Chapter Text
Tommy wanted nothing more than to be home. He had already spent the day trying to sit still in classes he didn’t care about, and while running around the city had its perks, for some reason L’Manberg’s worst had decided that a random Thursday afternoon was the best time to terrorise the city. And wherever the Syndicate was, so was Spider-Innit, running and swinging for his life. The glass and brick of Uptown blurred as his tired brain raced to try and come up with some kind of plan to trap Lepos.
There was an alley just behind Puffy’s… he couldn’t there was no straight path. He had been boxxed into the middle of city, unable to get out without causing some kind of destruction. Lepos was smart, trapping him somewhere full of people, full of buildings.
“Come here Spider-boy… you know you want to…” The low, filtered voice of the villain made Tommy’s hair stand up, making him stop for a moment to make sure his earplugs were in correctly. Lepos’ charmspeak was notoriously powerful, his earplugs came with weeks of tweaking (and a very close call), and even then sometimes he found himself straining against the Voice.
Lepos stopped for a moment, Tommy could already tell he was perched on one of the high rooftops of the city. As he caught his breath, Tommy flicked through the camera feeds built into his mask, looking for any vantage point.
As Tommy got up to fight, the crumbs of a plan forming in his mind, Lepos let out a small laugh.
“Fine then. Won’t come out to play? Lets see if I can draw you out another way.” Lepos’ voice lowered and before Tommy knew what was happening two members of the public were standing on the ledge with Lepos. Without thinking, Tommy swung into action, landing only a few meters away from the villain.
“Let them go, Lepos. They didn’t do anything wrong.” Tommy’s voice rung out across the rooftop, breaking the hold on the innocents, who ran quickly out of there. “It’s me you want.”
“It is.” Lepos took a breath, smiling under his mask. His gloved hands were detailed in runes of some kind, his trench coat blowing in the wind. “Do you know how much trouble you have caused me? How much anguish?”
Lepos took a step with every word, getting dangerously close to where Tommy was standing. He tried to shoot at him, but Lepos easily dodged each web with practiced ease.
“It will be so satisfying to finally take that god damn mask off you.” As Lepos got closer, another figure dropped behind him. Wearing a white mask depicting a smile, his green cloak somehow not in the way, the figure put a finger up to the false lips in a shush motion. Tommy’s eyes widened behind the mask, but he did as they said. Something in him told him to believe this new person. And if he was wrong, Tommy would make this new guy sorry for ever even trying.
“Finally spider-innit, I will be victor-” Before Lepos could finish his sentence, he was hit by a burst of energy, making him fall to the floor. Sizing the opportunity, Tommy webbed him before sending a tip to the police, hoping this time his webs would hold, making sure to place one right over Lepos’ mouth. Before swinging away, Tommy turned to the new guy.
“I had it sorted.” Was all he said. Tommy didn’t need to be saved, he was his own hero.
“I know you did. Some extra help can’t hurt though.” The other guy offered a hand, friendly. “I’m Oniro. And I’m around if you ever have a situation ‘sorted’ again.”
Tommy just stared at the new guy, Oniro, and webbed up.
“Don’t worry, I don’t need anyone to help me save the day.”
With that, Tommy took off, swinging through the street until he reached the alleyway behind his house, backpack still where he left it. He quickly changed and went around the front, lie already on his tongue as to why he was late.
Wilbur barely got out of ‘that fucking webbing’ (his words) before the cops appeared, the device hid in secret lining of his pants. Ducking into a corner, Wilbur pulled off the mask and slipped off the trench coat, shoving them into a duffel he had stowed there earlier. He had known taunting the spider boy would get him in trouble, Corvas’ yelling over his earpiece not lost on the man. Wilbur only wanted to see how far he could take the spider, and he almost had him unmasked, until that masked man showed up. Oniro, he called himself.
‘What a prick.’ Was all Wilbur thought before returning home, bag slung over his shoulder and excuse at his lips.
Tommy was not expecting Wilbur to be sitting just inside the front gate when he got home. He had expected Will to be out at rehearsal at least another hour.
“Oi Will, what’re you doing home so early?” Tommy asked, shoving him a little with his foot.
“Rehearsal ended early today.” Wilbur lied. “And I left my key at home.” That part at least was true. It would hopefully still be sitting on the counter where he left it, although it wouldn’t be the first time it ‘mysteriously’ ended up in his coat pocket.
Wilbur hated lying to his brother, but there was no way he could know about any of this. The disappointment from his brother alone would crush Wilbur if he ever found out, so keeping his ‘side hustle’ a secret was best for everyone involved. Both Phil and Techno agreed, having their own reasons for the agreement.
Tommy just laughed, opening the door before closing it on Wilbur. It took a full five minutes (and the rain to start) before Tommy opened the door again, Wilbur yelling and Tommy laughing. It wasn’t until Phil and Techno got home the two of them rightened up, the dinner table full of laughs.
“Hey Tommy, why were you so late today?” Wilbur asked offhandedly. Tommy’s eyes went wide for a moment before he quickly responded.
“Uh Tubbo needed help with something after school.” Tommy said, knowing his best friend would cover for him.
“So how’s the band?” Tommy asked, quickly changing the subject. As Wilbur rambled on about whatever had happened that day (they were settling on a name, Tommy later learned), Tommy got lost in his own thoughts, already trying to think of the best way to take down Lepos.
The rest of the night went in a whirlwind of homework and adjustments, Tommy’s bedroom door closed and locked anytime he took out his technology. It wasn’t until Tommy was almost asleep he thought of the newcomer. Another hero in a mask, someone he had never seen before. The whole thing screamed suspicious, but for some reason Tommy wanted to know more.
‘I’ll look into it more tomorrow.’
And with that Tommy fell asleep, unaware of Wilbur’s frantic searching on the other side of the wall.