Chapter 8: ...Are you robbing me?

~A/N: Hey guys, miss me. Sorry it took me so long to post this, but life got in the way. So, to make it up to you all, I made this one extra long with some hints of what may come in the future.

Enjoy.

Sunday, September 12, 2006

10:26 pm

Queens, New York

Alex Pov.

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Groaning still, I managed to drag myself toward one of the ally's walls to pull myself up, but I still felt the pain from my jumping experiment not too long ago. 'Ahhhh, FUCK, that hurts!!! Healing Factor or not, I can't afford to walk around like this and screw calling the hospital.' Having no choice, I sat back down, leaning against the dumpster I had imprinted my face on. I am thankful that my first-aid training has gotten this far, though I know this will really hurt.

"Okay, I can do this. First, I need to relax a bit...breathe, Alex, breathe." I took a moment to get my bearing. "Next, slowly extend the injured arm out to the side, raising the arm gently and bending the elbow so that the palm touches the top of the head. Gradually move the hand down toward the nape of the neck, then move the hand toward the opposite shoulder. That's when the shoulder should...*pop* Agghmmmmmm!!!" a muffled cry nearly escaped my lips as I popped my shoulder back into place. My arm immediately became numb that I couldn't move it, and if I could, the pain I was feeling would go up to eleven. "Oooohhh yeah, I won't be moving for a while." I said while hissing in pain. "worst...idea...ever...of all time." now that I mentioned it, I couldn't help but think back to moments ago. What the hell even happen back there? My math wasn't off, and despite how irritating Nate's memories were, the facts never felt wrong from what I learned.

While that was the case until two days ago...

But I can't wrap my head around any of this. The spider bit me, so I should have the same powers as Spider-Man. I initially thought I had the same abilities as Toby Mcquire with my now organic webs, which, to be honest, was fine in my books because he did have pretty decent powers. Yet, they didn't work as I hoped to save my ass from the jump, speaking of my jump. I looked around the area, trying to understand where I had landed. Only to hear and see a plane coming down for a landing above me, and with the aid of my new senses, I could make out the smell of seawater not too far from me. Putting those clues together, I realized I was near the east river, 2.8 miles from the hospital. 'Holy Shit...' I thought, knowing I had just long jumped that far. That was way stronger than I should have been able to do. I mean, no version of Spider-Man from my memories was that strong naturally, at least from their beginnings.

"*Sigh* There are so many unknown variables about all of this. How the hell am I going to use that damn figure now?" I said out in the open, and I wasn't exaggerating. It felt like I was shedding off my skin for a new one right now... I'm completely vulnerable. I've relied on Nate's memories since day one, but I can't trust anything around me now. Within a single weekend or day, my whole perspective shifted in a completely different direction...one that I never wanted.

"...Is-is this all my fault?" I mean, it makes sense, right? I wasn't supposed to exist in the first place, so if I weren't born, then maybe everything would have played out as it should. Now look at the situation I found myself in. I'm in a terrifying universe that I may no longer know; I can feel my golden finger more and more useless by the damn second, I let two people that could've loved me die, I stole my twin's destiny from him, and that said twin now hates me, I almost got myself killed on my first-night trying out the powers that I thought I knew by heart! Now I'm sitting here alone in an alleyway in the rain with a dislocated arm, all because I can't decide instead or not I should go around this fucking city in spandex, risking my life daily!!!

"I just wanted a normal life away from this shit! Why was I ever reincarnated in the first place!!" My anger and frustration in all of this were reaching their limit. Without thinking, my body moved unnaturally as I punched the wall opposite me. As my fist creates a large indent, nearly breaking through it while cracks form from the impact.

I could feel the apartment building shake a bit but paid it no mind. I stood there for minutes as my breathing became heavy and was starting to ease up, but only a little bit. In all honesty, I need to vent off some steam. Everything that happened this weekend came at me all at once, building up so much stress that I was surprised that I kept my cool until now. However, some of me believed that Gwen had a significant part in that. The rain continued. I stood there, my gaze shifted towards a puddle forming under me, staring at my reflection. I looked so tired.

