Chapter Text
LOMEDY POV
Lomedy woke up because someone was yelling about a garden.
He did not know why.
He did not particularly care why.
He only knew that it was far too early for anyone to be yelling about anything.
Especially not a garden.
Especially not in this tone.
"I'M TELLING YOU, WE HAVE A GARDEN!"
Lomedy opened his eyes.
Silence followed.
Then:
"I CAN FEEL IT CALLING ME!"
Lomedy stared at the ceiling.
"...What?"
Another voice answered from somewhere downstairs.
"THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD GO INTO IT!"
"WHY NOT?"
"BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE IT IS!"
"I'LL FIND IT!"
Lomedy closed his eyes again.
No.
Absolutely not.
He was going back to sleep.
He pulled the blanket over his head.
Three seconds passed.
A loud crash shook the hallway.
Lomedy opened his eyes again.
"Of course."
He climbed out of bed.
The mansion looked strangely peaceful from his doorway.
That should have been his first warning.
The hallway was empty.
No one running.
No one yelling.
No one arguing.
No Theo doing something that would eventually require Parrot to explain why it was a bad idea.
Nothing.
Lomedy slowly stepped into the hallway.
"Hello?"
No answer.
He took another step.
Still nothing.
He looked down the stairs.
The silence continued.
Lomedy narrowed his eyes.
This wasn't normal.
The mansion was never this quiet.
Not in the morning.
Not ever.
Then he heard whispering.
Lomedy froze.
It was coming from downstairs.
He leaned over the railing.
Three people were standing in the entrance hall.
Mapicc.
Jaden.
And Ferre.
They were staring at something.
Lomedy couldn't see what.
He listened.
"...I'm telling you, that's not mine."
"It literally has your name on it."
"That's because someone wrote my name on it."
"Why would someone do that?"
"To frame me."
Jaden sighed.
"Who would frame you?"
"I don't know."
"That's convenient."
"Thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment."
Lomedy walked down the stairs.
All three looked over.
"Morning."
"Morning," Jaden said.
Ferre nodded.
Mapicc waved.
Lomedy looked at the object they were arguing over.
It was a shoe.
Just one.
"Why are you investigating a shoe?"
Mapicc pointed at it.
"Evidence."
"Of what?"
"Don't know yet."
Lomedy stared.
"Right."
Jaden picked it up.
"It's probably someone's shoe."
"Exactly what they want you to think."
Lomedy looked at Mapicc.
"Who is 'they'?"
Mapicc opened his mouth.
Paused.
"...Still investigating that."
Lomedy nodded.
"Good luck."
He continued toward the kitchen.
He made it approximately four steps.
Then something shot past him.
Lomedy jumped backward.
"WHAT WAS THAT?"
"WEMMBU!"
Wemmbu sprinted down the hallway.
Behind him came Flame.
"GET BACK HERE!"
"NO!"
"YOU TOOK IT!"
"I DIDN'T!"
"YOU'RE LITERALLY HOLDING IT!"
Lomedy watched Wemmbu disappear around the corner.
Flame followed.
Then came silence.
Lomedy stared after them.
Jaden appeared beside him.
"Morning."
Lomedy pointed down the hallway.
"What was that?"
Jaden shrugged.
"Breakfast."
"How is that breakfast?"
"I don't know."
The kitchen was worse.
Much worse.
Mane was sitting at the table.
Eating.
Of course.
Spoke was sitting beside him, staring at his food as though it had personally offended him.
Parrot was standing at the counter.
Theo was standing beside Parrot.
Clown was standing on a chair.
Lomedy stopped.
"Why are you on the chair?"
Clown looked down.
"I need a better angle."
"For what?"
Clown pointed upward.
There was absolutely nothing on the ceiling.
Lomedy stared.
"There's nothing there."
"I know."
"Then why are you looking?"
"I'm hoping something appears."
Lomedy slowly turned toward Parrot.
"What's happening?"
Parrot sighed.
"I stopped asking."
Theo nodded.
"That's what I've been telling him."
Parrot immediately turned.
"No, you haven't."
"I have."
"You asked me twelve questions."
"That's different."
Lomedy sat down.
He was hungry.
He had made one mistake.
He had assumed that eating breakfast would be simple.
It wasn't.
Mane reached across the table.
Lomedy moved his plate away.
Mane stopped.
"I wasn't taking it."
"You were looking at it."
"I can look at food."
"You were reaching."
"I was stretching."
"Toward my plate?"
Mane nodded.
"Good stretch."
Lomedy stared at him.
Mane smiled.
Then reached for something else.
Spoke watched the interaction.
"You know you can just ask for food."
Mane looked at him.
"I want his."
"Why?"
"Because it looks better."
"It's the same food."
"It looks better."
Lomedy looked down.
It was, in fact, the same food.
"You're unbelievable."
Mane shrugged.
"Thank you."
The front door opened.
Ferre walked in carrying something.
Everyone looked over.
"What's that?"
Ferre held up a bag.
"Nothing."
Lomedy raised an eyebrow.
"That's clearly something."
"It's breakfast."
"Why is it in a hospital bag?"
Ferre paused.
"...Long story."
Nobody questioned him.
Not because they weren't curious.
Because with this group, there was a point where asking questions only created more questions.
The next second, Flame rushed into the kitchen mumbling something.
''Good Morning''
Lomedy beamed.
But Flame ignored him and grabbed a knife.
''BRO, IF YOU GENUINELY DON'T GIVE IT BACK, I WILL, I WILL STAB YOU!''
Lomedy looked towards Wemmbu, whose face changed color.
''AYE, we can talk about this''
Too late, Flame was already sprinting at him, and out into the hallway.
''...''
''Should we stop this?''
Lomedy asked, looking terrified.
''Nah, this is top-tier entertainment ''
Mapic responded.
Then someone yelled from upstairs.
"I FOUND IT!"
Everyone froze.
Mapic shouted back.
"FOUND WHAT?"
"My shirt!"
"WHY WAS IT UPSTAIRS?"
"I DON'T KNOW!"
"WHO HAD IT?"
"I DON'T KNOW!"
"THEN HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU FOUND IT?"
Silence.
Then:
"...I DON'T!"
Mapicc looked at Lomedy.
Lomedy looked at Mapicc.
"This place is doomed."
"Probably."
A few minutes later, everyone was finally eating.
For approximately thirty seconds.
It was almost peaceful.
Almost.
Then Theo looked at the microwave.
Parrot immediately noticed.
"No."
Theo looked at him.
"I didn't say anything."
"You looked at it."
"So?"
"I know that look."
"What look?"
"The look you get before doing something stupid."
Theo looked offended.
"I don't have a look."
"You absolutely have a look."
Lomedy watched the exchange.
"What were you planning?"
Theo hesitated.
"Nothing."
Parrot narrowed his eyes.
Theo looked away.
"Nothing dangerous."
"THEO."
"Okay, fine!"
He threw his hands up.
"I was wondering what would happen if you put eggs in a microwave."
The entire kitchen went silent.
Lomedy slowly put down his fork.
"...Why?"
Theo shrugged.
"Science."
Parrot immediately grabbed the microwave plug.
"No."
"But—"
"No."
"What if—"
"No."
"I just wanted to know."
"Then read about it."
"But that's less fun."
"Exactly."
Clown finally climbed off the chair.
"Can we go to school now?"
Everyone looked at him.
"Why?"
"I want to leave before something else explodes."
Theo looked offended.
"Nothing exploded."
"Yet."
The word yet seemed to summon chaos.
Mane stood up.
"Has anyone seen my bag?"
Spoke looked at him.
"You're holding it."
Mane looked down.
He was.
"...Oh."
Wemmbu started laughing.
Flame immediately joined.
Mane pointed at them.
"Don't."
Wemmbu tried to stop laughing.
He failed.
Flame leaned against the counter.
"Bro, you searched the entire kitchen for a bag you're literally holding."
Mane stared at him.
"I was checking."
"Checking what?"
"That it was there."
"While holding it?"
"Yes."
Lomedy covered his face.
"This is going to be a long day."
Eventually, somehow, everyone was ready.
Bags.
Shoes.
Phones.
Homework.
The things they remembered to bring.
The things they forgot.
The things they thought someone else had packed.
Normal morning problems.
Except there was something different underneath it all.
Lomedy noticed it.
People were tired.
Not ordinary tired.
The kind of tired that made people pause in the middle of sentences.
Mane was quieter.
Wemmbu looked like he had barely slept.
Flame wasn't much better.
Spoke was somehow energetic, but that was Spoke.
Clown kept yawning.
Even Parrot looked exhausted.
Lomedy frowned.
"What did you guys even do last night?"
Seven people went still.
Only for a second.
But Lomedy noticed.
Then Wemmbu shrugged.
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Yeah."
"That's believable."
"Thanks."
"Again, not a compliment."
Jaden walked past them.
"Come on. We're going to be late."
That broke the tension.
Everyone started moving.
Lomedy grabbed his bag.
He stepped outside.
The morning air was cold.
The mansion door closed behind them.
For a moment, the chaos faded.
