Spider-Frog: The Wall Hopper
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Disney don't sue. Please.
Chapter 04: 3, 2, 1 Let's Jam
It was late at night, and there was no silence as an explosion ripped through the bank wall. Three Burly figures walked through the newly made hole.
A man with dark reddish hair held a glowing crowbar. This was Bog his friends knew him as Wrecker.
Next to him was Fens. She had her dark green hair tied into a braided ponytail. She had a demolition ball on a chain and was known as Thunderball because of it.
Lastly, Mire was a wimpy-looking man who hid his features with a face-hiding helmet with a construction helmet design on top. People called him Bulldozer because of her intimidating look with that odd helmet. The others wore ski masks as they walked into the bank.
This group was known as the Wrecking Crew, mainly cause they tended to wreck up any place they robbed.
Wrecker smiled under his mask and strolled into the now-empty bank. "The cops will be here any moment, and let's get into the vault."
"What's up, guys? Did you forget your PIN?"
The trio turned around to see the infamous Spider-Frog descending via the web, all upside down.
Anne had initially considered putting the suit away after the Heron was exposed and arrested, but rumors started coming around that people had gotten some weird weapons. Anne worried that some of Toomes weapons had gotten down to the streets, and she knew the police couldn't deal with them.
Anne had snuck out every night, trying to find the people behind this mess. In the meantime, she wanted to work on repairing her rep. Several people wanted her arrested, and some thought she took the Chameleon's face and cut her arm off. So Anne was trying to help where she could, she stopped a few muggers and such, and a bank robbery would be a nice change of pace.
"Oh, about you put down the tools, and I just leave you webbed up for the cops?"
"You're not taking my arm!" Thunderball yelled out, rushing at her. She swung the ball at Spider-Frog, who jumped out of the way.
Spider-Frog had to admit that Thunderball was faster than the average person, but with the tingle she had enough notice and her superior speed, it was easy to dodge it.
"Look, I don't know who took off her arm, but it wasn't me!" Spider-Anne tried to protest, dodging another wild attack.
Sprig jumped onto her shoulder, "Move!"
Spider-Frog sighed, "Don't worry about it. I-"
Bulldozer slammed into her with enough force that the wall cracked behind them. Spider-Frog huffed and forced Bulldozer away with a powerful kick.
Sprig clicked his tongue, "Yeah, I was trying to warn you about him."
The tingle warned her about dangers, but sometimes it was tricky. If Anne was distracted, she might not notice the warning, or if there were multiple dangers, she might not react to the immediate one in time.
"Okay, let's be a little clearer about these things."
"Is she talking to a frog?" Thunderball asked.
"People talk animals all the time!"
Spider-Froh collapsed to the ground as a crowbar hit her.
"Watch out." Sprig added as an afterthought.
"Not the time-"
Sprig had to jump back as the three started attacking her. Her head ached, and the tingle was everywhere at once. She held out her arms, doing her best to block their blows.
"Get ready to move!" Sprig yelled in her head.
The small frog jumped onto Bulldozer's helmet and turned it around, blinding him. With Bulldozer struggling to fix his helmet, it gave Spider-Frog an opening to push back her other attackers.
She groaned in pain as the sounds of sirens filled the air.
Wrecker growled, "Let's get going."
Thunderball helped Bulldozer fix his helmet as they started getting away.
"Come back here!" Spider-Frog yelled out as she tried to tumble towards the exit.
Sprig jumped onto her shoulder, "Are you okay?"
"Yup!" Spider-Frog nearly collapsed.
The squad cars quickly stopped in front of the bank. The police pulled out their guns, "Spider-Frog hands in the air. You are wanted for vigilanteism, assault on the criminal known as the Chameleon,"
"I didn't do that!"
"Destruction of a police car."
"Okay, that was an accident."
The police were not going to listen, so Spider-Frog raised her hands, and as the police approached her, she shot web out and quickly pulled herself up.
Spider-Frog quickly went to hide and the shadows and ran.
0000
Anne stumbled to her house and snuck back into her room. With some struggle, she got out of the costume and into her pajamas.
"Are you going to be okay?" Sprig asked.
"Yeah, I just need some sleep." Almost as soon as she finished, she collapsed onto the bed, her eyes closing.
"Good night."
