Spider-Man: Across The Spiderverse

5 - Vigilantes Meet

Varian's voice, distorted by the mask, echoed through the alley. The thugs, momentarily surprised by this sudden green-clad intruder, quickly recovered their bluster.

"Who the heck are you?" growled the one in the middle, a hulking figure with a shaved head and a scar that ran across his eyebrow like a jagged lightning bolt.

"The guy who doesn't appreciate three against one," Varian retorted, trying to sound tougher than he felt. He tightened his grip on the webbing canister strapped to his wrist, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs.

Just then, a new figure landed gracefully on the fire escape behind the thugs. Lashanie, clad in her black and white suit, added a new dimension to the scene. Her voice, cool and collected, cut through the tension.

"And maybe," she added, her voice laced with a hint of amusement, "someone who appreciates a good two-on-three."

The thugs whirled around, their surprise deepening. Two vigilantes? This wasn't part of the plan. The guy with the scar scowled. "Look, this ain't your business.  Just walk away, both of you, and we can forget this ever happened."

Varian exchanged a quick glance with Lashanie. He couldn't make out her expression behind the mask, but he felt a surge of unexpected confidence.  He wasn't alone.

"Yeah," he said, his voice gaining strength, "how about you forget about bothering this guy altogether?"

The thugs, realizing they were outnumbered and outmatched, decided discretion was the better part of valor.  The scarred leader grunted a curse and shoved the smaller guy aside.  "Fine," he spat. "This ain't over." 

With that, the three thugs scrambled up the fire escape and disappeared into the night, leaving Lashanie, Varian, and the shaken victim behind.

Lashanie turned to the victim, a young man with wide eyes and trembling hands. "Are you alright?" she asked, her voice softening.

The young man nodded, speechless with relief.  Varian stepped forward, offering a nervous smile. "See? Everything's okay now. Thanks to... uh..."

He trailed off, suddenly realizing he didn't have a cool superhero nickname yet. "Green... Spinner?" he finally blurted out, feeling a blush creep up his cheeks.

Lashanie chuckled, a sound like wind chimes dancing in the summer breeze.  "Green Spinner," she repeated, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "It has a certain... charm." 

She turned back to the young man. "If you need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to reach out to the police or..." she paused, glancing at Varian, "the local green spinner."

The young man nodded again, speechless with gratitude.  With a final wave, Lashanie turned to leave, her black and white form blending seamlessly into the shadows.

Varian watched her go, a knot of confusion tightening in his stomach. Who was she? And where did she come from?

Before he could dwell on it further, Lashanie's voice drifted back, soft and playful. "See you around, Green Spinner. Maybe next time we can compare notes?"

Varian grinned, a feeling of pure exhilaration bubbling up inside him. Maybe this vigilante life wouldn't be so bad after all.  He had faced danger, helped someone in need, and even gotten a cool nickname (sort of). And to top it all off, he'd met a mysterious, web-slinging partner in crime.

The night was young, and for Varian, codename Green Spinner, the adventure was just beginning.  He turned back to the city lights, his eyes shining with newfound purpose.  There were more people who needed help, and he, along with his enigmatic black-and-white counterpart, was ready to face them, one sticky situation at a time.