A/N: This is the start of a two-part episode, which introduces Anya as Spider-Girl, who most of your guessed right, is the fourth Web-Warrior, since Jessica's only a reserve.
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In the Queens area of the city, on the night of Friday the 11th of June, a costumed figure was standing on a rooftop, wearing a purple and green outfit. It had purple long gloves and boots, while the chest resembled a purple one-piece woman's swimsuit, while the rest of the suit was green, including a mask that covered the figure's entire head, with purple lines around the eye holes, which were yellow, and small purple wings on her back. The figure jumped off the rooftop and dived down towards the ground, before boosters strapped to the boots fired up, flying the figure off.
The figure flew off down a street quickly, then turned right down another, then shot up slightly, passing by Spider-Man, who was sitting resting on a wall, when he saw the figure flying right past him.
"Well, now there's something you don't see everyday?" he thought. "I better check this out."
He jumped off the wall and began to web-swing after the figure.
The figure kept on flying by, when Spider-Man soon came swinging after him.
"Hey, where'd you get the cool suit?" he asked.
The figure ignored him as it kept on flying, with Spider-Man swinging after him.
"I'm serious, it looks cool." Spider-Man said.
The figure turned around and hovered above a small building, as Spider-Man landed on the rooftop of it.
"What, cat got your tongue?" Spider-Man asked.
The figure turned around and flew off towards the Queens Midtown tunnel.
"Hey, wait..." Spider-Man called.
The figure ignored him and flew off towards the tunnel.
"Oh, this guy must be the strong-silent type." he deduced. "Still, better follow him."
He jumped and began to swing after the figure, who turned around and threw a bomb at the entrance, causing part of it to collapse, starting a fire which trapped two men.
"Oh, man!" Spider-Man moaned. "Okay, that suit is not cool, dude!"
The figure turned around and flew down the tunnel, as Spider-Man gilded towards the two men, who fortunately, were on the same side of the tunnel, surrounded by fire.
"Hang on?" Spider-Man asked. "You're gonna be alright."
"Take Tom first." one of the men said.
"But Andy-" Tom argued.
"You're younger so you're first!" Andy argued. "Older brother rule!"
Spider-Man looked at them both, seeing they were indeed brothers due to the resemblance, as they had the same eye and hair color, only Andy was taller and had shaggier hair.
"I'll be back." he promised, grabbing Tom.
He turned around and jumped up, then web-swung away to the top of the road tunnel, seeing a few people coming towards the end of it, including a Doctor. He landed near the Doctor and put Tom down.
"I'll take it from here, Spider-Man." the Dr. said. "I've already called for help."
"Thanks. I'll be right back through. His brother's still down there." Spider-Man said.
He turned around and web-swinged down towards the tunnel, before he landed near Andy, who coughed.
"I've got you." he said, grabbing Andy.
He turned and web-swinged over towards the Dr., before putting him down beside his brother.
"Thanks, Spidey." Andy said, coughing.
"No problem. Now, to find out who that guy is." Spider-Man said.
He turned and swung over towards the tunnel, before he saw the figure fly down it, forcing him to spread his arms out to glide.
"Why couldn't he have taken the bridge!" he thought, annoyed.
The Beetle flew off towards the other end of the tunnel, coming out of it, before she turned around and shot a laser from her right wrist.
"Yikes!" Spider-Man yelped.
He let go of his web-line and dived down, dodging the laser, which hit the entrance right behind him, but luckily, no one was around this end.
"Oh!" he moaned, rolling along the ground.
He stopped on his chest, then pulled himself up and shook his head, before he looked at the figure, who turned and flew away. He got up and began to web-swing after the figure, as she flew off through the city, with him just barely able to keep up.
"Okay, whoever this guy is, he's fast." he thought. "He might give Tony a run for his money."
He kept swinging after the figure, who turned right and flew off past a few buildings,, before Spider-Man managed to catch up to him.
"Ooh, look at that." a woman said, spotting the figure.
"Hey, is it me, or is Spider-Man chasing Iron Man?" a man asked.
"I don't think so, Bob." his friend said. "That figure is not Iron Man."
"Oh." Bob said.
Spider-Man kept web-swinging after the figure, which turned right and shot up past a building.
"Oh, man! Where's a flying friend when you need one?" he questioned.
He let go of his web-line and somersaulted forward, before he gilded up towards the building, before he saw the figure was heading for the Kip's Bay docks.
"Oh, great! There's only one side for me to swing from!" he thought.
He began to web-swing after the figure again, who upon reaching the edge of the docks, turning right and flew off.
"Oh, I get it, it's a game of cat and mouse, eh?" Spider-Man called. "Well, you're on, buddy!"
He turned right and kept web-swinging after the figure, who soon flew past the The Morgan Library & Museum building, then towards the Empire State Building. The figure then turned right and flew off down 6th Ave, before he flew up and smashed through the 10th floor of a building, flying right through it, starting a fire.
"Oh, great!" Spider-Man thought, as he landed on a rooftop opposite. "Better hope there's not many people in there."
He jumped off and swung over towards the building, before he landed through the smashed window, seeing an Asian woman standing in a hallway, surrounded by fires.
"Help me?" she cried.
"Hang on!" Spider-Man called.
He jumped over a fire towards her, then grabbed her and put her on his shoulder.
