"When I was young I was always fascinated with spiders. I observed how even courageous people were terrified when they sighted a spider. I was never afraid of spiders, though, and kept several species on my bedroom ceiling, feeding them ants and wasps from the yard. I got to know them so well, in fact, that I brought them to school with me and let them sleep in my bed at night..."
Sven crept over to the captive Ben and began undoing his bonds as Jazmin continued talking.
"...Eventually I began to envy spiders because of their amazing abilities- gracefully swinging from threads, scaling walls hundreds of times taller than them, and cunningly tackling the largest game for their food. I admired the powerful leaps of the jumping spiders and the ferocity of the wolf spiders. The tiniest arachnids that remained uninjured even if they fell from great heights. I wished for those abilities with all my soul and was determined to obtain them."
Ben started to say something clever but Sven silently shushed him and continued struggling with the spiderweb.
"So I began to research the spiderweb and other important traits belonging solely to the arachnid family. I was able to recreate artificially the spiderweb material, except that mine is proportionately six thousand times stronger."
"You got that right," muttered Sven in frustration, yanking at the ropelike web. For a second he contemplated using his teeth, but imagined the consequences of that action and scrapped the idea. By now the villian was so caught up in memory that she took no notice of Sven's frantic efforts.
"I used my knowledge of fifth-grade science and chemistry to create tools and weapons that mimic the abilities of different species of spider. Boots that allow one to leap like a jumping spider, gloves with suction ability for scaling walls, daggers shining with the poison of the black widow. I designed the spider costume and took the name Avaricious Arachnid, becoming the most feared supervillian to wear a cape."
"That ain't saying much," snorted Ben before Sven could stop him. Sven instantly saw that a remark like that could cause Jazmin to turn around in anger, which would give them away and ruin his plan as he now had both arms ensared in the hopeless tangle that was the virtually unbreakable spiderweb. So Sven quickly asked:
"So what do you think made you become a villian instead of using your power for good?"
The Avaricious Arachnid began pacing for dramatic effect but fortunately was too lost in thought to notice either Sven or Ben.
"The thing I found most impressive in spiders," she began, "was the fact that, for their size, they seemed so creepy, so intimidating, to the larger beings. As a child I was what some people might refer to as a 'shrimp'. When I was seven I was only two and a half feet tall and weighed forty five pounds. Normally that would not seem to be the definition of threatening, but my passion for spiders made me the terror of my school and community. The other kids would edge away from me when they saw a spider calmly spinning a web between the brim and top of my hat. Anyone who was forced to sit next to me could almost feel the prickly legs scuttling up their arm or down their back, so it was natural that I didn't have any close friends. Human friends, that is. My spiders became my confidantes as the world shunned me. Eventually I began to feel like a spider, a spider who had only one objective: Bring terror to the world."
Sven frantically tugged at the one last strand that held Ben in its grip. His hands were as sticky as flypaper and he was wondering how he would turn on the sink when he got home.
"If you ever get home!" laughed Jazmin.
"How did you know what I was thinking?" gasped an astonished Sven Spencer.
"Script, remember?"
She waved it at our hero.
Will Sven be able to defeat the Avaricious Arachnid? Or is her uncanny ability to predict his every move going to defeat him? Check back Tuesday to find out!
Next section: Spoon Suit Man Part 9 (Lauren)
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