"Ivan you checked the gate?" Chuck asked approaching his buddy. He rubbed his sweaty palms on his cargo pants as his anxious heart rattled against his ribcages.
"Twice, my guy. Just chill." Ivan replied with a loopy smile as he took a whiff of his cigarette before passing it on to his buddy. "What's gotchu on the ropes? Linda and you at it again?"
"Nah man, that bitch left yesterday. More like I threw her out but nah man that isn't it. It's just off." Chuck replied as his eyes darted around. "This whole thing just feels off today?"
"You too?" Ivan asked as Chuck jerked in surprise. "Yeah, I get what you mean. Even Tonka was on the edge."
"Shit... Even that dawg?" Chuck asked as he grabbed the sleeves of his jacket. "Then what are we doing-"
"Tonka wanted to call the transaction off. Like, postpone it a week or two later. But 'pin isn't having any of it." Ivan sighed as he felt the smoke fill his lungs and calm down his nerves. "Apparently someone stole something from him and you know how he is."
"I know, like that fucking gold hoarding dragon from that one movie we watched."
"Exactly, he put a hit out and hired professional goonies to track down some bitch in slutty tights but the man went dead and the ninja bitch is missing. 'Pin thinks 'em pastas have something to do with it. He wants this transaction to be the last so that he can just call the rest of it off." Ivan said as he smirked. "If it goes down south with those Maggia chumps then we are just pop 'em down and go have a vacation in Hawaii."
"That's... That's shady dawg. No way we just pop the Maggia and we get to go-"
"I know. That's why he has the other ninja chumpies to jump 'em if they try to attack 'Pin. Well, whatever... We ain't fighting on the 'lines anyways." Ivan shrugged. "You relax bud. We did this three times past week already. Just like always, we stand guard around the gate and let the cash boy handle the paperwork with the Maggia. Load the shipment and we off with the same boat. Easy peasy."
"Yeah, I get what you mean but..."
"But what?"
"I don't know. My stomach just won't eat this situation. I feel like somebody is watching us." Chuck muttered honestly as Ivan blinked.
Ivan's hand automatically went inside his jacket as he gripped the handle of his gun. His eyes looked around. Left, right, up and down.
The cabin was empty with nothing but spiders in the corner of the walls.
"Relax bud, if anything happens we just bail out of here." Ivan assured his long-time partner but he didn't reply. Looking at his sweaty face he sighed. "You don't think it's the fucking Spider do you?"
"W-What-"
"Chill man, the Spider is dead. The government hunted him down-,"
"How can you be sure-"
"He's been gone for almost two months now. No sights, no brawls, no nothing. Even his social media is dead."
"W-Well, he could be laying low-"
"Well that's true but he never left the streets alone." Ivan said as Chuck bit his tongue. "That asshole was always in the streets, sweeping them. He'd come by and sweep our brothers up as soon as he caught the slightest scent of us and fucking gut is like animals. Look now, two months and no sight of Spider. The streets are in our control again."
"Y-You think that the government could put Spider-Man down?!"
"I don't know but they have always done shady shit. The spider had a lot of momentum, the folks of the streets and slums were with him since he kept the place out of our hands." Ivan shrugged as Chuck just shook his head.
"Y-You... Don't know him. I saw him! I've seen what he does to people! He is like a devil! A monster... The way he killed my brother. I just can't believe he just went and died like that-"
"Believe what you want to, but now shut the fuck up." Ivan said in an annoyed tone as he received a message. "The deed is almost done, we gotta haul the ship-"
*Boom!*
Ivan and Chuck were rocked off their feet as the Shipyard they were at exploded and lit up with flames.
"Ahhhh!" Chuck shrieked gripping his head as he felt like it was about to explode from the pain. He felt blood trickling down his fingers. Groaning and gasping he helped himself up. Running the dirt out of his eyes and spitting the grime out of his mouth, he found himself standing in the middle of a mountain of rubble. "F-Fuck... Fuck! Fuck! Ivan!... Ivan?! W-Where are you-"
Chuck's eyes widened as he fell to his knees in despair.
Ivan laid half crushed under a block of ceiling that caved in from the explosion. His eyes were wide open, his face frozen in shock.
"This is NYPD! Put your hands over your head or you will be shot!" Captain Harvey screamed, his gun trained on the kneeling Chuck as he and some of his men approached the man. Chuck heard nothing, his ears were still ringing from the explosion. "I said put your hands where I can see them!"
Chuck was unresponsive as Harvey clenched his teeth, looking at one of the men he nodded as the guy switched his gun and shot Chuck with a taser gun.
Chuck felt his eyes flutter and body convulse as he fell face first into the ground. He barely managed to stay awake as he felt two men grab him and pick him up.
"Captain! We have secured the site along with Maggia fucks and these thugs! The explosion killed off most of the thugs and even wounded two of your men! Trish is rounding up the Maggia maggots! What are your orders, sir?!"
