Chapter Five

Peter gazed at himself in the long mirror that uncle Ben had placed inside of his room. A nice plain white sweater covered his torso; meanwhile he finished off the straightforward look with a simple pair of blue jeans. He was dressed well and considerably more neatly than when he was just hanging around the house, but still looked very casual. He had also decided to comb his hair for once and was staring at the result.

Uncle Ben slowly entered the room through the open door and immediately laughed, "There's a stranger in my house!" He grinned widely.

Peter laughed, "Yeah and he's clean for once." He said commenting on his own appearance. "What time is it?"

"Let me check." Ben replied and walked out of the room headed for the kitchen where a clock was displayed prominently on the wall.

While Ben was gone Peter took the moment to adjust his collar. As he did for a brief moment, the Spider-Man costume underneath was visible but Peter made sure he fixed his collar so none of his red and blue attire could be seen.

He remembered the promise he had made to Ben and for a moment hesitated. Peter wanted to rip the costume off and trash it away forever. However, something in his mind screamed out to Peter. It told him to keep it on, no matter what. Not so much because of impending danger, but out of a desire that needed to be fulfilled.

With the sound of Ben's approach, Peter committed himself to keeping the costume and was silent. "Just about time to pick up Ms. Stacy." Ben remarked.

"I better get going." Peter said quickly, almost making a mad dash for the door, ashamed to be in Ben's presence while he deceived his old uncle.

"Good luck." Ben added.

Peter nodded regretfully, "Thanks."

Taking a deep breath and realizing just how sweaty his hands really were, Peter knocked on the front door of the beautiful Stacy home. He was silent for a moment as the sounds of crickets chirping and the nightlife of New York made their presence known all around him.

There was a sweet smell from the building that Peter couldn't put his finger on. It reminded him of some of Aunt May's pastries. "She sure could cook." He recalled melancholy.

The door finally opened and Peter came face-to-face with Captain George Stacy. The policeman had a bandage on his forehead. He eyed Peter slowly, "You're Parker?" He asked.

"Yes sir. Is Gwen ready?"

George nodded, "Hold for one second. Gwen!" He called into the depths of his home, "Gwen, that guy is here for you." George turned his suspicious eyes back to Peter, "Be careful with her out there."

"I will." Peter replied.

Finally, after a tense moment between Mr. Stacy and Peter passed, Gwen appeared in the doorway.

Peter had to admit that his eye had traveled Gwen's path before. He had never been seriously infatuated with her, nor had he ever imagined the two of them together. Now, Peter could barely keep from collapsing right there on the spot. With puppy-dog eyes he gazed at his date.

Gwen's blond hair draped around her head and shoulders forming some sort of golden halo that seemed to punctuate everything she did. She was wearing a black wool shirt that helped to display the curves of her body excellently. A flowing red skirt covered the lower portions of her body, teasing at Peter. "Are you ready?" She asked playfully.

"In what sense?" Peter asked with a stunned expression.

"So what was up with your dad?" Peter asked as he and a gorgeous Gwen Stacy walked down the street towards Midtown High. "I got the distinct impression he wanted to smack me around when he saw me."

Gwen shrugged, "He's a cop, everybody's a suspect in his eyes. Even nice guys like you. Being an officer does things to you." She remarked.

Peter smiled somewhat embarrassed, "Yeah, I suppose it'd have that effect." He looked at the moon hanging in the sky high above them. "Gwen, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Depends on the question, I'd say." She replied.

"Well…" Peter rubbed the back of his head nervously, "I don't know just how to say this…Why are you going to the dance with me." He laughed, "I mean, when there's an entire school full of guys like Flash Thompson why Peter Parker?"

Gwen looked into his eyes quietly for a moment, "Peter, there's something wrong with the world. People these days are selfish and shallow and they come in the dozen. The nice guy, you, come only every once in a while." She raised her eyes, "That's reason enough?"

Peter nodded, "Yeah, more than enough."

