Chapter 4: Interactions
Hey everyone I'm back with a new chapter. Now this one I'm really excited for, time to get the ball rolling and I think you'll like the big surprise I put in this. I hope you like what I have planned. Please Review and Enjoy.
It was late at night at the science lab as Jaden and Gwen were with Eddy and Dr. Connors in front of a large tank.
"In nature, everything is connected. As scientists, we expand and explore on those connections to the benefit of society." Connors said putting on some gloves and grabbing a tool.
"We're experimenting with genetically altered Electric Eels." Eddy said.
"Think what we could do with this energy. A new clean source of power." Connors said walking up to the tank.
"That sounds amazing, but you guys might wanna clean your tank it's all green." Jaden points causing Eddy to chuckle.
"It is clean, the fluid I call it sludge increases the eel's bioelectric signature." Eddy explains.
"Yes, in fact, the signatures have become so great we've been forced to make upgrades to the lab." Conners said.
"Uh we've been forced?" Looking over they saw a maintenance man making adjustments.
"Sorry we're forcing Max to upgrade." Conners corrects himself.
"All I'm saying." Max chuckles when Kurt's wife and kid walk in.
"Kurt. I need to get Billy to bed." Martha said.
"Sorry honey lost track of time." Kurt admits.
"You? No I'm shocked." Martha giggles kissing him.
"I gotta wait for Max to finish but you go ahead." Kurt suggests.
"Don't you wanna send Jaden and Gwen home too? It is a school night." Martha suggests.
"Right uh go ahead you two." Kurt said as they walked out.
Taking out his phone Jaden dials his mom.
"Yeah hey mom sorry we're just leaving. I'm gonna walk Gwen home and I'll see you soon." Jaden said before hanging up.
"Your mom now making you do this?" Gwen asks.
"Yeah she wants to make sure I'm alright." Jaden said.
"Sounds like my dad, Officer Stacy makes me call all the time." Gwen said.
"Look at us, two teens with two overly protective parents." Jaden chuckles.
"Hey my dad is a cop what's your mom's excuse?" Gwen giggles.
Back in the lab, Kurt was examining some samples with a microscope and when he sees the cells in the sample regenerate he became interested.
Nearby Max was trying to pull out a panel but it was being stubborn. Putting his drill atop the machine he pulls with all his might causing his drill to wiggle and fall onto the panel causing sparks to fly.
When Max reached to grab it sparks of electricity zapped him causing him to scream before the panel flew out and made him crash into the electric eel tank causing large amounts of electricity to shoot out around him.
"Eddy call 911! We gotta get Max to the hospital stat!" Kurt orders.
Nodding Eddy runs off as fast as he could to the phone.
The next day at Midtown High, Jaden was running down the street as if his life depended on it.
"I gotta get an alarm clock one of these days." Jaden pants running in.
Making his way into Biology class, he walks in to sit next to Gwen and Harry.
"Whoa dude you look out of breath." Harry said as Jaden gulped down some water.
"Woke up late…had to run." Jaden pants before coughing from drinking water too fast.
"Easy Jaden no one's making you run anymore." Gwen said as Jaden caught his breath before the bell rang.
"Alright, class now I'm sure all of you are eager to get yesterday's tests back." Mr. Warren said handing back tests.
Making his way to Flash and the cheerleaders Flash grins.
"C minus, sweet! The Flash completes another pass." Flash grins while the cheerleader next to him got a D minus. She had tan skin and long black hair, this was Liz Allen.
"Excellent work as always Mr. Cooper." Warren said handing Jaden his test.
Looking over Gwen and Harry saw Jaden got another A plus.
"Sweet." Jaden smiles.
Glaring at Jaden, Flash grabs his football to throw at him when Jaden's spider-sense goes off warning him.
"Whoops." Jaden drops his test and as he bends down to pick it up Flash throws his ball hitting Mr. Warren instead.
"Mr. Thompson!" Mr. Warren growls causing Flash to nervously hide behind a newspaper.
