January 2nd:
I looked at the monitor and began recreating the formula for unstable molecules I remembered Franklin Richards of Earth 982 had shown me. It was difficult to do, sure, but it was exciting. And to be honest, the fact that I already knew what to strive for made it all the more exciting.
"Alright, Sexy, run the simulations now," I ordered, stepping away from the console and looking at the terminal monitor.
"Running," Sexy replied, "simulation complete. Unstable molecule fabric has been successfully formed. Testing...no breakdown of the fabric on an atomic level. Congratulations, boss — you just made a new fabric."
"Thanks, Sexy," I grinned, "now, get me a list of everything I'll need to weave the cloth with."
"Here you go. Quick note — you are not going to like it," Sexy replied.
I raised an eyebrow but looked at the list. It was all high-tech material, state of the art. But then again it would have to be. And it all came up to...
"Two hundred million?!" I cried out at the numbers running before me, and the figure kept climbing! "What the hell?! Three hundred...five hundred million dollars?! What the living hell?! HELL!"
I knew immediately that Sue and Reed wouldn't go for it. Not ever. Sure, the inventions I had given them before were nice and all, but this...damn. It's too much. Half a billion dollars. But I could make suits that would never tear or wear out.
Maybe...maybe this wasn't a problem, but a solution.
"Sexy, pull up the research paper out of Kyoto about shape-changing fabrics," I called out.
"Yes, Peter," Sexy replied as she displayed the papers I had purchased and read over in my spare time. It was a fascinating theory — a solution to all the waste we as a species produce in terms of clothing.
The article spoke about how in the future we could possibly have clothes that transformed into different structures, thereby eliminating our constant need for new outfits while still retaining the same pair of clothes.
I had first read this article because it reminded me of how the symbiote worked — an ever-changing suit that could take on different shapes at will. Yeah, it had gotten my attention. But it was far too extreme for my case. Now, though...maybe I could use this.
The technology was being developed by one Dr. Wheng Cha — Chinese, but he had moved to Japan to continue his research. Cha was a genius, but he hadn't been able to actually get his technology to work. He claimed he couldn't make a material versatile enough to do so. But...maybe I had.
I had an idea — an odd one, but an idea. A suit of unstable molecules for every living person on the planet. One they would wear from the moment they were born until the day they died, adapting to the latest trends in seconds.
The fashion industry would be transformed. No more sweatshops, no more child labour. And while many, many people would lose their jobs, it would be a streamlined process. The possibility was there — simply scan a picture of the clothes you want and your second skin would become them.
The idea was a little far-fetched, but the unstable molecules I was developing could do it. A few more modifications, add in the ability to change on command...maybe 200 million dollars more to add memory cloth features that change the shape of the cloth with electrical impulses, a port, a small motherboard like a Raspberry Pi...yes, this could work!
But the money — that was still a problem. Plus now it would cost half a billion dollars. Damn it. If only I had some gold on hand...wait, I do. Well, not me personally, but the Reed Richards of Earth 982 had access to the Negative Zone, which was so full of gold that...oh my God.
Yes, the chances of there being a gold-rich Negative Zone in my world were slim, but I was willing to bet that the Negative Zone was similar in most worlds — a multiversal constant...maybe. But then there were several sub-factors, like the fact that it was a dimension made of antimatter and without significant preparation I couldn't even enter it.
"Damn it," I grumbled, "if only I could go back to that world and get that gold." I sighed as I looked at my lab closet where I stored my robes and bag of infinite storage. If I were in the Negative Zone right now I could just carry all that gold in my bag! Curse you, circumstances!
I sighed heavily, leaning back in my seat. The only way I could imagine making up all that money now would be to invent something groundbreaking and sell it for enormous amounts. But I first needed to think of something that impressive — something versatile.
"Peter, I need to remind you — we need to test your blood toxicity levels," Sexy's voice rang out.
I sighed, "yeah, sure." I got up and approached my genetic scanner. Drawing a small sample of blood, I inserted it into the machine and waited. There was a beep as the results were displayed on the screen above.
Blood Toxicity: 67%
Those three months I had spent in Earth 982 had made things much easier for me. I was sure that after a few more months I would be back to normal.
After completing the test I decided to take a break and walked out to the lounge, where I found it surprisingly quiet, with only Ben there for company.
"Hey, Ben — isn't it pretty late?" I asked as I poured myself a cup of coffee.
"Kid, it's seven in the morning," Ben grumbled as he changed channels to a new special, "have you been up all night?"
I sighed, "kind of. I've been working on something new."
"Huh? Make anything good?"
