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ravagedarkness · 11 months

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Spider-Man: Home Rebuilt, Chapter 50: Arrival

The next morning came around.

After we all got cleaned up and ate, we were at the table of weapons. Kitty did take that FN Five-seveN for herself. Craig took the specially made Mossberg with the yellow furniture and Carmilla took the AA-12 along with two Beretta M9s. Joanna grabbed a black rifle which I later learned was an M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle, along with a Beretta M9 and three flashbangs. Scott and I decided not to grab any weapons for ourselves. Instead, I worked with Edith to create a few presets for my webbing.

After that, most us relaxed for a while as Scott made his way to the roof to take in the sunlight. As Kitty explained, his powers depended on ambient energy – normally in the form or sunlight – to function properly. I asked if that meant his beams were made up of solar energy.

“Nope,” Kitty answered with a shake of her head. “His beams are pure concussive force.”

After about two hours, Scott made his way back down to the lobby. He looked around at all of us. After taking in a breath, he nodded.

“I’m going to put in the call at The Daily Bugle,” he said. “After that call is made, I want everyone in uniform with your coms ready. We’ll be going by codenames from that point on.” He frowned slightly. “This is going to be a dangerous situation. And I have zero doubt that Scorpion and whoever else Hammer sends won’t hesitate to kill is pushed to do so. Needless to say, on a scale of one to ten, the danger level of this situation will, at least, be a solid eleven. Remember plan one, look out for each other, and if things get too hot for you, run for cover and ask for help. Is that understood?” We said our confirmations. “Okay.”

Scott made his way over to the exit and stepped out. During this, Craig pulled out a phone and unlocked it. He beckoned us all to gather behind him. Carmilla and Kitty flanked his left and right side respectively as I stood to Kitty’s right. Joanna stood behind Craig. We all watched as he opened up The Daily Bugle app.

“That place has an app?” Carmilla commented with disgust.

“Yup,” I confirmed. “We have a lot of things, even ringtones and alarms for cellphones, as well as Daily Bugle supplements.”

“Are those even worth the price tag?” Kitty asked.

“They’re not,” Craig muttered. We all looked at him. He sighed. “They were handing out free samples to college students at NYU. I was there because DJ Veras was working an event and she needed me to help. There were some samples left. Each sample had enough for five days’ worth of supplements. I took three. I started using them. They were… okay, I guess. But with the price they’re asking for and the fact that, according to an article someone wrote, the supplements don’t have as much of the vitamins and minerals they flaunt on the bottle, you’re better off sticking to Centrum or One-A-Day or even a store-brand multivitamin.”

At that, Joanna scoffed. “You’re braver than I am,” she stated as she shook her head. “Those supplements look sketchier than the pills advertised on porn sites.” She then smirked. “…Do you know if those were worth the price, Craig?”

Craig tilted his head up and glared at her. “…Now sis…” This prompted us to laugh before we looked back at the screen. Craig tapped the screen a few times with his finger, bringing up current programming. From what I could tell, some host… Bill Price, I think… was interviewing this senator from Massachusetts. I didn’t get a chance to know what they were talking about because a “Breaking News” graphic flashed across the scene. The camera cut to J. Jonah Jameson, who was behind his desk.

“We interrupt normal programming with breaking news!” Jonah barked out. “On the line, we have none other than the leader of the group of menaces known as the X-Men, Cyclops!”

After that, a chuckle was heard. “You know, there’s a certain irony here,” Cyclops stated. “You call us X-Men menaces, and yet you helped bankroll Justin Hammer’s initiative against us. I don’t mean to judge, but I think Hammer’s track record speaks for itself.”

“We’re not here to talk about past indiscretions of a man who’s been redeeming himself! What do you want, Cyclops?! Did you call here to waste my time?!”

“As tempting as that would be, no, that’s not why I’m calling. I’m calling because it’s been three days, and I still see that Justin Hammer is still active in New York. It’s a shame, really. I was somewhat hoping he’d listen to reason. But… as they say… a promise is a promise. Justin Hammer wants us? He can find us in Westchester at the Ravencroft Institute – all six of us.”

“Six?!” Jonah yelled out. “I was told there were only four of you?!”

“You were told wrong,” Cyclops replied matter-of-factly. “We grow stronger day by day. Some days ago, we were four. Today, we’re six. I wonder how many of us there will be tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?!” Jonah shook his head. “Your very hours are numbered! Once Justin hears of this, he’ll send everything he has after you!”

“We’re counting on it. Have a good rest of the day.”

After that, there was a dial tone that was heard. J. Jonah groaned in annoyance before he spoke again.

