Chapter 20
"I think I'm going to head on home for awhile," Aunt May said, standing up after spending some time with Peter and Mary Jane.
"I'm going to stay for a bit longer," Mary Jane replied.
"I figured you would. I'll come back to visit you tonight," Aunt May said, gently tapping on Peter's wrist.
"I look forward to it," Peter smiled.
Aunt May turned around and slowly left the hospital room. As soon as she was gone, Peter began to sit up and disconnect the heart monitor and the IV that was pumping blood into his arm. "What do you think you're doing?"
"I have a job to do," Peter replied. "Where's my costume?"
Mary Jane walked over to the dresser and opened a shelf. Mary Jane pulled out his Spidey costume and placed it on the bed. She took several steps away from the bed and turned her back towards Peter as he slowly climbed off the bed and began to get out of the hospital gown. "Peter, no, you can't do this! You are in no condition to go out playing Spider-man."
"I don't have any choice, MJ. The Lizard has to be stopped and I'm the only one who can stop him." Peter replied as he got dressed into his Spider-man costume.
"Peter, I don't want you to fight this thing. Let someone else do it. Maybe that Daredevil character that I hear about can handle it. That thing nearly killed you. I won't wait here so you can swing off and get killed by that thing."
Peter, in his Spider-man costume, turned around towards Mary Jane. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "MJ, you know I have to do this. This thing can find me even if I go into hiding. Besides, Mrs. Connors may have something that might show me a weakness."
Mary Jane turned around to face Peter. There were three tears across the chest. The spider logo was virtually gone. She could see the blood soaked white bandage on the other side of the costume. "Peter, please don't go. I don't want to lose you. At least, wait a week when you are healthy. If you go out now, it will rip you to shreds! I can not stand by and watch you throw your life away so recklessly."
Peter put his Spider-man's mask over his head, still looking towards Mary Jane. "If I don't, then the Lizard will find us again and this time, he may go after you or Aunt May. I love you with all my heart, MJ, and that is why I must make a stand right here, and right now. I must stop the Lizard at all costs before he strikes again."
Tears fell from Mary Jane's eyes as she turned her back towards him. "Then go, but don't expect me to wait up for you. Don't expect me to be happy about going to get yourself killed."
There was a painful silence between the two of them, but Mary Jane wasn't expecting a reply from Peter. After a minute, she turned back around to find herself standing alone in the room with the window open.
Spider-man was swinging through New York. He was heading towards Mrs. Connor's house, according to the directions she had given him back in the hospital room. The words that Mary Jane had said as he was leaving continued to echo through his mind. His chest was in a great pain, but in his opinion, it was better to be in physical pain now, then possibly be in emotional pain if the Lizard got a hold of Mary Jane.
His Spider-senses alerted him of trouble and he swung low to the ground to see what was causing his sense to go off. He knew instantly that it was not the Lizard: the tingling would be a lot more violent. Down below, he saw someone in an alleyway kneeling, planting some kind of device. It was obvious to him that it was something that had caused his senses to go off.
The bomb was almost set, and in a short time from now, the show would begin. After the explosion, Spider-man would show up and his job would be complete. He was about to activate the bomb when a web line attached itself to his shoulder and he found himself pulled away from the bomb. Spider-man landed in front of him and grabbed him by the collar. "What are you doing here!" the man shouted.
"What do you think I'm doing you? I'm stopping you from blowing this building up sky high!" Spider-man replied. "Wait a minute, I know you! You're…"
"Quentin Beck, Hollywood stuntman, if it's any of your concern!" He snapped.
"Never heard of you, but your face is familiar. You're the mugger I stopped a few days ago. How did you get out of prison so fast?"
"I won't tell you anything! I did this all to prove that I can do the greatest stunt of all, to kill Spider-man! I did it all, burned down the theater, mugged that jogger, everything."
Spider-man jerked Quentin up to his face, their noses nearly touching. "You were responsible for the theater as well? That tells me that you're doing this for money. Who paid you? TELL ME!" Spider-man slammed him up against the brick wall.
"You won't harm me. It's not in you." Quentin smirked.
"My good manners and my patience are running short as of late." Spider-man pointed his wrist up to his mouth and nose. "Tell me, or I may just plug up your sources of oxygen."
"You think that I'm doing this strictly for money? That's a joke! Yea, I'm doin' this for money, but I can care less about that. You can bring him down for all I care. The name of the bum is Eddie Brock. He had wanted to get photo's of you so he could put a brat kid out of a job. He came to me, and the job was right up my alley. A chance to study you in action."
"Brock, I should have guessed!" Spider-man muttered. He sprayed Quentin with enough webbing to stick him to the wall. "Hang around and the police will pick you up by the time the webbing dissolves."
Spider-man fired a web line and swung away. Quentin smirked as he watched Spider-man swing away. "Fascinating! I think I'm near done with my little investigation. It won't be long until I will bring him to his knees."
