Part 1 - Chapter 5: A Day for Presentations


Where a New Yorker finds a place to live, and a spider gets an audience.


A week later.

"Welcome, Peter Parker, to the Gotham Branch of Kord Industries, codename 'Chrysalis'", said the young woman who had been expecting his arrival at the lobby, almost three feet tall, the tag on her lab coat saying Marconi. "Big Boss Kord named it after the idea that this would be the place where Science would go through a metamorphosis. Every other Kord R&D facility has a name on the same vein, so get used to them."

Peter nodded, following the scientist through many security officers, who did not bat an eye to him.

A quick elevator ride had them exit at level 30, the doors opening to a large floor plan full of amenities, an open kitchen, tables, bean bags, high definition television sets, video game consoles and other interesting forms of leisure.

But what really caught his attention were the several small separate secure compartments that formed an outer circle, surrounding the open area, each section with its own steel door and large window panels, sometimes with metal blinders closed.

Peter would compare it to a normal office space, if it had been designed by fans of Cyberpunk.

"So, are you-"

"The terminology you are looking for is 'Little Person'. I accept 'Person of Short Stature' but any jokes about dwarfs and I will make you regret them, Mister Parker."

"I was going to ask if you are Doctor Anna Maria Marconi, author of 'Medical Advancements on Leukemia Treatments through the Use of Genetic Markers'?"

Peter had seen many names and potential scientific contacts during his invasion of the DMV's office, and his research on mutations gave him a surprisingly small list of names, with Dr. Marconi's being the youngest of them all.

Doctor Marconi had a look of surprise, which she quickly covered up in the same beat with confidence and authority. "That old thing? I still have to revise it from my first Doctorate.", said the woman who barely appeared one year older than Peter, who now felt just slightly awkward for his lack of academic achievements back home.

"Mr. Kord actually brought me here after reading my development of fishes with a bioluminescent gene, to be used as a green energy light source. You'll find, Mr. Parker, that everyone here has been hired because of our 'thinking outside the box' methodologies."

As if on cue, a young woman with olive skin and backpack skated across their path, the key fact being the trail of green light under her cybernetic looking shoes, instead of the expected wheels. Peter noticed a series of cables coming from her shoes and snaking upwards, to the inner parts of her backpack

"Sajani Jaffrey, our resident expert in xenotechnology and how to adapt them with Earth materials. Who has been quite unbearable since her latest breakthrough in replicating the Green Lantern Corps solid light manifestation."

The named Sajani shrugged and slid toward the soda machine, the green trail breaking down into particles of light which soon faded out existence.

Peter noticed a compartment space with no names on the door, his suspicions proved correct when Doctor Marconi led him towards it, tapping a card onto the door and opening it, then hitting a switch and illuminating the studio sized area, already filled with some furniture, appliances, computers, a large blackboard, a desk, a couple chairs and even a green futon, all appearing brand new.

"This will be your work-home away from home. Or maybe your only home, some of us just live at the Chrysalis, others like to spend some time in this floor to relax during our break times. You will have this area completely free for your use, your own window view of Gotham River bay - you are the new guy, you don't get to pick something better - and relative privacy - though you will still have your access monitored and logged, of course."

"Of course."

"If you require any kind of equipment for your research, you may file a request and the budget guys will probably approve it - Ted Kord might spend almost as much money with scientific equipment as Bruce Wayne does with sports cars, but at least the guy is not wasting it."

"And the R&D labs?", Peter asked, when almost at the same time Anna Maria offered him a metal card, the same kind she used to operate the elevator.

"Don't lose it, it's your security badge for everything, to get inside the building, to use the elevator that reaches this Atrium and the other one that gets to all personal Lab floors, even to open your own quarters. It's biometric-coded, so it only works for you. You start tomorrow, and you'll know what floor."

Peter thanked Marconi's help, and the woman left him alone.

"Well, Parker, you have your own dorm room.", he smiled. "Let's now check their window security measures."


"... in other news, Gotham's newest vigilante, 'Spider-Man', has been sighted earlier today, as he chased and apprehended a hit-and-run suspect Downtown Gotham, over Kilman Street. The chase ended near the GCPD's First Precinct."

The scene shows a recording from a civilian's phone, broad daylight, as a car speeding on the wrong way almost hit pedestrians at the other side of the street, then the figure of Spider-man enters the shot, the hero sticking himself to a building and using his web to grab on the side of the fleeing vehicle and pulling it back to the right side of street, making it narrowly avoid a bus.

