The Angst Team

Intro 3: Into a Dark Storm's Eye

Disclaimer: Again, I don't own Spider-Man, or any characters that appear in this intro, Marvel does. I don't think that I could write a pure Spidy novel, one that was good anyway, but Peter David has written a couple that were quite enjoyable. Also may contain some PG-13ish materiel.

Peter Parker found himself staring blearily at the clock, '8:30, I'm late!' He tried to get out of bed, but every muscle in his body screamed in protest with soreness. 'I wish I could just take the day off…'

Yesterday Peter had faced one of his most cunning adversaries, not as college student and newspaper photographer, but as Spider-Man. All the newspapers would have the complete story describing in detail how Spider-Man had saved the city from being blown to smithereens by Doctor Otto Octavius, all of the papers except one that is, the Daily Bugle, would no doubt be printing something saying how Spider-Man had set the whole thing up to make himself look good or that he was actually a criminal mastermind who was punishing a minion for trying to be insubordinate.

In other words, it was life as normal for the super-hero known as Spider-Man. It seemed to happen almost like clockwork, some crazy would get it in their head to destroy Spider-man for some obscure thing, like hitting someone's big brother to save a lady from being mugged... or worse.

Anyway, procrastinating wouldn't cause the problems to go away, in fact, it would only add more to his life when he was late for his Physics class with Doctor Connors. 'That's right, there's a test today… why couldn't it have been on Friday instead of Monday?'

With a sound somewhere between a groan and a grunt of effort Peter pulled himself out of bed and made his way to the shower, maybe some hot water would help get rid of the soreness. He leaned over and stretched his back feeling and hearing it pop in several places, at least he felt that much better.

He wasn't disappointed with the shower, it was incredible how much a little thing like a hot shower could help wash away troubles. After getting dressed in finding something to eat in his pitiful excuse for a refrigerator Peter Parker made his way to school.

* * * * * * * * * *

"Hey Peter!" A voice suddenly called, it belonged to a pretty girl with long blond hair. "I didn't see you yesterday at our study group."

"Ah, yeah, about that Stacy." Peter tried to think of a way to put it that wouldn't be lying, "I got tangled up in something I didn't foresee." Peter grimaced inwardly at his pun, 'tangled up' was definitely what you would have called that last fight though, Dr. Octopus certainly lived up to his namesake.

"Well, Peter, next time at least give me a call and let me know you're ok, I just worry about you Peter," Gwen Stacy laughed. "but then it's not like you're out there fighting against Mysterio and those guys."

Peter felt a sinking in his gut, he wanted to tell her that he actually was Spider-Man. He felt like a liar, he didn't want to be one, bu what else was somebody who purposefully laid a path of misdirection to try to keep secrets from somebody they loved?

'I'm not sure when it happened, but Stacy's become a very important figure in my life.' Peter thought to himself as he walked besides Gwen Stacy, daughter of Commissioner Stacy, 'I wonder how she would react if I told her… would she understand, or would she feel betrayed? I'm worried that if I do tell her I'll destroy our relationship, but I hate lying to her…'

"Peter?" Gwen asked as she waved a hand in front of his eyes.

"Yeah? Sorry Gwen I was just… thinking."

"Well, that physics test is today, so you'd better be thinking if you want to pass, otherwise you need to pay attention to what you're doing or you'll find yourself doomed."

* * * * * * * * * *

Victor Von Doom smiled underneath his metal mask as the American businessmen sweated profusely, they had foolishly thought that they would be able to embezzle money from his own investments. That he was here now proved that he would allow none to steal from Doom.

"Gentlemen, you have no options, you will return what you have stolen, resign from your positions, and then turn yourselves in to the local authorities." Yes, the local authorities would take care of these thieves for him.

"You can't do that! We have rights!" One of the business men shot up pointing at Doom and was about to say more when he was cut off by a plasma beam to the chest.

"I grow weary of your childish American games of legality." Dr. Doom said calmly, to an audience that was considerably paler. "This board will be replaced with people that I can trust to do their jobs."

The green caped monarch turned and left the frightened men with the sight of the green cloth billowing out behind him, this was just a diversion, a cover story, something to draw his opponent's gaze. Soon all would be ready and none would stand before Doom, certainly not those accursed freaks the Fantastic Five.

* * * * * * * * * *

Gwen was right, he didn't do nearly as well as he could have, he was just too distracted to think for some reason. 'I just hope today doesn't get out of hand like it did yesterday. Spider-Man could use a day off.' Peter thought as he walked slowly to his next class, it wouldn't start for another fifteen minutes.

