6A/N: This chapter was originally written by AManwithaB0x, and is posted here with their permission. Please enjoy, and be sure to go check out the rest of his fics as well.
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Designation: [Remnant-1962]
Status: Overall stable. Various abnormalities detected throughout, effect unknown. Lingering energy trails indicate the possible presence of an alternate network of timelines.
Condition: Green
Recommendation: Maintain observation and continue data collection. Minimal interference.
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So I'm in the middle of perusing the latest issue of X-Ray And Vav when the bell above the front door gives a ding-a-ling. I barely hear it over my Spider-Sense going off.
Sigh… so much for taking a break from my patrol…
A quick glance tells me the setup – three guys, all with guns, and a van outside with two more waiting. I know these guys, too; Gravelight's goons. Dang, never expected this place to be under their 'protection.' Though maybe I should have; these jerks have half the neighborhood covered, for Pete's sake!
I don't move right away since I'm not 'in uniform', so I have to play the part of a scared citizen for a bit. As I'm listening to the elderly shop owner arguing, one of the guys decides to try his luck with little ol' me. I still have my hood up, luckily, so he doesn't see my face before sticking the end of his assault rifle under my nose and saying "Past yer bedtime, ain't it? How about I call ya a cab?"
Thinking fast, I look down at my jacket and say, "…Aw man, did I wear my taxi-colored jacket again? Everyone wants to call me a cab in this thing…!" To his credit, the goon doesn't cringe right away.
Instead, he takes a foot to the face. Mine, specifically. That's one down.
Before the other two can react, I quickly pull down my mask – it was only tucked up under my hood – and shoot two web-lines out to grab them both, then I yank hard. Both guys fly right for me, but I stop them with a double-clothesline. Two and three, and I didn't break anything in the store for once. Not bad.
Then I hear a muffled "It's the bug!" from outside as the van burns rubber, getting away. Or trying to. I feel like chasing someone tonight.
I quickly shake off my jacket and sweatpants (or my 'civies', as I call them) and proudly display my suit… for a moment, cuz they're still getting away. A quick check of my web-shooters – almost full, as expected – and I call back to the shop owner. "Call the cops, would you? And…," I point to my discarded clothes, "…hold onto those. I'll come back for 'em."
The owner, one "Stan the Man", adjusted his shaded glasses and gave me a grin. "No problem. Go get 'em, kid!"
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Normally I enjoy swinging around the city. Whether during the day or at night, like it is now, it's probably the closest thing humans will ever get to flying without big jet packs. And it's nice that one web cartridge can let me swing around freely for almost an hour before I have to refill. The right one has been a bit rusty, though… gonna need to get that checked out later.
First, I've got a van to catch.
If these guys knew what they were doing, they would have driven through the shorter buildings of the Vale District: harder for me to gain speed while swinging with shorter web lines. However, they veer between tall apartment buildings and towering office units. Easy to keep an eye on them. Twice I try and swing low, hoping to land and take 'em out, but both times they make a quick turn and leave me flailing in the wind for a moment.
I hate flailing…
Thankfully they're not stupid enough to lean out the windows and shoot at me – it's happened before, and it sucks! – but they are booking it. One of these days I know I'm gonna catch a moving vehicle, and I'd like to think this one would be my first… but then I see where we are.
The District line. Vacuo's just ahead. Doggone it!
I know I can't catch them now, at least not before they cross the line, so I decided to try something new; a tracking device, one of Mom's new toys, that's supposed to stick with a magnet. If I can get it on the van, maybe I can figure out where Gravelight is operating from. Maybe then I can actually do something about him! Jerk's got everyone on edge around here.
Pulling it from the pouch on my hip, I aim and throw while in mid-swing… my aim is perfect, it's sailing right on target…
Only to watch it bounce off the roof of the van and into the gutter.
Grrrr… Dirty words!
The van peels away into the distance as I land on the street, collecting the now-broken tracking device with a grumble. Dang it. Dang it, dang it, dang it! I hate letting them get away like this!
…It's times like these I wish I could cuss. Mom would have a fit, but I'd feel better.
A quick peek at a nearby bank sign tells me it's time to head home. I give the distant van The Pinky™, then thwip my way back up and into the safety of the city skyline. On the plus side, no major property damage or injuries tonight… except for my ego.
After collecting my things (along with a hearty thank-you from Stan), I walk the rest of the way home. Plenty of webbing left, but the trigger on the right shooter is getting worse; it feels like it's ready to snap at any moment. As I make my way down the street, I glance down under my jacket, looking at the large spider emblem on my suit…
And I think.
