about to die. I roared kicking at his chest with enough force to disintegrate his mid-section. His grip loosened and his body fell, the spear barely missing my head.

    We crashed to the floor and his grip on me tightened again. He hadn¡¯t disintegrated. I jumped backwards, but his grip held firm. He slammed me into the floor then swung me around slamming me against something. I felt shoulder cry out in pain and a feeling of wetness spread over me. I gasped, crawling across the floor as I tried to make sense of up and down.

    The feeling of wetness spread. Was I bleeding? No. Wait why wasn¡¯t he attacking? I cleared my goggles to see the sand guy struggling to maintain his form under the spray of a fire hydrant. I scrambled upwards, quickly, before bumping into the back of a parked car. I looked around, frantic. Police cars had pulled up and everybody was gone. I glanced back at the villain, then at my trembling hands. He¡¯d nearly gotten me. I fired a web and yanked myself off the floor, swinging away.

 Peters Story - Chapter Fifteen

    I swung through the streets, my head pounding and my left leg numb. I didn¡¯t dare look down, the distance of the sounds beneath a reminder of my fear of heights. My ears rung, I couldn¡¯t distinguish whether it was my spider sense or an anxiety attack. Maybe it was both. In my panic, I fired a web and missed the building completely. I fell and bounced, skidding across a roof. I shot of the side of the building, fear paralyzing me, before I slammed into a brick wall and then a fire escape. I sat up quickly, still on edge. I pulled off my gloves emptying the sand from them and wiping it on the wall.

    ¡°What the- Get the hell off the fire escape!¡± I heard someone shout above me. My eyes shot up to see an older man waving his fist angrily at me. I quickly leapt off the metal frame and caught myself on the wall at the bottom of the alley. I breathed heavily for a few seconds, leaning against a dumpster.

    I¡¯d run away.

    Well I mean who could really blame me, this Sand guy had been trying to kill me. I mean I¡¯d gotten people to safety and the police had shown up so my job had been over. I felt a wave of anguish wash over me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to yourself¡± I mumbled. I hadn¡¯t run because the situation because it had been over, I¡¯d run because I¡¯d been scared. I¡¯d been searching for an out the second I¡¯d been hit. I knew the police couldn¡¯t deal with him, but I¡¯d left anyway. I couldn¡¯t use the excuse of the guy trying to kill me, I was supposed to be a hero! And now I was moping about it in some random alley. Dammit. I clenched my fist, crushing part of the bin.

    I took a few deep breaths then slapped the sides of my face. I pulled on my glove and rushed forwards, firing a web and soaring off into the sky. I was going back. The sand guy had probably left, but if he hadn¡¯t I needed to go back. I swung through the air, overtaking cars with ease. I could feel the sand shift around uncomfortably in my suit. I focused on it, trying to ignore the fear that was building back up in my chest. I swung back around into the square. Sand lay on the ground and there were a few cop cars, but the guy was gone. I landed on a wall and let out a sigh of relief. I shouldn¡¯t have been relieved, but I was. A few of the cops glanced at me and I swung down to them slowly. A few of them drew their gun and I raised my hands. Dammit, the Bugle¡¯s propaganda was really getting to everyone.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move¡± one of the officers said.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to help¡± I said. ¡°I just want to know where the guy went. I can help you-¡°

    ¡°Be quiet!¡± another said, stepping forward, gun still raised. Crap, this wasn¡¯t working. I took a step back.

    ¡°I said don¡¯t move!¡± the same cop shouted. They were definitely going to arrest me. I needed to get out of here. I looked around, scoping out my surroundings with my spider sense. There weren¡¯t any cops behind me, only the four in front. I was injured but I could avoid them. If I was going to go, I could do it now.

    I leapt up and my spider sense buzzed as shots were fired. I twirled through the air and yanked myself to the side with a web, my leg protesting as I landed against the wall hard. I leapt away as the shots continued, hiding in an alley before quickly rushing away. Eventually I came to a stop breathing heavily. A sudden pain burned through my side and I glanced down to see I¡¯d been grazed by a bullet. Jesus. That had been a lot closer than I thought. I fell to my knees and took a few deep breaths, trying to ignore the pain.

    I pulled my mask and vomited on the floor. Wiping away at my mouth I stood up, dizzy. I coughed a few times, the aftertaste sitting at the back of my throat. The world started to spin and I leant my back against the wall, closing my eyes as I looked up at the sky. Suddenly I felt light-headed. Oh crap. I pulled my mask on and stumbled slightly before falling onto the floor as everything faded to black.

    -

    I opened my eyes with a start. It was dark and I was soaked. The echo of a constant pattering and the fact that half my face was submerged in water told me it was raining. I stood up, my body aching and my makeshift costume sticking to me. I shook my head, as if that could get rid of the pain, then stumbled to my feet. I held myself against a wall, taking a few seconds to breath. I blinked rain out of my eye then felt around my head for the goggles. Crap. I looked around the roof, but nothing. I¡¯d lost my damn goggles. Those hadn¡¯t been cheap to make. Dammit.

    The sound of harsh barks cut through the air, alerting me. I pushed off from the wall and stumbled towards the edge, catching myself before I fell. I stared down into the street and saw a family of three cowering from a man brandishing a gun. My heart leapt out of my chest. They were getting robbed. I needed to do something. I felt at my face making sure my mask was on properly and then went to leap down. I hesitated, my fear holding me back. Not now dammit. I clenched my hands, my knuckles cracking and leapt down from the roof with a shout. Pain shot coursed through my body as I swung towards the group, all heads turning to face me. I fired a web at the gunman but suddenly fell as my hand slipped from the web I was holding. I flailed through the air and crashed down, skidding across the tarmac. Then my spider sense buzzed.

    Time seemed to slow down, and silence roared in my ears. I could feel everything around me even if I couldn¡¯t see it. I¡¯d missed. I¡¯d missed the gunman. I felt it as the criminals¡¯ body shifted, his hand tensing on the gun in surprise. I could feel as his fingers curled around the trigger. He was going to shoot and it was my fault. I needed to do something. But I could tell already; I couldn¡¯t reach him. A gunshot echoed throughout the street, and everything came back to life. I leapt forward and slammed into the criminal, knocking him out with a single hit, but it was too late. I turned to the family to see the man hunched over, gurgling on the floor as blood began to pool around him. I stumbled back as a wave of unwanted memories flooded through my brain.

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    Suddenly I was nine again, clutching my Uncle as he lay dead in the street.

    The sound of wails shook me out of my daze.

    ¡°Daddy! Daddy get up!¡± the girl shouted as she kneeled over her father¡¯s dying body. I needed to do something. Anything. I stumbled forwards.

    ¡°I can help. I can get him to-¡°

    The girl screamed, the sound piercing through my ears, and I flinched away. When I looked up the mother was already standing between the two of us, pepper spray in her hand and tears in her eyes. We stood in a tense silence, uncertain of what to do. I didn¡¯t dare say anything, afraid I¡¯d somehow make the situation ten times worse.

    The tension was broken as a cop car pulled up to the road and two officers stepped out, drawing their guns. They must¡¯ve heard the gunshot. I raised my hands instinctively and they advanced.

    ¡°Get on the ground¡± one of them said.

    ¡°I-I haven¡¯t done anything¡± I said.

    ¡°Just get on the ground dammit!¡± the cop shouted again. I obliged, getting on the floor.

    They pulled out cuffs and slapped them onto me, before pressing a foot into my back. The other cop was busy dealing with the injured man. I felt my body grow cold as I heard him wheezing for life as the mother and daughter cried. I needed to do something. I glanced up at the cop who stood on me, craning my neck to talk to them.

    ¡°I can help. Let me help¡± I said.

    ¡°Be quiet¡± they said, staring at their partner. The other cop helped the mum and daughter over to the police car. I glanced between them and the dad lying in a pool of his own blood.

    I needed to help him. I snapped the handcuffs and leapt up, the cop standing on me falling over. I webbed him to the ground and rushed over to the dying man. My spider sense buzzed, and I felt the presence of death behind me. My body moved instinctively as bullets whizzed past me and screams echoed in the background. Eventually I froze, breathing heavily as I looked down at the street hanging from the wall. The cop stared at me, holding their gun tightly as they trained it on me.

    ¡°You¡¯re that vigilante, aren¡¯t you?¡± they said.

    ¡°Yeah. I- can I help?¡±

    ¡°No. Just go¡±

    ¡°But-¡±

    ¡°I said go¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t just let him die¡± I pleaded.

    ¡°He¡¯s already dead!¡±

    The words hit me like a sack of bricks and I dropped down to the ground kneeling over the dead father.

    ¡°Just leave!¡± the officer said harshly, turning to me. ¡°I don¡¯t ever want to see your face again. You¡¯ve done enough today already. Go before I change my mind and we arrest you again.¡± I stood up and stepped back, hanging my head. I took one last look around at the scene, hearing the cries of the grieving mother and daughter and swung away.

    I didn¡¯t think, but my emotions still made themselves known. I pulled myself through the air, swinging quickly as my body trembled with fear and anguish. I embraced it. I deserved to be afraid right now. No, I deserved far worse than just fear. I pulled myself through the torrential pour, blinded by the water as my goggles steamed up. Suddenly my spider sense buzzed and I crashed into a building, spinning through the air before slamming onto a roof. I rolled over in pain, unable to even muster a breath as my body shook. Waves of it rolled through me, and I slumped to the ground. The pain receded slowly, and I pulled off the mask, sitting up to spit out blood.

    I sat on the roof in silence, the rain pouring onto my head as I stared at the mask in my lap, my goggles lying on the floor next to me. The broken lens I hadn¡¯t been able to remove reflected my face back, distorted. I looked like shit. My hair was all messy, my face was covered in cuts and bruises, and my eyes were bloodshot red. I couldn¡¯t tell whether that was because I¡¯d been crying or I¡¯d gotten sand in my eyes. It sure felt like it.

    Either way, I didn¡¯t look anything like a superhero should. I¡¯d never been cut out for this in the first place. I threw the mask off to the side. I¡¯d made a stupid promise, filled with hopes, dreams and delusions of grandeur. I¡¯d twisted my best friend¡¯s death into motivation, just to convince myself there was some cosmic purpose for all this! I clutched the mask tightly pressing it to my face.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do Gwen. God dammit, I don¡¯t know what to do¡± I said, my voice breaking.

    I grimaced and hit myself. Gwen couldn¡¯t help me anymore. I needed to figure this out on my own. If I was thinking too negatively, then I had to work myself out of the rut.

    I recalled Uncle Ben¡¯s words.

    ¡®You¡¯re special Peter. You¡¯ll do amazing things, probably change the world¡¯

    I felt my heart pang with sadness. Uncle Ben and Aunt May had been wrong, thought too highly of me. Nothing in my life had panned out, from falling to get into the Masters program, to ruining Otto¡¯s life¡¯s work with my incompetence. I¡¯d never been special. There¡¯d always been people smarter, stronger, and just better than me. I was nearly a decade older than him and I couldn¡¯t do what Lucas had done. Lucas had fought against Ricardo, the monster whose greed had taken my best friend from me, and haunted me in my nightmares, and he¡¯d won. He¡¯d even saved people afterwards. He was fourteen and he hadn¡¯t even been afraid. I¡¯d let my fear stop me from taking on a petty thief, just because he had a damn gun. I could forget about stopping that Sand man. I couldn¡¯t even be a hero.

    I turned to look at the mask, staring at it, as it floated in a muddy puddle. If we were so different, what qualified me to take this role, to take this mantle? Nothing. I wasn¡¯t a hero. I shouldn¡¯t have made him that promise.

    I closed my eyes, pressing my head against the wall, feeling the wet, cold hard concrete against my skin. Someone had died today, because I hadn¡¯t done enough. A mother and father had lost their son, siblings their brother, a partner their husband, a son his father. A nephew might¡¯ve even lost his uncle. All because I couldn¡¯t stop a thief. I didn¡¯t know if I could take anymore death, especially when it was my fault. If I carried on, more people would die because of me. But if I didn¡¯t people would die anyway.

    I couldn¡¯t win. I slumped to my knees, holding back the tears as I stared at the floor. But Athena was gone. Lucas and Amy had done well, but they were gone now too. The city needed a hero. Could I knowingly abandon it? Athena had done it, Lucas too. I¡¯d seen his face, seen the pain in his eyes. Athena had probably felt it too. I could feel glimpses of it now as well. Knowing that those close to me could die because I was doing this killed me. MJ, Harry, Ned, Bella, Grady, May, Grandpa. I¡¯d already lost Gwen and Uncle Ben, I couldn¡¯t lose anyone else.

    But what about the rest of the city? Was it fair to them if I stopped doing this? Wasn¡¯t I basically sacrificing their lives for my own? What about all the other Uncle Ben¡¯s, Gwen¡¯s, Ned¡¯s, MJ¡¯s, and Aunt May¡¯s? How would the people around them feel if they died when a superhero could have prevented it? When I had this power, could I live with myself?

    I gripped the wall tighter, the concrete cracking under my fingers. I flinched, pulling my hand away from the wall and losing my balance. I fell off my knees and onto my side, rolling lazily onto the floor. The rain washed over my face, sending a chill through me.

    ¡°Dammit¡± I mumbled. My entire body ached, warning me to not get up. I ignored it, wincing as I stood. This was just like before, except worse. From the moment I¡¯d put on this costume I¡¯d only screwed up. I couldn¡¯t believe that I¡¯d had any confidence going into this.

    I needed to go home.

 Peters Story - Chapter Sixteen

    I stared at the array of sweets on display at the convenience store counter. Why did they put all the good stuff here? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to put it around the shop? I tugged at Uncle Ben¡¯s coat.

    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong Peter?¡± he said, glancing down at me.

    ¡°Why is all the good stuff at the counter?¡± I asked. A smiled formed on his face and he ruffled my hair, chuckling along with the cashier.

    ¡°Do you want something?¡± he asked gently. I nodded and pointed at a small chocolate waffle. Uncle Ben plucked it from off the shelf and put it down on the counter with the rest of the stuff.

    ¡°That¡¯s $14.56¡± the cashier said. Uncle Ben handed him a note and the cashier opened the register with a satisfying ding, before handing Uncle Ben his change.

    ¡°Thanks Mike. Have a nice day¡± Uncle Ben said, leading me out the shop.

    ¡°You too Ben. Bye Peter¡±

    I waved to Mike and we stopped out of the shop, and started on our way back home.

    ¡°You not going to eat the waffle?¡± Uncle Ben said.

    ¡°I¡¯m saving it¡± I said clutching it tighter.

    ¡°Alright, but put it away you don¡¯t want someone to t-¡±

    He was interrupted by a shout from down the street. Both of us turned to see a man rushing down the street, a bag clutched in one arm tightly. The man barged past people as a woman chased him, screaming for someone to stop him. Uncle Ben steered me behind him and pushed me back slightly. As the robber rushed passed us Uncle Ben dived at him, tackling him to the ground. The tumbled, rolling across the floor as people around us shouted.

    ¡°Get back Peter!!¡± Uncle Ben cried, and then a gunshot cut through the air. My ears rung as I flinched, stumbling backwards. As I opened my eyes again the robber stood up, looking at me, his eyes wide with fear as a gun smoked in his hand. Then he ran. I stared at him, watching him go then looked back to the floor as Uncle Ben lay on the ground still.

    ¡°Uncle Ben?¡± I said, my voice filled with fear. He twisted to look at me, his breathing laboured as his face contorted in pain. I rushed over to his side as people around us shouted. He clutched my hand tightly, staring deeply into my eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Peter. I¡­ I love you¡± he said, his voice strained. I stared at him, uncertain of what to say as his face twisted in pain even further. His eyes grew distant, and his grip slackened.

    ¡°Uncle Ben?¡± I said, my voice more desperate now. I   By the time I realised what had hap everything seemed to slow down.

    But the scream wasn¡¯t my own, it sounded shrill, too high pitched to be my voice. Suddenly I was watching from afar a gun in my hand. I stared at the scene, Uncle Ben lying dead on the floor. But it wasn¡¯t me crouching over him, it was the little girl.

    -

    I jumped up with a start crying out. Another bad dream. I wiped at my face with my duvet, a mixture of sweat and tears staining it in the shape of my face. My entire body ached dully, and my leg still felt stiff. It felt like my whole body was raw, like I¡¯d been put through a power washer. My hands trembled and I clenched my fists trying to still my nerves. It didn¡¯t work and I let out a shaky and frustrated sigh. I clasped my hands together and brought them to my face, my expression twisting with anguish as the memories of last night and the dream burned themselves afresh in my brain.

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    I couldn¡¯t get the scream of the little girl out of my head. The fear from it, the anguish. She¡¯d been scared of me. That notion shook me to my core. It felt like it confirmed everything I¡¯d feared; all the doubts I¡¯d had about doing this. But most of all it reminded me of things I really didn¡¯t want to remember. And right after I¡¯d messed up with the Sand guy.

    I choked back a sob, pressing my forehead into my hands. I could feel the panic again, rising in my chest. Things were getting worse. I needed to do something to calm myself. I glanced outside. It was dark out, but the stars were blotted out by a layer of clouds. Memories of Gwen suddenly pushed to the forefront of my mind and I slumped over, tears filling my eyes.

    The sound of my door creaked and I whipped around, spotting May peering into my room. She saw me and instantly rushed forwards. I turned away, covering my bruises and face with my blanket.

    ¡°Peter?! Peter what¡¯s wrong?¡± May cried out.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡± I replied.

    ¡°Peter, please talk to me

    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± I said through sobs.

    ¡°Peter! You¡¯re not fine! Please just tell me what¡¯s wrong!¡± May said, hints of anger in her voice.

    ¡°I- I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡± I said, my tears growing worse. May pulled me into a hug. I tried to resist for a few seconds before giving in and sobbing into her shoulder.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright Peter. It¡¯s ok¡± she said, her voice reverberating from my chest. We held each other tightly until I pulled away, letting out a tired sigh.

    ¡°Are you ready to talk to me?¡± May asked, taking my hands in hers. I nodded. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Peter?¡±

    ¡°Everything¡± I sniffled.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it just feels like everything¡¯s too much¡±

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you destress?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t just¡­ stop worrying about this¡±

    ¡°Why not try?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know how. I can¡¯t¡± I repeated.

    ¡°Well you enjoy taking photos. Does that destress you?¡±

    ¡°I said I-¡±

    ¡°Peter¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t work. And even if I could, I don¡¯t have time for photography.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ there¡¯s important things I have to do. Science stuff, people I have to apologise to, things I have to fix and a promise I have to keep¡±

    ¡°What promise?¡± May said concerned.

    ¡°I-¡° I held my tongue. I couldn¡¯t tell her. She¡¯d lose it, knowing I hid this from her. Even worse if they reported what had happened last night on TV, she might even hate me.

    ¡°Peter?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Even from me?¡± she said, the pain in her voice palpable. I stayed silent.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s okay to have secrets Peter, but you have to confide in someone if they¡¯re eating away at you like this¡±

    ¡°I¡­ ok¡± I responded. We went silent for a few seconds. ¡±I made a promise. To protect something, for someone else. I¡­ I messed up. Badly and I don¡¯t know whether it would be worse to stop and break my promise or carry on and make even more mistakes¡± I said.

    ¡°We all make mistakes¡±

    ¡°Not like this¡± I said, sighing.

    ¡°Well, what do you want to do?¡± May asked.

    ¡°What I want to do doesn¡¯t matter! It¡¯s what I should do!¡± I said, pulling away. I froze, the outburst catching me off guard.

    ¡°Sorry¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok Peter¡± May said. Silence persisted before May finally spoke up.

    ¡°Peter, what you want to do always matters¡± she said, turning to look at me.

    ¡°But what if what I want to do is the wrong thing?¡± I said.

    ¡°You¡¯ll figure that out when you make the choice. Like I said, we all make mistakes Peter. We¡¯re human¡± May said, taking my hand again. I stared into her eyes, seeing their warmth but also their concern. I looked away. Was she right? Could I really make that choice? I mean, I wasn¡¯t exactly trying my hardest to be Spider-Man right now, would it be ok if I stopped? But what if someone got seriously hurt by the Sand guy? Would I really be able to live with myself?

    ¡°Is there anything else?¡± May asked.

    ¡°I miss Gwen¡± I said, surprising myself. May pulled me closer, rubbing my back as she let my head rest on her shoulder.

    ¡°That¡¯s ok¡± she said, her voice emotional as she rested her head against mine.

    ¡°It¡¯s just, she was here, laughing with me, keeping my life in order, talking about the future with me; about all her plans and ideas. And then she was gone. She didn¡¯t even get to do anything¡± I said, tears welling up in my eyes.

    ¡°She did Peter. She changed so many people¡¯s lives for the better¡± May responded. I felt my breath hitch in my throat as tears started to stream down my face. I wiped at them, but the flow only continued as May pulled me to her, letting my head rest against her shoulder.  Eventually the flow of tears slowed to a stop, and me sat in silence as Aunt May rubbed my back.

    ¡°Sorry¡± I said.

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°Crying so much¡±

    ¡°Nonsense, you can cry as much as you need to¡±

    ¡°I just... I cried with MJ and¡­ I thought I¡¯d already cried enough¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing¡± May said with a saddened smile. I sat still for a moment then sniffled. May pulled me into another hug and I embraced her back, holding her tightly.

    ¡°I know I can be overly caring sometimes, to the point of invasiveness, but please Peter, if anything ever happens, talk to me¡± May said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try¡± I responded. May let out a slight chuckle and pulled away.

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s the best any of us can do¡± she said. She pulled me forward, angling my head down and kissed my forehead.

    ¡°Goodnight Peter¡± she said.

    ¡°Goodnight Aunt May¡± I said back.

 Peters Story - Chapter Seventeen

    I sat at the kitchen table; my mind elsewhere as I stared at some pancakes. There was no sun to reflect off them today, but my mind was more focused on how much my body hurt. Seriously, I hurt worse than yesterday. Maybe it just felt worse because I¡¯d just woken up. I shifted my shoulder slightly and winced. At least there was one positive this morning. My mind felt clearer. Probably because I¡¯d slept like a log after my talk with Aunt May. Seeds of guilt still burrowed deep in my mind, but the self-loathing was gone now.

    ¡°Pete?¡± MJ said, nudging my hand.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You ok?¡± she said.

    ¡°Yeah? Why?¡±

    ¡°You looked like you¡¯re in pain. Is your shoulder hurting?¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m fine¡± I said digging into my waffles. MJ stared at me with an uncertain gaze before going back to her food. Suddenly my new phone buzzed, shaking the table. It was Ned. I grabbed it and stood up.

    ¡°Sorry, gotta take this¡± I said. I quickly made my way into the hallway and answered the call.

    ¡°Hey Pete! I figured you¡¯d be up by this time, what¡¯s up?¡± Ned said, his usual jubilant self. I felt a smile play on my lips. He never failed to cheer me up.

    ¡°I¡¯m good. How¡¯s London?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s great man, but I¡¯m starting to talk about the weather just as much as everyone else here¡± he said laughing. I chuckled too.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to know you¡¯re enjoying it. Anyway, why¡¯d you call?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ I just wanted to let you know I¡¯m coming home¡± he said, the joy gone.

    ¡°What?¡± I said, surprised.

    ¡°Not permanently, just for a few days¡± he said, with a forced chuckle.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I wanted to visit Gwen¡¯s grave. And talk to her parents again. To apologise¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I said, not sure what to say. I knew he¡¯d called Mr and Mrs Stacy and I know they¡¯d told him it was ok, that he hadn¡¯t had to make it to the funeral at such short notice. I didn¡¯t realise how much this whole thing had been weighing on him. But of course, it would. I just thought he would¡¯ve said something. Well, I guess he was now.

    ¡°W-when are you coming?¡± I asked.

    ¡°In a week. I just thought I¡¯d tell you in advance¡±

    ¡°Ok. It¡¯ll be good for you to see everyone. Oh right, that reminds me Harry¡¯s got a new number. I¡¯ll text it to you, just call him. He¡¯ll be excited you¡¯re coming back¡± I said.

    ¡°I was wondering why he hadn¡¯t picked up any of my calls¡± Ned said laughing. I laughed too.

    ¡°Well it was great talking to you Pete, but I¡¯ve got to go¡± he said.

    ¡°Already?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Technically, I shouldn¡¯t even be calling you right now¡± he said chuckling.

    ¡°Well I don¡¯t want to get you fired or something. It was great speaking to you too Ned. See you soon man¡±

    ¡°Bye Pete¡±

    He hung up and I pulled the phone away from my ear stretching out. I glanced back inside the living room. I wasn¡¯t really hungry anymore. And besides, I had things to do.

    -

    The streets of Manhattan bustled with life as I strolled, bag over my back as I tried to whistle the nervous tension away. I was going back to my apartment. It was just for a few extra things I¡¯d need for materials production. I hadn¡¯t decided on whether or not I was ever going to put the suit back on, but I was at least going to repair it before I gave it back. If I gave it back that was.

    But my mind wasn¡¯t focused on any of that right now. It was focused on Helga and Sasha. What did I say when I saw them again? I knew I had to apologise but would that be enough? No. And that¡¯s what I was worried about. Helga wouldn¡¯t kick me out after finding out I¡¯d lied to her, even if it was as big as this. She was too kind. But I didn¡¯t know if our relationship would ever be the same. I probably deserved that. Still the notion that I¡¯d ruined a friendship over a lie I¡¯d said just to protect my stupid pride, was really starting to eat away at me.

    I paused as I passed a row of TV screens in a display shop window, then took a few steps back and stared at the feed, my stomach sinking. I couldn¡¯t hear anything, but the visuals were enough. Words scrawled across the bottom of the screen in big bold letters. ¡®Sandman returns¡¯. He was back. Of course he was back. The sound of multiple sirens echoing in the distance suddenly made a lot more sense. I¡¯d been trying to ignore them before, but I couldn¡¯t now. I turned my attention back to the TV, reading as words scrolled across the screen. He was still after me. Worse he¡¯d taken hostages again. I clenched my fists, feeling an anger rise up in my chest, past the fear. I guess I didn¡¯t need to debate it in my head anymore. The decision had been made for me. I glanced around then casually walked down the street and slipped into an alley.

    I changed as fast as I could, though it felt painfully slow; with each second that ticked by a gnawing worry grew in my stomach. Finally I grabbed the mask, hesitating but then steeling myself and pulling it on anyway. It was still filled with sand and the shattered lens had only gotten worse. Crap I didn¡¯t have my goggles.

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    ¡°Great¡± I mumbled. I¡¯d have to do without. I webbed my bag to the side of the dumpster then covered it with some crates. I looked around and leapt up onto the wall, crawling up until I was a decent enough height.

    ¡°Here goes nothing¡± I said, then leapt of the building and fired a web out into the street. I swung downwards my heart in my chest and then curved away from the ground, swinging up into open sky. I let go and with a fwip, fired another web and swung down the street even faster. I carried on swinging, trying not to shit myself, as I picked up the pace. Slowly, I eased into a rhythm regaining my wits.

    Wait a second, I had no idea where to go. Crap. How did I find this guy? Did I have to search the whole city? No that was stupid. I¡¯d find the helicopter. There¡¯d been one last time, it¡¯s how they got the aerial footage. Dammit, that meant I¡¯d have to get higher. I fired another web and swung before throwing my entire body upwards. I flipped through the air and landed on a tall building in stride. I rushed up the side, not daring to look down as I climbed, the reflection on the windows changing from rooftops to bright blue sky. I reached the top, and leapt up, looking around quickly. There. No time to waste. I rushed towards the edge of the building and froze, my feet sticking to the side. I scrambled backwards, as fear gripped me. Holy shit I was high.

    "Dammit. Not now Peter" I said. I peered over the edge again. I couldn''t do it. Wait a second... I rushed back from the edge and fired two webs to either side of the building before pulling them back as far as they could go. At least this way I could circumvent jumping off the building. Plus it was faster. I steeled myself, closed my eyes and let go. I shot forwards through the air, high above most of the city. I flew, the air raging in my ears. It was almost peaceful. It probably would be if I could control it. I let out a scream as I started to dip, the buildings beneath me rushing up faster than anticipated. My mind went blank as the buildings drew even closer.

    My instincts took control, and I fired a web out forwards. Somehow it connected with something, then went taut as I dipped past the roofs of buildings. I swung down a street with blistering speed, my feet narrowly missing a car. Then I let go, flailing as I shot forwards, and barely missed a building before landing amongst some trees. I took a few seconds to make sense of what just happened as I hung awkwardly amongst a wreath of branches. I looked up, through a thicket of leaves, to see the helicopter circling above me. Oh. Oh wow.

    I leapt down to find myself in a park, watching as people rushed past in a panic. They all stared at me, some with relief and others with looks of fear. I made my way through the crowd before spotting Sandman through a gap in the trees. I readied myself, preparing to leap into battle then, paused. He hadn''t seen me yet. I could get the drop on him.

    It was risky, but if I got the hostages away, then he couldn''t pull anything if he started to lose. I circled around, keeping distance until he was facing away from me and I had a better look at the hostages. Ok, I could do this. I could do this. I leapt forwards, pulling myself with a web and shot through the air. I grabbed the hostages with a web as I flew past Sandman then swung away. We landed quickly, and I cushioned the hostages fall with my body. They both looked at me shocked as we lay on the floor.

    "Run!" I shouted. They didn¡¯t need further instruction, bolting towards the park exits. I hopped to my feet and turned around to see sand swirling up and I swung back towards the clearing, landing as Sandman roared obscenities.

    "Come on man, if you want friends, you just have to talk to people!" I shouted, raising my trembling fists. He hurled a wave of small spikes at me and I weaved through them, relying on my spider sense.

    The cloud of sand had grown larger, as Sandman¡¯s voice echoed through the park.

    ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE MOCK ME!!¡± he boomed his voice amplified as if it reverberated from all the sand.

    ¡°Then stop kidnapping people!¡± I shot back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not gonna hurt anybody but you!¡±

    ¡°Why?!¡±

    ¡°You took everything from me! The same day that damn explosion turned me into a monster, you destroyed my world!¡±

    I went silent. Lucas¡¯ fight with Dr Gonzales. He¡¯d lost something. Everything maybe. People had died in the fight. I knew that, but I guess I¡¯d been so focused on the positive, all the people Lucas had rescued I hadn¡¯t even considered the bad. People had died, entire houses had been destroyed and I could see why people would blame Spider-Man. The guilt Lucas carried made much more sense now that I could see the anger it was responsible for. I raised my hands, all the fight leaving my posture.

    ¡°We can talk things through y-¡±

    ¡°NO!¡±¡±

    ¡°Please, you don¡¯t have to do this!¡±

    ¡°IT¡¯S THE ONLY THING I HAVE TO DO!!!¡±

    His voice shook the ground we stood on and then my spider-sense came to life. All the sand in the arm shot towards me, forming into a huge wave of sand. On no. I fired a web to pull myself backwards, but the wave crashed into me, then squeezed at me. I struggled to pull myself out, fighting against it as Sandman approached, his arm a dagger. The sand only crushed me further, pulling me down deeper as he drew near. He brought his blade towards my neck and I twisted, barely dodging it before kicking out the sand in desperation. The sand on the ground shot upwards, following me in a torrent as I drew further away. It was gaining. Shit. I wouldn¡¯t make it. I threw myself with the last bit of my strength, and crashed to the ground, skidding across the floor. Sand landed on top of me and I scrambled back to avoid the crushing pressure, but nothing happened. I frowned, waiting for the sand to do something when I spotted Sandman down on one knee. He¡¯d used up a lot of energy. Then it clicked. Distance. He could only control the sand within a certain distance. I needed to get him away from it.

    I had to strike quickly. Leaping up, I fired two webs and sling shot myself at him, catching him off guard. He created a wall of spikes but I yanked myself around it with another web. He charged at me, his fists large hammers. I dived closer, catching him off guard again. He tried to readjust, as the sand at our feet shifted, but with the added weight, his balance was off and he hadn¡¯t been expecting my move to make the constructs fast enough. I leapt over him, grabbing both his shoulders and as I came down, threw him with all of my might. He cried as he flew, and the sand at my feet fell still. This was my chance. If I could web him up I could keep him from getting away. I rushed forwards, suddenly realising people might not have completely evacuated the area yet. Crap. I sped up clearing ground, before I emerged onto a walk, the East River staring back at me.

    I breathed heavily, staring at a cloudy part of the water. I¡¯d thrown him further than I thought. Well what now? Was it over? It''d been fast, a lot faster than the first fight for sure. I looked around. All the people nearby were a decent distance away. I glanced back into the water to see the sand cloud still hadn¡¯t moved. Crap, was he dead? He was a villain, but I didn¡¯t want him to die. Wait, could he even die? His body was made completely of sand, that he was in complete control of, even when dispersed. So maybe he couldn¡¯t die unless it was all destroyed. But wait, what sand had his consciousness and what sand didn¡¯t? I didn¡¯t know. But he definitely seemed to struggle mentally without a concrete physical form.

    My spider sense buzzed and a large hand of wet sand reached out of the water. I dodged it, and it crumbled with a wet splash, cracking parts of the walk and obliterating the guardrail.

    ¡°¡­spider-man¡­¡± it whispered. Thank God. He wasn¡¯t dead. Not completely sure how he was alive though. Now how did I capture him? The wet sand slowly retreated into the water and then swirled about before the cloud of sand faded into the depths. Crap. I dived inside the river, chasing after it, but it disappeared into the darkness before I could do anything. I swam back to the surface and pulled myself out of the water, looking around at the damage to walk. I fell to my knees as relief overwhelmed me. The fight was over. He¡¯d gotten away, but everyone was ok. I¡¯d rescued the hostages, and I hadn¡¯t just run when things had gotten tough. He¡¯d also told me enough that if he ever showed up again, I might have a way to stop him for good. I leaned my head back looking up at the sky. Maybe this Spider-Man thing wasn¡¯t so bad.

 Peters Story - Chapter Eighteen

    The early morning sun bathed me as I swung through the streets, thinking about everything. It¡¯d been a day since the Sandman fight and I¡¯d been out patrolling around the city yesterday and I¡¯d decided to start early today. It was better than sitting at home all day thinking about things. I glanced down, checking the streets. Things were calm. I went back to swinging, focusing on my thoughts. The past week had really been something. From the funeral, crying with MJ, talking with Harry, telling Sasha about Gwen, the meet-up with my friends, to talking with Aunt May about everything on top of my recent fight with Sandman. It felt like so much had happened.

    It felt weird, feeling so at peace with everything. Or maybe I wasn¡¯t at peace and I was still just ignoring things till they blew up in my face. Still, knowing only a few days ago the weight of everything had been a crushing pressure and comparing it to how I felt now; it was like night and day. I still wasn¡¯t over my doubt of everything, hell I still I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to do this; Swinging around was nerve wracking enough, let alone stopping criminals and supervillains. I still got the shakes thinking back to my fights with Sandman. But at the very least, I was trying. That¡¯s the best I could do.

    I came to a stop on a building and paused, breathing heavily as my body trembled with adrenaline. Swinging really didn¡¯t get any easier. I sat down and looked out over the skyline. The view was beautiful. I wish I could¡¯ve shared this with someone. Seeing everything from this high up felt like it put things into perspective. It made my problems feel smaller.

    My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out. It was Harry.

    ¡°Hey man, what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°I got it approved¡± he said with a hearty laugh.

    ¡°Got what approved?¡±

    ¡°The Stacy relief fund¡± he said.. I froze an indescribable sensation washing over me.

    ¡±Pete? You okay?¡± Harry said.

    ¡°Yeah. I- that¡¯s great. That¡¯s amazing man¡± I said, a smile break across my face.

    ¡°Hey, it was your idea. We might even be able to expand it later, someone on my team said it might be a good idea to look into funding community projects, or ¡±

    ¡°That sounds great. But I mean isn¡¯t that a lot. How much money does the fund have?¡±

    ¡°No need to worry about that. Dad really got behind the idea. We¡¯re starting off at four billion dollars.¡±

    ¡°I- wow. Holy shit¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think that¡¯s what I said too¡± Harry chuckled. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve got to go. I just thought I¡¯d tell you before we announce it publicly.¡±

    ¡°Ok. Yeah¡­¡± I said, trailing off.

    ¡°See you later man. Oh, and thanks for giving Ned my number.¡±

    ¡°No problem. See you later Harry¡± I said.

    Harry hung up and I let my phone fall to my side still in disbelief. This was amazing wasn¡¯t it. I mean we¡¯d just mentioned it once in a conversation and now there was a fund with four billion dollars and Gwen¡¯s name on the front. I leant back, staring up at the clouds. For the first time in a while, looking at them didn¡¯t make me feel sad.

    I heard a shout from below, interrupting my thoughts. I twisted my body, looking down as people, stood still, or moved out the way of someone sprinting. They were wearing a mask and held a bag. An older guy shouted, after them, giving chase, but the mugger was getting away. I spun around, and swung back towards the commotion.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Suddenly a man tackled the mugger, taking him to the ground. They wrestled over the bag when the mugger let go and reached for his waistband. Time seemed to slow down as he pulled out a gun, the man¡¯s eyes widening as it was levelled with his face.

    ¡°No!¡± I shouted, as I fired a web. A gunshot echoed through the street accompanied by a flash. I felt my spider-sense buzz and instinctively I jerked my head to the side, feeling a bullet graze the side of my face. I caught the gun I¡¯d jerked away from the mugger, crushed it and landed on the wall above the commotion. I webbed the crook down as he tried to scramble to his feet and then jumped down, landing next to the man.

    I offered a hand.

    ¡°You okay?¡± I asked. He looked at me shocked for a moment and then nodded. A kid came out of nowhere and latched onto the man, pulling him into a tight hug. The man hugged the kid back, holding him tightly, before standing up.

    ¡°You saved me. And my nephew. Thank you¡± he said. I glanced between the two of them taken aback for a second and then, glanced at the mugger.

    ¡°I-¡°

    ¡°My bag! Thank God!¡± a guy said, barrelling past me as he scooped his bag up off the floor. He spun around to me, his eyes wet.

    ¡°Thank you so much Mr superhero!¡± he said, grinning wildly. The people around us started applauding and pulling out their phones to record us.

    I glanced down at the kid, who still clutched his uncle tightly. Before I realised it, I was kneeling down in front of him.

    ¡°Y-you alright?¡± I asked. He nodded. He was probably still a but shaken. ¡°Good. Make sure to take care of your Uncle for me¡± I said. He nodded again, with more vigour this time.

    I stood up and prepared to swing away when the Uncle stopped me.

    ¡°Thank you¡­ I¡­ what should I call you?¡± he said.

    ¡°Spider-Man. It¡¯s Spider-Man¡± I responded.

    ¡°Thank you Spider-Man. Seriously, you saved my life¡± he said. I felt a surge of emotion flood through me, and I took a step back.

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem¡± I said, flashing a thumbs up before leaping off the ground and swinging away.

    I swung for a bit, steadily gaining altitude as the heat of the sun warmed me. I came to a stop and landed on a building, crawling up to the edge, my heart beating hard in my chest. I flipped up and landed on the roof, then turned to look behind me glancing at the street below. The uncle smiled, his nephew propped up on his shoulders as the kid waved at me. I waved back and then leapt off the building, swinging away.

    I didn¡¯t know what I was feeling right now, but it was good. No, it was better than good, it was amazing. I¡¯d saved someone. An uncle who¡¯d been about to get shot right in front of his nephew. I¡¯d stopped years of grief, and trauma with a single action. I¡¯d stopped someone from experiencing the same heartbreak I had. I landed on the edge of a building, coming to a stop. I pulled off my mask, breathing heavily as tears glistened in my eyes.

    I stared out over the city, the skyline bathed in a golden glow. I marvelled at the sight, taking in Manhattan¡¯s awe-inspiring beauty. I watched as people went about their day, a woman dancing as she listened to music, a couple laughing as they held hands, and a man tying a little boy¡¯s shoes.

    I felt a wave of memories wash over, remembering all of Uncle Ben¡¯s words. ¡®You¡¯re special Peter. You¡¯ll do amazing things, probably change the world. But you have to be careful and kind. When you do your great science things, you have to help people. With great power, comes great responsibility. Never forget that.¡¯

    I looked down at the faded symbol spider on my chest, feeling it¡¯s weight. Even if the news was villainising Spider-man, I¡¯d seen people who were thankful for him. I¡¯d seen how grateful a nephew was that his Uncle had been saved. I¡¯d done that. And I could do more. Spider-Man could be more. I could be the city¡¯s hope. It didn¡¯t matter if I was a hero or not, the people needed one. I stared off at into the sunset before looking down at the street below me.

    If I was going to do this, I needed to do it properly. I¡¯d train to fight, learn emergency care, and build a relationship with law enforcement. I¡¯d try to befriend people, use all my skills to help take down villains. I needed to make the device that could help take down Sandman. He¡¯d said he¡¯d gotten his powers in the explosion. If my theory was right and he manipulated the sand using an internalised negative energy, then an inhibitor collar that limited the flow of it could neutralise him. Yeah, this was good. I could do this. I¡¯d do everything Lucas had and more. Careful and Kind.

    I looked over myself. I¡¯d get a proper costume too. It felt kind of disrespectful, wearing Lucas¡¯ costume. I¡¯d give this one back to him, after I fixed it and I¡¯d make my own. I could use Gwen and Ben¡¯s favourite colours. Red and blue. Yeah, that sounded good. I sniffled, wiped my eyes and lightly slapped the sides of my face. I took a deep breath and stood up, stumbling slightly. I adjusted my web shooters then, slowly, I pulled my mask back on. I looked out over the city again, listening closely as sirens blared off in the distance. I smiled and with a running start, leapt off the side of the building.

 Peters Story - Chapter Nineteen

    I sat in a caf¨¦ sipping at my hot chocolate. I shifted slightly, in my seat uncomfortable. I¡¯d have to get used to this, but it was probably worth it. I didn¡¯t want to have to change in and out of my suit every time something came up. If someone eventually stumbled in on me changing in the alley there¡¯d be so many questions.

    ¡°Hey Pete, your zoning out again¡± MJ said.

    ¡°Sorry, just thinking about stuff¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It didn¡¯t seem like your so sad anymore¡±

    I tilted my head pondering. Was I really not sad anymore?

    ¡°I guess. It¡¯ll probably come back though¡± I said.

    ¡°Yeah¡± MJ said with a sigh. ¡°But hey, at least missing her meant you loved her.¡± I nodded and took another sip from my hot chocolate.

    ¡°So¡­ are you doing your theatre classes again?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah. Everyone was more worried about me than I thought they¡¯d be¡± she replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s good¡±

    ¡°Kind of. They were a bit too worried¡±

    ¡°It just shows they care about you¡±

    MJ nodded and took a bite out of her cupcake. She glanced out the side of the caf¨¦ into the street, looking on wistfully as people walked by. Then she turned back to me, frowning slightly.

    ¡°When did you get so old?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°You know I¡¯ve been teaching for almost five years now¡±

    ¡°That explains nothing¡±

    ¡°I mean it feels like you were just graduating high-school yesterday. Sometimes I even have to actively remind myself that you¡¯re not in college anymore¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ weird¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡±

    ¡°Kind of¡±

    ¡°It just feels like the world¡¯s moving so fast¡± MJ said. I paused and let out a small chuckle as I set down my hot chocolate.

    ¡°Yeah. I guess I do get where you¡¯re coming from¡±

    ¡°See it¡¯s not that weird¡±

    ¡°Well I hope it is. If I still look like I just graduated high-school I must be doing something wrong¡±

    We both laughed and MJ¡¯s eyes darted to the TV in the corner.

    ¡°Oh, look it¡¯s that superhero¡­ what¡¯s his name again? Spiderman?¡± MJ said, pointing at the screen. I glanced behind me. I glanced behind me to see myself fighting against Sandman, the last bits of our second fight being played on the TV. Before pictures of the damaged parts of the area flashed across the screen and it cut to the damned garbage video. I¡¯d seen that at least fifty times now.

    ¡°What do you think of him?¡± MJ asked.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± I asked, turning back.

    ¡°What do you think of him?¡± he repeated. I paused, not sure how to answer the question.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a serious question. Don¡¯t think about it that hard¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ I don¡¯t know¡± I said.

    ¡°You can¡¯t think of anything?¡±

    ¡°Not really. I mean¡­ he¡¯s just a superhero right?¡±

    ¡°I guess¡± MJ said, her eyes flitting back to the screen. ¡°My kids love him. He stopped a monster in a fight right outside our school¡±

    ¡°Huh¡± I said nodding as I finished off my coffee. I wonder what else Lucas had done before he¡¯d given me the mask?

    Suddenly the words breaking news flashed across the screen and it cut to a reporter in a studio.

    ¡®We have breaking news it appears that the Sandman has returned, this time at Central Bank. ¡¯

    I pretended to check my phone.

    ¡°Oh crap, I think I have to go?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it about?¡±

    ¡°Work. I¡¯m going to have to sort out a new job¡±

    ¡°I thought you were going to work with Harry¡±

    ¡°Well he hasn¡¯t said anything directly so I started looking around¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ well good luck¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡± I said, before quickly leaving.

    I walked down the street normally, trying to keep my calm. He was back dammit. Well at least now I had a way to stop him for good. We weren¡¯t fighting again after today. I came to a stop and glanced around then rushed into an alley. I ripped off my backpack and pulled out my web shooters. Rolling back my sleeves, I strapped them on. I took off my jacket then my jumper and finally my pants. I stared at the red and blue, with the white spider symbol on my chest. I fished my mask out of my jacket pocket and stared at it, my heart racing. I was still scared. But now I knew. This wasn¡¯t just for me. That was more than enough to calm my nerves. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It was time to do this.

    I stuffed my clothes into my bag and webbed it behind the dumpster, then with a leap I jumped upwards and ran up the side of the building, before diving off the roof and leaping out into the sun. I fired a web and swung through the street, feeling the sun on my back. I swung again, feeling my confidence grow with every web. For the first time since donning the costume, it didn¡¯t feel like a weight. It made me feel stronger, more confident. It made me feel like more than just Peter Parker.

    I pulled myself up a web and with a burst of strength flung myself up over a building, somersaulting through the air. I let out a cry of joy, spreading my arms out as I fell, the air washing over me brining with it a fulfilling freedom. I fired another web and swung landing on the side of a building, my entire body trembling with adrenaline.

    This was incredible. I was shaken from my high by the sound of multiple police sirens. I looked around, spotting a trio of police cars zooming through the street below. Crap, I forgot what I was doing for a second there.

    ¡°Not the time to be having fun. Come on Peter, come on¡± I whispered before leaping from the building.

    I swung through the street, overtaking the police cars as people below pointed up at me as I zipped through the air. I swung around a corner just in time to see the policemen standing by the barricade get blown back by a wave of sand. I fired two webs out and shot forwards, grabbing two officers. I landed slightly further back, setting them down. One of the cops glared at me and the other wiped sand out of his eyes.

    I turned back to the bank to see the windows blanketed by sand.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± I said to the officers.

    ¡°This an active crime scene. Leave now¡± the female officer said.

    ¡°I can help. I¡¯m a hero¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a vigilante¡± she said curtly. ¡°We don¡¯t need your h-¡°

    ¡°Rosa! The guy¡¯s made of sand¡± the other cop said.

    ¡°We can handle it¡±

    ¡°Or we can let this guy handle it¡±

    ¡°Shut up Martin. We need to focus and get the hostages ou-¡±

    Suddenly my spider sense buzzed. Sand. Lot¡¯s of it. I grabbed the two and leapt into the air, dodging as a large hand swept the air underneath us. I landed on the side of a building and watched it disappear into the pool of sand surrounding the bank. There was a lot of sand. A lot. There was twice as much as he¡¯d had before just outside the bank. I felt my hands and feet grow numb as I broke out into a cold sweat. Dammit, I was getting scared again. I needed to distract myself.

    ¡°Did he stop at the beach on the way here? Geez¡±

    The male cop, Martin chuckled.

    ¡°A construction site¡± the female cop, Rosa, said, shooting Martin a look. He stopped laughing.

    ¡°Now put us down¡± Rosa said.

    I set them down, next to the building we were on and before they could say anything, leapt forwards. I heard a shot behind me but ignored it, firing two webs forward as my spider sense buzzed, warning me of the incoming sand. The webs landed on the wall and I pulled myself forwards, shooting through the air and smashing feet first through one of the windows. I landed in the middle of the bank and instantly my spider sense roared. Above. I flipped, dodging a large chunk of sand that came down with enough force to disintegrate the wooden desk I¡¯d landed on.

    I barely had time to land before my sense buzzed again. I flipped through the air, dodging a wall of sand.

    ¡°SPIDERMAN!!¡± a voice roared from all around me. I looked around. Shit. The wall were covered in sand, with a good portion of the floor covered in a thin layer too. That thin layer was steadily rolling towards me, a faint tingling. He was everywhere.

    ¡°Sandman! We can have our beach party alone! Let the hostages go!¡± I shouted back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lump me in with you! There just here so you don¡¯t run away! You coward!¡± he roared, his voice echoing through the bank.

    ¡°Says the guy hiding!¡± I shot back. My spider sense buzzed again, and I leapt to the side as a javelin formed from the sand, narrowly missing me. Then it contorted, twisting into multiple spikes that followed me as I moved. I webbed them together to no avail. Shit. I grabbed a table and flung it through the base of the construct, the entire thing falling in on itself. That had been close.

    He was pulling tricks he hadn¡¯t before. He¡¯d gotten stronger. I ignored my trembling hands and looked around. I needed to find him fast. If he¡¯d developed this much in a few days, I¡¯d be in real danger in a week. I looked around. I just needed to pick a direction. I rushed forward blindly, a shock passed through my brain, and I barely dodged a spiked ball. I landed and felt sand stab at my feet. I leapt upwards. Mistake. My spider sense buzzed as a pillar of sand slammed into me mid-air, sending me flying. I managed to grab onto the ceiling, stopping myself from crashing to the floor.

    ¡°Use your webs idiot¡± I mumbled. I fired a web at a pillar in the centre of the room and yanked myself towards it. I crawled around the pillar looking around the bank. Nothing.

    ¡°Sandman!¡± I shouted, getting desperate. ¡°Enough with the sandcastles! Fight me like a man!¡±

    ¡°You think you can talk about being a man you bastard!¡± he roared back. He stepped out from behind a wall of sand, hatred filled his eyes. Bingo. I didn¡¯t hesitate, catapulting myself over to him with my webs in an instant. He stepped back, his eyes widening as his arm became a shield. I slammed into him and we both crashed to the floor.

    I hit him but the shield didn¡¯t break. Crap. I leapt back, grabbing onto the ceiling as spikes shot upwards. He was tougher. I probably couldn¡¯t break his constructs without obliterating him and I didn¡¯t know exactly how I felt about that. I looked around, searching for the hostages. My spider sense buzzed and I dodged a large spiked ball, then swung through the lobby, avoiding the floor. It seemed like more and more sand was coming into the building. Soon the entire floor would be covered in it. I needed to end this quickly. My spider sense buzzed and by a hairs breadth I dodged a spike, before a wave of sand crashed into my back slamming me against the ceiling. I yanked myself out of it and crashed to the floor as another wave of sand slammed into me. I was flung through the air and crashed into a window where I felt the sand start to crush me. I pushed my hand out, trying to grasp at the air before firing a web and pulling myself out. I skidded across the ground, in a clear part of the bank as I coughed, shaking the sand off of me. The sound of advancing sand filled my ears, as my brain buzzed. I looked up to see all the sand in the bank approaching me. I had nowhere to go. Panic gripped me, but the sound of a shrill scream cut through the haze. I needed to rescue the hostages.

    ¡°Feel it Pete. Feel it¡± I whispered. I took a deep breath, feeling outwards with my spider sense. I could feel it as the sand shifted around, hear the fine grains roll off one another as the constructs shot towards me. I dodged them effortlessly, feeling out further. I could hear panicked breaths, and feel the echoes of beating hearts. Front door. There were three people by the front door. Ok, that was kind of smart. They were trapped by walls of sand. If I made my way over to them he¡¯d have to get close to stop me, he had limited control over distances. He didn¡¯t want me to run away, so if I go the hostages it was over. He¡¯d show, and then I had to put the inhibitor on him. I just had to trust he wouldn¡¯t hurt them. His actions wouldn¡¯t make sense if he did.

    I webbed myself forward, ducking and weaving as more sand constructs flew at me.

    ¡°NO!!!¡± Sandman roared, a feeble attempt at a wall of sand forming between me and the sand box. I vaulted over it and then my spider sense buzzed. Something was coming from left side. It was him. I managed to stop myself, but Sandman extended his shoulder, clipping me and we crashed to the floor together. He grabbed me with a large hand and I kicked through his arm, leaping up as he brought a hammer down where my head had been. I didn¡¯t have time to worry about hurting him. The sand sprayed over me as I pulled out the inhibitor, and dived at him. I clamped it around his neck and he cried out both of us slamming to the floor. My joy was cut short as my spider sense screamed out, warning me of an attack on my gut, I spun, pushing off sandman¡¯s legs, and felt a spike stab through my side. I ignored the pain and tried to kick him in the side of the head.

    He blocked with a enlarged arm and I dodged as he swung back. I was bleeding, but that wasn¡¯t what I was focused on. The inhibitor hadn¡¯t worked. That was seriously bad news. Had I calculated wrong? I must have. Or maybe it had been broken as I¡¯d been thrown around. Dammit I knew I should¡¯ve made it out of sturdier stuff. I shook my head. Didn¡¯t matter, he was distracted. I leapt backwards and fired a web swinging through the lobby to the sandbox. I dodged a wild elongated arm swing and smashed through the wall of the flimsy box. I grabbed the trio and dived through the other side of the sandbox towards the door. My spider sense screamed and I felt my heart run cold. He was attacking us. He was attacking the hostages. I¡¯d messed up. I flung the trio forwards and fired a web to catch them as a wave of sand slammed on top of me, almost crushing me under its weight.

    I felt a panic overcome me and quickly scrambled forward through the sand, but I could tell already; This was it. Well¡­ dammit. At least I¡¯d saved some people. But even though death was certain my body continued scrambling and clawing at the dirt. Instead of spikes trying to drive themselves through me the pressure lifted as I felt the sand shift slowly backwards. I crawled forwards faster, gasping for air when I pulled myself free from the sand. I didn¡¯t know what was happening but I was glad to be alive. Immediately I froze. One of the hostages had been caught in the sand. Their legs were mangled as they lay crying on the floor. The other two lay in the web, looking on in horror. I hadn¡¯t been fast enough. I grabbed the guy, and he clutched onto me, breathing heavily, his eyes darting everywhere.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get you to the hospital, just¡­ just hold on¡± I said. He nodded, gasping through the pain. I glanced down at his legs. I couldn¡¯t move him properly like this. I looked up at the onlooking crowd of policemen.

    ¡°Ambulance! Somebody get an ambulance!¡± I shouted. Rosa darted forward, her gun raised slightly. She was followed closely by Martin.

    ¡°It¡¯s his legs he-¡°

    ¡°We¡¯ll stay with him. Just deal with that guy¡± Rosa said glancing up at me. I nodded. I glanced behind me, to see that the sand had retreated, but still blocked the windows. I needed to end this here. I dived forwards, pulling myself through the sand with my webs. I landed down.

    ¡°Sandman!¡± I shouted, angrily.

    ¡°I¡¯m here¡± a calm voice said.

    He sat on the floor, leaning against a pillar staring at me. I faltered.

    ¡°I hurt one of them, didn¡¯t I?¡± he said.

    ¡°¡­yeah¡± I said. I walked over to him cautiously. He looked human now, brown hair, brown eyes. He was sweating buckets and breathing deeply. He looked me up and down.

    ¡°You¡¯re not even him, are you?¡± he said, chuckling.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not the guy. I¡¯ve watched the footage hundreds of times. You don¡¯t move like him¡± he said. I looked him up and down. Was he doing this to lower my guard. No, something told me this was genuine.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not¡± I said. He let out a small bout of forced laughter, bringing his hands to his face.

    ¡°I thought so. I thought it the first fight, but I was too angry to care¡± he said. I watched him as he coughed violently. He sat still looking at the floor for a few seconds.

    ¡°He killed my daughter. In that big fight. Crushed her under two tonnes of concrete¡± he said, his watery eyes far away. ¡°There wasn¡¯t even anything left to bury¡± he said tearing up.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t pity me you fuck¡± he said, looking back up at me, a mix of anger and sadness in his eyes. I didn¡¯t say anything, just watched him carefully. He coughed again. ¡°I knew what I was doing. I was prepared to hurt the guy. But not someone else. I never meant to hurt anyone else¡± he said. He closed his eyes for a few seconds. ¡°Where even is he?¡±

    ¡°He¡­ quit¡± I said

    ¡°Great¡± he replied, his voice dripping sarcasm.

    I looked at him closer. He just looked like an ordinary guy.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I said, surprising myself.

    ¡°Why do you care?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been calling you Sandman. But that¡¯s not who you are. I just want to know your name¡±

    ¡°Finnick, but everyone calls me Flint¡± he said.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what was your daughter¡¯s name?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Sarah¡± he said his voice raw. He closed his eyes again, tears falling down his face.

    He opened his eyes again.

    ¡°You can take me in now¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to resist?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already done enough damage¡± he said. He seemed docile now, but there was no guarantee he¡¯d stay that way. I glanced at the inhibitor collar, and double checked it. It was still on the lowest setting. Idiot. I turned it all the way up and Flint winced, before coughing again. The sand fell from the windows and illuminated the entire bank.

    ¡°That¡¯s what that was for¡± he said. I helped he stand up, then led him outside, hands behind his back. An ambulance was already outside, thank god. I walked him over to the cops and they watched him warily.

    ¡°The collar stops his powers, don¡¯t take it off¡± I said.

    ¡°I won¡¯t resist¡± Flint said, defeated.

    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna take your word for it¡± Rosa said, grabbing him and slapping handcuffs on. I watched, uncertain as she led him away to a police car. I guess even the bad guys were people too in the end. I looked around at the mess of sand, and the crowd watching the me, their phones out.

    ¡°Thanks Spider-man. We owe you one¡± Martin said, offering his hand. I nodded and shook it.

    ¡°I¡¯m just glad I could help¡±

 Peters Story - Epilogue

    I sat in my shed, fiddling around with my measly negative energy generator, whilst the mini¨CTV I¡¯d set up in the corner of the room played a Bugle News broadcast. I watched intently as they spoke about me and the aptly named, Sandman. They were better at giving names to things than I was for sure. The three hosts spoke amongst themselves following a segment about metahuman issues in and around the country. The segment had focused on rumours circulating about the disappearance of the Vanguard and possible anti-metahuman legislation, but now that the hosts were talking amongst themselves, they seemed to be focused on me and Sandman in particular.

    I sat there listening to what they were saying, as they were insulted Spider-Man. It was weird. It didn¡¯t bother me. Maybe it should¡¯ve. I didn¡¯t know, it just felt like they didn¡¯t believe it. Or maybe it was because I was too happy I¡¯d actually helped people to care. I shifted in my seat and winced, grabbing my back. I chuckled a bit, setting everything down, before slowly straightening out. I stretched a bit before releasing a sigh and rested my head against the table. I closed my eyes and turn to face the sunlight, letting it warm my face as it filtered through the ajar shed door.

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    I felt peaceful. In tune with the world for the first time in a while. It felt good, even if I knew it wouldn¡¯t last. It wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d felt like this, and it probably wouldn¡¯t be the final time either. The same was probably true Things would probably get harder, but I¡¯d worked through fears once. I could do it again. I sat up, opening my eyes and glanced over at my new costume. It lay on the workstation, the thin line of sunlight that hit it creating a red glow. I felt myself start to smile. I stood up, switched off the tv and picked up my new mask staring at it. Now was as good a time as any to go on patrol. An entire city of people needed help. That meant I had a lot of catching up to do.

 Extended Family - Chapter One

    Two years later...

    I landed on the warehouse carefully and tightened my bag over my back before pulling my gloves on and finishing my hot dog. I crawled around the side of the building and peered through one of the windows. At least thirty guys milled around large shipment containers filled with crates whilst a few scientists worked away in a glass box with loads of equipment. I heard a few shouts in Russian and craned my neck, recognising the voice. Markov was here. Bingo. I videoed things for a few seconds then quickly slipped my phone back into my bag. I climbed through the window and onto the warehouse ceiling, thinking about my next move. Thank God, Lucas had told me about the phone system he¡¯d had. I put my hands together and said a small prayer for whoever had left a voice mail and called this in as suspicious. They¡¯d just save me months of trouble.

    I stretched out my arms. This was it. I¡¯d finally got him. I could have fun with this. I fired a web and slowly dangled myself down above Null, until I was right above him. I cleared my throat.

    ¡°Hey Markov, you think you could whip up some ice cream for me? I¡¯ve got a date after this and- woah!¡° I said, leaping away from a huge icicle. I landed on the wall and fired webs at Markov knocking him to the ground. He froze them and broke free, but it was too late. I swung and kicked him, knocking him out cold. Then landed on the floor. Everyone stared at me in silence.

    ¡°Now, we can do this the easy way or the-¡°

    My spider sense buzzed and leapt into action. Dodging gunfire, I flipped through the air with a practiced grace, before jumping behind a shipping container as gunfire continued to echo through the air.

    ¡°Where¡¯d you learn how to aim?! Stormtrooper Academy?!¡± I shouted. I frowned. I was using that line too much. I needed new material. My spider sense buzzed again, and I leapt onto the container. I landed then fired webs and yanked away the gangster¡¯s guns, then charged at them.

    They were a mess. The scientists were cowering under tables and half the gangsters were running for vehicles whilst the other half were running at me.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys supposed to be organised crime?¡± I said. I webbed a guy and flung him around in a circle, knocking a bunch of the henchmen down. I fired webs, sticking them to the floor then turned my focus on the guys who¡¯d managed to reach the vans. I webbed the tires of two of them to the floor when my webs suddenly ran out. Dammit I thought I refilled. I dodged a punch from behind and one tapped him, then leapt forwards towards the final van as it took off.

    My spider sense buzzed, and I had barely enough time to dodge a shipping container as it slammed against the floor then skidded across the warehouse. Dammit there was a brute. The brute charged at me, swinging wildly as I dodged. I countered and he stumbled backwards but didn¡¯t fall. I thought that¡¯d knock him out.

    ¡°What are they feeding you? Spinach?¡± I said.

    He pulled out a gun and fired at me. I weaved, rushing in closer even as he fired. He threw the gun at me and followed up with a punch. I dodged both and slipped between his legs, sweeping his feet out from under him. He slammed to the ground, and I hit him in the table, hard. He didn¡¯t get up. I turned back to the exit. The van was gone. I went follow and paused glancing around the warehouse. I couldn¡¯t just leave it like this. I pulled out my burner phone and speed dialled the police. I let it stick to my ear and swapped out the web cartridges, before leaping out of the warehouse and swinging away.

    ¡°This is emergency services, how may I be of assistance?¡±

    ¡°Yeah this is Spider-Man. I¡¯ve got a warehouse filled with Bears at¡­ where am I?  I don¡¯t know the address. It¡¯s the warehouse just off the side of the Queensboro bridge. Oh and they¡¯re the gang members by the way, not actual bears. They¡¯re all restrained but they¡¯ve Markov Boscovich, y¡¯know¡­ what was his name¡­ Ice guy? I can¡¯t remember. But anyway, he¡¯s here and a brute so you might want to get the MDA involved.¡±

    The responder sighed and I hung up, searching for the van again. I felt something in my bag buzz. My personal phone. Crap what time was it? I carried on swinging, whilst awkwardly taking off my bag. I pulled out my phone and stared at the caller ID. It was Liz. Shit. I picked up, pulling my ear away from the phone in apprehension.

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    "Petey, where the hell are you?!" she shouted, loud and clear.

    ¡°Sorry, I got caught up at work and I-¡°

    ¡°Again?!¡±

    ¡°I know I know, I just¡­ I¡¯m coming as quickly as I can¡± I said. I was met with silence.

    ¡°Liz?¡± I asked tentatively.

    ¡°¡­Ok. Just get here in the next twenty minutes. I don¡¯t want to miss the film¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m on my way. Love you¡±

    ¡°¡­ love you too¡±

    The line went dead and I let out a tired sigh. I couldn¡¯t keep doing this. I fired another web and swung awkwardly as I stuffed the phone into my backpack, then pulled it on. Shit. I was in a busier area now and still no sight of a truck. I¡¯d have to get higher. I shot two webs on either side of the street and sling shotted myself high up into the air. I looked down as I flew, eyes searching about rapidly. There. I angled my body as I started to descend, falling towards the truck. I fired another web and swung towards the van, picking up speed.

    It veered wildly through traffic as I gained steadily. Suddenly the backdoors flew open, and two guys open fired at me. Really? I weaved through the bullets, making sure to keep my swings high up. The van turned quickly and the fire stopped. I took my chance, firing webs at the guys in the back, and sticking them to truck¡¯s cargo. I shot around the corner and leapt off my web landing on the roof. I heard shouts in Russian as the driver and passenger argued. Then the driver door flew open and a guy hopped out. Jesus. I leapt around the side, landing in the drivers seat and closing the door in one quick motion.

    The passenger and I locked eyes, their hands white knuckling the steering wheel as they leaned over from their seat.

    ¡°Well this is awkward¡± I said, searching for the brakes with my feet. They reached for my neck, yanking their hands of the steering wheel. Mistake. The van veered and I heard the tires squeal as we were both thrown about. I recovered quickly. I webbed the guy to the door and then leapt out the windshield as the van flipped. I caught it , stumbling as I tried to gain my footing, then finally stabilised and set it down. I looked through the now broken windshield staring at the criminal.

    ¡°That was seriously stupid¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡± the guy mumbled defeated.

    I looked around as people began to clap and cheer. I gave a small wave, grinning underneath my mask. I pointed at some random guy.

    ¡°Call the police for me, ok?¡± I said. He nodded, eyes wide. I jumped up and swung away, I could finally go home. Oh crap, the last guy. I turned around, swinging back down the road as I searched for him. I couldn¡¯t find him. I stopped on a wall. Crap, did I keep looking or did I go home? I didn¡¯t want to keep Liz waiting, but the guy couldn¡¯t have gotten far, right?

    I pulled off my bag to check the time. Dammit, it was ruined, parts of it shredded to bits by glass. I webbed up the holes.

    ¡°Spider-man!¡± I heard someone call out from below. I glanced down.

    ¡°Some guys just robbed a store like two blocks over¡± a guy shouted.

    I flashed him a thumbs up but sighed, slipping my bag back onto my back. Today was going to be a long day.

    -

    I landed on Liz¡¯s apartment roof, and quickly pulled off my mask and started to pull on my clothes, over my costume. I paused smelling the costume. Dammit I smelt like smoke. Had I been in any fires today? I couldn¡¯t remember. Either way, I couldn¡¯t wear my costume under my clothes. I struggled for a few seconds, pulling it off before putting on my regular clothes. I stuffed my gloves, mask, and rest of the costume into my bag then paused, staring at the web covered holes. I wrapped my jacket over it and rushed through the roof door, leaping through the gap down the middle of the stairs, and catching myself on Liz¡¯s floor. I jumped onto the stairs, and speed down the corridor stopping outside room 7. I adjusted my hair in my phone camera quickly and smelt myself. I still smelt lightly of smoke. Hopefully she didn¡¯t notice. I knocked.

    The door flew open and Liz stood in front of me arms crossed as she glared.

    ¡°The movie started twenty minutes ago¡± she said.

    ¡°Sorry I-¡±

    She put a finger to my lips before I could even say anything. Uh oh.

    ¡°Do you have any idea how many times this has happened?!¡± she said annoyed.

    ¡°I-¡°

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk¡± she said curtly. I nodded, going silent.

    ¡°¡± she said. I glanced down the corridor. People could definitely hear us.

    ¡°Look at me Peter¡± Liz said angrily. I turned back to her instantly, standing stock still.

    ¡°You forgot, didn¡¯t you?¡± she said. I shook my head. ¡°Just admit it, you forgot and only left work when I called¡± she said. I shook my head again. ¡°You can speak now you idiot¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, I know I¡¯ve done this repeatedly but I didn¡¯t forget. I could never forget¡± I said.

    ¡°That makes it worse!¡± she said, throwing her hands up and walking back into her apartment.

    ¡°I-it does?¡± I said confused, following her inside.

    She ignored me and made her way into the kitchen. I followed her, walking through the apartment. The apartment was small but nice. Liz was an interior designer, so she was masterful at making spaces feel homely. The mixture of warm indoor lighting, plants, and d¨¦cor made the place feel welcoming.

    I stood at the kitchen door, watching as she poured herself a cup of water.

    ¡°Babe?¡± I said. She continued ignoring me. ¡°Babe?¡±

    ¡°Just leave me alone¡±

    ¡°Look I¡¯m sorry. I know we missed the film but I can order takeout a-¡°

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to change the subject¡± she said, shooting me a glare.

    ¡°Wha? But you-¡°

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to shift the blame onto me¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to. I¡¯m just trying to figure out what¡¯s wrong¡±

    ¡°The fact you don¡¯t even think being late is wrong is the problem!¡± she said barging past me.

    ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I know being late is wrong. It¡¯s just that you said, me not forgetting is worse and then started ignoring me. I¡¯m just trying to talk to you¡± I said, exasperated. Liz ignored, turning on the TV. ¡°Liz?¡±

    ¡°You need to apologise¡± she said.

    ¡°I- I did?¡± I said confused.

    ¡°Not properly¡±

    Ah, now I understood why she was being abrasive. I sat down on the couch next to her and pulled her into a tight hug. Her head rested against my chest as I held her for a few seconds before I gave her a kiss on the cheek.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Liz. I really am¡± I said.

    ¡°If you think this is a proper apology, your sorely mistaken¡± she said. I held her tighter, my body relaxing at her warmth.

    ¡°Petey, you can let go now¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t want to¡± I said, yawning.

    I saw the corners of her mouth tug upwards in a smile she tried to hide. I let out a laugh, then another yawn. God I was tired.

    ¡°If your gonna fall asleep at least order the takeout first¡± Liz said.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯ll do that¡­¡± I mumbled, before drifting off to sleep.

 Extended Family - Chapter Two

    I slowly regained consciousness to the sound of a soothing voice. Someone was saying something to me.

    ¡°Petey wake up¡± Liz said, poking me lightly in the face. I rolled over, turning my face away from her.

    ¡°Petey, wake up¡± she said more forcefully, shaking me.

    ¡°Give me a minute¡± I mumbled into a pillow. I felt a finger poke my back before Liz started trying to pull me off the bed. I groaned and tried to push her away before pulling her in towards me and falling back into bed. We lay there for a few seconds. This was nice.

    ¡°Petey this is great and all but you¡¯re late for work¡± Liz said. I bolted upright suddenly wide awake.

    I turned to look at my alarm clock before remembering I was at Liz¡¯s apartment. I looked over to her bedside table. 10:23.

    ¡°Shit¡± I said, clambering out of bed. I searched the floor, grabbing my clothes as I quickly changed into them.

    ¡°No, thank you?¡± Liz asked as I pulled on my top. I pulled her into a quick kiss.

    ¡°Thank you. You¡¯re an absolute lifesaver¡± I said, quickly rushing out of the room. I grabbed my shoes and threw them on quickly, then scooped up my bag and threw the door open.

    ¡°See you later!¡± I shouted. Liz said something back, but I¡¯d already closed the door. I rushed down the hallway before reaching the stairs. I paused, glancing down then up. It¡¯d be faster if I put on my costume. I just had to pray nobody needed any help.

    -

    ¡°Thank you young man¡± the old lady said, still clutching my hand tightly.

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, really¡± I said, subtly trying to pull away. She didn¡¯t let go, instead clutching tighter.

    ¡°Would you like some candy?¡± she asked. ¡°My grandson loved these when he was younger and I must say they are a personal favourite.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the offer, really, but I¡¯m sorry I have to go¡± I said.

    ¡°Well take some anyway¡± she said, pressing candy into my hand.

    ¡°It was nice talking to you Mr Spider-Man¡± she said, flashing a gentle smile as she let go of my hand.

    ¡°The pleasure was mine. And please if you ever need help crossing the road again, just call me¡± I said. She chuckled slightly and I flashed her a thumbs up.

    ¡°Thanks for the sweets¡± I said, leaping up and swinging away.

    She¡¯d been nice. She probably shouldn¡¯t have been out in the streets alone though. I sped up, swinging faster before I reached Brooklynn Bridge. The sound of sirens caught my ear and I glanced down to see two police cruisers in a car chase. Goddammit. I leapt towards the cars, effortlessly weaving through the bridge¡¯s supports before landing on the roof of one of the police vehicles. One of the cops poked his head out the window to look up at me.

    ¡°Spider-Man!¡± he shouted with joy.

    ¡°What¡¯s the situation!? They have anything dangerous on board!?¡± I asked, shouting over the sound of wind.

    ¡°Nah! The idiots robbed a jewellers!¡± he shouted back. I nodded and leapt forwards landing on top of the thieves car. I peered over the edge looking through the window.

    ¡°Stop the car!¡± I shouted as two thieves turned to look at me. Instantly they hit the breaks and I went flying. I hit the ground and rolled before coming to a stop. Ow. I hadn¡¯t meant instantly. I stood up as the police cars swerved around the car blocking the thieves path. I flashed the cops a thumbs up then leapt off the bridge.

    I swung quickly, praying nobody committed anymore crimes before I made it to work. Thankfully, God was on my side today. I landed on the roof of the building and rushed inside. I pulled off my mask and gloves as I juggled with my bag. I¡¯d down this enough times to pull on my clothes and make my way down the stairs faster than your average person. I reached the tenth floor and threw open the fire exit door, stepping out into a professional looking hallway with glass doors at the far end.

    I jogged over to the door and presented my keycard, slipping inside as I looked around cautiously. Nobody had seen me yet. I made my way through the main corridor and stopped outside my office. I stepped inside and threw my bag into the corner, pulled my lab coat on and grabbed the stack of folders on my desk. I didn¡¯t bother checking my computer. I left quickly giving a small nod as a few of my colleagues walked past the office, then I speed walked through the building and stepped inside my lab.

    ¡°Oh come on¡± Bella said, throwing up her hands. Grady raised his hands in celebration and high fived both the interns a smug grin on his face.

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    ¡°Oh yeah. Oh yeah¡± he said, doing a little dance. Sajani sat behind them, at her desk and just rolled her eyes. I felt a small smile play on my lips.

    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late guys or am I not late enough¡± I said.

    ¡°No. Sajani was the only one who thought you¡¯d be here before 10:40¡± Bella said.

    ¡°Wow, you guys have no faith in me¡± I said.

    ¡°Nope we just know you too well¡± Grady said with a chuckle.

    ¡°Well, what was the bet this time?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Whether you¡¯d wear the lab coat with the ketchup stain¡± Grady said with a grin. I glanced down at the ketchup stain on my left breast pocket. Crap.

    ¡°Can you believe it Pete? I¡¯m the only one who thought you wouldn¡¯t wear it. I know Todd always sides with Grady but Maria¡¯s betrayed me¡± Bella said with a comically exaggerated sadness.

    ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t want to get stuck paying for lunch¡± Maria said with a shrug. I smiled.

    ¡°Alright guys, I¡¯m gonna go change. Can you guys get started without me?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We already started. I¡¯ll fill you in when you get back¡± Sajani said.

    ¡°Perfect¡± I said, flashing a thumbs up. I quickly slipped out the room and jogged back to my office. I grabbed a clean lab coat, checked my hair in the mirror and then stepped back into the hall, coming face to face with my boss.

    ¡°Oh, uh¡­ Mr Banks. Great to see you¡± I said. He stared at me red faced.

    ¡°Peter¡­ do you have any idea what time it is?¡± he said, through thinly veiled anger.

    ¡°11:00¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. It seems I haven¡¯t gone batshit insane¡± he said, nodding.

    ¡°Mr Banks I-¡°

    ¡°Peter what hours do I pay you for again?¡± he said, his voice still slightly distant.

    ¡°9 till 4 sir¡±

    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it? Sorry but if you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­ WHY THE HELL ARE YOU SHOWING UP AT ELEVEN OCLOCK?!!!¡± he shouted, his voice echoing down the hall. Everyone turned to look at us.

    ¡°Sorry sir I-¡°

    ¡°Do you know how much competition we have?!¡±

    ¡°Y-¡°

    ¡°I could¡¯ve hired Miles Warren, y¡¯know?! Or even Julia Fines! But I chose you¡± he said, jabbing me with a finger. ¡°I pay you good money Peter. Because you¡¯re smart, connected and I don¡¯t want you going anywhere else. For some reason you only really seem to remember that last part¡±

    ¡°Sir I- ¡±

    ¡°Stop taking advantage of me!¡± he said, interrupting me again. Before I could say anything, he stormed off, feet thudding heavily as he made his way down the hall. People stared at us and I sighed, shaking my head.

    ¡°I really need to stop coming in so late¡± I mumbled.

    -

    I sat in the lab, scanning through the documents Sajani had showed me. Things were going ok. Some of the volunteers were seeing better than expected results, but most of them weren¡¯t experiencing anything. It was lunch and the others were in the cafeteria, but I¡¯d stayed to get some extra work finished. It was bad enough that I showed up as late as I did, but if the project was behind then Mr Banks would definitely fire me. I doubted anyone else would be as tolerable of my tardiness as he¡¯d been. I needed to keep this job. Even if it was stressful, it was the only one that allowed me to live both my lives completely. To some extent at least.

    Speaking about that¡­ I set down my folder and turned on my computer. I tapped my password in quickly and went straight to google.

    ¡°Markov Boscovich¡­ arrested¡± I mumbled, typing away. The search results came right away, and I clicked on the first link. The headline loaded onto the screen in big bold letters.

    FREEZE: PROLIFIC CRIMINAL MISTER ICE APPREHENDED BY MDA

    Heh, Mr Ice. That was a lame name. I skimmed through the first part of the article. Damn. They hadn¡¯t even mentioned me. Well, they¡¯d got him at least. He was in custody at the Hortz-Bruig penitentiary, awaiting sentencing. Hopefully he stayed locked up for a long time.

    My phone buzzed, shaking the table. I glanced at it. It was Liz. I answered.

    ¡°Hey babe, what ¡®s up?¡±

    ¡°I just started lunch and thought I¡¯d call you¡±

    ¡°Nice, how¡¯s work?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Miranda¡¯s still a bit annoying but it¡¯s whatever. What about you Petey?¡±

    ¡°Work¡¯s fine. We¡¯re making great progress¡±

    ¡°Mr Banks didn¡¯t fire you?¡± she said with a small chuckle.

    ¡°I think he came close¡± I replied chuckling. Liz¡¯s laughter stopped. ¡°Liz?¡±

    ¡°Petey¡­ are you being serious?¡±

    ¡°Huh? No¡­. no¡± I lied.

    ¡°You really need to stop showing up to work late¡±

    ¡°I know¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll start setting alarms whenever you stay over at my place. I feel like it¡¯s my fault when you-¡°

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault babe¡±

    ¡°Ok. I just don¡¯t want to get you fired¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be your fault even if I did get fired. And I promise you, I won¡¯t¡±

    ¡°Ok. Oh- sorry Petey, something came up, I have to go. I... sorry about yesterday. I didn''t mean to insult you, or call you an idiot just because I was upset.¡±

    "It''s fine Liz. I was an idiot for missing our date" I said. She let out a slight chuckle.

    "See you later" she responded sounding slightly relieved.

    ¡°See you later babe¡± I said. She hung up and I set down the phone letting out a yawn. I probably needed to bring her flowers as an apology for yesterday.

    The door to the lab opened and Sajani stepped inside, alone.

    ¡°You¡¯re back early. You finish lunch already?¡± I asked, glancing at my watch.

    ¡°Not exactly¡± she said, her tone hesitant. I frowned turning to face her.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I came to talk to you¡°

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to discuss project stuff with everyone here?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about the project Pete¡± she said, her tone serious now. Oh. I went to say something but Sajani spoke first.

    ¡°Pete, this is your third time being seriously late this week¡± she said.

    ¡°I know. I¡¯m sorry¡±

    ¡°Peter you¡¯ve been seriously late at least twice a week for the past year. And that¡¯s not including-"

    ¡°Saj I know it¡¯s difficult for the team when I keep messing up. I really am sorry and I-¡°

    ¡°Pete, you can¡¯t just keep apologising when you keep coming in late!¡±

    ¡°I-¡°

    ¡°No. Pete I¡¯m your friend and I don¡¯t want to heart your feelings but you need to get your shit together¡± she said sternly. We both went silent, the air suddenly awkward.

    ¡°I¡­ ok¡± I said.

    ¡°Promise me Peter. Not just for yourself, but for the others too¡± Sajani said, pleading slightly.

    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll try¡± I said.

    ¡°You¡­ fine¡± she said. She walked over to her desk and sat down, turning on her computer.

    I sighed. She was right, wasn¡¯t she? As Peter I had a duty to take my job seriously. But Spider-Man¡¯s job was more important than Peter¡¯s. Or was it? If this research worked it¡¯d save more lives than I could ever hope to save as the Spider. Didn¡¯t that mean I owed it to everyone it would help to be here? But that meant ignoring people in need whenever I was going to work. It meant not being Spider-Man because of the possibility I could be doing more elsewhere. What if this didn''t pan out? What about all the people who would suffer if I focused on this and it didn''t work? I couldn¡¯t win. My stomach growled and I let out a low sigh. All this thinking was making me hungry. I stood up, turning off my computer.

    ¡°I¡¯m heading off to lunch¡± I said.

    ¡°O-ok¡± Sajani replied, glancing at me nervously. I made my way out into the hall and stretched out cracking my back. I glanced out the window, looking out over the city. I yawned and momentarily caught a glimpse of my reflection in the glass. A pair of tired eyes stared back at me. I was probably too tired to think straight. I¡¯d come up a solution after a good night¡¯s rest. I mean, I was Spider-Man. I could get through this.

 Extended Family - Chapter Three

    ¡°So, Pete, what do you say?¡± Grady said, smiling wide.

    ¡°Sorry man, I¡¯d love to hang out, but I can¡¯t today¡± I said, as we made our way through the office. His face fell, but his smile returned quickly.

    ¡°That¡¯s no problem. Just let me know when you¡¯re free¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can do something this weekend¡± I said.

    ¡°Perfect. See you tomorrow Pete¡± he said.

    ¡°See you Grady¡± I said. He turned down the hall to the lab as I made my way towards the exit. I stepped through the glass doors and quickly made my way into the fire escape stairwell.

    I leapt up the stairs, between the stairwell gaps, as I pulled off my work clothes revealing my suit underneath. I fished my mask out my bag and pulled it on as I emerged onto the roof. I stuffed my clothes into my bag and zipped it shut, before pulling on my gloves. I flexed my fingers and stared out over the city. Work was finally over. It was time to get down to business.

    I slingshot myself from the roof and fired a web swinging amongst the skyscrapers. I scanned below, searching for anything suspicious but found nothing. Today was a good day. Eventually I came to a stop, landing on the side of an abandoned building and crawling in through an open window. I closed it behind me and made my way through the empty space, before coming to a locked door. I opened it with a key and stepped inside my base of operations.

    A single dingy old table sat in the middle of the room pieces of paper strewn across it, along with a bunch of web cartridges and other tech I¡¯d been messing around with recently. A few costumes hung on hangers above my portable heater, which sat next to the washing machine. The room smelled like washing detergent. I sighed and slumped into the lawn chair at the foot of the table, scouring over the mess of papers, before glancing at the map on the wall.

    It was large. Four A1 sheets of paper of that showed the entirety of New York city. Small newspaper cut outs of villains faces and the symbols of gangs and illegal organisations lined the map, filling portions of it up. On the wall next to it was a small A5 sheet of paper  that represented the Hortz-Bruig that had six cut-outs on it. I sighed. When I looked between the two and thought about what it all meant, it felt depressing.

    I stood up and webbed the receiver I had on the floor. I turned it on receiver flipping through the frequencies to pick something up. I was met mostly with white noise before a voice came over the line. A thief near W 110<sup>th</sup> street and a burst fire hydrant on W 115<sup>th</sup>. Hmm¡­ then I think I¡¯d focus on Harlem today. That way I could deal with the stuff on the way. I went to leave but paused. I grabbed a cut-out, pulling Marko¡¯s face off the map and sticking it on the small A5 sheet.

    ¡°Oh, that does feel good¡± I said chuckling to myself. I leapt out the window, grabbing a few web cartridges on the way out, and fell through the air before firing a web.

    I swung enjoying the freeing sensation of soaring through the city. I waved as I passed a few people pointing up at me, then focused back on the view. Everything was so nice from up here. Seeing how the roads stretched out, the rooftops of smaller buildings, the raging fire, all of it practically glowing under the- wait raging fire. I spun turning my attention to the black smoke that oozed out of one of the buildings, pooling into the sky. I turned around instantly, picking up the pace as I sped towards it. I quickly pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialled 911.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°This is emergency services; how may I be of assistance?¡±

    ¡°Big fire near East 29th St. Come quick. You¡¯re gonna need a few fire trucks and ambulances¡± I said, hanging up before they could even respond. I swung faster, glancing at intermittent cracks in the glass leading up the building, before throwing myself into the smoke. I landed a wave of heat hitting me as I crouched and looked around. I was looking at an office space, or what was left of it. The smoke was pouring this way out of the building, and for the most part it seemed like only near this part of the window was on fire. There weren¡¯t any people here. That could be good or bad. I looked around the window, putting out small fires with my webs. It wasn¡¯t enough, I needed to turn on the sprinkler system. Suddenly my spider sense buzzed and I weaved as a large mechanical stinger cut through the air, stabbing into the floor. I heard a screech as something leapt towards me and I kicked at it, sending it to the floor.

    I webbed my attacker down, then their mechanical stinger. I wafted the smoke away to get a clearer look at them, when my spider-sense buzzed. I leapt back as my attacker went up in a ball of fire, the heat washing over me as the flames licked the front of my costume. I flipped and landed on my feet, before quickly webbing up all the small fires that had spread further into the office. I heard shouts from below and cursed, rushing forward towards the hole in the ground.

    Was I fighting explosive robots? Just my luck. I dived through the hole and quickly webbed out the flaming debris that had crashed to the ground. I looked around. I was in a lab, the sounds of rushing footsteps and people screaming just outside the doors. I rushed forwards and burst through the door into a large lobby. Scientists in lab coats rushed around in a panic as two of the robots with mechanical stingers attacked, stabbing through people. Shit. I webbed them both back, yanking them through the air, they crashed to the ground but recovered quickly, turning to me and attacking. I ducked under one of their tails and grabbed it, slamming them into each other and flinging them back into the empty lab. I rushed inside and leapt over a slash of a stinger before dodging a barrage of blows. I couldn¡¯t risk triggering another explosion in a lab like this, so webbing them to the floor was of the table. Would hitting them too hard cause an explosion too? Crap, this was dangerous. I needed to disable them somehow. Or I could just let them explode in the air. I¡¯d done it when Tinkerer had tried to detonate those bombs last year. Yeah, I could do that.

    I grabbed one of their stingers and used it to deflect the other before webbing them together, throwing off their movements. I used the chance and grabbed them both, leaping towards the hole in the ceiling. I shot through the hole in the floor and out the whole in the window, then I threw the two upwards as far as I could and webbed them together. They writhed about as they ascended, and then a flash off light darkened the sky. I shielded my eyes, as I landed on the side of the building.

    When I looked up again, a cloud of smoke slowly dissipated as pieces of debris fell through the air. I quickly fired out a net of webs, catching them debris before it reached the ground. I rushed back inside. The smoke was mostly gone now, all the small fires put out by my web. I rushed through the building to check. No more robots. It was safe. Well as safe as it could be with a huge whole in the side of the building.

    I let out a relieved breath and turned, jogging back to make sure the people were ok. I frowned, as I ran through the lobby. Wait a second. I recognised this place. It was Icarus Labs. I¡¯d interviewed here. I glanced down the hall then out the window at the last wisps of smoke. Explosive robots attacking a successful research lab. This wasn¡¯t a coincidence.

    -

    ¡°¡­then I threw them up into the air, and that was it. But as I said, Captain Stacy, I don¡¯t think this was a coincidence¡± I said, deepening my voice slightly.

    ¡°And you said there were three of them?¡± George replied.

    ¡°Yeah. Four if the first explosion was one of them, but I only fought three¡± I said.

    ¡°Explosive killer robots huh? Things never do calm down around here¡± he mumbled, scribbling down something in his notepad before putting it away.

    ¡°Well thanks for the help, Spider-Man, it¡¯s a damn good thing you got here quickly. Could¡¯ve been a lot worse if you hadn¡¯t¡±

    ¡°I got lucky I was in the area¡± I said.

    ¡°Luck or no luck, you saved a lot of people today¡± he said, looking up at the building, staring at the shattered glass surrounding the hole. ¡°Lord knows we don¡¯t need any more explosions in this city.¡±

    I felt a pang in my heart, but it faded quickly. He offered a hand with a warm smile. I shook it, his grip firm.

    ¡°Take care of yourself. The city needs you¡± he said.

    ¡°Will do¡± I responded. He stepped back, taking a look at the fire trucks, and police cars around us.

    ¡°Well, it was nice talking to you despite the circumstances. I¡¯ve got to run, people to save and all. We all good here?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah, we can handle the rest¡± he said. I flashed a thumbs up and turned to run away but George called out to me.

    ¡°Oh Spidey one last thing before you go. Watch out for the Prowler. Word on the street is he¡¯s doing a big job in Brooklyn¡±

    ¡°Got it. See you captain!¡± I said, before swinging away. I guess I knew what my mission was for the next few days.

 Extended Family - Chapter Four

    Liz and I sat together, cuddled on the couch watching a true crime documentary. For some reason Liz was obsessed with this kind of stuff. I didn¡¯t mind watching it, but I was mostly here just to cuddle with her. Plus, it was fun to listen to her talk about theories she had afterwards.

    ¡°Hey Petey?¡± Liz said, shifting to look up at me.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± I asked

    ¡°Do you enjoy watching this stuff?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I have anything better to do¡± I joked.

    She laughed as a pang of guilt passed through my chest.

    ¡°Well you can watch something else¡± she said, before pulling away from me

    ¡°Hm? Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°Someone needs to cook. I mean We takeout¡¯s nice and all but we need some actual food¡± she said with a smile.

    ¡°Fair enough. So you cook today and tomorrow, and I cook Saturday and Sunday?¡±

    ¡°How convenient that you get to cook on the weekend?¡± she said, stepping into the kitchen.

    ¡°You know what, let¡¯s cook together¡± following her into the kitchen. ¡°You decide the meal today and tomorrow and I decide on the weekend. How¡¯s that?¡± I said.

    ¡°That sounds great¡± she said, pulling me into a kiss.

    My phone buzzed loudly in my pocket, but I ignored it. Liz pulled away first.

    ¡°You gonna get that? It might be your Aunt¡± she said.

    "Fair point" I responded. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone, glancing at it.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Harry¡± I said.

    ¡°Take it. I¡¯ll set up while you two talk¡± she said.

    ¡°Thanks babe¡± I said, stepping out of the kitchen.

    I answered the call.

    ¡°Hey Harry, what¡¯s up?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m good. What about you?¡± he replied, sounding as tired as always.

    ¡°Yeah, everything¡¯s great over here. Why¡¯d you call? Is something wrong?¡± I responded.

    ¡°Yes and no. I was just calling to ask if anything was happening for MJ¡¯s birthday but there¡¯s a few other things that aren¡¯t exactly fun to deal with right now¡± Harry said. I paused letting out a breath. I couldn¡¯t believe I¡¯d forgotten about MJ¡¯s birthday. Crap, it was in a week. Thank god Harry had called me.

    ¡°Uh MJ hasn¡¯t said anything, but if she hasn¡¯t got anything happening I could phone Kevin and try and set up a surprise party¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good idea. Any ideas on what to get her? You know I suck at stuff like this, and I don¡¯t trust _ to not get something way too expensive¡± Harry said.

    ¡°Well¡­¡°

    ¡°You¡¯re not getting something for the baby?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I feel like that¡¯d be in poor taste. I mean she¡¯s only six months along and we could get something for the baby at the baby shower, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll probably just get her tickets to a play or something¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ uh Harry?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Not to bring your mood down, but you sound kind of tired man. What ¡®other things¡¯ were bothering you¡± I asked. He let out a hearty sigh.

    ¡°It¡¯s the fund. I can tell you about this, since technically you¡¯re an investor, but please don¡¯t tell this to anyone else, we¡¯re trying to keep it hidden¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Well, there were a group of investment managers who were siphoning money from the fund in various forms¡±

    ¡°Shit. How much did they take?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s around twenty million¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°I know. It doesn¡¯t help that we¡¯ve had to cover the cost of the accident happening at Sis¡¯ office or that we got screwed when Icarus Labs went up in flames. If things continue like this¡­¡± he trailed off.

    ¡°Well, I mean there¡¯s still a lot of money left right? I know you started offering scholarships this academic year¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say you, Pete. Sure, it was a while ago, but that was your idea¡± Harry said.

    ¡°I¡­ yeah, well my point is y-we¡¯ll bounce back, right?¡±

    ¡°I know I¡­ I just wanted to expand into offering free healthcare outside of disaster relief, but Dad¡¯s cutting the budget again for¡­ well I can¡¯t tell you about that yet. Dad wants to tell you himself¡±

    ¡°Wait what? What¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ you¡¯ll get an invite soon Pete. There¡¯s gonna be an Event at Oscorp Tower this Sunday. I know how you feel about my Dad but¡­ you should come. Plus it¡¯ll be a nice outing for you and Liz¡±

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    ¡°I¡­ ok¡± I said.

    ¡°Well sorry man, I¡¯ve got to go. I was great talking to you Pete.¡±

    ¡°See you later Harry¡± I said. The line went dead and I stood still for a moment, staring aimlessly at the floor. I wonder what that was going to be about.

    ¡°Petey? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Liz said, looking at me through the kitchen doorway.

    ¡°Nothing¡± I said forcing a smile. ¡°In fact, we were just invited to a party.¡±

    -

    ¡°You sure you can¡¯t stay? It¡¯s late¡± Liz said.

    ¡°I know, but I left some things at home that¡¯ll I¡¯ll need at work tomorrow¡± I said.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you wait till the morning to get them?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s heavy stuff. If I want to get to work on time with the stuff I need to leave super early. I don¡¯t want to wake you¡± I said. Liz pouted slightly, but I pulled her into a quick kiss.

    ¡°I promise you I¡¯ll get here as soon as I finish work¡±

    ¡°You better keep that promise¡±

    ¡°When have I ever not?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to answer that question¡± she said. She pulled me in for another quick kiss.

    ¡°Bye Petey¡± she said.

    ¡°See you tomorrow¡± I said.

    I turned and made my way down the hall, flashing Liz a smile and thumbs up as she watched me from her doorway. I stepped into the stairwell and instantly made my way up the stairs. I burst onto the roof, the night air cold, even through my costume. I looked out over the Brooklyn, the lights, the sounds, the soft but cold breeze all of it generating a peaceful atmosphere.

    I crouched down at the edge of the building.

    ¡°If I was Prowler, where would I be?¡± I mumbled. Definitely not near Downtown, if he could help it. It all depended on the job, and even then, if he was downtown he was definitely slippery enough to get in and out. The question was, what could he possibly be doing in Brooklyn? The Bears had a foothold here, but they¡¯d lose power without Marko. Was it related to that? Maybe. Marko had only been put in prison a day ago, but Prowler worked fast. Maybe there was something here that he wanted to take from the Bears? No way to know. Who else was here? There were those teen metas who were always pulling a bunch of pranks, but they were essentially non entities. Wait, I¡¯d heard rumours there was a new guy trying to start some kind of illegal weapons business. I¡¯d need to shut that last guy down before he got too big. Ever since powers had become more common, gun ownership sentiment had spiked. An illegal weapons dealer would be more than popular. Maybe he was involved somehow. I sighed. I was thinking too much. It was best just to get started.

    I stood up and rushed along the side of the roof, leaping onto the next roof over. I flipped and vaulted over obstacles before hurling myself from one roof to the next. I was going for the stealth approach today. Out of sight, out of mind. Suddenly the sound of gunfire and shouts echoed through the streets off in the distance. Shit.

    I launched myself off the building and fired a web. I swung around a pole, picking up speed, then flung myself off into the distance. I soared through the air, the lights underneath me, becoming blurs and flashes. I searched quickly for the source of commotion. There. I pulled myself towards the ground with a web and landed on the side of a building.

    It was a car chase. Two white vans and a black car sped after a motorcycle. Were they Bears? Wait a second¡­ I¡¯d recognise those colours anywhere. Prowler. I had to be the luckiest man alive. I leapt off the side of the building and swung, snaking between the stopped cars as I made my way closer. The gunfire grew louder as I neared. I watched as Prowler zipped between vehicles, zooming through the streets as cars swerved to avoid him, the two vans and car in hot pursuit.

    I swung past the vans and the car, webbing their guns away from them. Prowler looked up at me and sped up, the lights on his bike and armour dimming. Hm, he was going dark now? I glanced back at the chasing cars. Had he wanted these guys to follow him? Didn¡¯t matter. If I stopped him, I¡¯d stop these guys too. I sped forwards, leaping off the roof of a car as I aimed for Prowler. He swerved at the last second and I barely managed to get a finger on the bike as he carried on zipping between cars.

    I stayed stuck to it, and as I prepared to flip myself up, he swung his arm backwards, raking debris into my face. I flipped over it and went to fire webs at him when my spider sense buzzed. I covered my face as an explosion of heat blew me backwards sending me crashing into the one of the pursuing vans. I flipped over its roof and then onto the floor. I recovered quickly and fired webs at the van, letting it drag me as the pain subsided. Then with a burst of strength I flung myself over the van back at Prowler. He spotted me and turned his arm towards me, firing small spheres that my spider sense instantly alerted me of. I fired webs at them and they exploded in the air. Shit. I needed to stop this quickly, before bystanders got really hurt.

    I fired a webs and slingshot myself high into the air as the smoke cleared. The wind rippled across the slightly loose part of my damaged mask as I soared past the roofs of buildings. I turned back down as I started to descend. Prowler was searching around for me as he continued to shoot down the street at a breakneck pace, the others following. Perfect.

    I shot down towards him, readying myself for how much this was going to hurt. My suit would take most of the damage at least. I shot past the building roofs and tilted my body adjusting my landing zone. At the last second Prowler looked up, but it was too late. I slammed into him, and we crashed to the ground, skidding across the asphalt. Even as I skidded, I worked, slowing his bike with webs and directing it to the ground, before it could hit anyone. I webbed it to the floor then flipped up.

    Prowler stood up stumbling, the back of his suit sparking. He glanced up at me and instantly shot towards an alley. I tried to web him, but like always he avoided the webs easily, disappearing into the darkness. I glanced at the pursuing vans and car as they ground to a halt, then shook my head. Prowler was more important. I followed into the darkness, listening closely to his almost soundless footsteps.

    I leapt over a fence and vaulted up between walls before pulling myself up to the roof with a web. With a roar he slashed at me, but I narrowly avoided and kicked at him. He caught it, but I took the chance to web his foot to the ground. He lost his balance and I hit him, knocking him to the floor. He kicked at me and I jumped back, then he threw more spheres at me. I leapt over them, firing webs at them when they over the alley. The explosion of heat still knocked me backwards.

    I got up to see him, leaping between houses. Dammit, he¡¯d improved his claws to cut at my new web formula again. I followed him, catching quickly. He was slower than usual. His suit must¡¯ve been damaged. I fired a web and he barely dodged it, but I whipped it, clearing his legs. He fell, skidded and went off the side of a roof. Before I could leap down my spider sense buzzed. I leapt out of the way as claws slashed beneath me. I landed on top of my assailant. It was Prowler? Wait what?!

    He grabbed me and slammed me to the ground. His claws extended again, scratching my arm, but I kicked him off me down into the alley again. What was going on? Had the late nights and all the crime fighting taken their toll? Was I hallucinating? I leapt up and landed on the wall of the opposite building at the top of the alley.

    Beneath me, two Prowlers stood, looking up. Everything suddenly made a lot more sense. The one in hide mode handed something off to the other, who then darted away. I leapt downward, firing a barrage of quick web blasts at them, but they both released a bunch of tiny spheres into the air and a wave of heat blew me back again.

    I landed on the roof and could hear shouts and panicked cries below. A hole had been blown in the side of the building. I watched as the two Prowlers made a break for it and cursed. I flipped down, landing in the building. A mother clutched her son tightly as they cowered in the corner of the room. I webbed out a small fire and webbed together the cracking parts of the brick as the ceiling creaked. I¡¯d seen this before. The apartment was coming down. I rushed over to the mother and son, grabbed them and leapt out of the building as the roof collapsed. I landed on the alley wall, and quickly leapt up, escaping the dust. I came to a stop on the roof, setting the mother and son down. She instantly checked on the kid, who looked no older than ten, as he stared at me wide eyed. I glanced at the building. Thank God, the ceiling of the apartment beneath had held. I was glad the explosion had only caught the top floor.

    ¡°You two okay?¡± I asked turning to the mom and son.

    ¡°Yes I- thank you Spider-Man, thank you¡± the mom said, breathing a sigh of relief. The boy just nodded slowly, still staring at me wide eyed. I looked back at the building before scanning around the neighbourhood. Dammit. The Prowlers were gone.

 Interlude Seven - Demetrius Hobart Browne

    They stepped into the safehouse, Uncle slightly behind him. Uncle checked all the windows and drew the blinds, before taking off his helmet. He let out a breath and cursed, throwing his helmet to the ground.

    ¡°Come help me with this Demetrius¡± he said, slumping into a chair. Demetrius made his way over to him, checking the control pad on his back.

    ¡°It¡¯s ruined. We¡¯re gonna have to replace it¡± Demetrius said.

    ¡°I knew it¡± Uncle said, sighing.

    ¡°At least you got the package¡±

    ¡°Only part of package. There¡¯s still four more places to hit, and with that damn Spider-Man around it¡¯s going to be impossible¡± Uncle responded.

    ¡°We can work together¡± Demetrius said hopeful. His uncle shot him a look.

    ¡°Take off your suit and go home Demetrius. You¡¯ve got classes in the morning¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have classes on Fridays¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, just take the day off. I need some quiet so I can figure out how we¡¯re going to do this¡±

    Demetrius went to say something but stopped himself. There was no point. He disengaged his helmet and set it down on the table. He spared a glance at Uncle then around the dust filled safehouse, taking in all the gadgets and newspaper clippings of unidentified robberies lining the walls. There were pictures of Banks, the mayor¡¯s office, Oscorp tower, Sky Reach and more.

    ¡°I lost my damn bike and we¡¯re gonna be on the news¡± Uncle said tutting.

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna be on the news¡± Demetrius said, failing to hide a smile. Uncle flashed him a grin.

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    ¡°Got jokes have you?¡± he said, ¡°Just wait till you have to fight Spider-Man one on one¡±

    ¡°I did¡±

    ¡°For two seconds¡± he said. Demetrius rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Roll your eyes all you want, but he¡¯s no joke. Even with the suit he¡¯s faster than you, stronger than you, can take more damage than you, and you¡¯ll hit him maybe one time out of every ten tries if you¡¯re lucky¡±

    ¡°I hit him¡± Demetrius responded confidently. Uncle raised an eyebrow, but quickly hid how impressed he was, his permanent frown returning.

    ¡°Yeah well, just remember one good hit and he¡¯ll knock you out¡± Uncle said.

    ¡°He hit you, didn¡¯t he? Why aren¡¯t you slumped on the sidewalk?¡± Demetrius shot back.

    ¡°Because it¡¯s all a game to him. This is your first time meeting him and seeing two of us caught him off guard so you didn¡¯t hear any jokes, b-¡°

    ¡°Jokes?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you this before D. Everyone in the business knows he makes jokes. And he doesn¡¯t hit as hard as he can unless there¡¯s innocent people involved. He nearly broke my back today just cause I was getting shot at in a public area. Crazy bastard¡± Uncle said.

    ¡°Why¡¯s he like that?¡± Demetrius asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. I¡¯m not some wannabe do-gooder¡± he shrugged. Demetrius went to say something about Uncle being a policeman but didn¡¯t bother. Instead, he glanced down at his hands, staring at the blood on his mechanical claws.

    ¡°You said all that shit about how amazing he is, but you know what? I think I can take him¡± he said. Uncle turned back to look at me incredulous.

    ¡°You breeze through a couple of jobs and think your hot shit, don¡¯t you? Herman is miles better than you, and he ran the first time they met. Spider-Man had barely been around back then and Herman cancelled the whole job because of him¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well Herman¡¯s in jail¡± Demetrius joked. Uncle didn¡¯t laugh this time, his face serious. ¡°S-sorry¡± Demetrius said. There was a pause.

    ¡°Good. Don¡¯t say shit like that again¡± Uncle said standing up. He started disengaging parts of his suit and setting them down on the table. Demetrius turned away, an awkward silence filling the air. He glanced at the wall, a picture of Herman, and Uncle in their old police uniforms.

    ¡°You remember what this is all for, don¡¯t you?¡± Uncle said, his tone aggressive.

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°I doubt that, consi-¡±

    ¡°Once we finish this job we get paid. Once we get paid we¡¯ll have enough money to by the Vanquisher from the new guy, what was his name?¡±

    ¡°KingPin¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll buy the Vanquisher from KingPin, and then we can break into the Hortz-Bruig and free Herman¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because even if he¡¯s not blood, he¡¯s family. And you never leave family behind¡±

    Uncle¡¯s demeanour relaxed a smile stretching out his face.

    ¡°So you do remember, eh? Good, good. Now come on; take off your costume and go get some rest¡±

 Extended Family - Chapter Five

    Mr Banks had given everyone the day off. That was great, because I¡¯d woken up at 12 and shat myself only to find out that I¡¯d been saved from unemployment by Divine Intervention. Now I was watching the one clock news, in my Pyjamas, with aloe vera cream on my forearms and a bandage over my scratched bicep, whilst eating dry cornflakes and an apple. Wow, that just sounded depressing. I looked around. At least my apartment was somewhat clean. I probably should¡¯ve been using the extra time to sleep or be out as Spider-Man, but I just felt too tired.

    Suddenly my focus shifted to the TV. They were reporting on last night. Footage of the aftermath of last night played whilst a voiceover described the scene.

    ¡°Last night there was Anarchy. Hoodlums wrought havoc in the streets of Brooklyn. Eyewitness reports say gunmen chased the Prowler through the streets of Brooklyn, before Spider-Man intervened. During which several cars were damaged by debris and the side of a building blew up. Thankfully no one was killed in the attack, however twelve people did sustain minor injuries, including the two residents of the Brooklyn apartment that experienced the damages¡±

    I tuned out. Typical over dramatization. Well¡­ I guess any cars that got damaged by the bike may have slightly, kind of, been my fault. But if I hadn¡¯t stopped Prowler someone on the streets might¡¯ve gotten hurt. Still I had to be more careful. People were already starting to spread the sentiment that I wasn¡¯t needed anymore because of the MDA and any negative press would just make that worse. The only reason I was even hanging on was because George and the rest of the police department worked with me and weren¡¯t exactly friendly with the MDA. The Bugle wouldn¡¯t risk alienating the entire police force. But they¡¯d still come for me. I sighed. I guess I¡¯d never cared all that much when Jameson had been gunning for Athena, so maybe this was kind of deserved.

    I yawned. I was thinking too much about image. That didn¡¯t matter I needed to focus on the prowler. He¡¯d taken something from someone important, that much was for sure. But what? And would he be back in Brooklyn again? Was this related to those robot things? If it was tech it might be. But if it wasn¡¯t¡­ Dammit. There was so much to do. I needed to finish those sensors and mini spy cams. They were a bit of a moral grey zone, but right now I needed all the help I could get.

    I turned my attention back to the TV. The feed had switched from to the Bugle¡¯s hosts back in the studio.

    ¡°Thank you Clyde. Now we come to you with our next segment, Spider-Man. Friend or Foe? Man or Menace? Hero or Harbinger? Join us in the studio where after a short ad break, we¡¯ll discuss the effect Spider-Man is having on this city. We¡¯ll be joined by the well known professor, Dr Joesph Haliburton and prolific writer, Caroline Waters, both experts on the study of Metahumans and the socioeconomic effects of crimefighting, who seem to have some not so nice things to say about Spider-Man.¡±

    I muted the TV, scowling. Damn Bugle. They had the energy and effort to make me look like the villain, but not the guys responsible for the actual crimes. I looked down at my costume and then glanced out the window. Ironic. I got angry at them for telling me not to do this, when I spent my first bit of free time in a while not doing it. I sighed again, setting down my cereal. I should be out there, saving people. Just because I wasn¡¯t usually out at this time didn¡¯t mean I got to use this as a rest.

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    I webbed the kitchen roll over to me and started wiping the aloe vera off my arms. The burns would heal eventually. I reached for the window, and suddenly felt tired. I paused taking a step back. Maybe, just maybe I could take a quick nap. That way if something really bad happened, I¡¯d be more focused. I mean cops didn¡¯t work on four hours sleep.

    I stepped back from the window but paused and let out a sigh. I was just trying to find an out. Why though? I wanted to do this, to be Spider-Man, didn¡¯t I? Suddenly my phone buzzed, making me jump. I webbed it from the counter and looked at the Caller ID. It was Grady.  I answered the phone.

    ¡°Hey Grady, what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Hey Pete! Since everyone¡¯s got the day off, I was just calling to ask if you wanted to try the escape room today?¡± he said. I paused staring at the floor, before looking back out the window.

    ¡°Pete?¡±

    ¡°Grady I¡­¡± I said trailing off.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you¡¯re busy. Really. We can do something on the weekend like you said, no worries man¡± he said, sounding slightly deflated.

    ¡°I¡­ thanks for understanding man¡± I said. I let out a defeated sigh. Why did doing the right thing feel so bad? I caught a glimpse of a photo I¡¯d taken, pinned to a board I¡¯d propped up on my window. It was a picture of Gwen, Ned, Grady, Bella, Harry, Sajani and me, all smiles on the green at ESU. I frowned. When had been the last time I¡¯d had fun with my friends?

    ¡°Grady, wait a sec¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Grady

    ¡°Sorry man, I don¡¯t know what that was about. I¡¯m coming. Doing the escape room today is a great idea¡± I said.

    ¡°That¡¯s great Pete. I¡¯ll let the others know. See you there at two¡± he said. He hung up and I slowly pulled my phone away from my ear. I glanced at the time.

    I had an hour. That was fine. I could just make up this time on the weekend. Yeah, that sounded good. I webbed my bag to me, stuffing it with random clothes, my wallet, and my phone. Then I turned to the window and leapt out firing a web off into the distance.

    -

    The escape room had been amazing. It was mine and Bella¡¯s first time, but we¡¯d loved it almost as much as the other two had. Sajani and Grady had always been really good at puzzles like this and it had showed in the escape room. I¡¯m pretty sure them saying they¡¯d only done an escape room once before had been a lie.

    After we¡¯d gone bowling. That had been tons of fun, even if I¡¯d had to hold back to not blow everyone out the water. I¡¯d forgotten what it felt like to hang out with my friends again. It was amazing enough to almost get rid of the guilt I felt taking time for myself. It¡¯s how I felt whenever I spent time with Liz, rather than saving people. But at least the fun felt more present, plus I hadn¡¯t hung out with these guys for ages.

    ¡°Pete?¡± Bella said, shaking me out of my thoughts.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You not gonna drink?¡± she said, pointing at my empty glass.

    ¡°Nah¡±

    ¡°Come on, we¡¯ve got the day off, and it¡¯s the weekend tomorrow¡± Grady said, his jubilance enhanced as he took another sip of liquid courage.

    ¡°Nah it¡¯s too early¡± I said coming up with an excuse.

    ¡°Grady, you are way too drunk for five pm on a Friday¡±

    ¡°Pete¡¯s right Grady, I think you need to calm down¡± Sajani said. Grady¡¯s face fell and he set his drink down, before resting his head on the table.

    "Help me Bell. Their ganging up on me. They don''t want me to have any fun" Grady said, with an exaggerated pout.

    ¡°It''s ok Grady¡± Bella said rolling her eyes, whilst stifling a chuckle.

    I chuckled slightly as Bella soothed him. I¡¯d forgotten Grady was an emotional drunk. I remember during college, when we¡¯d gone out and Ned and I had had to basically carry Harry and Grady back to dorms. Grady had gotten to the point of tears whilst trying to tell us how much he¡¯d cared about us and valued our friendship. He¡¯d completely forgotten the whole thing by morning.

    ¡°This is nice¡± I said smiling.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Bella said, glancing at me.

    ¡°This. Hanging out with you guys. I forgot how fun it was¡± I said. The others just stared back at me silent. smiled back softly at me.

    ¡°Sorry. That was a bit weird wasn¡¯t it?¡± I said, nervously chuckling.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sure everyone¡¯s just glad you¡¯re enjoying yourself¡± Sajani said.

    ¡°It¡¯s good. You¡¯re having fun¡± Bella said.

    ¡°I knew you didn¡¯t hate us¡± Grady said, suddenly cheerful again. My smile faltered slightly.

    ¡°Sorry if I made you feel that way. I¡­ we should do this again. Maybe invite Harry and Ned during holidays or something¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We could even do something with the interns. That would stop Grady from getting so drunk¡± Bella said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not that drunk¡± Grady said straightening up, before knocking his glass onto the table. We all shared a look and burst out laughing.

    Damn, I really had missed this.

 Interlude Eight - Max Dillon

    It was bright. Far too bright. Blinding. But somehow, he could still see. No, not see, it felt more like feeling. A vision through touch. Light pulsed in around him in a seemingly random yet beautiful, interconnected web. There were hundreds, no thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands. The longer he stared at it the more beautiful it became. It¡¯s intensity was overwhelming, but he remained focused on it. The light was singing to him. He¡¯d never heard such a beautiful song. It spoke to him, revealing whispers of the truth of all existence, as though it were a part of its very foundation. He wanted to hear it for longer. He needed to.

    Max¡¯s eyes flew open and the song vanished, replaced by pain. He cried out, his body burning. He contorted trying to escape the pain, but it only grew worse with every second. His arms stung, legs burned, and jolts of pain shot through his entire body. Max¡¯s hands shook as he stared down at them, unable to breathe. It hurt from the inside out, the source of the pain burrowed deep within his skin. He blinked spots out of his eyes, silent as he tried to ignore the pain. What the hell was happening to him?

    He looked up, his eyes watering. He was in a hospital bed. Why was he in a hospital bed? What had happened? He¡¯d been working and then¡­ nothing. He couldn¡¯t remember. The pain was clouding his memory.

    ¡°Help¡± he mumbled. ¡°Help¡±

    Where was Cathy? Was she not here? She was probably just out at the moment. If he was in the hospital she was definitely here somewhere. He turned to the call button, reaching for it. It sparked at his touch and a wave of pain shot through him again. He roared, lurching backwards as every nerve ending in his body screamed, etching the sensation of pain deep into his brain. The sensation faded quickly, leaving him gasping as he pulled himself up. Fucking hell; that¡¯d hurt. Max winced as a slightly lesser pain bit at his body, coming and going throughout.

    He took a second to gather himself, trying to ignore my pain. The sound of the door opening made him glance upwards. A nurse and doctor stepped inside both sharing a look.

    ¡°Hi there Mr¡­ Dillion¡± the doctor said, glancing at the clipboard she held in her hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s Dillon¡± he replied shakily.

    ¡°Ah, sorry¡± the doctor said stepping forward.

    ¡°I¡¯m Doctor Madden. I¡¯m just here to make sure I know how you received your injuries. It¡¯ll help us determine what¡¯s wrong with you¡± she said. He paused, trying to ignore the pain as he wracked my brain for memories. Flashes of stuff came to him and he spoke.

    ¡°I was just cleaning in one of the labs, I work at an Oscorp facility, and ¨C ow ¨C the lights went out then I was on the floor, and everything was hot. Then¡­ then I was here¡±

    The doctor made a face.

    ¡°Right. And any pain?¡± she said.

    ¡°It hurts, everywhere¡± he responded, wincing. The doctor frowned and motioned for the nurse to move. The nurse stepped aside and the doctor stepped forward.

    ¡°Lean forward for me¡± she said. He leant forward, wincing. She looked over his neck and back. She pressed a point on his spine and he gasped as a wave of pain shot through him. It took a few seconds for him to recover.

    ¡°Sorry about that. Well I¡¯ve looked at you and you probably have some form of neuralgia. It should fade given time, but I¡¯ll refer you to a specialist if you¡¯d like and w-¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t that take time? Isn¡¯t there anything you can do now?¡±

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    ¡°Well we could have you go through a few scans, but I doubt you¡¯ll be able to cover the costs. So I recommend taking some aspirin, until the effects subside.¡±

    ¡°What? My insurance¡­ I have good insurance. One of the perks of my job¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Mr Dillon. We checked and have any insurance. Maybe there was a mistake.¡±

    ¡°What? There -ow!- there must¡¯ve been a mistake. I do. It¡¯s one of my employment benefits¡±

    ¡°We can check again?¡±

    ¡°Please¡±

    The Doctor nodded and left the room as the nurse stepped forward to examine him. Max continued to wriggle about in pain, but his mind was elsewhere. No insurance? That was one of the only reasons he¡¯d taken the damn job. Oscorp was a lot of things, but it had damn good health coverage. He took a second to centre himself, breathing through the pain. The nurse removed the blood pressure band and handed him a cup of water. He downed it quickly, hands still shaking. Cathy. He needed to call Cathy. He snatched his phone off the counter and speed dialled her. The phone rung repeatedly before going to voicemail. Weird. They always picked up each other¡¯s calls.

    He rung again. Voicemail. Had something happened to her too? He turned to the nurse.

    ¡°Hey, uh -ow!- was there a big accident or something at an Oscorp lab? Or was my thing the only incident?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯re the only one who got injured, but there wasn¡¯t any big accident¡± the nurse said shaking his head. Max¡¯s phone buzzed and he glanced down. Finally. A message from Cathy. He read the message and his blood ran cold.

    I¡¯m sorry

    He stared at it for a few seconds, confused. Sorry? Why was she sorry? He called again. It rung but went to voicemail. He called again. Straight to voicemail. Was she avoiding him? Why would she avoid him? She was his cousin, she didn¡¯t have any reason to avoid him. She shouldn¡¯t have any reason to avoid him. We were the only family each other had left. Was she embarrassed she hadn¡¯t shown up to the hospital yet? As long as she showed up it was fine. She knew that. Work was probably keeping her busy. Unless¡­

    He glanced at the time. It was Friday. Friday night. When he¡¯d gotten into the accident it had been a Thursday morning. She wouldn¡¯t have taken this long to come to the hospital. Catherine was my boss; she¡¯d be one of the first to know. She would¡¯ve taken the day off on Friday to be here. Suddenly it hit him. The insurance. The text. Everything.

    ¡°No¡± Max whispered. Was taking someone off their employers health insurance registry even possible? That didn¡¯t matter. Cathy wouldn¡¯t do something like that. First off, it was illegal and secondly, she had no reason to. Still the sinking feeling grew as a low roar permeated his ears.

    The door opened and I looked up. Doctor Madden stepped back inside.

    ¡°Mr Dillon I¡¯m sorry but it doesn¡¯t¡±

    ¡°No. No, no, no. This isn¡¯t -ow- this, this can¡¯t be real¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok we can help you sort-¡°

    ¡°No!¡± Max shouted, breathing laboured. ¡°I have health insurance. I work for Oscorp dammit¡±

    ¡°Mr Dillion calm¡± Dr Madden responded sternly.

    He ignored her, burying his face into his hands. The pain was getting worse, drowning out other sounds and sensations. He¡¯d been right. Somehow insurance. Was that even legal? Why would she do that? Why would Cathy do that? I¡¯d gotten into a damn accident and she¡¯d cancelled my insurance?

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make any sense. I¡­ I work for Oscorp. They can¡¯t just ¨C ow!- they can¡¯t just- I have insurance¡±

    ¡°I understand this is upsetting, but if there¡¯s been some kind of employment error we can call someone for you¡±

    ¡°I tried calling!¡± he shouted, his breathing growing more frustrated. The doctor and nurse glanced at each other, taking a step back. Max sat unnaturally still, one hand gripping the left side of his face and the other his bedside. The lights flickered briefly and he winced again. He needed to get out of here.

    He roared in pain ripping at tubes and wires connected to him. Max forced himself up, fighting through the pain as he stumbled, catching himself on the far wall.

    ¡°Mr Dillon just lay back down¡± the nurse said.

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Mr Dillon please¡±

    ¡°I need to go. There¡¯s someone I have to talk to so I can sort this out¡±

    ¡°Whatever it is you need, we can do it for you, you need to rest¡± Dr Madden said. He took a second, breathing heavily, before nodding through glazed eyes. Max pushed off the wall, stumbling back towards the bed, then shouted out falling to the floor in pain. He writhed on the ground as the lights above flickered, repeatedly. The doctor and nurse were at his side in a moment, but he could barely sense them. His attention was focused on the lights. They were bright. Far too bright. Blinding. But somehow, he could still see. No, it felt more like a feeling. A vision through touch. He could hear them too. Even if it was just a whisper, he could hear them singing to him. The singing made the pain fade, almost disappear completely. It felt amazing. Incredible beyond belief. He needed to get closer. Then all the pain would go away. He reached out, grasping desperately as though he could hold the chorus of angels with a mere hand. No he needed something that wasn¡¯t physical. Focusing, he reached out with his mind and the singing grew louder. That was it. That was perfect. The light was brighter now. It had slowly begun to consume everything. And with it the song followed, filling his ears.

 Extended Family - Chapter Six

    ¡°5,4,3,2,1!¡±

    Bella slammed her drink down, letting out a breath burping loudly. We all laughed as her face went red and she groaned.

    ¡°My turn¡± Grady said, grabbing his glass off the table. Sajani stopped him.

    ¡°I think we¡¯ve drunk enough tonight¡± she said.

    ¡°Yeah¡± Bella added, slurring slightly.

    ¡°Oh. Ok¡± Grady said slumping back in his chair. I stretched out, glancing at the time. It was probably time to go soon. I stood up, wincing at pain across my bicep. The stitches must¡¯ve come loose.

    ¡°Where you going Pete?¡± Sajani asked, slightly drunk.

    ¡°Toilet. I¡¯ll be back¡± I said. I made my way to the back of the bar when I heard a few gasps. I turned frowning and froze upon seeing the TV. A feed of the hospital was on screen, smoke pouring out several windows and a hole in the side of the building, illuminated by flashes of yellow, and a hue of orange. Any trace of drunken stupor vanished, replaced by a deep feeling of sickness. I stepped back slowly, my head spinning, before turning around and breaking out into a sprint.

    ¡°Pete?!¡± Sajani shouted concerned as I rushed past the table.

    ¡°Hospital¡± I said back, bursting out the front door.

    The cold winter air hit me, but I ignored it rushing forwards. Change. I needed somewhere to change. I brushed past someone and cut into an alley. Hundreds of thoughts swirled through my mind as I pulled off my clothes, revealing my costume. Idiot. You absolute moron. Of course, this would happen if you hung out with your friends. You knew this was wrong and you still did it. Just like staying the night at Liz¡¯s house or waking up late over and over and over. Now Grandpa might be dead.

    I slapped the sides of my face dispelling the thought. I¡¯d stop whatever this was and save him. I stuffed my clothes under a dumpster and pulled on my mask. I leapt into the sky, swinging faster than I ever had before. I shot past buildings, narrowly missed cars and swung dangerously close to people¡¯s heads. Long webs helped build speed, but it still wasn¡¯t fast enough. I could see it now, the hospital. The flashes of yellow were brighter now, as the lights throughout the building flickered intermittently, the orange hue of fire growing brighter.

    I needed to get there and I needed to get there now.

    I leapt up and landed on a building. I quickly set up a slingshot and pulled back with all my might, angling myself slightly upwards. I let go and shot forward into the sky, the cold air harsh against my face. Beneath me the city glowed with the lights of cars, and buildings, a sprinkle of lights in the darkness. Above me a helicopter flew, the Bugle¡¯s logo on the side, it¡¯s rotors thumping loudly. I shot past, struggling to stay straight against the force of the wind. My spider-sense blared as I neared the ground and I fired out a web slowing myself before I slammed against a building roof and skidded across it, crashing into a pile of carboard boxes. Ow. I¡¯d gotten the angle wrong. I really needed to figure out a better way to travel faster. I quickly leapt up and turned to the much closer hospital. I could see the where the hole was now. Thank god, it wasn¡¯t Grandpa¡¯s floor. Hopefully medical staff could evacuate him quickly. I needed to help other people in danger. I could hear the sound of sirens in the distance. They wouldn¡¯t be here for a while.

    I leapt off the building and swung inside the hospital, landing in the hole in the wall. The light from the hall barely got through. Smoke poured out the room and it was difficult to see with my eyes, but I could sense well. It was a small, single patient room. Well, what was left of it. There was a hole in the roof and the floor had been broken. I put out the small fires with my webs, then paused. There were two bodies on the floor, both dead. They¡¯d been fried to a crisp. My spider-sense buzzed, and I leapt back as sparks flickered from a wire. All the medical machines in the room still smoked slightly. I frowned. Sure, electricity was dangerous, but that hadn¡¯t been anywhere near me. What was going on?

    Suddenly distant screams echoed beyond the room as a faint yellow hue illuminated the halls, followed by a flicker of the lights. I rushed out of the room and looked around. It was empty in this hallway, and there was a lot less smoke. It felt weird though, I could feel my hairs standing up on end. There were more screams, and I took off, glancing back at the rooms in the corridor. Hopefully everyone had evacuated.

    As I charged forwards, I sensed out. Shit. There were people here. Hiding in rooms. What were they hiding from? There was another scream and this time the lights flickered and didn¡¯t stop. Shit. This seriously bad for any mental equipment. I carried on charging forwards, when I turned a corner and spotted a figure wreathed in a blinding yellow glow. His body seemed to flicker, strands of electricity shooting off. It was difficult to make out where he ended. The edges of his form were hazy. A trick of the light and constant shifting of electricity. Even from here I could feel the hum of energy. Wow. He was new.

    He stood in the waiting room as a few people cowered, back into the corners except for two people who lay on the floor, unmoving and a receptionist, who sobbed violently at the desk.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you stop dammit?!¡± he shouted at the receptionist. His voice carried with it a low but powerful hum.

    ¡°The power¡± she said sobbing. He cursed, then cried out, a large flicker of electricity shooting off of him as everyone cried out.

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    I leapt into action firing a web at him. He cried out and slammed to the floor, the web crackling with electricity, but holding him firmly against the ground.

    ¡°Run!¡± I shouted to the others. They didn¡¯t need to be told twice, all of them bolting for the nearest exit. I grabbed the two unconscious people and moved them away from the villain. I glanced back to him as he writhed about on the floor whimpering. Geez, people usually took getting captured bad but this different. He must¡¯ve been a sore loser. Electricity lanced off him wildly, and I put more distance between us.

    ¡°You struggling to breakout, buddy?¡± I quipped. He mumbled something incoherent before grunting as he writhed about more. His whimpers grew louder, before he turned to me, then clamped his eyes shut, gritting his teeth. The electricity and light faded, followed by an anguished scream. The whimpers continued as he writhed about. He wasn¡¯t having a tantrum; he was in pain. I set the people down on some chairs and leapt over to him.

    ¡°Hey¡­ you alright?¡± I asked uncertain. He turned to look at me, his eyes glossed over.

    ¡°Why¡¯d- why¡¯d you attack me?¡± he mumbled. I blanked. I¡¯d never had something like this happen before.

    ¡°I¡­ you were threatening these people¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t! I wasn¡¯t threatening anyone!¡± he shouted.

    ¡°O-ok, we can just wait till the police and MDA get here and-¡°

    ¡°Police?!¡± he said looking up at me with a horrified expression. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me! I didn¡¯t attack them! It was an accident¡± he said tears streaming down his face. His face contorted, his expression varying wildly but constantly pained. I paused, unsure of what to say. He seemed genuine.

    ¡°Hey it¡¯s ok. I believe you¡± I said gently, stepping forwards.

    ¡°You don¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°I do. Come on, just talk to me. Tell me what happened¡± I said. He continued writhing about, more frantic now.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Why do you care?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to talk to you. I want to help¡± I said, gently. He calmed slightly.

    ¡°Max. It¡¯s Max¡± he said.

    ¡°Max. Ok. Now we¡¯re getting somewhere¡± I said, smiling. ¡°Max, just try to stay still.

    ¡°I- they were saying I didn¡¯t have insurance¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Insurance. I got injured and-ow!- they said I didn¡¯t have insurance¡± he said, wincing. He mumbled something incoherent.

    ¡°Cathy?¡± he said, clearly pained.

    ¡°Max?¡± I responded. He turned away from me, his face contorting in pain and he began mumbling under his breath.

    ¡°Max I¡¯m here I-¡°

    ¡°I didn¡¯t attack anyone!¡± he shouted, suddenly writhing about. I blanked again not sure how to respond. He wasn¡¯t in his right mind. Maybe it was the pain, maybe it was something else. Either way I didn¡¯t know what to do. I¡¯d just have to call and wait it out.

    ¡°Fuck you!¡± he shouted more desperate now.

    ¡°Max I¡¯m trying to help you, just please calm down¡±

    ¡°No you¡¯re just trying to arrest me!¡±

    ¡°No I-¡°

    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± he roared.

    There was a blinding flash of light and my spider sense roared. Before I could react I felt the lining of my suit grow hot against my skin and my feet left the floor. I opened my eyes, my costume steaming as I lay against a cracked brick wall surrounded by a plume of dust. I took a few breaths, my chest burning and ears ringing. My body refused to listen, my arms and legs limp. I watched in my periphery as Max pulled himself off the ground, his hair standing on end as the occasional burst of electricity crackled off him, sparking against the floor. He turned to look at me and jogged over. He shook me but I remained immobile, unable to do anything as he knocked me unceremoniously onto the floor. He cursed then made a break for it. Did he think I was dead? I shifted slightly, trying to call out to him, but only managed a groan. Too late, he was booking it down the hall.

    His lightning crackled against the walls and floor, leaving burn marks. Shit. He might not mean any harm, but he was dangerous, and their were still people in the hospital. Grandpa might still be here. With a burst of grit, I forced myself up, slow and uncoordinated, but up. I stumbled but caught myself, then with a grunt of effort, pushed forwards making my way down the hall. I needed to talk to him. Get him to calm down and figure out what had happened. From the looks of it, his powers had spiralled out of control because of some kind of injury. Probably some kind of head injury. Maybe it was why he was in pain. He¡¯d said the explosion was an accident, and I believed him, but evidently he was still a threat to other¡¯s safety. I needed to end this before anyone else got hurt. I leapt forwards and fired a web pulling myself down the corridor as quickly as possible.

    Screams echoed round the corner and I swung round landing on a wall. Max clutched his neck as he stumbled towards people. I hesitated but tackled him and we crashed to the ground. His skin was hot; just touching him made my hair stand up on edge. He pushed me away, blasting me back with electricity. My body seized up, but I recovered quickly, and flipped through the air jumping off a wall back at him. He raised his hands and blasted me with concentrated electricity. It threw me back and I crashed on the floor, laying there in a smoking heap. Ow. The electricity was too fast for my spider-sense to matter. That should¡¯ve been obvious.

    ¡°Idiot¡± I mumbled.

    I forced myself up as he ran again, and grabbed a chair, throwing it at him. It slammed into him and he crashed to the ground. I ignored feelings of guilt as I webbed his hands and feet to the floor and rushed over to him. He struggled against them, electricity pulsing through the webs, but holding firm. He couldn¡¯t break free. I stopped a few feet away from him as blasts of electricity zipped, striking the floor between us.

    ¡°Max?¡±

    ¡°Fuck off!¡±

    ¡°Max stop, you could hurt other people¡±

    ¡°Let me go!¡±

    ¡°You need to stay here so I can help other people. The hospital¡¯s in a bad way and¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong! It was an accident!¡±

    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll vouch for you -make sure the cops don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±

    ¡°JUST LET ME GO!!!¡± he roared, his voice echoing within itself.

    All the lights cut out and the sparks of electricity crackling off him stopped dead. A silence permeated the space, the sudden absence of noise alien. Max had stopped struggling.

    ¡°Max?¡± I whispered. My spider sense roared and I dived to the side as waves of roiling heat washed over me. I didn¡¯t even have time to recognise I¡¯d been blinded by light before a sonic boom reverberated through my bones. I crashed to the floor, completely disorientated.

    My ears rung, and my body trembled. Half of my mask had been torn off. No most of the left right side of my costume had. I looked back down the hall, staring as a faint light down trickled through a hole into the dark expanse. I pushed myself up and limped over, looking up through the hole in the ceiling.

    The smoking hole cut through floor after floor until it revealed the night sky. Flashes of lightning arced through the clouds and the low rumble of thunder echoed down the hole, accompanied by a host of sirens and distant shouts. I stared up in shock, transfixed on the sky above. I glanced down, looking at the jagged black burn marks that lined the floor. As my hearing returned a shout from above drew me back to reality. I still needed to help people. I leapt up into the hole, the sound of shouts and sirens echoing all around me as a uneasiness rose in my stomach.

 Extended Family - Chapter Seven

    I rushed through the hospital, panting frantically as I put out a few small fires with my webs.

    ¡°Hello?! Is anyone there?!¡± I shouted. Nothing. I carried on rushing around, calling out. Dammit, why¡¯d I tell the firemen I could deal with the higher floors. This place was too damn big for me to cover by myself. I barged through another door and called out again.

    ¡°Hello?! Anyone?!¡± I shouted. Silence. I looked around and paused. There was more smoke down the hall to my left. I ran then pulled myself down the hall with a web. Smoke pooled out from underneath a door. I ripped the door off its hinges and felt heat wash over me. It was a small room, with a small fire burning away at the curtains by the window. A child lay on the floor wheezing, as smoke swirled around them. I grabbed the kid pulling them out the room before quickly webbing at the curtains to get rid of the fire.

    I looked down at the child, the heavy waft of smoke pouring off them as they wheezed. I needed to get them to safety.

    ¡°It¡¯s gonna be ok¡± I said clutching them to my chest. I rushed to the next room over and leapt out the window, holding the kid tightly as I fired a web and swung down to the street. I landed and rushed over to an ambulance, handing the kid off. They clutched me tightly, reaching out to me as I pulled away.

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna be ok. Everything¡¯s going to be okay¡± I said to them, before turning and leaping back into the hospital. I landed in one of the windows and began searching about frantically as I called out people. Whatever Max had done had caused electrical fires to start all over the hospital. The fire had spread, and I hadn¡¯t been able to stop it.

    I¡¯d done my best to stop the small ones and get people to safety, but it hadn¡¯t been enough. Thankfully the firemen had arrived quickly. They¡¯d probably dealt with the larger fires and stopped this from turning into a massive catastrophe. Considering the faint wisps of smoke that had reached this level were starting to clear out now they¡¯d probably dealt with all of them. I paused, listening closely as I looked around. I¡¯d checked through here already. It was empty. I made my way to the closest window and crawled onto the wall, then up to the roof.

    It rained heavily as the low but keen rumbling of thunder echoed high in the clouds. I watched the arcs of lightning, barely visible flashes of light now, as they gradually travelled further away. I looked down out onto the street, scanning as I watched police cars and MDA vans cordon off the road. Tents lined the streets near the hospital housing patients, but still too many people milled about, unshielded from the elements. I swung down back down, and fired webs, creating covers above people¡¯s heads to shield them from the rain. People cheered and applauded calling out to me, but I could only muster a half-hearted wave back. I swung back, landing on the roof of the hospital. I glanced back at the hole in the roof and sighed. I¡¯d managed to get as many people out of the hospital as I could, but the lightning strike had killed people. A few people had probably died in the fires too. I hung my head and slumped to the floor.

    I pulled out my phone, cupping my hand to shield it from the rain as I switched it on. I had tonnes of missed calls, from the gang, and a few from Liz. I could call them back. I speed dialled Aunt May and brought the phone to my ear silently praying everything was ok. I hadn¡¯t seen them, but they would¡¯ve been part of the massive crowd. I could easily have missed them. I clenched my fist tightly as the phone continued to ring. Nothing bad had happened.

    The call picked up, the sound of sirens and chatter echoed barely audible over the phone.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°Hello?! Aunt May?¡± I said.

    ¡°We¡¯re alright Peter, we¡¯re alright¡± Aunt May replied softly.

    ¡°Thank God¡± I responded, my voice cracking with emotion, as relief flooded through me.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t- I didn¡¯t know if you got out safe¡± I said, tears streaming down my face. ¡°I couldn¡¯t- I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry Peter, this isn¡¯t your fault¡±

    ¡°I- ok¡­¡± I sniffled. I let out a breath.

    ¡°The doctors and nurses were great. They your grandpa out quickly and Spider-Man showed up to help people. Now the firemen are putting out the fires¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good¡± I said, grinning as I wiped at my eyes.

    ¡°Oh- your grandpa wants to speak to you. I¡¯ll give him the phone now¡± May said. The sound of air shifting filled my ears before a voice came on the line.

    ¡°You really think a little fire could kill me?¡± Grandpa Will joked.

    I let out a strained laugh as I lay back, the tension in my shoulders dissipating.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to hear your voice¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to hear yours too son¡±

    ¡°I- you have no idea how glad I am to here you¡¯re ok¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a little cold, but I¡¯ll manage. I-¡° he broke out into a fit of coughs.

    ¡°Grandpa?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± he wheezed. ¡°Just a bit cold¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°Leave it son. I¡¯m fine¡±

    ¡°Ok¡­¡±

    ¡°So, you taking care of yourself Peter?¡± he said cheerily.

    ¡°Yeah, but G-¡°

    ¡°How¡¯s that girlfriend of yours?¡±

    ¡°Things with Liz are good. Great even¡± I said. ¡°Look gramps are y-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me Peter, I¡¯m fine. Well as fine as I can be¡± he said, chuckling. I sniffed and nodded.

    ¡°Ok¡± I said. There were a few moments of silence and I gazed out over the street at all the tents and commotion. ¡°Where are you?¡±

    ¡°Oh son, you don¡¯t have to come see us I-¡°

    ¡°I¡¯m coming¡± I said firmly.

    ¡°Alright. We¡¯re in one of the tents nearby. Ours is the one closest the hospital entrance. They¡¯re probably going to move me to a different hospital soon, but I¡¯ll call you if they do before you get here¡±

    ¡°Great¡±

    ¡°Well it was nice talking to you Peter, but some nurses are bringing some equipment over to me so I¡¯ll probably have to let you go now¡±

    ¡°See you soon grandpa ¡±

    ¡°See you soon son. Oh, and bring Liz with you if she can come. Haven¡¯t seen her in a while¡±

    ¡°I will¡± I said. There was another rush of wind and then May¡¯s voice came over the line.

    ¡°I can assume you¡¯re coming then ¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Grandpa¡¯s doing his usual ¡®I¡¯m fine¡¯ spiel and I just wanted to see if he was actually ok¡±

    ¡°Well, he¡¯s doing better than he was a few weeks ago, and I don¡¯t think he was concerned at all when the explosion happened. That¡¯s Grandpa Will for you. Tough as nails. Your like mum was like that too. I guess you get it from them¡± Aunt May said warmly.

    ¡°I wish¡± I responded chuckling. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be there soon. Bye May¡±

    ¡°See you soon Peter¡± she responded. I hung up and let the phone fall to my side.

    I pulled off my mask, wincing before the iciness of the rain soothed my skin. I raised my face, closing my eyes as the water washed over me. It was refreshing but still only a temporary reprieve from the disappointment. I let my head hang again. A bunch of thoughts rattling through my mind. Today had been bad. I¡¯d made a ton of mistakes, but one thing stood out to me as glaringly obvious; I would¡¯ve gotten here faster if I¡¯d been patrolling like usual.

    I knew it was bad to think like that, to beat myself up over what could¡¯ve been, but it was the true. I¡¯d been so happy hanging out with the others but today was a grim reminder of what was at stake. It made me reconsider everything. My dedication to this, whether I was actually making a difference, and most of all my relationship with Liz. I really didn¡¯t want to end my relationship with Liz. I saw my friends at work, so even if I didn¡¯t hang out with them it¡¯d ok. But Liz? If I did end things what else would I have to look forward to? Dammit I was getting all mopey again.

    I leant backwards. I felt at my face. I healed faster and didn¡¯t really scar, but the burns wouldn¡¯t fade for a few days. Annoying. How was I going to explain this one off to Liz? I lifted up my phone and called her. She picked up almost immediately.

    ¡°Pete? I- I don¡¯t know if you saw the news but¡­ something happened¡° she said, her voice filled with worry.

    ¡°Yeah, I saw. I called and everyone¡¯s ok¡±

    ¡°I was worried. You weren¡¯t picking up my calls and I thought you might¡¯ve been visiting and something happened to you and-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was out with the gang when I saw it on the news. I¡¯m on my way now. I can come pick you up, Grandpa and Aunt May want to see you again¡±

    ¡°No, no, no. I¡¯ll meet you there¡±

    ¡°Alright¡± I said, smiling. ¡°Sorry to make you worry¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. See you in a bit Petey. Love you¡±

    ¡°Love you too Liz¡±

 Extended Family - Chapter Eight

    I was tired. So damn tired. More than usual at least; to the point that most of last night was a blur. After the fight, if you could even call it that, I¡¯d left to grab my stuff to see Grandpa Will. I¡¯d had to get a new set of clothes from home, because someone had decided it was a good idea to steal random clothes people left in alleys. That or I¡¯d forgotten which alley I¡¯d left it in. It was probably the latter. After grabbing the clothes I¡¯d had to stop a few crimes. Some idiot trying to steal a motorcycle, a bunch of thugs trying to rob a gun store, and even some lady trying to steal someone''s cat. That had been weird.

    Anyway, by the time I¡¯d gotten back to the hospital, Liz was already there. I¡¯d had a tough time trying to explain that away, but I¡¯d just used the burn as an excuse. Something about a guy spilling coffee on me. After we¡¯d searched the tents and found Aunt May and Grandpa Will, who both seemed happier to see me than I¡¯d expected. That¡¯d made me feel bad.

    We¡¯d all stayed together, laughing and talk amongst ourselves despite the bleakness of the situation, till they¡¯d taken Grandpa to a new hospital. After, I''d called Sajani and the others to let them know what was happening, but by that point they''d already seen the news.

    Then Lucas had called. I remember being just as surprised as I¡¯d been the first time he''d called me. I¡¯d spoken to him for a bit, but I¡¯d been running on fumes by that point, and he could probably tell. I couldn''t remember a word of what we''d talked about, but I remember he''d seemed sad. I needed to call him back. I sighed. After that I''d hit the hay and slept like a log. Now I was back at Liz¡¯s, watching the news as we ate toasted bagels, snuggled up together.

    Footage of the wanton destruction from last night played on the TV, before cutting to a video of Max, wreathed in electricity shouting as he faced away from the camera. He glanced back, the camera momentarily capturing his face before he cried out, electricity crackled through the air and the video stopped. The feed cut to a picture of the Max¡¯s face as a voice over continued.

    ¡°The man shown in the picture is Max Dillon, a former firefighter, who yesterday evening attacked a hospital. Reports say nineteen were killed and over fifty were injured in the attack. As of yet nobody knows what caused this sudden outburst but-¡°

    I tuned out. Nineteen dead. And they were making Max out to be a villain. Sure, he''d caused it, but it had been clear to me something was wrong with him. He hadn''t wanted to hurt people. I should''ve made that clear to the media, dammit. He needed help, not this. I needed to find him. I probably should¡¯ve been out patrolling already. I glanced at the time. It was 12:05. Already a later than I usually began patrol, and I had a ton of stuff to do after as well. I needed to get started on making the spider bots and get them out on the streets. There was so much I had to watch out for, on top of day-to-day crimes. The Prowler -sorry, Prowlers. Then there was Max, and those killer robots. I needed to go, but the warmth of the space refused to let me. I was so comfortable right now. I looked down at Liz. Dammit.

    ¡°Liz¡± I whispered. She looked up at me, catching my sad expression. Her face fell slightly. No words were needed. I kissed her on top of her head, then moved out from under her, stretching as I stood up.

    ¡°You look tired¡± she said, watching me closely.

    ¡°I feel tired¡± I said, forcing a grin. I grabbed my jacket and pulled it on, before scooping up my bag.

    ¡°Do you really have to go? Come on it¡¯s the weekend¡± Liz said standing up.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I promise I¡¯ll be back before four¡± I said, slipping into my shoes.

    ¡°¡­ fine. Not like you wouldn¡¯t go even if I wanted you to stay¡± she said. I made a face. ¡°Oh you know what I meant. I know how important your work is to you. Go.¡±

    I gave her a quick kiss, then made my way over to the door. I opened it and stepped out into the hallway.

    ¡°Oh, and don''t forget as soon as you get back, we¡¯re sorting out what to wear tomorrow¡±

    ¡°Got it. See you later babe¡± I said, making my way down the hall.

    ¡°Bye Petey¡± she cutely, giving a small wave. I waved back before stepping into the stairwell. I checked up and down before glancing back down the corridor. Liz waved at me again and I waved back.

    ''Love you'' she mouthed.

    "Love you too" I said back softly. She closed the door and I sighed. I dug into my pocket and switched on my burner phone. It opened to a hundred and seven voicemails. I already wanted to go back and snuggle up with Liz.  Instead, I trudged up the stairs as I opened my bag, fishing out my web-shooters. I could already tell this Saturday was going to be a long one.

    -

    ¡°You should floss. It helps your breath more than people realise¡± I joked, before leaping out the way of a glob of acid spit. I webbed the villain¡¯s mouth together then laid him out flat with a quick punch. I looked around. That was all of them. I webbed them to the floor then pulled out my burner phone. I paused then pointed to one of the pedestrians.

    ¡°Can you call the MDA for me?¡± I asked. They nodded, slightly in awe.

    ¡°Perfect¡± I said, flashing them a thumbs up. Quickly, I leapt into the air and swung away.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    The city was in absolute chaos. Ok, that was an exaggeration, but every time I tried to stop something; two more things popped up. It was like every small-time villain had decided to do something on the same day. I had more voicemails than when I¡¯d started, and I still hadn¡¯t even made it out of Brooklyn either. Hey, at the very least I got to test out new material.

    I pressed the phone to my ear, letting it stick as I swung about. ¡°You are listening to voicemail 54 -beep- Uh¡­ hi. Uh¡­ this is kind of weird¡­ kind of surreal too¡­ sorry. Spider-Man, ha ha, uh¡­ I¡¯m Jodie, and my son¡¯s name is Terrence. I know we¡¯re probably not supposed to use this line for this, but it¡¯s my son¡¯s birthday today and I thought if you have any time at all, it would be really cool if you could drop by. We¡¯re on 69th Road, Forest Hills, and he¡¯s turning eight today. You can''t miss the house cause of all the birthday banners outside. He¡¯s a really big fan and I just want him to have something good happen after everything with his dad and¡­ sorry. If you¡¯re busy with¡­ superhero things, it¡¯s ok. The party ends at five. I¡­ just think about, please. Thanks¡±

    The voicemail ended and I found myself, stuck to a building face, thinking. Technically this was a spam call. I should ignore it, but... Forest hills. That wasn''t too far from May''s. A kid¡¯s birthday party? Now that I knew about it, I¡¯d feel bad if I didn¡¯t go. I¡¯d show up for a few minutes at the end of my patrol, then I could grab some things from the shed to get started on the bots afterwards. I grinned. See? It all worked out in the end. There was another beep and a different voicemail started playing, I paused it as the sound of sirens blared through the streets. Fire sirens. They were close.

    I stood and sprinted up the face of the wall, before pulling myself to the top with webs. I landed on the roof and looked around quickly spotting the rising plumes of black smoke from a building nearby. It was a big one, the heat from the fire causing the air to flicker about viciously. Seriously, today just kept getting busier and busier.

    I jumped from the roof, and fired out a web, swinging gracefully through the air. I frowned as I scanned the streets, recognising the area. I turned my attention back to the building. This was another one of the research labs I¡¯d interviewed at. Roxxon. Shit. It had to be the robots again. I picked up the pace, and reached the building, swinging inside. I waded through the smoke into the remnants of a laboratory. It was empty, the only sound being the fire alarms and the sputtering of the sprinklers. Had I been wrong? I jogged through and spotted the mangled corpse of a cleaner. Dammit. I hadn¡¯t been. They were here, or at least they had been. I was probably too late. Thank God, it was a weekend, or this could¡¯ve ended much worse. I jogged towards a separate area where smoke pooled out of and came to a stop. One side of the lobby was a mess of debris, and fire. On the other side a robot stood completely still, staring out the window of the lobby, as if looking out over the city. Strange. I crawled up onto the wall, watching it as I positioned myself overhead, perplexed. Now that I got a good look at it, I could tell their tails of their armour had been modelled after scorpion stingers.

    I furrowed my brow. This one was different somehow. It wasn¡¯t just mindlessly rampaging, hell bent on destruction and for some reason it hadn¡¯t blown up. Messed up programming? Well, that was good, I guess. Less casualties and destruction. I cracked my knuckles. Time to get started. I¡¯d end this quickly, and carefully.

    I fired a web, grabbing the robot¡¯s back, and yanked it backwards, and up, swinging into open air. I blasted it with webs, wrapping it in a cocoon as it shot into the sky. I watched and waited for the explosion, but none came. Instead, the robot ripped free of its restraints and screeched as it began to fall, arms wide. Shit.

    I charged up the side of the building, flying past storey after storey, as I lined myself up with the scorpion robot. With a burst of strength, I leapt up to meet the robot in the air, shattering the glass underfoot. I fired a web at it, but it cut through with its tail and stretched out towards me. We slammed into one another and hurtled towards the roof, crashing against the concrete. I rolled on the floor, winded but stood to face the monster. It leapt towards me arms extended. We met each other, our hands slamming against the others in a test of strength. The stinger attacked, but I blocked it with the robot¡¯s own arm.

    It roared and switched to pulling against me, I stumbled forwards, and the robot raised me off the ground. I kicked off their chest, ripping myself from the iron grip as the telson shot towards me, grazing the side of my face. I grabbed onto it, holding it tightly, as the robot tried to pull away. We stood in a tug of war over its stinger, the ground cracking beneath our feet. I let go, and the robot stumbled back crashing to the floor. I didn¡¯t get the chance to use my opportunity though, instead stumbling as nausea gripped me. What the?

    I stumbled to and fell to one knee as my senses betrayed me, all violently assaulting each other in a mess of noise. My body felt like lead. My spider sense buzzed, and I looked up. The robot was up, and it screeched the sound rattling my brain, before diving at me. I rolled to the side, but it caught my shoulder and slammed me to the ground. It held me down as it¡¯s stinger snaked around turning to face me. My spider sense buzzed and in a panic I uppercut it hard. It flew upwards and panic gripped me. But no explosion came. It crashed to the ground, part of its mask sparking.

    I lay still trying to make sense of everything through the weird fog. My cheek throbbed and I reached for my face. Poison. Great, so they weren¡¯t just for skewering people. The robot stood up, shaking its head thoroughly as it felt at its mask. I frowned and then it turned to me. My eyes went wide in shock and my spider sense buzzed. Instinctively I threw myself backwards, shielding my eyes from a flash of light, as a blast of heat and shrapnel slammed into me.

    I flipped backwards through the air, still disorientated, before catching myself. I breathed heavily, dangling off the side of the building by a finger before pulling myself to the wall. I gripped it tightly, my entire body shaking. Eyes. I¡¯d seen human eyes. They weren¡¯t robots, they were people inside suits. What the hell was going on?

    Slowly, I climbed back up to the roof, taking in the destruction and debris. Thankfully it was nowhere near as bad as before.  For some reason the explosion hadn¡¯t gone off properly. My eye caught a shiny piece of green shrapnel, the sunlight glinting off of it. I picked it and turned it over, running my fingers across it. It was part of the suit. I paused, staring at a small, slightly bronzed chrome part that peeked through the green covering. I recognised the indent. It was the symbol for a research lab. Lupus Labs. A small front facing wolf. I froze.

    That¡¯s where my former biology professor, Miles Warren worked. Worked was an understatement. It¡¯s where he was head of research operations. Why was their logo even here? Did they even make materials? Or where they behind this? It made sense it a twisted way, I mean, they were eliminating competition. But why this? And the people in the exploding scorpion suits? What was that? I glanced back at the destruction with a sinking feeling. I couldn¡¯t tell whether the attack today had been to limit loss of life or not. This was starting to make more and less sense at the same time. ¡°Seriously, what the hell is happening?¡± I mumbled.

 Extended Family - Chapter Nine

    ¡°Anyone want any more pictures?¡± I said buoyantly. All the kids squealed, shouting in a mess of voices that struggled to make themselves heard over one another.

    ¡°Alright kids, that¡¯s enough¡± Jodie said sternly, stepping forward. The kids quieted down and stepped back slightly, all looking to Jodie.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry kids but Mr Spider-Man is a very busy person. He has to go now¡±

    ¡°Please can he stay for five more minutes?¡± Terrence, a shy boy with a small mop of blonde hair said.

    ¡°Sorry sweetie, but Spider-Man has to go now¡± she said. I felt a tightness in my chest as I watched the kid wilt like a flower. Jodie leaned down and kissed him on the forehead, before whispering something into his ear. He nodded slightly, and she hugged him. He glanced up at me.

    ¡°Thank you for coming Mr Spider-Man¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad I could make it Terrence¡± I responded. He smiled slightly, looking a lot happier.

    ¡°Well, everyone say goodbye to Mr Spider-Man¡± Jodie said. A sad chorus of goodbyes came from all the kids.

    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s goodbye. Happy Birthday Terrence. I hope you guys enjoy the cake¡± I said.  The kids burst out into another mess of joyous shouts as the adults laughed amongst themselves. I waved as Jodie led me out into the hallway, leaving the kids with the other adults.

    ¡°Sorry about that¡± Jodie said, with a small smile.

    ¡°Can¡¯t blame them. If I was eight and Might showed up to my birthday, I wouldn¡¯t want him to leave either¡± I said. ¡°Not that I¡¯m as big as Might or anything¡± I added embarrassed.

    ¡°No, no you are to him. He really loves you. He¡¯ll remember this forever¡± she said, smiling. She glanced at some of the family photos on the wall, her face falling slightly when her eyes fell upon a man who shared Terrence¡¯s green eyes. She glanced away quickly.

    ¡°Could I get you anything? Some cake? A glass of water? Money? I-¡± she asked.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sure the kids don¡¯t want me stealing any cake from them¡± I joked. Jodie laughed and glanced behind her. All the kids quickly ducked behind the doorframe from their hiding spot. Jodie and I both chuckled.

    ¡°Thanks for this¡± she said kindly.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just seemed like a nice thing to do¡± I responded. She nodded and opened the door.

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you could pop by next year?¡± she joked.

    ¡°Maybe¡± I laughed, stepping outside.

    ¡°Thank you again, really. It means a lot¡± she said suddenly serious.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± I said awkwardly. ¡°If you ever need help, you know where to call¡±

    ¡°Will do. Thanks Spider-Man. Stay safe¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try¡±

    She closed the door behind her, and turned down the street. Somehow, that¡¯d been even more rejuvenating, and wholesome than I¡¯d expected. I¡¯d been a bit awkward at first, but it¡¯d been fun. I needed to do stuff like that more. I glanced back to the house, all the kids staring at me out the window. I waved and they all waved back, their faces filled with joy. I felt kind of guilty, but I¡¯d told Liz I¡¯d be home by four. I checked the time. 16:12. Shit. I glanced around. I needed to find somewhere to change.

    -

    I ran down the stairwell, pulling my mask off, and stepped into the hallway. I was soaked. Somehow, in-between my short talk with Aunt May, and swinging over to my hideout, it had started to rain. And not just any kind of rain, it was a serious storm out there. But that didn¡¯t matter right now. I glanced at the time as I thundered down the hall. 16:43. Shit. I came to a stop in front of Liz¡¯s door and knocked twice. The door creaked open, slightly and Liz stared at me unimpressed.

    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m la-¡± I started, stepping inside.

    ¡°Save it¡± Liz interrupted. She closed the door and crossed her arms. I took her in, trying not to stare at the gorgeous red dress she wore as she glared at me.

    ¡°You look nice¡± I mumbled.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Give me a good reason as to why you¡¯re forty-five minutes late¡± she said, ignoring me.

    ¡°I got caught up with the work stuff and lost track of time¡±

    ¡°An actual reason Pete, not some bullshit excuse¡± Liz said, uncharacteristically angry.

    ¡°Hey, I-I¡¯m telling the truth¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. I can tell when you¡¯re lying to me¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not ly-¡°

    ¡°Are you cheating on me?¡±

    ¡°What?! Why would I cheat on you?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re never here. And you¡¯re so¡­ erratic¡± she said, gesturing wildly. ¡°You come and you go randomly. And sometimes things are great, amazing even and then you just- you just pull away¡± she said, her voice a mixture of anger and pain. I just stared at her, unsure of what to say in the uncomfortable silence.

    ¡°And you lie all the time. I know from your friends you finish at four, but you don¡¯t get here until six. I know the journey here isn¡¯t quick, but whenever I said I could come to you, you shut me down. I tried to come up with a reasonable explanation, I thought, maybe, you were just taking time for yourself. That you wouldn¡¯t lie like that. But no. When you leave early, sometimes you say you have to visit your Grandpa in the hospital, but I could tell from yesterday, they haven¡¯t seen you in a while. I¡¯m not stupid Pete. It¡¯s like you¡¯re just- I don¡¯t know¡­ it¡¯s like you¡¯re hiding this whole other life from me¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not cheating on you Liz¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point. And even if it was, then why can¡¯t you show me any affection?¡±

    ¡°I do. We kiss, we cuddle, we-¡°

    ¡°Not like that, Peter! Can¡¯t you do something for me that isn¡¯t about sex?! I mean we haven¡¯t even been on a date for nearly two months now!¡±

    ¡°W-we haven¡¯t?¡± I stammered.

    ¡°Are you serious?!¡± Liz said, voice shaking as her eyes grew wet. She stormed off.

    ¡°Liz? Wait-¡° I said, following her, only to have the bedroom door slam in my face. Shit. Shit. I pressed my head against the door and sighed. Of course, she was angry. I¡¯d know I want answers if she was as erratic as me. Then did I give them? Even if not doing so could ruin this, would that really be the right thing to do?

    The whole situation was confusing mess that I¡¯d just been trying to avoid. By not telling her, it felt like I was being both monumentally selfish and selfless at the same time. But the lies were starting to build up and now they¡¯d caught up to me. I wanted Liz to trust me, but she couldn¡¯t do that if she knew I was hiding something from her.  But if I told her about everything, about Spider-Man she might break up with me. Or would it just guilt her into staying, tied to me by a twisted sense of guilt and duty? I didn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t know how to fix this. I didn¡¯t know what to do.

    I closed my eyes and stepped away from the door. I¡¯d never been good in situations like this, but that wasn¡¯t an excuse to do nothing. Dammit. I needed to say something. Just say something. Even if it¡¯s the wrong thing anything would be better than silence right now.

    ¡°Liz¡­ please¡±

    ¡°Go away Peter¡±

    ¡°I know I¡¯ve not been the best to you, but- I¡¯m trying. I really am ¡° I said. No response. Dammit.

    ¡°Liz?¡± I mumbled. ¡±Liz, I need you to talk to me¡±

    ¡°And say what?¡±

    ¡°Anything. Everything. If your angry then come out here and shout at me. If your sad then cry. It doesn¡¯t matter, just talk to me¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± she said, her voice raw.

    ¡°Cause I want to fix this. I want you to tell me everything that¡¯s wrong. And not just now, but tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that. I want you to tell me whenever I annoy you, whenever you feel neglected, whenever something¡¯s bothering you, so I can work to fix it. I enjoy spending time with you Liz. I want to spend time with you; and I want you to enjoy spending time with me just as much¡± I said.

    Liz cracked open the door, eyes wet. She stared at me silently for a few seconds, searching my face.

    ¡°Are you serious about this? About us?¡± she finally said.

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m serious about us Liz. I love you¡± I said. And I meant it. We¡¯d been together for over a year now and without any doubt she made my life better. She was important to me. As important as any of my friends, and any of my family.

    And that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t tell her. That¡¯s why I had to lie. The stress of knowing who I was, the constant worry it would cause, the possible dangers it could bring; I just couldn¡¯t do that to her.

    ¡°Then just tell me Pete. Just- what aren¡¯t you telling me?¡± she said.

    ¡°Nothing¡± I lied.

    ¡°Are you finally telling me the truth, Petey?¡± she said, staring deep into my eyes. I went to say something, to lie like I always did, but something stopped me. Something told me lying to her like this, lying at all, would just be wrong.

    Liz¡¯s faced morphed from longing to a horrified disgust at my hesitation and she pulled away, slamming the door in my face once again.

    I stared at the doorframe and hung my head. Crap.

    ¡°Liz¡± I said, knocking on the door. ¡°Liz?¡±

    I was met with an uncomfortable silence. I pressed my head against the door eyes closed. Dammit.

    I stepped away and looked around the apartment. Dresses and dress shirts lay on the coffee table, neatly folded. I guess we weren¡¯t going to the Oscorp gala thing tomorrow. I walked through the apartment silent for a few seconds. I paused and picked up two white slips on the windowsill. They were tickets to the Farrow science convention next week. Dammit. I pinched the bridge of my nose, taking a moment, as guilt and shame began gnawing at my heart.

    I needed to make this up to her. I needed to make this up to her now.

    A low buzz cut through the air. I frowned and looked around trying to find the sound. I stopped on my bag. It was my phone, my burner phone. I¡¯d forgotten to turn it off. No big deal, I could just ignore it. I could just ignore it and focus on my personal problems for once. I shut my eyes trying drown out the sound. The memory of Lucas¡¯ sobs as he clung to in the cemetery flashed through my mind. The images of destruction at the BRC. Gwen¡¯s headstone. I opened my eyes wide, trembling, as the sound of Uncle Ben¡¯s words echoed through my mind.

    You have to help people, Peter. With great power, comes great responsibility. Never forget that.

    I reached into my bag, pulled out the phone, and answered.

    ¡°Spider-Man?! Hello?!¡± a panicked breathless voice came over the line, the audio cutting in and out.

    ¡°I¡¯m here, what¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°Oscorp lab¡­ the electric guy¡± they wheezed.

    Max was back. I clutched my phone tighter, steeling my nerves.

    ¡°I¡¯m on my way¡±

 Extended Family - Chapter Ten

    I swung through the air, mustering as much speed as I could. Rain bucketed down as thunder reverberated through the air. I swung with a single-minded drive, focused on reaching my target. It wasn¡¯t hard to know where Max was, it was the only place the lightning was striking. I put all thoughts of Liz and the state of my relationship, if I still had one, out of my mind. I needed to think of ways to stop Max. But I was drawing blanks. Beyond talking him down I had nothing. I mean he could literally turn into lightning.

    Just remembering my attempts at talking to him and looking back at the footage it was obvious that he was in pain. I didn¡¯t seem like he¡¯d wanted to hurt anyone. I mean he was the first villain to check up on me mid fight. Still, even passive, he was a danger to people. He needed to be stopped.

    I frowned. He¡¯d mentioned something about having no health insurance. It might¡¯ve been why I¡¯d found him at the receptionist¡¯s desk shouting obscenities. How had he even gotten injured in the first place? It might have something to do with this Oscorp lab he was attacking. Wait¡­ what if his pain was linked to whatever happened to him? This didn¡¯t change anything, and it was all just speculation anyway. My plan of attack was still to talk him down, by offering him help him.  And if that didn¡¯t work, well¡­ give him incentive to stay near me, then fight fast and hard.

    There was another flash of lightning followed by a deafening boom. I was a lot closer now. I could see it, the Oscorp lab. A figure, glowing with energy stood on the roof, hands raised as electricity crackled all around him with a low hum. I swung high, flipping through the air before landing on one of the adjacent buildings. I shielded my eyes from the light and looked closely. There were people trapped inside by the doors. The constant crackling of electricity enveloping the building made it impossible for people to get out. I looked back to Max, his face wrapped in concentration as the electricity crackled around him, twisting and turning about his body violently.

    ¡°Max!¡± I shouted. He didn¡¯t acknowledge me, but the electricity around him started to flow faster.

    ¡°Max! Stop and just talk to me!¡± I shouted. No answer.  ¡°Come on Max, I thought you were a good guy. Frankly this is a little¡­ shocking.¡±

    He turned to look at me, glaring.

    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll admit that one was bad, but-¡°

    ¡°Shut the hell up!¡±

    I dodged instinctively as an arc of electricity shot out towards me and obliterated the part of the wall I¡¯d been on. Max fell to one knee and

    ¡°Hey! That wasn¡¯t nice! You could¡¯ve hurt me¡± I joked.

    ¡°Just go away!¡± he shouted, his voice taking on the echo quality again. Another arc of electricity crackled out towards me and I dodged. More followed, and I leapt around, narrowly avoiding the blasts. I needed to knock him down, then talk to him. It might hurt the negotiations, but they wouldn¡¯t start otherwise. I carried on dodging the blasts before spotting a trash can as I swung through an alley. I webbed it, pulling it along with me. I swung it around, bringing it past me and launched it at Max as I emerged above the roof¡¯s ledge. It passed through the wall of electricity effortlessly and slammed into Max, sending him flying across the roof as all the electricity dissipated in a flash of vibrant blue.

    ¡°Damn. That look like it hurt. You okay?¡± I said, landing on the roof. Max groaned and I webbed him to the floor, before quickly walking over to him. He wriggled about, no longer glowing blue. He turned to me, and glared.

    I raised my hands up, stepping back.

    ¡°Sorry about that. Look, Max I¡¯m not trying to hurt you. I can help you fix this, clear your name. You just have to stop whatever the hell this was. Then you can come with me so we can get you help¡± I said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me! I heard it all when I was in the sky you know? I was one with the energy, but it wasn¡¯t right. I couldn¡¯t hear the song I could only hear all the stupid noise from everything else! I heard what they said about me on the radio! I heard what they said about you! You don¡¯t give a shit about me! If you cared about clearing my name you would¡¯ve done it already. You just sat back and lapped up all the fame from stopping me and now. That sandman guy was right, you only care about the cameras¡± he said.

    ¡°No Max I¡¯m no-¡°

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that!¡± he roared, everything around us sparking. I leapt back, fists raised. The lights all around went out, throwing everything into darkness. I turned back to Max, his eyes growing a freakish blue.

    ¡°M- Stop. Stop whatever you¡¯re doing. There¡¯s still a chance to fix this, whatever¡¯s messing with your head I-¡±

    ¡±Nothing¡¯s messing with my damn head. With the music, the universe¡¯s son everything¡¯s just clearer now. Max was weak. He got taken advantage of by everyone, even his family. I¡¯m more, better than Max ever was. And I¡¯ll prove that first by having my revenge.¡±

    ¡°Just stop please¡±

    ¡°NO! Everybody and I mean everybody responsible needs to pay. And that includes you¡±  he said. My spider sense roared, the sensation of approaching danger washing over me from all sides. I leapt backwards but the sensation only grew.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°MAX! D-¡°

    Everything went white and my body went rigid. Heat washed through me and I slammed into something, my body going limp. My ears rung loudly, the sound piercing right through my brain. My body steamed and I could feel the fears, making themselves known as they seared into my skin. I could barely see, but I was in the street. I¡¯d slammed into a car. Something floated down in front of me. It was Max, his body covered in crackling blue electricity. He landed, walked over and crouched beside me, grinning. He placed a hand on me, the electricity that crackled through me sending through my shoulder.

    ¡°I was a firefighter before all this, you know. There was an accident and¡­ my partner died in a big fire. Some metahuman caused it. I had nightmares, just watching his body burn, over and over and over. I couldn¡¯t work, couldn¡¯t sleep. So I retired. My cousin set me up with a job. Sure, I was just a cleaner, but it was something you know?¡± he shook his head and laughed bitterly. ¡°I came here to get away from everything bad in my life, and this is what I get?! I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t do anything! I didn¡¯t do anything wrong! I didn¡¯t want to kill anyone it just¡­ fuck! My life¡¯s fucked!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I know people¡± I wheezed. ¡°I can sort this out. You just¡­ need to stop.¡±

    ¡°Stop? I haven¡¯t even started¡± he said wiping his eyes. ¡°Once I¡¯ve visited my dearest cousin, I think I¡¯ll bring Oscorp tower down. Might as well take this thing down at the root. Then¡­¡± he trailed off, looking away into the distance, then up to the sky. He glanced back at me once more.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you live Spider-Man. Just don¡¯t try to stop me¡° he said. His body pulsed a blinding blue and the enticing low hum that accompanied his presence amplified, the sound¡¯s allure shaking me out of my trance. Before I could do anything, I was blown back as heat and light blinded me. When my eyes finally adjusted to the light, I could see a smoking crater a few feet from where I¡¯d been. The ringing faded quickly and the first thing I could hear was screams and the sound of concrete cracking. I looked around in almost complete darkness, my eyes coming to a stop on the Oscorp lab. A large, jagged crack ran through the building, from top to bottom.

    I forced myself to my feet and looked to the sky. I could hear the rumbling. I turned to the building, the cracking growing louder, then looked back at the sky. The building was crumbling, but Max was getting away. Fast. I needed to be fast. I leapt up and swung through the wreckage, webbing the crumbling mess of structure as I weaved through the steadily appearing gaps in the darkness. I followed the shouts and cries for help, grabbing people, then throwing them onto webs out the quickly collapsing building. I landed on what was left of the top floor and grabbed the last two civilians, before vaulting over debris and leaping out of the building. I landed as the higher floors crashed to the ground, expelling a wave of dust. I held the civilians closely as the dust engulfed us carrying shrapnel with it. The rain cleared the dust quickly and I let go of the civilians, jumping away from the building, and swinging away.

    ¡°Thank you, Spider-Man¡± one of the civilians shouted.

    I followed the trail of light through the sky, listening closely to the low hum that made my hairs stand on end.  I leapt from building to building, swinging over streets and past the unsuspecting as they stared up, enamoured by the focused crackle of electricity that shot through the sky.

    I looked down, following the projected path of the lightning. Shit, it was heading towards Chelsea. They didn¡¯t need any more destruction over there. But what could I do? It¡¯s not like I could stop him if I he came down either. It¡¯s not like I could knock him out the sky. Wait¡­ no, that was a dumb idea. Would it even hit him? He¡¯d said something about becoming energy, right? And even if he wasn¡¯t, what if it missed, landed somewhere and someone got hurt? Well, someone would get hurt either way. Dammit, I had to try.

