Web of Spider-Woman

by ComicChick19

Finally! Petra Parker has graduated from High School, and is off to College at Empire State University in Manhattan! But with this new phase of her life comes a new set of challenges, enemies, romance. and adventures! Can she finally achieve a proper work/superhero/life balance? Probably not. Also posted on Ao3 and Wattpad!

10. Conspiracy, Part II

p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222; text-align: center;" data-p-id="b3becf312c717e3d82fa8fe1b0a0daab"Issue 10/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="74056f5440af9fab5c8f669cf2e2fe25" "S.H.I.E.L.D.?!" Petra shrieked. "Oh man, it's probably a federal crime for me to read this, isn't it?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="ae976eff71d5f20e3b5f303c7014ccb4" Petra flipped it open, parsing through its contents./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="5fbc61488b673fc9dae5100ce87870b3" "Absolutely an act of treason at the very least." She muttered./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a6b3485c251ada66da5687ea53b8604d" Petra kept reading./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="5c225d055ff9cbe660c73653aeea237a"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" Holy crap! /emShe thought./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e2b8e485faef2d968a588fe7bf79f6f8" Project Rebirth, the OZ formula, Super-Soldiers, crazy experiments, the whole nine yards. Petra did a double take. From what she remembered from her High School history class, Project Rebirth was a government program headed by a Nazi scientist who had defected to the United States. The program only had one success, in the form of Captain America, and all the secrets to the so-called "Super-Soldier Serum" had died with the scientist. Further attempts were reportedly made to recreate the serum, but after the "death" of Captain America, they had no genetic material or bloodwork to base their research on, and the program was halted by the mid-fifties. Captain America had been a mere footnote in history for Petra's whole life, notable, but a fading memory, until he had been found frozen in ice by the Avengers, then somehow thawed and revived, roughly two years ago. Now, he was a living legend./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c2765284548e8a59b399c6ec0b7cd384" Supposedly, all further research into the serum had been an abject failure, and the fabled hero had publicly refused to surrender any of his genetic material to recreate it. However, according to this dossier, the public didn't know as much about Operation: Rebirth as they had thought. Petra flipped through page after page, detailing horrific experiments, with negligible results, although some saw minor success. They took place in the sixties, the seventies, and on and on, going all the way into 2023. If what this document was saying was true, then Oscorp had been working on Project Rebirth 2.0 since the company's founding, nearly twenty years ago. Several pictures were clipped behind the page, and Petra pulled them out, sifting through them. She shuddered./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="de4c732d2713d15184915a52d4c21319"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" These are probably the worst before and after photos I've ever seen! /emShe thought./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="5d01ddd70b8546a885a83a1aa711889c" The so-called "subjects" referenced in the file were people. The before photos looked fine, displaying regular, healthy individuals who were stripped down to their underwear and strapped to a medical table, awaiting some kind of procedure. The after photos presented something entirely different. A wall of brightly lit cells with thick, steel bars contained things that barely passed for people, all in the act of thrashing against the bars, bashing their heads against the white walls, or clawing at their own and each other's faces. But the worst part was the "subjects." Their skin had become a discolored green, with lesions and rashes leaving spots of disgusting purple all over. Long teeth were growing from their mouths, sometimes piercing through the skin, and-/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="413f4c47a4879744bcdcab336ca410ec"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" I seriously can't look anymore, I think I'm gonna barf! /emPetra thought./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="1196de2d8a0ce3615447a7399fa7067a" She put the pictures back and then closed the file. It was already late, and she didn't want to stay up even more just to read more about Oscorp and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s illicit dealings. Petra's sleep was fitful that night and provided little comfort or rejuvenation. When she woke up the next morning, she was dismayed to find that she had slept in by an hour and a half, and she was forced to skip breakfast to get to her first class on time./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="69ef44009af1bcd8a1ffbc5bee74d3bd"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" Ugh! Why is this class so dull? /emPetra screamed in her head./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="af7267c7855cd82483ccdab8ce5fc204" Petra was halfway through her engineering class, and she felt like she was about to explode. Her professor droned on, the tone of her voice ineffably dull. Across the room, near the front, she could see Gwen Stacy looking around, her eyes occasionally, not-so-subtly landing on Petra. Petra scoffed. She could see the strange, almost but not quite look of guilt in her eyes, and thought it was strangely funny. Her classmate had been nothing but rude to her so far, but as soon as she was caught doing something by the professor, she suddenly started putting on the "I'm innocent act."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="82bbbb0b340ce954a193b7f771537d98" Petra let her thoughts on Gwen Stacy drift away, allowing her mind to come back to the present and worry about her em style="box-sizing: border-box;"real /emproblems. Somehow, she had managed to get to class on time, allowing her to score a seat in the back row, mostly obscured from the professor's vision. She used this opportunity to pull out her computer and sift through articles and videos of the events of last night. Through the news, she was able to see the immediate aftermath of her battle with the mysterious robot that had broken into Norman Osborn's office, as well as brief, low-quality footage of her and the robot plummeting from the top of OsCorp tower. She went over it again and again, trying her best to make out all the details of the strange machine, hoping to find some clue as to its origins./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b3792bfd732bbfcfcf1de07ba5f3a2a0" "Hey, are you watching that Spider-Woman fight from last night?" An excited voice whispered next to Petra./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d6f0aa9a0a5d32b90c9be307e46b4af3" She jumped in her seat, startled by the unexpected intrusion from the person sitting to her right. She turned to look at him and saw a Filipino boy around the same age as her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a718068fcd2e3174e174f3dc296c27a8" "Uh, yeah." Petra said, reaching for her computer and slowly turning the screen away from him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d945db24955ed6d9cece29365786d792" "Dude! That was so cool! She totally just let that robot go splat! I wish there was a video of the whole fight." He said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="532ae3e7f8d06fce54373db56cfc0aed" "Oh, yeah, sure." Petra absently said as she turned her attention back to her computer./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e255bf72927a0c52e5b06579f2c16c04" "And it was totally cool how she broke out of its grip like that, mid-fall too!" He exclaimed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="768e6c07f2d2fd1f574fd8edd891a644" A person sitting in front of them turned around, shooting a glare at them./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="086ca0998801a5c116c2d144753b67f9" "Hey, can you two shut up? Some of us are actually trying to pay attention!" They said, before turning back around./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="83674ff939729ff3ecfeccc973088823" "So sorry!" Petra whispered, shrinking in her seat./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="0bc78df6b5d555c6a70ff34d035da133" "Sorry." The boy sitting next to her also mumbled./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7368d53b95e4381546933e8872f1c8a9" He turned back to Petra and started talking again, much quieter this time./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="0c7b944d72c994bddd694f4b9f5c3c1b" "Did you know that they found the robot's wrists, like, crushed into bits? And there were hand prints on it, meaning that Spider-Woman crushed them with her bare hands! And if the metal is high-strength titanium like I think it is, that would mean her strength has to be astronomical!" He rambled./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="980a6e9f39c86cfed9264ef3cf15e896" "Wow, absolutely crazy." Petra deadpanned./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d4eae6db185d545c0a3be3fad2cd3265" "I know, right?" He said. "Oh, by the way, I'm Ned, what's your name?