-Chapter 11-

When Sparks Fly

At Oscorp, Peni stood alongside the recently hired Gwen before a tank full of electric rays and eels. Dr. Connors stood before them, explaining what was going on as a man with auburn hair put on rubber gloves.

"In nature, everything is connected," Connors began. "As scientists, we explore and expand upon those connections, to the benefit of society."

At Gwen's look, Peni began her own explanation.

"These electric rays and eels were given a shot from the Neogenic Recombinator," she gestured to the auburn-haired man. "An idea conceived by our resident electrical engineer, Max Dillon."

"At least somebody in this company knows how and when to give credit where it's due." Max grumbled.

Connors winced. "I am sorry about that, Max."

"I don't blame you, Curt," Max clarified. "I blame Osborn. First, he steals my idea for a new power grid. Now he denies me credit for the Neogenic eels." He sighed in resignation. "Anyway, allow me to explain."

He went over to the tank. "Just think of what it could mean if we could harness these critters' bioelectricity. An alternate form of clean, renewable energy."

Gwen looked over the murky water of the tank. "Well, before you develop clean energy, you should clean the tank."

"It is clean," Max assured. "The fluid we mix into the water increases their bioelectric signatures."

"So much so that we've been forced to upgrade our bioelectrical filters," Connors chimed in.

"We?" Max questioned.

Connors cleared his throat. "Right. More accurately, they're forcing Max to."

"And why not?" Max griped. "I do everything else around here for next to nothing."

Peni sighed before stepping forward.

"Max, the reason Mr. Osborn and the other workers here consider you a nobody and step all over you is because you let them," she admonished. "You want credit? Better treatment? Then grow some backbone and show them who's boss. Stop being a doormat."

Max paused, taking in what she said. After a minute, he nodded before picking up his drill and getting to work. He unscrewed one of the filters before setting his drill atop the machine. It came out halfway before it got stuck. Max scowled before tugging at it.

"Need a hand?" Gwen asked.

"I got it," Max assured.

He pulled harder, causing the drill to drop onto the machine. It began to spark, and immediately Peni was on edge as Max reached for it.

"Max, wait!" she cried. "Don't-!"

But it was too late. The minute he grabbed it, Max was hit by an electrical discharge that sent him flying back into the eel tank. It shattered on contact, bathing him in the tank's fluid while several eels also fell on him. He sparked and spasmed before going limp.

"Oh, my God…" Gwen let out, hands over her mouth in horror.

"MAX!" Peni screamed.

She already had her phone out, dialing 911.

The next day, Peter and Peni walked into class together, Peni detailing what had happened.

"Fried by electric eels and a live wire," Peter winced. "Poor guy."

"Not just any electric eels, Pete," Peni clarified. "Neogenic-enhanced eels."

Peter sighed. "Which means we might find ourselves dealing with another Neogenic superman in the future."

"Max isn't a bad guy," Peni insisted. "A bit of a pushover, but not a bad guy. Right now, he's in the hospital. If anything does happen, you'll be the first to know."

"Right," Peter nodded.

After school, Peni went to the hospital and made a beeline for Max's room, where Dr. Connors already was. On the bed sat Max, wearing an insulated suit, and by him was Claire Temple.

"Hey, Peni," Max let out weakly.

Claire turned to speak to them.

"Max's body is currently generating a constant stream of bio-electricity," she explained. "That insulation suit will contain it. Protect him and, well... everyone else."

Dr. Connors approached him.

"Max, I promise you this is only temporary," he assured. "We'll begin work on a cure immediately."

"Guess it's the least you can do," Max said bitterly.

Connors winced at his tone before sighing. "Just... try to rest."

As they headed out, Peni turned to Connors.

"Doc, don't blame yourself," she said. "What happened last night was an accident. And I'm sure Max knows that too. Just... give him time."

"I know…" Connors admitted. "But that doesn't mean I don't feel responsible."

Peni sighed. "And I thought Peter had one hell of a guilt complex."

