"Then he said, 'no, I'm a frayed knot.' Get it?"

Peter's joke was met with dead silence from his two friends before Dick, with his back to the wall as usual, smirked then shook his head while Kitty, with her back to the rest of the cafeteria (also as usual), laid her head down on the cafeteria table.

"How about this one, 'my father was an alcoholic magician, he could be walking down any street and turn into a bar'?"

Dick snickered. Barely. Kitty, her head still down, slapped the table lightly. "Make it stop, Dick."

Dick took the queue, "Pete, we've got to get you some better material."

Peter would not be deterred. "Sorry, but you guys know my price. For help with your science issues you have to listen to my bad jokes. That deal is binding, non-transferrable and has no known end date, although it's not actually valid in Yonkers because... ya know... it's Yonkers."

It had been a month since Kitty had brought them together. Peter had been a bit nervous about it at the time, he had never been good at being a part of a group. He had had friends before but eventually they drifted apart or he fell into the background due to his awkwardness. Peter had suffered vision problems since he was a small child, requiring him to wear unusually thick glasses. That and his small frame made him a lifelong target for taunts and jeers from most other students, to say nothing of the ones who were natural bullies like Flash Thompson.

Kitty picked up her head, hiding her own smirk, "In other news... we're all still on for movies at Pete's place this Friday night, right?"

A week ago they had decided to start hanging out away from school. Since Dick lived across the GWB (Peter still didn't understand how or why a Jersey kid was going to school in Queens, but to each their own), his would be the last place they would go. He and Kitty knew they would have to parade their friends in front of their respective adults before they could get permission to travel across the Hudson to Dick's place, regardless of how much money Bruce Wayne had.

Kitty's parents were hesitant at first, the new girl in school suddenly have to new friends who were boys... "what would the Rabbi say" as Kitty had put it. They quickly warmed to both boys though and, after a phone call to Peter's Aunt May, were fine with Kitty going there for a movie night the next Friday. Once Aunt May had met them both Peter was certain the next Friday at Dick's place would be a lock. If not, it wasn't too difficult for a certain web-crawling wonder to mak..

"Hey guys, look! It's 'Punk-arse Parker' and it looks like he's finally found some other pathetic losers to hang out with."

Crap, Peter thought.

At barely sixteen years old Flash Thompson was already just over six feet tall and weighed in around two-hundred fifty pounds, all of it muscle. Flash and Peter went all the way back to kindergarten together, but they had never been friends. While Peter was undersized, Flash was always bigger, faster and stronger than kids even a year or two older and he made sure to remind them all of it.

Flash seemed to attract friends in a way Peter never understood. Maybe it was because he wasn't as much of a bully towards them? Maybe they were just friends with him to avoid being bullied by him? Peter had never understood it but here it was in evidence again as Flash was flanked by two of his usual cohort, Seymour O'Rielly and Charlie Murphy, as they stopped behind Kitty.

"What are you and your boyfriends discussing, Parker? Best waxing tips? Got big dates coming up?" Flash and his group snickered obnoxiously.

Dick didn't take his eyes from Flash as he stood up from the table. Peter and Dick had become good friends in a relatively short time (and had joked about their names). Dick wasn't much taller than Peter and he had that ropey, sinewy kind of muscle that held far more strength than normal and he wore clothes a little large to hide it, but Peter thought Dick would need to be the reincarnation of Bruce Lee to get around Flash's size advantage.

"What," Flash said as he handed his lunch tray to Charlie behind him. "You got something to say, chump?"

"He doesn't but I do," a voice chirped from around the level of Flash's chest. Flash had never moved from where he stood behind Kitty, now Kitty stood and stared up at him defiantly. From Peter's angle he could see the scowl on her face. Had he ever seen her in anything other than a positive mood?

Flash looked down then glanced back to his friends, "look guys, they've got a girl taking up for them." Flash's friends laughed.

"Or maybe it's a trannie," Seymour piped in and now students at nearby tables who had noticed the brewing confrontation started laughing.

Flash looked down at Kitty again, "okay, what do you have to say, little boy?" More laughter.

Kitty's scowl changed to a cold smile and she raised her voice loud enough to drown out some of the nearby laughter, "how did the game go last Friday night, Flash?"

The area suddenly went deathly silent.

Flash was a two-time All State running back. Midtown was a lock for the State Championship because of him. He was almost freakishly strong and fast, no one had been able to stop him since junior high and that had been because he was playing with high school seniors. It still annoyed Flash to admit someone had bested him that long ago. Last Friday night the opposing team's safety had blown through the Midtown's offensive line on every play. Every carry Flash had that night was for negative yards. Every. Single. One.

