The Enemy of my Enemy

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After the whole skirmish and the talk afterwards, Mettle and I made our way over to one of the restaurants he recommended after I gave my choice of dining. During the trip there, I opened the web bag and let loose this 'Shockman' person to regroup with Mettle.

The symbiote did not like that. It thought we should have kept the strange electricity-based metahuman as a bargaining chip or tool in case Mettle wanted to backstab us. After all, bringing us to an indoor location that he possibly controlled was asking for trouble. The NanoSym thought we could get jumped there or ambushed or outnumbered.

I told it to calm down just keep watch just in case. After all, Mettle seemed sincere enough and my sixth sense had yet to go off. If he had intended to harm the both of us and was lying this whole time, it would have gone off. Instead, there was nothing.

The symbiote found this acceptable for now. Still, it was on edge and jumpy, scanning around for Shockman in case he decided to make a come back while keeping tabs on every little thing regarding Mettle and the surroundings around us.

I focused on Mettle, nodding as we entered the restaurant. Normally, I wouldn't accept this sort of thing, but we needed to talk. So I swallowed my pride or whatever kept me from accepting free stuff and went in.

"Y'know, I think there's a meta that runs around with 'Nobody' as a codename. It's a little funny."

I sat next to Mettle with one seat being the border between us. We were not exactly friends yet, and, depending on how this went down, we could end off worse than being just acquaintances. Honestly, I hoped everything went well in this exchange.

I really do.

I split the chopsticks before tapping them together a few times before twirling them once, like drumsticks, and smiled a little. A little childish, but my NanoSym partner always liked drums, ever since I first introduced it to music. I hoped a small reminder of that would calm it down a little.

Mettle started talking. I looked up at him.

"She did?"

What? Wait, no, seriously, what?

The symbiote perked up at this. It's first thoughts were similar to my own. She spoke about Spider-Bite? Did she tell anyone who I was? No, she wouldn't. I trusted her.

Besides, Mettle would have used that sort of information against me instead of fighting me, unless he was in it for the long game. Point is that my secret was safe.

"Well, considering the crowd she keeps with, demons and monsters and whatever goes bump in the night, I don't think it's that hard to stand out, right?"

I shrugged.

"I just try to help."

Maybe I am a straight-to-business kind of person, but I was not exactly sure what kind of small talk I could make right now.

"Sooo, we going to make more small talk or talk the serious stuff after the meal or . . . yeah. As you can tell, I haven't had a lot of these sorts of experiences. I wish I did though. At least I'd know what to do or say right about now," I chuckled a little.

Honesty was the best policy, right?

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I nodded in understanding as Mettle stated that the real talking would be after the meal. I should have known, but these sorts of negotiations had never truly happened to me before. At least, not like this or even as often.

I often gave criminals a chance to surrender unless obviously I had to stop them and there was no time for offering up such chances. Still, to have it work out like this was something else.

And then the metal man asked where I got my powers from. Immediately, the symbiote thought he was fishing for information. Something like that, if answered honestly, could help someone narrow down who I might be. That and about several of my abilities were either enhanced, upgraded, or altered by the symbiote or provided the alien itself.

And I had to protect that secret as much as I had to protect my secret identity, the people, and myself.

If everyone or anyone knew I had an alien attached to my body and that it augmented my abilities, some very bad people might try and get it and run tests on it or try to replicate it.

I could not afford that.

Instead, I started off with a joke.

"I killed a man for them," I began in a gruff, almost western cowboy or bounty hunter-like voice, "I didn't know it at the time. Hell, I only did it 'cuz he was lookin' at me funny."

I shook my head, amused at myself, but not enough to chuckle or laugh at my own joke. It was not exactly my best. Or even that good in general. Were all my quips like that?

Nope, not going down that rabbit hole again. I was amazing. Always.

Anyway, back to the topic. This time with a little more seriousness.

"I, uh, wasn't born with them if that's what you're getting at. When I did get them, I was shocked for lack of a better word. So much so that I did stupid things with them until I ended up here. Although, with this whole hero thing, you could still say I'm doing stupid things with my powers."

