Joseph Martello watched the tape with interest, seeing the man treat the two mooks with a complete lack of care. "Hmm …" When Marko and O'hern told him they got interrupted by a vigilante, Hammerhead taught them a lesson. But it seems the man was more persistent than originally thought. After all, there were multiple reports from all over The Big Man's operation.
For the entire summer, they swooped in and investigated what they could. The common thug here and there on the streets acclaimed seeing blurs of red and blue over the city, and the moles they paid off inside the police often reported back with evidence of criminals being webbed to the walls.
Not only that, but recently there were even reports about seeing the 'Spider-Man' accompanied by four turtles. Ones with ninja tools of all things. Between people spouting about the Foot making a move, and the Hand being the assholes they always were, combined with 'suspiciously strong suits', New York was becoming a freakshow. Why couldn't they just go back to the good old days, beating people's heads in with a medically infused adamantium skull?
So after letting the Big Man know everything, he had new orders. "This is real?" He turned to see Jackson W. Price, or Montana as the Stetson hat wearing man man referred to be called. "Darndest looking circus act I've ever seen."
"Yes, and unfortunately this circus act has been getting in the way of business for the whole summer." Hammerhead confirmed. "Apparently when one freak swings from a web, it scares the mooks away from doing their jobs."
"So the small fry won't go out while some weirdo thinking he's a super cop does his job better than them." 'Fancy Dan', the man in a suit and tie who never gave his real name for anything, pointed out. "And you want us to take care of the pest problem?"
"Precisely." Hammerhead nodded. "The Big Man's orders were explicitly clear. The enforcers are to completely squash out this Spider-Man at any cost."
"Any cost?" Ox, the big man with a mustache … that everyone knew surprisingly little about asked. "Does that mean we get to break out the big stuff?"
"That's right." He nodded. "Word on the street is that the bug's got himself some little helpers. A message needs to be sent before more fools in spandex pop up and think they can take on the world." Rumors about the supposed devil in Hell's Kitchen was where the line was going to be drawn on masked freaks if he had anything to say about it.
"Don't worry about it Hammerhead, we'll bring you a spandex head by the end of the week." Montana stated as he stood up. "Boys, let's go bag us a circus freak." The irony of someone with a southern accent saying it was not lost on the right hand man … but he chose to stay quiet for professionalism.
Making his way out of the secluded building, he walked through the alley to his ride, only to hear a thump from behind. "For a clan of Ninjas, you're not very inconspicuous."
"Stealth doesn't mean much when the goal is to get someone's attention." He turned to face a large masked man. "You gave one of our own some trouble last time." Why did that voice sound familiar?
"I did, that's on me." He put down his briefcase, cracking his neck. "I should have gotten some information after I punted him away. You'll have to do for tonight."
"We shall see." Looks like he was going to take out his own circus tonight.
"A new High school, Irma, a fresh start." April smiled as she looked over the campus. While highschool was a bit of a bummer, she was relieved to know her (human) friend was switching over too. "This could be the biggest moment of our lives. New friends, new experiences, new lessons."
"Ways to form the biggest amount of a toxic cesspool the generation has to offer and lock it up in a single location?" Her sarcastic friend asked. "Come on, April, everyone knows that every High School is just one step away from juvie, which is one step away from jail. You're getting excited over a prison."
"Oh what, you have something better to do?" April asked with an eye roll.
"Millions of things. Watch sitcoms, work part time, and stare at a few girls with skimpy clothing." They passed the cheerleaders. "Then again, they have that last one covered."
"I take it that puberty's been pretty kind to you over the summer." April countered with a smirk.
"Oh, how bad was it for you? Any major headaches?" Irma asked with curiosity.
"Headaches, one could say that." Headaches from constantly staying up at night worrying about her dad. "Just a mild sense of existential dread, nothing more than the normal teenage girl goes through." Excusing the mutants and aliens part, but it was easy to process after the second week.
"Ah, the inferiority of one compared to the multiverse. Truly a thought to process." Her friend looked around. "So wanna wait in the shade? Read a book together?"