"Hold on tight?" he asked. "I'll get you out of here."
"Okay." the woman nodded.
Spider-Man jumped over another fire while holding the woman, then jumped through the smashed window at the other end.
"AHHH!" the woman screamed, closing.
Spider-Man turned and shot a web from his left hand, which hit the building, stopping them both inches from the ground.
"Ah!" the woman panted, opening her eyes. "Ah! Thank you, Spider-Man."
Spider-Man put his feet on the ground and put her down near Bryant Park.
"Don't mention it." he said. "Is there anyone else up there?"
"No." the woman replied. "I was all alone on the floor, so everyone else should be safe."
"Right. I gotta go." Spider-Man said.
He turned and jumped up and began to climb up a nearby building quickly, before he got to the roof and looked around.
"No sign of that guy?" he thought. "Where could he-"
His question was answered as he turned and saw the figure flying away towards a large building about a block away.
"Okay, that was quicker than I thought." he thought.
He jumped off the rooftop and began to web-swing towards the building.
The figure flew up towards the building's 15th floor, then smashed through it, seeing it was an office room that was empty. He approached the wall at the end and pulled off a portrait, showing a hidden safe. He moved away and fired a cutting torch from his right wrist, cutting around the number buttons, then he pulled the door off it, seeing loads of money inside. He began to put the money into a pouch bag strapped to his suit, before Spider-Man dived through the broken window and landed near the figure.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" he said, putting his fists on his hips.
The figure turned to him, his pouch now full of money.
"You know, I only wanted to talk before, but now I see you're stealing and have nearly killed people, I'm gonna have to bring you in." Spider-Man said.
The figure glared at him, before he raised his left arm up and fired a laser from it, making Spider-Man dive to his right behind a desk to dodge it.
"Whoa!" he yelped. "Hey, what the-"
The figure jumped and flew out of the window before he could finish.
"Okay, this guy is seriously getting on my nerves." Spider-Man thought.
He ran and jumped out of the window, then turned right and began to web-swing after him. The figure flew past the Hilton Club The Central at 5th New York, before he turned left and flew up over a few buildings, before he flew down to street level. Spider-Man chased after him, before he landed on a rooftop and ran along it, then he jumped off and gilded down towards the figure, before he shot a web from his hand, which hit the back of his right leg.
The figure turned slightly, seeing Spider-Man had hold of him via his web, making him fly quickly to his right.
"Whoa!" Spider-Man yelped. "Hey, watch it!"
He kept hold of his web as the figure flew up over some tall buildings, before he turned right and flew towards the Rockefeller Center.
"Oh, not good." Spider-Man gulped.
The figure flew upwards as he got near the building, causing Spider-Man to crash into it, denting a hole in it slightly, which he stuck to.
"OH!" he moaned. "Oh, that hurt!"
He pulled his head away and shook it, before he looked around, then began to climb up the wall, before the figure came down and hovered near him with its boosters.
"Oh, now you wanna talk?" Spider-Man inquired. "Well, after what you've done to me, I think that time's past, mister."
"The name's Beetle, web-head." the figure said, revealing she was a woman.
"A woman?" Spider-Man questioned. "Okay, didn't expect that."
"Ha. I've heard you and your little friends have dealt with woman thieves before." Beetle said. "Heard of one who's actually managed to escape from you every time you've met."
"If you're referring to the Black Cat, then she only gets lucky due to how sneaky she is." Spider-Man said. "And besides, like you said, you're not the first woman villain me and my team's dealt with. Shadow and I just go a bit easier on the women."
"Ha! That won't stop me from going hard on you, web-head!" Beetle sneered. "I've been waiting for this a while now, since you ruined my Dad's reputation."
"Your Dad?" Spider-Man questioned. "Who are you talking about?"
"Let's just say, you made his Boss angry at him, and you'll pay for this." Beetle said. "I would've tested my suit sooner if not for that Spider-Island mess the Jackal had caused. Now I can make my Dad proud and help him out."
"A Daddy daughter duo, huh?" Spider-Man joked. "Well, we'll see about that, Beetle."
He moved to pounce on her, but missed as she flew up with her boosters, making him miss and dive towards the ground. He raised his left hand up to shoot a web, but found his shoot was empty, then the same with the right.
"Oh, no!" he gasped. "Not now!"
He spread his arms out and gilded down towards a building, then grabbed the edge of it, before he climbed up. He quickly refilled his web-shooters, before he turned around, seeing Beetle flying slowly towards him.
"Right, let's get it on." Spider-Man joked.
"Sorry, web-head, but I've got bigger plans." Beetle said. "Besides, I've studied up on you and your friends, so I know you better than you think."
She turned and flew off to her right, before Spider-Man jumped and began to glide after her, before she fired lasers from her right wrist, hitting and starting fires on the road below, setting fire to five cars, with people trapped inside four of them.
"NOOO!" Spider-Man gasped.
He landed on a rooftop nearby and looked down, seeing the trapped people, as the Beetle stared at him.
"It's me or them, wall-crawler." Beetle said. "Take your pick?"
She turned around and flew off, leaving Spider-Man to turn to the fire.
"Those people have to come first. Man, I wish Gwen or Miles were here, at least then we could do both." he thought.
He jumped off the rooftop and gilded down towards the cars.