I think of accidents, spider bites, and broken promises. I think of fights, villains, and heroes. But mostly… I think of Barb.
It's times like these I miss her the most.
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Okay, people… let's do this one last time.
My name is Lindsay Rose. I was bitten by a genetically-engineered super spider.
And for all of about five weeks, I have been the one… and only… Spider-Girl.
(record scratch) …Kinda.
To be honest, I still don't know what the heck I'm doing.
My Mom is a geneticist at OzCorp, and she's the one who created the spider that bit me. As in, she grew the hairy little bugger in a lab. Even so, neither she nor I know how I do all the crazy things I do.
What is it that I can do? Allow me to explain.
Like a real spider, I have enhanced strength and reflexes, I can literally walk on walls, and I have a sort of 'danger sense' that warns me when I'm about to be attacked – I call it my Spider-Sense. My webbing is artificial, though, kept inside two mechanical web-shooters I keep strapped to my wrist. Mom made them for me, along with my suit and mask.
But then I also have a more… unusual ability that came from Mom's lab-grown spider. She used genes from a pufferfish to allow her spider to inflate and deflate itself, making it look like it could grow and shrink. Now, I do that. When I inhale far enough, I get BIG. When I push all the air out of my lungs, I get… small. Needless to say, it took some practice to keep myself from accidentally destroying any more apartments.
Yes, it happened once. Don't ask.
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Chapter 28: The Spinner
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"Well, kiddo… I got good news and bad news."
"Just a minute, Mom… woo, dizzy…!"
"Whenever you're ready."
"… … …Okay, I'm good now. Bad news first."
"Your lung capacity is terrible. You haven't started smoking, have you?"
"Mom, you would notice if I even walked too close to someone smoking on the street, never mind if I'm the one sucking on it."
"…I can't argue with that."
"Anyway, didn't you have good news? Or did I just inhale and exhale more than 100 times in a minute for no reason?"
"Several things, actually: First, there doesn't seem to be any measurable limit to the speed of your size-changing ability. I estimate that it would keep up with you even if you increase your breathing rate by another 50%. The size you take shows no difference; 20 feet at your largest, 1 foot at your smallest."
"And I'm 5 foot normally, so that's a difference of 5 times. 5 times bigger, 5 times smaller."
"Very good, Lindsay! Glad to know your freshman year wasn't a total waste.~"
"Hilarious. Anything else?"
"Based on my numbers, your suit should withstand everything you do to it for at least the next two years. Assuming, of course, that you don't get shot or stabbed. You are behaving yourself, yes?"
"Yes, Mom."
"And you remember my rule about crossing District lines?"
"Unfortunately, yes. I've let three of Gravelight's mooks get away because of that rule of yours, you know. That van last night could have led me to Gravelight himself, but nooooo~!"
"Lindsay, you know why I don't want you swinging around the entire city after dark at your age. Please don't test your limits …or my patience."
"… … … I know, Mom. Sorry."
"Hug time?"
"Hug time."
"…"
"…"
"Now go ahead and get dressed. Your friends called a few minutes ago and wanted you to meet them for lunch. Four Guys, if I remember right?"
"Aw, yeah! I am so there…!"
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My two favorite types of fast food include the infamous Pizza In A Cup (Hashtag fair food is best food!) and pretty much anything from Four Guys' Burgers and Fries. A jug of soda, a bucket of fresh-cut French Fries, and two big, greasy burger patties that could feed a family of three. All for me.~
Arryn didn't feel very hungry today, so she got a thing of fries to split with Kara; they both spent most of the meal watching me annihilate my own food. Kara looks a bit green now.
Other than Mom, these two are the only other people in the city who know my secret; that I'm the one and only Spider-Girl. And they would, since the first time I accidentally changed size was in Arryn's apartment. Geez, that was a day I seriously want back… She's rooming with Kara now, and it's technically my fault – word got around to the other apartments in the city that Arryn was a high-risk tenant or something, and now she can't get a room of her own anymore. Jerks.
"How… how can you stomach that… that swill?" Kara said through her nausea. She's been trying to turn vegan, by the way; I love making her squirm.~
"Mom was testing my growth all morning," I say through a mouth full of fries. "I. Need. The. Calories."
Arryn just grins, also enjoying the show. She's wearing her hair ribbon again today, and I think it's cuz I told her it looked cute last week. It looks like she has cat ears the way she wears it; now she meows every time I mention it. Nut.