"Okay, you still can't say new people are evil. We haven't even tried to make new friends." April complained.
"Girl, you may have a figure of around 7-8 on the hotness scale, and I have a winning personality everyone would just love, but highschool ain't exactly filled to the brim with people that are, shall we say, likable." She informed her. "Over there you got the generic jocks that think they're hot shit, there you have the generic nerds that everyday people walk over, and there you got the standard teachers that don't care about any of it and will let anything slide as long as it means getting that underpaid paycheck."
"You haven't even met these people." April reassured her. "They can't be that bad."
"Hey, check it out." They looked over to a couple of football players carrying a guy overhead. "He's so wimpy I can do it with one hand."
Irma merely responded with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms. "Alright, but again, you're judging before you meet … oh, lets try these guys, they seem friendly." She pointed over to what appeared to be a trio of friends, ones that didn't looked like they were a part of any particular group or clique.
"Well, if it isn't the ever elusive Peter Parker." The red headed boy in a green vest gestured to the brown haired one wearing long sleeved baggy clothes with a smirk. "Finally done hibernating for the summer?"
"Great to see you too Harry. I see the life of luxury hasn't made you forget the little people in your life." The brown haired one said as he took a sip from a styrofoam cup.
"You okay Peter? You've been drinking coffee ever since we came to school." The blonde girl asked.
"Yeah, just been giving a lot of all nighters." He answered. "What about you two, have some fun this summer?" The brown haired kid, who she assumed was Peter, asked.
"Mostly just looking for a part time job, you know, mostly to get some space between me and my overprotective cop dad." The blonde answered.
"Tell me about it, I've spent the whole summer looking for one, zilch on that front."
"Jobs, sounds interesting yet agonizing to deal with." The red headed boy, who she got the name Harry from, joked.
"Weren't you trying to get a part time job at your dad's company?" The Peter guy asked.
"Yeah, that was the plan, until I realized old Stormin Norman requires at least five phd's to even qualify for the janitor position, and all I got are a c minus grade average."
"See Irma, they seem fun." She smiled at her friend.
"Sure sure, let's go in and put the target on our backs." Irma let out an eye roll.
Time for some friendly first impressions. April walked up and waved to the group. "Hey there." The moment she made herself known, the Peter kid spat out his coffee, coughing like he got it down the wrong pipe.
"Whoa, Pete, you alright?" The blonde asked in concern.
"Yeah, just ah, just…drank hot coffee too fast, you know?" The boy answered in what sounded like a higher voice then she heard him have.
"You know too much caffeine can ruin your body's growth, right?" Irma asked. "You plan on already making yourself an addict at the young age of sixteen?"
"If there's one thing you can count on Peter for, it's putting himself through tremendous pain." The Harry guy laughed. "Like trying to ask out Sally Avril and thinking she'd ever say yes."
"Yeah … we don't know them." April shook her head. "We recently came from Brooklyn, moved in with my aunt. I'm April, this is Irma."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Gwen Stacy." The girl pointed to herself. "The guy trying to fight of the first degree burn in his throat is Peter Parker and last…"
"Hopefully not least.." The red head smiled.
"Definitely not least, Harry Osborn." She gestured overdramatically with a grin.
"Osborn, like the company?" Irma asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, Norman's my dad." The boy gave a nervous chuckle. "We were actually planning on heading there after if you want."
"Wow, just meet two girls … and you instantly go for the house route." Peter smirked as he took a couple of breaths. "I didn't think you were such a smooth talker Harry."
"Maybe get your head out of a textbook every once in a while and you'd learn a thing or two." Harry continued to laugh.
"Let's see, increase my popularity, or guarantee myself a stable job in the future…man, what a tough choice…nah, I already got the nerd shtick going, be a shame to drop it now." Peter responded as the group chuckled. "Fair warning, if your looking to survive this place, then you should know hanging with us earns your certain…caveats shall we say."
"I told you social interaction in highschool was going to be problematic." Irma rolled her eyes.