The room was dark except for the faint blue light of a glowing gem at the bottom of the terrarium pool. Sprig quickly jumped back into the tank and slept nearby his family.
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The back door opened, and she walked in, making her way toward the storefront in the back.
"Yo! Tinkers, you ready!"
Three similar-looking men, all think, gawky and wearing thick glasses, tumbled out. They were also known as Triple B, or Bartley, Branson, and Blair.
"Hey nerds," The Black Cat greeted them, "You go it?"
The Tinkers were geniuses and ran an old electronics shop by day, but if you were in the know, you could come to them to have them build what you needed. Criminals would often go to them to make them gadgets to break into places, undo locks, shut down security systems, special weapons, and the like.
The Cat was there to pick up her order.
"Yeah, we have it," Bratley brought over a box.
"We made your grappling hooks. Made them in them with the whole cat thing you got going." Branson added.
Blair added, "You got some spider envy?"
Black Cat glared at Blair, making him flinch, "Envy? No. Just thought it was cool to swing around."
Bartley added, "You sure? There is no strong evidence besides a few blurry pictures and the word of the bird boy that you were there. You are nothing more than an urban legend, unlike the Spider-Frog." He shrugged, "Maybe you wanted some attention."
"Psh, I'm the infamous Black Cat. A phantom thief that doesn't leave a trace, why would I want attention."
Branson scoffed, "Please, the stories of a Black Cat thief go back at least 80 years, some suggestions some crimes might have been caused going back 120 years ago. It's not hard to figure it's a title that gets passed on. Especially considering the last one was supposed to be a guy."
Black Cat sighed and rolled her eyes, and the claws popped out, "Well if you want to fight me on it, I can give you a close-up look at the vibranium claws you guys were so interested in."
The brothers all moved back, "How about no?"
"How about you just tell me how much I owe?"
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In the morning, Anne woke up with her head hurt a little, but it wasn't as bad as it was. She'd discovered that, along with her other powers, she could heal quickly, not fast enough to regrow an arm or anything but enough that bruises and cuts weren't that big of an issue if she got time to rest. She was sure more significant injuries would take longer but more reason to avoid them.
Lilith Clawthorne sighed as she pushed her glasses onto her forehead. Tired, she rubbed her eyes. Her screen flashed reports of an owl-like monster spotted near Connecticut and new reports of similar in New Mexico.
Lilith rubbed her temples; there had been rumors about such a creature for a while. Some of these reports were just urban legends and stories from crackpots. It was her job to figure out which were real and which weren't.
Ford walked in, "Lilith, good to see you here too early."
She wasn't early. She just hadn't gone home.
"If you ready, there was some robbery last night. Spider-Frog was seen there. Ready to go investigate?"
Lilith yawned, "Yes, of course, maybe let me get some coffee."
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Anne made her way to school, she was still in mild pain, but considering she got beat up by three adults, she was probably doing better than most people would be. She could be faster than most, but it made her sleep restless. She was still tired, and luckily she wasn't doing anything for tennis, less time in the locker rooms, and less chance of people seeing and asking about any bruises.
"Boonchuy! Little help with Miss Wu here."
Anne's expression brightened. Today was when Marcy was going to come back to school.
Sasha waved her over. She was holding a mess of books as Marcy followed her in crutches and her leg in a cast.
"Marcy has so many books!" Sasha grumbled. It's not that she couldn't carry them. Marcy, who barely worked out, could carry them she could. No, it was just a lot of books.
Marcy smiled, "Sorry, I have a lot of work to catch up on."
"No problem," Anne took half the books as they walked into the school.
"We missed you," Anne continued,
"And don't make plans today. We will take you to your favorite restaurant and get that sword!"
Someone stepped out of the principal's office as they walked through the halls. Principal Murphy walked out a young man in a black hoodie with a broken heart and a collared shit sticking out of it. His hair was greasy and slicked back, and he was rather pale.
Murphy smiled, "I'm sorry, Mister Valentino. I don't think you are a good fit for the music program."
"Yeah, I get it. What a shocker." He mumbled as he walked out.
Principal Murphy wanted to say something but didn't have it in her. The man was undoubtedly enthusiastic about music but lacked formal training and specific degrees. She had to deny him the job.
"Welcome Back, Marcy," Principal Murphy greeted the students, who'd watched the young man leave. "If you need anything, be sure to let me know."
