Getting out of the bathroom through the window I webbed my things at the top of the wall out of sight. Turning my wrists in circles twice my web shooters deployed, hardening myself and my mask in place I swung myself around the building I could see a parked car with someone smoking looking straight at the store but oddly calm. 'Getaway car and driver.' No license plate, so that means he's with them.
I landed on the car and punching through the windshield and shooting my blaster at stun setting at the driver and webbed his arms hands and legs to the seat. Now I have a clear view of the situation. Two holding rifles, one holding a shotgun and lastly one with a simple handgun. They can't see me, I fired a line from each wrist on the street and jumped back making a slingshot and aimed at the door.
Jumping and letting the tension from the webs send me forward straight into the store, landing inside after bursting through the door I shot myself towards the one with the shotgun who is closest to me, the most important one. A kick to the back of his knees sent him kneeling in the ground his gun went upwards his arms trying to catch themselves from the motion. I punched him in the back of the head as I've done many times before. He went limp straight afterwards and quickly webbed him once.
I jumped upwards and from memory shot a web line and a repulsor blast to both guys holding assault rifles, one went limp from the electricity running through him and the other got his gun webbed to him and he smacked himself in the face from the strength of the web. I turned back to the last one of the assailants but he's holding a familiar hostage.
"Stop or I will shoot!" He said in a daze while holding Stevens by the neck and his gun aimed at his head. Stevens looked straight at me with fear in his eyes.
"Alright, don't shoot." I raised my hands up thinking of a way out of this situation, but I'm analyzing everything around. Out of the corner of my eye I can see pepper in a bottle used to place it in the pizzas.
"HEY! YOUR EYES ON ME OR HIS BRAINS WILL PAINT THE WALLS!" He yelled in panic. 'Okay, he's panicked. Shit, they're usually trigger happy.'
"Alright, what do you want me to do?" I asked as I took a step back in an angle that I will be able to kick the bottle into his face.
"Deactivate those things you shoot and throw them towards me." He said as he gripped harder and pressed the gun harder making Stevens wince and look straight at me I nodded at him with a hardened gaze he understood.
"Alright, don't do anything crazy." I deactivated them and both of them fell to the ground. "I'm unarmed you can let him go."
"No, I'm not stupid you want me to leave myself open for your avenger tricks." That earned him a few snickers which made him press the gun harder, the smell of blood came from his direction. But the fact that he's more on edge makes him more dangerous.
"Alright, I wont do anything. Here." I kicked lightly the web shooters and blaster towards him and the second his eyes left mine and the gun relaxed from his grip, I pushed myself to my limits in a spin kick to kick the bottle, it sailed towards his face. His eyes widened and as I shot a natural web line at him.
It all happened at once the pepper bottle opened half way something I didn't know was loose but worked for me. The pepper sailed through the air and to my surprise into the eyes of both the assailant and Stevens. "AGH." He screamed and tried to shoot but I fired a web line at his face and pulled a gunshot went off I felt the pain emanate from my side as he went into the ground I stepped in his head to knock him out.
I can still hear the sounds of his pain from Stevens. I webbed the guy up and the rest as well, and went towards Stevens with a bottle of water.
"Here." My voice modifier worked wonders for him to not notice who I am. I grabbed his hands as he was rubbing his eyes. "Stop, you're making it worse." I warned as I began using the water bottle to remove the pepper from his eyes until it was just him crying from the pepper.
"Thanks. Woah you're beautiful." He said as he sat down. I lifted my gaze to see everyone around me with phones out recording.
"I don't think so. I'm mostly witty and kinda annoying." I said as I folded the napkin.
"Miss... Are you alright?" I heard a light tone that can only come from a kid, turning around a little girl is looking straight at me, her big brown eyes, looking towards me and my side which now has a bullet wound, it hurts a shit ton.
"Oh, this. It's just a flesh wound. Don't worry." I look at her.
She has brown hair and bright brown eyes, her skin is brown and she's wearing a golden bracelet too big for her since her entire forearm covers it. 'Maybe a family heirloom.'
"Hello, how are you?" I stopped and turned leaving Stevens to groan.
"I-I-I." I put a hand out in a stop motion. "Think first then talk." I said in a sweet tone, she stared wide eyed and looked at me then nodded and spoke.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, I enjoy saving people." I say in an honest tone. "How old are you? And what is your name?"
"K-ka-kamala Khan and I'm six! Miss Silk." I felt my brain trying to place a face to her name.
