Like Two Drops of Water - Spideychelle

Chapter 4: Stopping Criminals

"I'm going to walk you home." I declared once I'd finally made my way through the crowd of students and caught up with M.J.

She groaned in response. "Why do you suddenly feel the need to walk me home Peter?"

"I've always felt the need. I've just never acted on it until today." I explained, feeling the need to prove to her exactly how important this was to me by making my voice as genuine as possible. "It's dangerous out there, you know."

She looked me dead in the eyes, not believing a word I was saying. "You're not going to walk me home." She stated defiantly while shaking her head.

"I'm going to walk you home." I repeated, just as defiantly as she had. I believe I had her convinced, or at least given up because she only sighed at my antics. And so it was decided that I was going to follow her home, since she never made any other commands. Instead she walked along by my side while I walked along by hers.

We made our way toward the subway, walking through the streets of New York. I decided to tread lightly ahead with some small talk. "So, how's everything with you?" I asked, for a moment pretending that we were the sort of friends who asked each other how the other was.

M.J. was still obviously annoyed with me and she shot me a glare. But in a moment of what I assumed to be miniscule compassion, she decided to go along with it. "Swell." But before I had a chance to celebrate, she added, "Until you showed up, now I'm just annoyed." Maybe I should have my spider senses checked, as I seemed to have just mixed up compassion with devious intent, a bit of a long shot to say the least.

I refused to be discouraged however. A perfect diversion, I thought. I had just steered the conversation into something the subject had an interest in. The subject's interest in this case being to insult me.

"No, I don't think so." I countered. "I think I showed up, and you're annoyed. But I don't think they are correlated. Which is an important distinction to make."

"I think they are correlated, because I am very much annoyed with you."

I put on my evidently false tone of concern. "You're starting to sound like a conspirator. Not everything is correlated, M.J." I gave her a crooked smile. Like I'd just instilled some knowledge in her, which I knew would make her incendiary at the least.

But before she had a chance to bring down the apocalypse. Before anything at all had a chance to happen, a loud cry from the alley we were just passing echoed out and a threatening voice came with a "Shut up!" in response.

I had to think fast. Adrenaline pumped through my veins and caused all my senses to calm, which in return made me focus. I could feel every sneeze, every path or probable yawn. Every turn, every escape, every stain or possible mishap that could set everything falling into pieces came cascading into my conscience.

Three people, one was a victim of course, the others not so much.

M.J. ran. Unfortunately, not quite in the direction I would have hoped.

"Don't run to the scene!" I despaired in a hushed panic. The words were only heard by me however, seeing as the damage was already done and M.J. was running into the alleyway toward the two large men.

It did give me a chance to get in character however, so not all was lost. I passed the corner, out of M.J.'s sight.

When I had made sure that none of the few people on the street were paying attention to me, I slid my mask on. Once I'd gotten that out of the way I was free to quickly web my bag to the wall where no one could reach it, then web my way upward to the roof of the building, figuring that I should arrive from a different point than where Peter had last been seen.