And here it is, the first chapter of the vampire arc!. I had a lot fun writing this, and there is so much happening, so much action, so be ready!. And at the end, is a little surprise;). And a thanks again to IceDragoness for letting me use the Lyngley's, I hope I did them justice.
Chapter 26: Gwen Stacy
Friday, October 30th, 2015
"Gwen!." Daisy's loud voice caused me to jump, and the pen left the page, a long mark now down the side. I knew what she must be mad about, and when she appeared next to me, her expression was furious.
"I thought you would've left for the Institute by now?." I didn't want to have an all-out fight with her in the middle of the hallway. Daisy's Halloween plans for the last few years had been taking the younger students trick or treating. It was the most looked forward to event every year.
"Don't distract me. Why didn't anyone tell me?. Why didn't you tell me?. I had to overhear it from Kate of all people." I looked over at her, the note I had written in between my fingers. I hated that I had to write it at all, but with three more vampire kills in the past few nights, we decided enough is enough. I'd be meeting the others later tonight. The letter... the letter was addressed to my family, Grayson and my friends, in case something happened to me. The whole truth about me was on it.
"Daisy... if we don't do this, if we don't find them... could we forgive ourselves when more people die?."
"It... I know, I get it. Just... please be careful. All of you."
"I will. I'll watch their backs, Daisy." Daisy's eyes glistened slightly as she stepped forward, her arms crushing me.
"Just make sure you're watching yours too." My arms tightened around my friend, my eyes starting to now burn with the start of tears too.
"Hey, guys, what's going on?. Everything okay?." Grayson's voice brought us splitting apart, and I turned away for a moment, wiping my eyes. I quickly stuffed the note into my locker underneath a few books. Grayson stood a few feet behind us, worry etched on his features as he stared at me. There was no sign that either Daisy or I had been close to crying.
"Yeah, everything's fine." I swallowed the lump in my throat from having to lie to him.
"Just talking about our Halloween plans. I have to run to Westchester tonight. My old school does their own thing. Do you have any plans tonight?."
"Zoey and I are having a monster movie marathon. Mom is working the day shift today so that she can be there. Do you want to come?. I think a few of Zoey's friends are coming too. I don't think they'd mind."
"I appreciate the offer, but I want to be alone tonight." Grayson's brow furrowed at my response and how quickly I'd said it. I didn't mean for it to come out the way it had.
"I usually do my own thing on Halloween, is all." Daisy had heard enough and scoffed, pushing through the growing crowd of students.
"Ok... well, would you want to do something on Sunday, just the two of us?." His voice was quiet, and I felt a jab of guilt in my chest.
"Maybe. I'll call you later?."
"Alright... have a good night... doing whatever it is you're doing." His voice was tinged with hurt and confusion. Grayson pressed a kiss to my forehead, and at this moment, I wanted so desperately to tell him everything... to cling to him and forget about tonight. I wrapped my arms around him, relishing in it before it was gone. I kissed him, lingering on his lips for several seconds before I grabbed my things. As I walked out of the school, I felt his eyes on me, and my feet felt like lead.
Friday, October 30th, 2015, 8:30 P.M.
The city had since been bathed in shadow, the lights from the buildings the only source keeping it at bay. Manhattan seemed like a beacon... and for what lurked in those shadows... it might as well have been. Down below me, dozens of kids and their parents walked along the sidewalks. Thank God Queens had been spared of it all. The thought of anyone I loved being chased down by a monster made my heart cold. Just below me, my brothers were playing video games. Down the street, Grayson and his sister probably had already started their movie night.
'You need to tell him.' My mind had been torn the last few days if I should... but the end result scared me. I had no idea how he'd take it, a lie that's been constantly in play from our first time going out. I was shaken from all these thoughts when the I.D card in my hidden pocket vibrated three times. Our prearranged signal caused my chest to tighten. It was time to go.
I launched over the edge of the roof, falling towards the street. I spread my arms out, and the glider extended, catching my freefall. I heard all the people down on the street below start calling out in excitement. The kids yelling up to me made me smile under my mask. I waved to them as I started gaining speed. I kicked off a crane close to the East River, sailing across the dark expanse of water.
