ProjectX2
Don't expect me to take you with me when I go to s
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- Sep 15, 2004
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icemastertron said:
Lies.
Goodwill Presents... Spider-Man!
- Thread starter Goodwill
- Start date
Lies.
Ice
Teh Sexy Monkey Queen
Sorry, meant havent been STAYING on too long.
Goodwill
Well-Known Member
It's cool, Ice. 
Goodwill
Well-Known Member
Spider-Man #9
One Man Team Part Five of Five
Peter had the high ground. Unfortunately, for him though, the circumstances deemed his position the disadvantage wherever he stood. Five men, all with a unique ability that was potentially lethal, formed a semi-circle around him, all of which expressed their entertainment in watching Peter squirm. Peter wished he had the ability to process shock at a much faster rate than what he was doing.
Electro did not hesitate to make the first move on his prey. Jutting his arm in Peter's direction, he cast a lightning bolt from his fingertips to strike him, however, Peter's reaction time was much improved. He leapt for on a much higher position on the church and tried to concoct a plan. He noticed that the group all seemed to act as one, save one member, who seemed oddly apprehensive to advance on Peter.
This member was the Green Goblin. Without Kraven, Vulture had the Absorbing Man and Electro to do his bidding, however, for some reason, the Goblin didn't seem inclined to fight Spider-Man. Perhaps Peter could get him to fight along side of him yet. There was hope, but Peter didn't want to destroy it by drawing attention to him or doing something to convince him otherwise.
Another lightning bolt was fired and, again, Peter avoided it. This time, though, instead of hopping to another safe place, he dived into Electro and brought him to the ground. The two of them combined did a role in aggression and Electro was spat out into a gargoyle on the other side of the church. Peter was relieved he didn't actually throw him off the side of the building.
Peter looked at the maimed Electro, who was tangled in his own appendages. "Man," he said in sarcasm. "You make a better pretzel than you do a night light. You sure you got the right look for you?"
Peter's first mistake was that he completely neglected Kraven. He considered him out of the fight, however, that wasn't the case. He pounced on Peter from the side, bringing him down, pinned to the cement roof of the church. Kraven brought out a bowie knife from his side and gingerly rested the blade on Peter's neck. Kraven started to toy with the edge of Peter's mask.
"What do you want me to do with him, boss?" asked Kraven, still staring longingly into Peter's bug lenses.
The Goblin was about to speak, but the Vulture cut him off. "Kill him."
Kraven drew the knife further back and prepared to shove it into Peter's flesh; however, in the next moment the tables would soon turn.
The Goblin dived at Kraven, forced him off of Peter, sent the knife flying, and rolled as Spider-Man and Electro did a few minutes ago. In the midst of the roll, punches were being thrown, but the tussle met its climax when the Green Goblin kicked Kraven off the side of the building. The Green Goblin watched as Kraven bursted through a window of a building parallel to the church. He turned around to find that Spider-Man had gotten to his feet and the two of them were being forced off of the side.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" the Goblin asked, peering at Spider-Man.
"Probably not," Spider-Man admitted. Again, riding on his instinct, Peter pitched the Green Goblin over his shoulder and leapt from the building and started to swing away from the church. He thought this would be the end of the fight; after all, after what happened to Kraven, Peter didn't want to continue.
The Vulture was persistent, though. "Electro," he cackled. "Get up, we're on the movie… Absorbing Man, I'll force them to the George Washington Bridge, be ready!"
The frail Vulture followed Spider-Man off the side of the building and with an outward push of his arms; he sent his makeshift wings out to his wrists. He was in flight and very aggressive at this point. Because of his skills as a pilot with these wings, the Vulture caught up to Peter with ease.
The Green Goblin was facing backwards, watching both the Vulture and Electro gain on Spider-Man. "Watch your back, Spidey! Vulture's coming at you pretty fast! AAARRGH!"
Just as he had spoken, the Vulture took a swipe at Peter's web swing and cut it loose, sending both him and the Goblin plummeting to the streets. He pulled back on his wings and waited to see what Spider-Man would do next.
Peter's head was whirling. The tingling feeling in his head had now reached a climax and it threw Peter off the right course to find a solution to the problem. The Green Goblin, pounding on his back like a scared child on a roller coaster, was not helping either. He needed to think. "Hold on," He told the Goblin firmly when he came to a solution. He stuck his wrist out and aimed towards a flag poll jutting from one of the hotels he was around. Peter shot a strand of web fluid towards it and recovered his swing. He continued to cut loose from each strand sooner than he usually would so that he could avoid getting cut down by Vulture again. Peter found that, by doing this, he went significantly faster, too, which helped him a great deal.
Electro flew gracefully towards them, surpassing even the Vulture. He began to fire off electric waves to meet Spider-Man, but all died before they could reach him.
"Could you take care of him?" Spider-Man said. "I can't have these sneakers singed, ok?"
The Goblin smirked. Rummaging through his pockets, the Goblin was trying to find a swift solution to the problem. Then, out of luck, he found three gas pellets in which he used to dupe the guards last night at the heist. First, he tossed one towards Electro and the wind caught it, making it explode on a sensitive breeze. The Goblin would have to be more precise with his timing. Then, when he felt the breeze pause, he chucked another but overshot. He hurried and threw the third, in his final effort, and made contact. The pellet exploded in his face and expelled the same gas it did on the guards. Electro struggled for air and eventually plummeted into a hotel's canopy.
"Are you gonna land soon?" the Goblin asked. "The first pellet I threw broke in the wind and it's starting to catch up with us…" He began holding his nose to avoid smelling the potent odor.
Peter could smell it, too. "Oh, dear," he said trying to swing while, at the same time, combating the scent. "Yeah, we're coming in for a landing…"
Peter had, unfortunately, landed on the platform in which the Vulture had hoped he would – the George Washington Bridge.
The Goblin jumped from Peter's shoulder to meet the Vulture as he came in for a landing, while Peter looked around for ways in which he could help.
Suddenly, a fist came down and smacked Peter in the back of the head, sending him to the pavement. The Absorbing Man had caught up with them and it was his turn to reveal to Peter just what he was capable of. Peter saw that the Vulture and the Green Goblin were already intensely involved, so he rounded on the Absorbing Man.
He looked up and saw what he first thought was a different person. The Absorbing man was now made of concrete and even had a yellow stripe running along the center of his body – he had absorbed the substance in which he was standing on. No longer was there a bush of hair on the top of his head, either; instead, there was a bald scalp that merely continued the street's design. Peter pegged him as a mutant and, because of how hard he punched, Peter figured he was as strong as the substance in which he stood on, too. The Absorbing Man would be a force to be reckoned with.
"When I hit you," the Absorbing Man grumbled. "You're supposed to stay down." He swung at Peter again, this time catching him in the chest. Peter flew well across the bridge and into one of the pillars. His unrelenting opponent pursued him and, as Peter watched, the Absorbing Man had a difficult time picking his feet off of the pavement.
Although he was now staggering, Peter still found the strength in his legs to walk. He shot webbing around Absorbing Man's feet, hoping it would trip him; however, his idea didn't work. He began to tug with all his might, but again, there was no result. Now, Absorbing Man reached down and started to tug, too, and he was coming along more easily than Peter was. It was a tug of war match between David and Goliath, and this time David, Spider-Man, was going to get squashed if he couldn't help it. Fortunately, though, Peter still had the advantage since he could control the length of the string. He drew the string longer until he was at the side of the bridge. Then, without thought, Peter jumped from the side, hoping that his weight would be enough to throw Absorbing Man over. As he dangled there, he thought he had failed, but the moment the strand started jerking violently he felt he had a chance. Then, as a man off the diving board, the Absorbing Man was flung from the bridge and into the water. It was strange, though; there was no splash, however, Peter did not care. He had beaten the Absorbing Man with a certain amount of ease.
When he climbed up the rope, he saw what he feared would happen. Cars had been overturned, modest fires had been started and spread, and the Vulture had overthrown the Goblin. The Green Goblin was lying on his side with Vulture's foot resting on his neck, ready to snap at any moment.
"That's enough," Spider-Man said, limping over to the Vulture. "I-I can't let you do that…" The fight had gone by so fast and had taken so much out of Peter that he couldn't string a proper sentence together. He was riding on nothing but luck now.
"What the hell are you going to do?" the Vulture snapped. "You'll be responsible for all of this, you know that, right? All that I did tonight will be blamed on you. You're not even worth a fight… Isn't it great to be a celebrity? That's why we wanted you to join, you know, since you were so popular! We decided since you were such a glory hog, why not dump everything on to you when something goes wrong?"
