Chapter 2
Shadow of the Truth
"Just put the sword down and let Mr. Lee go," suggested Spiderman, "This is not like you."
"How would you know?" replied the ninja, "You don't know anything about me. People laughed at me, killed me, but now I came back for my revenge."
"Ok Hartuki, you know this is not right," said Spidey.
The ninja replied, "Hartuki is dead, now there is only Shadow
Night. I'm a freak like you Spiderman, so don't run my life,"
Shadow Night threw Mr. Lee down with his Si and shouted, "NO!" he held his head like he had a headache, "I will not let you do this to me!" The voice changed, it sounded like he was possessed by Hartuki himself. "Too late puny mortal. Now I shall finish it."
He raised his sword towards Spiderman, but before he thruster it, the person he was possessed came over him and threw the sword away and ran past Spiderman and out the door. Spidey tried to catch him, but he was too fast for him.
Mr. Lee finally came too as Spider Man helped him up.
"Are you all right Mr. Lee?" Asked Spider Man.
Mr. Lee looked at him and replied, "Yes, but you must find him fast Spider Man. Who knows what we would do."
"I understand that," said Spider Man "Any idea how I could stop him?"
"Hmmm, his body is possessed by the sprit of Hartuki," Mr. Lee Began, "I could mix a potion that could relieve the sprit from his body."
"Like an exorcism?" Spidey inquired.
"Yes," Said Mr. Lee, "Something like that, but it could be dangerous. Here," He handed Spider Man a pouch ball, "this contains a spore that could stun him long enough to get him back here. The potion won't be ready for 2 hours."
Spider Man nodded, "Thanks." Then he took off to find the Shadow Night.
"Good luck Spider Man," Said Mr. Lee as Spidey Left.
Spider Man swung the entire Manhattan area for about an hour, but he could not even spot him. He decided to take a few minutes to get his thoughts together, so finally landed on a tall building.
'Now, think Spidey' He thought, 'where could he be?'
He then remembered on what Mr. Lee said about Hartuki getting revenge on the villagers of Yoto and quickly rushed over to Chinatown.
Meanwhile, Shadow Knight was leaning against a wall in a dark ally in Chinatown. The battle between the souls continued inside his head much worse than before.
"You can't make me do this, not anymore," The first voice said.
Hartuki's voice replied, "You have no choice, your mind might be struggling, but only I can give you the power. Now we still have work to do. The villagers of Yoto will pay dearly for what they have done to me."
"You're insane," the sane voice said, "We're in New York and it's the year 2000."
"Well, we will then destroy their descendents." The evil voice laughed as his got total control of the body and took off to find his first victim.
It was a quarter after midnight and the streets of Chinatown were quiet. Spider Man did not know witch building the Hartiki would strike. His head was beginning to ache as he noticed a Japanese sushi bar; he then looked on the roof and saw something moved. Inside a bedroom on the 3rd floor, the ninja crept in and saw a young Japanese woman sleeping soundly in her bed. He unsheathed his katana blade and was ready to strike her. The woman suddenly opened her eyes to see the ninja ready to kill her. She suddenly screamed for her life as Hartuki remarked, "Good bye little one, you are the first."
As Hartuki swung his blade it was quickly ripped from his hands by a web. Shadow Knight looked at a window and saw Spider Man.
"Not this time pal," said Spider Man.
The young woman was so petrified she was stiff as ice. This gave Shadow Knight the time to grab her and exit from the window across the room. Spider Man spun a web at him but he was to fast again as the ninja climbed on the roof with his hostage. Spider Man gave no time and raced on the rooftop to meet them. Hartuki threw her on the ground and stepped on her with his Si to her throat.
"Not this again," Said Spidey. "You know Hartuki, this is getting old. Now let her go."
Shadow Knight looked at him and replied, "And if I don't? You cannot stop me Spider Man. No one can."
"You want to test that theory?" asked Spider Man.
The Shadow Knight glared at Spider Man, stepped off the woman and got into a fighting stance of the martial arts. Spider Man did the same. They both eyed each other in a tense stand off while waiting each other to make his move. Suddenly, Shadow Knight ran as he accomplished a fling kick towards Spidey. With Spider Man's quick reflexes, he successfully dodged it and tried to kick him back. Unfortunaly the Shadow Knight was quickly as well, he flipped over Spider Man and chucked throwing stars at the web slinger.
