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All characters appearing in Marvel Comics are copyright Marvel Entertainment and Walt Disney Company. No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and are not authorized by the copyright holders.
All original characters are the property of Celgress.
Small Town Spider-Man – Episode Twenty-Four: Fun at Bayville trouble at Home…..
By
Celgress
Xavier Academy outside Bayville mid-August, afternoon
"Is that the best you can do bubs?" Wolverine asked unimpressed by our efforts in the time trial.
"Hey we're not use to this sort of thing." I puffed catching my breath.
"Yeah we don't have fancy simulators like you guys have back home." Arachnia protested breathing hard herself.
"Your team is woefully out of shape, undisciplined." Cyclops said looking at me and shaking his head. "It is a wonder you haven't been picked off by some lucky super villain already."
"Scott be nice." Jean Grey said punching Cyclops lightly on his right shoulder. "What my colleagues meant to say is your technique needs work."
"More like an overhaul." Wolverine snorted.
"Logan," Storm said sternly.
We'd only been at the Xavier Institute for three days. In that time we'd been subjected to a round of extensive blood & tissue tests and put through the wringer by the X-Men's training routine. Other than Reilly who wouldn't stop pestering the X-Men, especially Wolverine, we were exhausted. Our vacation had quickly degenerated into a nightmare.
"Ahem," Beast said entering the training room dressed in a pristine white lab coat. "I have your test results right here. Of your group only Black Cat possesses the X Gene. The rest of your powers are the product of manmade genetic alterations."
"Though as much," I said taking my DNA analysis from Beast.
"You're special babe." White Tarantula said putting his arm around Black Cat.
"Yeah your specialer or is that more special?" Scarlet Spider pondered scratching the top of his mask.
"Forgive him he's young." I said.
"Hey I'm only a year younger than you." Scarlet Spider said indignant.
"What a difference a year makes." I joked everyone laughed.
"I'm finding Kitty at least she appreciates me." Scarlet Spider said leaving the training room in a huff. Kitty Pride had developed a potent crush on Reilly since the Spider Team arrived the feeling was more than mutual.
"Maybe you should go after him?" Arachnia suggested placing her gloved hand on my shoulder.
"Nah, he'll get over it." I said taking her hand off my shoulder and squeezing it with my own.
"Don't worry Arachnia no doubt Kitty will help him lick his wounds." White Tarantula said crudely. "Ouch, what was that for?" He said rubbing the back of his head after Black Cat slapped him.
"Having your mind in the gutter," Black Cat said. "That was an awful thing to say."
"Sorry babe I didn't think." White Tarantula said.
"You seldom do. At times like these I don't know why I love you." Black Cat teased.
"May fashion sense, or perhaps my movie star good looks?" White Tarantula said. Black Cat giggled draping herself against his larger form.
"Get a room you two." Arachnia laughed.
"You should talk." Black Cat said feinting offense. "Remember the pool incident the first night here?" Black Cat winked through her transparent goggles.
Beneath her mask Mary Jane blushed a deep red. "Um that's beside the point." Arachnia said fidgeting.
"You and Spidey gave the younger students quite the show until Gambit and Rogue, who were on life guard duty, made you stop." Black Cat said.
"Hey now in our defense we didn't know they were holding an aquatics class for the primary school grades." I said wishing I could fall through a crack in the floor. "We thought we had the pool to ourselves when we first dove in."
"It wasn't as if we were skinny dipping." Arachnia blurted out. "We were only kissing."
"How did Professor X put it, ah yes 'and engaged in heavy petting of a highly inappropriate nature'." White Tarantula said doing a dead on impersonation of Charles Xavier.
"Can we please change the subject?" I whined.
"Yes, please cease this juvenile banter." Beast said adjusting his glasses, "returning to your test results."
Dormitory
"No one takes me seriously Kitty." Reilly said taking off his mask and sitting on Kitty's pink blanket covered bed.
"God I know what you mean." Kitty Pride said. "I'm treated the same way around here. Just because I'm younger than most of the active X-Men I'm seen as a screw up. Kitty do this. Kitty do that. Kitty did you remember to turn off the simulators. Kitty your dragon is eating the building again. I mean c'mon give me a break." Kitty rolled her eyes flopping down on the bed beside Reilly.