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e82f05afbc50e88a6aa76ad94d405d3e" "Um, Petra. Listen, you're not one of those guys who simps over Spider-Woman, are you?" Petra uncomfortably asked, desperately hoping that he wasn't./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="fc5b13d3940089416d7df72304904345" When it came to the other half of her double life, certain people tended to be...VERY creepy. Not even including all the weird art and comments about her online, some men that she swung by on the street liked to say a lot of incredibly gross things to her. The color drained from Ned's face, and he emphatically shook his head./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="8c1f7b8f370937abefa5e3476880e0fa" "Whoa, whoa, whoa, no way, I'm not like that! I'm just a Spider-Woman fan!" He said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3b2853a4690a5627a1ea9e7e7931e8ce" Petra chuckled./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="8db8dcb1f17ee445c236dc54d0a14cf6" "Yeah, I kinda figured you were. I'm glad you're not a creep though." She said, silently grateful./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="65508e12d73aed99a3d5504bc6edbe24" "Nope. What about you, who's your favorite?" Ned asked./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="21b6e1e1cd1acca3812f003d388246e3" "Favorite?" Petra asked./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="bee11b6f1910806c8a2f4ec872ae501e" "Yeah, your favorite superhero!" Ned said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="149723c6799abaebbd2f87c6bc5247b4" "Uh, let me think...hm, probably Daredevil, he seems like a pretty cool guy." Petra said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="aacb0f51925073b1cf8b3cdadbcb7a26" "Really? He seems, like, really creepy. I mean, what kind of person goes around dressed as the devil to beat people up?" Ned rhetorically asked./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="fe9e461ec976d150d7c0eaeb028b8cdd" "Probably the same kind of person that would go around dressed like a spider to beat people up." Petra responded./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="5f0cc45de54cbc57eae30ed00f3fa9f5" "Oh. That's fair."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="86963e86b6518d81484658c02594ba54" "What about you? Aside from Spider-Woman, who do you like?" Petra asked, amused to hear a civilian talking about her sometimes colleagues./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="81dbf61e9f6a90dd9dbb12fd426aeb99" "Ooh, I'm torn. Maybe Beast, because he looks badass AND he's been a member of both the Avengers and the X-Men, or Captain Marvel, because her powers are really cool, and she's the first black woman to join the Avengers, which is pretty neat." Ned explained./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b98a0c53ef1f7fa53bb3f65a28b6c56d"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" Good answers, Monica is a good person, and Hank is probably the nicest guy in the X-Men. /emPetra thought./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="65cb42484a61ad456e20130aa649879a" The two idly chatted for the rest of class, only half paying attention to their professor's lecture. They said their goodbyes when class ended, and went their separate ways. From there, Petra went to her Women and Gender Studies class, rushing so that she could avoid being forced to sit next to Flash Thompson. That class was considerably more fun than the last one, with her professor, Dr. Blake, being much more engaging than the last one. Petra couldn't help but notice how quickly Flash hurried out of the room as soon as the class had ended and quietly chuckled. It seemed that he had accepted that he couldn't drop the class just yet, and was instead focusing on getting a passing grade and getting it over with as quickly as possible./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="53a2bf10ee1149d1b31e252bbc2da54d" As Petra walked out of the building, she began to notice that her spider-sense was slowly building to a low hum. She anxiously looked around her but didn't find anything amiss. All there was were regular people: a couple holding hands as they walked in the opposite direction into the building, a short blonde woman that walked through the doors alongside Petra, a redhead woman, an older man, and a younger man with black hair walking a few paces behind her, also leaving the building. Petra spotted Gwen behind her as well, alongside that other punk from their engineering class that she seemed to be friends with. Petra quickly looked away from them, hoping not to catch Gwen's attention./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e79fad2ff6c64cc99cf8dfe32a9afe80" Petra still couldn't figure out what was alerting her spider-sense. As she walked further from the building, passing by the water fountain at the center of campus, the buzzing in her head remained ever-present. Petra scanned her surroundings once more, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. There were no bombs that she could see hidden anywhere, and no supervillains lying in wait atop any of the campus buildings. People walked all around her, almost too much to keep track of. A middle-aged brunette passed by, and a blonde man walked behind, staring at his phone the entire time that he walked while obnoxiously laughing, the same redhead that had been behind her before was there, though she fell further and further behind due to her slow pace. Petra also noticed the same older man from before./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b57b5fab11cae960794f6e403dfc6aa3" She sped up, abruptly changing directions toward the science building. After a few more minutes of walking, she moved behind the building, out of sight of any cameras or people. Or so she thought. Her spider-sense was flaring, warning her that somewhere, somehow, something was watching her. Panicked, Petra twisted around, looking everywhere to find whatever was responsible for this. She at least knew what was causing her spider-sense to go off now. Something or someone was following her. Petra sprinted away from the back of the building, rejoining the large groups of people clustered around the campus' main sidewalk, which her tour guide during orientation had affectionately dubbed the "spine" of ESU. She did her best to blend into the crowd, walking as reasonably fast as she could to the main entrance of ESU./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="5679a411006a3d08b08d77a4eb936fdf" The low hum of her spider-sense ebbed and flowed, fluctuating constantly. Petra figured that the movements of the crowd were disrupting her mysterious pursuers' sightline. She sped up, finally making it to the gate, and booking it to the right, sprinting down the sidewalk and ducking into the nearest alley. As her spider-sense rapidly faded, she leaped up onto a wall, kicking off her shoes and crawling up to the roof of the building. She cautiously peaked over the edge to observe the main gate, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever had been following her. People spilled in and out of the gates, but none of them stood out to her. Then, a woman with a head full of bright red hair exited campus, shoving her way through the crowd and looking frantically around. Her hair reached down slightly past her shoulders, and she had pale caucasian skin, with a pair of black sunglasses covering her eyes. She looked to be around her mid-thirties and was dressed in a simple white button-up dress shirt with a black tie, and black dress pants./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="860bbea6cbe44cb1aad5a2daf77eb5ea" She ran further down the sidewalk, clearly searching-most likely for her-but eventually gave up, and pulled out a phone, seeming to type on it for a few seconds before pressing it to her ear. Petra wanted to know who she was calling, but she was too high up to hear what the mystery woman was saying. So, Petra did the smart thing, and slowly backed away from the edge of her roof. She pulled her suit out of her backpack, quickly changed into it, and then leaped off the other side of the roof./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="013b2da2f874f940c9358d4842b6d298"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" Time to get the hell out of here! /emPetra thought./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9f054720e2e3e327a8d2e66ab91c0e96" She swung away, rushing as quickly as possible to the Queensboro Bridge./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7cc4ab7f3be7dc03d44cc1ae8b1da9cd" "It was insane, MJ! I have no idea how long that chick was following me! Or why! I'm just feeling really freaked out right now." Petra ranted as she lay sprawled over her bed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="93c96a9411d9cd593d26c789331a7ff7" MJ, for her part, lay down with her back on the floor and her feet propped up on Petra's bed, with her hands acting as pillows for her head./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="da932a1f32c615142ea5ce44f02afa8f" "And you're absolutely sure she was the one following you?" MJ asked./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7eda1da636824f1ea3efb47beda3d72e" "Absolutely, positutely, MJ. She stood out like a sore thumb. I just have no idea why she was following me! Do you think she knows about Spider-Woman?" Petra asked./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="6c8631035fad5a4507f3e14643211f6e" MJ didn't say anything for a few seconds, giving