The cold air buffeted my suit as I zoomed by the tall, lit skyscrapers of Manhattan before reaching Hell's Kitchen. Our designated meeting spot, near where the latest victim was found, was coming up fast. The Defenders' warehouse lights were all on, and I came to a stop on the roof, my feet ringing against the tin. As I'd asked, the skylight was open for me. I crawled in, several quiet voices reaching my ears as I lowered myself in.
I dropped onto my feet, and I saw Matt sitting on top of the back of a couch, Elektra next to him. Their backs may have been to me, but Matt's head tilted slightly. Elektra turned her head enough to peer behind her before looking back. I tugged my mask off as I approached the living room area. Almost every available seat was taken, and I jumped over the couch, taking the small space next to Kari.
"Gwen. Good to see you."
"You too, Kari."
"Well, well, well. Never would've guessed you're a blonde." Ben Grimm stood near Luke and Steve, arms crossed.
"Great to see you too, big guy." His booming laugh shook the glass table.
"Suits you, Webs." Across from me, now joined by Matt and Elektra, were the other Defenders. Jessica was next to speak to me.
"Where's my girl Tremors at?."
"She's in Westchester right now. Taking the kids trick or treating since-."
"Since I had other plans. And it's for the best." My spider-sense went off at the new arrival walking in. Logan strode in, looking around the place. There was a large cigar hanging out from the corner of his mouth.
Logan nodded at Steve, "Good to see ya, Captain."
"Glad you could make it, Howlett." Logan took one long puff on the cigar, and Matt's nose scrunched up in disgust.
"Still with the cheap ass cigars, huh Logan?." Logan smirked and nodded his head.
"Murdock." Logan took another puff before putting it out... using his palm. Matt grimaced a little, his face tightening.
"Do you really need to do that?."
"Right, sorry, forgot about the whole..." Logan gestured around his face, mainly the eyes. Matt shook his head, a smirk playing on his face. Steve's voice rose above everyone else's chatter.
"Alright, we need to get started. Is everyone here?." Kari waved her hand to get his attention.
"My twin is on his way. Had to make a stop to pick up a few friends." Kari checked her phone, and then I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Jared suddenly appeared in between all of us, two others with him. Kate and Wanda stumbled a tiny bit, and I knew all too well how it felt. Jared looked over at Steve sheepishly.
"Sorry we're late." Now that the three of them were here, Steve took a head count. The Fantastic Four, Defenders, Kari and Jared, Logan, and most of the Avengers were here. Almost everyone was in civilian clothes, but I was keeping my suit. Steve's shield was still strapped to his back, and it looked odd being over jeans and a jacket. Tony stepped forward to start the meeting.
"Let's get started. Gwen, do you have the flash drive?." I stood with a nod, pulling out the drive from my glove, and handed it to Tony. He inserted it into a device and placed it onto the floor.
"Friday, bring up the map, if you'd be so kind."
"Certainly, boss." A holographic image of the island of Manhattan floated in the air.
"Alright, people. Since the first death, there have been 9 more, and several missing persons' cases. The last three have all been focused in Hell's Kitchen. Fury wants this done and kept as quiet as possible. The last thing the people in this city need is to know this... is out there."
The map switched over to a cellphone recording of the night the NYPD found the first bodies. The cop flew through the air, and the man in the trench coat flew past the crowd of onlookers, Steve and I in pursuit. While the footage played, Steve went over the game plan.
"This thing is fast, strong... maybe even as strong as a few of our heavy hitters." There were a few nervous glances shared amongst everyone. Steve nodded at me for me to go ahead.
"Everyone is here for a reason... we each have a distinct advantage. Strength, super senses, fighting skill, powers... blood." Johnny raised his hand up.
"What do you mean blood?."
"My blood made this thing sick. My blood is irradiated from the spider that bit me. It can't... won't try it again." I pulled out a small vial from my glove.
"We use it; make him take it. Shove it down his throat if we have to, and we get our answers." All eyes were on me with intensity. Tony retook the floor, pulling the map back up once more.
"We'll be splitting up into teams to cover as much ground as possible. I'm taking the fliers, and we'll hit the skies. We'll call out anything we see. There's no room for error here, people. You find it... kill it. It's gone on long enough." No one had any objections when Tony finished, and Steve began pointing around the room.
"Each team was picked carefully by Natasha and me." The holograph switched over to a series of lists and designated locations. I was grouped up with Nat, Danny, Marc, and Ben.
"How will this end any differently than when Gwen let it escape?." Kate's question left me seething, and a few heads whirled in her direction.