Peter still giggled about it. Internally, of course.

Flash had a dangerous look in his eye. Dick saw it and took a step forward. Without looking away from Kitty, Flash put out his right hand to stop Dick from coming any closer.

Before Peter could react Dick was in motion. The exact moment the palm of Flash's giant hand touched Dick's chest, Dick's right hand swept up and over the back of Flash's hand to grab it on the opposite side while his left palm shot up to smack the inside of Flash's elbow. The sudden and sharp application of superior leverage spun Flash around so that he was now face down in Kitty's lunch tray, Kitty had somehow moved out of the way during the exchange and was now standing just behind and beside Peter. Dick quickly stepped on the back of Flash's nearest calf, forcing his leg completely to the ground and increasing the torque Dick was putting on Flash's arm.

"Hands off, prick." Dick was smiling. Smiling! Without letting up an ounce Dick looked at Seymour and Charlie, Peter could tell he was about to do something. Maybe Dick Grayson was the reincarnation of Bruce Lee afterall?

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE" Principal Davis shouted as he thundered toward them, adjusting his glasses as he came onward.

"It was-" Kitty began.

"They-" from Charlie.

Principal Davis had little patience for students fighting. "SHUT UP! All of you! My office! NOW! And if I hear so much as a word or see a glare from any of you you'll all be cleaning toilets for a week!"

As Peter walked home from detention (he wasn't even in the fight!) he thought more about the exchange and how Dick had quickly immobilized a larger, stronger foe with mere leverage. He hadn't fought anyone nearing his own strength nor speed yet but he knew it could happen. How would he handle a Solomon Grundy or Killer Croc? He thought that maybe Dick could give him some pointers.

This post was edited on 11/6/20 at 1:59 pm

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Posted by Bard

Definitely NOT an admin

Member since Oct 2008

51816 posts

Posted on 11/6/20 at 4:36 pm to Bard

"She's a moron," explained Kitty between bites of pizza.

After bouncing around from house to house to mansion over and over the trio finally had decided on watching movies the old fashioned way: at a theater. As an addendum they also decided it needed a good pizza place nearby where they could discuss the movie over some slices.

Dick had picked a theater in the East Village and while the two boys liked it and it was beautiful inside, it was still in Manhattan and there were no good pizza places nearby. It had been a strong contender, especially after Peter's pick.

Peter had picked the AMC in Forest Hills since it would be easier for both he and Kitty (although he lived across the Hudson from Manhattan, he never seemed to have a problem getting to Queens). Peter's theater had a pizza place right next to it but it was small and the theater was on the always-busy Queen's Boulevard.

Kitty's pick had turned out to be the best. She had found a small theater near her home in Kew Gardens. Peter had fallen in love with the pizza place nearby and Dick was grateful for both places being near the LIRR. Not only that but there was a tiny park by the train stop with tables and benches where they could enjoy their pizza and talk.

"She has this GREAT guy but she falls for Peeta just because they are pushed together," she took a drink from her cup then continued, "not buying it."

Dick snickered as he pointed at her with his pizza slice, "you just think Liam Hemsworth is hot."

"Well yeah...I mean.. no," Kitty stammered. Dick was good at reading her. She enjoyed having a friend who knew her so well but it was also frustrating when he saw through her argument to her true motives.

"I bet Dani is hot," Peter chimed in. "I'm pretty sure I would return an 'I love you' to her if we were in some mountain cabin in a bizarre, apocalyptic world." He closed his eyes as he at from his slice, savoring the taste.

Kitty grinned at him. "Peter, we've been over this. 'Dani's House of Pizza' isn't named after a woman named Dani and she's certainly not a 'bikini model'. It's the family name of the owners," she explained. Again.

Peter raised an eyebrow as he looked at her, "I choose to believe" was all he said before taking another savoring bite.

The two boys were both more of the quiet type until you got to know them but where Dick was quiet because he was observing, Peter was quiet just because he felt socially awkward. It was ridiculous, of course, because once you got to know him and his goofy humor, you couldn't help but like him. A lot. Especially if your name was Kitty Pryde.

She had thought about the funny triangle they created. They truly enjoyed each other's company and their group dynamic but she knew Dick harbored feelings for her and she knew she harbored feelings for Peter but Peter harbored feelings for the schools social queen, Mary Jane Watson. Kitty mused that if Mary Jane ever joined their group she would probably end up having feelings for Dick. Ladies and gentlemen, the world's first love square.

