A/N: "The night is young as is the chance of a cat-fight forming to some people's entertainment. Muahaha! Hehe anyways I didn't like how my last chapter turned out…I'm hoping it'll sound better with this one. I hope you can guess who the new villain is. I'm thinking that only the people that saw the cartoon or ever read the comics will know who it is. His history will be similar to the original characters but I will change and add certain things to him that will make him different so it'll go with the original idea of the fic. But I will reveal the name at the end of the chapter if needed. Sorry for the length of the chapter but I think it gets good. :D *** Still don't own Spider-man or Marvel
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Chapter 5: Jasmine
The sounds of the carnival brought back disturbing memories for him. He sat across the street watching the pathetic civilians of New York play under the bright neon lights of Coney Island. Balancing the hologram emitter on his palm he smiled in the dark. Soon these…pitiful bugs that inhabited New York would be worshiping him like a god or they'd all be locked away like the rest of the nuts. He knew this was rather stereotypical of people who thought like him but he believed that he deserved to be in charge of this world more than anyone else. Just as soon as he killed the loon that dressed in tights and swung around the city claiming that he was a superhero sent to save their city from those who posed ill will. Gathering up his stuff he took an angering glance back at the carnival, "You bastards will all pay for ruining me." He hissed before he vanished again.
* * * * *
Harry tried to comfort Mary Jane through her sobs of humiliation. They sat on one of the kiddy rides just moving slowly in circles.
"I'm such an idiot!" She cried into her hands muffling her voice as she thought back to her reaction to Felicia insulting her.
Harry patted her back trying to console her.
"You're just the opposite Mary Jane. You were the bigger person, you could have lashed back but you just ignored her."
She looked at him narrowing her eyes and shaking her head no.
"Ha, no. My reaction was to get up crying while knocking down a trashcan in the process almost tripping and falling on my face. I just wish I could crawl into a hole and never come out. I hate her, I've never really hated someone but she just brings out the worst in me." She pulled out a very familiar handkerchief from her pocket looking at it. The initials were P.P. (Peter Parker) and she broke into another sob. (From the book for the movie, he gives her his handkerchief after she runs out of the apartment during Thanksgiving)
Looking over at a very large roller coaster Harry smiled. "MJ go on the "Ring of Fire" with me." He said directing her view to the large roller coaster looming up towards the sky with brimming fire. MJ quirked her brows wiping her eyes, 'Guess he's trying to take my mind off of it'
The two boarded the roller coaster only causing a groan from Harry as Peter and Felicia chose to get on as well, by request Peter sat down in the cart behind Mary Jane and Harry. Peter rested a hand on Mary Jane's shoulder.
"MJ I'm sorry for not speaking up I.." he began but was cut off by Harry.
"Pete, just enjoy the ride. I think MJ wants to enjoy it herself without having to hear excuses or insults." Harry said trying not to come off as rude as he did. Mary Jane closed her eyes tightly with a sigh as she heard Peter fall back against his seat with a thud. For some odd reason Felicia kept her mouth shut just gazing down towards the ground from their height. With a heavy jerk the ride began moving upward in a tilted direction. Mary Jane casted her sad eyes on the stars over her heard thinking to herself of what had happened that night. It just didn't make any sense to her. She cried out in surprise as the coaster shot downwards fast, heavy black rings moving in circular motions with explosions of fire as it orbited the area of their track. Everyone seated was silenced in awe as the fire would hover only inches from their bodies. Peter sat perfectly still, using his spider-sense to detect if any danger would come to this.
Jerking against her seat violently Mary Jane gave a loud gasp. Harry furrowed his brows wondering what the heck was the thing that just rocked into their cart a second ago as a purple cape brushed before their faces in just a second. Peter began to look around frantically as his spider-sense began to go nuts, screaming in his mind almost causing him to jump from the roller coaster. The tracks began to shake and a large portion of the tracks fell away giving a gap of 18 feet. However this was not what was driving Peter's spider-sense to go nuts. Without a single moment the roller coasted continued on over the gap as if it wasn't even though. Screams began to echo over the park, as everything seemed to stop. The rings, the tracks, everything began to shake as the carts tilted off to the side. As she wasn't holding on, foolishly, Mary Jane slipped off the cart and over the edge of the tracks screaming. She managed to hold onto a splintered piece of aluminum, dangling in the air far above the ground.
