Spider-Man
When Worlds Collide
Tony Stark had completely changed Liberty Island. It was no longer the famous tourist attraction that hit had once been. Now it was just a fully lit, hi – tech, fortified manor house, with enough guards to make up the US Army. Flying camera bots hovered around the area and several beacon towers were scattered around the island. The spot where the statue used stand was now a central security post, where ground control operatives would guide ships In and out from the air and the sea. To Spider-Man, it was like a futuristic Alcatraz had been placed of the coast of the city.
The airship that had carried Spider-Man and Miguel had arrived at the island. They had to wait until the ship had passed the security barrier before they could jump down towards the roof of the manor.
"I don't like this place." Spider-Man said. "It ruins the city's…eh…image."
"Have you quite finished insulting my home now?" Miguel asked sarcastically. "Now come on, now's our chance to pay President Vanity our little visit."
"As long as it's not a mothers meeting then ok let's do this." Spider-Man answered.
The ship began to descend onto the landing pad that was situated just behind the manor house. The two wall crawlers leaped from the air duct and onto the roof tops. They tried their best not to alert any attention from the guards as their visit was unauthorised. As they stuck to the shadows, they both noticed a skylight up ahead. It wasn't open, but they both knew that it wouldn't be a problem.
Miguel went first and using one of his web tricks, he neatly pulled out a sheet of glass without cracking it or smashing it to pieces. As he placed the glass on the roof, Spider-Man asked;
"How did you do that?"
"D.I.Y guide." Miguel replied. "I'll lend you the holo-disk if you want?"
"Erm no that's ok."
Tony Stark had been president for over 30 years. Everyone would think that he had aged but they were wrong as Stark had invented a machine that would make him young for another 40 years. The machine had also increased his brain patterns, allowing him to be the most knowledgeable man in the city. You think that he would be the happiest man in America, but you would be wrong as Stark was depressed and became an alcoholic. Presidency had affected him dramatically and at times, he had often thought that he had control over the country. He would stand at the window and gaze out to the futuristic metropolis that he had created across the river. He missed the day when he was "The Invincible Iron Man" and would do anything to have those days back, but that was the past now and New York had belonged to the global corporations that included his and Spider-Man 2099.
"Nice night isn't it Stark?" came a voice from the shadows, which startled the President.
"I had a feeling that you would come here at some point this week?" Stark replied, recognising the voice. "It's ok Spider-Man. You can come out of the shadows now."
"Make that two of us." Spider-Man said, as he revealed himself from the shadows along with Miguel.
"Two Spider-Men?" Stark said, rubbing his eyes. "It must be a side-affect from the rejuvenating machine?"
"No you're fine." Miguel assured the President. "He's just my buddy from another dimension who visits here often."
"Do I?" Spider-Man muttered.
"Well you do now." Miguel muttered back. "Work with me here?"
"It's ok. I know about the dimensional transit tunnels." Stark chuckled. "What can I do for you Gentlemen?"
"We need your help." Miguel explained. "A mad man called "Mysterio" had crossed over from this Spider-Man's dimension into here and he's holding a powerful tablet that is capable of destroying both of our worlds."
"And you need my help because?" Stark asked.
"You are the only one who has access to every street, corner and area of this city in holographic maps." Miguel continued. "Mysterio is hiding and we can't find him anywhere."
"And you want me to provide you with the maps?" Stark asked as he cottoned on to situation. "Something that could affect my role as President?"
"For crying out loud, yes." Spider-Man answered sounding stressed.
"Calm it will you?" Miguel replied. "I'll handle this."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Spider-Man thought to himself as he stepped to the back of the room.
"I can get a copy of the maps transferred to a projection disk for you." Stark said. "It shouldn't take very long."
"Well I hope not?" Miguel said. "Because you have a gay madman roaming around your city."
"Better make that two?" Stark replied as his desk monitor flashed wildly. "According to this, The Hobgoblin is on the loose in the city as well?"
Miguel approached the monitor. Spider-Man could see that his fists began to clench.
"It's The Hobgoblin alright." Miguel replied. "The Hobgoblin of this dimension."
"But he can't be as ugly as the Hobby of my world?" Spider-Man asked as he looked at the screen himself. "Ugh. This one must've slept with the ugly stick!"
"I'll get the maps for you now." Stark said as walked towards another room. "You better hurry otherwise this situation could get messy."
"You don't say?" Spider-Man replied sarcastically.
Half an hour had passed and the two Spider-Men had returned to the city. Miguel had six holographic disks with him that displayed the maps to the city. Each disk had five maps each that had detailed streets, buildings, subways, sidewalks and docking ports that were all categorised into the city's districts.
The both swung onto the top of the futuristic Empire State Building and began to split the disks.
"Ok." Miguel said. "We'll stick together in most places but there will be times where we'll have to split up so we'll have to rely on Madame Webb to guide us."
"I'll track Mysterio." Spider-Man said. "And you hunt down The Hobgoblin."
"Well duh?" Miguel replied. "We should both start the search at a big, heavily populated area?"
"The Subway?" Spider-Man said. "Mysterio has always had a thing for causing destruction in a subway tunnel."
"Good thinking." Miguel said as he spun a webline to the building below them.
"Good thinking is my middle name." Spider-Man replied as he followed the future Spider-Man down towards the streets.
It wasn't long before they reached the Subway station. The place was heaving with people as the two men arrived at the main entrance.
Suddenly, their spider-sense began to tingle. There was something bad going down inside the station. As the two heroes' began to advance on the station, they were nearly swept away by a crowd of fleeing pedestrians. Screams of fear were heard for miles around and it made the gravity of the situation seem more serious.
Miguel had made it onto the ceiling in which he scaled down the corridor towards the main platforms. Spider-Man was up ahead of him. As they reached platform 1, their spider-sense began to tingle again.
Suddenly, Miguel was hit by what appeared to be a projectile missile. He fell to ground with a large thud. Spider-Man on the other hand, was able to dodge the blast and clung onto a pillar. Miguel picked him up off of the ground and rubbed his head.
"Are you alright?" Spider-Man asked.
"I hope he is?" said a voice which wasn't Miguel.
Then, The Hobgoblin slowly emerged from the dark tunnel on his stealth glider.
"I wouldn't want him dead just yet now would I?