The next footage is at a later moment, where cops were escorting the webbed up driver, the vehicle now completely stopped, after having crushed against the metal bollards in front of the Police Precinct. Cue the appearance of an enraged Detective Bullock, pointing at the hero and the car, several expletives being censored

"How is this any of my fault?!", complained the Spider-Man on the screen, in return. "Didn't you see- hey, is that Bruce Wayne?"

The moment Harvey Bullock looked behind himself, the hero quickly jumped up and swung away swiftly between buildings and out of sight.

The amateur cameraman focused back on Detective Bullock, who was spewing several more censored expletives.

The sitting man presses a key and Spider-Man's jumping away act loops.

"Don't worry, Master Bruce, I assure you that your disappearing trick is still much more theatrical than his", came the wise voice of Alfred Pennyworth, who had arrived in the company of another member of the family.

"I think I'm going to try that one when I return to Blüdhaven", came the 'helpful' addition of his first son, Dick, who laid a hand on top of his seat. "What's up, Bruce, checking the competition?"

"I'm preparing myself.", came the gruff reply. A black glove typed a series of keys, several video footage including the news report were sent to the background.

New complex graphs, grainy surveillance photos and seconds of recording and many thumbnails of police reports shown now, floating in front of Batman in state-of-the-art holoprojections.

"Since his first contact with Signal, fifteen days ago, Spider-Man has been actively patrolling Gotham for the last nine days, including four interventions in Red Hood's area, which Jason thinks we don't know about."

A list of dates and locations popped up on a side view area of the projection.

"Though I also have separately filed three unrelated occasions of 'good Samaritans' in the time interval that seems to fit the MO of this vigilante, and also five suspicious criminal activities in Gotham and its surrounding areas that might fit it as well."

"No benefit of the doubt?", asked Dick, because he knew Bruce wanted someone to ask that so that he could-

"He's a meta with an unverifiable story and too much expertise in his abilities. Possibility of trying to infiltrate our group is high."

Batman pressed a button on his gauntlet, the personal miniature computer in Dick's gauntlet coming to life. "I've sent you Red Robin's report. He agrees that this Spider-Man will be trying to approach us either through you or the Signal."

"Me? I'm flattered that he takes me for the Ambassador of the Bats." Dick scrolled the document quickly, skimming through many sections of the text, then suddenly stopping. "Seriously, Bruce, Tim is smart, but this reads a little too paranoid, look at this, Alf," he turned to the butler. "'Spider-man behavior is 85% similar to Nightwing's, possibly in an attempt to entice his curiosity and make NW try to start the contact himself.' Timmy thinks I'm enticeable?"

"Master Timothy might just be taking your… usual eagerness into account, Master Richard.", Alfred tried appeasing. "You have always had a notorious predilection to, shall we say, 'act first, think during'?"

Dick Grayson actually guffawed, and Batman managed a small smirk on the good natured ribbing over Dick's long history of getting himself into trouble.

"Well, Tim's report is wrong this time, I haven't gotten near this guy at all", and then he felt a sudden and almost unnoticeable shiver in the back of his spine. "Also, I've left my nest for too long. Blüdhaven could go out in a mushroom cloud if I'm not there to help-." A sudden message popped-up, over everything Batman had highlighted.

"Finally.", the Dark Knight said, half triumph, half annoyance. "Since last night, I had Signal, Batgirl and Robin help setting up new microcameras in the most probable areas where Spider-Man could use as a route. One has detected his presence, I'm going live."

A large screen appeared, the text "AF#15-ACT" appearing on the top corner left of the transmission. It appeared to be the underside of a water tower.

Dick quickly recognized it as the one at the corner of Lee's Pass and Ditko Drive.

The high resolution transmission showed Spider-Man standing at the edge of the building, apparently surveilling the streets below. The bat-computer already started doing its thing, taking measures, heat identification, even the target's biometrics.

"Heartbeat 84 to 86, is he agitated?", asked Alfred.

"Nope, he is taking it easy. Metabolism may also be accelerated", Dick analyzed. Then the new hero straightened up and started looking around himself, as if looking for someone.

"No, is it possible?", wondered Batman, and Nightwing almost asked what he meant, when their subject of study looked back, almost towards the camera.

"No way, how…?!"

