CHAPTER 14 - EMPTY

ONE WEEK LATER

Jungkook kept his eyes on the sparring area, Angelina behind him with Tae by her side. They were all thinking it, but none of them wanted to say it. It was empty without Jimin here. Raven wasn't here either because of her indecisiveness. She didn't choose a side, and she ended up alone like she feared. Jungkook did his best to comfort her, but she pushed him away and told him she'd figure it out eventually. Aviva wasn't here because of their plan. At least there was that. Someone wasn't here for a reason other than 'Jungkook fucked up'.

That left Jungkook with Tae and Angel. He was fine with that. Tae and Angel were two of his favorite people, but that didn't mean he didn't miss the others like crazy. Honestly, he'd do anything to see Aviva right about now. Her pretty eyes and dumb smile. Good news: he'd see her soon. Bad news: soon wasn't now.

"Alright, so Tae is the thief, Angelina is the old woman getting her purse stolen," Jungkook said, looking over their notes again.

With or without the main couple of their group, Jimin and Raven, they had to push forward. They still felt the loss. For starters, an upgrade Tae wanted to make to Jungkook's suit got pushed back. Without their engineers, they were pretty much useless. Angelina was good with physics and writing down the formulas, but making them come to life was a whole different story. Aviva didn't have the strength to make anything despite her having the lab equipment to do so, and Tae was their designer. They didn't have their engineers, which meant no new tech.

"Tae, how good are you at makeup?" Angelina asked.

"Pretty good. I'll get you some wrinkles and make you look older. I'll get you a mask and wig too."

Tae was the master at getting supplies. He managed to get Jungkook a police scanner even though it took a while, and that was without mentioning the obvious: he made Jungkook's suit. If Tae said he could do something, he could definitely do it. All it took was a little time and patience. Good thing Jungkook had neither of those things.

"Let's get this show on the road. The quicker we do this, the quicker we can find a way to save Aviva," Jungkook said. He had a very minuscular hope that Aviva would be saved by a blood sample, but anything was possible. If there was a chance, even the tiniest amount, he would try it. And he'd be optimistic about it, too.

"I agree," Angelina said, planting her finger down on the notebook. "Tae, remember to get your acting face on. I'll walk by Mr. Kim's house, and you come after me. I'll fight you for the purse, and please don't hit me."

"Ruining my fun."

"Ha. Not like you punch hard enough anyway." Tae glared, but she ignored it. "I'll scream loud enough for Mr. Kim to hopefully notice it on his exterior cameras. Then he'll come outside and watch Spiderkook save the day. Did Aviva go home like she said she would?"

"She did. And when Spiderkook saves the day, from that point on, I'll ask Jin if he's okay just so we can get that interaction. I'll text Aviva to make sure he's home for the day so we have time to prepare, how does that sound?" Jungkook asked. Neither of them disagreed with Jungkook's words. He wished Raven was here to correct his foolproof plan out of sheer pettiness. He wished Jimin was here to nudge Jungkook and joke about his dick size or something. Anything. Jungkook missed his friends. His best friends.

"Tae and I will go start the makeup and costume process. You get in your suit and text Aviva. Let us know where we're meeting and when," Angel said, and Jungkook dipped his head in a nod before leaving.

He went outside the lab, staying by the corner of the stairs before pulling out his phone. Why bother texting at that point? Instead of wasting time, he insisted on calling her, and she picked up after the third ring.

"Hey Koo," Aviva said, and his heart fluttered at the nickname.

"Hey Avi. I think you know what I want to talk about."

"I think I do." She paused for a moment, and when she spoke again, her tone was so low, Jungkook had to turn up his volume to hear her. "He's here, he's in the kitchen. I'm sorry this is such short notice, but now's the best time to do this, I doubt he's going anywhere for another 15 minutes."

"Shit, we gotta be fast then. We'll be there soon, okay?"

"Alright. And Jungkook?" He kept quiet, awaiting her words. "Please stay safe." And then she hung up.

Jungkook wanted to linger there and process her words, but he'd do that later. The mission was more important. So, he pushed his personal feelings aside and rushed back to the lab, spewing out his plan at the speed of light to the two waiting for him. Angelina and Tae accepted his words, and they packed up and were ready to go in less than a minute. Jungkook made sure to grab his suit on the way out. They kept it in the lab so there was no risk his roommate would find it.

