The Villain and the Dinner Date

Peter was already in class after the Tuesday-morning route. He'd made quite a few sales today. He stopped by once before work with the cash and checks from his sales and labor fee. Since he needed his weekend pay to begin with, Mr. Gardner gave him an extra fifty bucks for consistently making excellent time.

"Thanks, Mr. Gardner, but I can't accept this." Pete felt bad; was Mr. Gardner acting out of sympathy?

"Listen," Mr. Gardner said, putting a hand on Peter's shoulder. This signified the beginning of the "you're a nice kid, Pete" speech. Here it goes... "Pete, you're a nice kid. You work hard, and you know your stuff. You've got quite a brain, kid. You've sold and installed cable in three times more homes than the average employee. And ya got heart. That's why I give you a li'l extra money once in a while. I need you in this job."

"Thanks, Mr. Gardner," Peter said with a smile. He could tell this would be much more enjoyable than the pizza delivery route. But that was this morning. Now...

"Mr. Parker," Professor Giovi asked. "Do you intend to pay attention in my class, or simply doodle your way through the exam next Friday?" A few people in the large lecture hall jeered in quiet laughter.

"Sorry, Professor." Peter crumpled the sketch of Spiderman and stuffed it into his messenger bag next to his laptop (generously provided by Norman Osborn as a graduation gift).

"No, no, Mr. Parker. I'd like to see it. You've been doodling quite a bit lately. Bring it here." Peter reluctantly rose from his seat and made his way to the front of the room. He handed the crumpled piece of paper to the professor.

Giovi smoothed the ruled paper out and held it up to get a better look at it. He glanced at Peter over the rims of his glasses. "Leading a double life, are we, Parker?" he joked. "Maybe instead of a scientist, you'd rather be a fashion designer for Spandex." The acoustics of the lecture hall made the laughter bounce off of the walls, magnified in his ears by a thousand.

"You can return to your seat, Mr. Parker. I'll keep this. Who knows. It might serve as an excellent jogging suit design."

Peter walked back to his seat, feeling not even the slightest bit ashamed. He'd gotten over shame in high school. Every day he chased the bus, every time he had to repair his crushed glasses, every night he went home with a bloody nose, a bit of shame was washed away.

He took notes feverishly for the rest of the class. Then, in the back of his mind, Peter heard a scream.

"Excuse me Professor," Peter said, turning on his tape recorder. "I have to leave. There's something important." He dashed out of the room without waiting. There was work to be done. By the time he was on the steps he was already in his 'Spidey suit'. In the center of the walkway he stopped. Peter shot web to the top of a building and swung himself towards it.

Another scream. God, where was she? He then realized he had heard it in his mind. The woman was far away. At the edge of Times Square. Street corner. He didn't quite know how he'd located her, but it didn't matter now. All that mattered was that he got there in time, before anyone was hurt.

He was almost there. Shooting a web upward before he went into an instant free-fall. He had to pick up the pace. A quick dive added momentum and now he was soaring at top speed. He was almost there... So close...

The last scream was cut short by a gunshot. Peter let go of his web and met the ground at a dead run, faster than he had ever been before. Someone had been shot. Please... let her have dodged it... Let them miss... There she was.

Finally. The woman was lying on the ground outside a restaurant. The assailant had been a perfect aim.

"Someone help me," a hoarse voice whimpered. "Please someone get my child. Someone save my child." Peter hid in the shadow. The murderer. For an age the assailant stood there, frozen in the moment, relishing the feel of first kill. Wait no... The woman was still alive. A second shot. Peter heard crying before he saw the woman's child in the arms of the killer. He shot a web out and pulled the child toward him into the shadow. The assailant's head snapped to the spot.

"This isn't your kill, Spiderman," an unearthly voice hissed.

"You're right, it isn't. I don't kill."

Someone in black. Peter couldn't tell the gender yet. Yet...

"Leave the woman. There's nothing you can do. You've failed her. How does it feel to watch someone die that could have been saved, if only you were smart enough to see it coming?" The killer flew away on something... it looked like a large raven, but it was metallic. Flames shot out of the back. Someone had copied the glider. Someone was hunting innocents in the name of darkness.

Peter took the woman's wallet to see where the child belonged.

"SPIDERMAN KILLED THAT WOMAN. HE'S STEALING HER WALLET- LOOK!" The restaurant owner stood at the window, pointing at him. A few people gasped.

"No, it was that... that thing that flew away!"

"I didn't see any THING. I saw Spiderman standing over that dead woman. It's Spiderman that killed her!"

There began a heated argument as a man called an ambulance. Sirens wailed, but another sound ripped through all others.

Miles away, Peter could hear another shot being fired. It was on the hunt again. The entire afternoon, Peter followed the gunshots. Every time, he had simply been too late to save the prey; only seconds too late. So many had died... It was too fast. Far too fast to be human... He was in South Jersey when he had finally matched her speed. Peter was panting, trying to catch his breath while keeping up with it.

"Give up, Spiderman."

He pulled a steel beam towards her with his web, but still, she was too fast.

"I'm sure we'll meet again. Follow the sound of bullets, you'll find me."

Now, Peter knew, all that was left to do was to collect the victims the Raven (a temporary nickname for the unknown) had left in its wake.

It was six o'clock before Peter walked through the house to the kitchen. "Hey MJ."

"Pete! What happened to you?!"

Peter hadn't noticed the scorched skin on his leg before. "Oh... I had a run-in with a garden variety murderer."

