Chapter Nine
“We heard about what happened on the news.” Maria’s tone was sympathetic through the phone. “How are you holding up Frank?”
“Alright.” He replied. “It’s all, overwhelming. But I’ll manage.”
He and Maria had a healthy relationship. Eventually the realized that as a couple, they didn’t work. There was no hard feelings in the divorce, she was a lovely friend and a lovely mother. He saw the kids every other weekend and often called Maria to catch up with her. He saw her as family, but not a lover. She felt the same.
After the robbery, the death of Jitterbug had been shown on every paper and screen in the country. The entire world seemed to stop and weep for the lost heroine. She had always been Lisa’s favorite, it might had been because of how much she interacted with her father. Since his meeting with Spider-woman Frank ignored his phone and kept his tv turned off. He didn’t need another reminder of yesterday. It was replaying in his head again and again, her face scrunching up in pain, screaming loudly and then nothing.
“We’re going to the memorial today, if you want to come.” Maria told him. “I’m sure it would help the kids to see you during it all.” She sounded tired. No doubt her hair a mess and bags under her eyes. When the news broke she hated herself for it, but she felt relieved. Everytime she turned on the news and heard of robberies or villains causing chaos, she prayed he wouldn’t get killed. When the news broke she thanked god that he was safe, but when she heard her daughter cry from her bedroom her heart broke into a million pieces.
“I’ll uh, I’ll try. I’ve got a new case so-”
Maria sighed, she was probably pinching the bridge of her nose. It was a look he had seen so many times he could picture it in his head perfectly by now.
“Jesus christ Frank you’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Sadly no.”
“I mean, you almost died yesterday!” Her voice was a harsh whisper. She didn’t want to alert the kids of the conversation with their father. God he felt like the biggest piece of shit in New York. “Can’t you give yourself a moment of rest?”
“This one is top priority M, I can’t rest just yet.”
“Okay well,” Her voice was soft and scared. Scared that her best friend and the father of her children would work himself to death, a death he narrowly avoided just yesterday. “Me and the kids worry for you Frank. Just remember you have a family here for you, one that needs you.”
“I will M. I’ll see you soon.” He hung up and sighed. If only he could tell her the truth.
He and Spider-Woman decided to keep Jitterbug’s disappearance a secret. It would be easier to investigate how to get her back and quite frankly, kept a lot of villains out of their way. The moment she’s announced alive many will surge forward to try and kill her again. That was a headache he didn’t need.
He looked toward the masked vigilante, who had been waiting for him to finish the call. “Alright spider-kid. Where we going?”
Spider-woman groaned. “Alright, you want this partnership to work you need to learn a world called respect.”
He smirked.“That’s a pretty big world for a sixth grader.”
She flailed her arms around as if to say “SEE?” and he rubbed his face.
“Okay you’re right, I’ll uh, I’ll keep it civil. Just until she gets back.”
Spider-woman snorted and bumped shoulders with him. “If only she could see us now. Teaming up together.” He laughed along with her.
“Oh she would have a fit no doubt. Never thought I’d see the day.”
“You know,” Spider-woman tried to find something to bond over. To build some sort of camaraderie between the two. “We call you nicknames behind your back.”
He looked down at her with a light smile.“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, she calls you Captain Tight-ass.”
His shoulders shook with laughter. He isn’t all that surprised by it.“That so?”
“Mhm!” Spider-woman chirped, as she spoke she stood in place but rocked back and forth on her heels. It was little mannerisms like these that made him realize just how she really was. “But to be honest, I think it’s because she has a crush on you.”
“I’m sorry what?”
Spider-Woman jumped off the roof and flipped onto another one. “No time to talk, we have a case to crack!”
“You can’t just-Goddamnit spider-shit get back here!”