"What's wrong with some light stabbing?"
Delving into vigilante-ism, Charlie Redmond has balance everything from her superhero neighbor to her math tests to her inability to talk about her feelings. Unlike her morally righteous co-worker, Spider-Man...
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There are some moments where I think, for a brief moment, I am a competent young woman. Then there are others where I find that to be very, very, false. After Peter's third what, I find myself wondering how such a monumental dumbass, such as myself, has not gotten themselves killed yet.
"What do you mean you knew I was Spider-Man?" He asked, pitch and volume increasing. "Charlie. "
"I- Not here," I said, glancing around the street, it was empty now, but a screaming match between vigilantes was sure to grab people's attention.
"Fine." He grumbled and pulled my stomach first into his chest. Finding the closest most desolate rooftop, he dropped us off. "Private enough for you?" Arms crossed, he looked at me expectantly. "Well?"
I dropped my gaze and jabbed my nail into my palm. "I knew you were... you before Berlin?"
"...what? " He stepped closer to me. "How long?"
"Does it matter?" His gaze hardened; the white of his mask was surprisingly expressive. I chewed on my lip. Barely above a whisper, I said, "Night we met."
"You've been lying to me for months. You made me think you hated me." I winced when his voice rose and when he saw he dropped it back down. "Why are telling me now?"
"I don't know."
"Well, that's great. That's amazing. Because you know, it's not enough to be balancing Spider-Man, school, and on the loose weapons dealers who kicked my ass in DC, but now I got to figure out what the hell this is." He took his mask off and plopped on the ground, hand rubbing the back of his neck. "It's brilliant, just brilliant."
After a second, I sat beside him, watching his chest rise as he breathed through his nose. His stress came off in waves, but I knew the main point of the burst was over. "You done?"
"I think so." He replied, his head tilts back, face to the sky. "You know, I kinda really hate you right now."
"I kinda really hate me right now, too." I bit my lip and pulled my knees to my chest. I had the worst timing. "Peter, the weapons dealers. What happened in DC?" A cold bubble of a laugh escaped his lips, but I needed to know. "Peter. "
He wiped his face and didn't look at me. "Nothing. Nothing, alright?"
"I was nearly blown up in an elevator, I'll decide if it was nothing." An edge came to my words with humor. His head tilted sideways at me, I kept the firmest stubborn face that would have made Steve proud.
Eyes downcast, his voice deterred. "I tried to find them, and I failed. The purple rock was a bomb. It was activated when Ned went through the metal detector."
I swallowed. "Was that you only lead?"
"Karen's working on another." He answered tiredly.
"Karen?" Eyebrows furrowed, I narrowed my eyes, wondering if I missed anything.