“You heard it straight from the mouth of that menace! To all of the degenerates who support the X-Men, cherish them while they last!”

At that that, point, Craig closed the app before he handed the phone to Kitty. Kitty phased her hand through the phone, causing it to short circuit.

“It’s a good thing I stay with a burner phone,” Craig commented with a shake of his head. During this time, Scott walked back inside. He took in a breath before he looked at all of us.

“We won’t have much time,” he stated. “Everyone, get suited up.”

After we made our way to the top floor, we did just that, putting on our outfits after getting our coms in our ears. I donned the Black Dahlia Armor. Craig was dressed in the new armor MJ and I created for him, which he dubbed The All- American. Kitty changed into her black spy suit. Scott dressed himself in his swat style uniform. Joanna wore the same outfit she had on when we invaded the base. Carmilla was donning a skin tight blackish green suit that left her defined abs exposed. While her right sleeve was short, her left sleeve was long, disappearing underneath her gauntlet. On her feet were grey boots that reached halfway up her shins. On her right hand was a glove that matched the color of her suit. On each of her shoulders were black polymer pads. Over the bottom half of her face was a black gaiter mask.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you in this suit,” Craig commented as he walked up to her and nudged his shoulder against hers. “You look great in it, as always.”

“You’re only saying that because you like looking at my derriere,” Carmilla teased as she looked at him.

At that, Craig chuckled. “You’re right.” He then looked at the ceiling in mock-thought. “I might even be a bit distracted when things go down.”

Carmilla turned and fully faced him. “So is that’s the excuse you’re going to use when I have to bail you out when things get hot?”

“Maybe. Or maybe I just want your company.”

“Oh get a room you two,” Kitty stated in mock annoyance as she adjusted her own mask. She smiled. “But seriously, it’s great to see you in your old costume. It feels like the good ol’ days.” She chuckled. “I can’t wait until we expand, though.”

“Yeah, about that,” Joanna interjected. We all looked at her. She took a moment to double check the magazine before she inserted into her rifle. She then lifted her head and looked straight at Scott. She dropped her rifle, letting it hang from the strap that was over her shoulder. “So, six X-Men, huh?”

“To be honest, I was going to ask you to join after this was over,” he admitted. Even though his mask was on, something told me he had on a sheepish expression. “…Sometimes, my propensity for speeches can get the better of me.”

Joanna sighed. “You know, I don’t whether to be touched by the fact that you want me on the team, or mad that you put a target on my back.”

Scott tilted his head. “I’m hoping more of the former, but I can make it up to you if it is the latter.”

Joanna smirked. “Oh you will.” She walked up to Scott slowly. The rest of us looked at each other curiously before we looked back at Joanna. Once she reached Scott, she brought her hands up and grabbed the bottom of his mask. Scott stiffened up a bit, but didn’t make another move. Slowly, Joanna peeled the mask upward until his lips were exposed. “Consider this me calling it even.” She leaned forward and placed her lips against his. As the two kissed, Carmilla, Craig, Kitty, and I exchanged high fives. The kiss lasted for some seconds before Joanna pulled away. She fixed Scott’s mask before she smiled. “Consider me an X-Man. Oh, and by the way, we are now a thing.”

Scott didn’t say a word, merely nodding in response.

“Well would you look at that,” Craig teased. “Joanna got my man speechless!”

Joanna chuckled as she turned to face us. “I tend to have that effect on people.”

“I can’t wait to tell the rest of The American Idiots about this,” I stated. “I know they’re going to have a field day.”

“They’re not allowed to come to the apartment anymore,” Scott grumbled, causing all of us to laugh. He took in a breath. At that moment, I knew things were going to take a turn for the serious. “We’re using codenames from here on out. I don’t expect us to have more than an hour before Justin, Scorpion, and their forces to arrive. We all know our respective specialties. Be smart and stick to the plan. But in case there is a breakdown… well, I have contingencies.”

“Heard,” Frenzy replied.

So, we made our way up to the top floor and into the headmaster office. I looked at the sandbag barriers that backed the tungsten paneling. Metal paneling aside, it was no different from the sandbag barriers I’ve seen in war movies.

“Doesn’t this kind of remind you of Fallout New Vegas?” Carmilla asked as she walked up to my right side. “Like, when you walk up to the NCR bases?”

“It does Car-” I quickly closed my mouth, reminding myself that we were using codenames. “I’m sorry, are you going by Scorpion for your codename?”

“Well, I will when we knock off the knockoff.” She paused for a moment as if she realized what she just said. She then sighed as she shook her head. “Let’s pretend I didn’t say that. But, for now, just call me Greenie. Calling me Scorpion while we’re fighting Scorpion is just going to confuse everyone.”