"Yes, but only on paper. To actually make it a reality I need a lot of money."
"How much?"
"Half a billion dollars," I shrugged.
"Woah," Ben blinked, "that's a lot."
"Yeah, I know. The problem is I know exactly how to make that much money, but I can't do it right now," I grumbled.
"Why's that, kid?" Ben asked.
"Well, you know about my adventure in another world, right?"
Ben nodded, "Johnny told me about it. So what?"
"Well, the Reed Richards of that world actually had a portal to a dimension where the ground was literally made of gold. An entire planet with a gold surface. So...yeah. Kind of a missed opportunity."
"Hm, why can't you just ask Reed to build this portal?" Ben asked, "I know you don't exactly trust him with this stuff, but shouldn't it be possible if the other Reed did it as well?"
I blinked, "well...I suppose...but there are a lot of risks. It would take a lot of work."
"So? Do it. Isn't your project worth it?" Ben asked.
I grinned, "hell yeah it is. Thanks, Ben — you always know exactly what to say." I waved as I left the lounge, heading straight to Reed's lab. I threw open the doors and walked in, finding Reed asleep at his desk.
"Wake up!" I cried out, making him shoot upright in shock.
"Peter? What's wrong?"
I grinned, "you and I are going to build a portal to the dimension that gave you all your super powers, Reed. And this time, I'm making sure you don't blow us all to hell. Got that?"
Reed blinked the sleep out of his eyes, "what?"
Two weeks later:
"So I told her, that's totally not going to happen," MJ rolled her eyes as Mark and I sighed in despair. A month ago I was fighting six criminals; three weeks ago I saved the president of the United States. And now...school. For the love of —
"Oh, you better have! I can't believe she thought that was alright!" Liz cried out.
"I know, right! Like, she wants my role, but she can't just take it because of that! I earned my spot!"
I turned to Mark, "so, how's the band?"
He nodded, "they're fine," he sipped his water. I noticed he had gotten a few more ear piercings. God, he looked like a porcupine. I knew this guy had an image to maintain, being a musician and all, but still.
"You guys playing any time soon?" I asked, curious to finally see if he was any good.
"Yeah, we actually have a gig tonight at the abandoned train station in the city," Mark grinned, "you probably don't know it, but we kind of use that place as a club of sorts. It's super popular and very exclusive. Getting a gig there was hard as hell! But if we do well tonight, it's all straight uphill from here!"
I nodded, "cool, man — maybe I'll swing by."
"Really?" Mark sounded surprised, "don't you have work with the FF or something?"
I shrugged, "no, actually. I was working on a project, but I've done my part," meaning Reed had to finish setting up a molecule quantum wave nullifier field. Without that we couldn't progress any further.
"That's fun, I guess," Mark shrugged, but inside I could tell he was excited. Why did he care so much if I came or not? Curious.
"Wait, did I hear that right?! Parker is coming to the Catch?!" Flash suddenly appeared behind me, laughing his lungs out. I sighed. Yeah, he's the one Felicia supposedly marries. Over my dead body.
"What? Peter's coming tonight?" MJ and Liz stopped their conversation and looked at me.
I sighed, "yes. Is that so strange?"
"Well...yeah," Liz blinked, "you hardly ever come and hang out with us these days. Ever since you, ah...well, you know."
She was right. Ever since I came back home from Earth 982 I'd been Spider-man twenty-four seven and working in the lab on top of it. I shrugged, "well, even I need a break now and then. Besides, I've never heard Mark play before — it should be fun."
Mark grinned, "damn right it will! Alright, this is going to rock!"
"Ha — funny. I never expected you to be down to party, Parker," Flash snorted, "you know, there are going to be drugs there, so don't go squeamish on us."
I snorted, "unlike you, Flash, I already live life to the fullest. I don't need drugs to help me escape — my life is already pretty great."
Flash's eyes began to twitch, "what did you say, Parker?"
I narrowed my eyes, "you heard me."
"You want to take this outside, boys?" Liz said, sighing, "I really don't want my lunch ruined by the sight of you both bickering like an old married couple."
Flash snorted, "fine. You know what, let's make a wager. Loser has to show up to school tomorrow dressed in all pink."
I raised an eyebrow, "interesting...and the challenge?"
"First person to pick up a girl at the Catch wins," Flash smiled evilly, "you in? Or are you still hung up on Hardy?"
I glared, "I'm in," I shook his hand, squeezing a little harder than necessary, "I'm going to enjoy this." Liz and MJ looked confused — they probably expected me to still be hung up over Felicia. And while I was, I also knew it was well past time to move on.
