Chapter 54: Chapter 54: The Calm before the Storm
It was Monday night. I should be at my lab or out patrolling the streets, though the latter half Matt does cover for me so it isn't absolutely necessary. But still, I should be somewhere else, i honestly didn't think I would be...well, here.
For the first time since Nat and I began using it the Queen's SHIELD bunker was finally being used for actual SHIELD mission purposes.
I stood in full costume next to Jessica and a scientist named Albert Reech that SHIELD had on their payroll. We stood on the other side of a one way mirror looking into an interrogation in progress. And the man of the hour? A fully cured Curt Connors.
"So you're telling me, you don't remember any of it?" the agent interrogating him scoffed as he leaned back on his chair, "I find that hard to believe doctor."
The man in question was bald and sickly looking, almost as if he was a cancer patient that had gone through extensive chemotherapy.
"I-I am telling you all the truth. I am sorry, but I don't remember what happened to me for the past three days," he whispered, his voice frail like a wilting rose.
"You killed a man," the agent hissed, "gutted him in half and then tried to kill more people. You're telling me you don't remember any of that?"
"What a douchebag," I grumbled.
"He's just doing his job," Albert argued.
"We established the Lizard is a separate entity, sort off like a split personality disorder deal," I shot back, "and he's still treating Corners as if he's personally responsible for those deaths."
"It's protocol Spider," Jessica told me, sending an apologetic look, "it can't be helped." I grumbled, but didn't argue back.
"Find," the agent tapped the table rhythmically, "fine….tell me about ROXXON."
Coroner's blinked, "what do you want to know?"
"How did they contact you?"
"Email...they sent me an email with...well, everything I would need," Conner's looked down, his shame was so potent I could feel it form here, and form the way Jessica's eyes sadness, I'm guessing she could as well.
"How did they even know what you were working on?" the agent asked.
"I was stuck on grafting of genetic markers onto a subject's DNA...the key to the whole formula...I...I reached out to the dark net, hoping someone, anyone could help me. I visited so many site, so many forms...and then...I came home one night to see a new email in my inbox."
"And..that's it? A multinational company just happened to reach out..forgive me, but a nobody professor and gave him the answer to all his worries? No strings attached?"
"I...yes," Corners nodded.
The interrogation went standard from then onwards. They asked him the formula details, who knew, if it could be massed produced. Whatever SHIELD was planning...HYDRA might get their hands off it. I need to make sure if Corners tell them, it's not the real formula.
But then...something...something was nagging me. In my head, something didn't sit right with this whole deal.
"That doesn't make sense," I hissed.
"What do you mean?" Jessica asked.
"I have been after those bastards for weeks," I replied, "I have followed every trail, every corner of the city. I couldn't find a trace of them, not even a paper trail. But now? They slip off? An email with their name in big bold letters? They must have know Coroner's was a liability, they aren't stupid. But now….it doesn't make sense."
"Maybe they made a mistake...it could happen you know," Jessica argued.
I shrugged, "maybe….maybe..." I saw the integrated get up and call agents to escort Corners away. I narrowed my eyes, "I need to talk to him. Can I?"
Jessica turned to the doctor who shrugged, "sure. But make it short."
I walked out and saw him being dragged to the exit where a van was waiting to take him away.
"Wait," I called out, the agents turned and nodded at me, "give me a few minutes. Alone."
They nodded and left, leaving me and Coroner's alone. I waited until they were out of earshot to speak, "Sexy, cut the audio monitors in this entire corridor."
"You got it boss," the AI replied.
Corners looked at me, his eyes softening, "my son is a huge fan of yours sir...he keeps asking me to make him a human spider," he chuckled, "it's so difficult to tell a nine year old that's not possible."
I chuckled, "I suppose so...does he take after you?"
"You mean is he smart?" I nodded, Corners smiled, "he isn't a genius like I am but...he takes after his mother. An artist, a genius in his own right I suppose."
"I see...so...why did you do it?"
Coroner's looked at me, "because...because I wanted to cure the world."
I looked at his arm, the stump of his right hand, "may I ask how it happened?"
