Ditching The Canon

Another day, another trip to Oscorp. Once again in stuffy clothes that fit such a place. Once again dreading even showing up. Especially since this time, Riley came face to face with someone they didn’t want to see.

“Ah, Dr. Covette, didn’t realize you were visiting today as well,” Mr. Osborn had said.

Riley’s nerves stood on end. 

“I didn’t expect to see you either Mr. Osborn. What brings you to this floor today?” Though, judging by how her eyes caught on Riley, it was fairly obvious the reason.

“I’m giving Dr. Rowe here a tour. Who would’ve thought I’d have two brilliant minds from the same family here today?”

There was no way to back out of this and run away. Riley was forced to have a conversation with their sister. “We certainly don’t run into each other often,” Riley said politely. “You seem well.”

“Don’t want to give your older sister a hug?” Tyler asked sweetly, a smile on her lips.

Riley shook their head, maintaining distance. “Not exactly one for physical contact. As I know you’re aware.” 

“You used to love hugs as a kid,” Tyler complained with a sigh. “Moving on, how are you liking New York? And Oscorp?”

“It’s…” Riley didn’t want to be rude or crude in front of Mr. Osborn, especially because their spidey sense was in a permanent state of buzzing around the man. “Different. I find out new things everyday, which has been an experience I didn’t plan to have.” Vague, not insulting, and almost sounding like a compliment. That would work. 

“Good to hear. I’m sure mom and dad are pretty excited for you. Their little baby is doing so much fun things.”

Riley really hated this. They wanted something to happen to break them away from it.

This time, their hopes worked, as something smashed through the glass of the building, everyone immediately ducking for cover. Their spider sense didn’t even catch it because it was already buzzing. So they instinctively also ducked for cover, their eyes dancing to the intruder.

From the wreckage of the shattered glass window, stood a robot, one far more advanced than anything Riley had seen before. It was shrouded in electricity, crackling out of their body. They were hovering in the air, and Riley spotted webbing clinging to their body.

Okay. That saved them time.

Until the robot’s eyes landed on them. Sizing them up.

Well, guess it was time to improvise. “Everyone run to the stairs, I’ll buy us time!”

“Riley-“

They cut off their sister. “Now!” Their body reacting, reaching for one of the chairs in the room. “It’s locked in me, get out! Clear the building. Mr. Osborn, have everyone use the stairs in case of power failure.”

Sensing the danger, he nodded and everyone ran off as the robot stayed focused on them, their head crooked to fixate on them. 

When it spoke, the voice crackled, fried from the static that emanated from it. “Why don’t you run?”

Riley’s grip tightened on the chair, glad that the material under their finger-tips was rubber. Their suit however, was likely going to be a conductor for this, but they would have to put it on to fight. For now, until Peter could get there, it was their own quick wit and non-superhero skills. “If I run, you’ll chase after us.”

“So you’re the sacrifice?” They asked, red soulless eyes staring them down. “Your corpse will merely be a stepping stone. Your martyrdom will mean nothing.”

Hm. Riley hadn’t heard that before. Change of pace. Most of their crooks mostly said they’d bust their head in or break a bone. Death was a new one. Maybe Peter dealt with that a lot. “Where’s Spider-Man?”

The question caught the robot off guard. “What?”

“I see his webbing on you.”

“I have threatened to shorten your lifespan and you wish to know where the one known as spider-man is?” 

“Yeah?”

The mechanical eyes just stared at Riley blankly, trying to figure out in what realm of reality that would be a normal response. 

Seeing as quite some time had passed since this robot was thrown through the glass, Riley worried that Peter might not be able to help in the moment. Which meant a lot more creativity would be needed. Sure, their web shooters would be helpful, but their suit would not be. And I’m a place with so many cameras… 

Sure, their identity might still remain hidden, bad for some reason, Riley didn’t want to test it. Their eyes darted around the room, taking in possible scenarios. Thankfully, Oscorp was full of scientists who worked on plenty of different things. 

Glass, rubber, and surprisingly, plenty of dry wood. 

Okay, they got this.

As the robot tried to process, Riley threw the chair lunging for more insulation. They grabbed some planks of wood that had been set aside for an experiment, taking it in their hands. They just needed to get to the glass now. Hoping the wood would prevent any strong electrical currents. It wasn’t going to be strong enough against a metal framed robot, but should ward off the still crackling electricity.

The chair had distracted them momentarily, but as soon as Riley raced for the window, the robot was after them.

They took a deep breath as they felt the prickles of electricity, and crashed themselves through the nearest gods window, chucking the wood at the robot. As their body soared through the air, Riley reveled in how the wood sounded smacking against their metal body.

Beautiful. 

They felt their body soar, reaching for their watch and putting it on, feeling the suit expand over their body. If they had brought their regular suit, a watch wouldn’t be necessary, but it was necessary now. The nanotech crawled over their body, covering it in the all too familiar pattern of webbing. They spread their arms out, adjusting their web shooters and firing.