“Okay.” I nodded. “I’ll call you Greenie.” I tilted my head. “Who gave you that name?”

“One of the people who trained me,” she replied. “She’s a SHIELD agent by the name of Melinda May. She looks tough on the outside – and believe me, she’s not one to mess with – but she’s really cool. We still keep in touch. I even saw her when I met with SHIELD later on. She told me if I ever cut ties with everyone again, she’ll kill me. Of course, that’s her way of saying she was worried about me.” She chuckled.

“So you’re still a part of SHIELD?”

“Yup, but I’m suspended without pay for three months.” Greenie sighed. “It’s a good thing Frictor is covering my would-be share of the rent. I owe him a lot.”

“You really don’t,” Frictor called out. Greenie and I turned towards him, seeing that he was leaned up against a wall. “I told you, it’s the least I can do since I have as much of a hand in you cutting ties with us as you do.” He then tilted his head briefly. “But if you’re so bent out of shape over it, then just take me out to dinner or something. It’s all I ask for.”

Greenie chuckled. “Sure thing,” she replied. “I’ll even throw in a backrub.”

Frictor tilted his head. “…Now you know dang well what that does to me.”

Greenie put her hand on her chest as she feigned innocence. “Oh do I?”

At that, Frictor scoffed as he shook his head. “All I’m saying is don’t start what you can’t finish.”

“Seriously, do you two need a room?” Frenzy called out.

I couldn’t help but chuckle before I walked away and sat on one of the barriers.

After waking up Edith, I spent the time watching the feed of the Spider Cameras I placed. It was about an hour until we saw something. During that hour, different X-Men came and sat with me, conversing with me on different things. Frenzy and Cyclops checked up on me, making sure I was okay. Shadowcat came by and asked me if I ever heard of this island nation known as Genosha before she went on and told me about it. Greenie came by and asked if MJ and I would be down for a double date with her and Frictor in the future. Finally, Frictor joined me and…

“Okay, can I be real with you for a moment?” he asked.

I turned my head towards him and raised an unseen eyebrow. “What’s up?” I asked.

“I didn’t expect someone like you to be Spider-Man.”

I scoffed as I shook my head. “Is it because I’m a teenager?”

“No, no…” He trailed off for a moment. He then nodded. “Well, yes, but that’s not the main reason. It’s just that… You’re from Queens, you got that suit, and you help a lot of poor people…” He trailed off again before he tilted his head briefly. “I just thought you were black.”

I slumped off of the barrier and down to my knees in an extremely slow and dramatic manner as I kept my eyes on Frictor. “DUUUUUUUUUDE!!!!”

Frictor held his hands up defensively. “I’m just sayin’! I’m just, sayin’!”

I laughed as I shook my head. I slowly stood up, about ready to respond. That was when Edith spoke up.

“Spider-Man, I’m sorry to interrupt your conversation, but I picked up something on the Spider-cameras near the gate,” Edith informed. I quickly stiffened up.

“Would you kindly show me the best shot?” I asked. As I said this, I beckoned to everyone to gather around me. A feed from one of the cameras took over my HUD. I saw it – a whole swarm of vehicles at the gate. The vehicles in questions were black Hummer EVs. There was a man in tactical gear using a bolt cutter to deal with the chain that held the gate closed. After that, he pushed the gates open before he entered one of the Hummers. After that, the hummers drove in. Slowly, but surely, the front lawn was taken over by the vehicles. “They’re here.”

“Oh, awesome!” Frictor exclaimed as he clapped his hands together. “I was getting tired of waiting for them!”

I kept on watching the feed. The doors of the Hummers opened, and men in tactical gear filed out. I thought that was all who was going to file out of the vehicles until I spotted on particularly large vehicle. One of the doors opened. My eyes went wide.

Justin Hammer was on the scene.

“Guess who’s here?” I said aloud.

“I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Hammer has made an appearance,” Cyclops commented.

“Yup!” I watched as Hammer made his way to the front of the crowd. During this, I heard the sound of helicopter rotors. Using Edith, I had the spider aim its camera upward. That’s when I saw The Daily Bugle Helicopter. I sighed as I shook my head. “The Daily Bugle is on the scene, too.”

“I’m so shocked,” Shadowcat deadpanned.

I had the spider aim its camera back at Hammer. He was speaking to who I assumed was the head of these forces. After some time, the leader turned and addressed the gathered men. After a few minutes, the forces moved out, splitting up into smaller groups as they spread out over the premises. There was one group headed towards the main building.

“Edith, how many people are headed towards us right now?”

“Counting now,” Edith stated. After a few moments of silence, she spoke again. “A group of 80.”