Peter had been hit hard again. After the struggle he had been through today, no one would believe that he had done good for the City. He even thought that he would probably need to have a talk with Doctor Conners and Deb about this.
"What was your beef with Stromm anyway?" Peter asked. He noticed the Green Goblin was stirring. If he could buy his time, perhaps he could avoid fighting the Vulture.
"It's all a game, Spider-Man," the Vulture replied. "I've been a pawn since as long as I can remember… I was just taking my turn."
Peter was incredibly confused by this comment. Surely there was more to it, but it was extremely vague at the time. Peter would press him with more questions.
The Green Goblin sat bolt upright. "Whose turn is it now? Mine?" He asked, as he put a fist into the Vulture's stomach. He threw his legs outward so he could earn his footing and paced around the Vulture, now keeled in a fetal position. "I shoulda never trusted you… You were the one with all the brains. I was the one with the brains, too!" The Green Goblin was speaking with such passion that Peter retreated a little bit to make sure he didn't get caught up into it. "You had every intention to be the one on top, but I knew that would never happen. You knew that would never happen. I guess being the one with the brain, you just assumed that no one else does…" The Green Goblin picked him up by the top rung of the harness. He spat in his face and walked towards the bridge, but, instead, glanced at Spider-Man. "Could you- you know… Web him? The cops are coming, we can just leave him here."
"My pleasure," Peter said, dashing around the Vulture's body. The webs worked well; the Vulture was soon apprehended.
Green Goblin tossed him on top of an overturned car and walked towards Peter as the sirens wailed towards them. "Well," he said. "This is it." He greeted him with a handshake.
"Thank you," Peter said generously. He couldn't have beaten the outrageous numbers without a little help. He extended his hand in friendship to the Green Goblin.
"You keep doing what you're doing," the Goblin said to Peter. "I can tell you're doing a lot of good."
"What? Is this sarcasm?" Peter asked, as the Green Goblin began to strut away.
He stood in one place. "No, no. You know what's right and wrong. You stood against the majority tonight. That's guts right there."
"Well, thank you," Peter said. It was good to know Peter had a fan.
"Don't thank me," explained the Goblin. "Just keep doing whatever it is you're doing… No matter what the Bugle says."
Peter walked away assured that what he was doing was for a benefit. Not everyone was going to realize what Spider-Man was doing was justified over night. In his uncle's vein he would continue his crusade for justice now with a more cautious step and a more relaxed attitude. People would try to bring Peter down, but, from now on, Peter wouldn't let them.
One Man Team Part Five of Five
Peter had the high ground. Unfortunately, for him though, the circumstances deemed his position the disadvantage wherever he stood. Five men, all with a unique ability that was potentially lethal, formed a semi-circle around him, all of which expressed their entertainment in watching Peter squirm. Peter wished he had the ability to process shock at a much faster rate than what he was doing.
Electro did not hesitate to make the first move on his prey. Jutting his arm in Peter's direction, he cast a lightning bolt from his fingertips to strike him, however, Peter's reaction time was much improved. He leapt for on a much higher position on the church and tried to concoct a plan. He noticed that the group all seemed to act as one, save one member, who seemed oddly apprehensive to advance on Peter.
This member was the Green Goblin. Without Kraven, Vulture had the Absorbing Man and Electro to do his bidding, however, for some reason, the Goblin didn't seem inclined to fight Spider-Man. Perhaps Peter could get him to fight along side of him yet. There was hope, but Peter didn't want to destroy it by drawing attention to him or doing something to convince him otherwise.
Another lightning bolt was fired and, again, Peter avoided it. This time, though, instead of hopping to another safe place, he dived into Electro and brought him to the ground. The two of them combined did a role in aggression and Electro was spat out into a gargoyle on the other side of the church. Peter was relieved he didn't actually throw him off the side of the building.
Peter looked at the maimed Electro, who was tangled in his own appendages. "Man," he said in sarcasm. "You make a better pretzel than you do a night light. You sure you got the right look for you?"
Peter's first mistake was that he completely neglected Kraven. He considered him out of the fight, however, that wasn't the case. He pounced on Peter from the side, bringing him down, pinned to the cement roof of the church. Kraven brought out a bowie knife from his side and gingerly rested the blade on Peter's neck. Kraven started to toy with the edge of Peter's mask.
"What do you want me to do with him, boss?" asked Kraven, still staring longingly into Peter's bug lenses.
The Goblin was about to speak, but the Vulture cut him off. "Kill him."
Kraven drew the knife further back and prepared to shove it into Peter's flesh; however, in the next moment the tables would soon turn.
The Goblin dived at Kraven, forced him off of Peter, sent the knife flying, and rolled as Spider-Man and Electro did a few minutes ago. In the midst of the roll, punches were being thrown, but the tussle met its climax when the Green Goblin kicked Kraven off the side of the building. The Green Goblin watched as Kraven bursted through a window of a building parallel to the church. He turned around to find that Spider-Man had gotten to his feet and the two of them were being forced off of the side.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" the Goblin asked, peering at Spider-Man.
"Probably not," Spider-Man admitted. Again, riding on his instinct, Peter pitched the Green Goblin over his shoulder and leapt from the building and started to swing away from the church. He thought this would be the end of the fight; after all, after what happened to Kraven, Peter didn't want to continue.
The Vulture was persistent, though. "Electro," he cackled. "Get up, we're on the movie… Absorbing Man, I'll force them to the George Washington Bridge, be ready!"
The frail Vulture followed Spider-Man off the side of the building and with an outward push of his arms; he sent his makeshift wings out to his wrists. He was in flight and very aggressive at this point. Because of his skills as a pilot with these wings, the Vulture caught up to Peter with ease.
The Green Goblin was facing backwards, watching both the Vulture and Electro gain on Spider-Man. "Watch your back, Spidey! Vulture's coming at you pretty fast! AAARRGH!"
Just as he had spoken, the Vulture took a swipe at Peter's web swing and cut it loose, sending both him and the Goblin plummeting to the streets. He pulled back on his wings and waited to see what Spider-Man would do next.
Peter's head was whirling. The tingling feeling in his head had now reached a climax and it threw Peter off the right course to find a solution to the problem. The Green Goblin, pounding on his back like a scared child on a roller coaster, was not helping either. He needed to think. "Hold on," He told the Goblin firmly when he came to a solution. He stuck his wrist out and aimed towards a flag poll jutting from one of the hotels he was around. Peter shot a strand of web fluid towards it and recovered his swing. He continued to cut loose from each strand sooner than he usually would so that he could avoid getting cut down by Vulture again. Peter found that, by doing this, he went significantly faster, too, which helped him a great deal.
Electro flew gracefully towards them, surpassing even the Vulture. He began to fire off electric waves to meet Spider-Man, but all died before they could reach him.
"Could you take care of him?" Spider-Man said. "I can't have these sneakers singed, ok?"
The Goblin smirked. Rummaging through his pockets, the Goblin was trying to find a swift solution to the problem. Then, out of luck, he found three gas pellets in which he used to dupe the guards last night at the heist. First, he tossed one towards Electro and the wind caught it, making it explode on a sensitive breeze. The Goblin would have to be more precise with his timing. Then, when he felt the breeze pause, he chucked another but overshot. He hurried and threw the third, in his final effort, and made contact. The pellet exploded in his face and expelled the same gas it did on the guards. Electro struggled for air and eventually plummeted into a hotel's canopy.
"Are you gonna land soon?" the Goblin asked. "The first pellet I threw broke in the wind and it's starting to catch up with us…" He began holding his nose to avoid smelling the potent odor.
Peter could smell it, too. "Oh, dear," he said trying to swing while, at the same time, combating the scent. "Yeah, we're coming in for a landing…"
Peter had, unfortunately, landed on the platform in which the Vulture had hoped he would – the George Washington Bridge.
The Goblin jumped from Peter's shoulder to meet the Vulture as he came in for a landing, while Peter looked around for ways in which he could help.
Suddenly, a fist came down and smacked Peter in the back of the head, sending him to the pavement. The Absorbing Man had caught up with them and it was his turn to reveal to Peter just what he was capable of. Peter saw that the Vulture and the Green Goblin were already intensely involved, so he rounded on the Absorbing Man.
He looked up and saw what he first thought was a different person. The Absorbing man was now made of concrete and even had a yellow stripe running along the center of his body – he had absorbed the substance in which he was standing on. No longer was there a bush of hair on the top of his head, either; instead, there was a bald scalp that merely continued the street's design. Peter pegged him as a mutant and, because of how hard he punched, Peter figured he was as strong as the substance in which he stood on, too. The Absorbing Man would be a force to be reckoned with.
