A GHOST FROM THE PAST
As we were gearing up to head to the Illuminati headquarters, my phone buzzed. I pulled it out of my pocket, expecting maybe another message from Gali or Domino, but the caller ID made my heart skip a beat—MJ.
"Hey, MJ. What's up?" I answered, trying to keep my tone casual.
"Hey, Brian, something's not right," MJ's voice trembled through the phone. "I feel like someone's watching me, and I've got this weird tingling, crawling sensation all over my skin. It's giving me the creeps. I remember you Gwen telling me that this Spider-Sense tingle happens during dangerous situations."
My gut twisted into a knot. This wasn't good. Not good at all.
"Where are you?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
"I'm near the coffee shop downtown. Can you come, please? I'm really not feeling well," MJ pleaded.
"Stay where you are. I am on my way," I assured her, my mind racing with thoughts of danger. "Stay on call. And remember, you are not an ordinary human anymore. You have Spider Power. So, don't panic, and stay on call..."
"Yeah, alright. I can do this," MJ mumbled to herself.
I turned to two Gwens, Cindy, and Helen, who were watching me with concern.
"MJ's in trouble. Reed might be after her power too," I declared, urgency lacing my words.
"Wait! MJ was also bitten by a spider?!" Cindy asked narrowing her brows.
"Yeah. You girls go and wait for us at the Illuminati's Headquarters and tell the Professor about the situation. I will go after MJ. And be careful," I dashed out of the house and flew toward MJ's location.
[A few hours earlier] [MJ's POV]
The day started like any other. I was enjoying a cup of coffee at the quaint downtown coffee shop, lost in my thoughts. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, and people around me chatted, creating a cozy atmosphere.
Suddenly, a strange sensation washed over me. It was like an electric current running down my spine, and my Spider-Sense tingled with an alarming intensity. I looked around, feeling a sense of unease. Something wasn't right.
I tried to brush it off, thinking it might be just stress or paranoia. However, the feeling persisted, growing stronger by the minute. I couldn't shake the sensation that eyes were watching me, and the bustling coffee shop suddenly felt claustrophobic.
I decided to step outside for some fresh air, hoping it would alleviate the strange discomfort. As I stood on the sidewalk, the sensation only intensified. My heart raced, and a cold shiver ran down my spine. It was as if danger lurked in every corner.
Feeling increasingly uneasy, I reached for my phone and dialed Brian's number. I am sure would help me out.
"Hey, MJ. What's up?" Brian's voice came through the phone, and I tried to keep my own voice steady.
"Brian, something's not right," I confessed, my unease evident. "I feel like someone's watching me, and I've got this weird tingling, crawling sensation all over my skin. It's giving me the creeps. I remember you and Gwen telling me that this Spider-Sense tingle happens during dangerous situations."
I could sense the concern in his response, "Where are you?"
"I'm near the coffee shop downtown. Can you come, please? I'm really not feeling well," I pleaded.
"Stay where you are. I am on my way. Stay on the call. And remember, you have Spider Power. So, don't panic, and stay on call..." Brian's reassuring words did little to ease the turmoil inside me.
I walked back into the cafe, anxiously waiting for Brian to arrive, the feeling of danger continued to escalate. It was as if a storm was brewing, and I was at its center. The world around me seemed to blur, and every passing moment felt like an eternity.
My sense of unease grew worse. I might be having a panic attack. I haven't had a panic attack in years. Damn it! I don't even have my medication. I walked quickly to the coffee shop's restroom, thinking that a quick splash of cold water on my face would help ease the tension that was starting to go under my skin.
As I entered the bathroom, I fumbled with the faucet, splashing water on my face. The cold water did little to soothe the storm raging within me. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror, and that's when I noticed it—the unmistakable trickle of blood from my nose.
The combination of the strange tingling sensation and the bleeding heightened my fear. I clutched the sink for support, my mind racing with questions.
"What's happening to me?" I whispered to myself, trying to steady my breathing.
I leaned against the sink, my vision blurred, and the strange tingling sensation intensifying. The bathroom seemed to spin around me, and I struggled to make sense of the situation.
The door swung open, and three shadowy figures entered. Their voices echoed in the small space, but my blurry vision made it difficult to identify them. Panic seized me as I realized that something sinister was unfolding.
One of them spoke with a malicious tone, "Look at you. Poor thing."
"Who are you?" I asked weakly, struggling to stay upright.
The three figures surrounded me, their voices now eerie. I can't tell which one is speaking, "Oh, Brian never talked about me? I am so disappointed."
"Wh-who are you?!" I demanded again, clutching the sink as the figures closed in.
"Allow me to introduce myself... I am Michael, Brian's childhood friend, his best pal. Yet, I rot in prison while my Ma died and Brian... He was enjoying his wealthy life without a care in the world. Isn't that something?" The person was sneering.
I looked up at him, his cruel eyes gleaming with anger and betrayal, but it all became blurred in my vision as if his evilness had an impact on my body.
"He would never do that!" I retorted with what was left of my energy.
Michael approached closer, his voice dripping with menace, "Yeah, I was like you once and I too asked the same question, but how naive and delusional. All he had to do was to pick up a single call... A SINGLE FUCKING CALL!" He screamed, slamming his fist on the mirror, shattering it to pieces, "Phew! Sorry about that. Life in prison isn't fun. It changes you, you see... Even Rachel changed. Haaa... Such is life... Who dies, who lives, and for what reason? Do you, perhaps, understand how many nights I laid in that dirty, godforsaken prison wondering WHY ME?!"
I wanted to try to delay for more time before Brian arrives, but my mouth! I can't feel my mouth!
"For what reason?" He taunted, moving even closer, his eyes bearing the wrath of hellfire. "To suffer? Is it something we are born to do? Or do we create our own suffering because of choices we made? All I ever wanted was a little money for my Ma's operation. Was it so hard to pick up the goddamn CALL?!"
The rage and desperation in Michael's voice were almost tangible. The world continued to spin, and I desperately fought to remain lucid. I wasn't sure if he was delusional or just trying to distract me.
The bathroom seemed to narrow in on itself as the walls and ceiling closed in around me. Michael's face loomed over mine, his eyes wide and maniacal, and his voice dropping to an ominous whisper, "Even that bitch, Rachel, turned away from me because of that man... I loved her. I killed everyone who ever tried to lay their hands on her. But what do I get in the end? A life of pain. Anyway, I got that bitch already... It's your turn, Ms. Redhead. Then, I will catch that blonde chick. Oh, Brian... I wonder what face will he make after I have his girls. But enough with the idle chatting, it's time..."
The other two men pulled me up and were about to drag me away with them.
Instantly, my vision cleared. My senses sharpened, the sound and voices around me became less of an indecipherable garble. Every fiber of my body thrummed with pure, raw adrenaline, and I felt stronger and more powerful than I ever did.
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Next Chapter: MJ's Awakening
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