In The Webs We Weave

Chapter Six

Peter arrives at the table he reserved in his restaurant for his birthday dinner a few minutes early so any early birds know where to sit. For a Friday night the restraint is quiet, even considering it was highly recommended by Tony Stark, who insisted on coming but then had to pull out because Happy needed his help with something.

The young boy scrolls through the news feed on his phone while he waits, smiling at a few articles on Spider-Man and even Red back, most positive but a few negative, labelling him and Paige as vigilante nuisance.

Ned arrives not long after seven thirty; it gives them a little time alone to catch Ned up with all the Spider-Man gossip.

Paige and Michelle arrive together after their scheduled study group for English at quarter to eight. The four of them converse about school, mainly about today's test they had in gym class. Paige talked to Ned a little about physics and they all nerd raged about the new theory on Spider-Man and Red back; Apparently Red back is Spider-Man's side kick in training when in fact they're Partners. Ned brings up the article in the paper today about Spider-Man and Red back's apprehension of the same two robbers who held up the convenient store last week and the bank on Sunday, accusing them of working together to make them look like the heroes. Peter gets especially upset at that, he works hard to keep this city safe and take pride in it, so when someone accuses him of taking advantage of that it makes him a little upset, And rightfully so.

Earlier in the week, Michelle found out Peter was Spider-Man. She put two and two together a long time ago, it didn't help Peter much when he came to school with a finger splint on two fingers, coincidently the same two fingers that Spider-Man had crushed and broken by a thug Spider-Man and Red back had fought the night before.

Michelle teased him for the entire day that she knew his secret, and typical Peter, he freaked out, but when she finally sat him down and talked to him about it, it was clear she had known pretty much the entire time.

Now that both Peter's friends knew his secret, Paige saw no reason to keep her secret identity from Michelle, although she kind of figured she was Red back, seeing as Peter and Paige were always together and talking about Spider-Man relevant things all the time. Paige felt she chose the right people trust with her secret identity, she was glad she had Ned, Michelle and Peter to talk to about anything that plagued her, even her problems with her guardianship.

When their food finally arrived, they fell silent as they ate, a welcome silence, only broken by one of them complimenting the food.

While they ate, Paige couldn't shake the feeling she was being watched. Glancing around the room she found no one staring daggers at her or seeming out of place. She settled down back into the conversation, something about Peter's new suit upgrade, until the feeling consumed her once more. She stood to draw attention to herself but found only her friend's attention was caught,

'I'll be back, just going to the toilet.' Paige justifies her leaving the table. Hopefully if she was gone too long someone would come looking for her. The feeling someone was watching her caused an overwhelming anxiety to settle in her gut as she walked out of the main dining area into a hall way with store rooms and janitors closets, as well as the bathrooms and a back door, which was curiously wide open.

Curiosity consumed her as she inched closer to the open door. Creeping forward she found the back alley empty but upon further investigation a man stood in the shadows wearing a dark trench coat and a paperboy's cap. He looked at Paige with a predatory look that chilled the young girl to the bone.

'Hello, Paige.' The man says with an accent as he steps from the shadows.