He touched it softly, "when Billy, my son...when he was five, he was about to be crushed by a giant machine in my lab. It had toppled over...I pushed him just in time but in exchange...my arm was crushed beyond repair."
"A small price to pay I would say."
"It is," Connors smiled, "and I would gladly give my other arm for him as well.. But...no one else should ever have to give that up...no one. I thought I could make sure nothing like this ever happened again...no matter what happened to me."
I felt his sadness grow as he continued, "but I never imagined...did he have a son?"
"Quinber? I….I don't' know….Sexy?"
"The office had a children sir."
Conner's head fell, "I'm a monster."
"Yes….you are," he looked down, tears forming in his eyes, "but...you can always change."
"How? How will anyone ever forgive me for what I did? How will my son ever stop seeing me as-as not a monster?"
I was silent, my thoughts running through my head a mile a minute until I finally got an answer. "Most people believe that once you become evil...you can never change, that that's who you will always be. But...that's a lie. You can always change...it won't be easy, it might not even be possible. But if you don't' try...if you give up...then you are truly lost."
"B-but I-"
"-I forgive you," I told him, "I forgive you and everything you did. I forgive you Curt...no one is is above forgiveness, no one. And I forgive you...now, you have to get the rest of the world to forgive you...and most importantly...you have to forgive yourself."
Curt's tears flowed freely, he cried, his voice hitching, breaking. He was broken inside, but I knew he would recover, I could see it. Anyone who ever asks the question, 'am I a good person', has the potential to be so. At least, that's what I believe.
"Sir, the audio system is down. You have two minutes before they notice," Sexy replied. I sighed, good, now I can begin.
"Corners….I need your help….can you do me a favour?"
He looked up, "what do you want me to do?"
"Has SHIELD will ask you for the Lizard formula?"
Curt shook his head, "no...they didn't."
"Good...if they do...lie," I told him, much to his shock.
"W-why?" he asked me.
"Because SHIELD has a mole in it," I replied, "an organization older and far more terrible than ROXXON has control of it and if they ever get their hands on the formula, thousand, if not millions of people will die."
Curt's eyes widened, "who?"
"HYDRA," I replied. And the way Coroner's eyes widened, I'm guessing he knew.
"If you know they are still...active. Why haven't you stopped them yet?"
"It's complicated," I replied. The truth was...it wasn't my destiny...it was Captain America's to stop them. Canon, no matter how much I fucked it up, will try and repeat itself. It's just a law of the universe.
"I see….fine...I'll be quite...but I need you to do something for me."
"What?"
"Billy...tell him I'm sorry...tell him I'm not a monster they say I am...please, I beg you."
I nodded, "consider it done." I turned and left, Corner smiled, I smelt a small breeze of happiness in the stench of sadness around him. I'm glad I could do something to change his mind.
I watched the Agents return and escort Conner's to the back of a van. He sat there between armed guards, he was supposed to look depressed, defeated even. But I saw a small smile on his face.
Soon they drove away, I watched the van pull out of the warehouse we sued as our front and hoped HYDRA didn't try anything. I know it might be a vain belief to have, but I had to hope.
I made my way to the interrogation room and found Jessica dismissing the doctor form before. 'Confidential' and 'need to know' was passed around quickly. She sighed as I approached, "this is such a pain."
"I suppose it is," I saw the doctor and the interrogator form before enter the lift and exit the safe house. Meaning Jessica and I were alone.
I reached up and removed my helmet, sighing as I ran my fingers through my hair, "at least it's over."
"Yes...I suppose it is," she looked away, sad.
I narrowed my eyes and slowly placed my hand on her hip, pulling her closer, her back pressed against my back as she sighed, leaning back on me for support.
"What's wrong?" I asked as I bite into neck playfully, the lust rolling off her was….so intoxicating.
"I told you...I'm here only till the whole ROXXON mess is solved, and then I'm gone," she moaned, "and it's solved...so..."
"When do you have to leave?" I asked.
"I was given an hour to gather my things and leave the safe house...and you," she moved away and turned, we held each other in our arms, Jessica looked into my eyes and I into her's.
"When will I see you again?" I asked.