In the back of Tae's car, Jungkook scrambled to put on his suit while Angelina opted for no makeup since they didn't have time. Instead, she covered her face as best she could. Tae handed her a scarf he was keeping in his glove compartment, and she wrapped it around her head to hide her hair. She held onto it like her life depended on it, putting on a cloth mask for good measure. Jungkook had to admit the whole situation was amusing despite how tense it was.

Within a few minutes, they were parked less than a block away from Aviva's house. Jungkook managed to snap on his suit, Taehyung throwing on sunglasses and a mask. On top of that, he raised his hood. Wow. What a wonderful disguise. On the bright side, Tae would be the one running, so his disguise didn't matter as much, it was more Angelina's since she would be stationary in front of the house.

"Keep your heads pointed away from the cameras. Hide as best you can," Jungkook said, and the two agreed.

They left the vehicle, Jungkook swinging up to a nearby perch and waiting for them to get into position. Taehyung and Angel rushed down the street, slowing when they neared Aviva's house. Jungkook watched, and they kept going. Angelina went first, pretending to be strolling while glancing at the houses on the opposite side of the road to hide her face. Right as she was perpendicular with Aviva's abode, Taehyung dashed out at the speed of what felt like sound and snatched her purse.

"Hey!" she shouted loudly enough for Jungkook to hear.

It felt like he was on stage, and that was his cue. He leapt from his hiding spot, the air brushing by him a sensation he'd never forget. He dove downwards, shooting his webs and swinging back up. Angelina made enough ruckus to cause a scene, but was careful to keep herself turned away from the possible cameras. Jungkook respected that and decided to relieve her from the awkwardness.

Jungkook swept down in front of Tae, and the man halted, pretending to be horrified. "Pretend I said an awesome one-liner," Jungkook mumbled, and Tae blinked. "Alright, they can't all be winners." Jungkook grasped the bag and pulled it back, Tae yelping and rushing off in the opposite direction.

The doors to Aviva's home opened, revealing the wheelchaired woman. Her father was right behind her, and Jungkook used all his willpower to go toward Angelina and not Aviva. He returned the purse, faking small talk before ushering her along in the direction that would hide her face the most. She went off with her back facing them, and Jungkook shifted to see Aviva and Jin there in their doorway, awe in their eyes.

Jungkook chuckled and approached, saluting. "Sorry if I scared you," he said in a voice two tones higher than he was used to. "Just another day of stopping crime. Look me up on YouTube. I think they're calling me Spiderboy or something."

"Spiderman," Jin said, his jaw on the ground from the interaction. "Yes, I-I've heard about you. How the hell did this happen to you?"

"I got bit by a spider." Jungkook shrugged as if it were no big deal. "Don't tell on me?"

"Wasn't planning on it," Jin said. Jungkook desperately wanted to kneel and say something to Aviva, but he knew he had to focus on the mission. Focus on the task at hand no matter how impossible it felt. "Can I ask you a question?" Jungkook motioned for Jin to continue. "Do you heal rapidly?"

"I do. Why?"

"My daughter has ALS. It's a fatal disease, and she doesn't have much time left." Aviva glanced down, Jungkook's heart burning from the simple gesture. "I know this may be a lot to ask, but do you mind if I take a blood sample from you? Wait, I realize how creepy that sounds. Oh yeah, come into my house and let me take some blood from you. Sorry, never mind."

"No no, I don't mind. Anything to help someone. It's my job." Jungkook paused. "Well, not job. I'm not getting paid." Right as Jin went to speak, Jungkook held his hands up. "I'm not asking for money, by the way, I'm just making a joke, it's how I blow off steam."

"Right. You'll really do this, though?" Jin asked.

"Of course. I don't mind, but on one condition." Jin nodded. "I stay anonymous. I'm not taking off my mask. I'll take off my gloves and you can take some blood, but not my mask. The last thing I need is anyone knowing who I am when I got so much more to do."

"I understand that. The fact that you want to do this at all is astonishing, to be honest. When I first saw you online, I thought it was too good to be true. Like a message from a God I didn't believe in. I've been looking for a cure for my daughter since the day we found out she had ALS, and you might be my solution."

"If I can help, I'll gladly do it. May I come in?"