“There’s 80 heading for us right now while the others are searching the other buildings.”

At that, Frictor scoffed. “Oh that’s cute,” he laughed out as he clapped his hands together three times. “They think that’s enough.”

“It’s even cuter that they think all 80 of them are going to reach us,” Shadowcat added.

“Don’t get cocky,” Cyclops warned. “This isn’t The Friends of Humanity we’re dealing with. These men most likely have military training. Letting your guard down even a little bit can spell disaster for you.”

“We already know, Cyclops,” Greenie assured. “We’re just putting on a brave face.” She sighed. “We’re all nervous, aren’t we?”

“I know I am,” I admitted. “But we got this, though.”

“Yeah we do,” Frenzy agreed. “But, Spidey, do me a favor.”

I tilted my head. “What’s that?”

“When we face Scorpion, please don’t pull that anime protagonist ‘I’ll take him on by myself’ bullshit.”

“I won’t,” I assured.

“You bet your behind you won’t,” Cyclops reinforced. “Even if you wanted to, we won’t let you. We’re X-Men. We may not kill, but we don’t fight fair. When Scorpion appears, we’re jumping him the first chance we get.”

“True story,” Greenie added.

“…I like being an X-Man already,” Frenzy stated with a wide smile.

I smiled at the group. Internally, a part of me wondered how things would have turned out if they were in my life earlier. Maybe I would have been able to take down Toomes easier. Maybe I would’ve taken down Mysterio before he could ruin my life with that doctored footage. But, as they say, better late than never, right? What mattered was that they were in my life now, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I was taken out of my thoughts when Edith spoke.

“Spidey, you received a message from MJ,” she announced.

“Oh?” I responded, caught off guard a bit. “What does it say?”

“‘Kick their asses’. Should I compose a response?”

Underneath my mask, I smiled. “Yes. Tell her I said ‘Gladly’.”

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ravagedarkness · 11 months

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Spider-Man: Home Rebuilt, Chapter 48: Ravencroft

Friday rolled around. It was a totally different vibe from yesterday. At work, Jonah was extra grouchy. He was still heated that Cyclops crashed his show. It probably didn’t help that the X-Men were still trending on Twitter and the opinions of the team was still extremely divided. No matter how much Jonah and other likeminded news reporters and personalities tried, they couldn’t shine enough bad light on us to make the majority of the public see us as the bad guys in the situation. I did wonder, however, if that was because they sympathized with us, or if they hated Hammer that much.

While the optimistic side of me hoped it was the former, I wouldn’t have been upset if it was the latter.

After that, I went home, got ready for class, and went to school. The lesson was rather light. It was as if Scott knew I was rather anxious about this upcoming weekend. He didn’t even assign homework. Well, he did, but it was optional and for extra credit. After class, Scott kept me behind as the other students left. Once it was just the two of us, Scott walked up to the door before he closed it and locked it. He then let loose a breath before he turned and looked at me.

“How’d it go with MJ last night?” he asked as he walked back to his desk and sat on top of it. I was sitting at one of the classroom’s desk, the one closest to his. I smiled slightly.

“It was awesome,” I answered. “We… we spent time on the rooftop of Midtown High School, eating Big E Style Chopped Cheeses, talking and other stuff…” I averted my gaze as my face heated.

“Did you two…?”

I quickly brought my head forward and shook it emphatically. “No, sir. I just meant that MJ and I made out… rather intensely.”

Scott was quiet for a few moments. “Am I… am I off base for assuming that you already got ‘The Talk’?”

“No, sir.” I chuckled awkwardly. “Aunt May… she gave me that talk during my last year in middle school.” I cleared my throat. “I may or may not have been caught watching something I should not have been watching.” Scott nodded. There was no expression of judgment on his face. “But… yeah. Making out was all MJ and I did last night and it’s all we’ve ever done to this point.”

“Okay.” Scott paused for a moment. “Look, I know I’m not your father, uncle, brother, or even cousin… at least, not as far as I know.” He tilted his head briefly. “My family tree is a mess, to say the least. But… the point is… even though I’m not any of those things to you, I do still feel responsible for you. So, just know I’m just looking out for you.”

“I understand, and I appreciate it,” I assured him. I paused for a moment. “Um… since we’re on the subject of romance and the like… do you like Joanna?”

Scott was given pause. I was surprised, however, that he didn’t glare at me.

