13
Peter took the last right and entered the Daily Bugle offices. MJ had seemed quite chirpy after telling him about her little boy. Maybe she was glad to get it off her chest. He felt sharper after going to Harry's funeral. Everything seemed okay now that Harry was at peace, that Peter was at peace. But that was a lie. His best friend, his father, his mother, his uncle, his best friend's father, MJ.. nearly. Their deaths were all linked back to him. That's being Spider-Man for you, he thought to himself. He had to keep himself on the job, on the mission, on the case. He sounded like Superman. Peter allowed himself a smirk.
Walking up these stairs takes a while, thought Peter. It turned out that there were four flights of stairs to get to the main offices. Peter didn't need to be Spider-Man to keep fit. Just running up these stairs would work just as well.
He entered the main publishing section. Jonah was screaming into a telephone in his office, Sorrel, the secretary, was about to trip up and all her papers go flying but Peter nudged the photocopier wire out of the way so she didn't. Not even thanks. She was too busy. Then again, she wouldn't even know the trip would have happened. That's spider sense for you. Peter scanned the office for Liz. She was probably in editing or in her own office.
"Parker, get your ass in here!" Peter woke up from daydreaming and sat down in Jonah's office. "So, what you been doing, Parker? The report?"
"No. I managed to get some good pictures though." Peter was lying. He had only got the globe and a fuzzy image of the inflatable animals but he could always use last year's. Jonah would never notice. If he could make an excuse, start being sick or something, maybe he could go home and swap the pictures then.. but Peter didn't have to worry.
"It doesn't matter. Forget it. New report. You know Spider-Man, right?"
"Yes," Peter got ready for another lecture about how Spider-Man was a fraud, a criminal. Maybe both, "I got this picture off the hotline." He handed Peter a colour A4 size photo. Peter could have had a heart attack. It was of Spider-Woman and him, facing each other. Nicole had gone; she was running round the corner. It was a great photo. Not fuzzy at all.
"Hotline?"
"Well, the anonymous hotline. It was posted through our door. Good, huh?" Peter nodded, still in shock. Was there another of him changing? "I want you to get more of this bird. We're going colour for one issue. To show the difference in costumes."
"Uniform," Peter mumbled, still looking at the picture.
"What?"
"Nothing." Peter snapped out of it.
"I'm thinking, 'SPIDER-MAN Vs. SPIDER-WOMAN; WHO WILL PROTECT OUR CITY?'" He looked at Peter. "What are you still doing here? Get me more pictures!" He left Jonah's office. There was still no sign of Liz. He bent down to Sorrel, Jonah's long-suffering secretary, typing furiously at her typewriter.
"Um, Sorrel, can I ask you something?" Not even looking up, Sorrel answered blankly.
"Shoot."
"Does someone called Oliver work here?" Sorrel sighed and picked up a slim book. Her finger skimmed the selected page so fast; it barely touched the paper. Sorrel flicked through a couple of pages.
"Ah ha!" Her uneven glee was spread across her face like peanut butter. Peter smiled. The glee vanished as if the peanut butter was eaten. "Oh."
"What's wrong?" Peter braced himself.
"He did work here," Maybe he got fired, or left? "He's been dead for 20 years."
"Oh." Maybe it was just the surname. "Could you tell me if someone else works here?" Sorrel looked at him wearily. "Who isn't dead, I promise. Liz Allen?" She flicked back.
"Allen, Allen, Allen.No, Allen in here. Sorry, Peter."
"Really?"
"See for yourself." She pointed at the book and let him lean over her shoulder. Sorrel was right. He must have sounded so stupid. He tried to mumble an apology but realised that would just make him sound more stupid. Then again, he had been mumbling for a minute so he couldn't really make things any worse, so he decided to leave before he could, as these things always happen.
"Oh um... Well, thanks Sorrel." She smiled.
"No prob. I knew that book would come in useful sometime." Sorrel went back to typing.
Peter left the building crestfallen. How could Liz have lied like that? Was she just trying to make conversation? No, that wasn't Liz at all. How did she know about Jonah? His name was printed in every issue. How could she know about him being so mean? Lucky guess. Liz was smart, and she knew that most people didn't like their boss or senior. If Liz didn't work at the Bugle, how could she have been reporting?
And then, in that moment, it hit Peter like a bullet. How could he have been so stupid? He started to walk faster, a little faster and then he broke out into a run. He needed to reach Nicole and MJ before it was too late.
