Mary Jane sat me down after we ordered then folded her hands and resting her elbows on the table looking at me.

"So tiger, spill." MJ prompted her green eyes piercing.

"Well… it's a long story." I said rubbing the back of my neck not quite sure what to say.

"I have time." MJ assured with a smile. I guess we did.

"Well… I guess I begins with me realizing that I want to be with Gwen." I admitted.

"So why aren't you together?" MJ asked. That's what I was wondering as well… but I also knew the answer to that, even if the answer was painful.

"She's with Harry." I shrugged acting like it was no big deal.

"I see." MJ said, "So Liz?" Great… Liz.

"Yeah… Liz is great, amazing even. She puts up with me being late and disappearing all the time. She's a great girl." I sighed, "But… she's not Gwen, I hate to put her second, especially when she's been so good to me. I should have realized it earlier… but I get distracted easily." MJ laughed.

"Completely true." She smiled. Wow… she has a great laugh and those eyes… I shook my head.

"I can't be with Liz when I l-like Gwen… I don't want to be unfaithful and it's not fair to Liz." I said.

"That's probably the smartest thing I've heard a guy say about dating." MJ smiled, "Took you long enough to figure out though." MJ teased.

"Hey!" I protested, "At least I figured it out." I grumbled. MJ put her hand on mine surprising me.

"That's why you're different than some idiots out there. Listen Pete, if you want Gwen you got to fight for her." MJ scolded, I sighed hanging my head.

"Well… she's with Harry… and he needs her more than me." I shrugged. MJ smiled at me.

"You have a heart of gold Peter." MJ complimented.

"Sure." I said sarcastically. Heart of gold… then why do I feel so crummy? I wondered.

"Order 27!" the girl called.

"That's us." I stood up and grabbed our order. I blew on my cocoa and returned to the table handing MJ her tea. MJ took the cup and opened it pouring some sugar into it and stirring it looking at me.

"Peter, I know it's been rough lately, with Liz and Gwen and with Harry's dad dying… and Sally and Flash certainly aren't helping things." MJ said almost like she was embarrassed by it, "But you're a great guy, never think any different." MJ said eyes boring into me.

She's right… I need to get out of this pity party and do something. I realized. Alright Parker, from here on out you need to look on the bright side of things. Or… at least try.

"Thanks MJ." I smiled. I took a sip of the warm chocolaty goodness.

"Umm… you might want to turn around tiger." MJ warned her tone making me think that I really didn't want to. I blinked.

"Why?" I asked. MJ winced. Nope, I really don't want to. I turned anyway, "Oh…" Liz stood there staring at me half sad half pissed. When I turned she turned away abruptly and ignored me flipping her hair over her shoulder as she waited in line.

"Just when I was starting to feel better." I sighed, nothing like an ex-girlfriend to make you lose your appetite, even for the oh so amazing cocoa at Silver Spoon.

"You should talk to her." MJ said giving me a meaningful look.

"Right after I ask Jameson for a raise." I said sarcastically.

"Just try and make up with her." MJ said pushing me and looking slightly annoyed.

"Ok, ok, don't give me the look, I get it enough from Gwen." I said. MJ smiled a little then shoed me off. I approached Liz slowly not quite sure what to say.

Um… hey Liz, how are you… yeah smooth Pete. How about… no, or…

"Uh… Hi." I said as I stood behind her still not knowing what to say.

"What do you want Peter." Liz said I flinched.

"Oh wow… Peter… you are mad." I said. Liz gave me a glare.

"Ya think." Liz asked angrily.

"Liz, I don't know what to say… I… its complicated." I rubbed the back of my neck nervously.

"Complicated? You broke up with me to be with Gwen. How complicated is that Petey?" Liz asked I blanched as she said this.

"You… uh… knew about that?" I asked worried.

"MJ has only been trying to get that to happen since forever. Looks like she finally succeeded." Liz said flippantly obviously more angry at MJ then me. I thought they'd made up after the Mark/Molten Man thing but… I guess me breaking up with her must have rendered that null and void.

