We are back!!! No intro to this one, enjoy!
Adriana stalked through the halls of the forty-third precinct. Office Daley nodded as she passed, and Adriana faked a smile. She was good at that now. She stepped out into the misty haze of the mid-afternoon rain. Heavy rain beat against the asphalt, whipped up into a mist as cars drove past. Adriana stood beneath the balcony of the precinct for a moment. Watching the life of New York always brought a special serenity. It was better viewed from above.
Adriana dropped a hundred dollars to the homeless man sitting just inside the balcony. Rain splashed in puddles beside him, but he had found enough shelter to remain mostly dry. The man gave her a chipped toothy smile which she returned enthusiastically. He had been there for a week now, but instead of asking for help, his sign now gave thanks to the people who had helped him find the job he would start in a few days. Adriana moved on, the rain pounding against her flowery umbrella. She used to despise the ten minute walk from the precinct to her home. Back when she went from school to work for her internship, to her home and repeated the next day. Back when her life had felt helpless. Now she could make a difference. Now the walk was a nice stroll.
Adriana climbed the stairs to her apartment and fumbled with the lock before entering. She set down her bag, and made her way to the kitchen. Falcon sat on the balcony windowsill, watching the city below. He didn't turn when she entered. Her routine had long since become a habit. She opened a new can of cat food, scrapping it onto a plate before sitting next to Falcon and petting him as he ate. She gazed out as taxis rushed from location to destination. Tourists struggled with street names, and local vendors called to passerbys hoping to make an easy buck. The life of New York pulsed as the sun sank behind the buildings. Falcon stretched upon finishing his dinner, and leaped from his perch. After cleaning the plate, and heating up a leftover dinner of a half-eaten deli sandwich, Adriana plopped down on her couch and flipped on the tv.
Adriana ate in silence. About half way through her sandwich, Falcon leaped up next to her. She fended him off, and was rewarded with a deep scratch down her wrist that bought Falcon a scalding. When she finished her dishes, Adriana moved to view the city once more. Night had descended on the city, but New York was as alive as always. She opened the small locked drawer hidden in the windowsill, and removed one of the syringes from inside. She flexed her wrist before injecting the needle into the scratch Falcon had made, wincing at the pain. The small syringe emptied, only a thin residue of the glowing cyan liquid remained. Adriana shivered as the serum entered her system. The scratch from Falcon healed seconds after she removed the needle, and Adriana felt strength fill her body.
Her apartment had roof access, which was convenient given how she chose to spend her evenings. She leaped the ten feet from her balcony to the roof in a single bound, and made her way to the utility room. Of course no roof utility room in New York had a biometric eye scanner and cold-fusion powered laser grid defense system. Moments later, Adriana was soaring through misty, rainy night air. Her bio-engineered exo-suit kept her dry. It also made her almost indestructible. The suit had been constructed at the molecular level, after reverse engineering the compounds found in the Rhino's skin. Her metal wings propelled her forward, with no need to flap her arms like a debilitating bird. The plasma thrusters taken from Green Goblin's glider gave her incredible speed and maneuverability. She glided between the buildings, goggled eyes watching the streets below. Harlem was still flourishing in the early night.
Adriana glided around the city for a while before settling atop a billboard in the slums of Harlem. Less people walked around at night here, and as if to emphasize the dreariness, half of the street lights were dark. It wasn't long before Adriana heard a woman scream. She leaped from her perch and soared in the direction of the noise. The dark underside of her wings made her almost invisible to people walking on the ground. She swooped into a dark alley, like a bird of prey on the hunt. A woman in a flowery red dress clutched her purse as a pair of aggressors pushed her further down the alley. Adriana swung down, and claws of physical light extended from her feet, compliments of Doctor Octavious's hard light technology. The man had been a genius before he went insane. Her claws grabbed the man on the left, and Adriana lifted him into the air. He screamed as his feet suddenly left the ground, the knife he had been holding clattering as it fell to the alley floor. The other attacker stumbled backwards in her surprise, and fled down the alley, abandoning her captive co-conspirator. Adriana lifted the man she had grabbed high above the alley.
"Please let me go!" He cried, "I'm sorry, I won't do it again! We just needed the money!"
"So does she," Adriana replied as she let the man go. His screams faded as he fell before they went silent. Adriana glided across the New York skyline. Rain beat heavily against her wings, but she found the sound comforting. She dove low, brushing the street lights. People pointed and exclaimed when they saw her. She turned and shot skyward. Climbing the MetLife building. Mist spun in her wake as her wings sliced through the rain. She reached the roof, and set down lightly. She sat on the edge, dangling her feet above Grand Central Station, and looked out on the city.
"You always liked this view of the city," Adriana was in the air in a blink, spinning around and hovering over the drop. Dusk-spider sat cross legged about halfway across the roof. He rocked back and forth, like a kid waiting to open presents on Christmas.