"It's a beautiful name Kamala. Does it have a meaning?" I asked curiously as people still were taking video.
"Yes, it means perfect in... Kara-ra-ka-ra-karashi?" I chuckle as she pouts.
"You mean Karachi?" She brightened up.
"Yes!" But she stopped and looked to the ground with a cute pout.
"You want to ask me something? Come on, I don't mind."
"Can-can- I h-u-hug you?" I smiled at her.
"Of course you can!" I opened up my arms and held the girl close to me and grunted as I hugged her. 'Right, bullet wound. Ouch.'
"Thank you, for saving me and my family." She said as she began crying, I patted and rubbed her back soothingly ignoring the pain and making sure to not make a stain on her.
"There, there, take it easy. You were brave." I pulled away from the hug, she rubbed her sleeve to her eyes. I reached over and with a napkin removed her tears and placed the napkin in her nose. "Blow." I said and she did.
"There you go." I folded the napkin. She nodded and turned to her family from what I can see, a woman wearing a white hijab she looks kinda grown up between 35 and 40, a kid that looks eleven hiding behind a man that has a belly, black hair and a thick mustache.
"Beta, say thank you." The woman said with a smile on her voice.
"Thank you." She said, but the noise of sirens filled my ears as a buzz that is outside my range.
"It's no problem Kamala, be brave, always." I say as I stand up and ran out the store jumping into the air and swinging away to make a turn three blocks later and return to my original position on top of the restaurant. A few cops have arrived, I exit the bathroom after changing into my clothes outside the restaurant.
"Anyone here?" A voice sounded outside the door I was now changed and threw web into my wound to close the wound.
"Yes? I opened the door to see a male cop standing there.
"Oh, ma'am it's safe to come out." The cop said and motioned outwards; I nodded shyly and exited the bathroom, to see the team talking in their phones to either parents or girlfriends, hell even friends. Out of the corner of my eye Happy is looking at me worried, I point to my side where there is bullet wound, with maybe a bullet still inside.
"Hey Cindy!" I hear Lenk call out and approached me.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I was on the bathroom and when I heard everything going on I hid there." He seemed to believe it and proceeded to hug me, which made my wound stir and pain to flare up.
"Okay big guy. You can let go." I turned to Stevens who is now seated on a chair while he blinks repeatedly.
"Hey, what the hell happened to you? Are you okay?"
"Oh, you know the beautiful Silk treated me like an angel she is. Did you know she thinks she's ugly? But if you want you could help me with this and I can brag that two beautiful girls are into me." I smacked him in the back of the head.
"Yeah, you're fine."
"Ouch, hey! I was almost killed, and a hostage. Don't I get a kiss to make it better?" I looked at him in a deadpan tone. "Come on! I am in pain and you will heal me with your lips on my cheek."
"If I kiss you, will you shut up?"
"Yes!" He brightened up but groaned in pain as the pepper in his eyes, I took my chance and kissed his forehead.
"Hey!" I giggled at his reaction but grimaced a bit by the burning in my stomach.
"Cindy, we have to go."
"Yes, let's go. I think that's enough for tonight." We left the restaurant and we arrived on the car. I crashed in the back seat.
"Agh. Happy let's go!" I almost yelled as I lifted my shirt to see the bullet wound covered in webs."
"Keep pressure there. We'll get to the tower."
"Then go already!"
Twenty minutes later we were in the tower and I got in a metal table with everything I needed to take out the bullet. Getting the pliers and a knife as well as alcohol I disinfect the pliers and using a mirror I lift my shirt and look at the bloodied web patch, and groan as I slowly take out the bullet holding back a groan.
'Alright take it easy.' Using the knife I shove it in and groan in pain as I take out the bullet, as soon as I feel the bullet in the edge of my skin I move my finger and stick the bullet to it and with practiced ease I grab the pliers and carefully remove the bullet.
With a clink in the table the bullet landed on the table and I disinfected the wound quickly and felt my healing factor kicking in. "Ouch." I lied back down and felt tired. 'I do have pizza to eat later, also its Friday.' I promptly yawned and fell asleep not caring for the uncomfortable surface.
"Cindy, are you okay? Cindy?" I groaned as the voice of Bruce woke me up.
"Shut up. Trying to sleep." I said as I turned and lied back down.
"Cindy, you're covered in blood."
"Oh, that? I got shot yesterday. Now let me sleep."
"Cindy, Jesus Christ, are you alright?" I waved him off as he worried.