"Whatever," Flash took his hand back, shaking it as a red handprint appeared. Guess I had squeezed a bit too hard.
Flash walked back to his seat and I turned to my friends, "alright, we have a problem," I slammed my hands on the table, "MJ, Liz — make me look good!"
"Now we're talking!" Liz cheered, "finally, something I'm actually good at!"
That night:
"Put this on next!" Liz threw another shirt into my arms.
I sighed, "come on, Liz — this is the third one!"
"Oh, quit whining!" Liz hissed as she searched through the rest of my closet for other clothes. "I have to say, Peter, you've got some nice stuff in here. I didn't think a dork like you had style."
"Thanks, Liz," I rolled my eyes as I stepped into my closet to change, "actually I didn't really pick those out — Felicia did."
"Oh," Liz muttered slowly.
"You know, Tiger, I'm proud of you," MJ said as she sat on my bed scrolling through her phone, "you haven't done something like this in months."
"Months? Try ever," Liz snorted, "Mr. Responsibility there doesn't do parties. But now that he's finally pulled himself out of that rut I'm hoping we'll get a more fun Peter Parker."
"Well, I would hope so," I replied as I stepped out, now dressed in black form-fitting jeans with a bright purple shirt, the sleeves rolled up to my biceps and tucked into the pants. I had a vest coat over the shirt, giving off a polished hipster look.
MJ looked over and whistled, "damn, Peter — you look good."
"Not bad," Liz replied, "you know, you really should wear stuff like this more often. I mean, you have a ton of it in your closet yet you always go for the same dull things."
"Well, I'm not vain enough for that," I shrugged, "I usually just wear something nice when I want to impress someone. And since you already know my other set of clothes is impressive enough on its own..."
"Well, that's something," MJ shrugged, "hey, do you mind picking up Mark on the way? He doesn't have a ride."
"Sure, no problem. I mean, I can hardly say no — Mark's the only normal male friend I have."
Liz blinked, "wait, seriously? You don't have any other guy friends?"
I shrugged, "well, yeah, I mean, I have plenty of guy friends, but most of them are superheroes or adults. There's Johnny, Reed, Ben, Tony, Cap, David...and...woah, okay — I really don't have many friends my age."
MJ chuckled, "some things never change."
We got ready soon enough. The girls were already dressed for the evening when they had come over. Liz wore a long red skirt with a black top and a leather jacket over it, while MJ wore green jeans, a bright yellow blouse and a long coat.
We walked downstairs just as Richard and Ben came in. They noticed us and blinked in surprise.
"Hey, buddy," Ben said, looking me up and down, "where are you all off to?"
MJ cleared her throat and began the immensely complicated lie she had prepared, "well, you see, Mr. Parker, Liz and I got invited to a friend's—"
"—Party," I replied with a shrug, shocking MJ and Liz into silence, "we're going to a high school party."
"I see...will there be drugs?"
I shrugged, "probably, but I won't need them."
"And loud music?"
"I hope so."
"Will you drink?" Richard asked, looking curious.
"I'm certainly going to try," I nodded.
"I see...have fun," Richard smiled, much to the girls' utter disbelief.
"Wait...seriously?!" Liz cried out.
Ben chuckled, "Liz, dear — do you know how long we've been trying to get Peter to go out and have some fun? This is a welcome change!" Ben ruffled my hair, much to Liz's distress since she had spent half an hour getting it just right, "just be careful, alright?"
I smiled, "don't worry, Uncle Ben. I know — with great power—"
"—Comes great responsibility," said literally everyone else in the house.
With that settled, the girls and I got into my car and drove off, the location already in the system as Doc took over and drove away. We picked up Mark along the way, and it took us fifteen minutes to reach the venue. We had to park far away near a parking lot a block away, since technically the place was boarded up.
The entrance was behind a barbed wire fence that had been propped open with a large crate. Standing guard was a scruffy-looking kid around our age, maybe a little older. He was a lookout, making sure no cops came to investigate.
Mark paid the kid twenty bucks to enter, and once we walked through we entered a tunnel that led straight into the heart of the train station — which was a modern masterpiece.
The tracks served as the floor with twelve lines running parallel. The platforms served as the stage, meaning we had two bands that would play side by side, with the winner being the one that gained the most audience support.
At the back of the station was the bar, with drinks being served in kegs and bottles of cheap whiskey. Right now, two bands were battling it out, music blaring through the sound system, almost deafening.
"Now this is what I'm talking about!" Mark cried out as he took charge, leading us into the mosh pit in the tracks.
I groaned, "I may have miscalculated how much humanity I can stomach in one night."