"What are you doing here," she questioned.
"Well I came to introduce you to my friends," Dusk-spider waved his hand and two shapes dropped beside him. Before they had landed Adriana had hard-light cannons aimed at all three shapes. "Relax," Dusk-spider put his hands up. "We come in peace. If I wanted a fight, I wouldn't have waited until you were suited up."
"Take off your mask and I will believe you. You know who I am," Adriana tilted her head regarding the two newcomers. Both stood in the shadows so she couldn't get a good look, but one of them seemed to be dressed similar to Dusk-spider. "It would only be fair."
"If you knew who I was, you wouldn't be able to resist me," Dusk-spider winked.
"Who are your friends," Adriana dissolved her weapons, but remained in the air as the two newcomers stepped into the light.
"Allow me to introduce Miles Morales and Miles Morales," Dusk-spider proudly announced. One was dressed as a similar circus freak to Dusk-spider, but was red and black instead of light blue and silver. The other looked like a punk kid with a really big claw hand. "Miles squared? Meet Adriana Tomes. More commonly known as 'The Vulture'." Adriana scowled as Dusk-spider revealed her identity to two people she had never met, but the two Miles removed their masks. The spider Miles pulled his mask off, but the other's retracted from his face revealing that they had the same face. Adriana was slightly taken aback, and possibilities started flying through her head.
"You're the same person," was all she said, but both nodded. "Why are you here?" She turned her attention back to Dusk-spider. The annoying insect had a habit of ruining her nights.
"Well… see here's the thing," Dusk-spider began before being interrupted.
"We need your help," the spider Miles broke in. "We are from another universe, and we need to get back or people are going to die!" Everyone went silent for a full minute. Dusk-spider wringing his hands, and braided hair Miles leaned nonchalantly against a utility pole.
"You need?" Adriana paused, "you need my help?" The Miles' nodded.
"Yeah…." Dusk-spider mumbled, "Please?"
Adriana burst out laughing. The spider Miles took a step back in surprise. Adriana laughed so hard she teetered in the air.
"You? The incredible Dusk-spider! Savior of New York, and hero of the lowly. Needs help for me?" The spider Miles looked at Dusk-spider questioningly.
"O great," braided hair spoke for the first time. "You two have history. Of course you forgot to mention that." Dusk-spider glared at him.
"Yes I know," Dusk-spider fumbled. "Obviously this isn't easy for me, but they really do need your help. And you will be able to rub it into my face forever, but please help them get home. Lives are in danger."
"Hmm," Adriana thought. "No."
"No?" Dusk-spider seemed stunned which made her smile beneath her mask. "I didn't think you would be able to deny the opportunity to show me up."
"Not everything is about you. You rapacious bug."
"I knew this was a waste of time," spider Miles turned in frustration. "You can't expect someone named 'Vulture' to be helpful."
"Wait," the claw Miles stood up straight. "Why won't you help us? Dusk told us that even though your methods aren't exactly savory, you do try to help people. So why won't you help us?"
"I help people that need help," Adriana replied. "Ordinary people don't have the means to defend themselves against those who are stronger. The unlucky are stranded until someone takes pity on them. You are neither. People like you? People with 'superpowers'? All they do is cause problems for the less fortunate. You have the means to help yourself. So help yourself." Adriana started to move away from the rooftop.
"I really didn't want to do this," Dusk-spider mumbled. "Guess that's par for the course." He shot a web out, and grabbed ahold of Adriana's right wing.
"You dare?" She spun around, slicing the web between two metallic feathers.
"Just hear us out please!" Spider Miles called.
"This isn't going to end well," claw Miles muttered just loud enough to be heard by everyone.
"You won't be able to run far Vulture! I know where you live remember?" Dusk-spider said, launching another web.
"I don't plan on running your insufferable bug," Vulture sliced the web out of the air, and dove toward the rooftop.
"Woah!" Spider Miles jumped out of the way, missing Vulture's razor sharp wing by inches. Dusk-spider blinked out of the way, appearing behind her and fired a web just above her right thruster.
Vulture spun on the spot, claws of hard light appearing beneath her. She grabbed the web, and yanked Dusk-spider off his feet. At the same time arms of light shot out and grabbed the two Miles' by their throats, slamming them to the ground. Dusk-spider yelped as he flew through the air toward Vulture. He blinked out of her grasp, but she was ready for it and whipped her wing around. As Dusk-spider appeared her wing slammed him hard, knocking him to the ground dazed. Vulture pointed the tip of her wing down to stab the spider through the chest.
"Wait!" Dusk-spider cried desperately. "You.. You owe me." Vulture shook her head.
"What are you talking about? I don't owe you anything!"
"DC! The Lincoln memorial," Dusk-spider, struggled to speak, "the Triceratops."
"How do you know about that?!" Vulture questioned.