"Round these lots up and throw them into the trucks and ship them to the HQ before lofting them into high-security prisons! Provide medical assistance as required! Just enough to keep them alive! Back up is on the way in the meanwhile, me and team delta will secure the package ship!"
"Aye, captain!"
Chuck felt his body being dragged as he struggled to stay awake.
His face twisted into a crazed smile as his eyes landed on a dark figure watching him on top of a water tank.
"Y-You sick monster... The 'pin will 'ver see this coming..." Chuck muttered as darkness took over as the phantom disappeared from his sight.
------
"-every time that I say I'm gonna walk away, You turn me on like a light switch, When you're movin' your body around and around~"
"Hmmm... Well then-"
"Now, I don't wanna fight this, You know how to just make me want~"
"Umm.. how about this-"
"You turn me on like a light switch~"
"Ugh! Nikki turn that thing down for God's sake! I'm trying to think of something!"
"What?!"
"I said turn that damn thing down! Someone has to work here!" Pamela yelled at her assistant from her office desk which was met with an audible groan before her assistant, Nikki finally turned the radio down. "Thank you! Ugh!"
(A/N: Light Switch by Charlie Puth.)
"What are you working on anyways? Didn't I already pick the headlines and write the script as well?" Nikki asked as Pamella sighed. "Is something the matter?"
"No you did great but this isn't just spicy enough." Pamela replied as Nikki sighed.
"Don't we have a spicy headline though?"
"Nikki, let's not do this-"
"But why not?! Weren't you the one who wanted to be the torch bearer for the truth-"
"I was young, Nikki and this, I don't know if it's even true. Someone just mailed us that package and told us to basically write a hit article on Wilson Fisk. Although a bit off-putting that man has never involved with anything illegal-"
"Publically." Nikki interjected. "Even Rice wasn't involved in anything illegal. Publically. And you almost lost your life and if it weren't for-"
"For Spide-Man then I would have died, yes, yes I know and I am thankful for that but we can't just write a hit article based on sourceless evidence that could easily be forged." Pamela sighed as she rubbed her temple. "Let's wait until the police conference. If they announce that the Shipyard explosion was indeed related to Maggia and Fisk then I'll eat my words and write the best piece of my life, fair?"
"..."
"Aww, come on! Don't be like that cousin."
"..."
"N-Nikki?" Pamela called out as she slowly stood up from her desk and carefully approached Nikki's desk that was right outside her office. "Nikki... I'm telling you this isn't funny anymore. N-Nikki?"
Pamela's eyes widened as she saw Nikki passed out on her desk, drooling. Her body tensed as her nose picked up on a sweet seductive smell, one that she was quite familiar with.
"Good evening, Ivy." The demonic distorted voice was soft and yet commanding. Soft, yet loud enough to feel as if someone was standing right behind her.
Pamela's skin turned pale yellow with green patches as her pale red hair transformed into fiery waves of glowing crimson hair. Spinning on her heel she extended her hands as the potted small planes on her window plane transformed into giant menacing vines and shot towards the source of the voice.
*Bzzt!*
Pamela's green eyes pulsed with intent as her vines were turned into ashes before they could even reach their target.
"That wasn't so nice of you." The amused voice of Spider-Man was chilling, to say the least. He sat in her chair. His chin resting on his palm as he leaned on the arm of the chair, legs crossed as if he owned the place.
"Invading someone's office isn't nice either, Spider-Man." Pamela quipped narrowing her eyes as Spider-Man chuckled, a forcefield of electricity flashed around him for a brief second.
"You got me there. Well, I actually went to your home first but I found out that you usually camp out in your office and return to your twice or thrice a month, even though you have a pretty sweet crib. So instead of camping out of your house for God knows how long I decided to come here and I knew you'd be awake and since you only sleep after 11:30 after a good hot water bath-"
"You-"
"-and no I did not peek." Spider-Man replied cutting her off quickly as she nodded after a while.
"Thank-"
"Although it does not take a pervert to know that you got some solid Double Ds." Spider-Man shrugged. "Especially with a shirt that tight even a blind person would see that."
"-God! I hate men!" Pamela groaned to herself as her she transformed back to normal. "Honestly, whatever. Why are you here Spider-Man, besides sexually harassing me."
"Na-ah~ That's a strong word there deary. Careful with it or you might get me cancelled." Spider-Man joked as Pamela scoffed.
"Yeah, I think people already tried that."
"Oh yeah, they did! Didn't work out so well for them."
"Well, they think it did. Since you've been gone for two months now."
"Ah, come on~ 'Tis just a break. A small vacay!"
"Whatever. Just tell me what do you need for me to do."
"Well, I think you already know that." Spider-Man smiled under his mask as he gestured towards the file casted aside on Pamela's table. "I need you to do this."
"You... You are the source?" Pamela asked bewildered as Spider-Man simply nodded. "You should say so from the beginning!"
