Part 3
Category: Max/Liz & Peter/MJ
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: This story takes place after ‘Smoke And Mirrors’, my first Spider-Man fanfic. All you really need to know is that Mary Jane now knows Peter’s secret ID, and there is this mysterious killer loose in NYC whose identity is still a mystery.
Max couldn’t help but feel nervous as he made his way through the streets of New York City. After all, the last time he had come here, it hadn’t exactly been an uplifting experience. That ominous ‘meeting’, not to mention the attempt on his life, were still fresh in his mind.
Still, he wasn’t alone this time. Michael was there, as well as Liz’s cousin Peter.
It wasn’t obvious, but there was a small resemblance that Max saw between the two of them. Like Liz, Peter was soft-spoken, and a bit shorter than both Michael and himself. He had light brown hair, though his eyes were blue. Of course, then there was his interest in science. Max had to wonder if it was hereditary.
Weird, since Liz’s dad ran a restaurant, and Uncle Ben…well, Max didn’t know exactly what Uncle Ben did.
“So you live in the city?” Max asked him finally.
“Oh yeah, an apartment a few blocks away from campus,” Peter explained. “It helps when your roommate is kind of a millionaire.”
Michael, for the first time, spoke up.
“Can you stop watching me?” he spat.
Max looked over at Peter, curiously. He hadn’t noticed.
“Well, you haven’t said more than two words since we met,” Peter pointed out. “What, I’m curious…Michael, is it? Do you have some problem with me or what?”
Max sighed. As usual, Michael was being a bit too cautious. He was always looking over his shoulder, suspicious of every minor detail…just in case someone WAS out to get them. Unfortunately, his vigilance was backfiring.
“You’ll have to forgive Michael,” Max said, with a smirk. “He’s naturally paranoid!”
“Hey, it’s not paranoia if they really are out to get you!” Peter joked.
Michael gave him a strange look when he said that. Suspicion.
Ok, that was awkward! Peter thought. Someone needs to get this guy some decaf.
“I’m gonna take off,” Michael told the two of them. “Maria wants me to meet her at some square garden in about an hour.”
“Square garden?” Max asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
“Madison Square Garden,” Peter replied, nodding in understanding.
He took a map out of his jacket pocket, as well as a pen. Peter then scribbled several lines on it and handed it to Michael.
“Point A, point B…you can’t miss it!” he explained with a smile.
For the first time, Michael looked at Peter Parker with a approval. He nodded.
“Thanks,” he said simply, then took off.
“Colourful fella,” Peter laughed, turning to Max.
“Michael Gurin’s an acquired taste,” he replied. “If you’ve been around him as long as I have…”
“Say no more!” Peter cut him off. “I know someone like that…sort of. Though, to tell you the truth, your friend’s preferable to my boss.”
Max laughed. He was surprised. He had expected Peter to be like Liz’s father…disapproving. A little suspicious of him, maybe. But the guy was okay.
Little did he know, Peter Parker was having similar thoughts. So far he had spent the entire afternoon hanging around with him, searching for some sign that they were up to something. So far…nada.
Max seemed okay, if a little withdrawn. Heck, compared to how Peter himself was until near the end of high school, Max was practically a public speaker.
Still, Peter had to wonder why he had set off his spider-sense. He had no idea how it actually worked, but it tended to only go off when warning him of danger. Max didn’t seem dangerous at all. Michael, maybe…but Max was more or less non-threatening.
“So, how did you meet?” Peter inquired.
“Me and Michael?” he asked.
“No,” Peter laughed. “You and Liz.”
Max pondered that for a moment, wondering what the best way to respond would be. Peter seemed trustworthy, but he wasn’t about to let him know the ‘whole’ truth.
“We were lab partners,” Max explained. “Starting hanging around more…got closer. Typical high school thing.”
“Wouldn’t know,” Peter replied. “My high school career wasn’t exactly anything to write home about.”
Suddenly, in mid-step, Peter’s spider-sense went off again. However, this time it was different. While back at Aunt May’s it had been a small warning, this time it felt like a full-blown alarm. Danger, which, unless he did something soon, would make him very, very dead.
The world suddenly shifted into slow motion, as Peter’s spider-sense took in the various threats around them.
A car running a red light.
Dogs dragging their masters around, barking at passing pedestrians.
A loose electrical wire hanging a few feet above.
A sniper’s riffle aimed directly at Max’s head.
“GET DOWN!” Peter yelled suddenly, leaping forward, and pushing Max onto the pavement.
No sooner had they hit the ground than a bullet crashed through the store window where they had been a second later.
“What?” Max asked, as broken glass fell around them. “How did you know?”
“Saw a guy with a gun up on the roof,” Peter lied, climbing up.
All around them, people were screaming. Some ran around, desperately trying to find cover in case another shot was fired. It was full-scale panic.
“We’ve got to get out of here!” Max announced. “Peter, where’s the closest subway?”
