A/N: There's really not much do to in the night shift.
Chapter 4: Clash under Moonlight
It began when Todd Evans came back from the nurse's office with a limp in his step and a downcast expression. A few days after that Simon Burke had been rushed to the hospital when his shoulder became dislocated in the hall. A week later Kilt Thorn broke his nose and bleed all over his clothes.
The teachers thought it was fighting amidst the team but no one owned up to anything and no one saw any altercations taking place. It was a series of mysterious accidents as far as the facility was concerned.
Anyone else who bothered paying attention would have noticed that a lot of the boys being injured were on the football team and were the main proprietors in the bullying campaign against Peter Parker.
No one approached me on it however. Not the teachers, not my bullies, not even Gwen and Harry. They gave me looks yes, but from Harry it was a twinkling gaze of approval and, to my surprise, Gwen gave me something similar.
'Were they proud I'm finally defending myself?' Was Gwen not upset at how far I was going? Granted, those same bullies have left the old Peter Parker black and blue on multiple occasions and even drew blood from an overeager hit. 'Maybe she sees it as justified since it's in self-defense.' How very Super of her.
I stomped down the vitriol satisfaction I felt at entering English class and seeing a few of my bullies' flinch when I passed them. No one attempted to screw with me and I got to my desk unmolested.
"I got to ask, is this some sort of stupid guy thing?" I blinked and looked to see the bored green eyes of one Liz Allen. She sucked on a lollipop, in the middle of class mind you, and just stared at me.
"What?"
"This." She said, popping the candy out of her mouth and waving it in the general direction of the bullies. "Why do they act like that? It doesn't make sense."
"…You got to give me a little context here. There's lot of things guys do that make no sense."
"Why haven't they told the teachers the truth?" Liz said while rolling her eyes. "Every bad thing that's been happening to them lately has happened after they tried to fuck with you, it couldn't be that hard for them to get you in trouble going off that information."
…She had a point. Perhaps it was best if I started spacing out who I punished in between the bullying. That will at least make it harder for the teacher to pinpoint where the bullies got their shit rocked.
Oh. Liz was still waiting for an answer. Crossing my arms, I thought about her question for a good minute while people slowly trickled into class and came to an acceptable answer.
"Pride." I said and elaborated when Liz gave me a confused expression. "It would hurt their pride if they went to the teachers to handle me. They've been so used to me being under them. A defenseless target that they could push around for as long as they want. Relying on a higher authority would be implying they can no longer handle "Pathetic Parker" by themselves and that grinds their gears worse than any injury I can inflict on them. That and it's kind of hypocritical to cry wolf when they've been the wolves for a long time but it's mainly the pride thing."
"…So, it's a macho bro thing?" Liz asked and the edge of lip twitched before they thinned.
"Not quite right but close enough."
"That's fucking stupid."
"Tell your boyfriend that. He's the one still egging this crap on for the past month."
Flash hasn't graced me with his presence since that first day this whole thing kicked off. Matter of fact, I hadn't seen the arrogant prick give me even an errant glance and always left the leg work to his stooges. I think that was going to change soon though. I had a gut feeling.
"He's not my boyfriend." Liz suddenly said, her face scrunching up in anger and I blinked.
"Al…right??" Don't remember asking.
"Not after that asshole shacked it up with that skank Cilia. So if you get a shot at him, do me a favor and aim for his balls. I'll set you up with an easy girl I know if you do."
"…Hard pass. Also, what the fuck is wrong with you?"
"What?" Liz asked in confusion and her pretty face warped when I gave her an incredulous look. "He cheated on me. He's lucky I don't spread a rumor he has Syphilis or something."
"You can also be the bigger person and move on Liz."
"Hmmmm. Nah. I'll just say Cilia has Syphilis. That will get everyone's attention and get Flash to panic. Perfect."
…Okay. Didn't expect the Liz Allen of this world to be unhinged but whatever. Ironically, she never bullied Peter Parker. She didn't stop it, but she didn't join in either, so I had little issues against the girl. I was more focused on the fact that for the majority of class Liz tried to strike up a conversation with me. Mostly for me to agree to her plan to hurt Flash where the sun don't shine but also random attempts of uncovering where I gained the nerve to fight back against my bullies after years of just taking it.
