"Huh?" said Gwen, giving Jean a puzzled look. "What do you mean he couldn't have done it?"
"I did some checking of my own, and the real Vulture, Adrian Toomes, is still in prison," explained DeWolff. "So it looks like we've got ourselves a copycat on the run."
Gwen mused over this. If there was a new Vulture on the loose, then that might go some way explaining why he had those clawed hands and superhuman strength that the original Vulture did not have. But where did he come from in the first place, and why did he kill that poor girl?
As if someone had read Gwen's mind, one of the desk sergeants came in with a file in his hand. "We've got an identification on the murder victim, Captain. Her name's Gloria Jenkins, student at ESU, lives in the same building as our Ms Watson."
"Any friends or relatives living with her?" asked Jean.
"Yeah, a roommate by the name of Christine Murrow."
This immediately caught Gwen's full attention. "Wait a minute, I know Christine. We go to some of the same bio-chemistry classes together. She works as the assistant to one of the Campus instructors, a Doctor Shallot I think his name is. Last I heard they were working on some organic mutation experiments together."
"Sheesh, the plot thickens, doesn't it?" muttered Jean. "Anything else we know about this Shallot character?"
"As a matter of fact, Cap'n, I did do some additional checking on this Murrow girl," said the Sergeant, "and apparently, this Professor was in possession of an outfit requisitioned from the State Prison Authority."
"Which outfit?" demanded DeWolff, leaning forward in her chair, her eyes as sharp and alert like the Vulture she wanted to bring in for murder.
"One Vulture suit, belonging to Adrian Toomes," said the Sergeant simply. "D'ya think there's a connection?"
"If there isn't, I'll eat my badge!" snapped DeWolff as she grabbed her coat. "Get me the exact address of Shallot's residence, Munroe, and get me the details of which lab he works in at ESU. I'm gonna go and have a few quiet words with our Doctor Shallot."
"You want me to tag along, Jean?" asked Gwen.
"No thanks, kid, this could be dangerous," said Jean briskly as she made her way down the corridor. "Look, your friend will be safe here, so why don't you head on home and get some rest."
"Yeah, sure thing," said Gwen. As Jean DeWolff made her way to her car, Gwen said good night to Mary Jane, promising to check on her in the morning, and headed out of the station. Once she was far enough away from the Police Precinct, Gwen darted into a shadowy alcove where no one could see her change, and she remerged seconds later as Spider-Woman.
"Maybe Gwen Stacy can't be of much further help," remarked Spider-Woman to herself. "But I think Spider-Woman might be able to help crack this case!"
Gwen already knew exactly where Doctor Shallot's lab was on the Campus, so she decided that was as best a place to start looking for clues. Swinging her way to ESU, Spider-Woman headed straight for the biology section as soon as she reached the campus, using the shadows to mask her presence. Creeping her way along the walls of the buildings, she reached her destination, and she was soon clambering through an open skylight, into a deserted room filled with crates and various electronic devices. Propped against one side of the room was a large glass cabinet connected to various forms of machinery, and judging by the lack of dust on it, compared to the other objects in the room, Spider-Woman figured that it had been used quite recently.
"Hmm, I wonder," mused Gwen Stacy. "I remember hearing that Shallot was working on a method of mutating human DNA and splicing it with those of other animals. Could this device be the key to the whole mystery?"
Gwen was broken from her thoughts by the sound of approaching footsteps. Leaping upwards, she stuck herself to the ceiling and remained quiet, as the door opened and an attractive young girl entered nervously. She was the same slender build as Gloria Jenkins and had a similar hairstyle, and if it wasn't for the spectacles she wore over her eyes, she might have been Gloria's twin. As the girl crossed over to a desk and started rummaging through some papers on a desk, Gwen recognised the woman at once and decided to make her presence known.
"Miss Christine Murrow, I presume?" said Spider-Woman, as she jumped off the ceiling and landed right behind the startled girl.
"Wha...? Who are you?" stammered the girl. "What are you doing here? Get out, or... or I'll call the police!"
"That suits me fine," said Spider-Woman, "since the police are looking for you right now, wanting to know if you had any connection to the murder of your roommate."
Christine looked at Spider-Woman in horror. "Gloria... dead?!"
Spider-Woman looked at the girl in surprise. "You mean you didn't know?"