"Hey Peter!" Harry Osborne called out, "How'd you do in Physics?"

"Alright, I guess." Peter said rather unconvincingly.

"Ah, I see. You didn't ace the test as usual, did you?"

Peter just stared at him., sometimes Harry could be surprisingly perceptive and other times he was denser that a neutron star. Peter laughed a bit at that and said, "Yeah, you hit the nail on the head, Harry."

"Well, don't get too bummed, my dad wanted me to invite you to dinner tonight." Harry said trying to make Peter feel better. "Oh, my dad found out, through the business buzz, that that Baron von Dim, or whoever, is in town investigating some of the businesses he's invested in, I'm sure if you got some pictures of him that penny-pincher Jameson would buy them."

Peter stopped dead in his tracks, the last time he'd run into Doctor Doom the monarch had offered him a job. Well, if you count destroying the Fantastic Five employment. "No thanks, not enough job security." He'd replied, taunting and angering the monarch. Then it had been a battle to stay alive until the Fantastic Five had shown up and the good doctor was forced to make a 'strategic withdrawal', as Doom retreats for no man.

Peter knew he'd find himself swinging on a web-line trying to find the armored sovereign and what he was planning to do on his stay. 'I'm a regular neighborhood watch.'

* * * * * * * * * *

Five hours, two hotdogs, a bus, and quick change of clothes later Spider-Man was swinging through the city searching for trouble. Unfortunately for him it wasn't the trouble he was looking for, the Rhino was pulling armored car heist, he wasn't stealing the money though, it was the gasoline he was after. Spider-man didn't blame him for that choice, with the prices of fuel these days… A couple of witty remarks and one rhino charge later the big guy was resting peacefully until the police came to provide a good bed for the big lug.

The next two hours went by with an extreme boringness. There wasn't even a mugging that he could find. Doctor Doom had covered his tracks well and Peter had a sinking feeling that he wouldn't find the trail unless he was meant to find it, and that only meant that it was a trap. What was it and him being used for traps, either as a test subject, target or, more rarely, bait anyway?

"I wonder what time it is?" Spidy said to himself as he swung up to the outside of a building to pull back a glove he look at the watch strapped there, it read five-thirty. "Oh crap! I'm late!" He muttered to himself as he remembered the dinner invitations from the Osbornes.

* * * * * * * * * *

"Peter!" Harry exclaimed as he opened the door. "I was beginning to think that you wouldn't make it."

"Right Harry, since when does any college student turn down free food?" Peter said with a smile.

Harry stepped back to let Peter through the door, "Well, I suppose if it was poisoned…" Harry began with one of his 'Hey-I'm-making-a-joke' smiles.

"Oh, that's reassuring." Peter said, playing along. He knew that the food wouldn't be poisoned, unless the Green Goblin, who was Harry's dad, Mr. Osborne, had found out that Peter was Spider-Man. The thought of the Green Goblin knowing that he was Spider-Man sent shivers down his spine, the Green Goblin was quite insane and quite intelligent too, that was what made him such a formidable opponent, Mr. Osborne on the other hand thought of Peter as a second son. Peter shook his head trying to reconcile the two persons, one a business savvy and humanitarian entrepreneur and the other a physically enhanced madman intent on furthering his own twisted goals.

"Ah, Peter!" Mr. Osborne greeted him with that friendly smile. "It's been ages since you've been over. What have you been doing with yourself these past few months?"

"Well, uh," Peter stumbled for a moment, "I got another job, as a research assistant to one of the professors at the university."

Mr. Norman Osborne gave a look of pleased surprise, "Another job? In addition to your photography… Peter if you keep up this kind of initiative and drive you'll go places in the world. Which reminds me… I have all of the pictures that the Bugle's printed, you do get some excellent shots of Spider-Man."

Peter restrained a wince, though just barely, he didn't want the Green Goblin to find out that he was Spider-Man. "Ah, You really don't have to do that Mr. Osborne…"

Mr. Osborne gave Peter another smile, "Nonsense, my boy, everybody needs a hobby."

Mr. Osborne ushered Peter and Harry to the back patio where he'd just finished grilling several steaks. He'd given the house staff the night off because he wanted to spend quality time with his son Harry and his best friend Peter Parker, the two boys had been so close that Norman considered Peter to be another son, but now something was pulling Peter away. Norman didn't want his family to disintegrate any further, it had been horrible with the loss of his wife, so he wanted to have some more 'family' time.

