Chapter Text
“Mmph,” I groaned softly, slowly pushing myself up from the depths of my cozy bed. The sun’s bright yellow rays streamed through the window, casting a warm glow across the room and illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air. All my figurines stood neatly above me on the highest shelf, some of them starting to pick up dust–would have to clean that–and my poster of The Fantastic Four clinging to the wall above my desk, barely held on by 4 pieces of shitty sticky tape.
Outside, the sounds of morning New York filled my ears, the distant honks of angry drivers caught in the snarl of traffic, tired from not getting enough sleep. Sometimes I wonder if people take ‘The city that never sleeps’ a little too seriously.
“Perfect,” I muttered.
“Aisha! You awake?” Mom’s voice called out, muffled through the closed door of my room. I rubbed the gunk from my eyes and slipped my feet into my soft, worn slippers, the fabric cool against my skin. Eager for breakfast, I made my way to the kitchen, the inviting aroma of sizzling eggs and fragrant garlic wafting through the air.
As I entered the kitchen, I found Mom busy at the stove, her movements graceful and practiced. She was already dressed for the day, her curly black hair pulled back into a neat ponytail, revealing her frankly way-too-focused expression. Her prosthetic was somewhat awkwardly holding onto the frying pan’s handle as she worked on the eggs with her normal arm. “Need any help?”
“No, no, it’s fine.” Ah, there’s that classic Hebert humility, second only to the classic Hebert ego. Before I could sit down, the kettle let out a sharp whistle, and I quickly turned it off before Mom could even think to reach for it. She sighed as she returned to making breakfast, and I began preparing tea for both of us. “You really don’t have to, you know?”
“Really? And who taught me to always help people?” I said, giving her a smug grin as I stirred the tea. “Last time I checked, you’re a person too, no? Unless you’re a fairy who switched places with my Mom, in which case–beware the silver spoon!”
Mom stared between me and the spoon before letting out a small chuckle and sighing.
“Ok, first of all,” She said, pushing the spoon out of her face. “Silver is for werewolves and vampires. Second of all, it is cold iron for the fae.”
“Damn, guess I’m getting kidnapped then,” I said, chuckling as we set down the food and tea on the dining table.
“Don’t forget about your bonnet,” She said, pointing at her own head. “Wouldn’t wanna go to school with it on for the… how many times has it been? Four?”
“Three. I’m not that forgetful,” I replied, taking a bite of my omelette, while Mom was already almost halfway through her plate.
“How was the weekend with Terrance?” She said after taking a sip of tea, her tone taking on an awkward tint. “Is he doing alright?”
“Dad’s fine.” It was still awkward for me, even after five years. It wasn’t as bad as most kids have it when their parents divorce, but still. They were always friendly, and yet there definitely felt like something was left unsaid. “He and Chris are finally official, as if it wasn’t so obvious.”
“Ugh, finally,” she said, taking another sip of tea as her tone returned to normal. “Thought I’d be stuck watching neither of them make a move till the day I died.”
With the last of her food finished, Mom stood up, leaving the dishes in the sink.
“Okay, honey, I’ll be off now,” She said, grabbing her satchel, pausing before she left through the apartment’s front door. “And do be careful; I’m starting to get tired of having to deal with dumb cops who want to stroke their egos by bullying my girl.”
“Ok, one, I know damn well you enjoy it,” I said, getting up and leaving my dishes in the sink. My Mom may be a teacher, but deep down there was a sadistic streak that would make even the devil piss himself. Terrorizing all those cops had her looking the happiest she’d been in years–a bit too happy, frankly. “And two, I don’t think there isn’t a single pig in this damn city who doesn’t fear the name Taylor Hebert. I genuinely think I saw one shit himself at the sight of you.”
“Well, you know me better than anyone, little imp,” She said, opening the front door. “Your Mom always gives it her all–have a good day at school! And don’t forget to feed Atlas 12 and Charlotte!”
“You too!” I said as she shut the door. “Alright, I have about… two hours till school starts. Should be enough time, I think.”
With that, I spent the next half hour taking a shower and doing my skincare–first day of school after winter break, had to look my best after all. Passing through the living room, I went up to Charlotte’s and Atlas 12’s glass enclosures, leaving them a few snacks to nibble on while I would be gone for school.
Stepping into my room, I crawled onto my bed, fishing between it and the wall. I grabbed the ‘borrowed’ police radio and turned it on. I waited, fidgeting with the dinky little thing until I heard something of note.
“...10-30 C on uhhh, E. 10th Street; Over.” 10-30 C meant an ongoing robbery at a store, and East Side 10 wasn’t too far from here, so it shouldn’t be too much of a stretch on my part.
“Gotcha,” I said, smiling to myself as I hopped off the bed. While learning cop speak was a pain in the ass, it was so worth it. Pushing open the hidden compartment in my closet, I grabbed my stuff–only about an hour and a half before classes start; gotta make this quick.
I started with the black bodysuit, pulling it up from my feet to my neck, the fabric widening to show off the giant purple spider on the front.
Bodysuit, check.
Next came the shoes and pants, white and blue with a hint of purple on the shoes.
Pants and shoes, check.
Third came the jacket, my pride and joy–it took me a couple of days to make it just right–purple base with white sleeves and a spider on the back.
Awesome jacket, check.
Following that was my mask, a set of goggles wrapping around the head–with way too much allowance money spent on making the eyes move.
Mask, check.
Finally, my web shooters–the things were chunky as hell, but they worked well enough for now. The two shooters clicked onto my wrist before filling them up for the day.
Web-shooters, double-check
“Alright, it’s go time!” Opening my window, I grabbed my backpack and got a running start. Leaping through the window, I took a deep breath, held out my hand, and…
THWIP!
“Woohoo!” I yelled out, the cold morning air hitting me as I swung between the buildings of my home. “Good morning, New York City!”