CHAPTER 6: Euphoria
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Spectacular Characters or Marvel Characters.
HIGHS
'Tell me something better than free time. Go ahead, try!'
Since Peter threw away that Spider-Man suit, a couple of days ago, life has been euphoric... to Peter's standards.
His grades have risen to expected heights, especially after he finished all of his missing assignments, and that English project he had with Gwen and Mary Jane. His relationships at school have gotten better, even with his ex, Liz Allan.
Although keep in mind, it still isn't perfect, but he's riding the highs of life. The key thing that hasn't gone well for Peter, was his relationship with Aunt May. Was she giving him the silent treatment or ignoring him? It's hard to tell. He kept sneaking out without an honest explanation. That's really suspicious for anyone. Neither way, it felt like he hadn't spoken to her in months, even though it's only been a few days.
All she would do was put his breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the dining table. And one day, she left nothing for him to eat, because she slept in her room, so he relied upon Harry's leftovers for his meal, which would be a salad he didn't want.
But Peter finally may have time for himself. It may sound selfish, but it felt nice. Of course, what he'd do with that time was study, cause that's who he was. And once he finished studying, he'd do research on the latest scientific innovations. Some of them were fascinating, especially the stuff coming out of the Baxter Building. However recently, he found out that down in Malibu, California, Stark Industries was experimenting with arc reactor technology, to create efficient energy for the world. Although Peter wasn't the biggest fan of the weapons-dealing company, he believed arc reactor tech could be the innovation of the future.
'What a geek!'
Obviously, he's taking advantage of it, enjoying every second of his extra time. Especially since he had a lighter load on his shoulders, with no job at the Bugle... man, J. Jonah Jameson really conflicted right about now. He wasn't happy with what Parker sent in. Instead of Spider-Man photos, Peter sent in pictures of Seagulls by Coney Island. And since he had so much spare time till his 7 pm curfew, he hung out with his friends; Liz, Harry, Gwen, and Mary Jane Watson, after school.
He had so much time to himself that he believed he could go to this year's Homecoming if his Aunt would start talking to him. In the ideal situation, if he'd ever want to get a date for Homecoming, it would be his gorgeous friend, Gwen Stacy. But Harry already was taking her to the dance. Then there's the gorgeous red-headed Mary Jane Watson. Boy, she was a beauty, and Peter and her had quite the connection. But he knew she didn't want to be with anyone, being a free agent... although she's heard conflicting reports, that said she's going with Hobie Brown.
But there were many other lovely ladies to take to the Homecoming Dance. Yet the one young lady that stuck out was the beautiful Liz Allan. That's Peter's first and only ex, 'and you've broken up with them for a reason,' but recently, they've been getting along well, spending the last few days after school with each other, of course, working on their US History project. They had to do much of the project on their own, without their partner, Hobie. He's done practically nothing for the project because he's occupied with something every day. It's ridiculous! Although the two enjoyed each other's company, so they didn't mind Hobie's absence.
...
But his absence didn't last forever, when he arrived in 2nd period US history, surprisingly on time!
"Hey guys," Hobie greeted them once he sat down.
"Uh-Hobie... you're here?" Liz surprisingly acknowledged.
It genuinely stunned her. He actually arrived on time. She really thought they had to finish the project without Hobie's contributions.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well, you haven't been here since last week," Peter pointed out the obvious.
It's weird to see a group mate appear outta thin air.
"I had... work," Hobie reasoned. To be fair, there was truth to that reason.
"Work that early?"
"Their hours... were crazy! But I quit. My dad hated me ditching school for a job"
"Well, we're glad you're here, Hobie!"
"So... what do we need to finish?" He asked.
"Oh, well, we got the script done, questions done... but video, not done," Liz quietly listed off.
She didn't want to draw anyone's attention, especially Ms. Nelson's. Since they have practically less than a week till, they have to turn it in.
"Yeah, we still have to film-" Peter mentioned till Liz motioned him to lower his volume. If their teacher heard that they've been procrastinating, they'd never hear the end of it.
"Well, I can film... I got the equipment and everything," Hobie acknowledged.
"You wanna?" Peter asked.
"Yeah, I need to work on something, or else Ms. Nelson won't give me points for this," Hobie responded.
"Well, by all means, go ahead! Where you wanna meet up after school?" Peter asked.
"You have football, don't you? We can meet there," Liz mentioned.