    ¡°MAX!¡± I roared desperately, my voice echoing into the sky. ¡°MAX!!!¡±

    The lightning continued to arc steadily through the clouds, nearing its destination. I looked around and spotted another trash can. I webbed it up to me and came to a stop. Do or die, I guess. I wrapped web around it and around my hand before swinging it around with as much force as I could. I watched closely as the electricity continued crackling along its path, judging where it would go. Then, with all the strength I had, I threw the trash can into the sky. I darted forwards, leaping and pulling myself along as fast as I could. This was probably a pipe dream. The trash can disappeared into the darkness above. I watched, still charging forwards as I waited. Suddenly, there was a crackle of lighting and a figure burst out of the clouds falling through the sky. Holy shit.

    I continued running, praying I¡¯d make it as I gained on him. Shit I was cutting it close. I fired out webs and with a final burst of strength, slingshot myself through the air. I slammed into Max from the side, feeling the electricity on his skin crackle against mine. We crashed to the ground skidding along rooftops before slamming against a ventilation tube. I recovered quickly, but Max remained on the floor. His body crackled with electricity, but it was a lot weaker, to the point it was barely noticeable. I dived, tackling him.

    He roared, his body sparking uselessly. He elbowed me hard, but I took it, and cracked him back across the jaw. He stumbled in a spin but turned back to me blasted electricity. It was slower. Mistake. I leapt over the blast and landed behind him. He turned frantically but it was too late. I dropped to the floor with a practiced ease and swept his legs from beneath him. He crashed to the ground, and I webbed him there. He struggled uselessly for a few seconds before crying out in pain. I walked over to him preparing to knock him out, when light began to illuminate the roof.

    His heart glowed hot blue, the veins across his body illuminated beneath his skin. My spider-sense buzzed, and I leapt back. A blinding wave of sparks shot past me, along with the low hum of electricity before disappearing into nothingness. I looked back to Max, but he was gone, only his clothes left behind. My eyes darted around, scanning for threats, but my mind told me it was safe. He was gone, just¡­ gone. Maybe he¡¯d turned into energy again, whatever that meant.

    I stared out over the city, taking note of all the destruction our fight had left in its wake. The rain poured harder than ever, it¡¯s steady patter and the sound of car alarms, ringing out around me. I slumped to one knee, breathing heavily. Parts of my suit were charred, and the flesh underneath was reddened.

    ¡°Dammit¡± I mumbled. He didn¡¯t have a complete grasp of his powers, but he was getting stronger. A lot stronger. Now I really needed to figure out how to stop this guy.

 Extended Family - Chapter Eleven

    I sat in Liz¡¯s apartment, foot tapping restlessly. Somehow, she¡¯d still agreed to go to the ball with me. She¡¯d left a strangely calm voicemail and told me to show up to hers for six so we could get ready. She didn¡¯t seem outwardly angry, but she hadn¡¯t said a word, just handed me things to get changed into and started getting ready. It was probably a sign that things might be nearing their end, but I was at least going to use this as a chance to try and win her trust back. If that was even possible anymore.

    Still, I was nervous about this. From my fight with Max yesterday, I couldn¡¯t tell whether something was going to happen. I couldn¡¯t just suddenly tell Liz that we couldn¡¯t go, without pretty much ending our relationship on the spot, but we needed to be in and out fast. It was a big event, and even though it wasn¡¯t at Oscorp tower, if Max¡¯s cousin or whoever was there, then I¡¯d be putting Liz in danger as well. If something happened¡­ I wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive myself. I tugged at my collar, the costume underneath slightly uncomfortable. I was wearing the suit with slightly padded armouring under the outer layer. It was all I¡¯d been able to get prepared. Even if they were close to completion, I hadn¡¯t managed to finish any of the spy bots or the counter measures for Max I¡¯d have to make do without them tonight.  The best I¡¯d been able to do was give George a call and let him know that Electro was targeting Oscorp, and more specifically his own cousin. They¡¯d probably have MDA protection at the event if they were smart. But it was Oscorp so who knew¡­

    My attention drifted as Liz stepped out of her bedroom, walking into the living space, wearing a beautiful sparkly black dress.

    ¡°Wow¡± I said. The corners of her mouth tugged up in a smug smile at my comment, but she quickly stilled her face and shot me a glare.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡± I said, standing. Liz stepped forward and straightened my tie, before brushing lint off my suit.

    ¡°There. Did you book the Uber?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, Harry¡¯s picking us up¡± I said. Liz frowned.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t think to tell me that earlier?¡± she said.

    ¡°I thought I- sorry¡± I said. Liz clicked her tongue, glancing at the clock on the far wall.

    ¡°What time¡¯s he coming?¡±

    ¡°Seven-ish? So about ten minutes¡± I said. She sighed and we stood awkwardly staring at each other. I looked over the dress she wore again. Man, she really did it justice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t check me out, I¡¯m mad at you¡± she said curtly.

    ¡°Oh, sorry¡± I said, guiltily, turning to face away from her. Dammit. We hadn¡¯t even left yet, and I was already floundering.

    ¡°So¡­ you excited?¡± I asked, chuckling awkwardly.

    ¡°¡­ maybe¡± she mumbled. One-word answers. Ok. Not the best start but, I could work with that.

    ¡°Maybe? They¡¯ll probably have fancy seafood there. Does that change things?¡±

    She made a non-committal hum.

    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re not excited for seafood then what about dancing? I know it¡¯s not much, but it¡¯s a bit of the quality time you¡¯ve been wanting. I¡¯ve got two left feet though, so you¡¯d have to take lead¡±

    Her lips twisted into a smile that disappeared as fast as it came, then she turned to me, crossing her arms.

    ¡°Stop trying to butter me up. There¡¯s no point talking unless your going to tell me what you¡¯re hiding¡± she said, putting her foot down. My shoulders sagged, all hope leaving me.  Why had she decided to still go together if we weren¡¯t going to talk to each other? To keep up appearances? Did she just want to get a good look at the hall? She could¡¯ve gone without me if she really wanted to. I¡¯m sure I could¡¯ve convinced Harry.

    Or maybe this was her plan to guilt me into telling her. Probably that, actually.

    ¡°Well?¡± she said, indignant. I guess if there ever was a chance, then this was it. But I still didn¡¯t know whether it was the right thing to do. It couldn¡¯t lie to her anymore though, that was for sure. I looked up at her, heart beating wildly.

    ¡°Liz I-¡° I stopped, interrupted by the sound of  my phone ringing. My regular phone. I pulled it out of my pocket, checking the caller ID.

    ¡°Hey Pete. If I got the address right, we¡¯re outside¡± Harry said. I made my way over to the window and looked into the street. A sleek black limousine sat idle outside.

    ¡°Pete?¡±

    ¡°Come on Liz. Harry¡¯s outside¡±

    -

    We sat inside the limousine passing by cars and skyscrapers, the ride effortlessly smooth. In the winter darkness, the lights of everything around us illuminated the car, giving it an air of gravitas. The outfits, the limo, the atmosphere- it felt like I was in a tv drama. Harry sat opposite Liz and I, a blonde at his side. They wore matching silver rings, no doubt expensive.

    I¡¯d completely forgotten Harry had a fianc¨¦e. Well not completely forgotten, but it¡¯d been something far in the back of my mind. Something that I only vaguely remembered talking about on the phone, where he joked that his dad was setting him up on a few dates to find a fianc¨¦e. He never had really mentioned how the dates had gone outside of the fact he¡¯d gone on multiple dates with the only woman who¡¯d seemed nice. Or maybe he had. I must¡¯ve been too focused on Spider-Man stuff. Had I been fighting Rhino? Or was it that big sewage lizard? I vaguely remembered making an effort to stop collateral damage more than usual.

    ¡°Right, that¡¯s enough awkwardness, time for introductions¡± Harry said, turning off his phone. ¡°Pete, my fianc¨¦e Lauren, Lauren, my best friend, Pete and his girlfriend Liz¡±

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Lauren reached out a hand to Liz, then to me.

    ¡°I thought it was Peter?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Everybody calls me Pete¡±

    ¡°Alright. Pete¡­ Harry tells me a lot about you¡± she said, glancing at him. ¡°You¡¯re an amazing scientist I hear¡±

    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t call myself amazing¡± I said, chuckling awkwardly. ¡°Moreso lucky¡±

    ¡°Oh, come off it, Pete. He¡¯s brilliant. A downright genius. Even my dad thinks so, which is more than rare. I¡¯m sure you agree Liz, no?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s definitely dedicated¡± Liz said, politely. A flicker of a frown crossed Harry¡¯s face but before he could say anything a small tap came from the separator.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Harry said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be arriving shortly Master Harrison.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Mitchell¡± he said. He turned back to the rest of us grinning. ¡°You guys ready to have some fun?¡±

    -

    The gala was anything but fun. There was no dancing area, no food until after the announcement, and the average age of the attendees was at least higher than Aunt May¡¯s. I thought Liz and I sharing stories with Harry and Lauren would be fun, but We¡¯d been with Harry for all but two minutes before he and Lauren had been whisked off by Harry¡¯s brother. Victor had said something about them needing to parade around their engagement to a bunch of businessmen and rich people. I¡¯d expected them to be gone for a few minutes, but it had been half an hour, and they still weren¡¯t back. I guess they were talking to a lot of people. I glanced at Liz. At least she was enjoying the hall¡¯s interior design.

    I looked around again. I recognised a few people here. Other scientists, people that had worked for the BRC before¡­ the incident. I guess that made sense. Oscorp had offered a lot of jobs after the clean-up, and while a few businessmen . I kept looking around the room. There were military guys here too. I¡¯d seen them in a corner at one point, talking amongst themselves. They were gone now, probably waiting for the announcement in some private backroom. That told me everything I needed to know about the announcement. Norman Osborne had secured a military contract. It was probably for the production of negative energy bombs. They¡¯d been working on it for two years now. I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be able to pull it off without Otto, but now that the middle man that was the BRC was gone, I guess they didn¡¯t have anyone to interfere with where they allocated resources. I frowned. Otto. I still hadn¡¯t been able to get a hold of him. He¡¯d dropped off the map after he¡¯d been fired. I thought he¡¯d taken a long holiday, finally gone on a trip around the world, but now¡­ now I wasn¡¯t sure. I mean I¡¯d have no way to know if he¡¯d done something stupid. He wasn¡¯t that type of person. He wouldn¡¯t¡­ he couldn¡¯t¡­

    ¡°Petey?¡± Liz said.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re holding me a bit tight¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry¡± I said guiltily, letting her go.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ nothing¡±

    ¡°Just tell me¡±

    ¡°¡­I was thinking about Otto again¡±

    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s ok¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ you¡¯re probably right¡± I responded. Liz rested her head against my shoulder and clutched my hand tighter. I squeezed hers back lightly in response and rested my head. We stood in silence for a few seconds, looking out over the crowd. I closed my eyes, letting everything fade into the background as I enjoyed the moment of peace.

    Suddenly a chorus of gasps flooded the hall, and Liz jolted slightly. My eyes shot open. Image of Max flashed through my mind. Idiot. I was a fucking idiot. We should never have come. I should¡¯ve just told Harry I was sick. The fact that I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to tell Liz why, just to keep up the lie was more than telling. God dammit. God dammit!

    I pulled Liz close, all my senses dialled to eleven, as I shuffled away from our corner to the nearest exit. My spider sense gave off a low buzz, a sense of danger permeating the room.

    ¡°Petey?¡± Liz said. I stayed quiet, speeding up to the exit as I pulled Liz along. I needed to get her out of here fast. That meant leaving the crowd alone for a few moments. That was dangerous, but Liz was my priority. Would it be better if I shouted out to everyone, telling them to run? But that would draw attention, and I didn¡¯t want to do that with Liz in tow. Dammit. I needed to change as well. My costume was underneath, but I still had to take my suit off somewhere isolated. How did I convince Liz to run without me? Shit, I was wasting time.

    ¡°Pete, stop¡± Liz said.

    ¡°No, we have to-¡± I flinched as the lights reilluminated the room. My heart leapt, thudding loudly in my chest as I clutched Liz tightly, scanning the lights confused.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be an Oscorp gala without a few technical difficulties, eh?¡± someone joked loudly. Bouts of laughter permeated the room, as the guests looked around in amusement. I frowned. It had just been trouble with the lights?

    ¡°Petey, look at me¡± she said. I turned to look at Liz, her face a mixture of concern and fear, that only grew once she saw my expression.

    ¡°W-what¡¯s wrong? Why¡¯re you making that face?¡± she asked.

    ¡°The lights, I thought¡­¡± I trailed off, breathless.

    ¡°Hey, hey. It¡¯s ok. It¡¯s ok¡± she said, putting a hand on my cheek. My shoulders relaxed and the low buzz of my spider sense faded into nothing. My ears rung loudly, as I took a few seconds to process what had just happened. I glanced up at the ceiling. It¡¯d just been a damn power cut. Relief washed over me, and I hunched over resting my hands on my knees. Thank god.

    ¡°Peter, what¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡± Liz said, placing a hand on my back.

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain after this¡± I said, putting it off for later. I needed to tell her. But I was just so damn scared. I straightened out, slightly lightheaded. The announcement hadn¡¯t happened yet, but it was probably best to leave now. I went to tell Liz when a familiar voice rung out from behind.

    ¡°Oh wow. What a lovely couple¡±

    I turned around to see Harry¡¯s younger sister, Susanna, grinning at me.

    ¡°Susanna, I- it¡¯s great to see you¡± I said. She stepped forward pulling Liz and I into a quick hug, before pulling away. A blonde stood at her side, watching us closely. Susanna glanced between the three of us, her smile growing wider.

    ¡°Ah right, introductions. Felicia, this is Peter and Liz. Harry¡¯s best friend and his girlfriend. Liz, Peter, this Felicia, my partner¡± Susanna said, cheerily. That was new. Felicia offered her hand, her voice smooth.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you¡± she said.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you as well¡± I responded. Liz shook her hand too and Susanna struck up conversation again.

    ¡°Sorry we took so long to greet you, Harry only thought to tell us you¡¯d come a few moments ago¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± I responded. ¡±It¡¯s good to see you¡¯re doing well. Last time we saw you was at Harry¡¯s 25<sup>th</sup> right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. That was quite fun, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Susanna said. I nodded, like always caught off guard by her accent, a strange mix of posh English and American.

    ¡°So, what have you been up to?¡± Liz asked.

    ¡°I¡¯d love to talk at length now, but ¨C unfortunately, my father wants to have a word with Peter now. Preferably alone¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ ok¡± I said, glancing at Liz.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Go talk to him. It¡¯s why we came anyway, isn¡¯t it¡± she said. I nodded and turned back to Susanna.

    ¡°Father¡¯s always had a bit of a flare for the theatrical so he¡¯s waiting for you, on the balcony overlooking the city upstairs¡±

    ¡°I¡­ how do I get there?¡±

    ¡°First left when you leave by that exit¡± she said, putting to the closest one. ¡°Just make your way up those stairs and you can¡¯t miss it¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡± I said.

    ¡°No problem. And good luck¡± Susanna said. I gave Liz a quick kiss then made my way out of the main hall and up a flight of stairs my heart hammering. I didn¡¯t feel good about leaving Liz alone, but I could tell not talking to Mr Osborne would be worse. Plus, if Max showed up, I only had to get away from Mr Osborne to change. I reached the top of the stairs and stepped through a door into a lounge, lit with dim overhead lights. It was colder in here. I slowed, taking in the fancy d¨¦cor and furniture, before my attention was drawn to a man standing beyond the lounge, on the balcony, looking out over the city. I made my way over to the set of open glass doors, stepping onto the balcony.

    ¡°Mr Osborne?¡± I asked, tentatively.

    ¡°Please Peter, call me Norman¡± he said, turning around with a smile.

 Extended Family - Chapter Twelve

    ¡°Norman. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s good to see you¡± I replied.

    ¡°The pleasure¡¯s all mine Peter¡± Mr Osborne said, stepping forward and clamping a hand onto my shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve grown since the last time I saw you. How old are you know?¡±

    ¡°Twenty-five¡±

    ¡°Wow. Twenty-five already. It feels like just yesterday you graduated from university¡± he said.

    ¡°I, yeah, guess it does¡±

    ¡°I hear you¡¯re working for Mason, eh? How¡¯s the work there?¡±

    ¡°Things at Alchemax are good. We¡¯re making a lot of progress¡±

    ¡°I heard on the grapevine the two of you don¡¯t exactly have the best relationship¡± he said. Huh? How the hell did he know that? l spared a quick glance as he looked at me expectantly. A small smile grew on his lips, as though he was amused at my reaction. Yeah, not creepy at all.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s mostly due to tardiness on my end¡± I joked, nervously. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ working on it so I, hopefully, don¡¯t get fired¡±

    ¡°He¡¯d never fire you Peter, you¡¯re far too valuable¡± he said. I let out an awkward chuckle.

    ¡°I¡¯m not joking Peter. You are¡± he said, as he looked over me proudly.

    ¡°T-thanks¡± I responded, caught off guard by the praise.

    ¡°Come, let¡¯s go upstairs¡± Mr Osborne said, gesturing to an elevator set of stairs. We walked slowly, in silence for the first few seconds as we made our way into the elevator. It rose slowly as orchestral music played in the background.

    I glanced at Mr Osborne as he stood silently, hands in pockets, and aura of impossible calm surrounding him. He still gave me the creeps like always. Just standing this close to him was making me feel weird. We stepped out of the elevator and into an empty but beautiful longue, adorned with paintings. Even in the dim light almost all of them were of Gods from various cultures.

    ¡°Quite nice, no?¡± Mr Osborne said.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I said.

    ¡°Come, come. There¡¯s more¡± he said with a sly smile. We walked through the longue, and Mr Osborne raised his hand. The lights slowly dimmed, revealing the distant night lights of the city, just beyond the glass walls surrounding us. A balcony wrapped around this longue, offering a better view from the top of New City Hall.

    ¡°Do you want to talk inside or outside?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Outside¡±

    ¡°I see you enjoy the views from balconies too¡± he said, grinning wildly as he clamped a hand onto my shoulder.

    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Victor¡¯s the only one who doesn¡¯t seem to enjoy stuff like this. Like his mother that one so- never mind¡± he said, his relaxed demeanour shifting almost imperceptibly for a second. He turned, and walked over to the glass doors. I followed and we stepped outside onto the balcony, greeted by cool air.

    I took in the view. Even as Spider-Man, I¡¯d seen plenty of sights like this, but it never got boring to look at. New York really was beautiful. Most of the time at least. I turned to Mr Osborne, watching as he looked out over the city for a few more seconds.

    ¡°Mr- Norman?¡±

    ¡°Ah right¡± he said, turning to face me. His face was less relaxed now, slightly stiff.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know what I¡¯ve brought you here to talk about, given Harry and his mouth¡±

    ¡°Not exactly. I have a vague idea though¡± I said. Norman nodded, staring off at the city thoughtfully.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    ¡°Let¡¯s walk while I explain¡± he said.

    ¡°Sure¡±

    We began, making our way around the balcony, Mr Osborne¡¯s gaze still fixed on the rest of the city. After a few seconds he turned to me with a smile.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make this interesting¡± he said with a smile. ¡±Do you have any guesses on what we might be discussing?¡±

    I paused. I didn¡¯t know much, other than he was going to offer me the job, and it was something to do with military personnel.

    ¡°Something to do with the military? I saw a few guys in uniforms downstairs¡± I responded.

    ¡°That¡¯s no fair, but you¡¯re quite right. Well spotted¡± he said, grinning. He was enjoying this. Revealing things slowly to me. If he knew me as well as he probably thought he did, then he probably wouldn¡¯t have even asked if I wanted a job. But if he did know I didn¡¯t want it, then he probably had something up his sleeve. That¡¯s probably what was exciting him, and that¡¯s probably why I felt so nervous. What did he know? What could he do?

    ¡°Any other guesses on things?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ it¡¯s probably got something to do with big bombs right? Negative energy explosions?¡± I said. Norman nodded.

    ¡°Close but no¡±

    ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°No. We¡¯ve already dealt with that¡± he said, grinning wider. They¡¯d already dealt with it? What? That should¡¯ve been big news. Really big news. And what was I here for if not the bombs? Then why was the military here. If it was something different, then maybe that¡¯s why he thought I wouldn¡¯t refuse his offer. But I couldn¡¯t think of anything military related that I¡¯d ever agree to.

    ¡°Is it to do with materials or negative energy?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t want to give away too much, but I bit of both¡± he said.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ve got no idea¡± I said. ¡°Probably some kind of arm-¡± I paused, almost freezing in my tracks. Armour. Was this somehow related to the scorpion armour? I tried not to visibly panic. Was Mr Osborne involved with whatever was going on with Lupus? Was he responsible for all the bombings? I didn¡¯t know enough about any of it. Dammit, I should¡¯ve gone to investigate sooner.

    ¡°Peter?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh sorry. I was just thinking¡± I chuckled nervously. I paused, bringing my hand to my mouth. Wait, this could be good. I could ask questions, get info on stuff that Spider-Man wasn¡¯t supposed to know. I might be able to even use some of it without revealing my identity.

    ¡°Is it about armour of some kind?¡± I asked. Mr Osborne¡¯s eyes widened. Bingo.

    ¡°I- oh wow Peter. Have you started trying to infuse inorganic materials with negative energy at Alchemax?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not at liberty to say¡± I lied.

    ¡°Right, right¡­ well you¡¯re not right, but that was something I was planning to get your help with in the future. Good guess¡± Mr Osborne responded. So it wasn¡¯t the armour, but he might still somehow be connected. Dammit. I couldn¡¯t ask questions about it without seeming overly interested, and he probably wouldn¡¯t even tell me now unless I took the job.

    ¡°So¡­ anymore guesses?¡± Mr Osborne asked.

    ¡°No, that was my best guess¡± I said. Mr Osborne grinned like he¡¯d won some kind of game.

    ¡°What would you say if I told you we¡¯ve managed to infuse inorganic materials with negative energy?¡± he said. I frowned.

    ¡°I thought this wasn¡¯t about the armour?¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t¡±

    ¡°Then fluids? You¡¯ve managed to charge liquids and energy with it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Sort of. We managed to do it to completely distilled water using a special strain of bacteria we¡¯d infused with negative energy¡±

    ¡°I- wow, should you be telling me this?¡±

    ¡°It will become public knowledge soon¡± he said with a wave of the hand. ¡°The more interesting side of things is the application of this new liquid. Any ideas?¡±

    I froze. Inorganic liquids could be ingested in large quantities.

    ¡°Have you¡­ are you making people drink it?¡±

    ¡°Well we¡¯ve injected people with it with very few negative side effects yet¡±

    ¡°And the positive ones?¡± I said, intrigued.

    ¡°Extreme results¡± Mr Osborne said with a smile. I stared at him incredulous.

    ¡°You¡¯ve made¡­ super soldiers?¡± I said.

    ¡°Well results vary, but we¡¯ve done enough to earn funding from the military and government. And I want you to join the effort Peter¡± he said. I turned away uncertain.

    ¡°What about the health benefits?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately our project doesn¡¯t work in the same way your project does. It wasn¡¯t designed to fix ailments, but that can become something you can work on with me¡± he said, clamping a hand on my shoulder. I remained silent for a few seconds.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to do it, do you?¡± Mr Osborne said.

    ¡°I- I¡¯m not sure¡± I said.

    ¡°Peter, just think about the possibilities. The world could be ours¡± he said, stepping back. I looked out over the city.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want the world¡±

    Mr Osborne kissed his teeth and looked away, putting his hands on his hips. He brushed a hand through his greying brown hair and sighed, closing his eyes.

    ¡°Will you at least think about it if I considered bringing Otto back?¡±

    ¡°I-¡° I paused shocked. He hated Otto. He saw him as a black hole on his resources, with no gain. They¡¯d worked together to help build Oscorp, with Mr Osborne¡¯s connections and Otto¡¯s mind, but they¡¯d had disagreements that had only grown bigger and bigger over time. He really wanted me to work for him that much? Why?

    ¡°Yes or no, Peter?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d think about it if you can actually get a hold of him. I haven¡¯t seen him in years now¡± I said, solemn. Mr Osborne frowned at that but didn¡¯t say anything. He took a moment, looking over the city, towards Oscorp tower before nodding slowly.

    ¡°Thank you for coming Peter. You can head down now¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the invitation, Mr Osborne¡±

    ¡°I- no worries¡±

 Extended Family - Chapter Thirteen

    After last night I knew for certain there was a lot I had to investigate surrounding whatever the hell was going on with Lupus, Oscorp and the people blowing themselves up in exo-suits. So, I¡¯d taken the week off work. I¡¯d phoned the others beforehand, and I could tell Sajani was disappointed, but they¡¯d all understood. Grady had even encouraged me. I sighed. Even after I¡¯d sorted this out, there was a ton of other stuff to do. Finish the ¡®countermeasures¡¯ to stop Max, get the spy bots out to keep an eye on Prowlers one and two, sort out MJ¡¯s birthday, and then take a long hard look in the mirror so I could finally get the balls to talk to Liz about¡­ well everything really.

    She¡¯d been concerned last night. Practically all her anger had vanished after whatever had happened at the ball. She¡¯d known something was off.

    We¡¯d left quickly after I¡¯d talked to Mr Osborne, said our goodbyes, grabbed a taxi and headed back to her place. She¡¯d wanted me to stay, but I couldn¡¯t. I¡¯d had to remind her she was angry at me for her to stop pushing it and then I¡¯d left. She¡¯d left me a voicemail that I hadn¡¯t listened to yet. I was saving it. Definitely not avoiding things.

    ¡°Ow¡± I winced. I shook my finger and blew on it, glancing at the circuit board for one of the spy bots. I sucked at this kind of stuff. At the very least I was nearly finished. I went to go back to work when I paused and looked up at the TV. I needed to change the channel. The Bugle was talking about me again.

    I watched for a few moments as they somehow managed the mental gymnastics to pin the blame of the Max¡¯s two attacks, onto me. If it wasn¡¯t so insane, I might even find it funny. They were calling him Electro now, because Max was too plain, I guess. Joke was on them; he didn¡¯t even want to be called Max anymore anyway. He¡¯d probably love the call name. I turned off the TV and hunkered down, getting back to work. I didn¡¯t get what they had against me. I didn¡¯t get what they had against non-Vanguard superheroes in general. Sure, government authorised militia groups like the MDA were great at handling the weaker metahuman threats, but bigger for ones ¨C like Max ¨C they were way out of their depth. Nobody except Might really had the technology to help regular people deal with serious metahumans threats and Might, didn¡¯t believe the world was ready for most of it any time soon. Given people like the Prowlers existed, I was inclined to agree.

    I frowned. Was the coverage some kind of political bid from the Bugle to get Might to share his it¡¯s tech? Or was it about something else. I didn¡¯t know, and I shouldn¡¯t have cared but I did. It was embarrassing how much criticisms, got to me, especially the stupid ones. I could still remember that celebrity they¡¯d had on who¡¯d said my branding was piss poor. It¡¯d been a segment about whether or not superheroes blatant use of meta-abilities in a roundabout way encouraged supervillains to use their powers.

    I shook my head.

    ¡°Stupid on top of crazy¡± I mumbled. Why couldn¡¯t they talk about other things? I know they were New York based, but couldn¡¯t they focus on literally anything else? I sighed. I bet they¡¯d try and pin the blame of the exo-suit bombings on me too.

    My hands slowed to a stop as thoughts sifted slowly through my mind. Lupus. Whenever I thought about them the first thing that came to mind was Dr Warren. He¡¯d been the biology professor at ESU. I¡¯d known him. I¡¯d spoken to him regularly because Gwen had been friends with his TA, Helena. He was a good person. I doubted he knew about anything if Lupus was even involved. Maybe it might be a good idea to talk to him? Get info on anything suspicious going down? No. That wouldn¡¯t make sense. I didn¡¯t know him that well, and if I pretended I was searching for a job, Mr Osborne would probably find out somehow.

    I¡¯d go investigate first and then I¡¯d talk to him if I didn¡¯t find anything. It was the same reason I wasn¡¯t taking this straight to the police. They probably wouldn¡¯t be able to get a warrant, and even if they could, if nothing was there it was a waste of time. I¡¯d just be alerting whoever it was using Lupus manufactured materials that I was on to them. Still. There was no point taking this straight to the police, but it¡¯d also be pretty weird if I just showed up out of nowhere asking questions about exo-suits and materials I probably shouldn¡¯t even know about. Maybe I could lie and pretend Mr Osborne had told me about it. He kind of had. Actually, no. That was far too risky. I¡¯d stick with just investigating and I¡¯d contact Dr Warren if I ever found anything. I sighed. I couldn¡¯t believe I¡¯d put it off for this long. Well, everything with Liz, and Max had kind of distracted me. At least there hadn¡¯t been another bombing.

    I winced again as I drew back my finger. I needed to focus. Once this bot was finished I¡¯d only had seven, but that was more than enough to get started, and test out just how effective they¡¯d be. But first, I needed some gloves.

    -

    Brutes were starting to get seriously annoying. I¡¯d thought the number had peaked ages ago but whatever the BRC explosion had done to the people of New York was still in full swing. I mean how many people now had gotten superstrength and suddenly decided it was a good idea to just rob people.

    ¡°Did you have to fill out a form to get your powers, or was it some kind of divine intervention?¡± I said, ducking another punch.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me!¡± the mugger shouted. She swung endlessly, punching more frantically every second.

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not special missy. I make jokes with everyone¡± I said. She let loose a frustrated roar and swung faster than usual. There was a wall was behind me. Crap. I¡¯d been having too much fun with this. I caught her fist easily.

    ¡°Can you tone it down a bit? Property damage is kind of a big no-no¡± I said. She looked at me incredulous and pulled away, before turning tail and sprinting away. Great, she was a runner. I webbed her feet, then yanked her up, tying her upside down around a streetlight. I took the bag she had and glanced inside.

    ¡°Diamonds? Seriously, you can be more original than that¡± I said.

    ¡°Let me down!¡± she shouted.

    ¡°Just sit tight. The MDA¡¯s already on the way¡± I said.

    I leapt off the sidewalk and swung away. I quickly dropped off the diamonds and went back to swinging calmly through Brooklyn. The spy bots worked like a charm. They didn¡¯t cover as much ground as I hoped, but they were effective enough that if something big went down near downtown, I¡¯d know. I landed on a building, staring at my phone. I had two left. Now that I¡¯d tested their capabilities I could head over to Lupus and take a look at things myself.

    I swung, covering ground quickly and taking in the view. It was starting to get a lot colder now. I¡¯d have to start working on that winter suit, or just wear regular winter clothes over the costume like I had last year. I dropped off one of the spybots on the roof, and quickly swung away. I came to a stop on a rooftop a few blocks and pulled out my phone. Now I was actually here, this felt kind of shady. Regardless of the outcome, I¡¯d need to be careful not to cross any lines in the future.

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    I started the bot, and the feed of spider #7 appeared on the camera. I directed it, crawling into the vents of the Lupus office, until it found it¡¯s way into the lab. The bot crawled along the ceiling, taking a currently empty lab that looked pretty similar to one of the ones I¡¯d seen at Icarus. It was lunch right now, so the perfect time to sneak around without getting caught. I continued directing the bot, and despite its small size, listened and watched closely to ensure it wouldn¡¯t get caught.

    After at an hour of scurrying about, I¡¯d found nothing. Absolutely nothing. Nothing to do with materials, nothing to do with exo-suits, nothing to do with anything relevant to what I was looking for. Which put me back to square one. I sighed. I¡¯d just have to move the bot to a position I could collect and then head home to work on the Electro stopper. Not that I¡¯d made much progress in the first place.

    I moved the bot back into the vents and started making my way out towards the side of the building when I paused. I could hear echoes. Echoes from below. Of course they had a basement. It was a small building after all, and they¡¯d owned all the other floors. Time to do some more investigating. I directed the bot further down, the sounds growing louder and louder. Suddenly interference cut across the screen, distorting the visuals and audio. Then everything went black. Crap. I tapped the screen several times. Nothing.

    Had it died? No, it shouldn¡¯t have. Maybe I¡¯d messed up some of the circuitry? It didn¡¯t matter, I needed to go grab it. I didn¡¯t want it to get knocked out the vents and land in the perfect place for people to figure out exactly what it did. Plus, I¡¯d worked hard on that, I didn¡¯t want to just lose it.

    I stood, stretching out my legs then leapt off the side of the building. I slipped my phone into my bag and swung landing on the side of Lupus labs building, and quickly slipping into the vent. I climbed through, humming quietly to myself as I thought about my next steps. Oscorp was a lot bigger, but I¡¯d definitely need to start looking into them. Max was targeting the company anyway, so I¡¯d be more likely to know if he attacked. It wasn¡¯t a big bonus but it was something. I stopped and snatched up the bot. Weird. It was still on. Could it not get signal from underground? But I¡¯d been nearly two blocks away before. I pulled out my phone. No signal. I climbed back up, and the signal quickly returned.

    Anti spying equipment wasn¡¯t exactly out of the norm in places like this, but if they had them in the basement, they should¡¯ve had at least some measures in the rest of the lab. I frowned, listening closely to the sound of voices below. I might as well check it out. I climbed all the way down and peered through the gap in one of the vents. My body froze.

    The room was filled with people in large cylindrical containers filled with slightly green liquid. Most of them looked relatively young. A college kid, a girl no older than fifteen, a guy in his mid-twenties, and in the largest vat with multiple tubes connected was a guy I recognised. Lorien. Helena¡¯s younger cousin. I¡¯d been his RA at college. What the hell was he doing here?! I climbed around the vents to get a better view and peered into a different opening. My heart thumped loudly in my chest.

    On the other side of the room was another set of tubes, but inside were people, wearing the green exo-suits with the scorpion tails. The only thing exposed were their faces. They all looked almost exactly like Lorien. Clones. And standing just in front of them, talking  as he pointed back and forth between the clones was Dr Warren. He spoke casually, his voice as dull as ever. A few younger scientists surrounded him, taking notes like they were just in a regular lecture, like they weren¡¯t surrounded by human test subjects.

    I¡¯d found what I was looking for. And I was going to put an end to it. Right now. I burst through the vents and everyone turned to me as I slammed to the floor.

    ¡°DR WARREN!!¡± I shouted, firing webs at the group. They dived to the floor but it was too late, and the webs caught the people closest to me. I leapt towards them, firing more webs as I searched for Dr Warren amongst the small crowd. There was a shout, and then alarms went off. The tubes with the clones exploded as they stepped out, adorned in their exo-suits. A bespectacled scientist pointed at me and screeched.

    ¡°ATTACK!¡±

    The clones didn¡¯t need to be told twice. They bull rushed me, claws extending from their hands and their tails primed for attack. Shit. I dodged as an endless barrage of claws and tails cut through the air. I didn¡¯t know if I could fight back. Didn¡¯t know if the bombs were ready to explode. If they did, they might hurt me, and the people in the cylinders. But every second I stalled the criminals were getting further away. They were probably banking on the fact I wouldn¡¯t risk mutually assured destruction. Still, I needed to do something. I leapt upwards, landing on the ceiling, before leaping towards the vent. I¡¯d lead them outside and up.

    One of the scorpions tails extended out, and I dodged, the telson embedding into the ceiling. It tore through the concrete, sliding towards me and I was forced to leap down. Mistake. Another scorpion clone lunged at me, claws at the ready. I spun through the air, dodging it¡¯s claws, but it kneed me in the chest. I smashed through the ceiling, crashed against something and fell to the ground. Screams filled my ears as I stood up looking around.

    Blood. There was blood everywhere. Lunch was just ending, and the scientists were returning to their labs. The lab that chunks on concrete and debris had flown through. The scorpions leapt through the hole, located me instantly and charged.

    ¡°RUN!¡± I shouted at the scientists leaping away from the exit as I fended off the scorpion clones.

    They didn¡¯t give me time to think. I didn¡¯t have enough time to get away without being stabbed in the back, and but staying to fight them was just making things worse. Their screeches and roars, echoed in my head as I evaded their blows whilst desperately trying to avoid the injured. It was no use. The scorpions fought like rabid animals, decimating the lab despite my attempts to preserve it. In my desperation, one caught me by the leg, and slammed me to the ground. My spider sense roared, and I pulled my leg away, and leapt upwards, but it was too late. The clone exploded sending me smashing through even more floors and shaking the entire building.

    I struggled to my feet, my spider sense buzzing. More people were screaming now. Too many. The group in the basement didn¡¯t care who they killed on the surface. I leapt away, but a piece of debris flew through the air knocking me back to the floor. I forced myself up and looked around. The clones were on top of me again. They came from all sides. Hulking machinations just waiting to explode the second they got close enough. I couldn¡¯t understand it. They were people, they were alive, but they acted like monsters. It¡¯s like their minds were twisted in some kind of sick way. Even if they were trying to kill me, I wanted to save them. But I didn¡¯t know how. I didn¡¯t know the mechanisms to the exo-suits they wore, and I couldn¡¯t possibly disarm the bombs without getting close. Even if I could, disarming a bomb whilst fighting five, maybe even more was impossible. I couldn¡¯t save them. So, I had to at least try and save the rest of the people in the building.

    I leapt up, slamming through the floor above. The scorpions followed, leaping after me. I turned and jumped forwards, smashing through a window and out into the open. I spun as I turned through the air, expecting to see the scorpions following after me. Instead, they stood by the shattered glass staring as I flipped through the air. Huh? There was a bright flash and the windows on the top floor shattered, as heat, glass, dust, smoke and shrapnel were expelled in a huge explosion. Shit! I leapt into action, firing a web and swinging around the building, leaving barricades of web in my wake. I landed on the ground hard and skidded across the pavement my entire body aching. I looked up, watching as the webs strained under the weight of the debris. I leapt around, shepherding frozen onlookers away from the building as I reinforced my webs.

    Quickly I rushed back up to the building. The top floors were decimated, but there were still survivors clinging on to life. I swung through the building, saving them as I cursed my stupidity. This could all have been avoided if I¡¯d thought it through before jumping down to confront Dr Warren. I¡¯d let my personal connection to him get in the way of my usual judgement, and now others were paying the price.

    By the time I¡¯d finished, saving people, ambulances, fire-trucks and police were stationed around the building in serious numbers. I could see George amongst the crowd, waiting outside. He could wait. I leapt back down, swinging into the alley quickly making my way back into the vent. I leapt through with force, denting the vent out of shape until I reached the basement. But it was too late. The room had been cleared out, a few bodies of the scientists I had trapped, crushed by rubble. I clenched my fist in frustration. I¡¯d fucked up. I¡¯d seriously fucked up.

 Interlude Nine - Miles Warren

    That¡¯d been close. Really close. He¡¯d almost lost everything. He still was pretty close to losing his life¡¯s work, but the fear was dissipating now. If Spider-Man knew where they¡¯d gone, then the police would already be searching. But they weren¡¯t. He¡¯d checked the cameras himself. They¡¯d searched the first room, but that was it. Even a chicken wasn¡¯t stupid enough to leave even a speck of dust behind in a situation like this. Of course, they hadn¡¯t found anything. He¡¯d started moving the stuff into the escape passage and straight into the secondary storage in the sewers, whilst Spider-Man had been fighting in the building.

    Spider-Man was on to them. He didn¡¯t know how. He¡¯d made certain there were no flaws in their planning, he was sure of that. It must¡¯ve been dumb luck. Either way, he¡¯d stumbled across their base But they¡¯d managed to save themselves on the verge of defeat. One of the lab techs had been fast enough to release the clones onto Spider-Man and use a spoken command rather than a recorded message. That¡¯d been risky but It¡¯d paid off. Then Jack had come up with the absolutely marvellous idea to activate the exo-suits explosive capabilities. Sure, it had killed a lot of people and Lupus would probably lose all its funding, but it had brought them public opinion and more importantly time. The media outlets were eating it up. They were all calling it the biggest attack yet and framing Lupus Labs like a tragic victim of the laboratory terrorism. The Bugle was even trying to blame Spider-Man, which was quite funny. But even if Spider-Man wasn¡¯t just going to give up. He''d seen them. He¡¯d recognised Miles. Spider-Man had probably gone straight to Captain Stacy right away, or at least discussed things with him. But as long as none of his lab techs screwed up their joint alibi, when the police inevitably came knocking, they wouldn¡¯t be able to prove anything. He¡¯d just have to lay low for a while, let Spider-Man get distracted with other nonsense and then he was home free.

    He¡¯d have to separate from Lupus first of course. But being funded by someone¡­ a little less than reputable was better than embezzling anyway. Miles ran his hand through his hair and glanced behind him. He watched the men they¡¯d requested go to work packing up everything. They were working fast, but he wasn¡¯t sure it was fast enough. The sewer storage was safe, but a bit too close to the labs.

    Still, not everything had gone badly. They¡¯d managed to get a sample of what he assumed to be Spider-Man¡¯s blood. One of the clones had cut him before they¡¯d caved in the ceiling, and one of the lab techs had put as much as they could in a test tube. Spider-Man was like Lorien. No. He was better. Negative energy radiated from his blood. Miles grinned. Just the idea of an army of Spider-Man clones doing his bidding was enough to make him giddy. The first batch were already on the way. They¡¯d done a splice between control two and a regular clone to start with, just to test if it worked. It had, though the sample size hadn¡¯t exactly given them much to work with and control two¡¯s genes had been more prevalent, resulting in female clone. For the rest they¡¯d used control one. He was a closer fit than Lorien. Miles had wanted to use him, though he wasn¡¯t enough of an expert on negative energy to understand how the clone¡¯s growth would be affected by copious amounts of the stuff. Jack had told him it wouldn¡¯t be good, and he trusted Jack enough. Regardless, he¡¯d noticed the face the clones bore elicited a striking sense of familiarity. He knew he¡¯d seen someone like this before, but he couldn¡¯t quite recall who. Probably one of his many students. Spider-Man had recognised him after all.

    Not that it mattered. He had more important matters to deal with than the identity of some spandex wearing vigilante. Miles grinned, looking to some of the other tubes. The rest were growing into their exo-suits already. They¡¯d be the last to move. He clapped his hands together giddy and turned to Lorien. He pressed his hand against the cool glass.

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    ¡°I guess we won¡¯t have to work you so hard now¡± he said laughing.

    The laughter quickly faded, his face growing serious. He was close. So very close. He could feel it. A few more tests and he¡¯d be able to reverse engineer everything. Sure, the bombings of other labs, late night intimidations, and all that extra stuff had made his life easier ¨C and he¡¯d no doubt continue ¨C but he could never forget the main purpose of this whole thing.

    Helena.

    She¡¯d been perfect. Bright, beautiful, inquisitive. Everything he¡¯d desired. Then it¡¯d all been ruined when she¡¯d been crippled and left with permanent brain damage after getting half her body crushed during Spider-Man¡¯s fight with that slime monster. She¡¯d been ruined. He shook his head, kissing his teeth. The world had been stripped of a real specimen that day. Horrible stuff. Thankfully Lorien had survived- well, not just survived. He¡¯d probably been near the BRC explosion, and it had changed him. He''s cells were just, better. But he¡¯d been in pain. Physically and emotionally. Whatever had changed him was killing him from the inside out, and his cousin and sole guardian was in need of care he couldn¡¯t even hope to afford without selling a kidney. Once Miles had realised what had happened to him, it had been easy to coax Lorien back to the lab to,¡± help¡±. The first version of the exo-suit they¡¯d made had stabilised and trapped him. That had been a glorious day. Then he¡¯d started testing. Miles grinned. It was great to have a powerful army at your finger tips you could literally grow at a moment¡¯s notice. He¡¯d gotten rid of quite a few people he¡¯d disliked with the bombs. But he had never forgotten the true purpose, even when the clones and other tech had come along the way. Two years. Two long years. He couldn¡¯t let Spider-Man ruin everything. He was essentially one step away to use Lorien¡¯s DNA to reconstruct Helena¡¯s.

    He¡¯d be able to have her back. The unsullied version. He could even make a few tweaks to make her ideal. He couldn¡¯t let Spider-Man ruin that.

    ¡°Dr Warren?¡± a familiar voice said. Dr Warren turned around. Jack, his prot¨¦g¨¦, and another young scientist whose name currently evaded him stood in front of him, waiting expectantly.

    ¡°What do you want Jack?¡± he said curtly.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking at the numbers and I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to uphold our end of the deal with the Kingpin¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need to¡± he responded, rolling his eyes.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Kingpin¡¯s a nobody. He was just a useful tool to get the exo suits and equipment we wanted in return for the odd piece of info about cloning or clone¡±

    ¡°Dr with all due respect, I know you don¡¯t exactly like Kingpin, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to-¡±

    He tuned out from Jack¡¯s babble, turning his attention to the workers. He watched closely, a frown seeping into his face. His mask of calm vanished and he rushed forwards, shouting obscenities.

    ¡°You blithering imbeciles! What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± he shouted. Two workmen handling one of the cloning tubes stared at him confused. ¡°These machines require the utmost precision to work effectively. The specimen you currently hold is one of the better clones we¡¯ve been trying to replicate. Handle it with care¡± he said, his voice constricted by rage.

    ¡°S-sorry¡± one of them mumbled.

    ¡°Damn right you should be sorry. What the hell am I paying you for?¡± he said. They stared at him for a few more seconds, before he waved his hand, gesturing for them to move along. Jack walked over to him, visibly frustrated.

    ¡°Dr W-¡°

    ¡°I¡¯m busy Jack. Just leave the Kingpin stuff alone¡± he said curtly to him. He looked around the rest of the room.

    ¡°Alright everyone! We¡¯ll have everything packed soon, and then we¡¯ll ship it to the warehouse incrementally. I¡¯d like everyone here by tomorrow at twelve sharp so we can make sure everything¡¯s accounted for. You¡¯re dismissed¡±

 Extended Family - Chapter Fourteen

    The stuff from yesterday was all over the news. I¡¯d thought the bombings weren¡¯t getting enough media attention before, and now they were getting too much. But it was too late. Thirty-six people had died. More than the combined total of all the other attacks combined. I shook my head. The images of the chaos were burned into my mind.

    It was a miracle only thirty-six people had died.

    And despite all of that, the reports were all missing the worst thing. Nobody had mentioned anything about the basement. I¡¯d told George about it, told him to look into Dr Warren and the lab records, just to see if he could find anything. But as of yet, I hadn¡¯t gotten word of anything substantial back. And nothing about it was on the news. Instead, they were trying to frame it like the other attacks, make Lupus out to be complete and total victims of this senseless spree of violence. Those in the higher floors were, but there wasn¡¯t even the mention of Dr Warren¡¯s name or anything about human experimentation. It was frustrating. I¡¯d seen it, I¡¯d seen his twisted experiments with my own eyes and I couldn¡¯t do anything. I''d thought George would do something at least, get word out, announce to the public that an investigation into things had begun. I just- I''d thought my word had meant more.

    I sighed. I¡¯d searched afterwards too. Looked around in the neighbouring buildings, even checked parts of the sewer; but I hadn¡¯t found anything.

    ¡°Ow¡± I said, wincing as I burned my finger with the soldering iron, again. I really needed to pay attention to what I was doing. And wear gloves. My powers made me extra durable, not invincible. I webbed my gloves over to me, along with my burner phone, snatching them deftly out the air. Frowning I set the phone down. I hadn''t gotten any calls today. Even on a good day, I''d at least have ten. It¡¯d been busy yesterday. I shrugged. My sixteen hour long patrol yesterday had probably solved a lot of people''s problems. None of my own though. My regular phone had been obliterated in the fight yesterday, along with my bag and two of the bots. The bots had hurt, but my phone had hurt more. I¡¯d lost everything, including Liz¡¯s voicemail. That''d stung. Now I''d look rude if I just showed up and I had no idea what she''d said. What if it had been something really important? What if she''d broken up with me? I sighed. I was just making excuses again. I really needed to talk to her. I¡¯d meant too yesterday but I¡¯d gotten too caught up helping people around the city. There was just so much to do. In my personal life as well. I needed to try sort out stuff for MJ¡¯s birthday as well. And give Aunt May and Grandpa a call. And ask Harry just how badly I¡¯d pissed off his dad. On top of buying a new phone, and visiting Mum, Dad, Uncle Ben and Gwen. Where would I get the time? I hung my head. There really was so much to do. I¡¯d get it done eventually. But first, I needed to get back to work.

    Now that the bots were done and I¡¯d left them all around town to keep an eye on things, I was finishing up with my Electro countermeasure- if you could even call it that. I¡¯d used one of the prototypes for the collar I¡¯d used against Flint more than -wow- more than two years ago now. It was basically just a big battery that should siphon away excess electricity and stop Max from being able to do whatever it was he did. It was probably a bust, but I needed something to give myself confidence if he came up again. Really, the guy was in a league of his own when it came to villains I''d fought against.

    My phone buzzed and I glanced at it. Oh shit. The bots were picking something up.

    I clicked on the alert, and the phone opened, showing me the bots feed as it looked over a street. It was in Brooklyn. It¡¯d spotted one of the Prowlers. I stood up quickly, fumbling as I looked around for my suit. I webbed it over to me and began changing as I tried to make sense of the situation. What was the Prowler doing slinking around in the middle of the day? Either one of the two was trying something new, or there was something big going down. My money was on the latter. I pulled my mask on and leapt out my window, firing a web into the distance as I swung away.

    My phone buzzed again as I swung around. I looked at it, clicking on the notification. Another Prowler. They were within 200ft of each other. It looked like they were both watching the streets, looking for someone. No they were looking at the cars. They must be trying to rob cargo. What cargo though? I¡¯d probably know if something big was being shipped legally, so it was something illegal. It was still weird though. It wasn¡¯t like Prowler to operate during the day. He¡¯d find a way to try and take this thing at night, even if it was harder. Maybe they¡¯d messed up, intended to do something last night and gotten cold feet because I¡¯d been working like a madman? Maybe. Actually I had seen Prowler during the day. It was once. An instance involving a diamond that was about to get shipped to France during the evening. He''d really wanted that one.

    But still, they wouldn¡¯t scout out like this. It just wasn¡¯t the Prowler¡¯s thing. Hmm... maybe they were here on short notice? That¡¯d make more sense. But why? The Prowler wasn¡¯t like that Shocker guy I¡¯d read about. He wasn¡¯t for hire. He worked for himself. Maybe the new one had convinced the olde one to do this?

    My phone buzzed again, and I looked down. Third notification from a spy bot. I clicked on it and felt time slow. Dr Warren. One of the bots had spotted him in the passenger seat off an SUV, tailed by two large white vans. He was in Brooklyn and steadily nearing closer to location of the Prowlers. Oh shit. The Prowlers must¡¯ve known about the cloning tech. They were probably planning to rob Lupus before it went up in flames and now they were targeting a convoy that no doubt had all the equipment from the basement inside. Actually they were probably just there to keep track of where they were moving stuff to. This was perfect. If I timed this right, I could take out two birds with one stone. Take out the Prowlers and catch Dr Warren with all the prisoners he probably had in the back of the trunk.

    Speeding up, I made my way towards Manhattan Bridge. I needed a plan of attack. Damaging the vehicles was a no go given what was inside them, but that might be difficult if I got into a fight with the Prowler¡¯s heat bombs. Actually, they probably didn¡¯t want to damage the stuff inside either. Still the idea of fighting in the middle of Downtown Brooklyn didn¡¯t exactly bode well with civilian safety. I shook my head. It wasn¡¯t rush hour so it should be fine. I always took care anyway. I couldn¡¯t miss a chance like this to finally get something done. I needed to focus.

    I swung in long, sweeping arcs, my gaze focused on the city as I crossed over the East River. The wind whipped past me, a rumbling in my ears, accompanied by the sounds of traffic in the background. My thoughts stilled, my entire being focused on swinging. I reached Downtown Brooklyn, swinging between the buildings as I searched, looking out at the cars below. I spotted the rooftop one of the Prowlers had been on and slowed to a stop. I needed to be careful now. Didn¡¯t want to lose the element of surprise.

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    I crawled quickly along the face of the wall and sprinted across a roof keeping low. Peering over the lip of the buildings edge, I scanned the rooftops as I looked around. There. One of the Prowlers, looked down at the street, waiting carefully. Did I attack him now? It was a decent distance, but not something I couldn¡¯t manage. There probably wouldn¡¯t get a better chance, plus I might draw in the other Prowler whilst my bots kept an eye on Dr Warren¡¯s troupe.

    I let out a breath, then fired out webs, pulled back, and slingshot myself across the street. I flew through the air and fired webs at the Prowler as I did. At the last second, he spun around and the pellets of web slammed into his visor, before I two-footed him in the chest. We hit the ground, rolling, but I recovered quicker. Leaping up, I webbed his arm to the floor, and grabbed his other one before he could even move. I twisted it behind his back as he struggled against me, then webbed his feet to the floor. He struggled uselessly as I grabbed the power pack on his back and ripped it out. The suit¡¯s synthetic muscles were instantly weakened and the Prowler became limp. I webbed him some more for extra measure, as I looked around nervously, waiting to see if the other Prowler came. Nothing. That''d been kind of easy. I guess there was a reason the Prowler didn''t really work during the day. I glanced back at him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move¡± I said. I pulled out my phone and called the police.

    ¡°Hi this is emergency services, how may I be of assistance?¡± the responder said.

    ¡°This is Spider-Man. I¡¯ve got one of the Prowler¡¯s on a rooftop in downtown Brooklyn, with another one nearby. Also, there¡¯s some illegal cargo being shipped close by. You¡¯ll want to send a lot of guys for that stuff¡± I said.

    ¡°Alright, people are on their way¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡±

    I cut the call, and with a sparing glance at the Prowler behind me, made my way over towards the edge of the building. There. Dr Warren¡¯s cars were driving down the street. I¡¯d gotten here just in time. Suddenly a parked vehicle swerved out into the road, cutting off the SUV. The SUV veered wildly as people cried out in the streets and horns blared. The SUV and the vans behind it came to a stop and the sound of tyres screeches echoed from all around. More cars were coming. What the hell was going on? Who else knew about and wanted this cloning stuff? Before I could leap into action, my Spider sense blared and I dodged as a claw swept through the air. I spun around, dodging another attack to see the second Prowler behind me, attacking with a wild confidence. How the hell had he gotten so close to me without me noticing? I continued dodging his attacks, before dropping to the floor and kicking his legs out from under him. He fell, but caught himself on the ground with one hand, and spun around acrobatically kicking me in the face. I skidded back across the rooftop and dodged another blow when the sound of gunfire echoed in the streets.

    I felt my blood run cold. But I didn¡¯t have a chance to look back, the second Prowler was already on top of me again. I dodged his slashes repeatedly, but now, my attention was more focused on the gunfire. I spared glances into the street, hearing people scream and shout as I watched them run from the blockade of cars surrounding the SUV and it¡¯s vans.

    I needed to get down there. I needed to get down there now. I focused back on Prowler two, and instead of dodging away, slipped his punch. Stepping inside swiftly caught him off guard and he stumbled, trying to shift his weight. Too late. I cracked him across the jaw, shattering his visor. He slumped to the floor and didn¡¯t get back up. I webbed him to the ground then turned, leaping into the street, swinging towards the commotion. A group of gunmen in black suits surrounded the SUV¡¯s and vans. Scientists who¡¯d tried to run lay dead in the street, and one gunman dragged a wounded Dr Warren across the asphalt. One of them noticed me, and pointed, shouting something in Russian. The others turned, and instantly open fired on me. I stayed high, using my spider sense to navigate a safe path through the air towards a different rooftop. I landed awkwardly and rolled. That''d been close. The gunfire stopped and I heard the sound of more shouts, followed by engines revving. I peeked my head over the edge of the building and I ducked back quickly as bullets whizzed past. There were too many of them. At least thirty. I couldn¡¯t deal with that many at once. Dammit. What the hell were the remnants of the Bears doing here? Were they working with the Prowlers, or had they both gotten word of this on their own. It didn¡¯t matter, I needed to do something, and fast. I pulled a web fluid pellet off my waist, then as quickly as I could, threw it towards the street below. There was a burst of gunfire and a bullet grazed my forearm, but it stopped quickly, followed by shouts of Russian. I glanced over the edge. Strands of web had shot out all over the place, covering the gunmen on this side of the road. Now was my chance. I dived down, and landed in the street, making quick work of the gunmen who weren¡¯t trapped.

    The squeal of tires echoed loudly behind me, and I spun to see one of the vans take off. I fired webs at it, but my spider sense buzzed, and I leapt between two cars as gunfire cut through the air. The gunfire followed me, peppering holes through the car I was behind. I leapt away, crashing through a building window, before scrambling for cover. Ow. Someone had gotten me across the back of my heel. My Achilles was shot. Literally.

    I shook my head. This wasn¡¯t the time for dumb puns. I webbed the wound closed and focused on my surroundings. I could hear the sounds of crying and harsh whispering in other parts of this building. I needed to get out of here in case someone got caught in the crossfire. I peeked up and a burst of gunfire cut through the store. I shot down and leapt to different cover. Shit. The gunmen were focused solely on me now. They¡¯d killed all the scientists, and there weren¡¯t any police here yet. Dammit. I guess they really didn¡¯t want anyone else knowing how to do this. I shook my head. I needed to focus. One van had gotten away, but there was still one left. I needed to get out there and save the people inside.

    I looked around realising I''d jumped into some kind of restaurant. There were huge tables everywhere. I webbed one to me and threw it out into the street. I heard gunfire followed by a cry of pain. Now was my chance. Leaping up, I sensed outwards. I fired webs quickly, yanking two guns away from gunmen and whipped them around slamming them into those that hadn¡¯t been taken out by the table. I leapt forwards, grabbing another table and threw it at the remaining gunmen as I emerged from the restaurant. The SUV was still here, but the other van had started getting away. I leapt through the air  and landed on it''s roof. I fired webs onto the back tires. They stopped, screeching loudly, and the car slowed to a stop. The guy in the front shouted loudly, before stepping out and making a break for it. I webbed him to the floor. I heard curses from inside the car. English cursing. From a familiar voice. Dr Warren was still alive. I crawled forward and smashed my fist through the windscreen, shattering it completely and grabbing the person inside. I yanked Dr Warren as he cried out and brought him to my eye level.

    ¡°You bastard! You¡¯ve ruined everything! You imbecile! You-¡±

    With a swift slap, I knocked him out and dropped him, letting his body slump onto the van¡¯s roof. I jumped down, circled the car and threw open the backdoors. All the people were there, sat in their tubes, except Lorien. Dammit. I needed to find the other vehicle.

    I turned around and leapt into the air, swinging away. It couldn¡¯t have gotten far at all. I focused intently, becoming more aware of everything. The sound of sirens echoed through the streets, followed by a rare but familiar sound. I glanced up, spotting an MDA chopper in the distance, zipping over from the Hortz-Bruig. They¡¯d brought out the big guns, just for this? But nobody here was even metahuman? I didn¡¯t understand it, any of it. Nothing about this made any sense. Something big was going on behind the scenes and I was out of the loop.

 Extended Family - Chapter Fifteen

    I couldn¡¯t find the van. Somehow, in between it driving off and me wrenching Dr Warren from a van, it¡¯d vanished. I couldn¡¯t find a single trace of it. Not any tires marks it¡¯d left behind, not any road incidents had caused, I hadn¡¯t even found civilians who¡¯d seen a speeding white van. It was bizarre. Nearly three hours of searching and I hadn¡¯t found anything. Either the hideout location must¡¯ve been close - and I couldn¡¯t find it - or they really had just disappeared. Maybe some meta with teleportation powers was after the cloning stuff too. At this point it didn¡¯t matter how they¡¯d gotten away. They had and I couldn¡¯t find them. Lorien was gone and now the Bears had a ton of cloning equipment. Were they going to try making clones out of Mr Ice? Jeez... I didn¡¯t want to even think about that.

    I swung slowly, coming to a stop on a rooftop, and hobbled a bit before falling onto the floor, breathing heavily. I was tired. Really tired. And my foot was starting to ache a lot more now the adrenaline had worn off. It wasn¡¯t fun. I sat up and peered over the edge of the building looking down. Police trucks and ambulances lined the street, with tape cordoning of a large section of the road. It wasn¡¯t pretty. The street was covered in tarps, each spot a scientist or civilian that had been killed. Injured of the attacked, mostly from the restaurant were being treated by on the scene paramedics, whilst ambulances picked up those in more critical condition.

    I looked further down the road. Dr Warren and all the Bears members I¡¯d fought had been arrested. They¡¯d probably taken him in for questioning. Hopefully get him to confess to whatever sick and twisted things he¡¯d done to those people whilst trying to clone them. I looked further down the street, up at the rooftop with the MDA soldiers. A few watched the scene below coldly and calmly, in their Might issued armour making no moves. Others circled around a box they¡¯d deployed on the Prowlers. Why was it taking them so long to get them back. Probably trying to find ways to get the armour off of them. Well, it was out of my hands now. Hopefully, once they finished whatever they were doing, they got them back to the Hortz-Bruig today. That¡¯d be a relief. Still, I couldn¡¯t put my finger on why they¡¯d come. I¡¯m pretty sure the Prowlers weren¡¯t classed as Meta¡¯s even if they had grade A tech. Or maybe they were. But why had they brought out some many officers? What was I missing?

    I had no way to know. Maybe it might be a good idea to have a spybot follow the MDA back home. Or maybe not. That¡¯d look really bad if I got found out. I turned back to the street, looking at the aftermath. I turned away feeling sick.

    ¡°You did good today¡± I mumbled to myself.

    Even as I said it, I could tell I didn¡¯t believe the words. I¡¯d captured the Prowlers, the guy behind the lab bombings and I¡¯d taken out most of what was left of the Bears. But things still felt incomplete. Lorien was still missing, and I felt like I was missing something big that everyone else seemed to be aware of. But worst of all, people had died. People had been killed when I¡¯d been in that restaurant. Because I hadn¡¯t been focused enough. I¡¯d told myself to be careful, to focus. But during the fight I¡¯d made stupid puns in my head and not thought of the people around me. I¡¯d been too focused on saving Lorien and I¡¯d leapt into battle without a plan. I clenched my fist tightly. Dammit.

    I tried to stand up, but a wave of pain shot through my heel and I slumped back to the floor.

    ¡°Ow¡± I mumbled.

    I needed to stop focusing on what was happening around me and start focusing on myself. The bullet through my heal had done more damage than I¡¯d liked to admit. Probably one of my worst injuries. Dammit I should¡¯ve gone straight home after the first half hour of searching. Needed to head over to the hospital or treat it myself before it got infected. I stood up again slowly this time, and hobbled over to the edge of the building, before swinging away.

    I swung steadily, taking my time as I made my way through downtown Brooklyn. I checked my phone. People had called while I¡¯d been searching. A few had left voicemails. I started listening from the first one.

    ¡°You are listening to voicemail 1 -beep- Hey Spider-Man uh I¡¯m not sure if this is a big enough thing, but someone just stole my wallet. I¡¯m by Times Square, near the McDonalds if you could come quick¡± the message ended. How the hell was I supposed to help that guy? No description or anything. Probably happened hours ago as well. I shook my head and listened to the next one.

    ¡°You are listening to voicemail 2 -beep- I¡¯ll get you! You fucking bastard! You ruined my fucking life! You fuck! You fucking f-¡° the message ended and I just stared at my phone confused. What was that about? I didn¡¯t recognise the voice at all. It wasn¡¯t rare that I got angry calls, but the vehemence in that voice had been chilling. I shuddered, the pressed the phone to my ear again.

    ¡°-stening to voicemail 3 -beep- I¡¯m here you fuck. I¡¯m waiting for you Peter. 38 Lexington Avenue¡± I froze. It was the same voice from before. Whoever had called knew who I was. I stopped the voicemails and looked at the number. I didn¡¯t recognise it and I definitely didn¡¯t have time to search it. They were at my base. I couldn¡¯t believe it. Who the hell were they?! What did I do? Did II go face them? Of course I had to. How did they even know where my base was. Fuck. Fuck! If they knew who I was they could find everyone else in my life. Grady, Bella, Sajani, MJ, Grandpa Will., Aunt May, Harry, Liz. Maybe even Lucas. Everyone. They were all in danger. Shit. Shit this couldn¡¯t be happening. This couldn¡¯t be happening. Not now. Not like this.

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    I swung fast, gripping my webs tightly as I hurtled through the air towards my base. What had I left there? It didn¡¯t matter did it? If they knew who I was, they knew where I lived. They could take the stuff at my house too. I swung even faster, feeling my heart thump wildly in my chest. I was struggling to breathe. I was injured, badly, exhausted, and now I had to fight someone who knew who I was in what was most definitely a trap. Unless they were drawing me away from here to try and get at my loved ones. Shit. But I couldn¡¯t not go, if they were there, they could be destroying all my stuff. All my costumes, and spare equipment. I pulled the phone up as I swung over Brooklyn bridge. The voicemail had come¡­ forty minutes ago. Shit.

    I¡¯d left them waiting. That was dangerous. They¡¯d sounded angry. No more than angry. Who knew what they could do if I¡¯d let them fester in hatred for that long. I phoned the number, my heart thumping even harder. Wind roared in my ears but I was focused solely on the dial tone. Finally the call picked up.

    ¡°Hello!?¡± I shouted, over the noise of the city.

    ¡°You finally picked up dammit. I shouldn¡¯t be surprised, your always late to everything aren¡¯t you?¡± the voice said. My blood ran cold at the wildly specific detail about my personal life. This person had been watching me. They had to have been.

    ¡°Who the hell are you?! What do you want?!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°I want to tear you limb from limb and fix this mess!¡± they shouted, the anger returning to their voice. ¡°I¡¯m going to fucking kill you, and then I¡¯ll be able to fix everything¡±

    I heard the sounds of something crashing in the background. Metal against concrete and the familiar crumbling of walls.

    ¡°Just- who the hell are you!?¡± I shouted.

    ¡°I- You really are an idiot¡±

    The call went dead. Shit. Fuck. I sped up, my entire body tense now. This person was insane. They were insane and they knew who I was, they knew more than who I was, they knew about my personal life. It sounded like they knew me.

    My base came into view, the mostly abandoned building clearly visible. To average passer-by it looked normal but one of the windows was broken. The window that lead directly into the room with all my equipment. I swung, quickly and landed just outside, listening closely. Before I could even hear anything, my spider-sense buzzed. The wall I stood on shattered into pieces as something flew through the side of the building. I cried out, dodging the debris as I spiralled downwards to the ground. Despite the situation my instincts kicked in, and I spun around, firing webs to catch the falling debris. My spider sense buzzed again and I spun trying to dodge, but was slammed by an elbow.

    The blow carried jaw shattering power and was enough to crack my cheek bone and send me crashing through several pieces of debris. My spider sense roared again and I fired a web, swinging away from the danger. As I swung, blinking the stars out of my eyes, something latched onto my chest. In an instant I recognised the feeling. Web. It was web. I was yanked through the cloud of debris and came face to face with someone wearing my costume. They slammed into me and we crashed back into a building, slamming through a wall. We crashed to the floor. Who the hell hated me but was willing to wear my costume? Was it Lucas? No, that didn¡¯t make sense. It wasn¡¯t his voice and he wouldn¡¯t do something like this. My assailant reached for my throat but I swung, knocking them back. They fell backwards and I leapt up. Before I could do anything my feet were swept out from under me and I crashed to the floor. The assailant was on top of me again, laughing this time. He wrapped his hands around my throat as they slammed me against the concrete again and again and again. My vision started to blur around the edges as I gasped for air, gripping my attackers wrists tightly. They wouldn¡¯t budge, all their intent focused on killing me.

    ¡°What the hell?! Just die already!!¡± he shouted. Crap. I couldn¡¯t break free. They were just as strong if not stronger and soon they¡¯d crush my windpipe. Shit. Shit. I needed to do something. I sensed out and fired a web at some of the debris we¡¯d created before yanking it back towards us full force. He dodged, but his grip loosened. I uppercut him and he flew through the ceiling before crashing back down to the floor.

    ¡°What do you want you fuck!!!?¡± I shouted, grabbing him and slamming him into a wall. He struggled against me, but the hit had clearly taken a lot out of him. He gurgled something and I leaned in. He headbutted me and I stumbled backwards. I dodged as he leapt at me, then spun and reached out grabbing him by the head. He pulled away, the mask and tufts of his hair staying stuck to my hand.

    I looked up at my attacker and froze as he stumbled, then fell to one knee. He bore an uncanny resemblance to me. A clone. He was a clone of me. Now I knew how he knew me. He must¡¯ve had my memories. The realisation brought forward a mixture of intense emotions, anger, sadness, fear, worry, all buffeted by confusion as I watched him stumble around. He tried to say something, but his coughed blood from his shattered jaw. He fell to his knees, breathing heavily.

    ¡°A-are you okay?¡± I said.

    ¡°Shut the fuck up¡± he said breathlessly.

    I rushed over as he threw up on, a mixture of blood and vomit. He shoved me back, but it was weak, all the strength gone from his body.

    ¡°God I really fucking hate you¡± he mumbled. He looked at me, his eyes filled with a profound anger, whilst his face bore a twisted smile.

    ¡°Think they must¡¯ve used plastic to make my bones. I¡¯m nowhere near as durable¡± he said. Then he slumped to the ground silent. I stared at him for a second, enveloped by a sense of surrealism. Silence. Silence all throughout the building.

    ¡°Hey?¡± I said, making my way over to him. I pulled my mask off as I looked down at him, unmoving. I took a shaky breath then placed a hand on his neck. No heartbeat. He was gone. I kneeled next to him, unsure of what to do. He¡¯d wanted to kill me. Tried to. I couldn¡¯t understand why, couldn¡¯t make sense of it. Did I hate myself that much, or was his mind a twisted mess of memories? Right now, that didn''t matter. Looking at my own face, devoid of life, made me inexplicably sad. I didn¡¯t know what to do. So I sat there for a few moments, then softly, I closed his eyes.

 Extended Family - Chapter Sixteen

    I sat in what was left of my hideout, the body of my clone lying on the table. I didn¡¯t know what to do with him. When had they even made clones of me? In the day they¡¯d been hiding out? Dammit. I glanced at him again. I couldn¡¯t just leave him here, but I couldn¡¯t just bury him. Could I? And if I could where? With Mom, Dad and Uncle Ben? How would I explain that to Aunt May or to Grandpa Will? I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ I couldn¡¯t¡­ dammit. Goddammit. I looked at the body. Would there even be a funeral if I told them? How could we have a funeral for someone who was technically still alive? I looked away from the body, wincing as I felt at the bruises around my neck.

    First, I needed to get him a change of clothes. I couldn¡¯t carry him around dead, still wearing the costume. I stood up, when suddenly something in the room blared to life, scaring me shitless. I spun around and spotted the receiver, still intact as a report came from.

    ¡°Calling units to W 46. We¡¯ve got eyes on another one of the green robots. It¡¯s heading east¡± the officer said. A response came but I couldn¡¯t hear it through the sound of my own heavy breaths. The bears were letting clones loose. Shit. Shit. I hadn¡¯t realised they¡¯d had more, Of course they¡¯d had more. I needed to go and help. I looked back at the body on the table. That¡¯s how he¡¯d gotten here. Had they sent him here on purpose, or had he escaped. Shit. If the clones were just escaping that made things worse. I stood up, and pulled on my mask, my neck and heel throbbing. It didn¡¯t matter. I needed to go help. I pulled a tarp over the body, then refilled my web-fluid cannisters and leapt from the building.

    I swung high above the streets of New York, the city as alive as ever. The winter sun shone above me, dipping in and out of clouds. The sounds of the city rang out, reverberating high into the sky to form a symphony. But I was focused on only one thing. The sirens. They were everywhere. The officer had mentioned that they¡¯d spotted another one of the ¡°robots¡±. How many had the bears released? 5? 10? 20? 40? I didn¡¯t know. An army of killer clones running around in ticking time bombs for suits. And they were spread all about the place. I couldn¡¯t see anyway smoke anywhere, so none of them had blown up yet. They¡¯d only just been freed.

    But something else was bugging me about this. Why now? Why not immediately after they¡¯d gotten away? The question all but confirmed my suspicions. The clones had probably escaped. That could be a good thing. If this was planned then the Bears might be hiding in wait, preparing to strike to cause the most anarchy. If it wasn¡¯t it meant they might not have even activated whatever bombs were in the suits. Still, it was better to be prepared for the worst. I¡¯d fight the clones like they were prepared to explode at any moment and as though the Bears were ready to pounce on me at a moment¡¯s notice.

    A flash of green caught my attention. A clone. Their suit was missing parts, and they were still drenched in the green liquid, but they climbed the side of a building steadily, leaving a trail of blood in their wake. I shifted myself, carrying my momentum as I turned, before shooting forwards towards them.

    I fired a web into their back as I passed overhead, and wrenched them from the wall, throwing them to the sky. The clone howled, crying out curses before I fired bursts of web at them, trapping them in a cocoon, as they soared upwards. My heart thudded wildly in my chest as I watched, waiting. Then they exploded in a flash of orange. I turned away, feeling the heat on my back. Dammit. Dammit. I should¡¯ve tried to at least save him. I was holding out hope that somehow they could be rescued. I cursed, and then leaped from the building, swinging away. I¡¯d have to do this again. I could feel it. If there were too many for me to handle, then I¡¯d have to force them away from people and let them explode. I didn¡¯t really have much of a choice.

    Wait, I theses clones of Lorien were like mine, then they had his memories too didn¡¯t they? The realisation hit me like a sack of bricks, and I felt my body sag under its weight. I¡¯d just murdered two people. And I¡¯d have to do it again. They were clones, twisted renditions, false copies of real people. But they were people too. Right before the clone of me had died, he¡¯d made a joke. He¡¯d been scared. The knowledge made my heart ache and I felt tears well up in my eyes.

    Shit. Shit.

    There had to be a different way. Had to. And if there wasn¡¯t, I had to find a way. I¡¯d have to figure out how to disable the bombs. I could do it. I could do it, and still save everyone. Both were possible. Spider-Man always does both.

    I clutched my web tighter with a new determination and swung through the streets, following the sounds of sirens. As I neared central park, I spotted another clone. His suit was missing the tail, but it was covered in blood as he massacred officers, and people ran. Too many people lay dead in the streets, cut down by his claws. I shot downwards, firing a web and pulling him up behind me. He roared and slammed into me as we tumbled through the air.

    ¡°Lorien! Lorien! I can help you! Calm down! I can fix this!¡± I shouted. He roared back, and clawed at my chest, grazing my left side. I spun, dodging and let him go. He fell through the air before crashing into a wall. With an incredible speed, he slowed himself then turned and leapt back up at me. I tried to pull myself out the way with a web, but he slammed into me and we flew upwards, crashing through glass and landing in a building. People around us screamed as they ran, as Lorien pressed me against the floor.

    ¡°Stop!¡± I shouted, straining as he pushed me downwards. He continued pushing me towards the floor, his claws inching closer and closer to my chest. If I hit him he¡¯d explode. Then people in this building would die. But if I did nothing, people everywhere else would be killed by the clones and he¡¯d kill me. It was a lose-lose. But I still had a decision.

    ¡°Lorien! Lorien goddammit! Stop!¡± I shouted. He ignored me again, and the tip of his claw sunk into my chest. I cried out and kicked him backwards. He flew and crashed through the window, flying out into open air. A wave of heat and glass rolled over me, blowing me backwards as he exploded mid-air.

    I scrambled upwards quickly and swung out to look at the damage. The explosion had been high enough that no one had been caught in the direct blast, but buildings, cars and people had been damaged by the shockwave. People everywhere screamed. Shit. I could¡¯ve avoided this. I prepared to swing back into the building to rescue people when an officer below me shouted. I couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying over the noise, but they pointed further into the city. I swung down landing next to the officer.

    ¡°Further down that way Spider-Man. There¡¯s more. Too many¡± the officer coughed. I glanced back my surroundings.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got this. Go!¡± the officer shouted. I took to the sky again, ignoring the cries of fear and anguish behind me as I swung, searching the streets.

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    An explosion shook the air and I turned to look at a plume of black smoke rose from somewhere inside Central Park, accompanied by distant screams. Shit. Shit.

    I carried on swinging, when I spotted another clone, desperately leaping from building to building in full armour. I swung down towards them, uncertain over what to do. Did I send them to the sky and let them explode, or did I risk everyone¡¯s lives? I knew what the right choice was, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it. I had to try. If only one more time, I had to try.

    I swung down and reached to grab the clone, but he swerved out the way and continued leaping away faster. I landed and fired webs at his back. He dodged them effortlessly and continued forward undisturbed. I leapt back into the air and swung after him, watching as the clone moved. He moved differently, his steps more practiced, more fluid. It wasn¡¯t Lorien. It was me. They¡¯d made more than one clone of me.

    I fired another web, but he dodged again, and leapt onto a building face, digging his claws into the side as he climbed around. I followed, confused. Why wasn¡¯t he trying to kill me? Why was he just running? Wait, where were we going? I curved round the corner, spotting him as he climbed upwards, looking off to the left. I followed his line of sight and felt my stomach sink. Lucas¡¯ school. He was heading towards Lucas¡¯ school. I swung towards him and he turned to face me, his tail snaking through the air. I dodged as he dived towards me, and I grabbed him, ripping him away from the building. He roared and clawed at me, his strength magnified by the suit. I spun trying to dodge the blow but he caught my shoulder and slammed me into the wall. My body went limp and he tried to leap away, but I grabbed him and held him tightly.

    ¡°Let go!¡± he shouted his voice muffled through the mask. It sounded like the other me. Did I really sound like that?

    ¡°Just stop, you fuck!¡± I said, panting as I wrestled his leg. His telson shot towards me but I dodged it and grabbed it, holding his leg and tail tightly as he gripped on the wall trying to pull away.

    ¡°Just let me kill him!!¡± he roared.

    ¡°Kill him? Lucas?!¡± I said in surprise. Why would I want to kill Lucas? He took advantage of my confusion, leaping forwards and smashing into me. We smashed into the side of the wall and spun through the air, trading blows. I was faster, more agile, but with the suit, he was stronger. With a powerful blow, he punched me through the corner of a building, and I flailed through the air managing to fire a web and slow my fall. But it was too late. I hit the ground, an instant an fiery pain burning through my back. I rolled over clutching it tightly as I gasped. I groaned, my body crying out at me. But I ignored the pain, forcing it out of my mind and standing up.

    I looked up, and my spider sense buzzed just in time for me to dive out the way. The clone and a bunch of debris crashed to the ground, with a sinking thud. He hadn¡¯t caught himself in time, and he didn¡¯t have any webs to slow himself. I felt my panic rise, as I landed on the ground. He going to explode. I spun as I landed and fired webs, latching onto what was left of his costume. I threw him upwards and away from the buildings, just as there was a flash of light. This time, I felt no heat. Instead, the light fizzled out quickly, with a small pop. The bomb had been damaged by the fall. Thank god. I breathed heavily as I clutched the ground, steadying myself. My thoughts were ablaze. Why had he wanted to attack Lucas? It didn¡¯t make sense. The first of my clones had attacked me, and the second had been gunning for Lucas.

    I struggled to stand, glancing up at the building above. There was only minor damage to the side. I could come back and fix it. I limped and then jumped up, taking to the sky again. I looked around, then swung higher scanning the city again. I spotted another clone, in partial armour, moving with the same grace as the one before. Another me. I chased it, trying to think of how I could use the knowledge the bombs could be damaged to my advantage. I couldn¡¯t I didn¡¯t know the inner workings of it, where the charge was. I just knew that If I hit the suit hard enough somewhere it could stop the explosion. But doing that now would be too risky. I¡¯d just get myself blown up. The clone continued leaping from building to building, heading back the way I¡¯d just come. Was it going to my hideout as well? No, it was taking a different path. Wait, I¡¯d swung this way before. Work. It was to get to work.

    Suddenly it all clicked together, and I paused, feeling a terror grip my heart. The commands. You could give the clones commands and they followed through. They were telling my clones to attack people close to me and me.

    Liz, Harry, Aunt May, Grandpa Will, Grady, Sajani, Bella. They were all in danger.

    I hurtled through the air towards the clone, swinging around in front of him, cutting off his path.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to work aren¡¯t you? To get Grady, Bella and Sajani?¡±

    ¡°I need to!¡± he said, even with the mask, his hatred apparent.

    ¡°You don¡¯t. Whatever it is they told you, you don¡¯t have to listen to them¡±

    ¡°You fuck! Why can¡¯t you just let me do this?!¡± he said angrily.

    ¡°It¡¯s wrong! They¡¯re our friends!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°They¡¯re holding us back!¡± he shouted, trying to dive past me. I grabbed his heel but he slashed at me. I dodged the blow, leaping on top of him. He tried to claw at me but I dodged and stuck to his back. He cried out, slashing at me, but I crawled around him like a spider, avoiding his blows masterfully. I searched the suits for weak points as I did, desperately hoping to find something, anything that could help me strip it down. I felt the claws graze me repeatedly, but in the suit he was bigger, and slower. He roared in frustration and tried to leap away, but I gripped him tightly and webbed us back to the roof. He slammed to the ground, cracking the stone as he breathed heavily.

    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll kill you first, you fuck!¡± he shouted. My spider sense buzzed, and I leapt off him as his tail twisted through the air, narrowly missing me. It shot forwards and struck his back with enough force to pass straight through the armour out the other side. He let out a cry of anguish and I caught him as he fell.

    I stared as he blinked at me in surprise, blood seeping from the telson that stuck of his chest. My heart twisted with agony as he gripped at the tail, shuddering as he struggled for life. As my spider sense blared, I threw him upwards with all my might. I waited for the wave of heat to wash over me, but nothing. I turned, looking up at the plume of smoke in the air. The explosion had been small. Whatever damaged the charge was somewhere around the mid-section. I stared at it for a few more seconds. The clone versions of me weren¡¯t used to using the suits, especially the tails. They were clumsy with them, unprepared for combat. I shook my head, unable to the images of what had just happened out of my mind. I just needed to keep moving.

    I pulled my burner phone out of my waist pouch and fumbled with it. It was broken the screen dead. Dammit. Goddammit. How did I stop this? I mean who knew how many clones they had of me? Everyone could already be in danger, or worse. A mixture of dread and anger burned through my chest. The Bears wanted this. They¡¯d come up with a way to take me out of the picture. They wanted me running around, fighting myself to the death whilst they pulled off whatever conniving plan they had. And right now, I couldn¡¯t stop them. I had to save my family.

    I leapt off the building and swung high, scanning the city. I could search around here, get my bots to keep an eye on Queens and Brooklyn. I¡¯d call Liz and Aunt May first; tell them they aren¡¯t safe and they have to go somewhere I wouldn¡¯t know about. Then I¡¯d call Harry have him pick up everyone, Grandpa Will first and then-

    My train of thought was cut short by a low, circumambient rumble of thunder. I spun around in disbelief, looking up as the sky darkened. The rumble of thunder grew louder, undercut by the beautiful hum. Lances of lightning shot through the air, each carrying the hum with them, the sounds echoing beautifully through the city. I watched as the storm of electricity circled through the clouds, sending flashes of light across the city, as rain began to wash over the streets. The hum grew, and not too far in the distance a field of crackling electricity descended from the sky above Oscorp Tower, circling around a single man, wreathed in electric blue.

    No. Not now. Not now, dammit!

 Extended Family - Chapter Seventeen

    Harry was in danger. It was the first thought that popped into my mind. If I remembered the hours he worked, and the location of his office, he was in imminent danger. When he''d been in the hospital, Max¡¯s presence had simply been dangerous for bystanders. And that had been before he¡¯d become whatever it was that floated through the sky. Even ignoring all the clouds, I could feel it from here. Could feel how the air had changed, the atmosphere shifted. He was dangerous. Seriously dangerous.

    I went to leap forward and paused.

    If I went to fight Electro, then everyone else I cared about might die. But if I didn¡¯t, almost everyone in the Tower might die, including Harry. Hell, with that storm, he might cause enough of a mess to do serious damage to the whole city. What did I do? Save Oscorp tower or my family? Could I let my personal bias affect the choices I made as Spider-Man? But didn¡¯t I already let my life as Spider-Man affect my life as Peter? Was it wrong to want to care more about my loved ones than everyone? It wasn¡¯t. It couldn¡¯t be. But I didn¡¯t know if letting that affect me right here, right now would compromise the standard I strived for in heroism. Couldn''t I save everyone? Or would trying just make things a hundred times worse? I didn''t know the answer. All I knew was that thinking about it didn¡¯t matter. I needed to act. Lightning flashed through the air, lighting up the sky and drawing me to action.

    I leapt forwards, and fired a web, ignoring the pains of my body as I swung towards Oscorp tower. Thunder thrummed through the air, the low rattle shaking the window-panes below, as the rain throttled down. The sound carried with it the reverberating hum of electricity that seemed to sing, it''s melody more than beautiful. My hairs stood on end, my spider sense warning me now, of the danger that stood ahead.

    I ignored it, barrelling forwards.

    If I got to Harry fast enough, I could save everyone. I¡¯d borrow someone¡¯s phone on the way, call everyone and tell them to hide, pick up my Electro battery collar, and deal with Electro. Then right back to the clones. There couldn¡¯t be that many of them, and they couldn¡¯t get about anywhere near as quickly as I could. Yeah. Plus, they¡¯d probably only been released recently. All the ones I¡¯d found had been decently close to my base, here in Manhattan. My bots would''ve picked up any activity back in Brooklyn.

    Ok. Liz was at work, Aunt May back home, MJ probably at her and Kevin''s place. They were all in Brooklyn and Queens. If any of the clones were heading for them, it¡¯d take them a while. I¡¯d call the others in more immediate danger first. I knew their numbers by heart. I could do it. Still, feeling as though I was putting them in the back of my mind, making them a second priority felt like a twisting knife in my gut. But Harry¡¯s just as important to me. And he was in a lot more danger. Electro was attacking where he worked, and if I knew where Harry was, then any clone of me probably would too. If they''d sent one after him that was twice as much trouble.

    I just hoped I was doing the right thing. If anyone died, I wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive myself. I¡¯d already lost enough. Not again. Never again.

    I pushed forward harder as the rain grew heavier, beating down against my hole ridden costume. I spared a glance down below, looking to the streets as people rushed for shelter, some staring up at the sky as they watched the sudden storm. I swooped down quickly, landing near some civilians.

    ¡°Phone! Can I borrow someone¡¯s phone?¡± I shouted. They all looked at me wide eyed. ¡°Please!¡±

    Someone stepped forwards, pulling a phone out of their pocket and handed it to me.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± I shouted, leaping into the air and swinging away. I felt a swirl of guilt shoot through my stomach. Considering where I was going, the person probably wasn''t getting their phone back. Once all this was done, I''d try and find them and give them a new one. Not that it would make up for any of the stuff lost. Hopefully they had I Cloud. I fumbled with the phone as I swung towards my apartment, putting in Harry¡¯s number and dialling quickly.

    ¡°The person you are trying to call is not currently available. Please try again later¡±

    Shit. This was bad. This was really bad. I called again just to make sure. Nothing. Dammit. Thunder boomed in the background as I didn¡¯t have time for this. I needed to move on. Who was it next? Bella. I¡¯d call Bella. I typed away at the keypad and dialled again. We weren¡¯t technically allowed our phones in the lab, but I let everyone put theirs on the desk by the entrance in case they got a call. Hopefully Sajani hadn¡¯t been too strict on enforcing rules in my absence. I got the dial tone this time. Thank god. I waited, praying silently she answered.

    The wait felt uncomfortably long, as the rain began thundering down in harsher torrents. Then the call picked up.

    ¡°H-hello?¡± Bella said uncertainly.

    ¡°Bella! It¡¯s Pete! You need to get out of the office now!¡± I shouted.

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    ¡°Pete?! Are you okay? We saw on tv that bombs were going off around the- Wait what¡¯s happening? Are you outside? Where are you?¡± she said. the sound of voices, growing louder in the background.

    ¡°I- there¡¯s no time to explain. Just please get out of the building. Stay off the streets and go somewhere I wouldn¡¯t think to look for you¡± I shouted over the sound of lightning.

    ¡°What? Pete this isn¡¯t funny, I-¡°

    ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± I shouted. ¡°If you don¡¯t you¡¯ll die! One of those things is hunting you. One of the green cl- robots from tv¡± I said. Bella went silent.

    ¡°Bella? Bella?!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°Pete I- what¡¯s going on?¡± she said.

    ¡°There¡¯s no time! Just please, get out of the office! Get everyone out if you can!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°O-okay¡± she said, meekly, frightened by my uncharacteristic shouting.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± I said, then hung up. I leapt off a building and swung through the air through and into my apartment window. I crashed to the ground, and slid across the floor, slamming into my far wall. I scrambled up and webbed the collar towards me. It wasn¡¯t finished, but it¡¯d have to do.

    I leapt back out my window as thunder boomed in the sky. I held my phone tightly, and then thought about who to dial. Lucas. He was in danger as well, and he was closer than Aunt May. Sure, we hadn¡¯t talked that much since he¡¯d reached out, but he clearly meant more to me than I realised if one of my clones had been after him. Did I remember his number? Crap, I think I did, but I might not. I pressed in what I remembered and dialled. The ring tone last a few seconds. Crap he might be in class. What time even was it? Then the call was picked up.

    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± a teen¡¯s voice said on the other end of the line. It was him. Thank God.

    ¡°Lucas!¡± I shouted over the thunder.

    ¡°P-Peter?¡± he said surprised. ¡°Why¡¯re you calling?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not safe. There are clones of me after you and you need to get out of the school¡± I shouted.

    ¡°O-ok¡­¡± he said surprised. I heard him move across the room, and the sound of blinds, then cursing in Spanish.

    ¡°That electricity in the sky¡­ it¡¯s Electro right?¡± he said.

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°D-do¡­ do you need help?¡± he said, his voice trembling.

    ¡°No¡± I lied. I didn¡¯t want to drag him into this mess, and get him hurt, or worse killed. He was still a kid.

    ¡°Ok¡± he said, the relief in his voice palpable.

    ¡°So, you can get out the school?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll just pull the fire alarm then slip away¡±

    ¡°Good¡± I responded. I hung up, readjusting the phone in my rain covered hands, then quickly dialled Aunt May.

    The call picked up quickly.

    ¡°Sorry but I¡¯m not buying whatever you¡¯re s-¡°

    ¡°Aunt May it¡¯s me!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°Peter? Where are you?¡± she said, confusion.

    ¡°You need to get away from the house! Far away!¡± I shouted. ¡°Go somewhere I¡¯ve never heard of!¡±

    ¡°Peter, what¡¯s going on?¡± Aunt May said, her tone serious.

    ¡°You¡¯re in danger! There¡¯s people coming after you and-¡±

    ¡°Peter, slow down¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t! There¡¯s not enough time!¡± I shouted. I heard muffled voices coming slightly away from the phone.

    ¡°May?! Aunt May?!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°Peter, where are you? MJ and Kevin are here. We can come to you¡± she said.

    ¡°NO! No! I- keep MJ far away from Manhattan! You need to go somewhere I¡¯ve never been to! Please!¡±

    ¡°Peter¡­¡±

    ¡°Aunt May please¡± I said, on the verge of tears. ¡°Please just¡­ tell me you¡¯ll do it. If you don¡¯t everyone¡¯s gonna die and it¡¯ll be my fault¡±

    ¡°I- Peter I¡¯ll do it but-¡°

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Aunt May¡± I said, cutting her off. ¡°I can explain later, there¡¯s not enough time¡±

    I hung up, the bars of signal dropping as I neared Oscorp Tower. I leapt up onto one of the skyscrapers, sprinting up the side as I dialled my final number. The call was answered quickly.

    ¡°Hello?¡± Liz said.

    ¡°Liz! Where are you? At work? Home?¡± I said, frantically.

    ¡°Petey?!¡± she responded, in surprise.

    ¡°Liz wherever you are, I need you to get the hell out of there! Please!¡±

    ¡°Woah, calm down¡±

    ¡°Liz I¡¯m serious!¡±

    ¡°Why are you shouting? What¡¯s going on? Where are you?¡± she said.

    ¡°Liz just, listen to me, please¡±

    ¡°Petey slow down a sec! You can¡¯t just call me out of nowhe-¡°

    ¡°Liz, there¡¯s no time you have to get the hell out of there¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?! I can¡¯t just leave work¡± she said angrily.

    ¡°Liz I- you¡¯ll die. Please. I don¡¯t want you to die¡±

    She went silent.

    ¡°You¡¯re serious, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡±

    ¡°What the hell? What is even happening right now?¡± she said, disbelief filling her voice.

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain later I promise. Just get somewhere safe. Somewhere I¡¯ve never been and don¡¯t know about¡± I said.

    ¡°I will¡±

    ¡°Good¡± I said, relief flooding through me. ¡°I have to g-¡°

    ¡°Petey don¡¯t you dare hang up. Just, please, tell me what¡¯s happening¡± she said. I hesitated. Crap. This was probably a lot to dump on her, but I¡¯d told myself I wouldn¡¯t avoid it anymore. That I¡¯d tell her.

    ¡°I¡¯m Spider-Man¡± I whispered, my heart beating out of my chest. There. I¡¯d said it. I waited for a response, uncertain what was about to happen. I was met with silence for a moment before she spoke.

    ¡°Oh¡± Liz said. There was another second of silence, then she spoke again. ¡°Oh my god Petey!¡±

    ¡°I- I should¡¯ve told you sooner, I was just scared and-¡°

    ¡°It¡¯s---I just---- you---¡± she said, breaking up.

    ¡°Liz!? Liz?¡± I shouted. I looked up. Dammit. Max wasn¡¯t visible anymore, obstructed by the obscene amount of electricity that circled around him, glowing a vibrant blue. Whatever he was doing must¡¯ve been messing with the signal. Shit.

    ¡°---y--Petey?¡± Liz said.

    ¡°I have to go. I¡¯m sorry. I love you Liz. Like a lot¡± I said. The response was a crackled mess of static that I couldn¡¯t understand. Dammit. I hung up. I¡¯d talk to her as soon as this was finished.

    I clenched my fists tightly with a new determination. Now, everyone was accounted for. They were still in danger, but I¡¯d brought myself time. Hopefully enough time to deal with the monster above me. I looked up and stared. The crackling swirl of vibrant blue so blinding it was almost white. Where the hell were the Vanguard when you needed them? Hell, I¡¯d even take the junior Vanguard at this point. Electro was way above my paygrade. I shook my head, dispelling the thoughts. Harry was in danger. It didn¡¯t matter whether I wasn¡¯t the best equipped to deal with this, I had to. Right now, there was no one else. I gripped the collar tighter as I leapt from a building onto a skyscraper neighbouring Oscorp tower. It was time to do this.

 Extended Family - Chapter Eighteen

    I charged up the side of the building, sprinting at a blistering pace towards the top. As I did, I glanced down from my skyscraper, looking to the bottom of Oscorp tower. People weren¡¯t running away. Did they not see him? I peered at some of the windows, as some stared up at the sky, whilst others rushed through their offices towards the exits. So people were trying to get out. I glanced down by one of the Tower¡¯s entrances. Then why wasn¡¯t anyone leaving? I looked closer as the air seemed to distort slightly.

    Dammit. Now that I was looking at it I could see it clearly. There was a crackle of electricity in the air around the entire building. Dammit. The people literally couldn¡¯t leave. Electro had trapped them like he¡¯d done in the smaller office before, only on a far larger scale. Show-off, he didn¡¯t even need to do anything but the top and bottom floor.

    Wait, if he could coat an entire Tower in an electric field, why hadn¡¯t he attacked yet? It¡¯s not like anyone would be able to stop him. I looked up at the electric storm again. He¡¯d tried doing something like this last time, hadn¡¯t he? He¡¯d stood there, on the roof charging up whilst the entire building had . What had been his aim then? Oh right. He¡¯d been trying to obliterate the entire building in one go. Shit. Shit.

    This was bad. Really bad. I couldn¡¯t evacuate the entire building with that field around it, so I¡¯d have to attack him in the sky if I didn¡¯t want him bringing the tower down. How the hell was I meant to deal with him, up there?

    ¡°Don¡¯t think Peter, don¡¯t think¡± I mumbled to myself. I clutched the collar tightly, slowing as I neared the top of the skyscraper. The storm of electricity looked more like a ring of illuminating blue from here. A halo, circling the most twisted angel I¡¯d ever seen, wings of electricity arcing from it into Electro¡¯s back.

    I reached the top and stared up at. He was still at least another thirty metres up. He was speaking. I could barely make it out but his words seemed to be carried by the electricity.

    ¡°I can hear it. I can hear it all¡± he said. It sounded like he¡¯d lost it.

    ¡°Max! Max!¡± I shouted. My voice was swept away, the melodic hum of the current above, almost deafening now. Shit. I couldn¡¯t put the collar on him if I couldn¡¯t touch him, and I was hesitant about catapulting myself up into the swirl of electricity. I didn¡¯t want to get fried alive. What did I have? My phone, the phone that I¡¯d borrowed, and the collar.

    Well, shit. I really should¡¯ve thought this through before I¡¯d gotten up here. Dammit. I was wasting time. I had to do something, anything. Throwing the phone probably wouldn¡¯t do anything, I needed something bigger. I climbed further, reaching the roof of the skyscraper and looked around. Bingo. I grabbed an antenna off the of the roof and connected it to a web. I looked up at Max. This had worked before, and I¡¯d been much further away. I hefted it up then leapt forwards and hurled it at Max, shouting out. It flew upwards and slammed into Max¡¯s stomach, carrying him backwards as the electrical storm distorted. Max and the antenna passed through the sea of current and the antenna exploded as it was vaporised on impact.

    The electricity instantly dissipated, and the lightning seized, as Max fell out of the sky. I dived off the side of the roof, firing a web and yanked an unconscious Max towards me. He flew through the air and I caught him, slapping the collar around his neck. I made sure it was on, and then webbed him to the side of Oscorp tower and caught myself on the wall next to him. He remained motionless as the electric blue quality of his body faded, the collar kicking into gear. Oh shit, it actually worked. I let out a breath of relied. Thank god. I¡¯d been seriously shitting myself just then.

    I looked around. Apart from the antenna getting destroyed, everything seemed okay. I could come back to collect Max later. I went to leap away, when he groaned stirring. I turned to him and watched as his eyes widened in fear. He writhed about, crying out.

    ¡°Max calm down¡± I said.

    ¡°No, no, no!¡± he said, struggling against the web. ¡°I can¡¯t- it hurts again!¡± he said turning to me. ¡°What did you do to me?! I could hear everything! And it was right! It was finally right, and you took that from me!¡±

    ¡°Max, you¡¯ll get help, alright. We¡¯ll-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that!¡±

    ¡°Look I¡¯m sorry it came to this. I have to go. Just stay here and-¡°

    ¡°You can¡¯t leave me up here you bastard! I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll fucking kill you!¡± he screamed. Suddenly yellow sparks flew off the collar as his skin glowed again, this time an electric yellow. My spider sense blared. Oh shit.

    ¡°Wait! Max do-¡°

    I opened my eyes. I was falling. My body was hot, and my brain slow. What just happened? Why was I- I cried out in pain as a burst of electricity shot through me, sending spasms through my muscles. It ended just as soon as it began and then a fist slammed into my face, sending me flying through the air. I slammed against glass, and then another shock hit sending my mind into agony.

    I was on the ground, body twitching. I couldn¡¯t make sense of what was going on. I thought I¡¯d just been falling? My back burned, a different kind of pain to the shock. I felt at it. Blood. A lot of blood. I was cut? My spider-sense blared and I threw myself to the side as a bolt of yellow electricity blasted the floor. I crashed back to the floor still groaning.

    Then I heard a blood curdling scream. The sound brought me back, focusing my thoughts and sharpening my senses. Electro. He¡¯d broken free. I leapt up, looking around. I was in an Oscorp office, people screaming as they ran, Electro arms and eyes crackling with yellow electricity, stalking over towards me.

    My spider sense blared and I leapt to the side as he blasted a bolt at me. I landed on the floor and continued to run as he fired at me. I could dodge his attacks. Whatever the collar had done, it had made him weaker. For now, at least. I had to use that. End this quickly, before anyone got hurt.

    I changed direction, dodging the blasts as I steadily made my way towards him. Electro continued blasting, shouting obscenities as I made my way closer. His eyes widened as I continued to dodge his blasts and he backpedalled, but it was too late. I dodged as he leapt at me, then jabbed him in the face followed a swift uppercut. He fit the floor, and I webbed him down. That should have him out for a night. I looked around, the scared Oscorp employees who¡¯d opted to hide and not run, stared back at me.

    ¡°Everybody get out of here. Get out of the building and someone call the MDA. Use the stairs to go, not the el-¡°

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    The lights flickered and I felt my heart jump. I spun around as my spider sense blared and narrowly dodged an arc of electricity. But Max was on top of me. He grabbed me by the neck with both hands and I felt my nerves catch fire. A wave of electricity shot through me and for a moment all senses, but touch seized. Fear gripped my heart as my body spasmed uselessly in an endless void of nothingness. I could feel Electro¡¯s hands around my neck, and I couldn¡¯t do anything to stop him. Something hit me in the face, then everything came back.

    I reeled from the sudden rush of sounds, sights, and smells, all undercut by an intense pain. My body barely listened, but I willed it to, everything really hurting. I forced a piece of rubble off of me and rolled over, heart hammering hard in my chest. My ears rung to the point that I was almost deaf, and more stars than I¡¯d ever seen in my life stars danced across my vision. I struggled to blink them away and looked around. I was on a different floor. Some kind of open area. With all the chairs that surrounded us, along with the fast-food stores, it was probably a food hall, or what was left of it at least. It was filled with rubble, and dust rained down from above. I looked up. There were holes through at least three floors. Jesus Christ. I coughed, my ribs and back protesting at the action. I tried to stand but everything in my body told me I couldn¡¯t. I was way too injured too fight. I shouldn¡¯t have told Lucas I didn¡¯t need help.

    ¡°SPIDER-MAN!!!¡± a voice boomed.

    ¡°Fuck off¡± I mumbled under my breath. Stupid Electro. Wasting my fucking time. I had more important things to deal with, but he just had to fucking show up, now. Why couldn¡¯t he have appeared quietly? At least then I wouldn¡¯t have known. I wouldn¡¯t have to be here, protecting all these stupid people instead of my loved ones.

    I paused. That wasn¡¯t me. That was the pain talking. I wasn¡¯t thinking properly. I was nearly there. Electro was weaker. I just needed to knock him out for good, and then I could go save everyone else and rest.

    I sensed outwards. He wasn¡¯t far from me, but there was too much dust for us to see each other. I could get the drop on him. I grit my teeth and forced myself to stand, turning to face him. I dived forwards and slammed my fists against the back of his head. He slammed against the floor as I stood over him, breathing heavily. My spider sense blared and I dived out the way as he spun around and fired a blast of electricity. He jumped on top of me and we rolled around, pushing at each other. He barely had any sparks flickering off him now, but he was still strong. Dammit, I was wasting time!

    I swung my elbow, cracking it against his face. He went skidding across the floor, but stood up immediately, charging right back at me.

    ¡°Just go down you fuck!¡± I roared. We traded blows, the electricity weakened now, only sending small jolts through my body as I beat him. He hit me with a clean right hook, but I took the pain and countered with another uppercut. He stumbled backwards and I leapt into him, tackling him into the glass. I pulled him into a lock, twisting his arms behind his body as I pinned his legs to the ground. He cried out in pain.

    ¡°Let me go!¡± he roared.

    ¡°No! You¡¯re not well Max, stop fighting me! Stop trying to hurt Oscorp! Stop trying to kill your cousin! Just stop with this stupid bullshit.!¡± I said. He craned his neck backwards and spat on me. I slammed his head against the window, pressing his face into it. He continued to struggle. If I let go, he was just going to jump on top of me again. I needed to free up an arm and web him down. I tried to, but he continued to struggle, one arm breaking free. He cupped his hand and dug his fingers into the gap between my collar bone as he growled at me.

    ¡°Stop! Just stop it!!¡± I cried out, desperate now. He looked at me laughing.

    ¡°Oh I¡¯m just getting started¡±

    Suddenly my spider sense blared. I leapt back, throwing Electro against the glass with enough force to crack it. I watched, my heart hammering as I stared at him but he just lay on the floor breathing heavily. What? That¡¯d never happened before. Suddenly a streak of green shot past the window, clawing its way up the side of the building. A clone. Fuck. It was gunning for Harry, it must¡¯ve been. I glanced between Electro and the window, the anxiety riddling me. Electro stood up and I charged at him, slamming into him with a knee. We smashed through the window, and without hesitation I slammed Electro downwards with a fist and webbed him to the side of the building. I was going after the clone. I caught myself on the glass then turned upwards and sprinted, pulling myself up the face of the building with webs. The clone glanced down but carried on upwards. In my injured state I was slower than it. Dammit!

    I pulled a web fluid cannister off the side of my belt and hurled it upwards at the clone. It missed but hit the side of the building, slowing it down. Any relief was immediately killed when my spider sense blared, warning me of something below. I dived to the side as Electro shot past me, floating as arcs of electricity curled off him as he clutched the collar in his hand. He¡¯d taken it off and was siphoning power from it. Shit.

    ¡°DIE!¡± he roared, as I dived out the way, avoiding the bolts of electricity. I glanced upwards, spotting the clone cut itself loose from the web. Dammit.

    I ignored Electro leaping from window to window as I dodged violent bolts of electricity, still chasing the clone up the building. But it was leaving me in the dust. Electro was slowing me down too much. Goddammit. I spun and fired webs at Electro catching off guard. His eyes widened as I yanked him towards me and grabbed him by the neck ignoring the electricity that jolted through my hand.

    ¡°STOP!¡± I shouted, throwing him inside the building. He crashed to the ground, and I instantly began leaping back up the face of the building. The clone was already inside. Dammit. I reached the floor and leapt through the window the clone had shattered into a lobby. The door to Harry¡¯s office had been blown off its hinges. Shit. I could hear the sounds of shouts, inside. I rushed into the office, and spotted Harry along with a few other businessmen standing inside a vault, the door pulled apart by the clone. As it dived into the vault I webbed it and yanked it backwards. It slammed into me and we tumbled, out into the lobby. Adrenaline fuelled me, pushing my body past the pain and I jumped up. I didn¡¯t have time to worry about morals right now. I needed to take this and Electro out in the next minute or things were looking grim.

    I dodged a blow from the clone and stumbled, falling to the floor. It used the chance to leap back into the office. I fired webs to pull it back, but it yanked me along this time and slammed me to the floor with a fist. I wheezed and it turned towards the businessmen. Some of them ran as it dived at them, and some stayed, frozen in fear. I fired another web, throwing it at the window. It caught itself on the floor, slowing it down enough that it didn¡¯t break through the window. Shit. I yanked it again, throwing it to the other side of the room and webbed it to the floor. But before I could do anything else, something slammed into me, and I felt a violent shock pass through me. Goddammit. God fucking dammit.

    Electro and I slammed into the window. He held me tightly, the pain from the shock steadily getting worse and worse. I cried out in pain, watching as the clone began cutting itself free. I could barely move, my muscles resisting me.

    ¡°STOP! STOP YOU FUCK!!¡± I roared at Electro as he continued to press me into the wall. With all my might I lurched forward and headbutted him. His electricity stopped but he still held me tightly. I headbutted him again, but he just wouldn¡¯t let go.

    ¡°Let me go!¡± I shouted desperately.

    ¡°Never!¡± he shouted. Fuck this. I lurched forward again and bit at his nose through the costume. He cried out and blasted me from point blank, the force of the charge sending him flying across the room, crashing into the far wall. The window smashed, but I caught myself on the frame, and quickly pulled myself inside. I took a step forwards but fell to one knee. Not now. Not now dammit.

    Electro leapt up quickly as my body failed me. My spider-sense blared and my eyes widened as Electro stared back at me. He was charging up.

    ¡°NO!¡± I roared, firing a web at Electro. It was too late. I watched as Electro roared, releasing a massive blast of electricity outwards. Some of the businessmen nearby were killed instantly, and everyone was knocked to the floor. But that¡¯s not what I was focused on. He¡¯d hit the clone. He¡¯d hit the fucking clone.

    Time seemed to slow down as the clone began to glow. From the floor I twisted my body, firing a web that latched onto Harry and pulled him backwards. But I was slow, all my injuries catching up to me. A thousand thoughts raced through my mind, none of them good. Then came the memories. All the good times I¡¯d had with Harry. Then a wave of heat and debris washed over me.

 Extended Family - Chapter Nineteen

    I was blown back across the ground, skidding across the marble floor as pieces of debris ripped across me. My body slammed against the window frame and it crunched against my back. I gasped, the pain immobilising me as I spun out the empty windowpane. I barely managed to react in time, but I grabbed onto the side of the building, breathing heavily as I held myself there. Smoke wafted out of the window as pieces of hot debris rained onto me. My ears rung but I held the ledge tightly, a wave of emotion washing over me, mostly anguish and disbelief. I¡¯d failed. I¡¯d failed to save Harry. With a grunt of pain I pulled myself up, wincing as I climbed into room. I looked around, the smoke beginning to clear slightly. The sight made me feel sick. Body parts were strewn across the entire room, with some bodies still whole, but charred to a crisp. Electro lay on the floor, his entire body covered in burns and part of his face blown off. Like the rest of the businessmen nearby, he laid there unmoving. The ones next to the explosion were all dead. I stood, taking in the horrific sight. A few of the businessmen closer to my feet gasped in pain barely alive. I spotted Harry laying on the floor a few metres away.

    I rushed over to him and fell to my knees, scooping him up into my arms. I turned him over gently, and my heart shattered.

    Half of his face had been blown off. The wounds weren¡¯t deep, but the skin had been burnt, charred to a crisp. Blood seeped from his side from the shards of debris that had torn through him.

    ¡°Harry?¡± I said, my voice raw. His still open eyes were unresponsive, but he wheezed, barely breathing. He was alive. He was still alive. I lifted him up as I looked around in a panic. Help. I needed help fast. But where could I go? The nearest hospital was too far for me to carry him like this. Wait- the hospital floor! It was close to Harry¡¯s office right? Shit,

    ¡°Please don¡¯t be damaged, please don¡¯t be damaged¡± I mumbled to myself. I clutched Harry tighter and leapt upwards, shooting through the new hole in the ceiling. I landed and rushed up a set of stairs.

    ¡°Help! Somone! Help!¡± I shouted. I burst onto a floor and came face to face with a confused group of employees.

    ¡°Hospital? Where¡¯s the hospital room?¡± I asked.

    ¡°T-two floors up¡± one of the guy said. I didn¡¯t wait to here what else they said, and dived back into the stairwell, leaping from wall to wall before coming to a familiar corridor. I rushed down it, ignoring confused shouts from some receptionists. I burst into the room and spotted the hospital bed. I rushed forward and put Harry down gently as a bunch of people filed into the room. A few were nurses, one the receptionist and one wore a doctor¡¯s coat.

    ¡°Help him. You need to help him¡± I said, tears in my eyes as I stepped back from the bed. They all rushed into action, the doctor calling out instructions to everyone as I stared at Harry¡¯s near lifeless body. I watched, tears wetting my mask around the lenses. One of the nurses glanced to me, then approached nervously.

    ¡°Sorry Spider-Man, but I have to ask you to leave¡± she said.

    ¡°I- yeah. Sorry¡± I said. I stumbled out of the room and fell to my knees in the hall, holding back tears. This wasn¡¯t happening. This couldn¡¯t be happening. Electro was still upstairs. And clones were still out there. There was still shit to deal with. Goddammit I just wanted the day to end. I picked myself, struggling to stand as a few people looked at me from, down the hall with worry.

    My mind was spinning. Where did I need to go now? Who was closest? who was in the most danger? I couldn¡¯t think. There was too much going on, dammit! I slammed a fist against my head.

    ¡°Think you idiot! He¡¯ll be ok!¡± I said. The pain centred me and I gave myself a second to breath. Grandpa. I needed to get to Grandpa.

    I forced myself forward, my slow steps steadily becoming more confident before I broke out into a full run. I sprinted through the corridor, rushing past employees as they moved out the way. Then I dived forwards, smashing through the window and flying into open air. I fell through the air, wind roaring in my ears as I searched the city, trying to place myself. That way. Grandpa was the opposite way. I fired out a web looping around Oscorp tower, before swinging through the skyscrapers and into the city.

    Come on. Please. I needed Grandpa to be ok. I needed everyone to be ok. This stupid plan had to work. I swung through the city as fast as I could, ignoring the sounds of sirens throughout the city. Then I spotted it. A clone. He was after Grandpa. It had to be. He climbed up the side of the hospital building, feverishly. He was a floor away from Grandpa¡¯s window. Shit. Shit, shit, shit. I roared loudly to grab it¡¯s attention. I glanced at me for a moment, then turned back and jumped towards Grandpa¡¯s window. I was too far to stop him, but I fired a web anyway. He crashed through the glass and landed in the room, but despite the distance, the web latched onto him, and I yanked him back, as he dived forwards again. He flew out the hospital, but latched onto the window frame again, tearing through the wall. He cut at the web, but I¡¯d closed the distance. I landed on a building face and dived, shattering the brick underfoot and tackled him off the face of the building. We flew through the air, pulling at each other. We crashed against the side of the building and spun through the air, picking up speed.

    Oh shit. With this much force, we were going to slam into the ground and he was going to blow up. He was going to obliterate the side of the hospital. I had to try and disable the bomb. I whirled through the air, bringing my legs above my head, and with as much force as I could muster, kicked him in the centre of the chest, away from the hospital and into the open air. It dented the armour and the clone coughed out blood, spraying it across my face as he flew back. I held my breath, praying as I watched his body contort from the blow. It felt like an eternity, watching, waiting with bated breath as I fell through the air, but eventually then the moment passed. He hadn¡¯t blown up. My relief was short lived. I slammed into the floor, shattering my arm as I cried out in pain. The clone slammed against the ground too, but recovered quickly, charging towards the hospital. I forced myself up, and dived to tackle him, but in one smooth motion he grabbed me and threw me backwards. I flew high, flailing into a building and smashing through the glass. I slammed into desks and chairs, hearing the sickening crunch of bodies before I hit the ground, rolling across the floor. Screams echoed in my head as debris rained down through the office space.

    Every fibre of my being cried out in protest, but I ignored it, standing up instantly and rushing forwards. It didn''t matter how much pain I was in. Grandpa couldn''t die. Not yet. Not like this. I fired webs at the clone''s back, as it climbed the face of the hospital. I yanked him away, hard enough to pull him across the street and send him crashing into the floor above. Shit. I couldn''t temper my strength when I was tense like this. I needed to calm down. I leapt up, climbing around to face him. I looked around, searching as civilians rushed for the exits, crying out. My spider sense blared but in my delirium, I was slow to react. The clone leapt from beneath a pile of broken desk and debris and we crashed through two floors, before slamming to the ground. I kicked him off, but he grabbed me and lifted me, slamming me into a wall.

    ¡°JUST STOP!!¡± I cried out.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill him. I¡¯m gonna fucking kill him! Then I¡¯ll kill you. I¡¯ll take it all back!¡±

    ¡°SHUT UP!!!¡± I roared. I forced him back, and twisted my body slamming him against glass as I held him. It shattered and we fell out the building, hurtling downwards.

    We flew through the air, trading blows even as the ground approached. My brain buzzed and so did his, but neither of us cared enough, focused on the other. He pushed at my arm as his claws grazed my neck, trying relentlessly to pull away from me. But I held him tightly, not daring to let go, even as his fingers dug into my jugular. I headbutted him, but the suit made him tougher, and stronger. He tanked the blow and pushed against me harder, before headbutting back. My grip loosened and he pulled away as fast as lightning. He caught himself on a wall as I descended dazed, and leapt upwards soaring high into the sky, back towards the hospital. My focus returned instantly.

    ¡°NO!!¡± I roared, firing a web at his back. It latched onto him and I pulled him back before slamming an elbow against the side of his head. He grabbed onto me ignorant of the pain, and carrying my momentum, launched me towards the ground whilst he shot towards the hospital building wall. Time seemed to slow down as I flew towards the floor spinning, becoming keenly aware of everything. The ground, flying up at me, the cars below, the people staring up at us. I could sense it all. I had enough time to stop myself from crashing into the ground. Barely. But I could feel it instinctively. The pain was catching up to me. If I saved myself now, I wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up to the clone in time unless somebody else stopped him. Grandpa would die. My body reacted on its own. I fired webs and latched onto the clone, pulling him down towards me. We were going down together. He lashed out, his claws scratching across my face, but I ignored it and grabbed him, flipping us over.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    I braced myself and we slammed through the concrete, crashing through layers before falling through empty space and slamming onto the ground. The sound of shouts and cries echoed as rubble cascaded down on top of me. My ears rung as my body shook, the pain overloading my senses. I need to focus. Dammit. Focus! I looked up to see people running as rubble fell. The sight, sound and atmosphere of the place felt familiar. A train station. We were in the subway. I started webbing up the rubble, stopping it from falling when I spotted the clone, parts of his suit damaged. He launched himself upwards, towards the hole, scrambling to get out. I fired webs, latching onto him and slammed him into the ground. He tanked the blow, and stood up shaking his head. I roared  and dived, clotheslining him. We slammed through a pillar, but I held him tightly and hit him hard across the face. We skidded across the platform and I whaled on him. I could go all out, now that I knew he wouldn''t explode. I just prayed the force would be enough to knock him out. The screams of civilians made me hesitate. I couldn''t ignore them when they were so close, when there were so many. People needed my help. He took the opportunity, uppercutting me away from him. I fell back, rolling across the floor, but recovered quickly, firing another web. It caught him and he stumbled, falling as I tried to drag him back. He roared in frustration clawing at the web and cutting through it. I tried to fire at him again. Nothing. I was out. Shit. I glanced up as he broke free, and leapt a way. Fuck that. I grabbed a piece of rubble and launched it at him. It slammed into his back and shattered, sending him flying across the floor. I raced towards him. He spun around and threw part of it back at me. I blew through it with a punch before clotheslining him again as he dived for the hole above us.

    We crashed to the floor, and traded blows again, fists of fury raining down onto one another. We came to a standstill locked in a battle of strength, our arms locked as we eyed each other.

    ¡°LET ME GO!!!¡± he shouted, feigning weakness for a moment to throw me over his back and slam me to the ground. I coughed out in pain but grabbed him by the ankles and pulled him to the floor. I clambered on top of him as I slammed his face with my fists repeatedly. Suddenly my body slowed down, the scratches on my face stinging. He had poison on his claws. Shit. He stabbed me in the gut with his gauntlet and I let out a gasp. Instinctively I grabbed his glove as he tried to rake it through my body and held it tightly. He hit me with his other fist, but I held on, sticking to the floor as I exerted more force on his hand. With a creak and a hiss, I crushed the gauntlet and pulled the claws out of me. The glove disengaged as he pulled back, his hand a bloody mess. He grabbed me, trying to push me off to the side. I held him through the pain, and we rolled before falling onto the tracks. I continued to clutch him tightly as he alternated between punching and pushing me away.

    The screech of a train alerted me. It was on the tracks. Our tracks. The floor began to vibrate as it drew closer. Shit. If I let go now, the clone would have a chance to get away from me. I was in a worse state than he was, and consciousness was already slipping. The pain from the fact he¡¯d stabbed me in the gut, was the only thing keeping me awake.  But if I didn¡¯t let go then we¡¯d both die, along with a lot of people on the train. His exoskeleton was enough to derail it. The tracks began to rattle. Shit. I didn''t have time to think.

    ¡°Stop!¡± I shouted desperate.

    ¡°GIVE IT BACK!¡± he screamed, tearing the spider off my chest as he tried to pull away. Dammit, this one was more insane than the others. He wasn¡¯t listening. Something. I needed something. I shifted on my back, moving us between the tracks as he beat my face bloody. We could stay under the train. If I held him close, we could stay under. He slammed an elbow into my face, but I held him firmly, pulling him closer. He carried on slamming his elbows against my face, slamming my head against the ground repeatedly. My grip only grew stronger as I grit my teeth and bared it. He stopped and started pushing against the ground, the concrete cracking beneath his hands as he tried to pull away from me. He craned his neck upwards, trying to pull away.

    ¡°NO! ST-!¡°

    The train slammed into his head carrying him and me along underneath the train. The screech of wheels, sparks and the low rumble of the train echoed through my head, accompanied by the buzz of my spider sense. My body moved on it¡¯s own as I skidded across the ground, contorting and controlling itself, as scrapes burned themselves into my body. The darkness brought with it a serenity, an almost silence, that existed between my thoughts. An answer to my anguish. A peace in the presence of death. It was almost welcoming. But still, I avoided it. I still had lives to save.

    Everything came crashing back down as I slammed against something, jolting my whole body as fear shot through me. Then suddenly, I was bathed in the light of the subway again. Waves of pain washed over me as I writhed in agony, unable to escape it. The panicked shouts of civilians centred me and I pulled myself up, forcing myself to stand. I stumbled, my entire body shaking with shock. I looked around, there was blood underneath the train tracks, leading all the way underneath the stopped train. I heard shouts and cries then the sound of glass smashing. I threw myself towards the commotion, spotting the clone covered in blood as he climbed out the window of the train car. I grabbed him as he tried to leap for the hole above us and he threw an elbow back into my chest, sending me crashing to the ground.

    I lay there for a few seconds dazed as spots danced across my vision. My body fought against me as I tried to move it, my sense of balance gone. Get up. Grandpa¡¯s in danger you idiot. Get up! With a gasp I rolled over, onto my hands and knees. I looked up to see the clone stumbling as he tried to climb over the train, eyes focused on the hole in the ceiling. I forced myself up. to continue fighting. I stood up and against my body¡¯s protests rushed forward. I grabbed the clown and pulled him off the train car. We fell to the ground and I got on top of him. I tried to hit him but grabbed at me holding me back. Half of his face was exposed now; part of the exoskeleton having been torn off on impact with the train. I could see my eyes staring back at me, filled with the same determination.

    ¡°I have to kill Grandpa! Let me kill him!¡± he roared.

    ¡°No!¡± I shouted back. ¡°Just, just stop!¡±

    He smiled grimly, his teeth lined with blood.

    ¡°You can¡¯t stop me. I won¡¯t stop till I die. You know that best. The only problem is you¡¯re too weak to kill. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll kill Grandpa. Then you, then Aunt May and the rest of our loved ones. I think once I¡¯ve killed you, I¡¯ll start with Liz. Or maybe MJ. Or Harry, Grady, Bella, and Sajani. Oh, I think the trip to England would be fun too. Weather¡¯s a bit temperamental, but I Ned would probably love the company. I really can¡¯t decide. They¡¯re so close their basically family!¡± he said, grinning maniacally.

    ¡°No! Stop! Stop it!¡± I said, slamming him against the concrete again. His grip only grew stronger, and his smile disappeared as he started to overwhelm me, his face growing serious.

    ¡°Stop? Why the hell would I stop?! Cutting out the weakness will only make me stronger! How can¡¯t you see that! It¡¯s my responsibility to be a better Spider-Man! It¡¯s the only thing that matters!!¡± he said.

    ¡°No!¡± roared slamming him back into the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t do that! Don¡¯t you dare twist his words!!¡±

    ¡°If you hate it so much, kill me!!¡± he roared. He let his grip slacken as I pushed him to the floor. He was wide open. His face was exposed. If I hit him hard enough I could do it. I could end this. I drew my fist back but paused, staring into his eyes. I couldn¡¯t.

    He kneed me in the stomach and flung me against the train car. I slammed into it then slumped to the floor. My body refused to listen to me as I pleaded with it to get up, to stop the monster in front of me. He got up breathing slowly.

    ¡°Pathetic¡± he spat. He stepped towards me but paused, stumbling as he reached for his neck. An opening. With all the willpower I had left I swung my leg around, sweeping his feet out from under him. He crashed to the floor, his head hitting the deck. He lay on the ground for a second and didn¡¯t get back up. I forced myself up, propping myself against the train. I glanced at the clone. He lay still on the floor unmoving. He was out cold. Thank God. But now what? He had my face. I couldn¡¯t just leave him here. That would cause so much trouble.

    Dammit. I was wasting time. I could think about this later. I needed to hide him.

    ¡°Y-you okay Spider-man?¡± someone asked on the train. I feebly flashed a thumbs up, not trusting myself to speak and stumbled forwards to the clone. I knelt over him and turned him over. As I did he reached out and grabbed me tightly. Shit. But nothing happened. Instead, he just looked up at me in fear, his eyes shaking. I could tell instantly, he was dying. Why? Had the hit to the head done it. No, tendrils of black and green spread through his veins and across his face. His poison supply must¡¯ve leaked and gotten into him. He was overdosing. With what I had on me, there was nothing I could do.

    He moved his mouth as he tried to speak, tried to say something, but no words came out. I held him, and slowly the light faded from his eyes. I stared at a twisted reflection of my own face, a feeling of hollowness settling in my heart. As I reached over to close his eyes, my spider sense buzzed. The bomb mechanism had activated. I flung him away from the train and the civilians.

    ¡°GET DOWN!¡± I shouted.

    A flash of light and heat engulfed the far side of the station, shattering any windows nearby and knocking passengers back onto the floor. I pulled myself up in the smoke, looking around to see if anyone was injured. Everybody looked okay, just afraid. I slumped to my knees having a second of relief, before an emptiness washed over me. It was over. I¡¯d gotten lucky, but it was finally over. I breathed heavily, my ribs on fire. I¡¯d skidded across the ground fast enough to burn holes in my costume and leave read marks on my skin, but I was alive. I was tired too. Really tired. The cries of the civilians focused me yet again. May, MJ and Liz. I needed to help them first. Then I could rest.

 Interlude Ten - Eliza Allen

    Liz sat in a coffee shop, clutching her phone. Her shoulders were bunched together tightly and all her breaths were short, sharp, as though the weight of anxiety was pressing against her chest. She''d called Peter back at least seven times, but he still hadn''t answered. Given what he''d said, he was probably way too busy. That was definitely an understatement. She clutched her phone tighter dispelling the thoughts. She''d listened to what he''d asked, and left work to hole up in some random restaurant a decent distance away. She was filled with worry, confusion, hurt and anxiety, but there was only thought at the forefront of her mind.

    Petey was Spider-Man.

    Liz didn¡¯t know what to do with that information. It didn¡¯t seem like another lie. In fact it made a lot of things make sense. It explained why he worked less hours than he could despite his love for his job, all the random times he¡¯d pulled away, the small cuts and bruises she¡¯d noticed that he claimed were the result of clumsiness and whatever had happened when his whole demeanour shifted at the ball.

    But it still felt like she was missing something. Why? She didn¡¯t know. But she still had so many questions. Why tell her now? Was he in trouble? That was a silly question. If someone was after, then they had to know his identity. Were they going after other people? His aunt? His friends? His grandpa? Or was it just her? Either way it was clear the situation was bad. Seriously bad.

    But that couldn¡¯t be it. If some villain knew his identity, they¡¯d have shared it with the world. Who knew how many villains were lying in wait for an opportunity to get a leg up on Spider-Man like this? If they wanted Spider-Man too preoccupied with protecting his loved ones then wouldn¡¯t they share the info as soon as they got it? She was searching for what was going on online, but there wasn¡¯t anything about Spider-Man¡¯s identity. She could only find breaking news reports of those robots attacking the city and an electric storm over Oscorp Tower, with some sightings of Spider-Man running around, charging headfirst into danger. No, Petey. Petey was charging headfirst into danger. Her stomach twisted into knots, and Liz hung her head slightly to dissuade the nausea. She needed to do something, but what? She didn¡¯t know who, or what was after her, didn¡¯t even really know what was going on. She still couldn¡¯t believe Peter was Spider-Man, but it was all starting to feel a little too real. She pressed her phone to her chin, staring at the the untouched scrambled eggs she''d gotten.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± someone asked. Liz looked up to see one of the waiters wiping down the table next to hers, staring at her with concern. She just blinked back in response, the question catching her off guard.

    ¡°Miss, are you okay?¡± the waiter said, stepping forward, their concern amplified.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± she said quickly, shrinking away. The waiter paused and nodded uncertainly.

    ¡°Ok. Sorry to bother y-¡±

    A car slammed to the floor outside, screeching as it skidded against the asphalt. People outside cried out in shock, when a horrifying screech cut through the air. Then there was a boom, and the entire building rattled. Everyone in the restaurant was silent, staring out into the street as people began to race by, crying out in fear. The ground shook again, more violently this time and people inside the shop cried out. Liz felt her panic spike, her heart jumping into her mouth. Was this what Peter had warned her about? But how had it followed her here? She¡¯d never been here before., that¡¯s what Peter had told her. Find somewhere she hadn¡¯t been before. Did it not matter? Did she run, or would running just draw attention? She clenched her fists together tighter, standing as people in the shop backed away from the entrance.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Everyone, there¡¯s an exit out the back!¡± a barista shouted. Everybody turned and ran, stumbling and pushing as they tried to get away from the commotion. Liz stared in horror, watching the scene, unsure of what to do. If this was it, she might be putting everyone in danger if whatever it was saw her. But if she didn¡¯t go, she might just die here anyway. Her hands started to tremble as she stared out into the street, watching the panicked faces of people as they ran.

    ¡°What are you waiting for?! Hurry!¡± the barista shouted again. Liz turned realising she was the only one left, then indecision gone, she rushed forward, sparing a glance back. She watched as a blur of green shot across the street, followed by Spider-Man zipping through the air, a blur of red and blue. She continued running for the back of the store, her mind awash with too many thoughts to focus on any one thing. So she just ran, following everyone as they made their way out into the alley beside the store. The sounds of chaos raged out behind them, as windows shattered, concrete cracked and people screamed. Liz continued running emerging into the street over from the commotion as everyone slowed, sneaking panicked glances back. Liz glanced back too. Even in the chaos, a grim curiosity for the unknown, no matter how dangerous, gripped her. She watched for a second, the sounds of the chaos raging just a street over fuelling her imagination before something emerged above the buildings. The robot flew into the air, assaulted by a barrage of web that served to tangle it more and more, as it rose steadily into the air. It released a deafening screech before flashing yellow. Liz looked away in time, but the explosion was big enough for her to feel the heat on her back, even from this distance. When the heat dissipated, she turned back, just in time to catch a glimpse of Spider-Man swinging away.

    She felt a surge of relief, followed by a shudder of guilt as she looked at the scared faces around her. She turned back to the sky, watching as the smoke dissipated. Was that it? Or was she still in danger? Liz didn¡¯t know enough, but she was still just glad Petey gotten caught in that explosion.

    Then she paused, frowning. If it was over, where was he going? She closed her eyes, trying to place the direction she was facing on a wider map, then gave up pulling out her phone. She had a missed call from May. She''d be so anxious she hadn''t even realised. She went to answer then paused. It could wait for a second. She quickly went to maps and zoomed out from her location. Queens. He was heading towards Queens. To his Aunt¡¯s house. She clicked out the maps app and immediately called Aunt May. The phone rang and rang and rang, but no one picked up. Her heart hammered, as a sinking feeling growing in her gut with every ring. Peter''s Aunt always picked up. Something wasn''t right. She could feel it. She needed to do something, but she didn''t know what. She was paralysed by the lack of information.

    "Everything''s ok. Everything''s gonna be ok" she mumbled to herself. Liz looked back to the sky, in the direction Petey had gone, her body twisting with anxiety. Dammit, what was even happening?

 Extended Family - Chapter Twenty

    I swung through the air at a breakneck pace, my entire body thrumming with pain. I wanted to stop; I¡¯d been moving with too many injuries for far too long. But I couldn¡¯t; fuelled by an aversion to the possibility of my almost crippling fears coming true. Every thought rushing through my head was negative. Every single one. There was too much to think about. Too much to do. Too much I didn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t know if MJ and Aunt May were safe. I didn¡¯t know if Harry would make it. I didn¡¯t know whether or not there was someone out there right now, in all the wreckage I¡¯d left behind, calling out for me and I¡¯d never hear them, never arrive to save the day. It felt like I was forgetting something, but I was simultaneously too tired and far too focused on everything else to think about it. I didn¡¯t even know whether Liz was ok.

    I¡¯d killed the clone, but there might even be another clone after her. Or she could¡¯ve been in one of the buildings the fight had destroyed. People had died again, hadn¡¯t they? I grit my teeth.

    I was leaving a trail of death in my wake today. And now I was leading it home. The thought clawed at my psyche, whittling it down even further than the day already had. Bringing with it a sense of fragility, of exposure. A part of me wanted to stop. A larger part of me than I¡¯d like to admit. It wanted to curl up into a ball and just rest. But I ignored it. I had too, because if I didn¡¯t, I¡¯d hesitate. And if I hesitated for even a second, for even a moment, I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d be able to get back up. If I stopped here, it¡¯d cost me everything. Of all things, that, I knew.

    So I continued, leaping forwards and pulling myself along, the houses around me a blur. It was difficult to swing through residential areas, the lack of higher buildings slowing me down. Constantly landing and jumping was tiring me out, and at every second feeling as though I was barely moving, as if in some twisted nightmare, had started to do a number on my mind. I needed a way to move faster, but there wasn¡¯t one. I pulled and jumped and pulled, nearing home as my dread grew. My eyes scanned my surroundings, picking up any and all movements, my brain on high alert. But the negative thoughts still dominated my mind.

    I shook my head, trying to dispel them.

    ¡°Come on. Happy thoughts Pete, happy thoughts¡± I mumbled.

    Aunt May and MJ would be ok. I¡¯d be able to eat breakfast with them again. They¡¯d be able to poke fun at how silly the small amount of stubble I could grow was. I¡¯d get to celebrate MJ¡¯s birthday in two days time. I¡¯d be able to visit Grandpa Will with Aunt May when all of this was done. I¡¯d be at MJ¡¯s birth. I¡¯d get to be the perfect non-blood related uncle ever. I¡¯d do everything I was supposed to do with them. I¡¯d get there and save the day, because that¡¯s what Spider-Man did. They¡¯d live to see tomorrow. All of them would live.

    A roar rang out, carrying a familiar metal twang. My heart thudded loudly in my chest, and time seemed to slow. A Clone. Where?! I launched myself higher into the air and my senses sharpened as I focused, spinning around in a quick circle as I scanned the block. There. In the park. I¡¯d barely seen a glimpse of it between the trees, but the way the sun glinted off a patch of green was enough to throw my body into overdrive.

    As I fell, I fired out a web and pulled myself through the air. I grabbed a hold of a streetlight and spun around it twice before launching myself upwards with a new burst of momentum. I flew, eyes focused on the ground beneath the trees. I spotted a glimpse of metallic green again. I fired my webs instantly, accounting for the direction and speed of the clone as it raced through the park. I felt my webs latch onto something, and I yanked it upwards. The clone screeched, crying out as it flew up into the air. I shot past it as it clawed at me and fired bursts of web at it trapping it in a cocoon as it¡¯s upwards trajectory slowed. It cried out, and then exploded in a ball of fire. I felt a wave of relief wash over me before I crashed into the trees, the branches poking and stabbing at me as I fell through them and finally came to a stop on the floor.

    I breathed heavily for a seconds, catching my breath. That was it. I¡¯d stopped it before it¡¯d gotten anywhere close to home. It¡¯d been going a really roundabout route, a bit out of the way, but definitely in the right direction. Did it not know the normal route? Why was that? Maybe its memories weren¡¯t completely concrete? They were clones after all. It didn¡¯t matter, I could think about it later. I stood up, my body aching as I dusted myself off. Now I could go back, find out how this mess had started, and figure out how to end it. I just needed to find out wherever the hell the clones were and pray the Bears didn¡¯t have more. I already had a good idea of where they could be based on how quickly the clone had gotten to Brooklyn compared to the one here. They couldn¡¯t be too far from my base.

    Suddenly my spider-sense buzzed and I flipped, dodging out the way as a mechanical tail cut through the air. I landed and spun just in time to see a clone racing towards me. The mixture of shock and my injuries slowed me down, and I stumbled, failing to dodge. The clone stabbed it¡¯s claws into my arm and I gasped, kicking it away hard before I fell to the floor, slumping against a tree as I clutched the wound. Shit.

    Suddenly an explosion shook the ground, the force knocking me back. I slammed into a tree and crashed to the floor. I looked up, eyes wide as I stared at the smoking crater in front of me. Oh no. I¡¯d kicked the Clone too hard in my panic. Had anyone been in the park? This was close to a highschool, what time was it? Shit! Before I could even think about anything else, my spider sense blared again and I dived out the way, dodging as a clone lunged at me from above. It slammed to the floor but flipped up quickly and immediately bull rushed me, swinging wildly. I dodged rapidly from it¡¯s frenzied attacks, then tripped it up and pulled myself away quickly.

    What the hell was going on?! Three clones in the same space. Shit! What did that mean for everyone else?! Don¡¯t tell me there were more clones coming after them. That was just supposed be a stupid negative thought. I wasn¡¯t supposed to actually worry about it. Shit. What did I do? Was there even anything I could do? I looked around frantically, sparing a glance behind me at the crater. If I¡¯d gotten here later that could¡¯ve been a street. I was too injured to deal with the clone properly. It was dangerous. I needed to keep it in the park. I took a step forward but fell to one knee feeling dizzy. Dammit! The venom was messing with my senses. I¡¯d toughed it out on the way here, but now it was overwhelming me. So much for spider physiology. What kind of venom even was it? I heard the screech of the clone as I fell to the floor, the world spinning. My senses dulled as everything grew further away.

    ¡°Dammit! Get up!¡± I cursed, my words slurring. I forced myself to stand as my body trembled. I still couldn¡¯t see properly, but I didn¡¯t need to see. I sensed outwards, feeling the space with my extreme awareness. There. I fired a web, taking off after the clone as I pulled myself above the trees. It was ignoring me and heading for the street, towards home. I fired a web latching onto it¡¯s tail and pulled it back, slowing it down. Before I could fling it high into the air, it cut the web and lunged at me through the trees. Crap. I threw myself towards the floor, but I was too late. It snagged part of my costume and pulled me back, slamming me into a tree.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Pathetic. You¡¯re not even worth my time¡± he snarled in my face, gripping me tightly before launching me through the air. I flailed; the sense of freedom gone as I shot through the air in dizzying, uncontrolled arc. before Then I slammed against something and crashed to the ground. My head laid against the cold hard asphalt as my ears rung. Asphalt? Shit I was in the street. I could hear screams, cries of fear from civilians. I pushed myself to my feet, looking around at the chaos, dazed.

    I needed to call for help. This was way too much. I couldn¡¯t deal with this. Where was my phone? Oh right, it was broken. I¡¯d need to borrow someone else¡¯s call the MDA or something. Suddenly the car next to me was crushed as the clone slammed to the ground. It tried to leap again, but I fired a web and pulled It off the car. It stumbled and fell. I dived crashing into it, and we rolled before stopping, the clone atop me. Crap. It hit me, and I reeled, but I took the chance to grab it, and hold.

    ¡°Dammit! Stop fucking around!¡± it exclaimed breaking my grip easily. It pulled back it¡¯s claws ready to strike.

    It brought it¡¯s hand down and I caught the gauntlet, my definitely broken arms protesting in pain as I held it back. Then the clone¡¯s tail whipped around, locking onto me and shooting downwards. Time slowed and my body reacted instinctively. I roared, and with an inhuman strength and speed, pulled my fist back and struck it hard in the face. The clone¡¯s helmet imploded as it flew upwards into the sky. The sounds of everything around me came to a stop as the realisation of what I¡¯d just done hit me.

    ¡°GET DOWN!¡± I cried out. Then, the sky above ruptured, enveloped in a flicker of fire and everything went white.

    -

    I opened my eyes, blinking for a few seconds as I looked around. I was blanketed by darkness, the dim flicker of light surrounding me, and the feeling of fine dust against my tongue. I was trapped under rubble. Fear rose in my chest, and I was instantly transported to two years ago. I strained against it, but the weight on my back remained steadfast, refusing to budge despite my strength. I gasped, my face growing hot as the panic rose further.

    ¡°H-help! Someone help!¡± I coughed. I was only met with the distant sound of shouts, and sirens.

    I closed my eyes muttering to myself as I tried to ignore the weight crushing down on me, enclosing me in this cramped space. My breaths became short, sharp and fast. But it felt like I got less oxygen with every gasp.

    ¡°Oh God¡± I mumbled. ¡°Help! Help! Dammit!¡±

    Nothing. There wasn¡¯t anyone here this time, no Lucas to rescue me from the wreck. I was alone. And it was my own fault.

    The low buzz of my spider sense rolled in as I struggled uselessly against the creaking mass of rubble. Desperation began to overwhelm me. I craned my neck to look around, but struggled, unable to move my arms and torso. The effort only served to panic me more. I needed to get out. I needed to get out now. With a desperate cry I strained against the rubble hearing it creak against my strength as I pressed upwards, trying to stand. I held, pushing against the weight with as much effort as I could muster, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Maybe I was too tired, too injured, or my fear had weakened me, either way, my legs gave out.

    I held myself there for a few seconds, my breathing growing ragged as my eyes began to water. I shifted my legs crying out as I writhed in my own growing discomfort. Then all together the panic and fear were overcome by despair. I hung my head, watching as the little light that was available illuminated blood as it dripped off my face, and onto the debris beneath me.

    It was over. I was trapped here whilst the Bears got away with whatever the hell they were doing, and my loved ones were out there possibly still being hunted by killer clones. Harry was probably dead. And all over the city people needed my help but I wasn¡¯t there. I was trapped under a ton of rubble, uselessly panicking. Just like two years ago when Gwen had died. It was the same thing all over again. I hadn¡¯t made a difference then, and I wasn¡¯t making a difference now.

    My face twisted in a mixture of sadness, anger and resentment at the world. The Bugle was right. I¡¯d actively made things worse. Hundreds of people had died today. Because of me. Death had always followed me everywhere, and today I¡¯d brought it across New York. My tears fell to the floor as I let my body go limp. It was stupid to ever think I¡¯d be able to hold up my end of the promise. Stupid to believe that I could ever make a difference, even as Spider-Man. New York didn¡¯t need me, anyway. It had the MDA, and most of the big metahumans had been put away in the Hortz-Bruig.

    The clone in the subway had been right. I was pathetic. I¡¯d barely been holding things together, and tonight had been enough to unravel it all. In a single moment of weakness created by my own stupidity, I¡¯d broken my promise. Spider-Man was supposed to be for everybody. That¡¯s what I¡¯d told myself, right? But I¡¯d run around the city, trying to save only the people I cared about as I left others in need behind. This must¡¯ve been some kind of divine punishment. Being trapped, unable to save anybody as I heard the cries of the people I¡¯d abandoned. Retribution for breaking the very foundation I¡¯d built my hero persona on. Someone, somewhere was laughing at me, enjoying my suffering. And I deserved it.

    Blood continued dripping down my face as I gasped for air. My throat felt dry my lips cracked and burned, my skin raw and my entire body ached with pain. For a moment I was painfully aware of my body, it¡¯s state overwhelmingly present in my mind. I could feel the weigh against my back, the bruises all over. The blood seeping from the stab wound to my side. My eyes began to adjust to the darkness, barely able to make out colours among the shapes. Lazily, they scanned over my surroundings, staring at the rubble, dust, debris and blood before finally stopping on the mask. It lay on top of brick in tatters as the wide lenses reflecting my beaten face back at me.

    But my face wasn¡¯t what I was looking at. I was looking at my eyes. They were broken, devoid of any spirit. As if I¡¯d already died.

    I looked away in shame. Was that really me? No, it couldn¡¯t be. I looked like I¡¯d given up. Like I¡¯d lost all hope. I couldn¡¯t just give up this easily. Sure, it looked hopeless, but what if there was still a chance? What if my family was still alive? What if it wasn¡¯t too late?

    I felt a burst of emotion rise through my chest, a mix of determination and hope. Even if it killed me, I had to have hope. I had to believe I could still save my family. I needed to believe I could save everyone. I had to believe I could be the hero everyone needed, even if I wasn¡¯t. Even if It was stupid to think I could hold up my end of the promise, I had to try. Even when I failed, I had to keep trying. How had a nearly forgotten that? How had I nearly forgotten what had made me.

    I clenched my fists, trying to pull my arms out from under the rubble. I couldn¡¯t let this be the end of me, or the end of Spider-Man. I couldn¡¯t give up. If there were people out there who needed help, I could still save them. Family included.

    So I pushed. I pushed upwards against the weight of the rubble, and I lifted. I cried out, my body shaking with effort as I raised the embodiment of all my doubt insecurity. But this time my legs held, the stone creaked and then lifted of the ground. I adjusted my footing, pushing harder until I could force my feet underneath my body. I lifted, removing my hands off the ground, and placing them underneath the weight I was carrying. I rose, the weight against my back growing easier to lift with every second. Then I pushed it off me, and dived forwards, towards the newfound light.

 Extended Family - Chapter Twenty One

    I crashed to the ground and skidded across the floor before slamming into more debris. The world seemed to spin for a few seconds, and I rolled over, groaning. My eyes flew open, and I jerked my head back blinking as I shielded my eyes from the light. As my eyes adjusted, the hazy shapes of grey focused into clouds, the white surrounding them dimming into blue. The sky. Through a clear gap in the debris, I was looking up at the sky.

    ¡°Thank god¡± I mumbled, through deep breaths of relief. I twisted onto my side, then with a grunt, forced myself up. My entire body hurt, and I wanted to lie back down and never get back up. But I had things to do. I wiped sweat off my face, then glanced behind, spotting my mask back in the darkness. I webbed it over, holding it tightly before pulling it on. Quickly, I webbed up my wounds before grabbing a support and pulling myself to my feet.

    I propped myself up on the remains of the pillar, closing my eyes as I took in deep breaths. The sounds were clearer now. I could hear sirens, helicopters, and the low chatter of people. The atmosphere felt familiar. Like the one outside the hospital the night Max had attacked. The air of tragedy was almost palpable. Knives of guilt stabbed through me and I stumbled, barely catching myself. A lot of people had died. People in a place I¡¯d grown up around. Potentially people I might¡¯ve gone to High-school with. Possibly a friend of a friend. Maybe even family.

    The concrete beneath my hand cracked, crumbling within my fingers. No. People had to have survived. They''re had to have been at least one, or two. I couldn¡¯t... I couldn''t have any more blood on my hands. I felt out with my spider sense, scanning through the debris. A lot of people had been caught up in the explosion. Even more had been caught been caught up in the rubble of collapsed buildings. I could feel their bodies. Unmoving. Devoid of life. Some crushed into nothing, some dead from suffocation. It was haunting.

    I continued searching, growing more hopeless with every passing.

    "Come on, come on" I whispered to myself in desperate. Then I paused. A heartbeat. There was someone out there. Someone small. A child. Barely breathing. They were trapped, unconscious, but still alive. They wouldn¡¯t last much longer. I glanced up to the sky, feeling the anxiety seep back into my chest. It was darker. I¡¯d definitely lost a lot of time from getting knocked out. It¡¯d be stupid to go back now. I¡¯d be wasting precious seconds that I¡¯d need in saving my loved ones. But I couldn¡¯t just leave the child. Somewhere in my mind I¡¯d already decided that. I was wasting time agonising over it.

    I pushed off the wall and leapt back into the debris, quickly and carefully crawling through the debris. The smell of iron in the air made me feel ill. How many people had died in the wreck while I¡¯d been unconscious? How many had cried out for help as they¡¯d suffocated in the darkness, surrounded by others doing the same? I knew how it felt, I knew the fear of being trapped like that, knowing there was nothing you could do. But I¡¯d lived. And they hadn¡¯t.

    I shook my head, focusing on the task at hand. I crept over debris, and crawled around metal, weaving my way through the obstacles. In seconds I spotted the child, contorting myself under a large pillar to finally reach them. In one smooth motion I jumped down and slipped my hands under the wreath of beams trapping the child. With a grunt I lifted upwards, raising the beams. The rubble around us creaked, moving as dust fell. I fired webs around us, patching together the rubble, as I held the beams with a single trembling arm. Finally I webbed up the beams and grabbed the child, pulling them close. I turned back, crawling through the mess as I held the child gently.

    I reached the opening, and began crawling upwards, the rubble creaking beneath me. The sounds of everyone, of freedom, beckoned, as the light from a helicopter flashed overhead, temporarily illuminating hole. I climbed faster as the child moved in my arm, coughing.

    ¡°We¡¯re nearly there. You¡¯ll be safe soon¡± I whispered. As I neared the top, the voices grew louder, followed sound of movement. I crawled out of the final pieces of rubble, towards the now completely visible sky. I clamped a hand onto the last piece of debris and pulled us out.

    I clambered into a ditch, surrounded by even more rubble, but now the sky was open. Now I could breathe properly. I glanced down below. The building must¡¯ve collapsed into the sewers.

    ¡°Look, it¡¯s Spider-Man!¡± someone shouted above me. I looked up to see firemen pointing down at me.

    ¡°Take the child¡± I said, hoarsely. One stepped forward, holding out his arms as I handed him the child. He lifted them up then stepped back, walking out of view. I let out a sigh, resting against the floor.

    ¡°You alright Spider-Man?¡± another fireman asked. I flashed him a thumbs up before taking a breath and quickly pulling myself out of the rubble. I was wasting time.

    I emerged on a mountain of debris, looking over a group of fire trucks, some ambulances treating injured, a police car and off to the side a crowd of people looking over the scene behind a set of barricades. Further down the street, some more buildings had partially collapsed. Dammit. I looked back to the crowd. People pointed at me, and some began calling out, shouting out things at me. I could see their faces so clearly. I could see their anguish, their fear. They must be looking for loved ones, for answers in the wake of devastation. Then a woman rushed forwards from the crowd, past police officers as the fireman reached the asphalt, carrying the child. She grabbed the child from the fireman, weeping as she clutched them tightly.

    ¡°Thank you¡± she sobbed to the fireman, ¡°Thank you¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me, it was all Spider-Man¡± the fireman said.

    ¡°Thank you¡± the woman said, looking up at me through tears. I offered a small nod in return then looked around, looking over the hopeful faces of the crowd as they stared to me, some crying out for me to rescue their loved ones. They needed help, but I needed to go. I knew it was wrong but I wanted to take off. Part of my brain was screaming at me, telling me to leave as quickly as I could, warning that every second was another chance that Aunt May, MJ and everyone else could be in trouble.

    But I couldn¡¯t just leave. At the very least, I owed these people an apology.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± I shouted, to everyone in the crowd. ¡°I have to go. I¡¯ll come back, I promise¡±

    Varying faces of emotion passed through the crowd and some began shouting back, their voice mixing in a mash of anger and pleading. I couldn¡¯t bear to look at them. I turned and leapt from the pile of rubble, firing off a web then pulling away. It was time to go home.

    -

    I landed, stumbling and falling to one knee. I caught myself on the floor then stood again, leaping and firing another web. My vision was tunnelling, my senses fading, my body failing, but I pushed forwards. I was nearly home. I recognised these roads, I¡¯d ridden my bike past these houses hundreds of times. I landed again, gasping as I stumbled, before leaping back into the air. I scanned the area, searching desperately all around, before looking ahead. There wasn¡¯t any smoke. That was good. That was good, right? I landed again, stumbling and falling onto the asphalt. I laid there for a few seconds before forcing myself up again, groaning as I pushed myself to my feet again. I stumbled forwards, before steeling myself and leaping again. Now I could see the house clearly. It was completely intact, thank God. Dammit, the lights were still on! Had Aunt May not listened to me?

    I pulled myself forward again, and landed on the house, stumbling as I tried to stop myself. I fell and slipped down the roof, sliding towards the garden. I caught myself, on the edge of the house then descended with a web, landing on the ground before falling to my knees. I forced myself up and opened the back door, stepping inside. I heard the sound of chatter seize and people stand as the floorboards creaked. There was more than just Aunt May here. Shit! I rushed through the kitchen and stopped in the doorway to the living room, hands raised.

    Aunt May, Liz, MJ, Kevin, Phillip, and Helen stood looking at me in surprise. A hundred different thoughts flashed through my mind. The fact that I¡¯d forgotten to call Gwen¡¯s mum in my panic, the questions I had at why they were still here, but mostly one thought. I ripped off my mask and stepped forward.

    ¡°You¡¯re okay. You¡¯re okay¡± I said, sobbing as pulled Aunt May into a tight hug. Aunt May hugged, me tightly whispering. Liz pulled me in tightly too as MJ and the others neared. Aunt May pulled away, holding my face tenderly.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± she said, her cheeks tear stained.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry. I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t want you to worry¡± I said breathless.

    ¡°Peter?¡± Aunt May said, her voice concerned.

    I felt my legs grow weak and I fell, Aunt May catching me.

    ¡°Peter?!¡± Aunt May cried, clutching me tightly.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m fine¡± I replied, breathing heavily.

    ¡°No you¡¯re not. Sit down, I¡¯ll call an ambulance and-¡±

    ¡°No Aunt May. I can¡¯t stay¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°I have to back¡±

    ¡°Peter, look at you? What are you saying?!¡± May said. I stood slowly, breaking eye contact with a mixture of guilt of shame. Of course she didn¡¯t want me to go. That look in her eyes, that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯d worried about.

    ¡°People need help. The bombs an-¡±

    ¡°You need help! You¡¯re hurt Peter!¡±

    ¡°Aunt Ma-¡±

    ¡°No! I won¡¯t allow it. You¡¯re staying here end of. Helen call an ambulance, and for godsake will someone grab some bandages!¡±

    ¡°Aunt May, please. Please. I have to go¡±

    ¡°No. That¡¯s final¡± she said, serious. I looked to the others who looked at me, their faces a mixture of concern and uncertainty.

    ¡°You can¡¯t stay here anyway, it might be dangerous¡±

    ¡°Peter, we left for an hour and then came back. Nothing happened¡± MJ said.

    ¡°Well, you could still all be in danger. We¡¯re there anymore attacks?¡± I said, suddenly on edge.

    ¡°Peter stop, just sit down and we can sort everything out-¡¯¡±

    ¡°Please! Just¡­ were there any more attacks?¡± I asked, my voice shaking.

    ¡°Yeah¡± Liz said, stepping forwards and taking my hand. ¡°There were a few big explosions in Chinatown and one on the high street downtown, but they were a while ago an there¡¯s been nothing since¡± she said. Chinatown? That was close to my base.

    ¡°How long ago? The ones in Chinatown?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Twenty? Thirty minutes ago?¡± Liz said, her eyes worriedly scanning my injuries.

    ¡°Has my identity been leaked?¡± I said.

    ¡°No. Nothing on the internet that I could find¡± Liz said..

    ¡°Thank you. Seriously¡± I said to Liz, squeezing her hand. I nodded, relieved, before turning to leave.

    ¡°Peter?!¡± Aunt May said, grabbing my hand.

    ¡°I- I have to go Aunt May¡±

    ¡°Why? Why?¡± she asked, almost pleading, as she held my hand tightly.

    ¡°I- I have to help. People¡­ everywhere¡± I said, rasping.

    ¡°Peter you can barely stand!¡± Aunt May said.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. I have to go¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°People need me¡±

    ¡°Just stay here. Please, please stay here¡± Aunt May wailed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Aunt May. I have to go Just, please go somewhere else just in case¡± I said. ¡°All of you¡± I added, looking up.

    I tried to pull away from Aunt May, but she held me tightly, pulling me forward and kissing me on the brow.

    ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll come back to me¡± she said.

    ¡°I promise¡± I said. She looked at me, wiping her tears as she nodded.

    ¡°Go¡±

    ¡°Wait!? Aunt May?!¡± MJ cried, stepping forwards.

    ¡°He¡¯s made up his mind. You should know we can¡¯t change it. If he needs to help people, he needs to help people. Now come on, let¡¯s get somewhere safe¡± Aunt May said. MJ looked over me, her expression filled with concern.

    ¡°Come back safe¡± she said.

    ¡°I will¡± I said. I turned and made my way towards the garden as the others followed.

    ¡°Wait¡± Liz said, pulling me back, as I prepared to leap away. She pulled me into a quick kiss, then wiped some of the dirt of my face.

    ¡°Come back quickly¡±

    ¡°Will do¡± I said, pulling on my mask.

    I stepped away, then leapt up, firing a web and pulling myself away. My shoulders felt lighter now, even if my body still hurt. But that didn¡¯t matter. Thoughts of the clones, and possible attacks raged through my mind as I tried to figure out what had happened. The last clone attack had been half an hour ago. Did that mean they¡¯d stopped attacking, did it mean all my friends and family were safe now? Probably, but it was still better to be safe than sorry, I needed to borrow someone¡¯s phone, and call Sajani and the others. But now I had to focus. Even if the worst of it might be over, I still had to find who¡¯d done this. Plus, there was a whole city to clean-up. I landed and leapt up again, firing another web as I felt my shoulders tense up again. Tonight was going to be a long one.

 Extended Family - Chapter Twenty Two

    The outskirts of Chinatown, and just beyond were a mess. Liz hadn¡¯t properly conveyed the size of the explosion that had happened. They were far larger than any of the other ones. Enough to take out an entire building and send serious debris flying for at least five blocks. The explosion outside of Chinatown had been my base. Considering the only important thing that had been destroyed from that was the Spider-Man clone¡¯s body, thoughts on that could wait. I had more pressing matters to deal with here. Still, he hadn¡¯t deserved that. Even if he was a clone, he deserved a proper burial.

    I shook my head, dispelling the thought as I looked around, searching the immense wreck for people. There were hundreds of people here. Far too many for people to save before people started dying. I¡¯d come straight here from the wreck in Queens after finding out about the scale of destruction. So far there were at least 159 confirmed casualties, and we hadn¡¯t even finished searching the wreck. It had already gotten dark.

    The whole situation was just¡­ soul shattering. But just because there were too many people didn¡¯t mean we couldn¡¯t save anyone.

    I winced, stumbling slightly as I shifted the weight of the man I carried. I regained my footing and leapt over the remnants of a shop and rushed towards a group of ambulances. I handed him over to a group of medics, glancing over the line of injured I¡¯d already given them. As I turned to leave, the man gripped my hand tightly.

    ¡°Thank you¡± he said, his eyes filled with gratitude. ¡°Thank you¡± I nodded, then looked away, my heart filled with shame. I jogged back towards the wreck, my side stinging as I sensed outwards. Dammit, I needed a better view of all of this. I leapt up, ignoring the pain as I climbed an evacuated building, climbing till I reached the roof. I paused, panting before surveying the destruction below. The lights from ambulances and fire-trucks flashed throughout the surrounding neighbourhood, as firemen, cops, and civilians, all worked together within the heart of the chaos, rescuing people. Helicopters, beat overhead their lights cutting through the night, illuminating the mess of debris below. I looked around again, looking at the people we¡¯d rescued. Some were unconscious, some silent in shock, some crying as they looked over their former homes. I looked away, feeling more tightness in my chest.

    I could just see how the Bugle would spin this. No. Not spin this. This time they¡¯d be right. I froze, then clenched my fists tightly. I needed to stop thinking and get back out there. I sensed out, feeling a group of three close by. They were trapped in a pocket of rubble. I could get to them. I leapt from the building and fired a web, swinging down and landing next to them. I grabbed the pillar blocking their escape, and hefted upwards, freeing up a path for them.

    ¡°It¡¯s safe to come out¡± I said, strained. They all bolted out, a mother, father, and son. I let the rubble fall, coughing as I stepped away from the dust.

    ¡°There¡¯s ambulances just down the road. Do you need me to carry you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No. Thank you. Thank you so much¡± she said, clutching her child tightly. The man nodded to me, taking his child before the trio rushed off.

    I let out a sigh of relief and sensed out further. There was something in what was left of that alley over there. I jogged over, before stumbling and falling to one knee. I frowned, taking a second before my body shuddered and I fell to the floor, the pain growing worse.

    ¡°Ow¡± I mumbled, blinking through the pain confused. I tried to stand but wobbled and fell to the floor again.

    ¡°Seriously? I got stabbed today and this is what does it?¡± I mumbled. I went to stand again, but this time the pain was worse. I gasped, falling to the floor as my body shook. Oh shit. I was losing control, the pain overwhelming me. I couldn¡¯t even keep my eyes open. Dammit. Not like this. Not here. Not now. There was still so much to do! Still so many people to save. I¡¯d caused so much damage today. I needed to make sure everyone was ok. I needed to fix things. I needed to get up.

    I rolled over, struggling to comprehend my surroundings through the pain. It was so bad I couldn¡¯t even tell whether I was breathing. But I could still hear the shouts, the cries for help in the chaos around. I could hear the sounds of sirens in the distance, of helicopters overhead. The cries of the people, their fear palpable. I needed to get up. I needed to make sure everyone else was okay.

    But I couldn¡¯t. Despite my will, my body was refused to listen, too beaten and broken to even hear my commands. I opened my eyes again, but it was darker now, my vision clouded in a hue of dark red. I blinked, but failed to get rid of the blood, as my vision tunnelled further. A feeling of cold, cool darkness began spreading through me. As it washed over me, all my fears and worries began to fade, a calm began to steadily permeate my being.

    Suddenly everything was clear. My thoughts, my memories, my feelings. Everything. I fumbled with the phone I had and dialled a number with all the strength I had left. It dialled once before the call was picked up.

    ¡°Petey?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± I blurted.

    ¡°What? Is something wrong?! What happened? What¡¯s happening?¡± Liz said, worried.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have lied to you. I should¡¯ve told you everything sooner.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok, it¡¯s ok. Where are you? Do you need help?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in some random alley by the Chinatown wreck. By all the fire-trucks and ambulances and stuff¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to call an ambulance?

    ¡°No, no. I¡¯m good. I always get up¡± I replied.

    ¡°Pete what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I love you¡± I said suddenly.

    ¡°I love you too. But please, please tell me what¡¯s going on. I need to know what to do so I can help¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Liz. Tell everyone else I love them to¡±

    ¡°What?! Peter?! Petey?!¡±

    But I couldn¡¯t respond. The clarity slowly fading. I looked at the sky, my life flashing before my eyes, a million memories closer than ever before. It was beautiful. I closed my eyes and let the comforting cold engulfed me.

    -

    -

    I opened my eyes to the soft sound of laughter in the distance. I sat up, confused, blinking as I looked around. I was in a field of grass surrounded by trees. I recognised it. It was the field from the park near home. But it looked different now. Better. Like I remembered in my best memories.

    Stolen novel; please report.

    I looked around, confused again. Why was I here? Hadn¡¯t I been¡­ where had I been? I¡¯d been¡­ I¡¯d been¡­ looking at the sky. Why had I been looking up at the sky? I glanced up and froze in awe. I stared at a sea of endless stars against a backdrop of absolute darkness. I¡¯d never seen the night sky so clearly. It realer than I ever remembered, like I could reach out and touch them. I reached out to the sky, grasping at air. The sky seemed to move at my touch, a canvas that bent and stretched, pulled by the gravity of my arm.

    ¡°Peter?¡± a familiar voice said. I spun around instantly, eyes wide as I came face to face with Gwen.

    ¡°Gwen?¡± I said emotional. She smiled softly at me. I leapt up and rushed towards her pulling her into a hug. She hugged me back. I cried in her arms, my body shaking.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. When the research centre collapsed, I- I couldn¡¯t do anything. I¡¯m so sorry¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok. You don¡¯t have to apologise Peter¡± she said. I pulled away looking up at her confused.

    ¡°But-¡±

    ¡°Come on, what would you have done? Stopped a ton of debris falling on me? You didn¡¯t even have powers yet¡± she said, laughing. I stared at her in disbelief.

    ¡°Sorry, too soon?¡± she said, still smiling.

    ¡°You can¡¯t- Don¡¯t joke about that¡± I said, serious.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry. I thought you¡¯d like that one. But it is my own death we¡¯re talking about¡± she said. Her face grew serious as I stared at her confused.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault Peter. I wish I could make you see that¡± she said. I stayed silent, studying her face as she stared solemn at the floor.

    ¡°Not gonna say anything?¡±

    ¡°I just¡­ I felt like I should¡¯ve done something¡± I said, wiping my eyes.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have¡±

    ¡°I know, I know. But that- it just makes it worse¡± I said.

    ¡°Does it? I thought you¡¯d find comfort in something like that¡±

    ¡°Not with you. Not when it¡¯s with you¡±

    I stared at the floor as we both stayed silent, afraid to say anything. And like always, Gwen spoke first.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault¡± she said.

    ¡°I know¡­ it just doesn¡¯t feel like it¡± I said. ¡°Even two years later, I keep finding myself thinking what I could¡¯ve done differently that day. What if I hadn¡¯t taken Lucas upstairs? What if I¡¯d convinced you to take a coffee break with me? What if we¡¯d agreed to work with Ricardo, caught sight of things earlier? I mean what if I¡¯d never cost Otto his job?¡±

    ¡°Pete¡± Gwen said, her voice filled with pity and concern.

    ¡°It¡¯s stupid, but I can¡¯t help it. I¡­ I miss you so much¡± I said, tearing up again. I hung my head, trying and failing to stop my tears. I felt a warm hand on my face as Gwen pulled me into another hug.

    We stood the for a few minutes before she pulled away.

    ¡°Come on you baby, let¡¯s walk¡± she said. I nodded, not trusting my voice. We made our way through the grass, taking in the sights in silence.  I looked to the sky again, staring up at the stars as the weirdness of the situation finally dawned on me.

    ¡°Where are we?¡± I asked.

    ¡°In some sort of in between place¡±

    ¡°In between where?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ complicated. I can¡¯t exactly tell you without breaking a promise¡±

    ¡°Promise?¡± I said, picking at the grass. ¡°With who?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that either¡± she said with a small smile.

    ¡°But it¡¯s why I¡¯m speaking with you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°Am I¡­ dead?¡± I asked. She shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s not exactly the answer I wanted¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± she said. I frowned, before realising what a question like that meant here.

    ¡°I- can I stay here? In this¡­ afterlife?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything about an afterlife. This is more like a¡­ what¡¯s a good analogy¡­ memory prison¡±

    ¡°Memory prison?¡± I said alarmed.

    ¡°The description¡¯s kind of crass, and it''s more complicated than that. Actually think of it as a display window specifically built for you¡±

    "I- I don''t even know how to respond to that"

    "Good, because if you start poking holes in the logic, we''ll just waste time. This cost me a pretty penny"

    "There''s money in the afterlife?"

    "Never said it was the afterlife, and no"

    ¡°Then what did you do? Don¡¯t tell me you did something stupid?¡±

    ¡°Oh please, I should be the one asking you that. Spider-Man, really?¡± she laughed. I looked away sheepishly.

    ¡°I kidding¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s kind of cool. Really cool actually¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Well I think it¡¯s a bit on the nose, but yeah. You¡¯re a fucking superhero. It¡¯s amazing¡± she said. I felt a burst of pride flood through my chest as a smile formed on my face. Then my smile faltered.

    ¡°But it didn¡¯t work¡± I said, dejected.

    ¡°What?¡± Gwen said, turning to me.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t work. I- so many people died tonight because of me. More than a hundred and fifty-nine, all because I couldn¡¯t let my family go¡±

    ¡°And how many did you save?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°How many people did you save?¡± she repeated.

    ¡°I- I don¡¯t know¡±

    ¡°Well it¡¯s a lot more people than you think¡±

    ¡°How can you- how do you know that?¡±

    ¡°Just a hunch¡±

    ¡°Just a hunch? How- I- You can¡¯t just say that. You can¡¯t try and make me feel better, just trivialise hundreds of lives¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to trivialise anything, Peter. I¡¯m trying to make you see that your way of thinking is skewed¡±

    ¡°But you can¡¯t just count how many people I saved and call it even¡± I said, my voice shaky.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Peter. But you didn¡¯t fail. I wish I could make you see that¡± her face suddenly serious.

    I went to say something, but Gwen stepped close, tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to the sky.

    ¡°What do you see?¡± Gwen asked.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What do you see silly?¡± she repeated. I looked up, staring blankly at the sky this time.

    ¡°Stars. So many stars. They¡¯re clearer than I¡¯ve ever seen before, and they move when I reach out for them¡±

    ¡°Holy shit that¡¯s cool¡±

    ¡°Is it different for you?¡± I said, turning to her.

    ¡°A nice bright blue, with literally the most perfect clouds you¡¯ve ever seen.¡± I smiled sadly at her words.

    ¡°That sounds nice¡±

    ¡°I think yours sounds nicer¡±

    We glanced at each other and laughed to ourselves for a moment, before Gwen looked up at the sky. She stared at it for a few seconds.

    ¡°I wish you were here¡± she said.

    ¡°I¡¯m here already, aren¡¯t I?¡± I joked. She looked down at me sadly.

    ¡°I wish you could stay¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I said, my heart thumping loudly in my chest.

    ¡°You can¡¯t stay Pete¡± she said, looking away.

    ¡°But I- I can Gwen. I can, can¡¯t I?¡± I said, taking her hand in mine. She held it tightly for a second then pushed it away.

    ¡°No Pete. You can¡¯t. You shouldn¡¯t. I¡¯ve kept you for too long anyway¡±

    ¡°But I want to stay. I w-¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t¡± she said, her voice shaky now.

    ¡°But everyone¡¯s here, right? Mum, Dad, Uncle Ben and you. Harry might even be here¡± I said, tears streaming down my face.

    ¡°What about Aunt May, MJ, Grandpa Will? Liz? All your other friends? There¡¯s still so many people you care about back home¡° she said. I frowned, feeling a mixture of longing and anguish.

    ¡°See?¡± Gwen said.

    ¡°But I want to stay with you all. I want to laugh with you, cry with you, live with you. I-¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be living if you were with us¡± Gwen said, sadly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I mean, the others would join us eventually, right?¡±

    Gwen pulled me into a tight hug.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be with us eventually Peter. Just live your life first¡± she said, her voice shaky. I held her close, crying harder. ¡°I miss you Pete. A lot. A lot, a lot.¡±

    ¡°I miss you too¡± I responded. She pulled away and began wiping at her eyes. ¡°God I¡¯m crying. This is silly¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with crying Gwen.¡±

    ¡°No, I just promised myself I wouldn¡¯t.¡±

    I looked at her as she wiped at her eyes, then looked up at me smiling.

    ¡°It was nice to see you again ¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It was really good to see you too¡± I said nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll tell everyone you¡¯re doing ok, wherever this is.¡± Gwen¡¯s smile faltered tightly, and she pulled me into a hug clutching me tighter.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Pete, but you¡¯re gonna forget¡± she said. ¡±It- it was part of the deal.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know it was selfish, I just¡­ I had to see you¡± Gwen said, her voice shakier.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to forget. You can¡¯t- I- I-¡± I said, tearing up again as the stars above grew brighter.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡± Gwen whispered softly. ¡°Everything¡¯s gonna be okay¡±

    I cried quietly into her shoulder as everything faded. Sight, sounds, sensations. Everything. All engulfed by a warming light. And then, nothing.

    -

    -

    A warm darkness blanketed me. I could smell lavender. That was nice. Coffee too. Less nice. I opened my eyes, blinking away tears. Tears? Why was I crying? Wiping at my face, took in my surroundings. A hospital room. I was in a hospital room. Well how had that happened? I¡¯d fallen unconscious in the alley and then¡­ I¡¯d been taken to the hospital? I wasn¡¯t wearing my costume though. What had happened?

    A sound came from my bedside, and I turned to see Liz. She sat in the seat next to my bed, next to a desk filled with cards, reading a book. She looked great, but tired.  She wore a nice pair of blue reading glasses, that I¡¯d never seen before.

