CH16: Back in Black (and Blue)

Do you know how long it takes for a broken wrist to fix?

Eight weeks, more or less. Probably more. The more severe breaks might take six months to fully mend.

I dived out of a bridge, broke surface tension with my fist (which probably wouldn't have worked if not for comic book physics, God bless 'em) and it took me four weeks to fix it.

Naturally, I kept the cast on for eight weeks and two days, on account of me actually trying to keep my secret identity a secret.

... despite all the people that know it.

Shut up.

Anyways, I was back Spider-Man-ing before my wrist was fully healed, swinging as little as possible with one hand and moving with parkour for the rest of the patrols. I had to overlook a smaller area, but I still managed to stop quite a few crimes. As soon as I was fully healed, I came back in full force.

At that point, I was kidnapped in the middle of the night.

The bag was removed from my head, and I glared at Natasha. At least she didn't put a lamp aimed at my face-that was a nice detail of her part.

"I have a new phone, you know? Maybe you could have called?"

"That's not how I roll." She pulled up a chair and sat in front of me. The sedatives she'd given me had worn off on the drive to the secondary location, so I was aware that we were in an abandoned pig farm on the outskirts of NYC. "We need to talk about Osborn."

"Avengers worried I'm turning into a little Frank Castle?"

"Pretty much."

"Yeah, I saw that coming," I broke the handcuffs binding my wrists to the back of the chair and scratched my chin. "So, what do we do?"

"Explain your reasoning to me," Natasha leaned forward. "Why did you take things as far as you did?"

"Fucker knew me. My name, my identity. My family, too." I shrugged. "Hell, he found out about F- Cat. Tossed her out of the bridge, if you recall."

"Ah, right. You two were in the middle of a fling."

"I wouldn't call it a fling."

"It literally lasted a week."

"... okay, it was a fling."

She smirked, before turning serious again. "So, you broke his back?"

"Among other things. Osborn was obsessed, in the creepiest ways possible. He was obsessed with being my nemesis. So, the best way to put an end was to make it so he could never be that. No money, no limbs, no tech, no pride. Just a broken, weeping man in an alley."

"Pretty extreme."

"I'm not exactly proud of it," I admitted. "But no one threatens my family."

Natasha nodded, understanding, before sitting back.

We stayed in silence for a while, until I spoke. "So, now what?"

"... I understand why you did it. I had my fair share of personal enemies that I was... less than kind to. Definitely more lethal than you were to Osborn." She didn't look happy to admit it. "... what about Osborn's son? Harry, right?"

"Got caught by CPS. A friend of a friend of a friend works there, so I made damn sure he got sent somewhere good. I'm not about to make more enemies for myself." I shrugged. "I have it on good authority that Norman wasn't that good a dad, so I might actually be making a friend here."

"Good," she thought it over. "I'll tell the others that you're good. But you are under inspection now."

"Under inspection how?"

"We'll have another talk if you cripple anyone else. Probably a less friendly one."

"Less friendly than an abandoned pig farm?"

"Yes."

Oof, flat yes. Never good.

"Fair enough." I looked down at my legs, which were still tied to the chair. "Can I...?"

"Be my guest."

I broke free.

So yeah. I'd been taking extra care to not give too many concussions to everyone I fought.

Of course, those weren't the only things that happened. The Halloween Fight brought some more attention to me; more merchandise being sold, more crap from the Bugle, and...

"Someone ships me with Captain America?" I said, tapping away at my phone. "Damn."

"Yeah, Cape fans are a bit creepy. Some people in the community call 'em 'mask chasers'." Shocker explained, being webbed up with his gauntlets tossed aside.

"Hm," I put my phone away. "In a way, it's kinda flattering."

"Really?"

"Yeah! I mean, I'm getting shipped with Stever-freaking-Rogers here." I shrugged. "Gotta admit, while getting shipped isn't hard, that's a nice fantasy."

"I didn't know you were gay."

"I'm not," I shrugged. "But I'm not dead either, so..."

