Chapter 10 - Family
It's kind of funny when you think about it. When I came here, I was nothing. Less than that, if it's even possible. I had nothing, I had no one, and I wasn't sure I wanted to have anything or anyone because my luck is just that bad.
But now I had things and people I cared about.
People for whom I had broken a solemn oath to myself. I had become the very thing I had run from, the very thing I had tried to hide from.
I was Peter Parker no longer.
I was now Spider-Man.
Peter Parker had wandered into the Xavier Institute, looking for a way to hide.
Spider-Man was emerging from the Xavier Institute, looking for a way to shine.
So how do I tell them?
How do I tell these people whom I have lived with for months that they knew almost nothing about me?
How do I tell them that on the inside I was laughing at them when they talked about how nice it must feel at times to be 'normal'?
How do I tell the girl I'm falling for that I've lied to her face?
How do I tell them, these people who have come to mean so much to me?
I don't know, I've never known the answer to that question. I've only ever told to people beyond the professor my identity. And neither one reacted well.
Mary Jane was fine at first, but after having the answers she had wanted for so long she started worrying all the time. The time she'd been kidnapped…
At this point I'm forced to admit that the relationship probably wouldn't have lasted much longer, even if she had lived. Sad but true.
And Felicia…
That's not something I want to get into.
Besides, I'm avoiding the question.
How do I tell them?
How do I tell these people, this… family… of mine?
And the more I think about it, the more I realize that's what we are. We're family. And families don't keep things like this from each other.
Or, at least, they're not supposed to. I got into some pretty tight spots with Aunt May over this, and I never told her.
And with the coming battle, it makes it all the more urgent that I face up to this soon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Peter? You up here?"
The roof was Peter's thinking spot. When he wanted to be alone to think, this was where he came. He turned, dressed casually in a t-shirt and shorts, but there was something in his eyes for a moment. Something troubled and doubting. But it went away fast.
Maybe I'm just imagining things…
"What's up Kurt?"
"The professor wanted to talk to you."
He nodded. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he spun around, running for the edge. He was muttering to himself.
"Damn. Not now."
He ran back for me and grabbed my arm.
"Kurt, teleport us to the professor! Now!"
"What's…"
The look in Peter's eyes stopped me cold.
"R-Right…"
-BAMPH-
We were in front of the professor. Peter started talking without waiting for the professor.
"They're coming. Now. We've got a few minutes, if that."
The professor frowned.
"Are you sure?"
"Unless you can think of anyone else who would be coming in this direction spoiling for a fight so badly I can feel it."
He nodded, and concentrated, sending out a telepathic signal. Moments later, everyone came into the library. He looked at us.
"X-Men, suit up and get ready. The Sinister Six are coming."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Professor, you should go into the basement where it's safer."
"Storm… Very well. I'll be in Cerebro, watching from there."
I turned.
"You go too Peter."
He looked at me.
"What?! I'm staying here, Kitty."
Scott shook his head.
"You're brave Peter, but you're no match for the Six."
Then I saw something strange. Peter's hands tightened into fists, and his eyes displayed an emotion I'd never seen in him before.
Rage.
Then it suddenly snuffed out and he snorted.
"Fine."
He turned and stalked away. I hurried after him.
"Peter, wait…"
He looked at me and sighed.
"Kitty…"
"Look, the professor told me what happened, at the mall. How you took out the other three robbers. If it were just the Brotherhood I'd want you to stay, but these guys…"
He looked at me, and his eyes looked far away for a moment.
"Are in a class all of their own."
"Right."
He sighed.
"I'll go. I don't have to like it, but I'll accompany the professor to the basement."
I smiled.
"Thanks."
Then, I acted without thinking, and kissed him on the cheek before darting through a wall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I walked next to the professor to the elevator. With a 'bing' noise, it opened. We entered and I was surprised that there wasn't any annoying elevator music. He looked up at me.
