Chapter 8: A Partnership is Formed
There was silence for a moment after the battle was done. Madison was poised over the unconscious body, her breath ragged as she stared at the figure. Peter was staring at Madison, stunned. Slowly, anger began to rise to the surface as he remembered what she had done, jumping into a battle she was not ready for yet. When he spoke, it was in a tightly controlled voice.
"We're leaving. Now."
Madison turned. "Peter, I . . . "
"Now."
"Where to?" Madison hurried to keep up with his retreating figure.
He paused for a moment before climbing up the wall. "We have to talk."
Madison got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she uneasily followed behind the red and blue clad figure. Reaching the roof, he didn't even glance behind to check if she were following; he just ran to the edge and plummeted. A few seconds later she could dimly see his fading figure swinging through the city. Madison bitterly wished that she had that kind of grace as she stood and clumsily attempted to get her web to work. A few seconds later her exhilarated shriek filled the night as she flew- and sometimes crashed- across New York.
They arrived at his apartment in record time, and here Madison hesitated, unsure of whether or not to follow. He paused above his window and turned to stare at her, jerking his head to indicate that she should come inside. The sheer tenseness of his body showed how furious he was, and Madison gulped shakily before lifting her chin and following him in.
She leapt smoothly through the window and tugged off the mask, gratefully breathing in the cool air of his apartment. She jumped slightly as the window slammed behind her.
Peter took off his own mask and stared at her guilty face.
"What did you think you were doing back there?" he asked softly.
Madison stared back, defiant. "Helping you."
His gaze was incredulous. "Helping me? You could have gotten us both killed!"
"Yeah, but ironically, I think I just saved your life!" Madison snapped, her own anger rising.
He paused. "Yes, you very well might have," he said softly. "And I thank you," his anger seemed to return. "But that doesn't give you any right to . . . "
"To what? Do what you do? Wake up, Spiderboy! Look who has the exact same powers as you! Do you expect me to sit here and watch while you go and fight crime?"
"Madison, I know your antsy," she snorted. "But this isn't right. You need more training."
"Like hell I don't!" Madison was getting irrational.
"You crash into walls!"
"Look, all I'm saying is that I'm not going to sit around here like your bloody sidekick just because I'm female!" Madison shouted.
The silence that hung in the air was thick.
"Is that what you think?" Peter asked hoarsely, shakily sitting down on the sofa.
Madison gave a derisive laugh. "Is there any other way to see it? I'm just as strong, just as capable, a little clumsy but then I'm sure you weren't perfect in your first month either. I may be just 'strange little Madison', but I am the only person in the world that can help you right now, and I'm left here to twiddle my thumbs! And . . . and for God's sake, I'm older than you!"
He stared at her wearily. "By nine months, Mad."
"Shut up!" Madison yelled childishly. "Do you see what I'm saying? And I swear to God if you say anything about having to baby-sit me I will smash your face in here and now!"
He stood and stretched, then crossed the room to face her. "I'm not being sexist, Madison, I don't look down on you. It's just . . . "
"Just what?"
He turned and ran a hand through unruly brown hair. "It was so much easier by myself. I've lost many people who I've been close to. I didn't want to throw you headfirst into a situation where you very well may be killed."
Madison smiled slightly. "I can take care of myself."
"I know," he sighed. "Believe me, Madison, I know."
Madison came and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Look, if it means anything, I'm sorry about butting in tonight, even if I did save your life." There was only silence. "Is there anything I can do to make you forgive me?" She felt silly; after all, she had saved his life. Even so, he seemed upset. It was only after he turned to face her, his eyes all lit up, that she realized he was just waiting for her to say that.
"Actually," he began, smiling, "there is something you can do for me."
Madison gulped. "What's that?"
He grinned evilly. "Go on the date."
Madison stared, dropped her mouth open, closed it with a snap, and stared some more. "Damn you!" she snapped. Then she laughed. "That was good. You're hanging around me to much- it's rubbing on ya."
"So you'll go?"
Madison stopped laughing. "You got the upper hand on me, Pete. I guess I'll have to," she held up one forefinger. "But be forewarned, I won't let you get one up on me again," she paused. "Partner."
He raised an eyebrow. "Partner? I was thinking more along the lines of sidekick."
"You don't work solo anymore, Superhero," Madison shot back as she headed for the window.