"When I hit you," the Absorbing Man grumbled. "You're supposed to stay down." He swung at Peter again, this time catching him in the chest. Peter flew well across the bridge and into one of the pillars. His unrelenting opponent pursued him and, as Peter watched, the Absorbing Man had a difficult time picking his feet off of the pavement.
Although he was now staggering, Peter still found the strength in his legs to walk. He shot webbing around Absorbing Man's feet, hoping it would trip him; however, his idea didn't work. He began to tug with all his might, but again, there was no result. Now, Absorbing Man reached down and started to tug, too, and he was coming along more easily than Peter was. It was a tug of war match between David and Goliath, and this time David, Spider-Man, was going to get squashed if he couldn't help it. Fortunately, though, Peter still had the advantage since he could control the length of the string. He drew the string longer until he was at the side of the bridge. Then, without thought, Peter jumped from the side, hoping that his weight would be enough to throw Absorbing Man over. As he dangled there, he thought he had failed, but the moment the strand started jerking violently he felt he had a chance. Then, as a man off the diving board, the Absorbing Man was flung from the bridge and into the water. It was strange, though; there was no splash, however, Peter did not care. He had beaten the Absorbing Man with a certain amount of ease.
When he climbed up the rope, he saw what he feared would happen. Cars had been overturned, modest fires had been started and spread, and the Vulture had overthrown the Goblin. The Green Goblin was lying on his side with Vulture's foot resting on his neck, ready to snap at any moment.
"That's enough," Spider-Man said, limping over to the Vulture. "I-I can't let you do that…" The fight had gone by so fast and had taken so much out of Peter that he couldn't string a proper sentence together. He was riding on nothing but luck now.
"What the hell are you going to do?" the Vulture snapped. "You'll be responsible for all of this, you know that, right? All that I did tonight will be blamed on you. You're not even worth a fight… Isn't it great to be a celebrity? That's why we wanted you to join, you know, since you were so popular! We decided since you were such a glory hog, why not dump everything on to you when something goes wrong?"
Peter had been hit hard again. After the struggle he had been through today, no one would believe that he had done good for the City. He even thought that he would probably need to have a talk with Doctor Conners and Deb about this.
"What was your beef with Stromm anyway?" Peter asked. He noticed the Green Goblin was stirring. If he could buy his time, perhaps he could avoid fighting the Vulture.
"It's all a game, Spider-Man," the Vulture replied. "I've been a pawn since as long as I can remember… I was just taking my turn."
Peter was incredibly confused by this comment. Surely there was more to it, but it was extremely vague at the time. Peter would press him with more questions.
The Green Goblin sat bolt upright. "Whose turn is it now? Mine?" He asked, as he put a fist into the Vulture's stomach. He threw his legs outward so he could earn his footing and paced around the Vulture, now keeled in a fetal position. "I shoulda never trusted you… You were the one with all the brains. I was the one with the brains, too!" The Green Goblin was speaking with such passion that Peter retreated a little bit to make sure he didn't get caught up into it. "You had every intention to be the one on top, but I knew that would never happen. You knew that would never happen. I guess being the one with the brain, you just assumed that no one else does…" The Green Goblin picked him up by the top rung of the harness. He spat in his face and walked towards the bridge, but, instead, glanced at Spider-Man. "Could you- you know… Web him? The cops are coming, we can just leave him here."
"My pleasure," Peter said, dashing around the Vulture's body. The webs worked well; the Vulture was soon apprehended.
Green Goblin tossed him on top of an overturned car and walked towards Peter as the sirens wailed towards them. "Well," he said. "This is it." He greeted him with a handshake.
"Thank you," Peter said generously. He couldn't have beaten the outrageous numbers without a little help. He extended his hand in friendship to the Green Goblin.
"You keep doing what you're doing," the Goblin said to Peter. "I can tell you're doing a lot of good."
"What? Is this sarcasm?" Peter asked, as the Green Goblin began to strut away.
He stood in one place. "No, no. You know what's right and wrong. You stood against the majority tonight. That's guts right there."
"Well, thank you," Peter said. It was good to know Peter had a fan.
"Don't thank me," explained the Goblin. "Just keep doing whatever it is you're doing… No matter what the Bugle says."
Peter walked away assured that what he was doing was for a benefit. Not everyone was going to realize what Spider-Man was doing was justified over night. In his uncle's vein he would continue his crusade for justice now with a more cautious step and a more relaxed attitude. People would try to bring Peter down, but, from now on, Peter wouldn't let them.
Ice
Teh Sexy Monkey Queen
Up to #6.
Great descrition, good dialouge, enjoyable chapters overall. Better than what I do, really.
Looking foward to catching up on the rest.
Great descrition, good dialouge, enjoyable chapters overall. Better than what I do, really.
Looking foward to catching up on the rest.
Pandrio
Well-Known Member
Good conclusion. :rockon::rockon::rockon::rockon:.75 out of five. So, for the whole arc, :rockon::rockon::rockon::rockon:.5 out of 5. I like the way you developed the Green Goblin character. Look forward to the next chapter/arc .
.
Last edited:
Goodwill
Well-Known Member
Yeah, the next arc kind of takes things back... It's certainly not as driven by action and suspense as this was. I wanted to focus on a supporting cast member for about four issues and decided to work in a villain from his/her past. I think you guys will have just as much fun with it as I had writing it!
Goodwill
Well-Known Member
For those of you who read my Sinister Six arc, which member was your favorite? Why?
Pandrio
Well-Known Member
Goblin, the change on the character worked well.Goodwill said:
Goodwill
Well-Known Member
Based on the characters that we know, who do you think the Goblin is?
Goodwill
Well-Known Member
I will release the next issue on Wednesday... I think that'll be a good enough time. Prepare yourselves for a new villain!
Goodwill
Well-Known Member
Spider-Man #10
A Shadow Part One of Three
Since his reputation as Spider-Man had been tarnished, Peter felt compelled to change it. Perhaps his thoughts backtracked to the days in high school where he gained or lost credibility by the clothes he wore or the people he associated himself with that convinced him this was an issue, however, whatever it was Peter would stop at nothing to prove his worth to a city that would be more inclined to spit on him rather than to applaud his efforts. Sure, Peter had been told by the Green Goblin that if what he did didn't make as big an impression as he would like it wouldn't matter as long as the streets are cleaner, but something was driving him to change the course of this city drastically within the next few times he donned his Spider-Man mask.
Currently, Peter found himself traipsing along the green to visit Debra Whitman's dormitory. He had an idea that would, in turn, create a more appealing Spider-Man, and he decided that Deb was the only person that could help him out. After all of the conflict between the two of them, Peter thought it would be a shot in the dark, but one worth taking.
As he approached her facility, he saw her out front and called, "Hey, good morning, beautiful!" to her. Peter jogged in her direction to greet her.
Deb smiled. She tried to conceal the fact that Peter calling her "beautiful" amused her, but her attempt floundered. "'Morning," she yawned, kneeling to get her morning paper. "Oh, here's something… You're not on the front page for the first time in a week…"
Peter laughed. "Eh, when you get time to look through it, there'll be something about me. I doubt there will be anything past the third page, though, I'm usually top priority for the Bugle," Peter joked. His joke fell flat and Deb, rolling her eyes, started to walk away. "What? So, I'm getting used to this publicity thing…"
"Peter, listen to you," Debra said desperately. "You don't even sound like the same person anymore. All it is with you now is keeping secrets and going to sleep every night knowing that I could wake up to find you dead on the newspaper!" You could tell that this was taking a lot out of her, not just because it was probably too early to exert so much feeling into what she was saying, but she genuinely cared about Peter. "You're really starting to scare me!"
Peter stood there, frozen. Had she not listened to what he said before? Then, for the first time, ice water had been dumped on his head since the spider bite. Peter didn't realize how much he had pulled himself away from what world he knew to become Spider-Man until now, when a person was struggling to have a relationship with him. He wondered how Aunt May and Harry were. Did they feel as distant from Peter as Deb did? It was really an exhausting experience to stand here and plead for a solution, that Peter tucked his hands and their contents behind his back, making sure Deb wouldn't see.
"What is that?" Deb said, inching around Peter's back so that she could see what he was trying to hide from her. Peter immaturely backed away whenever she advanced. She finally got a hold of his arm and began to tug rigorously, trying to see what more Peter had to keep from her. Finally, Peter stopped struggling with her and revealed the material to her. She looked up at him in disappointment.