Peter gripped the bars in front of his seat trying to think up a plan to be able to change into spider-man so he could rescue her before she fell. The carts began to tilt more, while they were distracted Peter tilted his hand under the wheels shooting his webbing at the tracks holding them on to wrap around the carts tightly. The carts tilted back into place on the tracks not catching the attention of anyone while their horrified stares were on Mary Jane.
"Try to help Mary Jane up! I'm going to go get help!" Peter shouted as he climbed out of his seat.
"Are you crazy?! We're too far up for you to try to climb down!" Felicia yelled trying to keep him in his seat.
"If nobody does anything to help her she'll fall! Let me go and get some help Felicia!" he reasoned pulling back from her hold no matter what she tried. Felicia shrank back in her seat surprised by Peter's gentle strength. Usually men weren't able to remove her so quickly like that without using brute force.
Climbing down was a cinch for Peter, but for anyone who was looking he made it look a little more difficult than it really was. His heartbeat quickened as he heard M.J.'s painful screams as she tried to hold on, the sharp metal digging into her skin, causing little droplets of blood to fall. He could hear it when the blood hit, not caring if anyone saw him or not he dove off the tracks landing on the ground and ran as fast as he could to a corner to where he could change.
Mary Jane looked up at the frightened faces of both Felicia and Harry, they were leaned over the edge trying to grab Mary Jane and pull her up to safety yet they weren't close enough.
As if having been in the neighborhood they were the "whooshing" sound of webs being fired. The web printed hero swung in from the nearby area and swooped in at Mary Jane catching her in his arms just before she fell. Spider-man stopped, using one arm to place around Mary Jane's waist as he held onto the side of the tracks as he looked up at the crowd forming over the edge.
"Nothing to worry about folks. Return to your seats and wait for help to arrive." He said trying to coax the people back into their spots. Harry narrowed his eyes pointing an accusing finger at Spider-man.
"You're a murderer! You should be in prison right now!" Harry began to climb out of his seat trying to go after Spider-man. To ensure his safety Spider-man shot webbing shaped thinly like rope at Harry's wrists that held him to his seat.
"Sorry Osborn, don't have time to deal with you wanting to kill me right now." He said humorously as he swung down from the tracks. Shooting out web after web, Spider-man finally directed them towards the entrance of the carnival setting down to the ground gently still holding onto Mary Jane. Her eyes were still closed tightly as she continued to hold onto Spider-man, the event still fresh in her mind. "You ok?" He asked lifting her chin up so she would finally open her eyes.
She shook her head "no" looking very pale. "I'll take you home then." He said getting ready to pick her up and take off again, not caring if he'd leave his date there, considering how rude she had been to M.J. Mary Jane only shook her head no walking over to the bench to sit down. She pulled her knees up to her chest as she wrapped her arms around her legs shaking.
"I just need to sit here for awhile. Besides I don't want Harry to think I ditched him again. It wouldn't be very nice." She said glancing up at Spider-man. He rubbed his chin watching her, as if raising a brow in admiration.
"You're a one in a million. You always continue to surprise me." He said a soft smile gracing his face.
"You're the only one who thinks so, then." She said softly looking down at the ground. He felt the notion to go over there and take her in his arms as he watched her shrink in her seat. His fists clenched and unclenched in anticipating trying to hold himself back. Just as he took a step forward he jerked his head back as his spider-sense went off again. Two smoke bombs went sailing into him hard, knocking him to the ground before he could move. That was odd, he'd never been caught off guard before.
"Run Mary Jane!" Spider-man yelled over his shoulder and he jumped to a crouch looking over at his attacker. A figure of over six feet loomed from the smoke dressed in a green armored like "mech" suit that could even resemble similar to what the Green goblin had once worn. He wore a long purple cape down his back, yellow gloves and yellow boots only adding to his odd look, completed with a glass dome over his head that was impossible to see into but easy to see out of.