Meanwhile, at Manhattan Hospital, Eddy was in the waiting room when the door opens revealing Kurt and the doctor.
"Dr. Bromwell, how's Max?" Eddy asks getting up.
"Alive, that's a miracle believe me. His condition is stabilized but…"
"Maybe Eddy should just see for himself." Kurt suggests.
Leading him in they see Max wearing a green suit covering his entire body.
"Hey Eddy." Max said.
"Max is constantly streaming a constant stream of bio-electricity. The insulation suit he's wearing will contain it, protect him and everyone." Kurt explains before looking to Max. "Max I promise you this is only temporary. We'll begin work on a cure immediately."
"Least you can do." Max glares.
"Try to rest." Kurt said leading everyone out.
Back at Midotwn High, the class was getting out and everyone was eager to leave.
"Ms. Allen a word please." Mr. Warren said as Liz slowly walks over to him. "Liz you want to raise that grade you need a tutor and I'm recommending Jaden for the job." He said gesturing Jaden.
"Me?" Jaden asks surprised.
"Ugh nerd is so not the hot accessory this year." Sally said.
"Yeah quality time with Jadumb? I'd rather fail." Flash scoffs.
"Study with Jadey? I don't think so." Liz agrees. "Hey can Flash tutor me instead?" Liz asks.
"I don't think you understand. We want your grade to go up." Mr. Warren clarifies.
Jaden looks to Liz trying to offer a smile but she brushes him off.
At the hospital, Eddy was with Max who was trying to watch TV but his condition was ruining the signal.
"Dammit!" Max yells throwing his remote at it. "I can't even watch the game!" Getting out his bed, Max walks to the window.
"Yeah but you can still yell at the screen. So hey what's changed?" Eddy jokes.
"Is that supposed to be funny?!" Max snaps. "I had plans before all this. Go back to college, meet someone, have a life."
"Dude chill, you have to give yourself time to adjust." Eddy said.
"Adjust to what?! This?" Holding out his hands large amounts of electricity shot out frying most of the medical equipment. "Ugh! I'm outta here!"
Shoving past Eddy, Max ran out.
"Max wait!" Eddy yells.
That night, Jaden and Liz were at a café while Jaden was trying to tutor her, but Liz was more interested in texting.
"Okay you see this chapter is basically about how Biological systems interact." Jaden said.
"Ugh anything in there about how Biological systems are boring?" Liz asks.
"Look I get it, this chapter isn't very interesting, but if you don't read this you won't be able to understand the interesting stuff. I mean I get it no one wants to waste their time reading a textbook." Jaden sighs.
"What a coincidence, Flash just texted the exact same words about you, Jadey." Liz said.
"Look Liz if you could just stop texting Flash for a minute." Jaden suggests.
"Good idea. I'll call him instead." Liz said dialing him.
Passing by them, Max was wearing a big coat and a hat to cover him up as he walked into the café.
Standing in line, a little girl looks at him.
"Daddy, what's he wearing?" She asks.
Looking at him her father gasps leading her away.
"What are you staring at?" Max glares at the barista.
"Uh just waiting for your order." She said holding a cup of coffee.
"Coffee." Max takes the cup from her and slams down some money.
Turning around he tries opening the hatch in his mask but the excess electricity comes out zapping the cup out of his hands.
"Oh man I can't even drink a lousy cup of coffee!" Max snaps causing all the lights and tech to fry startling everyone. "Sorry."
As everyone screamed in fear Jaden looks to see Max running out.
'I think someone else needs help.' Jaden thought as he turned to Liz.
"If I listen to him anymore I might become fluent in geek." Liz said as Jaden stood up.
"Look this tutoring thing is something you need. When you're ready to learn talk to me." Jaden said grabbing his bag and walking away surprising Liz.
Running down an alley, Jaden puts on his Spider-Man suit.
As Max was running down the sidewalk, Spider-Man swings in.
