Chapter 10: Friend or Foe?
New York City…
Monday, May 22, 7:15 am…
"Well, folks, it seems the Spider-Man is making headlines once again." Godfrey scoffed.
"Apparently, he 'saved' a bunch of kidnapped teenagers from a psychopath who wished to hunt them!" Godfrey continued.
"I'll admit that those kids coming home safe is a good deed, but the way Spider-Man goes about his 'work' is unacceptable!" Godfrey stated.
"His little fight that rampaged down the streets of Midtown cost several thousand dollars in damages!" Godfrey shouted.
"This is why we have the League under supervision and why we must have these smaller heroes under the supervision of local governments!" Godfrey suggested.
"If the menace known as Spider-Man really does want to be a hero, he'll follow the rules of the law or, more specifically, the ones against vigilantes!" Godfrey finished.
"You know I'm getting a little tired of his stupidity." Spider-Man sighed as he fired a web on the large screen that displayed Godfrey.
"I'd love to give him a piece of my mind, but…." Spider-Man began as he jumped off the roof he stood on with his backpack strapped tight.
"But I'm late enough for school as is!" Spider-Man shouted as he swung off to his school.
"I just had to oversleep! On the one day, I had to get in on time. I had to run late!" Spider-Man complained as he ran along a building's wall.
"If I'm late for my first final exam, I'm screwed!" Spider-Man muttered as he jumped off the building and entered a freefall.
"As long as I go full speed, I'll be able to make it just in time!" Spider-Man determined as he heard a scream from below.
Landing of a flag pole, Spidey looked back to see a man running away with an old lady's purse as the old woman yelled for help. Holding his head, he looked at the time, which was now seven sixteen, then back at the scene.
"Son of a…." Spider-Man muttered as he lept off the flag post and swung toward the purse thief.
He caught up very quickly and grabbed the purse from the thief's hands before sending him upward to hang upside down by a web. Once done dispatching the thief, Spider-Man made his way over to the old lady to return the purse.
"I believe this is your's, ma'am," Spider-Man said as he handed the old lady the purse.
"AHHH! STAY AWAY!" The Old Lady cried.
"Wha? I just want to give you your purse back!" Spider-Man gasped.
"Don't hurt me!" The Old Lady shouted as she pulled out pepper spray and sprayed Spidey in the eyes.
"What the hell? I'm just returning your purse!" Spider-Man muttered.
"Is Spider-Man robbing that woman?" One Person questioned.
"Maybe Godfrey was right." Another whispered.
"Just take your purse already!" Spider-Man insisted as he placed the purse down and swung off while several people recorded the incident.
"Thank god I'm wearing a mask," Spider-Man grunted as he cleaned the lenses off.
"That's definitely not going to be good for my reputation." Spider-Man sighed.
"But if she had the entire time, why didn't she use it before?" Spider-Man wondered as he noticed he had lost two minutes to that whole ordeal.
"Shit." Spider-Man cursed as he swung off.
"I'm so going to be late!" Spider-Man grunted as he swung as fast as he could while trying to preserve as much of his web fluid as he could.
When he did make it to his school, he quickly changed out of his costume, avoiding touching his eyes with the parts that still had mace on them. After changing, he burst through the door as the bell rang, sprinting to his classroom.
But he arrived too little too late as the second bell rang, causing him to lose ten points off his final due to his tardiness. With a sigh of defeat, he fell into the chair of his desk as he got ready to take his final.
While the final was being handed out, Jay looked at the empty desk next to him where Jett normally sat. The boy was absent from school, same as the other students kidnapped to be hunted by Kraven.
They were allowed to take their exams at home as the police, along with Star Labs, work to make sure that meta gene status is kept a secret. Part of that was staying home for the next week and staying low so that they could keep an eye on them.
Though the results of Jett's new metagene test had yet to come as the test would finish by the end of the day, he was still staying home. Shaking his head, Jay refocused on his exam, knowing that he had already lost ten points and he needed to be perfect to get an A.
"Let's do this," Jay murmured.
Western Mongolia…
Maya twirled a knife in her hand as she waited for her father to be done with his meeting. Unlike in the War World, where she could sneak around and listen in, she could not do so here. Then again, she never really cared about what they were talking about and only if she could do it without being caught.
Normally she would just go to her room or do something actually fun, but her father apparently wanted to talk to her after the meeting. To her, it was a waste of time, but she didn't want to be on her father's bad side as this was most likely another test of his.
Especially now that Cassandra was about to be of age, her father will be much harder on her. Maya growled as she could care less about her father's plans and wants. She didn't care about what responsibilities he would give her and what duties she supposedly had.
All she wanted was to live her life however she wanted to live it. But with her father, it was inevitable as she couldn't disobey his orders. Which meant her fun little escapades may soon come to an end.
"Let's just hope I can still have some fun," Maya muttered as the door to the meeting room opened.
"Good meeting?" Maya asked as her father held a neutral expression.
"Follow me." Vandal ordered as he walked past Maya without looking at her.
"What's this about?" Maya inquired only to receive silence.
"Fine, don't talk." Maya sighed as she continued to follow her father to the top of the mountain they housed.
"Couldn't I at least get a coat before we go outside?" Maya asked.
"The cold will make you strong." Vandal stated as he opened the door to the peak and led her outside where the wind was strong.
Maya flinched and rubbed her arms as she stepped out in the fridged air while her father walked out with no problem and looked at the view. She soon joined him and looked at the snow-covered land and the bright stars in the sky.
"What do you see?" Vandal inquired.
"Snow," Maya answered as she shivered.
"What else do you see?" Vandal questioned.
"Uh, the stars?" Maya responded.
"Is that all?" Vandal asked.
"Well, I'm sure I can spot other things, but I doubt it is what you're wanting to hear from me," Maya answered.
"What laid before you is land that holds the history and blood of thousands of people." Vandal began.
"I once led a battle here hundreds of years ago with one of your siblings and ended the rule of a would-be king." Vandal stated.
"It was never recorded by historians, and the battle was lost to history." Vandal continued.
"Is that why you wanted to build here? As a way to remember?" Maya inquired.
"Yes. It reminds me that there is more to the world than meets the eye. That one must look beyond what can be seen from the naked eye." Vandal responded.
"Tell me, if you were to see a hospital would you think of it anything other than what it is on the surface?" Vandal asked.
"Not unless I know any better," Maya answered.
"Exactly. Because for all we know, the hospital is secretly harvesting organs of the dead and selling them on the black market." Vandal replied as he turned to look at his daughter.
"We must always know where to look and what to look for. That most things have a deeper meaning than what can initially be seen." Vandal stated.
"That even the most insignificant thing or place can hold a higher meaning or lesson than we could ever know." Vandal continued.
"It is how I've toppled empires and gained significant power and influence over the world several times over by seeing opportunities where most don't." Vandal added.
"Okay…" Maya replied though she was beginning to lose interest.