"You're not going to stay down here are you?"
I grinned.
"No. I promised I'd go with you to the basement. I'm taking the elevator back up after that."
He smiled as well.
"Good. The voice of experience is always useful."
We reached the bottom and he got out. He turned around to look at me seriously.
"Good luck Peter."
"Thanks. I need it. I always need it."
The elevator went back up.
What a day to not have my costume on…
The elevator binged again when I reached ground level. I headed for the stairs.
Best to get the jump on them from above. I hope…
I reached the roof and ran for the major spike in my Spider-Sense.
"Whoa."
Below me? Chaos. Pure Chaos.
Doctor Octopus was having a hard time keeping Wolverine, Spike and Nightcrawler away from him. Rhino was having his head messed with by Shadow Cat and Iceman. Jean, Cyclops and Beast were taking on Hobgoblin, and overhead Storm was having it out with Electro. I mentally counted off in my head. I didn't really expect to see Mysterio until he wanted me to, so I left him out.
Okay… Uh oh. Where's Rogue and Vulture?
I scanned the area around us, mostly up high. Then I spotted them.
Crap.
It was one of Vulture's favorite tricks. Pick someone and fly really high in the air, then drop them. Sometimes he liked to tear limbs off first. He was trying something different now though. He was dive-bombing, with her still in his hands.
Oh boy. Only one shot to get this right…
I ran to catch up to his angle and jumped out into space. There was a muffled grunt as I landed on target.
Right on Vulture's back.
"What in the…"
"Peter?!"
I ignored both their protests and started clawing through the insulation on the back of his suit. A second later I was rewarded with a power pack under my palm, which I casually ripped out.
"Bye Vulchy!"
I grabbed Rogue's still gloved hand from his before he could drop her and made a leap, catching myself on the wing of Hobgoblin's glider. The large cackling laugh above me told me that was a mistake.
"Oh boy. Today just gets better and better doesn't it?"
I dropped instantly when I saw the Razor Bat launcher open up. The fall was much better than just waiting to be shredded. A second later we stopped falling, Jean using her telekinesis.
"I though you were going downstairs with the professor!"
"I did. Then I came back up… Crap."
I launched myself at her, taking her to the ground as razor bats flew overhead.
"I have got to be more careful."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I winced as Rhino slammed through another wall. This was a good way to take him out, but the damage he was doing to the Institute…
"Kitty! Incoming!"
With Bobby's warning I turned to see an incoming Pumpkin bomb.
Uh oh…
I ran and took a slide on one of the ice paths Bobby had laid out for Rhino, getting out of the blast radius just in time. I looked over to see Peter of all people grappling with Doctor Octopus, and surprisingly, holding his own.
He broke it off and hurried over to me, obviously upset.
"Come on, get up, we don't have much time."
"What do you mean? You were supposed to be in the basement with the professor!"
He glared at me.
"And I should have stayed too, because that's where Mysterio's heading right now!"
"What?"
"He's not anywhere around here, trust me. And that's the only place he would go."
I nodded.
"Okay, Sco…"
"No time. You and me, right now!"
"Right."
I harnessed my powers, taking us down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Mind telling me what you're doing up here Peter? You were supposed to be in the basement…"
"With the professor, I know but… uh oh."
"What?"
I pointed.
Scott gaped in shock.
"Who? How?"
"Mysterio. I don't know how, but he's pretending to be me. Damn. Take care of things up here."
Scott grabbed my arm.
"You're going into another part of the institute to be safe."
"I stand more of a chance against him than you Summers. Get going."
"Peter…"
"Scott, let him."
"Jean?"
"When we get down there, how are we supposed to tell which one is which? Just let him go."
"How do we know it's him now?"
"Because I felt his mind just now. I don't get anything from the copy over there."
I really hope she didn't read it…
Scott grumbled but complied.
"Fine. We'll need something so we know it's you though…"
I grinned.
"My password is 'spider'."
