= Chapter 164. The Trait =
An hour later.
Spider-Man.
- George, I realise you haven't had time since you hung up on me so abruptly, but can we at least get a little more specific? - I'm asking a question, looking around at the guards and the frantic doctors.
It's not a happy atmosphere.
Even Raj has gone quiet, sensing the swirling tension.
Maybe it's the location, though. It's a mental institution.
- Yeah, sorry, Spider," Stacy sighed and ruffled his grey hair.
I've noticed he does that when he's nervous. And he's done it five times in front of me, in both guises.
So it must be serious.
- What's wrong?
- It's... it needs to be seen," the captain sighed heavily. - And I hope you have a strong stomach.
After a few minutes of further travel, I realised what Stacey meant.
Because of my training in known organisations and street hero work, I'd seen mutilated corpses... hell, even what I'd done to the Goblin fell under that description.
But this... for some reason, Norman's massacre of Pumpkinheads brings to mind a child's matinee.
So inhuman, dirty and brutal...
- Escaped Patient - I'm looking at the bodies, clearly male, but no more. Faces a mess... - His name, Cletus Cassidy?
- What? No, it was Marcus Limman," the cop squeezed his eyelids shut. - The Ripper.
- Victims two guards or something? - I sit down gently next to the bodies.
- In the cell," George pointed to the door and I walked on. - Dr Ashley Kafka and her colleague, Dr Maria Crawford.
I have an augmented reaction and sense of balance from one of the most empathetic beings on the planet, right now the cosmic power of an entire concept of truth is flowing through my body.
But my leg still jerked up when I saw Maria.
Her face hurt far less than her body...
- According to the guards, they were friends, though I don't know what kind of nerve it takes to come here of your own free will, even at the request of a friend," Stacy looked at me perplexed. - Is everything okay?
But I could only walk over to the corpse of the woman who'd come to my aid more than once.
- Dr Crawford. Maria, was she in pain?
- The coroner's office hasn't established all the facts yet," the police captain said in surprise. - Did you two know each other?
- She...
Flashes of memories flashed through my mind at once:
Our first meeting, the discussions about the samples, the expressed feelings of not just a scientist, a medic helping others.
The trashing of the office after the news of the mutation.
Support. The pep talks.
The apology bouquet presented.
Scarlet roses.
- She-" I clench my palm into a fist. - She was a friend.
- I'm sorry, son.
I jerk involuntarily, feeling a hand on my shoulder.
It's a supportive gesture... I guess I'm not exactly a professional right now.
- It's all right," I cough out the sudden lump in my throat. - Limman, what facts do we have?
- You know, Spider, under the circumstances...
- George," I look at the man's crumpled face. - If we don't work together, I'll go it alone.
'And then you'll probably get the Ripper in a body bag,' I left unspoken.
We stare at each other in silence for a while.
At times like this, I realise that many people are uncomfortable arguing when their interlocutor is wearing a mask like mine. When the mirror of the soul is hidden, much of a person's essence is hidden.
- Everything must be according to the law," Stacy reminded me gently.
And my silence was the most eloquent answer.
The atmosphere was defused (though not even close) by the appearance of another long-time acquaintance.
- Captain Watanabe.
- Captain Stacy," the cops greeted each other. - Spider-Man.
- Yuri, - absolutely no formalities. - I remember from the reports that when Limman was apprehended, it turned out that he had developed a remote detonation device and the five dozen people he captured were saved by the fact that the psychopath didn't have time to calculate the exact distance before the SWAT team arrived, right?
To say that the woman was shocked by my quickness would be like saying nothing.
- That's right," the brunette returned to her usual coldness.
- I need a frequency reading, a signal, and then I'll track him down," I turned to George, who was looking at me intently. - No more innocent people will die at his hands.
- Put him back in his cell," Stacy replied seriously, not taking his eyes off me. - Captain Watanabe, go with Spider-Man, hand over all the developments... under my responsibility.
After voicing my permission, I approach the policewoman and extend my palm to her.
- I'll move us. It's safe. Don't ask.
