ALL NOVEL Ch14- Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
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Peter Parker's life had taken a turn for the extraordinary a few months ago when he was bitten by a radioactive spider. Since then, his world had been filled with the chaotic balance of high school, crime-fighting, and navigating the intricacies of his newly acquired powers.
He initially tried to earn some money by participating in underground wrestling matches. Peter thought he could make a quick buck with his newfound strength and agility. The plan seemed foolproof until he found himself standing face-to-face with a muscle-bound opponent who looked like he could crush Peter with one hand. Yet, Peter's spider-like reflexes and agility turned the fight in his favor, earning him a modest amount of cash.
But the exhilaration of easy money was short-lived. His personal life, already a mess, only grew more complicated. His relationship with Mary Jane Watson never seemed to improve. Every time he tried to talk to her, it ended up being more awkward than the last.
"Hey, MJ," he started one day after school, only for her to interrupt.
"Peter, I'm really busy right now," she said, barely looking up from her phone. "Can we talk later?"
"Yeah, sure," Peter mumbled, watching her walk away. "Later."
Then came the day that changed his life forever – the day his Uncle Ben died. Peter had been using his powers for petty gain, neglecting the responsibility that came with them. When Uncle Ben was shot by a thief Peter could have stopped, the weight of his irresponsibility hit him like a freight train.
He replayed the last conversation he had with Uncle Ben in his head over and over. "With great power, there must also come great responsibility," Uncle Ben had said, words that would haunt Peter forever.
Aunt May, on the other hand, was a pillar of strength. She never blamed anyone, although Peter could see the pain in her eyes. She tried to keep a brave face, always comforting him despite her pain. "Peter, your uncle loved you very much. He'd want you to move forward, to do good," she often said, her voice calm but eyes wet with unshed tears.
Despite her strength, Peter knew she was struggling. The bills piled up, and he could see the toll it was taking on her. Peter felt a burning need to help her, to make things right.
In the depths of his grief and guilt, Peter donned the mask of Spider-Man, vowing to use his powers for good. The streets of New York became his second home as he swung between skyscrapers, foiling muggings, stopping carjackings, and taking down petty criminals. His reputation grew, and so did the complexity of his double life.
One night, after a particularly grueling fight with a gang that had been terrorizing a neighborhood, Peter limped back to his small, cluttered room, his suit torn and bruises blossoming on his skin. He collapsed on his bed, staring at the ceiling, the weight of his responsibilities pressing down on him.
"Maybe I should have just stuck with the wrestling," he muttered to himself, wincing as he shifted to a more comfortable position. His thoughts drifted back to Mary Jane as he started to drift off. He missed the simplicity of their old friendship, before his life became a whirlwind of danger and secrets…
It was another night, and Peter was about to return home when he saw a shadow jumping from rooftop to rooftop. His senses told him something was wrong. Trusting his instincts, which had saved him time after time, he followed.
Swinging silently through the shadows, Peter focused on the figure ahead. His mind raced with the possible scenarios - was it a new villain? An ally? Or just someone in trouble? As he closed the distance, he saw the figure more clearly - a slender form, moving with the grace of a seasoned acrobat. A hood concealed the face, and the outfit was dark, blending seamlessly with the night.
Peter's eyes narrowed behind his mask. "Great, another masked vigilante. Just what this city needs," he muttered under his breath. "Wait, why did I say another?" As he watched, the figure slipped into an open window, disappearing into the building.
Landing quietly on the rooftop, Peter crouched by the window, peering inside. The figure moved with purpose, rummaging through the room. Peter's spider-sense tingled more intensely, signaling crime or was he just making them up? He leapt inside, landing lightly on his feet.
"Hey there, Catwoman-wannabe," Peter quipped, "This isn't the best neighborhood for a late-night shopping spree."
The figure froze, then turned slowly. Though the face was covered, the eyes were visible - sharp, calculating. "Spider-Man," the voice was female, edged with annoyance. "Why am I not surprised?"
"Aw, you know me. Always sticking my nose where it doesn't belong," Peter shot back, keeping his tone light but his muscles tense, ready for anything.
The woman sighed, "I don't have time for this."
Peter tilted his head, "Stealing isn't exactly a time-sensitive activity, is it? Or are you on a tight schedule to fence stolen goods?"
She moved suddenly, throwing a small smoke bomb to the ground. The room filled with thick smoke, obscuring Peter's vision. He coughed, waving his hand in front of his face. "Really? Smoke bombs? How cliché."
When the smoke cleared, she was gone. Peter cursed under his breath, scanning the room. A quick search revealed she hadn't taken anything valuable, just a few documents. His spider-sense tingled again, as he focused on the footsteps of the thief.
He leaped back out the window, scanning the rooftops. There she was, running with the agility of a professional thief. Peter swung after her, his mind racing. "Who is she? And what does she want with those documents?"
Catching up to her, he shot a web at her feet, pulling her to a stop. She stumbled but quickly recovered, turning to face him. "Persistent, aren't you?"