Christine slumped down in a chair in shock, tears streaking down her face. "No, I... who-who did it?"
"A guy impersonating the Vulture, someone who may connected to your boss, Doctor Shallot," explained Spider-Woman gently, as Christine's distress grew greater still.
"Oh no! It wasn't meant to be this way! You see, we were working on a bio-mutation experiment, and Doctor Shallot, he had some theories," Christine blurted out, gesturing to the glass cabinet as she tried to justify herself. "He used that mutation device on himself, while he was wearing the Vulture's outfit, and it changed him. The wings became a part of his body, and he also gained fangs and claws."
"And it seems to have driven him wacko in the process, murderously so!" said Spider-Woman grimly.
Christine nodded dismally. "He became more violent, more prone to losing his temper. I told him to stop the experiments, but he... threatened me. I became so scared of him, that I couldn't bring myself to report his activities. But you must believe me, I never dreamed he would commit murder!"
"Presumably he came after you to ensure you don't tell anyone his secret, Miss Murrow, but got your roommate instead, mistaking her for you! You're the only one who can expose him and he won't rest until you're disposed of!"
"But what can I do?" protested Christine. "If I say anything, he'll kill me!"
Behind her mask, Gwen sighed. It was the same problem she had with Mary Jane earlier. "And if you don't speak out, he'll kill you anyway, or the police might charge you as an accessory to murder! You've no choice, Christine. You've got to help stop that maniac before anyone else dies! Is there any way of reversing the mutation?"
"Y-yes," stammered Christine, a little stung by Spider-Woman's admonishment. "An enzyme base which acts as an antidote to the bio-chemical mutation. The Doctor has run out of money to buy them, so he's taken to stealing them from shipments from the waterfront."
Christine rummaged through a drawer and produced a glass vial filled with a clear blue-coloured liquid. "This is the last antidote left. Doctor Shallot may already be heading to the Waterfront to get some more."
"I hope you're telling the truth about this, Christine," said Spider-Woman, as she took the vial from the guilty-looking girl. "First, we'll see about finding a policeman to take care of you, then I'll see about getting this to our Doctor Shallot."
Jean DeWolff had had no luck finding Doctor Shallot at his home, and was driving towards his lab at Empire State, when she received a radio call from Police HQ, reporting that a character resembling the Vulture had been spotted heading towards the Waterfront, specifically near a docked ship called the 'Dusseldorf' at Pier 20, off 23rd Street. It was a cargo ship dispatched from Germany, whose cargo of scientific chemicals had been cleared by customs. Jean had no idea how all this tied in with the mystery surrounding the Vulture, but since she was the one closest to the docks, she had decided to investigate the scene personally.
As she pulled her car into a parking zone, Jean could hear the shouts and cries of late-working Longshore-men ring across the dock, as cranes lifted heavy and bulky crates of cargo from the large 'Dusseldorf' and onto the wooden planks of the dock. Jean was about to approach some of the workmen to ask them some questions, when there came a faint moan from the rear of an alley. It was too low for any of the workers to hear, but Jean was close enough to hear the cry.
Discreetly drawing her gun, Jean moved quietly and cautiously towards the source of the moan, which seemed to be coming from behind some of the numerous crates and boxes stacked on top of each other. Rounding the corner, Jean found the burly body of one of the workman, sprawled against the side of one of the crates. Kneeling over, Jean checked the figure for a pulse. She nodded in satisfaction that the man was still alive, though he was in a bad shape, bruised and bloodied, with deep claw marks running over his stout jaw. It seemed as though he had been struck down by a hawk, and fairly recently too. Eyes narrowed, Jean moved her eyes from this way to that for any sign of the man's assailant, and as she did so, she caught sight of one particular crate, which had been torn right open. Its contents of glass bottles had been dumped right on the ground, with several of the bottles laying smashed, surrounded by broken glass and puddles of chemicals of some kind.
Jean peered at the puddles closely, wondering if was what the workman's unknown attacker was after, when an anonymous shadow fell over her. Spinning around, Jean spotted the Vulture, perched on top of one of the crates above her, clutching one of the glass chemical bottles in his clawed hands, his sinister eyes glaring angrily down at her.
"What's this? Another nosey meddler, daring to interrupt me at this most delicate juncture?" hissed the Vulture, barring his fangs at the Police Captain.
