Chapter Thirty-Eight

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A/N: Hey guys! I was gonna try the thing where I upload once a week but I'm already a few days late...sorry :/ I went to bed late last night and then I procrastinated and decided to upload today.

Moooving on! A quick recap of the previous chapter: Adelaide deciphers the cryptic message she found from a sticky note in Coach Graves' desk, Peter and Adie have a little cute moment, and we get to see a little spider-pete at the end. So now in this chapter, we get to find out if Adie had cracked the code correctly (try saying that five times fast) and I think there's a new semi-character whom I just loved writing because he's so awesome. We might see him again, you never know.

Alright I won't hold the chapter hostage any longer!

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"Yuh know whatcha

ya little pip-squeak?"
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Adelaide had written the address on her palm just to be safe.

In a manner of speaking, today was tomorrow. Today was the day Coach Graves would be going to Chelsea. Her plan was simple. She would just hail and cab and follow him to wherever he was going and then she would be able to see exactly what he was up to. She had already texted Happy and told him that she was staying after school in the library and that she would just take a cab home when she was done. It was a foolproof plan, she was sure.

The moment the bell rang, she was ready to sprint out the door but Ned stopped her.

"Do you guys want to hang out today, at my place?" he asked.

"I...er, have a lot of homework today, sorry," she said, her eyes darting to the clock anxiously. She hoped she wouldn't miss him before he left.

"Is it algebra?" Peter frowned, "I can help you with it if you want."

"Uh, no. I'll figure it out. Thanks. I really have to go. See you guys tomorrow!" she said and hurried out of the classroom before they could stop her again. She forced her way through the crowd, heading the in the opposite direction of everyone else.

Finally she broke out of the throng of students and stumbled into the same dimly-lit, empty hall as yesterday. Looking in both directions of the hall to make sure she was alone, she pulled her hoodie over her head and shook her pants off. She had worn her suit underneath this morning in preparation for now. You could never be too careful.

Silently, she changed herself into her Blue Phantom alias and then turned herself invisible. Grabbing her backpack, she padded down the hall, towards his office. Just as she had done yesterday, she pushed herself against the wall and then cautiously peeked around the corner. He was at the door, locking up his office. Adelaide held her breath as he walked past her.

She didn't wait for him to disappear around the corner to start following him. The school was completely empty now and Adelaide was suddenly very glad that she had the ability to turn herself invisible of this would have been a whole lot harder.

Once they were outside the school, he headed towards the parking lot, whistling and swinging his keys around his index casually. He stopped by an old 80s-looking car that looked ready to break down any second. Adelaide winced as he got inside the car, wondering if his weight would cause the car to just crumble into individual parts. Surprisingly, the car held and didn't fall apart even when he started the engine.

Adelaide realized that this would be the perfect time to hail a cab before he got away. Quickly, she hid behind a trash can and made herself visible again. People usually didn't find it very entertaining when a person just appeared out of thin air so Adelaide tried to avoid it whenever she could. She hurried to the street where she instantly found a cab and slid inside.

The middle-aged driver eyed her outfit curiously. With the suit and glowing eyes, she was bound to raise some eyebrows but that wasn't her point of focus at the moment because Coach Graves was getting away!

"Follow that car!" she told the driver, pointing to the old, rickety car that had just pulled out of the school parking lot. His eyes lit up like a child on Christmas morning.

"Car chase?! Oh boy, I've nevuh had one of dese! What are we followin' him fawh?" the driver said with his heavy New York accent as he pressed the gas pedal, speeding forward.

"I don't know yet," Adelaide answered distractedly. She was engrossed in watching the car and making sure it didn't leave her sight, "Can't you go faster?"

At this, the driver beamed even brighter.

"Breakin' de speed limit?! Oh, just wait until my pals hear about dis! I'm gonna be a legend!" he said excitedly and then sped the cab up, quickly switching lanes to catch up with the car. This earned him a few horns from nearby drivers to which he honked back just as angrily.

