As the car drove on, Stacie sat silent. She too, was at a loss for words as to how she wound up with Chloe Stacy, her sworn rival. When Chloe came inside the car, she was appalled seeing her and yet Stacie couldn't help but be amused at her expression, It was priceless. But at the end of the moment, she was fuming over a lot of things, her father for one and another being for what the blonde was up to these days at school. I still can't believe what she wants to do to Beca. I don't even know what it is but I do hope it's not going to be what I think it is. She thought. Sitting in the police car, Stacie feared that Beca's prank may have to do with a certain school tradition that she found most displeasing.
Stacie had been brought in to give her statement to the downtown police department. But just then the silence was suddenly broken.
"So you two know each other?" The driver spoke. Stacie quickly deduced long before that the driver was Chloe's father. She wished he hadn't broken the silence. She had found it relaxing.
"Vaguely." Stacie responded and even as she looked ahead, Stacie felt that Chloe was rolling her eyes at her response.
"How'd you know we've seen each other before? Is that like some kind of inner cop intuition or something?" said the blonde.
The captain scoffed. "Probably. You guys are sitting very uncomfortably in your own ways and it's not because you're in a police car, you're avoiding eye contact as well and each of you is looking at the other in a serious manner when she's not looking."
"Pretty thorough." Stacie whispered.
"Don't encourage him." Chloe muttered and looked out the window.
Even Stacie did not need this kind of conversation right now. In Stacie's opinion, it felt rather unprofessional and inappropriate by the police officer. At the moment, Stacie was vulnerable to a degree and she was using all her mentalities not to keep from breaking down despite past circumstances lingering in her mind.
"Chloe since we're talking and me breaking the ice wasn't up to par as I hoped it would've been, what's your account to what happened?"
Chloe sighed. "Does it matter? I mean I assume you got all the reports from countless witnesses and I know they've said the same thing."
"So you're sticking to it?"
"Yeah. Some Goblin-type of creature was going up against this girl who has a serious pension for spiders." Chloe giggled.
"Oh boy." Chloe's father muttered.
Stacie thought she should change the subject. "What about my dad? What are you doing about it?"
"Well, he'll stay the night in jail. Make him go up to a judge and verify all the stuff that happened."
"Verify?" Stacie said outraged. "What he did to me and my mother—"
The captain proceeded to calm her down. "That's why you're going to have to go to court as well and provide evidence against his contrary. Without Ben Parker, it'll be hard to convince a jury though."
"What do you mean? Why wouldn't Ben Parker be in court? He helped me."
The car came to a stoplight. Captain Stacy turned around to look at Stacie regretfully.
He sighed and closed his eyes apparently finding it difficult to speak but he managed nonetheless. "Because he's dead."
Stacie gasped and her eyes were round due to shock. She found it difficult to breathe. Once the car got moving, The tall brunette broke down and cried. "Oh my God!"
"I'm sorry." George said.
She didn't care if Chloe found her reaction intriguing or disheartening, Stacie literally wanted to disintegrate. "Beca .." She began to say.
"Whoa! Wait a minute .." Chloe remembered something but Stacie paid it no mind. "Dad, the spider-girl who was with that guy on the ground, could she—"
"OH GREAT!" He bellowed.
Suddenly the car stopped with its brakes screeching. "What the hell!" Chloe saw the reason why, a local grocery store had a burglar with a hostage in his arms. Other squad cars were positioned and thus, police officers trained their guns at him while the burglar yelled. Stacie saw that the captain got out and motioned to another officer on the scene. "David, take these girls home. I'll take care of this!"
"But dad!" Chloe objected.
"I'll see you later honey. Take care of yourself, Ms. Watson."
And off he went leaving a speechless Stacie and a frustrated Chloe Stacy driving away.
It wasn't as if Beca was embedded with bad luck, she was cursed with it. At least that was what she thought. Lately things have been getting worse despite my new powers. She continued to sit in her aunt's hospital room appearing in a daze. Aunt May had fallen asleep, exhausted from all that happened. Beca went over what the police had said to her aunt, that the perpetrator had not been caught nor was there a police description of him.
No doubt they're doing all they can to find him, yeah right. A disgusted brunette shook her head and tried to be realistic. The guy had to be a million miles away by now. Beca's need for revenge was subsiding as she realized that finding the man responsible for her uncle's death was an impossibility. Sighing she shrugged off an old Captain America from her lap and put it lazily back on the desk.
