Author's note: The Rose has been with me several years. All of its members are "old friends" and have something in mind in this game but I haven't forgotten about our other story lines. Let's get to it!
DarthVader220: The is not bad. You should add in a bit of humor. Usually Spiderman is full of quips and what not. If you could, could you make it a little clearer. It is slightly hard to follow. You should also do crossovers and team ups. Wow. Sorry this is a lot. I should probably stop. Ya. Imma gonna do that now. Bye.
Me: Things will become clear, don't worry. The good-old Spider humor won't be left out, promise. Thanks for dropping by!
6. Dead Dog Fish
"Is he still asleep?" Vanessa walked into the room with Wesley. Her husband was still resting and it was more than eleven in the morning. "Should we call the doctor?"
"I tried his heartbeat five minutes ago. He's stable but perhaps, it isn't a good idea to keep him here" the secretary walked in. Wilson's breathing was elaborated but not as much as the night before. "Sir. Sir, please. You need to get up" Wesley gently touched his employer's shoulder to wake him up. After a few minutes, Fisk groaned and opened an eye.
"Ungh! What time is it?"
"Late. I have spoken with Manolis and Madame Gao. We have the report and all the details but right now, you need to see a doctor" the secretary helped him sit down and Wilson looked at the concerned expression of his wife.
"Has Norman called?"
"Not yet. I'll do it myself but you need to get up" Wesley reassured him. "Perhaps, we could arrange a change of location for you both or…"
"…" Fisk gave Vanessa another look. "No. That is exactly, what they want. If anyone needs to get to another location is me but alone"
"Sir…"
"I'm not putting my family on the line, am I clear?"
"Yes, sir" nodded the underling. "What shall be our next move?"
"Call Smythe. Tell him to get the north apartment ready. Vanessa will stay here and if you see anything suspicious, get out of town without me. They are waiting for me to fall or make a mistake and if that doesn't work, they'll go after you. That's why I want to be alone. I'm counting on you, Wesley, to protect Vanessa's life"
"Very well, Sir"
"Wilson, please. If I go with you, you won't be alone if you have a stroke. I don't want you to gingerly walk into their jaws" Mss Fisk frowned.
"I'll be fine. Smythe will keep an eye on me. When I bought that flat, I ordered a whole CTV system and an alarm rigging"
"I'm not leaving you to die"
"And I'm not letting you here to die with me. I'll keep in touch, I promise" they shared a hug and a kiss. "Wesley will take good care of you"
"Wilson. If anything goes wrong, if you have the chance to come with us, promise me you will take it"
"I promise" he kissed her again and waited till Vanessa was upstairs. "Call Dini. I want all of our men working"
"At once" Wesley took out his cell and made some calls while his boss rested. Once he got the whole team ready, he called Norman and put on the speaker. "Morning, Mr. Osborne. I'm calling you on behalf of Mr. Fisk. He's expecting the results you promised"
"Ah, yes! Morning, Mr. Wesley. I was expecting your call" Norman had just finished packing his vials. "I have just finished working with the solution. I'll be there in twenty minutes"
"…" Wesley looked at his boss and Fisk nodded. "Very well. He will be expecting you in the arranged location and don't be late"
"I won't. Just make sure to have my payment" Norman hung up and Wesley walked his boss to the limo.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Ok, let's see" Spidey was still looking around. "If I were a mad guy in a mask, where would I hide my ugly turf?" a small laughter was heard through the radio. "Uh, Elliot? A little help here. Do you spy anything with your little eye?"
"I'm looking, I'm looking. Nothing so far"
"There's gotta be some clue around here. C'mon, Norman. Don't make me pull you out!" Peter kept on looking through the buildings but nothing. "Time's running out, guys"
"Be nice, spider. We're doing our best" they moved the camera around. Elliot was beginning to lose patience.
"Hey, hold it there!" a female voice called through the radio. "Right panel, Elliot" an old building was in construction. "Can you guys read that?"
"Stromm. Stromm?" Spidey read out loud and suddenly clapped his hands. "Wait! That's it!"
"What's it?" Delson raised an eyebrow.
"Herman Stromm was Norman's first associate. He died of a heart-attack a few years ago so why does a building have his name? Or more precisely, the company rebuilding the building, if he was a scientist not a builder?" Peter remembered. "I dunno who pointed that out but he or she is a genius"
"Thank u!" the voice replayed.
"That's Judy, Spiderman. I'll do the introductions later so you can thank her. Ok, so we have a lead, people" Elliot commanded and Peter jumped until he was close to the construction. "Any suspicious subjects?"
"No, everything's awfully quiet and that's weird" recognized the superhero. "Christmas heist in Fifth Avenue?"
"I don't think so. Judy, anything you can tell us from there?" Delson changed the camera.
"People are gathering here in Chelsea Piers, mates. I'm not getting any notices from the blue mates but it seems like they have put a police blockage around the area" the woman was standing near the mall. "Someone has prevented people from going your way, hero"
"So it seems. I take it that you guys didn't put that barrier" Peter went thoughtful. "Any notes you can see?"