I said I got bored of humoring them and said nothing else. Liz didn't believe it. I told her I didn't care.
I think that just amused her more.
I was grateful that was the more eventful moment of the school day and the rest passed in a blur. If there was one thing Peter Parker and I shared in common was our dislike for Mondays. Case in point, Mondays were days where Peter didn't need to go to Doctor Connors, that was Wednesdays and Fridays, and I didn't have to go to the gym to keep up appearances, which were Tuesdays and Thursdays. So essentially from the weekend leading to Monday, I was free to do whatever I wanted in the afternoon.
Thank God Peter hadn't joined a club to eat even more of my time. So what was I doing after school on a Monday you may ask?
I sat on a park bench and drank a banana shake as my next target spent the day with his girlfriend. Ivor, no last name, was a drug runner for the Maggia Family. Caught for possession in the past before joining, the Maggia Family lawyers got the man out on a technically or loophole and he's been running for them ever since. Another criminal with supposedly deep pockets but not important to the organization in the grand scheme of things, I chose to stalk Ivor when enough time passed after I robbed Malcom.
The peddler hadn't returned to his house since. Over the course of the week and a half of I passed by his street but failed to sense him in his apartment. Malcom still stayed in the city. I tracked his smell somewhere in Brooklyn and left it at that. I already got what I wanted from him.
Ivor was a far more well put together man then Malcom. Living in a less upscale location, it was still a large 2 story house and he regularly had friends and family over. He owned a cheap truck and worked on it in his garage on weekend afternoons. He didn't scare easily, even during his drug runs to selective drop off points. I snorted in my drink as he made a stupid joke to his girlfriend and she laughed.
'Honestly, with the image he portrays, you'd never expect him to be a runner for one of the biggest crime families in the city.' Ivor was Italian with short brown hair, a sculpted face and light brown eyes. A handsome well to do guy who moonlit as a nurse. 'It's never the ones you expect.'
They sat there, talking among themselves, and eating from the basket of their scenic picnic. Satisfied I got up and started walking before I got a message. I quirked a brow when it was Gwen.
G: Oi, loser. Game night tonight? Harry said he'll sneak out some of his pop's good bourbon.
P: On a school night? Gwendolyn Stacey. What would your father say?
G: That I need fun friends.
I smiled softly at that. It did sound like something he would say. I continued texting.
P: Sure. We doing this at my house or yours?
G: Yours.
I suppose that was that.
'Oh well. I wasn't doing anything and it's a nice night to hang out.' Stopping for some chips on the way home, I told Aunt May Gwen and Harry were stopping by. She asked if she should prepare anything to eat and knowing May would make something anyway, I just asked if she can make cook up some chicken for tacos later.
I didn't have to wait long for the doorbell to ring and when I opened it, Gwen stood on the other side holding up a few bags of pork rinds.
"Those will go straight to your thighs you know."
"Then I guess it's a good thing I still do ballerina drills." She said cheekily. Rolling my eyes, I stepped to side and Gwen walked in, wrapping Aunt May in a big bear hug when she came into view from the kitchen. "Harry said he should be here in an hour." I nodded.
"Alright. I already set up the Wii but I lost my third controller. You can help me find it."
"The chicken for the tacos will be done in a few minutes." Aunt May said and Gwen's eyes lit up.
"We're having tacos?"
"Yes, after you help me." I deadpanned and grabbed a whining Gwen by the scarf of her shirt, leading her up the stairs. She must have felt extra annoying today because she refused to walk and had me dragging up the steps. "Oh for the love of-You'll get your tacos later!"
"But I'm hungry now."
I rolled my eyes at her exaggerated tone, and we scoured my semi cluttered closet for the third remote. Gwen found it in an old shoe box and she hoped onto my bed and got comfortable as I set it to charge.
Harry eventually arrived with heated tortillas and cut up chicken breasts given to him by Aunt May. We spent the next hour eating tacos, playing Mario Kart and taking sips from the beer Harry snuck brought in his backpack. This had always been something of a weekly ritual between us three but between Gwen's increasingly busy schedule, Harry's dad showing him the ropes of the company and my own activities, this is the first time we're hanged out like this in weeks. Gwen took a swig and kicked back with a sigh.
"Ahhhh. This is just what the doctor ordered. No band practice, no family errands, just relaxing with the boys. And kicking their asses on Mario Kart."
