Tarantula's Vignette-The Amazing...

[Avenger Assembled]

Who am I? You sure you want to know? My story isn't for the faint of hea...

Great. The movie was starting and Yuki was stuck outside with her classmates who were still waiting for the ticket voucher to clear. It was excruciating. She was looking forward to this all month and she was missing it. _missing_ it. All cause her stupid Art teacher was lax in sendng enough money to the theatre. So now he was calling the school while Yuki was waiting outside with five others.

"I just don't understand why she wears a mask, is all."

Yuki was also privy to the argument the five were having. Or rather, arguments. They were all about the various concepts of Spiderman. Yet, this was different. Ricky, the one she just heard, said 'her'.

"Lana Loeb, I had to do a report on one of her editorials, made a good point. Why should these 'heroes' have to hide behind a mask? Cops don't hide behind a mask. Neither do firefighters, or military men..."

"I bet you wish you did, rick. I heard you pissed in your pants when the bus was attacked on that bridge!"

Yuki smirked hard at that and turned her head away as she heard the brash boy sputtering.

"-p-p-p...b-b-but at least I stayed! I heard Yuki ran out the back of the bus!"

"It's true she dispeared just as soon as the bus was attacked!"

Doh!

"So masks have a purpose it seems?"

"Yep. It hide things that are worth hiding." Rick was regaining that bravado again. "Like that Tarantula girl... Loeb put a scathing iron on her this morning."

"Really?" Yuki asked almost by reflex. Fortunately, noone questioned her sudden interest.

"Yeah... 'Brash, know nothing scofflaw who thinks that cheap laughs and a bright red outfit that shows off her posterior covers the fact that she is nothing more then another free loader who is in it merely for the attention. She's as dangerous, if not more dangerous...'..." Ricky stopped and looke at Yuki. "Are you okay, Yuki?"

"Huh, what?" Yuki blinked back the redness that was forming. "...ust getting agitated that the movie starting and we're out here..."

Elisabeth, the one hanging of Ricky's arm like a sickening suck up, whiped her hair back. "How old do you think she is? My dad says she's 14 tops."

"With a body like that!?"

"Watchout, she may be jail bait."

"Technically, we're all Jailbait. Someone sounds ignorant, don't they..."

"Look..." Ricky cut off the two (Sam and Kevin) argument short. "...all I'm saying is that Tarantula is wearing a mask, cause she knows that she has no business doing what she's doing..."

"There could be another reason..."

All eyes looked at Yuki again. "Oh? And perhaps the Queen of Tardiness care to elaborate?"

Ricky's barb almost caused Yuki to retort in kind. She bit it back, remembering that she wasn't Tarantula right now. "Well, let's say for the sake of arguement, that I'm Tarantula..."

The laughs from everyone of her peers was almost crushing.

"y-You!? Girl, if you was Tarantula and is STILL late for school, then you have to be a 'tard!"

Yuki swallowed back another retort. "ANYWAY... lets say if I was Tarantula..."

"Which you're not!"

"Right, but if I was..." Yuki paused. "...well I have no father, Just a mother. She's a clerk over at the deli across from where we live..."

"And that's why you're always late at school?" Ricky shrugged. "...what does that have to do with Tarantula?"

"Everything! Think about it... if you wanted to strike at me and hurt me, how would you do so?"

"Me? I'd..."

"Attack me straight up? How? Remember, I can crawl walls, leap buildings and swing on webs..."

"Gah! Uhm..." Ricky thought about it, all eyes on him... "...your Mom! I'd blackmail you or kidnap her... NOT THAT I DO SUCH A THING!"

Yuki laughed. "Of course not... but think of this. You can't."

"Why not... I know..."

"You don't know jack..." In more ways then one, "...I wear a mask. Remember?"

The group around them nodded.

"So what are you saying? Se wears a mask to protect her dear old mother? Lame!" Ricky shrugged. "Comeon! How do we even know if she HAS a mother... or if she even cares? Do criminal's wear masks to protect6 their mommies? Nope. They do it to protect their own hides."

"Your opinion..."

"...It's fact! At least Loeb has fact to back her up! She had Johnny Rocket pegged as a deviant from the start and now look!"

"Why don't you marry her then!" Yuki shrugged. "I didn't run away if you must kinow. I was at5 the bridge and I saw her save people. I'm quite sure the LAST trhing she wants is to see one of those bug things attack her mother... or father!"

Yuki caught herself there. Yikes, that was close. "Say what you will, but I 'do' think the mask is needed. If for nothing more then to protect her from ignorant people like Loeb..."

"Come kids! You're cleaed to go in!"

The teens looked over at the teacher aide who was waving them in. Elisabeth was the first to speak. "Finally, it was getting cold out here!"

She entered the theatre, Ricky in tow. Yuki slow walked her way to being the last one in. Shedoubted her point wet across. But she had just the thing to cheer her up...

***

The city room of the Daily Herald was buzzing. Lana watched as people was walking all around her, careful to at least 'look' like they were working hard.

Soon, the microwave finished and she took out her warmed bagel, carfully grabbing her cup of coffee she began to walk to her office. When she placed down the food and turned to lock the door, she never noticed the open window, nor the turned office chair. No. she walked around and sat down.

The squishing sound made her jump.

Of course, jumping was impossible, since she was apparently 'stuck' to the chair. "What in blue blazes!?"

Her shriek caused her secretary to rush in... then even she froze as she looked past her...

Lana turned her chair in time to catch a red mask. She looked up and at the window, hanging upside down on a webline, was none other then Tarantula.

"Thought you might need a mask now. It's going to be a while before that webbing desolves. Hope you have nowhere to go till then..."

"You....you..."

Lana was fuming. And then she saw Tarantula take out something else and tossed it on her lap. It was a photo... of her butt?

"After hearing about your raving review of my posterior, I thought it was only right to give you a souvenir. I autographed it and everything. Anyway, take it easy, chuckles!"

Lana stood up and fell to the floor due to the chair throwing off her weight. She already heard the laughing from those that saw her.

Lana's pride was the only thing keeping her from hiding behind Tarantula's mask...