"Because this time, I'm not holding back." I grit my teeth, forcing myself to calm down. Steve spoke again, interfering before more taunts could be thrown around.
"Focus. Take care of one another... be safe out there. Let's move it." Tony left no room to argue as his suit closed around him, and he took off through the skylight, followed closely by Rhodey, Vision, and Sam. Steve and Logan were leading their group out, and I focused on Wanda.
'Watch over them, Wanda.' She turned at my thought and shot me a reassuring smile. Reed nudged Ben's arm as he passed.
"Take care of them, ya big lug, alright?." Ben chuckled and pulled all four of us into a massive bear hug.
"No worries, Reed. I'll keep em safe." I looked at each and every person still in the room. Reed kissed Susan before departing with his team. He had been adamant about Susan staying behind for her safety. Behind him were Luke, Jessica, Matt, Johnny, and Jared. Elektra had already left with Steve's group. Kari hugged her brother, holding onto him for several long moments. There were many wishes of wellbeing and caution spoken by the time the last group had left. There was hardly anyone walking the streets; this area being too dangerous for kids to enjoy the holiday. I fell into step beside Natasha, catching stares from stragglers we passed.
"What's the play?."
"We make our way up the harbor along the Hudson. There are quite a few abandoned warehouses and dock houses for anything to hide in. We check each one thoroughly, narrow down where it could be." We cut down W 52nd street towards Dewitt Clinton Park. The sight of the first of the three kills was close to a dock just on the other side of the park.
"Webs, do your thing. Tony and the others are checking out locations on the other side of the island first. You'll be up there, don't lose track of us." Nat gestured to the street lights lining all the way to the docks.
"On it." I jumped up, grabbing ahold of the freezing metal, and crouched, watching my group, as well as any pedestrians walking around. I wasn't going to miss it if I saw him, his face locked in my mind. Ben wasn't hard to keep an eye on, being 8 feet tall and orange. Marc suddenly stepped away from the team at a fast pace, and I hopped from street lamp to street lamp to catch up. Marc slowed down and shook his head slightly, coming to a stop below me.
"Anything?."
"No, just a pervert in a trench coat. We should get back to the others." I scanned the block to where Marc had been looking. I found the guy and had K.I.A send an anonymous tip to the Hell's Kitchen precinct. Danny started speaking to Marc when he had returned.
"What was that all about?."
"I thought I saw our target. Just some guy trying to flash people."
"I sent out a tip, so the cops should be there soon to pick him up."
"So settle our curiosity, Webs. I mean, you're practically as mysterious as Marc was. You go to school anywhere?." I wasn't as bothered at Danny's question as I thought I'd be.
"I'm a senior over at Midtown." Ben laughed, the sound echoing up and down the streets.
"Every new hero is coming out of high school these days, didn't you hear, Iron Fist?." Ben slapped Danny on the back, not too hard, just enough to make him stumble a step. Despite it, Danny laughed alongside Ben.
"You've obviously got family, so I won't ask. Friends?."
"You should ask her about her special friend." I glared at the back of Natasha's head, not needing to see her face to know she was smirking. Ben glanced up at me, and he was grinning like a fool.
"Oh, is that right?."
"Yes, I have a boyfriend." I then thought of something to turn the conversation around.
"But you know, Ben. I know for a fact that Daisy has a special somebody too."
"No, what?. Who would that be?."
"Jared Lyngley."
"Hothead?. You're messing with me."
"No, it's true. They've been cozying up to one another for weeks." Danny's jibe only added to the fun we were having, despite our current task. The good spirits only lasted for a few more minutes... until Natasha suddenly bolted when we got a block away from the Hudson.
"Spider-Girl, intercept high. Marc and Danny follow me!. Ben, take care of that door. Target just ducked away into that warehouse." I immediately launched off the pole, coming to a landing on the roof. Ben smashed through the heavy sliding door, the steel chains falling to the floor like they were made of paper. Nat and the other two were coming in through the back. I kicked in the glass, and jumped into the warehouse... and my heart climbed into my throat. The building was three stories, and the second story was packed with bodies... some piled on top of one another, others hanging upside down from chains.
"What the fuck is this?. There were only 4 missing persons cases, Nat." Natasha's eyes were wide, ignoring Marc's question, and we all stared at the horror before us. Danny picked up something from the floor and examined it.
