The Extraordinary Spider-Man - Vol 2
Chapter 29: Uncomfortable Predicaments
Likenesses used
Minka Kelly as Felicia Hardy
Peter was sitting in the living room one evening, watching TV with Aunt May. His phone started ringing, and he saw that it was Harry. He quickly picked up.
"Harry?" Peter said.
"Hey, Pete! Just letting you know I got home from the airport! If you want to come over now, you can!" Harry excitedly announced.
"Seriously? Sick! Gwen's gonna be there too, I assume?"
"And Valeria."
"Awesome. I'll be there soon," Peter confirmed.
"Sick. See you then, dude," Harry responded.
Harry hung up the phone.
"Need me to drive you to Harry's?" Aunt May asked with a smile.
"Correct!"
Getting out of Aunt May's car, Peter walked up to the Osborn mansion and rang the doorbell. The door was opened by Norman, and Peter suddenly felt chills.
"Peter. Long time, no see," Norman greeted.
"Mr. Osborn," Peter replied.
"Call me Norman, Peter. How was your summer?" Norman asked, letting Peter in.
"It was alright. I spent a lot of time talking to Harry and Gwen. I hope he's doing better," Peter answered.
"He's fine. And he's really excited to see you too. I have to head to my office, but Harry and those two young ladies are up on the balcony."
"Thanks, Norman."
Peter headed up to the balcony, where Harry, Gwen, and Valeria were sitting in chairs.
"Pete!" Harry exclaimed as he got up and hugged his friend. "What's up, man?"
"Not much, dude. It's great to see you again!"
Valeria also got up to hug Peter. "Hey, Pete! How was your summer?"
"Decent. How 'bout yours?"
"It was nice. I spent a lot of time hanging with friends and talking to Harry," Valeria answered as she and Harry sat back down.
"Yeah, Valeria and I talked a lot. You all kept me sane, to be honest," Harry admitted.
"What about your therapist?" Gwen asked.
"Oh, she was great. She also helped me out a lot." Harry answered. "Mom and I saw her once a week."
"Did you and your mom do sessions together, or did you talk with your therapist one on one?" Peter asked. "Aunt May and I did both."
"I did both as well. I'll be honest, I told my therapist much more when mom wasn't there," Harry admitted.
"That's natural," Valeria pointed out. "Especially with how confidentiality is promised, you're gonna tell your therapist more when it's just you two."
Harry nodded. "That's true."
"Other than the therapy, how was Paris?" Gwen asked.
"Beautiful. A couple days each week, I'd walk around the city alone. It was amazing. As you saw on my Instagram over the summer."
"Yeah, that must've been great," Peter said.
"It was. My aunt and uncle were super great to mom and I. And I got to keep in touch with all of you, which was more than enough," Harry said with a smile.
"We're glad," Gwen affirmed.
"I'm happy we still talked," Valeria agreed.
"Yeah, but now that you're back home, we can actually start hanging in person again," Peter pointed out.
"That's true. It's too bad I didn't get to finish my freshman year at Midtown though. Sophomore year will be different," Harry said.
"And better," Gwen added.
"Hopefully," Peter chuckled.
"Have fun while you guys can," Valeria advised. "High school goes by in a blur. After this year, you're already halfway through."
"That alone is such a crazy thought," Peter said.
"True. Kind of scary," Harry agreed.
"Tell me about it," Gwen sighed.
"You ready to be going to college, Valeria?" Peter asked.
"Yeah, but at the same time, I'm scared shitless. It's gonna be different for sure," Valeria answered.
"Where do you want to go?" Gwen asked.
"Not sure yet. As for what I want to study, I'm thinking about business administration."
"I think you'd be great in that," Harry complimented.
Valeria chuckled. "Thanks, Harry."
Peter and Gwen shot a knowing smile at each other.
"How obvious is it?" Harry asked.
"Pretty freakin' obvious, dude," Peter admitted.
"God."
Peter rolled his eyes. "Dude, I'd be surprised if she hasn't somewhat picked up on it by now."
"Like you're one to talk," Harry chuckled.
"Fair. But I don't know what I'm gonna do about Gwen. I really doubt she feels the same way."
"You don't know that, man."
Peter sat on Harry's bed. "I feel like I do though. It's the same thing I told Aunt May. She hasn't really shown any signs of liking me that way."
Harry sat at his desk. "I'll say it again. You. Don't. Know. That. It's like how I don't know if Valeria feels the same way. That's why I'm gonna keep trying until I know for sure. Just like you should."
"Maybe. I just don't want to get my hopes up. And I also don't want to screw anything up, you know? Like, don't get me wrong. As much as I like her, she's still our best friend."
"That's true. But at the same time, if there's even some tiny feelings left, I still think you should go for it. My dad always told me that you have to take every chance you get despite the risks. Otherwise, you'll never know how differently things could've been," Harry stated.
"Wise words, actually."
"Of course. It's my dad."
Peter sighed. "Look, Harry. I really don't want to beat around the bush with this. But I have to ask. Ever since what happened, are you really doing better?"