Jean immediately levelled her pistol at the Vulture, her own eyes blazing defiantly back at the winged figure before her. "Freeze Mister! You're under arrest!"
SWOOSH!
With a roar, the Vulture leapt from his perch, and before Jean even had a chance to fire a warning shot, the evil figure swooped down and knocked the gun right out of the Captain's outstretched hand. Then, the Vulture grabbed hold of the startled DeWolff and lifted his struggling captive away from the injured man and high up into the air.
"I do not know who you are, woman," said the Vulture venomously, "but your snooping will cost you dearly this night!"
A short distance away, Spider-Woman had just arrived at the Waterfront and was quietly making her way along the warehouse rooftops, searching for any sign of her feathered quarry. The Web-Slinger did not have to search for long, as she soon caught sight of the Vulture in the air some distance ahead, carrying an all too familiar Police Detective in his grasp.
"Oh no! That creep's got hold of Captain DeWolff!" thought Spider-Woman in alarm, as she broke into a sprint towards the two figures hovering in the air. As she drew close and came right beneath them, Gwen gave a gasp of horror as the Vulture suddenly let go of his captive, sending her plunging straight towards the river water far below!
For a spine-chilling moment, Gwen's memory jogged back to the moment when the Green Goblin had tossed her over the top of the Brooklyn Bridge, and Spider-Man subsequently sacrificed his life to save her. Then, breaking herself out of her reverie, Spider-Woman charged towards the edge of the warehouse roof and leapt right off, timing her leap so that she would have the best chance of catching Jean DeWolff.
Spider-Woman's heart was thumping fast and desperately, as her momentum brought her closer to the woman falling towards her. "I've got to catch her, stop her fall before she hits the water! I've got to! I've got to!"
Arms outstretched, Gwen gave an elated cry of triumph, as she caught hold of DeWolff in mid-air! Keeping a firm grip on the Captain, Spider-Woman used the remaining momentum from her leap to begin bouncing off the sides of the warehouse buildings, slowing down their descent, until they landed safely on the ground.
"Nice catch, Spider-Woman," said DeWolff gratefully, as they straightened themselves out. "You're making a habit with these last minute rescues."
"I'm afraid we're not out of the woods yet, Captain," said Spider-Woman, as her spider-sense warned her of the approaching Vulture heading straight for them!
"You again!" cried the furious Vulture, his clawed hands ready to slash his enemies to pieces. "This is the second time tonight you've interfered with my plans, you masked wretch! Now I shall be done with you once and for all!"
As the speeding Vulture dived towards the two female figures before him, Spider-Woman was already preparing a defence, readying herself with her web-shooters. She held her breath, as she had to time herself perfectly, because if she reacted a second too soon or late, she would miss her adversary, and leave herself and Captain DeWolff at their winged attacker's mercy.
THWIP!
Just as the Vulture was within grasping reach of his prey, Spider-Woman attacked! She fired her webbing directly at the Vulture's face, smothering his eyes, just as she had during their last fight earlier that evening. Furious at allowing himself to be so carelessly struck by the same form of attack as before, the Vulture served himself upwards in a bid to escape. But Spider-Woman had already taken advantage of the Vulture being distracted, as she leapt onto his back, whipped out the antidote that Christine Murrow had given her earlier, and poured the contents right into the Vulture's open mouth!
"Gnnnnkkkkk!" choked the Vulture, as he fell to the ground and clutched his throat. "Poison! You-you poisoned me!"
WHAM!
Reacting in a blind panic, the Vulture struck out with his arms and swatted Spider-Woman aside, sending her crashing into some crates, which burst apart with the impact.
"Ooph!" cried Spider-Woman, who had banged her left arm hard against some of the wooden boards which had splintered beneath her weight. Staggering to her feet, Spider-Woman tried to ignore the throbbing pain in her arm as she and Jean DeWolff watched the Vulture convulse on the ground, his features changing right before their eyes.
"What's happening to him?" asked Jean in surprise. "What was that you gave him?"
"The antidote he had come here to stock up on," replied Spider-Woman, quickly explaining what she had learned from Christine Murrow. As the Wall-Crawler finished her story, the Vulture's transformation had completed itself, the taloned hands, fangs and pointed nose all vanished. Where a minute ago there was a monstrous figure that seemed to have been Adrian Toomes, now there was a grey-haired middle-aged ordinary man, who laid unconscious at their feet.