Max turned around, only to discover that Peter was nowhere to be seen.
“Peter?” he asked.
*****
How did he miss?
That was the only thought that went through the gunman’s head as he ran across the rooftop. He had Evans in his sight, but somehow they saw him. Impossible. All that work and planning was for nothing. Now all he could do was get the hell out of there before the cops showed up.
They’d get him sooner or later. All of them. It was only a matter of time.
However, before he could go far, he heard a noise behind him.
“What the?” he asked, spinning around.
He turned just in time to see a man in a red-and-blue bodysuit drop on the rooftop in front of him.
“SPIDER-MAN?” he yelled.
They hadn’t told him he’d have to deal with that freak, just Evans. Still, a bullet would kill him just the same.
The gunman fired, but Spider-Man had already moved to the side as soon as he pulled the trigger. How could he possibly move that fast.
“Now, if you’re not gonna play nice with your toys…” Spider-Man said, kicking the rifle out from his hand, causing it to fall down into a nearby alley. “…then I’m gonna have to take them away from you.”
Now unarmed, he swung a punch at the wall-crawler. Spider-Man ducked it easily, then delivered a well-placed kick into his solar plexus. He went flying, and crashed into the chimney, unconscious.
“Well, that was fun!” Spider-Man sighed, dusting off his hands.
With a flick of his wrist, he tied the gunman up in a solid stream of webbing. Kneeling down next to him, he searched the guy’s wallet.
“Now, let’s see if…whoa!” he exclaimed, his eyes going wide beneath the mirrored lenses that covered them.
It wasn’t a wallet after all, but a badge. A badge naming him as a member of the federal bureau of intelligence.
“The FBI?” Spider-Man asked, shocked. “Ok, what the heck are the FBI doing taking pot-shots at a kid in the middle of broad daylight?”
That settled it. Something was definitely up with Max, and he was determined to find out what.
“Oy,” he groaned. “I just beat up a federal agent! Jameson’s gonna have a conniption!”
With that, he swung off…leaving the FBI agent behind.
*****
Oblivious to what had happened just a few feet away, Michael Gurin tried his best to follow the quickly made map the Parker kid made. He grumbled…of course, if he was late, Maria would start complaining. And when Maria complained…well, when that happened, Michael just wanted to stick his head in the ground like that Ostrich on the Foghorn Leghorn cartoon.
She had this thing about New York. Michael remembered that time she almost moved there when those guys gave her the offer to record her singing. He couldn’t help but feel a little relieved it didn’t turn out.
Then he silently cursed himself for thinking like that. What? He doesn’t want someone he cares about to be happy?
Face it, Gurin, he thought to himself. You’re selfish.
And it was true. Oh, he cared about other people, of course. Max and Isabel were the only family he had. Liz was cool, had saved their butts more often than he could remember, and considering her and Max, she was kinda family, too. Kyle was a real pal. And Maria…well, there wasn’t any explanation necessary.
Even so, many of the decisions he’s made over the years seemed to benefit only one person…himself. When Max used his powers to save Liz all those years ago, Michael only wanted to do one thing…run away as fast as he could. He didn’t stop to think about Max and Isabel not wanting to leave their adoptive parents. Just that he hated the creep that he had to live with.
Then there was how he brushed off Maria after he accidentally killed Pierce. More recently, how he almost killed Max under some desire to become king. Yeah, it might have been that seal-thing messing with his head, but some part of him must have wanted it badly enough.
Now, finally after all this time, they had ran away. Max stated he no longer wanted to be in charge of the group, Maria and him were together again…kind of…so, what was the problem?
Michael sighed, dropping the thought from his head. He could never get that self-introspection. Better to just get the this garden place before Maria started freaking out.
However, as he passed by an ally, he heard some noise. Someone stumbling among the garbage cans.
“Hello?” he called inside.
There was no answer.
Michael paused for a moment. It was probably some mugger, trying to attract attention so he could hold some unsuspecting tourist up. Still, Michael’s curiosity got the better of him. If it was a mugger, he could always just zap the guy. No more being careful with his powers, since he didn’t have anything to really protect anymore.
“You ok?” he asked, walking into the alley.
Once there, he saw someone hunched over. He had his head stuck inside a garbage can.
Ew, Michael thought. Great. It’s just some bum eating out of the garbage.
Despite that, maybe he could help him? Buy the guy a bowl of soup or something?
“Hey, buddy?”” Michael asked, putting his hand on the guy’s shoulder. “Maybe I can help you with…”
But before he could say much else, the mysterious stranger turned to face him, snarling.
Michael gasped at the sight, stumbling backwards. Whatever the thing was, it didn’t look human. Veins were protruding from its overly muscled body, with its fingers extended into claws. Its eyes were blank. Completely white, with pointed ears resembling some kind of elf, and a mouth full of fangs.
“Holy!” Michael exclaimed in shock.
