Chapter Text
Stuck in bed. That’s what I’m doing. Every inch of my body hurts, every tiny movement makes my body just scream in pain and laying here is the only thing I can do. Dad comes into my room with his case and work stuff on him, kneeling and putting his hand on my forehead.
“I’m not sick, Dad…” I groan.
“Then what’s up? Why’re ya wearin’ black?”
“It’s my suit, I’m… Well… I…” I roll over, the pain thundering through my body like ten billion jackhammers punching me in the face, “I’m sorry about Jaysen and Osborn…”
“Kid, it’s not your fault, your powers…”
“Were a complete coincidence, right?”
Dad laughs, kissing me on the temple, “Sure, sure. Yeah, but how’d you get it?”
“Get my suit?” I roll back over and smile, “I… well, it’s from a secret admirer.”
Dad grins, “A secret admirer? A girlfriend?” His excitement is kinda rewarded considering how I always hang out with Eddie rather than scope out any ladies. So any mention of a potential future Mrs. Parker always has him perk up.
“Well… no. She just…” I close my eyes, remembering the old bridge in the park, “She…” Felicia’s smile, the way she called me, ‘Recluse’ it felt like she knew where I was at, this new thing.
“She’s amazing…”
Dad gets up, “Well, looks like you got something to do. Remember, you gotta-”
“Do my schoolwork, yeah… and other stuff, right?”
He nods, “And no going out, got it? You’re still grounded!”
Dad leaves me be and I close my eyes, reaching over to my bookbag and pulling out all the schoolwork I was loaded with. History, Drama, Math, Science, etc. It just kept piling sometimes and with this aching, this buzzing? It’s not stopping. Unfolding myself from my sheets and blankets, I amble to the bathroom. Nothing but the thought of getting my suit off. Every motion is overtaxing pain but I grit my teeth and muscle through it anyway.
Peeling it off, I get into my tub and start the shower, washing off all the grime and sweat caked onto me. It’s like my humanity is restored and all that. But standing under the spray, the hot water helps the pain ease. Thinking about what I could do. What I did with the Human Torch, what that means for everything. My parents, my friends, what Felicia knows about me. What everything could amount to.
When I get out of the shower, there’s something off, my Sense goes off, gently thrumming and spreading, I toss my suit into the hamper, getting my computer open and firing up some Metallica, grabbing the rest of my clothes and shoving them into the washer, starting it and headbanging around. My homework goes finished, my chores all wrapped up in a neat bow, everything I’m responsible for is done. Man, I should get suspensions more often. I mean, it’s not that bad but at the same time I’m sitting here doing nothing and staring at the ceiling.
Just me.
The same popcorned ceiling, the same four walls filled with things I loved. I look at my right arm, splotchy with burn scars from grafted skin, then at my suit hanging in the closet. I can’t just let it go. I won’t let a day go by without at least SOME Recluse work. But then my body’s aches start pinging again, forcing myself back to bed, my Sense still thrums strong and constant. That’s when there’s a heavy plunk on the fire escape outside. Jolting up despite the pain I get downstairs and see someone standing on it that really shouldn’t be.
Felicia kneels, her bright blue eyes shine as she waves at me. Getting to the window and opening it for her, she traipses in almost like she owns the place. Even though this is my house.
“Hey, what’s up?” she asks.
“What are you doing here? How’d you get my…”
“Eddie gave it to me. So how are you?” she lounges on the couch and I sit on the arm, my heart beats soft in my ears, knowing that my friend, a girl, is in my house lounging with her heavy black boots and silver studded leather jacket giving her more of a punkish look.
“Well, I’m hurting.” I sigh, “Suit was amazing though.”
“Aww, I’m glad you liked it! It was a lot of work stealing it,” she smiles and giggles, “Oh, and you’re hurt?”
“Well, no. Just… it’s something with my powers. They just don’t work sometimes.” I explain, a small hissing jet of air coming out of my web slats, aching like a motherfucker but she nods and smiles at me.
“Well then, seems like you’re busy, so…” she gets up and stretches, “All I wanted to do was- Wait a minute, is that a guitar?” she sees a small case and I snatch it, holding it to my chest.
“It’s my bass.” I snarl, “My precious.”
“Oho kay, Gollum. Just uh… I’ve been looking for one.” her cheeks turn a little red but she unclips it, “Play something for me.” I take my guitar out, the body is black and brown, I shuffle over to the amp and turn it on.
