Morlocks

Opening scene Peter, Bobby, Kitty, Tandy, and Tyrone are all in the danger room training and watching from the sidelines as Doug and Laura spar. Logan insisted that Laura stay with them and move into the X-Mansion and she reluctantly agreed after everything that happened to her in Harlem. Laura kept everyone at a distance only speaking when necessary but all in all, she seemed fine considering everything she's been through. The moment she heard that we train and spar in the danger room she wanted in since there were so many us training now we decided to draw lots to see who gets paired up with who. Kitty and Tyrone were the first pair decided next was Bobby and I unfortunately for Tandy she got paired up with Logan and the worst luck of us all seemed to go to Doug getting paired with Laura. As the individual fights went on suddenly all our eyes were focused on Doug and Laura who seemed to go blow for blow, Laura was stronger with far more real-world combat experience but Doug's ability to see and understand body language proved useful during the training session. Laura launched a kick at Doug who immediately side-stepped out of the way and tripped Laura. The new recruit fell flat on her back with a loud thud.

"That's gotta hurt," Bobby commented with a wince. I was about to intervene and see if Laura was ok when she suddenly roared at the top of her lungs and lunged at Doug with her claws out. I quickly webbed her clawed hand and Logan stood in front of her and gave her a look that said you need to stop. Laura still clearly frustrated over losing stared daggers at Doug, who looked about ready to piss his pants, cut my web with her free hand and stormed off.

"I'll go after her training is over for today," Logan said with a sigh following his clone/daughter out the danger room.

"That chick is crazy," Tyrone commented.

"And deadly," Tandy added.

"Guys she's been through a lot cut her some slack," I said to everyone in the room.

"Easy for you to say she didn't try to stab you," Doug says putting on his glasses.

"She actually did try," I mumble to myself.

"What!? when was this?" Kitty says with concern.

"It's not important, look she was raised to kill and when she finally gets away from that and has some semblance of normal in her life her best friend is murdered she's going to be a little rough dealing with people," I say to the clones defense.

"Yeah I guess that explains her behavior,' Kitty says backing me up. Tyrone nods in agreement and Doug still looks concerned while Tandy and Bobby openly show distaste for the new girl. As we were all leaving the danger room I pack up my stuff and prepare to swing over to work and do a little solo heroing.

"What you're not cooking," Bobby says with clear disappointment.

"Sorry, Bobby I don't have time, eat a pop tart or something you'll be fine," I say dismissing him. I give Kitty a quick kiss and open the door to head out when I see a middle-aged African-American woman standing at the doorstep.

"Hi...Um is this the Xavier mansion," The woman says with trepidation.

"Yeah are you looking for professor Xavier cause I believe he left yesterday and hasn't returned," I explain to the woman calmly.

"No, I'm looking for my son Tyrone," The woman explains. The moment she says this I immediately see the family resemblance between the two and open the door for her to come in.

"I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you sooner," I apologize to Tyrone's mother.

"It's fine we've never met and from what my son tells me being overly cautious is not a bad thing," Tasha says. I lead the two of us into the kitchen where all the teenagers were scavenging the kitchen for food.

"Please tell me your back because you found it in your heart to feed these poor children," Bobby says dramatically.

"No," I answer then I look to Tyrone "Tyrone your mom's here," I say getting the teen's attention.

"Mom!?" Tyrone says wide-eyed.

"My baby!" Tasha screams and practically tackles the taller boy to the ground as she sees him.

"Mom I told you to stop calling me that, and why are you hugging me like I went off to war!?" Tyrone says trying to forcibly separate himself from his mother.

"One you practically did go off to war joining that bastard Mag-whatever, Two I haven't seen you in weeks and I didn't spend five hours in labor pushing out that big stubborn head of yours to be talked to like that, and three you are and always will be my baby so get used to it," Tasha says chastising her son. Tasha turned and focused her sight on the young blonde dating her son.

"Tandy how are you doing," Tasha says with a sympathetic look remembering the last time they were all together.