"Ski masks weren't my thing," Peter said, blushing. He didn't even try to smile, either, he thought the mood was entirely too tense to pull something over like that. Her expression of despair and resentment made Peter wince. "Deb, I--"
Deb exhausted a stressful sound. "What do you want me to do with all this? This is way too much extra cloth for just a mask, Peter."
"Well," Peter muttered, hesitant. "I want you to make me, uh, a, uh… A costume."
"What?" Deb spouted. "You want me to make you tights? Peter, what is going on with you?! First it was a mask and now a--"
"Deb, Deb!" Peter intervened. "I know, alright?" Suddenly, Peter was getting extremely animated. Maybe it was because he felt as if he was confined in a room with locks, but he was caught up in the moment. "Just know that there's a method to my madness." He was donning a new costume not only to become a public figure, but also to protect those he loved. By wearing a costume, no one would recognize he was Peter Parker. "Like I said, just keep the faith… Besides, I can make it up to you…"
"And how are you going to do that?" Deb said indignantly.
Peter gulped. After the tense situation, Peter could either make it worse or make it better. It was worth a shot, regardless, so he went for it. "I could take you out or something… Just you and I. We'll get a movie or something."
"Well, do you wanna come over to my house for dinner, say, next Saturday?" She said, obviously interested. "I need to get some measurements from you for this costume of yours." Peter could see the doubt and the disbelief in her eyes; however, he knew he could do something to change her mind. Peter had no choice.
"Yeah, I'll bring a movie, then," Peter said with a modest smirk. He had recovered from his crash. "Here," he said, handing Debra the cloth. "I'll see you at around seven?" Peter asked.
"It's a date," Debra responded.
Peter walked away with the weirdest feeling. He was happy, of course, for the fact that he was going to spend more time with Debra on a more personal level, but also, he couldn't help but feel that he was opening up to a whole bunch of trouble. If Peter were to get involved with Debra, which would be one more person he would have to watch even more close to. Of course, she was the first person he ever spoke about Ben to in all of his three years outside of May, so she had to be something. It would be a burden, but, at long last, Peter thought so was watching over an entire city. If Peter were to get involved with Debra, he would treat her as a regular girlfriend; when he was with her, for instance, he would not be Spider-Man.
The differences in Peter's two identities were adding up, which was not an obvious thing to him.
* * *
Peter returned home after talking to Debra, only to leave again. He needed to stop for lunch and collect up a few things before going over to Dr. Conners to see what he could to help him set up for his new research. Peter was apprehensive about going to Conner's lab at first since he thought it would only end up as the meeting with Debra did, however, he couldn't shy away from something like this. Peter needed to handle these situations like an adult. Peter was responsible for the mess he made, after all.
Just as Peter was going to walk out the door, Harry was walking in. Peter hadn't really taken the time to pay attention before, but it seemed that the cuts and bruises on Harry's body were more serious than Peter originally anticipated. Behind him, lurked a girl, unfamiliar to Peter. Peter gave Harry a searching look; he needed answers. First there were these unusual lacerations cropping up all over his body and now a girl was coming into their apartment?
"Oh, hey, Pete," Harry said, as he awkwardly slid past Peter in the narrow entrance. The girl followed, smiling vibrantly and batting her cat eyes at Peter. "What's new with you?"
"Nothing," Peter said. "And you? I see you've made a few new friends."
Harry flung around to look at Peter, his smile was as wide as he could get it; however, it was stunted since the swelling in one of his cheeks. "Oh," Harry laughed, jovially. He seemed quite foolish, too, which was an odd trait Harry must've picked up recently. "This is Gwen Stacy, Pete."
Peter smiled warmly and extended his hand in friendship. "It's good to meet you."
"Good to meet you, too," she replied, biting her bottom lip. She was certainly flirtatious.
"Hey, Pete," Harry said, rummaging through the kitchen for something for him and his friend to eat. "Are you gonna be able to come to my show tonight? We're gonna play two new songs…"
Peter was halfway through the door, but replied, "Can't. I've gotta meet Doctor Conners. He's gonna show me what he's been up to the past two weeks."
"Well, ok," Harry said, slightly dejected. "Is this one of Conners' 'cure for cancer' ideas?"
"Don't know it is," Peter said. "But I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what's up."
Harry gave Peter a weak smile and waved at him as he went out the door. Peter didn't bother to engage in any further conversation. It was best Peter left Harry with his new friend. It hurt, though, to know that even his roommate was growing distant to him. Peter didn't really think he had devoted as much attention to his career as Spider-Man as he could, but now the same could be said about spending time with his loved ones. This was tearing Peter apart, but he wouldn't let anyone know about that. Peter was too strong to let his guard down.
* * *
While Peter was walking to the laboratory, he could not help but think about his short career as Spider-Man. Since the spider bite, Peter had been fortunate enough to experience life as a person whose extraordinary abilities reached far beyond those that surrounded him. It was something that Peter couldn't come to grips with that this was all too good to be true. Not only did his new powers change Peter's perspective on life, but also they erected a barrier between him and so many aspects in his life. His abilities at work and in his college courses were hindered and, on top of that, Peter was distanced from his loved ones, who, despite Peter's absence, pressed on. It was a sort of unsettling feeling because he was trying to use his powers in a positive way, but nothing seemed to pan out the way they should. Peter was still convinced that he could prove his worth to New York City and, at the same time, maintain his values in life. The only thing missing in this equation, of course, was a person in distress or a villain who needed punishing.
The thoughts were still fresh in his head when Peter entered Conners' lab. When Peter walked in, he felt almost as if he stood in a completely different room than he did when he was last here, when the spider bit him. There was what appeared to be a makeshift zoo in one of the corners, housing iguanas, and the counters had been replaced with robust pillars with all sorts of cabinets and buttons. Peter noticed that there was a single pillar, more slender than the rest, which resided in the middle, which had a door-sized opening in it. It was certainly large enough to fit a human. There were all sorts of tropical plants placed strategically around the room to make it look more inviting, but to no avail. Peter finally found a single desk with papers strewn all around it that must have been where Dr. Conners would refer to in this technological jungle. Peter made his way over to the desk and leaned on it patiently, waiting for the doctor to make an appearance.
It wasn't long before Dr. Conners traipsed over to the desk, nor wasn't it long that Peter realized something was terribly wrong with him. His usually cropped dirty blonde hair was greasy and going in all sorts of unnatural directions and his face was stripped of color or feeling. Conners was so pale that he gave off the illusion that he hadn't eaten in a few weeks – his cheeks were sunken and his jaw dangling. His single arm was outstretched and trembling and his legs barely held him.
"Peter…" He mumbled. "You've gotta leave. Now!" His voice did not seem urgent, however, it did seem severely frightened. Conners stood in front of Peter panting, retarded reactions ensued and beads of sweat found themselves dripping lazily from his brow.
Peter's instinct for concern immediately shot through him. Despite all the recklessness, he was a sensitive guy at heart and one that would try to tame the frenetic Conners. "Doc," he said, not soothingly and not harshly, but almost melodically. Peter did not want to rouse him more than he was. "What's going on?"
Conners' took his warm arm and started dashing it along his lab coat, while muttering, "I-I… The campus police… We…" Then his arm stiffened; he had struck gold. He reached into his breast pocket and revealed what appeared to be a piece of paper. As he outstretched his hand, he, in turn, chose to trust his student, Peter, far more than he had since the spider bite. It was a leap of faith for Curt, but, given the circumstances, he thought it had to be done.
Peter took the letter and scanned it menacingly. He looked up at Conners in shock afterward; Peter immediately lunged into the same twisted, abused feeling as Conners himself. Peter's golden complexion flushed from his flesh and looked extremely concerned.
From what Peter read in the letter, Conners was a marked man.
A Shadow Part One of Three
Since his reputation as Spider-Man had been tarnished, Peter felt compelled to change it. Perhaps his thoughts backtracked to the days in high school where he gained or lost credibility by the clothes he wore or the people he associated himself with that convinced him this was an issue, however, whatever it was Peter would stop at nothing to prove his worth to a city that would be more inclined to spit on him rather than to applaud his efforts. Sure, Peter had been told by the Green Goblin that if what he did didn't make as big an impression as he would like it wouldn't matter as long as the streets are cleaner, but something was driving him to change the course of this city drastically within the next few times he donned his Spider-Man mask.
Currently, Peter found himself traipsing along the green to visit Debra Whitman's dormitory. He had an idea that would, in turn, create a more appealing Spider-Man, and he decided that Deb was the only person that could help him out. After all of the conflict between the two of them, Peter thought it would be a shot in the dark, but one worth taking.