"Whoa," Spider Man exclaimed as to dodged them all.
"Enough of this child's play," said Shadow Knight, "you will feel the true power of the ninja. RESTU!!" He cried as he placed his hand together, and a powerful red blast came out of them.
Spider Man's spider sense tingled as tried top darted out of the way. Shadow Knight kept blasting all over, trying to hit him.
'I got one chance at this,' Spidey thought. 'Don't mess this us web head.'
He jumped on top of a heater unit, then just as another beam hit the unit, Spider Man jumped and quickly as he could, threw the pouch of stun spore that Mr. Lee Had given him at the ninja's head.
'What's this?' the ninja thought.
Shadow Knight was fazed and shook his head as he stopped his blasting. He stumbled back and fell to the ground next to the fainted woman.
"Now that's more like it," Spidey remarked.
Spider Man walked over to him and removed his mask. To his surprise it was the student that he bumped in the university hall. Picked him and the woman up in his arms and got down from the roof. Moments later he returned the lady to her bed hoping she would think it was all a nightmare. Spidey thought the same as he took the young man back to Mr. Lee's shop.
Spider Man took the precaution and spun the young student in a cocoon web, so he would not break free. He set him on Mr. Lee's bed and waited. A few minutes have passed, and Mr. Lee came in with a red glass bottle.
"This will dismay the demon that has possessed him," said Mr. Lee stirring the liquid in the bottle.
With a moment too soon, the young man awoke in a rage. He struggled through the web, but it was no use. Mr. Lee backed away a bit, but regained his courage and started to sprinkle the potion.
"YOU WILL LET ME GO YOU INFIDELES!" The man screamed. "AARRRG!"
Mr. Lee chanted an ancient spell as he sprinkled all over the webbed body. The student shook violently as Spidey got ready for anything.
"NO!" Hartuki spoke angrily, "I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED. NOT Again…" The sprit was then gone and the young man stopped shaking. A couple of minutes have passed and the student's eyes slowly opened as he saw Mr. Lee and Spider Man.
"What? Who? Where am I?" He said.
"It's ok your safe," replied Spider Man.
The young man looked down at the webbing, then at Spidey "Spider Man? What's going on? Why am I in this thing?"
"You Mean you don't remember?" Asked Spider man.
"Remember?" He wondered, "Remember what?"
"Your memory of Hartuki is gone along with his evil spirit," explained Mr. Lee.
"What are you talking about?" the Young Man said.
"it's a long story um…What's your name?" Inquired Spidey.
"Longford, Michael Longford," he replied, "Who is Kartuki? And will someone get me out of this?"
After Spider man cut Michael lose Mr. Lee explained everything to him. Michael could not believe a word of it.
"What do you remember?" Asked Spidey.
"Well," Michael started, "I remember hiking with my class mates on the side of Mt. Yoto, then an minor earthquake hit. I lost my footing and ended up in a cave. Wonder about, trying to find my way out when I saw this glow in one of the chambers. I thought it was daylight and quickly moved towards it. It wasn't the sun, but something weird. A room of some sort like a burial chamber you find in a mummy's tomb. Suddenly another earthquake shook the entire room, an after shock probably. I lost my footing again and was knocked out. The next several days after we left Japan, it was a blur. I don't know how I got out of the cave or anything."
Mr. Lee nodded and said, "The urn must of hit your head and Hartuki's ashes was scattered over body. The spirit then took over your body, growing its force inside you. But something disturbs me, Spider Man has said that you use some sore of red blast force. Hartuki never had that kind of power."
Michael's eyes widen and turned confused. "What are you saying?" He asked.
"I do not know," Mr. Lee replied. "Some how you have powers that no human has."
Michael blinked and was wondering if they were all crazy. "You're telling me that, even though the sprit of Hartuki was removed from my body, I have these weird laser like powers?" He shook his head. "I don't know about me, but I think you are all crazy."
