Disclaimer: I do not own Spiderman or any other Marvel property.

Chapter Twelwe: Setting Up

Having a nice meal at school was actually way harder than one might think. There was a place called the cafeteria but despite its name it primarily served as a socializing space rather than a dining one. And Gwen Stacy didn't have enough tolerance in her for that. So she usually took the other route, and ate her lunch sitting on a bench in the school yard. The problem was that most of the weirdos also avoided the cafeteria and chose the other options which led to multiple disturbed meals. The fact that this makes me one of those weirdos is just the tip of the iceberg.

The funny thing was that even though it was really minor a problem it still bothered her every single day, appearing bigger and bigger each time and driving her crazy. So in the grand scheme of things, she felt that she should be happy that now, it bothered her less since there were much bigger problems in her life. Nothing much, just the life threatening kind. Even though she kept up her annoyed and violent façade, the recent attack had shaken her up more than she let on to anyone. And on top of things, her crush had done that stupidly suicidal stunt of his as if her being worried about her dad wasn't enough already. At least that's what she hoped she was angry about. But a big, self-loathing part of herself told her that it was a more selfish reason: He had left her alone there.

Granted, she hadn't really needed a big supportive hug but after surviving that, he had just bailed on her, which had stung. Combining that with where he had been on the next morning instead of class made her mood darker than even she was comfortable with. Fortunately, things weren't all bad. Apparently taking her words to heart, Peter had gone directly home yesterday. This allowed Gwen to participate in something she hadn't been to in god knows how long, if ever; a family dinner.

Given the quarrel they'd had the day before, the dinner had started out a bit awkward but it had dissolved relatively quickly. May Parker had personally prepared a very well-made chicken steak with steamed tomatoes and other mixture of vegetables. It had been one of her specialties and she had worked on it all afternoon. Judging by the tons of deep-frozen food Gwen had accidently seen in the freezer, this kind of meal wasn't really an everyday thing for them and May had probably made it just for her sake. It had been unnecessary but she didn't want to damage her pride so she endured the truly delicious meal. A real self-sacrifice.

As the tension eased, they had slowly started talking and they were kind enough to try to include her in the conversation, too. What really surprised her was that even after the dinner was over they had stayed there, continuing the discussion. It had been then that May Parker had started telling some stories about Peter when he was younger. Like his own little theory about Santa Claus. Apparently when he was seven years old he had been visited by him whom, being as smart as he was even back then, he had clearly recognized as his Uncle Ben. But the thought that Santa Claus might not be real hadn't even crossed his mind so he came to the logical conclusion that his Uncle had a secret identity as the man who flew around the world once a year, giving out presents to all the kids. It had been one of the sweetest things she had ever heard.

When she had asked when exactly he had found out the truth, he told her with a cute blush (damn it) on his face that he had been ten when he got mad at his Uncle for never showing him his flying sleigh. But as soon as he had verbally confronted him about it, something had clicked in his brain and he realized that a flying sleigh was physically impossible. His face had flushed even harder when he also told her that the very first ten page letter he had ever written was actually a request for his Uncle to let him become one of his little helpers. He had worked months on it.

For the first time in years, Gwen had felt herself let out a warm and joyful laugh, without any of the usual dryness or sarcasm behind it. It had been a really uplifting experience. Even more surprisingly, when she had gotten ready to sleep in the guest room, she hadn't felt the urge to cry, as it had happened every day since her stay there.

The crying part came the next morning, after she had woke up from a dream where it was she and her dad who had that kind of dinner, along with a woman whose face she couldn't remember but it was definitely not her real mother. Her turmoiling emotions had made the early parts of the day rather hard. So having a nice meal alone sounded like something that might ease her feelings. Unfortunately, the universe either had other plans or is just generally a dick, because after one tiny little bite from her sandwich she heard footsteps approaching from behind.

