AN: Alright everyone chapter 2 is up now. I had a little bit of time to think about how it could go down. Hopefully it is something you will like.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Spider-Man or Young Justice. I also do not own any possible music that may come up during the story.
Chapter 2: Prepare to be Amazed
It had been two weeks since Sam had died and Adrian had made his new costume and web shooters to become Spider-Man. He was currently wearing it after all as he shot a webline from his right hand letting out a small cheer as he swung in between the buildings. An advantage he learned about being Spider-Man recently, no heavy traffic or pushing through crowds. It'd make going anywhere easier. Spider-Man spun in the air doing a brief free fall before shooting two webs from his wrists pulling him up again over pedestrians. All they would probably see is a red and blue blur flying over their heads. Spider-Man swung around a corner as he asked out loud in the wind, "Well New York what's the special today?"
"There is a robbery in progress at National Bank at Park Avenue. First responders are on route."
Adrian heard the police scanner he had put into his mask as a means to keep open tabs on any close by crimes. Muggers and open thefts were common enough. It never hurt to keep open lines like this for instance. "Oh, bank robbery huh? Classic, let's get to work." Spider-Man said as he shot a web as he swung in the direction to where the bank robbery was happening. The trip there was easy because of the web swinging. The only way to travel here. He came to the bank wall as he slowly opened a window. What? He was a superhero but he didn't need to break windows to do it. He's not Batman. Speaking of which when he came into the bank he saw people down at the floor and the crooks were wearing…..Justice League masks? Spider-Man had to stop himself from laughing at the irony of this scene. There were four crooks all wearing one hero mask from the league. Superman, Batman, Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman. That last one isn't even a woman. Well he guessed he'd have to take down the 'league' here. Spider-Man crawled along the ceiling before lowering himself on a single web upside down as he looked at the crooks putting money in sacks. "Hey guys. If you were short on cash you could have just asked a fellow hero." Spider-Man quipped as they all turned to look at the spider hero. Spider-Man let go of the web flipping down to the floor. He then faked a gasp as he pointed to the crooks. "Wait, you guys aren't the League. I can tell, Wonder Woman over there gives it away!" The crooks pulled up their guns to which Spider-Man shot webs at all the guns in two lines and yanked them out of their hands. "Come on at least make it somewhat fair guys. I don't have weapons." Spider-Man quipped as he webbed the guns to the floor. The 'Superman' tried to punch at him to which Spider-Man blocked the fist and casually spun him onto the ground before webbing him. His spider sense tingle as the one in 'Martian Manhunter' came at him from behind. Spider-Man flipped in the air over the punk as he shot two weblines onto his back pulling him back. Spider-Man landed on top of him knocking him out cold. As 'Batman' tried his hand Spider-Man flipped onto the ceiling as the man tried throwing a series of punches. Right, left, right, left. Spider-Man merely tilt his head each side dodging the fists. "You think with all that skill you got you could hit one little spider." Spider-Man teased at the crook before blocking the last punch before pushing him right to 'Wonder Woman' as he tried to run. Spider-Man webbed up the two together. He wiped his hands after he gathered all four together webbing them to the wall. "Hey, when the cops get here would you mind giving them my card?" Spider-Man asked with a small smile under his mask as he stuck a small card on the webbed up goon with his staple. 'Courtesy of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.' With that done Spider-Man shot a webline and swung his way out of the bank just as the police had come in.
What Spider-Man and the police were unaware of at the time was that a figure in the shadows just close to the bank watched the whole thing. Someone who had a plan against the web swinging hero. "Soon Spider-Man you will be my greatest achievement. When I defeat you. Before that I think I'll ruin your reputation first." The mystery figure said as he slowly disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.
Spider-Man swung his way through the city before landing onto a certain brown building. He slowly opened the window and crawl inside it before using his foot to close the window behind him. Spider-Man stood up on the floor taking off his mask to reveal Adrian. His short brown hair was covered in sweat as he pulled off his gloves. "Man it's hot under that mask. I bet you don't hear about other heroes complaining about that." Adrian muttered as he put the mask and gloves on his bed. Adrian had been doing this superhero thing and it was not easy to say the least. Especially making the web fluid for his shooters. It is surprising how expensive the supply is needed. Adrian figured if he needed to keep a steady supply then he would need a job. He was 16 so he was legal age to work in between school. It was his hero duties he was worried about. He didn't want to cause a fuss if he was late but if it were to happen he may not prevent it because he would not stop helping people because of it. Adrian could worry about that later as he put some clothes over his suit and his mask and gloves in his pocket.