"Yuh know whatcha little pip-squeak? Yuh can take dat and shove it up your own ass, okay!" he shouted out his window at some poor taxi driver who had dared to insult him. They drove past him before he could respond.

"Gah! Dese little greenies tink dey can just waltz in here and own up de streets like dey own dem or somethin'," he muttered to himself, shaking his head angrily, "Well I'll show dem! I've been in dis business longuh than any of dem!"

Adelaide would have taken a liking to this man if it weren't for the fact that she was too busy trying to figure out what her coach was up to exactly. They were a good ways from the school now and, if Adelaide was correct, they were headed directly towards 408 12th Ave, New York, NY 10018. Hence, the tow pound.

"Say, have I seen yuh anywhere befawh? Yuh been on tv lately, or what?" he asked, glancing at her through the rearview mirror and pulling down his flat cap.

"No," she answered him, her eyes never leaving the car. Coach Graves didn't seem suspicious that a cab was following him based on his driving. "I haven't."

"Billboards?" he asked after a while, glancing at her again.

"No billboards," she answered.

They were getting close now, she could tell. Despite it being his first car chase, the driver kept a respectable distance from the car, enough so that Graves wouldn't get suspicious. Adelaide thought it would be better than to ask how he knew to do this. She had a feeling she would get a very long and detailed answer that she didn't have the time to listen to.

It was at this moment that the driver decided to play some of his CD's. Jump by Van Halen started playing, making the car chase feeling like some action scene out of an old 80s movie.

"You got to roll with the punches and get to what's real..."

They turned right last minute, throwing Adelaide to the other side of the cab. The driver chuckled.

"Oops," he said, "Sawhry about that."

"I got my back against the record machine, I ain't the worst that you've seen..."

Groaning and rubbing her arm that she had fallen on, Adelaide sat back up, immediately searching for the car again. Her eyes locked onto it. The traffic on the road was becoming more secluded and Adelaide could hear people shouting indistinctly as they drove by. There was a baby crying loudly somewhere and a couple fighting.

"Might as well jump, go ahead an' jump..."

This had to be the lamest drug bust in history. To begin with, she had to take a cab to catch the bad guy. Whoever heard of a superhero who had to follow the bad guy with a taxi? And she wasn't even 100% sure she was going to catch a drug deal. It could very easily be something else, something much lamer.

"Ah, can't you see what I mean?"

Finally, the tow pound came into view.

"Just stop the car here," she said, waving her hand at the driver. He pulled over on the side of the street, parking in front of an apartment that looked haunted and turned down the music. Adelaide ignored it and reached into her pocket for cash. She handed the money to the driver silently.

"Keep the change," she said and this made the driver very happy.

"It was fun doin' business wit' yuh, ma'am. If yuh ever need anudder car chase, Bobby's de name. Everybody at de garage knows me," he said cheerfully as if he wanted to make a career out of car chasing. Which, judging by the look on his face, Adelaide wouldn't put it past him.

"I'll keep that in mind," she said, grabbing her backpack and stepping out of the car. Her foot was just about to hit the pavement when Bobby stopped her.

"Wait a second! I know who yuh are! You're dat superhero girl! What do dey call yuh...Blue somethin'...Blue Phantom! Yeah, that's it! You're de Blue Phantom aren'tcha?!" Bobby said, feeling more excited than he had ever felt. Which was saying something because Adelaide was sure no one could have looked more excited than him when she had told him to follow the car earlier.

"Let's keep that between us, alright?" she said, glancing over her shoulder at the car pulling into the tow pound up ahead. She was going to have to hurry if she wanted to get there in time.

"Thanks for the ride, Bobby," she said and then shut the door. Adelaide quickly turned herself invisible and then broke into a run towards the tow pound. She had made Bobby pull over pretty far away from the actual tow pound as to not look suspicious. She had a little ways to run before she could be close enough to see what was going on.

After a little running, she finally stopped at the tow pound which was surrounded by a barbed fence. That didn't stop Adelaide from throwing her backpack over it and then jumping over right after. Brushing the dirt off her jeans, she grabbed her backpack again and surveyed the lot, looking for Coach Graves' old fossil. Maybe he actually came here to give up his old car to the tow people since he knew it could fall apart any second. She hoped that was it. For the car's sake, at least.

