PREVIOUS STORY: Marvel - The Beginning: The Amazing Spider-Man: Arc IV: The Sparks Between Us - Prologue »
"Dude she like totally embarrassed me!"
Flash folds his arms as he plops in his seat beside Eddie. Flash notices Eddie staring at his brother Peter with Gwen leave the library. It was odd, he never paid Peter much attention so this was, odd.
"I told you NOT to ask her out!" Eddie chides.
Flash frowns, "Why? It's not like you liked her?" he says as he takes Hubie's sandwich and drinks his soda, since Hubie fell asleep at the table again.
Eddie turns to Flash and just gives him a cold stare. Flash, as he drinks Hubie's soda, catches Eddie's stern look and spits out his soda, "WHOA! Wait-a-minute! You were gonna ask Red out?!" he asks in sudden revelation.
Eddie shakes his head, "You’re an idiot you know that." he says.
Flash scratches his head, "Oh dude, like my bad! I didn't think you were like serious about that!"
"Serious about what?!" Sally asks, returning from the bathroom.
Flash gestures at Eddie with his thumb as Eddie covers his face and says "Don't'..." but Flash cuts him off, "Eddie likes....Red!"
Sally looks at him with a tilted head, "Red? What do mean red? ORANGE is the new black!" she snaps.
Eddie covers his face, “Someone cut my brain out.”
"NO!” Flash corrects, “As in Watson. Eddie has a thing for Maryjane!"
Eddie cuts Flash a dirty look, "Seriously, HER you tell!"
Sally's gaze stares into pizza on the tray as her face reddens before she slams her fist on the table repeatedly and turns to Eddie, " WHY HER! WHAT DOES SHE HAVE THAT I DON'T!"
Hubie wakes up out of his sleep, looks around and looks at Sally, "She has a volume button." he chuckles.
Sally's face turns blisteringly red as breaks her fingers puncture through her water bottle in anger as she stares at Hubie and Flash laugh so hard that tears fall out their eyes. Eddie shakes his head as he smiles, "On that note, I'll be right back." he says as he walks away briskly with Sally watching him leave longingly.
Turning back to Hubie and Flash she points at them, "Laugh now. Oh laugh now. But just wait til I get a hold of you two in private...i'll mess you two both up so badly, i'll make you turn into a freggin mutant!!!!"
Hubie and Flash stop laughing as Flash opens his mouth in shock.
Sally turns around, "Eddie can't date any of them. We have to make them all undesirable. He's part of an upper class...an I know just how to make him see that." she says as he watches him walk away.
Marvel - The Beginning: The Amazing Spider-Man
Arc IV - The Sparks Between Us
Part I - Tight Spots
As Peter and Gwen round the corner of the hallway that leads to the Principal's Office, they come out to the hallway and see Maryjane leaning against the blue lockers by the entrance of the library.
"Hey Tiger, how's it goin'?" she asks.
Maryjane's mere voice for some reason just makes ever hair on Peter's neck stand straight up, to which Gwen oddly notices.
Peter nods, "Oh it's all well. H-how are you?" he asks as his eyes lock with her green eyes, in a mesmerized state. Gwen gulps nervously as she suddenly feels like a third wheel.
Maryjane swipes her foot from side to side on the white linoleum floor, "Oh, um great. Ya. Thanks. So um..."
"Ya..." says Peter anxiously.
However, in the moment, MJ suddenly goes mind blank! Her eyes just looks at Peter and she just sways back and forth frustrated that she hasn't the nerve to say what she wanted to even say.
The short moment even though a few seconds, to Gwen, seems like a painful eternity, but still there is silence.
Gwen, having been planning on trying to get Peter alone, gently tugs on Peter's sleeve, "Let's go." she says in a humble yet insistent tone as she gives a squint and grin to MJ.
Peter nods, "Oh ya right. Sorry I'll catch up with you later." he says to MJ.
"Okay later." MJ smiles.
Watching Peter and Gwen walk away, MJ looks to the white and black check linoleum floor for a moment, frustrated with herself. Flashes of in her mind of wasted opportunity to talk Peter with Peter seems to pass right before her eyes like a slideshow in large 6x12 photos.
Since the school shooting three weeks ago, no one felt normal. The only comfort was that Spider-Man, THE spider-man came to their school. Yet in all of that, all she remembers is thinking about Peter’s safety.
Once the gang came looking for Gertrude, the only time she remembers seeing Peter was in the thick of the crowd trying to leave the school along with everyone else. She tried to keep up with him, but as soon as he broke through the crowd and got out the door, he turned to the side of the building and seemingly vanished. That’s one of five times she missed Peter.