"These are all stiffs from a morgue."
"Ha!. Guys, I could use a hand!." There was a booming sound as heavy machinery was being knocked aside below us. Ben was chasing the man in the trench coat, and fury filled my chest. I vaulted over the railing, followed by Marc and Nat.
"Team 1, we found him." Steve's staticky voice came only a second later.
"Copy. We're on our way right now." Marc reached under his jacket, and threw two crescent darts, silver blurs whistling through the air. One sliced into the upper part of the man's leg, and the other embedded in a pillar. He kept running, despite the wound. To my right, Danny was running along the top of the machinery lining the floor, both of his fists glowing. Danny rolled off, coming to a stop in the man's path, his fist flying straight towards his head. The guy ducked fast, Danny's blow missing. His fist caved in the metal of a forklift, toppling the vehicle over.
"Come here, you slippery shit!." Ben barreled ahead from the left out of nowhere, his gigantic hands sweeping towards him. With a startled grunt, he lost his footing, barely escaping Ben's grasp. Natasha capitalized on the mistake. She slammed into him from behind, her Widow Bites charged up. Her gloves pressed hard into his side, and the electricity flared. The back of his hand met Natasha's face, and she tumbled across the floor.
"Nat, are you alright!." Danny stopped and crouched down, helping Natasha stand. There was a nasty welt, and no doubt serious bruising would form.
"I'm good, go!." Marc raced past us, pursuing him down a row of machinery. When I had eyes on him again, Marc was fighting him, moving almost as fast as the man. Marc slipped under his guard three times in as many seconds, his fists connecting with pressure points. It was as if the guy didn't feel it. He pushed Marc away, and dashed down another row out of sight. The building shook and I heard Ben yell out.
"Gotcha, you fucking piece of garbage!." There was an unholy screeching in the next second, and I picked up the pace. I skidded around a corner, finding Ben had pinned the guy up against the wall. An imprint of his outline was evident in the concrete behind him. The others were right on my heels as we approached. At the sight of us, he started struggling more, hissing and screeching.
"Ben, you got him?."
"Yeah, he ain't going anywhere, Natasha." She stepped right up to him, no fear on her face.
"Are there more of you?." The man turned his head away, continuing to try and break Ben's hold, and I caught a glimpse of his fangs. Ben slammed him back into the wall.
"Answer the question, are there others!?." He still didn't reply, just struggled to remove Ben's hands.
"Not strong now, are you?." I stepped forward, Natasha giving me a nod. I pulled the small vial out, and he must've smelled it, his movements getting more erratic. Ben moved him away from the wall, and wound his arm around, pinning the man to his chest. He bit down on Ben's forearm, and Ben's face reflected slight discomfort.
"Whatever you're gonna do, do it now. This sucker is strong." I approached, unscrewing the top of the vial.
"Hold his mouth open." Ben gripped his lower jaw, and pried open his mouth, and the man began kicking and hissing.
"You want to talk now?." Natasha's voice was cool and calm, locking with his wild eyes. After a moment's hesitation, Natasha turned to me.
"Do it." I wasted no time in tipping the contents into his mouth, the droplets spilling right onto his tongue. He thrashed and screamed as I poured in more.
"Stop!," he finally yelled. I withdrew my hand, and tucked the vial away. Ben let up his grip, and the man worked the cramps out of his jaw.
"Talk. Or I use the rest of it." His eyes burned with hatred when he glared at me.
"You have no idea what's here." We all shared a worried glance, and Natasha faced him full on.
"There are more of you. Where?."
"You'll find out soon enough."
"Alright, we need to get this guy back to the Tower, get him talking there. I'll get Tony to put it on lockdown." My spider-sense went off with intensity, and I clutched my head.
"Gwen?." Ben's tone was concerned, and he gripped my shoulder with his free hand.
"Something's wrong." I grit my teeth as it spiked, but then it evened out... telling me there was someone else in the building.
"They're here." The guy was smiling, eyes fixed at the catwalk above us. Danny's fists glowed, and Marc's staff was now out, aimed forward.
"Shit." Natasha whirled, her electric batons crackling. On the catwalk, stood nine people, dressed in dark clothing. The closest one to the railing, bent over, his hands resting on the railing. He was slender, and oddly enough, was clad in colonial looking clothing.