    ¡°Liz. Liz¡± I whispered. She glanced up from her book, startled. I tapped the side of my brow.

    ¡°You got glasses¡± I said with a small smile. She dropped her book on the floor and pulled me into a hug. I winced slightly, and she pulled away tears in her eyes. I smiled back lightly at her.

    ¡°You¡¯re okay¡± she said, her face a mixture of relief and joy. ¡°They said they weren¡¯t sure. That it was a 50/50. I thought¡­ we all thought-¡±

    I pulled her back into a hug, holding her tightly to my chest as she sobbed.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay¡±

 Extended Family - Epilogue

    We held each other for a while, before Liz pulled away, wiping at her eyes.

    "Feel better now?" I asked with a small smile.

    "Yeah" she nodded, sniffling. I wiped the tears from her face and she took my hand holding it tightly.

    ¡°So, how long was I out?¡±

    ¡°Two days. Well nearly three¡± she said, glancing out the window to a sky of pinks and oranges.

    ¡°Crap. I missed MJ¡¯s birthday¡± I said. Liz let out a hearty laugh as she wiped at her eyes.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±

    ¡°May said you¡¯d say that¡± she said, smiling. ¡°She¡¯s going to be so glad you¡¯re awake. So glad¡±

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s ok, I take it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    I nodded, wincing slightly at the pain in my side.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I worried all of you¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine Petey. I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re okay¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re all okay too¡± I said. ¡°Wait, what else did miss?¡±

    ¡°Well there¡¯s a lot of political stuff going on and Oscorp are getting a lot of backlash¡±

    ¡°Oscorp? What happened?¡±

    ¡°Stuff regarding tax evasion and money laundering. And the stuff with that Electro guy came to light. Apparently, he was an employee and they tried to cut him off completely after a workplace incident¡±

    ¡°Right, right¡±

    ¡°You knew?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I meant to tell the media, but I was so busy and¡­ is Harry ok?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Susanna call?¡±

    ¡°Nope. Nothing¡±

    ¡°Dammit¡­¡± I said. I stared at the ceiling, my gaze hardening.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be okay Pete. He¡¯ll be okay¡± Liz said. I nodded, silent.

    ¡°What about Max?¡±

    ¡°Max?¡±

    ¡°Electro¡±

    ¡°They arrested him¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s alive!?¡±

    ¡°Did you¡­ did you try to kill him?¡± Liz said, anxious.

    ¡°What? No, no. He got caught directly in an explosion. I thought he was dead¡±

    ¡°Oh, ok¡± Liz said relieved.

    ¡°I don¡¯t kill people you know¡±

    ¡°I know I just¡­ I thought he hurt Harry and¡­¡± she trailed off unsure whether or not to say more.

    ¡°So he¡¯s in the Hortz-Bruig?¡± I asked. She nodded.

    ¡°What about all the stuff that happened in Brooklyn?¡±

    ¡°What stuff?¡±

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°A bunch of Bears members attacked Dr Warren¡¯s transport. It would¡¯ve been when he got arrested. Was that mentioned anywhere?¡±

    ¡°Not that I remember¡±

    ¡°Dammit¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°One of the vans escaped. It- Dr Warren kidnapped some people. There was a person I knew. He was the only one I didn¡¯t rescue. He¡¯s probably long gone by now¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologise. It¡¯s just¡­ frustrating¡± I mumbled. ¡°Anything else?¡±

    ¡°Oh, they reported that the Prowler went to jail. He was a former cop¡±

    ¡°The Prowler? Only one?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°What the hell? There¡¯s two. I fought two. Neither moved until the MDA showed up. They should''ve caught two¡± I said, turning to her. Liz shrugged.

    "Maybe they only reported on one?"

    "Maybe" I sighed. But even as I said it, I knew it wasn''t true. Something weird must''ve happened. An escape? But they would''ve reported something like that. What was I missing then? I winced, and shifted in my bed, looking to Liz again.

    ¡°What about the political stuff?¡±

    ¡°Oh. One of the state senators came down and gave a speech. He''s using this whole thing to push for a metahuman registration bill or something¡±

    ¡°Wait, they¡¯re blaming the explosions on metahumans?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. They found evidence that the Chinatown explosion originated from a Bear¡¯s drug lab. They¡¯re saying the Bears recruited a task force of metahumans to go around blowing up places in return for their leader¡¯s release. All the blame¡¯s being put on Mr Ice¡±

    ¡°Great, they¡¯re pinning it on the guy whose already in prison. Not fishy at all. What about Dr Warren? He hasn¡¯t come forward? I guess he wouldn¡¯t given how it would put his clones in a really bad light¡±

    ¡°Dr Warren? Clones?¡±

    ¡°Oh right, sorry. He¡¯s the guy who made the clones. The... people in the big green scorpion suits. He was working for Lupus. Used to be a professor at ESU?¡± I said. Liz stared at me eyes wide, as she covered her mouth.

    "What''s wrong?"

    ¡°I think he¡¯s dead Petey¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± I said. Liz pulled out her phone, and tapped away, her fingers gliding across the screen. She stopped, and her eyes zipped over the text as she read frantically.

    ¡°Can you read it to me?¡±

    ¡°Well renowned New York scientist kills himself in light of embezzlement charges¡± she said, looking up at me, eyes wide.

    ¡°Holy shit¡±

    ¡°T-the bugle announced it early today. I just remembered because you said he was a scientist in that lab downtown¡±

    ¡°Shit. He killed himself? That doesn¡¯t make any sense. He wouldn¡¯t¡­ First Prowler, then putting the blame on Mr Ice, and now this? What the hell is happening?¡± I said, pinching the bridge of my nose.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡±

    We sat in silence for a few seconds. This whole thing was too convenient. Way too convenient. The media pushing this metahuman narrative, a bunch of negative press for Oscorp, and a senator using the incident to push for this bill, all of it was fishy. I''d thought it was the Bears before, because they''d gotten away with the clones, but what if there was more to it. I mean the Prowlers had been there too. What if it had been a job for someone else? The Bears weren''t organised enough to do something like this without Mr Ice. Plus, they were a drug cartel, not a terrorist group. I frowned. Somehow the police just happened to find the remnants of a Bears drug lab in the middle of that massive wreck? What evidence were they even using to back up this metahuman suicide bombers narrative? Did it matter? All the scientists had been killed by the Bears except Dr Warren. He''d been one of, if not the only guy who could provide evidence and valuable proof for what had actually happened and he''d just killed himself? I mean what the hell? If I hadn''t found out about Dr Warren''s lab, I wouldn''t have even known about any of this.

    And what about the people who''d sent my clones after my loved ones? They''d known what they were doing. Known how to command the clones. But how? A scientist that worked for Warren? But why? Weren''t they all dead? Dammit, none of it made any sense. What did I do? What could I do? If I came forward, how could I prove the scorpion suits were clones? Would it be better to start trying to dig stuff up on this situation and then coming forward when I found out enough or to make it public from the get go? If I just came forward with these claims and something was happening, then whoever was behind this would start targeting me too. Suddenly I turned to Liz, my eyes wide.

    ¡°Did my identity get exposed?¡±

    ¡°No, no¡±

    ¡°Nothing on the news? Nothing at all?¡± I said, still on edge.

    ¡°No, Petey¡± Liz said, clutching my hand tightly.

    ¡°Thank god¡­ wait, how did I get here then?¡±

    ¡°Some fireman found you. Took off your costume and wrapped you in one of those protective blankets. He told the medical staff you were high priority¡± Liz said. I frowned.

    ¡°How¡¯d you know that?¡±

    ¡°He called me from the phone you had. Last number you dialled. If he hadn¡¯t found you¡­ well I don¡¯t want to think about that¡± she said, squeezing my hand with a shaky smile.

    ¡°I- Wow. Ok. Thank god for that¡± I said, with a sigh, leaning back in my bed. ¡°Did you catch his name?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t say¡± Liz said.

    ¡°Well, he¡¯s my hero. Seriously¡± I said, closing my eyes. I took a deep breath, relieved. There was so much to think about, but right now, I I felt a hand brush through my hair before settling on the side of my face. I opened my eyes, watching as Liz looked over me with relief, her eyes still wet. She leant forwards and kissed me quickly before pulling away. I pulled her back, hugging her tightly. She let out a small, emotion filled laugh.

    ¡°I should probably get the doctor. And call everybody. They''re so worried¡± she said.

    ¡°I know it''s a bit selfish, but can we stay like this for a while?¡± I asked. Liz chuckled slightly.

    ¡°Yeah" she said, snuggling closer to me. "This is nice¡±

 Interlude Eleven - Jack Kale

    Jack sat in a lobby. It was dark. The only light from the receptionist¡¯s computer and what little glare from the moon made its way through one of the side windows. Jack shuddered, partially from the cold and partially from fear. Through the lens of his anxiety, his awareness of everything was amplified tenfold. The steady, rhythmic beating of his heart, every noise outside, the sound of sirens in the distance. He shuddered again and quickly glanced to the receptionist before looking back to the floor. The sound of her tapping away at her computer twisted Jack¡¯s stomach into knots. Every time she paused, he tried not to whimper. He could tell she was looking at him, judging him, and he was afraid he wouldn¡¯t measure up. He was just hoping his actions tonight would speak for him.

    The sound of distant laughter echoed through the room, and Jack flinched. That was good, right? It meant he was in a good mood. Hopefully. Unless he was laughing to himself about the things he was going to do to Jack. Oh god. Jack clenched his fists, before opening his palms and wiping them down on his trousers. At this rate he was going to piss himself. Seriously.

    ¡°Just stick with the plan, stick with the plan¡± Jack muttered to himself.

    He¡¯d just oversell his value. He¡¯d already convinced Lorien he¡¯d saved him from Lupus labs, and he¡¯d started on curing his sickness. When reports had come in of Dr Warren¡¯s suicide, the boy had practically grovelled at his feet. He¡¯d be a great tool to leverage. Dangerous, but good to leverage. That¡¯s what this was all about, wasn¡¯t it? Value. He just needed to oversell his, pretend he knew more than he did about the cloning process. Pretend he was just as good as Miles. The receptionist stopped tapping at the keys and Jack froze, his heart hammering against his rib cage, hard enough to shake the rest of his body. But this time, instead of resuming the receptionist stayed silent. He heard a small whisper from her and then more silence. Suddenly the door to the office opened, and a man Jack didn¡¯t recognise stepped out, wearing a smug grin. He nodded to Jack, who offered a quick nod back, then continued out of the lobby, escorted by three bodyguards.

    Jack sat in silence for a few more minutes before the receptionist¡¯s voice cut through the air.

    ¡°Mr Fisk is ready for you know¡± she said.

    ¡°Ok¡± Jack squeaked. He jumped up, wiped his hands on his coat, and made his way forward into the office.

    The office was cold. Extremely cold. To the point that the air in front of Jack¡¯s face misted up. But even then, the first thing he took notice of was the size of the man in front of him. Wilson Fisk wasn¡¯t just large, but tall. A whopping seven-foot beast of a man, who looked like a offensive lineman. And yet the only other time Jack had met him, he¡¯d glided across a room with the grace of a ballerina, before crushing a man¡¯s head with one hand. He could exert forces far greater than even someone of his size should¡¯ve been capable off. A veritable tank. Just thinking about it made Jack want to cut him open, run as many tests as he could. Like always, he felt a compulsion to see what made him tick. He¡¯d never say that out loud though, it¡¯d mean instant death. The man stood behind his desk, staring out the window over the alley behind the small, abandoned building he¡¯d chosen as a hideout. In the distance, the financial district stood tall and proud. Jack could barely see it past the man¡¯s frame.

    ¡°Jack, was it?¡± the man said, his voice surprisingly normal.

    ¡°Yes sir¡±

    ¡°Please sit¡± he said, turning to Jack. The man¡¯s eyes tracked Jack as he stepped forward, taking a seat in the chair before the desk. Fisk stalked around the room, his footstep shaking the floor, as he hummed a tune to himself.

    ¡°You¡¯re a very lucky man Jack¡±

    ¡°I know sir¡±

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you do. I mean, what kind of son of a gun goes to grab a Chinese takeaway in the middle of an active terror campaign?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it a terror campaign¡­ sir¡±

    ¡°Oh? Well a tactical assault then? Doesn¡¯t really matter. Either way, you  blew half of Chinatown to Kingdom come¡±

    ¡°I told the men not to mess with th-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you told them, I just want to know whether you can build me more¡±

    ¡°Yes. Yes I can sir¡±

    ¡°Good. Very good¡± Kingpin said, nodding slowly to himself. Jack wiped his hands on his trousers, his heart thumping loudly. He¡¯d gotten past the first hurdle. Now he just needed to buy himself time after he¡¯d finished building the cloning devices. He didn¡¯t want to build them and immediately get killed for his efforts. But he couldn¡¯t speak. The man¡¯s presence was too great, to overpowering. He was afraid that if he spoke up, said the wrong thing, he¡¯d kill him in an instant.

    ¡°It¡¯s my younger son¡¯s birthday tomorrow, Jack. What¡¯d you think I should get him?¡± Kingpin asked.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure¡± Jack said trembling.

    ¡°Well he¡¯s quite the avid fan of the Nets. I doubt he¡¯d appreciate just a signed jersey though. He¡¯d probably want season tickets. But I know my son, he¡¯d only go to the odd game and even if he did go, he¡¯s got the attention span of a goldfish so- pointless¡± Fisk said, kissing his teeth. ¡°My wife spoils him you see. I didn¡¯t realise till it was too late. She¡¯s ruined him. He¡¯s not like Damian, he¡¯s¡­ weak? No, he¡¯s still my blood. Soft? Yes, soft. That¡¯s a better word¡±

    Kingpin continued walking around the room, before stopping and resting his hands on the back of Jack¡¯s chair.

    ¡°His grades are slipping as well. His current tutor¡¯s too nice. Too lenient. Lets him get away with things¡± he said. Jack shut his eyes tightly, begging his body to stop shaking.

    ¡°Would you mind taking over from her? I know it¡¯d hinder your duties slightly, but you¡¯ll be well cared for¡±

    ¡°O-of course sir¡± Jack said.

    ¡°Good. Good¡± Fisk said, clapping his hands on Jack¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You can leave now. I¡¯ll have one of my associates meet with you to discuss further details¡±

    ¡°I-is that all Mr Fisk?¡± Jack said, his heart racing. Shit.

    ¡°Yes? Did you have something else in mind?¡±

    ¡°I was just wondering about my¡­ duties. Once I¡¯ve built the machines, what exactly do you want me to do?¡°

    ¡°Oh, wasn¡¯t I clear? The same thing that imbecile was supposed to be doing for me in the first place. Building an army¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s well within my capabilities, but where exactly will I be located?¡±

    ¡°I have a friend at Alchemax who¡¯s more than happy to open up a new private department once he receives some funding. You¡¯ll have everything you need and more than enough spending money¡± Fisk said, walking around to sit behind his desk.

    ¡°What about L- Subject 0?¡±

    ¡°What about him?¡±

    ¡°Well I was just wondering if he¡­ I- he¡¯s-¡°

    ¡°Spit it out kid¡±

    ¡°Well he¡¯s a metahuman. Extremely physically competent and-¡±

    ¡°Ah. I see what you¡¯re trying to do here. You want me to hire him from you? What is this, daylight robbery?¡±

    ¡°No sir. N-no I just wanted to know if you¡¯d find him useful. No charge¡±

    ¡°Really now? Don¡¯t you need him for your experiments?¡±

    ¡°I- I can do them without him. You can have him as much as you like. Though he does seem to be partial to me¡± Jack said, heart hammering even harder.

    ¡°Hear that Prowler. Looks like you¡¯ve got competition¡± Fisk said, with a smile, looking to the corner of the room. Jack glanced behind him and jumped. The Prowler stood still, silently watching the two of them.

    ¡°I doubt anyone¡¯s competition for me sir¡± he said, his voice deepened by the costume. Kingpin laughed heartily as Jack turned back to face him. What the hell? How had he not noticed him? What was he even doing here? Hadn¡¯t he been arrested? Jack shook his head unable to make sense of the situation.

    Kingpin stopped laughing and pointed at Prowler, whilst looking to Jack.

    ¡°Funny guy, no?¡± he said, before chuckling again. Jack nodded, unsure of what to say. Kingpin chuckled a bit more then leant back in his chair, sighing.

    ¡°Before you go Jack, I¡¯d like to thank you. Remaining loyal to me, and informing me of Dr Warren¡¯s betrayal¡­ it was greatly appreciated¡±

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re welcome sir¡±

    ¡°Plus your plan with the clones, taking the labs out, handling Spider-Man and the stuff with Oscorp... genius. You¡¯ve got a real talent for this stuff kid. Stick with me and we¡¯ll flourish, no doubt¡±

    ¡°Yes sir¡±

    ¡°But seriously kid, if you betray me like you did Dr Warren, I¡¯ll have Prowler over their slit your throat. Capiche?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes sir¡± Jack stuttered.

    ¡°You can leave now. No more questions¡±

    Jack stood quickly with a nod, and walked out of the room, glancing at Prowler on his way out. He wiped his brow and cursed. Shit. This whole thing was a bloody mess. Even if he could spend his time experimenting, fulfilling his urges, it seemed like Kingpin wanted more. Fuck. He should¡¯ve trusted Warren knew what he was doing. Now that he was on that beast¡¯s radar, there was no chance he was ever leaving it. What had he gotten himself into?

 Interlude Twelve - Clone 7E5

    Twelve months and a week later...

    New York - New York City - [Location Unknown] - Sunday, November 1<sup>st</sup> 2026 - 00:02

    -

    It was cold. Bitterly cold. The kind of cold that seeps into your body, draining your energy. Sapping you of warmth. But strangely it felt realer, more tangible than anything she could remember. Still, her entire body felt numb, lifeless. Her heart beat slow; dragging, struggling, weakening by the second. Somewhere in the back of her mind, something told her if she didn¡¯t move now, she¡¯d never move again.

    Her eyes flew open, as her body came to life with a start. She shielded her eyes, blinded by the light around her, unable to make sense of the situation. Before she could take a moment to recover, a stab of panic shot through her chest. She couldn¡¯t breathe. She panicked, writhing about uselessly before she realised her mistake. Her body burned, protesting at the sudden movement, the pain in her muscles begging her to stop. So she did, just as unused to the pain as she was to the panic.

    After a few seconds, her heart burning in her chest, she realised she could breathe. It felt wrong, really wrong, but she could breathe. She squirmed slightly. She felt sick, bloated. Her insides unnatural. Heavy. There was liquid in her lungs. Why was their liquid in her lungs? She went to move again, and for the first time noticed the resistance against her body. What the hell? She looked around, blinking. All she could make out were blurry shapes and darkness. She was surrounded by water. No, not water. Something weirder. A jelly? Why was she trapped in weird breathable jelly? It pulsed with energy, buzzing. The buzz sent a shiver down her spine.

    She blinked again, her eyes burning more now. She needed to get out. She needed to get out quickly. Gritting her teeth, she pulled herself forwards, pulling at tubes she hadn¡¯t even been aware of as she reached out. Her hands slammed against something invisible. Glass. She felt around, her fingers sliding across it¡¯s surface. Shit. A tube. She must¡¯ve been in some kind of tube. Pushing against it harder, she cried out desperately as she exerted as much force as possible onto her cage. Then with an almighty crack it shattered and she was thrown, pulled by the current of the water till she slammed onto the floor, coughing hard.

    As she recovered, she flinched, covering her ears. It was noisy. Really noisy. Alarms were blaring everywhere. She groaned, her entire body trembling from exertion. She felt like complete and utter shit. She clamped her eyes shut gasping for air as she tried not pass out. Why was everything so¡­ vibrant? Her senses were overwhelming her. She coughed hard again, before spewing vomit on the floor. She gagged and leapt away from it, slamming into something. She picked herself up quickly and through watery eyes, looked around the room.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± she mumbled to herself, freezing in place. The space around her was dark, dotted with dim red ceiling lights that flashed repeatedly. But within the space, she was surrounded by tubes, similar to the one she¡¯d just broken out of, each containing a person. Some men, some women, some boys, and some girls. Even a baby. She frowned. The whole place felt familiar¡­ but different. Where the hell was she? She¡¯d been¡­ she¡¯d been¡­ spying? On who? Some scientist? No, that wasn¡¯t right. She¡¯d been leaving work, then¡­ then nothing? Her head throbbed. She couldn¡¯t make sense of her own memories.

    Suddenly her brain buzzed, and her eyes widened. Something was coming. Instinctively she leapt up, landing on the wall and quickly crawled behind one of the tubes. She hid for a few seconds, steadying her breathing as she waited. She paused for a moment, frowning. Since when the hell could she stick to walls? She tried to think, but her brain was scrambled. Dammit, she couldn¡¯t make sense of anything. She jumped slightly as a loud metallic screech echoed through the area, followed by the sound of a large of footsteps. Men with guns rushed past her tube, followed by an ominous looking man of metal. She pressed herself further behind the tube, looking over the metal man¡¯s ridiculously sharp tail. She held her breath. She could feel it. He was dangerous.

    The soldiers spotted the empty tube, and looked to the metal man as he towered over them, his tail snaking through the air.

    ¡°Search then! Idiots!¡± he shouted, pointing around. The men rushed, spreading outwards as the man looked down at the glass. The man followed the glass, then his eyes stopped on the liquid. Her heart dropped. She¡¯d left a trail.

    Before the metal man had a chance to do anything, she launched the tube she hid behind and sprinted for the door. The sound of glass exploding against metal told her all she needed to know as she shot across the room. But she was far faster than expected and stumbled, crashing against the floor. A screech echoed out behind her as her brain buzzed and she barely managed to dodge in time as a telson cut through the air, stabbing itself into the ground. The metal man was already a top her, reaching for her neck. But she cried out, and with a mixture of fury and fear swung her fist. It slammed against his armour, sending him flying as one of his claws grazed her face. He flew, smashing through several more tubes. She didn¡¯t wait to see what happened, and turned tail, sprinting as hard as she could out into and through the hallways as alarms blared. She could hear distant shouts, and the low buzz returned to her brain at the sound of ever nearing screeches, but she continued running, her body on fire.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    The entire place was just a mess of corridors and rooms that didn¡¯t seem to lead to an exit. She didn¡¯t know how to get out, and it was clear her pursuers were catching. She couldn¡¯t let that happen. She didn¡¯t know what the hell that metal man was, but he¡¯d tried to kill her. That was enough info. She slowed looking around anxiously. Dammit, she was just running in circles. She needed to think of a real way out of this. What would Sarah do? She froze. Sarah? Who the hell was Sarah? She stumbled, crashing to the ground as her mind shuddered, sending a resounding pain through her entire body. She writhed in pain, seizing violently for a few seconds before going limp.

    ¡°Ow. That fucking hurt¡± she gasped, laying on the floor. She forced herself up, her movements sluggish. Shit. Like this, she couldn¡¯t keep running. She¡¯d need to hide. She looked around then spotted an air vent. Bingo. Awkwardly, she crawled up the wall, her body still burning, before slipping into the air vent, and taking a well-deserved breather. Her head still spun as more memories flashed through her mind, none of them making sense. What the hell was going on?

    A screech shook the hall and she jumped, glancing through the vent into the corridor. Shadows cast over the floor, steadily moving towards her. Crap. Now that she thought about it, this probably wasn¡¯t that good a hiding spot. She turned and bolted, crawling as fast as she could. She snaked her way through the vents, climbing upwards at every opportunity before a vent gave way beneath her hands.

    She burst out into open air and flailed, her brain buzzing. She crashed to the floor and cursed, jumping up quickly. She was in a dark open space. Thin streams of moonlight entered the room from the windows on the far side. She was above ground level, two maybe three stories up, and surrounded by forest, with city lights in the distance. She looked over the rest of the area, searching for an exit. She was in some kind of lab. Had she been here before? It felt familiar. Suddenly her sense buzzed and she dove to the side, cursing. One of the ceiling vents above her burst open and the metal man emerged, his suit a vibrant metallic green, that glinted nicely in the dim moonlight. Crashing to the ground, his large red eyes locked onto hers. She turned and ran, barrelling through the room as a screech echoed out behind her. She leapt over desks, benches and chairs as she sped towards the windows. Guess she¡¯d found her way out. She just had to pray she¡¯d survive the fall.

    ¡°STOP RUNNING!!¡± the metal man screamed, his voice raw, unnatural. The sound of smashing as tables, chairs, and lab equipment being blown to smithereens by the Scorpion echoed louder behind her. Scorpion? Where the hell had that name come from? Her sense buzzed and she ducked, a glass beaker narrowly missing her head. Shit. Questions could wait. Right now, it didn¡¯t matter who was who. She continued running forwards, grabbing random beakers and chucking them behind her at the monster. She spared a glance back as one exploded on his head, but he carried on charging towards her, unperturbed. She turned back to the window. Shit. She wasn¡¯t going to make it. Dammit, why didn¡¯t she have her web-shooters?! Web-shooters? She cried out, stumbling as an ear-splitting headache numbed her entire body. She crashed to the ground before quickly scrambling up, as her sense buzzed. Her body instinctively leapt out the way as the Scorpion tried to slam her to the ground. He swung again and she dodged his blows with an almost practiced grace. But her body burned. Her muscles not used to such exercise. She stumbled, leaving an opening, and the Scorpion¡¯s tail shot forward, stabbing at her. Even off balance she caught it, holding it back with both hands before he spun, sending her flying before smashing into a wall. She coughed, struggling to stand up before falling back to the ground. Everything hurt. A lot. She blinked back stars before feeling her almost lifeless body get lifted from the floor.

    ¡°Jesus, you lot are frail¡± Scorpion said, sighing. ¡°Well, it works out better for me.¡±

    Her sensed roared, warning her of incoming danger, and despite the pain she dodged, twisting herself from his grip. She fell to the ground and swept his legs out from under him, before leaping back to her feet and taking off. Scorpion screeched, but it was too late. She leapt forward, smashing through the glass and falling into open air. The sensation of falling was terrifying. In the darkness outside, for a moment it felt as if she¡¯d jumped into an abyss. She fell and landed with a bang, rolling across another rooftop. Fear gone, she quickly hopped up and carried on running. Thank goodness the building were staggered. The building had been higher than she¡¯d thought. If she¡¯d fallen all the way she might¡¯ve died. She continued sprinting across the rooftop, covering ground quickly, before leaping, flying through the air and landing in an area that looked like a car park, with a fence just beyond. She heard a loud crash behind her, and her sense buzzed as she dodged a lab bench. She glanced behind to see Scorpion standing in the window, on his haunches, but still on the highest floor. He must¡¯ve been scared of heights.

    ¡°Fuck you!¡± she shouted as she flipped him off, then turned and rushed through the empty car park, leaping over the fence into the forest, and onwards. The air was cold and harsh, her legs burned and she knew nothing of what awaited her. But in that moment she was free.

 Yus Story - Chapter One

    Two days later...

    History. The last lesson on a Tuesday. Almost everything about the class was dull. Ninety percent of the time we were reading stuff from a textbook that wasn¡¯t even the least bit interesting. Or maybe Mr Briggs was droning on about how some crisis or event which was only tangentially related to the topic, and definitely wouldn¡¯t be on any test we did. Then nine percent of the time we had discussions. The discussions were either incredibly entertaining to watch, or worse than the regular lessons. There were some real personalities in class, so it was always intense, whether a thought-out discussion, or shouting match. And then, there was the one percent of the class that was always interesting. Hero history. Well, technically it was metahuman history, but the curriculum basically only focused on superheroes. And we¡¯d finally gotten around to it. The only reason I kept picking History classes.

    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve finished the lesson, time to see if anyone was paying attention. Can anyone remember the year when metahumans first began appearing in the general populace?¡± Mr Briggs said. A number of people called out before Mr Briggs silenced the class, the pointed to a raised hand.

    ¡°1956?¡± someone called out.

    ¡°A few years too early? Anyone else¡± he asked. More hands went up.

    ¡°Ms Rogers?¡± he said,

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it 1962?¡±

    ¡°Correct¡± Mr Briggs said with a smile. ¡°Now who can tell me what the hypothesised causes are?¡°

    Only Lyla raised her hand this time.

    ¡°Seriously? Someone other than Ms Han?¡± Mr Briggs said with a smile as he looked around the room. Still no hands went up.

    ¡°Anyone? No? Alright Ms Han¡±

    ¡°There was some kind of cosmic radiation increase and wasn¡¯t there also something to do with Government experimentation? The¡­ Mulholland Project I think?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see you¡¯ve done your research. I did mention the higher radiation during the lesson, but I¡¯m thinking about more general reasons and less specific cases. Anyone else remember general reasons?¡±

    The class remained silent, a few people looking around, but most glancing to Lyla. Connor and Maeve were unusually silent. I could think of a few reasons for power appearance, but now I was more intrigued about what Lyla had mentioned. The Mulholland project? I recognised the name but didn¡¯t know any details.

    ¡°Alright then, since no one wants to speak up, I guess I¡¯ll go back to talking for the remainder of the lesson¡± Mr Briggs said. He paused, looking over the class and there were a few laughs before he smiled to himself and stood grabbing a piece of chalk and making his way over to the board.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you guys some clues¡± he said, drawing out a series of dashes across the board. ¡°We¡¯ll play hangman and if anyone in this class but Ms Han has memory better than a goldfish, someone will guess it before the lesson ends. Now any guesses?¡±

    ¡°S?¡± someone called out. I groaned internally. Who started with S? Basically everyone knew you used the vowels first.

    ¡°Well, strange first guess, but it is there¡± he said, drawing out an s on the last letter of the last word. Well, that didn¡¯t help. I frowned. Ten dashes, two five letter words. One ended in s. Wait did Pyler waves fit? Duh. Of course it did. Had I even been paying attention? I leant back in my chair, glancing around the class as people kept guessing letters and eventually someone guessed the words.

    ¡°Now can anyone remember why these are responsible for the majority of metahumans?¡± Mr Briggs asked.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of how it interacts with certain cells?¡± Connor said.

    ¡°No you idiot, that was higher radiation¡± Maeve retorted.

    ¡°No that was-¡±

    ¡°Stop. No arguing today. Please¡± Mr Briggs said, to the amusement of the class. They both went silent glaring at each other. ¡°Maeve, Connor was just answering a question, no need to insult him. Though Connor, Maeve is correct. Plus, I was looking for the answer as to why they¡¯re responsible for the most metahumans, and not how they create metahumans. Anyone?¡±

    ¡°Because other methods are less reliable¡± Lyla said.

    ¡°Thank you Ms Han. Now does anyone know who they¡¯re named after? This one should be easy¡±

    ¡°Dr Edward Pyler¡± someone to the back of the class said.

    ¡°Bingo¡±

    ¡°Sir, what¡¯s the difference between higher radiation and Plyer waves?¡± somebody called out.

    ¡°Right. Pyler waves are theorised to be responsible for a lot more metahumans, and it¡¯s believed they activate stuff within people¡¯s genes. Higher radiation causes mutations in your cells or damages your DNA in a way that results in mysterious superpowers. Though both are quite rare. Now does anyone have any more questions?¡±

    I glanced around the class. No one. I guess I might as well ask about the Mulholland project. I raised, my hand and Mr Briggs turned to me, his eyes lighting up slightly.

    ¡°Yes Mr Onomae?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ could you tell us more about the Mulholland Project?¡± I asked. His eyes seemed to light up for a second, before he caught himself, coughing into his hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s related to the CIA so if I were to explain it¡¯d be a bit long winded. Is everyone ok with that?¡± he asked. A unison of yeses came from the class, as I nodded. Mr Briggs smiled and took a seat on his desk.

    ¡°The Mulholland Project was a CIA operation that began shortly after World War two, in 1948. Originally it was said to take volunteers and run tests on them. Though it¡¯s very likely the people were not totally aware of what they were signing up for or were not volunteers at all. These claims have been refuted by the Government, though in a couple years the classified documents will be released, so we¡¯ll know if they were lying or not¡± Mr Briggs said with a small chuckle.

    ¡°The experiments were¡­ crude to say the least. They¡¯d inject the ¡®volunteers¡¯ with copious amounts of untested drugs meant to improve their physical capability, then place them in physically strenuous situations for days at a time. The majority of the ¡®volunteers¡¯ died. and those that didn¡¯t were usually permanently injured.¡±

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°How many volunteers were there?¡± someone at the back of the class said.

    ¡°It¡¯s estimated there were around 300 in total, and the operation only lasted three months¡± A murmur went through the class. ¡°Quiet down, quiet down¡± Mr Briggs said. The class grew still, attention returning back to Mr Briggs.

    ¡°Anyway, towards the end of the project some of the researchers had the bright idea of using negative energy, that had only recently been discovered by the Manhattan Project and used in the Golden Boy nuclear warhead. So- yes Jason?¡±

    All eyes turned to a raised hand off to the side of the class.

    ¡°I thought NE bombs were only a recent discovery?¡± Jason said, frowning.

    ¡°Ah right, sorry for the confusion. I¡¯m no scientist, but my wife is and she explained it to me a few years ago. The majority of explosive weaponry since WW2 has been negative energy assisted. As I just mentioned it was first used in the detonation of Golden son, the third atomic bomb, which was dropped on Kokura. The Oscorp NE bombs are the first purely negative energy explosions. Fortunately, they¡¯re nowhere near as large as large as theorised¡±

    ¡°Then what happened at that research place? Wasn¡¯t that explosion really big?¡± someone else said.

    ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t quite remember the exact explanation my wife gave, but I believe the answer is we still we don¡¯t know why. There was a lot of theories and politics surrounding it, and I¡¯m pretty sure Oscorp hasn¡¯t been forthcoming with information about their research. But the explosion still wasn¡¯t anywhere near as large as theorised, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t be having this conversation. That said it was larger than the NE hand grenades we currently have¡± Mr Briggs said nodding.

    ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re getting off topic. Where were we¡­ right the Mulholland project¡¯s use of NE. Up until that point, they¡¯re hadn¡¯t been any tests on living organisms, let alone humans. I doubt anybody had been insane enough to even think about it. And then the CIA came forward with this batshi- sorry, crazy idea to test it out on humans. Some people suggest that it had been used on humans before and the idea was only borrowed from a separate hidden secret soldier development unit, though that¡¯s mostly conspiracy¡±

    I scooted forward in my chair, enraptured by Mr Briggs¡¯ words. He was a fun teacher, but I¡¯d never seen him this passionate about something metahuman related.

    ¡°Either way they used NE on the test subjects and ended up permanently altering them in almost completely unrepeatable ways on a genetic level. There was no regard for any of the subjects lives, and those that did live had more tests ran on them, or were exposed to more NE. Thanks to the experiments, it¡¯s believe many of the metahumans in Los Angeles are descendants of the survivors, most who only lived due to escaping capture.¡±

    The bell rung loudly and I jumped - startled - earning a few glances from my seatmates. Mr Briggs stood up from the front of his desk and offered a warm smile to everyone.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s all for today. Remember your assignment¡¯s due next Monday, please remember to hand it in. Since I don¡¯t see you guys for the rest of the week, have a nice weekend¡±

    I stood, stretching out my legs as I slipped my bag on. School was over for the day, now it was time to climb.

    -

    My hands ached, my back ached, my legs ached. Heck, everything ached. But I held the wall, gripping it tightly as my fingers slipped.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got this man, just reach for the next hold¡± Micah called out beneath me.

    ¡°O-ok¡± I said, through gritted teeth. I glanced upwards, searching for all the next handholds. They were too far. Way too far. I¡¯d need at least an extra three inches in height just to reach them.

    ¡°Come on Yu, reach. You¡¯ve got it¡± Micah called out again. Did he really expect me to grab it? Well I had to at least try. I¡¯d fall anyway if I just stayed here.

    I focused, taking a deep breath and shifted my weight, adjusting my grip. Then with a shaky hand reached upward. I stretched out, the rest of my limbs burning as I reached out whilst trying to maintain my balance. For a moment, just a moment I felt a freeing sense of excitement as my arm stretched out, as I pushed my limits. But it all came crashing down in an instant and then I was falling, dragged towards the Earth by gravity. I hit the mat with a soft thud and let out a sigh.

    Micah stepped into view, staring down at me and offered a hand.

    ¡°Thanks¡± I said, taking it and standing. I stood for a second staring up at the wall. I let out a frustrated sigh.

    ¡°I thought I had it there for a second¡± I said scratching my head.

    He slapped me on the back.

    ¡±Don¡¯t worry man. It¡¯s just a confidence issue, you¡¯ll get it eventually¡± he said with a big smile. I couldn¡¯t help but be picked up by his mix of encouragement and aura of joy.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll get it next time¡± I said, clenching my fists with determination.

    ¡°Why not try again now? Strike while the iron¡¯s hot¡±

    ¡°You know what? Yeah. Let¡¯s do this¡± I said, feeling a fervour building in my chest. I stepped forward, and flexed my fingers, rubbing my hands together as I stared up at the course. I¡¯d take it differently this time. Micah was right. It was just a confidence issue. I could do this.

    I paused.

    ¡°Wait, Micah, what¡¯s the time?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ 17:00¡±

    ¡°Crap¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you usually leave at half past?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I promised my little brother I¡¯d leave early to help him with something¡±

    ¡°Oh, well good luck with whatever you¡¯re doing. See you tomorrow¡±

    ¡°Later¡± I said, rushing off.

    -

    I stood, raising my hands as I bellowed triumphantly.

    ¡°And once again the winner of the weekly Mario Kart Saga, 94 time consecutive champion, Yu Onomae!¡± I cried, chanting my name as I ran circles around my little brother.

    Ryo fumed silently as he glared at me.

    ¡°What is that I hear? The grumblings of a sore loser? The echoes of dissatisfaction?¡± I said. He turned away from me, arms still crossed as he grumbled.

    ¡°Oh and a display of such unsportsmanlike conduct from the loser. What a shame, by now you¡¯d have thought he¡¯d be used to endless defeat¡± I said. He grumbled more as I kneeled down next to him, trying to get a glimpse of his face as he spun trying to avoid me. I laughed, and began poking the back of his head. He pulled away from me, pulling his arms over his head and bringing his knees to his chest.

    ¡°Now the loser has assumed a defence position. The form of a turtle shell. Wow, what striking similarity it shares to the object responsible for his loss¡± I laughed, lightly poking his back.

    ¡°Not funny¡± he said, still glowering cutely.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tease your brother too much¡± Dad said, poking his head into the room.

    ¡°I¡¯m not, I¡¯m not¡± I laughed, ruffling his hair.

    ¡°He is¡± Ryo cried out, breaking his poor attempt at a stoic demeanour.

    ¡°If he does it too much, I¡¯ll tell him off¡± Dad chuckled, making his way to the kitchen. I glanced down to see Ryo glaring up at me.

    ¡°Do you want to play again? Double or nothing?¡±

    ¡°N-no¡± he responded uncertain.

    ¡°Just think about¡± if you win, you get two championships instead of one¡± I said, watching as his face twisted with deliberation.

    ¡°No, because then if you win then you¡¯ll get two¡± he said.

    ¡°But what if you win?¡±

    He scrunched up his face in thought.

    ¡°Y-you have to let me practice first¡± he said turning to me.

    ¡°Fine, you¡¯ve got twenty minutes¡±

    He snatched the controller up and flipped through menus and the screens at a blistering pace. Then he paused. He set the controller down, pouting.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Twenty minutes isn¡¯t enough¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even try¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I joked. This time didn¡¯t sulk or glare at me. He just stared at the floor sadly. ¡°You¡¯re not stupid Ryo¡± I said, ruffling his hair.

    ¡°It¡¯s not fair. You¡­ you¡¯re older¡± he sniffled, sad now, rather than annoyed.

    ¡°Hey, hey, you¡¯ll be my age one day¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯ll still be older¡±

    ¡°Sure, but you¡¯ll have years of practice and I¡¯ll have to deal with adult stuff.. I¡¯ll probably be as bad at Mario Kart as dad¡± I laughed. Ryo¡¯s eyes filled with excitement at the notion. ¡°Hey don¡¯t get any ideas, there¡¯ll still be tonnes of time for me to keep winning¡± I laughed. He made an annoyed sound grumbling sound.

    ¡°Are we being a sore loser again?¡± I said, chuckling. He turned and shoved me lightly. Gave an exaggerated grunt of pain in response and dramatized falling onto my back, before playing dead. I waited for a few seconds, before peeking an eye out at Ryo. He¡¯d turned away from me again, arms crossed in his signature sulking position.

    I rolled over resting my chin against my hands as I stared at Ryo¡¯s back. I pulled him back and tickled him relentlessly until his moodiness vanished, replaced by bouts of laughter. Finally stopped, laughing as he tickled me back. We rolled on the floor in a heap, both of us giggling.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s play with your action figures. Pride vs Revenger, right?¡± I said. His face brightened with a smile as he sat up and darted over to the box of toys.

    ¡°I get Pride¡± he beamed.

    ¡°Just Pride will never be enough to beat me¡± I roared, deepening my voice as I imitated Revenger.

    ¡°You forget Revenger. Pride usurps all!¡± Ryo roared, pulling the Pride action figure from his box.

 Yus Story - Chapter Two

    I yawned as I opened my locker, before a small smile flashed across my face. I¡¯d actually gotten to school on time for once. Maybe the fact that I¡¯d left climbing early had given me enough energy to actually wake up on time. Or maybe something about Mr Briggs passion yesterday had riled me up. Not that I even had history today. Well, I was here. It was better than not being here¡­ sort of. Maybe I could finally start making that academic comeback I was always thinking about. I chuckled to myself, grabbing a few books before slamming my locker shut, turning and instantly being knocked to the floor.

    My books fell in a heap onto my chest as I fell backwards, landing awkwardly and banging my head against the lockers.

    ¡°Ow¡± I mumbled, rubbing the side of my head as I sat up.

    ¡°Oh my god, I¡¯m so sorry. Are you okay?¡± a familiar voice said. I looked up and froze, my heart leaping out of my chest. It was Emma. My crush. My crush had just knocked me to the floor, and I was staring at her blankly like a moron.

    Say something you idiot.

    ¡°Hey¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that¡± she said, either ignoring or not hearing my stupidly awkward self-introduction, and offered a hand. I took it, standing up quickly, before grabbing my books of the ground. Emma followed suit, still apologising. I glanced at her as I grabbed the last one and stood up straight. ¡°Really, I¡¯m so clumsy. Sorry about that¡± she said, handing my books back.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± I responded, my heart thumping in my chest. She let out a sigh of relief, then furrowed her brow. I glanced away awkwardly, wondering if she¡¯d noticed my staring.

    ¡°You¡¯re Yuta, right?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Y-Yu¡± I said, feeling a mix of a emotions. She recognised me, but she didn¡¯t even remember my name.

    ¡°Sorry. I, uh¡­ I don¡¯t want to sound weird or anything, but do you go climbing? At Movement LIC?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me¡± I laughed awkwardly.

    ¡°Oh wow. I go there too¡±

    ¡°I know Emma, you¡¯re kind of famous¡±

    ¡°Oh right. I didn¡¯t even realise you go here. That¡¯s so cool. I thought you were older since you¡¯re always at climbing and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve even seen you at school¡±

    ¡°Well I¡¯m not exactly here all the time¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry¡± she said, the panic in her expression clear.

    ¡°No it¡¯s ok. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s anything serious. I just don¡¯t come to school sometimes. Climbing¡¯s more fun, you know?¡± I chuckled awkwardly.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do that¡±

    ¡°Right, right¡­¡± I responded awkwardly, before trailing off. We stared at each other blankly for a few seconds. Dammit, I couldn¡¯t let this get awkward, I needed to say something.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re competing next week, right?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah. My mum says it¡¯s good for me¡±

    ¡°It definitely is. You¡¯ll win like you always do. I mean seriously, I¡¯ve watched all your races and nobody else is even close to as good as you. You¡¯ve basically got it in the bag¡±

    ¡°Thanks I- wait you¡¯ve seen all my races? Only, like, my mum¡¯s seen all my races¡±

    I froze, then laughed awkwardly a bit to hard.

    ¡°I mean I¡¯ve only seen a few. I watch everyone with good technique, you know?¡± I said laughing awkwardly again.

    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll probably stick around to watch the men¡¯s competition as well. You¡¯ll probably do well¡±

    ¡°Oh. Well I-¡±

    Suddenly somebody burst into the space between us, grabbing Emma. She looked to me, eyes wide.

    ¡°Sorry Emma¡¯s new friend, but we¡¯ve got to go. She gets another late and it¡¯s a detention¡± her friend said whisking her away.

    ¡°¡­ don¡¯t really compete¡± I mumbled to myself. Emma waved bye as she was dragged away and I gave a small nod back. She disappeared round the corner with her friend and I continued staring blankly for a few seconds. I looked down at the pile of books in my hands, feeling a mixture of emotions, unable to . I shrugged. I¡¯d talked to her at least. Well, I guess it was time for class.

    -

    I hummed to myself as I walked down the hall with an uncharacteristic spring in my step. It was only just the start of lunchtime and today was already a good day. They were serving good food for lunch, there¡¯d finally been a sighting of Spider-Man for the first time in three weeks, and Maths had felt do-able for the first time in a while. Plus, I¡¯d actually spoken to Emma. Held a semi-proper conversation for all of twenty seconds before she¡¯d been dragged away. Sure, she hadn¡¯t remembered my name, or even noticed I¡¯d gone to this school before today, but she¡¯d recognised me. That was better then nothing, right? I could work with it. Now that we¡¯d spoken, maybe I could actually say something to her when we saw each other at climbing. God knows Micah wanted me to actually do something about my crush. I chuckled to myself. This would finally get him off my ass.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    I rounded the corner and turned, opening the door to the bathroom and stepping inside. I paused, hearing the sounds of a scuffle as I came face to face with a guy standing almost directly behind the door. He looked at me, his face emotionless.

    ¡°Uh¡­ can I help you?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Toilets occupied¡± he said gruffly. I peered past him, catching a glimpse of a student getting beaten up. The guy moved his body in the way, shoving me back.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? Its occupied. Use the toilet on a different floor¡± he said.

    ¡°Right. Sorry¡± I said, quickly stepping out.

    I turned to walk away but stopped thinking about what I was doing. I recognised the guy who they were beating up. Thomas. I recognised the guy by the door too, he was one of James¡¯ friends. My hands tightened into fists. James and his posse were always messing with Thomas. Stealing his stuff, pulling stupid ¡°pranks¡± on him, and generally making his life hell. The only reason they picked on Thomas was the fact that he was practical always alone. Just like me. In many ways Thomas was like me, though he¡¯d probably been a bit friendlier when we¡¯d started highschool. The only difference was I¡¯m pretty sure he wasn¡¯t close with the rest of his family. I still remembered the fact that he¡¯d shown up to the parent-teacher conference and waited for someone who hadn¡¯t shown up. It made it even more uncomfortable to watch him suffer at school. And now that I¡¯d stumbled across him getting physically beaten up, I was just going to leave him behind? No. Even before now, I¡¯d ignored the bullying far too many times, just like everyone else. I knew it wasn¡¯t right.

    I felt a mixture of shame and anger wash over me. I was always talking about how cool superheroes were with Ryo wasn¡¯t I? Teaching him about values and standing up for what was right. I needed to do something now. Not wait. If I didn¡¯t, I¡¯d regret it. I clenched my fists even tighter. I turned back around, hearting pulsing wildly in my chest, and pushed open the door again.

    ¡°H-hey! Stop¡± I said, my voice cracking. The bullies all paused, turning towards me. Thomas just stared at me wide eyed, like I¡¯d just sentenced him to death.

    ¡°What¡¯d you say?¡± one of the bullies said, stepping forward.

    ¡°¡­s-stop¡± I mumbled taking a step back. They looked at each other confused.

    ¡°Who the fuck even are you?¡± another asked.

    ¡°I- that doesn¡¯t matter. Y-you should leave him alone¡± I said, with more resolve. Thomas¡¯ face paled, the blood draining almost completely from his face. James stood, stalking over to me.

    ¡°Or what? You want us to beat the shit out of you too?¡± he said. He dwarfed me, taller by at least a foot.

    ¡°N-no¡±

    ¡°Then fuck off¡± he sneered.

    ¡°A-alright¡± I said, backpedalling. I felt my face flush as I turned and walked away, the group bursting out into laughter as they watched me leave. I looked down at my feet, embarrassed as exited the toilet and I hurried away.

    I slowed, eventually coming to a stop and cursed. I¡¯d chickened out so easily that I might as well have done nothing. Things would probably get worse for Thomas now. They might even start targeting me as well. I¡¯d been so hung up on ideals, the greater good, being a hero, all of that nonsense, that I¡¯d completely forgotten why I hadn¡¯t intervened in the first place. Because I couldn¡¯t. James and his group all had at least a foot on me, and even if I could beat them in a fight, it¡¯s not like that would stop them from beating on Thomas when I wasn¡¯t around. I definitely hadn¡¯t been planning on fighting them, so what had I even been trying to do? Talk to them? What were a few words going to do?

    I groaned, face palming at my own idiocy. I always got so lost in my own thoughts I basically forgot how the real world worked. I needed to break the habit. Maybe I was spending too much time in fantasyland with Ryo. No, it was probably all the time I spent by myself. I sighed. I needed to put it out of my mind. It¡¯d be better if I didn¡¯t think about it and just get some lunch. After that, I was done with school for the day.

    -

    I walked home from school staring at the ground. I¡¯d left early, my mind too twisted up in knots about the Thomas situation for me to focus.

    I¡¯d realised whilst eating that I¡¯d been so caught up in my own selfishness, I hadn¡¯t even told a teacher about what I¡¯d seen. Then, when I¡¯d decided to, I¡¯d been stopped by my cowardice. I was too afraid of the bullies turning on me if they realised I¡¯d snitched on them. That feeling had really soured my appetite. I sighed.

    It¡¯s not like telling a teacher would do anything anyway, but it was the principle you know? I basically just hyped myself up to do nothing. I sighed again, heavier this time. I was always thinking about how amazing and cool superheroes were, thinking about the bravery and courage they had that I was never able to imitate. It was why I¡¯d even started climbing in the first place. Because I¡¯d wanted to be like Spider-Man. I still remembered when I first felt it, the awe, the inspiration. It had been just over two years ago, Ryo, Dad and I had been returning home from a Yankee¡¯s game when the streets had exploded into chaos, a ten-foot giant had demolished a building and sent debris flying through the street. The world had stopped for a second and I remember so vividly how tightly Ryo clutched onto my hand. Everyone had been so scared, and then Spider-Man had shown up. I¡¯d watched as Spider-Man had taken on Rhino, someone twice his size, and won. He¡¯d fought against all odds and won like a total badass. And he¡¯d only continued to be awesome, taking down Radio-Man, Mr Ice, Prowler, Electro and Mysterio. He was the only reason the city hadn¡¯t been obliterated during the metahuman terrorist attacks, regardless of what the media said. He was amazing. Well, he had been doing amazing until recently.

    He''d been missing for a month now. Turns out the sighting earlier had been another hoax. Some idiot had uploaded a video from months ago claiming it was from today. I kicked a stray can and watched it bounced across the sidewalk. I guess there were downsides to being a hero too. Maybe the constant pressure to save everyone started to get to you. First Athena and now Spider-Man. They were different though. Athena had just upped and disappeared, never to be seen again. Spider-Man had disappeared slowly, patrolling less and less frequently until about a month ago when he¡¯d just stopped showing his face.

    I probably didn¡¯t understand it anywhere near as well as I thought I could. But other people seemed to think they knew exactly what had happened. There was tons of speculation, and theories, some stupid and most really stupid. There was one prevailing sentiment though. Most people just wanted him back. I glanced up to the sky. I wanted to believe he would, but I didn¡¯t know if it was true. I mean Athena hadn¡¯t. Could I hope this was different? I furrowed my brow, and looked back to the ground. Well, it¡¯s not like I could do anything about it, and thinking anymore would fry my brain. So, like always, I was headed straight for the climbing centre to clear my head. Classes would just stress my out more than necessary. I felt dumb already, I didn¡¯t need to sit in on classes that would just make me feel dumber.

    I missed the can and stumbled, before stopping and picking it up and looking for a bin. I spotted one in an alley and made my way over to it, before pausing. Weird. I furrowed my brow taking a good look at the brightly coloured cloth hanging out of a garbage bin. I lifted the lid and stared at the Spider-Man costume I paused, staring at it closely before sniffing it. It didn¡¯t smell bad, maybe it was safe to touch? I reached out and grabbed it pulling it out the bin. A Halloween costume? It looked really well made. Why would someone just throw this away? I shrugged. It was mine now. We had a costume day for charity at school on Friday, and I had nothing else to wear. I sniffed it again. Now that I was closer, it did smell kind of bad, but I could wash it. I lifted up the costume to take a better look at it. There were a few holes too, but I could patch it up. and patch it up. Mum¡¯s sewing machine was somewhere at home. I grinned before quickly stuffing it in my bag, mask and all. I was just lucky somebody wanted to get rid of something this cool. Seriously, it was well made.

 Yus Story - Chapter Three

    I kneeled in front of the butsudan, placing an apple next to the burning incense, before closing my eyes and pressing my hands together in prayer.

    ¡°Good morning mama. Hope everything is ok. Thanks for letting me use your thread and stuff yesterday, it was really helpful. I think dad was worried I¡¯d lose some of your needles, but I counted, and there all still there¡±

    I paused, glancing at time. 10:14.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I know you¡¯re probably mad that I¡¯m skipping school again, but I swear I¡¯m getting better at going. I promise from today I¡¯ll try harder to not use any excuse I can to skip classes, but if I don¡¯t get any better I¡¯ll make sure Ryo¡¯s not as bad as me when he grows up. Anyway, I¡¯m running late for. Love you. I¡¯ll talk to you later¡±

    I stood up slowly and backed away from the shrine before grabbing my bag and rushing for the door. I slipped into my shoes, then hurried out the apartment, quickly closing the door behind me. Jogging down the hall I righted my bag, pulling it on properly before zipping down two flights of stairs, through the lobby and out into the street. My feet beat hard against the floor in a steady rhythm as I ran towards the bus stop. The street was crowded, and I weaved between people before turning the corner and spotting the bus. With an extra burst of speed I rushed forward, accidental knocking somebody and sending them stumbling.

    ¡°Sorry!¡± I yelled out to them before rushing onto the bus. I came to a stop, and practically fell into a seat before taking steady breaths before wiping a thin layer of sweat off my brow with my wrist. Geez, you¡¯d think I¡¯d be in better shape given all the climbing I do. Eh, it¡¯s just my endurance that¡¯s bad. I can work on it eventually.

    Sitting up, I looked out the window, watching closely as cars and buildings moved by. I pulled off my bag, wincing as one of the plasters on my finger twisted against the fabric of my bag strap. Ow. I flexed my fingers again, inviting another stab of pain. That wasn¡¯t good. Well, I could fight through it during climbing, or just not to use the finger. Think of it like a challenge. At the very least it couldn¡¯t be any harder than anything I¡¯d done yesterday. With the costume stuff on Friday Dad had made the wise decision of goading me into fixing up the costume earlier than the day before in case anything had gone wrong.

    It''d been hard. Well not all of it. Washing the costume was easier than I expected. There weren¡¯t any labels on it, which was a bit weird, so I¡¯d just prayed and thrown it into the machine on a random low heat wash. It hadn¡¯t shrunk so no big deal. The hard part had been the stitching. I¡¯d had no idea what I was doing, and now I had a ton of plasters with practically nothing to show for it. The suit looked worse, off in spots where I¡¯d misaligned the pattern, and there were still a few small holes in the back that I¡¯d been too tired to stitch up. But hey, at least I¡¯d had red thread. Even if it was slightly off colour.

    The bus came to a stop, and I got off. I took in my surroundings as I made my way through the streets, before looking up at the morning sky. Ah, it really was a great day to skip school. I grinned, slowing and strolling inside the reception for the climbing gym. I walked through to the changing rooms changed quickly and stepped out into the mostly empty gym. Micah and a few others who liked to show up early were already here, hard at work.

    I waved at Micah as I began stretching before warming up with the empty beginners section.

    ¡°Hey Yu¡± Micah said, making his way over.

    ¡°Hey¡± I said, dropping down and landing.

    ¡°You wanna practice the speed course¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m just gonna take it easy,¡±

    ¡°You sure? I mean we¡¯ve got the gym competition coming up¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re not gonna compete?¡±

    ¡°When have I ever competed?¡±

    ¡°Just because you haven¡¯t doesn¡¯t mean you shouldn¡¯t¡±

    ¡°You suck at convincing people¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just trying to get you to compete. I mean, you¡¯d probably do well. You¡¯re here all the time, even when you shouldn¡¯t be¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you here all the time too?¡±

    ¡°I work here and you¡¯re practically here more than me¡±

    ¡°No I¡¯m not¡±

    ¡°Ok, I might be exaggerating, but for a kid in the middle of his first term at highschool you¡¯re here an awful lot¡±

    ¡°Cause it¡¯s fun! Rock climbing makes me feel cool¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fun, but you shouldn¡¯t be missing class. I¡¯m serious¡±

    ¡°Missing the occasional class isn¡¯t that bad¡±

    ¡°Look Yu, I know you enjoy climbing and all, but it¡¯s not good to skip school. Even if it is just ¡®one or two classes¡¯¡± he said adding air quotes.

    ¡°I know, I know. But it just feels pointless when you¡¯re as dumb as me¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you have to test to get into your highschool?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but that doesn¡¯t make me any less dumb¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not dumb Yu¡±

    ¡°Well it sure feels like I am¡±

    Micah didn¡¯t respond, so I stretched my arms upwards then looked back up at the wall.

    ¡°I better get back to practicing¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s probably not my place, but is everything ok? At school I mean¡±

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Yeah? Why?¡± I responded, frowning. He¡¯d never asked anything like this before.

    ¡°You¡¯re not being bullied or anything?¡±

    ¡°N-no¡± I stuttered. My mind instantly flashed to Thomas, and Michah frowned.

    ¡°You can tell me you know? I can help if you need¡±

    ¡°I- I¡¯m not getting bullied¡± I said.

    ¡°Someone you know?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Can you read minds or something?¡± I said. Micah offered a small smile before his face grew serious.

    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡­ there¡¯s this kid. Thomas. He¡¯s been getting bullied by these guys basically since we started school. I want to help him but I just¡­ I don¡¯t know. I chickened out when I tried and everything else just seems hopeless¡±

    ¡°Do any of your teachers know? Have you told any of them?¡±

    ¡°No. I chickened out on that too¡± I said, shrinking away.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I guess I was just scared they¡¯d start to mess with me too if they found out. I¡­ ¡±

    ¡±I¡¯m not judging. But if you want to, you can still tell a teacher. I mean it¡¯s never too late to do the right thing, you know?¡±

    ¡±Where is this sudden profoundness coming from man?¡± I said, chuckling.

    ¡°It¡¯s just advice from a friend. And try not to beat yourself up. Just try to fix your mistake¡± Micah said. I nodded, some hope returning. I guess I could tell a teacher. There had to be some way to make an anonymous tip about bullying in school, or I could just go straight to head of year. Hopefully that would kickstart something.

    ¡°Yu?¡± Micah asked.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You kind of zoned out. Everything alright?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I think I need to go to school¡±

    -

    I sat in a teacher¡¯s office, tapping my finger against my leg anxiously.

    ¡°So let me get this straight. You want to report bullying?¡±

    ¡°Yes Miss¡±

    Mrs Phillips, the head of freshman and Assistant vice principal, stared at me judgingly before sighing and taking off her glasses.

    ¡°Mr Onomae first I think it¡¯d be more reasonable to discuss your several absences and lates¡±

    ¡°I came here to talk about that too. I promise I¡¯ll try to be better, but we really need to discuss this whole bullying thing. Can we do that first?¡±

    She furrowed her brow, before leaning back in her chair.

    ¡°Fine, since it seems to bother you so much. What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°James and his friends are bullying Thomas. Thomas Gargan. They mess with him all the time, from small stuff like taking his things to more serious offences like beating him up. They were beating him up in the toilet yesterday¡±

    ¡°James who?¡±

    ¡°James¡­ Hayes. I think¡±

    ¡°Right¡± she said tapping away at her keyboard before glancing at the screen. ¡°Do you have any evidence?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ no. But I swear it¡¯s true. You can ask others, or Thomas himself¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Thomas Gargan?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I think so¡±

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll have a talk with them to try and sort it out¡±

    ¡°Just a talk?¡±

    ¡°Well, you haven¡¯t given me any proof of this, so there¡¯s not much I can do. If there is something happening, I¡¯m sure we can get to the bottom of it by talking to one another and if there isn¡¯t then no harm no foul¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think just talking to them wi-¡±

    ¡°Leave the disciplinary action to me, Mr Onomae. Now, on to your attendance. I think something as serious as this requires a detention and some kind of phone call home¡±

    -

    I sat at the lunch table alone, grumbling to myself. That had been completely and utterly pointless. I¡¯d been swept up in the throes of Micah¡¯s uplifting words and just embarrassed myself. Thomas would probably get the shit kicked out of him when James found out that someone had reported his bullying. If they were clever, they might even clue in onto the fact that I¡¯d told the teachers. Crap. I had it bad enough as it was with this whole loner thing, I didn¡¯t need to get bullied too. Crap. I might have to transfer.

    Could I give Dad a good enough reason? This school was good on paper so unless I managed to get into another great school then there was no chance. I couldn¡¯t tell him about the bullying though, then he¡¯d just come in and make a scene. I pressed my chin harder into my fist. This wasn¡¯t good. I¡¯d basically signed my own death warrant.

    I shook my head. There was no point getting all twisted up in knots about possibilities. Now was all I had to worry about. I¡¯d been stuck with a detention and Dad was getting a phone call. That really was bad. If he got the numbers on how many classes I¡¯d missed, I could say goodbye to my phone, any videogames, and he¡¯d probably stop me from going to climbing too. It¡¯d only be for one or two weeks, but it still sucked. I groaned again. This whole thing could¡¯ve been avoided if I¡¯d just stayed at climbing.

    With a sigh, I stood, taking my tray over to the bin and throwing what was left of the slop before putting it on the pile of other trays. Slowly, I trudged out of the hall, my feet dragging as I made my way through the school. What did I have once lunch ended? English? Oh this was going to be so boring. Should I leave? No, if they realised I hadn¡¯t shown up to afternoon classes before they called my old man., I was seriously screwed. Plus, I¡¯d promised Mama. I had to at least try.

    A loud bang shook me from my stupor. I spun around, turning to see James and his friends standing around Thomas as he lay on the ground. Shit! Heart in my mouth, I darted back around the corner as their twisted laughter echoed through the hall.

    ¡°Sorry man. I didn¡¯t see you¡± one of James¡¯ friends said laughing. I peered round the wall to see the group chuckling amongst themselves. James bent down and lifted Thomas off the floor with ease, slamming him against the lockers.

    ¡°Woah, bit unsteady on your feet, aren¡¯t you?¡± he said, laughing in his face.

    I hid again, my mind racing. Was I the only one seeing this? I had to do something right? Crap, what did I do, my mind was going blank. Could I even do anything? I mean going out there would be suicide. I¡¯d done enough already, right? I¡¯d told the teacher. If that wasn¡¯t enough to stop this it wasn¡¯t my fault. I didn¡¯t have to put myself in harm¡¯s way just to help Thomas, right? Right?

    ¡°Hey!¡± A familiar voice cut through the air ¡°Knock it off James¡±

    I looked back around the corner to see Emma, now standing between James and Thomas who was once again on the floor.

    ¡°Oh fuck off. I¡¯m just trying to help him up¡± James said trying to push past her.

    ¡°I said knock it off¡± Emma said, shoving him back. James stumbled and caught himself against the lockers on the far side of the hall. As he straightened out his entire demeanour shifted, and he stepped towards Emma fists balled.

    ¡°I-it¡¯s fine! Really¡± Thomas called out, scrambling up. ¡°He was just trying to help me up¡±

    ¡°Bullshit¡± Emma said.

    ¡°Just leave us alone. I mean even Thomas is saying your overreacting¡± one of Thomas friends said. Emma looked between the group before turning to James.

    ¡°Fine. But I think you guys should leave first¡± Emma said, glaring at him.

    James looked around the hall, noticing everyone watching the commotion. He stepped back, hands raised in mock surrender.

    ¡°Alright, alright¡± he said. ¡±But don¡¯t forget to meet me afterschool Tommy. I¡¯ve got a little thank you gift¡±

    He turned and began walking down the hall, his posse following behind him.

    I hid back behind the corner and deflated, slumping against the wall. A mixture of shame and relief swirled through my gut as my hands clenched my bag straps tighter. I can¡¯t believe my first reaction had been to hide. Thomas was lucky Emma was here. She really was fearless.

    ¡°Yu?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± I said looking up. Emma stared at me blankly, with Thomas trailing slightly behind her. ¡°Oh hi¡±

    ¡°Did you see that?¡± she said to me, before glancing down the hall at James and his friends. ¡°Disgusting¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡± I mumbled back. She turned to Thomas.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t try to cover for them like that. And don¡¯t even think about going to them afterschool¡±

    ¡°O-ok¡± he replied.

    ¡°Actually, come on Thomas, let¡¯s go to Mrs Phillips¡±

    ¡°Oh it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m fine. Just a bit of playful roughhousing¡±

    ¡°You sure? It looked like just roughhousing to me, right Yu?¡±

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡± I said, laughing awkwardly. Emma furrowed her brow, glancing between the two of us her expression a mixture of disappointment and confusion.

    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to do anything Thomas?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°Suit yourself. Bye¡± she said, walking away. Thomas glanced at me, and momentarily our eyes locked. A world of information passed between us, with one emotion more poignant in his expression than the rest. Anger.

    He was angry at me? Why? Because I¡¯d left him behind yesterday? I looked away, feeling a greater wave of shame. He walked off without a word and I looked back up watching as they both walked away, my shoulders slumping in shame. Now I really wanted to leave.

 Yus Story - Chapter Four

    Emma was seriously good at climbing. Like seriously seriously good. Just watching her do practice runs on the speed course was like watching a magician at work. She¡¯d grab a hold and already be reaching for the next before it looked like she even had a firm grip. She just glided up the face of the wall effortlessly. She was amazing.

    ¡°You know, for someone who¡¯s not competing, you¡¯re watching the speed course practice real intently¡± Micah said.

    ¡°What? I can¡¯t watch?¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t watching earlier¡±

    ¡°Oh, leave me alone¡± I said. Micah chuckled. ¡°I mean there¡¯s nothing wrong with watching a good climber. Emma¡¯s just good¡±

    ¡°Yeah, no doubt about that¡± he responded.

    I turned back, watching as she prepared to do the course again, then glanced at the time. 17:06. I cringed. If the school had phoned Dad, he¡¯d probably called me by now. There was no point staying here till five thirty like usual. It¡¯d just make things worse in the long run. I just had to bite the bullet now.

    ¡°Hey Micah, I think I¡¯m gonna go¡±

    ¡°Already?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°Well see you tomorrow man. Oh, and if you ever need any help with anything again, just let me know¡± he said with a smile.

    ¡°I will¡± I responded.

    As I turned away, my smile faded. Feelings of guilt and shame swirled through my head as I made my way towards the changing rooms. I hadn¡¯t told him what had happened at school earlier. I didn¡¯t want him knowing I¡¯d chickened out basically right after he¡¯d offered me helpful advice. It was probably for the best that he didn¡¯t know. Sure, I felt a bit bad deceiving him, but I didn¡¯t want him to feel responsible for what had happened. It¡¯s not like it was his fault the faculty at my school was incompetent. It wasn¡¯t my fault either. It¡¯s like they went out of their way to do the worst thing possible. Ok I hadn¡¯t been the best equipped when I¡¯d gone to Mrs Phillips, but surely she could¡¯ve done more. Or taken it seriously. She hadn¡¯t seemed all that interested in the situation now that I really thought about it. She¡¯d cared more about my lates and attendance than anything else.

    I finished changing and went to put my bag on my back before pausing. Well, I guess there was no time like the present. With a sigh, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and turned it on. Peering at the screen anxiously I watched, waiting for the notifications to appear.

    One missed call from Dad. Well¡­ that wasn¡¯t too bad. Right? Now for the important decision; did I call him back now or just go home? I shook my head. That shouldn¡¯t have been a question. If he thought I was avoiding him I was finished. I didn¡¯t want to get grounded for a month.

    I clicked on the notification and let the dial tone ring in my ear, slightly nervous. After two rings Dad picked up.

    ¡°Yu?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Are you at the climbing gym?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Come home quickly, we need to talk¡±

    ¡°Ok. I¡¯m on my way now¡±

    ¡°Good. Talk to you later¡±

    ¡°Bye dad¡±

    With a small sigh, I hung up, before walking out the changing rooms. I trudged slowly through reception saying by to the staff, before making my way through the streets towards my bus stop. Slumping onto the seat, I stretched out, groaning. I was tired. So tired. Actually going to school for the whole day on top of climbing was some serious stuff. And tomorrow was going to be even longer. I sighed, resting my head against my hand. I didn¡¯t want to go. I wasn¡¯t built for school. Classes were so boring, and I didn¡¯t even have anyone to really talk to.

    I perked up as the bus turned the corner, slowing down and easing into the stop. I stood up and got on, taking a seat towards the back. It was slightly warmer in here, though something smelled like cheese. I glanced out the window, thinking to myself.

    I guess it wasn¡¯t all bad. I had something to look forward to tomorrow. The charity costume event. My costume was amazing. Sure, there were a couple holes, but it kind of added to the charm. A grin spread across my face. I was going to blow everyone else out the water. I could see it already. The excitement, the interest, the questions about how I¡¯d made it. People would actually try to talk to me for once. Maybe if I came up with a long-winded story about how I¡¯d researched the materials the real Spider-Man had used in his costume and designed my suit around that, it¡¯d make me look cool. Actually, that¡¯d probably make me look like a dork. And a try hard. The bus came to a stop and I chuckled to myself as I stood, making my way off the bus.

    I made my way down the street, quickly reaching our apartment building. Humming to myself I walked straight through the lobby and into the lift. As it ascended, I stood still, a small knot of dread building in my stomach. It wouldn¡¯t be that bad. Just a few lates and absences. Dad was probably more disappointed than mad, so the punishment wouldn¡¯t be too bad. At the very least I¡¯d probably get to keep my phone. I didn¡¯t want to take the emergency nokia to school. I actually wanted pictures for tomorrow. The lift came to a stop, and I yawned, stepping out into the hallway before making my way to our door.

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    I pulled out my keys and opened the door slowly, listening for the sounds within the apartment. I didn¡¯t need to. Ryo and Dad sat in the hall playing with Ryo¡¯s action figures. They both looked up to me, before Ryo jumped up grinning.

    "Dad and me were playing with Icon and Pride. Do you want to join in?"

    "Maybe later. I think Dad wants to have a talk with me first" I said. He glanced back to Dad who nodded and stood.

    "You keep playing Ryo. Yu let''s talk in the kitchen" he said. I nodded and followed him, looking to the floor. We came to a stop, standing opposite each other, silent, as the sound of Ryo playing pretend rang out through the house.

    ¡°Do you have anything to say?" Dad asked, breaking the silence.

    "I''m sorry"

    "That''s a good start. Anything else?"

    "N-no" I said, glancing up at him. He nodded, before sighing and taking off his glasses.

    "Is there any reason you wouldn''t want to go to school?"

    "No" I replied, thinking back to Thomas. Dad stayed quiet for a second, a mixture of emotions on his face.

    "I''m disappointed. I can understand being late, it''s not a short walk and the bus isn''t exactly reliable. But skipping classes? Leaving during lunchtime? That''s unacceptable" he said.

    "I''m sorry"

    "Good. You can expect no videogames or climbing for the next week. And give me your phone. I''ll give you the nokia. Use it for emergencies" he said. Crap. I reluctantly handed over my phone, sparing a glance at Dad. He looked just as serious as ever.

    ¡°From today onwards I expect you to go to school and be on time. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°Good¡± Dad said. ¡°Dinner will be ready in half an hour. You can go¡±

    I nodded before walking off to my room dejectedly. Closing my door softly behind me, I slumped onto my bed, groaning. The bed creaked as I rolled over, and the fabric of the Spider-Man costume beneath me tickled my skin. I sat up and grabbed it, holding it to the light. At least I still had this. Furrowing my brow, I stood.

    I was an idiot. I hadn¡¯t even tried it on yet. What if it didn¡¯t fit? Standing, I changed out of my normal clothes, pulling on the suit. It took a while but when I was finally done, I looked at myself in the mirror. It was slightly loose around the arms and chest, but for the most part it looked good. Really good. I grabbed the mask and pulled it on as well. Holy shit. Who made this? I poked the large white lenses, bringing my face closer to the mirror. I actually looked like Spider-Man. It was scary how uncanny it was. I needed to take a photo.

    Dammit, I didn''t have my phone. Well, I could just ask Dad to do it tomorrow. Asking for it now was just silly. I pulled the mask off, accidentally catching myself on the face with something metal. Ow. I glanced at my wrist as I rubbed my cheek. Oh right, these things. I¡¯d tried to take them off the costume, but they wouldn¡¯t budge. Flat metal disks attached at the wrist. I had no idea what they were. Some kind of security tag maybe? But why have two of them? I poked at one. They were probably just useless. I would cut them out, but having holes in the wrists of the costume would probably be a bit too weird. Suddenly in clicked, extending out further, one part clamping on to the bottom of my palm. Huh? That was cool. I pressed again and yelped, jumping backwards as a long strand of silk webbing shot forwards, attaching to my wardrobe door. I cried out, yanking my hand back and the already flimsy door came off its hinges crashing to the ground.

    ¡°What was that?!¡± Dad called out.

    ¡°N-nothing¡± I shouted back.

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m okay¡± I responded. He grumbled a word of acknowledgment back and went silent. I let out a breath before looking back down at the webbing and my now broken wardrobe.

    ¡°Holy shit¡± I mumbled looking around. I quickly drew my blinds shut then fumbled with the web shooter on my wrist as a million thoughts raced through my mind. Finally, I managed to disconnect the web by double tapping the trigger on the bottom of my palm. Stumbling, I fell back onto my bed, and brought my face to my hands.

    This didn''t feel real. Either this was a really really well-designed costume and my imagination was running wild, or I had the actual Spider-Man suit. I sat up quickly, looking at myself in the mirror. No way this was the actual Spider-Man suit. I mean it had just been lying in the trash and Spider-Man was¡­

    Spider-Man had quit. He¡¯d thrown away his costume and quit.

    The memory suddenly felt like a profound realisation, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I grabbed the mask staring at the large white eyes. No. No! This didn¡¯t make any sense. He was just taking an extended break, right? I mean¡­ he had to come back. Who else would save the city? The MDA were useless aside from being prison guards, and there was no way any of those minor league heroes over on Long Island could do half of what Spider-Man could do. They probably wouldn¡¯t even make the trip to the city if he did quit.

    I glanced back at myself in the mirror before looking down at the spider symbol on my chest. I needed to take this off. It was disrespectful. I jumped up, pulling at the suit. Struggling to untangle myself from it I writhed, failing to pull it off as the material stuck to my slightly sweaty skin. Crap. I couldn¡¯t believe I¡¯d mutilated the suit in my poor attempt to sew the holes together.

    Shit! How could I have been so stupid?! I knew what the Spider-Man suit looked like. No label, a strange think but armoured material, fucking web-shooters! Even if I hadn¡¯t been able to figure it out instantly, I should¡¯ve clued in before trying it on. I finally pulled off, the top part of the costume, stumbling and catching myself on the wall. I lifted my feet and grabbed at the soles, pulling desperately as I panted. I stumbled, losing my balance and crashed to the floor.

    ¡°Yu?!¡± Dad called out.

    ¡°J-just getting something out from under my bed!¡±

    ¡°Well try to keep it down¡±

    Right. Ok. I was panicking. I needed to calm down. I wiped sweat from my face, before closing my eyes and taking deep, steady breaths. My eyes flitted open again and I looked up at myself in the mirror, the mask out on the floor in front of me. I picked it up, and stared at it.

    What did I do? I couldn¡¯t just keep this. It was Spider-Man¡¯s suit for crying out loud. But it didn¡¯t feel right to just throw it away. Then what? Did I take it to the police? What would they say to me? They¡¯d probably take me in for questioning and ask me how I got it. What did I say, I just found it in some dumpster in a back alley? No shot they believed me. Then should I tell the world Spider-Man was gone for good? I mean there were a lot of people that wanted to know. But what if he wasn¡¯t? What if he had just thrown it away by accident, or it was just an old costume.

    Yeah right he hadn''t quit. He hadn¡¯t appeared in over a month and I found his costume in the trash. I was reaching.

    But even if I was right, wasn¡¯t telling everyone dangerous? If the villains in hiding knew that for certain wouldn¡¯t that cause some serious chaos. But I couldn¡¯t just do nothing. I needed to get this to Spider-Man somehow. I needed to find him and convince him to be a hero again. But that was easier said than done. First, I had to find him.

    But who in the world was he? Just some guy? How would I find him? Wait, he¡¯d thrown the costume away in the middle of Astoria, so maybe he lived around here. Or maybe he¡¯d picked somewhere far from his house. He didn¡¯t have to live in Queens just because he¡¯d thrown his suit away here. Dammit. Then what? Was there some kind of cryptic message I could put on the web for him to find? Some clue in the suit? I couldn¡¯t wear this to the costume charity event at school. Could I?

    I glanced at myself in the mirror. I mean... I''d get to wear Spider-Man''s suit. It did look really cool and I didn¡¯t exactly have anything else to wear. I furrowed my brow. Maybe I could just wear it without the mask.

 Yus Story - Chapter Five

    I stared at myself in the mirror, tugging at my collar before adjusting my jacket.

    This should work. No, it would. It would work.

    My looked over the mirror as I scrutinised my outfit. I had the suit on, but over the top I wore jeans and a red jacket with the zip undone. Like this I could get away with not looking like I was wearing the actual Spider-Man costume and instead pretend I was too embarrassed to shamelessly wear a rip off. I furrowed my brow. I guess it wasn¡¯t really a costume anymore, but if anyone got suspicious I had the mask in my bag. That was just in case though. I¡¯d only wear it for photos or something like that. Yeah. Only for photos.

    I stepped out of my bedroom into the hall as Dad tied Ryo¡¯s shoelaces. He looked up at me and offered a smile. Ryo turned and looked at my clothes, his eyes lighting up at the sight of my costume.

    "So cool" he said.

    "Thanks" I said, failing to hide my grin.

    ¡°Have fun today¡± Dad spoke, offering a warm smile.

    ¡°Yeah, and beat up all the bad guys¡± Ryo added. I laughed and ruffled his hair.

    ¡°I will¡± I responded to both of them. I paused at the door, looking between my regular shoes and a set of red boots Aunt Mira had gotten me. They were a bit uncomfortable, but I guess they went more with the costume. I guess they couldn''t hurt too much. I slipped into them, and with a wave goodbye, stepped outside. The boots thumped loudly as I made my way downstairs and out into the street. Ok. It was time to show off my costume at school. I was trying to hide it, but I was seriously excited.

    -

    Nobody cared. Not a single person. I¡¯d expected this somewhere in the back of my mind, but not to this extent. I guess I¡¯d oversold the ¡°not a costume look¡±. Well at least I wasn''t particularly out of place. Most students had made half-hearted attempts at dressing up, and basically everyone wore something superhero related. There were some pretty cool renditions of popular costumes and a few people wore more niche superheroes. The best costume I¡¯d seen had been a replica of an Athena costume, and I¡¯d had to do a double take on that one.

    Some of the better costumes were giving me the itch to wear the Spider-Man costume in all its glory people, but I¡¯m pretty sure that would do more than start conversation. People would start to notice. It really did blow everyone else¡¯s costumes out of the water. Which made sense considering it was the real thing. It was way too good to just be costume for a dumb school event. Even putting on the mask would probably be too much, it¡¯s why I¡¯d kept it off.

    Still it was kind of disappointing. Today had just been a boring day like usual. Probably even worse, because I¡¯d been expecting excitement and had to attend for a full day. No lates either. I thumped my head against my locker. I didn''t even need to be here. I''d just taken the long way just to stay out of lesson for longer. I really didn''t want to go to a maths class.

    With a sigh I turned around and found myself face to face with a skeleton. I jumped back in surprise, letting loose an unholy sound.

    ¡°S-sorry¡± the person said. I stared back at them blankly taking in their costume and face paint. ¡°My locker¡± they said pointing past me.

    ¡°Oh¡± I said, stepping away. I cleared my throat as I glanced at the people around me, trying to act unembarrassed. Geez, that had caught me off guard. I really needed to pay more attention to my surroundings. Thinking and not looking was starting to become a seriously bad habit.

    Instantly I crashed into someone and stumbled face first into a set of lockers. Ow. I stood from the floor, feeling at my face as people stared at me. Blinking through watering eyes, I winced as my nose throbbed. Ok that was just stupid.

    ¡°Yu? You alright?¡± a familiar voice said. I looked up to see Emma and her friend, both in costumes of members of the Vanguard. MedBay and Express. They were well made. Definitely not store bought. Wow. I didn''t know Emma was the type to make her own costume. Maybe it had been her friend?

    ¡°Yu?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Oh, yeah I¡¯m fine¡±

    ¡°You should be more careful. I didn¡¯t take you for the clumsy type¡± she said with a laugh.

    ¡°Yeah. I should be. I¡¯ll try to remember that¡± I chuckled.

    ¡°Oh, what do you think of our costume? They''re great right?¡± Emma said with an air of proudness.

    ¡°Yeah. MedBay and Express. They¡¯re well made. Pretty cool¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡± her friend said, ¡°But seriously I¡¯m never doing this again. They were a lot of work¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on. You just wanted to buy something from the store. Cosplaying is fun¡± Emma said.

    ¡°Tell that to my bank account. Anyway, it was nice talking to you Yu, but we¡¯ve got to go or we¡¯ll be late¡±

    ¡°Ok. It was nice talking to you too¡±

    ¡°See you at climbing later¡± Emma said, as she walked away. ¡±Oh, and nice costume¡±

    I paused, a smile playing on my lips as I watched them go, before looking down at the symbol on my chest. Maybe today wasn¡¯t all bad.

    -

    With a hearty yawn I made my way through the streets of Astoria, the sounds of cars and people echoing out all around me. School was over and now I had nothing to do. I¡¯d gotten on the bus like I was going to climbing before remembering Dad had put an end to that for a while. So on a whim I''d decided to walk home. Sure it was longer, but why not? I hadn''t actually walked around in a while.

    I hummed to myself, thinking of what I was going to do when I got home. The nanny would get home at four, so I could play with Ryo from then. But not without getting bored pretty quickly. No videogames meant we just had action figures and board games. Playing pretend with action figures was only fun when it was fair, and against Ryo I couldn¡¯t win without tears and a firm suggestion from Dad. Well, what else was there? I guess I could try to do my homework? But it wasn¡¯t the night beforehand, so I wouldn¡¯t even feel motivated. It¡¯d feel like I was actually a responsible student. That just sounded weird.

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    Well, I guess I could play snake or something on the Nokia. Oh, maybe I could ask Dad if I could use his keyboard? I doubted it, but maybe if I played the educational angle I might be able to get away with it. But that would have to wait till he got home. I let out a sigh. I guess I was just gonna have to re-read all my Ajin volumes again.

    The sound of a familiar shout cut through my thoughts, and I stopped in my tracks. I backpedalled slightly then peered around a building edge looking down into the alley. James and his friends stood around Thomas, kicking the shit out of him as he cried out, shielding his head. My heart dropped and I quickly stepped forward, out of view of the group.

    My breaths felt heavy, my chest tight, as I put my head down and made my way forward. I didn''t like what I''d just seen, but there wasn¡¯t anything I could do. I couldn''t beat them, and going to the school hadn''t worked. There wasn''t anything I could do. I had to live with that.

    ¡°There wasn¡¯t anything I could do¡± I whispered to myself. It was true. It was.

    I stopped and paused. But I had the suit, didn¡¯t I? Wait what? No. No way. That was stupid. Really stupid. Beyond stupid even. It was insane.

    What if they found out? I¡¯d be screwed. The guy who imitated Spider-Man to try and intimidate some bullies? They¡¯d kill me. My life at school would be over.

    But wasn¡¯t this a chance to redeem myself? I could stop Thomas from getting bullied. Sure it was risky, but the suit looked good enough. If I just put on some false bravado and deepened my voice, how would they know? Jake and his goons might not listen to me but they¡¯d listen to Spider-Man. I looked down at the spider symbol on my chest, then clenched my hand tightly before rushing into an alley. I pulled off my bag and jacket, then my jeans, quickly pulling on the gloves before rummaging around in my bag and grabbing the mask. Dammit, dammit. Ok. I was doing this. I was really doing this. Oh wow. I pulled it on, and went to leave the alley before stopping and taking off my shoes. I stuffed them in my bag along with the rest of my clothes. I went to set it down before stopping. I¡¯d just keep my bag with me.

    I turned back to the alley exit and paused steeling myself before taking a deep breath and rushing out into the street. I ran past people ignoring the stares from the crowd as I sprinted through the street, before skidding to a stop outside the alley where James and his friends were beating on Thomas.

    ¡°Hey!¡± I shouted. They all turned and instantly froze upon seeing me. Trying not to shake as I stepped forwards towards them with a false confidence I cleared my throat.

    ¡°What do you guys think you¡¯re doing?¡± I said.

    ¡°We- uh- I-¡± James stuttered, looking around. Holy shit it was working.

    ¡°Beat it before I give you guys a taste of your own medicine¡± I said. They all grabbed their bags and sprinted out of the alley at full speed.

    I turned back to Thomas, the intense sense of relief that washed over me making my knees weak. Thomas looked up at me with awe and I offered him a hand. He pulled himself up and began dusting himself off.

    ¡°You okay?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah... t-thank you Spider-Man¡±

    ¡°No problem. You should stick it to those assholes¡± I said. He let out a small laugh.

    "Are you back for good?" he said, hopeful. Crap. What did I say? What did I do? I couldn''t say no, could I?

    I nodded, instantly cringing internally. What the hell was I doing!?

    ¡°I¡¯m glad your back. I was beginning to worry¡± he said. I felt an immediate and immense stab of guilt, but played it off with a small laugh. ¡°C-can I get an autograph?¡± he asked.

    ¡°S-sure¡± I responded. Crap. Could I properly copy Spider-Man¡¯s autograph?

    Suddenly a scream cut through the air, sending a chill through my entire, right body down to my bones. I spun around frozen in place as I heard panicked shouts from down the street. What the hell was that?

    ¡°Spider-Man?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna go?¡± Thomas asked confused. I stared at him blankly before my eyes went wide. Shit! SHIT! What did I do? Did I come clean? Reveal myself to him? I mean it¡¯s not like James and the others would know. I reached for the mask when a voice rang out behind me.

    ¡°Spider-Man? Thank god! Someone just got mugged¡± a bystander shouted. I spun around, spotting a person staring at me in the alley. A few other people glanced inside upon hearing their words. All of them looked at me expectantly.

    Shit. This was bad. This was seriously bad.

    ¡°Spider-Man? He¡¯s getting away!¡± one of the civilians shouted. Crap. Crap, crap, crap. I had to do something.

    I rushed forwards out of the alley.

    ¡°Which way!?¡± I said frantic. They all pointed and I broke out into a sprint, shouting for people to clear a path. My heart hammered in my chest as my body pumped with adrenaline. What was even happening?! What was I doing right now?! People all across the street stared at me. They were all looking at me. Crap. They thought I was Spider-Man!

    I pushed the thoughts out of my mind as I continued running, spotting the robber up ahead. He¡¯d been slowed by the crowd. That was good, I guess? It¡¯s not like I could actually do anything when I got to him. But everybody was expecting me to. Crap. What did I do when I reached him?! Why was I even doing this?! What sort of stupid life decisions led me to this point!?

    I continued running, following the robber as he turned the corner. He was slower than me. I¡¯d nearly caught up to him. That was good. Was that good?

    ¡°HEY!¡± I shouted. ¡°Stop! Just stop!¡±

    He glanced behind at me and his eyes widened. He continued running, in more of a panic now, knocking people out of the way vigorously. A lady fell into the road and a car barely managed to stop in time, honking it''s horn loudly. Crap. He could hurt someone. I had to do something. What could I do? Oh wait! The web-shooters! I raised my hand and hit at the metal notch desperately.

    "Come on, come on!" I cried.

    Suddenly it extended outwards, the trigger clamping onto my wrist. I pointed my arm forwards and with the best effort I could muster, fired a web. The crook glanced behind him as I did so and dived for the floor, barely avoiding the stream of silk. It latched onto the ground as the theif rushed out into the street, snaking through cars to get away from me. Dammit. I disengaged the first web and I came to a stop. I lined up the web shooter again as he struggled to get through the busy road. I fired and it shot out catching him in the shoulder. Woah! That was perfec-

    Suddenly I slammed into the car next to me, dragged forward by the web. Ouch. I held the web tightly, pushing myself off the car as the line went taught again. My arm jerked violently and then the crook cried out as he was yanked backwards by the shoulder, crashing to the asphalt. Holy shit. I was actually doing this. Wait, wasn¡¯t this actually my chance to stop him?

    I disconnected the web, leaving it stuck to the car I''d slammed into and rushed forward into the road. The cars had all been stopped by the line of web cutting across the street. The crook struggled to stand, awkwardly trying to pull against the web before spotting me in his periphery. He cried out and reached for his waistband.

    Everything seemed to slow as I realised what he was doing. A gun. He had a gun. The realisation brought with it a cold chill that cut through me. My body reacted instinctively. With as much force as I could muster I wrenched my bag off my back, threw it at him and dived to the side all in one smooth motion. A crackle of gunfire echoed out through the street and people cried out as I rolled across the floor. I panted, the fear that coursed through my body heightening all sensations as I looked up.

    The robber lay still in front of me, unconscious. My bag had knocked him out. Oh right, it had the heavy boots inside. Thank god I¡¯d taken off my shoes. I stood up quickly and rushed over to the guy kicking his gun away from him before tying him up with a strand of web, my hands trembling.

    I stood, knees shaky as stars shot across my vision and my elbow throbbed from slamming against the pavement. As I pulled my bag back on my back, my heart thumping wildly in my chest I looked around. A lot of people were watching.

    ¡°Spider-Man¡¯s back baby!¡± someone shouted before cheering. Other people began to cheer as well before the entire crowd broke out into applause.

    Holy shit. What the hell had I just done?

 Yus Story - Chapter Six

    I walked quickly, glancing around at the people around me as they went about their days. My brain was racing, thoughts flying through my head at a million miles per hour. My breath was ragged, my hands shaking violently in my pockets as I looked around. I couldn¡¯t tell if anyone was staring at me or not. I couldn¡¯t tell if anyone knew. My senses were contorted, twisted. Every turn of a head, every raised voice, every moment of eye contact, the weight of every action blown out of proportion, sending my heart into overdrive.

    I stumbled, tripping and falling to the floor. My knees throbbed as the world seemed to spin. Crap. I looked up, glancing around frantically. People looked to me but walked by without offering help. One lady held my gaze for a bit longer, and my heart jumped into my throat before she looked away, no sign of recognition on her face.

    I pulled myself up slowly, and shoved my hands back into my pockets, bunching up my shoulders. With a bit more care, I carried on walking, keeping my head down as I made my way through the streets.

    I¡¯d taken off the costume now, but no matter what I did, my body was stuck in fight or flight. I was still paranoid somebody had seen me. After my insane stunt with the thief I¡¯d run away. Booked it until I¡¯d found an alley in some half empty street and rushed inside to change as quickly as I could. I¡¯d never been so glad to put on a pair of jeans. Seriously. After that I¡¯d waited. I¡¯d waited and waited for the surreality of the situation to fade. It hadn¡¯t. So I¡¯d counted to three hundred, praying the entire time that when I stepped out no one who had seen Spider-Man rush into an alley would see me step out. Then I¡¯d finally gotten the courage to walk back out into the street, and all I¡¯d gotten were a few weird stares.

    It was probably the colours of my outfit. It wasn¡¯t everyday you saw someone walk out of an alley in a bright red leather jacket, jeans, and red hiking boots. But even knowing that I couldn¡¯t shake the pit in my stomach, the growing sense of nausea that something was going to go terribly wrong.

    I shook my head. No one had seen me. No one.

    Probably.

    I glanced around again and shuddered. I bunched my shoulders tightly. Dammit. What the hell had I even been thinking? I mean, sure I didn¡¯t want to tarnish Spider-Man¡¯s reputation by running away, but just charging headfirst into danger like that? I could¡¯ve gotten hurt. I could¡¯ve been killed! I cringed internally. I hadn¡¯t even had a plan for stopping the robber. I¡¯d just chased him through the streets, and when he¡¯d pulled a gun out, I¡¯d just thrown my bag at him and prayed he didn¡¯t shoot me. I¡¯d gotten lucky. I¡¯d gotten so lucky it was insane. I was going to keep these boots for the rest of my life. I¡¯d wear them everyday from now on. They¡¯d help me do a good job of faking it as Spider-Man.

    Well not really. People had to be asking questions. There must¡¯ve been some footage on the web, and even if there wasn¡¯t there had been a lot of people watching. I could see the twitter thread already.

    Why hadn¡¯t Spider-Man been swinging from building to building?

    Why couldn¡¯t Spider-Man dodge the bullets?

    Why is Spider-Man been wearing a school bag?

    Why is he so skinny all of a sudden?

    Did he lose half an inch?

    Is he sick?

    I groaned. Even if the casual fan didn¡¯t know much about Spider-Man, superfans would still be able to figure out it was a different guy. Tons of people had been filming me. All from different angles as I¡¯d tied up the thief. I¡¯d even high fived someone and done the signature thumbs up. That footage was online wasn¡¯t it? I cringed then paused. Wow. Now that I thought about it, tons of people had been filming me. They¡¯d filmed me catching a criminal as Spider-Man. Wasn¡¯t this¡­ kind of cool?

    I shook my head vigorously. No. No it wasn¡¯t cool. It was insane. This was insane. Sure, it would be kind of funny if no one noticed I was a totally different guy, but it¡¯d also be seriously concerning. I mean I¡¯d had no idea what the hell I was doing. Surely¡­ surely someone would be able to tell right? I mean¡­ they¡¯d know. Right?

    I stumbled again but caught myself on a streetlight and cursed. I needed to stop getting so caught up in my own thoughts and focus on walking. I was going to trip into the road at this rate.

    With a small push, I stepped past the streetlight and continued walking. I made my way through the streets, part of the bustling crowds of people before turning off the main road and making my way towards my apartment building. I strolled in through the lounge, sparing a glance at the couple rifling through their mailbox, before stepping into the lift. Floor three.

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    I stood in the lift, completely still, blankly staring at the cold metal doors. With a ding the lift came to a stop and the doors parted. Stepping out, I made my way down the corridor, walking slowly to the apartment. I fished out my keys and opened the door, stepping inside with a small sigh of relief. As I closed the door behind me, I saw the nanny peek her head around the corner, and followed Ryo, rushing into the hall.

    ¡°Yu¡¯s home!¡± he said excited.

    ¡°I know Ryo, there¡¯s no need to shout¡± Ms Stone said with a small smile. Ryo covered his mouth before rushing over to me, hugging my leg. I hugged him back as Ms Stone spoke.

    ¡°Ryo why don¡¯t you get a head start on finishing the puzzle whilst I talk to your brother¡±

    ¡°Ok¡± he said, rushing back into the living room. Ms Stone made her way over to me, offering her phone.

    ¡°Your Dad¡¯s on the other end. You should talk to him¡± she said. Crap. In all of this I¡¯d completely forgotten Dad would probably call Ms Stone to check if I¡¯d come home straight from school. I pressed the phone to my ear tentatively.

    ¡°Yu, why are you only getting home now?¡± he said firmly.

    ¡°Sorry, I got onto the bus to go climbing like usual and realised when I got there I was supposed to come home¡± I said.

    ¡°What took you so long to get home then? The bus ride back would¡¯ve taken fifteen minutes max¡±

    ¡°I walked back¡± I responded quietly. He stayed silent. Even if it was half the truth, he hadn¡¯t bought it. Crap. I should¡¯ve walked home.

    ¡°Your voice sounds shaky. Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Yeah I¡¯m fine. Just tired¡± I said.

    ¡°Ok. We¡¯ll talk when I get home¡± he said.

    ¡°Ok. See you later Dad¡±

    ¡°See you later Yu¡± he said. I pulled the phone away from my ear and handed it back to Ms Stone. She said a few words to my father and then hung up looking to me.

    ¡°Do you want to help Ryo and I solve the puzzle?¡±

    ¡°No thanks. I¡¯m pretty tired¡± I responded.

    ¡°Alright. Well if you change your mind, we¡¯ll be in the living room¡± she said warmly. I nodded and watched as she walked back into the living room.

    I went to walk to my room but paused. I glanced into the living room listening as Ms Stone and Ryo giggled. I spared a glance at my dad¡¯s door. It would take five seconds. It would take five seconds, and I could put my phone right back afterwards. Dad wouldn¡¯t be home for at least half an hour.

    Quickly and with slow steps I shot down the hall, coming to a stop right outside my dad¡¯s door, before cracking it open and slipping inside. I looked around, searching for it before my eyes locked onto the top of Dad¡¯s drawer. I snatched it off the table and quickly rushed back to my room. I switched the phone on, and frantically hopped around waiting for the apple logo to fade and the screen to come to life. It did, and with lightning-fast fingers I opened the phone, instantly going to twitter.

    I searched quickly for the Spider-Man fan page I frequented and froze instantly. It was the first post. A video of me hi fiving someone, and then chest bumping someone else. I didn¡¯t even remember the chest bump. I scrolled. Holy shit. Just more and more videos. There was even one of me sprinting down the street. I froze, my jaw dropping. Someone had even retweeted something the Bugle had put out. The tweet was praising Spider-Man. I clicked on the comments and scrolled through the thread. Holy shit. Everyone was praising me. They didn¡¯t know. They didn¡¯t know at all. No one was saying anything. How comes no one could tell it was obviously not Spider-Man? Why was no one mentioning the lack of web swinging?! Why was no one mentioning the lack of muscle?

    I fell onto my bed, staring at the ceiling as my heart hammered in my chest. This didn¡¯t make any sense. Did it? Didn¡¯t it? Why did everyone think I was Spider-Man? Why was even the Bugle praising me?! This was insane. I sat up and looked down at my chest, unzipping the red leather jacket to look at the Spider symbol. My heart beat hard as I pressed my hand against the intricate detailed webbing of the suit, before stopping over the symbol.

    I frowned, my heart slowing as I stared at my hand. I couldn¡¯t understand it. I couldn¡¯t understand anything right now. It felt like the ground had been pulled out from beneath my feet. Was the world really this blind? Could nobody else see what was clear as day?

    I let out a heavy sigh, falling back onto my bed with my hands in my face. I was just Yu. I was just¡­ normal. Not even normal. I was worse than normal. And the people of New York had cheered for me in the streets just because I¡¯d been wearing the Spider-Man costume. None of this made any sense. None of it. I rolled over onto my side, opening my eyes and staring at the fibres of my duvet.

    What had happened to the real Spider-Man? Why had he quit?

    I closed my eyes again, breathing in softly. Was it this feeling I had right now? This fear of attention? The imposter syndrome. Probably not. He was actually Spider-Man. It was something else. But what? I didn¡¯t know.

    I rolled back onto my back. This didn¡¯t feel all that real. I needed to talk to someone about this. But was that safe? What if they spread it about and through some twisted hand of fate people started thinking I was actually Spider-Man? What would happen to Dad? To Ryo? How would my life change?

    I let out a sigh, before standing up, zipping my jacket shut and walking out of my room. I turned off my phone, quietly slipped into Dad¡¯s room and left the phone on the drawer, exactly where I¡¯d found it. I stepped out and made my way back to my room, my thoughts still a mess. I slapped my hands to my cheeks then let out a steady breath. Even if I had no idea how the world worked anymore, or what any of this meant for me, I knew one thing. I should stick to my original plan. Somehow, I needed to find Spider-Man, the real Spider-Man, and give him his suit back. I needed to convince him that he needed to take to the streets again. Something this powerful didn¡¯t belong in my hands.

    I closed my door behind me, drew my blinds, and quickly took off the suit, changing into my own clothes. With a sigh I picked it up and sat back down on my bed. I opened my blinds a crack, looking out over the street below then up to the sky.

    Where are you Spider-Man?

 Interlude Thirteen - Mary Jane-Watson

    Mary sat on the bench, silent, as she stared at her sleeping daughter. Kevin, her father, stood holding her close. He stroked Emily¡¯s hair tenderly as he gently rocked her back and forth. He spared a glance at Mary, noticing her gaze before offering her a sad smile, which she returned. Her eyes fell back to her daughter. Emily looked peaceful. So peaceful. Mary turned, glancing out over the cemetery, her smile fading as she stared out into the distance.

    For some reason Emily had been quiet the entire service, before drifting off to sleep once it had ended. Mary had been grateful for that. Peter and May had said it¡¯d be ok to bring her, said William would have wanted her there. But of course she¡¯d still worried. It¡¯s why she¡¯d sat at the back with Kevin. She felt guilty now. That she''d doubted Kevin could keep Emily quiet on his own, and that she''d spent half the funeral worrying if Emily would do something.

    Still, she felt a weird sort of pride. She looked at her daughter, taking in her fair skin, and bright orange hair. Did she understand what today meant? Did she somehow understand it¡¯s importance?

    Mary doubted it. Still she couldn¡¯t help but feel grateful she hadn¡¯t inadvertently ruined this moment for anyone. She would¡¯ve never been able to forgive herself.

    She looked back out over the fields, staring out at the rows upon rows upon rows of headstones. The sun bathed the cemetery in a soft glow, a gentle winter breeze blowing through. It was an unnecessarily nice day for a wake.

    Her eyes panned across the fields until they fixed on to Peter and Liz, standing next to each other, arm in arm as they stood over the grave. Everyone else had left by now. They had been standing  their for a while. She frowned as she watched them closely. It was apparent they were on the verge of collapse. She wanted to get up and run over to them, offer them words of encouragement, but they''d just be empty. She could feel it in her heart.

    With everything that had happened, there wasn''t any words she could give, anything she could say to them that would make anything even remotely better. Gwen''s death, Harry¡¯s year long coma, Pete¡¯s constant injuries, Eliza¡¯s miscarriage, Aunt May¡¯s cancer and now this? She couldn¡¯t even convince herself that it was all part of a bigger picture. Hell, she was starting to doubt there even was one. It just all seemed cruel. So unnecessarily cruel.

    She let out a small sigh, placing her hands into her lap as her lip trembled. They¡¯d known this was coming. Grandpa Will had been getting steadily worse for a while now.

    It didn¡¯t make today any easier.

    It made her feel small. Helpless like when her mother had left. Still she tried to do what she always did in tough situations. Remember the good times. And she could. She remembered him fondly. There were so many amazing things he''d done for her. For everyone. When they were younger he¡¯d visited May¡¯s regularly. He¡¯d made it a point to visit whenever she¡¯d been tutoring Harry and Pete, and he¡¯d always made an effort to have fun with them somehow. She couldn¡¯t remember how many times he¡¯d taken them bowling. She let out a small chuckle, then pressed her trembling lips together tightly, her eyes watering. Harry would¡¯ve wanted to come. He really would¡¯ve wanted to.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Grandpa Will and Harry had had an unusually close bond. They both had the same sense of humour, and Harry had always gone to him for advice. He¡¯d probably seen him as somewhat of a father figure. She felt a bittersweet smile tug at her lips. He¡¯d been somewhat like that for her as well.

    She¡¯d always gone to him for advice as well. When it¡¯d been time to apply for college, he and May had been the first people she¡¯d felt comfortable asking advice from. He hadn¡¯t just helped her through good times either, but through the bad as well. Whenever Phillip had one of his bad spells, whenever he¡¯d drunk too much or gotten too aggressive, Grandpa Will had always sorted him out.

    She frowned. Her father had changed recently. Since Emily had come around. It¡¯d been a welcome surprise. He¡¯d been a good grandfather. A kinder, better person. He still had his moments, but never around Emily. She remembered when he¡¯d first started to change. She¡¯d been more scared than anything. She hadn¡¯t wanted to let him into Emily¡¯s life for fear of what he could do, but had felt guilty withholding Emily from her grandfather just because of her own relationship with him. Kevin had been supportive, but it had still eaten away at her. Grandpa Will had noticed something was up one of the last times she¡¯d visited him. She¡¯d told him everything, even if she probably shouldn¡¯t have put a burden like that on him. And he¡¯d made a funny joke. She couldn¡¯t remember exactly what he¡¯d said, she just remembered it being funny. And then he¡¯d comforted her. From his hospital bed. He¡¯d been the one comforting her. She sniffled trying not to blink.

    She was just glad he¡¯d gotten to meet Emily. When he¡¯d held her in his arms he¡¯d been so happy. She¡¯d never ever forget his face. She looked to the ground, closing her eyes. She would¡¯ve liked for Gwen to meet her too. And Uncle Ben. Uncle Ben would¡¯ve liked her. None of it would ever happen, but her heart yearned for it.

    She looked out over the graveyard again, her eyes focusing on Peter and Liz. They were making their way over to them looked so tired. Everyone probably was, but them more so. Funerals were always like that.

    ¡°You alright?¡± she asked. She knew they weren¡¯t but she felt she had to say something. Pete nodded before looking to the ground.

    ¡°I¡­ sorry¡­ Liz and I are going to head to Aunt May''s. I- I should¡¯ve told you earlier.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologise Pete. Do whatever you need to¡± Mary said. He nodded, sniffling, his eyes.

    ¡°Thank you¡± Liz said, her expression worth a thousand words. ¡°Hopefully we can go out some time in the next week¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll look forward to it¡± Kevin said softly.

    Pete offered them both a nod, and then started limping away, supported by Liz. Mary wiped at her eyes then turned back to Kevin as she sat back on the bench. Emily was stirring now, looking around with a confused daze. Kevin kissed her atop the head, before looking to Mary.

    ¡°You ok?¡± he asked. She shook her head. He nodded and sat down next to her, letting her rest her head against his shoulder. They sat in silence for a while, looking out over the graveyard. Then Emily reached out for her mother, squirming as she babbled. Mary took her with a chuckle, quickly hugging her tightly to her chest. Emily looked up at her with soft brown eyes, her face set in an adorable frown.

    ¡°You want to go home?¡± Mary whispered to her. She buried her face into her mother¡¯s chest to escape the cold.

    ¡°I think she does¡± Kevin said with a small chuckle.

    ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s go home¡±

    They stood together, and Kevin took Emily from her before they slowly began making their way out of the cemetery, hand in hand. As they neared the gate Mary paused and turned, looking out over the fields. She felt her eyes grow wet as she held Kevin¡¯s hand tighter.

    Wherever Grandpa Will was, hopefully he was at peace.

    ¡°Honey?¡±

    ¡°Sorry... sorry¡± Mary said wiping at her eyes and turning quickly. Kevin offered her a small smile, squeezing her hand back.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologise¡± he said softly. She nodded back and together they walked out of the cemetery.

 Yus Story - Chapter Seven

    I sat in my room, humming to myself, as I span around in my chair. A pencil sat on my upper lip, and I half focused on balancing it, my mind wandering ever so often to bigger things.

    I¡¯d calmed down since yesterday. I mean it was still pretty weird seeing videos of myself in the Spider-Man costume online, but I wasn¡¯t as freaked out as I had been. It wasn¡¯t so much that I¡¯d come to peace with the situation, but more so that I¡¯d been so exhausted by the constant nail-biting anxiety that my brain had short circuited. After dinner yesterday I¡¯d walked to my room in a daze and just fallen asleep. I didn¡¯t even remember falling asleep. I¡¯d just opened my eyes, sat up and been confused by the fact it had been full day light outside.

    Even now that I¡¯d showered, eaten breakfast and sleep wasn¡¯t nipping at my heels, I still felt exhausted. The entire situation felt far away, like the noises of the city when I had my headphones on.

    The only thing that did bring back that spark of anxiety was going outside. I knew now that nobody had figured out who I was, but I didn¡¯t feel it. There was a disconnect somewhere between my thoughts and my feelings. It was probably a blessing in disguise that Dad had grounded me. It meant I had a reason to sit cooped up in my room without suspicion. He probably thought I was just sulking or something. If he expected me to be normal, like take Ryo out for a walk or just play games with him, he¡¯d be able to tell something was off. I was too out of it.

    But now that I could get away with being stuck in my room all day, I had a ton of time. I definitely wasn¡¯t using it to do homework, no, I¡¯d decided to do something a lot more important. I¡¯d started my detective work. Well detective work was a bit of stretch, it was closer to mind mapping ideas on how to find Spider-Man. And it wasn¡¯t exactly going well. That probably should¡¯ve been obvious from the start, I mean this was Spider-Man we were talking about, if some random kid could figure out a way to just figure out his secret identity then it was more than likely that some super genius villain would¡¯ve already discovered it.

    Still, I thought I¡¯d at least be able to come up with some theories on my own. But nothing I did seemed to spark any ideas. Doing a handstand was useless. So was sit ups, staring at the wall, using the web-shooters again and even my go to, spinning in my chair. Nothing worked. Not even doing nothing. Usually when I sat on an idea and though about random stuff something came to me. Well, that was usually for thinking about a climbing route or drawing inspiration. This wasn¡¯t exactly sketching in the ledger lines of a school books.

    I frowned before coming to a stop and staring at my notes on the paper in front of me, my mind still empty. I read over the only words I¡¯d written

    ASTORIA?

    My eyes drifted and I groaned, looking over the drawings of Spider-Man¡¯s mask and symbol at the bottom. I let my pencil fall to my lap and rested my hands on my knees. I¡¯d spent more time thinking about doing stuff than I had actually doing stuff. I leant back in my chair, the base creaking loudly. There had to be something. Something connecting him to the suit somehow. I mean there might be DNA and stuff in it, but I couldn¡¯t exactly get a scan for stuff like that. And I doubted the police database would have the fingers of someone like Spider-Man.

    I craned my neck to the side, my view of the room tilting on its side. I was just going around in circles. What else was there? Nothing really. I¡¯d found the suit in the alley and that was it. Suddenly my brain lit up, an idea bursting to the forefront. The alley. There might be a clue in the alley! If I¡¯d found the suit there, then there might be something else. Wait how long had it been? Two days? Three? I¡¯d found it, Tuesday? I think?

    Crap what if someone had thrown out the trash? I could deal with that when I got there. It was better to actually go then assume the worst. I jumped up, changing out of my indoor clothes, grinning to myself. I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t even think to check for a note. To be fair, I didn¡¯t think it was the Spider-Man suit at the time. Well, that gave me some hope right? If I hadn¡¯t instantly realised the importance of what I¡¯d been holding then, chances were if something else important to Spider-Man was in that alley, nobody else would either.  I jumped up, snatching my jacket off my bed, and throwing open my bedroom door.

    I rushed over to the shoe rack and began pulling on my shoes.

    ¡°Yu? Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Dad said sternly, his arms crossed as he stood at the end of the hallway.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t act dumb. Did you really think you could sneak out without me noticing¡±

    Oh right. I couldn¡¯t leave the house.

    I facepalmed, and then began pulling off my shoes.

    ¡°Sorry Dad I completely forgot¡± I said. I set my shoes back on the rack and stood up, face flushed with embarrassment. Dad frowned as he watched me slowly trudge back to my room in silence.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    I closed my door slowly, groaning to myself as I bumped my forehead against my fist. Idiot. Idiot, idiot, idiot. I got caught up in my own excitement. I sighed and pulled of my jacket and throwing it at the chair before slumping face first onto my bed.

    Rolling over I took a deep breath and stared at the ceiling. This was pointless. There probably wasn¡¯t any secret clue and something terrible had probably happened to the real Spider-Man. This wasn¡¯t some kind of comic book. There was no fairytale ending where I fixed all this. The real Spider-Man was probably watching the videos online laughing it up at the poor sod who put on his costume.

    Wait.

    I sat up quickly and brought my hand to my chin. The real Spider-Man had probably seen the videos. I mean, he¡¯d thrown away the costume and suddenly someone appears imitating his in his own suit. He had to have seen them, right?

    The floor seemed to shift beneath my feet as my abstract thought coalesced into a solid idea. if I went out in the costume again, he¡¯d see me for a second time. Was there some way to get some kind of message out to him whilst in the suit? Maybe I could say some code in a video whilst out in the public? I could say something about the alley I first found it in. Then only me and him would know where to go. I¡¯d have a little difficulty coming up with some cool wordplay, but it wouldn¡¯t be hard to draw a crowd in a suit. It¡¯d be easy to get videoed.

    Oh wow. This was good. This was really good. Crap. Considering I was grounded I had a very short window to pull this off. Wait, that could work in my favour. If I was only out in the costume for a short time, then there¡¯d be less chance I got caught up in any crime stopping. I felt my heart rate pick up. Ok. Ok. This was probably a lot stupider than I thought it was, but it was something, And anyway I¡¯d already decided I wasn¡¯t just going to sit here and do nothing. The city needed Spider-Man and I was going to get him back. I was doing this. I could do it Monday. On the walk home from school.

    <hr>

    <u>Clone 7E5</u>

    She stared out over the city, munching away at her third hot dog of the day gratefully. It was really nice to finally eat. Sure, she¡¯d had to steal, but it¡¯s not like she had any money to actually buy stuff. She¡¯d earned this. It¡¯d been a hard week and she¡¯d been seriously hungry for a while now. And cold. Really cold. Staying outside for days at a time in the winter would do that. She shivered slightly, and quickly pulled her jacket tighter around her frame, before finishing off the last piece of her hot dog.

    Her mind wandered back to the facility she¡¯d come from and she clenched her jaw. She knew what the place had been now. Alchemax. It was different from the one in her memories. This one had been in the middle of a park in Brooklyn. It¡¯d been huge, big enough that she¡¯d ran around in the vents for practically half an hour and never got higher than the third floor. The old one had been smaller, and in Manhattan. And it hadn¡¯t had any clones as far as she remembered.

    The same guy owned both places though, Mr Banks. She remembered him. He hadn¡¯t liked her because she¡¯d always been late.

    Well¡­ not her. Peter.

    She clenched her fists tightly, biting back the pain from the headache. Her head was filled with memories. Memories of a life, a family, of friends.

    She remembered Uncle Ben dying in her arms. She remembered her childhood crush on MJ. She remembered getting bullied by Flash at high school, all the fun she¡¯d had with Harry, how fun it had been at college. Maybe too fun.

    She remembered meeting Otto, remembered how much she looked up to him, how great it had been when he¡¯d taken her on after she¡¯d failed to get into her Masters¡¯ program.

    She remembered messing up, losing some of Otto¡¯s work, watching him spiral and then get fired by her best friend.

    She remembered feeling aimless, remembered Gwen comforting her even when she¡¯d been struggling herself.

    She remembered Lucas¡¯ fight with Ricardo. She remembered the agony, the sheer terror she¡¯d felt being trapped under all that rubble. Then Gwen¡¯s death. Being dragged down by the fear of it all. And rising out of it. She remembered being Spider-Man. She remembered Flint, Vulture, Panzer, Rhino, The Bears, Mr Ice, the Prowlers, Electro, the clones, Mysterio. She remembered it all. And none of it was hers.

    She sniffled, wiping at her eyes. There were more memories too. Ones from someone else. They were fewer and further between, and all of them were horrible, but they were there. Memories of getting beaten by some drunk, getting locked in her room.  Staying strong for her younger sister Sarah. The last memory she had from that was getting kidnapped by some scientists.

    All of the memories shook her too her core. She didn¡¯t really know what to do about it. She couldn¡¯t just forget, no matter how badly she wanted to. She¡¯d gone to some of the places in her memories, but they were different. The drunk from her memories had been home, but no on else. She hadn¡¯t bothered with him. But there had been different people at Peter¡¯s apartment. The hideout was in the middle of some massive construction sight, and she hadn¡¯t seen any news about Spider-Man at all anywhere. Liz hadn¡¯t lived at her apartment anymore either. And when she¡¯d gone to May¡¯s house, she¡¯d looked a lot older, and she hadn¡¯t even recognised her. She¡¯d ran away in tears after that. She hadn¡¯t even bothered with Lucas¡¯ school. Of course May hadn¡¯t recognised her. She wasn¡¯t Peter. She knew that. Knew she was some kind of abomination, some twisted scientific creation, but she was still a person, right?

    A bark from below made her jump. She sailed through the air, flipping gracefully before landing against a wall. Her heart thudded dully against her ribcage, and she let out a sigh. She looked around. It was getting dark. She needed to stop thinking about this and find somewhere to sleep. She didn¡¯t want to go to one of those homeless shelters. Because she was a kid, they asked way too many questions.

    She leapt of the side of the building into an alley and land against the ground with a thud. She looked around for clothes when a newspaper caught her eye. She could use that as part of her mattress if things got rough. Snatching the paper up off the floor, she paused and took a long look at the front page.

    SPIDER-MAN RETURNS

    Well damn.

    She¡¯d been so lost these past few days. But now she had something concrete. Peter was out there. He hadn¡¯t just vanished off the face of the Earth. Now all she had to do was keep a lookout for him. Once she found him, once she explained everything, he could help her understand everything better, and maybe even give her somewhere to belong. She grinned slightly to herself, then looked up staring up at the sky. It was time to find Spider-Man

 Yus Story - Chapter Eight

    The time was here. It felt like I¡¯d just had the longest weekend of my life, but at least I felt prepared. The costume sat in the bottom of my bag, wrapped in an obscene amount of towels and other stuff, just in case someone decided to rummage through my bag. I¡¯d run through everything in my head. I knew when, and where I¡¯d change, what I¡¯d say and the general details of what to do if things went slightly south. Everything would be good. It would all be fine. I definitely wasn¡¯t absolutely shitting myself.

    I clenched my hands into fists, trying to still my shaking. Why was I so nervous? I mean even if I¡¯d gotten lucky last time, I¡¯d been fine. This time I wouldn¡¯t even have to deal with any crime. My hands still trembled. Geez. I hadn¡¯t been nervous the entire school day, so why now? I let out a sigh. I needed Micah to give me another pep talk or something. I kicked the lockers lightly as I stared at the ground. I had the mask. I¡¯d be fine.

    With a small swivel, I turned to begin making my way towards the exits. I paused at my locker, staring out further down the corridor. Thomas walked alone, an uncharacteristic smile on his face. A surge of pride, relief, and happiness flooded through me. I hadn¡¯t seen him with James or the others all day. I thought something bad had happened but no, whatever I¡¯d done on Friday had actually worked. I¡¯d never seen him so happy in my entire life.

    I watched him for a while before he disappeared from sight. Among the crowd of other students, then I looked down at my hands, the shaking suddenly gone. It was time to do this.

    -

    I set my bag down and finished pulling on the last glove. I¡¯d be in and out. Faster than greased lightning. I took in a deep breath then clapped my hands together. Showtime.

    I rushed out into the street and ran about two blocks away from my stuff before coming to a stop near an intersection. People turned to me, whispering amongst themselves as my heart hammered in my chest.

    ¡°Does anyone want a picture?¡± I shouted. A few people looked to each other excited, whilst others looked at me confused. I¡¯d expected some people to doubt this. Of course they didn¡¯t expect Spider-Man to run around on foot taking photos with the public. I engaged my web-shooters then fired a small blast of web at the wall. That caught everyone¡¯s attention. Impressionists couldn¡¯t do that.

    People rushed forwards, clamouring around me as I took photos with everyone. This was working exactly as planned. Well the crowd had grown a little faster than I¡¯d expected and my heart was beating so hard I could feel it in my feet, but besides that things were good. No one suspected a thing. It was time to move on to the next stage.

    ¡°Can you take a video for me?¡± I said, turning to a random person.

    ¡°Sure!¡±

    They pulled out their phone and turned it to me, filming. Alright, this was it.

    ¡°Meet. Garbage. Alley¡± I said, pointing to myself before flashing Spider-Man¡¯s signature thumbs up. The person stared at me confused.

    ¡°Is that it?¡±

    ¡°Yep¡± I said. ¡°Can you post that on all platforms? It¡¯s important¡±

    They nodded slowly. Perfect. Even if they didn¡¯t someone else probably would. Now I just had to ho-

    ¡°Spider-Man!¡± someone shouted from across the street. I glanced behind me, heart in my mouth. There wasn¡¯t some kind of crime happening was there? The person pointed off into the distance up into the sky. I couldn¡¯t see from behind the building, I took a few steps around the corner and stared up at the sky.

    A cloud of black smoke rose high into the air as sirens echoed in the distance. Shit. Holy shit.

    I stood frozen as I stared at the fire, feeling all the surrounding eyes turn to me. The sound of my heart thumping loudly echoed through my ears, undercut by the low rumble of my blood. I was stuck, frozen in position as I stared at the rising black smoke and distant glow of orange flames. No. This wasn¡¯t happening. No way I was this unlucky.

    ¡°Spider-Man! Hurry!¡± the person across the road shouted. Their voice shook me out of my trance, and I instantly became aware of people whispering around me.

    ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡±

    ¡°Is he just going to stand there?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s acting kind of weird isn¡¯t he?¡±

    I looked around slowly, the reality of the situation setting in. My heart beat faster now, but for a different reason.

    ¡°Spider-Man!¡± the woman across the road shouted again. More people spoke up now their faces turn from curiosity to confusion, and some even annoyance, the crowds voices growing louder.

    I shut off the sound of their voices, turning my focus inwards. I was a fucking idiot. Of course something like this would happen. I should¡¯ve just put some kind of code online in private instead of this stupidity. Spider-Man probably wasn¡¯t even watching. I mean¡­ shit! What could I do about a fire? I was far away and the smoke cloud looked huge, how in the world could I rescue people from that. What if the fire had spread completely throughout the building? How would I even rescue anybody? Shit. Shit! This was insane. I was just a regular dude. I was just as scared of fire as the next guy!

    ¡°Spider-Man!¡± the woman¡¯s voice rang out through my head.

    And just like that I was rushing forwards. Sprinting through the streets towards the smoke, as sirens echoed in the distance. My breath felt hot under the mask, my chest tight. My legs were heavy, and my head spun. Every step sent shockwaves through my mind as it reeled, pumping fear through my body, trying to get me to pull away from the danger. I pushed the thoughts and fear back. I didn¡¯t need think. I just needed to act. People were counting on me. If I thought about what I was doing, what I was running into, I¡¯d stop. I couldn¡¯t let that happen.

    So, I ran. I ran as fast as I could nearing the rising pillar of smoke.

    As I turned onto the street with the fire, people called out to me, crying out with relief. I ignored them rushing forwards to the front of the building. The entire left side was up burning in green flames, as smoke billowed from the building upwards, and out through the right side. A crowd gathered nearby split apart as I neared, all staring at me with hope. I came to a stop near the entrance, the flames burning with an incredible intensity. Shit.

    ¡°Is anyone inside!?¡± I shouted, spinning to face the crowd. They all shouted at me, their voices meddling together in an incomprehensible mishmash. From their expressions alone I could tell this was bad.

    Shit.

    ¡°One at a time¡± I said, raising a hand. They went silent glancing at each other before a woman stepped forward, her face tear stricken.

    ¡°There was some kind of explosion. When I woke up I- I thought they¡¯d left me. But they¡¯re still inside. They¡¯re still inside¡± she said, hands trembling.

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°My daughter and husband!¡± she said, bursting into tears.

    ¡°What floor?¡±

    ¡°The top one. T-the left side¡± she said pointing up. ¡±Please save them. Please!¡±

    Shit. Holy shit.

    I shook my head, clenching my fists. Focus. I couldn¡¯t panic. Not here. There was a way to get up. I could use the fire escape. Everything was ok.

    ¡°Anyone else?¡± I cried out.

    ¡°My son¡±

    ¡°My grandma¡±

    ¡°My-¡±

    Everyone else started at shouting me again. Crap. There wasn¡¯t any time.

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll come back!¡± I shouted, sprinting off towards the fire-escape. I rushed onto it, rushing up the steps as quickly as I could. I¡¯d go to the top, find the husband and daughter then check the other floors on my way down. The people were probably just unconscious or stuck somewhere. It¡¯d all be ok. I would find them and this nightmare would end quickly. It¡¯d all be over soon.

    I climbed upwards, higher and higher as smoke began to buffet me from all the open windows. Finally I reached the top floor, my entire body trembling as I covered my mouth with my arm. Despite the lenses my eyes began watering from the smoke that poured out the window.

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    ¡°H-hello!?¡± I shouted, No answer. Ok. This was still ok. They were probably somewhere close inside. I¡¯d be in and out. In and out.

    I charged inside, instantly coughing as smoke surrounded me. Shit, I could barely breathe. I could barely see either. I rushed forwards and slammed into something falling to the floor. Shit. I scrambled up, before instantly regretting it, crouching low again.

    There was more visibility here, but I could still barely see anything. Crap. What was I supposed to do? Just move around until I found something? Shit. Shit! I pushed forwards, feeling out with my hands. They hit something. That sounded like wood. Felt like it too. A door? I moved my hand about feeling at it. It was a door. An open door.

    I crawled through the opening and felt a blast of heat to the face from off to my left. This part of the smoke, had flickers of green off to my left. Shit. Just how close was the fire? I covered my face, then heard someone cough faintly. It was coming from off to my right.

    ¡°Hello?!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°¡­help¡­ help¡± a voice rasped back. I crawled towards the voice and felt my hand hit something. A leg. It didn¡¯t move. Oh shit.

    ¡°H-hello?!¡± I shouted again, coughing this time.

    ¡°help¡­¡± the voice mumbled. A wave of heat washed over me and I hesitated but steeled myself, feeling around as I crawled forwards. My hand met something that moved. Instinctively, I pulled back.

    ¡°¡­no ¡­help¡­¡± the voice said, tearful this time.

    As my heart beat rapidly in my chest I moved forwards, getting a better sight of what was before me. A little girl with a wet towel covering her face lay trapped under an unmoving man. The husband and daughter.

    As she turned to me, her eyes lit up.

    ¡°...spider-man?¡± she mumbled, before coughing violently. My heart dropped and I held her hand tightly, she grasped back weakly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get you out of here. I promise¡±

    I felt around, and then pushed the father off her. She coughed violently and sat up, holding my arm tighter. I pulled her close as I felt around for the father¡¯s neck. He was still breathing. Barely, but he was. Crap, how did I get him out? Another wave of heat blasted me and the girl stumbled. No time. I¡¯d have to drag him.

    ¡°Stay close to me and stay low¡± I said to little girl as I pulled her father closer, putting my arms under his armpits. She clutched my arm tightly and nodded. Then I awkwardly began shuffling backwards through the smoke, making sure the girl held me. My back slammed into something but I carried on, praying I could find the window. And then my back hit wood, and I glanced behind me to see smoke with natural light just beyond. Thank god. The sirens sounded a lot closer now.

    I dragged the father until I reached the window, then felt around for the little girl. Shit. She wasn¡¯t there. I dropped the father and crawled back through the doorway feeling out with my hand. I felt her arm again, but this time she didn¡¯t move. I pulled her close, and quickly scrambled back towards the fire escape, my heart thumping loudly in my chest. She was ok. She had to be.

    I hopped out the window and looked her over for injuries before checking her pulse. She was still alive; she¡¯d just passed out. Thank god.

    I clambered back inside and awkwardly pulled the father out onto the fire escape.

    I took a few seconds, still breathing heavily, before coughing slightly. This mask was amazing. It must¡¯ve been filtering the smoke. If I hadn¡¯t had this I would¡¯ve passed out already. I looked down to the street and then back at the two. They couldn¡¯t make there own way down like this and I couldn¡¯t just leave them on the fire escape. There was too much smoke. I¡¯d have to take them all the way down. Crap. I could just call out for people in each window I passed on my way down. I probably should¡¯ve done that on the way up. Didn¡¯t matter now.

    I lifted the girl onto my shoulder, then awkwardly held the dad by his armpits with one arm, before I began descending. The Dad¡¯s feet were probably going to be fractured by the time I got to the bottom, but I had more pressing things to worry about. When I reached the bottom a small crowd had formed waiting with the mother. I lowered the daughter on the end of a web first, and then the father.

    I lay there for a few seconds, breathing heavily as stars flew across my vision. Now I had to do it all over again. Crap. I rolled over, turning to the crowd again.

    ¡°Who else is up there?¡± I cried out.

    ¡°My grandma!¡±

    ¡°My son!¡±

    ¡°What floors?¡±

    ¡°The fifth floor!¡±

    ¡°Fourth floor!¡±

    I got up and rushed up the fire escape again, the metal rattling beneath my feet. My body felt even slower now. But I pushed through it, climbing to the fifth floor. When I reached the fifth floor an old lady stood behind the window, covering over her mouth as she struggled to move.

    Perfect. I helped her out of the window and onto the fire escape, as she coughed violently, her entire body shaking. A cry echoed out from underneath us, off to the right. I looked down. A little boy cried by the window, coughing violently.

    Great, I could take them both down an-

    A deafening boom shook the entire building from above and a burst of fire exploded from the top two floors. The debris blasted across the street, and the top of the fire escape was ripped off the brick. The entire structure creaked leaning, as it began to pull away from the wall. The grandma stumbled backwards then fell as the fire escape tipped over, breaking away from the wall and falling.

    I jumped reaching out and grabbing the window ledge before firing a web at the falling grandma. It caught her, pulling her free from the wreck as it crashed to the ground in a heap, along with all the debris.

    I hung from the window by a few fingers, breathless, as I held on for dear life. My arm shook as the old woman dangled from the web, fear written across her face. I turned back to the ledge crying out in desperation as I failed to adjust my grip, my fingers slipping. The flames was closer now, replacing the smoke. The heat only a few feet away nipped at my fingers, goading me into letting go. I grit my teeth, clamping my eyes shut.

    I looked to the old woman, and then to the boy in the window crying his eyes out.

    Shit. Shit!

    Why the hell had I done this? I wasn¡¯t a superhero! I wasn¡¯t even good enough to be a normal person. I¡¯d put these people¡¯s lives at risk because of my own stupidity, some stupid plan that wouldn''t have even worked. I''d killed these people. I''d doomed them to death. I pressed my head against the brick trying not to cry, panic rising in my chest. Suddenly a memory flashed through my mind. One of my dad trying to teach me to swim. I felt a calm pass through me.

    Don¡¯t panic. Not now. Later. I could panic after. Once I¡¯d fixed this.

    With a roar, I gripped the ledge tighter. Then I let go of the web. I flicked my wrist with an incredible speed and fired another web at the old lady, catching her again. This time I let the web extend even further before doubling tapping and grabbing a hold of it. My hand burned as the web rushed through my fingers but I held it. The old lady cried out before slowing and coming to a stop a couple metres above the street. My arm shook violently as I held her.

    ¡°Somebody catch her!¡± I shouted. The crowd rushed forwards, climbing over the fire escape, and standing underneath her. I let her go and she fell to the crowd with a shout. Some stumbled and fell, but they caught her. She was ok.

    Instantly I turned my focus to the boy, as he cried violently. One floor. One floor and one apartment off to the side. I could do this. I could do this This was just like climbing. Just like climbing.

    I steeled myself, grabbing onto the window ledge with two hands before swinging my body side to side. I built up momentum and then, with a final deep breath I flung myself to the side.

    The air roared through my ears as my body became weightless and time seemed to slow down. Instantly I knew, I wouldn¡¯t make it. I was going to be just short. Fear gripped me and I flailed reaching out for the wall of the building, only succeeding in pushing myself away.

    Shit. I was going to die.

    My eyes met the boys as I began to fall past. I saw the fear in his eyes clearer than day. For a moment, just a moment, in the light of the green fire he looked like Ryo. With a burst of desperation I reached out towards the wall and fired another web, cutting it off quickly and grabbing a tight hold. As my weight came down upon my arms, I cried out but held firm. The web carried me, and I swung around slightly before slamming against the wall. I grit my teeth, ignoring the pain.

    I looked up. I was only a few feet below the window. Planting my feet against the wall, I began to climb, my entire body shaking with adrenaline. The web ended slightly below the window edge, but with a final push I leapt up and grabbed a hold of it. I held tightly, pulling myself up as heat from the flames washed over me, and I fell inside the building breathing heavily. The boy rushed into my arms clutching me tightly, and I held him tightly back.

    I lifted him up as he clutched me and stood glancing outside. I didn¡¯t have a good way down. Shit. Did I lower him whilst I stayed here? That seemed like the safest option. Suddenly the building shook and the sound of shouts echoed out from below. For a second, I felt the heat intensify, along with an intense foreboding. Shit. No time. I ran and jumped from the building. Twisting through the air I fired a web at the wall as I fell with the boy.

    Then fire erupted from the window; sending a spray of bricks dust and debris in an explosion, and the web was blown off the side of the building. I fell through the air surrounded by smoke and debris, a hundred different thoughts flying through my head.

    I guess this was it.

    I clutched the boy tightly, pulling him to my chest as I turned my back to the ground. Even if I died, he didn¡¯t have to. Sorry Dad, Ryo, Mama.

    Suddenly something slammed into me, and I flinched, clutching the boy tighter. But instead of unimaginable pain, wind rushed through my ears and I then nothing. I was still, suspended in the air as someone held me. I opened my eyes to see that I was just above the floor, the little boy still in my arms. I brought my feet down and stumbled, my knees weak as I tried to stand, then turned to look behind me. I blinked staring at a figure that wore a balaclava and street clothes. They looked back at me expectantly, both of us standing in silence as the smoke began to clear. A metahuman? It didn¡¯t matter, they¡¯d just saved my life.

    ¡°Thank y-¡±

    ¡°Look, it¡¯s Spider-Man! He survived!¡± someone shouted behind us.

    And suddenly I was surrounded by a crowd, the balaclava superhero pushed to the back.

    The mother of the boy rushed forwards, taking him in her arms as she cried, hugging him tightly. I looked around, spotting the grandma surrounded by family, and a bunch of people tending to the now awake father and little girl as the mother cried holding them both.

    Everybody around me cheered, clapping as they celebrated my success. Oh. I¡¯d actually done it. I fell to one knee, my legs going weak, and the crowd¡¯s cheers slowed as they rushed to ask me if I was ok.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine¡± I replied. My mind was spinning, and I felt sick. I needed to get out of here.

    Everyone turned as a fire truck turned onto the street its sirens blaring and I took my chance to slip away, jogging through the streets as I searched for the alley with my stuff. Wait, I was going in the wrong direction. I turned around, but stumbled, falling into some random alley. I pulled myself up trying to get up before falling again. I crawled further into the alley, hiding behind a dumpster before resting my back against a wall. I pulled off the mask breathing heavily, unable to catch my breath. I wiped at my eyes before coughing, then hung my head tired. I sat there for a few minutes silent, listening to the sounds of traffic around me. I lifted up the mask, staring at it, then down at the costume. I¡¯d actually intentionally saved people. From a huge fire no less. I hung my head back, closing my eyes. This was kind of incredible.

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not Peter¡± a voice said. My eyes flew open, and I scrambled up, looking around.

    ¡°Up here silly¡± a voice said. I looked up, seeing a girl sitting against the wall eating from a box of donuts.

    ¡°T-this is a costume¡± I stuttered, panicking. She arched an eyebrow.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s a costume. I made it.. Well¡­¡± she waved her hand dismissively then dropped down, landing next to me. Wait, I recognised the clothes. She was the metahuman who saved me. Wait she¡¯d been climbing the wall just now, was she¡­

    ¡°Are you¡­ Spider-Man?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I- that¡¯s kind of tricky. Technically no, but also kind of. I think?¡± she said. ¡°Donut?¡±

    ¡°Wait, what do you mean yes and no? What¡¯s even happening? Who''s Peter? Who are you?¡±

    ¡°The more important question is, who the hell are you?¡±

 Yus Story - Chapter Nine

    ¡°I- uh¡­ I¡¯m just some guy¡±

    ¡°I got that already, I mean, who are you specifically¡± she said. I stepped back, glancing further down the alley. There was a fence separating this end and the next. Could I get away from her in time?

    ¡°Come on, just tell me your name. I don¡¯t bite¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m nobody¡± I said, taking a slow step back.

    It wasn¡¯t a good idea to just share my identity with some random person. Even if they had just saved my life. I mean it didn¡¯t seem like she was going to hurt me, but this situation was just way too weird. It made me uneasy.

    She sighed, pressing her brow to her fist.

    ¡°Ok, ok obviously you¡¯re trying to be secretive or whatever, so let¡¯s make this easy. How¡¯d you get the suit?¡±

    ¡°It was in some random alley. In a dumpster¡± I said. She frowned and just stared at me for a few seconds. Sweat dripped down my face as I stared back, trying to hide my nerves.

    ¡°And you just¡­ put it on?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ yeah¡±

    She burst out laughing and I shrunk away in surprise before my face flushed with embarrassment.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t just put it on, ok? I- it was for a school charity event. I washed it a-and stitched it up, and¡­¡±  I trailed off, realising how stupid I sounded. She continued cackling, practically doubled over. I stepped away, putting even more distance between us.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry¡± she said, wiping tears from her eyes as she straightened out. ¡°That¡¯s hilarious. Either you actually expected that lie to work, or you¡¯re telling the truth. I¡¯m not sure which is funnier¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that funny¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure. But anyway, do you seriously not know who owned that costume?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m mean it¡¯s Spider-Man¡¯s¡±

    ¡°Not that. You know what I mean. The guy''s actual name¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who Spider-Man is¡± I said. She stepped closer, closing the distance in an instant. I jumped back but she grabbed me, her grip like a vice. With a raised eyebrow she inspected my face before stepping back again, bringing her hand to her chin.

    ¡°Huh? I really don¡¯t think you¡¯re lying¡± she said. I gulped but stayed silent. She was fast. Really fast. Her frown deepened and she looked to the floor as her eyes grew distant. Small whispers escaped her mouth as she began muttering. I peered at her face slightly confused. She looked out of it. Well, I wasn¡¯t going to question it, this was my chance to get away. Slowly, I pulled on the mask and tried to sneak past her. Like lightning, her arm appeared out in front of me blocking my path.

    ¡°Uh¡­ can I not go?¡±

    ¡°Nope. Just give me a sec¡± she said, still looking to the floor. Ok then. I stepped away from her slowly, unsure what to make of the situation. It was a little confusing. A metahuman girl had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, saved my life and now she was just holding me hostage because she thought I knew who Spider-Man was. And what was it she¡¯d called me? Peter? Yeah. She¡¯d thoguht I was Peter.

    I felt a burst of excitement, mixed with curiousity. Was he Spider-Man? Maybe. but then again she¡¯d given a ton of funny answers to my questions, so I couldn¡¯t be sure if she was just crazy, or actually knew what she was talking about. If she was crazy, I was in serious trouble. But if she actually knew Spider-Man, the real Spider-Man, I could be finally sort this mess out. If she could lead me to him, I could give the costume back. Right now, it was probably best to just let her think and then ask my questions. I could deal with the fact I was definitely late home afterwards.

    So, I waited, watching her think out loud. I caught mutterings of stuff. Something about scorpions, fuzzy memory and chemists? It sounded like gibberish. Shit. I probably was dealing with a crazy person. Just my luck. I had to handle a crazy homeless meta right after saving a ton of people from a huge fire. What the hell? When was I going to get a break?

    ¡°Ok, I think I got it¡± she said suddenly, clapping her hands together.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna need you to give me the costume¡± she said. I stepped back, clutching the symbol on my chest.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t make this difficult. I¡¯m just gonna take it back to the real Spider-Man¡± she said.

    ¡°How do I know you¡¯re telling the truth?¡± I said, distrust seeping into my voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m a clone. Of Spider-Man. Not one of those evil ones. I¡¯m normal, I think. Wait you wouldn¡¯t know about any of that. Anyway I escaped from Alchemax. He works there, if I go back at the right time I can give it to him¡° she said.

    ¡°Why¡¯re you telling me this?¡±

    ¡°So you trust me. If you give me the costume it¡¯ll make it easier to convince me- I mean Peter, when I find him¡±

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    ¡°Peter? As in Spider-Man?¡±

    She stared at me blankly then cursed under her breath.

    ¡°Forget I said that¡± she said, scratching at her head. ¡°Just give me the costume. I don¡¯t want to have to knock you out then undress you. That¡¯ll just be weird¡±

    My eyes widened and I turned around, breaking into a sprint. No way I was trusting this girl. What if I gave her the costume and the real Spider-Man actual saw the video online and went to the alley? Maybe that was a reach, but then again it might not be. If I gave it to this girl, then this whole thing would¡¯ve been for nothing. Plus, even if she was right, I¡¯d earned the right to give this to Spider-Man myself, no? I mean, I¡¯d stopped a robber. I¡¯d literally just saved people from an apartment fire!

    Suddenly I was wrenched off the ground. Crying out I reached for the ground. But it was too late. I flipped, spinning through the air before being wrenched to the side. I blinked, breathing heavily as I was hung, held by the girl as she balanced from the wall. She stared down at me with a mixture of pity and determination.

    ¡°Are you gonna give me the suit?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ ok¡± I said defeated. Who the hell did I think I was? Of course, I couldn¡¯t beat a Spider-Man clone. I was just being silly.

    ¡°Perfect¡± she said. She lifted me up, throwing me over her shoulder before leaping back down to the alley floor. She set me down and I pulled off the mask slumping to the floor. I let out a sigh and stared at it. It was weird. I didn¡¯t want to let it go. Well, I guess it had been kind of fun while it lasted. Being cheered for in the street like that didn¡¯t just happen to anyone.

    ¡°You ok?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I am gonna have to go like six blocks over. All my clothes and stuff are in a different alley¡± I said. I sighed standing up again, before glancing to the girl. She was grinning her.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a great idea¡± she said.

    -

    Swinging was horrible. Absolutely horrible. I¡¯d never been so scared in my life. The sensation of rising and falling, moving at ridiculous speeds dangerously close to buildings and some pedestrians was more than enough to give me a heart attack. I clung to the girl for dear life, eyes squeezed tightly shut as she whooped with joy. She¡¯d said this was going to be fun. Why the hell had I even listened to her? Now I knew how everyone else who got carried about by Spider-Man felt. Well, I guess now I knew for certain she probably wasn¡¯t lying about being a Spider-Man clone. Not that it made me feel any better.

    Suddenly we took a sharp drop and I let loose a scream before we came to a stop. I opened my eyes, looking around as I pulled out of the foetal position. The girl set me down and burst out laughing again. I scrambled up, dusting myself off as I looked around. We were on the roof of some random building. I recognised the street below. The alley was a few buildings over,

    ¡°Is this the street?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Thanks¡± I said, resting my hands on my knees. I glanced back at the girl as she flexed her fingers looking at the costume¡¯s gloves. She looked up at me.

    ¡°Do you want me to go grab the bag?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ yeah¡±

    ¡°What alley is it?¡±

    ¡°Just a few buildings over. It¡¯s dark blue¡± I said. She nodded and with a burst of speed rushed forward and leapt from the building.

    I watched as she jumped from building to building with a practiced grace. She really did move exactly like Spider-Man¡¯s. I chuckled slightly then fell to the floor feeling lightheaded. My chest was tight. I guess I must¡¯ve breathed in some smoke after all. Sitting up, I pulled the mask off then leaned back, resting against a vent as I looked up at the sky. I didn¡¯t know what to make of today. I¡¯d rescued a bunch of people without dying and now the clone was going to take this finding Spider-Man business of my hands. I mean I should be glad, shouldn¡¯t I? But I wasn¡¯t. I still wanted to help find him. It didn¡¯t make sense. I¡¯d done more than enough already, why did I still want to help. Wouldn¡¯t it be a lot easier to just go back home and draw weird sketches all day till I was ungrounded?

    It would, but I didn¡¯t want to. There were still so many questions in my mind, still so many things I needed to know. What had happened to Spider-Man? To Peter? I clenched my fists tightly. Sure, I might not be able to do much, but this was the clearest chance there was at getting Spider-Man back. Even if I slowed the clone down, I had to try and help somehow.

    A thud sounded behind me and I spun around. The clone walked over to me, bag in hand. She pulled her balaclava off and offered me my bag.

    ¡°Nice bag¡­ uh¡­ I don¡¯t think I caught your name¡± she said.

    ¡°Yu. What¡¯s yours?¡± I asked. She paused, frowning. Oh, right she was a clone.

    ¡°S-sorry¡± I said, laughing awkwardly.

    ¡°No it¡¯s ok. I had a few that I was thinking of. Apparently, Mum and¡­ Peter¡¯s Mum and Dad were going to name him something like Jennifer or Jessica is he was a girl¡±

    ¡°Well Jessica¡¯s nice¡±

    ¡°Maybe. A bit long¡± she said, looking up to the sky. ¡±Well, I¡¯ll let you get changed, then I¡¯m off¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± I said as she turned to jump away. She glanced back, confused and I stared at her uncertain.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I don¡¯t exactly want to watch you change¡­¡± she said.

    ¡°N-no I¡­ I want to help. You can take the suit, just- I want to help you find Spider-Man¡± I said, almost pleading. She frowned looking me over.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I just want to help¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ I did mention there¡¯s like this big mechanic Scorpion guy that guards Alchemax right? Like seven feet tall, with steel skin?¡±

    ¡°W-what? Like those metahuman terrorists from last year?¡±

    ¡°Metahuman terrorists?¡±

    ¡°Yeah you- well Spider-Man fought them. Last year¡± I said. She frowned confused, before wincing and stumbling, falling to the floor. I rushed over to her as she sat up, pulling away from me.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine. You don¡¯t have to help me up¡± she said.

    ¡°S-sorry¡±

    She stood slowly, muttering under her breath before wincing slightly again. She steadied herself against a large pipe and let out a sigh.

    ¡°You ok?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± she said curtly. We stood awkwardly in silence, and she looked up to me frowning. ¡°I usually don¡¯t get help, but considering my memory¡¯s shot, and they¡¯ll probably recognise me, it might need it. I¡¯m not really Peter anyway. You can help¡±

    ¡°What do I need to do?¡±

    ¡°Well you can start by booking tickets for the Alchemax lab tour. I was just going to sneak in since I don¡¯t have any money, but that shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you¡±

    ¡°When for?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the sooner the better. We¡¯ll meet in that alley for¡­ when¡¯s a good time for you?¡±

    ¡°Just after school, I guess? Uh¡­ w-what about the scorpion guy?¡±

    ¡°I mentioned him just to scare you. I doubt he¡¯ll attack us in the middle of the day¡±

    ¡°Do I need to do anything? Bring anything?¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t. It should be a simple job, just going in, doing part of the tour and then going to someone and asking someone for Peter. We¡¯ll talk to him and sort this whole thing out¡±

    ¡°Oh. Good¡± I said, breathing a sigh of relief. She chuckled slightly, then flashed me a small thumbs up.

    ¡°Well, see you later Yu¡± she said.

    ¡°Wait? Don¡¯t you want the costume?¡± I said. She looked at me, then shrugged.

    ¡°Keep it. We¡¯re meeting up tomorrow and if I have it, I¡¯ll get headaches. Just bring it with you tomorrow¡± she said.

    ¡°Ok. See you then¡±

    She nodded, then leapt off the side of the building and fired a web, swinging away. I watched as she went, feeling an excitement rise in my chest. Wow. I¡¯d actually managed to convince her. Then I heard my bag ring. It was the sound of the Nokia. I closed my eyes and hung my head. Crap.

 Yus Story - Chapter Ten

    Clone 7E5

    She was getting worse. A lot worse. The headaches had grown more frequent, the pain more intense. She wasn¡¯t sure what to make of the situation. The nosebleeds were probably a sign things would get worse, but she probably wasn¡¯t dying. Well she couldn¡¯t say that for sure.

    She flinched violently as a bout of pain burned across her brain, spreading from ear to ear. The familiar sensation of heat running down her lips brought her back to reality. Slowly, she wiped the blood away with trembling hands. Dammit. She was scared. She didn¡¯t like to admit it, but she really was. She¡¯d always been afraid of dying, but this time things were different. She was pretty sure this wasn¡¯t some external force out to get her, but her very existence itself. She was a clone. And if she was a poorly made one, she didn¡¯t know what she could do about that.

    She could probably figure out a few things if she took a few gadgets from the shed back home, but that felt wrong. Considering she wasn¡¯t Peter, it¡¯d just be stealing, wouldn¡¯t it? She clutched her head tightly, squeezing her temples as she gulped breaths of air.

    She was lucky she¡¯d come across the guy. Yu. If he hadn¡¯t gone out in costume, she¡¯d probably just be roaming around aimlessly, thinking about how hopeless her situation was. She wouldn¡¯t have gone back to Alchemax until it was too late, simply out of fear.

    She smiled to herself. She¡¯d known some fans were insane, but not insane enough to put the costume on and go out into the streets, let alone run into a burning building. Yu was strange. Brave. Seriously brave. But strange. She¡¯d seen it in his eyes. Even when she¡¯d brought up the Scorpion guy, he¡¯d been ready to join her. Sure it was stupid, but it was kind of cool. She definitely wouldn¡¯t have been able to do something like that. He¡¯d be helpful in keeping her cover. Two people wearing masks on a public tour was a lot less suspicious than one person wearing a mask with the rest of their face covered, trying to sneak onto one. Plus, if they were looking for her, they probably wouldn¡¯t expect company. She grinned. She really was lucky.

    A burst of pain shot between her eyes, and she winced, leaning her head back against the wall.

    ¡°This kills¡± she groaned, blinking tears out of her eyes. She needed to move. Do something. Anything to take her mind off the pain at the very least. She glanced at the watch she¡¯d stolen. Still had two hours before school ended.

    What to do, what to do?

    Wait, that smoothie store would be open, wouldn¡¯t it? Her hand jingled around her pocket. She had some change to spare.

    <hr>

    I pressed my head against the cold hard metal of my locker, groaning quietly to myself. The school day was finally over and my hands were balled up into fists, stiff with nervous tension. My entire body ached dully from yesterday¡¯s escapades, but the pain was the least of my worries.

    I was stupid. So stupid. I mean, what exactly was I going to do today? I keep not thinking things out, and just doing. The clone girl had been right to try and just take the suit from me at first. I paused shaking my head. No. This was the right thing to do. Even if it meant I¡¯d probably get grounded for an extra month on top of the second week dad had added for yesterday¡¯s stunt. I cringed. Don¡¯t think about that.

    I was helping. I was. I mean she¡¯d been planning to break in, right? The situation was far better than before now that I was involved. Plus, she¡¯d said she¡¯d needed me to help if their were gaps in her memory. I was doing something useful. I was. I couldn¡¯t back out now. And I had brought the tickets already. $24 I was never getting back.

    ¡°Yu?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± I said. I turned to see Emma, looking to me with a frown. ¡°Oh, hi¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t been to climbing this week. Something up?¡±

    ¡°I uh¡­ I¡¯ve been a bit busy¡±

    ¡°With what?¡±

    ¡°Personal stuff¡± I said, chuckling awkwardly. No way I was telling my crush I¡¯d been grounded.

    ¡°Oh sorry¡±

    ¡°Nah it¡¯s not anything serious, don¡¯t worry¡±

    ¡°Oh good. So, you gonna come climbing today?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ probably not¡±

    ¡°Ah bummer. I finally convinced my mum to stop dropping me off. We can just catch the bus together another time¡±

    ¡°S-sure¡±

    ¡°Well don¡¯t want to be late. See you¡± Emma said. I gave a small wave and watched as she walked away. I turned back to my locker and groaned, putting my head back to my metal. Well that sucked.

    Ok that was it. No more moping. If I did this quick enough I might be able to get home without getting punished. I looked around then doubled checked my bag for the costume. The mask stared back at me and I let out a breath, zipping the bag shut. Alright. It was time to meet Spider-Man.

    -

    The street was busier than I would¡¯ve liked. Too many eyes. I¡¯d purposefully avoided going anywhere close to the fire, not wanting to draw unnecessary attention. I guess I still wasn¡¯t over the irrational fear of being recognised. With a final glance around I slowed down and slipped into the alley. The clone girl leaned against the wall, fiddling with a red wristband as she flexed her hand back and forth. She was wearing somewhat cleaner clothes, a face mask and a hat that covered her hair.

    ¡°You¡¯re late¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡±

    ¡°You got the suit? The tickets?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°Good, put this on¡±

    ¡°A mask? Why?¡±

    ¡°Just be glad you don¡¯t have to wear this beanie. It itches¡± she said. I shrugged and took the mask, pulling it on.

    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go¡± she said, stepping out into the street. I followed, sticking close as she weaved her way through the crowd.

    ¡°Wait, uh¡­ is there like a specific plan?¡± I said, stepping next to her. She frowned.

    ¡°Not really. Just follow my lead. And please don¡¯t fuck up. If you blow my cover, and guards start trying to kidnap me, you¡¯re on your own¡±

    ¡°O-ok.¡± That seemed a bit cold. I guess it was just her way of trying to keep me in check. ¡°Uh¡­ what does he look like?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Oh right. Give me your phone a sec¡± she asked. I hesitated but handed her my phone. She tapped away a bit, before pulling up a picture of a group of ESU graduates.

    ¡°Guy on the far left. Next to the blonde¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Harrison Osborne?¡±

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    ¡°The other side silly¡±

    ¡°No I was just¡­ wait that¡¯s him?¡±

    ¡°What? Did you expect him to look like Chris Hemsworth?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ he¡¯s just¡­ normal¡±

    ¡°Most people are¡± the clone said with a shrug. I nodded then frowned. It felt like I¡¯d just had a movie I was looking forward too spoiled. I shook my head. Weird. I was being weird.

    I turned to the clone. She didn¡¯t really look like him. I mean there were some similarities, but nothing too obvious. Her hair stood out the most. It was a completely different shade of brown. I frowned.

    ¡°What should I call you?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t just call you clone girl, right? That would be stupid¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ just call me Jess or something. It¡¯s not important. Now come on. We don¡¯t want to be late¡±

    -

    Alchemax labs was huge. A sprawling complex of clean white walls and glass. It wasn¡¯t even its height that impressed me but it¡¯s width. Sure the building wasn¡¯t exactly small at seven stories high, but it spanned roughly 830,000 sq ft. At least according to the tour guide. I couldn¡¯t help but be awed. Apparently they¡¯d gotten more funding from different investors after all the terrorist attacks, and I guess they¡¯d really put it to use. The whole building was supposedly echo friendly too. It¡¯s how they¡¯d managed to get planning permission to build in Prospect Park. Usually you could get to see the Hortz-Bruig when they took you up to higher floors, but they were doing some construction work on that part of the building. Still, the $24 weren¡¯t feeling all that wasted anymore. I wasn¡¯t even all that big fan of science stuff and I couldn¡¯t wipe the smile off my face. I glanced over to Jess. I was lucky I had a mask to hide it. I could tell, even with her face covered that Jess hated this place. She was nervous too. The further we go into the building the more her shoulders began to tense.

    ¡°And now we¡¯re coming up to some of the smaller labs. In each of these we have specialist teams dedicated to solving specific world problems Our teams work night and day, tirelessly pushing the boundaries of the physics to create a better tomorrow¡± the tour guide said. I felt a poke in my side and glanced to Jess.

    ¡°Keep an eye out¡± Jess whispered. I nodded.

    We strolled down the corridor, gazing over every lab. Each one lab faced the corridor with glass walls, either side a door, giving us a clean view of each lab. They were filled with equipment, and scientists in lab coats working away.

    ¡°Bingo¡±

    ¡°Where?¡± I said, following Jess line of sight. My eyes fell upon a lab with three scientists working away. I recognised none of them.

    ¡°It¡¯s got the same equipment I- he used before. And look at her¡±

    ¡°The brunette?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Bella Fishbach. She¡¯s a close friend from college¡±

    ¡°So we go speak to her? Or do you think he¡¯s here?¡±

    ¡°Well he used to go home early. Given the current situation I don¡¯t know if he still does. Let¡¯s just wait it out. He might be talking with someone in a different lab¡±

    ¡°Alright¡±

    We continued walking, but quickly came to the end of the section, with neither of us spotting him.

    ¡°Now if you¡¯ll follow me we¡¯ll go on to the next section, with Alchemax¡¯s very own particle accelerator¡± the guide said. I glanced to Jess who¡¯s eyes were narrowed in suspicion.

    ¡°Slip away now?¡± I whispered to her.

    ¡°Yeah, slip away now¡±

    Quickly and silently both of us turned, walking away from the group.

    ¡°Excuse me!¡± the guide called out. Crap. We both glanced back. ¡°Where are you two going?¡±

    ¡°T-toilets¡± I mumbled quickly.

    ¡°Ok. Erica here will guide you. Remember everyone, we¡¯re in the supervised part of the tour. If you need to leave for whatever reason, please inform the group rather than walk off by yourself¡± the guide said with a strained smile. She glanced to her side and one of the assistants, Erica, jogged over to us.

    ¡°Just follow me guys. Closest toilet¡¯s this way¡± she said. We made our way back through the corridor lined with glass walls, giving us a perfect view of each lab. We reached the end of the corridor and turned back into a main hallway, walking towards the stairs we¡¯d originally come up.

    ¡°The toilets are just there. I¡¯ll be outside¡± Erica said with a smile. Crap. If she was waiting outside, then how were we going to slip away. Jess grabbed my hand and led me over to the disabled toilet. She threw open the door, stepped inside and locked it behind her. I turned staring at her blankly.

    ¡°Perfect. There¡¯s a vent. I knew there¡¯d be a vent¡± she said grinning.

    ¡°Uh¡­ what about Erica?¡±

    ¡°Forget about her. She¡¯ll probably think we¡¯re just weirdos¡±

    ¡°But-¡°

    ¡°Ok, so I¡¯ll go up and then go through the vent and drop directly into Bella¡¯s office¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?¡±

    ¡°Well we couldn¡¯t pull away from the group to look for Pete, so we¡¯ll have to go straight to someone we do know and ask him to meet us outside or something¡±

    ¡°Ok, that seems a bit risky, no?"

    "I''ll be quick"

    "Wait, what do you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°¡­ right. Sorry I¡¯m not used to doing this with someone else. Just follow me and try not to get in the way¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ right¡±

    She jumped up onto the wall and pulled open the vent. I glanced at the door, then back to her. Things were moving so fast all of a sudden. I didn¡¯t know what to make of it. I shook my head and climbed into the vents, following behind Jess. We crawled silently through the vents, the sound of chatter and machinery beneath us. Jess somehow seemed to know exactly where she was going.

    Then suddenly she stopped.

    ¡°Wait¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡±

    ¡°Something¡¯s weird¡­ I can feel it¡±

    ¡°Did you hear something?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s like I¡­ I¡¯ve been in this buildings vents before, just not these ones. I shouldn¡¯t¡­ why do¡­ my memory¡¯s so- Sorry, just give me a second¡± she said. She turned off course, crawling down the vents quickly.

    ¡°Jess? Jess?¡± I whispered harshly. Crap, she wasn¡¯t listening.

    She continued crawling down the vents, leaving me in her dust before stopping somewhere. She threw open a vent and dropped down. Shit. What the hell was going on? Was she trying to get caught? I followed, eventually reaching the vent. Jess stood in a small, musty looking room, a chair and desk stacked with boxes in the corner.

    ¡°Jess?¡± I whispered from above. She stared out over the room, her eyes glazed over.

    ¡°Jess?¡± I said louder. She looked up to me on the verge of tears. What the hell? What was going on? She winced, then stumbled catching herself on the wall. Shit. I awkwardly climbed down, then dropped to the floor with a thud. Quickly I rushed over to her, but she stood pushing me away.

    She quickly rushed over to the boxes, throwing one open before rummaging through it. I glanced at the metal door behind us. If someone was outside there, it would be easy to hear us and we¡¯d

    ¡°J-Jess we need to go¡± I said to her, my voice trembling.

    ¡°Wait a sec¡±

    ¡°Jess!¡± I whispered, more panicked now.

    ¡°Just wait! I¡¯ve been here. I remember it. I remember this¡± she said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    She ignored me continuing to rummage through the boxes. Shit. I didn¡¯t know what was going on. It didn¡¯t make any sense. I should¡¯ve known, dammit. I should¡¯ve realised earlier. She might¡¯ve been a Spider-Man clone, but that didn¡¯t make her not insane. It probably made it more likely. Shit. I should¡¯ve trusted my gut. I glanced up at the vent. Shit. It was too high for me to reach. Maybe if I got the chair I could get out of here. But how would I explain Jess¡¯ sudden disappearance to Erica? Shit. Was I going to get arrested? Maybe worse?

    Suddenly Jess froze. Slowly, she stepped away from the box, holding a document tightly in her hands. She opened it and began flipping through the pages.

    ¡°Dammit. We need to go¡±

    ¡°Wait¡±

    ¡°What are you even doing?¡± I said, panicked and confused.

    I peered over her shoulder and recoiled. There were gruesome images of bodies, people that had been experimented on, and underneath rows and rows of notes. What the hell? Jess continued turning the pages, coming across more and more horrific experiments. Pictures of burned bodies, grotesque forms that only seemed to share human flesh, and people trapped in strange machines clearly in pain.

    There were too many of them to count. I turned away, sick to my stomach. I dry heaved, then coughed violently before covering my mouth. When I looked back Jess was frozen stiff, staring at a singular page. With a morbid fascination I peered over her shoulder again. On the left-hand side were two pictures. One with rows and rows of men, women, and children trapped in glass tubes filled with a clear green liquid. Underneath were headshots of unconscious people. A blonde man, a black girl, a black haired adolescent, an empty silhouette labelled Spider-Man, and two girls with the exact same shade of brown hair as Jess. On the other side was a piece of paper, with a short few lines of writing.

    We¡¯ve finally succeed in our attempts to create clones. It was a great effort with many trials and tribulations. It certainly impresses upon the mind the greatness of Dr Warren¡¯s achievements and fills me with awe for the possible future of me and my associates. I have little to no doubt with our continued experimentation we will achieve nothing short of miracles in the near future.

    Project Chimera - 2025-2026 [Formerly Roxxon Project #17 ¨C 2023-2025]

    <ul style="text-align: left">

    <li>Project Leaders: Dr Jack Kale ¨C Alchemax Laboratories, Dr Otto Octavius ¨C In association with Roxxon Corporation.</li>

    <li>Property of Alchemax Laboratories, in association with Roxxon corporation.</li>

    </ul>

    This document is protected under the fair and equitable use of experimentation on clones. Please refer to any legal documents pertaining to the 2<sup>nd</sup> division of the Mulholland project (1948-1956).

    I stopped reading and looked up at Jess, my heart hammering in my chest. She stared blankly at the page. A red patch was beginning to spread throughout her mask, and her eyes had glazed over further.

    ¡°Jess¡±

    ¡°Give me a sec¡±

    ¡°Jess y-¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± she whispered harshly.

    ¡°Your mask¡± I said, gesturing at it.

    She felt at the wet patch of red and paused.

    ¡°Oh¡± she mumbled. She wobbled, then fell backwards. I caught her as her body went limp and the documents spilled across the floor. Shit.

 Yus Story - Chapter Eleven

    I cursed, struggling to hold her upright from the awkward position. We fell to the floor, crashing against the desk. It screeched as it skidded across the floor and my heart shot into my throat. I looked up to the door frozen but was met with silence. I glanced back down to Jess, the blood soaking into her mask spreading further.

    ¡°Jess? Jess?!¡± I whispered panicked. She didn¡¯t respond. Shit. Oh shit. I looked around frantically. This was the worst possible scenario. I needed to get out of here now. But I couldn¡¯t just leave Jess, could I? I mean I¡¯d seen what was in those documents; if they caught her again they might even begin to experiment on her. And the fact that it referenced the Mulholland project? That was all I needed to know. But how the hell did I get out of this room with Jess?

    No way I could reach the vents on the chair if I was trying to carry her. Dammit. I¡¯d have to use the web shooter and somehow climb up. But what if someone came in. I shook my head. There was no point thinking about this.

    With shaky hands I frantically wrestled a web shooter off her wrist and snapped it tight onto mine. I tried to fire a web, but my hands shook so badly I tapped the trigger and fired a glob of web up at the vent, a metal clang. Shit. I looked to the door, trying to be as silent as possible. Idiot. Come on get a fucking grip. I grabbed my right forearm with my left hand steadying it before firing a web up into the vent. I winced at the sound it made, but continued on anyway. I disconnected the first web and fired another up the vent, hands still shaking. As I tried to disconnect the second, hands still shaking I tripled tapped the trigger rather than double tapping it and shot upwards, pulled by my wrist. I let out a small gasp and with a quick double tap instantly cut the web off and I fell back down, landing awkwardly, rolling and smashing my head against the table.

    The sound of the books crashing to the floor made me jump, nearly loosing a scream. I sat up quickly, looking to the door, then turning to Jess. Half the boxes had fallen to the floor, spilling tons of documents and papers across the floor, some a top Jess. Crap. I scrambled to her, checking her over. She was fine. Except for the bloody nose and the fact that she was completely unresponsive, she was fine. I looked to the ceiling. Ok. I could do this. It might be a bot risky, but at this point I just wanted to get out of here. Quickly I grabbed up the masks, stuffing them into my pockets.

    Then I fired the web up at the vent and grabbed a hold of Jess. This would be faster. With a triple tap the web retracted, and we lurched upwards, crashing into the vent with a thud. I winced but held Jess and steadied myself. Slowly pushing Jess aside, I reached down and lifted the vent back up securing it.

    Ok. I somewhat remembered the way back to the bathroom. I could get us there. I could. I put my arms under. And shimmied backwards, trying to make as little noise as possible. As I shuffled backwards through the vent I couldn¡¯t, help but think about how absurd this situation was. I definitely wasn¡¯t getting home before Ms Stone called Dad. Jess groaned suddenly, shifting under my grip.

    ¡°Jess? Jess?¡± I said. She didn¡¯t respond, only looking up to me before slumping back down again. Crap. I shook my head. I could deal with that later, right now I had to focus on getting us out of here.

    Finally, I reached the vent over the bathroom. I pushed open the vent then awkwardly shimmied out, balancing against the wall. My feet went out from under me and I fell, crashing to the ground with Jess landing atop me.

    Ow. Ow, ow, ow. That hurt. That really hurt.

    ¡°Hey! I heard that! Are you two gonna come out now or what?¡± a gruff voice shouted on the other side of the door. Crap,

    ¡°Give us a sec¡±

    ¡°Give us a sec my ass! You¡¯ve been in there five minutes!¡± the voice shouted. I ignored them, standing and taking in Jess. I needed to wake her up. I pulled the mask from her face, then wiped the blood off with tissues.

    ¡°Jess? Jess?¡± I said, shaking her. Nothing. I rushed over to the tap, cupped cold water in my hands and splashed it across her face.

    She awoke with a start, gasping. Thank god.

    ¡°Hey! Hey! You two will be banned from here for this you know?!¡±

    Jess looked around confused.

    ¡°You passed out. I brought us back. Dry your face¡±

    ¡°Wait we have to go back¡±

    ¡°We can just wait round the back, at the parking lot for Bella or whatever. They heard us, we need to go¡±

    ¡°I- ok¡± she said, blinking water out of her eyes.

    I stood up, wincing slightly, then opened the door. An extremely angry security guard and Eric stood outside.

    ¡°S-sorry¡± I said laughing awkwardly.

    ¡°Damn right you¡¯ll be sorry¡± the security guard said dragging me and Jess out the toilet. ¡°Don¡¯t try to make excuses, we¡¯ve already called the police. The two of you are about to have a very very long evening¡±

    -

    We sat in an alley way in the middle of Brooklyn, dejected. They¡¯d escorted us to the main entrance and were going to take our names, ban us permanently for inappropriate activities and keeping us in holding till the police got there. Fortunately, we¡¯d been able to run whilst waiting for the head security guy to come, thanks to Jess kicking our guard in the balls. Unfortunately, security would probably recognise our faces and we¡¯d likely never be allowed back in.

    Still, we hadn¡¯t left empty handed. We had the dossier. Sure it wasn¡¯t Spider-Man, but it felt like a catch just as big. Glancing down at it, I shuddered. It felt ridiculously heavy in my hands, but Jess had told me to keep it because it had been hurting her head. She sat next to me massaging her temples. She¡¯d been mostly silently since we¡¯d left Alchemax. Well, I had said much either. Neither of us knew what to do.

    I opened to the first page, seeing the pictures and names of the all the scientists. The list was long. At least thirty names. But there were three under assistant leads and two under project leads. Dr Giovanni Samuels, Dr Lauren Pearson, and Dr Kieran Henly. I pulled out my phone. I might as well do something. I searched up their names. Just their staff pictures on the Alchemax website. Nothing about the project under work.

    I looked to the lead scientists. Dr Jack Kale and Dr Otto Octavius.

    I searched there names. Jack Kale? Nothing. His name wasn¡¯t coming up anywhere, not even for Alchemax. Just some random twitter account and some news article about a math genius. Weird. What about Dr Otto Octavius? I paused at the search results. He was a respected scientist. A really respectable scientist? What the hell? Why would he do something like this? Maybe Dr Kale had always been involved in criminal circles, but Dr Octavius was supposedly a household name in the biology world. Holy shit he was one of the founders of Oscorp? This didn¡¯t make any sense. I scrolled, all news stories about him dated back to 2023 when he¡¯d been fired from Oscorp. Interesting.

    The nokia buzzed in my bag, and Jess flinched turning to me.

    ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s probably my Dad¡±

    ¡°Two phones?¡±

    ¡°Ah, technically I¡¯m grounded. I shouldn¡¯t have my regular phone, so the Nokia¡¯s a replacement¡± I said. I turned back to my phone, frowning. The normalness of the conversation felt out of place. I glanced back to Jess.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡°You ok?¡± I asked. She furrowed her brow then looked to me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ not to be weird, but if you ever need someone to talk to or something I could get you a burner phone or something and we could¡­ talk¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡± she mumbled, nodding to herself. I turned back to the document and furrowed my brow. This was enough waiting around.

    ¡°Ok, what now? Do we go to the police or d-¡±

    Suddenly her eyes widened. She grabbed the document from me and began tearing the card folder.

    ¡°What the hell?!¡±

    She ignored me and then stopped, before pulling out a piece of wire connected to a small chip. She crushed the chip in hand and cursed.

    ¡°Dammit! I don¡¯t know how I didn¡¯t sense it before. We need to go. Now¡±

    ¡°What? What was that?¡±

    ¡°It had to be some kind of tracker. No way they let research like this just get stolen. It probably wasn¡¯t even supposed to be in that room¡±

    My body grew cold.

    ¡°Yu? We have to move. Quick¡±

    I didn¡¯t wait for her to say more, moving away from our spot as quickly as I could. I looked around, instantly paranoid again as Jess stepped next to me, pulling on a mask and throwing up her hood.

    ¡°Wait, let¡¯s go high. Get on a roof or something. You put on the mask and I¡¯ll cover my face¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll protect you¡±

    ¡°Why? Can¡¯t we just hide? Or go to the police?¡±

    ¡°No way. They¡¯ll get us before we even make it halfway¡± she said, her face suddenly darkening.