He nodded.
"Fine, go!"
He's a little fond of that word… was it something I said?
I hurtled through the house, leaping over the Rhino as he came charging by after Iceman. The elevator made me a nervous wreck, but I managed. I fought an urge to curse at that annoying 'bing' sound as the elevator stopped. I stepped cautiously into the hallway. Watching a herd of horses go by told me to depend more on my Spider-Sense than my other senses.
I walked through a wall that wasn't there to find myself in the hanger.
No one here, damn.
But I knew that Cerebro was on the other side of the hallway. I ran out and through the grasslands scene once more to emerge at the familiar door. Still nothing, from my Spider-Sense or other wise.
Where are they?
Of course, this presented the frightening conclusion that they had come and gone already, not something I wanted to contemplate. Then I heard a groaning as Mysterio walked in through some mist, Kitty flung over his shoulder.
Well, at least they haven't left…
"Oh, so you're actually here? I give you credit for finding your way. Did you like my illusions?"
"They were missing something."
I couldn't see his face behind that fishbowl he used for a helmet, but ever the consummate actor he was, I knew Beck's eyebrow was raised.
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Substance."
With that I jumped at him, leveling a kick. With the short distance between us, the only way I figured he had to avoid it was to not actually be there, something well within his abilities.
I never expected to be knocked backwards.
I hit the ground with a thump.
"Ugh. I didn't know your suit enhanced your strength. When'd you put that in?"
Again, I could only imagine the smile I knew was there.
"Oh, a knowledgeable one are you? I must admit I'm afraid, to stealing and enhancing the Vulture's design. He doesn't know yet. But then, every artist is a thief, is he not?"
With that, he picked me up and tossed me through the wall into the Cerebro chamber, where the professor waited. He concentrated.
"Interesting. It's a robot. No free will of it's own."
Mysterio laughed long and hard.
"No, old man, I'm very much here. In the flesh as it were. But there have been several recent additions to my suit, and one is that my helmet protects my mind from your interference. You are helpless against my abilities."
I started pushing rubble off myself.
"You were always good at illusions Mysterio, but never that kind of work."
He shrugged.
"I must also admit there is a fair amount of credit due to the good doctor upstairs, as well as the Tinkerer. But now, dear lad, I must leave, or the professor and I will be late for our curtain call."
He went for the professor, and I leapt into action, tackling him. He went down hard, and something flew out of his suit, hitting the professor in the head, knocking him out cold. The item tumbled off the ramp and into the bottom of the spherical chamber. We struggled, rolling around for a while. Kitty stirred then, getting up a bit groggily.
"Kitty! Get the professor out of here!"
She nodded dumbly and did what I asked. A few seconds later, Mysterio and I were alone.
"You're strong, boy, but the girl won't make it far. I'd imagine my comrades are just mopping up there about now. I exit…"
"Not likely Mysterio!"
"Fool boy."
He tossed me back, into the bottom of the chamber and hit a button on his wrist.
"The bomb is not my style, but I'm afraid it will have to do. Good day."
The device next to me started beeping as my Spider-Sense was tingling like mad as I leapt. I was almost to the closed door when it went off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My head hurt, but I got the professor to the surface. We came out of the ground, and I stopped in shock. Electro was holding some kind of flashlight that cast a pinkish glow on the others and Hobgoblin was herding them into a cage that was in front of a semi truck. Then there was a shout behind me, and I was grabbed by Rhino, who now had the professor in his other hand.
I slipped out instantly.
*Run! NOW!*
Without stopping to think I did as told. I started running. Rhino was chasing me. I dove into the ground.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I concentrated, guiding Kitty over to where we were hiding, when the ground blew up, sending us all to our knees. Kitty exited shortly after, more shaken than she had been when I'd made contact with her mind previously. When we recovered, I heard Dr. Octavious speaking.
"Enough Rhino. We have what we came for. Let's go."