"Honestly? I don't know," Jessica sighed, "I suppose...it will be some time before I can be free again."
I smiled sadly, "do we have have at least an hour?"
"Yes...we do," she leaned forward and kissed me. I wrapped my hands under her curvy rear and lifted her into the air.
I made my way into her temporary room and kicked the door open, careful not to break it. I threw her on the bed and put my helmet aside and slipped out of my costume.
Jessica wiggled out of her uniform and threw it away as well, throwing it to one corner of the room where it lay forgotten for the next hour.
All the times before we had sex it was rough, violent and passionate. We fucked, but this time, we made love.
I remembered her kisses were filled with sadness this time, as if she was saying sorry for leaving. I didn't blame her, I couldn't. She had a duty...a responsibility. She want to be a hero. Who was I to stop her?
I won't say that night was the most intense sex we ever had, in fact we only lasted a single round. But we prolonged that single round for as long as we could for we knew after it, we would have to leave. And neither of us were ready for that.
Half an hour later Jessica and I were content staying in each other arms. Our bodies was warm and sweaty, our breathing shallow. She had her head resting on my chest while I held her free arm in mine.
"This fucking sucks," she whispered, eyes drafting on the bedroom walls.
"I know..."
"...I'm going to miss you...you know?"
I reached down and kissed her forehead, "I know...I'll miss you too."
"Me or the sex?" Jessica chukled.
"Both," I smiled back, "although...I am kind of disappointed we never got that date."
"We have half an hour," she chuckled, "maybe we can do something with that."
"A half an hour date huh? Maybe," I smiled at that, "yeah….let's do that."
Jessica blinked, "Peter, I was joking."
"I wasn't," I took out my phone and went to YouTube, putting the first video I noticed in my feed, a video about the mystery of Black Holes, narrated by Neil DeGrasse Tyson.
Jessica raised an eyebrow as the video began, "seriously?"
"What? You don't like it?"
Jessica smiled, "no," she leaned forward and kissed me, this time, it wasn't filled with sorrow, but filled with content, "it's perfect."
She rested on my chest and we watched the ten minute video. We didn't say a thing, we didn't need to.
After it was over we got dressed in seconds. Jessica didn't have much to pack, in fact she literally had nothing to pack. I suspect whoever gave her an hour did so simply because they knew she wanted to say goodbye.
I watched her enter her jet and take off through the entrance in the warehouses' roof. She waved at me from the cockpit. I waved her back.
The warehouse window closed up and I sighed, another women left, damn this Parker luck. The entire place suddenly grew colder, the warmth of companionship was gone, I was alone.
I looked at my helmet, the mask of Spider-man looked back at me. I suppose I wasn't alone...I had the duty that came with this mask. Spider-man had a duty. Billy needed to know his father wasn't a monster.
I swung out into the night without a sound. I had Sexy find Connor's address and swing over to the place. Ironically, it was a few neighborhoods South of my home. I jumped from rooftop to rooftop until I found myself in the tree growing next to the house and inside I heard two people crying.
I focused on the one that sounded younger, I swung over and peaked into the window, the bedroom looked to be that of a young boy and the figure hidden under the covers and crying was short.
I opened the window easily, the noise I made startled the boy. He got up from his bed and looked at me, he gasped, "S-Spider-man?"
"Hey….Billy right?" I climbed in and closed the window behind me.
"H-how do you know who I am?" the kid asked. He wore a set of blue pyjamas with vertical white stripes. His hair was blonde and he had blue eyes which were tinged red from crying.
I sighed, "your father sent me...he wanted me to speak to you."
"Y-you know my daddy?" hope seeping into his voice, "where is he? Is he okay? Is he coming back?"
I sighed, "he's safe Billy and...I don't know when he'll come back though..."
"Oh..." that single word seemed to shatter Billy's dreams, he hanged his head, anger and sadness coming out, "I thought so...I mean...after what he did..."
"What do you think he did?" I asked him.
"He killed people," Billy responded.
"No," I shook my head, approaching his bed and sitting down next to him, "he didn't do that."
"But mom said he was that Lizard thing we saw on the NEWS! That he hurt someone!"
