Archive of Our Own

  Okay, folks let's do this one more time, yeah?

  My name is Deuce Spade; I was bitten by a radioactive spider my friend and I accidentally made in a lab, since then I've had superpowers. Accelerated healing, I can stick to things, shoot webs out of my wrists (which is a very good thing considering the fake stuff I tried to make cost me $50 for one vial), I'm stronger, and now I have a built-in danger sense.

  It's pretty cool sometimes. Keyword: sometimes. I was once half an hour late to a hang out with Ace and Yuu, then another time I missed an entire class because I was fighting that stupid octopus, I don't really get a ton of sleep, I also once nearly missed a date.

  I've missed a couple dates, actually. Why is he still with me?

  Okay, I'm not making this seem very cool. Uh- swinging around on webs is going fun, I get an aerial view of the city that never sleeps. I don't need to pay for public transport, I'm spending way less cash on gas for when I drive Mom's car, I uh- I get to indulge my delinquent side a little still since I'm not doing that at school anymore, I feel more connected with the community too. It's nice.

  So yeah, that's what you need to know. Back to the now, shall we?

  I woke up to the blaring of my alarm clock; my hand reaches out to turn it off and I turn my face out of my pillow. I push myself up to sit on my knees and grab my phone, checking what time and day it is.

  June 1st, 7:01am.

  My lockscreen is a picture of Ace, Yuu, and I at a fair. I had on some bunny ear hat Ace won, Yuu had some face paint of a cat head on their cheek, and Ace's blush that day had blank spots from where he had those little heart stickers you find in stores during Valentine's Day. We looked amazing that day, regardless of how "cringe" my old group of friends would find it.

  And they had. I distinctly remember them dumping their cherry soda on me.

  Sugar's hard to get out of faux fur, especially when a washer isn't on hand. Which it wasn't.

  I step out of bed and over to my dresser; I grab a pair of ripped jeans, dark gray t-shirt, and a blue flannel. My spider-suit is under my civilian attire, the bits of the legs you can see through the ripped jeans just make me look like I'm wearing leggings or yoga pants underneath. Like I just stepped out of the 2010s or like I'm trying to keep warm during winter, even if it's June.

  ...it's June and I'm still in school since the year started late.

  I should be in a pool.

  At least tomorrow is the last day of school, and then my birthday after that.

  And people say you can't have fun as a civilian when you're a vigilante. (It's me, I'm people.)

  I grabbed my laptop from my desk along with my earbuds and portable charger. When I walk out of my room, I'm met with the beautiful chaos that is my family.

  Eric is in the kitchen trying, yes trying, to make... something. It smells like pancakes, but there's also a citrus-y smell.

  Mom was already gone for work, and Vil was... somewhere in the house. Probably his room.

  "Hey, champ! I made breakfast, you ready for school?" Eric smiled at me, a kind smile, one any father would give.

  I nod, stuffing my things in my bookbag, "yeah; just gotta eat and pack lunch."

  Eric nodded moving a pancake to a plate, "can you check on Vil while I finish up breakfast? He should be up by now..."

  I nod again and zipped up the bag before walking to Vil's room, knocking on the door to announce my presence before opening the door.

  When I walk in, I see Vil at his vanity doing his eyeliner. He was wearing some of his higher end casual clothes; something stylish yet school appropriate.

  "Isn't that makeup a little much for school?"

  Vil's purple eyes glanced at me in the mirror before he set down the eyeliner pencil, "no, this is a completely natural makeup look. You know, like the ones your boyfriend wears."

  I lean against the doorframe, arms crossed and have to bite back a "he's not my boyfriend", because he is. Ace is my boyfriend now, and for some reason still puts up with me.

  I look back at him, Vil was back to his eye makeup, lightly dabbing the mascara wand to his lashes. "You nearly ready?"

  "Have some patience, Deuce. Go eat breakfast, yeah?"

  I leave the room, leaving the door open enough to annoy him a bit.

  What? I know it isn't very heroic, but I'm not the spider right now, I'm just the sweet little brother of Vil Schoenheit. I'm allowed to annoy him.

  As I make my way back to the kitchen, I can hear him groan in annoyance, "Deuce! You're sixteen, you know how to close doors!"

  I can't help but laugh as I walked into the kitchen, seeing now how hard Eric was working on breakfast.

  There were three plates full of pancakes, bacon, sausage, and cut strawberries and mango on top the pancakes. We have mango money now that Mom married a celebrity.

  One cup of milk, Vil's metal water bottle, and a can of my favorite soda were all out on the countertop.

