Monday— April 11th, 2011.
FLASHBACK FOR EMPHASIS.
DOCKYARDS.
[Few minutes ago] ROUGHLY 6:18 AM.
It all started when Lung, the feared boss of Azn Bad Boys or ABB for short had given kill orders about some ‘kids’ who in all of Taylor’s incompetence didn’t even verify what ‘kids’ Lung referred to. Taylor had so eagerly thrown her parahuman powers and launched them at Lung.
Taylor Anne Hebert had always known that the world was a dangerous place. Ever since she was a child, she had been fascinated by the stories of parahumans – people with extraordinary abilities. Some used their powers for good, while others used them for their own selfish gain.
Yes, it was true she had dreams of heroism, and that she’d like to help people. So as her debut, she went into the docks hoping to clear some bad guys maybe a merchant, some druggie, or possibly muggers… It was stereotypical, but she wasn’t dumb enough to attack blindly…
Another reason why she chose to patrol the docks was because this was where her dad worked— hoping that her dad would be safer if there were less bad people around the docks.
But Taylor had never thought that she would confront a parahuman herself so soon. She had always stayed away from any kind of trouble, sticking to the shadows and trying to blend in with the crowd. But fate had other plans for her— heroism called— that was what happened.
When she saw the opportunity, she took it and sent her bugs with the intent to save ‘kids’ whom Lung had wanted dead. Along the line, it then further devolved into Taylor being saved at the brink of demise— at the hands of a mysterious boy just around her age.
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……
…
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Monday— April 11th, 2011.
EMBRACE ME, SPIDEY.
6:20 AM.
[Back to the present]
Taylor’s peripheral vision caught Lung's fiery form lunging towards her, and she braced herself for the worst. But to her surprise, she wasn't engulfed in flames. Instead, she found herself in the protective embrace of a boy with brown hair and brown eyes, clad in red, black, and gold shattered pieces of armor and what seemed to be intricate Tinker tech over a sleeker red and blue fabric.
"Ah~!" Taylor let out a not-so-girlish yelp, her relief palpable. She glanced at the boy, unsure of what to make of this sudden rescue.
"You are safe now, miss uuhm…" The boy trailed off, his attention momentarily diverted as he deftly dodged a fiery lance aimed at them. He swung with a web-like string, or perhaps it was a different kind of string after all, displaying its remarkable tensile strength.
"Er… Taylor…" Taylor stammered, kicking herself inwardly for revealing her civilian name. She knew she should have been more cautious, especially in the heat of the moment.
"Call me Spide—" The boy began, but he was cut off as another spear of fire whizzed past them. With swift movements, he maneuvered and then deposited Taylor to the shade of an abandoned storage, using the string to increase his range of movement. “Take cover, I’ll be back!”
Taylor watched in awe as her unexpected ally, the spider-themed hero, clashed head-on with the fiery Lung. With newfound confidence and ease in her steps, Taylor darted around the battlefield, offering support to the spider cape as they exchanged literal blows with Lung whenever. It was remarkable to see someone her age challenging a formidable opponent like Lung head-on; he must have had a high brute rating and possibly even a mover classification given his speed.
With a ferocity that surprised even herself, Taylor sent swarm after swarm of insects at Lung, creating distractions to aid the spider in inflicting more damage and evading Lung's attacks. They were working together as a team, and Taylor felt a glimmer of hope that they might actually have a chance at defeating Lung.
A savage and almost sadistic glee surged through Taylor as she directed her swarm to attack Lung from every possible angle. From the crotch to the eyes, the ears to the nose, and every inch of his skin that her bugs could touch, Taylor launched her assault. While her insects were vulnerable to Lung's flames, their sheer numbers made them a significant threat.
Despite the danger and the odds stacked against them, she was determined to fight until Lung was defeated. With each passing moment, her resolve strengthened, fueled by the adrenaline coursing through her veins. She was no longer just Taylor Anne Hebert the meek girl who would cower from her bullies; she was a cape, a force to be reckoned with.
An area was cleared with Lung as the epicenter, his massive form felling one building and another. Taylor watched with sharpened focus as she observed the smacking exchange between Lung and Spidey.