I sighed, "yes, he did hurt someone. And he is the Lizard but, it wasn't him who did all those things."
"What do you mean?" Billy asked.
I sighed, great, I had to explain multiple personality disorder to a ten year old, joy. "It's like this...do you know why he did what he did? Why he became the Lizard?" Billy shook his head, "it's because he was trying to help people. But something went wrong and it turned him into that monster. I stopped him, not only because I needed to save the city, but because I knew the Lizard wasn't who your father really was. He was a good man, and I was trying to save him."
Billy looked down, confusing in his eyes. But slowly, I smelt the anger disappear, "so...he's not a bad guy?"
I shook my head, "no, he's a good man Billy. A kind man. He just...made a mistake. I'm not saying you should forgive him, but you have to at least realise he never meant to do anything he did...he told me to tell you he's sorry….that's why I'm here."
Billy looked down, silent for a while. Finally he looked up at me and with tear filled eyes asked, "c-can you stay? J-just for a while...please?" the last part was almost begging.
I nodded, "of course," I let him rest on my thigh as the boy began to sob, crying himself to sleep. I waited and waited and I honestly didn't mind the wait. As much as Billy needed someone, I also didn't want to be alone.
When he finally did go to sleep I gently placed his head on this pillow and wrote down a quick note and placed it on his bedside. It read: 'It's always easy to hate and harder to forgive. Your father will always love you, I promise. Signed, The Spider.'
I left after that swinging away. I made my way back home, but before I entered my bedroom through the roof, I heard a crash. I quickly looked around and noticed the light in MJ's room was still on, I focused my hearing and immediately picked up something.
"No Mark!"
"MJ, it's just something to cut the edge! You said you were nervous for the gig tomorrow right? This will help."
"Look, if it was weed or some beer then fine, but this is cocaine Mark!"
"Sexy, transform into civilian apparel," I ordered as I jumped across the road, clearing the distance in a single bound. The unstable molecule fabric shimmered as it changed, transforming into what I designated as street clothes, a pair of jeans, black hoodie and sneakers.
I removed my helmet and gauntlets and placed them on the roof, "MJ please, you're acting like a bitch!" I sighed, me sneaking into MJ's room in the middle of the night. Didn't I already graduate form this last year?
"Mark, get out, now!"
"MJ you don't mean that! Look I'm sorry okay, look, I'm putting it away," I jumped onto a nearby tree branch and landed. I turned and got a directly line of sight to MJ's room.
"Mark...I don't think I can keep doing this if you keep doing that," MJ pointed to the trash can, Mark must have thrown it away.
"MJ...look...I'm sorry, but you have no idea the pressure I'm under," Mark begged, "I have the band, my dad, school, it's all so much! I need this!"
"Mark..please, for me," she approached the man with a loving look, "stop...I don't think I can stand the sight of the man I love...becoming a junkie."
Mark looked down and snarled, "yeah right," he pushed her back, "I'm the man you love...as if."
MJ blinked, "what's that supposed to mean?"
"You know what I damn well mean!" Mark yelled.
MJ signed, "Mark, how many times are we going to go over this. Peter and I are just friends!"
"Yeah right!" Mark growled, "you always talk about him, every time you and Liz hang out it's always, Peter this, Peter that. 'Oh Peter adopted a street stary and feed her, isn't he so amazing'? 'Oh, Peter saved a basket of puppies! Let's all suck his fucking dick!'"
MJ narrowed her eyes, "take that back."
"Or what?"
"Or we're thru."
Mark snorted, "I see how it is...I can't even make fun of your precious Peter Parker. What's so special about him?!"
Without skipping a beat, MJ replied, "everything...you won't understand. You don't know him."
"Yeah...and I guess I can't compare to him either," he walked away, grabbing his guitar and slammed the door behind him. MJ feel on her bed, tears running freely. I watched Mark get into his car, which was parked at the end of the road, and drive away.
She cried, I heard her cry loud and hard. I felt the pain and sorrow she held in her heart and I knew I had the same, except I had learnt to hide my feeling a lot better than she ever would.
