Reticent Monsters (Ultimate Spider-Man - Cartoon)

*Chapter 9: All Or None?

If it was crazy at the Academy before, it was mayhem now.

SHIELD Academy, like a flowering bloom in springtime, had burst to life once more. They didn't know what this unexpected delivery meant, whether it was a threat or a sick joke, but it wasn't going to slide.

Only moments after the blood was verified as Spider-Man's, the Avengers were notified with as much of a delicate "I told you so," that the students could manage, and by nightfall, half of the famous team showed up to help search for Spidey, while the other half finished off the measly string of AIM hideouts that still needed snuffing.

With the situation rising to Def-Con 2, Iron Fist tried contacting Dr. Strange, but the Sorcerer Supreme was off fighting some interdimensional demon, and the Fantastic Four were on a deep space mission, so they were no use. But the students figured they had enough help with the Avengers and weren't confident enough to bring the X-Men into it.

The only person who seemed to be missing from their rescue crew was: Nick Fury.

Despite keeping everything from the media there was little doubt that Nick Fury heard about the situation and was aware of its direity. If the nosy media outlets could smell a story in Spider-Man's limited disappearance, then there was no way Fury could be in the dark about this.

MIA or not, he had eyes and ears everywhere and there was no way he'd let Spider-Man rot in the hands of a torturous madman.

No, Fury would be there, upfront and overseeing the entire operation.

So, where was he?

Not a single one of them had a clue. To be quite honest, they half expected him to simply appear sometime in the night and start dishing out orders. But, several days later and they were still out one Director.

Nick Fury was as untraceable as Spider-Man.

It built their frustration like pressure growing in a volcano, but they couldn't afford to erupt right now. Maybe later, in the privacy of their own closets and bunks, they could throw their hands and stomp their feet, but in the bustling life of the SHIELD base, they had more important things to do.

The question of Fury's location could be addressed at a later date. As far as they knew, Nick Fury was safely hidden away, probably sipping fruity drinks on a sandy beach.

The situations were vastly different. Spider-Man's condition couldn't be overlooked; Fury would be fine.

It'd been over a week since Spider-Man's disappearance.

Today would be the day they finally told Aunt May.

None of them could say they felt good about keeping her in the dark for so long, but when it came down to it, it was just too hard to find the right words.

Sam found himself practicing what he would say in the mirror, but every approach felt stiff and awkward. Too robotic and aloof for someone like May Parker. Ben, on the other hand, tripped over the words he concocted in his head. A million different combinations, each more unsympathetic than the last.

Even Danny didn't seem to have a wise anecdote to offer up in tribute.

But this had to be done. It wasn't fair to Aunt May. Ignorance of the situation was more harmful to her than actually knowing.

So, a select group of the Academy students packed themselves inside the Spider Jet and whisked off to Queens. The jet was tight and cramped, stuffy, and hot, as people were either packed tightly together or sitting on laps. But no one breathed a complaint.

Amadeus was still working on a few technological bugs, so while the jet was cloaked from civilian eyes, they couldn't have the AC on. So not only was a large group of teenagers stuffed inside a small, closed compartment; it was a large SWEATY group of teenagers stuffed inside a small, closed compartment.