"Red shell."
"Oh you cocksucker!"
Harry laughed as my red shell spun Gwen out and I passed her just in time to get over the finish line, gaining 1st place. I grinned at her red face.
"Never count your chickens until they hatch Gwen. Or a turtle will snap them right up."
"…That was terrible."
"Sorry, can't hear you from down there-" I quickly ducked when she threw a chip at my head.
"Alright, alright. Let's stop this here before things get too heated. How about we play something a little less competitive. Anyone up for Smash Bros?"
"That's supposed to be less competitive?"
I grabbed a water bottle and chugged it as Harry placed in the disk for Smash Bro. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Gwen look at her phone and her eyes widened.
"Fuck…" I heard her swore under her breath. Seeing Harry didn't catch that I slowly inched closer to Gwen and leaned my head so she could see me in her peripheral. Her eyes snapped up to meet mines in a flash.
"Everything alright?" I asked and she rapidly blinked. Glancing down at her phone again, I watched as Gwen thinned her lips before standing up, drawing Harry's attention as well.
"I have to go."
"What?" Harry was the first to react and he furrowed his brows. "But we just started. We haven't even got to the movie marathon yet."
"I know…I'm sorry. Something came up." Gwen apologized and began to gather her bag. Harry tried to ask what was wrong and if they could help but she refused to elaborate, saying it was personal.
At that point I assumed it was Ghost Spider related and kept quiet. I sighed at Harry's hurt and confused face as Gwen left the room.
"Come on man. I know it sucks but things happen. Probably some sort of family emergency or something."
"But she didn't say it was a family emergency. Just that something came up." Harry argued but his expression fell when I gave him a "what can you do" shrug and sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just we've been really busy lately and I was hoping to use tonight to unwind. Maybe even-"
Harry suddenly cut himself off and lowered his head. I gave him a queer look.
"Maybe even what?" I asked and Harry made a hesitant face before steeling his expression.
"Hey Pete, I wanted to ask you because you're my boy and I don't want to go behind your back but…do you mind if I ask Gwen to Junior Prom?"
At his question I felt that anger again. Nowhere near as potent as the first time but enough I had to mentally take a moment to gather my thoughts and articulate an answer that wouldn't be influenced by phantom impressions. Harry's face grew worried and I realized I was frowning in silence for the few seconds I took to think.
"I have no problem with that." I said slowly and Harry blinked.
"R-Really?" He quickly continued when I gave him a confused quirk of my brow. "I-I mean, I'm just surprised. I thought you had a crush on Gwen." It was my turn to blink at that and tilted my head.
'Huh.' I guess Peter wasn't nearly as good as he thought he was at hiding his affections. Makes me wonder if Gwen knows about them too. Shaking my head, I refocused on Harry and smiled. "I don't have a crush on Gwen Harry. I won't lie, I used to. Like you wouldn't believe."
"…What happened?"
'The one who did had his soul, along with everything that made him him, go straight into the ether and another soul is using his body as a meat puppet.' I thought and grabbed the controller. "Don't worry about it but if you're going to ask her out, wait till after one of her gigs. She's always happiest after a good performance."
Nodding rapidly, Harry turned to the screen and before long, we were fighting it out on the screen.
I ignored the small aching in my chest.
Ghost Spider
As a whole, by the very definition of the word, crime was supposed to be a subtle art. Typically done under the cover of night, many of the times Gwen got into it with the random thug or two, it was almost always in a secluded area like the back of an alley or a cut off area. They weren't trying to draw attention and just get in and do what they needed with subtlety.
The warzone she came to when she reached Houston Street had nothing to do with any of the aforementioned traits. Cop cars lined the street and were used as makeshift barricades as police officers kneeled behind them as bullets rained down. Across the way, in a dilapidated building that looked to be a former hotel, she saw men wearing fancy suits and domino masks using machine guns to shoot out the windows onto the street.
They weren't only shooting at the cops however because on the other end of the street were groups of men in blue jumpsuits and oddly futuristic weaponry. They were far less in number than the men in suits, 10 to the 20 Gwen saw in the windows alone but they shot at the men with futuristic guns that shot concussive blasts of energy, tearing entire holes in the building. The bullets of the men in suits deflected off a bluish energy barrier coming from one blue jumpsuit in the middle.