After the meal, Harry and Peter were helping to clean up when Norman was overcome with one of his migraines and had to go rest. "They seem to be getting worse." Harry noted to Peter.

Peter didn't want to say anything to Harry, but he suspected that the migraines were actually the Green Goblin trying to resurface and gain control over Norman. Peter looked at the painful grimace on Norman's face and wished that there was something he could do to help him.

'You can't let that armored monster take over Oscorp! Norman, listen to me, we can keep our power and teach that arrogant fool a lesson all at once.' The voice of the Green Goblin seemed to echo in Norman Osborne's mind.

'But, I… don't want to hurt anyone.' He tried to argue, sounding unsure even in his own mind.

'Is that really your reason? I think it's something else… you're afraid, afraid that you won't be able to stand up to him, but you won't have to my dear Norman, I'll stand up to him for you, all you have to do is let me help you.' Norman got the feeling that the Green Goblin would be smiling mischievously had he been able to see his face.

'Y-yes. I could do that, I'm glad I have friends like you… friends I can count on.' Norman answered, albeit unsteadily.

Norman got up and went over to the two college students. "I'm sorry boys, I wanted to spend some more time with you two… I hope you're not too disappointed."

"No, not at all, Mr. Osborne. It was a good time." Peter said reasuringly.

"Peter's right dad, you put yourself through too much, go on to bed and get some rest." Harry almost chided his father.

"Now you're starting to sound like the parent Harry." Norman smiled and chuckled a bit. "Yes, I think I'll go to bed, but first Peter I was thinking of making this a weekly event. Just a family diner where we can talk."

"Sure thing Mr. Osborne." Peter said agreeably, it was hard enough to keep the refrigerator in his apartment stocked, and Mr. Osborne was really a nice guy, when he wasn't wearing green that is. "Harry's right though, you look like you need to go to sleep."

* * * * * * * * * *

The Green Goblin cackled as he rose into the night sky on his ramjet-powered glider. "Oh, it's time that Victor von Doom pays for trying to move in on the territory of The Green Goblin."

The houses shrink quickly to specks as the Goblin rises in a steep arc towards an old abandoned factory just inside the city, one that has been recently purchased by an international company based in Latveria. There were times when being politically connected could get better results than all the other efforts you could possibly manage, and masquerading as Norman Osborne, the Green Goblin had pull with almost every city official, getting the results Peter Parker had not gotten in five hours with two simple phone-calls and five minutes of patience.

* * * * * * * * * *

"Parker! Parker!" J. Jonah Jameson, editor in chief of the Daily Bugle stuck his head out of his office and bellowed again, "Blast it Parker! Get in here!"

"Mr. Jameson?" Parker said, a bit timidly, though not as much as when he'd first been hired. 'I guess that's just because I'm getting used to him.'

"Parker, this is Mr. Eddie Brock… he's a new reporter, I want you two to investigate that old warehouse or factory or whatever it was that exploded last night, got it?" Jameson almost seemed like some commander in a world war two movie barking orders to his troops, and in some ways he was, though he'd vehemently deny it, he really was quite fond of the staff he worked closely with.

"Hiya." Eddy offered his hand and peter was mildly surprised at the muscular strength in the grip. "You're the photographer that gets all of those Spider-Man pics? Aren't you?"

"Well… yeah, that's me." Peter didn't like too many people asking about the pictures he got, it made him nervous that someone would put, what he felt was, two and two together. It amazed him that Jameson hadn't asked anything yet, but then as long as he brought in good pictures that sold papers Jameson didn't care how he got the photos.

"Nice to meet ya. Now c'mon, that story ain't getting any hotter." Eddy said, leading Peter out of Mr. Jameson's office.

"Now that's the kind of initiative I like to see!" J. Jonah Jameson grumbled to himself as he turned back to the paperwork… he had to give a certain columnist a piece of his mind about something he'd seen, if he could just find it again.

* * * * * * * * * *

Eddy Brock and Peter Parker exited the Bugle building and Peter immediately began trying to hail a cab, earning him an odd look from Mr. Brock.

"What are you doing? My truck's right over there." Eddie said with a small nod toward a bright red pickup truck.

"Oh, ok." peter said as he shrugged. 'I just automatically look for a cab or bus when I'm not web-slinging.' He thought as he entered on the passenger's side.

"Yeah, do you know where this is?" Brock handed him a scrap of paper with an address scribbled on it.

