The Third Webslinger

Web after web, Scarlet Web swung through the city of New York as the sun crept steady overhead. Her curvaceous figurine raced past each and every building, her movements so very precise that any onlooker would have thought her nothing less than an Olympian of the highest caliber, a true master of her craft.

But the question was always imposed, looming in the back of her mind right beside her spider-senses. Why was she doing all of this? Why devote her life and being to stopping crime when nothing came of it? There was no real benefit for her; there never had been, and there never would be. She didn't get paid to be a hero; nor did it make her life as a regular human being any easier for her. No, it made everyone else's lives easier while it made her own that much harder.

And that was all she needed. To remember that she wasn't like everyone else, that she simply couldn't be like everyone else. Not after she had acquired the powers of a spider. Now it was her duty to protect those who were in need, to put her life on the line and find meaning. Meaning behind her happenings, meaning behind her origins. Meaning behind why she had been bestowed these freakish powers, and meanings behind her purpose of existence.

These were the thoughts than ran rampant within her mind as she neared a large intersection, where two long and well known streets coincided. Just as she anticipated, the Emerald Mantis awaited her, clad in his enormous mechanical attire. The man who was beyond 70 years in age stood in the very center of a large robotic body, commanding it to do his bidding and wreck havoc upon the city. Why he didn't take to a retirement home like most others his age was beyond anyone's guess, but he was bent on turning all of the city into pure emerald now.

Landing safely on the ground before several police cars, with officers taking cover behind them, Scarlet Web calmly approached the Mantis and sighed hard with a shrug. "Seriously, old man. The act's getting old. When are you gonna lace them up and just retire already?"

"Hahaha! If it isn't Little Miss I'm-So-Perfect-Look-At-Me!"

Scarlet Web drooped her head. Why even try to reason with a guy like this? Sure he was a genius for inventing the sort of things he did, but he was also a complete moron.

"Look, let's just get this over with, alright?"

"The only thing over here is you!" His robotic arm opened, unveiling a cap under which there was a rocket waiting to be fired.

With the click of another button, he sent it racing toward Scarlet Web, and seeing as though it was hooked with a tracking mechanism, she had to swing away from the cops and the rest of the nearby civilians in order to evade damage to them. Latching her webs high onto a nearby building, Scarlet Web took to the skies and swung about, the rocket hot on her tail.

Alright, Tom. Carton of milk, a dozen eggs, two sticks of butter, and some cereal. You can remember that. Milk, eggs, butter, cereal. Easy. Thomas Teller strolled down the street, wishing he'd written this down. Uncle Matt had called him after his classes were over and reminded him that they needed some groceries back home. It was no big deal for Tom to head to the store. It was on his way home after all.

After the grocery store, he'd hop on the 9 train and be home in an hour. Tops.

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy, Teller. Then just some of that Calc homework for Professor Cruise and you'll be good for the rest of the night. He wondered if he'd have time to head out after that. And what would he tell Uncle Matt? These excuses were getting harder and harder to make up. He could only head over to a "campus study group" so many nights in a week. Piled on top of that, Tom was pretty sure that Matt was starting to resent eating alone all these nights.

He felt bad about it, no doubt, but he couldn't just sit back and enjoy Uncle Matt's World Famous Spaghetti and Meatballs, as a-spicy as they were, when there were people in trouble all over the city. Crime didn't take a break and neither could he. Gah! This is all so frustrating. It would be so much easier if I lived on my own...

Tom had been thinking about moving on to campus. But where was he going to get that kind of money? The blog and online money was nice, but it wasn't that nice. And he couldn't just leave Uncle Matt all alone. No, that sort of thinking would have to wait, he decided.

Now what was it? Eggs, milk, cheese, and-

Suddenly, a flash of red swung through the air.

Wait, was that...?

Oh, holy CRUD IT IS! It's her!