"Oh, grow up," Liz snorted as she grabbed my arm and dragged me forward into the pit.
"Mark! You made it!" A couple of guys dressed just like Mark — leather jackets and all — approached us.
"Damn right I did! Hey guys, these are my buddies from Midtown," Mark said, introducing us, "this is my girl MJ," he smiled at her, "the feisty blonde is Liz. And the classy-looking nerd is Peter. Be gentle with him — it's his first time having fun."
"Hey, I can have fun!" I cried out.
"Sure you can," Mark rolled his eyes before turning to his band, "alright, should we set up?"
"Yeah, we can go right after this battle is done," the guy with the bass guitar said, "they're almost finished."
"Cool," Mark nodded before turning to us, "alright, I have to split. Babe, you want to come with?"
"Ah, sure," MJ nodded, "but what about Liz and Peter?"
"Oh relax — we'll manage," Liz waved her worry away.
I nodded, "go ahead, MJ. Have fun. Besides, Liz and I have to focus on finding me a date. I do not look good in pink, trust me."
"Oh honey, you look good in anything," a guy with long swept-back bangs brushed up beside me, sending me a wink before disappearing back into the mosh pit.
I flinched, "and this is why I hate people."
"Oh, come on," Liz dragged me away, letting MJ go with Mark and his bandmates. We settled at the bar and grabbed ourselves a cup of beer before turning to survey the crowd.
"What about her?" Liz asked, pointing at a girl with a beanie and dyed blue hair.
I winced, "ah, no — too much going on for me."
"Okay," Liz sipped her drink, "then what about...her?" She pointed at a redhead wearing a white see-through blouse. For the longest moment my eyes were glued to her before a guy stepped between us, cutting off my view and glaring at me.
I drew my eyes away and cleared my throat, "I don't really think that would be fair to her boyfriend," I pointed to the glaring guy with dyed blonde hair.
Liz chuckled, "right. Then how about—"
"—Babe!" I turned to see Johnny rush over through the crowd, dressed in civilian clothes — jeans, a black shirt and a denim jacket.
"Hey, Johnny," I waved as he and Liz kissed, "I didn't realise you'd be here."
"Me miss a party? Never!" Johnny scoffed, throwing his arm around Liz, "the question is, what are you doing here?"
"What? Can't I have fun too?" I scoffed.
"Pete, the only time you ever have fun is when you're swinging between rooftops and kicking ass on an hourly basis."
I groaned, "yeah, I guess." Just then I noticed a girl with bright pink hair walk by, dressed like an underground DJ with major issues — judging by the 'Fuck Dads' T-shirt she wore over her leather jacket.
"Oh, she's nice," Liz squeaked, "you should talk to her."
"No thanks," I shrugged, "she's gay."
"What? How do you know?" Johnny asked.
I motioned over to the group of girls she was talking to. Liz scoffed, "Peter, that doesn't make her—" and then the girl kissed a brunette right on the lips in greeting, shutting Liz up immediately, "okay...how?"
I grinned, "she was only drawn to the energy of the women around her. I could smell it."
"Woah, so wait — can you smell what all these people are feeling?" Johnny asked, "isn't that a bit...overwhelming?"
I shuddered, "you have no idea." I opened my senses for just a moment and yeah, the resulting wave of signals nearly engulfed me.
"Yo, Parker!" We turned to see Flash rush up to us with a smile on his face, a girl walking behind him, dragged along by her wrist.
"What is it, Flash?" Liz asked, raising an eyebrow at the girl. She was blonde, wearing a tight purple dress, and clearly drunk from the look of her.
"I just wanted to come over and tell you to suck it," Flash grinned at me, wrapping a big beefy arm around the blonde, who didn't look together enough to care, "this is Kareena, and she's my date. Isn't that right, babe?"
"Whatever you say, handsome," she slurred.
I groaned, "Flash, she's wasted. Where are her friends? We should get her home."
"What?" Flash blinked, turning to the girl and looking shocked, "damn, I thought she was just a bit tipsy. I don't know where her friends are — I think she came alone."
"Kareena? Hello?" Liz approached the girl, "hey — can you tell us where your friends are? Are you okay enough to tell us where you live?"
"Hm, no — don't want to," Kareena slurred.
"Flash, we've got to take her home," Liz told the large footballer.
"Y-yeah," the teen nodded, "of course. Come on — I'll carry her."
Johnny narrowed his eyes; suspicion rolled off him, "I'll help you."
"I can do it myself, flame boy," Flash glared back.
"I've had more experience helping people than you have, Flash," Johnny said as he quickly took Kareena's other side and they began walking away.
