Five

                                    

                                          
I slept over at Liz's house that night. Their neighborhood tended to be pretty quiet, but a passing car headlight woke me up then. The beam shone briefly through the window before simply lighting up the driveway.
The covers shifted as I left my warm bed and tiptoed over to the window. Peered through the curtains. Two men stood in the driveway, talking quietly.
I checked the time on my phone. 
2:48 am. 
Mr. Allen got back at random times from his business trips, but something didn't feel right about this. Two men meeting in a driveway this early in the morning? It practically screamed suspicious. 
Did the one on the left look familiar?
I squinted intently.
No. Guess not.
But then, that large muscular figure stayed in my memory even after I went back to bed. 
———
"These will do well in the next edition." My editor glanced at my healing forehead wound. Grimaced and refocused on the photos. He shuffled the pictures into a pile to put aside on his desk. "I have to say you do good work, miss Ross."
"Thank you."
"However . . ."
I anxiously waited for him to continue.
"I'd like to get the Daily Bugle more than just Spiderman on the front page."
"You don't mean?"
He nodded. Leaned forward on the edge of his desk with his hands folded. "Find out who this 'hero' really is."
———
I held a flashlight between my teeth as I bent over my drone. Through the mess of wires, I inserted my tweezers and caught the microchip. It was damaged by the explosion like the receiver antenna and landing gear. There was a lot to repair before I'd be able to send it out again.
Just as I placed the chip on the table's surface, I heard the living room window slide open. A gust of air flew in. Car horns blared in traffic below.
I reached into a dresser beside the front door and pulled a knife out from the middle drawer. Cautiously, I inched toward the living room. 
Heard the window close.
Hid with my back against the wall, waiting for the intruder to pass by. My heart pounded in my ears.
Motion came to my right and I grabbed the burglar from behind. I shoved them against the wall, knife blade pressed against their throat.
All I saw was red.
Not blood, but Spiderman.
"What the heck! Why did you break into my home?" I demanded. Pressed the blade in just enough to show him I meant business.
"Woah, wait! Please don't murder me, I need your help!" I swear I've heard that voice before.
I paused.
Then I noticed the blood spot on his arm.
I turned and carried the knife with me into the kitchen. 
"Oh, thank you," he breathed a sigh of relief while rubbing his throat. "Man, for a second there I really thought you were going to kill me."
"Yeah, well," I brought over a roll of gauze and Neosporin, "that's my first instinct when someone breaks into my home and sneaks up on me." 
The hero chuckled nervously.
I nodded to a chair, "Sit down and roll up your sleeve."
"Oh--uh, my sleeve doesn't roll up. And that's not why I'm here," he slipped off a backpack he was carrying to put it on the floor.
 "No." My foot shot forward. I used my heel to kick the bag behind me. It slid across the hardwood.
His wrist flung a web that attached to the handle.
I cut the webbing with my knife. Held the tip of the blade to his throat.
"Sit. Down."
Slowly, he lowered himself into the chair. He watched me carefully as his right hand moved to touch the spider on his chest.
"Freeze! What are you doing?" I demanded.
He touched the logo and his suit deflated from his body. "Following orders," he said quietly as he showed me his arm.
Half of his upper body was covered and his mask still concealed his face. But, the side where he was wounded was bare. 
Wow. Those are some muscles.
I cleared my throat to distract him from the fact that I was staring and sat down beside him. Uncapped the Neosporin.
His gaze landed on the drone nearby. "Is that yours?" he asked while I worked.
"Mm-hmm."
"I think I've seen it around the city--ouch!" He winced.
"Sorry." I finished cleaning the wound and unrolled some gauze.
He watched me wrap his arm.
I checked the bandage was secure before leaning back in my chair. My arms folded across my chest. "Now, what is it you wanted?"