"Mortikai, in quite a bind again I see." His accent was British, but sounded like older English. His dark eyes roamed over each of us, stopping on Natasha.
"The heroes of New York." He spread his arms, chuckling to himself. One of the others, a large man with a thick beard, gestured to Natasha.
"Save that one for me... I love redheads." His accent was thicker, sounding like Russian. The leader I guessed, held up a hand in a silencing gesture.
"In due time, Rhadomir. Release our friend, if you'd be so kind." Ben scoffed, his hold not moving an inch.
"Not a chance." One of the women addressed the leader, her voice coming out a hiss.
"William." He sighed, and cast a disappointed look down at us.
"I wished to have avoided unnecessary bloodshed. Killing such as yourselves will only bring much unwanted attention... but, as this decade says it... have it your way." At that the woman and the one he called Rhadomir, leapt over the railing, landing silently. I heard a growling coming from Ben.
"You want him so bad... take him!." My spider-sense went off as Mortikai flew through the air like a cannonball, crashing into the two vampires. Ben stepped up next to me, his fists raised. William glanced behind him, and nodded his head. The rest of the vampires jumped down, and the three Ben knocked down joined them. No-one moved, everyone sizing each other up. Rhadomir was grinning, fixated on Ben now.
"You're a tough one, eh?."
"You bet your ass." Ben's voice was low, and I could feel his tension. In some kind of unheard signal, a woman with white hair, moved first, right towards Marc. Marc's staff moved like a blur, the metal connecting with her jaw with a sickening crack. She simply smiled, and pulled one of her teeth out with ease. Spitting out a bit of blood, she stared coldly at Marc.
"Adamantium, I believe. Fascinating material... I'll love taking that weapon from your dead hands."
"Then come and get it." They all made to surge forward, but at the sound of crashing glass, halted. I heard a familiar hum as Steve's shield bounced off Rhadomir's face, making him recoil in pain. Steve and Logan dropped down, Logan's claws snicking out from between his knuckles. From out of the shadows, Wanda and Elektra stepped out. Red energy twisted around Wanda's fingers, her eyes glowing. Elektra twirled her Sais in her hands, the blades whistling in the air. Kate came around the corner, her bow drawn, Kari following right behind her. Ice misted from Kari's hands, and even from here, I could feel the temperature drop. The vampires eyed the newcomers with a tiny bit of apprehension. William sighed, and he then vaulted over, taking his place beside the white haired woman.
"So be it." The second the words left his mouth, Rhadomir lunged, hissing, his canines extending. Ben met his charge, and the two started grappling, the floor trembling. Rhadomir punched Ben away, the two now out of sight among the shelves. Mortikai flew towards me, and I leapt off the ground, my foot crashing into the side of his head. A tiny trickle of blood flowed down the side of his face, and his eyes widened, wiping it away.
"You surprised me last time, not again. I'm waiting, Morty." Mortikai lunged, his hands swiping through the air, trying to claw me. I ducked under one of the blows, and my fist slipped in, nailing him right in the stomach. He stepped back a few paces, the wind knocked out of his lungs. I didn't give him a minute to recuperate, and we started trading blows, fists connecting with each other's faces. Logan and Steve were back to back, fighting alongside each other like old times. The bald vampire Steve was fighting tried to grab the shield from his hands... big mistake. In a trio of jabs, Steve knocked the vampire on his ass, now missing a few teeth, blood gushing from his nose.
Still, he got better off than the vampire who decided to attack Logan. She managed to land a hit, claw marks now on Logan's neck. She stopped in her tracks when the blood hardly flowed, and the wound closed itself in seconds.
"What the f-". Logan swiped his claws with a yell, and her head went rolling across the floor, smearing blood on the concrete. Mortikai tried to attack me while I was distracted, going for my throat, but one of Kate's arrows pierced his shoulder. Kate was perched up on the catwalks, loosing arrows left and right. Elektra and Danny made quick work of another vampire, his fist caving in its chest. Blood oozed from its mouth as it coughed, trying to draw a breath.
With a swipe of her Sai, she then beheaded it. Rhadomir, bloodied and bruised, sailed through the air, slamming into a pillar, and Ben stomped past me a second later. The white haired woman and Kari had engaged each other, wickedly sharp icicles in both of her hands. I felt my skull buzz, and I bent backwards, and kicked Mortikai in the back, sending him face first into the concrete floor. Thick ice wound its way up his arms and legs, keeping him in place. I turned to where Kari was, and the white haired woman had taken the opening, putting Kari into a headlock. Her fangs descended down to Kari's neck, and I started running.