As he came out of his room and to the living/dining room all alone. An advantage to his dad and sister having pretty long days, no need to explain how he got inside. Adrian plop himself onto the couch as he took the remote to the tv and pressed the on button.
An anchor woman of a news show spoke with two guests speakers of the show. "Hello I'm Janie Williams here today to talk about the story that continues as of late. The hero calling himself Spider-Man. Many people are calling him a hero for the deeds he's done so far. However I have with me today that may not agree with the way the vigliante is doing things. With me are Gordon Godfrey and J. Jonah Jameson."
Adrian looked at the tv screen as two men were on each chair. The first was a man a guy in a blue suit and black tie, his short brown hair was combed neatly and his smile said anything but sincerity to Adrian. The other guy was older than the first one with short black hair with sides of grey on the lower parts. He had a small mustache over his lips as he looked to be frowning. He wore a grey suit with a red tie in contrast to the other guest of this show. 'Geez any smaller and that mustache would almost look like a certain german dictator.' Adrian thought to himself as he leaned back on the couch with a small chuckle. Though he would never say it out loud he was concerned with what the public thought of him. Especially if these guys were supposed to be talking about him. History has shown that the media and costume heroes didn't always mix. Look at Superman and Batman when they first started out. The media made them out to be enemies or major threats that would one day take over. Those are two of the famous ones, who knows what they'd say about him? Well he was about to find out.
The first to speak was Jameson as he looked at the camera with a angry scowl. "Thank you Janie. Now I've lived long enough to almost see them all. Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern. Now a lot of these are heroes I've come to respect. You know why? Because they're not afraid to hide their faces from the rest of the world. They make you look into their eyes that garner respect! Now we have other heroes that are too scared to show themselves. Like Batman, Flash, and any other numbers of heroes. Now don't get me wrong I respect the Justice League but some of them could learn to take off their masks. Now we got this Spider-Man that swings around our great city. I'm not convinced he's the hero everyone calls him to be. For all we he could be the biggest threat to us all! I say we put out a call to have this masked man arrested!" Jonah yelled as he let his hand hit the rail of his chair. Adrian rolled his eyes slightly at this mans rambling. Something told him this wouldn't be the last time he would hear that statement from this guy. Though that didn't mean what the next guy say any better.
Gordon smiled charismatically as he looked to Jameson before looking to the camera. "Well we differ only slightly on that statement my friend." Gordon got up from his chair and adjust his tie a little as he walked around the room still looking to the camera. "While the League has done 'good' I believe they are hiding things. Things that we the people should know! I mean did they know about Spider-Man suddenly coming out of the woodwork? Or is he another alien refugee that they let stay on Earth? I mean come on look at his powers. Crawling on walls, superhuman strength and shooting webs from his wrists. I say to you now people that Spider-Man is just another alien that is just staying on Earth for his own needs. I agree that Spider-Man should be brought to justice. If the League won't do it. Then we the people will." Gordon said to the screen just as Adrian turned it off with a scowl on his face.
'First of all I was born in Brooklyn thank you very much. Second of all my webs are made by hand they don't just spew out of me. Third and most important, if I was an alien than the first thing I'd do is web up that mouth of yours with Jameson's.' Adrian thought with a small scowl on his face. He should of seen this coming, because why should everyone like a hero? That would be too easy for the newest hero in the community. At least he thought he was the newest hero. The teen sighed a little as he turned on the tv again. This time something important caught his eyes that would need him.
