Chapter Text
Once again, Raya was left aimlessly wandering the quiet streets of Heart listening to listening to the unanswered voice mails from Daya and her Ba. Daya was sympathetic, soft, and worrying, while Benja's seemed less worried and more demanding, but that wasn't unusual for Raya.
Her and Boun had gotten used to his attitude in their crestfallen moments. He'd demand what exactly was bugging them instead of easing it out or telling them to come talk to him whenever they needed. They didn't like it, but the conversation probably wouldn't go anywhere if they brought it up with him, so let it be. And despite not liking it, Raya just couldn't be bothered to be annoyed by it.
She was too drown in the feeling of utter failure to be bothered by anything, even the heavy snow beginning to fall on her, chilling her to the bone even with her hoodie on.
Raya wished she had never won that damned lottery. She never would've found herself in this situation. If she never won some random kid, he would've taken her place while another would get bit. She wanted to change the past more than ever, but it was impossible, so now she's just stuck in this endless loop of expectations and failure.
"Raya?"
She flinched at the sudden hearing of her voice, and she turned to see the source of it.
The source was Virana Fang, who was sitting in her silver car wearing an expression of curiosity and worry. "What are you doing out this late dear, shouldn't you be at school?" She questioned, leaning out her window.
Raya swallowed the lump in her throat, "Oh uh...Hi Ms. Fang," She replied, hating how pathetic she sounded.
"Yeah, I should be, but, um..." Her mind went blank. She didn't have a clue as to what to tell the older woman. She very well couldn't mention her powers or the events that took place just a few hours prior, but she couldn't stay silent forever. "I just needed some... fresh air, I've been a little overwhelmed lately." She finally said.
"But visions is quite away from here," Virana stated, confused.
"I must've taken a wrong turn..."
Virana didn't seem to question her any further and only nodded in understanding, letting Raya let out a small breath of relief. "Why don't you get in so I can drive you back?" She offered, "It's going to start storming in a bit, and I very well can't leave you out here." Raya shook her head, "Oh no, I really couldn't," She replied.
"I don't want to burden you." She replied, making Virana shake her head as well. "It wouldn't be a burden at all, my dear. If I left you out here, I'd worry about you." She moved to unlock her car doors and gestured for Raya to hop in, "I insist."
Raya didn't think she'd get anywhere refusing the offer, so she bowed her head and made way to the passenger seat. "...Thank you ma'am, I appreciate this." Raya told her genuinely, Virana chuckled and began to drive.
"You don't need to be so formal dear, you can just call me Virana."
Raya cracked a small smile that disappeared as quickly as it came. Thankfully, the woman next to her didn't notice. "Okay, Virana."
Raya expected the car ride to be in silence, but Virana seemed to be in a chatty mood and began to go on about how great Raya was and how amazing her accomplishments were. Her music, her art, her creativity...it all impressed, Virana.
"I wished Namaari could be as ambitious as you," She said with a sigh confusing Raya, "She's not?" Raya asked.
The elder shook her head a disappointed expression painting over her features, "No, the only passion she has is for her grades, but that means nothing. She closes herself in her room all day doing nothing while you are out in the world, producing your own music at such a young age. I must say Raya, you are admirable."
Raya didn't know what to say or feel. At one moment, she felt like she was floating away in euphoria from the genuine praise Virana gave her while another felt... sorry. A part of her felt sorry for Namaari.
She didn't want to feel sorry for someone who bad been so rude to her but she couldn't help it, listening to her mother describe how little she does and had little to no passion was just...upsetting for some reason. It wasn't a huge deal, but it was still upsetting all the same.
She let herself take a few moments to think about when they were still friends, and it didn't take long to remember that Namaari didn't actually express any interest in anything other than cats and dragons. As far as Raya knows, Namaari actually had no passion. And that only upset Raya more.
"...Thank you." Raya said while pushing away those thoughts. Virana smiled sweetly at her, but Raya didn't reciprocate.
The rest of the ride was in silence, Raya stared outside her window, watching the bright buildings pass. She felt sick at the thought of stepping foot inside of visions again, still not prepared to face everyone within the walls after all she's done and be crushed under pressure.
She wasn't going back, not until she got herself under control.
She hesitantly turned to Virana, "Actually, could you take me to my aunts place? It's not too far from here." Virana gave her an unreadable look that lasted way longer than what was comfortable before agreeing much to Raya's appreciation.
It was only a few minutes before they reached their destination, Raya quickly exited the car and looked back at Virana.
"Thank you again for this. I appreciate it a lot." She awkwardly thanked sending the woman a half-assed smile. "Of course, dear, anything for you." Virana replied a little too joyously.
They both said their goodbyes before Virana finally drove off while Raya watched. The woman was just as weird as she was back then.