"If I scare a daughter of a cop, what happens to me?" Asked jovially the feminine voice of Mary Jane, and despite the tone (or maybe because of it) Gwen felt her fists clench. But she decided to rein it in for a bit and tried to hide her building anger. She failed completely.

"You really don't wanna find out." She growled and didn't turn around. "Besides, I heard your footsteps." There was long pause, as MJ was trying to figure out if she was just her usual self or more agitated for some reason. Whatever conclusion she came to, she came to it rather quickly.

"Yeah, I guess I better not find out." She said hesitantly before her voice perked up again adding a little tease to it. "I mean you scarred poor Harry the other day so much that he barely even said a word after you left and stayed at least three feet away from…"

"What do you want, Watson?" Gwen interrupted with heavy irritation, rapidly turning around to face her. To her surprise, MJ's eye twitched after hearing her last name, as if it meant something despicable to her. They faced each other for a few seconds before MJ decided to break the silence.

"Now, I want to find out why you're angry with me." She said carefully, as if fearing another outburst, which might not have been a wrong assumption. Gwen narrowed her eyes and stood up from the bench to be face to face with her, only to realize that MJ was around a head taller.

"So you're really gonna play dumb with me?" She asked in a low voice, not even trying to hide her anger anymore (not that she really tried before). Her face didn't change at all, apart from raising a delicate red eyebrow that looked like it was artificially made perfect but Gwen jealously suspected that it wasn't. "I'm talking about you and Peter." That got a reaction, albeit more of confused than guilty one.

"What's there to talk about? We fooled around, it's over, now you should go for it." She said like it was the most obvious thing. "It's why I came here, actually. To ask if you made any progress."

"Real funny, you know. I can almost believe you. Or is this your fetish, huh? Having a fuck-toy isn't enough, he has to be a cheating fuck-toy to make it more exciting?" Gwen snarled, doing her best to keep her voice down. She did not want to make a scene. Both of MJ's eyebrows shot up at the accusations but surprisingly there wasn't any hurt showing on her face, only complete confusion. It was so convincing that Gwen had to give her credit for it. "Peter told me where he was instead of biology." She said flatly. Mary Jane still stayed confused for a bit before realization hit her. Her eyes flashed angrily for a brief moment before her expression became guarded.

"So Peter… told you that." She asked carefully, musing over the words. She appeared frustrated for a second before letting out a sigh and shaking her head, her red hair dangling from side to side. "We ah… it was a last time thing. Just that. I told him it was fun but it's over and we sort of… made a last memory of it, you know. But that's it, I promise. No more… fooling around." She explained a bit more hesitantly than her usual self, but Gwen supposed that there were awkward subjects even for Mary Jane. Then, she flashed her a supportive smile. "So now, you really should go for it."

Either she was an exceptionally good liar (and evil person) or she was really trying to help her. Gwen studied her bright smile and kind eyes and decided to go with the more optimistic view for a change. Besides, if it turned out she was wrong, she already had a few ideas how to make her life a living hell.

"Alright, I believe you." She said, then added reluctantly. "So I guess I'm sorry for what I said." MJ just rolled her eyes and waved her hand dismissively. "But you better keep your promise."

"You wanna pinky swear?" She asked, her teasing tone returning.

"No." She said, annoyed. Then, MJ opened her mouth to speak again, and Gwen had a pretty good idea what she wanted to say. "And I'll promise to make a move if you stop asking me to." She grumbled and received a teasing smile in response. "But definitely not until we live under the same roof. It could really complicate things, which I'd rather avoid."

"Wait you're living with the Parkers?" MJ asked surprised, while both of them sat down on them bench.

"Yeah, for a few days now, until my dad can get home from work." It reminded her of something she'd rather not think about so she quickly moved on with the subject at hand. "Peter didn't mention it?"

"No, we've barely talked lately." She said with a shrug, then her cheek turned a bit pink as she realized what she just said. Gwen gave her a flat look, then asked;

"Ah, so he's that kind of guy" She said, unsure how to feel about it.