"During your time in the shadows, you failed to understand that lesson, unlike your sister, so I allowed you to roam free as you have, hoping you could learn it for yourself as I have." Vandal explained as he turned away.
"Instead, you spent your time running around the world stealing anything you find challenging and not learning a single thing." Vandal stated.
"I told you when I gave you your freedom that you must travel and learn how the world works and to realize the responsibility we have to protect it with The Light." Vandal went on.
"I know how the world works, Father. It's the reason I've never been caught and why your friend Lex Luthor is so easily able to keep the Justice League in check." Maya argued.
"That is only the surface of things. Do you know the political culture of other countries or small nations? Do you know why insurgents fight their government?" Vandal questioned.
"Do you know why children are used to steal in impoverished countries? Do you know why the so-called heroes rise up?" Vandal inquired as Maya lowered her head.
"Exactly because each has their own motivation, and only by understanding their motivation can you plan accordingly on how to plan against them." Vandal explained.
"That is why starting at the end of September, you'll be returning to the shadows and be placed under Cassandra." Vandal revealed.
"Wha-! Why do I have to go back to the shadows?! And why under Cassandra?!" Maya questioned, displeased with this statement.
"Because not only have you failed to learn the lesson I've wanted you to learn, you also don't hold the responsibility we hold in high regard." Vandal explained.
"So it's high time you learned. But if you can prove to me by the end of the summer that you can learn both, I'll let you forgo more time at the shadows." Vandal stated as he held out his hand.
"Give me your Fatherbox." Vandal ordered as Maya complied.
"You'll be spending the night up here. I did the same with Cassandra when she was your age." Vandal informed.
"This will test your resistance to cold and your ingenuity." Vandal added as he entered the facility and locked the door.
"Just great. I should have ditched." Maya muttered as she looked around for something to keep her warm.
"Guess I should make an igloo." Maya sighed.
"And try to burn something," Maya murmured.
"I hate his tests." Maya hissed.
New York…
Midtown High…
After an hour and a half, Jay finished his exam and was satisfied with his work after double-checking it. Once he turned it in, he was free to leave as there was only one exam a day till Friday. This was fine with Jay as it allowed him to go around the city as Spider-Man.
That and it gave him time to find a job to pay for his expenses. Curt had helped him some, and in a few hours, Jay will have an interview. Hopefully, it would lead to something, but Jay couldn't give his hopes up.
Jay soon left his school building and changed back into Spider-Man, and once he put his backpack in a safe place, he went off on patrol. Though he took a quick stop to clean the mace off his costume, Spidey began swinging through the streets.
Spider-Man made sure to run on walls and across rooftops far more than normal as he wanted to save as much of his web fluid as he could. Though it wouldn't save him much if he had to engage in a fight or chase.
"Alright, no more exams for today. I have a few hours before my interview and hours before I should study for my exam tomorrow." Spider-Man smirked.
"So let's get some hero work done. Don't want to disappoint Nightwing." Spider-Man chuckled, remembering how the crusader had complimented him.
"Then again, it's not like he's watching. Plus, I don't really need his or anyone else's approval." Spider-Man added as he received a call from Jett.
"Hey, buddy. Can I assume you finished your final?" Spider-Man asked as he picked up the call.
"Yeah, just finished. Sara worked me hard to make sure I don't cheat." Jett responded.
"Did she really think you would cheat?" Spider-Man questioned.
"No, but ever since the whole debacle with Kraven, I'm barely allowed out of my room as it is and especially not downstairs," Jett explained.
"Wow, she's really on edge, fearing the worst isn't she?" Spider-Man quipped as he swung through the city.
"You have no idea. I just wish the test would finish, and I can know if I really am metagene positive." Jett sighed.
"If only Star Labs was functioning, then we'd know by now," Spider-Man replied as he ran along the edge of a building's roof.
"Either way, I'll be able to sleep easier once I know for certain whether or not I'm not a meta. This stress is killing me." Jett murmured.
"But if you are a meta, wouldn't that make you more stressed?" Spider-Man inquired.
"Don't make my stress worse than it is." Jett requested.
"Fine, fine," Spider-Man said as he swung off a flag pole.
"By the way, did you hear the news about Space Trek 3016?" Jett asked as Spidey landed on a building's corner.
"What don't tell me it's canceled?" Spider-Man responded.
"No, but apparently, one of the FX guys is on thin ice for using real explosives on the show," Jett explained.
"Who would do something stupid like that?" Spider-Man wondered as he jumped off the roof.
As he broke into a freefall between the buildings of New York when he noticed several cars speeding through the streets below. The cars barreled down, knocking away any other car that was in their way as they made their way towards Midtown Bank.
"Got to go. Looks like something's going down." Spider-Man said.
"Alright, I'm feeling a bit hot anyway, so I'm going to take some cold medicine and take a nap," Jett replied as he hung up on the call.
"And here I was hoping to not see some action with my low supply." Spider-Man sighed as he shot a web and nailed the car in the back.
He zipped to the top of the car with a thud causing the driver to swerve back and forth, but Spider-Man managed to keep it from hitting other vehicles. The people inside shot at him from below, forcing Spidey to flip onto the hood of the car.
"Stop the car before I stop it for you!" Spider-Man demanded as he saw the four people inside.
Each was wearing some sort of exoskeleton that glowed a light blue with their weapons attached to them. They fired at Spidey, who maneuvered to the left side of the car and punched the window in grabbing one of the crook's collars.
Before he could pull him out, the driver grabbed onto Spidey's arm as the blue light on the exoskeleton glowed brighter and pulled Spider-Man through the window and out the other side tearing off the roof in the process.
"What the hell?!" Spider-Man gasped as he fired another web onto the car's back.
He pulled himself back onto the car as another of the passengers got up and swung at Spider-Man, whose spider-sense warned him to dodge. Ducking backward, he stuck to the bumper of the car to avoid the attack before grabbing onto the passenger's arm.
Jumping up, Spidey lifted the passenger off the car before kicking him into the driver. This sent the car spiraling out of control, forcing Spider-Man to use a web net to stop it. As he did so, he made sure to fire a spider tracer on one of the other cars so he would be able to track it.
"Alright, so what's with the shiny armor? Exoskeletons? What exactly are you guys wearing?" Spider-Man questioned as he jumped onto the web net.
"Kill him!" One of the goons shouted as the four jumped at Spidey.
To his surprise, they jumped high and knocked him through his web crashing onto the ground. They managed to pin him there with strength much greater than normal humans. Thankfully, Spider-Man was still stronger as he knocked the goons off him, but not before the goons got a few good hits in.
Getting back on his feet, his spider-sense warned him of an incoming attack to his back, allowing him to spin around and catch one of the goon's fists. He tossed the goon away before ducking down, avoiding a blade that extended out of another goon's exoskeleton.
However, this allowed another to run at him at a frightening speed and tackle him into a nearby car. The goon then grabbed onto Spider-Man and threw him into a nearby hotel lobby shocking many of the citizens inside who hid behind furniture.
"Okay. So that stuff makes them strong." Spider-Man murmured as he got back up.