“Alright… this is Spiders by System of a Down…” I dive right into the baseline, mostly by memory. Once we hit “Through my hair! THROUGH MY HAAAIIIRRR!” Smashing right out of Spiders and into my own chunky baseline. Closing my eyes, ignoring the pain and the fact that I was playing my bass, my Sense calms down and I just keep playing, the song ebbing through my body, the vibrations making everything a little calmer.
When I open my eyes, Felicia claps, “Wow, that was…”
“Great, right?” I ask, setting it back against the wall after I unplugged the amp. She smiles, nodding and at that there’s a moment where all I want to do is get out of here. Powers or not I just want to follow her.
She stands up with a soft smile, my legs’ excited tapping encouraging me to just go run out with her. Walking close, Felicia leans down and kisses me on the cheek.
“Nice work with the Shocker, Recluse.” she purrs.
My cheeks burn hot and I look away, “Oh, you… you saw that. Yeah, I remember. All over the news…”
She nods, “Yeah, I’ll see you later. Maybe tonight?” she steps away and out onto the fire escape, turning around and winking. Leaping over it and landing perfectly, bowing and leaving.
What’s up with her?
Slinging through the air never gets old. I land on a roof, laying down and resting a bit. I sit back up. My Sense buzzes and there's someone in the distance. The wind rushes through my ears, slinging closer to see the person better. Silver hair in a black bodysuit with what looks like fur on the sleeves and lower legs. She’s kneeling in front of a window packing some tools up. Her hair flows in a ponytail, shouldering a bag loaded down with jewels and other things.
My legs spring out of my back and I leap after her, she’s got a lead on me but closing in is easy enough. Bearing down on her there’s a moment where she glances over her shoulder at me, eyes covered by slightly shaded goggles.
“Aww, you really did come when I said! Good boy!” she stands up and I land near her.
“What’re you doing with that bag?”
“Oh, this?” she smiles and chucks it at me, valuables scattering everywhere and I flip over it with a stinging gob of webbing hammering it into the wall. She takes off running and there’s no time to lose, leaping off in hot pursuit. Wind ripping through my ears and staying almost laser focused on her.
She darts and jumps between the rooftops, my legs going at full tilt just to catch up despite the pain they’re in. This girl has something that she shouldn’t have and the other thing I can’t really tell. The silver moonlight shines down on us, the lights of the city drowning out the stars. Slinging and running after her, dodging more and more things she tosses at me. All I need to do is keep dodging and catch up. Stay on target… stay on target… like the Death Star run just stay on target. Soon enough she tires out and I land near her, my legs making me loom over her like a monster.
Her eyes meet mine and she smiles, “Having fun?”
“If pushing my Cooldown Clock further is your idea of fun.” I scoff as she pounces on me, bowling me over with a wild gleam in her eyes. Her hair billows in the motion, hands on my chest, body aching but she stares into my eyes, legs wiggling in the air.
“Hmmm… look at you. Mr. Short, dark and handsome.” she says with the smirk of someone who just caught themselves a pretty good fish, leaning down to slide up my mask. Closing the distance, she’s inches from me now.
Her smile widens to a grin, her hair billows in the breeze. Her weight presses gently but she stares into my eyes.
“So, what’s it gonna be, honey?” she purrs, “If it were me… I’d leave me alone.”
“But you want something, right? Maybe…” she touches my cheek and brings herself in, her lips meeting mine and her eyes closing. She pulls away and my legs spring me up. As she stands in front of me, she smiles.
“So, I have a plan about something really fun… a little revenge against the guy who made that Spider, it’s tough living like this, being suspended and missing Eddie and I, right?”
“It’s just me and Eddie… Felicia.” It wasn’t much of a shock, she always gave my sense a weird vibe and I always filed it away as ‘Oh, she’s just really weird.'
“Call me the Black Cat, or just Cat for short. But don’t you want revenge against Osborn? Against Lawrence? Don’t you want to hit them where it hurts with me, babe?” she leans against one of my legs with a soft grin. She rubs it gently.
“Come on, babe…” she croons.
“Why do you want to help me? Why go through all this trouble to bait me out?” I lower and she drapes herself on me, pressing a kiss to my forehead, my cheeks warm but I shake it out. She’s playing me and I know that but…
“Because you and I are kindred spirits, Recluse…” she squeezes me and pulls away, “I’ll give you time to figure it out!”
She runs off the roof and grapple guns into the night, leaving me standing there thinking… do I hit Osborn now and maybe show Harry I won’t fuck around anymore? Or will I just wuss out? I dunno anymore.
"It's him!"
"Geez, him and Hardy? What is the world coming to?"
“Is he a Mutie…?”