"Look at you, face so much pressure, and you start breaking down like this. Why are you like this? It couldn't be that hard of a choice to be the spider, right?" my mind wondered again. The question might be whether I was genuinely ready to dawn the mask. Yes, I had knowledge, I have the memories, and I'd been training for eight years, but that was only to help my brother, and even with everything I had, I was still unsure. I was uncertain of whether I could handle this responsibility if I could let the pressure get to me like this. I was unsure whether I could be a great Spider-Man or could make everything worse.

Standing up straight, I took a deep breath while facing the cloudy night sky to try and calm myself down. My eyes closed, let the rain wash over my face as if letting it take away my remaining stress.

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3rd person Pov.

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After ten minutes of standing in the rain, Alex decided it was best to make his way back to the hospital. He felt emotionally drained and frustrated that he couldn't choose to be Spider-Man. His thoughts were cut off after sharply feeling a familiar pain in his left shoulder.

"Right, my relocated arm; I almost forgot about that. I better make my way;* sigh* I hope my healing Factor can fix this before the doctors see it tomorrow morning or this morning?" Alex said while searching himself as walks out of the alleyway. "Shit, I left my phone back in the room. Damn Alex, now you're getting Pete's forgetfulness too." Alex processed to walk through the streets of Queens, following the two-block path he jumped. However, as the teen left, the area around where he crash-landed started to change. The air took on a reflection texture to it, much like it was made by hundreds of shards of glass that came together and were constantly moving. Not long after, a figure appeared from out of nowhere as if coming through a curtain. Their sunflower-yellow hooded coat lightly dances in the wind as they look toward where Alex just left.

"...Interesting." The yellow-clad person adopted a thinking pose, placing a slender hand on their now visible chin. 'Our little anomaly has changed quite a bit. To think something so simple as reincarnation could raise many questions, yet the eye still can't be used on you. Alex Parker...I may need to watch you more closely than I have been. You could be a possible threat, and if you are...' The unknown person thought while walking toward the other end of the alley. While doing so, they raise their arm a performs a fluent circular motion in front of them. Seconds later, a large circle made of a continuous flow of orange sparks formed in their path, with the view of another street inside.

'I'll end it...' They thought as they walked into the opening, which immediately disappeared afterward, leaving no tease of it nor the yellow-clad person.

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11:34 pm

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"This is Fucking Bullshit!!!!" shouted a sizeable bearded man as he and five other companions walked out of a bar or stumbling out. All of them were middle-aged men dressed in a mix of biker and gangster attires. The group walked down the street, only feeling a little buzzed, "That little bitch has some nerve kicking us out of the dragons like that! Hell, I was in the gang before her old man even took over!" the bearded man continued after throwing his empty bottle of Hennessy against a nearby car door, smashing it in the process.

"I don't do the fuck you're complaining about; you're not the one whose nose she broke." said an equally large African American man sporting a banged nose.

Another gangster, a short Irishman, spoke up, "Yeah, yeah, we get it, man, just shut the fuck up already. Hell, I mean, I don't get what that bitch was so pissed off about? All we did was rough up some mutant freak. If anything, we should be thanked." This made the group chuckle and grimace at the thought.

"I know what you mean, Finn, freaky mother fucker. Hopping around the place like some damn frog or something, and that tongue of his *shivers* thing's not right."

"Little shit kept making fun of us the whole, calling us chumps." said the skinniest of the bunch before forming a wicked smirk. "Too bad we caught the kid slipping before teaching him a lesson he'll never forget. He shouldn't have crossed the dragons or us. Heh, bet yeh he looks as ugly as he smells, right Paul?"