Two of the goons ran in after Spidey, but the wall-crawling hero wasn't going to put innocent people in the line of fire. So he flipped over the two and grabbed onto the back of their clothes, and threw them out.
While the exoskeletons made them stronger, Spider-Man was certain that he was stronger. But that led to another problem being adjusting his strength accordingly so as to not severely injure them. Spider-Man still didn't have the best control of his strength yet.
He could easily stop himself from accidentally killing someone, but when it came to using his strength at a specific level, he was still a novice. After all, he had only had his powers for a few months at this point.
That wasn't going to stop him from fighting, though, as he avoided the attacks from the goons. Spidey managed to knock most down but not out for the count as they kept blocking with their exoskeletons. Said exoskeletons were well made, too, as he couldn't damage them.
Whatever they were made of wasn't normal metal or any he had seen before, making things more complicated. His webs were out of the question to use, not just because he was low on the fluid but also because their strength could rip right through them.
"Guess I have no choice but hit them hard." Spidey sighed as he flipped onto a wall to avoid being stomped by one of the goons.
He jumped off of the wall and cracked his fist against one of the goon's face launching him away and onto the ground out cold. At first, Spider-Man was concerned, thinking he went overboard as the goon was bleeding buckets out of his nose until he realized he had just broken it.
"Okay, a little less than that." Spidey thought as he ducked under another goon's punch.
Rolling onto his hands, Spider-Man kicked the goon in the chin sending him into the air before jumping after him and throwing him to the ground. That was enough to take the goon down, and this time without breaking a bone…he hoped.
"Should I really feel bad for breaking a bone?" Spider-Man wondered as he caught a goon's fist with both hands.
"Yeah, I should. Doesn't mean I should avoid it. I just shouldn't purposely do it." Spider-Man thought as he swept the goon off his feet.
"I don't want to purposely injure them, just knock them out." Spider-Man determined as he smacked the remaining two goons' heads together.
They were shaken up but not out of the count yet. Both extended out blades edged with energy and sliced at Spider-Man, who dodged the attacks. However, thanks to the enhanced speed given to them by the exoskeleton's, they managed to cut Spidey on his right arm and leg.
To his surprise, it actually broke his skin, drawing blood though thankfully the cut was shallow, all thanks to his Spider-Sense giving him better time to dodge. But just as he was about to separate the two, his Spider-Sense warned him of a speeding car.
Jumping up, Spidey avoided the car as it came to a stop just where he had been. Exiting the car was four more goons wearing exoskeletons making his little situation worse. No doubt they were here to slow Spider-Man down from following the cars that got away.
"At least I put a spider tracer on the car." Spider-Man thought as the goons surrounded him.
Their numbers became a problem as Spider-Man didn't know if he could fight them all at once like this. He was put on the defensive, barely dodging the punches and bullets thrown and fired at him, respectively.
Eventually, Spider-Man was forced to jump to an adjacent building to get away from the goons, but one followed, forcing him to jump over him. Seeing an opportunity, he fired a web and threw the goon into the ground, taking him out.
"I'm going to have to use webs here." Spider-Man sighed internally.
Spidey fired several balls of web in an attempt to slow his opponents down. This helped him knock out two more before sliding under another and firing a web in another's face pulling his head into the ground.
"There's no chance you guys will give up, right?" Spidey sniped as he turned to face the remaining two goons who pulled out their weapons.
"Guess that's a no," Spider-Man commented as he jumped up and kicked one in the face.
The kick wasn't enough to push him back, though, as the goon grabbed his leg and swung him towards his partner, who smashed his fist into Spidey's head. Spider-Man was sent flying into a wall cracking it.
Shaking off the dizziness, Spider-Man got back up just in time to flip up higher on the wall to avoid one of the goon's punches. Firing a web, he pulled the goon up before sending him back to the ground out cold.
Jumping off the wall, Spider-Man avoided the final goons attack as the goon hit where he was. He zipped over and kicked him into the wall before allowing him to fall to the ground. With that, all the goons were knocked out with various amounts of trouble.
But thankfully, it allowed Spider-Man to gauge the right amount of strength he should use against them. Now it was time to catch up with the other cars, which were just about to get out of the range of his tracer.
"Shit, I need to move." Spider-Man cursed as he swung off.
"Okay, there were at least two more cars, so hopefully, I can manage to beat them and maybe take one of their exoskeletons for Jett to look at," Spidey murmured as he continued to swing.
"All before my interview," Spider-Man said as he pressed on his web shooter, only for no web to come out.
"Oh no." Spider-Man gasped as he pressed on his other web shooter, only for it to be empty too.
"No no no nononononononoNO!" Spider-Man cried as he fell from the sky toward the road below.
Grabbing at his belt, Spider-Man pulled out one of the few cartridges of web fluid he had left to reload one of his web shooters. After ejecting the old one, he quickly loaded the new one and fired a web just avoiding the ground.
"Thank God. I really need a better way to know how much I have left in my web shooters." Spider-Man sighed as he landed on a building and reloaded his other web shooter.
Unfortunately, thanks to that little slip-up, he lost the signal of the other cars. He decided to go to where the last signal was, but that came up empty. Thankfully after doubling back to the goons he had beaten, they were being apprehended and their exoskeletons confiscated.
"At least I caught some," Spider-Man muttered.
"But those exoskeletons were impressive. Only Tinkerer could have made them. I hope he doesn't make any improvements." Spider-Man noted.
Tinkerer's Workshop…
Tinkerer watched the footage of the test run of her exosuits. They ran better than she expected, but they weren't good enough against Spider-Man. While she didn't want to put Jay in any danger, Kingpin wanted nothing but to do so, meaning her hands were tied.
"When will you be able to make the adjustments?" Kingpin inquired via videocall.
"I just need to patch the software, which should only take a few hours." Tinkerer answered as she fiddled with her own exoskeleton.
"Good, I have a shipment of valuable goods coming tonight, and I want absolute protection." Kingpin replied.
"The last shipment was taken out by outside forces before it could even arrive. If I want my criminal empire to expand beyond New York, then I need to even the odds." Kingpin stated.
"Don't disappoint me like you did with Shocker and Scorpion." Kingpin demanded.
"Sir, with all due respect, Scorpion's failure was not my fault. If it wasn't for his ego, he would have killed Spider-Man." Tinkerer argued.
"Even so, I don't want my investment to be wasted. I'm already looking into other routes." Kingpin replied as he hung up.
"Damn." Tinkerer cursed as she slammed her fist onto the console.
"What am I going to do?" Tinkerer wondered as she grabbed onto her phone to check up on Jett.
She didn't want to leave him alone at home, but she had no choice but to do so. Tinkerer needed to work on the exoskeletons to keep Kingpin appeased. When she left, he had laid down with a mild fever, and she wanted to make sure he was okay.
"Hello? Sara, is that you?" Jett asked as his voice sounded groggy from sleep.
"Yeah, Jett, I just wanted to see how you're feeling," Tinkerer responded.