Raya finally forced her body to move down the alley to the outdoor stairway and then climb inside the apartment like before. Shank wasn't home, which Raya had expected since all her calls had gone straight to voicemail, but that didn't stop her plopping herself onto the couch.
She had grown fond of the constant smell of Shanks once awful perfume lingering in the air. It gave her a strange nostalgic feeling that she couldn't quite pinpoint where from. It was still nice, nonetheless, but not nice enough.
Even in one of her comfort spaces, Raya still felt miserable, and with Shank at work, that feeling will only worsen since Raya had no one to talk to. With that in mind, Raya got up and grabbed some random paper and pen, then went back to her previous spot and began to write for her aunt to see.
Dear Aunt Shank,
I have to do something, something big, something I'm not sure I'll be able to do. I'm so sick and tired of letting everyone down, of not reaching their expectations.
I'm scared, auntie. I'm scared, and I feel so lost on what to do right now.
You're the only one I can talk to.
I just wish you were here with me.
She closed her eyes tightly to prevent any tears from falling on the letter. She was tired of crying, of being weak. She dropped the pen onto the table and laid her face in her hands, going over all that had happened hours earlier.
She had their faith. She had their faith right in her hands, and it completely slipped through her fingers like sand. All because she couldn't get up.
The other Hiro was right to be so skeptical. He could probably tell how unfit for the job Raya was just by looking at her!
She took a deep breath to settle herself, but something prevented that, the barely audible sound of footsteps. Her eyes shot over to the window. There was a large shadow forming that she couldn't make out who it belonged to. She waited there silently as the person approached the window.
Metal claws gripped it, the same metal claws the Prowler wore, Raya let out a small gasp before coming her note and hiding as fast as possible. Raya could hear her boot meet the wooden floor from behind the TV set up, she began to hyperventilate as Prowler began making her way further into the room. She pulled her mask back down and hoped to every deity out there she wouldn't be found.
The footsteps momentarily stopped, Raya didn't have enough to wonder what the woman was doing before her head shot behind the TV setup. Her breath was caught in her throat as the other moved in closer, searching around the small area. She couldn't see Raya.
A faint ringing blared from Prowler's ear that was answered hastily, "Hello, Mr. Trinh," She spoke, the voice changer in her mask making her sound deeper than what she was. "I've got the security tapes from the tunnel with me. If the kid is still out there, I'll find her." Raya watched with pursed lips as her hunter stood straight, her eyes grew wide seeing the other's programmable mask fade away into purple particles.
"You know me, sir, I don't ever quit."
Raya couldn't hold her breath in any longer seeing the familiar and beloved face in front of her, the face of the of the woman who she looked up to and held dearly wearing the clothes of her blood thirsty assailant, the beloved face of her Aunt Shank. It felt like her aching heart was going to beat out of her chest, the spike of betrayal and fear stabbing her in it over and over again.
Her breathing was heavy and ragged while her thoughts ran wild, but there was only one Raya could coherently hear.
GET OUT NOW!
She wasted any time, she made her way back over to the window as quickly and quietly as she could, planning to never return back to the complex, but fate would never let her get away that easily. She could feel the stairway shake from Shank's thumping footsteps following after her, Raya looked up and met the eyes of her aunts glowing mask staring down at her.
She leaped herself off the railing and into a wall in which she desperately tried to stick to but to no avail, her body hit the outside dumpster and rolled onto the cold ground but instantly got back on her feet. She heard Prowler land on the same dumpster.
Raya ran down the alley and to the sidewalk stumbling into a few groups of people who shouted at her to watch where she was going she ignored them and kept running.
Raya and several pedestrians barely missed getting hit by Prowler and her motorcycle. Everyone feld in every direction, with Raya fleeing towards a busy road.
She jumped on the pole of a stoplight and leaped to a passing car as Prowler tried to claw her. She leaped onto a truck when she got near the car.
The metal claws tried to strike Raya again but instead sunk into the trucks back compartment, tearing the metal, Prowler pulled her arm, trying to get herself free while Raya crawled over to the front.
Panic was settling in with the drivers and Raya, and many swerved trying to get out of the crossfire while others began speeding. Chaos was boiling.
Prowler finally got her hand free and, without hesitation, slashed the trucks tire, causing an instant flame to erupt. It didn't take long for an intense crash to happen. Raya felt her body move involuntarily, maneuvering itself around the flying vehicles. Raya met her aunts glowing eyes again. She could almost see how cold and bloodthirsty they were behind the mask.
She would never be able to look at those eyes the same again, not without remembering what a cruel monster they work for. Not without remembering that she was an important factor of Tadashi's death.
Not without remembering the utter betrayal.
Her body collided several times into the ground before falling landing in one spot. She covered her head as Prowler's bike flew over her head. She only lifted it once the loud noise of cars crashing stopped. Her eyes frantically searched around her.