Kara is wearing her usual white skirt and baby blue Bolero jacket, a nice complement to her white hair – apparently, it's a family trait, since everyone with the last name Schnee has white hair. Arryn is wearing her 'Serious Business' t-shirt and blue jeans. It's just a casual lunch with my friends on a nice, normal day. Life is good.
Well… aside from the whole "never being able to catch the bad guys" thing I have going.
…No, I don't have a stress eating problem. Why do you ask?
We mostly just make small talk as we eat, talking about life, the universe, and everything – 'everything' here being mostly related to either school, Kara and Arryn's home life, or stuff my mom is working on that I'm allowed to talk about in public.
Eventually, the conversation turns towards my adventures as everyone's Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Girl, and my botched attempt to tail Gravelight's van the previous evening.
"I tell ya…" I say, my words getting interrupted by a hearty belch, "…letting these guys get away all the time is driving me nuts. I know Mom worries about me and everything, but I can't stand it!"
Arryn looked away for a moment, thinking, then looked back at me and said "You know… I heard… that there's a new jewel thief in town. I think Cherami from Work mentioned it… and supposedly this thief works out of the Vale District. You… might… wanna keep your eyes open tonight."
As fake as that sounded, I nod anyway. Cher' might have been blowing smoke, but if there was any truth to that rumor then there was no way I could dare ignore it. Besides, all these losses have been getting me fired up. Catching a jewel thief might be just what I need to release a bit of this darn stress.
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About 10 hours later, and I'm regretting my optimism.
Turns out the jewel thief is plenty real, not to mention plenty annoying – it's a woman with stark (disturbingly familiar) white hair and two tall bunny ears atop her head. She's also wearing a fancy white catsuit and mask, so I can't be sure who it is… all I know is that she's really, really freaking hard to catch.
"I'm late~… I'm late~… for a very important date~!" she merrily sang while dodging my webs like it was nothing. The two of us were darting around on the roof of an apartment building in Vale's south end, having just come from the latest robbery. Yeah, I missed the act itself, but it wasn't hard to spot this loon when I arrived. "No time to say 'hello, goodbye' …I'm late, I'm late, I'm late~!"
On that note, the mysterious bunny girl makes a running leap over the edge of the building and, as God is my witness, easily clears a six-lane road before landing on the far roof.
I legit have to stop and stare for a moment. I mean, sure… I could make that jump, but I've never seen anyone else do it!
"Is that all you've got, Miss Spider?" she suddenly called out, clearly taunting me, "Afraid of falling down the Rabbit Hole with me?"
I answer with a thwip, quickly swinging over to resume the chase.
From here it turns into a roof run, and I'm impressed once again; I've chased cars that didn't move as fast as this woman does! How in the world can she run like that? Even using my webs as a zip line, quickly yanking myself over entire buildings, is only just letting me keep pace!
Whoever this woman is, it's pretty clear she's toying with me.
And I hate being toyed with.
I finally decide to use my size – which I normally try to avoid, as it tends to attract unwanted attention – by going Big just at the moment I jump from the edge of a roof. The extra power of the larger muscles sends me flying even further than a normal jump, and then I go Small right afterward to reduce drag. It's a trick I picked up about a week ago, and the result is that I fly past the fleeing woman… and then pop right back up in front of her.
I only have a moment to enjoy her look of shock before I start swinging.
Now I should note that I'm normally quite strong – hitting a guy at full strength, for me, would be enough to knock a head clean off – so I naturally hold myself back when I don't know the strength of my opponent. Even so, this woman ducks and weaves around my attacks like I'm telling her where I'm going to swing! I can't even touch her, for cryin' out loud! Dirty words!
Her grin returned a moment before she ducked around my fist and sent her foot into my face, hitting hard. It felt like someone just knocked my nose into the back of my skull with a sledgehammer, and I legit see stars for a moment. I also taste blood in my mouth, coming from my now-broken nose. Good God, that hurt!
I barely hear the woman make a tsk sound, as well as the faint echo of distant police sirens when she suddenly says "Another time, then?" and runs off.
That slimy little… gah! Even when they don't run out-of-bounds, I still can't catch anyone; this has been the worst week ever!
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"No one said you had to catch everyone, sweetie," Mom said as she applied a bit more peroxide to my nose.
"That's not the point!" I complain through the burning. I'm used to it, but the stuff burns anyway. "I've been doing this gig for almost a month, but all I've been able to do is catch a few unlucky muggers and get my nose broken! I can't seem to do anything else right!"
Mom sighed as she wiped off the last of the dried blood and put a small cold pack on my face. "Luckily for you, your nose was only dislocated. You'll be good as new by tomorrow."
