Peter's Journal

Even a Hero is Afraid

It was a quiet afternoon at an outdoor coffee shop. I was with my best friend. We were celebrating her recent triumph on her algebra test. "I nailed that test!" She exclaimed. I smiled and replied, "Yeah, you did." "Well, you helped too," she added. Without your help, I wouldn't have passed. Thanks."

I took a sip out of my soda and continued to illustrate on my sketch book. My friend glanced at my drawing and asked, "So are you still working for the Bugle?" "Yeah, why," I questioned. She laughed and said, "Because it looks like you're real good friends with Spider-Man. Are you his designer? That's a pretty good suit you're drawing there." "Thanks." "Has Spider-Man caught that Doc Ock guy," She questioned, "or the shifting Skrull?" "No and it's Chameleon." I answered.

People began to cough. Some sort of gas had begun to fill the air. Then, they began to scream and ran out of the restaurant. My friend and I were terrified and confused as to what was happening. "Let's go, Art!" She told me. "Spider-Sense!" I thought to myself. "Go without me!" I commanded.

Suddenly, BAM! A costumed man crashed through the wall followed by smoke. "I AM MYSTERIO! MASTER OF MYSTERY!" He announced, "Where is Spider-Man?" He glanced at me and headed towards my direction. Lifting me up by my shirt, he interrogated me. "I know that you know where the wall crawler is. Tell me, or your friend here gets it!"

Mysterio suddenly lets go of me and slightly steps back. "Capes are a bad idea, you idiot." My friend had pulled his cape and caused him to start choking. "I'll show you what was a bad idea!" He exclaimed.

Just as he was about to strike her, I caught his fist with a web. "Hey, Bubble head! Pick on someone your own size!" I shouted in full costume. THWIP! THWIP! THWACK! I kicked him down. Then, he disappeared. I heard him snicker, "Right behind you." SLAM! He shattered a chair on my back. Smoke continued to fill the room and then my entire view changed. I was in front of my school. Ashes were floating around. Embers were scattered. My friends...they were all on the ground... lifeless. "What is this nightmare? This...this can't be. No! I couldn't have failed." I thought. I noticed a bright glowing light and  headed towards it.

Everything transitioned back to normal. I saw people with their cell phones recording and taking pictures outside the building. My friend ran up to me. "Thank Go--" "WHERE'S ART? WHERE IS HE?" she interrupted, "GO GET HIM. KEEP HIM SAFE FROM THAT LUNATIC!" I answered, "He's two blocks down. On 5th Avenue." THWIP! "I dropped him off there, and he's waiting for you." I leaped into the air and swung from the thread.

I arrived at the street and switched out of my suit. I scanned the area, but I couldn't find her. I suddenly felt someone hug me from behind. It was her. Everything that I saw in that hallucination just seemed to go away with her.