Four nights she waited in her backyard, hoping to see him throw out the garbage but all she remembers is hearing him get yelled at for coming in late by his own brother!
Now two weeks went by, and this was a full week of wasted opportunity to ask Peter to the dance has resulted in this. The sight of Gwen Stacy walking beside Peter, made her cringe.
She could tell Gwen liked him but, Peter was clueless and Gwen swooped....sort of. This wasn't over, but at this point, Gwen had up'd her game and she was curling around Peter more and more, there would be no more opportunities, it was over, her last opportunity it slipped through her fingers and it was walking away from her.
Letting out a sigh, MJ turns on her heels to walk away in the opposite direction but stops. No, she couldn’t assume, she could just let this go. She had to MAKE the moment, she couldn't wait for it.
It was embarrassing, maybe it even sounded a little desperate but she had to. She wanted this, so she had to take it. She could feel it in her. The urge was bubbling in her stomach, her weakening knees were forcing her to turn around and she could see them again. They're going to turn the corner, but maybe if she just called him and...
"PETER!” Maryjane shouts loudly, but quickly covers her mouth, not expecting the volume of her voice to rattle the lockers and cause everyone, including Peter and MJ to turn around and look at her.
"Way to go MJ." Maryjane sighs, seeing everyone's eyes on her but especially Peters.
Maryjane can feel her throat almost close to anxiety. She couldn’t speak, she couldn’t move…she was frozen. He was there, right there…she had his attention as an overall hush quiets everyone in the hallways while MJ could almost feel the stars almost align.
"WHAT THE HECK!" Eddie yells, slamming the locker behind MJ.
MJ looks over her should at Eddie storm over to her, clearly upset.
"Wah-wah-wait a minute! Just wait one stinkin minute!” Eddie shouts to MJ, pointing at his brother down the hall as he walks around MJ and stands in front of her, “You’re not SERIOUSLY going asking him to the Dance, are you?! PETER! THAT PETER PARKER!”
Maryjane green eyes practically shoot daggers as she glares into Eddie’s face, "Why are you acting like there is MORE than ONE Peter here? Let alone why is ANY of this your business! You’re not my boyfriend, you’re not my friend, you’re not ANYTHING to me, so why are you so shocked!”
Eddie firms his face, "IT-IT it not tha-that I’m shocked its just…”
~*~*~*
“MJ?” Peter calls, seeing his brother block her view to her, obviously saying something.
“Let’s go Pete.” Gwen insists, gently tugging on his sleeve.
“YOU JERK!”
Gwen and Peter both turn to Maryjane storming away from Eddie and look square into Peter’s face, “Will you take me to the dance with you, as you’re date?”
“WHAT!” Gwen shouts in belief.
Peter’s eyes open wide and nearly dilate from the question. The hairs on the back of his head nearly stand up on end and crackle with electricity as the words, ‘as a date’ ring in his ears nearly five thousand times, rendering Peter speechless.
Gwen’s blue eyes remain open and shocked and dazed as if she was hit by a hockey puck square in the forehead before she looks up at Peter with tears in her eyes.
Peter gulps, looking at Eddie standing behind Maryjane in his white and green Varsity jacket, glaring him, red-faced and pissed.
Confused, Peter turns to Gwen standing beside him but sees her eyes full of tears. “Gwen…”
“I’ll talk to you later Pete.” she says, covering her mouth and running away down the hall as fast as she can.
“GWEN!” Peter shouts, confused as he watches her turn the corner and run down the other hallway.
“Pete?”
Peter eyes zip back to Maryjane, standing before him in the middle of the hallway, her attention fixed to him, awaiting his answer.
"Well tiger? Can't keep a girl waiting, she'll get cold feet that way." Maryjane says awkwardly.
Eddie looks at Peter as he puts his fist in his hand.
Peter smiles and lowers his head, rubbing the back of his neck. Out of all the tight spots to be in, this was a first. Raising his eyes up, Peter eyes meet with Maryjane’s crystal clear green eyes as a warm smile comes across her face.
MUCH LATER.....
"AND THAT'S HOW I GOT A DATE WITH A STINKIN HOT GIRL! I mean, let me tell you, ‘Girl A’ is so awesome, so awesome. Like all the other losers like her too but she picked me! I'm so siked!" says Spider-Man while he hangs upside down from a light pole with a gangster cocooned in webbing, hanging upside down as well.