"We interrupt this program to bring you this breaking news. It appears that Spider-Man is seen robbing the Natural History Museum. Security seems to be unable to stop him." Adrian was shocked to see what looked like him swinging through the museum trying to escape. Which should be impossible since he was here at home. Whoever it was Adrian had to stop him. Adrian ran back to his room to grab his gloves and mask as he put them on. He gone over to his desk and grabbed two remaining cartilages of webbing. 'These are my last ones until I can make more. But that'll have to wait.' Adrian thought to himself as he pulled up his window as he jumped out in full costume. He shot a webline and swung out into the distance towards the museum.
Said Spider-Man who was avoiding the guards was now crawling outside on a wall. Over his shoulder was a sack with no doubt artifacts that he took from the museum. He looked just as a voice called out to him. "You know I hate to hit a handsome guy. But I think I'll get over it." This was in fact the real Spider-Man as he came swinging on a web right towards him with his own feet out aiming to kick him. Adrian has done this plenty of times before, swing down on bad guys and kick them pretty hard. What he didn't see coming was the Spider-Man all of a sudden disappear and instead of a wall there was a glass window. "Uh oh." Spider-Man muttered as the red and blue clad hero could not stop himself. The hero crashed through the window and tumbling down on the floor. Spider-Man got to his knees shaking his head still confused by what had just happened. One moment he was swinging at his doppleganger, the next he was crashing through a window.
"Freeze Spider-Man!" The webhead turned to his left to find two guards holding their weapons at him. Spider-Man raised his hands up over his head as he got up to his feet. This was not his finest moment.
"Okay I know what this may look like but I didn't take anything I swear!" Spider-Man pleaded his claim to his innocents. Though judging by the skeptical looks on their faces he had the feeling they didn't believe him. Well he better go before they decide to shoot first, ask question later. He aimed his right arm out and pressed the trigger to his shooters. The only sound they made was a, 'pfft.' Adrian tried again with his left one only to get the same sound. 'Oh come on not now!' Spider-Man yelled in his mind as he looked at his wrists knowing his shooters ran out of webbing. The guards seeing that he was trying to escape were ready to shoot if necessary. That was until purple smoke filled the room all of a sudden. Spider-Man coughed closing his eyes on instinct as he felt the smoke dissipate while hearing two thuds hit the floor.
Spider-Man looked up the moment the smoke cleared. The two guards were unconscious on the floor and someone new stood over them. He wore what looked like a green space suit with yellow gloves, a long purple that reached down to the heels of his boots, eye clips were on his shoulders keeping the cape on. The weirdest part about him was the bowl he wore over his head the only signs of a face was a shadow in it. Adrian couldn't see any features, just a shadow of a face. Though somehow Adrian could tell that the man was smiling under his clear bowl head. He spoke in a tone with deathly charisma. Much like a magician to an audience. "The great Spider-Man, we finally meet face to face."
Spider-Man lowered his hands as he looked at this man with confusion written on his mask as his lenes narrowed curiously. This was a first for him. Spider-Man has done some research on super villains and he had seen some crazy, weird and dangerous villains that he so far knew about. This one however seemed to make most of them seem like normal, most….of them anyways. "Uh….should I know you? I mean you know who I am obviously. I just think that I would know a guy that wears a fish bowl on his head." Obviously a joke but he still wanted to know who this guy was.
The man chuckled as he spread his arms open as the shadow on the face spun around briefly in the bowl before facing the web swinging hero. "You may call me the Amazing Mysterio. And I….will be the one to destroy you."
Spider-Man had silently put his last two web cartridges into his web shooters while Mysterio had spoke in his grandiose way. "Wow, they say you never forget your first girlfriend but I guess I'll never forget the first time a super villain says they'll destroy me." Spider-Man shot his webline right onto his helmet. It surprised Spider-Man when the bowl fell of and the man stood there with an empty spot where his head should be. This made Spider-Man even more shocked when the body just casually leaned down and picked up the bowl and placed it back onto his shoulders. "Okay…...that is definitely going to give me nightmares later tonight."