"But Doc…"
"I said enough Rhino. Now, we must get these back to New York. Let's go. A few ragtag members won't solve anything."
"Won't they go to the police or somethin'?"
"No Rhino, they won't. They can't. They're mutants, the police might just lock them away as a matter of course."
"Huh?"
"Just accept the fact that they can't you lummox. Get in. We're leaving."
"Okay…"
Mysterio walked out of the mansion like he owned it.
"A shame I had to level the place, it would have made a good location to film at."
"Not everyone shares your taste in the artistic Mysterio."
"I'm aware."
"And the boy who went after you?"
"Dead. I had to use the bomb you gave me though."
"We noticed. Very well. Now that all are accounted for…"
"But da Vulture's missing. We couldn't find him after he went down."
"Bah. If he can't take care of himself, then why worry over him. This just means less people to split the difference with."
The Rhino's face brightened.
"That's true, huh? See ya Toomy."
They left after that. I turned back to the people who were left. Me, Kitty, Rogue and Spike.
"Come on. We're going to New York. We're going after them."
Kitty was more than a little distraught.
"What about Peter?!"
I nodded. I sat down and concentrated. I searched long and hard. I got nothing.
"Kitty… I'm sorry. Mysterio was right. He couldn't have survived that blast."
Tears welled up in her eyes.
"But maybe he's just unconscious, right? Maybe…"
"No Kitty. Even if he were unconscious, I would still get something. I'm sorry."
She collapsed into a ball of tears. I stood up and helped her to her feet, while Rogue helped up Evan.
"We need to start moving if we're going to keep up with them."
Rogue nodded and put her hand on Kitty's shoulder.
"He saved my life today. We need to make sure he didn't do it in vain."
She nodded, drying the last of her tears.
"I know."
When Kitty straightened, her face was hard and there was something in her eyes I had never seen before. She was older now. Sadder, but older, more mature.
The death of innocence.
"Come on, all of you. We're going after them. We're going to get our family back."
It's kind of funny when you think about it. When I came here, I was nothing. Less than that, if it's even possible. I had nothing, I had no one, and I wasn't sure I wanted to have anything or anyone because my luck is just that bad.
But now I had things and people I cared about.
People for whom I had broken a solemn oath to myself. I had become the very thing I had run from, the very thing I had tried to hide from.
I was Peter Parker no longer.
I was now Spider-Man.
Peter Parker had wandered into the Xavier Institute, looking for a way to hide.
Spider-Man was emerging from the Xavier Institute, looking for a way to shine.
So how do I tell them?
How do I tell these people whom I have lived with for months that they knew almost nothing about me?
How do I tell them that on the inside I was laughing at them when they talked about how nice it must feel at times to be 'normal'?
How do I tell the girl I'm falling for that I've lied to her face?
How do I tell them, these people who have come to mean so much to me?
I don't know, I've never known the answer to that question. I've only ever told to people beyond the professor my identity. And neither one reacted well.
Mary Jane was fine at first, but after having the answers she had wanted for so long she started worrying all the time. The time she'd been kidnapped…
At this point I'm forced to admit that the relationship probably wouldn't have lasted much longer, even if she had lived. Sad but true.
And Felicia…
That's not something I want to get into.
Besides, I'm avoiding the question.
How do I tell them?
How do I tell these people, this… family… of mine?
And the more I think about it, the more I realize that's what we are. We're family. And families don't keep things like this from each other.
Or, at least, they're not supposed to. I got into some pretty tight spots with Aunt May over this, and I never told her.
And with the coming battle, it makes it all the more urgent that I face up to this soon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Peter? You up here?"
The roof was Peter's thinking spot. When he wanted to be alone to think, this was where he came. He turned, dressed casually in a t-shirt and shorts, but there was something in his eyes for a moment. Something troubled and doubting. But it went away fast.
Maybe I'm just imagining things…
"What's up Kurt?"