Peter took the last right and entered the Daily Bugle offices. MJ had seemed quite chirpy after telling him about her little boy. Maybe she was glad to get it off her chest. He felt sharper after going to Harry's funeral. Everything seemed okay now that Harry was at peace, that Peter was at peace. But that was a lie. His best friend, his father, his mother, his uncle, his best friend's father, MJ.. nearly. Their deaths were all linked back to him. That's being Spider-Man for you, he thought to himself. He had to keep himself on the job, on the mission, on the case. He sounded like Superman. Peter allowed himself a smirk.
Walking up these stairs takes a while, thought Peter. It turned out that there were four flights of stairs to get to the main offices. Peter didn't need to be Spider-Man to keep fit. Just running up these stairs would work just as well.
He entered the main publishing section. Jonah was screaming into a telephone in his office, Sorrel, the secretary, was about to trip up and all her papers go flying but Peter nudged the photocopier wire out of the way so she didn't. Not even thanks. She was too busy. Then again, she wouldn't even know the trip would have happened. That's spider sense for you. Peter scanned the office for Liz. She was probably in editing or in her own office.
"Parker, get your ass in here!" Peter woke up from daydreaming and sat down in Jonah's office. "So, what you been doing, Parker? The report?"
"No. I managed to get some good pictures though." Peter was lying. He had only got the globe and a fuzzy image of the inflatable animals but he could always use last year's. Jonah would never notice. If he could make an excuse, start being sick or something, maybe he could go home and swap the pictures then.. but Peter didn't have to worry.
"It doesn't matter. Forget it. New report. You know Spider-Man, right?"
"Yes," Peter got ready for another lecture about how Spider-Man was a fraud, a criminal. Maybe both, "I got this picture off the hotline." He handed Peter a colour A4 size photo. Peter could have had a heart attack. It was of Spider-Woman and him, facing each other. Nicole had gone; she was running round the corner. It was a great photo. Not fuzzy at all.
"Hotline?"
"Well, the anonymous hotline. It was posted through our door. Good, huh?" Peter nodded, still in shock. Was there another of him changing? "I want you to get more of this bird. We're going colour for one issue. To show the difference in costumes."
"Uniform," Peter mumbled, still looking at the picture.
"What?"
"Nothing." Peter snapped out of it.
"I'm thinking, 'SPIDER-MAN Vs. SPIDER-WOMAN; WHO WILL PROTECT OUR CITY?'" He looked at Peter. "What are you still doing here? Get me more pictures!" He left Jonah's office. There was still no sign of Liz. He bent down to Sorrel, Jonah's long-suffering secretary, typing furiously at her typewriter.
"Um, Sorrel, can I ask you something?" Not even looking up, Sorrel answered blankly.
"Shoot."
"Does someone called Oliver work here?" Sorrel sighed and picked up a slim book. Her finger skimmed the selected page so fast; it barely touched the paper. Sorrel flicked through a couple of pages.
"Ah ha!" Her uneven glee was spread across her face like peanut butter. Peter smiled. The glee vanished as if the peanut butter was eaten. "Oh."
"What's wrong?" Peter braced himself.
"He did work here," Maybe he got fired, or left? "He's been dead for 20 years."
"Oh." Maybe it was just the surname. "Could you tell me if someone else works here?" Sorrel looked at him wearily. "Who isn't dead, I promise. Liz Allen?" She flicked back.
"Allen, Allen, Allen.No, Allen in here. Sorry, Peter."
"Really?"
"See for yourself." She pointed at the book and let him lean over her shoulder. Sorrel was right. He must have sounded so stupid. He tried to mumble an apology but realised that would just make him sound more stupid. Then again, he had been mumbling for a minute so he couldn't really make things any worse, so he decided to leave before he could, as these things always happen.
"Oh um... Well, thanks Sorrel." She smiled.
"No prob. I knew that book would come in useful sometime." Sorrel went back to typing.
Peter left the building crestfallen. How could Liz have lied like that? Was she just trying to make conversation? No, that wasn't Liz at all. How did she know about Jonah? His name was printed in every issue. How could she know about him being so mean? Lucky guess. Liz was smart, and she knew that most people didn't like their boss or senior. If Liz didn't work at the Bugle, how could she have been reporting?
And then, in that moment, it hit Peter like a bullet. How could he have been so stupid? He started to walk faster, a little faster and then he broke out into a run. He needed to reach Nicole and MJ before it was too late.