The group began walking toward campus.
Lomedy looked back at the mansion.
Something about the morning felt strange.
Not bad.
Just...
Different.
He couldn't explain it.
Maybe everyone was simply exhausted.
Maybe everyone had secrets.
Maybe he was overthinking.
Probably.
"Hey, Lomedy."
He looked over.
Jaden was walking beside him.
"You coming?"
"Yeah."
Lomedy smiled faintly.
Then turned toward the road ahead.
The school day was beginning.
And none of them had any idea that before the day was over, their secrets were going to start getting much harder to keep.
KENADIAN POV
Kenadian had learned several things since the whole potion incident.
The first was that apparently drinking something everyone thought was water could completely ruin the concept of a normal week.
The second was that superheroes were considerably less impressive when you knew what they looked like while arguing over breakfast.
The third was that helping design seven superhero costumes did not mean the seven superheroes would actually remember to hide them properly.
The fourth was that Minute was currently walking across campus with part of his costume sticking out of his bag.
Kenadian stared.
Then stared harder.
A piece of black material protruded from the unzipped section of the bag.
There was a small spider emblem on it.
Kenadian sighed.
"Minute."
Minute turned.
"Yes?"
"Your bag."
Minute looked down.
He stopped.
"..."
Kenadian raised an eyebrow.
Minute calmly pushed the costume back inside.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
A pause.
"Would you like to zip it?"
Minute looked down again.
The zipper was still open.
"...Yes."
He zipped it.
Kenadian nodded.
"Much better."
Minute adjusted the strap.
"I was distracted."
"Clearly."
Minute continued walking.
Kenadian followed.
"You know, considering I helped make that, I feel like I shouldn't have to remind you to hide it."
"I know."
"And considering the entire point of secret identities..."
"I know."
"And considering you are currently carrying a superhero costume through a university..."
"I know."
Kenadian smiled.
"Just checking."
Minute looked at him.
"You enjoy this."
"A little."
"Unfortunate."
They entered the building together.
The hallway was crowded.
Students were rushing toward lectures.
Professors were already walking around with coffee.
Someone was sprinting toward a classroom while holding a stack of papers that was actively falling apart.
Kenadian stepped aside.
The student ran past.
One sheet landed at his feet.
He picked it up.
"Hey!"
The student turned.
Kenadian held it out.
"You're missing something."
"Thanks!"
The student ran away again.
Minute watched.
"Efficient."
"He's going to lose the rest of them in thirty seconds."
"Probably."
They reached the lecture hall.
Several people were already inside.
Clown was sitting near the middle.
Ferre was beside him.
Minute took a seat.
Kenadian sat a few rows behind.
He glanced around.
Wemmbu wasn't there.
Flame wasn't there either.
That was probably good.
The professor walked in.
"Good morning."
A scattered chorus of greetings answered.
Kenadian pulled out his notebook.
The lecture began.
For the first fifteen minutes, everything was normal.
Then the door opened.
Wemmbu walked in.
Late.
Very late.
The professor stopped.
Wemmbu froze.
The room went quiet.
"You're late."
Wemmbu nodded.
"Yeah."
"Would you like to explain?"
"No."
A few people laughed.
The professor stared at him.
"Take a seat."
Wemmbu walked in.
He passed Kenadian.
Kenadian whispered:
"Rough morning?"
Wemmbu glanced over.
"You don't want to know."
Kenadian smiled.
"Probably not."
Wemmbu sat down.
Five minutes later, Flame walked in.
Kenadian looked at the clock.
Then at Flame.
Then at the professor.
The professor looked at Flame.
Flame stopped.
"Sorry."
The professor pointed toward the empty seat.
"Sit."
Flame nodded.
He walked over.
There was only one empty seat.
Beside Wemmbu.
Kenadian saw Wemmbu look at him.
Flame looked at the seat.
Then at Wemmbu.
Wemmbu moved his bag.
Flame sat down.
For several seconds, everything was fine.
Then Flame whispered:
"You moved my bag."
Wemmbu didn't look at him.
"No."
"You did."
"I didn't."
"You were the last person near it."
"So?"
"So you moved it."
"I didn't."
Flame stared at him.
Wemmbu finally looked over.
"What?"
"You moved it."
"I didn't."
"You did."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
Kenadian watched from a few rows away.
He knew these two.
He knew that this was not going to remain quiet.
The professor continued talking.
Flame leaned closer.
"You seriously aren't going to admit it?"
"There is nothing to admit."
"Bro."
"What?"
"You moved it."
"I didn't."
"Why are you lying?"
"I'm not lying."
"Then swear."
Wemmbu rolled his eyes.
"I swear."
Flame narrowed his eyes.
"You swear?"
"Yes."
"Fine."
Silence.
The professor continued.
Ten seconds.
Twenty.
Thirty.
Then Flame whispered:
"You're still lying."
Wemmbu turned.
"Can you shut up?"
Flame stared at him.
"Make me."
Kenadian's eyebrows rose.
Oh.
That was a mistake.
Wemmbu leaned closer.
"What did you say?"
"You heard me."
"Yeah."
"Good."
"Say it again."
Flame did.
"Make me."
Wemmbu shoved his shoulder.
Not hard.
But enough.
Flame immediately shoved him back.
The professor stopped talking.
The room went silent.
"Enough."
Neither listened.
Wemmbu pushed him again.
Flame grabbed his arm.
"Don't."
"Then stop."
"You started it."
"You did!"
Flame shoved him backward.
Wemmbu stood.
The chair scraped violently against the floor.
Several students jumped.
Kenadian stood too.
"Guys."
Neither heard him.
Wemmbu swung.
Flame ducked.
The punch missed.
"HEY!"
The professor shouted.
Flame grabbed Wemmbu's shoulder and shoved him sideways.
Wemmbu stumbled into a desk.
The desk moved.
Someone yelled.
"STOP!"
Wemmbu recovered.
He lunged.
Flame caught him.
They crashed into another row of desks.
Books hit the floor.
Someone screamed.
Kenadian moved forward.
"Okay, that's enough!"
He grabbed Wemmbu's arm.
Another student grabbed Flame.
The professor came around the desk.
"What is wrong with you two?!"
Wemmbu was breathing hard.
"He—"
Flame pointed.
"He started it!"
"You shoved me first!"
"You shoved me!"
"You—"
"ENOUGH!"
The professor's voice cut through the room.
Both stopped.
The entire lecture hall was silent.
Kenadian looked at the two of them.
Wemmbu's hair was messed up.
Flame's shirt was crooked.
A chair was sideways.
Several papers were scattered across the floor.
One desk had moved nearly a meter.
Kenadian sighed.
"Well."
Clown looked at him.
"Well what?"
Kenadian gestured toward the disaster.
"They've been awake for maybe two hours."
Clown nodded.
"That's impressive."
The professor pointed toward the door.
"Both of you. Outside."
Wemmbu opened his mouth.
The professor raised a hand.
"Do not."
Wemmbu closed his mouth.
Flame looked at him.
"You started it."
Wemmbu glared.
"Keep talking."
"Outside."
The professor pointed again.
They left.
Kenadian watched them disappear.
Wato leaned over.
"Do they do this often?"
Kenadian shook his head.
"Not usually."
Wifies looked thoughtful.
"Should we be worried?"
Kenadian glanced toward the destroyed row of desks.
"Probably."
The lecture continued.
Barely.
Nobody was paying attention anymore.
Kenadian noticed Minute looking toward the door.
He wasn't laughing.
He looked concerned.
That was unusual.
Kenadian leaned forward.
"You think they're going to do it again?"
Minute looked at him.
"Probably."
"That's reassuring."
"I wasn't trying to reassure you."
"You're very good at that."
Minute went back to his notes.
Eventually, the lecture ended.
Students poured into the hallway.
Kenadian walked outside.
Wemmbu and Flame were standing several meters apart.
Neither looked happy.
Parrot had apparently found them.
He was standing between them.
"Nobody is fighting."
Flame crossed his arms.
"I'm not fighting."
Wemmbu nodded.
"Neither am I."
Parrot looked between them.
"Good."
A pause.
Wemmbu looked at Flame.
"He started it."
Flame's eye twitched.
Parrot immediately pointed at both.
"No."
Kenadian laughed.
Parrot looked over.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You were laughing."
"I was."
"Why?"
Kenadian gestured toward them.
"It's just..."
He shook his head.
"Nothing."
The group eventually started walking across campus.
Kenadian walked with them for a while.
The conversation shifted rapidly.
Homework.
Professors.
Food.
The fight.
The fight again.
Apparently nobody could stop discussing the fight.
Clown reenacted one of the punches.
Ferre corrected him.
Wemmbu said Ferre was wrong.
Flame said everyone was wrong.
Parrot threatened to leave.
Kenadian laughed.
It was normal.
Chaotic.
Ridiculous.
And completely disconnected from what Kenadian actually knew.
Because he knew about the costumes.
He knew about the powers.
He knew the seven had started experimenting.
He knew they had been out at night.
What he didn't know...
Was how far they'd gotten.