Speaking of Peter, he and Harry were out on the town for the night.

"So, finally get sick of hanging with Peni all the time?" Harry quipped.

Peter smirked. "Hey, a man can only take so much estrogen."

They shared a laugh at that.

"In all seriousness, I can't remember the last time it was just us," Harry remarked.

"Yeah, me neither. So... what's the plan for the night?"

"Simple. We go to Times Square, party like it's 1999, then head back to my place and study for the calc test."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

Back at the hospital, Peni was sitting by Max's bed. He was flipping through TV channels, getting nothing but static, before giving up with a growl and throwing the remote aside.

"Damn it!" he cursed. "I can't even watch the game!"

"But you can still yell at the TV," Peni quipped. "So... what's the difference?"

She chuckled, only to recoil as Max whirled on her, his eyes glowing behind his mask.

"Is that supposed to be funny?!" he snapped.

Peni lurched back a bit. "Sorry."

Max sighed, looking out the window.

"You know, I had plans before this happened," he remarked. "Go back to college. Meet someone. Have a life! One where nobody treats Max Dillon like a punching bag they can use and throw away!"

"Max, please calm down," Peni requested. "You just need time to adjust."

"Adjust to what?! This?!"

He raised his hands, which sparked with electricity. Peni recoiled as the discharge fried every electronic appliance in the room. He stopped, growling.

"Forget it. I'm outta here."

Max moved past Peni and stormed out.

"Max, wait!" Peni cried, but he was already out the door.

Peni quickly pulled her phone out of her pocket, ready to call and warn Peter, only to discover it was sparking and fried from Max's light show.

"Damn!"

Meanwhile, Peter and Harry were enjoying themselves at Times Square. As they were having fun, their attention was suddenly drawn to a figure approaching the cafe they were at, clad in heavy clothes and a baseball cap that did naught to hide the insulated mask he was wearing. As he went, he stopped, glaring at them.

"What the hell are you staring at?" he demanded.

Immediately, Peter and Harry turned away. With that, the man headed for the cashier.

"Okay, something's definitely off with that guy," Peter muttered.

He watched as the man approached the register, the cashier snapping to attention.

"S-sorry. What's your order?"

"Coffee," Max demanded, snatching the cup out of her hand and slapping two bucks on the counter.

He turned, the mouth area of his mask opening up, only for a bolt of electricity to knock it out of his hands. That was all it took; Max Dillon began sparking with rage

"I can't even drink a goddamn cup of coffee?!"

Several electronic lights and signs flickered on and off, quite a few exploding. Peter and Harry turned around and saw the light going on and off. After a few minutes, Max stopped the discharge before hurrying out. Peter was immediately on high alert.

"That's gotta be the Max Dillon guy Peni mentioned." he said to himself before standing up. "I need to go."

"Seriously?" Harry asked. "What about our plans?"

"Well, the electric man who just fried every light in here kinda puts a damper on things, Harry," Peter turned, hurrying away. "I'll make it up to you!"

He ducked into an alleyway, donning his Spider-Man suit in record time. By this point, Max's anger and frustration was causing a constant discharge that was interfering with everything he passed by. The NYPD had already arrived and begun to gather by the time Spider-Man swung in, landing before him. Max recoiled, holding up his hands.

"No, no!" he shouted. "Don't hurt me, Spider-Man! Something's going on with me. I... I'm not trying to hurt anybody, blow up anything."

Suddenly, bolts of electricity shot out of his hands, forcing Spider-Man to leap out of the way.

"Not that I don't believe you, but I'd suggest holstering those things," Spider-Man warned. "Look, what's your name?"

"Max," Max replied. "Max Dillon."

"Okay," Spider-Man nodded. "Look, Max. I don't wanna hurt you, you don't wanna hurt me. Just calm down. We can go someplace quiet and talk. Work out what's going on with you and find a way to fix it."

Unbeknownst to the two, police snipers were readying to take a shot.

