The ski mask itches like hell against my stubble, but I'm not taking any chances tonight. If someone spots a random dude teleporting around campus at 4 AM, I'd prefer they describe "some guy in a ski mask" rather than "that weird freshman Shane Steele."
Pre-dawn air bites at my exposed skin as I stare up at the dining hall roof, measuring the distance with my eyes. Four stories of brick and steel loom against the navy-blue sky, streetlights casting long shadows across the empty courtyard. Campus security won't patrol this area for another twenty minutes if their schedule holds true.
"Alright, Shane," I whisper to myself, bouncing on my heels, "Lets get that bread!"
I need to know. How far can I go? How much does distance affect the energy drain? Can I maintain accuracy when teleporting to a place I can barely make out in the dark?
I focus on a specific spot near the roof's edge, picturing myself standing there as clearly as possible. The now-familiar electric tingle builds beneath my skin, spreading outward from my core to my fingertips. I let the energy crest, then…
SNAP
Reality blurs, my stomach lurches, and suddenly I'm on the roof, the world spinning around me as I drop to one knee. My lungs heave like I've just sprinted up all four flights of stairs. The fatigue hits harder than I expected, but it's not debilitating, more like the pleasant burn after a good workout.
"Holy shit," I gasp, grinning under my mask. "That was at least forty feet vertical."
Wind whips across the rooftop, colder up here with nothing to block it. I stagger to my feet and make my way to the edge, looking down at the spot where I stood seconds ago. The campus spreads out before me, eerily beautiful in its emptiness. Streetlights cast pools of amber on empty walkways. Academic buildings stand dark and silent, waiting for tomorrow's chaos of students rushing to first-day classes.
I pull out my phone, opening the fitness app I've repurposed to track my 'jumps.' Distance: approximately 40 feet. Recovery time: faster than expected. Accuracy: perfect.
"Let's try something harder," I mutter, scanning the building.
I can see the entire length of the dining hall from up here. A modern, rectangular building stretching about two hundred feet from end to end. The moonlight glints off metal vents and HVAC equipment scattered across the flat roof.
"I wonder..." I murmur, eyeing the distant edge of the building.
My teleportation range so far has been modest, maybe fifty feet max. But what if I pushed it? Lileth gave me these powers for a reason, right? Time to test my limits.
I focus on a spot near the far end of the roof, gathering that strange electric energy inside me. It's almost a hundred feet away, twice as far as I've ever tried. My heart pounds as I visualize myself standing there, willing my body to make the jump.
POOF
The world distorts around me as I'm yanked through space. When reality solidifies again, my legs immediately give out. I crash onto the rough rooftop surface, gasping like I've been underwater for minutes. My vision swims with black spots, and a wave of nausea rolls through me.
"Fuck," I wheeze, pressing my forehead against the cool concrete. My lungs burn with each desperate breath. This isn't just the pleasant fatigue of a workout, this is complete system shutdown. My limbs feel like they're made of wet cement, too heavy to lift.
I roll onto my back, staring up at the stars as they slowly stop spinning. My shirt is soaked with sweat despite the cold night air.
A sudden whoosh of air passes overhead, followed by a soft thud as something, no, someone, lands on the roof beside me. I try to scramble up, but my limbs are still unresponsive, leaving me sprawled out like a starfish on the concrete.
"Jeez, kid, are you alright?" a familiar female voice asks, concern evident in her tone.
I tilt my head, squinting through the eyeholes of my ski mask at the red and blue figure crouched next to me. Spider-Woman. Of course she'd be out patrolling at this ungodly hour.
"I'm... fine," I gasp, though my lungs feel like they're on fire. Each word comes out as a wheeze. "Just... taking a... breather."
She cocks her head, the white eyes of her mask somehow conveying skepticism. "Right. Because rooftops at 4 AM are the best place for that." She stands, hands on her hips, looking down at me. "You know, I saw you walk out of the dorms wearing that ski mask. At first, I thought, 'Great, another campus robbery,' but then..."
She gestures vaguely at my collapsed form. "This doesn't look like your standard B&E preparation."
I try again to sit up, managing to prop myself on my elbows. "Not... stealing anything," I manage between breaths.
Spider-Woman crouches beside me again. "You were testing out your powers, weren't you?" she asks quietly.
My heart skips a beat. She's smart.
"I saw you appear out of nowhere," she continues, answering my unspoken question. "One second empty roof, next second, Bamf! There you were, doing a face-plant."
"Y..yeah," I admit, finding it slightly easier to breathe now. "Just seeing what I can do."
As Spider-Woman leans closer to check on me, something strange happens. A warm tingle spreads across my skin, different from the teleportation energy. I don't know what it is but I can feel it radiating from me in invisible waves.
