The Unassigned Mission

Escaped

The days passed by quickly, in the morning the mood that was set was dread. Sophia dreaded climbing down from the creaky top bunk at ungodly hours to be driven by Aunt May to the court house. She spoke to her attorney and a Child Protected Services official, while they planned out a case. If she wasn't doing that, she would be talking to the police for questioning about her father's abusive nature. Those hours took forever and the stress piled on every time Sophia had to tell the awful stories that she has experienced. She would come back to the apartment with a tear stained face and blotchy red cheeks, Peter would hug her and take her aside to distract her.

That's when the mood shifted to happiness; Sophia lit up at night. She eased into the two person cycle of the household and blended right in. Aunt May loves her to pieces and Peter honestly feels like she prefers Sophia over him most days. Which isn't a bad thing, he is quite irritating so having Sophia as a distraction for May works. There are moments when the three of them are sitting at the dinner table, eating a meal May hasn't burned to a crisp, and peace just settles around them. Peter feels in those moments like a proper family, they're all so happy to be together. Although he rids those thoughts quickly because it's weird to be somewhat attracted to a relative, right?

"yes Peter, it's illegal in thirty-seven countries. Including North America where you reside."
That was an embarrassing conversation with KAREN but in Peter's defense, they're not related.

It's fun to Peter to have Sophia around because she just fits right in. She's a lot different from when he first met her. She's open, funny and he loves how well she has established friendships with his friends. Sophia and Ned have inside jokes and she even helps out with the LEGO models; which leads to hours on end of giggling while one of the trio accidentally steps on a spare piece and swears up a storm, only to have May swing open the door and tell "Peter" to knock it off. Those moments were the best and every time Peter believed life is at his peak.

There was no doubt in Peter's mind that Sophia would be released out of her father's care but he didn't like to think of the alternative. Peter only saw the goal; to get Sophia away from that abusive household but he forgot the fact that Sophia would have to go to the foster care system because she's under age. That fact boggled his mind, which led to whisper arguments between Peter and May sometimes.

"I don't want her to leave us if she wins."

"I don't know what to tell you, Peter. You brought this onto her life."

"I was doing what I believed was right. You always tell me to do the right thing! You're supposed to help me on this."

"Look, we'll do our best to help accommodate to her living situation when she wins the case. For now there's nothing to do, there's nothing we can do. We just trust in the attorney the court provided and the judge."

It would end with a defeated sigh and a light kiss placed on the top of Peter's head before he quietly sauntered back into his dark room as Sophia slept.

Those were the first few months in a cycle, once the case was ready to be presented, the trio got the worst news.

A picture of Sophia's dad flashed onto the screen with a news alert, Peter paused walking out of his room to watch,

"Maxwell Dillion recently escaped jail while waiting for sentencing on a child abuse case which started today. He could be dangerous so keep your distance but call local authorities if you see him."

"No," Sophia bumped into Peter when she exited his room and squeezed past him to view the television closely. "What are you doing? He's going to be in prison for years when they catch him!"

"Is that necessarily a bad thing?"

Sophia turned to look at Peter and sighed, "no but I don't know why he did this."

Aunt May came out of her room and immediately started tying Peter's  tie.  She glanced at Sophia and then the television.

"I think this is pointless," Peter gently brushed her hand away.

"I'll call your lawyer, Sophia."

"I'm going out."

"Peter," May warned "you are not going to find him."

Peter threw his hands up, "Spider-Man is the only one who can convince him or drag him back to the jailhouse. Sophia needs proper justice."

"Save it for the police to find him," she comforted Sophia.

"I started this, Aunt May. I need to end this too."

Peter sauntered off into his room and shut the door. Shedding out of his suit and quickly pulling his Spider-Man suit out of his backpack. As he was pulling on his mask, Sophia peeked through the door.

"Peter?"

He turned towards the door and KAREN scanned her face. Peter approached Sophia with the mask still on and took her hand,

"I'm going to find him."

"He's dangerous," she cried "please be careful, if he's mad...he could kill you."

Peter hugged Sophia and May ushered her out of the apartment to go talk to the lawyers. Peter went over to the television,
"KAREN do you think you could scan Max Dillion's face and maybe locate him?"

"Odd request, but sure Peter."

Peter watched as KAREN inspected the photo of Max on the screen and multiple databases appeared and disappeared as she looked for information on him. Peter made his way out of the apartment as she did her work. He climbed his way to the roof when KAREN gave him results.

"Maxwell Dillion, former electrician, his phone pinged off of a tower near Pier 41 about 3.7 minutes ago. His body condition score seems elevated, almost inhumane. I just did some research and that's not the first time a BCS of that level has been detected, in the past he has been suspected of warehouse robberies and muggings. People describe him as a tinted blue man, radiating heat and sending electricity to people who get too close."

Peter was making his way to the Pier as KAREN was accounting for Maxwell's past.

"Wait, Sophia's dad is Electro?"

"That is what people call him, Peter, yes."

Peter groaned to himself and slung a web onto a bridge and swung under it as the metro sped by above him. He landed and looked around, once arrived at the pier. Melted beams and red poles beamed from excessive heat around him like a path created unknowingly by an angry man. He ran in that direction and spotted a blue tinged man standing at the end of Pier 41.

"Electro," Peter called out as he approached. Max turned around in confusion and glared at Peter before launching himself up onto an abandoned warehouse roof.

"Aw shit, he really is a mutant." He grumbled and slung a web to follow.