"Oh goody," I say with a thick layer of sarcasm, "Just in time for the press to rub my nose in it."
"Lindsay, based on your description of this woman, I think you're lucky that's all she did to you." Mom only crosses her arms when she's worried, so I know she's not messing around this time. "It sounds like she might have been a Juicer."
I blink at the unfamiliar word. "Is… that some kind of steroid?"
"Yes and no; it's a new drug that's been showing up on the streets for the past few weeks, but only recently has it gone widespread. They call it Juice – apparently it works like a steroid, but you drink it rather than inject it directly, and the results are instant. It apparently turns normal people into superpowered psychos for at least an hour."
I scratch the back of my head as I remember how soundly that woman beat me. "That explains a lot, actually…"
Then she looks at me with a morose expression. "Lindsay… I'm scared. If you lost to just one Juicer… and it's all over the city…"
"Don't worry about me, Mom. I'm tougher than I look."
"I know, it's just… I was thinking, maybe… I could open that up again… and see if-"
"You PROMISED you wouldn't get into that again!"
"Lin, Honey, this is different… you could die!"
"And if someone else gets a hold of the venom sample, we could ALL die!"
Neither of us speak for a few moments. Honestly, how could she even think about working on that stuff again after what happened the last time?
Back when her spider bit me, one of the first things Mom did was extract all the venom from its body (it died right after the bite) and try to analyze it in order to create a batch of antivenom. Soon after we discovered that I wasn't dead, her research turned to trying to find out why… and then to the possibility of synthesizing the venom for further testing.
I didn't like it, but Mom ended up creating a batch of the new venom to test later on. She seemed convinced that we would end up famous, as the world's first people to scientifically create a superhero.
…But then Barb decided to test the new venom on herself when no one was watching. I will never forget watching the horrific transformation of my step-sister into a lizard-like monster… nor the pain in her eyes when I was forced to snap her neck, killing her.
Mom sealed the original sample of the venom in a vault and promised to never mess with it again.
Barb died… because of us. Because of me.
"We will figure this thing out, and no matter what happens… we will NOT turn to the venom," I said with as much conviction as I could muster. "No one else needs to go through that hell."
I felt a little guilty when I saw a tear in Mom's eye, but we still hugged it out. I knew she feels as guilty as I do over Barb's death, especially since she was the one who got us jobs as her lab assistants in the first place.
"Sorry, kiddo," she said with a sigh. "I guess… old habits die hard."
"Let's stop talking about death for tonight, okay?"
"Alright. G'night, sweetie."
"Night Mom."
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Since it's currently summer vacation, I don't have to deal with school at the moment. God willing, I'll have all this Juice nonsense cleared up by then, cuz I really don't want to have to juggle classes AND supervillains, no spank you! That said, my days are normally spent either helping Mom in her lab or doing what I'm doing today… hanging out.
"So you're saying this… 'White Rabbit' woman… managed to kick you in the face and run? How lame." Kara said this while holding me in her lap like a doll, mind you. She likes to do that – for some reason, she seems to think my Little form is very huggable. "And here I thought you were supposed to be awesome."
All I can do is growl and look up at her. Keeping most of the air out of my lungs is easier than holding a deep breath, but I still can't maintain it for more than a few minutes, and talking makes it worse. On the plus side… her lap is nice and cozy. I can't say I don't enjoy it...
We're all currently in Kara's apartment – myself, Kara and Arryn, of course – just killing time. Last night was my run-in with the nutcase in the bunny outfit and my pride was still bruised. My friends are in full casual garb while I'm in costume (minus the mask), since the alternative for me is full nudity. The costume is made to expand and contract with me when I change size, ensuring I can save my dignity at the very least. They don't seem to mind.
I give a quick pat on Kara's wrist, our signal to let go, and suck in a lungful of air. I'm not heavy enough that I crush her when I return to normal size, but she's clearly not as comfortable in the interim. "I am awesome," I finally say, breathing hard, "but it seems like everyone around me just doesn't give a crap."
Arryn's been looking pensive all day, but none of us address it. Instead, she just says "Is it my turn yet?"
"We agreed to no 'Big Mode' indoors, remember? You get your turns at Dr. Rose's lab all the time," Kara replied. While Kara prefers to hold me in Little Mode in her lap, Arryn likes it when I go Big Mode so she can sit in my lap instead. I have… weird friends, okay? "I'm sure you haven't forgotten the last time Lindsay turn Big indoors, right?"