"Liz… I'm sorry. I know that's not what you want to hear but…" I didn't know where to go from there, I could say I'm sorry all I wanted but that wouldn't change the fact that I broke up with her.

"But what Petey?" Liz asked moving up in line annoyed by my lack of ability to finish a sentence.

"I… really can't say anything to make you feel better… but… well I can't keep putting you second… I know that is a lame excuse, especially when we were dating. I don't want to be dishonest you know… I… I don't know." I was blowing it, blowing it!

"Liz… I can understand if you hate me, and really it just sounds like I'm making excuses but… if I'm going to be with someone, I shouldn't be thinking about someone else. It just…" I broke off looking around, Spider-sense… but where…

"Pete?" Liz asked. I looked around. Must have been a false ala- I suddenly found myself caught by the throat as I turned around in my quest to look for my attacker. I didn't even have time to register a face before my mind stopped as gas was dispersed in my face.

"PETER!" I heard someone yell but reality was fading. I looked groggily at the man holding me by my neck. Who was he… where was I… who was I? All questions my mind would answer at a later dated as my vision went black.

(3675309)

The place I was laying was cold and hard.

Where am I? Last I remember I was talking to Liz… then… LIZ!

I opened my eyes we were about eye level. Liz was looking at me through bars.

"Petey?"

"Liz?" I groaned rolling over. We were both untied, which was good for us or even worse. If they didn't tie us up… that definitely meant that they were confident enough in their ability to stop us.

"Peter!" I looked up, MJ too? Life just keeps getting complicated. I didn't have my bag… MY BAG! I looked around. Where was my bag. It had my Spidey mask and my biology homework.

"Welcome to my liar, Peter Parker." Said a too dramatic and all too well known voice. "Make yourself at home."

"Home? Sweet, so… can I use a phone or something?" I asked quipping out of habit. The voice laughed and a familiar looking bubblehead appeared.

"Why of course not you're the bait for Spider-Man." Mysterio said not so mysteriously. Holding his hands out and exaggerating his every move.

"Of course." I sighed, "Liz… MJ… are you ok?" I asked looking over to where they were in separate cages. They didn't look like much, I bet with my… white hot pain seared through my body and I promptly let go collapsing back onto the floor. Oh so that's why we aren't tied up.

"I wouldn't touch the bars if I were you." Mysterio said with a chuckle.

"Yeah… thanks for the warning." I groaned. Ugh… no moving, "Anyone know Spidey's ETA?" I asked sarcastically. No one answered. I looked up at Liz and MJ who were just staring at me in shock… wait how come the girls got to share a cage? It would make breaking out so much easier if we were all in the same cage. I felt my wrists… no web shooters. I put them in my bag after web slinging it to school. Wait these guys searched me for my cell phone and didn't notice my Spidey suit underneath my clothes? How thick can you get? Unless… they didn't search for my cell phone.

I pulled out the thin electronic device from my pocket. Score!

"Don't bother, you're over a hundred feet underground, there's no way a signal would get out." Mysterio gloated. I shrugged.

"No kidding?" I asked then settled back down to wait, "Well, we have time, mind telling me how Spider-Man is supposed to find us when we're hundreds of miles underground then?" I asked, "You got to admit this plan has flaws." I pointed out. Mysterio remained quiet, "Well then could you at least tell me why you're stuck with guard duty, couldn't they get someone else more… I don't know lesser rank?" I asked.

"Petey." Liz whispered almost as a warning.

"Unless you are the lower rank, which I gotta admit wouldn't be that far-fetc-" I broke of as electricity coursed through my body igniting the nerves with pain signals. I gasped but suppressed a scream. It suddenly stopped leaving my collapsed on the bottom of the cage.

"Peter!" MJ and Liz yelled. I groaned as Mysterio laughed.

"Yeah… that hurt." I said getting on my hands and knees keeping my satire.

"You're as insolent as that Spider!" Mysterio ranted, "But more fragile." He added. Fragile? Why did everyone think I was so fragile?

"Well, I guess the web head has rubbed off on me…" I groaned, "Don't worry… I won't be doing that again." I promised. Then I laid back down as if I collapsed. I could hear Liz crying and Mary Jane trying to comfort her unsure herself. I wanted to tell her I was alright and let her know everything was going to be ok… but right now I needed time to think. I let my eyes slowly close and thought out the lay out.