herself time to think./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9b2efd21ce9d68c3af021decb56fcedb" "I can't see any other reason you would be followed like that." MJ hesitantly said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="492d61edaccc2787dbebcb0ad49c276b" She stood up, looking at Petra sympathetically until her attention was suddenly drawn to Petra's nightstand. She walked over and looked down at it./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="1d43dad5445b86a71085f8da4d984ea4" "Hey Petra, what's this?" MJ asked, reaching down and picking something up./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="0394fdffe40254f2440094aaa1e4751d" Petra looked over and saw that MJ had grabbed the ultra-classified dossier that she had liberated(stolen) from the robot she had fought. MJ was moving to open it, but Petra quickly sprung up and snatched the document from her hands./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a471c92c107f29a8f384a5021a28e1fc" "Hey! What the hell, Parky?" MJ exclaimed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a37184ef51b2cd0417897f37ec8ee67a" "Sorry, MJ, I just don't think it's a good idea for you to read that. And Parky? What's that supposed to mean?" Petra asked./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e30b26c82aade798ed8cd02f89450164" "Parky, like Parker. C'mon, Petra, you should, of all people, should have picked up on that!" MJ said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="67a37a0d0a54ebc72a28253426fdbac8" "Oh."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="756d30e0b58a4f72f35d27518d0a0312" "Yeah, now tell me why it isn't a good idea for me to read that. And why does it have the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo on it?" MJ asked./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b69072ae277e085b9ba4cb111d6bbb7e" "You probably saw the whole thing that went down at OsCorp on the news. That robot I was fighting was trying to steal this. The stuff inside is...pretty fucked up. I'm also beginning to suspect that just knowing what's inside it is dangerous for your health." Petra said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="53aef97a94ce3e9355e5194bf5ad301c" "Dangerous for your...wait, are you trying to say that...?" MJ started./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="33b396b4740081acfb33b821cfc4ffee" "That the lady following me might be connected to the stuff in this dossier? Yes." Petra finished./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="70e720eaeb203c31d5d067d283a0153b" "Petra!" MJ admonished./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="994f4632014ecfe8d8fd7076c286f7bf" "I know, MJ." Petra muttered, looking away from MJ's gaze./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="18cf88e16d62072dd725ad93aca39c3e" "Of all the ridiculous things that have happened to you as Spider-Woman..." MJ continued./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9e43292b68071b81a5ff6ee0f6cf1937" "I em style="box-sizing: border-box;"know, /emMJ. Petra said again./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="bccf62e1bbae8692a7028d65a5a832ae" "Now you've gotten yourself involved in some kind of crazy conspiracy?!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="200d6da6e61115533eba4fe0f766ab10" "I span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"know, /em/spanMJ." Petra said for the umpteenth time. "I've probably jumped the shark with this one."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="46e38ee970303686575a56e598d07662" "And one of the largest international agencies in the world is involved too?!" She asked./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d30b12818244f5d46adc1f2c19f45e0c" "It would seem so." Petra said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="49656cfbc9e86dfdfb04665a6a1d6115" "Yikes," MJ stated./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="86e519bb8f013abd20f8d04b98871403" "Yeah." Petra sighed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="55e68a136641b9b728844a298212b79c" Petra sat on the edge of her bed, and MJ joined her. Petra leaned her head against MJ's shoulder, and MJ patted her head comfortingly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="4001c40a9f7c2395481bc455615aea7b" "Okay, so I've had my fill of crazy stuff for the day, so why don't you tell me how you're day went?" Petra asked./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9cebb0286e67e34a8692221ebce535ab" MJ giggled, then began to excitedly speak./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="38e53dda0af94287cb6c8c7de41e0d76" "Oh, I thought you'd never ask! I just auditioned for a show!" She happily said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="dd73afd8ae6cd3ee94a58b5b4ad9f41e" Petra lifted her head from MJ's shoulder and turned to her in surprise./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c0a14f7996838b6ca2a0c6f57b24b242" "Really?! Jeez, that's so exciting, MJ! How did it go?" She enthusiastically asked./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3cacfa00c66bf19cbd73a292e6ddb432" "I think it went well! They seemed to really like me, so I think I have a decent chance of getting in." MJ began, before launching into a recap of her audition./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="5effb5b598f20890875671045afee1f7" Petra listened intently, speaking up only to ask for clarification, or to provide her own encouragement and support./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="62328896819704b0adcc5e3b26b10d4f"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" I'm happy that MJ is finally pursuing a career in theatre. She's always been so passionate about it, and she always looked happiest when she was performing on stage. /emPetra thought./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c41628f4db467e3a0f60b1bad1569370" The duo chatted for another hour or so until MJ was ready to go back to her own home to get some sleep. Petra saw her out, before going back to her room and opening her computer. There was still one other thing she needed to research. The dossier had many things inked out, including names, making it impossible to know everyone who was involved, except for one name that popped up several times: Dr. Mendell Stromm./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="bc50a94c2b76aa7918528f4a0b4746e7" Petra typed the name into Google and was quickly met by several articles, all dated from early 2021, detailing the arrest and imprisonment of one Dr. Mendell Stromm. Everything she read told her that Stromm was Norman Osborn's former business partner, who had helped him found the company and had supervised their genetics and electronics divisions. Apparently, according to the numerous articles, Osborn had uncovered evidence that Stromm had committed numerous human rights violations behind his back, and had promptly turned the evidence in to the authorities, leading to Stromm's arrest in prosecution. He was currently serving a life sentence for his crimes, and although none of them were known by the public, the courts wouldn't release any information. Petra had a good guess about what he had done, though./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="cc181286afb567385986ed63765e04eb" Petra pulled up his mug shot. Stromm was old, probably in his early seventies, with a bald, wrinkled head and pointed face. He was...em style="box-sizing: border-box;" really /empale. The pieces began to click into place for Petra. Stromm and S.H.I.E.L.D. had made an agreement to use OsCorp to begin Project Rebirth 2.0. If everything she had read online was true, then Norman Osborn had been kept in the dark about the broader details surrounding the project. It made sense, he wasn't the head scientist, he was the businessman. After Osborn had found out, he had Stromm turned in. Maybe the file Petra had obtained was what had tipped Osborn off about the whole thing. At least, Petra hoped that was the correct version of events. The only lingering question was what the robot was doing, and how it was connected to all the massacres happening at different OsCorp facilities. Petra knew there was no way to get any more answers to her questions by sitting around in her room, so she quickly suited up, ready to head to the nearest OsCorp facility in Brooklyn. Before she left, Petra took one last look at the dossier, now resting on top of her bed. She didn't trust it being out in the open like that. If she had been found and followed before, then it could happen again. Petra picked it up and then walked over to her dresser. She opened the bottom two drawers, then reached in, with the dossier still in hand, and dropped it behind the drawers, before closing them. With that, Petra ran over to her window and left for Brooklyn./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3f0923b82e87ae80e31ca7e920f0836c" Petra observed OsCorp's Brooklyn factory from atop one of its many smokestacks. The factory was closed for the night, with most of the parking lot empty, save for a few cars that likely belonged to security and any employees who were working overtime. Petra kept an eye out for any more murder bots on their way to commit industrial sabotage but didn't see anything./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="66b2327dd348c006a8c0128b74a24423"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" Okay, I'll give it another hour, and if nothing happens, then I'm going home. /emShe thought./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="89bfba27ff05d3ac08b8c882d8834a22" She made a hammock in between two smokestacks, laid down in it, and waited, occasionally using another web to rock the hammock back and forth. A half-hour passed, with the hour growing later, forcing Petra to pinch herself on multiple occasions just to stay awake. She ruminated, thinking about all the recent events in her life./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="dc626cef9d967e4795946660dc58cd54"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" I feel like I haven't gotten a single break! First Aunt May's illness, then the ISO-36, then Doc Ock, then Howard the freaking Duck, and now this! /emShe thought./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b09aeb1f51d9b867eb4873cca7a8c532" Petra sighed. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"I need a vacation./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="8174b339fa6150f6293510be7f94ff62" Her head buzzed, with her spider-sense going off in hammering, pulsating waves. Petra leaped up, but it was too late. A pair of hands grabbed her from behind, dragging her through the air and roughly throwing her to the ground far below her. Struggling as the force of the throw whipped her around, Petra righted herself in mid-air, shooting a web at one of the smokestacks, saving herself from going splat on the ground at the last second. The momentum of the swing brought Petra back in the air, and she shot another web, bringing her to the top of the smokestack, where she perched on her hands and feet. She looked around wildly and quickly spotted her assailant./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e741a273b6dcc4043a2dac9ed63506eb"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" Argh! What is my farkakte life?! It feels like all my old enemies have been coming out of the woodwork recently! /emPetra thought, aggravated./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9fcabff95fed0e9cdefc37cc450fa877" A high-pitched voice let out a fierce, maniacal cackle. Petra tracked his movements through the air, as he manically flew through the air on his grey, bat-shaped glider./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="16bc72422999a833a86b10981d6c5981"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" I haven't missed this guy one bit! /emPetra thought./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="42dd93664082c95eb25ae402b3ad2537" The Green Goblin turned on his glider to face her, crouching low on it as it hovered in place. He sported a wide, malicious grin, with his strange green mask, which was practically flesh, and its sickly yellow, pupilless eyes, amplifying the creep factor that radiated from him. His long, purple peasant hat flowed with the wind, and his green suit of scaly armor shone in the moonlight. His lips curled up, exposing his gums, and he spoke./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="bd5711793b761fa7109897d622a2fd88" "My, my! What an unpleasant surprise!" The Goblin exclaimed, bringing his hand to his heart. "I wasn't expecting to find you here, you lame-brained brat!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="dfdf9fbd782cf20b9fd95e256219b12d" "Of course, you're the one behind the attacks, Gobby!" Petra shouted./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="52f734c2dc487c3333525e52934ef14c" She shot a web at the Green Goblin's face, but his inhuman reflexes allowed him to easily dodge./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="cc28aa1472410ff5165875b306b390f9" "As much as I'd love to squash you into oblivion, bug, I'm afraid I have more important business to attend to. So, here's my offer, leave now, and you'll live to die by my hand some other day!" He explained./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="411af3884a0591d568cdd851cd2eec42" "No chance, Gobby," Petra said as she leaped at him, "now here's my counteroffer! I stop you, we see if Spirit Halloween will accept a refund for your tacky costume, and then I leave you here for the police!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9435d6cd675753c8de85c1cbf9a963d9" Petra almost tackled the Goblin, but he lowered his glider and ducked down, making Petra fly straight over his head. Petra twisted in the air and shot a web line, which stuck to the back of the Goblin's glider. The glider suddenly jerked forward, speeding through the air and stringing Petra along as she desperately gripped the end of her web./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="5b6f5ec39d3799a12116561a13f15dce" "You know, as much as I utterly em style="box-sizing: border-box;"despise /emyou, Spider-Woman, I have missed our little brawls. I'm sorry I've been away for so long!" The Green Goblin shouted, letting out a high-pitched cackle of malicious joy./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f9d725f086c3e3228efe2aab0f7b299b" "Can it, you psychotic Scooby-Doo reject!" Petra shouted back as she pulled herself forward on her web line./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="24cbff2c5b0025b13c69accfd6d3ba99" "Manners, girl!" The Goblin shouted./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="00369e43580a569f80d9f90166c1512c" He jerked his glider straight up into the air, the fiery rocket propelling it forward and leaving behind a bright trail of light. Petra flailed behind as she was pulled higher and higher, until, suddenly, the glider's engine powered off. For the briefest of seconds, the glider hung in the air, with the moon sitting directly behind it. The glider turned, with the Goblin now facing the ground, and was pulled down by gravity. Momentum still carried Petra higher, creating a growing slack in her web. The Green Goblin came careening downward, brandishing a sharp blade in his right hand. Petra braced herself and closed her eyes, preparing for the incoming cut, but she never felt it. Instead, she heard the sound of a em style="box-sizing: border-box;"snap! /emGravity began to pull Petra down again, and she opened her eyes./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="269eed5fa07f8143d446d539d1f58304"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" He cut the web! /emPetra realized./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a48f1b5f8921833737a240101bf1ab25" As she plunged to the ground, Petra shot a web at a smokestack. The web was soon pulled taut, and she began to swing away, rescuing herself from her impending date with the pavement. The swing of her web only bought her a brief reprieve, as the Green Goblin came flying around again, once more cutting her web line. Petra tumbled through the air colliding with the smokestack and barely managing to stick to its surface. Petra turned and saw the Goblin flying toward her again. She kept her feet stuck to the smokestack's surface, and raised her fists, ready to strike, but the sound of an explosion caused the Goblin to slow his glider and abruptly turn midair. All the sadistic glee that had once been on his face quickly disappeared, replaced with anger. Petra looked and saw that a significant portion of the factory was catching fire. Petra scaled down the side of the smokestack and dropped to the roof, sprinting toward the fire. Overlooking from the edge of the roof, Petra saw a machine, the same type that had raided Norman Osborn's office, standing just outside the building, firing off laser blasts at the Green Goblin, who was swarming around it and tossing his signature pumpkin bombs, which he grabbed from the brown satchel situated at his side. Each one was met by a laser before they could deal any damage to the machine./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="67943562eac742c80c55de742b7b3c17" "Blasted machines! Stop hiding behind your toys, Stromm!" The Green Goblin bellowed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="cb455f82ccf7230cd776326156b6af2d"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" Stromm? /emPetra thought./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b51572a53b52c8bd4ba1643024293737" The machine suddenly froze, and a dark figure slowly emerged from behind a car sitting on the outskirts of the parking lot. It shambled forward, dragging its left leg behind it. Gurgling and rough coughing sounds emitted from its throat as it went. Finally, it stepped into the illumination of one of the many street lamps, revealing itself to all present. His face was horribly mutilated, with several unnaturally long and yellow teeth that extended far past his lips, occasionally piercing straight through the skin of his mouth. His skin was discolored and wrinkly, with sickly purple and green having completely overtaken any natural skin tone. His eyes were yellow, with a few of their bulging veins having previously burst, staining them with red. He wore a white lab coat, with a brown vest and red tie underneath, and tattered, brown dress pants. At the end of his fingertips, his nails had grown out to an extreme length, sharpening almost into claws./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="473912886f645e971b38275cb768d141" He was sickly, disgusting, and hardly human, but barely, just barely, Petra could recognize him from the pictures she had seen before. Dr. Mendel Stromm./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f4e81cbabfea0316133839844e779c5a" "Okay, does anybody wanna tell me what in hell is going on?!" Petra