Arryn made a tsk sound, but didn't press the issue.
After a few more minutes of silence, I go Little again and settle into Kara's lap for some more snuggling. I honestly don't get why she likes this so much, but I don't really mind. And it's been getting easier to take small breaths while Little, which lets me stay small for longer at a time. I'm sure Mom would be happy to know about that.
All at once I notice how antsy Arryn looks, like she can barely sit still. That, and she keeps looking at me with a weird expression. I've never seen a look like that before, so I don't know what to think. Maybe she's just got a tummy ache?
Just as I take another breath, Arryn suddenly stands up and mutters, "I… gotta go… meet someone. I'll be back in a bit. Sorry about your nose, Lindsay." She's out the door a moment later.
Yeah… that sounds fishy.
"I didn't want to say anything, but… I think she might've started drinking recently," Kara suddenly says in a low voice. "I found an empty bottle in her room."
Moving myself off Kara's lap, I turn and look at her. "Did you tell anyone else?"
"No… I didn't want to make a fuss if it's nothing, but you saw how she acted just now… what else could it be?"
"There's lots of things it could be, you know. She might've even found a boyfriend.~"
"Lindsay Rose, do NOT joke about that!"
"I… … …yeah, sorry, that was insensitive." I tend to forget that Kara's had a little crush on the brunette for a few years. She keeps it quiet, though I have no clue why.
Kara gave me a glare that quickly softened. "Accepted."
"You're gonna have to tell her one of these days, you know."
A sigh. "…Maybe, but not today. Not until we get this sorted out."
"Should we call her Dad, do you think?"
"He would be first on my list, but the main thing is that the bottle is… weird. I don't know what kind of drink it's for."
A minute later, I'm holding the bottle in question, but it's not like any container of alcohol I've ever seen. It's small, but kind of triangular and with a glass topper. If it held anything alcoholic, it had to be something very special indeed …to be honest, it looked more like a Potion in an RPG video game or something.
"I don't know either," I shrug, "…but I think I know who can help."
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"…So lemme get this straight," the graying man said with a hand on the bridge of his nose, "you called me out here to tell you what kind of booze this bottle of yours was made for?!"
"Umm… yes?" I say with my best meek voice. Kara stood behind me, nervous around my Uncle. We're all standing outside the apartment building where my Uncle came out to meet us.
Detective Qrow Branwen, my Uncle a few times removed (for real though, don't ask me to explain that), sighed deeply and held out his hand. "Fine, let's see it… "
I knew that if anyone in the city could identify booze by the empty bottle, it had to be my Uncle Qrow. The man was a connoisseur – if it had alcohol in it, he had consumed it on a regular basis; he drank like a fish, or so the saying goes. Without another word, I start to pull the bottle from my jacket pocket-
"Whoa… waitaminit…!" His hand suddenly shot forward, blocking mine from pulling the bottle free. He wasn't so complacent anymore. "I know that shape …inside, now. You've got five minutes to explain where you got that from."
Uh oh… that wasn't a good tone.
…
Five minutes later, he looked genuinely worried. "Alright, the good news is that your friend is not drinking. No self-respecting booze company would put their stuff in a tiny-ass bottle like that, anyway."
From behind me, I clearly hear Kara sigh with relief.
"The bad news is… that's a bottle for Juice. If your friend had that, then I'm gonna need to question her. Maybe even place her under arrest."
Both of us freeze at that. Arryn… was a Juicer? Was it possible?
"In fact, I'm gonna need both of you to stay put while I get some of the boys in here to search the apartment. After that, we'll need to question you."
"But we had nothing to do with this!" Kara barked from behind me.
"Doesn't matter," Uncle Qrow sighed, looking apologetic. "If she's a friend of yours, we have to consider you an accomplice. Sorry kid, but them's the rules."
As he turned to make the call, Kara mumbled, "Dad's gonna kill me…"
Without making any sudden moves, and trying to walk as naturally as possible, I carefully walk back upstairs and into the apartment, heading for the restroom. At least, that's my excuse.
I duck into the bedroom, undress and hide my civies, pull on my mask, and thwip out the window. I had to get home and stock up on web cartridges, first and foremost, but then the hunt would be on like Donkey Kong! Lindsay would be useless tonight… this was a job for Spider-Girl.
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A few hours later and it's fully dark. No sign of Arryn.
Instead…
"Oh my fur and whiskers!~" came another taunt as the White Rabbit ran along the edge of another roof, once again with her superhuman speed. "Is it that time already? Time to outrun a spider?"