"So the new Vulture was Doctor Clifton Shallot, huh?" remarked DeWolff, as she produced some handcuffs and proceeded to secure her prisoner, intending to read him his rights once he had woken up. "I wonder what caused a guy like this to snap?"
"Who knows. But it seems you've gotten your killer, Captain," said Spider-Woman, as she rubbed her sore arm. "And with Ms Watson and, hopefully, Miss Murrow's testimonies, I guess your case is well and truly closed."
"Seems that way," agreed DeWolff, pulling out her mobile to call for reinforcements. "Though for a moment back there, it looked like this would have been my last case! Much appreciated, Spidey."
"Ah, don't mention it, Captain," grinned Spider-Woman, as she fired a web-line and prepared to set off. "So long for now! See you in the funny papers!"
Without waiting for a response, Spider-Woman began her long journey home. Web-slinging was quite hard work though, as her arm was still hurting badly, so Gwen had to resort to wall-crawling her way back for the most part. Eventually, she reached her apartment, retrieving her everyday clothes along the way from the spot where she had hidden them, and once she had clambered in through the window, Gwen slumped in a chair, pulled off her mask and checked her bruised limb. Luckily, it seemed to be nothing more than a bad sprain, with no bones broken. Her costume, on the other hand, was looking considerably the worse for wear, as the main bodysuit had various tears in it from both battles with the Vulture, and the dark-green hoodie had managed to get a huge gash across the back due to Spider-Woman crashing into the wooden crates.
"No way, I'm gonna be able to repair you," said Gwen regretfully, as she took off the ruined jacket and tossed into the bin. Making her way over to the bathroom, she turned on the taps and began filling the large white tub up to the top with hot water and soap bubbles. While the taps noisily poured water into the bath, Gwen stripped off the rest of her costume and examined her bare form in the mirror for any other injuries she might have sustained in the fight. Satisfied that all she had suffered were minor cuts, scrapes and bruises, Gwen stored her damaged costume in a safe place, then she turned off the taps and gently slid into the hot foam bath. She sighed blissfully as she relaxed in the soothing warm water and enjoyed herself a long luxurious soak, which did wonders for her aches and pains. When she eventually emerged from her bath and dried herself off, a refreshed Gwen put on a pink satin nightie and dressing gown, slipped on some cosy slippers, and sorted out a homemade sling to hold her arm while it healed.
"Phew! This superhero work sure takes a lot out of one, doesn't it, Peter?" said Gwen with a small smile, as she glanced at the picture of her late boyfriend sitting on the table. "Especially with werewolves, Vultures and other nutcases on the prowl. But hey, at least it isn't dull. I just wish sometimes that there was someone I could confide in about who I am now. But I doubt Jean would much approve of George Stacy's daughter becoming a masked vigilante and putting herself in danger, so I guess I'll have to get used to the fact that I have to do all this alone."
There came a ring on the doorbell, and as Gwen went over to see who it was through the peephole, she was surprised to see that it was Mary Jane. Gwen opened the door, and MJ came in, a delighted look on her face.
"Hey, Gwen! The police have caught the guy who killed that girl, and now that he's safely behind bars, they said it was safe for me to head home. I just thought I'd check in on you on the way and..."
Mary Jane's words trailed off as she noticed the sling holding Gwen's arm and her expression turned to one of concern. "Hey, what happened to you? What's with the damaged wing?"
"Oh, uh, I tripped on the way and sprained it," said Gwen quickly. "It's, um, not as bad as it looks, um, you see..."
Mary Jane sighed and she crossed her arms, as though to brace herself for a difficult decision. "You don't have to give me the same kind of phony excuse that Peter did, Gwen. I know the truth. The real truth!"
"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Gwen, in both confusion and worry.
Unable to meet Gwen's eyes, Mary Jane crossed over to the window, her next words shocking Gwen utterly.
"I've know Peter's secret for years, though he was never aware I knew! I discovered it the same way I discovered yours a few days ago. I thought I could just keep it all to myself, pretend that everything in life is perfectly normal. But I can't. I can't ignore the fact that Gwen Stacy is carrying on the legacy of Spider-Man!"
TO BE CONTINUED!