"Kari!." I crashed into the both of them, sending all of us tumbling in a tangle of limbs. Kari and I were the first to stand, and the she-vampire faced us, furious.
"Amelia!". She whirled in William's direction, who had one of Marc's crescent darts embedded in his shoulder. In the moment Amelia turned around, Kari and I moved. I grabbed ahold of her arms, pinning them tightly behind her. Kari formed a shard of ice, and sank it straight into her chest.
"No!." William's cry was cut short when Ben's fist slammed into his head with a boom, sending William crashing to the floor. Surprisingly, William got his feet back under him, and glanced around. Mortikai and two other vampires were all that was left. William spat blood, glaring at the group.
"You think you've accomplished something today?." Ben kicked the side of Mortikai's head, thoroughly knocking him out. The last two vampires retreated to William, bleeding from several wounds. William took one last look at Mortikai, now draped across Ben's shoulder.
"This isn't over." William seemingly vanished into the shadows, followed by the other two. I sunk back against a pillar, feeling the weariness start to kick in. Steve fastened a set of Shield issued containment shackles on Mortikai's wrists. Natasha appeared in my eyeline, crouching down to my level. She had a bit of blood on her face, and her skin had started to turn a deep shade of purple. It stretched from her jaw, up to her left eye.
"Are you ok?." I laughed, my voice coming out dry.
"I should be asking you that." Natasha smirked, and stood, offering me a hand. I slipped my mask off, and Natasha chuckled.
"Looks like we'll be matching for a few days." Now that the adrenaline had worn off, I could feel the skin on my face was tight. It hurt to talk, but it could've been worse if he had gotten his hands on my neck.
"Hey, Bishop. Thank you." Kate was taken aback by this for a second, before she smirked, nodding her head. She slung her bow across her torso, and everyone began checking up on one another. Ben was perfectly fine, only a little winded from duking it out with Rhadomir, who's head was a puddle of mush. I gagged, and covered a hand over my mouth. Ben glanced down at the mess, and then back to me.
"Ben, you scare me sometimes." Logan was alright, and Steve only had a few minor cuts on his face and hands. Wanda had a long gash on her upper arm, and was being looked over by Elektra. Wanda sensed me looking, and sent a smile my way, to show she was ok. I grinned back at her, before checking on Kari. An extremely dark bruise was forming on her neck, and she iced her hand over, applying it to the injury.
"Thanks for the save."
"Don't mention it." The hair stood up on my neck, and Jared appeared, immediately making his way to his sister.
"Kari, oh my God." He began to fuss over her neck until she slapped his hands away.
"I'm ok, really. Gwen had my back."
"Thanks for saving my idiot twin, Gwen." I nudged his arm, stepping away when Kari smacked the back of his head for the remark. The worst injury we sustained was Danny. Rhadomir had snapped the bone in his forearm before Ben took care of him. Natasha was wrapping it carefully, Danny wincing a couple of times. It wasn't until ten minutes later that everyone else had joined us in the warehouse. Relief flooded through the newcomers seeing their friends were alive. Johnny pushed past everyone, pulling Kate into an embrace. Danny had moved away from Natasha, and now stood with the other Defenders.
"Gwen!." Jessica raced up to me, her powerful arms pulling me in against my will.
"Oh, thank God." I let out a wheezy laugh, Jess's grip pushing the air out of my lungs.
"I'm alright, Jess. But I can't breathe." She released me back onto my feet.
"Sorry. We started on our way as soon as Steve contacted our group. We had another vampire over in Chelsea."
"Alive?."
"No, it got away from us." Jessica looked over at all the bodies now piled on one side.
"How many were there?."
"Ten. Jess... there are more out there somewhere. Their leader, at least I think he was, got away."
"Shit." Jess checked over my injuries before she returned to Luke and the others.
"Listen up!". I straightened up at the sound of Fury's voice. A clean up crew came striding in, and Fury stopped to address all of us.
"Damage control is taking over. Get that thing into lockup." He pointed to Ben.
"We've cordoned off the area. Natasha, you're handling the interrogation in the morning. Take a breather everyone, we've got this." Fury stepped away to speak with an agent. Steve approached me, the rest of the Avengers behind him.