"Actually... I got cut from the team. Coach hated that I've been absent for a long time."
Peter and Liz turned to each other and silently mouthed, "Oh."
"It's alright, let's just meet in the locker room area, then we'll go."
"Sounds good," the other two unanimously agreed.
Then, in the blink of an eye, it's lunchtime. That's how school was sometimes. Sure, classes may feel long in the moment, but when you take a step back and look back through your day, it was a blink.
Now Peter sat down with his best friend, Harry, at their usual table, taking a bite of his food. Although, his friend didn't seem like himself, eerily silent.
Peter didn't enjoy eating in silence, so he checked upon him, "Hey Har, you alright? You seem... quiet."
"I-it's Gwen. She hasn't spoken to me since Tuesday, Pete. I don't know what I did," Harry admitted.
"You know, Gwen probably needs time... alone," Peter advised.
However, Harry completely dismissed what Peter advised, believing it wasn't enough.
"I need to buy her a gift,.What should I buy her?"
"If you ask me, the gift she needs is time"
"Nah, something she can grab. Y'know chicks dig that"
"Sure..."
"Has she spoken to you, Pete?"
"Uh-no, she hasn't," he slowly answered as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"O-okay. Well, there's MJ, I'll ask her about Gwen," he answered, and approached the scarlet-haired beauty.
Harry & Gwen's relationship was falling apart. It was only a matter of time until they split... and it conflicted Peter. Sure, he'd love to be with Gwen, that's what he dreamed of.
But he didn't know if it was the right thing to do. His best bud still needed help. And if his current girlfriend leaves him, who knows what else could happen. Sure, he could get another girlfriend, but would that be enough to fill in his void?
'Also Liz... can't forget about Liz!'
...
After school, Peter, Liz and Hobie entered Hell's Kitchen together. Sure, they went to grab a snack first, because... teenagers, but afterward, they finally arrived at the law firm. They opened the door to see the three individuals, standing by the secretary's desk.
"Hey, I'm Hobie... Brown," he introduced himself to them.
"Guys, this is Hobie. Hobie, this is Matt, Mr. Nelson, and Ms. Page," Peter introduced them to his partner.
Foggy turned to Karen and whispered, "Did he seriously call us Mr. Nelson and Ms. Page?"
"I guess he did..."
"Man, we're getting old, aren't we?" Foggy jokingly pointed out as they shared a chuckle.
"Don't mind them... So today, are we finally going to film?" Matt asked.
"Yeah, we got the equipment right here"
"Great, let's get this going... also, our schedule is getting kinda tight this week, so we may have to kick you out earlier than usual," Foggy mentioned.
"Oh, the rest of this week?"
"That's alright, Mr. Nelson... either way, we got homecoming later on"
"Really? Homecoming, huh?"
Peter and Liz awkwardly glared at each other when the topic was brought up.
Especially since, according to Sally, Homecoming was THE dance of the semester. It's bigger than The Winter formal but smaller than The Prom. Peter usually misses out on these events because, well... he didn't have a date. Even in last year's winter formal, Ms. Betty Brant of the Daily Bugle was Peter's ideal pick. But Betty didn't go with Peter, so he settled for Ms. Wonderful Personality because his Aunt told him to give her a chance. And he did, and oh boy yeah... he lucked out! Mary Jane Watson was how he pictured a red-headed angel. Now, he didn't know if he could have the same magic he had with MJ, with anyone else. It was a weird feeling to have.
"Man, I missed those days," Foggy commented.
"Foggy, stop reminiscing in the past"
"C'mon, Matt, those were my glory days!"
"Mr. Murdo- I mean, Matt, you went to dances?" Liz curiously asked.
"Matt Murdock? Oh yeah, he did! Especially during college... he would go with this nice suit and a bowtie. He may not seem like it, but he was a stud."
Matt smiled at the compliment as he shared his story on how things actually went, "Oh man, I hated that bowtie. It felt tight... but the woman I dated insisted that I wear it, so I did"
"Yeah, she was crazy... Elektra- she's Greek, right?" Foggy asked.
"I-uh don't remember-"
"But what I remember, is to finish filming this video! Let's get to it," Peter strongly suggested. His group mates immediately agreed and got to work on filming their short documentary.
