The Sensational Scarlet Spider.
Chapter 4: Crossed Paths.
The night I first swung out was the first night I ever felt really lost. I didn't know what to do. I just went about town trying to figure out what to do. I couldn't just advertise I was a new vigilante. Sometimes you gotta pound the pavement and make your own trouble, or have it find you. I land on the nearest roof with a grunt, sometimes my landings are rocky but what can you do? I crawl slowly, and one of the bodegas had something going down across the street. It was a bank. A classic heist that I could use to make myself known.
Or just that I was here to protect Queens. My home. I land and just casually amble in with them all stopping. The thieves all wore different masks, some were Captain America, some were Spider Man, and one was Iron Man.
"Whoa! Hey, I found some Avengers!" I laugh, dodging the Webheads and roundhouse kicking Cap. He goes flying into the two of them while Iron Man tries to punch me, I block by grabbing his arm and tossing him back.
"Whoa! What's with the whole no repulsor rule? Are you going cheap?" I ask, the Webheads both trying to gang up on me but I smack them together gently, "Spider-Chop!"
They crumple and I web them up. Cap is still stuck in the wall and Iron Man is panicking, "L-look man, just let me go!" he squeals.
"Uhhh… aren't you the one stealing money here?" I ask, "I mean, it seems like you are but I just wanna check."
"The fuck does it look like, kid?!" a new voice interrupts the lackey, I barrel aside as the new guy's arm shoots out a shockwave, money blasting everywhere as Iron Man goes into the wall. The shockwaves barrelling into him as I try to pull him back out.
"HEY!" I web him and grab on tight, "Grrh… Come on!" I yank him out of the way and gently land him, seeing the new guy stalking in. He's got a quilted suit covered by a long brown trenchcoat, the gauntlets on his arms thrumming softly.
"Well well well, looks like this robbery's not goin' my way." the guy says, "I'm the boss of this here outfit, kid."
"Oh wow. Kinda eliminating the mystery, aren't cha?" I ask, getting on my hands and knees, shaking from the exertion and well… he's scary. The guy pumps his arms and two small speaker-like cartridges swap out to new ones, clicking in with a subwoofer bwomp.
"Well, time for a little mano y mano…" he says, getting into a stance as I lower myself. Money littering the floor and his companions littering the bank too. He has his fists up in a boxing stance.
I shoot upward, closing the distance with a quick web zip and getting him on the chin, seeing him round back and feeling a huge force burst through my body, sending me pell mell head over ass into the ATMs.
I slam against them with money bursting everywhere and he hoots, "Oh wow, little Spider! You're not as strong as I thought you were!"
"Maybe it's because your other guys are built like paper?" I hiss as I stand back up, "I mean… have you tried hiring other mini-" My Sense ringing as I dart over the next few shockwaves, seeing the cartridges pop out and seizing the chance to land a few good shots.
My body seems to know what to do, but my legs and arms scream in soreness and my sides ache. Was he going easy on me? My fists hammer into his jaw, ammo slots, and stomach, not hard enough to break anything but soft enough to make it hurt tomorrow.
He blasts me outside and I skid. My gloves and boots take the brunt of it. He stalks out with the money he could gather and I just want him to stay down. It's bad enough these guys are all the way out here taking money from ATMs and the people who just want to retire.
"Lemme guess… Flushing?" I ask.
"What?! No, try… RRGH!" he blasts another pair of waves at me and I vault over them, "Manhattan?"
"FUCK OFF, SPIDER!" he roars, charging up his final shot, I close the distance and web up his gauntlets, snapping him down with a heavy, painful yank. He thuds against the pavement with his gauntlets breaking underneath him, blasting him almost gently over a streetlight, the money thumping down with a whop.
I web him up better and he glares at me, "Spider…" he snarls.
"Quilt Man. Answer my question…" I climb up to him and ignore the dull throbbing pain from the fight, "Do you know who shot up the construction site being worked on by Wendell Construction?"