The only thing in sight was rolled over vehicle's and people exiting their cars. A man quickly made his way over to her, "You okay, kid?! Are you injured?!" He questioned worriedly, Raya didn't respond. Instead, she got up and continued to run, leaving the mess behind her.
She busted through Cass's door, not caring about what sort of damage she caused. Panicked words flooded out of her mouth as the others gave her astonished looks.
Tadashi tried his best to calm her, but she wasn't having it, "Did you not hear me?! My aunt is trying to kill me!"
"Raya, I understand how you feel, but I need you to calm down—"
"How the hell can you expect me to calm down?!" She yelled, almost nearing a scream. Her question went unanswered as all their senses went off, warning them that danger was approaching.
Raya was followed.
They each swiftly pulled down their masks moments before the door busted open again, this time actually breaking it. "Cozy little home you have here, Cass." Dang Hu said teasingly, making Cass groan, her inflatable arms moved her further inside with Dang Hai and Shan Yu following behind. The man was barely even a man, his skin was gray, and most of his body was replaced mechanical parts from what Raya could assume was a bio-engineering experiment. They were closed in.
The tiny woman looked at Tadashi, noticing the goober around his neck, "Oh, I'll be taking that!" She exclaimed her inflatable arms quickly, attacking him much like before. Her advance led to immediate chaos as Dang Hai and the others began to fight as well while Scorpion approached her. A large intimidating abomination who was likely using his appearance to scare Raya, she wouldn't say it wasn't working, but she didn't want to back down.
The man said nothing as they glared into each other's eyes, Raya wasn't confident enough to believe she was as good as fighting as the others, but she still knew how to fight nonetheless. And if she gets hurt, she has the others to back her up.
He leaped at her, his tail aimed directly for her chest. She instinctively grabbed a couch cushion and blocked it once again, grateful for her new advanced speed. Her back pressed roughly against the tiled floor as he tried to force his tail through, she moved her leg up just enough for her foot to collide with his face and send him stumbling back a bit, Raya quickly took the opportunity to add a few petty punches as he tried to nurse his face.
He groaned lowly and blocked her attempt of another punch. He grabbed her arm and threw her on the couch, sending both her and it backward.
He attempted his previous attack again, but Raya rolled herself out of the way, making the tail pierce through the floor. He gave a dark chuckle, watching her stand and get into a fighting position, "You are a worthy opponent," he said, wiping away the small droplets of blood from his mouth. Raya felt proud of herself seeing him do so, "Thanks, I try my best." She replied in a joking tone.
Their fight continued like that, Shan Yu lunging and Raya dodging or countering with sprinkles of banter that eventually made its way over to the kitchen. And though Shan Yu was slightly impressed at her unexpected skills, he had quite enough of their game.
He pushed her into the wall instead of lunging, his mechanical arm quickly wrapping around her body and painfully squeezing her. She struggled in his grasp, "It is a shame that your skill will die here." He whispered to her, his breath hot against her ear, Raya expected him to end her then and there swiftly, but he didn't. Instead, he just held her there for her real killer. The Prowler.
Raya hadn't noticed her come in. It was like the reports said about her. She was as silent as a cat.
All her previous confidence melted away as she stared her aunt in the eyes again. Everything about her began freaking out. Her vision, her breathing, her heartbeat, her powers, Raya was unstable.
Various memories flashed in her mind, some good times she's shared with Shank when she was younger, and others of all the evil she had committed...
Prowler organizing a heist at the museum and attacking in broad daylight hurting hundreds caught in the crossfire. Prowler murdering two security guards to collect valuable jewels. Prowler robbing and ruining a high-tech shop hospitalizing the shop owner.
Prowler participating in Tadashi's murder.
Something came over Raya, whether it was anger or sadness Raya didn't know, but what she did know was that she wasn't going to let Shank make the mistake of killing her niece.
Prowler was about to take advantage of Raya's frozen state but as soon as she was within arms reach Raya planted both her feet on the others chest and sent her back with an unintentional bio shock, then she slammed her head roughly against Scorpion's forcing him to release her.
She rushed back into the living room, barely avoiding decorations being thrown around, Scorpion followed after her, ready to lunge again, but Hiro and Max attacked him before he could.
The living room didn't even look like a living room anymore, more like an abandoned house raided and trashed by idiotic teenagers. It was an absolute mess.
She could see the goober being tossed around in the air between teammates, everyone losing their grips on it from being bombarded by one another. Brown Recluse caught it with a web after evading an attack from Dang Hai. He struggled keeping it in his hold with the other man doing everything he could to get it.
He elbowed the other in the throat and kicked him to the floor, ready to beat him unconscious, only to get grabbed by an inflatable arm and tossed through a wall and dropping the goober.
Raya expected that a decades long hero would've had the knowledge to keel his grip on a vital item to keep him alive, but she supposes that that's too much to expect in such a chaotic situation.
