Chapter 100 [That Evening—Luthor Mansion]

[A/N: T 'Challa is Marvel's character of course….]

The afternoon slid by ever so slowly. Business dried up to a trickle. Collaboration cleaned every inch of the café. Lex reviewed his reports on the laptop. Dubois (by now back to himself) finished the next week's presentation. The limo brought Gwen back to the mansion to be with Peter. By 5:30, Lex had the café closed. By 7:30, dinner was finished.

Now the discussions could start in earnest….

Peter regarded himself in the mirror. He stood in costume without his mask. Indecision ate at him. How many people actually know here? I'm being careful! It's not like I'm saying anything! He frowned.

A knocking came from the door.

"Peter, it's me. Can I come in?" Gwen stuck her head in. "Everyone's wondering where you are."

"Sorry. It feels weird to be coming out like this." He motioned her inside.

"Other than maybe one or two people, everyone in that room knows. They've assured me that you can trust them. That creep at the Talon talked about you as if he knew you. It's like he's been stalking us." She glanced about the room.

"Maybe. With the Rider and those ghosts around, anyone can join in. We'd never know." He grumbled. He flexed his arm. Between his own enhanced healing and Angie's mutant healing talent, he was just about back to normal. "That lady sure has the magic touch."

"I can't believe you're healed after only five days. Wow." She ran her hands through her hair. "I knew you were special, Mr. P but to heal up so fast?"

"I had help. I just needed the rest. Who's this guy?" He turned to her.

"Some skinny Japanese man in a dark suit. He was obviously in good shape. Apparently he was stalking Clark at his farm this morning. He was waving a fancy samurai sword around. Mr. Dubois went into that Dark Kid mode of his. It's the guy who tried to kill him fifteen years ago and took Miranda. He's back." She quivered.

"Yeesh!" He recalled what Strange had told him. "That guy nearly killed him back then. Obviously he's more than the average bear or whatever. Whoever or whatever he is, I owe him for the mess with the Bugle." He pulled on his mask. "Let's get this over with."

"Peter, it's going to be okay. These people have a secret they're holding onto as well. They understand." She embraced him. "They've promised to keep yours. Hey they kept it this morning against that guy. Not a peep even when he was on his fishing expedition."

"I know what that secret is. Sorry I haven't told you. Same thing." Spidey shrugged.

"If it's what I think it is, I don't blame you. I found out this morning thanks to that Arighatto guy. Wow." She pulled up the side of his mask. "Kiss for luck?"

"Always can use your luck, Pretty Lady." He hugged her. His lips touched hers. Then he pulled his mask back down again. "I feel better that you're going to be in there with me. I'm going to make my entrance."

She raised an eyebrow. "I really would rather you not push the wall crawling or the stunts yet."

"I'm fine. No fancy backflips yet."

"All…right." She frowned. "Please be careful." She opened the door and stepped outside.

"Hey! That's me!" He scampered up the wall and along the ceiling. "Someone's got to be your guardian angel. Right?"

"And you're going to be for a long time. Just don't be dumb, Man of Mine." She shook her head on the walk down the hall. And now Clark can fly? Was he in on the rescue Monday? She descended the stairs being careful not to trip from her nerves. She slipped back into the dining room. "Sorry, Everyone. Peter's on his way back."

"Everything all right?" Jonathan looked to Martha. Since the call and an earlier conversation in person with Lex, he really didn't want any surprises.

"He's…nervous about this. I don't blame him." Gwen sat back down. She gulped down half a glass of wine. "Sorry. My own nerves."

"It'll be all right." Lex drank from his own coffee.

Jasmine spied movement in the shadows by the door and ceiling. "I think everyone's here."

"Show off." Dubois rolled his eyes. "You can join us. The seat's still warm."

"Okay." Spider-Man leapt down from his perch with care. "Howdy, Troops." He waved. "Jasmine, Lex, thanks. I know how secrets are. Mr. Dubois, I appreciate what you and your…umm…buddy…have done to keep mine."

"You earned it." Dubois spasmed ever so slightly. He sucked in a deep breath. "He says you're welcome. Taking on Octavius and then trying to keep the school safe with the Rider. Rash but brave. I used to have to do it with that creep and Lichtenfeld back in Amherst. Piece of advice. Doing it alone is going to get you killed." He looked at everyone else. "Remember, Folks, no judging." He closed the door with a telepathic nudge. "Lex, the cameras off in here?"