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Robbie Valentino was out of luck and decided to leave Oregon and follow his musical dreams. That plan didn't work out well, and he'd gone a month between gigs. He made very little, and he was running out of cash. He hadn't managed to get a single gig all his time in LA. He finally broke down. If he couldn't do it, he'd teach, but he couldn't even do that.
He drove around all day, getting rejection after rejection.
He stopped at an ATM, put in his card, and did the usual, only to be told he was overdrawn. His life was not supposed to be this. He promised himself he'd be big and famous.
He didn't know for long he wanted to scream. He got back into his van and spent minutes there just thinking about his life. His parents are always smothering him, living in a nowhere town, and the only girls who gave him time eventually both dumped him. Everything was so dull in life, and he felt that there were days he couldn't remember cause nothing happened.
His life wasn't supposed to be like this.
He let his head drop onto the steering wheel, a loud noise jostling.
"I guess I'm just good at making noise." A thought struck him, he hesitated at first but now it seemed so clear. He didn't have another choice.
He made his way into the back of the van and found a box near a broken amp. He opened a box and got the thing from this old lady at a yard sale. He found a gnarly-looking case. It looked like a screaming face, but he tossed it aside. Inside he found twin devices, something he had attached to his speaker before they blew them apart. He got them from a yard sale from a crazy coot, he thought they were to hype up musical instruments, but he found they did something else.
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Lilith was tired, and she'd barely slept the previous night. This day was filled with talking to police officers, filling out paperwork to access video footage and a ton of notes, and finally getting a chance to speak to the bank manager. It made sense that the manager couldn't see them right away. He had a mess to deal with, the massive hole in the wall and everything.
Ford was walking beside her, mumbling about possible explanations for those strange tools the thieves had.
"The molecular density must be enhanced, I had a friend who theorized on the subject. I wonder if this exotic tech has anything to do with Toomes. Some experimental tech of his has gotten on the street, others deciding that such technology has greater use as weapons-"
Usually, Lilith would be excited about all this, but she could use a nap. She took off her glasses and used a tissue to wipe them clean.
She blinked as a young man with his hood up walked past her.
"What do you think?" Ford asked her.
"Well-"
Before Lilith could even continue, a tremendous sound tore through the air behind them. They turned around to see the man with his fist raised. He seemed to hear some device on his wrist that buzzed with power, and a concussive blast of sounds ripped out, shattering the walls and ATM. Money exploded outwards and into the air.
"Make it rain!" He cheered.
"Hey!" Lilith yelled out.
The man turned his devices, still active, and turned the deadly sound wave towards them. Ford quickly pushed Lilith to the ground letting the wall behind them get his and debris falling on them as it collapsed.
"Whoops!" Robbie let out.
He didn't intend to attack people but spilled milk and all that. He turned off the devices and stuffed his pockets with money before returning to his van. After all, why stop at only one bank?
Robbie looked at the gauntlets and decided with a city this big, and there were plenty of ATMs and banks one could visit.
0000
Anne, Sasha, and Marcy were having dinner at Thai Go. Marcy and Sasha found themselves both missing the Boonchuy's cooking.
"This is great, Mrs. B!" Marcy complimented, "Maybe it's because I was stuck eating all that hospital food, but this is great!"
"She's right!" Sasha beamed, "I didn't know how much I missed it!"
"We missed you too." Mrs. B told them, "It's great to see the three of you together. Now, I'm bringing out some more food if you are still hungry." She turned to her husband. "Honey, help me get-"
She paused as she saw what he was looking at.
There was a news story playing on the tv screen. The screen flashed the images of Ford Pines and Lilith Clawthorne. They had been caught in a collapsing bank and rushed to the hospital.
Anne's went wide, and they quickly turned to breaking news. They knew exactly who had caused the incident at the bank, and they knew it because he'd gone to several other banks.
The screen flashed to live footage from what looked to be a disaster. In the middle of this disaster was a man with his hood pulled up, laughing wildly. Air seemed to ripple around his arms as sound tore them hurling back a police car. He continued to laugh as he jumped on top of the overturned car, the king of his little world.
The police could only flee and force back the civilians, which was the last thing they saw before the signal cut.
Marcy looked in awe at the incredible technology on display, and she detested that it was being used for such destruction and that a new villain had shown up but was in awe of what it could mean.
