A/N: Good news, we actually get to see some Spider-Man-related happenings in a Spider-Man story! Sweet!

Issue Five: First Swing

After spending the next few minutes dodging karmic pillows - because apparently, dry humor is not the way to shake off a life-changing event that gave one superpowers - Sirius and Gwen finally came back to the living room. Unfortunately, in their rush, they had neglected to remember their clothing was ruffled from the sudden onslaught. Capt. Stacy was skeptical of their denials, but Olivia backed them up… and then ran them over with, "Also, why would I tell you if they did? You're a cop, I don't snitch." As Stacy pointed out Olivia worked with the Police and city, while Gwen facepalmed, both Olivia and Sirius laughed at the separate reactions.

After things finally calmed down, they settled in to pick a movie. George Stacy still hadn't picked a movie, so they had that to talk about. The picks were as followed:

Olivia: Night of the Living Dead

Gwen: Charlotte's Web (The smug smirk she sent Sirius was barely noticed as he had a near heart attack at the near ratting-out.)

George: When Harry Met Sally ("George, that's not even the best romance comedy Billy Crystal's been in. At least let's pick Forget Paris!")

Sirius: …Species (George had to hold his daughter back from chucking pillows at a cackling Sirius. "You… sticky gremlin!")

Finally, Olivia put her foot down and decided they'd watch Shrek. (Age appropriate, with a little adult humor.) There were protests but by the time Pinocchio lied about being a real boy, they were too engrossed to gripe anymore. As the movie came to a close, George Stacy got up and stretched, his broad shoulders stretching the poor NYPD Athletic Squad sweatshirt he was sporting. "Well, that was a fun evening."

"Who said it's over?" Olivia smirked. "That was only the prelude! We still have three sequels to get through."

George chuckled at the woman's enthusiasm. "We can't watch four movies in one night, Liv."

"'Liv?'" Sirius looked between his mother and Captain Stacy. "Since when do you two use nicknames?"

"I-it's a perfectly fine shortening of my name, thank you!" Olivia retorted, while George cleared his throat and looked away, not hiding a derisive smile very well. Sirius clearly wanted to tear more into that interaction, but this clear sign of heart-melting embarrassment reminded him of Peter. Quickly pulling out his phone, he checked for any texts. Nada.

"Hey, Dog Star," George caught the teen's attention. "How about we grab some more snacks while the girls pick the next movie?"

"Oh, I'm a girl now?" Olivia called at the police captain's back. Sirius frowned slightly; by his tone, it wasn't a request, but an order. Sending Pete a quick 'Where r u,' Sirius got up from the couch and followed him into the kitchen.

When he entered, the broad-shouldered man had already started popping the next batch of popcorn. "Sirius, get a bowl for the chips please."

"Yes, sir. Uh, I mean Mr. Stacy," Sirius reached into the lower cabinets, even as the large man chuckled.

"Sirius, you can call me George. Gwen wouldn't speak to me for a month if I insisted you call me anything but." As Sirius stood up, George leaned back on the counter scanning him with a critical eye. "Seriously, though-"

"Well, it's actually-"

"Sirius." Despite how carefree he sounded, George Stacy was captain for a reason. His tone left no room for Sirius' usual deflection. "I just want to check on you. Gave your mom a scare the other day. Everything… alright? No headaches after that spill at Oscorp?"

"Well…" Sirius debated in his head what he should and shouldn't say. 'Would Captain Stacy arrest me for illegal wallcrawling? Probably not. Maybe. On the other hand, I already looped in Peter and Gwen. Maybe I should pace out telling everyone else.' "I do… feel a little different. But it's nothing bad!"

George chuckled, although Sirius couldn't figure out what the joke was. "I figured it wasn't anything bad. The growth spurt's hard to ignore, Sirius." That made Sirius do a double take, and… yeah, Stacy was a big man, but Sirius was at eye level with his chest instead of his stomach like before. How had he missed that?

"Ha ha, yeah," Sirius answered. "I'm good, really. But… thanks for asking and all. Really, thanks for… helping me and Mom out."

The microwave beeped as the man nodded; his movement reminded Sirius he was in charge of chips, so the teen hurried to busy himself with that. "Least I can do, Dog Star. You were out for two days, and Liv - she was worried, but she knew you'd be up eventually. Said you were a fighter. Like your dad."

Sirius smiled warmly and shook his head as he poured the chips into a bowl, crumbs from the bag bouncing out onto the table. "Dad wasn't much of a fighter, Mr. S - George. More of a lover, I think. If I got any fight in me, it probably came from Mom."

