CHAPTER 10 - SPIDERKOOK

Two weeks after the group decided to dick around in their laboratory, Jungkook found himself in front of Kim Taehyung. The man gave him a boxy grin, shoving the red and black attire in Jungkook's hands. "Try. It. On. Now," Tae said.

Jungkook didn't disagree. He changed in front of Tae, not really caring since they were two dudes in Jungkook's dorm while his roommate was in class. He didn't see his roommate often, to be honest. That man was always out. Jungkook wasn't sure why, but he also didn't care. He wondered if his roommate was like that because he was trying to avoid Jungkook. After the rumors about Jungkook almost killing Quinton spread like wildfire, no one other than Jungkook's 'Spider Clique' spoke with him.

Despite all that, Jungkook fit himself into the onesie, his bare feet stretching out the dark fabric and his muscles contracting inside it. Taehyung whistled, Jungkook only halfway dressed as he swiveled his head to glare. "What? You're hot," Tae said, Jungkook sighing but not commenting on Tae's words.

Tae helped him into it at the end, the duo high fiving by the time it was over. Jungkook didn't put on the mask yet, him admiring the gloves and how they felt. It was like it enhanced his ability, if that made sense. The power he possessed flowed through him, tingling around his fingertips. 

"Wow," Jungkook whispered, hopping up and sticking one of his hands on the ceiling. "I think you outdid yourself, Tae."

Meanwhile, the sophomore stared with his jaw on the ground at Jungkook's powers. "Holy fuck. I'll never get tired of seeing you do that," Tae said, Jungkook releasing himself and landing on the ground. Tae came over and inspected the suit, Jungkook peeking at himself in the mirror. "Hottie."

"Gayass."

"Shush." Tae made him model it in the mirror, the pair admiring the way the fabric blended together, just like it did on paper. "Your gloves should be thin but thick enough not to break easily. All of it should be, I made it using-"

"You're a nerd. A cute one, but a nerd nonetheless," Jungkook said, interrupting Tae with a smile. The man returned it, nudging Jungkook's shoulder. "I'll take the mask and goggles now."

"They're connected." Taehyung snatched the mask from off Jungkook's bed and offered to put it on for him. Well shit, Jungkook wasn't going to say no to that. A hot man dressing Jungkook? Fuck yeah, sign Jungkook up.

"I'm ready." Taehyung agreed and put the mask on, Jungkook closing his eyes so it'd feel more special, in a way. And it did. When the clothing was fully on his face, tucked under the rest of his suit, he opened his eyes again. He gasped when he glanced through the goggles, noticing how it was... exactly the same. There were tiny dots littered around his vision, but they were evenly spaced, ensuring that Jungkook wouldn't have his senses overloaded.

"What do you think?" Tae asked, checking Jungkook out.

"It's ugly." At Taehyung's appalled stare, Jungkook laughed and elbowed him. "Kidding. Learn sarcasm."

"There's no such thing as sarcasm in fashion."

"You must be fun at parties," Jungkook said. Jungkook twirled in the mirror, placing a hand on his hip. "I love it. I really do, it looks perfect."

Taehyung snorted, smacking Jungkook's ass as he approached, resulting in a yelp from Jungkook. "Okay Spiderdick, let's see you in action. You don't have to worry about people seeing your pretty face anymore. Go swing around, hot spider hybrid... person."

"Spiderman," Jungkook said, picking the new web shooters up from off his nightstand. He peered at them, tracing his gloved hands down the metal. Was this is? Was this the final step in becoming a superhero?

Taehyung came over and rubbed Jungkook's shoulder, leaning against his side. "You've earned it, Jungkook. You have."

Jungkook met Tae's gaze, knitting his brows despite how Tae couldn't see anymore. "I have?" Jungkook asked.

"You have. And for whatever it's worth, you'll always be a hero in my eyes." Jungkook couldn't stop his laugh. "Okay Spiderman, don't call me gay. It's true. You're not as bad as I thought you'd be. Thank you, Jeon. I appreciate you having the courage to change."

"And I appreciate you pushing me in that direction." Jungkook paused, placing his hand over Tae's. "Thank you."

Taehyung grinned. "Jeon Jungkook thanking me? Well shit, you're welcome, Kook. Anything to help a superhero."

"It'd be kind of funny if I just killed you now and started a supervillain arc," Jungkook said.

"Literally no, it wouldn't."

"Oh come on, it'd be a little funny."

