Chapter Five – Selling Spidey Selfies

"The hell are these Parker?" JJ asked, throwing the printed photos I had handed him. "You take this shit with a disposable Kodak?"

My brow furrowed slightly. "Robbie said you'd want to buy them?"

"Of course I do – doesn't mean I can't give you a little constructive criticism." JJ replied. He spoke quickly as if he only had a limited time to get his answer out.

"You know if you paid me a bit more I'd be able to afford a better camera?" I chanced my luck.

"If I paid you a bit more I'd just end up with hungover interns – I know what you students are like."

"I'll send the files over for you." I said, resigned to the paltry handful of dollars I knew I'd be getting for my 'selfies' as Spidey. I exited JJ's large windowed office ("all the better for spotting interns to shout at" I imagined him shouting) and walked past Robbie's desk.

"Usual rate Pete?" He asked without looking up, already knowing the answer.

"Of course." I sighed. "I'll get them in your Dropbox." I headed back towards the intern pit – the area of the Bugle offices which was reserved for us steady stream of unpaid workers. It was a great place: lots of sunlight so we were always warm, right next to the toilets so we could experience everything that went on there, and had recycled computers that I'm surprised weren't still running Windows Vista. I sat at my 'desk' next to Ned.

"You sold some more pictures Pete?" He asked.

"Yea man, same attitude to them as always though."

"You'd have thought JJ would be happy with more Spider-Man pics the amount he goes on about the guy." With this sentence from Ned I saw Eddie's head look up.

"How the hell do you get so many pictures of that guy?" He asked, the frustration evident on his face.

"Just lucky I guess." I lied quickly. "Got a few cameras set up on some buildings. Mostly get pictures of pigeons but sometimes I get him." I ran my hand through my hair, hoping Eddie would leave it and let me get back to work.

He didn't. "At this rate you'll be the one getting the actual job JJ is offering Parker." Eddie scowled.

"I don't want it Ed."

"That's my fucking point." Eddie replied, his face twisted in anger. "This is just a hobby to you, for me it's my career. You're majoring in biophysics, so just stick to that." He stood up, walking off sulking.

"What's his issue?" Betty asked, sitting down at her seat next to Ned. She kissed him on the cheek, and I could almost feel the strain in my muscles to stop my eyes rolling.

"Eddie is pissed that Pete is JJ's favourite." Ned replied with a smirk.

"Easy way to change that – Silvermane has died in hospital." Betty said, and I felt a pang of guilt in my stomach, which I quickly banished. "JJ'll be wanting as much information about it as possible. Big opportunities there."

"He was old, chances are he'd have died any day." I said casually, maybe more to myself than to Ned and Betty.

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I'll show Parker. I'll show them all. I grabbed a polystyrene cup and placed it under the coffee machine. I'm better than all of them. A couple of JJ's actual employees were lingering nearby, probably on a break. I kept my head down.

"Can't believe that mob boss is dead." One said, and my head perked up.

"Who?" I asked over. They looked at me confused.

"Pardon?" The woman said.

"Sorry, who's died?" I suddenly felt anxious that I'd misheard and interrupted something personal. "Hope you're not upset."

The woman chuckled. "It's fine Eddie, I just didn't hear you. Silvio Manfredi has just been pronounced dead in the last twenty minutes."

"The guy Spider-Man beat up?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

The woman's conversational partner, a tall but skinny man, nodded his head. "That's the guy. Maybe JJ is on to something."

"Yeah, maybe." I added. I grabbed my coffee and headed back to my computer, ignoring perfect boy Parker and his friends. I immediately went into the Bugle database, searching for any mentions of Spider-Man in the previous editions. This was my chance. If I could find some dirt on the Spider then I'd be a shoe in for JJ's promotion. Felicia was away tonight too, visiting her mom or something, so I could stay up late researching some leads. A quote came to my mind:

Proverbs 19:21 - Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

Right now, my purpose was to help bring Spider-Man to justice.

Song Recommendation: Too Far Gone? - Metallica