Yuri arched an eyebrow, but put her palm in mine. No matter what, reputation pays off. I'm teleporting us to the roof of the police station right now.
- Hurry up and get to the archives," I stopped the woman from coming to her senses, moving toward the door.
To Watanabe's credit, she survived the unexpected teleportation perfectly and came to her senses quickly. Considering that Captain Universe's teleport is quite convenient, most of the wasted time was written off as shock.
Under strict officer commands from Yuri, the sloppy cops from the archives quickly dug up the necessary files and pulled samples of the detonator from the evidence.
Establishing the nature of the signal field was a matter of minutes.
Setting the Sense to them was even quicker.
Without saying goodbye, I teleported to the other side of town.
I'm surprised the police didn't try to track down the Ripper's hideout once they got their hands on the technology," Raj said quietly.
They have a ton of cases and unsolved crimes, the maniac was caught, so why bother with his transshipment pits? - I answered, climbing the wall and crawling towards where I could feel the signal, a certain individual frequency of the explosives.
Best case scenario, Limman made it to the base. It's unlikely he grabbed anyone after he escaped. All the better.
Just in case, I'm relaying the signal to all the Spiderbots on patrol. Have them scour their neighbourhoods. You never know.
We travelled the distance without talking.
And the memories of Maria wouldn't go away. It just kept flaring up.
"Put him back in the cell," "Put him back in the cell," "Put him back."
The signal led me to a small abandoned industrial warehouse. No guards. No casualties.
I jump on the wall and crawl to the nearest window. My gut's not picking up.
I reach the roof and climb through the hatch that is always present in buildings with this layout.
I climb down on the threads below. It's dark. Quiet. It's like it's abandoned. But there are some rather remarkable strings present on the floor.
So it's a stretching device.
I quickly disarm the devices and go for the signal.
I'm deep inside the building when my sense of smell kicks in.
On reflexes I dodge away from the machine-gun queue.
I don't hesitate, I move to the opposite point of space. If we take into account the angle of the bullets' flight, he could take a firing position only in two places. I'll leave the top, check the boxes.
I reach the tied-up pile of wooden containers and with a kick of my foot I collapse the structure.
The shooter is covered and he breathes through his teeth. I toss the boxes aside and lift my opponent by the chest before he regains consciousness.
Marcus Limman. He's wearing a tattered swamp-coloured trenchcoat, his unloading straps with spare magazines already slung across his torso. For a psycho, he's well organised. Metal plate and watery unemotional, even in this situation, eyes.
- For this darkness, you're an extremely good shot," I move my palm aside and whisper a quick spell, creating a small ball of light.
I want him to see me.
To Ripper's credit, he took the opportunity, sensing the loosening of my grip, and drew his hunting knife, clearly intending to slash my neck.
My gut had already warned me, but I didn't resist the attempt.
First, I wanted to see how the vibranium coating would cope. I don't think he has an adamantium knife. Two. Let him know he'll never get out of my net again.
The blade scraped the right side of his neck and bounced off with a slight thud.
The test is over. Calmly, I whip out the knife and lay the bald man against several large boxes.
- It's funny, you know, I thought I'd start a conversation with you... or not waste any time at all, but no, you found the words," I scrutinise the hideous burn scar.
- Why didn't I slit your throat? - I answered only an emotionless question, accompanied by the stare of faint fish eyes.
- Death is all you can think about," I tightened my grip on the collar of Limman's cloak and threw him against the opposite wall. - You have no idea how much I want to kill you.
The maniac tries to jump up, but I shoot out an organic web and stick him intentionally to the wooden surface of the bandaged hoard.
- Death is the natural order of things," Ripper only replied in the same tone.
Glancing at his metal plate.
- Are you saying your mind is that damaged? What, after the explosion and fire you can't feel anything? - I come closer and put my palm out, pulling the gun the maniac threw to me. Or rather, a UMP. - Modified UMP? - I look at the semi-futuristic-looking body. It's clearly handmade. - You refine the instruments of death for your own needs, - I nod and point the muzzle at the killer's face. - So you expect me to believe you're not afraid of death?
