The only thing I know about Mark is that he lives on the same floor as May and I's and that he has a love for science like me. He's younger than I am, probably in 8th grade, and I've never really talked to him. Me being my awkward, stuttering self, I'd simply wave at him and smile when I saw him across the hall. He'd offer to help me carry computer parts back to my room every once in a while so I'd let him. As I unzipped my backpack, I asked myself why I was doing this. I don't really know the guy, so I'm not obligated to step in like I'm going to. A feeling in my gut just tells me that I have to do something. I have to help this little guy out.
Peering around the corner of the littered alley, I can see Mark desperately trying to pick up his school papers and books through a wave of tears as the two bullies laugh and call him names. They were obviously older than him, taller than him, bigger than me, donned in yellow Midtown High letter jackets. They've surrounded him behind the 7-Eleven and are probably gonna do more than just throw his stuff around soon.
Are you sure you're up for this? I ask myself as images of me getting my ass beat flash in my head. They're not pretty images. Staring at the cheaply made red and blue suit in my bag, my goggles staring back at me, I see my reflection. I see the scared guy that I am now and the good person that I want to be. The good person that I can be. The good person that Ben wanted me to be.
I've been in Mark's shoes. I've been picked on all my life and I've never been able to do anything about it. I have the chance to help this guy and make a difference! I never had anyone step in and stop the slew of punches to my face but I can be that person to someone else.
Ignoring the possibility of getting my ass beat by two abnormally large human beings, I dive behind a rotting dumpster and pull my suit out. The costume isn't much. It's basically just a hoodie and sweatpants. My allowance could only get me so far. The hoodie is scarlet red with light blue arms, a black spider sewn to the chest. Under my light blue sweats and red gloves are the web shooters I made. I wish it were quick to put on costumes like it was in the movies. After slipping on the hoodie and sweats over my t-shirt and shorts, I grab my mask and slip it on. I wish I could do more than just sew my goggles over a red ski mask, but it'll have to do.
Pulling the gloves over my hands and wrapping the Velcro shooters around my wrists, I hide my black and red backpack behind a garbage bag. I gag at the smell. It smells worse than the bathrooms at school! I'll definitely need to wash this bag 50 times when I get home.
"It's hard being a hero" I whisper to myself.
Taking a deep breath, silently cursing at myself for the bruises I'll have to explain to Aunt May, I look to Mark and the asses that decided to pick on an 8th grader. I jump out of my hiding spot, step off the cracked sidewalk, and illegally cut across the road as I briskly walk along the street.
A taxi cab veers around the corner and the brakes squeal as the driver honks his horn at me. I jump back, startled by the impatient driver, an inhuman noise escaping my lips.
"Sorry! S-Spider-Man coming through!" I wave nervously.
The older man driving the cab wears a confused look on his face, probably wondering why this guy is dressed up for Halloween in the middle of July. I awkwardly jog past the cab and apologize again nervously, ignoring the curses from him that I was raised not to say. He speeds off.
As I near the bullies, I clear my throat. These guys looked smaller from a distance. The one on the right has gelled-up blond hair and the guy on the left has short brown hair. They were almost as big as the wrestlers I see on TV. Hopefully they don't know any moves or I'm screwed.
I clear my throat louder, itching my gloved palms from the sweat building up. Note to self: never wear a ski mask, hoodie, and sweats over regular clothes in the middle of a hot July afternoon. Also, don't get into fights you probably can't win. The two bullies look over at me, Mark peering through between them. I recognize them both as football players, the guy on the right with green eyes and the one on the left with brown eyes. The name stitched on blondie's jacket is Lawrence and the other guy's is Grace. Their names don't matter. All bullies look the same to me.
"Excuse me, ladies, shouldn't you both be at home doing each other's makeup? Or is tonight girls night out?" I ask with a slight grin, still terrified of getting beat up. As much as joking around helps me cope with the scariness of these confrontations, I still get nervous as hell.
Was girls night out really the best joke I could come up with?
Lawrence and Grace stare at me with furrowed brows, and immediately break out in laughter. A wave of agitation and sadness falls over me. That joke really was stupid.
"Isn't it too early for Halloween, man? For your own sake, I'll pretend you didn't just say that, freak. So why don't you get lost before we kick your ass!" Lawrence demands with a smirk, shoving Mark against the brick wall as he tries to escape. Grace pushes me off the curb, but I catch myself as I step back on it.
