"Struggles Of A Part-Time Hero"
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Monday, February 2nd, 2052
1:12 AM, Queens
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The moon drifted in the sky bathing the city streets in its light. At this late hour, most of society was either asleep or working, however some unsavory few found other activities to do at such an hour. In a dark alley, barely lit by a nearby street light, a group of men stood cackling like fools over another. There was about five of them—all young adults—terrorizing a middle aged man. They had found him walking home late—possibly after a night shift somehwete—and decided to have their fun. Their laughter sounded like that of a pack of hyenas as they kicked the man around and ran through the contents of his wallet.
"Please...that's all I have. I don't have anything else. Please just let me go."
One of the men responded by slamming their foot into the man's stomach, they all cackled and wailed at his pain.
"That's fucked up man. He might roll over and die."
"Yeah man, ease up a little."
Though they made complaints, none of them actually tried to stop their companion. The laughter never stopped. It was a sight from hell, sickening scum having their fun at torturing those who couldn't defend themselves. However they believed they had the right. Their crimes had gone unchecked too long.
"Hey, get up."
The man trembled under the voice of his abuser.
"W-What?"
"I said get the fuck up!"
Quickly, he stumbled to his feet and shivered in anticipation of what was coming. He managed to display a hopeful smile—perhaps they had their fun and were finally letting him go. Though his features distorted in confusion when he saw the main attacker pull out his phone.
"Take off your clothes."
The man blinked.
"What...?"
"I said. Take off your clothes."
The man didn't move, too confused by the entire situation.
"Do it! You wanna die old man?! Huh?! I'll beat your ass to death!"
Fearful and timid, the man's hands shook as they moved to unbutton his shirt. The cackling grew louder.
"Oh man! That's fucking wild!"
"Look guys. I'm gonna make him dance."
Perhaps it was worth it to him. Putting on a show for his friends at the expense of another. It was almost interesting to see how one could become such an expert in cruelty for childish validation. It would've been funny if not so sad and aggravating. The older man bit his tongue, suffering the humiliation. If his tongue was free he would've cursed the boy's until he forgot himself, though at the moment he didn't have such power.
"Come on, hurry up! Dance for us."
He continued his unbuttoning, the cackling of the boys became a pain to the ears. However, something strange occurred before all of their eyes. Something shot out from the darkness deeper in the alley—a thin string of web. It attached itself to the abuser's phone and quickly pulled it away from his grasp, both vanished into the dark.
"Hey! The hell?!"
After his exclamation it grew quiet for moment. A creepy atmosphere set in, deeper in the darkness they could all hear small movements and noises that sent chills up their spines. In his hubris, the man called out to their unexpected visitor.
"Who the hell's back ther-?"
Another web flew through the air, attaching itself to his friend standing behind him to the left. None of them could react before he was dragged into the darkness with a panicked scream. They could hear frightening sounds—thuds and crashes—and the recognizable voice of their friend grunting in pain. Then it all stopped. Another one spoke up.
"Tony you al-"
Something large this time dove out of the dark. A human figure, but details were obscured by the dark. It quickly attacked the third criminal—the one who spoke up last—slamming its foot into his face. The force behind the blow knocked the man to the ground, unconscious. However, before their eyes could adjust, the figure leaped upwards, again vanishing into the darkness. Horrified at the scene, one of the two remaining lackeys released a panicked squeal before he darted out of the alley.
"Wait!"
The main abuser called out for his friend, but the man didn't stop. They saw him reach the end of the alley, where the light began to cover him, though that was as far as he got. Before he could fully escape, the figure dropped down from above and slammed its feet into his back. He crashed against the cold concrete, injured and out cold. Again, the figure retreated to the darkness. The two remaining criminals and the victim all shook in fear. Again an eery silence fell over the group prompting the last lackey to address his friend.
"Dude, this is fucking freaking me out! We gotta get out of here!"
However the warning fell on death ears. Reaching into his jacket pocket, the man pulled out a switch blade and waved it around threateningly. Steeling his resolve, he called out to the unknown attacker.