HONESTY - ALLAN RESIDENCE
After hours of filming, they officially finished filming their documentary. Having this sense of accomplishment, Peter & Liz headed to her house to edit the video, while Hobie went home. Yet that exhilarating sense of accomplishment dissipated once they were in Liz's room. Not a single word between them since they arrived from the law firm. Only the soft breeze coming through the window was heard.
Meanwhile, Peter was trying to muster up the courage to talk to her about what's been running in his head. 'Here we go, Parker luck!'
"So Liz, are you- um... are you going to the dance?" he awkwardly brought up.
"Um..." she mumbled, as her eyes awkwardly darted around.
"Oh-sorry, if I-," he stammered, as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Don't apologize. I've been really busy with this history interview and catching up with my homework, I haven't had time to make plans with anyone. What about you?"
"Me- no. You know me, the awkward geek that can't talk to girls."
"I wouldn't say that. There's more to you," she pointed out, with a smile.
"W-what would you say about me? Remember Liz, honesty," Peter hilariously pointed out their promise, which she immediately laughed at his reminder.
"Okay, hmmm... in total honesty, I'd say that you're a guy of many talents, but you don't know it. You can be the coolest, smartest guy at school. But you don't. You don't have to tell the world you're Spider-Man, but... just carry yourself with the same confidence, as you did with him"
"Well-thanks... for the insight."
"Ahem... my turn! Remember Petey-" she poked his shoulder.
"I know, I know, honesty. Okay, Liz... you're an amazing, beautiful person, who's really smart... and you're capable of anything. And I see that you have untapped potential, more potential than you realize. You can do great things out there, not because of your beauty, or your brain. It cause of your big heart," he admitted.
Her cheeks immediately blushed in response to the compliments he gave.
"Really? That's what you think about me?" Her voice subtly croaked.
"I do, Liz. You're an amazing person. Anyone would have left me for dead if they found me like you did... but you helped me... even if I didn't deserve your help," he expressed.
A sincere smile grew on her face, "You did deserve my help though. You're New York's hero, and my friend."
"I was New York's hero"
"You still are. To me at least. Sometimes I think you sell yourself short. But you're different from the rest of them, Petey."
Once he heard that, Peter gazed at her with a big grin on his face. There it was... the confidence he could muster up.
"Hey, s-since I have all this free time at night, I'm trying to go to the dance, not alone obviously... and you know, if my Aunt'll let me go out that night... you wanna be my date, Liz?"
Liz's heart reached to a screeching halt. This was all she wanted: Peter's full attention, and now she'll finally get it. To sweeten it for her, he's finally making the first move.
"That's why you gave all those compliments. Sweet-talking me, aren't ya, Petey?" She giggled as her cheeks blushed.
Peter immediately chuckled with her, "You know me, quite the sweet-talker."
She smiled at him, "Well then, I'd love to be your date... However an enormous poster and a box of chocolates would've been nice"
"You know me, cheap and broke," he playfully shrugged.
"You're really milking that joke, aren't ya, Petey?"
"Yes, Ms. Allan, I am. You gotta problem with it?" he chuckled.
Then the unexpected happened, when Liz scooted close to him and suddenly softly kissed him on the cheek. The soft smooch caught him off guard. He'd never thought in a million years after their break-up that she'd ever kiss him again. Heck, even talking to her was a bit of a stretch at first.
'That escalated quickly'
"Thank you, Petey."
"For what, exactly?"
"For being the only good thing today," Liz gently placed her hand on his cheek, which made him crumble.
"Bad day?"
"Just overwhelming,. I had to worry about this project, my new cheer routines, and my unit test for Anatomy... But you calmed the storm. You calmed my storm," she admitted.
"Anyone could've-"
"But you did," she cradled his hand and gazed at him.
Now, this was the weirdest feeling in the world for Peter. A few weeks ago, he hadn't spoken to her for months, and now, they are closer than ever. Physically and emotionally.
Liz gazed down at his soft lips, tempted to indulge with them. Peter gazed into her bright, amber eyes, and leaned closer into her.
Right as they were going for the kiss, time got in their way. Specifically, loud phone alarms.
'BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!'
The two teenagers immediately jumped back and snapped themselves out of the moment. He instantly shut off the alarm.
"Wha-What was that?!" Liz alarmingly asked.
"Oh, that's my 10-minute alarm," he explained.
"For?"
"It tells me when it's 10 minutes before my curfew- oh wait, I gotta go!" Peter quickly jumped and reached for his stuff.
"Oh-um, let me walk you out, Petey!" she rose and followed him to the door.