All in all, Gwen wondered what the fuck she just walked into.
"RPG!" A cop yelled and her eye's widened as one of the blue jumpsuits took out what looked like an RPG but seemed closer to a railgun. Not wanting to see what that thing could do; Gwen leapt over the street and shot a web at the railgun.
The jumpsuit holding it jumped in surprise as the gun was ripped from his hands and Gwen landed on a nearby lamppost, sticking the gun to a nearby wall. There was a sudden lull where everyone saw the appearance of the Ghost Spider and Gwen smiled behind her mask.
"Any chance I could you fellas to surrender peacefully before anyone else get's hur-" Gwen jumped as a hail of bullets and concussive blasts tore the lamppost she was on to smithereens. "You know it's rude to interrupt someone!"
She landed amidst the blue jumpsuits. Before they can react she sent pinpoint punches to the chins of the men to her right and left. Dropping like a sacks of potatoes, Gwen quickly crossed between another two and gripped the back of one's shirt. She twirled him like a ragdoll and bludgeoned another with him before throwing him at two others. The blue jumpsuits were afraid to shoot recklessly since she kept diving in and out of their numbers.
The ones in the houses didn't have that problem. Her Spider Sense didn't react when the suits started spraying them and it proven right when the bullets were deflected by that same blue energy shield. Now on the ground level, Gwen could see a strange hovering disk that was floating in the middle of the jumpsuit's formation and it was pulsing a dull blue glow.
'That must be the thing generating the shield.' Gwen thought as she leaped over a jumpsuit that tried to swing at her with his gun and she kicked his face in return. Shooting web lines at two jumpsuits, she reeled them in and slammed them into each other. Landing on another's shoulders she elbowed his face and the mask he wore split in two.
Her Spider Sense flared and Gwen jumped off the jumpsuit in time for a blue beam to fly through the space she previously occupied. The air singed at its passing and when it hit a car on the side, Gwen covered her eyes when it blew up in a roaring inferno.
The sound of electric buzzing filled the space and Gwen looked up to see a man in a blue power suit hovering in the air. The suit was sleek and glowed with blue wiring across its body, insect like wings beating behind his back. Its face was vaguely reminiscent of that of a beetle.
"And who are you?" Gwen asked and the man in the power armor leveled an even larger, more futuristic gun at her.
"I'm the Beetle." The man said in a proud robotic voice. Gwen gave him a long look up and down and withheld a chuckle.
"Are you serious?"
"Oh fuck you."
Gwen blurred forward as the Beetle shot another beam. Zigzagging between the shots, Gwen leapt and grabbed him by his legs and tugged him down hard. The Beetle grunted as he slammed into a mailbox and flattened it. Rearing her fist back, the Beetle's wings buzzed and he shot into the air, avoiding Gwen's fist that cracked the sidewalk.
She backflipped out of the way of the dozens beams the blue jumpsuits shot at her. Beetle did a circle in the air and gripped a blue orb in his hands. Throwing the orb at Gwen, it flew at the breakneck speeds and Gwen barely shot it with a web before it got within 10 feet of her.
She was flung back as the orb exploded into a wave of pure concussive power. Smashing through a second story window, Gwen banked off a dining room table and landed on the floor. Blinking away the spots, Gwen stared at the group of three hunkering behind the couch in fear.
"Uh-" The Beetle flew in through the window and pointed his gun at Gwen. Her foot reflexively kicked out and the table went flying up exploding under the shot and sending shrapnel everywhere. "Sorry!"
He tried to aim again but Gwen ran up the wall and charged him on the ceiling. Dodging another beam, she tackled him out of the house. Gwen punched him in the face multiple times on their descent Beetle grunting under each blow and cursing when one of his lenses cracked.
Beetle twisted and threw Gwen off his body. Swinging around a light post, Gwen swung back up to the flying villain and double kick him in the face. That sent Beetle flying further and he shook his head with a growl.
"Why are you constantly going for the face!?" He glared down at the superheroine and Gwen grinned even though he couldn't see it through his mask.
"In my experience, punching douchebags in the face feels wonderful."
"Oh yeah? Then try this!"
