Chapter 8 [Katana Exhibit]

Arighatto strode down the stairs. His head shook at the two agents. "Last chance. I killed Dubois. You think I care about the both of you?" Malice glinted in his eyes. Akin to Cat stalking a pair of mice, he grinned. "I even brought a present for the children." He motioned toward Clark and Lana. "Hai. I know about you." He brought out a meteor rock. "I take no chances. I remember, Miss Lang, you had a necklace like this."

"I left it off. I have my parents in my heart. I don't need to carry the rock that killed them with me. Why don't you leave Miranda alone? Haven't you done enough?" Lana started to edge to her left.

"I'll second that. By your own admission, we charge you with murder and kidnapping. Whatever your intent is with that rock, it's not for their enjoyment." Singleton fired his weapon. "We came prepared this time."

Arighatto winced as the bullet hit him in the arm. "Very good, Singleton. You've learned from the Brat." He drew his weapon. "But I have learned too." Crimson flushed in his face. He grew a good foot in size. Muscles bulked out in his arms and legs. Canary flashed in his eyes. His voice deepened. He flexed his arm.

Wound disappeared in a fiery flash.

"I prepared for you as well, Gaijin fools!" Yodoshi sucked in a deep breath. Gale from his lungs blew Singleton and Petersen into the wall. He watched them slump to the floor unconscious. "I knew of Mr. Kent and Professor Dubois. So, it is true! You are like them now." Predatory grin spread across his face. He raised the glowing meteor rock again. "Perhaps this will sicken you as well!"

Nausea rumbled through Lana's stomach. Strength slipped away. Her veins bulged in her hands. "What? What is….?" She ground her teeth.

"It's the rock…." Dubois groaned. She braced herself against the wall.

"Too bad! I had hoped the katana would finish you. I am glad I prepared." Yodoshi turned his arm into a fiery whip. "Now you DIE!" He sized up the suffering teens and Dubois. Triumph prompted a toss of the rock in the air….

…a web line connected with it and yanked it away.

"WHAT?" Yodoshi ground his teeth. He turned to see Spider-Man by the back wall. "YOU?" Irritation twisted his lip.

"Yeah ME! No wonder you invited me tonight. I mean you gave me this nice rock and everything! Awww! Ya shouldn't have, Snotty! I mean really!" Spider-Man eyed the demon samurai. "Hey, umm, Dark Lady, can you do something with this?" He tossed the kryptonite at Snapdragon.

"It will be my pleasure." Snapdragon caught the rock. Lavender glowed through her hands. Water flowed toward the ground. "That, as you Americans say, is that!" She drew her scimitar. "As Spider-Man just reminded you, Yodoshi, you did threaten us." She pointed the blade at him.

Dubois fought down Nausea's remaining aftereffects. She hefted Singleton over one shoulder and sped past Yodoshi up the stairs and out of the museum. Get Agent Petersen!

Mom and Dad are going to have a real problem with… Clark helped steady Lana. "You okay? We have to get out of here. We…" He grabbed her and sped across the chamber….

…just then the fiery blade came down just inches behind them….

"Fire too? Really? And….?" Spider-Man swung closer. Gwendy's not there? WHAT? WHERE IS SHE? Get the others out! He shot a web line over the stairs. "GRAB IT!" Spider Sense went off again. "NOW WHAT? I…" He jumped from the ceiling tile….

…barely a heartbeat later, Yodoshi's fire whip seared the panel behind him…

"Great! JJJ and you should talk, Yo-Dodo. I mean you've got the hots for me after you suck with your opinion? REALLY?" Spider-Man webbed Yodoshi's face over. Then he grabbed the line. "GET THE FBI GUY!" He swung back up to the top of the stairs. Then he planted himself and gave a strong yank

Clark grabbed Lana and Petersen. He leapt in time with the Wall Crawler's yank to super speed them past Yodoshi and up to Spider-Man's position. "Thanks."

"Yeah. Don't mention it." Spider-Man shook his head. "Great. Now he's by himself with that katana! Kids, sorry but get moving. We don't need you exposed any further. All right? Big Joe would agree." He pointed toward the exit. "Get going!" He shook his head. "The things I do…." He leapt back down into the chamber. "Yoo hoo! Yo-Ho-Dodo! If I were a bad demon…where would I go? Where would I….?"

Spider Sense nearly blew his head up. Instinct guided him from point to point. Over and over again, Fire and Ice nearly hit him. Still, he kept moving. "HEY, TEX! WHERE'D THEY TEACH YOU TO SHOOT? THE SUSHI FACTORY?"

Yodoshi curled his lip. You wish to die like the annoying BUG that you are, PARKER SAN? VERY WELL! I'll devour you. Then I will take the blonde! I am a soul eater, BAKA! He inhaled a deep breath. Dark Magic boosted the effect. He drew everything in the chamber toward himself.

