Spider-Man: Web of Ikebukuro Chapter 01: The New Urban Legend
Lyall the Werewolf: Since childhood, I've been a huge Spider-Man fan, so writing a Spider-Man fanfic is pretty exciting. I was also inspired by the Insomniac Spider-Man games, both of which are great by the way. I wish I could play Spider-Man 2 on the PS5, but I currently don't own a PS5, so that's life.
This may not be the first attempt at the Spidey/DRRR crossover (My good friend bloodyredrose1994 has one), but the idea that a Spider-Man could exist in the Narita-verse version of Ikebukuro was too interesting not to write. Naturally, this will have an original Spider-Man, and the origin and powers will be different than usual. I've had this in the works for a long time, so I figured it was about time I published it.
For research material, I've read the comic series, especially the Amazing Spider-Man from the 1960s and the Ultimate Spider-Man comics, and they've given me some ideas for how I want to write this Spider-Man story. I've also been re-watching old Spider-Man cartoons to boot. Nothing beats the classics. I also did a lot of digging into the Spider-Man Mythos for more material to work with. Spoiler alert: One More Day and any comic-related events in recent times can suck raw eggs and gunpowder! Spider-Man: No Way Home and the 2018 PS4 title handled major character death far better than OMD did. Also, it is utter blasphemy that Peter and Mary Jane aren't together. Off with Paul's head, I say!
I've also been reading the Durarara light novels. I watched the anime before and I loved it for its cast of colorful characters and mystery plot. The light novels have also helped me understand the characters and plot better.
I don't know if I can do either justice, but nothing ventured nothing gained as they say!
With that out of the way, let's read this amazing fantasy anew.
(I don't own Durarara or Spider-Man)
Ikebukuro was busy, no matter what time of day it was. Even in the dead of night, something was happening. Something ordinary or something amazing.
There were many amazing stories in Ikebukuro. You'd have to be a true resident of the city to know of these amazing fantasies.
For example, there were stories about the color gangs. These gangs wear a color to symbolize their allegiances. You'd hear names like the Blue Squares or the Yellow Scarves and how much trouble they caused before they eventually disappeared off the streets. The most famous of the color gangs would be the Dollars, the gang without a color. It was said that the Dollars were entirely anonymous and operated on their own morality. That supposedly made them dangerous. Five months ago, the Dollars had their first meeting in Sunshine 60 Street. According to rumor, it was orchestrated by the creator of the Dollars website, making that anonymous person the gang's presumed leader.
There were stories about a man who was the very definition of violence and rage. His strength was unmatched, and only a few could challenge him in fisticuffs. This man was easily recognizable by his black sunglasses, dyed blonde hair, and bartender suit. His name was Shizuo Heiwajima.
One of the most famous stories of Ikebukuro was the urban legend of a mysterious motorcycle rider. They had been called many names. One moniker was the Black Rider; for they were dressed in a black biker jumpsuit with matching gloves and shoes, save for its yellow and blue helmet with a vague resemblance to a cat. It was difficult to determine whether the rider was male or female because it was rarely seen. It had also been called the Headless Rider due to rumors suggesting it did not possess a head. The Rider's equally black motorbike sometimes made the sound of a horse's cry as it drove across the pavement.
Recently, word of a new urban legend was spreading across the city. They say that a masked figure could be seen leaping from rooftops, crawling on walls, and swinging through the city on…
[-Chat Room-]
TarouTanaka: Webs?
Kanra: That's right! The masked man literally swings around Ikebukuro on webs! Isn't that amazing? It's like he came straight out of a comic book.
Setton: That's hard to believe. How is it possible for this person to stick to walls and swing on webs?
TarouTanaka: Maybe he isn't human?
Kanra: No one knows for sure. He wears a mask, after all. And you know what people have started calling him because of his stick 'em powers? Spider-Man!
TarouTanaka: Spider-Man?
Setton: Stick 'em powers?
Kanra: You heard right! They've been talking about him since he first appeared four weeks ago. He's gotten as famous as the Black Rider.