“I don’t know yet,” Scott admitted. “…My ex-wife… Jean… She’s a telepath. And she was one of the most powerful telepaths on Earth until she left the planet. So, with her… I didn’t have to try hard to explain or be open with my feelings. She could easily read me, for better or for worse. And there was a comfort with that. Even with that aside, Jean was the only woman who I had romantic feelings for. She’s the end all, be all of my romantic experience. So, now there’s Joanna. To be honest, she intrigues me. She’s forward, she’s flirty, about as crass as you’d expect from the average Marine, and yet there’s this kindness and softness underneath it all. So… I guess I’m just treading carefully.” Scott paused again. “…Thank you.”

I tilted my head. “For what?”

“For not giving me any advice.”

At that, I scoffed. “Scott, I’m the last person to give anyone relationship advice,” I pointed out. At that, Scott chuckled.

“Well, I didn’t keep you behind to talk romance.” He paused for a moment. “How are you feeling about Sunday?”

I shifted in my seat a bit. “I would’ve marked it in my calendar if I wasn’t paranoid about that possibly exposing us.” I shook my head. “I…” I took in a breath. “…In my whole entire life, I’ve only really hated a few people – the one who killed my Uncle Ben, Mysterio, and Green Goblin. Other than that, I’m not one to hold hatred in my heart for people. I didn’t even hate Toomes. While what he did was wrong and could have led to a lot of people hurt or worse, I can understand going the extra mile for the people you love… Sympathize, even. But…” I balled my right fist up. My heart rate rose. I took a moment to take a deep breath. “I just want this to be over, even if it’s just temporarily.”

“I get that,” Scott replied with a nod. “But remember, it’s just that – temporary. As we continue our lives as heroes – and as X-Men – we’re going to have adversaries that are going to continue to be a thorn in our side, even from beyond the grave.” He paused for a moment. “That’s something you should already know, of course. So, expect Justin Hammer and Scorpion to be a long term problem. But, this weekend, we’ll make sure they’re sent on their way for the short term. Got it?” I nodded. “Good. Now go about the rest of your day. I believe you, Craig, and Kitty have a busy night ahead of you.”

After class, I stopped at home and changed into my quick change outfit before I made my way over to Peter Pan. Craig and Kitty were going to meet me there. I met MJ there, as usual. As semi-usual, Ned was there as well. What was unusual, however, was MJ taking her break after she got me a cup of coffee and a peanut butter cup donut. She sat with me and Ned, with her to my left and Ned to my right at the counter.

“How are you holding up?” MJ asked.

“Just a bit antsy for this Sunday,” I told her reassuringly. “Other than that, I’m good.”

“I’m looking forward to this Sunday, too,” Ned spoke up. “Take care of business on that day, and then we can focus on other things – like the Valentine’s Day dance.”

I couldn’t help but scoff as I shook my head. “You know, pre-You-Know-What, the fact that I didn’t get a suit yet would have had me freaking out. But now, I’m just… annoyed. A little more than mildly annoyed, but just annoyed nonetheless.” I picked up my donut and took a bite out of it.

“If it makes you feel any better, I haven’t found a dress yet,” MJ sympathized. “Between making sure that I’m still on track for college and worrying about you and your coworkers, the dance has been far from my biggest concern.” She shrugged. “To be honest, you and rest of the American Idiots are the only reason I’m excited for going.”

“Honestly?” Ned replied. “Ditto.” He sighed. “The only downside is that we might have to deal with Flash.”

“Always the highlight of any day,” I deadpanned. During this, Kitty and Craig walked in. They were dressed in their quick change outfits, with the former’s mask probably tucked away in her jacket and the latter having his hood down.

“What’s good, people?” Craig greeted as he took a seat next to Ned. Kitty sat to the left of MJ.

“Just talking about the Valentine’s Day dance,” Ned explained. “How was your day?”

Craig shrugged. “It was meh. I had a meeting with an IRS agent.”

I tilted my head as I looked at him. “How come?”

“I had to do my taxes. That, unfortunately, took a lot of time since a certain job doesn’t come with a W-2.”

“Wait, you have to pay taxes on that money?” Ned asked.

“As a matter of fact, you do,” Kitty confirmed. “That’s how Al Capone was taken down.”

“But aren’t you afraid that could...?” MJ began before she trailed off. It took me a moment to realize what she trying to ask.

“The agent I work with?” Craig started to explain in a whisper. “We have an arrangement. I do some favors for her – favors that aligns extremely well with my expertise – and she makes sure I don’t end up getting flagged for anything.” He raised his eyebrows briefly. “Being a vigilante can be quite the perk when you have some anti-Accords folks in the right places.” He chuckled. “Anyway, we’ll chill here until you’re finished, Pete. And then we’ll dip.”

After I did finish my food, Craig, Kitty, and I said our byes to Ned and MJ, with me doing my special handshake with the former and kissing the latter. We left in Craig’s Scion xB before we started to drive around. With Craig driving, I took shotgun while Kitty sat in the backseat. She had a tablet in her hands.