shouted from her position on the roof./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="8617d7d0fc124dda6668fb0fd97567de" "EVERYBODY DROP YOUR WEAPONS AND PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR!" A voice shouted through a speaker./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="180d99fa15d09c63fc17bea8c21fb147" The whir of rotor blades filled the air, and bright lights flooded the scene. Above Petra were three black helicopters bearing the white S.H.I.E.L.D. logo, with searchlights pointed directly at all of them. Petra moved her hand in front of her eyes, shielding them from the lights. Below, Dr. Stromm snarled./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e3f06bd3b0cd49d78598873f29ac5462" "Robot! Defend me!" His raspy voice shouted./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="1c2276b57311dcf70f5a1d6f55e7a90c" The robot sprang into action, jumping at one of the S.H.I.E.L.D. choppers, latching onto its side and attacking. At that very same moment, Dr. Stromm charged at the Green Goblin, screaming in rage./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="218ecfcb3055df27a6508d8d409fe35f" "I don't know who you are, or why you're interfering, but nobody is getting in the way of my revenge!" Stromm shouted./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="95f3f8f08ffcf33772d038d1ee63097e" He raised his fist, attempting to strike the Goblin, but he caught it in his hand. The two stayed locked for a moment, both trying to overpower the other, before the Goblin twisted Stromm's wrist, then bent it upward, forcing the man to his knees with a cry of pain. A spray of bullets was fired at them. With inhuman speed, the Green Goblin lifted Stromm by the collar of his vest and used him as a human shield. The bullets struck Stromm's back, but they barely seemed to phase the man. Petra jumped down, ready to intervene, but the Goblin took off into the air, soaring past the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopters, tossing pumpkin bombs as he went. The force of their explosions shook the helicopters, making them spin wildly and preventing their pilots from pursuing the Green Goblin and Stromm. Petra, unable to follow, turned her attention to the machine that was attacking the remaining helicopter./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3ddc85a9279c8b317bf2e8d03a9c31ef" The Green Goblin carried Stromm higher and higher into the air. Under his grip, Stromm flailed, attempting to free himself, seemingly oblivious to the deadly heights he had been carried to./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7575b3639147eba12d56a27920cef874" "I don't know who you are, or what you want with me, but if you don't let me go, I'll kill you, do you hear me? Nothing will stop me from having my revenge!" Stromm shouted./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="bdbe08a15603c55d6500d3b63d256b11" "You always were no fun, Stromm. Haven't you heard the saying about all work and no play?" The Goblin jeered./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f6965954497c7f55b0e9b67e935038b9" "...who are you?" Stromm asked suspiciously./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="8f2705b791f3e4bc5498ec21e67d5d82" "Why, Stromm! Don't you recognize your dear former student? Your business partner? The one who made you millions, and took it all away?" The Goblin said, his voice lowering from his usual maniacal pitch to a low, angry one as he spoke./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a8cb2d88ee00ad85e685dfbfecb3ff7e" As his voice changed, recognition flashed across Stromm's face./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="855c949a7fa688d111802229b6206438" "Norman?" He tentatively asked./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a5bb7c0914d9982ea4504e6b333752e0" "So perceptive! Tell me, Stromm, how did you escape from prison? After everything em style="box-sizing: border-box;"you /emdid, I assumed they would have kept you on a short leash!" The Goblin gleefully shrieked, his voice returning to its prior manic state./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="8b1ecc36b27379f26987d825e2a06339" "After everything em style="box-sizing: border-box;"I /emdid?! You bastard! I was following em style="box-sizing: border-box;"your /emorders! You betrayed me! All so you could have complete control of em style="box-sizing: border-box;"our /emcompany!" Stromm shouted, outraged./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="574aa7b2a3a7ce95b98626ba69a49797" "And now I'm preventing you from destroying what's left of it!" The Goblin looked Stromm over, curiosity in his eyes. "Hehe, say, what happened to you Stromm? You're looking a little under the weather! Although, I suppose age doesn't treat all of us as kindly as it has me!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7881acd3e9d3f5cfffd84508069e1929" "You know damn well what happened! I-I was exposed to the OZ, during our trial testing. I wasn't directly dosed with it, its progression has been slower, but it's killing me Norman. My time is running out, but I won't leave this world before I've taken em style="box-sizing: border-box;"everything /emfrom you! Do you hear me Norman? Everything!" Stromm shouted, recovering from his state of shock, anger flowing through him once again./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e61f90ef43aff69e45c638a4a9a41ca8" The Goblin ignored him, looking below him and seeing that the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopters had righted themselves, and were moving toward his position. He grinned, then looked back to Stromm, a menacing gleam in his eyes./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="0c9bd09f58a23774e7bbbef92b051943" "Well, Stromm, our little reunion has been fun, but I think it's time to wrap things up!" The Goblin said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7a4964dbe414d4aeac3cf3d81ffb35c9" He extended his arm out, forcing Stromm's feeble, decaying body to hover directly over the ground far below him. Stromm's eyes widened with realization and panic. The Goblin's eyes narrowed, and his grin widened even further./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="171f98fe7468092944063fedcbafea0e" "I'll see you in Hell, Stromm!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c0e2e56c777a763807d809f1b143e63a" "No, no, Norman wait! Wait!" Stromm begged./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="6b74f0dae99d798b5a744ac92acac42c" The Goblin laughed, then released his grip, sending Stromm on his one-way trip to the ground./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="81f462e0d25106b1f87c8e8324f76bc0" Petra grabbed the robot by its wrist, crushing it. She ripped the thing from its grip on the side of the helicopter, then from her position, stuck on the side of the black helicopter, she grabbed the robot by its torso, raised it above her head, and threw it. It landed in a heap on the ground but was still not finished. It raised its head and fired a laser from its large eye, and Petra quickly dodged out of the way, moving to the open side of the helicopter. The laser hit the tail of the helicopter, snapping it in half and sending the vehicle into a tailspin to the ground. Petra popped her head inside the helicopter and found two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents inside, covered in dark blue helmets with reflective, silver visors, and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s signature dark blue bodysuits, with metallic, silver gloves and black army boots, and the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo, with a red circular background, over the right side of there chests, and silver tactical gear strapped around them./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f3dd544fed50062956ffa13906df2edd" "Hey! This bird is going down!" Petra shouted as she leaped into the helicopter./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f45b573cd691aa63fce8780084ad11e2" The two agents looked at each other, then reached for a rack inside the chopper, grabbing jetpacks and strapping them on, before leaping out and flying to safety./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="2600426417d33b4c9030c0f1d1e4be7a" "Man, I've gotta get me one of those..." Petra muttered./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3d7d1a9b3fced3556f7f744bed7daa2d" The pilot of the craft ran out of the cockpit, bracing himself against the nearest wall to keep himself steady. He looked around frantically, and upon realizing there were no more jet packs left, began to panic./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="1d12f236d8ba67e5ee05286a4e30ba67" "Hey, calm down, I'll get you out of here!" Petra shouted./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="84975fe00bdb13454a4612420557febc" Petra peered out of the helicopter, keeping a firm grip on the open sliding door to prevent herself from falling out. The whole world was spinning rapidly, with no apparent way for Petra to swing to safety. They were too far from the OsCorp factory for her web to reach, and although all the street lamps standing throughout the parking lot were closer, they were still too far for Petra./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d0bb6dd680f88771d8d1dd96aded1814" "Shit. How am I supposed to get out of this thing alive?" Petra thought out loud./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="37ce710d741f748263b8167aa53261fb" The