Spider-Man: The New Age- Book 1 in The Vindicators Series

Chapter 18

As the team walked into their school's courtyard, Connor reached his hand out and grabbed Jean's arm.

"You guys go ahead. I need to talk to Jean for a second," Connor said.

Taking a moment to share a few glances, the team nodded and walked through the school's front doors.

Once everyone was inside Connor turned around and studied Jean. He pretended not to notice as she tightened her grip on her bag, her knuckles turning white.

"I don't want to talk about it Connor," Jean said.

"Talk about what?" Connor asked.

"What happened yesterday with Mary," Jean said.

"Something happened yesterday with Mary?" Connor asked, trying and failing to hold in a grin.

Jean punched his arm playfully and rolled her eyes.

"You can tell me what happened," Connor said.

"It's not a big deal," Jean said, looking away.

"My girlfriend got in a fight yesterday, sounds like a big deal to me," Connor said.

Crossing her arms and looking at her shoes Jean said, "After class yesterday, I was waiting in the courtyard for everyone and I saw Mary whispering to a couple of her friends. So I read their minds and they were talking about how stupid it was for someone as popular as you to date a nobody like me. I got mad so I walked over to her and shoved her. You know the rest."

As Connor thought about this the bell rang and Jean quickly walked past him, disappearing into the school.

****

"What should I do?" Connor asked.

Logan looked up from his lunch and focused his attention on Connor.

"What do you think you should do?" Logan countered.

"If I knew that would I be asking you?" Connor inquired.

"I guess not, look you need to confront the problem at the source," Logan said.

"You want me to confront Mary," Connor said.

"When you're taking care of a pest problem you don't work around it. You attack it at its home base, if you destroy that everything else crumbles," Logan said.

Connor nodded his head in understanding.

The lunchroom went silent as the intercom came on.

"Students and teachers we are going into lockdown! I repeat we are going into lockdown please report to your homeroom class lock the door and wait there for the all clear," The principal shouted.

As everyone grabbed their bags and rushed out of the cafeteria in a panic, Connor locked eyes with Logan.

"Something doesn't feel right," Connor said.

Before Logan could reply the intercom came on again.

"Can Spider-Man come out to play?" Carnage said gleefully.

Connor gripped the table, his fingers leaving marks in the tables wood.

"Attention teachers and students. My name is Carnage, some of you may remember me from the incident in Times Square a few months ago," Carnage said. "Some of you may also know a few kids by the names of Connor Wilkinson, Jean Grey, Riv Napier, Logan Banner, Dylan Kent, Dawn Allen, Dick Grayson, and Maia Stark. These kids are members of the new superhero team known as The Vindicators. Vindicators, you have 2 days to get ready for our final battle. Until then everyone else will stay here. Don't keep me waiting, Connor."