Spider in Gotham - Chapter 12

Peter scrolled through the internet on his new laptop. It was a top-of-the-line model that Salina had got him for a job well done. He hadn't been able to get the statues, but he had saved lives. She would have done the same.

Still, the computer was a good five years or more behind what he had back in New York. He was pretty sure he could get one of similar specifications on clearance. It was an interesting difference. There were a couple of tech companies, Wayne Enterprises and Lex Corp were the biggest, but they didn't measure up to Stark Industries. The odd thing was that Lex Corp probably could put out some advanced tech, but they were focused on preparing for when Superman went rogue. Wayne Enterprises, on the other hand, paid more attention to infrastructure and making the technology open for everyone. The two giants of industry had little to no real interaction with each other.

His Iron Spider suit would have revolutionized the world.

"What are you scowling at, kitten?" Selina teased as she lazed on her expensive couch.

"I want to go to college." Peter replied without looking at her.

"Why?" She scoffed.

Peter opened his mouth to reply then snapped it shut. How was he going to explain this?

"Before I left home, my friends and I were getting ready to go to college." Peter said after a moment. "I don't know if they got in, but it just feels like I should try."

"And why can't you go back?" Selina asked, yet again.

"It's a long story." Peter sighed.

"If only we had an expanse of free time." Selina stretched out on the couch.

"What do you think?" Peter ignored her comment. "Gotham Tech or Gotham State University?"

"Neither have anything worth stealing." Selina rolled her eyes. "Both are funded by the Thomas Wayne fund. The art on display is fake and the notable inventions are nonfunctional models."

Peter looked over at her deadpan.

"Fine." Selina huffed. "Gotham Tech is a better fit for engineers, inventors, and technicians. Fixing, creating, and assembling all those machines that make the world go round. GSU has a broader field of study. They are the best Nursing Program in the state and the facilities are on-par with Metropolis University."

"Thank you." Peter said.

"Go take a tour if you're that interested." Selina waved a dismissive hand at him. "Let me know what you decide, we'll need more documents."

"I think I'll do that." Peter stood up. "Selina, really. Thank you."

"Steal something for me on the way back." Selina rolled her eyes.

He had just reached his room when the front door slammed open. His spider-sense kicked up a notch to alert him of general danger, but nothing immediate. The smell of animals and gunpowder came with the sound.

"Harley." Selina sounded annoyed rather than alarmed. "What are you doing here?"

The weird yip, bark, laugh of a couple of hyenas made him freeze in place. He had to be hearing things. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of claws on tile and the solid impact of bodies. Selina let out a startled yell.

Peter rushed back to the living room to see two hyenas jumping on Selina. The scene froze for a moment. They were licking her face and wrestling each other to sit on her lap. Selina had a long-suffering smile on her face. She was in as much danger as a person with a big dog. The fact that hyenas were related more to felines rather than canines passed along the back of his mind.

He turned his attention to the other person that had entered the apartment. She was an attractive, athletic blonde. Her hair was up in pigtails. She wore a pair of cut-off jean shorts and a black tank top. The two thick suitcases at her side were another thing to note.

"Is this your new kitten?" Harley strutted over to him. She pinched his cheek. "He's a cutie."

"Peter, this is Harley. Harley, this is Peter." Selina managed to say between the yips and aggressive cuddles of the hyenas. "Yes, yes. Aunty Selina loves you too."

"Hi." Peter winced. Smooth Parker.

"I hope you like to snuggle." Harley turned away from him. "The girls do not like to sleep alone."

"Wouldn't they sleep with you?" Peter asked.

Suddenly, that was the most pressing issue.

"The bed is too small for me, Selina, and the girls." Harley giggled.

"You're sleeping on the couch." Selina glared at the woman.

"Selina." Harley pouted as she plopped down on the couch beside the woman pinned under the hyenas. "You would put your good friend out on the couch?"

"Of course not." Selina quirked a smile at her. "Where is Ivy anyway?"

Harley's smile dropped.

"We had a fight." She grumbled.

"Harley." Selina sighed. "What did you do?"