Looking intently at the address, or what he assumed was an address, the words weren't too legible… Peter suddenly saw what the scribble said, "Yeah, just hit 37TH and we'll get there in no time."

An hour later Peter and Brock exited the vehicle. 'Now I remember exactly why I love web-slinging so much… besides the stress relief you can actually get places.' Peter thought as he examined the structure of the old factory from the outside, 'This doesn't actually look too bad, I would have expected a lot more damage from fires… why is my spider-sense going so haywire? I can't see anything around that would cause it to go off.' Peter looked around for the danger as he snapped several photos of the building from the outside and Brock talked to a police officer that was on the spot.

"Hey, Parker!" Brock called, "Come on! This guy's gonna give us the tour."

The officer, Carl Fisher, was a short burly man with short hair and a face that looked almost animated. He took them inside the building, which had suffered minimal damage, and showed them the remains of a high-tech robotic manufacturing assembly line.

The machines appeared to have born the brunt of the damage and the officer told them that the explosive in question was probably geared towards electromagnetic damage and not incendiary. There was a good deal of 'smoke' damage, although it wasn't smoke per se, but synthetic dust-like particles, which had damaged the mechanical parts in the building.

"It's almost like whoever did this wanted to make it as expensive for whoever owns this place to repair, it would have been cheaper if the whole thing had burned down.." Officer Fisher said as he was winding down the tour.

"Thanks for the tour." Peter said, snapping a picture of the pleased surprise on the officer's face.

"Hey, it wasn't any problem for me, I have to take all the tape down now that the fire-martial's finished his preliminary investigation."

"That's kinda fast, to be finishing an investigation, don't you think?" Brock said, doing his investigative reporter thing.

"Well, it's obvious it wasn't arson, more like some high-tech terrorism or industrial sabotage and we've recorded all the evidence… all that's left to do is administration and paper-trail investigations." Fisher said, almost adding how much he hated paperwork, then he decided against it has he started to clean the site, removing the police tape and barriers that had been put in place for the investigation.

* * * * * * * * * *

The next day Peter Parker looked over the remains of a warehouse, one that had been storing some particularly expensive electronics for Oscorp while awaiting shipment overseas. 'This doesn't feel like the Goblin's work… he would destroy Oscorp's facilities but only for some gain. There seems to be nothing for him to gain here… or the other place that was flooded when the water pipes broke.'

"Parker!" Brock called as he craned his neck straining to see the photographer. "Did you get everything you need?"

"Yeah!" Peter shouted back as he snapped off a few more pictures.

Climbing down from his perch on the neighboring building using the fire escape, Peter thought to himself about these strange occurrences of destruction. It was infuriating actually, every source of information Spidy could dig up came up blank… there simply were no ties to tho Goblin or anyone else for that matter. 'I never thought it'd be difficult for me to do an investigation as Spider-Man but these are just out of my league and I don't know where to start.'

It was almost as if war had been declared by invisible opponents and these "accidents and losses" were the battle grounds in their secret war. Things were definitely going to come to a boil soon, though, Peter could feel it. Not as a tangible feeling like his spider-sense was, but more like that sinking feeling when you know somebody's going to tell you something they think you don't want to hear.

* * * * * * * * * *

That night, true to the feeling Spider-Man encountered the person responsible, or rather one of them…

Spider-Man landed on the building just as the Green Goblin flew past on his glider, this was followed by a sudden burst of his spider-sense and an explosion in the building he'd just laded on. It was a good thing the Goblin was confining his attacks to monetary damage rather than sheer destructive force as the building didn't actually explode but rather began to implode and crumble as the load bearing supports were damaged.

Spider-Man leapt off of the building as hard as he could, escaping the flames with a web-line and swinging to a nearby building. The Goblin was close and that was closer, but he couldn't help but think of his upcoming rent as he pulled out a camera and took several pictures of the still crumbling building before webbing off in pursuit of the Green Goblin.

* * * * * * * * * *

The Green Goblin laughed, that strike had been ridiculously easy to pull off, and he knew where that Latverian would strike next… he was almost certain of it anyway. He laughed again as he spun in a lazy loop followed by a barrel-roll and sped off toward Yeti, the codename of the Oscorp Industries Military Production Complex completely unaware of the small red and blue clothed figure of Spider-Man swinging below and behind him trying to keep up.