"Oh, Mad," she paused and glanced back from the window. "Thanks . . . partner."
She winked and tugged on her mask, leaping lightly out into the night as he leaned against the wall. Tomorrow would be the same as always. Madison would be just as much as a piss-off as ever, and Peter would be struggling to stay calm. But for tonight, at least, there was some understanding. Not really friendship, just calm.
Peter winced. Why did he feel that this was the calm before the storm?
xxxxx
The lab was cloaked in darkness as the clock hit midnight. A solitary figure sat, slumped, in the middle of the tiled floor. Black mask tossed unceremoniously on the ground, the young man stared at the tiles, berating himself. He had acted foolishly and he knew it. But he was just so angry! At first the plan was just to watch, the gauge the measure of this so called 'Superhero's' abilities- hence the all black outfit. But when he saw him there, acting so righteous, flaunting his power, the Dark Man had just snapped.
Though many of his actions had been foolish and rash, things seemed, for a moment, to be going well. Blinded by rage, the Dark Man had had Spiderman cornered, the Superhero's head battered into the wall. Everything was going well.
Then she showed up.
The Dark Man glowered. That little girl had powers far beyond that of a normal human's. He grinned. Though unskilled, this 'Black Widow' might be useful. If only . . .
He veered his thoughts away- there would be time for that later. The important thing now was getting to Spiderman, making him suffer . . .
He was glad, the Dark Man contemplated as he lifted a syringe and stared at it thoughtfully, that the little girl had stopped him from bashing Spiderman's head in permanently. It would have been too easy, too painless . . .no, the man decided, it would be much better to wait.
Laughing maniacally to himself, the Dark Man pierced his vein and slowly injected the swirling green liquid, pausing to savor the pain. Soon, very soon, his whole plan would come together. And Black Widow . . . if all went well, this mysterious fighter would help lead the hero to his destruction. If all went well, Spiderman might be dead a lot sooner that expected.
The dark man threw back his head and screamed as the formula's piercing effects took hold. Slowly, ever so slowly, the scream turned into a horrible, maniacal laugh. Standing up, the dark man laughed as power coursed through his body. Ah, the wonders of genetics!
xxxxx
You've finished the chapter, now what should you do? Well why don't you click on the screen and review!
There was silence for a moment after the battle was done. Madison was poised over the unconscious body, her breath ragged as she stared at the figure. Peter was staring at Madison, stunned. Slowly, anger began to rise to the surface as he remembered what she had done, jumping into a battle she was not ready for yet. When he spoke, it was in a tightly controlled voice.
"We're leaving. Now."
Madison turned. "Peter, I . . . "
"Now."
"Where to?" Madison hurried to keep up with his retreating figure.
He paused for a moment before climbing up the wall. "We have to talk."
Madison got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she uneasily followed behind the red and blue clad figure. Reaching the roof, he didn't even glance behind to check if she were following; he just ran to the edge and plummeted. A few seconds later she could dimly see his fading figure swinging through the city. Madison bitterly wished that she had that kind of grace as she stood and clumsily attempted to get her web to work. A few seconds later her exhilarated shriek filled the night as she flew- and sometimes crashed- across New York.
They arrived at his apartment in record time, and here Madison hesitated, unsure of whether or not to follow. He paused above his window and turned to stare at her, jerking his head to indicate that she should come inside. The sheer tenseness of his body showed how furious he was, and Madison gulped shakily before lifting her chin and following him in.
She leapt smoothly through the window and tugged off the mask, gratefully breathing in the cool air of his apartment. She jumped slightly as the window slammed behind her.
Peter took off his own mask and stared at her guilty face.
"What did you think you were doing back there?" he asked softly.
Madison stared back, defiant. "Helping you."
His gaze was incredulous. "Helping me? You could have gotten us both killed!"
"Yeah, but ironically, I think I just saved your life!" Madison snapped, her own anger rising.
He paused. "Yes, you very well might have," he said softly. "And I thank you," his anger seemed to return. "But that doesn't give you any right to . . . "
"To what? Do what you do? Wake up, Spiderboy! Look who has the exact same powers as you! Do you expect me to sit here and watch while you go and fight crime?"
"Madison, I know your antsy," she snorted. "But this isn't right. You need more training."
"Like hell I don't!" Madison was getting irrational.
"You crash into walls!"
"Look, all I'm saying is that I'm not going to sit around here like your bloody sidekick just because I'm female!" Madison shouted.