Sasha stared horrified and amazed by the sheer power that bean pole seemed to have gotten his hands on.
Anne's mind races with fears of thought and guilt. Had people gotten hurt? She had to do something, and she was the only one who could. While she was out with her friend, some crazy guy was wrecking the town. She had to find a way there-
Anne felt her mother's hands squeeze her should. They held her tightly. It took her a moment to realize that her mother was scared that these new dangers would hurt her daughter again. Anne knew there was no way she could sneak away.
Mister B insisted on driving the girls home to ensure they got there safely.
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Robbie had snuck back into his motel room and did something bordering on cliche. He threw all his ill-gotten gains onto the bed and jumped onto it. He threw the money into the and laughed. He was so lost in his reverie that it took him a second to realize that some buildings weren't landing on the floor. Some were clinging to something—some invisible things standing before his bed.
"What?"
Something grabbed him and slammed him to the wall, he felt something clasped against his throat.
A gutter gravely voice spoke, "I expected something more impressive than a snot nose brat."
"Hey-" Robbie began but felt fingers tighten around his neck.
One of the gauntlets pulled off, and as he tried to turn the other, his invisible assailant grabbed his arm and turned to Robbie's head.
"Yes, to try it, or you can listen."
"…"
"I take it from you not blowing up your head. You are willing to listen."
Robbie tried to nod and was dropped. He slumped to the ground and took a deep breath.
There was a flicker of light and a growl-like sound, and a man became visible. He wore a purple helmet mask with white eyes against a black pattern. He wore dark green and black body armor and a black and purple cape.
"Dig, the cape." Robbie spat out.
"Honestly, I am not impressed. I saw the havoc you were causing. I thought you could be useful."
"What?"
"I came to offer you a job."
"Oh! Well, I can type about 60 words per minute, I have a High School Diploma, I am a people person, and I self-.
"Shut up!" He grumbled.
Robbie tried to focus his eyes. The man wasn't tall but strong and built like a linebacker.
Robbie noticed that his hands were shaking. "What-"
"Yeah, I noticed that. Even for a weakling, your hand was too easy to turn. Those devices vibrate. It must be like holding on to the jackhammers at once. If you don't deal with it, you'll likely break the bones in your body. You leave a lot to be desired, but no one said I am unwilling to put some work into it."
"What going on?"
"I am starting a new criminal organization and offering you a chance on the ground floor."
"Hm, I'm doing fine for myself." He said, trying to hide his shaking hands.
"Yes, damaging your body, and attacking cops like an idiot. You have the element of shock and surprise, but when that fades, all it would take is a shot to the head." He tapped Robbie's head for emphasis.
"It's why we tend to work in the shadows, but this is a new world. The times are changing. I need to change too. If you can use your head a little more, I can provide you with resources and aid and make some real money."
"I do like money."
He pulled out a card from a pocket and tossed it at Robbie, "Consider this a trial. Go to them and use my name and get your equipment fixed. Then surprise me, do something impressive. Hurt Andrias King somehow, damage a building, the man, or his wallet, you pick."
"Hm, okay, I'm in." Robbie smiled. "Who do I say you are? I mean, you didn't give me a name."
"Grimes. "
With that word, he vanished, and the door swung open.
"Okay," Robbie called out, "I guess you call me."
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The Black Cat was in her home getting suited up. The Heron and the Chameleon were out of the picture, her dad would want her to move on. He wouldn't want her to take up the title, not after…
…
An idiot was running around with some super weapon. It was only a matter of time before he got killed or someone took it, and why shouldn't that be her? This would be a lot more fun too.
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Marcy was dropped off at home, and she quickly got to work. She had finished her homework in a flash so she got onto her projects. Her room was filled with drawings of suits and blueprints. There were blueprints of gadgets and even a mech suit. Theoretically, she could build it with time and supplies, but the power source would be near impossible. She would need a powerful and small, and cold fusion wasn't a thing yet.
Marcy furiously worked on devices. The news report proved to her that the world was changing. That the Heron wouldn't be the only villain. The city needed heroes.
Author's Notes: Hi, sorry for the time its taken to update I've just been busy. I've had to rush this chapter out a little to make sure I got at least one more out before the end of the year. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy and leave a review telling me what you guys think.