Flint Marko was sitting in an old car that he had stolen. He watched the entrance to Midtown High with the focus of a hawk. This might be the most important night of his life and he intended to get it right.

Slowly he watched the snot-faced kids come and go through the front doors of the high school. Eventually, his target showed up. Richard Fisk was a large kid, football team, with fuzzy red hair. He was with some girl that he kept calling Janet.

Fisk had come through for his kid like he said he would and despite a recent fight, Richard was attending that dance. It made Flint sick, how kids like Richard ended up having the world handed to them, when Flint as a little boy had to fight for everything he ever got.

He was going to show them all. Not only would he show Kingpin that he was no longer a mere pawn, but he was going to make sure everyone knew the name Flint Marko. He could finally get back at the world for always spitting on him. He could finally go back at that hag that he called mom and show her what he'd become. He knew this was going to be sweet.

Flint gazed at his sand-like fist and smiled, "Payback time. Soon."

Peter and Gwen entered the school gym. "I didn't think there'd be this many people." He commented as they made they're way through the thick crowd.

The gym was decently lighted, appeared to be able to hold at least one hundred, and the music hadn't really begun yet. DJs prepared to go in just a few minutes but the officials wanted to make sure everybody was here when things got moving. A large number of old wooden seats had been placed towards the rear of the gym so that people who needed to rest or wanted to relax and talk could sit.

A large fan was built into the ceiling. It spanned several feet and the slow rotating blades kept the room cool. Behind the blades was a vent that air was channeled through.

"Yeah, its really been anticipated for a while now." Gwen remarked grabbing his hand and leading him towards the center of the crowd, "Come on."

Peter felt like a fish-out-of-water and decided it'd be best that Gwen lead the way. "Maybe she has an idea about what to do." Peter whispered sarcastically to himself.

Eventually they bumped into somebody. "Peter!" Harry exclaimed throwing a surprised eye to Gwen for a moment, "You made it." He shook Peter's hand, "Good to see you came after all. You look great Gwen."

"Thanks." She replied.

"How's it going, Harry?" Peter asked a little overwhelmed by the crowd.

"Fine." He replied. It was then that Harry's own date emerged from the crowd and to his side, "You already know Mary Jane." He said.

MJ, the redhead, was dressed in a nice t-shirt and some jeans. She looked at Peter and smiled, "Harry told me you might show up, tiger." They exchanged a slight hug, something that raised Gwen's blood pressure a little.

Peter shrugged, "Yeah, they managed to drag me here." He gazed across the building, "How are you doing?" He asked interested.

"Me?" She brushed away some of her long red hair, "Fine, just fine. I wasn't planning on coming in the first place but Harry managed to convince me."

"Same." Peter replied.

A silence settled in. Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson stood there facing one another. However, it wasn't awkward. There was a sort of contentment that only they could enjoy. Each smiled to the other.

Gwen feeling left out, suddenly, grabbed Peter's hand more tightly, "Hey, they're getting ready to start the music." She began to pull him away and back into the mass of faces.

"I'll see you around, Tiger!" MJ called out.

"You too." Peter replied before vanishing.

Harry clicked his tongue and shrugged. The music began to play; it was a fast paced song. "Let's dance." He suggested.

"Sure." MJ said, rather distant at first. She quickly put on a smile like she always did and started to shuffle her feet.

"I'm sorry sir, but you can't barge in here." One of the school's teachers said forcefully to Flint at a back entrance in an alley, "There's a dance going on and unless you're a student or member of the faculty, it's off limits."

Flint laughed, "Off-limits?" He stretched his hand outward and enveloped the teacher, who only had a moment to screen, before breaking the man's entire body, "Tell that to somebody who cares."

He dropped the corpse carelessly on the floor and slipped into the school undetected.

Meanwhile, on the third floor directly above the school's gym, Dr. Curt Connors was hard at work. He slowly watched the reptile DNA combined with that of his own.

His eyes were strained but he managed to continue on. His hands ran across the keyboard and entered vital commands that kept up with the progress of the experiment.