And whether they'd figured out that they weren't alone.
His phone buzzed.
Kenadian checked it.
A news notification.
Another hero sighting.
Then another.
Seven names appeared across the screen.
Lionheart.
Inferno.
Spyglass.
Jester.
The Void.
Gambit.
Guardian.
Kenadian looked up.
Around him were several of the people connected to those names.
He smiled to himself.
The secret was almost funny.
Almost.
Then Minute walked past him.
Kenadian glanced at the bag.
The zipper was closed this time.
"Better."
Minute looked over.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Minute narrowed his eyes.
Kenadian smiled.
"Keep walking."
Minute did.
And Kenadian followed.
Whatever was happening with those seven...
It was getting interesting.
BOOSFER POV
#
Boosfer had been staring at his computer for nearly twenty minutes.
The cursor blinked.
He stared at it.
It blinked again.
He stared harder.
Nothing happened.
His document remained painfully empty.
Boosfer leaned back in his chair.
"Come on."
Nothing.
He opened another document.
Still nothing.
Another.
Nothing.
He opened his notes.
There were seventeen unfinished video ideas.
He read through them.
"I survived one hundred days with no tools."
Already done.
"I let my friends choose what I eat for twenty-four hours."
Already done.
"I built the world's worst house."
Done.
"I made my friends play the most cursed minigame possible."
Also done.
Boosfer groaned.
He needed something new.
Something stupid.
Something that would make his friends hate him.
His eyes narrowed.
Then slowly widened.
He sat upright.
"...Escape room."
He stared at the wall.
A smile appeared.
Not a normal escape room.
A useless one.
An escape room with puzzles that looked solvable but weren't.
Clues that contradicted each other.
Locks that opened things containing more locks.
Doors that led nowhere.
Buttons that did absolutely nothing.
A room designed around one simple principle:
**Nobody was getting out unless Boosfer decided they were getting out.**
His smile grew.
"Oh, this is going to be terrible."
He grabbed his phone.
---
The common room was quieter than usual.
That wasn't unusual anymore.
The seven had been disappearing constantly.
Boosfer had noticed.
Everyone had.
They would leave around the same time.
They would return at different times.
Sometimes they were exhausted.
Sometimes they were covered in dirt.
Sometimes they looked like they had just run several kilometers for no identifiable reason.
And every time someone asked where they'd been, the answer was some variation of:
"Out."
Boosfer had stopped asking.
He walked into the room.
Mapicc was sitting on the couch.
Ferre was beside him.
Eggchan was reading.
Lomedy was working on something.
Jaden was staring at his phone.
Theo was sitting in an armchair.
Boosfer looked around.
"Perfect."
Mapicc looked up.
"That sounded threatening."
"It wasn't."
"It sounded threatening."
Boosfer ignored him.
"I have a video idea."
Eggchan immediately looked suspicious.
"No."
"You don't even know what it is."
"I know you."
"That's fair."
Boosfer grinned.
"Escape room."
Wato looked up.
"How bad?"
"Very."
Ferre sighed.
"I'm listening."
Boosfer pointed at him.
"Excellent."
---
### The Title
Boosfer stood in front of his camera.
Behind him was a completely ordinary-looking door.
He looked directly into the lens.
"Today, I locked seven of my friends in a completely useless escape room."
He paused dramatically.
"There is one problem."
He pointed toward the door.
"They have absolutely no idea how to get out."
He grinned.
"And neither do I."
He turned toward the camera operator.
"Technically."
The camera operator laughed.
Boosfer pointed at the screen.
"Keep that."
---
The six were brought into the room.
Mapicc entered first.
Then Ferre.
Eggchan.
Lomedy.
Jaden.
Theo.
They all looked around.
The room was almost disappointingly normal.
A table.
A bookshelf.
A clock.
Several paintings.
A locked chest.
A keypad.
Three chairs.
A small cabinet.
And one door.
Mapicc looked at Boosfer.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"Where's the puzzle?"
Boosfer smiled.
"You're standing in it."
Mapicc stared at the room.
"...I already hate this."
Boosfer stepped backward.
"Good luck."
The door shut.
The lock clicked.
The six stared at it.
Boosfer's voice came through the speaker.
"You have one hour."
Ferre looked toward the ceiling.
"He's going to regret this."
Boosfer laughed through the speaker.
"No, I'm not."
Eggchan frowned.
"Can he hear us?"
"Yes."
"That's annoying."
"Thank you."
---
## Mapicc
Mapicc walked straight toward the door.
He examined the handle.
The hinges.
The frame.
The lock.
Nothing.
He knocked on the door.
"Boosfer."
No answer.
"Boosfer."
Still nothing.
He knocked again.
"Boosfer."
The speaker crackled.
"What?"
"Open the door."
"No."
Mapicc stared at the speaker.
"You built an escape room where the person outside controls the door?"
"Correct."
"That's cheating."
"Correct."
Mapicc turned around.
"I hate this."
Ferre nodded.
"Same."
Mapicc walked toward the table.
There was a piece of paper.
He picked it up.
It contained a riddle.
He read it aloud.
*"I have keys but no locks, I have space but no room, you can enter but cannot go inside. What am I?"*
Eggchan immediately answered.
"A keyboard."
Everyone looked at him.
Mapicc turned toward the keypad.
"So we need a keyboard?"
Theo pointed.
"There's one."
Everyone looked.
A tiny keyboard sat inside the cabinet.
Mapicc opened it.
Inside was another note.
He read it.
*"Wrong."*
Silence.
Mapicc stared at the paper.
Then at the keyboard.
Then at the camera.
"Boosfer."
The speaker crackled.
"Yes?"
"I'm going to find you."
Boosfer laughed.
---
## Ferre
Ferre had decided the room was lying.
Not metaphorically.
Literally.
Every object was suspicious.
He inspected the paintings.
Nothing.
The clock.
Nothing.
The chairs.
Nothing.
The bookshelf.
Nothing.
The floor.
Nothing.
He crouched.
Tapped it.
Solid.
He tapped again.
Nothing.
Mapicc looked over.
"Find anything?"
"No."
"Try harder."
Ferre looked at him.
"I'm tapping a floor."
"Exactly."
"That's your strategy?"
"Maybe."
Ferre sighed.
He stood.
Then noticed something.
The clock.
It wasn't showing the correct time.
He walked over.
"Wait."
Everyone turned.
"What?"
"The clock is wrong."
Eggchan looked at it.
"By how much?"
"Seven minutes."
Mapicc's eyes lit up.
"Seven."
Jaden frowned.
"Why seven?"
"Because Boosfer likes stupid patterns."
They began searching for the number seven.
They found it everywhere.
Seven books.
Seven symbols.
Seven scratches on the table.
Seven buttons.
Ferre smiled.
"We got it."
They pressed the seventh button.
A compartment opened.
Everyone cheered.
Inside was...
A single sock.
Ferre stared.
"..."
Theo picked it up.
"Is this yours?"
"No."
Mapicc looked at the ceiling.
"BOOSFER!"
Laughter came through the speaker.
Ferre threw the sock at the camera.
---
## Eggchan
Eggchan had stopped looking for clues.
He was watching everyone else.
Mapicc was getting increasingly annoyed.
Ferre was trying to find a logical pattern.
Lomedy was examining the bookshelf.
Jaden was staring at the keypad.
Theo was holding the cursed sock.
Eggchan looked around.
The room was designed to make them search.
That was the trick.
Every puzzle led to another puzzle.
Every answer created another question.
So what if the room wasn't actually asking them to solve anything?
Eggchan looked at the camera.
"You just want footage of us getting frustrated."
Silence.
He smiled.
"That's it."
Mapicc turned.
"What?"
"He doesn't care if we escape."
Ferre nodded slowly.
"He's filming."
Eggchamiled.
"So we're not supposed to escape."
"No."
Everyone looked at him.
Eggchan shrugged.
"Then let's ruin the video."
Mapn pointed toward the camera.
"The room is the joke."
The speaker crackled.
Boosfer's voice came through.
"...Maybe."
Eggchan sicc grinned.
"Oh."
Ferre smiled.
"I like that."
---
For the next ten minutes, nobody solved anything.
They sat down.
They talked.
They ate the snacks they had brought in.
They discussed everything except the escape room.
Boosfer's voice came through the speaker.
"Are you guys seriously giving up?"
Mapicc looked at the camera.
"No."
"Then why aren't you doing anything?"
"We're thinking."
"About?"
"Life."
Boosfer was silent.
Eggchan smiled.
"We're making your video boring."
Boosfer immediately shouted through the speaker.
"GET BACK TO WORK!"
Everyone burst out laughing.
---
## Lomedy
Lomedy had been staring at the bookshelf for a while.
Something was bothering him.
There were twenty-four books.
He counted them again.
Twenty-four.
He looked at the titles.
Some were normal.
Some were ridiculous.
One was titled:
**How to Escape an Escape Room**
Lomedy pulled it out.
Nothing happened.
He opened it.
The entire book was blank.
He stared.
"...Seriously?"
Jaden walked over.
"What?"
Lomedy held it up.
"It's blank."