TarouTanaka: He's as famous as the Black Rider? And he can stick to walls like a spider?
Kanra: He does look like a spider when he's glued to the walls. As far as eyewitness accounts say, anyway.
Setton: So, there's no way to know for sure if he really has the powers of a spider?
Kanra: The only way to know for sure is to look for him. Of course, he reportedly moves so fast it's impossible to track him on camera. He also wears dark clothes and travels at night, so it's hard enough to spot him at night.
TarouTanaka: So, what exactly is he doing?
Kanra: I couldn't say. He seems to target random crooks on the streets. He occasionally leaves some of them behind for the police to find. The conscious ones said that Spider-Man was questioning them on the whereabouts of some crook who killed a university professor.
TarouTanaka: Oh, I heard about that. It was all over the news that a professor from Meiji University was killed on campus. They say the culprit is still at large.
Setton: So, Spider-Man is looking for the killer of that professor? What would he want from a person like that?
Kanra: Revenge maybe.
TarouTanaka: Revenge?
[-One Night-]
There was an American comic book shop in Ikebukuro. It was located on Sunshine 60 Street and named the Comic Stand. As one would imagine, a foreigner owned the store.
Said owner was an elderly Caucasian man with grey and white hair and a finely trim mustache. He wore rectangular yellow sunglasses, a white dress shirt beneath a brown jacket, gray trousers, and white dress shoes. If there was one way to describe the man, it would be the friendly neighborhood way. He was always friendly with his customers, which made him popular around Ikebukuro.
As the man was tending to his shop, the front door flew open, revealing four individuals casually strolling in.
"Stan the Man! What's shaking?!" shouted one of the four. He wore a light blue hoodie and had a backpack on. His hair was light brown. He had a wide smile and closed eyes, making him look like a fox.
"Walker, my boy! How's it hanging?!" the owner named Stan replied with as much excitement as the young man named Walker Yumasaki. They both do a long and elaborate secret handshake.
"Excelsior!" the two cried in unison at the end.
Walker was a frequent customer of this shop. The young man was an unabashed otaku. Though his interests were in anime, manga, and light novels, it didn't stop the young man from appreciating American comic books and cartoons. That was something Stan liked about him, and the two instantly clicked.
"And I see the rest of the Fantastic Four are here, too!" Stan joked, his charming smile beaming at Walker's friends as they came in.
"Would you stop calling us that?" asked the tallest of the four. His name was Kyōhei Kadota. He could be described as both intimidating and friendly. He wore a teal jacket and a black do-rag over his head. He was a little annoyed by the nickname Stan gave him and his group but not outright disdainful of it.
"Why not, Dotachin? It sounds like an awesome name for a team of superheroes!" said the only female in the group, Erika Karisawa. She had brown eyes and brown hair. She wore a black cap and black cheongsam with black ankle boots. Like Walker, Erika was also an avid otaku, and the two were practically best friends because of their shared interests. "Think about it! You can have super stretchy powers. Yumacchi can turn into a human fireball. Togacchi can turn into a huge golem thing. And I can turn invisible and make force fields! It's perfect!"
"Oh, I like it, Karisawa-san! My catchphrase should be 'Flame On' when I transform!" Walker said. He struck a dramatic pose like he was flying. "And Togusa-san should say 'It's Clobberin' Time' before he lays the smackdown on the bad guys!"
"I know right? Now we need to come up with superhero codenames!"
"How about Mr. Fantastic for Kadota-san, Human Torch for me, the Thing for Togusa-san, and Invisible Woman for you, Karisawa-san?"
"Oh yeah, those are definitely perfect!"
"I don't think perfect is the right word," said Kyōhei with a sweat drop. It truly amazed him how he kept his sanity after years of listening to Walker and Erika's nonsense about the world of 2D.