"Come out and fight me like a man!"
And that he did. They all saw it this time, something moving towards them in the darkness, yet they still couldn't make out any details. Hoping to hit something, the man swung the blade through the air infront of himself, bit hit nothing. There was a strange sound—something like a "zip"—and he saw a large black blur leap over him. His friend standing behind him was completely unaware of what was happening, however the cold chill of someone's hand pressed against his face made him tense up. He didn't get to make a single sound before his head was slammed into the nearby wall.
"Mark!"
The final, and main criminal spun around, looking for his friend. He saw him slumped down on the ground, passed out, but there was no sign of the culprit.
"Just leave me alo-!"
Someone grabbed his collar, pulling him deeper into the darkness and away from the comfort of the light. The old man remained in the slightly lit portion of the alley, staring into the dark and recoiling at every painful sound he heard. It went on for a few seconds—longer than with the rest—but soon it returned to quiet. The middle aged man stood there in confusion, he only began to panic when he heard footsteps approaching. He was about to run, but paused when his savior stepped out of the darkness and his form was finally illuminated by the light. Small frame—probably that of a teenaged boy—hugged tightly by a pitch black suit, detailed by sharp white eyes, thin silver webbing and the noticeably large white spider symbol on his chest.
The two stared at each other for a moment, the man wasn't quite sure if to be scared or relieved. However—to his relief—the figure simply shot one of his webs upwards and quickly swung away into the night. The man stared at his shrinking form for a moment, only when he was too far away did he realize the situation.
"Um...thanks!"
———
———
Jason landed on the roof of the news station, sliding to a halt. His mask retracted, exposing his face to the cold night air.
"That went pretty well."
Two days had passed since his final decision, the suit had changed permanently to represent his new ambition. The weekend blew by, each day Jason spent his time either breaking up small fights or stopping petty criminals. At first he was nervous like before, and he still wasn't too good at everything like a certain Spider-Girl, but he made things work. He had far better success at nights. Not only were there more thefts and assaults overlooked under the cloak of night, but making use of the dark made it far easier for him to dispose of criminals. The darkness proved to be an excellent ally.
'Wonder if that guy will rat on me if the police question him...'
He wasn't exactly in it for popularity anymore, instead just trusting his natural instincts regarding heroism. The boy found it genuinely nice to help out people and save those in need. It was also quite nice beating the crap out of criminals. Perhaps he enjoyed that part too much. Though Jason was quite satisfied with his current position. He didn't need to be some popular hero in a new video everyday or the new hottest rumor at school. He was plenty fine with his small scale gig.
'Just a friendly neighborhood hero.'
He paused. Running his hand along his chest—across the large spider symbol—he had a thought.
'Should I call myself Spider-Man? Wait, can I?'
Though he decided on it as a symbol for the new suit, that decision was made due to convenience of his powers and sentimental reasons. Even if he wore it, he really wasn't the Spider-Man.
'Spider-Man seems a little too ambitious. I'm more like...Jason Reeves, the part-time hero. Yeah, that's it.'
This was a little too much to think about at the moment. Stretching, Jason yawned loudly into the night before he gazed up at the moon.
"Jesus, what time is it? I need to get some sleep."
School was in a few hours afterall. There was also the fact that he snuck out, meaning Max had no idea Jason wasn't home. It was probably in his best interest to get back as soon as possible. He quickly got to swinging through the city, his sleek form barely noticeable in the night sky.
———
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"Now turn to page 260. There you'll find an exercise on—Mr. Reeves!"
The drowsy boy almost fell off his table as he heard his teacher's booming voice. Mr. Phillips—the bearded historian—looked as if he was ready to throw the entire class at the poor boy. Jason chuckled softly, massaging his eyes and hoping to push out any tiredness. Staying out so late—or rather early—was truly a poor decision. The boy barely had enough energy to sit upright, let alone pay attention to the man's lectures.
"Sorry sir...won't happen again."
His dreary tone and slurred words made it impossible for the man to believe him, though he turned his attention back to the large screen nonetheless.