Think Parker… we're underground right? So either Mysterio has carved out a base… or we're in an old subway tunnel. That last one seems more likely. Subways in Manhattan not the best idea of and evil hide out, but there are plenty of people bumming it down here too. So they expect Spider-Man… I hate to disappoint but I don't think your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is going to show up. I don't have any web shooters and my mask is in my bag. I need to find that first. Idiot Parker, I might need to start wearing those shooters everywhere if things like this are going to happen.

First things first though, getting the girls out. We're hanging a couple feet above the ground and there are computers down here so maybe it isn't in the subway tunnels, didn't think of that. Hair pins… the girls might have hair pins. Now I don't specialize in breaking in, but how hard could it be? Who am I kidding I'll just look like an idiot. My best bet would be to cut the power. Lights go out, electricity off, no nasty shock when I touch the bars. Then I can just bend them and get me and the girls out. I don't know how to explain that though… maybe I'll do that later.

Power…

I sat up and looked around groaning to add to the illusion of fragile Peter Parker. Only Mysterio, and with my luck probably a bot.

"Peter?" I looked up at the girls, I couldn't say anything or warn then to get ready or I'd lose my chance.

"I'm fine." I said. I looked over at Mysterio. Was he the one who grabbed me… it had happened so fast, I just remember a blur… the girls probably would know. If I had my web shooters this would be so much easier. But then the girls would see so maybe it's for the best. I looked around my cage. Nothing. I sat up moving to see Mr. Mysterio.

"So… come here often?" I asked. He looked over at me… well I assume he was looking at me, he was pointed in my general direction. You know it was really hard to tell when he was wearing that fish bowl.

"If you don't that's just cool too, this is the first time I've been here after all. I'm not in deep with the super villains to be invited to their crib on a regular basis, but I gotta say from what I see here… it's quite the dump." I hoped he would take the bait.

"This is the most high tech lab in this part of the island!" Mysterio preached offended. So we were still in Manhatten, I have to admit it crossed my mind that we might not be in New York anymore. But then how would they get Spidey here so I'd dispelled that, but hearing that we were still in New York was settling.

"Whoa there bubble head, high tech? I think the lab at ESU has more perks than this." I said. Mysterio pressed a button. I bit back a scream and settled for a dissatisfied grunt as I was shocked again.

No time to recover. I sat back up and leaned back putting my hands behind my head.

"Well, is that the highest you got, I gotta say, that was pathetic." I taunted smiling.

"Oh no, that was a low setting." Mysterio said ominously.

"Aw man." I braced myself for the next attack as Mysterio twisted a knob then pressed the button again. This time I did scream.

"Peter what are you doing?" MJ asked coming up to the bars.

"Um… getting electrocuted." I groaned, "It really wakes you up you know?" I said trying to get up and succeeding.

"Well stop it Petey, let's just wait for Spider-Man." Liz said.

Sorry Liz, Spider-Man isn't coming. I thought sadly.

"How was that!" Mysterio asked.

"Refreshing… but I gotta say, what kind of man just presses a button? What kind of villain does that make you. Wouldn't you get more satisfaction coming to deal with this yourself like a man… oh… right… you're a bubble head, not a man at all… maybe even a bot." I shrugged, "Who knows." Mysterio laughed.

"I get enough satisfaction right here." Mysterio pressed a button again. I screamed out again. I was really getting sick of screaming.

"PETER!"

"Plus, weakened prey is easier to take down." Mysterio said lowering the cage. I didn't get up, this was my shot. Mysterio came close to the bars holding a long evil looking staff that was crackling ominously.

You'll only get one shot, don't mess this up Parker! Mysterio's staff entered the cage. I jumped up suddenly surprising the Mysterio bot and grabbing the staff pulling the bot into the electrified bars. He started to spark and twitch, I then kicked him back into the control panel the bot exploding. As the controls broke both cages dropped to the ground I heard the girls scream and as their cage dropped. I then threw the electric staff into the power box near the computer and another short explosion later, no lights.

