Spider-X: A Spider-Man Story

Chapter 13: Attempted Kidnapping

The beautiful thing about New York in any universe is that, for the most part, you can do anything and no one will bat an eye. Peter snaps his second web shooter on his wrist. It's a thin silver band, practically unnoticeable. He's on his way to the train, having elected to take the long way back to the Institute to get a chance to practice his web shooting.

It's weird, living with people his own age. He's so used to being alone at this point that he's always surprised when someone notices if he's late to dinner, or makes a nice move in the danger room. Even with May, they were a two person team. Now, constantly being surrounded, it's nice. Except when he's making equipment the adults at the Institute would not condone for powers no one knows he has.

He's about to walk down the steps of the subway station when he freezes. Some guy behind him bumps into his shoulder and throws a curse at Peter for stopping so suddenly, but Peter doesn't care. His spidey sense is going off like crazy. He backs away from the subway and lets his senses guide him.

He wanders down a few streets, past a Starbucks, around a Target, and then he sees the source. Well, the back of it. A man in black pants and a bloodred jacket, the hood pulled up over his head. The closer Peter gets, the stronger the sense of danger becomes.

The man stiffens. Peter freezes. When the man moves, Peter goes to follow, but he's hit with a surge of dizziness. He trips. Peter hasn't tripped in years, but he trips into a newspaper stand. Ow, Peter thinks as he rubs his temples. He apologizes to the man working then looks around. What was he looking for?

He can't remember. He knows he was looking for something, or someone, but it's like a word stuck on the tip of his tongue. He looks around, but there's nothing out of the ordinary.

He's about to head back to the Institute when he hears a scream. Not close, at least a few blocks away, but it's definitely a scream. High pitched and full of fear. He takes off running.

As he gets closer, the screams get louder. There are multiple voices now, yelling for help, pleading. Peter hits his wrists together twice, activating the enlargement mechanism on his web shooters. They expand into their full size.

Peter scales a building once he's alone and jumps between rooftops until the voices are right under him. They're at the back of an abandoned building, but a generator is out back, covering the cries of three kids to any outsiders. Three little boys, probably aged between five and nine, are kicking and screaming while two men in ski masks grip their wrists tightly.

"Get them in the van!"

"I'm trying, but they're squirming!"

"Knock 'em out before their powers activate."

The man only holding one kid pulls out a taser. Rage fills Peter and he shoots a web, snatching the taser right out of the criminal's hands.

"What the-"

Peter flips down before he can finish that sentence. He lands both feet on the man's chest, taking him down quickly. The man hits his head on the ground and is out instantly. The other man pulls a gun and presses it to a kid's head. All three children start to cry.

"Hey, hey," Peter holds up his hands placatingly, "it's gonna be alright." He looks all the kids in the eyes, one by one, "can you close your eyes for me? I promise I'm here to help."

The scared little boys are shaking, but they do as Peter says. Before the kidnapper can utter a threat, Peter webs the gun out of the man's hands and crushes it into tiny pieces. The man lets go of the kids and tries to run, but Peter catches up and slams the man's head into the metal van he tried to stuff the children into.

"Unit 5, do you copy? How's the new shipment coming?" A voice crackles on a walkie talkie. "I repeat, do you-" the voice cuts out. The line drops. Whoever is at the other end figured out that this unit is in trouble.

Peter webs up the snatchers from the neck down and leans them against the van. He slashes the tires too and quickly combs through the vehicles for any clue on who was on the other end of the walkie talkie, but there's nothing.

He gently approaches the three boys. "Hi," he says calmly. They're all huddled together, crying. "Are you alright?"

"You saved us from the bad men," the oldest says. "Why?"

Peter tilts his head, "it's the right thing to do, little man."

"You have superpowers." This comes from the smallest. He has audible awe in his voice.

Peter nods, "yeah, but I need a favor."

"We can't tell." The last one guesses.

Peter nods again, "can we keep this as our little secret? I want to keep saving kids like you, but I can't if people know I have superpowers."

"We'll keep your secret," the oldest promises. "But you have to help us back to our mom."

"You've got yourself a deal." Peter stands up and the two littlest ones take his hands. Peter keeps them close and leads them to a more populated area, towards the nearest police station to find their parents.