The Spider's Daughter

The Spider's Daughter chapter 18

Wow! Chapter 18 already!

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Chapter 18

I looked out over Central Park, wondering if Stark would come. It was five to seven, and I was ready. Unfortunately, it was harder to get around quickly in the park. No buildings meant no big swings. Just a bunch of little ones through the trees. I smiled slightly, beneath my mask, as I thought of a new way of getting out there. I looked around, and spotted the perfect place.

Two long antennae stood on top of a roof. Perfect. They were springy, and light, and they were in the perfect position. I flicked my wrist, and shot a strand of webbing at one of the tall metal pole. I did the same with my other hand. Now, I just had to pull back far enough. Lucky I had sticky toes, or else I wouldn't be able to do this.

Slowly, I pulled myself back. My muscles strained, and I hauled back on the webs. The antennae bent back, the webs were close to breaking. I took a couple more steps back, then stopped. One more deep breath. Then I lifted my feet off the wall.

I was hurled through the air, and my spider-sense kicked in. I was flying! Without webs, I was alone in the air. Central Park spread out beneath me.

Slowly, the trees reached up from the ground. I dodged them with ease, spinning out of the way of the oncoming branches. I shot a line of webs, and used my momentum to swing back up into the sky. In a couple seconds, I spotted Stark, and I swung toward him. He was leaning against a fence, facing a pond. The few other people looked at him curiously, probably wondering if it really was Tony Stark.

My feet touched the railing besides him, and I smiled. Nearly silent landing. "Mr. Stark."

He looked over at me and gave a small grin. "So you decided to show up after all."

I cocked my head. "Ah, fashionably late. So. You ready?"

"As I'll ever be." He reached down and picked up his briefcase. Hmm. That explained how he carried the suit around. In a couple seconds, he was Ironman.

"Mr. Stark?" I asked.

"Yeah, Spidey?"

"I hope you won't mind when I total your suit." Ah, I love me some witty back-and-forth banter!

"Well, I hope you have a good excuse as to why you'll come home covered in bruises!" He lifted himself into the air, and I stood straight on the rail. Time slowed, and the man in the metal suit flew toward me. I easily bent out of the way.

But he was ready for it. His arm stretched out, and snagged me around the waist. I twisted out of his grip, but he had thrown me off balance. I fell.

The ground beneath me was grass, so I let myself fall easily. In two seconds, I was up again. Ironman was too. We stood facing off, ready for the other's attack.

He lunged at me, and I spun out of the way, shooting some webs at the same time. I jumped, hauled on the line, an was in the air. I shot another web, pulled, shot another one, and was off.

Ironman followed. "I never thought you to be the running type, Spidergirl!"

I didn't answer, and smiled under my mask. Only a little farther... There it was. The road. Buildings. My natural habitat. I only had a few more seconds until he showed up, so I had to work fast. I spun a net, and jumped on top of a building just in time. Ironman rushed out of the trees.

I hunched lower, under the edge of the roof, and waited. My spider-sense tingled, and I leapt up, swinging the net around.

Thank you, spider-sense. I got him.

The net billowed around him, the sticky threads clinging to his metal suit. I yanked on the edge, and he toppled over the side of the roof, landing beside me.

"Mr. Stark. So glad you could join me."

He groaned. "That web of yours sure is something. What's it made out of?"

I snorted. "Beats me." I slid my finger under my glove and slid it back from the inside of my wrist, showing him the small scar-like mark where the web was produced.

"Interesting." I watched as he tried to rip the webbing off his armor. It was amusing. Despite the vast strength of his suit, my webs proved stronger. After a while, I reached down to help him. A few quick pulls, and the webs fell off. I offered Stark my hand, and helped him to his feet.

"You know, that wasn't much of a fight."

"Yeah. Cause I totally beat you!" I joked. We both laughed, but he stopped abruptly.

"Want to be my sidekick for a day?" He asked.

"What?" Sidekick?

"Robbery. Jewelry store, a few blocks from here. I've got the suit monitoring the police radios. Normally, I would let the police handle it, but I was thinking we could work together a little more. Wanna help?"

"Sure. Jobs like that comes with the suit. But I'm not your sidekick." Sidekick? Pfft!

"Whatever. Let's go!" he jumped off the roof, and I followed.

Two minutes later, we sat on a roof adjacent to he jewelry store. The burglars had holed up when the cops showed. They had five hostages; two workers, and three customers.

"You ready?" Ironman whispered.

"Born ready. You take the left, I'll go right?"

He nodded, and I swung away. I stuck to the side of the building and waited. And realized we hadn't agreed on a signal.

Suddenly, a high pitch clicking and whirring filled the air. I winced, and realized nobody else could hear it. Okay, what the heck?

Then I realized it was Stark. He had realized that the spider in me would hear the sound when no one else would. A signal. I laughed a little, then swung in.

Feet first, I broke the glass. I heard police shouting outside, but I ignored them for now. I heard more glass break as Ironman came in the other window. Three thugs with ski masks faced me, and two more charged my partner.

"Oh, so I guess guys do like girls with skintight clothes!" I exclaimed as I knocked two of the guys heads together. I did a flip, and kicked the other guy under the chin.

"Aw, playtime's over?" I was disappointed. That fight was nothing! I finished them off in two seconds.

I looked over at Stark and laughed. He was holding the two guys back by their heads. They were scrambling to get him, and of course their efforts did nothing.

Stark sighed. "Okay, boys, this is getting boring!" He banged their heads together, and dropped their unconscious bodies to the floor.

"Madame?" he said, bowing to me and offering his arm.

"Sorry, Stark. Police don't really like me. They don't really like my family in general, thanks to J. Jonah Jameson."

"Oh, that's right. He hates your dad, doesn't he? Why?"

I shrugged. No one knew. Jameson probably didn't even know himself.

"M- Spidergirl, if you come out with me, they won't do anything."

"Kind of you, Mr. Stark. But I'd like to avoid them anyways."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself." And he walked out the door. I swung away, ready to do the same thing over a few more times before it was time to go home.

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