Chapter 1
Sirens echoed through the streets and lights reflected from every possible surface. A dark figure was silently perched on the rooftop. The spider watched the people below. Its prey. Most spiders are harmless to humans while some have bites that can cause slight irritation. Other spiders are fortunate enough to have venom strong enough to kill. However this spider wasn't like the others, it was a trained killer, a deadly hunter. Most people are lucky enough to never encounter this spider in their lives, but those who do, stare death in the eyes.
A man walked on the street below with a briefcase clutched tightly in his hand. Nothing about him made him different from the others going home from long days at their office jobs, except this man had a target on his back. The spider jumped to the roof of the neighboring building with ease and continued to stalk its prey. From rooftop to rooftop the spider followed until an intersection approached. As the man quickly crossed the street, the spider dismounted from the roof onto a closed kiosk and then to the building on the other side.
The duo continued to the outskirts of the city. The spider could tell the man was paranoid as he called a taxi and looked behind his shoulder. The car drove slowly, stopping at stop signs and traffic lights, allowing the spider to follow close behind in the shadows. Eventually the vehicle stopped outside of a small white house and the man hurriedly climbed the stairs to the front door. The spider was already on the roof of the porch, patiently waiting for the perfect moment to attack.
A light turned on inside the house and the spider jumped down to the front door and almost smiled when it realized the man had left the door unlocked in his panic. Silently, the spider entered the house and waited at the bottom of the stairs when a creak sounded from above.
"Daddy?" A quiet voice could be heard.
"Hush sweetie. Go back to bed."
"But-"
"Evelyn, come on honey. Let's go to bed."
Footsteps caused the floorboards to groan and when the sound of two doors closing could be heard, the spider began to climb up the stairs. Carefully navigating the loose floorboards, the spider approached the room on the left. It slowly opened the door to reveal the moonlight shining into a soft pink room.
A toy castle sat below the window and dolls were scattered on the floor. A nightlight was plugged in by the door that was covered in glittery stickers. A small bed sat in the corner but was piled with blankets and stuffed animals. Hidden among the things, a young girl laid sleeping, clutching a worn stuffed rabbit. The spider crept to the bed and stood there contemplating its actions. Finally in one fluid motion, it pulled out a knife and made its attack, then left the room without looking back.
The spider silently crossed the hall to the unopened room and the house held its breath as the spider opened the wooden door. A couple slept in their bed, unaware of the danger in the room. The spider crawled forward and stood by the bed, staring over the sleeping woman. It tugged uncomfortably at the gag covering its face but the mask didn't move. The woman shifted in her sleep and the spider knew it had to act soon. In the same fluid movement, the spider pulled out the now stained knife and made its mark. Seconds later, the man met the same fate.
The silence now hung heavily in the air and threatened to choke anything that disturbed its presence. The spider quickly found the safe hidden in the closet and set to dialing combinations. The safe door popped open in two tries and revealed the briefcase that sat inside. The spider grabbed the case and leapt down the stairs. Using the phone on the wall, the spider dialed a number then quickly left the house with its prize. Climbing onto the roof of a nearby house, the spider watched as police arrived with their flashing lights moments later. It didn't take long for the officers to discover the victims of the spider. But no matter how hard they could have tried, no one escapes the deadly Wandering Spider.
It took less than a minute for the spider to take down the first officer. When an unsuspecting officer exited the horror filled house, he quickly met the same fate as the first. The sound of sirens filled the quiet street as another police car pulled into the driveway. The spider stood still in the beam of the headlights and the officers exited the car with guns raised.
"Put your hands where I can see them!" The male officer demanded but the spider remained silent and still.
"Put your hands up!" The woman repeated, but the spider simply stared back with glaring eyes. While the Wandering Spider doesn't make webs, the officers still wandered into its trap.
One officer cautiously stepped forward which gave the spider an opening to attack. In one motion the gun was turned back on the woman who was now in a headlock. The spider could see the fear in the man's eyes as he stood facing the pair with the gun pointed at them.
"Let her go." His voice shook slightly as he spoke. When the spider didn't move, he repeated his command with no results. In the blink of an eye, the man fired the gun and the woman laid bleeding on the ground with the spider no where in sight. The man fumbled for his radio, giving the spider the opportunity it needed for its blade to find a home in the officer's neck. It then leapt into the trees and disappeared into the night.
The spider didn't stop until it found itself standing in front of a man dressed in black.
"Good job, Spider. I see your mission was a success." The man held out a hand for the spider to pass over the briefcase that was now stained with blood. "Now that we have this, we move on to the next phase. Your next mission is in this folder. You have not failed me yet, so do not start now."
The man walked away leaving the spider with a folder with bold letters reading The Avengers.