Violet Tides: A Spider-Woman Story

Chapter 11. Unmasked

It felt freeing to be spider-woman again after almost a week. a part of herself she was hiding breaking free. Many people were happy to see her too. The old people that she helped run errands were the most grateful. Violet sat on Brooklyn Bridge eating a pack of gingernuts she had gotten from one of the generous ladies. she breathed easy, her guard down. That was a mistake. She didn't hear him coming this time; she was just too tired for her spidey senses to be working constantly. She jumped up to run but ironman said something that made her stop.

"Violet tides"

Fuck.

"What?" violet turned tilting her head to the side as if confused

"That is your name, violet tides" Captain America appeared beside him.

Fuck frick fuckity frick.

"Sorry I'm not sure what you mean" violets heart was beating so fast she thought it might fly away.

"You have some balls, I'll tell you that," Stark said, ignoring her previous statement. "Coming into my home, befriending Peter, then running away when we tried to help you"

His faux amusement didn't quite cover the anger in his voice. Violet took a step back, the back of her heel hanging over the edge. Her mind was racing.

"Sorry," violet whispered. "I'm sorry I didn't-" Violet stopped taking in a sharp breath. She looked up at the two men. The weight of the situation finally hit her. Ironman had discovered her identity, there was no going back. "What do you want?" violet said harshly.

"For you to come with us"

"But why?" Violet yelled, she raised her arms taking a few steps forward . "You seem to have put a lot of effort into finding my identity but why? you don't need me. I'm no trouble to you. I stay in my neighbourhood fighting low level crime and helping old ladies cross the street. It doesn't make sense why you would go to all this effort. Okay yes I am friends with one of your interns and yes I saved spiderman but you don't owe me anything and I don't owe you! So I don't see why you need to come into my life and disrupt me when I'm just trying to eat my gingernuts in peace!

"Because you are like ten and fighting crime in pyjamas, violet." the cap snapped. "It would be irresponsible for us just to ignore that. You should be in school not spending your afternoons beating up muggers"

"I don't beat up muggers. I web them up, hitting them would just be mean, you don't know what they're going through." violet mumbled "and I'm 15"

Ironman face palmed.

"Just come with us kid, we know the police are looking for you and it will just make everyone's lives easier if you do"

Violet looked at ironman and then Captain America.

"Fine," she relented.

***

The ride back to the Avengers Tower was strange. Stark called a quinjet, it took less than a minute to arrive. Nothing was said the whole ride except for Steve asking her if she was alright. She didn't tell him it was her first time on a plane. They didn't even have time to sit down before the jet reached the tower.

"You hungry?" Tony asked. He was out of his ironman suit and in a basic two piece. Violet still had the gingernuts in her hand and lifted them up to say no. She still wore her mask, a part of her was still in denial she wasn't quite ready to let go of the idea that it was only her secret. Tony led her into a large open concept lounge room. And motioned for her to sit.

"Are you going to call the police?" violet asked shyly

"Not yet we want to ask you a few questions first"