Chapter 21

"And now, the Lad-Who-Survived will become the Lad-Who-Fried!"

A young man with sandy hair kneeled down on the ground in front of an imposing figure in red and green. The figures' cape billowed in the wind. The young man, Timothy Hunter, fought his ever present enemy, Mysterio, who wore a fishbowl looking helmet with eyes glowing.

The young man glared up in defiance.

"You just don't get it. No matter how many times you knock me down, no matter how many hardships you throw my way, no matter how much you torment me, I will never stop fighting. I will fight you not for glory, not out of vengeance, but because it's the right thing to do. And if you don't understand that, you will never beat me."

Mysterio cackled in response. The sorcerer's eyes glinted with malice.

"Fitting words, Hunter. I shall have them engraved upon your tombstone."

Two glowing beams of light connected with each other until the movie scene faded to black with Cat Grant standing outside of the Galaxy Theater in New York City.

"This is Cat Grant and that clip you just saw was a clip of the final movie in the Timothy Hunter series, Timothy Hunter and the Green Flame Torch," Cat said. "The last production of the beloved Timothy Hunter franchise, until now, as the New York showing of the play, Timothy Hunter and the Depraved Descendant begins in New York for a three night event and…."

"And it's a play which you should not see, if you are any self respecting fan of the Timothy Hunter franchise!"

A dark-haired man, slightly unkempt walked onto the camera. Cat turned around looking a bit uncomfortable, as he snatched her arm, microphone and all.

"Hey, get...someone get over here….."

"This play is an insult to my legacy and everything I've done. I've given the best years of my life, playing Timothy Hunter. I was the one who brought the character to life on the big screen, and instead I'm not even considered as the lead for this play. Never mind the fact the plot is bollocks and doesn't make any sense to the established canon, she has to spit on me and instead pander for the people who thirst for diversity so much they swallow any poison that is shoved down their throat as long as they get their precious inclusion! Despite the fact the elite does not care about you, and only care for you as puppets to further their agenda!"

The man scrambled around and looked completely mad.

"Security!"

Two beefy security guards moved in and grabbed the rambling man.

"There is only one Timothy Hunter. His name is Daniel Berkhart. Ten years of my life!"

The man's ranting faded out and Cat recovered quickly. And felt it was best to imagine that little outburst never happened.

"The stars are out tonight," Cat said. "It's Marie Logan, activist and star of the 1980s cult classic Hello Megan, Ms. Logan, a word if you please?"

"Sure, Ms. Grant," Marie said. "What can I do for you?"

"There are rumors that next year there will be a musical adaption of Hello Megan," Cat said. "If you may take a minute, I want you ask you…."

"We are in negotiations and I will be reprising my role…."

"At least someone respects the character, and the person who made it, pandering pap that it may be!"

Despite being off camera, Danny Berkhart's crazed ranting despite security holding him was getting to be a bit of a nuisance.

"I'm sorry about that," Cat said. "Let's go to commercial."

Moments later, outside of the theater, Harry, Gwen, Lois, and Mary Jane arrived.

"Surprised they're going through with the play," Lois said.

"Why?" Gwen asked. "Sure, it's bad, but all three nights are selling out."

Mary Jane begged Gwen to attend this showing and Gwen decided to attend, strictly for the train wreck value of what was about to take place.

"Well, it's not the quality of the play that's the problem," Lois said. "But, rather all of the strange misfortunes which are dogging the play. All of the accidents, all of the production glitches, and before anyone says anything, I don't mean the script."

Gwen opened her mouth and shut it, for an amused look from Mary Jane.

"Someone might have it in for the play," Harry said.

"What do you say, an obsessed fan who is a bit too upset about having his childhood ruined," Gwen said. "I mean, it has to be a shipper, doesn't it? They...they tend to take anything too seriously, and if their preferred pairing isn't in a story, it's ruined forever."

"No, nothing like….hey, Marie."

The lovely redhead appeared and greeted the group with smiles.

"I know the play's not the best, but, there are people on the production team who I want to support and the actors are trying their best," Marie said.

