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Another Strand In The Great Web – Episode Eighteen Shadow Play Part II
Midtown Elementary School, early morning
"Class this is our newest student April Parker. April has been through a lot. I want everyone to nice to her." The female teacher said introducing April, who stood by her "twin sister" Mayday, to the students of her room home. "Does anyone have a question for April?" Heather Noble raised her hand. The blond-haired, always fashionable Heather was the most popular girl in her age group. She also had a mean streak a mile long. "Yes, Heather," The teacher said calling on Heather.
"I hear twins tend to be alike in almost every way, Ms. Danforth. Well, I wonder if April is a freak like May is?" Heather said smiling sweetly. Every kid laughed except for Mayday who stared down at the floor and April who glared at Heather.
"Heather go to the principle's office!" Ms. Danforth ordered. Heather grumbled something rude while doing as she was told. "I'm sorry, April," Ms. Danforth said to April.
"It wasn't your fault Ms. Danforth," April said being very mature about the situation for a seven-year-old.
Already gears were turning in April's head. While not overtly malicious April took more after her firecracker mother than her live and let live father. She was already thinking about how best to teach Heather Noble some manners.
"April, May please take your seats." Ms. Danforth said.
May took her seat next to Normie Osborn while April took her seat on the other side of her sister. She could not help but notice May and Normie smiling at each other. 'Interesting', She thought.
A boy with messy brown hair and thick glasses who was wearing a green shirt with a great black-eyed alien head printed on it took the vacant seat next to April. "Hi, I'm Wes." He said introducing himself in an attempt to be friendly.
"Huh," April said losing her train of thought which had been focused on her sister and Normie.
"I'm Wes Westin. So you were kidnapped as a baby? That's so interesting." Wes said blabbing.
"I wasn't kidnapped, dork. I was misplaced in the foster care system." April snapped at West. She recited the cover story her parents had created to explain her sudden appearance. 'The nerve of some people'. She thought.
"Oh, sorry," Wes said adjusting his glasses which he did frequently.
"Wes, stop bothering our new student and pay attention to what I'm trying to teach you." Ms. Danforth said. Once more the students all laughed.
"Sorry, Ms. Danforth," Wes said.
April rolled her eyes when Wes smiled at her. She wished she could be at home with her new parents instead of here. This was going to be a long day.
Cafeteria, Noon
"Hello girls," Normie said taking the vacant seat across from Mayday.
April much to her chagrin had to sit to Normie's right. With only three people at the four-person table, she was seated across from an empty space. The space did not remain vacant for long, however. Wes raced over and plopped himself down in the chair as if he were afraid someone else might beat him there.
"Hi, April," Wes said quickly adding. "Hi May, Hi Normie."
"Hi Wes," Normie and Mayday said.
"Hello, Wes," April said flatly.
"So, you were misplaced or something?" Wes said picking up their "conversation" where it left off.
"I don't want to talk about it," April said before eating an orange slice.
"Do you like aliens?" Wes asked grabbing the front of his shirt for added emphasis to his words. "I like aliens. I bet you could tell from my shirt."
"No," April answered taking a sip from her water bottle.
"How about you guys?" Wes said to Mayday and Normie.
"Not really," Normie said.
"I like MLP and Superhero Girls (DC Superhero Girls in our reality)," Mayday said cheerfully.
"Superhero Girls rocks," April agreed. "But, MLP is for babies."
"Is not," Mayday said.
"Is too," April said. "It's so cutesy."
"Take that back!" Mayday said.
"I won't!" April said.
"Girls please, no need to fight." Normie offered, trying to play peacekeeper. "We all like different things."
"Yeah, stupid things for stupid people," Heather Noble said walking by with a group of similarly dressed girls who voiced their agreement to her every word. "Superhero Girls and MLP, please, both those shows suck."
"Buzz off barbie doll," April said.
"Excuse me," Heather said in disbelief no one had ever stood up to her before.
"You heard me," April said rising from her seat.
"April, don't," Mayday urged.
"And if I don't?" Heather said her eyes narrowing.
"Have it your way," April said. She picked up a handful of her sloppy joe sandwich the special of the day. She threw the meat and sauce concoction at Heather whose face and upper body ended up drenched.
"You weirdo," Heather screamed.
April threw her own sloppy joe at April who ducked. The sandwich hit the back of the boy behind her. He yelled in surprise. A girl at his table threw her sloppy joe at Heather. One of Heather's friends threw her sloppy joe at the other girl in retaliation. Soon an all-out food fight was in full swing.
