"Look uh- I don't- this is random but- I don't want it to seem like I'm stealing, you know?" Peter scratched the back of his neck as Switcheroo narrowed her eyes, focusing on the trucks driving by.
"Huh?"
"Uh well- you know how this isn't something that is official? You know? Like, to a random person they'd think I'm trying to steal the alien thing." Peter explained quietly.
"Oh. Right. Uh-"
"Because I've already had this news reporter breathing down my neck for a really long time back in New York, and I bet if he found out I was doing this here I'd never hear the end of it."
She nodded. "Yeah. Sure. We'll think 'o something." She turned back to studying the vehicles.
"Maybe you can threaten me?"
"What?"
"You know, like, if I get seen, you need to threaten me, y'know? 'Spider-Man if you don't help me out you know what will happen!' Kinda thing. And make sure they all hear it."
"So you want me to play the bad guy if you get caught?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Yes- no! I didn't mean that, I meant-"
"No worries. I get what you mean. But if you really wanted to make it look realistic I'd need to actually know the thing I'm threatening you about. It wont be realistic if I'm not actually threatening you. Like, whatabout I find out your identity."
She placed a hand (or was it a paw?) on his shoulder and he jumped.
"I'm just kidding man. Why are you so jumpy?" She grinned, turning back to watching the traffic. "Hey. Aren't you supposed to have that Spider-sense thingy to warn you of threats? Why'd you jump?" She joked.
"You're not a threat." Peter retorted. But something nagged at the back of his mind. He knew when people at school were trying to scare him, but they weren't threats either. Why had he jumped now and not then?
"Not a threat?" She echoed, grinning, "I'm offended!"
/*\*/*\
"There. That truck." Switcheroo pointed specifically to one of the vehicles driving by.
"That one?"
"Yeah, nah. The other heavily armed truck being escorted- yes that truck."
"Sorry." Peter muttered.
She snorted in response. Apparently hearing him.
"You remember the plan?" She asked, referring to the plan they'd been discussing a short while earlier.
"Yep. You're going to remember to threaten me, right?"
"With what?"
"I don't know- think of something. Even a 'you know what will happen' will do, yeah? Didn't we go over this?"
"Nah yeah, I think we did."
"Nah yeah?" Peter echoed. All this 'yeah nah' and 'nah yeah' business is confusing me.
Switcheroo turned around to face him with a slight grin.
"For sure."
/*\*/*\
"That was certainly a success." Peter commented drily.
"I sense a hint of sarcasm there, and I certainly know a thing or two about sarcasm," Switcheroo replied, "But you're not wrong." She glanced down at the- flask? Capsule? Container? she was holding.
"So where are you going to take that... thing- now?" Peter asked.
"I dunno." She responded. "Still haven't heard anything back yet. I'll let you know as soon as they-" She stopped, reaching up and seemingly touching something on the side of her head. What it was, Peter didn't know, as he didn't see anything. It must be some communicator device thingy. He thought.
His attention was drawn to two figures in the distance heading towards he and Switcheroo. He narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out who it was.
Then he recognised them.
"Hello Spider-Man!" Chat Noir said, sounding and seeming more cheerful to see him than the last few times they had met.
"'Ello." Peter nodded in reply.
"Who's this?" Ladybug, -Marinette asked, looking at Switcheroo who was standing beside him.
Didn't even bother to say hello. And she doesn't even know who I am. What would she be doing if she did know? Disruptive thoughts filled his mind and he shook his head briefly. He'd been thinking a lot about the afternoon's events and it probably wasn't a good idea.
"Oh, I thought this was another one of your superhero friends." Chat Noir mused. "Don't you know this one too?"
Another one? Peter's thoughts echoed as he attempted to think who the blond-haired superhero could be talking about. What was her name, Rena Rouge? Did Lila say Ladybug knew her? I don't remember.
"Nope. I don't know who this is." Marinette responded.
"You definitely don't. That's for sure." Peter said curtly. Marinette's brows furrowed as she tried to figure out why he'd snapped at her. Chat Noir flashed a questioning look.
"This is Switcheroo." Peter gestured towards his friend. "She's from Australia. Also, she does not speak French."
