10 minutes from now.....
Inside the Gym Showers, Spidey turns around at the sound of the ‘klik klack' of a gun cocking the bullet into place. Thinking it be Captain Stacy, Spider-Man rounds the corner of the hallway but then feels his stomach drop. His mouth grows dry and his hands moist. Beneath his mask, Spider-man's face grows pale at the sight of seeing Gertrude Yorkes aiming a gun at Hammerhead, on the floor, unsure if he can rush at her or not.
"DON'T!" Spidey yells.
With tears rolling down her cheeks, Gertrude slumps towards one side, favoring her bloodied arm that rests lifelss against her side. Yet, Gert sweated pale face remains full of anguish and grief as she keeps the trembling gun aimed at Hammerhead, “I’M GONNA KILL YOU!” she screams.
“DON’T!” Spidey yells.
“WHY!” Gertrude shouts, glaring at Spider before turning back to Hammerhead, "WHY SHOULDN'T I?! HE DESERVES IT! OUT OF ALL PEOPLE, HE DOES!"
Spidey firms his face, "Look....if you do this. There's no going back. There's no turning aside from EXACTLY what you said you KNOW your family wanted you to be."
Gert turns to him, "WHAT IF THIS IS WHAT I AM!!"
Cast
OUTSTANDING SPIDER-MAN
ARC III - SPIDER-MAN
PART V – TOO CLOSE TO HOME PT.1
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Earlier
Children race towards the doors of their school before the beginning of First Period. Outside still, Harry waits by the doors of the school entrance as a cool breeze goes by. Spotting her out the crowd, Harry sees her blond hair dance in the wind with grace, causing his stomach to flutter unexpectedly.
Seeing her draw closer, Harry excitedly rushes over to Gwen walking up the stairs to the schools entrance.
"HEY GWEN!" he says excitedly.
Gwen smiles casually, "Hey, have you seen Peter?" she asks rather urgently.
Harry shrugs, "Nah not really Why?" he asks.
Gwen frowns, wondering as to where he could be, "We were supposed to do something together yesterday and he wasn't there."
Harry notices the change in her tone and even how she isn't paying attention to him as he speaks to her but rather looks down the street in eager search for him.
"Gwen?" Harry asks.
She pays no mind.
"Gwen?" Harry asks yet again.
She pays no mind.
"PETER!" he says.
Gwen looks at him excitedly, "WHERE!" she says excitedly as she looks out to the street again searching for him. Harry shakes his head and looks at her in surprise. "Where is he!" she asks again in eagerness. Harry starts to huff in laughter, "All over your face." he says as he folds his arms.
Gwen stops looking and turns red with embarrassment and rolls her tongue in her cheek, "HARRY OSB..."
Harry puts his hands up, "Don't be sayin' my name like ya my mother! So admit it! You so like him it's not even funny! Look at you! It's like when Brad Pitt first met Angelina!" he says.
Gwen folds her arms defensively, "I-I don't like Peter! I don't! We're just friends!" he says.
Harry raises his eyebrow, "I bet that's what Brad Pitt told Jennifer Aniston too." he says.
Gwen looks at him with a firm face, "YES! I MEAN NO!!! YOU...OOOOOoooo..." she groans with a deep chest vibrating groan, "Harry I'm so going to kill you! I hate it when people try and say when I'm something I'm not!" Harry looks at her with a raised eyebrow, "So you don't like him? Not at all?" he asks, trying to get to this point the whole time.
Gwen contemplates, seeing he wants her to say yes, but shakes her head, "NO!"
Right after she finishes, Harry says, "Than go out with me to the School Dance." he says.
Taken off guard, Gwen's face blushes even more red, "W-what?" she asks.
Harry shows her a flyer as if he needs proof, "I got this flyer from inside, the school dance is like in 2 weeks. Or did you forget?"
Caught off-guard and feeling even more awkward the more she looks at the flyer, Gwen shakes her head, "I..uh...I didn't forget I...I just..."
"Wanted to ask Peter?" Harry interjects, folding his arms.
"Is...well why do you wanna go with me so bad?!" Gwen asks trying to deflect the pressure, "Why me?"
Harry shrugs, "Cause your like cool and easy to talk with and well...I thought Peter liked you but the School Dance is coming and he didn't...."