"Yeah, m'fine now let me sleep." I stood up and groaned as he began poking me.
"Let me check up on you." He moved closer in a chair. "Wait, pizza, here." He stopped, turned and looked at me curiously.
"It's cold."
"Doesn't matter." He placed the pizza near me and moved towards me, I grabbed a slice and began eating. "Let me see." I lifted my shirt to where the bullet wound was.
"It's healed, not even a scar. It's quite amazing that your powers return to normal."
"Well it was a low caliber so I'm good."
"I can see that." I kept eating and pulled the pizza closer to him.
"Want some? It tastes good."
"Fine." He sighed and took a slice.
"It's good right?" He chuckled and looked distant as if remembering a bittersweet moment.
"It reminds me of my time in college, I was just a nerdy kid that enjoyed studying and even so. I remember eating cold pizza for breakfast after falling asleep studying. It tastes similar to those times. Thanks Cindy."
"No problem, after all we can be buds."
"Buds?"
"Well I did get along with the other guy, more so I'm good at electronics and a little bit on mechanics, but while you and Tony can get a master's degree in a super complicated topic in like a night. I will stick with my things to do and problems to fix."
"Well, good luck on that."
"Yeah... thanks." With that said I left the room and went to my apartment.
I looked to my left to see my sports bag to have my things photos included. I took them out and I can't say I noticed this photos being taken. I looked at one photo that has my face on focus. 'God damn, I look like an actress. My face is too photogenic.' Looking closely to the picture out of the corner I can see a number, or more precisely numbers.
'01/09/2012. 20:35. SB 2929 BW.'
What the hell is BW and SB? I sighed and looked down to my phone or well, new phone barely new. I try to break down the numbers. 'First it's a date. A date that is next Saturday. The next one is time. Obviously. But what the hell does SB 2929 BW means? Its maybe a meeting place... this means.
I shot up and went for the other photos that are in the kitchen. I look at each one and all of them have the same message, the same date, time and jumbled mess at the end. An address?
I take out my phone and place the numbers and letters, but it shows me pictures of a lamp I place NYC at the end of the search but it shows me pictures. I spent a few more minutes doing google searches. Anything that helps me here. "Miss Moon, coffee has been sent to you by doctor Banner."
"Thanks Jarvis. What coffee is it?" I say as I walk to the door and received the coffee that got sent via a robot. "It's a Starbucks Salted Caramel Mocha, made of lactose free milk and roasted caramel."
"Tell him I said thanks, and how does he know what I like?"
"I recorded the order that you have made a lot recently."
"That makes sense; anyway thank him for the coffee."
"Of course." As he said that no more noise sounded in my room just me and I felt too tense after that much time spending doing this research. "I need a break." I'm tempted to just bash my head against the wall but I just grab a bag of chips, a bottle of coke and make my way to my... special room. A room that I had to bribe Tony with dinner for a week and the right for the controller on the main hall whenever I have it. Basically if I'm watching a movie he can just take the controller and do whatever he wants with it, and lo and behold my room for strictly gaming.
I had to bribe him because he built it as well as he bought the custom built my PC as well as buying a big flat screen among many other consoles. I took a seat in my chair that to say the least was expensive, and yet I didn't pay a cent. Except losing my privilege for half a year of choosing movies when Tony's around. 'Oh well.' In seconds the computer booted up.
Lucky for me I was a gamer my past life, perks of being a shut it. But now I just have to wait to re-live these next few years since games that are coming look great. I mean in 3 weeks I have to get borderlands 2, among other tittles that I loved. But right now I'm getting better as a CS:GO player it launched Tuesday of last week and I jumped in.
And I realized the level of discrimination of women in games. But it is fun to put people in place via skill, which led me to.
"Sup losers?"
"Hey, Dal. Sup?"
"Hey Dal."
"Nothing Spare, Detox. Is it only you two?"
"Yeah, Cozad and Yoshi are I believe still in classes."
"Huh, alright then, soo- you playing or are you scared of getting carried by me?"
"Please, this is not league, I can totally carry you."
"That's what you always say Tito."
"Shut the fuck up Michael!"
"Hey Dal?" We loaded up for queue, it usually doesn't take long. We usually play placement when we're together. But if its the three of us then we're okay in regular games.
"Yeah?"
"When are you gonna tell us your real name?" I groaned in annoyance its always the same question, at least they're respectful not asking for nudes, except Detox or Tito he did at first but I answered telling him sure, but I had his mother's nudes. Everyone laughed and we still remind him of that.