Jaden opened it.
Every page was empty.
He looked at Lomedy.
"Maybe it's invisible ink."
"Maybe."
They examined it.
Nothing.
Lomedy closed it.
Then noticed something.
The cover.
There was a tiny indentation.
A spider-shaped indentation.
He froze for half a second.
Jaden noticed.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Lomedy ran his thumb over it.
It was probably nothing.
Just a decorative mark.
Still...
He looked toward the camera.
Boosfer was hiding something.
That was obvious.
The question was whether the clue actually mattered.
Lomedy put the book back.
"It doesn't do anything."
Jaden nodded.
"Probably."
Neither believed that.
---
## Jaden
Jaden had moved on to the keypad.
It had four digits.
There were dozens of possible combinations.
But the room had given them numbers.
Seven.
Twenty-four.
Three.
Forty-two.
He entered them.
Nothing.
He tried reversing them.
Nothing.
He tried adding them.
Nothing.
He stared at the keypad.
Then he noticed the screen.
It wasn't displaying an error.
It was displaying:
**TRY AGAIN.**
Jaden narrowed his eyes.
"That's annoying."
Theo looked over.
"What?"
"The keypad."
"What about it?"
"It knows when we're wrong."
"So?"
"So it shouldn't."
Theo walked over.
"Why?"
"Because if this is supposed to be an escape room, it should only respond to correct combinations."
Theo stared.
"Unless..."
"Unless what?"
"Boosfer is manually controlling it."
They both looked toward the camera.
Boosfer's voice came through.
"No."
Jaden smiled.
"That sounded suspicious."
"It wasn't."
"It definitely was."
---
## Theo
Theo had one final idea.
He looked around.
Then toward the ceiling.
Then toward the floor.
Then toward the door.
"Guys."
Everyone turned.
"I think I know how to escape."
Mapicc stood.
"Finally."
Theo pointed toward the wall.
"That."
Everyone looked.
A tiny red button.
It hadn't been there before.
Ferre frowned.
"Was that always there?"
"No."
Eggchan stood.
"Press it."
Theo did.
Nothing happened.
Mapicc stared.
"...That's it?"
Theo shrugged.
"Apparently."
Then the lights went off.
Everyone froze.
The room went completely dark.
A second later, a spotlight turned on.
It illuminated a single piece of paper on the floor.
Mapicc picked it up.
He read it.
**CONGRATULATIONS.**
Everyone leaned closer.
Mapicc continued.
**YOU HAVE DISCOVERED THE LIGHT SWITCH.**
Silence.
Ferre slowly sat down.
Eggchan covered his face.
Lomedy laughed.
Jaden stared at the ceiling.
Theo looked genuinely offended.
Boosfer was laughing so hard through the speaker that his voice broke up.
"I hate you."
Theo pointed toward the camera.
"I genuinely hate you."
---
### Thirty-Five Minutes Later
They had found twelve clues.
Four keys.
Three fake keys.
Two useless buttons.
A sock.
A blank book.
A secret compartment containing another secret compartment.
A combination that opened nothing.
And an exit sign that was, in fact, painted onto the wall.
Mapicc had tried pushing it.
Ferre had tried pulling it.
Eggchan had checked behind it.
Lomedy had inspected the paint.
Jaden had declared it useless.
Theo had suggested setting it on fire.
Everyone ignored him.
---
### Ten Minutes Remaining
They finally gave up.
All six sat on the floor.
Mapicc leaned against the wall.
Ferre was holding the sock.
Eggchan was reading the blank book.
Lomedy was staring at the ceiling.
Jaden was playing with the keypad.
Theo had somehow acquired the snacks.
Boosfer's voice came through the speaker.
"So."
Nobody answered.
"Are you going to escape?"
Mapicc looked at the camera.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because there's no escape."
Boosfer laughed.
"Exactly!"
Ferre frowned.
"Then why did you call it an escape room?"
"Because it sounds better."
Eggchan looked at the camera.
"What's the actual challenge?"
Boosfer paused.
"Surviving each other."
Everyone laughed.
Mapicc shook his head.
"That's actually the hardest part."
---
The door finally unlocked.
Everyone stood.
Jaden immediately walked out.
Ferre followed.
Lomedy stretched.
Theo checked his phone.
Eggchan carried the blank book.
Mapicc stopped in the doorway.
He looked back at the room.
Then at Boosfer's camera.
"You know the funniest part?"
"What?"
"We never actually escaped."
Boosfer grinned.
"I know."
Mapicc walked out.
Boosfer looked into the camera.
"Technically, I locked seven friends in a useless escape room."
He paused.
"And none of them escaped."
Behind him, Mapicc shouted from the hallway:
"YOU OPENED THE DOOR!"
Boosfer laughed.
"Details."
#
### PARROT POV
Parrot had discovered something very important about being a superhero.
It was exhausting.
Not the dramatic kind of exhausting.
Not the kind where you stood on top of a skyscraper, cape blowing in the wind, looking down at the city while dramatic music played somewhere.
No.
It was the kind where you had been running for so long that your legs had stopped feeling like they belonged to you.
The kind where every time your phone buzzed, you considered throwing it into the nearest river.
The kind where you had started measuring the distance between buildings by asking yourself whether you could reach the next one without collapsing.
And Parrot had been doing this for hours.
He swung between buildings.
The web snapped tight.
He flew forward.
His feet left the side of the building.
For one glorious second, he was weightless.
Then gravity remembered he existed.
Parrot landed on the next rooftop, stumbled three steps, caught himself against a ventilation unit, and groaned.
"Okay."
He looked around.
The city stretched beneath him.
Cars moved through the streets.
People walked along sidewalks.
Lights flickered in windows.
Everything looked almost peaceful.
Almost.
His phone buzzed.
Parrot pulled it out.
Another emergency notification.
He stared at it.
"No."
The phone buzzed again.
He stared.
"Absolutely not."
Another buzz.
Parrot closed his eyes.
"...Fine."
He jumped.
---
The first call had been a little kid who had gotten separated from their parent in a crowded plaza.
Parrot had found them within minutes.
The second had been an elderly man who had fallen on a staircase.
The third had been a cyclist who had crashed.
The fourth had been someone trapped on the roof of a building after an elevator malfunction.
The fifth had been a bus whose driver had lost control.
The sixth had been a dog.
The seventh had been another dog.
The eighth had somehow also been a dog.
Parrot was beginning to suspect the city had an unusual amount of dog-related emergencies.
Then there had been a cat.
He still wasn't sure how he'd managed to rescue the cat.
He had reached the tree.
The cat had stared at him.
Parrot had stared back.
The cat had hissed.
Parrot had said, "Please."
The cat had climbed onto his shoulder.
"Thank you."
The cat had immediately scratched him.
"You're welcome."
Then he'd carried it down.
---
The next emergency was worse.
A car had swerved across an intersection.
Parrot had seen it from above.
He hadn't even thought.
His body moved before his brain caught up.
A web shot from his wrist.
It caught the front of the car.
Parrot pulled.
The web stretched.
His feet slammed against the pavement.
The car kept moving.
"Come on!"
His shoes scraped against the road.
The car slowed.
Stopped.
Parrot exhaled.
People stared.
Someone shouted:
"SPIDER-MAN!"
Parrot looked up.
"No."
Someone else shouted:
"HE SAVED THEM!"
Parrot looked around.
"...Okay."
He ran.
---
By the time evening started settling over the city, Parrot's suit was filthy.
His feathers were bent.
His hair was a disaster.
One sleeve was torn.
And his arm was bleeding.
It wasn't terrible.
But it hurt.
A lot.
Parrot looked down at it.
"Great."
He pressed his hand over the wound.
He'd gotten it while pulling someone away from falling debris.
He hadn't even noticed until several minutes later.
That was probably a sign.
Maybe he should stop.
Go home.
Sleep.
Eat something.
Pretend this entire superhero thing wasn't happening.
Then he heard screaming.
Parrot's head snapped up.
That wasn't normal panic.
It was organized.
People were running through the streets.
Others were standing still.
Too still.
Parrot narrowed his eyes.
A man stood in the middle of the intersection.
He wore a strange mask and a long coat.
Around him stood dozens of people.
Some looked terrified.
Others looked completely calm.
The man raised his hands.
"You don't have to be afraid!"
Parrot crouched on the rooftop.
He watched.
"Everyone here can be part of something greater."
One person tried to leave.
The man turned.
A burst of energy struck the pavement beside them.
The person stumbled backward.
Parrot's expression changed.
Okay.
That was definitely a villain.
The man continued.
"Why keep living under people who don't understand you?"
People around him began moving closer.
Parrot frowned.
He could hear the villain's voice carrying through the street.
"Join me."
A woman shook her head.
"No."
The villain's expression darkened.
"Then you're against me."
Another blast struck the pavement.
People screamed.
Parrot's hand tightened around the edge of the building.
He couldn't just watch.
He jumped.
---
The web shot from his wrist.
It caught the side of the building.
Parrot swung downward.
The wind tore past his face.
His injured arm screamed in protest.
He ignored it.