"I don't blame the actors," Gwen said. "I know who's responsible for this play and that's...that's the star isn't it?"

A dark skinned man with brown eyes and a neatly trimmed haircut stepped out of the limo. A few people applauded and a couple walked over to ask him for autographs. The man looked quite frankly baffled that anyone would, but yet he signed them with a smile and opted for a photo.

"Michael Tomaz," Mary Jane supplied. "He's the man who plays Timothy Hunter."

"Looks nothing like him," Gwen said.

"Well, yes, that's been a point of contention for a lot of people," Marie said. "Michael's a good guy though, we did some charity work together. He came over from Quarac, Muslim, good man, very good man. Very generous as well, he would give you his last bottle of water if you were dying alongside of him in the desert. He's good, although yes, he doesn't align with people's….."

"He's not too bad at the role," Mary Jane said. "All things considered."

"Well, he's got to work with….."

Harry noticed trouble coming a mile away as Cat got into position to interview Michael.

"THERE YOU ARE! YOU ARE THE PERSON WHO STOLE MY LIFE."

"Danny, Danny Berkhart, is that you?" Michael asked. "You're...you're an inspiration. You made Timothy Hunter come alive, and you inspired me…."

"Well, if I inspired you so much, then why did you take food off of my table?" Berkhart asked.

Harry and Gwen made a move to dash and change if things got a bit too rough. Michael looked a bit put off and confused by Bekrhart's behavior.

"I didn't know you….I thought you didn't want the role, I had no idea that…."

"How do you like it when someone spits on you?"

Berkhart spat on the face of Michael until some uniformed police officers arrived to grab him. An attractive woman with dark hair appeared as well and walked up to Daniel Berkhart.

"Yuri Watanabe," Gwen told Harry. "She succeeded my father as Captain of the NYPD police department, after he got moved up to Commissioner."

"Berkhart, you're to leave, or the next place you're going is a jail cell," Yuri said. "There's been complaints about your harassments."

"Who complained….."

"Look, I don't any more trouble from you," Yuri said sternly. "So, this is your last warning, go."

Berkhart walked off and cast one last hateful look in the direction of Michael. Harry could tell there was something about that look that he did not like all together.

"I've got an interview," Lois said. "Come on Cover Girl."

Mary Jane nodded. Harry turned to Gwen. An idea entered his mind.

"Save our seats, I'm sticking with them," Harry said.

"Sure, give me the hard work," Gwen murmured.

She playfully stuck out her tongue and Harry responded by kissing her.

Surrounded, by several pieces of Timothy Hunter memorabilia, Michael Tomaz shook his head. Never meet your heroes. He started a coughing fit and took out a white rag. He coughed in it, with blood splatters coming out of his mouth and into the rag.

Oh, it was getting worse, as much as he hated to admit it.

"Mr. Tomaz?"

Michael disposed of the rag immediately.

"Lois Lane, Daily Prophet," Lois said. "You agreed to meet with me."

"Yes, Ms. Lane, and….by golly, you look just like him!"

Michael's eyes fixated on Harry for a few seconds. Mary Jane just smiled and patted him on the shoulder as if she knew what was coming.

"I, what are you talking about?" Harry asked.

"You looked exactly like Timothy Hunter," Michael said. "More than me most certainly, but even more than Danny Berkhart. It's just uncanny, the fact you stepped out of the pages."

"How did you get the role of Timothy Hunter?" Harry asked curiously. "Harry Kent, by the way."

The two men shook hands.

"And here I thought I was supposed to be the reporter, Green-Eyes," Lois said.

"Well, it was by accident, I was just trying out for the play," Michael said. "Just thought it would be cool. I figured it would be a new character, created for the play, but I never thought it would be the lead. I guess it's a dream come true in certain ways, but in other ways, it's a nightmare. I don't deserve it."

"You've done well," Mary Jane said. "All of the reviews that you gave were the highlight and you made people forget the...well…."