"We're heading back to the Tower. You can rest up, and medical is on standby." He then turned to the crowd of heroes. He let out a sharp, high pitched whistle, drawing everyone's attention.
"Avengers Tower is open to all of you. The med-bay is prepped, and we've got room available. We've got more work to do. Everyone, rest up there tonight. We've got a busy day tomorrow." I slipped my mask back on, and was ready to swing over, but Natasha gripped my wrist.
"Oh no, I don't think so, Gwen. There's vehicles outside for transport. You're getting off your feet for awhile." I sighed, seeing no room for me to argue.
"Fine." Outside sat six black suburbans, emblazoned on the sides with the Shield emblem. After I had gotten in, Wanda, Kate, Johnny and Kari climbed in. I kept my mask on, honestly too tired to take it off. The agent in the driver's seat was silent, his eyes never leaving the road. It was close to midnight by the time we reached the Tower, the garage filling up with the other Shield vehicles. Friday spoke over the intercom.
"Med-bay is on the 40th floor. Lounge and kitchen area as well." I piled into the elevator, and Ben went to hop on too, but Tony held his hand up.
"Whoa, big guy. No room left." Ben grumbled and threw his hands up.
"I am not taking the stairs again like you made Banner." The elevator doors started to close, and I called out before they shut completely.
"Sorry Ben." The doors opened up again on the higher floor, and those that needed it were led straight to the med-bay by Natasha. Tony and Reed split off of the group, probably to go talk shop. Everyone needed a break, whichever way that ended up being. Tony wasn't happy he hadn't been there when the fight was taking place, thinking he could've stopped everyone from getting hurt.
"Tony, don't beat yourself up over it." Tony smiled at me over his shoulder.
"Appreciate it, Gwen. Get some rest, Web-head." The two of them vanished down the hall, and I rushed to join back with the others. The med-bay was full, and I waved off one of the staff.
"I'm fine, it's just a few bruises." Aside from the injuries our two teams sustained, Matt also had a few cuts that needed stitches. I felt like a could finally breathe, now that we were all back under one roof, alive. Natasha was aiding in taking care of Danny's arm as I settled into a chair next to the bed. I checked my phone, but had no calls or texts. I had let my parents know I'd be out late, but now I would have to tell I'd be gone a few days, at least until we solved our vampire problem. William and his friends were still running around out there. I had one call I wanted to make first though. I raised the phone up to my ear, Grayson's number being dialed. I needed to hear his voice right now.
'Hey, this is Grayson. Sorry I couldn't get to your call. Leave a message, and I'll get back to you, thanks.' I hung up, and hit dial again. Even if he was asleep, the voicemail was enough. I shut my eyes, listening to it play over again. Natasha must've noticed what I was doing.
"Gwen?." I opened my eyes again, and looked up at her. Concern was written all over her face.
"I'm ok, I... just wanted to hear him." Natasha gently laid a hand on my shoulder.
"You should get cleaned up, and get changed. Meet us back in the lounge. Just a heads up, A few of us might be sharing rooms."
"Yeah, you're right. I have no problem with that." With the way today had gone, a little bit of unwinding was necessary. I reached my room, the sight welcoming. It would have to be... this is where I'd be for who knows how long. I paced across the room, letting my suit fall to the floor. The hot needle spray felt amazing, and I massaged my aching muscles. I gingerly touched a hand to my face, and winced, the bruise getting worse. I shut off the water, scrubbing the towel through my hair, drying it thoroughly. I changed into sweats and a grey shirt, both stitched with the 'A'. I took my time in getting down to the lounge, just staring out at the city.
The world had gotten even darker, and they had no idea. And that was ok. We did this to spare them from it. I kept walking, hopping on the elevator back down. A staff member rode down with me, and she kept shooting me glances.
"Yes?." She was a petite brunette, and her badge stated she worked in one of the offsite R and D departments.
"Thank you, for everything." I leaned my head up, a little shocked.
"I don't know which one you are, but... we know about what happened tonight. I just thought you'd want to hear that."
"You know about their existence, and you're calm about it?." I was taken aback by this, because it had worried me when I found out.
"Of course, we have you guys." She said this so matter of fact, all I could do was grin.