Spider-man continued his way towards Martha Connor's house. Everything was becoming clear to him. That was how Eddie Brock was getting all the pictures; he was setting the situations up. He put innocent people life's, including Mary Jane's, in jeopardy. He was going to deal with Brock, but not now. He had a bigger problem than Brock: someone more dangerous than him.
Martha Connors was at home on the couch, reading a book. Her son, Billy was fast asleep that evening, leaving her alone. She felt so lonely not having her husband there with her. She found it hard to concentrate on the book. She had read the same line ten times. Finally, she gave up, and she threw the book down onto the coffee table with frustration. A tapping at the front window caught her attention. Looking up, she saw Spider-man hanging upside down on a web line in front of the window.
She leaped off the couch and ran to the window. She slid it open and Spider-man crawled inside and dropped to the floor, landing on his feet. "Mrs. Connors, I was informed that you may have information on the Lizard?"
"Thank you for coming, Spider-man! I wasn't expecting you here so soon." Martha said.
"I paid a visit to Mr. Parker, and he passed this message to me. I sensed the urgency of it so I came right here. How can I help you, Mrs. Connors?"
"I have information on the Lizard. Spider-man, I know you have had a few confrontations with him, but I beg you, please do not harm him."
"Harm him? I didn't think that was possible," he replied.
"Spider-man, the Lizard is my husband, Dr. Curt Connors."
That news had completely blindsided him. He didn't know what information Mrs. Connors could have had but this didn't even come close to his mind. "Dr. Connors is that creature?"
Martha nodded sadly. "I don't understand that whole situation, but my close friend, Dr. Windstrom does. She works with my husband. She found something that pointed that an accident happened and it turned my husband into that monster."
"I have to admit, this changes everything about how to handle this creature. As much as I am against hurting the innocent, I don't know how to stop this Lizard without hurting your husband."
"Take this," She handed him a piece a paper that was on the coffee table. Hand written on it was an address. "This is the address of Dr. Windstrom. If you go see her tonight, you can find her here. During the day, she is at the laboratory. She told me to tell you that she may have found a way to stop the Lizard and save my husband at the same time."
Spider-man took the paper and looked down at the address. "If what you say is true, I will head over right away and do my best to bring your husband back to you safe and unharmed."
"I know you will," Martha replied.
Crawling out of the sewer, the Lizard found himself standing in the middle of the street, directly in front of his home. He hissed violently when through the window, he saw Spider-man talking with Martha. "Sssssshe issssss a traitor! Ssssssshe hassss become friendssssssss to that abominationsssssssss. Sssssssheeeee mussssssssst be taught a lesssssson of loyalty!"
"I think I'm going to head on home for awhile," Aunt May said, standing up after spending some time with Peter and Mary Jane.
"I'm going to stay for a bit longer," Mary Jane replied.
"I figured you would. I'll come back to visit you tonight," Aunt May said, gently tapping on Peter's wrist.
"I look forward to it," Peter smiled.
Aunt May turned around and slowly left the hospital room. As soon as she was gone, Peter began to sit up and disconnect the heart monitor and the IV that was pumping blood into his arm. "What do you think you're doing?"
"I have a job to do," Peter replied. "Where's my costume?"
Mary Jane walked over to the dresser and opened a shelf. Mary Jane pulled out his Spidey costume and placed it on the bed. She took several steps away from the bed and turned her back towards Peter as he slowly climbed off the bed and began to get out of the hospital gown. "Peter, no, you can't do this! You are in no condition to go out playing Spider-man."
"I don't have any choice, MJ. The Lizard has to be stopped and I'm the only one who can stop him." Peter replied as he got dressed into his Spider-man costume.
"Peter, I don't want you to fight this thing. Let someone else do it. Maybe that Daredevil character that I hear about can handle it. That thing nearly killed you. I won't wait here so you can swing off and get killed by that thing."
Peter, in his Spider-man costume, turned around towards Mary Jane. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "MJ, you know I have to do this. This thing can find me even if I go into hiding. Besides, Mrs. Connors may have something that might show me a weakness."
Mary Jane turned around to face Peter. There were three tears across the chest. The spider logo was virtually gone. She could see the blood soaked white bandage on the other side of the costume. "Peter, please don't go. I don't want to lose you. At least, wait a week when you are healthy. If you go out now, it will rip you to shreds! I can not stand by and watch you throw your life away so recklessly."
Peter put his Spider-man's mask over his head, still looking towards Mary Jane. "If I don't, then the Lizard will find us again and this time, he may go after you or Aunt May. I love you with all my heart, MJ, and that is why I must make a stand right here, and right now. I must stop the Lizard at all costs before he strikes again."
Tears fell from Mary Jane's eyes as she turned her back towards him. "Then go, but don't expect me to wait up for you. Don't expect me to be happy about going to get yourself killed."
There was a painful silence between the two of them, but Mary Jane wasn't expecting a reply from Peter. After a minute, she turned back around to find herself standing alone in the room with the window open.