"Oh come on, it can't be that bad." April tried to dismiss it.
A hand instantly started giving Peter a rough noogie. "Hey, it's Puni Parker!" The blonde jock laughed. "Still haven't grown an inch."
"Hey Eugene, I see you still haven't peaked yet. Eh, guess I can wait a few more months when football knocks out whatever brain cells you have left." This was giving her some weird deja vu moments with Raph and Spidey.
And like that, 'Eugene' pulled the boy up, glaring into his eyes. "Are you looking to start something you can't finish, Parker?" She should really stop saying 'it can't be that bad'. The turtles already jinxed her enough.
"Like I told you, standard jock." Irma whispered to her as April was wondering what the shell the teachers were doing instead of stopping this.
"Oh." The man instantly shoved Peter to the ground, moving in closer. "Who's the cute redhead?"
"Someone not interested first and foremost." April rolled her eyes. "I was having a great impression of this school until you came."
"Come on, Flash ain't so bad once you get to know him." Eugene kept showing off like he was hot shit.
"I like to think anyone who refers to themself in the third person with their own nickname has a screw loose." Irma deadpanned. "Now if you don't mind, the bell is going to ring in about three minutes, and you don't want to be the reason we report we're late to class, do you?"
"Come on, that's plenty of time.."
"..And I'm pretty sure Liz wants to be seen walking with her boyfriend." Gwen smirked. "Unless you want to explain to her you're late because you were checking another girl out."
Flash grimace as the cheerleaders came by, before walking away. "Do we just attract the most aggressive people we know, or does the double standard of hitting women just make girls confident enough to stand up to jocks?" Harry asked as he pulled up Peter.
"Nah, that's just the Parker luck giving me my daily dose of Karma." Peter shrugged.
"Parker luck?" April raised an eyebrow.
"It's his fallback for whenever something goes wrong." Gwen patted the boy on his back. "Although in sixth grade his science project did cause a blackout in the gymnasium, so I say that's enough evidence to support this one superstition."
"There was also the time with that bus that caught his sleeve and dragged him across a city block." Harry added on.
"Oh, what about that trip to ESU labs where he got sick after being bitten by a-"
"Can we not tell the new kids my embarrassing past?" Peter stopped Gwen before she could finish. "There's a whole year of new noodle incidents waiting to happen."
"I eagerly await them all." April said energetically as they headed inside. It felt nice to have some normal friends for once.
"OTTO!" Otto jumped, his arms going stiff in unison. He understood that it was a neural chip, but sometimes they genuinely felt like a part of him. "WHERE IS HE! Where is Norman Osborn!" Adrian Toomes shouted, speed walking up to him with a growl.
"Oh, Ah. Mr.-Mr. Osborn is-is-is.." He stammered as he tried to get in front of him.
"Spit it out you, you blundering buffoon!" Toomes glared at him with deadly, predatory eyes.
"He-he's in his office, he doesn't wish to be disturbed, he's busy.."
"Well he's about to be disturbed!" The man began walking forward.
"Mr To-Toomes, wait, please! Maybe we could talk about-"
"He stole my work Octavious! He's not giving me any form of money, or credit, or even a footnote!" Toomes yelled, not caring about who was staring or watching.
"I-I'm sure it's just a simple misunderstanding.."
"Misunderstand nothing! I spent months pitching my plans for techflight to Osborn! I patented the magnetic transport system! I gave him my research, and after months of no response, he creates a military aircraft glider, using my designs!"
It was definitely some form of mistake, they'd have to correct it. "Well, well, let me apollo-"
"Don't you dare apologize Otto." They turned, Norman Osborn himself walking down the steps. "It's this company's policy to never do so after all."
"Osborn, you slime! You stole tech flight from me!"
"That's a bold claim, Mr. Toomes. Bold and unsupported in a court of law." Mr. Osborn responded without so much as flinching.
"Unsupported my ass! I have proof!"
"Oh what?" Mr. Osborn asked with a smirk. "Plans that you could have stolen, video in a lab that has none, witness who are my employees?" The last one was met with a look at Octavious, causing the scientist to flinch.
