sssss His birthday couldn't be going any worse. Night Spider was swinging through the city of Manheim in an attempt to relaxe himself. Although it was failing miserabely. His mask, while able to hide his identity, never did anything to hide his mouth. It was intentional of course, meant to allow him to eat and be heard perfectly fine. But, it also did nothing to hide the intense scowl on his face.
"Reece, you need to calm down..." Sym calmingly said. "I understand what happened, but, you need to get over it."
"That's easy for you to say Sym..." Night Spider growled. "You don't understand the concept of love." Sym was shocked at the harshness of his tone and words. "You've only ever inhabited animals, who only see others of their species as potential mates... You don't know what I'm feeling right now..."
"Fine, " Sym snapped. "Be that way. When you're done being so immature, you know where to find me." At that, Reece could feel Sym slip into his subconscious. He knew he shouldn't have been so mean to her, but he just couldn't help it. He was enjoying his birthday with all of his friends, only to have the girl he was in love with, break up with him in front of everyone.
"Happy eighteenth birthday to me..." He mumbled as he landed on a stone gargoyle. He was about to pull out his phone and call his grandmother to let her know he was okay, but stopped when he saw an odd sight below him. A young looking woman was walking down the sidewalk by herself. But what Night Spider found weird was the fact that the woman was wearing a black dress, that was somehow both frilly and gothic in design. She also was carrying an umbrella with a curved handle.
Night Spider watched the woman for a minute, and was about to shrug it off, but was shocked when he saw the woman get pulled into an alleyway. He immediately jumped into action, leaping from the gargoyle while firing a web-line. He used the momentum of his fall to swing himself directly into the alley. He landed silently on top of a fire escape, waiting a moment to see what was happening below him.
There were five guys wearing similar clothes to the gang that 'owns' this part of the city. The five of them had the woman up against the brick wall of the alley.
"You know who this side of the city belongs to?" shouted one thug. "The 'Red Dogs'! That's who!"
"Well," the woman started. "Your breath certianly reminds me of a dog." She smirked. The thug who shouted at her raised his hand and smacked her across the face, knocking her to the ground.
"Alright, I've seen enough..." Night Spider thought to himself as he jumped down behind the group. "Is that how your mother raised you treat a lady?" he said, drawing everyone's attention. The thug that smacked the woman glared at the hero.
"If you know what's good for you Spidah' you'll leave and preten' to have never seen this!" he said rather calmly.
"Oh, yeah." Night Spider scoffed. "Because, surely, five thugs will succeed where over a dozen super-villians have failed." he looked at the woman, who was still on the ground, and said to her: "And ma'am? I think they're called 'Red Dogs' because they're faces look like pit bulls." She burst into laughter at that, the thugs however, seemed to take offense.
"Kill him!" the lead one shouted, and another one charged at the vigilante.
"Oh, gee." Night Spider flatly said as he jumped over the charging thug. "How original. 'Kill him!' What's next? 'Curses! Foiled again!'" As he landed behind the thug Night Spider fired a burst of webbing, sticking the thug to the wall that he just ran smack into.
The second thug held a baseball bat, ready to swing.
"You know what?" Night Spider said. "I'm feeling generous... So I'm going to give you one free shot. So please, hit me, as hard as you possibly can... now!" At that the thug holding the bat quickly closed the distance between the two of them and swung the bat down on Night Spider's head. The woman gasped as she watched the wood in the thugs hand's break in half.
"My turn." Night Spider smirked as he wound his fist back before slamming it into the thug's face, sending him smack into the wall beside the woman. Thugs' three and four managed to get on either side of the costumed hero, both of them quickly charged with their fists back, about to punch. Night Spider attached web-lines to them with his opposite arms, and jumped into the air, pulling the two smack into each other. Night Spider webbed the wo to the ground once he landed.
Night Spider turned after hearing a click sound. He saw that the fifth and last thug held a revolver in his hands, aimed at Night Spider's chest. He knew he could heal from a wound like that fairly quickly, but he didn't want to risk anything vital getting hit, especially with Sym mad at him. So, he began to try and talk the thug down.
"C'mon man, look around." Night Spider said as calmly as he could. "This will not end well for you, no matter what."