Tiana and Dr. Dang didn't hesitate to go after the goober, a web and inflatable arm going straight after it, but a third party got it first with another web: Raya.
Dr. Dang and Dang Hai went to get it from her but were distracted by the hits and blows of BW and Tiana but with Hiro busy with Scorpion and Brown Recluse temporarily out of commission there was only one person to go after Raya. The Prowler.
She took a considerable amount of time to recover from her quite literal shock, but now she was back in action like nothing happened.
Raya had two choices, either she ran away from the choas with key or own up and fight her aunt. She didn't want to fight the Prowler for several reasons, the main one being her aunt and others being that her abilities outshine Raya's. Speed, strength, and strategy, Raya didn't stand a chance against her.
So she ran up the stairs it was the only place that didn't have battling superheros, Prowler followed her.
"C'mon kid, don't be stupid!" She shouted, easily grabbing ahold of Raya's ankle. Raya didn't bother responding. She wiggled her ankle out of her hold and sent another kick to her chest, and continued her run while holding back her tears.
It wasn't long before she found herself on the climbing up onto the roof to escape trying her best to ignore the small pain of the roof tiles digging into her skin, once she finally got her full body on it Prowler quickly broke a hole on the other end of the roof and lunged at Raya, grabbing her throat and holding her over the edge. "There's nowhere to run." She said, raising her hand, making Raya take a good look at them to let fear sink in before they slice through her skin.
Raya choked hard, trying her best to move away to breath, but it was useless. Her grip was far too strong. She teared up her vision blurry from lack of oxygen. She wasn't going to die like this. She refused to die like this! Raya tugged her mask up and continued to stare down her aunt, "...Girlie?" Prowler said in disbelief, ripping off her mask to make sure it wasn't her system being faulty.
"Oh no, no, no..." She whispered, heart ripping into two seeing her niece struggling in her hold, everything else she had done coming to mind. She had hunted her niece for days, attempting to kill her for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
She had betrayed her greatest friend, and she wouldn't be able to look at Shank the same way ever again. She was sure of it by the look in her eyes. A silent plea to let her live, begging for her to make the right decision.
Her breathing quickly got ragged, but she had already made up her mind.
She didn't have to give it any thought before she pulled Raya's mask back down. It was an easy decision picking family over her illegal career. Tong would've had to be insane to think she would do the opposite. But that's what he was: insane. An insane man motivated by the possibility of getting his family back when is the one who drove them to their deaths, the thought of his wife and son seeing their beloved as nothing more than a cruel monster was most certainly his downfall.
Just an insane man willing to do anything to change that, that's why he shot Shank, painting her clothes with her blood in front of Raya, who watched frozen in shock.
"No!" She screamed, moving herself near the edge of the roof where Shank laid.
He aimed for Raya, but she didn't give him the chance to land a shot because she was already swinging away with her aunt in her arms, bringing them to a nearby alley.
"Auntie...!"
Namaari was...reluctantly concerned.
She shouldn't have been, but she was, Raya had just disappeared for days and suddenly bardged through the academy doors and sped past the guards. She looked like an utter mess mentally and physically.
Namaari had just assumed that Raya ran off to a friend's house, trying to run away from her obvious academic stress, but now it was clear that her assumption wasn't correct at all.
Namaari didn't know why, but she followed after her, abruptly leaving Atitaya behind. She placed her hand on her shoulder, "Hey!" She exclaimed, making Raya stop and turn, and once she did, Namaari's concern only increased.
Raya's face was red and puffy with dried tears on her cheeks. Her eyes were cold and angry even before Namaari touched her. She just looked so...anguished.
"What," She said.
It didn't even sound like a question, more like a demand. It was then that she realized that she didn't have a plan for she approached her.
Namaari just stood there dumbly, staring at her. What was she doing?
Raya was by far one of the most antagonizing person she had ever come in contact with whether it was directly or not, every time she heard her name she wanted to rip her hair out, and after she embarrassed Namaari with the whole hair incident made those feelings more intense. Her feelings were the whole reason she ended their friendship.
So then why the hell was she willingly standing in front of her?
"If you're going to taunt me, then go away. I'm not in the mood." Raya said roughly, pushing Namaari's hand off her shoulder and turning away, but Namaari grabbed her again. "Seriously, what do you—"
"Here." Namaari said, shoving a spare handkerchief into her chest, leaving the girl speechless.
"It's just..y'know," Namaari made a weird gesture to her face, "For your face since you're - y'know crying and all..." She felt so ridiculous once her stuttering words came out. It was awkward and uncomfortable for Raya to hear her like that. She shook her head, embarrassed, "I don't know, just take it." Namaari scoffed.
And she did, Raya just took the handkerchief and stared at both her and it incredulously.