pilot, overhearing her, let out a panicked whimper. Petra turned back to him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="5e038d666c46b86b69c28cb42c56274f" "Hey, hey, hey, it'll be okay! Probably...maybe." She said, trailing off as her attempts at reassurance failed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="908b69a8aeb3a57dcdf79b9ae6969653" Time was running out, as the helicopter traveled closer to the ground in it's death-spiral./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3af64cc0224e004ee852b10b5f3ecc8f" "Okayokayokay, gotta think, gotta think!" Petra shouted./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c1224cd8b938084a782d56ec748afb35" She took one last look outside the helicopter, then put a hand to her chin as the gears in her head began to turn. She again turned to the pilot, reaching out a hand to him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="36dab1c36669ef68b39c93932dfa342a" "Grab on! I'm getting us out of here!" She said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3aa68e71187592be04cb79fadf8970b8" The pilot took her hand, and Petra pulled him to her side, wrapping her arm firmly around him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="930097342e8da5a5a8c522a741c45382" "Hang on tight!" She shouted./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="5e26fcd4d379566f20aae2b5264efe99" The pilot screamed as Petra suddenly leaped out of the helicopter. She twisted in the air as best she could, and launched a web at the front end of the helicopter. The web line was quickly pulled taught, and Petra and the pilot were whipped around, moving in very fast circles, almost like the blade of a ceiling fan./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="148922c64d45caa68f52322ef2cc00b3"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" Don't mess this up Petra! You don't get to die until you finally pants J. Jonah Jameson in public! /emPetra said to herself./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="1dadb2c3fbaee3c37f051f620d79b3f6" Feeling that she had enough momentum, Petra prayed that she had her timing right, and let go of the web. She and the pilot soared through the air, and Petra desperately hoped that the next phase of her half-baked plan would come to fruition, knowing that if she failed, she and the pilot would become instant street pizza. Petra aimed her wrist as best she could as they tumbled through the air, and fire. The web caught on to a rapidly approaching street lamp, with her and the pilot's momentum causing them to swing around it, almost like a tetherball wrapping itself around a pole. Finally, Petra's momentum slowed as her web grew short, and Petra grabbed onto the street lamp, awkwardly climbing down to the ground with the pilot safely in her other arm. She saw the helicopter crash directly on top of Dr. Stromm's robot, with the ensuing explosion presumably destroying it. Fire was everywhere, from the steadily growing flames that engulfed the OsCorp factory to the burning husk of the downed helicopter that lay nearby. Petra uncomfortably cleared her throat, looking at the pilot, who still had his arms firmly wrapped around her waist, and was shaking and whimpering like an abused puppy./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9098e93edf0dce55c5735d88c822f1c9" "Hey, um, you can let go now. We're on the ground." Petra said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f5f3e3ce2349f566922a87e43d2e6904" The pilot didn't seem to notice, his helmet obscuring his face, which was still glazed over with fright. Petra brought her free hand to his helmet and lightly smacked it, snapping the pilot out of his frozen state. Slowly, he unwrapped his arms from around Petra, then stumbled back, falling to the ground. He quickly pushed himself back up, before turning around and sprinting away, screaming all the way./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="4dacdca488d816759de3ec2221a49a17" "Uh, a thank you would be nice!" Petra said, shouting after him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="023e53f6c60e5a37a2b54b001907c825" The pilot either didn't hear or didn't care as he disappeared into the distance./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="172fa5d1ea98045c714b068105cf25fe" "Some people." Petra muttered./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7a75e832a55c1dcbd55d8019000e2ad0" A laugh cut through the night, and Petra looked up. The Green Goblin was holding Dr. Stromm by the collar of his vest, hovering over some buildings across the street. Petra watched helplessly as the Green Goblin let Stromm fall. They were too far away for her to do anything. Her web shooters were incapable of launching anything that far, and there was no way she could stop Stromm's fall, especially with her distance. She could hear the sound of cracking bones as Stromm presumably hit the ground, his body obscured by the buildings. S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopters opened fire on the Goblin as they drew close, forcing him to weave and dodge out of the way. The Goblin reached into his satchel and withdrew two of his jack-o'-lantern-shaped grenades. He chuckled and moved his glider backward, casually tossing his pumpkin bombs into the air. One was thrown to the left, the other to the right, and as the helicopters approached, the bombs detonated, forcing the helicopters to swerve and avoid the blast. When the smoke from the explosions cleared, the Goblin was nowhere to be found./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="5eeacc980e4e70a74ab716aecd3678a7" "What just happened?!" Petra asked, confused by the evening's events./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="849210c06ac0190ccde6c7c5b635e4c1" "I'm sorry Spider-Woman, but that's classified." A deep voice said from behind her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d5f3f775c438b27bb7a5b6e07be5b3a2" Petra turned to find a whole legion of S.H.I.E.L.D. vehicles driving into the parking lot, with a man climbing out of the passenger side of one of their dark blue humvees. He was tall, with brown skin and short, dark hair on his head, highlighted by grey streaks just above the ears, very similar to the ones in Reed Richards' hair. He was adorned with the standard S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform, with a dark trenchcoat worn over it. A holster, built into the trenchcoat, pocketed a pistol on the man's left side, and another one was holstered on his right leg. He had a thin goatee and a strong, angular face, but his most distinguishing feature was the black eyepatch covering his left eye./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="ca6104fdc3797ef9c69b5d6784de32e1" "And you are?" Petra asked./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e2d5656533583d19ce4b99903ac4491a" "Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D., at your service." He said as he walked to her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b188359aec60974cf8d64b811b568739" More S.H.I.E.L.D. agents poured out of the various vehicles that flooded the parking lot, running all over the place to secure the area./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="cd8c1685f0208e59028fb4f5d22a32b6" Petra took a step back as Fury closed the distance between them, looming tall over her. A woman walked up from behind him, also dressed in the standard S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform. With a start, Petra realized that it was the same woman who had been following her on campus. She was still wearing those dark sunglasses over her stern face, though her long red hair had been tied into a bun./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="6957d17db43044d6f8a165fa76e50e0a" "Sir, I just received word about Stromm. Our recon team couldn't find a body, just-" The woman began, before stopping as Nick Fury raised a hand to silence her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="906bc27eefa8b34f0484dae049f56489" "We'll talk about that later, Agent Carter, for now, I'd like to have a private chat with Miss Superhero over here." Fury said, his voice full of confidence and bravado./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b81041b7bce315cd480f0bcc87e2fdba" Agent Carter nodded her head, then backed off. As she walked away, she turned back to them, shooting a glare at Petra. Petra glared right back, narrowing the lenses of her mask, before looking away to turn her attention back to the man in front of her. She puffed up her chest, trying to make herself seem taller, attempting to make herself seem as intimidating as him, but it was to no avail./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="1ed0dde1f20f880885888515fbddad47" "You'll have to excuse Sharon, she isn't a big fan of you superheroes." Fury commented./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="518c5e480cce6d904056042fb218dbd4" "Uh-huh. Can you tell me what in hell is going on? And how long have you been here? I could have used some help when the Green Goblin showed his ugly face." Petra said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f9a34355c87b372e2c12320a87d93884" She hoped to shift the conversation away from "Sharon." The revelation that it had been a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent following her earlier had her on edge./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="add2a1c7261d2fd95e07cd85bbe4ac0e" "Like I said, that's classified. All you need to know is that a bad man escaped from prison, and now he's dead." Fury said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7625cb754cb834939284bf05547bbde7" "Yeah? Well, I know more than you think!" Petra brashly stated, pointing a finger at his chest. "I know all about Rebirth 2.0!