"No, it was because of me." MJ said matter-of-factly. "He's not… I mean, he's a really nice guy, you know. Not the pushy type." Then she glanced at Gwen, and looked straight in her eyes. "So you shouldn't feel any pressure."

"I wouldn't have anyway." She replied, rolling her eyes but could feel that some mental weight was lifted off of her. MJ giggled.

"I'm just trying to be nice here." She said, her smile never fading.

"And I'll never understand why." Gwen mumbled, causing MJ to let out another burst of laughter. Before she knew, an honest smile appeared on her own face, too. She glanced at the bag which contained her food and made a decision. Since I'm feeling this adventurous, how about I try what it's like to be friendly. She felt really skeptical about herself. "Listen, ahm… May made a few more of these than I can eat." She said, raising up the bag and getting one of its contents out, holding out to MJ. "So, how about we share a sandwich?"

She studied Gwen for a second, clearly surprised then took the sandwich with a thankful nod. She took a bite out of it and hummed appreciatively. Gwen followed suit, while a familiar teasing gleam appeared in Mary Jane's eyes. She faced Gwen with a playful smirk before talking.

"I bet Peter would love to hear about us sharing a sandwich." She said, barely holding in her laughter, while Gwen nearly chocked on her food. I have a feeling that I'll be hearing these kinds of jokes from now on. Hurray for me and my stupid friendliness.


The biggest Hurray for easily pickable locks. Thought Schultz as he entered the apartment. He stepped into a rather spacious room that was an odd combination of a living room, a study room and a kitchen. This room alone was bigger than the place he and O'Hirn resided at the moment.

Getting out of their residence was actually the hardest part of their operation. After they decided who to contact for help, they had to make sure that their boss wouldn't find out about anything. Shaking a possible tail wouldn't be problem unless she employed some enhanced individuals other than them but it would be even better if she didn't even know about him leaving in the first place.

Schultz made sure that no tracking device was attached to him, and his checking included his recently operated leg. He wouldn't put it past their boss to take that opportunity to tag him. It was an extremely painful procedure, during which he not only checked with his fingers but also sent some light shockwaves with his gauntlet, in hopes of destroying any piece of technology too little to feel through skin. After they were done and Schultz stopped his relieved panting, O'Hirn dug out the floor of the ground floor apartment, with his huge hands and horn, just beneath the sink so Schultz could get down to the sewers. It probably wasn't the healthiest thing to do, considering his leg, but this way he could leave undetected and he would burn the other bridge when or if he had to. He emerged a few block away and was really grateful for the light rain that started falling.

So he arrived at the targeted apartment, all wet, smelly and limpy and not giving a single fuck about it. He made a quick assessment of other rooms to see if the place was empty. It wasn't, as he found a woman with red hair around her late thirties and a little boy who couldn't have been older than ten, in the bedroom. Fortunately, they were both deep asleep so Schutz closed the bedroom door to lessen the chance of them waking up. He then made sure to quietly search around the house.

Something in the back of his mind warned him something wasn't right from the begging but it took him ten full minutes to figure out what it was. There weren't any family pictures, which given how close they seemed to be, was rather odd. He quickly found out why was that the case as he saw two huge suitcases, both of them filled with various useless staff that probably had sentimental value and a few clothes. Not the usual things a family would bring to trip… than again maybe it is. I have no clue.

After making sure everything was ready, he settled in a sofa which resided in a corner, twelve feet to the right from the entrance. But he had to wait almost an hour and a half for the owner of the apartment to come home, during which he pretty much got so bored that he started to read the closest book he found, which he rapidly got bored of and decided to change it to one of the comics of the kid. It was much better. When the father came home, he didn't even glance around, just closed the door and went straight for the bedroom. He only opened the door just enough to peer in before letting out an audible relieved sigh and quietly closing it.