"I'm fine, though. I still feel pretty hot. Has Mr. Conners called with the test results?" Jett inquired.
"Not yet. I'll tell you when he does." Tinkerer answered.
"I've got to go now. I'll be back home soon so do not go out. Text me if you need anything." Tinkerer added as she hung up.
"Perhaps there is a way to suppress his metagene," Tinkerer murmured.
Gotham City…
Batcave…
"So it's an enhancement serum?" Batman questioned as he looked at the analysis of the Oz Formula in front of him.
"Yes, it seems to work similarly to Venom and Cobra Venom. But unlike the two, it has a mutating effect on a person's DNA." Oracle began over the coms.
"Making the effects permanent. To do that, the serum breaks down the DNA and reassembles it, which causes the meta-like powers to form." Oracle continued.
"But such a process would cause an unbelievable amount of pain. I'd say the rate of success with this would be low." Oracle theorized.
"I see we must ensure the immediate stop of production of these serums before the Light gets wind of it and perfects it," Batman stated.
"With the League on lockdown, that'll be hard." Oracle reminded.
"Then it might be time to part ways with the league," Batman replied.
"Are you sure it's time?" Oracle asked.
"We'll proceed in one month," Batman answered.
Western Mongolia…
"OOOWWWW! Son of a bitch!" Maya cursed as she plunged her hands into warm water.
She had just returned inside from the frigid cold, all due to her father, and was currently warming her frostbitten hands. If she hadn't built an igloo, she might have frozen to death though it made her hands very cold needless to say.
"Where does he come up with these stupid tests?" Maya questioned as she sat down.
"Seeing things beyond the surface." Maya mocked as she blew on her hands.
"I can do that, no problem. Maybe next time, be more direct with me and don't make a 'lesson' ambiguous!" Maya muttered.
"What should I do, though?" Maya wondered as she ran through several things she could look into and prove to her father she could see things beyond surface value.
That was when her eyes landed on a mannequin she had brought back from the War World that had on it Spider-Man's old mask. Her lips curved into a smile at the thought of messing with Spider-Man again and using him for her own gains.
"I did get a good look at his face. It might be fun to visit him." Maya chuckled.
New York…
Jay made sure his clothes were neat as he adjusted his polo and walked over to his interview. He was nervous about it all, but he needed to keep his nerves. Soon he met up with Curt, who led Jay to where he would be interviewing at.
"So, where am I interviewing at?" Jay inquired.
"It's a well-known place they needed some help with a doctor, so I volunteered for a few days. I heard that they needed an extra hand. I told them you could help." Curt explained.
"Unfortunately, you won't be paid for your time, but this is to build up a resume. Plus, if you're good enough, they may ask you to stay on." Curt added.
"Got to start somewhere, I suppose," Jay replied as they approached the crosswalk where the towering building of the Daily Bugle stood.
"The Daily Bugle," Jay murmured as he stared at the building while he and Curt began to cross the street.
"Yes, it is a big building. You have to wonder why they need such a big one. But enough gawking we're going just down the street." Curt replied as they passed the building.
They walked for another few blocks until they stood before the F.E.A.S.T building. Jay followed Curt inside as he led them to the back. As they walked through the building, Jay looked at the packed gymnasium filled with bunk beds and tables and people.
It made Jay sad to see so many people in such unfortunate circumstances, but it was good that there was such an organization here helping them. That being said, he still wasn't sure what they had in mind for him to do here if they accepted him.
Eventually, they arrived at an office where the site's director was, and Curt gave a knock. The door opened, and behind was a middle-aged man with greying hair and a buttoned-up shirt who looked happy to see them.
"Doctor Connors, it's good to see you. Thank you again for coming." The Man thanked as he shook Curt's hand.
"I'm happy to help Richard. This is Jay, the boy I talked to you about." Curt replied as he introduced Jay.
"Pleasure to meet you, son. My name is Richard Thompson. From what Curt told me, you can be very helpful with our operations around here." Richard smiled as he and Jay shook hands.
"I'll sure try my best," Jay replied as he followed Richard into his office.
The interview was quick and easy, and Jay was accepted for a temporary role at F.E.A.S.T. Since he was still underage, this was a precaution as they couldn't bring in random teens to work as in the past they stole food and supplies.
It was understandable. After all, teens can do stupid things like that. So for the moment, he was going to be going through the motions for the rest of the day to get to know the job better. He was taken downstairs and shown around before being told to help around.
"Okay. Okayokayokayokayokay." Jay murmured as he psyched himself up.
"Come on, you can beat up criminals but can't handle talking to some homeless," Jay whispered.
"God, that sounds mean saying it out loud." Jay sighed as he walked out into the gymnasium.
Walking around, Jay looked to see if anyone needed help. He ended up helping a few people move some small tables around so they could all play cards together. When he was done, they got to talking, and they gave him the lay of the land.
Everyone was fairly nice as Jay walked around and helped more people and listened to their stories. It felt good to help around even if, at the moment, it felt small. The pay might have been low, but he liked it.
Hours went by, and Jay was getting used to the job, but something began to feel off. He felt as if someone was watching him with some sort of intent. His spider-sense wasn't going off, so there was no danger, so for the moment, Jay brushed it off.
"How are things going, Jay?" Richard asked as he approached the boy.
"I was a little nervous at first, but this isn't so bad," Jay answered.
"Glad to hear it. Come with me for a sec." Richard requested as he led Jay to one of the corners of the gym.
"I need your help setting up a bunk for a new arrival," Richard explained as the two arrived at a pile of parts that needed to be put together.
It was clearly a two-man job, and since the permanent staff and volunteers were busy, Jay was the only one available to help. The task didn't take the two long before they finished, and it was ready for the new arrival.
"Alright, Max, your bed is ready," Richard called as a scruffy dressed man walked up.
"Thank you for your hospitality." Max thanked as he set his suitcase down. As he did, Jay noticed what seemed to be a Star Labs id on his suitcase.
"It's no problem. You can stay as long as you need until you get back on your feet." Richard replied as he walked off.
Jay stayed as he was curious about the id as it made no sense why someone who worked for such a company to end up in a homeless shelter. Then again, with the building gone, a lot of them were temporarily unemployed. But they were supposed to be compensated.
"Uhm…I'm Jay Shepard. I'm new here but just let me know if there's anything you need." Jay offered, striking up a conversation.
"Oh, thank you. I'm fine, thanks." Max replied.
"I'm Max Dillon," Max informed as he shook Jay's hand before he gave Jay a curious look.
"You said your name was Shepard, right?" Max inquired.
"Yeah," Jay answered.
"Was your father perhaps Kiran Shepard?" Max asked.
"He was," Jay responded.
"I knew him. Well, I saw him when I worked for Star Labs. He was a good guy. Sorry for your loss." Max replied.
"Thank you." Jay thanked.
"But you said you worked for Star Labs. What happened?" Jay questioned.