"Ah, fine Ms. Johnson we worked for a terrorist organization for a minute but we're the good guys now so that's nice," Tandy says putting her finger on her chin. Tasha laughed at how easily Tandy brushes off the tragedy of her past and decided not to pursue it further.

"Ok now what's this I hear about you all being hungry," Tasha says looking at the junk food all the kids were eating. "Don't tell you've been eating nothing, but junk since you left," Tasha says eyeing her son.

"Not everything I've eaten has been junk food," Tyrone says looking down.

"Alright, I'm cooking breakfast who wants to help," Tasha declares.

"Wait mom you don't have to cook you just got here," Tyrone says trying to stop his mother from pulling out pots and pans.

"Hold on Ty if the nice lady wants to feed us let her," Bobby interjects.

"See your friend agrees," Tasha says with complete validation. "Now help me reach these pans," I leave the mansion soon after watching Tyrone get ordered around by his mother was entertaining but I was getting late for work. I quickly activate my parasuit and swing through the city as I'm swinging and just about to get to the Bugel building I see a man on the walking in a crosswalk preoccupied with his phone not seeing the eighteen-wheeler heading straight for him. I quickly dove and picked him up much to the man's surprise.

"What the-" The old man said.

"You millennials always texting," I say to the man. The man looks around and I see the realization dawn on his face that he almost dies and I saved him and made a joke while doing it. The man laughed like there was no tomorrow.

"That's pretty funny spider-guy," The man said taking off his glasses and wiping away tears.

"It's Spider-Man, and your welcome," I say as I swing away the man waves me off and I land on the top of the Bugel building sneak into a bathroom window and deactivate my parasuit and walk to my desk and get my day started.

"Hey Peter there's actual donuts in the break room get them while they're cold," Glory said with a hot cup of coffee in one hand and a file in the other.

"Don't you mean hot?" I question.

"Ha, you think cheap ass Jameson would spring for hot donuts," Glory said with a sarcastic voice and a raised eyebrow.

"No, but I will take a donut hot or cold," I say as I quickly get up and walk to the break room as soon as I walk past Jonah's office I hear the door open and Jonah scream "Parker in my office now!" as soon as Jonah finished speaking he slammed his door shut.

"If he wanted me in his office why'd he close the door," I mumble to myself but still say loud enough for people to hear.

"Don't know but you better hurry before all the nice cold almost stale donuts go missing," Glory says with a pep in her step as she walks to her desk. I open Jonah's office door and walk-in.

"You wanted to see me, Mr. Jameson," I say politely.

"I called you forever ago what took you so long," Jonah says as the vein on his forehead throbs. I check my phone for the time and say "It hasn't even been a minute since you called me,"

"You take that tone again with me and you're fired now fix my computer," Jonah demands. I walk over and look at his computer to see what's wrong at first glance it looks fine.

"What's wrong with your computer?" I ask.

"Do I look like a computer scientist that's what you're here, for now, do your job," Jonah's losing what little patience he has left. I press a few keys and a pop up appears on the screen I quickly go to close it but it keeps coming back.

"See every time I want to do something on this godforsaken machine this shows up!" Jonah exclaims.

"I see the problem give me a few minutes and I can fix it," I quickly type on the computer and purge the pop-up virus from the computer. "What caused this? if you don't mind me asking,"

"Well I do mind," Jonah says like a child refusing to tell an adult what's wrong.

"Mr. Jameson this problem could happen again and possibly be more difficult to deal with later on it would be easier on all of us if you just told me what happened," I explain in my calmest voice possible despite the anger rising in me. Jonah looked at me with a hard glare but his expression soon softened as he was mulling over what I said in his head.