"The Scarlet Spider!" Someone shouted behind him. Hell yeah it was. And wherever she was going, she was really booking it. It's gotta be something important. I gotta see this. Thomas changed direction and sprinted into the nearest alley. He whipped off his back pack and started to change into his costume.

Oh jeez, this is it, this is it! Wait, what do I even say? "Hey there little lady. Looks like you could use some help. Who me? Oh yeah, I've only been doing this for four weeks. Watch and learn something." Stupid Teller, stupid!

Hopping on one foot as he awkwardly tried to fit into his costume pants, he tossed his backpack behind the nearby dumpster and webbed it to the wall with the one shooter he had already slipped on. "Stay this time, stupid." I can't have Uncle Matt pay for another one.

Pulling up his mask and pulling down his goggles, Thomas got up a running start down the alley and then thwipped a line of web up towards the rooftops. One good yank and whoosh! He was away. He still hadn't gotten used to the acceleration. The wind whipped past his ears and he yelped as he nearly smashed his leg into the corner of a rooftop. He rolled when he hit the concrete and then launched himself into the air again with a jump.

There she is! He saw the red blur in the distance. "Oh hey, is that that one Emerald guy from TV? Isn't he- ohcrapTHATSAMISSLE!"

Thwipping another web and launching himself forward, Tom spat out another web that hit the tail end of the rocket. Yes! He pulled and the missile went careening off course. Alright! Bingo baby! He leaped off a web line and swung into the hero's view.

"Hey! Hey, Ms. Scarlet Web! Could you use a hand?"

Miss? Smooth Teller....

At the moment of Thomas' arrival, Scarlet Web had swung forward and planted herself against the panes of a building, sideways. She was in the middle of scaling it when he came out of nowhere, taking her by surprise.

Her first impression of him left her dumbfounded. For a moment she thought herself to be looking into the window she was climbing past, thinking him to be nothing more than a reflection of herself. But no, while the similarities were evident, Thomas' costume had some alterations to it that didn't appear on her own and vice versa. For starters, he had a pair of goggles worn over his eyes, long boots that seemed to reach up to his knees on first glance, and most of all, his costume was capable of containing his breasts. Weird.

Scarlet Web looked on in awe at the spectacle before her. It wasn't like she was at a loss for words or anything, but still, what was she even supposed to say at a time like this? Oh great, another one? Well, that is most certainly the next thought that came to her mind. Until the ripping sound of the rocket brought her back into reality.
That guy. Hooded Spider with Goggles, or whatever his name was, managed to throw the rocket off course. Wait, what?

He threw it off course?! No, no, no! It was supposed to follow her so that she could lead it away from the public. But this guy, the Hooded Spider with Goggles, had gone and foiled her plan. Just whose side was he on, anyway?

Sending another blank expression his way, Scarlet Web took off in the next instant. Leaping off the side of the building, she dove down at incomprehensible speeds, the wind pressure nearly tearing up her suit. The rocket was swooping down at staggering speed itself, much faster than Scarlet Web could ever hope to travel. Aimed in the direction of a nearby building, it would undoubtedly total it whole, ripping the structure by its root and causing it to fall into its neighboring scraper and then some, like a domino effect. Before she knew it, most of New York could end up in ruin.
Aiming her wrists toward the rocket, she latched on to the webbing that Thomas had created and spiraled her web down its length. Planting her feet into the side of the building, she threw her head back and pulled. Pulled with all her might, so much so that the brick beneath her red boots gave way and formed a small crater. Minor damage so long as she could prevent this ensuing devastation from taking place.

With a hard grunt that was audible to all present, Scarlet Web managed to heave the rocket into the sky, where it vanished into the clouds and erupted soon after into a brilliant display of fireworks, leaving the city beneath within an ominous red hue. Catching her breath, Scarlet Web looked around for her lookalike.
Much like Hooded Spider, this guy just wasn't registering within her spider-sense. Was it because he was far too similar to be considered a foe? Was he automatically assumed to be an ally? Who knew. All she knew was that she didn't want an ally that was going to follow her around like a bad omen, giving the enemies she normally defeated without error a fighting chance to take her out.