"His Uncle just died Harry! You know that's like his father dying all over again!" she says in his defense.
Harry nods nonchalantly. "Ya, but still, its not your father that died.” He coldly retorts, but then pauses, seeing Gwen's face almost wince at his statement. Immediately Harry's mind kicks into overdrive to clean up his thoughtless statement.
“NOT SAYING that you seeing it didn't affect you but still, you can go. Can't you?"
Gwen looks at Harry, not sure if he set this conversation up and not sure if he wanted to really go with her but Gwen can't get the words out of her mouth as she looks him, feeling forced into this and feeling a cold streak up her spine at the disregard to Peter’s feelings.
"Hey Gwen." says a voice.
Gwen turns around and sees Peter behind her with Maryjane, "PETER!" she says hugging him, "I WAS SO WORRIED!" she says as Peter looks at her with wide eyes, wondering what the fuss is. MJ looks at them and shrugs, "Oookay. Missed the memo on that." she says as he waves to Harry.
Harry extends his hand to her shoulder, "Hey!" he says, lightly patting her on the shoulder.
"Uhgg!" Maryjane groans, clutching her shoulder in discomfort.
Peter, Gwen and Harry watch MJ wince momentarily but stands up straight as she rubs her shoulder, “Oh nothing.”
"That’s not nothing.” Peter says. MJ looks at Peter, Gwen and Harry standing there, waiting for answer.
Suddenly everyone on the steps of the school immediately turn their focus to the street ear-piercing screech of tires in front of the school. Everyone catches sight of a blue car skid to a stop in front of the school grounds with smoke rising from the tires. Hopping out the car, Gertrude Yorkes runs out of a blue SUV and up along the steps to the school as five black SUV crash into the back of the SUV Gertrude ran out of and stop in the street with one driving up onto to the lawn!
“HAAARRRY!!!” Gertrude shouts.
“GURT! WHAT HAPPENED!!” Harry shouts
Peter’s eyes open wide in shock as Gert runs into Harry’s arms as Gwen, MJ, and Peter, along with all the students out the side the school, watch Gangsters pour out from the black SUV with semi-automatics and rifles in their hands as Hammerhead, wearing a thick white foam neck-brace and a Band-Aid over a reddened broken nose, stands on the sidewalk, and points his machine gun at Gertrude and narrows his eyes!
"YOU MAY WANNA RUN CHICK.” Hammerhead shouts with an evil smirk, “CUZ NO SCHOOL OR FREAK DRESSED LIKE A SPIDAH IS GONNA SAVE YA DIS TIME! YOU’RE STUPID PARENTS AND YOOZ PAY DA’PRICE TA’DAY!!! he yells, shooting into the air..
To
Screams and panic fill the air as all the students scatter! Some running across the lawn to the football field, others across the street while many more pour into the school or safety!
“C’MON!!!” Harry shouts, pulling Gertrude into the school as the mob of kids rush inside, MJ wastes no time, pulling Gwen along but she turns around, reaching out for Peter as Harry races into the hallway with Gert as teachers run out the faculty lounge!
“WHAT’S GOING ON!” asks the Teachers.
“GANGS!!” Gert shouts as Harry points behind them as Students rush past them, running through the hallways for their lives.
"SOMEONE CALL THE COPS!" Harry yells, pulling Gert along, “WE GOTTA HIDE YOU!”
Still being pulled by MJ as students push and race past her and MJ, GWEn turns around, trying to keep sight of Peter Parker, "PETER!" Gwen desperately yells, but loses him in the thick of the crowd. Seeing Hammerhead step by the school entrance, MJ grabs Gwen by the shoulders.
“MOVE IT GIRL!” she shouts, pulling her along as Hammerhead shoots over everyone’s head, “WHERE IN DA #&*!^%# IS GERTRUDE F#*!@?! YOOOOOOOOOOOORKES!” he yells.
Storming through the hallway as kids scream run in fear, Hammerheads' eyes catch sight of something familiar and swiftly pulls out his pistol and shoots into the crowd, "GAATCHAAA!!!!"
“AAAH!!!” screams a girl.
“GERT!” Harry shouts, seeing her clutch her bleeding arm, but Gert pushes her back as Hammerhead shoots at the floor between them!!
“GO YOU FOOL!!!” Gertrude shouts, watching Harry look at her and glance at Hammerhead before running away down the hallway to save himself.