Raya desperately wanted to question why the hell Namaari was giving her the cloth and why her attitude towards her had completely flipped around within a few days, but she simply just didn't have the energy to, so instead she bowed her head and muttered a small half-assed thanks and quickly left to her dorm using it on the way. She'd remember to return it to that weirdo binturi later.
She placed it on her respective desk once she closed the door and then let out a deep sigh. She knew her life would change significantly but not like this, not with her aunt dying in front of her. And once more, it was her fault.
She revealed her identity without thinking about what would happen afterward, and now Shank was lying dead in a dirty alley way because of her stupid decisions.
Raya didn't think to hesitate. She took one glance at her desk and swiped everything on it off. She grabbed her lamp and threw it into her roommates computer, cracking the screen corner.
She continued to mess up the room with everything she could get her hands on.
Figurines, electronics, books, specifically her artbooks, she looked at them for only a few seconds before she threw each of them out the dorm window one by one. And one by one, they came flying right back with the Spider Gang following soon after.
She frantically wiped away, lingering tears not wanting them to see her like this, "We saw what happened, Raya..." Tadashi told her, his expression was simply nothing more than sympathetic. "We're so sorry..."
She shook her head, dejected, "It's my fault..." She muttered, refusing to meet their eyes. "You guys just wouldn't understand—"
"We're probably the only ones who do understand Raya." Tiana interrupted, "Years of our lives have been consumed by the knowledge of not being able to save everyone. It's the most difficult part of the job."
The most difficult part of a job that she was forced into, she fully believed she would've been fine dying to a black hole as a regular civilian but as a new superhero it was her responsibility to uphold Heart. But why did she have to lose the one person who understood her the best?
...
I know why.
"If I hadn't shown her, then she wouldn't have died." Raya said without a doubt. Of course, there was no doubt, Shank had only gotten shot once Tong saw her pulling her mask back down.
"If you hadn't shown her, then you would've!" Tadashi exclaimed, "You did what you had to do to survive Raya."
She gave him a harsh glare, "I don't want to survive if it means the people I love most die, I did what I did because I wasn't thinking!"
"Being Spiderman means making sacrifices Raya, you wanting to prove yourself that you can be a hero means that you've already sacrificed your old life," Tiana explained, "Now you just have to learn how to make others."
Raya wanted scream and yell at them that their words were utter bullshit, that they were just weak excuses to justify them not saving their loved ones but she didn't speak and although she was mad she had to admit Tiana had a point.
Raya had sacrificed her old life for that of a hero to prove herself capable of being a Spiderwoman. She had refused to let the others stay in her universe because she had already accepted her sacrifice
But why did that mean she would have to accept sacrificing others?
"Raya," Lot started softly looking slum, "We saw the fight you put up back at Cass,' and while you certainly do have potential, you simply just aren't ready for the responsibility."
"What?!" She shouted, "Not ready? What the hell do you mean not ready?!"
Tadashi turned to the others and gestured them back out the window. One by one, they each spared a sad glance at Raya and muttered small goobyes, then they slipped back out, leaving Tadashi and Raya alone.
He sighed, "I've decided to stay behind."
"You... you're what? You're taking me place?"
"It's the best option, Raya. I'm doing what needs to be done," He replied, "We came to say goodbye."
Raya gave him an angry look of betrayal, "What about that wife of yours, whatever the hell her name his, you're just gonna give up in that?"
"Not everything works Raya you know that."
She did, but once more, it was just another weak excuse of his.
"Tong killed my aunt, and you expect me to just sit here and not make him pay? To sit here while you die?"
"Yes," Tadashi said, shooting a web at the spinning desk chair and forcing Raya to sit in it while he restrained her movement. "I do expect that." He walked over to her and took the key out of her coat pocket, and began to leave while Raya struggled.
"If I'm not ready now, then will I know I'm ready?" She exclaimed frantically before being silenced by a web.
"You won't," He told her, putting his mask back on, "It's a leap of faith."
That was the last thing he told her before joining the others and swinging away, Raya scooted closer to the window, hoping praying that they would come back. But they didn't, she waited hours and hours but not once did they come back.
Raya didn't know what she was feeling anymore, just intense feelings boiling up inside her, making relive everything that has happened since her bite. She wanted nothing more than to be a hero now, to prove herself to the others, it didn't matter what whether they thought she was capable or not Raya was still going to try.
She squirmed around in the chair, trying her hardest to break free from the silk makeshift prison. She grunted every time her back was forced against the chairs back cushion again.
She pulled and jostled in the chair to no avail, letting out a huff of frustration she relaxed back into the seat, thinking of others' way to escape. Her thoughts stopped abruptly when a knock came from the locked door.
Raya was startled by it but quickly shook it off and eagerly made her way to the door, hoping it was her roommate.
"Raya, uh, Raya, it's your ba..."
She froze.
Fuck...!