"Still, if I do this quick, I might be able to catch up with her." he thought hopefully.
He shot a web from his right hand, then swung down before he landed on the road, then ran over to the cars. He pulled one's door open, then the driver got out and coughed.
"Thanks." he said, before he ran off.
Spider-Man moved to the second and third car, then shot webs at the doors and pulled them off, freeing the people inside, both men. He turned and ran to the fourth car, seeing a woman and her baby trapped inside, as the fire moved towards them.
"Hang on." Spider-Man said.
He grabbed hold of the door and pulled it off, then helped the woman and her baby out of the car, just before the fire reached the car and started to burn it.
"Ah!" the woman panted.
She touched her chest as her baby cried, before turning to the hero.
"God bless you, Spider-Man." she said. "God bless you."
"Hey, all in a day's work." Spider-Man said. "I'm sure insurance will cover it for you all."
The three men smiled, before he turned and looked around.
"Now to get the Beetle." Spider-Man thought.
He jumped up and web-swinged off down the street, but when he landed on high rooftop and looked around, he saw no sign of Beetle anywhere.
"Oh, man, lost her! I didn't even land a Spider-Tracer on her!" he groaned. "Next time, I'll be ready for her."
He jumped off the rooftop and began to web-swing home, due to how late it was, knowing he'd have to tell Gwen and Miles in the morning.
About an hour later, the Beetle landed on a rooftop Tombstone was on, as his house was nearby, who stared at Beetle.
"Well, how it go?" he asked.
"Oh, it went swell. I had the time of my life back there." Beetle said.
"You did a good job, sweetie. Not bad for your first night out." Tombstone remarked.
Beetle smiled and took off her mask, showing she was his daughter Janice.
"Why, thank you, Daddy." she said, grinning.
"I'll be looking forward to seeing you on the News tomorrow." Tombstone said. "And since you made it back, I presume you didn't encounter one of the Web-Warriors?"
"Actually, I did." Janice assured. "Spider-Man chased after me while flying near the Queens Midtown tunnel."
"And he didn't-" Tombstone began.
"Oh, I gave him the slip, Daddy." Janice assured. "Left a bit of mess for him to clean up, allowing me to escape."
"That's my girl." Tombstone said, ruffling her hair.
Janice smiled before she looked down at her suit.
"I'm really impressed with your suit." Tombstone said.
"Thanks. I had help from my unsuspecting friend Anya." Janice said. "And believe me, Daddy, she knows nothing about this."
"Good. My Boss Silvermane is gonna be so impressed when he sees you in action, he might allow you into the fold, secretly of course." Tombstone said.
"What do you mean by that?" Janice asked.
"As much as I hate to say it, I'd rather you not get expelled from school." Tombstone said. "A collage degree might help you improve your suit and other equipment we use."
"Alright, I'll be careful, Daddy." Janice assured.
"Good. Now, let's go home." Tombstone said.
Janice smiled as she put her mask back on, before they both ran off along the rooftop, on their way back to their house.
In the Corazon apartment the next morning, at 7am, Anya was in her bedroom, sewing up a black costume for herself. It had a large white spider symbol on the chest, the bottom legs going down to her knees, while the second front legs went around her arms, and it also had a white patch on the shoulders and forearms. It also had a smaller spider on the back, but her mask was a crow mask like Spider-Woman's, which left her mouth and hair visible.
"Once this is finished, I can be just like the Web-Warriors." she thought.
She looked down at her costume, as she was finishing it off, as she began to think about all that had happened in the past two and a half weeks.
(Flashback)
In an abandoned warehouse, Anya was dressed in workout clothes and goggles, which consisted of a white vest top, blue jeans and brown shoes, practicing her fighting skills. She had spent at least two hours a day here since she discovered she still had her Spider Powers, and had been testing them out in her outfit.
"Being a gymnast might have its merits here." she thought, as she did a back flip, landing gracefully on her feet.
She looked around, using her senses to check everywhere, before she sent a kick with her left leg, then did a chop move with her right. She spun around and did a kick with her left, then she put her hands on the ground and did a backwards handspring, then did a handstand, before stretching her legs out.
"Well, at least I'll get more training from my Gymnastics, so Papa won't get suspicious." she thought.
She pulled her legs up, then did a forwards handspring, putting her feet on the ground gracefully, then smiled. She shot a web from her right hand, which hit an empty soda can she brought, then she pulled the web and caught it in her hand. She put it down, then jumped up onto the ceiling, sticking to it on all fours, before she crawled along it.
"Okay. That's enough for now." she thought, as she stopped. "Guess practicing here for now's the best I can do without getting caught. And if my Papa calls, I just tell him I'm working out, which isn't a complete lie."
She jumped down from the ceiling and landed near a backpack on her feet, which included a towel and a change of clothes, before she picked the towel up.
"I'll use these clothes for my workout, then once my costume's done, use that for my spider time." she thought, jokingly.
(Flashback ends)
Anya smiled happily, as she'd gone there for two hours a day since finding that place to practice, before she looked down at her costume, seeing she'd finished it.
"There, finished." she thought. "Now, time to try this on and see if it fits."
She got up from her desk and stripped herself down 'til she was just in her pink underwear, then put her costume on herself, finding it hard at first, but then had all but her mask on. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled, before raising her mask up, seeing it fit like a glove, but then felt something off.