"The professor wanted to talk to you."
He nodded. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he spun around, running for the edge. He was muttering to himself.
"Damn. Not now."
He ran back for me and grabbed my arm.
"Kurt, teleport us to the professor! Now!"
"What's…"
The look in Peter's eyes stopped me cold.
"R-Right…"
-BAMPH-
We were in front of the professor. Peter started talking without waiting for the professor.
"They're coming. Now. We've got a few minutes, if that."
The professor frowned.
"Are you sure?"
"Unless you can think of anyone else who would be coming in this direction spoiling for a fight so badly I can feel it."
He nodded, and concentrated, sending out a telepathic signal. Moments later, everyone came into the library. He looked at us.
"X-Men, suit up and get ready. The Sinister Six are coming."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Professor, you should go into the basement where it's safer."
"Storm… Very well. I'll be in Cerebro, watching from there."
I turned.
"You go too Peter."
He looked at me.
"What?! I'm staying here, Kitty."
Scott shook his head.
"You're brave Peter, but you're no match for the Six."
Then I saw something strange. Peter's hands tightened into fists, and his eyes displayed an emotion I'd never seen in him before.
Rage.
Then it suddenly snuffed out and he snorted.
"Fine."
He turned and stalked away. I hurried after him.
"Peter, wait…"
He looked at me and sighed.
"Kitty…"
"Look, the professor told me what happened, at the mall. How you took out the other three robbers. If it were just the Brotherhood I'd want you to stay, but these guys…"
He looked at me, and his eyes looked far away for a moment.
"Are in a class all of their own."
"Right."
He sighed.
"I'll go. I don't have to like it, but I'll accompany the professor to the basement."
I smiled.
"Thanks."
Then, I acted without thinking, and kissed him on the cheek before darting through a wall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I walked next to the professor to the elevator. With a 'bing' noise, it opened. We entered and I was surprised that there wasn't any annoying elevator music. He looked up at me.
"You're not going to stay down here are you?"
I grinned.
"No. I promised I'd go with you to the basement. I'm taking the elevator back up after that."
He smiled as well.
"Good. The voice of experience is always useful."
We reached the bottom and he got out. He turned around to look at me seriously.
"Good luck Peter."
"Thanks. I need it. I always need it."
The elevator went back up.
What a day to not have my costume on…
The elevator binged again when I reached ground level. I headed for the stairs.
Best to get the jump on them from above. I hope…
I reached the roof and ran for the major spike in my Spider-Sense.
"Whoa."
Below me? Chaos. Pure Chaos.
Doctor Octopus was having a hard time keeping Wolverine, Spike and Nightcrawler away from him. Rhino was having his head messed with by Shadow Cat and Iceman. Jean, Cyclops and Beast were taking on Hobgoblin, and overhead Storm was having it out with Electro. I mentally counted off in my head. I didn't really expect to see Mysterio until he wanted me to, so I left him out.
Okay… Uh oh. Where's Rogue and Vulture?
I scanned the area around us, mostly up high. Then I spotted them.
Crap.
It was one of Vulture's favorite tricks. Pick someone and fly really high in the air, then drop them. Sometimes he liked to tear limbs off first. He was trying something different now though. He was dive-bombing, with her still in his hands.
Oh boy. Only one shot to get this right…
I ran to catch up to his angle and jumped out into space. There was a muffled grunt as I landed on target.
Right on Vulture's back.
"What in the…"
"Peter?!"
I ignored both their protests and started clawing through the insulation on the back of his suit. A second later I was rewarded with a power pack under my palm, which I casually ripped out.
"Bye Vulchy!"
I grabbed Rogue's still gloved hand from his before he could drop her and made a leap, catching myself on the wing of Hobgoblin's glider. The large cackling laugh above me told me that was a mistake.
"Oh boy. Today just gets better and better doesn't it?"