There was a slight shadow of astonishment on Limman's face at my action, but no more.
Then I fired.
The bullet scraped across the plate. A telekinesis safety net, all calculated. But it was enough.
The maniac dropped to his knees as best he could and, I'm sure to his own shock, tried to touch the warped strip. Since his hands were glued, only his fingers twitched.
- You... shot it," the killer said frantically.
- I'm sure, that's what every special forces wanted to do when you were detained, but they are officers who fulfil their duty honestly, only it prevented them from shooting you like a rabid dog, - I put UMP to the natural part of the skull and grabbed the fugitive, who was as if in prostration, by the throat. - You killed two guards, simple labourers; you killed Dr Kafka, a woman who wanted to help you sincerely! And you killed Maria," I tighten my grip, and some clarity returns to the Ripper, expressed in his wheezing and his attempt to unhook my hand. Again, because of his position, it was so futile. - I came here wanting to kill you, but the man who held out his hand to me at the moment I was ready to fall asked me to bring you back, to the cell. To do the right thing. Do you know how few people would ask that, knowing what you've done?
- I feel..." Limman hissed.
But I don't care about his nonsense.
- Do you know how many good... REAL people there are in this world? The answer is always the same: Not enough! And today you killed one of them. The woman who saved me. SO WHY SHOULD I LET YOU LIVE?!
My scream, to our mutual surprise, causes tears to start flowing down Ripper's cheeks.
- Oh, God, I can feel it! - Limman, with the smile of a man whose face seems to have forgotten how to express the emotion of joy, tried to touch his cheek, even though it was useless.
- You're just a sick man," I remarked, taking another look at the killer, but then shaking my head. - But that doesn't excuse you.
I grab the killer's hand and twist it, crushing his fingers in the process.
Muscle, cartilage, bone, all to dust.
An agonised scream of pain echoes through the warehouse.
- I'll get you back to Ravencroft," I shut the criminal up, squeezing his throat. - But you're already dead. Not today, not tomorrow, probably not in a year. But I will kill you. The man will be vigilant, worrying if I'll create what he sensed in my attitude. But he'll back off, too. You're not worth following. Not a single wasted minute. But he's a good man. In the meantime," a symbiotic flagellum detaches from my shoulder, crawling smoothly to my palm, "I gave my word that you wouldn't kill anyone else. And you won't.
Placing my bio-bomb in Limman's ear, it will reach his brain in seconds.
I slam Limman's face into the hard wood again and he passes out. I discard the unnecessary PP.
I grab the gate and look at the unconscious body.
After thinking for a moment, I dissolve the web and take off, leaving the psychopathic maniac's hideout through the air.
Since Enigma's return, flight has become as natural an ability for me as breathing.
But I had not resorted to that power. A sensible approach, knowing that cosmic power doesn't last forever.
I've always dreamed of flying.
Not with spells, not with telekinesis.
By myself.
And I thought my first flight would bring me indescribable happiness.
Right now, I was just focused on getting the bastard to the police station, and I wasn't teleporting just because I wanted to... I needed to breathe.
Sending a message through my communicator to George about meeting me on the roof.
But I took my time. Every second I looked down. And I wanted so badly to open my hands.
But I'd given my word, even if I didn't say anything back. It's the least I owe Captain Stacey.
I'm surprised, Peter... - Raj whispered quietly. - No one would have cried about Limman.
Everyone I've killed, Raj, always, it was deeply personal, but he... he reminded me that I can't save everyone. Maria.
Not your fault! - the Clintazan said firmly. - Don't you dare, don't even think about blaming yourself!
If I hadn't gone with the other Spiders...
You'd probably be dead and then you wouldn't have helped anyone else!
I don't reply to my partner's remark, the conversation is cancelled, and the rest of the way passes in silence.
George and five officers, including Yuri, are waiting on the roof.
I freeze a metre above the roof.
- He's all yours," I toss Limman under the cops' feet and fly away.
A minute later, I teleport to the Ripper's hideout. I walk over and pick up the UMP from the floor. It's a reminder.
I give George the coordinates to the rat bastard and head back home.