"Listen to me," Started Spider Man, "I know what I saw, I took pictures of you doing it. If I'm right there are help for people like you."
"Help?" He questioned. "What do you think I need help for?"
Mr. Lee nodded, "I suggest that you should go home and get some sleep. This is a confusing time for you."
Spider Man agreed. "Mr. Lee is right. I'll take you home."
Spidey and Michael did not say a word until they arrived at his apartments. Michael didn't know what to do or what to believe. He was thinking what would tomorrow bring.
"Spider Man?" he said, "If I did have these powers? Who would help me?"
"A special school in Rode Island Called 'Xavier Institution for the Gifted'" Spider Man answered.
"A mutie school?" Questioned Michael, "Well…"
"It's a good school for a person like you," said Spider Man, "I know Professor Xavier personally. But it's up to you if you want to go."
Michael Thought a bit, but his head started to hurt, "Thanks, I think about it."
"Good," said Spider Man, "Hey, if you need anything," He handed Mike a card with a phone number on it "Give me a buzz."
"You got a Spider line?" Mike questioned.
"Sort of, actually I'm sharing it with some one," Spidey replied.
They both said their good byes and Spidey took off. Michael retired to his bedroom and flopped on his soft bed and went to sleep.
The next day Peter took his dazzling pictures to the Daily Bugle hoping J.J'll trash them. But to his surprise, Jameson actually liked them.
"Good job Parker," said Jameson, "I'll give you $50 for each Picture."
"Thanks Mr. Jameson."
"By the way, what happened to him?" His editor asked.
"Well, Spider Man did fight the ninja," Peter started "and Spidey did catch him, but Unfortunaly, the ninja disappeared. Spider Man told me that we won't be seeing him any time soon."
"Is that right?" J.J. questioned as he was lost in the pictures, "Well, at least we'll get some story updated. You can go Parker."
Peter was pleased that J.J. didn't yell at him this time, but almost lying to him to protect Michael, it didn't seem right to him. Some day the press will learn the truth about Michael and the Shadow Knight, then the authorities. It won't be an easy life for Michael, but then its not and easy life for everybody else.
Shadow of the Truth
"Just put the sword down and let Mr. Lee go," suggested Spiderman, "This is not like you."
"How would you know?" replied the ninja, "You don't know anything about me. People laughed at me, killed me, but now I came back for my revenge."
"Ok Hartuki, you know this is not right," said Spidey.
The ninja replied, "Hartuki is dead, now there is only Shadow
Night. I'm a freak like you Spiderman, so don't run my life,"
Shadow Night threw Mr. Lee down with his Si and shouted, "NO!" he held his head like he had a headache, "I will not let you do this to me!" The voice changed, it sounded like he was possessed by Hartuki himself. "Too late puny mortal. Now I shall finish it."
He raised his sword towards Spiderman, but before he thruster it, the person he was possessed came over him and threw the sword away and ran past Spiderman and out the door. Spidey tried to catch him, but he was too fast for him.
Mr. Lee finally came too as Spider Man helped him up.
"Are you all right Mr. Lee?" Asked Spider Man.
Mr. Lee looked at him and replied, "Yes, but you must find him fast Spider Man. Who knows what we would do."
"I understand that," said Spider Man "Any idea how I could stop him?"
"Hmmm, his body is possessed by the sprit of Hartuki," Mr. Lee Began, "I could mix a potion that could relieve the sprit from his body."
"Like an exorcism?" Spidey inquired.
"Yes," Said Mr. Lee, "Something like that, but it could be dangerous. Here," He handed Spider Man a pouch ball, "this contains a spore that could stun him long enough to get him back here. The potion won't be ready for 2 hours."
Spider Man nodded, "Thanks." Then he took off to find the Shadow Night.
"Good luck Spider Man," Said Mr. Lee as Spidey Left.
Spider Man swung the entire Manhattan area for about an hour, but he could not even spot him. He decided to take a few minutes to get his thoughts together, so finally landed on a tall building.
'Now, think Spidey' He thought, 'where could he be?'
He then remembered on what Mr. Lee said about Hartuki getting revenge on the villagers of Yoto and quickly rushed over to Chinatown.