"Hmm? Maybe I better do something about my hair." she thought, touching it. "I'm not cutting it short for one thing, but I'd rather not have it like Spider-Woman's though."
She walked over to her draws and pulled out a scrunchy, then tied her hair into a ponytail with it, before she looked at herself again.
"Ah, that's better. At least my hair won't get in my eyes this way." she thought.
She looked at herself in the mirror in her costume for a whole minute, before she smiled.
"Perfect." she thought. "Absolutely perfect."
She turned to her window and opened it up, before she climbed out of it slightly.
"Today is the birth of Spider-Girl." she thought. "Now, to begin to search for crime out there."
She jumped out of the window and began shooting her organic webs out, to swing off through the city.
A little later, two men were in a store in Chinatown, one holding the owner and his wife at gunpoint with a shotgun, while the other loaded money into a bag.
"Hurry up!" the first said.
The owner helped the second load the money into the bag, before it was full.
"Let's go." the second thug said.
The first nodded, before he pocketed a wrapped muffin, then turned and followed his friend out of the store. They both looked around, when Spider-Girl swung by them both and shot a web which hit their backs.
"Huh?!" they gasped.
Spider-Girl pulled them up with her web, then jumped and webbed both crooks to the wall, trapping them, before she took the money bag. She landed in the doorway and threw it at the owner, who caught it.
"Have a nice day, folks." she said.
She turned around and jumped up, before she web-swinged off, with several people watching her.
"What the...?" a bald African man said.
"Another Spider?" a Latin man questioned.
Everyone in the street watched as Spider-Girl swung away, with some recording or taking pictures with their phones.
Later, at a Jewellery store called We Buy Diamonds, a married couple dressed in black stormed out of the store, carrying a bag full of diamonds each, unaware Spider-Girl was perched on the rooftop opposite.
"We did it, baby." the man said.
"We sure did, sweetie." the woman said. "Let's get back and-"
A web hit her shoulder before she could finish, then she got pulled up towards Spider-Girl.
"Hey!" her husband cried.
"Let me go?!" the woman demanded.
"As you wish." Spider-Girl teased.
She jumped up, dragging the woman with her, before she shot a web from her left hand, creating a large one between a lamppost and the building, before she dived and stuck herself and the woman to it.
"AH!" the woman yelped.
"Let her go!" her husband demanded.
Spider-Girl dived down and kicked him in the chest, knocking him down, making him drop his bag.
"Sorry, can't do that." she teased. "But you can join your her if you want."
She grabbed the man and threw him up towards the web, getting stuck on it right beside his wife.
"OH!" he moaned.
Spider-Girl smiled at her work, before she heard sirens wailing, then she jumped up and swung off, when three Police cars showed up and pulled over.
"Whoa!" a Cop gasped.
They all got out of their cars and looked at the crook couple, which included Lt. DeWolff.
"Looks like one of the web-heads took care of it." another said.
"Must've done." the Lt. said. "Cut 'em down and book 'em."
A little later, in an alley, a man pinned a woman to the ground at gunpoint.
"Hand over your purse?" he demanded.
The woman whimpered, when a web hit the man's gun.
"Huh?" he gasped, as it got pulled out of his hand.
He looked up as Spider-Girl swung down towards him and kicked him with both feet, sending him flying away down the alley, before he hit a wall and knocked himself out.
"OH!" he moaned.
Spider-Girl put her feet on the ground and turned to the woman.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Yeah." the woman panted, getting up. "Who are you?"
"Spider-Girl." Spider-Girl answered. "You get outta here and call the Cops on that jerk."
She jumped up and began to web-swing off, as the woman looked up at her.
"Another spider hero?" she muttered. "Wow."
At 12am, Peter and Gwen were both at the Coffee Bean having lunch together, Peter having been telling Gwen about what happened last night, while sitting opposite each other.
"So, this Beetle woman managed to give you the slip?" Gwen asked quietly.
"Yeah." Peter nodded. "Said something about humiliating her Dad, but I have no clue who she meant. And due to all the stuff she did, she's playing for keeps, won't care who gets hurt."
Gwen reached over and touched her shoulder.
"We'll find out who she is, together." she promised. "We'll put her away so she can't hurt anyone."
Peter smiled at his girlfriend, who smiled back at him.
All over the place, were other people sitting and talking, while on the TV, a News bulletin began to play.
"...and in other News, a new Spider person has been seen over parts of the city." the Newsman explained.
Peter and Gwen both turned to the TV, along with everyone else, all shocked and eager to find out more.
"...and over to Whitney Chang." the Newsman said.
The screen showed Whitney Chang at the We Buy Diamonds store.
"Thank you. About an hour, these two crooks we're captured by one of the Web-Warriors." she explained. "But according to witnesses from a nearby store in Chinatown, the robbery there was stopped by a spider-themed hero that hasn't been seen before. Some of them even caught pictures of the figure."
An image of Spider-Girl popped up on the screen, before it moved to the top right corner.
"All they can tell us is it's a girl." Whitney explained. "Another person who was getting mugged was saved by this hero and has confirmed her name is Spider-Girl. I think most of us will be glad to know there's another web-slinger out there protecting us all."
"Indeed, Whitney." the Newsman said, coming back onto the screen. "And now back to..."
