The mood was tense in the SAFE conference room was very tense. Yes, there was conversation. Yes, men laughed as they waited for Colonel Sean Morgan to arrive, but no one had forgotten why they were all gathered there. The fact that the Colonel and his crisis analyst Vince Palminetti, were late only made matters worse.
New York Police Commissioner Wilson Ramos did not take this news well. He sat outside a set of electronic doors, as he did not feel like waiting in the conference room, accompanied by Special Agent Doug Deeley. His scowl didn't improve as he complained. "Why did you even bother inviting me? You guys always take control of these situations anyway."
"Colonel Sean Morgan wants the NYPD in the loop, sir. We need all the help we can get to bring the Sinister Six down."
"He wants us to help? More like he wants us to share the blame when things go wrong."
Deeley nodded. "Let's introduce you to the rest, shall we?" Deeley opened the set of doors that held the conference room, equipped with a long table and straight-back chairs. "Everyone, you are now in the company of New York Police Commissioner, Wilson Ramos."
He was greeted politely, but he did not return the favor. Deeley nodded. Right. Well, this is Special Agent Joshua Ballard--" a man sitting at the far end nodded. He had been one of the agents to give Ramos an aircar lift, along with Matt Gunderson, who was introduced next.
Deeley pointed to a skinny blonde man. "That would be Dr. Troy Saberstein, SAFE's stress counsellor and advisor on tactical psychology. Over there is Agent Clyde Fury, and the Asian woman is Special Agent Shirlene Annanayo."
Ramos nodded at them as they smiled. Fury then took a tray from a nearby counter and slid it across the table towards the Police Commissioner. "Cookie?"
Ramos eyed the plate. "You have got to be kidding me."
"They're goooood." Gunderson persuaded.
Ramos did not take a cookie. "What kind of secret agents are you? And why did you have to host this meeting in a floating aircraft carrier? Why don't you get an office building, like normal people?"
"Do we really strike you as normal people?" Deeley joked.
"Office buildings aren't mobile, as we need in emergency situations around the globe." Fury responded.
Ramos suddenly recognized the name. "Fury! You're not related to Nick--"
"Nope, never even met the guy."
The conversation then stopped as more people in SAFE's battle armor entered the room and took their seats. A young man named Walt Evans, a beautiful girl who went by Donna Piazza, SAFE's FBI liason Martin Walsh, and a few others whose names Ramos failed to catch. Ramos didn't mind the folks in the dumb matching uniforms, but the next individual to enter the room was the last straw.
It was Spider-Man. He hopped in, skittered across the ceiling, and settled in a webline he spun above the center of the conference table. "Hello, bunkies! Sorry I'm late, you have no idea how hard it is to catch a cab in this city!"
Amid the general hellos, most guarded, but some warm and welcoming, Ramos cleared his throat. "Mr. Deeley, I would like to raise a protest over this...individual...being here. He has no official capacity."
Spider-Man's hooded head spun around to look at Ramos. "You've never seen me drink a grande Frappuchino, cuddles. I have tremendous capacity."
Ignoring the several grins, Ramos continued, "I don't think I can cooperate with a party that encourages his involvement."
Deeley sighed. "The Colonel did want the NYPD involved, but if you would like to leave then it is completely understood."
Ramos' mouth dropped. They were picking that masked vigilante over him? He shook his head. "I'll stay. But I want my objections on the record."
"What record, the Beetles? Or would you like a something that sounds a little more heavy metal?"
"Enough, Wall Crawler!" Colonel Sean Morgan said as he rushed inside the room. He didn't even hear Spider-Man's words, but he knew for a fact they were not professional. Vince Palminetti followed shortly afterwards.
"Jeez. Some people. Heya, Gunderson! Any chance a guy could get a cup of coffee around here?" Spider-Man shouted from across the room.
"Coming right atcha!"
Many faces became serious. They all looked at the Colonel, who had always made sure Spider-Man was never within five feet of caffeine. Colonel Morgan didn't have time to stop him, as Ramos asked, "Can we just get on with this, please?"
Colonel Sean Morgan was never classified as a happy person. But today his face was grave, his cold tone like ice. "Okay people. We'll make this meeting very brief, so we can get to our stations and get prepared for the day ahead of us. So no questions, no interruptions, and no wisecracks!" He glared at Spider-Man, who was comfortably leaning on a wall in the back corner."Spider-Man, we trust that you'll be busy throughout the day with various threats from the Six. We have no set station for you. Do your thing."
"Consider my thing done, Colonel."
Morgan winced. Was that considered a wisecrack? He ignored the comment and motioned at the men and women seated at the long conference table. "Deely, I have you in the aircar with a squad of thirty plus. Fury, you're to stay at base as needed. Gunderson, we need you and Ballard for airial support. Everyone else has been briefed already, correct?"
There were several nods.
"As we all know, the Sinister Six's Day of Terror is taking place in all the places Spider-Man here has failed to save a life. We've come up with a list of possible locations, but remember, these people are sick. We have no idea what they're planning. The Brooklyn Bridge is almost certain to be a location. For those of you who don't know, that was where Gwen Stacy was killed. The place of her father's death, Captain Stacy, is also likely. The death of the original Green Goblin could also be a possibility. Other than that, we're going in blind. The Day of Terror can begin at any second, so what the hell are you doing sitting here! Move it, people!"
Spider-Man was the first person out the door.