"Australia?" Chat Noir's eyes lit up. "Don't worry, I know a bit of English. You see, I'm learning it. I also know a bit of Ch-" He seemed to stop himself from speaking much more. "Your name is Switcheroo?" He asked.
"Does a one legged duck swim in circles?" She responded sarcastically. There was a stretch of silence lasting a few seconds and she furrowed her brows trying to communicate the meaning of her seemingly random response. "Uh- th- y'know? A duck. If it has only one leg. It'd be swimming in circles. Y'know? You- Yes. The answer you're looking for is yes."
Despite the initial confusion. Chat Noir nodded, a slight grin spreading across his face. The joke may have fallen flat, but the intention behind it did not and he seemed to decide that he liked this new superhero. "Well then- S-" he frowned, probably trying to come up with a nickname. He shrugged briefly, -so brief Peter wondered if Chat Noir had shrugged at all. "Well, what-"
Marinette interrupted him. "What brings you to Paris?" She asked.
Switcheroo opened her mouth to respond but Peter interrupted her. "That's none of your business." He snapped.
Switcheroo seemed grateful that she didn't have to respond. Marinette frowned.
"What have I done?" She asked. "Why are you so- so angry at me?" Angry wouldn't have been the word he would have used. More-so annoyed. Or resentful.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
Marinette flinched. Glancing over at Switcheroo and Chat Noir, who were awkwardly waiting. She lowered her voice. "Is this- did I- do something? You- you know who I am, did I do something? You weren't like this yesterday so it has to have been something that happened between then and today. Whatever it is, I'm sorry I-"
"Yes. You did something. You-" Peter glanced at Switcheroo. Despite trusting her, he wasn't sure if he wanted her to know that he knew Ladybug's identity. "Yes. You- you did something. But I'm sorry." He sneered. "Just because your alternate identity did something to me shouldn't mean that I'm mad at you- Ladybug. No one could be angry at you. You're so much nicer than the real you. So much quicker to apologise and to actually believe people." Peter knew he was laying it on a bit thick, but this was much easier than confronting Marinette -or anyone else, in person. "I should probably stop though. Wouldn't want to actually tell you what you've done. Then you'd figure out my identity. That'd be bad."
"I'm sorry- what-"
"You know Ladybug's identity?" Chat Noir echoed.
Oops. I forgot Chat Noir was listening too.
"Uh y-yes." Peter hesitated, gathering his thoughts and words. He had a lot of power right now. "But not by choice. It was an accident really. Not that you'd be impressed by who it is. It's more of an 'oh. It's them.' situation." A small voice in the back of his mind told him he was going to regret this later.
"Peter. You're going to regret this later." KAREN's voice said.
Oh. That wasn't my conscience. That was just KAREN. He thought. He didn't want to reply out loud, so he just ignored her.
Marinette flinched, stung by his words. Chat Noir muttered something under his breath.
"Spider-Man." Marinette said warily. "Be careful. Don't let your emotions get out of control. You might get akumatised." She said evenly. Her voice wavered but she kept it steady.
Akumatised? Are you kidding me? Peter thought. That's what she's thinking about? Whether I get akumatised and go after their miraculouses? Of course she's just thinking about herself.
Switcheroo suddenly came over and whispered something in his ear. "I don't know what you guys are saying, Spider-Boy." She said, "But I can see you're getting angry there." She motioned to the boomerang at her side. "You wanted to see my power, right? Howabouts we play a joke on these clowns. Nothing harmful. Just... A joke."
"Sure. Go ahead." Peter responded.
-----------------------
I'm alive
sidenote- trying to throw Australian slang into Switcheroo's vocabulary without it sounding forced is difficult also I'm having trouble not just using Australian slang for the other characters in general haha
Also fun-fact about her name; Switcheroo is an old Australian slang word. Not used too much nowadays but it's still well-known haha
Also go ahead and google Switcheroo if you want to know the word's meaning...
Or wait until after you read the next chapter ;>
Whaddya think about her though? hmm
alSO
here is Switcheroo if you want to see a concept art drawing of her or something I dunno lol
(I drew it lol) it's not particularly a great drawing but gets the idea across
ALSOrandom thought; should I set up a discord server for this story where you all can yell at me to post a new chapter?Would any of you's join it? Let me know!! Haha