She couldn't have him see her like this. There'd be too many questions too, many lectures and too much explaining with so little time. Raya didn't make any more efforts to go to the door. Instead, she backed away as quietly as possible.
Benja took the lack of response negatively, "Right, you're still ignoring us, that's fine," He said dejectedly "Listen can we just talk for a minute?"
She didn't know what to do. She didn't know whether or not to make a noise and let him know that she's here or stay silent to keep her secret.
Benja continued, "Your Aunt Shank, something— something happened to her..."
It hurt so badly to hear him say that, to hear him holding back his tears.
"I know that I haven't been the best at comforting you and Boun and that I push you too hard but I just— see this amazing spark in you Dewdrop, it's the whole reason I wanted you to attend visions so you can make it brighter."
Raya desperately wanted to open the door for him to hug him and cry together, but she couldn't, so she simply scooted closer to the door and rested her head on it.
Ba...
"But that spark is yours Raya, and whatever you do with it I'll be by your side," He told her genuinely, "Everyday you make me proud and I hope you continue to do so...I love you Raya."
Benja had never been so open and vulnerable with her. He's never been as patient and kind either it was refreshing to hear that side of him at that moment.
She could hear his footsteps grow more and more faint as he walked away from the door, Raya didn't move an inch from her spot, she continued to rest her head on the door replaying his words in her head.
That spark is mine...
She thought over and over, feeling her previous boiling emotions fade away into something more welcomed. Something more complex than she's ever felt before.
Raya wasn't sure just how fast her confidence and inspiration came to her, but she wasn't going to let it go to waste.
She could feel the energy coursing through her as her mind kept replaying his words. She gripped her hands around the silk, letting that energy escape through her fingertips and burn the webs.
Both her and the chair flew opposite directions as the webs made a mess around the room sticking to the walls, Raya stood while looking around giving a small wince for her roommate who would have to walk in and see it.
But the mess could wait right now she had places to be.
She made her way to the window and jumped out, and went the opposite way from where the gang headed. She would go to the collider, but she needed to head to Ms. Cass's place first.
After all, she couldn't fight in a Brown Recluse knockoff, could she?
Surprisingly, the trip there wasn't long when she swung, it had only felt like a three minutes before she was in their backyard and making her way down to Tadashi's supply room where Cass and Hiro waited for her.
"You sure took your sweet time," Hiro joked, already making his way to her with a tray.
Raya gave a small chuckle, "Sorry, I got a little tied up. Literally."
She looked down at the tray to see custom web shooters, "Me and Cass made 'em ourselves while the others were finishing up your suit," He told her proudly letting Raya take and put on the gadgets, "And where is my suit?" She asked.
A tall round white robot similar to the other Hiro's slowly wobbled his way towards her, holding a neatly folded suit.
Raya gave a small thank you to the marshmallow lookalike and took the suit to observe it, the body was completely black besides the calfs, shoulders and forearms that were colored a deep purple with spiderweb designs adoring them, the hips and thighs had strange designs that were probably meant to look like spider fangs but instead looked more like beatle legs, the knuckles of her gloves were the same as the forearms while her fingers were black like the rest of her body. To top it all off, the chest bared a giant purple spider in the middle.
It was a big change from her Brown Recluse suit, but it definitely wasn't a bad one.
Sending the two a wide smile, she bolted behind a nearby desk and began to change. The fabric was stretchy and surprisingly soft, much to her delight.
Within a few minutes, she stood looking down and admiring herself.
I look great!
She thought feeling absolutely ecstatic.
"So," Hiro started, handing her her new mask. "What do you think, Spiderwoman?" She took it, noticing a fixed hole in the top for her hair to flow through. She pulled her hair up into a tight ponytail.
"I think it's time to put Tong in his place."
Tadashi and the gang had only been in the the giant room for a few minutes but everyone was already struggling to stay alive, their glitches only made it more difficult to stay alert of danger, but they each dodged bullets and Dr. Dang's damned arms flailing around by only a few inches.
Tiana and Hiro busied themselves, taking out the gunmen while BW and Lot went on attacking Dr. Dang and Dang Hai are leaving Tadashi to take on scorpion.
The man was by far the most boring enemy Tadashi had taken on. He had fought a variety of magic and science villains, but all that was remarkable of Scorpion was his separating legs.
"You know you have like— no personality, right?" Tadashi taunted, blocking an attempted slash from his claw. It was getting difficult to see with the huge light show happening next to them.
Shan Yu growled in response, not bothering to use his words for someone who he believed was beneath him on all levels. Within time, Tadashi found himself to be quite literally beneath him.
Tadashi had made a wrong move that was followed by a painful glitch that left him vulnerable enough for Scorpion to kick him off his feet and pin him and his legs to the ground, pressing his mechanical claw into his neck making Tadashi choke.
