Part Six
Max Dillon crashed through the front doors of the hospital. The red emergency lights glared at him as a security force emerged from the darkness. "What the hell is that?" One of the guards yelled as their attacker crackled with electricity.
"Fools, every one of you, insignificant fools!" Electro created a field around his body and expanded it through the hallways killing any doctors, aides and officers in the lobby. Their bodies were fried to unrecognizable pieces of meat within moment.
After the moment of violence passed, Max ceased his attack and gazed at his surroundings. "The generator's in the basement." He remarked clutching his chest as blood poured from his nose, "I'm running out of time."
"From what you tell me I believe Electro is not a mutant. That is to say he was not born with his powers." Otto Octavius stated handing Peter a cup full of water. The latter was sitting in a comfortable leather seat, gathering his strength. "I believe this for several reasons." It had turned out that Otto was a professor of atomic energy and well-versed in a dozen other fields.
"Please go on, professor." Peter said in between sipping his water. His hands trembled slightly but he had almost regained control over his body.
Otto rubbed his chin and paced across the room, "To start, this rampage he is apparently going on, the suddenness of it, he's venting anger in a manner that he has not been able to release in the past. Secondly, if as you say, his physical condition is worsening with the usage of his power at a rapid rate, then he could not have last this long with the powers recently manifesting. This can only lead me to one conclusion."
It was fascinating to Peter to speaking with such a brilliant mind. Otto was obviously a man proud of his life's works, if the wall of awards was any indication. He felt at ease here, he could relate to Otto intellectually.
"Electro is going to die." The professor stated grimly, "The power he has displayed and the massive amounts of electrical voltage he has tapped are incredible. I wish could study him, it is inconceivable of such a being to exist."
"I doubt Electro is going to surrender willingly, Doc Ock." Peter remarked flexing his arm slowly, "He's on the edge as it is."
Otto shrugged, "A shame. It would be a tremendous scientific achievement; I can image the Pulitzer in my hands this very moment."
Peter smiled. Otto obviously invested a lot into his reputation and career as a scientist; it might have been the only thing in the professor's life that took precedence over science. "He might be dying, but that doesn't make him any less dangerous."
"True." Otto replied, "If anything he is more desperate to cause as much chaos as he can before he dies."
"He said something to me before he ran off." Peter said slowly recalling the exact words. "The poor kids on ventilators and respirators will soon have their parents grieving for them. That's what he said…Jesus I know where he's going!"
"That would be?"
Peter clenched his fist, "Where's the nearest Children's Hospital?"
"Six blocks downtown. How do you plan to stop our high-voltage fellow?" Otto asked.
"I've been fighting Electro with my fist. It's about time I started using my noggin." Peter said rising to his feet and heading for an open window in the side of Octavius' office, "Thanks for the help, Doc."
"Come back, anytime." Otto remarked as Peter jumped out the window faster than he could have expected. He moved towards the window just in time to see Spider-Man swinging through the streets, "What a bright-young man."
Electro smashed through the locked door that led down into the basement level. Blood poured from gashes along his face. He couldn't keep this up much longer. Max descended the stairway and spotted the generator in the center of a room filled with boilers, heaters, gauges and pipes. The basement resembled a boiler-room
"I hope I'm doing the right thing." He said shakily, "It has to be the right thing." Max felt his eyes begin to water, "The kids won't feel anything." He sighed, "They won't; it'll be over before they know what happened."
Peter landed on the side of the hospital. He could see signs of Electro's arrival. Ambulances were burned out wrecks and anyone that had been unlucky enough to be outside when he came were long-dead. "Damn you, Max. You didn't have to do this."
The lights in the building began to flicker. "He's started." Peter declared, "I've got only a few moments." He fired a web-line towards the street and moved faster than he had ever moved in his life. There were people counting on him, kids. If it took his own life, he couldn't give up.
Max poured electrical energy into the generator. The result would be a massive explosion followed by the loss of electricity into the building. The kids would die as their machines and respirators failed. The idea terrified him.
He increased the voltage and felt the generator beginning to fail. "Not much longer." Max whispered while tears streamed down the side of his face. "Please forgive me kids." Suddenly, he was slugged across the face by a flash of red. "What?" He fell to his knees and stared at the interloper, "Spider-Man?"