"Wendell? No…" Quilt Man huffs, "And it's Shocker, you overgrown garden spider!"
"Shocker? Well, tell the boys in blue that the Scarlet Spider sends his regards." I leap off with a jokey wave, "Bye!" I scurry off and swing as best as I could out of there before my body could die on me.
I land on a roof, laying down and resting a bit. No luck in finding my Dad's killer so far and I won't get anywhere this way. This is ameteur hour Vigilantism and I hate how much I have to learn about it. I sit back up and there's a soft prickling at the back of my head. I've got something in my area but I just don't know what. The soft prickling grows stronger as I scuttle through the shadows. Somewhere around our branch of MoMA.
Then I see her. Running along the rooftops, silver hair billowing in the night air. A ponytail flapping in the breeze as she jumps, using a grappling hook to swing her way across. She twirls through the air, landing not too far from it. I pursue her, running and using my webs to keep up, but because of my distance she doesn't notice me. That, or I'm small. I clamber over the side, seeing her on the roof of a building. She's not watching MoMA, that's for sure.
She's staring at me. In seconds she swings right for me and I cut into a run, mostly because I didn't mean to get seen but of course I'd get seen because I'm wearing bright red and blue in the middle of the night! I have no idea what to do and I don't want to fight her. But I know she's gaining on me, her form coming closer and closer as I try to get out of her way. My body stalls and I get caught around the chest. My arms and legs dangle uselessly. This is kind of embarrassing but when you're being carried by the local art thief you tend to just go with the flow.
"Whoa!" she exclaims, "You're kinda heavy." she sets me down and I sit there with my eyes on her. She smiles and watches me.
"So, what's your deal?" she asks.
"How do I know I can trust you with that?" I snarl.
"Oh come on, Spider. It's not every day some guy turns up to beat up the Shocker." she grins and leans on her arms, "Besides… you're actually kinda good at it."
"Really? You're not gonna count the fact that there's money everywhere and I might've actually hurt them really bad?" I scoff and she just shrugs and starts moving closer. On closer inspection I see that her suit looks more high tech than mine with white armor on the arms and she looks very practical.
She's got claws too, a belt for gadgets, and goggles over her eyes that don't look too bad. They're tinted so I can't really see her eyes but she gets close enough to touch me, pulling me in closer.
"Eh, who am I to judge?" she asks, "But…" she touches my face and leans in close, rolling up the bottom half of my mask. I barely have time to react before she kisses me on the lips. Fireworks go off in my mind and I almost want her to deepen it but she pulls away.
"Keep up the good work, Spider. Besides, I think it'd be fun to have a playmate to chase around, don't you agree?" she nudges me with a playful smile, making my cheeks heat up as I slide my mask back down.
"Uhhh… what's your…" she gets into my personal space again with a giggle.
"It's the Black Cat, Spider. Don't wear it out." she says, "See you around, sweetheart."
She swings off and all I do is stare at the silver and black dot in the distance. I think about who it would be but I just don't care right now. All I care about is protecting what I got and who I got left in this world. It's what Dad would want me to do. I gather myself and leap off into the night, not ready for whatever's coming because the whole business seems off. I get back home around eleven or so, going out at seven after dinner. Burning the midnight oil on homework isn't so bad but now my thoughts are full of nothing but that kiss.
The Black Cat crossed my path and left me with one other question on top of my other one. Who is she? She must've been the one who stole Methane Sea from our MoMA. I sneak downstairs for some coffee, Mom had gone to bed soon after I got in.
As it pours into my mug, I think some more about Dad. And about how I wasn't there to stop it. If I knew I'd be able to stop it I would've. That way Dad would be safe. I shove some cream and sugar into my coffee and carry it off to my room, careful not to spill it all. I work on Homework and any theories I have on what happened and who the Black Cat was in all this. She might be connected, might not be. But everyone has a story, I just… I yawn and slump against my desk, crashing hard.
I close my eyes, thankful for the rest for the first time in a while.