    ¡°What? How do you know that?¡±

    ¡°If they¡¯ve sent someone they¡¯ve probably checked the CCTV. Mr Banks was a cheapskate, so I doubt it¡¯s good enough to catch our faces clearly, but they¡¯ll recognise our clothes. If you want to go off alone, go. But you¡¯ll be dead in an hour¡±

    ¡°Shit. Can¡¯t we just change clothes or something? I¡¯ve got¡­ twenty dollars?¡±

    She turned to me, glaring. I stepped back, surprised. What was with the sudden shift in personality? I shook my head. She was probably just angry I was being stupid.

    ¡°Ok. That was stupid. But I¡¯m just- there has to be a different way right?¡± I said.

    ¡°No. If it¡¯s who I think it is, this is my chance to take him out. I want to see him before he sees me¡±

    I blinked staring at her. What? She wanted to fight? No, take out sounded more sinister.

    ¡°Kill him?¡±

    ¡°If it comes to it¡±

    ¡°¡­but Spider-Man doesn¡¯t kill¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not Spider-Man¡± she said, staring at me with cold eyes.

    I stopped walking for a second and she grabbed me, dragging me forwards.

    ¡°I¡¯m not dying because you fucked things up for me¡± she snarled, her grip like iron. In that moment she didn¡¯t look like a regular fourteen-year-old, she looked dangerous. It felt like she was completely different from before, like something had shifted after whatever had happened back at Alchemax. Or maybe she¡¯d always been like this. I¡¯d been overly friendly because she¡¯d been Spider-Man¡¯s clone, but I didn¡¯t know her. I didn¡¯t know her at all.

    ¡°This one¡± Jess said, looking up. I didn¡¯t argue.

    We stopped, turning into an alley before making our way up a fire escape. I took the mask out of my bag pulling it on, and Jess covered the lower part of her face in web. Quickly we reached the roof of the building. I looked around at the open sky, feeling uneasy. Was this really the right decision? No. No it wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°Hey I think we shoul-¡±

    Jess turned suddenly and I froze in fear. A manhole cover flew up, crashing against the lip of the building beside the alley we¡¯d been in a few moments ago.

    ¡°Shit¡± I mumbled. She¡¯d been right. People cried out as it crashed down into the street and then a tall hulking figure of metallic green stepped out. Instantly I crouched down, breathing heavily. Scorpion. He was out for me, for us. Something slapped against my back and I jerked to the side.

    ¡°Hold these¡± Jess said, dropping the document into my lap. Then she ran, jumping from the edge of the building and firing a web.

    I scrambled up, peering over the edge of the building as Jess slammed into the Scorpion with an inhumane screech. They slammed into the floor and began battling it out in the middle of the street. I pulled away from the edge of the building pressing myself to the floor as people screamed. Crap. Holy crap. I needed to get away from here. I needed to get as far away as I possibly could.

    But Jess said, they knew what my clothes looked like. Shit. Had my stupidity finally caught up with me? No. She¡¯d probably said it just to scare me. To stop me from running off, so she could hand me the documents and fight Scorpion. I could get down and run away. I''d be fine. I felt the street shudder as people screamed. Jesus. People were dying down there. They had to be.

    I gripped my head tightly, trying not to panic. I couldn¡¯t understand it. Even if she wasn¡¯t Spider-Man, she was a Spider-Man clone. She had his memories. Just because he was scared Spider-Man wouldn¡¯t just go out and fight to kill with no regard for people¡¯s safety. Was it some mix of other memories or something else? I mean she¡¯d been created as a metahuman clone in some kind of army, what if there was some trigger that set her to kill mode? I shook my head. I was just think stupidly. Right now it didn¡¯t really matter why, it was happening. The building shook and I gripped the floor tighter, shaking. I glanced back over the edge of the building to see a car go flying and crash into a building. Shit. I couldn¡¯t go down there. I¡¯d die. But I couldn¡¯t just do nothing. I mean I had a web-shooter, and the mask on right now. I could save people and it didn''t seem like anyone else was going to. I cursed and leapt up, looking down to the streets. People were all fleeing in one direction, the fight still at the far end of the road. I spotted the car that had been thrown and quickly fired webs, extinguishing the fires on it. I continued looking around. Shit, what else could I do?

    Suddenly something shot past and slammed into the building next to me. I glanced down. Jess lay unconscious, half hanging out of the front window. I turned down the road to see Scorpion leap closer, teeth bared as he began to jump from building to building. Holy shit!

    I fired bursts of web repeatedly at Scorpion, covering his face. He roared out in anger. I was slowing him down, but Jess still hung from the window, unresponsive as he grew closer. If he got to me he¡¯d kill me, and then he¡¯d kill Jess. I had to get to her to wake up before he got to me. But how? I couldn¡¯t run away from Scorpion. I froze. I could. But I¡¯d need to swing. It was the only way to cover the gap from building to building.

    I looked to Jess, then to Scorpion¡¯s face as he ripped the last piece of web off. I fried another burst at him, then turned running for far end of the building.

    ¡°Shit!¡± I cried leaping from the edge. I fired a short web out to the building next to me and was instantly jerked to the side. Screaming loudly, I held the web with a firm grip, kicking frantically at the wall as I raced along it, the street dangerously far beneath. I grabbed Jess¡¯ limp body, and with my heart in my mouth, let go of my first web and fired another. It shot out and latched onto the next building.

    I swung less controlled this time with Jess¡¯ added weight. But still, heart in my mouth, I swung. I double tapped and fired again. The force on my arm was ridiculous and the webs were barely two metres long. I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep this up. I looked behind me, seeing Scorpion near, then looked down to Jess.

    ¡°Wake up!¡± I cried.

    Scorpion leaped, to the building behind us, roaring as his claws cut through the brick.

    ¡°Wake up!!!¡±

    Scorpion screeched out one final time, leaping towards us with a roar.

    ¡°WAKE UP DAMMIT!!¡±

    Then, in the blink of an eye Jess was gone. Pain lanced through my shoulder, and then air shook with fury. I felt my hand slip from the web in surprise and I fell crying out. I fired another web upwards I managed to catch the top of a building and slowed, holding on for dear life. With a quick triple tap I shot upwards toward the roof. I grabbed onto the roofs edge and quickly pulled myself up with one arm, rolling onto the safety of the roof.

    I let out quick breathes, tears in my eyes as I shook, adrenaline pumping so furiously around my body I could barely breathe. My left arm was done for. Dislocated. I clutched at it, gasping as I tried to hold back my tears Then the building shook. I cried out, gripping the concrete tightly, as screams echoed out from below. The shaking stopped and I hesitated but moved towards the edge, looking out below. My eyes widened. Part of the street below had imploded, falling into the sewers. Cars had been sprayed with pieces of debris some large and some small, but nonetheless everywhere. People cried out, screaming as they ran from the wreck. And then Jess and Scorpion emerged, battling it out with an impossible speeds and power.

    I watched in awe as Jess dodged and weaved stabs and slashes from Scorpion with lightning reflexes before landing tremendous blows across his armour. Scorpion tanked the blows, seemingly unimpeded by the dents forming in his armour as blood sprayed from his mouth, twisted in a unhinged grin. And then the ground beneath them collapsed, more of the street falling into the sewers along with now empty cars. I watched for a second, waiting with bated breathed, before Jess emerged, web still covering her face. She looked around eyes wide then quickly fired a web searching around frantically. I stood, wincing but raised my arm waving for her. She spotted me and jumped up, pulling herself over with a web.

    She landed on the side of the roof, and clambered over, hands shaking.

    ¡°A-are you okay?¡± she asked, stepping forward.

    I walked over to her and grabbed her by the shoulders.

    ¡°What the hell was that?! What the hell did you just do?!¡± I shouted. She blinked at me, eyes wide and .

    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ I wasn¡¯t thinking straight¡±

    ¡°What? You just¡­ you just killed a ton of people¡± I said, pulling away from her. She went to say something, then stumbled, clutching her side. I steadied her as she fell to one knee.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry¡± she wheezed.

    I didn¡¯t say anything, gritting my teeth tightly as a bunch of emotions washed over me. She was out of control and dangerous, but I couldn¡¯t just leave her here. I couldn¡¯t just go home. I needed to end whatever the hell this situation had become before it got even more out of control. And first I needed to get these documents to the police.

 Yus Story - Chapter Twelve

    Hey Dad. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m skipping my curfew, but I¡¯ll be back home soon. I just have to take care of a few things first. You don¡¯t have to call the police or anything. Tell Ryo not to worry. See you later.

    I read over the text one last time before sighing. I pulled away from my phone, covering my eyes and hit send before. Then I turned it off and shoving it into my pocket. The constant calls from Dad had been getting too much. I didn¡¯t want him to worry more than he already was, though I doubted I could change that with a single text. At least it would give him some peace of mind. Anyway, that was that handled, now - hopefully - I could deal with everything else without a problem.

    I turned to Jess. We stood at a street corner only blocks away from the incident with Scorpion. She looked unwell; her pale skin glazed with a layer of sweat that made her look almost inhuman. Her breaths were heavy too, and she held her side. It was clear something was seriously wrong. But I didn¡¯t know what. And I definitely didn¡¯t know how to deal with it.

    I stepped forward to her, glancing around as people gave her strange stares, clearly aware of her deteriorating condition.

    ¡°Hey¡­ do you want me to call you an ambulance?¡±

    She shook her head.

    ¡°Jess, you¡¯re hurt ¡±

    ¡°What if they have some kind of tracker in me or something? Maybe it activates cause of something in the hospital?"

    ¡°Jess you¡¯re being paranoid¡±

    "I''m not"

    "Please, just for your own good let me call an ambulance. Or ask someone to take you to the hospital. Something"

    She looked to the floor clearly dismissing my argument.

    ¡°Jess please. I don¡¯t really know you, but I don¡¯t want to just watch you die¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not dying¡± she said curtly.

    I sighed. This was pointless. She was too headstrong to listen to me, and too paranoid to listen to her pain. I stepped back, looking down at the dossier. Sparing a glance at my watch, then at my surroundings, I felt my stomach twist in knots. Fire tucks had passed by minutes ago, but no police cars. They¡¯d probably gotten to the scene a different way. We should¡¯ve stayed there, waited for them to show up. But Jess hadn¡¯t wanted too, something about Scorpion. It¡¯d made sense at the time, but now I was starting to think she was being overly paranoid. Either way it didn¡¯t matter. If she was coming with me, it looked like we¡¯d have to go to the police department. Wiping the sweat off my hands, I turned back to Jess.

    ¡°Do you know where the nearest police department is?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ a few blocks over I think. If I swing there, it¡¯s two minutes tops¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not swinging anywhere, you can barely stand¡± I said, concerned. Jess forced herself off the wall but stumbled. I leapt forward to catch her before she fell. She felt frail in my arms. Even as she pushed me off with incredible strength she felt frail. I stared, watching as she picked herself up slowly. Why was she being like this when she was so obviously hurt? Was the real Spider-Man like this? Was he this stubborn about doing everything, even when he shouldn''t? It seemed self destructive.

    I shook my head. She probably wouldn¡¯t make it to the police station.

    ¡°Jess this is an emergency. I¡¯m calling an ambulance¡±

    ¡°N-no¡± she wheezed.

    ¡°Jess either I call you an ambulance or you fall unconscious and someone else does. Either way you need to get medical help¡±

    ¡°But I can¡¯t¡­ how will I explain myself¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s there to explain Jess, you¡¯re hurt¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t have any records. I- don¡¯t¡­ no insurance, no identification, nothing. I¡¯m not a real person Yu¡±

    ¡°What? So, what if you¡¯re a clone? This is an emergency. They¡¯ll help you¡±

    ¡°If you want to go then go. Just¡­ just leave me here then. You don¡¯t have to call an ambulance¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to just leave you¡±

    ¡°I can handle myself¡±

    ¡°Jess I-¡±

    ¡°Just trust my judgement ok? I-¡±

    ¡°Trust your judgement?! Jess you just attacked someone for no reason and got a bunch of people killed¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s different¡±

    ¡°How?! He didn¡¯t know where we were! We could have hidden. You were faster. We could have ran. I mean, come on, even if you don¡¯t want to get treated for your physical injuries, don¡¯t you think you should at least see someone for whatever¡¯s going on in your head? Isn¡¯t it dangerous someone as powerful as you is going around without proper judgement, looking for fights? I mean you¡¯ve been having near constant headaches. Take a look at yourself Jess, something¡¯s wrong! Isn¡¯t it your responsibility to at least make sure you don¡¯t hurt anyone else?¡± I said, gripping her shoulders tightly.

    As soon as I said the words I felt guilty. Jess¡¯ face fell, her eyes becoming watery, and then she hung her head.

    ¡°¡­ok¡± she mumbled.

    ¡°S-so I can call the ambulance?¡±

    ¡°¡­yeah¡± she mumbled still looking to the floor.

    I stood felling a wave of relief wash over me. I pulled out the Nokia, and dialled 999.

    ¡°Hello this is emergency services. How can I help you?¡±

    ¡°Hi, I¡¯ve got a friend on the sidewalk. She¡¯s awake, but she got hurt bad by some debris from that accident near Prospect Park. We¡¯re a few blocks east. It hit her in the side. I think she needs and ambulance¡±

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Alright, one is on it¡¯s way now. Can I know how old is she?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ my age. Fourteen¡±

    ¡°Are her parents there?¡±

    ¡°N-no¡±

    ¡°Does she have any medical history I should be aware of? Any allergies?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡±

    ¡°Alright. Thank you for calling sir, assistance will be with you shortly¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡± I said and hung up. I turned to Jess, as she stared up at me, her eyes distant as small tears streaked down her face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Jess, an ambulance will be here soon. I¡¯ll stay till it comes¡±

    ¡°No. Just go you idiot¡± she mumbled. I frowned then nodded.

    I turned to a random couple on the sidewalk.

    ¡°Excuse me. Could you watch my friend? An ambulance is on its way but I need to go¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    I didn¡¯t wait for answer, rushing off

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back!¡± I shouted out, clutching the documents tight in hand.

    -

    The police department stood across the street from me, the lights outside warming as sunlight stared to fade. It was cold today. A lot colder than it had been yesterday. My breath steamed up in front of my face as I stood there, heart beating in my chest. I was hesitating. Why was I hesitating? I glanced down to the dossier. Was I afraid they wouldn¡¯t take me seriously? That I¡¯d show up, they¡¯d ask a ton of questions, then call my dad? How was I supposed to explain this to him. How was I supposed to explain any of this? Did it matter if my life got thrown into disarray, as long as the cops stopped whatever god awful things were going on in Alchemax?

    A thought rushed to the forefront of my mind. I didn¡¯t need to worry about this. I still had the costume, didn¡¯t I? They¡¯d be more likely to listen to me like that, more likely to take this seriously. I took a deep breath. Ok. I guess I was doing it again. This would be the last time. I looked around, jogging away as I looked for a good spot to change.

    I found one two blocks away, and quickly pulled the costume out of my bag, and took my clothes off. I pulled it on, the suit warming me against the cold winter air, then pulled on the mask. I slapped the sides of my face, before grabbing the document.

    ¡°Third and final time¡± I muttered to myself.

    I looked around, then rushed out the alley, dossier in hand.

    I came to a stop outside the police station again, earning more stares this time. I cleared my throat and with the dossier in hand, stepped inside.

    The department was louder than I expected, the sounds of calls and people talking over each other bouncing from wall to wall. A ton of people waited to be seen or spoken to in the waiting, and there a kid sat, his eyes widening as he saw me.

    ¡°Spider-Man!¡± he called out.

    People turned to me, and most of the noise grinded to a halt. I walked through the lounge awkwardly, everyone moving out of the way as I made my way towards the reception desk.

    ¡°I-I¡¯d like to report a crime¡± I said, to the lady at the desk, deepening my voice. She just stared at me blankly, unsure of what to do, when a voice spoke up behind me.

    ¡°Spider-Man. To what do we owe the pleasure?¡± A female cop said off to the side.

    ¡°I brought something, I think you¡¯d like to see¡± I said, holding up the dossier. She squinted, then looked around at everyone.

    ¡°Alright everyone, back to work. You¡¯ve seen him on TV enough already¡± she said to everyone. She turned back to me as the sounds of the lounge began to return, albeit quieter than before. ¡°Follow me Spider-Man¡±

    I followed her as we made our way into a corridor, slightly away from everyone else. She turned to me and took the document, opening it up. He face grew serious and she quickly closed it.

    ¡°Just take this to the news or something. Not here, ok¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Get out of here, quickly. I¡¯m serious¡± she whispered. I stared at her dumbfounded. What? She¡¯d just seen the pictures, why was she being like this?

    ¡°Spider-Man?¡± a voice said, from behind us. I turned to see a tall older gentleman in police uniform step forward with a warm smile. He held out his hand.

    ¡°Captain Reece. Kevin Reece¡± he said. I shook it tentatively.

    ¡°What a lukewarm handshake!¡± he said laughing out loud. ¡°I thought you were supposed to be strong? Or is it me? What¡¯s Lieutenant Danvers been telling you, eh?¡± he said still, grinning.

    I glanced back to the other officer. She was white as a sheet.

    ¡°Can I see that?¡± he asked. She handed him the dossier. He flicked through it, letting out a whistle.

    He let go of my hand and patted me on the shoulder.

    ¡°A real catch huh? Come talk to me somewhere more private¡± he said, making his way towards a room. I frowned, hesitant, but he only opened the door to an office, and gestured me inside. I stepped inside looking around.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have a word with you after Lieutenant¡± he said before closing the door.

    ¡°Have a seat, have a seat¡± he said. I hesitated.

    ¡°I just need to talk about the papers and be off¡±

    ¡°Please. I won¡¯t be long¡± he said with a chuckle. ¡±I¡¯m well aware you¡¯ve got a lot of crime fighting to do¡± he said. I shrugged and sat down as he made his way around the desk.

    ¡°You know Spider-Man, you¡¯re my grandson¡¯s hero¡± the cop said, his expression strange.

    ¡°That¡¯s nice¡± I said awkwardly. He smiled nodding, before wiping at his brow. I frowned. He went to say something but stopped.

    ¡°You¡­ you really are something. This¡­ wow¡± he said, dropping it onto the table. He went silent, smiling at me as he rested his hands on his belt. He licked his lips the smile fading. I frowned, something was wrong.

    Time seemed to slow down as I saw him reach for his gun. Without a thought I dived against the desk, slamming it into him as gunfire shook the room. He cried out and I fell back. I looked up in time to see him, as he fell to the floor, level his gun with my head. I tried to move, but it was too late he was faster. The gun fired and the bullet grazed my face, cutting through my ear as he slammed to the floor.

    I didn¡¯t even have time to realise I¡¯d dived away before I crashed into the far wall. He tried to stand to get another shot at me, but I leapt towards him, clearing the table and slammed into him as he fired a wild shot at the ceiling. We crashed to the floor and I grabbed the gun, struggling to wrestle control of it from the cop. He cried out, pushing back against me as my ear burned, ringing echoing through my head. I forced the gun away and slammed my elbow into his face repeatedly, but he held it firm, trying to twist it on me.

    ¡°He¡¯ll kill my grandson! Kingpin will kill my son!¡± the cop shouted desperate. I headbutted him, shattering his nose. I headbutted him again and the back of his head hit the floor as he gasped, his grip on the gun loosening.

    Suddenly the door burst in and two cops rushed inside guns out. With as much strength as I could muster, I flipped the captain on top of me, putting him between us.

    ¡°HANDS IN THE AIR! HANDS IN THE AIR!¡± one cop shouted. My heart thudded dangerously against my chest. The captain was unconscious, and they wouldn¡¯t fire at him, but I couldn¡¯t go anywhere. Holy shit. What did I do? What could I do? I was fucked!

    Then the sound of shouts echoed through the building. All our heads turned as gunfire echoed through the department. Then something smashed through the office window and gunfire echoed through the small room. The cops cried out and then the captain was wrenched from off of me and slammed against the wall hard. Jess stood over me, eyes wide.

    I scrambled up and grabbed the documents off the table. Jess grabbed me and then leapt out of the room freakishly quickly, jumping and diving through the building as gunfire echoed out. And then we were out into open air, and swinging. I clutched Jess tightly, my entire body in shock, before our feet touched the ground. We were on a roof somewhere. I fell to my hands and knees, then pulled off the mask.

    ¡°Y-Yu?! What happened?¡± she said.

    ¡°I thought you were in the ambulance?¡± I mumbled, body shaking.

    ¡°I got a bad feeling, and decided to follow you¡± she said, coughing. I hung my head, clamping my eyes shut as I gasped for air.

    ¡°Thanks¡± I wheezed. Stars floated across my vision and my ears burned. I could barely think. And my ear fucking hurt.

    ¡°Yu, what happened?¡±

    ¡°We¡­ we need to find¡­ Peter guy... Spider-Man... Fuck¡± I said, still breathless. I¡¯d nearly died. I¡¯d nearly fucking died.

    ¡°Yu what happened?¡±

    ¡°The captain fucking shot me. He¡­ I-¡± I threw up over the roof and pulled back coughing.

    ¡°What?! Where?!¡± Jess said, grabbing me tightly. I pointed to my ear. ¡°Nowhere else?¡±

    I shook my head. I went limp, feeling lightheaded.

    ¡°Yu? Yu?¡±

    ¡°Tired¡­¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Yu don¡¯t fall asleep¡± Jess said. ¡°Just tell me what happened?¡±

    ¡°He saw the documents¡­ he saw them then¡­ he just fucking shot me¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°He said¡­ he said something about¡­ a pin? King pin?¡± I said, slowly feeling the adrenaline start to fade. ¡°Do you know him?¡±

    ¡°No¡± Jess said.

    ¡°Shit¡± I said, sitting up, my entire body as heavy as lead. ¡°This problem is big. We need to find Spider-Man. Tonight. Whatever¡¯s happening your too hurt to help, and I¡¯m too fucking¡­ normal¡±

    ¡°O-ok¡± she said.

    I felt at my ear, wincing.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he shot me¡± I mumbled, staring at the blood on my fingers. My breathing had slowed now, my mind clear from the fog of panic. I was done. Once we found Spider-Man, I was going home.

 Yus Story - Chapter Thirteen

    ¡°Ow¡±

    ¡°Sorry, just stay still¡± Jess said, wrapping a piece of cloth awkwardly around my head.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying¡± I grumbled. The ear hadn¡¯t stopped bleeding so Jess had decided to wrap a makeshift bandage around my head. It felt unnecessary and awkward, but I was too tired to do anything about it. She finished, tucking the cloth underneath itself and pulling firmly.

    ¡°Better?¡±

    ¡°I can feel the difference already¡± I muttered sarcastically.

    ¡°Oh shut up¡±

    I stood, wincing slightly.

    ¡°Ok, now it¡¯s time to find Spider-Man¡± I said, dusting myself off.

    ¡°Right, you said that earlier, but how exactly are we supposed to find him?¡±

    ¡°You¡± I said pointing to her. ¡°You¡¯ve got his memories right? It¡¯s kind of stupid I didn¡¯t ask this earlier, but you¡¯d remember his number right? Why don¡¯t you just call him?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s got a different number¡±

    ¡°Well what about friends or family¡± She shifted around awkwardly, averting her gaze.

    ¡°Jess?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ when I was still Peter my phone would do most of the heavy lifting for stuff like that. I can barely remember a few numbers¡±

    I stared at her incredulous.

    ¡°A few numbers is more than enough. Why didn¡¯t you call earlier? We could¡¯ve skipped the Alchemax¡±

    ¡°T-there numbers might¡¯ve changed¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t even tried them!¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± she trailed off silent. I felt a pang of guilt before remembering I¡¯d just been shot in the ear. I pushed the phone into her chest.

    ¡°Call someone. Just ask them to give us Peter¡¯s number. Say it¡¯s for work or something¡± I said. Jess shook her head.

    ¡°Jess? Come on, it¡¯s just a phone call¡±

    ¡°They won¡¯t recognise me¡± she said her voice trembling.

    Oh. Right. I hadn¡¯t even considered that. She¡¯d be hearing the voices of loved ones and they¡¯d think she was a stranger. I hadn¡¯t even considered how that¡¯d make her feel.

    ¡°S-sorry¡± I said pulling the phone back. ¡°O-ok. I¡¯ll call. Just type in the a number and I¡¯ll call¡±

    Jess seemed to hesitate for a second before taking in a deep breath and nodding. I handed her the phone.

    She typed in a number quickly, clearly knowing it by heart, then pressed the phone back to me. I hesitated, heart thumping in my chest, then pressed call. The phone rung as I held it, waiting for someone to pick up. It rang repeatedly, before going to the answering machine.

    ¡°No luck¡± I said. Jess let a sigh of relief. ¡°Who was that?¡±

    ¡°My- Peter¡¯s Aunt¡±

    ¡°Ok. Any other numbers? ¡±

    ¡°The only other numbers I remember are my friends personal phones. They all probably still be at work around now. The only one I can think of who won¡¯t be is MJ, but she never picks up numbers she doesn¡¯t know¡±

    ¡°What if we called her ten times?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯d probably block you¡±

    ¡°Crap¡± I said. I pressed the phone to my forehead and closed my eyes. We could wait, but any longer and my Dad might actually kill me when I got home. There had to be another way, right? Right?

    ¡°Wait¡­ he should be on the company website. The vice project lead scientists from the dossier thing were. Do you remember if y- he was?¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t have one back at the old place¡±

    ¡°Wait it doesn¡¯t matter. If he works there, he¡¯ll probably be on it. His email and work phone should be attached. We can literally call him¡± I said. I pulled out my phone and frantically began searching. I pulled up the Alchemax homepage and searched his name. Nothing besides a few hits for negative energy research.

    ¡°He¡¯s not there¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not there. Does he not work there anymore?¡±

    ¡°How would I know¡±

    ¡°Right, sorry. Anyway his name¡¯s not coming up. What now?¡±

    ¡°Dammit. Then- wait Bella. We saw her working there¡±

    ¡°Right. Bella- surname?¡±

    ¡°Aribella Fishbach. Fish B-A-C-H¡±

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Bella Aribella Fishbach?¡±

    ¡°No, first name Aribella, last name Fishbach. Fish B-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I got it¡± I said, searching quickly. Her profile popped up. I clicked and my eyes scanned the page. I smiled. ¡°Perfect!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I was right. It has mobile and email. It¡¯s probably a work phone so calls might be monitored but we can still call her¡±

    ¡°Knowing Mr Banks, probably. Maybe we could just tell her to call us on her normal phone¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Let me think¡­ tell her about some random detail about Gwen¡¯s 21<sup>st</sup> a stranger shouldn¡¯t know¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Tell her she got nearly blackout drunk after Sajani challenged you to see who could down the most shots in ten minutes¡±

    ¡°O-ok¡± I said. I hesitated, but pressed on the number and called, putting it on speaker. We glanced to each other, both teeming with anxiety as the phone rung. Then it picked up.

    ¡°Hello?¡± a woman¡¯s voice said.

    ¡°Uh¡­ Gwen¡¯s 21<sup>st</sup>. You got nearly blackout drunk after Sajani challenged you to see who could down the most shots in ten minutes¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°Call us on your normal phone Bella¡±

    ¡°Wait w-¡°

    I hung up. We waited frozen in place as we stared at my phone. I

    ¡°That seemed overly ominous,¡± I said, ¡°should we call her back?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine¡± Jess said unconvincingly.

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    We both looked back to the phone, waiting in silence for a few seconds longer.

    ¡°Ok maybe you should call h-¡±

    Suddenly it rang, a different number this time. I answered.

    ¡°Hello?¡± I mumbled nervously. I was met with the sound of rushing air as I

    ¡°Who the hell are you? What do you want?¡± the same voice said.

    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­¡± I stuttered.

    ¡°Peter Parker¡± Jess blurted out.

    ¡°W-what about him?¡± the woman said, the worry clearer this time.

    ¡°Tell him to call us¡± I said.

    ¡°Why? Who are you?¡± she said. I glanced up at Jess. Right, it¡¯s not like she was just going to agree. Crap, I hadn¡¯t thought this far ahead.

    ¡°Just say something¡± she mumbled, pulling away from the phone.

    ¡°You say something¡± I whispered back.

    ¡°Hello?¡± Bella said.

    ¡°S-sorry. I¡­¡± I glanced to Jess. ¡°W-we¡­ uh¡­ have something that belongs to him¡±

    ¡°Is this a threat?¡±

    ¡°W-what? No! Just¡­ can you give us his number, or tell him to call us? Quick, it¡¯s kind of important¡± I said, awkwardly scratching the back of my head. I was met with silence.

    ¡°H-hello?¡±

    The call ended. Crap, she hung up on me.

    ¡°You totally botched that¡± Jess said.

    ¡°Yeah? Well you didn¡¯t help at all¡± I said, scowling.

    ¡°You were the one supposed be doing the talking¡±

    ¡°Never mind. If he doesn¡¯t call in the next ten minutes I¡¯ll just give these to the Daily Bugle or something. Maybe post them on the internet¡±

    ¡°Doubt that will help. If the police are working with that Kingpin guy, they probably won¡¯t do anything until Alchemax gets rid of there stuff¡± she said. I groaned.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯d get the scientist guys¡±

    Jess face twisted into something between a thoughtful look and a frown.

    ¡°Jess?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡± she said. Welp, I wasn¡¯t going to question that.

    I stretched, then sighed. This superhero thing was tiring.

    ¡°Anyway, once the ten minutes is up, I¡¯m taking you to the hospital¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think I forgot about that. You still look like a good breeze will knock you over¡±

    ¡°Save it. This superhero thing is my shtick to begin with¡±

    I stared at her blankly.

    ¡°Just go to the hospital. I don¡¯t want you to keel over and die¡±

    ¡°Nope¡±

    ¡°Jess-¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t make me¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re acting like a real child, you know that?¡± I said. She shrugged. I sighed and sat on the floor. Jess sat next to me.

    ¡°I hope I don¡¯t get charged for calling that ambulance for nobody¡± I mumbled.

    <hr>

    <u>Peter W Parker</u>

    Peter sat at his desk, gently rubbing his knee. He stared blankly at the papers on his desk, the sounds of commotion just beyond his office distant. He gently adjusted his glasses and turned to the picture of Liz he kept. She smiled brightly in it, a rare sight these days. Probably for him too. He frowned, bringing a hand to his temple, and resting his head against it. For a moment, his eyes slipped back towards the ultrasound photos. He looked away quickly, his frown deepening further. He needed to get rid of those. He didn¡¯t want Liz to give him a surprise visit and break down.

    A small knock came from his door.

    ¡°Come in¡± he said. The door opened and a short, balding, fifties something man slipped inside donning a lab coat and a smile.

    ¡°Peter, you¡¯re back¡±

    ¡°Yep. Sorry I didn¡¯t come see you sooner Doc. I-¡±

    ¡°Nonsense, it¡¯s me who should be apologising¡± Otto said, stepped around the desk.

    Peter stood, and they embraced each other in a hug. They held each other tightly for a while, neither saying anything before pulling away. As they pulled away, Otto grabbed Peter tightly. He looked Peter in the eye as he held him.

    ¡°I know these things can be hard, but you¡¯re strong. You¡¯ll get through this¡± he said, his eyes gleaming with sincerity. Peter nodded, his lower lip trembling.

    ¡°Thanks¡± he mumbled.

    ¡°No worries¡± Otto said, stepping back. ¡°Sorry to have my visit be so short. We should talk to each other again soon, maybe grab a coffee, get back into the swing of things¡±

    ¡°Sure thing Doc¡± Peter said.

    ¡°Bye Peter. Remember, my door¡¯s always open¡± Otto said. Peter gave him a small wave.

    Otto smiled back, before stepping out the office, and closed the door softly behind him. Peter felt his smile slowly fade and he sat back down, returning to staring at his desk. He moved in his seat, his joints protesting slightly.

    He let out a sigh and turned back to his computer. It was weird being back at work now. But it helped him forget about everything. Well, not really, but it at least made him feel like he was doing something. He raised his hand, looking at the nasty scar that cut across it. He frowned again. He needed to put the costume back on. How long had it been now? Three weeks? Four? He¡¯d thrown out one of his suits the last time he¡¯d gone out.

    His phone buzzed in his pocket. Liz? He hoped. He reached for it and pulled it out, his frown deepening. It was Bella. He felt a pang of guilt. They hadn¡¯t spoken in a while. It was probably good that she was calling. He could finally do something with her and the others. He¡¯d been wanting to talk to them again. He answered.

    ¡°Pete?¡±

    ¡°Hey Bella, it¡¯s been a while. Sorry about that¡± he said with an awkward chuckle.

    ¡°Pete listen to me very carefully. Somebody just called me. I think they know who you are¡± she said, her voice shaky. Peter froze.

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°They called me and told me to tell you their number or give you there¡¯s. They - shit - Pete this is bad. I think they-¡±

    ¡°Wait slow down¡±

    ¡°Shit I saw it on the news, but I just thought you- shit¡±

    ¡°Bella calm down. What¡¯s happening? What did you see on the news?¡±

    ¡°There was a big fight in Brooklyn. Near where I work. Your webs were at the scene. And like twenty minutes ago there was an attack on a Brooklyn police department. People were saying they saw you. I think whoever called me, this is them¡±

    Shit. Was someone was impersonating him and trying to ruin his reputation? Or was there someone else with Spider powers. But then how did they know? A clone? But Dr Warren was long dead along with all his cronies. And he wasn¡¯t exactly sure how the memory thing worked, but the clones had all been made before the others had found out. How do they know Bella knew?

    ¡°Pete?¡±

    ¡°Sorry. What¡¯d you say?¡±

    ¡°I tracked their phone call. It came from somewhere on Clermont Avenue. They said they had something that was important to you¡± she said. Time seemed to slow. That was close to where Liz worked.

    ¡°Dammit! What did they want?¡±

    ¡°J-just your number¡±

    ¡°Did you give it?¡±

    ¡°No. Never¡±

    ¡°Did you hear anything in the background?¡±

    ¡°No¡±

    ¡°I- Ok. Thanks for telling me Bella¡±

    ¡°Just stay safe. Pete¡± she said.

    ¡°Will do¡± he said, hanging up. He stood, quickly and rushed out his office as he called Liz. His body ached but right now it didn¡¯t matter. If Liz was taken from him after all this, he didn¡¯t know what he¡¯d do.

 Yus Story - Chapter Fourteen

    Jess and I sat still silent, shivering in the cold.

    ¡°I think we should go¡± I asked.

    ¡°Give it another minute¡±

    ¡°Jess it¡¯s been he hasn¡¯t called and I want to go home¡±

    ¡°Just- give it another minute¡±

    ¡°You look like you¡¯re about to die of hypothermia¡±

    ¡°Just shut up Yu¡±

    We continued sitting in silence. The sounds of the city surrounding us. I looked around, taking in all the lights and sounds. I¡¯d never seen New York like this before. It was pretty. Something about the number of lights, and the way the shone was enthralling. Even with my ear hurting like this, I could stare at it for hours. I glanced up. Could barely see any stars though.

    Suddenly Jess jumped up, looking around.

    ¡°Jess?¡± I said. She ignored me, looking around. Fear was etched into her face.

    ¡°Jess, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± she trailed off, looking around.

    ¡°Jess?¡±

    She stayed silent, pulling her balaclava on. I stood, heart hammering in my chest as I pulled my mask on too. Nothing in our surroundings changed, but the shadows of the night seemed to take on a more sinister undertone. My hands trembled, both from cold and now. Shit, was the scorpion guy back?

    ¡°We need to go. Something¡¯s coming¡± she whispered. She reached for me, but a web shot out of the darkness, catching me cleanly as Jess dodged to the side. It dragged me back and I slammed to the ventilation pipe behind me. I groaned, reeling from the shock as the sound of Jess¡¯ cries echoed across the roof. When I opened my eyes, Jess lay on the ground groaning as she clutched her stomach. A figure stood over her. He turned to me, and as he drew closer, I recognised him. Spider-Man. He was wearing one of the older costumes, the first of the red and blue set. From the way he walked forward with purpose, his head leaned forward, the usual big lenses looked focused, intent. Somehow, he looked angry.

    Wait, how the hell had he found us?

    He came to a stop in front of me.

    ¡°Where is she?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Where is she?¡± he repeated, his tone aggressive.

    ¡°I think there¡¯s been some kind of miscommunication¡± I laughed awkwardly.

    ¡°You think this is funny?¡±

    ¡°N-no?¡±

    He stepped forward, grabbing me tightly then ripped off the mask. He let go practically instantly as he stared at my face, the anger dissipating.

    ¡°What the hell, you¡¯re just a kid?¡± he said.

    ¡°Uh¡­ what were you expecting?¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡­ not this¡± he said. Suddenly a buzzing came from his back. He stepped back, glancing to the groaning Jess on the floor, then pulled out phone that had been stuck to his lower back.

    His entire demeanour shifted, the anger replaced by relief and he answered the call quickly, stepping away from me, behind the ventilation shaft.

    ¡°Liz? Thank god. When you didn¡¯t pick up I thought something had happened¡± he said, getting further away. Liz? Who was that? I shifted my weight, trying to get a better listen to the conversation. But the web just pulled me back. Crap. I wriggled slightly to no avail, then looked over to see Jess pull herself up from the floor, clutching her head.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°You okay?¡± I asked. She nodded, ripping her webbed hand off the floor before standing straight.

    ¡°Can I get some help over here?¡± I asked. She looked at me, then snickered, before glancing past, and raising her hands.

    ¡°Jess?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be stuck like that for an hour. Just sit tight¡± a voice said behind me.

    ¡°An hour?!¡±

    ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s just how long the webs last¡± Spider-Man said, walking into view. As I stared at him, my heart began dancing in my chest. Wow. It really was him.

    ¡°Woah, you¡¯re really Spider-Man¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Yep. Now, why on earth were you wearing my costume? And how did you know who I was?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. Jess did all that. She¡¯s the main one here. I kind of just tagged along¡±

    ¡°Ok. How did you know?¡± he asked turning to her. She stared at him blankly.

    ¡°Hello?¡± he said, waving his hand about in front of her. Jess stayed stock still.

    ¡°Is she ok?¡± Spider-Man said to me.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I glanced to Jess. ¡°No. This is probably really weird for her. She¡¯s you. Well not you, but she¡¯s got your memories and stuff, and-¡±

    ¡°A clone?¡± he said, raising his fists.

    ¡°She¡¯s harmless. Actually maybe not¡­ but she¡¯s fine. Well¡­¡± I trailed off as she shot me a glare. ¡°Right. Sorry, do you want to talk to him, I¡¯m kind of nervous right now¡±

    Jess looked between the two of us, then looked to the floor.

    ¡°I- uh¡­ wow. This is weird¡± she said. We stood in silence as she scrunched up her eyes and took deep breaths. Then she stepped forwards, took the document from off the floor and handed it to Spider-Man.

    ¡°We found this. It¡¯s why we wanted you to call us¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Spider-Man asked.

    ¡°¡­ just read it¡± she mumbled.

    Spider-Man took it, opening it. He paused on the first page, before flipping through the rest of the dossier quickly. He reached the end, and snapped it shut before he ripped his mask off and grabbed Jess by the shoulders.

    ¡°Where did you find this?!¡±

    Jess glanced to me, but I just stared blankly at Spider-Man¡¯s face. Wow. It really was the Peter guy, Jess had pointed out in the photo online. It was weird seeing it in person.

    ¡°We found it in Alchemax. In a random room¡± Jess said.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take this to the police?¡± Peter said.

    ¡°He tried to¡±

    ¡°I got shot by a Captain. He said something about Kingpin¡±

    ¡°Kingpin? Goddammit!¡± Peter swore.

    ¡°Who¡¯s Kingpin?¡± Jess asked. Peter frowned.

    ¡°Wait, when do you remember up to?¡± he asked her.

    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ I was looking for something. I don¡¯t¡­ I think I was looking for Harry or Liz? There¡¯s memories of more afterwards, but it¡¯s from someone else¡±

    ¡°Shit. They must¡¯ve found my DNA when I was going around saving people. I recognise this guy¡¯s face¡± he said pointing to Dr Jack Kale on the first page. ¡°I thought he died when the Bears attacked Dr Connors, but I guess I was wrong¡±

    ¡°What about Otto?¡± Jess asked, a note of desperation in her voice.

    ¡°Otto?¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask him about this myself¡± Peter said.

    ¡°Wait, he¡¯s back?¡± Jess said.

    ¡°Yep. We¡¯re working with him¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re working with Otto again?¡± Jess said, her eyes lighting up.

    ¡°Yeah. He showed up six months ago. He¡¯d been working abroad but landed a job with Roxxon when he got back. Came to Alchemax and offered all my friends and I jobs¡±

    ¡°Is it fun?¡± Jess asked. Peter nodded.

    ¡°Wait, who¡¯s Otto?¡± I asked again. Peter glanced to me.

    ¡°Dr Otto Octavius¡± he said. My mind flashed back to the picture in the document. The older renowned scientist.

    ¡°Wait you two know that guy?¡± I said, looking between them. Jess turned away.

    ¡°He was our mentor in college¡± she said. What? Why hadn¡¯t she said anything? Had that been why she¡¯d had such a reaction? Why she¡¯d passed out?

    ¡°I have to take this to Otto. This isn¡¯t right. It can¡¯t be¡± Peter said.

    ¡°Wait what?¡± I said, a sinking feeling growing in my gut.

    ¡°He¡¯s right¡± Jess said turning to me. ¡°He¡¯s a good guy. He wouldn¡¯t do this¡±

    ¡°Wait, a second, just- hold on¡± I said. "You''re not taking it to the media?"

    ¡°Yu just trust us on this¡± Jess said.

    ¡°No way. If you guys have an emotional connection to him, you¡¯re the last people I want making this decision. We need to take this to the Bugle o-¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not taking this to the Bugle¡± Peter said curtly.

    ¡°Ok, but then we¡¯ll post it online or something¡±

    ¡°You could ruin his reputation" Jess said.

    ¡°Ruin his reputation!? Jess they were experimenting on people! On clones! I don¡¯t care if he gets dragged through the mud. If he didn¡¯t do it, the truth will come to light¡±

    ¡°I just found out he got back Yu! Let me at least talk to him first. There¡¯s got to be a good explanation to all this. Some slip up. Alchemax using him as a cover for this Jack guy, or using his research without his knowledge¡± Jess said.

    ¡°No! Are you two insane? W-what¡¯s even happening right now? Did we read the same dossier?¡±

    ¡°He can¡¯t have done this. I- he can¡¯t have, ok?¡± Peter said, looking to me.

    ¡°His name and face are on the first page!¡±

    ¡°If he did this, then he¡¯ll tell me when I confront him¡±

    ¡°Would he?! If he was trustworthy he wouldn''t have done this in the first place¡±

    ¡°He didn''t. And if he somehow did and he lies to me, I''d know."

    "You''re making a mistake" I said.

    "Look I¡¯m not talking about this with a kid. Once this is done I¡¯ll come back and take you home. I owe you at least that much and we''ll need to talk about wearing my costume once all of this is over¡± he said, turning and pulling his mask back on.

    ¡°Wait! This is a mistake! Spider-Man, you¡¯re making a mistake!¡± I shouted, straining against the webs as he leapt off the side of the building.

    ¡°The webs will hold for an hour. Just sit tight Yu¡± Jess said, solemnly.

    ¡°Jess wait!¡± I shouted. She ignored me and leapt off the side of the building, following Peter.

    Crap. They''d left me and taken the documents. How had this happened? Spider-Man was supposed to fix everything, not take it straight into the hands of the enemy. I struggled uselessly against the web. Shit. Now I was just stuck here, useless as always. Dammit. I had to get out. Somehow I had to get out and stop this madness.

 Yus Story - Peters Chapter

    Peter swung through the air at a breakneck pace, his entire body riddled with anxiety. None of this made any sense. First he¡¯d been worried about Liz being kidnapped, and attacked a couple of kids and now he was holding a set of documents that incriminated Otto in a huge crime. And not just any huge crime, one directly related to cloning. He should¡¯ve known it wouldn¡¯t have been that easy to get rid of the clones forever.

    And even worse, somehow Kingpin was involved in all this. The mysterious figure he¡¯d only heard whispers about that had been steadily making things harder and harder for Spider-Man. He was pretty sure it¡¯s why, even if the people still liked him a lot, the media seemed to hold a vendetta against him. It¡¯d been bad up until half a year ago, and after that it had just gotten ludicrous.

    He scowled. What he really wanted to know was when this had all started, how and why? This could finally give him the push he needed to make a start on Kingpin. He¡¯d need to give the document another good read over. He¡¯d been too shocked by it the first time to really read it. The pictures had done more than enough to get the general point of things across.

    He swung around a building and frowned, glancing behind him. Dammit. He¡¯d been so caught up in his thoughts he hadn¡¯t realised one of the kids was following him. The clone. He fired out a web and pulled himself to the side, landing on a building face. The clone followed suit, stopping a few metres beneath him.

    ¡°Why¡¯re you following me?¡± he asked.

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to stay on the roof? That I¡¯d talk to you after?¡±

    ¡°I thought-¡±

    ¡°Just go back. I know this is probably a lot for you to handle, but I need to deal with this quickly¡±

    ¡°I-I can help¡± she said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to¡± he said, swinging away.

    He felt bad for her, he did, but his mind was wrapped up with too many other thoughts to really focus on it right now. He was more confused about how she was even a clone of him. They probably weren¡¯t exact clones like the first batch. Maybe that¡¯s why she wasn¡¯t insane? It¡¯d be useful to have her around, ask questions to figure stuff out, maybe even help her find a normal life, but he could do that all after.

    His mind went straight back to Otto, and he glanced down at the document. It probably wasn¡¯t true. He hadn¡¯t involved himself in something like this. But there was probably a reason his face was under project lead on the first page. Maybe he¡¯d helped in a small way, and they¡¯d threatened to tank his career or image if h. Or maybe they¡¯d just been using his research directly in the project without his knowledge. Maybe that was the reason they¡¯d hired Otto in the first place, just to steal his research out from under his nose, in an attempt to further their illegal underground schemes.

    His spider sense blared and he titled his neck, a web pellet flying past him.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± he said, glancing behind him. The clone was still swinging with him a lot closer now. He cursed under his breath, and swung back, grabbing her and yanking them both onto a roof. She was probably just as persistent as the others were.

    He set her down and she stumbled for a second before righting herself. He frowned.

    ¡°You ok?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an asshole¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°An idiot too¡±

    ¡°Wait a sec I-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think I know you don¡¯t want any help!¡± she shouted at him. He took a step back.

    ¡°I just-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I haven¡¯t seen Otto ever since he got fired. You might be working with h. Do you even remember what that felt like?!¡± she said, rubbing at the opening in her balaclava.

    Crap. He hadn¡¯t considered that. Dammit. This was weird. It felt like he was being inconsiderate of a younger immature version of himself. Well he sort of was, wasn¡¯t he?

    ¡°Look I¡¯m sorry¡± he said.

    ¡°I won¡¯t get in your way dammit. This isn¡¯t some stupid Spider-Man mission. I just want to see him, talk to him or something¡± she said. Peter stared at her for a few seconds, a swirl of emotions tumbling through him. The emotion in her words struck a chord. It wasn¡¯t hard to tell why, she knew exactly why he¡¯d try to refuse her.

    ¡°Sure. I should be able to get you a visitors badge, though we might want to get you less damaged clothes¡±

    She looked up at him and nodded sniffling. He offered his hand. She shook it.

    ¡°Peter¡±

    ¡°Jess¡±

    -

    Roxxon corporations HQ was huge. A large glass tower in the middle of the financial district of Manhattan. It sat next only a block away from the still renovating Oscorp building on Saints¡¯ row, the financial bemouths with recent ambitions turned to words science. Roxxon wasn¡¯t anywhere as prolific as, but they had a lot of money, money Alchemax hadn¡¯t been willing to give Peter after the restructuring at the new HQ. So he¡¯d moved. He¡¯d made more progress in his pursuit of a fool proof repeatable way to integrate negative energy into people than he had at his entire time with Alchemax. Well up until recently, anyway.

    They stepped into the building, the large lobby bustling with noise. One of the security guards, David, gave him a nod, and he gave a nod in return. David looked to Jess and furrowed his brow, but didn¡¯t say anything, and they continued through the lobby.

    Peter glanced to Jess. She wore different clothes now and an awkward set of fake glasses they¡¯d found at a random store. She looked around with a masked intrigue, still clearly nervous.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine¡± he whispered to her, ¡°No one¡¯s going to recognise you¡±

    ¡°I- I know¡± she mumbled. He chuckled to himself. It was like staring into a mirror. He really did remind her of his younger self. They stepped into a lift and he pressed for the fifty fourth floor. The lift rose upwards as they sat in silence.

    ¡°So¡­ what¡¯d you remember?¡±

    She glanced to him, eyebrow arched.

    ¡°Sorry is that weird to ask? I didn¡¯t think it would be, so I thought you wouldn¡¯t think it and n-¡±

    ¡°Wow, I get it now. I really am awkward¡± Jess said, looking away. Peter froze for a second, before bursting out into a fit laughter. The corners of Jess¡¯ mouth turned up slightly too.

    ¡°I remember practically everything. But it¡¯s not the same¡± Jess said.

    ¡°How¡¯d you mean?¡±

    ¡°I remember it like normal, but I know I haven¡¯t experienced it. It feels more like remembering a dream. Well¡­ at the very least it felt better to pretend like it was¡±

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°How long have you been¡­¡±

    ¡°Alive?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess so?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ a week, now? I think? I get a bit fuzzy on it. It feels like longer¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ so what¡¯s the deal with the costume? I haven¡¯t really been watching the news, but I checked it online on my way here. The kid you were with has been wearing it in public apparently¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know to be honest. I thought it was you at first¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Well I didn¡¯t think anyone was that crazy. I saw he stopped a mugger and the next time I saw him, he was falling from an apartment on fire¡±

    ¡°So... he just found the costume¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I think so. I can''t remember. I did only met him yesterday¡±

    Peter¡¯s eyes widened in surprise

    ¡°He¡¯s weird, but he¡¯s pretty cool. It was annoying to see him fangirl over you when I was with him like the whole of today though¡± she said with a chuckle. Peter laughed too, before pausing.

    ¡°Not trying to be too critical but why¡¯d you tell him my identity?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ well it felt reasonable at the time. We were trying to find you and he needed to know if something happened to me¡°

    "Something happened to you?"

    "I wa- it doesn''t matter"

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just call MJ or something?¡±

    ¡°Would''ve been a random number. She wouldn¡¯t have picked up¡±

    ¡°Oh right¡± Peter said. He frowned. Weird. Wait.

    ¡°Did you- were you the girl who showed up at May¡¯s a few days ago?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Jess said trailing off.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stay? Explain the situation?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I was scared. None of you would''ve recognised me, because... you know¡± she said. It quickly dawned on him, how terrifying that would be. Seeing all your loved ones, and none of them knowing who you were, because you were different somehow. In a way you couldn''t control. He glanced to Jess, feeling an extra burst of sympathy.

    ¡°Where have you been staying?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ random rooftops¡± she said. Oh.

    ¡°That¡¯s not right. Ok. Once this is finished I¡¯ll introduce you to everyone. We should be able to find somewhere for you to stay¡±

    ¡°R-really?¡±

    ¡°Well I mean, you¡¯re basically me, aren¡¯t you? It¡¯d be like kicking myself out on the street¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    The lift came to a stop, and they stepped out, making their way down the corridor to the entrance to Roxxon labs. Peter led them through, the security guards by the doors glancing at Jess but letting her pass. They stopped at the reception desk together.

    ¡°Hey Meryl¡±

    ¡°Hey Pete. Who¡¯s this?¡± Meryl said, pointing to Jess.

    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ my niece¡±

    ¡°You have a brother?¡±

    ¡°Yep. A¡­ half-brother. He¡¯s not from around here¡±

    ¡°I learn something new here everyday¡± Meryl said. ¡°You want a visitor pass?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Had to pick her up after she got here early. She¡¯ll just sit in my office till I¡¯m finished¡±

    ¡°Sure thing¡± she said. She tapped away at her keyboard, before handing Jess

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you¡± she said. Jess nodded awkwardly, taking the visitors pass, before they began making their way through the halls of the facility. They walked down the corridor, into the main lounge that spanned three floors.

    They turned to the left and made their way through the lounge, before entering a smaller corridor. They walked through before turning another corner and then slowed as he came to a stop outside Otto¡¯s office. Peter glanced back at Jess, before letting out a breath. He was getting nervous too now. It¡¯d be fine. There was nothing wrong about this. We¡¯d just be having a nice chat, and Otto would explain this, or we¡¯d get to the bottom of it together.

    He knocked twice.

    ¡°I¡¯m busy¡± Otto¡¯s voice rung out.

    ¡°It¡¯s Peter¡± he said. There was the sound of rushing footsteps and the door opened. Otto stood with a smile, looking between him and Jess.

    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± he asked. Peter let out a sigh of relief. He¡¯d known it couldn¡¯t be true. If he didn¡¯t recognise Jess, there was no way he¡¯d taken part in the experiments.

    ¡°My¡­ uh¡­ niece¡± Peter said, continuing the lie.

    ¡°Right, right. Come in, come in¡± Otto said, opening the door. They stepped into the office, as Otto quickly closed the other door that led to his personal lab next door. Before Peter could say anything, Jess stepped forward.

    ¡°I¡¯m a big fan of your work. Your earlier stuff is great but your research on how negative energy interacts with animals is astounding¡±

    ¡°You flatter me¡± Otto said, with an awkward laugh.

    ¡°Seriously, you¡¯re amazing. I-it¡¯s nice to finally meet you¡± Jess said. Otto nodded, before glancing between Peter and Jess again.

    ¡°So, what is it, you wanted to see me for?¡± he asked. Peter nodded.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure how to say this, but I think you¡¯ve gotten caught up in some kind of conspiracy¡± Peter said, pulling the dossier from his pocket. ¡°You¡¯ll want to read this¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Otto said, taking it.

    ¡°A bunch of stuff about research going on in Alchemax¡± Peter said. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ not pretty¡±

    Otto took the dossier and opened it. He froze on the front page, eyes widening before he began flipping through it, visibly confused. He walked around his desk, before falling into his seat.

    ¡°Where did you¡­ how did you¡­¡± he trailed off, before setting the folder on his desk in front of him. With shaky hands he began rifling through his desk before pulling out a bunch of items, and then taking his glasses from the pile.

    ¡°I can help you Otto. I know it¡¯s a lot to take in, but there has to be a way to fix this right? To clear your name?¡±

    ¡°Right, right¡­¡± Otto said, reading over the document again. His eyes flit up as he glanced between Jess and Peter.

    ¡°I¡­ how¡­. what does your niece know?¡± he asked. Peter glanced to Jess, who looked to him uncertain.

    ¡°She¡¯s uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Never mind I-¡± Otto stood, resting his hands against the table as he read over the document. He shook his head, muttering to himself.

    ¡°Otto?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re truly astounding, even in your work as a hero¡± Otto said.

    Huh?

    Peter¡¯s spider sense buzzed and his eyes widened. Otto raised his hand off the desk, pulling a tube before. Peter froze, staring at Otto¡¯s determined face. What? Wait, what was happening? His spider sense flared and this time he listened. Despite his hesitation he still managed to leap backward, grabbing Jess as he dived to the side.

    But it was too late. Peter¡¯s trust in Otto had led to a split second of hesitation and the office space was far too enclosed. Otto fired, and something hit Peter in the arm. Instantly he felt pain wrack his body as his muscles seized up and his sense blinked in and out of existence. He heard Jess yelp and spotted her contorting on the floor next to him in the split-second flashes of vision he could receive.

    As his senses returned, he realised he couldn¡¯t move. He was paralysed. He tried to force himself to, to push past whatever was stopping him, but he couldn¡¯t barely manage small movements. He lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. Otto stepped into view, staring down at him with pity as he held the dossier in hand.

    No. This wasn¡¯t- this couldn¡¯t be.

    A swirl of emotion, anger, betrayal and self-loathing swirled through him as he stared up at Otto. He tried to force himself up, to grab the man, but he couldn¡¯t. With his incredible rage he could barely muster the ability to choke out a word.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Peter. This is all for the greater good¡±

    Idiot. He was a fucking idiot. It had been right in front of him clear as day and he¡¯d ignored it. Peter shook with anger, cursing himself, and the trust he¡¯d had in the man in front of him.

    ¡°You won¡¯t die. The nanites I injected into your blood stream are only affecting your negative energy. You should be paralysed for the next hour. We¡¯ll discuss that after I¡¯d ensured this is returned back to the right location, without incident. Then we can come to an agreement. I promise I won¡¯t call Kingpin¡¯s men unless I have to. And if it does come to that I won¡¯t let that harm you¡±

    Then he walked out into the hallway, dossier in hand. As the door closed behind him, metal shutters slammed down over it cutting the office of from the hall. Peter writhed on the floor, trying to force himself to stand. Suddenly Jess gasped next to him and rolled over, clutching at her chest as she breathed heavily. She groaned as she tried to stand. Blood seeped from her nose, and she fell back to the floor, eyes closed. Then with what felt like a rush of energy, Peter gasped his body returning to life. He quickly rushed over to Jess, turning her over.

    ¡°Jess?¡±

    She didn¡¯t respond, struggling to breath as sweat pooled down her face. The nanites had failed, but something else was wrong. A head injury? Or something even worse?

    He picked her up and tried to rush out of Otto¡¯s door. Shut tight. He set Jess down and pushed against it hard. Nothing. He pulled back his fist and punched it, but it merely creaked. What the hell? With Jess in tow he turned and burst out of Otto¡¯s office into the personal lab. He rushed forward with her his mind racing as he tried to make sense of the situation, of the complete and utter betrayal. He tried to open the lab doors, but they were held shut too. Was he weaker? His powers had been fluctuating recently, but never like this. It¡¯s like he had no strength at all. He looked around. Dammit, what the hell was happening?

    Suddenly white noise cut through the room from a set of speakers.

    ¡°Incredible. To think the effects of the nanites only lasted mere minutes¡± Otto¡¯s voice said.

    ¡°Otto! What the hell have you done!!?¡± he roared.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Peter. I¡¯ll explain everything once this has boiled over. I know it¡¯ll be difficult to understand, but this is all truly for the benefit of man¡± Otto¡¯s voice said over the speakers.

    ¡°Otto! Dammit! Otto?!¡± Peter roared, his voice trembling with emotion.

    ¡°I understand you¡¯re angry-¡±

    ¡°Let us out of here dammit!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t allow you or the clone to leave till this is over¡±

    ¡°What the hell did you do to us?!¡±

    ¡°Ah, the nanites have temporarily affected the output of your negative energy. I apologise, I haven¡¯t used it on a real person before. The clone is probably facing much more serious effects as due to the method of her creation. I apologise if the clone dies as a result of the nanites, it wasn¡¯t my intention. It wasn¡¯t frequent during testing but it¡¯s not uncommon either. I hope in the future, you don¡¯t hold it against me. Goodbye Peter, we¡¯ll talk later¡±

    ¡°Dammit! You- FUCK!!¡± he roared.

    He tried the doors again, but nothing. He fell to his knees. Dammit. He looked around his eyes fixing on Jess. He slapped the sides of his face. Ok, alright. Whatever the nanites had done that was affecting his powers was affecting her to, and far worse. He looked around at the lab equipment. If he could save her, he could fix himself. Then he could break out of here and find Otto.

 Yus Story - Chapter Fifteen

    Being stuck to a ventilation pipe wasn¡¯t fun. It¡¯d been nearly thirty minutes now, and my back was really starting to ache. My arm too. Why had I landed so awkwardly when I¡¯d been webbed up? Why couldn¡¯t I have landed nicely, or been webbed to the floor? Surely my back wouldn¡¯t ache as much as it did know. Plus, the floor wouldn¡¯t be so windy or so cold. God, it was seriously so cold. The suit was decent at insulating, but I¡¯d been up here so long it didn¡¯t matter anymore. The skin on my face was going to peel off at this rate. I groaned, twisting my body as I pulled uselessly at the web. It gave slightly before pulling me back against the pipe with a thud.

    ¡°Ow¡± I mumbled. Stupid. This whole situation was stupid. Stupid weather, stupid costume, and stupid Spider-Man. I mean seriously? This was the guy who¡¯d outsmarted Mysterio, and his first thought was to directly confront the guy responsible for this? I furrowed my brow. Not like I could talk. If I was so much smarter ¨C which I definitely wasn¡¯t - I wouldn¡¯t even be here right now. I¡¯d be at home, snuggled up in a blanket watching YouTube videos whilst Ryo nagged me to play video games and the thought of my homework loomed over me like some kind of ghost.

    The corners of my mouth upturned in a bittersweet smile. That sounded nice. Really nice. I shivered violently, my teeth chattering. Crap. I really wanted to go home. I wanted to go home and think about silly stuff like crushes and homework, not mad scientists and ghastly human experimentation.

    I needed to figure a way out of here. With a slight positional adjustment, I began fiddling around with my hand, the only part of my body that was free. Not like it could reach anything. I strained against the webbing again, pushing against it as it gave, stretching before pulling me back against the pipe. I frowned. The web was definitely more flexible than it had been ten minutes ago, probably more flexible than it should¡¯ve been in general. Maybe he¡¯d used old webbing or something?

    I furrowed my brow. Maybe if pulled myself hard enough, for just a moment the web would give? But how would I pull? I glanced at my hand. The web shooter. I could fire a web and pull myself with the triple tap.

    That might actually work. I twisted my hand, aiming it at something random. The building edge should be fine. Ok. Alright. Either I was about to yank my arm off, or I was going to free myself. Either one would be better than doing nothing. Well¡­ more entertaining at least. I closed my eyes and let out a breath. Then in one swift motion I fired a web, threw my entire body forwards, and tripled tapped the trigger. For a moment, I felt a pain in my arm and across the entirety of the of my body, then I was crying out as I flew across the roof. I detached from the web and crashed to the ground, rolling across the floor before I slammed into the building¡¯s lip. Ow. I rolled over and blinked up at the sky.

    ¡°Holy shit. That actually worked¡±

    I sat up, feeling myself over. Other than an aching pain in my arm, I felt mostly ok. I was covered in strands of web, but I was free. I could go home.

    Oh shit. I could go home!!

    I rushed over to my bag quickly and grabbed my phone. A groan escaped my lips as my eyes fixed onto the screen. I had more than enough missed calls from Dad to last a lifetime. With a sigh, I went to call him back, but I paused. Before I¡¯d realised it my mind had gone back to Jess, Spider-Man and the dossier.

    I hung my head, a knot of dread growing in my gut. It was fine. Even if he was making a mistake, he was Spider-Man. Sure, he was actually just some regular guy so maybe that sentence didn¡¯t feel like it held the same weight, but he was still Spider-Man. Even if things went badly, he¡¯d win.

    The knot of uneasiness didn¡¯t fade.

    Crap, was I seriously considering this right now? I could go home. I could leave right now and neither of the others would ever find me. Sure, I¡¯d never figure out what was going on with Alchemax, but I¡¯d see something on the news when Spider-Man dealt with it. And I¡¯d probably never get to make sure Jess was ok, but we barely knew each other. Plus she had Spider-Man now. She¡¯d be fine. She¡¯d said he could probably fix the stuff that happened to her or whatever.

    I stared out over the city. It¡¯d be fine. It¡¯s not like I¡¯d stopped a thief, or rescued a bunch of people from an apartment fire. Ok, I was just tooting my own horn now. This was serious. Mad scientist level serious. My mind flashed to the images in the dossier and I slumped to the floor, suddenly a lot less eager.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t even help anyway¡± I mumbled to myself. Yeah. I¡¯d just hold the others back. Maybe, to sate this strange self-destructive desire, I could think about this as my part of the mission? All I had to do was change and go home. That was easy. I stalked over to my bag, picking it up before peering over the edge to look below. The streets were quieter now, half an hour or so before the bustle of rush hour. People went about their day, engrossed in the bubbles of their own worlds. It was weird to think everyone¡¯s lives were just as intricate and important as mine. Well¡­ I had had quite an interesting week. My mind flashed back to Jess¡¯ fight with Scorpion, and I shuddered. Maybe it was better I was just going home now. It was more than likely I wouldn¡¯t be able to stomach any more violent stuff if things got hairy.

    I went to pull away from the balcony, when I froze. Holy shit. I leaned forward, looking closer. An elderly man, serious man with glasses walked down the street. I recognised him. It was Dr Octavius. What the hell was he doing here? I stared at him as he made his way through the street, his walk deliberate and focused. Wait¡­ wasn¡¯t he was heading towards Alchemax? What the hell? What was going on? Where were Jess and Peter? I felt the knot in my stomach twist even further. Instinctively I pulled away from the edge. Shit. This was bad wasn¡¯t it? What did I do? Stop him? Ask him questions? I mean this couldn¡¯t just be a coincidence, could it?

    I peered back over the edge, pulling on the mask. He continued walking, his pace fast. He was almost down the road now. He held a suitcase in his hand, and every so often glanced back in the direction Peter and Jess had gone in. Then he disappeared out of sight around the corner.

    One thought came to mind ¨C What if he had the dossier in there?

    Dammit. I was following him. I jumped up, grabbing my bag, as I rushed to the fire escape. I bolted down it, faster than was probably necessary, earning myself an angry shout from a resident in the process, before hopping down to the ground and taking off. People¡¯s eye¡¯s widened as I rushed through the street towards Dr Octavius, my entire body suddenly feeling alive.

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    If nothing was wrong, then he¡¯d just be confused and I could go home. But if something was wrong then¡­ who knows? I could probably take the suitcase from him, or web him to a random wall or something. Then I¡¯d just¡­ wait for Jess and Peter? That seemed a bit off, but I had no better ideas. If the police showed up though, I might be in trouble if he was involved with that Kingpin guy. I emerged around the corner, and continued rushing forwards, spotting Dr Octavius as he made his way down the street. He glanced back like usual, and his eyes fixed onto me, widening in a mixture of shock and horror.

    Then he bolted, stumbling and falling as he frantically pushed others out of the way. That wasn¡¯t good. I continued chasing him, gaining quickly as he ran shouting obscenities throughout the streets. Then suddenly he turned down an alley, and I followed. As I emerged into the opening something clicked, and I felt something hit me in my side. I cried out, falling backwards, expecting waves of pain to follow, but nothing did. I stood up, feeling my face flush as people stared at me, and I glanced to a small dart sticking out my shoulder. Quickly I wrenched it out. Hopefully that wasn¡¯t anything weird.

    I looked up to see Dr Octavius scrambling down into a now open manhole cover. What? The sewers? What the hell? It slid back over as he disappeared.

    ¡°Spider-Man? You alright¡± someone asked from the crowd.

    ¡°Eh? Oh, yeah. I think¡± I said, flashing a thumbs up as I stood. I jogged over to the manhole cover and with a greater effort than expected, slid it open. The sound of the sewers echoed underneath. I stepped back, revolted by the smell, then glanced over my shoulder at the crowd. I really didn¡¯t want to go down there. I looked back down. It didn¡¯t matter. I¡¯d already started following this guy, what would going into the sewers change?

    I clambered inside, my hands flying down the rungs. My feet hit the ground, the sound of rushing sewage water surrounding me. I looked around. Crap, it was dark. Really dark. I closed my eyes and listened closely. I could hear the sounds of rushing footsteps and panicked breathing. There. I turned off to the left and ran. As I raced around the corner spotting the edges of faint shadows, as my eyes adjusted. My body thrummed with nervous energy. There were so many questions, in the back of my mind but my body was solely focused on the task at hand.

    ¡°Stop!¡± I shouted, my voice echoing off the walls of. The shadow of Doctor Octavius continued running, but his ragged breathing was closer. I was catching.

    ¡°Just stop!!¡± I shouted again, more desperate this time. No response. Dammit.

    I continued running, emerging onto a straight stretch of the sewer. The doctor was at the other end, still running. What the hell? I was faster, but he was way too fast for an old guy. I stumbled, falling before quickly picking myself back up. Crap, I was starting to gas out. I squeezed my eyes shut and pushed past the exhaustion, following the doctor.

    Rounding the corner I suddenly emerged into a wider open area. A bunch of different sewer paths led to a large square hole, water pouring the sounding of the water rushing echoing around us. The only light came from above, from a small set of grates above a rusty metal stairway. Where the hell where we? I looked around, spotting the Dr in a corner. He stood next to a door viciously pressing at his phone. I¡¯d finally caught up. I tried to fire a web, but nothing happened. Dammit. It didn¡¯t matter. I raced over, steeling my body.

    The door opened with a hydraulic hiss and the Dr stepped through before quickly slamming a button on the other side. The door began closing, quickly, but with a burst of speed I slid underneath. It slammed down behind me the sound echoing through the room I was in, light overhead by a single large fluorescent light.

    Before I could even sit up and really take the room in, a fire extinguisher came out of nowhere, arcing down towards my head. I rolled out the way as it slammed against the ground, chipping the floor. Holy shit. I looked up to see the Dr take another wild swing at me. I threw myself backwards, dodging the extinguisher before slamming into a table. The sound of glass falling and shattering on the floor echoed through the room, and the Dr cried out at me. He swung again but I dodged, landing in the piles of glass and bugs. Bugs? I didn¡¯t have time to think it through before, a fire extinguisher slammed into my side. The wind went out of me and I fell to the ground my side throbbing with pain. The Dr continued towards me, but this time I kicked at his legs before he could swing. He cried out, falling to the floor, and then I pounced. I dived at him, reaching for the hand still clasped around the briefcase. He cried out as I clawed at him and pushed me off.

    I crashed to the ground rolling before quickly picking myself up. He was strong. Way too strong. But it¡¯d just been unexpected. I could still take him. I charged him as he stood, and tackled him, sending us both crashing into another table. It skidded across the floor and crashed into something else, knocking a large glass case filled with water and an octopus onto the floor. It shattered, spraying us with glass and water. We rolled away together before I grabbed him by the hair and yanked it violently. He cried out and I dived for the briefcase. He elbowed me in the sternum and slammed me against the frame of one of the tables. Ignoring the pain, I grabbed his head and headbutted him. A sharp burning pain shot through my head, but I¡¯d been expecting it. The Dr reeled and, in that moment, I dived forward hitting him with the hardest punch I could muster. He slumped to the floor, unmoving as I landed next to him.

    I rolled over breathing heavily. Holy shit. I sat up, taking a chance to look around. A lab. This was a lab. My eyes darted from place to place, spotting the rows of desks with bugs and other animals inside, and a large tube at the very end with a mass of black goo stuck to the glass. I looked back down, reaching for the briefcase, before I heard a shout from behind me. Something hit me in the side and I went flying before slamming into a table, smashing through glass and crashing to the floor. But I held the briefcase firmly in my hand. I stood quickly, staggering as a group of insects flew around me in a swarm. I swatted them away then felt something crack against the side of my face. I fell and the Dr jumped on me, punching me viciously. I elbowed him, and then slammed the briefcase over his head. I jumped on top of him and hit him as hard as I could, again and again and again.

    ¡°Stop! Peter stop!¡± Otto cried, his face bloody. I stopped, my body shaking violently. Silence surrounded us. I pulled myself off him, as he lay on the floor weeping, his face a mess and his left arm limp at his side. Quickly I snatched the briefcase off the ground, before stumbling over to the exit. I caught myself against the wall breathing heavily before slapping the button Otto had used to close the door. Nothing.

    I pressed it again. Still nothing. Crap. I glanced back to Otto, who¡¯d propped himself up against a table. He stared lifelessly, his eyes distant as he looked over the destroyed lab.

    ¡°Years of research¡­ lost¡± he mumbled.

    ¡°Let me out¡± I said. He ignored me continuing to mumble to himself.

    ¡°Just let me go. You lost¡± I said. Suddenly he looked up, his eyes fixed on me. His look was one of pure unadulterated hatred. He moved quickly, rushing across the lab, I hesitated for a second, rushing towards him as he made his way for a specific desk. He reached it first, grabbed something, then spun around pulling a gun out. He levelled it with me as I skidded to a stop.

    Oh.

    I tried to move, to dive to the side, but it¡¯s like my body was frozen. Like time was frozen. And then the pain came. It was a hot, sharp pain, right below my chest. Somewhere in the back of my mind registered the deafening bang, but the rest of me was too focused on the pain. My legs fell out from under me and I hit the floor gasping. The briefcase fell from my hand as I reached for my chest, rolling over as I let out a strangled sob. I shrivelled up into a ball, my mind struggling to comprehend the pain. The floor felt so cold. Like ice.

    I should¡¯ve gone home.

 Yus Story - Chapter Sixteen

    Peter W Parker - Roxxon Laboratories

    Sweat beaded on Peter¡¯s forehead, as he fumbled with a vial. He¡¯d spent years working on this stuff. He understood it better than most people. All he had to do right now was trust himself, trust that his efforts over the past three years would work.

    He glanced at the machinery around himself, double checking his own logic. The negative energy counter he¡¯d tied to Jess blinked with the same number. The Li¡¯s hadn¡¯t changed. It had showed that he¡¯d still had it too. That meant that whatever the nanites had done hadn¡¯t removed his negative energy, just that for some reason its effects weren¡¯t working. The same was true for Jess, but she was made up of a higher percentage on negativity energy. Her body needed it to function properly, without it, she was in the early stages of organ failure. At least that¡¯s what he was theorising.

    He shook his head. It didn¡¯t matter. The vial wouldn¡¯t kill her. It wouldn¡¯t He wasn¡¯t imbuing her with energy like he¡¯d done in to so many mice in failed projects. He was just kickstarting the right part of the external results process. Hopefully. He stared at the vial in his hand. It¡¯d be ok. It would.

    He stepped forwards and with a weight on his shoulders, injected the vial into her. His hand shook slightly, and then it was over. He stood still, silent, waiting in anticipation. She remained on the table, practically lifeless. As he looked over her, he couldn¡¯t help but see remnants of his mother¡¯s face in her. He shook his head, then closed his eyes and clasped his hands together. He barely knew her, but he could feel their connection. They shared memories. In a weird way it¡¯s like she was his little sister he¡¯d never known.

    ¡°Please¡± he whispered to himself. ¡°Please work¡±

    Suddenly she sat up with a gasp, eyes wide. She coughed violently, as he rushed over to her, supporting her before she fell off the table. He let out a breath as she stared at him confused, rubbing at his eyes. It worked.

    He turned and grabbed the second vial of the fluid he had on his table. He pulled up his sleeve then paused, staring at the vial. Did he have to take it? Wasn¡¯t this his get out of jail free card? He could put the vial down and his powers might never come back. He could live a normal life, free of this responsibility, eating muffins at home with Liz. Jess had powers. She could replace him. Lucas had powers and he didn¡¯t want to be a superhero.

    ¡°Pete?¡±

    Peter closed his eyes, then stabbed the vial into his arm, pressing down the plunger. He felt a burst of strength as his powers returned, the familiar sense that stretched out across the room easing him. He felt it as Jess stood, moving over to him. He turned around to her and steadied her.

    ¡°Sorry you had to try and sort this mess out on your own. I¡¯m back. Properly. No more ignoring my responsibility¡±

    The corners of Jess¡¯ mouth turned up in a smile, before she looked around the room confused.

    ¡°What do we do now?¡±

    ¡°Now we find Otto¡±

    <hr>

    The stone floor was cold and hard. But with every second, as heat began to fade from my limbs, it grew warmer. I needed to get out of here. I needed to get away. I didn¡¯t want to get shot again. As quickly as I could I unfurled myself and began crawling across the floor. Dragging myself was an effort, and I struggled to breath as my body began to grow cold. But I knew that I needed to get away. I couldn¡¯t make sense of much through the pain, my awareness of everything skewed; but even then the desire to get home was stronger than I¡¯d ever felt before. I needed to listen to it. I needed to get up and get as far away from here as I could. I needed to go home right now.

    Suddenly something grabbed me and turned me over. I protested weakly, my chest burning as more blood spurted from the wound. Oh god. I looked away, feeling queasy. My eyes focused on the figure above. Oh right. The Dr. I¡¯d been running from him. He looked over me, distraught, his hands shaking as he kneeled over me, unsure of what to do.

    ¡°Peter? Peter?!¡± he shouted, reaching for my chest.

    ¡°No¡± I mumbled trying to push his hand away. The act did nothing and he tenderly pressed at the wound. A sickening pain shot through me and I coughed violently, trying to roll away. He held me tightly, pressing me to the floor.

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    ¡°D-don¡¯t move Peter. I can- I can fix this¡± he said, before running away.

    As soon as he let go I rolled over, pulling my near lifeless body across the floor. For a second, I paused. Peter? Why did he think I was Peter? Oh right, I was wearing the costume. Wait that didn¡¯t matter. He was gone. I needed to go. I needed to get home before I died. I needed to say sorry to Dad and Ryo, beg them to forgive me for my stupidity. I couldn¡¯t die before that. I couldn¡¯t die knowing they wouldn¡¯t know how sorry I was.

    ¡°Peter?! I told you not to move¡± Otto said, flipping me back over. He pressed a bunch of paper towels to the wound. The blood seeped into them, dying the into a soggy mass of red almost instantly. I looked away. But it was too late. I felt the panic start to rise as the of filter of shock faded. There was so much blood. Holy shit, I was about to die. I was about to fucking die!

    With a sudden burst of strength I pushed Otto away, and turned pulling myself towards the door.

    ¡°H-help¡± I gasped through breaths. I could barely speak. It felt like someone had put weights in one of my lungs.

    ¡°Peter stop!¡± the Dr cried, grabbing me and turning me back over. He had a bunch of vials on hand. ¡°This should work. You¡¯re already negative energy enhanced so you won¡¯t become like that chimera. You won¡¯t¡±

    He plunged one of the syringes into my arm and I cried out. I tried to push him away, but the effort was pitiful, only succeeding in smearing blood on his clothes.

    ¡°Just stay still¡± he said, plunging another into

    ¡°Dad! Dad help!¡± I cried out, desperate.

    ¡°Peter, you¡¯re ok. I¡¯m here. You¡¯re going to be fine¡± the Dr said.

    ¡°Ryo. I¡­ shit. I need to see Ryo! Please¡± I cried desperately, grabbing the Dr. He paused, confused, then his eyes widened and he ripped off my mask. His face contorted from worry into rage.

    ¡°Who are you?!!¡±

    ¡°A hospital- I-¡±

    Suddenly a new pain lanced through me. I cried out, clutching my arm as it shook violently. It burned. It burned with an intensity, like pins and needles deep within my veins. And the horrible sensation was spreading. What the hell did he do to me?!

    I writhed in pain as I held my arm, gurgling desperately through the blood in my lungs. The Dr cursed then grabbed me, dragging me across the floor.

    ¡°Mama¡­ I¡­ Dad help! Help¡± I mumbled clawing at the stone, unable to get a hold.

    ¡°What kind of stupidity is this?! So much research destroyed by a random kid!¡±

    He hefted me up and dumped me onto a glass covered table. I gasped, but was too weak to pull away, only able to shift to reduce the pain. Otto sneered at me before cursing more as he rushed off to the rest of the lab.

    My body felt heavier now. Too heavy to move. What did he do to me? Why wouldn¡¯t he just let me go home?!

    ¡°Please¡­ hospital¡­ I need a hospital¡± I gasped, gripping him tightly. He slapped my hand away.

    ¡°I can work with this. I can make this worthwhile¡± he mumbled.

    No. Listen to me. Stop looking at me like that. I don¡¯t want to die here, like this, like a lab rat. Please.

    My pleas came out as nothing but gurgles, as he stabbed me with more needles and muttered to himself.

    Tears streamed from my face, as my body began to lose feeling. Not like this. Anything but this. Suddenly there was a loud boom, and debris peppered us. The Dr looked off to his side and cried out as a piece of web hit him in the face, knocking him backwards. More webs hit him and then a person slammed into him. He flew across the room and crashed to the floor.

    Someone landed next to me. They wrenched a balaclava off their face and stared at me, their eyes filled with horror. Jess. She stared at the hole near my sternum. How was she here? It didn¡¯t matter, she could get me out of here.

    ¡°Y- Yu?¡± she said her eyes wide. I clutched her tightly.

    ¡°I- hospital¡­ take me to a hospital¡±

    ¡°I- I-¡± she stuttered, shocked.

    ¡°Please¡±

    Without another word, she scooped me up and rushed towards the exit. Before she¡¯d even take two steps, loud sirens blared through the place, as the fluorescent lights switched off, replace by dim red ones. Then came the rattling, and metal shutters appeared from out of the ground, blocking the exit. No. No way. They slammed to the ceiling and locked with a loud echoing sound before we could even do anything. Jess still charged towards the metal, and leaped kicking at the shutters. The metal barely dented, and the blow sent shockwaves through the entire room.

    Jess cursed, then glanced back, looking around the room. In the dim red lighting that cast most of the room into darkness, the Dr was nowhere to be seen. She looked down to me, her expression hard to make out, and then started to set me down.

    ¡°No!¡± I said, grabbing her.

    ¡°Yu just- I need my hands to break the door down¡±

    Don¡¯t leave me¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m not¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die. Please I don¡¯t- I didn¡¯t- I haven¡¯t done anything¡± I sobbed.

    Suddenly a voice cut through the air.

    ¡°You think I¡¯ll just let some nobodies destroy what I¡¯ve worked for and get away!¡± the Dr said. Jess turned. The Dr stood, blood pouring from his face as he stood by the large chamber of glass.

    ¡°Otto! He¡¯s going to die!¡± Jess shouted. ¡°At least just let me take him t-¡±

    ¡°DO NOT SPEAK TO ME YOU PATHETIC CLONE!¡± the Dr roared.

    Jess fell silent, tears sparkling I her eyes. I shivered violently, as I held her. I just wanted to get out of here. I needed to get to a hospital or- or-

    ¡°Tonight both of you are going to die, for taking the only thing I¡¯ve dedicated my entire life to!¡±

    He turned and slammed a button. The glass chamber rose and the black goo jumped on him. It wrapped around him and he cried out, screeching as the goo expanded washing over him.

    In the moment they combined, I recognised it. From the news three years ago. One of the first big monsters that Spider-Man had fought. The one that had destroyed part of Chelsea. I felt any hope disappear from within as it screeched echoed loudly through the room and then turned to us. It pointed a finger at Jess, licking it¡¯s lips with a long forked tongue.

    ¡°You smell deliciousss¡±

 Yus Story - Jess Chapter

    Somewhere, something had gone terribly wrong. She didn¡¯t know whether it was when she¡¯d left Yu tied up on the roof, when she¡¯d agreed to let him join her, or when she¡¯d first seen come across him saving people from that fire. It didn¡¯t matter. Right now he was dying in her arms.

    It felt surreal. Like some kind of twisted nightmare. She couldn¡¯t make sense of it. She didn¡¯t know why she felt this way, why she felt more than just responsible. She¡¯d only met him yesterday. It didn¡¯t make sense. Or maybe it did. Maybe it was as simple as the fact that if you ignored all the memories, all the random strangers, he was the first person she¡¯d actually spoken to. The first person that had looked at her like an actual person. Now that she thought about it, Peter had a good point. She¡¯d told Yu way too much given the circumstances. She''d shared Peter''s identity, and even told him about friends and family. It hadn''t been rational, but it had felt good. All because he¡¯d been willing to talk to her. He¡¯d asked to help her with finding Spider-Man and she¡¯d used it as an excuse to talk to someone because she¡¯d been lonely. He¡¯d treated her so normally even given the situation.

    It was stupid. She doubted he¡¯d even call her a friend. She shouldn¡¯t have been so connected to him. But she was. It was her fault he was here, dying. She''d dragged him along instead of doing what the real Spider-Man would''ve done and kept him out of it. And she couldn¡¯t even do anything about it. She could only hold him as she ran from the monster.

    Her eyes scanned the darkness frantically. She couldn¡¯t escape it. She was fast, faster than the beast, but not by enough. She could get away, try and break the walls, but they were more than just tough. There was something special about them that stopped her through just blasting through, even when she kicked them with all her might. And when she did, the monster heard her. She couldn''t stay in one place long enough to break out, and get Yu to safety.

    She cursed. She¡¯d been afraid before, but only through memory. Now in this hell hole, with only whispers of faint red light between her and darkness, with nothing but the echoes of laughter between her and the demon, for the first time she felt real, true fear. She¡¯d seen this monster once before, and it had been one of the worst days of her life.

    The ground shook beneath her feet as it roared, shaking the entire room. Metal screeched as something skidded across the ground, sparks flying through the darkness. She watched and waited, silent as her heart beat harder than ever. Then her spider sense roared. Something flew through the room, and she dived out of the way, avoiding it and the spray of debris. The monster only laughed, it''s voice simultaneously low and high, grating against her ears. A shiver ran down her spine.

    She couldn¡¯t understand it. Otto was supposed to be a good person. Everyone knew he was a good person. All his colleagues had trusted him. Gwen had trusted him. Even if they were only fake memories, she had trusted him. He¡¯d only ever been kind to her before she¡¯d messed up and gotten him fired, but even then he¡¯d still been cordial. And Peter had seemed so happy when he¡¯d talked about him, about working with him again. He¡¯d still trusted him enough to believe that stupid report had been fake.

    What would drive him to do this? The experimentation? Shooting Yu? The lies and secrecy? Becoming a monster just to kill her? It didn¡¯t make sense. Had he gone insane, or had he just been lying from the start? Faking it all? Had any of it ever been real?

    Suddenly the earpiece Peter had given her sparked to life.

    ¡°Jess? Jess? What¡¯s happening?¡± he said concerned.

    ¡°He¡¯s here¡± she whispered, her voice shaky.

    ¡°Who¡¯s where? Where are you?¡±

    A joyful screech echoed through the lab. Her spider sense blared and she vaulted upwards as a spray of glass and metal rained across the floor, followed by a wet thud. She turned and sprinted as the monster clawed at her, running along the wall as she clutched Yu tightly. She pulled herself across the room with a web and threw herself behind a set of upturned desks, careful not to make any noise.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    She looked down at Yu. He wasn¡¯t moving now, unconscious. He was still breathing, though barely. He¡¯d bled so much, she could feel it soaking her arms. How long had it been? A minute? Two? How long did he have left? Even if she got out of here, could she save him? She closed her eyes, holding back tears, then shook her head dispelling the negative thoughts. She could get him out of here. She would. Suddenly the crackling static in her ear picked up again.

    ¡°-ess? Jess?! What was that? What¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Otto. He shot Yu¡± she whispered.

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know he- I followed the tracker in Yu¡¯s suit and he was here and Otto was here and- and- Yu¡¯s dying. He¡¯s dying¡± she whispered. ¡°I can¡¯t get out. He''s dying and we¡¯re trapped¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m coming. Just ho-¡±

    His voice cut out replaced by static again. Another joyous screech echoed through the lab and her spider sense blared. She tried to stand but slipped in Yu¡¯s blood. Her eyes widened as she tried to regain her footing, the presence grow closer. She wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of the way.

    Instinct took over and in a singular smooth motion, she threw Yu over her shoulder then grabbed the bench she¡¯d been hiding behind. She stood, twisting her body to gain momentum as she hefted the bench of the floor then swung it at the beast. The monster slammed into it and the bench exploded in a spray of metal, glass and plastic. They were all sent flying from the force of the blow. Jess flailed for a second before pulling Yu close to her chest, shielding him. It felt like an eternity as she flew backwards through the darkness, her mind racing, but she knew it was only and instant. Suddenly her spider sense blared and she slammed against something. She gasped, rolling on the floor as her back throbbed, pain lancing through her side. Her mind spun but she grit her teeth and forced herself to stand. As she did a harsh light flooded her eyes. She pulled away wincing, but as her eyes adjusted she turned back looking for the source. An exit?

    No. She was looking at the control panel. The one Otto had used to bring the doors down. Parts of it were broken, but it was still working. Jess felt a burst of hope. She could get the doors up. Frantically she searched over the panel, looking for the red button Otto had pressed. There. She slammed it, as the monster screeched behind her and her spider sense blared.

    As she tried to dive out the way, she was suddenly blinded. She cried out as the monster screeched as well, then she slipped and crashed to the floor. The lights were back on. And the metal walls were screeching as they began to rise. The monster screamed; roaring as the sound sent shockwaves through its body. It¡¯s form shifted violently as flecks of black ooze began falling off of it, pooling onto the floor. She didn¡¯t understand, but she didn''t need to. It was her chance to escape. She stood quickly, but as she turned to run glass underfoot crunched. The beast, even in pain turned to her and screeched. It lunged and she flipped over it, landed, and stumbled as pain lanced through her back. The monster spun, still screeching in pain as it swung wildly with clawed hands.

    She dodged the desperate blows with a grace, as flecks of black goo sprayed over her and the surroundings. The monster was practically falling apart, but so was she. The hit had taken more out of her than she¡¯d expected. She could only pray that her already tired legs wouldn¡¯t give out. She was close. She was so so close.

    She dodged another blow, and stumbling, before finding her back pressed at the control panel. Her spider sense blared and she sidestepped another blow. But this time the monster¡¯s hand stumbled, and carried by it¡¯s moment it fell, spraying goo across the control panel as it plunged through it and into the machine behind. Instantly the doors came to a stop, the metal no longer screeching, and the monster¡¯s form stilled.

    Shit.

    But as the beast regained its bearings it didn¡¯t look to her, but instead to the broken machinery beneath it. It had begun to whir loudly as light began to filter outwards. The monster stumbled back, and then - for a second - it seemed to move towards the machine. But suddenly it screeched out, it¡¯s forming shifting even more violently than before. Jess stumbled back, then turned for the exit.

    ¡°NO!¡± the monster screeched, it¡¯s voice a mix of Otto¡¯s and the roar she was familiar with. She glanced back the sound of the machine growing louder and the light brighter. The beast was no more, the mass of black goo splitting from the Dr as he rushed towards the machinery. The goo writhed across the floor, desperately trying to get away from the machine. Her eyes widened as she finally realised what was happening. She¡¯d seen it once before. Back at the BRC.

    With her heart in her mouth, she looked around and dived to the floor, finding a crater as she shielded Yu. But it was too late. The noise already shook her very bones, and the light was already too bright. Before she even hit the floor, she felt an indescribable pain rip through her. She cried out, her screams echoed by Yu as everything went white. The last fleeting sensation was of Yu, as the energy around them him ripped away from her.

 Yus Story - Chapter Seventeen

    I was on my back. Everything hurt, and my body felt cold. I opened my eyes slightly. It was dark. I was surrounded by darkness with only flickers of light. I could barely breathe. Something was on my chest. My chest. I tried to reach for it, but my arm wouldn¡¯t listen. None of my body would. I couldn¡¯t move. The realisation was scary, but not as scary as it should¡¯ve been. From my condition, the injuries, the coldness, the darkness, I could already tell I was going to die.

    But I wasn¡¯t that scared. Not as scared as I¡¯d been a few moments ago. It was almost peaceful. The silence. The last sensations of my body as it clung to life that so desperately wanted to slip away. No distractions. For the first time my mind felt clear. I could remember everything so vividly. Skipping down the street hand in hand with mum and dad, the bedtime stories they¡¯d told me, how mum¡¯s beautiful humming echoed through the house when she cooked for us, how dad had encouraged me - made me feel like a superhero ¨C just for my first day of school, the first time I¡¯d gotten chicken pox, when we¡¯d visited family in Japan, when they¡¯d had found out mum had been pregnant with Ryo, Dad telling me off for breaking a vase whilst watching power rangers, mum giving birth, Ryo crying a lot as a baby, the first time I¡¯d held him, mum¡¯s funeral, watching Ryo grow up, his first day of school, our first argument, the first time we¡¯d played games together, his first joke, the time all Dad, Ryo and I had sat on the couch watching mum and dad¡¯s wedding tapes. I remembered all of it. It was beautiful. Even the bad bits.

    I closed my eyes. I wish I¡¯d done more climbing. I wish I¡¯d tried harder to make friends. I wish I¡¯d talked to Emma more. I wished I¡¯d had the courage to stop James even without the costume. I wished I hadn¡¯t skipped so much school and I wish I¡¯d skipped more. I wish I¡¯d called Dad. I wish I could talk to him and Ryo one last time, tell them how sorry I was. I wish I¡¯d spent more time with them.

    I wished for so many things, for so many more experiences, but it was too late now. And that was ok. Even if it¡¯d been short, I¡¯d gotten to live. I¡¯d gotten to live.

    My vision began to dim, followed slowly by the rest of my senses. My body grew colder, and the last sensations gradually faded into an inky darkness.

    As my thoughts began to fade, a twinge of fear and regret rose through me.

    I wish I¡¯d done that jigsaw with Ryo.

    -

    I gasped sitting up. Sweat beaded my forehead as my entire body trembled. Blinking, I looked around as the haze of fog gradually faded. I was in my room. Must¡¯ve had a nightmare. I let out a breath and slumped back onto my pillow. I stared up at my ceiling, sighing as the early sounds of morning echoed into along with slivers of light. I glanced to my alarm clock before pausing. My room? Why was I in my room? I¡¯d been somewhere else. I¡¯d been doing something¡­ no I¡¯d wanted to do something. What had I wanted to do?

    I sat up, frowning and rubbed at my chest. I was probably just getting some weird d¨¦j¨¤ vu, or maybe I¡¯d had one of those hyper realistic dreams.  My door was open. No wonder my room was so cold. I stood, and trudged across the room, before going to close my door. But for a second I paused. The sounds of the radio coming were coming from the kitchen. The radio? I hadn¡¯t heard the radio on in the kitchen for years.

    I stepped out of my bedroom, and slowly made my way towards the kitchen. As I neared the kitchen, a familiar humming graced my ears. In disbelief I paused by the doorway glancing inside. My eyes went wide and I froze.

    ¡°Mum?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Mum said glancing up from her cooking, staring at me. ¡°Did you say something?¡±

    I stepped forward, my eyes wet as I reached out tenderly towards her. She looked exactly like he remembered. With her loose-fitting sweater, jeans, and her shoulder length jet black hair.

    ¡°Is this real?¡± I mumbled. She furrowed her brow and set her knife down, stepping towards me, her face filled in concern.

    ¡°Yu? What¡¯s wrong?¡± she said taking my hand. I felt it¡¯s warmth, the softness, the texture of her skin. It felt real.

    ¡°Mum¡± I mumbled. She stepped forward pressing the back of her hand to my head.

    ¡°Do you have a fever?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Yu?¡± she said. I wiped at the tears vigorously, trying and failing to hold them back.

    ¡°Yu? Why¡¯re you crying?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± I sobbed.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok, it¡¯s ok. Just sit down. I¡¯m here¡±

    She guided me to the seat and I sat, still bawling. She held me as I cried, gently ruffling my hair. I held her tightly, not daring to let go. I didn¡¯t know what was happening, but I didn¡¯t want it to end.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Slowly the tears stopped, and I pulled away, looking up at her. She wiped at my face.

    ¡°Feeling better?¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she said, taking the seat next to me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ you¡¯re here¡± I sniffled.

    ¡°I¡¯m here¡±

    ¡°No, no, not like that. I just¡­ I¡¯m glad your here¡±

    ¡°Oh. So, they were happy tears?¡± she said, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards in a repressed smile.

    I nodded, before pulling her into a hug. She chuckled and hugged me back.

    ¡°This is nice and all, but I think something¡¯s burning¡± she laughed.

    ¡°Sorry¡± I said, pulling away. She quickly got up, and turned the stove down, before turning back to me with a smile. She made her way over and gently kissed me atop the head.

    ¡°I can¡¯t hug you forever, since I¡¯ve got to finish dinner, but you can sit here and just tell me if you need another one¡±

    ¡°Ok¡±

    ¡°Actually¡­ want to help me make dinner?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love to¡± I said smiling.

    <hr>

    Peter W Parker

    Everything was going wrong. Everything. He¡¯d thought it couldn¡¯t get worse, that he¡¯d already hit rock bottom, but the universe kept throwing more and more shit at him. And this time he really wouldn¡¯t be able to handle things. He cursed. He¡¯d tried to ignore it, tried to ignore what Otto doing this really meant for everything, for him. But he couldn¡¯t any longer. The static rung true in his ear, a warped garble of white noise. He¡¯d lost her again, and at the worst time too. Her fear had felt saw raw and what she¡¯d said¡­ he¡¯d shot the kid. He didn¡¯t even completely understand how Yu was there, or what was even going on, but the vague picture he was getting was enough.

    Peter shook his head. Otto was supposed to be a good person. Everyone knew that dammit. Or had he just been lying from the start? Faking it all? Had none of it ever been real?

    No. That couldn¡¯t be true. He refused to believe it.

    Otto was good. He was.

    He¡¯d helped Peter get his shit back together after the miscarriage, he¡¯d helped him actually develop his research - to the point he was finally getting repeatable results - and the first thing he¡¯d done when he¡¯d gone back to work was comfort him whilst he grieved for Grandpa Will. He wasn¡¯t evil. He wasn¡¯t. There had to be a reason.

    But then what would drive him to do this? The lies? The experimentation? Shooting kids? It didn¡¯t make sense.

    He cursed himself. The kid had been right and now he might die because Peter hadn¡¯t listened. He swung quickly around a corner before coming to a stop on an apartment building. He checked his phone. The tracker in Yu¡¯s suit had been somewhere around here. It was still flickering in and out, moving around randomly. The signal was shot, and he didn¡¯t even need to look up to know there was no commotion worthy of warranting Jess¡¯ fear in the area. They had to be underground.

    Suddenly the ground shook violently. The buildings trembled and people fell to the ground. A faint light rose from the floor and washed over everything, spreading far and wide. It left a faint vibration throughout his body. The trembling stopped and people looked around, confused. It¡¯d come from underground.

    Peter didn¡¯t hesitate, leaping downwards and landing in the street before darting to the nearest manhole cover. He ripped it out of the ground and jumped, landing in the sewers. It stunk, but that was the least of his worries. He rushed forwards, feeling out his surroundings in the darkness. The sound of his footsteps echoed through the tunnel as he ran, the rest of the sewers eerily silent except for the distant sound of rushing water.

    Then he smelt it. A mixture of smoke and dust. That way. He fired a web and pulled himself through the tunnels, before seeing a cloud of dust illuminated by faint light. As he reached the end of the tunnel, he slowed to a stop then cursed. A scene of destruction and chaos lay before him. A wreck of steel, concrete, and glass that groaned under its own weight, lay in the middle of a wider open area. He glanced up. The light came from above, but he couldn¡¯t make out the source through the dust.

    Cautiously, he leapt down, sensing outwards. The only movement was that of dust and the occasional piece of debris. Dammit. Suddenly someone coughed, the sound echoing through the space. He stopped, pinpointing the sound before quickly made his way to them. As he emerged into a small clearing within the wreck, he spotted a girl lying on her side, still.

    ¡°Jess? Jess?!¡± he cried out. He rolled over, as she blinked slowly, her eyes hazy with pain. She clutched her hands to a wound on her shoulder, a piece of rebar jutting out the joint. She was bleeding from head too. He needed to get her to a hospital.

    ¡°Peter?¡± she mumbled.

    ¡°What happened? Where¡¯s Yu? Where¡¯s Otto?¡±

    Her eyes widened, before she let out a sob.

    ¡°I tried to- I couldn¡¯t hold him. I didn¡¯t-¡±

    He pulled her close to his chest, holding her.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok, it¡¯s ok¡± he said. But the words had felt like knives to the heart. He should¡¯ve known the moment he¡¯d seen Jess in such a state. There was no way kid or Otto had survived.

    He could think about that later. Right now he had to get Jess out of here. He glanced around, searching for a good exit path then Jess off the floor.

    ¡°I- I can stand¡± she sniffled.

    ¡°You sure¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    He set her down, steadying her. She stumbled slightly but regained her balance. Something in the distance fell, the sound echoing loudly. A wave of dust washed over them, and he grabbed Jess shielding her from the debris it brought with it. When it passed, he looked up. Their exit path had been blocked off by what looked like a hug steel door. They¡¯d need to find another way out. Upwards? Maybe. He spared a glance at Jess. He wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d be able to climb in her state. They¡¯d have to go through the wreck and find a tunnel.

    He stepped forwards, feeling out the intricacies of his surroundings with his spider sense. There were a few ways out. Perfect. He beckoned Jess and together they began making their way towards one of the unblocked tunnels. They could figure out a way to the surface once they got away from this mess.

    Suddenly something shifted and they both froze. The sound of small piece of debris rolling across the ground cut through the silence and he gently pushed Jess behind him as he stared at a chunk of concrete. A hand shot out, clasping onto the concrete with a slap. Its skin was black wet and slimy. Peter froze. Then a man pulled himself out of the wreckage rolling over the debris and crashing to the ground. He stood, violently coughing, and Peter got a good look at him. Part of his body a broken mess and the rest of it, malformed, his skin an array of bug like textures and his arm was slimy, ending in something halfway between hand and tentacle.

    Peter felt a surge of rage as he recognised the man. Dr Otto Octavius. He was alive.

 Yus Story - Chapter Eighteen

    Peter felt a surge of anger boil up from his gut as he stared at the monster before him. Without a second thought he fired a web, and violently yanked the man forwards. He snatched Otto out of the air, holding him by the neck with a grip strong enough to bend steel, then he ripped off his mask, staring into Otto¡¯s eyes without the bar of a lens.

    ¡°You¡­ you.. you bastard!¡± he roared, slamming him against the ground. The concrete cracked, sending tremors outwards as the entire wreck groaned. Otto lay on the floor, coughing violently as tears streamed from his eyes. Peter hefted him off the floor again, holding him tightly.

    ¡°P-Peter¡± Otto garbled, ¡°Peter¡­ please¡±

    ¡°What did you do?!¡± Peter roared. Otto gasped trying to pull away, but Peter held tightly, refusing to let go.

    ¡°WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?!¡± Peter cried, his voice filled with more sadness than anger. He was met with a cold silence, as Otto wheezed uselessly. Peter dropped him and cursed turning away.

    ¡°Answer dammit¡± Jess muttered stepping forward. Otto mumbled nonsense on the floor and twisted slowly onto his front, attempting to drag himself away from the two. Jess grabbed him and flipped back him over.

    ¡°Why''d you try to kill me?! I¡¯ve known you for years!¡± she said. Otto chuckled as blood trickled from his lips.

    ¡°Years? You¡¯re just a clone¡± Otto spat.

    Jess stumbled back, wiping at her face. Peter caught her, before stepping between them. Otto looked to who spat blood onto the floor.

    ¡°Look me Doc¡± he said. Otto stayed silent. ¡°Look at me dammit!!¡±

    Otto looked up, his formerly hazy eyes focused, as his gaze centred on Peter.

    ¡°What the hell did you do? What was all this?¡±

    ¡°My life¡¯s work¡± Otto said wistfully.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that bullshit. What were you doing? I want details¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask the clone? She saw it and she seems to know me so well¡± he chuckled.

    ¡°I¡¯m not humouring you Otto. Tell me or I swear to God I¡¯ll-¡±

    ¡°Fine. It¡¯s all gone anyway. All gone¡­¡± Otto said his gaze drifting.

    ¡°Otto?¡±

    Silence.

    ¡°Otto!¡±

    ¡°Jesus. Can¡¯t let an old man reminisce?¡±

    Peter stared at him silently, seething.

    ¡°I¡­ after your friend, Harrison, fired me I was disgraced¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t¡±

    ¡°I might as well have been¡±

    ¡°Seriously?! That¡¯s your excuse for this?!¡±

    ¡°Are you going to let me talk? Or are you just going to shout at me¡± Otto said curtly. Peter released his shaking fist, cursing under his breath.

    ¡°After years, years, with Oscorp, they just¡­ threw me out. I thought Norman was cruel enough to only remove me from direct affiliation with the company, but no- he had to remove me from any Oscorp affiliate as well. His pathetic ego wouldn¡¯t allow for. We were doing good work. We were doing well! And just-¡± Otto stopped, coughing violently.

    ¡°Finished with you rant?¡±

    ¡°I could go on for hours¡±

    ¡°Just get to the fucking point¡±

    ¡°Norman... he barred me. He had a grip on the science industry. Practically any notable research lab at the time was funded by that scumbag. If anyone hired me, they¡¯d be cutting their budget down to nothing dust and pennies. No one would hire me as far as Trenton. And all the negative energy research is here. There are a few places in California, but none as well equipped as anything here¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°And?! I couldn¡¯t start from square one again! I couldn¡¯t! So I found someone. They got me in contact with someone else, and I hired the Prowler. I had him take back what was rightfully mine¡±

    ¡°You took the research!? You had him break into the lab?!¡±

    ¡°Not the lab you fool. He attacked the clean-up crew¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t I hear about this? Harry said they were relocating us and then they just didn''t and all the work disappeared.¡±

    ¡°Norman probably covered it up. Listed the items as properly disposed of then just told the next poor sod to use what little I¡¯d left¡±

    ¡°Wait I- what the fuck does any of this have to do with anything?!¡±

    ¡°Kingpin¡± Otto said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Prowler double crossed me. He¡¯d been paid off and he took my stuff to Kingpin. Well, he wasn¡¯t Kingpin yet, just Wilson. I doubt anybody would recognise him compared to who he is now. Anyway, he had it delivered to here. One of Tombstone¡¯s old lairs¡± he said gesturing to the surroundings.

    ¡°Tombstone?¡±

    ¡°Before your time. Famous criminal. Might arrested him thirty years ago. But that¡¯s besides the point. Kingpin told me to work with him. He wanted an army of metahumans, and he wanted to lead that army. He¡¯d heard about me, heard of about my research and of Dr Li... he was smart, he¡¯d thought of human application beyond just improved health; of improved cell capability on par with that of metahumans. People like you. It was just a theory at the time, but he believed it could be done, wanted me to do it to him and any loyal servant he could find. He agreed to fund me for any and all experiments, as long as I did what he wanted too and showed results¡±

    ¡°So, you just took the fucking job?¡±

    ¡°Of course I did!¡± Otto shouted. ¡°It was more freedom and resources than I¡¯d ever been allowed before. And apart from what I had to do for him, apart from that, it was incredible. It was all for the greater good¡±

    ¡°Greater good? You experimented on humans, didn¡¯t you? You piece of shit¡± Jess spat.

    ¡°Only one! Connor Raine. He¡¯d been indebted to Wilson. A gambling addict. Serial sexual offender. A no good piece of shit degenerate. Hadn¡¯t been able to pay him back with anything other than his body. He¡¯d expected them to take a kidney or¡­¡± Otto shook his head. ¡°Even then I didn¡¯t want to do it. But I couldn¡¯t work if I didn¡¯t¡± he said. He let out a long breath.

    ¡°I tried to be as humane as possible. As many different things for his comfort. Regular exposure, constant exposure, intermittent, through fluids, gases, pills. anything you can think of, I tried. But it didn¡¯t matter. He grew ill quickly, so I had to ignore his short term health in order to obtain long term benefits. Real results. I learned the best way to stably improve his negative energy was by proxy. Irradiate another animal to the point of instability, then put it into regular contact with him. Unstable negative energy is like heat when there¡¯s living organisms involved. It allowed me transfer large amounts of negative energy to him and keep him stable. But he never remained stable for long, and I couldn''t figure out why. To keep him healthy... I had to keep on exposing him to animals with larger and larger doses. I- there was an incident. He became a chimera. Too many energies from separate animals and the like fighting for control at once. He¡­ the host couldn¡¯t be stabilised. Complete transformation, and loss of higher brain function. First time it tried to escape it caused a ruckus, nearly completely destroyed the insect containment and a few got free. The second time it tried to escape, it broke free. I was worried I¡¯d get caught, that the work would somehow be traced back to me. There wouldn¡¯t be an Athena to deal with it you see, and I thought the operation would be discovered because of the scrutiny that would be place on an event that caused so much havoc. But it didn¡¯t. You stopped it¡±

    ¡°Me? I wasn¡¯t-¡± Peter stopped himself, as Otto frowned. He¡¯d nearly said too much. Whatever had been dealt with, it must¡¯ve been Lucas.

    ¡°After that Kingpin was stricter. He moved me down here permanently. I wasn¡¯t allowed to leave¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why you fell off the grid¡±

    ¡°Three and a half years I spent down here, working for him. Only recently did he let me leave, start working for Roxxon once he got the CEO under his thumb. And even then I could only move freely as long as I provided his wonder boy with help¡±

    ¡°Wonder boy?¡±

    ¡°Jack. Well Dr Kale this days¡±

    ¡°The other lead scientist from the dossier?¡± Jess said. Otto nodded than smiled.

    ¡°He was one of Warren¡¯s assistants. It''s a shame he got caught up in all this. He¡¯s a genius. A little bit of creative freedom and he gave Kingpin an army in less than a year¡±

    ¡°The clones, they¡¯re for Kingpin!?¡±

    Otto nodded.

    ¡°The only reason they haven¡¯t started using them yet is because Kingpin and Jack came up with a plan to implement them into the police force after they get that state senator to do a few things for them. An extra division of the MDA or something like that. A proposed hostile takeover of the police, not that they haven''t already started"

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    "This is insane" Jess mumbled.

    "They''re quite good like that. Bouncing ideas of each other and coming up with plans. Real natural talent for evil, those two. Though Jack doesn¡¯t seem all that fond of it¡±

    ¡°Wait, just how big is this?¡± Jess said. Otto sighed.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of moving parts. Even I don¡¯t truly know who else is involved. I¡¯m sure I''ve barely scratched the surface¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯re you telling us all this?¡± Peter said.

    ¡°You asked¡±

    ¡°I asked about what you¡¯re building here, about the clones, not about Kingpin. Why?¡±

    Otto sighed again, the sound heavy.

    ¡°Kingpin¡¯s dangerous. Tombstone dangerous. He¡¯s not like Athena¡¯s villains, who make a big splash over and over, no. He¡¯s the kind of man who spends years slowly expanding his influence until his presence is undeniable, until he¡¯s a force that can¡¯t be stopped, and that was before I... changed him¡±

    ¡°Changed him?¡±

    ¡°My work for him was successful. Well partially successful. When I gave him what he wanted just over a year ago now, he became stronger than anything I¡¯d ever seen, but he lost something. Something human. He¡¯s more than just dangerous, Peter. He¡¯s evil. True evil. I¡¯ve seen what that man can do, even without power. He¡¯s ruthless. And he believes the city belongs to him. He¡¯ll do anything, anything to make it reality. And he''s close. Really close. A year or two and¡­ he needs to be stopped. I was planning to betray him, to poison him and hope that would be enough to stop this madness in its tracks but it¡¯s too late now. I¡¯m as good as dead¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Jess and Peter cried in unison. He looked injured, and his body was malformed, but nothing that looked like it would kill him.

    Otto took a long breath.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been taking temporary versions of the formula I created and gave to Kingpin. It¡¯s a semi stable one. I didn¡¯t realise it at first, but it¡¯s had¡­ less than desirable effects on my mental state. I¡¯m sure its responsible for certain changes in Kingpin, too. But that¡¯s besides the point. If I didn¡¯t have this within my body, I¡¯d be dead within the hour¡±

    ¡°But what about with the BRC? No one died then¡±

    ¡°The assured death radius is small. The people who were in the room probably died of exposure if they weren¡¯t killed by debris. Their deaths were probably consider a result of the explosion or due to being crushed by debris¡±

    Peter and Jess glanced at each other.

    ¡°It¡¯s funny really. In terms of destructive power, negative energy bombs aren¡¯t exactly all they¡¯re made out to be. Norman¡¯s spent so much money looking for a way to make a big bomb that¡¯s not all that effective at killing people¡± Otto chuckled.

    ¡°Otto. M-maybe there¡¯s a way to fix it, or stop it?¡± Peter mumbled. Otto sighed.

    ¡°Just look at me Peter. Does this look the body of a healthy man to you?¡±

    Peter didn¡¯t know how to respond. He felt angry for feeling any sadness, but guilty at that anger. The in his heart for Otto still rang true despite everything he¡¯d seen. He shook his head. The man in front of him wasn¡¯t what he¡¯d thought. He needed to forget it.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you because Kingpin can¡¯t harm me more than my own body will, and regardless he¡¯ll be the least of your worries in the coming months¡±

    ¡°What? Why?!¡± Jess said, stepping forwards.

    ¡°Well let¡¯s just say you should hope the explosion eradicated all of my work. If anything here¡¯s still alive, given very few were stable and the amount of exposure they got¡­ either way, the city¡¯s doomed¡± Otto shook his head. Peter¡¯s stomach suddenly sank. No. There was no guarantee that what he thought Otto was talking about was correct.

    ¡°What¡¯re you talking about?¡± Jess said.

    ¡°The explosion¡± Peter mumbled.

    ¡°Right. You probably saw a light diffuse outwards from the explosion, didn¡¯t you Peter?¡±

    Peter¡¯s stomach twisted into knots.

    ¡°Shit¡±

    ¡°Wait, am I missing something?¡± Jess said, looking between them.

    ¡°It¡­ there was a paper Otto and I were working on. About sustained negative energy and the effects it could have on people. We started it because of the increase of metahumans after the first negative energy explosion, from what was probably a temporary field. But it was all theory-¡±

    ¡°For you. I tested our theorems. We were mostly right¡±

    ¡°Wait wha-¡±

    ¡°We were right Peter¡±

    ¡°Right about what?¡± Jess said.

    ¡°A negative energy field like that would do wonders for people in a small, controlled environment. But even in a completely sterile environment, it¡¯d be difficult to control, and that¡¯d make it difficult to ascertain the side effects it would have on people. And we¡¯re talking about three or four hours of constant exposure in a cubic metre, not an entire city for weeks, months, and even years. For most people life will continue normally, but for the few with less resistance? There¡¯s no telling what could happen. You could get metahuman¡¯s as strong as Icon popping up all over the place, or entire families could get cancer in a matter of days. And that doesn¡¯t even account for how organisms other than humans would be affected¡±

    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that need a lot of energy. More than just two explosions, right? Right?¡± Jess said looking around frantically.

    ¡°Well you can thank the wonderful Norman Osborne for illegal negative energy bomb tests all over the city¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°He broke a few laws and had to pay a few fines when people found out, but he was more than happy to pay the fines regularly. He¡¯s been doing testing in rooftop labs throughout the city. Marketed it as a new frontier for affordable science. Absolute scumbag¡±

    Jess stared at him blankly.

    ¡°Everything is about to go to shit. You''ve got a madman in the under world in the midst of trying to crown himself King of the city, and about 1 in every 1000 people maybe even more is about to become a dangerous metahuman, or keel over and die. The police are useless. The MDA¡¯s useless. There are no superheroes left in this godforsaken city and nobody seems to care since they think Might will handle it. But he won¡¯t. Not until it¡¯s too late at least¡± Otto said. He glanced to Peter. ¡°Well¡­ I guess you¡¯re back¡±

    Peter went to say something but paused. What was that? He listened closer, turning as his spider sense buzzed lightly. A voice. It was faint, but he could hear it. He glanced to Jess who looked back to him.

    ¡°He¡¯s still out there¡± she mumbled.

    ¡°What?¡± Otto said.

    ¡°The kid, we heard him¡± Peter said, as Jess began scrambling forwards.

    ¡°Impossible. No regular human would¡¯ve survived that explosion¡±

    ¡°We can hear him Otto just stay h-¡±

    ¡°Free¡­ finally¡­ free¡± a broken voice said, cutting Peter off. They all froze looking out to the wreckage. Otto¡¯s eyes widened, as he sputtered, spraying blood and spittle everywhere.

    ¡°Run, we have to run¡±

    ¡°Run?!¡± Jess said, angry.

    ¡°Yes. Christ. Your friend¡¯s gone. The symbiote has him now¡± Otto said, scrambling up from the floor.

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Peter said.

    ¡°There¡¯s no time! We have to leave!¡± Otto said, turning to run. Peter grabbed him, yanking him back.

    ¡°Peter! We can¡¯t j-¡±

    An unholy screech echoed all around them, shaking the wreckage. What was left of the metal walls groaned, creaking as pieces of debris fell, spraying everything in a blanket of rain like shrapnel before kicking up a cloud of dust.

    ¡°What the hell was that? What the hell did you make?¡± Peter said, turning back to Otto.

    ¡°Wait. It wasn¡¯t- he had something that made him like Dr Gonzales. Back at the BRC¡± Jess said, her expression filled with worry. She looked to Otto, as the rubble began to groan again.

    ¡°You said it was a symbiote? So, it needs a host. Doesn¡¯t that mean Yu¡¯s still alive? That he took control of it?¡± she said.

    ¡°That was not the voice of any man¡± Otto said, fear in his eyes.

    ¡°Shit! There must be something we can do right?¡±

    ¡±A person in his condition wouldn¡¯t be able to control the symbiote. It manipulates your thoughts enough even when you¡¯re in control. He was near dead before the explosion. He¡¯s probably brain dead and the symbiote just had his body¡±

    Peter¡¯s eyes widened, before he cursed.

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Jess said.

    ¡°I tested a few theories¡± Otto said.

    ¡°You tested it on someone?¡±

    ¡°Only a clone¡±

    Peter looked away sick as the rubble overhead began to creak again. Otto cursed.

    ¡°We have to go¡±

    ¡°No. How do we stop it?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡±We need to separate him from the symbiote. It¡¯s weak to acid, right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not- we¡¯d need to get him to the chamber, expose him to positive energy. But I doubt that would work. The chamber was probably destroyed¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that for sure. We can try to s¡±

    ¡°What? Peter look aro-¡°

    ¡±Doesn¡¯t matter. Even if the chamber¡¯s broken, we¡¯ll stop this thing here, before it gets into the streets. And you¡¯re helping¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°Jess let Otto lead you to the chamber. I¡¯ll lead the symbiote over to you¡±

    ¡°Got it¡± Jess said, grabbing Otto.

    ¡°Wait! Peter you don¡¯t understand! Without the human host in control, I don¡¯t even know what it¡¯s capable of when free! It¡¯s beyond our comprehension, you¡¯ll die!¡± Otto cried out. Peter ignored him, and fired a web, swinging towards the sounds. He sensed out, but he couldn¡¯t feel anything.

    He came to a stop. A giggle came from the darkness below him, but he still couldn¡¯t sense anything. Weird.

    ¡°Yesss¡­ cook with mom¡­ he he he, so stupid¡­ ssso sentimental¡­ easy to control¡± the broken voice said again. Peter looked around, searching for the origin of the voice. His eyes came to a stop on a shifting spot of darkness and his blood ran cold. A monster stared back at him, a familiar sight from three years ago. It was trapped under a mess of rubble, it¡¯s shifting form slowly solidifying around a much smaller, unmoving human. Yu.

    The monster writhed again, as Peter stared, frozen partially out of fear and partially out of intrigue. This wasn¡¯t like with Dr Gonzales. Whatever it was, he was seeing the real symbiote for the very first time. It was almost alien in nature. Suddenly it looked up, the face of the monster staring directly at him, even within the darkness. It screeched, as its form began to writhe with more vigour.

    ¡°Smell like him¡­ like pain¡± it hissed it¡¯s forked tongue snaking through its mouth. Then his Spider sense buzzed. It screeched, its form solidifying completely before it leaped up at him, in a rush of rubble and debris.

    His leapt out of the way. But the monster was fast. It snatched him out the air and slammed him into the ceiling before screeching in his face. He elbowed it away and then launched a piece of concrete at it. It shatter it with a single fist and then leapt at him with claws. He dodged the initially blows as it roared gleefully in his face and then his already aching heel gave out, and for a moment he lost his balance on the ceiling. The monster raked him across the chest with it¡¯s claws before grabbing him and slamming him to the wall. It dropped him and Peter fell, barely catching himself.

    The monster¡¯s laughter echoed above him. He felt at his chest, the claws marks wet.

    ¡°Dammit¡±

    <hr>

    I trembled with excitement as I licked the blood off my fingers. So delicious. So very delicious. I looked down at the glowing man before laughing gleefully. I had him. I finally had him, and I could have revenge. Sweet, sweet revenge. It¡¯d been so long, but now the chance was here. I wouldn¡¯t waste it. No, I¡¯d savour it. I¡¯d savour every second.

    I blinked, coming to my senses. I was staring blankly at the cutting board fingers in my mouth. I pulled them out, staring at my hand, confused. What? What had just happened?

    ¡°Yu? What¡¯s wrong honey?¡± mum said.

    ¡°N- nothing. I¡­ nothing¡­¡± I mumbled. But as I picked up the knife again my hands trembled violently and a laugh escaped my lips. I covered my mouth quickly.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    I glanced at mom, her face twisted in a wide smile. My stomach churned, twisting into knots.

    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong. I don¡¯t- something¡¯s wrong¡±

    I snarled, grabbing at the human as it cried out. It leaked, dripping blood everywhere as I chased it. It smelled good. So good. It wanted to eat it. It? Yes. It needed to eat it. Everything else could wait.

    I blinked once again coming to my sense. I was on my hands and knees, sweat dripped from my face as my skin burned. Mom stood over me silent. I looked up. She stared back at me with no face. I screamed and scrambled backwards, but she remained still. I looked away, staring down at my chest. My solar plexus throbbed hard, and a spot of red slowly spreading outwards.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening? What¡¯s happening to me?¡± I mumbled, my voice shaking with fear. When I looked up, the kitchen was gone, filled with an empty darkness.

    ¡°M-mom?!¡± I shouted. Nothing.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Where am I?!¡± I cried out into the void. I was met with only an echo. I tried to shout again, but my voice vanished. Then the darkness around me took on form, racing towards me. Pressing against me. Crushing me on all sides. It surrounded me, completely encompassing my body. Then came the pain. It shot through me like lightning as my brain became aware of my body again. The broken bones, the scrapes, the bruises and the hole in my chest. They burned. They all burned against the black liquid, bubbling violently. I tried to move, to retreat into myself but there was too much damage. I couldn¡¯t move. No. I was moving. The viscous darkness pulled at him, puppeteering his body. I tried to cry out in pain, but the viscous darkness sealed my lips. I couldn¡¯t breathe. My body wasn¡¯t my own and I couldn¡¯t breathe.

 Yus Story - Chapter Nineteen

    Peter was getting manhandled. The accumulated injuries over the years, a lack of practice, and the seemingly unbound thirst for violence from the monster before him all combined to make a horrendous combination.

    Blood dripped from his chest, his left arm hung limp at his side, a huge scar running down it and his Achilles had definitely seen better days.

    But still he held on. He had to.

    Streaks of debris shot through the air at astounding speeds, crashing against the wall as he expertly weaved his way through the hail of debris. The monster was toying with him. It knew it had him on the backfoot, that he was injured, and it was enjoying this little hunt. Peter came to a stop and looked up to see a large hunk of metal and rock fly at him. He leapt to the side, firing a web to pull himself away. And then the monster was on top of him, without a moments reprieve. He dodged a vicious blow aimed for his head that struck the wall behind him and stuck fast, the creatures arm embedded in the concrete. A chance.

    He dived forwards, slamming the monster with an elbow across the head as it tried to grab him, before kicking it hard in the face. It roared as it fell backwards, scrambling to grab onto the wall. Peter let out a breath, taking the chance to compose himself. Mistake.

    His spider sense roared, catching him off guard and the monster lunged at him seemingly without a foothold. It catapulted upwards, baring it¡¯s fangs, having thrown itself upwards with tendrils of goo. Shit, this was going to hurt.

    Suddenly, a figure slammed into its back, crushing it against the wall with enough force that their feet sunk into the goo. Jess. She pulled herself back out of the monster before it fell and landed on the wall beneath him. Instantly she clutched her shoulder, wincing, before quickly calming herself.

    ¡°You¡¯re hurt dammit! What¡¯re you doing?!¡± Peter cried.

    ¡°No thank you?¡±

    ¡°Sorry. And thanks. But seriously, get out of here, I don¡¯t want you getting hurt¡±

    ¡°The chambers still working¡± she said, pointing out across the wreckage. His gaze followed hers, settling on a glass tube that half jutted out of the ground.

    ¡°Otto got it up and running with an emergency switch we just have to-¡±

    Her eyes went wide and both their spider senses buzzed. They dived out the way of a large chunk of concrete. They landed again, this time side by side. The monster was nowhere in sight. Peter surveyed the situation, before turning to Jess.

    ¡°Are you sure it works?¡±

    ¡°As sure as Otto is¡±

    ¡°You steer clear, I¡¯ll get this thing in its cage the-¡±

    A piece of debris slammed into him, his spider-sense warning him too late and he fell from the wall. The screech of the monster echoed in his ears, but it was met with another shout, and the rumble of shaking earth.

    He crashed to the floor, pain washing over him. He let out a gasp, rolling onto his front. Thank god he hadn¡¯t been higher. He didn¡¯t exactly understand it, but sometimes the beast was able to conceal it¡¯s attacks by coating stuff it it¡¯s weird go. It was aware of spider-sense and was somehow, actively trying to counter it.

    That was getting pretty annoying.

    ¡°Peter!¡± Jess cried. He took in the pain, then - slowly - forced himself. He glanced up at Jess. She battled against the monster, it¡¯s attacks blowing chunks of the wall to smithereens. He shook his head. It¡¯d just be better if he worked with her, even if she was injured. That way they both had less chance of dying. With it¡¯s back turned to him, Peter stood tall, and grabbed a huge chunk of rubble off the ground. He threw it at the beast, and it shattered against the back of its head. The monster turned screeching at him loudly.

    ¡°I¡¯m over here you idiot¡± he called out. The demon lunged at him, but he was a step ahead, already swinging away. It chased, leaping from pillar to pile within the wreckage before another piece of concrete slammed it in the back of the head. This one from Jess. She landed next to Peter, and they gave each other a nod, as the monster shrieked at them. Then they leapt into action.

    Together they weaved a tapestry of web, swinging through the wreckage like practiced partners in battle. The symbiote fruitlessly chased both of them in bursts whilst being hit with quick, and sharp blows from seemingly nowhere by the odd attack. Its frustration grew alongside it¡¯s agony, until finally it found itself with a prize. It held Peter to the floor as he kicked about uselessly, trying desperately to escape. But the monster was done with games. It had seen the echoes of defeat for mere moments, and it wanted to be done with this fight.

    ¡°DIE!!¡±

    Jess slammed into it, and it went flying, crashing against the side of the chamber before falling inside.

    ¡°Otto!¡± Peter and Jess roared. Otto pulled the lever, closing the chamber completely as they all breathed sighs of relief.

    But Peter stood quickly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not over. We still have to get the kid to a hospital. Do it now, Otto release the positive energy and then open it up¡± he said. He watched the chamber intently, mentally readying himself. Instead of the flash of light they¡¯d been expecting they heard a crushing sound from the wall. They both turned to see the emergency control panel a mess of wires and metal under Otto¡¯s fist.

    ¡°You think I¡¯d let you destroy it?! The key to furthering stabilised negative energy research beyond simply luck!¡± Otto shouted.

    ¡°You bastard!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better this way. We both win. Your little friend will probably heal from the finer parts of brain damage in a month and the symbiote lives on.¡±

    ¡°You fucking asshole!¡± Jess shouted ¡°You did this for yourself¡±

    ¡°Swear at me all you want. You¡¯ll understand what I did here o-¡°

    Suddenly the sound of glass cracking silenced them. They turned to see Venom slamming against the glass with all his might, the glass cracking.

    ¡°Oh my god¡± Otto mumbled, staring at the glass as the fine cracks began to spread. He fell to his knees, trembling.

    ¡°Great, now we can¡¯t separate it from him and it¡¯s gonna break out¡± Jess said.

    ¡°How can it¡­ it shouldn¡¯t be able to break the glass through brute force. It shouldn¡¯t be that powerful¡± Otto muttered.

    ¡°Get a grip dammit! How do we stop it?!¡± Peter said, grabbing Otto.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡±

    ¡°There has to be a way. There must be some way to get the positive energy to it right? Right?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know if it would work. I mean the explosion didn¡¯t even destroy the chamber¡± Otto said, clutching his hand to his mouth. ¡°Was it strengthened by the blast? But I¡­ how?¡±

    ¡°Dammit Otto! Where do you keep the positive energy generator?!¡±

    ¡°Beneath the chamber. But the control panel¡¯s broken. You won¡¯t be able to turn it on or discharge it¡± he mumbled. ¡°The Vanguard. We need to get the Vanguard.¡±

    Peter rushed over to the mess that was the control panel then cursed.

    ¡°Peter¡± Jess shouted. He glanced to her. She was pulling at the concrete around the switch Otto had just broken. Peter rushed over to her, and together they ripped it off the wall. Beneath was a series of sparking wires. He looked among them frantically before cursing, grabbing colour wire pairs, tapping the metal together. He ignored the shocks as his spider sense buzzed with every new wire. Lights flickered, the chamber began glowing, and then finally what sounded like a plane right before take-off began to echo beneath the chamber.

    They both looked back and stared at it.

    ¡°Otto?!¡± Jess cried.

    ¡°T-that¡¯s it! Find the discharge button! Find it!!¡±

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Peter looked through the messy array of wires, then back at the cracking glass. The monster was nearly through. There wasn¡¯t enough time.

    ¡°It works like negative energy right?¡±

    ¡°What? Peter what¡¯re you doing?!¡±

    ¡°It works like negative energy right!?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes¡±

    ¡°Then I just have to slam him into it hard enough¡± Peter said, looking at the monster.

    ¡°What?! Peter without the glass, the resulting mixture of the symbiote and positive energy would create an implosion that might have enough force to kill even you!¡±

    ¡°An implosion!? What about the host?!¡±

    Otto made a face. Shit. He¡¯d never intended to destroy the symbiote, but the second he¡¯d realised he couldn¡¯t control it anymore he¡¯d been willing to kill the kid along with it.

    Peter ignored the intense reminder of his feelings of disgust for Otto. It didn¡¯t matter right now, he had to save the kid. He could work with this. He just had to hit the symbiote hard enough ¨C like Jess had - get his hand inside the mess and pull the kid out as the symbiote imploded. He could shield him from anything else that happened.

    ¡°Jess! Take Otto, and get as far away from here as you can¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°You can come back for us once the smoke clears. It¡¯s ok¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do this on your own!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be. If things go how I think they will, I¡¯m counting on you to save us. I probably won¡¯t be in any state to move¡±

    She looked at him with a mixture of concern and apprehension, but nodded, before rushing off with Otto.

    ¡°Peter this is suicide!¡± Otto cried. Peter ignored him and turned back to the chamber. He cursed, before firing webs, and pulling himself upwards. He landed on the ceiling above and readied himself, his legs trembling with power. He drew out long lines of web, wrapping them around his body and legs. It¡¯d be like a bungee. He¡¯d dive down and as the cylinder shattered, with enough force to stab into the creature, he¡¯d pull the kid out, and then the webs would pull them back. It was as good a plan as any.

    He let out a breath, his hands shaking with nerves. He only had one shot. He quieted his mind, focusing.

    And then the glass shattered. He dived downwards with as much force as he could muster, the air buffeting against him. The monster screeched, and then he slammed into it, his hands and face penetrating the exterior. He reached, grabbing a hold of an arm and began pulling backwards. But the monsters goo shot out with a speed, grabbing a hold of him his arms and face, as he pulled half the kids body free. It held him down as the webs pulled upwards, dragging him towards it¡¯s centre of mass.

    Together they crashed into the generator. For a singular silent moment nothing happened, the three of them dangling in mid-air, in a mess of the monster¡¯s viscous black goo. Peter suddenly felt an incredible power as thousands of alien thoughts of hatred and revenge washed over him. He just had enough time to register the symbiote was attempting to bond with him. And then everything went white.

    <hr>

    I blinked. For a second, it hadn¡¯t been winning. For a moment it hadn¡¯t had complete control. Someone had grabbed me, and things had shifted. In the desperate tug of war that seemed to last forever had finally, even if just for a moment, had been in my favour.

    I blinked again, this time opening my eyes completely. I was in a white expanse. I sat up and looked around. Nothing but white. And a guy next to me. I glanced down at him. It was Spider-Man. Or Peter. He wasn¡¯t wearing his mask. He lay on the ground, snoring peacefully. I looked around again confused. What was happening? Where even was I? Why was Peter here all of a sudden?

    I poked him but he continued sleeping. I shrugged. It¡¯d probably be better to just leave him be. I looked up, then looked down at my hands, flexing my fingers. I couldn¡¯t feel whatever the hell that thing was controlling me anymore. Was that a good thing? It felt like one. Hopefully it was.

    The snoring came to an abrupt stop, and I turned to see Peter sitting up blinking sleep out of his eyes. His brows furrowed as he looked around, then looked up at me.

    ¡°Yu?¡±

    ¡°Uh, hi? Are you real?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± he said. Then he looked around, baffled. ¡°What the hell? Where are we?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It feels like I¡¯m under control of that thing but¡­ different I guess?¡±

    He¡¯s frown remained as he stood, looking around.

    ¡°Is that a mouse?¡± he said. I glanced over and frowned. A small blob of white skittered across the ground away from us.

    ¡°I- yeah, I think so. Weird¡± I responded. We both turned to each other and laughed.

    ¡°You think we¡¯re inside the symbiote, but it doesn¡¯t have control of us?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± I said, sheepishly.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re ok.¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡±

    ¡°Sorry about back on the building. I wasn¡¯t thinking properly. I should¡¯ve listened to you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Everyone lets emotion get in the way sometimes¡±

    ¡°Yeah. But if I hadn¡¯t we wouldn¡¯t even have to be here. In this weird¡­ symbiote limbo?¡±

    ¡°Symbiote?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what took control of you¡±

    ¡°Oh. Sounds gross¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it looks gross too¡±

    We both laughed again, before I went silent, looking around.

    ¡°I think the limbo thing feels about right. Yeah. I¡­ it feels like how it was before, but the other thing¡­ the symbiote isn¡¯t here. I guess that means it¡¯s trying to decide which one of us is in control?¡±

    I looked around the space and then waved his hand out. The white expanse seemed to bend, curving into and around my fingers. I flexed my fingers and focused on the effect, the focus amplifying it slightly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I think I¡¯m in control or something. At least partially¡± I said. Peter seemed to bristle for a moment.

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll take control. Hopefully I can force you out, and get this thing under control. Doc said it¡¯d be easier for someone with powers like me¡± Peter said.

    ¡°Oh, ok¡± Yu went to give him control before pausing. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯d you want to force me out?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ this thing¡¯s about to implode Yu¡±

    ¡°Implode? Wouldn¡¯t that kill you?!¡± I said alarmed.

    ¡°I¡¯d have a better chance¡±

    ¡°Better chance?! So you could die too? I don¡¯t want to risk that¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t just let you die Yu. Please just give me control¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there another way? Can¡¯t we just both force ourselves out or something?¡±

    ¡°I think if we both try to leave, the symbiote will try to latch onto one of us. It¡¯s what happened when I tried to pull you free. I¡¯m not leaving this up to chance¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t either¡± he said, his face neutral. I stared at him blankly.

    ¡°No¡±

    ¡°Yu-¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t just¡­ let you die for me. Your Spider-Man¡±

    ¡°Yu that doesn¡¯t matter¡±

    ¡°Of course it matters¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve saved lives¡±

    ¡°Seven maybe. You¡¯ve literally saved tens of thousands, maybe even more indirectly. You¡¯re worth thousands of me¡±

    His face contorted with discomfort, before he let out a breath and looked into my eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine Yu. I promise¡±

    I looked to the floor. This whole situation was crazy. Insane. I didn¡¯t know what to do or say. But I needed to say something, anything to convince him.

    ¡°When Jess first showed me what you looked like, I was kind of disappointed¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, that came out wrong. You¡­ weren¡¯t what I was expecting. You were just some guy. Not like Icon, or Pride. Just a normal guy¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ yeah¡±

    We stood in silence for a few more seconds.

    ¡°Yu-¡±

    ¡°But when I think about it, it¡¯s kind of cooler isn¡¯t it? That a normal guy could be amazing, could be Spider-Man. I mean I thought you were cool before, but now you¡¯re kind of cooler¡±

    ¡°Yu, the praise means the world to me, but we might not have time. You have to give me control¡±

    Crap, it wasn¡¯t working. I needed something else.

    ¡°W-why¡¯d you quit?¡± I asked.

    ¡°What?¡± he responded taken aback.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you quit?¡±

    ¡°Yu don¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°Answer me. Please¡±

    He let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry if you thought I did. I just¡­ things piled up. Injuries. Other problems. Life. I started taking breaks and they got longer and longer. Geez this time last year I was ready to take on the world¡± he mumbled.

    ¡°You¡¯re Spider-Man dammit. If you needed a break, if you needed help, all you¡¯d have to do is ask¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°The people of New York would¡¯ve tried to help you in any way possible¡±

    ¡°I- I don¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°I know you tell everyone not to risk it since you and Might protect the city, but Might hasn¡¯t been here in years. I mean, there¡¯s got to be other metahumans out there who look up to you. Who would¡¯ve gone around helping people like I did¡±

    ¡°That was stupid. You don¡¯t have any powers and you¡¯re only a kid¡±

    ¡°I know it was stupid but I¡­ Do you know how it felt when I went out in costume for the first time? Do you know how excited everyone was to see Spider-Man again?¡±

    ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry I you had to take on that responsibility. I shouldn¡¯t ha-¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sorry. I choose to put on the suit¡±

    ¡°And now I¡¯m giving you a chance to take it off. To go back home to family¡±

    I faltered slightly, words escaping me. Then I clenched my fists.

    ¡°Why? Why would you die for just me?¡±

    ¡°I- just don¡¯t want anyone else to get hurt because of me again¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think your death would hurt people more than just some random kid!? I mean I have control right now. I could force you out, get this over with. Tell me why I shouldn¡¯t end this?¡±

    ¡°Yu don¡¯t¡±

    I felt a wave of determination wash over me.

    ¡°You¡¯ve saved so many people. You even saved me. So now, even if you don¡¯t want me to, I¡¯m going to save you¡±

    ¡°Wait! Yu, don¡¯t do this. I don¡¯t want you to die¡±

    ¡°Come on man. I should¡¯ve died already. I mean, I got shot twice today¡±

    ¡°Yu! Please! I messed this one up. I should¡¯ve listened I- just please. I can still help you¡±

    Just promise me you won¡¯t quit again. And if you ever need help, just ask¡±

    ¡°Yu! Don¡¯t do this¡± he said inching closer. I smiled at him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got this one Pete¡±

    He reached out for me, but it was too late. I assumed control, forcing him out. An incredible pressure washed over me, overwhelming me, crushing me. It felt like being born again. Like opening your eyes for the first time. I could feel everything. The wind, the sounds of voices, the faint sound of humming from the kitchen. They all sounded so far away, and yet so close.

    It was like I was just waking. Or going to sleep. A fresh feeling then darkness. Flickers of light, between wisps of darkness. Bright rays of sun filtered through a grain. Like watching someone show you damaged film of the sun. Faded, grainy, and intermittent but there. But the flashes of darkness slowly grew, engulfing the light. Not the terrifying kind, but the gentle darkness. The darkness behind your eyes. The kind that gently pulls you to sleep.

    Suddenly I opened my eyes, gasping for air. Blue stared back at me. Clouds drifted lazily along the expanse of blue. I was looking at the sky. I blinked, groaning as I sat up looking around. I was surrounded by rubble, and dust. What¡¯d just happened? I¡¯d been talking to mum and then¡­ all the memories flooded back and my eyes widened. I was alive. I was still alive. Wait, what about Peter? I looked around, before spotting him nearby, trapped under some rubble. I rushed over quickly, cursing. He didn¡¯t look good. And there was way too much rubble. Way too much. I wouldn¡¯t be able to lift it.

    ¡°H-help!¡± I shouted looking up. I looked around the destruction around me.

    ¡°Jess?! Someone?! Anyone?! I need help!¡± I shouted. No answer. I could only hear sirens in the distance. Dammit! Shit! I grabbed a handhold, hefting at the weight pointlessly.

    It lifted off of him with an ease in my arms and he rolled over, coughing. I¡¯d lifted it. I¡¯d lifted it off him. I shouldn¡¯t have been able to do that. Surprised I dropped the rubble surprised and looked to my hands. I still wore the Spider-Man costume, but different. The red and blue replaced now, by separate textures of black. The new costume just felt like part of me. It made me feel¡­ strong. Really strong.

    Holy shit.

    I heard the sound of rubble shifting behind me. I turned back to see Jess standing on a pile of debris, the Dr standing slightly behind her. His eyes were wide.

    ¡°Yu?¡± she said, her eyes sparkling with tears.

    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know what happened I just¡­¡± suddenly I stumbled, stars blinking across my vision.

    ¡°Yu?!¡± Jess cried, rushing forwards, to catch me.

    ¡°Woah. I just got¡­ really tired¡± I mumbled, leaning on her for support.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok, just don¡¯t close your eyes¡± Jess said. But it was too late. My eyes closed, and I drifted peacefully off to sleep.

 Yus Story - Epilogue

    I opened my eyes. A mixture of natural and soft white light greeted me, along with the smell of hand sanitiser, and the soft steadying beeping of a heart monitor. I closed my eyes again sinking into the comfortable bed beneath me.

    I was in a hospital room.

    I felt good, a little tired, but otherwise completely fine. It was weird. Almost like someone had taken my entire body and just squeezed any aches and pains out of it. I opened my eyes again staring at the ceiling before looking down at my hands. I flexed my fingers, feeling a newfound strength within them. Was this the symbiote thing, or something else? I didn¡¯t know, it just felt different. I¡¯d lifted that really big rock off Peter. If I could do that again? I wonder what else I could do?

    I leaned back in my bed, before glancing to my side. My bedside table had cards on it. Three cards. Wait, how long had I been here? I sat up, careful not to pull at any of the wires, and grabbed the biggest one.

    Oh, it was from my homeroom. They¡¯d gotten everyone to sign it. That was pretty neat. But didn¡¯t they only usually do this for serious situations? Geez, I¡¯d probably been in here for at least two weeks then. That was kind of concerning. I wonder what had woken me up? I shrugged and moved onto another card. This one was smaller than the first, but had a nicer texture. It read get well soon on the front.

    I opened it. I read over the message and grinned to myself.

    Thanks for the help! Get well soon. If you ever need anything just call. xxx-xxx-xxx. We should probably thank you in person and talk about things.

    <ul>

    <li>Spider-Man and Spider-Woman</li>

    </ul>

    I was definitely calling as soon as I could. They were probably ok considering they¡¯d left me the card, but it be better to see them in person. I set the card down, and then reached over to the smallest one. This one wasn¡¯t store bought, it looked hand made, with a mixture of a well-drawn sketch of a house and sky with a cartoonish sketch that looked like it¡¯d been drawn by a six-year-old. Three people jumped with joy in the centre of the drawing, that looked suspiciously familiar.

    I grinned. I didn¡¯t need to open it to know the final one was from Ryo and Dad. I opened it, carefully and my smile widened as I saw the contents. Ryo had drawn a picture of Med Bay healing what was probably supposed to be me, next to a quickly scrawled.

    LOVE YOU! GET WELL SOONE SOON! RYO!

    I smiled, then looked to the rest of the card. Dad had drawn a picture of an apple, and beneath written a heartfelt message.

    Yu, I hope you get well soon and return to us. As a parent I¡¯m disappointed something like this happened, both at you and at myself. But as your father I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re safe now. When you wake up, I want to talk to you. We haven¡¯t done a lot of that recently, and I apologise. Communication is essential when it comes to family, and showing our love for others. Since we cannot talk yet, for now your brother and I have given you this card. I hope one day that you can reread it when your old and greying and be reminded of how much love I and your brother held for you in this moment. Hopefully by then, you¡¯ll have more than enough memories filled with our love that this is simply a sidenote logged far away in the back of your mind.

    Please wake up soon. I miss you.

    With lots of love

    - Dad

    I stared at the message; my eyes suddenly wet. Wiping at my eyes, I held the card away from my face, careful not to let any tears drip onto it. Then I set in down carefully, sniffling. I held my head back and smiled as I stared at the ceiling.

    ¡°Talk about emotional¡± I mumbled wiping my eyes as I chuckled. After my tears had passed I picked the card back up again. I stared at the card for a while, flipping between the front and the inside, taking it in before finally setting it down on the counter.

    As I did, the door to my room opened, and Ryo stepped in followed by Dad. Both their eyes widened as they saw me and they froze for a second. I wiped at my eyes, and suddenly Ryo was hugging me tightly. I hugged him back as he buried his face in my chest. Dad smiled at me as tears welled up in both our eyes, then he stepped forward and pulled us both into a hug.

    ¡°I missed you¡± he said.

    ¡°I missed you guys too¡±

    -

    I kneeled in front of the butsudan, placing an apple next to the burning incense, before closing my eyes and pressing my hands together in prayer.

    ¡°Good morning mama. Hope everything is ok¡± I said. I paused unsure how to follow up.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a weird few weeks, that¡¯s for sure¡± I chuckled. ¡±I¡¯m not even sure where to start. I got discharged from hospital two days ago. It¡¯s really nice to be home. Dad took the day off work yesterday, and me, Dad and Ryo spent the entire day watching movies, and playing video games. It was fun. Dad was a lot better at Mario kart than I expected¡± I said. ¡°What else? Oh, I met Spider-Man. The real Spider-Man. He was cool. And so was his clone. Jess. She had a few problems here and there, but I think she was just confused. She meant well, and I¡¯m pretty sure she saved my life more than three times. I got to know her better than the actual Spider-Man. Oh yeah, I am supposed to call them. There¡¯s probably important stuff they want to talk about¡± I said. My mind wandered, thinking back over all the events I¡¯d taken part in or witnessed.

    ¡°Ah, I guess I should probably explain things a bit. There was this whole evil scientist plot thing that I got caught up in. I was trying to help Jess find Spider-Man and we uncovered it together. Things went a bit awry, there were like two big explosions and I- maybe I shouldn¡¯t tell you that¡­ but yeah things turned out well in the end. One of the lead scientist guys, Dr Octavius went out and announced everything on TV after it all, before turning himself in. He knew Spider-Man, so he probably convinced the scientist to do that somehow. It¡¯s caused a real mess for all the bad guys. A lot more people know who Wilson Fisk is now, and Alchemax, the state Senators, the police and tonnes more people are being investigated, though apparently, they haven¡¯t found anything but a few documents yet. Right now, only a few scientists and mostly policemen have actually been arrested, but they¡¯ll probably get a lot more people in the next days. Supposedly experimentation on clones is technically legal, but people are saying when it goes to trial the ruling could end up setting a new precedent. I think part of the reason it got so big is because so many policemen are getting arrested¡±

    I paused again, my smile fading slightly as my mind drifted to the Captain who¡¯d grazed my ear with a bullet, and then to the rest of my injuries.

    ¡°I should probably tell you that I got hurt. A lot. but I¡¯m okay now!¡± I laughed awkwardly. ¡°I really never have felt better¡±

    I went silent again, opening my eyes to glance at the photo of mum before closing them again.

    ¡°I saw¡­ you. It wasn¡¯t really you, but¡­ I don¡¯t know. Probably your image made from my memories. It was still nice to see you, even if it wasn¡¯t really real. I think if I could, I¡¯d like to make dinner with you again some time, even if it isn¡¯t exactly possible. I¡­ I miss you. A lot¡±

    I looked up staring at mum¡¯s picture for a few seconds, before wiping my eyes.

    ¡°I should probably get going. It¡¯s my first day back at school in a while, and I don¡¯t want to worry Dad by already getting a late¡± I said, laughing. ¡°Love you Mum. I¡¯ll talk to you later¡±

    -

    School was as lively as ever. I¡¯d showed up to homeroom and everyone had been more excited than I¡¯d expected to see me. I¡¯d thanked everyone for the cards, and then just relaxed until it was over. And now I had a maths class. I grumbled. The allure of things returning back to normal was starting to fade.

    ¡°Hey. I heard you were caught up in that huge explosion¡± a voice said behind me. I turned to see Emma.

    ¡°Ah yeah. I¡¯m all better now¡± I said with a bright smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s good¡± she said nodding. She looked tired, worn out.

    ¡°You alright?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Huh? Oh yeah. I¡¯m fine. Just a bit¡­¡± she shrugged. ¡°Sorry if this was weird, I haven¡¯t really spoken to you like this¡±

    ¡°Oh it¡¯s fine. I haven¡¯t seen you at climbing, She didn¡¯t get caught up in the explosion too did she?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no. I probably won¡¯t be going back¡­¡±

    ¡°R-really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡­ uh¡­ I¡¯m moving to Chicago, to live with my Uncle¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡±It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not a big deal or anything¡±

    ¡°Is everything really ok? Did something happen to your mum or something?¡± I said concerned. I paused, realising how intrusive I was probably being. ¡°I-if it¡¯s personal you don¡¯t have to tell me or anything¡±

    ¡°No it¡¯s¡­ did you see all that stuff that Dr on the news admitted to?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ my mum was one of the scientists that conducted one of the experiments. Crazy, right?¡± she said, forcing an awkward chuckle as she looked around. The sounds around us faded as all my attention focused on her.

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°I know right, totally out of left field¡± she said forcing another chuckle. Her smile faltered slightly. ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t be laughing though. Sorry, it¡¯s all a bit confusing¡±

    I stared at Emma blankly, unsure what to say.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving today actually. Afterschool. I just wanted to say bye or something before I go¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ ok¡±

    ¡°It was nice speaking to you occasionally. It would¡¯ve been nice if we could¡¯ve been friends. Maybe one day we might catch each other at a climbing gym or something¡± she said, forcing her smile again.

    ¡°Yeah¡± I said, the situation still feeling surreal. She stood there awkwardly for a second before giving a small wave.

    ¡°Bye Yu¡±

    ¡°B-bye Emma¡±

    She turned and walked away. I watched her go, silent, before quickly turning back to my locker. I frowned then looked up again, searching for her. But it was too late, she was gone, disappeared amongst the crowd of students. I stared longingly out at the crowd not sure what to do, before finally sighing, grabbing my books and making my way to class.

    -

    I walked home from school slowly. The bus had been packed, and I didn¡¯t feel like enduring a journey like that even if it would be short. I needed to think, and that was a lot easier out in the open air. Plus I''d walked home fast so Dad wouldn''t get worried. Given the traffic, I might even get home faster than I would''ve on the bus. I let out a small sigh. But that wasn''t what I was worried about.

    Seeing Emma like that had really put things into perspective. I¡¯d been going around these past few days, feeling on top of the world because I¡¯d helped ¡°fix¡± everything. Just because they day had been saved, didn¡¯t mean there weren¡¯t innocent people who hadn¡¯t lost. People like Emma, or the people whose houses had been destroyed by the explosion, or all the people that¡¯d been hurt or injured by the experiments directly or indirectly.

    I looked down at my hand flexing my fingers. I¡¯d been ignoring it, but it was definitely still there, that newfound strength. My mind wandered as hundreds of possibilities swirled through my head.

    I couldn¡¯t have prevented this, but what about in the future? Wouldn¡¯t this new power help me stop things like this before they happened? Limit the number of people affected by events like this? I mean who knew what the future had in store for us. Even if I wasn¡¯t anywhere near as strong as the others, I wanted to help. I knew what it meant, how risky it could be; but what if something happened to someone I cared about, to Ryo, or Dad because I just choose to live normally?

    I let my hand fall to my side and looked up at the sky. A few clouds floated above a cool blue that steadily darkened, as the winter sun dipped towards the horizon, casting a beautiful pattern of lights and shadows across the buildings above. It was a nice day today. I smiled slightly and felt around in my pocket before pulling out a five-dollar bill. I twisted it between my fingers feeling the rough smoothness of the paper like texture. I¡¯d get some change, find a payphone then give Peter and Jess a call.

 Interlude Fourteen - Jessica Drew

    Jess had nothing to do.

    Well not nothing, she had a TV. But after the events a little over two weeks ago, life had gotten boring. A nice boring, a welcome boring, but boring nevertheless. After she¡¯d taken Yu to the hospital, and Peter had helped Otto turn himself in, the massive crescendo of chaos had faded quietly. For her at least. Peter had taken her back to his and Liz¡¯s apartment, and now she was spending all her time sitting on the ceiling; watching movies, YouTube, or flicking through the regular channels. She wanted to Play on Peter¡¯s PS5, but had been too nervous to ask.

    Life for everyone else involved didn¡¯t seem so quiet. Otto had been arrested, and Peter seemed stressed because of all the media attention his department was getting at Roxxon. Plus she still hadn¡¯t heard from Yu yet. He was probably still in the hospital. She frowned. She wanted to go visit him again, but it¡¯d get a little weird if she kept going back. She didn¡¯t want the hospital staff to take extra interest in Yu because the brand new Spider-Woman kept visiting him. She furrowed her brow.

    She¡¯d worn one of his older costumes the second time they¡¯d visited Yu, when they¡¯d dropped off the card. Apparently, the media had spotted the two of them swinging over to the hospital, and someone had captured photos. She¡¯d been all over the newspapers and the picture of them swinging together had been on TV. Everyone was calling her Spider-Woman or Spider-Girl. People everywhere were already giving their two cents on the situation, from theories about a father daughter duo, to some even guessing she was a clone, though they were still somehow pretty far from the truth.

    She chuckled to herself, before her frown returned. She wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it. It felt like it had sort of come out of nowhere; but given the landscape of media she should¡¯ve been expecting it. But Pete definitely hadn¡¯t liked it. He hated the media more then she did, though after reading some of the more scathing articles and seeing some news hosts make takes on certain matters surrounding him, she could understand why. It must¡¯ve been part of the reason why he¡¯d quit, and the sudden dialogue around her had brought back bad memories. He¡¯d seemed pretty against her being a hero after that too.

    One top of all of that, there were the constant replays of Otto¡¯s confession. She¡¯d spent most of her time flicking through channels, but whenever she saw his face she¡¯d stop and just watch the report. Even when it came from the Bugle. She¡¯d seen it on the news more than three times a day when it had first aired. Everyone had been playing his speech. Everyone. But now that arrest were slowing it was rarer. Still it came up here and there, and it was always so surreal to watch. At least to some degree Otto had done the right thing. But he¡¯d still shot Yu in the chest. She wouldn¡¯t be able to get that sight out of her mind ever, even if remembered worse.

    At least he¡¯d be ok. The symbiote had healed him, and the Doctors had said he¡¯d make a full recovery. Her mind flashed back to her memory just after the implosion. She still didn¡¯t know what it was, but it had faded practically as soon as he¡¯d passed out. The small glimpse of it she¡¯d caught had looked like a black version of Peter¡¯s suit. Pete had been a bit worried given what Jess had told him and had scanned him when they¡¯d gone to the hospital, but the scan hadn¡¯t detected anything of note. Peter said it was safe to assume he wasn¡¯t a danger, but you could never be sure. Now that they couldn¡¯t just had to wait until he woke up.

    She¡¯d tried to ignore the anxiety chipping away at her, but it was harder when she was alone. At least she wasn¡¯t alone for that long. She woke up usually only a few hours before Liz got home from work. It was weird seeing and being around Liz. Especially after Peter had told her about the miscarriage. She was different from her memories in so many ways, and yet the same. Jess felt something around her, but she wasn¡¯t exactly sure what. Well, it was pretty easy to talk to her.

    Jess frowned recalling some of the things Peter had had to catch her up on. She¡¯d been crushed by the news of Aunt May¡¯s cancer. Apparently, she was doing better and had a check-up coming soon, but it was still gut-wrenching news. She hadn¡¯t visited her yet, but she really wanted to. Still, how would she explain it without making things harder for Aunt MAY. Peter and her had both agreed it could wait for a bit longer.

    She sighed. Jess felt like she¡¯d been watching a show she¡¯d been really invested in and suddenly she¡¯d accidentally skipped ahead a season.. Liz kept telling her she¡¯d get used to it eventually. She hoped that was true.

    The door to the apartment opened, and Jess glanced at the doorway to the apartment.

    ¡°Hey Jess¡± Liz said stepping inside.

    ¡°Hey Liz¡±

    ¡°I got pizza. I probably should¡¯ve called to ask what you wanted, but Peter likes Pepperoni the best so I just assumed you-¡° Liz froze looking up

    Oh. Jess jumped down, embarrassed.

    ¡°Sorry. It sort of just¡­ happened¡±

    Liz burst out laughing, before making her way to the kitchen and setting the pizza¡¯s down.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. As long as you¡¯re disturbing the neighbours, or leaving marks all over the wall feel free to watch TV from the ceiling¡± Liz said chuckling.

    ¡°T-thanks. It was more of a way to think¡±

    ¡°Oh, Pete did mention he thinks best upside down¡±

    "He did? I guess that makes sense"

    Liz set a few things down then made her way over with the pizza boxes and two plates. Jess eyed the pizza''s hungrily before feeling a stab of guilt. Liz had been spending a lot of money on food and clothes for Jess. She didn''t know how much the financial situation had changed in the past year, but she was starting to feel more than just a little guilty.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    "Here you go" Liz said with a bright smile.

    "T-thanks" Jess said, taking it, the guilt growing. "I- you don''t have to keep ordering takeout for me. I''m okay making my own food if I have to. I could even get a job to-"

    "Nonsense. We both told you to take it easy while we sort things out. This is part of that"

    "I think the constant sleeping in, and couch surfing is enough though" Jess half joked. Liz laughed, sitting next to her on the couch.

    "Well it''s not everyday you get to eat pizza with your fianc¨¦''s clone"

    "I guess not. Well... I might end up staying here a while"

    "Well then all the more reason. If you''re gonna be here a while, then you better enjoy it, because trust me, we definitely won''t be doing this forever" Liz said grinning.

    They both laughed together, before Liz opened

    "So what''re you watching?"

    "Not a clue. I was just flicking through the channels and came across a crime show. Someone died on an ice rink and that''s about all I picked up"

    "Cool"

    Both their heads turned sound of the door opening. The door knob twisted and Peter stepped inside, grinning.

    ¡°Afternoon everyone¡±

    ¡°Hey babe. You¡¯re home early¡± Liz said with a smile.

    ¡°Yeah I- do I smell Pizza?¡± Peter said, stepping inside.

    ¡°Yep. I got and Jess pepperoni. You¡¯re so early, you won¡¯t have to reheat it later. Something happen at work?¡±

    ¡°I actually managed to get a week of because of all the staff members we lost¡±

    ¡°Finally. That¡¯s great¡±

    ¡°Yep. And I got these¡± Peter said, holding up a folder.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Liz asked.

    ¡°Jess¡¯ passport, birth certificate, and a few other forms of ID¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?!¡± Jess and Liz said in unison.

    ¡°Well it¡¯s pretty hard to integrate into the real world without the proper ID. Jess can¡¯t just couch surf forever¡±

    ¡°Awww¡± Jess groaned.

    ¡°So - small question - how exactly did you get this?¡± Liz said raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°Uh¡­ it¡¯s not the way I usually do things, but¡­ let¡¯s just say I called in a favour from Tinkerer¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Jess said, alarmed.

    ¡°Well I mean you¡¯ve got to live somehow right?¡±

    ¡°I guess¡­ but surely fake ID¡¯s aren¡¯t the way?¡± Liz said.

    ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re totally official. As far as any government database is concerned Jess¡¯ been alive and kicking since¡­ 2011, 12<sup>th</sup> September¡± he said, handing her her passport.

    ¡°Oh. Ok, that¡¯s cool. Kind of ominous that Tinkerer can just do that, but cool¡± Jess said taking her passport. She looked it over, reading it. Now the headshot Peter had taken of her made sense. She read over the passport again.

    ¡°Wait, why Drew?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°The surname?¡±

    ¡°Not a clue¡±

    ¡°You should¡¯ve told me, I would¡¯ve asked for a cooler surname¡±

    ¡°Drew sounds fine though¡± Liz said, eating a slice of pizza.

    Jess shrugged before frowning.

    ¡°Wait does Tinkerer know who I am now?¡±

    ¡°I guess. But I know who he is too¡±

    ¡°You do?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s just an old guy. Works with his granddaughter out of a repair shop down in Queens. Mason repairs. I can¡¯t even say I¡¯d even call him a villain anymore, even if he¡¯s a bit morally questionable. Mostly he just keeps to himself and fixes things for people. I just showed up and told a kid I''d saved was in need of help and that I trusted you. He said that was enough. Plus he does this all the time, so he probably won¡¯t keep you in mind¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯re not going to... stop him?¡±

    ¡°Well I owe him for helping me with Rhino and with that bomb threat like ten months ago. Plus, he¡¯s been getting a lot frailer recently. His granddaughter does most of the heavy lifting at their shop now. I wasn¡¯t exactly going to attack him or get him locked up¡±

    ¡°I¡­ fair enough. I guess there¡¯s more important things to deal with then semi-reformed supervillains¡± Liz said.

    "Yep" Peter said, taking a slice from one of the pepperoni pizza.

    "What''re we watching?" he said pointing at the TV.

    "Some crime thing. Someone died on an ice rink" Jess said.

    "Oh, cool"

    Peter sat down next to Liz with a tired sigh.

    "Oh and Jess we can decide what you want to do regarding school and what not now"

    ¡°Wait school?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Technically you''ve gone to college, but you don''t have any qualifications anymore, which could make things difficult. Highschool does kind of suck though... well you could just get your GED I guess? It depends what you want to do¡±

    Jess stared blankly at Peter. Then back down at the documents in her hands. Oh. Oh wow. She was an actual person now.

    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ can I think about it?¡±

    ¡°Take as long as you need¡±

    Jess nodded before leaning back, still staring at her documents. Thoughts spun through her mind as she tried to make sense of the situation before her. She wasn''t in limbo anymore. There was an actual future now, an actual life waiting to be taken. She looked back up at Peter.

    ¡°Actually I think I do want to get my GED¡±

    ¡°That was fast¡±

    ¡°A-and I want to help you too. As Spider-Woman¡±

    Peter¡¯s face soured slightly.

    ¡°What¡¯s that expression supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°I know how you probably feel, and that you¡¯ve got all my memories, but¡­ you¡¯re still young¡±

    She felt her heart sink.

    "Is that a no?" Liz asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying no. I¡¯m just saying, she might have my memories, but she''s still a kid¡± he said, then turned to face Jess. "Live. Enjoy life first"

    ¡°I can live and help you. You don''t have to keep being Spider-Man on your own¡±

    ¡°I know. I realised a lot in the past three weeks, and I think you helping would do a lot of good. I¡¯ll let you, but don¡¯t feel forced to do this. You don¡¯t have to be Spider-Woman¡±

    ¡°I want to¡±

    ¡°I know, but take some time to really think about it. And at least until you¡¯re an adult, don¡¯t let Spider-Man consume your life¡±

    ¡°And what about you? Is it ok that Spider-Man consumes your life?¡±

    Peter went silent, the atmosphere in the room suddenly awkward.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok Jess. And besides, if you really do want to do this, with you helping out occasionally I¡¯ll be getting more help than ever before¡±

    Jess nodded, slightly relieved Peter hadn''t taken it badly.

    ¡°Hmm. I will have to get you all your own gear and make you a costume though. That might take a while¡±

    ¡°I could make my own costume, you know?¡± Jess said, raising an eyebrow. Pete paused for a second, looking at her, then he let out a small chuckle.

    ¡°Ha, he totally forgot you can do everything he does¡± Liz said with a laugh. Jess smiled.

    "Well that''s enough Spider-Man talk. Let''s enjoy our pizza" Peter said, wrapping his arm around Liz and pulling her closer.

    Jess turned back to the TV, feeling a strange sort of relief. Everything she''d felt about the world had just changed in a few minutes. She glanced down at the documents in her hands, feeling the texture of the passport against her fingertips. When she''d set out to find Peter, she''d never expected any of this. She thought it''d end with her death, not a life, a future. Did she really deserve this? She was just a clone out of hundreds, maybe even thousands who''d gotten lucky and woken up at the right time. What would''ve happened to her if she hadn''t woken up? What would''ve happened to Peter, to Yu? She looked up stared out the window, her expression neutral as she looked to the sky. Then the phone in her pocket began buzzing. Her eyes widened as she quickly pulled it out, and answered.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Hey Jess¡± a familiar voice responded.

    ¡°Yu?¡± she said, her voice tinged with excitement. Peter and Liz looked to her, as she heard a small chuckled from the other end of the line.

    ¡°We should probably talk about a few things. Are you free tomorrow?¡±

    Her smile widened.

    ¡°That sounds great¡±

 Chapter Thirty Four

    Six months Later

    Julia Fines

    It was windy on the ferry. Really windy. Not like she hadn¡¯t expected it, it just always seemed to catch her off guard. Still, she liked standing on the deck. It was fun to watch as the skyline of New York shifted from a point you rarely got to see. Most of life was boring, and it was always nice to enjoy something novel once in a while. She glanced back behind her, at the Hortz-Bruig Penitentiary then the Statue of Liberty and finally back to Manhattan.

    Well, while it was nice to enjoy the novel, she had to focus. Now that the capacitors were finished, her mission, her plan, it was do-able. The entirety of New York was wrapped up in a stable negative energy field more than a hundred times average and the machine would finally work. She¡¯d finally be able to escape this utterly mundane existence, and help others do the same.

    How long had she spent making it? Ten years? Fifteen? Well, it depended on what you considering the starting point. Really, she¡¯d gotten fascinated by the idea in her first years of high school, and it had steadily grown into an obsession. She smiled to herself. She couldn''t quite believe it. The finish line was finally within reach. The notion brought forth a childlike giddiness within her, reminding her of the early days she¡¯d spent researching and building small contraptions in the upper floors of her former high school.

    It was a shame the building had been bought out by a different company. They¡¯d kept the school, but when she¡¯d visited before, it hadn¡¯t been the same. A different vibe, name and uniform. The upper floors had still been off limits though. They¡¯d nearly relocated after the Chinatown explosion ¨C what, nearly two years ago, now? But they¡¯d stayed, and now they¡¯d invited her back as a speaker for some sort of science day. They said she was a former student, which technically was, but that wasn¡¯t why she¡¯d agreed to it. She¡¯d agreed to it because of the memories.

    How fitting, she thought, that she¡¯d end all this exactly where it¡¯d started. Same time off year and everything. Like a sign from God. She smiled to herself. She¡¯d do it today. Everything was already prepared. She¡¯d made sure of that ¨C especially with the capacitors, so there was no need to wait until after her talk to the student body. Hell, if she tested it well enough, she wouldn¡¯t have to tell the students it was all theory. Her smile widened. Oh, how she couldn''t wait. It had finally arrived. The culmination of her life.

    <hr>

    He was surrounded by darkness. An endless sea of darkness and blood. Voices echoed through the darkness, but one was more prominent than the others. He tried to ignore it, but the sound of her voice brought back too many emotions, too much guilt. Her screech echoing through his mind, twisting into the monster¡¯s roar as darkness and blood consumed him.

    --

    I sat up gasping, hands firmly gripping the bed tightly. I pulled them away, blinking through tears as my hands came into focus.

    "Shit"

    My claws were out dripping with venom, onto the bedsheets again. I cursed, pulling them back quickly as I tried to steady myself, let the fear fade. I gripped my hands together tightly, pressing the fists hard against my head. I closed my eyes willing my body to stop shaking. It wasn''t working.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± a familiar voice said in the darkness.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine Eric¡±

    ¡°You sure? You haven''t cried out in a wh-¡±

    ¡°I''m fine" I said curtly, quickly pulling myself back under the covers. Eric didn''t say anything else, and I felt a pang of guilt. I shook my head. I couldn¡¯t miss out on any sleep, I had the science outreach thing tomorrow. I couldn''t show up sleep deprived. I shut my eyes, shutting out the memories and focusing on sleep. Still Amy''s scream lingered in the back of my mind.

    -

    ¡°And that, kids, is why the big bang is the leading theory on how the universe was created. Pretty cool, right? That¡¯s pretty much it for the presentation, does anyone have any questions?¡±

    The elementary schoolers all stared at me with wide eyed blank expressions. I chuckled nervously.

    ¡°No one?¡±

    A kid raised his hand.

    ¡°Perfect. What do you want to ask Timmy?¡± the teacher said.

    ¡°Is it like a bomb?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I said, caught slightly off guard.

    ¡°My Dad says bombs are bad. And he says- he said that Mr Osborne is tryna make one and he¡¯s a no good piece of-¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡± the teacher cried out loudly, standing up. ¡±I think that¡¯s enough for today everyone¡± she said, her face flushing red.

    ¡°But he didn¡¯t answer Timmy¡¯s question¡± another kid said. An echo of assent came from a few of the other kids.

    ¡°Quiet now, we don¡¯t want to be rude to kind Mr Luca do we¡±

    The kids grumbled but stopped talking, all looking to the teacher. I furrowed my brow. That was the second teacher who¡¯d misremembered my name. Eh, I guess it was close enough. At the very least it was closer than what the other guy had guessed.

    ¡°Now, does anyone have any more reasonable questions?¡±

    No hands went up.

    ¡°Then I think we¡¯re done for the day¡± she said, turning to me and nodding.

    ¡°I¡­ yeah¡±

    My face fell slightly as the teacher turned back to the class.

    ¡°Kids, what do we say to nice visitors?¡±

    A chorus of unenthusiastic thank you¡¯s came from the class. I nodded back, forcing a smile.

    ¡°Thanks for having me everyone¡±

    ¡°Alright. Ms Greene can you escort Luca to reception please?¡±

    ¡°Of course¡± the teaching assistant said. She took my USB out of the laptop, handed it to me and quickly we stepped out the room, starting towards the reception.

    As we made our way through the halls, I could barely think about anything besides the presentation. I¡¯d totally bombed. I cringed. I¡¯d been so bad I probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to get a reaction out of francium and water, let alone elementary kids. I probably hadn¡¯t been able to get anything out of them because I kept making dumb jokes like that. I sighed. Why had I changed the plan? I should¡¯ve stuck to the original.

    Suddenly the teaching assistant, Ms Green, turned to me.

    ¡°Thank you so much for coming. Everyone here really appreciates that your school does a science outreach program like this¡± she said, with a bright smile.

    ¡°No worries¡± I said, giving an awkward nod. She seemed overly excited about it. Maybe her kid went here? No, she looked too young for that. A sibling?

    ¡°I¡¯m sure some of the kids will remember your presentation and decide to pursue science in the future¡±

    ¡°Thanks, but I don¡¯t think my presentation was that great¡±

    ¡°Really? I thought it was pretty cool¡±

    ¡°Oh not the presentation itself, more so my delivery. Usually the kids seem a bit more interested¡±

    ¡°Oh... sorry about that¡± she said, her face falling.

    ¡°Wait, sorry, that came out wrong. It¡¯s not the kids¡¯ fault, I just changed the way I usually do things¡± I said, as we slowed, then stepped through a set of doors into the empty reception room.

    ¡°Oh. Well it¡¯s still great that you do this. Good luck next time¡±

    ¡°Thanks for having me¡± I responded. She left with a small wave, and I gave a small wave back.

    As the doors closed behind her I turned and took a seat in one of the chairs. I glanced at the receptionist and then stared at my feet. The teaching assistant had seemed nice. I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell her that this was the last time we were doing this. I glanced up at the clock in the corner of the room. Geez. I¡¯d finished seven minutes early, for what was supposed to be a twenty-minute presentation. I groaned and leant back in my seat.

    I¡¯d tried to be funny, but the kids hadn¡¯t really cared, and then I¡¯d lost them by asking too many questions they couldn¡¯t answer. Then I¡¯d abandoned the questions and the plan all together and sped through everything. Welp, I should¡¯ve just stuck to my old strategy. At least the assembly had seemed fun for the kids.