The tow pound was very large, but there were only one entrance that a car could come through. Adelaide doubted that Coach Graves would be coming through that entrance if he truly was here for a drug deal. There were officials checking every car that went through. She could hear the water from Hudson River which was just behind the tow pound.

As Adelaide stood there, she tried to located Coach Graves' old car. She was just about to jump back over the fence and walk around the tow pound when she spotted his car coming through the one exit on the side. Adelaide frowned, pausing. How did he manage to get through there? Was he really just here on normal, legal business?

Curiosity getting the best of her, she found herself walking towards him, still invisible. He stepped out of the car, looking around. Any other person wouldn't find it suspicious, but Adelaide couldn't help but notice how he had his arm wrapped around his torso as if he was hiding something inside his coat. Looking around again, he locked his car and headed inside the garage as if he owned the place.

Inside, there were several mechanics working by the cars but none of them paid any attention to her coach. Adelaide didn't question it and just followed him deeper into the garage, ignoring the clinking, clattering, and shouting coming from behind her. Finally, they took a turn into a hallway at the back of the garage where Adelaide assumed the workers used for their breaks.

At the end of the hall was a door. Somehow, Coach Graves seemed to know that this was the door he needed to open and he did just that. The moment he opened it, Adelaide could hear the river outside but the chatter of the crowd seemed much quieter. Adelaide slipped outside behind him just in time before he closed the door. Once again, she was grateful for her abilities which this whole thing would have been almost impossible to do without.

Once she was outside, she realized that this was a smoking area. It was where workers could come to take a break and smoke without bothering other people. Unfortunately, Adelaide was being very much bothered at the moment but she didn't dare cough. There was a small patio table towards the right, just by the fence and big enough to fit four people. Which, at the moment, the table was doing just that.

No one else was out here except for the four men seated around the patio table, having a smoke. Two of the men looked had an average build but the other two...she did not want to be on the wrong side if they got angry. And they all had tattoos. Big ones, small ones, colorful ones. One of the men even had a lip piercing and another was wearing studs in his ears. Every one of them reeked of cigarettes and beer.

Adelaide had put herself in the opposite corner of the table, as far away from as she could. Her eyes darted between the men and Coach Graves. What the hell was he doing here with men like these? Clearly they were not here to play a game of checkers. For a moment, Adelaide tried to picture them doing just that and she found herself struggling to keep herself from laughing.

Be serious, Adelaide.

They glanced up at Coach Graves, taking him in. Then they all glanced at each other and then one of them burst out in laughter and then the others followed. They all sounded like dying mules gasping for their last breath.

"What the hell are you wearin', man?" the smallest one said, trying to catch his breath. Adelaide realized they were talking about his school coach attire which she guessed wasn't something you'd wear to an outing like this. Who knew drug dealers had a certain fashion, too? Well, if they really were drug dealers. Coach Graves scowled at them.

"That," he said, his voice calm and collected, "is none of your business. Where is she?"

"Pat him down, Jack," the biggest man grunted, having finally stopped laughing. The man with the lip piercing stood up and began patting down Coach Graves. He grabbed his phone, keys, and wallet. The latter, he grabbed a couple bills from for himself.

"Hey! That's my money!" Graves shouted angrily. Jack grinned, revealing his broken and colorful teeth. Adelaide grimaced.

"Not anymore, it ain't," he said, clicking his tongue, "Consider it a fee for pattin' you down, eh?"

Coach Graves looked like he wanted to say more but he bit his tongue and gritted his teeth instead. Adelaide had a feeling her coach wasn't done with Jack even after Jack had stepped aside. He gave his toothy grin again that Adelaide wished she could unsee.

"Boss is sittin' in that van, over there," Jack said, pointing to a black van parked just out of sight from the street. Adelaide tried looking, but she couldn't see anyone inside. "You try anythin' and we'll be right here to cut your head right off."