The plummet to the ground was fast approaching, but Riley loved to play the odds, rewarded by the snag when their web caught, using their momentum to propel themselves back up into the air. And back to face against the robot, who was now flying just outside of the Oscorp building. 

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Couldn’t find a fly swatter anywhere,” they joked cheekily. “Good thing you’re not a bug then.”

“Who are you?”

“Mega-byte. The fun sized spider-man.”

The robot looked at them with the most confusion Riley had ever seen a robot express. Impressive. And for a moment, there was this shift in palate. The hues of their form shifted, crackling, and their shape shifted. For a blink, Riley saw Electro. 

Shit. This was an anomaly.

This was an Electro from another universe. Where, Riley didn’t know, but it had taken Peter out. They’d have to make due.

All they’d have to do was avoid getting touched, unless they wanted to be completely fried. 

Okay, they got this. They totally had it handled. Maybe. Probably.

They swallowed back any doubts, and launched into action. Most of the fight was leading Electro away from Oscorp, instead looking for a better insulator. Despite all the glass of New York, it would take something a little more stable to thwart a robotic enemy. And the best Riley could do while they wracked ideas was drag them away from the city streets and use their webbing to temporarily subdue them as they figured out where to lead them.

Their webbing was strong and durable, but unlike Peter, the villains Riley came across weren’t superpowered. Meaning they we’re definitely not qualified to take on Spider-man’s usual lineup. But they didn’t stop. If they did, people would get hurt. 

And with their webbing being built the way it was, it could withstand the electricity that ran through it. It just couldn’t handle robotic strength.

Noted. Make better webs.

Until help arrived, the game of stalling continued. That is, until Riley noticed they were near the harbor. And near said harbor were plenty of factories. And from what Riley recalled, there should be somewhere along it that made perfect insulators.

They swung away from Robo-Electro again, their threats and insults falling on deaf ears as they swung, scanning the horizon. Thankfully, they spotted it.  

A rubber factory .

Which seemed odd in all retrospect, but it was convenient. And they found themselves swinging too it. Now it was a matter of getting them surrounded by the rubber.

For a robot, he wasn’t particularly smart. At least in his decision to follow Riley to the factory. 

And this is when Riley’s prowess actually showed. The second they descended, the camouflage feature of their suit activated, and considering the opponent was a robot, they opted to cool their suit as well to disguise any heat signatures, pushing themselves somewhere to gather their thoughts and formulate a plan. And more importantly, send out their bots.

Who would they be if they didn’t carry a few spiders with them?

They slowed their breathing, and used their spiders to figure out where the robin-electro was, and to see where everything was located. According to the map their spiders were creating, the factory itself was built with metal, which they already suspected. It did have a considerable area full of waste, failed objects, faulty ones, in an area just inside. If Riley could manage to push Robo-Electro in that area, and web them before pushing them in, they could properly fight and contain the robot. They wouldn’t have to worry about their punches creating a positively charged feedback loop. 

It would shock their nervous system.

The issue that was being presented right now though, was how they were to lure them in. If Riley stepped from their hiding spot now, they’d be caught in an instant. They could feel the static from their cramped hiding space, so slipping out would be a death trap.

What they needed, was backup.

With Peter out of commission and no way to contact the spiders from the alternate universe, Riley was just going to have to make do.

Peering from their hiding spot, they tried to size up robo-electro, see if they had any obvious weak points they could manipulate or take advantage of, but the robot was in pretty good shape. There were some notable dents to it’s playing, but nothing that seemed to deter its drive. 

“Where did you go you insolent pest?” The robotic voice crackled, still sputtering out that broken voice.

But… they had their back turned. This would be a perfect moment to move. 

So Riley slipped out and used their webs to pull their body into a better position. A taunting position. “Arachnids aren’t pests, they’re exterminators!” When Robo-Electro’d robotic stare turned to them, they immediately flung their body inside the building, and onto a conveyor belt.

Why was it running? Riley shook their thoughts, keeping an eye out for Robo-electro’s entrance, their gaze filtering about. 

And without all the buzzing of warning being around Mr. Osborn, they felt that pinprick tickle at the back of their head that festered and swelled into a scream, their body moving before they could think, instinctively shooting out their webs. 

It caught on Robo-Electro, and Riley took the opportunity they needed, sucking in a breath and rushing forwards, pushing all their energy into a single kick, sending the robot flying, conveniently landing in the pile of rejected rubber. Now, the electricity was nullified, unable to expand away from the body. 

Riley picked up a piece of rubber, holding it in their fist as they rushed to the robot, finally taking the ch be to fight but them before they could recover.

They didn’t wait for any words, didn’t quip, simply used their full force into their first punch against the breastplate of their body, hearing the metal creak and bend under their knuckles, smelling iron steeping from their first. 

But not blood. No, no. Just the flakes of metal that stayed trapped on their knuckles. Finally able to deliver a punch so strong, it out the robot temporarily out of commission.

Finally.

Fucking finally.

They sat back in the pile of rubber, catching their breath. Letting their mind let go.

They did it.

They really fucking did it.

The adrenaline of it all started to wear off, and they realized something unfortunate.

What the hell were they supposed to do now?