Once they reached out the door, it felt awkward. Awkwardness was inevitable in high school, but to have an alarm go off in the middle of intimacy was another level.
However, Liz tried to apologize, "Petey, I'm sorry if I made this kinda awk-"
"No, I'm sorry... my alarm interrupted- whatever that was"
"Well, I guess... we're both sorry, huh," she softly mentioned. After, a small smirk grew on her face, which was hard to hide.
"I guess so... Goodnight, Liz!" he slowly waved.
She waved back, "Night, Petey! Get home safe!"
Peter practically yelled at himself, the entire time he left the building,'Wha-what the heck was that, Parker! I seriously dropped the ball on that one! Liz-she was about to kiss me and my alarm went off... ugh, such Parker luck!'
He immediately darted for home, trying to arrive before his 7 pm curfew... or before his aunt lectured him for being late.
PARKER RESIDENCE
10 minutes later, he arrived home without breaking a single sweat. '7:00, phew!'
He peered through the window he noticed through his aunt cooking up a meal in the kitchen, while she was singing. She's in a good mood... hopefully. Well, if anyone sings while they're cooking, they're probably in a great mood. And that's what Peter needed right now. 'Okay, here it goes... Parker luck, don't fail me now!' he thought before he opened the door.
Peter slowly approached her and greeted her with a soft kiss on the cheek.
"A-aunt May, I need your help," he upfront told her. "I know, I know, this is sudden, and I honestly don't deserve your help, but I want to patch things up," Peter quickly admitted.
"I'll even... do all the chores around the house"
He knew he wronged his aunt, but he didn't know he could be honest with her, without her freaking out. He didn't know any situation where his aunt didn't freak out.
Then her eyes glew up, and slowly, but warmly approached him.
"Awe dear. Things haven't been the best between us, but I'll always be there to help you, no matter what"
"Thanks, Aunt May"
"But I do count on that promise... of you doing the chores"
"Promise," he slightly chuckled.
"So what'd you need help with?"
"Um-the homecoming dance..."
"Homecoming?! Oh, dear! You got a date?"
"Uh-um yeah, it's Liz Allan"
"Oh, Elizabeth? I remember her... and her mother, they're both sweet. Although I thought you and Mary Jane Watson hit it off," his aunt commented.
"Yeah-no, she probably being taken by another kid"
"That's a shame. I thought you would've enjoyed her wonderful personality"
'MJ Watson... Ms. Wonderful personality, ew,' Peter internally irked.
"Sure, Aunt May"
"But you really like this young lady, Peter?"
"Well, we are just going as friends."
"Oh, okay. Let's make sure, you're honest with this young lady. Especially if you want to be more than friends"
'Honesty. Wasn't that the word of the night?' Peter told himself.
...
MIDTOWN CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
Hospitals aren't usually the popular place to meet with loved ones... well, it isn't usually a joy to see them there. It's actually quite concerning to see the people you love in the hospital.
But Macdonald Gargan enjoyed going to the hospital to see his daughter, Elizabeth. He'd love to see his daughter get better with all the treatments she got. But she doesn't get better. No matter what the doctors do for her, that damn leukemia won't go away. It pissed Gargan off.
He kept seeing other kids with leukemia get outta the hospitals much quicker than his daughter had. They kept getting better while she kept getting worse. But occasionally his therapist would tell him to look on the bright side. And the only bright side to his life was his daughter... but he couldn't stand seeing her like this. Not even all the corrupted money Wilson Fisk could fill that void of happiness.
Gargan usually spent his days at the hospital, either playing chess or other board games with her, going to the vending machine and getting her snacks, and watching whatever show was on the hospital tv. Although occasionally, something interrupted the routine. Today, he felt a mild buzzing from pockets. It was his burner phone that he only used for Wesley. He rolled his eyes and excused himself out of the room.
"Look, Wesley right now is not a good time and-" Gargan sharply answered the phone.
Till he heard a rather profound voice, "Mr. Gargan... this isn't Wesley."
Mac immediately knew what was going on. He sharply whispered into the phone, "What do you want?"
"We have one more piece of business to handle, Mr. Gargan. I was going to offer another task, but it seems like I put too much on your shoulders," Fisk commented.
Gargan was in disbelief, rolling his eyes at his comment, "What business? Remember, I said that's the last job, then we're done-"
"I remember," Fisk interrupted. "But I also remember that I pay the bill for your daughter," he added.