"I was sent an email about Spider-Man's identity," Jonah says and my eyes go wide as I think about who knows my identity and would be willing to give it to Jonah "But it must have been a prank cause all that happened was the stupid pop up showing up on this godforsaken device mocking me for the last twenty minutes!" Jonah screamed the last part and I saw a vein throb on his forehead. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I start to leave and say "Well be more careful next time if someone just sends you a huge story and anonymously it's probably a prank,"

"I'm not an idiot Parker now get out of my office," Jonah says as he crosses his arms. I think to myself I was already leaving and quickly head to the kitchen where I see Ben Urich eating the last of the not so fresh donuts. He looks up and sees me and I see guilt spread across his face.

"Sorry, Peter my wifes got me on this diet where your taste buds suffer the nine layers of hell so when I saw donuts I couldn't help myself," Ben says apologetically.

"It's fine," I say thinly veiling my disappointment "I'll just starve the rest of the day," I walk back to my desk and do the rest of my work for the day hungry. Once I finish work I decide to swing around the city see what crime I can stop but most importantly I need to find something to eat as. As I'm looking for a place I see a familiar-looking old man working at a hotdog stand. I swing down thinking this is perfect a couple of dogs will give me all the energy I need to kick crime in the ass.

"Two dogs with the works," I say to the man. Without looking up he replies "You got it that'll be $7.50,"

"$7.50 for two dogs what are they made with diamonds," I say sarcastically.

"The ingredients are top secret and you pay for the quality service and the great view," The man says and finally looks up. "It's you, your spider-guy," he says with awe.

"It's Spider-Man why is that so hard for people to remember," I grumble.

"You saved my life," The man says with eyes still wide.

"I did," I start to think and then it hits me the man that was almost hit by a truck, "Oh right I did you were the one on your phone!" The man quickly walks in front of me and hugs me "Thank you I owe you everything," I quickly cough to signal to the man to get off of me. "Oh sorry," the man apologizes. We stand in awkward silence for a few seconds then I bring up an ice breaker.

"So who were you texting that was so important you almost lost your life," I say.

"Oh, my wife got a new job and she wanted to let me know how her day was going," The man says with a smile. As he says this I see smoke coming from the stand and smell burnt food. The man runs back to behind the stand. "Ah, man I burnt em tell you what I'll give you a discount for em,"

"I saved your life and I only get a discount!" I almost scream.

"Have you seen the economy! I need every penny I can get what do you say 5 bucks for em," The man says. I think for a second only in New York will a person give you the deepest gratitude and then turn around and say you owe them money.

"4 their burnt and I saved your life I'm only paying two bucks each," I say with authority.

"Fine, you drive a hard bargain kid," The man says putting condiments on the dogs. He hands me the food and I pay him and quickly start to scarf down the two dogs.

"Jesus I know my foods not that good," The man says slightly disgusted by how I eat.

"I haven't eaten all day cut me some slack man," I say between bites.

"You gonna come back often having a celebrity as a regular is great for business," The man says with a smile on his face.

"At your prices," I scoff.

"Hey my prices are fair," The defends himself,

"I've met supervillains more fair," I say back. The man laughs for a minute.

"You're a pretty funny kid," The man says.

"It's Spider-Man why do you keep calling me kid?" I question.

"I'm old everyone's a kid to me plus only someone young would run around in tights," The man says with sass.

"They're not tights old man," I mumble.

"Stan," The old man says

"What?" I say surprised.

"My name it's Stan Lee nice meeting you Spider-Man," Stan says holding out his hand for me to shake. I gladly accept when I hear an alarm go off at a pawn shop nearby.

"Thanks for the food Stan but looks like duty calls," I say as I swing my way towards the alarm. I see a pawn shop a few blocks down with a broken window and a girl with cat ears and a familiar mane of silver hair running away from the crime scene. I aim and web up her legs to trip her but she sees me coming and jumps at the last second.

"You again!?" The girl screams at me.

"Hey you don't get to be annoyed to see me cause of you I get blamed for stealing," I said with mock anger landing on a flag pole looking down at her.

"Well maybe if you left me alone-" Before she could finish I webbed her mouth shut and jumped down in front of her.