There was barely a second, when Spider-Man did some sort of gesture and next there was a strand of his personal 'web', which has been frustrating Batman for over two weeks, stuck to the device.

A quick pull and now the perspective was below Spider-Man's head, the mini-camera between his thumb and index fingers.

Batman quickly raised the speakers' volume.

"- I can't believe it, it even has little supports shaped like mini-bat-wings, I mean, come on! One thing is trying to keep on brand, but this is getting ridiculous. What next, you are going to be throwing projectiles shaped like bats too - actually, that would be funny, I just imagine Osborn's face seeing another guy roaming around, stealing his shtick."

Then the focus was now on the ground, Spider-Man inspecting the back of the device, his voice clearly with interest.

"The microtechnology involved in this is ridiculous, Batman must be loaded or he has friends in high places, I mean, even if the guy is a genius, which I'm not saying he is or isn't - also, what is powering this thing, what kind of battery is this running on? Don't tell me it's solar-powered, oh, it is! Look at this tiny solar panel, man, its energy efficiency must be in the 60%-"

"Seventy", commented Nightwing, then he smiled when Spider-Man corrected himself, "-nah, 70%, to be able to… is this a microphone?"

"Busted", Nightwing facepalmed, as Spider-Man turned the lens of the spy camera towards his own masked face.

"Oh. It's a camera. A bat-camera. Wow. So, Batman is probably seeing me right now. And listening to me as well. Every single thing I say."

And Dick could almost see the devilish smile forming, even behind the full face mask.

Suddenly the device was now in a new position, the small twip! sound caught by it with the vigilante's voice explaining things away.

"You know, usually, people don't want to stay around when I start talking, but I can see you are a curious guy, Bats! That is why I'll be taking your little gizmo along with me - I stuck it to my chest, so I'll call it my BatGoPro. Like it? Don't worry, I'll be returning it to you. Eventually."

"Introductions first!", the camera was now showing the approaching street below, as Spider-Man started falling, releasing his web to swing away from the street at the very last second. "I'm your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, completely original, accept no imitations".

The hero started doing some crazy acrobatics, and Nightwing was starting to mentally calculate his chances of pulling the same tricks himself.

"Oh, and there have been some imitations. Are. Had been. Could still be. Nevermind, it's complicated... Anyways! I think you were curious about me, who I am, where I'm from, what are my intentions, what is my sign, how I am able to do the things that I do." Now there were the faces of several people, Dick quickly realizing that Spider-man was now crawling on the side of a vehicle.

"The Metro train", he provided, and Bruce confirmed. "The M Line, going Downtown."

"The answers are… sorry, hold that thought." The vigilante jumped away from the subway car, swinging towards the street, where he caught a running man by his collar, tossed him to the side and stuck him high onto a wall with a web. Batman could see a woman's purse the man was still holding on.

"Another ne'er-do-well apprehended by yours truly. Now, be a nice criminal and drop the lady's property, and I'll leave you for the cops right where you are, all comfortable." Spider-Man offered a hand, ready to receive the item when the thief dropped it.

"And if I don't?", challenged the crook, which Nightwing had to give some respect to, he had guts.

A moron, but with guts.

"Then I'll be returning the purse anyway and you better hope GCPD has a crane available to pick you up from wherever I decided to drop you off. And boy, can I be creative."

The purse fell neatly into the gloved hands.

"Much obliged! See what a little courtesy can achieve?", he asked the people surrounding him.

An older lady came pushing the crowd away and took the purse from his hand with annoyance. "Courtesy?! Just shoot the bastard so he doesn't steal anymore, you…" and Alfred's "Oh my." came at a very fortunate moment.

Spider-Man kept himself still, then turned to some random people. "Gotham, am I right?", jumping and swinging upwards, back into action.

"Where was I? Oh, yes. The answers are Spider-Man, New York City, a friendly neighborhood, Virgo, bitten by a radioactive spider."

More acrobacies, people's faces passing too fast to even register in the footage, then a short and loud laugh coming from the vigilante.

"Ok, I lied, so sorry... I'm actually a Leo."


To be Continued!


Author's notes:

Spider-Man Livestreaming: a surprising hit or a new form of torture to Batman? The answer might surprise you!

Ok, before you leave, quick warning, updates are probably going to be once a week starting from this chapter.

Probably, maybe if I'm in a funk I'll post updates in a random date, or maybe for celebrations.

Next chapter, bring the popcorn and invite the family, Batman has videos!