* * * * * * * * * *

Two robots converged on the Yeti Complex, unaware that they were already expected. Their master however, was not caught unawares, he had planned it perfectly, these two were expendable… if they accomplished their mission all the better, if they did not… well, not great loss, they would serve as an excellent distraction. Dr. Doom was actually quite pleased at matching wits with this Norman Osborne on a industrial/political battlefield. The few who could compete with his mind in matters of the more technical scientific nature, Reed Richards namely, would never in a million year see the subtleties and elegance of this war, it was so far beyond him that it was laughable.

Osborne no doubt knew about the two robots on their way, not that Doom had leaked the information as much as allowed it to be gained and reported before the informant was properly disposed of, and would take some measure of defense against it. There was also this Green Goblin, he seemed to be working for Norman Osborne, in fact, the only reason that the monarch dismissed the idea that the Green Goblin was Norman Osborne was that the two had different voices, body language, and even thought patterns. There was a physical resemblance in body structure which led him to believe that the Green Goblin was a clone of Norman Osborne, probably genetically enhanced and perhaps technologically modified, although there seemed to be no information on Oscorp doing any cloning research they had done a fair amount of research in genetically modifying and enhancing existing bioforms.

Doom contemplated several things as he watched his satellite-fed television showing the events unfolding with only a bare second and a half of lag time, one of which was exactly which company to purchase in the city to properly attack Oscorp on the business competition end of this private war, its multifaceted aspects presented an adequate mental challenge for the time being. The other was how to rid himself of that unimaginative annoyance Reed Richards, the Quantum Lacuna Cannon seemed like a good idea, he would prepare it tomorrow, perhaps he could kill two birds with one stone and force Richards to take the place of his mother who was trapped in another dimension… it would take some careful calibration and would present a suitable challenge.

* * * * * * * * * *

The robots crashed through the inner gate as their cloaking fields terminated, the time for stealth had ended and the frontal assault was now at hand. There was a high-pitched him as high-power lasers and rapid-firing plasma cannons powered up from the nuclear fed batteries that was suddenly drowned out by a klaxon signaling a breach in security.

The robots proceeded to fire plasma charges into the obvious defenses, there would be more, but with the main series out of the way the robots would have a better chance of completing the mission. The glowing yellow-green of the bolts faded into a dim glowing red where the plasma met the metal guns. The robots would have heard screams of pain as rounds cooked off spraying gunners with shrapnel and killing others if they had been equipped with audio sensing equipment, but they weren't and their programming wouldn't have allowed for any mercy. They were the perfect devices to send in and wreak total havoc on ones enemies, and they had no consciences to hold them back.

That they weren't equipped with audio sensors meant that they didn't hear the goblin's jet-glider launch two slightly subsonic missiles, but it was unnecessary for them to hear it because they were alerted by the movement by video cameras mounted at odd angles all over their vaguely spider-like bodies. One turned an arm up and shot the incoming missiles with a high powered laser, programming noted that the weapon would be inoperable for another 46.3 seconds without incurring damage.

The Goblin went into a seines of barrel-rolls, loops, and zigzags to evade the oncoming plasma fire. It was only due to his enhanced reflexes that he was able to escape unscathed, though just barely. It seemed like the plasma weapons were on the verge of overheating, an excellent opportunity, thought the Goblin as he pulled out two incendiary grenades, primed them, held them for a few moments, and threw them into the robots. The grenades lit in mid air burning a bright white that would have left someone without eye protection hurting for an hour, and fell into the robotic monsters that would dare attack his property.

The grenades burned hot enough to melt through the robot's hull and into the machinery and electronics that lay beneath as it was supposed to. Just as he'd planned, these grenades were designed to burn through an Abrams tank lengthwise, so they should have been able to burn through the three and a half inches of alloy armor on the robots with ease. But then the robots did something that surprised him, they just refused to die, they wouldn't make this easy for him, but then no-one ever did.

Sitting down in a defensive position the two robots raised all twelve weapon covered legs into their firing positions and proceeded to fire at the Goblin and the complex. The Goblin swerved out of the way, mostly. His glider had been hit and he was going down fast, flying past the complex the glider caught the edge of the outer wall and threw it out from under his feet. Flying, with no control, at speeds of close to sixty miles per hour is unrecommended, to say the least. The Goblin was dead, even with enhanced reflexes, strength, and endurance he wouldn't be able to survive the sudden stop at the end of his flight.

'Oh My God!!' Norman Osborne thought as he suddenly found himself flying through the air, the Goblin had abandoned him, as if fleeing into the back of Norman's mind could save him from Norman's imminent death. Norman did the only thing he could aside from praying, he fainted.