"Layoffs for the unnecessary ones, kid. I was just some small engineer tasked with repairs. When Star Labs blew up, people like me had to be let go." Max explained.
"I thought I was lucky for being on a little vacation when Star Labs blew. But if I was there, I may have been 'important' enough to keep me around." Max added.
"Why would Star Labs do that?" Jay questioned.
"It's something every company does, kid. They need to get rid of the unnecessary people so they can keep the important ones." Max answered.
"Now, I can't even find work." Max sighed.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Jay apologized.
"It's fine. It's not your fault, kid." Max replied.
"But one day, I'm going to make it big. I'll make my own company. One that doesn't kick out people like me." Max exclaimed.
"That sounds really nice, Max." Jay smiled.
"Well, I'm going to get some sleep." Max sighed as he sat on the bottom bunk, and Jay left him going to look for Curt.
He wanted to ask him about Max's situation. Jay didn't think a company like Star Labs would do something like this to any of their employees. But perhaps he still had much to learn about the world he lived in.
Jay found him looking at some of the people in the shelter, making sure they were healthy. But as he approached Curt, he noticed someone out of the corner of his eye. It was a girl, more specifically the same one, who attacked him when he stole Norman's hard drive.
If he remembered correctly, she called herself Savage or implied it was part of her name. She was on the second floor looking down on him before giving him a wave after noticing his gaze. Upon being noticed, she gave him a playful wave before disappearing over the railing.
"How the hell?" Jay muttered as he ran off to the stairs and up to the second floor.
When he made it to the second floor, she was nowhere in sight as Jay maneuvered through the crowd. However, he managed to spot her going through the roof exit before looking Jay in the eye and giving him a sly smile.
He quickly followed her as he burst through the door and up the stairs before arriving at the empty roof. She had once again disappeared, and Jay was left stumped until his spider-sense went off, telling him to duck down, allowing him to avoid Maya's attack.
"So it really is you. I was almost afraid you were someone else." Maya chuckled as she sat on the building's edge.
"How the hell did you find me?" Jay questioned as he approached an unwavering Maya.
"I have my ways. Seeing your face even once was enough, Spider." Maya answered.
"What do you want?" Jay asked.
"Nothing, just looking for some fun," Maya smirked as she stood up and walked around Jay.
"If by fun you mean attacking me again, I'm not interested," Jay replied.
"It's tempting to fight you again, but that's not why I'm here," Maya said as she held her hands behind her back.
"Tell me, why are you even here when you can be swinging around the city having fun?" Maya questioned.
"Because I need a job," Jay responded, confused at the question.
"That's what you're doing here? To make money?" Maya replied.
"You have these amazing powers. You can do whatever you want. So why waste time here?" Maya pointed out.
"I'm not using my powers for personal gain, and this place is here for a good cause. Plus, I'm not actually getting paid for this. I'm here to build my resume," Jay stated as he turned around.
"Boring. What's the point of having powers and not using them. The hero shtick has been done to death." Maya commented.
"Plus, you're acting as if you're doing this out of the good of your heart when in reality you're just here to help you make money, right?" Maya added, believing that was the only reason he was here.
"Then does that mean whatever it is you're doing is better?" Jay questioned as he rolled his eyes.
"What's it matter to you anyway? You have a lot of explaining to do for attacking me back at Oscorp!" Jay added.
"I told you it was for fun. You seemed interesting, so I wanted to see what you could do." Maya replied.
"Who the hell are you?" Jay questioned.
"My name is Maya, and let's just say I have an interesting family," Maya smirked.
"Seems like it," Jay muttered.
"And here I thought I'd have to call you Savage," Jay commented.
"No, I think you've earned the right to know my first name." Maya teased.
"That being said, I wasn't expecting you to have a name like Jay Shephard. Little boring." Maya commented as she looked at all of Jay's information on the device on her wrist.
"I like Spider-Man better." Maya snickered.
"How did you find out my name?!" Jay questioned as he grabbed at Maya's wrist, but the girl kept out of his reach.
"Whatever, I'm done with this. I'm going back before I get in trouble, and you better be gone and not cause me any trouble." Jay stated as he turned to leave.
"That's no fun, Spider." Maya huffed as she followed Jay.
"Weren't you curious about that Star Labs employee?" Maya inquired as Jay stopped short and turned confused.
"How long were you spying on me?" Jay questioned, shocked that he didn't notice.
"Is my spider-sense faulty, or was she not going to attack me?" Jay wondered.
"For a few hours now. I'm good at blending with a crowd." Maya smirked.
"But you're curious as to why it happened, right? You seem shocked that such a thing could happen." Maya pointed out.
"Unfortunately, such things happen all the time in business." Maya sighed with a shrug.
"Star Labs isn't like that. They're not like Oscorp." Jay denied shaking his head.
"How do you know?" Maya questioned as she scampered over to Jay.
"There's a lot of places that are in it for just the money. Maybe even this place has an ulterior motive." Maya suggested.
"That's ridiculous," Jay replied as he grabbed the doorknob.
"Aren't you just here for money? Or this resume thing?" Maya pointed out.
"That doesn't concern you," Jay stated as he opened the door and began to walk down the stairs with Maya closely following.
"That basically means yes, doesn't it?" Maya teased as Jay ignored her returning to the second floor.
"Tell me, why do you go around in the tights being the hero?" Maya inquired in a low whisper.
"Why are you still following me?" Jay questioned as he stopped just before the stairs.
"Because you're interesting, and I have uses for interesting," Maya smirked.
"I have no idea how to interpret that." Jay sighed as he walked down the stairs hoping she would leave him alone.
But that didn't happen as the Maya continued to follow him throughout the building as Jay continued to work. He couldn't confront her again without the risk of making a scene. So he had to tolerate her for the rest until his shift was over.
During this time, he avoided Curt and Richard as he didn't want Maya seeing any more of his personal life than she had. That being said, Jay had no idea how much she's seen of his life or how long she's been watching.
"Jay," Richard called, catching the boy's attention.
"Is there anything you need, sir?" Jay inquired, knowing he couldn't avoid him.
"No, I just wanted to say you've done a good job for your first day. I can't guarantee a permanent position yet, but I'd love if you were to come back and help around." Richard smiled.
"Well…thank you. I'll think about it." Jay replied as he and Richard parted ways.
Jay didn't know what to do with that offer as he did need a job with money, but he felt satisfaction working here. It reminded him of what Maya had said before about him only being here for money. The fact was she wasn't exactly wrong.
In the end, he made it through his shift and left before Curt forgetting to ask about Max or even Jett's results. He was hoping to get away from Maya. But the girl was stuck to him like glue even when he ducked into an alley and climbed to the roof. She wasn't going anywhere soon.
"You really don't know when you're not wanted, do you?" Jay questioned as Maya flipped onto the roof.
"Oh, I do. I just ignore it." Maya responded.
"Well, now I'm not on shift, so forgive me for being impolite," Jay stated as he grabbed Maya's left arm.