Mysterio chuckled as he brought his hands up and his fingers making an odd pattern with crossing his middle and ring fingers while connecting his index and thumbs on each hand making a triangle. "That is, if you have a later." The ground seemed to shake for a moment making Spider-Man stumble a little before looking up to see pieces of the roof above falling to him. Spider-Man brought his arms over his head on instinct closing his eyes for a moment. When he felt nothing Spider-Man looked up to see nothing again. His spider sense tingle as Mysterio crossed the distance and managed to get a good hit on Spider-Man making him grunt in slight pain before getting another punch to the gut and kick in the chest sending the red and blue hero across the hall. "Face it Spider-Man. You cannot defeat a master in the mystic arts." Mysterio made more motions of his hands as purple smoke covered the area. Spider-Man coughed a little as he couldn't see in the smoke. Spider-Man got into a stance as he looked around only seeing purple smoke, then he saw a shadow a Mysterio. Without thinking it through Spider-Man jumped right at the shadow. He passed right through the shadow rolling on the floor for a moment before getting up. "Come now Spider-Man. You can't defeat what you don't know what is real or not. For I can be everywhere and nowhere at the same time."
Spider-Man could hear Mysterio laughing in the smoke making the hero clench his fists starting to get mad. "Yeah well at least I'm not a coward that hides behind smoke and mirrors. So why don't you come out so I can knock that fish bowl off your head again." Spider-Man could hear Mysterio laugh as the smoke began to clear away again to show the green clad man with his glass bowl. "Got you now." Spider-Man said as he shot a web to the ceiling and swung right at him.
Mysterio made the same hand sign as the shadow looked right to Spider-Man. "Do you now?" The man said as the ceiling once again exploded above the spider hero with falling debris.
"Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice…." Spider-Man was saying out loud until he stopped mid sentence as his spider sense warned him of danger. He looked up realizing it was the debris from the ceiling that blew up. He let out a louder grunt of pain as it crashed on top of him making him crash onto the ground. "Shame on me." He finished groaning as he looked up as Mysterio came towards him.
He chuckled as he looked down at the down hero as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You see now Spider-Man? You can not defeat Mysterio, but do not fear. I will not destroy you now. No, I intend to ruin your reputation like you did mine." He held up his hand and a sack appeared in it with a small puff of smoke. He dropped the bag out came several artifacts. Just then the police came out of their cars and were making their way inside. "There's my cue to disappear. Have fun Spider-Man." He laughed as purple smoke surrounded his form and when it cleared he was gone.
Spider-Man groaned as he slowly pushed the large debris off his body. He was glad that he had superhuman strength. Otherwise he'd never be able to get that debris off him, though that did little to dull the pain in his ribs right now. "Freeze!" Spider-Man looked up to see police coming in for him with guns raised. Thinking quick on his feet Spider-Man shot up onto his feet shooting a webline out the window he came in and quickly swung out of the museum. He shot another web as he swung away from the police. 'Great, just great. I had a fight with a guy in a stupid spacesuit calling himself Mysterio, he frames me for a robbery I didn't even do and now cops were almost about to shoot me. I swear my day can't get any worse.' Spider-Man thought to himself however he would be proven once again wrong.
'I stand corrected.' Adrian thought to himself as he got home wearing his normal clothing as he watched a news feed. The topic you may be wondering right now? 'Spider-Man robs museum.' Nothing about another guy calling himself Mysterio, whoever he was knew how to cover his tracks. He didn't show up on camera feed from security cameras, no one saw him only Spider-Man, the guards knocked out claimed it was his doing. He was the only one to see him and who would believe a guy wearing red and blue spandex? It was not a good day for Spider-Man. Adrian just couldn't get how Mysterio could pull all of that off. Was he really magic? No that couldn't be, magic wasn't a real thing. That's what Adrian believed in anyways because to him magic was nothing but cheap parlor tricks that magicians use to distract people.
"I'm taking over." His little sister Marge said as she swiped the controller despite her brother protesting. Marge smiled as she changed the channel. She put on a magic show that was on camera here in the city. This was an old playback from a while back so it wasn't new. She smiled as she watched as the magician lifted his assistant with only a wave of his wand. This making Adrian roll his eyes with a snort. Marge heard that glaring to him with her blue eyes. "Shut it, I love magic and so did Sam so I don't want to hear it you nerd."
Yep, Sam and Marge loved magic shows. It was the thing those two could bond over back then. Honestly I just thought it was all bunch of phooey to me. Magic? Please, the day I believe in magic is the day pigs fly.
