Suiting up
Ningning’s room was a chaotic mess, strewn with wires, scrap metal, and blueprints that filled every corner. Winter sat on the floor, rubbing her temple as Ningning flitted around the room, bouncing with excitement as she prepared the next experiment.
"Alright, for this one," Ningning began, holding up a small, clunky stopwatch she had somehow rigged with extra wires, "we’ll see if your reflexes have sped up. I’m thinking you should be able to catch this pencil before it hits the ground, but I’ll drop it while you’re looking the other way."
Winter groaned, leaning her head back. "Another reflex test? Ning, we’ve been at this for hours."
"Yeah, well, maybe the hundredth time will be the charm," Ningning said, grinning. She tossed the pencil, and before Winter could complain again, her arm shot out, catching it in mid-air without even looking. Ningning’s grin widened. "See? That’s exactly what I’m talking about! Your body is reacting before your brain even catches up. That’s amazing."
Winter rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Ever since her transformation, Ningning had taken it upon herself to run every experiment she could think of. Speed, strength, reflexes—if it was physical, Ningning had a test for it. They had even gone through a few ridiculous tests like having Winter crawl around on the ceiling while balancing a cup of water, all to test her balance and agility.
"Okay, okay, one more," Ningning said, her voice tinged with excitement as she walked over to her cluttered desk. "Let’s try something with your webs this time. How do you feel about testing the tensile strength of whatever goop you’re shooting out?"
Winter looked at her with a blank stare. "I literally have no idea what you just said."
Ningning grabbed a piece of paper and quickly scribbled down a diagram. "Tensile strength! You know, like, how much weight your webs can hold? We need to know if they’re strong enough to hold you when you swing around the city. We don’t want you falling and splattering all over the sidewalk."
Winter frowned. "That’s… comforting. Thanks."
"Relax," Ningning said with a chuckle, "we’ll test it out before you swing from skyscrapers." She rummaged through her pile of supplies and pulled out a thick, nylon rope. "Let’s start with this. You’ll shoot your webs at the rope and see if you can lift it."
Winter raised her hand hesitantly. "Uh, about that… I don’t actually have webs yet. I mean, I don’t even know how to make them."
Ningning paused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Oh, right. The spider bite didn’t give you everything." Then, her eyes lit up. "But that’s where I come in!"
---
After hours of tinkering, building, and laughing at their own failed attempts, the two friends finally stood in front of their latest creation: a pair of web shooters. Ningning had managed to cobble them together using parts she found lying around the lab—an old wristwatch, some tubing, and the mysterious polymer fluid Winter had stolen from Oscorp.
"Okay, these are just prototypes," Ningning explained, holding up the clunky devices. "But I think they’ll work for now. We just need to test them out. Here, put them on."
Winter gingerly took the web shooters from Ningning and strapped them to her wrists, securing the small nozzles under her palms. They looked odd—bulky and awkward—but Ningning assured her that she would streamline them later. Right now, all they cared about was whether they would actually work.
"Alright, give it a shot," Ningning said, stepping back and handing Winter a small target she had set up on the opposite wall.
Winter took a deep breath and aimed at the target. She pressed her palm down on the nozzle, and with a soft thwip, a strand of web shot out and stuck to the target, pulling it slightly off the wall. Winter’s eyes widened in amazement.
"Holy crap, it worked!"
Ningning’s face lit up. "I told you it would work! Let’s try it again, but this time, see if you can pull something heavier."
Winter pointed her hand at a chair and fired the web. With a grunt, she yanked it toward her, dragging it across the floor. Both girls stared in awe.
"Okay, now that is cool," Winter said, her excitement building. "You actually made this work, Ning. I can’t believe it."
Ningning smiled proudly. "You’re welcome. Now, onto phase two!"
Winter raised an eyebrow. "Phase two?"
Ningning whipped out her phone, pulling up a set of blueprints on the screen. "If you’re going to be swinging around the city, you need a suit. Something that can handle your powers without ripping or getting in the way. Lucky for you, I’ve been working on a design."
Winter blinked in surprise as she looked at the detailed drawings on Ningning’s screen. "You’ve been planning this for a while, haven’t you?"
Ningning shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, I *did* think we’d get here eventually. I mean, you’re not going to be some random super-powered person with no costume. This is the real deal, Winter."
---
For the next few days, Ningning threw herself into creating the perfect suit for Winter. They worked late into the night in Ningning’s tiny apartment, surrounded by scraps of fabric, sewing machines, and tools. It wasn’t long before they had their first prototype.
The suit was sleek, form-fitting, and vibrant red and blue, with a spider emblem emblazoned across the chest. It had reinforced padding to protect Winter during fights and lightweight material that wouldn’t hinder her movements.
Ningning was beaming with pride as she presented the finished product to Winter. "Okay, try it on!"
Winter slipped into the suit and stared at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes wide with awe. She actually looked… good. The suit fit perfectly, clinging to her like a second skin, and for the first time, she felt like a real superhero.
"Wow…" Winter muttered, turning to see the suit from different angles. "I look… kinda badass."
Ningning grinned. "Told you. Now, we just need to test everything out in the real world."
---
Later that night, the two of them snuck out to a quiet part of the city, where they could test Winter’s new abilities without drawing too much attention. The moonlight cast a soft glow over the rooftops as Winter stood at the edge of a building, her web shooters strapped securely to her wrists.
"Okay, this is it," Ningning said, her voice buzzing through the AirPods they used to communicate. "Time to see if all this works."
Winter took a deep breath, her heart racing with anticipation. She aimed her web shooter at the next building and fired. The web stuck to the ledge, and with a leap of faith, Winter swung out into the night sky.
Her stomach lurched as she flew through the air, her body weightless as the wind rushed past her. She let out a whoop of excitement, the adrenaline pumping through her veins as she soared between the buildings.
"Ning! It’s working!" Winter shouted, her voice breathless with exhilaration.
"I can see that," Ningning replied, grinning through the AirPods. "This is amazing! You’re doing great!"
Winter continued to swing from building to building, her confidence growing with each leap. Her body moved with precision and grace, her enhanced reflexes kicking in as she navigated the cityscape. It was a rush like nothing she had ever experienced before.
As she landed on a rooftop, Winter turned to look back at the trail of webs she had left behind. She couldn’t believe it. She had actually done it.
"Looks like we’re officially in business," Winter said, her voice filled with satisfaction.
Ningning laughed. "And this is just the beginning, Winter. You’re going to be the best superhero this city has ever seen."
Winter smiled, her heart swelling with excitement. She had no idea what the future held, but with Ningning by her side and her newfound powers, she felt ready for anything.