Meanwhile, Shadow Knight was leaning against a wall in a dark ally in Chinatown. The battle between the souls continued inside his head much worse than before.
"You can't make me do this, not anymore," The first voice said.
Hartuki's voice replied, "You have no choice, your mind might be struggling, but only I can give you the power. Now we still have work to do. The villagers of Yoto will pay dearly for what they have done to me."
"You're insane," the sane voice said, "We're in New York and it's the year 2000."
"Well, we will then destroy their descendents." The evil voice laughed as his got total control of the body and took off to find his first victim.
It was a quarter after midnight and the streets of Chinatown were quiet. Spider Man did not know witch building the Hartiki would strike. His head was beginning to ache as he noticed a Japanese sushi bar; he then looked on the roof and saw something moved. Inside a bedroom on the 3rd floor, the ninja crept in and saw a young Japanese woman sleeping soundly in her bed. He unsheathed his katana blade and was ready to strike her. The woman suddenly opened her eyes to see the ninja ready to kill her. She suddenly screamed for her life as Hartuki remarked, "Good bye little one, you are the first."
As Hartuki swung his blade it was quickly ripped from his hands by a web. Shadow Knight looked at a window and saw Spider Man.
"Not this time pal," said Spider Man.
The young woman was so petrified she was stiff as ice. This gave Shadow Knight the time to grab her and exit from the window across the room. Spider Man spun a web at him but he was to fast again as the ninja climbed on the roof with his hostage. Spider Man gave no time and raced on the rooftop to meet them. Hartuki threw her on the ground and stepped on her with his Si to her throat.
"Not this again," Said Spidey. "You know Hartuki, this is getting old. Now let her go."
Shadow Knight looked at him and replied, "And if I don't? You cannot stop me Spider Man. No one can."
"You want to test that theory?" asked Spider Man.
The Shadow Knight glared at Spider Man, stepped off the woman and got into a fighting stance of the martial arts. Spider Man did the same. They both eyed each other in a tense stand off while waiting each other to make his move. Suddenly, Shadow Knight ran as he accomplished a fling kick towards Spidey. With Spider Man's quick reflexes, he successfully dodged it and tried to kick him back. Unfortunaly the Shadow Knight was quickly as well, he flipped over Spider Man and chucked throwing stars at the web slinger.
"Whoa," Spider Man exclaimed as to dodged them all.
"Enough of this child's play," said Shadow Knight, "you will feel the true power of the ninja. RESTU!!" He cried as he placed his hand together, and a powerful red blast came out of them.
Spider Man's spider sense tingled as tried top darted out of the way. Shadow Knight kept blasting all over, trying to hit him.
'I got one chance at this,' Spidey thought. 'Don't mess this us web head.'
He jumped on top of a heater unit, then just as another beam hit the unit, Spider Man jumped and quickly as he could, threw the pouch of stun spore that Mr. Lee Had given him at the ninja's head.
'What's this?' the ninja thought.
Shadow Knight was fazed and shook his head as he stopped his blasting. He stumbled back and fell to the ground next to the fainted woman.
"Now that's more like it," Spidey remarked.
Spider Man walked over to him and removed his mask. To his surprise it was the student that he bumped in the university hall. Picked him and the woman up in his arms and got down from the roof. Moments later he returned the lady to her bed hoping she would think it was all a nightmare. Spidey thought the same as he took the young man back to Mr. Lee's shop.
Spider Man took the precaution and spun the young student in a cocoon web, so he would not break free. He set him on Mr. Lee's bed and waited. A few minutes have passed, and Mr. Lee came in with a red glass bottle.
"This will dismay the demon that has possessed him," said Mr. Lee stirring the liquid in the bottle.
With a moment too soon, the young man awoke in a rage. He struggled through the web, but it was no use. Mr. Lee backed away a bit, but regained his courage and started to sprinkle the potion.
"YOU WILL LET ME GO YOU INFIDELES!" The man screamed. "AARRRG!"
Mr. Lee chanted an ancient spell as he sprinkled all over the webbed body. The student shook violently as Spidey got ready for anything.
