Spider-Man let out a soft groan as he opened his eyes, mask still covering his face. He was just fighting some criminal scum...and then...Scorpion showed up.
Spider-Man didn't remember a lot of what happened after the fight. His body was sore, though- he had definitely sustained some sort of injuries. But it didn't hurt as much as it would have. Did someone patch him up?
Where was he?
It was a shed of some sort, that's for sure. It was dimly lit and the only thing he could make out was the silhouette of a smaller person. A teenager, maybe?
Spider-Man tried to move, but he was tied up to a chair. The jump rope keeping him in place was enough to discourage fidgeting, but not tight enough to hurt.
He whipped his head around, trying to see exactly what he was dealing with, but there wasn't much he could look at until the lights turned on. A teen, maybe 15 or 16, stood near the door.
"I got some questions." They said, clearly putting on a fake deep voice.
They were wearing one of those Spiderman masks you get from a Halloween store, two holes cut out on the top for their hair to pop out, curly and red like leaves in autumn. On their back was a schoolbag that was definitely worn and hanging on for dear life.
It reminded Spider-Man of his high-school self, in a way.
"What?" He mumbled. This is not what he was expecting. "Who are you?"
This was just a kid. He could probably take them if it came to it.
"U-uh," The teen cleared their throat, "I'm asking the questions here. Where'd you get your powers- no- how'd you get your powers?”
Spider-Man was confused. He furrowed his brows but of course, the teen couldn't see that from under his mask. He thought carefully about how to answer.
"Are you trying to get my powers? They're not a good thing." They weren't necessarily a bad thing either- but anyway.
The teen shrugged and took a few slow steps closer.
"I don't got much of a choice." They paused and took a breath. "I got bit by a spider, a week or so ago. And ever since, I've been able to do these weird things. I can sense things that I can't see. And my hands are...sticky."
These powers of theirs sounded exactly like the ones Spider-Man had. But it couldn't be. Could it?
Spider-Man shook his head and began to speak but the teen interjected.
"I need your help." They said. They reluctantly took off their mask, messing up their hair a bit.
Just a kid.
"I'm Harper. Harper Alvarez. And...I didn't know what else to do. I needed help, saw you fighting Scorpion, and when he knocked you out I brought you here. Sorry I tied you up." Harper said, nodding toward the chair Spider-Man was tied up to as they said the last part. "I wanted to make sure you didn't escape."
Spider-Man softly chuckled out of surprise. He looked at Harper, not with confusion or annoyance, but with something closer to concern. He almost couldn't believe that a teenager had the same powers as him.
Dangerous powers, that were both a blessing and a curse at the same time. He was worried for the kid- but there was nothing either of them could do about it.
"You're that kid from before- you-...you're like me," he said, more of a confirmation than anything else. Harper nodded slowly. There was an odd sense of comradery between them. Two spiders, from the same web.
"I don't know what to do," Harper said. "Should I keep it a secret? Should I fight, too? Maybe I should, I mean, with great ability comes great accountability-"
That's not even how the saying goes!
Anyway, Harper's rambling was cut off when her and Spider-Man's spider-senses began to go off. Like fireworks. Then-
"Watch out!"
Harper leaped toward Spider-Man, tearing him out of his binds, and pulling him out of harm's way. He was almost in shock.
"Oh, okay..." He muttered, regaining his composure. "So, we're both...spiders, then?" He asked. He felt a smile creep onto his face.
"We're both spiders," Harper confirmed, returning his smile despite not seeing it under the mask.
"Better grab your 99 cent mask, kid," Spider-Man joked. Harper playfully rolled their eyes and pulled the mask on, their hair popping out from the top.
"We've got a fight on our hands."
Scorpion had crashed into the side of the building and was making his way toward the spiders.
"Right," Harper said. "Wait! I need a name first. Uhhh..."
They paced, maybe a little too excited for the upcoming battle. "I'm too young to be Spider-Woman, but I don't like Spider-Girl, either...to be honest, I don't really like the gendered terms..."
"Come on, kid," Spider-Man urged.
"Kid!" Harper exclaimed. "Kid...Kid Arachnid!"
"Kid Arachnid?"
"That's right! The Amazing Spider-Man and the Spectacular Kid Arachnid, to the rescue!"
Spider-Man chuckled. "Whatever you say, kid."
The spiders went into a battle stance, and Harper felt a sudden wave of anxiety hit them. They tensed their shoulders, hands forming into tight fists.
"I guess we should....mosey on over, right?" They asked, as they and the older began toward Scorpion. The villian let out a hearty laugh.
"What is this? Bring your kid to work day?" He taunted. "I'll give the kid a fair chance, but I'm not goin' easy on you.”
The spider-duo steeled themselves for battle. Spider-Man: a seasoned and experienced crime-fighter. And Kid Arachnid: the new one.
Unfortunately there was no time for training- Harper would be thrown right into a fight with a big-time villian. Everyone knows you learn best under intense, life-threatening pressure!
Spider-Man jumped in first, throwing a punch and webbing Scorpion's tail to leave an opening for Harper to attack.
Harper hadn't fought anyone as big as Scorpion. Only some petty criminals. She took Spider-Man's lead and copied his moves as she attacked. The older felt a bit of pride.
The two would switch off, helping the other avoid an attack while throwing Scorpion's tail right back at him.
“Tell me how you escaped, Mac,” Spider-Man demanded from Scorpion. “You would've needed help.”
“I got friends on the other side,” Scorpion answered. "And who is this?" He asked, referring to Harper. "Needed a bit of help so you're recruiting at elementary schools?"
"I'm not an elementary schooler!" Harper shot back, sounding a little offended. "I'm Kid Arachnid, and I'm gonna kick your-"
Scorpion slashed Harper in the shoulder, making them groan and take a step back. The posion sent numbing, seething pain into their body. It was almost like something was gnawing at their flesh.
"Kid! Watch out!" Spider-Man shouted. He was scared for Harper. He wasn't used to working with other people, so he had forgotten to keep an eye on them. It was his responsibility to keep them safe and he had just failed miserably.
He couldn't focus on that. He had to focus on now.
Scorpion was sure he could one-shot Harper. Spider-Man pounced on him and dragged him away from them, aggressively, might I add. That was payback for earlier.
They wrestled for a bit as Scorpion tried to stab Peter with his tail.
"The isty bitsy spider climbed up the water spout, down came the rain and washed the spider out-" Scorpion sang the nursery rhyme as he grabbed the spider's hands and tore his arms away from his chest.
"I hate this song!" Spider-Man exclaimed. He struggled to keep Scorpion away, the venom-covered tail inching closer to his heart.
Harper grabbed a piece of stray rubble and swung it like a baseball bat into the side of Scorpion's head. He went flying, then rolled until he landed on the concrete. He was still.
Harper, having exhausted all their strength, let out a heavy breath and stumbled. Spider-Man caught them before they fell.
"Oh, yeah!" Harper cheered, breathlessly, pumping a fist in the air. They leaned to the side and Spider-Man took their weight.
"I've got the ingredients for the antidote at my lab. We should go, now-”
The praise from citizens who had witnessed the fight iinterrupted the older spider. Some had their phones out, others were waving their hands in the air and making a ruckus to get noticed.
"Who's the new kid?" One shouted.
"Can we get a picture?" Asked another.
"I'm just a sidekick," Harper said with a shrug, adjusting their mask. The cheap fabric was fraying. And they felt like they were going to vomit.
"You're not just a sidekick." Spider-Man said as he looked down at Harper, patting their uninjured shoulder lightly. "You did good."
He whipped his head around suddenly toward Scorpion, but found he was gone.