A series of popping sounds emanated from the Beetle's back and a number of small disks shot out. They flew up and Gwen saw them transform into lifelike blue beetles. Flying around in a small swarm, they flew in a synchronized motion and charged at Gwen.
"At least you're on brand!" Gwen yelled as she leapt out of the way of the diving bombing beetles. Each exploded into tiny explosions when they struck the ground and Gwen swung up to a higher position when they tried to pincer her.
The beetles chased Gwen as she ran along the building walls. She glanced behind and scowled when the Beetle chose to turn around and start shooting at the suits in the windows. Shooting a web into her hand, Gwen started pulling and stretching the web over and over again before throwing it at the chasing beetles behind her.
The net like web caught the swarm and seeing them struggle but not explode in her web, Gwen twirled it in her hands and chucked it at the Beetle's back. The beetles exploded then in a collective blast and sent their creator barreling into a deli. Gwen waited for a minute but Beetle didn't come back out.
'Here's hoping that knocked him out and buys me some time.' Gwen would just check on him but in the battle with the powered armor villain, the blue jumpsuits had reached the former hotel and pushed their way in.
The sound of gunshots, shockwaves and shouts rang from the building. The police were also moving in now that both groups of assailants were duking it out inside and Gwen didn't like the idea of outnumbered cops facing trigger happy criminals in enclosed areas alone. Entering the building through an open window, Gwen crawled along the walls towards the sound of fighting.
It took a bit of time but Gwen eventually came to the main lobby of the hotel to see the suits and blue jumpsuits utterly demolishing the interior. Bullets and shockwaves flew through the air. Men dropped like puppets cut from their strings or were sent flying into furniture, sounds of sharp snapping sounds before their bodies go unsettlingly still. Gwen had seen people die. Both in her time as Ghost Spider and everyday life but seeing such a small war happening unnerved the Superheroine.
Her first victims were 2 suits holding a second-floor angle and were shooting down on some blue jumpsuits. Shooting web lines at their backs, Gwen slammed them into the nearest wall with a hard thack and webbed them up. Leaping over the railing they were shooting from she saw the 3 blue jumpsuits who didn't react in time when Gwen piledrived one in the ground and round house kicked another into his friend, knocking both out.
One of the blue jumpsuits took out another orb similar to the one she saw Beetle used and Gwen quickly shot it out of the man's hands. It exploded any entire section of the back wall where it landed and sent a number of the men clattering to the ground. Seeing the opportunity she rapid fired her web shooters and stuck nearly half of the blue jumpsuits and some of the suits to the floor.
The front doors were kicked open and officers started to charge into the fray. Gwen kept bouncing around, webbing people to walls and taking them out of the fight. The officers started to turn the tide as the criminals lowered in number. A few cops were injured in the push and Gwen cursed when one got blasted by a blue jumpsuit and his neck banged hard against an edge. He didn't get back up.
"Damn it!" She growled and lunged at the blue jumpsuit her fist digging deep into their stomach. A wretch later and the blue jumpsuit barfed, the bile leaking from the mask. Looking back to the fallen cop Gwen gritted her teeth when she saw the crestfallen expression of their partner as they pulled them away.
For the next few minutes Gwen struggled with her restraint. Moving far faster and relying harder on her Spider Sense, she pulls her punches just barely enough where anyone hit goes down in one blow but she definitely felt something or another break on each impact. The control she's cultivated over her year long career as Ghost Spider starts to slip as a kick breaks a suit's femur bone and he is sent flying through a third story window.
A web line saves him from a lethal plunge, especially at his speed, and Gwen turns around to go after another group of blue jumpsuits.
The adjacent wall crumbles outward and Gwen raised her arms in time to block the full tackle of the Beetle. She grunted as she was slammed through multiple walls and thrown into a cabinet. Kicking off the pieces of wood, Gwen glared up at the flying form of the dented and dirted Beetle.
"Okay dude, I didn't want to say it before but aren't you being kind of stupid here? I mean, you have crazy tech already. Why do you even need the weapons here?"
"I need them because those weapons were mine to begin with!"
What? Gwen rolled to the side as Beetle shot at her again and she shot a web at his face. Swatting it aside with one hand, he wasn't prepared for the following up web line to his chest and Gwen pulled herself towards him in a flying punch.