"You guys geek out over light novels and anime already. No way in hell are we gonna use superhero team names or pretend to have superpowers in public. And why am I 'The Thing'?!" groaned the last member of the group, Saburo Togusa. He had sharp brown eyes and above-shoulders brown hair. He wore a white collared shirt, dark red vest, jeans, loafers, and a chain necklace.
"You two can be such killjoys!" Erika pouted.
"Hehe! Look at you guys, off in your own little world. Wish I had that youthful vigor." Stan chuckled.
"Please don't encourage them." Kyōhei pleaded, "They always talk weird 2D stuff. It's incredibly awkward to deal with in public. It might be even worse if they make us pretend to be superheroes..."
"What does it matter? With all the good you four do in this city, ya might as well be fantastic heroes in my eyes," said Stan.
Kyōhei couldn't help smiling as he appreciated the sincere comment from Stan.
"Anyway, you guys are a little early. I was about to close shop in an hour." Stan stated.
"I couldn't wait! I need to get my creative energy flowing before it explodes!" Walker exclaimed.
"That reminds me, did what we asked you to order come in, Stan-chi?" Erika asked.
"Yep! The package came in this morning. I don't see why you couldn't order that stuff yourselves, though." Stan said with a raised eyebrow.
"Sorry, we didn't have the money. Besides, we know you're secretly loaded, so it's not a big deal for you." Erika smirked.
"Can't deny that." Stan chuckled, "You guys did me a big favor a while back, so it's the least I could do. Hang on a sec. I'll go get the package for ya."
Stan ventured to the back room to fetch the package Erika asked for. She and Walker had asked Stan to special order something for them.
Meanwhile, Kyōhei and Saburo looked around the shop for a bit.
"Gotta admit, much as I can't understand the appeal, these Western comics are kinda interesting," said Kyōhei, as he gazed at an action figure of a superhero with a round shield with a star on it. The hero's costume seemed to be modeled after the North American flag. For some reason, he imagined the American actor Chris Evans playing this character on film.
Another hero wore a yellow and blue spandex costume with metal claws and a feral snarl. Walker and Erika once said that Kyōhei had a similar sounding voice to this character when he appeared in recent Western cartoons and video games. The group's leader had no idea how they knew that when they didn't even watch Western cartoons. As far as he knew, anyway.
"Don't you know, Kadota-san? It's all about the Rule of Cool! Whereas magical girls are all about love and justice, superheroes are all about cool and justice!" Walker stated.
"No, no, Yumacchi! Being a superhero is all about an underdog overcoming all the challenges in their lives and proving their worth as heroes as they save the day!" Erika interjected.
"Oh, you're so right! But isn't tragic when they give up their lives to save the day? It feels like a piece of my childhood dies along with them!" cried Walker.
"I know! It's so sad, but they die for a good cause at least!" Erika cried as well before the two embraced each other in a tearful hug.
Kyōhei simply stared at the otaku duo in mild confusion and abstinence at their antics.
"You know what would make this place better? Having some Ruri Hijiribe merch," said Saburo, disappointed by the lack of merchandise about his favorite idol.
"You're out of luck, Togusa! This here's a comic shop, not an idol shop!" Stan yelled from the backroom.
"For an old guy, he sure has good hearing," Saburo muttered. At least Stan remembers his name, unlike most people outside his main group of friends.
A few minutes later, Stan carried the package to the front desk.
"Here ya are!" Stan grunted as he put the package on the desk, to Walker and Erika's joy.
"Oh yes! Finally! You're a lifesaver!" Walker cried in excitement.
"Thanks a bunch, Stan-chi! You're awesome!" Erika beamed.
"I know I am!" Stan replied, "Now if you kids don't mind me asking, what're you planning to do with this stuff?"
"I'm afraid that is a trade secret, good sir," Erika said with a playful wink.
"Well, 'nuff said, young lady! I know better than to poke my nose where it doesn't belong. Especially where you four troublemakers are concerned." Stan nodded.
"What happened to you calling us heroes?" Saburo asked sarcastically.
"Okay, now that we got what we came for, let's get going," Kyōhei ordered.