"EAT THIS!" Spider-Man planted himself against the far wall. Vacuum Effect tugged even against his Spider Abilities. Once again, he shot more webbing into Yodoshi's makeshift vortex and right into his mouth. He kept webbing the other's mouth shut once again. That gives me a second! Maybe I can get the katana and…. He stared. "WHAT THE…?"

The katana's case lay empty.

"GREAT! Just make MY DAY!" Spider-Man saw Yodoshi burning at that webbing. "Yeah. No katana. Everybody out of here. No reason for me to risk this. No reason…" He rolled his eyes. "Auntie said there'd be days like this…and…." He discerned a whirring sound from the stairs' top. "Now wha…?"

Silvery streak zipped down the stairs. It gashed at Yodoshi's flaming shoulder, caromed off a wall, scored his side and returned to the aforementioned shadow woman's hand.

"THAT THING! ONLY ONE WOMAN…!" Yodoshi spat. "XENA!"

She stepped into the light. Long dark hair extended halfway down her back. Brown leather armor and boots adorned her. A chest plate and wrist bands protected her further. Her eyes narrowed at Yodoshi. A frown spread across her face. She swung her sword in front of herself. "Still the same creep, ain't ya?" She raised an eyebrow. "I regained the power to kill gods and immortals. Wanna try me?" She motioned Spider-Man back. "Get moving! I got this!"

"Nope. I didn't leave ol' Sonja. I won't leave you, Lady, and…" Spider-Man felt himself grabbed by Snapdragon and Tuishiama. "HEY! WHAT?"

"Stay down!" Tuishiama shook her head at him. "Quit being a baka!"

"You have a death wish. Don't you?" Snapdragon hissed at him. "By the Prophet! That's Xena! I…."

"Xena? Seriously? You mean bad butt Greek warrior and….?" He rubbed his head. Yeah. This has been a really boring day. Professor Warren chews me out about attendance. Ben Ulrich is mad about not getting any pictures. I play tag with Clark and Lana's heavenly guards and Dubois. Snotty and Yodie threaten me. Now, as if Sonja wasn't great enough, I run into XENA of all people? Yeah! And I get to zip around on the flying carpet with two ninjas. "Never mind. I'm on a flying carpet and staring at a demon SUCK-TO-BE-US!"

"Says the American in the spider costume who sticks to walls." Snapdragon raised an eyebrow at the Web Slinger. "And you need better humor too."

"I'm a low budget Spider. Bad humor's my thing. Just like bad face paint's our buddy's thing down there. I helped the agents and kids away from the creep." Spider-Man shook his head at the two ninjas. "I helped you down the hall. I still want to know where Parker's other friends are." He saw Yodoshi vanish in a dark fiery flash. "Great! And the demon creep still gets away. Worse, no katana!"

"What? What do you mean? The katana is down there!" Tuishiama pointed at the still-locked case.

"Nope! I went to smash the case and get it away from him. It was already gone. He never touched it. Someone else has it." Spider-Man looked down at the area. "Hey! Want a lift?" He swung down toward Xena. "We need to go! New York's Finest will be here! They'll blame us for that."

"Yeah. Thanks." Xena put her arms around his neck. "Just get me out of here. I can do the rest."

"What the lady wants, she gets!" Spider-Man swung back out of the chamber. On his way out, he grabbed his webbed camera. He swung toward the others. "Can you fit two more on there?"

Snapdragon pointed at Carpet's empty spot. She heard NYPD's battering ram break in the front doors. She sent Carpet right at the adjoining window. Lavender glowed about her hands. Her fingers' energy transmuted the glass to water. She sent them high into the Manhattan night. "We're clear of police perimeter." She pointed toward a four-story building a few blocks away. "That is the Javalastani Consulate. We will be safe. Xena, it is an honor and…." She stared over her shoulder. "Where did she

go?"

"More mist? Great." He batted at the mists. "Wonderful. Guess someone dreamed her up to deal with Yodoshi? I'm glad for that. Hey, Dark Lady. Thanks for the lift out of there. Parker's waiting for pics. Got to get these to him. We'll make sure the carpet's between us." He sent a web line at a nearby building. "It's been an honor I guess." He swung away down Fifth Avenue and banked northeast toward the Bugle. Maybe I can make some bread off of this too! I can work on these pics. I'll call and see if Gwen's come back. Where did Mrs. Kent and she go? That Professor Tuishiama wasn't there. Maybe Dark Snappy got the Princess and her out of there, I hope. Great. JJJ's going to have a field day with this! Natch, he'll blame me for the disappearing katana, the vanishing ladies and the damage to the museum. Oh yeah! That's me!

Tuishiama rubbed her forehead. Concern grabbed hold of her thoughts. "I am in a great deal of trouble for this. The Japanese consulate will demand answers for the katana's disappearance. I worry about Steve and Garth. I know…"

"We will call from the consulate." Snapdragon descended toward the consulate's roof. "We're safe now. I will need to get my clothes tomorrow."

"Of course." Tuishiama stepped off the carpet. She helped Snapdragon roll it up and carry it downstairs into the consulate proper.

Battle over…allies made…Questions and concerns remained….