"Hmph! Now where were we...? Ah, yes! For nearly thirty years now, the act has still been present without change. Now, there was some attempt at abolishing it, specifically around 2046 when OSCORP became the main provider of weapons and resources to our military-"
The man's words grew distant and muffled. Jason truly was trying his hardest to stay awake, however exhaustion weighed heavily on the boy. Soon he lost the battle against his body and sleep took hold. It only took a few minutes for Mr. Phillips to notice the boy—head hanging low with some drool escaping his mouth. The man began stroking his lustrous beard in a frenzy, perhaps trying his best to quell his fury. He made attempt to call the boy again, however someone took the opportunity first.
["Cindy Moon and Jason Reeves. Please report to the principal's office immediately. Thank you."]
The disembodied voice of the principal startled the boy out of his slumber, his head shot up with a bit too much speed. Mr. Phillips put his own lecture on pause for a moment, again he turned back to his lesson with a huff. Jason took a moment to collect himself before he stood up and exited the room. On his way towards the principal's office he couldn't help his curious thoughts. He had no recollection of any misbehavior or unorderly conduct, so the demand for his presence was a bit odd. Furthermore, he was being called there with Cindy Moon. Perhaps the two weren't related.
After about a minute of walking, Jason, reached the office. Quickly—after a brief knock and the permitance of the woman herself—he entered. Inside the room Jason saw that Cindy was already present, taking note of her appearance. The girl noticed him as well, eyeing him down for a moment before she returned her focus to the principal. Strangely enough, his Mathematics teacher was also present. She smiled when she saw the boy.
"Ah, everyone's here. Please, take a seat you two."
The two teenagers did as instructed, taking their spots in the two large cushioned chairs stationed directly infront of the principal's desk. Jason immediately sunk into the chair, noting how comfortable it was.
'They're hogging the good chairs for themselves...This feels amazing."
He really had to fight against his fatigue now. Luckily for him, the woman started talking.
"Now, let's get right down to business. How would you two like to represent our school in the upcoming Academic Invitational?"
They both blinked. Jason thought for a moment before blurting out:
"Oh, that battle of minds thing..."
Only after the sentence escaped he caught himself. Both Mrs. Smith and Principal Quinn chuckled at the name.
"Have you all been calling it that? I guess it's appropriate."
Cindy soon spoke up herself.
"Wait...isn't that the big competition where a bunch of students from different schools answer questions? Like a game show."
Mrs. Smith was the one to reply this time.
"Yes. It's really just a competition to show off the brightest prospects from across the state. It can actually be quite beneficial to you students."
Jason rose a brow at his teacher's words.
"Beneficial how...?"
"It brings in attention. These sort of things allow you guys to show off your wits. When people are impressed, it opens up doorways for stuff like internships and even scholarships. Mr. Reeves, I know you plan on going to Horizon after this. Miss Moon, you aswell. This could be a great opportunity for you both."
The boy hummed in thought. Horizon University—referred to by most as Horizon U—was the most prestigious university in America for all those pursuing any technological of scientific careers. It produced and housed many famous scientists and professors. Jason did aim to go there after his final year of highschool, however he hadn't considered the idea of a scholarship or any assistance. The boy's grades were good—astonishingly so—and he always assumed he'd simply apply through the normal process. If what he was hearing was true, this academic invitational truly was a valuable opportunity that he shouldn't pass up. However...
"Won't that be a lot of work...? I mean, we also have school and other stuff! Also, what makes you think we're the best fit for this sorta thing?"
Cindy Moon spoke up before the boy got a chance, yet she touched on all of his concerns. The idea of school was an excuse the boy planned to use, however his true intention was much different. Since Jason was now dedicated to his career as a hero, anymore obligations would possibly put far too much stress on the poor boy. He was already having a hard time balancing school, heroism and finding time to sleep. This competition would probably only worsen his load. Mrs. Smith then quickly stepped in to address their worries.
"We'll talk to your teachers to help them accommodate your preparation for the competition. Also, you'll have a decent amount of time for any studying. We want things to run as smoothly for you two as possible."