Adrian rolled his eyes as he looked at his little sister with a tiny smile on his face. "Whatever sis. I just don't understand how you can like this sort of thing. I mean….to me it's just garbage." He could see her sticking her tongue out at him before turning back to the show. It soon showed another magician this one a dark hair, almost a bowl cut, dark eyes that kept his eyes on the crowd wearing a green suit and red tie. What he did next was what surprised Adrian. He crossed his middle and ring fingers together and his thumbs and index fingers made a triangle. It was the same gesture Mysterio used in one of his tricks. He looked to his sister with a raised eyebrow and shrugged his shoulders. He acted as casual as possible trying not to be too suspicious. "I mean whose this guy? I mean what is with the hand gestures?"
Marge rolled her eyes as she looked at her older brother as she crossed her arms. "You really don't watch the news. That's Quentin Beck, used to be a great master of illusions. Tried to make it to the movie career not too long ago. Though I saw a news feed that one of his special effects went wrong at a movie set, nearly killed an actress before Spider-Man came in and saved her." Now that Adrian thought about it he did save one actress a week ago at Central Park. One of the pyro mechanics was going haywire launching all sorts of fireworks one of which was heading to an actress. That was until he came in saved the actress there and stopped the machine by webbing up the controls shorting it out. He didn't stick around long enough to get any names. Just to check if anyone was hurt before he shot a web and swing away. He didn't realize that one of the guys there must have been Beck.
"So….what happened to him?" Adrian asked his sister wondering what had happened to Beck after he had left.
Marge just shrugged her shoulders as she looked back to the tv. "From what I hear, he got fired. Other then that I couldn't tell you what had happened to him. From one of the last feeds about him he blamed Spider-Man and the actress….I can't remember her name but he blamed her too." She chuckled as she watched the old feed of Beck pulling out a dragon from a tiny hat.
Adrian just frowned a little in thought as he looked to the tv. No wonder he seemed like magic. He was a master of special effects thus making him appear to be magical by making illusions that seemed real. Well if he was going to face someone like him soon he'd have to make more webbing. So with that Adrian got up from the couch going to his room to make more web fluid with his remaining supply.
It's been a few days since his first encounter with Mysterio as Spider-Man kept his eyes peeled for the green suit man. It proved to be hard because he only appeared when he wanted to be seen. Plus in a city this big finding a needle in a haystack would be a lot easier than finding one man out of over a million. Adrian was lucky right now was a weekend so he had time to kill in his costume. With his supply of chemicals for his webbing all but gone he had to be careful how he used them. He landed on the a tall building in Time Square next to a gargoyle. "I tell ya Stan. It's hard trying to find a guy in a green suit and a fish bowl on his head. So where would you go if you were some attention hungry guy wanting revenge?" Spidey asked his stone 'friend' with a raised eyebrow under his mask.
I know what you guys are thinking? Why are you talking to a stone gargoyle? People will think you're crazy. In case you forgot I got bit by a radioactive spider that gave me powers and I'm wearing tights to beat up bad guys. For free I might add. I think crazy went out the window a long time ago.
Before Spidey could make a joke about Stan knowing where Mysterio was he heard someone yell something and he looked up at one of the screens showing Yankee stadium and lo and behold there's Mysterio causing havoc. He had several ropes around a familiar actress that he saved that day. It figures Mysterio would go for her in the open. "Thanks Stan." Spidey said as he shot a web before landing softly on a police van heading towards the ballpark. "Don't want to waste all my web fluid getting there. Lucky for me I got a ride." Spider-Man said to himself as he sat on the roof as the van kept going without noticing him.
Mysterio laughed as the crowds of people ran in fear at his might. All while he held the actress that was partially responsible for ruining his future. "Yes! That is right New York! You should fear the might that is Mysterio!" He waved one hand around making the whole area fill up with purple smoke as a legion of Mysterio's came out of wood work blocking people path to leave. He smirked as he looked to the scared woman he held captive. "Now it's time to make you pay." Before Mysterio could make a move webbing hit him in the face making him grunt under his dome as he tried to grab the webbing off.
