Among US!

The Plot Thickens

Let me tell you something about Nova—his panic is like watching a squirrel on energy drinks. As soon as he starts shouting about my "death," it's only a matter of seconds before the whole place turns into a circus.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SPIDER-MAN IS DEAD?" White Tiger's voice practically explodes through the coms, and I can already picture her doing that thing where she clenches her fists so hard her nails dig into her palms. "This is supposed to be a game!"

"It's—he's dead!" Nova shouts, still caught in the drama. "There's blood! Everywhere! He's just... lying there! Oh man, oh man, oh man—"

I can't help but grin to myself, still lying perfectly still. They're so easy to mess with, it's almost criminal. Almost. But hey, if you're going to play the part of the imposter, you might as well commit, right?

Power Man's voice comes next, deep and steady, like he's trying to keep everyone from losing it. "Relax, Nova. He's not actually dead. This is Spider-Man we're talking about. He probably just rigged something up."

Well, well. Someone's catching on. I'd expected Power Man to be the last one to figure it out. Maybe I underestimated him. No matter. The plan was still flawless.

"You think I planned this?" Nova sputters, sounding more lost than ever. "This is a lot of blood, man. I don't think Peter would... okay, actually, he would, but still!"

White Tiger cuts in, voice sharp. "Where are you right now? We need to check this out."

They're coming. Perfect. Just as I planned.

Nova's footsteps are frantic, his breathing even more so as he scrambles to hide somewhere near the scene of my "murder." Poor guy's probably cowering behind a corner right now, fully convinced I've been wiped out by some mysterious force. The others, though? They're not going to be so easy to fool.

I hear the door whoosh open, and in comes the cavalry. Iron Fist enters first, quiet and calm as always, followed by Power Man, who's giving off heavy "I don't have time for this nonsense" energy. White Tiger, of course, is last, and from the sounds of her muttering, she's already assuming I pulled some kind of prank.

"Peter," she calls, her voice deadly serious, "if this is a joke, I swear—"

"It's not a joke!" Nova blurts, still hiding behind a console. "Look at him! He's—he's just lying there!"

Iron Fist kneels down next to me, examining the fake blood splattered all over the floor and my suit. I keep my breathing shallow, making sure not to give away even the tiniest sign of life. But inside, I'm laughing. They have no idea.

"Hmm," Iron Fist says thoughtfully, standing up and wiping some of the blood off his fingers. "It's... fresh."

Of course it's fresh, genius. I literally set the grenade off like thirty seconds ago. But sure, keep acting like this is a Sherlock Holmes mystery.

White Tiger steps forward, clearly not buying any of this. "It's fake blood. He's playing dead. This is classic Spider-Man. He's probably listening to us right now, holding his breath, waiting to see how we react."

Gotta hand it to her—she's sharp. But that's the fun part of the game. They can think they know what's happening, but they're still going to fall right into my trap.

"Okay, Spider-Man," Power Man says, arms folded over his chest. "If you're just messing with us, I'm giving you five seconds to get up before I find a creative way to throw you out the airlock."

Ooh, big threats. I almost twitch from holding back laughter, but I stay still. It's all about timing, and this? This is the calm before the storm.

When I don't move, Power Man lets out an annoyed grunt. "Fine. If he wants to play it that way, we'll play along."

He's starting to get paranoid now, isn't he? And that's when it really hits him—he's beginning to wonder. That's how you get them. The uncertainty.

Iron Fist stands up, looking thoughtful. "Maybe we should—"

"I don't believe this for a second," White Tiger interrupts, pacing back and forth. "This is exactly something Peter would pull. But why go to such lengths?"

Because I'm bored out of my mind, that's why. Also because I enjoy making them squirm, but they don't need to know that just yet.

"Okay, let's stop messing around," White Tiger says, taking control like she always does. "Power Man, get a med kit. If Peter's faking, we'll figure it out when we check his vitals."

Oh, she's clever. Too clever. But that's why I've accounted for everything. No way they're getting anything out of me until I'm ready.

Power Man walks over to the med kit stationed near the door and grabs it. Nova, meanwhile, is still peeking out from behind his cover like a scared child. The dude looks genuinely terrified. I almost feel bad for him. Almost.

Iron Fist steps forward again, preparing to check my pulse. This is it. Showtime.

Just as he reaches for my wrist, I activate the knockout device hidden in my glove. There's a soft click, and before anyone can react, a small burst of gas fills the air.

"What the—" Iron Fist coughs, stumbling backward as the gas hits him. He manages to stay on his feet, but he's clearly disoriented, blinking rapidly as if the room is spinning.

White Tiger leaps back, covering her nose and mouth. "Peter, you—!"

The gas isn't harmful, of course—just enough to make them dizzy and confused for a minute or two. But the best part? It smells horrible. Like rotting eggs mixed with gym socks. A little extra touch to throw them off balance.

"Oh, that is foul!" Nova shouts, gagging as he stumbles out from his hiding spot. "What is that?!"

I stay perfectly still, biting back a grin under my mask. And then, as the gas starts to dissipate, I make my move.

In one swift motion, I spring to my feet, hands in the air like a magician pulling off the ultimate trick. "Ta-da!"

The look on their faces is priceless.

"PETER!" White Tiger screams, half angry, half disgusted. "What—what even—"

"Relax, it's all part of the game," I say, brushing off my suit and pretending to be nonchalant. "You guys looked like you needed some excitement."

"Excitement?!" Power Man growls, clenching his fists. "You almost gave Nova a heart attack!"

Nova, who's still coughing from the gas, waves weakly. "I-I'm fine... totally fine..."

I shrug. "Hey, you survived. That's what matters."

White Tiger glares at me, her patience clearly wearing thin. "This isn't funny, Peter. You went too far this time."

I give her my best innocent look. "Too far? This is nothing. Wait until you see what I've got planned for next time."

And that's when it hits them. 

The realization that this game? 

It's only just begun.

Chapter 2, ladies and gentlemen. 

The setup is perfect. 

Now it's time to take things up a notch