The girl smirked in amusement as she jammed two fingers into Jay's arm, sending waves of pain throughout his body. This caused him to release his grip on Maya, and the girl walked past Jay as he held his arm.
"What is that?" Jay asked.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm a meta. I can send waves through anything I touch. It hurts people and destabilizes most objects." Maya explained.
"Why are you telling me that so easily?" Jay questioned.
"Because I know about most of your powers, so I thought I'd even the odds," Maya answered with a shrug.
"Just what is your game?" Jay inquired.
"Not telling." Maya winked as she stood next to Jay.
He was about to say something back until the tracker for the spider tracers went off in his pocket. Scooping it out of his pocket, he looked at the screen seeing that the tracer he had planted on the car earlier was in range.
"Perfect distraction," Jay murmured as he jumped around the rooftops until he grabbed onto his backpack he had webbed up and put on his costume.
"Oh good, you're finally going, hero. Does that mean things are getting interesting?" Maya inquired as she stood behind Spider-Man as he slipped his mask on.
"I've got a job to do, so how about you leave me alone." Spider-Man insisted as he jumped off the roof and swung off.
"Not a chance." Maya chuckled as she followed.
She was still trying to look into Spidey to find any deeper meaning to his actions, but so far, she could see anything. Maya was beginning to think he made it all up just to make her go back to the shadows.
But she was going to see through this to the end and figure out Spider-Man's motives. Once she figures it out, Maya plans to use what she learned to expand her knowledge and further her skills to prove to her father she can she beyond what is just in front of her.
"I will not go back to the damn shadows." Maya determined as she followed Spider-Man.
The web-headed hero followed the car that was now driving far more normal than it was in the morning from a distance. He didn't want to be spotted and blow the chase as he wasn't going to let them get away again.
He did notice that Maya was still following him, but for the moment, he was keeping it out of his mind. Running along the edge of a roof, he noted that Maya was easily able to keep up with him even when he used his webs. Spidey didn't know if that meant she was good or he was bad.
"So, what is this about?" Maya inquired as she ran next to Spidey.
"What does it matter to you? Aren't you on the crime side of…crime?" Spider-Man questioned as he noticed he messed up the saying.
"I'm on whatever side I feel like playing," Maya smirked.
"Besides, everything's better with friends." Maya chuckled as both jumped off the roof.
"Friends? We've only met twice, and both times were from you stalking me." Spider-Man replied.
"What does that matter?" Maya snickered.
Spider-Man fired a web-swinging away while Maya threw a grapple and followed Spidey. The two followed the car as it drove through the city before eventually stopping at the harbor. Four goons in exoskeletons exited before entering a warehouse.
"Classic meeting place for illegal goods," Maya commented as she and Spidey stood on top of a crane.
"If you're really going to follow me in there, be prepared for the worst. They have exoskeletons that increase their strength and speed. Some even have weapons." Spider-Man informed.
"Sounds like fun," Maya smirked as she put on a Mongolian war mask.
Jumping down, the two maneuvered to the roof of the building before entering through a skylight. Walking along the support beams, the two looked down at the scene below as a boat came in through the waterway.
"Are all the goods still inside?" One of the goons questioned as the crew of the ship began unloading the items inside.
"Good Kingpin would be mad if his shipment of drugs were taken from him again." The goon replied before checking the goods.
"Kingpin," Spider-Man muttered.
"Who the hell is Kingpin?" Maya questioned.
"I don't know much about him, but apparently, it seems he controls a lot of the crime in New York. This is his operation." Spider-Man explained.
"Wow, sounds so interesting." Maya feigned interest until she realized that this could also help her goal.
"Great, there's a lot of them." Spider-Man sighed as Maya smirked.
"Don't tell me you're scared?" Maya chuckled.
"I'm going to see about disabling the boat," Spider-Man stated as he jumped across the support beams toward the boat.
Spider-Man dropped down onto the boat, keeping himself hidden from the goons to see what he could do to stop the boat. Maya wasn't too far behind as the two snuck down a corridor before Spidey's spider-sense went off.
Grabbing onto Maya, he got them both down as a goon fired at them. Spider-Man grabbed onto the lid of a case and threw it at the goon who ducked down to avoid it. Maya took this opportunity to kick the pistol out of the goon's hand before kicking his face into the ground.
"Guess the cover's blown," Maya murmured as the two peeked out of the boat to see several goons heading up.
"Just great." Maya sighed as she pulled out her knife and attempted to kill the goon who attacked them but was stopped by Spider-Man.
"You're not killing anyone while I'm here," Spider-Man stated.
"Don't be a buzz kill." Maya scoffed as she put her knife away, and the two ran off.
Breaking into the cabin, Spider-Man looked around before finding the ignition and shattered it. Just as he did so, he broke the window and jumped out to avoid the goons approaching. Maya followed and grabbed onto him as he pulled up the ceiling with some webs.
"The webhead is here!" A goon shouted as several brought out their guns and fired at the ceiling.
"You're really good at this," Maya commented sarcastically.
"Thank you! I really appreciate the feedback!" Spider-Man snapped back as he checked his web reserves.
Unfortunately for him, he was down to his last two, and his current ones were half empty. He would have to use his webs very sparingly. It almost made him happy that Maya was here to 'help' him.
"If you're going to help me, we need to take out everyone down there. But absolutely no killing!" Spider-Man stated.
"Jeeze, you're such a spoilsport." Maya sighed as she pulled out her knife and dropped down onto a crate before attacking the goons.
Spider-Man quickly followed, landing on top of a goon knocking him to the ground with a thud. Jumping off, he kicked another in the face before ducking down to avoid another's attack. However, he was nailed by another that sent him flying into a shipping container.
Spidey coughed for air as the strength of the attack knocked the air out of him slowing his recovery from the attack. This allowed one of the goons to pry the hole open to finish off the wall-crawling hero.
But before the goon could do anything, Maya used her knife to cut off the suit's power before knocking him out. This gave Spider-Man enough time to recover as he finally got back to his feet, catching his breath.
"Please tell me this only happened because they took you by surprise." Maya insisted.
"Yeah, they're stronger than the ones I encountered earlier," Spider-Man replied.
"I'll be more careful now," Spider-Man said as he looked at the damaged exoskeleton.
"What is that knife made of?" Spider-Man inquired.
"Never asked, but it's something that can cut through almost anything," Maya responded.
"That makes things easier. I'll hold them off, and you can disable their exoskeletons." Spider-Man suggested.
"I can do more than that," Maya stated.
"Fine, as long as it doesn't kill them," Spider-Man replied as he jumped out of the container.
"I hate no killing rules." Maya sighed as she followed.
Spider-Man rolled on the ground avoiding blades that came out of a goon's exoskeleton. He swept the goon off his feet while Maya came down and disabled the exoskeleton. The two continued this dance, allowing them to take out many of the goons present.
"You know when you're not fighting me, it's almost nice having you around for help," Spider-Man commented as he kicked a goon toward Maya, who disabled their exoskeleton.
"Why, thank you," Maya smirked as she knocked the goon out and moved on to the next one.
