Sunday— April 10th, 2011.

SOMEWHERE-SOMEWHERE??

7-O’CLOCK-AM.

What was it like to spawn in a videogame? Peter would know, though he was unsure, but he had the impression he just ‘spawned’ into existence.

Peter sat up, rubbing his eyes in disbelief as he opened his helmet by retracting it via the nanotechnology. He had vivid memories of his death: panicking as his unique spider sense went haywire while his body slowly turned to dust, yet here he was, alive and well in a strange bedroom.

He took in his surroundings: the dim light, the smell of aphrodisiac, and incense filling the air. The room was austere and utilitarian, with a large bed in the center and a bunch of women piled on top of a man who was sound asleep.

Peter's confusion only deepened when he noticed the man's dark hair, oriental features, and lots and lots of tattoo on his body. Who was this guy and why did naked beautiful women surround him? Never did Peter think he was actually inside a bad guy’s bedroom. Who knew, maybe the mysterious Asian was someone like Tony Stark, a charismatic billionaire who had bedded more chicks than Peter could recite the digits of Pi.

Before he could ponder further, the door suddenly swung open and a masked figure entered. The man's eyes widened in shock as he saw Peter in the room, and he immediately took an offensive stance as he drew his sword from his sheathe.

Hopefully, the other guy didn’t get a good look at him.

Peter raised his hands in surrender while he wore back his helm, the nanotech whizzing around his head. Peter was unsure of what was going on. “Hey, relax man. I'm just lost,” he said, trying to diffuse the situation, but he was having no luck as the new arrival wearing a black bodysuit with red trimmings and an Oni mask simply brandished his sword.

“Who are you and how did you get in here?” demanded the man, his sword still pointed at Peter's chest.

“I...I'm lost, okay? And I have no idea how I got here. Last thing I remember, I was fighting a purple alien and then I woke up here,” Peter explained, his mind still reeling from the events. “Who are you anyway?”

Before Peter could say any more excuses and ask more questions, the ninja suddenly teleported, leaving behind multiple clones in his wake. Peter's eyes widened in shock as he dodged the attacks by relying purely on his precognitive-infused reflexes. He had never seen anything like this before.

“Hey, what's the big idea?” Peter exclaimed, ducking as a clone swung its sword at him. Since this had gone down into a fight, Peter didn't hold back and retaliated yet his attacks were proven futile. The clones he had hit turned into ash, missing the ninja entirely.

The ninja’s voice echoed around the room, “You asked for my name, I am Oni Lee, and I am going to kill you, trespasser!”

Peter rolled his eyes, “Kill me? That might be an exaggeration!”

Seven clones simultaneously pounced on Peter, each of them wielding a tanto. Peter dodged to the left and kicked the one nearest to him causing the clone to shatter and turn to ash quickly. This was the second time Peter counter-attacked, and it elicited surprise from Oni Lee who found the hard way that he couldn’t penetrate Peter’s suit.

Peter just stood there, and punched— he erased a second clone this time with much weaker force guaranteeing he wouldn’t accidentally kill One Lee with his superhuman strength.

More steel came at Peter, each was directed at places that would fatally kill just anyone, even a super would feel threatened, but then again, it was useless. Peter understood that his foe was skilled, but not skilled enough to overcome the genius of Tony Stark who designed the Iron Spider suit.

Realizing a pattern among the clones with the help of his suit’s deductions, and his own precognition, Peter struck the ‘real one’ among the clones and finally dished a decisive blow.

Oni Lee recoiled with his bloody nose spraying from the mask.

“Ooops,” Peter grimaced. “I thought I was holding back enough…”

Maybe out of pride or some morbid duty to prove himself, Oni Lee picked up a grenade from his belt, took out the pin, and threw it at Peter. The grenade flew in slow motion in Peter’s perception.

Peter’s danger sense cried at him. He looked at the sleeping girls around the peacefully sleeping Asian and he knew he had to do something. He couldn’t just throw it from the window, what if it exploded to bystanders? He couldn’t just throw it at the roof or some corner and hope for the best— the shrapnel could fly to five to ten meters and in an enclosed room— that would be deadly.

So Peter did what Captain America would do. Trusting his armor, Peter caught the grenade from mid-air and then proceeded to lie prone over the grenade, curling his small frame to ensure that he could fully absorb the concussive blast of the grenade.

Boom!

The blast echoed through the room, rattling the walls and sending debris flying in all directions. As the smoke cleared, Peter remained lying on the ground, his Iron Spider suit absorbing the shock of the explosion. He slowly got up, checking himself for any injuries or armor damage, relieved to find none.

The Asian man who had been peacefully sleeping sat up, rubbing his eyes in annoyance. "What's all the racket about?" he grumbled, his voice thick with sleep. “The fuck?”

Oni Lee was still recovering from the blow Peter had dealt him, but he quickly stabilized himself. Without a word, he lunged at Peter once more, his sword flashing in the dim light of the room.

Peter, ever agile and quick-witted, dodged the attack at the last second with a smirk playing on his lips. "You really don't give up, do you?" he taunted, his voice laced with amusement.

Oni Lee didn't respond verbally, but his determination spoke volumes as he continued his relentless assault.

Amid the chaos, Oni Lee's boss, Lung, stirred from his slumber, lazily assessing the situation. In fluent Japanese, Oni Lee informed him of the intruder. “Lung-shujin, I shall deal with him shortly, so I ask for your patience.”

“Ah, fuck’n just do it… I’ll sleep more…” Lung, seemingly unfazed, instructed him to deal with the situation before returning to his interrupted rest, his hands wandering over the women in his bed.

Peter understood their exchange thanks to his suit's translation capabilities, quickly piecing together the dynamics at play. It seemed he had stumbled into gang territory, and was now under attack by none other than the gang’s no.2 who was Oni Lee.

It worried Peter that Oni Lee could masterfully exhibit his powers like this, and if he was only no. 2, then what was the Asian dude capable of? There was a reason why Peter was confused. But Peter had no time to think. Oni Lee clung to him with his steel, not giving any chance for Peter to escape.

Peter observed that Oni Lee had a lot of grenades on his person but he wouldn’t use them so willy-nilly. The last one was a strategic move clearly catered to work against a hero which was concerning.

“Hey, I see you have lots of grenades. Why? I mean why not just throw all of them at me, maybe even get your boss in the crossfire? Maybe you are actually a good guy inside, you know, like not wanting to accidentally kill those girls?” Peter asked curiously, half a jest, and half hoping.

It was a stupid question though.

Oni Lee glanced at Peter, his expression was inscrutable behind his mask as he replied, "I wouldn't want to disturb the boss, which was all. Moreover, I wouldn’t want to spook you too much either.”

Peter raised an eyebrow, dodging another strike from Oni Lee's sword. "That sounds easy enough. So why are we even fighting?" he questioned, his tone tinged with frustration. He shot a web for the first time at his foe’s wrists binding them together, surprising Oni Lee.

With a shift of his weight, Peter closed in and threw a punch at Oni Lee’s abdomen causing the latter to retch and fall to his knees. While at it, Peter shot another webbing at Oni Lee's foot, binding it to the floor.

“So what now? Hey, I will ask it straight. Are you a bad guy?” Peter watched Oni Lee cough violently.

"What kind of stupid question is that? Rejoice while you can," Oni Lee responded cryptically. "You see, a healthy amount of rage was what made our boss continue going. I hope I have kept you entertained."

Peter sighed shooting more web at Oni Lee ensuring he was glued to the ground, which should work… Teleportation should follow at least physics, right? There was no way Oni Lee would be able to teleport if he was weighed by more than he could handle.

“A different question then… It is true I am lost, and I accidentally found myself here. So who is that guy then?” He pointed at the dark-haired guy piled up with his harem.

“You are a new cape then,” Oni Lee sounded ‘too cheerful’ behind his mask. “Strangely, you are a very ignorant one… That man is my master, my liege, my boss— he is Lung, the Dragon of Kyushu, and the future ruler of the city.”

“Boss? As in like a gang?” Peter was weirded out by the intensity of Oni Lee.

As the conversation came to a stilting halt, an alarm clock suddenly rang, cutting through the tension in the room. Lung stirred from his slumber, grumbling irritably as he picked up a mask resembling a dragon's face from a nearby drawer. Towering over six feet tall, Lung's muscular frame exuded a menacing presence as he approached Peter.

"Shut up, fucking shit…" Lung muttered, rubbing his eyes and checking the time on the alarm clock. "I guess it is breakfast now, huh? It is a good day to have an intruder during Mondays, but fuck, it was still Sunday." With a yawn, he glanced at Peter, his eyes suddenly narrowing with intensity.

Peter couldn't help but feel the intense heat emanating from Lung, his flames threatening to engulf everything in their path. As the women in the room scattered away, Lung slowly advanced toward Peter, his gaze fixed on him with predatory intent.

"You are not a cannibal, right?" Peter quipped nervously, trying to diffuse the tension as Lung closed in on him.

Lung's attack was swift and brutal, catching Peter off guard as he was tackled with tremendous force, sending them both crashing out of the building. They fell from the seventh floor, but rather than plummeting into the depths, they found themselves in a dockyard, surrounded by the absence of water from the bay.

"Die, you fucker!" Lung snarled as he pressed Peter down with his weight, his fiery aura pulsating with rage.

"Chill the f, bro!" Peter grunted, struggling against Lung's grip as they tumbled onto the hard ground.

"This is for disturbing my morning, you fucker!" Lung roared, his flames erupting in a blinding burst of heat and light, engulfing Peter in searing fire. The man exploded, and it was powerful.

The impact of the flames flung Peter away, crashing into several nearby houses, while Lung crashed into the concrete with a bloody squelch. Peter groaned in pain, feeling the weight of the damage inflicted upon his armored suit.

"That hurt…" Peter wheezed, struggling to stand amidst the wreckage, his armor warning him of the numerous damages sustained during the intense encounter. His armor was charred in some places, but it remained intact. The nanotech had self-repair functions, but he wouldn’t want to rely too much about it since its ‘self-repair’ wasn’t so strong it could be used while in combat. Standing up, he quickly shot up a web, pulled, and dodged the blur of orange and red.

“Cannibal? No, I feed on rage!” Lung maniacally grinned while he roared with his mangled voice, already transformed into a hot piping mess of a monster. He stood over 7 feet tall, with scales growing from his back with a lizard like tail behind him.

Peter observed his adversary’s healing… The drop from the seventh floor didn’t leave any injuries to Lung. To be precise, Lung was hurt, but healed it quickly. Peter exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief. “You are breaking the laws of physics!”

