Whisper

Human Lightbulb

A/N: Hi, don't feel like you need to be a silent reader. I love hearing from everyone. Comment with kindness.

O - O - O

"He wants my blood," Peter said.

"W-what...?" Niobe asked.

"Harry wants to use my blood, spiderman's blood as a cure-all," Peter said.

"So, he is dying," Niobe said.

"Yes, yes you were right," Peter said. "Not the time to gloat."

Niobe rolled her eyes.

"The point is, I need help!" Peter said.

"I will assist you," Niobe said. "How could you doubt me?"





OOOO

Peter and Niobe crept along the abandoned subway station.

Niobe

Niobe flinched. She tried to push the voice away as she watched Peter use one of the subway tokens. They stood back as the earth shifted. A subterranean train cart appeared before them. Peter looked at Niobe. He switched between gasping in happiness and an expression of fear.

Niobe followed Peter onto the car. There was a piece of computer sitting on a dust-covered desk. Peter begins tapping on the keyboard, loading his father's recorded video footage.

"Test. My name is Richard Parker. Whatever lies will be told about me, I would like the world to know the truth. OsCorp was already a leader in genetic research when Norman Osborn made a deal with a foreign military organization to continue funding my research, and I discovered what they were going to use it for. Weapons, biological weapons, of course. So I refused, and now to eliminate me from the picture, Norman Osborn has falsified evidence against me in order to take control of my work," the man said.

Niobe

Niobe jerked her head to the side. Obi-wan was trying to reach her. 

"It doesn't matter because there is something else that Norman doesn't know. The Human DNA that I implanted in the spiders was my own, which means that without me, without my bloodline, OsCorp can never replicate or continue my experiments," the man said.

There was a flicker out of the corner of her eye. Peter remained focused on the screen. Niobe turned to the right. Obi-wan stood there, his cloak covering him.

"I have destroyed as much as possible from the archives, but I didn't have time to kill all the spiders. So as a scientist my choice is very clear now, I have to disappear, I have to get as far away from here as I can. But as a father, it means I may not see my boy again and nothing is as important to me as my son, Peter. Nothing in this world. But I have a responsibility to protect the world from what I've created and protected him from what I know Osborn is capable of," the man said.

"You must listen to me," Obi-wan said. "Anakin has twisted your mind. He lies to you."

Niobe shook her head. She wanted him to go away.

"People will say I'm a monster for what I've done. Maybe they're right. I always thought that I'd have more time," the man said.

"Believing him means putting your faith in a sith lord," Obi-wan said. "Ask him who Lord Vader is." 

His image began to flicker.

"I'm sorry," the man said.

"Ask him and learn who his faith lies with!" Obi-wan said.

As the recording shut off, Obi-wan vanished. Peter sat on the floor of the train car, fighting tears.

Niobe sat beside him.

"This is one hell of a day," Niobe said.

Peter laughed. The boy grabbed onto Niobe's hand. His grip was crushing, but she remained silent.

"I have to protect Harry," Peter said. "If I gave him my blood..."

"He would die," Niobe said.

They remained silent for a few minutes. They were too afraid to say the truth. Harry would die. They could do nothing. 

OOOO

Niobe lifted Peter from the manhole with the force. She sat him down with a gentle touch. As Peter drooped to the side, the street lights began to flicker. Peter jerked his head towards the closest light. They looked at one another.

Max.

Niobe and Peter watched the city go dark. Despite the lack of power, the device in her belt began beeping. Niobe answered to hear Tony on the other end.

"My darling, my love, my life," Tony said. "What the hell are you and Underoos doing?"

"Dealing with a problem," Niobe said.

Niobe moved to share the phone with Peter.

"Max is out," Peter said.

"We fought him before, Tony," Niobe said.

"Yeah," Tony said. "The human lightbulb. I remember. The whole city is losing power."

"There's gotta be some sort of blackout plan, right? Some kind of backup," Peter asked.

Tony paused for a moment. They could hear the sound of tapping.

"There's an emergency reset at the power plant. If they cut the transmissions lines, they're never gonna get this backup," Tony said.

Peter shoved his hands through his hair. His chest heaved.

"How am I gonna stop him? Every time I get close to him, he fries my web-shooters," Peter said.

"Okay, have you tried grounding them?" Tony asked.

"Yeah, I tried everything. Rubber, plastic..." Peter said.

"Did you try magnetizing them?" Tony asked.

"I didn't try magnetizing them."

"Okay. Well, remember eighth-grade science class? When you magnetize a nail with a battery..."

"It holds an electric charge."

Niobe and Peter shouted a thank you and Niobe placed Tony on hold. Peter ran into an alleyway and changed into his suit. Before Niobe could turn to check for witnesses, she was swooped up and into the air.

"Where are we going?" Niobe asked.

"Find someone with jumper cables," Peter said.

"What-"

Peter dropped them down near an officer trying to corral worried citizens. Niobe slapped Peter's arm as she tried to catch her breath. She hated having to hang onto someone as a mode of transportation. Peter held his hands out as he walked to the officer.

"Do not panic. Everyone, please return to your vehicles. Go back to your cars. Remain calm. Do not panic. Everyone return to your vehicles. Go to your homes!"

"Officer!" Peter said.

The cop turned and shouted through a megaphone.

"Spider-Man!" The officer said.

Peter winced at the loud noise.

"Woh! Hey!" Peter said.

"Goodness," Niobe said.

"What can we do for you?" The officer asked. 

Niobe brought Tony off hold. 

"Jumper cables!" Niobe said.

Peter stumbled around beside her, holding his head. 

"Jumper cables?" The officer asked.

"Yes, and copper wire," Tony said.

Niobe repeated the statement. Peter turned to Niobe and shouted.

"Am I talking louder than I usually talk right now?" 

"Yes," Niobe said.

"Woh. Alright, do it," Peter said.

Niobe followed Tony's instructions, using the jumper cables from the cop's car to magnetize Peter's web-shooters.

"Okay, do it. Try, try, try, try, try. Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry!" Peter said.

Niobe placed the metal handle of her lightsaber on the shooters and the handle stuck confirming the shooters were magnetized.

"Okay, it works. Good," Peter said.

Niobe hung up on Tony before he began asking more questions. She told the officer "thank you" and Peter grabbed onto her.