"Wait you have a pet dragon?" Reilly said in disbelief.
"I did, but that isn't important." Kitty said smiling warmly at Reilly. "Anyone ever tell you you're cute when you pout?" Kitty said pulling Reilly down into an embrace. The two were kissing when there was a loud knock at the door.
"Kitty supper time," The voice of Gambit said. Reilly and Kitty flew apart the instant they heard the knock. Looking at each other the two giggled uncontrollably before heading to the meal hall.
Osborn Mansion Cider Falls the following day, morning
"Is this Frank Castle aka the Punisher?" Lily Osborn asked biting her lower lip. "Good morning Mr. Castle, ah you prefer Punisher sorry. Is it true you bring individuals who are above the law to justice? It is, wonderful my name is Lilian Osborn my husband was recently killed by a local masked vigilante named Spider-Man. I have reason to believe my husband was railroaded by the gang Spider-Man and his girlfriend Arachnia lead, that they fabricated incriminating evidence against my husband. The local police force won't touch Spider-Man or his associates. What do I want? I want them brought to justice, not killed I can handle that part myself. Of course I'm sure. Capture Arachnia alive, bring her to me. I'll take care of the rest. I'll gladly pay any fee you want, money is no object. You'll be here in three weeks, sounds good. I'll see you then." Lily hung up the phone wiping off her running mascara with the back of her hand. "When I'm finished Spider-Man's loved ones will cry themselves to sleep every night. They'll experience firsthand the pain I've felt." She whispered.
Since Norman's death Lily had been an emotional wreck. Other than when she was battling the traitorous Roderick Kingsley for control of Osborn Lily walked around in a daze. Then a letter had arrived in the mail late in July. The letter had been from Dr. Otto Octavius now known throughout the country as Dr. Octopus. He had requested a sit down meeting with her. Lily was tempted to simply discard the letter until she read the last line which stated if she desired the 'real story' behind her husband's downfall she'd take Dr. Octopus up on his offer. Deciding she had nothing left to lose Lily flew to Colorado three days later. The story Dr. Octopus told her while surrounded by heavily armed Guardsmen in the visitors' room of the Vault so outraged her that she required a mild sedative to sleep that night. Spider-Man and his teammates weren't mutants! Their powers were instead manmade! Powers that her late husband was trying to replicate so he could save the Super Soldier Contract like he'd said that fateful day! Norman wasn't a mutant hating madman he was a hero who sacrificed his own wellbeing by taking the unstable first generation Enhancement Serum for the good of the valley! Furthermore the slimly Kingsley knew all about it, in spite of his protests to the contrary! This changed everything. Agreeing to provide Dr. Octopus with the finest legal defense money could buy in return for more detailed information, including locations of remaining data and products, such as the Enhancement Serum Dr. Octopus had smuggled out, Lily returned to Cider Falls a week later where she'd contacted Frank Castle.
Examining the vial of bright green liquid in her hand Lily said softly. "I'll be ready when next we meet Spider-Man."
Kingsley Mansion, evening
Roderick Kingsley sat across the table from his teenage daughter Debra. The Oscorp executive was troubled. Debra had been away at boarding school until last week when she insisted on visiting him. Roderick was suspicious his daughter had an ulterior motive for her visit. He had been proven correct when Debra told him she wanted to attend Cider Falls High School in the fall. Roderick had tried to talk her out of it but she was stubborn like him. He only hoped things worked out for the best he had made many enemies since arriving in the valley. Enemies who would jump at the chance to use any weakness they could find against him, including his daughter. Roderick smiled across the table at his daughter she smiled back. His faults aside he did love her, everything he'd done had been for her benefit as much as for his own. He prayed she'd understand when she learned the truth about his actions.
Abandoned Warehouse Cider Falls, evening
"It'll do." The Jackal said inspecting his surroundings.
"I'm happy it meets with your approval." Toxin said from his position several steps away. "It was at one time a crop storage facility until the Kingpin bought it several years ago. He auctioned it off to the highest bidder in spring once Spider-Man spoiled his toxic waste disposal side business. I then procured it last month from the previous owner, for a tidy sum."