Spider-Man flipped down from the seats above onto the baseball field in front of Mysterio grabbing the actress from him. "Honestly, one of you is bad enough Mysterio I don't think you cut it in the MLB." Spider-Man told the actress to get somewhere safe enough while Mysterio struggled to get the webbing off eventually. Mysterio growled at the hero as he made hand gestures.
"You'll regret that Spider-Man. I was hoping to save you for a later time but this will be sufficient enough." With that said Mysterio made all of his legion of clones come down to the field surrounding Spider-Man. Spidey knew that this was just another one of Mysterio's tricks so he kept his eyes on the one in front of him. Spider-Man jumped at him and tried to punch him in the head where his bowl was. Mysterio however puffed away from him. Spider-Man turned to the others believing he blend into the others. Spider-Man tried punching one only for his fist to go harmlessly through it. He felt a hit from behind even though his spider sense tingle. Spider-Man tried to do a roundhouse only to get the same result. All of the Mysterio's laughed as they surrounded the webhead. "You cannot touch me Spider-Man, I am the master of the mystic arts."
Spidey knew that was a lie but couldn't deny that Mysterio had an advantage over him. Every magician even Mysterio wasn't perfect. 'Come on Spidey think! He can use any tricks that can mess with your sight and hearing. Wait…..my spider sense! He can't fool my spider sense! Okay Harper time to trust in your spider sense.' Spider-Man closed his eyes under his mask as he let his eyes and ears take a seat back in this instance. Everything around him seem to slow to a near crawl as Spider-Man waited. The familiar tingle in the back of his skull came to him as one of them came right at him with a fist. Spider-Man spun under the punch and used both feet to kick him hard enough to reveal that one was a robot. Another came at him for a kick but his spider sense didn't go off and so the kick went through his stomach harmlessly. Spider-Man dodged and weaved past the ones that were threats and others that weren't to pass through him. Soon there only stood him and the real Mysterio. Spider-Man opened his eyes and smirked at Mysterio. "What's the matter fish for brains? Is that all you got up your sleeves?"
Mysterio growled in anger as he glared at Spider-Man his voice filled with so much rage you'd think his dome was red. "I'll show you what I have up my sleeve!" He crossed his arms and his hands made another sign as the ground around them changed into a portal below them with most of the grass and dirt between them appeared to floating above. Mysterio raised his hands up as he levitate in the air. "I will end you right now!"
Spider-Man looked down at the portal below but his spider sense didn't go off so it was a fake as well. "Sorry buddy, but I think the show's over." Spider-Man shot a web onto Mysterio's chest and pulled down on him. With a mighty battle cry Spider-Man punched Mysterio hard in the head sending the dome off his head to reveal Quentin Beck. The illusion breaking as soon as he hit the ground. Spider-Man walked over to the knocked out villain. "Was never a fan of magicians anyways." He said as he webbed him up for the police to handle.
Adrian was soon eating dinner with his dad and Marge enjoying some spaghetti. Adrian let out a low hum at his dads cooking once again prevailing. He looked over to see his dad glancing at a news paper. The Daily Bugle Planet, a combination of the old Daily Bugle and the growing Daily Planet. On the cover was Quentin Beck being taken away though the title was less than desired. 'Spider-Man creates chaos at Yankee stadium with Mysterio.' By J. Jonah Jameson. He should have known that man would be trying to trash his name. However something else caught his eye and he had to be sure if he read it right. "Hey dad can I see that paper?"
Mark looked to Adrian with a raised eyebrow as he picked up the paper. "Sure thing son. I just didn't think you'd be interested in the papers. What did you want to look at?" Mark asked him curious on what Adrian was looking at as the teen looked into the paper.
"Well dad I was thinking about taking up a job and I think one just came up I might be good at. Something along the lines of photography." Adrian said with a small smile that grew as he read an ad in the paper. 'Job opening at the Daily Bugle Planet for photographs of Spider-Man.' A way to make money and something that could be done pretty easily in Adrians eyes. It was a pretty big win.
AN: Well that was the second chapter to the story. I hope you all enjoyed it as I enjoyed working on it. Anyways leave a review, suggestions, etc. I could listen to any villain suggestions of DC you would like to see Adrian face off against. Until next time.