Jack made a slicing motion across his tattoo-covered throat accompanying it with a slicing sound. Coach Graves didn't even bother glancing at the henchman and strode past him, straight towards the van. Adelaide hurried after him silently. She glanced over her shoulder at the men who were still laughing about something while lighting new cigarettes.

They knew Coach Graves would be coming here today. They had been expecting him. Adelaide wondered if it was one of these four men that Coach Graves had been talking to on the phone yesterday. What could he possibly want from them? Well, she was about to find out.

Coach Graves stood at the back of the van and raised his fist and knocked, twice. Adelaide was standing right beside him. She wondered what he would do if he knew. She didn't have much time to think before the double doors swung open, revealing a huge, bald, hispanic man that seemed even taller than Coach Graves. Yet, her coach barely regarded him.

Grunting, the man stepped aside, letting Coach Graves (and Adelaide) into the van. The smell hit her like a truck. The odor of alcohol was so strong that Adelaide almost felt a little tipsy just by breathing it in. Inside, there was nothing but a bench on each side of the van one of which was currently occupied by a woman.

She looked surprisingly average. The woman had olive skin, short red hair and a long black coat covering her clothes. She had a nose stud and Adelaide could see the hints of a large tattoo on her wrists peeking out of her sleeves. She was chewing gum and she popped a bubble loudly. Adelaide was a flash of a tongue piercing before she closed her mouth again and it was gone.

She didn't smile or get up when she saw Coach Graves. Instead, she waved her hand without looking up from her phone and her man moved to the front of the van, apparently understanding the meaning. She looked up and eyed Coach Graves lazily in the meantime.

"You got the cash?" she said, her voice sounding throaty. Not in an attractive way, but a sick way. So she was expecting him, too.

Coach Graves reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a giant wad of cash, a size that she had never seen before despite living in the Stark Tower with Tony Stark himself. That many bills, stacked up together...but for what? What was he buying?

The woman's eyes lit up at the sight of the money. She jumped to snatch it from his hands greedily, but Coach Graves pulled it back the last second, cocking his head. She scowled up at him and then sighed.

"What do you want?" she said carelessly.

"The usual," he said cooly.

She narrowed her eyes at him but then just snapped her fingers and her man was back. This time, with a duffel bag. Her man watched her, waiting for her to give the signal and she nodded. The man reached into the duffel bag and pulled out a small, clear bag.

Adelaide felt her breath getting stuck in her throat and she tried not to make a choking sound.

The bag was filled with a white powder.

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The ride back to the Tower was filled with cold, shocked silence.

Adelaide couldn't believe it. Her high school gym coach did drugs. And he had been for a while now, too. That woman had understood what he meant when he had said 'the usual'. He had contacts with a drug dealer. Her high school gym coach had contacts with a drug dealer. What other illegal things did he do?

Hell, was he even a real gym coach? Or was he just pretending to be one?

Adelaide didn't know what to do. What was anyone supposed to do in a situation like this? She considered telling someone but what would she say?

I turned myself invisible and followed him to his drug dealer. I saw the drugs with my own eyes. Oh by the way, did I mention that I'm the Blue Phantom?

Adelaide had a feeling that wouldn't go over very well. She then considered telling Tony and Pepper. Pepper would permanently ground her to her room if she found out what she had done and Tony...well, he wouldn't care enough to do something. Busting a drug deal was a little under his pay grade as an Avenger and he wasn't about to do it out of the kindness of his heart.

That's the cop's job, he would say, if we did all the work for them, then what are they gonna do?

Which brought her back to her original question. What other illegal things did Coach Graves do? And, more importantly, was he even a real coach? How the hell was she even supposed to find out? There wasn't a manual for all this.

The next decision she made would be hers alone and she would have to face the consequences on her own, too.

Adelaide thanked the driver and paid him before stepping back out onto the street. She wasn't the Blue Phantom anymore. One of the lesser known perks of turning invisible was that you didn't need a bathroom to change clothes. Just turn yourself invisible and no one would see a thing. Not that Adelaide had done anything like that, of

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