The Invincible Spider-Man
Chapter 29: A Trail Of Breadcrumbs
Spider-Man swung away from the Sanctum Sanctorum, exhausted after the events of that night.
"One moment I'm fighting crime lords…the next I'm up against goblins and magic sorcerers. What, am I living in a Clash of Clans universe?" Thought Peter, as he swung back home so he could at least some amount of sleep before school. He held the vial of Rhino's blood tightly in his left arm, as he swung from his right.
"It's a miracle the vial wasn't damaged during the fight. Let's hope I can learn more about what happened to Flash's dad." Thought Peter, as he swung into his room through the window. After applying some concealer to his face, carefully putting the vial in his bag and putting on his shirt, he went to the kitchen to grab something to eat.
"It's almost 6 am. I need to get ready in an hour anyways." Said Peter, as he took a granola bar and sat in front of the television.
"The rampaging Rhino has now been identified as construction worker Alexander O'Hern. He is currently unconscious after being stopped by the Spider-Man-"
Peter switched off the television and buried his face in his hands. "Goddammit." He whispered.
"You okay Peter?" Asked Aunt May as she walked down the stairs, towards the couch.
"Yeah…it's just…I don't know, I feel horrible for Flash." Said Peter.
"I never imagined you sharing sympathy with the one person you said you hated." Said Aunt May.
"Yeah, but…we really were becoming friends but now with this happening to his dad…I'm just sick of everyone I know having this happening to them." Vented Peter.
"Look, Peter. Life is never always sunshine and rainbows. No one could have predicted what would happen to Harry's dad, or Flash's. Just like how no one could predict what happened to…" Aunt May sniffled, as her voice slightly broke.
"I know. Shit happens and we need to deal with it." Said Peter.
Aunt May lightly chuckled. "Language, Peter."
"Yeah, yeah." Chuckled Peter. "How did you meet Uncle Ben anyways?" Asked Peter.
"Oh! I was in college, hanging out with my friends and walking about the park, when we see a young, handsome man sitting under a tree with a guitar in his hands. He looked at me, I looked at him and somehow, I found myself walking and sitting next to him." Said May, a tear forming in her eye.
"How did you both make it work, though?" Asked Peter, curious.
"Honesty. We were both honest with each other, and never kept anything from each other." Said May. "If you really care about someone, you wouldn't deny them the truth." Replied May.
"Yeah. Thanks May." Said Peter, hugging her.
"So be honest with me. Did you stay up late last night reading comic books?" Laughed May, as Peter laughed too.
"Yeah so that's why I'm saying why Batman can beat Superman. The guy is literally prepared for everything!" Said Harry, who was arguing with Hobie.
"Yeah but one punch from Supes and he'll be sent out of orbit." Countered Hobie.
Peter knew it was safe to not interrupt Harry when we he was arguing with someone. He looked around for Flash, but he was nowhere to be seen. Hoping for the best he walked to Dr Octavius' office.
"Doctor Octavius?" Asked Peter.
"Ah, Peter! It's great to see you. Thank you so much for bringing the equipment I need." Said Otto, arranging his desk.
"No problem! So, when do we start?" Asked Peter.
"I was hoping you could come to my rudimentary lab today. Back in my Oscorp days, we would have a lab where we tested new projects. I have already placed the equipment there, including the arms. You can stop by today." Said Otto, writing down the address.
"Oh, sure! Also, I was hoping I could use the school laboratory. It's for the Midtown Science Exhibition." Said Peter.
"Sure, go ahead. Just don't accidentally start a fire." Chuckled Otto. Peter laughed and headed straight to the lab.
"I should analyse Rhino's blood to see what exactly happened to him. Let's hope the school microscopes are strong enough." Thought Peter. He took out the vial of blood and took a dropper. Using the dropper, he placed it on a glass slide, under a microscope.
"Nothing seems out of the ordinary...Wait! What's that in the blood plasma?" Thought Peter, focusing on a purplish substance present in the blood, which was so inconspicuous, even Peter's Spider-Sense barely picked it up.
"That's irregular. I need to find out what it is." Said Peter. "But the school lab doesn't have the technology to isolate chemical compounds. But I know a place that does…" Said Peter, as he left the lab with the remaining blood.
He snuck out of the school by jumping above the gates of the football field, and ducked into an alleyway.
"Dr Connors' lab has all the stuff I need for my spider-sleuthing. Let's hope everything is still there." Thought Spider-Man, swinging to Curt Connors' laboratory.
Spider-Man entered through the window of Connors' lab. Everything was still a little ransacked, but Peter could use the equipment he needed.
"Last time I was here, I made a cure for The Lizard. Now, I'm trying to find out what happened with The Rhino. Man, what is it with all my enemies being animals?" Thought Peter, as he placed the vial in a centrifuge, which spun the vial at a fast speed.
That's when Peter got a call from Gwen.