I dropped instantly when I saw the Razor Bat launcher open up. The fall was much better than just waiting to be shredded. A second later we stopped falling, Jean using her telekinesis.
"I though you were going downstairs with the professor!"
"I did. Then I came back up… Crap."
I launched myself at her, taking her to the ground as razor bats flew overhead.
"I have got to be more careful."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I winced as Rhino slammed through another wall. This was a good way to take him out, but the damage he was doing to the Institute…
"Kitty! Incoming!"
With Bobby's warning I turned to see an incoming Pumpkin bomb.
Uh oh…
I ran and took a slide on one of the ice paths Bobby had laid out for Rhino, getting out of the blast radius just in time. I looked over to see Peter of all people grappling with Doctor Octopus, and surprisingly, holding his own.
He broke it off and hurried over to me, obviously upset.
"Come on, get up, we don't have much time."
"What do you mean? You were supposed to be in the basement with the professor!"
He glared at me.
"And I should have stayed too, because that's where Mysterio's heading right now!"
"What?"
"He's not anywhere around here, trust me. And that's the only place he would go."
I nodded.
"Okay, Sco…"
"No time. You and me, right now!"
"Right."
I harnessed my powers, taking us down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Mind telling me what you're doing up here Peter? You were supposed to be in the basement…"
"With the professor, I know but… uh oh."
"What?"
I pointed.
Scott gaped in shock.
"Who? How?"
"Mysterio. I don't know how, but he's pretending to be me. Damn. Take care of things up here."
Scott grabbed my arm.
"You're going into another part of the institute to be safe."
"I stand more of a chance against him than you Summers. Get going."
"Peter…"
"Scott, let him."
"Jean?"
"When we get down there, how are we supposed to tell which one is which? Just let him go."
"How do we know it's him now?"
"Because I felt his mind just now. I don't get anything from the copy over there."
I really hope she didn't read it…
Scott grumbled but complied.
"Fine. We'll need something so we know it's you though…"
I grinned.
"My password is 'spider'."
He nodded.
"Fine, go!"
He's a little fond of that word… was it something I said?
I hurtled through the house, leaping over the Rhino as he came charging by after Iceman. The elevator made me a nervous wreck, but I managed. I fought an urge to curse at that annoying 'bing' sound as the elevator stopped. I stepped cautiously into the hallway. Watching a herd of horses go by told me to depend more on my Spider-Sense than my other senses.
I walked through a wall that wasn't there to find myself in the hanger.
No one here, damn.
But I knew that Cerebro was on the other side of the hallway. I ran out and through the grasslands scene once more to emerge at the familiar door. Still nothing, from my Spider-Sense or other wise.
Where are they?
Of course, this presented the frightening conclusion that they had come and gone already, not something I wanted to contemplate. Then I heard a groaning as Mysterio walked in through some mist, Kitty flung over his shoulder.
Well, at least they haven't left…
"Oh, so you're actually here? I give you credit for finding your way. Did you like my illusions?"
"They were missing something."
I couldn't see his face behind that fishbowl he used for a helmet, but ever the consummate actor he was, I knew Beck's eyebrow was raised.
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Substance."
With that I jumped at him, leveling a kick. With the short distance between us, the only way I figured he had to avoid it was to not actually be there, something well within his abilities.
I never expected to be knocked backwards.
I hit the ground with a thump.
"Ugh. I didn't know your suit enhanced your strength. When'd you put that in?"
Again, I could only imagine the smile I knew was there.
"Oh, a knowledgeable one are you? I must admit I'm afraid, to stealing and enhancing the Vulture's design. He doesn't know yet. But then, every artist is a thief, is he not?"
With that, he picked me up and tossed me through the wall into the Cerebro chamber, where the professor waited. He concentrated.
"Interesting. It's a robot. No free will of it's own."
Mysterio laughed long and hard.
"No, old man, I'm very much here. In the flesh as it were. But there have been several recent additions to my suit, and one is that my helmet protects my mind from your interference. You are helpless against my abilities."