Almost there.
He released the web.
His body arced toward the street.
Then he stopped.
Not because he'd changed his mind.
Because six figures had just landed between him and the villain.
Parrot's feet touched the pavement.
He stared.
There were six of them.
All wearing spider-themed suits.
All looking at each other.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
The villain stared too.
"...What?"
Parrot blinked.
He looked at the person beside him.
Then another.
Then another.
His brain struggled to process what he was seeing.
A lion-themed spider.
A fiery spider.
A clown-themed spider.
A rainbow-and-void spider.
A black-and-tech spider.
And a spider in an absolutely ridiculous extravagant outfit.
Parrot slowly looked around the circle.
"...Are you all superheroes?"
Nobody answered.
One of them pointed at him.
"You?"
Parrot pointed back.
"Me?"
The fiery one pointed at another.
"You?"
"Yes?"
The lion one pointed at himself.
"Wait."
The clown one looked around.
"How many of us are there?"
"Seven."
Silence.
Someone whispered:
"That's too many."
Parrot stared.
"You're a superhero too?"
The other spider nodded.
"So are you?"
"Apparently."
The black-and-tech spider looked around.
"...This is weird."
The rainbow one nodded.
"Very."
The extravagant one raised a hand.
"I have a question."
Everyone looked at him.
"Did anyone else think they were the only one?"
Seven voices answered simultaneously.
"Yes."
They stopped.
Looked at each other.
Then burst out laughing.
---
For several seconds, nobody did anything.
They just stood there.
The villain stared at them.
"Are you finished?"
Seven heads turned.
Parrot blinked.
"Oh."
The villain raised his hands.
"You will not interfere."
The fiery spider stepped forward.
"Yeah, we're probably going to interfere."
The villain fired.
The seven scattered.
Parrot rolled across the pavement.
A blast struck where he'd been standing.
He looked up.
The lion-themed spider was already moving.
Fast.
Far too fast.
He sprinted across the street, grabbed a civilian, and pulled them out of the way.
The clown-themed spider swung upward.
The black-and-tech spider fired a web.
The void-colored spider vanished into the shadows.
The extravagant spider leapt onto a wall.
Parrot stared.
"...Okay."
He smiled.
"This might actually work."
---
They regrouped behind an overturned vehicle.
The villain was still shouting at the crowd.
People were trying to escape.
Parrot looked around.
"Okay."
The others turned toward him.
"We need a plan."
The lion-themed spider nodded.
"Agreed."
The clown-themed one raised a finger.
"Plan."
The rainbow one looked at him.
"What plan?"
"I don't know."
"Then why did you say plan?"
"Because we're making one."
The black-and-tech spider sighed.
"Let's just coordinate."
Parrot nodded.
"Right."
He pointed toward the villain.
"He's controlling the crowd."
The extravagant spider nodded.
"I can distract him."
The lion spider said:
"I can get the civilians out."
The rainbow spider smiled.
"I can make myself annoying."
Everyone stared.
"...What?"
"I said annoying."
The fiery spider laughed.
"That's actually useful."
The clown spider pointed toward the buildings.
"I can attack from above."
The black-and-tech spider looked toward the villain.
"I'll keep an eye on his attacks."
Parrot nodded.
"And I'll focus on getting the people away from him."
Everyone looked at each other.
The plan was surprisingly solid.
Then the villain turned.
His eyes locked onto them.
"Found you."
Parrot sighed.
"Okay."
He looked around.
"Backup plan."
The lion spider nodded.
"What's the backup plan?"
Parrot thought.
"...Run?"
"No."
"Fight?"
"Probably."
"Great."
---
They moved.
The lion spider went first.
He blurred.
One second he was standing beside them.
The next, he was across the street.
The villain barely noticed.
Parrot swung toward the crowd.
"Move! Everyone move!"
People began running.
The black-and-tech spider fired webs across the street, creating barriers.
The rainbow spider swung between buildings, deliberately drawing the villain's attention.
"HEY!"
The villain turned.
"YOU!"
"Yeah!"
"Stop interfering!"
"No!"
"Why?!"
The rainbow spider shrugged.
"I thought it'd be funny."
The villain fired.
The rainbow spider swung away.
"Okay, that was less funny!"
---
Parrot reached the civilians.
"Everyone, keep moving!"
A blast hit the ground.
Parrot jumped.
Another.
He twisted.
Another.
He landed.
His injured arm screamed.
He gritted his teeth.
"Not now."
He fired two webs.
They caught a falling piece of metal.
Parrot pulled it aside.
The people underneath ran.
"Go!"
He turned.
The villain was charging toward them.
Parrot raised his hands.
Then two figures landed beside him.
The fiery spider.
And the extravagant one.
They looked at each other.
Then at the villain.
The villain raised his hands.
"You don't understand what you're interfering with."
The fiery spider cracked his knuckles.
"Probably."
The extravagant spider tilted his head.
"But we've been trying to figure out what we're doing all day."
He smiled.
"So..."
The fiery spider grinned.
"Let's test it."
They moved simultaneously.
Inferno attacked first.
A burst of fire slammed into the villain.
He staggered.
Gambit followed.
One strike.
The villain hit the ground.
Silence.
Parrot stared.
"...Was that it?"
The villain didn't move.
The fiery spider looked down.
"Apparently."
Gambit shrugged.
"That was anticlimactic."
Parrot looked around.
The others slowly gathered.
The clown spider crouched beside the villain.
"Is he actually unconscious?"
The black-and-tech spider checked.
"Yeah."
Everyone stared.
The rainbow spider looked disappointed.
"We spent ten minutes making a plan."
The lion spider nodded.
"And they took two hits."
Parrot looked at the two responsible.
"You two could have done that earlier."
Inferno shrugged.
"Didn't know."
Gambit nodded.
"Same."
Parrot laughed.
"Fair."
---
Once the villain was dealt with, the seven focused on the civilians.
They helped people up.
Untangled wires.
Moved debris.
Checked that nobody was seriously hurt.
Parrot helped an injured woman sit down.
"You okay?"
She nodded.
"Thank you."
Parrot smiled.
"You're welcome."
She looked at the others.
"There are seven of you."
Parrot glanced around.
"Apparently."
"Are you a team?"
The seven looked at each other.
Nobody answered.
Finally, the lion spider said:
"Not yet."
---
They left before anyone could ask more questions.
The seven climbed onto a nearby rooftop.
The city stretched beneath them.
For the first time, they weren't fighting.
They weren't running.
They weren't rescuing anyone.
They were simply standing together.
Parrot looked around.
"So."
The rainbow spider raised a hand.
"Before anything else."
He pulled out his phone.
"I need a picture."
Everyone stared.
"Why?"
The rainbow spider pointed.
"Look at us."
They looked around.
Seven masked superheroes.
Standing in a circle.
Pointing at one another.
Parrot started laughing.
"Wait."
The clown spider looked at the phone.
"Oh my god."
The rainbow spider snapped the picture.
The exact moment was captured.
Seven spider-themed heroes.
All pointing at each other.
None knowing who the others were.
Parrot looked at the image.
"That's going online."
"No."
"Absolutely."
"Do not."
"Too late."
The clown spider smiled.
---
Parrot finally stepped forward.
"Okay."
He looked at the others.
"We should probably introduce ourselves."
The lion-themed spider nodded.
"Agreed."
He gestured toward himself.
"Lionheart."
Parrot smiled.
"Spyglass."
The fiery one stepped forward.
"Inferno."
The extravagant one gave a small flourish.
"Gambit."
The clown-themed spider grinned.
"Jester."
The rainbow-and-void spider tilted his head.
"The Void."
The black-and-tech spider finished.
"Guardian."
Parrot looked around.
Seven names.
Seven heroes.
Seven people who had spent days thinking they were alone.
He smiled beneath his mask.
"Well."
He glanced at the others.
"Guess we're not alone anymore."
Nobody disagreed.
For once, there wasn't an argument.
There wasn't chaos.
There wasn't a fight.
There wasn't even a terrible plan.
Just seven superheroes standing on a rooftop, realizing that the city had somehow given them six people exactly as insane as they were.
And somewhere below them, a phone notification appeared.
A blurry photograph.
Seven figures.
One rooftop.
One caption:
**THERE ARE SEVEN OF THEM.**
Parrot looked at the screen.
"...Oh no."
Jester grinned.
"Oh, this is going to be hilarious."
#
### SPOKE POV
Spoke had learned two things since becoming a superhero.
First, he was much faster than he had expected.
Second, apparently gravity was more of a suggestion than a rule.
He was still trying to figure out whether that was a good thing.
He stood on the edge of a building, looking down at the street.
The city seemed different from up here.
Smaller.
Quieter.
More manageable.
People moved through the streets like tiny pieces on a board. Cars slid through intersections. Lights blinked in windows. Somewhere below, someone was yelling about a parking space.
Spoke smiled.
Then stepped off the roof.
He dropped.
For approximately half a second.
Then his hand snapped upward.
A web shot from his wrist.
It caught the side of the building.
The line went taut.
Spoke swung.
His stomach lurched.