The Beetle just reared his leg up and allowed her to run into his foot. Falling to the ground with a yelp, Gwen landed in a crouch and looked up to a faintly glowing blue barrel inches from her head.
"And I came to get them back, so be a good spider and-"
A heavy impact like one of his shockwave guns hit the Beetle's back and he was sent flying into the wall. Gwen crouched low and when she looked up she was surprised to see DeWolff at the door in riot gear holding a heavy futuristic cannon.
"And I thought you talked too much." DeWolff said and approached Gwen as she stood up. "You alright kid?"
"As good as I'll ever be." She said, stretching and wincing at the pain. "Ah, shit. That's going to leave a bruise."
"You're young. You'll heal."
Before Gwen could respond to that her Spider Sense went off and she tackled DeWolff to the ground as a blue beam vaporized the bed behind them. DeWolff quickly aimed from the ground and made a pinpoint shot on the Beetle's chest. That shot nearly tore a hole in the already damaged suit and, in blind panic, Beetle started to randomly rapid firing everything in the room.
DeWolff hunkered low as Gwen bobbed and weaved between the shots. Crossing the room while ducking under one last blast, Gwen pressed her hands within the sizable gap of the armor DeWolff made and pulled.
"What are yo-!"
The front plate and a chunk of his shoulder armor was ripped off and clattered to the ground. Stumbling back Beetle's wings started to beat but Gwen webbed them together and he tried to point his gun up and she kicked it out of his hands. He tried one final swing for her head but Gwen easily leaned out of the way and kicked his feet from under him. One last kick to the back of the head and a whimper Gwen met no resistance as she webbed up the Beetle in a nice little cocoon.
"There. Now the Beetle won't be buzzing off anytime soon." Gwen said and DeWolff blankly stared at her.
"Stick to the quips kid. That pun was awful."
"Everyone's a critic." She mumbled and DeWolff grinned. A patter of feet approached the door and DeWolff aimed her gun that way and Gwen got into a ready stance. They both relaxed when a group of cops walked in led by DeWolff's partner, Frank Castle. A gruff tall man with muscular build and five o'clock shadow he nodded to the captain.
"The building has been secured captain. Some of the scum was able to escape with some crates but the rest were captured by the boys waiting around back."
"Good work. And the trackers on the decoys?" DeWolff and Castle raised a black tracker.
"Online. We already have some men trailing them."
"Excellent work gentlemen. Let's do one last sweep and head out. Also, someone get a transport ready for this one." DeWolff said with a nod towards the silent Beetle. "I don't want him with the others. Give him his own car."
"Yes Ma'am!" DeWolff turned to Gwen as the men left and Frank went to the trapped Beetle. Gwen gave her a searching look.
"You didn't keep the actual weapons here." It came out almost like an accusation and DeWolff snorted.
"Of course not. The higher ups wanted the bait to be real but I wasn't risking my men for some idiotic pencil pushers agenda. Now we can find where these idiots rest their heads and really get them off the street."
"Should I follow?" Gwen asked and DeWolff shook her head.
"You've done enough tonight kid. Get some rest, you've earned it."
"I'm good." Gwen said and grimaced when she tried to show it by standing straighter and it sent a fresh wave of pain down her body. DeWolff didn't look impressed.
"I'm serious. Go home, sleep. We'll take it from here."
Not seeing a way she was going to change the captain's mind, Gwen gave a mock salute and leapt out of the window. Chuckling at watching the Superheroine swinging away, DeWolff turned to see Castle giving her a look.
"What?" She asked with a frown and he looked down at the Beetle and hauled him over his shoulder.
"You place too much trust in that vigilante." The last word was spoken with a degree of contempt and DeWolff narrowed her eyes.
"That 'vigilante' greatly aided in lowering causalities and helped take down the super villain you're currently holding."
"And it's because people like her exist that crazies like this do too." Frank bit back and she scuffed.
"You can't really believe that do you?" DeWolff was a big believer in that power and technology changed radically and uncontrollably as the years passed. Superheroes and Villains were just a consequence of time moving on. "If you think people wouldn't use the same weapons and abilities for personal gain if there weren't masked heroes around then you're being more delusional than usual Castle. I count my blessings people like her exists to begin with." Castle curled his lips at that and turned his head with a scowl.
"She's still reckless and untrained."