The bearded man, now known as Paul, glanced back as he walked, "Nearly finished the fucker off too, would've put a bullet between that freaks eyes if the pigs didn't show. I swear, if Arnold were still here, we wouldn't be kicked out when he was in charge. Hell, we wouldn't have needed to leave Brooklyn to lay low. Kids today, no respect."

"Hey, hey, calm down there, Vato. I say, fuck those fools, man. We could just make our own gang here in Queens. My cousin Manney knows a guy who works closely with the big man of the big apple. Bet yah he could help us get started if we do him a favor. He likes to act like he's one of those mafia wey's" The final group member, a tall Puerto Rican man with a beanie covering his eyes, spoke up. The others took a moment to think about what their friend suggested before Paul's frown turned into a massive grin.

"Dom, you're a genius! Forget the dragons, and forget that angel bitch! There are barely any huge gangs that I can remember in Queen's. With the right people, we can take over this shit hole! Hell, maybe if we pull this off, even the big man himself will take us under his wing!" Paul turns and faces his group, opening his mouth as if preparing to give some speech. That was before something caught his eye, but he still kept his grin.

"Uhh, hey Paul, you alright, man? You kinda pause out of nowhere." asked the African American man in confusion.

Paul shook his head, "Nah, Jason, just found someone who owns me." he said as he walked past the other toward someone on the other side of the street. "You might want to bring your toys, boys; this guy's a feisty one."

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As far as he knew, Alex was at least half a ways away from the hospital he had left. He was hoping that no one noticed that he was missing so he could sleep on a bed, uncomfortable it may be. The brunette teen felt mentally exhausted, nearly drained, and honestly done with today. Not to forget the numbing pain in his left arm, as he sightly supported it without giving any signs. While he was traveling down the block, Alex's mind continued racing. Though unable to decide what to do, it feels like something inside of him is telling him that he should make a choice sooner rather than later, or things could get even worse. He wasn't entirely sure about that last part, but at this point, he'll take any advi-

'Huh...advice, Is that all I needed?' Alex asked himself, thinking it over as an actual possibility. However, it was easier said than done. For starters, who can he even talk about this, let alone trust? Alex, for one, will never openly let anyone know about the memories if he can help it, 'Keeping that to the grave.' Second, who can advise about being a hero? The good captain is still frozen down under, and Tony Stark is still...well, Tony Stark. Also, it would be a dumbass move for Alex to tell anyone that he has superpowers, that's like breaking a commandment for people like him. 'And as if I'm going to a therapist, Ha!'.

Alex didn't want to tell Gwen or know how to handle going about it, and the memories kept giving him red flags. Cidney, Alex was unsure about her in general. May will most definitely go full mother hen, so sadly, she was out of the question, and Pete... well, Alex doubted his twin would even talk to him.

Which leaves one person left...

"*Sigh* It's worth a shot, at least. I need to be careful with what I say; I can't afford to give him any hint that-"

"Hey, little twink!" the voice of grew ass men cut Alex off as he can sigh once again, this time in pure annoyance. 'I'm really getting tired of today.' turning around, he was face to face with a large man, taller than him by a few inches and wearing an odd biker's outfit. "Uh, do I know you, sir?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

Paul scoffed, "Nah, but I know you. You're that pretty boy in that junior MMA tournament Teo years ago, aren't you?" Alex immediately had a face of realization, remembering that day fondle. Honestly, it was a complete coincidence that he got into that tournament, which was an international and quite popular, but his former trainers wanted him in because he did so well.

"Ohhh, so that's what this is about. Kinda late for an autograph, but each their own, I guess." Alex said with a shrug before continuing. "Anyway, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm in a bit of a hurry and tried, so I can't give you one right now. So, good night, God bless and all that. Bye-bye!" the teen went to leave but was met by four other individuals as all five circled him, blocking his escape. Though most people would be nervous about this situation, Alex's first thought was, 'Why are they all wearing purple?'

"I'm not here for no damn autograph. I'm here because I've seen you fight that day-"

Alex gasped with a smile, "So you are a fan then, thank yooou!"