That was reassuring, however the two still weren't sold. Noticing their apprehension, Principal Quinn quickly stepped in and offered her final plea.
"Look...we came to you two for a reason. You're both exceptionally talented. Miss Moon, you have an aptitude for the sciences unlike any other young lady in this school. Your grades are high, and you have an unwavering work ethic. Mr. Reeves, I've never seen a student with your capabilities before. For all the years you've been coming to Midtown High, your grades haven't fallen below a 95 in a single class. On top of that you're respectful, hardworking and a model student. Frankly, I wish the rest of the student body exhibited such qualities."
Mrs. Smith nodded in agreement, prompting the principal to continue.
"I really want you two to participate in this competition. Honestly I believe you two are shoe-ins for the win. So...what do you say?"
The pitch worked frighteningly well, as Cindy Moon—exhibiting a newfound look of determination—immediately accepted the offer.
"I'm in."
The two adults beamed, and soon everyone's focus was turned towards the boy.
'Way to put pressure on a guy...'
Jason sighed softly before he agreed aswell.
"I'll do it."
If they weren't smiling before, Mrs. Smith and Principal Quinn were definitely smiling now.
"Great! The competition is in three weeks, Wednesday February 25th. Mrs. Smith will email you two all the necessary material so you can get started on your studying. You're free to return to class now."
Things were finished surprisingly fast after the agreement—both Jason and Cindy now stood outside of the office leaving the two women behind. Jason was a bit surprised at the development, but more so annoyed at the new obligations it came with.
'I feel like my life's gotten really hectic lately.'
While he was in thought, Cindy cleared her throat, grabbing his attention. The boy watched as she took her phone from her pocket and pointed it towards him.
"Um...since we're supposed to be partners for this thing, we should probably share our contacts. Y'know, so we can schedule a study time."
He blinked, but quickly retrieved his own phone.
"Uh, yeah."
They tapped the two phones against each other, and the moment they made contact their contact information was transferred. Seeing that the transfer was succesful, Cindy gave Jason a small wave as she made her way back to her class.
"See ya' later I guess..."
"Yeah..."
She vanished down the hallway, leaving Jason once again alone with his thoughts. However, for once the boy was actually excited about something. Their little interaction provided something he had yet to experience.
'I got a girl's number!'
Sure it was out of necessity, but Jason knew to take what he could get in life.
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The boy displayed uncanny balance as he landed onto the edge of someone's roof. The landing wasn't perfect—there was a small stumble before he caught himself—but there was a clear sign of improvement. Jason sighed loudly, his black mask incapable of properly displaying his fatigued expression. The lack of a mouth made it hard to emote. It was nearing 4:30 PM, school was out for a while and the boy immediately hit the streets. Or rather the rooftops.
Taking a seat, he took in the view of the city—this had become a habit of his lately. Like usual, he marvelled at the usual skyscrapers, the LIFE Industries and OSCORP buildings, but this time he also noted some smaller buildings as well. He could see the small form of the bank, power plant and other places of the sort. They weren't as noticeable as the skyscrapers, but they still stood out. He also took notice of an average sized building a block or two away. It didn't stand out much besides the large "F.E.A.S.T" sign on its roof. Jason began to wonder if he had ever been inside the building before, however a rather embarrassing noise escaped from his stomach, and disrupted that train of thought.
'I'm hungry. Should I swing by that new pizza place I've been hearing about?'
He glanced in its direction, his eyes landing on a small red and white building with a large pizza sign up top. It read "Sal's Pizza'. Jason felt a pang of hunger when he read the sign, but did his best not to focus on it. Technically he was on the job, which meant no lunch breaks.
'Buuuut...I am my own boss. So I'm telling myself to take a quick lunch break.'
Using this newfound logic, the boy planned to take off towards the pizzeria, however an unwanted arrival quickly put a stop to that idea.
"What the-? Didn't I already warn you?"
Jason perked up when he heard the familiar voice. Quickly, he turned towards its source, and couldn't help but narrow his eyes in annoyance when he saw its owner.
"Not you again..."