"When I trust you enough. I don't know you at all or trust you... so you're kinda screwed. I do know your names. So don't worry." He grumbled and we played for a few hours and I completely forgot about it. Nothing Spare left for a bathroom break.
"At least tell me where are you from?" He almost pleaded.
"I'm from New York, Yankee by heart and Giants follower." I replied with a smirk.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"I don't believe you... wait, were you in the battle? Did you see The Avengers?" He sounded excited. 'You have no idea.'
"Yeah, I was there, but I was far away from the entire mess. I only heard explosions far away, but I did see Thor. Gods are real and damn is the guy packing. I mean. Jesus... or is it Odin? Any who, he can make anyone swoon with just a look." I said in a fangirlish voice.
"That's amazing! Aw man, I'm too far away from seeing anything like that over here at Arizona."
"What's going on?" Nothing spare came back.
"Dal, over here is from NYC, you know like The Avengers."
"No way! That's awesome!"
"Yeah, and she saw Thor up close." 'I also saw him eat a few seats away from me, I read the other day that the Shwarma place became famous.
"That is so cool!"
"Yeah, but all the chaos was not. But it doesn't matter now. Be right back." I turned around and removed my headset and reached for another coke in the mini fridge in the
corner but my Starbucks fell to the ground, good thing it's not... full. I look over to my Starbucks cup. I rush back to my headset.
"Guys, Do you think SB can stand for Starbucks?" I asked quickly they hummed.
"Yeah, sure."
"Yes." 'Starbucks... that makes sense for a place to meet...
"I gotta go." I quickly logged off, and typed the numbers and Starbucks after a google search I ended up with a Starbucks near Columbia University. 'Well shit. I guess I have the place and time. Its definitely a trap. But why a Starbucks? Are they the same ones that kidnapped me? No, they can't know I'm Silk, they have no idea... they know who I am, what I do for a living, and they know who I work with. Why are they not afraid?
'I have to finish THAT project.' I went towards my lab floor, which to my surprise all three floors are empty. I pulled out the briefcase from the trapdoor I made in secret where I hid this small little project. 'Alright, it has to be finished by Wednesday.' I got to work focused entirely on finishing it. I'm glad Bruce went for a trip to The Retreat to relax an hour ago and Tony in L.A. to lay low in his own way.
'All right, be careful. Be smart.' I look to my phone for the hour it reads 8:35 on the spot. I glance over to the store, its busy as usual. I take a step towards the tables I can see mostly Columbia students, some businessmen, but none of them look like their waiting for me. No one is looking straight at me.
I look towards the second floor. "Cindy Bloom." The voice came from my left, I look at the barista who is clearly annoyed that no one is coming. He sighed. "Cindy Bloom!" He shouted louder, but no one is taking it. A girl looks annoyed that its not hers as she taps her foot and looks to her phone only gazing up to the counter where the coffee gets received.
She turns her eyes at me and I catch on. I take a step forward towards the barista. "Is it for Cindy Moon?" He looks at me with a look of 'Yeah, sure, whatever.' As he rolls his eyes at me.
"Yes, a Salted Caramel Mocha, made of lactose free milk and roasted caramel, enjoy." He said as he gave me the cup of coffee. 'They know I drink this and how I order it... this is fishy as hell.' I kept on high alert as I look around drinking from the cup. Until I saw someone by himself he doesn't look shady but he's only sitting there but he's only sipping his coffee as he read a book. He kept reading, but the book. The cover is about the history of China, or more specifically trade in ancient China. Which means one thing if I payed attention to history class.
"It's interesting isn't it?" He said aloud as he didn't look away from his book.
"What do you mean?" I asked weary of this guy.
"Well, I mean, how two very different civilizations started a trade route."
"The Silk Road."
"Indeed, it was one of the first international commerce connecting not only China and Greece but the Far East as well as the middle of Europe. The Silk Road, not only held the economy but the ones behind the merchants they held the world at their fingertips. They even had control over what kings wore, no matter how you look at it, at the time
The Silk Road was the center of the modern world at the time. But where are my manners, please take a seat." He motioned for the chair in front of him.
I pulled the chair and checked with my eyes to see for anything, needles, or mechanisms. But, nothing. 'Weird.'
"Don't worry; this is not a trap... more like the Silk Road, a negotiation." He placed the book in front of him. AND to my surprise he looks exactly like William Gordon Levi, only his eyes they're not normal. They're a deep shade of purple with white dots. 'He's enhanced. Somehow.'
