The last few minutes before a task starts feels the same for each contestant. Sure, each was from a different world and each had different skills, but each had, pardon my French, no fucking clue what they were up against. And the feeling of confusion mixed with an overdose of fear all feels the same, if you live underwater on above.

Or maybe you're tired of all that our-hearts-beat-as-one crap. Maybe all that's on their minds is winning; murdering an innocent prisoner for eternal glory and a big, shiny trophy. I mean, come on, trophies are cool! But, no matter how you win it, it always loses its shine, turns dull, attracts spider webs and collects dust on a shelf. And soon it will be forgotten, and you amazing victory will be erased. As will you one day.

Earthlings walked into the room first, facing the Headmistress with that familiar smirk on her face. Unable to read each others minds, they all focused on reading their own, and trying to make sense of the nervous string of words and phrases fling around in their heads.

Next, Aquamarine came out, or limped out, whichever you would like to imagine, with the rest of her people. Each seemed bluer than the next. Aqual stood tall with pride, even though she was the shortest one in the room. Aquamarine did not look at Spider-Man for a second; she just listened to the instructions the Headmistress was giving to them.

"The task is to find the other team's Golden Egg and bring it back to your own base. Each Egg is hidden, one with a stripe of blue, one red. Use any means necessary to retrieve the Egg. You will be teleported to the location in three...two...one."

The platform each team was standing on moved their bodies bit by bit, almost as if he were a puzzle that was being taken apart by a naughty, bratty kid. And then...he was there. The planet the task was being held on was none other than Earth. They were in New York City, on top of The Daily Bugle Offices.

"We're...home?" The Human Torch asked, unsure of what else to say.

Taking a look at their blinking collars, Spider-Man shook his head. "We're still playing the game. We can't get distracted. We have to find the blue striped Egg! Okay, I'll cover Central Park. I have the quickest means of getting there."

"I'll check over the harbor." Johnny added.

Without waiting to see what the others were planning, Spider-Man took off.

It felt good to be web swinging again. It'd been a while since he last stretched his arms in the greatest city in the world. He turned right down a busy street, and headed directly to Central Park.

"On a mission...I got no decision..." He heard on a car radio. He remembered that song. By Green Day. 'Geek Stink Breath', right? Yeah, that was it. Now he just had it stuck in his head the whole way there.

Once he reached the damp grass, he immediately checked in the trees. One, two, three, five, ten, fifteen...nothing! He did find three bird nests and eleven squirrels, not counting the one that attacked him. No. Bad squirrel. He didn't deserve to be counted.

He looked behind parked cars, dropping on his stomach to check underneath. Nothing! Damn it! This was his hometown! Home PLANET, for argument's sake. How could he not find one tiny Gold Egg?

Then came the press. Oh, loads of trucks. Stupid press people. "Spider-Man! You're Back? What happened?" They all seemed to scream at him. He didn't have time for stupid press people's stupid questions! He needed to find this Egg.

But it seemed cameras and people surrounded him. He finally got an idea.

"Look!" He screamed at them, making them all take a step back in fear.

"Geeze! Okay, No, this stupid tournament thing isn't over. I'm on a task right now. Earth was chosen to host it. Now, if we don't win this, we'll be close to loosing. A loosing means execution."

There was a pause for all their gasps.

"Has anyone seen a small, blue striped Gold Egg? It's the only way I'll win the task. And, if you see any blue people, don't worry, they're our opponents."

But no one seemed to have seen the Gold Egg.

He looked over at the park. Stupid park. He continued looking, searching behind rocks and benches. Where could it be?

"Spider-Man? Come in, Spider-Man!" He heard someone say.

"What?"

"Spider-Man! The Neck Brace is also a communicator! We visited The Fantastic Four HQ and Reeds figured it out! Press the button right underneath the big red blinking one!"

Spider-Man did so.

"Hey!" He said.

"Spidey! Any luck?
"None Torch. You?"

"Nope."

"Damn! How the heck can we find this thing in the biggest city on Earth?"

The Torch coughed, then started talking to The Thing.

Spider-Man turned to look around and then...no...Could it be?

Under the bridge about teen feet from him, the sun was hitting on an object, making it shine with gold.

Spider-Man leapt over the bench, racing towards it.

Faster...faster...

The Golden Egg stood before him. He picked it up and beamed.
"Gold Egg with...blue stripe found! I repeat! I fucking found it!" He cheered, jumping up and down under the bridge.

"Hurry! Get it to our base!"

"Where's that?"

"Bugle!"

"Gotcha!"

And he was off, at full speed, carrying the Egg securely in his arm like it was his own child.

His web lines didn't seem to shoot out fast enough. He was going way faster than his made-up speed limit, which was right around the eighty-five mark.

"I'm a few blocks down! Meet me there!" He yelled into his Neck Brace, pressing the button with his free hand as he was airborne.

"Will do. We're about one block away."

As Spider-Man turned the corner, he yelled, "Me too!"