I walked along the branch and latched onto the side of the house, crawling up to her window and knocking on the frame to alert her to my princess.
She looked up, those brilliant green eyes now clouded and red. She looked up and was surprised, "P-Peter?"
"I was just getting home from swinging when I heard you crying," I said as I climbed into her room, closing the door behind her.
"You did?" she asked in disbelief.
I sighed, "no...I actually heard you and Mark fighting," I said as I sat down on her bed as she got up and wiped away her tears.
"I see..." she looked away, ashamed.
I sighed, "MJ...do you want me to talk to him? Tell him that there's nothing going on between us? I know I never really gave Mark the time of day and all, but that isn't because I hate him or anything. I just never had the time for...well...friends."
"I know Peter," she sniffed, "I know...you have your responsibilities...Mark and I...we have our own problems. He's just blaming them on you because he's the jealous type...it's nothing to do with you."
I put my arm on her shoulder and patted her back, "I'm sorry things turned out this way MJ..I knew you liked him."
"Yeah...but even I'm not stupid enough to stay with a drug addict."
I snorted, "you're not stupid MJ."
"The last boyfriend I had was Harry Osborn," she shot back, a sad smile, "my track record speaks for itself Peter."
I rolled my eyes, "but hey, at least now Harry's acting a lot more responsible...kind off."
"Yeah...I guess that's once again because of you," she pulled away and looked at me, "how do you do that Peter? How do you get people to change so much?"
"What do you mean?" I asked curiously.
"Liz...we both know how she was before all of this. Before we befriended Jean and fought a psychotic metal mutant," MJ sighed, ", then came Harry, the daddy's boy who was a spoilt rich kid became more controlled and even responsible. Hell even Flash is less of a jerk these days."
I snorted, "I think Flash cares more for what Spider-man thinks rather than what I do."
"Maybe...but they are the same person aren't they?" MJ raised an eyebrow.
I shrugged, "yeah...maybe."
"So how? How do you change people so much?"
"Honestly MJ? I don't know. I just live my life and I stand for I what I believe in. I guess...if people think it's worth the risk, they stand with me too."
She was silent, I knew the talking was just...an ideal distraction. She tried to push away her thoughts, she tried to keep herself busy. But I felt the laziness come back.
"I don't know what I'm doing with my life," she whispered.
I reached out and held her hand, "I promise...one day, you'll have it figured out."
"How? How can you possibly know that?"
I knew I shouldn't do it. I knew it was possibly the worst idea I ever had. But I felt so...broken. I felt so hurt. I know this wasn't a proper excuse, but after so many people leaving me...I was desperate for someone to help me lessen the burden.
So I did something so fucking stupid.
I took out my phone and opened the safe gallery, MJ looked at it and raised an eyebrow, "what are you going to do? Show me Captain America's nude?"
I chuckled, "please, Steve's too straight edge to take a nude."
"Only you would call Captain America by his first name," MJ rolled her eyes, "anyway, what are you showing me?"
"Something important," while most people would store nudes in their gallery, I didn't. What I held was much more precious.
I took out a picture I had taken while on Earth 982. A single perfect picture with that version of Peter Parker and his family. He and his MJ stood in the back while May and I grinned arm in arm, standing like siblings.
"When I was lost in another world...I told you I found a version of myself...right?" I looked at her passing the phone to her, letting her look at the image.
"Yeah...wait, isn't this May? That female version of yourself?" MJ asked curiously.
I shook my head, "no...I lied."
"What?" MJ snapped to me.
"She's not a version of me...she's my daughter," I tapped on the photo, zooming in on her features, "her name is May Day Parker, she's the daughter of Spider-man. And she's...she's...she's our kid."
"O-Our kid..." MJ looked shocked, she turned to the image and moved to the version of her that was aged, "t-that's me...oh my God...this is us?"
I shook my head, "no….it's a version of us," I reached out and MJ placed the phone back in my hand with a shaking grip.
"W-what do you mean?"
"In that world I never….I never dated Felicia Hardy," I lied, but she needs to understand the differences between these worlds so that she knew this wasn't technically possible, "in that world, there are a lot of differences. For us….it may not be possible, we probably won't end up...like this. But...look MJ, what I'm trying to say is maybe one day, you will have your happy ending."