"Fuckin' freak…" There're students all over the place muttering about my powers. About how I could websling and dodge things I couldn't dodge before and of course me flickshotting Jaysen across the room with my spider legs was a hot topic. Eddie was nowhere to be found. Of fucking course he's probably trying to spelunk who did this to me. Felicia grabs my hand, squeezing it. All the eyes on me just makes it worse.
God, I already feel like a bug under a magnifying glass. I just barely squeeze her hand back but at the same time my legs seize, making me stop and double over. She wraps her arm around my shoulders, pulling me up and supporting me. Her eyes meet mine.
"We're in this shit together, Recluse." she's kissing me on the temple, "You gotta remember that." her voice is low and all I can think of is how right she really is. She yanked me into this before I was ready. Hell, I barely know what all I can do beyond my legs and stingers and Sense.
Eddie bustles over from the football crowd, anger in his dark eyes, leveled squarely at Felicia and I get in front of her.
"I know what the hell you did, Hardy!" he points at her, "You… you… gggh! You know what?! Meet me after school, Jack! You bring your little girlfriend too!"
He storms off and I look back down at myself, Felicia still clinging onto me. She smiles and nudges me. Still being happy enough and in her metal queen look. I can't look at her. I don't know what Eddie knows and well, knowing how he slips deep into the web to get dirt on anything and anyone it's kind of his thing.
"Harsh, ain't he?" she bats her eyes and I slip out of her grasp. I gotta go to class and I know she's in Science with me. But this… I don't know what to do or say or if I even want to BE the Recluse anymore.
This is just a lot at once, and people skidding out of my way like I'm the plague doesn't help much. All I listen to is Cast No Shadow on loop. Drifting through classes, my half-passionate soul just burning through it all. Come Lunch and I sit alone, far off in the corner, but that doesn't stop Harry's mug from popping up in my periphery. Smarmy smile and everything, sauntering closer and all I wanted to do is slug the shit out of him.
My legs slowly slide out, just barely being held back by the pain. Every movement today was just a heavy-limbed burning pained struggle. Whatever I had before is gone. He sits down next to me with the smarmy smirk he always has.
"So, what does it feel like to be absolutely alone?"
I don't answer, not wanting him to have the satisfaction of a victory. Everything about him sucks and I don't want to stir up the pot anymore because already there's going to be more bullshit than it's worth.
He puts his hand on me and I push it off, "Leave me alone, Osborn."
"Oh please, I'm just drinking in the sweet sweet karmic retribution of your actions."
My thoughts are screaming at me to punch him again, but at this rate how I stopped the Quilted Man rings so many alarm bells that it's almost a chorus at this point. Just one shot is all it could take to send him packing. But I sit quiet as a mouse. Harry moves off once he realizes I'm not gonna fuck around with him. I slump and I can't even keep it together. Eddie comes in and sees me almost in tears. He rushes over and plops down his own lunch.
"Dude, did Osborn-"
"It's not Osborn, Eddie…"
He closes his mouth and I cover my face with my hands, "Listen, what have you got about Felicia? You keep on being all uppity about her being around me and all that." I dry my tears and he sighs.
"Okay, so… the thing is at Oscorp the other day we were looking at those spiders, right? And Felicia's got her hood up and looking all suspicious as Osborn's preening like a motherfucker and everyone's eyes are glazing over."
"Yuh-huh." I look down at my food and eat it, "So she let them out?"
"Only one, seemed to be a real nasty one, and well you got bit by it. Now I dunno if anyone is after you but I did some more digging, that guy on the news that you cramped the style of is a real nasty piece of work."
He slides over a file of printouts, some of them look like he hacked into the NYPD and snuck them out. I dunno why he'd do that. Seems extreme and really, really stupid for a Freshman star quarterback to do but here we are.
"Why'd you do this, Eds? You know you're gonna get in trouble and no amount of begging or pleading is gonna keep you away from Quantico."
He leans forward with a smile, "I want in, Jack. I wanna help. You an' I have always been friends, and well with me by your side we'll figure out what those shitheels out there wanna do." I take up the file and flick through it.
"And these are…"
"Records, research, real dark web shit." Eddie seems to never lose the smile even when talking about shit that might get us killed but still, that's how he rolls. Some of these are weird. A guy named Lonnie, a lady named Delilah, some things about a Taskmaster…
"What? You want me to get on my suit and start punching guys out?" I shake my head with a bitter smile, "I'm grounded 'til I figure my shit out."
Eddie nods and seems to take it well enough. But passing by behind us is Felicia. She strides over, hair flouncing and Eddie glaring at her. She slides in next to me and looks down at the printouts.