Soon after, it was time for our orders to be taken. The alien and I gave a quick glance at the menu, but we both soon quickly agreed what kind of meal I needed to order. We had decided upon a more meaty meal with good helpings of vegetables and rice, more specifically beef, white rice, and teriyaki sauce. All the stuff I needed to keep myself going, to keep myself fueled up and ready to roll.

Then it was back to the conversation after Mettle got his order in.

I pointed at him.

"So, stupid stuff. Yeah, that. Sorta like you when you tried winning Crumplezone all by yourself or fighting me. Kidding a little, but, to be real with you, how'd you get your powers?"

I raised a hand up and let it hang a little limp with the palm facing upward for moving it a little to accentuate my next point.

"Not to make light of his death or anything or even take a shot at you, but I doubted he made a wish his power would go to some random person, especially someone who doesn't hold quite the same ideals he had, and it just, y'know, happened. You got to understand where I'm coming from with this. Are your powers even related to him for real or they just something else that's similar?"

I had as many doubts as I had reasons to think maybe his powers were not related to Total Experience. I mean, sure, I kept comparing him to the guy and assumed his powers were similar if not the same. It was better to think that way, considering Total was a powerful guy on his own, but I should have listened to the NanoSym in that there may be other hidden abilities, that maybe the powers were unrelated.

After all, Mettle had proven to have new abilities Total had never showcased before. Morphing certain limbs was one of them.

And with all the references to Total Experience the media and Mettle seemed to make, who could not? But maybe it was a sham, as small a chance as it was? After all, saying you inherited the power of one the big shots and being able to back it up was a good idea to make people think twice before messing with you.

And considering Mettle was smart enough to rig a whole new operation up like he appeared to, with people working under him, could I expect him not conning everyone and the world at large?

So, yeah, consider my curiosity piqued.

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I paused for a moment.

For once, Mettle did not look as calculating as he had previous been. Not as steadfast either.

Not saying he lost that sort of powerful yet subdued energy to him in this moment, just appeared to be more contemplative than what I had previous seen from him.

Did I really ask such a personal question?

I mean, of course, it was personal, but was there a huge complication in it? Something very much more serious than the typical accident of getting powers and then freaking out a little over them?

I got my answers soon.

The symbiote and I kept quite. I stayed physically silent. The symbiote mentally as it paid close attention to the details Mettle gave us.

Personally, it had no idea what to think. The idea of superpowers, random chance of gaining new power, and sudden mutations in a species was a foreign concept to a piece of sentient alien sludge, something that enhanced the traits of others it was already attached to and able to replicate a few of those traits to an extent.

Yet the complete transfer of power from one person to another, by sheer coincidence or chance, was something it had yet to wrap its head around.

It studied Mettle and declared that both this phenomenon and him would need to be studied. This was knowledge we needed to understand in case another Electrogenesis individual passed away.

In case that sort of power happened to go to someone worse than Mettle.

Me? I was thinking about a different aspect to this.

Something that I thought was

"No, not lame. Just maybe sad. In the actual, y'know, sad way."

This was not a pity party. This was an explanation.

"Maybe, hm. Maybe, it's a subconscious thing. You don't exactly hear TE sending people through walls a lot, at least, not that I heard of, unless it's another meta. I could be wrong, but maybe he felt bad about what he did to your dad. Maybe coming to the place was a brief reminder."

I shrug.

"Maybe, since your dad was away and you were closer, the powers went to you because of it. At least, that's the only rational idea other than pure coincidence. There only has been limited study on the Electrogenesis stuff and there have been a few studies on how the subconscious affects superpowers. But besides just conjecture, I can't say for sure either."

Upon a brief second later, I realized that might not have been the best thing to say. Did Mettle really want a brief science lesson?

Or any of my theories?

Time to switch subjects, even if the back of my mind and the symbiote collected the details about Aurum and what he had done for Mettle. Was that somehow related to Crumplezone?

The wish?

The money?

"How's your dad? Is he okay?"

Honest questions as I raised my arm and gestured to Mettle.

Okay, as much as I hated being serious again, I had to ask. Maybe a bit much, but it was something that would nag me for a while if I did not get it out. I got quieter as I asked.

