Welcome back to The Web of Time. I would've had this out sooner but I've been buried in homework lately. I hope this chapter makes up for it though. Anyways, enjoy!
To Mad King C, glad you noticed! Yeah, I'm trying to find some logical ways to incorporate game mechanics into this story. And glad you liked my little dance scene (: and thank you, been playing a lot of ARK lately and wanted to toss it in as a little tribute of some form. And maybe I'll add more video games in the future
As the two space pods touched down, they were greeted by a raving crowd trying to get a look inside. Unnerved by the massive amounts of penguins present, Hat Kid sat as far back into her pod as she could fit.
"Looks like Grooves wasn't kidding about max diva, was he?" she heard Spider-Man day from the communicator in her ear.
"How do we leave?" questioned the little girl. A few moments pass before an answer comes forth.
"On the count of three, we eject together. I'll shoot a web line at your ejection seat and we'll web zip together to the nearest rooftop. Sound good?" explained the arachnid.
"Mmhmm," she responded, eager to get out of this sea of hands.
"Alright, 1,2,3!"
Two red buttons are pressed, and two bodies rocketed out of the pods. Thinking quickly, Spider-Man shot out a web line at the airborne Hat Kid and another at a nearby rooftop. Yanking with all his might on the rooftop web line, he managed to pull the two of them away from the overwhelming crowd with the moon's reduced gravity.
"Phew," breathed Spidey. "That was a little claustrophobic."
"Yeah," shivered the hatted explorer in agreement. Peeking ahead, she saw DJ Grooves on a rooftop at the heart of the city. "Let's go!" she urged, tugging Spider-Man along as they leapt across rooftops.
Now this is more my territory remarked the webhead, feeling at home parkouring across the rooftops without any aliens dropping on his head.
In no time, the dynamic duo made it to DJ Grooves' roof, earning them a greeting.
"Hello, darlings! Welcome to the largest studio set you will ever see," he welcomed.
Spidey nodded as he said, "Gotta admit it Grooves, you've outdone yourself."
"Why thank you darling. It's because we're about to record the Big Parade, the movie that will take the breath away from audiences around the world! You'll be the star, as always," the large penguin revealed, pointing at Hat Kid.
"What will I do? I'm 4 years retired from the high school marching band. Think I'd trip on myself MORE this time around," voiced Spidey.
"Well darling, truth be told, you're a little on the extra large side for us moon penguins, so unfortunately we couldn't find a place for you in the parade. However..." DJ Grooves then reached into his pocket. "I know you have an eye for photography, so I want you to take as many shots of the little diva as you can as she leads the parade!" finished the rambunctious penguin.
"Well I can't let JJ see that I'm out of practice when I get home. Alright I'll do it."
"Excellent!" cheered the DJ. He then turned to Hat Kid and instructed her, "For this movie, we'll need to use our special prop! It'll pop out at the very end," while pointing to a shining ball in the sky, which they could only assume was the time piece he held. Hat Kid nodded, but before she could get to the parade line and ask what to do, DJ Grooves added, "But wait darling. Your current outfit really isn't fit for a parade. Can you go over there and get dressed?" as he gestured at a present box.
Curiously, Hat Kid approached and opened the box, and was delighted to find that it held a red and blue parade marshal outfit! It was just her size too.
"Snazzy," commented Spider-Man. "Here, use this to make a quick change." And with that, he spun a giant web net, thick enough to hide her figure and avoid any peeping tom situations. As he waited for the star of the movie to finish changing, Spider-Man noticed something peculiar about the band.
"Hey, I didn't know you Express Owls were on the moon. Isn't your boss going to flip when he finds out about this?" he asked the band.
"Well, he doesn't exactly know we're here, but anything's better than the mess from yesterday," responded an owl carrying a drum. "But please don't tell him, I have work in 4 hours."
Spidey zipped his lips and threw out the key, earning a grateful look from the owl band. At that moment, the star of the parade made her debut. The little alien had traded her purple tunic and brown/white pants for a red and white parade outfit. Her brown boots were now white to match the outfit, and her signature top hat was replaced by a taller parade marshal hat, complete with an owl face on the front.