"Jack? Jack? Hey, Jack!" I feel something shaking me and I almost whack it away if not for my eyes opening. I yawn and stretch, seeing Eddie standing not too far from me. I groan and rub my eyes, trying to will myself to sleep again.
"Dude, come on, May's been calling for you. Up and at 'em!"
"Fuck off, Eds…" I sigh, sitting up and sliding off my chair in my sweaty suit. All I wanna do is stay here and just work. Or sleep. Or just not do anything for the next three years and go get a job at a fast food place.
Just let me rest. Let me go. Eddie hoists me to my feet and I notice he's helping me out of my suit. He supports me to my bathroom and helps me into the tub. He starts the water and that's got me up.
"GAAH! Cold! Cold! Cold!" I yell, "Jesus, Eddie!"
"There we go!" he laughs, "Rise n' Shine, Jacky! Time for a shower!"
He warms it back up and I glare at him as he leaves. I wet down my hair and make sure to feel better about myself. It feels better to stand underneath the showerhead and just feel the water rush down your body. I grab onto the rail and snatch up my shampoo and get it deep in my hair because of how thick it is. I lather and lather and lather. The thoughts of that kiss bubbling up from inside my memories. She did that. She kissed me. Me. Not anyone or anything else. Just me. A weird sensation courses through me. It's like excitement but I can't just chalk it up to that.
It's not anything bad really. Nothing like that. It's just that I'm excited. No one outside of Mom and maybe Dad had kissed me before. Other than family actually. I get out of the shower when I'm done and dry myself off. I get on some clothes and get out to the kitchen, seeing Eddie and Mom sitting at the table. He's talking to her.
"Yeah, I hope you're doin' alright, May." Eddie says.
"I'm doing fine, Eddie, as long as Jack is okay I'm okay." she sighs a little, "But at the same time I know I can't stop him from being what he wants to be."
Eddie's tone changes, "I know, but I'll keep an eye on him, Ma'am."
I huff softly, 'I can take care of myself, thank you!' I step out and they watch me come in, my braces clacking and I sit down with not much heaviness to sitting down so I don't look like I've been listening.
I smile, "Morning, mom!" I exclaim, "I slept well."
That was kind of a lie, I did sleep. Just not in bed and at my desk slumped over. So maybe it's bad for my back but other than that I DID sleep. After breakfast Eddie and I moved on to the bus stop, our conversation didn't start until we actually got there.
"Eddie. I stopped a robbery last night, and met the burglar that stole from our MoMA." I squeal a little, excitement flowing from me like a tide. Eddie grins and pats my back.
"So, what happened? Didja get him?"
"Her, and no." I say, "She got me." My shoulders slump and Eddie nods.
"Go on. How'd she get you?" he asks with an excited tone in his voice. My cheeks heat up and I slump down even more because it's embarrassing that it even happened. Just the feeling of that kiss still comes into my mind with everything coming at me fast.
"Well, I found out that after I stopped that robbery, my body just quit on me and all that. It's kinda funny but at the same time…" I shrug and continue, "She carried me to a rooftop and set me down."
Eddie laughs, "So you're embarrassed about that?"
"No! It's just… she kissed me." I admit, "And her whole schtick is that she's called the Black Cat and well, she crossed my path so now I got some kinda lucky thing?"
Eddie whoops, smacking me on the back with a huge grin on his face. Of course I try to just ignore him but at the same time it's nice to know my best friend is happy for me. All I want to do is get through this day and get to go out Spidering again. Just swinging and helping where I can. Maybe I'll get to see the Black Cat again! Or maybe I won't but at the same time I might. I smile and when the bus gets to school I get off and start heading for my locker. My happy thoughts being interrupted by Felicia.
She comes in with a grin on her face, wrapping her arm around my shoulders, "There's my best little buddy!" she exclaims, "How was your night last night? Fun?"
"Uh, yeah! Yeah it was! Wait, how do you…?"