Taehyung rubbed his lips together, slowly shaking his head. "Nooo, not really. Get out there and swing around, okay?" Taehyung backed away, Jungkook snickering at his antics before finally agreeing, strapping the metal shooters around his slim wrists. It was now or never. So, Jungkook opened his window, noticing no one in sight as usual. Wow. Was campus always this lonely? Or maybe he was noticing it more because he was lonely too.

Jungkook climbed out the window and went up to the roof. He was sure Jiven, Angelina, and Aviva were hiding somewhere in the back to record him for 'research purposes', but he decided not to worry about that right now. He stood on the edge, the wind brushing by his mask. The mask had more than one purpose. It also prevented him from biting anyone and sending them into a seizure. Jungkook wouldn't be able to handle causing another person such pain, it already hurt enough the first time. But a second time? He wouldn't forgive himself. Not like he did in the first place for Quinton...

There was no one around except him, the trees, and other dorm buildings. He could do this. Okay, maybe not, but he had to try. Otherwise there would be no point in possessing these powers. Jungkook had a responsibility now, and he had to maintain his dignity. He had to be better, or else others would suffer if they weren't suffering already. With all that in mind, he sucked in a breath.

And he leapt.

The air skimmed the layers of fabric covering his body, the freedom hitting his veins. And all at once, the dust in his mind settled, and he pressed on the web shooter. The line shot out and held the nearest tree branch by the hand, Jungkook swinging down then back up. The air hit him again, him flipping. Time seemed to go in slow motion as he came out of his flip, another tree nearby. He hit it, and he laughed as he swung down and up once more.

"Woooo!" he screamed, laughing more as he kept going.

That was his pattern for several minutes. He swung back and forth, hopping from tree to tree, from building to building. He felt like a superhero. And in a way, maybe he was one. Not mentally yet, but physically, he was there. All that was left was taking the final step, and perhaps the hardest one: being a good person.

Jungkook landed in a crouch on the ground, claps and whistles sounding off. He didn't take off his mask in fear someone other than his friends saw, Raven, Angelina, Jimin, and even Aviva scooting their asses over to congratulate Jungkook. He raised his hands as if it were no big deal, but the grin on his lips proved otherwise.

Aviva stopped her chair in front of him, him kneeling and placing his gloved hand over his. "You did it. You're Spiderman now," she said, her smile matching the one his mask hid.

"I like Spiderkook better," Jimin said, tapping the man on the head. "Spiderman for the news, Spiderkook for us. What do you say?"

"You know, that's not half bad, Park. Thank you. Thank you all for helping me." Jungkook stood, keeping his goggles on Aviva for another second before he turned to Jimin. "I need one of those police radios, that way I'll know whenever someone needs help."

"We'll work on getting you one. Maybe Tae knows a guy. Tae knows more people than I can count," Jimin said.

"Yes, I do," Tae said, approaching from the exit to the dorm. He rushed over and halted by Angelina's side, the woman glancing at him as if he were an alien. "What? Is there something on my face?"

"Yeah," she replied, nearly snorting. "Acne."

"Not as bad as yours. Invest in skincare."

"Can we get back on topic? Tae, do you know anyone who can get me a police radio? Or scanner, is it called? I don't know, but I need one if I'm gonna do good in the city," Jungkook said.

Tae shrugged, patting the air as if it were a minor obstacle. "I did design work for a police officer's daughter. I'm sure if I ask for a favor, he won't mind."

"In the meantime, you can focus on crimes happening on campus, especially at night. The crime rate isn't high here, but it may be worth investigating. Plus, with kids it may be less dangerous. Like a warm-up," Jimin said, peeking at Jungkook. "I don't want you getting hurt. Stay local and safe for now, okay?"

"You don't have to worry about me." Jungkook saluted, but Jimin's shoulders remained tense like his face. "I'll be fine. Pinky promise."

"I would pinky promise, but I know you'll make a joke about the size of my fingers."

"Well, obviously, I'm Jeon Jungkook. I still have an asshole quota I have to fill. But I would mean it, if that makes you feel any better."

Jimin considered it, then, he stepped forward and offered Jungkook his tiny pinky. Jungkook smirked, hooking his gloved and much longer pinky onto the nerd's. "It does. Thank you," Jimin said.

Jungkook wasn't sure why Jimin was so concerned, but then it hit him that Jimin had a crush on Jungkook. Now the nerd was in love with the redhead, but he was crushing on Jungkook not long ago. Maybe some feelings still resided inside the man. Jungkook wasn't interested in Jimin romantically, but it would be flattering to have such an attractive guy still like him.