"What kind of villain are you? Stealing someone's fishbowl to use for a head?" he said with mirthless humor.
The new attacker just stood there obviously unaffected by Spider-man's jokes.
"Very soon you'll pay like the rest of them. Except I won't let you live, you'll die here in the city, trying to protect those who could care less for your heroics." His voice was distorted from under the dome hiding any key to identifying him.
"Great another psycho. You get rid of one but then another one pops up from nowhere trying to take over the world." He shook his head making fun of the situation.
"Go ahead and crack jokes, little spider. But one way or another you'll all pay for ruining my life." He garbled whipping out a weapon of some sort. In sudden reflex, Spider-man leapt at him feet first ready to eject the loony into some psych ward, yet he went right through him as if he was a ghost. As Spider-man turned around he saw the figure standing normally as he did before, but he appeared smaller. He blinked with a confused manner as he directed a hand towards the dome-headed man. The image of him disappeared into thin air until Spidey brought his hand back to his side.
"Hologram…" he murmured alarmed. Screams directed his attention back to the roller coaster where he had saved Mary Jane. The carts were tipping over the edge and from the far distance he could see Felicia trying to hold onto her cart with a "scared-as-hell" Harry trying to hold onto her. 'Crap! This guy spares no expense in making people suffer does he?"
Aiming his wrist diagonally over his head and in just seconds he was back in the air swinging like a mad-man to save his— err… Peter Parker's blind date from being flattened if she fell.
*
Felicia hung onto the bars of the cart as tight as she could, screaming at the top of her lungs. The tracks weren't able to hold the carts of the roller coaster in this manner, especially since some lunatic had blasted the hell out of them making them very weak. However the only thing she could think of at that moment was: "Why couldn't Spider-man come and save me too or this that just reserved for Miss Mary Jane Watson?!"
"Felicia, hold on!" Harry shouted trying to grab for her from his distance. Just as his hand brushed by hers she fell. More like plummeted from the tracks. Her scream was frozen in side her as her blue eyes widened in fear and shock feeling the ground coming up fast. Just as soon as she was about to lose whatever life she had within her, strong arms snatched her in the air pulling her back up towards the sky. She had never really seen Spider-man close up before so at first contact with the costumed figure her scream loosened up in her throat, ringing in his ears. He tensed up quickly clamping a hand over his ear almost letting go of her. He dropped to the ground with her quickly setting her on her feet. Quickly she stepped back, examining the wearer of blue and red.
"Argh my ears…you know it's not nice to scream at the person who is trying to save you." He said with humor.
All Felicia was able to manage herself to say was… "Spandex?"
His head shot up looking at her sharply. "Lycra. Spandex bad! Lycra good!"
Felicia raised a brow, skeptical of this "superhero". "I get the idea." She said.
"Well. Bye then." He said shooting a long strand of webbing at the lamppost overhead leaping into the air.
"Wait!" She called running after him. He stopped hanging upside down from the lamppost as if showing off, waiting.
"Thank you." She said speaking entirely sincerely. No one had ever saved her life before, and she had doubted that anyone would ever really like to. He was gone by the time she looked back up at the lamppost. She jerked around with a cry after someone tapped her on the shoulder.
"Ready to go home?" Peter Parker asked as he stood before her, oblivious as to what had just happened. Pursing her lips once she shook her head 'no'. She explained to him that she wanted to visit the restroom first before they left. He nodded telling her that he'd wait out in the car for her after she was done, walking away. She watched him leave narrowing her eyes.
"Just where did you go off to, Parker?" She wondered aloud. Retreating back into the ladies room she decided to clean the perspiration off her face from the terror stricken event she had just witnessed not even minutes ago. Splashing water on her smooth, creamy skin she examined the perfections and the hidden imperfections she had. The door opened and Mary Jane walked inside looking through the contents of her purse. Not seeing Felicia, she bumped into her, causing Felicia to drench the top of her dress. Freezing in place Mary Jane looked up with saddened guilt.
