Masked
Peter rolled over in his warm bed and contemplated for the hundredth time, whether to get up or not. Getting up would mean that his whole life wasn't just a dream that when reality set in, it would disappear with the rest. His dream was real and mixing with those of nightmares and illusions that he couldn't comprehend.
But still, why fix what isn't broken?
Reluctantly, Peter swung his legs out of the warmth of his covers and allowed the cool air to grasp him. He slowly sat up and rubbed his tired eyes.
"Peter?" Aunt May knocked lightly on his door. He was staying with her for the weekend in order to run some errands for her and to just give her some company really. She would never admit to it but Peter could see the loneliness clouding in her mind.
"Peter, are you awake?" Peter stretched his aching back and shuffled his way to the other side of the room.
"Yeah." He croaked out as he opened the door, adjusting his eyes from the blur of sleep. To his delight, Aunt May was stood there clutching a cup of hot tea. Her hair tied back in a neat bun and her apron dusted with flour as she smiled her morning smile.
"I thought you might want a cup of tea." She said allowing herself into his room. She placed the cup of tea on his mat and smiled to herself as she remembered the many times she had entered the room to find dirty socks everywhere. No change there.
"Thanks." Peter wandered over to his window and looked blindly at the city below. The streets were littered with fog and empty beer cans, while the buildings kept quiet and to themselves. The people rushed by with barely a smile to the neighbours they past. The odd bird would sing their glorious song but only to be drowned out by the yells of citizens.
Peter scrunched his blue eyes and looked on through the fog.
He saw more. He saw the hope that the city could build and the way the pond looks when the light hits it just right. The teenagers going on their first date and the butterflies just flying out of their stomachs. The working mums that barely have time to sneeze as they struggle to carry their heavy bags of shopping. The business men that have to keep glancing at their watches for fear of being late to one of many meetings.
This is what makes my dream being reality worth it.
"What are your plans for the day?" Aunt May asked as she adjusted his alarm clock to an angle that looked much more presentable and was already picking up socks as they spoke. Peter snapped back into the room.
"I was thinking of fixing the cupboard door. You know that one in the kitchen, the one you've been badgering me to fix for ages."
"Oh good because I just hate that terrible squeak it makes, it reminds me…."
"I know it reminds you of mice and you hate mice, I'll fix it. Promise." Aunt May sighed. If she had a penny for every promise Peter had made and never carried out, then she would be highering Noel Edmunds to fix the cupboard.
"We'll see." She said and turned to carry on her cleaning.
Yeah, even I didn't believe that one.
Peter walked over to his wardrobe and began to pick out his jeans and t-shirt when suddenly his spidey senses waved through his mind like a jolt of electricity. He could feel it coming. His heart pounded as he rushed to his window. He traced his eyes over the scene as the warmth in his blood grew stronger. He finally found it through the corner of his eye as he could just make out the scene of what looked like a mugging but a rather weak attempt in Peter's books. He jumped back to his wardrobe and pulled out the box that was hidden beneath a dark coat that he never recalled buying. He knelt down on the wooden floor as he gently lifted the lid, a smile threatening to curl up on his face as the red and blue appeared from inside.
It's on.
He swung past building after building. Stretching his limbs and cutting the breeze as he clung to each line of silk he spun. He looked down to see kids staring up at him and pointing to their parents. Might as well give them something to point at.
"Wahoo!" he shouted as he swung low to the ground, giving a cheeky salute as he flashed by.
He reached the mugging in no time. Smiling to himself he let go of his line and landed perfectly on the nearest lamppost.
He looked down as a largely built man in a black ski mask held a gun to the back of a girl with long flowing, blonde hair.
Fair maiden, your knight in shining armour is here. Just with less shine and more awesomeness!
He spun out a line of silk and it hit the mugger's gun. He pulled back his arm and the gun effectively was yanked from his hands into Peter's. The confused mugger looked up to where his gun had flown.
"Sorry, is this yours?" Peter asked as he held up the gun in his hand.
"Oops." He called as he threw it behind him without a glance. He drifted down from his lamppost as he spun out a line and turned upside down in a seating position. He drifted down 'til he was face to face with the mugger.
"Spiderman." the mugger spat out.
"So this is how its gonna go. You're going to be a good little mugger and surrender quietly whilst I whisk this damsel in distress away from here." the mugger snarled at him and began to run away.
"Really running? I'm hanging upside down from a lamppost and you think running would be the appropriate move?"
With a heavy sigh, he jumped down from his line and stretched out his hand to spin another web when a glorious, glowing indigo light hit the mugger with such force it knocked him off of his feet.
"What the..?" Peter called confused as a girl around the same age as him stepped out. She was dressed in a plain black suit with black coils of fabric wrapped tightly around her wrists, ankles and waist, revealing her feminine form. A purple sash hung from her waist and swayed as the wind blew lightly whilst a black mask of cloth covered her mouth and nose. She had long, black hair tied back into her bobble with only a fringe covering her forehead.
"Now that's what I call a knock out!" she called and flipped over towards the mugger and held him by the scruff of his neck.
"A ski mask really? That just screams mugger, ok?" she said and dropped him back down on the cold, concrete. The mugger scrambled on the floor as the confusion and panic rose in his mind.
Peter watched on as his understanding of the situation melted away. He tried to regain control and reassured the damsel in distress before telling her to run home. By now the mystery girl had already wrapped the mugger in some kind of indigo energy beam.
"Oh c'mon! He was mine, strange glowey ninja girl!" Peter shouted as he rushed over to her.
"And who are you, weird net thing?" she turned to Peter with her hands on hips.
This is gonna be fun.
"I'm Spiderman." She stared back at him blankly.
"You know, your friendly neighboured Spiderman? Please tell me you at least know the song."
"There's a song?"
"Of course there's a song!" he shouted but she just waved him off.
"A song! Ha, that's priceless. Is that covered in Lycra too?" she began to laugh loudly.
"Lycra! Oh a crime fighter in Lycra!" she balled over with laughter.
"Have no fear, Lycra is here!" she shouted making a superman pose with her fist. Peter felt his rage boiling in his blood.
"Ok, then who are you?"
"Charm." She said once she had caught her breath.
"Charm. Ok, so why exactly are you here?" the mugger began to stir from in the grasp of Charm's energy trap.
"Hey what's going..?" he began to say but was silence by a web to the mouth.
"Can't you see where trying to talk?" Peter called. Charm gave a small chuckle.
"I guess where in the same boat. I'm here to stop idiots like him from doing something stupid. And judging by the….lycra so are you." She couldn't help but snigger at his costume again.
"Yeah but…" Peter tried but was interrupted by the whirring of sirens.
"That's my exit cue." Charm said before pulling out a stick like object from her suit.
"Grapaye," she shouted and stretched out her arm simultaneously. An indigo light shot from the stick and hit the mugger. In a flash the glowing energy was replaced by thick rope and Peter's eyes bugged out of his skull.
"What? Why? How?" Peter stuttered and Charm swarmed in his confusion.
"See ya!" and she was sprinting off with the wind, a glow of energy outlining her figure and carrying her through the streets at lightning speed until she was completely out of view.
What just happened?