"Gwen? Hey, how are you? I haven't seen you since Flash's party-"
"Peter. We need to talk." Said Gwen, cutting off Peter in a stern voice. "Why aren't you in school? You were there this morning." Said Gwen.
"Uhh I felt sick! The nurse told me to go home." Said Peter, blatantly lying.
"Okay. But we need to talk right now." Said Gwen. The centrifuge stopped spinning and the blood was in a state of suspension.
"Gwen, can we please talk later? I'm feeling very sick…" Said Peter. Gwen cut the call.
Peter sighed as he quickly took out the vial and poured a few drops in a substance analyser. All the data would be uploaded to a computer in the lab.
Soon enough, the data was uploaded and Peter quickly began to review it.
"This…this isn't a synthetic chemical, it's organic! Wait, it's DNA? But whose?" Said Peter, completely baffled.
"This is DNA, which has been mixed by certain chemicals. Diphenhydramine, Benzodiazepine…these chemicals affect the amygdala and cerebellum, which control memory. These chemicals cause amnesia!" Deduced Peter.
"Someone drugged Rhino with these amnesia-inducing chemicals, bonded with a person's DNA. I need to find out who manufactured this…" Thought Peter.
"Or…what if I do the reverse? What if I focus on the manufacturing process? Whoever made this, they would have to stay near places that supply these drugs. But that could be any pharmacy! If I remember correctly…there's a huge collection of pharmacies in Harlem." Said Peter, googling a map of New York.
"There! Hold on, there's a corporation building over there…Tricorp!" Said Peter, looking up Tricorp.
"Run by a man called Lonnie Lincoln, who suffered from a rare Albino disorder when he was a child. Yikes, his teeth are like ones from sharks." Said Peter. "It might not be Tricorp I'm after, but it's worth checking out." Said Peter. "Although…maybe I should inform someone about my findings…" He thought, as he dialled a number.
"Captain DeWolff here. Who is this?" Asked Jean.
"Captain, it's Spider-Man. I may have a lead as to who turned Alex into the Rhino." Informed Spider-Man.
"That's a first. Alex says he doesn't remember anything about what happened to him." Replied Jean. "Meet me on the roof of Precinct 62." Said Jean, cutting the call.
"Let's hope that means she trusts me…" Said Peter to himself, taking one last look at Connors' ransacked lab, and swinging away.
Jean was waiting on the roof near the Helipad, with a green trenchcoat. Spider-Man swung in behind her.
"Captain DeWolff?" Asked Spider-Man.
"There you are. So, what'd you find out?" She asked.
"A corporation known as Tricorp might be behind the Rhino. It's run by a businessman named-"
"Lonnie Thompson Lincoln. I gotta be honest, Tricorp was always a shady company. Even more than Oscorp." Replied Jean, raising an eyebrow. "How do you know this anyways?" She asked.
Spider-Man informed her how he found the chemicals in the blood and cross-referenced their suppliers, leading to Tricorp.
"I have to say, I'm impressed. But I can't get a search warrant for a corporation as big as Tricorp based on a hunch from Spider-Man. It might not be a hunch, but I doubt the commissioner would issue the warrant." Said Jean.
Spider-Man thought for a while. "Okay. How about I do some recon? I'll go to Tricorp and see if I can get any evidence." Suggested Spider-Man.
"You do know breaking and entering is a crime, right?" Asked Jean.
"Well, I'll try not to break anything, in that case! Jokes aside, I might know a guy who can get in, legally." Said Spider-Man.
"Okay, then. Give me a call when you get some evidence." Said Jean.
"You got it." Said Peter, as he shot a web to a nearby building.
"Spider-Man!" Called Jean.
"Yeah?" Asked Peter.
"I can see why George respected you." She said, smiling a little as he went back inside the precinct.
She couldn't tell, but Peter was smiling underneath as he swung away.
"If I can convince Jameson to do an article on Tricorp, he would send a reporter. And every reporter…needs a photographer." Thought Spider-Man, swinging towards the Bugle. It was nearly 9 pm.
Spider-Man changed back into his civilian clothes, thanks to backpacks with clothes he had webbed up in alleyways where he normally changes. He rushed up the elevator to the Bugle.
"Hey Peter. You're here quite late." Said Betty.
"Yeah, I just had to give Jameson these pictures." Said Peter, holding up pictures of the Rhino vs Spider-Man.
"You know, you could mail them instead of coming so late." Said Ned, eating a Subway. "Oh, you want one?" Asked Ned, offering him a spare.
"Oh no, it's okay. But listen, I sort of have an idea. Have you heard of Tricorp?" Asked Peter.
"Oscorp's Number One rival. Yeah." Said Ned.
"Well…what if someone convinced Jameson to do a report on the rivalry between Tricorp and Oscorp?" Asked Peter.
"It's pretty interesting. Alistair Smythe vs Lonnie Lincoln. The real challenge is convincing Jameson to send a reporter." Said Ned.
"I can try something." Said Peter, as he walked into Jameson's office.