"Wait, what? No, you-"
"I do, Mr. Gargan. That's my money, after all. You're just an employee. And employees don't get paid if they don't do their job."
Gargan grew agitated on the phone. He thought he's done with Fisk and his entire operation. He thought he shut out that part of his life. But no, it just came back to bite him in the butt.
"Fine. What do you need?"
"I need you to take care of another vigilante. Patrol the area of Hell's Kitchen, he roams in that Area. Take him out... tonight. Once he's gone, we're done. Deal?"
"Ugh... fine. Deal," Mac responded and looked back at his ill daughter.
He immediately ended the call and headed back to her room, with a fake smile on his face. His therapist told him to smile because it'll make him feel better about his situation. So he smiled, as bright and big as it could be. Didn't change how he felt.
HELL'S KITCHEN
Usually, Hell's Kitchen wasn't the best place to visit at night, especially in the rain. You'll never know who's going to appear from the shadows. An eerie stench of the neighborhood was unsettling. The many drug trades and human trafficking going around the docks, several muggings, and robberies of the vulnerable in the alleys. And that's just the start of it. It's a pretty scummy place. It's the worst place in the City. A Hell hole, how some describe it. People only went there because they had business...
And that's why Mac Gargan was there. He stalked on top of buildings for the Man in the Mask or the Devil of Hell's Kitchen... he didn't know what they're calling him these days.
He only knew what the masked vigilante was, from newspapers and news sites, or else that's it. He has no info on this vigilante, but he came to do the dirty deed, or else Fisk will never leave him alone. He should've never been with Fisk, but y'know what they say, don't fix your past mistakes, just don't make the same mistake.
And not far away from him, the infamous black masked vigilante stood on the roof of the building. He sensed Gargan's presence from meters away, and he wasn't happy about it. Then the vigilante launched his body at him, aiming for his head. Obviously, he's mildly successful, because of the armor around the Scorpion.
The Man in Black growled, "Wha-what are you doing in my neighborhood?"
"I'm here for you... there's a bounty on your head," The Scorpion's tail grabbed his shoulder and threw him to the ground. His face smacked the surface of the roof, resulting in blood streaming from his nose.
"Who sent you? The Kingpin?" The vigilante uttered. Although it was hard to understand him with his face being on the floor.
"None of your business. I'm only here for business."
"I guess I gotta settle some business as well," he uttered as he rose off the surface.
"I agree"
Then the Man in Black ran up to the Scorpion, with one intention, to get him out of his neighborhood. And he had to make his point clear, no one with ill intentions, steps foot in Hell's Kitchen. So he threw his heavy punches into the assailant's chest, trying to cause some damage. And the Scorpion wasn't quick, or skilled at fighting hand to hand. That's the Man in Black's domain.
But that didn't matter, because of the synthetic green armor all around him. And the tail that packed a punch, that knocked the vigilante around, like he was a tennis-ball. Resulting in repeated slashes all over his body. The Man in Black didn't even have body armor, so nothing would protect him. So it covered his outfit in blood, and he was getting constantly weaker, the more blood that flows out of his skin. Got extremely weakened, that he dropped to the floor, without Scorpion even landing his last punch.
Mac went over to him, with his tail engaged, and ready to fulfil his job. Gargan could end him right here, no witnesses to see his irrevocable act. His scorpion tail has proven to be capable of creating damage, especially conducting an execution. And this act could cut ties with Wilson Fisk forever, if he took his life.
It was just one man in a city of 8 million. It wasn't a group of innocent children, only a man. What harm could it do? And he was already bleeding out, so why not end his misery? The man in the mask was right there, like a wounded bird... why not do it? He didn't have to stare at the man's eyes once he died; they were covered.
But when Mac Gargan saw his reflection in the man's puddle of blood, he didn't see himself. He couldn't even see his face.
He saw a monster, with large bloodthirsty fangs, small black eyes and a horrific exterior. It wasn't him, and it freaked him out. It took him back to his appearance.
Was this the thing he was becoming, a monstrous puppet for the Kingpin? He's disgusting, not by the appearance, but by not seeing himself anymore. He couldn't recognize who he was, and it frightened him. His engaged tail launched at the ground, missing the vigilante's head by a hair.
"I-I'm sorry..." Gargan quietly apologized.
It retracted to its form, and he ran away, leaving the man in the mask to live another day.
...
