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Theodore Clarke, or Theo, as he preferred, pulled the leather gloves over his hands and tightened the drawstring hoodie around his head. He looked like a classic bank robber, decked out in a black ski mask and dark clothes to blend into the night.
Theo was no amateur at robbery. Once a month he would hit up one of the many banks in Queens or the surrounding area. He'd just go in, grab as much as he could, and leave.
He swung his backpack out of his window and climbed out onto the fire escape, relishing the night breeze. He hopped down and landed in the alleyway with the agility of a gymnast. Theo wasn't worried about getting caught; as long as his face was covered, he'd be fine.
Theo stuffed his hands into the pockets of his joggers as he trekked the three-mile walk to a small bank across from a corner store on 21st Street. Ignoring the sketchy junkies that roamed in his peripheral vision, the bank finally came into his field of vision. The outside was lit up by a weak fluorescent light that shined on the several ATM machines.
Theo stopped in his tracks as he heard hushed sounds coming from the building. Before him, four masked men were standing suspiciously in front of one of the ATM machines. They didn't notice the boy until he stood behind them, watching as one robber used a laser to cut a hole into the machine and another man used a giant alien-looking gun to levitate the front of the ATM out, revealing stacks upon stacks of money inside.
Theo whistled aloud, causing the four men to whip around in fright. "Impressive! Hey, what is that thing?" He asked curiously, hiding his British accent with his passable American one.
The robber with an Iron Man mask holding a rifle immediately shot at him, but to their surprise, the bullet went through his body as if he were a hologram and shattered the glass window behind him. Despite his apparent immunity, Theo still leaped back in shock and patted himself down.
"HEY! What the hell, man? Jeez, I'm no snitch!" He muttered with a shake of his head before walking through the wall and inside the bank itself. The four robbers stood frozen, mouths open as they wondered if they were all just high and hallucinating.
"Did he just...?" One of them began, but the leader shook his head.
"We don't have time! Just get the fucking money and go!" They continued loading their duffle bags with the crisp, wrapped stacks of money. Unfortunately, they didn't get very far before they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat.
"'Sup guys, forget your PIN number?" Peter Parker, AKA Spiderman, recited the line he'd been practicing ever since he saw the thugs enter the building. He chuckled at their ironic choice of masks and pointed, "Woahhh, you're the Avengers! What are you guys doing here?"
As the leader reloaded his rifle, Peter didn't hesitate to shoot his web out and yank the weapon out of his grasp. It slapped the other robbers hard before hitting the wall.
"Thor, Hulk, nice to meet you guys." He said as two masked men charged at him. He grabbed onto the ceiling kicked his legs out, his feet hitting them simultaneously. Suddenly, he felt his body being captured as if he was suddenly locked in an airtight bubble.
"Argh! This feels so weird!" He glared at the man in the Captain America mask that had aimed at him with the huge gun and causing him to float in the air. It was obviously very advanced technology, so why did four mediocre bank robbers have it? The robber shoved the gun forward, making Peter's levitating body slam against the wall behind him.
"Woah, what is that thing?" He asked as the robber aimed the weapon at him again. His body lifted upward involuntarily, slamming against the ceiling and then the ground repeatedly. Peter was able to raise his arm and shoot his webbing at a shelf behind the man with the gun and yank it forward. It slammed into the robber's back and knocked the weapon out of his reach.
Theo wondered what all the commotion outside was as he knelt down in the locked vault of the bank. He stuffed the wads of paper currency into his backpack, only grabbing what he needed. He pulled the straps back onto his shoulders, sagging at the weight of it and walked out through the closed bank doors.
He was met by a rain of hundred dollar bills, four unconscious masked robbers, and sparks flying from where it looked like someone had sliced through the building with a sword or something.
"What the...?" The boy stared at the mess before simply shrugging and exiting the bank, whistling as he walked down the street with his loot. Just as Theo was across the street, he heard someone shout, "YOU! Stop!"
The masked teenager turned to see a familiar flash of red and blue, making him flinch backward before remembering to maintain his indifferent facade. "HEY! Spiderguy!" He greeted enthusiastically, "Is that a new suit? Looks good on you!" He gave the hero a thumbs up.
"...Phantom?" Peter asked. He'd almost forgotten about the notorious fugitive that used his powers to rob banks. Before Germany, Peter would stalk the streets looking for this guy that managed to slip out of his grasp every single time.
Theo grinned beneath his mask, "It's been a while. Do you know how boring it's been without you?" He whined teasingly, smirking as he caught a glimpse of Spiderman's fists clenching at his sides. He took a subtle step back and powered up, just in case the hero decided to try anything.
Just as Theo predicted, he shot out his hand, web flying from his wrist, but the robber managed to dodge it.
"Woah, there. I thought we were finally getting along!" With that, Theo gave him a small salute and bolted.
"H-hey! Stop!" Peter followed Phantom through the dark, winding alleys that stretched between the apartments and stores. This situation had happened so many times that he knew it was no use chasing him. The Phantom would always stay ahead by just a bit, but it was enough.
Theo rounded the corner and decreased his molecular density, allowing himself to phase into a brick building and vanishing just before Spiderman could see where he went. He smirked at the yelp of frustration and the loud stomp that followed. Leaning his head back and surveying the building that he'd slipped into, he found it was just a department store, closed for the night.
Theo smiled as he imagined the masked hero stalking off bitterly, laughing quietly to himself. He yanked the mask over his eyes and swiped his finger under his nose to see if he was bleeding, a common occurrence whenever he worked himself too hard. When his glove came back clean, he quickly walked to the front of the store, poking his head through the closed doors to see if anyone was outside.
The air was quiet and still with no one in sight. Theo grinned and pulled his backpack closer to his body, darting out of the store and down the street, returning to his apartment with his loot.
