Spiderman From the Ashes : Volume One

Chapter Five - Never Judge a Book by its Cape

The woman stood in awe of the girl's proficiency. She chose not to mention it, avoiding any awkward comments. After packing her backpack for work, she offered a brief yet sincere "Thank you, for real." accompanied by a smirk. As she grabbed her keys and prepared to leave the apartment, she patiently waited for Vicky to exit first.

She mounted her motorcycle, securing the red helmet in place. Ready to engage the pedal and navigate the bustling metropolitan area on her way to work.

Meanwhile, Vicky received a phone call from Charlie, her classmate. He asked if she wanted to meet at the pizzeria to discuss their scientific presentation on elementary school. Vicky agreed, and they both arrived at the pizzeria. As they placed their orders, they discussed their plans for the presentation.

"What have you found so far?" Charlie asked.

"I did some research on our subject, and looks like our teacher will be taking us to Demacia's Elementary School today." She afirmed as Charlie listened intently. They had met at this very public school when they were younger.

Arisu pulled up on her sleek motorcycle and parked among a row of bikes. With a snort, she made her way into the staff room. She took two Margheritas out to a table occupied by students who had already placed their orders. As she glanced at her neighbor, she decided to give her a playful wink.

Vicky smiled as she picked up a slice of pizza, continuing her conversation with Charlie about their project.

"Who's she?" Charlie asked, raising an eyebrow in Arisu's direction.

Vicky hesitated for a moment before replying with a bit of reluctance, "She's my neighbor."

Taking a bite of pizza, she added with her mouth full, "She's really nice though."

"Oh, I see!"

As a young girl walked through the pizzeria, wearing a white hoodie and with her eyes and face covered by her wavy hair. The students glanced at her curiously as she passed by, but Charlie couldn't hide his disdain. "Ugh, that girl..." he spat. Vicky asked if they knew each other and Charlie explained that she was known as the troublemaker of the neighborhood, always causing problems. Vicky wondered about her family situation and what could have led her down this path.Meanwhile, the woman working at the pizzeria rushed back to the staff room when she heard her phone ringing. She had accidentally left it on top of one of the boxes while restocking. Determined to retrieve it, she carefully navigated around the bustling kitchen to reach for it before answering the call.

"C'mon, C'mon, you son of a—" Just as she was about to finish her sentence, she leaped up but narrowly avoided hitting her head on the wall. In her attempt to protect her head, her fingers inadvertently stuck to the ceiling.

Terrified and speechless, she now faced the challenge of getting back down.

After descending the stairs, she flexed her wrist, still perplexed by what had just occurred. Determined to maintain her composure, she resumed her work as if nothing had happened.

As twilight settled in, she retrieved her worn coat from the hook. The chill breeze of dusk prompted her to wrap it around herself.

Her head tilted as she traversed the narrow alley—a convenient shortcut to her neighborhood. The local thieves regarded her with fear, avoiding direct eye contact. Amidst the dim light, she noticed a slight, spray paint can in hand, defacing the brick walls with neon hues. Nonsense words sprawled across the surface, reminiscent of the graffiti she had encountered on countless historic buildings.

Arisu walked past the girl without uttering a word. The delinquent, lacking family guidance, reminded her of her own past, she wasn't responsible what she was doing... she is only a kid.

But it reminded Arisu if she is still responsible with her kid.