The war-torn hero stood on the side of the wall with his clenched fist. "Don't worry about the little kiddies. I'll remind to send you a get well card in jail."
"You're back!" Electro screamed furiously, "I gave you you're chance and you're back! I guess mercy just isn't going to cut it!" He discharged a blast of electricity that hurtled through the air.
Peter contorted his body and avoided the blast by centimeters. "Sorry, missed. Just five bucks for another try!"
"Shut up!" Electro roared firing wildly through the boiler room.
"Why? People say my voice is my most endearing aspect." Peter leaped across the boiler-room and snapped a pipe with his hands in mid-air. Water burst out of the pipe and leaked across the floor. "Hey, you look thirsty. All that mayhem has to get you thirsty!" He pushed off the side of the wall and latched his arms across the pipe, "Here's a drink." He directed the pipe and the flow of the water towards Electro.
The water splashed against his chest and almost immediately his body crackled with a sudden explosion of electricity. Max collapsed to the ground feebly and his body twitched.
Peter landed on the floor of the basement and walked over the water that slowly expanded across the floor. A slight electrical charge flowed through his feet but it was negligible. He sighed as he stood over Electro's fallen body. "It didn't have to be this way." Peter said regretfully.
"Yes it does!" Electro screamed, startling Peter. Every inch of the room suddenly became alive with electricity and fired Peter's nerves. Electro rose, "You see this? I'm amplified the static electricity in the room. It's enough to immobilize you. I don't want you dead." Max smiled, "You should see this." He raised his hand and discharged a sustained blast of electricity into the generator. "Nice try with the water. I'll admit, my power has been badly weakened, but it's just enough to get the job done." Blood dripped from a fresh wound on his forehead. He focused all his attention on the generator, "I wish you were right. I really don't want this, but I'm tired. I am so tired of being put down, so now it's my turn to put others down. It's the only way." He turned his gaze back on Spider-Man, "You're still trying?"
Peter was fighting against the surge of electrical energy. He managed to take small painful steps towards Electro. He groaned wearily. Electro increased the voltage, but Peter kept moving. His muscles felt as if they were on fire. Every instinct told him to stop, to curl up into a ball and hope for the best.
"That's enough." Max ceased his attack on the generator and focused his energy on Spider-Man, "No more!"
More power poured into his attack and though Peter's body. His face ached and felt as if it were about to tear itself apart, Peter continued his long march. Just a few feet away, he reached out with both his hands.
"Get away from me!" Electro poured every remaining bit of power into Spider-Man but it was not enough. He had lost too much when he was shorted out by the water. "No! Away!" He stepped back, terrified.
Peter's hands reached Electro's neck and he began to squeeze, weakly at first but his strength grew with his determination. "This ends now!"
"No!" Electro took a step back. Max slipped on the water and came crashing down. During his fall, his head collided against a pipe and cracked his head open. By the time he had landed on the floor, a pool of blood was collecting under him.
Electro gasped for air, blood came from his mouth and poured down the side of his face. "I'm sorry." He grimaced.
"It didn't have to turn out this way." Peter said feebly holding his stomach, suppressing the urge to cry out in agony.
"I could never live with myself." Electro smiled, "Its better this way."
Peter gazed at Electro; his eyes rolled back and Peter shook his head. The blood mixed with the water and a sickly smell filled the air. Peter frowned. "You couldn't have been more wrong. There's always a better way, it just takes the stronger of us to fight against adversity and come through with our humanity intact. You were never evil, Electro, you just gave up. I wish tonight could have ended differently." Max Dillon was dead. "For all my power, I can't do anything to make this right."
Ben came in through the front door. The city had restored power just a few hours ago. He was tired from the long ride, traffic had been dense. He was still absorbing a lot. Ben could see torment in his nephew; the months that he had been gone were obviously difficult on both of them.
He was afraid. Ben had no idea what would happen to Peter. He seemed alone at times, lost almost. The elderly Parker did his best but he could only hope it was enough. He wondered how much he could do alone.
Ben spotted Mary Jane sitting on the couch and a sleeping Peter lying down with his head in her lap. She was caressing the side of his face. He could see bruises on Peter's face. Something had happened.
But for some reason, Ben was not afraid. Seeing his nephew in MJ's arms, he was comforted. He knew that no matter what happened, in the Peter would be safe. He suddenly found himself full of hope.