“So, we got quite a few locations from Joanna,” Kitty stated. “Some of them I already looked at and decided they weren’t worth checking out.”

“How come?” I asked.

“Well, for one, some of those locations are a little too close to civilian population for our comfort,” Craig said. “Secondly, some of them are seaside.”

“Is that really an issue?”

“Look, man. I ain’t putting a dang thing past Hammer when it comes what he’ll throw at us. The last thing we want is to give that man a chance to do something crazy like roll up on us with a warship or attack submarine or something.”

Had we been talking about anyone else, I might’ve called Craig overly paranoid. But since this was Hammer we’re talking about, one could make a case that he wasn’t being paranoid enough. So, I nodded in concession.

“So what are the other places?”

“Well, there are a couple of places,” Kitty informed. “Each one has their own pros and cons. First up, we have the former Hand Compound. On one hand, most of the buildings are still intact and its’ pretty far from general population. On the other hand, it’s also one of the locations that Scott has scouted for future use as a new headquarters for The X-Men once we expand. Second, there’s Kingsbridge Armory. It’s pretty intact as well, but it’s rather wide open on the inside. Then there’s the third option.”

I heard the sound of bones cracking. I turned my head to see Craig’s hand tightly holding the steering wheel. Something told me I wasn’t going to like it.

“What’s the third option?”

Craig sighed. “There’s an abandoned sanatorium in Westchester County,” he said reluctantly.

“How abandoned?”

“It literally hasn’t been touched in decades,” Kitty responded. “The thing is… the place is said to be cursed. People avoid it like the plague. Not even squatters and urban explorers want anything to do with it.”

“Do you believe it’s cursed?”

Kitty scoffed. “Sweetie, after all the stuff we’ve seen and went up against in our lives, we’d have to be rather dense to not, at the very least, acknowledge the possibility.” I hummed in acknowledgment as I nodded – she had a huge point. “But, creepy as the hospital is, it’s out the way of civilian population and we could possibly find an area in the building where’s only one way in or out. We could also lay some traps down along the way. So, which one do you guys want to check out?”

Craig and I looked at each other. We then sighed in resignation.

“The sanatorium,” we both replied in reluctance.

“Okay, well, if we’re going to head to Westchester, then we need to grab food along the way,” Kitty declared. “I’ll even pay. Are you guys up for Five Guys?”

After we went to Five Guys and grabbed food, we made our way over to Westchester County. The drive wasn’t too long. It was only about an hour. It wasn’t exactly a short trip, but I’ve been on longer drives. Once we arrived in Westchester, we used the GPS in Craig’s phone to track down the sanatorium. It took us about twenty minutes. And that was mostly because Craig was driving a little slower than usual. I didn’t know if it was because he was being extra cautious due to not really knowing the area that well, of if he was really reluctant to go to this sanatorium.

After some time, we found the road that led to our destination. To say the road was in bad shape was a huge understatement. Chunks of the pavement were missing, either the results of pieces being broken off or it being worn down by the elements. There were of grasses growing with the cracks. There was even a point where was an abandoned vehicle on the road that was blocking the path. Craig and I handled it – between his power to control friction and my super strength, moving the vehicle out of the way was easy. Still, the approach was rather slow – while a Scion xB is sort of shaped like an SUV, they were far from that and they never meant for rough terrain. Making things a little worse was the fact that the sky, in an occurrence that couldn’t be more clichéd, became rather overcast.

“Man, even the weather is telling us to turn back around,” Craig grumbled.

“You and Peter agreed to check this place out first,” Kitty pointed out.

“Yeah, and I’m starting to think I’m stupid for doing so.”

Eventually, we did reach the sanatorium. After we pulled up to the gates, Craig put the car in park. We stepped out of the vehicle. I stared at the gates, taking note of the words that adorned them – Ravencroft Institute. I looked past the gates and at the buildings that took up the grounds. From what I could see, there was a small church, buildings that looked like dormitories. And I was pretty sure there was a graveyard out in the distance. However, what really got my attention was the main building. It looked Victorian, and was seemingly built with red brick and mortar. It was about four stories tall and had multiple towers that looked like it housed bells.

“This is the place,” Kitty stated. “Codenames from here on out. Let’s scope it out.”

I nodded as I masked up before I stepped up to the gate. There was a steel chain with a lock holding the gates closed. I was about to just rip it off before Frictor stepped forward and pulled out a lock pick. He grabbed the lock and used the pick to unlock it.

“I could have ripped it off,” I pointed out.