'Aw man I can't use him to get a decent picture of the bugle, bad outfit.' Spider-Man thought before leaping in and landing in front of him. "Hey buddy what's going on?"
"Get away from me!" Max orders.
"Hey I'm just trying to help what's going on?" Spider-Man asks.
"What's going on is I'm going crazy!" Max snaps.
"Look buddy I'm not gonna hurt ya, so how about you and I just sit down and—" Spider-Man reached out to touch his shoulder.
"Don't touch me!" Max grabs his arm zapping Spider-Man causing him to scream in pain.
Shaking him off, he pushes Jaden back.
"Whoa, what's with you Electro?" Spider-Man asks.
"Just stay away from me!" Electro snaps holding out his hands and electricity shot out forcing Spider-Man to dodge.
"Hey! Hey! Look! Look! Hands up! I'm not gonna do anything!" Electro looks to see Spider-Man with his hands high in the air.
Everyone watched as Spider-Man slowly approached Electro with his hands up.
"I warned you." Electro said.
"Look I don't wanna hurt you I wanna help you." Spider-Man said.
"Oh really? Then how do you plan on helping this?!" Electro takes off his helmet to reveal sparks of electricity coming out of his face shocking him.
"Oh no." Spider-Man gasps as Electro uses the excess electricity to zap Spider-Man sending him crashing into an alley.
Groaning in pain, Spider-Man looks up to see Electro was long gone.
"First Liz and now this?" Spider-Man groans getting up.
As dark clouds formed in the sky, Spider-Man didn't notice a figure watching him.
"Web slinging and wall-crawling, that's him." The figure said.
The next day at school, Jaden was looking at his camera. "Man how am I gonna pictures of Spider-Man if I can't even get good photos." Jaden said looking at his failed self-portraits.
"Jaden!" Gwen calls out coming over.
Turning off his camera, Jaden looks over. "What's up Gwen?"
"I just talked to Eddy, there was an accident at the lab." Gwen said.
When she told him Max had turned into Electro Jaden felt even worse because even though he tried to help he didn't even recognize him.
'I couldn't even help him. Oh man what kind of hero am I?' Jaden thought as he walked by Liz's locker.
"Oh Jadey." Liz said noticing him.
"Oh uh hey Liz. Listen I'm sorry I snapped at you yesterday. If you still need a tutor I'll be at ESU Lab afterschool." Jaden said walking away.
Pausing Liz watches him considering it.
After school, it was pouring rain as everyone was trying to find a cure for Max.
"Could we put him in a tank like the eels? Use a bio-electric filter?" Gwen suggests.
"Won't work. Eels have evolve to exist in an aquatic environment, Max didn't." Kurt said.
"And with the voltage he's creating, boom. You don't want him anywhere near water." Eddy said causing Jaden to cringe.
"Is there a way we could transfer all his electric energy to something else?" Jaden suggests.
"Good idea, the only problem is we don't have anything that could hold all that energy." Eddy said.
"Jadey?" Looking to the door they saw Liz close her umbrella as she walks in.
"Jadey?" Eddy asks looking to Jaden.
In a neighborhood, Electro was walking to his home when Dr. Bromwell and a few police officers pull up.
"Max we need to get you back to the hospital." Bromwell said.
"I'm done with hospitals. I just wanna go home." He said.
"I'm not sure you're ready." Bromwell said when a police officer walks forward.
"Listen pal, after last night's fiasco it's either the hospital or prison cell. Your call." He said.
"My call? None of this has been my call!" Electro snaps blasting off his coat and revealing his suit and knocking them all back.
"Max we just wanna help you." Bromwell said.
"You can't help me, but I know someone who can." Electro said running off.
Back at the lab, Liz was talking with Eddy and Gwen while Jaden was with Kurt.
"I'm sorry about this, maybe this isn't a good time." Jaden said.
"It's alright, I need to check some results in my office." Kurt said walking away and closing the blinds.
"So Eddy, you quarterbacking for ESU?" Liz asks.
"Nah I'm done with football. I'm all nerd now." Eddy smiles.