"You can't do this to-"
"Look, you old buzzard, you have nothing." His boss stated coldly at the man. "You've come from nothing and spent your entire life achieving nothing. Who would ever believe you could accomplish anything as an old man?" With that remark, he glanced at the guards. "Escort this man to the front door."
"You can't do this to me! You'll pay for this you corporate bastard!" The man shouted as he was dragged away. "OSBORN!"
As he left, a silence overtook the lab. "Sir …"
"This is what happens when you stop being useful, Octavious." The man reminded him. "Just keep being a good little Doctor Octopus, and everything will work out for you."
"You know I despise that-" he stopped himself after feeling the glare. "…yes sir." He couldn't fight the man, he just couldn't. This was wrong but … they were helping the world in the end … right?
"Your shoes look awesome, where did you get them?" Gwen asked, happy to actually have some actual girlfriends in the group. They were all in the elevator up to Harry's penthouse, Peter awkwardly hanging around a corner, a lot more silent than usual.
"You know, at any old store that overprices people out of their finances." Irma definitely fit in with her more cynical and dry humor. The group was already filled with sarcasm, so something on the dry side mixed in pretty well.
"I can recommend some cheap brands if your wallet's tight." Peter commented. "I've become something of an expert at saving money." She'd offer to lend some, but the boy always said it was fine. That dang old pride she guessed.
"Don't worry about it too much Peter, we still have the internships to look forward too." Gwen patted her oldest friend on the back.
"You guys are getting internships?" April asked.
"Mr. Warren recommended us to Doctor Connors, we're heading over to ESU later." Peter answered. "Which will look good on a resume, which'll hopefully lead to a decent paying job later down the line."
"Wow, a friend of mine mentioned the Connor's a lot actually." April commented. "Are they any good?"
"Doctor Connors is brilliant. We took a field trip to his lab last year, where they showed off all their cross-species research." Gwen remembered fondly.
"They even had radioactive animals that were supposed to get better or something." Harry added in. "I heard a scorpion got an extra year added to it with their research."
"They specialize in splicing animal DNA, you say?" Irma leaned in curiously.
"Mainly lizards last I checked." Gwen recalled. "Although I think they had something going on with a couple of-"
"Oh hey, we're here." Peter interrupted the response as the doors opened. "Now be careful, we don't wanna run into-" He tried to explain, before running head first into someone's chest. "Sorry sir, I-"
"Don't apologize Peter." Harry's father, Norman Osborn, smiled. "I never do." It was never a good sign when Mr. Osborn smiled, at least from what Harry told her. "Harry, I see you managed to expand your social circle." He spoke again, the smile fading as a more business-like appearance took its place.
"Yes sir. These are April and Irma." He said with so much nervousness it reminded her of the time her dad interrogated her about those 'rainbow chocolates' in middle school. "They're new, and we just kinda … got along."
"It's nice to meet you Mr. Osborn." April held her hand out. "I've heard a lot of great things about your company."
"And I heard you have a habit of axing your employees." Irma said without a hint of tact.
Norman's expression didn't change in the slightest as he stared at the girl for a solid minute. "Harry, be sure to tell me in advance of who you bring over in the future." The man walked to the balcony. "I make special care to not allow pests into the building for a reason."
Well that just set an entirely uncomfortable mood into the room. "Okay, I admire the boldness of anyone that stands up to him, but what the heck Irma!?" Harry called
"What, it's true." She shrugged. "I don't take shit from authority figures. The President, the mayor, April's dad."
"Yes, as you've made abundantly clear time and time again." April groaned. "She has a bit of a point though. The way he talks…just gives me the creeps."
"I know what you mean, I'm the guy he actually likes." Peter shivered.
"Sometimes it feels like your the only one he likes." They always joked about how much Norman probably wanted to adopt Peter, but she didn't know just how seriously to take it. "It's just … he's still my dad, you know?" Harry said quietly.