"Sure thing, Kadota-san!" Walker said as he carried the package, "See ya later, Stan-san! Thanks again for this favor! You really saved the day for my creative juices!"
"Any time, True Believer! I'm always here." Stan smiled, "Oh, and Kadota! If you know the one who started up the Dollars, give 'em my thanks for our first meeting five months ago, will ya? It was a blast!"
"Not a problem!" nodded Kyōhei. He remembered seeing Stan among the crowd of Dollars that gathered five months ago in Sunshine 60 Street. The old guy was talking to an odd foreign couple dressed up like Shinsengumi. That was before the Black Rider announced itself to the crowd and things went nuts from there.
"And if you see my part-timer anywhere, tell the kid I'm waiting on him. He's a student at Raira Academy named Yūya Yoshinaga. He's a good kid, but he's got a lot going on right now."
"Yeah, we'll do that too. Later, Stan-chi!" Erika said enthusiastically.
With their errand complete, the 'Fantastic Four' exit the Comic Stand. They boarded their dark green van and drove away into the night, with Saburo as the man behind the wheel.
"So, you guys are serious about making a costume for this spider guy?" Kyōhei asked. He sat in the passenger's seat while Erika and Walker sat in the back of the van.
"It's Spider-Man, Dotachin! That's what everyone on the internet is calling him!" Erika informed.
"Right…" Kyōhei shrugged.
"And if he's going around taking down bad guys, he'll need the look the part. That includes a cool costume!" said Walker.
"Yeah, according to the internet. How do we even know this Spider-Man guy exists, anyway?" asked Saburo.
"Anything's possible. If people like Shizuo or the Black Rider exist, then wall crawlers like this guy can, too," Kyōhei stated.
"Exactly! He might even be Ikeburuko's first superhero! Wouldn't it be exciting if we got to meet him?" Erika excitedly asked.
"Slow your roll, Karisawa. Wall crawling or web-slinging aside, I think it's too early to call him a hero." Kyōhei interjected, "From what I hear, this Spider-Man is more of a reckless rabble-rouser. In the four weeks he's been making noise, he's gone around attacking and interrogating random crooks like he's out to get someone. And he doesn't seem to care who he's picking fights with."
"Sounds like a revenge story. How anti-heroic!" Walker said excitedly.
"Come to think of it, I heard on the news about a professor from Meiji University who was murdered four weeks ago. That's around the time Spider-Man started showing up in Ikebukuro." Saburo added.
"Oh wow. Does that mean Spidey and that dead Meiji U professor are related?" asked Erika.
"I don't know. Either way, if we do come across him, we need to make sure he doesn't pick the wrong fight or catch the wrong kind of attention. The past five months have been relatively peaceful since the Dollars' first meeting, and I'd prefer to keep it that way." Kyōhei said seriously.
"Geez, you're always so stiff, Dotachin!" Erika pouted, "Why do you think we're making this costume for Spidey? So, he can do good superhero stuff and keep the peace!"
"Right! And he needs a cool costume to compliment his superpowers, like in the comics!" said Walker.
"What good is it gonna do him to stand out even more like some comic book superhero? How do you even know if he'll accept it?" asked an annoyed Kyōhei. His annoyance increased as the Otaku duo ignored him as they were going over their plans for the costume design they planned to make him wear.
"Forget it, Kadota. You know there's no way to change their minds once they're made up," said Saburo.
"You're right. Why do I bother?" Kyōhei sighed. Still, he couldn't help worrying about the future regarding this Spider-Man character.
They also couldn't forget about the Slasher incidents occurring around Ikebukuro recently. Kyōhei had his doubts there were any connections between the Slasher and Spider-Man, but it wouldn't do for Dollars watching over this neighborhood to ignore these issues.
That applied to another issue Kyōhei noticed recently. It seemed like the Yellow Scarves were slowly coming out of hiding.
He wasn't sure if they felt bold after the Dollars' first meeting or threatened by it, but Kyōhei knew nothing good would come of it unless a certain blonde kid decided to take charge again.
