Maya Stark

Chapter 26: Enhanced Interrogation Mode

Once I had snuck in to get my suit, after begging Friday, who was turned on in my suit, thanks to dad, we headed to a parking lot building. Aaron was putting groceries in his car as Parker went forward, and stuck Aaron's hand to the trunk of his car with a web.

'Remember me?' Parker said. His voice was deep and metallic, thanks to the suit, and it made me want to laugh. I walked out and leaned across Aaron's car, just watching.

'Uh, hey...' Aaron said hesitantly.

'We need information,' Parker said. 'You're gonna give it to me now.'

'Alright, chill,' Aaron said.

'Come on!' Parker said. I tried to suppress a smirk.

'What happened to your voice?' Aaron asked.

'What do you mean,' Parker said, 'What happened to my voice?'

'I heard you by the bridge,' Aaron said. 'I know what a girl sound like.'

I put my head down and try to hide my laughter. 'I'm not a girl!' Parker said. 'I'm a boy. I mean, I'm a...I'm a man.'

'I don't care what you are, a boy, a girl—'

'I'm not a girl!' Parker said again. 'I'm a man. Come on, man. Look, who is selling these weapons. I need to know. Give me names or else.'

Aaron slams the trunk shut and Parker jumps back. His spider drone chirps and flies around his head.

'Oh my god, Spidey,' I say, shaking my head. 'You are so bad at this.'

'He ain't ever done this before, huh?' Aaron asks me.

I shake my head. 'It's very entertaining though.'

'Deactivate Interrogation mode,' Parker says with a sigh. The drone goes back in the emblem on the suit's chest. Aaron laughs as his voice changed back. 'Look, man, these guys are selling weapons that are crazy dangerous. They can't just be out on the streets. Look, if one of them can just cut Delmar's bodega in half—'

'You know Delmar's?' Aaron asked, suddenly intrigued.

'Yeah,' Parker said, 'best sandwich in Queens.'

'Sub Haven's pretty good,' Aaron said.

'It's too much bread,' Parker said.

'I like bread.'

'Come on, man, please,' Parker said. He starts to walk away. 'Stupid interrogation mode. Karen, don't ever do that again.'

I roll my eyes. 'Do you really want those weapons in this neighborhood? You got to have someone here you don't want to get hurt.'

Aaron looked back towards Parker, who had stopped walking and turned. 'The other night, you said to that dude, "if you shoot somebody, shoot me." It's pretty ballsy. I don't want those weapons in this neighborhood. I got a nephew who lives here.'

'Really?' I say. 'At the time, I thought he was an idiot. I saved him from being thrown into a wall.'

'Who are these guys?' Parker asked, ignoring me. 'What can you tell me about the guy with the wings?'

'Other than he's a psychopath dressed like a demon, nothing,' Aaron said. 'I don't know who he is or where he is.' Parker leans his head on Aaron's car and gives out a sigh. 'I do know where he's gonna be.'

'Really?' I ask, straightening up.

'Yeah,' Aaron said, 'this crazy dude I used to work with, he's supposed to be doing a deal with him.'

'Yes!' Parker said; starting to walk away. 'Thank you!'

'Hey, Spidey!' I shout after him. 'We need a location, you idiot!'

'She's right,' Aaron said.

'Right, of course,' Parker said, walking back. 'Yeah, my bad. Silly. Yeah. Where is it?'

'Can I give you two some advice?' Aaron asked. Parker nodded. 'You,' he points at me, 'need to be less sarcastic. It doesn't make you scary, it makes you funny. You,' he points at Parker, 'need to get better at the job or just let her do it.'

'I don't understand,' Parker said. 'I'm intimidating.' He crosses his arms.

'You're about as intimidating as a chipmunk,' I say, shaking my head.

'Staten Island ferry, eleven,' Aaron said.

'Oh, that's soon,' I say as we start to walk away.

'Hey, that's gonna dissolve in two hours,' Parker called back.

'No, no, no, no,' Aaron said. 'Come fix this.'

'Two hours. You deserve that,' Parker said.

'I got ice-cream in here,' Aaron said.

'You deserve that,' Parker said. 'You're a criminal. Bye, Mr. Criminal.'