The silence that hung in the air was thick.
"Is that what you think?" Peter asked hoarsely, shakily sitting down on the sofa.
Madison gave a derisive laugh. "Is there any other way to see it? I'm just as strong, just as capable, a little clumsy but then I'm sure you weren't perfect in your first month either. I may be just 'strange little Madison', but I am the only person in the world that can help you right now, and I'm left here to twiddle my thumbs! And . . . and for God's sake, I'm older than you!"
He stared at her wearily. "By nine months, Mad."
"Shut up!" Madison yelled childishly. "Do you see what I'm saying? And I swear to God if you say anything about having to baby-sit me I will smash your face in here and now!"
He stood and stretched, then crossed the room to face her. "I'm not being sexist, Madison, I don't look down on you. It's just . . . "
"Just what?"
He turned and ran a hand through unruly brown hair. "It was so much easier by myself. I've lost many people who I've been close to. I didn't want to throw you headfirst into a situation where you very well may be killed."
Madison smiled slightly. "I can take care of myself."
"I know," he sighed. "Believe me, Madison, I know."
Madison came and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Look, if it means anything, I'm sorry about butting in tonight, even if I did save your life." There was only silence. "Is there anything I can do to make you forgive me?" She felt silly; after all, she had saved his life. Even so, he seemed upset. It was only after he turned to face her, his eyes all lit up, that she realized he was just waiting for her to say that.
"Actually," he began, smiling, "there is something you can do for me."
Madison gulped. "What's that?"
He grinned evilly. "Go on the date."
Madison stared, dropped her mouth open, closed it with a snap, and stared some more. "Damn you!" she snapped. Then she laughed. "That was good. You're hanging around me to much- it's rubbing on ya."
"So you'll go?"
Madison stopped laughing. "You got the upper hand on me, Pete. I guess I'll have to," she held up one forefinger. "But be forewarned, I won't let you get one up on me again," she paused. "Partner."
He raised an eyebrow. "Partner? I was thinking more along the lines of sidekick."
"You don't work solo anymore, Superhero," Madison shot back as she headed for the window.
"Oh, Mad," she paused and glanced back from the window. "Thanks . . . partner."
She winked and tugged on her mask, leaping lightly out into the night as he leaned against the wall. Tomorrow would be the same as always. Madison would be just as much as a piss-off as ever, and Peter would be struggling to stay calm. But for tonight, at least, there was some understanding. Not really friendship, just calm.
Peter winced. Why did he feel that this was the calm before the storm?
xxxxx
The lab was cloaked in darkness as the clock hit midnight. A solitary figure sat, slumped, in the middle of the tiled floor. Black mask tossed unceremoniously on the ground, the young man stared at the tiles, berating himself. He had acted foolishly and he knew it. But he was just so angry! At first the plan was just to watch, the gauge the measure of this so called 'Superhero's' abilities- hence the all black outfit. But when he saw him there, acting so righteous, flaunting his power, the Dark Man had just snapped.
Though many of his actions had been foolish and rash, things seemed, for a moment, to be going well. Blinded by rage, the Dark Man had had Spiderman cornered, the Superhero's head battered into the wall. Everything was going well.
Then she showed up.
The Dark Man glowered. That little girl had powers far beyond that of a normal human's. He grinned. Though unskilled, this 'Black Widow' might be useful. If only . . .
He veered his thoughts away- there would be time for that later. The important thing now was getting to Spiderman, making him suffer . . .
He was glad, the Dark Man contemplated as he lifted a syringe and stared at it thoughtfully, that the little girl had stopped him from bashing Spiderman's head in permanently. It would have been too easy, too painless . . .no, the man decided, it would be much better to wait.
Laughing maniacally to himself, the Dark Man pierced his vein and slowly injected the swirling green liquid, pausing to savor the pain. Soon, very soon, his whole plan would come together. And Black Widow . . . if all went well, this mysterious fighter would help lead the hero to his destruction. If all went well, Spiderman might be dead a lot sooner that expected.
The dark man threw back his head and screamed as the formula's piercing effects took hold. Slowly, ever so slowly, the scream turned into a horrible, maniacal laugh. Standing up, the dark man laughed as power coursed through his body. Ah, the wonders of genetics!
xxxxx
You've finished the chapter, now what should you do? Well why don't you click on the screen and review!