Grinding her teeth in pain, Hammerhead smiles at her, seeing her on the white laminated floor and holds up his machine gun as she looks at him, petrified,"Ain't dis'a case of deja vu? Weren’t we here yesterday? I think I was standin’ right about here, ready to send you straight to the Netherworld with all the unicorns n’stuff, any last words?" he asks.
Gert, clenches her jaw from the pain and fear, but remembers Spider-man, and looks right into Hammerhead eyes defiantly, “SCREW YOU!”
“Hmf!” Hammerhead huffs, extending his machine gun to her, “Gotta love a kid wit’spunk.”
BLAMM!!!!
Suddenly Hammerhead turns around to see outside, the middle of the street, one of his men shot to the ground as a man in black clothing with a white skull on his shirt and a black coat, whizzes by on a black motorcycle with one of his men falling to the ground dead!
Hammerhead eyes open wide, enraged, “HE IS SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD! NOW WHO THE FREAK IS THAT!!!” he shouts, watching his men outside open fire on him as the masked vigilante skids to a stop down the street, whips his motorcycle around and races to them again with guns in both hands, shooting a them.
"HOLD THAT MOOK OFF WHILE I FINISH…!" Hammerhead, turns around to see Gertrude gone and angrily turns to a blue locker and shoots it with his machine gun and proceeds to kick in the bullet-riddled door. Turning the men behind him, he glares at them,, “FIND THAT KID AND BRING HER TO ME!!!” he shouts as five of his men run down the hallway.
Lunch Room .
"KIDS GET INSIDE THE LUNCHROOM AND GET UNDER THE TABLES!" yells Principle as he and three other teachers hold the doors open while hordes of students run past them.
Caught in the thick of the students, Flash Thompson looks around frantically as he holds one of the students who are shot in the leg. Placing her on the table, Flash green eyes scan across the lunchroom, looking through the sea of faces for his friends, "EDDIE!!! AVRIL!!!" he shouts.
"GET DOWN MISTER THOMPSON!" yells The Teacher, but suddenly gunshots rip through the cafeteria door and over the teacher’s head!
Everyone’s screams fill the lunchroom as a gangster kicks in the door in, grabs the teacher by the scruff of his neck, slams his face into the wall, and turns to the rest of the faculty and students who scream all at once as he points his gun at them, "EVERYONE GET DOWN AND SHUT UP!!" he yells as a 2nd gangster walks in behind him and shoots at the ceiling, "NOW!”
Everyone screams silence at once with only whimpers and fearful teary eyes fixed on the two gangsters looking at them all.
Under a table, Harry tugs at Flash's pant leg as MJ and Gwen grab at him but he pushes them back, now having caught sight of Eddie and Avril under another table close to him.
“Dude!" Flash whispers to Eddie, nodding at the gangster.
"ARE YOU DEAF BOY! I THINK SO CAUSE YOU MUST BE A SPECIAL KIND OF IDIOT!” he yells to Flash, “I SAID..."
'KLIK KLACK' goes the second gangster’s rifle now pointed at Flash.
"....BE QUIET OR I'LL MAKE YOU QUIET!" the Gunman yells to Flash, who gulps as everyone turns to him.
Feeling his heart beating a mile a minute, Flash gulps down his fear and slowly stands up, his green eyes fixed on the Gangster who looks at him in shock as Flash looks right into the gangster's eyes.
"NO!” Flash says firmly, feeling his knees almost knock together in fear.
The gangster looks at him, almost in disbelief and looks around before looking back to Flash, “What did you say?” He says, “DID you just say NO!”
It was as if every news report Flash had watched, came to mind. Gun violence was one of the few things that irked him in life. Kids just wanted to go to school. They wanted peace where it should be. Shootings were always a problem, but now the battlefield was invading the classroom. He was scared. Everyone was scared and he could taste it. Yet, Flash, through his terror, could feel the overwhelming pressure within him spill out as he could not stand by and watch the bravery of other teens, TEENS, not adults, face such threats in past and present, here and elsewhere with super-hero bravery - and not act.
Flash face firms at the gunman and nods, “yeah and I said…AUDIBLE HUT HUT HUT!” he shouts.
"RAAAAAAH!!!”
