The Invincible Spider-Man

Chapter 97: The Best There Is

"Get the ball, Brian!" shouted one kid, pointing at a football which was rolling down the street. Another kid, wearing a blue cap backwards, groaned at him.

"Why me again? You kicked it this time!" protested Brian. After he wasn't met with a response, he sighed and began to chase the ball down, which showed no signs of stopping.

"Yo, be careful, it's starting to rain!" yelled out the first kid, as Brian continued running after the ball. Before he could catch it, the ball got swept up in the rain and slid down an open drain.

"Come on!" exclaimed the boy. The rain seemed to obscure his view as he slowly approached the drain, trying to see if he could still get the ball.

"I swear, if a clown with a red balloon shows up…" muttered the kid, reaching into the drain. He squint as he tried to find the ball, eventually finding it lodged in the drain.

"Finally!" he exclaimed, as he pulled the ball out of the drain. "No clowns biting my arm off," he joked. He got off of his feet and began to walk back, waving to the first kid who was waiting in the shelter for him.

All of a sudden, a manhole next to the kid began to rattle. He stopped, and looked closely at it. Rats were running out of the drain and towards the manhole, as if trying to break in.

"The hell?" he asked, looking at it closer. All of a sudden, a large brown creature sprung out of the manhole cover, throwing it aside. A trail of fur ran down its back, extending into a large tail, looking like a large rat.

Both of the kids screamed in horror, as the large rat creature grabbed Brian and jumped back into the sewer, disappearing in the rain just as soon as it appeared.

"Hey, this is delicious!" said one boy to the girl next to him, as he ate a slice of cake from a small bowl. The girl looked back at him and giggled.

"It was an old recipe from my nana. This is the first time I tried making it," replied the boy, taking a piece of the small slice and offering to the girl in front of him.

Suddenly, someone running at top speed bumped into him, causing him to drop the cake.

"Hey!" he exclaimed.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry!" replied Peter, as he continued to sprint across the campus, towards his classroom. He quickly glanced at his watch, winced, and picked up his pace. Peter sprinted inside the building and into his classroom, only to be met with a disappointed look on Dr Warren's face.

Wordlessly, Peter sat down and took a seat at the very back of the class, hanging his head down and burying it in his notebook until the class ended.

"And I think that's it for today. There'll be no homework this class because you all just suffered an exam, so have a good weekend!" said Dr Warren. Everyone got up and rushed out of the class. Peter walked up to Dr Warren's desk.

"Dr Warren, I'm so sorry I missed out on the exam. Is there any way I can make up for it?" he asked.

"Not just the exam. You have a lot of homework overdue, and not just in my classes. I checked with your previous mathematics and physics professors, they all claim you just barely passed their classes. Topping the exams but getting a 0 in homework grades and pop quizzes, not to mention attendance," lectured Dr Warren.

"I've been trying doc, I really have," replied Peter.

"Sometimes, trying isn't enough, Peter. It just requires that extra bit of effort, that I just don't see coming from you. It's disheartening, I thought you were a bright student. Perhaps I was mistaken," said Warren, a disappointed look on his face as he began to walk out of the class.

"I know I need to be here! Just give me a last chance, I'll prove it!" pleaded Peter.

Warren turned around, and sighed.

"I'm not kicking you out of the program, Peter. But at this rate you won't pass. Just have some more presence of mind," finished Warren, leaving the class. A dejected Peter stood in the centre of the class, before sheepishly walking out.

"What's wrong, tiger?" asked Mary Jane, waiting for him outside class. "Normally you're glowing like a firefly whenever you run out of class,"

"I've been screwing up. Bad. I haven't been there for Harry, I'm no closer to finding out who hired Jack O'Lantern, and not to mention I was almost kicked out of class today," ranted Peter. MJ placed a reassuring palm on his back.

"Being Spider-Man has always interfered in my life, ever since high school. Every test I missed, birthday I skipped, it was because of this. But this time it's just…it's just too much," groaned Peter. MJ hugged him, and Peter buried his face in her shoulder.

"Easy, tiger. I know it's too much, but like you said, that's the burden of having great power. Have you considered maybe taking a break?" she asked. Peter looked at her, perplexed.

"I can't ever take a break from Spider-Man. I already did once, not fun. And even then, if I even take a nap it feels like the whole city will fall apart," said Peter. "Like it or not, I need to re-establish the balance. God, what a pain," he continued.

"Speaking of Harry, we should genuinely check up on him," said MJ.

"He relapsed. When I went to check, he was knocked out cold, with an empty bottle of pills in his hand," said Peter, looking down in disappointment. MJ squeezed his hand.

"I'm going to go check on him in a bit today, I'll let you know when," said MJ, as Peter nodded.

