Chapter 4.

JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT,

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK.

"Attention!" the public address system suddenly started blaring. "Attention! The super-villain called Atlas has been seen emerging from the wetlands at the edge of the main runway. All passengers and employees are to evacuate by the nearest exits as quickly-but-calmly as possible. This is not a drill. Repeat: this is not a drill! All passengers and employees are to evacuate the terminal, immediately."

Peter Parker, his Aunt May, and his wife MaryJane had been conversing with Flash Thompson and his aunt, talk-show hostess Stella Stargaze, about the latter having been born Stella Thompson before she entered show business as a magician's assistant. Then, Peter's notorious 'spider-sense', began tingling. Generically warning him of impending danger. But, the specific explanation provided by the PA system allowed him to withdraw his trusty Leica camera at almost the same instant.

"MJ, you and Flash get these ladies to safety as fast as possible. Me? I've got to get some action pics for Jonah. You know how he feels about his employees resting on their laurels too long!"

"You heard him, Aunt May. Ms. Stargaze. Follow me!"

"B-B-But, my luggage...!" the haughty silver-haired celebrity stammered in protest.

"No time to argue, Aunt Stella," replied Flash. "We gotta move. Now!"

At that same moment, Carol Heisler had doffed her white medical smock to reveal her green leotard with matching moccasins. Both items of clothing made from a polymer of unstable molecules that had been commercially dubbed "SpandeXX" by its inventors (BRX Research, Inc.). Thus, in the literal blink of an eye, Carol transformed into the hundred-foot-tall superheroine more commonly known as... Garganta.

"Hello, there, Big Boy!" she cooed, arms akimbo. "What brings you here?"

"Out of my way, Broadzilla!" snarled Atlas. "I've got some private business with an incoming flight. So, stand aside; or become my doormat."

"For shame!" replied Garganta. "That's no way to talk to a lady."

Whereupon, she spun about clockwise, one hundred eighty degrees, and kicked him. Not once; not twice; but, thrice! The first kick landing in his midriff. The second one, in his groin. And the third one impacting with his lower jaw! And Colt the Weapons Mistress, who had taught her martial arts at normal size, grinned with approval as she witnessed this through binoculars.

Yet, Atlas had not been rendered unconscious.

"First blood to you, sweetheart," he snarled once more. "It's last blood that wins the fight, though!"

Whereupon, he sprang back on to his feet and charged forward like an NFL defensive tackle. Garganta, however, had anticipated that move. She therefore _let_ herself be tackled! Using Atlas' own momentum to send her flat on to her back and, then, kick upward with both legs together.

Thereby hurling Atlas up and over her, so that it became his turn to land flat on his back.

"Wow!" muttered Colt. "If those two keep this up any longer, this runway is going to look like the Plains of Nazca."

At that same moment, Atlas was getting to his feet even more slowly than the first time. Though, not because he was in any way disabled. Indeed, Garganta

could not help feeling a little uneasy at seeing him smile.

"My compliments to your sensei, whoever that might be. But, I've had some martial arts training, too. Hee-yah!"

Once more, Atlas charged forward. Only, this time, he threw himself forward into a somersault. And when he emerged from it, he leaped towards Garganta in a flying scissors kick! Basically, feinting with his left leg... while actually connecting with the foot of his right. This in turn, caused the blonde giantess to stagger backward, temporarily dazed. So, Atlas did not hesitate to follow up on his momentary advantage. Once more, he somersaulted forward. But, when he came out of, this time, he spun about counterclockwise, one hundred eighty degrees...

...and drove his left elbow into Garganta's midriff. Thereby driving the wind out of her. This, in turn, caused her to bend forward, just enough, that he was able to grab her in a reverse headlock and throw her flat on _her_ back!

"Close, but no cigar, sweetheart," chortled the giant super-villain as he raised his right boot above her face. Obviously intending to bring it down right on the bridge of her nose!

That is, till he felt something ram into the heel of his left boot.

The source of that distraction was Spider-man. After taking advantage of the understandably deserted baggage-handling warehouse, to change into his costume, he confiscated one of their electric trams and drove it, at full speed, to the scene of the titanic battle. Seconds before crashing it, however, he leaped upward. Using the tram's forward momentum to reach the top of Atlas' left boot!

He then slung a web line toward the sole of Atlas' still-upraised right boot. Swinging up and over the toe region at least half a dozen times before Atlas finally noticed him.

"Hey! Get off of me, wall-crawler. Get off... or get squished!"

"You haven't got the guts," the webslinger retorted in challenge.

"How about I show you yours?"

Whereupon, Atlas- -quite literally- -put his foot down. But, in doing so, the webbing adhered his right leg to the asphalt surface of the runway. Just as Spider-man had planned! Of course, the latter had jumped off, at the penultimate moment, in order to sling a second web line. One aimed upward at Atlas' belt buckle. This, he used as a staging area for the slinging of a third web line. One he used to circumnavigate Atlas' left hip... and on to the small of his back just above the coccyx.

Spider-man's ensuing run, up Atlas' spinal column, produced a tickling sensation that distracted the giant mercenary, once again. Which is to say that he went from trying to tear loose his boot to blindly trying to grab at the webslinger with either hand! These seemingly random actions had a constructive purpose, however.

They gave Garganta enough time to recover her second wind and regain her feet. Whereupon, she once more kicked Atlas in his groin! Only, this time, with her left foot. And the second he doubled over, she put his head in a sleeper hold. Not letting go until he was well and truly unconscious. This, of course, caused him to automatically shrink back to normal human-size. Leaving Garganta free to do the same.

It was at this moment that Colt drove up in the paramedical ambulance.

"That was awesome! But, what happened to the wall-crawler? I wanted to thank him for his help."

"I don't know. Maybe he's got a modesty complex like the Lone Ranger. Still, given how many superheroes call this town 'home', we'll probably be running into him again before we know it! What about the lady lawyer?"

"Being safely transported to Manhattan General Hospital, by the real paramedics, even as we speak. So, as soon as the cops take Atlas into custody, we can return to the safe house."

"Great! I'm going to need a nice hot shower for these bruised muscles of mine. Stat!"

In less than five minutes, the NYPD SWAT team known as 'Code Blue' had removed Eric Josten from the scene of the colossal conflict. Leaving Colt free to keep her promise. The aforementioned safe house turning out to be a decommissioned firehouse that had been secretly purchased by the FBI. And which they had loaned to these two members of FemForce for the time being.

Yet, no sooner had Carol Heisler entered the master bathroom, to activate the shower, than Colt heard her scream at the top of her lungs! Prompting the Weapons Mistress to draw her twin Encomcs and run into the bathroom.

"Carol, what is it? What's wrong?"

The slightly older blonde woman, now clad only in a white towel, pointed at the floor.

"A tarantula fell out of my costume!"

"A tarantula?!"

"Either that or a South Bronx cockroach!"

"Actually," replied a somewhat faint voice from above them. "I'm from Forest Hills in Queens."

Both women looked up towards the ceiling... to behold a three-inch tall Spider-man dangling upside-down.

tbc