"Will you shut up! I gave up already! THERE'S NO NEED FOR CRUEL AND UNUSUAL TORTURE!" yells the thug as the sun starts to set with a glare in his eyes.
Looking back at a grocery store with a shattered window and glass all over the street with another gangster sprawled out in the street, Spidey folds his arms as he looks at the dangling thug, "And this is why I've taken my time out to talk with you. Girl A is a big thing! Now, that other one, Boy E, total loser, and he was mortified that I am even going..."
"SHUUUUTT UUUUUUUUUUPP! JUST TURN ME into THE COPS ALREADY AND SHUT UP! JUST PLEASE STOP TALKING OR DROP ME INTO THE STREET SO MY HEAD WILL SMASH IN SO I CAN'T HEAR YOUR VOICE ANYMORE!!!!" yells the thug.
Spidey shakes his head, "That was SOO overly dramatic. You'd think a thug would allow some free time when he's caught upside down before he goes to jail. Jerk!" snaps Spidey, stretching out his arm about to swing away.
However, Spidey snaps his fingers, "OH right!” he exclaims, turning back to the man, “I meant to ask you this since I'm like, you know, new to this whole ‘superhero’ thing. Who do you work for? Is it like too late to ask that?" he asks.
The thug firms his face, "I'm NOT sayin’ NOTHIN!'"
Folding his arms, Spidey points at him, "Okay, obviously I'm supposed to do something that will make you talk. Threaten you right?"
"You can't do NOTHIN' to me Spider-punk!" the thug replies.
"AH-HA Spider-punk, that's...thats, ya no, its not funny at all. Okay, looks, if you don't tell me what I want to know, i'll tell you how I found my first pimple on my..."
"THE BIG MAN! THE BIG MAN!!! IT’S THE BIG MAAAANNNNN!! PLEASE DON'T TALK ANYMORE! SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!! PLEASE JUST SHUUUUT UUUUUUUUUUUUP!"
Spidey shakes his head, "And the big man's name? Is it Hammerhead by any chance?" he asks.
The thug shakes his head, "I...I can't tell you that, but for sure, it's not Hammerhead. He's a two bit gangster with more in his eyes than he can handle." he says.
Spidey shakes his head, "Oh come on! You bash Hammerhead but you won't give me a name of the Big Man!?!" he chides, "What's a name at this point! I'm sure you dropped out of school, worked in a Seven Eleven...hit over a bank, married a girl named Marge or hilda or glenda..."
"LEAVE GLENDA OUTTA DIS!"
"SEE!" Spidey exclaims, "Now look you! All webbed up on Broom Street and hung over a light pole like a pair of beat-up kicks just for trying to force some eighty-something year old man to pay you protection money! Which, I might add was at a rip off rate!"
"So..." Spider-Man continues, "....seriously...what's a name at this point!?! You’re hittin' looser rock bottom in a tight spot. All you have left is getting beat up by Daredevil, get a moon-shaped crescent mark by Moon Knight or get shot by Punisher...OR and this is a big OR here...JUST GIVE UP THE FRICKIN NAME DUDE!"
"FINE!" The thug relents, "His name is..."
Suddenly Spidey feels his 'senses' in the back of his head go crazy, as if impending danger is approaching. Instinctively, Spidey shoots out his webs to the ground at a pothole cover and yanks it out the ground into the grip.
Holding up the pothole cover up like a shield, Spider-Man blocks bullet from killing the thug. Spider-Man stands up, tossing the manhole cover to the side.
"I SO CAPTAIN AMERICA'D THAT!!" yells Spidey, dropping to the street from the light pole, but than sees the thug run inside a grocery store with a gun.
Spidey shakes his head as he races to the grocery store, "Excuse me, but seriously, I just kicked you in the face, you'd think that....WHOA!!!" yells Spidey as his sense go off stronger than he's felt in a very long time as he is pulled by the waist into the grocery store by an unknown force!
Yanked inside Spidey slammed hard enough into the wall that his limbs sprawl out.
'"UGH!!!" groans Spidey as black crackling energy pulsating through the floor towards him and alongside all the walls.
However, among everything, a man suddenly appears standing in the middle of the trashed store in a glowing white suit. He was like a dull candle in the darkness. His faint glowing white hair contrasted against his deep black glowing skin that seemed as dark as outer-space. His glowing white eyes locked on Spider-Man with a wave of deep palpable anger.
"So..." Spidey sighs, "...neighborhood watch?"
