Um, hi. Please don't kill me for not updating since, well, forever. I'm very very sorry, and I'm also very very sorry I haven't been reading or reviewing lately. My email inbox is stuffed to the top of author alerts so for that reason and others I won't be using author alert anymore and I'm going to try to go through all the great stories I've missed, though it could take a while. I could rant all day about all the things that have been happening in my life but I'm sure it wouldn't be very helpful to you nor me. So without further ado, I present to you (hey that rhymes) chapter 4. Again very sorry.
Smoking On The Rooftops
Part 4: Practical Jokes and Familiar Faces
Spider-man sighed wistfully as he looked out across the beautiful city. Why was it always so peaceful here? He mused to himself. Here, above the home away from home of the enemy. Crime didn't seem to be that much of a problem when he came here, it was as if the criminals themselves had felt sorry for him and decided to give him a break. Raindrops fell lazily from the sky, the sun made them sparkle hypnotically and a rainbow was cast across the clouds to the right. Pigeons, the sky's version of sewer rats clucked peacefully nearby, scavenging the remains of what looked like a hotdog. The relative silence was suddenly shattered by a bloodcurdling scream and Spider-man nearly jumped out of his skin.
He leapt up, in full crime-fighting-mode with his stance low and ready, his arms up and in the webshooting position.
Betty Brant clutched her side to stop herself from splitting from laughter. Eventually she had to lean on the flagpole beside her as she calmed down enough to gasp out, "If only… on tape…" Then she burst into another round of giggles again.
Spider-man slowly lowered his wrists and managed to look distinctly indignant even with the red material hiding his face. He huffed and turned his back on her to look back at the sky, suppressing the grin that was tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Still chuckling, Betty came to stand beside him some minutes later. "I thought the Amazing Spider-man couldn't be sneaked up on." She said.
"I can't." He replied, still disgruntled.
"Then what was that?" She snorted.
"I can't be sneaked up on by my enemies," he clarified. "or anyone that poses a threat. You don't belong in either of those categories, thus, the sneaking up."
"Hey! What do you mean 'I don't pose a threat'? I'll have you know I took karate classes when I was a kid!" She exclaimed, her turn to be indignant.
"For how long?" he drawled, already knowing the answer from when they'd been an article in the Bugle about a scandal within the martial arts group in Tribecca, and he'd heard Betty say she'd used to go for karate lessons there.
She blushed. "Two weeks." She answered quietly and he grinned at her triumphantly.
Of course, she quickly changed the subject and reversed the spotlight onto himself.
"You know a lot about me now, let's hear more from you." She directed.
"Ok, what do you want to know?" he agreed cautiously. "Within reason." he quickly added as he saw a gleam creep into her eyes.
"Deal. Where do you live?" She shot at him so fast it made him dizzy.
"I said within reason." Spider-man reminded her.
"I don't need to know the specifics. For example: do you live in New York?"
"Yes." He said after some hesitation.
"Which part?"
"I'm not answering that!" He exclaimed.
"Fine, be like that." She huffed and turned away from him with her nose in the air.
For a while they didn't talk, until, "It must be hard being who you are." Betty mused.
"Sometimes." He said. "Sometimes you have to make sacrifices."
"Sacrifices?" She prompted him.
"Yeah. Like no drinking, no girls, no-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold it right there; what about that rumour of you and that Watson girl you saved at the World Unity Festival?" She interrupted, looking at him accusingly.
Spider-man paused. "That was just a rumour." He said finally, but his shoulders seemed to slump slightly. "Even if it wasn't, we could never be together. It'd put her in danger."
"Oh." Betty said simply. "I never thought about it really. But surely, she can take of herself? I mean it's up to her right?"
A note of bitterness in his voice he said, "Right, and she decided that matter pretty well when she went out with Ha…" He stopped himself quickly. "I shouldn't be telling you all this."
Betty knew not to press him and instead changed the subject. "So what was with you sneaking off before I even got chance to see you?" She said sternly.
"I felt better." Spider-man said truthfully. Then he smirked, cheering up some. "Besides I knew I'd never get away once your mother hen instincts had taken over."
She chose not to dignify that comment with an acknowledgement that it had been spoken and instead said, "And what was with the 'helpful' note after I'd already got all the stationary back in place?"
"Hey, that's not my fault, you just chose to read it after you'd got everything sorted." He defended himself.