"No, yeah, that makes sense."

We stayed there. "So, how have things been going for you, Herman."

"Ah, can't complain. Did a succesful robbery two weeks ago."

"I heard! I can't believe I forgot to congratulate you!"

"It's no biggie." He shrugged.

"Nah, seriously, I'll buy you a beer next time I see you."

"Why not now?"

"Cops are three blocks away," I reloaded my web shooters and fired a line to the nearest building. "See ya!"

"So, how's that wrist, Fletcher?" Flash asked at lunch.

"The cast kinda itches," I admitted, brushing myself off with my 'good hand'. "Other than that, it's fine."

"I can tell," he said, looking behind us at Blake, who was sticking out of a trash can. "Weren't you supposed to stop that?"

"Oh, he's gonna start trouble because I beat him up? While my wrist is broken?"

"You really think he's gonna think about that?"

"You really think I care?"

Flash looked at me. I grinned back.

"I am so glad I don't mess with people anymore."

I chuckled.

"So, where do you think Peter and Gwen, anyways?"

"We're going to get them right now," I said, stopping in front of the Janitor's Closet. "Observe, my favourite magic trick: making two lovebirds appear."

I forced the door to open and they fell out, one on top of the other, and with Gwen's hand inside Peter's shirt.

"Lordy!" I exclaimed. "Doth this mistress of the night desire to tempt mine brother?"

"Fuck off, Jake." Peter groaned.

I chuckled. "C'mon, we gotta get to lunch."

"I was in the middle of lunch," Gwen replied, raising a hand.

"Ew," Flash replied.

"No high-five for you." I said.

"Yeah, that was kinda gross." Peter chimed in.

"Fuck all of you, I know I'm funny."

They got up and we walked to our usual table.

"So, I like your skirt," I told Gwen. "Purple's a nice color for you."

"You think so?" Gwen looked at it. "Thanks! I wasn't sure when I bought it."

"Parker definitely liked it," Flash said, playfully shoving Peter's shoulder. "And what? You want one of your own, Fletcher?"

"I do rock a dress. Maybe I should try skirts," I mused.

We kept walking. I turned and saw them all staring at me.

"What?"

"You'd wear a skirt?" Gwen said.

"You rock dresses?" Flash said.

"You think you rocked that dress?" Peter said.

"In order: Yes, yes, and fuck you, no one rocks stripes."

We sat down, and Gwen leaned closer. "Jake, are you..."

She looked both ways before putting a hand next to her mouth and whispering, "Transexual?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Careful, Ms. Stacy. Those kind of words could make Sister Helen faint here, at the Mother Mary School for Fucking Nuns and Shit."

"The most hardcore school for nuns in the U.S." Peter said.

"You know what I mean, fuckface." She slapped my arm.

"Well, I don't think of myself as a woman, but I never really felt like a man, either." I shrugged. "I'm just me."

"So nonbinary?" Flash asked, surprising everyone with his knowledge of LGBTQ+ terms.

"I guess?" I shrugged. "I'm used to being called a man, and I got my name broken in, so I'm fine with nobody changing pronouns around me. I'd like it if you did, but I won't mind if you're more comfortable using 'he' and 'him' and all that."

Nobody said anything for a while.

Eventually, Peter cleared his throat. "This is my sibling, Jake. They're nice, even though they can be a jackass."

He shrugged. "I can get used to it."

I hid my smile behind a crappy cafetaria sandwich.

Whatever I did to deserve them, it wasn't enough.

I webbed the gun over to my hand and shot back at Natasha, without stopping my running around.

I deflected a bullet with one of my batons, shot again, and tossed the bullet when it ran out of bullets.

It nailed Natasha between the eyes, meaning the excersise was finally over. I sighed, dropped from the ceiling, and then on my back.

"So, how'd I do, coach?" I asked, starting to stretch next to her as she did the same.

"Not too bad," she said. "In fact, you did so good that we're done."

I fell out of my pose, which involved both feet behind the ears and holding myself up with one finger. "What?!"