"NO!" Hartuki spoke angrily, "I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED. NOT Again…" The sprit was then gone and the young man stopped shaking. A couple of minutes have passed and the student's eyes slowly opened as he saw Mr. Lee and Spider Man.
"What? Who? Where am I?" He said.
"It's ok your safe," replied Spider Man.
The young man looked down at the webbing, then at Spidey "Spider Man? What's going on? Why am I in this thing?"
"You Mean you don't remember?" Asked Spider man.
"Remember?" He wondered, "Remember what?"
"Your memory of Hartuki is gone along with his evil spirit," explained Mr. Lee.
"What are you talking about?" the Young Man said.
"it's a long story um…What's your name?" Inquired Spidey.
"Longford, Michael Longford," he replied, "Who is Kartuki? And will someone get me out of this?"
After Spider man cut Michael lose Mr. Lee explained everything to him. Michael could not believe a word of it.
"What do you remember?" Asked Spidey.
"Well," Michael started, "I remember hiking with my class mates on the side of Mt. Yoto, then an minor earthquake hit. I lost my footing and ended up in a cave. Wonder about, trying to find my way out when I saw this glow in one of the chambers. I thought it was daylight and quickly moved towards it. It wasn't the sun, but something weird. A room of some sort like a burial chamber you find in a mummy's tomb. Suddenly another earthquake shook the entire room, an after shock probably. I lost my footing again and was knocked out. The next several days after we left Japan, it was a blur. I don't know how I got out of the cave or anything."
Mr. Lee nodded and said, "The urn must of hit your head and Hartuki's ashes was scattered over body. The spirit then took over your body, growing its force inside you. But something disturbs me, Spider Man has said that you use some sore of red blast force. Hartuki never had that kind of power."
Michael's eyes widen and turned confused. "What are you saying?" He asked.
"I do not know," Mr. Lee replied. "Some how you have powers that no human has."
Michael blinked and was wondering if they were all crazy. "You're telling me that, even though the sprit of Hartuki was removed from my body, I have these weird laser like powers?" He shook his head. "I don't know about me, but I think you are all crazy."
"Listen to me," Started Spider Man, "I know what I saw, I took pictures of you doing it. If I'm right there are help for people like you."
"Help?" He questioned. "What do you think I need help for?"
Mr. Lee nodded, "I suggest that you should go home and get some sleep. This is a confusing time for you."
Spider Man agreed. "Mr. Lee is right. I'll take you home."
Spidey and Michael did not say a word until they arrived at his apartments. Michael didn't know what to do or what to believe. He was thinking what would tomorrow bring.
"Spider Man?" he said, "If I did have these powers? Who would help me?"
"A special school in Rode Island Called 'Xavier Institution for the Gifted'" Spider Man answered.
"A mutie school?" Questioned Michael, "Well…"
"It's a good school for a person like you," said Spider Man, "I know Professor Xavier personally. But it's up to you if you want to go."
Michael Thought a bit, but his head started to hurt, "Thanks, I think about it."
"Good," said Spider Man, "Hey, if you need anything," He handed Mike a card with a phone number on it "Give me a buzz."
"You got a Spider line?" Mike questioned.
"Sort of, actually I'm sharing it with some one," Spidey replied.
They both said their good byes and Spidey took off. Michael retired to his bedroom and flopped on his soft bed and went to sleep.
The next day Peter took his dazzling pictures to the Daily Bugle hoping J.J'll trash them. But to his surprise, Jameson actually liked them.
"Good job Parker," said Jameson, "I'll give you $50 for each Picture."
"Thanks Mr. Jameson."
"By the way, what happened to him?" His editor asked.
"Well, Spider Man did fight the ninja," Peter started "and Spidey did catch him, but Unfortunaly, the ninja disappeared. Spider Man told me that we won't be seeing him any time soon."
"Is that right?" J.J. questioned as he was lost in the pictures, "Well, at least we'll get some story updated. You can go Parker."
Peter was pleased that J.J. didn't yell at him this time, but almost lying to him to protect Michael, it didn't seem right to him. Some day the press will learn the truth about Michael and the Shadow Knight, then the authorities. It won't be an easy life for Michael, but then its not and easy life for everybody else.