"Are either of you still with Aurum? Do either of you need to get out from under him? I mean, we could probably take him, right? Heh."

One of my weaker chuckles but all I got.

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His dad passed away.

That was terrible. And in prison of all places?

"I'm sorry."

I looked up at Mettle before lowering my head for moment, listening. Aurum was someone Mettle was planning on dealing with? How? When?

What would that even look like?

The alien regarded this situation with slightly less apprehension, although the implications of Aurum and Mettle involved in a conflict with each other was not lost on it. The possible ramifications and casualties that could result if the situation was not handled quickly, carefully, and decisively.

Then, there was the big question. Not necessarily bigger than a few others I could think of, but it was up there.

How long did I plan on doing this? What about my NanoSym?

It did not like the question. The idea of putting a timeframe on our adventures was unappealing to say these least. It went silent. All I knew was that it would continue working with me as a superhero until I chose otherwise, a different profession.

I guess the answer was up to me.

"I . . . I don't know actually."

My lenses narrowed, not in anger, but only slightly in contemplation. This was a question that required a bit more thought. Now and quite possibly in the future as well.

"I never thought about it. Not really put much focus on that aspect of it. How long? Whoo. I really don't know."

I looked up and one of my lenses cocked at an angle and narrowed, sporting me a more funny look, one of someone about to make a more humorous or sarcastic comment.

"I mean, I could go ahead and say 'I will always be Spider-Bite' and maybe I will be. The idea was to be a good person. I can still do good no matter what, I guess."

I shrugged as my lenses settled back to being normal shape and size.

"I guess I'll keep at it until I got a real good reason to stop. Maybe I'll settle down, maybe I'll find some other way, a better way, to do some good, or maybe I'll just die as Spider-Bite. I don't have a good answer for you. Heh, I like the idea of helping people forever, but I don't know. I just don't know."

I grabbed a water, pulling my mask up. It became scrunched up before it smoothed out and settled into a more form-fitting shape over my nose, only having a ripple or two to easily grab and put it back on. I gave a brief glance as our food was being prepared before I spoke again.

"It's not easy. Any of this. I'm not saying what you're doing is necessarily easy, but I can see the appeal, the reason, for having a network and protecting Bronx and New York the way you have. Sharing the workload or however that works, but . . . "

I put a hand to my chin, thinking for a moment, before continuing.

"Have you ever sat down with the people you're protecting and ask for their input? You've probably got a few morally dubious ways of doing things, but I'm curious if you ever sat down and asked what a person might need? Besides this whole protection racket I hear you got going on."

I looked at him, not deeply, not as if I was looking for something to bring out of him and judge. Just a simple, inquisitory look.

Like an old friend to another after neither have talked for some time.

"Do you think people are honestly grateful you're protecting them or maybe they're scared to say otherwise? Do they not care where their help comes from? It's a small question that's been scratching at the back of my head for a hot minute."

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"I've tried."

Tried being the key word here. Of course, Mettle would understand that soon enough.

"There's just never enough time, even when I try to make more. Always something else to be done or solved. I talk for a bit when I can. Not to cameras or the media though."

I shook my head as the food was prepared, and I poked at it with my sticks for moment before continuing. I could eat after I said my brief piece.

I chuckled.

"Nah, I'm a bit of a jerk to them. But I talk to people or let them talk to me. Complaints. Praise. Whatever. They're free to say what they want. But it helps me to review myself. Make sure what I'm doing is right or if I need to work on something."

I snapped my fingers. Something not exactly possibly with gloves, but my suit made it work. A brief change of the texture along the fingers and I could snap as if I had glove on at all. A neat trick.

"Constructive criticism. That's the word. It's stuff like that that I think is helpful for anyone in this line of work. Even if it sucks sometimes. Other times, it's just people talking to me about normal stuff or talking about superhero stuff with me. Simple things like that sometimes. It helps me get a feel for how everyone is doing, at least a little bit."

I took a few bites before drinking another gulp of water. I set down with a careful muted clank on the coaster.

"So, you ever talked to anyone outside of your little club? Sphere of influence? Your tower on high?"

I smiled.