That got a barking laugh from George Stacy. "Yeah, I can see-" but his response was cut off by his phone ringing. Not his cell phone, which was sitting on the table in the living room, but his work phone, in his pocket at all times in case of emergency. Sirius felt the man's energy shift as he answered it. "Captain Stacy… No, it's all right. Just tell me… What?… You're sure?… Yes, double check, damnit!"

The man's voice suddenly elevating caught Sirius off-guard and drew Olivia and Gwen, as they stood in the doorway of the kitchen. "Dad, what's wrong?" Gwen looked at her dad in slight surprise; George Stacy was a big man, but he was a soft talker with an even temper. Whatever made him snap like that…

"I… No, don't send anybody. I… I'll take care of this. But keep me updated, okay?" Stacy hung up the phone, and pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly fighting back a headache.

"George? What's wrong?" Olivia stepped into the room, placing a soothing hand on the man's shoulder.

"I…" George cut himself off, looking crossed between shocked and lost. After a moment, he straightened his posture, his whole demeanor shifting to Police Captain. "Something's happened, I need to go."

"What happened?" Gwen asked. "Is it… something big, or very bad?"

The sturdy man seemed to struggle to find words again, but Olivia spoke up. "Is it a homicide?" George turned to look at her as she shrugged. "If you need an M.E., might as take the best one in New York."

"I…" George seemed to consider this, before nodding. "Alright. Kids, stay here-"

"No way!" Gwen snapped. "You're not gonna look at me like the world's ending, then tell me to stay put!"

"I think we should stay back, Gwen," Sirius threw out as the adults went toward the front door. "It's not like we joined the junior cadets…" 'Plus, I need to check if Pete called me yet… and, if he hasn't, why.'

Gwen shot the boy a 'really?' look at his attempt at humor, but Olivia waved it off as she and George got their shoes on. "You two stay right here, don't open the door for strangers, you know the rest. And Sirius? If there's a burglar, make sure Gwen doesn't go too far in beating them up." Olivia looked over expectant at the captain, but he was clearly on autopilot, not emoting at all at her attempt to lighten the mood. Olivia looked back at Sirius and Gwen and got them in a quick hug. "Feel free to watch whatever you want, but don't wait up for us, 'kay?"

As both adults left the apartment, Sirius pulled out his phone. His last message wasn't even read, and did that ever feel like a bad sign-

"So." Sirius spun around to see Gwen looking at him, arms crossed and fingers tapping out a beat on her arms. "Wanna tell me why you can't stop checking your phone? Even during the movie, might I add?"

Sirius smiled nervously under her gaze; being raised by a cop had given her, almost like genetics, a glare made to melt criminals to slag. The teenage boy laughed nervously. "Okay, so funny story…"

"WHAT!"

"Gwen, we have neighbors!"

"Harry's-"

"And I know you're upset-"

"And you let Pete-!"

"I was going to mention it-"

"And they're with that flaming-headed jackass! Sirius, what were you thinking!?"

'Right now, I'm thinking I really need the story about why you hate Johnny Storm so much,' Sirius thought, but said, "In my defense, I… promised to make this movie night happen before I saw Harry's message…"

"You…!" Gwen looked ready to strangle Sirius ('She can't get me if I cling to the ceiling, right?'), but instead of tackling him, she turned away, closed her eyes, and took several deep breaths. "Okay… First off, while I love and trust Pete, there is no way he would be alright at any party thrown by… him of all people. Turning back around, Gwen added, "If you called to tell me you needed to back him up, I would have understood and made something up." Sirius thought he heard, 'wouldn't be the first time,' but it was too low a volume to be sure. "On the other hand… this might be a matter of 'you didn't know better,' so it's kinda my fault too."

Sirius blinked at the reaction, unsure what Gwen meant. "Is there… something I'm missing?"

"It's-" Gwen paused, seeming to consider her words. "Harry's situation… it's his choice to tell you. Peter and I, we know what he's going through. Have been since middle school, when we met. You couldn't have known, so… I can't be fully upset with you."

"Okay…" Sirius wondered what Gwen wasn't saying, but it was really going over his head. "Look, let me just call Pete. I'm sure he's fine and with Harry. Probably getting a late-night slice right now."

After several failed calls, all straight to voicemail, Sirius began to get a little worried with Gwen. "Pete never not answers his phone. What's going on?…"

"He does have an old phone," Sirius offered. "Maybe it's out of his coverage range?"

"Doubtful. Wish we could get there and…" Gwen paused before looking at Sirius with a growing grin. "And I know how we can!"