"We're all nerds here. You can be too." Jaden offers walking over.
"Wonderful." Liz rolls her eyes.
"Look Liz, you're smarter than you think. You can get it, you just gotta look at it from a different angle." Jaden grabs a tool and leads her over to the eel tank.
Bending down Jaden reaches in causing her to gasp.
"Jadey." Liz said as Jaden pulls one out with ease.
"In nature, everything is connected. As scientists, we expand and explore on those connections. Maybe as people, we should do the same." Jaden said.
"I guess Science can be interesting." Liz smirks.
"You're lucky to have Jaden. Dude's got a future in Science maybe even a Nobel Prize." Eddy said as Jaden smirks.
"One can dream." Jaden chuckles.
In Dr. Conner's lab, Kurt had hooked up the sample he took before the incident into a vaccination gun when the door opens to reveal Martha.
"Kurt I have the results for—Kurt what are you doing?!" She gasps as he stands up and closes the door.
"I can explain." Kurt said turning to her.
"What is all this?" Martha asks.
"An experimental bio-formula, genetically altered lizard DNA." Kurt said.
"What?" Martha said surprised when the power started to flicker when the door was blasted open.
"Conners!" Electro roars storming in scaring everyone turning to the four of them he glares. "Where's Connors?!"
Frozen in fear, they didn't give an answer causing Electro to snap and throw everything off the table.
"You really don't wanna keep me waiting." Electro glares. "Where is Conners?"
"I'm right here Max." Kurt said putting his device on the counter and walking over. "Try and stay calm."
"Calm?! We left calm behind a lifetime ago doc! I can't take it anymore! You caused this, you cure it!" Electro said pointing at him.
"We're working on it Max, but we need time." Kurt said.
"I don't have time! Cure me now!" Electro snaps firing a blast of electricity creating an explosion. "I know you can do it Doc. All you need is the proper motication."
'I can't go hero like this, my identity will go out the window.' Jaden cringed.
"I'll distract him, you get the girls out the back." Eddy whispers.
"Wait what?" Jaden said as Eddy charged in. "Eddy!"
Running in Eddy tries to tackle him but Electro zaps him knocking him to the ground.
Grabbing Gwen and Liz, Jaden led them out back.
"Come on go! Go!" Jaden said opening the door. "Over there!" Jaden points to the main building.
As they ran out Gwen took out her phone. "Hello Police?"
"Gwen wait. Where's Jadey?" Looking around both girls saw Jaden was gone.
Inside the lab, Electro made his way over.
"Max please don't hurt him. Just give me time." Kurt begs.
"You're lying!" Electro smashes the desk knocking the vial to the ground.
"Whoa, forget the cure. You need a chill pill." Spider-Man said jumping in.
"You?" Electro said.
"Yeah it's me. Remember I tried to help you earlier. Look I know you're mad and this sucks beyond anything else in the world, but I want to help you. Give me, give everyone here a chance." Spider-Man said walking up to him.
"You really don't get it." Electro said before blasting Spider-Man knocking him down. "Without that cure I am no longer Max I'm…what did you call me?"
"Uh Electro?" Spider-Man groans.
"Yeah. I'm Electro!" He declares letting electricity go crazy.
As electricity flew everywhere one bolt struck Kurt's vaccine causing sparks to enter the sample.
Seeing Kurt and Martha try and get Eddy out he knew he had to buy time.
"Alright buddy you wanna be the villain now? Heads up!" Firing a web Spider-Man throws a piece of desk at Electro who blasts it out of the way.
Firing webs, Spider-Man swings out of the way dodging Electro's attacks and throwing various objects at him.
Landing on the ceiling Spider-Man was about to fire a web when Electro zaps him causing him to fall to the ground.
Turning around Electro saw the three of them try to escape.
"You're not going anywhere." Electro said when a computer was thrown at him.
Leaping in Spider-Man fired multiple webs stopping Electro from following him.