"Now, I think you're forgetting something," she chuckled, pushing a strand of hair away from his face and leaning in, but just then, an alarm went off in Peter's pocket.

"Crime alert, one sec," said Peter, pulling away and checking his phone. "Oh no," he whispered.

"What is it?" asked MJ, a little flustered.

"Another kid was taken. In the same neighborhood. Oh man," sighed Peter, sprinting away from everyone and between the two science labs. MJ sighed heavily and looked at her phone's calendar.

"So much for our 6 month anniversary…"

Spider-Man swung to the street where the disappearance had taken place, where a large crowd of residents had gathered. A barricade of police cars was holding them at bay from accessing the crime scene.

"When are they going to start worrying about us, huh?!" shouted one of the people in the crowd, while the police urged everyone to back away.

"Back away or we will make you do so!" exclaimed one officer, pushing forwards.

"Yeah, and how long till another kid of ours goes missing? Or are you too busy protecting folks in the Upper West Side?" shouted another. The officer started to make his way into the crowd.

"Officer, stand down!" shouted Spider-Man, landing on top of the police car.

"I'm just telling them to be civil!" protested the threatening officer. Spider-Man webbed the officer's back and pulled him out of the crowd. He then jumped into the center of the crowd.

"Everyone, make space please!" he exclaimed. The civilians pushed away from the barricade, forming a circle around Spider-Man. Peter jumped up to a nearby wall.

"Now, who went missing last night? And any witnesses?" he asked. A group of kids pushed themselves to the front of the crowd, towards Spider-Man. It was the same kids he had met before.

"His name is Brian Mendez. Some big rat took him!" exclaimed one of the kids.

"Don't waste your time with the kids, Spider-Man! They're spewing nonsense!" protested one police officer. Spider-Man ignored his comment and jumped to the ground.

"So it wasn't the man in the cat mask? It was a rat monster?" asked Spider-Man.

"Yeah! He took Brian and jumped into the manhole, I think. It was raining, I couldn't see clearly," replied another kid in the group. Spider-Man raised an eyebrow, before looking back down the street, towards a manhole.

He swung over, only to realize something.

"Loose off the hinges…and claw marks?" he asked himself, eyeing the manhole cover. He swung back to the kids.

"You kids are definitely onto something. I'll find Brian, I promise," he said to the whole crowd. Peter then gave the kids a fist bump and swung back to the manhole.

"You know…I bet I know someone who could help me track down wherever that rat creature went…" thought Spider-Man, as he dialled up a number. Surprisingly, someone picked up.

"Hey, it's Spider-Man. I kind of needed your help with something, and well, you're the best there is when it comes to it."

Peter landed on the rooftop where he was supposed to meet his contact. Nothing but the moonlight seemed to illuminate the place, as Peter started to get goosebumps.

Suddenly, the stench of brimstone invaded Peter's nose, as he quickly turned around. In a flash of red, a blue-skinned man with a tail stood before him. Next to him was a short, stocky man dressed in yellow and blue, his cowl having two large black lenses.

"Nightcrawler, Wolverine. Thanks for coming," said Peter.

"Good to see you again, spider!" said Nightcrawler, awkwardly waving, before disappearing in a flash of red again, as the smell of brimstone returned.

"What's the issue, bub?" asked Wolverine, sizing up Spider-Man.

"Kids are going missing, and apparently yesterday people saw a large rat creature grab one of them and disappear into the sewer. I need help tracking it," said Peter.

Wolverine grunted, walking past Peter and looking at the streets.

"Vermin," he grunted. Spider-Man raised an eyebrow.

"Xavier has me tracking down potential mutants. One of them is this "rat creature" you're talking about. Scott calls him Vermin," replied Wolverine.

"I guess that's a lead. Why is he working with the Jackal though?" asked Peter.

"This "Jackal" guy. Was he behind the dinosaur man who attacked earlier this week?" asked Wolverine.

"Stegron? Apparently, yeah," replied Peter. Wolverine grunted again, thinking.

"Xavier thinks these are induced mutations…or something. This Jackal seems to be unlocking people's X-Gene, with whatever science mumbo jumbo," replied Wolverine.

"He sure knows his biology. He's using my enemies as inspiration for his own mutation experiments? Kidnapping from poor neighbourhoods so that no one would bat an eye," deduced Peter, clenching his fists.

"I think it's time you show me where you saw Vermin take that kid," said Wolverine.

"Try to keep up," replied Spider-Man, swinging towards the street while Wolverine followed him on the rooftops. He landed next to the manhole, as Wolverine began to sniff the area.

"He was here, all right," he remarked, ripping away the manhole and jumping down. Spider-Man sighed and followed suit.