"I'm curious." Jackal said. "Did you murder the owner?" He had no idea who this new Toxin was only that he had grandiose plans. Jackal was unsure if that was a good thing or not.
"Most certainly not," Toxin said obviously offended by the suggestion. "I only resort to direct violence when there are no other viable options. Don't take me for a common ruffian Dr. Warren. I assure you I am anything but."
"You're an odd duck new Toxin." Jackal muttered. "I think I liked the old Toxic better."
"The old Toxin, as you call him, was my intellectual inferior in every way." Toxin fumed. "He couldn't hold a candle to my mental brilliance."
"Touchy, aren't we?" Jackal cackled. "Do I detect an inferior complex my partner, hmmm?"
"We are not partners. Remember our deal Jackal I provide the secure base and materials, you work for me from now on." Toxin said.
"Yes sir." Jackal said snapping to attention.
"If we're to take over this town including the local underworld we'll need help." Toxin reasoned rubbing the chin of his mask with a clawed hand.
"What do you have in mind?" Jackal asked. It worried the mad scientist greatly that he had no idea who was behind the mask while Toxin on the other hand knew everything about him, or so it appeared. Information no doubt imparted upon the new wearer by the suite.
"A recruitment drive," Toxin said.
Cider Falls one week later, afternoon
It was the day of the annual Cider Falls Corn Boil. We had returned from Bayville the day before. Aunt May wasn't happy we'd spent a week with the X-Men. She was even less happy when she learned about Reilly new, long distance girlfriend. Aunt May made no bones about the fact she didn't approve of our associating with mutants. We reminded her Gwen was a mutant she said that was different. She knew Gwen's background. She feared we were opening doors that couldn't easily be closed. She told us the family getting involved with SHEILD back in the day had started innocently enough, but had quickly spiraled out of control. She then told us, for the millionth time since learning our secret identities, she didn't want such lives for me or Reilly. She owed our parents and Uncle Ben better. She wanted us to have happy, normal lives not ones full of drama and hardship.
The Corn Boil wasn't as fun as I remembered it being in past years. There was music, dance, free food & refreshments there was also something else Harry was there, minus his mother, dressed in a black hoodie with matching pants and sporting a buzz cut. He was dreadfully pale. When I asked Harry how he was doing he launched into a rant about how evil the Spider Team is. How we'd ruined his life. The entire situation was very uncomfortable. I was actually glad when he wondered away a few minutes later, to my enteral shame.
Other than Lily Osborn everyone in town was present. I noticed Roderick Kingsley with a girl about my age. Like Kingsley she was African American, cute with glasses and short neck length brown hair. I would later learn she was his daughter Debra Whitman-Kingsley. Her hyphenated name was the by-product of her maternal relatives being the money behind her father, they had insisted when she was born the surname be retained much to Mr. Kingsley's chagrin. Until then I had no idea Mr. Kingsley had been married or had any children. Apparently his wife had died before he moved to Cider Falls about five years ago. Debra had been away at boarding school until recently.
Mid-way through the festivities Mayor Robbie Robertson took to the stage. He gave his unofficial state of the valley address, something of a Corn Boil tradition. Once he finished J. Jonah Jameson unexpectedly got on the stage. I wondered what was up? Suddenly my spider sense went crazy. Glancing at MJ, Reilly & Eddie I could tell I wasn't alone. Why was old flattop registering as a danger? It didn't make sense. When industrialist Walter Wilson Fisk, inventor Spencer Smythe and the battle suite encased Enforcers Shocker, Beetle & Rhino joined Jameson the reason behind our collective reaction became clear.
"Tell me people are you truly better off than you were four years ago?" Jameson said grabbing the microphone before the local band could continue playing. "Of course you aren't. Mutants and other criminals roam our streets with impunity. While our officials watch impotently. I say no more, which is why I'm officially announcing my candidacy for mayor!" The crowd roared. "Once elected with the assistance of the men on this stage and those like them I'll restore the lost glory of our town. Our streets will once again be safe for regular citizens! My anti-crime task force will clean up the cesspool Mayor Robertson and his cohorts have allowed our fair valley to become! Are you with me!?" The crowd roared louder than ever.
To Be Continued