"Why is it 'what did I do' and not 'what did she do', huh?" Harley yelled.

Selina arced an eyebrow at her.

"Fine." Harley grumbled. "I may have, accidentally, kind of spilled some homemade napalm on one of her flowerbeds."

Selina sighed.

"It's not my fault!" Harley yelled. "It crawled into the room! I had the door locked!"

"How long are you staying?" Selina asked.

Harley shrugged.

"You are not sleeping in my bed." Selina glared at her friend.

"I'm sleeping with the kitten?" Harley perked up.

"No." Selina would have face-palmed if she had a free arm. "Harley is going to clean out my office. I can have a new bed here by the end of the day."

"I can help." Peter offered.

"Awww." Harley said. "Ain't he the cutest."

"Peter." Selina fixed him with an impressive stare. "Harley will do it. You have plans."

Peter sighed, then nodded.

"Are you going to take a car?" Selina asked.

"I don't have a license." Peter shook his head.

"And that matters, why?" Selina chuckled.

"You're one of us now, kitten." Harley added happily.

"Fine." Peter groaned. "I don't know how to drive."

"You'll fit right in then." Selina groused.

"I don't want to hurt anyone." Peter crossed his arm. "I'll take the bus, or the train."

"Go with the train." Harley said quickly.

"That's too dangerous." Selina said at the same time. She glared at Harley. "I'll call you a private car."

"Thanks, but I need to stretch my legs." Peter gave her a gentle smile. "I can take care of myself."

"He is the cutest." Harley squeed.

"It was nice to meet you, Harley." Peter said. "I should be back to make dinner."

The hyenas had fallen asleep in a pile on Selina. Harley waved as he stepped out of the apartment. He wasn't lying, he did need to stretch his legs. Lately, he had spent his days in the apartment researching upcoming events or training in the Black Cat suit. It had a different weight to it and the grappler took some time to adjust to. At best, it was like web-swinging with one hand, only with shorter range and it had a kick with each launch. The nights were a mixture of rooftop tours of the city and dinner parties, auctions, and charity events. There was at least one party a week that Selina insisted on the both of them attend. He now knew quite a few staff members by name and most of the security teams by sight.

Peter was dressed in a casual outfit of jeans, sneakers, and a blue Superman shirt that Selina insisted on buying him. He didn't think he'd draw too much attention. Like all the clothes she had picked out, it was tighter than he usually wore. Back home he had to work to hide his physique. It felt a little weird not worry about it. The fact that he was shy played absolutely no part in it.

He got on the train without an issue. It had a good amount of graffiti on the walls, but they lived in one of the better areas of the city. The fact that it was mid-morning rather than the rush meant that there weren't many other passengers. Most of the people traveled in small groups even if they didn't appear to know each other. Safety in numbers. Peter took a seat near a group of older women. They looked like a knitting circle that had been transported to the train. He smiled at them. They returned his expression with an appraising stare.

Peter shook his head. He leaned against the seat and waited for his stop.

GSU was closer. He didn't plan on staying out after sunset. For one, he promised to make dinner, and he wasn't looking for a fight. The tension in the city was constant, but it wasn't as high as he Selina had told him about. There were certain big names that made everyone hunker down. Joker had been caught recently and hadn't broken out yet.

That annoyed him. Everyone talked about it like it was just a matter of time before the breakout happened. It didn't put Batman in a good light considering there was always a body count when the clown escaped. How many lives could be saved by putting Joker down for good?

It was Goblin all over again. If he had the chance, he would put Joker down.

Peter shook his head to clear his thoughts. He could see that Gotham was corrupt from through and through. The more time he spent with the rich folk of the city made that clear. It was the main reason he didn't feel bad about his less than legal outings. Technically, being Spider-Man was illegal. He would still help people when he could, and their targets were only people who deserved it.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when the train stopped near GSU. Peter smiled at the old ladies again before left. They watched him go but didn't otherwise react.

It was a short walk to the campus proper. He had to take a moment to adjust to the view. Either colleges all looked alike, or this place was almost an exact copy of NYU. The layout at least. He found an information kiosk easily enough and grabbed a map. It lacked a couple of the newer buildings, but it was the same. Even the buildings looked similar. His science class had gone on a tour in junior year to check out the labs. They also had a citywide expo there for all the schools.