"Yeesh, casting a wide net, Brock?"
"Not as far as I can throw you, Hardy."
The tension between these two is thick enough that a knife won't cut it. I clear my throat and she sneaks a quick peck on my cheek. Eddie rolls his eyes and munches on some chips.
"See, the way I see it is that Jack and I are a two person outfit," Felicia smiles and squeezes me, "That means no smelly third-wheelers."
"Hey! I got the marks you guys can go after, you already bagged Herman so this Taskmaster guy and-" she cuts him off with a pointed glare.
"Nah nah nah, Eddie. This isn't how we're gonna do this, 'kay? We bag them when they show up, or Jack builds up his presence all around the city. We have to be careful. Me and Jack are new, and acting too quickly or hitting the heavies are gonna get people nervous."
Felicia smiles, nuzzling me, "And my poor little Recluse got his suity taken away~" she kisses my jaw and I can't help but let out a shaky giggle. God, she's just yanking my strings like nothing, huh? Some luck I guess. Either way these two are kind of a riot all on their own. Just what I need. Eddie and Felicia and me caught in the middle of these two going absolutely insane. This is just going to be a fun little time with my best friend and girlfriend.
After lunch, the second half of classes goes on. More people move away from me, some avoid me in the hallways, and my powers are still active and making me amble around so carefully. Of course I could say that things couldn't get any worse but judging by whatever Eddie wants to do after school it'd have to be kept on hold. There's a heavy shove and I eat linoleum, my body falling to the floor near the lockers. I scramble to get up but a foot shoves me back down. Looming over me is Jaysen Lawrence, absolutely pissed and probably going to be just because I beat the shit out of Osborn.
"Jack, you missed my fucking call," he growls, grinding his heel into my Spider Legs, a stabbing pain shoots through there and I see spots. Black and splotchy, great! Just what I wanted!
"Well sorry, I got… grounded!" I close my eyes and grit my teeth trying not to cry. He kicks me in the side and suddenly I hear…
"Hey! Leave that kid alone!" a shadow falls over me and the weight and pain comes off my back. Kneeling down is a man with graying brown hair and blue eyes, bearded and almost nice looking. He's wearing a hoodie and jeans.
"Hey, you okay?" he asks, offering me a hand up. I take it and he hoists me, setting me back down on the floor. I lean against the lockers, seeing him checking me over.
"Thanks…" My voice is heavy and tired and all I want to do is drag myself home and sleep. He grins and dusts off my shoulders.
"Yeesh, rough, aren't they?" he tuts, "Name's Mr. Beck. I'm new."
"Jack Parker, I've been here a year and already I want out."
Mr. Beck laughs and hands me my schedule, I take drama and I think Mrs. Kirby was already on her way out, so Mr. Beck was her replacement? I don't remember I was too busy trying not to pass the fuck out but now it all makes sense.
"So you're one of my students?" he nudges me, "Looking forward to it, you do all your own stunts, right?"
"Yeah, yeah I do. I’m kinda a natural."
Mr. Beck laughs again and he reminds me a bit of some movie star named Daniel Beck. Made a bunch of movies real famous with his acting. Still though, lucky me. It's only just the issue of keeping that luck now. Because I don't know when it'll run out. I part from Mr. Beck and go off to see what Eddie wanted, but Felicia runs into me just about there. She smiles and wraps her arms around me.
She squeezes me, “You know something, Jack? Maybe this little arrangement won’t be so bad…” Her nails trace my collarbone and she rests her chin on top of my head.
“What say you? Shall we get revenge on your bullies and steal some cool shit? Really eat the rich?” she purrs, rubbing my aching shoulders. I close my eyes and think of Mom and Dad. What would they want me to do? The right thing, yeah?
Stealing from the rich isn’t bad. It’s just taking back blood money and putting it in the hands of those who need it the most, or serving your own goals. It’s no different than survival. But then this is petty revenge against guys weaker than me.
I can’t start the Recluse’s rise to heroism by being a villain… can I?
Felicia still waits for my answer, and I open my eyes, the decision coming easily enough. They beat me up, made fun of me, ruined my Battle Vest multiple times, everything about this was wrong. What’s going to stop them from doing it again?
“Let’s do it.” I say.
She kisses the top of my head, “Good boy, I’ll see you on Saturday at seven… AM.”
“Why AM?”
“We need to case the place, duh!” she sighs, “You have a long way to go, fortunately you have me.”
I smile, “I guess, just don’t be bad luck.”
She smiles widely and I just know I jinxed it. Me and my big mouth.