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

Chapter 21

Connor leaned against the wall of the conference room going over the plan in his head one more time. As the door opened he pushed off the wall trying to ignore the nervousness he felt in his stomach.

"You guys ready?" Connor asked.

"As we'll ever be," Dylan grunted.

Connor nodded and began to walk toward the door.

Just as he walked through it, it closed with a bang.

"Connor?" Jean asked.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. initiate the plan," Connor ordered refusing to look at the confused faces of his friends.

Suddenly green smoke began to pour into the room.

The team began to cough each one falling to their knees.

Dylan struggled to his feet and began to make his way to the door. As he reached it he began to slam his fist into it repeatedly,each punch leaving a bigger dent in the door.

"Connor, you idiot!" he yelled. "You're gonna get yourself killed!"

"Better me than any of you," Connor said solemnly.

"Why can't you get it through your thick skull that this is our decision to make! Not.....yours," Dylan growled before slumping to the ground unconscious.

Connor turned away from the door and began to make his way out of The Web.

****

"Spider-Man!" an officer gasped.

Connor looked down from his perch across the street from the high school to see a barricade of police cars blocking the entrance to the school. Letting out a sigh he dropped from his perch and landed behind them.

"Where's your team?" the officer asked.

"Overslept," Connor grunted.

"You're not gonna fight them by yourself, are you?" the officer asked suspiciously.

"Move your cars," Connor growled before vaulting over the cars and running into the school.

****

Connor crawled along the dark hallway ceiling, all his senses on high alert. He froze as he heard a faint banging coming from down the hall.

Dropping from the ceiling Connor ran down the hall coming to a stop as he reached the cafeteria doors. Glancing down he saw a series of metal chains wrapped around the handles. He wrapped his hands around them and broke them effortlessly. He pulled the doors open to reveal the students and teachers cowering along the back wall.

"It's okay," Connor whispered, letting his symbiote peel away from his face.

Sensing movement to his left Connor barely had a chance to realize what was happening before red tendrils shot out from the darkness, wrapping themselves around his neck, hands, and legs.

"RUN!" Connor shouted.

The teachers and students began to run out of the cafeteria, making a break for the exit, their screams echoing throughout the hallway. Suddenly a girl ran over with a kitchen knife in her hand and began hacking at the tendrils.

As Connor glanced at the girl, his eyes widened as he realized that it was Mary. Their eyes locked for a moment, but before either of them could say anything to the other,a friend of Mary's ran over to her and yanked her away from him, pulling her down the hall.

Connor continued to fight against the tendrils as he fell onto his back, beginning to be dragged into the darkness.

As Connor was dragged away a menacing laugh echoed through the hallways.