FREAKY FRIDAY - ALLAN RESIDENCE
Peter nervously stood outside the large double doors and made the first knock. He fidgeted with the flowers that Aunt May bought for him. They couldn't afford a corsage, but Peter believed the beautiful bouquet would suffice.
'Here we go, Parker, go make a man out of yourself... wait, what? It's just homecoming, no big deal... right? Right?' he nervously pondered.
Seconds later, no answer.
He knocked on the door again... No answer.
'What the- did I scare her off? Where are her parents? I swear every time I visit, I never see her parents... hmmm maybe that's a good thing...'
Right as he was going to knock for the third time, the door cracked open.
Once it flew wide open, it shined with beauty.
"Y-you look g-gorgeous, Liz," the boy was absolutely speechless. He tried his best for his jaw to not actually drop, but it was impossible. He was stunned by how Liz looked.
Usually, she looked great, even without makeup, but her outfit for homecoming was on another level. It was a tight, shoulderless, scarlet dress, with black accents around the waistline.
"You look gorgeous too, Petey," she humorously responded.
"What can I say? I pull off button-ups pretty well," he humorously responded, which led to her smile.
To be fair to Peter, this was the best he could do with his budget. Of course he styled his hair to the best of his ability, sprayed cologne all over him, and ironed out his outfit... maybe the cologne was a bit much.
"Wow, I love the confidence Petey," she dusted off his shoulder.
"This is barely anything, Ms. Allan... oh uh- shall we?" Peter held his hand out to her as an older gentleman would. It was like he was asking her to dance the way he's posed.
"We shall... you seem so weird when you try to be fancy," she mentioned.
"Eh, I guess that's not one of my many talents"
"Figures," Liz winked at him with a charming smirk.
LOWS - FISK COMMUNITY CENTER
The Fisk Community Center held a private gathering for those invited by the Fisk's team could go. Most of those who're invited were most of the upper class. Those with fancy high-quality suits, dresses, and watches. And those who can donate big money. Those kinds of people.
Although some figures that they invited were questionable. One invited guest hasn't seen the daylight of public appearances since his infamous arrest on one Valentine's Day. It's the infamous 'Big Man of Crime,' L. Thompson Lincoln, alias Tombstone.
"Mr. Lincoln, I'm glad you could make it," Fisk greeted him as he shook his hand. Lincoln was reluctant to even go to such a gathering like this. Why would Fisk even invite him? Did he have some plan to disbar him after all the guests left? Who knows...
Tombstone noticed around the room, wealthy men and women surrounded him. And all those people stared at him, wondering why an infamous crime boss was invited to a sophisticated gathering like this.
"Mr. Fisk. Looks like you have quite the supporters."
"I agree."
He'd gained a lot of attention for his ankle monitor, and the security guards, who were larger than he was. Those guards were a part of the government agencies, who made sure that the former crime boss wasn't making any more illegal dealings with anyone.
Lincoln lowered his voice, "What do you hope to accomplish here tonight, Mr. Fisk?"
"What do you mean?"
"I know your intentions aren't for the right reasons. I assume you'd show off your success for what you've done for the underground"
"Mr. Lincoln, I believe you misunderstand my actions. I love New York with all my heart, it's the city that birthed me. I would do anything to make this city a better place. It has nothing to do with your business"
"Please. You truly believe I'd believe any word you've said?" The pale man scoffed.
"No, I don't. I want you to understand... that this city shouldn't be like a business. We should treat New York like an old home. Tear down what's rotting, and replace it with additional aspects, like drywall. In order for it to thrive, it must die before it could be reborn."
There was an unsettling moment of silence between the two crime lords. Tombstone couldn't comprehend Fisk's plan to save the city. Why would he try saving New York? He never has... he always believed that only the hero in pajamas could. But not crime bosses like him. Plus, why would he want to, this city hasn't done him any favors now and hasn't then?
"Excuse me, I must go address my guest," he excused himself.
Fisk went up on that stage, with the confidence of a silverback gorilla.
"I'm glad that all of you have come out here tonight. It's nice to see all of you."
When he addressed his guests, they seemed distracted, chatting amongst themselves.
"Ahem, as you all might know, I, Wilson Fisk, am running for Major in the beautiful New York City. But you may see me as an outsider, because of all my riches. Probably because of my wealth, you may see me as a wolf... but that's not true.
