Orphic | Spider-Man

SEVEN

STANDING ON THE stage, the man who had told nobody to move, holding no weapon, but dressed nicely in a red velvet suit, was Castiel Baker. The leader of the Manhattan Mambas.
      Octavia couldn't see him, but his bleach-blond hair was gelled back, and there was a sinister smile on his face. However, his voice was just as terrifying as his smile; tone cold, bone-chilling, suave in the most disturbing way.
      "Spider-Man wasn't the only special guest appearing tonight," Castiel Baker smirked over the crowd of people, but everyone was screaming so loud in the middle of the ballroom that no one could hear him. He rolled his eyes and made a gesture to one of his men behind him without even looking. His henchman he signaled to shot into the ceiling.
      Everyone immediately grew into fearsomely quiet, all eyes on him and his men circling the room.
      Castiel Baker clapped his hands, chuckling around the room. The echo of his laugh was haunting.
      "As I said, ladies and gentlemen, Spider-Man wasn't the only one making an appearance tonight. And now that we have you all right where we want you, it's only right to call Spider-Man for help, but," Castiel was looking around, snickering. "I don't see the friendly neighborhood hero anymore," he chuckled and clapped his hands. "Has anyone seen the man of the night?" He looked to the hostages of the crowd, but when they all stared back at Castiel with wide eyes, he snapped, "WHERE IS HE? WHERE IS SPIDER-MAN?"
      He looked directly at Kasey Warner, who coward in fear with her camera man, clutching her microphone as she shook.
      "You interviewed him!" Castiel spat through his teeth.
      "I didn't see where he went!" she cried.
      "Bullshit!" Castiel cried, and one of his henchmen cocked a gun at her.

      Octavia's henchman holding her spun around, gun still pressed to her temple.
      "She danced with him!" called the henchmen to Castiel.
      Octavia's heart nearly stopped as she faced Castiel with a gun pressed against her temple. Otto was sure that his heart hadn't beat in minutes.
      "Oh, yeah?" he sneered. "You his girlfriend?"
      "No," Octavia grunted. "I'm not."
      "I can tell you've got some fire in your soul. Bring her up here." Castiel used two fingers to motion for the henchmen to bring her up.
      "No!" Otto exclaimed. He took a step forward, and guns cocked in his direction. "Let her go! Please."
      Castiel tilted his head at Otto, then chuckled looking at Octavia. "I don't think so. Bring her up here, Simon."
      "Simon?" Octavia muttered.
      Simon, her henchmen heard this, pressed the gun into her skin harder and shouted, "WHAT WAS THAT?"
      People gasped, and Otto nearly had a stroke, but Castiel snapped at Simon.
      "Hey! Dipshit, bring her up here! We need her in one piece for Spider-Man to come out of his hiding place."
      Simon grunted as he began taking Octavia up to the stage. "It was my grandfather's name."
      Once up on the stage, Castiel reached out for Octavia, and Simon let go. Castiel took her arm tightly, and pulled her close to his side.
      "Oh, Spider-Man!" he called out. "We have your damsel! She's in distress! Come here before we blow her brains out!"
      Simon snapped his arm up again and held the gun at Octavia's head once more. Octavia tried to steady her breathing, but she was looking over the crowd, seeing all the tear-stained faces and dresses, pale faces, and her father being shoved within the crowd by the caterers who surrounded the walls. Octavia looked from her father to Castiel.
      Castiel didn't look as grainy as he did on TV, though that's where she ever saw him. He had a square face with a sharp jawline and straight white teeth that she wanted to punch until he needed dentures. His chest was large, with the muscle width of her father, but Castiel was slightly taller. His amber eyes were unsettling in the most beautiful way. He would've been Octavia's secretly kind bad boy dream if he wasn't a murderer, terrorist, robber, and God knows what else he's done.

      "Oh, Spider-Man!" Castiel sang it. "Where are you, pal?" His grip tightened on Octavia. "Come save your girl!"
      "I'm not his girl!" Octavia snapped.
      Castiel looked over at her as the whole room went quiet. His lips curled into an O, and it was obvious how badly he wanted to smile.
      "Whoo-hoo, you do have some fire!" he exclaimed. "Hey Spider-Man, hurry up before she says something I won't laugh at!"
      Octavia caught her father's eye from the crowd, and they pleaded, Please, stop. Her eyes then scanned the room, the walls, and the ceiling. Nothing. Spider-Man was nowhere to be seen. He had to be here, how could he leave a few minutes after they stopped dancing? And Kasey Warner was all in his face. Spider-Man had to be here, Octavia knew. Just where?
      And then that's when she saw him, on the dome ceiling right above the dancefloor.