"I was there," Dusk-spider replied. "You owe me."
"No. No that's not possible! That means.." a million thoughts raced through Adriana's mind as Dusk-spiders identity became clear. She did owe him it would seem. He had saved her life that day. The arms of light faded, and the Miles' got to their feet. Spider Miles coughed and rubbed his throat. Dusk-spider crawled to the side, clutching his side. Her wing had most likely broken a few of his ribs. Adriana pulled off her mask, making a mental note to adopt the retracting technology that the braided hair Miles had shown off. Her dark chocolate hair fell past her shoulders as she regarded the injured group.
"I will help you," she said at last.
"Well thank goodness for that," braided hair Miles mumbled.
"On one condition," Adriana continued.
"One condition?" Spider Miles asked, "You just tossed us around and you want a condition?"
"Yes," Adriana said without a smile, turning to Dusk-spider who was still lying on the ground clutching his side. "You saved my life once. So I am returning the favor by not killing you all right now. But in return for my help getting you home, I only require one thing."
"What is it?" Miles sighed.
"You have to go with them," Adriana said to Dusk-spider.
"Wha— what?" Dusk-spider fumbled. "I can't go with them, I can't leave this universe."
"Then I guess a lot of people are going to die because of you," Adriana turned away. "Starting with you three." Claw Miles growled, and his mask extended to cover his face.
"Easy Prowler," Spider Miles raised a hand. "Why does Dusk-spider have to come? He isn't comfortable going to another universe."
"We all have to do things we aren't comfortable with," Adriana replied, taking a metal feather from one of her wings, and turning it over in her hands. The edges were still razor sharp. "Either you all go, or none of you do. It's really rather simple. A lot of lives to risk for such a simple request."
"Never trust a vulture," Prowler growled, preparing to leap.
"No. Wait," Dusk-spider struggled to his feet. "You won't be able to beat her, and even if you did, we still won't be able to get you guys back." He turned to Miles, "Your parents need you. I will come with you." Miles nodded.
"Excellent choice," Adriana smiled. "Now where is this device I need to fix to get you home?"
"I have it right here," Miles held up the crushed watch Prowler had stolen off Gwen's wrist. Adriana took the watch and examined it for a few minutes.
"I can fix it, but it's going to take all night."
"That's the best you can do?" Prowler questioned. "Dusk said you were the best there was."
"I am," Adriana gave Powler an icy stare. "But multiverse technology is tricky."
"Is there any way you could get something smaller to stop us from glitching?" Miles asked.
"How often do you glitch?" Adriana questioned.
"About once an hour," Prowler answered.
"You should be fine until morning," Adriana continued. "The cellular decay will reset once you get back to your home universe."
"Wait a second. How do you know so much about this already?" Prower asked.
"This isn't my first time dealing with the multiverse kitty cat."
"Don't call me kitty cat," Prowler growled. Adriana gave him one of her fake smiles before lifting off the ground again.
"Come by my place tomorrow at eight," she said. "I will have your watch finished."
"Thank you," Miles called as she flew into the rainy night.
"You okay man?" Miles asked as he helped Dusk-spider stand.
"She broke a couple ribs, but I'll be fine," he groaned. "Just need to rest for a bit."
"Was that how you expected that to go down?" Prowler asked.
"Pretty much," Dusk-spider replied, "honestly I thought just the ability to hold me asking her for help over my head was gonna be enough. How wrong I was." He shook his head. "I knew we wouldn't be able to beat her in a fight if that's what you meant."
"You knew who she was," Miles commented. "And you revealed who you are. That puts you in a lot of danger now."
"Nah I'll be fine," Dusk-spider winced as he tried to walk. "I've known who she was for years now. I could never take her down. And she won't do anything to me, even though she knows who I am. All I did was answer a lot of questions for her. Besides, I'm coming with you guys now."
"But you're going to come back," Miles said, "once we deal with Spot and Miguel, you are going to come home. What if she attacks you during the day?"
"She won't. When I don't have this mask on?" Dusk-spider shrugged. "Let's just say I'm a different person." Prowler looked at him sideways.
"So we have to wait till morning," Miles looked at the sky, but nothing was visible behind the rain and clouds. "You know anywhere we can rest for the night?"
"Yeah, I know a place," Dusk-spider motioned them to follow. "I hope you like pancakes."
So Adriana is the Vulture from Dusk-spiders universe! She is a really badass character and I have had the inspiration for her for so long. This was a longer chapter, and I am hoping to keep that up with the next few. Someone asked me if there was any fan art for Dusk-spider, and as of right now there is not. However I have begun learning digital art for school, so he may make an artistic appearance at some point. Now there has been a lot of set up and planning since I started writing this story, but next chapter we get to learn some answers. It's time we check back in on Peter B. and Gwen, to find out what really happened when Miguel broke the canon.