As he approached her facility, he saw her out front and called, "Hey, good morning, beautiful!" to her. Peter jogged in her direction to greet her.
Deb smiled. She tried to conceal the fact that Peter calling her "beautiful" amused her, but her attempt floundered. "'Morning," she yawned, kneeling to get her morning paper. "Oh, here's something… You're not on the front page for the first time in a week…"
Peter laughed. "Eh, when you get time to look through it, there'll be something about me. I doubt there will be anything past the third page, though, I'm usually top priority for the Bugle," Peter joked. His joke fell flat and Deb, rolling her eyes, started to walk away. "What? So, I'm getting used to this publicity thing…"
"Peter, listen to you," Debra said desperately. "You don't even sound like the same person anymore. All it is with you now is keeping secrets and going to sleep every night knowing that I could wake up to find you dead on the newspaper!" You could tell that this was taking a lot out of her, not just because it was probably too early to exert so much feeling into what she was saying, but she genuinely cared about Peter. "You're really starting to scare me!"
Peter stood there, frozen. Had she not listened to what he said before? Then, for the first time, ice water had been dumped on his head since the spider bite. Peter didn't realize how much he had pulled himself away from what world he knew to become Spider-Man until now, when a person was struggling to have a relationship with him. He wondered how Aunt May and Harry were. Did they feel as distant from Peter as Deb did? It was really an exhausting experience to stand here and plead for a solution, that Peter tucked his hands and their contents behind his back, making sure Deb wouldn't see.
"What is that?" Deb said, inching around Peter's back so that she could see what he was trying to hide from her. Peter immaturely backed away whenever she advanced. She finally got a hold of his arm and began to tug rigorously, trying to see what more Peter had to keep from her. Finally, Peter stopped struggling with her and revealed the material to her. She looked up at him in disappointment.
"Ski masks weren't my thing," Peter said, blushing. He didn't even try to smile, either, he thought the mood was entirely too tense to pull something over like that. Her expression of despair and resentment made Peter wince. "Deb, I--"
Deb exhausted a stressful sound. "What do you want me to do with all this? This is way too much extra cloth for just a mask, Peter."
"Well," Peter muttered, hesitant. "I want you to make me, uh, a, uh… A costume."
"What?" Deb spouted. "You want me to make you tights? Peter, what is going on with you?! First it was a mask and now a--"
"Deb, Deb!" Peter intervened. "I know, alright?" Suddenly, Peter was getting extremely animated. Maybe it was because he felt as if he was confined in a room with locks, but he was caught up in the moment. "Just know that there's a method to my madness." He was donning a new costume not only to become a public figure, but also to protect those he loved. By wearing a costume, no one would recognize he was Peter Parker. "Like I said, just keep the faith… Besides, I can make it up to you…"
"And how are you going to do that?" Deb said indignantly.
Peter gulped. After the tense situation, Peter could either make it worse or make it better. It was worth a shot, regardless, so he went for it. "I could take you out or something… Just you and I. We'll get a movie or something."
"Well, do you wanna come over to my house for dinner, say, next Saturday?" She said, obviously interested. "I need to get some measurements from you for this costume of yours." Peter could see the doubt and the disbelief in her eyes; however, he knew he could do something to change her mind. Peter had no choice.
"Yeah, I'll bring a movie, then," Peter said with a modest smirk. He had recovered from his crash. "Here," he said, handing Debra the cloth. "I'll see you at around seven?" Peter asked.
"It's a date," Debra responded.
Peter walked away with the weirdest feeling. He was happy, of course, for the fact that he was going to spend more time with Debra on a more personal level, but also, he couldn't help but feel that he was opening up to a whole bunch of trouble. If Peter were to get involved with Debra, which would be one more person he would have to watch even more close to. Of course, she was the first person he ever spoke about Ben to in all of his three years outside of May, so she had to be something. It would be a burden, but, at long last, Peter thought so was watching over an entire city. If Peter were to get involved with Debra, he would treat her as a regular girlfriend; when he was with her, for instance, he would not be Spider-Man.
The differences in Peter's two identities were adding up, which was not an obvious thing to him.
* * *
Peter returned home after talking to Debra, only to leave again. He needed to stop for lunch and collect up a few things before going over to Dr. Conners to see what he could to help him set up for his new research. Peter was apprehensive about going to Conner's lab at first since he thought it would only end up as the meeting with Debra did, however, he couldn't shy away from something like this. Peter needed to handle these situations like an adult. Peter was responsible for the mess he made, after all.
Just as Peter was going to walk out the door, Harry was walking in. Peter hadn't really taken the time to pay attention before, but it seemed that the cuts and bruises on Harry's body were more serious than Peter originally anticipated. Behind him, lurked a girl, unfamiliar to Peter. Peter gave Harry a searching look; he needed answers. First there were these unusual lacerations cropping up all over his body and now a girl was coming into their apartment?
"Oh, hey, Pete," Harry said, as he awkwardly slid past Peter in the narrow entrance. The girl followed, smiling vibrantly and batting her cat eyes at Peter. "What's new with you?"
"Nothing," Peter said. "And you? I see you've made a few new friends."
Harry flung around to look at Peter, his smile was as wide as he could get it; however, it was stunted since the swelling in one of his cheeks. "Oh," Harry laughed, jovially. He seemed quite foolish, too, which was an odd trait Harry must've picked up recently. "This is Gwen Stacy, Pete."
Peter smiled warmly and extended his hand in friendship. "It's good to meet you."
"Good to meet you, too," she replied, biting her bottom lip. She was certainly flirtatious.
"Hey, Pete," Harry said, rummaging through the kitchen for something for him and his friend to eat. "Are you gonna be able to come to my show tonight? We're gonna play two new songs…"
Peter was halfway through the door, but replied, "Can't. I've gotta meet Doctor Conners. He's gonna show me what he's been up to the past two weeks."
"Well, ok," Harry said, slightly dejected. "Is this one of Conners' 'cure for cancer' ideas?"
"Don't know it is," Peter said. "But I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what's up."
Harry gave Peter a weak smile and waved at him as he went out the door. Peter didn't bother to engage in any further conversation. It was best Peter left Harry with his new friend. It hurt, though, to know that even his roommate was growing distant to him. Peter didn't really think he had devoted as much attention to his career as Spider-Man as he could, but now the same could be said about spending time with his loved ones. This was tearing Peter apart, but he wouldn't let anyone know about that. Peter was too strong to let his guard down.
* * *
While Peter was walking to the laboratory, he could not help but think about his short career as Spider-Man. Since the spider bite, Peter had been fortunate enough to experience life as a person whose extraordinary abilities reached far beyond those that surrounded him. It was something that Peter couldn't come to grips with that this was all too good to be true. Not only did his new powers change Peter's perspective on life, but also they erected a barrier between him and so many aspects in his life. His abilities at work and in his college courses were hindered and, on top of that, Peter was distanced from his loved ones, who, despite Peter's absence, pressed on. It was a sort of unsettling feeling because he was trying to use his powers in a positive way, but nothing seemed to pan out the way they should. Peter was still convinced that he could prove his worth to New York City and, at the same time, maintain his values in life. The only thing missing in this equation, of course, was a person in distress or a villain who needed punishing.
The thoughts were still fresh in his head when Peter entered Conners' lab. When Peter walked in, he felt almost as if he stood in a completely different room than he did when he was last here, when the spider bit him. There was what appeared to be a makeshift zoo in one of the corners, housing iguanas, and the counters had been replaced with robust pillars with all sorts of cabinets and buttons. Peter noticed that there was a single pillar, more slender than the rest, which resided in the middle, which had a door-sized opening in it. It was certainly large enough to fit a human. There were all sorts of tropical plants placed strategically around the room to make it look more inviting, but to no avail. Peter finally found a single desk with papers strewn all around it that must have been where Dr. Conners would refer to in this technological jungle. Peter made his way over to the desk and leaned on it patiently, waiting for the doctor to make an appearance.
It wasn't long before Dr. Conners traipsed over to the desk, nor wasn't it long that Peter realized something was terribly wrong with him. His usually cropped dirty blonde hair was greasy and going in all sorts of unnatural directions and his face was stripped of color or feeling. Conners was so pale that he gave off the illusion that he hadn't eaten in a few weeks – his cheeks were sunken and his jaw dangling. His single arm was outstretched and trembling and his legs barely held him.
"Peter…" He mumbled. "You've gotta leave. Now!" His voice did not seem urgent, however, it did seem severely frightened. Conners stood in front of Peter panting, retarded reactions ensued and beads of sweat found themselves dripping lazily from his brow.