"You see, I can't really do that right now. I couldn't help but notice that you're picking on my friend here, so I'd like for you both to hold each other's hand and skip away before I make you regret it. I hear Victoria's Secret has a sale on lingerie, you might want to get on over there before they sell out, pink looks like it'll really compliment your figures–"
Before I could finish my terrible comeback, Grace balls his hand into a fist and tries to punch me. A feeling I can't quite explain falls over me and I swiftly slide to the right, dodging his punch and staying in place. As he's leaned toward me, almost in slow motion, I grab his outstretched arm, turn him around, and push him onto the ground. I chuckle as he tumbles.
"Just to be clear, I did warn you guys, so I'm not liable for any injuries you may or may not receive" I state as I fall to my side, holding my weight up with my left hand, and kicking Lawrence with both feet against the wall. He had tried to tackle me but I was much quicker. Mark moves out of the way and gazes in awe.
Lawrence regains his balance and I shoot a web aimed at Lawrence's balled fist. My thick, tough web snaps his arm against the wall.
Grace kicks me in the side as I was busy admiring the beauty of my work. I hiss in pain as I trip him.
"What the–" Lawrence wonders in confusion as he attempts to yank the web off. Good luck with that. I ignore him as I side step Grace's next attack. He crashes into Lawrence and I kick his stomach against the wall as he faces me. His arms raise with a pained groan and I web his hand to Lawrence's. How cute!
"Now was it so hard to just hold hands?" I ask out of breath. Before they can say anything, I web their free hands and feet to the wall for safety. Don't need to risk my face. Their faces turn red as they fill with anger.
"You freak! What are you?" Grace asks. They both attempt to wiggle their way out of their cozy cocoons.
I look over to Mark and I nod to him, signaling him to get up. He understands and stands beside me.
"I'm just a guy who doesn't like bullies. However, this brave guy right here is Mark. I believe you both owe him an apology for pushing him around" I say. Mark looks down at his torn sneakers.
"We don't owe him nothing!" Lawrence spits. I sigh.
"Come on, really? Bullying someone younger than you? Smaller than you? What gives you the right to pick on someone like that? I'm gonna ask you one last time before I knock more sense into you both. Please apologize to my friend here" I warn.
Lawrence and Grace grunt and lower their heads in defeat. At least they have the brain capacity to know when they're defeated.
"Sorry, Mark…" they mumble in unison.
"What was that? I don't think I heard you. Did you hear them?" I look over to Mark and he nods no with a grin.
"Sorry!" they yell. I can't help but smile.
"Much better. How about I help you with your stuff, Mark?" I ask as I turn to him. His striped orange and white shirt is ruffled and his glasses hang at an angle. I fix them for him. The tears on his light brown cheeks are drying. Poor guy. But he wears a smile that reaches from ear to ear and he nods.
I bend down and help him gather the scattered papers on the sidewalk. He can't help but stare at me with a grin as I chase down the papers blown in the breeze. He unzips his backpack as I set his gathered papers and books inside, his eyes never tearing away from me. He can't see it but I'm smiling too.
"Thank you, sir" he says.
"Please, call me Spider-Man" I say.
I stand up and face the jerks pinned to the wall. They both have a fire in their eyes that I do not want to get burned with.
"As for you two, your punishments are no TV, no electronics, and no Internet for a week, understand? And stop with the bullying. I don't want to have to come back here and set you both straight. Mark has me on speed dial, so if any of you decide to bully him again, you can bet your pearly whites that I'll be back to knock those teeth of yours out" I promise, hoping that I'm scaring them. A lanky freshman in red and blue can only be so tough.
"Oh, and you might want to get yourself out of those webs quick. Victoria's Secret is probably closing soon. I gotta get down there myself. Hopefully they have something in red…" I joke. Mark giggles. I can tell he's happier.
"Let's get you on home, man."
Lawrence and Grace try their best to escape as I put my hand on Mark's shoulder, walking him back home. As we leave those goons behind, Mark looks up at me.
"Where will you be if I need you again?" he asks.
I smile down at him.
"I'll be in the neighborhood" I promise.
I know I'm forgetting my backpack. The joy in his voice was worth it when he got back home, running through his door shouting to his parents, "Spider-Man saved me! Spider-Man saved me!"
I can't help but grin like an idiot as I swing back to pick up my smelly backpack. It feels so freeing to be up here, higher than I've ever been with the city I love so much below me. It felt amazing helping him and standing up to those bullies. I hope this can become a job for me. As long as the pay is good.
I have a feeling it will be.