"Back off man, I ain't joking!" He shouted, panic evident in his voice.
"Stay calm... Just put the gun down, and come away quietly. Please." Night Spider Implored him, but he could see the trigger finger begin to move. Night Spider was about to lunge forward, when he saw the woman use the hook of her umbralla's handle to grab the thug's leg and pulled on it hard. The gun fell from his hand and skittered away, Night Spider quickly webbed the gun to the ground, and delivered a swift punch to the thug's face, knocking him unconscious.
"Are you alright ma'am?" asked the hero.
"Thanks to you I'm just fine..." she quickly said hugging the vigilante.
"Um, yeah," The now uncomfortable Night Spider mumbled. "Well, I've got to go. Y'know, crime never rests, and neither do I... heh." He began to walk off, but was stopped when the woman grabbed his hand.
"Wait!" she exclaimed.
"Um, yes?"
"W-well, it's still d-dangerous out here..." She stuttered, though it seemed a little forced. "And I'd feel so much safah if you'd walk me home..." She pleaded, giving him puppy-dog eyes.
"I-I don't know..." Night Spider shrugged. "I mean, there could be someone else out there in trouble... and... uh..." I was dumbfounded by the tears forming in her eyes. "Fine, where do you live...?"
"Yay!" the woman squeeled, hugging Night Spider once more. "I live a couple blocks away, but I'm sure it won't long!"
"Alright, I'm sure i could get you there in no time at all if I swing you there." As he said this he fired a web line out, connecting to a nearby building.
"NO!" The woman shouted, knocking Night Spider's hand away from the web. "I said I wanted you 'walk' me home. So... we're walkin'."
"Fine..." he submitted. "Lead the way." The woman began to skip down the street, swinging her arms to and fro as she went. "Say," Night Spider spoke up as he caught with the woman. "Uh, what's your name?" The woman turned her head and smirked.
"Only if you tell me your's..." She replied.
"I'm Night Spider." He said, in an embellished way, giving a quick bow.
"Well," the woman smirk dimmed slightly. "You can call me Jestah'." She curtsied as she spoke.
"I meant your real name." Night Spider said.
"Only if I get your's." She stopped her skipping and stood face to face with the hero. And only now did he notice how much shorter this woman was than him, her eyes only just coming up to his neck.
"Nice try," He smirked. "But I do want to keep my secret Identity... secret."
"Oh, c'mon..." She pleaded. "Pwetty pwease...?" she clasped her hands together.
"Nope." He smiled.
"Could I bribe yah...?" A large smirk coming to Jester's face.
"I doubt it..." His smile grew a little wider, unable to think of how funny this situation was, as well as how common.
"OH, I think I can..." Jester quickly pushed herself up as much as she could and planted her lips on Night Spider's.
Night Spider was shocked, to say the least. It took him a full minute before he managed to pull himself away.
"L-look..." he stuttered. "Miss, I'm flattered,and... you're cute and all, but, I just got out of relationship... and I don't think It would be healthy for to jump right back in... and... I'm sorry. I just can't."
"It's alright, I didn't know." Jester took a step back. "Well, howzabout this... When you feel you're ready, let me know... Mask, or no mask." She started to walk again.
"I don't even know where to find you!" NIght Spider replied after a moment of stunned silence.
"Hmm..." She thought for a moment before snapping her fingers. "I've got it! Come on!" She grabbed Night Spider's wrist, and took off running, dragging the hero behind her. "Alright!" She exclaimed after skidding to a halt a few minutes later. "He-ah we ah!" (here we are) She flared her hands in front of her, showing Night Spider where she was referring to.
"This is where you live?" NIght Spider asked.
"Uh-huh!" Jester nodded. It was a large apartment building, nothing out of the ordinary about it, although Night Spider couldn't help but feel that the building looked familiar.
"Well, it was nice meeting you Jester." Night Spider said and began to walk off, but was once again stopped by the woman grabbing his arm.
"No!" she screamed. "I need to give yah a way to find me, remembah?"
"Right..." He mumbled. "Fine, but please make this quick?"