He laughed.
"Okay!"
He released.
For a moment, he was flying.
Then he landed on another building, stumbled, and nearly went straight over the other side.
He caught the ledge.
"...Okay."
He pulled himself up.
"Maybe less okay."
He sat there for a moment.
His heart was pounding.
Not from fear.
From excitement.
He looked at his hands.
The strange abilities still didn't feel real.
The webs.
The speed.
The way his body could suddenly react before he consciously decided to move.
And then there was the other thing.
The void.
That was harder to explain.
It wasn't exactly invisibility.
It wasn't exactly teleportation.
It was more like...
Sometimes the world simply forgot where he was.
Spoke looked toward the shadows between two buildings.
He concentrated.
The darkness seemed to stretch.
His outline blurred.
For a second, he disappeared.
Then he reappeared several feet away.
He stared.
"...That's useful."
He smiled.
"Very useful."
---
He spent the next hour experimenting.
Not scientifically.
Not carefully.
Definitely not responsibly.
He swung from one building to another.
He climbed walls.
He ran along rooftops.
He jumped gaps that he absolutely should not have been able to jump.
He tried sticking to a wall.
That worked.
He tried running sideways along one.
That also worked.
He tried running across a glass building.
That worked until he looked down.
Then he stopped.
"Never doing that again."
He stayed there for a moment.
Then looked down again.
"...Maybe once."
He continued.
---
Eventually, he started taking pictures.
Not because anyone had asked.
Because the pictures were ridiculous.
The first was a blurry shot of his boots hanging over the edge of a skyscraper.
The second showed the city below him.
The third was taken while he was swinging between buildings.
It was almost completely sideways.
Spoke stared at it.
"...Art."
He posted it.
Anonymous account.
No name.
No face.
No identifying information.
Just the picture.
**Caption:**
*first day going well*
He locked his phone.
It buzzed almost immediately.
Then again.
Then again.
Spoke blinked.
He checked.
People were already reacting.
**WHO IS THIS**
**BRO WHAT**
**IS THIS REAL**
**NEW SPIDER HERO???**
**THERE'S ANOTHER ONE???**
Spoke stared at the screen.
He grinned.
"Oh."
He posted another.
This one was taken while he was hanging upside down from a web.
Caption:
*gravity is optional apparently*
The reactions exploded.
Spoke laughed.
"This is incredible."
---
He kept going.
A picture from the side of a building.
A picture from the top of a radio tower.
A picture where only his silhouette could be seen against the sunset.
A picture of his hand stuck to a glass window.
A picture taken in the middle of a swing where the entire city blurred behind him.
Then one where he'd deliberately let his body disappear into the void until only his eyes were faintly visible.
That one got considerably more attention.
Spoke stared at the comments.
**WHAT IS THAT**
**DID HE JUST DISAPPEAR**
**WE HAVE A SHADOW SPIDER NOW???**
**SPIDER-MAN DLC**
He laughed.
"Spider-Man DLC."
He saved that one.
---
Then someone screamed.
Spoke's smile disappeared.
He looked down.
A crowd had gathered near an intersection.
People were running.
At first, he thought it was an accident.
Then he saw the energy blast.
It struck the ground.
People scattered.
Spoke stood.
His expression changed.
"Okay."
He put his phone away.
"That's different."
He jumped.
---
He landed on the side of a building.
Below him, a man stood in the middle of the street.
He was surrounded by people.
Some were standing beside him willingly.
Others looked terrified.
The man raised one hand.
"You've spent your entire lives being controlled."
His voice carried through the street.
"By governments. By corporations. By people who tell you what you should believe."
Spoke crouched.
He listened.
"Join me."
A few people stepped forward.
Others backed away.
The villain's eyes hardened.
"Those who refuse..."
Energy crackled around his hand.
"...will regret it."
A blast hit the pavement.
Someone screamed.
Spoke's jaw tightened.
That changed things.
He'd spent the entire day messing around.
Taking pictures.
Testing powers.
Having fun.
But this wasn't fun.
People were actually getting hurt.
He could stop it.
He knew he could.
The question was whether he should go in alone.
Spoke looked down.
There were too many people.
The villain was powerful.
And Spoke still didn't fully understand what he could do.
He could swing.
He could climb.
He could move quickly.
He could disappear into the void.
But he had no idea how far any of it went.
His fingers curled.
*You don't have to know everything.*
He watched another person stumble away.
*You just have to do something.*
Spoke stood.
"Okay."
He stepped off the building.
---
He didn't get far.
A figure landed in the street below him.
Then another.
Then another.
Spoke landed behind them.
He froze.
There were six.
Six other people.
Six other spider-themed heroes.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Spoke looked left.
Then right.
Then back again.
*No.*
He stared at the lion-themed one.
Then the fiery one.
Then the clown-themed one.
Then the black-and-tech one.
Then the extravagant one.
Then the feathered one.
His brain attempted to process this.
*There are six.*
He looked at himself.
*Plus me.*
Seven.
Seven Spider heroes.
He almost laughed.
One of the others pointed.
"You're a Spider too?"
Spoke pointed back.
"You are?"
"Apparently."
Someone else looked around.
"Wait."
Another pointed.
"How many are there?"
Spoke counted.
"Seven."
Silence.
The villain looked at them.
Then at the crowd.
Then back at them.
"...What?"
Spoke almost felt bad for him.
Almost.
The others started talking over each other.
"I thought I was the only one."
"Same."
"Me too."
"Wait, you've been doing this too?"
"Obviously."
"No, not obviously."
Spoke smiled.
This was ridiculous.
Seven people.
Seven spider suits.
Seven secret identities.
And somehow they'd all independently decided to do the exact same thing.
*What are the odds?*
He looked at the others.
He didn't know any of them.
But somehow...
It felt strangely reassuring.
He wasn't the only one anymore.
---
The villain attacked.
The seven scattered.
Spoke vanished.
The world around him darkened.
For a moment, he existed somewhere between shadow and reality.
The blast passed through the space where he'd been.
He reappeared behind a building.
"Okay."
He looked toward the others.
"They're actually good."
The lion-themed hero was already moving.
Fast.
The fiery one was fighting.
The clown-themed Spider was drawing attention away from civilians.
The feathered one was helping people escape.
The black-and-tech Spider was building web barriers.
The extravagant one was moving across the walls.
Spoke watched.
*They know what they're doing.*
Well.
Some of them did.
He smiled.
*This is going to be fun.*
---
They regrouped behind a vehicle.
The feather-themed one was the first to speak.
"We need a plan."
Spoke nodded.
"Agreed."
The lion-themed hero pointed toward the villain.
"He's keeping everyone trapped in this area."
"I'll get the civilians out," the feathered one said.
The black-and-tech Spider nodded.
"I'll keep his attacks away from them."
The extravagant one raised a hand.
"I'll distract him."
Spoke grinned.
"I'll help with that."
The clown-themed spider looked toward the buildings.
"I can attack from above."
The fiery Spider nodded.
"I'll stay close."
Spoke glanced around.
That was actually a decent plan.
He smiled.
"Okay."
Then the villain turned toward them.
"Found you."
Spoke sighed.
"Of course."
Parrot looked around.
"Backup plan?"
Spoke raised a finger.
"I have one."
Everyone looked at him.
He paused.
"...I don't."
The lion-themed hero stared.
"Then why did you say you had one?"
"I was hoping inspiration would arrive."
The clown-themed Spider laughed.
"Fair."
---
They attacked.
Spoke went upward.
He jumped.
The web shot out.
He swung over the street.
The villain fired.
Spoke twisted.
The blast passed beneath him.
He released the web.
For a second, he fell.
Then his body disappeared.
The void swallowed his outline.
He reappeared behind the villain.
"Hey."
The villain spun.
Spoke was already gone.
He laughed.
"Okay."
That was fun.
---
Below him, Parrot was getting civilians out.
Guardian was throwing webs across the street.
The clown-themed Spider was keeping the villain occupied.
Lionheart was moving so quickly he almost looked like a blur.
Spoke swung around another building.
He saw the villain charging toward the civilians.
"Not happening."
He fired a web.
It caught the villain's arm.
Spoke pulled.
The villain stumbled.
Then another web hit.
Then another.
Three lines wrapped around him.
Spoke grinned.
"Got you."
The villain roared.
The webs snapped.
Spoke's eyes widened.
"Or not."
The villain raised his hand.
Energy gathered.
Spoke prepared to dodge.
Then two figures landed.
Inferno.
And Gambit.
They looked at each other.
Then at the villain.
Inferno smiled.
"Ready?"
Gambit nodded.
"Yep."
Spoke barely had time to move.
Inferno struck.
Fire exploded across the villain's defenses.
The villain staggered.
Gambit moved immediately after.
One hit.
The villain dropped.
Everything went quiet.
Spoke stared.
"...That's it?"
The feathered spider looked down at the unconscious villain.
"Apparently."
Spoke looked at Inferno.
Then Gambit.
"You two just did that?"
Gambit shrugged.
"Apparently."
Inferno looked mildly surprised.
"I didn't know that would work."