Meanwhile, the Emerald Mantis nearly wet his pants at what had unfolded before him. Firstly out of the fear that another Scarlet Web had appeared from thin air. And secondly at the thought that perhaps, just perhaps that this new guy was actually on his side. Nevertheless, the old man caught the resting Scarlet Red, who was still looking around for her double, in his sights and prepared to fire off another rocket.

Elation quickly turned to horror as Teller watched the rocket speed towards the office building. How had he misjudged the pull? It shouldn't have gone like that! How fast was that thing going? Maybe it was fueled by some sort of- Just stop it you gimp! Right! Right right right right right! He bounced off a nearby building and hurtled through the air towards the rocket. Come on comeoncomeoncomeoncom-

Just as he was about to shoot his web, another caught the rocket and before he knew it, the explosive was zooming up into the sky. It went off above the clouds with a loud KABOOM that rattled the windows around the block. Below, the crowd cheered. Wow... So this is it! I'm really doing it! With the Scarlet Spider no less! We're doing the superhero thing! He had to allow himself a moment to be caught up in it all. Just a moment.

That was quickly shattered as he saw the giant mech lining up for another shot on Scarlet.

"Oh no you don't!" Thomas shot a web right behind the giant robot and zipped off the building that he'd been resting on. Now hurtling towards the giant mech, he had a precious few seconds to consider his options. Alright, I just gotta kick the big guy off balance so he can't hit Scarlet. Then, maybe I can catch the rocket and slam it back into him. That shouldn't kill him, right? Nah. That armor's got to be at least two inches thick. Yeah. This can work. Alright Tom, you got this. Start with a- OhnoIforgottothinkupaoneline-

His foot slammed into the mech and he felt his whole body rattle. The robot shuttered as the hull dented and then the whole structure tilted, if only for a moment. Right on time, the rocket launched and tore through the air. From inside the contraption, a voice shouted in frustration.
"Hey," Thomas responded, "I hate to tell you but... uh... Something Wizard of Oz related! You get the point, CRAP!" Still astride the mechanical beast, he turned quickly and snabbed the rocket. Using the robot for leverage, he held tight to his web and pulled the rocket around in a wide arc. As the rocket came to bare, Tom leapt off the robot and shouted, "I got it! You know what they say, Dorthy. No place like home!"

Landing on the street below and trying the best to look graceful, he waited for the impact. Looking over his shoulder, he hollered, "Hey, you okay, Miss?"

Huh, maybe there was more to this guy than what initially met the eye. If not for his earlier hiccup, she'd have gone so far as to say that this was already turning out to be a much better confrontation than the one that she had with Hooded Spider. Not that it was much of a milestone, anyway.

The rocket successfully had its trajectory altered by Thomas, rather skillfully at that. Heck, it was a maneuver that had even managed to impress Scarlet Web herself, with the white slots she had for eyes on her mask widening with surprise. A small explosion ensued, a mushroom cloud appearing overhead. As the smoke dissipated, a defeated old man lay in the rubble of his decimated attire, done in by his own weapon.

"Curse you, Spider Monkey!" Immobilized and rendered unable to move, not so much by the attack but more than anything due to his own age, the Mantis remained on his back as the cops reeled in, deeming it safe enough to do so.

"Thanks a ton, kid!"

"Yeah, thanks a lot, Spider Monkey!" They said in appreciation, building off the old man's insult. Cuffing the Mantis, they did their job at cleaning up the street as Scarlet Web swung down and landed a few feet behind the so-called "Spider Monkey". Approaching him from behind, she went to put her hand on his shoulder out of appreciation of his showing, while also as a means to say, "I'm here behind you" in the likelihood that she too escaped his spider-sense with her presence alone.
"Hey, nice job back there. That was pretty impressive." White slots gazed into his goggles. From up close, Scarlet Web's figurine was seen in greater context. She was exactly the same height as him, while being a ways lighter, yet being somehow wider. Much wider. Simply put, Scarlet Web had a body that was mad thick. Thick in the thighs, ample in the hips, slender in the waist, lush in the rear, and incredibly bust in the chest.