It felt wrong to Peter, seeing a man with such extraordinary healing factor with fire powers, and still have flesh in him. He could see bones jutting out from Lung, transforming into different contours as if to affirm an image more dragon-like than before. It was like combining an Extremis terrorist and a Hulk.

Peter sighed heavily and placed his hands on his hips. “Look, man, I am not in the mood,” he said, frustration lacing his voice. “I just got 'dusted' by a purple alien on another planet, and my mind is not in the right place. So please, cooperate with me. Put your hands behind your back, get down on the ground, and turn off your fire. I will come with you to the nearest police station.”

Lung's expression turned sour, and he let out a scoff. “Are you kidding me?” he said, his voice laced with anger. “If you want a throw down, we throw down, not yap. You got me excited for no reason.”

And with that, Lung's body began to change. His muscles bulged and his body grew more in bulk, flames rising from his body. Peter watched in awe as Lung transformed into a massive, fire-wielding beast.

But Peter was not one to back down from a challenge. He stood his ground, four sharp spider legs jutting out from his back.

With a burst of energy, Peter launched himself at Lung, knocking him to the ground. He pinned him down, using his webs to neutralize Lung's flames. But it was more difficult than he thought considering that his webs were not fire resistant. Left with no choice, Peter used his arachnid appendages from his back to pincushion Lung.

Peter grabbed Lung’s wrists with a firm grip ensuring he remained in place.

Lung struggled against Peter's grip, but he was no match for Peter's strength and determination. Looks of surprise became apparent in Lung’s eyes as he realized he was outmatched in strength by the spider.

For Peter, this was natural considering he had a multiplier in the form of his armor on top of his already incredible superhuman strength. It was getting sweaty inside the armor, but he could endure.

Lung unleashed a gout of flames right on Peter’s face.

For the next two hours, it became a battle of wills and no one was giving up. Peter had pinned Lung on the ground steadily without moving an inch. It was an incredible feat, but the mental exhaustion was slowly getting to Peter.

The annoying thing though was few parts of Peter’s armor were melted… He only had half from when he started. The only reason he was yet to be turned to ash was that Lung’s flames were also getting weaker over time without any ‘healing’ or ‘adrenaline’ to fuel him. It was a weird mechanism, but that was how Lung’s powers worked, so Peter took it with a grain of salt.

It didn’t mean Peter was left unscathed though… Some parts of his suit, the one under the Iron Spider, was burned through and it reached his skin. It felt terrible.

Peter sensed danger as he felt the familiar tingling sensation of his spider-sense. Reacting instinctively, he leaped away from Lung, leaving the fiery gangster to his own devices for the moment. But his respite was short-lived as Oni Lee reappeared on the battlefield, summoning more clones to attack Peter.

"It's like fighting a never-ending army of you," Peter quipped as he dodged the attacks, his mind racing with strategies to counter the relentless assault. “I give up…”

Peter Parker made the sensible choice and finally retreated.

There was something wrong going on, but first… Where in the world was he?

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Sunday— April 10th, 2011.

DOCKS, ABANDONED RESIDENCE.

10-O’CLOCK-PM.

[Calling: Aunt Mae]

[Beep, Beep, Beep]

[“Who is this?” asked the other person from the line, it was a masculine and totally unfamiliar voice. “Wait, this number looks familiar. It is that kid again! Is this a prank call? For the umpteenth time, I beg you, stop!]

Ugh… It was disgusting, in fact, self-loathing was eating at him.

This wasn’t Brooklyn, or some planet, or some field trip. This was real, and it had hurt him knowing there was no going back.

Peter Parker, also known as Spider-Man, sat on the edge of a rooftop, his legs dangling over the edge as he stared out at the city below. The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over the skyscrapers and buildings, but Peter couldn't find any peace in the beautiful scenery. His mind was consumed with thoughts of the recent events that had turned his life upside down.

He remembered the day he had cried into Tony Stark's arms, the day when his ‘peter-tingle’ had gone haywire sending him alarms all over his body, flooding him with an unquantified amount of dread. Mantis must have felt it worse, as some kind of empath, she might have felt the pain of the universe while it happened. Peter had watched helplessly as everyone disintegrated into dust, along with half of the universe. He knew what was happening, and he was sure of it. And then, he too had turned to dust, his last thought being that of despair and how he had failed to protect the people he cherished.

It was a bitter experience unlike any other. Peter had the Infinity Gauntlet on his fingers, and he only needed to pull with one last oomph, and they would have deprived Thanos of his weapon. But they lost, and the universe cried— and Peter sure did hear it with his body.

But then, the next thing he knew, he was back on Earth at an unfamiliar place called Brockton Bay. The snap had been reversed, and he was alive again— that was what he thought, wished, but he was gravely wrong for there was more… This wasn’t the same Earth he knew.

Peter quickly realized that things were not the same. His Iron Spider suit all thanks to some Asian dude with rage issues, left him with only half of what his armor used to be. He had lost his tech, his gadgets’ more precious functions, and most importantly, his confidence. Not to boot, it was 2011 when it should be 2017 which spoke of how ‘out of place’ he was.

Peter let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his hands over his face. He still couldn't believe that he was alive again. It all felt like a dream. But the constant ache in his heart reminded him that it was all too real. He missed Mr. Stark, Aunt May, Ned, and MJ… He missed his suit. He missed feeling like a superhero.

Yet... He slept like a log that night, making himself comfortable on his web-crafted hammock at an abandoned residence. “Good night, Karen,” he addressed the Artificial Intelligence housing the inner suit, but he knew it wouldn’t reply back given that he had lost the helm part of his fabric-based suit.

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Monday— April 11th, 2011.

STILL IN THE DOCKS.

6:10 AM.

Morning came, and Peter had nothing except the internet which he easily accessed via his nanotech-based suit’s helmet. PHO was interesting and had taught him everything he needed to know about this world, affirming the fact that perhaps he was really in an entirely different universe or world whatever worked.

It had been 26 hours since he came to this world, and he had learned so much so fast.

As he sat there lost in his thoughts, he suddenly felt that familiar tingle. It was a kind of precognition that he thought he'd only feel when he was in direct danger. But this time, it was different. He felt a sense of danger on behalf of another person which had never happened before.

Without hesitation, Peter leaped off the rooftop and began swinging through the abandoned docks. He followed the tingling sensation, his super instinct leading the way. He eventually found himself at the far end of the docks, where he recalled he just received a beating from a certain dragon... to be fair, he was forced to retreat, and it was actually him who gave the beating: not that he he came out of it unscathed.

The warehouses and residential buildings around were all abandoned, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

Peter landed on a rooftop and peered down, trying to figure out where the ‘signal’ was coming from. That's when he saw her - a young girl dressed in a makeshift all-black costume, lying prone from another rooftop and seemingly peeping on something.

How did Peter know the costumed gal was a young girl? Well, the ‘Peter-tingle’ clued him again which was weird… The curly long hair of the other person and her shape was also very indicative of her gender. “Very curious, what is she up to? Was she the one sending me the signal? Er… Weird way to put it…”

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Monday— April 11th, 2011.

LUNG’S BAD DAY.

6:15 AM.

Lung, the notorious boss of ABB, had built his empire on fear and violence. His casino, located in the heart of his territory, was known for its illegal activities and was a major source of income for Lung and his gang. But today, everything has changed. His casino had been robbed by a group of rambunctious teen parahumans who called themselves Undersiders.

And to make matters worse, Lung had been humiliated by an unknown cape most recently.

Yesterday had been hellishly annoying for Lung. His bottled frustration and anger threatened to overflow and engulf everyone with his flames. He needed to vent his anger and take revenge. He called all his minions to a small residential area where he had set up his converging point. As they gathered around him, Lung's eyes glinted with rage.

“Listen up, my loyal minions,” he growled, his voice trembling with anger. “We have been robbed by a group of kids. They dared to steal from us and get away with it. But we won't let them get away with it, will we?”

The goons echoed a resounding yes, their eyes filled with bloodlust. They were ready to do Lung's bidding, no matter how brutal it may be. Lung smirked, pleased with their response.

“Good,” he said, his voice dripping with malice. “I want those kids dead. And I want it done with brutality. Show them what happens when you cross me.”

The goons cheered, eager to please their boss. Money was good and important, but reputation and image would take higher priority. It galled Lung that someone dared steal from him.

Never again!

“I want that spider-guy dead too,” he snarled, his fists clenched in rage. “He dared to humiliate me, and I won't rest until he's dead.”

Lung felt so angered that he could feel his body transforming. His skin turned scaly, and his hair grew in length. His minions stepped back, knowing that their boss was about to unleash his full power. But Lung didn't care. He wanted to skip a few steps and unleash his destructive transformation in seconds.

It was a subconscious transformation, he was that angry.

Lung's rage-filled tirade was abruptly interrupted as swarms of insects flooded into the room, overwhelming him and his minions. Lung's initial surprise quickly turned into fury as he unleashed torrents of flames in an attempt to fend off the onslaught. The air crackled with heat as the insects burned, but it was too late for many of his subordinates.

Amidst the chaos, Lung could hear the agonized screams of his men as they writhed in pain from the stinging bites and possible venom of the relentless creatures. Lung's scaly form trembled with anger and frustration as he struggled to regain control of the situation.

"Motherfucker?!" Lung roared, his voice reverberating through the room. But the insects continued their relentless assault, seemingly undeterred by his threats.

As Lung fought off the swarm, his mind raced with thoughts of vengeance. Whoever was behind this would pay dearly for daring to cross him. “Fuck! Fuck! This was the third time someone dared challenge me! Fuck!”

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Monday— April 11th, 2011.

TAYLOR WAS SUICIDAL.

6:18 AM.

Have you ever seen a man explode and transform into a creature of fire?

Taylor had the opportunity to witness one, metaphorically a front-row seat, from the roof where her obscure figure crouched as low as possible while she peeped… And it was nerve-wracking… She hissed at the sight of the Dragon of Kyushu destroying the bugs that she summoned to attack him. It would have been painful, but Lung’s flames were no joke.

Lung’s oriental features warped into an angry scowl as the flames from his hands burned as if they were about to melt his very flesh, but no… The flames only grew stronger and stronger as Taylor mentally ordered more bugs to helplessly throw themselves to the big bad boss of the Asian gang demographic.