Spoke laughed.
"We spent all that time planning."
The clown-themed Spider looked at the unconscious villain.
"And they got two-hit."
Spoke shook his head.
"This is the stupidest team I've ever been part of."
He paused.
"We aren't even a team."
"Yet," someone said.
---
Once the villain was down, the seven helped the civilians.
Spoke moved through the crowd.
He helped someone to their feet.
Moved debris.
Pulled down a damaged sign.
Used his webs to keep a cracked structure from collapsing.
His body was still buzzing with adrenaline.
But underneath it was something else.
Relief.
They had done it.
Together.
He looked around.
Seven heroes.
Nobody had planned to meet.
Nobody had known the others existed.
And yet here they were.
Spoke smiled.
Then something occurred to him.
He pulled out his phone.
"Wait."
Everyone looked at him.
"What?"
Spoke held up the phone.
"Don't move."
The others stared.
"Why?"
"Just trust me."
He stepped backward.
The seven naturally formed a loose circle.
Spoke looked through the camera.
Then started laughing.
"Oh my god."
"What?"
"Look at us."
They looked at each other.
Spoke turned the screen around.
Seven Spider heroes.
Standing in a circle.
Pointing at one another.
Exactly like that absurd Spider-Man meme.
There was a moment of silence.
Then Spoke started laughing harder.
"Hold on."
He raised the phone.
"Nobody move."
Click.
The picture was taken.
He looked at it.
Perfect.
Absolutely perfect.
The others gathered around.
The feathered spider laughed.
"You have to post that."
Spoke grinned.
"Obviously."
He uploaded it.
The caption was simple.
**Apparently there are seven of us.**
He hit post.
His phone immediately started vibrating.
Once.
Twice.
Then continuously.
Spoke stared.
"Oh."
The others looked over.
"What?"
He showed them.
The post was already spreading.
Fast.
Spoke smiled.
"Well."
He looked around at the other six.
"I guess we're famous."
The clown-themed Spider groaned.
"That's not necessarily good."
Spoke looked at the photo again.
Seven Spider heroes.
Seven strangers.
Seven secret identities.
And somehow, against all logic, they had managed to work together.
He slipped his phone into his pocket.
"Come on."
"Where?"
"Somewhere people won't see us."
The others nodded.
One by one, they disappeared into the city.
Spoke stayed behind for one second longer.
He looked back at the street.
The civilians were safe.
The villain was defeated.
The city was settling down.
He smiled beneath his mask.
Then he vanished into the shadows.
For once, he wasn't running because he was alone.
He was running because now...
He had six other Spider-Men to keep up with.
#
### MANEPEAR POV
Mane had a problem.
He was hungry.
Not mildly hungry.
Not *I could probably eat something in a little while* hungry.
He was hungry enough that the thought of walking all the way downstairs, opening the refrigerator, finding something, preparing it, and then waiting for it to become edible felt personally offensive.
He stood in the hallway.
He stared toward the kitchen.
Then he looked at the wall beside him.
Then up.
Then back toward the kitchen.
A thought occurred to him.
He smiled.
He placed one hand against the wall.
His palm stuck.
Mane blinked.
He placed his other hand against it.
That one stuck too.
He looked down at his feet.
They were sticking as well.
"...Oh."
He glanced toward the kitchen again.
This was ridiculous.
He could just walk downstairs.
He could behave like a normal person.
He could also climb directly across the ceiling and steal food without touching the floor.
Mane considered this.
The decision took approximately half a second.
He climbed.
His hands pressed against the wall.
His feet followed.
Up.
Across.
He reached the ceiling.
Then crawled along it with the confidence of someone who had absolutely no business being that comfortable upside down.
The kitchen came into view.
Mane carefully lowered himself toward the counter.
There was a bowl of snacks.
He smiled.
Perfect.
He reached down.
Grabbed the bowl.
Pulled it upward.
Then climbed back onto the ceiling.
He was halfway across when someone walked into the kitchen.
Mane froze.
The person below him stopped.
They looked around.
Nothing.
Mane held his breath.
The person opened the refrigerator.
Mane slowly moved.
One hand.
One foot.
Another hand.
Another foot.
He reached the hallway.
Then dropped down.
He landed silently.
The snack bowl remained perfectly balanced in his hand.
Mane looked at it.
"...Worth it."
He walked away.
---
The problem with sneaking around the house at night was that the house was full of people.
And apparently everyone was awake.
Mane walked into the common room.
Spoke was sitting on one end of the couch.
Jaden was sitting nearby.
Mapicc was talking about something.
Flame was half-listening.
Lomedy had a book open.
Eggchan was looking at his phone.
Ferre was eating.
Wemmbu was doing absolutely nothing.
Mane sat down.
Ferre glanced at him.
"Where'd you get those?"
Mane looked at the bowl.
"Kitchen."
Ferre frowned.
"Why do you look guilty?"
"I don't."
"You do."
"I was hungry."
"That's not an answer."
"It is literally an answer."
Ferre narrowed his eyes.
Mane ate another snack.
Across the room, Spoke looked down at his phone.
He smiled.
Then quickly locked it.
Mane noticed.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You smiled."
"I can smile."
"Suspicious."
Spoke looked at him.
"You're suspicious of everything."
Mane nodded.
"Correct."
Spoke shook his head.
---
The front door opened.
Parrot walked inside.
Mane looked up.
Parrot looked exhausted.
Not normal tired.
Exhausted.
His hair was slightly messy.
His clothes looked like he'd been outside for hours.
And one sleeve was pulled down over his arm.
Mane noticed immediately.
"You're late."
Parrot dropped his bag beside the door.
"Yeah."
"What were you doing?"
"Out."
Mane stared.
Parrot stared back.
Mane narrowed his eyes.
Parrot smiled.
"No."
"I didn't even say anything."
"You were about to."
"I was going to ask if you wanted snacks."
Parrot looked at the bowl.
"...Sure."
Mane passed it over.
Parrot took one.
Then winced.
Mane noticed.
"You okay?"
"Yeah."
"You just made a weird face."
"I bit my tongue."
Mane stared.
Parrot stared back.
"Very convincing."
"Thank you."
Mane watched him walk away.
Something was weird.
He couldn't explain what.
Parrot had been acting strange for days.
Then again, everyone had.
Mane shrugged.
Probably nothing.
---
Dinner was supposed to be peaceful.
It wasn't.
It lasted approximately four minutes.
Then Ferre started arguing with Mapicc about who had eaten the last piece of bread.
"I didn't eat it."
"You did."
"I didn't."
"You were literally holding it."
"I was holding a piece of bread."
"That's the same thing!"
"No, it isn't."
Mapicc stared.
Ferre stared.
Eggchan looked between them.
"How is that not the same thing?"
"Because I wasn't the one who ate it."
"Then who was?"
Ferre pointed across the table.
"Clown."
Everyone turned.
Clown looked up from his food.
"What?"
"You ate it."
"No."
"You did."
"No."
"You were sitting next to it."
"That's not evidence."
"You had crumbs on your shirt."
Clown looked down.
There were crumbs on his shirt.
He paused.
"...Coincidence."
Mapicc slammed his hands on the table.
"YOU CANNOT SAY COINCIDENCE WHEN THERE ARE LITERAL CRUMBS."
Clown shrugged.
"I can."
---
Mane sat quietly through the argument.
He was more interested in the strange behavior happening around him.
The early seven had been acting weird.
Not obviously weird.
That was the problem.
It was the kind of weird that was easy to ignore.
They kept leaving.
They kept coming back at strange times.
They kept having excuses.
They kept disappearing whenever something happened in the city.
And now...
Parrot was sitting across from him.
His sleeve still covered his arm.
Mane glanced at it.
Then at Parrot's face.
Parrot was eating normally.
Mane looked away.
He didn't know why.
Maybe he was imagining things.
Then his phone buzzed.
Parrot glanced at his own phone.
Mane glanced at it too.
For half a second, he saw a photograph.
A superhero.
Rainbow.
Void.
Spider emblem.
Mane blinked.
Parrot immediately locked his phone.
"What's that?"
"Nothing."
"That was definitely something."
"It's just social media."
"Why'd you hide it?"
"I didn't."
"You literally did."
Parrot shrugged.
Mane stared.
Then decided he didn't care.
At least not yet.
---
Across the table, Spoke was watching the conversation.
His expression was completely neutral.
Mane looked at him.
Spoke looked back.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You keep staring at me."
"I was looking."
"At me."
"You're in front of me."
Spoke stared.
Mane stared.
Then Mane went back to eating.
Spoke sighed.
---
After dinner, the house split into smaller groups.
Some people went upstairs.
Others stayed in the common room.
A few disappeared into the kitchen.
Someone turned on music.
Someone else immediately complained about the music.
Someone changed it.
Another person complained about that.
Theo eventually shouted:
"CAN EVERYONE STOP TOUCHING THE MUSIC?"
Nobody did.
Mane wandered upstairs.
He was still hungry.
He had finished the snacks.
He needed something else.
He opened a cabinet.
Nothing.
Another.
Nothing.