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="ee1c0c002114028679cb505dd96e0a19" Nick Fury was completely unfazed, an easy smile on his face as he let out a deep chuckle./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="6b17dd9fa0fb9cfbea415c8236787236" "I know you took the file, but that doesn't matter." He said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b5164def9ddf3ec7548e21b2d186a53e" "Doesn't matter?" Petra exclaimed, outraged. "S.H.I.E.L.D.-you-allowed horrific, unethical experiments to be run on people! You're sick!"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3b3ca39e2bdbaa06d813c10cdaf5016c" "They were all convicts, the worst of the worst, their lives weren't worth much. And furthermore, some decisions are out of even my hands." Fury said, his anger rising./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="1d3b10d7c84c1d235d99b222af93d94f" "Tell that to the press! I'm going to leak that dossier to every major media outlet there is!" Petra shouted./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b9ff95605fad7767479efd79b33440f4" Once more, Nick Fury smiled, chuckling again./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="48818b28516f19c609964cef366b7e18" "You can try, but I don't think you'd get very far with it," Fury said, "after all, you wouldn't want anything to happen to your Aunt, would you?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7ea48a49d091f8333d990244d26150b8" Petra froze, her whole world seeming to shatter around her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9cd6daf3498ecf2320277f76dd6a05cb" "What?" She whispered./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="4c1cffe650c6fdd3d57d7aa6435fd24d" "I'm a spy, Parker, not just the head of the world's largest counter-terrorism agency. I make it my business to know everything about everything. Even small fry, like you." He said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3159da40d04d8f65b06fb83cb8eaf409" "Y-you know?" Petra asked./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="2fb67b00f3278ad98636d23d964e8b20" "Don't worry, I'm the only one who knows. But remember, that can change at any time. Think about that when you go back to your little home in Forest Hills." Fury threatened./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a50ad25ba22dacc36ae0b97b54fdce3d" "But...you had someone following me. You're not the only one..." Petra said, trailing off./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="1637aa5381dd615ab04a2ee8a42eb529" "Agent Carter is loyal to me. She won't tell anyone unless I give her the go-ahead." Fury said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="41e08d786a3c60ce1e45e30e9f591449" Petra stood and stewed in her anger for a second, then spoke./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="cf7dc1091cecec2f6695b220f1d033a4" "What gives you the right?" Petra asked./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="669cfb78b3b46fa81dbf831c707a5758" Fury didn't say anything, he just stared right back at her with his one eye./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="fd8f711013f21808a4c7aef631375796" "The right to what?" He responded./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="8168ebfba84e8320b94516dba570f096" Petra's nostrils flared./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d7aaffe6792f8f53f63fc41c1e0ce47c" "The right to do what you do? To police the world, acting like you know better than everyone else?" She clarified./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="ed1feb3137e12faff5d945658d05f05d" "Well, I guess it's the fact that we have the bigger guns." Fury taunted, before turning and walking away./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b3d6457f7e4e6139b89cd23e22a2396a" He turned his head back to Petra and said one last thing./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="5e2224f4ae9a1b23a0077a44f02fb804" "And I em style="box-sizing: border-box;"do /emknow better. Get used to us, kid. In case you haven't heard, S.H.I.E.L.D. is officially making New York its main base of operations."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="00166e10ff6b409fc82dc6c62bda11ca" Anger flared in Petra, but she knew she couldn't do anything. Her whole life, and the lives of everyone around her, was at risk the longer she stuck around. Slowly, one step at a time, Petra moved backward, away from Fury, away from OsCorp, and away from S.H.I.E.L.D., until she was able to shoot a web at a building and swing away./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="6744cceeeba1fdb226561923dbb9326b" Petra was sprawled out on her bed, her arms outstretched to either side, as she stared blankly at the ceiling./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="00f6f430472a2afb29954d25194762ac"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" What gives you the right? /emShe had asked Nick Fury./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f62cdf5157e596028c11515c2e21236b" She thought about everything that had happened. The robot, the dossier, the Goblin, Dr. Stromm, OsCorp, S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury, all of it. She was so confused and had so many questions, but she had a feeling that she wouldn't get any answers for a long, long time./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="1f7e011b2f00fdcb1636b32f91bfa40a"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" What does it mean? Why was the Green Goblin there? What kind of business did he have with Stromm? Why did he kill him? /emShe thought. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"What gives you the right?/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a1d481221ac8ab31bf7b211aef0099ab" Petra let out an angry huff, then slowly pushed herself up, looking over to her dresser, where the dossier was still hidden./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c0b3e47950095a41084ddf2294ba8799"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" Would Fury actually do it? Leak my identity? Put everyone in my life at risk? Maybe he was just bluffing, trying to cover his own ass. /emShe thought. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"What gives him the right?/em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="6ac460d52c9241720271d5f99a2ce84d" Petra scanned her room, taking comfort in its familiarity. She absently thought about May, who was probably asleep in her hospital bed, recovering from an illness em style="box-sizing: border-box;"she /emhad caused. Her thoughts turned to the conversation she had had with her Aunt, a few days before she had gotten sick. About how afraid she was for Petra, afraid of Spider-Woman, and all the other "dangers" out there. As she continued to look around her room, something seemed...off. A half-empty glass of water, one that she had left on her desk two days ago and hadn't bothered to take down to the kitchen, seemed...wrong./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="48688d707abd842e8c3ad2277ac4baff" Petra stood up and walked over to it. Beneath it, Petra could see the little ring of moisture that it had left was slightly askew as if the glass had been moved. Petra looked around some more. A picture frame sitting on the desk was slightly askew, some papers on her nightstand looked em style="box-sizing: border-box;"too /emneatly stacked, and the little blue circular rug that sat in the center of her room's dark wooden floor looked as if it had been recently moved. Dread seeped into Petra, as she realized that em style="box-sizing: border-box;"someone /emhad been through her room. Whoever they were, they had covered their tracks well, leaving almost everything as they had found it. The only problem was that they had cleaned up after themselves em style="box-sizing: border-box;"too /emwell./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d50f9acf1f73d723719ab7b4eb600e9c"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" Oh crud! /emPetra thought as her eyes widened./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="0954355ca0d84f9463b7e5c36cc57a7b" She sprinted to her dresser, reaching down and grabbing the handles of the bottom drawer. She pulled it out, then awkwardly shoved her arm in, maneuvering over the end of the drawer and feeling around the empty space with her hand./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="fde59abbccc723bd8a93ca9cb6f072da" Nothing. The dossier was gone! Petra pulled her arm back out, then angrily slammed the drawer shut. She paced around her room, running her hands through her hair, only one, very angry thought on her mind./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="0d3e8bfb04cc4460de68605f74b3d000"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" Fury./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7fc219ca44eeda699936bb96ce1042bd" Nick Fury, or one of his agents, had broken into em style="box-sizing: border-box;"her /emhome, gone into em style="box-sizing: border-box;"her /emroom, and rifled through em style="box-sizing: border-box;"her /emthings. Petra felt that her privacy, her sense of security, had been