"I noticed you saying my name back there, so I'll feed off the benefit of the doubt here and just assume that you already know who I am." Had he turned to face her, she went to extend out her hand to him. "And you're... Spider Monkey?"

The robot went up in a flash and for a moment Tom was worried the guy was really going to be using that mech as a coffin. The absolute last thing he wanted to do was get anyone killed on one of his first tries at this hero thing, whether it was a good guy or a bad guy. His spirits picked back up as soon as he heard the old man grumping about being beaten from inside that big tin can.

His mood soured a bit when he heard what the old coot was saying. Spider MONKEY? Come on, Emerald whatever, I know you can do better than that. Really. There was no way that was going to do. Granted Thomas hadn't really come up with a good name yet either, but still. That wasn't the point. The point was what was on the line here. No one was going to take him seriously if his name was Spider-

"Thanks a lot, Spider-Monkey!"

"Oh, hey, yeah don't mention it. I was just doing, my- uh, civic duty. Y'know, you gotta- HEY WAIT!" He suddenly stiffened like a board. "No no, you guys got it all wrong. That's not my name. He just called me that. He made it up, you know. He's old. He doesn't know what he's saying. I'm not even a monkey. I'm a guy. I mean, technically people are monkeys, but that's not the point. What I really mean is- I mean- Listen guys, let's just try and-"

A hand on his shoulder.

"YEAOW WOAH!" He jumped and flipped around. He landed right on his ass. In front of her. The Scarlet Spider. Great first impression.

He rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed from his tumble. "Aw, you know it was nothing. It just, you know, looked like you maybe could've used some help, I dunno." As he got up, he got a chance to really take a look at her. The photos online were always so blurry. "First off, I am definitely not Spider-Monkey. Let's nip that in the bud. But yeah I know you... you... Wow. Do you have to paint that costume on or what?"

Oh my god you idiot, it's over.

He slapped his hand over his mouth. Did he really just say that. He didn't just say that. Oh my god, he just said that. "I am so sorry." he said through his hand. "I didn't mean it like that. Geez, that just slipped out. I'm so sorry."

Pack it up. Go home. She's never talking with you again. Better luck next life.

White slots widened even further. Now she was just getting a little self conscious. Was her suit really that tight? Shopping had always been a struggle for her, throughout her entire life even. Or at least just after puberty had hit her like a freight train. Her shirts --the good ones, anyway-- were specially made for her because nothing at the shop ever fit her build properly. Living with balloons for breasts was, simply put, a pain in the ass. Maybe she needed to dumb it down and lessen all the sexual tension that she was giving off. Yeah, maybe what she needed was a large cloth or a cape of some kind to conceal herself.

She allowed the comments to pass, for whatever reason. Not that it was the first time someone had mentioned something about her body. She was used to it by now. "...Yeah. Don't worry about it." Behind the mask, Scarlet Web was cringing. Cringing hard, alright. It took some substantial mental prowess to keep herself from lashing out and aiming a punch at his head.

"Wait, seriously? You don't even have a proper name, yet? Y'know, not that I'm anymore of an expert here than you are, or I mean, I guess maybe I am, but usually that bit comes before the costume. Which by the way... um, plagiarism much?" Her hands moved to her hips.

He wanted to run off and hide right now. He felt like a total asshole. He had to find a way to make it up to her. Did she drink coffee? Maybe he could buy her a coffee or something. No, wait, dumb. That would just seem like a date. He didn't want to be labeled a complete asshole and a creepy stalker all in one day. God.

She had a point about the name though. And the costume. Pretty much everything.