Jameson's office was messy, but Jonah didn't seem to be in his usual mood.
"Ah, Perry! I'm guessing you finally got me some decent pictures?" Asked Jameson. Peter handed him the photos.
"These are actually quite decent…good job kid. I'll give you $400." Said Jonah.
"Also, Mr Jameson. I have an idea." Said Peter.
"Yeah, I don't wanna hear it."
"It could potentially sell more papers."
"I'm listening." Said Jonah, almost instantaneously.
"So, Tricorp is one of Oscorp's biggest rivals. If we write an article on it, it would guarantee more papers being sold." Explained Peter.
"Hmmm…nice suggestion. Leeds! You there, or eating another Subway?" Shouted Jameson, as Ned came in the office.
"You take Parker with you to Tricorp tomorrow. I'll call up the owner and say we're doing a piece on him." Said Jameson.
Peter and Ned walked out, then high-fived each other.
"Why was Jameson in such a good mood? Not that I'm complaining." Said Peter.
"His son, the astronaut is coming back to Earth soon. Jameson's been waiting a long time." Said Betty.
"Okay. Anyways, Ned. I'll see you tomorrow at Tricorp." Said Peter, as he waved everyone goodbye.
As Peter changed into his outfit and started swinging away, he got a call from Gwen.
"Oh man…I hope she's not angry…" Thought Peter, as he picked up the call.
"Hey Gwen, you wanted to-"
"Peter! There's a man in my house with a gun!" Whispered Gwen, frantically.
"WHAT?! Hide somewhere, I'll get help!" Said Peter, as he started swinging towards Gwen's house, as fast as possible.
He quickly entered through the window, but there was no one there.
"Hello? Ms Stacy!" Shouted Spider-Man.
Gwen came out from her bedroom. "There's no one here, I just had to talk to you." Said Gwen, her gaze focused on Spider-Man.
"I'm not sure I understand. Where's the person who broke into your house?" Asked Spider-Man.
"The way you came here so quickly, how you always vanish from school, always "disappeared" before Homecoming, then after MJ's party when the Goblin kidnapped me. And how you dodged Rhino when he attacked Flash's party. I know it's you, Peter." Said Gwen.
Spider-Man just stood there, unsure of what to do.
"If you really care about someone, you wouldn't deny them the truth." May's voice was floating in his ears, like a sharp whisper.
Hesitantly, he sighed and took off his mask, as tears began forming in Gwen's eyes.
Well, I'd say Peter is stuck between a rock and a hard place now! I hope you guys loved this chapter, and stay tuned for more! I tried to flex Peter's detective skills a bit in this chapter, so I hope you guys liked that!
You have no idea how hyped I am for DC. Like, I haven't been this hyped for a DC project since Injustice 2 was announced 4 years, when I was 11. Gotham Knights looks pretty good, despite it looking completely different from the Arkham games, and the 4 minute trailer we got for Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League was already better than the movie! The trailer for The Batman honestly blew me away, and I think it has potential to beat The Dark Knight! Wonder Woman 1984, The Suicide Squad and Black Adam all look very promising, and I can't wait to see what DC has to offer.
Beyblade: Well, I guess you'll have to wait and see what happens!
The Dark Knight: Thank you so much! Although I'll admit, I'm really overwhelmed by all the Agent Venom requests, haha!
redbird12: Thanks! And yeah, I did end up choosing Psychology. I'm glad you loved the inclusion of Daredevil. My favourite part from the entire story would probably be from Chapter 23, Season 2 when Norman confronts Peter at MJ's party. I tried to pack as much tension as possible, similar to the Vulture car ride scene from Spider-Man: Homecoming. As for anything else I took from my high school life, not much, except MJ's Christmas party, only the Green Goblin didn't crash it in real life!
BruceDianaWayne: Thanks! I will be updating these at least once a week, so stay tuned! And I'm happy you think that Spider-Man and Doctor Strange make a great team. I got the idea for a team up with them from an episode from Ultimate Spider-Man I watched when I was 10.
SuperSpider18: Thanks! And yes, there are going to be more crossovers like this. Especially in Season 4 with another hero I have planned to introduce in the Invincibles Universe.
Korra: It's a good idea! Maybeeeee I'll consider it!
Guest: I'm really sorry to disappoint you with that, but I really do wanna change some stuff from the comics so it isn't like the same retelling you've read in the comics before. If it's any consolation, I'm considering Agent Venom sometime in the future, but after Season 5 and 6. So, hopefully you'll see Agent Venom in Season 7!
Spidey: I wanted to give Flash some more characterization rather than him being just the "bully who harasses the protagonist." Also, Agent Venom might show up in Season 7. I honestly had no idea that Flash had such a hugeeee fanbase, haha!
Shawna1999: I'm glad you liked the crossover! And fun fact, Jericho also became Doctor Strange for a while in the comics. Your Spider-Man story is also amazing, and I'm hoping Vol 2 will be as good, if not better!
Yours Truly,
Shadow Strike.