I'm not in the mood for banter tonight – not when one of my friends is in trouble. Instead I put everything into catching this looney.
Using a combination of zip lines and growing into Big Mode for a moment to give myself a boost, I gradually pull ahead of her again and again. She quickly gets used to it, ducking and turning to avoid both my grabbing hands and my webs. The closest I get is one moment where I rapidly go Big, then all the way to Small, which throws the Rabbit off, right before going Big again and tripping her up.
But once again she dodges my webs, even on her hands and knees. Her reaction time is too dang fast! A moment later and we're at it again, running across rooftops at breakneck speed.
I'm pretty sure I'm doing something right, though – for once, she's not taunting me. In fact, I can hear her breathing getting heavier …holy grapes, am I actually wearing her down?!
All at once she stumbles, and I take my chance – unloading the rest of one web cartridge, I finally hit the woman and stick her to a nearby vent. I then throw a few more layers on just for the heck of it. I'm definitely breathing hard by the time I finally walk up to her, but… she looks to be in pain. She's not suffocating, but…
"Not… yet… need more…!" She all but screams at me, her head whipping back and forth.
The movement shakes loose a few things… and I soon see that the white hair is a wig. The rabbit ears are fake as well. And underneath the mask is the face of Arryn Belladonna. My friend.
Even though I know my mask can express my emotions just fine – a neat detail me and Mom built into the design – I still have to tug it off my face to look Arryn square in the eyes. "How could you?"
"No, you… you don't understand…," the brunette cried, her face red with tears. "I just… I just wanted to… I wanted to give you a criminal to chase… that's all, I swear! I swear, Lindsay!"
I'm furious… at Arryn for starting on the path of crime, and for myself at not seeing it… but I hold my temper. "And the Juice? Why that?"
"Because… because… I knew I could never… keep up with you… without it… Please, Lindsay… I never meant to hurt you… I'm so sorry…!"
I can feel my anger fading as I look at her, understanding that this girl never intended to hurt me or Kara; it was just a prank gone wrong. As she weeps within my webbing, I lean forward and just… kinda… touch our foreheads together. Somehow this gets her calm down a little.
"Arryn, listen to me… I'll admit this was fun, but it stops now. Juice is not only dangerous, but it's also super illegal – and we found the bottle in your room. Please… turn yourself in so you can get some help."
Still sniffling, my friend nodded and said, "I will… I will… I really will… I'm so sorry…"
I move quickly, tearing some of the webs and finding another bottle of Juice in Arryn's pockets. It's got a weird-looking purple substance in it, but not the good kind, like a can of People Like Grapes soda. "Where did you get this from?" I ask, holding it up for her to see.
Those amber eyes flashed hungrily for a moment, but then she looked away in shame. "There's… a warehouse near the docks… half a mile north from Vacuo's CCT tower. I bought it there."
That's in the Vacuo District… and it's well after dark.
Looks like I'll be breaking the rules tonight.
"Do you have any other bottles on you?"
She shook her head no, and without stopping to think about it, I throw the bottle to the concrete. Glass and purple stuff fly everywhere as Arryn gave a pained cry.
"That web will dissolve in about two hours, but someone might cut you out first. Seriously… Arryn… get some help. I'm gonna go shut that warehouse down."
Before I even take two steps away, she calls out and says, "Wait! Lindsay! There's… something else. Something I want to… tell you… If I never see you again, I want you to know… that I…"
"Don't talk like that," I cut her off. "We will see each other again. I promise."
With one more look into her eyes, I nod and replace my mask before I thwip away into the night. All I can do is trust that she'll do the right thing. All I can do is try and keep anyone else from dealing with this nonsense again.
And if she was about to say what I think she was about to say… then Kara had better say her piece before it's too late. I really don't want us to split apart over something like this.
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It takes me a few minutes longer than I'd like to figure out which warehouse it is, but once I do, it's all too obvious.
Especially because I recognize the guy running the operation: Gravelight. Finally found the jerk.
He's easy to spot, even from a distance – he wears a black bowler cap and smokes a cigar, but he also stands about 7 feet tall and looks like he could benchpress a train car. Based on what I've heard of him, the man is practically invulnerable. Not good.
I'm watching the goings-on from a perch near the roof when my Spider-Sense goes off – someone just behind me. Without looking, I aim and shoot some webs. The surprised mumbling and a thud lets me know I caught the guard… well, off his guard. Once Gravelight heads inside the building, I crawl through a roof vent and follow.
Once inside, I move quickly. Since I know I can't even beat a teenage girl on the Juice without a busted nose, it's pretty clear that a whole army of Juiced-up goons would make mincemeat out of me. Time to play smart, not hard.
