The Recruits

Spider-Man swung away, trying to keep himself held together. Brent remembers all the hardships his family has been put through since that fateful day when Peter was bitten by that genetically altered spider. All the enemies made, the heartache, and still he put on the costume. Why? he wonders. Then the answer descends on him. Sarah. Although he knows about what his family was put through, and though Sarah at first merely seemed like a girl who by chance got powers and barely knows how to use it, he cares for her. He loves her.

And now she needs help. Brent couldn't possibly take them all on alone! What if Upgrade calls on the Spider Slayers again? There is no way he would have the strength to beat them all. What if he has to fight Spider-Woman? He wouldn't be able to bare it. He needs help, but who? Brent decides to remember back. There was someone that Sarah talked about before. Someone that wanted to be her sidekick. What was her name? Melony, no, Melody something... Melody Grainger.

"I need to find Melody before its too late! Where was it she lived again...oh yeah, Manhattan."

Spider-Man swung to Manhattan as fast as he could. Brent looked at all the apartment buildings, trying to find her. Luckily, Melody's apartment was about the third apartment he checked. Unfortunately, he startled her. With her karate skills she flipped him to the floor.

"SPIDER-MAN? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

"Uhh...I'm a guy Sarah….."

"You know her?

"Sarah, or shall I say Spider-Woman, is in trouble. She told me about you. I want your help."

"Fine, I'll get my costume ready and…..."

"No need. She knew that you would eventually disobey her again, come to her rescue. There is costume waiting in her apartment that would actually look good."

"Wow, I didn't know she cared!" she joked. "So, she get any other toys for me?"

"You have you're karate chops. You were expecting the batline maybe?"

Melody hung on to Spider-Man as they made their way to Sarah's apartment, then Brent broke in,

"Do you know a girl named Abby Morden, freaky blond, controls stuff with her mind.."

"KNOW HER? She was on a rampage through town! The police tried to cover it up, but I saw the whole thing."

"A cover up. Do you know where she headed?"

"Yeah, I...uh...overheard some policeman saying that she was headed to her hideout at the waterfront. They were too cowardly to go after her. Figured she was too powerful."

Brent left Melody at Sarah's apartment to get her costume on while he went to the waterfront. Almost instantly he saw Abby, crying and throwing rocks into the water with her mind. Then she looked up.

"Spider-Man?" she said as she raised rocks just slightly less than the size of boulders, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

"Brent needs you." I can't believe I'm about to swallow this, he thought.

"Brent?" she asked, love-struck.

"He really needs help. Spider-Woman is in trouble and….."

"HER? I WILL NOT HELP HER, THAT SOUL-SUCKING LEACH!"

"Brent really would appreciate it. She is a good friend of his, and, well, he would be really grateful..." Spider-Man said with his stomach turning at the thought.

Abby pondered this, she hated Sarah, Spider-Woman even more for trying to stop her. But she couldn't resist the thought of Brent at her side.

"Why do you need me? I'm sure you have better friends who could help."

"That's true, but I've seen what you can do. You've got power. Spider-Woman is being mind controlled, probably evil right now. One dude can control giant robots. We need as much help as we can get."

"I'm in."

Abby hung onto Spider-Man, trying to hide how uncomfortable he was feeling, and swung to Sarah's apartment.

"Whoops." Abby says as she knocks over a lamp.

"Abby!"

"What? I can't have a little fun?"

"ShadowGirl, meet Abby Morden."

Melody backed up a bit until after Brent explained the whole story to her. She was now wearing a tight leather outfit with matching gloves and boots. She had her signature purple silk belt around her waist and a mask that resembled a mixture of the masks of Catwoman and the Black Cat.

"So, how did you convince her to come along?"

"Uh, lets just get going, huh?"

Spider-Man swung out of the window as Abby just used a full-length mirror to levitate for a ride out. All ShadowGirl could do was hitch a ride on Spider-Man, much preferred to him over Abby. Spider-Woman, you're rescue party is on its way!