Peter and Gwen both turned to each other, while everyone else inside began to talk amongst each other.
"Another spider?" Gwen whispered. "But how?"
"I have no clue. I thought after Spider-Island, there was only us, Miles and Jessica." Peter assured.
"We better check this out." Gwen said.
"Agreed. Let's get Miles and investigate." Peter said.
Gwen nodded, before they finished their drinks and got up, then they left the store to investigate.
Meanwhile, Tombstone had watched the News on TV in his house, and was shocked.
"Oh, crud." he mumbled. "The Boss isn't gonna like this. But then again, no crime family is."
"Not gonna like what, Daddy?" Janice asked, coming into the room.
Tombstone turned to his daughter.
"Have you seen the News, dear?" he asked.
"No." Janice said. "I only just got back. Why, what did you see?"
"Turns out there's a new Spider out there." Tombstone explained. "Silvermaine isn't gonna like this News."
At that moment, his phone beeped, making him pick it up, seeing it was Alicia Silvermaine.
"Yeah." he said, putting it to his ear.
"My father just saw the News, and he's not happy with-" Alicia began.
"This new Spider?" Tombstone finished. "I just saw it myself so I know."
"Glad you did." Alicia said. "Father said this isn't gonna be good."
"I agree, but this might mean Kingpin and some more of his rivals will be in more trouble." Tombstone reasoned. "Kingpin has been getting the brunt of the web-heads mess."
"You have a good point." Alicia agreed. "Even Joseph would agree there. Has your daughter mastered her suit you told him about?"
"Yes. She managed to do her job and give Spider-Man the slip." Tombstone assured.
"Good." Alicia said. "Since it's not a school day, why not make her have a little fun. Maybe she can find this new Spider and tell us how she acts."
"Okay." Tombstone sighed. "But if she gets caught, her future's ruined, just like yours will be, since you're in college."
"I know that. I'm sure little Janice will know better than to take her mask off willingly." Alicia said.
Tombstone sighed and hung up and put his phone down, before turning to Janice.
"I heard, Daddy, and I'm ready." she said, rubbing her hands.
"Just...be careful and keep your mask on?" Tombstone asked. "I don't wanna risk you not being able to go to collage and not get a good education. There's a lot of ways that'll help not only you, princess."
"I'll be careful, Daddy." Janice assured. "If I find that new Spider, I'll tell you all I find out about her."
She turned around and ran upstairs to change, while Tombstone sighed, hoping he wasn't gonna regret this, as his daughter was the only thing more important to him than making his Boss happy.
A little later, Peter, Gwen and Miles were all in the Spider-Cave, in their costumes sans masks, standing by the computer in it, which showed a map of the city.
"This Beetle woman you encountered last night is someone you've never seen before, Pete?" Miles asked.
"No." Peter said. "Outside Black Cat, the only female villains we've encountered was the Mystique woman."
Miles looked confused, before Gwen turned to him.
"She's a shapeshifting mutant with blue skin." Gwen explained. "We only met her when we first met Angelica."
"Oh." Miles said. "By shapeshifting, you mean-"
"She can turn herself into anyone." Gwen confirmed. "Almost like the Chameleon, expect unlike him, we won't know if it's her or not."
"She doesn't rely on technology to change her appearance?" Miles assumed.
"Yes." Gwen confirmed. "Mutants are born with their powers, unlike us."
"Oh..." Miles said. "Right. Did you learn anything from the Beetle through, Pete?"
Peter sat down at the computer and began to type on the keyboard, bringing up several files on the screen. One was a file on every enemy they've encountered, which Jessica had put in for them, as well as a file of all their friends and allies they'd made.
"From what Beetle told me, I ruined her father's reputation." Peter explained.
He moved the mouse and clicked on the 'Villains' file, bringing up several smaller files, one for each of their villains they'd fought since he first became Spider-Man.
"Due to how tall she was, she has to be a teen or early 20s at least." he said. "Meaning, it can't be one of the younger villains."
"Hmm? This doesn't leave us with many suspects." Gwen said, putting her hand on her chin.
"No, it doesn't." Peter said. "Villains who we've met in their 40s or older include Doc Ock, Tombstone, Vulture, and that Mr. Negative."
Miles looked at the images of those four, which came onto the screen.
"Whoa! You weren't kidding about Tombstone's and Mr. Negative's appearances." he said. "They do look freaky."
"Tell us about it." Gwen said.
Peter looked at them all, not sure who out of these four could be the Beetle's father.
"Did you get a close look at her?" Gwen asked. "Like maybe her skin color or something?"
"No. Her mask completely covered her face, like ours, expect the eye holes were yellow." Peter recalled. "So that doesn't help."
"Well, that might've helped." Miles reasoned. "I mean, you told me Tombstone used to be black before that happened to him."
"That's what Robbie told us." Peter said. "And his surname is..."
Gwen gasped, seeing where he was coming from, as they'd both been thinking about that since his 17th birthday.
"Is what?" Miles asked.
"His real name is Lonnie Lincoln." Gwen explained.
"Lincoln?" Miles questioned. "Wait, you're not thinking Janice Lincoln's his daughter?"
"Well, it's possible." Peter reasoned, turning around. "I mean, she is black, like he was before he changed."