Small Mode comes in very, very handy tonight as I sneak around the edges of the area. It lets me duck behind cover that no normal person could hide behind. Then it's just a matter of going normal size, webbing up the guard, and shrinking back down again to move on to the next one.
As I continue, I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. It's loud enough that it's a wonder the noise doesn't give me away. Here I am, breaking all the rules, and about to face off against my very first supervillain! Barb would be so proud.
I'm also nervous cuz the longer I take, the more likely the other guards will find their buddies missing and raise the alarm. And the more guards I take down, the less time I have.
Sure enough, I hear yelling just as I get the last guard nice and webbed up. Fight time.
Unlike the other times that I've fought guys with guns, tonight I'm on full alert; I cannot allow them to hit me, I will not! My focus is almost entirely on my Spider-Sense and letting it tell me which way to dodge. Along with that, I also finally start using my size to my advantage – larger goons suddenly find themselves badly outmatched in size just long enough to take a mammoth hit that sends them flying across the warehouse, and sharpshooters don't know where to aim when their target suddenly shrinks down too small to find on their sights anymore.
With the rush of adrenaline, I don't really notice how many I've taken out until it's over… until only the big cheese himself is left.
Clap… clap… clap…
"Wonderful show, kid," the man called Gravelight said as he took a drag on his cigar. "You really made mah boys earn their pay tonight."
"The only thing you'll be earning tonight… is prison food, Gravelight!"
…It was the first thing that popped into my head, okay? Don't judge! I quickly changed out my web cartridges.
Gravelight charged like a rampaging rhino, but I was ready. During my sneaking around the place, I was also making mental notes of where each and every large, massive object in the warehouse was. This included things like metal pipes, fire extinguishers, scaffolding and even small but weighty power tools. I knew I'd need every advantage I could get.
One at a time, I started leaping around, swinging all of these items on a web-line and smashing them into Gravelight's big, granite face. They did almost nothing, but the extinguishers at least made him a little dizzy. Every so often I tried to jump in and land a few punches, but it was like trying to slap a marble statue with a slice of bologna… no effect other than shame.
"You really didn't think this through, did'ja?" Gravelight asked as he brushed himself off from his latest charge. So far, all I'd managed to do was bruise my knuckles; the man was barely scratched.
A quick thwip to the upper railings and I'm out of harm's way. I then said, "More than you might think… look around."
He did… and finally figured out what I was doing. The warehouse we were fighting in was his supply center… and he'd just destroyed almost everything trying to hit me. His frustration was clear.
"It's over, Gray." I know using his real name will piss him off, but I don't care anymore.
He started trembling, and I clearly hear him growl. "You… what have you done?!"
And that's when things go bad.
Right before my eyes, he quickly whips out a bottle of his own Juice and downs it before I have the chance to web it out of his grip.
…Oh, grapes…
What follows is the worst beating I've ever gotten, bar none. Now powered up with Juice, Gravelight jumps through the air with the speed of a God Mode cheater, catching me with ease and slamming me against the wall. Oh, excuse me… through the wall and into the warehouse next door. The shock of the hit is already enough to put me out for the night, but he's far from done – he grabs me and throws me through more walls and equipment at least three more times before he finally calms down. I'm pretty sure every bone in my body is broken by this point (How I was able to stay conscious after this is solely thanks to my mutated genetics and the will of God), but if he wanted to, one punch could crush my skull.
That kick to the nose doesn't seem so bad now, does it?
All at once, I know it's over. I'm dead. As I skid to a stop on the concrete floor of the warehouse, I look up and see Gravelight making one last charge… and I know this one will kill me.
I see Arryn and Kara's faces… Mom's face… and even Barb shows up to say goodbye.
But then I'm saved… by someone else.
I suddenly hear a sound like a gunshot, followed by the hiss of a gas canister shooting forward from somewhere behind me. A metal… thing… flies by and slams into Gravelight's face, releasing an orange-colored gas on impact. It's at this point that I finally see the huge man actually be affected by something, as the gas brings him to his knees.
And then… I see my first real superhero.
Like me, this hero is a woman in a full-body costume… but unlike me, she's not a kid. She jumps forward and starts raining blows on Gravelight, and I realize that this is not someone I ever want to fight. Within a minute, the woman lands a good one or two… hundred strikes against the much larger man – you can forgive me for not keeping an accurate tally of her strikes on account of the concussion I no doubt have now – most centered around the joints, and… to my amazement, it does the job. Gravelight falls to the floor, unconscious.