Still snarling, the creature leapt at him. It’s claws shredded Michael’s jacket, snapping at his face with its razor-sharp teeth. Not wanting to be a meal, Michael let loose a blast of white-hot energy, sending the beast flying several feet.
Cautiously, Michael stepped up to the now-unconscious monster. Its body was human, if a little over-developed. Even so, this was not a run-of-the-mill New Yorker.
Experience told him that he couldn’t just leave the thing here. Sighing, Michael used his powers to transform a couple of garbage-can lids into makeshift shackles, hoping they would be strong enough to hold the guy if he woke up.
Then, walking outside of the alley over to a payphone, he called Maria’s cell phone.
“Michael, where are you?” the voice on the other line answered.
“Hey,” he replied. “I need you to pick me up. And bring the truck. Something weird’s going on!”
*****
“Max!” Liz screamed, as her husband wandered through the front door. “Oh god…you’re all right!”
She quickly ran up and hugged him, much to his surprise.
“You know what happened?” Max asked. “Did you have a flash?”
She shook her head.
“It was on the news!” she told him. “Don’t worry…no one saw your face. They thought it was just some random sniper.”
“Maybe it was?” Isabel suggested.
Max scoffed.
“Too much of a coincidence,” Max pointed out. “It May…?”
“No,” Liz answered, shaking her head. “She went out. No need for secrecy. I just hope she doesn’t find out about this…”
“Find out about what?”
The three of them, and Kyle, turned to the side as Peter walked in. Max, once again, looked surprise. How did Peter get back so quickly.
“Are you ok?” Peter asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he responded. “Sort of a close one. That’s what happens when you live in New York, huh? These lunatics…how do you sleep at night?”
“Maybe he targeted you specifically?” Peter suggested. “I mean, you never know.”
Max shook his head, brushing off the idea.
“Nah,” he said. “Who would want to kill me?”
That answered Peter’s question, although Max didn’t know it. Whatever reason an FBI agent wanted Max dead, he wasn’t about to share that information. Considering the others didn’t put up any argument, Peter guessed whatever it was…they were probably in on it.
Even Liz.
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Peter lied through his teeth. “You were really lucky though.”
“Yeah,” Kyle chuckled from the couch. “Thanks to Spider-Man.”
Max turned towards Kyle in confusion.
“Who?” he asked.
“Oh, give me a break!” Kyle groaned. “You’ve never heard of Spider-Man?”
“Should we have?” Isabel inquired.
Kyle pointed towards the television screen, where footage from earlier was being played. Sure enough, someone dressed in a red-and-blue costume was beating up the shooter.
“This guy is too cool!” Kyle said with a grin.
“Who is he?” Max asked. “I mean, what’s his name?”
“No one knows,” Kyle replied. “He keeps it a secret.”
Silently, Max wondered what this spider-person’s agenda was. Did he work for the government? Or the police? Why was he helping them?
Just then, they heard the truck pull up in the driveway. Maria climbed out, followed by Michael…who was carrying someone.
“What the?” Peter asked.
The five of them scrambled out the front door, intercepting them. Upon seeing Peter, Michael cursed under his breath. He had hoped to avoid Peter.
“Um…this guy tried to eat me!” he said simply, walking inside and throwing the creature on the sofa. “Be glad he’s still out cold. Didn’t know whether to take him to the cops or anything…”
Peter gasped, though. Something about his face was familiar. Too familiar. Almost like…
“Oh my god…” he whispered. “I…that’s Harry Osborn!”
Liz turned to him, confused.
“You know him?” she asked.
“He’s my roommate,” Peter explained. “He doesn’t look like this. I mean, not normally.”
It was Harry, too. Peter recognized the hair, and what remained of a torn jacket that his roommate had taken to work the night before.
“Well, he does now!” Maria commented. “Should we call the cops?”
Peter thought about the suggestion for a moment, before deciding on something.
“Yes and no…” he stated. “I’ve just gotta go make a call…”
*****
Elsewhere, in a secluded area…
A solitary man stood in the shadows, before an array of well-placed monitors. On one was an image of Michael Gurin, using a blast of energy to subdue the monstrous Harry Osborn.
“Sloppy, Gurin!” he stated, chomping on a cigar. “Very sloppy. Though it’s probably preferable to being eaten alive, huh?”
“Sir?” a woman asked, walking up to him. “What do you want us to do?”
The man smiled.
“I wanna talk ta the kid!” he explained. “Whether he likes it or not, we gotta stake in this, too. Whoever made Osborn into their personal guinea pig isn’t gonna stop there. I don’t wanna think about what they might do next!”
The woman nodded, then walked away. The man just stood there and smiled.
“Well, old pal!” he said, chuckling under his breath. “This is gonna be something. And the sooner I can get yer alien hybrid butt up in my office, the better it’ll be for everybody!”
With that, he shut off the monitors and left the room…readying himself for whatever came next.