Note to reader: Sorry for the long delay in posting this next chapter. I appreciate the enthusiasm of the reviews. I hope I don't disappoint you.
"Spider! Why do you hide behind that mask! Let me see your eyes like a true hunter." Kraven yelled as Spider-man swooped into the lecture hall.
"Let the man go. This is between you and me."
Kraven forced his knife closer to Doctor Connor's neck. Blood trickled down from the knife point. Doctor Connors tried not to panic.
Kraven replied, "I want a fair fight. You and me, to the death. Let's see who is the stronger hunter."
"I'm not going to kill you." Spider-man replied as he inched closer to the crazed man in leopard skins, not wanting to make any sudden movements that could cause him to deepen the knife wound on Doctor Connor's neck. "Now leave this man out of it."
"We fight to the death! If you win and you do not kill me, I will kill this man. His life or yours. You decide Spider." Kraven bashed Doctor Connor's head against the building's wall, knocking him unconscious. He then hoisted Doc Connor's limp body high against the wall and drew back the knife.
Peter thought that this man was going to kill him. "No!" he screamed.
The knife was not intended for his body. Instead, it went through Doc Connor's lab jacket and the wall, leaving his unconscious body propped upright. "One of the three of us will not leave this room alive. Who will it be Spider? Him, me or you?"
"Why are you doing this?" Spider-man asked.
"For a long time I thought I was greatest creature on earth, the most ferocious beast of the jungle. But then I heard rumor of a man who swung amongst the skyscrapers of New York. I had to challenge you, see if you were everything they said you were."
Kraven darted toward Spider-man. Peter dodged his initial strike but was caught off guard by a punch. Peter flipped backward to avoid another hit. He could taste the blood in his mouth.
"I have been impressed so far by your skill, Spider. But I am the better hunter." Kraven charged at Peter but this time Peter was prepared. The two men raged in bitter fighting.
Felicia and Debra had been watching the events from afar. Debra was frozen with fear but Felicia tugged at her sleeve, "We've got to help Doctor Connors!"
Debra couldn't speak but she nodded and followed Felicia. Felicia crouched down, attempting to stay hidden behind the chairs in the lecture hall. She made her way down the aisle. Debra struggled to keep up and she would have been impressed by Felicia's agility had she not been so concerned with her own safety. But as the two reached the front of the classroom, they appeared to be safe. The man in animal skins was consumed with fighting and didn't notice their presence.
Felicia pulled the knife out of the wall and caught Doctor Connors. Peter noticed the two girls out of the corner of his eye as he threw another punch at Kraven.
"Help me carry him out of here." Felicia whispered to Debra.
She hadn't been quiet enough. Kraven heard her voice and glanced over at Felicia. He left Spider-man and charged toward the two girls and Doctor Connors. Spider-man shot a web and swung in front of the wild man, trying to protect the three innocent people, "Go, on. Get out of here!"
As Peter was screaming at Felicia to leave the building, Kraven pummeled Peter to the ground. He was trapped beneath the large man's body, his fists around Peter's neck. Peter tried to kick him off but to no avail. His struggle to fight Kraven was now his second priority as Peter struggled to breath. Kraven's hand closed tighter around his neck and Spider-man was helpless. 'Not like this,' Peter thought. He always knew that losing was a possibility but he didn't want to lose to a crazy brute like Kraven.
Felicia saw Spider-man struggling to get free beneath Kraven's grasp. "We've got to help him! That man is going to kill him."
"Come on, lets just get out of here." Debra replied, "Let the wierdos fight."
Felicia didn't listen. She ran over toward Spider-man. She wasn't going to let this man kill her beloved.
Peter blanked out with his last memory of Kraven's sinister smile.
Felicia grabbed a glass beaker off Doctor Connor's lab table and threw it at Kraven's head. He shook off the blow as if it were nothing and ignoring Felicia, concentrating on killing Spider-man. Felicia grabbed another glass beaker and threw it at him again. He looked at her annoyed and released his hold on the unconscious Spider-man. Kraven whispered toward Spider-man, "We'll finish this in a moment."
Kraven got up and walked toward Felicia, "You again. I thought you would have learned to stay out of my way. It's a shame I am going to have to ruin such a pretty face." Kraven darted toward Felicia.
Felicia's heart raced and she found herself swiftly dodging his attacks. Kraven persisted. Felicia scampered around the lab table and spied another beaker labeled "HCl". She grabbed it and threw it at her attacker.
Kraven screamed and grabbed his face which burned from the acid. Spider-man had come to and he dashed over toward Kraven, grabbing the stunned man and tying him up with his webbing.
Kraven was incapacitated, his hands and feet bound by the webbing. Yet he screamed in agony as the acid burned his skin. Peter swiftly examined the labels on the various beakers looking at their contents and concentrations. He chose the appropriate concentration of calcium hydroxide and splashed it on Kraven, neutralizing the acid. Peter heard sirens and he knew that the police would not be far behind.
Peter turned to Felicia, "Thank you. I owe you my life."
"It was nothing, Spider-man. You saved my life before, it was the least I could do."
"You had some nice moves back there. Impressive." Peter smiled, "And it was pretty clever to grab the acid."
Felicia moved closer, hoping to get another kiss from this mysterious man. But as she did the police burst through the doors and yelled, "Everybody freeze!"
"That's my cue to leave. The police will handle it from here. Goodbye Felicia." Peter latched a web toward the window and swung away.
The police handcuffed Kraven and escorted him to a police car. Doctor Connors regained consciousness but was taken by the paramedics for further care. After both girls explained the events to the police, Debra approached Felicia.
"Felicia, I can't believe you did that! You moved so fast and then threw the acid. It was incredible!" Debra's contempt for Felicia was momentarily forgotten. Felicia's bravery was too impressive.
"It was nothing. Two weeks ago I wouldn't have known acid from water. I should thank Peter for that. I'm just glad that Spider-man's ok." Felicia said as her thoughts drifted back to their kiss from weeks ago.
Debra glanced over at the beakers of acid and base. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that Spider-man had picked the exact right concentration to neutralize the acid. This was no simple task, since the concentrations did not match and there were so many different beakers. One would have to do several calculations to pick the exact right acid. It couldn't have been coincidence considering the number of beakers on the table. He must have done the calculations in his head which, considering the short amount of time it took him, meant he was familiar with the rules of chemistry.
Felicia snapped out of her day dream, "Where did Peter go? You haven't seen him, have you Dana?"
Debra shuddered as Felicia called her the wrong name. All her previous resentment for Felicia returned. As Debra examined the beakers she muttered to herself, "I think I know where Peter went."