  "Thanks, Eric," I smile and grab a plate and the soda and make my way to the dining table to eat.

  We aren't running late; I haven't been late to school since before Eric and Vil moved in a couple months ago.

  After a minute, Vil walked out of his room. His bag was slung over his shoulder, phone in front of him and he ran a hand through his bangs, trying to position them.

  "So, you were nearly ready!" I say.

  He smiles with a slight shrug, "apparently. You can't put a time frame on perfection, Deuce." As he walked past, he ruffled my hair.

  "Hey! I spent time on that!"

  "I'm sure you did."

...

  Walking through the halls of my school was weird nowadays.

  Dammit, that makes it sound bad...

  What I mean is, it feels different since leaving my old friend group. I still hold my head high, but not as high as before. I'm still proud, but I don't pick on my classmates to the point they fear me anymore.

  Even though it's been a while since I was the boy running around wreaking havoc, some students still flinch away or avoid eye contact altogether. It sucks, but it's just karma for being shitty until freshman year.

  I open my locker to put my lunch inside. It's not like these lockers were big enough to hold much of anything else anyway.

  Well- apart from a concerning amount of the students here. Why did I say that?

  Ace comes up beside me and leans against an empty locker, Yuu right beside him. "So, you study for that test in Mr. Crewel's class?"

  I look at him, eyes wide. Since when was there a test in Crewel's class?!

  He broke into laughter, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye, "relax, babe. I'm messing with you."

  I sigh in relief, shaking my head. "That's not funny."

  "It's hilarious."

  I roll my eyes but can't keep a smile off my face. No matter how annoying Ace got, it was always endearing.

  "You seem to think so," I said.

  A moment later, a sharp tingling at the base of my skull. "Behind you," it whispers, multiple times, a lot of which overlapped.

  Okay, there aren't many dangers school could pose. My body tenses slightly as I prepare for whatever danger my senses are picking up.

  "Move it, Mama's boy," a familiar voice says before roughly shoving me aside with their shoulder, sending me into my locker door.

  "Opening your eyes a little shouldn't be too hard for you, Todd," I glare at him as he walks past. He turns around a grin on his face; he always got that when he's feeling cocky.

  "Oooohh, feeling brave today, Spade? You wanna go?"

  I stand a little straighter, now looking down on him by about an inch. "I think you remember our last fight."

  Todd's eyes narrow, holding the glare for a good minute before scoffing and walking off, "whatever."

  I roll my eyes as he and the rest of my former friends walk towards the exit to the football field.

  "Dude, you okay?" Yuu asks, moving their head to check my right shoulder as if they could see through the fabric.

  "I'm fine, I've handled worse than a little shove by a twig anyway."

  "Still, real shitty to do that. Let me know if it bruises, I'll bring ya some ice," Ace shoved his hands in his pockets as we made our way to class.

  My lips curl into a one-sided smile, "I will, I will."

...

  The lunch bell rings and I, and a ton of other students, walk to the cafeteria. Some carried lunch boxes, some had their wallets, and everyone talking to someone they know from either a different class or the class they just left.

  I sit at my usual table in the corner near the windows with Ace and Yuu, they were talking about something by the time I got there. Vargas' class, from the sound of it.

  "Making us run that much before lunch has to be criminal," Ace said, pointing his French fry at Yuu with his signature pout.

  Adorable.

  "Right? Like I can't even run a mile on a full stomach, what's he expecting to get when I'm hungry and dealing with French floating around my head?" Yuu ate their chicken wrap.

  I laugh softly as I open my lunchbox. Gym has never been too hard for me, it's pushed me to be a better athlete - even if I'm not one anymore.

  Sacrifices had to be made to keep up with a double life, okay?

  And before you ask, no I haven't told any of my friends or family yet. Them thinking I still do track gives me pretty good cover stories.

  "It wasn't that bad," I say.

  "You only think that because you run for fun," Ace grumbled.

  Yuu chuckled, "you act like basketball doesn't have running."

  Ace's response along with the rest of the conversation fades into background noise as I look out the window, seeing a figure with a bunch of arms moving from roof to roof. What the hell was that?

  I squint to get a better look, and that's when the tingling at the base of my neck comes back, louder.

  "Hallway", "in the corner of the cafeteria", "bathrooms", "get somewhere dry."

  Then the water fountains exploded, water shooting up from each one and soaking everyone near them. Water and screams of kids getting soaked filled the cafeteria, some used jackets for umbrellas, other their lunch trays or lunchboxes.