"We get it Harry." Gwen placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Don't worry, it's probably just tough love. Deep down, I know he cares about you more than anyone." Hopefully. "And while Irma may have a negative opinion, it's probably set to an extreme direction."
"Somewhat true." April ignored the incredulous looks of the girl in question.
"I mean, it's not like people are shouting about him in the streets." Gwen pointed out.
"OSBORN!" They all looked out the window as … what appeared to be a bald man in a black suit with a bird like theme on it swooped in and grabbed Harry's dad with mechanical clawed feet. "You dare to take my technology!? I'll take your life!"
"No … they take to the sky …" Irma spoke quietly, all of them staring in shock as the man flew away with Norman.
"Dad!" Harry cried out as he ran outside, just in time to see him become a blur.
"Gwen, keep Harry company, I'll go call the police!" Peter shouted out as he ran to the stairs.
"Alright, I will and.." Gwen paused. "Wait, my dad's a police captain, I should be calling."
"I should go check on him then, just in case." April rushed to the stairs as well.
"Wait, what about me…" Irma watched as the girl was already through the door.
"So we have two of them now." Gwen observed.
"It's a lot more recent than you think." The girl muttered. "... So wanna stop Harry from passing out from a panic attack?" This school year was already a bit too eventful for her liking.
Adrien flew higher into the sky. "Don't you see Osborn, this is what my technology could accomplish! Flight, freedom, but you've corrupted it with your sick and twisted ways." He growled. "What was once a majestic dove has become the Vulture you called me!"
"I called you a buzzard, you old senile idiot!" The man hollered in the air as he made sure to only narrowly avoid the buildings. "You can't even get the name right, this is why you're wasting your time, fool!"
"Irrelevant!" He shouted. "Here's what's going to happen. You will give me my technology back, my patent back, the money I'm owed back, and you are going to publicly appologize for your actions and announce to the world that Adrian Toomes is the genius behind Techflight!"
"I never apologize!" Norman had the gaal to shout.
"Then you won't mind if I drop you from ten stories in the sky, would you?" The man was silent. "Are you ACTUALLY CONSIDERING IT!?"
Despite the wind rushing through them, despite the fact he was more than willing to let the bastard die, the man still kept that asinine face of a professional. "I am not responsible for the actions of a man clearly in need of mental help. I'm more than happy to clear a space for you at Ravencroft."
And that tore it. Vulture let go of Osborn, happy to watch him go splat … only for a white blur to snatch him. "Hey, I caught the cranky businessman! Do I win a prize?"
"What the-" Norman was equally as baffled as the man swung away by what looked like a white rope. "What's the meaning of this!?"
"Dude, you are the crankiest damsel in distress I've ever resecured, also the biggest, oldest, loudest, ugliest, and the first."
"WHO ARE YOU!?" The two of them shouted.
"Why I'm your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man." The man spoke as they began moving closer to the ground.
"Spider-Man!?" Adrian filled after the cretin. "I thought you were a myth!"
"I'm a myth that hopefully lives up to the legend, should probably get a press agent to make sure of that." They answered as they secured Norman in a grip. "Now let me give you a safe descent away from the mean old birdie."
"You will not deny the Vulture his vengeance!" He attempted to swoop in to grab the fool.
"Maybe, but I also assume that you want to avoid becoming a jailbird as much as possible." Spider-Man laughed as they landed at the doorstep of..of the police station. "Head inside and speak to Captain George Stacy, he should cover you."
"I'm not letting you get away that easy-"
"Did you know that vultures are scavenging animals?" The spider man asked as he was webbed in the face. "Which means you have more important things on the agenda than terrorizing citizens." With that, they began yanking him up, away from his target.
"Norman Osborn is scum of the earth, not worth letting walk the land!" Vulture shouted, cutting the line as he began to ascend.
"Yo beaky, come on, we can talk about this rationally, as two guys who love dressing up as their favorite animals before halloween!" The spider man tried to shoot a web, but it didn't reach the height he gained.
"I have nothing to say to some galavanting, moronic man in the wrong!" Some people just couldn't comprehend the truth. "And the name is VULTURE!"