Chapter one
“Goddamn heroes. Can’t let us do our job for one fucking day.” The cop clenched his fists and stood outside the building with gritted teeth, waiting for the call to go in.
His partner Chris, a wide-eyed rookie, gaped at him. “What do you mean? Don’t they make it easier for us?”
The man scoffed and looked toward his superior who had been watching the windows with razor focus.
“What do you say cap’n? These heroes make things easier on us?”
The officer turned to them and Chris paled.
Frank Castle, forty-four years old, former U.S. marine and captain of the New York Special Crimes Task Force. At six foot four and defined muscle to match, it was easy to say he was intimidating to most.
“They cause destruction and make a fool of us in the presses.” He answered before turning back to the building, seeing a flying figure zipping by in combat. “I’d prefer a trained profession over some schmuck in spandex any day of the week.”
Chris frowned. “But what about the Jitterbug? Hasn’t she worked with you guys before?”
The captain blew air out through his nostrils before sending the 24 year old a sharp glare.
“She’s the only tolerable one.”
The windows shattered as Adrian Toomes, formally known as the vulture, falls to the ground in a bruised and beaten heap. His mechanical wings were snapped at the tips and tied together with webbing. A purple figure swung through the broken glass and landed gracefully next to the beaten villain.
“Evenin’ officers.” Even through the mask, Castle knew she was grinning ear to ear. “Lovely night, isn’t it?”
Jitterbug was one of the main heroes of new york, often working side by side with spider-woman and in Frank’s opinion: The only one he didn’t want to arrest. She often worked side by side with the cops, telling them information on certain criminals as well as complying when they make her fill out an overly specific incident report each time she brought them a vanquished foe.
Now this didn’t mean he liked her. No, far from it. He respected her sure, she was the only one who made at least an effort to abide by the laws and when she saw it fit, she’d let them do their job with no interference. But they were far from friends.
“ ‘Bug.” Castle grunted. “You know you have to-”
“Answer your questions so you can file this away, yeah yeah I know the drill.” She dismissed his complaint with a little wave. “I’m basically an honorary cop at this point with how much I help you lot.”
“Far from it.” Frank snarled. “We follow rules. We have been picked to protect this city. We don’t swing and speed around the city wearing a stupid costume.”
“Oh don’t speak too soon officer.” Jitterbug pointed to his uniform which had been sewn back together after being torn again. “You can’t talk about clothes when yours is positively bursting at the seams.” Before Frank could rebuttal, she turned to Chris who was staring at her with wide eyes. “You must be new! I haven’t seen you around befor-”
“Chris williams!” He blurted and shook her hand. “It’s an honour to meet you mam. The work you do for this city is just-”
Frank interrupted his fanboy moment with a rough hand on his shoulder. “Williams, why don’t you go help them with the Vulture while I deal with the bug.” Castle looked less than thrilled at the young man’s starstruck expression. The man swallowed and nodded, Jitterbug waved at Chris as he shuffled away with a red face.
“Don’t encourage him.”
She huffed and set her hands on her Lycra-clad hips. “Well soooorry that not every cop in this city hates me as much as you do castle.”
His lip raised just for a millisecond. “Don’t worry, they’ll get there.”The white eyes of her mask narrowed.
“Ha ha. You're hilarious really, you should do stand-up.”
“When you idiots put me out of a job I’ll get right on that.”
Castle asked her a series of questions, all of which she answered with specific detail of what exactly happened. Though the pair were less than fond of eachother, they worked well compared to the other heroes who just beat up the bad guy and left before the cops showed up. She gave them information and did her part when they weren’t there to help, but when they were she abided by their orders with minimal complaints.
Like tonight.
“Jesus Castle are you almost done?” Jitterbug groaned and leaned on her heels. “I got plans you know.”
The officer snorted and looked up from his report. “Really? I thought you superhero types retire back to your secret cave or where ever the hell you come from.”
Jitterbug huffed. “Well whether it’s a cave or an apartment complex, I gotta bolt.” In a quick blur the paper in front of him was completely filled out in neat handwriting, finished with a smiley face at the end.
That was another thing he hated about Jitterbug. Her goddamn super speed.
“Have a nice night officer!”“Don’t you-”
Before he could finished the sentence she was already in the air, web slinging her way through the city and off to her home (at least that's where he assumed she was going).
The captain looked around him. The vulture had been captured, nobody had been hurt, and his report was finished and ready to be filed away, all while he still had enough time to go home and get some rest.
He watched her form flip and twirl through the night sky and couldn’t help but feel thankful for the web-slinging heroine.
At least one of these vigilantes is useful.