Spider-Woman goes very still. Her head tilts slightly, and even through the mask, I can sense a change in her demeanor. Her breathing picks up, becoming slightly more audible in the quiet night air.
"So," she says, her voice dropping to a huskier tone than before, "you can teleport? That's... impressive."
The way she says "impressive" sends an unexpected shiver down my spine. What the hell? My body is responding to her in ways that make absolutely no sense given the circumstances. I'm exhausted, lying on a cold rooftop, wearing a ridiculous ski mask, and yet...
Oh god. I shift uncomfortably as blood rushes south, creating an extremely awkward situation in my jeans.
Spider-Woman moves closer. There's something almost predatory in her posture as she looks at me, the white eyes of her mask fixed intently on mine.
"So you like some kinda mutant?" she asks, her voice oddly breathless.
"No," I reply automatically, trying to sit up more fully to hide my growing... situation. "Definitely not a mutant."
"Not that there's anything wrong with mutants," she adds quickly, one hand landing on my shoulder. Her touch feels electric, even through my jacket. "I side with mutants, after all. The X-Women do important work."
"I'm not a mutant," I repeat, more firmly this time. There's no way I'm telling her about my encounter with an actual demon lord. That's a one-way ticket to being locked up in one of those creepy future prisons.
Spider-Woman's hand hasn't moved from my shoulder. If anything, her fingers have tightened slightly. "So if you're not a mutant," she continues, leaning even closer, "how exactly did you get the ability to teleport?"
My brain scrambles for a believable lie. "Accident," I manage to say. "Lab accident."
Her head tilts skeptically. "Really? That's the best you've got?"
I'm about to defend my extremely original origin story when I notice her other hand is now resting on my knee.
Her other hand suddenly presses against my chest, and with her heroic strength, she pushes me flat onto my back. I'm too stunned to resist as she looms over me, her breathing audibly heavier through her mask.
"Is it hot out here?" she asks, her voice strangely husky. "It feels really warm all of a sudden."
My mouth goes dry as I stare up at her. "No, I don't think so. It's actually a little cold."
Something seems to click in her mind. The white eyes of her mask widen dramatically, and she suddenly springs backward, putting several feet between us in one agile leap.
"I…" She clears her throat with an exaggerated cough. "Sorry about that. Just wanted to make sure you weren't injured from your teleport."
As she shifts her weight uncomfortably from one foot to another, I can't help but notice a small dark patch on her costume between her thighs. My face burns hot enough to melt my ski mask as I realize what's happening. Oh god, is this part of the incubus thing Lileth mentioned?
"Well," she says briskly, straightening her posture and trying to sound professional, "carry on with your training. Just be more careful with the teleporting."
She shoots a web upward, clearly eager to leave, but then pauses mid-motion to point back at me. "And don't let me catch you committing any crimes with those powers. The city has enough super-powered troublemakers as it is."
"I wouldn't dream of it," I reply, finally managing to sit up. "Actually, I want to be a hero. Like you."
The words tumble out before I can stop them. I sound like an eight-year-old telling their teacher what they want to be when they grow up. But it's true I've always idolized heroes like Spider-Man, and now Spider-Woman. The idea of using these powers for anything else feels boring as fuck.
She tilts her head, studying me for a long moment. "Being a hero isn't just about powers, you know. It's about responsibility. Making the right choices even when they're the hardest ones."
"Being a hero is about…"
I never get to hear the rest of her speech. Spider-Woman suddenly stiffens, her head tilting like she's hearing something I can't.
"Rain check on the hero lecture," she says, her voice returning to normal. "Sounds like there's a break-in at the jewelry store on 5th."
With a graceful twist, she leaps from the roof, shooting a web at a nearby building. "Stay safe, Teleport Boy!" she calls over her shoulder before swinging away into the night, a red and blue streak against the dark sky.
I watch until she disappears between buildings, then collapse back onto the roof, my heart still racing. What the actual hell just happened?
When I can finally move again without feeling like my limbs are made of jello, I pull out my phone and open my notes app. My fingers hover over the keyboard for a moment as I try to process everything.
Distance: 100 feet. Effect: Extreme exhaustion, almost passed out. Unexpected side effect: Apparently my powers make Spider-Woman aroused? Also gave me an erection. Accuracy: Landed exactly where I aimed.
I stare at what I've just written, then add: Incubus powers apperntly activate with teleportation usage. Spider-Woman nearly Weinsteined me.
I drop my phone onto my chest and stare up at the stars, mind racing. Did Lileth mention something about pheromones? Is that why Spider-Woman suddenly went from concerned hero to... whatever that was? The implications are both terrifying and fascinating. If teleporting releases some kind of supernatural aphrodisiac, that's a serious complication I need to understand.
"I should probably go nap before class." I sigh into the night air.