Peter grinned behind his mask, "You have no idea."
They squared off, circling each other. Peter didn't feel the malice of a criminal from the thief, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this than a simple burglary. "Why are you doing this?" he asked, trying a different approach. "What's so important about those documents?"
She hesitated, just for a moment, before replying, "They're not what you think. This guy I'm stealing from? He's not innocent. He deserves worse than having a few papers stolen."
Peter's eyes narrowed, "And who gets to decide that? You?"
She didn't answer, instead she threw a punch. Peter dodged easily, countering with a web shot that wrapped around her arm. She pulled hard, yanking him off balance. As he stumbled, she broke free, landing a kick to his midsection that sent him sprawling.
Gritting his teeth, Peter got back to his feet. "Okay, no more Mr. Nice Spider." He lunged at her, moving faster than she could react, and pinned her to the ground. "You're going to explain everything, right now."
She struggled but couldn't break his grip. "Fine," she spat, "His name is Harold Givens. On the surface, he looks like an innocent businessman. But he's been trafficking people, kids mostly. Those documents have proof."
Peter's grip loosened slightly. "You're serious?"
She nodded, her eyes hard. "Dead serious. Now let me go, I need to get these to someone who can do something about it."
Peter released her, standing up. "Alright, but I'm coming with you. If what you're saying is true, you shouldn't be doing this alone."
She hesitated, then nodded. "Fine. But no funny business, Spider-Man."
Peter held up his hands. "Scout's honor."
As they moved together across the rooftops, Peter couldn't help but feel a strange sense of camaraderie. Whoever this woman was, she was clearly skilled and determined. And as much as he hated to admit it, he respected that.
"By the way," he said as they ran, "What's your name?"
She glanced at him, her eyes unreadable. "Call me Nojiko."
Peter nodded. "Alright, Nojiko. Let's go take down a bad guy."
Nami took the lead, gracefully leaping from one rooftop to another. Her plan was to steal the documents and deliver them to Nero, but Spider-Man's unexpected persistence complicated things. She couldn't risk revealing her connection to Nero.
"Are we there yet?" Spider-Man asked, his voice laced with impatience.
"Patience, bug boy," Nami replied, not bothering to look back. "Or do spiders get antsy too?"
Peter rolled his eyes beneath the mask. "You're really good at this cat-and-mouse game, you know that?"
Nami smirked. "Comes with the territory. Now, try to keep up."
Peter sighed dramatically. "Oh, don't mind me. Just a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man getting his cardio in."
She chuckled. "You're more persistent than most. I'll give you that."
"I aim to please," he quipped, flipping over her as they approached a narrow alley. "So, do you do this often? Steal important-looking documents and run across rooftops?"
Nami smirked, sidestepping his attempt to pin her down with a web shot. "A girl has to have hobbies."
"Right, hobbies," Peter echoed, landing next to her as she paused on a rooftop. "Mine include science, photography, and stopping criminals. Yours?"
"Art, navigation, and liberating things from bad people," she replied smoothly.
Peter's curiosity was piqued. "Bad people, huh? Who exactly is this Givens?"
Nami's eyes flickered with annoyance. "Trust me, Spidey, the less you know, the better."
Peter rolled his eyes. "Classic. Okay, mystery girl, what's your plan now?"
Nami paused, scanning the horizon. "I need to get these to someone who can actually use them to make a difference."
"And that someone is?" Peter pressed, trying to read her intentions.
She gave him a sly smile. "A friend. That's all you need to know."
Peter sighed, sensing he wouldn't get more out of her. "Fine. Lead the way, but if this friend of yours is shady, we're going to have a problem."
Nami nodded, appreciating his determination. "Fair enough. Just be quiet and keep following."
"By the way, what's with the outfit?" Peter asked, glancing at her dark, stealthy attire. "Got a name to go with it?"
She hesitated, then decided on a partial truth. "Call me Cat Burglar."
"Well, Cat Burglar Nojiko, I'm Spider-Man, but you can call me Spidey," he said, extending a hand as they landed on another rooftop.
Nami shook it briefly, amused by his attempt at civility. "Nice to meet you, Spidey."
They approached a nondescript building on the outskirts of the city. Nami gestured for him to wait outside. "I need to go in alone."
Peter frowned. "That's not happening. If this place is dangerous, I'm not letting you go in without backup."
She sighed, clearly frustrated. "You're stubborn, aren't you?"
He grinned behind his mask. "You have no idea."
Nami relented. "Fine. But stay out of sight and let me do the talking."
Nami arrived at St. Sakura's Mercy, her footsteps echoing in the dimly lit corridor. She kept her expression neutral as she approached the entrance, where Sokka was seated, whittling a piece of wood with his blade. Nero had told them they could contact each other in a pinch, as long as they acted like they weren't close. Nero also mentioned bringing Spider-Man to Sakura sooner rather than later, as he would need free medical attention. Nami decided to hit two birds with one stone. Now, she only needed to act like she wasn't friends with Sakura and Sokka.