Peter felt himself start to drift back to his memories. He cleared his throat to get his focus back on the matter at hand. The pamphlet said that the tours didn't start for another week. He sighed and tucked it in his pocket. It looked like this was a wasted trip.

He was about to turn around when he saw two girls nearby. One was blonde and the other appeared to be of Asian heritage. The blonde was talking animatedly and incredibly fast. She was the first person he had actually seen with a genuine smile.

"Excuse me." Peter said as he approached them.

He made sure to keep his hands at his side to show he wasn't holding anything. It was a posture he used to ease the tension when he encountered people in distress in his spider suit. At night his eyes were the first thing people usually noticed. The white lenses almost glowed when he got to street level. It could be disturbing depending on the circumstances.

Their postures were complete contrasts. The blonde didn't seem to have a care in the world while the other girl looked like a tightly wound spring.

"Yes?" The blonde shot him a bright smile.

"I was hoping to take a tour." Peter shrugged. "I got my dates mixed up. Do you two go here?"

The blonde looked at her friend, who gave a sharp nod.

"Yes." The blonde answered. "I'm Stephanie, this is Cassandra. She doesn't talk much."

The other girl, Cassandra, glared at her friend from the corner of her eyes. He was missing something. She seemed to pick up on his confusion.

<<I'm mute.>> She signed.

"Do you know sign language?" Stephanie asked.

Peter nodded.

"Perfect." She spun toward the campus. "On we go!"

Peter smiled. The spunky blonde began the tour with a bounce in her step. Cassandra had fallen back a little. She kept off to the side, angled toward him so he would have to turn to face her.

"What's your name?" Stephanie asked.

"Peter." He said. "Peter Parker. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too." Stephanie laughed. "You're not from around here, are you?"

Peter shook his head.

"You?" He asked.

"Born and raised." She said proudly.

"You aren't like the other people I've met so far." Peter chuckled.

<<It's the coffee.>> Cassandra said.

<<I can relate.>> Peter smiled at her.

Her eyes narrowed for a moment but didn't say anything more.

"What are you planning on studying?" Stephanie asked. "That will help me focus the tour."

"I'm not sure yet." Peter shrugged. "I'm going to tour Gotham Tech tomorrow to see if it is more my speed. I like to make things."

"You're an inventor?" Stephanie spun to face him.

"I tinker." Peter replied.

"Peter the tinkerer." Stephanie said. "Sounds like something out of Doctor Sues."

Peter cocked his head to the side. That sent a shiver through his spider-sense. He tried to play it cool but took a closer look at the two girls. Stephanie wore a baggy GSU sweater and yoga pants. Her legs looked fit, but that didn't mean much. She wasn't the right height for the masked girl he had encountered.

Cassandra, on the other hand. He stole a quick look out of the corner of his eye. She wore a simple pair of black jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt. Her height was right, and her build matched. Her gaze was incredibly sharp. She caught him looking.

Batman knew who Selina was. He also knew that she had 'adopted' a young man. It made sense that his team would know as well. His encounter with Black Bat started to make more sense. She was probably tailing him when the explosion happened.

Was this all a setup?

Peter hadn't felt any warning until now. Even then, it was just a tickle and not a full-on danger. It would be pointless to pretend he didn't know if they already did. He didn't put on his mask to walk around the Avengers Tower the few times he had gone. They knew who he was, he knew who they were. A couple people only thought he was Starks Intern, but they weren't superheroes.

"Kind of like a cat and bat." Peter looked at Cassandra when he spoke.

She glared at him. Her entire body was ready for action.

"Exactly." Stephanie's happy voice cut through the tension. "Glad that's out of the way. It's annoying to pretend not to know what we both know you know we know."

Peter couldn't help himself. He laughed.

"Science." Stephanie turned a slow circle to scan the buildings. "This way."

<<Thanks for your help the other day.>> Peter signed.

Cassandra replied with a curt nod. <<Hurry, she's faster than you think.>>