Ben winced as he tightened the bandage around his ribs, sitting on the worn-out couch in Johnny Storm's cluttered apartment. His Spider-Man suit lay in a torn heap beside him, its fabric shredded from the brutal fight with Morbius the night before. Johnny paced the room, waving his hands dramatically.
"Who the hell messed up my suit?!" Johnny groaned. "I worked so hard digging that thing out of my closet!"
Ben looked up, exhausted, and muttered, "Vampire."
Johnny froze, staring at Ben as if he'd grown a second head. "Seriously?"
Ben nodded grimly.
They locked eyes in tense silence until Johnny finally sighed. "Why not vampires?" he muttered, shaking his head. "What's next? Human goblins? A talking lizard? Some guy with robot arms like an octopus? Or maybe a giant human rhino?"
Ben held up his hand, shushing him. "Stop jinxing me. I might actually have to fight those guys if the author keeps this story going."
Johnny blinked. "What?"
Ben rubbed his head. "I got hit way too hard last night… I'm talking nonsense." He sighed. "But I can't let that thing keep hurting people. I have to stop him."
Johnny nodded. "Alright, what do we know about vampire weaknesses?"
Ben tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Let's see… wooden stakes, sunlight, fire… decapitation… oh, and religious stuff like crosses and holy water."
They exchanged glances, both realizing the same thing at once.
"We're broke as hell," Johnny muttered. "How the hell are we supposed to get holy water?"
Ben's eyes lit up as a thought struck him. "Does Catholic stuff count?"
Johnny considered this. "I think so… wait… I know who you're thinking of."
Before they could continue, a police scanner crackled to life on the nearby table, reporting a high-speed car chase downtown.
Ben sighed, already moving toward the window. "I'll be back. Meet you at school."
Johnny gave a mock salute. "Try not to get bitten, Count Spidey."
Ben rolled his eyes, donned his battered mask, and leapt out the window, disappearing into the city with a graceful swing.
Midtown High: The Next Day
Ben and Johnny strolled through the crowded hallways of Midtown High, talking about the latest season of Blue Lock.
"The animation wasn't that bad," Johnny argued.
Ben gawked at him. "Not that bad?! It was worse than Seven Deadly Sins Season 3! And that was tragic!"
Before Johnny could reply, Ben felt a familiar pair of arms wrap around his waist. He turned to see Felicia smiling up at him.
"Hey, handsome," she said, giving him a quick kiss.
Ben kissed her back, while Johnny groaned. "God, I need a girlfriend…"
Ben glanced at him. "What happened with Sarah?"
Johnny's face darkened. "She cheated on me… with Chris."
Felicia raised an eyebrow. "Chris? The nerd from chemistry?"
Johnny nodded miserably. "Apparently… he has a big weapon, if you know what I'm saying."
Ben grimaced. "Ouch. Sorry, man. You'll find someone better."
Before they could continue, shouting erupted from the nearby hallway. Curious, the trio moved toward the commotion and found a hulking football player getting absolutely destroyed by a black-haired girl wearing dark clothes.
She threw one last punch, sending the jock sprawling to the ground. Ben tapped a nearby student on the shoulder. "What happened?"
The student smirked. "Dude slapped the new girl's butt… she wrecked him."
The girl adjusted her leather jacket and stormed off as the crowd parted. Ben, Johnny, and Felicia stared after her.
"That… was intense," Ben muttered. "What's her name?"
"Jessica Jones," Felicia answered.
Ben turned toward Johnny and saw him staring at Jessica with a dazed, dreamy expression. His face was bright red.
"Uh… you good, man?" Ben asked, tapping his shoulder.
Johnny snapped out of it and grabbed Ben by the shoulders. "I think… I'm in love, bro."
Ben smirked and patted his back. "Good luck with that."
After school, Ben and Johnny wandered through the bustling streets of New York, Johnny still talking excitedly about how cool Jessica Jones was. They stopped in front of a modest law office with a worn sign reading:
"Nelson & Murdock: Attorneys at Law"
Johnny knocked on the door, and after a moment, a tall, older man with red-tinted sunglasses opened it. His sharp features softened with familiarity.
"Johnny. Ben. What's up?"
"Hey, Matt," Ben said sheepishly. "We… uh… need your help."
Matt Murdock, the blind attorney—and secretly Daredevil—stepped aside, motioning them in. "Come on in."
They entered the dimly lit office, where case files were piled high on every available surface. Ben hesitated before asking, "So… hypothetically… if we were doing a school project… about vampires… what works best against them?"
Matt smirked, immediately seeing through the excuse. "Holy water. Works like a charm."
Johnny scratched his head. "Where could we get some?"
Matt walked over to a small supply closet, opened it, and retrieved a dusty glass bottle filled with clear liquid. He handed it to Ben.
"Consider this… extra credit."
Ben smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Matt."
As they turned to leave, Matt called out, his voice calm but pointed:
"Oh… and good luck with the vampire, Spider-Man."
Ben froze, spinning around with wide eyes. "W-What?"
Matt's smirk widened. "You're not the only vigilante in this city."
Ben and Johnny exchanged stunned glances before quietly slipping out of the office, minds racing.
The city had just gotten a whole lot stranger.
Chapter End