Hearing a table get thrown over, the gun man turns around to see Eddie and Hubie blitz out from under another lunch table and tackle the other gangster to the ground, jumping on top of him like two lions on a cow, disarming him!
“JOEY!” the gunman calls out as he turns to shoot them but Flash speedily lunges at him, grabbing at his rifle and forcing his aim to the ceiling!
Immediately a deafening gunshot rings out causing everyone to scream as Flash struggles against the gunman only to be suddenly kicked in the stomach, pushed back onto another table as, much to his horror, the gunman quickly lifts his leg and slides out a pistol.
Flash's face pales as he rolls back on the table as the gunman shoots him in the leg!
“AAAH!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!” Flash cries in pain, clutching his bleeding thigh.
Falling the floor in howling pain, Flash cry grabs Hubie and Eddie's attention as they see the gunman aim his gun at them, ”ENOUGH!!!” he yells.
Glaring at Eddie and Hubie, the gangster motions to the floor with his gun, “GET DOWN ON. YOUR. KNEES!!” he shouts, watching them immediately drop onto their knees. With his rifle pointed at them, the gangster looks over his shoulder to Flash clutching his bleeding leg in agony.
"NICE TRY Quarterback! Real nice try." he growls, aiming the gun to Flash's head.
“NOOOOOOOOO!” Avril shrieks.
Flash eyes open wide as the Gangster walks over to him and kicks him down to the floor.
“AAAH!!!” Flash shouts in pain, but his green eyes focus to the gun pointed at his face,
“Play time is over!” the gunman spits and looks around at the kids, “You may wanna close your eyes kiddies, this is gonna be bloody.” He says, pushing the gun barrel onto Flashes’ forehead as Flash closes his eyes, waiting for the painful but last shot.
“Nighty night, hero!”
Everyone closes their eyes, ready for the sound of the shot!
With their eyes closed however, Eddie and Hubie wait, but hear nothing.
Trembling in place, Flash, slowly opens his eyes, peeking to see what happened but then opens his eyes in completes shock as does Eddie and Hubie.
With his head lowered to the floor and his hands over his head, Harry, refusing to the see the bloodbath, hears the eerie silence but now shot. Carefully looking up, Harry sees MJ's red hair, "What happened? Did they kill him?” he asks MJ, grabbing her arm, but then then tilts his head at the vibrant red arm he grabs, immediately feeling that it is not an arm but a leg, at that, a leg wearing bright red Puma sneakers.
Peeking out from under the table, Harry sticks his head out from under the table, as do Gwen, Maryjane, Avril, Sally, all the students and the all faculty to see standing in the center of the lunchroom, Spider-Man, decked in his red and blue costume, standing before Flash Thompson who looks at him in complete awe while both gun-men are webbed to the ceiling!
Picking up the rifle, Spider-man stares at it for a moment, remaining silent before lifting it up and snaping it half over his knee, tossing both broken halves to his left and right.
Harry's eyes open wide in pure unadulterated shock as Spider-Man's large white eyes gaze down to him, "Hey, you good?"
Letting go of his leg as if held onto a hot plate, Harry's hangs open wide in shock while Maryjane looks at him in pure shock while Gwen remains frozen in place, unable to believe what she’s seeing.
Everyone slowly stands up from underneath the tables as silence hangs in the air while looking at the mask hero who nods at Flash and extends a hand to him, “If you don’t mind, I’ll take it from here.” He says.
Flash grind his teeth in pain from his gunshot wound but shakes Spidey’s hand and eeks out a smile, “Yeah, be my guest.”
With a firm handshake, Flash smirks but the gunshots outside make Spidey turn towards the doors.
Turning away from Flash, Spidey hears everyone motion as if to move, but Spidey looks at faculty and students over his shoulder, seeing they are watching his every move and spots Gwen and MJ who are just enthralled and mesmerized at the sight of him.
They couldn’t be harmed. Flash was injured because he was late to get on his costume. Gertrude nearly died the day before because he was too easy on these guys. His Uncle Ben died, because he wasn’t there at the right time, so no, this wasn’t happening again. These men came to his school, harmed innocents on his watch, no, no one else was allowed to be hurt today.
"Everyone stay here." Spider-man says with a firm resoluteness as he turns to face the doors to the lunchroom as gunshots echo down the hallway, "I'll handle this."
to be continued.....
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