Narrowing his eyes the figure thrusts out his hand evidently controlling Spider-man with his power as black crackling electricity suddenly courses over Spidey's body.
"YYYEEEEEEEHOOWWWW!!!" yells Spidey at the top of his lungs.
"Hope that didn't hurt much." grins the individual.
"Oh please that?" Spidey pants, his entire body now numb, "No, just felt like my soul was nearly pulled out by Chuck Norris! Perfectly normal." he groans.
The man, standing in the middle of the room just smiles with his blackened teeth, "A tights wearing wanna-hero with a sense of humor. Interesting."
Spidey shakes his head, he was still dazed but he needed time to recuperate.
"Form-fitting! Not tight. I take a strong difference with the two." Spidey chides.
The strange man looks at Spidey with a tilted head, "Tights or no tights, you've been interrupting my business for some for a month. I don't like it. So I figure I set this...event…to see you face to face."
"Awww. A Stalker. Am I on your mind that much? I'm touched! Creeped out, but still touched." says Spidey, feeling his strength return to his arms.
"You stopped my men in less than 10 minutes." the stranger states, "Impressive. Especially hearing how you saved a school from a shoot-em up Punisher-fake." says the individual in a deep voice.
“Since your obviously a fan, you wanna start a blog together?" he asks, feeling himself return to normal.
The man's face suddenly turns serious, "Don't mock me." he says.
Spidey tries to move but finds his whole body, now at full strength, was almost immobile, "I'm trying to follow the "How to Be a Hero in Less-than 30 Day's" Book but I need a hardcore following, you could be club president. You got Tik-Tock?"
"Sarcastic," he comments.
Spidey shakes his head, "No, Spider-Man. And you are? Pssst. This is when you give me your name!"
The man folds his arms, "Mister Negative and I'm here to offer you a job."
Spidey shakes his head, "Well someone's been reading Trump's Book Let's Make a Deal."
Mister Negative points at him, "You're in MY town making disturbances - its putting my business in a tight spot!"
"Seems i've been doing that a lot today."
Mister Negative narrows his eyes at him, "You're gonna let my business run free and you're staying OUT of Chinatown."
"Well, I'm anti-drug. Sorry, it's more than a lifestyle. I was born that way. Hope you understand I can't help myself." Spidey quips.
Mister Negative starts to ball his fist and Spidey starts to clutch his neck as black electrical energy pulsates around his throat. Slowly the sizzle of electricity starts to vibrate his face, making it almost impossible to scream in pain.
"I don't know who you are, where you came from, or what you think you’re doing." Mister Negative growls, "But this is my city. I own it. Which means I own you. And no freak who crawls on walls jeopardizes that. So either, you join me and do what I say...or I wear your organs as a chain around my neck and use your head as a food bowl for my dogs." he says, releases his grip.
Dropping to the floor, Spidey gasps, lifts part of his mask and vomits on the floor.
Walking over to him, Mister Negative stands over Spider-Man like a conqueror, "Seems like that stupidity is out of you."
Shaking his head, Spider-Man holds his hand out, as he gasps for air, "Do...I....have...t-thi..thir..third!"
Mister Negative narrows his eyes, "What third?" he snaps.
"T-this!"
Springing off the floor faster than he believed possible, Spider-Man is already off the floor, spins and kicks Mister Negative across he face with his foot, throwing him head first across the store like a missile!"
Dropping to the floor, Spidey runs out the store to the street, feeling himself feel better the more distance he puts between Mister Negative and himself.
Scrambling about in the middle of a bunch of debris and market goods, Mister Negative stands up and sees Spider-Man hunched over in the street, rubbing his throat.
Angrily Mr. Negative thrusts his hand to his side and black sword forms out of thin air, "YOU JUST SIGNED YOUR DEATH WARRANT! NO ONE TOUCHES MISTER NEGATIVE!" he yells, storming out the store while raising his free hand up as if razing something from the ground.
Standing in the middle of the street, Spider-Man draws a deep breath, readying himself he looks in the store and watches Mister Negative's storming out the store while three glowing forms rise from the ground.
"What the..." Spidey gasps, seeing three identical men in white suits come out the ground, standing in front of Mister Negative, holding a dark glowing sword.
"Let me introduce you to my inner demons!"
Spidey holds out both hands towards Mister Negative, "WHY DO THE BAD GUYS HAVE ALL THE COOL POWERS!!!
To be continued...here
Marvel - The Beginning: The Amazing Spider-Man: Arc IV: The Sparks Between Us - Part 2. Sparks »
Log in to comment