[-Meanwhile: Dark Alley-]
Asanuma, Morita, and Kanazawa ran as fast as their legs could carry them.
It was just one miserable venture after another for the trio of human traffickers.
Their string of misfortune began after those encounters with the Black Rider and Kadota's group. They ran a human trafficking business, but it was all but shut down after their biggest client, Yagiri Pharmaceuticals was bought out by another company.
Now they couldn't get by nearly as well thanks to their jobs getting harder and harder to do covertly. Normally, they would have kidnapped an illegal immigrant or runaway kid, but this time, they chose a capture a random civilian out of desperation. Unfortunately, that civilian disappeared as they pursued him somehow. The kid was scrawny-looking enough that they could take him off guard and stuff him in the van. But he was gone as soon as he ducked into a dark alley. It was like he vanished.
To make matters worse, the three traffickers were caught by that new urban legend just as they thought they would have pulled off a semi-successful kidnapping.
They managed to escape and ducked into the alleyway, where they kept running at full speed on foot.
"What're you doing, Asanuma-san?! Move your fat ass!" Kanazawa barked at their leader, who was lagging behind.
"Gimme a break! I'm not as skinny or athletic as you two!" a fatigued Asanuma complained, "You guys better not ditch me again!"
Asanuma shot a nasty glare at Morita for abandoning him to Kadota and his sadist duo of weirdoes.
"Look who's talking! You think I forgot about how you left me out on the street that one time?!"
"It's your own damn fault for spilling that bottle of sedatives all over yourself, you little dumbass!"
"That wasn't my fault! That Italian foreigner did it! And besides, if you hadn't dumped me out there-"
"Hey, you two, less banter and more running for our lives! We don't want that spider guy to catch us!" Morita shouted at his compatriots as he ran ahead of them.
Suddenly, a lone figure appeared on the wall in front of them, causing the trafficking trio to grind to a halt. The figure's hands and feet stuck to the wall like a spider.
This was the new urban legend that was currently chasing the trafficking trio. He was called Spider-Man, and his ability to stick to walls like a spider wasn't an exaggeration.
As he stood upright and judging from his short height and lithe build, it was easy to see that this darkly dressed figure was a young male.
He wore a gray winter mask and black goggles to hide his face. He donned a black shirt with a white spider insignia on the chest, and a red and black hooded jacket, the hood of which concealed the rest of his head. They also wore black gloves, navy blue jeans, and black boots.
His utter silence and the threatening presence he presented to the three traffickers froze them solid.
"Shit! He's here! And he really can stick to walls like a spider!" Kanazawa panicked.
"Relax! It doesn't matter if this runt can stick to walls. He can't dodge a bullet!" Asanuma pulled out a pistol and fired five rounds at Spider-Man.
Unfortunately, his theory proved incorrect. The bullets were effortlessly dodged by the fast and agile Spider-Man. He leaped off the wall and clung to another nearby to his right.
It didn't stop Asanuma from unloading another two or three rounds at the wall-crawler, who jumped off the wall behind him and dropkicked Morita into a pile of trash. The bespectacled man was knocked unconscious from the impact.
Kanazawa quickly picked up a piece of plywood and was about to crack on their assailant's head from behind.
Sensing incoming danger through Spider-Sense, Spider-Man easily intercepted and punched through the plywood. His fist connected to Kanazawa's face, sending the short man flying into a nearby wall and falling unconscious. Spider-Sense was one of Spider-Man's powers. It was like a tingling sensation in his skull acting as an alert system to impending danger.
With two down, Spider-Man set his sights on Asanuma.
The obese man aimed his pistol again, but the gun was somehow knocked out of his hands. He felt a sticky web-like substance on his hand.
In addition to his adhesive abilities of a spider, a Spider-Sense, and proportionate superhuman strength, agility, and reflexes, Spider-Man also could produce organic silk webbing from spinneret-like glands found near his wrists. Like pressing a switch on his palm with his index fingers, Spider-Man released webbing from his wrist in a straight line at a target. In this case, it was Asanuma's gun.
