"Responsibility" by Corrisa

Responsibility

The impact of the robber’s punch enveloped my face in a blanket of pain. I fell backwards onto the wet asphalt of the alleyway right next to the dumpsters which were littered with old orange peels and soda cans. Even in the pitch, black darkness I saw the robbers foot come into my peripheral vision as he tried to kick me in the stomach.

“Stupid Spider!” He shouted as he brought his foot down. Luckily, my enhanced reflexes and agility gave me the perfect opportunity. I dodged the kick and rolled to my feet. With a flick of my wrist, the robber was webbed to the rigid, brick building behind him.

“You shouldn't rob people, it's bad!” I told the robber. The New York City lights

reflecting against the lenses placed over my eyes.

“Who do you think you are? Let me out of this!” The robber yelled as he struggled against the re enforced web fluid.

“Nope, you deserve that. You're a criminal!” I chuckled as I turned around, my ears listening to the sharp noise of approaching police sirens which echoed throughout the desolate alleyway. “Bye, Mr. Criminal!” I yelled as I waved over my shoulder and began to increase my speed into a light jog. Once I reached the end of the alleyway, I flung out my arm and shot a web at the nearest building. Using my momentum, I launched myself into the air and began to swing through New York City whose skyscrapers were like built-in mazes. Stars, the watchers of the night, were barely visible in the midnight sky. The sharp, cold wind whisked past my mask-covered face, my cheek still throbbing from the punch the robber gave me. As my apartment located in Queens came into swinging view, I noticed that the light I left on in my room was shining through the window. Aunt May must be working a night shift I thought as I landed on the building, my feet and hands sticking to the brick as I scaled down. I gently opened up the window and climbed through. My room consisted of scattered chemistry homework and spanish projects, the homework that was interrupted due to my duty of being Spider-Man. I glanced at the clock sitting next to my bed, its bright, green lettering read 12:54A.M.

“Looks like it's gonna be another long night doing homework.” I sighed as I took off my mask and ran my fingers through my messy, brown hair. I looked down at the mask I held in my hands. Its soft blue and red material running through my fingers, the intense white lenses staring back at me. I thought of all the responsibility that came with these new abilities, the responsibility that I took on. Saving people, stopping robbers, running into fires, getting beat up or shot at. Then I thought of my responsibility as a student, as a nephew. Getting good grades, arriving to school on time, helping Aunt May around the house. It was a lot being a good student with straight A’s and a masked vigilante. A masked vigilante with enhanced strength, speed, reflexes, healing factor, and the ability to crawl on surfaces. But I can handle it because I have to. My Uncle once told me, With great power comes great responsibility. I now understood what he meant by that. If I had these abilities and did nothing with them, then what kind of hero was I? The blaring of distant police sirens broke me from my thoughts. I quickly covered my face with my mask as I began to walk towards my window. I took one last glance at my homework piled high and undone on the floor before taking a leap out the window to stop the next robber.