"Damn it," Liz hissed, "Johnny, wait for me!" She turned back around, "sorry, Peter — I've got to make sure they don't tear each other apart!"
I shrugged, "it's fine — go ahead." She nodded and quickly ran after them. I sighed as I finished the rest of my drink.
In all honesty I had been hoping for a fun night, but responsibility had called. And now I had to entertain myself alone. Great. Damn it — I was going to have to wear pink now. Flash had technically picked up a girl, even though she was completely wasted...
I finished my beer quickly and felt absolutely nothing. I went to the 'bar' they had set up and walked up to the bartender — a teenage Asian kid in a hoodie with the words 'Street Rat' stitched onto the sides.
"Hey, man — you got anything stronger?" I asked, motioning to my empty cup.
The teenage thug raised an eyebrow, "what do you need?"
"Anything with a strong kick," I shrugged, "I'm flying solo tonight so I might as well have some fun."
The kid snorted before slamming down a bottle of vodka, "this strong enough for you?"
I sighed, "nothing better, man? I've got a bit of a strong resistance."
"Sorry, man," he shrugged, putting the bottle away.
"Thanks anyway," I sighed. Great — alone, and I can't even get a buzz. Maybe I should just leave. If I hurried I could still patrol the streets for a while, do something useful tonight.
But before I could leave, a girl walked up to me with a smile on her face.
"Couldn't help overhearing your little difficulty," she said with a salesperson's smile. She wore a hoodie similar to the Asian bartender's — 'Street Rat.' Some kind of gang? She had dark skin and bleach-blonde hair with pink streaks running through it.
"Ah, yeah — kind of sucks," I shrugged.
"Well, I've got something you might like," she pulled out a small plastic bag with a pink pill inside.
I raised an eyebrow and put on a good poker face, looking interested the way someone curious might, "cool. What is it?"
"The newest thing," she replied, "we call it the 'Rumble in the Jungle' or RJ, because one hit and you go down."
"Like Muhammad Ali," I nodded.
"Smart. So you interested?"
"How much?"
"First hit's free," she smiled as she leaned forward, placing a kiss on my cheek as she slipped the pill into the pocket of my vest. She stepped back and winked, "see you soon, cutie."
I smiled back, "I'm sure." She walked away and immediately my smile dropped. I took out the pill and held it up in the light. I couldn't see anything moving inside it — not liquid then, solid. Probably affecting the body's nervous system in some way.
And then I realised it. Sometimes you don't see something unless you know what to look for, and now I did. The pills were everywhere — almost one in every three people in a group of ten was taking one, and these Street Rat kids were handing them out freely.
I was supposed to be taking a break and having fun tonight, but since everyone had abandoned me, it was time to get to work.
I slipped into the mosh pit and began following the Rat kids, tracking their movements. Within minutes I had located the head dealer — a heavyset, bald man around forty with a gun strapped to his back and a very intimidating presence.
Every dealer on the floor reported to him, passing over every dollar they earned. He was the head; these kids were just fodder. I suspected they weren't even real gang members.
I followed them for a while, tracking their movements. But ten minutes later I got distracted. "Hello, Catch! We're The Extremes! And we're going to rock this house down!" I turned and to my shock saw MJ on the stage with Mark and his friends.
"Kick it!" Mark screamed as they began to play.
"Every day, they tell us what to do; every night, we have nothing to look forward to but school. Forget that — it's all a pain. There ain't nothing they can do now. We're free, even just for a day!" MJ began to sing, hitting every note. Maybe in this world she would end up as a singer?
Slowly the crowd's attention began to shift. The other band competing was thoroughly outmatched; I had to admit Mark was pretty good. He and MJ made a great team. I was getting into the song myself, but then I noticed movement among the Street Rats.
One by one the dealers began to leave, slipping away quietly. Then the big one left too. I needed to go — it was too late to run back to my car and get my spare costume. Time to improvise.
The big guy and five older-looking Rats snuck out into a side tunnel and made their way out. I ran after them, sticking to the shadows. I needed a mask, so I removed my vest and tied it around my face, leaving just enough space for my eyes.
The six men I was following went into a service tunnel, talking among themselves. I jumped onto the ceiling and stuck there, following them from above.
"The new blood did well," the big guy said in a gruff tone, "make sure to give them a cut."
"You really think that's a good idea, boss?" an underling asked.
"Like I always say, Tony — keep your underlings happy and they won't stab you in the back," the heavy-set leader said gruffly.
"I'll keep that in mind," I whispered as I dropped down.
"What the—"
I came down on top of him, my feet driving into his gut, throwing him hard into the ground. I back-flipped and landed on two of the men behind him, all three of us crashing to the ground.