"I've quite literally taught you everything I could without surgery and brainwashing." She shrugged. "You've passed."

"Huh," I sat cross-legged. "So, what now?"

"Well," Natasha pulled a key out of her pocket and tossed it at me. "Matt said that you can keep using the gym to train, so you do that on your own as well as you can. Other than that, go be Spider-Man."

I stared at the key, before putting it in my own pocket. This had been Matt's father's favourite gym. His favourite gym.

This is where he trained to be Daredevil, to think he'd give me the key to it!

Then again... this is where I trained to be Spider-Man.

I fell back.

"You okay, little spider?" Natasha asked.

"I guess it just hit me." I looked at the key. "I'm really gonna be one of the big ones, huh?"

"Hey, don't get an ego."

"No, seriously," I looked at her. "I got training from Daredevil and Black Widow, I took down a crime boss when I was starting, and-"

I gestured around us, as to simulate how big it really was, in a narrative and emotional sense, that I got the key to the gym.

"It's just weird to finally realize it." Spider-Man was always a big figure for Marvel. But I never really thought of myself as Spider-Man.

But maybe it was time I started to.

"Well," Natasha laid down next to me. "You're not alone. Keep that in mind, because I got in trouble whenever I forgot."

"Hm," I turned the key in my fingers. "Yeah, I think that's good advice."

"LET'S GET FUCKING WASTEEEEEEED!"

"And her top is off," James sighed.

"I'm amazed it lasted this long." Duke noted.

"Huh," I said. "Not that I looked, but Ace is... uh, bigger than I thought."

"I thought the exact same thing the first time we slept together," James admitted. "But seriously, don't look or I'll cut your dick off."

"Damn!" I took a step back. "Didn't take you for the jealous type."

"We both are," Duke said. "So watch it."

"Okay, I'm sorry," I nodded. "Shouldn't have said that, it was wrong of me."

"Damn straight," Duke took a drink from his beer. "Anyways, how've you been doing with the info we gave you?"

"Pretty good," I smiled. "Between the tips I've been giving those cops you introduced me, and my own busts, we're really fucking the crime lords."

"Good," James nodded. "'Cause fuck those guys."

We all nodded. Nobody likes crime lords.

Ace slipped and fell out of the table she'd been dancing on for the last few minutes.

"You're getting slow, hot head!" I called back, rushing between buildings to cut a corner and pull ahead of Johnny.

"No, you're just cheating!" he said, shooting a fire ball to my web string just after I released it. "Damn it!"

I landed on the roof first, "HA! Another win for the Spider! Eat it, loser!"

"Yeah, yeah," Johnny dropped next to me, melting the snow around us and warming me up. "So, what does that make?"

"Me: 12, You: 13, and 5 Even."

"Still ahead, then," he smirked.

I tossed a snowball at his face.

Later, a picture of a snowball fight between Spider-Man and the Human Torch would circle the internet, making the popularity of the SpiderTorch ship skyrocket.

I never once stopped teasing Johnny about it.

"Ah~" I sighed, sipping a hot cup of cocoa, curtesy of Vito.

Winter was at full force, Christmas was fast approaching, and May had made me a new sweater, this one with a Christmas light pattern around the neck and sleeves, and the words 'Dear Santa: I was framed' on it.

I had my backpack with me, since the homeless gathered in alleys during winter and it might get stolen if I'm not careful. In exchange for not losing my stuff, I left them whatever food and timber for fire I found, plus directions to shelters for those that would accept them.

Despite everything that happened in Halloween, I-

'Wait, this is the part where I think something optimistic and then I'm interrupted by an explosion.'

I looked around, straining to hear anything.

...

...

...

I slowly took a sip of my cocoa.

BOOM!

"I KNEW IT!"

I swung away, and was soon shocked to find a little girl being accosted by generic mooks, wearing helmets that only covered the top half of their heads.

The girl was faring well for herself, jumping around, dodging bullets and-

Were those claws?

To be continued!

'Cause I'm a cocktease, that's why.