"That's a little low for a jet, isn't it," Dick asked pointing up through the barren tree limbs. A light, almost like a comet seemed to be coming toward them from the general area of JFK airport but it was descending toward them, the airport was four or five miles away.

As it quickly grew closer, Kitty started feeling nervous. "Could that be a comet?"

Peter swallowed then looked up directly at the oncoming light. "Guys, we should leave. Now!" By the time Peter finished his sentence the jet turned comet had come close enough for them to see it was some sort of large man-shaped object.

"Quick! Under the overpass!" Instead of charging up the steps and back to street level Dick leaped over the fence between the benches and the railway area and began running for the cover of the overpass.

Kitty looked back to Peter who was still looking at object coming toward them. It had slowed its speed but it was still definitely making a beeline for their area. He looked at her then shooed her on as she was between he and the fence. "Go! I'm right behind you," he urged.

She vaulted over the fence, slid down the side of the embankment then followed Dick under the cover of the concrete and steel roadway above.

Dick looked back, "where's Peter!?!"

Kitty's heart dropped as she realized he wasn't right there with her. "He was right behind me!"

Dick moved around her to go back for him when dirt, soot and trash began flying up from the ground at the train station. A giant wind was pushing down on the ground from outside their shelter. The area directly outside the overpass got brighter even as the whooshing sound of jet engines got louder.

Finally the source of all this sound and fury came into view, two gigantic, robotic legs colored purple and magenta landed outside the overpass. The giant robot knelt down on one knee and peered under the overpass at Dick and Kitty, a light emitted from the eye holes of its eerie version of a human face.

"SCANNING."

"Dick! What's it doing?!"

Dick grimaced, "I don't know but get behind me" as he reached into his pocket for something.

"SCANNING."

Dick turned to look at her, his face as calm and serious as that of a soldier facing certain death. "Kitty, when I make my move, you turn and run the other way. Get out of the overpass and HIDE somewhere!"

"MUTATION DETECTION CONFIRMED. MUTATION CATEGORY: UNKNOWN."

"Dick, no! That thing's not Flash or one of his goons. Come with me! We can find a place to hide together!"

"ASSESSMENT: HUMAN MALE: HOSTILE. THREAT LEVEL:
IRRELEVANT.

ASSESSMENT: MUTANT FEMALE: PRIMARY TARGET. APPREHEND."

Dick turned to face the monstrous machine as it began reaching a large, metal hand toward them. "Irrelevant, my arse! Kitty on my mark! Three... two..."

"Hey Pervo-bot!" A red and blue blur slammed into the right side of the robot's head, knocking it off-balance. "Keep those metal paws to yourself, buddy!"

The robot turned its head to follow what had just hit it.
"HOSTILE RESISTANCE ENCOUNTERED. SCANNING."

Dick charged forward, pulling something from his pocket.

"HOSTILE DESIGNATE: SPIDERMAN. THREAT LEVEL: LOW.
ASSESSMENT: DISABLE HOSTILE INTEFERENCE BEFORE ENGAGING PRIMARY TARGET.

The robot began to right itself and stand as Dick continued his rush toward it. Once he got within a few feet he hurled two marble-sized spheres at the robot's chest. When they impacted they shattered. Whatever had been contained within them caused the robot to freeze momentarily.

"ELECTRICAL ANOMOLAY DETECTED. MOBILITY ISSUE. FORMULATING COUNTERMEASURE. TEN SECONDS UNTIL COUNTERMEASURE SUCCESS."

Spiderman landed across the track area from the train platform and the giant robot. "SPIDER-STRENGTH-WEB-ENGAGE" he shouted as he shot large strands of webs at the massive construct then pulled down and toward him with all of his might.

The robot had been slightly off-balance when Dick's spheres had immobilized it. Spiderman's leverage and strength pulled it over and into the railway's electrified third rail. The robot ceased to move or make any noise whatsoever.

Dick took a few steps forward, somewhere he had found a metal rod and now held it at the ready. Behind him, Kitty was slowly making her way forward.

Spiderman shot a web up to the side of a nearby building, "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is my patent-pending remedy for Grabby-Handy giant robots! Satisfaction is guaranteed, your mileage may vary, guarantee not actually valid in Yonkers be-"

"because, well, it's Yonkers" Dick finished.

Kitty stopped and stared, "you gotta be shitting me."

Without another word a very uncharacteristically quiet Spiderman disappeared up into the night.

This post was edited on 11/7/20 at 2:00 pm

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