"Always." The brunette, who's name I learned was Abby, talked with me until her stop. I only told her my first name, and she understood. She still didn't know that I was Spider-Girl, or that I was even an Avenger. The anonymity felt good, regardless. I would have to ask Tony to transfer Abby to the department here. Getting off on the 40th floor, it felt alleviating. When I stepped into the room, the large sectional was occupied only by a few. A lot of them must've gone straight to bed, but the ones that were here, were laughing and enjoying each other's company. Daisy had gotten back who knows when, and she was nestled in at Jared's side.
Bobbi sat next to her, listening intently as Jared spoke. Danny's arm was now in a sling, and Natasha sat next to him, a beer in hand. The two were facing one another, fairly close in proximity. I locked that away for a later time... but I looked forward to teasing her. Daisy saw me first, and she shot up from the couch, and collided into me, her arms wrapping around me.
"I was so worried about you." I returned the embrace, and I felt my eyes tearing up. Daisy pulled back, and studied my face.
"Good luck explaining that to your dad."
"I'll be grounded for life if he saw this." I settled back into the couch, and sighed with relief. The plush leather felt so good on my back.
"I feel like I could sleep for a week." Natasha made a tsk tsk sound. Her cheeks were tinged with red from the alcohol.
"We've got work to do tomorrow. Daisy is helping out now." I turned my head to glance at Daisy.
"I'm sorry for leaving you out of it in the first place." Daisy waved her hand dismissively.
"You did what you thought you had to do... besides, I'm all in for the next fight." I grinned, and laughed at a thought.
"If you were there, you could've shook the whole building down... easy peasy." Daisy and I started giggling uncontrollably due to both of us being tired. Bobbi shook her head, her eyes rolling.
"I wish I could stay, but I've got a paper tomorrow." Bobbi stopped to face Natasha as she left.
"I'll be back here tomorrow to help you guys. Goodnight everybody." Jared nodded his head in response.
"See ya around, Bobbi." Danny waved to her, and I noticed the beer he also had in his hand. I leaned in closer to Daisy's ear.
"If those two end up sleeping in the same bed, I want a picture." Daisy bit back a laugh, and she rested her head back onto Jared's shoulder.
"I'll see you in the morning." I got up off of the couch, saying goodnight to everyone. When I got to my room, I found Kari passed out on my floor, a sheet and blanket tucked around her. I stifled a chuckle, and climbed into my own bed. The exhaustion finally hit me full force, and I slipped into sweet unconsciousness.
Saturday, October 31st, 2015, 2:45 A.M, Upper East Side.
I stared down at the note for what must've been the hundredth time. It had slipped out of Gwen's locker when we were leaving school, and she kept it locked, so I hadn't been able to put it back. Curiosity had gotten the better of me, and I opened it to read it. What I read shocked me to my core. This whole time, she was Spider-Girl... one of the fucking Avengers. I folded it back up, keeping that for later. I was going to confront her... because if anything, we deserved the truth... Grayson deserved the truth.
Until then, I had to focus on the task at hand. I slid my mask on, making sure my hair was in a tight bun. The last thing I needed was a hair to be left behind for the cops to trace back to me. I crouched on the roof of the Ridgewood Savings Bank and activated the device in my hand. All the cameras inside flashed red for a moment before the footage was placed on a loop. Extending my claws, I traced a circle in the glass, catching it before it could hit the ground.
Slowly lowering myself in, I quickly made my way to the vault. Thanks to my dad's lessons, the lock was easy work for me. I stuffed thick stacks of cash into my duffel. There had to have been millions stashed in here. I didn't take the total amount, only a quarter of it. I didn't need to be greedy. I only stole what I needed to live off of. I shut the vault and locked it like it hadn't even been opened at all. I took a step back and raced forward, kicking up off a desk. I grabbed ahold of the ledge and pulled myself up.
"Thanks for showing me that move in gym class, Gwen." I left the glass where it lay... they weren't going to find any prints to begin with. I zipped the bag up and slung it over my shoulder. There was enough for me to keep up on the rent for years... not to mention anything else I needed. I strode across the roof, needing to drop this off at home first. Then I would go back to Grayson's apartment. Hopefully, no one would notice I wasn't actually in the bathroom.
The vampires will return, as well as a few new 'friends'. Felicia is now the Black Cat!. Stick around for the other arc chapters, and as usual, leave a review and a fav, I look forward to the feedback. Grayson out!.