Chapter two
“Anybody moves and you're all dead!” The robber shrieked. The civilians laid on the ground, shaking and sobbing as the man made his demands. “I will not hesitate to obliterate you all!”
“Castle what’s our move?”
Frank rubbed his face, tension evident in his tight posture. “Obviously we can’t move in yet, he has hostages.” He pointed out. Through the window he would see the man waving his gun around wildly and constantly adjusting the bag on his shoulder. “We can try to send in a negotiator but this guy is real antsy. He’s looking for a reason to snap.”
He always did hate hostage situations, it made the cops tense and question every move they did a hundred times over, fearing for the innocent lives caught in the crossfire. The robber wasn’t some crazy villain from what he’d seen, no extravagant costume or stupid name, just your everyday psycho that made Frank question his career choice.
He hated to say it but it was times like these he was thankful for Jitterbug.
“Looks like you boys could use a hand.” The webbed hero appeared in front of him, causing the unsuspecting police officers to aim their guns on the speedster in surprise.
“Woah easy! I’m trying to help here!”
Speak of the devil.
“Stand down, she’s on our side.” Castle barked, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and led her away from the crowd. “You got a game plan for this, Bug?”
She planted her hands on her hips and laughed. “Officer, you're talkin’ to a gal who can outrun sound! I've got this.”
“Don't get cocky, he may be packing more than he lets on.” He gripped her shoulders tight and stared at her. "Do not take this situation lightly, you hear me 'Bug? I know you got powers but don't be stupid."
Jitterbug stared at him for a moment before giggling. She shook her head and pressed her hands to her face in a flustered motion. “Aww officer!” She cooed and booped his nose. “You sly dog, you care about me!”
He took a step back as if he had been burned. “Excuse me?”
“You care about my wellbeing!” She all but squealed, Frank cleared his throat and straightened his hat. She was enjoying this way too much.
“Yure useful at time.” He huffed. “Don’t let it go to your head.”
She did.
“Little ol’ me? I’m flattered Frankie really I am, but you've got nothing to worry about.” She cracked her knuckles and shot him finger guns. How the woman could be so light and airy in any situation, Castle would never know. “I’ll be back in a jiffy!”
With that she was gone. Leaving Frank with an anxious mind and a red face that he attributed to the high stake situation.
“Move faster!” The robber roared at the shaking teller. The woman’s trembling hands dropped the cash onto the floor as he shouted.
“I’m sorry!” She sobbed. The man scoffed and pulled out his gun.
“You're fucking usel-”
In a split second he was webbed up against the wall and the doors to the bank were wide open, letting the hostages run free and cops hurry in.
“You know as much as the market is in the gutter these days, you really can’t just take cash.” Jitterbug stood in front of the webbed up criminal with her arms crossed and a smug grin under her mask. “Didn’t you take econ in high school?”
He spat at her feet. “Fuck you.”
Officer Castle rushed into the building. The civilians were alive and well outside, hugging their families with tears in their eyes of the terror they felt today. He saw Jitterbug standing before the webbed criminal with no fear and ran a hand down his face. That goddamn woman was surely the cause of his high blood pressure.
He quickly moved between her and the crook with a frown. “We got it from here Jitterbug, you're free to go.”
Jitterbug looked at the police officer like he just grew two heads. “Wait really? No dumb report this time?” She poked the officer’s side. “Who are you and what have you done with Frank Castle?”
“Just get out of here.” He ordered. The way the man was looking at the heroine made him feel uneasy. Though she was more than capable of handling herself, Frank wanted her out of this man’s way even though he was incapacitated. His bulging eyes and greasy sneer just didn’t set right with him.
“What’s the rush officer?” The man taunted. “Boys in blue that scared of me?”
Jitterbug snorted and glared at him over Frank’s shoulder. “You're awfully chatty for a guy about to go to jail.”
Frank could feel the vein in his forehead about to burst. Stop bantering and get the fuck out of here.
A small clicked sounded out, triggering a shrill noise in the duffle bag laying at the man’s webbed form.
“I don’t mind as long as I take a few of you out with me.”
In a flash, Castle was halfway across the bank flat on his back, gaping like a fish as the wind was knocked out of him in a bright purple flash. Jitterbug stood before him, cradling his head and shielding him from the blinding light on the other side of the building.
He tried to move, but noticed a white string connecting his wrist to the wall behind him.
“Castle, you good?” Jitterbug asked. Though she was inches from his face, her voice was far off and muffled. She patted the side of his face. “Hey, can you hear me big guy?” He merely stared at her in shock. Before he was right in the way of the blow, but now? He was on the other side of the building, discombobulated but alive.
She saved him.
“Frank!” She shouted, the ringing had subsided and he could hear her better now. “Can you hear me?” He nodded numbly and she tugged the webbing off of his hand.
“Good, I have no idea what that dumbass was thinking but-”
In a bright flash, she arched her back, screaming out in pain and suddenly-
She was gone.
The robber stood a few feet away, free from the webbing with a shining gun in his hand pointed at where she just was a second before.
“I did it!” He cackled. Cops surged on the man and pinned him to the floor, but Frank stood frozen in his spot, still in shock of what had just happened right before his eyes. “I did it! I killed her!”