"Rats, roaches and human excrement. Who knew New York was the same underground as it is above," joked Spider-Man. The two of them waded through the sewer water, while Wolverine held onto Vermin's scent.

"This scent goes far. Really far," remarked Wolverine.

"All kinds of smells are destroying my nose right now. Vermin, the sewer, you," joked Peter. Wolverine didn't respond as they continued. Spider-Man noticed claw marks across the walls.

"Think this was him?" asked Spider-Man.

"Yeah," replied Wolverine, staying on the trail. Just then, Peter's phone began to buzz.

"Hey MJ, what's up?" asked Peter.

"I'm about to go meet Harry, see how he's doing. You're coming, right?" asked MJ.

"Shit, I'm so sorry I completely forgot. I'm really sorry, I'm just…urban exploring right now. It genuinely slipped my mind," reasoned Peter.

"Yeah, you tend to do that a lot these days," remarked MJ.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Peter, perplexed.

"Nothing, forget it. I didn't expect you to understand anyways," said MJ. "I'll go see Harry, talk to you later,"

"Wait, Mary Jane. You can't just say something like that and then just disappear on me," exclaimed Peter. Wolverine grunted in response, as if he was losing focus.

"What's the date today, Peter?" she asked.

"It's-oh God…" muttered Peter, realizing what he had forgotten. Before he could respond, Mary Jane cut the call.

"MJ wait, I-ah man," groaned Spider-Man.

"You done now?" asked Wolverine.

"I'm pretty sure she's done with me," sighed Spider-Man. Suddenly, Wolverine stopped in his tracks.

"Trail ends here," remarked Wolverine. Spider-Man stopped and looked around. They had come across a junction in the sewers, with the trail splitting into multiple tunnels.

"Well, which tunnel?" asked Spider-Man. Wolverine scrunched his nose up.

"Neither," replied Wolverine. Suddenly, Peter's Spider-Sense began to tingle. He shared a glance with Logan, as the two of them slowly looked up at the ceiling. In the darkness, they could make out two green eyes staring back at them.

"Maybe its vision is based on movement?" suggested Spider-Man. Wolverine unsheathed his claws, as Vermin leapt at them. The duo jumped out of the way, while Vermin scrambled on all fours.

"Any ideas?" asked Spider-Man. Wolverine simply jumped at Vermin, stabbing his claws into its back as Vermin tried to shake him off. He grabbed Logan and slammed him into the ground.

Spider-Man ducked under Vermin's attacks, webbing up his face and jumping on his back, steering him into a wall. Logan got back onto his feet and sunk his claws into Vermin's legs.

Vermin let out a shrill cry, shaking Peter off and grabbing Wolverine, jumping higher up the wall and throwing Wolverine back to the ground onto Spider-Man.

Vermin began pulling out chunks of concrete and throwing it on the duo.

"Get him down from there! We'll do better on the ground," said Wolverine.

"On it!" replied Peter, shooting two webs at Vermin. However, Vermin grabbed them and violently pulled Peter towards him. Spider-Man landed on the wall next to him, ducking another attack before kicking him in the face.

Before Peter could land another hit, Vermin slashed Peter across the chest, before digging his claws into his shoulder and pinning him to the wall. Peter pulled his claw out of his shoulder, breaking free.

Spider-Man shot a web to the ground, grabbed Vermin, and then pulled himself down to the ground, slamming Vermin down on his back with him. Wolverine jumped onto Vermin's chest and began to slash at it.

Vermin screamed louder as he slashed Logan's stomach. Wolverine kept his claws stuck to Vermin, however. Vermin grabbed him and threw him back across the junction.

"We need a better plan," grunted Logan, getting back to his feet. Spider-Man held onto his shoulder.

"How about I blind him? You do more damage, and I'll immobilize him with my webbing," said Peter. Wolverine nodded, as Vermin readied under attack. Wolverine and Spider-Man charged at him, with the former ducking under and the latter jumping above Vermin.

Spider-Man shot multiple strands of webbing at Vermin's eyes, jumping on his back and steering him around. Wolverine slashed at Vermin's stomach. Spider-Man jumped up and punched Vermin's head down onto the ground.

Before Vermin could get up, Wolverine slashed at him again, before Spider-Man landed a final kick across his face. Vermin fell to the ground, unconscious as Peter webbed him up.

"That should hold him till we figure out what's going on," said Peter.

"Shouldn't be too long, we're right under where Vermin was headed," remarked Logan. Peter noticed a ladder that led up to a manhole cover. He gestured to Logan, who grunted and began climbing up the ladder.

The two of them lifted the manhole cover and found themselves on an empty road that seemed to be between two sections of the woods, and in front of them was a large, steel gate.