"That I look like nothing how Timothy Hunter was described?" Michael asked. "I'm fine, I know what's going on. I really wish that KJ when she does the press and the social media wouldn't make a big deal about how it's revolutionary that I'm a Muslim lead. It's only making me look like I got the role for all of the wrong reasons. And I grew up as a fan. Timothy Hunter showed me that no matter what, I can get up, I can keep fighting, and I can accomplish anything. I've risen myself up, became an actor, met my wife, and had a daughter….I only kept with this so she can see her father...so she can have something to remember me by, so I can be a hero."

Michael looked choked up and even Lois Lane, hard as nails as she was, had been moved by his story.

"But, with your work overseas, with charity, you're a hero in some ways," Harry said. "You worked with a woman I've been researching. Grace Parker."

"Yes, I know Doctor Parker, and she...she went missing under mysterious circumstances," Michael said. "I really wish that I knew what became of her so I can…."

A knock on the door brought them out of the conversation. Michael went to answer the door.

"Delivery from you, from a fan, Mr. Tomaz."

"Something to remind you where you came from," Michael said, reading the card.

Instantly, Harry noticed something was wrong with the package, and he's not the only one.

"Is it just me, or is there something ticking?" Mary Jane asked.

Oh, the source of that mysterious ticking noise had been revealed.

"It's a pipe bomb!"

Harry dragged the trio behind the couch and hurled the bomb out of harm's way just seconds before it exploded. It blew a hole through the dressing room wall.

"I don't know who could have sent me this bomb."

Yuri Watanabe just frowned. Oh, she had her ideas. Unfortunately, without hard evidence, she could not prove it and make an arrest stick Although the suspect she thought of, had probable cause. At least in his mind.

"We're going to have to cancel the show."

"Oh, no, no, no, we're not doing that!" the director yelled. "The show must go on, there's too much money in the show."

"Then, I'll get a warrant and make you cancel it," Yuri said.

"Ms. Fisk insists there's no problem and there's security ramped up for the building," the director said. "And the Mayor and the Governor of New York, they both insist that the show is going on."

"You are willing to put these people's lives in danger?" Yuri asked. "I will be back, and I don't care what the Mayor, Governor, or Mr. Fisk says, if someone even gets a hangnail, this entire theater is being shut down until we find out why."

A hispanic woman dressed in the purple and greet outfit of Mysterio stepped into the room and looked around. She held the ever prominent fishbowl underneath her arm.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Yes, Carla, we're...we're fine," Michael said. "Just be careful out there tonight."

Harry moved over where Gwen waited off to the side. Marie, Mary Jane, and Lois were not holding their seats.

"We watch the play close," Harry said. "And get ready to move when something happens. I don't like the looks of this."

"Great," Gwen said. "Oh, you mean other than the plot?"

"Yes," Harry agreed.

A blonde woman appeared at the top of the stage. Kathy Joan Rollings, or KJ, the woman who created the Timothy Hunter Franchise. And also one had been very polarizing around the fanbase.

"Thank you for coming tonight," KJ said. "I've created a magical world with a diverse group of characters and today, through this production, we bring those characters alive."

A lie, if there ever was one. Gwen resisted rolling her eyes. The main cast was as white as the winter snow, until KJ decided she wanted to be diverse. She retroactively included LGBT characters in her series, despite not putting it in the actual text.

"Tonight, we make some magic, and tonight, we bring you, Timothy Hunter and the Depraved Descendant."

"And let the shameless retcons commence," Gwen murmured.

Mary Jane just patted Gwen on the shoulder as she looked sullen.

Carla, the woman who played Mysterio, moved outside to smoke a cigarette.

"Ms. Bowen, if you don't mind, a photograph?"

A photographer walked over to Carla who sighed.

"You want it without the helmet or not?" Carla asked.

"Oh, it doesn't matter," the photographer said. "Just smile."

The camera flashed and also released a knockout gas which put Carla Bowen down for the count. The photographer ripped off the fake glasses and beard to reveal Danny Berkhart, better known as the former Timothy Hunter actor.

"None of them would appreciate me as a hero!"

Berkhart picked up the fishbowl and smiled at it. A thought entered the man's demented mind.

"Perhaps they would appreciate me as a villain!" Berkhart cried. "Phineas, get me my special effects!"