"That looks pretty bad for just a murderer. Carrying a blowtorch?" Mary Jane led him up to the bathroom and ran cold water in the tub. "Soak your leg in here. I'll get a towel." She kissed him again. The pain washed away when Mary Jane kissed him. He'd been thinking about it, fantasizing since he was a young boy.

"I missed you today. I had to leave in the middle of Giovi's lecture to save this woman's kid."

"What about the woman?"

"...Dead. Before I even got there the Raven–"

"–Raven?" she said in a tone that meant business. The truth was best with Mary Jane. But not at the moment. If she knew this thing was on a killing spree...

"Nickname I made up for him... her... whatever it is."

"Oh, Pete," Mary Jane said. She already knew. Nothing got past her. "This isn't just another murderer. No wonder. You can kill a murderer, no problem. But..."

"I know, MJ, I know."

"Just... don't get hurt, Pete."

"Heroes don't take sick days," Peter said, taking off his torn Spidey suit. "If it's going to attack someone else, I have to be out there rescuing people." He made a loud hiss when he sat in the water, the skin prickling with pain. Mary Jane looked at him with hurt in her eyes and stared at his leg. "It'll be all right. I just need to wrap it up."

"I'll get the towel," she winced, walking to the closet.

She worried about him too much. Naturally, super heroes have a certain risk factor in their lives, but Mary Jane shouldn't have had to worry about him every time he walked through the door. Peter had an entire hospital of first aid products in the bathroom closet. It was Aunt May's gift to him for Christmas. "Getting hurt out there in the city. Holding a job and college. You'll need it; trust me, you'll need it."

"Oh I was going to ask you later, Pete. But since you've got that burn I don't think it's a good idea."

"What's up?"

"Well there's the grand opening of this restaurant and I thought since I got paid again... But you're hurt, Pete. You can't go to a restaurant with that burn."

"Yes I can. Really, it doesn't hurt that bad." He knew it meant a lot to Mary Jane to go tonight. "Any of your friends from the cast gonna be there?"

Mary Jane helped him out of the bathtub. "Slow down, Pete. You've only got one leg now ya know." She laughed and helped him hop over the porcelain rim.

"Thanks. All I have to do is get some gauze and wrap it up. We can go."

"Aw," Mary Jane smiled. "But you're sure?" He nodded. "Thanks, Pete."

"You know you can be really adorable if you want to be. It's kinda dangerous. Could talk me into something with that."

"Oh could I?" she flirted, walking out of the bathroom. Risking his life was worth it, he knew. Peter watched her tiptoeing away for no reason at all. He had to marry this girl. He'd thought about it every day since she moved next door to him. It would help to propose first, though...

Once he had dressed the burn and put on a pair of boxers, Peter made his way to his bedroom. "How fancy is this new restaurant?"

"Ve-ryyy!" Mary Jane called in a sing-song voice from the stairs.

"Ohhhkaaayyy." Peter took out a jacket and tie. Blue and red. How ironic.

It took him very little time to dress, and he was running down the stairs (and on the walls occasionally) by the time his five minutes were up.

"...Wow. Let me take a better look at you," Mary Jane smiled broadly. "You look great, Pete."

She stepped under the old-fashioned ceiling lamp. She was more beautiful than ever. A wavy floral skirt, silk blouse, and a butterfly barrette holding her red hair behind her ear.

"MJ... You look beautiful." There was nothing else he could manage.

"Thanks. Well? Let's go!" Mary Jane took his hand and they walked out of the door. Who needed a car when Peter could get them to the restaurant in less than five minutes? He climbed buildings and swung in shadow. No one would see him if he didn't want them to. Peter had learned that a long time ago.

"This it?" Peter asked Mary Jane from the rooftop.

"Yeah."

"...It's nice."

"I know. Now can we go through the front doors?"

Peter wrapped his arm around her and descended the back of the building. The line in front stretched halfway around the block, but was moving quickly. He didn't let go of her hand, afraid to lose her in the crowd. So afraid of losing her in every way...

The inside was a stereotypical highbrow restaurant. Long lines, actors, overdressed valets. There were even a few waiters that sang for tips. An elaborate name to match elaborate people. Elysium. Mary Jane pointed out a few friends from the cast. They waved.

"Pete, this is Carl."

"Hey, Pete."

"Hi."

"This is Pam, Katie, Joe, Mike, April, and Courtney."

They all echoed a 'hello' to him. He nodded and smiled. This was where Mary Jane fit in. Not him. He was never the life of the party. In fact, he was never even invited. A nerd for all time.

"Okay Pete. Um... Would you mind finding us a seat? I just need to discuss some script changes for a minute–"

"–Sure, go ahead." God, he loved her. She was so much of everything he wasn't. He watched all the rich, glamorous people dining, and saw his chance to get a table... There were two in the center. He was about to sit down when he recognized someone. 'Recognized' wasn't the word. Too violent a realization for 'recognize'. His involuntary enemy was about to sit directly behind him. Peter turned his head back around once he was in his chair, practically hiding. As if he hadn't noticed... Please... no disruptions tonight. Not now... Not with all of MJ's friends a few tables away...

I had to cut this one in half because... well... actually I just felt like it! Bwahaha. Ok. I'm good now. School starts... in... how many days? I've mentally blocked the number (my mind hasn't informed me yet that I'm in denial of return to school).

REVIEWS! WoOt! To save time (so I can start writing the new chapter now), I will say to all of you THANK YOU! YOUR REVIEWS JUMPSTART MY MIIIIND! That, and Red Bull. Damn, that stuff really does give you wings.

Coming soon: A single-chapter songfic dedicated to the original Green Goblin- Norman Osborn. I'm using the song "Behind Blue Eyes" by Limp Bizkit. Be on the lookout for it!