"Like you care," Max spat. "Ever since I was born, people have misunderstood me and tormented me. My mom, my co-workers at Oscorp. I lived my whole life in darkness, and nobody cared."

"I care," Spider-Man insisted. "I wanna help you. So how about you and me go somewhere to talk? Where nobody can get hurt. What do you say?"

Max seemed about to take the offer, but that was when he stepped back in a puddle and began sparking even more. Seeing this as a move to attack, the sniper readied to fire. Spider-Man perked, turning to them.

"No, DON'T SHOOT!" he screamed.

Sadly, the warning came too late. Max took a sniper bullet to the chest, and promptly erupted. He whirled on the spot the shot came from, firing a lightning bolt that narrowly missed the cop. He readied another shot, but Spider-Man was quick on the draw and snared his arm with a webline, causing the shot to go wide. Max ignited the webline with electricity, shorting out the web shooter, and sent him flying back. He slammed into a car with his back, denting it as Max scowled in rage. Seeing one of the TVs about to fall, Peter quickly jumped up, snaring a man with a webline and yanking him out of the way a split second before he would have been crushed. Max sparked as he looked around at the masses.

"All I ever wanted was for people to accept me," he ranted. "Be nice to me. But that never happened. I spent my whole life letting my bitch of a mother run my life and treat me like shit, and most of my adult life and work at Oscorp being everyone's punching bag. Well, guess what?! Now I have the power, and I'm gonna make damn sure that nobody is gonna step on me EVER AGAIN!"

He slammed his palms on the grate they were standing on, electrifying it and forcing Spidey to jump. He flipped over a police car as it got toppled. Spider-Man quickly used his good web shooter to web the car in place before it hit anybody. He then backflipped onto a nearby staircase, shooting several web lines to keep civilians from touching the electrified railing.

"Max, I don't know what happened to you!" he shouted. "I can see you're in pain, but I can't help you unless you let me!"

Max just fired a lightning bolt, Peter jumping out of the way.

"Look! Bad things happen to everyone! There's bad people everywhere! What happened to you sucks, but that doesn't give you an excuse to be one of them!"

"You have no right to judge me!" Max ranted. "You have no idea what's it like to be kicked around and abused every day of your life!"

"Max-"

"Don't call me Max! OR I'LL FRY YOU INTO NOTHING!"

He fired another lightning bolt, clenching his fists as he scowled.

"If I have to suffer, all of you will suffer with me. I'm gonna kill the light so that everyone in this city is gonna know how it feels to live in my world...A world without power...a world without mercy...a world without Spider-Man! Then everyone will be able to see me for who I truly am…"

"And who would that be?" Spider-Man asked rhetorically.

"Don't you know?" he launched another bolt, narrowly missing Spidey. "I'm Electro!"

Electro then took off into the sky, sending a wave of electricity that shorted out every light in the Square. Spider-Man sighed in resignation.

"Well, this should be nothing short of a disaster."

Meanwhile, Norman was in his office at Oscorp when the lights flickered on and off. He was immediately on edge when lightning shot out of an outlet, from which emerged the figure of Electro.

"Remember me?" he taunted.

Norman tried to move to the door, but Electro fired a lightning blast in his path

"You ain't going anywhere, Osborn! Not until you answer for what you've done!"

Norrman froze, recognizing the voice.

"Max Dillon?"

That kickball of yours doesn't exist anymore, boss." He advanced on him, sparking all the while. "The name is Electro. And you're gonna pay for stealing my work!"

Norman recoiled, holding up a hand

"Wait, wait! Can't we just sit down and talk about this?"

"I'm done talking!" Electro snapped. "I just want you dead!"

"Is that really what you want? Or do you want what you've always wanted? Credit? What's rightfully yours?"

Electro paused, backing away for a second.

"What do you have in mind?"

"A deal. You want the power grid you helped design, right? It's all yours. Provided you do a little task for me."

"And that is?"

"Destroy Spider-Man. Bring him to me, dead or alive."

Electro considered the offer for a moment. "What's your business with Spider-Man?"