Standing she went to the window of the hospital room and looked outside, Beca looked somewhat pensive while all the while feeling ashamed. Her uncle had been there for her despite the secrets. "Power comes with responsibility." She had said. Turning around to face her sleeping aunt on the bed, she went to her.
Beca spoke. "You have your reasons for keeping things secret. I get it. Secrets can destroy or they can renew. I know that my secret can be unpredictable. I don't know if they're good or bad. But things are bad, Aunt May. You don't have to tell me they're bad. It's part of the reason you're on this bed now. I want to fix this." Beca declared. "This city needs someone like me. It needs me. The worldneeds me!"
After a second of silence without any word from Aunt May or Beca, She went out the door with a newfound purpose.
Monday came without incident and without interruption. Curtis Connors was ready or ready as he will ever be. In his mind, he tried to play out what he was going to do and what he was going to say. The fact that he had a good mindset proved how confident he had become. In front of a small audience, Curt let his voice be heard. As he got to the podium, he spoke as loud and clear as he could. "Ladies and Gentlemen, mankind has always looked for ways to expand, to be updated, or to be stronger even. Only the most special minds could come up with such a notion but it takes a genius mind to come up with the actual result."
Soft murmuring amongst the audience was heard but was silenced so that Curtis could clarify. "Imagine a formula similar to that of the fountain of youth but in plain view and actually realized. This very formula can undo what we shouldn't have. Our weaknesses, our flaws, our vulnerabilities eradicated once and for all. What if I were to tell you that I may have such a formula?" Curtis continued when he saw the confused faces of each and every one of the people seated.
"I have created the very formula designed to make us better than we were."
"Have you tested it for side effects? Because I assume you had done that." a major figure in the audience pointed out. Curt saw that it was Norman Osborn. "But if you're so confident in your formula, why not perform it on yourself? Or have you done that?"
Curt felt deflated as soon as Norman stood up and walked casually toward him. He tried not to get nervous. "Well, I mean it's still in an experimental phase which is why I called this meeting."
"Dr. Connors. Surely a great mind such as yourself would find other ways to heightened our excitability levels. You must have evidence that suggests that the formula in question is effective." Norman said giving off a smirk.
Curtis knew full well he was being ambushed and a trickle of sweat immediately poured down to his brow. Norman was basically trying to tell him that Curt jumped to great lengths with no way of landing. "Mr. Osborn. I'm only trying to—"
"Post an ad detailing what may or may not be a flop?" Norman answered.
The audience immediately nodded and expressed their agreement with their boss and employer, Norman. Curtis saw this and he shrunk. I'm a mere private going against the British Army. How stupid am I? Unfortunately for Curt, there was cause for pause.
"Dr. Connors, you're slipping."
Curt looked at Norman surprised. "What?"
"Slipping on the road to failure. But ..." Norman walked away from him. "I'm willing to let your formula maybe see the light of day, provided that you make it work. You have seven hours!"
He sat back down looking at his notes.
Curt cleared his throat. "Well, as I was also going to say, this formula has the ability to heal, grow back limbs, and eliminate scars."
"Oh well, I didn't know we were providing acne medication now." Norman bemused. The audience then laughed. "I think that's our take for today." Everybody proceeded to get up and leave but not before Norman stood right next to Curt again. "Remember, seven hours." He growled.
Curt went back to his office and in desperate need to find a solution to make sure that his formula worked the way it should.
I need more help with this. Curt thought desperately. Otto has been good with the formula but I can't keep relying on him knowing he always criticizes. I need someone to assist me with this. Someone who is as good as me! He said to himself as he was going through his desk drawers trying to find stuff of use.
Curtis saw his answer when he found a file in his drawer. "Richard Parker?" He said as he opened the folder. He did have a daughter. Didn't he?
Breaking out of prison was an easy thing to do. It was practically second nature to him. Escaping from Rikers' Island however, was a different story entirely. Not only did he have to avoid guards and motion detectors, the man had to swim for miles which was almost too much for him but he managed regardless. The man finally washed ashore and looked back at the small island and mocked it. "Yeah, you think you could hold me? I do not think so! HAHA!" So he ran before anyone saw him.