"Wow, I like the look," praised Spider-Man. "And with that hat you might finally be able to catch up to my height," he joked, earning him the ire of Hat Kid and her sticking her tongue out at him.
"You look great darling!" DJ Grooves interjected. "Don't worry this movie is really easy. Keep moving around and the band will follow you! Just don't bump into them, it'll be a bad time for both of you. Oh, and keep an eye out for goodies! The audience loves a good parade and will throw treats your way if you get near them."
"Ooooo, treats!" exclaimed Hat Kid.
"So how long are we gonna be filming?" inquired Spider-Man.
DJ Grooves replied, "The parade lasts a while, nothing you can do to speed it up. We'll let you know once we've got the enough footage. Don't lose spirit!" he then jumped up into the air and landed at his mobile turntable float. "Good luck darlings!" he called.
Nodding, Hat Kid took her position at the beginning of the parade line, while Spider-Man perched on a building nearby. Through the loudspeakers, they heard a voice call, "In positions!" Crouching down, Hat Kid prepared to run. "Get ready, go!" sounded the speakers, and they were off.
Thanks to the low gravity of the moon, the hatted child was able to easily jump between rooftops, giving her plenty of space to run around. As she skipped with glee, Spider-Man swung around the city, following her and the band as he took various snapshots like a super powered paparazzi.
"This is fun!" shouted Hat Kid as she hopped onto an electrical wire, the band flying close behind. As she went around, various crowd members tossed her goodies as promised, ranging from heart pons to foam fingers with DJ Groove's face. She picked them all up gracefully as she waved at the crowd, riling them up more.
"Hmm, this is definitely a nice change of pace. Maybe we've caught a bit of a break?" Spidey said to himself.
"It's time to turn the heat up in this movie! Darling, would you turn on the pyrotechnics?"
Me and my Parker Luck an exasperated Spidey thought, but he kept following them around as Hat Kid turned on 3 different dials. On the 3rd dial, a spotlight shone on one of the roofs, showing a countdown. the wall crawler didn't need Spider-Sense to know that nothing good would come when it hit zero, and he was right. Mini firecrackers detonated at the feet of the poor penguins standing on the roof, making them hop up in pain. Once the camera was off the roof, Spidey swung in and pulled all the penguins to safety.
This is getting out of hand he thought, as he continued taking pictures, but preparing himself for the next surprise DJ Grooves would drop on them.
Meanwhile, Hat Kid was getting a little more anxious. With some roofs no longer being safe, she had to alter her original route, taking more tightrope walks on electrical wires and giving Spidey near heart attacks. It was becoming a little bit challenging to keep ahead with the band now, as they seemed to be going faster, perhaps to avoid being zapped by the pyrotechnics.
A few moments later, DJ Grooves shouted, "This movie needs more action! Darling, turn on the firework cannons for the big fireworks show!"
Both Spidey and Hattie became nervous as they went to each button that triggered the fireworks. Once the 3rd button was hit, fireworks started spewing into the air, creating a magnificent display of color. Hat Kid looked up to the sky, taking a moment as she skipped to marvel at the beauty. But the longer she stared at it, the bigger the firework seemed to get. That's when she realized, it was heading straight for her!
"Help!" she yelped, sidestepping a rocket that was aimed straight at her face. As another tried to hit her, it was blown up prematurely by a web ball.
"Ok, this has officially gotten out of hand!" shouted Spider-Man as he swung in. "Grooves, turn them off before your parade marshal and photographer eat shrapnel!"
"I'm sorry darlings, but the show must go on! Just keep running, and they won't get you!" the penguin regrettably informed. Spidey looked back with a look of disbelief. Did he really just tell them to suck it up and dodge?
"Ahhhh!" came the scream of Hat Kid as the rockets picked up the pace. Spider-Man tried his hardest to make sure that none of the rockets hit Hat Kid, the band, or any of the crowd below. Web shot after web shot he fired, destroying each rocket as they came.