"Ravencroft Asylum?" read out Peter.

"Looks suspicious enough," snarled Logan. "What was Vermin doing coming here?"

"I have no idea, but I'm going to find out," said Peter, ready to head in.

"Woah kid," said Logan, holding his arm. "That's enemy territory right there,"

"And?" asked Peter.

"Don't go jumping in without having a solid plan, or at least the layout of the place. If they're behind Vermin, God knows what else they'd be up to in there. Be careful," advised Logan.

"Yeah, I may have an idea," said Peter.

"Anyway, your rat creature's been tracked, that's as far as my services go. Good luck chuck," said Wolverine, shaking Peter's hand.

"Thanks Logan, I owe you one," said Peter, as Wolverine disappeared into the woods. Spider-Man turned around to face Ravencroft.

"He's right, I shouldn't go in there without some sort of plan. Luckily, I know just the place to go to," he said to himself, ready to phone J Jonah Jameson.

"But before that…" he said to himself, as he dialled up Mary Jane. The line continued to ring.

"C'mon MJ," muttered Spider-Man, heading down the road.

MJ fidgeted with her hands, before finally mustering up the courage to knock on Harry's penthouse door. She quickly rapped on it, and gingerly put her hands in her pockets.

She heard the door unlock, and was face to face with Harry.

"Hey MJ!" exclaimed Harry, shocked to see her there.

"Hey Harry. Uh, we need to talk, can I come in?" asked MJ.

"Sure?" replied Harry, unsure. MJ walked past the dining table and down the large flight of stairs, to the couches in Harry's living room.

"Can I get you something to drink?" he asked.

"I think you know why I'm here, Harry," said MJ. Harry's expression changed to a sombre one, as he sat down on the couch next to her.

"Pete had come in to check on you, but your door was unlocked. He found you unconscious on the couch, with a bottle of pills in your hand," explained MJ. A look of shame hung on Harry's face.

"I didn't want to make it a big deal. I'm not doing it as much, if it's any consolation," reasoned Harry.

"I know, but you promised you were going to go clean," replied MJ.

"MJ, I am going clean. I'm just…taking it slow, okay?" replied Harry, pinching his eyebrows.

"That's what you said last time, Harry. You know what Peter would say if he was here?" asked MJ.

"Where is he then?" asked Harry, glaring at MJ. "Where is Peter?"

"Harry, if he could be here we both know he would," reasoned MJ. Harry angrily stood from his chair and balled his fists.

"He's quite literally never there! He promised he would and he's still never there. Why should we have to wait for him so much when it's clear he doesn't give a shit!" exclaimed Harry.

"He does give a shit, Harry, trust me. A lot's been going on right now, especially with his classes. Just…give him time," said MJ. Harry sighed, before sitting down again.

"You're right. I'm sorry," said Harry. A look of determination crossed his face, as he rushed to his bedroom. He came out 5 minutes later, holding bottles of pills in his hands.

"Here," he said, handing them to MJ.

"Is this everything?" she asked, looking surprised.

"Yeah, it's everything," said Harry. MJ stood up and gave him a tight hug.

"You're gonna be okay, Har. I know you will," she said.

"I hope," replied Harry. Just then, MJ's phone began to ring.

"I need to take this. I'll see you later, okay?" asked MJ. Harry nodded as MJ rushed up the flight of stairs.

"Hey," she answered.

"MJ, I'm so so sorry I forgot. I genuinely didn't mean to," pleaded Peter.

"I know. It's okay," replied MJ.

"Are you sure? We're okay?" asked Peter.

"Yeah, we're good," said MJ, bluntly. "I spoke to Harry, he's given me his pills," informed MJ.

"Oh! That's great. I'll talk to him as soon as I can," replied Peter.

"I sure hope you do," finished MJ, cutting the call. Peter sighed as he pocketed the phone. He turned around to face Ravencroft Asylum.

"I know exactly how to figure out your secrets…"

And there it is! Wonder what's going on in Ravencroft Asylum? Stay tuned to find out!

I'm so sorry for the massive hiatus lmao, I just had my first semester of college in the US, and it was a blast! I made a lot of new friends and had some great experiences and I can't wait to head back next month. I also finally got to play Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and no surprise, I loved it, though I did feel Venom was sort of underdeveloped. Kraven was an absolute BEAST though. I've been hitting the gym daily too and I've gained a lot of muscle lol, it's pretty rewarding seeing results like that! I also just celebrated my 2 year anniversary with my girlfriend, so that was huge too!

Marvel Nerd- Agreed!

I am the Voice- That's true lol

SpideyXBC- Thanks a lot!

Teller-Story: Hmmm you never know!

Guest- Indeed!

Yours Truly,

Shadow Strike.