Batman and Spider-Man stood atop of a building looking down at a warehouse. There was plenty of activity going on below, the police had surrounded the building and things were not going well. Aside from Mitch Darrow there were four heavily armed mercenaries inside the building and if felt like something was just waiting to happen. The police and the criminals inside had exchanged fire and everything was cut off from the warehouse.
"I don't like it." Spider-Man said looking down. "This is where they went right after. Even without the info we supplied the cops would have found them. Why would they hold up in a warehouse if they couldn't get out?"
"The police have thought the same thing. They have people on the sewers around the area." Batman said scanning the area. "What can your suit do?"
"Stealth, almost bullet proof, and it can change appearances and enhances my strength a bit." He did not take his eyes off the building. "If I squint I can zoom in. It is a new passive nanotech that ready impulses the brain send. I'm still figuring things out really. I didn't steal it, I took it as payment."
"A little defensive?"
"We need to get in there or someone is going to die." He said pointing to the roof. "There are a few sky lights up there. If you go in one side and I go in the other we could take them out before anyone gets hurt."
"And you can get to Darrow before the cops do." Batman added.
"It isn't like that." Spider-Man replied. "Listen, my dad was a cop and he believed that the justice system could handle creeps like Darrow. I might not agree with him and yes, I want to take a piece out of the guy but I am not going to kill him. If you had a chance to knock the teeth out of the guy who killed your dad, would you?"
"I did." Batman growled. "I'll take the east side, you take the west. Don't get shot."
With that Batman leapt into the air and landed on the roof. Spider-Man followed his lead, landing nearby and heading toward a far skylight. The two slipped into the building at the same time.
Spider-Man slipped through the skylight into darkness. His feet landed softly on a crate below, had it not been to his ability to stick to things he would have fallen. Pressing himself down against the crate he allowed himself to adjust to the light. Much to his surprise the suit changed the light for him, now he was seeing in black and white with the shadows now down to almost nothing.
He spotted two of the mercenaries who were still dressed in tactical gear and were patrolling between two windows facing the police. Watching for a moment he saw that each of the mercenaries would stop by the same pile of crates. His pulse began to thunder as he realized they were probably checking on Darrow. He dropped to the ground and watched as one of the mercenaries came closer. As soon as he was out of sight of the other mercenary Spider-Man shot two web-blasters wrapping the man and tugged. The mercenary sailed forward slamming head first into a crate with a loud: CLANG. Cursing himself as the other mercenary came to investigate Spider-Man sprang forward. His feet smashed into the face of the mercenary, pin-wheeling the man and knocking him out cold.
He landed on his feet and walked over to where the two mercenaries had crossed. There sitting on a chair with his back turned was Mitch Darrow. The man was no longer dressed in prison garb, he was dressed as a dock worker and he was in the process of drying off his now dyed hair. If Alex was any other person the transformation would have fooled him, as Darrow turned he could see that the mercenaries had adjusted his face but his eyes were the same. Alex would always remember those eyes. When those eyes rested on him they did not register shock instead they narrowed.
There no longer was a line between Spider-Man and Alex, there was only the Spider. His fist slammed into the new face of Mitch Darrow, breaking his new nose. He kicked the man in the stomach, knocking him back into the make shift splicing slash shower area. Before Darrow could even realize what was happening the Spider was on him again. The Spider leapt atop him, pinning him to the ground and began to slam his fists into Darrow's face and head. With each blow the Spider slowly began to back off and Alex began to regain control.
Alex looked down at the bloody mess that had been Darrow's new face and stopped.
"A couple more." A voice said.
He turned to see Batman standing nearby and it was his voice he heard.
"Just a couple more good shots and it will be all over." Batman said walking closer. "The streets will be safe, a murder will be off the streets, and justice will be served. All you have to do is hit him more. Why are you hesitating he wouldn't?"
Alex looked back at the man on the floor. His eyes had rolled back in his head and his breathing was a wheeze. Slowly Alex stood up and turned Darrow over. He pulled Darrow's hand behind his back and webbed them together. He wiped his bloody knuckles on Darrow's shirt and turned to Batman.
"Tell them it's clear." He said with a sigh. "It is over now."
He jumped up on a crate and out a sky light. He began swinging with no direction in mind he just had to get away from there. After an hour his arms were sore and felt like they were going to fall out of their sockets. He landed on the school roof, his arms hanging loosely by his sides. His senses told him it was safe to switch back to his street clothes and climbed back into the school. He was just in time for final bell. The throng of students swallowed him as he walked out the door. He was tired, emotionally and physically, for the first time he was looking forward to just going home and sleeping. As he reached the outside courtyard he saw a familiar face, Terry was leaning against an expensive looking car.
"Care for a ride home?" Terry opened the door and Alex slid into the seat without a word.
As he settled he could see that there was another person in the backseat. He knew it was Mr. Wayne.
"Alex, it is good to see you again." Mr. Wayne said from behind him.
"It is nice to see you too, sir." Alex slumped into the seat. "I apologize if I'm not too talkative today but I think you just want me to listen."
"Correct." Mr. Wayne replied. "You know something about Terry and I. Terry and I know something about you. I will not have some teenager getting himself killed while he is playing hero."
Terry looked up at Mr. Wayne in the rear view but said nothing.
"That being said." Mr. Wayne added. "You did well today. Either you stop with the Spider-Man business or you do it right."
"What is the right way, sir?" Alex asked.
"You come with us and become the best you can." Mr. Wayne did not look comfortable. "I don't usually give invitations but I'm getting a little soft in my old age. This is serious, if you come with us you do as I say when I say. Things will not be easy and at times, I'm sure Terry could tell you, I am quite a taskmaster. If you don't come with us then you will not continue to be Spider-Man in my city. Do I make myself clear?"
"Are you offering me a job, sir?" Alex asked looking at Terry.
"It's long night, weekends, and very little thanks." Terry said.
"Sounds right up my alley, sir."
AN: In reply to a couple of reviews I thought I would add this note.
This is a story about my version of Spider-Man the blurb says "The origins of Spider-Man in the Batman Beyond Universe, my version of Spider-Man". Yes it is set in the Batman Beyond Universe and Batman does play a part in it, but it does not center around Batman. The sequel, will have much more Batman in it as they will be working together as partners.
The splicing issue. See the injection was a test for a new formula to give a person altered DNA without the superficial changes. This could be used to do something as simple as give someone the strength of an elephant or like the good Doctor Keeve did various traits of spiders. I was planning on having the people who hired/killed Doctor Keeve play a role in another story but I'm not sure yet.
The No Man's Land question. Basically it was just a reference I threw in for fun. Like having Ben Reilly as an alternate identity, it was just for the people paying attention.
The issue of length. I write these in about 1000 word segments for easy reading and writing. Also the reason chapter 9 was so short was that if I made it any longer it would combine chapters 9 and 10. Personally I do not like to stare at a block of text on a screen for too long.
I appreciate the comments and the questions. I am planning a two sequels: one being an actual sequel and the other being a sort of Elseworld Adventure staring Alex (That means there probably won't be much Batman) and his adventures with dimensional travel. Depending on how long it takes me to write both of them and how they are received I might continue with a third and possibly forth cannon (for this story line that is) stories.