One goon attempted to crush them by tossing a container at them, but Spider-Man caught it with a web net. He wouldn't have time to catch it without leaving himself open, especially if it was full.
Several goons ran at them using the exoskeletons to boost their speed which caused Spider-Man some trouble. He wasn't fast enough to react for once and was eventually pinned to the ground just below the container he had webbed up.
Maya had retreated away from the goons before pulling out a throwing knife and using it to cut the web net above Spider-Man and the goons. This caused the container to fall down, forcing the goons to run off, freeing Spidey.
Spider-Man quickly got up and jumped over a goon who attacked him. He fired a web on the goon's head and pulled him to the ground allowing him to knock him out. Spinning around, he fired another web to bind two goons' arms together.
Before they could break free, Spidey flipped over them and knocked their heads together, staggering them enough for Maya to disable their suits. The two then kicked them into the wall knocking them out.
"You know you were right. It is a little more fun fighting with you." Maya laughed.
"Yeah. But don't get too used to it." Spider-Man replied.
"And you ruined the moment." Maya sighed as she knocked out another goon.
But things weren't going to be so easy as several goons took the higher ground and began to fire down on Spider-Man and Maya. The two were forced to take refuge behind a container where they were pinned down by gunfire.
"Got any ideas?" Maya inquired as several bullets broke through the containers, just missing them.
"I've got one," Spider-Man responded as he looked at the fluid left in his web shooters.
"Can you get up there if I draw their fire?" Spider-Man asked.
"Yeah, but if you're not fast enough, they'll definitely kill you," Maya answered.
"I can take a few shots before the bullets can break my skin," Spider-Man replied.
"So try to be quick." Spider-Man requested as he fired a web and zipped out of their cover.
He was immediately fired upon as he jumped from container to container and while firing web balls at the shooters. Most missed, but some hit their mark, giving a small delay between the shooting. This allowed Spidey to jump around and draw the attention of the shooters.
But soon, he was taken down when he attempted to fire another web only for nothing to come out of his left web shooter. Out of web fluid once more and at the worse possible time as one of the shooters fired and nailed him in his right leg, causing him to fall.
Thanks to his tough skin, the bullet didn't go through, but it still hurt like hell. He just barely got back up to get out of the way of the next line of fire. The gunmen were so focused on Spider-Man they failed to notice Maya dropping behind them.
She cut through one of their exoskeleton's before incapacitating another with her powers. Maya then swept another of their legs before destroying their exoskeleton. Rolling back, she avoided gunshots by the next goon, who was taken down by Spidey, who kicked him off the walkway.
Firing a web with his right hand, Spider-Man pulled the last shooter toward Maya, who destroyed the exoskeleton and knocked them out. With that, every goon had been incapacitated, allowing Spidey to gather them up and tie them up in webs.
"Now that was fun!" Maya exclaimed, patting Spider-Man in the back.
"I guess I wouldn't say nearly dying is fun," Spider-Man replied as he looked at his reserves.
"I hope I have enough web fluid to get home." Spider-Man sighed as Maya looked at his web shooters.
"I thought that stuff just came out of you," Maya commented.
"Ew, no. How would that even work?" Spider-Man replied.
"Unless…" Spider-Man murmured as he hypothesized the possibilities.
"What's the matter anyway? Can't you make more?" Maya inquired.
"No, I don't have the materials nor the money to buy them," Spider-Man answered as he slapped a note on the webbed-up goons.
"So that's why you need money," Maya noted as she looked around.
"Couldn't you just take what's around here?" Maya questioned as she pointed around at the several crates filled with chemicals.
"No way! This is evidence, and I'm not stealing even from criminals!" Spider-Man replied.
"What's the big deal? They stole it first. Don't you want it to go to a good use or something?" Maya asked.
"It still doesn't make it right," Spider-Man stated.
"How is it any different than when you stole that hard drive from Oscorp?" Maya questioned, seeing hypocrisy in Spider-Man's words and actions.
"That was different. I was collecting evidence to see what Norman Osborn has planned." Spider-Man defended.
"Then why does taking a little bit of this matter? It's not like anyone else is going to use it?" Maya suggested.
"I won't take it for the same reason I won't use my powers for personal gain. I have a responsibility to use my powers to protect people and not just walk over them." Spidey declared.
That word dug into Maya as she scowled in annoyance. Everyone talked about responsibility, but why did it matter. Why did everyone have to live up to some responsibility they never had to take up?
"Who cares about responsibility," Maya muttered as she turned around and began to walk away.
"I got what I needed," Maya murmured as she opened a Boom Tube.
"What the hell?!" Spider-Man gasped as Maya walked in, and the Boom Tube disappeared.
"Wha…what was that?" Spider-Man questioned.
"I just don't get her." Spider-Man shook as he scaled the walls before exiting via the roof.
"At least she's finally gone. Still though, first she attacks me, then she stalks me before finally getting mad about responsibility?" Spider-Man noted as he fired a web.
"Let's just get home." Spider-Man sighed.
Western Mongolia…
Maya entered her room from the Boom Tube and tossed her mask across the room. She was annoyed at Spider-Man as she saw him as a source of fun, but he was just like her family. All that mattered was a responsibility they held above themselves.
Why couldn't anyone just live life and have fun? She hated being told she had to do something she didn't want to do. With a sigh, she decided to let it go and find something and someone else to have fun with as she went to close out of the information she had on Jay.
"I got want I wanted. He's a hero because he thinks powers have some responsibility attached to them." Maya snipped as she pulled up his info but paused just before she could close it.
It was a news article about Jay's father, who died in the Star Labs attack by Hobgoblin. She noted that afterward was when Jay first appeared as Spider-Man taking down Hobgoblin. It seemed she still didn't fully understand Jay's motivation.
Maya could tell that Jay's sense of responsibility came from this and not just from any pressure or expectation. It could very well be revenge. Either way, Maya was over it and decided to revisit the issue later.
"Maybe I still don't understand." Maya thought as she stared at the ceiling.
"Whatever. At least it was some fun." Maya sighed as she got on her bed and went to sleep.
Chrysler Building…
"So you're saying that Spider-Man stopped my newest shipment of drugs and goods?" Kingpin questioned as he spoke to Tinkerer.
"Yes, sir." Tinkerer answered.
"Did you not say that your exoskeletons would work better against him after the patch Tinkerer?" Kingpin asked as he clenched his fist.
"It should have, sir. But I believe that Spider-Man had help this time." Tinkerer replied as she placed Maya's throwing knife on his desk.
"What is this?" Kingpin questioned as he held up the knife.
"I believe it belonged to Spider-Man's accomplice tonight, sir. It has fingerprints on it, but I can't seem to find any matches." Tinkerer explained.
"I see. So you're saying that if Spider-Man didn't have this accomplice, he would have perished tonight?" Kingpin inquired.
"I…I believe so." Tinkerer answered.
"Hmm….very well. Continue your work, Tinkerer. You may leave." Kingpin ordered as Tinkerer hesitantly left.
