Chapter Twenty Five: The Spider & the Toad
Todd was Jumping his way through the sewers it was a little dank and dark... Pretty much perfect! It was the best way to travel to this town, no traffic no people and he could use his abilities without regard. The next best place was the junkyard… at least at night. During the day it is another story altogether, but at night dozens of flying moths litter the spacious area and the wilderness is alive with activity. People didn't get him, but animals seemed to recognize him as their own. They don't care about hygiene or whether or not he ate a bug it was normal to them. So, Todd loved surrounding himself with less complex things.
Jumping out of a manhole he jumped over the fence to 'Red Rooster's Junk a salvage' he always thought the name was odd to this place, but he paid little attention to it today as he found his favorite hangout spot an old shed in the middle of the yard.
INSIDE THE SHED
Peter had confirmed that this guy was his clone, but he was confused about why he said there was someone coming to rescue him. He only knew one person here, but he doubted Ms. Green would rush out in the evening to save his life. Whoever was coming, his abductor thought he had little chance other than getting captured as well.
"Do you mind enlightening me? Because other than your ug… I mean charming face I really haven't met anyone…" Peter didn't know why but when he started to say the word 'ugly' his spider-sense went crazy, so he immediately changed the term he used.
"Just another debt you owe, for reasons I cannot currently understand he has stayed out of your life… But unlike myself, he was created without flaws… I plan to get this corrected."
Peter was thoroughly confused at this point, he almost wished he hadn't asked the question. "You're my clone, right. So why are you talking in riddles? That is another supervillain's motif, not yours. Get your own!"
"I regret not taping your mouth shut…" Suddenly Kaine stood up peering out of a window. Kaine's Spider senses were more developed than both of the other two spiders, so much more developed it was a form of precognition. So, when Ben and Jean had gotten close Kaine had already sensed their presence.
"It seems we finally have company…" Kaine rasped he quickly went to Peter and not so gently placed his mask back on. "We have more company than I originally expected, this could be a problem. Peter… you are lucky that I need your identity to remain a secret… When I can protect those two it will no longer be an issue!"
Kaine turned around at the stunned Peter's expression and left the room.
Peter's mind was abuzz with questions, but he knew he wouldn't get an answer for a while. Struggling more he tried to get one of his limbs free. If he could just get one arm, leg or... looking up he thought he saw some movement. Don't tell me it's another clone...
A BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET
Jean sent out a metal probe with her mind into the salvage yard Spider-man was being kept. She found three mental signatures. One was hard to get a read on, something like that hardly happened but it was usually with a mutant that had similar abilities to herself. Another signature that reminded her of Ben and a third she had met before… Toad? She didn't understand why he would be here. It wasn't really important to the overall plan… It made her wonder if the Brotherhood had anything to do with what was happening tonight.
"He's noticed us…" Jean said feeling the chaotic signature come near them. Although she couldn't read him due to his distorted mind, she still could feel how far away he was.
"Who is he?" Ben asked he didn't have much hope to receive an answer but still thought to take the chance.
Shaking her head, she got into a battle stance. Jean wasn't sure what to expect from this unknown person. His energy felt similar to Logan's, fierce, and merciless. They didn't know his agenda.
Ben frowned as he considered the situation. He was correct that whoever they were looking for was skilled enough to have taken out Peter with little apparent difficulty. This guy knew Ben was coming... expected and insisted on it for all intents and purposes. So, he would be expected to be ready for anything he can throw at him. Whether he liked it or not... and he didn't... Jean was his Ace in the hole. As much as he appreciated Peter being here, he didn't know if he would be a help or hindrance at this point. The trick with playing your hole card was to play it at the right moment in the game…
"Jean... I hate to admit it, but this guy took Peter out easily. He has been obviously watching me. He knows how I think... I'm guessing this is a good time for some of that 'teamwork' stuff you were talking about. So how about it? Got a plan?" Maybe it was a little late to think about a plan, but Jean was amazing he wouldn't put it past her to already have something up her sleeve.
"We won't stand much of a chance unless we can get Peter out of there..." Jean said grimly
Without warning a large figure landed in front of them he had apparently jumped from the junkyard directly to the building they were standing on. Quickly moving backward Ben stepped in front of Jean out of old habit. Observing the massive form that was still crouched in a similar fashion that she had seen Ben use during training. This person's body seemed hard and lean he had a mask covering his face, his messy scraggly hair hung around him and he had a set of familiar deep brown eyes staring particularly at her.
"You shouldn't have brought someone else here… This will bring complications; she may have to die…"
Intensely glaring at the man in front of him Jean spotted muscles tense on Ben's back that she hadn't noticed before. In a situation like this when she expected to be in battle at any moment, she opens herself up to the emotions and feelings around her. What she felt from Ben now was a fierce protectiveness that penetrated her heart. Flashes of a blond girl with horned rimmed glasses falling from a clock tower flashed through her mind. She knew what he was feeling but she still questioned if this was a protectiveness for her or the other redhead.
It wasn't the right time to attempt to understand that with an unknown enemy in their front.
"You will not touch her!" Ben growled
Surprised lit Kain's eyes as he watched Ben's protectiveness of the red-headed girl behind him. He had assumed their relationship to be... Therapeutic at best. No, he had genuine care for her. Maybe all Parker men just have a thing for redheads.
"We will see... Ben. By the way, I haven't mentioned how much I like the name choice. Keeping some of the original parts of Peter's past while simultaneously forging the future..."
"Enough! What are you planning?!" Ben demanded he had already touched his bottom line by the threat to Jean's life.
"Impatient… little brother…" Kaine said and smiled under his mask as he saw Ben and Jean's surprised expressions. "Aw yes, that's right we are very similar…" Kaine's raspy voice sounded out into the silent atmosphere.
WOODEN SHED
When Todd was approaching the shed he usually spent time around he was surprised to hear voices inside. He watched as someone around six feet tall stood in front of someone tied to a chair. He couldn't see the man's face because the taller figure was standing in front of him. But when he moved he got the shock of his life… "That… that's Spider-Man!!!" He nearly yelled out but quickly stopped himself. To be honest, although he is considered the 'Bad guy' according to the X-geeks he has always idolized the guy.
Yeah maybe it was frowned upon by the other students in the Brotherhood but he was really cool. He didn't have the motivation to become 'Toad-man' and fight street crime but that didn't matter much, he considered himself similar in other ways. He had his own one-liners to his enemies and they could both stick to almost any surface.
He would venture a guess that if Spider-man came in contact with his organization they would become on the opposing sides, but right now they were not. He had a chance to save a similar creature to himself and that is exactly what he planned to do. The only problem was how he was going to do it… He didn't have the same super-strength Spider-man had so anyone that could take him down was bad news. He didn't have to think long because as he was thinking about backing a surprise drop in from the roof he heard the man open the shed's door and saw him leap from there to a building in the distance.
Now is a good chance to make my move…