"Don't worry about it, man. I'm actually fine. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't rough at first, but I really have gotten better," Harry affirmed. "Thanks for asking though."
"No prob. I just want to make sure you're good, man."
"I am."
Gwen was lying in her bed, looking at her phone. Then there was a knock on her door.
"Come in," Gwen called.
George walked in. "S'up, kiddo? How was seeing Harry again?"
"It was great! It was nice being with Peter and Harry as a group again since March."
"Poor kid. I've had to deal with a lot during my years in the force, but I wouldn't wish for anyone to go through what Harry did."
"Tell me about it. He seems to be doing better though. Especially since Valeria was there tonight."
George looked confused. "Who?"
"Oh, Valeria. That senior girl Harry's crushing on," Gwen explained.
"You think he's got a shot?"
"Hopefully."
"Alright. Well, I'm gonna let you get back to your-"
"Dad, wait."
"Yeah?" George said.
"I've been hearing a lot about the robberies on the news. I'm super curious, so could you tell me how the cops are dealing with all that?" Gwen asked.
George chuckled. "Not sure I should be sharing much about what's being discussed with the force."
"Dad, just tell me a little. Like, I'm really curious."
"Well, all I can tell you is that a majority of the targeted banks were owned by Wilson Fisk. It happened a few times over the summer, and let's just say, this guy's good. By good, I mean a freakin' expert. The cameras are usually all blinded, and no fingerprints or any real evidence are ever left behind."
"Damn."
"I know. We're doing our best to catch this guy, but it's honestly been a challenge," George admitted.
"Sorry about that. Hopefully Spider-Man can help out in some way," Gwen suggested.
"Honestly, that'd be nice."
"You know, it's really great that you started supporting him."
"Yeah. I'll admit, I had my head up my ass about the whole idea of vigilantism. I didn't want to admit the good Spider-Man was actually doing, so that's on me," George admitted.
"Well, he deserves whatever praise he's got. But I know you and the other cops are still working hard to keep the city safe," Gwen praised.
"Thanks, Gwen. I will say though. I like Spider-Man, but Officer DeWolff practically idolizes the guy."
"Jean?"
"Yeah, she's pretty much his biggest fan on the force."
"Dang."
"Anyways, I'm gonna leave you to your stuff. Glad to know things are going well," George said.
"Thanks, dad. See you."
George closed the door and left. Gwen then called Peter.
"Hey, Gwen," Peter greeted on the phone.
"Hey, Pete. I assume you're home now?"
"Correct."
"Alright. Well, in that case, you know about all those mysterious robberies that have been occuring?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, according to my dad, a majority of the banks are usually owned by Fisk. And the guy's good at covering his tracks. Or hers," Gwen explained.
"Dang. There's gotta be some sort of connection to Fisk," Peter deduced.
"Obviously. The problem is, not even the cops can figure it out. Looks like it's gonna be difficult."
"Yeah, I was looking a bit into that, but I couldn't find any clues."
"If you want me to be honest, it might be awhile before you do."
"True."
Gwen sighed. "Wilson Fisk being the Kingpin of crime. Still feels weird."
"You didn't even believe me when I first told you," Peter pointed out.
"Yeah, seriously. If you don't mind me asking, have you ever thought about telling my dad? As Spider-Man?"
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't consider it, but I don't want to take that chance. I can't put you guys in danger like that."
"I really appreciate that. But eventually, you'll have to take him down in some way."
"That's the day I look forward to and dread, to be honest."
"I don't blame you. Also, how was Harry feeling when Valeria and I left?" Gwen asked.
"He said he was fine, but I don't know," Peter answered. "I'm not gonna deny that he might be doing better, but there was still something a bit off."
"Agreed. I just feel super bad for the poor guy."
"I still say we don't tell him the truth about his dad causing Scorpion's transformation."
"For now, no. It's bad enough that his family's going through a lot of controversy right now."
Peter sighed. "Hopefully, that's the worst they'll ever have to go through."
Driving into the parking lot for the Bestman Electronics building, Adrian got out of his car and walked in. He walked by his coworkers as he approached his office.
"You see the game last Tuesday?"
"My wife wants to take me to see some play this weekend. Lame."
"You really think they're buying us out?"
Adrian stopped and turned to his coworkers. "What are you talking about?"
"You didn't hear? We might be getting bought out by Roseman Technologies. Pretty much a guarantee at this point," one of the coworkers revealed.
"No freakin' way," Adrian muttered.
"Seriously. Layoffs might be happening soon unfortunately," another coworker realized.
In disbelief, Adrian walked into his office. Frustrated, he looked at the blueprints for his wings.
Peter and Gwen sat at a cafeteria table during lunch, eating.
"Harry said he wasn't joining us, right?" Gwen asked.
"Correct. Dude's having lunch with Valeria and her friends," Peter confirmed.
"Ahh, Harry."
"It's honestly hard to tell if it's happening between them at this point."
Gwen shrugged. "I'd be happy if it did, but given that Valeria's two grades older, it's kind of tough."