I started pushing rubble off myself.
"You were always good at illusions Mysterio, but never that kind of work."
He shrugged.
"I must also admit there is a fair amount of credit due to the good doctor upstairs, as well as the Tinkerer. But now, dear lad, I must leave, or the professor and I will be late for our curtain call."
He went for the professor, and I leapt into action, tackling him. He went down hard, and something flew out of his suit, hitting the professor in the head, knocking him out cold. The item tumbled off the ramp and into the bottom of the spherical chamber. We struggled, rolling around for a while. Kitty stirred then, getting up a bit groggily.
"Kitty! Get the professor out of here!"
She nodded dumbly and did what I asked. A few seconds later, Mysterio and I were alone.
"You're strong, boy, but the girl won't make it far. I'd imagine my comrades are just mopping up there about now. I exit…"
"Not likely Mysterio!"
"Fool boy."
He tossed me back, into the bottom of the chamber and hit a button on his wrist.
"The bomb is not my style, but I'm afraid it will have to do. Good day."
The device next to me started beeping as my Spider-Sense was tingling like mad as I leapt. I was almost to the closed door when it went off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My head hurt, but I got the professor to the surface. We came out of the ground, and I stopped in shock. Electro was holding some kind of flashlight that cast a pinkish glow on the others and Hobgoblin was herding them into a cage that was in front of a semi truck. Then there was a shout behind me, and I was grabbed by Rhino, who now had the professor in his other hand.
I slipped out instantly.
*Run! NOW!*
Without stopping to think I did as told. I started running. Rhino was chasing me. I dove into the ground.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I concentrated, guiding Kitty over to where we were hiding, when the ground blew up, sending us all to our knees. Kitty exited shortly after, more shaken than she had been when I'd made contact with her mind previously. When we recovered, I heard Dr. Octavious speaking.
"Enough Rhino. We have what we came for. Let's go."
"But Doc…"
"I said enough Rhino. Now, we must get these back to New York. Let's go. A few ragtag members won't solve anything."
"Won't they go to the police or somethin'?"
"No Rhino, they won't. They can't. They're mutants, the police might just lock them away as a matter of course."
"Huh?"
"Just accept the fact that they can't you lummox. Get in. We're leaving."
"Okay…"
Mysterio walked out of the mansion like he owned it.
"A shame I had to level the place, it would have made a good location to film at."
"Not everyone shares your taste in the artistic Mysterio."
"I'm aware."
"And the boy who went after you?"
"Dead. I had to use the bomb you gave me though."
"We noticed. Very well. Now that all are accounted for…"
"But da Vulture's missing. We couldn't find him after he went down."
"Bah. If he can't take care of himself, then why worry over him. This just means less people to split the difference with."
The Rhino's face brightened.
"That's true, huh? See ya Toomy."
They left after that. I turned back to the people who were left. Me, Kitty, Rogue and Spike.
"Come on. We're going to New York. We're going after them."
Kitty was more than a little distraught.
"What about Peter?!"
I nodded. I sat down and concentrated. I searched long and hard. I got nothing.
"Kitty… I'm sorry. Mysterio was right. He couldn't have survived that blast."
Tears welled up in her eyes.
"But maybe he's just unconscious, right? Maybe…"
"No Kitty. Even if he were unconscious, I would still get something. I'm sorry."
She collapsed into a ball of tears. I stood up and helped her to her feet, while Rogue helped up Evan.
"We need to start moving if we're going to keep up with them."
Rogue nodded and put her hand on Kitty's shoulder.
"He saved my life today. We need to make sure he didn't do it in vain."
She nodded, drying the last of her tears.
"I know."
When Kitty straightened, her face was hard and there was something in her eyes I had never seen before. She was older now. Sadder, but older, more mature.
The death of innocence.
"Come on, all of you. We're going after them. We're going to get our family back."