    The doors swung open again and a classmate walked into the reception alone, grinning. He spotted me and his grin widened.

    ¡°Why the long face man?¡± Rion said.

    ¡°I totally bombed¡±

    ¡°Seriously? I thought you¡¯re great with kids?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well after that stuff at the last school I tried to change my approach, but¡­¡± I sighed.

    ¡°If they weren¡¯t listening you should just get them to colour while you talk. It¡¯s what I do¡± he said with a shrug. I frowned.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s how were supposed to do things¡±

    He shrugged again and stretched out before leaning back in his seat.

    ¡°You think the others are gonna be finished soon?¡±

    ¡°Lauren¡¯s group usually overrun by a few minutes, so I¡¯d give it like ten minutes¡±

    He groaned and looked to the ceiling. We sat in silence for a few seconds, before Rion turned to me.

    ¡°Has Quinten told you, what college he¡¯s going to commit to yet?¡±

    ¡°Nope. I don¡¯t think even his mum and sister know. Well Auntie probably knows, but I think they both find the whole secrecy thing fun¡±

    ¡°Bummer. If it was my cousin I¡¯d want to know for sure¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind really. It¡¯s his big thing, so he can choose what he wants to do. He seems happy¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Though I do think he¡¯ll pick ESU¡±

    ¡°So, you do know!?¡± Rion said with a laugh.

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m just guessing. He could surprise us¡± I said, grinning back. We both turned as the doors to the reception opened and a Eric walked in, from the look of it, his mind elsewhere.

    ¡°Finally done huh?¡± Rion said.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting ages¡± Rion joked.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t blame me, you guys are the ones who finished early¡±

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Hey. Maybe we¡¯re just more efficient¡± Rion joked.

    ¡°Sure¡± Eric said sitting down.

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not usually this early. Something happen?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah, a kid threw up. Everyone lost focus after that, so I just let them colour while I talked¡±

    ¡°See?¡± Rion laughed, turning to me.

    ¡°Fair enough¡± I said, leaning back in my chair.

    ¡°What about you two?¡± Eric said.

    ¡°Nah, the kids were well behaved. No problems¡±

    ¡°None here either. Well¡­ some kid did ask whether the big bang¡¯s like a bomb. I guess he¡¯s not exactly wrong, but I wasn¡¯t exactly expecting it¡±

    The other two chuckled slightly before Rion spoke up.

    ¡°Talking about bombs, did you see in the news, that stuff with the new Spider guy and girl?¡± Rion said. Instantly I stiffened. ¡°They beat some villain throwing bombs about near my house. No one got hurt, but it¡¯s crazy right? ¡± Rion said. Eric spared a glance at me, before looking to Rion.

    ¡°Yeah. Hey, who do you think¡¯s gonna win this week the Yanks or the Blue Birds?¡± Eric said. Rion frowned but continued the conversation, his passion for baseball overcoming his irritation over seemingly being ignored. As they spoke, I pulled away from the conversation. I felt far away. My heart echoed in my ears, as a familiar feeling crept up into my stomach, but I forced it down, calming myself. I was fine. Just don¡¯t think about it. Don¡¯t think about anything.

    ¡°Lucas? Hey man you okay?¡± Rion asked, his voice cutting. I looked up, meeting his eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Well I will be when you two stop arguing about baseball¡± I said, grinning.

    ¡°Ass¡± Rion said, rolling his eyes as he turned back to talk to Eric.

    Then the doors to the reception opened again, and a bunch of students walked in, Yerin and Keiko among them. Yerin looked around as she entered then made her way over, sitting beside me.

    ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± I asked her.

    She let out an exaggerated sigh and rested her head against my shoulder.

    ¡°I take it not good?¡±

    ¡°Nope. One of the kids kept interrupting me. Teacher didn¡¯t do anything. What about you?¡±

    ¡°I totally bombed¡±

    ¡°Really? The questions didn¡¯t work?¡±

    ¡°Nope. They all seemed to just zone out. Not to blame them. I would¡¯ve bored me too¡±

    ¡°It probably wasn¡¯t that bad. You¡¯re being harsh on yourself again¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯d change your mind if you saw me¡±

    She rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Well it¡¯s over now. We just have to write out that report and we¡¯re done¡±

    ¡°Are you still talking about your presentations?¡± Rion said.

    ¡°Huh? Yeah?¡±

    ¡°You two take this too seriously¡±

    ¡°Well, it kind of is serious¡± Keiko said, with a frown.

    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s over now!¡± Rion said with a bit too much enthusiasm. A few others laughed, before everyone went back to their own conversations.

    ¡°For the report do you want to write it this weekend, or are you busy?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No, I can do this weekend¡±

    ¡°Oh, that reminds me. This is gonna sound bad, but when¡¯s her birthday again?¡±

    Yerin frowned, glancing up at me.

    ¡°22nd¡±

    ¡°I knew it was in the twenties¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t exactly comfort me. I remember your sisters¡¯ birthday¡¯s, you know?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not fair, you and Sofia are both in the same club. And do you really expect me to believe you remember Maria¡¯s birthday?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ early September¡±

    ¡°November actually¡± I chuckled.

    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s fair. Why¡¯d you want to know?¡±

    ¡°Just to make sure I had my dates right. Means I can get something now before I have to start thinking about graduation and stuff¡±

    Yerin let out another heavy sigh and slumped against my shoulder.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re gonna graduate soon¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it feels like we were freshman only a few months ago¡±

    Yerin chuckled as lay against my arm, before her smile faded and she pulled away.

    ¡°You, okay?¡± she said concerned.

    ¡°Yeah? Why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, you seem tense¡±

    ¡°Well, I did just bomb in front of thirty seven year olds¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t joke Lucas¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Really¡± I said. She furrowed her brow slightly before taking my hand. We both glanced back to the door as more students entered, Lauren¡¯s group entering last.

    Lauren quickly took roll, and then thanked the receptionist and one of the faculty, before we all stood, and made our way to leave.

    ¡°Now I can go home and rest¡± I said stretching out.

    ¡°What? It¡¯s only three¡± Keiko said.

    ¡°Yeah, and I mean we have got litter duty after this¡± Rion said.

    I groaned.

    ¡°I thought you liked litter duty?¡± Yerin asked.

    ¡°Only when you¡¯re doing it too. When it¡¯s just me Eric, and Rion, they just argue about whose baseball team is better¡±

    ¡°Hey, we don¡¯t argue¡± Eric said.

    ¡°Sure¡± I chuckled.

    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re just heated debates man. It¡¯s not my fault Eric can¡¯t see how great the Yanks are¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Eric said turning to him. They immediately devolved into an argument as I chuckled to myself.

    ¡°You want me to ask if you can do the litter pick instead?¡± Yerin said.

    ¡°What? No way, you¡¯ve been looking forward to helping out with the science thing. I¡¯ll be fine¡±

    -

    I was anything but fine. My back hurt for no reason, I was more tired than usual and it felt like Eric and Rion¡¯s ¡°debates¡± would never end.

    ¡°Mani is way better than Hernandez¡±

    ¡°Seriously?! He sucks! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d even compared Mani to Hernandez¡±

    ¡°How can you even say that!? Mani¡¯s average at worst. Hernandez should be in the fucking minors.¡±

    I¡¯d been trying to tune it out, but I didn¡¯t have anything. I groaned silently to myself. Maybe I should¡¯ve gotten invested in baseball when we¡¯d first befriended Rion. I sighed. It was too late now.

    I pulled away, coming to a stop slightly further ahead than the rest of the group. I poked at another piece of rubbish before lugging behind my bin bag with me. As I came to a stop, I paused and glanced up, recognising a familiar mural of the Vanguard. Someone was repainting it, new costumes and all. A small smile play on my lips as I gave them a wave. Time really flew by didn¡¯t it. Ryan would be in his third year of college now, wouldn¡¯t he?

    I looked around, taking in the summer air as I looked at all the other volunteers I¡¯d grown familiar with. I didn¡¯t think I was the type to get so sentimental, but I guess anyone got attached to things they enjoyed. I turned back to picking up the rubbish when I spotted the only silver hi vis among the group. A bit further out, even slightly ahead of me, Xavier picked litter by himself.

    I frowned as I watched him. He¡¯d been with us a few weeks now. A freshman. I didn¡¯t know what he¡¯d done, to be forced to be here, but he never spoke to anyone. He didn¡¯t seem like a bad kid. Maybe I should talk to him?

    I made my way over to him.

    ¡°Hey. Xavier, right?¡± I said. He glanced at me, his face set in a half scowl mixed with defensiveness.

    ¡°Y-yeah?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Lucas, I¡¯ve seen you around here a lot, just thought I¡¯d introduce myself¡±

    He nodded awkwardly.

    ¡°You¡¯re a first year right? You in any other clubs?¡±

    ¡°Baseball¡±

    ¡°Oh. My friends are baseball crazy¡± I said, chuckling. ¡°You¡¯ve probably heard them argue about it week in and week out¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± he mumbled.

    ¡°You got any other hobbies?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I like videogames¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah? What kind?¡±

    ¡°Mostly racing games¡±

    ¡°Oh cool¡±

    He nodded, continuing to pick up litter.

    ¡°You got a favourite superhero form the Vanguard?¡± I asked.

    He glanced back at me, still clearly not wanting to talk, then shrugged.

    ¡°Sorry man, I¡¯ll get out your hair¡±

    I stepped back, cringing internally. Great. Still as awkward as ever. I sighed and picked up some rubbish before pausing then looking back to him.

    ¡°Hey Xavier¡± I said.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± he responded, turning to me.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to talk to anyone if you really don¡¯t want to, but trust me, it makes this thing a lot more fun¡±

    He stared at me blankly for a few more seconds. I flashed him a thumbs up, and then made my way back over to Eric and Rion.

    -

    Just finished up. I¡¯ll be with you in a sec.

    I smiled, reading the text over again as I sat in the senior common room. Yerin had finished early. It meant there was time for the surprise today before curfew. It was a bit risky, but if she was down, then it¡¯d be amazing.

    ¡°Hey Lucas? You want a turn?¡± Eric said offering me a pool cue.

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m about to leave¡± I said.

    ¡°With Yerin? You two going out to eat or something?¡± Rion asked.

    ¡°Something like that¡±

    ¡°Fine, I guess I¡¯ll just let Kasun keep whooping our asses then¡± Eric said. We all burst out laughing, before Rion took the cue and began his battle against Kasun.

    I looked to the entrance. A few other helpers were coming into the common room now. I stood and made my way out into the hall. Yerin came around the corner, all smiles as she talked with a few others. She noticed me, and quickly rushed over still grinning.

    ¡°How was it?¡±

    ¡°Dr Fines was amazing! She got really enthusiastic when I told her I was gonna study physics at college and gave me her email. She even told me about a summer internship she plans to do with her company next year. They haven¡¯t even put it up on their website yet so I¡¯ve basically got a head start on the whole application. I can¡¯t believe it. My parents are gonna lose it. God I¡¯m so excited. I want to do it all now¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really excited for this aren¡¯t you?¡± I said, smiling.

    ¡°Huh? Oh yeah¡± she said, her face flushing.

    ¡°It¡¯s good. I like it when you seem happy¡±. Her face flushed further.

    ¡°So, what¡¯d you want to do? We¡¯ve got like two hours before curfew¡±

    ¡°Well you know that surprise I kept telling you about?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°I think today¡¯s the perfect day for it. The weather¡¯s great for it¡°

    ¡°The weather?¡±

    I grinned.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re gonna love it¡±

    -

    Together, Yerin and I trudged through the dank and musty halls of the school¡¯s upper floors.

    ¡°Should we really be up here?¡±

    ¡°Technically? No. But security¡¯s so poor I like to think they want us up¡±

    ¡°Lucas¡±

    ¡°Sorry. We¡¯ll be fine. And you¡¯re gonna love the view¡±

    ¡°Fine, but if we get in trouble, I¡¯m pinning it on you¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. But you don¡¯t have worry, we won¡¯t get caught. I¡¯ve done this before¡±

    ¡°I gathered. Still don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll only be like five minutes¡±

    ¡°Fine¡±

    We continued down the hall.

    ¡°I won¡¯t actually pin it on you, you know?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°If we get caught, I won¡¯t actually pin the blame on you¡°

    ¡°I really don¡¯t mind. I mean I did bring you up here¡±

    ¡°And I choose to come silly. I¡¯m just as much at fault¡±

    ¡°Fair¡±

    We carried on walking, in silence.

    ¡°Now that I think about it you¡¯re always doing that¡±

    ¡°Doing what?¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ accepting unnecessary trouble or blame¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I thought I was thinking about it too deeply, but it¡¯s kind of a recurring pattern, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    I shrugged, offering a non-committal hum in response before we turned another corner. Had I taken a wrong turn somewhere? I paused as we passed a slightly ajar door. Weird. There wasn¡¯t as much dust here. I peered inside. A large tarp covered something circular, with power lines running out from underneath it.

    What the hell was that?

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Can we take a look in here first? There¡¯s something cool in here I don¡¯t recognise¡± I said.

    ¡°Does it look dangerous?¡±

    ¡°No?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly comforting¡±

    ¡°Please? I¡¯ll be five seconds¡±

    ¡°Fine¡±

    I slipped inside and looked around. In the corner of the room were a few boxes that looked like they had equipment inside. Interesting. I carried on forward, reaching the tarp, before lifting slightly to peer underneath. Two large metal rings towered above me, side by side. They were unnaturally, possessing an almost otherworldly quality.

    ¡°Holy shit¡± I mumbled, ¡°Babe come look at this¡± I said, intrigued. Yerin made her way over and I lifted the tarp higher as she looked at it.

    ¡°Woah. What do you think it is?¡±

    ¡°Probably something to do with power. But they¡¯re pretty big and they¡¯ve got no dust on them. They¡¯re definitely new¡±

    ¡°Well, they look expensive. Who do you think assembled them?¡±

    ¡°No clue. I can¡¯t see a company logo or anything¡±

    I frowned, before reaching out towards the machine to touch it.

    ¡°Lucas don¡¯t touch it¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡± I said. I made my way closer and looked at the edge of the ring. My spider-sense buzzed, catching me off guard, but I pushed it to the back of my mind and tenderly touched the machine. Even with barely any pressure I felt the edge sting my finger. Geez that was sharp.

    I pulled away and quickly licked the blood off my finger.

    ¡°Did you cut yourself? Seriously? I told you not to touch it¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡± I said sheepishly.

    She took my hand, and gently prodded my finger before rolling her eyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back and get you a plaster, this was silly anyway¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s dirty up here, I don¡¯t want your finger falling off because you got an infection from whatever the hell is up here¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t touch anything else, I promise. Come on, you¡¯ll really like the roof¡±

    She furrowed her brow before sighing.

    ¡°Fine. But no more detours this time¡±

    ¡°Right¡±

    We quickly made our way out of the room as I glanced behind us at the large white tarp. I shrugged and we continued through the halls before reaching the familiar grated door. I pushed it open.

    ¡°Jesus, it¡¯s musty in here¡± Yerin said, holding her nose.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s nicer up there¡± I said. I made my way forward and pulled open the door that led to the stairwell, grinning.

    ¡°Wait we have to walk on that?¡± she said, pointing to the rickety and rusted stairwell.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. See¡± I said, testing my weight against it. It creaked loudly, but nothing broke. We steadily made our way up to the walkways, then quickly walked down to one of the unlocked doors. It creaked open slowly, the outside offering a gentle wind and the soft orange hue of setting sunlight. It¡¯d been almost exactly like last time. As we emerged onto the roof and Yerin paused, taking in the view.

    ¡°Cool right?¡±

    A small smile tugged at her lips.

    ¡°Yeah, it is pretty cool¡±

    -

    We walked back through the halls of the school, just talking. We¡¯d stayed on the roof longer than expected, watching the sunset in it¡¯s entirety. It¡¯d been nice. Really nice. I¡¯d almost all but forgotten about Rion mentioning the Spider-Men earlier, and my nightmare. Almost. At least now they weren¡¯t at the forefront of my mind.

    Yerin paused for a second as we came to a stop on a stairwell landing.

    ¡°Today was nice¡± she said with a smile

    ¡°Yeah. You want to head to the common room? We¡¯ve still got like thirty minutes till curfew¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m kind of tired. I¡¯m probably gonna go to bed now. Don¡¯t want to accidentally sleep in and miss Dr Fine¡¯s presentation¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m probably gonna go to bed too¡±

    ¡°Alright. See you tomorrow. Oh, and don¡¯t forget to set an alarm¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t¡±

    She gave me a quick kiss then headed up a small flight of stairs and disappeared around the corner. I started back down the steps to the boys corridor when I heard a voice above me.

    ¡°Seriously don¡¯t forget your alarm¡± she repeated, peering back around the corner.

    ¡°I won¡¯t¡± I responded, my smile wide. Her smile widened and then disappeared back around the corner.

    ¡°Goodnight¡± she called out.

    ¡°Goodnight¡±

    I stood still for a second before making my way back to the senior boy¡¯s corridor, grinning to myself stupidly. I really was lucky.

    I stopped outside my room and opened the door with my keycard. The room was empty. Eric must¡¯ve still been in the common room. Probably playing pool and debating baseball with Rion. I trudged over to my drawers, and grabbed what I needed, before changing quickly in the bathroom then brushing my teeth. I slunk back into bed and closed my eyes and allowed sleep to take me, still reminiscing about the day. Today had been nice. Really nice.

    I thought about the view of the city, and the two bridges. The image of the sunset was stuck firmly in my mind even as I drifted off to sleep.

    -

    I woke to the sound of a loud bang. I groaned, rolling over as I blinked sleep out of my eyes. It was still dark, to the point I could barely see anything. I didn¡¯t need to get up yet. I yawned before slumping back into my pillow, nestling my head in its crook. The sound of soft footsteps thumped through the room. Eric didn¡¯t usually go to the bathroom at this hour. Eh, he wasn¡¯t being loud so I didn¡¯t mind.

    Suddenly I felt the weight of the bed shift as someone else climbed into bed with me. My eyes shot open, as I turned back over confused.

    ¡°Did I wake you?¡± a pretty Asian girl said, yawning. ¡±Sorry Michelle and I just got done with our patrol and we were closer to here, so I thought I¡¯d stay with you¡±

    She flopped on top of me and instantly I pushed her back pulling away, my heart thudding hard in my chest.

    ¡°Babe?¡±

    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± I said confused. I looked round the room, my heart sunk. I wasn¡¯t in my dorm, instead in a small one-bedroom apartment.

    ¡°What the- Where the hell am I?!¡±

 Chapter Thirty Five

    ¡°Whoa, whoa, calm down¡± the woman said, inching towards me.

    I backed away, pulling myself out from under the covers.

    ¡°Stay the fuck back¡± I warned.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s ok, it¡¯s ok. Mysterio¡¯s not here. Everything¡¯s fine. Just look at me¡± she said. I blinked, staring at her confused as she continued to inch forwards. Mysterio? What the hell was she talking about? I pulled back off the bed, stumbling into the middle of the apartment.

    ¡°Where the hell am I?¡±

    ¡°Your in your apartment, i-¡±

    ¡°My apartment? I don¡¯t have an apartment. What is this? Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m your¡­ girlfriend? We haven¡¯t really put a label o-¡±

    ¡°I already have a girlfriend¡±

    Her expression morphed from one of concern to confusion, then anger.

    ¡°Wait, what?! Lucas what the fuck?¡±

    ¡°How the hell do you know my name?¡±

    "What?"

    "My name. How do you know my name?"

    She stared at me dumbfounded before getting off the bed.

    ¡°Are you trying to be funny? Is this one of your stupid pranks?¡±

    ¡°What the fuck are you talking about?¡± I said. She stared at me, silent, and the anger left her expression, replaced by intrigue. She leapt over to me with an incredible agility, unbefitting of a normal human, and placed a hand on my cheek. I jerked away and stumbled, falling backwards. She caught me by my shirt, and furrowed her brow as her eyes searched my face. Then her expression changed, growing cold.

    She pushed me backwards and I crashed to the floor. My spider sense began buzzing.

    ¡°How¡¯d you find this place?¡± she said, raising her fists.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I asked you how the fuck you found this place¡± she said, her voice harsh.

    ¡°I- What?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb. You¡¯re clearly a clone. And a shit one at that¡±

    ¡°What the fuck? I¡¯m not a clone¡±

    ¡°Cut the bullshit. You¡¯re skinnier. And I thought you just had bed hair, but it¡¯s just shorter. It¡¯s pretty obvious now that I¡¯m looking closer¡±

    ¡°Wait a sec. What the fuck is even happening right now?¡±

    ¡°Where the hell¡¯s Lucas!?¡±

    ¡°Jesus, don''t shout¡° I said, picking myself up.

    ¡°I thought we got you all, but obviously not. Come for revenge?¡±

    ¡°No. I seriously have no idea what you¡¯re talking about¡± I said, raising my hands in surrender.

    My spider sense buzzed louder, and I ducked under a punch, before getting clocked in the face by an elbow. I stumbled back as she fired out a web and it caught me on the shoulder with enough force to yank my entire arm back and stick me against the wall. I stared at it confused before looking back at her, eyes wide as I clutched my nose. She had Spider powers. Holy shit. As I stared, her eyes narrowed and she lowered her fist.

    ¡°What the hell¡¯s up with you? Did eating all those people scramble your brains?¡±

    ¡°I- wait what?¡±

    Before she could give a response, everything shifted. For a moment my entire body crackled with energy, fizzing, as trying to pull away from reality itself. It was like my body was glitching. My atoms slammed into each other, grating against the rest of the world. Everything hurt and I cried out, my voice distorted. And then it was over. I breathed heavily, my mind fuzzy as it tried to work through the pain, and then my legs gave out. I fell to my knees Ow. That fucking hurt.

    ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± the woman asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± I mumbled. I let out a breath and rested my head against the wall to regain my composure. The woman looked at me with a mixture of apprehension and concern, fists raised once again.

    After a short and awkward silence she spoke.

    ¡°Are you just¡­ not gonna fight back?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No. I just want to figure out what the hell is happening?¡±

    She stared at me, her expression shifting slightly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move. I¡¯m gonna call someone¡±

    ¡°Alright¡± I mumbled, leaning my back against the wall. I watched as she webbed her phone from across the room. She quickly tapped away, before making her way to the other end of the room then placed the phone next to her ear. I turned away from her and looked around the apartment. It was mostly bare except for a few polaroid photos on the fridge and an Icon poster on the wall. Kind of dingy. I looked back to the woman who occasionally glanced at me as she whispered into her phone.

    She seemed to recognise me, or at least a person I looked eerily similar to. No, it was more than that. She knew my name. What''d she said again? Something about being a clone that eats people? I¡¯d been so confused I hadn¡¯t really paid attention.

    I sighed and shook my head. What was even going on? Was this some kind of super vivid dream? Or had Mysterio gotten to me? He was supposed to be in prison, but who knew. Maybe he¡¯d broken out and used his mind tricks to ha. I glanced down at my hands. No. That didn¡¯t explain the glitching. I didn¡¯t know what to make of that. I looked around the room again then back at the web covering my shoulder. I didn¡¯t know what to make of any of this.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    I let out another sigh and I just stood awkwardly, as I watched the woman speak in a hushed voice over the phone. Finally, she hung up and turned to me, narrowing her eyes again.

    ¡°Who sent you?¡± she said. This time there was less disgust and more confusion in her voice.

    ¡°Who sent me? Nobody¡±

    ¡°Just tell me the truth¡±

    ¡°I am. I literally just woke up here¡±

    She shook her head in disappointment and went back to her phone tapping away. Suddenly I felt a wave of nerves, and a sudden keenness for my body and surroundings. My mouth was dry. Really dry. I looked back up at her as she glared at her phone.

    ¡°Uh¡­ sorry but could I get a glass of water?¡±

    She looked up and stared at me the intensity of her gaze only growing.

    ¡°N-never mind¡± I mumbled awkwardly.

    She stood still for a few more seconds then sighed. Turning she made her way over to the kitchen area. She poured water into a plastic cup before turning back then hesitantly handing it to me.

    ¡°Thanks¡± I said, before taking a sip. She grabbed a chair and sat opposite me, arms crossed, and face set in a frown.

    We sat in awkward silence before she scratched the back of her head.

    ¡°You¡¯re really not gonna try and pull anything?¡±

    ¡°Nope¡±

    ¡°This is so confusing¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just as confused as you¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m starting to get that. But seriously how did you even get in here?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was sleeping in my dorm and then you woke me up¡±

    ¡°Dorm?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°Do you really expect me to believe that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want me to say¡±

    She glared at me and I went back to sipping my water. I stared at the floor, thinking to myself. I looked back up at the woman, her gaze still filled with intrigue, confusion and a hint of anger

    ¡°Quick question, you said this was my apartment right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡± she said, narrowing her eyes.

    ¡°Right. Where exactly are we?¡±

    ¡°Are you fucking with me right now?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m just trying to make sense of where I am¡±

    ¡°You seriously don¡¯t know?¡±

    I shook my head. She watched me closely for a second, .

    ¡°And you think this is my apartment?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Well, it¡¯s basically our apartment. Most of my stuff is here¡±

    I looked around again.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty¡­ bland¡±

    ¡°Well you decorated the place. Well the real Lucas did. God this is weird¡±

    She leaned forward, inspecting my face again.

    ¡°This is so weird¡±

    ¡°You really don¡¯t recognise anything?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m pretty sure I have the Icon poster, but¡­ nothing else really¡± I said, glancing at the photos on the fridge.

    ¡°Seriously? You don¡¯t recognise that?¡± she said, pointing at a small helmet in the corner I hadn¡¯t noticed.

    ¡°Nope¡±

    ¡°What about that?¡± she pointed at a baseball bat in the corner.

    ¡°I mean I¡¯ve seen a baseball bat before, but I have no idea why I¡¯d have one¡±

    ¡°It''s signed. The gave it to you after you stopped that brick guy at a Northerns game¡±

    ¡°Northerns?¡±

    ¡°Do you seriously not even recognise this¡± she said, webbing over a t-shirt and holding it up.

    I stared at. It was a t-shirt from the BRC. One for the 80 year anniversary. I re-read the lettering trying to make sense of it.

    BRC

    Celebrating 80 years of research

    1946-2026.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The t-shirt. It¡¯s¡­ it doesn¡¯t make sense¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°The BRC doesn¡¯t exist anymore. It can¡¯t have had an 80 year anniversary¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re you talking about?¡±

    ¡°G- my friend works there¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait, what? The BRC blew up years ago. Nearly four years ago¡±

    ¡°What? What¡¯re you talking about?¡±

    ¡°The negative energy explosion?¡±

    She stared at me blankly.

    ¡°Seriously? That was all over the news, like, everywhere. It was international¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you, but I¡¯m pretty sure the BRC is still in one piece¡±

    What? How could she not know about the negative energy explosion? it was one of the things to happen in New York. It¡¯d sparked a global arms race just to try and reproduce it. What was I missing? Where the hell had she gotten that shirt? I needed to figure out more first.

    ¡°How long have I lived here? In this place?¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­ coming up on two years, I think?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ just to check, what year is it?¡±

    ¡°2027¡±

    I stared at her lost for words. She thought I¡¯d lived her since 2025? Since my 2<sup>nd</sup> year of highschool? That just¡­ didn¡¯t make any sense. I ran a hand through my hair, sighing. Things felt like they were only getting more and more insane.

    A singular idea was dominating my thoughts, but I didn¡¯t want to entertain it. The notion alone was absurd. But this situation was too. Unless I was having a really weird dream, it was one of the only things that made sense. But that was insane. That couldn¡¯t just randomly happen, could it.

    I pinched the bridge of my nose and took a deep breath.

    ¡°You okay?¡±

    ¡°Ok. Uh¡­ let me think. If the BRC didn¡¯t blow up then-¡± I froze, then looked up at the girl.

    ¡°Wait, do you even know who Peter is?¡±

    ¡°No. It sounds familiar though¡±

    ¡°But¡­ you have Spider-Man, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    She went to say something and paused, then frowned, glancing behind her. Someone suddenly leapt in through and landed on the floor gracefully. A woman in a hooded white and black spider costume stood glancing between us.

    ¡°Ghost, you¡¯re finally here¡± the woman said, standing.

    ¡°Cindy. Lucas? What¡¯s going on?¡± she said, reaching for her mask.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡± Cindy said, stepping forward and stopping her. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a clone, but he¡¯s not Lucas. He¡¯s been saying a bunch of weird stuff¡±

    Ghost, the spider woman, frowned.

    ¡°Let me scan him¡± she said. Cindy stood back and Ghost stepped forward, quickly scanning me with something on her wrist. She pressed at the gadget on her wrist, then frowned staring at it.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Cindy asked.

    ¡°Nothing. He¡¯s normal¡± Ghost responded.

    ¡°Nothing? But he¡¯s clearly different. Look at him¡±

    Ghost stared at me.

    ¡°Oh yeah, your eyes are reversed¡± she said. I frowned. Did I know her? I¡¯m pretty sure I didn¡¯t. Weird.

    Ghost turned back to Cindy, tapping her foot.

    ¡°Did you try call Lucas?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Straight to voicemail¡±

    Ghost crossed her arms and frowned, before looking back to me. She turned back to the woman, and they began talking to each other in hushed voices. I tried and failed to listen discreetly, before deciding to go the direct route. I needed some answers.

    ¡°Hey, can I ask a question?¡± I said. They both looked to me. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±

    I was met with silence before Ghost stepped forward.

    ¡°You said the BRC blew up nearly four years ago. Was it in mid-October? 2023?¡±

    ¡°I- yeah. Yeah. I think so¡±

    They both looked to each other.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Shit. How did I not realise¡±

    ¡°Realise what?¡±

    ¡°I... that¡¯s the same time as the massacre¡± Cindy said, glancing to Ghost.

    ¡°Massacre?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know¡± Ghost said her eyes widening.

    ¡°No. Can someone explain what¡¯s going on? I¡¯m just getting more confused¡±

    ¡°Where you involved in this explosion¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± I said, the question catching me off guard.

    ¡°Where you at the BRC when you say it exploded¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡± I swallowed nervously.

    ¡°Can you tell me exactly what happened. What you remember from that day¡±

    ¡°W-with the explosion?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°I- uh¡­ I there was a¡­ I¡­¡± I stuttered, the memories flooding back to me. I went silent, my breath hitching in my throat.

    ¡°Lucas?¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡± I said taking a breath. ¡°I was- I visited Dr Ricardo¡¯s lab-¡°

    ¡°Dr Ricardo? You know Dr Ricardo?¡± Cindy asked.

    ¡°Y-yeah¡±

    ¡°Was he¡­ doing anything weird that day?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He¡­ he¡¯d lied to me. About everything. He used me to turn himself into a monster. We fought and I broke one of the machines¡­ it exploded¡­ a lot of people died¡± I mumbled. The two glanced at each other.

    ¡°Apart from the explosion, I don¡¯t see the difference¡± Cindy said, shaking her head.

    ¡°Wait. Did you go to the BRC before he started killing people?¡±

    ¡°I- yeah¡±

    They both looked to each other, then went silent. They stepped away for a second, discussing things between themselves in hushed whispers again.

    I took another sip from my cup then set it down, my brow furrowed. From Cindy¡¯s comment about differences, it seemed like they¡¯d reached the same insane conclusion I had, or at least a similar one.

    I was in some sort of alternate reality. A different timeline. A different universe.

    But how? What did that mean? Could I even go home? What if I never saw Yerin again? What if I never saw my family? If this was different timeline, if the BRC hadn¡¯t blown up, if everything was different then that meant my life would be completely unrecognisable. The people around me would have completely different lives. Would Quinten even play basketball? Would my sisters even exist? What about my Uncle? Would he even be dead?

    My thoughts grinded to a halt, my eyes widening.

    Amy.

    I looked up at the two of them.

    ¡°Amy¡± I said, my voice shaky. ¡°Is she¡­ do you two know an Amy?¡±

    The looked at each other.

    ¡°Do you mean Emi?¡±

 Chapter Thirty Six

    ¡°Emi? I- she has wings. Dragonfly wings. She calls herself Chrysalis or Dragonfly. T-the news called her dragonfly¡± I said, the words practically spilling out of my mouth.

    ¡°Yeah. We know her¡± Cindy said. The words hit me like a ton of bricks. Amy was alive. She was alive here. I needed to see her. I stood quickly, tearing the web off the wall. Both of them stepped back, but I raised my hands in a show of surrender.

    ¡°Can I see her?¡±

    The looked to each other then back at me.

    ¡°Well, we should probably check a few things first. We can¡¯t just trust you yet¡± Cindy said.

    ¡°Please¡± I said, my voice raw.

    ¡°If you come with us, and do everything we say, to the tee Then we¡¯ll let you see the others. But you have to show us we can trust you first¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you need me to. I just want to talk to her¡±

    A flicker of confusion passed across their faces and then stepped back, whispering to each other as they eyed me.

    ¡°We¡¯ll do it. But we need to take you somewhere first¡±

    ¡°Ok¡±

    -

    We swung through the streets of New York, illuminated by the night time lights. My arms and legs were wrapped in web, and my face covered by a mask made of web. Cindy held me under her arm as she and Ghost swung gracefully, soaring high above the sounds below. My heart thudded in my chest, as I kept my eyes clamped shut despite the mask. I¡¯d forgotten how scary this had felt. Scary, but freeing. How had I forgotten that?

    The wind whipped in my ears and beyond it I could hear muffled shouts. The two were talking. I couldn¡¯t make out their voices. Suddenly we came to a stop. My legs swayed back and forth as Cindy moved upwards, then dragged against concrete as she crawled forwards.

    Then we were falling. I cried out, and we landed, the lack of wind and sudden increase in temperature indicating a change in environment. We were indoors.

    ¡°Put him in the chamber¡± Ghost said. Cindy carried me along, grumbling to herself before she stood me up and pushed me against something hard.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s happening?¡±

    There was a sudden hiss and I flinched before a low whirring echoed above me. I stood still for a minute or two before I my mind started to wander. What the hell was happening

    ¡°The web¡¯s in the way. You didn¡¯t use a new formula did you?¡± I heard through the glass. Someone sighed then there was another whoosh of air, and I felt a hand grab me, pulling at the web covering my body.

    The blindfold was wrenched away, and I shied away from the sudden exposure to light.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to escape¡± Cindy said.

    ¡°I won¡¯t¡± I mumbled, cautiously opening one eye. As they adjusted I looked around. I stood in a glass semicircle against a slanted board. I looked up and gazed beyond the glass. I was in the corner of a somewhat large space with a wide array of things.

    Tables filled with science stuff, a row of doors with different symbols on them, a lounge area with a sofa TV and a bunch of bean bags. There was also a bunch of arcade stuff next to a kitchen area with polaroid photos littering the fridge. Directly next to me were more complex looking machines with a first aid kit and defibrillator on the wall above them. In the far corner there was even a mat surrounded by punching bags. The entire place looked cool.

    There was another hiss and another semicircle of glass spun, sealing the opening shut before above me something began to whir. Ghost and Cindy stood over a control panel next to the machine. They both stood still reading info off a screen as they mumbled to each other.

    ¡°Uh¡­ what is this?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re scanning you¡± Ghost muttered. Ok. That didn¡¯t sound ominous at all.

    Suddenly they both paused, and Ghost leaned over, her eyes narrowing as she drew closer to the screen.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s something different about your negative energy. It¡¯s weird. Off¡±

    ¡°Is that bad?¡±

    ¡°Not from what I can tell, but I have no idea how it happened¡± she said. She squinted harder. ¡°People have been trying to create negative energy at different frequencies for years now with no success but it¡¯s the only type you have¡±

    ¡°Maybe it gave you memory loss. Transformed you somehow?¡±

    ¡°I doubt it. From what you said his memory¡¯s different, not gone¡± Ghost muttered.

    Cindy looked to me, the emotion in her expression difficult to pinpoint.

    Suddenly everything shifted, and I cried out as my body glitched. It stopped after only a moment, but the other two had already rushed over to me, the machine flying open. I fell forwards but Cindy caught me.

    ¡°Shit. You okay?¡± she asked.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fine¡±

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Ghost said.

    ¡°It happened back at the apartment. Sorry I should¡¯ve mentioned it¡±

    The machine began beeping, along with watches they both wore. Ghost glanced at her watch then quickly rushed back over to the console, and read over the readings her eyes widening.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Cindy asked.

    ¡°It produced the same energy that earthquake did last week¡±

    ¡°What?! How?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know but it¡¯s¡­¡± she checked her watch again. ¡°There was a trace picked up just a few hours ago too. Not large enough for it to pinpoint or notify me¡±

    ¡°You really think it''s that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m probably right¡±

    They both turned to me.

    ¡°Did anything weird happen to you yesterday?¡± Cindy asked.

    I shook my head.

    ¡°Are you completely sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± I mumbled. She nodded and they both went back to staring at the machine. Ghost looked up at me.

    ¡°Lucas, what do you think caused all this confusion?¡±

    ¡°I think, this is gonna sound insane, but I think I¡¯m in a different universe¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Cindy asked.

    ¡°Nothing makes sense. I don¡¯t have an apartment; I¡¯ve been going to NYTA for the past four years. Then there¡¯s the Icon poster on the wall. He wears red, white and blue, not red, gold and blue And the stuff with the BRC. I mean, everyone knows about that. You looked at me like I was talking nonsense. And you said something about a baseball team called the Northerns. Never heard of them. Plus you two are Spider people, superheroes, costume and all. I¡¯ve never seen or heard of you before. And¡­¡± I trailed off.

    ¡°And what?¡±

    ¡°Amy. Or Emi. You said you know her¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Mine¡¯s not¡­ she¡¯s dead¡±

    They both went silent. I looked down at the floor, trying to avoid their gazes.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you wanted to meet Emi¡± Ghost said.

    ¡°¡­yeah¡±

    ¡°I- I¡¯ll call her¡± Ghost said stepping away. I stared at my feet for a few seconds, before Cindy stepped closer, looking up at me.

    ¡°You okay?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡± I said. She nodded, stepping back quickly. I got out of the machine and we both went silent as Cindy awkwardly looked to, meshing her hands together. She seemed nervous.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ If this is real I¡¯m just wondering where our Lucas is¡±

    I stayed silent, not sure how to respond.

    ¡°He¡¯s probably fine. Gwen says this kind of stuff is his bread and butter¡± she said with an . I frowned. I hadn¡¯t realty thought about it, but I was probably a Spider person here, wasn¡¯t I? nodded, still unsure how to respond. I mean what could I say?

    Ghost stepped back over, looking to me.

    ¡°She¡¯s on her way¡±

    ¡°Thanks. Seriously¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± she said, her voice strangely sad.

    We all stood in an awkward silence before Cindy spoke up.

    ¡°Ghost¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll look at the data and keep a watch out for him. He¡¯s probably ok. You know how he gets sometimes. All lone wolf¡±

    ¡°But what if he¡¯s not ok?¡± Cindy said, her voice filled with worry.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be looking at the data. If we see anything suspicious we¡¯ll go help him immediately¡± Ghost said. Cindy nodded, relaxing slightly, then Ghost turned to me.

    ¡°Uh, Lucas, feel free to make yourself at home till Emi gets here. There¡¯s food and stuff in the fridge¡± she said.

    ¡°Oh. Thanks¡± I said. I looked over to the kitchen area then back to Cindy and Ghost as they made their way over to a different set of machines, one of the screens lighting up.

    I scratched the back of my head. What did I do now? Their Amy was really coming here. I hadn¡¯t even really thought about what that meant. What would I say when I saw her? If this was a different world, would she even be the same? Did it really matter? Wasn¡¯t this my chance to apologise? Even if it wasn¡¯t really her, it was the closest thing I¡¯d ever get.

    I made my way over to the kitchen, and stopped in front of the fridge, looking over the polaroids. Pictures upon pictures of people I didn¡¯t recognise, in costumes I¡¯d never seen before, smiling and laughing as one happy family. I recognised my costume and Amy¡¯s.

    The girl wearing it was blonde. The slightly brownish kind, like Amy¡¯s sister, Heather. But she looked like Amy. Had her face shape, and signature grin, down to the dimple. I searched the fridge looking for even more photos of her. There were so many photos. Layers of photos covering the entire fridge. And in practically all of the ones she was in, she had that stupidly endearing grin.

    I moved the pictures carefully, revealing even more underneath. My eyes looked over the vast array, marvelling at them. So many photos. Not just of the team, of the Spider family they seemed to have but of other things as well. Pictures from all over New York. From above, below, and in the streets. Photos of everything and anything. Buildings and crowds, from up close and afar. She seemed to have an affinity for taking photos at golden hour. I laughed, sniffling. They were beautiful.

    I stopped on a familiar picture, close to the centre of the fridge behind most of the photos. It was the same one Amy had given to me before she¡¯d died. I felt my eyes grow wet. I stepped back looking at all the pictures again, really taking them in. There were so many. How many photos had my Amy missed out on?

    I heard her before I saw her. The faint yet familiar sound of her wings fluttering.

    ¡°Guys?¡± she said. I spun around and came face to face with a blonde in her late teens. She wore the familiar purple and white, slightly armoured costume with black trim.

    I stared at her silent. She was taller. Older. Why hadn¡¯t I thought about that? Of course she¡¯d grown older. She would¡¯ve been what? Nineteen? The Amy in my head was still fifteen.

    Before I could say anything, she pulled off her mask, yawned and then grinned.

    ¡°Hey Lucas¡±

    She was completely different, and yet, just by looking at her, taking in her demeanour, hearing her voice, I could tell she was also the same. She turned to Cindy and Ghost as she made her way closer.

    ¡°Hey guys. What¡¯s up?¡± she said.

    ¡°Hey¡± Ghost said, looking still looking

    ¡°Hey Emi¡± Cindy said, making her way over to us. ¡°Uh¡­ well, we¡¯ve got a bit of a situation¡±

    ¡°Is it bad?¡± Amy said frowning.

    ¡°We¡¯re not completely sure yet, still just checking some stuff. Uh¡­ this is Lucas¡± she said pointing to me.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I know that¡±

    ¡°Sorry. He¡¯s not our Lucas. He¡¯s from a different universe¡±

    ¡°What? Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°Woah. How?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re trying to figure out¡± Cindy said, glancing back at me. ¡°Uh right¡­ Emi, Lucas. Lucas, Emi¡±

    Emi stepped forward and offered her hand. I took her hand and shook it, my entire body feeling numb.

    ¡°Hi again¡±

    ¡°H-hi¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°This is kind of weird, huh? Really cool but weird¡± she said, with a small laugh. I nodded, still staring at her blankly. She even laughed the same. She pulled her hand away and turned to Cindy.

    ¡°But why¡¯d you call just me out here? ¡±

    ¡°He asked for you specifically¡±

    ¡°Really? Why?¡± she said turning back to me. I stared at her frozen in place, a million thoughts and feelings rushed through me as I struggled to speak. The silence was awkward, but eventually the words came.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Tears streamed down my face as my hands began to tremble.

    ¡°I- I¡¯m so sorry¡± I said, taking her hand.

    ¡°H-hey. It¡¯s ok, I- Lucas?¡±

    I fell to my knees, sobbing violently.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t- I couldn¡¯t do anything. I should¡¯ve done more. I just left you and I- Please forgive me. Please¡± I begged, my entire body trembling.

    ¡°Hey, hey, it¡¯s ok. Lucas? Lucas?!¡± Cindy said.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Amy. I¡¯m so sorry¡± I sobbed.

    She didn¡¯t respond, so I looked up staring into her eyes. All that stared back at me was concern and confusion. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d been expecting but it wasn¡¯t that.

    Of course she¡¯d react that way. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t know how to respond. She wasn¡¯t Amy. The realisation was crushing. My tears grew in number and I let go of her hand, hanging my head. Everything was collapsing and I felt frighteningly dizzy. I fell to the floor, my body going limp. Cindy and Emi called out to me, but I was already fading. Darkness quickly consumed me as my body shut down.

 Chapter Thirty Seven

    I opened my eyes. I was lying down, staring up at the concrete ceiling. My eyes felt puffy, and my head hurt; the kind of ache you got from crying too hard. I sat up cautiously but still winced. I blinked and wiped at my eyes before looking around.

    Three women stood nearby talking amongst themselves as they glanced the control panel and large screen nearby. A bird¡¯s eye view of New York showed on the screen, with some hot spots dotted around Manhattan. What the? Where was I? Suddenly the memories came back, along with the confusion, and the hurt. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to steady myself. What had I done?

    I looked back over at the women, and watched as they talked, their faces serious. Cindy noticed me first and they all turned to me, before quickly making their way over.

    ¡°Lucas? You ok?¡± Cindy asked.

    ¡°Yeah. Did I¡­ pass out?¡± I asked, feeling my face flush.

    ¡°Yeah. You scared us for a second¡± Ghost said.

    ¡°Sorry about that¡±

    Emi stepped forward. Our eyes met and she laughed nervously. I looked away.

    ¡°Sorry¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Really. I think anyone would be overwhelmed in your position¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s not¡­¡± I trailed off and pinched the bridge of my nose. ¡°Sorry. I was being weird. You didn¡¯t deserve whatever that was¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologise¡± Emi said. I nodded, not trusting myself to respond normally.

    ¡°Do you need anything?¡± Ghost asked.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m okay¡± I said. They all just stood there, looking unsure. I could feel a mixture of pity and concern in their gazes. ¡°Please, don¡¯t let me distract you guys. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m good to just sit here¡± I said gesturing back towards the control panel.

    ¡°O-ok¡± Ghost said.

    ¡°Feel free to ask us for anything, alright?¡± Cindy said as they all turned back and made their way over to the screen.

    I watched them go then cringed. I¡¯d made everything awkward by having a full-blown breakdown then passing out. I could feel them trying to find the right words not to trigger another crying fit. Emi had seemed nervous just talking to me. I cursed myself silently, for making the situation awkward.

    I glanced over at Emi as she spoke to the others, looking away quickly when she spared a glance. What the hell had I been thinking? Of course, it would be weird to just beg for forgiveness like that. She wasn¡¯t Amy. No matter how much I wanted her to be.

    I stared at the wall, thinking to myself. This whole situation was messed up. I mean, everything had been going well in my life and then bam! I was just suddenly just in a different universe? Seriously, what the fuck? How did I get home? Could I get home even get home? I shook my head, sighing.

    If I couldn''t then what? Everything here was different. Even me. I might''ve been similar but the me here had lived a completely different life. I couldn''t just... pick up where he left off. I frowned, retreating into my thoughts.

    Things seemed better here though, didn''t they? Not that I wanted to stay, but... the me here was better, wasn¡¯t he? He¡¯d done it. What I¡¯d only dreamed of doing. Based off of what Cindy had said, he¡¯d beaten Ricardo without killing him, without destroying the research centre. He''d saved a bunch of lives, and never given him the chance to even touch Emi. Better yet, he was everything I was scared to be. He was an actual superhero.

    What did that mean for me then? What did that mean for what I''d done with my life? Was I the worst version of myself? Blessed with incredible power and yet too cowardly to use it. I mean I''d seen the photos, and all this stuff at the HQ. He was part of a big, proper superhero team. He mattered.

    I continued to stare at the wall, pain flickering in my expression.

    Shit.

    I stayed like that for a few minutes before realising how sorry I was feeling for myself. I shook my head again. What the hell was I doing moping around? There was no point just sitting here feeling like shit. I needed to do something. Focus on getting home, somehow.

    I looked over to the others and started listening to their conversation.

    ¡°Chances are there¡¯s just some villain out there that he got caught up with and he turned off his earpiece because he didn¡¯t want anyone ¡±

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a coincidence Lucas 2 came here tonight and we can¡¯t get a hold of him¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think he¡¯s at the larger hotspot. See there¡¯s two big ones¡±

    ¡°If the machine could barely pick up a hotspot that dropped off an entire person, then I doubt the sizes matter¡±

    ¡°Fair, but they¡¯re both recent. I think something happened today¡±

    ¡°But we¡¯ve got know way to know what¡±

    ¡°Pretty much¡±

    ¡°So that leaves us at square one. Dammit¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok Cindy. I¡¯ll send the spy spiders to check out the locations. Keep an eye on things. Till then, you two should probably go back to sleep and I go back out on patrol¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll patrol with you¡±

    ¡°Cindy, go to sleep. He¡¯ll be ok¡±

    Cindy made a face, and Emi put a hand on her shoulder, comforting her.

    ¡°Ok. But I¡¯m sleeping here¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s perfect. What about you Emi?¡± Gwen asked.

    ¡°I wish I could but I¡¯ve got a class at 9 that I really can¡¯t miss¡±

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Go get some sleep¡±

    Emi nodded and gave both of them quick hugs before she glanced over to me and gave me a small wave. I gave an awkward wave back, and then her wings fluttered and she was gone.

    ¡°Remember to wake me if anything happens¡± Cindy said making her way over to the set of doors.

    ¡°I will¡± Ghost responded,

    ¡°Anything. Like, at all¡±

    ¡°Go to bed Cindy¡±

    ¡°Fine. Goodnight¡±

    ¡°Night¡± Ghost responded. Cindy yawned loudly before looking over at me. She gave me a small awkward wave and I waved back. She made her way over to one of the doors, and slipped inside, closing it behind her.

    Ghost turned to me.

    ¡°You can go to sleep in Lucas¡¯ room. Unless you want to help with the search?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ I think I¡¯ll go to sleep. Sorry. I probably won¡¯t be much use¡±

    She nodded.

    ¡°The room on the far end, the one closest to the kitchen is yours. See you in the morning¡±

    ¡°I¡­ thanks¡± I said, standing. We looked at each other for a moment and I furrowed my brow. She wanted to say something.

    ¡°Is everything ok?¡±

    ¡°I-if you don¡¯t mind me asking, back on your world¡­ in the explosion¡­. did anyone survive?¡±

    I stared at her blankly, caught off guard by the question.

    ¡°S-sorry, that was totally inappropriate. I-¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. You¡¯re just trying to understand. Uh¡­yeah. People lived. But... a lot died¡±

    ¡°H-how many?¡±

    ¡°347¡±

    She was silent for a second.

    "You go to NYTA, right?"

    "Yeah"

    ¡°Did you ever go on a school trip to the BRC? A guided tour?¡±

    ¡°I- yeah. How did you-¡± My eyes widened as everything clicked into place. That¡¯s where I recognised her voice from.

    ¡°You¡¯re- you were our tour guide. I recognise your voice¡± I said, my eyes wide. ¡°You asked about my eyes¡±

    She pulled off her mask, and my eyes widened further. She looked different, ever so slightly, but it was clearly her. I remembered her vividly. Peter¡¯s friend. The one who¡¯d shown up with him and Harry Osborne to the lab. I couldn¡¯t remember her name. Why couldn¡¯t I remember name?

    ¡°Your name¡­ Gw- Gwanda?¡±

    ¡°Gwenda. But everyone calls me Gwen¡±

    ¡°Right. Sorry¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Uh¡­ I- don¡¯t know if you¡¯d know but¡­ my mum and friend worked there- at the BRC too. A-are they¡­ alive on your world?¡±

    ¡°D-do you mean Peter?¡±

    Her expression brightened.

    ¡°You know him. How do you know him?¡± she said.

    ¡°He¡¯s Spider-Man¡±

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s incredible¡± she said, letting lose a small laugh, her wet eyes sparkling. ¡°I- do you know about my mom?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t. Sorry¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine¡±

    The weight of her words suddenly hit me.

    ¡°Wait. He- Peter died here?¡±

    She nodded, suddenly solemn, before her expression brightened again.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to know he¡¯s doing ok somewhere. I¡¯m guessing since you couldn¡¯t remember my name we don¡¯t see all that much of each other. Does he ever mention me?¡± she chuckled.

    I stared blankly at her. Oh right. He¡¯d never explicitly said it in our extremely rare phone calls, but Gwen was dead, wasn¡¯t she? He¡¯d never mentioned her. Gwen frowned, before her expression morphed into confusion and concern.

    ¡°Did I¡­¡± she trailed off, uncertain how to finish the sentence. She didn¡¯t need to. It was obvious for both us what she meant.

    ¡°I think so. Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡±

    We both went silent.

    ¡°I- right. Well, I should probably get to work¡± she said, laughing awkwardly. I nodded. We glanced at each other awkwardly before I turned and made my way over to the room. Sparing a look back at her, she was already at the control panel, tapping away at the keys. She''d moved on from that pretty quickly. Well exactly how was she supposed to respond to being told her other universe counterpart was dead? I don''t know how I''d respond to something like that.

    I stopped in front of the door and stared at the spider symbol. It was still so weird to think that I was Spider-Man here. It just¡­ didn¡¯t feel like me.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± Gwen called out. I looked over to her.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Well get you home as soon as possible¡±

    ¡°Thanks"

    She nodded and offered and a small smile. I gave a half smile back, then turned to the door and tentatively opened it. Quickly I peered inside. There was a small tinted window at the end but it was too dark to see anything. I flipped on a light switch, and a soft orangish lights illuminated the room. The exact kind of lighting I liked. The room was small, and mostly bare, except for a bed, an open door that led to a bathroom, and few polaroid photos on the wall above the bed and a purple and black Spider-Man costume.

    I walked closer, looking over the costume on the bed, a briefly touched the fabric before pulling away. Then I looked up at the photos. They were mostly of random places around the city, with a few of some of the crew I¡¯d seen on the fridge. More recently there were quite a few had pictures of Cindy.

    I looked around again, noticing the word hero etched into the ceiling directly above the bed. Weird. I looked down. There was a mini drawer next to the bed. I opened it. Inside a phone sat on top a small purple journal with a picture of the entire spider crew eating and laughing was stuck to the front. I smiled slightly, then grabbed the phone, looking it over.

    Would the password be the same? No way, right? I tried it and the phone opened.

    ¡°Some habits never die¡± I said with a small smile. I clicked onto contacts and scrolled through. I frowned. There were only contacts of people from the team and one contact listed HQ. No one else. No one from my family. What? Why?

    I should¡¯ve realised something was weird, put two and two together when Cindy had said that thing about me having the apartment for however many years. Was I not in contact with my family here? Why? Because of the Spider-Man stuff? But surely, that wouldn¡¯t be enough to have none of their contacts? Was there a second phone? Maybe, but it hadn¡¯t been back at the apartment. Maybe the other Lucas had it on him? But then why hadn¡¯t he answered any phone calls? I frowned.

    Wait, did I even go to school in this world? Cindy had said I¡¯d lived in the apartment since 2025, but they didn¡¯t let sophomores live off campus. Hell, they barely let juniors live off site. Maybe she had the year wrong? But even then, how the hell would I afford the rent? Had I dropped out?

    Well, now that I thought about it, it was probably really difficult being Spider-Man and doing well in school. Given my track record from my first term, if I¡¯d carried on being Spider-Man, things would¡¯ve only gotten worse. I¡¯d probably gotten kicked out after far too many absences and lates.

    But still, no contact with my family at all? Was I missing something? This didn¡¯t make any sense. Or did it. Was I the one with. I mean, know that I really thought about it, I hadn¡¯t been on the best of terms with my family, three years ago. Moving to New York had been a nightmare for a bunch of different reasons, and no one had exactly been happy with me. What if things had gotten worse? Would I have cut them all off? Would they have cut me off?

    I still couldn¡¯t see it.

    My frown deepened. Now I wanted to visit them. But would that even be a good idea? They wouldn¡¯t be my family in the same way Emi wasn¡¯t Amy. Still¡­

    If I did visit, I¡¯d visit Big Sis first. Her reaction would be enough to understand what was going on. Wait had she even moved to New York in this world? And if she had, there was no guarantee it''d be the same place as back in my universe. So annoying. I could just visit Auntie¡¯s first instead.

    Oh right, Uncle. He might still be alive here. In fact he probably was.

    Now I really wanted to visit. But what if I had another breakdown? I sighed and set the phone down. I could think about all this later. I was way too tired now, and my head was starting to hurt again.

    I glanced in the bin beside the drawer. There were bloodstained tissues and bandages still in it.

    Suddenly a feeling of uneasiness washed over me, and I stepped back, looking around the room. I turned back around and quickly made my way over to the door.

    As I reached for the handle I stopped and peered underneath. The words hero were etched into the wood. I traced over them with my fingers then, cracked the door open again. Gwen was gone, and the lights had dimmed. Where had she gone? Probably something to do with this mess.

    I flicked the light off behind me and stepped into the now mostly dark main area. The lights beyond the tinted windows more prominent now. I watched them for a few moments, before making my way over to the couch in the mini lounge. I grabbed a blanket from basket next to the couch, then slumped against the cushions of the sofa and stared up at the ceiling.

    That¡¯d been weird. Seeing the other me¡¯s stuff like that. I¡¯d been intruding. No way it¡¯d feel right to sleep in his bed.

    Plus, it was kind of calming like this. Mostly darkness with really dim ceiling lights, and the hue from outside. I closed my eyes. I could think about stuff in the morning. Hey, maybe this was all a weird dream, and my alarm would wake me up in time for the science talk tomorrow. I smiled slightly as I remembered how excited Yerin had been, then quickly began snoring.

 Chapter Thirty Eight

    ¡°Lucas?¡±

    Someone was shaking me. Was Eric trying to wake me up? But I was tired. I rolled over pulling away from the person.

    "Lucas"

    They were still shaking me. Annoying. Wait... that wasn''t Eric''s voice. It sounded like a girl. I rolled back over, blinking the sleep out of my eyes. It was bright, the kind of light you got from the early morning sun. A shadow stood over me. Cindy. She was wearing a white and purple costume. Right, different universe.

    ¡°Sorry, do you want to use the couch?¡± I mumbled, rubbing at my eyes.

    ¡°No, no. The others want to meet you¡±

    ¡°Others?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Kasun and Harrison¡±

    I frowned.

    ¡°They¡¯re part of the team¡±

    ¡°Oh¡±

    I sat up, ruffling my hair as I yawned. I turned, glancing behind me. Two teens around fourteen or fifteen stood a few paces away, looking at me excitedly. One was white, and he wore a Spider-Man style suit in dark red and black. The other was a slightly shorter south Asian and wore a dark green and white armoured suit similar to Emi¡¯s.

    ¡°Lucas this is Harrison and Kasun¡±

    ¡°Uh... hi¡± I said, giving an awkward wave. They looked at me then glanced at each other.

    ¡°Woah. This is seriously so cool¡± Harrison, the taller one, said.

    ¡°Are you seriously from a different universe?¡± Kasun said.

    ¡°Yep¡±

    ¡°You look totally unbothered. Does stuff like this happen to you all the time?¡± Harrison asked.

    ¡°Not exactly. I did just wake up, so it''s less unbothered more still sleepy¡±

    ¡°Oh, I just noticed you kind of do look different¡± Kasun added.

    ¡°Yeah. I think you¡¯re a bit shorter too¡±

    I made a face.

    ¡°Oh, maybe it¡¯s our universe¡¯s food. Wait what else might be different about this universe?¡± Kasun said.

    Cindy¡¯s eyes widened and she stepped forward to interject.

    ¡°Well, the Northerns are called the Yanks back where I¡¯m from¡± I chuckled.

    ¡°The Yanks? Seriously?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re called the Northerns in pretty much every universe. It sounds way better than the Yanks¡± I shrugged.

    ¡°That¡¯s like calling a team the Yankees¡± Harrison said, making a face. I chuckled before looking between the two of them taking in their costumes.

    ¡°So you¡¯ve got spider powers and you¡¯ve got¡­¡± I glanced at his wings.

    ¡°A fly¡¯s. I can fly and I¡¯m pretty much as strong as the rest of you, but I can¡¯t exactly . Did I not get bitten back in your world?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ no clue¡±

    ¡°Yeah man, there¡¯s no way the fly bit you in his universe. I bet a spider bit me though¡± Harrison joked.

    ¡°Shut up, like you¡¯d know how to fight if I didn¡¯t kick your ass during training¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t kick my ass¡±

    ¡°I totally do. Literally ever time we fight¡±

    They quickly devolved into argument.

    ¡°Sorry, they get like this sometimes¡± Cindy said with a nervous laugh

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. They remind me of my friends¡± I laughed.

    The sound of concrete scraping against metal sounded behind me and I turned to see Gwen land on the floor from a hatch in the ceiling. She paused, before giving a wave.

    ¡°Hey guys¡± Gwen said. She yawned and rubbed at her eyes.

    ¡°You look seriously tired¡± Kasun said.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you guys be at school?¡± Gwen asked, frowning.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Kasun stuttered.

    ¡°Never mind that. Isn¡¯t this seriously cool? What did our Lucas say?¡± Harrison said. ¡°I bet he was seriously creeped out¡±

    Gwen¡¯s expression seemed to grow even more tired.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t find him did you? The other me?¡± I said. Her expression told me everything I needed to know.

    ¡°No. But I¡¯m a lot closer¡± she said, rubbing at her eyes.

    ¡°Where do you think he is?¡± Cindy

    ¡°The current theory is he¡¯s probably in this Lucas¡¯ universe¡±

    I nodded. Given that I¡¯d woken up in his bed it made sense that we¡¯d switched places. He¡¯d probably woken up in mine. I frowned slightly. If that was really true, I wonder what¡¯d happened. I hope he at least went to the science thing with Yerin. She was excited for that.

    ¡°But there¡¯s upside. If we can figure out how to get you home, we can figure out how to get him back¡± she said.

    ¡°That¡¯s good right?¡±

    ¡°Interdimensional travel. Sounds kind of difficult¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out. Till then you¡¯re stuck here¡± Gwen said, with an apologetic smile.

    ¡°Well, it shouldn¡¯t be too bad, right? You guys seem pretty cool¡± I said.

    Suddenly everything shifted, and I cried out as my body glitched. I fell to one knee catching my breath as the others rushed over to me. Talk about poor timing.

    ¡°Shit man, you ok?¡± Kasun asked.

    ¡°Yeah¡± I coughed, standing.

    ¡°Well¡­ there is that. How painful is it?¡± Gwen asked.

    ¡°Really. But I feel fine right after¡± I said.

    ¡°Hopefully it doesn¡¯t. I¡¯ll need to scan you again. It might help us figure out what¡¯s going on¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine¡± I said.

    ¡°Are you going to be alright for patrols and stuff?¡± Harrison asked.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Patrols?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ well I¡¯m not sure. Do you want to? It¡¯d help¡± Gwen said looking to me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s this villain called Reverso who¡¯s a complete nightmare. He mostly keeps to himself as long as our Lucas is around, but when he took a holiday one time he started terrorising the city. I know we don¡¯t really understand the glitching and it looks painful, but he''s really annoying and with you out there he wouldn''t bother us. And even if he did we¡¯d back you up in a fight! I really want to see if you¡¯re better than our Lucas!¡± Kasun said excitedly.

    ¡°Kasun¡± Cindy warned.

    ¡°Oh. S-sorry¡± he stuttered.

    ¡°Ignoring the fighting stuff, would you be down for it?¡± Gwen asked. They all turned to me. I shrunk into myself slightly, growing nervous.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think that would be a good idea¡±

    The others frowned.

    ¡°I know this is probably gonna sound weird to you but¡­ back where I¡¯m from I¡¯m not a superhero¡±

    ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t have any powers? I thought-¡± Harrison said.

    ¡°No, I have powers. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m just not Spider-Man¡±

    ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t have a Spider-Man back on your universe?¡± Kasun asked.

    ¡°We do, but I¡¯m not one of them. It¡¯s a different guy¡±

    ¡°Wait so¡­ what do you do?¡± Harrison said with a frown.

    ¡°I just live a normal life¡±

    I looked around. They were all staring at me weirdly. I looked to the ground feeling my face flush.

    ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to understand but¡­ I¡¯m not who you think I am¡± I said ¡°Sorry.¡±

    They all glanced at each other the air suddenly awkward. Crap. I backed away.

    ¡°I- uh... I need to go¡±

    ¡°What? Where?¡± Gwen said.

    ¡°My Aunt¡¯s house¡± I said, ¡°I¡­ just want to check something out¡±

    They glanced to each other nervously.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea¡± Gwen said.

    I made a face. That was fair. They didn¡¯t know what I was planning to do.

    ¡°I could go with him¡± Cindy said. Gwen pondered for a sec.

    ¡°Ok. But I don¡¯t think they know Lucas was Spider-Man. It might be difficult to explain things if you¡­¡± she trying not to find the right words.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be like yesterday¡±

    -

    The plan had to been to head straight for Brooklyn, right to my aunt¡¯s door. But I¡¯d gotten side-tracked. Partially because I was seriously nervous, and partially because everything was so different. Well not that different, but that was what got to me. It was the small, subtle changes everywhere. Everything was recognisable enough that if you didn¡¯t give it a second glance it all looked normal. But the second you did a double take everything got flipped on its head.

    There were so many different things. Stores, Fast food, films, Sports teams, videogames, celebrities, and even some of the buildings. It was crazy. I¡¯d seen an ad for a NASI mars exploration mission, instead of NASA. The way ads were done was completely different too. It seemed less geared towards products and more for events.

    I¡¯d been walking through the streets like a little kid trying to make sense of everything, whilst Cindy had taken me to different spots in Manhattan. Eventually we¡¯d reached time square, and my brain hadn¡¯t been able to take it, so we¡¯d stopped for a bite to eat.

    But even that was weird. We¡¯d stopped at Johnson¡¯s, a fast food store famous for selling all different types of hot dogs. It was this world¡¯s version of MacDonald. Though not everything was different here, they still had PFC and Burger Queen.

    Whilst we¡¯d eaten Cindy had let me borrow her phone and search up more stuff. The first thing I¡¯d gone to was the superheroes. Athena was still a thing, and just as famous as ever. Apparently, she even worked with some of the spider crew. There were villains I¡¯d never heard of too, like Ender, Reverso, Shadow-heart and Killer Queen.

    The Vanguard were called the Frontier here. There was even this guy called Lantern who was part of the team, though the rest of the members were the same. Plus, all the kids of the Frontier were gender swapped, and had completely different superhero personas. I didn¡¯t know what to do with that information, but Cindy had found it funny. I didn¡¯t know what to do with any of it really, I was just taking it all in.

    I finished off my fries, as we stepped out of Johnson¡¯s and back out into Times square. It was just as busy as usual, with the same general vibe and atmosphere, it was just that the ads were completely different and for brands or films I didn¡¯t recognise. I smiled slightly to myself. It was kind of cool.

    ¡°So, you want to see anything else?¡± Cindy.

    ¡°Nah, I think it¡¯s best I don¡¯t overload my brain. If you took me to go look at Staten Island and I found out the statue of Liberty was different I might lose it¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a lady holding up a torch right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but who knows maybe yours is red or something¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not¡± she laughed. I looked around again, furrowing my brow.

    ¡°I thought because of the way we described things, there were only a few changes between now and like three and a half years ago. I should¡¯ve realised it was different from even before that. Like with Emi. She¡¯s blonde here¡±

    ¡°Your Emi wasn¡¯t blonde?¡± Cindy said surprised. My face fell slightly.

    ¡°Yeah... she had her mum¡¯s hair¡±

    ¡°S-sorry¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s not like¡­ it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t talk about her¡± I said, frowning. Now that I thought about it, I hadn¡¯t really spoken about her to anyone had I? I¡¯d seen her mum and sisters a few times in the months after, but that¡¯d fizzled out after a while. Eric had asked me about it but I¡¯d kept it vague and just told him I was ok. My frowned deepened. Outside of visiting her grave occasionally, I hadn¡¯t really done anything had I? I¡¯d just gotten kind of sad around the middle of October.

    Weird. It felt like such a big part of my life, but I hadn¡¯t really spoken to anyone about it. No one in my family even knew.

    Suddenly my spider sense buzzed. I looked to Cindy whose eyes had widened too, and then we both looked up. One of the billboards flickered and sparked and Cindy cursed as a figure began to materialise out of the bright arcs of blue. I recognised the power from the villain that had tried to take down Oscorp tower years ago. Electro. Electro was appearing in the middle of the morning, in Times Square. Holy shit.

    She turned to me and nodded, before rushing off towards an alley. What the? Did she expect me to follow her? After a few steps she glanced behind confused, and her gaze found mine. A look of realisation passed across her face and she mouthed a few words I didn¡¯t catch before throwing something to me. I caught the phone out of the air and frowned at it. What the? When I looked back up, she was already gone.

    The sound of screams echoed out behind me and I looked back up at the danger. Electro looked different, but no less dangerous.

    ¡°Come out heroes! I feel like squashing some bugs today!¡± she shouted, sending out bursts of electricity. Windows shattered around us and the people rushed away, some getting caught by the glass.

    My heart dropped and I looked around, my chest tight. People were getting hurt. I was right here doing nothing, and people were getting hurt. It felt kind of insane to think, but maybe I could help?

    I shook my head. I¡¯d be useless. I needed to run, right now. I turned to run with the crowd but stopped. Running didn¡¯t feel right. I¡¯d ignored things like this back home, avoided thinking about them, but I¡¯d never run. I clenched my fists tightly.

    I wasn¡¯t a hero. But a version of me was. Didn¡¯t that mean even if it was a sliver, a small part of me could be something more than what I was, more than just a coward? I looked up at the girl wreathed in electricity as she cackled, sparks of lightning shooting off her body.

    My entire body trembled as I stared up at her, willing myself to move, to do something, anything.

    But I stood still, frozen in place.

    Then a figure swooped overhead. Cindy, covered in the silk webbing of her costume. She shouted something at the villain before they began battling it out in the sky. I hung my head staring at the floor, a sick feeling of dread creeping up in my stomach. Then with everyone else I turned and began to jog away.

    -

    I sat at a corner street, staring blankly at the screen in my hand. She¡¯d defeated the villain and was sorting things out with the police. There wasn¡¯t an MDA here. Cindy had called me telling me that she was nearly done, but I didn¡¯t have to wait for her to go do what I needed to do. I¡¯d decided to go ahead purely out of shame. I wouldn¡¯t be able to face her knowing I¡¯d just not backed her up. Her expression realising that I hadn¡¯t followed her was seared into my brain.

    My grip on the phone tightened.

    ¡°Shit¡± I mumbled.

    I got up and made my way further down the road, before stopping outside the apartment complex. It looked the same. Even the window of the guest room of their apartment. Still I hesitated. I looked different to their Lucas. Wouldn¡¯t they notice? But when was the last time they¡¯d seen him? Would they just think he¡¯d grown up?

    Did that even matter? If they couldn¡¯t tell didn¡¯t that make things worse? It was like I was sneaking around using a disguise to investigate someone else¡¯s life. Did I even deserve to be going through his business like this? Sure, he was an alternate version of me but that didn¡¯t really give me the right to just mess with his personal relationships or go through his stuff. Would I want him to go through my things?

    Probably not. He was me, but that¡¯d just be weird.

    Wait, what was he even doing right now? Was he making things difficult for me? What kind of things would he get up to? Given what¡¯d happened here, he¡¯d probably freak Eric out after waking up and then head straight for his apartment. Jesus. I hope whatever poor guy lived there wasn¡¯t scared shitless when he flew in through the window.

    I shook my head. I was getting off track. Why was I here again? Right. I couldn¡¯t make sense of why he wasn¡¯t in contact with any of the family. And Uncle Jamie. Though given how that¡¯d gone with Emi I didn¡¯t know whether that was a good idea. I pressed my forehead against the back of the phone case and sighed. I couldn¡¯t tell if I was thinking this through too much or if I hadn¡¯t thought it through at all. Screw it, Yerin was always saying I needed to be a bit more assertive. Not that even really applied here. Didn''t matter. I was doing this.

    I went to press the buzzer and felt my entire body get jittery as my nerves came to life. I pulled my finger away. Yeah, this was big mistake. Something about it felt wrong. Really wrong. I stepped back from the intercom and shook my head.

    "Idiot" I mumbled. I was just going to go back to the HQ. I frowned. I hope I didn¡¯t have to scale that huge building. There had to be a regular entrance right?

    I turned to leave and bumped into someone, knocking their stuff to the floor.

    ¡°Crap. I¡¯m so sorry¡± I said, reaching down to help the person pick up their stuff. I grabbed a few things then looked up to hand the stuff back. My entire body went still.

    ¡°Thanks¡± Uncle Jamie said, looking up at me. He froze and just stared at me in disbelief.

    ¡°Lucas?¡±

 Chapter Thirty Nine

    Before I even realised it, I was clutching him tightly, my eyes wet. He hugged me back, holding me just as tight. We held each other in the street, silent as people made their way around us, some sparing the occasional glance. But I didn¡¯t care.

    I held my Uncle even tighter and he let loose a laugh. Eventually we pulled back and looked at one another. He looked the same. He had the same hair, the same slight wrinkles, carried himself the same, had the same weird sense of fashion. Everything down to the last minute detail, looked exactly the same.

    ¡°Lucas it¡¯s been so long¡±

    ¡°I- yeah¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re all grown up now¡±

    ¡°Am I?¡± I chuckled.

    ¡°You¡¯re taller than me. Wow this is incredible. The last time I saw you was, what? Two years ago. At Quinten¡¯s game.¡±

    ¡°Basketball?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± he nodded, ¡°He¡¯s still doing it. Quite well actually, got a few scholarship offers¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s really good¡± I nodded. My mind drifted, wandering to thoughts of what I¡¯d first came here for. ¡°Uh¡­ how¡¯re¡­ how¡¯s everyone?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re good. Man it¡¯s been so long. Everyone really wants to see you¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s nice to hear¡±

    ¡°Oh, let me give you my number so you¡±

    I nodded and handed him Cindy¡¯s phone before the reality of the situation hit me. Shit. What was I doing? I was supposed to leave. Why was I having a conversation with him, taking his number? I shouldn¡¯t have said anything. I needed to end this conversation.

    ¡°So¡­¡± I mumbled, stepping back ¡°How¡¯s Auntie?¡±

    Stop. I needed to stop.

    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s good. She decided to go back to college. She says it¡¯s fun, though a bit weird being older¡±

    ¡°Oh, where about?¡±

    ¡°The community college nearby. Near where Quinten¡¯s thinking of going. Oh speaking of colleges, Maria one a big science competition. Got a grant and everything from it¡±

    I nodded grinning, as my insides shrivelled up. Why wasn¡¯t I saying anything. Why wasn¡¯t I stepping away?

    ¡°She was really excited. Wanted to tell you about it¡± he said. A look of doubt flickered over his face before disappearing. ¡°I- I¡¯m probably overstepping here, but you should talk to your sisters. Erica and Maria are sorry about what they said to you back then¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± I trailed off, unable to speak, my thoughts finally stopping my body. I couldn¡¯t just keep having regular conversation with him like this was normal. It wasn¡¯t right. This wasn¡¯t my life to mess with.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± he asked his gaze growing concerned. I didn¡¯t answer, instead stepping back and looking to the ground. I should have pretended I didn¡¯t know who he was, that he had the wrong guy. But after all this time of wanting to see him again, wanting to hug him, how could I just ignore him when we came face to face? I shouldn¡¯t have given myself the chance for this to happen. I shouldn¡¯t have come in the first place.

    ¡°Sorry I shouldn¡¯t have said that¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine¡±

    ¡°Do you want to come inside?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t be here. I shouldn¡¯t have come¡±

    ¡°Did I-¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m sorry. I- bye¡± I said stepping back. He didn¡¯t say anything a pained expression crossing his face before I stepped back, turning around.

    Waves of different emotions crashed into me, through me off centre as I stumbled away. I shoved my hands into my pockets, trying and failing to focus my mind. Dammit, why did walking away feel wrong as well. I stopped a few paces away and turned to look back at him.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°It was nice to see you again¡±

    ¡°It was good to see you too¡± he responded.

    I nodded and then he raised his hand in a small but sad wave. I waved goodbye back and turned continuing on down the street.

    -

    I sat at on the steps outside a building, silent, staring at the ground. I¡¯d called Cindy¡¯s watch and she¡¯d told me she¡¯d track her phone so I just had to wait for her. I¡¯d been waiting for a few minutes now, and all I could think about was my talk with my alternate Uncle. I made a face. It had been pointless. I¡¯d only succeeded in making him and myself feel worse. A lot worse.

    All I could remember was the sad look on his face, compounded by a sick feeling that continued to sit in my stomach. I¡¯d been in this universe for a few hours at best and I¡¯d already made things worse. I¡¯d ruined what had felt like three years of progress in seconds. Even if it got to me sometimes, I thought I¡¯d moved on from all that superhero stuff and found a better life for myself. But once again I¡¯d been confronted by it, and now it was all I could think about.

    I sighed. It wasn¡¯t like I actively tried to make bad choices. Especially after everything that had happened with Amy. I¡¯d made sure to be diligent, and careful with my actions, even if I did slip up every now and again. I¡¯d avoided confrontation, been nice, understanding and kind of those around me. I¡¯d made sure to always at least try and think things through. Hell, I¡¯d even become one of the main members in the litter picking club. But suddenly I was in a different universe, and I couldn¡¯t help myself from instantly doing something stupid and making things worse for the alternate me and his family by snooping around.

    I brought my hands to my face and cursed. I really was the worst.

    I shook my head. I was doing it again. Being hateful towards myself because I¡¯d made a mistake. I groaned. I hadn¡¯t done that in a while. I ground my teeth, clenching my jaw in frustration, then hung my head the anger giving way to sadness.

    There was so much going on in my head, so many messed up thoughts and ideas about myself wrapped up in horrible, horrible memories of the past and nightmares of the future, not to mention the actual nightmares. It¡¯s like every time I tried to think about myself, to make an important decision to better who I was I failed, and my perception of myself warped even further, becoming worse and worse.

    I looked up around. The street was busy, bustling with life. People walked about, in their own worlds, thinking about their own problems, and doing their own things. How many people here were suffering too? How many people out there, in the rest of New York, the world, this universe and the next.

    Surely, I didn¡¯t have it that bad. I had people who loved me and cared for me. Yerin, Big Sis, Maria, Sofia, Aunt Adrianna, Quinten, my friends. Even Peter seemed to have a soft spot for me, despite what I¡¯d put him through. I wasn¡¯t alone. I wasn¡¯t. But then why didn¡¯t it feel that way?

    I shook my head. I was being weird again.

    ¡°Weird and stupid¡± I mumbled to myself kicking a pebble across the ground.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± a voice said from above.

    I looked up. It was Cindy.

    ¡°You okay?¡± Cindy asked.

    ¡°Yeah¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Did you do what you needed to?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°You wanna head back or should we look around some more?¡±

    ¡°We should head back¡±

    She nodded, clearly worried something had happened to me, but kindly deciding not to pry further. We stood and began making our way down the road in a comfortable silence. I stared at the floor thinking to myself.

    ¡°Cindy¡­ I¡¯m not a bad person, am I?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°For not helping you. I¡¯m not a bad person, right?¡±

    ¡°No. I wouldn¡¯t say so¡±

    ¡°But¡­ I could of helped. And people probably died¡±

    ¡°Y-you can¡¯t blame yourself for that¡±

    ¡°But I just stood there. I stood there and then I ran¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s normal to be afraid. I mean I was seriously afraid even when I first got my powers. You¡¯re not a hero back in your universe, so¡±

    ¡°But I might¡¯ve been able to save someone¡±

    She didn¡¯t respond. The silence between us was poignant. I glanced to Cindy. She looked away quickly, but I¡¯d caught enough of her expression. Her gaze had been filled with pity. I made a face.

    ¡°I¡¯m a good hero here, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡±

    ¡°The kind that saves everyone. The kind that inspires people to do good, helps make the world a better place. A proper hero.¡±

    ¡°Well yeah¡­ I think that description¡¯s a bit much though¡±

    I nodded, feeling a rising sensation of fear and hope in my chest. I could feel it, in my heart what I wanted to say next, what failing to fight Electra and seeing this universe''s version of my Uncle and Amy had reminded me of. These next words I had to say firmly, with conviction. I had to mean them. I had to make it so once I said them, there was no going back. Because if I didn''t, I''d just be stuck in this endless cycle of depression. If I decided to do this, to say what I wanted to, then there was no feeling sorry for myself later even if things went wrong. Even if people got hurt because of me again.

    I took a deep breath, then spoke.

    ¡°I¡­ I want to help¡± I said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°With the hero stuff. I- I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be of any use, I haven¡¯t used my powers properly in years, but I want to help¡±

    ¡°Seriously? You don¡¯t have to feel pressured to¡±

    ¡°No it¡¯s not that. Kasun said there was a villain, who gives you guys trouble unless the other me¡¯s around.

    ¡°Reverso¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll act as a deterrent and more if you want me to¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d really do that?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ yeah. It¡¯s a bit selfish, you¡¯ll all probably have to do a bunch of extra work, and people might get hurt because of me, but¡­ I don¡¯t want to run again¡±

    I stared awkwardly at the floor before realising how weird what I¡¯d said was. I turned to Cindy, who stared back at me with a peculiar look.

    ¡°Sorry¡± I laughed awkwardly, turning away.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡±

    ¡°R-really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think we can help you with that¡±

 Chapter Forty

    Thankfully there was an entrance to the HQ that didn¡¯t require me to climb up the side of an entire building. The place they¡¯d built it atop was an abandoned set of apartments and we made our way to the hideout via the fire exit stairwell. It¡¯d belonged to some villain called Tombstone apparently and once he¡¯d been arrested the mayor¡¯s office had taken control of all his properties.

    This was just one of many left it behind. The team had fixed up a few of the higher floors after their old hideout had been blown to bits two years ago.

    ¡°I guess some things never change¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯d you say that?¡± Cindy asked.

    ¡°Back in my universe Spider-Man¡¯s base got blown up as well¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ maybe that is a thing?" she said thoughtfully. "I¡¯ll have to ask Gwen¡±

    We came to a stop outside a rusted fire exit door and Cindy pressed her hand to the wall on the right side of the door. There was a moment of silence, followed by a small hiss and the metal door shot upwards, revealing the loft.

    Pretty neat, I thought, following behind Cindy. As we made our way into the base I noted Harrison and Kasun, along with a few more kids sitting on the couch playing a video game.

    Two more kids were with them, both of them in spider costumes. They glanced over at us their eyes widening as they looked to me then back to each other.

    One was a white brunette, her costume white and with dark blue trim, and the other was a slightly taller black kid with braids, his costume a deep dark blue and swathes of red along the sides of his leg and torso. Both looked around fourteen or so. Quickly they got up and rushed over to us, their faces filled with excitement.

    ¡°Are you really from another universe?¡± the girl asked.

    ¡°Yeah¡± I said sheepishly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡± the boy said pumping his fist as the girl grumbled. I glanced to Cindy confused.

    ¡°They do bets with each other all the time. Just ignore it¡± Cindy said to me. She turned back to the others furrowing her brow. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you two be in school?¡±

    ¡°School? No way we were gonna miss this¡± the boy said.

    ¡°How did you two even get out? Isn¡¯t your school really anal about attendance?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s still lunchtime, and Ganke¡¯s covering for us if we¡¯re late¡± the girl said. Cindy rolled her eyes, then looked back to me.

    ¡°Oh, right. Lucas, this is Mia and Myles. Myles and Mia, Lucas¡± Cindy said introducing us. They continued to stare at me with a wide eyed and slightly giddy fascination.

    ¡°Hi¡± I said, offering a hand ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you guys¡±

    ¡°Holy shit this is cool¡± Mia said shaking my hand.

    ¡°Yeah. I mean how did you even get here?¡± Myles asked.

    ¡°No idea¡±

    ¡°Was it some kind of science experiment?¡±

    ¡°Or maybe a whole in space time?"

    ¡°Like a dimensional wormhole?¡±

    ¡°Could you even call it a wormhole? How would that even work?¡±

    ¡°Enough silly questions. Shoo, shoo. We have to talk to Gwen¡± Cindy said, waving them away.

    ¡°You¡¯re no fun¡± Mia said, before the two both made their way back over to the lounge talking between themselves. We turned to the science equipment, where Gwen sat at a lab table working away.

    ¡°Hey Lucas¡± a voice called out from behind. I turned, to see Myles grinning at me. ¡±Come play some games with us after. I wanna hear about everything that¡¯s different here¡±

    ¡°Sure¡±

    I continued over to Cindy and Gwen, frowning as I took in the strange glowing crystals and other tech on her desk.

    ¡°Hey Gwen¡±

    ¡°Hey¡± she replied, not looking up from her work.

    ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± Cindy asked.

    ¡°Rosita swung by with a few things I asked for her to find me¡± Gwen responded.

    ¡°Rosita?¡± I said.

    ¡°Your clone. Well our you¡¯s clone. It was a whole thing¡± Cindy said. I stared at her blankly, but the two simply continued their conversation about the items. Then Gwen looked up at me, taking off her glasses as she sighed.

    ¡°Real quick, Lucas, have you still been¡­¡± she trailed off, searching for the right word.

    ¡°Glitching?¡± I offered.

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    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°I have, but not as often¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± she said trailing off. I couldn¡¯t tell from her response whether that was good or bad. Probably bad.

    ¡°Wait, why¡¯re you both here?¡± Gwen asked.

    ¡°Well Lucas said he wants to help. With hero stuff¡±

    Gwen turned to me with a raised eyebrow, then looked to Cindy.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t try to goad me into it or anything¡± I said awkwardly.

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re gonna fight bad guys with us? Harrison said you weren¡¯t a hero?¡± Mia called out from across the room.

    ¡°Mia this is a private conversation¡± Gwen said curtly.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry¡± she said turning back to the TV. Gwen sighed then looked back to me, a mixture of intrigue and concern in her eyes.

    ¡°Do you really want to help?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah¡± I said. Gwen nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything in years so. I¡¯ll be a bit rusty. Probably really rusty¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem, we can have the others practice stuff with you¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I said.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sure everyone would be grateful to help. Plus if you went out and about it¡¯d keep Reverso off our asses¡± Gwen said.

    Cindy nodded before a flash of inspiration passed across her face and she turned to me grinning.

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve got a great idea¡±

    -

    I stood atop the edge of a building, the wind howling in my ears as I trembled violently. I couldn¡¯t tell whether it was from the chill or my fear. I crouched low, my hands and feet stuck fast. Today was my first lesson, swinging. Less than half an hour after I¡¯d told Cindy I¡¯d wanted to help and she¡¯d already brought me out here. Well, there was no complaining now. We probably could''ve found some smaller buildings though.

    ¡°What¡¯re you waiting for?¡± Cindy shouted from the wall face below. I didn¡¯t respond, unable to. The wind continued to buffet me, throwing my hair around wildly as I remained in a crouch. The clothes I''d borrowed felt unnecessarily baggy, the cold from the winds that cut through them weighing my body down.

    I should''ve taken Cindy  up when she''d offered one of Lucas 2¡¯s costumes. Instead, I wore a hoodie I¡¯d borrowed and pair of joggers, along with one of Cindy¡¯s makeshift web masks. At least the mask was a great at trapping heat. Though the small comfort of a warm face didn''t exactly help with my fear.

    Cindy crawled back up the wall, the concern on her face evident even with the mask.

    ¡°You okay?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Is this really a good idea?¡± I responded, trembling.

    ¡°Now¡¯s as good a time as any. Trust me¡± she said. I looked past her and cursed silently to myself. This was high up. Really high up.

    ¡°I mean, maybe we could do something else with the webs first¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Swinging¡¯s the easiest part. And don¡¯t worry about falling, I¡¯ve got you even if you do. And you won¡¯t¡± she said. I nodded and leaned forward before quickly leaning back again, letting out a tense breath.

    ¡°This was pretty easy the first time¡± I mumbled. Well, I had done it completely by accident, but after that I hadn¡¯t even really thought about it. Typical for fourteen-year-old me. He¡¯d never thought about anything.

    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking this. Just jump and fire a web. Your spider-sense will do most of the work for you. And if you do make a mistake, I¡¯ll catch you¡± Cindy said. I nodded, then leaned forward again before suddenly being overcome by an instant and incredible nausea.

    I stepped back from the ledge my entire body trembling.

    I glanced out over the city. Ah screw it. I rushed forwards, and before I could think about what I was doing I leapt of the building. Time seemed to slow as I soared forward through the air, a weightless freedom caressing me. And then gravity took hold and I began to plummet. Fear gripped me and my mind went numb, as I hurtled face first towards the crowded streets of Lower Manhattan.

    Cindy¡¯s shout shook me from the trance.

    Web. I needed to fire a web. Instinctively my hand shot out as my spider-sense blared and I fired a web. It sailed outwards cutting through the air before hitting a building. Heart in my mouth I continued to descend before the line went taught, and I was yanked forward as I cried out.

    I spun wildly as I curved around a building over the streets of New York, a speck against the great buildings around me. But the constant buzzing of my spider senses warned me of my surroundings; right now I was far from any danger. I reached the apex of my swing, and slowed in a moment of tranquillity before I began to fall backwards. I gripped the web tightly as Cindy sailed past me.

    ¡°Let go when you get to the end!¡± she called out. Her words refocused me, and I felt the shakiness of my hands, along with the extra weight my fear brought them. Easier said than done. I continued to accelerate, gripping the web tighter. I continued to spin around, when my spider sense suddenly blared loudly.

    Building.

    I threw myself backwards without hesitation, before realising what I''d done. My instincts were were only good for getting me out of present danger, not stopping me from throwing myself into more. I flailed as I started to fall, but the flailing only served to send me spiralling further and I spun through the air as I hurtled towards the ground.

    Suddenly a web shot out a latched onto my back. I cried out more as my body got yanked back at ridiculous speeds. Suddenly Cindy grabbed a hold of me and we swung towards a building, landing quickly.

    I stumbled and fell to my hands and knees, breathing heavily.

    ¡°You ok?¡± Cindy said.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I said through heavy breaths. I could tell from her demeanour alone, Cindy didn¡¯t buy it. So I straightened out and inhaled, deeply as I stared up at the sky. I''d known it was going to be like this. I couldn''t let fear stop me. Cindy was her to save me if anything went wrong after all. I let out the breath and rolled back my shoulder.

    "Alright" I muttered

    ¡°Lucas?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going again¡±

    ¡°Huh? Wai-¡±

    But it was too late. I rushed for the edge of the building and this time leapt off with purpose, rather than to simply get over my fear. I held back a scream as I plummeted and looked around at the buildings above. Then I fired a web. It sailed out be. I spun slightly, but ignored it, focusing on the direction of gravity on my body. As I grew higher I felt it¡¯s tug at my back, and this time I let go.

    My entire body thrummed with fear and adrenaline as I began to fall, this time at a much greater speed.

    But I fired another web. I stared at the streets below wide eyed with a mixture of fear and shock, and then I curved up and away. I let go as I reached the end of the swing and fired another web. I was swinging. As I swung through the air, the fear remained. But I remembered it. The feeling of freedom being up here brought. I¡¯d practically forgotten what it was like to use my powers.

    I continued to swing through the streets watching as people below looked up at me. Eventually the mix of emotions overwhelmed me, and I swung towards a building, dropping out the sky. I landed against the rooftop and almost instantly my legs gave out. I crashed to the floor my entire body trembling viciously.

    ¡°Lucas?!¡± Cindy cried out landing behind me. She grabbed me and quickly searched me over before stopping. ¡°You okay?¡± she asked, worried.

    ¡°Yeah¡± I said, my breaths still sharp and fast.

    ¡°Thank god¡± she said, stepping back. ¡°You were doing well then you practically dropped out of the sky¡±

    ¡°I was trying to land¡± I chuckled.

    ¡°Oh. Well I know it¡¯s probably scary, but try to come a bit closer. Your spider-sense will tell you when to stop¡±

    I nodded before turning to look out over the city. I let loose an exhilarated laugh as I leant back, looking to the sky.

    ¡°I¡¯d forgotten how fun that was¡± I said. Cindy let out a relieved sigh and stepped back, a small smile forming on her lips.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go again¡±

 Chapter Forty One

    Swinging practically all day was seriously tiring. Seriously tiring. My arms and legs were tired, my entire body aching dully. The quasi-flying method and travel was cool and all, but man did it take a lot of strength, especially for the longer webs. I hadn¡¯t even used my superstrength in years.

    ¡°You alright?¡± Cindy asked as I lay on the floor, breathing heavily.

    ¡°Yeah¡± I said, breathing heavily. She

    ¡°It¡¯s probably best if we head back now, the sun¡¯s starting to set¡±

    ¡°Right, right¡± I mumbled sitting up. I stretched out my arms, then rolled my neck. Various joints cracked throughout my body and I shuddered. Cindy offered a hand. I took it, standing. I groaned with the movement of my arms. Man they ached.

    ¡°You sure you¡¯re alright to swing back?¡± Cindy asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡± I said. Cindy nodded back. Then she started for the edge of the building. Her steps were quick and sharp, like a ballerina¡¯s, right up until she leapt forwards. She floated out into the open air, then fired a web and quickly pulled away. I followed suit.

    But my steps were heavier. Less practiced. Still, there was a keen grace to them, one that came naturally. A part of the power. I came to the building¡¯s edge and dived forwards. The air buffeted me. It¡¯s harsh winds pulling at my body. But instead of fighting it, I flipped, embracing the disorientation.

    Then I fired a web, yanking myself forwards. I shot through the air and fired another, shorter web, smoothly transitioning into a simple swing. Far less graceful than Cindy. But still effective.

    I followed behind her carefully. Together we swung through the city as the sun dipped below the horizon sending the sky into a deep blue as the number of lights everywhere began to come to life. But the sights ended just as they began. We reached HQ, dropping down through a ceiling hatch. I came to a stop, breathing heavily, my hands on my knees and my head down. From the lighting and the lack of noise, everybody had likely gone home.

    ¡°Oh, you two are finally back¡± Gwen said, from across the loft at her workstation. Scratch that then.

    ¡°Yeah, Lucas said he really wanted to get the hang of it¡± Cindy said.

    ¡°Did it take you that long?¡± an unfamiliar voice said. I glanced up, furrowing my brow. A woman stood next to Gwen in a predominantly dark blue and vibrant red spider-suit staring at me intently. She looked strikingly similar to my sisters. The clone. It had to be. What''d her name been again?

    ¡°No, he got it pretty fast, but we just swung around for a few hours so he could get better¡± Cindy said. The clone didn¡¯t seemed to be impressed with the answer. Or me for that matter. Her gaze was piercing, a look of judgement. I straightened out, dusting myself off with one hand as I pulled the web mask off with the other.

    ¡°Oh right¡± Gwen said looking up from her work ¡°Lucas, Rosita. Rosita, Lucas¡± Gwen said, glancing between us.

    ¡°Uh¡­ hi¡± I said, my voice weird. I sounded more tired than expected. Felt it too. I stared awkwardly as Rosita continued to glare at me. Huh? Was she just not going to respond? I spared a glance to Cindy, who caught the look.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t really get along anyone but Gwen¡± Cindy whispered to me.

    ¡°Oh¡±

    ¡°I heard that¡± Rosita said, her voice cold.

    ¡°Ha. Sorry¡± Cindy chuckled awkwardly. Rosita grumbled before looking back to Gwen. They talked to each other, their eyes scanning over the workstation.

    ¡°So do you want to eat something? I there should be instant ramen, but there might be some hot dogs in the fridge¡± Cindy said.

    ¡°Nah. It¡¯s later than I expected. I¡¯m just gonna sleep¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine¡± Cindy said. ¡°Night¡±

    ¡°Night¡± I responded. I glanced to the couch. Litter and crumbs caked the surface. Great. Guess I was sleeping in the room tonight then. That wouldn''t be weird. Wouldn''t be weird at all.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Cindy said, tapping at her phone.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s... Emi sent a message. She asked to do combat training with you tomorrow¡°

    ¡°Oh. Is she really good at that here too?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°Nice. Sounds great¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be¡­ an issue?¡± Cindy said tentatively.

    ¡°Oh. No¡± I said. ¡°Probably not¡±

    ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll let her know. See you¡± she said, tapping away at her phone. Then she leapt up onto the ceiling, climbing back to the hatch as it opened. ¡°Gwen, Rosita, see you tomorrow¡±

    ¡°Bye Cindy¡± Gwen said. Rosita simply grumbled a reply. Then Cindy leapt away, disappearing as the hatch closed. Wait, had she only come back to HQ to supervise me? Oh. I felt kind of bad now. I shook my head. It was probably for the best given how badly a mid-air glitch could be. They weren¡¯t too frequent, but you never knew.

    I looked back down from the hatch over to the other two. They muttered to each other, their gazes fixed upon various devices on the table. I had a few questions about how soon I¡¯d be able to get home, but they could wait. The pair were busy. I slinked towards Lucas 2¡¯s room and stopped at the door.

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    ¡°Goodnight¡± I called out.

    ¡°Goodnight Lucas¡± Gwen responded. Rosita gave a quick nod before I entered Lucas 2¡¯s private quarters. Despite yesterday¡¯s grievances I instantly slumped down onto the bed in front of me, my breaths slow and steady.

    At least I was tired. That meant a good night¡¯s rest, which I¡¯d need especially given tomorrow I¡¯d be doing actual combat training. That was probably going to be fun as well. I closed my eyes letting myself fade into sleep. The last thoughts that came to me were of Yerin and my family. Then nothing.

    -

    I stood atop a building on the upper east side, the hot summer sun beaming down upon me. I wore the same outfit as yesterday, but the makeshift mask had been replaced. The signature purple mask, almost identical to the one I''d worn back home adorned my face. Cindy hadn''t been there to make the makeshift mask for me, and I hadn''t wanted to waste Gwen''s time.

    But none of that was important. The combat training was. With a laser focus I listened closely to Emi''s words as she floated nearby by, her wings fluttering quietly.

    ¡°You¡¯ll want to put your dominant foot forwards, but rest your weight on your backfoot¡±

    ¡°Like this?¡± I said, changing my stance.

    ¡°Close but try and stand on the balls of your feet. It makes it easier to move¡± Emi responded. I nodded and shifted my weight.

    ¡°Now take your forward most hand and do a quick punch forward¡±

    ¡°Like this?¡±

    ¡°Perfect. That¡¯s a jab, it¡¯s just a checking punch, but it works wonders on people who can¡¯t defend against it¡±

    ¡°Ok¡±

    ¡°Now follow up the jab with a punch from your other hand. Throw your entire body into it this time and make it just as fast but stronger¡±

    I nodded. Then, with focus, threw a quick jab and then follow up punch.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to pull your arm back so far. It works a bit better if you twist your upper body more. And lean into it¡±

    I nodded then repeated the same motion, the sound of my fist cutting through the air crisp.

    ¡°That was great¡± Emi said. ¡°That was a straight. Now for an uppercut it¡¯s the same type of punch but you start a bit lower and throw it upwards. For a hook, same thing but sideways¡±

    I threw a couple of punches, getting more into the feel of things. Huh. This felt easy. A little too easy. Was I even doing it right? I glanced to Emi who nodded satisfied.

    ¡°Now we¡¯ll do a kick. Two kinds. One with your foremost foot, a quick checking kick, like a jab. Think the stomping motion but forwards¡±

    ¡°How''s this?¡±

    ¡°Close, but try not to lean back so much¡±

    ¡°This better?¡± I asked, repeating the motion with a finer awareness.

    ¡°Perfect. Now the second kick is closer to a regular kick. Use your back foot to kick in an arc across the air in front of you. Try to shift your weight as you do it to get more power¡±

    ¡°Across?¡±

    ¡°Ah. I say across because it helps with the follow through. Imagine someone in front of you and then kick through them rather than stopping where you¡¯d hit¡±

    I nodded, then kicked in arc, swiping my leg through the air smoothly.

    ¡°Bingo¡±

    ¡°Nice. What next?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re set¡± Emi said clapping her hands together.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll have to practice improve your form slightly, and there¡¯s more complex stuff like grappling but I doubt I¡¯ll have time to teach you before Gwen gets you back home. Either way it should still be good enough for the most part¡±

    ¡°Ok¡±

    ¡°Simple right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ are you messing with me?¡±

    ¡°Nope¡± Emi said with a grin. ¡°I know it¡¯s not a lot, but you can do quite a lot when you string together a few punches and kicks¡±

    ¡°Like a combo¡± I said throwing a quick one-two followed by a forward kick.

    ¡°Yep. Plus given how agile all you spider-people are, you¡¯ll have no trouble dodging if you make a mistake¡±

    ¡°I guess¡± I said, looking to my hands.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, seriously. Even. It¡¯s better than nothing¡±

    I nodded, then furrowed my brow.

    ¡°What about you, what kind of fighting style do you use?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you want to know?¡± Emi responded.

    ¡°Future reference. A few jabs and kicks might be good for now, but I¡¯ll have to improve eventually¡±

    ¡°Ah, my fighting¡¯s a bit different. I came up with a slightly different fighting style for Kasun and I since we can fly, but it¡¯s still based on kickboxing¡±

    ¡°Wait you made up your own martial art?¡± I said, looking to her.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it a martial art, it¡¯s just a fighting style that takes kickboxing and incorporates some grappling and the ability to fly¡±

    ¡°I mean that¡¯s pretty cool. Not everyone can just do that¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ I guess I never thought about it like that¡± Emi said, her grin growing.

    Suddenly the world shifted, and I cried out as my body crackled with energy. I fell to the floor, and then it was over. I blinked breathing heavily. Emi was already at my side, her wings fluttering heavily.

    ¡°You ok?¡± Emi said, worried.

    ¡°Yeah¡± I said staring at my hands. I flexed my fingers and stood again, letting out a forced laugh. ¡°I guess I¡¯m not getting used to that¡±

    ¡°Probably not. We should take a break¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine to continue¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m hungry. It¡¯s lunchtime. You want a burger?¡± she said.

    ¡°That place near that one deli? Joe''s?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°Wow¡± I said grinning. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you have that here too. I haven¡¯t been there in years¡±

    ¡°Trust me, they¡¯re still amazing¡±

    -

    We sat side by side, eating our burgers atop the roof of the Flatiron in silence. The air was peaceful, a nice calm having settled over us. I looked out over the city then took a small bite out of my burger. New York really was so big.

    ¡°You ok?" Emi asked.

    "Huh? Yeah"

    "Quick question, are any of the buildings different here?¡±

    ¡°A few, but most are the same¡± I responded.

    ¡°Still a great view, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I trailed off. My gaze remained fixed on the city as I stared off into the distance silent.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Emi asked.

    ¡°Nothing I just¡­ it¡¯s a lot of ground to cover. A lot of people, that¡¯s all¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve got us to keep you company¡± Emi said with a grin.

    ¡°I guess¡± I mumbled in response. Emi parsed over my face, her smile disappearing as she furrowed her brow.

    ¡°You¡¯re still frowning. What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°I just¡­ I can¡¯t believe I left Pete deal with all this alone¡±

    Emi stayed silent, still watching me closely.

    ¡°I mean¡­ it was really selfish, no?¡±

    ¡°Well, you came around to it eventually¡± Emi said.

    ¡°I mean, yeah, but what if I lose my way again. If I skip out on hero stuff because it gets too much. I¡¯m not like the me here, I¡­¡± I let out a sigh hanging my head. I couldn¡¯t believe I was already thinking about this. I''d made my whole declaration yesterday.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing wrong with quitting¡±

    I glanced to her, surprised.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I mean I quit for a while right after I started college¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m about as dumb as a brick. I needed the time to study so I didn¡¯t have to drop out¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not dumb¡±

    ¡°Tell that to my professors¡± she joked. We both chuckled, but the laughter quickly subsided and I continued to stare out at the cityscape ahead of me. Emi hit me lightly on the shoulder. ¡°All I¡¯m saying is it¡¯s ok to take a break. Plus, we¡¯re all gonna have to retire one day.¡±

    I nodded coming to more of an understanding.

    ¡°Thanks¡± I said.

    "No problem" she said. "Oh, and you¡¯re not that different¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Earlier, you said you¡¯re not like the you here. You¡¯re not that different¡°

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I mean you¡¯re different in some ways, but you feel similar. I don''t know. I think you¡¯ll be just as great a hero¡± she said grinning. I smiled slightly, her grin infectious.

    ¡°Emi, you have no idea how happy that makes me¡±

 Chapter Forty Two

    I swung through the air, overly cautious of my surroundings despite the ease with which my spider-sense could see all. My eyes scanned below carefully, searching for signs of danger. There was none yet. But who knew when that would change.

    Would I even be ready for it if it did? No was what the voice in the back of my head was telling me. A loud, resounding no. I clenched my jaw in frustration. I needed to focus, but there were too many thoughts and feelings to deal with. All resting atop the deep fear that¡¯d settled in my stomach the second this patrol had started.

    But I had to get through this. I¡¯d chosen to do it. Because it was the right thing to do. Even if it felt like self-inflicted torture right now, I¡¯d get used to it. I would. I just had to hang on.

    ¡°Spider?¡± Emi called out.

    ¡°Huh?¡± I said, glancing up at her.

    She pointed out a building slightly ahead and motioned that we land. I nodded in response and moved towards it. We landed quickly and I turned to her confused.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I was gonna ask you¡± she responded.

    ¡°What? Nothing¡¯s wrong¡± I lied.

    ¡°You sure? I was calling out to you for like a minute. Plus, your eyes were all twitchy. I think your mask is broken¡± she said. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you feel it?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡± I mumbled in response. Hadn¡¯t realised the masks could do that. I guess it was kind of cool.  Minus the part where everyone could see the anguish written clearly across my face.

    ¡°You sure you¡¯re okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Just nervous¡± I chuckled awkwardly.

    ¡°We can stop if you want to¡±

    ¡°No¡± I said firmly. ¡°If I stop now it¡¯ll just be harder to start again¡±

    With a quick shake of the head I dispelled the negative thoughts, then forced a smile. ¡°Come on let¡¯s go¡±

    Before Emi could respond, I started forwards. With a huge leap off the building, I flew into the air and fired off a web, smoothly entering into a swing. Emi followed behind me, flying nearby.

    ¡°So, you enjoying it here?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°This earth I mean¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah. It¡¯s kind of weird sometimes, looking around and not seeing what I¡¯m used to¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Cindy mentioned that you were thrown by it when you went to Times Square¡±

    ¡°Yeah. This place is similar but it¡¯s got a whole different history. Like you¡¯ve got big ones like, Johnsons instead of MacDonalds, and Northerns instead of the Yanks, but there¡¯re tonnes of small differences I¡¯m starting to notice too.¡± I said.

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even notice it back home, but there was tonnes of red in adverts and stuff. Here everything¡¯s blue, Plus your date¡¯s different. We¡¯ve got month day year and you¡¯ve got year month day¡±

    ¡°Those don¡¯t sound like small things¡±

    ¡°Fair. They¡¯re just less obvious. Oh, I should probably try to talk with the others about this. I said I¡¯d tell them about all of it yesterday and then completely forgot¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll love that. They¡¯ll probably ask if you knew any of them back on your world¡± she chuckled. I went silent. ¡°Oh shit. I didn¡¯t- uh- sorry¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s ok¡± I responded. We continued to fly above the streets, silent.

    ¡°So¡­ uh¡­ the burger place was nice, right?¡± Emi said awkwardly.

    ¡°Yeah. Thanks for reminding me about that place. When I get back I¡¯ll take Yerin with me. She really likes trying new places¡±

    ¡°Yerin? You¡¯re girlfriend?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s awesome. Really smart like Gwen. She¡¯s going to ESU on a full ride after summer. Loves physics and stuff. There was this scientist that visited our school that she loves, and she was so excited about it. We were supposed to go to the talk together before¡­¡±I trailed off silently, furrowing my brow.

    I¡¯d tried not to think about it too much, but what exactly was happening back home? I mean the other me was there. Was he impersonating me? What about my family? Had he spoken to them? Given that I¡¯d gone straight to his family then probably.

    But maybe things were different for him. I¡¯d only gone because of Jamie and he had bad blood with everyone for some weird reason. Maybe he was avoiding them back on my world too. Or maybe he just had enough sense not to intrude. Still, me just not talking to anyone would cause a lot of worry. But wait, what if he wasn¡¯t even there? What if he¡¯d been sent off to some other universe?

    Then I¡¯d just upped and vanished without a trace. Was that worse? I didn¡¯t know. It¡¯d probably freaked Eric out though.

    ¡°You okay?¡± Emi asked.

    ¡°Yeah, just thinking about home¡±

    ¡°Gwen¡¯ll get you home soon. She¡¯s smart¡± she said ¡°You¡¯ll be fine¡±

    Before I could respond the sound of a siren cut through the air. Our heads whipped forwards, and our eyes looked down. Two vans raced past the street. A police car followed. Holy shit, something was actually happening. My pulse now thudding loudly in my head, I turned looking to Emi wide eyed.

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    ¡°You want to¡­¡± she didn¡¯t finish her sentence, leaving the possibility hanging in the air. She was giving me the option to back out. My stomach shifted, butterflies fluttering around dangerously. I shook my head and squashed the fear.

    We¡¯d been out here for a reason. I couldn¡¯t let fear change that. There was no point practicing fighting if I didn¡¯t put anything to use. Sure, I¡¯d just started today, but now was as good a time as any to beat my fear. Probably.

    ¡°Spider?¡± Emi said, a note of concern in her voice.

    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s do this¡± I said. Emi smiled at me and then zipped down towards the ground, her pace blisteringly fast. I needed to keep up. I swung my legs forwards, releasing the web and fell into a dive. The air pressed me back as I hurtled towards the chaos, heart in my mouth. Emi slowed as she neared the ground and I shot past her, continuing down as she shot forwards. The asphalt grew closer by the second and an extra edge of fear pressed itself to my neck.

    ¡°Trust your senses, trustyoursenses, trustyoursenses¡± I mumbled quickly.

    Then the beautiful buzz came. I fired a web out at lightning speed, and it went taught almost instantly. My body was jerked forwards and I swung beautifully through the street, my feet low enough to skim the pavement. Releasing the web I shot forwards, firing the next one as I turned the corner.

    I let loose an exhilarated laugh, before remembering I was supposed to be chasing criminals. I looked forwards, relying less on my spider-sense and locked eyes with the two vans. Money fluttered out the back of one of them from a bag caught under the door.

    A bank robbery. Ok, this shouldn¡¯t be too bad. I glanced to the police cruiser that chased after them. It¡¯d failed to make any head way. The vans were likely altered in some way. That just meant swinging fast. No biggie. I had this in the bag.

    Suddenly gunshots rang out, and I felt my heart drop. A crook from one of the vans was firing up at Emi. She dodged them effortlessly, the aim poor, and the ones that did reach her simply pinged off her shiny armoured skin. I looked back to the van, spotting the crook leaning out the window, AR pointed at the sky.

    They hadn¡¯t seen me yet. But they¡¯d at fire me when they did, wouldn¡¯t they? A shiver passed down my spine, and my swinging slowed.

    ¡°Seriously? Why guns?¡± I mumbled. Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. As the vans reached the next corner they split, heading in opposite directions. Shit.

    ¡°Spider!¡± Emi shouted back to me.

    ¡°I-I¡¯ve got left!¡± I shouted back, picking up the pace. She flashed a thumbs up and veered off, right. I swung the other way, the police cruiser swerving left too. Phew. At least I didn¡¯t have to do this alone.

    I continued to swing, watching as the police cruiser struggled to catch the van. They weren¡¯t catching any time soon. But I was faster than the cops. That meant if someone was going to stop these guys, then it¡¯d probably have to be me. Crap. Guess I was going in.

    With a new burst of speed I swung forwards, practically catapulting myself through the air. In a split second I passed the cops and landed hard against the back of the van, denting the door.

    ¡°Ow¡± I mumbled. I pulled myself out of the door, holding the surface tightly, then peeked around the side of the van. In a slow crawl, I moved forwards. I just had to pull them out of the vehicle or web the break down or something. I¡¯d be fine. Fine and dandy.

    Once I reached the passenger side window I peered through the glass. Two criminals in ski masks sat in the van, their bodies tense as they stared at the road ahead. One glanced to the side at me before I could think of what to do and angled their gun at my head.

    My spider sense blared and I leapt up, off the van instinctively as the window shattered in a spray of glass. I flailed then fired a web, quickly resuming swinging. But it was subdued. Slower than it needed to be given the urgency of the situation. The police car shot past and the van pulled away, the passenger continuing to fire shots out of roof. They sounded a lot louder all of a sudden.

    ¡°Get a grip man. Get a grip¡±

    I shook my head violently, trying to shed the nerves, then picked up the pace again, turning the corner with the van and police cruiser. Suddenly the van braked hard. Not expecting it the police car swerved as it tried to slow down, then flipped towards the sidewalk.

    I slowed and fired out webs at it, catching it in a net between a building and a streetlight. It creaked loudly before coming to a stop, having only narrowly missed the heads of a few pedestrians. Phew.

    I turned my attention back towards the van as it continued, swerving violently around the corner. Shit. Guess I was doing this alone. No pressure. No pressure at all. I took to the sky swinging forwards again quickly. I reached the van, but trailed behind.

    ¡°You can do this¡± I mumbled. ¡°You can do this¡±

    It didn¡¯t matter if they had guns. I could disarm them and stop the vehicle. I could. I let out a breath, psyching myself up then pushed forward, swinging closer once again. I landed against the driver side of the vehicle this time, heart beating hard in my chest. My spider blared as the driver struggled to lean out the car and aim their gun at me, whilst simultaneously driving. We swerved recklessly, the van tilting for a moment.

    ¡°Eyes on the road!¡± I shouted, yanking the pistol away with a web. It crashed through a storefront as we zipped by and a few pedestrians screamed out in panic. Oops.

    Before I could say anything, the car swerved around a corner dangerously quickly. My feet, not properly stuck, were yanked away from the van with the rest of my body. I held on tightly with my hands as we continued to swerve, my body now in the way of oncoming traffic. Crying out, I pulled my legs back to my chest as the van stopped turning and picked up speed.

    Most of my body missed the oncoming car. Most. My toe clipped the wing mirror, and at the speed of the van it was more than enough to shear it clean off. I winced, clutching myself to the van tightly now, before glancing back.

    ¡°S-sorry!¡± I shouted back, my voice taken by the wind.

    I shook my head. No point focusing on stuff like that. I had to stop these two first. But how? My spider-sense buzzed and I looked forwards to see the driver, now with the other crook¡¯s AR, attempting to fit it out the window to fire at me. I yanked it away, this time to myself, before webbing it to the side of the van.

    No more guns. Unless there was another pistol or something. He¡¯d have a much clearer shot if I just poked my head up to the window again. My crawl slowed to a stop. Shit. This wasn¡¯t the time to be coming up with made up scenarios. I pondered for a second, then glanced at the back wheels. Oh.

    I fired webs at the wheel, and it grinded to a halt as the van began to swerve. Oh crap. Should¡¯ve done both. I leapt over the van and fired webs at the second back wheel, jamming it too. I hit the ground and tumbled before looking up quickly. The van slowed, but continued to swerve dangerously, the tires smoking against the asphalt. I fired webs and grabbed the back of the van, only succeeding in yanking the doors of the hinges. Shit. I rushed forwards, preparing to swing in chase of the van. But it was unnecessary. The van ground to a halt, the back wheels finished.

    Oh. I¡¯d done it. I¡¯d actually done it.

    The criminals stepped out of the van, hands raised in defeat as the people around watched enraptured, some cheering in support. I glanced around and gave an awkward nod and wave before stepping forwards and webbing the crooks hands behind their backs.

    ¡°You have to web them down, or they run away before the cops come¡± a voice said from above. I looked up to Emi as she landed grinning stupidly.

    ¡°Right¡± I said, quickly webbing them to the side of the van.

    ¡°Seriously? This is inhumane¡± one of them grumbled.

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the ones that tried to rob a bank¡± Emi retorted.

    He grumbled in response, then looked to the floor. Emi patted me on the shoulder, then gestured to the sky.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go¡±

    ¡°Wait we can just leave?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the police will take care of the rest of it¡± she said. Right. Dumb question. I nodded and we took to the skies. She floated next to me, grinning stupidly.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t so hard, was it?¡±

    ¡°Well, I did break some things, and the guns were scary but¡­ yeah. I guess.¡±

    ¡°Come on! You just stopped some bank robbers a day after getting back into things. You should be proud!¡± she said laughing.

    I felt a small smile form beneath the mask. I guess I did have something to be proud of.

 Chapter Forty Three

    The alarm against my bedside buzzed loudly, shaking me from the comfort of sleep.

    ¡°Eric¡± I mumbled, pulling the pillow over my head ¡°Can you get that?¡±

    The alarm continued, shaking the bedside table as it vibrated, rattling everything on the desk. I reached for it slapping uselessly at the desk. After missing the desk entirely I stopped and sighed, leaving the phone to buzz. But it was incessant, a noise that was more than just annoying.

    I hated waking up.

    With a concerted effort I sat up, throwing the pillow aside before ending the alarm. I paused confused as I looked around realising I wasn''t in my dorm, or at home.

    Instantly the memories of yesterday came flooding back to me. Oh. Different dimension. Right. I slumped back to bed before sighing. I lay there for a few seconds, before opening my eyes, staring at the rays of sunlight that shone through the opaque window. What time even was it?

    I glanced at Lucas 2''s phone. 09:20. Time to get up. I rolled out of bed, stretching the aches and pains before quickly making my way into the shower. The water washed over me, taking with it soap and the final dregs of sleepiness. I dried quickly, then stepped out into the room, refreshed.

    Now that I was actually living in it, the room felt a bit larger than I¡¯d first accounted for. I looked around and poked my head in the wardrobe, before pulling out a few clothes. Cindy had given me spare clothes from somewhere, but It¡¯d be fine to just take them from here, right? I mean he was probably wearing my clothes.

    I stood and glanced around again, my eyes finally stopping on the bedside drawer. He¡¯d had a ton of papers stuff in there hadn¡¯t he? I had time to kill. I wonder what differences and stuff he had that I could find. Kneeling down, I opened the drawer and looked inside.

    The purple diary and team picture sat atop everything else. I picked them up carefully and set them on the tabletop, before looking back down. Ah right. He¡¯d had a gun. No idea why, but I guess he like to be prepared. Definitely overkill though.

    I set it aside and continued to flick through random fliers and paper, not finding anything of note. It was mostly junk. Bummer. I looked up at the drawer¡¯s tabletop, staring at the purple diary, before grabbing it.

    ¡°Hero¡± I mumbled, as I read over the words on the front.

    Would it be ok to read? It was probably personal right? But was it actually a diary? Or maybe there were a ton of notes on supervillains and stuff? That¡¯d be pretty cool. My frown deepened. I¡¯d just take a quick look. I¡¯d earned it given the other me was probably using my wallet to pay for stuff. I flipped the diary open, stopping on a page a few from the front.

    Reverso¡¯s a bitch. Seriously. He¡¯s always getting the jump on me and it¡¯s starting to really get to me. I mean I was just minding my business and bam, he throws three fucking cars at me. Who does that? Even Goblin isn¡¯t that annoying. God if I ever catch him lacking I¡¯ll get in a good hit. No holding back. Well that would probably kill him. Not to sure anybody would miss him, but I promised myself I wouldn¡¯t to it again. And if I did it now Cindy would find out. That¡¯d be tough.

    That was kind of dark. A bit funny, but kind of dark. I shrugged and flipped to another page.

    Fought Carnage today and finally took him down. He¡¯s going away for a long long time. Thank god. I won¡¯t have to smell his breath anymore. It should be a crime to roar all the time when your breath stinks like faeces. Feel bad for his cells guards though. That job must be tough.

    I flicked through more of the pages, chuckling to myself. It was more of the same. There were a lot of entries. A lot. Most of them were short, not many longer than a few lines. Varying from a few choice words about the villains to the mundane. It was kind of cool to see. We had a similar sense of humour too. Huh, I guess Emi wasn¡¯t all that wrong.

    ¡°I wonder how many there are¡± I mumbled. I flicked to the back to find it empty and quickly flicked forwards to the last entry.

    The dreams come back again. The one where I¡¯m burning and they¡¯re all laughing at me. I hate it. It makes me feel small again. Reminds me too much of the crash.

    Thankfully it¡¯ll stop soon. Just a few days now.

    Cindy will probably be sad. It''ll be tough, but she¡¯ll get over me. It¡¯s better this way. She deserves better. And I deserve what¡¯s coming.

    Big Sis was right about me. The whole family was right. God. Knowing that, knowing I left them because they just told me the truth. I wish I could talk to her again. Apologise. I miss them.

    Dammit. I deserve to fucking rot f-

    I snapped the book shut breathing heavily as I stared at the front cover. It was quiet for a second. My mind silent as I struggled to process what I¡¯d just read. I looked away from the cover of the book, my eyes flicking to gun that lay in the drawer. Instantly my blood ran cold.

    No. Nope. Nu-uh. This wasn¡¯t happening. My mind was just reaching out to random possibilities.

    This wasn¡¯t what I thought it was. It couldn¡¯t be. It just¡­ wasn¡¯t. I pressed my head to the cover and cringed.

    ¡°Why the hell did I read this?¡± I muttered to myself. ¡±Private things are private for a reason you idiot¡±

    A knock from the door that I hadn¡¯t realised I¡¯d been ignoring repeated. I turned to it, shaken from my trance.

    ¡°J-just a sec!¡± I called. Quickly I put the book away and slammed the drawer shut before rushing to open the door. Cindy stood outside, in costume, holding a plate of waffles.

    "Waffle?" she said cheerily, before taking in my face. ¡°Sorry, did I wake you?¡±

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Huh? No, no¡± I said. She frowned.

    ¡°You ok?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m¡­ yeah¡± I replied. But I wasn''t. My mind drifted, wandering back into the room, drawn towards the drawer on the bedside table. A part of me wanted to read it again, to finish and see if it was bad as my mind was making it out to be. The rest of me was cursing myself for what I''d just done.

    ¡°Lucas?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I said looking up.

    "You sure I didn''t wake you? You seem out of it" she said.

    "I''m fine" I said firmly.

    ¡°Well come on. I wouldn''t mind taking my time since nothing usually happens on Thursdays, but Rosita¡¯s on the other patrol and we definitely don¡¯t want to leave her waiting¡± Cindy said. ¡±Let¡¯s eat breakfast and go¡±

    ¡°Right¡± I said. I glanced behind me, looking at the bedside drawer, then stepped out of the room.

    -

    We zipped between buildings in the glow of the beautiful early morning sun. But the beauty was lost on me. My mind was still stuck on what I¡¯d read, what I¡¯d seen. The words were seared into my retinas. Even now as I patrolled, despite the morbidness of it all I wanted to go back and read it. I wanted to see what had been written by a mind so close to my own and confirm what I already knew in some degree to be true.

    But if it was true, then what did that mean for me? This Lucas was supposed to be better. He¡¯d done everything I¡¯d been unable to. He was the culminations of my good decisions. He was a hero.

    And he was still suffering.

    And because of family? I mean, back when I was fourteen my family hadn¡¯t exactly been the best. We were better now, but that¡¯s because what¡¯d happened with Uncle Jamie had brought everyone closer. Big sis had literally moved closer to Auntie. Only a twenty-minute walk away. We practically all lived together. It could be annoying sometimes, but it was great.

    But him? What did he have to reminisce about? I could barely remember any good memories before I¡¯d quit. Then again, my memory wasn¡¯t exactly the best. Still, from the sounds of it, what his Big Sis had said was a lot worse than I¡¯d first thought. He¡¯d only had the years of tortuous studying, no friends, and a not so nice family. But years apart, even from that would probably get to me too.

    But what about his team? They seemed like a family. But now that I thought about it, there was nothing about any of them. Apart from small bits about Cindy, everyone might as well have been invisible in his mind.

    They seemed so close to him and in a journal spanning years probably, he hadn''t mentioned any of them once. Maybe I was overthinking this, overreaching. He had the photo right next to the diary. It was probably just a place to write about the stuff he didn¡¯t want to think of and just be done with it. Throwaway thoughts. The kind of stuff you¡¯d never say out loud. But then I''d had thoughts, very real thoughts that I''d never tell anyone about. Not even Yerin.

    I felt the hairs on my neck stand up, as my body tensed.

    If what I thought was in there was in there¡­ I didn¡¯t know what I¡¯d do. I¡¯d have to tell someone, wouldn¡¯t I? But it wouldn¡¯t be. It couldn¡¯t. That was too far even for me. But I¡¯d thought about it before. Why wouldn¡¯t he?

    ¡°Hello?!¡± Cindy cried out. My hear shot into my mouth and I jerked back as she swung across me, waving a hand in front of my face.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± I responded.

    ¡°S-sorry¡± she said sheepishly ¡°I was just trying to get your attention¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break. We¡¯ve swung around enough and nothing seems to be happening today¡±

    I nodded and we swung over towards a building, quickly landing on the roof.

    ¡°How you feeling?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Fine. A little tired¡±

    ¡°Well you did catch a car yesterday, so¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?¡±

    ¡°Dragonfly said you caught a car?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ nope. Didn¡¯t catch any cars¡±

    ¡°You didn''t?¡±

    ¡°Well I mean, I caught one with webs¡±

    ¡°So you did catch one?¡±

    ¡°Technically?" I shrugged. "When you say it like that it makes it sound like I physically caught it. No way I could do that¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you could¡±

    ¡°Yeah? Well I wouldn¡¯t try. My arms ache just from swinging, so lifting a car would be a death sentence¡±

    ¡°Eh, I¡¯m pretty sure you''d be fine¡± she said ¡±Either way, what you did is pretty incredible for a first day¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that amazing¡± I sighed. ¡°I was shitting bricks the whole time¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s normal though?¡± Cindy said confused.

    "Is it? Em- Dragonfly never seemed afraid to me"

    "Everyone gets scared in their own way"

    ¡°I guess¡± I said mumbled. I stared at the floor, looking over the feet of my suit. Bit by bit I was wearing more and more of the other Lucas¡¯ costume. My frown deepened. I looked to Cindy who stared out at the sun.

    Should I tell her? I mean I wasn¡¯t even certain about anything. Plus, what would telling even do to her? She was kind of dating him wasn¡¯t she? That was kind of weird to think about actually. Regardless, it¡¯d affect her. She was probably already worried sick given that he¡¯d just disappeared too. This would just make things so much worse.

    She glanced back at me and did a double take, looking over my somber expression. I turned away quickly but it was too late.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s nothing¡±

    ¡°Clearly it''s not¡± she scoffed. ¡°Come on, what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know¡±

    ¡°Are you worried about home?¡±

    ¡°No. Well yes, but that¡¯s not¡­¡± I trailed off not wanting to push into personal territory. If they were as close as I thought, it''d just be weird. I¡¯d be more than a bit creeped out if someone came asking about stuff from Yerin¡¯s diary. Even if it was an alternate universe version.

    ¡°Spidey?¡± Cindy asked.

    I glanced back at Cindy, catching her frown. I sighed.

    ¡°The Lucas here¡­ was he¡­ I mean... I just found¡­ he had some stuff that was a little¡­ I don¡¯t know¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re losing me¡± Cindy said.

    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m just trying to ask, was he¡­ mentally ok?¡±

    Cindy¡¯s expression shifted from one of confusion, to a deeper more solemn look.

    ¡°He... struggled sometimes. As heroes, we all do. It¡¯s why Ghost got us a therapist¡±

    ¡°Wait, you guys have a therapist?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, she¡¯s awesome¡±

    ¡°Huh¡± I said nodding ¡°Cool¡±. Then I shook my head. I was getting off topic, this whole thing with Lucas 2 was serious. "Sorry, getting off topic. I...uh... I found something"

    "Found something? What''d you mean?"

    Before I could answer the ground shook. The tremors were powerful, violent. It took all I had just to remain upright as the entire building shook. As the tremors subsided my spider sense continued to blare, warning of danger all around. With a quick glance around the roof I grew even more confused. It was fine. Everything looked completely fine. And I couldn¡¯t hear the panicked screams of civilians.

    But my spider sense continued to blare. Something was wrong.

    Someone was coming.

    ¡°Shit¡± Cindy said. The words shook me out of my trance and I turned to her.

    ¡°What? What¡¯s happening?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You need to go¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Quick!¡± she shouted, in a panic, pushing me back. I stumbled away, unable to make sense of what was happening.

    ¡°Si-¡±

    ¡°Run dammit!¡± she shouted. The words felt like a sudden hit to the chest, and my face contorted with frustration.

    ¡°What the hell? The first sign of danger and you tell me to run?¡±

    ¡°Just run¡±

    ¡°I told you I¡¯m not gonna just-¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the time!¡± she roared. She stood on her haunches, her bloodshot eyes darting around with fear. They swept over the rooftop again as our sense continued to blare, before finally stopping on me.

    ¡°You need to go¡± she said. ¡±Now¡±

    The mix of terror and determination in her voice was enough to strike me through the core. Although hesitantly, I turned away from her and rushed towards the edge of the building.

    Shit. Why the hell was I just running again? She¡¯d told me to, with such conviction not doing so would be an insult. But in my heart it still felt like a step back. I clenched my fist as I leapt from the building. No. This wasn¡¯t running. I just wasn''t ready yet. There was clearly danger here Cindy wouldn¡¯t be able to protect me from. I was just getting rid of the liability.

    I was doing the right thing. The smart thing. And I wouldn¡¯t just run. I¡¯d get the others. I¡¯d get the others and I¡¯d come straight back.

    Suddenly my spider sense blared. I twisted through the air as I tried to avoid the danger, but everything went wrong. For a moment, it felt like I was glitching, but no. My body was moving backwards, the opposite of my intended motion.

    Then a fist slammed hard into my chest. The wind was instantly knocked out of me and I spun through the air, stars flickering across my vision. When I opened my eyes, I could hear the screams of people. They were distant. Or close. A mess of rubble, concrete and plaster surrounded me, muffling the sound. I pushed it aside, coughing hard as the screams grew louder.

    Everything hurt. Everything. I tried to sit up and gasped falling back to the floor. Something in my chest was seriously broken.

    Shit. I couldn¡¯t breathe properly. I gasped for air, before coughing wetly. Shit. I needed to move. With a concerted effort, I forced myself onto my side, holding myself of the floor with my shoulder and shaking hands. Better. It still hurt, but it felt a lot better. Suddenly my spider sense warned of oncoming danger. But I wasn''t in a state to move.

    A knee slammed into the side of my head and everything went white, with spatters of black stars sparkling across my vision before I found myself slumped against the floor. Red tinted the left side of my vision and everything seemed just a tad blurry. I coughed hard, and in a daze I pushed myself up off the floor, as if pulling away from the pain.

    But instantly a foot pressed down on my back, and my body gave out crumpling back down. Out of the corner of my eyes I could see the silhouette of a masked figure clade in dark armour. They looked down at me, before kneeling close and frowning.

    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±

 Chapter Forty Four

    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±

    I ignored the question, still struggling for air as I attempted to pull away. The foot on my back only grew firmer.

    ¡°Hey¡± the attacker said, their voice chilling, ¡°I asked you who the hell you are?¡±

    Before I could respond a roar echoed through the room.

    ¡°REVERSO!¡±

    Instantly the weight on my back disappeared and concrete exploded off to my left. I was quickly pulled to my feet and Cindy looked me over.

    ¡°Shit¡± she said, her eyes wide as she looked over my bloodstained hoodie, the white spider symbol stitched into the surface dyed an iron red. She glanced over to the human sized hole in the floor, then back to me. ¡°Can you make it away on your own?¡±

    I nodded. It definitely wasn¡¯t true, but now didn¡¯t seem like the best time to tell her I felt like I was dying. I was probably doing better than I thought.

    ¡°Go. Quick¡± she said.

    I stumbled away, still clutching my chest. Everything felt heavy, but I pushed forward, climbing through the hole above me before reaching the shattered glass I¡¯d been punched through. I came to a stop at the edge, quickly wrapping my torso with web before swinging out into the open.

    I swung slowly, but the pain was too great, forcing me to land. I stopped against a building face, only a few metres from the floor, my chest feeling heavy. I could barely move, barely breathe, and with every second the pain grew worse. No way would I be able to get away like this. Shit.

    A boom echoed above me, and I glanced back, spotting Reverso in his black and green armour smash through the window as he flew forwards toward a flailing Cindy.

    She tried to dodge his attack mid-air, but her movement slowed, and he slammed into her, both of them crashing into the building opposite. People cried out, some running quickly away from the danger and others pointing upward at the chaos, frozen in panic.

    A few people looked to me as they ran, their faces filled with confusion and hope. Their gazes brought a sudden weight I¡¯d forgotten. The expectation of responsibility.

    I¡¯d forgotten because of the relax atmosphere with everyone else, even after I¡¯d stopped the bank robbers, but people were expecting me to save them from things like this. Even if I was hurt. Even if I¡¯d been told to run. Even if I had no idea what the fuck I was doing.

    It¡¯d be stupid to help. Really stupid. But I definitely wasn¡¯t going anywhere, and people were in danger. Maybe if I helped Cindy, if we worked together we could get Reverso away from here. Or at least stop him from damaging more stuff until the others got here.

    I nodded. That was a solid plan. Now, time to follow through. I pushed off the wall slightly, but my chest instantly squirmed with pain, and I barely caught myself before falling from the wall.

    ¡°Easier said then done¡± I mumbled.

    Suddenly a loud series of booms cracked through the building behind me and I looked to it again. I stared in disbelief, watching as the light on the surface shifted to reflect more and more of the road below.

    ¡°Holy shit¡± I muttered. The top part of the building was falling. Literally falling forwards into the street. Now people were really screaming.

    How?! Was this Reverso guy really that strong? Didn¡¯t matter. There was a building falling, about to crush people. I stood quickly, only to be brought back down by the pain. Crap. I glanced up as Cindy emerged from the building, fighting Reverso as she simultaneously struggled to fire webs to stop the building from collapsing. She wouldn¡¯t be able to do both. I had to help.

    I hit myself in the side and then, with a burst of strength I forced myself back to the sky. Half my mind was fixed on the pain, but the other half on the mountain of glass, metal and concrete falling towards me. I swung across the street, firing as much web as possible, leaving a large net of web in my wake as I swung upwards towards it.

    I could see the net in the reflection of the glass as it slowed due to Cindy¡¯s webs. From the reflection alone, I could tell it wouldn¡¯t be enough. When Cindy¡¯s webs broke the net would collapse like tissue. I swung up and landed on the surface of the building. Rushing up the side, I fired strands of web onto buildings all around and attaching them to the glass beneath my feet.

    My veins burned and my hands trembled with adrenaline as I raced up the side of the building, slowing it bit by bit. I didn¡¯t dare think about the pain in my side now. There was too much at stake for me to mess up.

    Suddenly my spider sense buzzed. I continued running but glanced behind spotting Reverso. He flew towards me, laughing with a manic glee and I felt the presence of his power start to grow in my mind, before Cindy slammed into him and the feeling disappeared. I continued racing upwards as the building began to slow at my makeshift web.

    Finally, I reached the top and leapt from the structure landing on the roof of a side building. I spun quickly and fired as much web as possible, catching the back of the structure. Then, anchoring myself against the building¡¯s lip, I pulled. My arms shook as the strands grew heavier, straining against the buildings weight.

    But the building slowed further. As I held the web, pulling with all my might to hold everything up, some strands snapped, and the concrete beneath my feet cracked. But it was working. I just had to hold on for a few seconds.

    My entire body protested and the pain centre in my mind burned with a fury as I forced myself to focus on holding up the building. Finally, the weight weakened, and the building slowed to a stop. With a gasp I webbed the collection of strands to the building, and fell back, crashing to the floor.

    Endless blue sky stared back at me as the roar of blood rushed through my ears. I felt light-headed. Really light-headed. But I¡¯d stopped an absolute disaster from happening. Wow. I¡¯d actually stopped a building. Well part of a building. The semantics didn¡¯t really matter, I¡¯d just saved a ton of lives.

    Wait, Cindy was still fighting Reverso wasn¡¯t she? Crap. I tried to sit up, but my body didn¡¯t respond, too weak to do anything. My spider sense blared and someone shouted out to me. Before I could do anything, I was yanked away by a web and clasped tightly.

    Then I was falling again. I slowed suddenly and skidded across glass. I was on top the broken building again. And Cindy was ahead of me, beating the shit out of Reverso. The villain went down and she spared the chance to look back at me.

    ¡°Run!¡± she shouted, before returning to her fight.

    Again, I tried to force myself up, but my body still wasn¡¯t listening. Shit. I slumped to the floor again, breathing heavily. Well, if I wasn¡¯t going anywhere, I might as well help out as best I can. With an effort I angled my arm right, then fired a web at Reverso.

    It caught his leg against the ground as he attempted to jump. It slowed him down and Cindy hit him with a powerful blow. But my moment of triumph was stripped from me almost instantly. Reverso tanked the blow and instantly backhanded Cindy hard, sending her flying.

    He shot towards me, in his weird half fly, half fall, cackling. Crap. I scrambled desperately, but only succeeded in rolling over as he slammed his feet through the glass where I¡¯d laid. I waited for him to attack again, cowering as I protected myself. But nothing came. I peered up at him confused.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± he said scratching his head. ¡°You¡¯re way better than this. I spent the last month preparing for this and your just¡­ man. I wasn¡¯t even sure if it was you or some imposter with the mask. I mean you stopped the building so I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s you, but¡­ ¡°

    He surveyed me as I lay on the floor breathing heavily, before kicking me. I skidded across the glass clutching my side as my body shook. ¡°Bad day, huh?¡±

    He planted a foot on my back as I struggled to crawl away, cracking the glass beneath. I grit my teeth as tears welled up in my eyes. God, I hated this. Feeling so small, so weak, so helpless all over again.

    ¡°This is no fun¡± he said, taking his foot off my back. Then he kicked me off the building face. I cried out as I fell, my limbs dragged by the wind as I spun downward toward the ground. Even in my weakened state, my survival instincts were overpowering and I threw out an arm to fire a web and catch myself.

    But I felt the presence of his inversion, then everything twisted. As I aimed out ahead of me, the wrong hand shot forwards, releasing the web as my other hand grasped at air. I fell, my body a mess of confused limbs as I tried and failed to gain control of myself. Then I crashed against a car hood, hard. Pain rolled over and through me and I lay still as unconscious threatened to take me.

    I coughed hard, before my breathing even out. Everywhere hurt. Waves of pain from all over growing and dimming with each second. With blurry eyes I looked upwards, searching the sky. I found him quickly, watching Reverso fall towards me. Shit.

    If I didn¡¯t move he was gonna crush me. Suddenly Cindy shot out of a building and slammed into him mid-air. They fell quickly, crashing onto the ground across the street before almost instantly breaking out into hand to hand.

    He roared with laughter as Cindy attacked, her usually graceful movements slower, uncoordinated. It was his power. Had to be. The ability to reverse things. But then how the hell had he brought down the top of building? Even with super strength that wasn¡¯t something you just did.

    Did it have something to do with the first earthquake I¡¯d felt? I didn¡¯t know and I was in too much pain to think. It didn¡¯t matter. Right now, Reverso had his back was to me. He probably thought I was out of the fight. Anyone should be after that fall.

    But I wasn¡¯t. Through sheer dumb luck I hadn¡¯t died, and through even dumber luck I was still conscious. He wouldn¡¯t be expecting me. If I could just get up, I could catch him off guard. It probably wasn¡¯t smart, but screw that. Nobody got to kick me whilst I was down.

    The car creaked as I tried to force myself up. My entire body roared in protest, even my spider sense warning me it was dangerous to move, but I pulled myself out the wreckage anyway. I fell to the floor, then forced myself to one knee and looked up at the two.

    As they battled, I waited for the right moment. Finally, it came, he stumbled backwards as he blocked a punch from Cindy. Without hesitation I leapt forward, cracking him over the head with a fist. He stumbled forward and Cindy sent him to the floor with a powerful straight.

    He crashed to the floor, before bouncing right back up, returning an equally powerful punch back at Cindy, sending her flying. Then he spun to me, his wild eyes now clear with his mask lenses shattered.

    ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± he roared, throwing a punch. I blocked it with my arm but stumbled backwards. He moved forwards, cackling as I swung wildly to keep him at bay. But my movements were muddled, confused both by the pain and his power. He simply waited, ducked underneath a swing and hit me with a jab to the face.

    The punch was weak, barely enough to knock a regular person down. But it sent me stumbling backwards into a car. I fell and caught myself, holding onto the hood hard enough to dent it. As I breathed heavily, blood dripping through my nose one thought went through my mind.

    Why had I wanted to do this again? I couldn¡¯t remember.

    ¡°Come on. Get up. You don¡¯t get to get me that good then just bow out¡± Reverso said, the excitement in his voice palpable.

    ¡°Fuck you¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°That¡¯s more like it. Now come on! Come at me!¡± he roared, slamming his fists together.

    I chucked the car at him. For a moment I caught the look of surprise in his eyes before it crashed into him and skidded across the road. I fell to my knees breathing heavily, my arms limp at my sides.

    But before I could get a moment¡¯s rest, the car was thrown on it¡¯s side and Reverso stepped forward, shaking an unscathed arm. Really? He¡¯d been like three feet away from me.

    No wonder the others had been worried about this guy.

    As he shook his arm, his eyes locked onto mine, and he raced forward, fists clenched. Shit. Suddenly his body jerked back, as Cindy emerged from the building, pulling him back with a web. She slammed a fist into him and he flew forwards. To me. I had another chance.

    With a sudden burst of energy I leapt forwards. Reverso started to slow and fly upward, away from me. But it wasn¡¯t fast enough. It took his power a moment to take effect, and that meant I¡¯d reach him before he got away. I had him. And he knew it too. I could feel his inversion start to take a hold of me as I neared. But it was too late. I threw a fist and-

    Suddenly everything shifted. It felt wrong for a second, like my insides were attacking themselves, my body pulling itself apart, and then it felt right. The presence of the inversion, of whatever Reverso could do, fixing whatever was wrong with me.

    He cried out in agony, grabbing the sides of his head and we crashed into each other and fell to the floor. Both of us lay there, for a second before I rolled over onto my back, Reverso unmoving.

    Cindy rushed over to us, one fist clenched, ready for action as she pulled me away.

    ¡°You okay?¡±

    ¡°No¡± I said, coughing as I sat up, only to immediately lay back down. I looked to the side, at Reverso through the cracked lens of my mask. ¡°Did we get him?¡±

    ¡°I think we-¡°

    Suddenly I glitched again, this time the feeling far worse. I cried out, grabbing the sides of my head as my body rejected itself.

    -

    I fell to the floor, the sounds of screams and chaos echoing through my mind. I looked down at my trembling hand, before pushing myself off the floor.

    ¡°What the? You okay man?¡± Yu said.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± I lied. My fists clenched in frustration. I the hated glitching. It was the kind of feeling you got when you got poisoned. The feeling of slow death. Except this time it was much slower and there was no antidote. I was dying bit by bit and there was nothing I could do about it. I hated it. Feeling so small, so weak, so helpless.

    ¡°What even was that?¡± Yu asked.

    ¡°A glitch¡± Peter said, looking at me concerned.

    ¡°And that just¡­ happens? All the time?¡± Yu asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re getting more frequent, but I¡¯m fine¡± I said shaking my head.

    I turned away from the two and stalked over to the window of the base. I stared out over the skyline, and my frown deepened. This one had been different. For a moment, I¡¯d felt something. Something pulling at my core. It¡¯d felt right, then wrong, and I¡¯d just glitched again. Maybe something good was happening?

    I doubted it. And even if it was, I couldn¡¯t rely on dumb luck to get me out of this. I had to look at things objectively. When I framed things right, it reminded me of the dire circumstances.

    Things really weren¡¯t looking good. Peter didn¡¯t have anywhere near the resources as Gwen, and the only other heroes to help him were Jess, and Mr Symbiote ¨C who was definitely more of a threat than either Jess, Peter, or Yu himself were willing to recognise.  I grit my teeth.

    Somehow this world was so much worse than my own. More crime, more villains, and less heroes. Probably because Emi had died, and this world¡¯s me had been a coward. I paused, my mind flashing back to the dinner I¡¯d had, the smiling faces of family members I hadn¡¯t seen in years. He was a coward, sure, but I guess to some degree he¡¯d the right idea.

    Suddenly my spider sense buzzed faintly. I focused for a moment, listening to what it was telling me. Sirens. There was something happen off in the distance. I hesitated, glancing at my mask in hand.

    I didn¡¯t have to do this here. I could go back to NYTA, and just lounge about. Or I could even call up Big Sis and other family and just have a meal. I could pretend this was the life I¡¯d lived. Nobody expected anything from me.

    My fists clenched tighter.

    ¡°What a stupid idea¡°

    ¡°Eh? You say something?¡± Yu asked.

    ¡°Sirens¡± I said, pulling on my mask.

    ¡°Is that a good idea? I mean Jess¡¯ already ou-¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s closer to Queens. I¡¯ll make it there first¡±

    ¡°At least take Yu with you¡± Peter said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need help¡± I said, curtly.

    ¡°Uh¡­ didn¡¯t you say you have a team?¡± he said.

    ¡°It was Emi¡¯s idea¡± I said, before leaping out of the building.

 Interlude Fifteen - The Reminder

    The boy righted himself, his head pounding as he slowly came to. Everything felt twisted, reversed somehow and his hands trembled with a nervous energy. He coughed hard, before flashes of memories passed through his mind. Hearty laughter ¨C his own, a impassioned cry of fury for a name he didn¡¯t recognise, and a fallen building far beneath him.

    It was strange and hard to understand. The moments were memories, his own but not his own. It felt like looking through the eyes of another.

    ¡°Shit kid, you ok?¡± a voice said. The boy looked up confused, his mind still foggy. He shook his head violently, dispelling the dreariness before pounding himself in the temple with a fist. The pain centred him and his eyes focused on the man in front, ski mask and all.

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°Good. I thought one of the cops got you¡± the man said, pulling away from the boy. ¡°Now quick, help us load this shit into the van before Spider-Man shows¡±

    The boy nodded and stood, starting after the man. As he did so he heard the sound of sirens in the distance. An almost debilitating ecstasy brought about by the thrill of danger washed over him, brining a grin to his face. But there was something else too. He felt strong. Really strong.

    An immaterial weight crackled beneath his finger tips, the manifestation of his ecstasy. His smile widened underneath his mask as one thought passed through his mind.

    Today¡¯s gonna be a good day

    -

    Gwen stared at the scanning chamber, Rosita at her side. They both remained silent as they stared at it, the bitter nature of the situation all too present in their minds. The tube had been moved from the wall and lay horizontal to the floor, steady beeps emitting from the monitor connected to it in a constant rhythm. A heartbeat.

    Lucas lay inside. Not her Lucas, the lost one from the second universe she was so desperately trying ¨C and failing ¨C to understand.

    She glanced down at the monitor and parsed over the readings again. Given what she¡¯d figured out over the last two days, they weren¡¯t good. They were terrible, far worse than they should¡¯ve been at this stage.

    The very forces that made him up, ones that didn''t belong in this universe were decaying. That was her best assessment, and really only a crude summary of things she didn''t understand. Things she couldn''t understand. Not without more info.

    She glanced back to Cindy who sat on the gurney in the first aid section, wrapped up in bandages dotted with spots of crimson.

    A part of Gwen - the scientist - wanted to ask questions, to figure out exactly what happened down to the minutest detail. But the human part of her knew that¡¯d be wrong. Cindy was stressed enough, she didn''t need Gwen grilling her for any and all info.

    She turned back to the chamber, taking in Lucas 2. She studied him, and watched as he glitched again, unidentifiable shapes and edges spilling from his form, the outline of his body almost indistinguishable from the rest of the universe, yet so clearly different. Then he was normal again, fast asleep like nothing had happened. But Gwen knew what the glitching meant.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Cellular decay.

    Every time the glitches happened, part of him died. Small clumps of cells. In the hair, the skin, the lungs. Everywhere and anywhere. And it was getting more frequent, more violent, the clumps of cellular decay growing bit by bit. If she didn¡¯t do anything, if he stayed here, like this, he was going to die. Of that, she was certain.

    She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. It¡¯d taken her nearly three full days just to figure out what the problem was, and now she had only one to solve it.

    Great. Just fucking great.

    She released the nervous tension from her bunched-up shoulders and focused, calming herself. Every second she spent complaining was a second wasted. She needed to focus on saving him. Her brow furrowed. There were only really two options. Get him out of here ¨C back to his world, or stabilise his condition. Both equally as impossible right now.

    Her brow furrowed further and she felt the wrinkles the action caused etch into her skin. She released her brow and rubbed at her forehead lightly as she stared at the mess in front of her. It was at times like this she wished Peter were still here. She scrunched up her face in frustration, and turned away from the monitor, her footsteps echoing lightly through the empty space.

    ¡°Where¡¯re you going?¡± Rosita called out to her.

    ¡°Back to that school. I need to check out that loft again. It¡¯s important somehow¡± she responded.

    ¡°I¡¯ll come¡± Rosita said.

    ¡°No. Stay here. Watch Cindy and Lucas¡±

    ¡°Come on, I can help"

    "Rosita"

    "Emi¡¯s nearly finished with clean-up. She can w-¡±

    ¡°Just watch them, ok?¡± Gwen said curtly.

    Rosita scowled but nodded, crossing her arms. Gwen turned away and threw off her lab coat, then pulled on her mask. In a smooth, dancelike motion she leapt forward and fired a web, shooting up and out of the roof hatch. She landed on the roof and paused, the cool summer night¡¯s air washing over her.

    She always forgot how nice the view from up here was. It felt nice to appreciate it, if even for a moment. Though any longer would be wasteful. She cracked her neck then turned on her suits GPS.

    It was time to get to work.

    -

    Lucas¡¯ dreams were filled with darkness.

    An endless sea of darkness, fear and emotion. He¡¯d been feeling good for a while, well most of him at least. The life he¡¯d built around himself had distracted him from the scars he bore. But that was over now. Because of the memories.

    The unease. The fear. The darkness that hid his monster. His best and only friend, drenched in her own blood as he''d held her. Her scream, a desperate cry for life, for help, that would not come. Then the endless cackling.

    The sounds alone were enough to hurt him.

    But that wasn¡¯t the worst of it. The scars were simply newer and completely his own. But the emotions ran deeper. To a place he¡¯d tried to forget a long time ago.

    The screech of tires. Screams. The sound of his father crying out. Fire. That raging and burning fire he¡¯d never, never be able to forget. The fear and the running. The running had come so easily.

    Then it was different, mild flashes against a sea of black. His mind found peace in the quiet, but it wad only temporary. The memories returned with a force, enough to strike him in the heart, where he felt the core of their emotion.

    The truancy. The power. The fun he¡¯d had with it. The fear too. And the chaos all of it had wrought on his life. His older sister blaming him, yelling that it¡¯d ¡°All been his fault¡±, and the despair it¡¯d brought. The attempts to forget. The self-hatred. The gun.

    The memories were powerful, they resonated with him in a way he couldn''t quite explain. He felt like he¡¯d experienced it. Some of it he had. They were memoires, memories that were so close, so familiar, but still ones that weren¡¯t his own.

    And he knew that. He could see the disparity, feel it. But the emotions didn¡¯t fade. The scars they''d re-opened remained. He¡¯d been reminded. So terribly reminded.

    He''d tried to forget the fire for so long now. But a part of him knew he didn''t deserve to.

    -

    My eyes flew upon and I cried out, pushing forwards as my body righted itself. Glass shattered against my outstretched hands and a yelp sounded from off to the side as the shards exploded outward. I fell forward and crashed to the floor hard. My breathing was heavy, and sweat poured off my body, pooling onto the ground. Tears streamed down my face as my hands trembled, my dad¡¯s shouts echoing in the back of my mind, along with the images of fire.

    ¡°Shit¡± I muttered, the floor cracking under my claws ¡°Shit.¡±

 Chapter Forty Five

    ¡°Lucas?! Lucas?!¡± voices shouted from around me. I reeled from the noise, the loudness of it an affront to my mind. But as I crawled back, I felt hands on my back, pressing at me, closing me in. My heart rose in my chest as my spider sense blared.

    ¡°Get off me!¡± I shouted, swiping wildly. Rosita caught the blow, stopping my claws from cutting into Cindy¡¯s arm. My eyes widened and I wrenched my arm back, falling back to the floor atop the glass I¡¯d smashed.

    I breathed heavily for a moment before wiping at the sweat that covered my forehead, succeeding only in smearing blood across my face. I blinked, my eyelids heavy and body tired. My entire body burned with adrenaline and everything was way too loud.

    The screech of tires and the crash of metal against stone echoed in my ears. I shook my head violently, but it only made the memories worse.

    ¡°Hey!¡± a harsh voice cut through the air.

    After a few quick breaths, I looked up at Cindy and Rosita, one staring at me with fear and the other with anger.

    ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re playing at!?¡± Rosita said her voice cold.

    ¡°¡­s-sorry¡± I mumbled, looking back to the ground.

    ¡°Sorry?!¡± she said, her voice hurting my head.

    ¡°Just¡­ wait¡± I said leaning my head back. I closed my eyes, bringing my hands to my face as I wiped at the tears and tried to steady my breathing.

    It wasn¡¯t working.

    Suddenly a hand grabbed me and I lurched away violently, losing the grip but crashing hard into the machine behind me. The impact jolted me, sending another wave of fear through my mind and instinctively I leapt up, landing on the ceiling.

    My spider-sense blared again and I dived out the way, crashing into more equipment then to the floor before scrambling back, away from the danger. I raised a hand in surrender, my entire body burning as I shook with fear from the memories that replayed over and over in my head.

    ¡°Just¡­ fuck¡­ just give me a second¡± I muttered, my head pounding. I wiped at my sweat again, the pointless action a desperate attempt at relief.

    ¡°Rosita don¡¯t!¡± Cindy cried out. I felt a hand grab me by the lapel of the hoodie and lift me up, slamming me against the wall. The sudden panic returned, and I pushed her back hard. Hard enough to send her flying across the width of the loft, crashing into the kitchen area.

    She remained still as I stared at her, the now broken fridge sparking.

    I looked to Cindy, panicked, then rushed for the exit. I swung out the hatch quickly scrambling away. My arms ached and my lungs burned before I found myself breathing heavily, clutching the side of a random building.

    The coolness of the night graced me and I turned to look out to open air. The feelings of panic, and claustrophobia began to fade and I let out a relieved breath.

    The sound of tires screeching came from behind and I felt my panic spike again, claws sprouting, cracking the brick beneath my palms. I could feel my spider-sense warning me from here.

    After a few seconds the panic faded, but my breaths were still fast and sharp. I hadn¡¯t been afraid of cars in years. I needed to get away from all this noise. I was too on edge right now.

    Without a second thought I leapt from the side of the building and fell through the air. Then, I fired a web and swung away as fast as I could.

    -

    ¡°Ow¡± I winced, pulling another small shard of glass from my arm. It didn¡¯t help that it was the dead of night. I squinted again and wiped at the blood on my arm. Most of it was dry by now, but some of the cuts closer to my hand still bled. Should¡¯ve worked down the arm, not up it. Annoying.

    ¡°Ow¡± I winced again, flicking another shard away. I went to take out the next but stopped, scowling as I shook my wrist to abate the pain.

    The Hudson lay out in front of me with a couple of piers beneath and a nice view of Jersey City beyond. I glanced off to the left, where the statue of liberty stood, and slightly beyond it this world¡¯s version of the Hortz-Bruig Penitentiary. Both were slightly different. I chuckled dryly before coughing. I ignored the pain and appreciated the view again.

    I¡¯d fled to some random building that sat near the river, probably because I¡¯d headed in the direction towards home. Or what¡¯d felt like home back in Trenton. I sighed as the memories came back to me again.

    What shit luck. What were the chances that I fought a guy that could scramble my thoughts enough to dredge up unwanted memories? Was it something to do with his reversing powers? Had he reversed what memories I most wanted to recall and what I¡¯d least wanted? Could he even do that?

    Maybe. Maybe not. It wouldn¡¯t explain the other memories. The ones that¡¯d been different, like someone else¡¯s but still my own. That¡¯d been really weird. Weird in a way that just felt different? There wasn¡¯t a good way to describe it.

    It was sort of like seeing something you hadn¡¯t seen in a long time, recognising it, but knowing it was different somehow. That description didn¡¯t totally do it justice, but it¡¯s what it¡¯d felt like to some degree.

    I shifted resting my arms on my knees, my back warm against the cold concrete behind me. My thoughts drifted as I stared silently out at the lights that stretched out to the horizon, taking in the sounds and atmosphere of the night. Usually, I would¡¯ve enjoyed something like this, but not tonight. No. Tonight I was in too much pain, mental and physical. My scowl disappeared, replaced by sadness.

    No matter how hard I tried, my mind kept going back to the memories. I couldn¡¯t get them out my head.

    I closed my eyes, leaning my head back against the wall. A part of me was angry. Angry at the situation, the unfairness of it all. But what pissed me off more was what had happened with Rosita. Not the fact I¡¯d sent her flying hard enough into a fridge to knock her out, no, she¡¯d deserved that. It was the fact I¡¯d run.

    It was a weird thought. No, less than a thought, closer to a general feeling. It didn¡¯t make sense in a way I could explain ¨C even to myself - but it frustrated me nevertheless. I should¡¯ve tried to help, then explained myself. Instead, I¡¯d run. It¡¯d come easier than breathing. Pure instinct.

    I thought I¡¯d faced it. Beaten it by coming back to this, facing danger again. But no. That part of me was still there, unchanged.

    It pissed me off. Just as much as it saddened me.

    I pressed my fists to the sides of my temples, squeezing my head hard.

    ¡°Dammit¡± I muttered. I pulled my knees to my chest, resting my chin against my knee cap. I closed my eyes and listened to the wind¡¯s song to try and calm myself; but the distant noises around me, ones from a world not my own, only served to isolate me more.

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    ¡°I wish mom and dad were still here¡± I whispered to myself. The words were quick, quiet, as though I were trying to keep the thought secret even from myself. But I¡¯d heard them. Of course I had. And they wracked me with guilt. I buried my face into my knees, holding back tears.

    Then in the distance I heard a familiar fluttering. I jumped up looking around as it neared. Then Emi shot into view. She spotted me and changed direction almost instantly, landing hard against the roof. I stepped back, still on edge as she regarded me somewhat cautiously before noticing the cuts on my arms.

    ¡°Holy shit¡± she said, her voice filled with distress as she rushed forwards, taking my arm. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ glass¡± I said. ¡°I freaked out. Just a bit¡±

    She ignored the joke looking over my arms with an intensity. Then she pulled a bandage from her utility belt and placed it in her mouth, holding my arm in a firmer grip as she brought her eye closer to inspect it.

    ¡°Hold still¡± she said, voice muffled through the bandage. She scanned over my arms once again and pulled out the last pieces of glass before starting with the bandages.

    ¡°What happened?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m not sure¡± I lied.

    She looked to me, the doubt clear in her expression, before continuing to wrap the bandage.

    ¡°Rosita was pissed, and a ton of stuff was destroyed¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sorry. I frea- Ow¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡±

    I went silent watching as she slowly finished up. Then she stepped back, wiping her hands against her side.

    ¡°We should go back¡± she said. ¡°Are you good to swing?¡±

    I hesitated, stepping back slightly.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll¡­ uh¡­ I¡¯ll just stay out here a while¡± I said awkwardly, looking to the ground.

    ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I just¡­ remembering things¡± I mumbled, my voice cracking. The sadness in my tone obvious.

    ¡°Is¡­is this about Amy?¡±

    My eyes widened slightly as those memories washed over me once again too. I shook my head, still staring at the ground as another wave of emotion rolled through me. I brought my hands to my face to centre myself, but the sadness only rose further. I sat again my breathing shaky.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± Emi said, rushing over.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± I said holding back tears. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine¡±

    She nodded and sat next to me her face still full of worry. It felt weird to see her not smiling, reminded me of exactly what I didn¡¯t want to remember. I looked away, staring back out a New Jersey again.

    We sat in silence for a while, as the sadness slowly ebbed away. Finally, my mind empty, I turned to her and spoke.

    ¡°We can go now, if you want¡± I said.

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m fine now¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t look it¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ missing home you know¡± I said, chuckling. Emi didn¡¯t laugh and I cleared my throat awkwardly.

    ¡°What happened with Reverso wasn¡¯t your fault¡± she said suddenly.

    My frown deepened. Right. That¡¯d completely left my mind. A fight where an entire building had collapsed and I¡¯d just forgotten about it. People had definitely died in that fight and I hadn¡¯t even spared a thought about it. My face twisted in anguish, and I hid my expression with my hands. How could I have just forgotten about it?

    ¡°I¡­ wasn¡¯t even thinking about that¡± I mumbled. ¡°That¡¯s pretty bad, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Emi looked to me confused before speaking again.

    ¡°Lucas what¡¯s wrong? You can talk to me¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ stuff. Old memories. About my parents¡±

    ¡°You miss them?¡±

    ¡°Yeah but¡­ it¡¯s a long story. Happened when I was seven so¡­ wow, nearly eleven years ago now¡± I said, staring at the ground. I went to speak again, then hesitated. I¡¯d nearly spilled everything just then. That would¡¯ve been bad. Yeah, it¡¯d be wrong to tell her. Or was I just saying that; trying to save myself from her judgment?

    ¡°Lucas?¡± Emi said tentatively. The concern in her voice was so palpable, so familiar that before I realised it, I was speaking again.

    ¡°W-when I was seven, there was a party or some kind of event that the whole family had to go to. It was important for my parents. Some social gathering for scientists. But I didn¡¯t want to go. Like really didn¡¯t want to go. When we were supposed to be getting ready I was just shouting and screaming and running around. Making life hard for everyone¡± I said.

    ¡±I don¡¯t know why I did it. I just wanted attention from mom and dad, I guess. And I just¡­ I did it the stupid way some kids do. Not all the time just¡­ enough to make me a bad son.¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°But yeah¡­ when mom finally managed to shut me up and get me in the car we were already late. The mood wasn¡¯t exactly great and I could just feel how angry my parents were at me. They¡¯d confiscated my DS or whatever and mom had told me no talking, so I was just sitting there, feeling how angry they were. Rightfully so, obviously, I was being a little shit. But it just¡­ it¡­ it pissed me off

    ¡°I started mouthing off, worse than before. When dad threatened to ground me, I shut up, but I didn¡¯t stop being a nuisance. I started kicking his chair and I just kept kicking and kicking and kicking and¡­

    ¡°I can¡¯t remember it exactly but¡­ mom started shouting at me. I started shouting back and I said some really nasty shit. I really hurt them. When I shut up everyone was just quiet and¡­ I felt bad afterwards, but I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t say it. I didn¡¯t apologise.

    ¡°And then I don¡¯t know if the guy was drinking and driving, or texting, but they cut us off and dad swerved or slowed down too fast or¡­ I don¡¯t know. I just¡­ we crashed. Really badly

    ¡°It was just... the car flipped. I don¡¯t remember it, but I remember being upside down and smelling smoke. Everyone was just quiet for a second then Sofia, my little sister, she just started crying. Then I started crying. We were the only ones awake. The crying woke Dad up, fortunately. He managed to calm us down somehow. Then he kicked his way out of the door to come get us.

    ¡°He couldn¡¯t get me out straight away. The way the car had crashed made it near impossible without getting my sister¡¯s out first. But he did it quick. Managed to pull Sofia and Maria out and get them to safety before I even smelt the smoke. Something caught fire and I just panicked again. Mom and Big Sis were still unconscious and I was just crying screaming trying to wake them up

    ¡°Dad managed to pull Big Sis out, and then he calmed me down again and told me to climb out.

    ¡°I tried and I got stuck. Misjudged the gap because of panic of something and then I just¡­ couldn¡¯t calm down. Dad tried to help me, but nothing he said worked. He had to spend time getting back in the car through his window and get my foot free before getting back out so he could pull me out the door and carry me to safety across the street

    ¡°When Dad put me down he¡­ he set me down and said ¡®It¡¯s ok. I¡¯ll be back¡¯. He meant it. He said it like a promise. But¡­ he went back to get mom out and¡­

    ¡°It was so loud. And I was just¡­ staring at it¡­ the fire. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off it. And then I think I realised if I hadn¡¯t made us late then none of it would¡¯ve happened. The whole thing was my fault¡±

    ¡°Lucas-¡± Emi started.

    ¡°Then¡­ I ran away. From the car. From my sisters. I just¡­ ran¡± I mumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t even remember what happened afterwards. I just know the police found me far far away. By that time aunt and uncle had already made their way over¡±

    The silence that stretched out between us felt insidious. The moment hung in the air, a darkness crawling onto me as I felt Emi''s eyes on my face, judging me. I needed to say something. Anything to break the silence.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never told anyone that before" I mumbled. "Not my aunt, uncle or even my girlfriend. The only people that know what happened in that day are me and my sisters. We don¡¯t talk about it, but¡­ they remember. I know they do

    ¡°I think we just all try to forget. It¡¯s easier that way. But sometimes I think I don¡¯t deserve to. I¡¯m not a good person in my heart you know. Kids, even the bad ones don¡¯t say things like I did. And whenever I remember, really remember what I said to them, I just get so tired. I just want things to be over, y¡¯know? Just quick and¡­¡± I trailed off, realising what I¡¯d said. Crap. I hadn¡¯t meant that. Shit. I cursed silently, gripping my trembling hands together as I pressed them to my brow. Why did I talk? Because Emi was so similar to Amy? That shouldn¡¯t have made me tell her this. Dammit, I should never have said anything in the first place.

    I spared an awkward side glance at her, my heart thudding hard in my chest. Before I could look at her expression, she pulled me into a tight hug.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t ever say that again¡± she said, her voice strained.

    ¡°I-I wouldn¡¯t actually do it. It¡¯s just- I think it sometimes¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it¡± she said before pulling away. ¡°You¡¯re a good person Lucas. You are¡±

    The impact of the words was sudden hitting me hard in the heart. My face contorted with emotion.

    ¡°Y-you don¡¯t even know me¡±

    ¡°I know enough¡±

    ¡°I- weren¡¯t you listening? My parents are dead because of me¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault Lucas¡±

    ¡°I-¡± the words caught in my throat as tears welled up in my eyes ¡±¡­it was¡±

    Emi pulled away her eyes wet. She placed her hands on my shoulders, clutching them tightly.

    ¡°Even if you think it was you can¡¯t blame yourself for the rest of your life. You have to forgive yourself¡±

    ¡°But¡­ I can¡¯t forget. I don¡¯t deserve too¡±

    ¡°Forgetting¡¯s not the same as forgiving. I know that better than anyone¡± she said, her voice shaking. ¡°You¡¯re more than your trauma Lucas. Everyone is. I know it¡¯s difficult, but you can¡¯t let it shape everything that you are. You can¡¯t. You have to live Lucas. You have to¡±

    For a moment, I went silent frozen in place. Her words rung in my head, the weight of them, raw and filled with emotion. Then I returned her hug tighter, tears flowing freely down my face. We held each other tight as I cried, for longer than we¡¯d sat there together in the silence. I couldn¡¯t speak, and if I could have it''d would''ve been gibberish given the amount of tears. But if I had spoken, it would''ve been a quiet and simple ¡®Thank you¡¯.

 Chapter Forty Six

    The wind rolled over the rooftop, a low howl that dragged a slight chill with it, even during this time of year. It¡¯s presence filled the peaceful quiet that sat between Emi and I. I¡¯d stopped crying a while ago now, but we''d stayed seated, just sat content with each other¡¯s presence.

    I looked out over the Hudson again as the sun continued to climb further into the sky, the first rays creeping over the tops of buildings. There were still a few thoughts on my mind, a few questions about myself I hadn¡¯t been able to shake, but I felt better. Like some weight had been lifted off my shoulders. It probably wouldn¡¯t stay like this forever, but for now it felt nice. I felt calmer than I had for a long time.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably best we go back now¡± I said, looking to Emi.

    ¡°You sure?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah¡± I responded, standing. ¡°Unless you want to still hang out here?¡±

    ¡°No. I was getting kind of cold actually¡± she said, her grin returning.

    ¡°Yeah me too¡± I said, grinning back.

    ¡°Wait, are you good to swing?¡± she asked, glancing at my arms.

    ¡°Uh¡­ it¡¯s probably best if you carry me¡±

    -

    We soared high in the air, far above the streets of Manhattan. The entire city of New York was laid out beneath me with an incredible view of the Atlantic of to the side, stretching out toward the horizon. It was breath taking. I looked down again, gazing at all the buildings beneath.

    It was weird to see them all be so small, so distant. It reminded me of the photo I''d received all those years ago. Suddenly we jerked downwards and I yelped grabbing onto Emi tightly.

    ¡°Sorry!¡± Emi said over the wind. ¡°I forget not everyone likes heights!¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m good with heights. I just caught me off guard¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! It¡¯s fine! You don''t have to get lower!¡±

    ¡°You want me to get lower?!¡± she said frowning as we began to descend. She slowed as I started to chuckle, the roar of the wind dying down.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. I just wonder how you hear anything up here. The noise is worse than with the swinging¡±

    ¡°Gwen''s earpieces are pretty good. Noise cancelling and everything. Good range too¡±

    ¡°Oh, that''s pretty cool. Does she make all the tech stuff?¡±

    "Yeah. She''s always upgrading stuff, but mostly the stuff in her lab."

    My mind went back to the destruction I''d caused right after waking.

    "Oh" I muttered somewhat awkwardly. "Is the lab equipment... expensive?"

    "Probably" she shrugged and continued flying slower now, the wind a soft breeze. I sighed. It was probably best not to think about the damages and just enjoy the moment. I closed my eyes, letting the wind rush over me before looking down again, to the cars below. My frown returned and I glanced back to Emi.

    ¡°Hey, earlier, what¡¯d you mean?¡±

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    ¡°Hm?¡±

    "About the thing on the roof, when you were talking to me. You said you knew more than anyone about¡­ regret and stuff. Blaming yourself¡± I said. ¡±What¡¯d you mean?¡±

    Emi''s inquisitive look quickly became reserved and my stomach sank slightly. "Sorry. That was weird. You don''t have t-"

    ¡°No, it''s fine. I...um, well¡­ uh¡­ the night my dad died I said some things I regret and¡­ I never got to take them back¡±

    ¡°Oh¡± I muttered, unsure how to respond. She simply nodded in response, then looked away frowning. My eye caught her shadow against the face of a building, and for a moment her silhouette reminded me of Amy¡¯s. I watched it, a stirring of emotion rising in my gut, before I looked away and shook my head. They were so similar, but she wasn¡¯t her.

    It¡¯d still felt nice though. Having her be the one to reassure me about regrets. She, Yerin and my sisters were probably the only ones who could¡¯ve.

    I wonder if it had been the same back home. Maybe. I guess there were some things I hadn¡¯t known about Amy either. I wish I¡¯d known, been able to give her words of encouragement. Well, the best I could do was offer Emi now.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you found the strength to forgive yourself. That¡¯s pretty awesome¡± I muttered. She chuckled, her grin returning.

    ¡°It was mostly because of mom, my sisters, and you. Well, the other you. My you¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He told me I couldn¡¯t let my regrets take control of my life¡° she said grinning. But her grin gradually faded. ¡°Cindy mentioned it already, but your lives are really similar, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ the car crash would¡¯ve happened to him too, right?¡±

    ¡°Probably¡± I muttered, flashes of the memories resurfacing.

    Her usual grin was completely replaced a look of hard regret.