In fact, if you didn't know, I am a New York native, born in Hell's Kitchen. I wasn't born into a rich family, some would say I was born into poverty. Although we had a roof and electricity, it wasn't eloquent. It wasn't the ideal situation for any family. But my father believed he could get us through that time if we gained more money. Take more jobs for our family. So he would get to work and earn money... enough money that we could tear down the rotting walls of our apartment and replace them with new wallpaper. Even though our landlord was skeptical, we got it done. Then we changed out the old carpet and fixed our plumbing, and there it was, a brand new home. It was a more comfortable home. People didn't believe the before and after pictures of our home.
I used to live in filth, but we had to reinvent ourselves to be comfortable in our home. And that's what I want to do for this city.
As long as I've lived in New York, I remembered the filth, the grime, trash bins, the large sewer rats, all of that... was unpleasant. But I'm here to bring the best out of this city, not from a surface level, but more than that. This city deserves that.
Not the masked lunatics, running around, injuring, or running away from police officers. They claim they aren't criminals, but those who wear masks have something to hide. It's unfair that our citizens of New York should have to live in fear... of those who hide in the shadows. And it's up to us, up to me, to drive them out of the city! That is my promise to you all, as mayor of New York City, to rebuild our city into something more beautiful than it currently is."
After he uttered the last words of his speech, all his guests rose and gave him a standing ovation. He had full support of the people, something that L. Thompson Lincoln will never get... again.
...
M3 HIGHSCHOOL
30 minutes after everyone arrived at the dance, that's when the party started. The music grew louder and the bass of the speakers made floor bounce. Sure, most of them weren't talented dancers, but teenagers don't go to Homecoming to dance. They go to hang out, have fun, and if they're lucky, they'd get y'know... wink, wink, at the end of the night. Also, for the voting of the Homecoming's King & Queen... duh.
But eventually, they'll need a break from the fun, especially when their mouths was dry. They just need a drink. And that's what Peter did. He went to the refreshments to get a drink for himself and Liz. When he was pouring both of their drinks, a familiar freshman approached him.
"Hey, you-you're Pedro, right?" Miles called out to him.
"No, Peter actually. Miles, right?"
"Yeah... um- you used to take pictures of Spidey... before you know-"
"Yes, I did."
Well Miles had a lot of questions for him, so he blurted out all them at once, "Well, what happened to him? Where did he go? He couldn't have just disappeared."
"He- um, went somewhere? He probably wanted to try new things," Peter reasoned.
"Hm... you really think so?"
"I-I would think so. Probably swinging from buildings got boring."
"Boring... how? He's Spider-Man... he fights the bad guys! That must pump up some adrenaline, right?"
"Being Spider-Man isn't as fun as it seems, Miles. Dangerous people are after him and he can die any night he's out there, which is scary"
"Oh..." Miles mouthed.
Then Peter's attention was interrupted with the corner of his eye noticing Harry walking away from Gwen. He appeared upset as he stomped away from the attention. Then he turned his attention to a weeping Gwen Stacy.
"Yeah, now I gotta check on my friend," the senior walked away from Miles.
"For a photographer, he sure knows a lot about Spidey," the young freshman quietly muttered.
Across the gym, the red-haired Mary Jane Watson approached her date, Hobie Brown, "Hey big guy, you alright? You look off." His eyes glared at MJ with the awkwardest smile ever. He tried too hard to seem calm and collected, while also being nervous. Paranoid was the right term.
"I'm fine- I'm alright, Mary Jane. I'm just gonna go to the restroom."
"Alright Hobie. But could you get me juice-" the redhead softly asked.
But before she could request anything, Hobie left, completely ignoring her. His eyes kept darting around, frightened by his surroundings. He darted for the restroom, trying to avoid any eye contact because he's such a nervous wreck.
MJ wondered, 'What's up with him?'
Hobie went into the nearest stall and tried to calm himself down. Was he being paranoid? Was he not? Was he just overthinking? Did Fisk send his men to kill him?
Then there was a slight movement above him. It was in the vent. A little mysterious shake, moving side to side. Something was in the vents. Honestly, it creeped Hobie out.
'Were there ghosts after me too? Nah, c'mon Brown, you're overthinking this! C'mon, the girl of your dreams is out there, waiting... and you're gonna stay in here, cuz you're scared. Hell, Miles is out there, probably talking to his first girl since preschool! That's worth the memories. C'mon, let's get out there!' he screamed at himself.