"Well, I thought you might figure that out eventually but I'm surprised you didn't. I think I overestimated you." Spider-Man joked as Pamela rolled her eyes.
"Well, sorry for being a dumbass." Pamela replied sarcastically as Spider-Man chuckled jumping out of his chair.
"You are forgiven... After you do the piece on Fisk for me." Spider-Man added as Pamela crossed her arms.
"And what do I get in return?" Pamela asked as Spider-Man hummed to himself rubbing his chin.
"What do you want?"
"Protection." Pamela replied as Spider-Man scoffed.
"You and protection? Please spare me the bullshit. You took a stand against Rice because you knew you could deal with him and the aftermath of what would occur in that room." Spider-Man replied as he walked past the elongated vines and towards the open window. "What I will offer you is something much grander and it's something you'll really like. But that's for later. For now, you can expect a shit ton of cash, haha."
Pamela stared at Spider-Man as he prepared to jump out.
"Just how did you... How much? How much do you know about me?" Pamela asked quietly as Spider-Man turned to look at her.
"A lot and I also know for a fact that you are a long way from home." Spider-Man replied in a cryptic manner surprising Pamela before he jumped out of the windows. "Adios~"
"Hey-Wait!"
Pamela called out but Spider-Man was already gone by the time she reached and peeked out of the window.
His nefarious plan was almost complete and now he just needed to wait until tomorrow.
------
"Are you sure this is going to work?" Natasha asked walking beside Peter, who just shrugged.
"I made the plan, so obviously it should." Peter replied confidently as Natasha sighed to herself.
"I don't know if this is your confidence or your arrogance."
"A bit of both. Susan says I'm the worst of both." Peter joked as Natasha giggled.
"I can't imagine that being wrong." Natasha replied as Peter chuckled with her.
Walking down the bustling hallway of the campus, Peter momentarily froze as he spotted an annoyed-looking Felicia who was followed by a hopefully looking Ryan.
Peter's and Felicia's eyes momentarily met before Felicia broke the contact and turned on her heels and grabbed Ryan's hand and linked her arm around his.
"What... What is she doing?" Natasha asked bewildered as Peter just stared at Felicia.
"Agreeing to go to Liz's party with Ryan."
"What party?"
"Freshmen party, Liz is throwing it at her place. Her father's firm, Allan Chemicals merged with multiple minor firms and they have rebranded themselves as Alchemax. It's both freshmen and a celebratory party." Peter replied blankly.
"Wait, how do you know?"
"Because I am invited too." Peter replied with a sigh as he turned around to leave.
"Wait-" Natasha turned towards Peter to stop him but saw the look on his face and his clenched hands and grimaced to herself. "Wait, Peter! She's just an idiot teen!"
"I don't care." Peter replied.
"Of course, you do-ahh!" Natasha was caught off-guard as Peter suddenly stopped and extended his foot tripping her. But before Natasha could fall to the ground, Peter caught her waist in a dip position. "P-Peter what are you doing-"
"Can I..." Peter trailed off and leaned forward as Natasha frowned. But before their lips could touch, Peter pulled back. Pulling her back, Peter let go of her waist as he turned to leave. "Forget it."
"H-Hey! Peter wait!"
"It wrong of me to do that to you. I'm sorry." Peter apologized without missing a beat walking away as Natasha chased after him before catching up and grabbing his shoulders. "I said I'm sorry-"
Peter froze a bit as he felt Natasha plant a kiss on his cheek.
"I don't mind." Natasha replied as the rest of the students in the hallway just gawked at them. She flashed him a small grin along with a wink before thanking him for 'saving' her from falling.
"Of course you do." Peter retorted as Natasha giggled.
"Well, now I don't because you realised your mistake quickly." Natasha replied grinning at Peter. "And it seems now that I volunteered, this trick worked like a charm."
Peter turned as Natasha gestured for him to look. He saw Felicia storming off in jealousy and anger while Ryan followed her like a puppy. Peter shook his head as he calmed down his rising emotions as they began walking away.
"Well, thank you. I wish I didn't have to resort to such childish tactics."
"There is no such thing as childish if it works perfectly." Natasha winked. Peter opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted as his eyes landed on the TV that was in the staffroom. Natasha followed his line of sight and soon a feral smirk made its way to her face. "Heh, looks like your plan worked after all."
"Of course, It's me after all." Peter replied with a smirk of his own.
"-these are quite solid evidence and they all point towards one man. Wilson Fisk a.k.a The Kingpin Of Crime!"
"You know what, we are celebrating tonight~"
------
Alternative Titles:
- Six Minutes Of NYPD Being Competent
- Envy: The Root Of Evil
- Pinning The Kingpin
------
Yo, so new chapter. Thank you for patiently waiting.
You didn't think I could squeeze in drama and subplots in a mainly action-packed plot, did you? Well, guess what? I've been learning lol.
Anyways, my emphasis on this chapter was dialogue, hope it is even a bit as entertaining as I hoped it'd be.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you in the next one.