"If this is a negotiation, what are we negotiating about?"
"Obviously, I want something, which only you can provide." He said as he placed both hands on the table. "You see I hired those people to get the pizzeria you were at, after all I was at the game... but before I go further. Let me ask you a question." I made no movement to stop him. "How does it feel to cheat? You use your powers, for sports, hell even cheerleading. Which is a surprise due to how tomboyish you look." It is a good question on not cheating.
"Well I held back, a lot, but it was all in good fun." He's toying with me I know this.
"Well, it doesn't matter anyway-"
"Just tell me what you want? You already placed innocents at risk. I have nothing to do with you. You're blackmailing me."
"I might have done that, but there is no evidence of who hired those guys. And dear you have everything to do with me."
"You want something, what is it? Wait, you're the one who kidnapped me."
"Ah, right on the nose, well you're two for five, I have three over you."
"What do you mean?" I can't understand what does this guy mean?
"Well I have set up four meetings and yet you only came to this one, the easiest if I may say so myself. But assuming I'm right it took you a long time, didn't it?" How does he know.
"You're probably thinking, how do I know? And what do I mean? For starters each photo of the first batch had a small arrow beneath your name, each one was pointing at a number in the next photo giving you the coordinates of a bench in central park. Another one hidden in the first batch was on the streets and all you had to do was walk four blocks since your name has four letters it would lead you to a small ice cream shop and the time each photo was taken and divided by five since those are the only letters in your real name... well it was obviously at 4:00 on Thursday." It's true, I didn't notice those details, maybe JARVIS could've done that, but I don't want anyone noticing and butting their heads into my issues.
"The third one you missed is if you noticed the small details in the photos you could've counted the number of stairs in each photo, and-" I placed my hand in front of him signaling to stop.
"I get it, I missed a few."
"No, you didn't, you didn't know they were there." He stopped as I didn't remove my hand. But he didn't stop smirking.
"Why are you so interested?"
"Because YOU a kid from the middle of nowhere, no parents, no nothing and here you are, you work with Tony Stark creating armors with the power to level cities. You have the power to lift cars as if they're nothing more than a cardboard box." I felt the need to just fire on him using my webs, but he just demands this.
"Those bracelets I want them for me, and my men; they seem useful, too useful. Everyone wants to be iron man, but you, you discovered his true power. Tech: and Don't turn them on or fire on me. If you do, with me not going through my door after two hours your identity will be revealed to all the media outlets."
"How do you know my identity?"
"I have my fork in every metaphorical pie there is making it easier to give away your identity."
"You didn't answer my question."
"You already answered it, I only have the footage."
"The kidnapping, you were recording." It came to realization, and the camera he was using didn't come into evidence because he sent someone working inside the police to get it. Bastard.
"Duh, I had to make sure you were who I was scouting ot make me an iron man armor. But I prefer using you."
"Why wouldn't I just shoot you right now? Get this over with." I bluffed, I can stop him, but he just smirked and called my bluff.
"Because there is a thing with this coffee." He took the cup to admire it. 'Oh no.' "It's a good coffee, kinda overpriced but the sugar and caffeine, gets THEM through the day." He placed his cup down, making the sound bounce of the walls. "Did you know it takes six to eight hours for liquids to be digested but it gets absorbed into the body in the first ten minutes?" He smirked as he looked straight at me only irking me to hit him, but something isn't right.
"What did you do?" I felt anger as my hand gripped the edge of the table in anger, my fingers left a dent.
"Just made sure I had a ticket to get myself home without you stopping me, after all, you're a hero. You haven't noticed in your anger, but isn't it too quiet around here?" I notice to my surroundings and people were still, as if they're statues. "You might want to move, the paralytic takes an hour to take full effect which is you know..." He left it clear hanging in the air. 'They die.' "You might want to start with the guy in the corner he's been here the longest." He stood up taking out a gun and aiming at the nearest person near him.
"Don't follow; are you willing to stop a bad guy or trade lives?"
"I will stop you."
"Oh, dear Cindy, I have already won, I already know what you will do and when you will do it. Tick, tock. Clock is ticking. They have received a tip by the way, nearest hospital is three minutes away at your top speed. Even using THAT thing you worked so hard on."
So sorry for forgetting this story, but I'm back... I worked hard and working on the next chapter. Returning to every sunday updates
Next chapter I will answer all reviews