"The news, Jackyboy!" she hands over her phone and I look at the headline. My stomach plummets and my eyes go wide. My breathing hitches just a bit. On the screen is a shot of the Shocker and his gang being led into police cars, glaring at the screen like they're about to paste it with blood or something.
The headline above the image reads: The Scarlet Spider Arrives! Stops Shocker Gang!
They know me, and they support me? How? I mean, yeah I was being really quippy but at the same time I think I thought I was slick somehow. It just makes me shake a little more than usual. I hurry and scroll down to the end of the page, knowing that I might've really hurt someone.
The end paragraph says that most of them aside from the guy Shocker shockwaved were in non-critical condition resting up at a hospital in Manhattan. I sigh in relief and Felicia pays it no mind, taking her phone back.
She smiles and nudges me, "Still, I think the Scarlet Spider has a good ring to it." she says in a hushed tone, grabbing my hand and she leads me to history. She notices that I'm still wearing my battle vest and she takes a button shaped like a cat and puts it on the lapel.
She smiles and pats my shoulder gently, "Besides, I think you got an admirer." she coos as she walks off towards her first period. I can scarcely believe what she said. I mean, it's not out of the realm of possibility at all that Felicia might just have feelings for me or the burglar I just ran into does…
Wait.
How could she-
I stiffen, my anger sparking in my chest, "Are you kidding me?" I hiss, whirling around and going after her, "Hang on a minute! Wait up!"
She knew. She knew I was going to be the Scarlet Spider. She's the Black Cat. It's not rocket science to figure that out but at the same time… Could I trust her to keep that secret? I muscle through the crowd or try to. Felicia getting smaller and smaller and everywhere else packing in closer and closer.
I get jostled, tossed around like I'm in a sea of bodies. Of course Felicia would pull this. She might just be the death of me. Until someone fishes me out, someone who I never thought would ever in a million years.
Harry Osborn dusts me off, "Be careful, Parker. Your skirt-chasing almost got you squished."
"Harry, really? Skirt chasing?" I huff, "It's not when something important is on the line."
"Well, you owe me one." He smiles with a snide tone to his voice. I sigh and he just leads me back to History class. All I wanna do is talk to Felicia. Make sure she knows that I won't let her use my identity as a bargaining chip.
So come Lunch, I was hunting her down. I need to talk to her without something crazy going on while we were in suits. I finally tracked her down outside, eating at one of the outside tables. She looks up and doesn't move, letting me sit down across from her.
"Felicia." I say.
"Jack, listen. I won't tell anyone." she starts, "I won't."
"How can I trust you?" I ask, "How can I trust the girl that stole a whole ass sculpture from an art museum?"
"Listen, Jack. I know you're angry but here's the rub, you need someone watching your back." she says, "Eventually you'll move out of Queens and end up in Manhattan where guys like the Shocker aren't around, this is the little leagues."
She looks almost mournfully at me, "If you go out beyond that, you'll be torn apart." she grabs my hand and squeezes it. I heat up and look away.
"It's never that easy, right?" I ask, "I'll get out there someday. And well, maybe I might need someone holding my hand. But I need you to promise that you keep what you know about me a secret."
I let go of her hand and she smiles, "Cross my heart and hope to die, Jack." I grin and get out my lunch to eat. Felicia swipes my Honey Bun and unwraps it with a cheeky smirk.
"Call it a payback fee, Jack." she says with her mouth a little full of the bun. I roll my eyes and eat my sandwich with a slight chuff coming out of my nose. Felicia just sits with me and I notice that it's a little too close. Not that I mind at all.
Still, it's a little ironic that we're both costumed vigilantes. But the weirdest thing out of today is the fact that Harry helped me because now I owe him? What do I owe him? That's not something I'd hold him to at all. I need to keep going. I need to know what happened that night with my Dad and if he was caught in the middle or part of it. And now I have a valuable ally, as long as she doesn't stab me in the back.
Oh who am I kidding? She might.