Schultz got ready for his surprise reveal but to his disappointment, the man didn't turn towards him and instead went to the bathroom, in which he spent at least ten minutes. Right before he emerged, there was the spraying sound of an air freshener, causing Schultz to grimace and fidget in his place. He really needed to use the bathroom, too but it would have to wait until later. He got ready again, trying to sit in a casual manner that'd make him look like that everything was under his control.

But unfortunately, the man still didn't notice him as he reentered the living room and went straight for his desk. He sat down, pulled out the drawer and got some kind of high-tech injecting device out from it, before closing it again. He put it on the desk while he pulled up the right sleeves of his shirt all the way to his shoulder then took the injection up again and positioned it right above the end of his stump. It was at this moment that Schultz decided he had waited enough.

"I had no idea you would need a fix this much, prof." He said in a casual tone, as if they've been talking for hours now. Professor Curt Connors literally yelped in surprise and threw the injection out of his hand, which flew up and landed on the couch beside the desk, the needle piercing the cheap fabric, standing upside down. Schultz watched the thing with amused disinterest, then turned back towards the professor. "I didn't take you for an addict."

"What are you doing here!?" He demanded in a frantic whisper, probably trying to avoid waking up his family. "I've done everything you people asked from me."

"It seems you've been planning something reckless." Answered Schultz and held up three airplane tickets. "Though, if it were me, I'd probably pick some place better than Miami." The professor paled as he stared at the tickets. It took him half a minute to collect himself.

"It's not what you think. We just…"

"Oh come on. Don't give me that bullshit." Schultz said a little agitated. "It's exactly what I think. But it's not why I'm here." He continued. The last sentence seemed to perk the professors interest, while he slowly got hold of a few notes and opened another drawer, slowly putting the notes in while his eyes remained on Schultz. "If you're looking for your gun, you can find it in my pocket." He said with a little smirk.

Connors froze and despite it hardly being possible, he got even paler. He got his hand out from the drawer and looked around the room one last time for some kind of escape. Schultz had made sure he wouldn't find any. His shoulders sunk in defeat and his legs shook for a second before he looked up pleadingly at Schultz.

"Please… please don't hurt my family" He begged, letting go of all his pride. "Please… I… I'll do anything just… just don't hurt them."

"I had no intention to hurt them." Schultz said with a shrug, then his tone hardened just a little bit. "But you almost did." He said and lifted up the tickets again. "Do you think that bitch wouldn't have found you? What do you think she'd have done to your family then?" Connors' shocked expression quickly turned to a guilty one as he all but fell down to a chair and let out a desperate sigh.

"I just wanted to get them away from here. From her." He mumbled, mostly to himself.

"Which is why I'm actually here." Schultz said "I want to kill that bitch. And I'd like your help to do it." Connors looked up at him and his face showed heavy skepticism. In response Schultz just shrugged and continued. "Look man, I have no beef with you. What I have with you is a common enemy, so I figured we could help each other." The professor still didn't look fully convinced but studied Schultz for a few seconds before slowly nodding.

"Alright, let's say I help you. What do you need? Do you want me to make some kind of sci-fi weapon?" He asked, he voice filling with sarcasm at the last sentence.

"No prof, you already made that, remember?" He replied and raised his hand way above his head. "Around this tall, Russian, has a big exo-something around his whole body. Ring any bells?" He asked belittlingly for which the professor gave him an annoyed look.

"Yes. What about him?"

"Well, it turns out that there are some kind nano-bots in him. Know anything about that?" He asked and the professor's expression became guarded. "I'm not mad if you do." He added to calm him. He still hesitated but decided to answer in the end.

"I… I didn't know precisely. I just suspected. Considering the mass of the exo-skeleton it wou…"

"Fantastic, prof. It really is." Schultz cut in, having no patience for a science lesson. "The problem is that Ms. Bitch can remote control them to stop working somehow." He said, getting to the point of his visit. Connors looked annoyed for a second, then nodded in understanding.