Sirius shifted under her brilliant gaze. "If you want me to drive you there, I… don't have a license. Or know how to drive."

"The organic spider's silk you produce-"

"I prefer webs."

"…you could use it to get us across town."

"Well," Sirius crowed. "I did do pretty well when I trained- wait, whadda ya mean 'we?'"

"I mean," Gwen jabbed him in the chest with her finger, a determined look in her eye. "You are taking me with you. We are going to see if we can find Harry and Pete, even if I have to deal with that pig Storm. End of discussion."

Sirius gave the bespectacled girl a deadpan look. "You want me to swing us both across the city when I haven't even done it myself, except in a very small area? Like, size of this apartment small?"

"Well…" Gwen fidgeted slightly. "This late at night, we'd never make it there with traffic. Plus, it's probably safer than the subway at this time of night."

"Safer?" Sirius looked at the girl, dumbfounded. "Gwen, I've never carried anybody else when doing it. Hell, I technically haven't carried myself yet! Plus, pretty sure you're nearsighted. What could all that swinging around do to you? You'll decorate Main Street with your puke."

"Look, I know how risky it sounds," Gwen snapped with no heat. "But the fastest way between two points is a straight line. Trains, taxis - for all we know, in the time it takes to get there, those two could be in serious - don't start - trouble!"

Sirius tapped his chin in thought, mulling over the proposal. "If we're doing this… I'd rather not have my face plastered on the evening news. 'Mutants in New York, and they can't even shave! More at 11!'"

Gwen considered the matter with Sirius for a moment. "Do you still have last year's Halloween costumes?"

As it turned out, no - Olivia had stored the costumes in a locker uptown. Sirius was a bit downtrodden; he had been looking forward to slapping on his hockey mask and recreating Jason Take Manhattan. Gwen chopped him on the head, muttering, "Dork," before moving on to Plan B. Throwing open Sirius' closet, Gwen rummaged through the clutter while thinking out loud. "Let's see… shaded goggles to hide your eyes, you'll need a mask for your face, gloves to protect your hands, flexible but old pants… ah! Cool, some old shoes, too!"

After a good ten minutes of Gwen's delve into Sirius' closet, she threw together an outfit that covered Sirius but allowed him to still move as his new reflexes required. "Wow, nice!" Pulling down the goggles so they hung around his neck, Sirius checked out his new outfit in the mirror, zipping up the black jacket with red sleeves. "I forgot I even had a ski mask. Or this jacket."

"I can tell," Gwen said from the doorway, now sporting an askew skullcap and medical mask borrowed from Olivia's room. Her face was hidden, but her tone was as smug as ever. "It was underneath your middle school clothes. I'll accept payment in nachos and groveling, whenever you're ready."

Sirius grabbed Gwen's hand and fell to one knee. "Such amazing work, dear maiden!" Sirius said in a pitched-up voice like some medieval knight. "I am not worthy to bask in your presence!"

Like earlier today, Gwen's visible ear got red and she pulled her hand out of his, using it to bonk him lightly on the head. "C-cut it out! You didn't need to actually grovel, you goof!" Sirius chuckled at her reaction all the way to the rooftop. As they stepped out, Sirius took in the view of the Manhattan skyline. The skyline he was about to swing through… for the first time.

Gwen noticed the teen's sudden silence and nudged him. "Not scared, are you?"

"No!" Sirius retorted as Gwen pulled the skullcap down to cover both her ears and hair. "I'm just… taking it all in. We're gonna be up there in like five seconds."

"Better make it three!" was the only warning Sirius got (that and his sixth sense) before Gwen climbed onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck so her hands clung onto his shoulders. "We need to get to the Baxter Building quickly!"

"Geez, rush me, sure. Why not?" Sirius mumbled as he walked to the edge of the roof like Gwen wasn't hanging off of him. "Not like I got these powers yesterday. Oh, wait. I did." Taking a deep breath, Sirius looked out over the edge of the building, and… actually, he felt fine. 'Huh. No vertigo. I thought with these super senses… guess I'm used to them now.' Grinning, he decided to have a little… fun with Gwen. "Oh, Gwen~? Hang on tight!"

"What- whoa!" Gwen's grip tightened as Sirius took a running leap off the building, plummeting to the ground. "Siriuswhathell-!"

Sirius launched a webline, latching onto a taller apartment with a single 'Thwip!' From there, he pivoted his weight forward, swinging like a human pendulum between the buildings. At the top of the arc, he let go, hanging in that moment of weightlessness before falling. He didn't fall far as he repeated the process: Thwip, swing, release.

