Spyder and The Avengers

Chapter 9 - The Suit

Yawning, I set the letter down and grabbed the other one, then tossed it on top of the party letter.

It was so weird.

I could hear the covers rustling under the weight of the paper, hear the wind whistling across the keyboard of my computer, and even sense a crowd below.

Whoa, hold up.

Crowd?

I clambered over to the window and peeked down at the mass of people below, all huddled around a newspaper stand.

One of the papers flew off its stand and the wind carried it up. I shot a web and dragged it in much like a child dragging a kite.

Tearing the web off, I read the big, bold headline:

AVENGERS SEEKING ANOTHER NEW RECRUIT

Huh.

My mind shifted into high gear.

First: Costume. Don't have one yet.

Second: Reputation. Probably aleady got one, from my spelunking about the city earlier.

Third: Go apply. Because why not?

So. Costume. Then go straight to the HQ.

I needed a good one, so that I'd stand out, but not too much. Just enough. I shot a web that grabbed a pencil and my sketchbook.

Creativity slowly draining away, I drew costume after costume, but they all looked wrong. Too flashy. Too plain. Too much color.

I smelled lasagna.

Aunt Mae must have just taken out the lasagna she made in the crockpot. My stomach rumbled, and I realized I hadn't eaten today. Oops.

Quickly, I set my pencil and drawing book on the desk. The smell was saucy and wonderfully rich. I floated, following the aroma, into the kitchen and my mouth watered. She had just set three plates out and was placing steaming piles of heavenly food on them.

Dear Lord, I was hungry.

I glanced in the family room and saw Uncle Ben watching the six o'clock news. They had the Roosevelt Bank robbery on. I watched it for a little bit as they baffled over how the thief could pull off such a heist. Then I gave Uncle Ben a hug and told him dinner was ready.

He nodded and ambled over to the table. As we sat down, we held hands and said a silent thanks. Then I shoveled the hot lasagna into my mouth. It was amazing. Just... perfect. I finished my plate nearly ten minutes before they did.

I put my plate and fork in the sink and started to wash them.

"Pepper, how was your day?" Uncle Ben asked, mouth full of lasagna.

I thought for a second before responding. "It was very informative." I said, hiding an excited grin. "How was your day, Uncle Ben?"

"Normal," he said, picking at his dinner. "But that spider escapee is acting so... unnatural. It was the all they talked about at the Labs: Hybrid spider this, hybrid spider that."

Aunt Mae put a comforting arm on his shoulder. "Oh, sweetie, I'm sure it's a bunch of science-y hooey."

I stopped washing my plate and perked up my ears. "Any details?" I asked as casually as I could.

He raised an eyebrow, but said, "Well, I had a look-see for myself. It appears more sluggish than the others, sitting in a far corner all day and only coming out for food. The scientists think it's dying, and so do I."

My heart pounded and I found it hard to breathe. If this spider gave me superpowers, when it died, could they disappear? I would just be another normal person again. I finally found my place in the city, and I didn't want to be another nobody. Not again.

I dismissed myself, right then and there, and locked myself in my room. I didn't deserve this! If that spider lives, I swear I'd become a superhero.

I just took my powers for granted. I can't allow that to happen again. I decided to take a trip to a certain building.

"Aunt Mae," I said through my door, voice a-quavering. "I'm going to take a walk. I'll be home around nine."

"Ye-yes, Pepper, but-" Aunt Mae started.

"Thanks, Aunt Mae! I'll see you later. Bye!"

I climbed out my window as quietly as possible and clung to the outside wall. I shut the window behind me and shot a web in the direction of Osborne Labs. I landed on a roof as I thought about something that had been bugging me for awhile.

I couldn't just swing around the city looking like this. People would recognize me and pester me for details. I would never be left alone, maybe even considered a freak. I couldn't live like that.

So I decided to make a slight change to my plans. I leapt off the rooftop and turned left instead of right for the Labs. After a short ten-block trip, I dropped down in front of the only fabric store around, "The Ultimate".

The image of my costume was fresh in my mind as I picked out the colors and cloths. They consisted of spandex in white, and felt in blue and red.

This drained away my allowance and left me broke. Whatever. It happens. I'd live.

I strapped the fabric to my back using a web and swung back to my apartment complex wall, right above my bedroom window. I shot out a web and, with barely a pull, it opened. I jumped in and quickly untied the rolls of cloth.

It was now eight at night. According to Aunt Mae and Uncle Ben, I was allowed to stay up until ten, so I had two hours.

Throwing open my closet door, I pulled out an empty briefcase and a black sweatshirt, as well as a tiny tube of superglue.

Then I grabbed a scissor and some thread and started making my imagination come to life.

Roughly two and a half hours later, I was done. Sure, I had stayed up past curfew. But it was for a very important reason, and Uncle Ben and Aunt Mae were probably asleep in their room.

No harm, no foul, right?

My costume was rather baggy and had a red and blue webbed section under each of the arms.

I got that part from everyone's favorite web-slinger.

It was black (old school sweatshirts really do come in handy) from the knees up in a zigzag where black met white (too-long leggings created by yours truly using that white spandex). I designed my mask to be more of a hood, and there was a part that I pulled over my head to conceal my face. Then I could slip the hood part on and I'd be off. My eye-holes were almost exactly like Spider-Man's except mine were outlined in red.

I stepped back and looked at it in admiration. Had I really created this? I thought as I fingered my suit. I glanced over at the clock.

Oh, no. It was now eleven.

The spider, and maybe my very place in New York City, would have to wait.

I carefully folded my costume and placed it inside the briefcase, then pushed it to a far corner of my closet.

I slipped into bed and was asleep within a minute.

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<·<Pepper_B_Parker*Alias:_Spyder*Position:_S.H.I.E.L.D._agent>·>

So, there's yet another chapter. Oh, a question: Do all of these "messages from me" at the end of the chapter seem tedious, boring, or ridiculously similar? Please let me know! Thank you, my readers!