"Get him!" The two standing thugs drew knives and charged. But I was already on my feet and moving. I swung my legs like whips, kicking one's arm so hard he dropped his knife — I heard a crack.
"ARGH!" he cried out, dropping to his knees and clutching his arm in pain.
"Tony!" the other guy shrieked. I threw a punch at his face, breaking his nose and knocking him out cold.
"Die!" one of the men I had landed on yelled.
My spider senses fired. I ducked just as he fired off three shots, the bullets sailing over my head. I rushed forward, punched his gut, slapped away the gun, then grabbed him and threw him into the last gangster standing, sending them both into the tunnel wall.
"Argh," the heavyset man I had kicked in the gut groaned in pain, clutching his stomach. I knew nothing was seriously damaged — he was just in a lot of pain. I walked up to him and placed my finger on his head.
I channelled bio-electricity through my fingers directly into his skull, just enough to knock him out. In a second he dropped, unconscious. I got up and turned around, seeing the last gangster still conscious.
"Please! Don't kill us! We'll give you anything!" Tony cried out, "drugs! Money! Anything — please, just—" I tapped his skull, a little blue flash, and he too fell down unconscious.
I took off my improvised mask and unfolded it, putting my vest back on. I stretched my neck and turned to leave — only to stop dead in my tracks as I found a teenage girl with long blonde hair in a beanie staring at me with wide eyes.
She wore a loose-fitting denim jacket, a black and white striped undershirt, a short denim skirt with black leggings and worn brown boots.
She blinked. I blinked. She looked at the people unconscious around me. I looked at her bright blue eyes slowly widen as she turned back to me and let out a small, "Eep!"
"Please don't scream!"
"AH!" she cried out, turning around and running away as fast as she could.
"Damn," I rushed after her, running as fast as I could before quickly catching up. I jumped over her and landed in a squat, blocking her path.
She stopped so suddenly she tripped and fell on her back. She began scrambling away, holding a hand out defensively, "don't hurt me, please!" she cried.
I blinked, "I won't," I said slowly, surprising her, "please — don't run away. I won't hurt you."
She blinked, looking back at the tunnel and then at me, "those men back there...you killed them."
"Ah, no — they're just knocked out," I told her slowly, "they're perfectly fine. Well, other than a few broken bones."
"Eep!"
"Which I won't do to you!" I said immediately, "I swear!"
"Why did you hurt them?" she asked.
"Well...they were drug dealers," I said carefully, "they sold drugs to kids hoping to get them hooked. So...I stopped them."
She looked confused, "wait...so you beat them up because they sold drugs?"
I nodded, "yeah."
"...Are you trying to be a superhero or something?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, "why would you risk your life like that?"
"Well," I offered her my hand. She cautiously accepted it and got to her feet, "my uncle and dad have a saying — with great power comes great responsibility. I do my best to live by that. I saw someone doing something wrong, so I stopped them."
"But why? Why do you care about the kids they get hooked on drugs?" she asked curiously, looking me up and down, "you look pretty well-off. Why do you care so much?"
I chuckled, "because if we don't care about other people, we tend to live pretty miserable lives."
She was taken aback by that — I could tell. She looked...curious. She looked at me, "I...I'm Tandy," she said quietly.
I smiled, "hey Tandy, I'm Peter. Nice to meet you."
"Yeah..." she glanced back at the tunnel, "you know...they don't just target kids at parties."
I was immediately alert, "what do you mean?"
"Well...a few of us homeless kids see them come around, offering free samples," she spoke slowly. Was she still afraid of me? Yeah, probably. "They've hurt a lot of my friends, and they..."
I smelt guilt and shame. "Tandy," I held her palm gently with both hands, "did they hurt you?"
She nodded, slowly raising her right sleeve to reveal a black and blue bruise. I felt a surge of anger towards those Street Rats — pure, unfiltered anger.
"I...I tried to stop them, but they didn't like that. A few of my friends were forced to join. If they didn't...the Rats said they would kill us."
I felt my anger rise, but my eyes stayed fixed on her bruised hand. It had swollen badly. "Tandy, that looks bad. Doesn't it hurt?" I asked.
"Yeah, but I mean — what do I do?" she gave a sad smile, "it's way too expensive to have treated."
I sighed, "come — I'll help."
"What?"
"Come with me," I motioned, "I'll get you sorted out. I have the money."
"Y-you don't have to—"
"—If you want, you can think of it as a deal," I winked, "I'll help you, and you promise not to tell anyone you saw me kicking heads. Okay?"