"Gone. My only chance at a cure and you let him escape!" Electro snaps attacking Spider-Man.
However, when he leaps in something flew in creating an explosion knocking Electro into the wall.
"What the?" Electro then notices a bat shadow above him. Looking up his eyes widen in shock as a figure leaps in and kicks him in the face.
"No way." Spider-Man looks to see standing in front of him was none other than Batman himself.
"Hello Spider-Man." Batman acknowledging him.
"Whoa. What are you doing here?" Spider-Man asks blown away.
"Talk later. Fight now." Batman said tossing him a rubber glove before a pair on himself.
"Rubber gloves?" Spider-Man asks.
"How else are we gonna stop him?" Batman asks putting his on.
"Oh great now I got two pests to squash." Electro growls emerging from the smoke.
"Don't suppose you got a plan?" Spider-Man asks.
"Follow my lead." Batman said narrowing his eyes.
From outside the lab an explosion went off as Spider-Man and Batman leaped out into the rain with Electro right behind them.
"Get back here!" Electro fires a blast of electricity but Batman dodges before throwing a smoke bomb.
As Electro covers his eyes Batman leaps in and punches him in the face before Spider-Man swings in and punches him knocking Electro into the wall.
"Oh yeah can dish it out but ya can't take it." Spider-Man said when Electro blasts him sending him crashing into the radio tower.
Groaning Spider-Man looks to see Electro charging in when Batman swings in and pulls Spider-Man up the tower.
"Whoa good timing back there Bats. What are you doing here anyway?" Spider-Man asks when a blast is fired at them.
"Stopping a madman from making things worse." Batman said.
"Can't escape me up there you two! This is my playground!" Electro said shooting himself after them.
Actng quick Batman takes out his grapple gun and Spider-Man fires a web as the two swing around using their rubber gloves to avoid being zapped.
Roaring Electro fires a blast that destroys part of the radio logo and smashes into the window revealing the campus pool.
"Hey Batman!" Spider-Man yells getting his attention. "I think Electro needs a soak!"
Nodding both heroes leap in opposite directions as Electro tries to hit them.
Swinging around the tower Electro looks to see Batman and Spider-Man deliver two powerful punches sending him crashing into the pool creating a giant explosion.
Looking down Spider-Man saw all the water was gone and Electro was on the ground unconscious.
"Oh man lucky you came in when you did Batman." Spider-Man said but got no answer. "Batman?"
Looking around he saw a note attached to a Bataarang.
"We'll talk later. I have something to do first. Don't look for me, I'll find you." Spider-Man read before he heard police sirens meaning he should leave.
On a rooftop, Batman watches Spider-Man swing away before disappearing himself.
The next day, Jaden was walking through the halls when Liz saw him.
"Jadey what were you doing? What happened?" Liz asks.
"I uh tried to be hero and help him." Jaden said.
"And were you?" Liz asks.
"No…no I wasn't." Jaden sighs.
"Sorry." Liz said.
Jaden looks to her but before he could say anything Flash and his group came over.
"Hey what's Jaydumb doing here?" Flash asks.
"Leaving I hope." Liz said walking to Flash while Jaden walks away, but as he did Liz felt a little bad for him.
"Ah Jaden Cooper the newest victim of the wild and dangerous cheerleader." Harry narrates.
"It's her loss Jaden." Gwen said.
"And if you were supposed to teach her something at least you taught her to cave to peer pressure." Harry said.
"I tried to reach out to her and she knocked my hand away. It happens." Jaden sighs.
"Come on let's go." Gwen said as they walked away.
Reaching into his bag, Jaden pulls out the batarrang. "But something tells me I'm nowhere near done trying."
Back at ESU, Kurt's lab was a mess as he was trying to work on a cure when Martha came in.
"We won't stop trying Kurt but we can't do anymore today. Let's go home." Martha suggests.
"Alright." Kurt sighs.
As Martha walks to the door, Kurt notices his sample on the ground, bending down he puts it in his pocket before walking out with her.