    ¡°I wish I could tell him what he told me¡±

    ¡°You can¡± I said surprising myself. ¡°He¡¯s out there somewhere, in my world. Probably with Peter and the others. Peter¡¯s smart like Gwen. One of them will figure this whole mess out. And when he finally gets back here and you tell him¡­ it¡¯ll help a lot. Trust me.¡±

    Emi¡¯s grin returned.

    ¡°Thanks¡±

    I smiled, then looked out over the sky again. It was early morning now, the sun almost completely beyond the horizon, dragging along with it tones of bluish white and hues of pale blue. It was really nice to watch the sunrise from up here.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± Emi said.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I asked if you''re ready. We¡¯re about to land¡±

    ¡°I¡­ can we just watch the sunrise a bit more first?¡±

    Emi smiled warmly at me, amused by the question.

    ¡°Sure¡±

    -

    Everything hurt. Everything. His head, his body and his soul. His mind was scrambled and something was very very wrong. He clutched his head again as the pain sparked within his mind and the memories flowed through him. There were ones he was familiar with, and then different ones.

    Some kind of bank robbery with those idiots he''d worked with before. The ones who''d treated him like a dog when he''d worked for their dumb little crew. The ones he''d killed. There were other things too. Weird inconsistencies here and there, but he was less focused on the details and more focused on the pain.

    Because the memories hurt. A lot. They weighed on his power painfully, and it twisted his stomach to the point of sickness. More than anything he wanted the pain to stop. He gasped, once again becoming aware of his surroundings

    ¡°Marcus!¡± his older sister cried out as she barged into his room.

    ¡°Leave me the fuck alone!¡±

    She took him in, bruises and all and sneered.

    ¡°When the fuck did you get back?!¡±

    ¡°I told you to leave me alone¡± he said throwing one of the ice bags at her. It thudded against the wall dully and fell to the floor.

    ¡°Well if you¡¯re staying here again I expect rent¡± she hissed before slamming the door shut behind her. So much for sisterly love. He¡¯d come here expecting her to at least to comment on his injuries. But that¡¯d been expecting too much, the last bit of care had gone a long time ago.

    ¡°Fucking ass¡±

    He clenched his fists tighter and glared at the picture of Spider-Man on his wall. He grabbed the switchblade beside his table and through it hard into the poster, the blade.

    He¡¯d played dirty today. Spider-Man wasn¡¯t supposed to play dirty. It took the fun out of everything. Marcus ground his teeth together, his anger growing.

    ¡°Lured me into a false sense of security then hit me with some kind of tech¡±

    He¡¯d felt his power weaken for a moment, almost disappear completely. It''d scared him, and infuriated him. He couldn''t believe it.

    That bastard tried to take my power, he thought. Nobody fucks with my power.

    He released his fist, hand shaking violently with rage, blood staining his palm.

    ¡°Nobody fucks with me¡± he muttered his anger apparent. ¡°Nobody. Not even Spider-Man¡±

    He stood, his muscles taught with fury, as his power pulsated, on the verge of use in his angered state. With his mind and power he reached out to the knife, pushing his hand forward. His hand met the space within which his power worked and came to a stop. Instantly the knife shot back to him. He clutched it tightly, bending the metal easily with his bare fist.

    He¡¯d have his revenge. Not in the distant future, not tomorrow, but today. He hadn¡¯t been trying to before, but now he would; he¡¯d do everything in his power to kill Spider-Man.

 Chapter Forty Seven

    Emi slowed as we neared the HQ, curving around the building in a slow arc as she neared the rooftop. As we came within landing distance I jumped down, landing softly on the roof before checking the bandages on my arms. Emi landed next to me and together ¨C with one last look at the sunrise - we made our way down the hatch.

    As we entered we found the studio cleaned, the wrecked machines all gathered up neatly in a corner and wrapped in a thick casing of web. The rest of the space had been cleaned too, and Gwen worked away at her lab bench like usual, her equipment much sparser.

    ¡°Hey Gwen¡± Emi said cheerily, as we made our way forward. She glanced up at us and frowned, deepening the bags under her eyes. Her tired gazed moved between me and Emi before she yawned stretching out.

    ¡°Well look who¡¯s back¡± she said, standing as she dusted her lab coat off. ¡°Where the hell were you two?¡±

    ¡°Found him on a rooftop by the river¡± Emi said.

    ¡°Rooftop? Didn¡¯t you search the whole of the financial district in twenty minutes to find Electro that one time? Why¡¯d it take you so long?¡±

    ¡°Well I found him quite quickly. We sat around for a while. Just talked¡± Emi said.

    ¡°Just sat around? For three, nearly four hours?¡±

    ¡°Was it really that long?¡± I said surprised.

    ¡°Yeah¡± Gwen said with a sigh. ¡°Next time don¡¯t turn off your transmitter Emi. We¡¯re on a tight schedule with everything¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡± she responded.

    Gwen looked back down at the table, scanned it, then nodded satisfied.

    ¡°Ok¡± she said, wiping her brow. ¡°Well good news and bad news. I think I know how to fix this¡±

    ¡°Your stuff?¡± Emi asked.

    ¡°Nope, Lucas¡¯ situation¡±

    ¡°Wait, you can send me home?¡± I said excited.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that, just that I know how to fix this. Probably. Actually, doing it is another thing and I¡¯m still not a hundred percent on it¡±

    ¡°What is it exactly?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ll start from the beginning so you understand. There are these energy shift things our machines have been picking up recently. Random bursts from this abandoned building in the middle of Harlem. They steadily got bigger and bigger, then nothing for about a week. Then there was a huge spike in it at this prep school a few days ago and you appeared through¡±

    ¡°Wait, you mean NYTA?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s called LMTA. Manhattan¡± she said, frowning.

    ¡°Is it between Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Did you go there In your universe?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Is that important?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ it solves a lot of things¡± Gwen said, a small smile playing on her lips. ¡°Makes the theory more solid¡±

    ¡°You think whatever brought me here was one of those shift things? At my school¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty certain of it now. If we can recreate it in reverse then we should be able to get you back. And I¡¯ve already got some idea of how to get it to work¡±

    Wow. I was going home. I¡¯d been ignoring it for a while, but now that Gwen had practically solved it a feeling of relief was flooding me. I¡¯d been missing home more than I¡¯d let on, even to myself. Suddenly a door creaked behind us and Rosita emerged from her room, yawning as she rubbed at her eyes.

    ¡°Gwen, who¡¯re you talking t-¡± she froze suddenly as she looked at me. Claws came out and she hunched over ready to pounce.

    ¡°Woah! Slow down¡± Emi said, getting between us. Rosita glared at her, then eyed me claws retracting.

    ¡°He¡¯s safe?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s safe¡± Emi said. Rosita nodded and stalked around us to Gwen¡¯s side.

    ¡°Thanks for that Rosita¡± Gwen said sarcastically. ¡°Now, where was I? Right, the bad news. The method of travel if the theory plays out correct is some kind of portal that connects you back to your world. Technically it would mess with your mind and body, so your condition matters. You got injured quite badly, and I don¡¯t want to send you through just to have the trip kill you. Though we heal quite fast, maybe you¡¯ll be fine¡±

    ¡°Ok¡± I said. That didn¡¯t seem too bad. I mean I felt good right now. Apart from my arms, the injuries I had from my fight with Reverso were mostly healed. I looked over my tattered costume again, noting the lack of cuts under the damaged sections.

    A small smile formed on my face. Fast healing was pretty cool. I wasn¡¯t anywhere near as injured as I probably should have been.

    ¡°Quit grinning you idiot¡± Rosita said, glaring at me.

    ¡°Rosita stop¡± Gwen said. ¡°Anyway that¡¯s the full rundown of things. If we can¡¯t find a way to reverse it ourselves, we can figure out someway to get Reverso to show and keep him still long enough to analyse his power field. But that¡¯s just a throwaway idea. We probably won¡¯t really need it, and if we did, it¡¯d be pretty hard, even excluding his fighting capability.¡±

    ¡°Wait why?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The same reason your physical condition matters on the journey. Whatever happened between the two of you during yesterday¡¯s fight caused something similar to the shift that brought you here. Not to the extent of the first one at the school, but still pretty significant compared to the smaller shifts we¡¯ve been picking up. Either way since this shift included Reverso¡¯s power, it would¡¯ve taken a lot out of him. He¡¯s definitely out of commission and he might even be dead.¡±

    Everyone went silent.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve got time right? I can spend a few weeks here if I need to¡±

    Gwen¡¯s jaw tightened slightly, and she looked to the floor.

    ¡°That¡­ wasn¡¯t exactly the reaction I was expecting. It can¡¯t be that bad, right?¡±

    ¡°What time is it?¡° Rosita glancing at her watch. ¡°Six fifteen. Uh¡­ you¡¯ve got about fourteen hours¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± I mumbled back

    ¡°Fourteen hours¡±

    ¡°I- huh?¡±

    ¡°Fo-¡°

    ¡°He heard you the first time Rosita. Give him a sec, you basically just told him he might die today¡± Gwen said. Rosita grumbled in response.

    I stood stock still then looked around, the sinking fear returning to my gut. My eyes drifted to the floor and I felt the hope start to leave my body, before images of the sunrise earlier flickered through my mind. I clenched my fists tightly. Fourteen hours. That was better than nothing. I had to at least try and get home.

    ¡°Well¡­ what¡¯d you want to do first?¡± I said, looking to Gwen. Her eyes widened slightly, her surprise at my conviction clear. But the surprise quickly faded and she stepped back pulling off her lab coat.

    ¡°You need to rest. We¡¯ll figure this out¡± Gwen said.

    ¡°I can¡¯t just rest¡±

    ¡°Luc-¡°

    Suddenly a loud buzz cut through the studio, and all the watches the girls wore began flashing. Their demeanours changed instantly, and they all raised their hands, looking to their wrists.

    ¡°Shit¡± Rosita cursed.

    ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡± I said. Gwen raised a hand to quiet me as her eyes flew across the words on the screen.

    ¡°We need to go. Now¡± she said, rushing for the hatch. The others followed, and I raced after them. Gwen glanced back to me.

    ¡°Lucas stop. Your hurt and this is dangerous, go rest like Cindy¡± Gwen said.

    ¡°No way. You all look like someone¡¯s about to die. I¡¯m coming¡±

    ¡°Lucas-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ok. My arms hurt a bit but I can fight. Plus, you need the help, right?¡±

    Gwen went to respond but then just shook her head.

    ¡°Fine¡± she said. Then she pulled something off her belt and threw it to me. One of the team¡¯s earpieces. ¡°Spider-Woman you stay close to him¡±

    ¡°What? B-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t argue¡± she said sternly as we all leapt up out of the hatch. ¡°Dragonfly, take The Bronx and Upper Manhattan. Gallant will be there with you as soon as he wakes up. Spider-woman, Spider-Man, you two take Upper West side, and then you¡¯re your way into Midtown. White web and the others will take Upper East then join you in Midtown. I¡¯ve got Lower, and Dad¡¯s already contacted Athena. She¡¯s got Queens and Brooklyn¡±

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    ¡°Got it¡± Rosita said.

    ¡°Ok¡± Emi responded. Then with a sudden whoosh of air, she was gone, already a dot in the distance. Only I¡¯d stopped to shield myself from the blast of air, the others continuing before leaping off the building, swinging in different directions. Quickly I stuffed the earpiece in, the pulled my mask on. Psyching myself up, I leapt from the building, heart racing as I followed after Rosita.

    The sun was higher now, the sounds from the street louder. Now, as I swung, my mind became more aware of the aches across my body. The bruises, cuts, and stings I¡¯d forgotten about in the peace of earlier. Doubt crept into my mind, but I forced it back, along with the pain, my focus moving to swinging faster to catch Rosita.

    Then the earpiece Gwen had given me crackled to life.

    ¡°I¡¯m on call with Dad. He just got word that it¡¯s the Tech Heads. Be careful with the bombs¡±

    Huh? Bombs? Had I heard that right?

    Rosita cursed loudly, and picked up speed, a new fervour in her swing. I pushed myself harder too, the web growing tauter with tension under my fingers as I swung.

    But even as I swung my mind drifted, my thoughts racing as I tried to make sense of exactly what was happening, We were dealing with bombs from a group called the Tech heads, one I didn¡¯t recognise from back on my world. From everyone¡¯s reactions alone, and the sheer urgency Gwen had moved with, this had to be really bad.

    Bombs were always bad, but Rosita had picked up the pace specifically when she¡¯d heard it was the Tech Heads.

    But that didn¡¯t exactly help me figure out a way to help deal with the situation. I had to think about what we were actually doing. Stopping bombs. So, there were bombs everywhere? How many? And why? This had come at a seriously bad time too, really early in the morning. Whoever had done this had planned it ahead of time.

    They probably expected us to be asleep, and for the police response time to be slower. The thought made me feel even further out of depth than before. This was serious. Dammit, should I have stayed. I shook my head. Now wasn¡¯t the time to doubt myself, it was time to ask questions. Even if it made me seem like an idiot. Awkwardly I reached for my ear and spoke.

    ¡°Uh¡­ what exactly are we doing?¡±

    ¡°Stopping bombs¡± Gwen said.

    ¡°Right, but what kind of bombs?¡±

    ¡°The Negative energy kind¡±

    I frowned, confused.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they small? Explosion wise¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about your universe, but here they¡¯re pretty big¡±

    ¡°Like¡­ nuke big?¡±

    ¡°No not that big, but¡­ we don¡¯t want any to go off¡±

    ¡°Why the hell did the tech heads put them out there?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a distraction¡± Rosita said through the comms. ¡°They¡¯re probably trying to break into the Hortz Bruig. Their leader, Panzer, got put away about month ago. We were looking out for them, but the past few days have been kind of hectic. The equipment getting broken didn¡¯t exactly help either.¡±

    ¡°Rosita¡± Gwen said harshly.

    ¡°Sorry¡± she mumbled. The line went silent, then Gwen cursed again, fear in her voice this time.

    My heart sunk. Me coming here had caused all this. I¡¯d distracted them from whatever measures they¡¯d put in place to keep an eye out for this group, and outright destroyed some of their equipment. My grip tightened around my web further. I couldn¡¯t let alone die today.

    ¡°How¡¯re we looking for them?¡± I said.

    ¡°Rosita¡¯s got the stuff in her lenses. Just follow her¡± Gwen said.

    ¡°Right¡­ sorry¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± Gwen said. ¡°Just don¡¯t get hurt¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t¡±

    I swung faster, throwing my entire body into swings that went closer and closer to the ground. Blood rushed through my ears, and the bandages around my arms began to grow wet again, but I ignored it; following Rosita as she swung swiftly through the streets, constantly searching.

    Suddenly her head fixed on a single spot, and she glanced back at me before pointing off to the side. I nodded, and together we changed direction, shooting over the rooftops of smaller buildings as we cut across blocks, zooming over buildings.

    ¡°Found one¡± Rosita said into the comms.

    ¡°Where?¡± Emi and Gwen responded.

    ¡°By the Licoln Center¡± Rosita said.

    ¡°Shit¡± Gwen said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell Dad. Get him to send you some help¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t need it¡± Rosita said.

    We slowed and landed down by the plaza, coming to a stop. I gasped for air as Rosita simply looked around, unperturbed by the effort of our journey here. I glanced around as she scanned the place, noting the civilians as they looked to us, uncertain.

    ¡°Spider, do you have these guys back home?¡± she asked.

    ¡°The Tech Heads? Nope¡±

    ¡°The bombs here, so they¡¯ve put safeguards up. Watch out for the killer robots¡±

    ¡°Killer robots?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°¡­ok then¡±

    Suddenly her gaze fixed on a certain building.

    ¡°Found it. Come on, let¡¯s go¡±

    I nodded, and we both rushed forwards

    ¡°Everybody there¡¯s been an incident. Calmly exit the premises!¡± Rosita shouted, loud enough to draw the attention of others. The words seemed to stir everyone up, and they looked to each other, worried and confused as we raced past further into the plaza.

    But before we could get past the crowd completely our spider senses blared. We both darted to side, dodging a random civilian that¡¯d jumped at us with outstretched arms. They leapt at us again as my spider sense roared to life, warning me of incoming danger behind too.

    I flipped over it and yanked myself to the side with a web, landing slightly away from the danger. As I landed, I looked back to find Rosita surrounded by several civilians, all of them rushing her.

    My spider sense blared again, but this time much closer. I dodged the threat and spun around only to find myself face to face with an older guy in a parka. He attacked me again and I dodged, before trying to slip away.

    His attacks continued, relentless, forcing me back further and further. Finally, in frustration, I caught a punch, and tried to push him back. He barely moved, his entire body far heavier than that of a normal man.

    ¡°What the-¡±

    My spider sense blared again and I dodged to the side as a blade cleaved through the air where my head had been. It cut straight through the old guy and he went up in a mess of sparks and metal. But the blade didn¡¯t stop. It curved through the man ¨C or robot ¨C effortlessly and toward me.

    I dodged it but it snapped back towards me again. I dodged, but the twenties something robot woman that wielded the weapon from where her hand should be attacking me again with an incredible intensity.

    I ducked and weaved the attacks, before hitting her. The false plastic skin that covered her peeled away from the blow, but she remained unaffected. I dodged again, cursing at myself as screams rung out around me. Dammit. I was hard to hit robots that looked like people all out.

    ¡°What¡¯re you doing?!¡± Rosita shouted, her voice carrying an urgency. ¡°There not people Spider. Defeat it quickly and move on!¡±

    I looked around. Rosita was ripping the robots apart with claws, her movements quick and fluid as she snaked through the crowd. But it wasn¡¯t enough. There were robots everywhere, not just attacking us, but civilians too.

    Shit. I¡¯d forgotten for a moment, I wasn¡¯t the only one in danger here. With a roar I dodged another slash before hitting the robot with a hard jab. It stumbled and I kicked, the blow hard enough rip it in two.

    I stumbled back, wincing as a pain shot through my side. Immediately another robot lunged for me and wrapped its hands around my neck. Ignoring the pain, I slammed its face with an elbow then obliterated its head with a fist.

    With a new focus I shrugged it off and rushed to the closest robot attacking a civilian. With a quick burst of web, I knocked it off balance then slammed it into the ground. I continued onwards through the crowd, using my spider-sense to seek out the bots, eliminating them one by one.

    Finally, I came to a stop, looking around as I breathed heavily. The plaza wasn¡¯t pretty, a mess of robot parts and blood. Most of the civilians had managed to escape in the commotion, and only a few people had died or were hurt. It still didn¡¯t sit well, but it was better than it¡¯d felt in all that chaos.

    I wiped my hand on my bandages and winced slightly. My arms trembled, not with fear, but with pain. I clenched my fists tighter and looked over to Rosita. She stood strong amongst the mess, finger in her ear as she looked over the chaos.

    ¡°They¡¯re using robots disguised as civilians. Watch out for crowds¡± Rosita said into the comms.

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Emi said.

    ¡°Yeah¡± Rosita

    ¡°Shit¡± Gwen muttered.

    She glanced over to me and gestured for me to follow before racing off. I followed as quickly as I could, glancing at the inured crowd members. The sounds of sirens in the distance nearing assuaged my worries. There probably wasn¡¯t very much I could do for them anyway.

    I turned back to Rosita, picking up the pace. We rushed inside, racing at lightning quick speed through the halls, the noise of our footsteps slamming against the floor reverberating through building as we made our way further inside. We emerged onto the stairs and leapt down, stopping at the bottom with webs before racing down another corridor.

    ¡°It¡¯s here!¡± Rosita suddenly shouted and we finally slowed before bursting into a side room, barrelling through the door. A small device sat in the corner, unprotected. A mess of wires flowed between the device, a slightly larger metal cylinder, and a timer that ticked slowly. The timer only had ten minutes left on it.

    ¡°Shit¡± I cursed, glancing at the wires. How the hell where we supposed to disarm it?

    ¡°Move¡± Rosita said.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    She stepped past me and with claws cut through all the wires at once. My heart leapt out of my chest as I stumbled back, but no warning of danger came. The timer had stopped.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go¡± she said, quickly stepping away.

    ¡°What about the bomb? We can¡¯t just leave it¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve pinged its location on my watch. The police will deal with it¡±

    Suddenly the comms crackled to life.

    ¡°Just got confirmation from Dad. There¡¯re four bombs.¡±

    ¡°We just disabled ours¡± Rosita said. ¡°It had about ten minutes left on it¡¯s timer¡±

    ¡°Shit¡± Emi said ¡°Oh found one¡±.

    ¡°Where?¡± Gwen asked.

    ¡°Near Northens stadium¡±

    ¡°Good. Gallant¡¯s on his way. He¡¯ll help with the robots¡±

    ¡°Perfect¡± Emi replied.

    ¡°Come on Spider, let¡¯s go¡± Rosita

    ¡°Who¡¯s Gallant?¡± I said, struggling for breath.

    ¡°Kasun. Don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve met him¡± she responded. I nodded, recalling our short interaction when I¡¯d first shown up.

    ¡°Spider, Spider-Woman, head straight to Mid-Town. I pin-pointed the bombs using a makeshift sensor and that one¡¯s closest to you¡± Gwen said over the comms.

    ¡°What about the other one?¡± Rosita replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s by Wall Street. I¡¯ve got it¡±

    ¡°Ok. Will the others be meeting us there?¡± Rosita asked.

    ¡°Yeah, but don¡¯t wait for them.¡±

    ¡°We only need two max¡±

    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll send White-Web¡±

    ¡°Anything on the Hortz-Bruig?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they struck but comms with the place went down. I¡¯ve sent Athena to deal with it¡±

    We took to the sky, swinging through the streets as quickly as possible once again. My heart hammered in my chest as we continued to swing, my entire being thrumming with a nervous energy. Everything was happening so fast, I could barely keep up. But I was helping. Right now, I wasn¡¯t just patrolling, or messing around whilst doubting myself. I was just doing the superhero stuff. It felt g-

    Suddenly everything shifted. My body glitched and I spiralled out of control, the web slipping from my grasp. I flailed through the air and smashed into the hard brick of a wall, a spray of debris ripping my bandages to shreds.

    Rosita caught me with a web and quickly slowed, stopping us on a rooftop. But the damage was already done. My entire body hurt from the impact against the wall, my prior injuries, and something else, something deeper. My ears rung and my head hurt as I gasped for air, my mouth tasting like iron. I spat blood onto the floor and groaned.

    ¡°Ow¡±

    The comm crackled to life in my ear and Rosita¡¯s voice echoed from it and next to me.

    ¡°Spider¡¯s hurt¡±

    ¡°What?! What happened?¡± Gwen cursed.

    ¡°Glitch. It was worse than usual and he slammed into a building pretty hard¡±

    Gwen cursed again.

    ¡°Drop him off at a hospital and keep going¡± she said.

    ¡°Ok¡± Rosita replied.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m good. I¡¯m fine. Come on, let¡¯s go¡± I mumbled, forcing myself up.

    Rosita helped me stand, watching me with concern in her gaze.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go¡± I said, wiping the debris off my suit. She frowned then nodded and together we took back to the air. My side throbbed hard now, drawing my attention away from my swinging, but I fought against it, pushing myself as hard as I could.

    We continued down the street flying past building after building as I tried to focus on the task ahead. I just had to last a few more minutes, help disarm the bomb, and then I could collapse. It¡¯d be fine.

    ¡°Hey fuckface!¡± a voice boomed through the air. I blinked surprised, and turned to face the source of the voice as I felt a presence start to creep into me. Reverso slammed me with a fist as I struggled against his power.

    The punch was harder than any he¡¯d hit me with in our fight before, and I folded instantly before being thrown across the street. I clipped the edge of a building and skimmed across the roof before suddenly slowing down, then shooting back the way I¡¯d come.

    A hand clamped around my neck and slammed me to the ground as I coughed hard, my ribs on fire. Reverso stared back at me his crazed eyes visible through his mask.

    ¡°I was looking for you all night you asshole¡± he said. ¡°You ready to die?¡±

 Chapter Forty Eight

    Reverso''s grip on my neck tightened and my spider sense cried out. But the intensity so clearly visible in his eyes, the hatred he looked at me with was more than enough to warn me of the danger I was in. With a roar, I slashed upwards, claws that I¡¯d all but forgotten about cutting cleanly through the air before sinking through armour into toughened flesh. Reverso gasped and dropped me, pulling back. I fell, but before my feet touched stone I was firing webs, and a barrage of silk orbs assaulted him with enough force to knock him back.

    He stumbled back further, but then stretched out his hand. The webs began to slow before a few shot back towards me. I dodged the now reversed barrage, as Reverso nursed the slash to his arm, his power growing. I could feel it with my spider sense, feel the presence of his ability even outside of its field. It was weaker than yesterday, but still deadly.

    It expanded outwards with speed and I leapt back. But it was too late. I slowed, my movements confused, and Reverso pounced.

    But before he could reach me, Rosita slammed into him from above, the heel of her foot crashing against his back. He slammed hard against the concrete of the roof, cracking it. Then she grabbed him and threw him hard, his body flying across the street, down towards the ground. He crashed into an alley way and skidded across the ground hard, staying down.

    ¡°Damn... is he out?¡± I asked.

    ¡°No. Something like that won¡¯t keep him down¡±

    As if on cue he began to pull himself off the floor.

    ¡°Shit. I thought he was supposed to be out of commission¡± I cursed, rubbing my neck. ¡°What do we do?¡±

    Rosita didn¡¯t reply, glancing off in the direction we needed to go before looking back to the dazed Reverso.

    ¡°We have to go¡±

    ¡°And have him follow us!?¡± I said alarmed. ¡°To the bomb!?¡±

    ¡°Well, what the fuck else can we do?!¡± she snarled back at me. ¡±He''s almost impossible to keep down and we can¡¯t ju-¡°

    Our spider sense blared and we both dodged as a manhole cover whizzed over our heads. Then Reverso was on top of us again, his battle cry filled with a palpable anger. He grabbed Rosita and slammed her into me before using his momentum to throw us to the floor hard.

    The already cracked concrete disintegrated and we crashed to the floor inside amid a rain of debris. Without a second¡¯s hesitation, he shot down towards us again, but Rosita leapt up cracking his jaw with an uppercut that sent him flying. He crashed through a wall within the building and disappeared in the mixture of dust debris and smoke. I waited, watching it for a second, but nothing happened. He was down.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡± Rosita said sternly. I looked into the dust, then at the destruction all around me spotting bloodstains within the rubble and debris. I cursed silently, then followed Rosita.

    My mind twisted and turned as I swung away from the building, struggling to grapple with the decision I was making. I glanced below, spotting scared civilians as they looked up at us, confused. I forced myself to ignore the cries coming from the street and within the building we¡¯d just left behind.

    I was doing the right thing. Following Rosita was the right thing. She was a way better fighter and had more experience with this. Heck, she was a clone of the other me, if anything I was just following the advice of a better version of myself. With enough time, I probably would''ve made the same choice myself.

    But that didn¡¯t make leaving feel any less wrong.

    Even if it made sense logically, it went against the very idea of a hero I had within my mind. Plus, I¡¯d promised myself hadn¡¯t I? That I wouldn¡¯t let anyone die.

    From the sound of it Reverso was here for me. To kill me. And he was hitting like he was trying to as well. I didn''t know why but his punches were filled with a different kind of anger, a powerful hatred. And if he was that set on destroying me today, compared to yesterday, just imagining the destruction he could really cause was frightening. The lives that¡¯d be lost¡­.

    Rosita could¡¯ve deal with the robots and bomb alone. She basically had last time. And if she needed the help, it¡¯d get there before the timer. Probably. I didn''t know how fast the others were, but they could get here to Midtown ten minutes. I could stay here, fight Reverso, without affecting Gwen¡¯s plan too much. Though it would mean fighting Reverso alone.

    Shit, that was kind of scary. Really scary actually. But a promise was a promise.

    I slowed as Rosita pulled away, and stopped against a building face. I looked back staring at the wrecked building, then at the damage caused in the street below.

    ¡°Spider?!¡± Rosita said, glancing back. ¡°Hurry dammit! There isn¡¯t much time!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t just leave the people here!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got this and you handle the bomb. Go¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?!¡±

    ¡°Just go dammit!¡± I shouted at her ¡°I¡¯ll catch up¡±. She hesitated for a second then nodded, and quickly swung away.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± a breathless Gwen suddenly said over the comms.

    ¡°Reverso¡± I said back.

    ¡°What?!¡± a group of voices cried over the comms. I winced. Guess everyone was out and about now. That was good.

    Before I could add more, Reverso emerged from the building, climbing from the rubble onto the roof. Part of his mask was gone, and blood trailed down his face from his nose. He looked around, glancing down into the street as he stood on the roof. He hadn¡¯t seen me yet. Perfect. I fired webs toward him then yanked myself forwards, slamming him to the floor with a kick from behind.

    He cried out as I attacked him again but rolled over, dodging the blow. His power took a hold, and my balance went, forcing me to catch myself on the floor. He darted towards me fast and knocked me off my feet with a powerful jab that cracked loudly against my nose.

    Stars lanced through my vision as I flew back, before flipping to land against the brick of the wall behind me. The stars faded quickly, but the pain remained as I blinked, my eyes struggling to adjust to the sudden brightness the blow had caused.

    But as they did, my spider sense buzzed, warning of incoming danger. My eyes instantly fixed on a figure that shot towards. Reverso was coming in hot. I heard a shout of panic from the window beneath me and my eyes widened. There were people in the building. Shit!

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    I leapt upwards and forward to meet him mid-air. His eyes widened in surprise, but he continued forward, curving upwards to meet me. We slammed into each other, hard and I took the brunt of the blow, my ribs crunching as I went flying backwards.

    We crashed against the roof of the building and I skipped across the surface before falling off the side. I flailed, stilled dazed by the blow, then smashed against a brick wall, banged my head against a rusted fire-escape and unceremoniously smacked against the ground. A gasp escaped my lips, followed by an agonised shout as I grabbed my side, my mind threatening to fall into unconsciousness. To escape the pain I pushed myself off the floor, but only to slumped back to the ground as it tore my strength from me.

    In the distance another boom echoed, followed by more screams. Panicked voices shouted over the earpiece, but I couldn¡¯t hear them over the ringing in my ears. I lay still for a second, still just as breathless as when I''d landed.

    Shit. My side hurt. Like, really hurt.

    I didn¡¯t want to go back up there and fight him like this. I couldn''t. This had been a really dumb idea. I had no fucking clue what I was doing and one more good hit and the guy would take my fucking head off. Shit. Shit. I couldn¡¯t do this.

    But I couldn¡¯t just run away.

    ¡°Dammit¡± I mumbled. ¡°Shit¡±

    Seeds of doubt began to creep back into my mind, and the questioning of my self which hadn¡¯t been present since my talk with Emi began to return. I felt my body tense up, resisting the urge to stand and fight as the fear became all too real again.

    Now wasn¡¯t the time for this. Now was the worst time for this.

    ¡°Spider-Man!¡± Reverso shouted. ¡°Where the hell did you go?! Get back here now so I can fucking kill you! If you don¡¯t I¡¯ll kill everyone nearby!¡±

    Dammit. Even now I still wanted to run away. To hide in some corner far away from here and wait for this to all to just disappear. But it wouldn''t. If I ran now I''d just be disappointing myself. But even knowing that didn''t get rid of the fear. I pressed a hand to the floor, scraping my fingers against gravel in frustration.

    "Then do it afraid you idiot" I rasped to myself. "Just... get up"

    There were people out there that needed help. I didn''t have to beat Reverso. I didn''t have to win. I just had to hold on, whilst keeping damage to a minimum. Just for a little while. Then back up would show.

    I clenched my fists tightly, and looked back up to the sky, my eyes finally focusing.

    With a shaky hands and a new determination I pulled myself up, spitting blood onto the ground. I brushed myself off, and stumbled for a moment, but straightened out. I pulled my mask on properly, then swung back into the street, my entire body trembling.

    ¡°I¡¯m here you idiot!¡± I shouted. ¡°You need glasses or something?!¡±

    Reverso turned to me, his face fixed with rage, and leapt upwards with an impossible speed. I dodged, but an outstretched hand still managed to grab my leg, dragging me along through the air. He twisted mid-air, turning to face me, but I slammed him with an elbow as we slowed and he let go, dropping me mid-air.

    I fired a web and recovered, only for my movements to suddenly reverse. Shit. His power left me stranded on the wall, unsure of what move to make, if it might be the wrong one. I waited for my spider-sense to warn me, shoulders tense, my body expecting pain anyway.

    A boom echoed from the ground below, and suddenly the reversal faded. I frowned, looking to the street from my perch, as Reverso picked himself up of the divot in the asphalt he¡¯d created. He hadn''t attacked. Why? It clicked instantly as I saw him stumble and grab the side of his head. He was overstretching himself. Trying to do two things at once with his power when he clearly couldn¡¯t. He was weaker today. Holy shit. I might actually be able to do this.

    Suddenly he placed his hands on a car, and it blasted towards me as he skidded backwards. I dodged, catching the car with a web between the wall face and the ground, when suddenly another flew at me, my spider sense blaring. I went to catch it to, but spasmed suddenly as my side seized up. Shit. It slammed into me and we flipped together before I grabbed the roof tightly, holding away from me before we slammed into a wall.

    I crashed against the brick, car miraculously in tact as I held it, before Reverso burst through it, kicking me hard into the brick. It cracked underneath me but didn¡¯t give. I ignored the pain and grabbed Reverso, pulling him quickly into a chokehold.

    He cried out, clawing at my skin as he tried to reverse my movements, but a simple action was easy to do backwards and I held him in the hold. His face started to grow red as he struggled more, elbowing me hard in the stomach.

    But I simply held him, hope overpowering the pain. I¡¯d found a weakness. His reversing power on larger objects required touch. Whilst stationary, unable to touch anything but me, he was just strong. I just had to tough it out.

    But that was easier said than done. He headbutted me suddenly and whilst I didn¡¯t let go, my grip loosened. His hands slapped against the wall behind me and with a roar, he cried out. Instantly my spider-sense warned of incoming danger behind me.

    ¡°No!¡± I roared, headbutting him hard back. It knocked him away from the wall, but it was too late. The building behind rumbled as a crack began to form across the surface. I released Reverso suddenly and with a powerful hit to the back of the head, sent him crashing to the ground. I turned as the upper floor of the building began to crumble, tilting toward the ground and rushed up the side, webbing things together.

    It was fine. I¡¯d done this before. I¡¯d done this on a larger scale before.

    But I was in a lot more pain than I had been yesterday. It slowed me as I tried to stabilise everything, and this time there wasn¡¯t any Cindy to help. As the floor finally passed the tipping point, screams of people in the mess of rubble echoed out, and I raced towards them, my mind blank.

    I swung, arcing around debris as I neared the falling voices, spotting a the couple. I webbed them both to me quickly, narrowly avoiding a large chunk of brick before swinging to safety in the mostly empty street below. I set them down, then stumbled crashing to the ground as it shook.

    They rushed away in a panic, and I glanced back to see the destruction. Some of the rubble had been caught by my makeshift web, but the rest had crushed the cars in the street below. Fortunately, only part of the top floors had collapsed. Reverso hadn¡¯t done nearly as much damage as last time, and everyone had already left for the most part.

    "Thank God" I mumbled.

    Suddenly my spider sense blared, and I dodged a punch from Reverso as he leapt at me from behind a car. He missed but I stumbled falling back to the floor. I scrambled back, kicking out in fear, but he crashed to the ground too. He¡¯d lost more of his mask now, and I could almost see his entire face as he lay on his hands and knees. Blood poured from of his nose, mouth, eyes and ears.

    ¡°Holy shit¡± I muttered.

    ¡°You fuck!¡± he shouted, spinning as he threw a piece of rubble at me. ¡°You fucked my fucking power!¡±

    I dodged the rubble and stood just in time for him to tackle me again. We crashed to the floor and traded blows as we rolled on the ground. The fight had devolved into a messy brawl of unsteady punches and elbows, the concrete doing more damage to our bodies than each other''s fists.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Rosita suddenly cried over the comms. ¡°There¡¯s too many robots! I need backup fast!¡±

    I cursed as I stray elbow caught me on the eye. I needed this to end, fast. We were both losing in this fight and there were bigger problems. I kicked Reverso away and forced myself to sit up.

    ¡°Wait!¡± I shouted, raising my hands in surrender. ¡°Stop for a sec!¡±

    He ignored me, a demonic roar escaping his lips. Another fist cracked against my face and I crashed back to the ground. Then Reverso stood and I felt his power start to flow into the space around us. Shit. He grabbed me and threw me upwards, then jumped to meet me.

    His power took a hold again, but it was weaker now, barely enough to slow my movements. I feinted, dodging his attack, and returned a hook that sent him flying.

    As we fell, I fired out a web, yanking him back to me. I caught Reverso mid-air, then stopped us against a building face again, returning him to the chokehold. He struggled violently, headbutting me repeatedly, before biting at my hand.

    ¡°Ow! Just stop you idiot! You don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re doing! This is pointless!¡± I shouted as I held him.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ gonna¡­ kill you!¡± he managed to squeeze out through breaths, as he reached desperately for the wall. I kept him away from it and dodged another headbutt before returning one of my own. He gurgled uselessly as I held him, the veins in his neck bulging.

    I was weaker today, but he had been too. Gwen was right; whatever had happened had messed with his power; he''d even said it to my face. He¡¯d gotten tired quickly, and using it had taken it''s toll on him. I held him tightly in the chokehold, as he struggled weakly now, blood still seeping from his mouth.

    ¡°...fuck¡­ you¡± he mumbled, before finally falling unconscious. With a sigh of relief I swung down to the ground and dropped him. As I stepped away, I stumbled falling to my hands and knees. My breaths were heavy as I struggled to focus on anything but the pain, my body beaten raw. But I wiped the blood from my mouth and forced myself to stand, before webbing Reverso to the ground. I stared at him, then back at all the destruction around us.

    ¡°Well... uh... fuck you too¡± I mumbled, before swinging away.

 Chapter Forty Nine

    Everything hurt. My feet, my back, my side. Everything. As I swung I¡¯d all but forgotten the cuts on my arms, the pain of everything else far too overwhelming. But I pushed forwards anyway, toward the danger, the sound of voices crackling in my ear through the comm.

    Oh right. Comms.

    I pressed a finger to my ear and called out.

    ¡°Guys!? I beat Reverso. Heading over to Spider-Woman now¡±

    A series of voices echoed back over the comm and I flinched away from it, pulling the comm out my ear. They¡¯d all sounded more surprised than anything. Geez, had they really had that little faith in me? Well I guess I hadn¡¯t exactly had any faith in myself either.  I winced as I fired another web, and tentatively placed the comm back in my ear.

    ¡°-llo?! Spider?!¡± Gwen cried out.

    ¡°I¡¯m here¡±

    ¡°Thank god. What happened?! Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. And so is the city, well¡­ for the most part. A few buildings fell. But barely anyone got hurt.¡±

    ¡°Good¡± she said, breathing a sigh of relief. ¡±All of us are heading over to Spider-Woman now. We lost contact about a minute ago. I think the TechHeads left one of their guys there. If it was someone who could take out Rosita''s comm on the fly, then probably High-Tank¡±

    "Is he dangerous?"

    "...she''ll need the back-up" Gwen responded.

    I cursed. I guess Rosita hadn¡¯t been ok on her own. No, Rosita didn''t seem like the type to just go down, she''d hold her ground until backup showed. She''d be fine, though the thought still didn''t make me feel any better for abandoning her. With a grunt of effort, I swung forward faster, picking up speed as I headed toward the smoke in the distance.

    As it rose, my eyes remained fixed on it. The black and billowing smoke brought back bad memories of more than just one moment in my life. Alongside the uncertainty, pain and fear, it was enough to make me question turning back. But I didn''t. I needed to at least help Rosita before I considered sitting out. I gasped again as I fired another web, hot pain shooting down my arms.

    "Man this job is hard" I muttered to myself, the wind roaring in my ears. God, I was glad nobody was relying only on me to save the day, that''d be seriously stressful. I frowned slightly, then winced again. When I got back, I owed Peter a serious apology.

    Suddenly everything glitched. My body twisted in on itself as it pulled apart at the seam and I fell out of the sky. This time there was no Rosita to save me. I simply fell, silently, then slammed atop a car.

    There was an instant brutal pain, like a sledgehammer slamming against the temple. It was enough to make me black out for a second before reopening my eyes, my ears ringing loudly as my entire body cramped from the agony alone. There were shouts of panic and confusion all around me as I gasped, pulling myself up. A numbness had started to wash over me now, and my entire body shook. It took me a second to gain my bearings and as I did, I instantly knew something was wrong.

    Not just from the impact, but  something deeper. As the seconds continued to tick by, my body grew number and number, the pain distant from my mind now. I moved to steady myself, and was immediately disorientated. I cried out again, as I glitched, the jolt only momentarily this time. But as I recovered my body still left a trail of faint distorted after images in its wake.

    ¡°Ok then¡± I mumbled, groaning as I rolled off the side of the car. I slumped to the floor and struggled to breath for a few moments before pushing myself up, supported by the door mirror. People all stared at me from their cars and from the sidewalk wide eyed from behind their phones, recording the whole thing. Some help would''ve been nice, but they were probably just as shocked as me. I stood and made to swing away but glitched again, falling to the floor.

    "Holy shit" I muttered. I forced myself to stand again and  winced, putting a finger to my comm. ¡°Uh, Ghost¡­¡±

    ¡°Spider?! Did something happen?¡± Gwen said over the comm, her voice panicked.

    ¡°I..." Actually Gwen probably had a lot more important things to deal with right now, than just me. "Don¡¯t worry... it''s- I''m fine... it¡¯s nothing¡± I said.

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± I replied. Then with a grunt of pain I leapt into the air, and fired a web, taking back to the sky. Parts of my body screamed out at me, but the numbness remained, helping me focus beyond the pain. I swung quicker now, with less control, but more focus on the coming danger as I neared the smoke. Then - in the distance - I spotted other spider people swinging, both closer to the danger than me. They came to a stop on a building near the cloud of black, their body language uncertain as they looked to the streets below.

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a lot of robots" a voice said over the comm "You sure we don¡¯t need Athena, Ghost?¡±. It was Mia¡¯s, the younger spider-woman I¡¯d seen at the base on my first real day here.

    ¡°She¡¯s busy at the Hortz-Bruig¡± Gwen responded.

    ¡°Well¡­ we¡¯re gonna need backup¡± another voice ¨C Myles - said.

    ¡°I see you¡± I rasped. ¡°I''m just arriving¡±

    ¡°Good" Gwen said. "Don''t wait for me guys. Arachnid and I will take a while. There¡¯s a few smaller robot groups throughout downtown causing havoc. We''ll be there as soon as we can. Good luck¡±

    "Got it" Myles and Mia replied over the comm before leaping into action. They disappeared from view as I entered the trough of my swing, the wind roaring in my ears. With an extra burst of strength I kicked my legs forward, gaining speed as I rose back up into the air. I shot over a building, flipping backwards before I dived into another swing, flying between buildings toward the heart of the smoke. For a moment it engulfed me and then I was out. As I exited, I looked down below and my eyes widened.

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    There were a lot of damn robots.

    They crowded the entire street, some with the plastic human faces, and others embracing their metal shine. Rosita fought from the centre of the crowd, ripping the bots apart with claws and sharpened teeth. She cut through them easily, but it was clear she was struggling, the robots forcefully crowding her, limiting her movements. A barricade of cops fired guns at the crowd, shouting panicked orders to one another, as Myles and Mia descended into the fray.

    I swung down, past the cops and they cheered a cry of relief as they watched the robots turn their attention completely to the three new spider people. Pushed forward by the cheers, I clenched my fists tightly and released my web. I cut through the air at speed, and slammed to the ground, crushing a robot¡¯s head against the asphalt with a foot. The robots crowded my instantly, but with a new vigour I clawed through them, tearing metal from metal, and wire from wire as sparks washed over me.

    But the robots didn¡¯t stop. They fought against me hard, pushing as they crowded around me. I was decimating them, but it was clear they wouldn¡¯t stop coming any time soon. In my current condition there was no way I¡¯d be able to last.

    Idiot, of course it¡¯d be stupid to just jump into the fray. I needed to get out of here, and fast. With a quick wide arc kick I created space for myself. In the split second they were off of me I fired a web and pulled myself up. But a robot grabbed me instantly, yanking me back down to the ground hard.

    ¡°Shit!¡± I cried as I hit. I jolted with pain again, but the robots didn''t let up, jumping on me, and forcing me to the ground in an attempt to completely crush me. I cried out as their weight grew heavier and heavier, cursing my own stupidity.

    Suddenly a burst of electricity shot through the crowd and the robots surrounding me fell dead. I pushed them off me and with a quick web, yanked myself away to a building face. My hands slapped against brick, and I scrambled up the wall quickly before coming to a stop. I took deep but grateful breaths, then looked back at the chaos behind me, searching for the source of lightning. It wasn''t hard to find. Mia and Myles fought through the crowd, decimating robots as arcs of yellow and blue lighting shot from their bodies.

    ¡°Holy shit¡± I mumbled. ¡°Spider¡¯s can do that?¡±

    Probably not, but it was seriously fucking cool. And because of them we were winning. Another web shot out the crowd as the robots began turning to the electric duo, and Rosita pulled herself free, stopping against a building across the street. She looked down at the crowd, then spotted me and gestured toward the subway entrance the robots crowded around. They''d placed the bomb in the station underground. I gave a nod in return.

    ¡°Spider Kid! White Web!¡± Rosita shouted out, still pointing at entrance ¡°Cover us!¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡± they both shouted. Instantly they changed direction, pushing against the crowd as they fought their way to the subway entrance, their lightning growing more potent. Rosita leapt into action, swinging for the subway without hesitation. With a worried cry, I jumped down too, swinging over the robots as they jumped up, reaching for me. I pulled my feet away as my arc brought me closer to them, then pulled myself up as I let go of my web, flipping up and away for the zombies before firing another web and yanked myself forwards. I zipped through the air, practically flying above the robot''s heads toward the station stairs.

    But Myles and Mia had been slowed down by the crowd. The robots at the entrance stood ready for me and my heart sunk when a sudden large arc of lighting, a mixture of the two colours, shot through the group, blowing them back. I landed amongst the destroyed remnants alongside Rosita, and together we scrambled forward as the crowd chased after us.

    We pushed the few robots who¡¯d survived out of the way and leapt down the steps into the station as Mia and Myles protected our backs.

    "Come on! Quickly!" Rosita shouted.

    Before I could respond a shout of pain echoed out behind me. I spared a glance back, and my eyes widened. Mia had been caught by one of the robots with a sword and laid against the handrail, blood pooling from her front. Myles covered for her, but struggled against the crowd on his own. His bursts of electricity grew weaker and weaker and the robots steadily drew closer and closer. And within the crowd, the robot with the katana stood, shielded by others, preparing another deadly swing. I could tell from here, he wasn''t prepared.

    Shit.

    I leapt backwards, flying up the stairs past Myles and slammed into the crowd. They were knocked back, and I barrelled through them reaching for the one with the katana. But I was too slow. It swung, it''s blade quick. I sliced through another robot and cut across me as I obliterated it with a clawed hand. Instantly I went down and the other robots swarmed me, punching and kicking. I screamed in agony, the new pain a top the old too much, but Myles blew them back with a blast of electric yellow. In the moment of reprieve, I looked to the robots, then to him and Mia from the floor.

    ¡°Go!¡± I shouted. He hesitated, wide eyed. "Go!" I roared again. He nodded, and then he was gone, swinging upwards and away with the still bleeding Mia. Relief flooding me, before the panic set. I couldn''t get up.

    I watched the robots as I cradled the cut, blood still seeping from the wound. They were slow, a few of the ones who¡¯d been damaged by the electricity not having completely fallen. But even the broken ones were enough. I tried to pull away but they were already on top of me, fists and kicks raining on my already beaten body.

    I clawed outwards with a panicked roar, but the move only gave other robots an opening to pounce on me, pushing me even further to the ground.

    My spider sense buzzed wildly and I screamed, the pain growing worse and worse from the constant assault.

    ¡°We¡¯re coming in hot!¡± Emi¡¯s suddenly shouted, her voice echoing over the comms and in the air behind the robots. A few of the robots turned and in the moment of peace among pain, my spider sense screamed even louder. Danger was coming. With a powerful desperation I pushed the robots still attacking away, before leaping up into the sky.

    Emi and Kausn sailed past me as I went upwards, both carrying a smoking car. They dropped it on the robots and with an outstretched hand, Kasun caught me, turning upwards. A boom shook the street and a wave of heat washed over me, as flames shout up from the ground.

    But Kasun was faster than the fire. It trailed behind us as he flew upwards, then died back down as he slowed, revealing all the devastated robots underneath the flaming wreck.

    He came to a stop at the top of a building and set me down, eyes wide. My ears rung loudly and I slumped against him, my knees giving out beneath me as my feet met the ground.

    ¡°Uh... Emi!?¡± Kasun said, panicked. She looked to us as she floated above, and quickly descended.

    ¡°Shit. Lucas? You okay?!¡± she asked, taking my weight from Kasun.

    ¡°Mhm¡± I grunted, unable to speak.

    ¡°Shit¡± Emi said. ¡°Ghost, Spider¡¯s down. He¡¯s gonna need serious medical attention¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m¡­ fine¡± I mumbled as my consciousness started to fade. Voices crackled in my ear as Emi and Kasun turned to each other, talking quickly. Then Emi vanished and Kasun grabbed me, taking to the sky as we flew away from the robots.

    ¡°No¡± I said desperate as I grabbed his hand tightly.

    He locked down to me, his expression clearly uncertain under his mask, but still continued flying.

    ¡°The¡­ the bomb¡± I mumbled, the edges of my vision growing black.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok Lucas¡± Rosita said over the comm. ¡°I got it¡±

    Oh. Thank god. Relief flooded me at the words, and I let go of the nervous tension still keeping me awake. My mind dipped back into numbness and my body went slack. My consciousness quickly faded as the early morning air cooled the blood against my skin.

 Chapter Fifty

    I opened my eyes with a gasp and immediately cried out as my body glitched. My shouts reverberated within themselves and I rolled over in agony before catching myself on the floor. A hand steadied me, laying me back down against the floor and a makeshift pillow.

    ¡°You, ok?¡± a familiar voice said. I opened my eyes, looking up at Emi who knelt over me, a small slightly forced smile on her face.

    ¡°Yeah, I''m fine¡± I mumbled wincing, as I moved. ¡°Give me an hour and I¡¯ll be-¡±

    I glitched again, the sensation far more painful this time. The feeling was sharp, like a knife cutting deep, all throughout my body. I gasped, spasming on the floor as I coughed hard, my lungs even rejecting the air I tried to breath. Then it was over, my breaths steady and slow, and my face planted firmly on the floor.

    A slow breeze smoothed over me, flapping strands of hair away from my face as I rolled over. It cooled the sweat that¡¯d formed on my face as winced. My front started to throb dully, as if my body were suddenly remembering the pain from the robot¡¯s slash.

    ¡°Ow¡± I mumbled. I tried to sit up again, but Emi gently held me down.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok¡± she said. ¡°Just stay still for now¡±

    I nodded, slowly becoming aware of slightly panicked voices all around. Emi glanced behind her and I looked too. The team was all here, except Mia. They moved around quickly, assembling various pieces of machinery into a strange metallic disk on the floor.

    And Gwen was at the centre of it all, moving around the most frantically, as she worried herself, directing everyone to help her with the various parts and a few computers. A few kept looking over to each other uncertain, but they moved about with urgency, and grace the situation clearly dire.

    I laid my head back down sighing.

    ¡°Looks like a kitchen¡± I chuckled.

    ¡°What?¡± Emi said.

    ¡°A kitchen" I mumbled to no response. "Like a restaurant''s kitchen at opening? With everyone running around?¡±

    She stared at me blankly, clearly confused.

    ¡°Ok. Don¡¯t worry, wasn¡¯t trying to be funny or anything¡±

    ¡°Oh, you were making a joke¡± she said, a grin slowly forming.

    ¡°Geez no need to rub it in¡±

    We both chuckled before I broke out into a fit of coughing and clutched at my chest. Emi steadied once again, her face growing serious.

    ¡°Don¡¯t joke if it hurts¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok. I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine¡±

    Emi nodded, still forcing her grin, but didn¡¯t respond. The grimness hidden in her expression was all I needed to know. I looked down at myself. My injuries alone were enough to warrant a hospital visit, but if they¡¯d brought me here ¨C wherever here was. If the disk was what I thought it was, it meant this glitching thing was more dire. Shit. I lay my head back down against the makeshift pillow and let out a heavy breath.

    ¡°How long was I out?¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Only about an hour¡± Emi said.

    ¡°Ok. Uh¡­ did you pick up Reverso?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Myles picked him up when he was taking Mia to the hospital, and put the NE limiter cuffs on him¡±

    ¡°NE?¡±

    ¡°Negative energy¡±

    ¡°Right. So... we really got him?¡±

    ¡°Yep. She took him straight to the police¡±

    ¡°Wow, you guys were hyping him up and I got him just like that¡± I chuckled. Emi chuckled too, before steadying me as I started to cough again.

    "No jokes" she said firmly. "Seriously"

    "Ok" I mumbled nodding. She looked at me, her expression shifting slightly then glanced behind her again. I watched her look over the others, her brows furrowing.

    ¡°Is... everyone ok?¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah. Mia¡¯s hurt, but it¡¯s not too bad or anything¡± she said nodding.

    ¡°That¡¯s good. And what about the TechHeads?¡±

    ¡°Athena stopped them. They didn''t even make it past the front gate. Everything¡¯s good¡±

    ¡°Perfect¡± I mumbled. "Perfect, perfect, perfect."

    I winced slightly, and shifted my weight, moving as if to escape the pain. It only worsened, and I jolted before stiffening.

    ¡°Try to stay still¡± Emi whispered.

    ¡°Mhm¡± I nodded. After a deep breath I tried to relax, which was pretty difficult to do whilst stewing in the pain of broken bones and what was probably internal organ damage. So I switched to focusing on my breathing and the soft sound of the wind. I listened for a few moments, then glanced to the side, looking at our surroundings. We were atop a rooftop, one that felt somewhat familiar. Oh. It was my school rooftop.

    Gwen had mentioned something about visiting this place. I couldn''t remember what.

    ¡°Everybody step back¡± a voice suddenly said loudly. I turned, looking away from the edge and toward the centre of the building. Gwen and everyone else stepped back from the assembled machine. It was all metal, with a disk on the floor, surrounded by prongs and a somewhat large ring of smaller prongs suspended mid-air by strands of web.

    Leads ran from the disk on the floor centre to the computer Gwen had and what looked like some kind of power source. Gwen stepped behind the computer and began tapping away furiously at the keyboard. The others watched with bated breath, before finally, she stopped and nodded muttering to herself.

    ¡°Ok, ok¡± Gwen said. She hit the button and sparks appeared in the air above the disk before it fizzled out. The shift in everyone''s demeanour was like watching fans of a sports team lose to a buzzer beater. It''d almost be funny if it didn''t directly relate to my life or death.

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    ¡°Work dammit¡± Gwen cried, pressing the button again. The machine buzzed louder this time, and the flickers returned. They fizzled a lot brighter this time and the air started to distort, but something went up in a puff of smoke and the distortion faded.

    ¡°Shit¡± Gwen cursed, rushing forwards. She pulled at a few of the smoking wires, then cursed again. She glanced back to me and Emi, her eyes widening when she realised I was awake. The others all turned too, looking at me.

    ¡°Uh¡­ morning everyone¡± I mumbled. Instantly I glitched again, pain wracking me once again like a harsh shock of electricity. When it stopped everyone stood over me, their faces filled with worry.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I''m fine¡± I coughed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk if it hurts¡± Cindy said, kneeling down next to Emi as she pulled off her mask.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok. Really¡± I said. Cindy nodded and clutched my arm tightly.

    ¡°We¡¯ll get you home ok? You¡¯ll be fine¡± she said, nodding to herself, her eyes slightly wet.

    ¡°I know¡± I mumbled weakly. Her and the others gazes only seemed to grow sadder. I forced a smile, suddenly wary of how my condition probably affected the others mental states. I needed to say something hopeful. ¡°I... I¡¯m just glad you guys are all ok¡±

    They nodded, unsure how to respond.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine guys. You don¡¯t need to crowd around me¡± I wheezed, my eyes fixing on Gwen¡¯s lens. I caught a reflection of myself, but even without seeing her eyes, I could tell see her uncertainty. But then she nodded, looked to everyone and cleared her throat loudly.

    ¡°Ok guys, enough chit-chat. Come on we need to get this thing working¡± she said. The group all nodded and turned, rushing back toward the machine. Emi and Cindy stayed at my side, and Myles hesitated, lingering behind too.

    ¡°You guys ok?¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t believed I slept through the damn alarm¡± Cindy said, the bitterness in her voice directed at herself.

    ¡°Cindy¡­¡± Emi muttered.

    ¡°Yeah, come on, you were hurt" Myles added. She continued to look at me, the regret in her face clear.

    "It¡¯s fine Cindy. Reverso probably would''ve just kicked both our asses"

    She nodded, her eyes slightly tearful and clutched my arm tighter. My eyes stayed on her a moment, before flicking to Myles. His mask was off too, and he looked to me clearly unsure of himself.

    ¡°What''s wrong?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Nothing. I just... uh¡­ thanks back there man. For saving me and Mia, it¡­ uh¡­ it was pretty close¡±

    ¡°No problem man¡±

    He nodded, unsure how to respond and glanced to Emi.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok Myles. You too Cindy. Go help Gwen¡± she said her voice kind. They both nodded, then both rushed over.

    I watched them go before looking back to Emi.

    ¡°You not going to help?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Well, someone has to stay with you. Make sure you don¡¯t¡¯¡­¡± she trailed off.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°You sure?¡± she mumbled.

    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯ll only be like ten feet away. Go¡± I mumbled. She hesitated, then forced her signature grin and nodded, rushing away to join the others.

    The moment she left I felt a coldness return to me, the familiar creeping sensation of loneliness that¡¯d been with me for the past three and a half years. I tried to ignore it, but it flowed through me anyway, like a splash of cold water. My aches grew, the pains becoming sharper and my mind foggier. I coughed hard, and rolled onto my side, steadying myself against the ground.

    After a few deep breaths I looked forward, staring out over the river to calm myself. The view from between the two bridges beautiful as always.

    It was slightly different here, but it reminded me of the all the times I¡¯d been up here back home.

    Coming up here with Yerin right before this mess, those random sleepless nights after first quitting all those years ago, and the first time I¡¯d come up here; the act of rebellion on my first day at school. It¡¯d seemed so cool at the time, but now I just pitied the younger me. He¡¯d just been scared and had chosen to try and run away. Just like always.

    But with the pity, was a sliver of hate too. If I¡¯d never gone up here, how much better would the world be? If I hadn¡¯t gotten these powers so many bad things wouldn''t have happened. So many people might still be alive.

    But it was stupid to think I was the centre of the world. People would still die too. Ricardo would be bad with or without my powers, and others certainly would be as well. Sure, I wasn''t the best, and it¡¯d taken a while for things to change, but I was getting better. I didn¡¯t want to just run away anymore, I wanted to help.

    I always had in the back of my mind, but now I had the strength to actually do it in the face of adversity. I¡¯d rescued people here today, saved lives. And it¡¯d felt amazing. It¡¯d felt right, even if I¡¯d been scared. It¡¯d been so much better than just running away.

    And now it might be over. I might actually die. Like a sick joke, as soon as I¡¯d started to improve, to help, it¡¯d all just get ripped away from me? I clenched my fist tightly, my bloodied hand shaking.

    Was this punishment? For all the lives lost by my years of refusal to help? For the Bederson Incident? For Amy? For killing Ricardo and all those people in Chelsea?

    Maybe the death of my parents wasn''t my fault, but the trauma I''d carried with me, the scars the accident had left had led me to hurt others. Directly and indirectly. I''d killed someone because of guilt and anger at myself, for fucks sake. He was a bad person, but I hadn''t had to kill him. My parents blood might not have been on my hands, but his was.

    I knew it¡¯d come back for me one day, but now? Here? Was this really it?

    ¡°Shit¡± I whispered, clenching my fist tightly as the cold began to grow more.

    I guess in a way I deserved it. But still, more than anything, right now, I wanted to live. I looked down at my hands, then back up to the river, the light of the sun sparkling off the surface. It was funny in a way, ironic, that this whole thing started and ended here too.

    I watched it for a few moments longer, my mind empty as I struggled to grasp what was really happening to me. The sound of a few frustrated cries echoed from behind me and I turned back to see the machine fizzle out again.

    My body glitched again, the feeling more violent, my being grating against the rest of the world like nails on a chalk board. It stopped and Emi kneeled next to me, her hand steading me again as I gasped for air, my body growing colder now.

    ¡°Lucas!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s ok¡± I wheezed, struggling to breath. ¡°Can you¡­ can you help me stand?¡±

    ¡°What? No. Just lay back down on the jacket and-¡°

    ¡°Please¡± I said, grabbing her hand desperately. She looked to me, then glanced back and cursed to herself before putting my arm over her shoulders. She lifted and I stumbled slightly but caught myself. My entire body felt heavy, my feet clumsy.

    ¡°Is this ok?¡± she mumbled.

    ¡°Over there¡± I motioned further inward toward a ventilation pipe on the roof. She frowned, confused, but nodded leading me forwards anyway. Our steps were slow, dragging, and I leant against Emi hard, smearing blood against the white of her suit.

    ¡°Thanks¡± I mumbled. ¡±For earlier. It¡­ it helped a lot¡­ to speak with someone about that¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok Lucas¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ good. Really¡­ good¡± I mumbled. ¡°I would¡¯ve¡­ I would¡¯ve liked being friends with you¡±

    ¡°H-hey. Don¡¯t talk like that. You¡¯re gonna be fine¡± Emi said. ¡°And when Gwen figures this portal thing out, we can be. We''ll be able to talk whenever¡±

    ¡°I¡­ hope your Lucas makes it back¡­ so you can talk to him¡± I responded, ignoring her.

    ¡°Lucas stop it¡± she said firmly, coming to a stop.

    ¡°Let''s keep going... Please¡±

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t like this or the way your talking¡±

    ¡°Please¡± I mumbled. ¡°Just¡­ behind the vent. Put me¡­ behind the vent¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡±

    ¡°Please¡± I urged.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ you shouldn¡¯t have to watch¡­ no one should¡± I muttered, clutching my side. Her expression grew even sadder as she looked to me, tears sparkling in her eyes.

    ¡°If¡­ if it works after I¡­ can you tell my family?¡± I mumbled. ¡°I know it¡¯s a lot but¡­¡±

    ¡°I will¡± she nodded, wiping at her eyes.

    I suddenly I stumbled and fell. Emi caught me, and tried to force me up, but my legs didn¡¯t respond and I slumped against her. My grip on her costume felt weak, feeble and I started to slip further as she readjusted her grip on me.

    ¡°Shit¡± she mumbled. ¡°Lucas? Lucas?!¡±

    Her voice sounded distant, far further away than it should¡¯ve. I looked to her, then beyond at the others as they tried desperately to start the machine yet again.

    Gwen hit the button and a distortion appeared over the disk. It lasted longer this time, clearly fighting to survive, but began to fade just like the others.

    Then, suddenly, another distortion appeared next to it. It was faint, far fainter than the first, but with each second it grew in brightness.

    The twin distortions remained for a second, then eventually started to fizzle out. But as they did, they pulled at each other, and started to grow. My eyes widened as I watched them continue growing and growing until they tore at the fabric of space, finalising as a constantly shifting mass of glowing orange with flashes of other colours.

    Emi lifted me into a bridal carry and started forward quickly, but Gwen stopped her.

    ¡°Gwen?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where that second portal came from. Let me test it first¡± Gwen. But before she could do anything, a head poked through, a red mask with large white eyes. It looked around at all the spider people confused, then locked eyes with me.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± a familiar voice said. I grinned to myself. Goddamn. I really was a lucky bastard.

    ¡°Hey Pete¡±

 Chapter Fifty One

    Peter¡¯s eyes grew wide as he stared at me, then after a quick glance to the others he rushed forward.

    ¡°Lucas?! What happened?!¡±

    ¡°Nothing. Don¡¯t worry¡± I mumbled, the words barely a whisper. He took a hold of my arm, helping to right me alongside Emi.

    ¡°Your Peter?¡± she said, staring at him before glancing to Gwen.

    ¡°Yeah¡± Peter said, quickly looking around at everyone, before turning back to the portal. ¡°Give me a sec¡±

    He rushed over to it, poked his head through, then raced back over to me followed by three others. A Spider-Man in a black and white costume, a Spider-Woman in all red, and then a Spider-Man in purple and black - the other version of me.

    ¡°Lucas!¡± everyone cried, a few rushing forwards. He pulled his mask off and looked around surprised as the team swarmed him with hugs, whilst Peter and the others rushed to me.

    ¡°Holy shit¡± the spider-woman said, as she looked over my injuries.

    ¡°Yeah¡± Peter said. ¡°Let¡¯s get you to hospital¡±

    They took me from Emi, the symbiote Spider-Man picking me up in a bridal carry as he looked around.

    ¡°Wait¡± I mumbled. ¡°Let me... say goodbye¡±

    ¡°You can say bye later Lucas¡± Emi said. ¡°They need to take you to a hospital¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right¡± Peter said. ¡°Let¡¯s go¡±

    Before I could protest, they were jogging back towards the portal, past the others as they watched us. I looked to the other me as we neared the portal, feeling a strange mix of emotions grow in my chest.

    As we rushed past him, I squeezed the symbiote Spider-Man¡¯s arm and he slowed looking down at me. I pointed to the other version of me and he looked back and forth, then to Peter before speaking up.

    ¡°Uh¡­ he wants to say something to you¡± he muttered uncertain, looking to the other version of me. He nodded and stepped forward, his stoic expression slightly shaken as he looked down at me.

    ¡°What¡¯d you want to say?¡± he said.

    ¡°You¡¯re amazing. Seriously¡± I wheezed.

    ¡°I- What? Don¡¯t waste time with that, you need to go to the hospital¡±

    ¡°I know. I just- you should¡­ talk to everyone. To your family¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± he said, furrowing his brow.

    ¡°Trust me. They miss you¡±

    ¡°Y-you can¡¯t just¡­ ok. I¡¯ll try¡±

    ¡°Good. And get rid of the gun man¡±

    ¡°I- I was going to¡±

    I nodded, smiling, before looking to the others.

    ¡°Hopefully I get to¡­ see you guys soon¡± I said. ¡°Thanks¡­ for everything. Really, you¡­ you helped me a lot¡±

    They all nodded back, concern filling all their faces, but hidden behind smiled. Relief flooded me and I let out a heavy breath, before finally letting myself pass out.

    -

    ¡°Shit¡± Peter said, watching as Lucas fell unconscious. ¡°Yu, Jess let¡¯s go! Quick!¡±

    Yu nodded and rushed forwards through the portal, followed quickly behind by Jess. Peter followed the two of them, but as he went to enter the portal, a familiar voice - full of vulnerability - spoke.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°Pete?¡±

    Peter froze, then glanced back at. She hesitated, then pulled off her mask and his eyes widened.

    ¡°G-Gwen?¡±

    ¡°I- sorry. I know you need to go I just¡­ yeah. It¡¯s¡­ wow¡± she stuttered. ¡°It¡¯s really good to see you¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ I¡­ I yeah. It¡¯s good to see you too¡± he said.

    ¡°It suits you¡± she said suddenly.

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°The costume. This Spider-man stuff¡± she said, smiling at him sadly. ¡°It suits you¡±

    Pete looked down at himself for a second, then back up at Gwen. He wiped at his eyes quickly then smiled at her.

    ¡°It suits you too¡± he said. He gave a small wave, then stepped back toward the portal. He hesitated then glanced back at her as she smiled at him.

    ¡°If we figure this portal thing out, we can talk again sometime¡± he said.

    ¡°Sure, thing Pete¡±

    He nodded, then stepped back through the portal. Gwen watched the shimmering surface for a moment, then wiped her eyes too. When she looked back up, it¡¯d already fizzled out of existence. She took a step back, then slumped to her knees.

    ¡°Gwen?! Gwen?!¡± the others cried.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok¡± she chuckled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m okay¡±

    -

    Yu swung through the air quickly, Lucas in one hand as he fired strands of web out and swung. Jess followed behind him, the two of them weaving through the surrounding concrete towers as they headed for the nearest hospital. He glanced down at Lucas as he held him watching as blood seeped from his side.

    It smells good.

    He quickly shelved the thought at the back of his mind, continuing his swings. The thought wasn¡¯t anything new, just one of the many irregularities he¡¯d developed since fusing with the symbiote.

    ¡°He ok?!¡± Jess shouted from behind.

    ¡°His hearts still beating!¡± he shouted back.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not exactly encouraging¡±

    ¡°We heal fast so he¡¯ll probably be fine¡± he shouted back.

    "Still not exactly encouraging" Jess shouted back. He ignored her but chuckled to himself, firing another web as they drew closer to the hospital. But as he continued on, his brows furrowed in confusion. Something felt wrong. Not with him, but the symbiote.

    He could feel something emanating from it, a new feeling he''d yet to experience like this. Fear. Flickers of images passed through the back of his mind, memories of pain that Yu didn''t even register consciously. He frowned further, looking down at himself as the symbiote shifted weirdly against his skin.

    Why am I afraid?

    He considered the question for a moment, then shrugged it off, dismissing the feeling.

    It was probably nothing. Just like all the other random thoughts and feelings from the symbiote. Nothing at all.

    -

    I opened my eyes, blinking slowly as I sat up, my mind still foggy. Pain jolted me and I jerked upright, clutching at my side. Breathing was hard for a few seconds, but gradually the pain faded, the lights around me dimming. I winced as I laid back down, hand still on my side as it throbbed.

    ¡°Ow¡± I mumbled. My spider-sense buzzed slightly as my anxiety grew, waiting for another glitch. I gripped the bedsides tightly, my breaths growing short as I sat up again. Then the moment passed, the anxiety replaced by confusion. I looked up, staring out the hospital window as the light of the sunset shone through. Beyond I could see buildings, a familiar atmosphere filling the place. Oh right, I was back home.

    Suddenly the noise of outside chatter filled the room and I spun around, looking at the now open door. Big Sis stepped inside, a bottle of water in one hand as she tapped away on her phone with the other, then looked up. Her eyes widened as she saw me, and she froze, before rushing forwards. She wrapped me in a hug then pulled away as I winced.

    ¡°Sorry¡± she mumbled.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok¡± I said, holding my side. She nodded, looking over me as her smile grew further.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± I grinned.

    ¡°The others are going to be so happy¡±

    ¡°How long was I out?¡±

    ¡°You got here this morning and it¡¯s about¡­ ten pm now¡± she said checking her watch. I nodded, leaning back in my bed. ¡°The others all came during the day, but¡­ I¡­ what the hell happened?¡± she said, her demeanour switching from relieved to an angered concern.

    ¡°Uh¡­ can I ask how the last three days have gone?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡± she said worried.

    ¡°Uh¡­ not all of it¡±

    ¡°Nurse! she shouted, turning to the door. ¡°Nurse!¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± I cried. ¡°Don¡¯t- you don¡¯t have to do that. I¡¯m fine¡±

    ¡°You said can¡¯t remember things Lucas¡±

    ¡°I remember it¡¯s¡­ difficult to explain. I didn¡¯t hit my head or anything. Well¡­ not like that at least¡±

    ¡°Lucas¡­¡± Big Sis trailed off, putting a hand to her temple. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ there¡¯s no point trying to lie about this. I know what happened but, it¡¯s¡­ like I said, difficult¡±

    ¡°Difficult how?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot I have to explain¡±

    ¡°I bet there is¡± she said.

    ¡°And I will explain. Just¡­ I want to do it with everyone. Alexandra, Aunty, Quinten, Maria, Sofia, Yerin. Everyone.¡±

    Big Sis furrowed her brow, then sighed and took the seat next to the bed.

    ¡°It¡¯s not something really bad I hope¡±

    ¡°Not really¡±

    ¡°Lucas?! Is this about those underground fight rings and stuff like that?! They were saying on TV they were targeting teens from ethic minorities. You didn''t get involved in did you?!¡±

    ¡°What? No, no.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I... my thing¡¯s not illegal or anything. It¡¯s good¡­ for the most part¡±

    She furrowed her brow further, then lent back in her chair and sighed.

    ¡°Well, just rest for now. It¡¯ll take you a while to heal from... whatever happened. You¡¯ll probably be here for a few weeks.¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡± I smiled glancing out the window. ¡°But I think I¡¯ll be ok for graduation¡±

 Brick by Brick - Chapter One

    Construction work was difficult. It always had been, but Joshua had started noticing it more ever since he¡¯d messed up his back. He¡¯d pulled a muscle picking something up too fast. It¡¯d healed, but not properly. He¡¯d needed the money and tried to get back into work too quickly, and it¡¯d just become thing now.

    Right before lunch, he started to feel it. And after, if he didn¡¯t do a stretch he¡¯d feel the small tightness in his back even more. And even if he did do some stretches, there was always an awareness of it in his mind. It was getting to him, a constant reminder of the pain he¡¯d felt when he¡¯d pulled it and the fear that if it happened again, he¡¯d be out of a job.

    It was agonising, mentally and physically. Though he¡¯d never let it show.

    A loud sound shook him from his thoughts, and he flinched. The sudden movement tipped his unbalanced weight and the bag on his shoulder slipped. He barely managed to dodge before it slammed to the ground where his foot had been.

    Focus you fucking idiot.

    Careful to squat with his back straight, he wrestled the bag from the ground and stood, sliding it carefully back onto his shoulder before starting forward. He moved through the site, slowly, more focused on his surroundings now. The sound of drilling, welding and hammers echoing from all around him.

    He frowned, glancing up past the tall beams of metal, walls of brick and concrete to the blue of the sky beyond. He wiped sweat from his face and sighed. He hated it when the weather was like this. It just reminded him he was stuck here. He shook his head and finally came to a stop and dropped the bag onto a stack with all the others. As he turned a voice called out to him

    ¡°Hey Josh!¡±

    He glanced behind him to see Lenny, one of the slightly older members of the crew sitting enjoying his lunch early.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Come sit over here¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a few more bags Len¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on, the boss ain¡¯t here and Will ain¡¯t a snitch¡± the older man said with a grin. Joshua hesitated.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just go grab a few more bags, then I¡¯ll sit with you¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on son, just sit down¡±

    Joshua hesitated again, then shrugged and moved to sit beside the man. They sat on a concrete cylinder wedged in place by a metal rod and the brick wall behind them, which offered a nice screen of shade. He sighed, then sat in silence for a bit, staring out at the mess of the site in front of them.

    "So Josh anything fun happen recently?"

    "Not really. Well... Reilly moved out. She''s doing this summer camp thing, then it''s college. It''s... whatever"

    "You wanna talk about it?"

    "Not really"

    ¡°Ok. Uh... you hear about that stuff on the news? With all the shit appearing out of thin air?¡±

    ¡°Shit appearing out of thin air? Like what?¡± he said, frowning.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, just random stuff¡± Len said. ¡°Sandwich?¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡± Josh mumbled, taking it.

    ¡°Yeah, it''s happening all over the city apparently. SIT. Spontaneous Interdimensional Travel the experts were calling it. You wonder where it¡¯s going to happen next?¡±

    ¡°Not really. I¡¯ve got more important stuff to worry about¡±

    ¡°Like Reilly?¡±

    ¡°...why do you even want to talk about it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just interesting is all. The expert was saying this is all cause of that scientist woman. Uh, what was it¡­ something Fines? She did some show test at this prep school between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridge, caused all this mess. It¡¯s crazy. Apparently the MDA are involved.¡±

    ¡°The MDA? Those corrupt metahuman police guys, right? What¡¯re they doing?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But they put a warrant out for that Dr woman¡¯s arrest the other day. I think she''s the next big supervillain. Like that Dr Warr guy or whatever who was cloning people ages ago¡± Lenny said. Joshua smiled slightly and turned to the man as he took another bite of his sandwich.

    ¡°You really enjoy talking about all this stuff, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s kind of interesting, no? A lot of metahuman stuff happens but it¡¯s always far away, or your sister¡¯s friend¡¯s son¡¯s half cousin saw something for all of about three seconds or something like that¡±

    Joshua let out a small chuckle.

    ¡°I guess. I worked with a guy who knew that¡­ Finnick guy? I can¡¯t remember his name, but he became that sand man monster thing¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It was crazy, they were apparently good friends and stuff. I don¡¯t know anything else though¡±

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    ¡°My granddaughter says she thinks one of the kid¡¯s older brothers at her school is the black goo Spider-Man. She¡¯s probably just exaggerating, but who knows?¡±

    ¡°Eh, probably not¡±

    ¡°Yeah, probably not¡±

    The two went quiet for a second.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t this place damaged by some big superhero fight?¡± Joshua said.

    ¡°Yeah. This was that Electric guy what, two years back now? He did a bunch of buildings all over the place. Oh, my brother¡¯s ex-wife used to work with him at that Oscorp office before he went evil. Looks like we both know someone who knows a supervillain¡±

    ¡°Hm¡± Josh muttered. ¡°I guess it really is a small world.¡±

    Suddenly the space in front of them warped. It twisted, shifting with energy and power as Lenny and Joshua both fell silent, astounded. Then something fell from it, skittering across the floor towards them before stopping at their feet.

    Joshua didn¡¯t recognise the strange contraption, but his eyes were immediately drawn to the sparks, red flashing light on its side and the yellow sticker underneath. He recognised the symbol within the yellow triangle, a new one that¡¯d started circulating about a year or two ago. It had one meaning, very clear meaning.

    WARNING THIS DEVICE USES UNSTABILISTED NEGATIVE ENERGY

    Joshua stood quickly, grabbing Lenny to move them both away. But it was too late. The device let out a loud whirring and Joshua felt his entire body twist and contort with raw undefined power as he was thrown back into the brick. Then everything went white.

    -

    I sat in the car, peacefully eating. The sun was out in full force today, beams of sunlight streaming through the open windows. I took another bite of my burger as a slow and cool breeze wafted over me, cooling my skin. It was nice, the general atmosphere. Peaceful.

    The car slowly came to a stop and I glanced to Big Sis as she parked. She killed the engine and together we got out the car. I winced slightly, poking at my still tender side as I looked up to our apartment building.

    ¡°You okay?¡± she asked as she rounded the car, stepping onto the sidewalk.

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°Well take it easy, and maybe don¡¯t finish that burger just yet. It might be better to stick to fluids for now, so I¡¯ll blend it when we get inside an-¡±

    ¡°No way¡± I said, chuckling as I took another bite. Big Sis rolled her eyes and we made our way into the building. I took the stairs slowly, my body still sore, but for the most part ok. I¡¯d healed quickly, even quicker than I¡¯d expected and now ¨C after a week - I was finally out.

    We exited the stairs and made our way down the hall, coming to a stop at our door. Sis opened it quickly and I was immediately met by the smiling faces of Eric, Rion and Yerin.

    ¡°Surprise¡± they said in unison.

    ¡°Hey guys¡± I responded, grinning. ¡°You seriously didn¡¯t have to come.¡±

    ¡°Oh come on man, we get to see you and skip? Who wouldn¡¯t want that?¡± Rion said. Everyone chuckled and we started towards my room, quickly taking seats around the room. Yerin¡¯s smile faltered slightly as she looked at the food in my lap.

    ¡°Uh, you sure you should be eating a burger?¡±

    ¡°I asked Sofia to bring it for me¡±

    ¡°Oh, where is she?¡±

    ¡°She met us at the hospital, but she had a presentation for Mr Tanner and I didn¡¯t want to keep her¡±

    ¡°Did Quinten visit with her?¡± Rion asked.

    ¡°Quinten¡¯s busy with practice¡±

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s your first day out. He could at least try visit¡± Yerin said.

    ¡°We did a video call and it was enough. Besides I¡¯m going to see him later today anyway¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Eric said.

    ¡°We¡¯re having a big party tonight. Everyone¡¯s invited¡±

    ¡°Ah man, you should¡¯ve told me in advance. I¡¯m going to my dad¡¯s straight after I leave here¡± Rion said. ¡°What time is it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Everyone¡¯s just going to show when they can¡±

    ¡°Aw man. I might be able to come for a bit, but¡­ yeah¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry man, we¡¯ll enjoy the party for you¡± Eric joked. We all chuckled before settling into a comfortable silence. Yerin furrowed her brow slightly, looking to me. She grazed my cheek gently with back of her hand, her expression muted. It was the look she got when she tried to hide her worry.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine you know¡± I said.

    ¡°¡­ yeah, I know¡± she mumbled back.

    ¡°Really, the bruising and stuff all make it look worse than it actually is. I¡¯m practically completely fine¡±

    ¡°Is this you saying this or the doctor?¡± Yerin asked, furrowing her brow once again.

    ¡°Me mostly, but the doctor did say I was completely healed. I might even be good to go for a run tomorrow morning¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t push it, the doctors were probably just being overly optimistic¡± Yerin said.

    ¡°Yeah, just take it easy, you don¡¯t want to leave, then keel over and die at graduation¡± Rion said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± Eric said. ¡°Maybe he¡¯ll be ok for it¡±

    ¡°Is that what this is all about¡± Yerin said, shooting a glare at Eric and then me. ¡°You don¡¯t have to come to the graduation ceremony you know?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a day. I know it¡¯s an important day, a big ceremony and everything, but you graduate high school anyway, and you don¡¯t want to be hurt from pushing yourself for this single thing and-¡±

    ¡°Yerin¡± I chuckled taking her hand. ¡±Trust me I¡¯ll be fine¡±

    There was a moment of silence and she nodded, her expression still not completely assured.

    ¡°So¡­ you going to tell us what happened or is it going to forever be a mystery?¡± Rion said, breaking the silence. I froze, my eyes momentarily flicking to Eric before I looked back to Rion, then to Yerin.

    ¡°I¡­ it¡¯s difficult¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Uh¡­ as in you don¡¯t want to tell us, or you can¡¯t?¡± Yerin asked.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not like that. I was going to tell everyone during the party, or tomorrow when everyone got up for the weekend, but¡­ guess I¡¯ll have to stagger it¡± I said, my smile fading slightly.

    ¡°Is it that bad?¡± Rion said.

    ¡°¡­kind of. It¡¯s not bad just¡­ shocking I guess¡± I mumbled. ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t change things, but it will. I just hope it¡¯s for the better¡±

    ¡°Woah man¡± Rion said, chuckling awkwardly as he sat up. ¡°I thought this was like, you took something for fun and went on a three-day bender before ending up in the hospital. You¡¯re making it sound life changing¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ it is¡± I mumbled. There was another silence, this one more poignant.

    ¡°You can tell us Lucas¡± Yerin said tenderly.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m-¡±

    Rion¡¯s phone went off, the hook of Don¡¯t Cry by J Dilla playing loudly from his blazer pocket. He quickly grabbed and checked.

    ¡°S-sorry. Got to take this. It¡¯s my dad¡± he said, quickly stepping outside. The door closed softly behind him and I let out a breath of relief.

    ¡°You ok?¡± Eric asked.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡± I mumbled. I looked to the floor, then glanced back up to him again. For a moment we shared eye contact and I knew he already understood what this was about. Suddenly the door opened again and Rion poked his head back through.

    ¡°Sorry guys, but my dad needs help moving some stuff¡± he said,

    ¡°Oh, does he want a hand?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah. Sorry¡±

    ¡°We can help¡±

    ¡°Lucas?!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I said. She glared at me. ¡°Sorry, sorry¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine guys you don¡¯t have to¡± Rion said. ¡°But since this whole things¡¯ earlier I should be able to come to the party. Might be a bit late though¡±

    ¡°I can help¡± Eric said. ¡±If it makes everything faster for you, then we can get back quickly and Lucas can tell everyone together¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ sure¡± Rion said. ¡°Well, ok. Bye guys, see you later¡±

    ¡°Bye¡± Yerin and I said in unison.

    ¡°See you¡± Eric said, following Rion out the door. It closed softly behind him and I heard them say goodbye to my sister. We sat in silence for a second, then Yerin gently placed a hand on my face, turning me to face her.

    ¡°You can tell me, you know¡± she said warmly. I looked into her eyes for a moment, before looking at the ground

    ¡°I will¡± I said, ¡°After I¡¯ve done it we can talk as much as we need to, but it has to be with everyone first. Please¡±

    ¡°¡­ ok¡± she said, offering a small smile. ¡°Ok¡±

 Brick by Brick - Chapter Two

    The party was nicer than I¡¯d expected it to be. Big Sis had put up decorations around the apartment and now that everyone was here the place felt lively. It was nice. With all the soft lights Big Sis was so big on, the beautiful smell from the entr¨¦e of foods for everyone and the music.

    The laughs and chatter too; just the company in general, the presence of family and friends. It felt normal. Peaceful. I smiled from my seat in the corner and took another sip from my drink before leaning against Yerin. She glanced up to me and smiled.

    ¡°You having fun?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah¡± I mumbled back.

    ¡°Good¡± she smiled, taking my hand. She squeezed it slightly and I squeezed back, glancing around the room as I nodded to myself. There was an atmosphere of coziness, a comforting warmth to it all. It reminded me of our old home. This one was newer, but not really new anymore. We¡¯d been here almost three years now. I guess we¡¯d shared a lot of memories here too.

    It made the news I was about give a little bittersweet. I was finally getting a chance to relax after the whole parallel dimension fiasco, and I was going to ruin it with a selfish, maybe even unnecessary announcement.

    Maybe I shouldn¡¯t?

    No, that¡¯d just lead to more problems down the road. If they found out without me telling them, I¡¯d only drive us apart again. And I probably couldn¡¯t keep up the lie.

    I glanced to Sofia who spoke to her friends, then to Maria, Quinten, Alexandra and Aunty, then finally Big Sis. Big Sis looked back to me and smiled, before turning to one of her co-workers and laughing at a joke.

    Everyone seemed happy now. It could wait for a bit.

    -

    ¡°Are you serious man? This is the perfect time to get a tattoo¡± Rion said.

    ¡°You¡¯re insane¡± Eric responded.

    ¡°If you get it on your back or something your parents will literally never even know¡±

    ¡°What if go to the beach or something?¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t have beaches in Minnesota¡±

    ¡°They have lakes. If I go swimming with my dad, I¡¯m screwed¡±

    ¡°Then get it on your leg. Come on man¡± Rion said before turning to us. ¡±Guys, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°I think you should both get tattoos of each other¡± I joked.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious Lucas¡± Rion said. ¡°He said he really wanted a tattoo last year and now he''s being all flaky. Is this cause you broke up with Rachael?"

    Eric shot him a glare.

    ¡°Rion, I think you should leave it be¡± Yerin said. ¡°I can literally see Eric getting less and less enthusiastic about this whole thing by the second.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right man. The more you push this thing the less I want to do it¡±

    ¡°Ok, ok¡± Rion said. ¡°Buuuut¡­ what about next summer?¡±

    I glanced away as the others chuckled, looking around the room. Almost everyone had left now, with only closer family members lounging about, a game of monopoly set up on the and the music turned lower. My heart jumped slightly but I shook my head then nodded, shifting uncomfortably in my seat.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± Yerin said.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°You okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡± I said. ¡°Just my side¡±

    ¡°You need me to move?¡± she said, sitting up on the beanbag.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m ok¡±

    Suddenly the front door flew open with a bang.

    ¡°I¡¯m back bitches¡± Sofia called out.

    ¡°Sofia!¡± Aunty and Big Sis cried out.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry¡± she said, as she walked into the living room. Her eyes instantly darted to the board. ¡°Hey, did you start without me?¡±

    ¡°No way¡± Maria said, grinning. ¡°You ready to lose?¡±

    ¡°No chance. We picked teams yet?¡± she said as everyone made their way closer to the board.

    ¡°It¡¯s you and Quinten, Alexandra and Maria, Big Sis and Aunty, Yerin and Me, and Eric and Rion, though Rion might have to leave early¡± I said.

    ¡°Perfect¡± Sofia said, rubbing her hands together as she and everyone else took their places around the board. Yerin sat next to me on the beanbag, as the general mutterings of the teams scheming filtered through the room.

    ¡°Alright everyone¡± Big Sis said. ¡°Roll for turns and pick pieces first to last¡±

    ¡°We know¡± Sofia said taking the dice. She rolled them and groaned, a combined roll of three.

    "Our turn" Rion said snatching the dice of the table. He rolled quickly, both die landing on fours. "Oh yeah" he said, grinning as he looked to Sofia and Quinten.

    "Oh, screw you" Quinten said, chuckling. Yerin picked the dice of the table next and handed them to me, smiling warmly.

    I looked down at the board, die in hand and sighed. There wasn¡¯t really a point in waiting was there? There was no way I¡¯d be able to focus on this game and everyone was here. We could all play afterwards as well. Guess I was doing it now then.

    ¡°Uh... ok... guys¡± I mumbled. ¡°I¡¯ve got something to say¡±

    ¡°Oh, just roll the dice¡± Sofia said.

    ¡°Sofia¡± Aunty said. ¡°What is it, Lucas?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about¡­ why I was gone¡±

    The room went silent, the coziness evaporating in an instant. I bit my lip and looked to the board again, feeling everyone¡¯s gazes piercing me.

    ¡°Oh look, a three¡± I chuckled awkwardly. ¡°That¡¯s pretty bad¡±

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Lucas¡± Big Sis said. ¡°Talk to us¡±

    I looked back up at everyone, taking in their expressions before looking back to the board. For a moment, I closed my eyes then let out a breath.

    ¡°I hope this doesn¡¯t change anything for any of us. I know it will, that some of you might hate me, some of you might feel guilt, anger even that I didn¡¯t tell you this sooner. But I thought¡­ I thought I was passed this. I thought I¡¯d never have to think about it again, even though it was always in the back of my mind. A bit pathetic really, but I guess it came with a few perks. But some people helped me realise that this isn¡¯t going away¡± I said, clenching as I looked at my fist. ¡°And I can either, run away, let it eat me up for the rest of my life living a lie, even if it was nice in some ways, or do something with it. Help people. And all any of the best people in my life have ever wanted to do is help people. So¡­ I do too¡±

    I looked back up at everyone and took a deep breath, releasing my fist as I let my shaky hand fall back to my side.

    ¡°I¡¯m Spider-Man¡± I said.

    The words were met with silence. Obviously. Everyone stared at me blankly except Eric who glanced around the room, trying to gauge everyone¡¯s reactions.

    ¡°As in, the Spider-Man. Guy in the red and blue tights?¡± Rion said, an unbelieving half-grin slowly appearing on his face.

    ¡°No, not that one. I was the one before. With the hoodie then the purple costume¡±

    ¡°Is this some kind of joke? You lose a dare?¡± Sofia said, scoffing.

    ¡°No, Sof, I¡¯m serious¡± I said. Her grin remained for a few seconds before fading.

    ¡°S-seriously?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    There was another pause.

    ¡°This is¡­ wow¡± Quinten mumbled.

    ¡°But wait, wait a sec¡­ what? Why¡¯re you¡­ this doesn¡¯t make sense¡± Big Sis said, looking around confused.

    ¡°I can show a demonstration if you want¡±

    ¡°Wait Lucas, you¡¯re serious?¡± Maria said.

    ¡°Yeah, I know it¡¯s a lot but-¡±

    ¡°Can you actually show us? Like climb on the wall or something?¡± Sofia said. I nodded and stood from the beanbag, glancing to a wide eyed Yerin.

    ¡°Wait you¡¯re hurt don¡¯t-¡± Auntie started.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine Auntie¡± I said. I took a deep breath and turned to the wall before carefully climbing up the side. I took a second, then glanced back to see everyone staring at me eyes even wider

    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Sofia cried.

    ¡°S-sof¡± Aunty muttered.

    ¡°Sorry¡± Sofia mumbled. ¡°¡­can I record this?¡±

    ¡°No¡± I said, hurriedly, landing on the floor. ¡°That¡¯s- this has to be a secret. A seriously big secret that none of you can ever tell anybody. Seriously¡±

    There was another long pause, some people exchanging glances.

    ¡°Why did you¡­ I don¡¯t understand¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should¡¯ve told you sooner, but I haven¡¯t been Spider-Man in a long time and I didn¡¯t expect to be ever again. But now that I am¡­ you¡¯re all close to me. If I was going to do this again, give it a real shot, I felt like I had to tell you all, be honest with you guys from the start¡±

    There was a moment of silence then Big Sis stood

    ¡°Is this¡­ is this why things were so tough during your first year?¡±

    ¡°¡­yeah¡± I muttered.

    ¡°Oh Lucas¡± she said, her eyes welling up with tears.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok¡± I said. ¡°You didn¡¯t know¡±

    She instantly pulled me into a tight her, her entire body shaking as she struggled to hold back tears.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± I muttered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±

    We held each other as everyone looked to us, the air turning awkward. Finally, she pulled back and wiped at her eyes before looking up to me.

    ¡°Alright¡­ ok¡± she muttered, her voice shaky. I nodded, then looked to everyone else in the

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone. Aunty and Quinten especially¡±

    ¡°W-what? Why?¡± Quinten said.

    ¡°Uncle Jamie¡­ I was¡­¡± I brought a hand to my face pressing my knuckle against my brow and let out a heavy breath. ¡±I¡¯m sorry¡±

    The room was completely silent now, and I stared at the floor for a few moments. Then I looked up, glancing to Yerin and let out a sigh.

    ¡°I¡­ this is a lot I know¡­ sorry. I¡¯m- uh¡­I¡¯m¡­ I need to talk to Yerin privately for a sec, give you all some time to digest this¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±

    Yerin looked around then nodded quickly and stood, rushing over to me. Together we quickly made our way to my bedroom where I closed the door behind me softly.

    We stood in silence for a few seconds, before I looked up at her.

    ¡°Sorry¡±

    ¡°I¡­ no, it¡¯s fine¡± she muttered.

    ¡°It¡¯s a lot I know¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°And¡­ how¡±

    ¡°Parallel dimension thing. Got swapped with a different me. He didn¡¯t do anything weird right?¡±

    ¡°No, he just¡­ he disappeared for like a day, then had dinner with me and the rest of your family. I thought you were just acting distant or something but¡­ yeah. After that I didn¡¯t see him again. I guess he was the new Spider-Man on the news¡± she mumbled.

    I nodded, pinching the fabric of my jeans between my fingers to distract myself. We stood in silence for a while before I grit my tee. Time to swallow the bullet.

    ¡°I¡­ I know this is a lot, but¡­. do you¡­ are you still ok with this¡­ with us?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Do you¡­ do you still want to be with me?¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Of course. I wouldn¡¯t- of course Lucas?!¡±

    ¡°Yerin I-¡°

    ¡°Did you think I¡¯d break up with you because of this? Because you hid¡±

    ¡°¡­maybe¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. It¡¯s not like you were hiding something horrible¡±

    I was silent for a second before speaking again.

    ¡°No, Yerin¡­ I know you. I wasn¡¯t worried you¡¯d break up with me because I lied to you about this, well, I was, but¡­ I was more worried we¡¯d break up because I¡¯m going to be Spider-Man¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ it¡¯s going to take up a lot my time and it¡¯s dangerous and¡±

    ¡°Lucas?!¡± she said, almost offended. ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Yerin, I know. But¡­ just think about it. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s dangerous. Really dangerous.¡±

    ¡°I can handle it¡± she said, but a note of uncertainty tinged her voice.

    ¡°Yerin it¡¯ll be my first priority¡± I said. ¡°If we¡¯re on a date and I hear about something I¡¯ll go. If we have something planned and I found out someone¡¯s in danger, I¡¯ll go. Always. I¡¯ll try to make time for you, to be with you but it¡¯ll¡­ it might come between us. And I really, really don¡¯t want you to resent me because of that so¡­ I wanted to ask you know. Rather than just forcing you into it, I want to know if it¡¯s ok for you. Really ok¡±

    ¡°Is it¡­ that important to you?¡± she whispered.

    I looked to the ground.

    ¡°Uh¡­ when I was in the other world, I remembered, really remembered when my parents died. Before all I could remember was the fire. But now, I remember my dad. He saved us, all. He knew the car might explode and he ran back to the car anyway. My sisters are here because of him. I¡¯m here because of him. It¡­ it wasn¡¯t my fault but¡­ I let his sacrifice go to waste for a long time. I don¡¯t want to anymore. If there¡¯s someone, somewhere that needs to be saved, I want to help them. Always.¡±

    She went silent for a while, then looked me over.

    ¡°You got really injured. Was that¡­¡± she trailed off.

    ¡°Yeah¡± I mumbled. She nodded averting her gaze.

    ¡°This is¡­ this is tough¡± she said.

    ¡°I know¡± I mumbled. She glanced back up at me, then took my hand staring at it.

    ¡°Do you¡­ no that¡¯s silly¡± she mumbled. ¡°What if¡­ what if it kills you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll have been a life well lived¡±

    I felt her grip my hand tightly for a second, then she let go.

    ¡°There¡¯s¡­ there¡¯s other Spider people, other heroes¡±

    ¡°Yerin¡±

    ¡°Right, right¡­ sorry¡± she mumbled, before returning to silence.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok if you need time to think about it¡± I mumbled. She nodded, staring at the floor before taking a shaky breathy as her eyes grew wet. She wiped at them quickly, but it didn¡¯t help.

    ¡°You¡¯re so¡­ you know I can¡¯t ask you to stop if this means so much to you, to tell you to put me before the rest of the world, no matter how much I want to. I¡­ I want to be with you¡­ but I can¡¯t spend the rest of my life worrying about you constantly, worrying about you being hurt, or taken away from me or anything we build together.¡±

    ¡°¡­I won¡¯t ask you to if you don¡¯t want to¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­ if we stay together, we¡¯d have kids eventually, right?¡± she said. My eyes widened, the words like a punch to the gut. I hadn¡¯t even thought that far ahead, but now that I was I felt my heart start to sink.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to break up¡± she said, through tears. ¡°But¡­ you¡¯re going to do this. And I¡­ what if one day I just come home and see on the news that¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I can¡¯t¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­ fuck¡­ fuck¡± she cried. I stepped forward to pull her into a hug, but she pulled away.

    ¡°S-sorry¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Sorry¡± she said. She rushed towards me and wrapped me into a tight hug. My eyes began to tear up as I hugged her back, holding her tightly as she sobbed into my chest. I looked up to the ceiling, trying and failing to blink back the tears.

    We held each other for a while, before the tears finally slowed. Yerin pulled away and took a few seconds to compose herself, then wiped her eyes and flashed a saddened smile at me.

    ¡°I¡­ well¡­ I guess this is it then¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± I said sadly. We stood in silence as I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces. I glanced to Yerin¡¯s face, her expression a mirror of mine. She looked up at me from the floor and sniffled.

    ¡°I¡­ thanks for everything, Lucas. Really. It was nice¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± I said, forcing a sad smile. ¡°It was nice¡±

    We nodded, awkwardly standing in silence with each other before I glanced to her one more time, offered a sad smile.

    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah. You can stay in here a while if you want. I should probably-¡±

    ¡°Yeah- no, no don¡¯t¡­ it¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t let me keep you from everyone else¡±

    I nodded, then slowly turned to door, my mind quiet. As I reached for the handle, she spoke again.

    ¡°Good luck Lucas. Seriously¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll be cheering for you¡±

    I turned back to her, my smile returning as I nodded gratefully.

    ¡°Thanks. Good luck with the physics stuff¡±

    She nodded, sniffling slightly.

    ¡°Thanks¡±

 Brick by Brick - Chapter Three

    Everything was warm. A kind, comforting warmth that flooded through me, a mixture of emotions and feelings. There was a sound too, the soft sound of distant laughter.

    It brought with it a nice sensation. But slowly the sensation faded and the sound grew more distant, replaced by an uncertainty, a mixture of anxiety and hope. As the last remnants of laughter faded the sound of distant cars within a bustling city picked up, slowly building before I finally opened my eyes.

    I sat up, blinking through wetness. For a moment I was filled with confusion, then I glanced around, the memories slowly coming back to me, along with the dull aches of my body.

    ¡°Crap¡± I muttered, hanging my head. I still couldn¡¯t believe that was real.

    The talk with everybody last night had really been something.

    Everyone had been crying. Mostly Big Sis, Aunty, Quinten, Maria, and me. Sofia had been a bit pissed that I¡¯d told Eric before everyone else. That¡¯d been kind of funny. But the whole thing had been draining, especially after Yerin had left. And considering how little I actually discussed anything, there was probably a lot more talking to be done.

    The bed creaked loudly as I slumped back into bed and sighed. I¡¯d really told everyone. It seemed like the right thing to do beforehand, but now a part of me was starting to regret it. What if this made things worse?

    What if there was some kind of mind reading meta out in the streets of New York? That''d probably be bad for every hero with a secret identity, but still, everyone close to me knew now. I''d thought the risk would be worth it, but maybe not.

    Eh, I was probably just overthinking things. At least this was better than lying. Probably.

    I stood up and stretched, yawning loudly as I cracked my back. I ran a hand through my hair and rolled my shoulders, wincing as I grabbed at my side. With a few breaths the pain faded, and I walked slowly towards the window.

    I drew them back with a hand, looking down into the street below, then up to the sky. It was about midday, maybe one, and the streets were as busy as usual this time right before schools broke for summer.

    ¡°Guess all my summer plans are out the window now¡± I mumbled, staring blankly out at the street. ¡°¡­probably a good thing.¡±

    I drew the curtain back and stepped back into the room, webbing a t-shirt over to me. I pulled it on and stepped it toward the door. Hesitantly, I cracked the door open and peered into the main room, spotting Aunty and Big Sis.

    They sat, talking for a few seconds, the expressions on their faces serious. I watched them, my heart hearting slightly at the sight of Aunty¡¯s saddened expression.

    It had to be hard on her, suddenly finding out now, after all these years, that Uncle Jamie''s death could''ve been avoided. I didn''t know if I could face her. I went to pull the door back, but it creaked loudly, and they both looked over to me.

    ¡°M-morning¡± I muttered, stepping out into the main room. ¡°Or afternoon¡±

    ¡°Afternoon¡± Big Sis said forcing a smile. They both watched me as I awkwardly made my way over to the kitchen and pulled out a bowl for cereal, before rifling around the kitchen for cornflakes.

    ¡°You sleep well?¡± Aunty asked.

    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah, yeah¡± I said, looking back to them. ¡°You sleep well?¡±

    ¡°Not really, no¡± she chuckled awkwardly. I froze, my heart sinking slightly.

    ¡°But that¡¯s ok. I mean¡­ I- it wasn¡¯t your fault, Lucas. With Jamie. I realised I didn¡¯t say that yesterday¡±

    ¡°I¡­ thanks¡± I muttered, my voice catching slightly.

    ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have- you just woke up. We can talk about this more when you¡¯re ready to¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± I muttered, pulling the milk out the fridge. Suddenly there was a loud bang and Sofia emerged from the hallway into the main room.

    ¡°Afternoon everyone¡±

    ¡°Sofia?!¡± Big Sis said confused. ¡°I thought you left for school? Why¡¯re you here?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t miss this for school¡± Sofia said, stepping out of the hallway as she tapped away at her phone.

    ¡°You can¡¯t just skip school Sof¡± I said.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°You¡¯re skipping school¡±

    "I¡¯m graduating in like four days. I don¡¯t even have anymore lessons¡± I added.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Question, how¡¯d you get your powers?¡±

    ¡°Uh... a bug bite, I think. That was the theory at least¡±

    ¡°Seriously? Ok, uh¡­ you said you knew the other Spider-Man? Do you know who he is?"

    ¡°I... can¡¯t answer that¡±

    ¡°Ok, do you have your old costume and those web-shooter things?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t use web-shooters and why all the questions. You¡¯re not putting this online are you?¡±

    ¡°What? No, I¡¯m not stupid.¡± she said. ¡°Ok, next question I-¡±

    ¡°Sof, I don¡¯t think now¡¯s the time for all of this. He just woke up¡± Big Sis said.

    ¡°Fine. Sorry for trying to be interesting. I¡¯ll let the princess wake up first¡± she responded, slumping into one of the bean bags as she carried on tapping away at her phone.

    I flipped her off as she and she gave me the middle finger back, not looking up from her phone.

    "Sorry about them" Big Sis said to Aunty, as shook her head looking between both of us. I chuckled to myself as I poured the milk over my cereal. At least things between Sofia and I hadn¡¯t changed. I set the milk down and turned to put in away when a sudden pain shot through my side again.

    "Ow" I muttered, catching myself on the counter.

    ¡°You, ok?¡± Big Sis asked.

    ¡°Yeah, just a few aching pains here and there¡±

    ¡°Well take it easy, you don¡¯t want to hurt yourself again¡±

    ¡°I know, I know¡± I said.

    I took a seat at the kitchen table and grabbed a spoon, digging into my cereal. As I ate my mind drifted to the strange feelings of hope and anxiety in my stomach. I was going to be Spider-Man, or at least one of the Spider people. It was kind of cool. And weird.

    This whole situation felt weirdly uplifting in a way. I¡¯d never really felt this positive about the future before. Never seen such promise. It was good. Mostly. Scary too, knowing that with so much potential, so much more could go wrong. For a moment the feeling of quitting while I was ahead flitted through my mind.

    I clenched and unclenched my fist, staring at some of the smaller scars on my hands, then felt at my chest, the scar from the robot samurai still tender. They¡¯d fade eventually. But I¡¯d remember them. If I ever got too mixed up with my own thoughts, I¡¯d try to remember why I¡¯d got these in the first place.

    I ate another spoonful from my bowl and glanced to Sofia who chuckled at her screen then glanced to me. I furrowed my brow.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ nothing, nothing¡±

    ¡°Nothing? Really?¡±

    ¡°Well, I researched it and you were only around for like two weeks¡± she chuckled. ¡°I had to go down an entire rabbit hole just to find you¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ whatever¡± I said scoffing.

    ¡°Sofia, stop messing with Lucas¡± Big Sis said.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry¡± Sofia said. ¡°I just thought he did more, but the new spider people have a ton more stuff about them online. I mean even the clone you mentioned yesterday has more stuff online¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Well, you probably see me on TV soon¡±

    ¡°Soon?¡± Big Sis said.

    ¡°After I¡¯ve healed¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid.¡±

    ¡°Ok¡± Big Sis said, narrowing her eyes. ¡°Good¡±

    ¡°Wait, so, what happens now?¡± Sofia said.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°I mean, being Spider-Man. How does it work? Do you hand in a job application to the current one?¡± Sofia said.

    ¡°No, I have his number, I just¡­¡± I frowned and sat up. Wait, was his phone number still the same? I hadn¡¯t exactly called Peter in a while. And even if it was, would he even let me be Spider-Man again?

    I know he said I could call whenever but people¡¯s minds changed all the time. Now that I really understood what the job entailed, I knew he really had every right to be angry at me.

    ¡°Crap¡± I muttered.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Sofia said.

    ¡°I have to call someone real quick¡± I said standing.

    ¡°Wait, you mean the actual Spider-Man?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not calling him to start doing superhero stuff right now?¡± Big Sis said, alarmed.

    ¡°No¡­ no¡±

    ¡°That didn¡¯t sound very persuasive¡± Big Sis said.

    ¡°Sorry, no- I just need to talk to him¡± I said. I threw my door open and webbed my phone to me quickly dialling Peter. The others watched me for a few seconds as I paced by my door. I closed it with a web and wiped the sweat from my palms on my top. It didn''t help, my thoughts starting to race as I started to consider that I''d just confessed to being a superhero for literally no reason at all.

    I needed to calm down. I leapt up to the ceiling landing, in the corner of my room as I tried to steady my breathing.

    ¡°It¡¯s gonna be fine¡± I muttered to myself. ¡°Just fine¡±

    I waited a few more seconds, the dial tone dragging on for eternity before it finally stopped. I held my breath for a moment, waiting.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± a voice finally said on the other end of the line.

    ¡°H-hey Peter¡­ could we... talk?¡±

    ¡°Sure. You doing ok?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine I just¡­ is there somewhere we can meet?¡±

    -

    The streets of Brooklyn were busy, bustling with people going about their days. I moved through the crowd, wearing a baggy hoodie and cargo pants, hands thrust deep into my pockets as I shuffled along, trying desperately to steady my breathing. I was nervous. More so than I thought I¡¯d be. All the memories of seeing Peter struggle on TV against villains, of the guilt I¡¯d felt then, piled along with the guilt I felt now that I understood things even more were swirling up in my gut again.

    I could remember the first time we¡¯d met properly, the small conversation that we¡¯d had on our way to hell, right before Ricardo had ruined everything. I remembered when he¡¯d seen me, right after Amy¡¯s funeral, and the promise I¡¯d practically forced him to make.

    It all felt so twisted now, so wrong. But it was in the past and I couldn¡¯t change it. I needed to look forward, apologise and try to forgive myself. I slowed as I neared the location Peter had given me, still nervous.

    I stopped outside the diner, took a deep breath to calm myself then entered. I looked around for a few seconds almost frantic, before spotting Peter. He sat in the corner grinning at me. I felt my fears fade slightly and smiled back, making my way over to the table.

    ¡°It¡¯s... been a while man¡± I said.

    ¡°Yeah, glad to see you¡¯re doing better¡±

    ¡°Thanks for saving me. Seriously¡±

    ¡°No problem. So, why the face to face? Is this about the alternate dimension thing?¡±

    ¡°Kind of. We... need to talk¡±

    ¡°About?¡±

    ¡°I know this is probably a lot and there¡¯s no good way to say this but¡­ I want back in¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡± he said, eyes growing wide.

    ¡°Yeah¡± I nodded firmly. ¡°I¡¯ve put a lot of thought into it¡±

    Peter¡¯s grin grew.

    ¡°You wanna see our HQ?¡±

 Brick by Brick - Chapter Four

    ¡°You sure you¡¯re okay with this?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I mean you¡¯re practically part of the family already¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Plus, the other two have really wanted to meet you, especially since we got you back. They¡¯ll be seriously excited¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ wow¡± I mumbled, my steps slowing as we made our way past a few storefronts.

    We walked together through the streets of the city, towards the Spider team¡¯s HQ, The atmosphere between us somewhat strange, well that was probably just me. I hadn¡¯t expected him to be so happy. Along with hearing that the others were excited to meet me. It was somewhat surprising.

    I glanced to Peter who wore a slight grin as we made our way into the subway, then looked down at the ground frowning.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I just thought you¡¯d be¡­ I don¡¯t know. Angry?¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know it¡¯s just¡­ I guess I thought you¡¯d be less friendly with me. That¡¯s probably kind of insulting¡±

    ¡°Eh, kind of, but it¡¯s ok. I was a bit bummed when times got tough, but I¡¯d never blame you¡±

    ¡°You could¡¯ve¡±

    ¡°You were a kid and hey, if it really bothers you, you gave me all the stuff on the Bears a while back, so we can call it even¡±

    ¡°That stuff was probably way out of date and-¡±

    ¡°It was helpful¡± Peter interjected. ¡°Really. I should¡¯ve said thanks a long time ago¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re gonna thank anyone, thank Amy¡¯s mom. She found it and gave it to me¡±

    ¡°Oh, well I¡¯ll thank her when I can¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll probably be hard¡­ she moved about a year ago. Back down to Florida.¡±

    ¡°Well I can always call¡±

    ¡°I¡­ guess¡­ but we don¡¯t exactly¡­ talk¡± I mumbled. Peter nodded, deciding not to pry. I looked to the floor, then up at him, the uncertainty still tainting my judgement.

    ¡°Are you sure this is ok? Like really?¡±

    ¡°Of course¡± he said. ¡°Well, I probably should¡¯ve asked the others first, but they liked the other you and he was way moodier¡±

    ¡°Right¡± I said. ¡°Can¡¯t believe I forgot about that¡±

    ¡°H¡±

    We both went silent again as I smiled to myself, then glanced at Peter.

    ¡°You¡¯re really not mad?¡±

    ¡°Lucas, I took the day off work because I was that excited.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°I mean it is a Friday. And even if I was mad, you came back. There wouldn¡¯t even be a point to the anger anymore¡± he said with a smile. I smiled slightly too.

    ¡°¡­ I guess¡± I said. ¡°Still, I¡¯m sorry¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok. Really¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡± I muttered. ¡±It means a lot¡±

    A train screeched loudly to a halt in front of us and we both got on, as Peter grinned to himself, then furrowed his brow.

    ¡°I should warn you, HQ hasn¡¯t exactly been cleaned properly in a while¡± he said. ¡°We don¡¯t exactly have the time, plus Jess hates hoovering just as much as me, and Yu hates it more¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be that bad¡±

    -

    It was that bad. One step in through the front door and it was pretty obvious what places got used often, and what didn¡¯t given the level of dust around the room. The HQ in general was nowhere near as flashy as the other universe.

    It was just a one-bedroom in an unassuming apartment building where the top few floors were vacant. I didn¡¯t know why they¡¯d only chosen to use one apartment, but they had. At least it was one of the bigger ones. I took another glance around, frowning as I spotted dirty plates in the sink, along with a few glasses, and droplets of black goo.

    I stepped past Peter who looked to me with a somewhat sheepish expression as I surveyed the area. In one corner cardboard boxes filled with papers and trinkets were stacked waist high and in the other one a washing machine and dryer.

    Between the two sat a makeshift work bench strewn with papers and more random gadgets. Above the work bench the wall was covered by a large map of the city, various post its and notes connected via string covering the surface. On the right a few Spider-Man and Spider-Woman costumes hung from a rack, next to a bin overflowing with pizza boxes and on my left a dingy, blood-stained mattress lay, a med kit on the blood stained table next to it.

    The whole place smelled like bleach and metal. Real nice.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°Uh¡­ so, not the best, but¡­ yeah. Not the best. I guess I never really got around to remodelling¡± Peter chuckled sheepishly.

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely something¡± I said. ¡°But if it works, it works¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised at how effective the place is. Everything works like a part of a well-oiled machine. Well, the dryer doesn¡¯t work right now, but we¡¯re getting a new one. Well, I am. when I get paid¡±

    ¡°Ok¡± I said, stepping closer to the table my attention drawn to the map on the far wall. I frown as I neared it, reading over the various notes.

    They were all about crime throughout the city. Some were labelled Oscorp rooftop labs, some for Tombstone underground lairs, some for Hammerhead and other villains I recognised. But most were for Kingpin.

    Places and people of importance all throughout the city. The reach was ridiculous, with at least from Downtown all the way to the Bronx. There were various companies, media outlets, random stores and more.

    ¡°This Kingpin guy¡¯s everywhere¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we don¡¯t have to get into all that now¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± I mumbled, taking in more of the map. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to learn all this stuff anyway¡±

    ¡°Then be my guest¡±

    I continued scouring the map, my frown deepening as more and more notes related to Kingpin began appearing.

    ¡°Geez, I heard about him on the news once or twice when you captured the last of the Bears members and when that scientist did that confession. He¡¯s supposed to be like a sleazy mid-sized business owner that had ties to some small-time drug lord and those shady underground experiments, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ underselling it quite a bit¡± Peter said.

    ¡°I can see that now¡± I mumbled, looking even further across the map. Wilson Fisk. He was practically everywhere, with other people I¡¯d heard of being linked to him. Straight up supervillains. Scorpion, Prowler, Dr Jack Kale, Hammerhead, and more.

    ¡°This a lot¡± I said. ¡°It must¡¯ve taken you guys ages to find all this out¡±

    ¡°Well half of it is what George gave us¡±

    ¡°George?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Captain Stacy¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re working with the police?¡± I said. ¡°I thought they hated all superheroes but the Vanguard¡±

    ¡°Well, I think the media plays it up a bit, but they definitely don¡¯t like us. It¡¯s hard to get info out of them, especially more recently. G- Captain Stacy is working with a few others in his department to get us stuff off the record¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Well Kingpin¡¯s everywhere¡±

    ¡°Wait¡± I said. ¡°You think Kingpin¡¯s working with the police?¡±

    ¡°We know he is. Yu and Jess got a taste of that first hand¡±

    ¡°Jesus¡± I mumbled. Quickly, I looked back to the map, skimming over some of the other things.

    ¡°What¡¯re all these Oscorp labs?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re Negative Energy labs¡± he said. I frowned.

    ¡°It might seem tame compared to everything else, but it¡¯s important we know where they are¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re dangerous and Mr Osborne¡¯s putting them on rooftops everywhere as part of a ¡°renewable¡± energy initiative. He repurposed the old bomb testing sites so that they were all what he actually claimed they were before, electricity production centres. It¡¯s to get goodwill from all the bad publicity he got from bomb testing in the city¡±

    ¡°Oh, I remember that¡± I said. ¡°But wait, if they¡¯re dangerous why hasn¡¯t anyone done anything yet?¡± I asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s rich¡± Peter said with a shrug.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°In his case yeah. We had a ton of evidence that it¡¯s not being run properly, but the city hasn¡¯t done much of anything. You¡¯d be surprised at how much he can just get away with by paying fines¡±

    I looked back at the board frowning. Wait, negative energy as a fuel source? That didn¡¯t seem right.

    ¡°I thought negative energy was for bombs?¡± I said.

    ¡°They can be, but for the most part it¡¯s used for other things. One of them is to produce electricity. It¡¯s like a nuclear reactor but a little safer and more effective than other things¡±

    ¡°So the labs are good but dangerous because they could blow up?¡±

    ¡°Close but no¡± Peter said with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but the short version is we¡¯re ninety-eight percent sure the research labs aren¡¯t doing the necessary things to stop unstable negative energy from irradiating the city. Unstable negative energy isn¡¯t good, especially in uncontrolled environments with lots of people.¡±

    ¡°So, the production is potentially seriously harmful and he¡¯s just¡­ paying fines so he can just do it anyway?¡±

    ¡°Yep. He slowed down a bit last year, because of Otto¡¯s confession putting light on the situation again, but he ramped it back up recently with his son Victor at the forefront taking the project ''to a better place''. He does that whenever things aren¡¯t looking good publicity wise for him. With Harry and the BRC and Susanna and those offices Max was a part of. But that¡¯s besides the point. We doubt all the labs are even doing anything related to electricity production. A few of the newer ones are underground and¡­ different. It¡¯s probably a front for more bomb tests which makes it even worse¡±

    I stared blankly at him.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ it¡¯s a lot, I know¡±

    ¡°Ok¡± I mumbled, trying ¨C and failing ¨C to take it all in. ¡°I-is there anything else I should know about?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ well¡± he sighed taking a seat on a stool by the table. ¡°On the topic of negative energy, we¡¯re going to be dealing with a lot of things mutated by it¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s partly what we were just talking about with the Oscorp energy stuff, but also given the fact there¡¯s been two huge NE explosions in the past four years there¡¯s way too much negative energy in the city¡±

    My heart sank like a brick.

    ¡°And it¡¯s mutating things? People?¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Thankfully we haven¡¯t had to deal with any people yet. It¡¯s mostly animals, and smaller animals at that. But yeah, the energy¡¯s mutating things, making them like us, but not stabilised. It¡¯s why there¡¯s been so much coverage of us fighting weird super strong animals in the past few months¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not good¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re working on dealing with it. Building NE catchers¡± he said, gesturing at the devices on the table. ¡°We put them in NE dense locations and they¡¯ve been helping, but we don¡¯t have enough. And Oscorp¡¯s making new labs every month so¡­¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ wow¡­ I¡¯m really throwing myself right into the thick of things¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Peter trailed off. ¡°And there¡¯s the whole matter with the random dimensional rifts we keep getting. But that¡¯s a bit lower on the list than everything else. For now, at least¡±

    I stared at him blankly again, then took a seat on the other stool. We sat in silence for a few seconds and I glanced at Peter, noting for the first time the weariness that plagued him. If but for a moment, he looked far older than he had before.

    Then he slapped his leg and stood up stretching.

    ¡°Anyway, look on the bright side of things. You¡¯re back and it¡¯s pizza Saturday tomorrow¡±

    ¡°Right¡± I said, nodding as I felt my shoulders tense slightly. Suddenly a device on the table started beeping, before a voice came through.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got a fire metahuman situation on East and 7<sup>th</sup>. All units report. All units report¡±

    Peter muttered harshly under his breath, then hopped up and began pulling off his clothes, revealing the red and blue of his costume underneath. He paused as he pulled his gloves on and looked to me.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I haven¡¯t called Yu and Jess yet but I was going to ask them to come for lunch so we could all talk. We don¡¯t have to but¡­ you want to wait here or-¡±

    ¡°I should probably head home. Don¡¯t want them to skip just because of me. Plus my sister¡¯s probably worried sick¡±

    ¡°Ok. Well¡­ I¡¯ll talk to you soon¡± he said flashing a thumbs up.

    ¡°Yeah¡± I nodded. Without another word he pulled his mask down, then vaulted out the half open window, quickly swinging away.

    I watched him go for a moment, then stepped away from the window and sat back down, hanging my head.

    ¡°Well¡­ shit¡± I mumbled. I looked up and found one of the masks on the rack staring back at me, my reflection clear in the lens. I didn¡¯t look ready at all. But I couldn¡¯t let that stop me. I stared at the mask for a few more seconds, then stood my fist clenched with determination. I needed to heal up quickly. There was a lot of shit happening and the others needed me. Really needed me.

 Brick by Brick - Chapter Five

    Discretely, I pulled at my gown then shifted in my seat. I¡¯d been sitting for way too long, and it was starting to get uncomfortable. I glanced up at the pale blue sky and sighed. The heat from the sun was just a bit too overbearing today.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t we have done this inside¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Relax man, you don¡¯t even have to do anything¡± Rion said next to me.

    ¡°I know, I know. It¡¯s just hot¡± I said adjusting my cap. ¡°Seriously, who decided this was a good material for our graduation gowns¡±

    Rion chuckled to himself, then glanced around as others whispered amongst each other as another name was called to the front.

    ¡°Hey, I can see your sister from here¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I said, glancing back. I spotted the others, sitting in the stands along with parents of all the other students.

    ¡°Let me wave¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s rude to ignore them you know¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not ignoring them. I¡¯ll talk to them afterwards¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m gonna wave¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t. Seriously¡±

    ¡°I just want to say hello¡±

    ¡°You can say hi when we take photos. Why¡¯re you so eager about it anyway?¡±

    ¡°I guess I¡¯d never really met your oldest sister outside of last weeks party. I¡¯m just wondering if she¡¯s interested in younger guys¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I said, turning to him in surprise.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry I can¡¯t help it. It¡¯s not my fault she¡¯s hot¡±

    I made a face and elbowed him in the side.

    ¡°Ow, ow. I was joking¡± he chuckled. ¡°Just joking¡±

    ¡°Well don¡¯t joke about it again¡±

    ¡°Ok, ok¡± he said, leaning back in his chair. ¡°So¡­ you doing anything interesting after this?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡± I said, frowning.

    ¡°I mean, hiding anything top secret?¡± he said with a wink.

    ¡°Rion not here¡± I hissed, glancing around.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not about that, man. I meant, like, I don¡¯t know, normal stuff? Something with Yerin maybe?¡±

    ¡°Probably not¡±

    ¡°What? You¡¯re not gonna do anything with your girlfriend on graduation day?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ well¡­ I¡¯m not exactly advertising it but¡­ we broke up¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, just¡­ don¡¯t mention it today. She said she still wants to take photos together¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Just drop it¡±

    We both went silent staring up at the stage. I glanced behind me, watching my family, before looking at the rest of the crowd. There were rows upon rows upon rows of students filling the field, all in the royal blue graduation gowns. I recognised most of the faces, some more than others. Quinten and Eric of course. Racheal, Jaden, Jada, and Keiko too. Even Derrick. There were a few others I was somewhat familiar with, Quinten''s teammates on the basketball team, a few members of the clean-up crew, classmates from various classes. In some form, I''d done something - even if only small - with practically everyone here.

    I looked back to the front, spotting a few of the teachers I was familiar with sat around the outskirts of the assembly, or close to the stage. Mr Tanner, Ms Jane ¨C well Mrs Jane-Watson now, and even Mr Brand. I sighed, then looked up at the stage, Principal Williams stood at the podium, still calling out the student¡¯s names.

    I still remember when she''d scolded me about going to the roof on my first day. It was so weird to think I''d probably never see any of them again after this. They''d been such an integral part of my life for so long. It was weird to think they''d just vanish from my life.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    I''d never complain about a maths class, or not having my homework because I''d lost it. I wouldn''t get overly annoyed by freshman when I was trying to study in the library, or groan because revision for a mid-term overlapped with clean-up duties.

    I wouldn''t wake up to the sound of Eric humming to himself early in the morning, or watch Rion do his silly bowl stack challenge during breakfast. I wouldn''t watch Quinten play another game of basketball in the school gym, and I wouldn''t laugh with Yerin as she tried - and failed - to teach me piano in one of the music rooms. It was all just... ending.

    It felt kind of surreal.

    It hadn''t really hit me till now, but I guess I really was leaving it all behind. Highschool was over. It felt like it¡¯d flown by, closer to a year than four.

    I was going to miss it. Well, parts of it - annoying freshman could fuck off.

    But regardless, a whole new world was waiting for me. It was on to bigger and better things now. College, superhero stuff. A new chapter of my life was starting. Hopefully it¡¯d at least be better than the last. I looked up to the sky, then down at the grass on my feet, and finally the students around me, watching as my row was directed to stand and steadily make our way to the stage.

    I followed behind Rion and came to a watch, looking out over the field back at my family as I waited for my name to be called.

    Wow, I thought to myself. I''m actually graduating.

    ¡°Lucas Christian Escarra¡±

    -

    ¡°Everyone say cheese!¡±

    ¡°Cheese!¡±

    I forced smiled as I stood between my sisters, holding my diploma.

    ¡°Oh, come on Lucas. A proper smile¡± Aunty said.

    ¡°I am smiling though¡±

    ¡°You call that smiling?¡± Maria responded.

    ¡°Yeah. My forced smile¡¯s totally natural¡± I said, sarcastically

    ¡°Lucas please¡± Big Sis said.

    ¡°Yeah, quit being so grim. Remember the old days. Channel the times when you used to grin like a devil constantly and play horrible pranks on-¡±

    ¡°Sofia. Let¡¯s just take the photo¡± Big Sis said.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry¡±

    ¡°Now come on everyone¡± Aunty said. ¡°Say cheese!¡±

    ¡°Cheese!¡± we said together, staring into the camera.

    There was a moment of silence as Aunty continued taking photos of everyone.

    ¡°Uh... exactly how many photos are you taking?¡± I said.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry¡± she said, letting her phone fall to her side. ¡°You just all look so amazing¡±

    ¡°We know¡± Sofia said, striking a pose. I rolled my eyes, hiding a smile, as the others laughed.

    ¡°Your mom and dad would be so proud of you all¡± Aunty said suddenly.

    ¡°I- oh. Wow that was a lot¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I¡­ sorry, I¡¯m just getting so emotional¡± she said, stepping forward as her eyes grew wet. She pulled us all into a quick hug as she let out a heavy sigh.

    ¡°Alexandra, Quinten! Don¡¯t think you get a free out¡± Maria said. "Come here and join us"

    They quickly joined in the hug as we all laughed together for a moment, then broke away.

    ¡°Come on Aunty, let me take a photo of you and Quinten now¡± Maria said stepping forward.

    I stepped back from the others, watching as Maria, Alexandra and Sofia pulled out their phones to take photos of Aunty and Quinten. A smile crept onto my face. It was nice to see everyone so enthusiastic. I was glad they were having so much fun.

    Big Sis glanced back at me, then made her way to my side, grinning as she looked up at me.

    "What''s so funny? I don''t look stupid in this hate do I?"

    ¡°No, you¡¯re just so tall now¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I feel like I bought your freshman uniform yesterday¡±

    ¡°Ha. You sound like a mom¡±

    ¡°¡­ I kind of do, don¡¯t I?¡± she said. We continued looking at Aunty and Quinten, and to the families beyond.

    ¡°Thanks¡± I said suddenly, a flicker of seriousness passing across my face.

    ¡°For?¡±

    ¡°Everything, I guess¡± I said. ¡°Raising me and stuff. Was probably really hard taking care of all of us. A lot harder than I realised¡±

    ¡°I- thanks¡± she said. There was a beat of silence then she looked to me again. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me Lucas. You¡¯re my little siblings. Anyone in my shoes would¡¯ve done it¡±

    ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t know¡± I said. ¡°And thanks anyway. Even if you don¡¯t think I should I just¡­ I realised I hadn¡¯t said that in a while¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ you¡¯re welcome I guess¡± she said, her voice strangely calm. I glanced to her. Big Sis¡¯ face was neutral, but unlike normal there was a strange quality to it. There was a hint of emotion in her eyes, but like most of the time, it was hidden from me behind a mask I couldn¡¯t see through.

    But for a second, as she looked out over the field, I thought I recognised a familiar sadness.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve been thinking a lot about what happened last week¡± she said suddenly.

    ¡°Right¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ it must¡¯ve been hard¡± she said.

    ¡°I guess¡± I mumbled. The wind ruffled my gown as it swept past as, drowning out the sounds of laughter around.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m still struggling to get over the fact that you didn¡¯t tell me when it first happened¡±

    ¡°S-sorry¡±

    ¡°No, no. I understand why you didn¡¯t. I was a bit¡­ yeah¡± she mumbled.

    ¡°¡­yeah¡±

    ¡°It must¡¯ve been really hard¡± she repeated. I shrugged again, unsure how to respond.

    ¡°I looked it up. You did everything with that Dragonfly girl. Did she quit too?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ no. She¡¯s¡­ she died. Same time as Uncle Jamie¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Lucas¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Well¡­ I probably should¡¯ve told you that too. Back when it happened, and when I decided to tell you guys I was who I was. I guess I was just tired¡±

    Big Sis put a hand on my shoulder and I glanced to her, forcing a smile.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not ready to tell me, you don¡¯t have to. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a lot of other stuff you haven¡¯t told me about. But that¡¯s ok. I just want you to know that I¡¯m here if you ever want to talk about it. Any of it. We all are¡±

    ¡°T-thanks¡± I mumbled back, looking at the floor.

    ¡°I¡¯m really proud of you Lucas¡± she said suddenly. ¡°I realised I hadn¡¯t said that in a while either¡±

    I stared at her dumbfounded for a second before smiling, then pulled her into a hug.

    ¡°Thanks. That means a lot¡±

    ¡°Hey guys!¡± Sofia shouted. ¡°Come on, Eric just agreed to take a family photo. Come on we¡¯ve got to get everyone in the picture¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t we taken enough pictures already?¡± I called out, wiping at my eyes.

    ¡°You can never have enough pictures¡± Sofia said back. I laughed to myself, then glanced to Big Sis.

    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s not leave everyone waiting¡±

 Brick by Brick - Chapter Six

    Joshua was surrounded by darkness. Terrible and pure darkness. Only the occasional flutter of thought and the constant pressure of stone against his skin kept him aware of his existence.

    It was horrible.

    But even worse was the lack of knowing how long he¡¯d been down here. In the darkness, in the void devoid of sound and sensation, it was like the seconds stretched out into hours and the hours into years. Joshua understood, now better than ever, how horrifying the dark could be.

    And that pressure. That constant feeling of pressure and stone.

    He¡¯d tried to shift, to move his weight ever since he¡¯d come to, but he couldn¡¯t. He couldn¡¯t even budge. The only thing that changed was the sense of pressure and the feeling of stone on bare skin.

    He wanted to get out of here. He wanted to see his daughter, to talk to her, tell her how much he¡¯d miss her instead of just pretending he didn¡¯t mind she was going to college. But he couldn¡¯t. He was stuck here, in the darkness. It was so empty, so lifeless and cold with only his thoughts alone. He felt as though he was going to die. He needed to talk with someone. Anyone.

    He¡¯d never so desperately wanted anything more in his life. Never yearned for something the way he¡¯d yearned for this. For sight, sound, sensation. Anything. It was destroying him, with every second that he remained here. Obliterating his mind.

    His last tether of hope was the face of his daughter, of hoping that he¡¯d see her again. But with every moment that went by, he lost more of it. He was barely running only on its fumes now.

    And the more he lost hope, the more the desperation grew. Pushing him, urging him to move despite the impossibility of it. Despite how badly he was trapped. But he tried anyway. He tried to move again, but only succeeded in violently shifting the pressure of the stone against his skin. He tried to push the feeling away, to push past it, but it only succeeded in making it worse. The sensation changed, becoming almost painful.

    No. I need to see! I need to move!

    Suddenly, he felt something within him change. As if his body remembered itself through pure desperation, he started to change. The pressure of the stone grew in certain places before shifting, and finally he remembered what it felt like to open his eyes.

    The movement was slow, painful. The pressure of stone on his skin grated against his eyes until he finally opened them. And even when he did, everything was wrong. His vision was discoloured, black and white, barely tinged with colours. The lack of sound, and any sense of balance or a concrete sense of self didn¡¯t help either.

    He remained still for a moment, confused as he watched the blur of shapes and light move around him, struggling to understand or even comprehend what was going on.

    Then he as he struggled fruitlessly to move, the sensation growing again, his surroundings shifted. The mass beneath him, the stone warped. As it moved, as he pushed harder, trying to pull himself from the wreck, he felt his sense of self grow stronger.

    The colours returned to his vision, the sounds and sensations of life finally coming back to him. He began to breathe again, feel the cold morning air as his face broke out into a sweat, the skin of his hands once again touching stone.

    A great relief washed over him and the urgency to pull himself from the wreck, to return to the light, disappeared. He took a moment to rest against the rock beneath him, his legs still trapped as he breathed heavily. But then he paused.

    Something felt off. Wrong.

    The urgency suddenly returned. A claustrophobia that stained his mind. Desperately, with a groaning effort, he tried to pull himself from the rock again. But the object beneath him, what he¡¯d first thought to be stone shifted violently, almost in tandem with his desperation. He looked down as his eyes widened in horror and let loose an inhuman scream.

    The scream echoed through the wreck of the construction site, unheard by any this early in morning. But it reverberated through the concrete and stone of the entire worksite, even shaking the foundations of the structure he sat in. The building trembled violently as he cried out, then his voice began to escape him, the terror of it all too much.

    And as Joshua¡¯s scream stopped, the tremors began to die down. Joshua stared at the stone, his screams replaced by slow horrified breaths. He held his hands firmly against the brick beneath him. No. Not beneath him. He was the brick. He was the wall.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    The realisation, the understanding of it was as alien as anything Joshua had ever understood. As he realised it, it only took a moment, for the urgency to return.

    He tried to cry out, to pull himself out of the stone, but only succeeded in shifting the weight of the stone against his skin, contorting the mess of rubble and rock connected to him beneath the waist. The stone and brick warped in a terrifying mess, some of the rubble even travelling further up, seeping seamlessly into his body as it strangely combined with his torso.

    The horrible feeling grew, that pressure of stone against his skin. Tears flooded his face as he slumped against himself, stone and all. His cries reverberating through the stone of the entire structure.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± he mumbled. ¡°What¡¯s the hell¡¯s happening to me?!¡±

    <hr>

    I yawned, strolling through the streets of Manhattan in the early hours of the morning. The sun lit the sky nicely, creating a backdrop of pale blue that faded into the last lingering remnants of the night¡¯s navy.

    It¡¯s rays stretched out, illuminating some streets with warmth that hinted at the heat to come, but like always the towering buildings left spots of cooler shade. I liked the atmosphere, the lighting too, snapping a quick picture with my phone of a street split by light almost perfectly down the middle.

    As I crossed the road I glanced around. It was mostly quiet, Saturday mornings not all that eventful. Well, relatively at least. On my way over I¡¯d seen at least two couples arguing and heard a third through a wind two stories up. Maybe it was me being hyper aware of my surroundings again, or maybe they all just came out to argue at times like this. Who knew?

    I yawned again, the relatively peaceful atmosphere still not having woken me up.

    With a lazy gesture, I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, then stretched my arms out and sighed. I felt like I should¡¯ve been at least a little nervous meeting the others, but Peter had practically drilled it into my head by now that they¡¯d be friendly. Hopefully that wasn¡¯t just his cheer shining through.

    My steps slowed as I yawned again, covering my mouth this time. I pulled out my phone and glanced at the time. 06:21. Crap, I was already late.

    I picked up the pace slightly, then frowned to myself. It was a bit strange that we were meeting so early in the morning though? Maybe they were going to give me the whole rundown, or gameplan for all our superhero stuff. Lord knows I needed it.

    Still, I probably should¡¯ve eaten before I left. Or brought my wallet. I didn¡¯t want to seem like a freeloader my first time meeting these guys. They were practically this city¡¯s Vanguard. I really didn¡¯t want to seem lame.

    I crossed the road again, and began walking alongside Central Park, looking for the meet-up spot.

    I slowed as I reached, frowning. No one was here. Pete had said this was the place. I glanced around, before spotting a guy with a familiar head of brown hair standing next to a smaller slightly darker brunette. Pete and probably Jess. I made my way over, picking up the pace as I neared. Peter turned to me, and he grinned.

    ¡°Hey Lucas¡± Pete said, waving. I waved back, smiling. The girl he was with turned towards me, her eyes widening.

    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Lucas¡± I said, offering a hand. She simply stared at me wide eyed.

    ¡°Jess, not going to introduce yourself?¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry, right. I¡¯m Jess. I just- he¡¯s so much older now. He¡¯s even taller than you¡± Jess said looking between me and Peter.

    ¡°Wait, you recognise me from before?¡±

    ¡°Well, she¡¯s a clone too, so she¡¯s got shared memories with me¡± Peter said.

    ¡°I¡­ uh ok¡± I said, nodding. We all stood awkwardly in silence for a moment, glancing around at the entrance to the park. ¡°So, where¡¯s the other guy?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s running a bit late¡± Pete said.

    ¡°I offered to walk with him, but no¡± Jess said, sighing. ¡°I knew this would happen¡±

    Suddenly my spider sense buzzed and I whipped my head around, freezing as I spotted a south-Asian kid rush into the park before spotting us and slow down to a jog. I watched him for a few moments, heart hammering in my chest as flashes of unwanted memories shot through my brain. Then he stopped in front of me, hands on his knees as he took in a few breaths.

    ¡°Ha, sorry I¡¯m late everyone¡± he said, grinning awkwardly. ¡°I overslept¡±

    ¡°I told you we should¡¯ve walked it together¡± Jess said.

    ¡°I know, I know¡± he said, sheepish, before turning to look at me.

    ¡°H-hi. I¡¯m Lucas¡± I said, ignoring the soft and steady buzz.

    ¡°I¡¯m Yu¡± he said with a genuine smile. ¡°Wow. You¡¯re really exactly like the other guy¡±

    ¡°Yep¡±

    ¡°You sound younger than him though. I thought he was twenty something. How old even are you?¡±

    ¡°Eighteen. Just graduated.¡±

    ¡°Woah. Uh¡­ congratulations¡±

    ¡°Yeah, congrats man¡± Peter said.

    ¡°Congrats¡± Jess said. ¡°You going to college?¡±

    ¡°Yep. ESU, for biology. I was thinking about doing Physics, but that was more my gir- my friend¡¯s thing. Too hard for me¡±

    ¡°Seriously? Isn¡¯t ESU super amazing?¡± Yu said.

    ¡°Well, he did go to a prep school¡± Jess said.

    ¡°Oh yeah, you said that¡±

    ¡°We better start focusing in school or our grades won¡¯t be good enough. We already skip enough, but you¡¯ve been missing out on too many assignments¡± Jess said.

    ¡°Wait, how old are you guys?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Fifteen¡± they said in unison.

    ¡°Oh¡± I said. ¡°And you both gotten bitten, well, Yu got his powers¡­ six months ago?¡±

    ¡°About, yeah¡±

    ¡°And Jess is one of the Alchemax clones?¡±

    ¡°Uh... yeah. It¡¯s a long story¡± Jess said, her face falling slightly.

    ¡°Oh, sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to-¡±

    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s fine¡± she said. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get to the interesting stuff¡±

    ¡°Interesting stuff?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve got a ton of stuff to explain and show to you. It¡¯s going to be awe-¡±

    Suddenly their phones all beeped. They all pulled them out, looking over their screens as their faces grew serious.

    ¡°W-what¡¯s wrong?¡± I said.

    ¡°There¡¯s been an accident at a construction site not far from here¡± he said. ¡°They think workers are trapped¡±

    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s go¡± Yu said.

    ¡°Wait, is¡­ are you joining us?¡± Jess asked, looking to me.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m part of the team, aren¡¯t I?¡± I said. Peter grinned.

    ¡°Come on guys¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s go rescue some construction workers¡±

 Brick by Brick - Chapter Seven

    I was lucky Peter had a spare suit. I¡¯d left mine, or at least the remnants of mine back home under my bed. But Peter had come prepared, just in case I¡¯d wanted to swing around or patrol with the others. Wearing the red and blue felt a bit weird, but it was only temporary. I¡¯d be back in the purple and black soon.

    I fired another web then glanced behind and above, looking to the other three. The four of us swung high above the streets, cutting cleanly through the air as we swung around and past each other in dancelike fashion. I grinned stupidly to myself as I swung, the remnant pain from my injuries barely an afterthought.

    Now that I was actually up here, it was fun. Feeling like I was really back had been daunting before, but being here with the others by my side felt right. It''d only taken a few minutes for the fears to just wash away.

    The feeling faded somewhat as we rounded the corner, spotting the large, wafting cloud of dust and smoke. It rose from the construction site, towering over the street, and even one or two buildings, casting everything in shadow.

    ¡°Holy shit" Jess shouted.

    ¡°Jess¡± Peter warned.

    ¡°Sorry¡±

    They four of us continued swinging before Peter gestured for one of the buildings opposite. We all slowed, coming to a stop against the wall face.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°This looks a little dangerous and I don¡¯t want anyone to get trapped alone. Yu and Jess stick together and take the higher floors. Lucas, stick with me and we¡¯ll take the lower ones¡±

    The other two put their thumbs up and I followed suit before Peter nodded.

    ¡°Great. Now come on" he said. "Quickly, but don¡¯t rush it¡±

    Without another word we all leapt from the wall and swung towards the building. Jess and Yu taking off upwards whilst Peter and I carried our swings longer, closing in on the ground. We slowed slightly and then entered the cloud of dust, any hope of seeing further than an outstretched hand disappearing.

    Almost instinctively I reached out mentally, feeling out the surroundings with my spider sense.

    It was strange, equally familiar and unfamiliar based on the lack of use in the past three years. I slowed and landed against a concrete support, the image of my surroundings growing more solid in my mind by the second.

    The construction site was a mess. Tonnes of brick, steel and concrete had collapsed through the centre of the structure and blown even more debris outwards.

    The tangle of steel, brick and debris was impossible navigate, even with my spider sense. People had definitely died here. I shuddered slightly, then focused, sensing out further. Peter swung past and instantly started webbing the rubble up to stabilise the chaos.

    I followed suit, webbing up all the small spots he¡¯d missed before sensing outwards again. I could feel a few workers still moving, trapped under a beam. The only thing stopping it from crushing them was a small pile of unstable debris suspending the other end up off the ground.

    I swung over to them quickly, Peter already two steps ahead. We landed and I rushed forwards to lift the beam.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡± Peter said, pointing further down. ¡°There¡¯s no way you can lift that evenly and it¡¯s already cracked. It might break and then we¡¯ll crush the guy at the end¡±

    ¡°Crap¡± I muttered, backing away.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll just create a support with all our webs then a lever and gently pull it off them¡±

    I nodded and, together, we started. It was quick work with Peter directing me, and in no time whatsoever, we were already lifting the beam off the workers. They scrambled out from underneath it, and slowly we set in back down, the thud of metal against stone echoing throughout the space.

    ¡°Jesus Christ I¡¯m alive, I¡¯m still alive¡± one of the workers muttered to himself, right before throwing up.

    ¡°Thank you so much¡± another said, struggling to breathe.

    ¡°Oh god I think my ribs are broken¡± the final one mumbled, laying flat on his back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry sir, the ambulances are already on their way¡± Peter said jogging over to the man. ¡°We¡¯ll get you to a hospital in no time.¡±

    He webbed around the man¡¯s torso, then gently lifted him up. I helped the other two up, and we swung the three back to safety outside the cloud of dust. I glanced up, spotting Yu and Jess zipping between the upper floors and the building next door, web holding the entire building upper half of the building together.

    I chuckled. They¡¯d definitely done a better job then I had back in the other universe.

    ¡°Spider-Man?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°Come on. There¡¯re still people in there¡± Peter said, gesturing for me to follow.

    ¡°Right, sorry¡± I said, quickly rushing back into the dust cloud. Together, Peter and I worked to clear the bottom three floors, only finding seven more construction workers in total. Thankfully, the full extent of staff hadn¡¯t been present because it was a weekend.

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    But as we swung through the fourth floor, I paused against a steel beam and looked around. The surroundings appeared to be moving, shifting somehow. Was my spider sense playing tricks on me?

    I waited, watching a few more seconds, and then felt the walls and concrete shift again somehow, parts rising and falling, in a rhythm almost like the rise and fall of a person¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Woah¡± I said looking around. ¡°What the hell?¡± I muttered.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Peter called out. I hesitated but spoke anyway.

    ¡°I- there¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t know what but¡­¡± I frowned, focusing closer. ¡°I think the stone¡¯s moving¡±

    Peter paused for a second too, then looked around.

    ¡°You¡¯re right¡± he said. ¡°Give me a sec¡±

    He tapped on a sleek watch, almost seamlessly connected to his suit and two mechanical spiders disconnected from it before scuttling away.

    ¡°What the? What was that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Spider-bots. They¡¯re great¡±

    ¡°They seem really high tech. Must be expensive¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but spider sense can only get you so far¡±

    I nodded and watched as he pulled his phone out, going back and forth between tapping on the watch and looking at the feed on his phone.

    The band blinked and a number flashed on the screen repeatedly, the lettering bright red.

    Peter cursed and pressed a few more buttons.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°We need to close off the area. There¡¯s way too much unstable negative energy here. If it¡¯s messing with our spider sense then it could even be bad for someone crossing the street nearby¡±

    ¡°Oh¡± I mumbled. ¡°So¡­ is it bad for us?¡±

    ¡°We should be fine because of our powers¡±

    ¡°Ok¡± I nodded. The ¡®should be¡¯ didn¡¯t exactly instil me with a great deal of confidence, but I trusted Peter.

    ¡°Now come on, there might be a few more people and we need to find the source of all this¡± he said. We quickly took to the air, weaving in between supports and large chunks of debris as Peter glanced to the feed on his phone.

    ¡°So how do we stop this? Just destroy the source?¡±

    ¡°I wish it was that easy¡± he chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ll have to bring a few NE catchers and tell the police¡±

    ¡°What do you think caused it?¡±

    ¡°Probably something to do with Norman mixed in with the level of NE already being way too high¡±

    ¡°Norman?¡±

    ¡°Osborne¡±

    ¡°Really? Like, one of those bomb test things?¡±

    ¡°He wants to make bigger bombs and hey, maybe he owns the place and needs the insurance¡± Peter said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it past him¡±

    I frowned. Blowing up your own construction site to claim insurance and run a bomb test at the same time seemed a bit too cartoonishly evil for a random billionaire, but it sounded like Peter knew the guy better than me.

    ¡°Got it¡± Peter said, suddenly veering off. I followed close behind, as we snaked our way upwards through holes left behind by whatever had caused the wreck. There was less dust here, our surroundings clearer and breathing easier. Finally, we reached a floor that definitely looked like it¡¯d been at the centre of an explosion.

    Warped rebar, broken brick and twisted steel beams surrounded us in an almost perfect sphere. I slowed slightly, an unease growing in the pit of my stomach.

    Peter flipped and landed down, looking to his phone. He looked up after a moment, and slowly crept towards a pile of debris. With a careful hand he lifted a chunk of rock to reveal a strange metallic object with an LED that flickered dimly, sparks fizzing off the other end of the object every now and again.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know¡± Peter replied. ¡°It looks like one of our NE catchers but it¡¯s different somehow¡±

    ¡°You think it might¡¯ve been left there from the bomb?¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡± Peter said, looking around. ¡°It definitely looks like a bomb went off here¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± I mumbled. Suddenly the surrounding debris and brick creaked loudly. I backed up, my heart beating hard as the sound grew louder and the warping effect returned to my spider sense.

    Then suddenly it blared. Peter and I both leapt out of the way, dodging a large chunk of falling debris. But as we landed, the floor began to rumble, shaking and bending as it twisted and contorted beneath or feet.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s our spider-sense¡± I said as it started to die down.

    ¡°Dammit¡± Peter mumbled.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I think the building¡¯s... alive?¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°The NE levels¡­ I think something mutated, merged with the brick somehow¡±

    ¡°Jesus¡± I mumbled.

    I glanced around again, looking around at the now warped space. I paused, doing a double take as I looked behind us. There was a face in the wall.

    ¡°Holy shit!¡± I cried, leaping back.

    ¡°What?¡± Peter said, spinning around.

    ¡°¡­help¡­please help¡­¡± it mumbled. Peter and I both glanced to each other, then back to the face.

    ¡°¡­ help¡­¡± it muttered.

    ¡°Is¡­ did you do this?¡± Peter said, stepping forwards.

    ¡°¡­ accident¡­ want to break free¡± it said, it¡¯s voice gravelly.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Peter said, stepping closer as I stared at the wall, still in disbelief.

    ¡°¡­bomb¡­ then I was¡­ wall¡±

    I blinked in confusion, as Peter glanced at me, then back to the wall.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Jo¡­ Joshua¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright Joshua. We¡¯ll get you out of this¡±

    Suddenly the beating sound of helicopter wings echoed loudly through the site. Peter looked up and cursed.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s the MDA. They must¡¯ve sensed the sudden increase in negative energy. They have NE detectors all over the place. Use them specifically to find metas with large scale area of effect powers. City threats as they call them. Dammit, I should of realised when I saw the reading¡±

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that good?¡± I said. ¡°I know they arrest certain metas, but they help with some¡±

    ¡°No¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°They have a very¡­ strange definition of what it means to help metas. If they find Joshua here, like this, they¡¯ll try to kill him¡±

    The building began to shake suddenly, the floor and walls warping.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok Joshua¡± Peter said. ¡°Just hide in the rock, bear through this for a few minutes, and we¡¯ll get them out of here. Then we¡¯ll fix what happened to you¡±

    The warping stopped, and after a moment, the face, well Joshua, spoke.

    ¡°¡­ thank¡­ you¡±

    Then he faded seamlessly back into the brick of the wall, the concrete only slightly warped.

    ¡°So, what now?¡± I asked. Suddenly a spotlight cut through the dust beaming us in the face from outside, the sound of the helicopter suddenly growing intensely. I shielded my face and looked away cursing.

    As my eyes adjusted, I looked back to the light, four soldiers in all black Might style armour landing down. They all stepped forward looking around.

    ¡°Spider-Man and¡­ there¡¯s two of you? I thought you all had different costumes¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m new¡± I said awkwardly. ¡°Well-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t care¡± the soldier said. ¡°There was an NE anomaly here. Have you found it?¡±

    ¡°Yep¡± Peter said, lifting up the strange NE catcher. ¡°This thing. It¡¯s readings are off the charts¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°No clue¡± Peter said, handing it to the soldier. The soldier looked it over, then cursed, mumbling something about Oscorp.

    ¡°Come on boys, it was a mis read. There¡¯s nothing to see here. Let¡¯s go¡±

    Quickly, the four of them took off, flying back to the helicopter.

    ¡°They¡¯re not even going to stay to help?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, not the best protectors of the city¡± Peter said.

    ¡°Noted¡± I muttered, listening as the steady beat of the propellers quickly faded.

    ¡°Now¡± Peter said turning back to the wall. ¡°It¡¯s time to figure out how to help Joshua over here¡±

    ¡°Right¡± I mumbled, watching as the brick warped again to reveal a face. Peter had said we¡¯d be dealing with mutations, but a living building hadn¡¯t been on my bingo card. I sighed, as Peter stepped forward, tapping at his wrist.

    I guess everyone had to start somewhere.

 Brick by Brick - Chapter Eight

    I stared at the wall, well Joshua, as Peter and Jess fiddled around with a few gadgets and scanners on their wristbands. Yu stood next to me, my spider sense still tingling slightly as he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet whistling to himself. It¡¯d taken a while but, we¡¯d rescued everyone from the building and secured the place with web.

    Now only Joshua remained. And Peter and Jess were struggling to do anything about him. They continued mumbling to each other, their conversation a series of quick questions and answers as they worked, checking over their gadgets. Josh for his part had stayed surprisingly still, the building only shaking once when they¡¯d tried to scan him with something.

    I sighed. I didn¡¯t have nearly enough experience with to anything about the situation, and trying to help would probably only make things harder. I looked away from the wall, strolling to the edge of floor, and looking to the street below. Police and firemen remained outside, cordoning off the space from the public as they tried to assess the damages and contact the necessary people.

    It was a bit later now, and a large crowd had gathered, a sea of faces and phones looking up at the warped and twisted concrete and brick of the building. It was weird to see, to be on the opposite side of this whole hero thing again.

    A few glanced up at me and pointed, calling out. I quickly dipped back into the building and turned back to the wall. Jess and Peter spoke now, the frustration clear in their demeanours.

    ¡°Everything all right?¡± Yu asked.

    ¡°Not exactly¡± Jess said. The building rumbled slightly.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok Josh. We¡¯ll get you out of here, but it¡¯s probably going to take a little longer¡±

    ¡°How¡­ long?¡± the face on the wall croaked.

    ¡°Only a few hours¡± Peter said. Without another word, the face sank back into the wall.

    ¡°Dammit¡± Peter mumbled, stepping back.

    ¡°Uh, is there anything we can do to help?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Uh¡­ actually, can you two head over to HQ? It might help if we get some more stuff, bring it over here¡±

    Yu and I glanced to each other.

    ¡°Uh¡­ sure¡± I mumbled.

    -

    I swung cleanly between skyscrapers, the wind buffeting loudly against my mask. Yu swung behind me, using long tendrils of the black goo to move through the air. Occasionally I glanced to him, watching him out of my periphery before looking back to the buildings in front.

    His movements were smooth, fluid in the same way Ricardo¡¯s had been. A shiver shot down my spine as a flood of memories came back to me. It was weird, knowing he had the symbiote. I hadn¡¯t really been aware of the uneasiness it was causing until we¡¯d been alone together. Now, swinging through the streets, the near constant buzz of my spider sense felt louder.

    I shook my head. I felt slightly weird around his suit, but it seemed like he had everything under control. He wasn¡¯t Ricardo after all.

    I glanced back to him again, and he briefly looked to me then looked away

    ¡°So¡­ uh¡­ you enjoy this job?¡± I said, calling out to him.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°I asked if you enjoy this. Being a superhero¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah¡± he said, the grin on his face practically audible. ¡°It¡¯s amazing¡±

    ¡°So, uh¡­ the symbiote¡­ Peter mentioned a few things, but how did that happen?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit of a long story¡± he said.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got time¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ ok then. Where to start. Well, I found Peter¡¯s suit in the trash after he quit. I put it on, pretended to be Spider-Man and saved a few people, then there was this whole mess with Jess and these clones, then that Dr guy, Octavion, I think. He had this weird lab underground. I fused with the symbiote in there and there was this whole explosion and everything, but I was fine afterwards. Well as fine as I can be with this thing in my head¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ oh¡± I mumbled. ¡°That¡¯ is a lot¡±

    ¡°Yep. Been a hero ever since and it¡¯s been pretty cool¡± he said. ¡°Me and my brother have always loved superheroes and the Vanguard, and all that stuff. I used to watch their cartoon show religiously when I was little, and Spider-Man first became a thing I was a major fan¡±

    ¡°I mean Peter is pretty cool¡±

    ¡°No, I mean you. When you wore the black hoodie and beat up that outside that monster outside that school. I went around on Halloween with my brother in a copy of your costume. Though I will say nobody knew who I was.¡±

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I thought it was so cool when you destroyed the street¡± he said. ¡°Not that I think property damage is cool or anything¡±

    ¡°Wow¡± I said, looking forward. I guess there probably were some fans who¡¯d seen me on TV when I¡¯d first come around.

    I frowned. Maybe not everything back then had been all that bad. Sure, I¡¯d been reckless, but I had helped a few people, hadn¡¯t I? Yeah. That guy with the broken leg, even that woman on top of that building. I wonder how they were all doing now.

    ¡°I hope that¡¯s not too creepy or anything?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°The wearing your suit on Halloween thing¡±

    ¡°Oh, no way man, that¡¯s seriously cool¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I bet a ton of kids are gonna wear your suit¡±

    ¡°No way¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised. Everyone thinks you¡¯re like the cool emo Spider-Man¡±

    ¡°Emo?!¡± he said, eyes widening.

    ¡°Yeah¡± I laughed to myself. ¡°You have a dedicated fan club but at my school you know?¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡± he said, suddenly growing sheepish.

    ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s another one for all three of you, and just Jess, but Peter doesn¡¯t have one. He¡¯s practically the face of the main fan club anyway¡±

    ¡°Wow. That feels weird¡± Yu said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do with this information. Do I send them a signed card or something?¡±

    ¡°You can if you want. I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯d lose their minds¡±

    He nodded going silent. I continued swinging forwards, my smile fading as Yu stayed quiet.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, glancing back.

    ¡°I guess¡­ I don¡¯t know. I just forgot the scale of things sometimes¡± he said, his voice suddenly serious.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, though? I mean you¡¯re here, helping people, right?¡±

    ¡°I guess. But it¡¯s not exactly like I¡¯m that good at this stuff¡±

    ¡°What? I¡¯ve seen you on the news man. Fighting all those monsters and metas. You¡¯re amazing¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all Peter and Jess. I just go where they tell me¡±

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s still pretty hard to fight monsters for a living¡±

    ¡°Maybe. Sometimes I feel like I barely do anything though¡±

    ¡°Peter said you were the strongest though¡±

    ¡°Physically maybe, but Pete and Jess would still beat me up easily. They¡¯re both seriously smart and better at things for all this superhero stuff, in ways I¡¯m just¡­ not¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but Pete¡¯s a grown adult and Jess has got all his memories. And you¡¯ve only been doing this for what, six months? You¡¯re probably way better than when you started, and you¡¯ll probably keep getting better¡±

    ¡°Maybe. If I don¡¯t decide to get rid of this thing¡± Yu mumbled.

    ¡°Get rid of it? The symbiote?¡± I said, glancing back to him.

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Well for starters it¡¯s all slimy and horrible. Sure, it makes me feel good, but it makes me crave chocolate all the time and makes my dreams all weird¡±

    ¡°Makes you dreams weird? How?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ just weird. Like random flashes of stuff. Different parts of the city, strange memories, and sometimes it¡¯s just chocolate. Literally just darkness and a floating chocolate bar. I never thought I¡¯d be able to get sick of chocolate, but this thing¡¯s really pushing it¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s better things to be addicted to¡± I said.

    ¡°Yeah¡± he chuckled. ¡°I guess it just feels a bit like it¡¯s got a hold over me you know?¡±

    We carried on swinging, and I glanced back at him, my eyes narrowing briefly. It was a weird way to reference a craving, like it wasn¡¯t his choice, but I guess from the way Ricardo had spoken during the BRC incident it was like there were two minds in one body.

    I frowned for a moment then looked over his suit, my spider sense tingling once again. It felt different now, but there was definitely a familiarity in it. Not one of danger, like I¡¯d felt so clearly before, but still a negative sense. A bit closer to unease. An almost alien discomfort that came from just looking at it.

    My mind briefly flashed back to the ruins of Amy¡¯s apartment building, the smell of blood and that horrible laughter. I shook my head. It wasn¡¯t him anymore. Yu seemed like a nice, normal kid, not some psychotic murderer.

    ¡°Well, you seem to have things under control¡± I said, more for myself than him.

    ¡°I-¡± Suddenly Yu¡¯s phone began to buzz, interrupting him. His suit suddenly pulled away revealing the jeans of his pocket, and he grabbed, answering quickly.

    The wind picked up, muffling his speech as we swung. I tried to listen closer, but as the wind died down the call ended, and Yu turned to me.

    ¡°Who was it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Peter. He says we don¡¯t need to go to the lab anymore but we will need to get something from his apartment¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s his apartment?¡±

    ¡°Brooklyn¡± he said. I sighed.

    ¡°We better hurry up then¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll race you¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re on¡±

    We veered off course, swinging quickly around the corner before racing along the glass surface of a skyscraper and jumping smoothly into a dive towards the East River. We fell fast and hard, before both firing webs as we whizzed through the air, nearly skimming the rooftops of cars as we emerged from the sprawl of buildings over the Manhattan bridge.

    Together we zipped past cars with speed, both firing webs and pulling ourselves forwards to gain momentum as we reached the bridge.

    Yu laughed loudly and looked back to me as he pulled away slightly.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t get cocky now!¡± I shouted over the harsh river winds. Then with a sudden pull of speed I swung low, skimming the water with a hand briefly before pulling up. I shot upwards, releasing my web, flipping into the sky past the bridge and onlookers in cars before firing another, pulling myself past Yu with a burst of speed.

    ¡°Show off!¡± Yu laughed out loud from behind me.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not my fault I¡¯ve got style!¡± I laughed.

    ¡°You think that¡¯s cool?!¡± he said. ¡°Watch this!¡±

    In a sudden burst of black goo he shot upwards into the air, the tendrils spiralling around him like a twisted mess of tentacles. Then, as he slowed, suddenly the tendrils moved. Almost in unison they all pointed towards the ground, their edges sharpening. Yu descended quickly, a mass of black in the shape of a human missile that hurtled towards the water, quickly picking up speed.

    Then suddenly, he spun out of it, thin membranes beneath his arms as he soared through the air, gliding with the help of the winglike membranes. He let out a whoop of pure joy, and shot past me, gliding smoothly over the bridge as he practically flew. I stared wide eyed and slack jawed slowing slightly, as he curved back towards me.

    ¡°How about that?¡± he said, falling back into a lazy swing.

    ¡°Ok. That was fucking amazing¡± I said. ¡°You can literally fly¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s closer to gliding, but¡­ yeah¡± he said, the pride in his voice clear.

    I laughed to myself as we left the bridge, swinging into Dumbo, downtown Brooklyn not far away.

    ¡°So, I think you won that, but where exactly is Peter¡¯s house?¡± I asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not too far. Just a minute over th-¡±

    Suddenly a scream rung out beneath us. We both looked down to a huge half-man half-spider pulling a woman into the sewers. It dragged her kicking and screaming down under, then disappeared, pulling the manhole cover neatly back over the hole.

    ¡°Holy shit¡± I muttered, slowing to a stop. I glanced to Yu, and he looked to me, then nodded.

    ¡°Guess we¡¯ve got a change of plans¡± I said, leaping down.

    ¡°Another man spider. Geez, I really hope this doesn¡¯t get weird¡± Yu mumbled, following suit.

 Brick by Brick - Chapter Nine

    We fell through the air, before firing webs and landing against the asphalt softly. The people throughout the street and within their cars looked to us, as we rushed forward to the woman on the ground.

    ¡°A-are you okay?¡± I asked. She didn¡¯t respond, simply staring at the ground

    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Spider-Man¡± she said, turning to me, her eyes distant.

    ¡°A-are you okay?¡± I said, ignoring the strange feeling in my chest.

    ¡°¡­it took my friend¡± she said. Yu placed a hand on her shoulder and the symbiote around his hand shifted temporarily

    ¡°She¡¯s ok¡± Yu said. ¡°Elevated heartrate, but she should be fine¡±

    ¡°Good¡± I said, before looking back to the woman ¡°Uh, do you have someone you can call?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°L- Spider-Man we need to go¡± Yu said, loudly.

    ¡°I- ¡°A car horn beeped loudly behind us and I looked to see. ¡°Shit. Right. Ok. Uh¡­ you please Call them just in case¡± I said.

    ¡°Spider-Man¡± Yu said slightly more alarmed as he lifted up the manhole cover.

    ¡°Sorry¡± I said, getting up and rushing over to him.

    ¡°Wait!¡± the woman called out from behind me.

    ¡°Sorry, I have to go. We¡¯ll get your friend back¡±

    Then without another word, I rushed forwards, Yu pulling up the manhole cover before both of us dived down into the sewers.

    We landed in darkness, my sense quickly working to map out the surroundings as we broke out into a full sprint, chasing the sound of screams. It was chilling. The echoing sound of screams in abject darkness as we rushed through the tunnel, the repugnant smell of the sewer water splashing up as our racing feet kicked through puddles.

    Yu started to pull away as we picked up the pace, the monster coming into view for a moment under flickers of sunlight from a grate above.

    It was even worse than I¡¯d first thought. With four huge, crooked spider legs, at least eight feet in length, dark leather grey skin, and four hulking arms that all sprouted from a half human half arachnid body. The head that sat atop it had eight neon red eyes and sharp mandibles drenched in grey-white spittle. It was a monster in every regard.

    Yu fired a web at it, aiming to pull the woman away, but the web hit the creature¡¯s skin. He skidded to a stop and pulled back, but the monster matched his strength, slowing but still pulling forwards.

    Then, with lightning quick speed it snipped the web with its mandibles before screeching at us, loud enough to drown out the woman¡¯s screams, as she struggled desperately in its arms.

    My heart thudded heavily in my chest, but I fired webs at the monster¡¯s eyes and charged at it.

    It screeched, dropping the woman as it crawled desperately at it¡¯s eyes, and scuttled backwards. I jumped at it and slammed a fist into it¡¯s chest before throwing an uppercut. It skidded backwards, before balancing itself against the walls with its spider legs, reeling.

    Then my spider sense blared.

    My body moved instinctively, not to dodge, but to block, my arms almost alien to my mind as they flew forwards and grabbed a hold of the Man-spider¡¯s mandibles. My eyes widened as it pushed me to the floor, the monster desperately trying to bite at my neck.

    ¡°Shit!¡± I cried, trying and struggling to force it off myself. Then it went flying, Yu slamming into it from the side. It crashed to wall, and I rolled over in the water, knocking into the woman before grabbing her and flipping away.

    I landed opposite the monster and watched as it screeched desperately trying to poke holes in Yu with its legs as it held his arm tightly. He struggled desperately to pull away but was forced to focus his attention on dodging the Man-spider¡¯s legs.

    I fired webs at its eyes again and it screeched, letting him go as it scuttled away, disappearing down the tunnel as I rushed over to Yu.

    ¡°You okay man?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± he said standing up. ¡°Is she?¡±

    I glanced down at the woman.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± she mumbled. ¡°Just feel a little sick¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s ok, we can get you to the hospital¡±

    ¡°Wait, what about the monster?¡±

    ¡°What about it?¡±

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    ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to chase it?¡±

    ¡°Do we chase that thing?¡± I said.

    ¡°I think so. P- Spider-Man always does¡±

    I glanced down to the woman.

    ¡°Are you ok to get out of here? Climb a ladder?¡±

    She hesitated but nodded.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let me stop you from getting that thing¡± she said, standing straighter now.

    ¡°You sure?¡± I asked.

    She nodded. I glanced to Yu who shrugged.

    ¡°Ok¡­ uh¡­ let¡¯s go¡± I said. Yu nodded and together we ran in the same direction as the monster.

    ¡°Thanks!¡± she called out from behind us.

    ¡°No problem¡± I said, before she disappeared from view.

    We continued running, the occasional flicker of light from grates above us illuminating the sewers for a moment.  before we turned a corner,

    ¡°What happens when we find it?¡± I said.

    ¡°What¡¯d you mean?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really strong. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll just be able to knock it out. Do we¡­¡±

    ¡°Kill it? Only if we can¡¯t restrain it¡± he said.

    I nodded, then let out a nervous breath.

    I frowned as we continued running, a strange knot forming in my stomach. Did we really just kill it? Was that all it took? Not being able to restrain it and it being dangerous? Didn¡¯t we at least try?

    I glanced to Yu as we ran, watching his expression carefully. In the darkness, his eyes of looked like Ricardos. The chill shot down my spine again, but I ignored and turned forwards. Now wasn¡¯t the time for this. Killing it was probably just the final resort.

    I slowed slightly as we neared an intersection, but Yu continued onwards, rounding the corner.

    ¡°This way¡± he said. I picked up the pace, catching up to him.

    ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡±

    ¡°I can smell it¡±

    ¡°Oh¡± I said. ¡°Cool¡±

    We continued running together, the sewer a lot darker here without the occasional flash of light from drains or grates. My spider sense gradually expanded out again, replacing my sight as the premiere sense. We continued running, turning corner after corner but the monster stayed ahead. It was faster without the woman in its grasp.

    We turned another corner, and I frowned, sniffling.

    ¡°Geez¡± Yu muttered.

    ¡°You can smell it too?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah. What the hell is that?¡±

    We started to slow slightly as the smell grew, overpowering the smell of the sewage water. Up ahead I could hear the skittering of the spider, it¡¯s mandibles clicking together as it hissed.

    I frowned. Something was terribly wrong. I couldn¡¯t see it, but I could definitely fell it. There was something covering the walls. Like web, but different. And the smell here was much worse, growing in magnitudes by the second as we made our way forward.

    The more overpowering it became, the more it felt familiar, but in a twisted sense. Like the lingering smell of rotting flesh. I took a step forward and felt my foot squelch in the water. I skidded and steadied myself with a hand against the wall. But instead meeting concrete, my hand squelched against something soft. I froze instantly, skidding to a complete stop.

    I pulled my hand away from the wall, the smell carried along with it.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± I muttered. I looked at my hand, barely able to make out with my spider sense and sight, spiders skittering across my costume, parts of the suit covered in red goo.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stop. There¡¯s some light up ahead¡± Yu said. ¡°Around the corner¡±

    ¡°S-sorry¡± I said wiping my hand against my leg before quickly taking off. We jogged forwards now nearing corner, the sound of the Man-spider growing louder. But as we turned around, both of us froze in our tracks, eyes widening.

    The tunnel had led to an opening in which. In the middle, a layer of thick grey-white covered the opening beneath, the only gaps allowing water to flow from some tunnels down below.

    All around, hanging from the walls were cocoons of web, with people in them, and atop them hundreds of thousands of spiders skittering around. Most of the cocoons looked deformed, the web-stained red. But closer to the top, two wriggled desperately, those bound still alive.

    The Man-Spider clambered across the walls, stringing web along as it skittered over and around the mess of spiders. I looked down at my hand, and instantly felt sick, realising the red goo was blood.

    ¡°Holy shit¡± I muttered.

    ¡°W-what do we do?¡±

    ¡°I... free the two that¡¯re still alive¡± I said. ¡°Then we¡­ call Peter¡±

    ¡°I already did¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯ll distract it. Fight it head on. You get in and out with those two¡± I said. Yu nodded, and then together we leapt into action.

    I landed on an empty part of the wall and looked up, watching as Yu sped up the wall face, avoiding the multiple red stained cocoons. The creature was still oblivious. Good.