"That's not important. I just want him out of the way. So… do we have a deal?"

Electro nodded.

"Alright, fine," he agreed. "But know this, Osborn. You even think of weaseling out of your end of the bargain, and I'll fry you next."

Meanwhile, at Peter's lab, he was working on repairing his fried web shooter as he and Peni exchanged notes.

"I tried to warn you that Max was out and about, Pete," Peni sighed. "But his little hissy fit before he left fried my phone."

"It's cool," Peter assured. "I had a feeling he'd be trouble."

He sighed. "Hard not to feel sorry for the guy, though. He's a victim. But that doesn't change what I gotta do, Pen."

"I know, just... don't hurt him too hard, okay?" Peni requested.

"I'll try. Unfortunately, I have to worry more about him hurting me. Last time, he fried one of my web-shooters."

"I'll work on shockproofing your web-shooters," Peni decided. "In the meantime, maybe you should do the same for your costume."

"Good idea. Save myself another session of electroshock therapy."

As Peni got to work, Peter went inside, coming back with an old rubber air mattress.

"I knew this old thing was buried in my closet somewhere." he remarked.

Peter began pulling it apart, his eyes set on the rubber lining within. It took about an hour of work, but Peter managed to retrieve the lining and add it to his suit. He held it up, looking it up and down.

"The Spectacular Seamstress you're not." Peni deadpanned.

"Still, it'll work," Peter replied. "One insulated Spider-Man suit."

"Well, as long as it keeps you alive," Peni handed him the web-shooters. "Here."

"Any chance these things won't get fried?"

Peni shook her head. "Remember eighth grade science class? You magnetize a nail with a battery…"

Peter snapped his fingers. "And it holds an electric charge!"

"I did the same to your web-shooters. With a little help from some jumper cables and the car battery from your aunt's old station wagon." At Peter's look, Peni raised a hand. "Relax, I put everything back. She'll never know I was there."

"Good. Now I'll be ready for round two with Electro."

As if on cue, the lights went out. They looked out, seeing the entire city seemed to be having a blackout.

"Which might be right now," Peni remarked.

"What do you think he's up to?" Peter asked.

Peni tapped her chin in thought before perking.

"The Oscorp Power Plant. Max designed the entire power grid there. But Harry's dad neglected to give him any credit for it."

Peter raised an eyebrow. "Is it just me, or do a lot of the villains popping up nowadays have a semi-justified grudge with Norman Osborn?"

Peni nodded. "It is a bit of a pattern."

Spider-Man wasted no time swinging to the power plant. It wasn't too long before he found Electro standing in the middle of several Tesla coils, looking up at him.

"You're too late, Spider-Man," he declared. "I designed this power grid. Now I'm gonna take back what is rightfully mine. I will control everything and I will be like a god to them!"

"A god named Sparkles?" Spidey questioned. "Well, Thor is already taken, so... yeah."

Electro blasted at Spider-Man, forcing him to leap out of the way.

"You can't stop me, Spider-Man! If you have any sense, you'll run for your life!"

"Sure, but before I go, can you charge my phone?"

Electro blasted at him again, forcing Spider-Man to swing out of the way. He rolled onto the ground, shooting two web lines at Electro. Electro scowled before grabbing the weblines, sending a line of electricity down them. The electricity hit the web shooters, but did nothing.

"Yes!" Spidey cheered. "Thank you, Peni Watanabe."

He then yanked on the webs, throwing Electro to the ground. Electro hit hard, the pavement cracking. He got up, revealing his mask had been destroyed, exposing a head and face with yellow skin, lightning lighting up the veins as his face literally turned red.

"You ready to give up?" Peter asked.

Electro screamed in rage, lightning shooting from his mouth at the web-slinger.

"Whoa!" Spidey jumped out of the way. "Talk about halitosis. Ever hear of Tic-Tacs, or Listerine?"

He swung around, kicking Electro back as he began sparking again. Lightning bolts lit up the area as Peter went on the defensive.