It was nice to smile without the mask.

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I shrugged in return, not to Mettle's causal answer or his question.

Just in concern to the general topic of Legion.

"Maybe. I don't know. I haven't seen anything about him yet. And he's not the one swarmed in the rumors department yet quite like you are. At least, unless we're talking about his soldiers or whatever those things are being called."

I shook my head.

"But that's not the point. I'm not saying you need to go strictly entirely legal or set up a democracy or whatever you just said. The point is that . . . "

My lenses narrowed, almost growing slightly closer together. How would I say this?

Honestly and bluntly, I suppose.

"The fact you're building something isn't the issue. It's how. No one can control anything. And, even if you did, even if you got farther than the long list of men who thought and acted similarly to you, eventually it won't be what you planned. You'll end up like them."

I rested my arm on the table before placing my chin on my hand.

"You're setting up potential power vacuums or someone taking the reins of power from you, just like any organization or nation built on this idea, this lie, that ends justify the means. You control and regulate crime. People still get hurt. You're accomplice to the fact, at least. And, if something happens, all of this can belong to someone else with less than good intentions. A never-ending cycle of power and a line of people willing to take it."

I pointed to a window outside.

"You could have done anything else and still be this effective. Still protect Bronx like you have and yet have set up something better, something that could be passed down to the right people after your run is done. Whether a superhuman agency or something else, you could have done it. You're capable of that. And yet you have both supervillains and superheroes like me coming down on you, for drastically different reasons. Doesn't that tell you where you sit now?"

I made a square with my hands, placing it on the table.

"You're putting yourself in the same box as so many other people, and you've surrounded yourself with people that I suspect do not care for you nearly as much as the people you were with before. Because I saw the people you used to know, Mettle. Two years ago."

I was not going to mention that I met them or knew those people, as either of my identities. The less connections that could be found between Cassidy DeWitt and Spider-Bite, the better. A brief feeling of agreement came to me. The symbiote thought that was for the best as well.

I slightly gestured towards him and everything around him.

"I don't want to go on or preach or whatever. Just that your abilities and talents could be used for better, and you could end up better than here. And I'm not saying you need to be a superhero or anything like that. But even law enforcement has friends they can count on when things get bad. Who do you got? Hell, what will you have at the end of this?"

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I ate for a bit as I listened.

The thing about superspeed, strength, and slightly larger fangs? I could eat fast. It helped whenever I needed to get a meal down quickly before a patrol.

A healthy portion of food entered my system by the time Mettle was done speaking. I nodded once or twice. The symbiote, meanwhile, was engrossed in how to steal some of the food for itself to eat without Mettle looking.

I set the chopsticks down. What was there to say?

"If everyone did what was useful, the world would be a much crueler place. I think, at least. It doesn't leave much room for mercy or compassion."

I pointed at Mettle, right at him, right at his chest.

"It'd probably be best to take down everyone who isn't a good guy. Maybe best to take down people like you. We both know I don't agree with all this, especially when I haven't gotten a look at what it is specifically you do. Could be not as bad as I think. Could be worse. But I saw that fear in that store clerk's eyes when Shocky showed up. I can't shake that from my head. But I'm taking a risk here. A risk I think is worth taking."

I held up that same hand.

"I swear on my soul, for as long as I'm alive, you won't ever go out on your own. And I swear to make sure I'm not the only one there. Because that'd be sad. And I'd be a very bad guy for letting that happen, eh?"

I held both hands up in a shrug.

"How about you stay out of this whole controlling crime business for a week or two and go reconnect with some people? And I'll keep special watch on this area in the meantime. Be like those people you respect and get out there. Do something else besides order your henchies around or say hello to the people you used to know. Go meet someone new. Get involved in the community. Hell, get your guys to get involved in the community besides hopping from electronic to electronic, haha."

One of the lenses winked.

"Deal? I mean, you scared of a challenge? This a business deal you gonna back down from? Because I can go back to kicking your tail up and down the street if you prefer that to some real human interaction."

I chuckled before stopping after a few moments.

"I mean, you're doing it right now with me. Talking and everything. Not kicking my behind. Not so bad is it, David?"