Curt wasn't even supposed to be engaged in this project, the school had threatened to call somebody if he continued his work. He had too; it was not a choice for him. He looked at the stump where his right arm would have been, longingly.

In one container was a living and breathing reptile, watching him from behind its case, beside it was a vial of human blood. Intently, Curt watched the lizard.

"So what's up with Mary Jane?" Gwen asked as they talked to one another leaning up against the wall of the gym. She awaited an answer with all of the fury that characterized her father's run as police captain.

"MJ?" Peter shrugged sheepishly, "She's a friend."

Gwen squinted, "Just a friend?" Peter laughed, "What?" She asked.

"Do you realize how much you sound like your father?" Peter replied. He sighed and was silent for a moment, "Do you want the truth or the truth through rose tinted glasses?"

Her answer was a rather skeptical expression. Peter nodded, "Maybe something could have happened." He looked at MJ and Harry dancing and felt a tinge of jealousy in his heart, "Maybe, but nothing ever did. I don't know, it may have all been in my head." He turned back towards Gwen, "Nothing else to it."

"I see." She said quietly, "Peter, hold me."

He frowned at the unusual request, "Why?"

"Just please hold me." Her voice sounded urgent and there was a sudden fear in her eyes, "Please."

He awkwardly wrapped his arm around her and embraced Gwen. "Is something wrong?"

"No." Gwen replied, "Just stand here for a few seconds." It was then that it happened. The beautiful redhead that had so captured Peter's attention previously gazed at them.

Mary Jane Watson and Gwen Stacy stared at each other for a moment realized what the stakes were and that each had just made their wager.

Suddenly, the DJ was thrown into the crowd and the music came to an abrupt end. Peter frowned, "Its finished already?"

Gwen shook her head, "No way. Whose that?" She asked pointing to somebody who was screaming in the crowd.

"Looks like Richard Fisk." Peter replied taking a step forward. The tingling was beginning again, there was danger coming his way. The red-haired bully was pulled out of the crowd by some unseen force. One of the teachers managed to get to a light switch and with a simple flip illuminated the entire room with bright light.

Just then, a massive figure burst through the crowd like a giant. His appearance sent four students flying in all directions. Peter knew immediately who it was. "Sandman." He whispered nervously.

Flint Marko stood above the crowd, his lower body a wave of sand once again. "Richard Fisk!" He demanded angrily, realizing that he had lost the young man in the crowd, "You show yourself now or I'll rip everybody in the building apart and finish with you!"

Peter closed his eyes, "I need to change." He told himself realizing that he could get to a bathroom and change in moments. He then remembered the beating Sandman had administered him. Screams echoed throughout the crowd as Flint began to search for Fisk again.

He had two choices and little time to act upon. To run away or fight something that felt no pain, no exhaustion and would never stop and probably die in the process. "Gwen." He said placing his hand on her shoulder, "Run for that door and don't stop."

The crowd began to pull in a million directions, many bolting for the door right away. Flint Marko desperately looked for his target and after swiping many away with his long powerful arm he found Richard cowering beside a chair.

"You little punk." Flint remarked bitterly grabbing Richard in his hand. "You're going to come with me."

"My dad's rich!" Richard replied, obviously terrified. "He'll give you whatever you want!"

Flint frowned, "I don't want money."

"Why then?"

"You're my new hostage and until I get rid of the gun that your good ol' dad has against my head, you'll stay that way!" Flint snickered, "That could be a while."

Like some sort of angel, a figure appeared and swooped Richard Fisk right out of Flint's hands. "What!" He barked and turned his head to the where the figure had landed. "Spider-Man." He said slowly, "I thought you would have learned your lesson by now."

The costumed hero landed on top of a table full of drinks and food and immediately put Richard Fisk down, "I would have thought that if you really could change shape, you'd pick a better face, but I guess not even your powers could have done that." He replied.

Sandman clenched his fist, "Round Two?"

"Ready when you are." Spider-Man answered back.

Flint formed sickles with his hands, "Time to get rid of one annoying insect."