violated./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="ccd6bc83e8a91740aa8f50f6614da56a" "AAAHH!" Petra screamed, her frustration boiling over./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9896785e50eb1e9137aa33795ce8cc39" "What gives that...that...that em style="box-sizing: border-box;"fucker /emthe right to do this? To...to just do whatever he wants, all for what em style="box-sizing: border-box;"he /emthinks is the right thing?!" She shouted to her empty room./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="bf42e5a31f5ad90e64e9ea53928f671d" Petra shut off her lights and then plopped down on her bed. Try as she might, she couldn't get her eyes to shut, and she instead went back to staring at the ceiling as her thoughts continued to linger on just one thing./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="bb45ec939065c5ee0c43029c107c0911"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" What gives him the right? /emShe thought./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="cdf3320fbf50c54997b5262db89cb74a" Petra stayed like that for a while, mulling it over, dissecting it, arguing back and forth with herself over it./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="97200aaed273e43252241496386fc734"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" What gives him the right? /emShe thought./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="2eec4c126347a6f42cd22ecaa9360b11" Her eyelids grew heavy, and they slowly lowered as her vision lost focus, and her thoughts became slurred with how sluggish and tired she was growing./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="1f715aec95c6ebfa0ebf49f99a487df2"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" What...gives...him...the right? What...gives...ME the right? /emShe thought, then drifted off into a fitful sleep./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="339aba9383954d78b68f0fe558666aed"AVENGERS: UNDER SIEGE PRELUDE PART I/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c7e14fa3b2662f1c7923ef39f6ab8a59" "Hey Max, how's it hanging in there?" Edward, an orderly for the em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Ravencroft Institute for the Criminally Insane/em taunted as he passed by a special containment cell./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="370b8f77325e249e4629b884cd8407d4" "HEY! That's Electro to you, asshole! Do ya hear me?! E-LEC-TRO!" Electro shrieked as he slammed against the glass of his cylindrical container./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="1d240abb3e300c6d5966fc413a67dc29" The container hung precariously over a pool of water, suspended by plastic chains that threatened to drop the cell in should he ever break out of the non-conductive rubber suit that prevented Electro from using his powers. The whole set-up was further secured behind a set of specially prepared wooden doors lined with rubber, with bulletproof glass windows, which the orderly peered through./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="0ad0c567ee15b4f950c63f40db12203e" "Yeah? Well, I'm Ed-ward Whe-lan! And if you disrespect me again, I might have to give you a little recreational swim time! You hear me?!" Edward shouted as he reached his dark brown hand toward a lever fixed right next to the wooden doors, which would release the chains holding Electro's glass cell, and send him plunging into the pool of water./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="df7d9c46c5f35480d502dbedd991d21e" "Such incivility. Truly, your behavior must be emblematic of the decline of your once 'great' nation!" A smooth voice, its speech displaying a clear German accent, called out from the shadows of the long, dark hallway that Edward Whelan stood in./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="6744ed5c96dd838d37e384ba782d8865" Edward whipped around, searching for the source of the voice. The bright white of his work uniform clashed with the shadows of the hallway. It was late, and Edward was on the night shift, meaning that most of the lights in the building were out, unfortunately obscuring anything more than five feet away from him from his vision. Distinctive footsteps, produced by hard-heeled boots, began to sound off in the dark, heading in Edward's direction. Edward backed up against the doors to Electro's cell, fear and confusion coursing through him. Finally, a figure stepped into the light, revealing himself to Edward. He was tall, with a purple and gold suit and mask, which completely obscured his body from any prying eyes. White and black fur sprung out from the shoulders of the costume, reminiscent of many capes worn by the nobility of the past. Attached to the man's side was a scabbard, containing a long, thin sword. The man stopped roughly three feet in front of Edward, towering over the confused orderly, and directing all of his imposing menace upon him. Edward cleared his throat, attempting to gather his courage, and then spoke./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9f77ac5799178acc1797338bb641b6ca" "Alright, I don't know who the hell you're supposed to be, and honestly, I don't care, but clearly, you belong here in the loony bin. I'll-" Edward was cut off, as the man dressed in purple grabbed the golden hilt of his sword, withdrawing it from its scabbard with lightning-fast speed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="0ff28de67c7b1c5e9c570864390ae2fa" "You will hold your tongue before I cut it from your throat. Do you understand me, em style="box-sizing: border-box;"vermin /em?" The man asked as he pressed the edge of his sword to the orderly's throat./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="2002bff9f69951c0df25f95d17ad5727" He leaned in close to Edward, the menacing white eyes of his mask narrowing. Intimidated, Edward nodded his head, his whole body shaking in fear. The man leaned back, withdrawing his sword from Edward's neck./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="82a4d9b2d3509b0bad12fb0460477476" "Good, now..." the man said as he pointed to Edward's belt, "...give me your keys."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="648f7d5a39cefd50d054fce008906ec1" His hands still shaking, Edward reached to his belt and removed a set of keys, handing them over./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="eed0796eb54d296cd9e4451a4b63a8a1" "Very good. I find you amusing, so I will spare your life. Run along, before I change my mind." He said to Edward./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3299364d163b434cd7de1a3f2557c574" Edward wasted no time in sprinting away and disappearing into the shadows of the Ravencroft building. The man in purple watched Edward disappear, then turned to the door, inserting a key in and unlocking it. He stepped into the room, where Electro sat in his containment cell, curious./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a1fc45bcfa3073dcfa24afefbf3dd9b6" "Who the fuck are you supposed to be?" Electro asked./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="237a3b1aad0f4daeac34b3427ac97df5" "I am Baron Helmut Zemo, and I intend to free you from this prison." Zemo said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="43aa66a4211303eb1e27908ee06da506" "Really?!" Electro exclaimed as he stood up in excitement./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="ea7c998ccc7806ef3d84364b97a6ddde" Beneath his rubber mask, a skeptical look overtook his prior expression of excitement./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b2f49e06f5b2f84fa21cbc217232da69" "Wait...what's the catch? What do you want from me?" Electro asked./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="9dfda6158de67085bba1a0e07014bf1b" Zemo chuckled./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="347b1c9ed89fdca95a75edd4e610742f" "Very intuitive, I like that. Yes, I want something from you Electro...I want your help, and in exchange, I swear that I will assist you in the destruction of your enemy, Spider-Woman." Zemo said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c97f3f352a6b4cf6005d97955a55b436" That caught Electro's full attention./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="a56856e07b0afca42aeddeda6123667e" "Ha, nice! I'm in, what's the job?" Electro asked./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="4a5e4b8bb05d220c962adbfe8d6b92c3" The outline of a grin appeared beneath the cloth of Zemo's purple mask, and he pulled out a Luger pistol from a holster on his belt, aiming it at the glass of Electro's containment unit./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="196e0c31ed39507252d55909cfb8821b" "Why, the complete and utter humiliation and em style="box-sizing: border-box;"destruction /emof the Avengers, of course!" He said, venom dripping from his voice, before he pulled the trigger./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="740e7ca37ad7800e84566266d636437f" Electro, expecting a bullet, flinched, curling in to protect himself. Instead, a hot laser was fired, colliding with the glass and melting a hole in it before Electro's eyes. Electro unshielded himself and tentatively stepped up to the hole, staring outward to freedom./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7b82af8591b6365f9e78826f898594bc" "Well then, shall we make our leave?" Zemo asked./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="5dfffb489577792942b2210d60da15e7" Electro looked down at him and grinned./p