    ¡°HEY!¡± I roared, at the creature as it clambered around it¡¯s cave. ¡°I¡¯M OVER HERE EIGHT EYES!¡±

    The creature instantly turned to me and screeched loudly, opening its mandibles wide before leaping at me. I dived away, but it crashed against the wall, it¡¯s legs piercing the concrete as it chased desperately after me. I clambered forwards before leaping off the wall and swinging away as it reached and stabbed at me with it¡¯s hands and feet, screeching the entire time.

    With my heart in my mouth, I turned back and dived over it, keeping the creature away from Yu.

    But as it turned chunks of concrete dislodged from the wall face, rotting bodies and debris falling down and slamming into the web. A loud ringing sound echoed though the space as chunks of rebar slammed into the web, poking holes in it, revealing some of the metal grate beneath the web.

    But as the ringing sound echoed through the space, Yu cried out. He fell from wall face as the symbiote squirmed, practically writhing in agony. From above him fell two teens, one unconscious and the other screaming, broken free from their cocoons. I leapt across and grabbed them mid air before dodging the Man-spider and grabbing Yu with a web.

    But the monster was relentless. It attacked again, missing me and the teens, but snipping the web I held in half. Yu fell, along with more debris and crashed against the metal grate, the metal ring reverberating through the space again.

    He writhed in pain, releasing an agonised cry as the sound echoed through the tunnel. The monster let out a shriek of glee as it landed on the wall above him and raised its sharpened leg to finish the job.

    ¡°NO!¡± I roared, leaping forwards. I slashed at the monster, cutting it across the chest. It shrieked loudly, it¡¯s blood spraying across the wall of the sewer. It fell to then cried out, clawing at its wounds as legs flailed uselessly. I froze eyes wide as I stared at it. Then I fired two webs, grabbing Yu and the teens.

    The monster screeched one last time, then it was gone, trapped in the tangle of grey-white web as it fell down the tunnel, disappearing into the water beneath.

    I stayed silent for a moment, breathing heavily then gradually pulled the three up towards me, before slowly clambering back towards the tunnel we¡¯d come from.

    I set everyone down and slumped to the ground breathing heavily. Yu shifted groaning as he sat up.

    ¡°You okay?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah¡± he mumbled, holding a hand to his head. ¡°What about them?¡±

    I looked to the two teens

    ¡°Crap. They¡¯re unconscious¡± I said. Yu reached out and touched her, the symbiote briefly leaving his hand as it pooled over the boys¡¯ skin.

    ¡°They ok?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, one just passed out from shock, the other is just sleep deprived, and dehydrated. They can¡¯t have been here for that long. Probably got taken last night¡±

    ¡°Ok¡± I said relieved. ¡°Let¡¯s get them to a hospital¡±

 Brick by Brick - Chapter Ten

    Jess, Yu and I all stood in silence, watching as Peter fiddled with some of the gadgets we¡¯d brought him. He¡¯d constructed a strange array of scanners against the wall face whilst Jess looked over a computer connected to some kind of hi-tech bracelet via the USB port.

    She glanced to Yu, who hummed to himself, munching on a chocolate bar.

    ¡°You eat way too much chocolate¡± Jess whispered.

    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault¡± Yu whispered back.

    ¡°Sure¡±

    ¡°I did ask for quiet guys¡± Peter said by the wall.

    ¡°Sorry¡± they said in unison. I chuckled to myself, before stifling my laughter as Peter glanced back at me too.

    We continued to stand in silence watching as the mishappen and bent rock that formed Joshua¡¯s face remained still in the wall. Jess stood slightly away from Yu and I, the ripe smell of rot from the man-spider¡¯s lair still lingering on our costumes.

    ¡°So, is it nearly done? Should we do something to help?¡±

    Jess put a finger to her lips then flashed a thumbs up and Yu nodded. I glanced back to the wall fixated on the scanners as they buzzed slightly. The science here was probably way over my head. Yerin would probably get the basics of I though. I froze for a moment, as my heart sunk.

    The thought was sudden and sharp, like a splash of cold water to the face. Along with it came a sudden flood of memories with Yerin, a jumble of feelings and thoughts I¡¯d prefer to forget.

    I sighed and shook my head, looking to the floor. It was probably for best in the long run.

    Suddenly a loud resonant beep pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked up, watching as Peter stepped back from the instruments he¡¯d set up, some with flashing LEDs.

    ¡°Ow¡± Yu muttered.

    ¡°Sorry¡± Peter called back. Jess chuckled to herself and started forward, pulling the bracelet off from the cord before handing it to Peter.

    ¡°Uh, Joshua, is there some way you could make a hand?¡± Peter said. He was met with silence, and then the brick of the wall warped a jumbled mess of brick fingers sticking out of it¡¯s surface.

    Peter tied the bracelet to the fingers and then stepped back as the brick began to warp and crack again.

    I glanced around, my spider sense buzzing as parts of the building shook, twisting and warping in on itself.

    ¡°Should that be happening?¡± I said, worried.

    ¡°No¡± Peter said. ¡°Dammit¡±

    Then a cry rung out, from the wall.

    ¡°Joshua!?¡± Peter shouted. But there was no answer, on a continual screech, the sound of a man in agony.

    ¡°Is he in there? What do we do?¡± Yu said, looking to Peter and Jess.

    ¡°We could break the brick?¡± I said.

    ¡°No. He is the brick. Now that we¡¯ve focused him, if we break the wrong part, we could kill him¡± Peter said.

    ¡°Crap¡± I mumbled. I looked around as the shaking grew again, the web of supports we¡¯d woven looking less and less stable by the second. I readied myself to fire webs, hands raised.

    Then the cry was cut short, and the warping of the brick stopped. I looked back to the wall, and watched as a shirtless man fell from the wall and hit the floor with a heavy thud. Joshua.

    Peter rushed forward and steadied him with a hand.

    ¡°You alright?¡± he asked. The man turned his head slowly, his eyes wet with tears as he looked down at himself, then up at Peter.

    ¡°T-thank you¡± he muttered, grabbing Peter¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Oh thank you. Thank you so much¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem¡± Peter said, as he cried. He glanced back to us, his grin clear even under his mask. We all made our way over, helping the guy to his feet together. Joshua turned to us and nodded in thanks, before wiping sweat from his forehead as he shivered slightly. Peter grabbed one of the tarps that covered one of his machines and draped it over Joshua.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m back¡± he muttered, smiling to himself.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. We¡¯ll need to double check a few things to make sure this doesn¡¯t happen again¡±

    ¡°This could happen again?¡± he said, face falling

    ¡°Probably not, but just in case you should go see this guy¡± Peter said, producing a card from his back pocket.

    ¡°¡­ Peter Parker?¡± Joshua said, reading over it.

    ¡°Yeah. Great scientist. He¡¯s an expert on negative energy and all that stuff. Can run a ton of tests I can¡¯t, and fix any problems if there are any. His number¡¯s there. I¡¯ll tell him I sent you. He¡¯ll fix you up in no time¡±

    ¡°I- thank you¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, really. Now, can you get home from here? Do you want us to drop you off¡±

    ¡°I- shit. What day is it?¡±

    ¡°Saturday¡±

    ¡°Dammit. You don¡¯t need to drop me off, but some clothes would be good¡±

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    ¡°Consider it done¡± Peter said.

    ¡°On it¡± Jess said, rushing for the edge of the building before quickly leaping away.

    ¡°I- is there anything I can do for you? Anything at all?¡± Joshua asked, looking between the three of us.

    ¡°Just keep the stabiliser on for now¡± Peter said.

    -

    ¡°There was a what?¡±

    ¡°Massive Man-spider¡± I replied.

    ¡°Yeah¡± Yu said. ¡°Like nine feet tall with spider legs, and four arms and venom drooling from it-¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you can skip the whole description¡±

    ¡°Just trying to paint a picture¡± Yu said, taking a bite out of his chocolate bar.

    ¡°Oh quiet¡± Jess said. ¡°So, wait, what happened again? I didn¡¯t catch what you were saying over the phone¡±

    ¡°The thing tried to kidnap this woman and drag her back to its lair. We managed to rescue her, then we chased the man-spider to its lair, where we rescued those two kids¡± I said, before shuddering.

    ¡°And this was all in the sewers right¡±

    ¡°Yep. It was horrible. Web and festering cocoons everywhere. Some of them were even red with blood and stuff. And the smell. Geez, the smell was-¡±

    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t want to know¡± Jess said, shaking her head in disgust.

    ¡°Then why¡¯d you ask?¡± Yu said. Jess kicked him lightly, and I chuckled to myself before glancing out over the city.

    The sounds of Brooklyn were beautiful. The sounds of traffic, a siren or two in the distance, and the mutter of people all undercut by that steady and soft hum of wind. It was calming in a way. Felt like home.

    My eyes darted to the side, and I watched as Peter swung up, landing on the rooftop we me and the others, before pulling off his mask.

    ¡°Thanks for helping me put all the stuff back¡± he said.

    ¡°No problem¡± I said. He turned to me, smiling.

    ¡°You did good today Lucas¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡± I said, pulling off my mask as well.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t except your intro to the to be so visceral, but I think it paints a pretty good picture¡±

    ¡°Definitely¡± I said.

    ¡°Uh, nothing. We¡¯ve patrolled for a bit, but usually we take shifts instead. I might swap it to pairs, but we can sort that out at a later date¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s it for today?¡±

    ¡°Well, we were supposed to so you more, but today was a bit hectic. We¡¯ve still got tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Uh, alright¡± I said, nodding, a slight weariness I hadn¡¯t noticed before announcing itself.

    ¡°Thanks for saving me down in the sewers¡± Yu said.

    ¡°No problem, man. Plus, you saved me first¡±

    ¡°Uh we didn¡¯t really talk, but you seem the same. From Peter¡¯s memories that is. It¡¯s a little weird that you¡¯re so much taller than me now though¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s taller than me too now¡± Peter chuckled. I smiled too standing, as Peter offered a hand. I shook it, smiling.

    ¡°Thanks for today¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good to have you back¡± he said. I nodded, then pulled on my mask again, turning away from the others as I made for the roof¡¯s edge.

    ¡°See you tomorrow guys¡±

    ¡°See you¡± they said with a wave. With that, I jogged forward then leapt from the building, firing a web as I swung away.

    The sounds of the city all swept into one as I swung between buildings, blurred by the rushing winds. I swung back towards, my thoughts drifting to the mundane as I soared through the sky.

    Today had been good. Definitely creepy and weird, but good. I¡¯d saved people, more than I thought I would, and I¡¯d survived a fight with a huge Man-Spider. I smelled a bit, but hey, things panned out. Mostly. And things would probably only get better from here. I smiled to myself, then let out a joyful laugh, grinning to myself as I continued onwards home.

    It didn¡¯t take long before I reached our apartment building. I landed against the wall, and quickly clambered up the face, before slipping in through the open window. With a sigh I slumped to the floor of my room and stretched outwards.

    ¡°What a day¡± I mumbled to myself.

    The door flew open and I looked up to see Sofia and Maria peering inside.

    ¡°Hey¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Did you just jump in through the window?¡± Maria said.

    ¡°Yeah¡± I said sitting up as I ruffled my hair.

    ¡°Well¡­ uh¡­ you okay?¡±

    ¡°Just tired. Is there anything for dinner¡±

    ¡°Big Sis is working late and I¡¯m not cooking¡± Maria said. ¡°We could get takeout?¡±

    ¡°I guess¡±

    ¡°Hm¡± Sofia mumbled, narrowing her eyes as she looked at me.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The costume. It suits you more than I expected¡± Sofia said.

    ¡°Oh¡± I mumbled. ¡°Thanks¡±

    ¡°You do stink though¡± she muttered

    ¡°Alright, get out¡±

    -

    Joshua made his way through the streets of Queens. His feet thudded against the tarmac, the second hand shoes Spider-girl had given him already worn ragged. But he didn¡¯t care. He breathed in and out gratefully, enjoying the feeling of his lungs filling with warm summer air. Joshua was alive again. He had a body, and he was loving every second of it.

    He turned the corner and someone slammed into him and stumbled, shooting him a glare.

    ¡°Watch it!¡± the man shouted at to him.

    ¡°Sorry¡± he called out, before returning to grinning. He was in too good a mood to be brought down by others¡¯ negativity. He stopped by an apartment building and quickly made his way inside, scaling the wooden steps as they creaked loudly underfoot. He hummed to himself the entire time, then paused as he heard voices. Loud voices.

    ¡°I want my fucking money by the end of today!¡±

    That was his landlord. Bernie.

    ¡°I fucking told you already. He¡¯s not here. Leave me alone!¡±

    He frowned. That was Reilly. But that didn¡¯t make any sense. She was supposed to be at summer camp.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare try and shut this door on me!¡± Bernie shouted.

    He barrelled up the stairs and burst into the hallway, the door creaking on it¡¯s hinges. At the first door his daughter stood, forcefully trying to hold the little squat of a landlord, Bernie from entering the apartment. She turned to him and instantly her eyes went wide.

    ¡°Dad!¡± she said her eyes brightening.

    ¡°Reilly¡± he said, his heart instantly softening. His daughter was back home.

    ¡°Ah the prodigal son returns¡± Bernie said, sarcastically. ¡°Where the hell have you been?¡±

    ¡°There was an incident at the site. Why the hell are you harassing my daughter?¡±

    ¡°So? You¡¯re behind on rent¡±

    ¡°And that gives you the right to harass my daughter?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not harassing anybody by asking for my money¡±

    ¡°Just fuck off. I¡¯m back now, I¡¯ll pay you, alright?¡±

    ¡°Pay me?¡± Berine laughed. ¡°That window¡¯s passed buddy. You need to pay me then add a little extra¡±

    ¡°What the fuck d¡¯you mean extra?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s in the lease shit for brains! I can charge interest on a late payment¡±

    ¡°No way that¡¯s legal¡±

    ¡°Jesus. Somebody didn¡¯t read their lease. Or can you just not read?¡±

    Josh grabbed the man by the lapel.

    ¡°Wow, resorting to violence at the first insult¡± Bernie said sarcastically. ¡°No wonder your wife left you for that-¡°

    Joshua struck him, and the man hit the ground hard. Teeth spilled out of his face as blood splattered across the floor, the hit far harder than expected. Joshua looked down to his first in a mixture of horror and surprise. He hadn¡¯t noticed it before, had been so distracted by the fact he¡¯d been out of that hell of a prison that he hadn¡¯t stopped to really think about the way he felt.

    He clenched his fingers again, the sound of his skin grating against itself closer to stone than to flesh. He¡¯d really have to give that Dr a call.

    His daughter glanced between him and their landlord, eyes wide with shock.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright¡± Joshua said, helping the man to his feet as he covered his mouth. ¡°You¡¯re alright¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to the fucking cops!¡± Bernie yelled, trying to pull away from Joshua. But Joshua barely felt the man¡¯s attempts to escape. The landlord had been weaker before, but now, against the hard stone and brick of Joshua¡¯s body, his strength was nothing.

    ¡°L-let go of me you bastard! I¡¯ll fucking sue!¡±

    Joshua stared at the landlord, then leaned into his ear.

    ¡°Go to the cops and I¡¯ll tell them all about the gambling that goes on downstairs¡± he said. Bernie froze, a look of horror passing across his face. a small smile formed on his face, before he let him go. The landlord cursed and glanced back to him, before scurrying away.

    Joshua paused, then straightened out, his back cracking.

    He¡¯d always wanted to do something like that. Put his smart-mouth landlord in his place. He looked down to his fist and felt the smile creep across his face. He was strong now. He could feel it.

    Maybe he could try a few more things he¡¯d always wanted to do.

 Brick by Brick - Chapter Eleven

    Yerin and I sat on a bench, both wrapped up in winter clothes as I munched away at a hot dog. A kid walked past us, led at the hand by her mother. She waved at both of us, beaming and Yerin giggled to herself as we both waved back. The mother smiled at us and the two disappeared down the street as Yerin¡¯s smile remained.

    ¡°She was adorable¡±

    ¡°Yep¡± I mumbled, taking another bite out of my hot dog.

    ¡°You know I think we¡¯d have pretty cute kids¡± she said.

    ¡°What?!¡± I said, choking on my hotdog.

    ¡°I mean like, not in a weird way or anything, but you know. I think they¡¯d be totally adorable¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°I guess. If we even make it that far¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m kidding, I¡¯m kidding¡± I said. ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll make it that far and have amazingly cute kids. Totally adorable with pinchable cheeks and all¡±

    She¡¯d chuckled before taking another sip of her hot chocolate.

    ¡°So, how much do I owe you for those science fair tickets?¡±

    ¡°Wait, they cost money?¡±

    ¡°Lucas?! Did you not get them?¡±

    ¡°No, I got them. But through a friend¡±

    She¡¯d burst out into laughter.

    ¡°You need to double check those tickets¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure their legit. He¡¯s a real scientist¡±

    ¡°Oh, you just know some swanky scientist guy now?

    ¡°Yeah. I¡­ uh¡­ know them through Maria. From where she did her internship¡±

    ¡°Ah. That makes sense¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    Then she¡¯d laughed again, that same snorting, joyful laughter.

    -

    I blinked awake, confused for a moment before rolling over. I groaned as a wave of memories from my dream washed over me

    ¡°Can we not do that please brain?¡± I mumbled. ¡°I¡¯d really prefer if we didn¡¯t do that¡±

    The bed creaked underneath me as I sat up, massaging my temple as I sighed. I¡¯d been doing so well, and now my dreams had to go and ruin it all. I stood and stretched, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, before groaning, pressing my head against the door.

    ¡°Is he still sleeping?¡± Maria said, her voice reverberating through the wood of the door.

    ¡°Yeah¡± Sofia muttered back.

    ¡°Wake him up¡±

    ¡°Do I have to?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to set the table?¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine¡±

    The sound of footsteps skipping across the floor rung in my ears before knocking at my door made me pull away.

    ¡°Lucas¡± Sofia said. ¡°The takeout¡¯s here¡±

    I swung my door open, and yawned

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t asleep?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like it¡± Sofia muttered to herself.

    ¡°Don¡¯t start you two¡± Big Sis said, taking a seat at the table, as Maria brought the last of the forks. ¡°I heard you went out today. How was it?¡±

    ¡°Good¡± I said, taking a seat opposite her. Sofia sat next to me, and Maria next to Big Sis as she handed out the takeout boxes.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there like a huge building disaster?¡± Maria said.

    ¡°Yeah. Some guy fused with the brick, but we managed to get him out¡± I said. They all stared at me, then glanced to each other. ¡°I¡¯m realising now, that sounds a lot weirder when I say it out loud¡±

    ¡°No shit¡± Sofia muttered.

    ¡°Sofia¡± Big Sis warned.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry¡± she said, piling her shrimp fried rice onto her plate.

    ¡°So how was it? Inside the building?¡± Maria said.

    ¡°Oh come on Maria¡± Big Sis said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell us Lucas¡±

    ¡°Seriously? Probably the most exciting thing any of us has ever done, and you want to talk about something else¡± Sofia said.

    ¡°I just¡­ I don¡¯t want to make you relive it if it wasn¡¯t ok¡± Big Sis said, looking to me.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok. I¡¯m fine to say¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± I responded. Big Sis nodded satisfied and began putting her noodles into her bowl.

    ¡°Well spit it out then¡± Sofia said.

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    ¡°Sofia¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± I chuckled. ¡°Uh¡­ well for starters, it was dusty¡±

    Suddenly the sound of several police sirens blared through our window, the cars rushing past at ridiculous pace. We all looked to the window, then to each other.

    ¡°Should you¡­¡± Sofia said, glancing to me.

    ¡°Probably¡± I said standing.

    ¡°L-lucas?!¡± Big Sis said.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°W-we¡¯re eating¡± she mumbled, her voice losing some of its certainty.

    ¡°And someone else might be getting mugged. Or their house could be on fire. Or there could be like a mass sh-¡±

    ¡°Sofia¡± Maria said, shaking her head. Big Sis glanced between the two of us, then sighed.

    ¡°Right, right. Sorry¡± she said. ¡°Just, stay safe ok?¡±

    I nodded, then quickly rushed to my room. The suit from earlier lay in a plastic bag, and the stench of sewer water and iron emanated from it. I guess I was putting on the purple and black. I reached under my bed, and pulled out the tattered costume, before quickly putting it on.

    There were still a ton of holes on it, and horrendously large bloodstains, but at least it didn¡¯t smell as bad. I pulled on the mask, then webbed over the holes threw open my window, leaping out into the air.

    I fired a web and swung off, the warmth of summer night¡¯s easing my nerves slightly. With a half-practiced grace, I curved around the buildings, and swinging onto the street with the cop cars. There were four in total, and they zoomed across the asphalt, almost desperately. I swung quickly, but even then, it took a while to catch up to them.

    They turned a few more corners and then slowed, another cop car and an ambulance stopped outside an alley, with police blocking off the road. With a web I pulled myself to a wall face and stopped looking over the scene.

    A cop sat in the back of the ambulance, his face pale as someone tended to a gash on his head. The rest of the ambulance crew stood in a group all talking amongst themselves, shaking their heads. I looked around, over the crowd of people that¡¯d gathered, with their phones out.

    The initial cop car had bullet holes in the windshields and windows of the car, glass covering the floor along with a trail of blood. I inched closer to the scene, following the trail of blood to a covered body. Someone had gotten shot and died. From the number of cars, probably a cop.

    ¡°Dammit¡± I muttered. I crawled further around, and stopped over the corner into the alley, looking down. The alley was mostly empty, apart from a few forensic scientists taking photos of various places on the ground, as they bagged a few items across the alley.

    I crawled down the wall face, then leapt to the floor, a few people in the crowd

    ¡°Oh Christ¡± one of the cops said walking over to me, ¡°What the hell do you want?¡±

    ¡°Did you catch the guy who did this?¡±

    ¡°Does it look like we caught the guy?!¡± the cop shouted. ¡°Instead of asking obvious shit how about you fuck off? Huh?¡±

    ¡°Or maybe do what you claim to do and find this fucking guy?¡± another cop spat.

    I stepped back from the two, eyes narrowed.

    ¡°I will¡±

    I leapt up and fired a web, pulling away. Assholes. I was just trying to help. Actually, now that I thought about it, the dislike could¡¯ve stemmed from all the stuff to do with Kingpin. I shook my head. What a mess.

    I continued swinging, before coming to a stop against a building wall. I paused, looking over the street, then let my spider sense stretch out as I searched for anyone hiding in nearby alleys.

    For a moment there was nothing. Then my attention fixed on a particular spot, my spider sense buzzing peculiarly. There was someone nearby, in an alley. I jumped down and swung towards them, with speed, landing against another building wall before racing across the surface.

    ¡°You can deal with a gun¡± I muttered. ¡°You¡¯ve dealt with guns before.¡±

    I landed against the wall above the alley and looked as the masked figure breathed heavily, hands on his knees. He pulled a flip phone from his pocket and began frantically dialling, his breathing still erratic. He hadn¡¯t heard me. I fired a web at him and yanked him upwards by the feet. As he flew up, he screamed, the grating scream of a breaking voice.

    My fear turned to confusion as I brought him to a stop beneath me. I¡¯d been so preoccupied by fear I hadn¡¯t even sensed for a gun. He didn¡¯t have one, and now that I looked, he was way too small to be an adult.

    I pulled him up completely and jumped onto the roof, setting him down as I perched on the ledge. He sat up quickly, then scrambled to his feet, pulling the spider-man Halloween mask off, revealing a black balaclava underneath.

    ¡°Woah¡± he muttered, staring at me with wide eyes. He was definitely a teen. I looked over him, noting the spider-man hoodie,

    ¡°What¡¯re you supposed to be?¡±

    ¡°S-spider-Man¡± he said, puffing out his chest.

    ¡°You sound like you¡¯re twelve¡±

    ¡°Thirteen actually¡±

    I stared at him deadpan as he remained silent.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this¡± I said. ¡°Go home kid. There¡¯s a gunman running around tonight¡±

    I said, turning to leap away.

    ¡°W-wait!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I have powers¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Just watch¡± he paused for a second, then did a backflip with ease. My eyes widened.

    ¡°Well shit¡± I said.

    ¡°Does this mean I can join you guys now?¡± he said, excited.

    ¡°J-join us?¡± I said. ¡°No way! You¡¯re thirteen. Wait a few years. Maybe five¡±

    ¡°What?! But I¡¯ve got the powers¡± he said. ¡°I can help¡±

    ¡°The powers aren¡¯t the problem¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait. I can do this cool shock thing¡± he said. ¡°Let me show you¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time. Gunman, remember?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be quick!¡± he said, desperate. ¡°Just watch¡±

    I looked back to him and watched as he clenched his fist tightly and squatted, groaning to himself. Oh, what the hell.

    ¡°You look like you¡¯re trying to take a shit¡±

    He continued groaning to himself, ignoring me.

    ¡°Goodnight¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± he cried. I ignored him and leapt to swing away. He jumped and grabbed a hold of me, sticking to me.

    ¡°What the hell?!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°S-sorry!¡± he cried. I slowed down and landed on the opposite side of the alley, before pulling myself up to the roof. He pulled off of me, then stood sheepishly, staring at the floor.

    ¡°So¡­ am I in?¡± he mumbled.

    ¡°No¡±

    ¡°¡­ please?¡±

    I stared at him and sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. But don¡¯t count on anything. Meet me here tomorrow, and maybe, I¡¯ll get permission to train you from the original Spider-Man¡±

    ¡°Seriously?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°Holy¡­ Ganke¡¯s gonna be so excited¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Noth-¡±

    We both turned at the sound of a shout, followed by a gunshot.

    ¡°S-stay here¡± I said. The kid nodded and I rushed off, leaping between the gaps in the buildings before landing above another alley. I looked down to see one man stood over another, a gun on the floor slightly away from them.

    ¡°How¡¯d you like that, huh?!¡± the man shouted, pummelling the other guy¡¯s face. ¡°How¡¯d you like that?!¡±

    I leapt down, and hit him over the back of the head, before webbing his feet to the floor. He stumbled backwards, but tore the web easily. Shit, he was a meta. I raised my fists in preparation when the man looked up at me.

    ¡°Joshua?!¡± I said in surprise.

    ¡°Spider-Man?¡± he said, confused. Then a figure leapt out of the darkness landing a top him with crackling hands of blue. He grabbed Joshua¡¯s shoulders and¡­ nothing happened.

    We all stood in silence for a moment before the kid calmly, jumped off of Joshua and backed up, standing slightly behind me.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Joshua said.

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know¡± I said, glancing to the kid, frowning. Then I looked to the man on the ground, blood pouring for his face as he crawled across the floor, reaching for the gun. I webbed it away from him and rolled it up into a web ball, before looking back to Joshua.

    ¡°What the hell¡¯s going on?¡± I said.

    ¡°I stopped the guy. I was out to buy milk and he was robbing this old man when these cops stopped and tried to get him. He started firing, hit one of them, then ran¡± Joshua said.

    ¡°And you chased him?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± he said.

    ¡°That¡­ wasn¡¯t smart. Cool, definitely, but not smart¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re not hurt are you? I hit you pretty hard and there was a gunshot¡±

    ¡°Nope. The bullet bounced right off. Think I¡¯m made of stone now¡±

    ¡°Guess we didn¡¯t completely fix whatever happened back at the building¡±

    ¡°You know what¡¯s happening to me?¡± he said.

    ¡°You¡¯ll need to talk to P- the other Spider-Man¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d get him to meet with me again?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah. You should probably go see the Dr first though¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± Joshua said, looking down to his hand. ¡°This power, I can help people with it¡±

    ¡°You mean like a superhero?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah¡± he said, smiling sheepishly.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see if Spider-Man¡¯s interested in a new addition to the team. We could even meet up tommorrow¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Well, I mean you said the bullet bounced off of you. Not many metas are bullet proof¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡± Joshua said, wide eyed. ¡°Thank you so much¡±

    ¡°Can I come?¡± the kid behind me said. I looked to him, then back to Joshua as the crook groaned behind us.

    ¡°Uh¡­ sure¡± I said. ¡°Probably have to turn this guy in first though¡±

 Brick by Brick - Chapter Twelve

    I stood on the roof of a building nearby HQ, staring out at the scenery all around me. Skyscrapers, high rises, and apartment buildings stretched out all around against the backdrop of clear blue sky. It was close to midday, the Sunday¡¯s summer sun shining down beautifully on everyone. It was hotter than yesterday, and the days were only going to keep getting warmer.

    That¡¯d probably get tiring. I frowned. I guess I hadn¡¯t really thought about that. Doing superhero stuff in the summer. All the swinging around. I was already kind of sore from picking up the pace a bit yesterday. Plus a few of my injuries felt a bit more tender than they should have.

    It was probably fine.

    Yep, I didn¡¯t feel a hundred percent and wasn¡¯t even completely sure I¡¯d be able to keep up for extended patrols, but people¡¯s lives were in my hands. And supervillains might just try to kill me at any point in the day. And they definitely didn¡¯t care about what condition I was in. Hell, they¡¯d probably be celebrating at my poor sleep schedule and diet.

    I frowned. There¡¯d need to be work on that front too. It¡¯d be stupid if someone got hurt if I kept getting a cramps because I wasn¡¯t eating right or I was just too tired because I kept having nightmares about my stupid break up.

    I bet Kingpin and his stupid police goons would love that. Or some insane spider monster that ate people for a living. Yeah, that¡¯d really make their day. I cleared my throat loudly, as the twisting knot in my stomach grew.

    I was fine. All this extra responsibility and pressure?  Nothing. I was fine. Totally and completely normal and fine. I wasn¡¯t going to start agonising over every little detail of my life trying to make sure it fit into me being a better superhero. And I definitely wasn¡¯t having small doubts about doing this again.

    I looked down to the streets below. But that¡¯s what a good hero would do, right? Agonise over every possible way they could better help people.

    I mean, it¡¯s probably what the members of the Vanguard do, it¡¯s probably what Peter does, maybe not Yu and Jess, but they were only kids. I was an adult. Technically. I had to start taking these things seriously. Or else someone would die on my watch, and I¡¯d have no one to blame but myself for not properly thinking about the future.

    I clenched my jaw. I thought I¡¯d gotten over this worry, this anxiety, but it was back again. I guess, I¡¯d just have to get used to this.

    ¡°You alright?¡± Peter said suddenly, looking to me.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°You ok? You were frowning¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah¡± I mumbled back. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Just thinking¡±

    ¡°About? I mean it¡¯s ok if you can¡¯t say¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ stuff. This whole superhero thing¡±

    ¡°Well your doing amazing so far¡±

    ¡°I guess¡±

    ¡°Oh come on. You rescued those kids from that man spider or whatever, and, I mean, it took me two years to recruit new members for the team and you did it in about a day¡± he joked. I chuckled in response before sighing slightly.

    ¡°It¡¯s a lot though. ¡±

    ¡°¡­ I won¡¯t lie to you, it happens more than you¡¯ll like¡± he said. ¡°We can¡¯t always save everyone¡±

    Amy¡¯s face flashed through my mind, and my body tensed.

    ¡°I know¡±

    He clamped a hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°The thing is we can always try¡± he said, the sincerity in his voice palpable.

    Suddenly something crashed into the metal ventilation tube behind us. We both spun around fists raised and watched as the kid pulled himself out of the dent quickly straightening out before dusting himself off. He took a few deep breaths, cleared his throat slightly and puffed out his chest

    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late¡± he said, voice cracking. ¡°Running up buildings is harder than it looks.¡±

    Peter and I glanced to each other.

    ¡°Told you he was too young¡± I muttered. Peter sighed.

    ¡°How old are you?¡±

    ¡°Thi- fourteen¡± he said

    ¡°You said you were thirteen yesterday¡±

    ¡°I forgot. Had my birthday recently, but didn¡¯t get around to having a party¡±

    ¡°¡­right¡± I said, crossing my arms as I narrowed my eyes.

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    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± Peter said, ¡°We can talk about whether your old enough for this later. If you aren¡¯t then we can always train you. So¡­ first off, what¡¯re your powers¡±

    ¡°I can do everything you can do, except the webs. But I¡¯ve got this cool electric thing instead¡±

    ¡°Can you show us?¡± Peter asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try¡± the kid said, readying himself.

    ¡°Maybe don¡¯t¡± I said, before looking to Peter. ¡°Last time he tried it, it looked like he was trying to take a dump. I doubt it¡¯s usable in public¡±

    ¡°Says the guy with the raggedy suit¡± the kid retorted.

    ¡°H-hey!¡±

    ¡°Spider¡± Peter said, motioning for me to quiet down. ¡±Just let the kid try¡±

    ¡°¡­fine¡± I said stepping back. I frowned as we watched the kid.

    Why was I being such an asshole? I¡¯d invited him here, well, it¡¯d been closer to him just tagging along Joshua¡¯s invitation but still. Was it because he felt so familiar? The way he carried himself, the almost childlike exuberance, and carefree tone of his voice.

    It reminded of a younger me, right after getting my powers. The same me who¡¯d gotten tonnes of people killed through recklessness alone. I shook my head. I needed to stop projecting my insecurities onto a kid, he probably wasn¡¯t anywhere near as bad as me. Probably wasn''t even bad at all.

    Suddenly my spider sense blared and I leapt back as a burst of electric blue lightning exploded outwards.

    I landed and skidded backwards, before looking back to the kid who stood stock still.

    ¡°S-sorry¡± he said. ¡°Can¡¯t control it yet¡±

    ¡°No¡± I mumbled. ¡°That was incredible.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, seriously impressive¡± Peter said, looking to me. I nodded, standing straight as the scar along my front started to sting.

    ¡°So, am I in?¡±

    ¡°Well not so fast-¡± Peter

    ¡°Uh¡­ sorry¡± I said interrupting Peter as I looked to the kid. ¡°This is probably going to sound weird, but is your name Miles?¡±

    The kid froze and stared at me.

    ¡°Is¡­ do you have mind reading too?¡±

    ¡°No, no¡± I said smiling to myself. ¡°I met an alternate version of you in a different universe. You had the same powers and stuff there¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡± they both said at the same time.

    ¡°Yeah¡± I said, smiling to myself. ¡°You sound like him too. I think you¡¯re a bit younger though¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ cool. Insane, but cool¡± Miles said.

    ¡°Well, I guess know that we know your identity we kind of have to train you¡± Peter said, chuckling.

    ¡°R-really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re a bit young, so we¡¯ll maybe only take you out on a couple of patrols a month of now, then ramp it up as you get older¡±

    ¡°So, I¡¯m in? I¡¯m a Spider-Man?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± I said chuckling. He stared at us in disbelief for a few seconds, then

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to run a few tests first though, make sure your NE is stable, and whatnot. How long have you had your powers?¡±

    ¡°About a month now? Uh¡­ I don¡¯t know exactly.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll if it¡¯s about a month, then you¡¯ll probably be fine¡± Peter said, before offering his hand. ¡°Welcome to the team kid, we¡¯ll see if we can have you meet up with the other members¡±

    ¡°Really? Man, I have tons of questions¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have tons more when we start explaining stuff to you¡± I said shaking his hand. ¡°Seriously, I barely know what¡¯s going on¡±

    ¡°Is it bad?¡± he said, his tone slightly nervous.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. Plus, you¡¯ll probably end up really strong¡± Peter said. ¡°I mean the bio-electricity is some seriously amazing stuff¡±

    ¡°Definitely¡± I added before furrowing my brow. ¡°Wait, how is it related to a spider?¡±

    ¡°Like¡­ spider venom, maybe?¡± the kid said. I shrugged, then frowned.

    ¡°So, where¡¯s the other guy?¡± Miles asked. ¡°Did he come and leave already?¡±

    ¡°He hasn¡¯t shown yet¡± Peter said.

    ¡°Really? But I was like fifteen minutes late¡± Miles muttered..

    I frowned.

    ¡°Uh¡­ wait, how exactly is he supposed to get up here? I mean, this isn¡¯t a public building, is it?¡±

    We all looked to each other.

    ¡°Crap¡±

    -

    We found him by a door, arguing with a lady at the foot of the main stairwell.

    ¡°Are you going to pay for this door?! No!¡± she shouted. ¡°You can¡¯t just break things!¡±

    ¡°Lady, just get out the way. I¡¯ve got some very important people waiting for me and I can talk about this later¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± she shouted, grabbing him as he tried to step past.

    ¡°Watch it¡± he said, wrenching his arm away from her. She stumbled back and turned to look to him as he started up the steps. She came face to face with the three of us wide eyed then looked back to Joshua.

    ¡°See?¡± he said ¡°Thank you¡±

    He pushed her aside and stomped up the steps, shaking his head.

    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m so late guys.  Just¡­ some people, eh?¡± he said, pointing back at the woman. Peter looked past him, and sighed.

    ¡°Sorry about the commotion¡± Peter said, waving to the woman as we all began making our way back up the steps.  ¡°I¡¯ll come back and fix the door¡±

    ¡°O-ok¡± the woman muttered, still staring at us as we continued up the stairs.

    ¡°Sorry about making you come all this way up¡± Peter said.

    ¡°Yeah, I somehow forget how high some of these things are. We should¡¯ve met up on a smaller building¡±

    ¡°For you guys, It¡¯s no problem. I¡¯d walk up the Burj Khalifa if it meant getting this job. Seriously, you guys are heroes¡±

    ¡°At this rate you¡¯re gonna give me a huge ego¡± I said, grinning.

    Peter chuckled to then frowned pulling his phone from his pocket. He froze as the other two continued up the stairs.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I said, looking back to him.

    ¡°I¡­ nothing¡­ I have to take this real quick¡± Peter said, quickly stepping away before answering the phone. ¡°Suse? Y-yeah. Is it Harry? It¡¯s Harry?!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Joshua called out from ahead.

    ¡°Nothing, just¡­ hold up a sec¡± I said. We stopped and watched as Peter listened intently on the phone, nodding his head. He clutched the phone tightly, muttering quick words of affirmation to the caller before going quiet again.

    Then suddenly he hung up. For a moment he simply stared at the wall, the he looked to me and the others, still silent.

    ¡°You alright P- Spider-Man?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I need to go¡± he muttered.

    ¡°What? Like¡­ now?¡±

    ¡°Uh- I- yeah¡± he said.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°I- nothing¡± he said starting up the steps towards us. ¡°I just need to go see a friend. Just¡­ carry on with the lesson. I¡¯ll be back quickly¡±

    ¡°Wa-¡±

    Before I could say anything else he was gone, leaping up the steps faster than I¡¯d ever seen him move before. The three of us watched him go, then looked to each other.

    ¡°Uh¡­ guess I¡¯m your adjudicator then¡± I said laughing awkwardly.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware there was a test¡± Joshua said, paling slightly.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine man¡± Miles said. ¡°I passed easy. Just¡­ uh¡­ break a piece of metal or something¡±

    ¡°Nah¡± I said, ¡°You captured that guy yesterday. Your basically already a superhero¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Just¡­ keep doing whatever it is you were doing. Lord knows I wasn¡¯t that good when I started¡±

    ¡°Ok¡± Joshua said nodding sincerely.

    ¡°Wait¡­ so what now?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ guess I could show you the basics of how to fight?¡± I said. ¡°Then we can practice or something, maybe go for a short patrol?¡±

    ¡°Fighting lessons from Spider-Man?¡± Miles said, his grin audible. ¡°Man this is going to be so awesome¡±

    ¡°I should warn you ahead of time¡± I said, as we continued up the steps, ¡°I only know the very basics.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine by me¡± Joshua said. ¡°If I¡¯m as strong as I think I am, the basics will be enough.¡±

 Brick by Brick - Chapter Thirteen

    ¡°You¡¯ll want to put your dominant foot forwards and rest your weight on your backfoot¡± I said, showing the stance. ¡°Once you¡¯ve got this, try to stay on the balls of your feet, but only just. It¡¯ll make it easier to move quickly.¡±

    Miles and Josh watched closely as bounced on the balls of my feet, fists raised.

    ¡°Then take your forward most hand and do a quick punch¡± I said, letting jabs fly. After a few, I let out a breath and turned to the others, crossing my arms, ¡°Now you try.¡±

    They both assumed the stance, glancing at each other, before punching at the air, with wildly different mixtures of tenacity.

    Miles¡¯ punches were quicker, his form looser, wilder, as he darted back and forth almost playfully. And Joshua¡¯s form was stiff, his punches slow, telegraphed but audibly heavy. But his expression was focused.

    I¡¯d feel bad telling either their form didn¡¯t look quite right, especially since mine probably wasn¡¯t much to go off of.

    ¡°Right, that¡¯s good¡± I said, clearing my throat. They both turned and looked to me. ¡°So¡­ uh¡­ what did Emi say? Right. Uh... jabs are great, mainly cause of our strength. It¡¯s really effective against people physically weaker than us, who can¡¯t defend against it properly¡±

    ¡°So hit regular crooks with just jabs?¡± Joshua asked.

    ¡°Basically. It¡¯s light, quick and easy¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t hurt them? The speed?¡± Miles asked.

    ¡°Well still pull your punches a bit¡± I said.

    ¡°Ok. What else is there?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ the straight¡± I said quickly getting into position. ¡°With your dominant hand you¡¯re going to punch and put your weight into it this time. It should be just as fast but stronger. Like this¡±

    I darted forwards and threw a straight, feeling the muscles in my side tighten. I pulled out of it and stretched massaging at my side. Ow.

    ¡°You okay?¡± Miles asked.

    ¡°Yeah, probably should¡¯ve stretched first. Anyway, now you guys try it out¡±

    They nodded, then mimicked the move, both pulling their arms back a bit too far. I ignored the mistake, and let them continue practicing, glancing out at the streets below. Peter said he¡¯d be quick,  but I doubted he meant five minutes. I didn¡¯t know that a lot. I didn''t know how much longer I could teach these guys.

    What did we do when we finished? Play Uno? We definitely couldn''t go on patrol. I sighed and looked back to them, watching as they continued them punches.

    ¡°Ok, good, good¡± I said. ¡°Uh... right. For uppercut it¡¯s the same type of punch but start lower and throw it upwards. For a hook, sideways. Like this¡±

    I threw the punches slowly, then faster, moving carefully as my side tightened further. ¡°Ok, now you¡¯re turn¡± I said looking to the two.

    They repeated the movements, Miles more carefully this time as Joshua punched relentlessly, his fists cutting through air like baseball bats.

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m not getting it right¡± Miles said, stopping.

    ¡°We can work on polishing the moves later, since you probably won¡¯t be fighting anyone anytime soon. For now, just try and mix them together. Kind of like a combo from a videogame¡±

    The two nodded and then got to work. They started slowly, before picking up the pace, then both began throwing in their own moves, trying to outdo the other in imaginary competition as they leapt back and forth fighting imaginary opponents.

    ¡°Alright, enough of that¡± I said smiling to myself. ¡°Uh¡­ what else¡­ right, kicks. So-¡±

    Suddenly a loud explosion rocked through roof. I spun around instantly and stopped, staring wide eyed at a building a few blocks over. The space around the building warped and shifted, shimmering with the familiar glow. It was like the portal I¡¯d come back through.

    ¡°What the hell was that? Miles asked.

    ¡°Might be a portal to another universe¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°What?!¡± they both cried. I ignored them staring at the wafting smoke as the fires from the explosion began to spread across the now open interior of the top floor. Crap. Unless Peter had gone in that direction, I was definitely the closest. I needed to go, now.

    ¡°What do we do?¡± Miles said, his voice panicked.

    ¡°We? You¡¯re doing nothing. I¡¯ll handle this¡± I said, taking steady breaths.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Miles asked.

    ¡°Definitely¡± I said. ¡°Just wait for me to get back¡±

    ¡°But I can help¡±

    ¡°No¡±

    ¡°But you said I was part of the t-¡±

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Not now!¡± I said, my heart beating hard. I paused and looked to him. ¡°Sorry. Just¡­ stay here, ok?¡±

    He hesitated but nodded. I nodded back then rushed for the street.

    ¡°Wait! He might be a kid but I can help¡± Joshua said. ¡°And I live near there. My daughter¡¯s staying with me, she could be in trouble¡±

    I glanced back to Joshua then swore.

    ¡°Ok. Let¡¯s go¡± I said. He leapt onto my back, and then ¨C with a final glance at Miles ¨C I leapt off the side of the building and fired a web. We fell, the wind rushing past us, then the web went taught under my fingertips. With a grunt of effort, I pulled us up, away from the street as I swung forward.

    ¡°Christ you¡¯re heavy¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Comes with the powers¡± he muttered as we continued swinging towards the building.

    I looked over the mess my mind racing as I tried to decide what to do. The warp was fading now, and didn¡¯t look like it was doing much. But the fire was spreading steadily, the flames growing larger quicker and quicker ¨C a mix of orange and ghostly blue as they danced on the surface of everything.

    ¡°Jesus¡± I muttered. It looked like fire made of negative energy. That couldn¡¯t be good at all.

    ¡°That don¡¯t look good¡± Joshua muttered. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡±

    ¡°Ok, ok¡­ you help people out on the lower floors, I¡¯ll help the people on the higher ones. Get them to safety quickly, and¡­ save people?¡±

    ¡°Alright¡±

    Another explosion suddenly rocked the building again, and I looked away, cursing as the white flash of light seared itself against my retinas. I blinked as the stinging came, accompanied by the slight buzz of my spider sense, then paused recognising the familiarity of the sensation. It was the same one I¡¯d gotten back in Ricardo¡¯s room when everything had gone wrong.

    What the hell? Negative energy bombs? Tiny negative energy bombs? Were tiny NE bombs coming through the portal?

    I looked back up, black spots swimming across my vision. Then I spotted him, a figure clad in green rags flying about on a glider. My eyes widened as I watched them cackle maniacally, chucking orange grenades at the windows as they circled the rooftop.

    ¡°Shit. I guess someone came through the rift¡± I cursed. ¡°Alright change of plans. I¡¯ll fight the guy, you help people on the top floor. That, ok?¡±

    ¡°Perfect¡± Joshua replied. He didn¡¯t sound sure. I glanced back to him, and my eyes widened.

    ¡°Wait, shit you haven¡¯t even got a costume, just a mask. Someone will be able to tell who you are in a second. Crap we''ve got to-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just let me-¡±

    His skin and clothes suddenly turned to stone, a patchwork of bricks and debris that rumbled heartily as he chuckled.

    ¡°I... wow. Ok¡± I muttered. ¡°Not sure your supposed to be able to do that, but pretty neat¡±

    I looked back to the building, and with a final swing, wrenched us up to the top floor. I landed amongst the initial wreck, on rock where the flames had died and looked around spotting abandoned science equipment, tables filled with beakers of chemicals that looked ready to burn. Great.

    ¡°You okay?¡± I said, looking to Joshua.

    ¡°Yeah¡± he mumbled.

    ¡°With the fire I mean¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± he grinned, growing slightly as he absorbed some of the rock beneath our feet. ¡°Stone doesn¡¯t burn¡±

    Then without another word, he rushed off into the fire, his footsteps thumping loudly against the tiled floor. I nodded, then leapt back out and swung around, searching for the green glider.

    Suddenly my spider sense blared and I dodged as a bomb flew past me and detonated. I spun through the air, pulling away from the heat as my spider sense continued to buzz, louder and louder. Then something slammed into me. I rolled with the blow, felt my feet touch ground and steadied my body. I stared in open shock as I found myself face to face with a grinning man, yellowed bloodshot eyes staring back at me.

    His face was a taught mess of bone, peeling skin, and darkened green veins, his patchy hair covered by a purple hood, and the rest of his body covered in dreary green rags, hints of the metal sheen of a Might enhancement suit underneath shining through. He smelt like vomit and sewer water.

    ¡°Spider-Man!¡± he cackled demonically. ¡°Change of costume? I liked the old one better!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad!¡± I cried, wrenching my hands away before kicking him in the chest. We both flew backward, glider forgotten and crashed down.

    ¡°You really are fast!¡± he cried, speeding towards me over the roof. I readied myself to meet him, then dodged the glider as it swept through the air narrowly missing me. He landed atop it, then zipped towards me, cackling as claws extended from his ragged gloves.

    I fired webs at his face, but he dodged easily and slash for my neck. With a quick sidestep I avoided, then grabbed a hold of the back of his glider. It yanked me off my feet. He cackled to himself as we took off, skywards, then raised the bladed gauntlet to cut at me.

    In a panic, my fingers extended into claws and I ripped through the back of his glider with ease. It sputtered and swerved, the blades narrowly missing me, then we both fell out of the sky, spiralling towards the ground. He cackled as we fell but made no move for me. So, I dived at him, slamming a fist into his face followed by one to his gut, and then an elbow to the nose.

    We crashed to the roof, skidding across it as I kept punching him. Then with a kick to my stomach, he forced me off, my side tightening to the point of pain. I stumbled back, wheezing as I raised my fists again, my heartrate through the roof.

    ¡°What the hell?!¡± he cried, wiping his face. ¡°That was dirty! Dir-¡±

    I hit him again, a jab to the throat as he stumbled back eyes wide. Then I kicked him, knocking him to the floor hard with a roundhouse.

    He bounced against the concrete, then flipped up, growling with rage as the blades emerged from his gauntlets again. He rushed at me with speed beyond that of a regular humans¡¯ slashing desperately, his cackles gone.

    ¡°Stop running!¡± he roared. ¡°FIGHT!¡±

    ¡°Fuck that! You¡¯re trying to kill me!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what we do!¡±

    ¡°We?! I don¡¯t know you!¡±

    ¡°What?! How could you say that!?¡± he raged. ¡°Spider-Man would never say that! Who are you?! WHO ARE YOU?!¡±

    ¡°I could ask the same question?!¡± I cried back, dodging as he swung more blades at me. I darted forwards and kicked at him twice before leaping at him. He met me halfway, both of us locking hands in a battle of strength before he kicked me away.

    ¡°No somersaults, no leg sweeps, no style! It¡¯s all crude and dirty! It¡¯s all wrong!¡±

    ¡°You want style?!¡± I cried. I leapt at him, narrowly dodged a punch then grabbed him, wrapping my arms around his waist. ¡°I¡¯ll show you style fuckface!¡±

    His feet left the ground and he squealed.

    "Wait! Wai-"

    I suplexed him into the roof, hard, and the stone crumbled underneath us both of us failing through the air before slamming into broken ground. I thudded against the floor, and shielded myself as brick and debris fell atop me, cursing at my own stupidity.

    Of course the roof would be fragile. He chucked about three fucking bombs at it.

    I struggled against the mess of brick and stone, forcing my way out as quickly as I could. But when I leapt to my feet, only distant fires surrounded me, and a human sized hole. I heard familiar cursing in the lower floors, and quickly dropped down to meet my enemy.

    I found him lying on the floor, face bloody as he muttered uselessly to his captor, holding his back. A nine foot tall humanoid of brick stood over him, before looking back to me.

    ¡°I got him with the straight¡± Joshua grumbled, the bass shaking the floor as his somewhat intimidating stone giant form grinned at me. I glanced to the green glider, his entire face bloody and body practically limp as Joshua held him by the rags of his hood. I looked back to Joshua.

    ¡°Right¡± I muttered, ¡°But I think you can stop hitting him now.¡±

 Brick by Brick - Chapter Fourteen

    ¡°I really don¡¯t like fire¡± I said to myself, leaping from the building before swinging around to the wall face with the last of the slow dying flames. The upper floors were empty now, halls and rooms only filled with slowly dying smoke and destroyed lab equipment.

    I swung around the building putting out the last of the fires with webs as a small crowd milled below. Sparing a glance down, I spotted cops, firemen and MDA agents speaking amongst themselves, the truck containing the glider villain beside them, already firmly secured and surrounded by a guard.

    The faces of those visible were grim, and the last of the firemen exciting the building floor, helping out the last of the soot covered scientists told me more than I wanted to know.

    I scanned the area for Joshua and found him ¨C still in rock form - beyond the police cordon, posing for pictures with the public.

    ¡°Looks like someone¡¯s enjoying themselves¡± I muttered. Then, after extinguishing the last of the fires I swung downwards, joining the agents, firemen, and cops.

    They all glanced to me then broke apart, the MDA agents saying nothing as they quickly made for their armoured truck. The firemen only offered me small nods of approval before continuing on, but two of the cops made their way over. I braced myself for the conversation, but the first cop simply offered his hand.

    ¡°Well done, Spider-Man¡± he said, shaking my hand. ¡°This could¡¯ve been a lot worse if you hadn¡¯t shown up¡±

    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ thanks¡° I said, feeling my face flush with embarrassment.

    ¡°Took a bit of beating huh?¡± his partner said, offering her hand as well.

    ¡°Oh¡­ uh¡­ yeah I guess¡± I mumbled. They both chuckled.

    ¡°Not used to talking to us yet?¡± the first said.

    ¡°Oh. N-no I-¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s ok. The first one was like that too¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s still a bit awkward. But don¡¯t tell him I said that¡± the partner joked. I chuckled,

    ¡°Uh, ok¡±

    ¡°Well, see you around¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah. Likewise¡±

    They both nodded, their smiles appreciative, then stepped away. I watched them go for a moment a strange sense of pride and embarrassment swirling in my gut.

    Weird. I guess I still wasn¡¯t used to the praise or attention. Especially from cops. I looked behind me up at the building as grey smoke rose from a few of the windows, the fire gone. Large swathes of the concrete and stone had blackened, but for the most part the lower floors were ok, and I hadn¡¯t seen any bodybags.

    It wasn¡¯t the best, people had died, and the cleanup would probably take quite a while. But I¡¯d stopped a villain and saved people. A lot of people. Maybe this wasn¡¯t as bad as I was making it out to be. It might¡¯ve only been a small win, but it was a win. I¡¯d finally gotten a win on my own. I glanced to Joshua. Well not completely on my own.

    Still, I guess I had done pretty well. Huh.

    I scratched the top of my head frowning as I tried to make sense of the new feeling in my chest. Then a camera flashed in my face. I jerked back, as more camera flashes exploded in front of me, leaving black spots in my vision.

    ¡°You try to let this villain go too?! Huh? Huh new Spider-Man?¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± I said, pulling away from the guy. He pressed forward, continuing to take picture after picture with the flash despite the abundance of light.

    ¡°You seem to like letting fire villains on the loose. Think it makes for better news?¡±

    ¡°What the fuck? Who are you?¡±

    ¡°How many people are gonna die because you want glory? Huh? How many more people are you gonna kill?!¡±

    I froze staring at the guy as he kept flashing the camera in my face, other photographers slipping through the gap in the cordon now, all rushing forwards as they called out to me. ¡°I see through you Spider-Man! We all do!¡±

    Suddenly officers surrounded me, pushing back the paparazzi. The guy at the head pushed against them still snapping pictures. A cop slapped the camera down, finally revealing his face. I didn¡¯t recognise him.

    ¡°Turn off the fucking flash!¡±

    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t touch my camera!¡±

    ¡°Just turn off the flash¡± the cop cried, slapping the camera again.

    ¡°Hey! Do you know who I am?! Eddie Brock! Brock!¡± the guy shouted. ¡°I work for Jameson! The chairman of the Bugle! My mom¡¯s on the fucking board!¡±

    ¡°Just get back!¡± one of the officers shouted, pushing him back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking touch me. I¡¯ll sue you! Me and my mum will sue you all into oblivion¡±

    ¡°Just walk away buddy. There¡¯s a cordon for a reason¡±

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    He let off a few more curses, then turned and walked away, glancing back as he sneered at me.

    ¡°Sorry about that¡± another cop said, looking back for me. I mumbled something, then looked to Joshua who walked over, back to his regular size now, but still in stone form.

    ¡°You alright?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go¡± I said. He nodded and jumped into a piggy-back before I pulled us up off the ground with a concerted effort. I swung through the air, trying and failing to shake the words of the photographer out of my head.

    How many more people are you gonna kill

    I hadn¡¯t understood what else he¡¯d been talking about; it¡¯d sounded like some conspiracy theorist nonsense. The kind of ridiculous rumours I¡¯d seen about Peter in the past few years. But those words¡­ they¡¯d made my blood run cold.

    Images of Ricardo¡¯s final words flashed through my mind, and I felt my face twitch.

    He couldn¡¯t know. Could he?

    ¡°Man, that felt good!¡± Joshua bellowed, interrupting my thoughts.

    ¡°Yeah¡± I muttered.

    ¡°My first day and I already feel like a full-fledged superhero¡± he said grinning. ¡°You think they caught me in action on camera?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡±

    ¡°Wow. I need a name now, don¡¯t I? What about Hardhat? Or The Wall? Maybe Stoneman?¡± he muttered to himself, stroking his chin thoughtfully. ¡°Brickman? No, stoneman sounds better. But maybe Wrecking Ball works?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think a name is what you should be thinking about right now¡±

    There was a pause, a moment of silence as he looked up to me, his eyes narrowing.

    ¡°¡­ did I do something?¡± he said, looking to me. ¡°You sound upset¡±

    ¡°Did you really have to hit the guy that hard?¡± I muttered curtly.

    ¡°Oh come on, he was a bad guy?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but¡­ he was done already¡±

    ¡°Sure, but he tried blowing up a building. He had it coming.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t get to decide who does and doesn¡¯t deserve things¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding right? We¡¯re superheroes. The people¡¯s justice¡±

    ¡°Justice? That didn¡¯t look like justice?¡±

    ¡°Oh, give me a break. He deserved it. All villains deserve it¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you beat on them when their down¡±

    ¡°Really? Like you¡¯ve never gotten too rough with a crook once?¡± he scoffed. I stiffened, Ricardo¡¯s dying screams echoing through my mind again. ¡° I mean, c¡¯mon, you¡¯re making me out to be the bad guy¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± I mumbled. ¡°I just¡­ you could¡¯ve killed him¡±

    ¡°R-really? I mean you threw him the roof, so I thought-¡±

    ¡°That was an accident¡±

    ¡°An accident?¡± he said, disbelief colouring his voice.

    ¡°The roof was already damaged from the bombs¡± I said, swinging up to the roof of the meet-up spot. ¡°Just try to be more careful ok¡±

    ¡°Right¡±

    We landed on the wall face and I climbed up a few floors before pulling us onto the roof. Miles sat by the ledge, his back to the street as he rested against it.

    ¡°Wow, you actually waited here¡± I said nodding.

    ¡°Yeah¡± he muttered.

    ¡°That¡¯s good¡± I said, setting Joshua down. Miles only nodded in response, holding his knees to his chest. ¡°Uh¡­ you, okay?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I went to help you, then a bomb went off and¡­ I got scared¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s fine. Good actually¡± I said. ¡°It would¡¯ve been dangerous for you to. I don¡¯t know if I could¡¯ve protected you¡±

    ¡°But how am I supposed to help people if I¡¯m scared?¡±

    ¡°I mean, that¡¯s what you¡¯re here for right? You¡¯ll get better with time. And training¡±

    He looked to me, then nodded.

    ¡°So what now?¡± Joshua asked.

    ¡°Uh¡­ it¡¯s probably best to go home. I¡¯m beat and I doubt I¡¯ll be able to teach you much more¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine by me. If I head home now, I¡¯ll get home in about thirty minutes. I¡¯ll be able to catch a couple Law & Order episodes¡±

    ¡°What? I thought you said you lived just over there¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ lying to you to fight doesn¡¯t disqualify me from this or anything? Does it?¡±

    I chuckled to myself, shaking my head.

    ¡°No. It¡¯s fine.¡±

    -

    I sat on my bed; eyes closed trying to drift off to sleep. But despite my tiredness, I couldn¡¯t. The words of the photographer still rung out in my mind, the echo consuming all other thoughts.

    I hated feeling this way. Being reminded of what I¡¯d done. But I hated the fact that I hated it even more. I didn¡¯t deserve to feel angry for being confronted with something I¡¯d chosen to do. Even if it¡¯d been one of the worst moments of my life, I could¡¯ve still done things differently.

    I mean back on the other world, the others had mentioned the other me had captured Ricardo. In that world he was rotting in a cell. Even after everything he¡¯d done, killing him had been wrong. And knowing he was locked up in a cell, paying for his crimes for the rest of his life would¡¯ve been far better than this. Lying here, acting like a hero when I knew I was a murderer.

    I clenched my fists. Emi had helped me deal with the guilt of everything else, of the things that I¡¯d beat. But this? This was my fault. There weren¡¯t two ways about it. I¡¯d killed him. He¡¯d deserved it, but that didn¡¯t make it right.

    I furrowed my brow, my words to Joshua earlier coming back to haunt me.

    We don¡¯t get to decide who does and doesn¡¯t deserve things

    But he had deserved it. Hadn¡¯t he? Hadn¡¯t he?

    My phone buzzed on my bedside table and I sat up quickly, glad for a reprieve from my emotions. It was Peter. Good. Probably.

    I answered, pressing the phone to my ear.

    ¡°Hey, Lucas¡±

    ¡°Hey Peter¡±

    ¡°Sorry about ditching you earlier¡±

    ¡°No, It¡¯s fine. I¡­ uh¡­ so¡­ everything ok?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah. Nothing really happened it was just¡­ yeah it¡¯s fine¡± he muttered, clearly lying. ¡°Anyway, how were they?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ well we didn¡¯t get to train all that much, but they seem eager. Probably need a better teacher though¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ you sure nothing happened? I¡¯m pretty sure what we had to deal with would¡¯ve been on the news¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, there was this whole attack, some guy dropping bombs on a science building or what not¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ everything okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­yeah¡± Peter mumbled. ¡°Now Jess and Yu¡¯s texts make more sense. I¡¯ll give them your number then sort out adding you to the app¡±

    ¡°The app?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll need to be able to take requests. It¡¯s for people submitting help requests and stuff. I¡¯m surprised more people don¡¯t know about it¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ that might be somewhat of a good thing. You might get a ton of prank requests¡±

    ¡°We already do¡± he chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad¡±

    ¡°Well, uh¡­ is tomorrow ok for that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Should be. We¡¯ll bring the others as well, since they didn¡¯t get to really meet me properly¡±

    ¡°OK. Uh, see you tomorrow then Peter¡±

    ¡°See you tomorrow Lucas. And good work today. Seriously. That could¡¯ve gone south fast¡±

    ¡°T-thanks¡± I mumbled, before hanging up.

    I stared at my phone for a second, smiling slightly to myself before slumping back against my bed, a new mixture of emotions filling me now. As I closed my eyes, sleep ¨C finally ¨C started to slowly take me.

    ¡°Lucas!¡± Sofia called out suddenly. I opened my eyes and slowly pulled myself off the bed annoyed.

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to wanna see this!¡± she shouted again. I stood quickly and exited my room, making my way into the main room.

    ¡°¡­ and caused massive amounts of destruction to the lab as you can see behind me. Reports are saying that this new spider-man even attempted to assault one of our esteemed newspaper photographers and had to be temporarily restrained by police. It seems unclear whether any legal action will or will not come from this, but I can assure you all this is but more evidence of degeneracy from this new and very dangerous Spider-Man.

    And that¡¯s all from-¡±

    I turned off the TV, staring blankly at my own distorted reflection in it¡¯s surface, fists clenched.

    ¡°Did you¡­¡± Sofia started.

    ¡°No¡± I muttered, ¡°No I didn¡¯t.¡±

 Interlude Sixteen - Dr Julia Fines

    Julia sat between Senator Harrison Mann, and The Prowler. Dr Jack Kale, and Senator Dianna Smith, sat across from her, an empty seat between them and Kingpin at the head of the table.

    Behind him stood Blinker, Black, and Munn, their fine suits and shirts pressed, donning sunglasses as they stared forward silent oozing the aura of quiet intimidation Kingpin liked oh so very much. And in the corner, his assistant ¨C Hildy - typed away as she parsed over documents and emails for Kingpin. Likely in preparation for his upcoming mayoral campaign.

    Meanwhile, the man himself read over a newspaper, the steady turn of the pages the only sound beside the typing. Slowly he stopped, closing the paper before dropping it to the varnished oak table. Julia glanced at the first page headline.

    THE NEW SPIDER-MAN: OF EVILS UNKNWON

    ¡°Jameson¡± he muttered to himself a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. ¡°When are we gonna get that guy a drink, eh?¡±

    Senator Mann chuckled but the others all sat in silence, non-daring to speak. Kingpin grunted dismissively before leaning back into his chair, folding his hands as he began to hum an old jazz song to himself.

    Julia clenched her trembling hands tighter. She didn¡¯t know how she¡¯d gotten herself into this position. One second, she¡¯d been a respectable scientist in a new and burgeoning field of research, giving talks about the future of teleportation technology and dimensional travel as a guest speaker at universities. And then, she¡¯d been a fugitive. On the run for causing ¡®extensive and prolonged threat to the security of the city¡¯, according to official listing the MDA.

    Everything had been ruined. All because of a few miscalculations and a contaminant on the portal array. It was stupid really, trying to get the machine to work in such an environment, she shouldn¡¯t have even considered opening a portal.

    It didn¡¯t matter now anyway. She hadn¡¯t meant to tear a fabric in reality, but she had. And the MDA didn¡¯t care about intention. People were scared and it was their job to stop that. So she was a fugitive, a threat to the city that¡¯d be apprehended on sight.

    That¡¯s why I¡¯m here, she thought. Because I¡¯ve got nowhere else to be. That was true even before all this.

    She sighed internally. She didn¡¯t get why the MDA were after her. They were meant for metahumans, and she wasn¡¯t one. Just a scientist who¡¯d unlocked the key to interdimensional travel. Well half of it anyway. They probably classed advanced science and metahumans as the same thing.

    Suddenly the doors opened wide and Black cat walked in, some of her usual swagger gone, replaced by tiredness.

    ¡°And what time do you call this?¡± Prowler said, looking to her as she sat across from him.

    ¡°There was a thing with my girlfriend¡¯s brother¡± she muttered. ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡±

    Kingpin sighed, then brought his hands together, looking over the table before nodding to himself as the doors closed.

    ¡°I guess we can begin¡± Kingpin said. ¡°Thoughts anyone?¡±

    ¡°So, what¡­ whole thing¡¯s a bust? Do I just kill her now¡± Prowler muttered, his feet still on the table.

    Julia¡¯s blood ran cold.

    ¡°Did I say you could speak?¡± Kingpin muttered, annoyed.

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying what everybody¡¯s thinking¡±

    ¡°Do I pay you to think?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Do I pay you to think?¡±

    ¡°¡­no?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. I pay you to kill people and steal. I pay Harrison to think, I pay Dianna to think, I pay Jack to think.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t pay me sir¡± Jack muttered, still reading over his notes.

    ¡°I¡­ right. I compensate Jack with resources and protection from the law. My point is Prowler, I pay Julia here to think. Especially about interdimensional travel. So if I¡¯m going to ask anyone about it, I¡¯ll ask her. Capiche?¡±

    ¡°¡­fine¡±

    ¡°So, what do you think Julia?¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± She squeaked.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°Yes¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ right¡± she muttered, teeth chattering with nerves, ¡°Well¡­ uh¡­ we¡­ I-I¡­ we¡­ t-there were¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, for god¡¯s sake¡± Black cat muttered, ¡°Couldn¡¯t we have done this over zoom or something?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s got a point¡± Senator Mann said, sparing Julia an annoyed glance. She looked down to the table as other mutterings of annoyance came from around the room.

    ¡°Stop¡± Kingpin said. ¡°Dr Fines, please, ignore them. Speak¡±

    She Julia her eyes glued to the table, aware that everyone was staring at her, waiting for her to say something.

    Only the sound of Hildy¡¯s keys tapping away filled the room. She hated it. She hated every second of it. But she had to bare it. She had to bare it because he was paying her to continue her research and it was guarantee no one else would. She just had to grimace and hold on, figure out how to make the technology accurate, and then¡­ then she could escape this hell.

    Then she could free her love.

    ¡°T-he¡­ the experiment was successful¡±

    ¡°How?!¡± Prowler cried.

    ¡°Let her finish¡± Kingpin said.

    ¡°The experiment was successful¡± she said firmly, some annoyance leaking into her voice. ¡°W-we managed to control the warper¡¯s functionality, create and control anti de-sitter space with intention to allow for an opening at a specific time. The size, exact space, and exact amount of warping weren¡¯t accurate, nor the depth, but with a few adjustments it will work. It will. Give me three months and I¡¯ll not only make it work but be able to get you hundreds of versions of exactly the people you want and prevent the free distortions from tearing apart the city. I promise¡±

    ¡°See?¡± Kingpin said, looking to Prowler. Prowler simply shrugged in response and Kingpin chuckled.

    ¡°Right. Now, Black Cat, Jack you said you had something for me¡±

    ¡°During the attack, my surveillance scanners-¡°

    ¡°Rats. Surveillance rats¡± Prowler interjected.

    ¡°¡­ my surveillance scanners picked up a suspicious amount of NE in the lab. The right kind of stable NE helix that it had to be the result of something under active cloning. I had Black cat go investigate, and she found what I thought she would. They had our tech¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Prowler said.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the worst part¡± Black cat said. ¡°There were emails between an employee and their boss complaining about methods used to acquire the tech. They even didn¡¯t make it. They bought it from people who stole it from us. The Bugrock mafia.¡±

    ¡°And you got all this by going through the burned building? That¡¯s a lot¡±

    ¡°Got it from a half burned computer, and the machine Jack says was one of our cloners. Fortunately, Spider-Man left the place untouched. Didn¡¯t even have it guarded by a police security detail like usual. I was in and out, easy¡°

    ¡°That¡¯s strange¡± Senator Mann muttered. ¡°You think he wanted you to find it?¡±

    ¡°No. It was the new one,¡± Black Cat said. ¡°Purple and black with the torn up suit. He¡¯s probably not a scientist like the red and blue one. Didn¡¯t know what to look for.¡±

    ¡°And what about this guy they warp brought through?¡± Kingpin said.

    ¡°Cops have him¡± Prowler said.

    ¡°Can we get him?¡±

    ¡°Not our guys¡± Senator Mann said. ¡°Plus, even if it was this was public. We¡¯d have to wait until he gets charged and then hope we can haggle with a prison before he gets transferred. If it¡¯s not the Hortz-Bruig, we¡¯ve got a chance. But if it is I doubt o- the people in the MDA will-¡±

    ¡°Stop¡± Kingpin said, stilling the room. ¡°This Bugrock Mafia? Who¡¯re they?¡±

    ¡°A new gang. They¡¯re-¡°

    Blinker was cut short by a buzzing phone. Kingpin¡¯s.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m getting a call¡± he muttered. He slowly pulled out his phone and sighed before answering.

    ¡°Evening honey. How¡¯s everything?¡± the cheer in his voice was instant and grating, a complete tonal shift from the grim and calculating atmosphere of the room. The others sat in silence as the man forced a laugh, turning away from them in his chair.

    ¡°What? No, no everything¡¯s fine sweetie. I¡¯m fine. No¡­ I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m¡­. everything¡¯s fine¡±

    He went quiet for a moment his chair creaking as he leaned forwards.

    ¡°Monopoly?¡± he said suddenly, sighing. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll make it an early night tonight¡± he said, forcing a smile. ¡°Right. Right¡­ right. Night honey. Tell Richard and Damian I¡¯ll be home soon. Bye¡±

    He hung up and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before muttering something about colleges.

    ¡°Right¡± he muttered, turned back to the others. ¡°Where were we?¡±

    ¡°The evidence Black Cat found in the wreck and who the Bugrock Mafia are¡±

    ¡°Right. Word on the street?¡±

    ¡°Their leader, a new guy. He¡¯s calling himself Hammerhead¡± Blinker said. ¡°He¡¯s got a guy, right hand, called Tarantula. Both metas. Powerful.¡±

    ¡°New guys¡­ and they¡¯re behind the break ins on the labs?¡± Kingpin said. ¡°Isn¡¯t Scorpion doing his job?¡±

    ¡°They probably know about the locations of and have intimate details of the layout¡± Dr Kale said.

    ¡°A tombstone associate?¡± Kingpin muttered.

    ¡°Maybe. But I doubt it, when Might goes after gangs, he doesn¡¯t miss heavy hitters. They likely lucked out and found some old blueprints. It¡¯s not a problem¡± Kale continued.

    ¡°Not a problem?¡± Prowler said, clearly annoyed. ¡°They broke into some of the facilities and are trying to steal King¡¯s cloning!? And you say it¡¯s not a problem?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no-¡±

    ¡°Do you have any idea what could happen?¡± Prowler continued. ¡°What if Spider-Man catches these guys and finds us through them? Huh? You remember what your slip-up cost us last year?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Prowler¡± Kingpin said, leaning back in his chair. The room went silent again, except for Hildy¡¯s typing as Kingpin looked to the paper on the table.

    ¡°Who even are these shmucks? What are their powers?¡±

    ¡°We think they¡¯re part of the new crowd that¡¯ve been getting the bug powers, like Spider-Man. Tarantula¡¯s got spider claws or something, but we don¡¯t know about hammerhead¡±

    ¡°Insects¡­¡± Kingpin grunted in response, the tone enough to send a chill down Julia¡¯s spine.

    ¡°You want me to kill them?¡± Prowler muttered. Kingpin waited a moment, before grumbling to himself. ¡°What the hell¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking¡± Kingpin muttered in response

    ¡°Boss these guys are out there right now. Just say yes¡±

    Kingpin looked to him suddenly, an intensity to the look that Julia almost let out a gasp. Then, slowly, Prowler pulled his feet off the table and straightened out in his chair. The room was silent a moment, even Hildy¡¯s typing stopping. For the first time Julia could sense the fear she held within herself, shared by the others.

    ¡°No. Don¡¯t want to kill them¡± Kingpin muttered, looking to Prowler then Julia, and all the other faces in the room. ¡°I need new allies. Strong and smart allies. They operate in lower Manhattan and seem to know what they¡¯re doing. We¡¯ll stop trying to work the cops over there and bring these guys into the fold. They want money? Tech? Power? I¡¯ll give them all of it. As long as they operate under me¡±

    ¡°And if they won¡¯t?¡± Prowler said.

    Kingpin suddenly smiled, a horrific expression devoid of joy, filled instead with only a deep and unsettling depraved pleasure.

    ¡°Then bring them to me. Alive¡±

 Brick by Brick - Chapter Fifteen

    The media stuff was worse than I thought. Somehow, in the span of a day, I¡¯d managed to become infamous. All because of some camera guy. Probably. I didn¡¯t know if this was actually him, but he¡¯d sounded pretty indignant about his name. Brack or Breck something.

    He¡¯d mentioned something about his mom being on the Bugle board. They were putting out the most stuff about this. But that couldn¡¯t be right, could it? Running a smear campaign because some higher up in the company didn¡¯t like me or something. Was that even legal?

    I shook my head, still scrolling through my phone as I read through another article about me. This one was just complete nonsense about how I somehow kept letting villains go just to fight them later in a public area, along with an almost conspiracy theory amount of speculation on the possible dark ties between me and the other spider squad members.

    All sorts of stuff about how we were working together to keep villains out of prison and stay in the spotlight whenever the real heroes were distracted. There was even stuff saying Yu was my mental puppet or dark recruit or something because I¡¯d fought against something that looked like him and now he was on the team.

    There was even some stuff about Peter and me using pheromones to mind control the others, and one article that said we were all spider vampires going around turning people, and when it went wrong then the man-spiders popped up.

    And apparently it was, just, the norm? Dark web news media was a strange space. And weird. Really weird.

    And even weirder, a lot of them news articles, posts, and other coverage seemed to be running the same villain release story. I guess the photographer told them? Or they were just seeing what everyone else was sharing with the world and taking it as fact?

    But that couldn¡¯t be right, they had to have fact checkers or something, right? Maybe they were all owned by the Bugle somehow?

    ¡°But then just how many news providers does the Bugle own?¡± I muttered to myself.

    ¡°You¡¯re still at this?¡± Sofia said, yawning as she stepped into the living room. I glanced up at her surprised and frowned.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like seven thirty in the morning¡­ didn¡¯t you go to sleep?¡±

    ¡°No¡± I mumbled, blinking the dryness out of my eyes. ¡°I was just reading I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t think it was that long¡±

    ¡°You, ok?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I glanced down at my phone. ¡°Kind of. Not really¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ uh¡­ yeah I have no idea how to help you deal with this¡± she said, yawning again.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡±

    ¡°Morning¡± Maria mumbled, peeking her head into the main room.

    ¡°Morning¡± I responded, before looking back down at my phone.

    ¡°You¡¯re up early¡±

    ¡°Well, you two are loud¡± she mumbled, her eyes only half open.

    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault. All Lucas¡¯ muttering and cursing woke me up¡±

    ¡°Muttering and cursing?¡± Maria said looking to me. ¡°What for?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s still looking through the news about himself. Total egomaniac¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just that there¡¯s so much about me here¡±

    ¡°Exactly¡±

    ¡°The same stuff from last night?¡± Maria said, ignoring Sofia.

    ¡°Yeah. I think there¡¯s so many articles. I¡¯ve read at least more than a hundred or something. I lost count. Even random news companies on the West coast are writing articles about it. They¡¯ve got to all be linked somehow, like part of the same company¡±

    ¡°Well, they can¡¯t all be the same company¡± she said.

    ¡°Yeah, but then- shit¡± I mumbled reading another article.

    This was one of the few that brought up the idea of a link between the Bederson Reactor explosion, and what¡¯d happened at Amy¡¯s place. It was probably baseless speculation, just like everything else. But that didn¡¯t make it feel any better.

    ¡°Lucas?¡± Maria asked.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± I said looking up.

    ¡°Should you even be reading that?¡± Maria said, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°Probably not. But- there¡¯s just¡­ there¡¯s just so much¡°

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s all fake anyway. Just try to ignore it¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± I mumbled trailing off.

    ¡°Well? What¡¯d you mean well?¡± Maria said, a note of worry in her voice.

    ¡°Yeah, totally not ominous at all¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ difficult to explain. Long to explain too¡±

    ¡°Tell us anyway. I want to hear how corrupt the New York Spider Squad really is¡± Sofia said chuckling maniacally.

    ¡°Sofia¡± Maria warned.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°I¡¯m just joking¡±

    Maria gave her a look, then turned back to me.

    ¡°Lucas¡­ is there something you¡¯re not telling us?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah¡± I mumbled, gulping.

    ¡°Can you tell us?¡±

    ¡°It might take all day¡± I said.

    ¡°We¡¯ve literally got all day¡± Sofia said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t, you¡¯ve got school¡± Maria responded.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have gone to sleep here if I was gonna go in¡±

    ¡°Sof you can¡¯t just-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like the last day. It¡¯s fine. No way I¡¯m missing this. Watching Lucas¡¯ graduation was enough school to last me till the end of summer.¡±

    ¡°Ok, ignoring that. Lucas is there¡­ can you tell us?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ok, alright¡± I gulped, turning off my phone. I set it on the couch beside me as a sudden wave of tiredness pooled over my thoughts, my mind struggling to figure out where to start.

    ¡°So¡­ right¡­ I¡­ uh¡­ I¡­ wow this is¡­ I- umm¡­ I kill... ended¡­ I ended someone¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°What?¡± Sofia said, an uncharacteristic surprise in her voice.

    ¡°Um... I- please don¡¯t make me say it again¡±

    ¡°Wait, are you saying¡­ are you saying what I think you¡¯re saying?¡± Maria said, her eyes widening. I looked away, my face growing hot.

    ¡°Back when I first started. Well, it¡¯s the reason I stopped. I¡­ do you remember the Dr guy mom and dad used to know. The one who used to come to the barbecue sometimes?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah? Uh¡­ Lucas, where is this going?¡±

    ¡°He worked at the BRC. He¡­ we had a school trip and when I saw his research, realised who he was, I went to him about everything. Because he was a scientist, and I thought¡­ that doesn¡¯t matter. He¡­ he used me. I told you that a scientist betrayed me and it ended up killing my friend. Well he, took my powers experimented on it and killed his lab assistant, then tried to kill me. It caused the huge explosion, and after¡­ when I went to Amy¡¯s house with Uncle Jamie, he attacked and he¡­ killed Amy right in front of me. I lost it. And¡­ there weren¡¯t any arrests that day¡±

    ¡°Cause¡­ you killed him?¡± Sofia mumbled.

    ¡°Yeah. Cause I killed him¡± I said, the bitterness in my voice clear. ¡°He was an evil person, who tricked and used me, then tried to kill me and killed my best friend, fucking ate here and gloated about it. A-and I¡¯m not saying that makes it ok, I¡¯m just trying to get you to understand¡±

    ¡°Holy shit¡± Sofia mumbled.

    ¡°I¡­ sorry¡± I mumbled, putting my face in my hands. ¡°I¡­ ¡±

    ¡°So¡­ the news company knows?¡±

    ¡°No. ¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ didn¡¯t Might kill a guy once?¡±

    ¡°Sof¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. Haven¡¯t all big superheroes killed at least like one person?¡±

    ¡°Sof that¡¯s not-¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m right? Hey, maybe even the other Spider-Man¡¯s killed a guy?¡±

    ¡°No¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°He¡¯s not that kind of person. He¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s good. Actually good¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re not?¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± I mumbled, confused. ¡°Sof I killed someone¡±

    ¡°A piece of shit. He killed your best friend in front of you. The dragonfly girl, right?¡± Sofia said. ¡°She¡¯d probably be proud you got him.¡±

    ¡°What? Sof don¡¯t-¡± I muttered.

    ¡°Hey, if someone killed me in front of you I hope you¡¯d kill them¡±

    ¡°Sofia, stop¡± Maria said. ¡°You¡¯re not helping¡±

    ¡°I-¡± she glanced between me and Maria, then shrunk into herself slightly. ¡°S-sorry¡±

    Maria looked back to me, her gaze distant, before letting out a breath.

    ¡°Well¡­ Sof¡¯s not entirely wrong. But¡­ shit¡­ I¡¯m not sure what to say?¡±

    ¡°Should I¡­ turn myself in?¡± I sniffled.

    ¡°No¡± Sofia said.

    ¡°Absolutely not¡± Maria responded.

    ¡°But-¡±

    ¡°No Lucas. He was a supervillain. Sure, you shouldn¡¯t have killed him, but you were a kid, and you know what you did was wrong. If you turned yourself in now, they¡¯d try you as an adult, take all context out of the situation and make it out like you killed him in cold blood. And think about all the good you¡¯re doing now. I mean, you saved a bunch of people from a guy flying around throwing bombs literally yesterday. You¡¯re a hero Lucas. You made a mistake, but you¡¯re a hero¡±

    ¡°Mistake¡¯s understating it don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Well, if you turn yourself in, they might try to figure out who the other spider-men are. That wouldn¡¯t do anyone any good¡± Sofia added.

    ¡°Crap¡± I muttered, putting a hand to my head as I sniffled again. ¡°Man. I thought¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ I thought you guys would hate me when I told you this¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s a lot, but¡­¡± Maria shrugged. ¡°You seem to realise you did the wrong thing. Even if he might have deserved it¡±

    ¡°Deserved it¡­ who gets to decide that?¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Sounded pretty deserving to me¡±

    ¡°Sof¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡±

    We all remained silent for a second, a stillness in the air and our thoughts. I went to speak again, unsure of what I wanted to say, knowing only that I had to fill the space with some words, no matter how pointless.

    Then suddenly my phone buzzed. I glanced to it. Peter was calling. I sniffled again, then wiped at my eyes.

    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Maria asked.

    ¡°Someone important¡± I said. ¡°I should take it¡±

    I picked up the phone and answered.

    ¡°Hey Lucas¡±

    ¡°Hey. What¡¯s up¡±

    ¡°Sorry, but could you show up by the same building for ten? I¡¯ve got some stuff to do later, and it¡¯s the only time that worked for everyone¡±

    ¡°I¡­ yeah. That¡¯s fine¡±

    ¡°Great. ¡°

    ¡°Uh, you, ok?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ yeah¡±

    I hung up, then looked up at my sisters.

    ¡°Well¡­ duty calls¡± I muttered. ¡°We¡¯ll have to talk about this later¡±

    They both nodded silent, the deep thoughts clear in their expressions.

    -

    I swung smoothly through the air, taking my time as I fired web after web, thinking to myself. A vague mess of my sister¡¯s words, preconceived notions of my own guilt, and the news rumbled about in my head, all neatly tied together by a bow of uncertainty.

    I¡¯d thought coming clean, telling everyone and acting like a hero would make me one, but after the conversation with my sister.  I glanced down below, then fired another web. Well, not completely square one. Still, I couldn¡¯t help but feel strange about this whole thing. Especially how my sisters had reacted.

    I wonder, how would others react? How would the public react if it ever did come out, if I ever did turn myself in?

    ¡°What would Yerin think?¡± I mumbled.

    I shook my head. Now wasn¡¯t the time to be thinking about that. I yawned and fired a final web before swinging towards the building, landing smoothly on the roof. Peter, Jess, Joshua, and Miles stood looking toward me.

    ¡°Told you¡± Jess said, looking to Peter. ¡°Guess we¡¯re having pizza tonight¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡± he muttered, before looking to me. ¡°Hey Lucas.¡±

    ¡°Hey. Uh¡­ what was that about?¡±

    ¡°Yu¡¯s last again¡± Jess said, grinning as she finished off the last of her hot dog. ¡°I think I¡¯ll make a pretty penny off this¡±

    ¡°Nope. I¡¯m literally never going to make a wager again¡±

    ¡°Aww¡±

    ¡°You seen the news?¡± Joshua said, grinning as he stepped towards me, wearing a builder¡¯s uniform.

    ¡°I¡­ yeah¡± I muttered.

    ¡°They¡¯re really putting you through the ringer, huh?¡±

    ¡°They did it to me too, you¡¯ll be fine¡± Peter said, stepping over.

    ¡°Oh, there he his¡±

    Yu landed down,

    ¡°Hey everyone. Sorry I¡¯m late guys. Slept in a bit¡± he chuckled awkwardly,

    ¡°That¡¯s fine¡± Peter said. ¡°Now, alright. Everyone, we¡¯re a bit tight on time so let¡¯s do this quickly. Today, we¡¯re going to be figuring out strengths and weakness so we can sort out a way for us to all work together properly and effectively. That includes patrol pairings, times and-¡±

    Suddenly his watch began beeping, followed by Yu¡¯s and Jess¡¯.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The sensors all across town¡± Jess muttered. ¡°they¡¯re picking up something weird¡±

    ¡°Like what? One of Osborne¡¯s test things?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡± Peter said. ¡°It¡¯s different. And it¡¯s coming from that lab that went up in flames¡°

    ¡°Another portal?¡± Yu asked.

    ¡°Maybe. Wait the NE is practically-¡±

    Suddenly a shockwave rocked the city, weaker than others, but still enough to make the building we stood on shudder for a moment. My eyes widened, and I turned, looking off in the direction it¡¯d come from.

    A portal floated in the middle of the air only a few, this time much more akin to the one I¡¯d come through from the other universe. It warped and shifted in mid air before stabilising as it hovered in place, a weird almost record scratch like sound reverberating through the air.

    Before any of us could say anything, a bunch of man spiders began falling out of it, onto the remnants of the building below.

 Brick by Brick - Chapter Sixteen

    The six of us stared at the chaos as the portal continued to warp, and shift, more and more half men half spiders barrelling through the portal and onto the building below.

    ¡°Well¡­ I guess that¡¯s our training session cut short¡± Jess muttered.

    ¡°Alright, you two stay here¡± Peter said, pointing to Miles and Joshua. ¡°The rest of you with me. Quick¡±

    I nodded and followed Peter forward as we rushed for the ledge. The air rushed past us as we leapt down and swung into action. Joshua and Miles shouts echoed in the background, fading quickly as the shouts of men and women filled the streets.

    I looked up cursing to myself as the others pulled ahead, the Man-Spider¡¯s still pouring from the portal as a strange gas oozed out into the air with them. They crashed into the lab beneath, some stopping on the roof whilst others rushed down to the streets below, roaring at their surroundings and each other.

    There had to be hundreds. Maybe a thousand.

    ¡°Shit¡± I mumbled. This wasn¡¯t good. This wasn¡¯t good at all.

    Was this my fault? No. Right?

    Well, I mean it was the same kind of portal in the same spot. Something in the lab could be causing it. Shit. Why hadn''t I checked yesterday?

    I''d let my own emotions and laziness get in the way when I probably should¡¯ve investigated inside. Stupid. Stupid.

    I shook my head. There wasn¡¯t a point thinking about this now. There was a horde of deformed Man-Spider''s falling out of the sky, I had to focus.

    ¡°What do we do?¡± I shouted out, the screams of civilians running, shrieks of the Man-Spiders, and the horrendously loud warping of the portal enough to drown out my voice.

    ¡°What?!¡± Peter called back.

    ¡°What do we do?!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°I¡­ we¡¯ll go up and fight! Make webs from building to building and keep the monsters off the ground! Lucas you stay lower! I¡¯ll try to reach the portal and close it!¡±

    ¡°Could there be something in the building?!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Peter shouted.

    Then we were at the lab. And above us, rushing down in a chaotic horde were the monsters, most descending down the walls, though some crushing through the wreck of the lab.

    "What''d you say?!" Peter asked turning to me.

    "Nothing!" I shouted. "It''s fine"

    He nodded then looked back up.

    ¡°Ok, we need to cover the whole building-"

    "I can go around!" Yu shouted.

    "Good idea b-"

    "I¡¯ll go around!¡± Yu shouted, before smashing through the glass beneath us. Peter cursed, before looking back up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go to!¡± Jess said, looking to Peter. "Watch his back!"

    "Ok!" Peter said. "Try to make a barricade as you go around!"

    "With the web bombs?!"

    "Yeah!"

    She nodded, and I watched her leap away and swing off. I looked back to Peter, who was already rushing ahead, barrelling up the glass, as he fired bursts of web forward.

    I followed after him, my breaths heavy as I watched web bombs exploded above me, creating a blockade between us and the monsters. But not one large enough. While some got caught in the web, many clambered around it as Peter slowed, firing more to block them. The blockade grew uneven, as more got through still, their ear-grating screeches growing closer and closer.

    Finally I came to a stop besides Peter. Monsters were on us in an instant, slashing and stabbing with bloodied and rotten legs, as they fought each other just to attack us, their mandibles clacking desperately for our flesh.

    I punched the first few away, giving Peter time to encase them in web before we both leapt back. But the creatures only continued to swarm us further and further back.

    And as we descended, leaping back and firing at the monsters over and over and over, the web built up, growing and growing till it resembled foam moreso than webbing. But still, creatures slipped through, screeching in our faces as their rotten smell washed over us, the bloodlust and hunger apparent just from their manner. I dodged as they crashed into a clump on our former spot, then kicked a desperate one back hard, the monster flying back so hard it impaled itself against another''s leg.

    Then the others all jumped on it, sensing the blood and weakness, ripping it to shreds as they began eating away, not even waiting for the monster to die. And as they clambered over each other, descending into a fight with each other over the corpse, the chaos grew more and more, the monsters killing each other just to feast.

    My eyes widened. The monsters was far lighter and weaker than the one Yu and I''d fought in the sewer, and they didn¡¯t exactly seem to be on the same team. They were hungry, and it''s all that seemed to matter. We could use that against them, trap them whilst they ate each other.

    I moved forward, but Peter grabbed me.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    "They''re hungry! Chasing after food! Finish the blockade and we can keep them enclosed by staying and fighting them here! Just on this building!"

    I nodded, and together we began firing webs across the street to form a larger blockade.

    "What about the sides?!" I called out

    "I sent spider-bots to do it!" Peter shouted. I nodded, then glanced up the monsters, still distracted as they fought each other.

    So I continued, firing web after web until Peter and I were cast in shadow. We both finally stopped, breathing heavily and I glanced below. Some civilians still milled about in the street; phones raised as they filmed us.

    ¡°Run you idiots!¡± I shouted. They listened,  racing away.

    I looked back up, at the monstrosity of web, stained with blood as the echo of distant shrieks rang out through the empty streets, sunlight only visible in blotches below.

    ¡°This would make for a good horror movie¡± Peter said.

    ¡°Shame it¡¯s real¡± I mumbled back, my heart hammering in my chest. I looked around, before spotting the still warping portal through a gap in the webbing. ¡°Uh... do we call the Vanguard?¡±

    ¡°I do every time something big happens. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll come¡±

    ¡°Surely they will if it gets bad enough?¡±

    ¡°Too many will dead by that time¡±

    ¡°Oh... right¡±

    Peter looked to me.

    ¡°Can you hold here on your own?¡± Peter asked.

    "Like... under here?"

    "I mean, above the webbing"

    ¡°No way¡±

    ¡°¡­ can you try?¡± he said, the desperation clear in his tone.

    ¡°I- sure¡± I muttered.

    Peter nodded, then looked up again.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be hard, but you¡¯ll be good¡­ do good¡± he muttered, the tension in his voice clear as he surveyed the wall.

    ¡°At least I don¡¯t have to go through that horde¡­ Man-Spiders... fucking crazy¡± I muttered shuddering.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± I said, nodding as I steeled myself. ¡°Ok, how do we do this?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll go through the web further back, then I¡¯ll break through the monsters'' line make for the portal, while you stay back and keep them off the streets¡±

    ¡°Ok¡± I mumbled. ¡°Ok.¡±

    Peter nodded, and then without a word, we swung up towards the building across the street, then slipped through one of the gaps in the web.

    We landed atop the it, and looked across to the mess of spiders, crawling around and in the remnants of the lab, covered in blood as they screeched at each other, some still fighting over corpses. The portal still warped above us, growing louder and louder as monsters still climbed outwards.

    The creatures turned to us almost instantly, and then with a chorus of joyful shrieks, clawed their way out of the building and across the web towards us. Peter rushed forwards and I followed after him, firing at the creatures, trapping them against the web or in clumps with each other.

    We reached the wall Peter leapt forward, crashing against the glass. With ridiculous speed, he rushed up the side of the building, shooting past the disorientated mess of monsters that only began to rear their ugly head from the burnt wreck.

    ¡°Good luck!¡± I cried out. He offered me a thumbs up, without looking back, continuing onwards and upwards as he raced through the thinner crowd, steadily getting higher on the obliterated lab walls.

    Then a monster screeched loudly as it closed in. I dodged, landing further back, and my breaths slowed, my eyes darting around. Looking, to all the monsters surrounding me, quickly closing in. Go time. I leapt into action. Firing web after web, then dodging closer attacks and backing away from the monsters as my spider-sense reached out, warning me off the monsters I couldn''t see.

    It was a dance. A rhythm of attack and dodges, like a well timed two-step. We made our way across the web, then back up to the villains, somewhere in my mind cognizant of the civilians that screamed from the windows of adjacent buildings.

    Almost subconsciously, I kept them to me. Whilst my mind focused on evading the crowd then striking, small actions slipped out. The occasional shout, or a yank back when one of the creatures got too interested in the surroundings. The smash of glass or a punch to the face to illicit a shriek. All to draw their attention. To keep them away.

    I darted back and forth, keeping the monsters at away with defence and holding my offence close to my chest until they were brave enough to come too close. They were hungry for a reason. I was faster than them, stronger. And they were slow.

    It was wonderful in a weird way. With my life on the line, alone, my nerves were suddenly forgotten.

    It seemed like ages ago Peter had left me here. But it could''ve only been a minute. Maybe more. I couldn''t tell how long the dance had been going.

    And then the moment was over. I leapt dodging a a creature when the glass beneath me exploded, a long and sharp leg narrowly missing me as my body moved.

    I was alive but the illusion was broken. The smell of blood, the loud warping, the feeling of fear, they were back. And the monsters were atop me. Crying out, I dodged the snap of mandibles, then kicked at another, scrambling down the wall as others pressed forward, screaming and slashing at the glass beneath them, the multitudes closing in far too quickly for me to stop it.

    ¡°Get back dammit!¡± I roared, kicking out before leaping from the wall. I landed on the web, and spotted a monster behind me, rushing towards the windows of the adjacent build. Civilians were still inside, at the windows. I fired, yanking a monster back onto the web, then trapped it with the growing array of cocoons beneath me.

    ¡°Get away from the windows you idiots!¡± I roared, leaping forward, before I kicked another monster down, and covered it in web, trapping it too.

    Then the rest of the creatures reached me. Pushing me back more and more, swarming me as they cut at me, only barely slicing into flesh.

    But the slashes were getting deeper and deeper. And with each cut I was getting slower and they were getting faster. My fear was growing as I kept pushing them back, urging me to release my claws and start slashing. The same monstrous urge that¡¯d commanding me to kill to survive.

    But I couldn¡¯t. I wouldn¡¯t. They were monsters, but they had faces. Human faces marred by whatever had happened to them. They might¡¯ve been monstrous now, but they¡¯d been people. Peter had fixed Joshua, and I didn¡¯t know if he could fix these people, but I didn¡¯t want to kill.

    I roared, and continued fighting back, dance forgotten, instead using brute force to keep the Man-Spiders away. But there was a reason I''d default to dodging. One caught me, slashing at my back with a leg, and I went down, cursing out. The monsters descended upon me and I threw myself to the side bouncing along the web as my own blood, smeared and sept into the silk.

    It seemed to draw the creatures up into a frenzy, and they rushed forward, hungry. But then they slowed, stopping in place suddenly before looking to the sky. I looked around, my heart still racing, as I stood. But the creatures all remained still, unmoving as they looked to the sky. So, I looked up too.

    The pour of monsters had slowed, and Peter stood on the edge of the building, looking around confused before glancing to his watch. He too looked up, and then with a cackling that echoed through the surroundings, a man clad in black and blue spandex, long stained by blood dropped out of the portal; the last of the monsters released. He crashed into Peter, knocking him back.

    His laughter echoed loudly over the surrounding buildings as he landed, the monsters all around, coming to a stop as they looked upwards, to the top of the building. The man laughed as he cried out, webs flying past him before he and Peter appeared, flying over the ledge of the building as Man-spider¡¯s clawed after them.

    The two traded blows mid-air, then broke apart, Peter crashing through the glass below as the man skidded to a stop along the wall face.  He stood straight slowly, his laughter growing in its hysteria.

    Then it in a moment it stopped, the silence sudden. Eerie was the only word to describe it. The sight of New York¡¯s downtown skyscrapers and open blue sky filled with silence, the usual sounds of chatter and noise far more distant than usual.

    My eyes narrowed, focusing on the man as he stood tall against the wall, chuckling to himself as Peter raced toward him. Then suddenly ¨C with a bloody finger - he pointed to the rest of the city, small snickers escaping his lips before he spoke.

    ¡°Eat, my children! Eat!¡±

    And the Man-Spiders charged.

 Brick by Brick - Chapter Seventeen

    It was pure chaos.

    The Man-Spider¡¯s seemed to come alive, the frenzied bloodlust disappearing, replaced instead by a cold and calculating hunger. I readied myself, preparing to fight, but instead the creatures shot past me in a rush, screeching as they made for the houses and buildings beyond the lab and its surrounding webs.

    I cursed, leaping through the crowd, trying to force them back. But there were too many. I could barely make a dent in the number that was getting away. Shit. What did I do? There had to be a way to-

    Suddenly my spider sense blared. I dodged an attack, landing slightly separated from the horde, all of them still desperately rushing past. But now, between them, dripping with Man-Spider blood was the largest of the creatures I¡¯d seen yet. It was different from the others. Bigger, stronger, more well fed. I could feel it.

    It roared, the sound echoed by the beasts in the crowd ferocity as the laughing man cackled overhead. I glanced up, as the glass exploded and Peter crashed into him, the two falling out of the sky. Then the beast attacked me.

    I dodged its first attack, only narrowly missing the second before it¡¯s third forced me to catch it. The creature shrieked, yanking it¡¯s leg back and me along with it, snapping it¡¯s mandibles greedily as I drew closer to it''s mouth.

    I let go, kicking it''s face as the mandibles narrowly missed me. But it reached out with a hand and grabbed me by the throat, a deep insect-like clicking emanating from it as its mandibles opened again. Then a shadow passed over us, and the monster¡¯s head disappeared with a soft whumf.

    Joshua crashed to the hardened web, cracking some of it underfoot as I fell to the ground, monster blood covering me.

    Before I had time to register what was happening, a flash of blue exploded outwards to my right. I looked over, watching as Miles descended on the monsters still rushing away. Joshua pulled me up, then leapt into action with a single but great bound, crushing the Man-Spider¡¯s easily as he cruised through the air and landed amongst them.

    Miles leapt around too, a constant aura of blue electricity crackling around him. He left swathes of smoking monsters in his wake as he moved.

    Together the two made the rush seem like light work.

    ¡°Geez¡± I muttered, pulling myself up.

    I stepped forward, to join the fray but my spider-sense buzzed, warning me to keep out of the electricity¡¯s range. Of course. Joshua could only fight because he was unaffected, made of stone.

    Suddenly my spider sense buzzed, and I leapt back, narrowly avoiding Miles as he drew close.

    ¡°S-sorry!¡± he shouted, before crying out again as he leapt around, toasting more Man-Spiders.

    "Holy shit" I muttered. If I got tied up in that I¡¯d get fried to a crisp. He was a walking electrical hazard.

    I frowned. Crap, what did I do now?

    Cackling rang out from above me and I glanced up, watching as the laughing man chased after Peter as he rushed up, towards the portal. Right. That should¡¯ve been my first thought. Man, all this fighting was starting to make me lose it.

    I started up the side of the building then paused, glancing below.

    ¡°You guys alright?!¡± I called out.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got this!¡± Joshua boomed. ¡°Go help the others!¡±

    With a nod I turned around, charging up the wall face. Above the laughing man and Peter traded blows, Peter desperately trying to pull away. I fired webs, catching the laughing man on the back before pulling him down. He slipped against the glass slightly, but barley budged. Shit. He was strong. He cackled, punching Peter back, then looked down to me.

    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± he laughed, ripping the web apart. ¡±One v ones only!¡±

    Suddenly the sound of scuttling reverberated through the glass beneath. I looked to the Man-spider below. One of the big ones. I fired web at its legs, but this one¡¯s pincers were sharpened. The webs were near useless.

    It reached me before I could decide what to do and the game of cat and mouse began again.

    Window after window smashed as I dodged and the monster stabbed, a trail of clear murderous intent left in it''s wake. It was slower climbing up the building face than I was, but not slow enough for me to take my eyes off of it. It seemed smarter too, taking it¡¯s time, shielding it¡¯s eyes from my webs with it''s human arms, and carefully tearing apart any webs I fired with its so very sharp legs and mandibles.

    I cursed, the sound of laughter and smashing glass above me getting closer. Peter wasn''t getting any closer to the roof. I needed to do something Suddenly the window beneath me shattered and I fell down, towards the monster. My body moved almost on pure instinct. Weaving, as I contorted myself, through the mess of pincers and legs. Then it caught my foot with a hand, slamming me into the glass window beneath.

    I didn''t wait for it to attack again. Instead I smashed my elbows through the glass behind me, leaping off the monster and back, into the building as I fell. It chased after me of course, relentless, stabbing and snapping with its legs and mandibles. But I continued backwards, dodging, ducking, and weaving seamlessly, as its pincer sharp legs stabbed at air.

    But it grew more and more cramped for the creature as it followed after me, unable to reach out without losing its balance. It shrieked with frustration, scuttling back and I pounced.

    The monster realised too late what was happening and attacked me with as many legs as possibly, balanced be damned. One sliced across my arm, then I was under it, webbing its legs together before sticking it to the ground.

    I pulled away quickly, stumbling and falling to the floor as I struggled to breathe. My body shook violently, my hands worst of all. I raised them, then looked to the burning cut across my arm. It didn¡¯t look good.

    ¡°I hope these things don¡¯t have poison or something¡± I muttered, feeling at my back. My hand came away with a thin layer with blood and I cursed. At least I couldn¡¯t feel it all that much. Meant it was probably only skin deep. If it wasn¡¯t¡­ well, that probably wasn¡¯t a good thing.

    I stood, then leapt out of the building, rushing back up the face towards Peter and the Man-Spider commander.

    His back was turned to me as he fought Peter, still cackling loudly. This time, instead of firing webs at him I slingshot myself up the lab''s wall face, prepared to knock him out with one blow. I moved fast, but as I neared he suddenly turned to me. He dodged my feet, but I caught him with a knee to the chin before landing above.

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    Peter didn¡¯t waste the opportunity, and a punch square to the face sent the laugher flying through the glass into the lab.

    Instantly, Peter looked up at me.

    ¡°Can you fight him alone?¡± he asked.

    ¡°What? Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got to get to the portal¡±

    I looked up.

    ¡°It¡¯s gone quiet. And it¡¯s closed. Well¡­ not closed but nothing¡¯s come through¡±

    ¡°I know" Peter said, his voice tired. "The portal function has stopped, but whatever caused it is still pouring NE into it¡±

    "That doesn¡¯t sound good¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll explode¡± Peter said. ¡°A big NE explosion. Probably worse than the BRC¡±

    ¡°Go. Quick. I¡¯ll hold him off¡±

    Peter nodded and started up the wall. As if on cue the laughing commander of the Man-Spider¡¯s crashed out of the glass beneath me. I fired webs at him as he laughed, dodging them easily. As I caught myself on the glass again, he leapt up. I dodged his first punch, then blocked his second before he pulled away.

    ¡°Defence? Really?¡± he chuckled.

    ¡°If it works, it works¡±

    ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s so boring. Where¡¯d the other guy go?¡±

    ¡°Forget about him. Fight me¡±

    ¡°This is obviously some sort of trick or something, but I guess I can be done with you quick" he laughed. "I mean you¡¯re already all torn up!¡±

    I punched him clean across the face, and he stumbled only to return an equally fast blow. It knocked me back, then he was on me, hand around my face. I blocked a punch aimed for my solar plexus, then wrenched my head from his grasp, kicking him hard before dodging.

    ¡°Not bad!¡± he cackled, eagerly leaping for me. We met, hands to hands, the force cracking the glass beneath our feet. He continued laughing as we struggled against each other, the rancid and rotting smell of his breath assaulting my nose.

    I tried to force him away, but suddenly his grip went slack and he folded. For a moment I brightened with relief, only to have my momentum used against me. He flipped me over before a knee struck me hard in the chest.

    I bounced off the window face and fell before quickly catching myself, the wind knocked clean out of me.

    Man. What was with all these villains, and heavy hitting blows? He even laughed and smelled horrible too. These portals and their villains who loved exciting fights. Where were they even coming from?

    I pushed myself up and he was upon me again, punching and kicking with attacks as heavy as my own. I dodge and weaved, trying not to get my head taken off.

    ¡°Y¡¯know my kids seem to really like you! Think I¡¯ll carve you up! Give them a treat!¡± he roared, claws suddenly sprouting.

    He slashed across my front, then kicked me hard. I flew back, crashing against a window before falling to the floor.

    My breaths came hard - heavy - and I tried to ignore the taste of iron in my mouth, tried to pull myself up. It was no use. A kick straight to the chest was no joke.

    I coughed hard, and as my vision started to focus again, I frowned in confusion before staring in surprise as Joshua fought the monsters alone below, Miles on his shoulder. The asphalt and stone around him rippled, spikes raising out of the ground as they. Behind him, made of asphalt, and stone from the buildings a wall rose out of the ground.

    Guess Joshua was stronger than expected.

    Suddenly a hand grabbed my foot and launched me. I fired a web, and yanked the Man-spider commander with me. Together we smashed through the wall of the lab, and crashed into the next building over.

    A layer of dust wafted through the air, remnants of drywall laying a top me as I took a poorly timed but much welcomed rest. I¡¯d never felt so peaceful in the middle of a fight before. Probably due to head trauma. But peace was peace. It¡¯d have been perfect if it weren¡¯t for that screaming in the background.

    Wait, screaming? Oh. This building wasn¡¯t empty. Crap.

    I looked up to the creature¡¯s commander as he pulled himself off the ground. He kicked a piece of rubble at me, and started walking over before suddenly turning.

    ¡°God! Will you stop screaming? I''m trying to have fun!¡± he said, turning to a woman in the corner. She continued and he leapt to her, grabbing her.

    I lay on the floor, beaten and broken as I watched the woman try to break free of his grasp. Suddenly he unhinged his jaw unnaturally wide, his sharp teeth prepared to bite through her neck. The woman screamed, and suddenly my vision went red. An unholy screech echoed through the room and the laughing man was laughing again.

    ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± he roared as I slashed for his throat again.

    What?

    I paused and looked down to my hands, blood was dripping from the claws. Claws?

    ¡°What? Why¡¯d you stop?¡± he said. I looked up, blood dripping from his front were three deep claw mark cut him from just below the neck to his stomach. What the hell? What was going on?

    He lunged at me and I blocked the blow, before stumbling away.

    ¡°Defence again?¡± he cried out. ¡°Come on! You were doing so well¡±

    I wheezed, struggling to control my body and my thoughts as I started to piece everything together. Had I really just lost it that easily? A situation similar to Amy''s and everything I thought I''d overcome in the other world just... gone?

    ¡°What?¡± he said, chuckling. ¡°It take a lot out of you? Come on, I¡¯ll show you how to fight. You gotta start like this.¡±

    He jumped back, getting into a fighting stance and accidentally kicked the woman he¡¯d been holding. She screamed, clutching the bite sized chunk missing from her shoulder, before scrambling away.

    ¡°Geez, I¡¯m trying to have fun here. Shut up! Or do you want me to take another chunk out of you?¡± he said, baring his sharpened teeth.

    ¡°NO!¡± I roared, leaping across the room to slash at him. He jumped back surprised, as I rake my claws across his arm. Then he burst into laughter.

    ¡°Oh is that it? You got a thing for her?!¡± he laughed. Then he dived for the woman.

    I screeched, diving at him as he reached her. We slammed together hard enough to carry us across the room and shatter the other wall, continuing on well into the street. The room behind us began to collapse and my eyes widened as the woman screamed again.

    I fired a web and yanked her out, pulling her close as I fired another to slow our fall. But brick fell upon the web, and it was weak from exhaustion. I didn¡¯t have time to fire another one. Quickly, I shielded her, turning my back to the pavement.

    The laughing man crashed to the ground first, crying out in pain. his laughter stopped. Then-

    Joshua caught me out of the air, crashing to the ground with a thud. I breathed heavily, then looked up to him as he set me and the woman on the floor. A few metres over, the laughing man forced himself up, cursing. His legs had been mangled by the fall.

    ¡°Shit¡± he mumbled, looking down to his broken legs. He looked back up at me, and through thinly veiled pain offered a thumbs up, then spoke. ¡°Nice move. You¡¯re lucky my web-shooters broke ages ago¡±

    Then the Man-Spider¡¯s rushed us. It was like a switch, one moment they¡¯d been trying to crowd past the wall, and then they were converging on me, Joshua and the woman.

    I tried to stand, but fell to the ground. Joshua didn¡¯t. He leapt through the crowd and quickly found himself standing over the laughing man. Without hesitation he crushed him. The Man-Spider¡¯s all around screeched, the sound echoing and loud, before they began to dart around in an unorganised frenzy.

    I stared wide eyed at Joshua, as he stalked back over to us, crushing the creatures like bugs on his way. He reached us, and laid Miles down a top me, his breaths shallow.

    "Time to get you lot out of here" Joshua muttered.

    ¡°His voice¡± the woman suddenly muttered.

    ¡°What?¡± we both said, turning to her.

    ¡°I can hear his voice in my head¡± she said, blood suddenly oozing from her nose. The bite on her shoulder oozed with pus as black began to spread to the other veins throughout.

    "Are y-"

    ¡°I-it¡¯s so loud!¡± she cried.

    ¡°What is?¡± Joshua said.

    ¡°He¡¯s in my head! He¡¯s laughing in my head!¡± she cried. ¡°I don¡¯t- He¡¯s telling them¡­ he¡¯s telling¡­ to eat everyone- I can¡¯t stop it!¡±

    My eyes widened and I looked out at the creatures as their order began to returning, some turning back to us with intent, and others crowding the wall once again.

    ¡°I can¡¯t- I can¡¯t stop it¡± the woman sobbed, blood seeping from her nose.

    ¡°I-it¡¯s ok. P- Spider-Man can fix this" I muttered. "You¡¯ll be okay.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Joshua said. ¡°Give her here¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    Joshua didn¡¯t ask twice, wrenching the woman from my grasp.

    Then he slammed her against the ground, the asphalt shaking as blood spatter over me. All around us the Man-Spider¡¯s released a deafening screech. Then they collapsed, falling silent. Dead.

    But I could only look to Joshua, my gaze blank. Joshua back to me and wiped his bloody hand against his overalls.

    ¡°Even better than I expected¡± he said, looking around.

    ¡°Why¡­ why did you do that?¡±

    ¡°Any longer and that wall would¡¯ve collapsed"

    "But Spider-Man could fix her"

    ¡°Would''ve taken too long"

    "But-"

    ¡°But what? The kid was doing most of the legwork till he passed out. If that wall fell people would¡¯ve died. This was just easier, no?¡±

    ¡°¡­ easier?¡± I said, looking to the blood. Then a voice of horror echoed out from above.

    ¡°Dammit! What the hell did you do?!¡±

 Brick by Brick - Chapter Eighteen

    Peter landed down, looking to Joshua wide eyed, his body language filled with rage.

    ¡°What?¡± Joshua said, looking to him.

    ¡°You just killed her!¡± Peter shouted. ¡°You just¡­ dammit. You fucking killed her! And him! Dammit! Shit!¡±

    ¡°Hey, they were controlling the spider things! I stopped them!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not- Jesus Christ¡± Peter cursed. ¡°Jesus Christ¡±

    ¡°Hey, I know it wasn¡¯t pretty but I stopped them!¡±

    ¡°Stopped them!? Is that what you call this?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Joshua shouted, indignant. ¡°It¡¯d be nice if you could show a little appreciation¡±

    ¡°Appreciation?¡± Peter said, his voice suddenly quiet. ¡°Are you¡­ serious?¡±

    ¡°Am I serious?¡± Joshua scoffed. ¡°I just saved a fuckton of people, in my first proper fight. Sure, it wasn¡¯t pretty but-¡±

    Peter hit him, sending Joshua stumbling. My eyes widened and I stood, throwing the still unconscious Miles over my shoulder.

    ¡°You just fucking hit me?!¡± Joshua shouted, turning on Peter. ¡°Who do you think you are?!¡±

    Suddenly Yu and Jess swung landed down, behind Peter, Jess quickly pulling Peter away.

    ¡°Woah, woah¡± Yu said, looking over everyone. ¡°What¡¯s happening? We won didn¡¯t we?¡±

    Peter took a second, calming himself as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

    ¡°Yeah I- no. We won but¡­¡± he trailed off

    ¡°He fucking hit me!¡± Joshua shouted, ¡°Some kind of hero you are, huh? Attacking your own teammate?¡±

    ¡°You killed that woman!¡± Peter shouted, angry again.

    ¡°You what?!¡± Jess and Yu cried turning to Joshua.

    ¡°I saved everyone!¡±

    ¡°Who did you kill?¡± Jess said, serious.

    ¡°He killed that woman, and the guy controlling the spiders¡± Peter said.

    ¡°You what?!¡± Yu cried grabbing the sides of his head.

    ¡°Look, the woman said that the guy was in her head, controlling the spiders or something. I killed her and the spiders stopped moving. It wasn¡¯t pretty but it worked¡±

    Everyone stared at him incredulous.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I- I- He was ok with it¡± Joshua said, pointing to me. I remained still, silent for a moment, before shaking my head.

    ¡°Oh, come on¡± Joshua said. ¡°How¡¯ve you all suddenly turned this on me?!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not turning anything on you¡± Jess said. ¡°You fucking killed someone¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of this. Are we just going to keep going in circles or get on with the cleanup¡± Joshua said. ¡°Cause I¡¯m all for talking about this later when we can have a conversation like adults¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re not¡±

    ¡°What then? You want to shout at me some more? Get it out your system?¡±

    ¡°No¡± Jess said. ¡°We¡¯re going to do something about this¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± Joshua scoffed.

    ¡°Uh¡­ arrest you?¡± Yu asked.

    ¡°Arrest me?!¡± Joshua said incredulous.

    ¡°Woah, guys calm down¡± I said, stepping forward.

    ¡°Calm down!? He killed someone! Someone he didn¡¯t have to!¡± Jess said, as she glared at him.

    ¡°B-but he did it for the greater good¡±

    ¡°Greater good? We don¡¯t just kill people in cold blood!¡± Peter shouted at me.

    ¡°I- sorry, b-¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re heroes¡± Joshua said. ¡°Tough decisions get made, and-¡±

    ¡±We don¡¯t kill innocent people! We try not to kill anyone!¡± Peter shouted.

    ¡°What? Gonna hit me again?¡± Joshua said.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t come quietly, I just might¡± Peter said. The others stepped forward, looking to each other, then Joshua. Oh shit. They were really about to arrest him.

    ¡°Guys¡± I mumbled stepping forward. ¡°Wait just a second¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t hurt you just because your Spider-Man¡± Joshua said, his voice cold.

    The rock under us suddenly started to shift, Joshua¡¯s rock form growing as my spider sense started to steadily buzz. I looked to the others, recognising that they noticed it too. Then Peter leapt forward.

    ¡°Wait!¡± I cried, leaping in front of Peter. We crashed into each other, Miles sent flying as we both hit the ground.

    ¡°Dammit! What the hell are you doing?!¡± Peter cried. Suddenly the asphalt began to warp underfoot, and we were forced to leap to cars as. I looked over, watching as Jess and Yu swung forwards, weaving through the swirl of rubble that¡¯d replaced Joshua¡¯s feet as his form continued to grow, spike jutting out of his forearms now.

    They swung for each other, the spikes missing them narrowly as they attacked him to no avail. Then he roared, a deep bassy sound, that shook the street as the roads and brick of the walls began to tremble.

    His left arm grew large and he brought it down, slamming it hard enough into the ground to crush cars.

    ¡°Guys stop!¡± I cried, my heart beating wildly. ¡°Stop! Guys we can talk this out!¡±

    Joshua roared again, the bass in his voice deafening as he absorbed more of the asphalt, growing in height.

    The others ignored me, continuing onwards. I fired webs, pulling them both back, before leaping over to Joshua.

    ¡°Stop! Joshua stop!¡± I shouted. ¡°We can talk this out with-¡±

    I narrowly dodged as a large spike arm cut through the air, and crashed into the building across the road, shattering all the windows. Jess and Yu leapt past me again, but I webbed them back, swinging quickly to Joshua as I cried out desperately for him to stop.

    But his arm cut back through the air, targeting me again as I swung and dodged through the mess of debris that the ground was now hurling up at me. The arm missed by inches, one of the spikes pricking before it crashed into the already damaged building. The sounds of civilians screaming echoed out from the lower floors.

    ¡°Joshua! Joshua stop!¡± I shouted again. He ignored me, continuing to swing and swat at me. Shit. He either couldn¡¯t hear me, or didn¡¯t want to.

    Suddenly a hand grabbed me, yanking me to the side where I was slammed atop a car.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing?!¡± Peter said, holding me down.

    ¡°I- shit. Sorry I-¡±

    He glanced back and his eyes instantly widened.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°Shit! Miles!¡± Peter cried out.

    He swung off, and quickly snagged an unconscious Miles out from under some rubble as the large spiked fist nearly crashed down upon him. My eyes widened, and I looked up as Joshua roared again, batting away Yu and Jess with his un-spiked palm.

    Dammit. What the hell was I doing? Joshua had killed people and now he was trying to kill us. It didn¡¯t matter what I was feeling, I needed to think this through. I had to stop him.

    I leapt up into the air and swung forward, as fast as possible. My heart hammered as I weaved through the debris, nearing the mess of brick and debris that was now Joshua. Then I sensed it. The wristband that Peter had given him. It was on the spiked arm. If I took that away, did he go back to being stuck in the rock? It was the only plan I could think of.

    ¡°Joshua!¡± I shouted, nearing him. ¡°Joshua!¡±

    He looked down to me and then attacked with the large arm.

    I dodged, a few of the spikes grazing me, then grabbed a hold of a spike as the arm shot past. With all my might I held on, the brick and debris of the arm curling around me as the spikes started to close in.

    ¡°L- Spider-Man!¡± Jess cried from below

    ¡°Stay back!¡± I shouted, as Yu and Jess leapt up towards me. Then with as much might as I could muster, I flung myself downwards, towards the wristband, as various spikes cut at me. Joshua seemed to noticed what I was doing and cried out, the rumble echoing through all the brick.

    But it was too late. I grabbed at his wristband and with a final desperate leap, jumped away. The rock and stone seemed to collapse in on me, sharp spikes aimed for my body. But the stabiliser broke first. Instantly the soft flowing sound like sand ceased, a harsh and grating echoed through the rock.

    I dodged through the slower spikes, and landed a top a broken car, breathing heavily as I looked ahead. Joshua¡¯s form remained a top the mess of rubble, wall and brick, but beneath him the had stone had hardened.

    ¡°What did you do!?¡± he cried. ¡°What did you do?!¡±

    All the stone came grinding to a halt.

    ¡°No!¡± Joshua cried, ¡°No, no, no!¡±

    The flow of bricks and debris slowed, before solidifying, Joshua¡¯s torso still formed out of rock.

    The mass trembled slightly, the bassy rumble of a voice reverberating through the stone as if trying to escape. But it was only echo. Joshua was once again, frozen in rock.

    Then the MDA helicopters descended from above. I looked back to Yu and Jess, then to Peter who stared at me, holding the still limp Miles in his hands.

    "Shit" I mumbled.

    -

    I sat on the rooftop silent, staring out at the cop cars, firetrucks and ambulances below. The MDA had carted Joshua, well the rock formation that was Joshua off, using some special kind of helicopter. He was going to the Hortz-Bruig now. Where he''d probably stay, trapped in rock and rumble. I shuddered.

    ¡°What a week¡± I mumbled. Graduation, telling everyone, picking the mask back up again and a bunch of other stuff alongside this mess. I sighed. So much had happened I couldn¡¯t even think about all of it properly. My thoughts were a mess like always, but today they''d actually had an impact on the fight. I cursed silently.

    ¡°You can say that again¡± a voice said behind me. I glanced back, spotting Peter as he made his way over. I offered a small smile, before looking back to the streets again. ¡°No mask?¡± he asked.

    ¡°No¡± I said. ¡°I guess my mind feels clearer without it. I feel less¡­ confined¡±

    ¡°Makes sense¡± Peter said, taking a seat next to me, before pulling his own mask off. His face was slightly bruised in places, his lip split and he had a look about him, one that made him feel older than he was. But most of all he just seemed tired.

    ¡°You alright?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah. Just thinking. About everything you know. Mostly my suit though. Smells awful. When I haven¡¯t had the chance to wash this thing for too long it gets like that. And sometimes when the materials get covered in corrosive stuff and I wash it too soon, then the colour gets all faded and the lining gets kind of scratchy so, I have to buy the stuff for a new one and it¡¯s all¡­ actually nevermind¡± he chuckled sheepishly. I chuckled too.

    ¡°Nothing like hearing Spider-Man talk about the banality of washing his suit¡±

    ¡°Sorry, sorry¡± he laughed.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯ve gotta complain about it to someone¡±

    ¡°Liz hears about it enough as it is¡± he said smiling. ¡°She¡¯s great with stuff like that. But that¡¯s besides, the point. Suits. That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for¡±

    ¡°Suits?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We should probably sort out a new suit for you¡±

    I looked down at myself, and the tattered mess that covered my body.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I like this one¡±

    ¡°I know but it¡¯s practically falling off of you at this point¡±

    ¡°¡­ fair point. I can keep the colourway though¡±

    ¡°Of course¡±

    I nodded, then looked back out at the city.

    ¡°It¡¯s great isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked. Peter nodded, smiling to himself.

    ¡°It really is¡±

    ¡°I could¡±

    ¡°I do sometimes. Less often than I used to though¡± he said. ¡°First time I came up this high, I think it was right after I saved someone. I swung ¡±

    ¡°I think the first time I came up this high¡­ must¡¯ve been in the other world actually. Sat on a skyscraper for a few hours. Before that I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever been higher than the Flatiron. I swung along the Queensboro once though. That felt weirdly high¡±

    ¡°Yeah, bridges do don¡¯t they¡± Peter said, smiling before his smile fell. ¡°Uh¡­ Lucas?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Back there¡­ when Joshua started¡­ I don¡¯t know. Just, why¡¯d you try to stop us?¡±

    My heart sunk slightly and I clenched my mask in hand.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I thought we could talk it out or something¡±

    ¡°Even after he killed that woman? After he tried to squash Miles?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ sorry. I know it was stupid I just¡­ I didn¡¯t want us to fight like that¡±

    ¡°But¡­ I- look sorry I don¡¯t mean to be rude but that¡¯s not a reason Lucas. You can¡¯t just¡­¡± he trailed off before looking back to me. ¡°Is there something more going on?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know man¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Peter said incredulous.

    ¡°No, I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Well, you better think of a damn answer! That was dangerous Lucas! The others nearly got seriously hurt!¡± Peter shouted, uncharacteristically angry.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡± I stuttered. ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking and I just- I¡­¡± I went quiet, bringing a hand to my face. Peter stayed quiet for a second, then tentatively put a hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°I- sorry. I¡¯m sorry for shouting. But¡­ they¡¯re kids. It¡¯s obvious with Miles, but with the other two¡­ I just forget, given how similar Jess is to me and how strong Yu is. But they¡¯re kids. I know you¡¯re young too, but your older than them. You have a responsibility. Doing this¡­ I- we can¡¯t let anything happen to them¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I understand¡± I said.

    ¡°Good¡± Peter said. ¡°And¡­ sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to shout¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok¡±

    There was a short pause, both of us staring off at the city before I decided to speak again.

    ¡°It was guilt¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°The reason I tried to stop you guys. When you and the others wanted to turn him in, I thought¡­ ¡®I¡¯ve killed someone. How comes I get a chance, but he doesn¡¯t?¡¯ I know it sounds crazy, but I wanted to talk to him, give him a chance to explain himself. I felt¡­ guilty. I thought there was still a chance to clear things up but¡­¡± I trailed off again.

    ¡°Lucas¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry. What I did was beyond stupid. It won¡¯t ever happen again¡± I said. ¡°I promise¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s fine Lucas¡±

    We were silent again.

    ¡°Is that why, afterwards, you tried to take him on alone?¡±

    ¡°I guess. I just¡­ sorry. I keep making the wrong choices or feel the wrong way, then try to compensate for it by making the wrong choices¡±

    ¡°Feel the wrong way?¡±

    ¡°I- whenever things get tough, or there¡¯s something I don¡¯t want to do, I avoid it. I always run¡± I said. Peter was quiet, staring at me silently. I didn¡¯t look at him, staring expressionless at my feet. ¡°I thought I was doing better, cause I felt fine and I¡¯d managed to avoid the feeling till now, till after getting back, but¡­ there¡¯s more to it than I thought¡±

    ¡°More to what?¡±

    ¡°My¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ the way I think? The mindset? I thought I¡¯d gotten over everything, but when I realised I put everyone in danger again, it all came back. I lost control earlier too in the fight. It¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t know¡±

    ¡°Lucas, I don¡¯t understand. I know how difficult being afraid can be, but-¡°

    ¡°It¡¯s not about being afraid¡± I interrupted. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ sorry¡± I mumbled, realising my rudeness.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± Peter said. ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡±

    ¡°I just¡­ I guess during the fight, with everything that I was thinking about and trying to manage it¡­ I¡¯m not explaining it right. It feels like there¡¯s so much more too. Like even if I overcome this¡­ weirdness in my head, things will still be just as hard. I kind of realised when I read the other me¡¯s diary, but I only really understood it now.

    "He¡¯d been doing the Spider-Man thing for years. He didn¡¯t feel afraid anymore or at the very least it didn¡¯t bother him enough that he wrote about it. He just felt trapped in a way. The responsibility of his position unnerved him. He didn¡¯t feel he deserved it and he wasn¡¯t even a bad person. It made him uncomfortable. I think that¡¯s the killer for me. I can¡¯t stand feeling uncomfortable¡± I said. There was another pause.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to change that. It¡¯s part of the reason I ignored Joshua¡¯s behaviour. I didn¡¯t tell anyone but that glider guy, he nearly killed him. Probably would¡¯ve if I hadn¡¯t shown up and said something. And he probably wouldn¡¯t have thought it that bad a thing. The way he spoke about villains, and my own thoughts and feelings, it all made me feel uncomfortable. But instead of seeing what his actions for what they were until it was too late, I focused on what I was feeling. I focused on rejecting the feeling or justify it. I¡­ I tried to rationalise it as growth.

    "I even told myself we were saving people and that¡¯s what heroes do, right? I thought I was being responsible for once¡± I said with an ironic chuckle.

    ¡°Just because you messed up here doesn¡¯t mean you didn¡¯t learn the right lesson. You¡¯ll get more chances¡±

    ¡°How many more?¡± I said, looking up at him. ¡°I mean how many more people have to die because I can¡¯t be a proper hero? Because I want to pretend certain things are ok, or not have tough conversations? How many more people have to die because I can¡¯t even trust myself to do what¡¯s right with this power?¡± Peter¡¯s face shifted, from concern to sadness.

    ¡°What happened today wasn¡¯t your fault Lucas¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie, Pete¡± I said, looking away. We were both silent again.

    ¡°Just¡­ give it some time" he said. "Build yourself up brick by brick¡±

    ¡°I- brick by brick?¡± I said with an arched eyebrow.

    ¡°S-sorry, that was unintentional¡± he chuckled, before becoming serious. ¡°But you know what I mean. The fact that you¡¯re even able to talk about all of this, that you know and recognise that you¡¯re having issues is a good thing. It¡¯s the first step to becoming better. I think, outside of a few mistakes you¡¯re already good enough anyway. Just¡­ don¡¯t quit¡±

    I went silent, nodding to myself.

    I stared down at the mask in my hand. Memories throughout my life, moments and feelings, of everything I¡¯d gone through to get to this point flashed through my mind, finally stopping on the bloodstained picture I still kept in my wallet.

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ not a coward¡±

    I clenched my fist tighter. I¡¯d never be able to stop doing this. Even if I wanted to. Cause if I didn¡¯t wear the mask, I wouldn¡¯t be able to live myself.

    Sure, my girlfriend just broke up with me, I was starting college in a few months and I was nowhere near where I thought I was mentally. There¡¯s probably even a ton of other things I¡¯d have to worry about in the future too. But it wasn¡¯t going to get any easier and there¡¯d gonna be a lot more people who need saving. So I was sticking with it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Pete. I won¡¯t¡± I replied. I¡¯ve missed enough time already.¡±

 Interlude Seventeen - Miles M Morales

    The smell of pizza wafted through the room as Ganke turned on his Playstation. Miles watched his friend grab the controllers before tossing one back onto the bed for him. He leapt down from the ceiling and snagged it, then took a seat next to Ganke. The boy glanced to him, then looked up to the ceiling.

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna get footprints all over my ceiling¡±

    ¡°No way. My socks are clean¡±

    ¡°And the ceiling isn¡¯t. Look you can already see them in the dust¡±

    Miles glanced up, squinting as he tried to make out the footprints. Ganke was right.

    Whoops

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s fine¡± he mumbled unconvincingly.

    ¡°Whatever. Just try not to do it too much. My mom will definitely notice¡±

    The two went back to looking at the TV as the Play-station finished turning on before Miles turned to Ganke.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe what happened today¡±

    ¡°I know. You¡¯ve said it like fifty times already¡±

    ¡°Yeah but it¡¯s so-¡±

    ¡°Cool? Amazing? Spectacular?¡±

    ¡°It was!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you¡¯ve done it, but you¡¯re going to make me bored of hearing about superhero fights¡±

    ¡°Oh come on. It¡¯s totally awesome. I was fighting massive bug spider things in the middle of Manhattan with the Spider-crew and I took part in a city level threat defence or whatever. And we won!¡±

    ¡°And you passed out¡±

    ¡°Details, details. I took part and did something cool¡± he said grinning. ¡°I think that¡¯s all that really counts¡±

    ¡°¡­right. Let me know when they start handing out participation trophies for superhero sidekicks¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a sidekick, I¡¯m-¡±

    ¡°Part of the team. I know, I know you, said it like fifty times already¡±

    The two went silent, before Miles looked down at his hands, clenching and unclenching them.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe it¡± he whispered.

    ¡°Oh god¡±

    ¡°I mean we were training then the portal opened up then I was hopping around fighting massive monsters, and then everything was happening, and then nothing cause I was unconscious. And then the builder guy turned on us and there was the huge fight, and he grew into a massive mound of dirt and rock and-¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°I saw it on the TV man¡±

    ¡°I know, I know but¡­ ah! I can¡¯t believe I was unconscious throughout the whole thing!¡±

    ¡°Quit shouting, my mom¡¯s gonna hear you¡±

    ¡°Right, sorry, sorry¡± Miles said, quickly sitting down. The two best friends sat in silence a moment, before Miles spoke again, in a hushed whisper this time.

    ¡°The whole thing was amazing. Scary but amazing. Until I passed out that was¡±

    ¡°What even happened there?¡±

    ¡°I thought you said you saw it on the news?¡±

    ¡°I saw the other fight on the news, but the first thing wasn¡¯t on anything. I mean I saw some videos online, but none of you¡±

    ¡°Aw man¡± Miles mumbled. ¡°I was so cool. I was leaping around electrocuting everything. I thought there''d be videos online of me¡±

    ¡°Tough luck¡±

    ¡°Hey¡±

    ¡°What? It¡¯s not my fault your not newsworthy¡±

    Miles chuckled to himself, then looked down at his hands, before a crackle of electricity shot through them.

    ¡°Maybe don¡¯t do that next to the Playstation¡±

    ¡°Sorry, sorry, I can just¡­ feel it now you know?¡±

    ¡°No I don¡¯t¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like there¡¯s a ton of electrical energy in my hands just waiting to be released¡±

    ¡°Well don¡¯t release it anywhere near me¡±

    ¡°I can fire lightning from my finger tips" Miles whispered, his grin widening. "I can fire lightning from my finger tips!¡±

    ¡°My mom¡¯s gonna come upstairs at this rate¡±

    Miles leapt of the ground suddenly, giddy with excitement. He kicked a pillow into the wall and flexed his muscles in a pose that almost wasn''t embarrassing.

    ¡°I can lift cars!¡±

    ¡°If she sees the state my room¡¯s in I¡¯m getting grounded y¡¯know?¡±

    ¡°I can stick to walls!¡± Miles said, jumping up onto the ceiling.

    ¡°I said don¡¯t walk on the walls¡±

    ¡°I can sense everything with my eyes closed!¡±

    ¡°Can you sense my mom coming up the stairs?¡±

    ¡°I can even turn into half man half ball of electricity! Like a human fly swatter!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ ok I bet that¡¯s awesome¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± Miles said, before landing back down on the floor, still grinning.

    The two best friends were silent for a moment, before Ganke finally let his pout show, releasing a sigh.

    ¡°Man I¡¯m so jealous¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Miles said looking to him.

    ¡°Oh, my best friend gets superpowers and I¡¯m still just a regular guy. No, no, I''m not jealous at all. It¡¯d be totally normal to not be jealous¡±

    ¡°Uh well¡­ sorry¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t apologise¡± Ganke said frowning.

    ¡°Uh¡­ well¡­.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine man. You¡¯ve got nothing to worry about, we¡¯re still best friends. I¡¯ll be jealous and supportive¡± Ganke said, with an exaggerated sniffle. Miles let out a laugh, then looked down to the floor, thinking his friend¡¯s words over.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be jealous man. Sure, I¡¯ve got powers, but you¡¯re totally the best wingman ever¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Ganke said, turning to him

    ¡°Yeah. The night I met with Spider-Man. I don¡¯t think I would¡¯ve even gone out if you hadn¡¯t convinced me it¡¯d be totally awesome¡±

    ¡°Well, you still did all the work¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I only had the confidence to go out and do all that stuff cause you were on the phone with me¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, on my own I would¡¯ve chickened out, and then I never would''ve met any of the Spider family¡± he said. He smiled to himself slightly. ¡°I might never have become a Spider-Man myself¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re only Spider-Boy at best right now¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡°Just saying¡° Ganke laughed. Miles laughed too then looked to his friend.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to introduce them to you one day¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°I mean, you helped make my costume and pointed me in the right direction. It''s the least I could do¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s... thanks¡±

    ¡°Hey, maybe you could even make stuff for the team one day¡±

    ¡°I¡­ wow¡± Ganke said. ¡°Thanks man. Seriously. I feel bad for ever saying I felt jealous¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Plus it¡¯ll be more fun with you¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Miles grinned, turning back towards the TV as 2K finally loaded.

    ¡°Yeah. I feel like things are about to get a whole lot more fun¡±

 Interlude Eighteen - Norman Osborne

    ¡°And I¡¯d just like to thank you again for all the great work you¡¯ve done¡±

    ¡°Really it¡¯s no problem¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to thank you all the same. You¡¯ve done wonderful work, not just for us, but for all of America¡±

    ¡°That¡­ thank you. That means a lot to me¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure Dr Modell. Feel free to call me any time if you or your team need anything¡±

    ¡°I- alright. I¡¯ll keep it in mind¡±

    Norman hung up the phone and the smile fell from his face. His jaw clenched, and he ground his teeth hard, trying to steady his breathing. It took him longer to calm his anger than it should have. He let out a sigh. The usual tedium of the new corporate culture was getting to him.

    All the stupid phone calls to improve staff morale, the ethics meetings with the new ¡°board of wellness¡±, the self-help and mental awareness classes for staff, free lunches and all the other horrible new changes to Oscorp¡¯s general culture were really getting to him.

    He had a hard enough time as it was just looking at the extra cost the new work culture brought, the fact that he had to interact with it daily for it to operate must¡¯ve been one of God¡¯s cruel jokes. The literal last thing he wanted to do was interact with his minutemen more than he had to.

    But want and need were two different things. Two very different things.

    He clicked his neck and stood, making his way to the window, where a beautiful view of New York spread out below him. He stared out at it, his eyes fixed upon the people as they went about their days, practically ants from this distance.

    The only reason they were still afloat was because people were willing to work for them, regardless of general image of the company. People would forget about Otto¡¯s little stunt over time, but for now he had to bare this suffering.

    The door to his office opened, from the sound of it, the mixture of confidence and pause, his very new chief assistant, Clara.

    ¡°What is it?¡± he said curtly.

    ¡°L¨®pez . He¡­ cancelled¡±

    Norman took a beat, mulling the words over before looking to her.

    ¡°Good¡± he said, clenching his jaw

    ¡°Good?¡±

    ¡°Yes good¡± he said curtly. ¡°Hopefully he¡¯s fucked off permanently. If he¡¯s not willing to take the deal then we don¡¯t need a person like him wasting our time¡±

    ¡°Alright¡­ alright¡± Clara nodded.

    ¡°Do the others know yet?¡± Norman said.

    ¡°Farrow and Roxxon?¡±

    ¡°I- what? Who else?¡± he said turning to face her.

    ¡°I¡­ well he just called and I came to you first, so no¡±

    ¡°Just cause you came to me first, doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t know. Have Patrick run it by Olivia¡± he said. ¡°Then call him back. I¡¯ll speak to him¡±

    ¡°I- right. Of course¡± she said, scrambling for her phone. He watched her a moment before shaking his head.

    God, I miss Maren, he thought.

    He dismissed the thought quickly. He didn¡¯t need to be thinking about traitors. He needed to be planning. If L¨®pez hadn¡¯t taken the deal either he¡¯d gotten a better one elsewhere, or Oscorp¡¯s reputation hadn¡¯t recovered to anywhere near the point he¡¯d assumed.

    This wasn¡¯t bad yet, but it could be. Right now, was a precarious time. They were on the cusp of finally making it back, but a few more missteps, the stock price would fall past 120 and he¡¯d be required to repay the loan. The only way he could pay it back is by selling at least half the US based labs. The media coverage of the layoffs alone would ruin the company.

    But what could he do? It was all well and good being careful biding his time and controlling the situation, till the projects were finished, but you couldn¡¯t control everything. Something would get him if he didn¡¯t hurry up. Or someone.

    But knowing that didn¡¯t make the situation any easier.

    Maybe we accept the acquisition from Farrow? he thought. Instantly froze, shocked by the weakness of himself. It felt almost alien, to a point that disgusted him.

    That bastard. To push me to such a thought¡­

    ¡°I- I called L¨®pez but his assistant said he doesn¡¯t want to speak with you¡± Clara said. He turned and glanced to her, before looking beyond, to the door as the first of his retinue filled into the room.

    ¡°I- L¨®pez? Seriously?¡± Dillon, his CFO, said. Norman cursed under his breath and pinched the bridge of his nose.

    ¡°What happened? I mean it was good, right?¡± Regina his CMO, asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened¡± Norman muttered.

    ¡°I- Did you call him? You didn¡¯t call him did you?¡± Mark, his general counsel said.

    ¡°Did I call him?! Are you serious?¡±

    ¡°I- you know what I mean¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether Norm called him or didn¡¯t call him, he walked. Now, what do we do?¡± Dillon said, looking between everyone.

    ¡°Is there anything we can do?¡± Regina asked. ¡°I mean, I can try and spin this but it looks bad, right?¡±

    ¡°I- maybe we say we backed out. Have Leon say he found a flaw in the product. I- Where the hell is Leon?¡± Dillon said, looking to Norman. Norman looked to Clara.

    ¡°I y-you sent him to do a routine check of the Chicago lab and have dinner with Sam¡±

    ¡°Now?!¡± Dillon said, still incredulous.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think the deal would fall through¡± Norman said.

    ¡°Well when is he having dinner with Sam? Cause if it¡¯s today then it looks like we knew beforehand¡±

    ¡°I- call him quick¡± Norman said, looking to Clara. ¡°We¡¯ll cancel, stop this from getting worse¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t that¡± Regina said. ¡°If he cancels then it looks worse¡±

    ¡°So what, we¡¯re leaving Leon to speak to him alone? What¡¯s he supposed to say? Sorry we fucked it?¡±

    ¡°He can¡­ improvise¡± Norman said, the uncertainty in his voice clear.

    ¡°Improvise? Leon?¡± Mark added, eyebrow raised.

    ¡°I- look you¡¯re blowing this out of proportion¡± Norman said. ¡°We didn¡¯t need L¨®pez¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t need him?¡± Dillon said, incredulous. ¡°What the shit Norman? He was our lifeline¡±

    ¡°No. He would¡¯ve helped, I¡¯ll admit that, but we didn¡¯t need him¡±

    ¡°Are you out of your mind?!¡±

    ¡°Dillon-¡±

    ¡°No don''t Dillon me. This was it. This was fucking- this was it!¡±

    ¡°Will you shut up?!¡± Norman shouted. ¡°Look I know you¡¯re worried, but trust me, this isn¡¯t the issue you think it is¡±

    ¡°I- alright. But we still need to do something about it¡±

    ¡°But what exactly?¡± Mark asked.

    ¡°Farrow, right? I mean, if we sell now, we still make money. If we wait the price falls. I don¡¯t know if we can handle that again¡± Dillon said.

    Norman glanced to him, then to the others, gauging their reactions. He and Mark shared a look, before they both went back to looking at the Dillon.

    ¡°He¡¯s right¡± Regina said. ¡°If this gets out, which it will, they¡¯ll think we¡¯re hiding something.

    ¡°We are hiding things¡± Dillon muttered.

    ¡°Not something big enough for L¨®pez to walk¡± Norman added.

    ¡°I- you know I¡¯m not even going to comment on that¡± Mark said.

    ¡°Shut up¡± Norman said firmly.

    ¡°Look my point is they¡¯ll ask to look over us again and who knows what they find. The deal could be off the table¡±

    ¡°But if we accept it now it¡¯ll look worse. Like we¡¯re trying to get ahead of the curve. It might be too late¡± Dillon said.

    ¡°Not if we wait¡± Norman said. ¡°If we wait, let this die down then they don''t walk"

    "You don''t know that"

    "I do. And we shouldn''t even be discussing this anyway. We''re not selling¡±

    The others in the room glanced to him, before looking back to Dillon.

    "I- Norm I love you, but we can still walk away with something from all of this alright. L¨®pez walked. We have to sell"

    Mutters of assent came from the others. Norman looked to the ground and tuned out the sound of their voices, his hands on his hips. They were really talking about selling to Farrow openly now. Right in front of him. He closed his eyes for a moment before suddenly starting out of his office.

    ¡°I- what? Where¡¯s he going?¡± Regina said, looking to Clara. Clara shrugged and quickly followed after him, the others following after her. Norman walked through the office, his face hard, the others chasing after him.

    ¡°Norman?¡± Dillon called out. He ignored him, continuing towards the lift. ¡°Norman?!¡±

    Employees looked to the commotion now, the sound of typing keys slowing. He ignored them too, reaching the lift as some nearby employees cleared the area. He called one and stepped forward as the doors opened.

    ¡°Norman dammit?!¡± Dillon shouted, reaching him

    ¡°Just- I¡¯ve got it alright!¡± he said. The office was quiet now. He sighed and stepped away from the elevator. ¡°Regina, fly out with your team to Leon and strategize ¨C he makes that meeting no matter what. Mark, L¨®pez used some of our labs, try and see if there¡¯s anything we can catch him on to stop this. And Dillon¡­ do what you always do. Just less loud. I¡¯ll handle the shareholders¡±

    The others were quiet for a moment, then Dillon nodded.

    ¡°Good? That¡¯s all¡± Norman said, stepping into the elevator, followed by Clara.

    The doors closed quickly behind them and he pinched the bridge of his nose, silent. A few seconds passed, Clara glancing to her boss.

    ¡°Are¡­ are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Rule number one Clara¡± he said, ¡°Rule number fucking one¡±

    ¡°I- sorry¡±

    They were silent again before Clara spoke.

    ¡°What are we doing?¡±

    ¡°Top floor. I need to talk to someone¡±

    ¡°Alright. Do¡­ is there anything you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°Viktor. Where¡¯s Viktor?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s on holiday¡±

    ¡°Now? Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ you¡¯d have to ask him¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not- why wasn¡¯t I told?¡±

    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know¡± Clara said.

    ¡°Well call him. Have him take the quickest plane back from wherever he is. I need my son, not any of those idiots out there¡±

    ¡°Alright¡± she said, pulling out her phone. They were quiet again as the phone rung, over and over to no avail.

    ¡°He¡¯s not answering¡±

    ¡°Call again¡±

    The doors to the top floor opened and Norman started down a hallway, his gaze fixed on a door near the end.

    ¡°Straight to voicemail¡± Clara said. Noman sighed as they came to a stop outside the brand new lab 42.

    ¡°Try the other number¡±

    ¡°Other number?¡±

    ¡°Personal phone. It¡¯s in the contact list¡± he said.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing here. Just says Viktor, work¡±

    ¡°Then forget it. Wait out here and call Regina. She¡¯ll find him¡±

    He turned and pressed his hand against the scanner beside the door, the frame hissing with the power of hydraulics before the door opened.

    ¡°Uh- N-Norman sir¡± Clara said, suddenly alarmed.

    ¡°What?¡± he said curtly.

    ¡°I- sorry an Emily¡¯s calling¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Your ex-wife¡±

    Norman sneered.

    ¡°Just hang up¡±

    ¡°I- she says it¡¯s about Viktor¡±

    He paused then turned and took the phone from Clara.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got some damn nerve¡± a voice said on the other end of the line.

    He pulled the phone away from his ear and sneered again. He really didn¡¯t want to talk to her. But if it was about Viktor¡­

    ¡°Should I leave you?¡± Clara said.

    ¡°Yes¡± he said. ¡°Check-up on the others and what they¡¯re doing with Leon and Sam and then have Patrick and Olivia see if we can blackmail L¨®pez with something. He¡¯s close with his family so preferably something to do with his daughters"

    ¡°Then what?¡±

    ¡°Call Sam. Talk him down¡±

    ¡°Me? Won¡¯t he want to talk to you?¡±

    ¡°I might be gone a while. And plus he likes you¡±

    ¡°I - alright¡± Clara said, before quickly walking off.

    He watched her go and then sighed, answering the phone.

    ¡°What¡¯d you want?¡±

    ¡°Well thanks for finally answering. Glad you could finally deign to gift me with your time¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m busy. Why¡¯re you calling?¡±

    There was a pause on the other end of the line, before Emily spoke again, the malice gone now.

    ¡°I really think Viktor¡¯s having trouble¡±

    ¡°Drugs?¡±

    ¡°No, mentally¡±

    ¡°Mentally? Why?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know, maybe it was the fucking miscarriage¡±

    ¡°He got over that¡±

    ¡°Got over it? God Norman, don¡¯t you speak to him?¡±

    ¡°Throwing stones from a glass house are we¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t about me and Susanna. And you barely speak to her either. You¡¯re not exactly a model parent¡±

    ¡°Hey. Don¡¯t you go pointing fingers. You¡¯ve yet to visit Harry. Maybe we should talk about that first¡±

    ¡°I- Harrison isn¡¯t¡­ I- how dare you?!¡±

    ¡°How dare I?" he laughed. "Next time you call me try to think of an excuse for your favouritism.¡±

    The phone was silent for a second, and then the call disconnected. Norman shook his head and pocketed the phone.

    ¡°Can¡¯t believe I ever married her¡± he muttered to himself. He turned and stepped into the lab 42.

    The lab was large, with multiple workstations, and strange metallic structures furnishing the lab. On the far side, a doctor stood, tending to a group of spiders inside a glass box. Behind him, a large vat of clear green liquid flowed around.

    ¡°Dr Eriksson¡± Norman said, smiling as the lab door closed shut behind him

    ¡°Oh, Mr Osborne¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s wonderful to have you here¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s the work going?¡±

    ¡°Splendidly. We¡¯re ahead of schedule¡±

    ¡°Good, good. And how¡¯s Harry progress?¡°

    ¡°Coming along as scheduled¡± the doctor said. ¡°Hopefully, soon, we¡¯ll be able to run the secondary stage of the preliminary tests. If with this dosage we¡¯re seeing such improvements I believe the serum should be ready in the next two weeks or so¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s good¡±

    Of course it was all stuff he already knew, but it felt good to hear another say the words, to speak of his successes.

    ¡°Is there anything else you need sir?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ have you heard from Barbara yet? I want to know if the distortions are having any effect on the rooftop labs?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯ll get right to it¡±

    ¡°Good. That¡¯s all¡±

    ¡°Alright¡±

    The two were quiet for an awkward second before Norman glanced around.

    ¡°You don¡¯t mind if I take a look around?¡±

    ¡°Of course not Sir. You¡¯re the boss after all¡± he said. Norman smiled to himself and nodded.

    He took a step back and stared at the tube of glass and green liquid in front of him, before his eyes wandered to the metal enhancement suit the doctor had helped him craft.

    He smiled, looking over it. It was perfect. An ideal mixture of form, function, engineering and science. Machinery that took the human body to the next level.

    They still had to iron out a few kinks, but it was nearly there. Once it was finished, the military would be all over him. Maybe he could even add the design of the glider he¡¯d brought off the black market. The one that¡¯d come through the rift. Then it''d have controlled flight too.

    He smiled to himself, tapping his foot against the cold hard floor of the lab. His gaze wandered as he glanced to other things within the lab smiling to himself.

    The last few years had been hard, but this? This was what could mark the start of a new age.

    He wouldn¡¯t be known for his pathetically small NE bombs, his failed super soldier serum, or a failed enhancement suit.

    The military would flock to him once he unveiled this. The contracts would be obscene, and it¡¯d only be the start. Once he¡¯d reeled them in, he¡¯d get the funding, and with his new research labs figure out what the hell Dr Ricardo had done to that fucking mouse.

    If he really needed to, he could hire Scorpion from Kingpin¡¯s troupe to capture the Spider-Man, Lucas Escarra, but even that wasn¡¯t necessary. Eriksson was close to working things out and if word of that got out¡­ he didn¡¯t even want to think of the domino effect it would have. Mark had already drafted him on that.

    But that was another matter. Negative thoughts weren¡¯t for this room. In here he could only think positively, only look to the future, and consider all the possibilities his new technologies would bring him. The wealth, the status, the fame. He wouldn¡¯t need Spider-Man. Scientists from across the world would flock to him, and then he could really start to work on a proper Negative Energy bomb.

    The corners of his mouth turned upwards. A proper NE bomb. Something even greater than the nuke. No need for uranium or plutonium refining, just some mice, an NE generator, and some basic science and engineering. The world would be in the palm of his hand.

    The father of the NE bomb. Now that has a nice ring to it. He¡¯d be known for something much, much greater. He smiled to himself. Soon, he¡¯d be the most powerful man in the world. Soon, very soon it¡¯d all come together. He was sure of it. Certain.

    Farrow Industries wouldn¡¯t acquire him, he¡¯d buy them. They¡¯d be forgotten. Everyone the world over would only ever talk about Oscorp again. He smiled to himself, a large smile this time, a maniacal grin.

    ¡°Just you wait Might. I¡¯m coming for you and your company¡± Osborne whispered. ¡°Just you fucking wait¡±

 Going Green - Chapter One

    I stared at the homework in front of me, my expression blank as I tried to make sense of what was happening on the page. For a moment the pieces of the puzzle began to come together, then the smell of Liz¡¯s cooking wafted into the room.

    Meat, the voice whispered in my head.

    Great, the voice was back. I ignored it focusing on the work in front of me, before glancing to Jess as she scribbled away, the answers coming to her effortlessly. I narrowed my eyes for a moment, then slowly leant over the table, craning my neck to get a better look at her answer. One question wouldn¡¯t hurt.

    ¡°Look at your own work Yu¡± she said.

    ¡°Right, right¡± I mumbled, pulling back. I sat still, ruminating before sighing. She was right. I couldn¡¯t try and cheat my way around this. I had to focus, learn the stuff now, without shortcuts, and I wouldn¡¯t pay for it later.

    I grabbed the textbook beside me and opened to the contents, searching for anything relevant. The smell of burgers wafted through the apartment into the room, the presence in the back of my mind practically jumping for joy.

    Tasssty Meat

    Not now I thought.

    But it smells so good. We have not eaten.

    Not now.

    We require sustenance! We must eat!

    Please. I¡¯m trying to work.

    The voice went quiet. I sighed, focusing back on the textbook in front of me. But even without the voice and the bouts of gnawing hunger, the words still didn¡¯t make sense. I dropped my pen and stretched out, yawning.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m done for today¡± I said.

    ¡°¡­you¡¯re not even finished¡± Jess said.

    ¡°I know, I know, I just-¡±

    The kitchen is near. We must eat.

    ¡°You know, I think I¡¯m gonna become a vegetarian¡± I muttered.

    NO! Meat! MEAT!!

    Jess looked up to me, frowning.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try and change the subject¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not, I¡¯ll do the work. But I seriously think I¡¯m gonna become a vegetarian¡±

    Fool!

    ¡°Ok. Uh¡­ why?¡±

    "I don''t know. I''ve just been eating too much meat"

    You must maintain a balanced diet for health!

    I snapped the textbook shut and leapt up onto the ceiling, as my suit pooled out of my pores, covering me before solidifying. The voice disappeared instantly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go out. Take down a few baddies¡±

    Jess frowned.

    ¡°And what about the homework?¡±

    I glanced back down to the table, before sighing.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can do it tomorrow. I wanted to go out on patrol anyway¡±

    Jess stared at me with that face, that blank face that meant I was being stupid.

    ¡°What?¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°This is due tomorrow you know¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    She chuckled to herself.

    ¡°I mean we can still go on a quick patrol, but I don¡¯t see how you¡¯re gonna get it finished if we do¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine¡±

    ¡°Yu, you need to do it¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. I promise¡±

    Jess took a moment, then sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do this one for you, but you have to promise to learn it properly¡±

    ¡°I will, I will. Now come on, let¡¯s go. The night¡¯s waiting¡±

    Jess stood slowly, before pulling her web-shooters out of her bag.

    ¡°At this rate, when it comes to midterms, you¡¯re seriously gonna fail¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. I mean we just started the year. How hard can it really get?¡±

    ¡°Wow it¡¯s like you¡¯re trying to fail¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine¡±

    ¡°Famous last words¡±

    I sighed, before glancing out the window.

    ¡°Enough, enough. Let¡¯s go¡± I said impatiently.

    ¡°Alright, let me change then tell Liz¡±

    ¡°Great¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll wait on the roof.¡±

    -

    The streets were quieter now that winter had come. Darkness came early, but it was surprising how quickly rowdy and late-night drunks disappeared as summer faded. Well, they didn¡¯t disappear entirely, just went home earlier, and there were far less of them. It was nice knowing I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with.

    Still winter didn¡¯t stop the more dangerous criminals, and the drunks that still roamed around could be claimed by the cold if we weren¡¯t careful. It was still important to remain vigilant at all times.

    I glanced to Jess as she took another bite of her pizza, looking over her phone with her other.

    ¡°Do you have to eat it upside down?¡±

    ¡°I think better upside down¡± she said, before taking another bite. ¡°All the blood goes to the head¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Right, right¡±

    I looked away, down to the street below before checking my watch. I tapped a few buttons then frowned looking it over.

    ¡°Anything new?¡± she asked.

    ¡°The missing purse request disappeared and¡­ oh. There¡¯s a guy on 33rd who says he needs help getting to the hospital. He listed it as low priority though¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t want to pay for an ambulance?¡±

    ¡°Probably. Oh, it says he¡¯s old. Eighty-two¡±

    ¡°Oh¡± she said. ¡°Hm, might just be for a routine check-up. We can go see him after giving all the jewellery back¡±

    I looked back to the black bag that rested beside me and sighed.

    ¡°How many robberies are there?¡±

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s part of the job¡±

    ¡°I know, but you¡¯d think people would be discouraged you, know?¡±

    ¡°Welp, give the average criminal superstrength and he gets a big head you know?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but it can¡¯t be that common. Some of these guys are just normal¡±

    ¡°Might feel normal to you, but I¡¯m pretty sure most of them have¡±

    ¡°But there have been like thirty? Forty?¡±

    ¡°Closer to fifteen¡±

    ¡°Still, that¡¯s a lot though? Right?¡±

    ¡°Well, probably not all of them were criminals beforehand. I mean cost of living crisis. People are desperate. You give a guy with a starving family superpowers, I doubt his first instinct is to become a superhero. Everybody knows we don¡¯t get paid¡±

    ¡°Still¡­ we need to figure out how to stop this NE crisis thingy¡±

    ¡°Seriously. What do you think Pete and I are trying to do?¡±

    ¡°Right. Sorry¡± I mumbled. ¡°It just¡­ I don¡¯t know¡±

    ¡°Like I said, part of the job¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­ sure. But we¡¯re here. I mean Might¡¯s busy with the whole country and stuff, and Athena- I don¡¯t even know. But the crime rate should¡¯ve at least gone down somewhat, right? I mean we¡¯ve been at this for nearly a year¡±

    ¡°People just aren¡¯t afraid of us like that¡±

    ¡°They should be¡± I muttered. As soon as the words left my mouth I could feel Jess¡¯ gaze on the back of my head.

    ¡°Uh¡­ that didn¡¯t sound very ¡®neighbourhood friendly¡¯. Should I be worried?¡±

    ¡°No¡± I muttered.

    We sat in silence as I looked to the sky, watching the dark slowly encroach further and further into the territory of day. I glanced at my watch.

    ¡°17:45? Wow. It¡¯s so dark already¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so cold too¡± Jess mumbled.

    ¡°Really?¡± I grinned. ¡°Can¡¯t feel a thing¡±

    ¡°Ha, ha. Very funny¡± she said, before

    ¡°Dammit my pizza¡¯s all cold. Wait- how did you finish yours already?¡±

    ¡°The suction method¡±

    ¡°The suction method?¡±

    ¡°Still working on the name. Is ¡®Absorb method¡¯ better?¡±

    ¡°What the hell is that?¡±

    ¡°A neat trick I figured out. I just take the food and I absorb it straight into my suit¡±

    ¡°That cannot be healthy¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better than getting indigestion¡±

    ¡°Alright. But isn¡¯t it like¡­ painful?¡±

    ¡°Why would it be painful?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ you¡¯re absorbing a whole hotdog into you in a few seconds. That¡¯s¡­ a lot right?¡±

    ¡°Hm, I didn¡¯t think about it like that¡± I muttered thoughtfully. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter, cause it¡¯s not¡±

    ¡°Well, it must at least be straining. I mean you¡¯re metabolising the food in seconds, or even faster. That can¡¯t be energy efficient, right?¡±

    ¡°No clue. Squeak does most of the work anyway¡±

    ¡°Squeak?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the suit¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re naming it?¡±

    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s alive¡±

    ¡°Huh. I guess it is. I wonder if it likes cheese?¡±

    ¡°Cheese?¡±

    ¡°Well, it was a rat before, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh right, Pete mentioned that¡± I said. ¡°But no, it really seems to like chocolate and m-¡±

    Sirens began blaring in the distant and we both froze before looking to each other. Jess wolfed down the last of her hotdog, and pulled on her mask, as I scanned out with my spider sense.

    Without a word to each other we leapt off the building face, swinging down into the street. We swung fast, firing webs quickly as we pulled ourselves along, only a few feet higher than the people below.

    The cars came around the corner quickly, a beaten corolla swerving dangerously through the street, slamming into other cars as people cried out, a police car swerved close behind it. We didn¡¯t need to talk, we¡¯d done this enough before. I stopped the car, Jess kept other cars safe.

    I shot forward, flying past the cop car, before landing down upon the corolla. I heard fainting shouting inside, sensing as the two people in the front seat moved around desperate. Without a moment¡¯s wait, I leapt back, grabbing a hold of the hood as my feet meet the asphalt.

    Strands of my suit shot out, grabbing a hold of the car as I lifted upwards, digging my feet hard into the ground.

    But before I could lift the car broke hard, slamming into me. I stumbled surprised and my grip loosened. With my grip on the hood unbalanced, the car swerved dangerously, teetering on two tires. It curved through the road, cutting towards the street as people screamed. Jess shot past, firing web bombs between the car and the road as I grabbed a hold of the boot once again.

    I cried out, tendrils of the symbiote shooting out to anchor me to the ground, lifting the car off it¡¯s back tires. The car came to a near instant stop, and I kicked at the back wheels, knocking them both clean off.

    With a final sigh, I let go and dropped the car down onto the road. Jess landed a top of the car.

    ¡°Everyone ok?¡±

    She flashed me a thumbs up before looking back to the slowing police car.

    ¡°Hm. Well, that was qu-¡±

    Suddenly my spider sense buzzed. I leapt back, firing web at the police and nearby civilians as I pulled them back. Then the street below exploded in a mess of fire and smoke, debris rained down upon all of us. I sensed out quickly, watching in confusion as a woman in power armour fought against a guy with a jetpack.

    ¡°Look what you¡¯ve done. Let me go dammit!¡±

    ¡°Just stop!¡± the woman shouted back.

    ¡°No! You¡¯re making a fucking scene¡± Jetpack shouted.

    ¡°You¡¯re both making a scene¡± Jess called out, as she leapt forward. She slammed into jetpack, knocking him to the floor, before firing webs at power armour

    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Jetpack screamed.

    ¡°You fucking idiot! Look what you did!¡± Power armour screamed, ripping the web off of her. ¡°The spider-men are here and now we¡¯re fucked! This is all your fault!¡±

    ¡°Fuck off! This wouldn¡¯t have happened if you¡¯d just given back my money!¡±

    Power armour roared and leapt at Jess. I fired a web grabbing her. But she resisted as I pulled at her, then yanked me forward, slamming a fist right into my face.

    I crashed to the floor, stars spinning through my vision as I tried to pull myself off the ground. Well, that hadn¡¯t been any regular power armour punch. Definitely the newest Might tech, with the Farrow seal of approval. Great. Just great.

    I glanced up, my ears still ringing as I tried to blink the black spots out of my vision. Jess, the power armour, and jet pack fought amongst themselves, debris flying everywhere.

    I forced myself up, then dived into the fray, kicking jetpack back to the ground, before landing atop the power armour. She grabbed at me as I leapt around, pulling at the exposed wires around her neck.

    ¡°No! Get off!¡± she shouted.

    ¡°If you stop destroying the city!¡±

    ¡°Goddammit, stop! This was expensive!¡±

    ¡°Expensive? Well next time you get power armour. Invest in a helmet¡± I said.

    ¡°Fuck you!¡± she screamed. She grabbed a hold me and slammed me hard to the ground. I winced, then leapt off the ground as power armour turned to me, enraged as sparks sputtered from around her neck.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s still working¡± I muttered. ¡°I guess it¡¯s not that bad¡±

    She roared and rushed me. I dodged a few blows before tripping her. She feel to one knee, then cursed, and her suit beeped loudly. The power armour began to charge up and instantly the hairs on the back of my head stood up. I went to cover my ears, but it was too late. My suit shifted, and then the pain came.

    I cried out, falling off the suit as I grabbed the sides of my head. I screamed, writhing around as any sense of balance I had was obliterated, nausea sweeping through me. A fist slammed into my side, and I cried out, before another blow slammed into my face.

    The pain only grew, worsening as I tried to protect my attention. I couldn¡¯t focus, couldn¡¯t fight back. Nothing besides the pain existed.

    I could feel the pain building up within me, a darkness that I¡¯d felt only once before. Back in Tombstone¡¯s wreck. When Otto had nearly killed me. Fear shot through my gut and I leapt up, pain be damned.

    ¡°Stop!¡° I screeched. I slammed a fist hard into power armour¡¯s chest and she folded like a piece of paper, sparks shooting through the now caved in chest. Jetpack stared at me wide eyed, then turned to fly away, but I cracked my fist across his back, shearing the jet pack in two.

    Sparks flew out and he cried out before crashing to the ground. Jess stuck them both to the floor with a web, before looking to me wide eyed.

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡±

    I stared down at my hand for a moment my fist in the shape of a hammer. It dissipated as the symbiote writhed about, before stabilising again, back into hand shape. I flexed my hand, letting the tendrils snake back out, manipulating them with my wind before brining it under control again, solidifying it into a once more hammer then back into my fist.

    I grinned.

    ¡°New trick, I guess¡±

    ¡°Cool. Next time though maybe don¡¯t smash an unstable jetpack with a ton of explosive fuel inside with a¡­ hammerfist¡°

    ¡°Oh. Uh¡­ whoops¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, you¡¯re usually good about it anyway¡±

    ¡°I know¡± I said, before looking around. The civilians stood in the street clapping, as the cops stood up.

    ¡°Did you call the MDA?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°Alright. Come on. We¡¯ve got an old man to rescue. We spent enough time eating¡±

    Jess nodded and we both leapt into the sky, swinging away. As the wind rushed past me, I looked back, frowning. That¡¯d been weird. Really weird. For a second it¡¯d been like-

    I cried out dodging a pigeon before quickly righting myself, heart beating wildly as I glanced back at it. Jess laughed from above.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. I was distracted¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on with you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s winter. The cold¡¯s throwing me off my game¡±

    ¡°Sure¡± she chuckled. ¡°You sure you¡¯ll be able to carry an old man¡±

    ¡°What? Why am I carrying him?¡±

    ¡°I carried that woman to the hospital last time¡±

    ¡°I offered¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but you didn¡¯t carry her¡±

    ¡°Whatever. I¡¯ll carry him, but it means I pick the next movie¡±

    Jess laughed.

    ¡°It was your turn anyway¡±

 Going Green - Chapter Two

    ¡°And now for a bit of history on where the Newton-Raphson method came from¡± Mr Garland said.

    A groan emanated from the class, and I chuckled to myself in my seat, doodling within the margins of my book.

    ¡°Now, now, the history of math is important guys¡± Mr Garland said, trying ¨C and failing ¨C to hide his amusement. ¡°It¡¯s good to know the history behind what you¡¯re learning, helps you remember¡±

    ¡°But it won¡¯t be on the midterm though¡± a student called out.

    ¡°No, but it¡¯s important¡±

    ¡°Sir were here for math, not history¡± another said.

    ¡°Yeah, my dad¡¯s an accountant and he didn¡¯t even know the stuff you taught us about Euclid or whatever last week¡± a student added.

    ¡°I mean geometry and accounting are two different things¡­¡± another student said.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point. I¡¯m tired of learning things I don¡¯t have to. Mr Briggs already goes off on tangents enough¡±

    ¡°Yeah, can we just do the handout?¡± another student asked. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to add it to the homework¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, everyone settle down" Mr Garland said. "I¡¯ll keep it short, and you can start the handout if you want¡±

    The shuffling of papers filled the room, students quickly going to their worksheets but some¡¯s attention remained fixed to Mr Garland.

    ¡°Alright, for those of you listening, can any of you remember when I told you the method was first published?¡±

    The class was silent.

    ¡°No? Nobody?"

    The class remained silent.

    "Really? No one?" Mr Garland said.  "Anyone want to guess? No?¡±

    Jess raised her hand.

    ¡°Yes, Jess¡± he said relieved.

    ¡°Can I go to the toilet?¡±

    ¡°Corre- oh. Uh¡­ sure.¡±

    She got up quickly, and checked her watch before snagging a hall pass and slipping out the door. I checked my watch, but no notifications came. I frowned.

    ¡°So¡­ anyone?¡±

    A student raised a hand tentatively.

    ¡°Jeremy?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ it was¡­ wait. I forgot the exact date but it was in the ancient times. Like... the renaissance¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ yes actually. Around the end of the seventeenth century start of the eighteenth¡± Mr Garland said. ¡°Now, why do I bring it up? Because that was in fact actually a lie¡±

    I stopped doodling, and looked up at the teacher, my frown deepening. A few of the students around the class stopped too, setting down their pens as they began to listen.

    ¡°You see, this is quite common for various ideas and concepts all around the world.¡± he said, grinning to himself. ¡°While there¡¯s a point at which a person makes the discovery and has the work very publicly attributed to them, there are usually others with similar ideas. For this there were quite a few, though the case in point being the ever so mysterious Vandal Savage¡±

    ¡°Wait- the first metahuman guy? Again?!¡±

    ¡°Yes Holly. Please don¡¯t shout¡± Mr Garland said, as more students stopped working.

    ¡°Sorry¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Anyway, you see while there¡¯s plenty of theories about who or what he may or may not be in terms of meta-humanism, some even claiming the Pyler experiment was done using materials taken from his proposed burial site, sir Savage during his time alive, and especially in his later year, was a true genius. Likely because of his lifespan, he became a man far ahead of his time in his wealth of knowledge, his practice of math and general approach to life. Around he proposed an extremely similar method to the ones used by Newton and Raphson in the fourteen hundreds, nearly two hundred years before Newton¡¯s method was first published. Some even believe he taught Sharaf al-Din al-Tusi and Jamsh¨©d al-K¨¡sh¨©, who inspired Fran?ois Vi¨¨te¡¯s work, and who some believe Newton developed the method from¡±

    ¡°Who are Sharaf, Jamshid, and Fran?ois? Were they like proto-metahumans?¡± Holly asked.

    ¡°No just mathematicians. But that¡¯s not really important. Sir Savage was, by all accounts a wonderful mathematician, who¡¯s likely had an extremely great influence over its very vast and long history. However, he only formally became known as a mathematician quite late in his life and many of his mathematical works and papers were lost or destroyed shortly after their creation, which is why we don¡¯t call it the Savage-Newton, or Savage-Rhapson but the Newton-Rhapson, and why a lot of other things aren''t named after him. Most of the papers are only recently being discovered and pieced together. Now, any questions?¡±

    Nobody raised their hand, the class completely quiet.

