The trucks suddenly broke formation as the one with the gatling gun veered so dramatically off course. The truck Spider-Man and Robin were on veered dramatically. Robin tripped downwards but Spider-Man stopped him from hitting the asphalt with his webs.

“Nice save, tights,” Robin said, staring at the asphalt beneath him that was inches away from grinding his nose into an ugly red and white paste. Spider-Man pulled him up, heaving a little. Suddenly, behind him one of Penguin’s goons raised a club about to knock him out.

Spider-Man’s senses were buzzing, he knew there was danger but he couldn’t let go of Robin.

A sudden flash of light and the revving of an engine stopped the thug in his tracks. A bike flew over them like a comet and clattered on the other side of the road. There was a flash of yellow and the man was kicked across the truck, a line stopped him from being reduced to bones.

“Thanks,” Spider-Man said, as he got Robin back up on the truck. Spider-Man turned to see a woman wearing a mask with short pointy ears goggles plastered on top, more stubs than anything and flowing red hair. She wore a tight leather outfit over a slender body and a big yellow symbol that looked like a bat in the middle complimented by yellow gloves and a yellow cape.

“Hey boys,” Batgirl said. “Did you miss me?”

“I don’t even know you,” Spider-Man said. But boy, did he want to know her.

But again, something in his gut told Spider-Man, told Peter that he knew these people. Batgirl’s red hair looked awfully familiar.

Robin placed his hand on Spider-Man’s shoulder. “C’mon tights, let’s head out.”

Robin attached a tightrope to the last truck. The Penguin’s truck. The thugs all had their fire concentrated on the Batmobile after Batman broke their formation by dealing with the gatling gun, leaving Penguin ripe for the taking. All they had to do was zip across and tie up the midget and they were home free.

“So uh,” Spider-Man said, walking up to Batgirl. “I didn’t catch your name.”

“Batgirl,” she said with a straight face.

“Are you Batman’s girlfriend or…?”

Batgirl laughed. “Hell no.”

“Is he your father?”

“Please stop trying to associate me with him.”

“But you’re called Batgirl.”

Batgirl tried attaching a line to the Penguin’s truck but all she was greeted with was a hiss of air.

“Stupid thing decided to stop working now,” Batgirl groaned, slapping the gadget a few times and letting out an exasperated sigh.

“Need a little help?” Spider-Man asked, walking up to her side.

“No, I can handle myself,” Batgirl said.

“Really?” Spider-Man asked, Peter raising an eyebrow but realising Batgirl probably wouldn’t be able to see that.

“Stupid thing,” Barbara muttered under her breath, slapping the gadget against her thigh.

“Will you two lovebirds hurry it up?” Robin called, standing atop the Penguin’s truck. “I don’t have all night.”

Barbara growled, hitting the gadget against the truck. That’s when Spider-Man did something Peter would never do. He grabbed her by the hip.

“Hey,” Batgirl shouted, Spider-Man pulled her close and Batgirl slapped him across the shoulder. “Let go of me before I pepper spray you. Let go of…”

Spider-Man attached a web to the truck, zipping across towards it. Barbara screamed as she was whizzed across the air, both her and Spider-Man landing on the roof with a thud.

“How was that?” Spider-Man asked, Peter grinning under the mask.

Batgirl tried to hide the giddiness she felt and the newfound feeling of respect she had towards the boy behind that webbed mask.

“That was,” Barbara said, trying her best to hide her grin.

Peter waited in anticipation; it was the first time he’d touched a gorgeous girl, unprovoked (besides MJ, but MJ was his best friend, this was different). It made him both nervous and excited, his heart was beating so loud he wanted to make it stop so that Batgirl wouldn’t hear it. Peter was eagerly awaiting her response and…

“Terrifying,” Batgirl exclaimed. “Let’s never do that again!”

…

The wheels of the trucks exploded beneath them. The trucks swerved, crashing into the forest, coming to abrupt halts. The GCPD were closing in on Batman, they would clear out the trash. Meanwhile, Batman had only one goal, one focus. To get to the Penguin’s truck. They were closing in on the city and if that weapon was let loose it would destroy lots of important infrastructure and cost the lives of thousands.

Batman would not have that.

And so, he cleared the trucks one by one, causing them to swerve to the side, launching electric bolts to short circuit the batteries. The doors of one of the trucks swung open and from it came a man with a grenade launcher. He fired.

It barely made a dent.

The Batmobile, efficiently tore through the trucks one by one, making sure not to kill the men holed up in the trucks. Murderers and rapists, they may be but Batman swore, he vowed, never to take a life. No matter how despicable.

And soon they were no more trucks, they were no more vehicles. Save for two, the Batmobile and the Penguin’s truck.

…

The door slammed right in front of Skinner.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you Skinner.”

Crawling through the window, dressed in red was the Spider-Man. He slid through the window in a way that made Skinner’s stomach lurch. Sitting on the seat next to him and staring at the windshield.

Skinner tried to open the door again but Spider-Man shut it again with those webs of his, webbing the entire door shut.

“Now, now Skinner,” Spider-Man said. “Let’s not get too hasty.”

“W-What do you want?” Skinner whimpered. Letting out a high-pitched cry. “P-Please I’ll do anything. I-I’ll pay you.”

To Spider-Man’s surprise the guy was crying. And even though his mask covered the worst of it, Peter could smell the strong stench of urine in the air. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was a criminal, Peter would probably have felt sorry for the poor guy.

“As much as I need the money, surprisingly I also have bills to pay,” Spider-Man said. “I’d rather we do something simpler. How about we drive to the GCPD building?”

Skinner nodded, a little too quickly. The truck zoomed on ahead. Now Peter did not know the way to the GCPD office but judging by the shine on Skinner’s face from all the sweat running down his body, he figured Skinner wouldn’t be pulling any fast ones.

Spider-Man placed his legs on the dashboard and hung back, hands resting behind his head.

As they entered the city grounds, Spider-Man felt something off. Robin said once they’d deal with the Penguin they’d knock against the side of the truck. 30 minutes and there was no knock.

Spider-Man pat Skinner on the shoulder causing him to jump. “Keep on trucking Skinner, pun intended,” Spider-Man said. “I’ll be right back.”

And Spider-Man crawled out of the window, slithering out of it like a snake. Skinner could hear his heavy footfalls, his crawling against the side of the truck. It made his heart stop and when the sound disappeared, he let out a sigh of relief.  

The psychiatrist at Blackgate called it arachnophobia and man what he would pay to not experience that again.