"...And I made a bet on you to-"

He gasped again, "And you betted on me to win; thank yooou!" Having enough of his shit already, Paul harshly grabbed Alex by his hoodie and slammed him on the wall of yet another empty alleyway. 'Again, serious, how many damn alleyways are in this city?'

"You were supposed to lose!" the large man said through gritted teeth. "I made a bet with some of my mates. a $100 to see that face of yours get smashed in." Paul began to press more of his weight on Alex's neck, hoping to see him show some fear, but he was disappointed as Alex remained aloof.

He held a finger, "Firstly, you bet your money just to see some random kid get his ass kicked. What, mama and papa didn't hug you enough or something?" He then holds up another one. "Secondly, I got second place last time I checked, so I don't know what you're so angry about."

"I met in the first fucking round, asshat! Not in the finals!" Paul shouted in Alex's face, fed up with the teen treating him like an idiot. Although, he did recall something else about that fight which made him smirk. "Though it couldn't be all bad. At least I watched you getting your ass kicked by, what was it, some Japanese twirp."

Alex frowns slightly at this, "Okay, racist, I have you know that it was a close fight, and Sakura-chan is a nice person." he was being modest; it was a pretty fun fight between two thirteen-year-olds. Alex was optimistic that he could beat that hype girl, but that damn Deja vu feeling kept detracting him in the match. 'Huh, come to think of it, why was I getting deja vu from meeting her? It's not like I met anyone with the name...what was her name again? Kasu-something.' putting that thought to the side, Alex turned his attention back toward the group of thugs. "Anyway, as I said before, I'm tired, so would you guys just tell me what you want so I can get to bed?"

"Eh fool, what you think this is? So you better stop playing games and empty those pockets or this will get messy!" Dom said, stepping next to Paul to intimidate the brunette some more. However, Alex just stared back at him. "Whatcha looking at, payaso?"

In response, Alex waves his hand in front of Dom's face as if trying to see if he's blind. "¿Cómo puedes ver así, ese? ¿Qué eres, parte murciélago o algo así?" he spoke back in Spanish, pissing him off so much that Jason had to hold him back.

"You think you're cute, don't ya?" Paul said, pressing even more weight on Alex's neck as he got close to the teen, where he could smell the alcohol coming off the man. Not like he couldn't already smell it from all of them.

Then Pual watched Alex smile innocently, "Bitch, I'm adorable."

"Then you better count yourself lucky that your not one of those freaks on the news, or you'll be six feet under already. Now, I'll be nice and give you one more chance because you see my boi's here, and I have been having a stressful day," he said. The rest started to show off the weapons, from crowbars to baseball; even Jason slipped on a pair of brass knuckles. "So either you hand over everything you got, hot, or we can take from you, cold." The group of thugs all chuckled smuggling, thinking they gave the cocky brat cold feet as he went quiet.

Yet, Alex wasn't deterred by this. He already knew they had weapons in the first place as he studied them all while he was bantering. Now that they showed their hands, Alex was weighing his odds of survival. 'Okay, five men in total, all armed, but non have any firearms, so that's a plus. Only the black guy seems to be the only one the combat experience from the faded scars on his knuckles, likely a former amateur boxer. As for myself, my head still hurts from the fall, and I also have an injured arm. For any average person, this whole situation would be terrifying; even Alex would think this would be suicidal,...but he wasn't normal anymore, was he?

Still having an innocent smile, Alex gazed at the group of thugs. "What a coincidence, my day was stressful too." he said as snip Paul's arm downwards, making him lose his grip before the teenager grabbed hold of the back of the thug's head and brought his knee into Paul's ribcage, hard. The others watch as their friend falls limply to the ground, stunned and confused about what happened. Alex, on the other hand, looks at his handiwork. 'Sweet, only been a few months away from the cages, and I haven't lost a step. Though, is it me, or did I hear something breaking?'