"Gimme a second, lad" Judy walked to the corner and saw the men guarding the way. "I'll be a monkey's uncle! Elliot, you ain't gonna believe this"
"Surprise me"
"You know who's guarding the way?" the woman gave them a close-up.
"Oh, brother"
"Uh, guys? I can't see what you see. Please, share with the class" asked Spiderman.
"Remember Plague's partner?" spoke Elliot. "Well, he's at Chelsea Piers playing cop along with other old friends"
"Ok… Not good" Peter swallowed.
"They seem to be doing lookout" Judy remained where she was. "I don't like this, mates. It reads here… Building Demolition. Stand clear"
"Holly…! They are gonna blow the place?" Spidey looked around.
"So it seems. We got little time before they do. It says here it's for midday. The Rabin and the others are here for a good reason but I'm not so sure of those behind the barrier"
"Ok, so we've got… twenty minutes. That gives us an edge" Peter checked his watch. "Jud, keep an eye on the people on the people while I check our lead. Elliot, have the firemen and coppers ready to walk in"
"You got it. Anything else?"
"Secure the parameter, dust for prints, check for fibers, scan for DNA, I want a urine sample from everyone and get me a latte. Don't mix up the two" joked Peter and the office laughed.
"Just do your thing, hero!" they watched as Spidey jumped through the roofs till he was right in front of the one with the Stromm sign.
"So far so good" Peter climbed down the wall until he felt a familiar itch. "And that's for opening ma big mouth" he jumped out of the way just in time. The same saw of the photo, but in a real life scale, cut in two the block where the hero was just standing. Peter blinked. It was the size of a grown up man! The dust slowly cleared. Before Peter, stood a small girl on a red riding hood but, unlike her story-book counterpart, this one had eyes that spelled murder from under the cloth. "Uh, Elliot?"
"Oh, dear"
"We've got Red on the scene" whispered Judy. "Ok, Spider. Whatever you do, don't make her angry"
"He! Easy for you to say" Peter breathed in. "Ok, uh. Listen, kid. I don't want to hurt you, you don't wanna hurt me so why don't we…? Wow!" the hero jumped again out of the way, she had almost cut him in two. "Hey, I'm trying to be nice"
"I highly doubt that she's listening, Spider. She must be having one of those berserker moments I told you about" said Elliot.
"Gee, thanks. That just made my day" Peter had no choice but to keep avoiding her. If he tried holding the blade, Red would easily parry and attack again. She was pretty agile for someone carrying such heavy blade. "Say, don't you have a granny to see? Because this is surely not the short-cut to her house" Red said nothing and almost cut his head. "Hey, it isn't funny to make jokes if you don't get an answer"
"Uh, sorry to interrupt, mates, but we've got only five minutes left" Jud made sure that there was nobody crossing the lines.
"You tell her, not me" Peter jumped out of the way.
"Sir!" one of the cameras showed a limo crossing through the other side and not far from the building.
"Spidey, we got a problem. Civilian on range of the explosion!" Elliot tried not to lose his cool.
"Can't it wait? I've got an angry storybook here!" Peter had to held the blade with both hands to avoid been sliced. Red pulled and threw him across the street. Time was running out and Peter knew it. He looked up. The force of the movement had made the hood fall, making Red's face visible. Her brown hair was blood red around the edges but her face… Good Einstein, she…! Red frowned even deeper and with a furious cry, tried to slice him again. Elliot could only glance at the clock as it slowly reached midday with the girl's most powerful hit.
The blast threw them both away, against the nearest wall and enclosed the whole quarter in dust and smoke. After some anguishing minutes, Peter coughed and realized that he was still alive but covered in white dust. His ears were ringing from the explosion and there was no sign of Red anywhere. Spidey gently moved his head to clear it, while the surrounding sounds began to mix up. The siren of a fireman truck, policemen, bricks falling… Oh, god! His legs barely supported him as he walked towards the half-destructed building. Whatever was inside, it had been reduced to dust. Peter leaned on a pile of bricks. His ears were still ringing but a high-pitched, creepy voice made it to his brain.
"The itsy bitsy spider caught a mouse in its web, the itsy bitsy spider bit off the mouse's head" a hand filled with sharp needles touched Spidey's shoulder and the youngster turned in horror. "I spy with my little eye. Something beginning with S" the world seemed to go black around the boy. "On candy stripe legs the Spiderman comes/ Softly through the shadow of the evening sun/ Stealing past the windows of the blissfully dead/ Looking for the victim shivering in bed" Peter began to feel dizzy as a white plague mask began to appear in the dark. "Be still, be calm, be quiet now, my precious boy/ Don't struggle like that or I will only love you more/ For it's much too late to get away or turn on the light/ The Spiderman is having you for dinner tonight" Spiderman passed away as a chuckle was heard.
Yep, getting really ugly.
Old Plague loves to play with his food.
Have you guessed the secret of Red's face?