"You pathetic bug are not worth the air you breath." He hissed, lifting his tail up for Tadashi to see. He didn't say anything else before his tail darted for his forehead.
Tadashi tightly shut his eyes, waiting for the feeling of inevitable death to come, but it didn't. He peaked open his eye to see Scorpion struggling to move his tail. Tadashi grew confused seeing the man jerk in random directions groaning in pain.
"Who did that?!" He yelled, agitated.
Tadashi didn't know what to expect, but seeing an unrecognizable figure come flying out of nowhere kicking Scorpion backward was not one of them.
Scorpion practically flew from the force and nearly fell off the platform edge it gave Tadashi enough time to stand and stare. It didn't even take him five seconds before he finally figured out who saved him.
"Raya?" He questioned once the girl looked back at him.
"Damn right, it is!" She shouted practically bursting with adrenaline, "You didn't think I'd actually miss the party, right?"
"I... don't know what I thought, honestly."
Nothing more had to be said once their senses made them duck from a flying car thrown by Scorpion. They both jumped back into battle, taking turns giving blows to the man. Scorpion was getting faster in dodging their joint attacks. He picked Raya up and tossed her to the side like trash before trying his previous attack on Tadashi again.
In the moment of laying on the cracked platform, Raya got the idea to shoot a web to bus and pull it towards him, knocking him off the platform and most likely unconscious.
Talk about easy.
"A warning would've been nice, y'know," yelled Tadashi, who had barely missed the flying bus.
"My bad." Raya replied, not sounding the least bit sorry.
The collider began to grow more unstable the more they continued to fight, the black hole would form within a few minutes if Raya didn't hustle. Looking around, she saw BW swing Hiro away from the now dead Max and Tiana and Lot having a hard time handling DR. Dang.
"Help Tiana and Lot, and I'll deal with the panel!" Raya ordered prepared to swing away before Tadashi grabbed her arm, "Raya seriously I can handle it—" She lifted the key to his face to cut him off, "I know, but I can too." She told him, shrugging him off and swinging away.
He stood there dumbfounded as she just used his first lessons on him without issue. He had never felt more proud of anyone before. Tadashi wanted to cheer her on as she swung and did unnecessary air tricks, but he had to follow the order given to him.
He went over to Tiana, who was taking cover from the inflatable arms, "What's the plan?" He asked, making her give him an incredulous look.
"The old bag isn't budging. it's almost like she's invincible. You really didn't make up one on the way over?!" She replied. Tadashi shrugged, "A surprising turn of events happened that distracted me, Raya is here—"
"RAYA IS HERE?!" Tiana shouted in disbelief poking her head out of her hiding spot to look around for the girl, "Yes but right now, let's worry about Dr. Dang!" Tadashi scolded.
"Right, of course."
Tadashi poked his head out doing his best to analyze the situation, Lot was doing everything in his power in distracting the lady while utter chaos spread from the collider, buildings crashing into one another cars and busses flying through the air.
They hoped Raya would reach the panel soon.
"What if we push her into the collapsing buildings?" He suggested pointing to a potential opening, Tiana nodded in consideration. "How will we get that to work, though?"
"Well...threading the needle would probably work the best, right?"
If they could get her inflatable under control, then it'd be an easy opportunity to pull her through the center and leave her in the collapsed mess.
"An idea dumb enough that it'll work, you take the left, and I'll take the right!"
And just like that, they were back in action flying around, dodging the arms with precision and sticking them to medal walls, BW and Lot caught on quickly, and soon BW was joining Lot in distracting the doctor.
With a human on his side, Lot decided to aim for her face when BW slammed into her side.
"Get off of me, you damned feline!" She screamed, struggling to get the serlot to release his grip in her skin. "I thought a witch like you would like cats!" Lot hissed offended.
Tiana shot the last of her arms in a bunch and shouted for Tadashi to do his thing while her and BW forced the buildings to collapse over her.
They both quickly took their positions as Tadashi and Lot stuck webs on her back and darted towards the opening in the buildings, pulling her through.
Tiana threw cars through her building easily making the top collapse into the other, she could see metal fragments of the walls rip off with the inflatable arms as she was forced into the collision letting out a barely audible scream. Lot and Tadashi came out moments later, giving her a thumbs up, Tiana just hoped they didn't actually kill her.
"Hey, I got the panel up! Everyone get up here!" Raya shouted, her voice echoing off the walls. The gang didn't waste time swinging up there, getting a good look at the girl. "You got quite the upgrade, didn't you?" Tiana joked, earning a chuckle from the other girl.
"I did, much more comfortable than the other one. Does it look good?"
"Very." Tiana replied, genuinely making Raya smile under her mask. She turned her attention back to the panel.
"Okay, the first portal is BW's,"
The man sighed letting Hiro climb off his back to the metal walls, "The time I've spent here as been, well...awful but I'm glad I got to meet you all" He told them holding up one of Raya's art books, "I'm taking this with me, bye."