The web line knocked the gun out of Asanuma's hand and stuck itself there.
"What the hell is this crap?!" Asanuma shrieked. After shaking the webbing, he attempted to flee, but he was swiftly caught and pinned to the ground by Spider-Man.
"You're not going anywhere, tubby." Spider-Man hissed.
"W-Wait! J-J-Just give me a chance, okay?!" Asanuma begged.
"Funny? Your previous trafficking victims didn't have a chance. Why should you be given one? Especially after your latest would-be victim was a high school kid on his way home from school." Spider-Man asked angrily.
Asanuma couldn't answer due to his terror. Seeing this, Spider-Man decided he needed to be calmer. It'd be easier to get the information he wanted that way.
"But, as of right now, you do have a chance. So, consider yourself lucky. Now, start talking!" Spider-Man demanded.
"W-What? You wanna know where to find the latest runaways and illegal foreigners? Maybe I can cut you a deal!" said Asanuma, thinking he might be able to convince the wall-crawling runt to do business.
Unfortunately, his assailant lifted him high off the ground and held him up in one hand, boasting his incredible superhuman strength.
"What makes you think I'm some lowlife who wants to buy another human being?" Spider-Man asked in a menacing tone.
"Well, you know what people say about you on the net, right? I mean, for all I know, you might have a spider's face under that mask and goggles. Maybe you want a snack." Asanuma joked. He would regret his joke almost immediately.
Spider-Man threw Asanuma against the wall, causing the fat bastard's backside pain.
"I said you had one chance, and you're starting to blow it. Not very smart." Spider-Man said as he menacingly approached Asanuma, "I just want you to answer my questions."
"S-Sure, whatever! Just take it easy!"
"Four weeks ago, a murder occurred at Meiji University. The victim was one of their professors. The killer is still at large, and no one knows who he is or where he's hiding. I do know he goes by the alias Scorpion. I've spent the last four weeks tracking him down in Ikebukuro and have had no luck. And since you creeps are into the shady human trafficking business, I figured you ought to know something."
"Huh? I don't know a damn thing about a killer named Scorpion. But, my compliments to the guy! Less snotty university geeks, the better." Asanuma smirked. Again, he quickly regretted his taunt as he was lifted by the scruff of his neck by an angry Spider-Man. This made it difficult for Asanuma to breathe.
"That snotty university geek was a good man, and Scorpion is gonna pay for killing him! You'd better stop screwing around if you wanna leave this alley intact!"
"H-Hah! You really think a brat like you can kill me?" Asanuma tauntingly asked. He thought he called his bluff when Spider-Man hesitated to answer.
"No. But, I think I can persuade you with a bit of torture." Spider-Man grabbed Asanuma's left hand.
"T-Torture…?" Asanuma began to sweat bullets as he remembered that bizarre torture session from Kadota's two pet freaks. Thankfully it didn't happen, but he could only imagine the pain and nightmares if they had a chance to go through with it.
"Don't worry. It's nothing too extreme. Let's count how many fingers I can break by the count of ten. 1…"
CRACK!
"OWW!"
Spider-Man effortlessly bent one finger out of place, breaking it. The pain was unbearable to Asanuma.
"2…"
CRACK!
"AGH! I-I seriously don't know! I'm just a human trafficker for crying out loud!"
"You should really rethink your career choices. Also, you're about to lose another finger," said Spider-Man as he prepared to bend another finger.
"W-Wait! I know a guy who can help! H-He probably knows about this Scorpion bastard! His name's Izaya Orihara, and he's an info broker!"
Upon hearing this, Spider-Man released Asanuma and let him continue.
"With the right price, he can get you the info you're looking for. He's good at that stuff." Asanuma said. He was caressing his broken fingers.
"And where am I supposed to find this Izaya Orihara?" Spider-Man asked.