He was about to push the stall open, looking to have a fun time, till that sound from the vent grew louder.
And Louder.
And Louder.
CRASH! Something dropped outta the vent. Actually someone, in a black skin-tight leather bodysuit, and snowy white hair. Her emerald eyes shined through her black mask.
It's the cat-burglar, Black Cat!
She purred him into the corner, "He knew you're gonna be here?"
"AH- Crap!" At that moment, Hobie's feet were in quicksand, trapped in a corner of the bathroom. Her eyes stared into his soul, drawing him closer, like he was bait.
"Sorry that it has come to this, handsome... but Kingpin wants you alive, so let's make this easier than it should be, okay, honey?" Black Cat sharply chirped at Hobie.
His eyes grew wide and stared at the woman with his hands up. He felt tense, not knowing what to do.
"Look Cat lady, I'm not the guy you're looking for"
Hobie frantically thought, 'Escape from the crazy lady... run, fight? Or accept defeat... I guess run it is!'
"And yet, I know a runner when I see one..." she growled at him.
Instantly, he thought quickly and threw himself at her, knocking her down, and making a way for escape. The running back burst out of the stall, acting paranoid once he left the bathroom. His eyes darted all over the place, looking for the next enemy that came his way. Some kids have never seen the calm and collected Hobie like this, which stirred up their curiosity. He looked like he was in major trouble, and he kinda was, because there was this crazy Cat lady coming after him.
But then, he stopped in his tracks, when his eyes set on an individual in red and yellow outfit, with large metal gauntlets, The SHOCKER!
"CRAP!" he uttered as his eyes bulged out of his skull.
Peter headed toward his weeping friend. Gwen appeared upset or sad... or whatever girls feel whenever they break up with their boyfriend. Heartbroken wasn't the right word.
She sat criss-cross alone, in the gym's corner with hands covered her crying eyes as she felt awful. It's like something bit a piece of her heart. Sure, she didn't like Harry Osborn in that romantic way, even though he's sweet and she's relieved that she became honest with him. But she still cares for him and his well-being, and she wanted to help him from falling into his self-destructive pit.
She snapped out of her tears for a second, when she saw Peter Parker appear. He's the reason she left Harry, which Peter knew immediately.
"Gwen, you-you're alright?"
"You know I'm not. Why'd you even ask?" 'She's right, why even ask? C'mon Parker!'
"I-um... old habit," he awkwardly reasoned.
Mary Jane approached her, "Hey girlfriend, you okay?"
Peter turned to her, "Wrong question to ask right now, MJ"
"My bad. C'mon Tiger, let's give her some space," she told him, before she dragged him away from the blonde.
"So... how's your night been?" Peter asked MJ as they walked away.
"Eh- honestly, it's been fine. But Hobie's been acting off. Kinda worried for him"
"Like, how weird?"
"Just weird. He even looks paranoid, and on edge"
"You want me to check on him?"
"Would you? He went to the restroom. But- wait, you should go back to Liz. I'll check on him."
"Oh Liz, she's just talking to Sally, and her crowd... No Big, it'll be a minute." He walked away from her and headed towards where Hobie was.
When Peter went near the proximity of the boys' bathroom, he noticed a small crowd of freshmen and sophomores flee. Something scared them, as they screamed for their lives. Then he turned to see what was all about. However, he felt the hallway shake with the familiar sound of a blast. He smelt smoke coming from that area.
Then Hobie burst outta that area.
"PETER! RUN!" Clouds of smoke followed him as he ran.
"From what?"
Then another blast shook the hallway.
"FROM THAT!"
From inside the smoke, a voice echoed, "C'mere Brown, this isn't personal, just business. Although I'm starting to take it personally."
This voice had an oddly familiar texas accent, straight outta a spaghetti western. 'Wait, that accent... I'd know from anywhere? It's the Rodeo Clown... Shocker. I still don't know how he got outta Rykers'
There was smoke filling the hallway. And Peter and Hobie got lost in the smoke, not knowing what direction to go. They kept bumping into walls, doors, and student's lockers. More blasts from Shocker caused parts of the school to crumble. Some of these shots weren't even close to their target, as he fired blindly into the crowds of kids. But Peter could barely make out anything, with the smoke in his eyes. He may have stepped on some kids on the ground, he wouldn't know, everything was in a daze.
'I've made up my mind, free time isn't the best thing in the world
TO BE CONTINUED...