Getting Bit, Getting Famous
It'd been a couple of weeks and Al Haitham was still working out the kinks. Sometimes the web fluid came out all clunky, or not sticky at all, or sometimes it didn't reach far enough. That wasn't fun.
He was slowly figuring it out. He did learn that he would run out of webs pretty quickly if he wasn't careful. He might have fallen from a couple of low-rise buildings a couple of times when they ran out. That also wasn't fun. So he did some research and found out how to make more for himself artificially. Now, knowing Al Haitham, of course, he wouldn't volunteer for any kind of extra work that he wasn't getting paid to do. And yet here he was saving Sumeru City again with a makeshift mask over his face to conceal his identity. Why, you may ask, is Al Haitham of all people going through the trouble? Why did he stop his web-slinging on his shortcut to work to stop a bank robbery that had nothing to do with him? Well, it started when he was bitten in the library in a far-off section hardly anyone ever visits. There was no doubt that there would be spiders in that dark hall. But a radioactive spider? That doesn't happen often. When Haitham was bitten he didn't think much of it. Sure he'd never seen that kind of spider before, but he really felt like getting home so he didn't bother to check up on it. He should be fine, right?
Eh.
The next morning felt surprisingly refreshing. Don't get me wrong, he's somehow super buff for someone who spends most of his time reading books, but this was different from his usual strength. Like he could lift a bus. Or a grown man with one hand. Though, of course, he shook off the feeling. But he couldn't keep ignoring it as his strength became a bit too much. And not just that, there are other things. Things kept sticking to him. And he had this strange hyper-awareness of everything around him. One time he was able to catch a kid's football hurling right past his face when the kid had a terrible aim. He caught it before his brain had even realized it was coming for him.
Now he could just keep these powers to himself, and he was going to. That is, until, a certain reporter decided to start investigating him. A few articles with blurry pictures of him had been published in the Sumeru Times that were of him slinging through the city. Now these articles were put way at the back of the newspapers and you definitely couldn't tell it was him in the picture, but that wasn't the point. This reporter was getting persistent. Al Haitham had noticed him a couple of times trying to take pictures of him in his disguise as he was going past, or he would yell at him to stop for a few questions with a news camera ready. Al Haitham ignored him every time. But that reporter really didn't give up. He had seen this reporter on the news pretty regularly and managed to recall his name being Kaveh. He was good-looking, a pretty boy really. He dressed well and had blond hair. This is exactly the kind of person, Al Haitham thought to himself, that he knew he wouldn't get along with. Does he ever give up?
Al Haitham wasn't to use his powers for anything. But he helped an old lady once who was getting robbed and that Kaveh happened to capture it. After that first shot of him was taken, the media has slowly been getting more and more interested in who they're calling, "Spider-man". And with fame always comes haters. Of course, Al Haitham could not give less of a shit if people didn't like him. But he knew that people were more driven by hatred than admiration and so if he didn't play hero, people might start harassing him more than they already did. They'd figure out who he really was under his mask, find his house, and never leave him alone.
Somehow, this all feels like Kaveh's fault.
This, is worsened by the fact that in all of Kaveh's attempts to catch a clear shot of 'Spider-man' on camera, he nearly dies more times than you can count. And every time, Al Haitham's gotta save him. This was becoming a real pain in the ass for Al Haitham. Just when he thought he'd rounded up the last of some escaped criminals, or giant mutant sewer rats, and could finally go home, Kaveh, has put himself in some precarious situation that he can't safely get himself out of. Like he climbed to the top of some mid-rise building to get a better view. Or a few times he had had close encounters with the criminals himself trying to 'get close to the action'. The first time they ever spoke to each other while Al Haitham was in costume was when he had to scold Kaveh for almost getting himself killed doing this. Kaveh didn't seem to listen to a word, though, because this kept happening many many times more. Spider-man's reluctance towards this persistent reporter was clear to anyone. Yet Kaveh still didn't give up trying to get a few words from Al Haitham though.
"Would you consider yourself a superhero of Sumeru City?" Kaveh's mic was pointed right at Al Haitham's mask.
"What?"
Kaveh ignored Al Haitham's confusion.
"Or are you trying to be more of a vigilante?"
"No questions." Al Haitham wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.
"Hey wait! I wasn't done-"
"I said no questions." He used his webs to swing off into the distance before Kaveh could ask anything else.
If Kaveh's recklessness wasn't a problem enough for Al Haitham, there was one more major issue he had.
In Al Haitham's defense, it had been months before he had ever gained his so-called 'superpowers', and the contract was already signed long before he had them. And, he didn't bother to meet the person that was coming to live with him as his roommate in person. He opens the door and suddenly regrets everything. He had realized the mistake of getting a roommate when his powers had first come in. But he needed someone who worked casual hours, and was good at decorating, cooking, and cleaning because he didn't have enough time to do these chores, especially after he took up this 'side job'.
The doors open.
"Al Haitham? From Highschool?"
Al Haitham hadn't been bothered to check the name on the contract.
"Man, I knew I recognized the landlord's name when I saw the ad. I just had to connect a face to the name." Al Haitham just stood there, mortified, though it didn't show on his face.
He figured it didn't matter who showed up, they would all be equally a pain in the ass. But this man takes the cake for the amount of headaches he's caused Al Haitham. Now that he really looks at him, he did go to high school with the reporter that's been chasing Spider-man with a news camera ever since he first made an appearance. How was he supposed to hide his secret identity from the single-handedly most determined and reckless person he had ever met, who also happens to live in the room next to him?