Winters War Phase 3: Some Kind of Monster

Chapter 5

Two months later

Peter Parker walked through the hallways of Midtown School of Science and Technology. Mind blank, he went to his locker to take out the books for his next lesson.

"Hey man! Look what I've got!"

When Peter didn't respond to his friend. Ned sighed and placed his new Star Wars comic back into his backpack. Peter had been like this since they returned from Belgium, when Peter had shared with him new information about their former classmate. He patted his shoulder and Peter finally looked at him.

"Want to go outside and talk?" Ned suggested.

Out on a bench in the warm sunshine, Peter finally started talking. "You know, I still think about Julia. That image of her covered with rocks is stuck in my mind. And then what Mister Stark did..." He shivered. "I just can't believe it."

"I know."

Peter sighed. MJ strolled up and took a seat next to him.

"Hey, main man," MJ greeted Peter with a kiss on his cheek. She nodded at Ned. "Hey dude."

"What's up?"

"The usual," MJ replied with a shrug. "What about you?"

"Well..." Ned hesitated, looking at Peter.

Peter bowed his head and MJ saw his mourning face.

"Is it about your friend from Belgium?" she asked, careful.

Peter nodded. Suddenly his Spider-sense went off and heard people screaming inside the building. The three ran inside the university and saw students running around in panic. At the end of the hallway was a mysterious figure, dressed in black with goggles and a mask, with a small bazooka in their hand.

"Okay. Ned, MJ? Get the people to a safe place outside. I'm going to end this."

His friend and girlfriend nodded at him and ran into the crowd to organize an evacuation. Peter slipped into the closest toilet. Stripping naked in the last stall in the row he quickly scrambled into his old Spider-Man suit. Normally he had his newer outfit made by Tony Stark but the billionaire had taken it back for some updates. As he was sliding on the mask, he heard the bathroom's main door open.

Footsteps echoed on the tile floor and paused. There was a thud and a bang as they kicked a stall open. A long pause. Another door was kicked open. Another pause.
Peter peeked above the edge of the stall and aimed. Suddenly a smudge of spider webs covered the assailant's mask. Then a smudge of webs on the weapon and it got pulled out of their hands. Spider-Man grabbed the door frame and swung himself towards his enemy and his feet stomped into his opponent's chest. The figure was thrown back against the bank of sinks. Quickly he sprayed webs over the enemy's ankles and wrists to prevent escape.

"That will hold you down. Now let's see who you are."

He reached out to take off the goggles and mask. Suddenly the enemy broke free from the webs, grabbed his hand and twisted it. He felt bones cracking and pain shot through his arm.

"Aah! What the...?" he cried out before being kicked back into the stall.

The enemy jumped to the weapon, aimed at the ceiling and blasted a shot. Half of the ceiling fell in, along with a chair and desk from a classroom above. Spider-Man was buried under the rubble.

The attacker watched the foot and hand sticking out of the debris pile and waited to see if Spider-Man would move. When nothing happened after a minute, the enemy made for the broken window and disappeared.

A moment later, MJ and Ned burst into the bathroom. Spying Spider-Man's foot and hand poking out of the rubble, MJ ran towards the mess.

"Help me, Ned!"

Together they cleared away the debris until they reached their friend.

"Close the bathroom door!" MJ demanded of Ned. He nodded and got up to close the door. MJ took the mask off. Peter was unconscious and bloody with what appeared to be minor wounds.

"Peter? Peter, wake up!" she pleaded as she tapped his cheek.

His eyes fluttered open and he rubbed his hands over his face.

"Oh, my head," Peter grunted.

"Hey dude, are you okay?" Ned asked worriedly.

Peter looked at his friends after blinking a few times to sharpen his view.

"I guess. I think I broke my wrist."

"Who was that person?" MJ asked curiously.

"I don't know," Peter answered as he sat up. "But they were very strong."