Emerald

Six.

Everyone was now gathered at the Saint Marco Polo's Square. Ned and Betty were getting a caricature drawing done of them.

"This is so much fun!" Betty squealed.

"Yeah?" Ned said with an awkward chuckle.

"Smile." Poet said, snapping a phot of the two. "Such a cute couple." She turned, looking at Peter through the lens. "Hey, Wonder Boy, look at me." He turned his head, and she snapped a picture.

"How dare you take pictures of me." He said with a dramatic gasp. "I'm not feeling photogenic today." He huffed.

"Tough luck." She said, bringing the camera back up to her face. "Show me your pretty smile." He scrunched up his face, and she snapped another pick. "Beautiful." She smiled.

"Hey, I'll be right back, I have to, uh... check on something." He said, before scurrying off.

-----

Peter wasn't gone for long. Poet hadn't even noticed he'd returned because she was photographing MJ balancing numerous birds on her arms and head.

"Hey, Crazy." He said, and she turned her head.

"I just discovered the most perfect word in the world that Italan's created." She said, putting her hands to her hips. "It's Boh."

"What does that mean?" He asked, slightly amused.

"That's the thing, it can mean a million things. It can mean 'I don't know', 'get our of my face'... 'I don't know and get out of my face'. It's the best thing Italy ever created, except for maybe espresso."

"Oh, so you've been drinking espresso?" He wondered.

"Hence the hyperactivity." She smirked. An Italian man comes up to them, holding up a rose and gesturing between the pair.

"German?" The man questioned. "American?"

"No, thank you." She politely declined, and the man disappeared. "What a sweet old man." She smiled. She looked down, seeing Peter had a bag in his hand. "What's in the bag?"

"Oh, uh... just something for May, is all." She nodded, turning her attention back to the water.

"Hey, what's going on there?" She muttered, approaching the edge, seeing the water was being sucked into a grate. Waves rock the boat where Ned and Betty are comparing hands and smiling at each other.

"What was that?" Betty spoke. The waves continue before the water becomes still for a split second. Water erupts from the canal and people scream. Ned and Betty scream as their boat is pushed towards shore by the waves.

"Betty! You okay?" Peter asked. Peter helps Betty and Ned out of the boat. "Come on!"

"Guys, we gotta go!" Betty panicked. The water swirls into the air, forming the shape of a huge man. The colossal water monster roars.

"What is that?" Poet asked, frightened.

"I dont know." Peter said. Poet took his hand for comfort.

"Whatre you gonna do?" Ned asked.

"I left my suit in the hotel room." He whispered so Poet wouldn't hear.

"Why?"

"Because Im on vacation, Ned! Everyones gonna see my face, just get them outta here!" Peter pushes Ned towards the stairs where Betty and MJ are waiting. The water monster smashes its hand into a building. More people scream.

"I can't..." Poet worried, clenching her fists and seeing the tiny pieces of magic flitter away. "It's not working. I can't do anything." The creature continues to smash buildings and boats. Peter helps people off the stairs. "Get out of here. Go!"

"You're coming too." Poet worried. "Right?"

"I'm right behind you." He promised, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "Just go." Peter turns back to the monster as it crashes into a building in front of him, and stumbles back. "Oh, my God!" He runs up the stairs and barely makes it around the corner before the monster smashes into the building where he had been standing. More people are screaming and running away. Peter hits his wrist together to activate his web-shooters. "Come on." He whispered. He moves around the corner and shoots a web at the monster. The web does nothing because the monster is made out of water. Peter looks mildly exasperated. He turns to see the monster heading towards a bridge swarming with people. "Oh no, you dont!" Peter jumps across poles in the water and launches himself up onto the bridge by leaping off a peddle. He helps a man up. "You okay? Get out of here. Go!" The water monster slams its fist into the bridge and Peter is sent flying backward. He hits the other side of the bridge, now soaking wet. He coughs up water, panting to catch his breath. A green light is seen shooting at the monster from above. Behind Peter, there is a rumbling sound and a cloud of green mist appears in the sky. Out of the mist, a man with an elaborate suit with a cape appears, wearing a glass bowl over his head that swirls with mist. Peter looks around and sees a masquerade mask on the ground. The mysterious man shoots green light at the monster, dodging its attacks as he flies through the air. The man is thrown onto the ground and the monster roars. The man emerges from the water and flies at the monster once again. "Excuse me sir! I c- I can help! Let me help! Im really strong and Im...sticky!"

"I need you to lead it away from the canals!" The man yelled, and flies off as the monster smashes into the building where Peter stands. He flips away, landing on a nearby roof. The monster smashes through a building. Peter swings around it, attaching webs to hold it together. Peter sees that the bell tower is about to fall on a bunch of people.

"Oh, come on!" Peter sighed, as he swings towards the tower.

"Stay low, kids. Well be safe here." Mr. Dell said, to a group of students. Peter is swinging around the bell tower, using webs to stick it back together. He lands in the top of the bell tower, ducking under the bell to get to the other side. Peter takes off his mask, watching the man fight the monster. The bell tower starts to fall again. Peter shoot a web, attaching it to two buildings across from him. The monster hits the tower again. Peter falls, his head hitting the bell, making it ring, and he groans. The tower cracks again, pulling Peter by his webs across it. Hiss head hits the bell again. The webs fall from the tower. He shoots new webs, trying to hold the tower up. The man is still fighting the monster.

"Who is that guy?"

"I dont know, but hes kicking that waters ass!"

"Poet?" MJ whispered, and Poet turned her head. "You okay?"

"No." She breathed. "I feel so useless." The man defeats the water monster. Peter is still trying to keep the bell tower from falling. He yells out as the tower crumbles. His webs break and the tower finally crashes to the ground.] The man lands and people begin cheering. Peter gets up, checking the black dahlia necklace to make sure its not broken. He sighs in relief when he sees that its intact. The man salutes the crowd as they cheer for him before taking off and flying away in a cloud of green smoke.