Erma © Outcast Comix/Brandon J. Santiago
Spider-Man © Marvel Comics/Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
Percy's spider-like senses were now tingling in a different way.
It was almost as if the world was grayed out, with his 'prey' highlighted in bright red.
he briefly closed his eyes as he recalled everything his mother taught him about hunting.
'stay hidden..stay silent.' his mother had said. 'strength is in numbers..but, lone prey is weak.'
Percy carefully examined the three teenagers.
they were to close together, striking now would alert them.
..but, it wasn't just live prey that he could sense.
Percy quickly fired a web shot at a lone trash can that was in a far odd corner.
..it made noise.
"hey..I heard something over there." said a teen.
"then, go check it out. It might be one of those brats." said another teen.
As one of the teens departed from the other two, Percy got into position.
his body twitched in anticipation..awaiting for the opportune moment to strike.
"ah-HAH!" exclaimed the teenager, as he ripped the trash can lid off. "what?"
the teen was surprised (and, disappointed) to find nothing hiding inside.
..but, then- ((*THWIP-THWIP!*))
In an instant, two silver lines stuck onto the teen's mouth and chest.
with a muffled scream, the hapless teenager was yanked upward and suspended in the air.
Sidney watched with shock and amazement as Percy slammed the teen into the wall,
and plastered him against it with a giant web in no less than two or three seconds.
The teen squirmed around. He was unable to call his friends, and couldn't break free, either.
He was..quite literally trapped like a fly in a spider's web.
Percy web-zipped over to another part of the wall..looming over the remaining two teenagers.
..It was then that the two noticed their buddy was missing.
"hey..where's Bobby?" spoke one of the teenagers. "BOBBY!"
the second Teen walked over to where his missing friend was last seen. "he couldn't had just.."
As he was talking, Percy made his move and web yanked the teenager behind him.
Again, Sidney watched as her friend behaved like a spider on a nature documentary.
quickly wrapping the hapless teenager up in a white cocoon and hanging him from the wall.
Sidney swallowed. surprised at Percy. She knew the teenagers were still alive,
and that Percy wasn't even trying to hurt them..too badly.
yet, it was still scary (and, kinda cool) watching Percy pick them off
one-by-one like some kind of monster in a horror movie.
(..in a way, it kinda reminded her of Erma, and how she played 'Hide & Seek')
The final teenager wasn't even given time to realize he was alone
before Percy shot a web line, and propelled himself forward..Kicking the teenager down.
As he hit the ground, Percy quickly fired two web shots that plastered him to the ground.
With all their stalkers incapacitated, Sidney crawled down to Percy.
Despite being in her hybrid rat form already, she had her hoodie up over her head.
"we should go." said Percy (still wearing his mask.) "these three might have more friends close by."
Sidney looked around..and, then ran over to a manhole cover. "I know another way home.."
Percy ran over to Sidney as the Rat Girl tried to pry the metal lid loose.
It proved to be more difficult than Sidney thought it might be.
"come on..(*grunts with effort*)"
Percy joined in to help Sidney pry open the manhole.
It budged..but, still remained shut tight.
With a sharp sigh, Percy stepped back..and, allowed himself to change into his own hybrid form.
with four arms instead of two, he and Sidney tried one more time to pull the metal cover off.
((*PLOP!*))
The manhole came loose, allowing entry into the sewer tunnel down below.
As Sidney set the metal lid aside, Percy groaned as he changed back into his human form.
"that can't be easy on you.." spoke Sidney.
"it..isn't." replied Percy.
"you don't have to hide who you are..Not where we're going."
Percy looked at Sidney (who to her, now looked like a 'superhero' with his mask on.)
"yes, I do. SOME spiders 'eat' rodents." said Percy. "I don't want to take any chances."
Sidney frowned..but, nodded. "okay..whatever makes you feel comfortable."
Percy stepped back from the open manhole "ladies first."
Sidney smiled as she climbed down the manhole, and onto the sidewalk of the sewer canal.
she looked up as Percy dropped down with a web line in his hand.
As he landed onto the ground, the opening above them was closed back up
by the manhole cover that Percy had snagged on the other end of his web line.
Percy then pulled his mask off, and breathed out deeply.
..which he regretted.
"ugh..that's an interesting smell." groaned Percy.
"Don't worry, the subway tunnels isn't that far from here." said Sidney.
Percy looked at Sidney. "you have a sensitive nose, right? How are you not passed out by now?"
"It isn't easy..but, I've learned to block it out." said Sidney.
"otherwise, I would be overwhelmed by all the different good and bad scents around me."
Percy took a moment to ponder this. "I guess that makes sense."
As the two began to walk down the sewer tunnel, Sidney looked to Percy.
"that was..Amazing what you did back there." said Sidney.
"only doing what my mom taught me." said Percy.
"we..could've just ran away." said Sidney. "Escaped from the rooftop."
"yeah, we could've..But, they would've done the same to some other kids." said Percy.
"Don't worry. my webbing dissolves in a few hours, so they'll get free."
Sidney chuckled. "AND, probably think twice about following anyone into a dark alley."
Percy chuckled along with Sidney. "that, too."
Sidney walked closer to Percy. "thank you for getting us out of that situation..that's TWO I owe you, now."
Percy smiled. "eh, don't mention it..ESPECIALLY not to your dad."
"oh, yeah..heh! he'd hit the roof if he found out about this." chortled Sidney.
"It'll be our secret, then." said Percy, who made a 'zipped lip' gesture.
Sidney smiled at Percy. "thank you."