"Oh yes, of course," Jin said, Aviva backing up so Jungkook could step in.

The pads of his onesie's shoes tapped on the floor, and Jin shut the door behind him. It felt strange being inside his house without an identity. In general, Jungkook felt as though it was weird not having a name. He was Spiderman. Or he got called Spiderkook by Jimin-

Jimin.

Jungkook forced the thought of Jimin away, following Jin to the kitchen with Aviva behind them, rolling. Unable to help himself, Jungkook went behind Aviva and pushed the chair so she wouldn't have to control it at all. She grinned and thanked him, and Jungkook swore he saw a smile out of Jin too, but it was gone as soon as it came.

"Where are we going?" Jungkook asked.

"My lab."

Aviva's jaw dropped, and Jungkook nearly tripped, but he maintained the act as best he could. "Alright, but you go first, that sounds like a horror movie waiting to happen," Jungkook said.

"Of course. Aviva, sweetheart, please wait up here, don't try the stairs."

Although she had fire in her eyes, it extinguished and was replaced by a frown resting on her lips. She agreed, and Jungkook went with Jin down into the basement. On instinct, he protected his mask, keeping his hands in a tense yet passive position in case Jin tried anything. He doubted Jin would, but there was no such thing as too much caution when it came to something like this.

The familiar path entered his vision. Dark, arched hallways with dim lighting and several rooms littering the basement area. Jungkook ignored it, refusing to comment. But small talk couldn't hurt. "I hope you know the reason I'm doing this is because I have superpowers, so I don't really mind helping strangers as much anymore. It's not like they can hurt me. I'm not saying that to be cocky, I just wanted you to know I don't trust you, I just want to help your daughter in any way I can," Spiderman said.

Jin stood outside his lab, placing his hand against the scanner. The door snapped open, but he lingered. His frame cloaked the entrance, and Jungkook fiddled with his fingers at the lack of response coming from the older man. "You remind me of someone," he said, and Jungkook went still. "Many people, actually. But there's one in particular."

"Well, I can almost guarantee I don't know you. Whoever you're thinking of is incorrect."

Silence hung over them, sparking Jungkook's mind with all the possible ideas he needed to escape in case it came to that. Jin turned, and Jungkook's fight or flight almost kicked in. Almost.

"You remind me of me when I was younger," Jin said, his eyes refusing to show his thoughts. "I was a bit cocky, but I wasn't rude about it. I made mistakes. Too many to count, and one of them was choosing the woman I did. But of course, when you're in love, you don't realize that, right? So I stuck with her and continued to be my stupid, arrogant self. Then one day, I had a baby girl in my arms. She was all bundled up in a blanket of joy. I never felt that kind of happiness before. And now, whoever's up there wants to take that happiness away from me. I wonder if it's my own faults that made it happen this way, or maybe it was just irony. God having a laugh, and I was the unlucky victim." Jin paused, letting out a soft breath. "Which is why I'm holding onto you as my last hope. I've run out of options. Every day I tell her I'm trying, that I'll save her, but the truth is I know it's impossible. Or I thought it was. Then you showed up on my television screen. Someone stronger, faster, and apparently smarter than anyone else."

No. Jungkook wasn't the smart one. Taehyung designed the suit. Angelina and Raven made the webs. Jimin... He was the reason Jungkook could fight, and on top of that, he helped with the suit and webs. Jungkook was nothing. But they were. "I have a team," Spiderman said before he could stop himself. "I have the powers, but they have the brains and strength to help me. I'm nothing without them. As much as you flatter me, I don't want to take the credit for something I didn't do."

Jin stared, observing each detail of Jungkook's face. Then, he leaned back on his feet. "Never mind," he said, stepping into the lab. "You're nothing like me at all."

Not questioning what he meant, Jungkook followed Jin inside, the older of the two shutting the door behind them. Kook's eyes wandered right away. He was still a man, and above that, he was still a kid. Last time he was here, he saw a lot of metal, and as a man and a kid, he naturally had an interest for those things.

Jungkook didn't care about Jin sitting at the center desk displaying more tools than Jungkook had seen in his life. He didn't care about the fluorescent lights nestled into the ceiling high above him. Hell, he didn't even care about the computer screens hung around the walls of the room. All he cared about was the mass of metal in the back of the room, and his brows furrowed as he tried to put it together.

