The Month Peter Parker Learned Humility

Chapter 9: Sunday September 9th

Inside the grand mess halls of The Raft, chatter and gossip amongst the tables is served almost as much as the slop SHIELD calls food. Some permanent members, however, sit silently. "So, Osborn, you haven't gone crazy yet from Otto?", asks a burly, rugged individual. "No, muscle butt, I'm doing just fine with Dr Octavius. Why are you so concerned about me and the Doc?" "It's just, well,… He has a thing with new inmates. He'll kill you just so he can get a cell closer to the exit. The man's obsessed with some weird vent towards the cell YOU'RE in—" "Stop right there. He's over the whole 'escape thru the vent' thing. Get ya rumors straight." "You calling me stupid, boy?!" "I'm calling you outdated, softie!"

Right before the very burly individual can land a solid punch to the face, a metal tentacle blocks his fist. "The boy is mine, and only I can deal with him, you simpleton", Otto replies. "Why don't you go sit with Marko and Beck over there, to further calm down the senses?" "You think you're so special, just because Spider-Man—" Otto then grabs him with two tentacles, lifts him in the air, and plops him right in-between Sandman and Mysterio, better known now as Flint Marko and Quentin Beck.

"You tried to touch the Osborn boy, didn't ya?", asks Marko. "Rookie mistake, that's how I ended up in this hole! You gotta let him come to you, and BAM! Knock him out like a light in self-defense." "He's right, you know. CO won't get involved if it looks like self-defense", Beck adds in support of his cellmate. "Like you know anything about that, fish bowl!" "Hey, there's only so many illusions I can make with a couple of broken plungers, toilet paper, tattered jumpsuits and steamy chili!" "You can make an illusion with that?!" "Yeah, just a simple one. Nothing that I'd be proud of on the outside. But hey, I know what CO likes big women now, whenever I need an escape distraction." "Can I get a name, I'll be outta here by next week?" "…no. Get your own freaky CO."

"You alright, Harry? That brute wasn't too hard on you?", Otto asks, sipping on his stew. "I'm fine, Otto, I'm fine. When are we gonna do the big plan, though? There's not a better low-staff day than this." "In a bit, Harry. I haven't gotten the signal from Rhino yet." Soon after, the man of the hour stomps nearby Otto and Harry. "Hey, Doc", greets the Rhino. "What are you doing here?! I told you to give me the signal from the south end", Otto whisper-yells. "What are ya talking about, boss? This is the south end." "My bad, still trying to figure out the layout here." "On our escape day, boy?!" "Look, the coast is clear, Doc. We got five minutes max for the both of ya to head to your boat, three for me. You ready for the distraction?"

"Only five minutes?", asked Otto. "Only four and a half now, Doc", Rhino replied. "Then it's showtime. Harry, you know what to do." Like instinct, Harry saddles onto the Rhino, watching from his backside the exact damage a villain of his stature can make when bulldozing through a prison yard's worth of people and property. The Rhino, however, does not aim for a door or a window, but a wall. A wall that separates the mess hall from the massive, unknown depths of the Atlantic Ocean, teeming with underwater drones and SHIELD traps alike.

"Sandman has crabs!", Harry shouted at the top of his lungs, slapping Marko squarely in the back of his head. "He got them from Shocker, back in that 'team-up' in the supply closet at the Farmingdale Curves!" Soon after, the mess hall bursted with tears and guffaws at this colorful insinuation. "NO ONE LAUGHS AT THE SANDMAN!", bellows a very enraged Marko, flinging a well-aimed sandy giant fist at Harry's head. He ducks, however, letting the fist hit the wall of interest at the same time as Rhino's horn and unleashed force. Like clockwork, the alarms ring and guards soon enter the fray, as two dangerous, well-known villains had escaped the most secure prison on Earth.

"Where's the boat?", asks a confused Harry. "Where's the boat, damnit?! It should be right here, by the biggest rock on The Raft shore!" Rhino looks around, and runs towards the lefthand side of this rocky, slippery shore. "There. There's our way out!", replies Rhino as he sees Otto's silhouette enter a rock with a lid. "Otto! Otto, over here! O—" "Shaddup kid. You'll get the guards on our asses faster than one-ply toilet paper", claims a fearful Rhino, trying to draw as little attention as possible.

"Here kid, this is your stop", adds Rhino, throwing him into the open rock Otto climbed inside. "Careful, you muscular buffoon! Don't forget he's still a child", Octavius replies, catching him with his tentacles. "I'll send you your money and extra, however, once we land at our destination, as a thank you for your troubles." "You'd better, calamari brain! Solitary confinement isn't something I'm looking forward to right now." The arachnophobic duo set sail beyond the Americas and towards the Old Country, hoping their vast business connections still hold up after their recent (and not-so-recent) crimes.

END OF CHAPTER 9