Nami gave a casual nod. "Hey, Sokka. Guard duty again?"
Sokka grinned, "You know it. Keeps me out of trouble." He paused, noticing Spider-Man beside her. "Who's the new guy? Another stray you picked up?"
Peter rolled his eyes under his mask. "Nice to meet you too."
"Don't mind him," Nami interjected. "Spider-Man, this is Sokka. Sokka, Spider-Man."
Sokka raised an eyebrow. "Spider-Man, huh? So do you, like, talk to spiders or something?"
Peter chuckled. "Not exactly. Just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man."
Sokka smirked. "Well, welcome to the weirdest neighborhood you've ever seen."
Nami turned to Peter. "We need to get inside. Sakura's expecting us."
Peter's eyes narrowed slightly behind his mask. "You sure about this place? It looks... abandoned."
Sokka laughed. "Yeah, it does. But trust me, it's anything but."
Nami led Peter inside, keeping her pace brisk. The hallway opened up into a large room where Sakura was busy tending to a patient. She glanced up, her eyes narrowing as she saw Peter.
"Another one, Cat Burglar?" Sakura asked, her voice tinged with exasperation.
Nami shrugged. "Couldn't leave him out there. He needs our help."
Peter looked around, feeling out of place. "Uh, hi. I'm Spider-Man."
Sakura sighed, wiping her hands on a towel. "Sakura. Nice to meet you. Now, what's the problem?"
Peter hesitated seeing there was a patient inside, it wasn’t prime time to talk about a kidnapper. "I, uh, got into a fight. Could use some patching up."
Sakura nodded, gesturing to a nearby chair. "Sit. I'll take a look after I am done with this."
Nami waited for the other patient to leave. When he did, Sakura motioned Peter to sit and checked his wounds.
"He's extra. I’m not here for him," Nami said, her voice light with amusement.
Peter rolled his eyes. "Nice to know I'm appreciated."
Sakura chuckled, looking over Peter’s injuries. "So, Spider-Man, welcome to my humble clinic?"
Peter winced as she pressed on a particularly sore spot. "Just your friendly neighborhood vigilante in need of some TLC."
Sakura's hands were gentle but firm, her touch professional. "These bruises are pretty bad. You've been busy, haven't you?"
Peter grinned behind his mask. "You could say that. The city never sleeps, and neither do the bad guys."
Nami leaned against the wall, watching the interaction with interest. "He followed me here, Sakura. Thought he could help."
"Seems like you’ve got a knack for finding trouble, Spidey," Sakura commented, grabbing some antiseptic.
Peter shrugged, "Comes with the job description. Speaking of trouble, any chance the contact Nojiko here mentioned was you? She has some documents?"
Nami rolled her eyes, "Sakura has some connections. She can send these to people that can help those children."
Sakura gave a small nod, still focused on Peter's injuries. "We have a network, but what kind of documents are you talking about?" she asked. Nami told her what she had found and showed the documents. Sakura was infuriated, but kept her calm, "I will send these to my friends. People who can make sure these documents get to the right hands. It's not the first time we've had to deal with scum like Givens."
Peter winced as she applied antiseptic to a cut on his arm. "Glad to hear it. So, you're like a secret medic for vigilantes?"
Sakura chuckled softly, "Something like that. We do what we can to help."
Peter tried to relax as Sakura continued her work. "So, Nojiko, how do you know these guys? And what do they get out of helping us?"
Nami crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. "We have mutual interests. Let's leave it at that."
"Cryptic," Peter muttered. "But okay. I guess I should be grateful you're introducing me to a doctor who can help. It could come in handy when I am about to bleed to death."
Peter watched as Sakura finished tending to his wounds. "Alright, I'm in. What's next?"
Nami crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. "Sakura will make the delivery. Nothing else with us."
Sakura finished bandaging his arm and stepped back. "For now, you rest and recover. We'll handle the rest."
Peter looked at Nami, who gave a slight nod. "Alright. Well, I've got a city to protect so no rest for poor Spidey."
Nami smirked, "Just try not to get yourself killed, alright? You can come to Sakura so long as you still have the last breath in you."
Peter grinned behind his mask, "You should work on your boosting speech. But thanks for the patch-up. I'll owe you one."
Sakura smiled, "Just doing my job. Take care out there, Spider-Man."
Peter stood, testing his weight on his injured leg. "I'll be fine. Thanks again."
As he made his way to the window, Nami called out, "And Spidey?"
He turned back, raising an eyebrow behind his mask. "Yeah?"
She tossed him a small device. "A communicator. In case you run into any more trouble. Or if you just want to chat."
Peter caught it, a small smile forming. "Thanks, Nojiko. I'll keep that in mind."
With that, he swung out the window, disappearing into the night. Nami watched him go, a thoughtful expression on her face.
Sokka clapped his hands together, breaking the silence. "Well, that was exciting. What's next, boss?"
Sakura shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "Next, we keep doing what we do best. Helping those who need it and keeping this city a little bit safer. But first, let’s deliver these documents to Big Boss."
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