Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Vol. 2

Chapter 25

As the group hurried along, Deb's mind continued to be a whirlpool of questions. Part of her wanted so badly to know more about what was going on, why it was going on, and how her coworker was secretly a superhero! Her scientific mind wanted to know all the ins and outs of what being Spider-Man was like. How did he stick to walls; was it that the hairs on his body grew stickier or was it that he was able to manipulate the unseen aspects of the environment around him? How was it that he could shoot webs out of his wrists? Was Peter as grossed out by that as she was?

Yet, despite those and so many other questions plaguing her mind (like why her boss was also in the middle of all this), she hadn't so much as uttered a word since they'd left her apartment. Fear gripped her heart and overwhelmed any need to satisfy her curiosity at every instance of the sound of a glider zooming around nearby or a band of criminals breaking into a building a block down from them. They'd tried their best to weave between alleys to keep some cover, but sometimes they'd had to venture out into the open, leaving them feeling exposed and causing her heart rate to go up significantly.

She tried to remember Mary Jane's words as they pressed on, recalling how her new friend had pleaded with her on behalf of her boyfriend and Deb's coworker. Right now, Peter Parker was out there fighting to save the city as a superhero... a sentence she certainly hadn't expected to ever say... but he couldn't do it all. He needed her help, which meant that, really, the city and everyone in it needed her help, which was an absolutely overwhelming thought...

Her heart rate spiking still, Deb slumped against a nearby wall, putting a hand to her chest. Breath was suddenly not coming in and out of her as easily, her body seemingly forgetting its basic functions in the face of overwhelming panic. She slumped to the ground, staring off into space as Mary Jane suddenly rushed in front of her.

"Hey, Deb. Deb, can you hear me?"

She was hearing her, but only faintly, as if her senses were going in and out more than the air from her lungs.

"Hey, look at me..."

Deb forced her eyes to meet the redhead's own. There was an urgency to them, but also a softness and a sense of calm. M.J. instructed her to try and regulate her breathing, modeling it for her with her own nostrils and mouth. She tried to follow suit as her friend encouraged her along, finally getting to where everything at least felt normal again.

"You alright?" Mary Jane asked.

"I think so," Deb nodded a bit nervously; she knew she at least felt better than before as her friend helped her to her feet.

"Come on," Fireheart spoke up, "we better get moving before..."

The man cut himself off mid-sentence, his head suddenly tilted upward as he glanced toward whatever had arrested his attention. There was an intensity to his expression, a focus that concerned Deb greatly. She turned, following the direction of his eyeline and discovered what he'd seen: three of the Goblin's men, all flying in their direction.

"This way!"

Deb turned and ran, her legs carrying her as fast as they could move as she tried to keep up with the other two, the group sprinting down an alley until they turned a corner, her boss bringing them to a stop as he turned towards a door, kicking it open.

"In here," he said in a much more hushed tone, gesturing for the ladies to go in first. Deb followed right behind M.J. into the dark building, Fireheart coming in right behind them and shutting the door. They hunkered down against the wall, and Deb shut her eyes even as she listened intently. The sound of the gliders grew louder and louder, the noise almost offensive to her ears due to its harshness. Eventually, they zoomed past the building outside and away, the young woman finally allowing herself to open her eyes.