It was then that help came, from a most unexpected source, Spider-Man caught him and used some creative web-slinging to drain off the excess kinetic energies, although it took him about six blocks to get back under some semblance of control.

"Well, Mr. Osborne. What's happening over there?" Spider-Man asked as he flipped up onto a building with the unconscious Norman Osborne dressed in his Green Goblin outfit. Spidy didn't expect an answer as he set the businessman down, at least he hopped it was the businessman and not the maniacal madman. For some reason Peter had always thought of the Green Goblin being separate from Norman Osborne, like some sort of mental parasite… he had been wondering how he could get Mr. Osborne to the right doctor, but it seemed like he couldn't do that without ruining what seemed to be his second family. It was because of this that Spider-Man was checking Norman for injuries when he woke up.

* * * * * * * * * *

Peter Parker sighed in relief again as he replayed the events of last night in his head, fortunately it had been Mr. Osborne who had woken up and not the Goblin, who would have just as soon taken his head off as speak to him. Norman Osborne knew that he owed the wall-crawling super-hero his life, he did remember the flying through the air, but not much of anything else. It was kind of disappointing to Peter that his search for the people responsible for all this mayhem wasn't really any closer even though he had one of them now, it would have been nice if Norman Osborne had remembered his, or rather the Goblin's, opponent. That would narrow it down a bit.

'Wait, if Mr. Osborne was one of the players, then… Doom, I should have guessed.' Peter felt a pain in his jaw and unclenched his teeth, 'It's so obvious, I could have saved hours of searching! Of course there was this whole string of messes, both the Goblin's and Doom's egos are too big to fit in the city together. But where is Doom?'

Peter leaned back in his chair and thought about the city, it was a big place to hide, and bigger for the man who could buy any two blocks of the city at the drop of a hat, but maybe there were some clues that he'd missed on his patrols and trying to find out exactly what had been happening… 'The first site! My spider-sense was going crazy, I couldn't keep from looking nervously around all the time I was there… I thought it was just the machinery, but I should have recognized Dr. Doom's handiwork.'

"Mr. Parker!" Dr. Connors's sudden address of him caught him by surprise and Peter almost jumped out of his chair. "Perhaps you would care to try this problem, as you are apparently already familiar enough with it to daydream in class."

Several students giggled, not out of any malicious intent, but because they thought it was funny. Peter got up and walked down to the board and began working the problem, he got it done fairly quickly with only one dead-end where he did the wrong thing.

"Thank you Mr. Parker." Dr. Connors said to him, and then to the entire class. "That's about all the time we have today, but I want you to read chapter four in the red book, chapter thirteen in the blue one, and it will help you if you read that little green booklet I handed out last class." Dismissing everyone from the classroom.

* * * * * * * * * *

An hour later Spider-Man was back at the first site, and sure enough the old spider-sense was ringing like a church-bell on Easter. Scouring the ground and floor in the building he found a hidden door, rather quickly and easily, but he didn't really question it, some good luck was bound to come his way once in a while.

He made his way down a flight of stairs and into a well lit hall that looked ominous somehow, probably because it opened directly into a large elliptical room that seemed stuffed with high-end speciality equipment, gadgets, doohickeys, and gizmos to the layman, heck even some of the most high-tech people would be hard pressed to discern the function of even half of the visible equipment.

"Ah, Spider-Man!" The voice sounded and Spider-Man swung a startled glance towards the voice. "So polite of you to come in before I had to call you. Too bad you won't be staying." Dr. Doom said as he hit the activation switch for the Quantum Lacuna Cannon.

He hadn't sensed Dr. Doom because his spider-sense was already screaming before he even entered the room, and the statement he'd shown had cost him the only chance he'd had to dodge the bright flash of brown-yellow light emitted by the Quantum Lacuna Cannon.

* * * * * * * * * *

Dr. Doom cocked his head in bewilderment as he watched the replay of the Quantum Lacuna Cannon test. Some boy wearing a massive backpack and wearing a yellow and black bandana had stepped out of the supply room and into the beam just as it enveloped both himself and Spider-Man. "How did he get in there?" was all Dr. Doom could ask for the next two minutes.


Author's Note:Spring break's over and I won't be able to spend nearly as much time on my creative writing. :(

But don't hesitate to review, cause it'll give me some motivation to get an update in once in a while.

Here's an excellent Spider-Man site, if you're interested:

Comments & Criticisms are welcome.

efish@cs.nmsu.edu