"Okay, that is creepy." Miles gulped. "If she's the Beetle, I'd hate to think what Anya would say. I mean, after us, MJ and Harry, that's her closet friend at Midtown."
"We know, Miles." Gwen said. "But if she is the Beetle, she might've used Anya to help her out, unknowingly."
"Okay." Miles sighed. "Well, I hope for her sake, Janice isn't the Beetle."
"We won't jump the gun, Miles." Peter said, getting up. "It might be one of the others, but as of right now, Tombstone's the most likely candidate."
"Okay. I get it, don't call her out in case it's not her." Miles said.
Peter and Gwen both nodded.
"Still, there's also the matter of this new Spider." Gwen said. "There's a chance she might run into the Beetle out there, and she won't know how to contact us."
"Agreed." Peter said. "If the Beetle can give me the slip, I doubt out new friend will be able to stop her alone."
"So, what d'you suggest, Pete?" Miles asked. "You are the leader after all."
Peter put his hand on his chin to think, as they had to find the Beetle, and also try and find Spider-Girl.
"Okay. Let's split up and search for the Beetle." Peter said. "If we meet that new Spider while we're out there, let's introduce ourselves and let her help. We can decided what to do afterwards."
"You got it, Pete." Gwen said.
"Fair enough." Miles said.
Peter smiled. "Web-Warriors, let's suit up and swing off." he said.
Gwen and Miles stared at him blankly.
"Uh, Peter, really?" Gwen asked. "That's terrible."
"You need a better battle cry." Miles said.
"Okay, I'm still working on it." Peter sighed, facepalming himself. "Let's go."
They all put their masks on, then Ghost-Spider put her hood up, before they ran off down towards the entrance, to begin both their searches.
A little later, in the city, Spider-Girl stood on a rooftop in Times Square, looking down at the city.
"Man. I never knew how beautiful the city was from up here." she thought.
She looked at all the neon signs around the area, then down at the streets, seeing things were pretty quiet.
"Hmm? I better check another area out." she thought.
She jumped off the rooftop and began to web-swing off to her left.
"And who knows, if I find one of the Web-Warriors, I'll be able to help them out." she added happily.
Meanwhile, Spider-Man was currently swinging down a street in the Upper East Side, seeing no sign of any crime or trouble.
"Ghost, Shadow, it's all quiet on my end." he reported. "You guys found anything?"
(Elsewhere)
Ghost-Spider gilded down a street in Chinatown while looking around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.
"No sign of trouble here, Spidey." she reported. "How 'bout you, Shadow?"
(Elsewhere)
Shadow-Spider stood on a rooftop, looking around Hell's Kitchen, seeing everything was fine, expect for two Cops speaking to a man who'd parked his car in a No Parking zone.
"No, nothing here." he said. "Just a little problem the Cops are dealing with down below."
Ghost-Spider laughed. "Sounds like you've got something they don't need us for." she teased.
"Very funny, Ghost." Shadow-Spider said, unamused.
He turned slightly and looked down the left side of the street, seeing nothing, before he jumped off the roof and began to web-swing down it. He did so for a few minutes, before he landed on a wall and looked around, and saw something going on near the Birdland Jazz Club.
"Wait, I think I've got something." he said. "Wait 'til I check."
"Okay, be careful." Spider-Man said.
"Will do." Shadow-Spider said.
He jumped off the wall and swung off down towards the Birdland Jazz Club, landing on a rooftop opposite it, seeing four black men walking inside.
"Hmm?" he muttered.
He looked down carefully, before he heard gunfire coming from the club.
"I was right. There's a hold-up at the Birdland Jazz Club." he explained, touching the side of his mask.
"Do you need help?" Ghost-Spider asked.
"Nah. I can handle four crooks by myself." Shadow-Spider said. "If I spot a supervillain though, I'll let you two know."
"Okay." Spider-Man said.
Shadow-Spider lowered his hand and looked down at the club, before he saw the four thugs storming out from the front door, two carrying a large bag of money between them.
"We did it." the leader said.
All four men laughed, before Shadow-Spider landed in front of them all.
"You know, you really shouldn't have done that." he said.
"Shadow-Spider?" the leader gasped.
One of his men aimed his sidearm, but Shadow-Spider shot a web and pulled it out of his hand.
"Ah!" he yelped.
"Let's take him down." another said.
"I wouldn't." the third gulped. "Boss, from what I've heard, he's the one with that shock power."
The leader looked at Shadow-Spider, who powered up his Venom Blast with his left hand.
"Right. Boys, let's get the hell outta here." he said. "This is one fight we can't win."
He and the third thug ran off towards a van, before the other two reluctantly followed.
"Oh, no you don't." Shadow-Spider said.
He jumped up and twirled around, landing in front of the four of them, making him stop.
"I can't let you take that money, dudes." he said, waving his right forefinger. "As they say, crime doesn't pay."
He held up his fists, when his Spider-Sense tingled.
"Huh?" he muttered.
He turned and saw the Beetle flying towards him.
"Uh-oh." he gulped.
He turned and dived to his right before she could ram him, then he rolled along the ground and stopped by a car. Beetle stopped and turned around, so her back faced the men, who stared at her.
"Get outta here." she said. "I'll deal with the web-freak."
"Right." the leader said. "Let's go."
