Titans 2.0

Story Arc 1: Titans GO!

Issue 5.1: Secrets

2:30 AM

Manhattan, New York

August 9, 2011 (Tues)

Somewhere in the Manhattan skyline

This is not happening, thought Peter as he swung through the sky in only his pyjamas and his mask to hide his identity. How can this be happening?

The last thing that Peter Parker remembered before having to rush home was lying in his bed in the Triskelion thinking about his performance on his first mission with a team. Then his phone rang.

"Oh hey Aunt May,"

"Yeah I'm fine. The mission was a bust but it wasn't all bad."

"No, Aunt May, nothing's broken." At first, the conversation was just like any other talk that he and his aunt had had since he told her about his life as Spider-Man. But then Aunt May said something that she only usually said when something was wrong.

"Peter," she said. "I have something to tell you."

"Sure Aunt May," said Peter with concern. "Go ahead..." Suddenly, Peter's eyes widened with surprise. "WHAT!? SERIOUSLY!? Oh my God! I'll be right over." Peter grabbed his mask, his web shooters, and took off. On his way out, he ran into Robin in the workout room and had a little talk with her. Looking back, he felt dumb for acting like he had time to kill.

I've gotta hurry, Peter thought as he webbed onto a nearby building. Peter swung home as fast as his body would allow.

2:45 AM

Queens, New York

Parker House

"I'm here," yelled Peter as he burst through the door. "Are they alright?" Peter ran to the living room where he found Aunt May and the young, beautiful Gwen Stacy tending to two bodies on the floor.

"Shhhh," Aunt May said pressing her finger to her lips. "They're fine, just resting."

"Sorry, " said Peter, lowering his tone as he walked over and kneeled down beside one of the bodies. He turned to Gwen ."Did they say anything about how they got here?"

"Nothing," said Gwen as she shook her head.

Peter looked down at the two unconscious boys that lay before him.

"So Johnny Storm and Bobby Drake just appeared simultaneously at our doorstep," asked Peter.

"Pretty much," Gwen replied as she stood up and pointed outside of the living room. "We can talk more in the kitchen. Peter nodded, stood up, and walked with Gwen into the kitchen. "They were like zombies when they got here," she said taking a bottle of water from the fridge. "They just collapsed."

"Seriously," Peter asked as he took a seat at the table.

"Yeah," Gwen replied. "Oh," she added with a smile. "And they were naked."

"That part isn't so hard to believe," Peter said.

"Sooo, how was your first big mission," Gwen asked as she walked behind Peter and leaned on him, throwing her arms around Peter's shoulder.

"You know, the usual," replied Peter. "I show up, fight the bad guy, and bad guy gets away."

"That bad huh," Gwen asked.

"Yeah," answered Peter who was staring into the living room.

"Maybe you should take karate," Gwen added playfully.

"Maybe," Peter replied, still staring at his unconscious friends.

"They'll be fine," said Gwen.

"I know," said Peter. "But it's not just them that I'm worried about. I mean what if whoever or whatever it is that made most of the world's superheroes disappear in a single second comes looking for them? Sure Bobby and Johnny can hold their own but what about you and Aunt May? I can only imagine the power this guy might have and keeping them here definitely puts you on his radar."

"Yeah," Gwen shrugged. "But my boyfriend is Spider-Man so I doubt that I'll ever be off of the radar."

"Sorry about that," Peter replied.

"Don't be," said Gwen. "So, what's it like being the shortest on the team?"

"I'm not the shortest," Peter said in a defensive tone. Gwen stared at Peter for a moment and gave him "the look". "Yeah well I'm taller than you," Peter added.

"You wish," replied Gwen. " You know we're the same height." Gwen grabbed Peter's chin and turned his face to hers. "You're so short," she said with a smile and kissed him passionately. They were about to go in for another kiss just when Gwen noticed Aunt Man walking toward the kitchen. Quickly, she withdrew from Peter and took a seat at the table.

"Did you tell anyone," Aunt May asked as she stepped into the kitchen.

"No," Peter replied. "My past experiences with S.H.I.E.L.D really don't inspire me to trust them a whole lot. If I had told them they'd probably bring an entire army to our house."

"Okay ," Aunt May said as she also took a seat at the table. "What about your teammates?"

Peter looked down at his hands. "I-I don't know. They all seem pretty trustworthy but other than Storm and that Static guy that we sometimes see on the news I've never really heard of any of them. "

"I see," Aunt May responded in an understanding tone. "While this is your decision to make Peter I don't think that you should let anyone know just yet. If what's going around is true then nearly every superhero on the planet has vanished. And that means that we're probably housing fugitives. This mean that there could be someone after them."

Peter nodded in agreement.

"Now," continued Aunt May. "I think that after they lay low for a while and get their strength back, then in time they may be able to come forward and help out but I don't think that now is the time."

"Yeah," said Peter. "You're probably right." Just then, the phone rang. "I'll get it, " said Peter as he stood up from the table and walked over to the phone.

"Oh and Gwen," started Aunt May with a friendly smile.

"Yeah?"

"After Pete gets off of the phone the three of us are going to have a nice long talk about hanky panky in this house."

"Hello," asked Peter as he picked up the phone.

"Well hello there Mr. Parker. Having fun with your cousins?"

The voice sounded familiar.

"Is this..Jade," Peter asked.

"Who else would call you both knowing that you were awake and that your cousins were over for a visit?"

"Well when you put it that way," Peter whined.

"Makes you seem stupid doesn't it," remarked Jade. "Now get a pencil and paper I need you to take notes."

"Um ok," said Peter as he grabbed a pencil from a nearby drawer and a few blank sticky notes from the fridge. "Why?"

"Mr. Parker I have a task for you."

To Be Continued.