"You want me to prevent her from doing that."

"I knew you earned your PhD" Schultz said drily, which earned him a flat look. "So, can you do it?" The professor thought about it for a few long seconds, during which Schultz desperately hoped that he could because they had nothing else. He almost passed out in relief when Connors started slowly nodding but he made sure that nothing changed in his body language.

"I think I might. It will take a little time but I know someone who's got with nano-technology." He said.

"Just make sure you're discrete, prof. Ms. Bitch probably has eyes and ears everywhere." He said in a tone that wouldn't scare the man too much, just enough to show how serious the situation was. "How much time would you guess?" He asked.

"I'd say a few weeks." The professor said after musing over it for a moment.

"Don't rush it. I think it's a safe bet that we'll only get one shot at this." He said, then stood up and drew the gun from his pocket. The professor froze completely and looked at Schultz as if thinking about whether he really was here for the reason he'd said or it was something else entirely. Schultz let an amused smirk spread across his face as he approached then flipped it over his finger so that the grip was facing Connors. "Here's your gun. It's empty but you'll find the bullets under the sofa." Then he leaned down and pulled out the injection from the couch. He studied it with a frown for a second then shrugged and handed it over. "And here's your heroine."

The professors eyes widened in shock and he started gaping like a fish before he managed to let out a few words. Sort of.

"Wha… That's… I'd never… It's not heroine." He said exasperated. "It's an experimental formula that could harness the regenerative abilities of a liz…"

"Hey, whatever gives you the kicks, prof, I won't judge." Schultz said raising his hands, then turning around on his heels and heading for the door. He opened it but stopped and glanced back. "Say hello to the Mss. and the kid for me?"

"I won't" Replied the professor flatly. Schultz snorted, then left, closing the door behind him.

As he walked down the stairs, he realized that he will have to get down to the sewers again. Would getting caught be really that bad? After thinking about it for a brief second he decided the walking in shit to the waist was the wise choice.


The wise choice would be to pick it up. Peter thought as he listened to his phone ring. It had been the second time it rang and if it was Aunt May who was calling, he'd be in serious trouble. But the fact that he was currently swinging around a few hundred feet in the air really made it hard to take a phone call. I should have stayed home tonight, too.

In all fairness, he didn't even want to stay home the night before but Gwen's words had stuck him so he just hoped that the criminals wouldn't cause any trouble in the meantime. They surprisingly didn't. Besides, his body was still really sore after the fight with the Rhino, even with his enhanced healing factor. It could only do so much.

In the end, it actually turned out to be a pretty good night. Aunt May got to demonstrate her exceptional culinary skills, which, Peter realized, she hadn't really done since her husband passed away. They had fun talking, despite the fact that Peter had to tell some awkward childhood stories. But what made it worth the most was how Gwen Stacy changed during the dinner. She started out the same way as her usual self, all grumpy and hostile but slowly eased into a much nicer and happier person who was even surprisingly, dare he say it, cute (no, he actually didn't dare to say it). Peter realized that he wouldn't mind seeing this side of her more often.

But despite all the fun he had, by the time he woke up in the morning he found that he could barely restrain himself from jumping out the window to swing around for a few minutes to feel the wind brushing against his skin, to feel the rush of adrenaline, to fell that rare moment of weightlessness when he was in between swings and all the other things he had gotten used to over these few months. He had the sinking feeling that he started to become addicted to the excitement. That shouldn't be why I do what I do. But regardless, he had to do his usual patrol after missing out one night, since the Rhino and the Shocker were still free. He just hoped that he wasn't just telling himself that.