"Hey, missed me?" Spidey's voice rang out as he swung from one side to another, narrowly avoiding Lung's fiery onslaught. His handsome mug was grinning ear to ear while the metal part of his armor slithered almost like a liquid and formed a helmet around his head, creating a helmet.
"It was only yesterday, I will murder you!" Lung's voice, strangely eloquent despite his monstrous appearance, dripped with hatred and disdain towards Spidey.
"Awww~! Don’t be so clingy, pal… I don’t swing that way," Spidey quipped, his movements were flowing as he dodged Lung's attacks once more, barely avoiding a gout of fire.
Taylor couldn't help but giggle at Spidey's retort. Gathering her focus, she sent a bunch of ants digging under Lung’s feet, aiming to disrupt his balance and create an opening for Spidey to exploit. Whoever Spidey was, he was experienced though he could be talkative.
As Lung stumbled slightly, Spidey seized the opportunity, launching himself towards Lung with a swift kick aimed at his vulnerable flank. He was like a cannonball, except for gunpowder, he used inertia in his side by emulating a slingshot via his web strings.
Lung roared in pain as the blow landed, but he retaliated with a powerful swipe of his clawed hand, sending Spidey crashing into a nearby pile of rubble.
Taylor's heart jumped as she watched Spidey struggle to his feet, and Lung came crashing at him. But Spidey anticipated this as he webbed Lung’s leg, though the web burned, it remained for a good second allowing Spidey to use them.
When Spidey pulled, he slid under Lung’s crotch and outmaneuvered. With a clear sight, Spidey open-fired using his webs to string concrete pieces, metals, and cars as payload— it all crashed into Lung, making the man just angrier and angrier.
Taylor remained hidden and out of sight, peeking out from her cover as she continued to orchestrate her swarm's attacks. With precise control, she sent wasps and flies to appear in Lung’s line of sight, distracting him and causing his fiery attacks to miss their mark.
Each time Lung's incendiary lance veered off course, Taylor couldn't help but smile, knowing that her efforts were aiding Spidey in their fight against the formidable foe.
From her vantage point, Taylor watched as Spidey seized the opportunity created by her distractions. With Lung momentarily off balance, Spidey hurled more debris at him, using his webs to string together concrete pieces, metals, and even cars as projectiles. Lung roared in frustration as the barrage of debris crashed into him, further fueling his anger and determination to defeat the persistent hero.
Despite the ferocity of Lung's attacks, Spidey remained agile and determined, dodging and weaving through the chaos with skillful precision. Taylor marveled at Spidey's agility and resourcefulness, impressed by how he utilized his surroundings to gain the upper hand against their formidable opponent.
As Lung continued to lash out with fiery fury, Spidey danced around him, using his web-slinging abilities to keep Lung at bay while launching counterattacks of his own. With each strike, Spidey's confidence seemed to grow, his movements becoming more connected and decisive as he continued to chip away at Lung's defenses.
Taylor couldn't help but feel a surge of pride as she watched Spidey hold his own against Lung, knowing that her assistance was making a difference in the battle. With determination burning in her chest, she continued to manipulate her swarm, sending wave after wave of insects to harass and distract Lung, creating openings for Spidey to exploit. “I can do this,” it didn’t sound like her, but she felt incredible.
Motivated by Spidey's display of bravery and skill, Taylor became more daring with each passing moment. She inched closer to the battlefield, her heart pounding with adrenaline as she watched the ongoing clash between the heroic spider-themed cape and the fire-breathing Lung.
As she drew nearer to Lung, Taylor could feel the intensity of the battle coursing through her veins. The sound of buzzing filled the air as she unleashed a literal cloud of insects upon Lung, her swarm swirling around him like a dark storm. With precise control, she directed her insects to attack Lung from every angle, creating a constant barrage of distractions to aid Spidey in his efforts.
Meanwhile, Spidey slung himself farther away from Lung, creating space for Taylor to perform her maneuvers. His movements were graceful and fluid as he dodged Lung's fiery attacks, his web-slinging abilities allowing him to traverse the battlefield with ease. Despite the danger posed by Lung's formidable powers, Spidey remained undeterred, his determination unwavering as he continued to engage the monstrous villain head-on.
Taylor watched in awe as Spidey danced around Lung, his silhouette was a blur of speed and agility.
