[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/krev7SC.png[/img][/center][center][b]Aubrey Adkins[/b][/center]
	[color=C0C0C0]“Speaking of baseball, I’ve heard that Aubrey here has quite the swing.”[/color]

	Was he trying to blow my cover? Sure, I might have opened myself up to his snark, but at least what I said was somewhat public knowledge. Unless he was referring to something other than our little incident during D-Day, although I’m not sure how he would know anything else without doing some internet stalking (or using any dirt that STRIKE might have dug up on me before those Hounds of Humanity terrorists blew them to kingdom come), he was putting my secret identity if anyone were able to put two and two together. If this were not a formal event staged for remember the deceased, I would totally show him how my swing looks.

	“You played softball, Aubrey?” Emily asked me, which at least showed that she was not privy to the fact that I was Arachne.

	[color=B22222]“Well…”[/color] I was lucky that Chris prefaced his “swing” remark with some comments about baseball so that it would prompt questions about that sport rather than my status as a metahuman. [color=b22222]“I was on my high school’s varsity team.”[/color]

	“You should [b]SO[/b] sign up for the annual Celebrity Charity Softball Game!” Emily told me.

	[color=C0C0C0]“I would not be surprised that game would have its best TV ratings ever. I’m sure the sight of you scrabbling around the outfield would get a particular demographic glued to their televisions.”[/color]

	[color=B22222]“I played catcher in high school.”[/color] I glared at Chris as I responded to his comment. [color=b22222]“Anyways, I think I need another stop at the open bar. Need something, Emily?”[/color]

	“Sure. Just get me the same thing that I just had.” Emily handed over her glass to me before I began to weave my way back to the bar across the room. Although it seemed like Emily was trying to end our conversation because of the hostility between me and Chris, she was more than happy to keep chatting with him when I stepped away. I have no idea what’s up with her.

	Once the bartender had finished Emily’s and my drink orders, I took a sip from my glass before I turned to head back to where Emily was, hoping that she might have moved on from Chris by then. However, when I turned around, I found Maya standing a foot or two behind me. Since I was not expecting her to be so far away from Chris, I almost spilled some of the alcohol in my hands.

	“What’s your beef with Chris?” Maya demanded. She had her arms crossed and a stern expression on her face.

	[color=b22222]“Can’t a girl just hate someone’s guts for no reason?”[/color]

	“No.” Maya answered. God, am I going to hate this girl as much as that Archangel bitch? Archangel had such unwavering and naive dedication to Chris that she believed that I was the one in the wrong for decking Chris, while he was in his armor, instead of Chris, who had previously kidnapped me along with those two Albany kids on the behalves of S.T.R.I.K.E. Sure, you shouldn’t be going around punching people and two wrong don’t make a right, but I am pretty sure that kidnapping is a more severe crime than punching someone. I have this feeling that Maya might have this same mindset. Great.

	But the real problem is how am I going to explain my grievances with Chris without exposing my identity as Arachne? All my problems with the guy stem from our interactions in our superhero alter identities. Besides the whole kidnapping thing, which is probably my biggest gripe, there is also that one time when Archangel trapped me under some sort of electrified net for decking Chris. Athena had to bail me out by nullifying the device that was holding me down! Plus, he sent War-Pulse to recruit me for the Pax Metahumana crisis. War-Pulse of all people! And don’t get me started with that elevator in Sherman Center. Searching for silicon-based lifeforms. What a load of bull crap.

	However, before I could even begin making some sorry excuse so that I would not have to reveal myself as being Arachne, I heard some screams come from the general direction where Chris and Emily were standing. When I got a glance at what was happening, I saw a man, who was dressed up like the servers who were catering this event, was standing close to Chris. He worn a mask over his face to conceal his identity and he held a gun up to Chris’ side. I didn’t need to hear what he was saying to know he was agitated, since his body language jerky and skittish.

	Then, I felt myself being yanked back away from the commotion. Behind me stood Athena, the Greek Goddess of Wisdom. However, after seeing her, I suddenly realized that I was no longer holding onto the drinks that I had ordered for myself and Emily. Why didn’t I hear some sort of crash from the broken glass? I then discovered a few feet away from me why I didn’t have the drinks anymore. Where I had been standing, beside Maya, I saw a woman who looked identical to me.

	[color=b22222]“Athena.”[/color] Alright, I know I should not be that freaked out by this, since those Pax Metahumana villains had a shapeshifter, but I cannot lie. This feels extremely uncanny. [color=b22222]“If I’m here, then who’s that!”[/color]

	“That is a nephic apparition.” Athena cleared things up in a matter of fact way. And when I say ’cleared things up’, I mean that it did not help at all.

	[color=b22222]“English please?”[/color]

	“I was speaking in English.”

	[color=b22222]“You know what I mean!”[/color]

	“Oh, you mean dumb people speak.” Athena cracked a smile at my own expense, “It is a cloud that has been transformed into a duplicate of yourself. I use them all the time to run Chris’ company, since the pathetic role of a glorified secretary is beneath me. But that’s enough about the apparition. You need to change.”

	[color=b22222]“Wait, why haven’t we used these things more often?”[/color]

	“Because there has not been a need until this moment.”

	[color=b22222]“I beg to differ…”[/color]

	“So, you would rather have a petty argument with a goddess while Chris is in a position where he might get shot?”

	[color=b22222]“Now that you say it in that way…”[/color]

	Athena glared at me, knowing that I was inferring that I would actually continue what she called a petty argument and let Chris get shot. However, since I assume that she probably would put me through the ringer if I allowed that to happen, I guess I probably should help. But while I distracted by this, Athena reached over and deactivated my power nullifier, causing my drider appearance to reemerge and my Arachne costume to replace my dress.

	[color=b22222]“What the hell?!?”[/color] I yelled at Athena as I glanced around, looking to make sure no one saw my transformation. [color=b22222]“We’re in public! I might as well go around and introduce myself as Arachne!”[/color]

	“My powers have shrouded us from human sight. No one can see us.”

	[color=b22222]“How convenient.”[/color] However, when I began to take a step towards Chris and whoever was threatening him, I heard some more remarks from the peanut gallery.

	“You can’t just jump into the fray.”

	[color=b22222]“And why not.”[/color] I said, turning towards Athena and place my knuckles on my hips.

	“You would seem as if you had appeared out of thin air. Instead, you need to make an entrance, such as from that balcony over there.” Athena pointed at a balcony behind me that led outside.

	Why me? Just why?