Parker Residence on Western Long Island later that day, afternoon
"You should have seen it, grandma. The whole cafeteria was covered in spaghetti sauce and hamburger. I bet the janitors will have a hard time cleaning up the mess." Mayday said relating the events of the day to Aunt May, who alongside Jarvis, had fetched the girls home after they had been suspended for the remainder of the day after starting the food fight.
"Oh dear." Aunt May said while the quartet walked inside.
"You both seem pretty clean," Jarvis observed. Neither girl had much in the way of sloppy joe debris on her person.
"We're really good at dodging, just like dad and mom," April said.
"I bet they can dodge anything," Mayday said.
"Yeah, they probably never get hit." April agreed.
Jarvis absently-mindedly clicked on the large living room entertainment center. Like with most older people he and Aunt May usually kept the TV tuned to a news station when they were not actively watching something else. At first, everyone failed to notice the breaking news.
"Eyewitness reports from downtown Manhattan indicate the superhero Spider-Man was badly injured during a confrontation with supervillain Hobgoblin after being thrown from a tenth story window. The confrontation took place at the Headquarters of Horizon Labs." A male newscaster said. "We now reply cell phone footage taken by a bystander at the scene. Warning some viewers may find this clip disturbing."
The shaky footage showed Spider-Man crashing through a window high above after an ear-piercing screech was heard. Hobgoblin on his glider whizzed out the window after Spide-Man barely slowed his descent with a makeshift parachute of webbing. Spinneret appeared from off camera.
"Pe-, Spider-Man are you okay!?" She yelled kneeling by his side. "Spider-Man please answer me!"
"I, I, I don't know," Spider-Man said. With Spinneret's help, he barely got to his feet. His right arm draped over Spinneret's shoulders he limped away.
"We need to get you some help." Spinneret said. She then pushed the unseen person operating the smartphone camera aside. "Get that thing out of my face!" The video then ended.
Mayday started crying as did April a few seconds later. "I'm sure your father is okay girls." Aunt May said trying to sooth the pair.
"We are joined now by New York City mayoral candidate and front-runner J. Jonah Jameson. Mr. Jameson is the former editor of Bugle Media and an outspoken opponent of metahumans." The male newscaster said. The image switched to a split screen of the newscaster and Jonah. "Mr. Jeamson what are your comments regarding this latest incident of metahuman violence to grip New York City?"
"These masked miscreants must be brought to heel. They have no respect for law and order. Even those who call themselves 'superheroes' openly flaunt our laws. Spider-Man, Spinneret, Daredevil, they are all the same. Costumed freak shows who are kings and queens of their own little imaginary realms. I say no more! There is no place for vigilantism or overpowered street fighters in our fair city! Once I'm elected mayor I'll bring a quick end to their reign of terror once and for all by any means necessary!" Jameson ranted practically foaming at the mouth.
"Jarvis turn off the television. I can't stand to see any more of that dreadful Mrs. Jameson." Aunt May said. Jarvis complied turning off the set.
"Papa should have let Menace take Mr. Jameson away," Mayday said through her tears. "He's such a mean man! I hate him!"
"Me too, he's a jerk." April cried. "Dad could be hurt bad and he doesn't care!"
Aunt May hugged the girls close to her. "There, there it'll be okay." She only hoped she was telling the truth.
Much Later, night
"Ouch," Peter said when was tackled by his girls after entering the living room. They tightly hugged their small bodies to his. "Not so hard, daddy is still pretty banged up."
"Papa we were so worried," Mayday said crying.
"I thought we might lose you. I only just found you and mom. I can't lose you now," April said also crying.
"What happened, dear?" Aunt May asked Peter.
"Hobgoblin stole some type of experimental metal from Horizon Labs. Amadeus Cho and I were there working on a joint project with Max Modell. When I tried to stop him Hobgoblin he unleashed a sonic attack against me he calls his 'Lunatic Laugh'. It messed with my sense of equilibrium to the point I could barely stand. He then pushed me out one of the windows with his glider." Peter explained. "At least I managed to tag him with a spider-tracer."
"Oh no, Peter," Mary Jane said entering the living room. "Neither one of us is going after him until you develop a defense against his latest attack."
"But MJ, I-," Peter tried to protest.
"That's final, got it?" Mary Jane said.
"Yes, darling," Peter said.
"So, how was school girls?" Mary Jane said
Mary Jane was glad to change the subject. Although she could tell from the look Aunt May gave her and Peter this was far from over. Since learning Peter's secret Aunt May had made it clear she was no fan of him putting himself in constant danger. Now that there were children to consider Aunt May's concerns only increased. Mary Jane dreaded the talk she knew would come from this latest incident.
"We were kicked out of school for having a food fight," April said not batting an eye after she and Mayday reluctantly broke their embrace of their father.