"Rocket on your six!" he warned to Hat Kid, who jumped up using the wire she was standing on. It passed right underneath her legs.
"Alright, lights out," Spidey said as he lined up his shot, squeezed the trigger, and...
Click Click
"Seriously?! NOW you decide to run out of juice?!" he ranted at his web shooter, but his expression quickly changed to horror as he realized the the rocket had circled back, gunning straight for Hat Kid!
"NOOOO!" he screamed as he watched her helplessly braced herself. Hat Kid shivered as she looked death straight in the face, preparing to brace for the impact.
But it never came.
At the last moment, a horseshoe sliced through the air, detonating the rocket far enough to not injure hat Kid. "Huh?" she questioned as she turned her head to a nearby alleyway, Spider-Man following her gaze. In the very corners of the alley, she saw a figure with a cowboy hat and a black suit. But most importantly, she saw the sharp yellow beak dip back into the shadows.
Conductor? she realized incredulously. Spider-Man followed her gaze, shocked at the development as well. They had no time to think though as another rocket fired.
Sweating profusely, DJ Grooves looked down at his watch, and was relieved to find that they now had enough footage. "Time to release the parade surprise. Grab it darling!" he shouted into the speakers.
Turning on her heels, the young alien made a B-line for the building that contained the parade surprise, making a small sigh of relief as a time piece dropped down. Dodging the remaining rockets, she dove headfirst into the floating hourglass, and using her brewing hat, managed to detonate the last rockets before they crashed into anyone else.
Panting heavily, Hat Kid and Spider-Man stopped to catch their breath when they were approached by the ecstatic penguin.
"That was fantastic darlings! This footage is enough to make a marvelous film out of it. Soon, we'll have the greatest film known to bird kind!" he cheered.
"I'm pretty sure sending missiles into a crowded audience isn't gonna win you any Oscars," Spidey spitefully retorted.
"W-what ever do you mean darling?" asked the confused bird, as if he were snapping out of a daze.
"I'm saying you forgot the fact that I had to stop 3 rockets from careening into the audience. You seriously thought those were safe for theater? Just look at the band owls!" Spidey said as he pointed at the rattled marching band that had nearly been blown to bits by two directors.
"And you nearly blew up a child. Seriously dude? Just cause we're not from here doesn't mean we have bulletproof skin," he ranted, tossing the memories of Luke Cage to the back of his mind.
"But I-I thought that you liked being the star darling?" asked the moon penguin pleadingly, as if to reassure that he did nothing wrong.
"I don't want to die," whimpered Hat Kid as she shrunk away behind Spider-Man's leg.
"You directors must be this world's equivalent of Michael Bay if you think THAT was acceptable. We're out Grooves, catch you around," finished Spidey as he put Hat Kid on his back and leaped off the building, leaving a speechless DJ Grooves to his thoughts.
On the way back, the two time guardians had to pass through an alleyway to get to the area where their pods were. Thankfully, after the rocket incident, most of the crowd had dispersed on Spider-Man's orders, allowing them to walk back without being mobbed.
"Sorry show biz isn't all it's cracked up to be kid," comforted Spider-Man. It was clear that the little girl loved being the star of the first two movies. In those moments, she had been completely carefree, as anyone her age should be. It was sad that the last two have been complete disasters.
"It's ok. I just wanna go back home," sighed Hat Kid.
"You know the lad's right. Show business is a PAIN in the tail feathers," came a familiar voice.
Spinning around, the two were once again face to face with the same bird who had nearly blown them sky high the other day.
"Listen, I don't know why you took a break from riding the crazy train, but you got 7 seconds before I hog tie you with enough webbing to-"
The Conductor held up his hands in exasperation as he interrupted, "I already know ye emptied your fancy webbing trying to stop all of DJ Peck Neck's rockets lad. Otherwise, you never would've needed me horseshoe tah stop that last one from slamming into the lassie," as he tipped his new cowboy hat with a smirk
Hat Kid chimed in, "That's fair. But why save us? Didn't you try to blow us up too?" She wanted to know about this sudden duality.