She blushed, giving a shy nod, "yeah...okay."
"Great...do you know how to get out of here?" I chuckled, "I'm kind of lost."
"It's this way," she pointed, and we followed the tunnel.
"So...what were you doing here anyway?" I asked as we made our way quickly to the exit, the tunnel leading to an abandoned subway terminal.
"I...I was trying to find somewhere to sleep," she replied, looking away, ashamed.
"I see...why did you run away?" I asked as we reached street level. I recognised this road — I was parked not far from here.
"My dad left, and my mom...she remarried. He wasn't...he wasn't the nicest person," Tandy held her hurt arm tightly. I suspected she hadn't only been getting beatings from her stepfather.
"Don't you have someone you could stay with? An aunt or uncle?" I asked.
"An uncle, but...he would make me go back to my mother," Tandy looked down in shame.
I wanted to push the point, but one look at her and I could tell she wasn't in a position to fight. I sighed as we reached the parking lot and my car. "Right — come on then, let's go."
"What?" she asked in surprise as she looked at my car. Her jaw dropped, "y-you have a DeLorean?!"
I grinned, "damn straight. You like?"
"This is so cool!" she cried out as we both got in. She looked around with wide eyes, "did you customise it?!"
"Yup," I nodded, "Doc, the nearest open hospital, please."
"What? Who are you talking to?" Tandy blinked.
"You got it, boss," Doc replied as the car came to life on its own.
"Eep!"
I laughed as we pulled out, "sorry about that. That's Doc — my car's AI. He's handy."
"A-AI?" she blinked, "you mean he's a machine? Your car is alive?!" She turned to me with eyes as wide as saucers, "are you like super rich?"
I chuckled, "no, Tandy — I'm just very smart."
"Where did you get all this?"
"I built it," I shrugged.
"All of it? By yourself?" she asked, sounding shell-shocked.
"No, I had help," I nodded, "cars aren't exactly my specialty. My friend is more of the motorhead, so he had a few suggestions."
"This is so cool!" she said excitedly, "ah, can I ask it something?"
I shrugged, "go ahead."
"Hey, ah..."
"Doc," I supplied.
"Right. Hey Doc, what's tomorrow's weather going to be like?"
"Sunny, with a chance of rain in the night," Doc replied.
Tandy squeaked, "this is so cool!" I watched with amusement as she played with the settings, asking him silly mundane questions over and over again. It was like watching a child discover something wonderful for the first time.
We reached the hospital quickly and I took Tandy inside, though she looked uncertain. The moment she stepped out of the car the carefree attitude she had shown vanished, replaced with a more sombre and guarded manner.
We asked to see a doctor and waited for ten minutes before being called in. We were taken to a medical examination room where Tandy sat on the chair and I stood next to her, waiting for the doctor.
"T-thanks, Peter," Tandy said quietly.
I shrugged, "it's fine."
"No, really...thanks," she repeated, "it really does hurt," she whispered. Yeah — those Street Rats are going to answer for this.
Just then the door opened as a woman with dark skin and hair walked in. I recognised her immediately. She looked at us and smiled, "hello, I'm Claire — what can I help you with?"
I smiled. Claire Temple. I hadn't realised it, but the party had been near Hell's Kitchen in Manhattan — of course this would be the closest hospital.
"Hey — she needs a full examination," I motioned to Tandy, who looked surprised by my request, "she's been living on the streets and has a fracture on her right arm."
Claire's eyes widened, "are you serious?" She immediately went to Tandy's side. The girl tried to move away, but Claire had already lifted her sleeve, revealing the bruise. "This looks bad. You're going to need to step out," she said to me, "and you — take your coat off."
I nodded. Tandy looked like she was going to panic, but the girl needed a thorough examination. I left the room and waited outside. I knew Claire would do her best — the woman could patch up superheroes on a nightly basis; a girl like Tandy wouldn't be an issue.
And seeing Claire had actually given me an idea. I took out my phone and dialled Matt's firm's number. The call rang twice before a woman picked up, "hello, Nelson and Murdock — how may I help you?"
"I need to speak to Matt. It's urgent," I told her. Probably Karen Page, if I had to guess.
"Oh, right — Matt, it's for you," Karen handed the phone over.
"Hello?" Matt asked.
"Hey, Devil — it's me, Spider," I whispered.
Tension immediately seeped into Matt's voice, "why are you calling here? This is my work number."
"I didn't have your personal cell," I chuckled, "but in all seriousness, I'm calling because I want to hire you. Not for me, but for a homeless runaway. Her stepfather is abusive and her mother is neglectful. Think that's enough to put her in foster care or at least prevent her parents from taking custody of her?"