Peter's instinct for concern immediately shot through him. Despite all the recklessness, he was a sensitive guy at heart and one that would try to tame the frenetic Conners. "Doc," he said, not soothingly and not harshly, but almost melodically. Peter did not want to rouse him more than he was. "What's going on?"
Conners' took his warm arm and started dashing it along his lab coat, while muttering, "I-I… The campus police… We…" Then his arm stiffened; he had struck gold. He reached into his breast pocket and revealed what appeared to be a piece of paper. As he outstretched his hand, he, in turn, chose to trust his student, Peter, far more than he had since the spider bite. It was a leap of faith for Curt, but, given the circumstances, he thought it had to be done.
Peter took the letter and scanned it menacingly. He looked up at Conners in shock afterward; Peter immediately lunged into the same twisted, abused feeling as Conners himself. Peter's golden complexion flushed from his flesh and looked extremely concerned.
From what Peter read in the letter, Conners was a marked man.
Pandrio
Well-Known Member
Really good issue, good to see Conners again and Gwen Stacy's introduction. I liked the allusion to Spider-Man within Peter's mind without him actually showing up. I think what I enjoy most aout your writing is the realistic life of Peter Parker and taking an issue away from the web-head to portray that life is a good thing now and again. :rockon::rockon::rockon::rockon::rockon: out of 5.
Goodwill
Well-Known Member
Well, I'll begin by saying that I think having Spider-Man on the Avengers is a mistake. Peter Parker used to be this character others could identify with and, now, he's living in Stark Tower with Captain America and Iron Man, fighting larger scale villains... I think this takes a lot away from his character. That, and the fact that he died and came back to life recently, too. I'm trying to solitify what Spider-Man was good for for all of these years - Peter Parker.
I'm glad you liked this issue... Wait until the next arc - Gwen Stacy will take a real big turned, friend! ;-)
I'm glad you liked this issue... Wait until the next arc - Gwen Stacy will take a real big turned, friend! ;-)
Goodwill
Well-Known Member
The next episode will be up next Friday... Who is the man behind Connors' note? Find out!
Goodwill
Well-Known Member
Whether everyone is caught up or not, the next issue will be released tomorrow... Well, posted tomorrow.
Goodwill
Well-Known Member
Spider-Man #11
A Shadow Part Two of Three
The police did not hesitate with getting to the bottom of the conflict between Doctor Curt Conners and the mysterious source of the ransom note. Their investigation began with a set of grueling questions surrounding Conners' career and personal life, none of which he was prepared to answer. It was odd, though, questions, at least to Peter, seemed easy enough to answer, but Conners avoided them skillfully. Had he done this before? Peter wasn't sure, but he was jostled away from his college professor to a pair of cops who wanted to ask him a few questions.
Peter followed the cops willingly, fully aware that he still had the letter in his hands. Innocently, he extended his hand with the letter crumpled inside his fist and let the officials handle it. One of the cops tapped another on a shoulder and passed him the letter so that he could pay more attention to Peter. He was a brooding figure who looked more threatening than helpful. The other, a female, was at least more sensitive to the unquestionably puzzled Peter. He appreciated that a great deal.
"My name's Jeanne DeWulf," the female introduced herself to Peter warmly.
"I'm Mic Brozek," the large man grunted. He dug into his pocket and revealed a pen and pad of paper. "We'd like to ask you a few questions before you go, ok?" The Officer glanced at Peter, not expecting a response, and continued with what he needed with Peter. "What is your relationship with Curt Conners?"
Peter felt the worrisome boulder lift from his shoulders. He didn't think this would be such a trying experience after all. During the interrogation, Peter soon found that he was right. The two police officers wanted to know things about Doctor Conners on a more personally level, probably to see if he dabbled in anything against any laws. Peter assured them that he was a man of integrity and of science and he would not dare do anything that would amount to a letter, threatening his life. Peter thought he was as reliable as anyone and, as he left, he thought things would settle and Conners wouldn't be in too much trouble afterwards.
Peter began to walk out the door, leaving behind the police, his professor, and the horrific scene-taking place in the lab. Peter shot an eye at his professor as he was walking out and, to his surprise; he was talking the officers' ears off now. Peter thought this was a peculiar turn of events, especially since, before, he would not speak about anything. Conners had something to hide from Peter and this ransom note exposed Doctor Conners as a crook. Peter would get to the bottom of this as soon as the police left.
* * *
Doctor Curt Conners stayed at his lab well after the police left. The unsettling fear inside of him did not subside, but Conners became more relaxed after all was said and done. He realized that he was in grave danger and this was not to be taken lightly, however, Conners had no choice but to pursue a normal life. This feat was impossible, as it were, but at least he was making an attempt.
Conner was scrambling to throw his desk's contents into a cardboard box before he went home. He wanted so much to see his wife and kids after this trying experience, but could not draw himself from his work since; after all, this was the stuff getting him in trouble. Although the police had taken the actual note, Curt knew exactly what it said.
Doctor Conners,
If you value your life and, more importantly, your career, terminate your work papers for the regeneration of limbs. If you do not comply, the consequences will be extremely regrettable. You see, I put a certain amount of passion into my profession and, if you spoil it by gaining use of your arm again, I'll be severely hurt. Scars are physical memories, Dr. Conners, you wouldn't want to forget me, would you? Remember; don't bite the hand that feeds you… But you already know that, right?
--A friend
Conners scoffed at his stalker's sarcasm. How could a person by so rude as to make fun of his handicap? Curt already found it difficult enough to do daily tasks with only one arm, he didn't need someone jabbing him for it. Then, it occurred to him; it all boiled down to what happened to his arm. When he lost it, something terrible happened…
Leaving the box behind, Doctor Conners bolted down the street to find Peter Parker. He needed his help. There may be a chance Conners could end this ordeal sooner rather than later. Conners was hoping Peter's alter ego, Spider-Man, was available. He was stupid for not realizing it before, and keeping information from Peter, for that matter, but, as Conners said, 'better late than never, right'?
* * *
Peter Parker came back to an empty apartment. Harry and his new girlfriend, Gwen, were probably still at his concert and wouldn't be coming back for another couple hours. Peter felt as if he was stranded on a deserted island at this point, with no one to really confide in at this point. He knew that Dr. Conners and Debra Whitman were two people that knew both sides of him, but knowing Conners exclusively on a professional level and trying to keep a safe distance from Deb, if only to protect her, left Peter at a loss. He simply sighed and went to prepare his dinner; afterwards he would suit up as Spider-Man to see if there was any justice to be served.
Peter had come to accept his surroundings and enjoyed the cold Chinese food from the refrigerator. He was just throwing his paper plate away, when there was a knock at the door. It was Dr. Conners.
Peter was sort of puzzled. "What's up, Professor?" He wanted to ask why he was here, but he couldn't bring himself to do so politely. Considering he was being stalked and there was something odd behind the developing situation, Peter did not press him.
"Uh, yeah," The professor said, hesitantly. He frantically moved his left foot towards the apartment and away, trying to convince Peter to let him in without words. Peter, not convinced it was a good idea to let him in at the moment, did not respond to his silent plea. "May I…?" He said finally. There was some urgency in his voice.
Peter's stubbornness subsided the moment he remembered that Conners was the victim, or, at least as far as he knew. Peter stepped aside allowed his professor to come in his room. He turned to Conners as if the authority and gave him a look, which demanded answers. "So, what's this about, Dr. Conners?"
Conners smiled sheepishly and turned his head away from his pupil in shame. He whimpered a bit and hung his head towards Peter. His actions spoke volumes – he was scared, and legitimately Peter concluded. "Well, I-I," it was difficult for him to string words together. "I need to tell you something." Conners said this unnaturally firm, almost as if he was guilty of something. Peter's one eyebrow was roused. Was he going to come clean with Peter? "I h-haven't been real honest… And I need your help with something."
"Doc, I--" Peter said, slightly insulted. The only thing he could really do for his professor was supply a muscle for him. Going out as Spider-Man and capturing the culprit would be just what Dr. Conners would need to sleep at night. While Peter saw this as an opportunity to bring another villain to his knees, he had to be apprehensive so that he didn't end up in another situation like last time.
"Just let me explain…"
Years Ago
Doctor Curt Conners sat prodding what appeared to be a wris****ch with a pen, spouting sparks to mend the feeble metal together. He worked precariously, trying with some difficulty not to make a mistake, as he sat in his lab. Stark Enterprises accommodated Conners nicely – he had enough room to scatter things about, which suited him better than being organized.