“I can’t let you do all the work,” Frictor replied. “Besides, we need the chain intact.” With moments, the lock was picked open. He pulled unraveled the chain before he left it hanging on the gate. He pushed the gate open wide. “I’m going to pull the car in.” Kitty and I stepped onto the property as Frictor hopped inside of the Scion before he drove it past the gates. He then hopped out, walked up to the gates, pushed them closed, relocked it. After that, he stepped back into the car and beckoned us to hop back in. Once Shadowcat and I were inside, Frictor drove the rest of the way up the driveway before he pulled up to the front door and put the car in park.

Once again, we stepped out of the vehicle. Frictor walked around the Scion and unlocked the hatch before lifting it up. He pulled out a black Jansport backpack before he closed the hatch. After he pressed a button on a small remote on his keychain, locking the vehicle, the three of us made our way to the front door. Once more, Frictor took the initiative to pick the lock. Once he had it open, he pulled open the door and held it open for me and Shadowcat to enter.

After Frictor stepped inside, we all looked forward. Frictor unzipped his backpack and pulled out three flashlights. He handed two of the flashlights to Shadowcat and I before taking the third one for himself. After we clicked our flashlights on, we looked forward at the scene in front of us. As expected from a defunct medical facility, there was a front desk and remnants of a computer. The walls were stained with mold and what I hoped was rust. The floor was rather grimy. And the smell reeked of something awful.

“Prime real estate,” Shadowcat deadpanned. She turned her flashlight and aimed it towards the back. She illuminated the steel doors of a pair of elevators. “There. The stairs should be nearby.” She walked forward, and Frictor and I followed suit. The three of us walked up to the elevators before we looked around for a stairwell. Finding a door with a sign indicating it led to the stairs, I beckoned towards the others to follow me. We walked up the door. I twisted the nob and pushed the door. It opened with a rather loud creak, and a rat suddenly ran out, causing the three of us suddenly step back in surprise.

“Man, screw this place,” Frictor grumbled. Still, we entered the stairwell. We ascended slowly. Fortunately, the stairs were rather sturdy, having been made from concrete.

“So far, so good,” Shadowcat whispered. We passed the second floor landing as we continued our ascent. But when we got to the third floor landing, we found our way blocked by a load of debris – there were pieces of concrete, metal, and wood. “…Great, I pulled a Ned.” I chuckled as I shook my head.

“…Looks like we’re checking the second floor for another stairwell,” Frictor said. We made our way back down to the second floor landing before we stepped through the door. As we lit up the hallway with our flashlights, we saw that it was a hallway full of glass windows. Frictor took in a breath before he walked forward. Shadowcat and I looked at each other before we followed him. As we passed by the window, I glanced inside, seeing that they were examination rooms. Some of them had medical equipment. Others had gurneys and chairs with harnesses. Frictor suddenly came to a stop and looked at one of the rooms. Shadowcat and I came to a stop next to him and looked through the window. Looking back at us was rows and rows of mannequins in various states of disrepair.

“…Are we in Westchester, or are we in Silent Hill?” I commented dryly. From the corner of my eye, I saw Frictor shake his head.

“I hate every bit of this,” Frictor muttered out.

“Let’s just keep going,” Shadowcat urged.

We did just that, making our way down to the other side of the hall. We found another stairwell. We entered it. We moved up the stairs before he made our way to the top floor. We stepped onto the floor. This floor seemed to be for administrators. As we walked down the hall, we passed by doors with nameplates too damaged to read. There was only one name that was somewhat legible. All I could make out was “el Ess”. We continued down the hall until we found the headmaster’s office. Shadowcat moved forward and grabbed the knob. She twisted it. The knob creaked, but twisted nonetheless. She opened the door. We stepped inside. It was a pretty large office – about as big as my apartment. Bookshelves were knocked over. A large desk was on its side. Broken glass was on the floor along with other pieces of garbage.

“…I think we got something here,” Shadowcat stated.

“Yeah, we got a potential for a Tetanus outbreak,” Frictor snarked, prompting Shadowcat to halfheartedly slap his chest with the back of her left hand.

“No, seriously, think about it. Obviously, the elevators are out. The electrical systems of this place are probably too worn to even be powered. With one of the stairwells blocked…”

“There’s only one way in and one way out,” I finished for her.

Shadowcat looked at me and smiled. “Exactly. We can set traps along the way to cull their forces – non-lethally, of course – and make things a lot easier for us.” Her smile became wider. “We can even use the mannequins we saw. We can dress them up in mock ups of our suits and place them in different areas as distractions or lures.”

“…You’re right,” Frictor conceded. “…Okay, let’s get the heck out of here and we’ll tell Scott about it when we get home.”

We did just that, making sure to lock the gates back up before we drove away.