"Yeah. It's like she said, though. We'll be halfway through after this year and that's insane."
"Right?"
"Seriously. That gives me a lot more chances to get my ass kicked before I get graduated," Peter joked.
"Shut up," Gwen chuckled.
"I forgot to ask. What classes are you in?"
"Advanced pre-calc, AP chem, the good old stuff."
"Too bad we don't have any classes together," Peter sighed.
"Yeah, that would've been nice," Gwen agreed.
"I agree."
"Anyway, my family and I were having breakfast this morning, and my mom was-"
Peter's Spider-Sense started warning him, though he begrudgingly allowed a passing Flash to flick him on the back of the head.
"Watch it, dickwad," Flash mocked as an unhappy Liz walked with him.
"You fucking idiot," Liz scolded as she pushed Flash's arm.
"C'mon, Liz," Flash protested as his girlfriend pulled him away.
"Something's not right between them," Gwen noticed.
"Yeah, talk about toxicity," Peter said.
Late that night, inside a Fisk-owned bank in Manhattan, a cable extended to the ground. Spraying a specialized steam around the room, the laser tripwires were exposed. Elegantly moving around and avoiding the lasers, the thief hung upside down from the cable. Facing a valuable diamond encased in a glass container, the thief cut a circle in the glass with her clawed glove. She then pushed the glass with her finger, shattering it and allowing her to steal the diamond.
"Hello, beautiful," the thief remarked.
However, an alarm started going off, and six armed guards stormed into the bank. The thief quickly threw down a smoke grenade and disappeared into the smog. The guards started coughing, though one of them found himself getting silently choked out. Another one was knocked unconscious over the head. As the smoke started clearing, the armed guards walked around the room and aimed their guns further. The thief then leapt at a guard and wrapped her legs around his face, pulling him down. The thief slammed the guard's head to the ground, knocking him out. The thief quickly jumped back up and delivered a spin kick to another guard. She then shot another guard with her grapnel gun and pulled herself towards him, kicking him down. She turned to the final guard and threw a taser disk at him, electrocuting him. The thief quickly ran over to the diamond and grabbed it.
"Sorry, boys. I've got a curfew," the thief mocked as she grabbed the cable, pulling herself back up.
Jumping out of the bank, the thief used her grapnel gun to escape to nearby buildings. Jumping across the buildings, she quickly stopped on a faraway roof. Sitting down, Felicia Hardy took off her domino mask and clawed glove. She sighed as she moved her hand across her white wig.
"What a night," Felicia remarked.
In the bathroom, Doris was brushing her teeth. However, she started choking. Taking her toothbrush out of her mouth, Doris spat out some blood in the sink.
"Shit," Doris muttered, proceeding to take paper towels.
Wiping her mouth, Doris looked at her physique in the mirror. She quickly got on the scale, noticing that she had lost fifteen pounds in a month.
"My God," Doris said to herself.
Meanwhile, in the basement, Adrian was putting the final touches to his winged suit. Readjusting a few minor components of the wings, he activated the wings, causing the turbines to start flowing. Adrian sat down in satisfaction as his invention was complete.
"Hot dog," Adrian chuckled.
The second chapter of Vol 2 is here, and we're slowly building up Adrian Toomes' transformation, as well as beginning the journey of Felicia Hardy. I'm also focusing on giving good introductions to Peter and his friends' sophomore year of high school. I've been planning more with the future for this story, so I hope you guys are excited!
I've been trying my best to get better with my mental health, and thank God I have so many loved ones helping me out with that. I'm home for college, but we'll see what happens from here. I've seen friends a small amount, and in a few days, I finished the Miles Morales game 100%. Amazing fucking game, seriously.
As always, favs, follows, and reviews are always appreciated, and keep tuning in for this story! As this second volume will progress, expect internal and external conflicts, new and old villains, a love triangle, a lot more teen angst and relatability, and one fucking hell of a finale. Sorry that I'm keeping this blog section short for now, but there'll be more next week on Chapter 30: Wilson Fisk!
Rollerparty - Thank you! I'm glad the early premiere excited you! And for sure, I can totally message you when new chapters are out! I'll do my best to remember! And as for the best advice I can give on a Spider-Man story, always do your best on humanizing and making the character as relatable as possible. Given his young age, he's much more relatable to young comic fans out there, and his adult-like stories can also be relatable to older fans. Focus on the character's deeper and inner emotions, insecurities, confidence, and how that affects his relationships, perception, and dual lives as Peter Parker and Spider-Man. And Vulture will definitely be the main villain of this volume, with Black Cat and Kingpin also playing antagonistic roles. And you'll see what happens with Doris and Valeria! And I have been trying to get better, but I'm just doing my best to keep my head up one day at a time. Thanks a lot for the offer, and writing this story alone will definitely help!
JPrime - Believe me when I say it'll be insane! You'll have to wait and see!
shininglegacy22 - I actually did get it on PS4 and I finished it all! Amazing game for sure.
-redbird12