"I-I heard he has an office in Shinjuku, but I don't know where. But I do have his number on my phone. Hopefully, he hasn't changed it yet. He tends to do that to avoid trouble." Asanuma answered as he handed his smartphone to Spider-Man, who snatched it away.
"Thanks."
"D-Does this mean you'll let me go?"
THEWP!
Asanuma found webbing covering his mouth. Before he could figure out what just happened, his entire body was wrapped up in a cocoon of webbing by Spider-Man. He left a hole for him to breathe through his nose.
Spider-Man wrapped the other two up in web cocoons as well.
With his work complete, Spider-Man scaled a building and reached the rooftop.
He turned on Asanuma's smartphone and scrolled through the list of numbers until he found Izaya's name and number. It seemed to be in service as after dialing the number, the receiver picked up.
"Hello, Izaya Orihara speaking. How may I help you this fine evening, Asanuma-san?" Izaya Orihara asked.
"Asanuma's out. I'm calling you, Izaya Orihara because he said you might have the information I want," answered Spider-Man.
"Oh? Well, that's a surprise. I guess Asanuma and his buddies screwed up again. Of course, that part's not surprising, considering how stupid they are without help. So, to whom am I speaking then?" asked Izaya.
"None of your business!" Spider-Man answered snappishly.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. None of your business. I wasn't trying to offend you. But, I must ask, are you a high schooler? You sound like a high schooler to me. There must be something you want desperately enough to skip curfew, assault a group of lowlifes, and contact an info broker like me. What is it?"
"What's with this guy?" Spider-Man wondered. The playfulness in Izaya's tone was unsettling. It especially worried him that Izaya Orihara guessed immediately that Spider-Man was a high school student. He wondered if asking Izaya about Scorpion was a good idea. But he had no other leads, so he had no choice but to talk to this info broker.
"It doesn't matter if I'm in high school or not. I want information about a man named Scorpion. I'll pay you whatever you want… just at a later date."
"Scorpion? That's an unusual name. Is it some kind of alias?"
"Yes. Probably. That's why I'm asking you!" Spider-Man shouted. Actually, he didn't know Scorpion's real name. All he knew was that the killer was a large man with scorpion-themed tattoos on his body, so he just gave him the name.
"Haha, relax! I'm an info broker. I'm supposed to collect info and sell it. You want potential information I might have, don't you?" Izaya chuckled.
Spider-Man could sense the amusement in his voice. Just a few seconds worth of conversation and Spider-Man decided on his first impression, "I don't like this guy."
"But, I'm curious. Why do you want to know about this Scorpion creep? He sounds like bad news. I take it he's not a friend of yours?" asked Izaya.
"He… He killed a professor from Meiji University four weeks ago. I've trying to track him down ever since." Spider-Man hesitantly answered.
"Oh, I heard about that on the news. I believe the victim was identified as Akinori Yoshinaga, an archeology professor from Meiji University. Reports say he fought off and was killed by an unknown assailant who broke into the museum to steal one of the research artifacts. The police are still tracking the killer, but haven't turned up any clues. Is that right so far?"
"Yeah. That's the gist of it."
"Interesting. So, why does that case matter to you? Are you related to it somehow?"
"I told you, that's none of your business!"
"Mr. None of your business, I am a professional. If you want information, then you need to be cooperative with me. Why don't you start by telling me who you are and how you're connected to that incident?"
Spider-Man hesitated to answer. He spent four weeks secretly looking for Scorpion and hasn't divulged his identity to anyone. Not even his family and friends knew what he was up to at night. Yet Izaya seemed to have him figured out already. It made Spider-Man think that going to this info broker wasn't a good idea.
STATIC CRASH!
"What was that?" Spider-Man asked as he heard a loud crashing sound on the other end.
"Oh, just a wild animal going out of control. Sadly, as much as I want to know the full story, I'll be a little busy now, so I'll talk to you some other time."
"Huh? Hey, wait!" Spider-man pleaded desperately. He finally found a potential lead and he couldn't afford to lose it.