[Much Later..]
True to her word, Sidney and Percy didn't stay in the sewers for very long.
The pair soon found themselves walking down an old subway tunnel.
..a REALLY old subway tunnel.
So old, that Percy wondered if it had once been a regular train tunnel
that had been retro-fitted to accommodate a subway before eventually being sealed off.
"Over Here!" called Sidney, who ran over to an obstruction that blocked off the tunnel.
a derailed subway car buried under tons of debre.
"just through there is my home." said Sidney "It's only a short walk to the Undercity."
Percy stared at the obvious road block. "through..THERE?!"
Sidney approached the derailed subway car, and jiggled the door open.
Despite it's broken windows, the interior was empty enough to walk through.
"ohhh..heh!, Clever." said Percy, impressed.
"just follow me..walk carefully, now." said Sidney, as she took Percy's hand.
The two carefully walked through the tilted and overturned subway car.
Despite how dark it was, neither Sidney, nor Percy were blind.
Their own individual heightened senses made it easy to navigate within the darkness.
Once the two reached the other end of the subway car,
Percy was quickly met up with a pair of towering Rat Men carrying makeshift weapons.
"oh!..oh, my." Percy stared, awestruck at the anthropomorphic rats staring down at him.
"It's OKAY, Percy. they won't bite." said Sidney.
*god, I hope not.* muttered Percy.
the Rat Guards simply snorted as Percy walked with Sidney further down the tunnel.
And, in just a few minutes, Sidney led Percy to what appeared to be an old train station.
And, beyond that...was a sight that made Percy's jaw drop.
Standing before him was the ruins of a very old town.
a town that was clearly man made, yet was now populated by humanoid rats people.
Sidney smiled at Percy. "we-welcome to my home."
Percy was still gazing in shock and awe. "you live HERE?"
Sidney nodded. "We have for awhile..though, not always." spoke Sidney.
"As I told you, we used to live in a village underneath the school.
but, then..we had to relocated. and, while tunneling, we found this place.
a whole town abandoned, and buried underneath Blairwood.
The council of elders say it hasn't been touched by man for hundreds of years."
Percy took a moment to really look at town that now belonged to the Rats.
"no kidding." said Percy. "This place looks like it's 'frozen in time'..Amazing."
Suddenly, Percy felt a familiar tingling feeling in his brain.
He gasped, gripping his head..He then felt a hot breath against his neck.
((*grrrr...*))
Percy quickly turned to see a rat dressed in red clothing glaring down at him.
"um..h-hi?" said Percy, trying to be friendly.
The rat in red responded with an ice cold glare.
he CLEARLY didn't like Percy at all.
"just what we need..ANOTHER trespasser." growled the Rat Man.
Sidney stepped up. "P-Percy is my friend. I..invited him over."
The Rat scoffed. "of course you did, HALFBREED."
"Vermilion.." spoke a deep voice.
Percy and Sidney looked to see another towering Rat Man approach.
This one was wearing green, and looked a bit friendlier.
"Dad!" spoke Sidney, looking up at Delapore.
Percy gazed with wide eyes as the two rat men stared at each other.
"back off, vermilion..the boy is our guest." spoke Delapore. his voice Calm, yet Stern.
Vermilion sneered. "I was under the impression we came here to escape from the humans."
Delapore growled low. "not another word from you."
Vermilion managed a snarled before finally turning around, and walking away.
Delapore breathed out deeply. he then turned to his daughter, and her new friend.
"sorry about that. Vermilion is..in another one of his moods."
Sidney ran up, and hugged her father..who knelt down, and hugged her back.
"I'm so glad you're safe, Sidney.." spoke Delapore.
Percy watched this scene with very conflicted feelings.
While he was glad to see Sidney so happy..it just made him think about his own father.
Percy then froze as Delapore turned his attention to him. "and, You must be Percy.."
Percy swallowed hard as Delapore approached, and towered over him.
"um..we-well, I-uhh..ye-yeah, that is my n-name." stuttered Percy, nervously.
Sensing his dread, Delapore knelt down to Percy's level.
Percy faced the Rat Man, their eyes locked in an unblinking stare.
"Sidney told me about you.." spoke Delapore. "she told me how you saved her life."
Percy looked at Delapore..and, then nodded. "I did..yes."
Delapore looked at Percy. "that was a very brave and noble thing you did..you have my undying gratitude.
Sidney is..my whole life. I shudder to imagine what I would do if I ever lost her."
Sidney blushed as Delapore took Percy's hand, and gently shook it. "thank you, young man"
Percy manage to smile..at last, feeling calmer. "you're welcome, sir."
As this scene transpired..Vermilion watched from afar.
the male rat growled in his throat as he watched Delapore hug the human child.
While he wasn't the only one among the colony that detested humans,
and questioned their leader's compassion for them..Vermilion was perhaps the most vocal.
(even more so than a certain elder, whose voice was drowned out by the many.)
one day...One Day things would change around here.
..perhaps Sooner, than Later.
[End of Part Six]
[Author Notes]
It goes without saying that I borrowed the Stealth Gameplay from some Spider-Man videogames
when I wrote the short scene where Percy takes down the three teenagers without being seen.
(mainly Spider-Man Noir, who is a master at stealth.)
While it would've been VERY easy to copy my own homework,
and write in the "Alligator Men" as the first antagonists for Percy to eventually face.
I decided to be more creative, and have one of the rat men possibly be a villain.
(It isn't that unheard of for Delapore to clash with his own kind with more aggressive tendencies.)