Batman and Spider-Man

Chapter 13

"This thing started all those years ago," Tom Marsh said, blowing a cloud of smoke. "Remember when that big meteor struck. Folks were calling it alien and all that. Big media coverage, the usual hoshposh. Few weeks past and everybody forgot about it. You know how folks are. However, the scientists down here found something on that meteor, something that'd make em rich. They were whispers about a new weapon or something. I'm pretty sure you and everybody knows ACE ain't just dumping chemicals in rivers, they also make weapons. And the higherups saw something big in this. Something very, very big."

Who is Jack Napier?

"Napier," said the man who owned the newspaper shop. Not many people read newspapers nowadays, they had their apps and their smartphones so the man knew everybody that stopped by his shop. Everybody that stopped by to say hello. They were the kids who had parents who were a little older than them, they were old fashioned folks just like him who never got used to the those fancy touch screens and there was the few odd young folk who actually sat down and found the time to read these old fashioned newspapers. Jack Napier was one of them. "Oh, Jack. You talking about Jack. Charming man, that one. Every morning before work he used to come here to pick up a newspaper. Used to complain a lot about his job. Poor man, so skinny, looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders." The man chuckled. "Despite all that, guy sure knew how to make a guy laugh. Used to crack plenty of jokes, made my day. Told me he wanted to be a comedian, make a name for himself on the stage. Had no doubt he'd make it too. Used to tell me he'd be in a big mansion. Him and his wife." The newspaper vendor looked down. "May god rest her soul."

"His wife?" the neighbour said. "Oh, Jeannie. Oh, Jeannie was a sweet lady. Used to help out everyone in the neighbourhood without asking for anything. Even when she was pregnant. The girl was weighing her down, making her sweat like a bodybuilder yet she still helped me out with my boy." Tears started falling down her face. "Never asked for anything Jeannie. Her husband could barely afford the bills yet she still never accepted donations. I even insisted yet she refused. Then the accident, the accident took her away. Her and the baby just... just..." She wiped the tears from her cheek and tried stifling her sobs. "Gone."

The neighbour could barely mouth the last word.

...

The Vulture's wings were blue. Before he could fire Spider-Man leapt across the rooftop and tackled him off the building.

"This is kinda romantic don't you think?" Spider-Man said as they plummeted to the ground.

They traded fists, Spider-Man dodging the Vulture's feral swipes and Spider-Man's fists hitting against his mask like a sledgehammer. Vulture did a barrel role, swiping at that lunchbox that was dangling at his side and not quite reaching it. The feathers finally launched, swerving wildly in the air. Spider-Man grabbed Vulture and turned around, the feathers missing them by inches. The feathers sliced through bits of Spider-Man's suit and even the Vulture's jacket. There was one lucky feather that sliced through the lunchbox, Spider-Man noticing that attached two webs to either side of the pavement below and kicked the Vulture downwards, using the Vulture's body to propel himself upwards.

Spider-Man saw the "lunchbox" in mid-air and fired his web at it, attaching it to the walls of a nearby building before being tackled upwards into the air by the Vulture.

"Enjoying your flight?" Vulture asked

"Service here kinda sucks," Spider-Man said

Spider-Man squirmed out of his tight grip, grabbed his shoulders and flipped over him, diving to the buildings below headfirst. "What kinda flight doesn't have parachutes?"

Spider-Man felt a familiar buzz. He rolled his body around mid-air and saw the Vulture diving at him, his wings glowing bright blue. Spider-Man launched a web directly at his face causing him to swerve violently upwards.