"But if you're really desperate, you should try talking to Shizuo Heiwajima! He's in tight with the Yakuza and knows about all kinds of criminals! He might know something about Scorpion! And if you need a description of him, look for a tall blonde guy wearing sunglasses and a bartender outfit! Later!"
"IZAYAAAA!"
That was the last thing Spider-Man heard before the other line cut off.
"What the heck was that about?"
He tried calling Izaya again, but the number was no longer in service. Now knowing the smartphone was useless, Spider-Man tossed it away.
"That was a bust! Another dead lead… I purposely led those three idiots into thinking I was an easy mark so I could catch them and get some useful info on Scorpion. And I couldn't tell if that Izaya Orihara guy was serious or not either." Spider-Man grumbled.
But, if Izaya Orihara really thought this Shizuo Heiwajima had info on Scorpion, then Spider-Man needed to track him down and confirm it.
Spider-man was nervous about going after Shizuo. He heard about the man's violent rampages after he gets angry, but they had to be exaggerations, right?
He lived in a relatively safe neighborhood and always came home from school without any detours except for his part-time job, so he had never seen Shizuo before. Thus, he wouldn't know for sure if Shizuo was the so-called strongest man in Ikebukuro.
"I can go find Shizuo Heiwajima later. I need to get home before Mom and Dad suspect anything. They've had enough on their plate."
Shooting a web line at a tall building, Spider-Man swung away. Web slinging was Spider-Man's primary mode of transportation throughout Ikebukuro. With his superhuman strength and endurance, he could swing around the city without tiring out. His Spider-Sense also came in handy when choosing from which building to swing off of.
Hours of practicing with his abilities paid off for the web-slinger.
With his perfected swinging, Spider-Man was on his way home. He needed rest and his adventures would continue another night.
Narration: Yūya Yoshinaga:
Okay, let's do this one last time!
Imagine you're reading a new comic book or manga. The front cover has the hero jumping into action, despite wearing a makeshift costume, and not having the best motivations for heroism at the moment. That's me.
My name is Yūya Yoshinaga. I was an ordinary teenager attending Raira Academy. That is until one day, I was bitten by a mystical spider. And for about four weeks, I've been Ikebukuro's Spider-Man.
People talk about me on the Internet a lot. Yes, I'm famous. Or infamous… depending on who you talk to. As much as I appreciate the fame, I'm not looking to grab media attention on purpose. Actually, I don't really care about it at all. I'm more focused on finding Scorpion. As for what I'm really doing as Spider-Man or how I got my amazing stick 'em powers… well, that's a story for another time. I need to get home.
Lyall the Werewolf: That wraps the first chapter. For those unaware, this story begins before the Saika Arc of Durarara. The light novel and manga fail to specify when it takes place between the Mika Harima Arc and Saika Arc, so I'm going off the anime, which states that six months have passed since the Dollars' first meeting. Except we're going in a month before the Saika Arc.
And yes, that was Stan Lee in the chapter. I simply couldn't resist giving him a cameo appearance here. I'm sure he wouldn't mind since he loved doing things like that before passing away. He, his wonderful ideas, and his cameos have been missed. I also believe he'd fit right in with the Dollars. At least with the friendly neighborhood ones. Spoiler, but in this story, he's immortal, like Isaac and Miria.
Also, Scorpion will be the first villain Yūya is about to square off against. For those not in the know, Scorpion is a bigger deal in the comics than you'd think from a guy who's usually portrayed as a henchman in other media. The question is, what am I doing with the character of Scorpion? We'll have to wait and find out.
By the way, this story will also be available on Wattpad. I've had an account there for years but never did anything with it. I even had it under a different name, before I decided to change it. But with these recent issues on cropping, I figured now was as good a time as any to start using it to cross-post. This doesn't mean I'm leaving FFN. I'll still be updating my stories here. It'll probably be a while before any ongoing fics go to Wattpad. Or I'll just leave things as is since it'll likely be a huge hassle.
That's all from me.