He and his men all turned and ran towards the van, before they piled in and raced it away, as Shadow-Spider got up and stared at it and the Beetle.
"Oh, great!" he moaned.
He turned to the Beetle, who shot lasers from her forearms at him, making him turn and dive away to his left, behind he hid behind a car, then touched the side of his mask.
"Guys, the crooks got away, but only because the Beetle showed up." he explained.
"You okay, Shadow?" Ghost-Spider asked worriedly.
"I'm fine. I'm still in the area." Shadow-Spider assured.
"Alright, keep her busy until we get there." Spider-Man instructed. "Stopping her's more important than a few crooks right now."
"Understood." Shadow-Spider said, nodding.
He got up from behind the car and turned to Beetle, who threw a bomb at him, making him back flip. He managed to kick the bomb, sending it back at the Beetle, who flew upwards before it could hit her, making it explode, shattering the glass windows of the nearest buildings.
"Hey, be careful!" Shadow-Spider yelled. "You might accidently hurt someone!"
"Ha! Your friend said the same thing last night." Beetle scoffed. "But I don't care. I'm doing this to make my Daddy proud."
She dived towards Shadow-Spider and tried to punch him, but missed as he dodged, then he back flipped away.
"Man! Just like Spidey said, a complete Daddy's girl." he thought.
He landed on his feet, then shot webs at Beetle with both hands, which hit her chest, then he pulled her towards her.
"Nice try." she smirked.
She held up her left arm, before a laser blade came out of it, which she then sliced the webs up with, freeing herself, before retracting her blade.
"Oh, not good!" Shadow-Spider gulped.
Beetle turned and shot towards him like a cannon ball, punching him with both fists, knocking him down onto his back.
"OH!" he moaned.
He shook his head slightly, before Beetle stomped on his chest, pinning him on the ground.
"Say goodbye, Shadowboy." she teased.
Shadow-Spider braced himself slightly, when Spider-Girl came jumping in from his left and kicked Beetle away.
"Ha! Spider-Girl has caught the bug." she joked, landing in a three-point stance.
She got up as Beetle hit the ground on her side, while Shadow-Spider pulled himself up.
"You okay, Shadow-Spider?" she asked, turning to him.
"Uh, yeah." Shadow-Spider said, staring at her. "Thanks."
Spider-Girl smiled at him, as he went over her suit.
"Nice suit." he commented, pointing at it.
"Thanks. I made it myself." Spider-Girl grinned.
"OH!" Beetle moaned.
Both Spiders turned to her as she got up.
"So, you're that new Spider the News has been reporting?" she sneered, glaring at Spider-Girl.
"Yeah, you could say that." Spider-Girl smirked. "What are you; some sort of bug."
"It's Beetle, you web-head!" Beetle spat.
"Ah, catchy name." Spider-Girl joked.
"Well, thanks for coming here." Beetle scoffed. "You're the one my Daddy sent to find. His boss wants to know how you do."
"Oh, really?" Spider-Girl inquired. "Well, I feel honored. Still, you're going down, bugbrain."
"We'll see about that, kid." Beetle spat. "Yah!"
She shot like a rocket towards the two Spiders, who both jumped up to avoid her, before they somersaulted forward and landed behind her, making her stop and turn around. As that happened, several people from the nearby buildings began to watch, one man recording with his phone.
"Okay, didn't expect that." Spider-Girl gulped.
"From what I've heard, she's fast." Shadow-Spider explained. "So be careful."
Spider-Girl nodded before Beetle turned around to them both.
"Good moves." Beetle admitted. "Just like Spider-Man. I see he's trained you well, Shadow-Spider."
"Oh, thanks." Shadow-Spider said. "He was my best teacher."
"Funny." Beetle spat. "Still, you'll have to do better than that."
She flew up towards the sky as both Spiders looked up at her, before she held up a bomb.
"Here, have a ball!" she yelled, throwing it at them.
"¡¿Que?!" Spider-Girl exclaimed.
"Look out!" Shadow-Spider yelled.
He dived and pushed her away before the bomb hit the ground and exploded, creating a hole in the ground, damaging the nearby lower levels of the buildings, and creating a smokescreen.
"AHH!" the people inside yelped.
Beetle laughed as she stared at the smokescreen, not seeing Shadow-Spider swinging away while holding Spider-Girl, who was coughing slightly.
"Hang on?" he whispered, as he turned left down the street. "Frontal attack isn't going to work."
Spider-Girl nodded as he turned left and hid them both in an alley.
The smokescreen soon cleared as Beetle kept laughing, but then she stopped.
"What?! Where'd they go?!" she exclaimed.
She flew down the street and stopped at an intersection, then began to look around.
"Running away like cowards, huh?" she roared. "You can't hide from me, and you won't get far!"
She turned left and flew down the street, passing the alley the Spiders were hiding in, both in the shadows.
"Good hiding spot, for now at least." Spider-Girl admitted. "And thanks for the save."
"Hey, you saved me earlier, so we're even." Shadow-Spider said.
Spider-Girl smiled. "You have an idea for stopping her?" she asked.
"Not quite. I've only been at this for months unlike Spidey and Ghostie." Shadow-Spider explained.
"I know that." Spider-Girl assured. "They both saved someone important to me once. I've looked up to them ever since."