Seeing an empty truck, the man Aleksei Sytsevich climbed on board and began to hot-wire it. The truck began to move and for a while, Aleksei drove slow but hearing a soft, faint alarm coming from the prison, Aleksei drove faster, not caring who or what he ran over.
"Get out of ze way!" He waved at the people flipping him off.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" one of the bystanders called out.
A big bald man whose drink smashed to the concrete ground, looked at him while Aleksei shouted. "Why not get out of the way? It's much easier or not." He laughed maniacally.
The bald man looked on at the speeding lunatic with much disgust. Aleksei was far ahead and thus could not hear him talking to one of his associates saying. "Bring him to me .. alive."
At school, Beca carried on focused and renewed. It's no time to fool around. I got to get ready for what's coming. I don't know what's coming. But I know it's bad. She thought. Under water, Beca found being more peaceful than she had been in a while. She felt more at ease with her uncle's last words. She was going to follow what her uncle had said. It was the best way to honor him.
As she sped to the other side of the pool with such intense speed, Beca kept practicing. Physical Education today consisted of swim practice. She made the best of it. She got out of the water and began to breathe in and out again. She floated and saw to her delight, Stacie floating at the corner of the pool with her friends. Beca mustered the courage to go over to her.
Don't choke, Beca. Don't choke. She kept thinking to herself
"Heyy." She said coming up to Stacie.
"Hey there." Stacie waved. "How you been?"
"I've been better."
"Can you guys give us a second?" She motioned to her friends. They nodded and went off. Several of them giggled at the sight of Beca. Beca sat next to her.
I kind of miss the days when girls found me repulsive. She wanted to mutter.
"Beca. I heard about what happened. This must be very hard for you."
The tiny brunette nodded and let out a sigh. "He was like a second dad to me and despite all the secrets, the mistrusts, he was there for me." She whispered.
"When's the funeral?"
"This Saturday. It's just going to be me and my aunt. She's getting better now. It's not going to be like a big funeral or anything. It'll be just short and simple."
"I'll be there." Stacie whispered.
"No you don't have to—" But Beca was caught off.
"Your uncle helped me. I want to be there to show how much I cared for him as well. It's best not to admit it but I wished he was my dad too. You were so lucky to have someone like him in your life, Beca. You turned out alright because of him."
Beca nodded. "I hope so."
"I know so." Stacie said adamantly.
"He's like six feet tall. So that's kind of a plus." Ashley said to her friends. Chloe knew it was her by her prissy voice. She was trying to stretch so as not to pull a muscle.
"You guys talking about Bumper again?" Jessica called out.
"No, I'm talking about Parker."
Chloe raised her head and pointed it at Ashley's direction. She soon looked over at Beca talking to Stacie. Immediately the blood ran to her face. She also surveyed Beca. She looked incredible without her shirt on. Blushing wasn't what she was used to but Chloe felt like she was running a fever looking at the shorter brunette.
"Isn't she supposed to be a geek?" Denise said confused. "Why is she looking like she lives in a gym?"
"I don't care. I think she's dreamy now." Ashley gushed. "Ahh, Those abs-like!" Amy said
Even Chloe had to admit it. It was official. Beca had won her over. No dreams. No tricks. Chloe was seeing stars now. She even had to stifle a gulp. "Holy crap .." She accidently said out loud.
"Oh! Oh! Sounds like Chloe wants a piece of Beca as well!" Jessica said smiling at her.
"No! Of course not! We're just cool is all." The blonde protested.
"This coming from the girl who wants to break the whole prank off. Now I can see why you'd want to."
"But seriously, I think she has a thing for Stacie Watson."
"Oh, I heard that Beca had this girl once, or does beca has finally come out of the shell and talked to a new girl? Surprises are in store today." Denise scoffed met with a 'no' replies.
Chloe really hoped that wasn't the case. She did not want her rival getting Beca. She was thinking of talking to her and asking her whether or not to go out again. While explaining to her friends that Bumper wanted her to do so anyway to get some intel on Beca.
Chloe saw how Stacie put a hand on the shorter brunette's shoulder and patted her. Beca looked back at her and nodded. Chloe tried hard not to get jealous. At Denise's thoughts she got this nerves that Stacie likes this girl.
She vowed to have her. No matter what the cost. You're not getting her, You're not getting her, Stacie, you skank! Beca's going to be mine and no one, not even you is going to have her!