"You are called… Spider-Girl, yes? Can you stand?"
As she turns to look at me, I get my first real look at her – all-black outfit (most of it leather with armored parts where it mattered), a pair of wide gauntlets clearly meant to hold a wide array of gadgets and weapons, and thick boots that appear to hold jet boosters of some kind on them. Her head is covered completely by a featureless mask, save for two orange-ish lenses for her eyes, and the top of it is adorned with two ears that look a bit like cat or tiger ears, likely with built-in sensors or scanners.
If I remember the papers right… she's called 'Tiger Queen' or something. Terrible name, IMO.
"Barely," I say as I hobble to my feet, trying desperately to not pass out. "…How did you do that?"
She turned to the fallen Gravelight and said, very matter-of-factly, "He was using Juice, a specific combination of chemicals that has been on the streets for weeks-" Thanks, totally didn't know that already… "-so I canceled out the effects with my own."
Surprising, yet not. The newspapers did claim that she was a technical genius. "So… I took out their distribution center… and you made a formula that cancels out the effects… So I guess that means it's over now…?"
"No," the taller woman shook her head. "This was only a small warehouse. The main facility is still somewhere else in the city."
I sigh and slump back against a nearby stack of crates, too tired to reply. Should've expected that, but it still sucks to hear.
"However… thanks to your intervention, we've crippled what appears to be the main supply of the drug to the rest of the city. We've made great progress here tonight, and the criminals of the city will struggle to recover from the blow. I thank you, Spider-Girl," she suddenly said with a respectful nod.
"You're… welcome."
The sound of approaching sirens cut off any further conversation as Tiger Queen looked at me again and said "I will contact you again when I locate another facility. Until then, get some rest. Once again, thank you."
With that, the woman in black jumped through one of the holes in the wall and was gone.
With a quick thwip, I followed suit. I only swung to the District line, however… then I made a call to Mom to come and get me. Might as well get the shellacking over with.
It never occurred to me to wonder how she would contact me while I'm out on the job…
…
… … …
…
I still don't know what I'm doing, even though I've been a superhero for a whopping two months now, but I'm learning.
Arryn did me proud and went right to the cops about her Juicing, although I never heard any details other than the fact that she was released after only two days in jail. She's still in recovery from the addiction, but last we checked she's doing much better.
Kara finally told her how she feels, too… and as a result, Arryn seems a bit upset. I'm still confident we're all friends, but I haven't asked too far into anything yet. They've both been through a lot, so I really don't wanna step on any toes. According to my Uncle, addiction to the Juice is similar to most other drugs in that withdrawal symptoms can linger for a long time. I really wanna be there for Arryn and help her get clean.
It's scary how fast she got hooked, too. She only Juiced twice, and she's a complete mess. I really hope Tiger Queen finds the creator of that stuff so I can punch his schnozz in for enabling my friend.
Also, Kara didn't die, but I think her family is keeping a much closer eye on her than before – I never bothered to ask about that. She's never been one to talk about herself, so anything I get out of her needs to be pulled out. Not that I would try, mind you. I'm too nice for that.
And Mom… lets me swing through the entire city now. I know! Who would've thunk, right?
I mean, she was still upset about my beating (because what Mother wouldn't be?) but she was immensely proud of me as well. We had a long talk that night, both during the drive home and throughout the medical attention she gave me… which left me wrapped up like a mummy for about 5 days while my bones knit. She admitted that while I still have a long way to go, I have grown up quite a lot. I'm ready to handle more responsibility now.
And during that time, she even rebuilt my web-shooters and made me a new suit, complete with better armor padding.
Did I mention how much I love that woman?
…
So here I am, swinging freely through the skyline of the city, healthy as an ox and quipy as a certain teenage slayer of vampires. I am Spider-Girl… hear me roar! Just kidding. I'm on my way through the city, heading back to Kara's apartment, when suddenly…
Something goes wrong.
With the world.
Everything breaks up. Vision. Blurs.
Sound.
Breaks up. Like.
A Bad TV.
…
Every. Thing. Fades…
…
I register the feeling of flying through the air like a bullet, engulfed by a white light… … …
…
…
…
Remnant-5815 (Carmine's World)
…
And I suddenly find myself standing at the front gate of Beacon University, over in the central area of the city. How…? I was nowhere near here!
Then I look back and nearly crap my tights.
This… isn't the city.
…so where in blazes am I?
Hopefully, someone inside can give me some answers.
… … … … …
… … …
…
=^..^=