"I'm really sorry Felicia. I didn't mean to do that." She said grabbing some paper towels trying to dry her off. Felicia knocked Mary Jane's hands down from her causing the towels to clutter to the ground.
"Really Watson, I think you did that on purpose." She growled, losing her temper finally, able to find someone to take her emotions of the horrible event out on.
"No I really didn't, I swear." She said truthfully.
"You know what your problem is Mary Jane? You can't accept the fact that Peter doesn't want to be with you. Yes I know all about what happened between you and Peter. He doesn't want a relationship with you and you need to face reality in that!" She said harshly not even carrying about the ripple effect of her words. Mary Jane's reaction to this was something that Felicia would have never guessed. All she saw was a fist swinging at her face and then an explosion of red light in her eyes and searing pain. Felicia fell to the ground on her butt holding her face as Mary Jane literally decked her. Opening her other eye she saw Mary Jane standing over her with blind fury, both fists clenched as her eyes were intense with extreme anger.
"Why are you such a bitch, Felicia?! What is your problem? I try being nice to you and all I get is crap from you! You are a horrible human being!" Mary Jane yelled. Felicia glared up at her, clenching her teeth, angry that she was called a "bitch" from someone who obviously didn't know what they were talking about. She dove at Mary Jane's midsection, slamming the two of them up against the door violently. Mary Jane slid down with a painful moan as Felicia pinned her down roughly.
"You are my problem! Miss Perfect! Everybody loves little Mary Jane Watson!" She exclaimed digging her nails into Mary Jane, driving a single slap across her face.
MJ drove her knee between Felicia and herself prying her off of her, the two of them locking into the fight. Mary Jane grabbed tightly onto Felicia's hair yanking back as Felicia did the same. Their screams seemed to echo throughout the park drawing the security inside the restroom. Both women were rigid with hatred for one another. Felicia raked her nails across Mary Jane's cheek, cutting her lip as they were tugged away from one another.
Tasting her own blood Mary Jane wriggled out of the grasp from the officer, shoving into Felicia sharply pushing her into the trashcan. With a yelp, the blonde bombshell fell bum first into the trashcan, laughter exploding from all around.
"I'm not perfect Felicia. But you always strive to look perfect on the outside, you really ought to work on what's inside." Mary Jane said before she was pulled outside of the restroom.
Harry glared at the murderer, Spider-man, took off with Felicia Hardy in his arms disappearing into the night. No one should ever trust that web-head, and he thought that it was unfair that Spider-man was able to walk free with the blood of his father, Norman Osborn, on his hands. Shoving his hands into his coat pockets he walked by himself away from the carnival. He left his chauffeur back at the grounds deciding that he needed this walk to calm him down. Stopping at a tree he grabbed the tin-wire trashcan at his side and hurled it violently at the ground.
"I'm not going to let Spider-man get away with murdering my father!" He shouted looking at the sky. He remembered his vow he made to pay Spider-man back dearly. Something quickly grabbed him from behind whirling him around. Harry suddenly found himself face-to-face with someone in a green armored costume with a fishbowl head. "Hey get off! I don't have any money to give you!" He yelled pushing the man off him, not in any mood to be messed with.
The man only laughed at him, letting go of his coat collar. "I see that you are after Spider-man as well. How would you like to make a deal?" The man said distortedly.
Harry frowned looking at him. He didn't trust anyone much anymore. This guy could be in league with Spider-man trying to capture another Osborn. "What type of deal…"
"You're Norman Osborn's kid. I figure that you are the only person that could fund my development on my inventions to destroy Spider-man. You'll also get my protection. Just think, you get your own protection and the death of Spider-man just by providing me a lab and money for research." He said, no emotion able to be read from the hidden stranger.
Harry thought over the proposition. This guy could be out to screw him over in the end once Spider-man is gone turning his inventions on Harry to take over the corporation that he inherited. He would make sure that there would be no way that this guy could turn on him.