As Sirius reveled in the free feeling of the moment, he felt a weight press into his neck. Glancing back, he saw Gwen's head pressed into the crook of his neck, eyes firmly closed. "Oooookay, did not think this through. Don't look down, Gwen. Don't look down…"

"Are you sure about that?" Sirius smirked. "You're missing a hell of a view!"

Gwen paused in her mutterings. "If you're swinging near something disgusting-"

"How would I do that?"

"I don't know! My stomach's halfway to my throat! Just- give me a minute, okay!" Slowly, Gwen pulled her face out of Sirius' jacket but kept her eyes closed. The blonde opened one eye carefully… before taking in the view and opening both eyes to see it better. "Wow…" All around the pair, the city sparkled in the evening light. As the pair passed between buildings of unaware denizens of the island metropolis, only they were privy to the New York cityscape flashing around them in dazzling streaks. "This is…"

"A one-of-a-kind moment?" Sirius nodded. "Yeah, same for me. So, which way is the Baxter Buil- Aah!" Warmth returned to Sirius' shoulder. He looked back to see a smug Gwen, head resting on his shoulder and glancing at the lights around them. Her chin sat just in the crook of his neck, sending a funny feeling through his whole arm, and her mask had slipped just a bit to see a quiet expression of contentment on her face. "U-uh, Gwen?"

"Something wrong?" the girl turned her eyes to the young man and smiled coyly. "Can't a 'dear maiden' rest her head for a minute?"

"Uh-uh," Sirius swallowed dryly and looked away. 'What the hell…? She's teased me before. Why does this feel…?' Caught flatfooted for the first time in a while, Sirius muttered lamely, "S-shouldn't we get to the Baxter Building? Pete and Harry and all…"

"Give me a second," Gwen said as she looked around. "Never saw the city like this before… Turn, er swing down this road I think. You'll see the Baxter Building, it's hard to miss."

Gwen was right; the Baxter Building was hard to miss. Even among the city buildings, its sleek glass design screamed 'space age.' As the duo landed on a building, Gwen got off of Sirius' back. "Yep, the Baxter Building. Home of the Storm Science Group, and filled with the best and brightest-"

"And surrounded by cops?" Sirius supplied as he glanced down to see police cruisers parked around the entrance. "That's not good if you're at a party with underage drinking and drugs, right?"

"We need to get in there," Gwen said, looking worried at the flashing lights. "Harry and Pete…"

"Well," Sirius said. "Maybe they haven't raided the place yet. Let's start at the top, see what we can find."

"Okay," Gwen nodded. "Yeah. We just need to find them." With a quick swing over, the pair landed on the roof of the Baxter to begin the search. However, after checking every glass surface, Sirius was pretty positive there wasn't an open window to squeeze through. As the masked teen swung back to the rooftop, Gwen sighed at the news. "Yeah, that makes sense. This place is made for science, and they wouldn't just keep the windows unlocked in case of containment failure."

"Great," Frustrated, Sirius crossed his arms. "How do we get in?"

"More like 'how do you get in,'" Walking over to a ventilation chimney, Gwen gave it a knock. "Think you could rip this off?"

"Good lord," Sirius gave a mock gasp. "Is the police captain's daughter suggesting B&E?"

"I'm suggesting that we don't want Harry and Peter thrown in jail, even if the knuckleheads deserve it," Gwen commented. "Now, if you could, Mr. Sticky?"

Sirius stumbled at the nickname, and looked at Gwen, his baffled expression covered up by his mask. "Mr. Sticky?"

"Well, I can't call you by your name," Gwen shrugged. "You're supposed to be disguised. What else can I call you?"

"Not that," the teen deadpanned. "In fact, never call me that again." Turning away for a minute, he puzzled over a decent codename for his new alter ego. "There's gotta be a better name. Something that's cool and daring…"

"How about Kid Arachnid?"

"Kid!?" Sirius crossed his arms and huffed. "I am not a kid! Plus, there's nothing cool about that…" A name racing to mind, he perked up and turned back to her. "How about… The Amazing Arachnid-Man?" He spread his arms as if presenting the name like a billboard.

"Hmm…" Gwen shook her head. "That doesn't roll off the tongue…"

Sirius' arms fell as he cocked his head sideways. "And Kid Arachnid did?"

"Who cares what you're called!?" Gwen snapped. "Pete and Harry could be in trouble! So, 'Spider-Man,' get in there and find them!"

"Okay, geez!" Sirius raised his hands and stepped back to the grate. "Just sayin'. I'm going, I'm going." With one hand, the mutant teen ripped the grate off and dropped it on the ground before crawling into the shaft.