Before Raya could protest, the man was already falling down into the collider and back into his universe.
Great, that's lovely.
She thought a little annoyed.
Raya signaled to Hiro silently, telling him he was next. The boy gave her a proud smirk. "I gotta admit you're not as bad as I thought you would be Raya, I didn't expect you to pull through."
"Well, I'm full of surprises," She said, giving him a light punch to his shoulder, much like she does to Boun. He laughed a little, "Yeah, definitely, thanks for everything. See ya!" He let go off the walls with a small salute and fell into the collider.
Lot took the time to hand Raya a mouse cat toy, "A gift for one of my favorite humans!" He exclaimed, giving a small pur to the pets she gave him.
"I'll keep it safe." Raya promises with a wide smile booping the serlot's nose, Lot didn't say anything else before he jumped back home too.
She looked at Tadashi and Tiana, her first two teammates, and the last two to say their goodbyes.
They shared a small moment of silence staring at one another, reminiscing about their moments before they shared a tight group hug. It was nice knowing that after all they went through with their job that they weren't alone and there were many people out there like them.
wanted the moment to last longer, but there was no time for that. They forced themselves to let go of one another.
"I'm gonna miss having other spiders around..." Tadashi said, sulking. Tiana and Raya nodded in agreement.
"Me too, but I'm happy for the time I got to spend with you guys," Tiana replied, glancing around at the chaos around them. They had to hurry.
"I'm happy knowing that we're not alone, and I promise not to forget you guys." She told them, holding her hand to her heart as a sign of a promis before she finally let herself fall with Tadashi and Raya staring down at her before back at each other.
"I'm proud of you, kiddo," He said, pulling her in another hug. He was about to say something else before a loud yell erupted from the one person Raya nearly forgot about: Tong.
"You're not going anywhere!"
Tadashi readied himself for battle, but Raya immediately stopped him from jumping in, "I can handle it. You just worry about getting home!"
"But I can't leave and let you die—"
"Neither can I Tadashi, I promise you it's okay."
Tadashi didn't want to go. He didn't want to face his mistakes again. He didn't want to enter a world where he failed at everything. "How do I know I won't screw everything up again?" He asked sadly, "You won't," Raya told him, "It's a leap of faith."
Tadashi didn't get the chance to respond before Raya pushed him off the metal walls, making him unwilling fall into the collider. With another flash of color, he was gone, leaving Raya on her own with Tong.
She leaped off the walls onto a bridge that made its way up from the collider.
"Tong!"
Their fight was tense and long, both of them nearly not making it out alive with everything going on around them.
Her head ached immensely while her ears rang still not fully recovered from Tong banging his head into hers and making it slam into the pavement. If it weren't for some random cop encouraging her to get up, she'd have died then and there. But she didn't.
Instead, she gave Tong a bio-shock, forcing him to fly backward, and then she flung him into the panel, finally completing her main goal.
And now here she was hanging the man in the air with her webs as thick fog surrounded them, a perfect restraint that would be mixed with humiliation once seen by the public.
"You pesty bug..!" He growled at her, trying to break free to no avail.
"If anyone is a pest here, it's you. You couldn't have actually thought I'd let you get away with killing my mentor, did you?" She taunted, drawing on a spare piece of paper from a destroyed building while hanging off his back as if he was giving her a piggyback ride.
"I'd never let that happen, especially after everything else you pulled." She told nonchalantly, sticking the paper to his chest and fleeing before he could utter another word. "See ya, you burly bastard!" She shouted from the sky, catching the attention of civilians from below.
Raya enjoyed the shocked and cheerful noises from the people below who stared in awe at her. She could hear them shout questions at her.
If she was Heart's new permanent hero, what happened in Trinh Tower, and who was responsible. Raya only answered the last one. She perched herself sideways on the wall of another building, "Look behind you!" She shouted, pointing to the fog she came from.
Raya grinned in delight as the helicopter lights landed right on the murderer giving everyone a clear view of her note.
From your friendly neighborhood, Madam Druun.
Okay, let's do this one last time, for real this time. My name is Raya Oliva Heart, I was bitten by a radioactive spider and for the last like three days I've been the one and only Spiderwoman or what I like to call myself Madam Druun or y'know Druun Spider.
I finally finished writing my song lyrics, made a memorial of my aunt with my brother Boun in the underground terminal, finally met my roommate Sisu an absolute wild card, and I finished that ridiculous essay.
My life has changed forever and while some changes are definitely not welcomed I'm more than excited to move forward in my new job of projecting the city and if things get hard I'll remember those who are like me and remember that I'm not alone.
And though I've kept my promise to Tadashi about destroying the collider and saving the city, I'll continue to fulfill his beloved job until I utter my last breath.
Because I'm Spiderwoman.