"April started it," Mayday said innocently.
"Hey," April exclaimed.
"You did start it," Mayday said sticking to her guns.
"Only for one day, dear." Aunt May said trying to smooth things over.
"Kids will be kids," Jarvis said with a chuckle.
"I have to ask. Why did you start a food fight, April?" Peter said.
"Because Heather Noble and her friends called me a 'freak'. She called May a freak too." April said.
"She thinks I'm weird because of what happened with the fire alarm," Mayday added.
"April, you can't pick a fight every time somebody calls you a mean name," Peter said wincing slightly in pain as he sat down on the sofa.
"But dad I don't like being called a freak," April said.
"Me either," Mayday said.
"Girls, I've been called worse things than that over the years," Peter said.
"Yeah, by Mr. Jameson. He called you and mom nasty names on the TV after you got hurt." April reported.
Mary Jane shook her head in disgust but held her tongue. She hated how J. Jonah Jameson treated her husband and now herself. A big part of her wished she could wring his stinking neck even if she knew doing so would be wrong and could seriously injure the man. Besides she did not want to set a bad example for her girls. As long as she had them and Peter in her life she knew she could face whatever the future may hold.
"Mr. Jameson only says those things because he doesn't know any better," Peter said. "Also, Mr. Jameson's first wife was taken away from him by a masked man as was his second wife. At his core, he is a very hurt man. We should pity him not hate him."
"Your father is right. Underneath his tough exterior, Mr. Jameson is broken inside." Mary Jane said.
"Maybe Heather Noble is broken inside too?" Mayday offered helpfully.
"Nah, she's just a jerk," April said.
"You don't know that, April," Mary Jane said. "She could have a bad home life." She added thinking of her own troubled upbringing.
"Either way no more food fights, or trouble with her and her friends in general," Peter said. "I want you two to stay as far away from Heather Noble and her friends as you responsibly can, got it?"
"What about her calling us names, papa?" Mayday asked.
"Yeah, what that?" April said.
"Ignore her, like I do with Mr. Jameson," Peter said. 'Well, most of the time.' He thought.
"Yes, dad," April said.
"Yes, papa," Mayday said.
"April did you make any friends, while your first day last?" Mary Jane asked.
"I met some boy named Wes. He likes aliens." April said shrugging.
Mayday was grateful April did not tell their parents about Normie. They did not know he and Mayday were friends. As things stood with her father and Normie's father Mayday was afraid to tell them about their friendship.
"Real or sci-fi aliens?" Peter asked.
"Real, I guess," April said.
"He isn't an alien symbiote is in disguise is he?" Peter joked.
"I don't think so." April said with a smile catching on.
"You have to watch out for those symbiotes. They can be tricky." Peter said with a wink.
"That's enough talk of alien symbiotes. It's way past your bedtime girls." Mary Jane said. She herded the girls out of the living room after they said their good nights.
"I better go help her." Aunt May said she looked at Jarvis. "Talk to Peter. Tell him our news." She then left.
"Uh, what news?" Peter said.
"Peter you know I care about your aunt very much," Jarvis said nervously.
"Of course you care about her. You two have been dating for almost a year by my count." Peter said.
"When you get to our age you realize how short life is. What I'm trying to say is your Aunt May and I want to spend the rest of our lives together. I asked May to be my wife yesterday, she accepted. I hope you will give us your blessing, Peter." Jarvis said.
Peter blinked he was unsure how he should react. On the one hand, he was happy Aunt May had someone like Jarvis in her life. On the other hand, he was used to looking after her. He had been her only support for fifteen years now. They had depended on each other ever since Uncle Ben died just after Peter was bitten by the genetically modified spider when back when he was a teen. He did not know how to feel or what to say. He was deeply conflicted.
"Do we have your blessing?" Jarvis prompted.
"Sure," Knowing he had to say something Peter finally answered. His words sounded forced and were certainly less than forceful.
"Thank you, Peter," Jarvis said relieved.
"So, ah, when is the big day?" Peter asked.
"Next month," Jarvis said.
"That soon, huh?" Peter said.
"We see no reason to wait. Why, is the date problematic for you?" Jarvis asked.
"Not at all," Peter said. He could not believe what was happening. He thought being beaten up by Hobgoblin was the worst thing that would happen today, he was wrong.
To Be Continued
Author's Note One -
I used Jonah's backstory from Spider-Man The Animated Series (1994) for the death of his first wife. I always felt the masked man murdering his wife on orders of a crime lord explained well his mistrust of masked heroes.
Author's Note Two -
I highly suspect if Aunt May's relationship with Jarvis had not been erased from memory by Mephisto she would have married him rather than Mr. Jameson, Sr.