He brought himself out of his thoughts, the friends remaining quiet for a few more seconds. Jungkook considered speaking, but there was nothing left for him to say. The adrenaline was still too high to allow him to function properly. But luckily, another spoke up. The redhead.

"What do we do now?" Raven asked, glancing between the group.

That was a question Jungkook hadn't considered until now. What did they do? Well, there was only one answer. Jungkook grinned. "We wait."

~~~

Nightfall hit the campus, creating a crest of darkness over the terrain. Jungkook was resting on top of the library tower. It was at the center of campus, overlooking the land. Because of how massive his college was, saying it was the 'center' meant that visibility still wasn't perfect. There were corners and alleys covered with shadows, people he couldn't see, places he couldn't go. He wondered if anyone spotted the red and black suit he was donning yet. Jungkook scaled the tower, and as he mentioned prior, it was the center of the damn campus. Someone had to see, right? Was he going to be on YouTube tomorrow?

Jungkook peeked over the entirety of the campus, his goggles keeping his vision focused on what he told it to. The hairs on his neck were calm for once, laid flat and refusing to move by an inch. Well, that was how Jungkook thought it was going to go, anyway. Seconds later, his hairs shot up, and a scream he was sure only he could hear followed.

Adrenaline pumped inside him, and he hopped off his perch. The tower bid him a farewell as he flew through the air, his webs reaching out and connecting to another building. He swung, the wind attacking the fabric of his suit. The screams were far, and he knew he'd be swinging for a minute before he got there. Each second brought his heartbeat higher up in his throat. Or maybe that was from the intensity of swinging. After all, this was the first time he was doing superhero duties. Maybe that factored in.

The alleyways on campus were most likely where he'd be spending most of his time, so he searched there first. The screams deafened, and Jungkook couldn't halt the coldness that froze his blood. He memorized where the last noise came from and kept going, swinging until his arms burned from the ache. It wasn't much farther now, and he took advantage of that, landing on one of the rooftops so he had a bird's eye view.

Jungkook glanced around, and he heard rapid footsteps followed by slaps. He went in that direction, the noises not far. He dropped down into the alleyway it was coming from, and he saw what he expected. There was a whole ass drug deal going on, two men fighting each other. One man was getting his ass kicked, packets of white powder on the ground. Jungkook wasn't sure who he should help, so he awkwardly leaned against the bricks. Not really a clear answer here. The two were druggies, Jungkook wasn't motivated to help them out. But hey, practice was practice, right?

The man who was getting his ass handed to him whimpered from his spot on the gravel ground, him holding his bloodied nose. "I want the full amount. Now," the man above him said. Neither of them were smart enough to wear masks, but Jungkook didn't recognize them anyway. Huh. Funny, Jungkook just now thought of Jackson and Baekhyun. His old friends who he started ignoring since the whole superpowers thing. They weren't terrible friends, it was Jungkook who was terrible, but they were definitely yes-men. Jungkook couldn't have that around him anymore, so he left.

But that wasn't what mattered now. Jungkook cleared his throat, standing a bit taller than he meant to. "So, does anyone want to fill me in on what's going on?" he asked.

The front man whipped around, and the injured one panicked more than normal. The one in control stepped forward, eyeing Jungkook's suit and scoffing. "What the hell is this? A costume convention? Who the hell are you supposed to be?" he asked, his hands curled into fists.

Jungkook grinned behind his mask, rushing forward and jumping to do a kick in the air. He was dramatic, so he had to make it look pretty. It didn't, but he made the kick regardless, and the man went tumbling to the ground. The other hopped to his feet and cowered away, dashing out of the area before Jungkook could blink.

Spiderkook shot out his webs, snatching all of the packets off the gravel and bringing them into his possession. "I'll be taking these. Don't do drugs, yeah?" he said, swinging away a beat later. The man was merely an ant to Jungkook now, and he hopped onto the nearest rooftop. The darkness was his friend, covering most of his movements. His suit helped too, his footsteps slow and calculated. He went to one of the gigantic dumpsters behind the nearest dining hall and stuffed the drugs inside, patting his hands off after.

He swiveled around, his eyes sparkling behind his mask. It was such a beautiful night, and to be able to swing around and stop crime was perfection. But there was a problem. No matter how amazing these powers were, there wouldn't be crime like this all the time. Campus security existed to keep crime rates low, and it didn't help that a majority of crime happened inside dorms to keep it more private. Jungkook got lucky in stopping a drug trade. He wasn't sure how lucky he'd continue to be.