Nevertheless, receiving a call this late at night couldn't possibly mean any good. The fact that the caller dialed again after the first miss only further reinforced that thought. So he decided to take it. He shot two lines of web farther than he usually did and swung in a wider arc before letting go of them, letting his momentum carry him up in the air above all the skyscrapers. Then, he quickly pulled out his earphones from under his costume, put them in his ear under the mask, then connected them to his Osberry, while freefalling in the air. When he finished everything he shot web-line at a nearby building and swung between the long lines of trafficking vehicles, nearly hitting the ground and letting out a joyful shout during the whole thing. He felt rather proud for pulling that trick. So much so that by the time he remembered why he did it in the first place, his phone already stopped ringing. Luckily, not after ten seconds, it started up again.

"Yes?" He answered the call and tried his best to hide his panting from his exertions.

"Finally! I thought I'd have to call May." Said the very recognizable and very sweet voice of Mary Jane. "Where are you, Tiger? Especially at this late hour?" She asked in a teasing manner but Peter could hear a little worry behind it.

"In the city. I just… swung by a couple of shops." He said doing just that. Even if she wouldn't get the joke, Peter couldn't help himself. MJ remained silent for a couple of seconds then asked in a slightly reproachful voice.

"Does May know?" Peter only hesitated for a few short seconds but it seemed to be enough of an answer to her. She let out a deep sigh. "Look, I know you don't want to tell me what's going on but this is really getting out of hand. Are you still sure you can handle it, alone?" She asked, her voice filled with concern.

"Yes, don't worry" He said and it felt like a lie even to him. Mary Jane hummed skeptically, then let another sigh, though this one was much lighter.

"Alright. But you know you can tell me anything. I won't judge." She said in a kind voice and Peter knew that she wouldn't. Of all the people he could tell his secret, she would probably accept him the quickest and that also included his Aunt. For a moment he felt the urge just lay everything out to her, the fun, the horrible and the still uncategorized. But he quickly overwrote it. It wasn't the time and the place and besides, he wasn't ready to reveal everything just yet.

"I know. And thank you." He said honestly, then hesitated for a second before continuing. "But now that you brought it up… There is something I should tell you." He paused to make a sudden turn and to collect his thoughts but MJ cut him off.

"Oh, can I guess!? Please? I'm very good at this!" She said in a girlish excitement, then before waiting for his answer he continued. "Let's see… How about…" She made a dramatic pause, then blurted out. "You've been telling Gwen that the two of us have been having friendly sex while you missed class and came home late?" She asked in a hurry, and shockingly enough there wasn't even a hint of accusation in her tone, only that sort of playfulness which people use when they catch someone doing something bad but aren't really mindful about it.

"Ahm…" Was all the intellectual answer Peter's genius brain could come up with. Mary Jane let out a long and sweet laugh, a sound so hypnotizing that Peter almost fell out of the rhythm of his swinging. But he quickly collected himself and managed to speak. "You know, you just hit the jackpot." MJ laughed again, this one more triumphant.

"Heh, good one." She said, still giggling. "See!? I told you I was good at this" She continued, heavy tease filling her voice.

"Yeah… you really are." Peter mumbled in a fake pout, which caused MJ to giggle again. She seemed to really enjoy this. "So… I take it you're not mad?"

"But Peter Parker" She started in a mock-serious tone. "You've been telling vicious rumors about me saying that I'd do such impure and inappropriate things. And you ask me whether I'm mad?" She asked, then couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing again. "Of course I'm not, Tiger. You know that, unless someone gets hurt, I don't care what people say about me. Though you could have told me, too." She added as an afterthought.

"But you know that's different. I'm your friend. Are you sur…"

"Oh, please. The fact that you're my friend only helps your case in my view." She said a bit consolingly. "Besides, I already implied it after Gwen caught us exiting the women's room. You just played on it." Peter remained silent for seconds, just swinging from street to street before shaking his head and letting out a quiet laugh.

"MJ, you're amazing."

"Yep." She answered shamelessly, then hesitated before continuing a bit more reluctantly. "But as amazing as I am, I'm still gonna have to ask you to stop with that excuse. And just to get a taste of your own medicine, I won't tell why."