MJ looked at me, "Peter...are we going to get married one day?"
I chuckled, "no you idiot," I patted her head, "that's not what I meant. What I meant is that one day you'll have things figured out. I have seen other worlds, in some we never end up together, in a few we do. But in almost all of them...you figure it out." The last part was a lie, I had to think off something up, I could feel the false hope I had installed in her.
Oh God, what have I done? I regret showing her the picture, of promising her a future at her most vulnerable. I'm a monster.
"I see..." MJ looked down, "so...we don't end up together…."
I looked at her, "I honestly don't know...the future is kind off a shitty thing MJ. But I do know one thing. Tomorrow will always be a new day. For you and for Mark. I don't think we can ever be this picture MJ...we're just too different. But maybe you can still have your happy ending."
I got off the bed and walked to the window, trying my best to get out of there as fast as I could. I had done so much damage already in my selfish desire to not be alone anymore. I was a cruel sadistic monster.
And then, MJ spoke, "I guess I should have asked you out the first moment I met you huh?"
I paused as I stepped on her window sill and looked back. I smiled sadly, "maybe...maybe things would have been different. Who knows...good night MJ," and please forgive me.
I left right after and went back to my room. She didn't cry that night, the crying stopped, I was glad. But I prayed it wasn't because she was thinking I would be her safety net, because I knew if she did try and love me, I could never love her back. It would not be fair to that poor and innocent girl.
And the reason was simple...I was still in love with Felicia Hardy. Damn that girl. I fucking hate my love life.
The days quickly flew by for me. I went to school, but only paid half a mind to it. It was more of a compulsion now than an actual need, I fucking hate Richard for this.
Mark and MJ broke up officially two days after I saw them fight, MJ and Liz became closer as such. The red head had joined back with Harry and Flash, the toxic gang I had to deal with in my first year was back.
All that work Felicia and I did to remove them from those two idiots were for nothing now. But...with Harry's new responsible attitude in life, I think things won't turn out that bad this time around.
Hopefully.
MJ and Liz trying to reach out and get me to hang out with their new gang, but I also figured a way out, either work or work. Liz understood, while MJ seemed more annoyed. She wanted to sit down and talk about us...and I knew I could never have that conversation with her.
I continued patrolling the streets as Spider-man, though nowadays criminal gangs avoided me like the plague. Even Matt rarely encountered them on the streets anymore. They hide and try their best to make a profit, though I doubt their revenue streams are that wide now.
So with that being said, I was able to donate a lot of time to my new costume and preparing it for combat. But first I had to make a few adjustments for my present costume.
I created a new backpack design for the suit, but now, I added a new feature, I lined the inside of the bag with a self created bag of infinite storage. It was a relatively simple idea, but being able to store more technology inside the backpack made hiding the costume so much easier.
Not that I was hiding it. Since the fabric could transform, I don't technically have to use it. I just uploaded a new design into the suit's memory banks, wash it a couple of times and presto, I never have to remove the suit.
Sue did find it a bit disgusting, but didn't object too much. It was an ingenious idea after all.
Speaking of Susan Storm...well, I can't say anything about that woman. She continued to ignore me, reducing our relationship back to a professional and mentor-mentee manor. I didn't mind, I knew she found being with me in any form uncomfortable. But I...I thought she would at least mention something.
But, it just seemed like another part of my life that was cut out. And so i accepted it, it's not like I could change her mind...nor did I want too.
I had also finally finished the Spider-tank project, my car still sat in Johnny's lab, since I had yet to finish testing its full capabilities, but all the new additions were installed perfectly.
Life had gotten clam...but I knew it was only the calm after the storm. And around mid May, the storm came.
I had woken up late that day and rushed through my daily activities. I put on my UMF suit and set it to civilian wear number 6, a favorite of mine. A set of baggy pants, a baggier shirt and a shirt over that to give me a sort of relaxed stoner vibe.