"Just like a bug!" Electro ranted. "You head for the light even when you know it'll kill you!"

"You know that's a common misconception," Spidey said. "Spiders are actually arachnids."

Eventually, a lucky shot knocked Spider-Man out of the air. He hit the ground before pulling himself up.

"So, you insulated your pajamas," Electro mused, impressed. "Well, let me tell you something about electricity, Spider-Man."

He raised his hands, which were sparking crazily. "A big enough charge can overload any insulator!"

"Only works if you can hit them," Spider-Man quipped, leaping up and over Electro before he could hit him. He immediately began dodging again as he kept firing. He snagged him with a webline, launching himself at Electro. He tackled the villain, the two hitting the ground grappling before Electro managed to pin Spidey down

"You like telling jokes, Spider-Man?" Electro asked. "How about this one? What do you get when you cross a loner who just wanted a little love and respect with a society that abandons him, and TREATS HIM LIKE TRASH?!"

"A terrific headache?"

"I'll tell you what you get! YOU GET WHAT YOU FUCKING DESERVE!"

He yanked Spidey up by the throat, flying high up in the sky before going back down as fast as he could. As they went, Peter kept punching him in the face before shifting their positions and continuing to pummel him in freefall. They slammed into the pavement, Electro taking the brunt of the fall before Spider-Man sprang away, looking for anything he could use against the electric man.

"C'mon Spidey, think!"

Eventually, his eyes fell on a water pipe nearby. Seeing Electro beginning to get up, he jumped on the pipe, shooting two weblines and yanking with all his might.

"Let me tell you something about electricity, Electro! What happens when you mix it with water?"

The pipe snapped open, water spraying from it and onto Electro before he could get out of the way. He crashed to the ground, sparking and shorting out. Once that was done, Peter webbed him up as sirens approached before swinging away.

"Here's hoping he gets the help he needs." he muttered.

The next day, Harry gave Peter the cold shoulder, annoyed that his best friend bailed on him and didn't help him study. After failing his calc test, he stormed home, throwing his bag aside and knocking over a plant. As he stomped around, Norman emerged from his office.

"You seem... troubled, son." he said.

"Troubled?" Harry snapped. "You think? I failed my calc test 'cause Pete abandoned me! Flash's crowd won't let up, and-"

"Enough!" Norman cut in. "If there's anything I can't stand, it's whining."

Harry shut his mouth as Norman stepped forward.

"Take some responsibility. Peter's not the reason you failed. You wanna pass a test? Study. You wanna be popular? Be popular."

He put a hand on his son's shoulder. "Life's pretty simple, Harry. When faced with adversity, you cowboy up and do what you have to do. Take control of your own destiny, boy."

With that, he went into his study, leaving Harry to ponder his father's words.

"Yeah…" he said. "He's right. That's what I'll do."

Norman closed the door, turning to face the figure in the back, an older man in a business suit with brown hair.

"My apologies for the interruption, Agent Coulson." he told him.

"Quite alright, Mr. Osborn," Agent Coulson assured. "I understand you're a busy man."

As Norman took a seat, Agent Coulson got down to business.

"Now, Director Fury's a patient man, but he has his limits. How is your serum progressing?"

"Quite well," Norman replied. "We should be ready to enact human trials before long. I just need a little more time."

"Well, we're running out of time," Coulson said. "If you don't deliver by this time next week, I'm afraid we'll have to withdraw the contract."

"You can't," Norman insisted. "We're close, we just need more time."

"Then I suggest you hurry," Coulson sighed at Norman's annoyed look. "I'm just reporting on Director Fury's behalf. Don't shoot the messenger."

With that, he stood up and departed. Norman fumed for a few minutes before grabbing his phone and calling his staff.

"We're running out of time to perfect the OZ, which means it's time to get serious. I don't care how we do it, or by what means we do it. Bring… me... Spider-Man!"

Author's Note:

Norman's running out of time. Will he be able to capture Spider-Man? Stay tuned...

Please R&R. Until next time!