Spider-man was swinging through New York. He was heading towards Mrs. Connor's house, according to the directions she had given him back in the hospital room. The words that Mary Jane had said as he was leaving continued to echo through his mind. His chest was in a great pain, but in his opinion, it was better to be in physical pain now, then possibly be in emotional pain if the Lizard got a hold of Mary Jane.
His Spider-senses alerted him of trouble and he swung low to the ground to see what was causing his sense to go off. He knew instantly that it was not the Lizard: the tingling would be a lot more violent. Down below, he saw someone in an alleyway kneeling, planting some kind of device. It was obvious to him that it was something that had caused his senses to go off.
The bomb was almost set, and in a short time from now, the show would begin. After the explosion, Spider-man would show up and his job would be complete. He was about to activate the bomb when a web line attached itself to his shoulder and he found himself pulled away from the bomb. Spider-man landed in front of him and grabbed him by the collar. "What are you doing here!" the man shouted.
"What do you think I'm doing you? I'm stopping you from blowing this building up sky high!" Spider-man replied. "Wait a minute, I know you! You're…"
"Quentin Beck, Hollywood stuntman, if it's any of your concern!" He snapped.
"Never heard of you, but your face is familiar. You're the mugger I stopped a few days ago. How did you get out of prison so fast?"
"I won't tell you anything! I did this all to prove that I can do the greatest stunt of all, to kill Spider-man! I did it all, burned down the theater, mugged that jogger, everything."
Spider-man jerked Quentin up to his face, their noses nearly touching. "You were responsible for the theater as well? That tells me that you're doing this for money. Who paid you? TELL ME!" Spider-man slammed him up against the brick wall.
"You won't harm me. It's not in you." Quentin smirked.
"My good manners and my patience are running short as of late." Spider-man pointed his wrist up to his mouth and nose. "Tell me, or I may just plug up your sources of oxygen."
"You think that I'm doing this strictly for money? That's a joke! Yea, I'm doin' this for money, but I can care less about that. You can bring him down for all I care. The name of the bum is Eddie Brock. He had wanted to get photo's of you so he could put a brat kid out of a job. He came to me, and the job was right up my alley. A chance to study you in action."
"Brock, I should have guessed!" Spider-man muttered. He sprayed Quentin with enough webbing to stick him to the wall. "Hang around and the police will pick you up by the time the webbing dissolves."
Spider-man fired a web line and swung away. Quentin smirked as he watched Spider-man swing away. "Fascinating! I think I'm near done with my little investigation. It won't be long until I will bring him to his knees."
Spider-man continued his way towards Martha Connor's house. Everything was becoming clear to him. That was how Eddie Brock was getting all the pictures; he was setting the situations up. He put innocent people life's, including Mary Jane's, in jeopardy. He was going to deal with Brock, but not now. He had a bigger problem than Brock: someone more dangerous than him.
Martha Connors was at home on the couch, reading a book. Her son, Billy was fast asleep that evening, leaving her alone. She felt so lonely not having her husband there with her. She found it hard to concentrate on the book. She had read the same line ten times. Finally, she gave up, and she threw the book down onto the coffee table with frustration. A tapping at the front window caught her attention. Looking up, she saw Spider-man hanging upside down on a web line in front of the window.
She leaped off the couch and ran to the window. She slid it open and Spider-man crawled inside and dropped to the floor, landing on his feet. "Mrs. Connors, I was informed that you may have information on the Lizard?"
"Thank you for coming, Spider-man! I wasn't expecting you here so soon." Martha said.
"I paid a visit to Mr. Parker, and he passed this message to me. I sensed the urgency of it so I came right here. How can I help you, Mrs. Connors?"
"I have information on the Lizard. Spider-man, I know you have had a few confrontations with him, but I beg you, please do not harm him."
"Harm him? I didn't think that was possible," he replied.
"Spider-man, the Lizard is my husband, Dr. Curt Connors."
That news had completely blindsided him. He didn't know what information Mrs. Connors could have had but this didn't even come close to his mind. "Dr. Connors is that creature?"
Martha nodded sadly. "I don't understand that whole situation, but my close friend, Dr. Windstrom does. She works with my husband. She found something that pointed that an accident happened and it turned my husband into that monster."
"I have to admit, this changes everything about how to handle this creature. As much as I am against hurting the innocent, I don't know how to stop this Lizard without hurting your husband."
"Take this," She handed him a piece a paper that was on the coffee table. Hand written on it was an address. "This is the address of Dr. Windstrom. If you go see her tonight, you can find her here. During the day, she is at the laboratory. She told me to tell you that she may have found a way to stop the Lizard and save my husband at the same time."
Spider-man took the paper and looked down at the address. "If what you say is true, I will head over right away and do my best to bring your husband back to you safe and unharmed."
"I know you will," Martha replied.
Crawling out of the sewer, the Lizard found himself standing in the middle of the street, directly in front of his home. He hissed violently when through the window, he saw Spider-man talking with Martha. "Sssssshe issssss a traitor! Ssssssshe hassss become friendssssssss to that abominationsssssssss. Sssssssheeeee mussssssssst be taught a lesssssson of loyalty!"