"Wait. What's going on?" Miranda felt Nerves within the costumed newcomer. She probed a little further. "NO WAY! REALLY?" She turned to Jasmine. "You knew?"

"For two weeks now. I agree with your uncle. This is still a big secret to those in this room." Jasmine looked to Nyoki. "Nyoki San?"

"Hai. Sensei Sama told me earlier today. I agree with David and you." Nyoki raised her tea cup. "Please."

Spider-Man looked to Gwen. He slowly pulled off his mask. "I appreciate that, Guys. Really I do."

"Peter?" Clark stared at him. "Wow. I never would've suspected."

"Nor would most of us had Lichtenfeld hadn't exposed him downstairs. The psychics among us have known but kept it to themselves. But that's all in how secrets are kept. People have to be exceptional actors. They have to be careful to the point of being paranoid." Lex shrugged off his entire point.

"Yeah I get it. Glad to see you're back up and around." Clark reached out.

"Thanks." Peter shook hands with Clark. "And I owe you for distracting that guy."

"It wasn't anything really. I just shoved him. You're alive." Clark deflected.

"You bailed me out. I don't forget stuff like that." Peter ran his hand along the back of his neck. He pulled his mask back on. "Since I'm still in costume, I'm putting the mask back on. Clark, as I said, I'm trusting you. You can trust me too."

"His mother and I appreciate that." Jonathan looked at Clark. He couldn't believe that the day had come…

…especially in the Luthor Mansion of all places….

"I get it, Dad." Clark glanced at Lana.

"I'm behind you, Clark." Lana squeezed his hand. "They've proven themselves."

"Fine." Clark lapped the room, the mansion and then returned to the exact spot. "How's that?"

Gwen stared at him. "Clark, you're the one who saved me that night!"

"Yeah I had to keep to the shadows. You can see why." Clark gulped from his coffee.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Spider-Man pulled up his mask enough to expose his mouth. He drank more water. Then he lowered the mask again. "I know I shouldn't talk. I'm the biggest loner there is. It's cost me. I have folks back in New York I team up with on occasion. I've worked with the Avengers and Fantastic Four among others. You want science? Even a geek like me, Reed Richards blows my mind every time I'm in the Baxter Building. So yeah we need to work together and watch each other's backs. I've been warned about that guy in the Talon this afternoon. He's stalking us too."

"And we have to watch out for each other," Jasmine agreed. "I have heard of you before we met here, my Friend. That is why I defend you. Yes. We work together."

"I never knew I had the royal seal of approval," Spider-Man quipped.

"I was in Paris a while ago. A braggart stole vital technology from my father's emirate. He called himself the Cyclone." Jasmine shook her head. "You stopped him. Because of you, my father has his parts back. You have his thanks, Peter. In addition, King T 'Challa of Wakanda sends his regards. I could go on because there are others with similar regard for your service to others."

"Wakanda? That's Africa! How?" Gwen asked.

"T 'Challa was in New York at his embassy. I helped him. All in a day's work," Spidey clarified.

"You should be a diplomat." Lex gulped more from his mug. "Even without the science, you have a great deal to offer. If you can figure out how to fit your aunt in Metropolis, I say move there. You're close enough that you can get back here if you want. You two have a place whenever you need here. In the meantime, we keep things going as best we can."

"I hope to start teaching under Mr. Sanders and the other teachers week after next. I have to go to the middle schools next week to watch," Gwen noted.

"I have the journalism class and the classes at the high school. I also have that story. And we have to get married next weekend." Spidey chimed in. "But we still have to keep an eye out. Look I'm not one to hit the panic button but if I need to?"

"You press it." Dubois cleared his throat. "Why do you think Katrina Crane was out here? Why do you think Lex came after my wife and me as soon as you found out? No man is an island." He glanced toward Lillian's portrait. "She opened my world as much as anyone did."

"Your poems and stories did that as much as she did, Dave. Don't forget that." Lex agreed. "Let's bring that dessert in. Then we need to keep planning."

And over two of Martha's best pies, the conversation eased and turned toward other topics. That being said, they remained mindful of the bigger picture.

A very important thing indeed….