"Now that we'll agree on." DeWolff said, leaning her cannon on her shoulder and walked through the door. "Which is why we're here. To give her a reference of how to do things right."
"If she wanted then she should have joined the force."
'Yeah, because the force is a perfect system that is never bogged down by politics and red tape.' Sometimes arguing with Castle felt like arguing with a brick wall. The man was far too set in his ways. 'Makes me wonder how his wife handles him.' The woman must have the patience of a saint or ten.
DeWolff shook her head of her partner's bullhead personality and opened the door to a cop car for Castle to throw the Beetle inside. Getting into their own vehicle, no more words were spoken on the matter as they followed the tracker into the city.
There was no rest for the weary after all.
'It sure is busy out there tonight…' I thought, staring into the direction of Manhattan and frowning. New York City was a noisy place on principle. Too many people, too many cars and by the virtue of it being the 'city that never sleeps' there was always something going. 'But machine gun fire and weird explosions is a new one.' I grew interested the moment a cacophony of police sirens moved downtown, and the subsequent fighting drew my attention.
A quick sniff and I narrowed my eyes when I recognized a familiar scent among the chaos. Seems like it was a big enough to draw Gwen's involvement.
'Good thing I'm nowhere nearby then.' I turned around and walked into the large backyard of Ivor's house. I waited for a few nights where they wouldn't be home, but Ivor didn't seem to be much for visiting others and mainly stayed home most nights. Tonight, however was some birthday party for one of his girl's friends so the man of the house was gone along with his partner. 'I wonder if it's appropriate to leave a happy birthday card on my way out.'
I'll come to a decision when crossing that particular bridge. For now I jumped onto the second story balcony in a single leap, gripped the handle tightly…and quietly opened the not locked balcony door. Seriously. Why the fuck do people not lock doors in this world?
The room was far homier and more lived in then Malcom's house. Pictures of Ivor and his girlfriend and friends littered the walls, clothes laid about, a PlayStation and wide dresser that contained a number of personal products.
I chucked the PlayStation in my bag. Same with a few expensive looking pieces of jewelry and rings. I opened a false panel in the floor and took out rolls of 20-dollar bills in a Ziplock bag. Nowhere the heft or number of bills in Malcom's house but still sizable enough to take up a portion of my bag.
That was just the first hidey hole. I found another bag in the rafters of the garage, one up in the fireplace and a lone box full of pearls behind the kitchen sink of all places. It made me think the girlfriend knew more then I initially thought. It was when I reached their medicine cabinet and saw the hidden gold bars in some hair dyes did that assumption became a certainty. I paused in my tracks when I passed his room again and quietly reentered. Scanning it my gaze landed on the bed and I walked over to the headpost.
I retrieved the loaded handgun resting under the pillow. Turning it over in my hand, I kept my finger off the trigger while aiming down the sight. I had held guns before but my increased strength made it so that it was barely heavier than a piece cardboard in my grip. I unclipped the mag and restocked it.
I put it back in its original place and exited the house by the back door. It was only when I was walking back with my full bag and my mask off did I notice that Ivor's scent was approaching his house. Quick fast at that.
'He's coming home early. It hasn't even been an hour since him and his girl got to the party.' I thought his speed was because he was in a car but even with that in mind, Ivor seemed to be sharply cutting corners and when he got in front of his house, Ivor booked it out of his car and ran inside. My eyes widened when I smelled how much he was sweating and heard the sharp cursing as he moved throughout his house like a madman. It clicked soon enough. 'Ah. There were security cameras or motion sensors, weren't they?'
Welp. Good thing I wore a mask. I chuckled as I continued walking, the cursing and sweat increasing in volume until I made it all the way back home.
Flash Thompson
He didn't know when things went to shit.
No, that was a lie. He knew when it started. A few weeks back in the hallway, Pathetic Parker thought his little fearless man act was going to save him from the ass kicking he was owed. That a few extra inches meant he wasn't suddenly a pussy.
He tried to put in his place and the fucker didn't have the common sense to back down. Then the Couch had to butt in and have Parker save his ass? Flash hadn't truly been angry up until that point. Pathetic Parker doesn't get to bail him out. That's not how it works.