"It's never enough. Even though I managed to take New York, I can never expand. When I make any improvements to my organization, the competition gets stronger." Kingpin muttered.
"It seems I'll have to take more…drastic measures." Kingpin decided as he typed on his computer, pulling up the case file of Kraven the Hunter.
Otto Octavius's Home…
Otto Octavius sat in a large pile of documents and blueprints of the Superior Bank of New York, Wayne Industries, Oscorp, and Lexcorp. He had been studying it all for days and had finally come up with a viable plan of action.
If Otto was going to ensure that the world would benefit from his genius, he would need to take drastic measures to do so. He hated to result to crime, but he had no choice. Everyone had rejected his genius, so when he did succeed, he would make sure everyone knew their mistake.
"I'll show all of you," Otto muttered as he mindlessly wrote on the paper before him.
Curtis Conner's Home…
Jay had managed to get home, though halfway through, he had run out of web fluid. This forced him to run the rest of the way and plan how he would get more web fluid. He didn't want to ask Curt for money because he was already paid for a lot of his life.
While the volunteer work at F.E.A.S.T was nice, it didn't pay, meaning he would actually need to find a job. But at the same time, he remembered Maya's words saying that he had only gone there for money.
She wasn't exactly wrong. He only went to F.E.A.S.T because Curt had brought him for work experience so he could get a job. But he really resonated with the work done there and felt like there was something to do there.
Especially after meeting Max, Jay felt that he could do good for people as himself and not as Spider-Man. That was when he decided to continue volunteering at F.E.A.S.T though that didn't solve his money problems.
"Is this what adults feel like?" Jay wondered as he entered the kitchen where Curt stood.
"Hey, Uncle Curt. Sorry for running off earlier." Jay apologized as he took out an energy drink from the fridge and sat down looking at the newspaper.
On it was an ad for a science fair with a cash prize of $10,000. Jay's eyes widened at the sight as if the world had given him the answer to his money problems. If he and Jett entered and won, he would have enough money for a while for his escapades as a hero.
"It's fine. But it seems Jett's test results came in." Curt replied with a blank face.
"They did?! What does it say?" Jay asked as he got up.
"They're positive. Jett's a meta. But it's worse than that." Curt responded as he showed Jay the results.
"Oh no." Jay gasped.
Jett's Home…
Jett brushed his teeth as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. He still felt like his body was burning up, but oddly enough, he didn't feel sick. Even after taking medicine, his fever didn't go down a bit.
"Sara is never going to let me go if this fever doesn't go away." Jett sighed as his phone went off beside him.
Looking over, he noticed it was a call from Jay, and with a smile, he spat out the toothpaste and cleaned himself up. This had to be what he was waiting for, and he could once and for all know whether or not he was meta.
"Finally. Hopefully, it's some good news." Jett smiled as he reached for his phone.
But as he did, something unexpected happened. The burning sensation of his body turned up by what felt like a million, and suddenly, to his horror, his entire arm went up in flames. Jett screamed as he shook his arm, hoping to put the flames out, but it was no use.
Moving backward, he tripped over himself and fell into the shower tearing down the curtain as it caught fire. As the fire climbed the curtain, so did it climb Jett's body as soon his entire body was engulfed by flames.
"What's happening to me?!" Jett questioned as he held onto his face seeing his burning body in the mirror.
Author's Note:
First chapter of the New Year! Finally was able to get to this after updating my other stories, and I think it turned out pretty well. I wanted to put a little more focus on Maya's character here and to show off her immaturity.
Which all in all, I think I succeeded in doing pretty well as she acted like a brat for most of the chapter, which is exactly what I wanted. I also finally got to show off a little bit of the exoskeletons, which will appear more.
While for now, they are a threat to Jay, once he gets more used and trained to his powers, he'll be able to fight them off better. I think personally that since he's only been Spidey for a few months, he shouldn't have expert level control on his super strength just yet.
Either way, I also was happy to show off where Jay will be working as he will become a part of F.E.A.S.T. I know a lot of people in the reviews predicted he will join the Daily Bugle, but that will be too much like Peter Parker.
Like I've said, I want to differentiate Jay from Peter, and while Peter does have some ties to F.E.A.S.T, he never fully worked there. Plus, I feel like this can develop Jay's character a little. It also allowed me to introduce Max Dillion, who will one day become Electro!
But the best part was the cliffhanger with Jett showing that his metagene is, in fact, active! This will be shown more next chapter, so be prepared for that! Finally thanks for 100 favs and follows! It makes me happy to see so many people like this story.
That's all for today so let's get to the reviews:
DarkGoblin (Guest) – Yeah, no, Jay will not work at the Daily Bugle as, like I said above, it will be too similar to Peter. Fun fact I included that little bit with Jay looking at the Bugle as a joke before he and Curt went to F.E.A.S.T, lol. As for Jameson, he'll be a little bit neutral as I can't see him being a super supporter, but you never know.
Thanks for the ost suggestion, but I don't implement ost into my fics. I tried it once but felt like it gave away too much for that story and just was a little distracting, so I tend not to do that.
Star Vader Chaos Breaker – Thank you for telling me about the Max and Mark typo! If you didn't tell me, I would never have noticed it, lol. It was a typo as in another fic I write, I have a character named Max, so sometimes when I write, I'm on autopilot, and names can be mixed up.
Yeah, I wasn't going to forget that Nightwing isn't part of the Team in this part of the timeline. It would have made no sense if I changed it.
Fictionreader23 – I loved Static Shock as a kid! I really need to rewatch it as it has been years but was Richie a meta? I don't remember much, but I thought he used gadgets and stuff, but then again, I could be wrong; I'll have to look it up.
Either way, Jett's meta powers will not be anything like Richie's.
MarvelDude (Guest) – Yeah, hoodies look better for Spidey than capes which is why I used it.
Magnouce Elie (Guest) – Yes, the Spider-Verse does exist here. No, Jay will not be getting new powers.
Thunrady – I actually do have a plan for a Spider-Verse arc in mind, but it's not finished yet, and when it is, it won't be for a long while.
Biospark (Guest) – Otto will not be getting aid from A.I.M as I don't want to copy the story of the PS4 game. I want Otto to slowly go down the path to villainy as his vanity consumes him. I did feel it appropriate for Jay not to join the Team yet as it is a little too early for it. As for his villains, I'll have them slowly show up one by one.
Martin (Guest) – Nope, Jay will not be working for the Bugle. That's too much like Peter, and I want to avoid that at all costs.
Guest – Yeah, Spider-Man is always fun without a team, but I do like a team-up every now and again. I agree that Ultimate Spider-Man didn't handle the team dynamic well at all. But at least it was better than the show that came after (It doesn't seem they do good with it either, from what I gather).
Oh yeah, Spider-Man is the hero who fights the villains in daylight and isn't secretive, which is what I'm trying to do here. Unfortunately, the symbiote won't be coming for a very long time, but when it does, it's going to be a good story, I promise that.