"Real mature." Peter mumbled sarcastically, but he of course understood her perfectly. Then, maybe because wearing his mask, a bold question entered his mind and before he realized, it already left his mouth. "Are you saying I can't say it to anyone or that it has stop being just an excuse?"

Wearing his costume must have caused his more forward Spider-man persona to take control for a bit and now he really regretted coming out on a patrol. And things only just begin to get awkward. After one very long second of hesitation, Mary Jane begun to laugh, about which Peter was somehow happy and unhappy at the same time. Yet, still she had hesitated and even if it was just for one second, he had learned the hard way that one second could mean the difference between life and death. One second could literally mean the world to someone. It was something he would have to think about and a lot. But not now, on the phone while swinging through the city. Whatever went through Mary Jane's head, she must have come to the same conclusion because she spoke up first.

"Wow, feeling cocky, aren't we Tiger?" She asked her teasing voice never leaving but somehow it seemed less natural then before. Peter decided to ignore that for now.

"Well, you know, having imaginary sex can real…" He stopped mid-sentence as his spider-sense suddenly flared, all but screaming at him, and he twisted his body just in time to dodge a bullet. It flew past him and hit the concrete wall of a building, leaving a bigger impact than one shot from a machine gun could do. His heart started betting hard and he looked around frantically while steadying himself with a new line of web, but couldn't find the source. At some point, he had started heavily panting, which was only stopped by MJ's concerned tone.

"Peter!? What happened? Are you alright?" She asked in a tense voice, all her playfulness evaporating. Peter started swinging again, still looking for the point of origin.

"Yeah… It missed… I mean I missed a step and I almost fell but I'm…" He couldn't finish that either as he felt the warning again. He let go of the web-line he held and started freefalling when he felt the changing air-pressure caused by the speeding bullet just above his head, before it flew away, hitting the wall again. He shot another web-line and swung behind a building for cover, hoping that he estimated well enough where the shot had come from. Then he remembered that he was still on the phone. "Oh, again." He said panting a bit "I really can't concentrate on two things at once. I'm sorry MJ but I've gotta hang up. Talk to you tomorrow?" After a brief hesitation, MJ finally answered.

"Yeah, sure." She said, her worry evident in her voice, which meant that she at least suspected something wasn't right. "Have a good night." I wish I could.

"You, too" He said then hung up. He hadn't felt any attack coming so it meant that he had guessed the bullets origin at least partially right. He steadied his breathing then let out one big sigh and jumped again and swing towards the street he had previously been at. He made sure to swing in a zig-zag to further lessen the chance of getting hit. Even with his spider-sense, it had been really close.

Fortunately enough, there weren't any additional shots to dodge. But despite that ninety-nine percent of humanity would be happy with that fact, for Peter it had also meant that he probably missed his attacker and he'd already escaped. With someone who got this close at this random a moment, he couldn't let that happen. He had to find where the shots came from.

In less than half a minute, he did but only because his attacker intended him to. He landed on the roof of a thirty stories building and was horrified at what he had found. Even though no-one was there anymore, his attacker had made sure to leave him a message in the form of a giant spider-symbol, very similar to the one he wore on his chest, painted with a silvery-white painting that shone in the moonlight. At each of the eight legs and the abdomen there were pictures of people with bags over their heads and the pictures themselves were coated in something red that Peter had a sinking feeling wasn't painting.

At the head of the spider, there was a letter and two cartridge cases. Still on edge he looked around slowly before picking up the letter and reading its content, his heart sinking in fear.

3 A.M. AT THE WAREHOUSE YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN TO, FROM THE FRONT DOOR. NO SOONER, NO LATTER. IF YOU TRY TO SNEAK IN, I WILL KILL ALL THESE PEOPLE. DON'T BRING HELP.

After he read every word carefully and stopped his hand from shaking, he let out sad little laugh. At least now, I can be glad I hadn't stayed home, tonight.