"Quick as a rabbit!" She yelled. "C'mon! Follow me!" She opened the door and pulled Night Spider behind her yet again. The two immediately began to climb stairs. After five floors of stairs, Jester finally left the stairwell and entered a long hallway. A hallway that Night Spider felt that he'd seen a million times. He shrugged it off when he saw that Jester arrived at her apartment's door.
"What are you doing here?" Night Spider turned to see the old woman who had spoke. His jaw dropped when he realised where he was. "And who is this?" Jester turned her head to see the old woman holding a laundry basket.
"Spidah?" Jester asked curiously. "Do you know her?"
"Uh..." Night Spider's head took a moment to, reboot, as it were. "Yes... this is my... friend's... grandmother."
"Oh." Jester said turning her key inside of her doorknob. "That's funny. In fact... I think I've seen her grandson a few times... the nerdy little boy, wasn't he?"
"I don't know about little..." Night Spider mumbled. "I mean, it was nice seeing you again ma'am. Tell your grandson I said hi for me." He quickly pushed Jester inside of her apartment once she opened her door, following close behind. "I'll see you later!" he silently mouthed "explain later" To his grandmother, then closed the apartment door.
"Well..." Jester said, catching Night Spider's attention. "Welcome to mah apartment." Night Spider looked around and found that it was... not the tidiest. there were a few piles of CDs laying around, all of them punk rock bands. There was an oversized stereo in the corner of what he could only guess to be the living room, as there was also a single couch with an HD TV in front of it. "I need to grab somethin', so wait here," she quickly said, a sudden smirk forming. "Unless yah'd like to come and see my bedroom...?"
"Uh... I don't care." Night Spider replied, a slight blush forming. "I mean, if you want me to wait here, I will. Unless you seriously want me to go with you." Jester's smirk turned into a look of shock, accompanied by an intense blush.
"Well..." a smirk grew on Jester's face as she thought. "I mean," she shook her head. "Go ahead and wait there. I'll be right back." she giggled as she quickly walked into another room. "Feel free to look around!" she called out. Night Spider sat down on the couch after moving aside some trash. He heard rustling in the next room.
"Hmm..." he hummed as he picked up a nearby CD. He chuckled as he saw the band name: Spider's Threads. The same band that he learned he'd been the inspiration for. He began to try and see how to work the CD player, when he heard a gasp from behind him. He turned to see Jester standing in the doorway holding a slip of paper.
"They're my favorite band. Do you like 'em?" She squeaked
"Yeah, actually, I'm friends with them as a matter of fact." He didn't notice Jester's legs shake as he said that.
"W-well," she stuttered. "h-h-here's my phone number..." she handed him the slip of paper. He took it and ooked at the numbers for a minute. He then slid it underneath the skin layer of his symbiotic suit. Jester's eyes widened slightly as she mumbled "cool..."
"Thanks," Night Spider smiled. "I'll be sure to call... when I'm ready, I mean." He walked over to the open window. "Well, I need to get going. Hero's work and everything." He smirked as he fired out a web line. He began to step out of the window when he saw a flash. He turned to see Jester pointing her phone at him. "Hmm?"
"Sorry, I just wanted a picture before you left, and my voice wasn't working. Sorry." She put her phone down as Night Spider leapt from the window, swinging off into the night. At least, that's what she saw. Unbeknownst to her, Night Spider had swung around the side of the building, stopping at a certian window.
"Well, hello there, hero." an elderly woman said as she opened the window. Night Spider crawled inside of his room and laid down on his bed, not bothering to remove his costume. "So, two questions." His grandmother said as she stood next to the costumed hero's bed.
"I thought the game... was twenty questions..." Night Spider yawned.
"First, how come you're spending the night here and not at your base?" she asked.
"Was nearby, as you could tell, and too tired..." he replied, his eyes beginning to close.
"Second, what, was that? I know that Kate just broke up with you, but Reece, you had better not be-"
"Grandma, relax, I saved her from some gang and she got starstruck. She convinced me to walk her home, and gave me her number. Don't worry."
"Reece, I'm your grandmother, I'm always going to worry. Just be careful, alright?" she put her hand on Night Spider's arm.
"Hey, I'm always careful... g'night..." he mumbled before falling asleep.
"Good night, sweetie..." Sylvia whispered before turning off the lights and exiting the room. "Sweet dreams." She mumbled as she quietly closed the door.