"We should discuss this at the corporation tomorrow evening and negotiate on terms rather than decide here and now." Harry said cautiously. "What do you go by anyways?" Harry asked before he walked away.
"I go by Mysterio." He said before he vanished into the night. Harry smiled to himself as the man disappeared. "Finally I'll return the favor back to Spider-man."
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Standing across the street from Mary Jane Watson's apartment Spider-man landed softly on the roof of the jeweler's store. He grinned from under his mask remembering the look on Felicia's face when she had returned to the car and told him what happened. Of course she said that Mary Jane had started the fight, but she had deserved all that had come to her. Peter later had found out what had really happened from one of the police officers brought to break up the fight. He felt very proud of Mary Jane, even if it resulted in an all war catfight between the two. Leaping across the way he landed silently on her roof lowering him down onto the balcony. Looking in through the glass he could see her sleeping form under the covers, yet she wasn't sleeping. He felt his stomach tighten and his guard go down as he saw her crying, her legs curled in towards her stomach, clutching the pillow with one hand with the other just under her eyes. She didn't seem to see him as he lightly pressed a gloved palm against the door causing it to open flawlessly without a sound. He found it surprising that she had left them unlocked but guessed that she had only forgotten. Walking slowly to her beside, the moonlight had begun to cast his silhouette on the walls still not drawing her attention. Standing over her he placed a hand on her shoulder softly caressing her hair as he looked down at her with bemused love. She jerked over looking up at him with fear. He drew back quickly not seeing her ottoman and falling backwards just able to catch himself in a crouch. Mary Jane flipped on her bedside lamp and looked at him with alarm. He jumped up to her side again as he looked at the cut along the left side of her lip and the welt on her face.
He sat down on the edge of the bed, taking her chin in his hands gently observing the markings on her with such tenderness. She closed her eyes relishing his soft touch on her face, not caring about the searing pain emitting from her mouth.
"It's from a fight at the carnival." She said trying to keep her voice steady not wanting to cry in front of him. He seemed to smile from under the mask.
"I heard about it from the neighboring people. I heard you two stirred up quite a ruckus." He said.
She managed to smile weakly but her jaw only trembled causing her to frown, lowering her head.
"I made a fool out of myself in front of someone I really cared about. Now I know why he doesn't want to be with me." She whispered loud enough for him to hear as she turned her head away, letting the hot tears roll down her face. The pain inside of her was more than she had ever felt before. She'd been lonely every single night since the funeral, lying in bed thinking about Peter and his words. Trying to free the pain from her heart.
Peter could feel himself fall apart watching Mary Jane experience so much pain, because of him. He had promised that he'd never let any harm come to Mary Jane but he had only thought on the physical aspects rather than the emotional side. Seeing her weakened like this made him want to disappear. He took her in his arms, drawing her body close to his, which in turn she pulled her face into his chest. All he could do was hold her, feeling her fingers cling to his arms as she released all her anguish and misery. He wanted to hold her forever, to kiss her, and make everything better. To get rid of everything that had ever harmed her. Mary Jane was his angel, a being perfect in all ways but vulnerable by heart. A spider and an angel seemed like a very unlikely pair but always in his dreams he'd be with Mary Jane. Just not in reality. He pulled away eventually and stood back up turning his back ready to leap off into the night but her gentle hand grabbed his stopping him.
"Please stay with me through the night. I know it's a lot to ask but I can't bear to be alone tonight. I need someone to hold me." She said with all sincerity intended. He contemplated to himself whether he should or not. His mind kept on telling him to leave; he needed to distance himself from her to keep her safe. Yet his heart once again told him to remain with her. The look in her eyes was all too much to ignore and he nodded silently. She scooted over to the other side of the bed. Laying down on one of her pillows, leaving one for him, she laid on her side with her back turned to him. Laying on top of the covers and resting his head on the pillow he wrapped his arms around her tightly but gently. His heart pounded with fear and excitement as she lied next to her, her head against his chest, taking in her perfumed scent. He began to feel all too comfortable wanting to fall asleep with her there.
"Jasmine…the scent that drives a man wild." He murmured tiredly before slipping off to sleep.