He checked a drawer.
Nothing.
He frowned.
Then remembered the bathroom sometimes had a small cabinet with emergency snacks.
Don't ask why.
This house had reached the stage where that no longer seemed strange.
Mane walked inside.
He opened the cabinet.
Nothing.
He crouched.
Checked underneath.
Nothing.
He stood.
Then he saw it.
A tiny movement.
Near the floor.
Mane froze.
His ears practically stood upright.
He stared.
The thing moved again.
Mane's eyes widened.
"...No."
It moved.
Mane stepped backward.
"No."
It crawled slightly forward.
Mane's face went blank.
Then his instincts took over.
He screamed.
Not a normal scream.
Not a startled squeak.
A full-volume, window-rattling, soul-leaving-the-body scream.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
The entire house went silent.
Then exploded.
Doors slammed open.
Footsteps thundered through the hall.
Mapic shouted:
"WHAT HAPPENED?!"
Wemmbu:
"ARE WE BEING ATTACKED?!"
Flame:
"WHO HAS THE WEAPONS?!"
Mane climbed.
He didn't even think about it.
One second he was standing on the floor.
The next he was halfway up the wall.
Then on the shelf.
Then somehow on top of the bathroom cabinet.
He was pressed against the wall.
Eyes locked on the floor.
The others flooded into the bathroom.
Mapicc arrived first.
He was holding something that looked suspiciously like a frying pan.
Ferre appeared behind him.
Jaden had a broom.
Wemmbu and Flame had grabbed a chair for some reason.
Lomedy had a flashlight.
Eggchan had absolutely nothing.
Spoke appeared last.
He looked around.
Then at Mane.
Then at the floor.
Then back at Mane.
"...What happened?"
Mane pointed.
Nobody understood.
He pointed harder.
"THERE!"
Everyone looked.
Silence.
A tiny bug sat on the floor.
It moved one leg.
That's it.
Everyone stared.
Mane stared.
The bug stared back.
Mapicc slowly lowered the frying pan.
"...You screamed as someone died."
Mane remained on top of the cabinet.
"It's huge."
Ferre looked down.
"It's a bug."
"It's enormous."
"It's tiny."
"It has legs."
"So do you."
"Not that many."
Clown looked at the bug.
Then Mane.
Then the bug.
"I think it's winning."
Mane glared at him.
"Not helping."
Eggchan covered his mouth.
His shoulders shook.
He was trying not to laugh.
Lomedy failed completely.
He laughed.
Spoke leaned against the doorframe.
"You climbed the wall to escape a bug."
Mane looked at him.
"I can climb walls."
"Apparently."
"And?"
"And nothing."
Mane pointed at the bug.
"Get it out."
Mapicc sighed.
"Fine."
He approached the bug.
The bug moved.
Mane screamed again.
"IT MOVED!"
Mapicc stopped.
"Yes."
"IT'S COMING TOWARD YOU."
"It's a bug."
"IT HAS INTENT."
Ferre was laughing now.
"This is the funniest thing I've ever seen."
Mane pointed at him.
"YOU GET IT."
Ferre immediately stopped laughing.
"No."
"Exactly."
---
Eventually, the bug was removed.
Mane remained on the shelf for another thirty seconds.
Just to be sure.
When he finally climbed down, everyone was still laughing.
Mapicc shook his head.
"You screamed loud enough that I thought the house was collapsing."
Mane crossed his arms.
"I thought it was."
"You saw a bug."
"I didn't know that at first."
Eggchan smiled.
"What did you think it was?"
Mane thought about it.
"...Something with more legs."
Spoke laughed.
"That doesn't help."
---
The group slowly dispersed.
Mane stayed behind.
He looked at the bathroom.
Then at the empty floor.
Then at the wall.
He placed one hand against it.
He climbed up.
He looked down.
"Hm."
He smiled.
At least one useful thing had come from the incident.
---
Later that night, Mane walked through the hallway.
The house had quieted.
Mostly.
A door opened.
Someone stepped out.
Mane stopped.
It was Flame.
Flame was carrying something.
Mane couldn't tell what.
"Where are you going?"
Flame looked at him.
"Kitchen."
"At this hour?"
"I'm hungry."
Mane looked at the object in his hand.
"...Why are you carrying that?"
Flame looked down.
A bundle of fabric.
"Nothing."
Mane narrowed his eyes.
"That looks like a suit."
Flame immediately pulled it closer.
"It's clothes."
"That's a suit."
"It's clothes."
"Why are you carrying clothes through the hallway?"
"Because they're clothes."
Mane stared.
Flame stared back.
Mane finally shrugged.
"Okay."
He walked past.
Flame waited until Mane was gone.
Then continued.
---
Mane wasn't the only one noticing strange things.
But nobody said anything.
Not really.
There were too many coincidences.
People leaving at odd times.
People returning exhausted.
People suddenly becoming interested in the city.
People disappearing whenever there was a superhero sighting.
People checking their phones whenever another hero appeared online.
And tonight, someone had posted another photograph.
Seven Spider heroes.
Together.
The picture was spreading quickly.
Eggchan was sitting in the common room when he saw it.
He stared.
"Huh."
Lomedy looked over.
"What?"
"Nothing."
He showed him.
Lomedy stared at the image.
Seven figures.
Different costumes.
Different designs.
One rainbow.
One lion.
One fire.
One clown.
One feathered.
One black-and-tech.
One extravagant.
Lomedy frowned.
"That's new."
"Yeah."
"Seven."
"Apparently."
Lomedy stared at the screen.
Then looked toward the hallway.
The early seven had been gone again.
He frowned.
Then shook his head.
"No."
Eggchan looked at him.
"No what?"
"Nothing."
He looked back at the picture.
Probably coincidence.
It had to be.
---
Upstairs, the spider seven were slowly gathering.
Not together.
Not obviously.
One by one.
They returned.
They changed.
They hid things.
They washed dirt from their clothes.
They put away costumes.
They checked phones.
They pretended nothing had happened.
Theo walked past the hallway.
He stopped.
Seven doors.
Seven people.
Seven suspiciously tired faces.
He stared.
One of them noticed him.
"What?"
Theo shook his head.
"Nothing."
He continued walking.
Behind him, the door closed.
Theo frowned.
Something was definitely happening.
But what?
He had no idea.
And that was probably for the best.
Because if he knew...
He might have to explain where he'd been too.
---
Downstairs, Parrot sat on the couch.
His sleeve had slipped slightly.
A small patch of dried blood was visible on his arm.
He noticed.
Pulled the sleeve back down.
Across the room, Eggchan was scrolling through the superhero posts.
Another image appeared.
Spyglass.
The feathered superhero.
His suit.
His face hidden.
His arm visible.
There was a small injury on it.
Eggchan glanced toward Parrot.
Then back at the phone.
Then at Parrot again.
Parrot was looking at his own phone.
Eggchan frowned.
"...Huh."
Parrot looked up.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Eggchan went back to his phone.
Parrot looked down at his sleeve.
Then at Eggchan.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Eggchan shrugged.
Coincidence.
Probably.
---
The house slowly settled.
One person went to bed.
Then another.
Someone yelled from upstairs because someone else had stolen their charger.
Someone yelled back.
A bathroom door slammed.
Someone complained that the shower had stopped working.
Someone else said they had nothing to do with it.
Nobody believed them.
The lights went off.
Then came back on.
Then went off again.
The music stopped.
Silence finally settled over the house.
Almost.
In one room, someone was still awake.
In another, someone was checking the latest superhero posts.
In another, someone was hiding a costume under their bed.
In another, someone was staring at a photograph of seven strangers.
And in the kitchen, Mane quietly climbed onto the ceiling to steal one final snack.
He looked down at the sleeping house.
Then smiled.
"Nobody saw that."
He crawled across the ceiling.
A floorboard creaked downstairs.
Mane froze.
He waited.
Nothing.
He continued.
---
The city outside was quiet too.
Somewhere out there, seven heroes were becoming famous.
Seven people were secretly trying to understand powers they hadn't expected.
Seven identities were being kept hidden.
And seven roommates were sleeping under the same roof.
Completely unaware that the people they lived with were the exact heroes everyone online was talking about.
Well.
Almost completely unaware.
Because somewhere in the house, Eggchan's phone screen was still glowing.
On it was the photograph.
Seven Spider heroes.
And beneath it, a rapidly growing number of comments.
**WHO ARE THEY?**
**I SWEAR I'VE SEEN THAT SUIT BEFORE.**
**THE FEATHER GUY'S ARM IS BLEEDING.**
**WAIT, DOESN'T THAT LOOK LIKE—**
Eggchan scrolled past it.
He didn't think much of it.
Not yet.
He locked his phone.
Rolled over.
And went to sleep.
Meanwhile, across the hallway, Parrot did the exact same thing.
Neither of them noticed the other.
And neither noticed the tiny red stain on the sleeve.
Just like neither noticed how perfectly the photograph matched the strange behavior of the seven roommates.
Because surely...
That would be ridiculous.
Right?
Absolutely nothing suspicious was happening.
Obviously.