The smirk dropped off he Conductor's face, replaced with a shameful frown. "Aye, that's true. I did cause you lot a peck of a lot of trouble." He then looked them square in the eyes, or where the duo assumed his eyes were. "But that was wrong of me. I've never pulled stunts anywhere near that extreme in me entire career. But those blasted time pieces seemed to cloud my vision. All I could think about was beating that no good DJ Groooooooves."
The duo perked up at the mention of time pieces. How did he know about them? Seeing their situation though, they decided to save the questions for later.
"But when I saw the damage I'd done, especially to the little lass, it was like I came back to me senses. So I came up here to say..." the Conductor trailed off. He never apologized to anyone, so it took some time for him to get the word out.
"I'm sorry," he finally muttered. Spider-Man and Hat Kid were taken aback. Was this really the same owl who shrugged off their injuries in favor of hawking over some footage?
"I'm a proud son of a finch, but I know when I've pecked things up. So I hope me little intervention earlier might've helped me case." He then held out his hand to Hat Kid as he said, "So what do you say lassie? Can I have a second chance?"
Cautiously, Hat Kid went down from the superhero's back, approaching the owl cautiously. She examined his face to see if she was being tricked, but she could see nothing but raw emotion, meaning he was being genuine. Hesitantly at first, she took his hand, before she adorned a grin as she shook it and hugged the old avian.
"One condition though. I want you to give me that cool detective outfit. It makes me feel mysterious," added Hat Kid sternly, causing the yellow bird to cackle.
"Hahahahaha, consider it done lassie, I got it stored away in me closet," said the Conductor gratefully. He then looked up at Spider-Man, waiting for his input.
"As long as she's on board, so am I," shrugged Spidey. "But pull another stunt like that and more than your ratings are at stake," he threatened, though he obviously didn't mean it. That didn't stop the Conductor from sweating a bit though.
"Don't worry lad, that train has passed. Quite literally, me train is in shambles after that shooting," joked the Conductor, though he was visibly crestfallen. "Anyways, I just came to say me piece, now I'll be heading off. See you next week for the annual bird move awards," he said as he slung a western knapsack over his shoulder. "I have some personal business to take care of." And with that, the strange bird hopped off down the moon where his ship had been parked, setting a course back to earth.
Spider-Man wished him luck on his little quest, whatever it may be. Maybe he would be less of a crazy coot afterwards.
"Alright kid, it's midnight, and I'm exhausted from dodging pot rockets all night. Let's go home," directed Spider-Man. Hat Kid obliged, wanting to just rest after the crazy shooting they just had. Hopefully the next time piece doesn't involve any explosions...
"I can't believe my stars just walked out, after all of that!" mourned DJ Grooves in his office. He understood that the shooting was risky, but that was just an occupational hazard. Plus, they were aliens, they could've taken it, right?
"I told you they're rotten and selfish. They don't care about anything but themselves," Mustache Girl smugly said as she sat on his desk. "But who needs them? All you really need is riiiiight here," she alluded before pulling out her time piece.
DJ Grooves looked nervously at the artifact in her grasp. Sure it could rewind time like the little mustached kid said, but what if the consequences? He'd seen too many time travel movies to now know there were consequences.
"Come onnnn, take it. You know you want to fix all those years of cheating, don't you? Take back all the awards that were yours, and become the greatest movie director in history!" she pressured.
The DJ was conflicted, holding his head for a moment as he contemplated his decision. Finally, he lowered his star shades, revealing a greedy look in his eyes.
"Where do I start?"
Aaaaand there we have it. We're taking a break from Battle of the Birds before the final boss, and now we head to the section I'm most excited to write, the Subcon Forest arc! I know a lot of you love chapter 2, but we'll be back soon. And my ending for the boss battle of chapter 2 needs our little duo to head into Subcon first. But stay tuned for more!