"Oh..." Shadow-Spider said. "Sounds like Anya, in a way since they saved her father once."
"You okay?" Spider-Girl asked, concernedly.
"Yeah. Look, listen, Spider-Man encountered that woman last night." Shadow-Spider explained. "He and Ghost are on the way. Maybe together, all four of us can stop her, as she's dangerous. He told me she deliberately started fires to keep him busy so she could escape."
"Really?" Spider-Girl questioned, shocked.
"Yes." Shadow-Spider said.
"Okay, you win. But let's at least deal with her boosters." Spider-Girl said. "That might help for when they get here."
Shadow-Spider nodded. "I have an idea." he said.
He leaned and whispered his plan to her, making her smile.
"That's actually a good idea." she said. "Wish I had that Venom Blast like you and Spider-Woman do."
"I'm glad you don't." Shadow-Spider said. "Trust me, it was hard to control at first."
Spider-Girl nodded, before they both jumped out and stared at the Beetle, who kept looking around for them.
"They can't have gone far?" she thought. "Still, Shadow-Spider can turn invisible. I better make some adjustments to my mask."
"Hey, Beetle, behind you!" Spider-Girl called.
Beetle turned around to them both, before they shot webs at her, which hit her feet, then they both pulled on their webs, pulling her down onto her chest.
"Oh!" she moaned.
She looked up as they both came towards her, before she rolled onto her back, then she kicked them both in the chest, knocking them away.
"AHH!" they yelped.
Shadow-Spider hit the ground and rolled onto his chest, while Spider-Girl hit the hood of a car and rolled off it, both near the Jazz Club.
"OH!" she moaned.
Beetle laughed and flew towards them both, before she turned to Spider-Girl.
"I'll admit, cleaver tactic, but you're weak, rookie." she sneered. "You should be-"
Before she could finish, Shadow-Spider grabbed hold of her boosters and shot his Venom Blast through them.
"AHHH!" she yelled.
Shadow-Spider kept his hands on her legs, before Spider-Girl got up and dived towards her, kicking her chest hard.
"AHHH!" Beetle yelled.
She hit the ground and rolled along the ground onto her chest, her boosters fried.
"Ha, ha, yes!" Spider-Girl whooped, jumping up.
"All right!" Shadow-Spider whooped.
They both turned and high-fived each other.
"Nice teamwork, newbie." Shadow-Spider said.
"Hey!" Spider-Girl said, offended.
"What? It is your first day." Shadow-Spider reasoned.
"Okay, fair enough." Spider-Girl sighed.
"Don't celebrate yet!" Beetle snarled.
Both Spiders turned to her as she pulled herself up, before she jumped up and flew up, as her wings began to buzz and flap like a bug's.
"What?!" Spider-Girl exclaimed. "But we took out your boosters! How are you able to fly?!"
"You think that's my only flight ability!" Beetle snarled. "These wings are my backup in case you fools damage my boosters, like you just did."
"Okay, I gotta admit, pretty cleaver." Shadow-Spider said.
"You web-heads win this round, as I can see when a battle is lost." Beetle sneered. "But before I go, I got a little present for ya."
She threw down a small device at them both, which hit the ground near them and exploded.
"AH!" they moaned.
They hit the ground and rolled over onto their chests.
"AH!" they moaned.
"See you later, alligators." Beetle joked.
She turned and flew off high on her wings, then away from the scene, as both Spiders pulled themselves up.
"Okay, not how I thought my first supervillain fight would go." Spider-Girl groaned.
"Hey, if it's anything, mine was almost as bad." Shadow-Spider assured, remembering how his Dad got caught in the crossfire while helping Spider-Man take down take down the Wolf Spider-Slayer.
"Really?" Spider-Girl asked. "Well, thanks for telling me."
"Still, thanks for trying for help." Shadow-Spider said. "Spidey wasn't kidding when he told me and Ghost that Beetle was tough."
"Not to mention she didn't seem to care about who got hurt in the crossfire." Spider-Girl added, looking around.
Shadow-Spider looked around, seeing the damaged buildings around, and saw at least four men and a woman had been injured, but not severely.
"Let's get to the rooftops before the Police arrive." he said.
Spider-Girl nodded before they both jumped up and swung off towards a nearby rooftop, before they landed on it together.
"Well, you gonna ask me who I am?" Spider-Girl asked, as they turned to each other.
"In a minute? Guys, she got away." Shadow-Spider explained, touching the side of his mask. "But I've met the new Spider. I'll tell you about it once you get here."
"Right. We're on our way, Shadow." Spider-Man said.
"Keep her there 'til we arrive." Ghost-Spider instructed.
"Okay." Shadow-Spider said.
He lowered his hand and turned to Spider-Girl, who folded her arms.
"The others are on their way." he explained. "You can tell us about you together."
"Understood." Spider-Girl said, nodding. "I can wait."
She turned back to the city, knowing her heroes would soon be here, and she could properly introduce herself to them, and then hopefully join them, as Spider-Man's saying was always gonna be with her.
To be continued...
Spanish translation:
¡¿Que?!: What the?!
A/N: In the comics, Janice Lincoln is the third person to wear the Beetle suit. The reason I chose to make her it over the main one is because she's never appeared in any media at all, and I'd like to see a version of her working with her father. Her costume is like her comics one, only with boosters on her feet.