She just harrumphed; beaten yet again.
"What's got your feathers ruffled today then?" He asked.
Betty glanced at him sourly. "Now I'm having a bad day," she informed him. "Bad work day, bad hair day-just bad everything."
"Oh." He said in reply. "Well I'm not going to disagree with the hair part…"
She stared at him, half amused and half offended. "You're supposed to say my hair looks great, by the way." She told him, trying to give him a stern look and not burst out laughing.
"I'm sorry, you're hair looks great. It must just be my eyes- yes that's it, I need an eye test." He said robotically. "How was that?" He asked a few seconds later.
"Never, and I mean never, become an actor." She retorted, and smiled the first genuine smile all day. Peter smiled under his mask too, but for a different. Every single day of his life was an act.
Betty lit another cigarette and offered Spider-man one. He shook his head. "No thanks. You know I don't smoke."
"I figured," Betty replied sarcastically. "It was just a test to see if you could break the boy scout laws just for once."
"A-bu-wha!" Spider-man spluttered, and she laughed. "A boy scout! I am not a boy scout thank you very much!"
"Oh yeah?" Betty quirked an eyebrow. "Then prove it."
"Prove it?" he repeated dubiously.
"Yeah. If you're not a good little boy scout, do something to prove it. Something wrong. Morally wrong and bad." She explained.
"Like what?" He said doubtfully.
"Oh, I don't know… you could go… spray paint a wall or someth-ahh!"
Betty's suggestion was cut off as Spider-man suddenly lunged at her and tickled her.
"Hey!" she gasped, giggling madly. "Stop it!"
Grinning, he sat back on his heels, looking extremely smug even with the mask on. "There ya go. Tickling a perfectly innocent lady who I've only known for a few days. That do?"
Betty glared at him and folded her coat around herself protectively. He tilted his head innocently. She gave in and laughed.
"How is it that you can make me smile?" She asked lazily as the conversation lulled.
"Maybe it's my wit? Or my charm? Or my roguish good looks?" Spider-man suggested and succeeded in getting her to laugh.
Smirking, she quirked an eyebrow. "You do realise I've never seen your face, right?"
"Whoever said you've never seen my face?" He retorted after a while, then before she could even form a reply, he jumped up and swung away, leaving an open-mouthed Betty Brant with quite a few things to chew on.
End of Part 4
Sonicdale: I warned you there'd be no plot whatsoever! At least I think I did.. hmm... well I'm telling you now, there's no plot whatsoever! Lol and I plead artisctic license for betty only fixing one cut yet there being blood everywhere. About Spidey revealing his secret... he's hinted at it already so you'll ahve to wait and see! Thanks for your review!
Jenn1: Thanks, and MJ was in this part 'cause I couldn't find any other ideal place to put her. Yes, their friendship shall be improving!
Spyder616: Thanks, yeah people don't seem to realise how much it hurst when a pet dies. Well, Betty found the note, it must have come from somewhere lol!
C.D Anders: Nope I'm not dead! Just on a long hiatus so to speak. Thanks for reviewing!
Vaapad: Lol thanks! I'm just exaggerating Betty's less-than-friendly behavious towards Peter from the first film, makes it more interesting and angsty.
Moonjava: Thanks, I'm glad you think so.
Emily M. Hanson: Thanks, I hope this chapter wasn't too disappointing though.
Teri: No, now there's only one more chapter left. Thanks for the review!
Amber: Wow thanks! I'm surprised you think so.
jjonahjameson: Thank you!
LordLanceahlot: Aww I'm sorry to hear about you're hamster, it hurst a lot. Thanks for reviewing!
ashthedragon: Thanks, I really like Betty, she doesn't get enough recognition. And she's fun to write too.
betty brant: To be honest I don't know if the Goblin attack on the Bugle has happened yet or not, it doesn't really matter because it won't be mentioned, sorry. Yep, there is hope for her dream of investigative reporting, well, kind of... You'll see anyways. Ned Leeds won't be in it though we will meet someone else... I don't want to give away anymore. Thanks for the review, it meant a lot to me!
Jewel59: No you didn't review the first chapter, thanks for reviewing the second!
closetfan: I'm from and in England. I'll bet you don't chuckle half so much as I do when I read things like 'He pulled the phone from his pants.' (Pants are underwear in England) ;)
(I have no idea where that chapter came form, and I apologise profusely for it. cringes)