I hurried through breakfast, wishing everyone a good day as I left home. MJ had already left for school so I didn't have to wait for her. I ran like a bat out off hell and made it just in the nick of time. I walked in and immediately I knew something was off.
People were chatting amongst themselves, chatting up a storm. I grew curious, but before I could ask anyone anything, they all slowly turned to me.
I blinked, they were all staring at me. I was kind of surprised really. I looked back at them, "ah...can I help you?"
"He's here!" someone cried out from down the hall. I turned to see MJ and Liz running to me, everyone else still looking right at me.
"Hey you two," I wished them both, "what's going on? You both look like you've seen a ghost."
"Peter, you need to go!" MJ hissed as she and Liz grabbed me and made a beeline to the exit.
"What? Why?" I asked, and suddenly I realised the people were moving around us, blocking our way.
"Do you think it's true?"
"No way in hell man."
"I mean, it would make sense, he does work for the FF."
"No way in freaking hell," another hissed out.
"Get away," Liz hissed them, immediately forming a clear path through the crowd, she pulled us me and ran out the door.
"Guys, what the hell is going on?!" I asked them both as we left the school.
"Peter!" I turned to see Harry of all people running up to us, his eyes wide with shock, "is it true?"
I blinked, "what the hell are you talking about?"
"Peter, we have to go," MJ hissed, "where's your car? You need to leave!"
"What? Why?" I asked, pulling my arm out of her grapes, "MJ, what the hell is going on?!"
"This!" Liz yelled as she shoved a phone into my hands. And on the screen was a tweet, a single tweet with a single photo. It was under the account name of 'Victor Von Doom'. And the tweet was short;
Peter Parker is Spider-man
And attached to the tweet was a picture of me in my lab in the Baxter building wearing my suit, without the helmet. My face was clearly seen, there was no question of it being faked.
The tweet had been shared over a billion times.
I looked up, MJ, Liz and Harry were waiting for my reaction. I was too shocked to do anything. This was Doom's revenge...he wasn't after the FF, no, first, he needed to destroy me.
I suddenly realised that it wasn't just three pairs of eyes on me, it was hundreds. Everyone in school were either outside with us or looking out through a window. Immediately I began to think of an excuse, immediately I began to think of ways to push this away. And I got one.
I sighed, "I'm not Spider-man," I said smoothly, handing Liz's phone back to her.
"What?!" Harry cried out, "but that's clearly you!"
I nodded, "yes, it is. I don't deny that. But, I'm not Spider-man, I made that suit. I built it and I also tested it. That is what this picture showed."
Harry blinked, "y-you built it?"
I nodded, "yeah. Why do you think Spidey keeps swinging over to the Baxter building? I build his tech."
The students began to chatter very loudly, whispering to themselves. Some didn't believe me, others, who continued to remember how Peter Parker was a nerd, found it more possible.
"Then why did Doom say you are?" Harry asked, "he has no reason to lie."
I nodded, "he has every reason to lie. He's an egotistical mad man, he can't stand the fact that he was drafted, especially at the hands of Spider-man. He's planning to go after the FF and Spidey. What better way to do that then by removing his tech guy from the equation?"
That got people talking, they seemed more and more likely to believe me now. All of them looked more accepting of this 'fact'. Yes, I can do this, I can win!
And then, my spider sense blared. I turned, a missile came straight for us. I moved before I realised I was doing it. I had to save my friends and the hundreds of teenagers around me. I leaped into the air and spun my hands, forming a magical shield.
I didn't even realise I was forming a whip of Vastha until it was already wrapped around the missile and flug into the school's football field where it impacted and destroyed a huge chuck of the stands.
BOOM!
I landed on my feet and panted. People were gasping in shock. Slowly five figures descended from the sky, each dressed in green. I looked up, five Doom robots looked down at me.
These models looked more advanced, if anything they looked like someone had taken Tony's mark 8 armour design and painted it green and silver with a glowing green arc reactor
"Target identified," the five spoke as one as they raised their arms, revealing arm size rockets attached to them, "proceeding to eliminate with maximum hostility."
And I knew right then, my life as I knew it was over. Doom gave me a choice, reveal myself to the world, or die. That was no real choice.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone