Friendly Neighborhood Silk

Chapter 3




"Evening Officer Kyle" I said as I landed softly on top of the BBPD patrol car.

"Goddammit Silk!" the officer startled, jumping slightly and banging his elbow on the steering wheel almost spilling his coffee. "Do you have to do that? You scared the shit out of me"

I couldn't help but laugh, "I'm sorry Officer Kyle, but your reaction is priceless. You should see your face!"

He glared at me, but there was no malice behind it. "Yeah yeah, laugh it up. Just don't think you're so funny the next time I have to fill out an incident report because you startled me and caused me to spill my drink on something important."

"Oh please," I said, rolling my eyes. "I know you don't enjoy paperwork".

"Fair enough," he conceded, "but still. Just give a guy a little warning next time, yeah?"

"Alright," I agreed, "But only if I get some of your allocated police donuts."

Officer Kyle cleared his throat. "That is a slanderous accusation there Silk, police don't spend precious taxpayer money on donuts."

I gave him a raised eyebrow and looked at the empty donut boxes in his cruiser. He had the decency to blush.

"What can I do for you tonight Silk?" He said after awkwardly coughing away his embarrassment.

"Just checking in," I said. "Any trouble tonight?"

"Nah, it's been pretty quiet," he said. "Nothing major, just a few drunk and drunk and disorderlys, some shoplifting. Nothing too exciting."

"Well, that's good," I said. "I hope the rest of the night stays quiet."

"Yeah, me too," he agreed.

We fell into a comfortable silence, and I took the opportunity to scan the surrounding area. The docks were mostly quiet, save for the occasional noise from a bar or club, and the gentle lapping of the water against the pier.

After a few minutes, Officer Kyle broke the silence. "Well I gotta carry on with my patrol".

"Right," I said, smiling. "Well, I should get going too. Have a good night."

"Yeah, you too, Silk," he said. "Be careful out there."

"Always am," I assured him, leaping off the car and shooting a web to the nearest building. "See you later."

He gave a little wave as I swung away, before he carried on with his nightly duties.

As I swung through the docks, I couldn't help but smile. Even though the night had been relatively quiet, it had been a good one. It was nights like this that made being a hero worth it, when you could see the difference you were making, even if it was just in small ways.

It was days like these that made me hopeful for the future. Maybe things weren't perfect, but as long as there were heroes like Officer Kyle and Vicky, there was hope. My relationship with the Docks precinct was a good one.

They realized how understaffed and resourced they were and were happy for my assistance. They also didn't like that the PRT had given up on them as well. The rivalry between the Police and PRT was already legendary across the country, it was just so much more pronounced here in this city.

Maybe things would change for the better. I could only hope.

I began to swing my way back towards home, when I spotted a strange inky blackness on one of the nearby rooftops. As I drew closer, I saw that it was some kind of black fog. That probably meant either Grue of the Undersiders or Fog of the Empire.

Neither of which I wanted to deal with.

The Undersiders I could deal with, Grue would be hard, but if I caught him off guard then his darkness shouldn't be effective. Bitch's dogs would be a problem as well. I didn't really know the other members' powers.

The Empire was the bigger problem, and they were dangerous. Kaiser was rarely seen outside of their territory unless for a big event, but Hookwolf alone could be incredibly dangerous, let alone the sheer number of the rest of their capes.

I pulled out one of my burner phones and dialed a number for the Docks precinct dispatch.

"Silk? Are you alright?" It was the dispatch officer.

"I'm fine. There is something in the Docks, I'm not sure what. Either Undersiders or Empire. I'll inform you if I need any help".

Having a line to police dispatch was a helpful way to keep up to date with the goings on in the area.

I made my way onto a nearby rooftop and watched the dark fog swirl and move. It didn't seem to be going anywhere, just sort of hovering in place.

The blackness began to recede. Revealing three out of the four Undersiders. I sighed. Fuck sake. What did they want? Wasn't pissing Lung off enough for the docks recently? Why did they want to talk to me?

"Look, if it isn't the new hero" Regent called. He was leaning against a wall, his smirk plastered across his face. "Come to join the winning team?"

"Regent," Grue said warningly.

"What?" he said, shrugging. "We could always use more talent, especially pretty ones."

"You can't afford me," I retorted.

"Ooh, feisty. I like that."

"What are you doing here, Undersiders?" I asked, getting straight to the point.

"Oh, you know, just out for a stroll," Tattletale said, her eyes gleaming. "Taking in the sights."

"Uh-huh," I said, my tone flat. "I don't believe you."

"That's your prerogative," she replied, smirking. "But I promise we're not up to anything nefarious."

"What do you want then? You were obviously waiting for me."

"We just wanted to talk." Grue said. "You're new on the scene, only been around for a month or two. We saw you the other night and wanted to have a chat. See what's what"

Tattletale chimed in. "Yeah we were looking for a heavy hitter to join our team and you fit the bill."

"Not interested." I wasn't even going to entertain the idea. The docks needed me as a hero, not a group of villains causing chaos and riling up the other gangs.

"Come on," Tattletale smirked. "You're out here all alone in the docks, wouldn't you want a team to help you?"

"Nope." My voice could not be any flatter. Did they not know anything about me? Tattletale's smirk grew.

"Why not? You're powerful, you could be a real asset to the team," Grue said, his voice steady.

"I'm not interested in being a villain," I said firmly. "I am a hero".

"Please it's all a giant game anyway" Tattletale said dismissively waving a hand. "It's just cops and robbers with superpowers, we are offering a way to get enough money to make a difference".

"Cops and robbers" I replied, unimpressed. Was she serious? I already got money from the gangs myself. Why would I do it with known villains?

"Sure," Tattletale said. "Grown adults running around in costume? Making up code names for themselves? It's ridiculous, and we know it's ridiculous, even if we don't admit it out loud. So there's capes like you and me, where we go out in costume and it's fun. Maybe we have some agenda or goals, but at the end of the day, we're getting our thrills, blowing off steam and living a second life. Then there's the crazies. The people who are fucked up in the head, maybe dangerous if there's not something or someone to help keep them in line. The people who take it all too seriously, or those guys you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of, even if they didn't have powers. Lung, Oni Lee, Heartbreaker. Then there's the monsters. The really dangerous motherfuckers, who are barely human any more, if at all.

The Slaughterhouse Nine, Nilbog, Ash Beast. But you have to understand, ninety percent of what goes on when you're in costume? It's the first group. Adults in costumes playing full contact cops and robbers with fun-as-fuck superpowers and toys. This mindset applies to the people without powers too. Way I see it, having a local team of superheroes is like having a sports team. Everyone's rooting for them, they make for great media that isn't about wars or the water crisis or whatever, there's merchandising and tourists… all good shit that the local government loves. But what good is having a team if there's no competition?

At the end of the day we're not doing much harm. Property damage, theft. A few civilians get hurt if they don't move out of the way fast enough. But insurance payouts cover that stuff, and people aren't that much worse off. The property damage is covered and the injured bystander has a great story to tell at the water cooler. The city gets revenue in an indirect way, from merchandise, tourism and the rising property that come with being an exciting city. Compared to the psychos and the monsters out there, it's almost in the city's interests to keep us in circulation. Far as I see it, we're not that much better or worse than the so-called good guys. We face more risk at the end of the day, with the possibility of jail time and physical danger, but we get a better payoff. We just took the path that was higher risk, higher reward."

I stood there stunned for a moment. She believed this? That it's all a game?

"I suppose Hookwolf killing minorities is just part of the game?" I said acidly.

Tattletale's smirk faded slightly at my comment. Grue's body language also softened, showing a hint of regret.

"No, of course not," Grue said, his voice devoid of his usual confidence. "There are lines that shouldn't be crossed, even in this game we play. The Undersiders, we have our own rules, our own code. We don't condone senseless violence, and we certainly don't support or endorse the actions of the Slaughterhouse Nine or any other monsters out there."

Tattletale remained silent, seeming to recognize that her previous statement had crossed a line. She glanced at Grue, before looking back at me, narrowing her eyes at me.

"You didn't seem to mind burning down part of the docks last night after provoking Lung." I retorted.

"Look, I'm not proud of what happened last night," Grue admitted, his voice pained. "And I certainly don't support the idea of bringing harm to innocent people. We just wanted to show the gangs that the Undersiders were a force to be reckoned with. To make a statement. And yeah, it got out of hand. We screwed up. But we're not monsters, and we don't want to see the city destroyed."

Tattletale nodded, her expression solemn. "Yeah, we're not here to tear the city apart. We just want to have a bit of fun, make some money, and get by."

"By stealing." Who in their right mind thought that this was okay?

"It's not like we're hurting anyone," Tattletale defended, a hint of irritation creeping into her voice. "We only go after people who can afford it, and we never target places where people might get hurt. We hit the gangs just like you do, so don't you get on your high horse and preach to us."

"Emily Thompson, Richard Bennett, Melissa Rodriguez, Jonathan Turner, Sandra Collins, Brian Mitchell, Alicia Davis, Curtis Foster, Olivia White, Michael Ramirez, Jessica Lee, Timothy Parker, Lauren Taylor, Daniel Taylor, Benjamin Martin, Rachel Hernandez, Kyle Johnson, Megan Carter, Christopher Adams, Sarah Miller," I listed off rapidly.

Tattletale had paled significantly while I had spoken.

"These people lost their lives in the fires created by Lung last night. Chasing you. Sarah Miller was 5 years old. Daniel Taylor was 2. Him and his mother Lauren burned to death when a fireball hit their living room."

Tattletale wasn't looking so smug now.

"You didn't think that stealing from a gang who was involved in human trafficking, drug trafficking, extortion and prostitution, murder, kidnapping and who knows what else, was going to have consequences?"

"You think we could have predicted Lung?" Tattletale replied defensively.

"That he would try to hunt you down after you stole from him? From his casino? Yes!."

Grue and Tattletale looked uncomfortable, both shifting their weight and averting their gaze.

"I don't want to be part of a group that thinks this is a game. This is real life. With consequences. Now leave." With that I turned to leave.

"Look Silk" Grue began, stepping forward.

"No!" I snapped. "Just go. I'm done with this. You came here in good faith to talk, so I will let you leave peacefully. Do not test me."

Grue and Tattletale exchanged glances before turning to leave. They walked silently away, the tension palpable between the three of them.

Tattletale glanced back once more, her expression a mixture of anger and frustration.

"Don't be a stranger," Tattletale said, her voice a mixture of snark and sincerity.

"Fuck off," I replied, shooting a web and preparing to leave.

She gave me a small smile before turning and following the others. I watched as they disappeared into the night, feeling a mixture of emotions. I was relieved that they were gone without trouble, but on the other hand, I couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry for them.

They were only trying to have some fun and make a living, but their actions had resulted in the deaths of innocent people. It was a sobering reminder that even with powers, there were still consequences. For all my pity, there was a lot more anger.

I took a deep breath, trying to push the thoughts aside. I had a job to do, and I couldn't afford to let my emotions get the better of me.
With a final glance at the empty street, I turned and swung away, heading back into the night.

****

The Empire was a blight on the docks. Always has been. Always would be.

They were one of the reasons I started out as a hero. To give the people who the Protectorate and the PRT didn't care about someone who would.

I landed on the roof of one of the many warehouses around the docks in the middle of Empire territory, looking out over the bay. The moon was reflecting off the water, creating a beautiful scene. It was quiet, save for the sound of the water lapping against the dock and the occasional boat horn.

It was a peaceful night, a rare occurrence in the Docks. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the moment.

"Ah fuck me" a voice behind me called, I turned and saw a hooded robed figure behind me, floating on a manhole cover.

"Thought this place was empty" she muttered.

"Rune?" I guessed. I hadn't encountered the Empire capes much during my outings, mostly just the unpowered goons of the gang. I looked around suspiciously. My danger sense was dead quiet. No threats so far.

"Shit" the figure swore.

"Are you here for a fight?" I crouched down, coiled for action. Her power was touch telekinesis, my webbing should be effective enough to neutralize her before she has a chance to respond.

"No," she said, her voice low. "I was just leaving, I swear."

I narrowed my eyes, "Why were you here?"

"The fuck is it to you? Look," she said, exasperation clear in her voice, "can you just let me go? I'm not looking for trouble."

I considered her for a moment. Her posture was tense, but she didn't seem aggressive. She seemed younger than I had expected. Looking for a place to be alone? Was she having problems with the Empire? Information could be more useful than taking in the youngest Empire cape.

"Fine," I said, relaxing my stance. "But if you start anything I will take you down".

"I wasn't," she insisted. "I just came to get away for a while". Her posture slumped. "Fuck why am I even talking to you".

"Away from the Empire?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. If Rune was looking to split from the Empire, this could be a good opportunity.

She looked at me for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to trust me.

"Look," she sighed. "You're from the docks right?"

"Right," I said cautiously.

"You've seen the heroes leave. All that's left are the gangs. If you're a chink you're with the ABB. If you're anyone else that isn't white you're with the Merchants, otherwise it's the Empire. No one else can survive out here."

"You don't have to be in a gang," I said, "there's always a choice. I'm not in a gang. I chose to be a hero."

"Easy for you to say," she retorted. "Your family isn't part of the Empire. I can't just leave. There's consequences. My whole family are Nazis. Leaving would put my siblings at risk. It's easier to stay. Keep my head down. I'm just sick of all the fighting." She sighed.

"I'm sorry," I said, genuinely apologetic for her situation. "No one should have to endure that kind of existence."

She scoffed, bitterness lacing her voice. "Yeah, well, life isn't fair. I've come to accept that."

"But surely, there must be something you can do," I insisted.

She laughed, a bitter and humorless sound. "And what do you think will happen? Those in the Empire don't take kindly to traitors. They'd kill my family, and anyone else associated with them."

I felt a mix of anger and frustration welling up within me. It was the classic conundrum of wanting to help but not being able to truly understand her predicament. If there was something I could do to help her then I would deprive the Empire of a significant asset, as well as potentially gaining one for myself.

"There has to be something, some solution," I pressed on, determined not to give up.

"Maybe," she shrugged, "but it's not like you're in any position to offer a solution."

Her words stung, and I was left without a response. She was right, there wasn't anything I could do to help her right now.

"Look, thanks for the chat, but I've gotta go," she said, a resigned tone to her voice.

"Wait, hold on," I pleaded, "can't we talk a bit longer? Maybe we can figure something out?"

She shook her head, a wry smile tugging at her lips. "We both know that's not gonna happen. Thanks, but no thanks."

With that, she took off into the night, leaving me standing alone on the rooftop, feeling helpless and frustrated.

The docks were a tough place to grow up. Everyone had a story, a reason for doing what they did. Rune was just another example of the corruption and pain that could be found here.

It made me all the more determined to make a difference. I would do what I could to help those
in need, even if it meant putting myself at risk. Because, in the end, it was the right thing to do.

"Fuck," I muttered. "Sympathizing with a Nazi. What a night."





****

A/N Just a short chapter, I had to split my remaining chapter into two parts. It was just getting to big. The second one should be up in a few hours later tonight.

Hopefully these encounters came across well. Let me know if they missed the mark or how they could be improved.

The next chapter has the fight scene haha.