Things were relatively quiet at the Stark facility, which Curt liked, too. Conners decided to stay overtime so that he could prepare the watch device for a customer that was growing impatient. He was lucky all who remained was the janitor, who did not suspect that he was selling what was supposed to be Stark property to a person he had only spoken to briefly on the phone. The person was desperately in need of the device and, in such circumstances, offered Conners a hefty paycheck, to which he could not refuse. So, here he was, finishing the watch so he could deliver it to his client tomorrow.
"Doctor Conners," A thick Russian voice expounded from the shadows of his door. It was undeniably chilling just to hear it; Conners hesitated to turn around and face the source.
Conners turned to see a slender man, not a day older than twenty, standing before him. Although he appeared frail, there was an odd presence that loomed over him like a storm cloud. He had sleek black hair and pigmy-sized scars running from his forehead to his right cheek. In between were two; beady black eyes that didn't make him appear anymore inviting. What was the most odd thing about his appearance, though, was his jet back suit with a slender white tie running down his chest. Could a twenty year old afford such an expensive look?
The slender man practically glided down the steps, much more snake-like than human. "My name is Dmitri Smerdyakov," he was unmistakably Russian now. "We spoke on the phone." There was poison in his words, something that intimidated Dr. Conners. "Do you have the cloaking device finished?"
Conners peered at the watch in his hand. Parts still hung about – the device was incomplete. "No, sir," Conners said, swallowing hard; he knew what kind of person he was dealing with. The fact that he needed a cloaking device was questionable; he should have suspected trouble from the beginning. "I-I'm just making sure it works right now. After tests and an evaluation, it should be finished with the next two to three days, Mr. Smerdeh--"
"Smerdyakov," Dmitri snapped, approaching Dr. Conners swiftly. "I need to get on a flight tomorrow morning, Dr. Conners. I trusted you to get the job done on time," Conners tried to defend his argument, but Dmitri put an authoritative hand in front of his face. "Is the cloak functional? Let me see…"
Dmitri snatched the watch from the counter with ease and pressed a button. He closed his eyes and concentrated for a minute and then a thousand miniscule squares seemed to consume him. In Dmitri's place stood a replica of Dr. Conners. It was odd, though; it was certainly Dr. Conners but, even in the brief second that the transformation had taken place, it was obvious Dmitri stood there, only appearing to be Curt's counterpart.
"It responds to thought," Dmitri smirked, as the second Conners. "Excellent. Thank you, Doctor." Dmitri pressed another button on the watch and returned to his original, threatening appearance. He began to walk to the door, but Conners could not allow him to do that.
Mustering enough strength to confront the criminal, Conners shot out of his seat and said, "I'll need to complete it first, Mr. Smerdyakov. It's not safe… I-It'll overheat if used profusely… It could be a fire hazard! Now, please, just--" Conners found his arm reaching out and grasping for the cloak.
Dmitri sneered, clenched his fist, and struck Conners in the face. Conners stooped, half in shock and in pain, trying to regain his senses. "You'll let me take the device with me, Dr. Conners. I need to leave the country tomorrow morning. You must understand."
Conners looked up at him and scowled. Partially because he was struck in the face and partially because he did not have the advantage in this situation, Conners replied with a stubborn grunt, this would be the biggest mistake of his life.
With both of his hands, Dmitri clutched one of Conners' arms. Releasing with one, he straightened it completely, fighting off Conners in the mean time and, when he was given the opportunity, snapped his arm with his elbow. Dmitri's elbow cut Conners like an axe; the arm was obviously broken. Conners yelped as it happened and, afterwards, cried profusely, not used to this sort of pain. To make matters worse, though, Dmitri pushed him to the ground and began brutalizing the one arm, saying, "Let this be a lesson for you, Dr. Conners. Don't cross me! I get what I want… When I want it!"
So, Dmitri Smerdyakov walked away, leaving Dr. Conners maimed. Conners was never paid for his efforts.
Presently
"…Turns out, the damage to my arm was so bad," Conners gulped. "The doctors had to take it off. The say I'm one of Dmitri's few victims that have actually come out alive."
Although Peter stood there stoically, his head was spinning. Conners, who he thought to be an honest scientist, turned out to be the same as Norman Osborn and Mendell Stromm. He was dealing with international criminals – Peter considered this far more criminal than industrial corruption. Peter could put that aside, though, since, through the trying experience, Conners had been victimized. Peter began to put the pieces together, where his help would be applied, and began to come to his senses.
"You've told the police all of this, right?" Peter said solemnly. He did not want to show Conners any ounce of concern in fear that, with emotions, he would be committing himself to aid Curt.
"Oh, of course," Conners said. "They've known since the first, er, incident." It was obvious Curt didn't like talking about it too much. "I-I just couldn't bring myself to do it in front of you today. You have to understand, Peter, this is my reputation we're talking about."
Peter could empathize. His reputation was torn apart at the seams, crippling his confidence but molding him into a more determined and capable person. The mistakes he was making were fuel to the fire; he was becoming a hero. Not that Conners was going to become what Peter now was, but Peter suspected that Conners wanted the problem resolved so that his reputation wouldn't be harmed. In this moment, Peter realized what his role was, however, did not know what precautions he had to take before jumping into the problem headfirst.
"So, what do you want me to do?" Peter said. He figured that if he could help apprehend a criminal the police long sought after, Peter could help not only Conners, but himself.
A Shadow Part Two of Three
The police did not hesitate with getting to the bottom of the conflict between Doctor Curt Conners and the mysterious source of the ransom note. Their investigation began with a set of grueling questions surrounding Conners' career and personal life, none of which he was prepared to answer. It was odd, though, questions, at least to Peter, seemed easy enough to answer, but Conners avoided them skillfully. Had he done this before? Peter wasn't sure, but he was jostled away from his college professor to a pair of cops who wanted to ask him a few questions.
Peter followed the cops willingly, fully aware that he still had the letter in his hands. Innocently, he extended his hand with the letter crumpled inside his fist and let the officials handle it. One of the cops tapped another on a shoulder and passed him the letter so that he could pay more attention to Peter. He was a brooding figure who looked more threatening than helpful. The other, a female, was at least more sensitive to the unquestionably puzzled Peter. He appreciated that a great deal.
"My name's Jeanne DeWulf," the female introduced herself to Peter warmly.
"I'm Mic Brozek," the large man grunted. He dug into his pocket and revealed a pen and pad of paper. "We'd like to ask you a few questions before you go, ok?" The Officer glanced at Peter, not expecting a response, and continued with what he needed with Peter. "What is your relationship with Curt Conners?"
Peter felt the worrisome boulder lift from his shoulders. He didn't think this would be such a trying experience after all. During the interrogation, Peter soon found that he was right. The two police officers wanted to know things about Doctor Conners on a more personally level, probably to see if he dabbled in anything against any laws. Peter assured them that he was a man of integrity and of science and he would not dare do anything that would amount to a letter, threatening his life. Peter thought he was as reliable as anyone and, as he left, he thought things would settle and Conners wouldn't be in too much trouble afterwards.
Peter began to walk out the door, leaving behind the police, his professor, and the horrific scene-taking place in the lab. Peter shot an eye at his professor as he was walking out and, to his surprise; he was talking the officers' ears off now. Peter thought this was a peculiar turn of events, especially since, before, he would not speak about anything. Conners had something to hide from Peter and this ransom note exposed Doctor Conners as a crook. Peter would get to the bottom of this as soon as the police left.
* * *
Doctor Curt Conners stayed at his lab well after the police left. The unsettling fear inside of him did not subside, but Conners became more relaxed after all was said and done. He realized that he was in grave danger and this was not to be taken lightly, however, Conners had no choice but to pursue a normal life. This feat was impossible, as it were, but at least he was making an attempt.
Conner was scrambling to throw his desk's contents into a cardboard box before he went home. He wanted so much to see his wife and kids after this trying experience, but could not draw himself from his work since; after all, this was the stuff getting him in trouble. Although the police had taken the actual note, Curt knew exactly what it said.
Doctor Conners,
If you value your life and, more importantly, your career, terminate your work papers for the regeneration of limbs. If you do not comply, the consequences will be extremely regrettable. You see, I put a certain amount of passion into my profession and, if you spoil it by gaining use of your arm again, I'll be severely hurt. Scars are physical memories, Dr. Conners, you wouldn't want to forget me, would you? Remember; don't bite the hand that feeds you… But you already know that, right?