As the battle raged on, Taylor's swarm of insects proved to be a formidable distraction for Lung, drawing his attention away from Spidey and onto her. With a furious roar, Lung directed his fiery onslaught towards Taylor, his rage palpable as he sought to rid himself of the nuisance she presented.
Swiftly, Lung launched himself towards Taylor at incredible speeds, his massive form hurtling through the air like a fiery comet with his wings flapping and creating wind pressure akin to a helicopter’s blades.
But before he could reach her, Spidey swung into action, moving with a speed that matched Lung's own. With a well-timed maneuver, Spidey intercepted Lung's path, swooping in to protect Taylor from the imminent danger.
In one fluid motion, Spidey scooped Taylor up into his arms, holding her securely in a bridal carry as he swung away from Lung's fiery wrath. Despite the threat of being burned alive just from her rear, Taylor couldn't help but feel her cheeks heating up for a different reason than the bursting flames everywhere.
Lung was superbly going bonkers, sending fireballs everywhere— soon, they would be clashing with Lung’s final form which was not good in any way… They had to defeat Lung now if they wanted to stand victorious against this menace.
"Are you okay?" Spidey's voice was laced with concern as he glanced down at Taylor while he retracted his suit’s helm armor, his brown eyes meeting Taylor’s with genuine worry.
Taylor nodded, while her heart raced from the adrenaline of the battle. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks to you." Yep, it was definitely the ‘heat’ of the battle the reason for her heart pumping like ‘funny’, er… no, she meant crazy… pumping like crazy.
Spidey flashed her a reassuring smile before he activated his helm again and covered his face with it. “Since you want action so bad, my fellow hero, climb on my back!” He sounded childishly excited with a teammate by his side.
As they swung through docks, Taylor clung tightly to Spidey's back, thinking how uncharacteristically giddy she was inside— they were playing Lung like a fiddle. The wind whipped past them as they soared through the air, and Spidey was at the peak of his game.
"Yahoo~! Transformation complete!" Spidey exclaimed as he held Taylor’s wrist and pulled, prompting her to hug him tighter. “Don’t let go, we can still go faster thanks for the extra mass,” his voice was playful as he executed a series of acrobatic maneuvers.
What had been a ground battle had turned aerial!
Taylor couldn't help but notice Spidey just teased her being fat, but no, she was not— she was of average build! They swung from building to building, dodging Lung's fiery attacks with ease. The nearly completed dragon was getting more and more frustrated. It was big and fast for its size, but Spidey was speedily intuitive… With Taylor’s assistance, they were untouchable.
"Yeah, we are the best team ever! Spidey and Skitter for the hundred years! Silk and Swarm for a thousand more!" Taylor shouted, her voice filled with uncharacteristic childishness almost equal to Spidey's. She felt funny when she referred to herself as ‘Skitter’, a random thought for her cape name.
Spidey grinned in response, though Taylor couldn’t see it, she could picture it.
That was when Taylor realized something weird was going on— her powers to manipulate insects was somehow reacting to Spidey… There was an invisible thread she almost could not detect, but it was there. Taylor’s ability granted her a unique form of telepathic control over insects within her vicinity, and was in fact ‘Mastering’ them to do as she liked.
"Woah~!” Spidey reacted to a series of fireballs that rushed at them by slinging for the nth time. “Get some!" he hurled web shots at Lung causing the poor dragon to slow down for a second.
It became angrier as it spewed a flamethrower unlike any other: it was a stream of red and orange blanketing the streets just below them, but then again, Spidey dodged using Taylor’s added weight to give his swinging’s momentum an extra oomph.
Taylor unleashed more insects at Lung, careful to not expend her insects all at once. The docks were rich with insectoid life, but she had to be more conservative considering they were almost at endgame.
As Lung struggled to evade their relentless assault, Taylor's mind raced with possibilities. "I have a plan," she announced, her voice steady despite the chaos around them. "I've memorized the layout roughly around 400 meters radius around here!"
“ROOOAR!!” screamed Lung as he became more dragon-like.
It was now or never— Taylor could do this, and she would see it through.
#Spidey's Armor Malfunction #Spidey, your face! #Taylor's Swarm: Does Spidey count?