"Paul!!!" Alex could not think more about this as Finn ran towards him, crowbar at the ready. "That's it, you little shit, you're fucking died!!!!"

"...I'm taller than you." the brunette teen said in confusion. However, his body moved like a well-oiled machine as he sidestepped the crowbar strike. Alex then swiftly kicked his right knee out of under him, unknowingly breaking it. Finn briefly cried out in agony before being silenced by Alex delivering an elbow to the side of the head.

Having the most experience with fighting, Jason rushed over to Alex using his boxing background to deliver sharp punches at him. However, all he could mustard was pushing Alex backward, failing to land a single hit. 'Slow...' Alex thought in general amazement. He wasn't sure about his super agility or something else, but right now, everyone here was moving so slowly, as if he was fighting a group of sloths.

"Damn, did your coach teach you anything because you can't hit for shit." this only enraged Jason even more as he tried harder to shut this fucking kid up.

This time, Alex felt something off, like a slight vibration going off in the back of his head. Unfortunately, Alex didn't get the chance to ponder this as he was grabbed from behind by another one of the thugs. Who was so generic that Alex must have forgotten he existed.

"Gotcha now, Fucker!" Jason shouted, aiming a right hook at Alex's face. However, Alex took the opportunity to duck, replacing his head with the thug's jaw. *Crack* "Aw shit, Ed-!" the gangster cried, releasing what he had done. Too bad that he also made an opening as Alex shot toward his face, delivering a solid headbutt to his already broken nose. With the fourth gang member down, Alex immediately faces the last one and poses for a fight.

"Woah, Woah!!! E-Easy there, amigo! I-I give up, see?" Dom said before tossing his chain away and holding his hands up in surrender. "Just don't hurt me por favor. I don't even know these tontos, ese." Alex didn't fully let his guard down as the Puerto Rican man slowly backed away, though he did look at the other down men since he didn't hear any groans; he then found out why...

'Shit!!! I went too hard on them!' Alex exclaimed to himself. With one look at the thugs, he could see they all had severe injuries. The ones he attacked especially had the worst. 'What the hell! I thought sixty presents of my strength was enough for these guys, but apparently not!' Quickly as he could, Alex examined them to find out if the damage was as bad as it looked...and it was. 'Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, this is way above my ability to fix. These idiots could die at any minute if not given proper medical attention soon.' Alex was slightly panicking, though these thugs possibly had blood on their hands; he didn't want to be a killer the first time used his powers. Yet, while he was through Finn's pockets for a cell phone to call for help, he started to feel that strange vibration but on a greater level this time.

It was like time itself slowed down to the smallest nano-second. He noticed that he was aware of everything within an unknown radius around him, from the tiny raindrops before they reached the ground to the car a couple of yards away, turning a corner away from him. 'I-Is this what I think it is? ...That means.' before he could think of anything else, Alex's body reacted on its own as his arm moved lightning-fast behind him, catching something. Turning his head, Alex saw that he grabbed the hand of Dom, who was holding switchblade centimeters from his left shoulder. An awkward silence fell between the two, as the teen, with a deadpan expression, looked back and forth from the thug's hand to his terrified face.

"...Huh..." Alex said blankly.

"...W-What?"

"...You're right hand." *Crunch*

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!" Dom let out a bloodcurdling scream as every bone in his hand was broken, well...before being silenced by Alex via a backhand. Yet, the super-powered teenager failed again to take his strength into account as Dom was then launched into an alley wall, hitting it hard.

He grimaces, "Damn it, they're really going to need help now." Alex stated before doubling his efforts to find a phone. 'Though, I got to get a handle on this super strength thing; how did any of the heroes even deal with this?' After contacting 9-1-1, while he disguised his voice in a heavy Brooklynn accent so he won't be Identified, Alex wall-crawl his way out of the area. As he did so, Alex failed to notice a yellow-hoodie figure watching the whole thing from the rooftops.

~A/N: 4177-word count... I'm going to lie down now

~Stan out