  "What the hell?!"

  "What's going on?!"

  "My hair!"

  I looked back at the figure, already knowing the culprit. I curse under my breath and weave between the crowd of students and run out of the school and to a nearby alley that no one passes by. I take off my civilian clothes and stuff them in my bag, then I hide the bag beside some boxes. I take my mask from my suit pocket and put it on.

  Moments later, I'm swinging from building to building after the person I saw earlier.

  I eventually caught up to him; the guy had short periwinkle hair, four robotic arms behind him. It's that stupid octopus.

  "Hey, Tentacles! Aren't you supposed to be in juvie right now?" I ask with a smile and teasing tone as I kept pace with him.

  Azul looked over with a frown, not pleased by my nickname for him. "I have friends in good enough places for the bail, Cauldron." One of his robot arms shot out towards me, "but while I'm here, I should cross off another thing on my to-do list: exterminate a very annoying spider!"

  "Woah-!" I drop from my web and perch on the side of some rooftop, "hey now, I'm not that annoying!"

  He didn't seem to agree, though he did send another arm my way, aiming for my head. I duck out of the way and shoot a web at him, giving it a hard yank backwards when it sticks to him.

  Azul glared back at me over his shoulder, one of his robot arms come my way. "Why you little-"

  Now, I don't always have a malfunction with my webs, they're biological, how could they malfunction? User error is how, and my webs are still connected to me when the metal arm collides with my ribcage.

  I stagger back, one arm around myself as I look up, "oof- I forgot how well-armed you are."

  No laughter.

  "Okay, that wasn't one of my best jokes," I mutter, "hang on- I think I got another: what do you call a seven-armed octopus?" I slung a web at a loose brick from the top of a rooftop garden and fling it at Azul's mechanic arm, taking it off. "An amputee."

  Azul looked at his fallen arm before staring back at me, redder than cooked lobster, "arrgh! You sorry little excuse for a hero! Those are expensive!"

  I'm going to spare you the details, my friend, but an hour later I was bruised, sore, my nose was bloody from a now healed broken nose I got during this fight. Breathing kinda hurts right now, but I push through it as I watch the police load Azul into the back of the police cruiser.

  "Thanks again for your help, SC," one of the cops say to me. I recognize this one from my old delinquent days from freshman year and middle school, she's dealt with me quite a bit...

  "Anytime, it's what I'm here for," I respond, trying to make my voice a little deeper in hope she doesn't recognize it.

  "Still though, that looked like it hurt..."

  I shrug and twist my back, popping following the motion, "I needed a good back kraken anyway."

  The officer chuckled at my joke - see? I'm funny, Azul's sense of humor is just broken. "So, he's in for property damage this time, huh?"

  "It's always something with him," her partner jokes as he gets in the car.

  I nod and watch as the officer I'm talking to get back in through the driver's side, "see you around, SC!"

  "Bye!" I wave.

  I stood there for a few seconds before I check the time on my phone, my eyes widen when I see I'm late to history class.

  Fuck, fuck, fuck!

  Trein is one of those sink-or-swim teachers; he's strict, he'll dock off points from an assignment if he sees you sleeping and would absolutely give you the worst glare ever if you walk in late.

  I quickly swing back to the school, as if it'll make a difference in whether or not I'm late.

...

  I'm racing down the empty hall after I've changed. I just need to make another left and find the classroom door unlocked, weird...usually he has it locked during class.

  I push it open to find no one there, not even Trein.

  Huh...

  That's when I hear the click-clack of heels in the hall and I peek out, an eyebrow raised.

  "Deuce! There you are, I've been looking for ages," Vil picks up the pace and crosses his arms. His hair is messed up slightly from the water earlier and running his hands through it, he always does that when stressed.

  "What?"

  "Come on, school ended half an hour ago."

  I look at the time on my phone, "it's not even 3pm yet."

  He rolled his eyes and ushered me to the front entrance, "yes, do you honestly think that they'd let the school remain open after every faucet blew up? Now come on, I'm driving us."

  I followed him to the car and got in the passenger side door, my bookbag on the floor in front of me.

  The car ride was full of music from Vil's playlist; pop songs with the occasional alternative song that I know and a few country-folk songs that sophomore he's "adopted" likes.

  As I'm looking out the window, I swear I can see Azul's two little helpers in the distance.

  Yeah, I'm gonna be back out there the second we get home; sometimes that's just how it is when being a vigilante.

  Now what's a good excuse I can use to get out of the house...?