"Uh, yeah... You got me there. It's just, I'm sort of a big fan of your work, and... Well, our powers are really similar. I think they are, anyway... But, yeah, this is just a placeholder, kinda. I dunno. I think you knocked your costume out of the park on the first try, if I'm honest. You definetly shouldn't change it. It, uh, looks great on you!" The remark was followed by an embarassed thumbs up.

He mumbled, "And yeah... I have no clue what to call myself... Everything I come up with sounds dumb..."

She shrugged. "Yeah, I'm not too big a fan of my own name, to tell you the truth. I've considered changing it myself. 'Spidress' just has such a better ring to it. But if I were to change it, well then, it'd change a lot more about me." She shook her head.

"I've been meaning to ask you something else this entire time. Forgive my being so blunt, but do you have any sort of precognitive sensing capability? Like a 'spider-sense' of any kind?"

Really? The fact that she didn't like her name came as a bit of a shock. It seemed to fit so well. It was cool and basically summed up everything she was about. Granted, he webs weren't actually scarlet, but everyone was allowed a little creative license from time to time. Heck, Tom had filled up half a notebook and he still hadn't come up with anything as good as The Scarlet Web.

"I mean, I dunno. I think it sounds really good. But hey, Spidress could really work too. I'm pretty sure you could make either work. You do you, girl." He chuckled, more to shake off his nerves than anything else.

She asked about precognition and Tom was visibly taken aback. Their powers really must have been similar.

"Uh, yeah I do, since you mention it. Sorta like a buzzing in the back of my head mixed with the very beginnings of a bad headache. Uh, why do you ask?" By now he was standing back up on his feet. He'd taken her hand and given it a quick shake. This whole thing was still very surreal.

"Just as I had suspected. Interesting." His frame appeared as a reflection in her white slotted eyes. "I too possess such an ability. I refer to it as my 'spider-sense'. Normally it alerts me of any would be dangers, even if they aren't truly that dangerous at all to begin with. A small child could approach me from behind for an autograph and even that's enough to set off the alarm in my head. Anything I'm not consciously aware of is able to trigger it. And yet you... and him... the two of you simply don't register. Moreover, you don't show up at all."

Her slotted eyes narrowed. "I take it it's the same for you?"

"Oh yeah. 'Spider-sense'. That's a good name for it. I always just called it my 'buzz-buzz' feeling."

How the Hell is she doing that with her eye thingies? Is that plastic? Some weird glass? Ugh, this is gonna bug the crap outta me...

"But, uh, yeah. Mine works pretty similarly. Come to mention it, I didn't really notice you sneak up on me until you tapped me on the shoulder. What's up with that, you think? Maybe because it just knows that we're spiders? Eight-legged friends? Webb-Buddies?

"Also, wow. People really ask you for autographs? What's that like?"

"Something along those lines, yeah. Most probably, anyway. I can't say for certain. It could just be one signal outdoing the other and preventing it from operating correctly. But whatever it is, I plan to find a way around it. And since I don't really have a means to reciprocate the effect, and well, since you're the only other guy that has this ability, I'd like for you to consider working with me. Just until I've grasped a better hold of just why this is happening between us like it is." But of course Hooded Spider was an alternative option. But as far as she knew, he worked alone. Alone, alone. So alone that she wasn't quite sure when she'd see him again, or better yet, if she'd ever see him again.

She reached forward and if allowed, went to grab him by his wrist and raise his arm before him and face his palm up toward the sky. Pointing her finger into his palm, she used a very thin layer of webbing to write her number across his hand. "Make sure no one else sees this. This is for your eyes only, you hear? So get that through that mind of yours."
She took her hands back. "Give me a call whenever you're free and we'll work this out."

And, just as she had come, she had gone, swinging away with the use of her webbing. Leaving him all to himself; leaving him to ponder upon all that had transpired as the cops tossed the Mantis into the backseat of their vehicle and finished collecting the scraps of the broken metal.

"Hey, thanks again for all your help, Spider Monkey," one officer said, patting Thomas on the back.