Matt was silent for a moment before responding, "yes...yeah, we can manage that. What's her name?"
"I'm working on getting you the full details, Matt," I replied, "I'll swing by your place tonight and drop them off. Sound good?"
"Yeah, sounds fine. Midnight."
"Agreed," I replied, closing the phone. I then waited patiently for a few more minutes before Claire walked out, signing papers as she did. I walked up to her, "is she okay?"
"I put a cast around the fracture, so that's taken care of. I'm also writing up some painkillers if she needs them," she sighed, "but...that's not all. She also has several badly healed wounds on her back and a few cuts and bruises. She's...she's been through hell."
I nodded, "she told me as much. Is there anything we need to worry about immediately? Any misaligned bones? Anything critical?"
"So far? No, nothing life-threatening. She's okay in that sense, but...damn. How did this happen?" she glared at me, "did you—"
"—I would never hurt someone like that," I stopped her with a firm look, "never. I brought her here myself — do you really think I'd be that careless?"
Claire scoffed, "yeah, I guess. So what? You her boyfriend or something?"
I chuckled, "no. She did me a favour. I owe her one."
"Right...look, kid, I don't know who you are or what you're going to do. But that girl needs help."
I nodded, "I spoke to a lawyer friend of mine. He's going to take her case."
"Fine, whatever — just keep her safe," she tore off a receipt, "pay at the counter."
I smiled, "thanks, Doc," I walked past her and into the exam room where Tandy was just finishing putting on her coat over her brand new cast. "Hey. Ready to go?"
Tandy turned to me and glared, "I didn't want that."
"Maybe, but you needed it. Come on," I motioned her over as we left.
"I didn't ask for this, Peter," Tandy argued, "okay, thanks — but I don't need someone controlling my life—"
"—I contacted a lawyer friend of mine. He says he can get you away from your stepfather and mother," I cut her off as I paid the hospital bill. Five hundred dollars just for a cast? Thank God for my healing factor.
"I...you what?"
I turned to her, "I called a lawyer. So if you want, you can fight for your freedom. I don't make a habit of seeing a bad situation and just walking away, Tandy. You don't want my help — fine. But do you want your freedom?"
She looked stunned. I think I might have broken her a little. Suddenly her stomach let out a loud growl. She blushed red.
I grinned, "drive-through?"
An hour later:
I had driven to the top of a parking structure after we got our food. We sat on the hood of my car and ate. Tandy practically inhaled her meal. But then again, who knew when she had last eaten.
I slurped the last of my cola and groaned, "empty." I put the bottle down next to three crumpled burger wrappers. I looked at Tandy — she had eaten almost as much as me: two cheeseburgers and extra-large fries. Not bad for someone her size.
"So," I said as she put away the last of her fries, "have you made up your mind?"
She looked down at her food and then at me. The moonlight from the crescent moon made her seem almost...luminous. Strange — I didn't think someone could look quite like that. Huh.
Finally, she spoke, "Peter...why are you doing this?"
I raised an eyebrow, "I told you, didn't I? Great power, great—"
"—Responsibility, yes, I know, but...why? I've never met a guy like you. You're so...calm, collected and...kind. I don't think people are supposed to be this kind."
"Believe me, Tandy — I can be harsh when I need to be," I chuckled, "there are plenty of people who would call me the devil."
"Then that's because they deserve it," she shot back, "I can tell, Peter. You're the kindest person I've met. And...why are you trying so hard for me? I'm nothing special. I'm no one. I'm just...me."
She looked away, ashamed. I smiled. I reached up and gently patted her head, ruffling her hair, surprising her. "Tandy, you may not think you're special, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't try to help you. The truth is, none of us are exceptional by default. There's always someone better than us out there — always. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to help each other. If that logic applied, the Avengers would have joined Loki to enslave us instead of fighting to protect us."
Tandy looked at me for a moment, then suddenly moved forward, wrapping her arms around my middle in a hug. "Thank you," she whispered.
I patted her head gently, "no problem," and I hugged her back for as long as she wanted. Times like these, you should never be the one to break the hug — because you never know how long the other person needs to hold on.
Finally, she pulled back and looked up at me, smiling, "thanks, Peter."
I smiled back, "you're welcome. Now...you never told me — do you want to be free?"
She nodded, "y-yes. If you can do it."
"Alright then. But first — you never did tell me your full name."
"It's Bowen. Tandy Bowen," she smiled.
"Alright then, Tandy Bowen — I'm Peter Parker," we shared one more smile. Huh. This night turned out better than I thought.