Not bad. I smiled then stood up touching the bars hesitantly and not getting shocked. Point one for Parker.

"Petey!" Liz yelled, "What did you do!" I began pulling the bars apart the slow creak of metal somehow going unnoticed.

"Go tiger! I guess all that watching Spider-Man has paid off." MJ complimented. I slipped through the bars my eyes growing accustomed to the dark, the sparks of light from the fried circuits growing fewer as the electricity stopped circulating.

"How are we going to get out with the power destroyed how are you going to open the doors Petey?" Liz asked concerned and probably mad that I dropped them so suddenly like that. I made it to their cage their scared faces on mine that was lit up every now and then by sparks of electricity.

"How about you just trust me?" I pleaded. MJ nodded, and Liz looked down unsure.

"Alright." She said looking back up at me. I smiled. Then I grabbed a bar from the ground and stuck it in the cage door and began pulling it open. I heard the lock break and the door swung open.

"Tada!" I said nervously. I looked around the sparking electrical mess then opened my cell phone casting the glow around and looking for my bag. I found it beside a pile of boxes. I grabbed it then felt inside. Jeeze these guys were the best. My web shooters were in there my Spidey mask and even my biology homework.

"Alright. There's the door." I said pulling the bag around my shoulder. I took out my web shooters ushering the girls in front of me and put them on under my long sleeves while they groped along the hall. At least I'd be able to use webs if worse came to worse. While the secret identity thing was nice… well I wasn't willing to risk Liz and MJ's lives on it.

We pulled the door open and looked out in the hall… sweet the blackout was a facility wide thing. There was no one in the hall which I found both refreshing and unnerving. I finished snapping on my web shooters then snuck in front of the girls. I had no idea where to go, but if we kept going we'd get out eventually… or just get further in but I'd think about that later. I crept down the hall barely able to see. There was no way that only Mysterio was in this facility, and no way that there would only be one Mysterio bot. I looked behind me at the girls as I walked forward.

"Pe-" Liz stared holding her hand out as if to stop me. I walked straight into someone.

"Huh? I can't see, whose there!" Rhino asked. I grimaced.

"Uh… the pizza man?" I asked with a shrug not sure what else to say.

"SPIDER-MAN!" Rhino charged I pushed the girls out of the way down one hall and nearly caught Rhino's horn as I jumped out of the way. Crap, I should have just said Peter Parker.

"Whoa, easy there O'hearn, its Peter Parker." I said trying to make amends. I opened my cell phone, "See." I said pointing the light at my face so he could tell.

"Parker huh?" Rhino asked, "You got free?" he asked. I closed the phone again my eyes trying to get used to the dark once more.

"Yeah, Spider-Man let us out, he's just down the hall taking on… Mysterio." I said. Well to be honest it was sort of true… a little past tense but still.

"Spidey's already here? But I was watching the door!" Rhino asked confused. I suppose that was hard for his small mind to comprehend.

"He came in through the vents." I covered easily. We might get out of here easy home free.

"I'm gonna bust the bug up." Rhino said pounding his fist into his hand.

"So we're good right? And you can just tell us which way to get out of here and we'll be on our way." I asked. Rhino managed to grab me my Spider-sense triggering but I didn't react fast enough.

"Nope." He responded popping the p, "I needs you to get to him."

"Or… you could just go pounding though walls till you get there, I'm sure a big strong guy like you can manage something like that. I doesn't take that much brains." I suggested. I really hated flattering my enemies.

"Oh yeah…" Rhino then smiled, and I really didn't like the look of that smile, "Then I'll just need some hostages to keep him passive."

"Yeah… I didn't think about that… LIZ, MJ RUN!" I yelled struggling in Rhino's grip. My shirt made a tearing noise as the top t-shirt part ripped. Rhino then grabbed the girls in his other arm before they could even react, then he laughed.

"You're going to have to lead me to Spider-Man now." Rhino said apparently very proud of himself. Then he started walking down the hall, me under his left arm Liz and MJ under his right.

"Why are things never easy?" I complained.

I had the chapter ready, so enjoy.