--A friend
Conners scoffed at his stalker's sarcasm. How could a person by so rude as to make fun of his handicap? Curt already found it difficult enough to do daily tasks with only one arm, he didn't need someone jabbing him for it. Then, it occurred to him; it all boiled down to what happened to his arm. When he lost it, something terrible happened…
Leaving the box behind, Doctor Conners bolted down the street to find Peter Parker. He needed his help. There may be a chance Conners could end this ordeal sooner rather than later. Conners was hoping Peter's alter ego, Spider-Man, was available. He was stupid for not realizing it before, and keeping information from Peter, for that matter, but, as Conners said, 'better late than never, right'?
* * *
Peter Parker came back to an empty apartment. Harry and his new girlfriend, Gwen, were probably still at his concert and wouldn't be coming back for another couple hours. Peter felt as if he was stranded on a deserted island at this point, with no one to really confide in at this point. He knew that Dr. Conners and Debra Whitman were two people that knew both sides of him, but knowing Conners exclusively on a professional level and trying to keep a safe distance from Deb, if only to protect her, left Peter at a loss. He simply sighed and went to prepare his dinner; afterwards he would suit up as Spider-Man to see if there was any justice to be served.
Peter had come to accept his surroundings and enjoyed the cold Chinese food from the refrigerator. He was just throwing his paper plate away, when there was a knock at the door. It was Dr. Conners.
Peter was sort of puzzled. "What's up, Professor?" He wanted to ask why he was here, but he couldn't bring himself to do so politely. Considering he was being stalked and there was something odd behind the developing situation, Peter did not press him.
"Uh, yeah," The professor said, hesitantly. He frantically moved his left foot towards the apartment and away, trying to convince Peter to let him in without words. Peter, not convinced it was a good idea to let him in at the moment, did not respond to his silent plea. "May I…?" He said finally. There was some urgency in his voice.
Peter's stubbornness subsided the moment he remembered that Conners was the victim, or, at least as far as he knew. Peter stepped aside allowed his professor to come in his room. He turned to Conners as if the authority and gave him a look, which demanded answers. "So, what's this about, Dr. Conners?"
Conners smiled sheepishly and turned his head away from his pupil in shame. He whimpered a bit and hung his head towards Peter. His actions spoke volumes – he was scared, and legitimately Peter concluded. "Well, I-I," it was difficult for him to string words together. "I need to tell you something." Conners said this unnaturally firm, almost as if he was guilty of something. Peter's one eyebrow was roused. Was he going to come clean with Peter? "I h-haven't been real honest… And I need your help with something."
"Doc, I--" Peter said, slightly insulted. The only thing he could really do for his professor was supply a muscle for him. Going out as Spider-Man and capturing the culprit would be just what Dr. Conners would need to sleep at night. While Peter saw this as an opportunity to bring another villain to his knees, he had to be apprehensive so that he didn't end up in another situation like last time.
"Just let me explain…"
Years Ago
Doctor Curt Conners sat prodding what appeared to be a wris****ch with a pen, spouting sparks to mend the feeble metal together. He worked precariously, trying with some difficulty not to make a mistake, as he sat in his lab. Stark Enterprises accommodated Conners nicely – he had enough room to scatter things about, which suited him better than being organized.
Things were relatively quiet at the Stark facility, which Curt liked, too. Conners decided to stay overtime so that he could prepare the watch device for a customer that was growing impatient. He was lucky all who remained was the janitor, who did not suspect that he was selling what was supposed to be Stark property to a person he had only spoken to briefly on the phone. The person was desperately in need of the device and, in such circumstances, offered Conners a hefty paycheck, to which he could not refuse. So, here he was, finishing the watch so he could deliver it to his client tomorrow.
"Doctor Conners," A thick Russian voice expounded from the shadows of his door. It was undeniably chilling just to hear it; Conners hesitated to turn around and face the source.
Conners turned to see a slender man, not a day older than twenty, standing before him. Although he appeared frail, there was an odd presence that loomed over him like a storm cloud. He had sleek black hair and pigmy-sized scars running from his forehead to his right cheek. In between were two; beady black eyes that didn't make him appear anymore inviting. What was the most odd thing about his appearance, though, was his jet back suit with a slender white tie running down his chest. Could a twenty year old afford such an expensive look?
The slender man practically glided down the steps, much more snake-like than human. "My name is Dmitri Smerdyakov," he was unmistakably Russian now. "We spoke on the phone." There was poison in his words, something that intimidated Dr. Conners. "Do you have the cloaking device finished?"
Conners peered at the watch in his hand. Parts still hung about – the device was incomplete. "No, sir," Conners said, swallowing hard; he knew what kind of person he was dealing with. The fact that he needed a cloaking device was questionable; he should have suspected trouble from the beginning. "I-I'm just making sure it works right now. After tests and an evaluation, it should be finished with the next two to three days, Mr. Smerdeh--"
"Smerdyakov," Dmitri snapped, approaching Dr. Conners swiftly. "I need to get on a flight tomorrow morning, Dr. Conners. I trusted you to get the job done on time," Conners tried to defend his argument, but Dmitri put an authoritative hand in front of his face. "Is the cloak functional? Let me see…"
Dmitri snatched the watch from the counter with ease and pressed a button. He closed his eyes and concentrated for a minute and then a thousand miniscule squares seemed to consume him. In Dmitri's place stood a replica of Dr. Conners. It was odd, though; it was certainly Dr. Conners but, even in the brief second that the transformation had taken place, it was obvious Dmitri stood there, only appearing to be Curt's counterpart.
"It responds to thought," Dmitri smirked, as the second Conners. "Excellent. Thank you, Doctor." Dmitri pressed another button on the watch and returned to his original, threatening appearance. He began to walk to the door, but Conners could not allow him to do that.
Mustering enough strength to confront the criminal, Conners shot out of his seat and said, "I'll need to complete it first, Mr. Smerdyakov. It's not safe… I-It'll overheat if used profusely… It could be a fire hazard! Now, please, just--" Conners found his arm reaching out and grasping for the cloak.
Dmitri sneered, clenched his fist, and struck Conners in the face. Conners stooped, half in shock and in pain, trying to regain his senses. "You'll let me take the device with me, Dr. Conners. I need to leave the country tomorrow morning. You must understand."
Conners looked up at him and scowled. Partially because he was struck in the face and partially because he did not have the advantage in this situation, Conners replied with a stubborn grunt, this would be the biggest mistake of his life.
With both of his hands, Dmitri clutched one of Conners' arms. Releasing with one, he straightened it completely, fighting off Conners in the mean time and, when he was given the opportunity, snapped his arm with his elbow. Dmitri's elbow cut Conners like an axe; the arm was obviously broken. Conners yelped as it happened and, afterwards, cried profusely, not used to this sort of pain. To make matters worse, though, Dmitri pushed him to the ground and began brutalizing the one arm, saying, "Let this be a lesson for you, Dr. Conners. Don't cross me! I get what I want… When I want it!"
So, Dmitri Smerdyakov walked away, leaving Dr. Conners maimed. Conners was never paid for his efforts.
Presently
"…Turns out, the damage to my arm was so bad," Conners gulped. "The doctors had to take it off. The say I'm one of Dmitri's few victims that have actually come out alive."
Although Peter stood there stoically, his head was spinning. Conners, who he thought to be an honest scientist, turned out to be the same as Norman Osborn and Mendell Stromm. He was dealing with international criminals – Peter considered this far more criminal than industrial corruption. Peter could put that aside, though, since, through the trying experience, Conners had been victimized. Peter began to put the pieces together, where his help would be applied, and began to come to his senses.
"You've told the police all of this, right?" Peter said solemnly. He did not want to show Conners any ounce of concern in fear that, with emotions, he would be committing himself to aid Curt.
"Oh, of course," Conners said. "They've known since the first, er, incident." It was obvious Curt didn't like talking about it too much. "I-I just couldn't bring myself to do it in front of you today. You have to understand, Peter, this is my reputation we're talking about."
Peter could empathize. His reputation was torn apart at the seams, crippling his confidence but molding him into a more determined and capable person. The mistakes he was making were fuel to the fire; he was becoming a hero. Not that Conners was going to become what Peter now was, but Peter suspected that Conners wanted the problem resolved so that his reputation wouldn't be harmed. In this moment, Peter realized what his role was, however, did not know what precautions he had to take before jumping into the problem headfirst.
"So, what do you want me to do?" Peter said. He figured that if he could help apprehend a criminal the police long sought after, Peter could help not only Conners, but himself.
WolviesWife
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2005
- Messages
- 49
I'm giving this "Shadow" arc a read tonight.
Thanks for posting it.
Thanks for posting it.
Goodwill
Well-Known Member
Hey, if you like it, be sure to read the rest of the series!
Goodwill
Well-Known Member
My apologies... This story arc is four issues, instead of what I said originally - three.