No matter how Taylor could rationalize her ‘stupidity’ of attacking what was perhaps among the few big hitters Brockton Bay had to offer, it was a fact she just had antagonized a cape who was literally fueled by anger and frustration. So of course, her sending bugs at him was sure to give him power-up instead.

As she remained in hiding, Taylor deliberated on the choices available to her: it was an easy decision actually. She needed to escape.

For Taylor, her powers to control bugs were lame, but that was life for you— you deal with the cards you have. While it might appear Taylor was not showing much in terms of emotion, she was inwardly panicking, but it was as quickly crushed by a stronger sense of self-preservation.

Despite her shortcomings and recklessness, she was sincere of heart that she only wanted to be a superhero— but truthfully while hard to admit, she was just making an excuse.

Taylor Anne Hebert was suicidal, not in an obvious sense… but she sure needed saving. The bullying had been terrible, and out of perhaps a clinging impulse, she thought maybe she could do better by playing Hero… Things went on, it accumulated, and now she was here.

Carefully, she picked herself up, but before she could even transition to a run… she felt Lung’s powerful presence with overwhelming heat approaching her from under the roof. Taylor had always been a survivor, so yes, she wouldn’t just die here. With wide eyes that spoke of fear… and maybe a touch of ‘heroic’ desire to prove herself, Taylor moved— she took a pepper spray and waited.

Lung pierced through the roof, his monstrous jagged arms looking more like barnacles seeping with condensed heat that would easily make her suffer from burns so bad she’d wish herself dead.

The first sign Taylor caught Lung’s head, she blasted her pepper spray at Lung’s face only to miss and hit his burning shoulders, which imploded into a fireball. Taylor flinched and ran because her life depended on it.

Lung’s power was said to need a ‘charging time’, so that should allow her some breathing space to run.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the same ‘Worm’ that everyone knew.

Compared to what it should have been, the current Lung was verily angrier than usual.

Taylor's heart pounded in her chest as she raced with her life on the line, her breathing was ragged with fear and mental exertion, yet there was a level of stability in her mind ensuring she stayed on track. She cursed herself for her foolishness, for antagonizing a cape as dangerous as Lung. But there was no time for self-pity or regret now.

As she sprinted, Taylor glanced over her shoulder, expecting to see the fiery behemoth hot on her heels. However, what she saw made her blood run cold. Lung wasn't just chasing her on foot; he had transformed into something far more terrifying with draconic wings jutting from his back.

Lung's voice echoed through the narrow alleyways, filled with rage and menace. "I will end you, puny insect!"

Taylor's mind churned as she tried to make sense of the situation. Lung had never demonstrated the ability to ‘change’ this fast before. What had triggered this sudden and quick transformation? And more importantly, how was she going to survive?

"Shit," Taylor muttered under her breath, feeling the heat of the flames licking at her heels. Sweat poured down her back as she pushed herself to run faster. At this very second, she envisioned it: death by flames.

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Monday— April 11th, 2011.

FLASHBACK FOR EMPHASIS.

DOCKYARDS.

[Few minutes ago] ROUGHLY 6:18 AM.

It all started when Lung, the feared boss of Azn Bad Boys or ABB for short had given kill orders about some ‘kids’ who in all of Taylor’s incompetence didn’t even verify what ‘kids’ Lung referred to. Taylor had so eagerly thrown her parahuman powers and launched them at Lung.

Taylor Anne Hebert had always known that the world was a dangerous place. Ever since she was a child, she had been fascinated by the stories of parahumans – people with extraordinary abilities. Some used their powers for good, while others used them for their own selfish gain.

Yes, it was true she had dreams of heroism, and that she’d like to help people. So as her debut, she went into the docks hoping to clear some bad guys maybe a merchant, some druggie, or possibly muggers… It was stereotypical, but she wasn’t dumb enough to attack blindly…

Another reason why she chose to patrol the docks was because this was where her dad worked— hoping that her dad would be safer if there were less bad people around the docks.

But Taylor had never thought that she would confront a parahuman herself so soon. She had always stayed away from any kind of trouble, sticking to the shadows and trying to blend in with the crowd. But fate had other plans for her— heroism called— that was what happened.

When she saw the opportunity, she took it and sent her bugs with the intent to save ‘kids’ whom Lung had wanted dead. Along the line, it then further devolved into Taylor being saved at the brink of demise— at the hands of a mysterious boy just around her age.

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Monday— April 11th, 2011.

EMBRACE ME, SPIDEY.

6:20 AM.

[Back to the present]

Taylor’s peripheral vision caught Lung's fiery form lunging towards her, and she braced herself for the worst. But to her surprise, she wasn't engulfed in flames. Instead, she found herself in the protective embrace of a boy with brown hair and brown eyes, clad in red, black, and gold shattered pieces of armor and what seemed to be intricate Tinker tech over a sleeker red and blue fabric.

"Ah~!" Taylor let out a not-so-girlish yelp, her relief palpable. She glanced at the boy, unsure of what to make of this sudden rescue.

"You are safe now, miss uuhm…" The boy trailed off, his attention momentarily diverted as he deftly dodged a fiery lance aimed at them. He swung with a web-like string, or perhaps it was a different kind of string after all, displaying its remarkable tensile strength.

"Er… Taylor…" Taylor stammered, kicking herself inwardly for revealing her civilian name. She knew she should have been more cautious, especially in the heat of the moment.

"Call me Spide—" The boy began, but he was cut off as another spear of fire whizzed past them. With swift movements, he maneuvered and then deposited Taylor to the shade of an abandoned storage, using the string to increase his range of movement. “Take cover, I’ll be back!”

Taylor watched in awe as her unexpected ally, the spider-themed hero, clashed head-on with the fiery Lung. With newfound confidence and ease in her steps, Taylor darted around the battlefield, offering support to the spider cape as they exchanged literal blows with Lung whenever. It was remarkable to see someone her age challenging a formidable opponent like Lung head-on; he must have had a high brute rating and possibly even a mover classification given his speed.

With a ferocity that surprised even herself, Taylor sent swarm after swarm of insects at Lung, creating distractions to aid the spider in inflicting more damage and evading Lung's attacks. They were working together as a team, and Taylor felt a glimmer of hope that they might actually have a chance at defeating Lung.

A savage and almost sadistic glee surged through Taylor as she directed her swarm to attack Lung from every possible angle. From the crotch to the eyes, the ears to the nose, and every inch of his skin that her bugs could touch, Taylor launched her assault. While her insects were vulnerable to Lung's flames, their sheer numbers made them a significant threat.

Despite the danger and the odds stacked against them, she was determined to fight until Lung was defeated. With each passing moment, her resolve strengthened, fueled by the adrenaline coursing through her veins. She was no longer just Taylor Anne Hebert the meek girl who would cower from her bullies; she was a cape, a force to be reckoned with.

An area was cleared with Lung as the epicenter, his massive form felling one building and another. Taylor watched with sharpened focus as she observed the smacking exchange between Lung and Spidey.

"Hey, missed me?" Spidey's voice rang out as he swung from one side to another, narrowly avoiding Lung's fiery onslaught. His handsome mug was grinning ear to ear while the metal part of his armor slithered almost like a liquid and formed a helmet around his head, creating a helmet.

"It was only yesterday, I will murder you!" Lung's voice, strangely eloquent despite his monstrous appearance, dripped with hatred and disdain towards Spidey.

"Awww~! Don’t be so clingy, pal… I don’t swing that way," Spidey quipped, his movements were flowing as he dodged Lung's attacks once more, barely avoiding a gout of fire.

Taylor couldn't help but giggle at Spidey's retort. Gathering her focus, she sent a bunch of ants digging under Lung’s feet, aiming to disrupt his balance and create an opening for Spidey to exploit. Whoever Spidey was, he was experienced though he could be talkative.

As Lung stumbled slightly, Spidey seized the opportunity, launching himself towards Lung with a swift kick aimed at his vulnerable flank. He was like a cannonball, except for gunpowder, he used inertia in his side by emulating a slingshot via his web strings.

Lung roared in pain as the blow landed, but he retaliated with a powerful swipe of his clawed hand, sending Spidey crashing into a nearby pile of rubble.

Taylor's heart jumped as she watched Spidey struggle to his feet, and Lung came crashing at him. But Spidey anticipated this as he webbed Lung’s leg, though the web burned, it remained for a good second allowing Spidey to use them.

When Spidey pulled, he slid under Lung’s crotch and outmaneuvered. With a clear sight, Spidey open-fired using his webs to string concrete pieces, metals, and cars as payload— it all crashed into Lung, making the man just angrier and angrier.

Taylor remained hidden and out of sight, peeking out from her cover as she continued to orchestrate her swarm's attacks. With precise control, she sent wasps and flies to appear in Lung’s line of sight, distracting him and causing his fiery attacks to miss their mark.

Each time Lung's incendiary lance veered off course, Taylor couldn't help but smile, knowing that her efforts were aiding Spidey in their fight against the formidable foe.

From her vantage point, Taylor watched as Spidey seized the opportunity created by her distractions. With Lung momentarily off balance, Spidey hurled more debris at him, using his webs to string together concrete pieces, metals, and even cars as projectiles. Lung roared in frustration as the barrage of debris crashed into him, further fueling his anger and determination to defeat the persistent hero.

Despite the ferocity of Lung's attacks, Spidey remained agile and determined, dodging and weaving through the chaos with skillful precision. Taylor marveled at Spidey's agility and resourcefulness, impressed by how he utilized his surroundings to gain the upper hand against their formidable opponent.

As Lung continued to lash out with fiery fury, Spidey danced around him, using his web-slinging abilities to keep Lung at bay while launching counterattacks of his own. With each strike, Spidey's confidence seemed to grow, his movements becoming more connected and decisive as he continued to chip away at Lung's defenses.

Taylor couldn't help but feel a surge of pride as she watched Spidey hold his own against Lung, knowing that her assistance was making a difference in the battle. With determination burning in her chest, she continued to manipulate her swarm, sending wave after wave of insects to harass and distract Lung, creating openings for Spidey to exploit. “I can do this,” it didn’t sound like her, but she felt incredible.

Motivated by Spidey's display of bravery and skill, Taylor became more daring with each passing moment. She inched closer to the battlefield, her heart pounding with adrenaline as she watched the ongoing clash between the heroic spider-themed cape and the fire-breathing Lung.

As she drew nearer to Lung, Taylor could feel the intensity of the battle coursing through her veins. The sound of buzzing filled the air as she unleashed a literal cloud of insects upon Lung, her swarm swirling around him like a dark storm. With precise control, she directed her insects to attack Lung from every angle, creating a constant barrage of distractions to aid Spidey in his efforts.

Meanwhile, Spidey slung himself farther away from Lung, creating space for Taylor to perform her maneuvers. His movements were graceful and fluid as he dodged Lung's fiery attacks, his web-slinging abilities allowing him to traverse the battlefield with ease. Despite the danger posed by Lung's formidable powers, Spidey remained undeterred, his determination unwavering as he continued to engage the monstrous villain head-on.

Taylor watched in awe as Spidey danced around Lung, his silhouette was a blur of speed and agility.

As the battle raged on, Taylor's swarm of insects proved to be a formidable distraction for Lung, drawing his attention away from Spidey and onto her. With a furious roar, Lung directed his fiery onslaught towards Taylor, his rage palpable as he sought to rid himself of the nuisance she presented.

Swiftly, Lung launched himself towards Taylor at incredible speeds, his massive form hurtling through the air like a fiery comet with his wings flapping and creating wind pressure akin to a helicopter’s blades.

But before he could reach her, Spidey swung into action, moving with a speed that matched Lung's own. With a well-timed maneuver, Spidey intercepted Lung's path, swooping in to protect Taylor from the imminent danger.

In one fluid motion, Spidey scooped Taylor up into his arms, holding her securely in a bridal carry as he swung away from Lung's fiery wrath. Despite the threat of being burned alive just from her rear, Taylor couldn't help but feel her cheeks heating up for a different reason than the bursting flames everywhere.

Lung was superbly going bonkers, sending fireballs everywhere— soon, they would be clashing with Lung’s final form which was not good in any way… They had to defeat Lung now if they wanted to stand victorious against this menace.

"Are you okay?" Spidey's voice was laced with concern as he glanced down at Taylor while he retracted his suit’s helm armor, his brown eyes meeting Taylor’s with genuine worry.

Taylor nodded, while her heart raced from the adrenaline of the battle. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks to you." Yep, it was definitely the ‘heat’ of the battle the reason for her heart pumping like ‘funny’, er… no, she meant crazy… pumping like crazy.

Spidey flashed her a reassuring smile before he activated his helm again and covered his face with it. “Since you want action so bad, my fellow hero, climb on my back!” He sounded childishly excited with a teammate by his side.

As they swung through docks, Taylor clung tightly to Spidey's back, thinking how uncharacteristically giddy she was inside— they were playing Lung like a fiddle. The wind whipped past them as they soared through the air, and Spidey was at the peak of his game.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Yahoo~! Transformation complete!" Spidey exclaimed as he held Taylor’s wrist and pulled, prompting her to hug him tighter. “Don’t let go, we can still go faster thanks for the extra mass,” his voice was playful as he executed a series of acrobatic maneuvers.

What had been a ground battle had turned aerial!

Taylor couldn't help but notice Spidey just teased her being fat, but no, she was not— she was of average build! They swung from building to building, dodging Lung's fiery attacks with ease. The nearly completed dragon was getting more and more frustrated. It was big and fast for its size, but Spidey was speedily intuitive… With Taylor’s assistance, they were untouchable.

"Yeah, we are the best team ever! Spidey and Skitter for the hundred years! Silk and Swarm for a thousand more!" Taylor shouted, her voice filled with uncharacteristic childishness almost equal to Spidey's. She felt funny when she referred to herself as ‘Skitter’, a random thought for her cape name.

Spidey grinned in response, though Taylor couldn’t see it, she could picture it.

That was when Taylor realized something weird was going on— her powers to manipulate insects was somehow reacting to Spidey… There was an invisible thread she almost could not detect, but it was there. Taylor’s ability granted her a unique form of telepathic control over insects within her vicinity, and was in fact ‘Mastering’ them to do as she liked.

"Woah~!” Spidey reacted to a series of fireballs that rushed at them by slinging for the nth time. “Get some!" he hurled web shots at Lung causing the poor dragon to slow down for a second.

It became angrier as it spewed a flamethrower unlike any other: it was a stream of red and orange blanketing the streets just below them, but then again, Spidey dodged using Taylor’s added weight to give his swinging’s momentum an extra oomph.

Taylor unleashed more insects at Lung, careful to not expend her insects all at once. The docks were rich with insectoid life, but she had to be more conservative considering they were almost at endgame.

As Lung struggled to evade their relentless assault, Taylor's mind raced with possibilities. "I have a plan," she announced, her voice steady despite the chaos around them. "I've memorized the layout roughly around 400 meters radius around here!"

“ROOOAR!!” screamed Lung as he became more dragon-like.

It was now or never— Taylor could do this, and she would see it through.

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Monday— April 11th, 2011.

THE COCKROACH POND.

7:20 AM.

“ROOOAR!!” screamed Lung as he became more dragon-like.

Spidey swung through the air with Taylor clinging tightly to his back, their hearts racing with adrenaline as Lung continued his relentless assault. As they soared above the docks, Taylor couldn't help but notice a sinkhole a few blocks away. It was the perfect opportunity to put her plan into action.

"What's the plan?" Spidey asked, his voice tinged with excitement.

"There's a sinkhole a few blocks from here," Taylor explained quickly. "I've been sending lots of my insects there. We lure Lung there somehow, force him into the small pond of cockroaches I gathered, and let him drown."

How was this all possible? Well, because of Spidey’s high-speed movement, it gave Taylor more leeway to increase her swarm as they zoomed from one block to another. And because Taylor could remain idle while in Spidey’s back, Taylor could devote all her brain power to her bug control, thus allowing her to go so far as to memorize the area and learn more about them— the sinkhole being a main surprise.

Spidey's eyes widened in realization. "That... that was dope. We are totally gonna do that."

Taylor whispered to Spidey, “See that fly in front of you, I will guide you… The sinkhole was under a few slabs of concrete, and asphalt. We should be able to force Lung there if we could clip his wings.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Spidey swung towards the sinkhole, dodging Lung's fiery attacks with practiced ease. Taylor directed her swarm of insects to create a distraction, drawing Lung's attention away from their true objective.

As they neared the sinkhole, Taylor could feel the pond of cockroaches waiting below. She tightened her grip around Spidey's waist, feeling a surge of adrenaline as they prepared to execute their plan.

"Here we go," Spidey said, his voice filled with confidence as he swooped down towards the sinkhole. Lung followed closely behind, his fiery form casting a menacing shadow over the docks.

With precise timing, Spidey maneuvered towards the edge of the sinkhole, luring Lung towards the pond of cockroaches hiding under the concrete. Spidey turned around acrobatically in mid-air and then unleashed a rainstorm of webbing at Lung’s wings. Following Lung’s fall, Taylor unleashed her swarm from underneath the concrete and asphalt, creating a wave of black mass of insects that forced and bound Lung towards the edge of the sinkhole.

Spidey swung from one corner to another, and like a wrecking ball, he kicked Lung right on the chest forcing the Rage Dragon down on the more fragile part of the concrete.

In a desperate attempt to escape the swarm, Lung stumbled and fell into the pond of cockroaches below, the concrete was unable to support his weight. Taylor watched with satisfaction as Lung thrashed and roared, his fiery form extinguished by the rictus and bites of the sheer number of cockroaches swarming around him.

Spidey deposited Taylor a few meters from Lung, who was drowning in a pool of cockroaches.

"So, Skitter, huh?" Spidey remarked, standing beside Taylor.

Taylor blushed under her mask. "I... It was a tentative name... It was a spur of the moment. It just rhymed well with Spidey given the alliteration of it."

"Yeah, from what I remember," Spidey chuckled, "you said, 'Spidey and Skitter for a hundred years! Silk and Swarm for a thousand more!'"

Taylor rolled her eyes, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Oh, come on... Give me a break."

Spidey tapped the center of his suit, causing it to change color predominantly to black. "Hey, we make a pretty awesome team. I just found out now that this suit can actually change colors, dope huh? Now, we are a pair!"

Taylor laughed nervously, feeling a strange sense of safety beside Spidey, despite her inexperience. It was almost as if her powers were reassuring her that she'd be fine as long as she was with him. "You sure you want to stick with me? I'm a newbie to this, just so you know."

Spidey grinned beneath his mask. "Hey, we all start somewhere, right? Besides, we make a pretty awesome team. I’ll be honest, I might not be so new to this, but I am very new here in Brockton Bay. So I can use a friend or two, you know?"

As they spoke, Lung continued to thrash and choke on the swarm of cockroaches, his form gradually shifting back to human. Taylor winced at the sight. "Uhh, that looks painful... Make sure you don’t accidentally kill him or something. He has regenerative powers, so he should be fine for some time."

"Yeah, that sure looks painful," Spidey agreed, watching Lung's struggles with a mixture of pity and caution.

Lung's glug-glug sounds echoed through the air as he fought against the tide of insects, his body wracked with agony. Despite the danger he posed, Taylor couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for him. After all, he was just another victim of the cruel twists of fate that had brought them all together in this chaotic confrontation— not that Taylor regretted it, Lung was a villain, and Taylor only did what a hero would do— fight villains and win!

Taylor glanced at Spidey, her expression hidden behind her mask as she spoke, "I don’t know how it goes from where you come from, but it is of utmost importance to protect our civilian identity, do you understand?"

Spidey laughed nervously, his tone muffled by his mask, "Ah, that? Yeah, it is an accident. It is the same from where I am from, it is important to hide your face when you are doing hero work. I didn’t mean to reveal my face to you, my suit kind of malfunctioned from time to time, and I had a hard time recalibrating it with the right tools. Heck, if I don’t focus, my suit would suddenly come loose."

"So, you are a Tinker, then?" Taylor inquired, noting the complexities of Spidey's suit and its capabilities.

Spidey hesitated before responding, "Uuhmmm… I think? I tinker? Kind of, but I didn’t make this suit… This was…" He trailed off, seemingly struggling to explain.

Taylor sensed his discomfort through their connection, her powers entwining with his, and she quickly intervened, "If it is hard for you, then don’t talk about it. Just don’t tell anyone my civilian name." She emphasized the importance of maintaining secrecy, knowing the risks involved in revealing their true identities.

Spidey furrowed his brow in confusion. "What? Taylor, I thought that was an alias…"

Taylor felt a rush of embarrassment for her slip-up for one time, and then now— a freaking second time. She realized she could have easily bluffed her way out of the situation since she first accidentally gave her first name, but it was too late now. "Yeah, my bad… Maybe Taylor is my real name or not. Totally an alias," she replied, sighing inwardly at her clumsiness.

Lung lay unconscious at the bottom of the sinkhole, subdued by the swarm of cockroaches. Taylor moved her insects to bring him out, careful not to cause any further harm.

"Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. I won’t try to find you or anything," Spidey reassured her as he webs Lung securely.

Taylor nodded gratefully. "And your face is safe with me," she blurted out, immediately realizing how awkward that sounded. "I don’t mean anything weird, okay?" She quickly scattered her roaches, making sure to hide them from plain sight.

Spidey chuckled, his voice muffled by his mask. "No worries. We all have our secrets to protect."

Spidey glanced around, noting the approaching PRT movement through the hacked surveillance cameras around. "Uuummm… So what is the play here? I detect PRT movement, and they will be here soon. I had my suit hack the surveillance cams around. They are not so advanced they can catch our convo, so you should be safe… Thankfully, I am not so out of luck either. Mr. Stark is really a genius, this suit has something like anti-imaging functions that every time my face is caught in the camera while wearing the suit: the camera messes up the visual record."

"Mr. Stark, I take it he is the one who created your suit," Taylor observed, her mind racing as she considered their options.

"Yep, cool guy… I’d like to tell you more, but tick-tock, PRT is moving. ETA is five minutes," Spidey replied, shooting more webs at Lung encased in a cocoon, except for his head. “If you want, I can even wipe the cams with our fight against Lung, but it feels wrong. It is not like we are hiding something.”

Their fight against Lung was nothing but showy, and it sure must have attracted the attention of a lot of people. The only reason the PRT or any of the local heroes did not intervene was because of how fast the fight was, and how erratic they were… Spidey wasn’t holding back in his high-speed swinging, and while Lung might not look like it, he could be considerably fast too in his wings.

Speaking of flight, it was weird how any of the New Wave didn't appear... Maybe they were busy or were still asleep or something?

“I preferred hiding for now since I am just a new cape, and the fame of defeating Lung would be too much for me to bear.” Taylor pondered their next move. "Why don’t you decide? You look like someone with more experience than me."

Spidey hesitated, his demeanor betraying a hint of uncertainty. "I don’t know, I am not from around here, right? If it helps, back home, I tend to always run away after doing a good deed before the cops arrive," he admitted, spinning more webs and hanging Lung upside down by a lamppost.

"Why? Won’t you be able to take credit if you… don’t stay?" Taylor inquired, curious about his reasoning.

Spidey laughed, clearly embarrassed. "I don’t know. I think… I am shy?"

Taylor couldn't help but chuckle at his honesty. "Well, whatever works for you, I guess. We should probably lay low for now until the PRT clears out."

Spidey nodded in agreement. "Yeah, sounds like a plan. Let's swing out of here and regroup later."

With that, they swung away into the skyline of Brockton Bay, leaving Lung hanging upside down as the PRT arrived on the scene. As they disappeared into the distance, Taylor couldn't shake the feeling that their encounter with Lung was only the beginning of something much bigger. But for now, she was content knowing that she had a new ally in this strange world of heroes and villains.

In the end, the PRT sniffed their tracks, and following it was another high-speed chase.

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Monday— April 11th, 2011.

TAYLOR MADE A FRIEND.

9:05 PM.

Taylor tiptoed into her room, her heart still racing from the adrenaline-filled escapades of the day. She had managed to lose the tail that was the PRT, thanks to Spidey's advice and quick thinking. The high-speed chase with Armsmaster had been particularly intense, but Spidey had handled it with his usual wit and agility, ultimately ending the pursuit with a clever webbing maneuver that left Armsmaster stuck to a fire hydrant.

As Taylor caught her breath, she couldn't shake the feeling of being wronged by Armsmaster's pursuit. It felt unfair to be chased as if she and Spidey were criminals when all they had been doing was trying to stop Lung's rampage. But dwelling on it wouldn't change anything, she realized.

Admittedly though, it was Taylor’s fault for provoking the Rage Dragon— Spidey even remarked jokingly the next thing she knew, she might be referred to as the Queen of Escalation if anything.

Here in Brockton Bay, escalation was something people liked to avoid as much as possible, thus the obsession of PRT about the status quo. Criminal gangs, vigilantes, and heroes alike also followed the same unwritten rules that had preceded the peace of Brockton Bay.

Upon entering her room, Taylor was surprised to find her dad, Danny Hebert, waiting for her. His expression was a mix of concern and relief, and Taylor couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for worrying him. She quickly assessed her appearance, realizing she was still wearing clothes straight from the donation box, evidence of her recent escapades.

"Dad," Taylor began, trying to keep her voice steady despite the lingering adrenaline coursing through her veins. "I can explain..."

Danny Hebert held up a hand, cutting her off gently. "Taylor, I've been worried sick about you. You disappeared this morning without a word, and I've been trying to reach you all day."

Taylor's guilt deepened as she realized the distress she must have caused her father. "I'm sorry, Dad. It's just... things got a little out of hand today."

Danny's expression softened, and he motioned for Taylor to sit down beside him on the bed. "Tell me what happened, Taylor. I want to understand."

And so, Taylor recounted the events of the day, from encountering Lung to teaming up with Spidey and their subsequent escapades. She left out LOTS of the more dangerous details, not wanting to worry her father any further: basically, she warped the story so much that what she said was so far from what truly happened.

Danny sighed, his worry evident in the furrow of his brow. "So let me get this straight, you were annoyed by life, decided to jog, and things happened— you going to the docks, pissing off some thug, and then making a friend while at it. That didn’t explain why you are late, young lady. You need to tell me more… Why are you being so cagey? I mean, I am glad you didn’t take your own life or anything, but you didn’t need to run away from me. You worried me; it was past 9:00 in the evening, and I was scared of what might have happened to you. You didn’t even text me."

Taylor shifted uncomfortably, her guilt weighing heavily on her. "I'm sorry, Dad. I made a friend though…"

"Yeah, I heard you the first time," Danny said, his tone gentle but firm. "You woke up early in the morning and decided to jog as per your routine. You didn’t even get breakfast, which clued me in that something might be wrong. So you tell me what was wrong."

Taylor hesitated, knowing she couldn't reveal the truth about her newfound identity as a cape. "I... I skipped school," she lied by omission, her gaze dropping to the floor. “I went to the docks, I thought… I was curious… I wanted to feel high. I somehow ended in ABB territory.”

Since it was difficult to tell her dad what exactly she did as a ‘cape’, Taylor felt the need for a smaller lie. If anything else, she didn’t want her dad to find out what was she up to.

"Oh my god, Taylor!" Danny's voice cracked with worry and frustration. "Skipping school? Going to the docks? Getting mixed up with ABB? What were you thinking?"

Taylor bit her lip, feeling the weight of her father's disappointment. "Listen, Dad, I didn’t take any drugs! I am clean! I told you already, right? I went to the ABB territory, pissed off some ABB thug, and then this... stranger helped me."

Danny's eyes narrowed, his concern turning into anger. "You didn’t tell me it was an 'ABB' thug, and god help me, don’t tell me this stranger was your new friend."

Taylor's heart sank. She knew she was digging herself deeper with each word. "He is a good guy, Dad. He helped me out from a pinch."

Inside, Taylor berated herself for her weakness. Why couldn't she stand up to her dad? Why did she always cave under his scrutiny? But she couldn't bring herself to tell him the truth, not when it could put her and her newfound friend in danger.

“Dad,” Taylor softly calls to her father. “I am okay. I am sorry I worried you. You know me, I abhor drugs, and maybe that’s why at the last second, I decided I am not curious enough to test if I’d like it.”

Danny's expression softened as he listened to Taylor's response, but his concern didn't waver. "Taylor, I need to know you're safe. I need to know what's going on with you. Please, talk to me. Tell me what's really happening."

Taylor looked up at her father, torn between wanting to confide in him and wanting to protect him from the truth. "Dad, I... I can't tell you everything. But please, trust me when I say I'm okay. I promise I'll be more careful from now on."

Danny sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Taylor, I just want what's best for you. I want to help you, but I can't do that if you shut me out."

Tears welled up in Taylor's eyes as she felt the weight of her father's worry and disappointment. "I'm sorry, Dad. I'll try to do better. I just... I need some time to figure things out."

Danny pulled his daughter into a tight hug, his voice choked with emotion. "I love you, Taylor. Please, promise me you'll be careful out there."

"I promise, Dad," Taylor whispered, holding onto him tightly. "I love you too."

As they sat there in each other's arms, Taylor couldn't shake the guilt gnawing at her conscience. She knew she couldn't keep her double life a secret forever, but for now, she would do whatever it took to keep her father out of this.

Taylor while new to this, wasn’t a totally naïve girl… she knew the risks, and while not as well-versed as she initially thought of herself about the unwritten rules, she was to some extent aware of their significance in the world of capes both in the big picture and the small picture.

“One last thing,” Danny said, his voice was stern. “I don't recognize your clothes. Is this new friend of yours a boy? Did you and him...uh...” He trailed off, his implication clear.

Taylor's face turned bright red. She couldn't believe her dad was thinking such things. “No, Dad! No!” she exclaimed, trying to defend herself. “That's so wrong, I'm only fifteen!”

Danny raised an eyebrow, still not convinced. “And he...he is a nice guy?” he asked, his tone skeptical.

Taylor nodded, her blush not fading. “Yes, he is. We're just friends, I promise.”

Danny let out a sigh, relieved that his daughter wasn't involved in anything scandalous. “So, he is a boy. I'm just making sure, young girls can get pregnant as early as twelve years...” he said, trailing off again.

“Dad! Stop it!' Taylor exclaimed, exasperated. “My clothes came from a donation box. Some idiot spilled their drink on my clothes.”

Danny's expression softened as he realized his mistake. “Oh, I'm sorry, honey. I didn't mean to jump to conclusions. I just worry about you.”

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Tuesday— April 12th, 2011.

LOSER TAYLOR AGAIN.

8:35 AM.

Taylor had always known that being a superhero would come with its own set of challenges. But nothing would compare to the harsh reality of school: if it would allow her, Taylor preferred fighting Lung ten times over than staying here in school. Today, as she walked through the hallways of Winslow High, she couldn't help but feel like a complete loser.

Her confidence, which had been soaring high yesterday, was now dwindling into nothingness. Taylor was back to being the same old girl who was everyone's trashcan. She could feel the weight of their judgmental stares as she walked by, her shoulders slumped and her gaze fixed on the ground. Loser Taylor had reared her ugly head once again.

As she made her way to her locker, Taylor desperately tried to think of ways to get out of school early. But her mind drew a blank. She couldn't afford to miss any more classes, especially after her recent absences due to her cape activities on top of multiple absences caused by the locker incident— she trembled as she looked at the locker in front of her, almost getting PTSD over it.

If only she knew where to find Spidey, maybe they could hang out and she could escape this hellhole.

Lost in her thoughts, Taylor was jolted back to reality when someone bumped into her from behind. Her glasses slipped away, sliding on the floor. She stumbled forward, almost losing her balance and getting her head smashed on the cold tiles. But years of being bullied had taught her how to save herself. With a quick reflex, she stretched out her arms in front of her, managing to stop her fall just in time.

Panicking, Taylor grabbed her glasses and wore it back on her face. Though she didn’t need to wear glasses anymore since becoming a parahuman, she still found the need to wear them while in her civilian identity.

As she turned around to see who had bumped into her, Taylor was met with a familiar face. It was Sophia Hess, the popular girl from her class who had made her life a living hell since the day they had first met. But instead of apologizing for her mistake, Sophia simply scoffed and gave Taylor the middle finger.

Taylor's heart sank as she watched Sophia walk away, her laughter echoing through the hallway. She couldn't understand why someone would take pleasure in causing pain to others. Sophia had always been mean to her.

Feeling defeated and humiliated, Taylor quickly made her way to her locker. But her day was about to get worse. As she opened her locker, she found a magazine prominently taped to the inside of the door. It was from Emma, and written in large fonts with a sharpie were words of mocking congratulatory remark that she had healed well since the Locker Incident.

It read, “Congratulations, Taylor! I hope they stop bullying you, perhaps you should not have overreacted after what happened… Still, I pray for your health. –Your friend, E.B.” The initials clearly stood for Emma Barnes.

The message sounded nice at face value, but it was more of a scathing remark than any… The ‘message’ after all was written over a ‘Playboy magazine’ with a naked girl in the cover picture leaning over a locker. It wasn’t funny. Below Emma’s message was Sophia’s, written in smaller fonts.

It read, “Jerk on that, slut. –S.H.”

Tears welled up in Taylor's eyes as she crumpled the magazine in her hand, but it was too thick. She had always tried to ignore the constant bullying and taunts from her classmates, but today, it had all become too much to bear. She wanted to scream, to lash out at those who made her life miserable, but she knew it would only make things worse.

Taylor threw the magazine in the trashcan.

Feeling alone and helpless, Taylor closed her locker and made her way to her next class. But she couldn't focus on the lesson. All she could think about was how much she hated her life and how she wished she could just disappear.

As the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Taylor couldn't wait to go home and forget about the nightmare that was Winslow High. But as she walked towards the exit, she came across a commotion in the chem lab.

Taylor inched closer and saw a boy with brown hair and brown eyes doing some chem stuff in the lab— beakers, liquids, and the burners… everything. The boy looked oddly familiar to a friend Taylor recently made.

Who was this mystery boy?

Taylor felt a sudden surge of recognition as she observed the boy's actions in the chemistry lab. It was a feeling she hadn't experienced since her encounters with Spidey. Intrigued and slightly puzzled, she pushed open the door and stepped inside.

"Hello?" she called out tentatively, her voice echoing in the empty room.

The boy turned around, his brown eyes widening in surprise as he caught sight of Taylor. He seemed momentarily flustered, as though caught in the act of something he shouldn't be doing.

"Umm... I have a project, like, urgent," he stammered, hastily gathering his materials. "I know the bell rang, but I need this. You are? Wait, you look familiar... Or feel familiar? I'd remember a face like yours if we'd met. I mean, you look pretty... I am not a pervert, ugh... sorry, I am weird. Oh, come on, Peter, get your head straight!"

Taylor couldn't shake off the feeling of déjà vu. There was something about this boy that tugged at her memory, but she couldn't quite place it. Nevertheless, she found herself drawn to his earnest demeanor and the intensity with which he focused on his task.

"I'm Taylor," she replied, taking a step closer. "And you're...?"

The boy hesitated for a moment before offering a small, hesitant smile. "I'm Peter," he said. "Peter Parker."

“So,” Peter dragged on. “You look all death and glum, what happened?”

"Huh?" Taylor managed to utter, her voice barely above a whisper. At that moment, she felt small, and insignificant, expecting Peter to see through her façade of normalcy and recognize her as the loser she felt like.

But instead of disdain or recognition, Peter's eyes lit up with excitement. He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Taylor? Taylor. That Taylor!"

Taylor was flustered. “W-what?”

Peter looked at Taylor with a mix of surprise and amusement. "Coincidentally, you won’t happen to be famous, right? What am I thinking? It is impossible just by looking at the probabilities, but..."

Taylor's heart skipped a beat at the mention of fame. She couldn't imagine anyone seeing her as anything but a loser, let alone someone famous. "Uummm… I… I don’t know who you are… t-talking about." she murmured, feeling suddenly inferior, expecting Peter to see through her.

Peter scratched his head, a puzzled expression crossing his face. "I don’t know, I have this feeling I know you, but I am not sure! There is this sixth sense I have that sets off when I feel I am in danger, and recently when I am close to this person," he said, his tone testing her.

Taylor widened her eyes, realizing the meaning of Peter's words and the too-relevant clues in front of her. "You are Spidey, aren’t you?" she asked, a hint of certainty leaking in her voice. She remembered seeing Spidey's face once the first time they met.

Moreover, there was that mental link that she tried her best to ignore that got stronger whenever she was near Spidey… and Peter’s face too was hard to forget. “Spidey! What are you doing here?”

"What?" Peter exclaimed, honestly confused. Then, he awkwardly began to sing ‘Itsy Bitsy Spider.’

♫♪ ~♪♫ ~♪ ~♫ ~♪♪

Taylor sighed, feeling a mix of frustration and amusement. "That’s not… funny," she said, feeling a surge of courage. "So Spidey, you are actually a student of Winslow High? Or a transfer?"

Peter winced as he messed up his chemistry experiment, causing an explosion that sent flames shooting up. "Ah, fudge, fuck… that’ll hurt," he muttered, shooting webs from under his sleeves to kill the combustion.

Taylor grimaced, realizing they needed to move to a safer location. "Okay, I think we should have this talk somewhere else," she said, gesturing for Peter to follow her out of the lab.

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Tuesday— April 12th, 2011.

SPIDEY & STUFF.

4:25 PM.

Peter looked disappointedly at his work, the failed chemistry work right on his face. He glanced towards the door, where Taylor had just left, feeling a mixture of frustration and curiosity.

“Hey, are you coming!?” shouts Taylor from the door.

When he heard her voice again, he turned around to see her peeking back through the door, surprising him with her sudden reappearance. Their faces were unexpectedly close, causing a moment of awkwardness between them.

"Ah, my bad?" Taylor said sheepishly, breaking the silence.

Peter shook his head, trying to hide his surprise. "Oh, all cool," he replied with a nervous chuckle. "So where to?"

Taylor's eyes lit up with a mischievous glint. "The rooftop, few people hang out from there," she suggested, already making her way down the hallway.

Peter followed closely behind, intrigued by Taylor's choice of location. As they walked, he couldn't shake off the feeling of familiarity that lingered in the back of his mind. There was something about Taylor that felt oddly familiar like they had met before in another life. Nah… That was too much…

As they reached the rooftop, Peter couldn't help but marvel at the view. The city stretched out before them, a sprawling metropolis filled with endless possibilities. He turned to Taylor, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

"This is nice," he commented, taking in the sight. "Thanks for bringing me up here."

Taylor grinned, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "No problem," she replied, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "It's my least favorite spot though… hard to call help when you need it."

Peter's empathy for Taylor's predicament shone through as he responded, "Bullies?" He could sense the weight of her words, understanding the pain and frustration behind them. And then again, he was only starting to get to know her.

Taylor's expression darkened momentarily before she replied with a bitter edge, "Yeah, uncool right? So lame… A superhero getting her ass kicked…"

Peter's heart went out to her as he offered his perspective, "I don’t know, I am familiar with bullies… getting beat up by them is certainly uncool. But I think one-upping your bullies is the coolest."

Taylor's disbelief was palpable as she exclaimed, "Seriously, you? And one-upping? What? Revenge?" She looked almost funny as she tilted her head, never the idea of ‘revenge’ crossing her mind.

Peter shrugged, trying to articulate his thoughts, "I don’t know how to put it, but I am a reactive kind of guy… Before I knew it, my bullies stopped bullying me. Ahh~ first time I got my powers, I discarded my glasses…"

“You wear glasses,” Taylor narrowed her eyes as she stepped closer to Peter, seemingly oblivious to what you’d call a personal space. “Seriously, you wear glasses? And you discarded it the first chance you got when you received your superpowers? That’s… dumb… Won’t people realize you are a parahuman?”

“Eh?” Peter didn’t know how to put it, but back in his world, parahumans or superpowered people weren’t as pervasive as in this world. “Y-yeah… But I blamed it all on puberty and it worked… No one suspected a thing."

Taylor's eyes softened as she regarded him thoughtfully, "Can you teach me? How not to get bullied?"

Peter chuckled nervously at Taylor's playful threat. "I don’t know, but I can try…"

Taylor grinned mischievously. "We now know each other’s civilian identity, and that is in no way good…" Her tone took on a teasing edge, almost threatening. "Listen here, Parker. You out me, I will drag you with me."

Peter raised his hands in mock surrender. "Yes ma’am!"

Taylor burst into laughter, shaking her head. "I am just messing with you!"

Peter rolled his eyes, though a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Oh come on…"

Taylor's expression softened, becoming more serious. "But seriously…"

"Yeah, I know…" Peter nodded, understanding the weight of their shared secret and the trust it implied.

Taylor raised her fist, a playful glint in her eyes as she asked, "So Spidey and Skitter are a team now?"

Peter grinned, returning the fist bump. "Sure," he replied, "just so you know, it is Spiderman and not Spidey…"

"Nah, Spidey sticks," Taylor insisted, a smirk playing on her lips.

Peter chuckled, shaking his head. "Puns? Now? Hah! That’s better, at least there is no death and gloom to you anymore!"

Taylor laughed, her demeanor lightening as they shared a moment on the rooftop. It felt good to have someone to share the burden of their secret identities with, someone who understood the struggles they faced, and someone who she could call a friend.

For Peter, this meant something more… he didn’t know what it was he felt so good being with Taylor, but he felt calmer around her… It had only been three days since Peter came to this world, and he had already experienced so many things. Taylor laughed at a small joke Peter said. Peter smiled. Yes, this was what Peter needed now— friend.

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Tuesday— April 12th, 2011.

SPIDEY & MORE STUFF.

4:55 PM.

Peter leaned against the railing of the rooftop, the cityscape spread out before them as they conversed. Taylor's expression was a mix of curiosity and skepticism as she regarded Peter.

"So what are you doing in the chem lab?" Taylor inquired, her brow furrowing slightly.

Peter shrugged, a sheepish smile playing on his lips. "I am tapped out… I need more web fluid, and school labs mostly have everything I need. Winslow High is near, and the place has poor security. I didn’t expect to see you here though."

Taylor's eyes widened in surprise, her lips parting in understanding. "Ah, I see," she said, nodding thoughtfully. "Well, I was just going home. Didn't expect to run into Spidey outside his uniform in the chem lab."

Peter chuckled softly, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, sorry about that. I try to keep a low profile. I am afraid, I might get kicked out of Brockton Bay if a police or something got a hand on me."

Taylor's expression softened as she regarded him, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "Don't worry about it. They won’t be able to catch you. So, an illegal immigrant, huh? I am starting to know you better now, huh?"

Peter couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt at Taylor's words, but he had to ask— maybe there was no negative effect for now, but who knew how bad it could be? There was something about Taylor that made Peter feel uneasy and happy at the same time like their powers were somehow messing with each other.

"Do you feel weird when I am around?" Peter blurted out before he could stop himself.

Taylor's expression faltered for a moment, and her smile was strained. "Why?" she asked, her tone cautious.

Peter hesitated, unsure of how to articulate his thoughts. "I don’t mean to say that I feel weird, but I feel like our powers are interfering with each other," he admitted.

Taylor's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she regarded him. "Nah, you are imagining it," she reassured him, though her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

Deciding not to push the issue further, Peter changed the subject. "So, you want to not get bullied anymore?" he asked, shifting the conversation.

Taylor's expression brightened slightly at the change in topic. "Yeah, definitely," she replied with a more enthusiastic tone.

Peter grinned with a glint of determination in his eyes. "I actually have a solution to that, but I’ll need your help," he said, his voice was low.

Taylor's curiosity was piqued as she leaned in closer, her eyes narrowing in anticipation. "Tell me more," she urged.

Peter grinned at Taylor's playful banter, feeling a sense of camaraderie growing between them. "Okay, here's the idea. You're going to help me get fake IDs, local stuff, the usual, and then you help me get enrolled here in Winslow High," he explained with a conspiratorial whisper.

Taylor raised an eyebrow as her lips curled into a teasing smile. "You want me to commit a crime? Now, that’s bad," she joked, though there was a hint of mischief in her voice.

"Don’t be so hasty, I'm sure we can make an arrangement," Peter retorted, matching her playful tone.

Taylor leaned in, and her expression was mischievous: she was enjoying this. "What kind of arrangement? Just to let you know in advance, you're too handsome for me... But if you're fine with it, I'll be happy to have you serve me, mortal," she teased, adding a dramatic flair to her words.

Peter feigned shock, his laughter bubbling up. "You're a poor tease, never thought in my life someone would razz me this directly… Yes, my lady, let this poor sod of a knight serve you," he replied, playing along with the jest.

Taylor nodded thoughtfully, her gaze focused as she considered Peter's proposal. "Sure, so what’s the plan?" she asked.

Peter explained in response. "I can restructure my nanotech to make most of the fake identifications and certificates, but I need someone to get my information inside the system. I can do it, but it will be less risky if we do it together. Our powers have incredible synergy, not to mention I lack most of my surveillance gear in me, and your powers are even better than what I usually have," he explained, his voice low.

Taylor raised an eyebrow with a hint of skepticism creeping into her features. "Wow, this doesn’t sound like 'hero' work," she remarked, and her tone was dry.

Peter sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Hey, give me a break, I am desperate here," he admitted, frustration evident in his voice. "Okay, fair enough. Count me in," she said with determination gleaming in her eyes.

"Thank you, Taylor. This means a lot," he said sincerely.

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Tuesday— April 12th, 2011.

TAYLOR’S SMILE.

5:15 PM.

Taylor bid goodbye to Peter, her mind swirling with curiosity about the conversation they had just shared. Despite his charming demeanor and the sense of togetherness that seemed to spark between them, she couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that lingered in the back of her mind. Peter's admission about their powers potentially interfering with each other had left her with more questions than answers.

However, the longer they talked, the more that Taylor realized the implications of what she had done… Perhaps it was unconscious, but she ‘Mastered’ Peter, and Taylor didn’t want to admit it: Peter Parker was a charming guy, and someone who would be popular with the girls. There was no way someone like that would be so endearing with her— Taylor just couldn’t imagine it happening.

Yet, Taylor couldn’t help herself but want this. Peter had been the first friend she made… and she treasured it enough that she didn’t dare do the unthinkable. A few seconds ago, thoughts of completely owning Peter would run through her mind… The invisible thread that connected her with Peter; Taylor would only need to will it, own it, and Peter would be hers. It was a scary thought.

As she made her way to the bus stop, Taylor couldn't help but replay their discussion in her head. Peter's proposal to enlist her help in obtaining fake IDs and getting enrolled in Winslow High had caught her off guard. It was certainly a far cry from the heroics she had imagined herself being involved in. Yet, something was intriguing about the prospect of working alongside Peter, using their powers in tandem to achieve their goals.

Despite her initial skepticism, Taylor found herself considering Peter's offer more seriously than she had anticipated. The idea of having someone to rely on, someone who understood the complexities of their powers, was undeniably appealing. And if there was a chance to put an end to the bullying she endured at school, she was willing to entertain the idea, even if it meant stepping into morally gray territory.

Taylor wasn’t being such a fan-girl to Peter, but there was something adorably likable with him: beyond all appearances, Peter at heart was a good person and no one would be able to dissuade Taylor otherwise. She could feel it in the ‘thread’ after all.

As the bus approached, Taylor's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the doors opening. With a final glance back in the direction of the rooftop where she had left Peter, she stepped onto the bus, a small smile playing on her lips.

Today, Taylor was smiling… and she was just happy enough to be looking forward for tomorrow’s school.

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Tuesday— April 12th, 2011.

ARMSMASTER’S PATROL.

3:02 AM.

It had been a good four hours since Armsmaster was patrolling the familiar places where he traced the spider’s whereabouts. Sleep was for the weak, though he knew its importance, the ‘spider’ took more precedence.

After giving his reports to Director Piggot, Armsmaster quickly rode his bike and ran around the circuits where he gave chase to the spider. “Assault and Battery, any sightings?” He asked via the comms as he stopped by a relatively opened sinkhole where Lung was forced to drown.

At the thought of the speedster duo, Battery immediately appeared before Armsmaster. “Assault found something, and I think you would want to see this.”

Armsmaster wordlessly followed while Battery kept pace with him.

Finally, they arrived at an abandoned factory.

Assault was clad in sleek red armor with a red visor concealing a good half of his face. His voice carried a hint of mischief as he spoke. “You know, I almost thought it sad we didn’t get alerted for a ‘second’ cape fight happening just a few blocks away from Lung’s throw-down party.”

“Oh, shut up, Assault… The Protectorate isn’t omniscient, “ Battery, his partner, was a stark contrast, her suit reflecting a more streamlined design: hues of white and dark grey with circuit-like cobalt blue lines on it, which would glow as she charged her power in an electric blue-white color.

"Don't they ever take a night off?" Assault’s tone dripped with sarcasm, a common trait of his whenever the impulsiveness of capes was brought to light.

Despite her stoic demeanor, Battery’s eyes held a fierce determination under her blue visor, always scanning their surroundings for potential threats. “So Armsmaster, any ideas how did this fight go? Maybe this was Lung and the Spider?”

"No, this wasn't Lung," Armsmaster replied, his voice carrying a note of certainty. "No evidence of pyrokinesis was used."

He surveyed the scene, taking in the scattered debris and the faint lingering scent of explosives. Assault's observation rang true; this was indeed a separate cape confrontation. "Assault was right, this was a 'second cape fight' happening adjacent to the Lung fight."

Judging by the explosive incendiaries and the shrapnel scattered around, Armsmaster deduced that Oni Lee had been involved. The notorious teleporter was known for his lethal tactics and his penchant for dropping grenades. "This is most likely Oni Lee, he was fighting, running around, and was intent to kill," Armsmaster continued examining through possibilities. "A few days ago, the Undersiders had robbed Lung's casino..."

He paused, connecting the dots in his mind. "We might be shooting blind here, but chances are Oni Lee confronted the Undersiders here. The Undersiders had most likely received Oni Lee here in a defensive battle, or maybe even prepared a trap."

It was a highly likely possibility that this was an Oni Lee VS Undersiders fight, which opened to more theories. For example, the Spider (or maybe ‘Spiders’ considering he was not alone) might be a mercenary paid by the Undersiders to deal with Lung… But no records of the ‘Spider’ had been archived.

Currently, Armsmaster was more inclined to believe that the Spider was a new cape.

Armsmaster glanced around the abandoned factory, searching for any clues that might confirm his suspicions. "The Undersiders must have a Thinker who helped strategize to subvert attention when they were fighting against Oni Lee," he mused aloud.

The problem was getting more and more complicated— ABB gang, Undersiders, new cape/s, and then there was that nano-technology. It was Armsmaster’s fault for being so greedy and while at that time, he deemed it the most efficient solution to detain the ‘Spider-duo’, he had been proven unwise for thinking he could one-up them.

“What’s the deal with the Spider anyway? If you ask me, I think the insect controller was a more problematic case… You saw it yourself, what she did to Lung?” Assault asked with all seriousness.

Armsmaster understood Assault’s point: the insect controller was dangerous too… Lung was stung and immobilized in such a painful way, that Armsmaster thought Lung might actually die. Roaches all over his skin eating at him inside and outside, the Rage Dragon’s regenerative ability was exhausted from being drowned so much that he almost died from the insect toxins.

“I agree with Assault on this one,” Battery opined. “We don’t know if what we have in our midst is a villain, but it is better safe than sorry… Imagine the civilian casualty if this insect controller goes into a warpath or full villain. I never thought I’d look at the powers to control insects the same again.”

“No, the Spider is more important than his cohort. The nano-technology and his Tinker potential warrants attention. I think we should focus more on this Spider.” Armsmaster fiddled with his gauntlet and sent video files at the duo.

“I haven't told Ms. Militia yet, but… you have to see this. The video I sent to your emails contained footage of Lung and the Spider’s confrontation: the Spider won, ‘almost’ one-sidedly. Watch the footage at your leisure, but the summary is… the Spider is a powerful cape, strong enough that Director Piggot and I agreed to hide the data.” Added Armsmaster.

“Just a quick ask, why hide the data?” Assault sighed, miserably failing to hide his sarcasm.

Armsmaster could almost see Assault’s raised eyebrows behind his visor. “It is my professional opinion this Spider is a powerful Tinker. And you know Tinkers are only second to Masters when it comes to the complexness of the ‘dangers’ of superpowers. Moreover, we don’t want to tip any gangs there is a solo tinker roaming around and is in a vulnerable position to be press-ganged. The reason why PRT was so hard on my budget was for the same reason: it is for everyone’s peace of mind knowing that I am not building an unsanctioned super-secret weapon just under PRT base or the Rig.”

And Armsmaster was very disgruntled about this particular fact.

This was a contributing factor as to why he felt ‘greedy’ when he saw the Spider. If PRT had another Tinker within their ranks on top of Kid Win, Armsmaster could not help but feel extra motivated that he might be able to upgrade his toys much further with shared technology, especially with the nano-tech.

The nanite-constructs the Spider was using were on a wholly different level.

Armsmaster was highly impressed when he saw the webs the Spider used, not to mention the overly complicated nano-tech armor with all sorts of functions: anti-image-capturing, possibly optimized strength, and more unknowns. The only thing it lacked was a highly-functioning Artificial Intelligence, a heavily overseen technology worldwide.

Heck, maybe it already have an AI, and Armsmaster had no way of knowing it.

It was the nano-technology that got Armsmaster so disgruntled, sending him into a loop of self-justification as to how he handled the spider situation. To his credit, he didn’t break protocol but the ‘spiders’ didn’t inspire any confidence in him, especially with how ‘he’ and ‘she’ handled Lung.

For all he knew, ‘weaponized’ nano-technology was a dead-end: it was impractical and it would require lots of compounded innovations with esoteric materials to create a marginally functioning nanite-based armor.

"Director Piggot made the right call," Battery commented after hearing the explanation. "This isn't something we can take lightly."

Armsmaster considered their words carefully. He knew that brute force alone wouldn't be enough to deal with the Spider, especially if he had access to advanced technology and had already defeated Lung, a formidable opponent in his own right. "We'll need to gather more intel before we make any moves," he said finally. "I'll inform the rest of the Protectorate and see if we can put together a plan.Preferably, we’d want to induct them into the PRT as soon as possible."

“Okay, so what now?” Assault yawned, feeling the toll of working this early in the morning.

“For now, we dismiss. Get your rest, the two of you.” Armsmaster nodded to Assault and Battery.

After dismissing the two speedsters who had been working over-time, Armsmaster then went on his way, riding his bike back to his base. When he returned, the first thing he did was sleep in his workshop. He still had so much to do.

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When Amrsmaster woke up, he ate brunch and then tinkered for the rest of the day. Before tinkering for real, he also consulted Dragon about applicable nanotech weaponry and discussed the ‘Spiders’ as he had come to termed the new caped duo. Apparently, even Dragon agreed that the nanotechnology used by the new cape was of higher priority than the bug-controlling cape.

Tuesday— April 12th, 2011.

PRT THREAT ASSESSMENT.

7:25 PM.

As inspiration stopped coming at Armsmaster while working on his workshop, he decided to do the more mundane side of his work: writing reports. In this case, writing a Threat Assessment.

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Parahuman Response Team (PRT) Assessment

Subject: Spider/Male- Iron Spider (Tentative name)

Classification: Mover 4, Brute 5, Blaster 3, Tinker 6

Overview: The subject is a highly capable parahuman possessing a unique suite of abilities primarily centered around enhanced strength, agility, and reflexes, along with the ability to manipulate and utilize an advanced form of synthetic webbing. His powers, while formidable, present significant challenges for containment and engagement due to his agility and quick reflexes, making him a high-priority target for PRT intervention and response.

Physical Description: Possibly a young adult male, approximately in his late teens to early twenties, with a lean but muscular build. He is typically seen wearing a red and blue costume with a distinctive spider emblem on his chest. Last seen to have changed the color scheme of his armor into black after his second fight with Lung.

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Powers and Abilities:

Tinker (Further Observation is needed) (Primary): The Observer has opted to err on the side of caution and has given the Iron Spider a Tinker classification of 6 as shown by his armor’s technological capability and spot-on adaptability. The Mover, Brute, and Blaster ratings are believed to be outcomes of his armor.

Mover (Secondary): Possesses enhanced agility, reflexes, and the ability to scale walls and ceilings, granting him exceptional mobility and maneuverability in urban environments. In combination with his web-slinging, he can move at faster speeds.

Brute (Secondary): Exhibits superhuman strength and durability, enabling him to lift heavy objects several times his own weight, withstand significant physical trauma, and engage in hand-to-hand combat with enhanced effectiveness.

Blaster (Secondary): While not a primary aspect of his abilities, he has shown web-shooting capabilities which could be considered akin to ranged offensive abilities. His synthetic webbing can be used to ensnare opponents or create barriers, adding a tactical dimension to his combat repertoire.

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Threat Assessment:

The combination of enhanced physical abilities, web-slinging capabilities, and combat prowess poses a significant threat in both individual and group combat scenarios. His agility and danger perception make him particularly difficult to neutralize, requiring careful planning and coordination to apprehend or contain effectively.

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Recommended Response Protocol:

1. Containment Strategy: Due to the subject’s agility and wall-crawling abilities, conventional containment methods such as barricades or physical restraints may prove ineffective. PRT teams should prioritize non-lethal incapacitation methods, such as entangling foam or sonic disruptors, to immobilize and restrain the subject.

2. Coordination and Communication: Coordination between PRT teams and law enforcement agencies is essential when engaging the subject, as his unpredictable movements and combat proficiency require a synchronized response to minimize civilian casualties and collateral damage.

3. Negotiation and De-escalation: Whenever feasible, attempts should be made to communicate with the subject to resolve conflicts peacefully and de-escalate confrontations. Establishing a dialogue and offering assistance may encourage cooperation and reduce the likelihood of escalation to violence.

4. Surveillance and Intelligence Gathering: Continuous surveillance and intelligence gathering are crucial for monitoring the subject’s activities, identifying patterns, and predicting potential threats. The utilization of surveillance drones and advanced tracking technology can aid in tracking his movements and gathering real-time data for tactical decision-making.

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Conclusion:

The subject represents a unique challenge for PRT operations due to his Tinkering potential. However, the subject is manageable within PRT’s local resources and can be contained with the correct strategy. It is highly suggested to recruit the subject before he is pressured by local criminal groups to work for them. Possessed new innovative technology that could attract heavy criminal element/s.

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Parahuman Response Team (PRT) Assessment

Subject: Spider/Female- Entomancer (Tentative name)

Classification: Master 7

Overview: The subject is a highly dangerous parahuman with a suite of abilities centered around insect control and manipulation. Her powers grant her control over vast swarms of insects, allowing her to gather information, orchestrate attacks, and create complex environmental effects. The subject’s overwhelming swarm make her a formidable opponent in both individual confrontations and large-scale conflicts.

Physical Description: Possibly a young woman in her mid to late teens with a lean build and shoulder-length brown hair. She is typically seen wearing a costume consisting of black body armor with yellow accents, designed to provide some protection while allowing for flexibility and mobility.

~

Powers and Abilities:

Master (Primary): The subject’s primary ability is her mastery over insects. She can control and coordinate vast swarms of insects, including but not limited to ants, bees, wasps, and spiders. Through her power, she can command them to perform complex tasks, gather intelligence, and execute coordinated attacks on her behalf.

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Threat Assessment: The subject poses a significant threat due to the sheer versatility and scale of her powers. Her ability to control and manipulate insects allows her to gather intelligence, conduct reconnaissance, and launch coordinated attacks with minimal risk to herself.

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Recommended Response Protocol:

Containment Strategy: The subject’s control over insects makes traditional containment methods challenging. PRT teams should prioritize non-lethal incapacitation methods, such as foam sprayers or containment foam grenades, to immobilize and restrain her without causing harm.

Communication and Negotiation: Attempts should be made to establish communication with the subject to de-escalate confrontations and explore potential avenues for cooperation. Diplomatic efforts may yield valuable information and insights into her motivations and objectives.

Environmental Analysis: Prior to engaging the subject in combat, PRT teams should conduct a thorough environmental analysis to identify potential insect nests, hives, or breeding grounds that she may utilize to replenish her forces. Disrupting these resources can weaken her capabilities and limit her effectiveness in battle.

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Conclusion: The subject possesses formidable powers, strategic intellect, and control over vast insect swarms making her a high-priority target for PRT intervention and response. Effective containment and engagement strategies are essential for neutralizing her threat and minimizing collateral damage in urban environments. Collaboration between PRT teams and other parahuman specialists may be necessary to counteract her abilities and apprehend her safely.

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#Armsmaster salivating for nanotech #Tony Stark being a Genius #Undersiders VS Oni Lee? #Parker being Overestimated or Underestimated? #Foreshadowing Armsmaster’s further troubles down the lane #I loved writing this #Lung having a Kaido moment #Romance is Chemistry #Lots of Stuff, looking for a positive response to boost my ego, thank you

Author’s notes, “Armsmaster definitely got his numbers wrong. Tinker should be four or five ratings lower, and the others are two ratings higher or more. Spidey only exhibits the more extreme ends of his abilities if there are personal and higher stakes or if he is pressured emotionally. His power to overwhelm Lung and pin him in Chapter 1 is mostly possible due to the level of invulnerability his armor can offer and the strategy he employs. The powers that Armsmaster was unable to pin down were 'Spider-sense' which should normally warrant a Thinker rating, and Spidey’s healing factor which should boost Spidey’s brute ratings by a lot. Other ratings should also be higher. The armor obscured most of what Spidey can do if push comes to shove.

If you notice, Taylor’s ratings are different from Wiki too at this point. Her Master Ratings are higher at this point in time. Spidey and Taylor’s powers have too strong of a synergy. We have Spidey to thank for that. Tinkers act as multipliers for capes, but Spidey is an excellent supporter and multiplier by himself. Spidey zooming around while carrying Taylor allowed Taylor to gather more insects to her swarm and showcase her abilities to the extreme."