He spread the word. Parker's life was supposed to be made Hell and whoever got the bitch to beg and apologize would be his new tailback. And things had gone well. No matter where he went, Parker was hounded. In the hallway, classes, bathrooms, locker rooms. His boys did good work and they were consistent. It had only been a matter of time.
Then the injuries started surfacing. Small things that escalated to bigger things that ended up with Edward and Marvin being withheld from games which sucked when they were some of the few other good players on the team beside himself. It didn't take no time at all to get the information as to what was happening and the "truth" made Flash nearly chip a tooth from clenching them so hard.
It was ridiculous. It was impossible. And he knew he had to nip it in the bud before the Coach and other teachers figured out what was going on. Flash was confident he could still pin it on Parker's head but that wasn't what he wanted. He wanted Parker brought low…and he knew exactly how.
"I like to imagine myself as a calm person." Parker said in a chillingly calm tone. Through the daze, Flash just barely recognized the alley he texted Parker to meet him at. His cheek was on fire, likely inflamed and he winced through the tears as Parker lifted him closer by his collar. "Not much can get under my skin but you've somehow found a way. I suppose I should congratulate you."
Admittedly, sending a picture of his uncle shopping at the mall with a text saying "wonder if he's as much of a bitch as his nephew. May be funny to find out" with a threat if Parker didn't meet him Flash would find out wasn't his greatest idea. He wasn't actually going to do anything to the old fart! It was just to get Parker to squirm and get his attention, somewhere outside school to really screw with him.
Parker's hand blurred and the edge of Flash's mouth exploded in pain. His head whipped to the side and he felt his other cheek bone inflame.
"You could have kept going with your acts to be the biggest monkey in the room."
His hand blurred again and Flash felt blood drench his entire chin.
"You could have kept it to simple school yard pecking order stupidity."
His teeth cracked and the fragments rolled around in his mouth.
"But instead, in your infinite wisdom, thought to threaten to hurt my uncle."
There were multiple hits that followed and Flash's teeth sprayed over the alley floor as his face became a bloody black bruise. He had already tried to pry Parker's grip off but failed in moving him in any meaningful way. His vision was going black.
Then he landed on the ground. The sudden shock jolting him awake and Flash laid there, face first in a dirty puddle. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Parker's feet and when he turned his face slightly, Flash saw him crouching there. A different type of sensation filled Flash's body other than the pain. A cold, dark chill at the soulless look Parker gave him. And for some, undecipherable reason…the gaze reminded Flash of a snake.
"Here is what's going to happen." Parker started his gaze never once leaving his face. "We're going to forget this ever happen. Go home, get an ice pack, preferably go to a dentist to get false teeth and we allow bygones be bygones. As far as I'm concerned, we're square for your years of bullying. You can even keep your stupid little game going for a few more weeks before ending it. I like the distraction at school."
Flash didn't whimper. He wasn't capable of doing it due to losing feeling in his jaw so he settled on lowering his gaze. That wasn't the right answer because Parker pressed a finger to his temple and pushed it till Flash was once again looking into his stale eyes.
"I forgive you Flash. I really do…but threaten to touch my uncle or anyone I care about again and I will kill you. No one will ever find you and no one will ever know it was me. I'll figure out how. I've been told I'm quite smart you see."
The chill expanded to his very toes and Flash just laid there, stiffly as Parker stood up dusted his pants and walked out of the alley. He didn't ask for assurances. He didn't need to. Flash laid there for what felt like the next hour. Even when he regained enough strength to sit up he didn't. Even when the pain dulled to a needle like soreness. Flash just laid there, thinking when things went to shit, and he knew when it started.
It was when he met the monster known as Peter Parker.
A/N: I remember these two guys in my middle school that kept fighting each other and getting injuries and everyone knew but the teachers because they played dumb as to how they kept getting hurt. It was funny because everyone also thought they were friends and were just play fighting but nope, those dudes hated each other. I think about them sometimes.
I also hate most modern iterations of Spider-Man and how he reacts around his bullies. In the very first comics, Peter Parker had no problem putting Flash in his place with a mean right hook. Personally, I have no clue when this new age idea that you shouldn't physically fight back against bullies became a thing. My parents always told me growing up as long as I never started the fight then I was free to punch a motherfucker in the face or balls. They had my back a few times when someone tried to bully me and the school would try to punish me for protecting myself.
I hope you enjoyed.