There was no way for him to contact the others as his phone was in his dorm, so he swung back up to the rooftops and went away. His friends were at the lab. That was where he went, leaving campus to follow the trail him and Tae drove so often. Jungkook had great memories from those car rides. He found out Taehyung had a strange adoration of Britney Spears. He also found out Taehyung was scared of the dark, but he tried to hide it from everyone around him. It was a tiny detail Jungkook didn't think he'd ever get the privilege of hearing. He was glad to be proven wrong.

He found the abandoned high school not long after he began swinging, and he dropped down and went inside. Jungkook knew there were no cameras inside, but he kept his mask on until he made it to the lab itself. Upon entering, he heard laughter, and he couldn't help but halt. He wanted to eavesdrop, as terrible as that made him sound, so he kept still.

"Jimin. Truth or dare," Angelina said, Jungkook's ears perking up at the sound of her sweet voice.

"Truth."

"Pussy," Aviva said, resulting in more laughter.

"Alright, when's the last time you got laid?" Silence. Dead silence. "Oh shit, are you a virgin?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Jimin replied, nearly hissing at them.

Jungkook covered his mouth, forgetting his mask was already covering it. The others were stifling their chuckles and snickers. Jungkook could imagine Jimin flipping them off, so he went fully inside to view it. And he was right. Jimin was flipping them all off, and they were sat in a circle near the sparring area. There was some specs of blood still on the mat from the times him and Jimin fought. Raven and him occasionally fought as well, but Jimin was against Jungkook hitting a woman. Because of that, Jungkook and Raven only sparred twice. Jungkook - and the others, including Raven - knew it was just an excuse since Jimin didn't want to see her hurt in any way, shape, or form. Jungkook had to admit he admired that, but it was also disgusting as fuck. Love. So gross.

"Truth or dare without me?" Jungkook asked as he kicked the door shut, slipping his mask off. The others gasped and held a hand over their heart, glaring at him. "What? Thought I was the police or something?"

"No, I honestly thought you were a walking red dildo for a moment," Angelina said, resulting in the others chortling.

"Haha. Mind if I join you?" Their shrugs gave him the permission he needed, and he sat on one of the numerous desks around. He was close to them, the chairs they had set up in a demented circle that obviously Raven or Jimin put together. Or both of them. They weren't exactly great with making things organized. Raven's notebook had more doodles of Jimin than notes, and whenever Jungkook attempted to read the formula for the webs, he'd see Jimin's abs halfway down the page instead of actual science.

"You're back early. How was the hunt?" Tae asked.

"I came to the amazing realization that I can't do much on campus. I stopped a drug deal, that's about it. Most of the crime happens indoors. Should I patrol all the dorms?"

"Or we can get you a police scanner. Tae, how's that working out?" Angelina asked.

"Not too well yet, but I'll get it, don't worry."

Silence followed for a beat, Jungkook letting out a soft breath and squeezing his mask. "Do you think I'll do a good job?" He didn't mean for his voice to crack, but it did regardless, causing the others to whip their heads up. To his surprise, the redhead was the first to speak.

"Jungkook, what if I were to say you already are?" she asked back, him raising both his brows. "You had the perseverance to change when you could've used your powers to get whatever you wanted. Now you're here, putting yourself in danger to help others, and that's without mentioning your refusal to even experiment with your spider bite. Jungkook, don't get me wrong, you're still an asshole."

"Oh good, I pride myself on it."

She snorted and leaned across the way just to smack his shoulder, him chuckling. "But you're changing. And I hope you know that we admire that." At his doubtful glance, even Jimin perked up.

"We do," Jimin said from his spot next to Raven. "We admire what you've done, and what you'll continue to do. We care about you, Spiderdick."

"Alright, moment over. Thanks, Park."

"My pleasure."

"Pleasure you've apparently never had. I didn't take you as a virgin," Jungkook said, and that got him yet another smack, this one from the smaller man.

"I take back everything I just said."

"'Preciate it," Jungkook replied, winking. The group cackled, and Jungkook gazed around at them. He'd go back out soon, go see if he could stop anymore crime, but the odds were he wouldn't. Regardless, tonight was amazing. Not because he swung around for the first time as a full superhero. No. That helped, but that wasn't the true reason. Jungkook let his bunny grin show, his eyes sparkling as he took in the sight before him. He knew exactly what made tonight amazing.

Tonight was the night he realized he had a family.