We drove straight back to the bunker before we hopped in Craig’s SUV and drove to the X-Men’s apartment. Once we arrived and went inside, we found Carmilla and Scott sitting on the sofa, watching TV. They looked up at us as Kitty closed the door.

“Hey guys,” Craig greeted. All of us removed our shoes before we joined them. I took the couch with Kitty while Craig took a seat next to Carmilla. After Craig shared a brief kiss with Carmilla, he looked at the screen. “Oh, Smackdown is on?”

“Yeah, it’s the last fifteen minutes of it,” Scott replied.

“I don’t know who this Roman Reigns is, but I don’t like him,” Carmilla stated with a pout.

“Is it because he’s a heel?” I asked.

“No. His hair is prettier than mine.”

“I beg to differ,” Craig replied as he wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her close. “Handsome dude, he is, but I’d take you over him any day of the week.” Carmilla blushed a bit as she smiled.

“So, how did the scouting go?” Scott asked.

“Well, good news,” Kitty replied with a smile. “We found a place in Westchester County. It’s the Ravencroft Institute. It’s creepy as hell, but in the main building, there’s only one way to the Headmaster’s Office. The office is pretty big, too, so we can fortify it. Other than that, there are other buildings on site we can worth with.

“Good, good.” Scott nodded. “We can go over there tomorrow. We can go at night and – ”

“Can we do the morning or at least early afternoon?” Craig cut in. “Because, seriously, the place is creepy enough as is. I don’t want to go there at night.”

“AAAAAW, is my All-American scared?” Carmilla mocked, teasingly poking her finger into Craig’s cheek.

Craig turned his head towards her and gave her a solemn look. “Yes, actually! That whole place was on some Silent Hill type stuff. There was even a cell full of creepy mannequins!”

“It was pretty creepy,” I said in agreement. “The whole place just gave me a bad vibe.”

“It would be a bit safer to go during the daytime,” Scott mused. After some moments, he nodded. “Okay, we’ll go in the afternoon. We’ll stop at the bunker and gather any supplies we need.”

“Do I still have weapons there?” Carmilla asked.

Scott nodded. “You do.” He then looked at me. “I’ll also contact Pepper to see if there’s any way we can borrow a fabricator for us to use.” I nodded. After that, he addressed all of us. “We’re going to be working hard tomorrow. So, I suggest you take the morning to relax and eat up. I’ll make sure we have food with us while we work. We’ll do everything we can to be prepared for Sunday so we can take down Scorpion and whoever else Hammer is throwing at us.”

“We’ll send them packing, Scott,” Kitty assured. “And then after that, we can spend time worrying about more mundane stuff, like the Valentine’s Day dance… and college.”

I looked at her. “You’re thinking about going?”

“We all do, Peter. Craig, Carmilla, and I talked about it for a while.”

“I even got my GED and everything,” Carmilla added. “…I don’t really care about getting a degree in and of itself. Don’t get me wrong, if I’m going to college, I’m going it to graduate. But… I just want to have some semblance of normalcy.” She then smiled. “Also, I have a thing for theatre.”

“The only thing is… I’m not sure I want to leave New York,” Craig spoke up. “And at the same time… I’ve grown attached to everyone as well.”

“MJ did say that it’s a conversation that all of us American Idiots should have,” I stated. “We’ll talk about it afterwards.”

I spent an hour or so more at the X-Men’s apartment before I made my way home. Once I got home, I took a quick shower before I went to bed. I was about to close my eyes before an idea hit me. I pulled out my phone and called up MJ. I waited patiently before she picked up.

“Hello, Loser,�� she greeted.

“Hey Em,” I greeted back. “Um… are you doing anything tomorrow morning?”

“Unfortunately, I am.” I could hear the exasperation in her voice. “I’m picking up a morning shift at Peter Pan. So I have to be there around nine in the morning.”

“I see.” I sighed. “I was… I was just going to ask if you’re up for going out for breakfast. I… I wanted to spend some more time with you before I head out to Westchester in the afternoon.”

There was a pause on MJ’s end. She then spoke up. “…We don’t have to eat out,” she said slowly.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“We can eat at your place. I’ll come by super early and we can cook and eat together.”

I smiled widely. I thought it was a great idea. But of course I did. Spending time with MJ would always be a great idea to me, no matter what we spend that time doing. “I would love that. Just… do me a favor. Would you kindly bring some rooibos tea?”

She chuckled, and that brought a warm feeling in my chest. “Of course. I’ll see you in the morning. I love you, Tiger.”

“I love you, too, Em.”

“Bye.”

I hung up the phone. I then hooked it up to the charger before I lay down and went to sleep.