Animal Instincts (Book 2): At War with Monsters (Ultimate Spider-Man Cartoon)

Chapter 4

The students all shuffled out and filed back in the hall. Right as the door slid closed, Agent Venom punched the closest wall in frustration. "Man, this is so unfair!" he growled. "I hate grown-ups. Why they gotta be like that!?"

"It does seem that we always get the short-end of the stick." Amadeus huffily agreed, already knowing full and well that he wouldn't be going on this mission. His armor was equipped for crooks and villains, not quicksand and dinosaurs.

Despite that though, he really wanted to go! What good could he do here at the Academy? He already hit a wall with his research, despite the fact that everyone thought he was still onto something. At this point, all he was doing was repeating failed experiments! Or as Dagger put it "running around in circles. It was certainly growing tiresome watching himself fail in the same amazing way over and over and over again.

But, he also knew Nick Fury was right. A small group would be faster than a large one, and argue as he might, Amadeus knew he couldn't do much to help once in the Savage Lands. Too many factors could go wrong; his suit could malfunction due to sudden harsh environment; he could get caught in quicksand and damage his internal software (with nothing to fix it with either); his armor was a bit flashy and could cause unwanted attention; he could lose his suit; he could get eaten by a dinosaur! Each scenario ended the same: he being either deadweight or simply dead.

"Yeah." Nova sighed, almost sounding like he was agreeing with Amadeus' internal reasoning. "And we got class tomorrow too. Ugh."

"Anyone else feel like the universe is conspiring against us?" Power-Man asked. Everyone else raised their hand in agreement.

"Don't know why you're complaining though." Nova grumbled. "You're most likely to get to go on the mission because of your 'invulnerable' skin and whatnot; you and Kazar and pretty much guaranteed."

Powerman scowled at the crude statement and crossed his arms stoutly, "Well, excuse me for being more durable then you, Nova." he snapped hotly.

"Oh really!" the human rocket retorted, hovering in front of the bigger teen. "Well how about I-"

Iron Fist smoothly stepped between the two fuming comrades, and pushed them apart from each other. "Let's all just cool down." he suggested. "A rift between friends can cause the best team to crumble. If we can't physically help our friends, then the least we can do is keep it together for them until they get back."

"Yeah, and that'll be a little hard if we're too busy biting each other's neck offs." Cloak grimly agreed. "Come on guys, arguing is the last thing we need right now."

Nova and Powerman shuffled shamefully. "Your right." Powerman said. "We can't afford to be fighting right now. Sorry Nova."

"No, I started it." Nova admitted woefully. "I'm sorry." he held out a hand. Powerman took it and shook it firmly. Once they let go, the students remained silent in the hall for a moment or two. Before soon, Dagger sighed and started walking down the hall. Cloak followed after her, then gradually everyone else did too. They didn't talk as they journeyed back into the dorms. A place they were spending more and more time in.

Inside, blankets and spare suits littered the ground messily. A few forgotten plates of food were placed here and there, and random teenage trinkets poke out of hidey holes. A pair of headphones under a blanket, a book or two in the corner, even a football by Agent Venom's bunk.

Each teen, shoulders weighed down and eye tired, found their respected bunk and slumped in it. Amadeus reverted his armor back into a backpack and left it leaning against his cot as he lay down in the messy pile of blankets he called a bed.