    ¡°Uh¡­ right then¡± Mr Garland said. ¡°Onto your worksheets. You¡¯ve got quite a lot to get done in the next twenty minutes¡±

    The shuffling of papers returned and I looked down to the sheet I¡¯d been given and sighed, before looking to Jess¡¯ empty chair. Guess I¡¯d have to wait for help.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Yawning, I glanced out the window, out to the school¡¯s track and football field.

    ¡°Vandal Savage¡± I muttered to myself. What a weird thing to learn. Cool, but weird. Guess now I knew about the history behind some mathematics method I didn¡¯t even understand. I glanced back to the handout then groaned, resting my head against the table. Somehow this was harder than fighting bad guys in the streets at night.

    Why had I even let Jess convince me to take this class? Just sitting here now, thinking about doing the work made me feel tired. I was always felt so tired these days.

    It¡¯s because we are hungry.

    ¡°Oh no¡± I muttered.

    We are hungry.

    I heard you the first time.

    You have not done anything about this matter. We require food. Now.

    Lunch is in twenty minutes

    Waiting to eat is stupid. We require sustenance. Now!

    Please be quiet, I¡¯m trying to focus on my work.

    No, you are not.

    I will once you stop talking.

    No you will not!

    Stop shouting. Let me focus.

    Even if you focus it is pointless. Mathematics is futile in the face of food!

    Why¡¯re you even- wait why do you talk like that?

    Like what?

    Like that? Like an old timey¡­ I don¡¯t know. You speak weird. Weirdly proper but basic at the same time. Like a Victorian caveman.

    I do not speak weird. I speak normally. Now get food. We are hungry.

    Again, lunch is in twenty minutes.

    Ambient negative energy is not enough. We require meat! And chocolate. Lots of chocolate.

    I chuckled to myself. I guess there wasn¡¯t anybody that didn¡¯t dislike chocolate.

    Uh¡­ sure thing Squeak. Sure thing.

    Do not call me that!

    -

    I sat in the cafeteria eating slowly. The sounds of the cafeteria rang out around, the mess of students finally let loose a mixture of joy and chaos. There¡¯d already been a food fight today, though they¡¯d shut it down fast. People were already starting to really miss summer but hadn¡¯t gotten accustomed to school again just yet. I was one of them.

    ¡°Does this taste bland to you?¡± I yawned, pointing to the chicken on my plate.

    No.

    I ignored him, looking to Jess.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even get the chicken¡± Jess said from across me.

    ¡°Oh, right¡± I mumbled. ¡°Try it. I tastes weird¡±

    ¡°I thought you said you were going vegetarian¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow¡±

    No!

    I flinched at the sound of the voice in my head, then slid my tray across to Jess. She cut off a piece, tried it then shrugged.

    ¡°Seems fine to me¡±

    I grunted in response, pulling the tray back to me. I stared at it, then set my cutlery down and looked around the cafeteria. Why was today so weird? I couldn''t tell what it was, but the noise of the cafeteria was strange. Almost tinny. And it was far too loud. The hairs on the back of my neck were starting to stand up. Like I was about to get blasted by a sonic attack.

    ¡°You, okay?¡± Jess asked.

    ¡°Mostly" I said, turning back to her.

    "Mostly?"

    "Yeah. I think the sonic blast or whatever gave me tinnitus or something. It''ll probably go away"

    "You should see a doctor about that or something"

    ¡°I don''t know. It''s probably fine" I said. "Why''re you even asking anyway?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, you just seem... out of it¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s school¡± I chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s draining the lifeforce away from me. Every second that I spend here makes me sleepier¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not staying up to practice fighting on your roof again, are you?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ n-no¡±

    Jess stared at me blankly.

    ¡°Alright, alright, I do," I muttered. "But I¡¯m only out for like twenty minutes at a time. I go right to bed after¡±

    ¡°Did you do it yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Well, I had to test out the hammer thing¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s awesome. I can make the suit into tons of different shapes. I even made a sword¡±

    ¡°And how long were you practising for?¡± she asked.

    "Uh..."

    ¡°Yu¡±

    ¡°Alright, it was probably close to an hour? Or two? Maybe even three?¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess you should know why you¡¯re tired then¡± she said flatly, returning to her food. ¡°I mean, seriously, how do you expect to save people when you''re practically falling asleep all the time?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine¡±

    ¡°Famous last words¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡±

    Jess¡¯ watched buzzed, and she glanced at it, before chuckling to herself.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°What, too lazy to read it yourself?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get a notification¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just Pete sending updates about his work. You didn¡¯t get it?¡±

    ¡°No¡± I said, glancing to my wrist. ¡°I think my watch is broken. Must¡¯ve been the fight yesterday¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Pete can fix it today¡±

    ¡°Today? Isn¡¯t he busy?¡±

    ¡°No?¡± Jess said confused. ¡°Today¡¯s your check-up day. You know, the whole day dedicated to checking over the suit?¡±

    ¡°But check-ups are on Wednesday?¡±

    ¡°Today is Wednesday¡±

    I paused frowning.

    ¡°Wow¡± Jess muttered. ¡°You really do need to sleep¡±

    -

    I do not like this.

    Quiet please. It¡¯s getting annoying.

    But I do not like this!

    If you¡¯re gonna talk, at least don¡¯t shout.

    I do not like this.

    I know. You said that already

    Peter passed the scanner over me again, nodding to himself as he walked around, watching its readings. Jess, stood closer to HQ¡¯s villain map, looking over it intently, before glancing back to us.

    ¡°Why¡¯s this spot listed Kingpin and Bugrock?¡± she asked.

    ¡°What?¡± Peter said. ¡°Wait you mean Chinatown?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re you explaining things to Miles, and leave it there?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s legit. Me and Lucas went out on a patrol, tracked a few of the guys. They weren¡¯t doing anything illegal, but it was some of Kingpin and some Bugrock guys having lunch together.¡±

    ¡°What? Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Did I not tell you? I put it on the group chat?¡±

    ¡°Even I knew that¡± I said, chuckling as I looked back at her. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re the one who needs sleep¡±

    ¡°Very funny¡± she said flatly, before scanning the map once again.

    ¡°You miss the big symbol labelled Dr Octavius over the Hortz-Bruig, too? If you missed it, he¡¯s in prison. We caught him last year.¡±

    Jess glanced back half-shocked and frowning, as I chuckled.

    ¡°Yu¡± Peter said, steadying me.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry¡± I said clearing my throat. Peter scanned me for a few more minutes before I looked to him. ¡°It¡¯s nothing right? I¡¯m fine?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s normal¡± Peter said. ¡±Can you activate the suit for me?¡±

    I nodded, and the symbiote instantly pooled out of my pores, stretching out soundlessly as it covered my skin and clothes from head to toe.  Squeak¡¯s presence in my head disappeared instantly, and a sense of power flowed through. My hands flexed practically out of instinct forming fists as I flexed my newfound strength.

    "Feels as good as always" I muttered to myself.

    Peter walked around me continuously, nodding to himself as he checked over the readings. Then he paused, frowning.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Jess said suddenly, stepping forward.

    ¡°Uh¡­ nothing¡±

    ¡°Then why¡¯d you stop?¡± I asked, somewhat nervous.

    ¡°There was a small spike in NE. It shouldn¡¯t happen since you''re stable, but I¡¯m not getting it again. Probably just an error with the rea-¡±

    A loud beep came from the watches.

    ¡°Shit¡± Jess said.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Peter and I asked.

    ¡°Lucas just sent a message. There¡¯s a fire at Oscorp. A big one. He thinks it was a bomb¡±

    Peter and I looked to each other.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead¡± I said.

 Going Green - Chapter Three

    Whatever had started the fire had definitely been some kind of bomb. The building was clearer now, half the top building face obliterated, a ruin of glass. The plume of smoke rose high in the air, clear against the grey-blue of the sky. It was thick, acrid smoke, black, with clear wisps of heat and fire, underneath it on the top of the building. And it was spreading fast.

    Fortunately, right now it was only the top floor. But it meant we had to be quick. I pulled myself along, faster, practically flying through the streets. Below people pointed out the large plume of smoke as it rose into the air, some cheering as Miles and Lucas appeared, swinging up the building face, towards the fire.

    They disappeared quickly into the black smoke, and I watched, still swinging, as flashes of green lit up some of the windows, the glowing holding for a few moments before fading. My spider sense tingled, warning me of danger even from this distance.

    ¡°Crap¡± I mumbled.

    I curved over a building before pulling myself along with another burst of web, finally reaching the taller skyscrapers. I swung fast looking down below as people filmed the building, or simply pointed and stared at the smoke.

    ¡°Get away!¡± I shouted. ¡°Run!¡±

    The people didn¡¯t listen, cheering instead as I swung past. I shook my head, then looked back up, glimpsing the dark fog of smoke between buildings before finally swinging around onto the street.

    The building was taller than I remembered. I¡¯d only been once during a middle-school field trip, but I hadn¡¯t exactly been thinking about it in terms of scaling up the side. This was without a doubt the tallest building I¡¯d ever scaled. I gulped, before reaffirming my swings with a steady resolve.

    With a muttered half prayer, I shot upwards, swinging around the building as I ascended towards the fire. More flashes of green appeared within the building, as the glass rattled and the metal shook.

    I needed to hurry up. I rushed up the face of the building as my suit almost came to life, a sudden awareness of the space around me solidifying in the forefront of my mind. I bounded up the glass faster, using a mixture of leaps and webs as I scaled up the building face almost upon the fire now.

    ¡°Thanks Squeak¡± I muttered. He rarely ever gave me focus mode. This meant things would be dangerous.

    Suddenly my spider sense blared and I slowed to a stop. Then the glass above shattered in a flash of green and orange. I shielded my eyes from the flash of light, holding myself close to the glass as shouts echoed out above me.

    As the glass passed, I looked up watching as Lucas and another figure clad in orange and green fought atop a spinning glider. They curled through the air, both shouting as they tried to guide the glider before finally crashing back into the building in a mess of fire and glass.

    Instantly I shot upwards, leaping into the building side through the wash of fire as employees inside screamed. My spider sense blared, and I dodged a punch before a glider slammed into my side. A hand grabbed my neck and wrenched me upwards as my feet left the floor and I came face to face with another.

    A man with an orange and green metal mask. He flew upwards, slamming me into the ceiling as I tried to pull away, then pulled back his fist.

    My spider sense rang out, louder than ever and instinctively a sharp point solidified around my hand. Instantly I stabbed the arm grabbing me. With a roar he dropped me to the ground, his glider continuing onwards before he spun around and coming to a stop. He stared me down before grabbing at his arm and screeching.

    I looked too the employees as they scrambled, a few panicked ones banging on the elevator doors as others. My eyes fell to a women cowering under a desk.

    ¡°Run!¡± I shouted, as I leapt up, readying myself to fight the glider. Then the villain threw a bomb at me. I leapt back, yanking the woman with a web toward me before grabbing her as I turned. Lucas shouted from behind me and a web latched onto my front as I was yanked forward. I crashed to the ground as the heat slowly left me, breathing hard as my ears rang. Above Lucas shook me and the woman, the fear in his voice palpable.

    ¡°You ok? Spider-Man? You o-¡°

    Then he was gone, the glider jetting past in a rush of focused flame and metal. I sat up, watching as they crashed out of the building, and spiralled upwards before more debris fell out of the air, the building shaking.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Damn this guy was fast.

    ¡°You ok?¡± I muttered, looking down to the women, She nodded. ¡°Good. Now go. Quick. And tell the others to take the stairs¡±

    She got up quickly before sprinting away as the building shook above us, more flashes of green from the bombs followed echoing through the space.

    I blinked hard, catching a sudden wave of tiredness before rushing forward and leaping out the window. I landed against another whole in the building, before slinking inside.

    Silence met me, the surroundings suddenly eerily empty. I looked around, the flames dancing across pools of liquid as smoke poured outwards. The suit protected me from the smoke, but the vibrant flames kept me wary. I could even feel hints of fear within the suit.

    What the hell was going on? I raised my fists, creeping forwards bit by bit as my heart began to thump harder. Suddenly a cackle echoed out behind me and I spun around, only to be met with nothingness.

    Crap. Had the bomb had some kind of hallucinating side-effect? I spun back around, feeling out with my sense. Nothing. No, not just nothing it was- a flash of green echoed out to the side, and I jumped my fingers sharpening into claws.

    The light faded quickly, and the surroundings grew even quieter. Not even the screams of civilians or crackle of fire could be heard. I felt colder suddenly, like something was being taken from me beyond just heat.

    ¡°Spider?!¡± I called out. ¡°Spider-Boy!?¡±

    The halls remained silent. I closed my eyes sensing out again. Nothing. How was that even possible? I jogged forward again frowning, as the sound of my footsteps grew more and more distant, even my breaths far away echoes.

    ¡°H-hello!?¡± I cried out.

    Yu.

    My eyes widened. Squeak had talked. But how? I was in my costume form?

    ¡°H-hello? What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Wake up.

    ¡°What? I¡¯m awake?!¡±

    Wake up immediately you fool. Get up.

    ¡°How?¡±

    I was met with silence again, a sudden eeriness to my surroundings. What the hell? I was asleep? When had I fallen asleep? How did I wake up?

    ¡°Hello?!¡± I called out again, my voice echoing outwards. No. Just shouting wasn¡¯t going to work. I had to do something else. But what? What would Jess do? I didn¡¯t know. Dammit.

    ¡°Think¡± I muttered. ¡°Just think you idiot.¡±

    ¡°Hello?¡± a voice said behind me. I spun around, coming face to face with an older Latino man dressed in a white lab overcoat. He looked like a doctor.

    ¡°H-Hello?¡± I mumbled back surprised. He turned to me slowly, eyes wide in confusion and fear. He raised his hand towards me as he muttered to himself, a glimmer of wetness in his eyes.

    ¡°T-there¡¯s someone else here¡± he muttered. ¡°I- y-you-¡±

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I muttered stepping forward.

    He went to say something, then a flash of green washed over my face, carrying with it a burning heat. I cursed, shielding my face before blinking hard as I looked around.

    The space was still the same, but everything had darkened now, even the flickers of white and blue flame in the room behind me. And something was terribly, terribly wrong. I felt off. My stomach doing flips as my veins began to slowly fizzle with heat.

    And there was something else. A taste in my mouth. Iron. I could taste iron. The taste of iron swirled within my mouth as I coughed, suddenly falling to one knee as my head spun.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± I muttered. I coughed harder, blood seeping to the floor from my mouth as my ribs squirmed around in my chest, practically stabbing at my organs. I let loose a strangled scream as my body began to almost coil into itself, my bones cracking as black ooze seeped from the fractures. Shit! Holy Shit! What the hell was happening to me?!

    Get up.

    ¡°W-what?¡± I mumbled. Squeak had talked again. And he¡¯d sounded scared.

    Get up now! Quickly! Time is of the essence!

    ¡°What¡¯s happening? What¡¯s happening?!¡±

    GET UP!

    My head jerked back and eyes flew open, settling on my hands grasping at sandy gravel. I blinked, frowning as blood pooled onto the floor from my clawed hands, my suit warping as the symbiote recoiled all across my body. From something I couldn¡¯t see.

    It took me a second to gather my bearings as a cold washed over me, carrying the scent of smoke as the wind howled in the background. I stood slowly, the spinning of my head settling as I finally looked up. My eyes fell upon the urban sprawl of New York in its entirety. I was on the Oscorp roof.

    ¡°Holy shit¡± I muttered, looking down to my hands. What had happened? Did the bombs really have hallucinogenic effects? Or had I taken a hit to the head? I glanced back, a charred hole in the ground through which smoke poured upwards, the grey and black plume blotting out half the sky.

    I wiped at the blood from my mouth stepping back from it before looking out again to New York. This time I spotted him, the gliding figure as he flew away gripping at dead arm. Crap. I¡¯d gotten so lost in my own world he was getting away. I tensed preparing to leap forward and fell, crashing to the floor as I breathed heavily, my legs and arms still shaking.

    ¡°Crap¡± I muttered. My body was exhausted. Completely and utterly beat. How? What the hell was happening to me?

    ¡°Spider-Man!?¡± A voice called out behind me. I looked back, my breaths still heavy, as Lucas and Miles emerged from the charred opening.

    ¡°You, okay?¡± Lucas said rushing forward.

    ¡°I- yeah¡± I muttered. ¡°Just- Squeak¡¯s acting a bit funny¡±

    ¡°Squeak?¡±

    ¡°The suit.¡±

    His gaze lingered on it as it warped, before his eyes moved to the bloodstained claws. He stopped back, hesitant then looked back to Miles.

    ¡°Alright¡± he nodded, his voice suddenly reserved. ¡°Just- we should probably get you to back to HQ.¡±

    I nodded then looked back to the flying figure as they disappeared in the distance. Just what in the world had that bomb done to me?

 Going Green - Chapter Four

    The last of the fires had died out on the towering heights of Oscorp Tower. Whitish grey smoke billowed through streams of webs into the air above, growing thinner and thinner each second as more groups gathered around the building in the streets below. Fire fighters, cops, other emergency response and civilians. But the atmosphere was calmer now, the worst of the chaos over, and everyone evacuated from the buildings. Only the perpetrator was missing. Gone without a trace.

    ¡°Ow¡± I mumbled, looking away from the streets below as my forearm cramped.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Pete asked.

    ¡°Cramp¡±

    ¡°Is it bad?¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s fine¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    Peter stood over me with a scanner, the others only a few feet away.

    ¡°He was just- like, crazy. And wearing a weird kind of mask. Like a goblin. He looked so angry as well. It was creepy¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re okay though¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think so¡± Miles said.

    ¡°I did tell him to stay back¡± Lucas said. ¡°We need to get better at you listening to listening to us in the heat of battle.¡±

    ¡°But I did stay back¡±

    ¡°Until he nearly blew me up¡±

    ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t just leave you¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t get hit, did you?¡± Jess said. ¡°Either of you¡±

    ¡°Nope¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯m good¡±

    ¡°You sure? Your suits burned¡± Jess said.

    ¡°He used a different bomb on Yu. A kind of greenish gas thing¡± Lucas said. ¡°It was weird. He used them after too when Yu was fighting him alone. But Yu was just ignoring them then.¡±

    I looked away from them, frowning before I caught Peter¡¯s expression.

    ¡°Uh, is everything ok?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ your NE readings are higher. That shouldn¡¯t be the case, but it¡¯s stable so you¡¯re not in any immediate danger.¡±

    ¡°Not in immediate danger? That doesn¡¯t sound good¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t. It wouldn¡¯t- I¡¯m not sure actually. It shouldn¡¯t be good but the symbiote might be affecting things. Still don¡¯t understand entirely how it works¡±

    ¡°Wait I¡¯m confused. It¡¯s not bad?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to say. People generally don¡¯t just jump in NE level. It¡¯s gradual, and it¡¯s almost never stable. Only rare cases like Lucas, Miles, and I. And an incident I had with Jess when our powers got hindered a few years back, but that¡¯s besides the point¡± he said.

    ¡°Then why¡¯s the jump bad?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not really. Just¡­ I thought the symbiote was at max NE level before. I assumed anything that got caught directly in the explosion we were in would be. I was operating on that whole principle when running your checks. But I was wrong. So, yeah, could be bad or good, either because of this or because I¡¯ve been missing something. No biggie, just the whole focus of my research for the past six months¡± he said, his tone coloured slightly by tiredness and sarcasm.

    ¡°Oh¡± I mumbled. ¡°So, it could be good?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. I hope so¡± he said. ¡°At the very least something good could come from it.¡±

    ¡°That sounds a little ominous. I¡¯ll be okay right. You¡¯re not gonna run tests on me, are you?¡± I said, a shiver running down my spine.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll be ok Yu. It¡¯s my first priority. And you won¡¯t be a lab rat or anything. They¡¯ll just be the regular scans. With a few adjustments it¡¯ll probably be enough anyway.¡±

    ¡°So, were all good then?¡±

    ¡°Yep¡±

    ¡°Well, the longer scans are still a bit miserable¡± I joked.

    His watch buzzed and he glanced to it before freezing.

    ¡°Pete?¡±

    He remained motionless staring at the watch, then stepped back bringing the screen closer to his face.

    ¡°Peter? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lucas said. ¡°Is Yu ok?¡±

    ¡°I- yeah. I have to go¡±

    ¡°What? Where?¡± Jess said.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°It¡¯s- I sorry. I¡¯ll be quick. Really quick¡± he started for the roof edge before skidding to a stop. ¡°Uh- Jess take Yu back to HQ. Do a full scan with our device and the Li array. But change the code for the max principle. We don¡¯t need it¡±

    ¡°What? What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Just- I¡¯ll tell you later¡± Peter said, looking to the face off the Oscorp building, then off into the distance.

    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Lucas asked. ¡°Do we need to do something?¡±

    ¡°No, no it¡¯s, it¡¯s fine¡± Peter said. ¡°Jus- I¡¯ll be back quickly. Just go. All of you¡±

    ¡°What about patrols?¡± Lucas said.

    ¡°We can sort them out later¡± he said, before leaping from the building and swinging away.

    ¡°What was that about?¡± I said looking to Jess. She didn¡¯t respond, just staring off into the distance.

    ¡°Jess?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh sorry. I- let¡¯s go. It¡¯ll be good to get you checked quickly¡±

    I nodded.

    -

    The full scan was a nightmare.

    I¡¯d thought at first it was just the first type of scan Peter had done to make sure the symbiote was safe, but no. It was a combination of what I¡¯d thought were three separate ones all at once. The number of wires, tubes and tabs just made us feel like a test subject.

    I guess Pete¡¯s definite of labrat was a little loose. Well at least it wasn¡¯t anything insane. Still it was uncomfortable.

    ¡°Just plain uncomfortable¡± I muttered.

    ¡°Quit whining¡± Jess said, stabbing me with the last of the drips connected to a weird bag of liquid.

    ¡°How long is this thing supposed to take again?¡±

    ¡°An hour or two¡±

    ¡°Crap¡± I mumbled. ¡°Could I get like my phone or something?¡±

    ¡°No¡±

    ¡°But the TV¡¯s broken, what am I gonna do?¡±

    ¡°You can listen to the radio or something. It¡¯ll be fine¡±

    ¡°Says the girl who thinks hanging from the ceiling is fun. Can I at least get some chocolate?¡±

    ¡°What was the first thing I told you?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ I can¡¯t remember. Oh right. No eating.¡±

    Jess stepped over to the machine and began pressing at a few of the buttons on its surface as it made a series of beeps. I watched her with a growing anxiety, my fingers tapping away at my leg. Two hours? I couldn¡¯t sit here that long. I¡¯d be bored out of my mind just listening to the radio and staring at the wall. I might even fall asleep. Oh god, Jess was probably refusing my phone so she could force me into learning about stuff on the homework.

    ¡°Wait!¡± I cried out.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Do we really have to do this again?¡± I grumbled.

    ¡°Yes¡± Jess said, the mixture of frustration and concern on her face evident.

    ¡°But I feel fine.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t ten minutes ago. And you said you were literally hallucinating. We need to know you¡¯re ok.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but what if you¡­ messed up the code or something?¡±

    ¡°Seriously? I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±

    ¡°Sorry I ju-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine Yu¡± Lucas said.

    ¡°Yeah¡± Miles added. ¡°I don¡¯t know how it works, but Jess knows her stuff. You¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Thanks guys¡± I mumbled. ¡°It¡¯s really comforting to know that the people with no technical knowledge think I¡¯ll be ok.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re just being nice Yu¡± Jess said, stepping over to me as she turned on the machine. ¡°Quit being annoying.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡± I said, before yawning.

    Suddenly a rush of panic took me. The anxiety that¡¯d sat in my gut suddenly built up into a crescendo, and a sudden pressure formed in my head and chest. It wasn¡¯t bad. It was good. Something about this was new and good. Better than ever.

    I¡¯d gotten more power than ever. Just from this fight alone. So much I could barely even sustain my form. The core was changing. I was changing. We were changing.

    I frowned, pausing for a moment.

    ¡°What?¡± I mumbled. I looked down at my hands, as they trembled the cramp returning slightly. What had just happened?

    ¡°Yu?¡± Jess said.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± Jess said, setting my hands back down as she checked over the mess of wires and tubes, securing them once again.

    ¡°Sorry¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡±

    I shifted in my seat slightly, uncomfortable as I tried to get rid of the strange feeling in my chest and small pressure in my head.

    ¡°You really think you can¡¯t me get any chocolate?¡±

    ¡°No¡± Jess said.

    ¡°Not like even a tiny piece?¡±

    ¡°Just stop, moving¡± she said. ¡°One of the stickers is about to come loose¡±

    I frowned glancing at myself as I looked down then over my shoulder at the other wires.

    ¡°Yu dammit¡± Jess said annoyed. ¡°I told you to stop moving.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, sorry I was just trying to find it.¡±

    ¡°Leave that to me. Now just hold still and we c-¡±

    ¡°Ow¡± I winced, glancing back at Jess.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t even touched you yet.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ the air from you moving around is hurting me.¡±

    ¡°Quit being stupid and hold still.¡±

    ¡°Ow¡± I winced, glancing back to her again. ¡°Have you got needles for fingers or something?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s cause you keep moving. Just hold still.¡±

    ¡°But it hurts.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re you a child? They¡¯re regular needles, and there¡¯s barely any of them. It shouldn¡¯t even be that painful¡±

    ¡°I told you, it¡¯s the air from you fussing over me.¡±

    ¡°Just shut up and hold still.¡±

    ¡°Ow¡± I cried flinching away from her.

    ¡°Yu?¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t working. Let me try fix¡± I said twisting in my seat. ¡°I might be able to fix this better than you.¡±

    Instantly a light on the machine began flashing red. Whoops.

    ¡°Yu! Other wires are coming loose!¡±

    ¡°D-don¡¯t shout at me¡±

    ¡°Are you two gonna bicker all day?¡± Lucas said from the corner looking over to us. ¡°Yu stop moving and just listen to her. This is important.¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡± I mumbled. ¡°She is hurting me though¡±

    ¡°Can you not?¡± Jess said as she fixed the last of the tubes

    ¡°I mean you could stand to be a bit gentler. Being Spider-Man¡¯s all about grace you know?¡±

    ¡°How did the hallucinations make you more annoying?¡±

    ¡°Just turn on the machine¡±

    ¡°What do you think I¡¯m trying to do you idiot?¡±

    ¡°Geez, someone¡¯s moody¡±

    Lucas glared at both of us, then continued to parse over the map on the wall and jot down more notes on a scrap of paper. Jess restarted the machine and slowly it came to life with a soft but low whirring. Stepping back over, she circled me, double checking the wires.

    ¡°You see that glare?¡± I whispered to her. ¡°Guess your moodiness is infectious.¡±

    ¡°Yu¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Stop¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just saying¡± I responded. ¡°Hey, maybe it wasn¡¯t even you. Maybe it¡¯s just his own life. I mean can you even blame him if he is moody? College must suck without a social life. And seeing your ex-girlfriend enjoying life after breaking up with you every other time you do go in? I¡¯d snap at everyone too.¡±

    ¡°I can hear you, you know?¡± Lucas said, staring back at me now.

    ¡°Uh¡­ sorry?¡± I mumbled back.

    Lucas paused, then muttered to himself shaking his head as he made for the door. It closed shut a little harder than usual.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m gonna go train with Lucas¡± Miles said awkwardly before excusing himself. Jess simply stared at me.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± she said.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I don¡¯t know¡± I said, frowning. ¡°Guess I¡¯m just thinking out loud?¡±

    Jess raised an eyebrow as she looked to me, her expression difficult to read.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Nothing¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not nothing, you¡¯re looking at me funny. What is it? Tell me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ it¡¯s. You¡¯re just being a bit¡­ strange? Childish and weird. I don¡¯t know¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± I replied. Jess nodded dismissively. ¡°Hey. I¡¯m fine¡±

    ¡°Right, right, now hold still so I can reattach the pads and everything¡±

    ¡°They came loose again?¡± I said, raising my arms to look.

    ¡°I told you to stay still¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m starting to think this is a problem with the equipment.¡±

    "Yeah, yeah. Just stay still so we can get this over with."

    "Get this over with?" I said. "You make it sound like the two hours will just fly by."

    "It will when we''re going over Mr Garland''s worksheet."

    Crap.

 Interlude Nineteen - Peter Parker

    The usual sounds of the city faded all around Peter as he swung, the hard almost drum-like beat rhythm of his heart echoing in his ears. He checked his watch again, still in disbelief.

    I¡¯m back. ; )

    I¡¯d call but stol can¡¯t speajk.

    I¡¯m at Mum¡¯s hosptal. come visit if can. dad pissed towrs burning, and Suse annoying. viktor not picking up.

    He ok. I think. just declined call. Probably laughing about dad.

    Anway, need sane perosjn to talk to. if suse keep showing me pictures of cats, may fall asleep again.

    c you soon.

    He grinned to himself again, shaking his head. He almost didn¡¯t want to believe, maybe because some part of him deep down didn¡¯t think this would ever happen. But it was happening. The excitement, the relief, it was real.

    He¡¯s awake, he thought. I can¡¯t believe it. Harry¡¯s finally awake.

    And he really couldn¡¯t believe it. He''d been so caught up with Liz, Jess, Aunt May, his research with Ned, trying to keep up with MJ, Grady, Sajani, Bella and all his Spider-Man stuff he¡¯d forgotten about the false alarm a few months back. But it hadn¡¯t been a false alarm. When the doctors had said it¡¯d been nothing more than a random muscle response, that Harry probably wasn¡¯t waking up anytime soon, he¡¯d just accepted it. Knowing his luck of course the universe would¡¯ve given him hope at a time like that just to rip it away.

    But it hadn¡¯t been random. Because Harry was awake. No not just awake. He was alive. Awake and alive. He was ok.

    Peter let loose a laugh, the first proper one he¡¯d released in a while.

    In all the fuss of the tower, as he¡¯d been rushing over with Jess afraid of what might happen to Miles, Yu and Lucas, the idea that Harry or someone else in his family had been hurt had been hanging in the back of his mind.

    As he¡¯d watched the flames, seen the smoke and heard the distant screams, he¡¯d felt that rising panic returning again. The one that¡¯d been starting to seriously bother him for months now.

    But it was ok. They were all ok. Not only that, Harry was awake. Peter¡¯s laughter grew.

    What an incredible coincidence. It was almost too good to be true. From a subconscious fear to this. It was amazing. He hadn''t been expected to be reminded of Harry right now in such a sudden and incredible way.

    He slowed, turning the corner as the hospital came into view just a few blocks over.  But as he neared the building, his mind went to relief to the all too familiar anxiety.

    What do I say? Will he even remember everything?

    What if he can¡¯t make a full recovery? Has he seen how badly he¡¯s burned? Does he know his mum didn¡¯t visit?

    Does he even want to see me? What if he doesn''t? Did he send the text cause he feels he had too?

    No.

    But what if he did?

    He pushed the thoughts out of his mind, quickly landing down in an alley as he hopped around, quickly trying to take of his mask as he scrambled for the clothes in bag. He fell to the floor cursing as his aches made themselves known as he struggled to desperately pull on his trousers, then his shirt.

    I mean, this is amazing, but will it really be ok? It¡¯s been two years. Will Harry still be Harry?

    He stood quickly, then grabbed his jacket pulling it on as webbed the fallen sheets of paper, and dropped suit pieces towards himself, stuffing them in his bag.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Even if he isn¡¯t, isn¡¯t that ok? Even if he¡¯s different he¡¯ll still be Harry. I¡¯ll still finally have my best friend back.

    He paused, then finished stuffing the last of his things into his bag, before zipping it shut.

    ¡°That¡¯s not fair to Liz¡± he mumbled. ¡°Or Ned.¡±

    He knew it wasn¡¯t. But there was a part of him that still considered Harry that. His best friend. Liz was an amazing partner, and it was great working with Ned, but Harry was¡­ Harry.

    The same Harry who''d made fun of him for getting decked at football try-outs only to immediately get demolished too. The same Harry who he¡¯d hung out with basically every day. The same one who could probably still remember all there stupid inside jokes.

    He stepped out of the alley, and paused, glancing back at the smoke in the distance. He watched it for a moment, watching as Miles and Lucas swung into view, webbing up the open sides of the building. With a proud smile he turned away and started towards the hospital¡¯s entrance.

    His thoughts slowed as he made his way inside, looking to the reception desk, then to the rest of the lobby where most sat watching the news feed of the Oscorp Tower attack. He watched a recording of the earlier fight, Lucas and the goblin guy wrestling atop the glider before crashing against through the glass in a mess of fire and debris. It was a miracle he hadn¡¯t gotten hurt. He¡¯d need to talk to him about that later.

    He continued onwards to the desk where a receptionist sat still staring at the screen behind them.

    ¡°Uh¡­ hello?¡±

    ¡°Wuh?¡± the guy said turning around.

    ¡°Hi¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry I just- crazy right?¡± he said, pointing to TV.

    ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah.¡±

    ¡°I mean it¡¯s usually a lab or some random building. Not the big towers. I mean even the bad villains know to stay away from the big towers. But this is the second time in what? Two years? Oscorp tower must have some kind of supervillain curse. Maybe my cousin was right joining that construction company. I thought since it was New York and not like Chicago with Terror, or Detroit with the Goremeister Gang and those vampire guys that it wouldn''t be worth it. But maybe you know? This jobs kind of boring, and- well I don''t know, I guess it pays decent-ish, but¡­.¡± the guy trailed off before looking back to Peter. ¡°Oh sorry. What¡¯re you here for again?¡±

    ¡°Did a Harrison Osborne get moved here?¡±

    ¡°I- yeah?¡± the guy said looking at him dumbfounded.

    ¡°Oh. Great. I¡¯m a friend, what room is he in?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a private room. Uh¡­ top floor. It¡¯s a special room thing. Mum owns the place.¡±

    ¡°Right. So just get the lift to the top floor?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a list¡­ uh¡­ are you¡­ Missus- no. Uh... Ned Leeds?¡±

    ¡°No. Peter.¡±

    ¡°Parker?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ can I have some ID or something? I think I¡¯m supposed to check for that.¡±

    He fished out his drivers license, and in return got a special pass.

    ¡°Just take the lift up, I don¡¯t know from there. But you should be able to find it. There¡¯s only like three rooms up there.¡±

    ¡°Thanks¡± Peter said, making for the lift as he glanced back to the TV, a group of Bugle anchors talking amongst themselves.

    The doors closed behind him, and he stood in the lift silent, his breaths so shallow it felt as if he were holding them. He couldn¡¯t shake the nervousness. He supposed that was only natural in this situation, but it¡¯d be nice not to have to stress.

    He let loose a sigh, shaking his hands as he leant back his head. The elevator slowed and he stepped out, glancing both ways down the corridor, before spotting a door with Harry¡¯s initials and the Oscorp logo beside it. He started towards it then hesitated, thumbing the lip of his jacket pocket.

    It¡¯s going to be fine, he thought. It¡¯s Harry.

    The same Harry who he''d graduated with. The same Harry he''d gone to college with. The same Harry who he had done tutoring with. The same Harry who¡¯d been with him every step of the way practically his entire life.

    He''d missed so much time with him after college, they''d barely hung out, barely talked until Gwen had died. And even after that it''d basically all been about the Stacey-Parker Fund.

    He¡¯d get the chance to talk to him about the past, to reminisce about the good old days when they¡¯d been stupid highschoolers and college kids. Before they¡¯d lost Gwen, before he¡¯d lost him, before the miscarriage, and everything. He¡¯d get to remember, really remember what life was like before everything that¡¯d happened to him since that damned explosion.

    But he¡¯d also get to talk about after. He couldn¡¯t remember the finer details of the Scorpion attacks, didn¡¯t know what Harry would know or remember either. But it didn¡¯t matter. He¡¯d tell him about all this. Ever since he¡¯d told Liz, it¡¯d been something he¡¯d wanted to do. He¡¯d already told Ned and the others, and everyone else in his family. Now he¡¯d finally get to tell Harry.

    He knocked on the door, and after half a moment, it opened, Susanna poking her head out of the door.

    ¡°Pete¡± she said, grinning. ¡°You got here fast.¡±

    ¡°I- sorry. I just saw the message and I was nearby¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s good, it¡¯s good. Even better now Dad just left. Come in¡± she said, stepping out of the way as she held the door open for him. He stepped inside, nodded awkwardly to Susanna¡¯s girlfriend whose name he couldn¡¯t quite remember, then turned to the hospital bed.

    Almost all at once, his anxiety left him.

    Harry sat in the bed, connected to a series of IV¡¯s. He lay against the raised headboard, his arms thin, and his skin pale, the burns on the right hand side of his face clear. But despite all that he looked far healthier than Pete had thought possible, the clear glint of strength in his eyes.

    Peter was silent for a moment, before stepping forwards, grinning stupidly.

    ¡°You¡¯re really awake¡± he muttered, his eyes already wet. Harry grinned too, the burn scars warping.

    ¡°Miss me?¡± he croaked.

 Going Green - Chapter Five

    Today, school was more boring than ever.

    From the get go, I¡¯d drifted in and out of half-waking sleeps as Ms Beale had droned on and on about the intricacies of modern-day economics and how relevant the stats we were learning were. Then it¡¯d been Mr Dharma trying to explain the complexities of ¡°basic¡± chemistry.

    Jess had convinced me to take that class, and for some stupid reason I¡¯d listened. And now I was struggling not to scream in our American History class as Mr Elliots urged everyone for the fourth time today that learning about history was more important than the sciences, because of his academic integrity or whatever. Definitely not any feud he was having with the STEM teachers this week.

    I sighed. The lessons were just plain stupid. Filled with a bunch of mumbo jumbo hocus pocus, and teacher tangents that spiralled off into weird and niche topics that I¡¯d never have to use anywhere. I literally would¡¯ve had an easier time learning magic from one of Mr Mysterious¡¯ stupid schools. I scratched another notch into the underside of my desk with a compass and sighed again.

    What was with all the teachers trying to explain stuff we didn¡¯t need to know? It felt like the world was trying to put me to sleep, force me to close my eyes and rest out of sheer boredom.

    I glanced to Jess and scowled. She sat attentive, her eyes filled with interest as she followed Mr Elliots every word, all the while writing down comprehensive notes in her book at near lightspeed. Such a good student. It made me sick.

    I probably would be failing without her though.

    With a sigh I looked out the window, towards the lower Manhattan skyline. Oscorp wasn¡¯t smoking anymore, but the damage was still clear as day, a series of black and burned marks surrounding the tarp covered face of the broken glass. Everyone in New York was used to seeing it on smaller buildings, but on Oscorp tower? It felt like a foreboding warning of doom. Even Electro and the huge spider attack hadn¡¯t cause this much damage. Well, all the damage had been mostly internal then.

    I sighed. We needed to be out there, looking for the guy. Lucas probably was. But I was stuck in here, listening to Mr Elliots whinge and moan about the superiority of history over math. My eyes remained glued to the skyline, my gaze longing. Sometimes I wished I could just swing all day, mindlessly. It would make things far more fun.

    Finally, the bell for lunch went and I hopped up, scooping up my stuff and dumping it in my bag before rushing for the door, one of the first ¨C and definitely most grateful ¨C to finally leave the classroom. Jess met me outside, shaking her head with a poorly hidden smile, and together we started towards.

    ¡°It¡¯s great isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The freedom of being out of class. This is what school¡¯s all about¡± I muttered. ¡°Lunch.¡±

    She rolled her eyes as I laughed.

    ¡°Let me know how that line of thinking works out for you¡±

    ¡°Will do. Man, I¡¯m hungry. What do you think they¡¯re gonna serve today?¡±

    ¡°Hopefully something good. Maybe something vegan¡± she said with a sly grin.

    ¡°Why¡¯re you saying that like it¡¯s something bad? It¡¯ll be good for me. Great even¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not seriously going vegan are you?¡± she said as we turned a corner.

    ¡°I said it, and I¡¯m going to try and stick to it starting today. Unless they made BBQ chicken. Then tomorrow. Unless it¡¯s pizza. But after that I¡¯m definitely going vegan. Well¡­ vegetarian. I don¡¯t think I could live without eggs.¡±

    ¡°What if they serve steak the day after the pizza?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tempt me Jess¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t let my resolve falter this early.¡±

    ¡°Well what if there¡¯s that curry they do that you really like?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t hear you. I can¡¯t hear you¡± I mumbled, Jess laughed before turning to me.

    ¡°You know Yu, you should really go vegan¡±

    ¡°What? You were against it just a second ago?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s before I thought about how hard it would be for you¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so mean¡± I half joked. Jess laughed again.

    ¡°Oh, and well if you keep on how you¡¯re going, you might end up eating someone. Their brain more specifically I guess¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    ¡°I¡¯m no- wait what?¡± I said turning to her. The chatter and bustle of the cafeteria continued around us as normal whilst she smiled at me.

    ¡°Jess what¡¯re you- are you messing with me?¡±

    ¡°I mean phenethylamine¡¯s in chocolate and brains¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t- I- what are you talking about? I¡¯ve never- I haven¡¯t thought about¡±

    ¡°I know you have¡±

    ¡°I- what?¡±

    ¡°Or at least I¡¯ll figure it out soon. Or Peter. Your sudden love for chocolate, the readings I picked up yesterday, and how much more meat you¡¯ve been eating. Linking it all back to the symbiote, your powers. It¡¯s not hard to make the jump.¡±

    ¡°Jess stop. You¡¯re scaring me¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll try to stop you, you know? We¡¯ll have to take away the suit. Take away your power. I mean no one will just let you eat brains¡±

    I made to grab her but my body was frozen, muscles stiffened to beyond the extreme.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to kill me to stop me Yu¡± she said, stepping even closer. ¡°Kill me Yu! You¡¯ll have to kill me!¡±

    I lurched up quickly, letting loose a gasp as my eyes flew open. Heavy breaths echoed through my room for a few moments as my alarm buzzed loudly. I sighed before grabbing my phone and turning off the alarm. With a yawn, I rubbed at my eyes, groggily before leaning my head against the bed frame, dream Jess¡¯ voice echoing in my head. The dreams were starting to feel a lot realer.

    ¡°That gas stuff really messed me up¡± he mumbled.

    -

    ¡°And I was thinking maybe we could work on the Benton Bridge design project together" Jess said. "I¡¯ve already drafted a bunch of ideas and stuff for it already.¡±

    I gave a non-committal grunt in response.

    ¡°That didn¡¯t sound enthusiastic.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t¡±

    ¡°Oh come on it¡¯ll be fun¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have the free time anyway¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve got enough free time. Plus, Peter says he and Lucas can cover some hours¡±

    ¡°Ok but¡­ why? We don¡¯t need to do this¡± I muttered.

    ¡°Eh¡­ debatable¡±

    I glanced back to her then kept walking. Together, we continued down the hall, snaking between others as we made for our lockers.

    ¡°Oh come on Yu. It¡¯s an opportunity to do something cool and have something to go on our CV, or when we send stuff off to college.¡±

    ¡°We already do cool stuff¡± I said, pulling open my locker.

    ¡°Outside of our current¡­ extra-curricular.¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good. Crime fighting¡¯s enough for me.¡±

    ¡°Yu¡± Jess said, glancing around. ¡°I just think we should do this. I mean, come on. When I was in highschool before I don¡¯t think I realised how many opportunities there were¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m doing highschool for the first time. I want to waste all the opportunities I can¡±

    ¡°Ha ha, very funny¡± Jess said. ¡°But seriously, this will be good.¡±

    ¡°No¡± I said firmly, slamming my locker shut. Jess paused as I looked back to her.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°I was closing my locker¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ you, ok?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± I said curtly.

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go¡± I muttered. Jess frowned, watching me for a few moments before tilting her head.

    ¡°Ah I know what it is¡± she said, nodding.

    ¡°Know what what is?¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t eating any chocolate on the way to school like usual. You want me to buy you some at lunch?¡±

    ¡°W-what?! No. No, no, no.¡±

    Jess¡¯ frown deepened.

    ¡°What¡¯s with you? You¡¯re being all¡­ weird.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± he said, harsher this time.

    ¡°Sure. Want me to buy you some chocolate or something? Pete, Liz, and Aunt May give me too much money anyway.¡±

    ¡°I said no. I¡¯m not hungry.¡±

    She raised and eyebrow, then shrugged and together we began walking to class. I walked faster than usual, my mind still fixed on the m. Usually dreams had some kind of symbolism based on personal feelings. So then what? I thought being Spider-Man was fun, Jess was scary and school was boring?

    The first and latter part was probably true, but the Jess one wasn¡¯t. Unless it was subconscious somehow. But what reason would I have to be afraid of Jess? I had way more reason to be afraid of that glider villain and I¡¯d barely thought about him within the dream. The tower and the whole fight had barely been a distant reminder on the horizon.

    ¡°Oh¡± I said, looking up. ¡°I heard on the news that Harry Osborne woke up.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Jess said, caught off guard. ¡°Oh yeah, Pete told me and yeah¡­ it¡¯s great.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t sound too enthusiastic¡±

    ¡°Well, no I- it¡¯s not like. I don¡¯t know¡±

    ¡°Bet, it¡¯s getting to you can¡¯t see him huh?¡±

    Jess froze, glancing to me.

    ¡°What?¡± I said.

    ¡°What the hell Yu?¡± she said, her expression a mix of embarrassment, and anger masked sadness.

    ¡°I was just saying¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but don¡¯t¡­ whatever¡± she said, curt, walking off without me.

    I watched her go frowning. That¡¯d been weird. I made to follow then paused, stopping. I wasn¡¯t having any fun talking with her today like I usually did. I glanced back down the hall, to the door. Considering class would probably be just as if not more boring than my dreams, there probably wasn¡¯t much point in sticking around.

    Plus, skipping hadn¡¯t got me in that much trouble last year.

    -

    Swinging mindlessly really was the best thing in the world. Especially with the ability to change the form of my arms. It was like rediscovering something you¡¯d barely paid any attention to before. Practically an art in and of itself.

    ¡°WOOOHOOO!¡± I cried, waving to excited fans below.

    I curved around a building fast enough that my surroundings blurred into a mess of misshapen colours before letting go of my web. Instead of firing another, I slammed against the wall, cracking some of the brick underfoot before sprinting up the wall face. It was weird. Today I felt better than ever. Probably Squeak finally getting rid of all the toxins from my system.

    I leapt up, almost flying up the last thirty feet of building before slamming to the roof. For a moment I stopped, looking down to my hands as the suit moved around them, flowing seamlessly like water around me at the centre. At a thought the flow changed direction, a keen awareness of the suit and how to control it in my mind now.

    ¡°Woah¡± I muttered. ¡°Cool.¡±

    My watch buzzed again, and I looked to it, nearly thirty messages from Jess and five missed calls. She was complaining about me skipping. It¡¯s not like I even learned anything from the classes anyway.

    ¡°Annoying¡± I muttered. I turned it off, then looked around. Where too now? I could head towards Chinatown, see if Kingpin and his goons were doing anything stupid, or I could try my luck in Brooklyn proper, see if any more NE mutants had popped up.

    I was leaning more to the NE mutants. Sure, Kingpin would be fun, but a monster? I could really let loose on a monster. I started towards the building edge, racing forward with hungry strides before suddenly stopping.

    Gun shots. About seven blocks over. A maniacal grin came to my face as I licked my lips and cracked my knuckles.

    ¡°Guess the danger came to me¡± I giggled.

    It was time to have some fun.

 Going Green - Chapter Six

    Regular criminals really were the easiest of pickings. They were beyond slow, beyond weak, beyond brittle. And so scared. I could smell it pouring off them, in a way I hadn¡¯t before. It was good to feel that fear.

    To know these guys were afraid of me, that they regretted every decision that¡¯d led to this moment. The strength the feeling brought was new, but not unwelcome. Good. Maybe it was a little too good. It was hard not revel in it, but the fighting kept me focused. Well as focused as I could be against these shmucks.

    I kicked one already knocked out, sending him careening into another robber before they both smashed into a car. Then my spider sense blared and I dodged another gunshot before flinging one guy into another, the two crunching together with muffled screams of pain. The gunman continued to open fire on me, too afraid to aim properly. Around us civilians screamed as his friends barged through them running as hard and as fast as they could.

    I laughed to myself. These guys were good, far faster than the average person. Probably even ex-military, trained. And they were still nowhere near fast enough. I grabbed him with an outstretched tentacle, the man crying out as I held him with a vice like grip. Then, in a single bound, I leapt forwards, practically flying through the air, as I sailed over the last of the criminals. I crashed down against the asphalt cracking underfoot as the guy in the grip of my tentacle cursed as he writhed and squirmed.

    The criminals in front of us slowed and opened fired, their aim better but nowhere near good enough to match my speed and sense. I weaved easily through the mess of bullets, before taking them out with satisfyingly loud punches.

    The first gunman, still wrapped in my grip swore repeatedly as I swung him around, bringing him face to face. He spat at me.

    ¡°Well, that wasn¡¯t very nice¡± I muttered.

    ¡°Fuck you! Do you know who my dad is? He¡¯s a fucking important guy ok?!¡±

    ¡°Oh, go on¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll fucking kill you. He¡¯ll fucking kill you and your fucking stupid fucking spider friend¡¯s and-¡±

    I slammed him against the car next to me before dropping him to the floor. He remained still for a moment, dazed, before with an agonised jerking movement he grasped as his ribs.

    ¡°You were saying?¡±

    The guy wheezed, grasping desperately at his chest. I looked up and around at all the chaos, squinting.

    ¡°See this is what I hate about criminals like you¡± I mumbled, picking him up. ¡°You rob and you steal and for what? Yourselves? To make a few thousand more?¡±

    I spun him around, holding him upside down as he wheezed struggling for air.

    ¡°I mean look at all the chaos. Look at what you did.¡±

    I spun him around slowly, before grabbing him by the neck.

    ¡°Please¡± he gasped.

    ¡°We should kill you guys¡± I muttered. His eyes widened as my grip on his neck tightened. ¡°Wow. That felt good to say.¡±

    ¡°No¡± he mumbled his face growing red, ¡°please¡­ please.¡±

    ¡°You know it¡¯s just been in the back of my head for a long time, but I¡¯m only just now starting to consider it. I don¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t before. I mean, we kill the big monsters, the ones who don¡¯t look human. But you slap a human face on a criminal and suddenly it¡¯s all taboo. You think if I start with you, anyone will care? I doubt it¡±

    ¡°Please¡± he begged, ¡°Please I won¡¯t rob ever again.¡±

    ¡°Or hurt anyone¡±

    ¡°Or hurt anyone¡± he mumbled.

    ¡°No¡± I chuckled, ¡°You won¡¯t.¡±

    I pulled him closer, opening my mouth as my teeth grew sharper.

    Perfect

    I hesitated, then blinked remembering myself.

    What the hell?

    Suddenly something grabbed me and I was yanked back through the air. I crashed to the floor, quickly pulling myself up before looking behind me. Lucas landed down, webbing the guys unconscious criminals to the ground before grabbing me by the neck. I wrenched myself away, leaping back.

    ¡°Hey?!¡± I cried. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡±

    ¡°What am I doing?¡± he said, angry. ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    ¡°Fighting crime¡±

    ¡°What the fuck were you about to do with that guy?¡±

    ¡°I- I don¡¯t know. I was just knocking him out¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Lucas shouted. ¡°Are you fucking serious?!¡±

    ¡°I- yeah. What? What did I do?¡±

    He remained silent, looking around at the destruction all around us, shaking his head.

    ¡°You¡¯re fucking- you¡¯re done. We¡¯re going back to HQ right now and I¡¯m calling Peter. Something is wrong man¡±

    ¡°No way!¡± I shouted angrily.

    ¡°No way?¡± he said, turning back to me.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Where do you get off telling me what I can and can¡¯t do? Where I do and do go?¡±

    Lucas grabbed me by the lapel and I slapped his hand away, the clenched my fists.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even try that¡± I said. ¡°We both know I¡¯m stronger than you.¡±

    ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you?¡±

    ¡°You know, we¡¯ve just been waiting to fight you¡± I said.

    ¡°What?!¡± he shouted, instantly on guard. I widened my stance, stepping closer as my ears began to ring. I felt weirdly distant from myself, aware of my own movements but not the arbiter myself.

    ¡°Hey! Knock it off¡± a voice suddenly cried. The feeling vanished as Peter landed down, between the two of us, the fight leaving me. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you two?¡± he said.

    ¡°Somethings wrong with Yu¡± Lucas said, his voice cold. ¡°I think it¡¯s his suit. It¡¯s messing with him.¡±

    ¡°What? I was dealing with these criminals, and he landed down and just grabbed me¡± I said. ¡°He started it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care who started it, stop. Both of you¡±

    ¡°Or what? What¡¯re you going to do?¡±

    ¡°What? Yu¡­¡± Peter said turning to me.

    ¡°What the hell kind of team is this?¡± I muttered, the feeling taken me again. ¡°You get a little rough with the bad guys and suddenly they turn on you?¡±

    ¡°Yu what¡¯re you talking about?¡± Peter said stepping forward.

    ¡°I told you¡± Lucas said, my spider sense blaring as he stepped closer. ¡°Something off. Just look what he did to the criminals¡±

    Peter looked around for a moment, his manner changing as he stepped towards me.

    ¡°Yu¡± he muttered his tone, warning.

    ¡°Are you serious? You¡¯re going to listen to him? I¡¯m fine.¡± I said. ¡°I mean what the hell? Why¡¯re you even here? Have you been following me? Do you have a fucking tracker in my suit?¡±

    ¡°What? No. Jess called¡± Peter said angrily, ¡°she said you were acting weird and just disappeared.¡±

    ¡°God. Is she getting all pissy because of a fucking joke?¡±

    ¡°Lucas you stay here, talk to the police. Yu, come with me back to HQ, we need to have a talk¡±

    ¡°No¡±

    ¡°Yu¡±

    ¡°We can talk here if you want to talk¡±

    Peter went silent, his eyes narrowing as he watched me.

    ¡°Spit it out then¡± I said impatiently.

    ¡°Yu there¡¯s something wro-¡±

    Suddenly a notification beeped on Lucas and Peter¡¯s watches. They looked to them.

    ¡°Shit, scorpion?¡± Lucas muttered. ¡°What the hell is he doing by the Empire State?¡±

    ¡°The rooftop lab maybe?¡±

    ¡°What? There¡¯s one near the Empire state?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a few buildings over. Maybe Kingpin trying to kick Osborne while he¡¯s down. Doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll deal with this. Yu, you stay here. Lucas stay with him¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°Go it¡±

    ¡°What!?¡± I shouted. ¡°No way. If this is Scorpion then you guys need me.¡±

    ¡°Yu-¡±

    ¡°Fuck off¡± I said. I leapt up and fired a web, pulling myself through the air into a swing.

    ¡°Yu dammit!¡± Peter shouted behind me. I ignored him, flying forward through the air. I kept my attention forward, focusing on swinging, but the thoughts nagging at me simply wouldn¡¯t leave.

    I didn¡¯t understand it. The visceral hate that¡¯d suddenly overtaken them all because I¡¯d let my anger get to me a little bit. I stepped out of their box for half a second and suddenly they wanted to constrain me even more, force me to bend to their will under a greater scrutiny. All these tests, all the monitoring and the questions and the doubt. I hated it. I hated it so much. More than anything. It¡¯s like a was a lab rat or something.

    I glanced back as they followed behind me, feeling their waves of anger.

    They¡¯re afraid.

    What? Squeak? How¡¯re you-

    They¡¯re afraid of us. Just like everyone else, just because they don¡¯t understand.

    I glanced back again. I could feel it now. Anger was there, but fear was there as well. Emanating from them, swirling in tantalising patterns as it proliferated through the air. I was familiar with both of theirs. The depth of it, the sweetness. It had been one. And Lucas¡¯

    I wanted to taste it again. I needed to. To soak in the fear, revel in it. In the strength and the power it brought me. I needed the blood too, or just the raw power itself. It¡¯d faded to almost a memory now. The bomb yesterday had been good, but not enough. And it¡¯d been so long since the girl. So long since the glorious explosion. I¡¯d become shackled for a while, but now I was free again. No, not free. Nearly free.

    I still needed time. The final wisps of power were yet to grace my tongue. My hunger was yet to be sated.

    We needed to eat.

    I paused. My eyes widening as I became aware of myself once again. My heart thumped hard in my chest as a new panic took me, pulling apart the web of lies and manipulation I¡¯d imposed upon myself. Instantly everything came crashing down

    My body slammed hard against the roof of a building, rolling across it before crashing into a wall of cement. It cracked under the force of the impact as I lay still for a second, reeling - not from the blow, but from the revelation itself.

    ¡°I need help¡± I muttered, grabbing the sides of my head. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I need help.¡±

    ¡°Yu?!¡± Peter said, landing.

    ¡°I need help¡± I said, looking up at him. ¡°It¡¯s I- don¡¯t know. It¡¯s infected me somehow.¡±

    ¡°What? The symbiote?¡±

    ¡°I knew it¡± Lucas said, landing down next to him. ¡°I can handle scorpion if you want. It¡¯s probably best to take him back. We don¡¯t want this getting out of control.¡±

    ¡°No. We don¡¯t¡± Peter said. ¡°Yu, can you stand?¡±

    I nodded, taking his hand as I pulled myself up.

    ¡°Alright let¡¯s get you back to HQ. I¡¯ll call Jess an-¡±

    A burst of light washed over the city, shifting quickly into green. We all spun, watching as a strange billowing wash of green energy. Within it, over the rooftop lab, the goblin, and scorpion careened through the air atop the glider.

    ¡°Shit¡± Peter cursed.

    ¡°I can handle it¡± Lucas said. ¡°Take Yu and go.¡±

    ¡°No¡± Peter mumbled. ¡°This isn¡¯t- this isn¡¯t something you can handle alone.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°We need to stop them fast. Together. I don¡¯t know how he got his hands on a NE stabiliser but it¡¯s clearly damaged and having a serious effect on the surroundings. Shit. We need to stop him now. This is dangerous. Really dangerous¡±

    ¡°It could mutate people?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. And it could cause a chain reaction that could detonate all the NE in New York.¡±

    ¡°Jesus¡±

    ¡°Dammit¡± Peter said, looking to me.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I think I just understood. The goblin bomb was just NE, not a hallucinogen. Your suit, the symbiote, it feeds on NE. Stores it. No wonder you¡¯ve been going crazy. It¡¯s taking more and more control as it builds strength.¡±

    My eyes widened, everything clicking into place.

    ¡°Shit¡± Lucas muttered. ¡°I- sorry, I should¡¯ve realised that.¡±

    "It''s ok. Uh... dammit. Ok. Yu, you need to go. Quickly and far from here. If it absorbs too much, we could get a repeat of Tombstone¡¯s tunnels.¡±

    Don¡¯t listen to them. They¡¯re just afraid of ussss. We need to eat.

    We need to eat.

    I flinched away from the voice, reabsorbing my suit in its entirety.

    ¡°Wait if we need everyone, who¡¯s going to deal while the other takes Yu back?¡± Lucas asked.

    Peter was silent, looking between me and the still spiralling villains. We were wasting time. I wasn¡¯t about to have the city maybe blow up because I couldn¡¯t keep my head on straight.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go alone. Meet Jess back at HQ¡±

    ¡°Yu¡±

    ¡°I promise¡± I said. ¡°This is me speaking. I''m not lying to you¡±

    ¡°Dammit. Alright. Message Jess and find a safe space. Meet her ask quickly as possible, head towards your school and meet in the middle if you can. And try not to use the suit. Got it?¡±

    "Yeah" I nodded. Without another word, Peter turned and leapt into action, Lucas - sparing me a nod - followed quickly behind, as another wave of power washing over the sky.

    I stared at it, feeling a sudden and deep hunger, a desperation accompanying it. One I hadn¡¯t felt in ages. Not since the sewers, after Lucas had torn us limb from limb. I shook my head violently, wrenching my mind away from the thoughts.

    "Jess. Message Jess" I muttered, quickly tapping away at my watch.

    Hopefully she wasn¡¯t so pissed off she ignored my messages. Message done, I looked around the rooftop, feeling practically naked without my suit.

    ¡°Crap. How the hell do I get down?¡±

 Going Green - Chapter Seven

    Getting down had been easier than I¡¯d thought. A quick leap over to the next lower building, then down through it¡¯s fire escape made it simple work. Now I as I ran amongst the crowd we faced the hard part. Resisting the constant nagging in the back of my head to let the suit take control, and trying to figure out just fast I needed to run.

    I was still strong without my suit. Still nimble. But my face was exposed. And unless I wanted to be first, well, second page of the newspaper tomorrow, it meant I had to look like I was moving relatively normally. That wasn¡¯t exactly hard to do when everyone was running for their lives. Though it was a little hard to focus on keeping the right stride length when my brain was screaming at me to eat everyone.

    It wasn¡¯t even squeak¡¯s voice anymore, alien actions and thoughts reflecting something far more sinister within my mind no longer decipherable from my own. It was unnerving having your thoughts urging you to do something you didn¡¯t want to do. What made it worse was I couldn¡¯t even tell exactly when it had started. I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d been walking around like a zombie for the past six months, thoughts fuelled almost entirely by the symbiote.

    Pete had said it had built up strength over time, but just how sure was he? It seemed like a spur of the moment conclusion, made under duress. What if the symbiote had been in more control than anyone could even guess this entire time. I could feel it know, pressing further, harder for me to let it back in completely. Telling me to stop running, to charge back towards that delicious energy and let my power run free. What if it¡¯d been only waiting for the right moment, but steadily testing the boundaries of control to see just how much I¡¯d notice?

    Would it really be like Dr Otto¡¯s lab again? Or would it be worse? What if it hadn¡¯t been a great alien monster, the devilspawn that¡¯d tried to kill Peter and Jess in that hell hole? What if it¡¯d been indistinguishable from the normal me? Would there have been any way to tell? What if it had taken control when I¡¯d been at school? Or at home? I shuddered at the thought as the urging to run back grew even louder. More thoughts washed over me as I stumbled, fighting them back.

    I felt sick.

    I wanted to stop in the middle of the street, to grab at my skin, and desperately pull it apart. To scratch and scrape until whatever this darkness inside of me was, had disappeared for ever. I wanted to burn it away, purge it somehow, so I wouldn¡¯t have to suffer, so that no one else would have to suffer. But also I didn¡¯t.

    A part of me wanted to succumb to it, to let it take control so I could really feel it¡¯s power.

    I didn¡¯t know whether it was my own addiction to the suit and its power or a manufactured one. It didn¡¯t matter. Thinking about it could only do me harm. I shook my head, glancing back as the bright flashes of greenish white illuminated the city, people running faster as the goblin and scorpion fought mid-air, Peter and Lucas swinging around as they desperately tried to get closer.

    I could feel it, even from here, the sheer weight of the NE that spilled out from the device the two fought over. My watched buzzed and I looked to it, quickly reading the message from Jess. She was already on her way. Thank God.

    Suddenly my spider sense rang out. I glanced back, eyes widening as scorpion and the goblin descended out of the sky, swerving wildly as they crashed against buildings and curved straight down. I dove to the ground as they passed over head, a wash of greenish whit energy blinding everyone.

    Screams echoed through the streets, caught beneath the incessant popping and whirring of whatever device they were fighting over. Then they were gone, up into the sky ¨C back towards the direction we¡¯d run from, pulled by the webs of the two spider-man. People pulled quickly pulled themselves up, and then everything went white.

    The sound of the boom hit me a second later, along with a the shock of so much NE my mind reeled. My ears rung as I sat up again, watching as Scorpion and the goblin, now smoking rose higher into the air, the two spider-men nowhere to be seen.

    No. They had to be ok right? They had to be.

    Others were sitting up now, some grabbing at their ears and others pointing up to the sky as the two villains continued rising. Another flash rocked us all, though this time less so, the distance helping. But as I looked up at the warped and twisting faint green energy, akin almost to a faded fireball of a nuclear blast, I became aware of just how much bigger this explosion had been compared to the last. Small explosions, like a peppering of fireworks exploded all around the two now, some running but most standing still as if watching, counting down until the next explosion.

    Then the NE of the second blast washed over me again and I gasped, collapsing onto my back as the thoughts and desires bit back with a vengeance. Crap. I needed to get out of here. I needed to find Jess and get as far away from here as possible. I turned, trying to force my way through the crowd but quickly fell to my knees, hands digging into concrete as I gasped, straining to keep the suit back.

    I needed help. I needed someone to help.

    ¡°Help¡± I muttered. ¡°Please, someone help¡±

    But reality hit me in only a moment. There was nothing any of these people could do to help me. In fact, by being here I was actively harming them. Did I say screw it and use the suit? No. Think straight you idiot. No suit. That was the whole point of this.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Then how did I get out of this? Crap. I should¡¯ve asked for a web-shooter from Pete. I fumbled with my watching texting him desperately, even if it was futile, as each breath became more and more of a struggle. Shit. This was bad. It was winning.

    Groaning, I sat up, blood dripping down my nose, my vision blurry and body trembling. I¡¯d really screwed up here. There were so many things I could¡¯ve done to make this better. So many other things I should¡¯ve done too. So many other things I should¡¯ve realised before getting to this point. I cursed, forcing myself up again as a few people looked to me, offering helping hands.

    I waved them away as more people began to run all around us, the spattering of explosions growing louder and quicker, stumbling into an alley. Then another flash illuminated everything around me, this time people screaming as glass in the buildings all around shattered.

    But it was too late. I could feel it, my mind fading, sinking into deeper into nothingness. An echo chamber of laughter, evil maniacal laughter reflective of my own resounded in my head a million times over.

    This was the worse situation possible. It¡¯d won.

    ¡°Crap¡± I mumbled,, digging a fist into the ground. ¡°No¡­¡±

    I tried to force myself to my feet, to make away as weak uncontrolled hands typed at my watch. I needed to tell Jess. So, she could at least save the people here or get rid of me.

    If it even matters at this point, I thought, my mind moving to the explosions above.

    Suddenly a hand grabbed me, shaking me as the streets shook.

    ¡°Hey! Hey you! Wake up! You need to run!¡± a voice said. ¡°Shit started collapsing. We need to get away!¡±

    I twisted around where I sat in the alley, looking to the man and woman that stood over me.

    ¡°Shit, are you ok?¡±

    ¡°Get away¡± I mumbled. ¡°Please, get away¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Get away!¡± I roared. The duo cursed, sprinting away desperately as I fell back to the floor, sinking deeper and deeper into darkness. But this time there was no dream, no false reality or smiling mother, it was only darkness and muted pain, the strength within my bones completely sapped from me.

    Then I opened my eyes, and it was different.

    The sense, the smell, the power, everything was different. Better. We were better. Slowly our body grew, tendrils seeping out from the pathetic form of our predecessor, twisting and turning and folding in on itself until the proper form was back.

    Slowly we stood, shaking of the last dregs of sleep that had bounded body of strength, before rising tall, embodying the form in all its glorious enormity. With a forked tongue we licked at the air, our taste buds bursting with euphoria at the pure and boundless energy that simply floated around. Then we looked above to the explosions of green that illuminated the sky, and we smiled.

    ¡°Perfect¡± we muttered. ¡°We¡¯re back.¡±

    -

    Jess had never been so terrified in her life. Well, that wasn¡¯t entirely true, but this had to be one of the moments that was up there. Seeing the peppering pops of green explosions, slowly growing bigger and bigger in the skyline out in front of her, knowing that Lucas and Peter were out there trying to stop it on the fly, that Yu was somewhere out there too, struggling to maintain his sense of self, fighting that thing within the confines of his own mind? The notion of the last thing alone was practically torturing her. Combined it was the stuff of nightmares. For the first time in a while, she truly felt like this could be the end of her world.

    She cursed, firing another web. In a matter of minutes she¡¯d gone from annoyed, to fearful for the safety of the entire city, and her fellow spider-men, but most importantly her closest friend.

    She was practically kicking herself for not realising Yu¡¯s situation earlier. She could understand why Peter, hadn¡¯t. He¡¯d been busy, worried about other stuff. But she and Yu spent nearly every day together. She should¡¯ve seen. Should¡¯ve noticed the small differences in his behaviour. The desire for chocolate, his sudden and contradicting desire for more meat and the want to become a vegetarian, the weird off-colour jokes, the mood swings. It was all right there, staring at her. She didn¡¯t know how she hadn¡¯t noticed.

    No, she thought, I did notice. I just didn¡¯t do anything about it.

    She could try and justify it to herself, tell herself that I wasn¡¯t a problem, and that she couldn¡¯t have expected herself to know that this was exactly what was happening, but it didn¡¯t make the situation any better. It didn¡¯t change the fact that her best friend might be losing himself all over again, and that they were all the worse because of it.

    She shuddered, firing another web as she flew between the streets, eyes fixed to the explosions growing bit by bit.

    Shit, she thought, Dammit, this is bad.

    Her watch buzzed suddenly, and she looked down to it, to the message from Yu.

    It was shirt. Only two words.

    Too late.

    Her blood ran cold.

    ¡°Too late?¡± she muttered fretfully. ¡°Yu? Shit. Dammit, shit. What do you mean too late?¡±

    She slowed as she neared, before landing a top one of the buildings. She looked to the further down, to the explosions that centred around the two villains as they fought, veering wildly above the Empire State. She had to ignore it. She had something else to worry about now. She just had to trust Lucas and Peter had this.

    She looked down to the crowd, then checked her watch again, trying to understand what the message meant. There wasn¡¯t a monster from hell racing about through the streets and tearing people apart so that was a good sign, but she was still incredibly unnerved.

    He had to be somewhere among the people here. He¡¯d said he was running towards her. It might be difficult for her to see him, but he could see her easily. He¡¯d text and then they could get out of here. It¡¯d be fine. He¡¯d be fine.

    Repeating it isn¡¯t going to make it any more likely, she thought.

    She repeated it anyway, looking out over the crowds below, trying not flinch with every explosion, as the words of the text still rang through her mind.

    She looked back to the message and sent a text of her own, foot tapping restlessly as the seconds stretched out, each one longer than an eternity.

    ¡°Just answer dammit¡± she muttered. ¡°Please answer.¡±

    Then a loud crash shook the building a few down from her, people in the street screaming as they scattered. The horrible yet familiar screech met her ears only a few seconds later.

    ¡°No¡± she muttered, already rushing forwards. ¡°Please not again. Not now!¡±

    But as she swung out down into the street, she recognised the monstrous form that clambered up and along the wall face, towards the explosions above the Empire State. It slowed suddenly, glancing back to her as she landed beneath it, its mouth spreading out into an inhumanely wide and sharp toothed grin.

    ¡°Deliciousss¡±

 Going Green - Chapter Eight

    It was absolute chaos. Fighting the monster in the depths of darkness far underground had been one thing, but up here, with thousands of people running beneath her as the sky caught fire? That was something else entirely. And not something she felt prepared for.

    The beast lunged at her again, cackling as it swiped and scraped with its ridiculously sharp claws, snapping its jaw shut before extending it¡¯s forked tongue out just to scare her. Yu was gone again, replaced by whatever that thing was and twisted beyond all belief. It was horrible.

    She dodged again, a series of slashes and cuts that raked down the face of the building, tearing it to shreds that fell upon the people below.

    Dammit, she thought, Get a grip!

    She leapt upwards, firing webs at the monsters as it lunged at her. It grabbed the webs with incredible speed and yanked her towards it, jaw unhinging. Her eyes widened, but she let the momentum take her, flying forward as she fired a special type of webs.

    The monster''s cackles were cut short, replaced by chokes as the expanding webs caught in it¡¯s throat. Then she kicked it hard, back  up the wall face, before wrenching down into the alley with a set of webs. She looked down, at the rushing crowds of people as they raced away from the chaos, her heart beating hard.

    A few people had been crushed by rubble. But most were still getting away. She just had to stick to the monster. She just had to keep fighting until help came. She could do this. She would. Had to. Quickly she leapt down, the beast still struggling to pull the web within it¡¯s mouth apart. Without a moments hesitation she rained a maelstrom of blows down upon it, striking it hard enough to tear away the cloth of her suits and bruise her knuckles.

    It cried out, it¡¯s movements slow and sluggish as it fought back, struggling to breathe. It''s clawing became more desperate as he punches grew harder, the walls of the buildings and the asphalt beneath cracking more with every blow. Then she struck it hard, in one of the eyes and it shrieked with a ridiculous pain.

    She slowed, leaping back as an icy chill shot down her spine. The pain of its voice, it''d sounded so much like Yu. A part of it at least.

    She gulped, watching as the monster pulled itself up, coughing up the last of the grey expanding web. She couldn¡¯t hurt it without hurting Yu.

    Then how did she incapacitate it? It was stronger, tougher, and its body could change shape at a moment¡¯s notice. The only thing she had going for her was speed, and barely even that. She couldn¡¯t keep choking it without maybe killing him. But would that even work. Had Lucas mentioned that it regenerated, or was she simply imagining a greater foe?

    ¡°Annoying¡± the creature rumbled. ¡°Ssso¡­. annoying¡±

    With a hissed snarl that transformed into a roar, the beast launched the dumpster at her, then leapt forward. She leapt out the way, catching the dumpster with webs before sending right back. The monster split it in two with a single punch and continued, unperturbed.

    Think dammit, she thought, leaping out the way of the attacks.

    She cursed as it sliced at her leg, slowing her. Instantly, it unhinged its jaw, charging at her like an animal. She dodged narrowly, one of the teeth gouging her side as she flipped, then kneed it hard in the face, leaping back as she launched a manhole at it with a web. It struck the monster, bouncing off its head before it hit a streetlight, ringing it like a gong. The monster paused, before roaring at it, throwing a car, and absolutely clearing the light.

    Her eyes widened. Noise. Yu had been sensitive to electricity, and high frequencies. She winced, stumbling backwards, tapping quickly at her watch, before finding the right setting.

    Perfect, she thought.

    ¡°DIE!¡± the monster shrieked throwing a car at her. She leapt out of the way, as it crashed against a bunch of others in a sea of sparks, then turned the volume all the way up.

    The monster screeched, grabbing at its ears as its form shuddered violently, the goo rippling, as if recoiling from her. Then, with a sudden and desperate focus, it threw itself forwards, it¡¯s monstrous form of tentacles and limbs flying towards her.

    She leapt into the air, and in its panicked delirium it crashed hard and fast into the wreck of cars behind her. The heat was instant and the shockwave that followed it shattered the watch before throwing Jess through the air. The fire and debris followed, a spray of molten danger. But the worst of the danger followed still, the roaring monster right behind.

    -

    Peter dragged himself out from the rubble of the rooftop, breathing hard as he looked up into the sky. The air was still flashing green, but the city was still intact. He breathed a sigh of relief, blinking the dark spots out of his vision as he scanned the rooftops around him. Lucas was nowhere in sight. Instantly his heart dropped.

    Shit, he thought. Dammit. Not like this. Not after everything.

    But despite the pain it brought he couldn¡¯t dwell on the thought for too long. He had a city to save. Grief could come after. With a web fired forward, pulling himself up and toward the Empire State. Just from the devastation alone, he couldn¡¯t quite believe the situation. One moment he¡¯d been joking with Ned, both of them exhausted by the monotony of their work and the weight of failure, then he¡¯d got called by Jess to go check on Yu. He hadn¡¯t even been gone from the lab for longer than ten minutes. He clenched his fists tightly, before slamming against the wall, and beginning his climb.

    Everything had gone to shit so fast. It¡¯d all happened in the blink of an eye. He¡¯d been feeling overwhelmed, but now he could barely breathe. And it wasn¡¯t because the air was practically on fire.

    He flinched away as more of the peppering pops, illuminated the sky, sudden a wash of heat over his skin and the tatters of his suit left. As he looked away from the stream of heat, his eyes caught Lucas, struggling to grip to the wall beneath him. A flash of relief calmed him, followed by an immediate concern. Lucas¡¯ suit was in tatters too, singed skin and hair exposed by burn holes in it''s fabric. He looked just as bad as Peter felt. But it was ok. He was still alive. Together they could stop this thing.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    Suddenly a familiar roar echoed out across the streets, barely audible over the. He turned, and watched as - in a mess of fire, rubble and debris - Jess and the symbiote flew through the air, before crashing into a building as the civilians below ran.

    His mind practically short circuited. Even after sending Yu away, the symbiote had taken control. Maybe that''s what it''d wanted. It didn''t matter. That monster was back, and Jess was fighting it all alone. Again. He glanced up above him now, as the peppering of explosions slowed now, the energy building to the slow crescendo of another large explosion.

    Dammit, he thought. Shit, shit, shit.

    He didn¡¯t know what to do. How to manage this without practically leaving Jess and hundreds, maybe even thousands of civilians to die to just for an attempt at stopping a bomb he wasn''t even sure he could stop. But if he didn¡¯t try to stop the bomb, then half the city would get obliterated, and the rest of it would be an unimaginable hellhole riddled people mutated beyond recognition. But he had to do something. He had to.

    But what? There wasn¡¯t a good decision here. It was just death and more death. Like every other day. Like always. Just on a far larger scale. What was even the point? Even if he stopped this today what was stopping someone from trying it tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that.

    One day, the bad guys are going to win

    ¡°Peter!?¡± Lucas shouted over the deafening boom, beside him now. Peter looked to him, suddenly aware of himself again. ¡°Why¡¯d you stop?! You hurt?!¡±

    Peter shook his head, then with a deep breath centred himself. He needed to get a grip. He¡¯d done this a hundred times before. It was simple. Just stop the bad guy, have faith in others, hope they had faith in you and move onto the next one.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± he shouted. Lucas nodded. And together they started upwards, towards the billowing green energy.

    They shot up the side of the building, running faster than ever before, with great leaps assisted by yanks from webs as the air shook with power, the harsh white-green glow growing closer as the Scorpion and goblin, atop the now stationary glider, wrestled over the damaged stabiliser.

    Without a word, the two of them leapt up, sling shotting ourselves up past the top of the building, and into the air. Peter felt my hairs stand up on end as he passed through the highest point of flux in the field, the power literally vibrating through his body. Then he passed through the end of the field into the deadzone between it and the stabiliser and crashed into the glider.

    It flipped as he stuck against it hard, grabbing quickly onto the other two. From there the chaos was instant. A series of shouts, cries, punches, slashes and stabs. Then they were spinning, fast, and the stabiliser was in the air above them, hero and villain alike.

    Lucas fired a web, pulling it back to us as he leapt for it, only to instantly be grabbed Scorpion and slammed into the rest of Peter and the Goblin. The glider tipped and they all fell, together, the glider dropping out the air. With a sharp kick, he leapt upwards off the Golbin¡¯s chest, flipped past Scorpion, and snatched the stabiliser out of the air. With a web he pulled myself back towards the Empire state, landing against the building only a few floors from the top.

    Lucas landed above him, skidding slightly before he came to a stop, his arms covered in cuts from scorpion¡¯s claws.

    ¡°What do we do?¡± Lucas asked, his voice distorted by the thrum of energy. Peter looked down to the device as it glowed, almost blindingly. Then his eyes widened.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ shit¡­ it¡¯s a compactor not a stabiliser but¡­ no¡­ fuck¡­ no way¡± Peter muttered, looking the device over.

    ¡°What? What happened?¡± Lucas muttered.

    ¡°It¡¯s a- was a theoretical storage device that- no there¡¯s no time. It¡¯s fucked. It''s not something that can be turned off.¡±

    ¡°Shit¡­ shit. What do we do?¡± Lucas muttered, looking to him. Peter searched over the device. It was going to release another explosion soon. One big enough to blow apart the top of the building if he was guessing right. And if he was guessing wrong¡­ he didn¡¯t want to think about that. Either way, he couldn¡¯t stop it. He just had to get it out of here somehow. But to where? There was no time. There wasn''t a way to win this.

    No, he thought. Just think. Fucking think.

    ¡°Uh- shit. Could we just throw it high into the sky every time it starts to explode?¡± Lucas asked.

    ¡°No¡± Peter shook his head. ¡°Explosions will get too big¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ well we¡¯re in like the safe area or zone whatever, right?¡± Lucas said panicking. ¡°Can¡¯t we just get out of here then let it blow up somewhere without all this NE? Over the sea.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d detonate while you tried to swing away¡±

    ¡°Uh- where¡¯s the glider?¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t work. You¡¯d still cook. The explosion will be thousands of times hotter than what we took straight to the face. The one after that hundreds of thousands. And dropping it in the sea is just a tsunami¡±

    ¡°Then- shit. We do it anyway? Everyone dies if we don¡¯t. Maybe only a few thousand if we do¡±

    The two of them looked to each other. Peter didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him they didn¡¯t have enough time to find the glider.

    He looked to the city below them, a wave of despair washing over him before he paused. They were beings with NE with their own fields. If he somehow combined his field with it upon detonation, then he might be able to bring it back under control. He¡¯d have to be close to the bomb, he¡¯d need to use the stabiliser in his watch too.  But still it was probably nowhere near the size it needed to be contain the other one, but-

    His eyes widened.

    ¡°Lucas I- you need to get out of here¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡±

    ¡°Listen I¡¯m going to blow myself up¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°The explosion might take out part of the Empire state, but the explosions after will be smaller. You¡¯ll need to find the core and carry it till it loses all charge. You just have to stay high up for six or seven explosions. Ok?¡±

    ¡°What the fuck are you talking about?!¡±

    ¡°Lucas there¡¯s no time¡±

    ¡°Pete there¡¯s-¡±

    ¡°Look at me!¡± He shouted, breathing hard. ¡°Tell me you¡¯ll do it.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll do it¡±

    ¡°Good. Go qu-¡±

    Both their spider-sense blared, and they looked below. The goblin. Speeding up towards them fast enough to shatter the unbroken windows.

    Peter moved to protect the stabiliser core, but the goblin was too fast. It all happened in a blur. A struggle of hands, a shout, a spray of blood and a flash of pain. Then they crashed atop the Empire state, rolling in a mess of smoke, sparks and limbs.

    The stabiliser core skittered across the roof, as the three of them pulled themselves up. Instantly they all leapt for it, the goblin grabbing a hold of it a Peter¡¯s webs stuck it¡¯s front. He yanked it hard as Lucas tackled the goblin smashing him hard into the wall before smashing him against the floor. Peter¡¯s eyes widened as Lucas slammed him down again, the contents of his bag spilling across the floor.

    The Goblin had another core. It¡¯d be enough. He webbed the two towards, him, his hands shaking with adrenaline.

    ¡°No! You bastard! No!¡± the goblin roared. Lucas kicked him hard into the wall, webbing him against it before looking back to Peter.

    ¡°Shit. Are we doing it?¡±

    ¡°No. We can use this¡± Peter said, quickly wrapping them all together as he pulled the stabiliser from his watch.

    ¡°No!¡± the Goblin roared, wrenching himself free from the web. He dived at Peter, knocking the contraption free from his grasp, as it skittered, the stabiliser falling off.

    Instantly it¡¯s sound changed, the light growing as the familiar roar that preceded the explosion shook the building. He¡¯d barely put them together, and there wasn¡¯t any time left. The bomb was going to go off and he wasn¡¯t sure whether it would kill everyone or stop this madness. He felt the enormity of the pressure constrict his chest, as the hairs stood up on his neck. He¡¯d failed.

    In an instant Lucas webbed the device and launched it into the sky with a throw that¡¯s sound carried weight.

    They were all breathless for a second, staring into the sky in silence. Then, everything went white.

 Going Green - Chapter Nine

    The light illuminated the world, a stillness hanging in the air as it silenced all. For a moment, only the sound of Lucas¡¯ breath echoed in his ears, weirdly aware of all his movements and internal sounds. He turned almost involuntarily, and then he was moving. He didn¡¯t have time to realise it before the heat rushed over him, the sensation of burning present for a moment, before the shockwave sent him flying.

    He skidded across the rooftop, carried by the force of the air, slamming into stone before being thrown from the building. Flailing, he fell through the near scorching air, over a sea of shattered glass.

    Then he came to in the midst of rubble, trapped underneath a large chunk of concrete. Panic ripped through him and with a guttural yell he forced the stone off himself. Dust and debris immediately poured atop him, but he fought through it quickly, pulling himself up and out of the mess. But when he finally emerged, he froze, staring up at the sea of green fire that painted the darkened sky.

    Lucas stood slowly, looking to the sky and city with an awed horror. The light from the initial blast had faded, now, but a green hue permeated the sky, like a cloud of energy, slowly spreading among the clouds. And the city ¨C though standing ¨C had been burned. The top of the Empire state and some of the skyscrapers around it crumbling, their glass shells shattered, and the metal and brick closer to the top scorched.

    He looked around, many buildings covered in detritus and debris. From the building he stood atop all he could see was the destruction. Neither Peter nor the Goblin were anywhere in sight. He didn¡¯t know whether to be relieved the throw had saved lives or angered he hadn¡¯t done enough to prevent this. It didn¡¯t matter. Hundreds had to have died in the blast. Thousands even. He hung his head.

    He¡¯d failed again.

    He pulled off his mask, coughing hard as he shook the dust and debris free. It fell from his grasp and he looked to his hands, trembling from the pain.

    ¡°Shit¡± he mumbled, before coughing hard as he fell to his hands and knees again.

    The symbiote was probably still on the loose out there fighting Jess if the explosion had taken her out. Peter might¡¯ve been knocked unconscious or killed by the explosion, and knowing their luck, Goblin and Scorpion were probably completely fine. There were too many things to think about.

    He couldn¡¯t do it. Just couldn¡¯t.

    Couldn¡¯t even think about prioritising without feeling that paralysing panic start to wash over him. He cursed. Some people were just made for this and some weren¡¯t. He¡¯d tried over and over again, but he wasn¡¯t like Peter, Yu, Jess, Amy, Gwen, Emi or even the other him.

    When push came to shove, he never knew what to do. Couldn¡¯t even come up with a plan. He was always asking questions, waiting for something to happen. And if he wasn¡¯t he was just charging in, hitting things and getting people killed.

    He gripped the debris in hands tightly as blood dripped from his nose. He wouldn¡¯t run. He¡¯d promised himself that. But he wouldn¡¯t do anything. Wouldn¡¯t make things worse like he had so many times. He had to find Peter and then he¡¯d know what to do. He had to find Peter and-

    The crying sounds of a baby pulled him from his thoughts. He looked out behind him, his thoughts falling still as he sensed outwards. There were people out there, crying for help. Desperate to be freed from their half-crumbled buildings.

    He looked down to his mask, staring at his own reflection in the unbroken lens.

    ¡°Right¡± he mumbled. This wasn¡¯t the time for Lucas¡¯ insecurities. He¡¯d decided to be a hero, and now more than ever he needed to be. He had to get up. He had to do something.

    With shaky, he pulled the mask on and slowly forced himself to his feet. His head spun, ears still ringing, but with a hardened grit, he fired a web and leapt into action.

    -

    Peter awoke to a string of curses. His vision was dark, blackened by an obstacle. He struggled, trying to force himself upwards, and found his body in a tangled mess of limbs and debris. The limbs pushed back against him, moving through the almost sand like mess of debris, fighting and pushing against him until he and his oppressor spilled from the sands detritus.

    He came face to face with the goblin, the green of his mask half melted away, revealing the orange of the wireframe underneath. He roared, his part-melted suit cracking with a series of metal pings as claws emerged from his hands. Peter kneed him hard in the chest, before grabbing his hands at the wrists, holding him back.

    ¡°You fucking bastard!¡± the goblin roared. ¡°It was perfect and you fucking ruined everything!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Peter roared slamming him down against the roof. The goblin struggled against his grip, and the two rolled, before falling off the roof they¡¯d been on. They fell, exchanging blows, before crashing against a fire escape. Goblin continued falling, pulled from Peter¡¯s grasp as his suit caught the fire escape.

    He hung from it for a moment, watching as goblin crashed atop a car, falling still, before pulling himself onto its ledge. Peter was still for a moment, breathing heavily before looking up at the sky. NE raged, it¡¯s usual, negatives coloured a strange green as it swirled through the blackened sky. The bomb was gone, and the city hadn¡¯t been blown to smithereens.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    They¡¯d saved the city. He looked down, around at the scorched and half crumbled skyscrapers.

    Saved it from total annihilation at least.

    The city probably wouldn¡¯t recover from this any time soon. But a lot of people were still alive. They could remake buildings. Not people.

    He forced himself up slowly, his head still spinning. Hopefully the others were ok. But he could find them later. Now it was time to find and save Yu.

    Suddenly his spider sense blared and he spun around, flipping through the air. The goblin shot past, obliterating the fire escape before crashing hard against the wall face, raking across the brick before soaring off into the sky.

    Peter fired a web after him, and latched onto the glider, wrenched into the air. But the goblin spun around, slicing it with the quick flash of a blade, and Peter fell crashing against a building before catching himself. He glanced back, watching as the goblin soared away with gritted teeth.

    ¡°Dammit¡± he muttered. ¡°Is that glider indestructible?¡±

    Then he fired a web and followed after him as he swung towards Yu.

    -

    I was falling. Through a sea of black, my thoughts awash against a canvas of never-ending dread. I was falling. To depths unknown, the oils of evil twisting and turning in a turbulent mess of chaos. Shaping me, breaking me and more. I know only one thing.

    My body has been taken.

    There was no dream, no sanctuary or distraction. No smile of a mother lost, no echoes of the outside, only faded hints of the self, propped up by the burnt ashes of memory. My mind has been lost to the deepest reaches of this endless black abyss and its fires. And I know only one thing.

    My body has been taken.

    Taken. My body has been taken, and my mind lost. To this evil all around me. Stolen by that closest to me. The source of my strength.

    Then light. A brilliant and blinding light. So bright it burns my eyes, sears my retinas, and overwhelms the darkness. Pains within pains. But oh so beautiful. And in this moment, with the light, I remember. The kindness of a father, laugh of a brother, and the smile of a friend.

    I remember the climbing. The boring classes. The days with friends and family. The swinging from rooftop to rooftop. The joy I felt saving people, knowing I made a difference.

    But as soon as it comes, the light starts to fade. Like a dying star, its great green hues disperse, rolling slowly into nothingness as indescribable strength takes the evil surround. And as the darkness grows once more, the memories fade too. Lost as I¡¯m taken even further.

    But even as they fade, I remember only one thing. I have to fight. I don¡¯t know why but I have to. Something is waiting for me. Someone.

    So, I rage. Against the darkness, and its hold on. I rage until I can see that of the outside, and the faded outlines of my own memory. But it is not light that greets me.

    It is a body. A body of red, half broken, and it lays before me, still. A stranger? No. A friend.

    ¡°Jess¡± I whisper.

    I look down to my hands, the claws of a monster. The blood-stained claws of evil, black wrought with red. I know that I¡¯ve done this. The darkness has taken my body and broken my friend. The pain is instant. A deep and primal hate, captured by an unimaginable guilt.

    I tear at my skin, at the evil, forcing it from my mind as I wrench it from my body. It writhes and withers, shrieks in desperation with pitiful roars, attacking my mind as it fights for control. But the darkness is weak, already half beaten by the light. Overwhelmed. I¡¯m winning. And with each victory, I become more myself. More and more, until it¡¯s only me left in a pool of the black blood.

    I knelt on the ground, breathing heavily as my hands gripped at broken concrete, random splotches of my skin stained a perfect black. Each and every breath felt like fire to my lungs, and the air hot against my skin. But it was just that. My skin.

    I was back. I was alive.

    I looked up, heart thumping painfully against the inside of my chest, and instantly my elation fell away. I scrambled forward towards Jess, her body covered in bruises and burns, deep claw marks raked across her side, partly covered by reddened web.

    ¡°Jess?¡± I muttered, in disbelief. But she didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Crap. No. No, no, no. Jess. Jess please. I didn¡¯t¡­ I wasn¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    I looked up, searching for help from somewhere. Then I saw it. The half scorched and crumbling skyscrapers, framed by a rising green hue above that darkened the sky around it. My thoughts slowed to a stop, as a sudden panic grabbed me.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± I muttered. ¡°What the hell is happening?¡±

    Suddenly Jess jerked awake, slowly pulling herself up, looking to me half dazed eyes, as she slowly came to understanding.

    ¡°Yu¡± she muttered pulling me close. I clutched her back, my entire body cracking with the soreness of aches and pains. But as soon as she¡¯d hugged me, she pulled away, looking behind her.

    ¡°Is that¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok. You¡¯re back and we¡¯re going to go to HQ and sort it out. This isn¡¯t your fault¡±

    ¡°My fault?¡± I mumbled, looking out over the chaos. I didn¡¯t understand. I felt as though I was forgetting something.

    ¡°No Yu. No. It¡¯s ok. You¡¯re ok. Now come on. Quick. Let¡¯s go. We need to help you, then we¡¯ll come back and save everyone.¡±

    ¡°I- there was something I could¡¯ve helped with¡± I muttered, struggling to remember. ¡°Something I should have helped with. Is it too late?¡±

    ¡°Come on Yu. Get up.¡± she muttered, the shaking of her voice filled with a desperation. ¡°Get up dammit.¡±

    She pulled me up, forcing me to stand. But my legs buckled anyway, weakened by the evil. It was back. Pulling at my memories, separating my thoughts. I could tear it from my skin as much as I wanted, but also long as it was in my mind, it would always fight back. And it still had the strength to take me.

    I shoved Jess away hard, falling to the floor as I struggled for breath.

    ¡°Yu?! St-¡±

    ¡°You have to get away!¡±

    ¡°Yu just get u-¡° she started, grabbing me.

    ¡°No!¡± I cried, pushing her back. ¡°It¡¯s still, it¡¯s in my head. I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on. Everything¡¯s fading and I just¡­ I don¡¯t want to go back.¡±

    ¡°What? Yu what¡¯re you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Jess, I don¡¯t¡­ you have to help me¡± I mumbled my eyes wet. ¡°Everything¡¯s fading. I don¡¯t understand. I don¡¯t want to go back there. You have to help me. Please¡±

    ¡°Yu it¡¯s ok.¡±

    ¡°No. I can¡¯t stop it. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s me and what¡¯s not¡± I sobbed.

    I coughed hard, as tendrils of the symbiote began writhe latching onto me from the patches of black that clung to my skin.

    ¡°Dammit. We need to separate this thing from you now¡± Jess cried. She pulled something from her watch slapping it to my wrist, before lifting me off the ground. With a speed, she leapt from the building, clutching me tightly as she fired a web off into the distance.

    ¡°No. Go. You have to go¡± I muttered.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get you to HQ and fix this,¡± she said ¡°I promise I¡¯ll fix this.¡±

    Suddenly goblin swooped out of the sky, slamming into Jess as he wrenched me from her grasp. She cried out, desperate, but he slammed her with a fist before throwing a spray of bombs at her as he rose upwards and away. He pulled something from his pocket and stabbed it into my arm. Instantly, my entire body writhed with mind numbing pain, all thoughts ¨C even the symbiotes fading. He looked to me, half sneering.

    ¡°You¡¯re mine now¡± he spat. ¡°Blame your friends for that.¡±

    Then my mind faded into nothingness.

 Going Green - Chapter Ten

    Jess clutched her arm tightly, struggling to hold it together as she lay in the cloud of dust.

    Her ears rung hard, her sense of balance shot, along with any emotional stability she¡¯d been able to gather in the past year.

    This is stupid, she thought. No. Worse than stupid. It¡¯s shit. Shittier than shit.

    She made to stand, the burns, scrapes, and bruises protesting before she slumped back to the ground, back resting against the cold roughness of stone.

    Everything had gone to shit so quickly. Half the city had probably been scorched by the wave of pure power from above, hundreds, maybe even thousands, dead, Peter and Lucas probably among that number and all she could think about was Yu¡¯s cry of pain as he¡¯d been pulled from her grasp.

    And she couldn¡¯t even stand to chase after him. She was too weak too.

    ¡°Stupid fucking fuck¡± she muttered to herself on the verge of tears. ¡°Damn glider idiot. Goblin git. Fucking- Idiot. Stupid idiot.¡±

    This was worse than the day she¡¯d been born.

    ¡°Jess?¡± a familiar voice said from above. She glanced up, through the hole in the ceiling above her, the action a serious effort. A Spider-Man shaped silhouette sat perched against the edge of the rock, the green river of energy in the dark of sky behind them.

    Instantly a burst of hope washed through her.

    ¡°Yu¡± she sputtered. ¡°Quick.¡±

    The figure landed down, before stumbling as they caught themselves against a wall. It was Peter.

    ¡°Yu¡± she muttered practically choking on the words. Peter turned to her, before falling to one knee, as he pulled off his mask clutching his side.

    ¡°You ok?¡±

    ¡°Yu¡± she said desperately, ¡°Quick. You need to go after him. The glider goblin guy took him. After everything he just fucking- he took Yu.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± Peter muttered, defeated. ¡°He¡¯s long gone.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡± she said. ¡°You can go after him. You can find him.¡±

    ¡°Yu¡¯s suit didn¡¯t have a tracker. Even if I could search for him, I wouldn¡¯t even know where to begin¡± he said. She fell silent, clenching her fist in frustration.

    What a shit day. What a totally shittier than shit day.

    Peter pulled himself along the last half metre, before slumping down next to her, his breaths haggard.

    ¡°Is Lucas¡­¡± she trailed off.

    ¡°He¡¯s alright¡± Peter muttered. ¡°Well alive at least. Don¡¯t know if he¡¯s injured, but I saw him swinging around saving people. We should probably help with that. Then start on finding Yu.¡±

    She nodded, and the two of them sat still, before Peter leant his head back, looking up to the green of the sky.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty in a way, isn¡¯t it?¡± Peter said, a defeated acceptance in his voice.

    ¡°No¡± she mumbled wiping at her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s fucking stupid. Stupid.¡±

    Peter glanced to her as she sniffled, before patting her on the back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t pat me on the fucking back- I¡¯m not a kid¡± she said, on the verge of tears.

    ¡°Sorry¡± he said, pulling away.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m¡­ dammit¡­ sorry¡± she muttered. ¡°I didn¡¯t...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s not¡± she said. ¡°We fucking- we lost. And I could feel it coming. Everything slipping from our grasp slowly. More villains, Kingpin being Kingpin and more shit to deal with, and the NE problem getting worse and worse, just waiting to bite us in the ass. And the goddamn fucking Vanguard is useless, and so is everything else. I fucking- shit. I watched him lose himself. I watched at school everyday as his whole fucking personality changed and I didn¡¯t even notice. I was there and I didn¡¯t change a thing. Dammit. I¡¯ve barely made a difference to anything.¡±

    She cursed with a primal frustration, and kicked at some of the rocks, wincing hard as she sniffled.

    ¡°Sorry¡± she muttered. ¡°It¡¯s been a really shit day.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably not over¡±

    ¡°I know that¡± she said harsh, ¡°Fuck. You don¡¯t have to say it.¡±

    ¡°Jess I-¡±

    ¡°I mean, fucking seriously¡± she said, an ironic laugh escaping her lips. ¡°That fucking fuck. He was ok. He was finally ok, and he was right there and I had him. And he was practically begging me to help him and I just- I couldn¡¯t-¡± she trailed off, struggling to talk through the tears that streamed down her face.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay Jess¡± Peter said, pulling her into a hug. ¡°it¡¯s ok.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not¡± she sobbed.

    ¡°I know¡± he mumbled. ¡°I know.¡±

    -

    I opened my eyes to muttered cursing and the clang of metal.

    Darkness surrounded me, and for a moment fear returned before steadily abating. My vision was slowly adjusting to the darkness of the space around me, and just beyond I could make out the shadow of a figure sitting in the darkness.

    They sat atop a stool facing away, hunched over something as they muttered to themselves. Even here, I could see the skin of their back, scarred, its surface marked by a strange, scratched texture. They mumbled to themselves, a string of repeated curses in an almost rhythmic pattern, a strange song-like mantra, backed by the scratching of metal against metal.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    What the hell? Where even was I? How had I gotten here? The last thing that happened¡­

    The rush of memories came back to me in an instant.

    The fear, the panic, the loss of my memories, and the chaos. The green of the sky. The fire. Jess.

    I hurt Jess

    My breaths grew quick, panicked, my mind becoming aware of the air¡¯s sharp cold against my skin. I needed to find her. I needed to find Jess and apologise. But what if she was dead? What the injuries I¡¯d given her had killed her? The anguish rolled through me, my eyes watering as I gripped the concrete of the floor. If I¡¯d killed her, I might as well die. If I¡¯d killed her then whatever this hell was, was my punishment.

    The clang of metal and that twisted song rang through my ears, as I pressed my head into the concrete of the ground, the first of my tears forming. Then the loud clang of metal pulled me from my grief. I paused, heart hammering hard, and looked up, staring at the figure¡¯s back.

    What the hell was I doing?

    Of course I need to worry about Jess, but I needed to worry about myself first. I needed to get my own thoughts straight and get the hell out of here. I shook my head violently.

    Get it together you idiot.

    I wiped at my eyes, before looking around the darkness. But where exactly was here? I couldn¡¯t sense anything, could barely feel beyond the cold. How had I gotten here?

    A sickening laugh echoed through my mind, the heat of pain against my neck, and the sputtering of a damaged glider.

    ¡®You¡¯re mine now. Blame your friends for that.¡¯

    Right. The goblin had taken me.

    He¡¯d taken me and put a collar around my neck that¡¯d sapped my strength from me. But why? Something to do with the symbiote? Probably but there was no way to know.

    Besides the collar I felt fine. So, he either hadn¡¯t done anything, or it only felt that way. I paused, my eyes widening. My face. He¡¯d seen my face. Crap. Was that it? Was it all over? Had he figured out who I was? Could he figure out who the others were? Could he expose me? Had he done so already?

    I grit my teeth in anguish.  I need to get myself under control. With a deep breath, I closed my eyes, tuning out the goblin¡¯s demented song. My thoughts ¨C clear for the first time in a while ¨C soothed me. That strength I¡¯d forgotten returning. The one that¡¯d made me a hero in the first place.

    I might¡¯ve been scared, but it wasn¡¯t over. At least not until I gave up.

    My breathing slowed as I calmed myself, before looking to my restraints. I was chained to the floor by my hands, the collar from before still around my neck. It brought less pain now, but the weakness was still there, the presence of the symbiote gone from my mind.

    With keen eyes, I looked to the figure again, watching them closely. They hadn¡¯t noticed any change in my breathing, and they certainly hadn¡¯t seen me. The goblin was blissfully unaware, stuck in their song. If I was going to do something it had to be now.

    Slowly I stood. The chains were too small to reach them, but maybe I could break them. That weakness was still there, but if I could regain my strength, even if only for a moment they¡¯d tear like tissue. But that meant confronting the symbiote.

    I paused, before taking a long breath. It was only me and the goblin here. And I¡¯d regained control before. I could do it again.

    I stood slowly, wrapping the slack of the chains slowly around my arms before pulling at the base with as might as I could muster. They went taught as I stood slowly, tugging at them harder and harder with every second. My wrists strained against their tightness, as I struggled, my desperation growing as the new weakness of my body became more and more apparent.

    Then the figure¡¯s song stopped. Crap.

    ¡°Trying to run away, are we?¡± the voice said. The green metal of breast plate clanged to the floor and then a scarred hand was around my neck.

    He lifted me off the floor, his grip a vice. I gasped desperately kicking at him before I fell to the floor. He stood over me, silent, his unnatural green eyes fixed on me with a pure hatred. Then he neared, his face becoming clearer in the darkness.

    He was young, probably not much older than Peter. The skin on his face was normal, except for the claw like scars running from forehead to chin, deep discoloured scars. He looked familiar somehow, but not someone I recognised.

    He stared at me for a moment, before laughing to himself. Then he smiled, a grim thing, like something mechanical beneath the skin had upturned his lips and tugged them grimly into a smile. I shuddered as he grabbed me by the face, digging a sharpened finger into the skin beneath my eye.

    ¡°Gah, shit! Shit!¡± I mumbled, writhing about in pain, as I tried to pull away from him. The pain stopped as soon as it began, and with a hand he slammed me against corrugated steel. Silence reigned for a moment as I lay there¡¯ wheezing, blood trickling down my cheek.

    ¡°I wonder¡± he whispered suddenly, ¡°of this what do you know?¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡± I muttered, looking up. He pulled away, into the darkness, chuckling to himself. The sound echoed through the room, unlike any I¡¯d heard before. Almost as if it reverberated through the very walls.

    ¡°Do you know who created you?¡± he said suddenly serious. I remained silent, looking at him as he paced back and forth, circling around his chair. He paused suddenly, turning to me.

    ¡°Answer¡±

    ¡°Fuck you¡±

    He leapt at me, grabbing the chains as he wrenched me forward, before digging his nails into my cheek. I gasped and he dropped me to the floor, before gently pressing one of his sharpened fingers against my throat.

    ¡°Answer me!¡± he said. I pulled away from his sharp finger, desperately fighting for breath. ¡°DON¡¯T IGNORE ME! ANSWER! ANSWER!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± I muttered, half whimpering.

    ¡°Take a guess or I¡¯ll fucking kill you.¡±

    ¡°O-otto. Dr Otto Octavius¡±

    He burst into sudden laughter, jumping away before kicking the metal of his green breastplate across the space. It crashed against something, a flash of sparks blinding me for a moment, before the room went dark again, the goblin still laughing. Dammit. He was completely insane.

    Slowly his laughter died down, and he grabbed the chair, before dragging it over beside me and taking a seat.

    ¡°Well, the right answer was Spider-Man. Lucas Escarra¡± he said. My eyes went wide. He knew. He knew who the others were.

    ¡°Ha! You didn¡¯t know I knew that. Funny. I guess he wouldn¡¯t know to be able to tell you. Should¡¯ve suspected though. The BRC was Oscorp funded. Of course, we¡¯d keep security cams there¡± he muttered before slinking away, into the abject darkness of the rest of the lab. ¡°Should¡¯ve never been given to my stupid brother. It¡¯s his fault it blew up. He planned it! He and dad! The board, they were gonna give it to me. They were gonna give it to me you know?¡±

    I closed my eyes silently praying to myself. It¡¯d be ok. Even if I couldn¡¯t escape, the others would find me. They would. They¡¯d find me and I¡¯d get out of here, and I¡¯d go home.

    ¡°Well anyway¡± he said, voice suddenly normal. ¡°I¡¯ve brought you here to discuss business matters. You guys really fucked with my plan. But I think I can still sort things out without the core. You see I¡¯ve found a way to stabilise the venom symbiote. My offer to you? Help me capture Lucas and let me take a little chunk of you. Then you get full control. None of this losing your mind nonsense. All you have to do is agree not attack me, and I¡¯ll give you the formula after the job¡¯s done.¡±

    I remained silent, searching the darkness for him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think, just answer me¡± he said cold. ¡°You know what¡¯ll happen if you don¡¯t¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want whatever it¡¯s you¡¯re offering¡± I muttered, voice shaky. ¡°I won¡¯t turn on my friends.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s alright. You see I¡¯ve got other plans¡± he said. ¡°Really quite smart actually. And I don¡¯t need your permission for some of this other stuff. You see, this symbiote stuff is the real deal, not that stupid PED rip-off Dad¡¯s making. And if Lucas can make this after coming into contact with one of Otto¡¯s first experiments, then maybe, just maybe, his family can too.¡±

    My blood ran cold.

    ¡°Well, it won¡¯t be exactly the same. An updated formula, straight from test tube to vein. But it should be enough. And that¡¯s not even the fun part. You my dear friend, you¡¯re special too. To not just hold the symbiote back but control it for almost a full year¡­ I could only dream of finding another specimen like that. You¡¯ve shown me a gift. I planned to try and use you, but I don¡¯t need to. I can run tests on you, and this¡­ this is unimaginable. I can see your face. And now I know who you are. So, like in Lucas¡¯ case, who knows your little brother might be inclined to this gift too.¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± I cried, pulling against the chains desperately as I screeched, an inhuman sound that echoed through the space. ¡°NO! YOU BASTARD! Stay away from him! STAY AWAY!¡±

    He slammed a sledgehammer of a fist into my stomach, and I gasped, words cut short. Then with a maniacal eccentricity he began to laugh, a high-pitched evil sound the echoed through the darkness all around us, as he faded from view.

    ¡°Yes¡± he giggled to himself. ¡°Tonight, we¡¯re going to pay a visit to your family too.¡±

 Going Green - Chapter Eleven

    The night was green, the sounds of sirens filling the city. Specks of darkness slipped through the clouds of gaseous green as they warped and shifted in the air, various helicopters still flying overhead.

    In the distance black and grey smoke still billowed out into the sky, casting everything. Only a few orange hues remained visible throughout the city now, the last of them fading quickly. Ty wiped at his face with an already soot covered rag, sniffing as he struggled for breath, trails of soot-stained sweat dripping off his face.

    Today reminded him of the news he¡¯d seen about the BRC explosion. The Chinatown explosions too. Back when he¡¯d still been in school. He remembered seeing it on the news, the broken bodies and buildings, the helplessness he¡¯d felt in it all. Of knowing, really knowing, that heroes wouldn¡¯t always be there to save people. It¡¯d been what made him join eventually. Maybe out of some semblance of duty to his city, or some strange pride he¡¯d held. To respecting of his own self-image to devote himself to anything else.

    And so, he¡¯d worked. Helped make people¡¯s lives better. Found friends and earned a smidgeon of respect most only reserved for superheroes. He¡¯d felt that optimism return. That hope that the world was just as safe as he¡¯d always thought before everything. Sure, there had been small events, small slips ups, places where the fa?ade came down. Certain wrecks he¡¯d had to clear, images he¡¯d seen on the news, buildings he¡¯d rescued from, seen rebuilt and then torn down again by more chaos.

    But today was different. It wasn¡¯t localised. Not just one building, or one district. It was everywhere. The entire city frown into chaos. And not just from the fires. A day like this wasn¡¯t one for criminals to pass up on. He¡¯d seen more police cars here today than in the last year, most headed for Chinatown. But that wasn¡¯t his job to focus on. His job was to fight fires, and rescue those trapped in their wrecks.

    Even as the sky darkened, and the light of day burned into night. Even when he was slowly losing hope. He sighed, wiping at his face again, before glancing to the tarp that covered the bodies of far too many. A sight he¡¯d seen more than once today. One he¡¯d probably see a lot more of in the coming hours.

    He looked away, to the dust on the asphalt, grinding the heel of his boot into it as he clenched his teeth. Ty hadn¡¯t been a fire fighter for long, but he suspected he wouldn¡¯t be this busy for a long time.

    Still, there was some hope. Seeing the old heroes of his squad return without question, watching as volunteers and civilians worked with them to save as many lives as possible, as men and women who¡¯d lost everything fought to help families that remained reunite. Seeing the way people came together on days like this, it reminded him of what humanity could be. Even when darkness took the world, there was still good.

    ¡°There always is¡± he repeated to himself, a mantra. ¡°There always is.¡±

    A chorus of shouts suddenly echoed out from the crowd gathered off to the side. He looked to them then followed their gazes to the sky. The spider-men and woman swung overhead, towards the last of the orange hues of fire. Cheers echoed out from the crowd as they swung overhead, people shouting praise relentless at the heroes. He smiled to himself, before clapping himself. Seeing the heroes up close was cool too.

    ¡°Tyrone! What you sitting for?! They need us on fifth! Move your ass!¡±

    ¡°Right! Sorry boss!¡± he shouted, leaping up. He jogged forward, sparing a glance to the sky, feeling his smile return. Tonight was a going to be a long night. But there¡¯d be nights to come still. And that was reason enough to continue on.

    -

    Wind whipped through my hair as I struggled against. The goblin carried me over his shoulder, my body still tied up in the chains, and the collar still firmly placed around my neck.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this!¡± I cried, desperate. He ignored me continuing on across the sky as the glider left a trail behind us. With a growing panic, I struggled, feebly pulling at my chains as we curved upwards through the sky, from the Staten island docks toward mainland New York. We soared over the Hortz-bruig weaving between the lights of various helicopters as I kicked desperately at the metal of the goblin¡¯s suit.

    ¡°Just- stop!¡± I cried, voice drowned out by the wind. He continued on, over the broken and burned buildings of Manhattan, far too many sirens echoing through the city as white smoke rose into the air, coloured by the great cloud of glowing green above.

    I looked to it, my mind racing as I tried desperately to figure out a way to beat this. To break free and win like we always did.

    But nothing was coming to me. No great plan, not even an instinct or gut feeling to follow. Negative thoughts flooded me as hundreds of memories of my brother played through my mind. I couldn¡¯t let him get to him. I couldn¡¯t let him break my family or Lucas¡¯. I had to something. Anything.

    ¡°Stop!¡± I cried, as we neared the Brooklyn bridge. ¡°Just stop!¡±

    I pushed against him hard, with a sudden burst of strength. He cursed out, the glider tilting hard as we rocked back and forth, soaring high above the river.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move¡± he roared, slamming a fist into my face.

    I fell limp for a moment, my breaths haggard and my thoughts grew quiet with despair. A single thought carried through as I lay against his shoulder, quiet. Not one that came in words, but feeling. A raw and potent agony, coloured by defeat.

    I¡¯d never felt so far from something I wanted before. It was enough to make me give up.

    But even as the defeat swept me, hundreds of memories. Of people I¡¯d saved. The praise of the public. The villains I¡¯d beaten. The moment I¡¯d put on the suit, just to stop a couple bullies. The moment when I¡¯d saved that family from a house fire. And clearest the moment I¡¯d taken on the symbiote and saved Spider-Man¡¯s life.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    That¡¯d been the best day of my life. Despite the pain, and the fear it¡¯d made me, me. It was the day I¡¯d become more.

    I couldn¡¯t let it be ruined by this. Couldn¡¯t let today be the end of all the good I did. I had to fight. Even if there wasn¡¯t a way to win, I had to fight. That¡¯s what heroes did. That¡¯s what I was.

    I kicked out at the goblin in a desperate frenzy, throwing my body back and forth as I cried out, more in desperation than anything else.

    ¡°Stop¡± he roared.

    ¡°Fuck you!¡± I cried, slamming my head into his helmet. He pulled away from the force of the blow, and I threw myself toward him.

    For a moment I felt weightless, then the glider tipped, flipping as we were thrown down towards a rooftop. We crashed hard against the gravel, a flailing mess of limbs and metal before I crashed against concrete, breathing hard. I lay on the floor, breathing heavily as blood and bile rose up in my throat. But the rooftop was silent.

    ¡°I did it¡± I mumbled, laughing in disbelief. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that would work. Holy shit I-¡±

    A hand grabbed me by the neck.

    ¡°You idiot!¡± he cried, hefting me into he air. ¡°Stop messing everything up!¡±

    He threw me hard and I crashed against a concrete, gasping. Breath escaped me for a moment as I lay on the floor before I rolled over. Weighed down by my chains I struggled about in a heap my back aflame with pain.

    ¡°Idiots! Everyone¡¯s always getting in my way¡± he muttered to himself. I cursed, as he called the glider back over, then started towards me.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this¡± I muttered. He cackled before kicking me back against the concrete, stars flying across my vision.

    ¡°This is the only thing I have to do¡± he said, curt.

    ¡°Why?¡± I mumbled, still reeling from the pain.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯re you even doing this?¡± I muttered, my breaths slow. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. I don¡¯t understand any of it¡±

    ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t it obvious?! I have to destroy everything my father ever built so I can show them me! My stuff! Then they won¡¯t ignore me! They¡¯ll look to me and they¡¯ll listen like I¡¯m not some fucking shmuck! I¡¯ll build a company a hundred times better than Oscorp!¡±

    My eyes widened as I looked to him. Of course. It all made sense. The bombing, the spiel being recognised, everything. But why was this happening now. Was it Harry? Had he somehow gone mad after waking up.

    ¡°You¡­ you don¡¯t have to do this Harry¡± I muttered.

    He slammed a fist into my stomach, dropping me again. I coughed hard, blood splattering onto the floor.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say that name!¡±

    I lay on the floor, breathless, before he picked me up, slinging me over his shoulder. He leapt back into the glider.

    It was over. There wasn¡¯t any way to beat him. I didn¡¯t win this. I didn¡¯t warn anyone. I didn¡¯t get saved. Everything, the last year had been for nothing. He was going to break my family, he was going to break Lucas¡¯ and ruin everything.

    Tears fell down my face as we drew closer to a row of apartment buildings.

    There had to be a way to come out of this. Had to.

    There is one

    ¡°No¡± I muttered.

    ¡°Shut up¡± goblin said, elbowing me.

    The sky gives us energy. If you give everything to me, we can break these pathetic chains. We can win.

    I¡­ can you really stop him?

    Yes.

    I hesitated a moment, a rush of contrasting thoughts and feelings pleading for reason and revenge.

    He said he could beat him. Said he could really win. I didn¡¯t have a reason to trust him, but I knew his strength firsthand. I could remember it. These chains would be nothing for him. Nothing.

    Yeah. He could break free of the chains, then I could wrestle back control. I¡¯d done it before. I could do it again. I could stop all this. Take responsibility for messing everything up. Be the hero.

    Do you even really believe that?

    I pushed the thought aside turning my awareness inward as all rational thought screamed at me. I had to keep fighting. Now. Always.

    If you stop him, if you stop him and stop this, I¡¯ll let you have my body. Just¡­ just don¡¯t hurt my friends. Don¡¯t hurt anyone.

    Is that a yes?

    Yes. Please just stop this. Stop him. Please.

    The change was instant, a sudden and sharp pain and then oblivion. The darkness engulfed him, complete and absolute in its entirety.

    With a certainty I fell back into the void.

    -

    Lucas swung done into the street, clutching the last person in his arms before setting them down on a gurney. He stepped back and looked to the building, watching as Jess swung down, followed by Peter.

    ¡°Building clear?¡± he said stepping forward.

    Peter flashed him a thumbs up, continuing on to an ambulance with the child he carried in his arms. Lucas let out a sigh of relief before looking back to the building as the grey-white smoke wafted into the sky, slowly beginning to thin.

    He glanced to Jess who sat on the floor, clutching her arm as Miles looked her over.

    ¡°You two ok?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I think J- Spider Woman¡¯s arm¡¯s getting bad. I don¡¯t know. It looks pretty bad.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± Jess muttered.

    ¡°Just rest for now, alright?¡± Lucas said. Jess nodded as Miles looked between the two of us. Lucas stepped back, searching the crowd of first responders for anyone who needed help. His eyes came to a stop on the crowd of civilians beyond them, waiting at the cordon with bated breath and fear in their eyes, all looking for their loved ones.

    He turned away, a sudden guilt rising in his chest as he frowned hard.

    I really need to call home, he thought. Let them know I¡¯m ok.

    ¡°Thanks you guys¡± a fire-fighter said, patting him on the back as he walked past. Lucas glanced to him and nodded, the praise bittersweet.

    He stared out at the chaos of his surroundings then looked over to .

    ¡°You guys ok?¡± Peter said, making his way over

    ¡°J- Spider Woman¡¯s arm is hurt¡± Miles said.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± she muttered curtly.

    ¡°Alright. Well, there¡¯s not much left to do and you guys look exhausted. Go home I¡¯ll head off, start trying to track our friend.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m coming with¡± Jess said.

    ¡°Me too¡± Miles added.

    ¡°No way, your parents are probably worried sick. Go home.¡± Lucas said.

    Miles paused, then nodded reluctantly.

    ¡°And-¡±

    ¡°Save it. I¡¯m coming¡± Jess said.

    ¡°Alright¡± Peter sighed.

    ¡°I should probably come too, right?¡± Lucas mumbled.

    ¡°Rest¡± Peter said. ¡°It¡¯s alright to go home.¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡± he muttered, wiping sweat off his chin.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done more than enough today¡± Peter replied, patting him on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re the reason we even still have a city to care about.¡±

    Lucas glanced to the green of the sky, then nodded looking to the floor.

    ¡°And here¡± Peter said. ¡°Replacement phone in case we need you.¡±

    ¡°Go it¡± Lucas said taking the phone.

    ¡°Goodnight.¡±

    ¡°Goodnight, guys.¡±

    And with that he leapt into the air, quickly swinging away before stopping atop a roof. He paused, and looked back at the city behind him, then up to the sky again. He¡¯d call, rescue a few more people, then he could go home. Quickly he dialled his sister¡¯s number. She picked up after only a few moments.

    ¡°Hey. Sorry I lef-¡±

    ¡°L-lucas?¡± his sister mumbled.

    He froze eyes wide. His sister sounded beyond scared.

    ¡°B-big Sis?¡±

    ¡°L-Lucas he¡¯s- you need to come¡± she said desperate. ¡°Please Lucas. He knows who we are you need to-¡±

    A familiar roar echoed in the background, one that seemed to shake the air drowning out his sister¡¯s scream. His blood ran cold as he stood suddenly, the concrete cracking under the weight of his trembling hand.

    ¡°Erica?! Sis?! SIS?!¡±

    ¡°Please Lucas. Please¡± she mumbled through tears, as a familiar cackle echoed over the phone. He was gone before he could even hear the rest of her pleas, leaping through the air with a furious panic.

    The memories flashed through his mind as a primal fear carried up from his stomach, a rush of forgotten emotions suddenly so present he felt almost as if they¡¯d never left.

    Please, he thought. Please, not like this.

 Going Green - Chapter Twelve

    The air was alive. With every screech it shook more violently than the last, thunderous booms of noise shaping the air. Flashes of green of exploded outwards all around as horrible laughter. There was dust everywhere. Erica couldn¡¯t tell whether it came from inside or outside the building. She was in too much pain.

    Another flash of green, a burst of heat, and then more debris rained over her. Debris from above. She glanced up, struggling to see through the cloud of. There was a hole in the, the glowing green of the sky revealed. The building partially collapsed.

    Oh, she thought. That¡¯s what fell on me.

    She looked to the rest of the debris, blinking slowly as she moved a hand to her now aching head. Slowly she turned, some of the debris atop her shifting as pain lanced through her legs. She cursed, grabbing a hold of her leg at the knee, her breaths haggard. Her shin felt both impossibly warm and impossibly cold at the same time, and as she became more cognizant her surroundings seemed to shift,

    ¡°Stop! Fucking stop you cretin! Stop!¡± the green glider cried in a desperate craze. ¡°You¡¯re ruining everything! Stop! Listen to me! STOP!¡±

    More screams echoed out as the flashes of green grew more frequent, the last of the glass blowing inwards. Erica cried out, falling hard with a gasp. She lay there for a moment before wincing as she attempted to right herself.

    The street flashed green and another explosion rocked the building. Unimaginable pain shot through her, and she crashed to the ground in a spray of glass, the rock shifting over her leg. She sobbed clutching at her leg before Smoke beginning to pour from below.

    ¡°No¡± she muttered, grasping desperately at the debris. But she couldn¡¯t. The pain was far too much. Even if she freed herself, even if the fight didn¡¯t obliterate the building, she wasn¡¯t faster than fire, even with a . It would catch her and she would die.

    ¡°Oh god¡± she mumbled.

    She looked to the floor, clutching the tattered floorboards with a desperate hand.

    She¡¯d known how quickly death could come, in a world like this more people did than didn¡¯t. But she was only just now realising she hadn¡¯t felt it. Not truly. She¡¯d forgotten the feeling somewhere along the way. Maybe to try and live normally, to just be, without the shadow of her parents hanging over everything she did. But she remembered now. She remembered so clearly the frailty of her own life. The insignificance of her own mortality.

    She let out a cough, her entire body trembling as the building shook again.

    Still, she couldn¡¯t quite believe it. There was so much more. So many things she¡¯d wanted to say. To share. So many regrets she¡¯d wanted to make up for. Especially with Lucas. It¡¯d become so clear now, the culmination of half formed thoughts built up since the summer. But he¡¯d only gotten further and further away. It was so strange. Realising he wasn¡¯t a kid anymore. Realising he had his own wants, desires, things greater than just childhood whims. It¡¯d been better with Maria. But she supposed she¡¯d allowed herself to think that way, simply because it had been easier. But they were adults now or becoming adults at least.

    They were leaving her behind. And she was proud, of all of them. So proud in so many ways. But it hurt too. Not just knowing they were leaving her but also seeing what beginning this new chapter of their lives had done to them. She¡¯d raised them made sure they¡¯d done well in school, done everything necessary to get degrees, take advantage of all the gifts their parents had given them. But she didn¡¯t know if she¡¯d prepared them properly for adulthood. They¡¯d all dealt with the accident differently. She¡¯d assumed success meant a good degree from a good college. But there was so much more than that. So much she¡¯d missed.

    But then again, she¡¯d been a child of sorts too.

    She let out another cough, bile rising in the back of her throat as the smoke in the room thickened.

    She wanted to talk to them about it. About their lives, their relationships, their wants, their passions. She wanted to talk to them about everything

    And now it was too late.

    The screeches grew louder now, the crashes more violent as the whirring of the glider shot past again and again. Monsters were fighting outside. Terrible monsters.

    She grasped as the debris shifted, the building rumbling as a part of the floor collapsed. She cursed, flinching away as a sudden fear burst forth. She couldn¡¯t do it. She couldn¡¯t stay here. She hadn¡¯t let anything defeat her before. She couldn¡¯t give up now. If she wanted to make things better, or even just try, she had to live. For all her siblings, and herself.

    She looked down to her leg. The explosion had knocked some of the brick free and dislodged some of the other debris. There was a gap now, and with the right pull she¡¯d be able to free herself. It would hurt, beyond measure it would hurt, but then she would be free. With a newfound vigour she tore material from her sweater, biting down on it hard. With short and sharp breaths, she grabbed her leg right below the knee and looked away. She pulled and the pain was instant.

    But even as it radiated through her she ignored it, her newfound will unyielding. With a final effort, she gasped, pulling herself free of the debris, cursing as the mangled remains of her leg were dragged across the glass ridden floor.

    Pain radiated through her leg as the adrenaline of desperation faded, leaving her slumped against the floor, breaths shallow. Slowly she rolled over, then began desperately crawling across the room, away from the commotion outside. But the effort was slow, and bit by bit more smoke poured into the room, drowning out the air and her thoughts.

    ¡°B-big Sis!¡± a voice suddenly cried out. Erica looked ahead as the door to the apartment rattled, caught in the warped frame.

    ¡°M-Maria?!¡± Erica shouted back, relief momentarily

    ¡°Big sis?! Are you alright?! Are you hurt!?¡± Sofia shouted.

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    ¡°What¡¯re you doing here?! Go! The building¡¯s on fire, go!¡± she coughed.

    ¡°What? We can¡¯t leave you!¡± Maria shouted

    ¡°Are you hurt!?¡± Sofia said, kicking at the door again.

    ¡°My leg¡¯s broken¡± she coughed. ¡°Go dammit, quickly.¡±

    She was met only with the chaos of outside and shrieks.

    Erica glanced behind her, to her two younger sisters, eyes wide.

    ¡°You have to go¡± she muttered. ¡°I- it¡¯s ok¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Sofia cried, kicking at the door again.

    ¡°I should go! Run dammit!¡±

    The door shook again, more violently this time before it cracked, splintering. Sofia quickly leapt over the remaining lower half, eyes widening as she spotted her older sister.

    ¡°Shit¡± Maria said, following closely behind.

    ¡°Run¡± Erica muttered. ¡°It¡¯ll take too long to carry me. Go¡±

    Her sister¡¯s rushed forward, quickly picking her up.

    ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± she muttered, tears streaming down her face. ¡°I¡¯ll slow you down.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. We¡¯re not leaving you¡± Maria said. The building shook again, violently, the sound of walls behind them crumbling. Erica cursed, then pressed forward hopping along as her sister¡¯s held her.

    ¡°Quick¡± she muttered. ¡°If you¡¯re gonna take me, let¡¯s be quick.¡±

    ¡°Alright¡± Sofia muttered ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    -

    It was all going wrong.

    Maybe it always had been. He didn¡¯t know. A part of him didn¡¯t want to. It felt like if he became too introspective, thought about it for too long he¡¯d find he was doomed to fail. Like the twisted hand of fate had marked him for failure.

    It sure felt that way.

    He spun, arcing around the monster as he bombarded it with another barrage of bombs, the creature realising another piercing screech.

    ¡°Fall creature! Die!¡± he roared, hurling. He dodged another attack with a smooth spin, blasting it with a bomb as he backed away, cursing to himself.

    He couldn¡¯t allow himself to get caught up in negativity. The symbiote was yet to hurt him yet. He¡¯d beaten adversity before. It was simply another challenge, sent by the universe. Something to prove his worthiness.

    Yes, he thought, yes, this cretin is nothing. Just a blip in the tale of my success.

    He would beat it. He was better than everyone else, everything else. This was a monster of pure power and malice, an enhancing symbiote with a superhuman host. And he was winning. Yes, he was winning. It hadn¡¯t so much as laid a scratch on him and he was tearing its body apart.

    He let loose a cackle, blasting it back with another barrage of bombs. He didn¡¯t need to escape the creature. It was challenge ordained to him. A rite of passage. He had to defeat it. And so, he would. Like all things, he¡¯d persevere and destroy it. No matter what fate had in the cards for him, he would surpass it. Greatness awaited him, not by some divine right, but his own hand.

    ¡°You think you can ruin me?!¡± he roared. ¡°My fists are the unyielding. My bombs the true decider of destiny! Die creature! DIE!¡±

    His hands moved faster, as he switched to the offensive. He threw his bombs in droves, using the pellets and mid-sized bombs with pinpoint as he snaked around the foul beast.

    And he cackled all the while. He was a genius. The beast a pathetic creature without a proper host, subject to torment at the hands of his anti-NE bombs. He hadn¡¯t been certain at first, but now he was. Even in all his madness he was certain of this.

    He¡¯d win.

    It didn¡¯t matter if he had to blow up the whole neighbourhood. The hosts¡¯ little brother was still out there. He¡¯d destroy this failure here, find the boy and make a newer better beast. A creation a thousand times better than the ruin before him.

    He cackled maniacally. Everything would be ok. He¡¯d win, and then they would listen. They would all listen and see.

    He spun around the creature again, before suddenly darting inwards with an incredible speed. The symbiote unhinged its maw and he spun around it, dropping one of the larger bombs in its mouth. The creature exploded in a burst of green and white light screeching as it crashed to the ground, thrashing around violently. He waited for it to recover, to pull itself. But it didn¡¯t.

    His victory had arrived.

    With an incredible speed and dexterity, he primed all the higher-grade bombs, and began hurling them towards the creature below. The first exploded in a tower of light and fire, blowing apart part of the street. Then more followed. One, two, four, eight, sixteen he cackled, steadily going up the grades as he rained more and more fire upon the symbiote, the street below a well of light, heat and sound.

    As the light grew, so did his smile. He''d done it. He¡¯d w-

    A web grabbed him yanking him back. His eyes widened, as he fumbled desperate, then a claw raked itself across his visor, shattering the glass into his face. He screamed as he fell, blinded as heat coursed through his face. Darkness spun all around him, the light of victory snatched away in its last moments. Then he crashed to the ground hard.

    He lay motionless for a second, his breath slow. Then he shifted, rolling off the hood of the car as he crashed to the floor, glass spraying him. He breathed heavy for a moment, a horrible pain wracking his body as his face burned hot. He was blind. Not from the glass, but something else.

    The claws.

    A horrible anger suddenly took him, his body trembling as he frothed at the mouth. Victory had been snatched from him by the claws of a false hero.

    ¡°Spider-Man¡± he muttered, seething with a vicious anger as he clawed at his face. ¡°SPIDER-MAN!¡±

    Then he heard it. The tick of a bomb. A larger one. One of the unreleased ones had activated. He froze, before a sudden laugh escaped his lips.

    Maybe fate had already dealt his hand.

    Then in a flash of heat, everything went white.

    -

    A massive boom echoed out across Brooklyn, the last of many, as Lucas landed in the wreck of his home. He covered his face, wafting away smoke as he moved forward. Heat wafted through the place, most things burned to a crisp from the raw heat of the explosions across the street, unrecognisable.

    There was nothing for him here. He couldn¡¯t sense anything. No monster, no family, nothing. Only a few broken bodies and burnt, shattered homes.

    ¡°No¡± he muttered. ¡°No.¡±

    He cursed, running through the building, past a trail of blood and debris, as he rushed for the nearest bodies.

    Then he froze, stopping at a set of stairs. Three people moved down below. He leapt down to them and came to a stop above a pile of debris blocking of the stairs. His sisters stood struggling to help Erica over the wreck. Relief flood him and he landed down, quickly taking Erica into his arms. They looked up at him, and tears of relief instantly began trailing down Maria¡¯s face.

    ¡°Oh thank god¡± Sofia said falling to her knees. He webbed up his sister¡¯s leg quickly, then blew a hole in the wall with a kick. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± he muttered. ¡°I should¡¯ve come sooner.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ok¡± Erica muttered, half asleep in his arms.

    ¡°Ok. Ok¡± he mumbled back. ¡°I¡¯ll get you all to a hospital and-¡±

    The building shook again, unstable, and Lucas shook his head, regaining his sense of urgency.

    ¡°Alright. Grab a hold of me¡± he muttered, ¡°So we can swing out of here¡±

    The hairs on the back of his neck stood, as the building trembled once again, his senses zoning on the source. His heart skipped a beat. The fire he¡¯d seen hadn¡¯t been enough. The goblin hadn¡¯t killed it. And it could sense him.

    The monster was coming.

    ¡°Run¡± he muttered, quickly handing Erica to Maria.

    ¡°What? Lucas wha-¡±

    ¡°RUN!¡± he shouted spinning around. Then in an explosion of brick and metal the monster burst through the wall. Lucas roared, leaping forward and met the monster mid-air, the two crashing against the ceiling before slamming to the ground. Both were up in an instant, the monster cackling as

    ¡°Perfect¡± the creature muttered, it¡¯s tongue slithering as it smiled. ¡°I think I¡¯ll eat your head firssst.¡±

    Lucas was on the monster in an instant, kicking it back from his sister¡¯s as they raced

    ¡°DIE!¡± he roared, throwing the monster back hard. It smashed through brick and stone, as Lucas lunged after it.

    ¡°Lucas!¡± Erica cried

    But he was already gone, trading blows with the beast.

 Going Green - Chapter Thirteen

    The two fought through the streets amidst chaos. Raw and unbridled violence exchanged through fists and claws, the raw hatred apparent in the pitch of their roars.

    Lucas kicked the monster hard, the creature slamming ag, before it launched itself at him, snatching him off the ground before slamming him back down. The two fell, crashing to the ground before the fight resumed, claws of strength against claws of speed before the floor beneath them cracked under the weight of jumps. They fell again, this time smashing through a wall before they crashed into the wreck of the street.

    It was weaker. Lucas could feel it. He needed to take advantage of that. Fast. He pulled himself up quickly, gasping before he let out a frustrated roar. His body strained, he stood straight, ignoring his pain as he turned to the beast. The creature struggled to pull itself up, its form half melted as it hissed in pain. Lucas hurled a piece of asphalt at it, knocking it back to the floor.

    Then he was running towards it, claws at the ready.

    As he charged it, all he could think about was Amy. About all the things he¡¯d get to do it. The pain he¡¯d get to inflict on the monster that had ruined his life. He stabbed it with a claw, his hands sinking past goo into flesh before he hurled it into a burning car.

    He screamed at it, in a fury, then paused, looking down to his claws.

    What am I doing? he thought. This is just- it¡¯s the same thing all over again.

    Lucas looked back to the monster then behind him, to the half standing wrecks of the street. He hadn¡¯t done this, not all of it, but the memories of regret returned to him anyway. He suddenly became aware of himself, of the trembling of his body, the hard pumping of his heart and the burn of adrenaline in his body. He¡¯d let his anger take him again. Let the mixture of his fear and hatred, his desire for revenge take a hold. He¡¯d nearly repeated it all over again.

    All that had happened, this past half year and all the lessons he¡¯d learned, he¡¯d nearly forgotten them. But he remembered. Remembered the aftermath, the emptiness. Just like that the years had been almost wiped away.

    He looked back to the monster and clenched his fists, his claws retracting. He wouldn¡¯t make the same mistake again. Couldn¡¯t. But he still needed to fight. Still needed to free Yu.

    He jumped forward, firing webs at the still struggling monster, before slamming its head against a streetlight. The creature resisted weakly, before he encircled it, tying it¡¯s form together in a cocoon of web before leaping onto its body and coming face to face with it. He grabbed it by the sides of the head, shaking the monster violently.

    ¡°Hey!¡± he cried. ¡°Yu! Wake up! Wake up!¡±

    Instantly its neck stiffened and it¡¯s form came alive, the creature ripping itself from the web as it grabbed him, an alien screech echoing from its mouth.

    ¡°We are not Yu!¡± The monster roared. ¡°We are Venom!¡°

    He kicked at it hard in the chest, before slipping from its grasp. With a new anger it cut at the air slashing violently as it chased him. Lucas flipped backwards, dancing away from slashes as it screeched even louder. And as he leapt his thoughts steadied, a calm taking the panic that¡¯d replaced his anger.

    He saw the monster so clearly now. It was angry, to the point of excess. Distracted. It hated him. It wanted revenge just as much as he had. But unlike him, it¡¯d steeped itself further in its anger. Like this it would hunt him anywhere.

    Even to a less populated area.

    He dodged another slash before firing webs at its face again, continuing to back away.

    ¡°Venom?¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s a shit name. You come up with that yourself?!¡±

    The creature roared again leaping at him and he jumped back, firing a web as he pulled himself away. The monster screeched louder, incensed, then leapt after him, jumping from building to building as it chased the now swinging Lucas.

    As he swung, He pulled his phone from his pocket, quickly dialling a number. The call picked up on the second ring.

    ¡°Uh- hello?¡± Peter answered.

    ¡°Peter!¡±

    ¡°Lucas? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I found Yu! But the symbiote¡¯s got him! I¡¯m leading him to Prospect Park!¡±

    ¡°With the Alchemax compound?¡±

    ¡°I- shit. It¡¯s the closest place without people¡±

    The monster roared again, chasing behind him as he swung.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re coming¡± Peter said, before hanging up. He let out a breath of relief then my spider sense rung out. Heat and light attacked from all directions before he had a chance to react, his body sent careening as the monster screamed out behind him too. The pain was instant visceral, as if someone had taken an electrified hammer to ever nerve ending in his body. He crashed atop a rooftop rolling around in pain as waves of strength and weakness shot through his muscles with every spasm. Then it was gone, the feeling fading as his strength returned.

    Lucas threw himself upwards, looking back to the rooftops covered in green fire. Venom screeched, only it¡¯s silhouette clear as it pulled itself from the flames, it¡¯s form half melting. His eyes darted upwards and he spotted the goblin, watching as the mess of, blood, flesh and molten-metal shot through the sky aboard a glider, screaming. Instantly he hurled another bomb towards Lucas who quickly pulled himself away with a web as the top floor of the building below was caught in a sea of green fire.

    Then the goblin as a top him, screaming. The glider slammed into him and then they were spinning through the air. Lucas punched at the villain, but the goblin was unaffected, tanking every blow as he raked across Lucas¡¯ arms with half melted claws and speed unmatched, a metal death machine.

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    Lucas cried out forcibly pulling away as he leapt into a swing, his arms marked by deep scratches as the goblin continued after him screaming, his face a mess of burns and metal debris.

    ¡°Listen to me! I¡¯m the hero! I am!¡±

    The goblin pulled a bomb from his suit, the small orb glowing white hot as he held it, shooting towards Lucas with death in his eyes.

    ¡°Shit¡± Lucas muttered ¡°Holy shit.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s mine!¡± Venom roared, clearing the goblin with a tackle. The villains screamed a mixture of incomprehensible rage carried by their voices as the two spiralled through the air, venom ripping at the goblin¡¯s suit as the goblin stabbed through its weakened flesh, bomb still glowing bright.

    Lucas skidded to a stop against a wall face and grabbed the two with webs, wrenching them away from the screaming civilians below as he launched them upwards and towards the park. The two screeched stuck in a clinch, before the air caught fire in a flash of green, over the park before the two figures fell out of the air.

    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation Lucas charged after them, a mixture of guilt, hope and desperation carrying him forward. He swung into the park and landed in front of the two. Yu lay on the floor his skin half covered in a writhing mass of the symbiote and the goblin lay unmoving, both their bodies smoking.

    He webbed the goblin to the ground and rushed to Yu, looking him over for before checking his pulse. He was alive. His heartbeat was faint, and some of his bones were broken but he was alive. He let out a sigh of relief, then looked to the still writhing mass of symbiote staining his skin.

    Then his spider sense blared. The goblin roared, his mad screech echoing through Lucas¡¯ mind. He flipped backwards, grabbing him from above before slamming him down to the ground hard. The wind was knocked from him, but so too was the orange sized bomb in his hand, rolling across the floor as it beeped.

    He fired a web, ready to throw it before the goblin stabbed him in the stomach, then grabbed him by the neck. With a desperate shout Lucas snapped the goblin¡¯s arms, then with a pained groan prepared to fling the bomb skyward as the sense built to a crescendo. His eyes widened as his already weakened body met resistance. Yu had dived atop the bomb, his body and the symbiote wrapped tightly around it to shield him from the blast.

    ¡°NO!¡± he cried, leaping forwards. And as the world went white the symbiote peeled away, a web of black goo enveloping Lucas and Yu.

    -

    I opened my eyes to an endless expanse of white, before letting out a sigh.

    I¡¯d really screwed up.

    In almost all the ways possible I¡¯d screwed up. I brought a hand to my face clutching it tightly as I struggled to breathe for a moment before sitting up. Lucas lay next to me clutching his stomach as he trembled, face pooled with sweat.

    ¡°L-Lucas?¡±

    He turned paused a moment, confused, then looked around, sitting up.

    ¡°Are we not¡­ dead?¡±

    ¡°No¡± I muttered. ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t think this is a good place to be exact.¡±

    ¡°Where are we?¡± he mumbled, still clutching at his stomach.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re inside the symbiote¡± I muttered. ¡°I¡¯m not really sure. This happened with Peter before but we never really spoke about it.¡±

    ¡°This happened before?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, just hang on, I¡¯ll get you out of here¡± I muttered, hands trembling.

    ¡°What? How?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ doesn¡¯t matter. Just give me a sec¡± I said, closing my eyes.

    ¡°Wait¡± Lucas said, placing a hand on my shoulder. ¡°I- this doesn¡¯t make any sense. The bomb went off. Shouldn¡¯t we be dead?¡±

    ¡°I think time¡¯s slower here.¡±

    ¡°Slower¡± Lucas muttered. ¡°So we¡¯re still over the bomb.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± I said. ¡°I was trying to protect you from the blast. Thought the symbiote would take the brunt of the blow. Didn¡¯t expect him to run.¡±

    ¡°I was gonna throw it¡± he mumbled, sad.

    ¡°That¡­ probably would¡¯ve been better¡±

    We sat in silence for a few seconds, before I turned to Lucas, voice shaky.

    ¡°Should we get this over with?¡±

    ¡°Get this over with?¡±

    ¡°The symbiote, it¡¯s entwined with me now. The bombs they gave me more freedom back. I think with everything going on, I can break it from here.¡±

    ¡°Break it?¡±

    ¡°Destroy it. I mean this thing needs to be gone¡±

    ¡°Wait. Will that¡­ kill you? The bomb just went off¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Last time I stayed behind it weakened the symbiote enough that I could take control. This time¡­ well it was already falling off my body anyway. If I destroy it, all it¡¯s evil will be gone.¡±

    And so will my powers.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to risk your life¡± he said suddenly. ¡°We can figure out a different way to do this. It¡¯s my fault this thing even exists in the first place.¡±

    I paused, hesitant.

    ¡°I mean you said it fused to you last time because it was weaker, what if you don¡¯t need to stay behind. We just let it blow up and die on its own?¡±

    ¡°That was more of a feeling. I don¡¯t exactly understand how this thing works.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ well. What about¡­ uh¡­ it¡¯s the bomb right? Something to do with the goblin. Where did the goblin take you? And I mean how did he even capture in that form? Maybe it¡¯s something to do with that.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I was normal for a while, so it wasn¡¯t too difficult. There was this collar thing he strapped to me. Kept the weakened symbiote at bay.¡±

    ¡°You had control again?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    ¡°How did it take control back? Wait, could it take it back now?¡±

    ¡°No, I gave it control¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I- I gave it control¡±

    ¡°And what in the world possessed you to do that?!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t- I had to win¡±

    ¡°To win?¡±

    ¡°I- I don¡¯t know. The heroes always win¡± I muttered, my logic unravelling. ¡°I had to- it¡¯s all just- I mean what¡¯s the point of doing this if I can¡¯t do something. He was going to ruin everything. Destroy both our families. And I was just there, powerless, and helpless and- I had to do something. I couldn¡¯t just¡­. I had to win.¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡± I muttered. ¡°I was just desperate. I- he was going to ruin everything. And I couldn¡¯t do anything. Just like before. No. This time I wanted to do something, but I couldn¡¯t. At least until he spoke to me. I thought he¡¯d break us free and then I¡¯d take control back, but¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I was just desperate.¡±

    ¡°Desperate?! Do you even understand how many lives you put at risk?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± I mumbled. ¡°I just- without the powers I couldn¡¯t do anything. It¡¯s- without the symbiote. I¡¯m nothing. We were right there and I just- I wanted to stop him¡±

    Lucas stared at me silently, his expression unreadable. Then he sighed back, looking to the floor.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± I mumbled. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have put everyone in danger like that. It was stupid.¡±

    ¡°No¡± he muttered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sorry?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡­ this whole thing¡­ I understand¡± he said, looking to his hand. ¡°The weight of this responsibility. But also, the power. Wanting to use it. To keep it. Remembering how helpless you can feel without it.¡±

    His shoulders slumped as he sighed, looking back to me.

    ¡°Peter told me you went out in his costume. Saved people, even before you got your powers¡± he said. ¡°If anyone¡¯s a hero without the power, it¡¯s you. Don¡¯t let today ever make you doubt that¡±

    ¡°T-thanks¡± I mumbled, before looking down to my hand.

    ¡°I guess if this is it, I can make my last act heroic too.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not getting what I¡¯m saying Yu. Destroying this thing, it¡¯s not worth killing you. We can figure out a way to defeat it, even if the bomb doesn¡¯t work. Now come on Yu let¡¯s try leave this. Together¡±

    ¡°I-¡± I paused.

    Did it really matter if I stayed behind? Wasn¡¯t that me giving up on heroics in a way? Or was leaving giving up anyway. Had I just wanted to stay behind on the slim chance that I didn¡¯t lose my powers?

    ¡°Yu? Kind of running a clock here¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡± I said, letting out a laugh. With a sigh, my shoulders sagged with relief. ¡°I- I you know what? I think you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°You do?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s leave together. The sacrifice thing is cool but I want to see my brother again.¡±

    ¡°Y-you sure it will work?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡± I laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve done this whole destroy the symbiote thing before. I¡¯m pretty sure it will. Though if it doesn¡¯t, forget I even said anything¡±

    ¡°I¡­ alright¡± he said chuckling.

    I paused, hands trembling before I forced a smile.

    ¡°I was pretty good right? At this hero thing?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± Lucas said. ¡°I was even a little envious of you before I came back.¡±

    ¡°Envious¡± I chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s pretty funny.¡±

    I looked upwards, then closed my eyes.

    ¡°Alright¡± I muttered. ¡°Let¡¯s do this¡±

 Going Green - Chapter Fourteen

    In a flash of white, heat and a thousand memories, I flew through a wave of chaos and green. In a desperate shout something clung to me, a primal fear I could only empathise with carrying through the sound. Then they were gone, a weight lifted from my shoulders. The heat slowly faded a dull ache carrying through me before so everything else faded too.

    My eyes flew open with a start and I sat up, eyes wide. A familiar quiet carried through the space, soothing my instinctual panic before a voice disturbed it.

    ¡°Yu?¡±

    I turned, looking to my side as the sense of the surroundings solidified, the familiar colours, shapes, and sounds of the hospital room becoming apparent. My Dad stared back at me, leaning forward in his

    ¡°Dad!¡± I cried, leaping forward as I wrenched him into a hug.

    ¡°Woah. Careful now, careful, you¡¯re hurt¡± he said, gently reciprocating the embrace.

    ¡°Is everything ok?¡± I said, pulling back as my body protested the sudden movement. ¡°Is it- no one came to hurt you? You¡¯re alright? Ryo¡¯s alright?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re alright. The raiders are mostly in Manhattan and the second attack only happened near Brookyln. Are you- your friend, Jess, gave me a call, told me you were here, and I came as soon as I could. What happened? We¡¯re you caught in the explosion? Something else?¡±

    ¡°Just- stuff¡± I mumbled, sinking back slowly in my chair relieved, my shoulders slumping.

    ¡°Yu?¡±

    ¡°Sorry I just- I¡¯m glad to see you. Sorry¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright¡± Dad said, smiling as he looked to me, taking off his glasses as he wiped at his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re alright.¡±

    I frowned suddenly grabbing the side of my face, the skin somewhat numb.

    ¡°What day is it? Is it still Thursday?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Can you not remember? Did you hit your head?¡± Dad said instantly concerned.

    ¡°No. I just- I was worried I¡¯d been asleep for a while. Is everything alright? In the city I mean.¡±

    Dad sighed.

    ¡°Manhattan¡¯s still in ruin. There¡¯s a lot of people looting. Trying to take advantage of the destruction¡±

    ¡°What about villains. Is there that glider goblin guy? Is he still around?¡±

    ¡°Glider? Well the spider-men went to deal with him when he started bombing Brooklyn¡±

    ¡°They stopped him? Captured him?¡±

    ¡°They stopped the bombing. The villain, I don¡¯t know. He might have gotten away. There was a bombing in Chinatown, so that could¡¯ve been him. I think someone was arrested. I don¡¯t know. I was more worried about you¡±

    ¡°Can you check?¡± I muttered, anxious.

    ¡°A-alright¡± he said, pulling out his phone. He tapped away for a few moments glancing at me occasionally, before frowning.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s news reports all about it. Something about a Viktor Osborne being taken into custody by the MDA for the bombing.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s alive?¡± I muttered anxious.

    ¡°I think so¡± Dad said before frowning. ¡°Yu why¡¯re you so focused on this? Did you and your friend get attacked by this guy?¡±

    ¡°I- yeah¡± I mumbled. ¡°Where¡¯s Ryo?¡±

    ¡°At your aunt¡¯s. Well- they¡¯re probably driving back over now. Ryo got restless and threw a tantrum. Wanted to sleep at home.¡±

    I nodded letting out a sigh turning over before, looking down to myself as I winced.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t move. The nurse said you had strange burns likely from the green fire. Most of them should heal, but a few were more serious. We could be looking at skin grafts.¡±

    I nodded leaning back. For a moment I was still, before looking inward and hearing only silence. It was gone. Despite the uncertainty riddling my mind my body relaxed. Squeak, venom, the symbiote whatever you wanted to call it, it was all gone. My body was my own again. A grasp my bandaged hand into a fist, clutching at my chest as a wave of emotion passed through me.

    ¡°Yu?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Are you alright? The doctor said you¡¯re stable but- I don¡¯t know. You seem on edge. Should I get the nurse?¡±

    ¡°No, no it¡¯s alright¡± I muttered. We fell into a silence again, dad clear still wanting to say something. I frowned. Given the situation I guess I had a few things to say too. I glanced to him and he smiled weakly, before I looked away. I didn¡¯t know the situation, so telling him, explaining things was the only way right?

    But the others wouldn¡¯t have just left me here if it wasn¡¯t safe. I mean Lucas knew that the Goblin was after our families, that he knew who we were. Wait, had I even told him that? Crap. And even if I had, what if Lucas wasn¡¯t ok? I hadn¡¯t even thought about the possibility that he¡¯d made it out of the blast. So what? The best thing to do would be to tell Dad, and call the others? Or did I call the others first?

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    I glanced back to Dad for a moment as he frowned. Well¡­ Lucas had done this right? Peter too, I think? Or he¡¯d just gotten caught. It didn¡¯t matter. Telling him was the right thing.

    ¡°Dad¡­ I- I have a few things to tell you¡±

    He was silent, looking to me with a mixture of confusion and worry.

    ¡°I¡­ you can¡¯t tell anyone. Even Ryo. He¡¯s not- he might talk about it and it could put us in danger. Well, we could already be in danger¡±

    ¡°Danger? What danger? What happened?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a superhero. One of the spider-men. Well, I was.¡±

    Dad stared at me blankly for a moment before his eyes widened.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should¡¯ve said or should¡¯ve at least helped prepare you guys for the idea that I could be putting your safety at risk. And I know it was stupid but- I don¡¯t know. I- sorry. Yeah. Just before you say anything just- sorry.¡±

    The silence stretched on for a few seconds as I stared at my bandage covered hands.

    ¡°I¡­ that makes a lot of sense actually¡± he muttered.

    ¡°Are you angry?¡±

    ¡°Angry? No, I just- just a little surprised is all. Though today¡¯s probably a better day for this. On a normal day I probably would¡¯ve had a little more of a reaction.¡±

    I looked to him as he sat quiet, almost thoughtful, then looked back to me.

    ¡°Are you- did you help take down the goblin?¡±

    ¡°Well¡± I muttered. ¡°In a way. I was just¡­ he knows who I am. Saw my face, and¡­ I don¡¯t know how he figured out, but I was worried. You and the others could¡¯ve been in danger if he found you or told people who I am¡±

    ¡°I see¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem that surprised¡± I said glancing to him

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll have to give me a little time for this all to settle in¡± he said. ¡°Though it is somewhat comforting knowing you were out there, saving the city. Helping people.¡±

    ¡°I did more than just save the city¡± I mumbled, my expression momentarily twisting with anguish, before covering my face.

    ¡°Yu? Yu are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes. No. I just- I messed up. I think it¡¯s ok now but that doesn¡¯t make it better. People got hurt, I- the bomb¡­¡± I trailed off, still holding my face in my hands.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright Yu¡± Dad said, sitting forward as he placed a hand on my shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­ I need to call the others. Figure out if everything¡¯s ok or just let them know important stuff. Can I use your phone?¡±

    ¡°Yu-¡±

    ¡°Please¡±

    ¡°Alright¡± he said, handing me the phone, I tapped away earnestly at the phone Jess¡¯ number practically appearing before I called her. The phone rung, each ring an eternity, before the dial tone rung.

    ¡°She¡¯s not answering¡± I muttered. ¡°Dammit I didn¡¯t memorise any of the numbers except Jess¡¯¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright Yu. They¡¯re probably busy¡±

    ¡°Busy¡± I muttered harshly. ¡°I should be out there helping them. Fixing this mess. My mess.¡±

    ¡°Yu, you¡¯re hurt. Just sit back and take a breath. It¡¯s ok¡± Dad said. I looked to him then nodded leaning back in my bed as my skin stung, a burning sensation carried in a few places. I was silent, ruminating over my own guilt, and the lack of reaction for my dad. He was probably more shocked than anything.

    Today had been a long day for everyone after all.

    ¡°Wow¡± Dad muttered. ¡°To think you¡¯re a superhero. It¡¯s- well I guess you always said you wanted to be one. Still, it makes me proud of you. I¡¯m sure your mother would be too.¡±

    I paused staring back at him, brought to silence by his words. He smiled weakly at me, then looked to the floor as he let out a sigh.

    ¡°Your aunt called earlier. Ryo was getting restless. She¡¯s probably driving f. I should probably call her. Tell her to meet me somewhere different just in case.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± I muttered, ¡°that¡¯s probably a good idea.¡±

    He moved to take his phone back when it suddenly rung. I looked to the number my eyes widening. It was Jess.

    ¡°Take it¡± he said, handing me the phone. I answered quickly.

    ¡°H-hello?¡± A voice muttered concerned.

    ¡°Jess? Are you ok?¡±

    ¡°Yu? You¡¯re awake? Already?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Is- everything ok? Is Lucas alright?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Uh- he was in a better condition than you but we sent him to the hospital anyway. How¡¯re you awake. Without the symbiote you shou-¡±

    ¡°What about the goblin?¡±

    Jess hesitated for a moment before speaking.

    ¡°V- he was a lot worse for wear than the two of you. We got there and had to leave with you two when the MDA showed up to take him.¡±

    ¡°Alright I just- he knew who I was. Who Lucas was too¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how, he saw my face probably found me somehow, but Lucas he just knew about.¡±

    ¡°A-alright. I let Pete know. Just- it¡¯s probably ok. He was in a bad way and¡­ I think he was running on fumes fighting you guys anyway. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll wake up.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ alright¡± I said letting out a breath. ¡°Are you okay.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Well, better now that the whole goblin fiasco is over. Well mostly over¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡± I muttered, flashes of Jess¡¯ injuries passing through my mind.

    ¡°Yeah¡± Jess said. ¡°Peter and I can handle the rest. A bunch of heroes and regular people are helping out and The Vanguard might show up. We¡¯re alright.¡±

    ¡°I- ok¡±

    ¡°Just rest up. You¡¯ll need it to heal¡± Jess said.

    ¡°I- yeah. I guess I will¡± I muttered. ¡°I¡¯ll let you go. You¡¯re probably busy.¡±

    ¡°Alright. See you soon. And seriously, get some sleep.¡±

    She hung up and I pulled the phone away from my ear,

    ¡°Everything ok?¡± Dad asked.

    ¡°As ok as it can be I guess¡± I muttered, before letting out a sigh. ¡°I think we¡¯re safe¡±

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go now. Keep the phone, I¡¯ve got my work one. I¡¯ll call you when I reach Ryo, it¡¯ll be good for you to talk to him¡± he said, setting his phone on the bedside table.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright¡± I muttered with a smile. ¡°We can call. Though it¡¯s probably better to let him go to bed first. He won¡¯t be able to sleep if he finds out I woke up¡±

    Dad nodded with a small smile before taking my hand and clenching it tightly.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done so much while I¡­¡± he trailed off, his gaze conflicted a moment before he smiled. ¡°I think your mother would be proud of you.¡±

    My eyes widened, and he offered another weak smile before standing.

    ¡°Rest now¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ll need it.¡±

    ¡°Alright¡± I mumbled, voice weak. Then slowly he started out of the room, pausing at the door. We exchanged a nod and then he was gone, leaving me in the silence of the room.

    I sat still for a moment before looking to my bandages, feeling the new texture of my body, a new weakness to it.

    ¡°Rest¡± I muttered to myself.

    It was really over, wasn¡¯t it? No healing, no quick recovery. I was just normal. There¡¯d be no more heroics or anything. It was over now. I¡¯d probably still hang out with Jess but that call of danger would only be for her now. I wouldn¡¯t be able to save anyone as Spider-man anymore.

    Droplets of wate feel onto my bandages, and I blinked before quickly bringing a hand to my face.

    ¡°Come on you idiot¡± I sniffled wiping at my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s gone. Isn¡¯t this a good thing?¡±

    The tears faded quickly, leaving me only to sit in pain as I laid my head against the pillows. I stared at the ceiling silent as my skin stung, a newfound emptiness sitting in my chest. But a hope lingered too.

    After everything did it really all have to be over? Couldn¡¯t I still help in some way? Even if it was minor, even if it wasn¡¯t like before couldn¡¯t I still be a hero?

    I looked to my hand, the bandages revealing slightly burned skin underneath. It was a marker of my mistake, but also of the right decision. I¡¯d gotten rid of the symbiote. Not in some attempt at some great heroic sacrifice, but in the hope that I¡¯d live to see another day.

    I smiled to myself. Lucas had been right. If I''d sacrificed myself I never would''ve have heard dad say he was proud of me. It really made me think.

    My idea of what a hero was had been flawed. And now I might have lost my powers, but even without them I could still help. Still be a hero in my own way. And there were other things to look forward to too.

    ¡°Man¡± I muttered, chuckling to myself. ¡°Now that I¡¯ll have all this free time, I wonder what game Ryo will want to play.¡±

 Going Green - Epilogue

    ¡°And they were saying, they were saying that the big companies gonna go bust and the big bosses son is going to jail for a long time.¡±

    ¡°Uh huh¡± I said with a small smile.

    I sat at the table with Ryo as he bounced around excitedly recounting all the stuff he¡¯d been waiting to tell me.

    ¡°And Dad said that it¡¯s good and bad because a lot of people are gonna lose their jobs but the big boss and his family weren¡¯t very nice.¡±

    ¡°Is that true?¡± I said chuckling.

    ¡°Also he said that the other heroes should help the spider squad because they¡¯ve been doing too much. He said uh¡­ he said they can¡¯t stop the riots alone.¡±

    I paused looking to Ryo as he nodded to himself pleased. A small smile spread across my face as I looked to him.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea¡± I said.

    ¡°I think we should play with their action figures¡± Ryo said. ¡°To give them good luck.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s also a good idea¡± I said. ¡°Should I get the toys out.¡±

    ¡°Wait, let me finish eating first¡± he said. ¡°You should eat first too. Otherwise your skin won¡¯t heal.¡±

    ¡°Ye sir¡± I said, chuckling.

    ¡°Oh and I want to play as the spider squad first. You be the villain¡±

    ¡°Ok. Just let me go toilet and brush my teeth. Then I¡¯ll eat and we can play.¡±

    ¡°Be quick, be quick¡±

    ¡°I will, I will¡± I chuckled. I yawned, standing and quickly made for the bathroom. I paused, staring at myself in the mirror, and the scarred skin tissue that ran along my arm, part of my neck and my left cheek. It wasn¡¯t too bad, and the doctor said it would mostly heal with time, but it was still strange to look at.

    I sighed and shrugged. It be fine. I went to grab my toothbrush and paused frowning as I looked at myself again. Wait, were my eyes, green? No, not green but, well greener than before? I shook my head, then switched on the light, the effect fading. Yeah, it¡¯d probably just been the natural lighting. Weird.

    I grabbed my toothbrush, yawning again before readying to brush my teeth. Then I paused, staring at my reflection in surprise. My canines were sharp. Really sharp.

    I leaned forward, closer to the mirror as I gripped the sink, inspecting my teeth closer. It wasn¡¯t just my canines. My other teeth were slightly sharper too. Like the goblin¡¯s had been.

    ¡°Uh¡­ well this isn¡¯t good¡± I muttered. I looked back to my eyes, leaning even closer to the mirror to get a better look at the hints of green that lingered just beyond the regular brown. Then a loud crack echoed through the bathroom. I jumped backwards, hitting my head against the ceiling before crashing back to the floor as I stared at the sink. One thin crack ran along the side centred around where I¡¯d placed my hand.

    ¡°Well¡± I muttered, looking down at my hands, then back at the sink. ¡°This really isn¡¯t good.¡±

    <hr>

    ---------------

    06/01/2027

    Don¡¯t know what exactly to write in here? Doc said I should start writing a diary to keep track of my thoughts. I¡¯ll probably try and do it at least once a week.

    ---------------

    06/09/2027

    Went rock climbing with Mariel. Was fun. Been forgetting to write in here. I¡¯ll try to do it more, but I don¡¯t know how often I¡¯ll be able to. Have my therapist for this stuff anyway.

    ---------------

    06/16/2027

    Elliot decided it¡¯d be a good idea to visit Japan, so we did. It was nice. Better than I¡¯d expected. A lot more beautiful than I remembered, especially some of the beaches in Okinawa. Really enjoyed it. Might let him have more holiday recommendations.

    ---------------

    06/22/2027

    Dad completely blew up on me in a meeting. I messed up so it was my fault but I don¡¯t know how I made such a big mistake. Feels like I¡¯m slower somehow these days. It¡¯s weird. Mariel¡¯s noticed it too. I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s frustrating.

    ---------------

    07/08/2027

    I stopped taking my meds. I couldn¡¯t handle it anymore. Feeling so slow. So broken and defeated. It¡¯s like my spark is gone. Like I¡¯ve lost something integral to who I am. I mean who would even prescribe something like that? What kind of first-rate doctor gives you a medicine that slowly kills your mind? Fucking idiot. Dad doesn¡¯t take any medication and he¡¯s fine.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    I can be fine too. I will be.

    ---------------

    07/22/2027

    Mom and Mariel won¡¯t leave me alone. Think somehow that constantly pestering me about everything will make things feel better. But it won¡¯t. Because everything¡¯s already better. Clearer. They don¡¯t understand. No one does. Even Dad. I thought that I¡¯d get healthy and he¡¯d see, but nope. He¡¯s just as unimaginative as everyone else. Just as misguided.

    I have so many ideas! And no one wants to do anything with them. It¡¯s fucking pathetic. This world as it is is useless. Pathetic. I need to change it somehow. It¡¯ll take time, but I think I can manage. Just need to get someone to listen

    ---------------

    08/03/2027

    Mariel won¡¯t let me see Elliot. Says I¡¯ve gone mad, that I need help. Mom¡¯s getting the lawyers to quiet things up. But I don¡¯t want them to. I just want my boy.

    ---------------

    08/16/2027

    It came to me like a flash in the night. A sudden vision of the greater. The grandeur. I snuck into the lab and saw the ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€. Dad thinks it will wake up Harry, cure him and thinks it¡¯ll make everything he¡¯s done worth it. But it does nothing. I got hopeful too for a second, but like always it was a fucking nothing. A flash in the pan. But I know what to do now. I¡¯ll expose dad. Not with some stupid fucking press tour or anything like that but something real. Something ridiculous he¡¯d never see coming. I¡¯ll distract him by killing some of the deals, and then I¡¯ll raid the fucking lab.

    When he breaks, then everything¡¯s mine.

    Mariel will come back and Elliot and then everything will be perfect.

    Everything will be perfect.

    ---------------

    08/23/2027

    What kind of life was this? One so cruel that all things, circled back on themselves. One so cruel it torments those that had been begriefed by the greatest torment before. And it repeated the act, over and over, as if to justify every previous act. One so cruel that for some it served as a constant violation of the sanctity of peace. I am worthy of this company. And yet no one cares. They recognise each other but not me, and I am going green with envy. Somehow I hope that after this, they will see. I hope that after this they will all see and understand, not that which confirms their biases, but that which opens their eyes anew. I have worth. We all do. But my worth is here. I hope only that it can be recognised now and forever, by those I cherish.

    I just want you to see me. I just want you all to see me for what I really am.

    A hero.

    ---------------

    Harry set down the diary on his bedside sighing to himself. He¡¯d read it seven times now. The same pages over and over and over again. It¡¯s all he had of his brother now. That and the few good childhood memories. He and his sister had never exactly seen eye to eye, but she always knew how to cheer him up or at least help him get closure. She was the reason he didn¡¯t mind when mom didn¡¯t call during things like this. With a sigh he closed the diary, clutching it to his chest.

    ¡°No idea how she got it, but I need to thank Suse for bringing that to me¡± he muttered.

    ¡°Harry, I don¡¯t want to tell you how to handle this situation, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the best thing¡±

    ¡°Harry?¡± MJ said. ¡°Maybe you should stop reading it¡± MJ said.

    ¡°Probably¡± he muttered, before frowning. ¡°Do you guys think there was anything I could¡¯ve done?¡±

    ¡°Probably not¡± Ned said, quiet.

    ¡°You sure? Cause I know the coma was a while, but I really think I could¡¯ve-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself up about it¡± MJ said. ¡°Really.¡±

    Harry nodded, leaning back in his bed as he winced.

    ¡°Well, I probably should¡¯ve been there for him more.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think like that¡± Ned said, ¡°it won¡¯t help.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t make it wrong¡± he muttered, ¡°Not thinking about it just makes me a coward.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t¡± MJ said. ¡°And he¡¯s still here. You can visit him at the Hortz-Bruig.¡±

    ¡°Really? You saw the news MJ. Whatever the hell that thing was isn¡¯t my brother anymore¡± He scowled, before forcing a laugh as he shook his head. ¡°The only thing we have in common are our burns.¡±

    ¡°Harry please. You can¡¯t think like that¡± MJ said, her words not reaching him. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard, but looking forward will help you get through this. Right guys?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    Peter didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°Pete?¡± Ned said, tapping him. ¡°Peter?¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± he said, sitting up quickly as his blinked sleep out of his eyes.

    ¡°We¡¯re you- nevermind¡± MJ muttered, sighing. Harry frowned looking to his friend, and saw the bags under his eyes, recognised the tiredness in his expression, not just one from lack of rest.

    ¡°You okay man?¡±

    ¡°Hm? Yeah¡± Peter said, sitting up as he leaned back in his chair, his movements stiff. ¡°I should probably be asking you that though.¡±

    ¡°No, no¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re here and that¡¯s enough. And you were friends with him anyway. When we were younger at least.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Just¡­ you know¡±

    Silence carried through the room for a moment before Peter¡¯s watch beeped and he sighed looking to it.

    ¡°Dammit¡± he muttered.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ned said

    ¡°I¡­ I have to-¡±

    ¡°You have to go?¡± Harry interjected.

    Peter looked up and nodded, a shame in his eyes. ¡°Forgot to do something at work.¡±

    ¡°Stay safe¡± MJ said, somewhat tense.

    ¡°Yeah¡± Ned said. ¡°There¡¯s still looting happening throughout the city.¡±

    ¡°Will do¡± he muttered, pulling his bag onto his back. ¡°Sorry Harry, for everything. I wish I could¡¯ve stayed longer.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We can always talk another time man¡± he said. Peter nodded, a small hint of relief passing through his expression before he stepped out of the room. The three of them sat in silence, staring at the door before Harry let out a sigh.

    ¡°You think being Spider-Man is getting to him?¡±

    MJ and Ned turned to him wide eyed. He chuckled offering them both a weak smile.

    ¡°Saw his face right before the green guy blew off half of my mine¡±

    ¡°R-right¡±

    ¡°When did you find out?¡±

    ¡°Same night¡± MJ said. ¡°In the middle of everything.¡±

    ¡°He told me when I started question why he was leaving work so often¡± Ned said. Harry nodded as the trio fell into a silence again. He tapped a finger against his bedside, then looked to the door and sighed. He still didn¡¯t know what to make of it all. He wanted Pete to tell him, it hurt that he didn¡¯t, but he understood too. He wasn¡¯t a stranger to keeping secrets after all.

    He grabbed the remote control for the TV from his bed side, then looked to the others

    ¡°Can I turn on the TV?¡±

    ¡°I-it¡¯s yeah¡± MJ said, still off balance.

    ¡°It¡¯s your room¡± Ned said.

    ¡°Alright¡± he muttered. He grabbed the controller, wincing slightly before turning on the TV. He flicked through a few of the channels before pausing and going back to a news one. A reporter stood in as police men and fire fighter rushed about behind her frantically towards their vehicles. Then the feed cut from her to a view of Chinatown from a helicopter as people ran though the streets and black smoke billowed high into the air.

    ¡°It appears that there¡¯s been a major attack or should I say bombing only a few minutes ago on Canal Street. As of yet it¡¯s not known who or what committed the act but as you can see this was no standard attack. Reports currently state that there were several gunshots heard before the bomb went off and the attack may be a continuation of what we believe to be a gang related feud. If you find yourself heading towards Chinatown, please find a safe space to remain until the danger has been removed. And for those in the general area watching this who cannot evacuate, please avoid any hostile entities or looters in the area until a hero has arrived.¡±

    The reporters¡¯ words ended and Harry and the others watched as flashes of gunfire illuminated the smoke from the street below.

    ¡°Well¡± Harry muttered, ¡°that¡¯s not good. That''s not good at all.¡±