"What's that?" Spiderman asked, noticing each intricacy painted onto the mass.

The metal wasn't just metal. It appeared to be various types of metals. There were different shades, different lengths, different thicknesses. Or maybe he was wrong and it was the same, just modified over and over again. What worried him most was that there was a shape to the item. Not quite human, but not quite alien either. It seemed as though it wanted to make a human form.

"It's a suit," Jin replied, grabbing the items he needed for a blood sample. "I'm hoping it'll help my daughter walk. It's a bit of a surprise, so don't tell her about it, okay?"

Jungkook agreed, his eyes taking in each surface the lab had to offer. The thing that pissed him off was nothing here was suspicious. Granted, he didn't want anything to be suspicious, but how the hell did a scientist not have anything suspicious in his lab? A lab was supposed to be the holy grail of secrets. Yet here he was without a single item in sight that set him off. And even better: his spider sense was tame. It also helped that he had no urge to bite anyone this time. Wait.

Bite.

Jungkook's eyes widened, and he swiveled around. Jin noticed the fast movement and raised a brow, Jungkook coming over. "I have this... thing."

"Thing?"

"This thing," Spiderman said, considering his next words before he said them. "It's this urge inside me that randomly happens. And when the urge comes, I hurt someone. Badly. I can't control it, but I want to. Now, I haven't hurt that many people, but it's enough that I need to control it. Do you know anything about urges that take over your body to the point where you black out or lose control?"

Jin sat back in his dark, spinning chair, the cushion exhaling from the exertion. "If you want my help, you're going to need to describe it more."

How was he supposed to describe it without saying 'bite'. If he did, Jin would probably be able to figure out Jungkook was Spiderman thanks to the Quinton bite situation. So, what else could he say? "I get the urge to scratch someone," Spiderman said. "I scratch them so hard it makes them pass out. That's why I have my fingers covered. How do I stop it?"

Jin hesitated. "Before I offer solutions, may I ask if you'll scratch me for taking blood?"

Shit. Jungkook didn't think well enough, apparently. "No, no. It's in fights, not in small things like this. And serious fights, too. Like criminal fights. I've sparred with people before and haven't had the urge." A lie, but a necessary one to ease Jin's nerves. "I just don't want to hurt someone who didn't do a violent crime."

"Well if they're attacking you, doesn't that make it violent?" Jin asked.

"They're scared. I'm a man in a red onesie swinging from webs and making crappy one-liners. Their fight or flight kicks in, and they either flee like that criminal from a few minutes ago, or they attack. I don't want to hurt them no matter what their reaction is."

Jin absorbed the information, nodding at the end and glancing at Jungkook's arm. Jungkook detached his web shooter, taking off his glove so Jin could take blood. Jin took the needle, Jungkook averting his gaze. "I'm not sure what to say about that, that's unlike anything I've ever heard. I'm sorry to say, but I'd have to do further tests to understand that." Jungkook didn't reply, wincing as the needle pinched him. Jin chuckled at his reaction. "Swinging around stopping criminals, but you don't like needles?" Jin asked.

"I hate them. I hate them more than anything."

The sample was over before he knew it, but he kept his hand in place anyway. "We're all done," Jin said. No movement from Jungkook. "Is something wrong?"

"When I was a kid, I walked in on my mom doing heroin," Spiderman said, and Jin's face said it all. The shock mixed with horror, and maybe a bit of admiration as well. "Through my teen and adult years she was fine, she changed. But it doesn't change how much that fucked me up. Sorry - screwed me up." Jin didn't even bat an eye. "I'll never forget seeing that needle in her hand. And ever since, I've hated them. I hate them as much as I'm afraid of them."

"If you're afraid, then why'd you let me do it?"

Jungkook put his glove back on along with his web shooter, the slight dizziness he felt he was sure was a placebo effect. He hopped off the desk and went to the door, tapping on the green button. It opened much to his surprise, and he sighed as he walked out, but not before he peeked over his shoulder at Jin.

"Because it's the right thing to do," Spiderman said.

That wasn't true. Well, it was. However, that wasn't the reason why Jungkook was doing this. Why he was willing to face his greatest fears for the tiniest sliver of hope that Aviva could live. And that was it. Aviva. Jungkook figured it out.

He was in love with Aviva.