"Alright, who wants to take a trip to the big house, c'mon I know you've got your permission slip," I say jokingly as I walk closer towards her. She growls through the webbing and I see her eyes flash the golden color they did when we fought before. She extends her hands and all her fingernails extend like she has cat claws. She quickly swipes at me and when I flip out the way I land on a banana peel and slip and fall.

"Argh a banana peel really what is this a Bugs Bunny cartoon," I say while internally shaming myself for not being more careful. As I get up I notice the thief is gone and I see the remnants of webbing on the ground. I run as fast as I can and quickly take to the air as I swing from block to block looking for this girl. I catch a glimpse of silver hair running down an alley and silently follow her. I see her looking around and checking her surroundings when she opens a manhole cover I quickly shoot a spider-tracer in her hair as she jumps down and put the manhole back in place.

"Gotcha now Cat," I say as I pull out my phone and see her location on my screen.

"Now all I need to do is wait then I follow her... By heading into a dirty sewer...Do I really want to do this," I say to myself while I debate the pros and cons of going into one of the filthiest places on planet earth a New York sewer. After a minute I finally decide and head in.

*** 20 mins later

I gave the cat thief a head start so she wouldn't see me coming and bail but I'm starting to regret it. The New York sewers are a literal maze I can see where the thief is but not how to get to her I know if I just barrel through the north walls I would be right on top of her, but I don't want to cause that kind of damage. I pass by the same grate with a large indent in the wall for the millionth time and I'm ready to give up. I take out my phone to see where she is and notice she supposed to be a couple of feet right in front of me.

"What she's not here all that's there is... this... wall," I say as I realize what's happening. I reach out to touch the wall and my hand phases through it. It doesn't feel like Kitty's power this wall has a cold tingle to it. I press forward and feel a chill run along my entire body then I see what the wall was hiding and my jaw drops. I see a village of people there are makeshift homes little shops I even see a woman cooking in a large pot to feed a large group of people. As I look around most everyone is obviously a mutant. The woman cooking has six arms, I see a boy with gold skin, and another that is cover in eyes looking in every direction imaginable. As I look at the boy with eyes He picks up a walkie talkie and seems to signal someone of my presence. Suddenly my spider-sense went off like crazy and I immediately jumped and stuck to a nearby wall. As I was trying to figure out the danger that sent my senses into overdrive a pinkish purple portal opened up right where I was standing and out of it stood two people one was a thin woman with pink skin wearing what looked like an old crop top and denim shorts. She had shoulder-length hair just a shade lighter than her skin and scar or maybe a mark like Tandy's on her left eye and Asianic features. The other person scared the hell out of me. I saw a tall well built African-American man with a military-style buzz cut and an M shaped scar on his face. The most intimidating thing about him was a gun so cartoonishly large I thought it might have come out of an old sci-fi film and what looks to be an arm made out of metal.

"You have three seconds to explain how and why you're here. Speak. Now," The man says pointing his gun at me.

"Calm down man I'm Spider-Man and I'm just looking for a thief," I say with my hands above my head giving the universal I surrender gesture. The pink girl noticeably relaxes her posture and gives me a quizzical look.

"Are you saying someone stole from us and you're here to help?" The girl asks. I flip down and land in front of the two.

"Yes and no I am looking for a thief who robbed a pawn shop a few miles up the street literally, And if she stole from you two I don't maybe," I say explaining myself.

"She?" The man questions.

"Yeah a girl can't miss her about 5'5-5'6 silver hair cat ears doesn't like being called cat lady," I describe the thief. At the description, the man lowers his gun and looks less scary and more annoyed.

"Blink, bring Felicia's ass here now," The man commands the pink girl who seems to be called Blink. At his word, she summons a pink knife out of nowhere "guess she's a lot more like Tandy than I thought," she throws it in the air and a portal like the one before appears directly in front of us and the aforementioned thief falls out landing right on her ass.

"OW watch it Blink do you want me to break my neck," The thief or as the soldier with the metal arm calls her Felicia complains.

"Felicia you stealing again?" The soldier questions like a parent asking a kid if she ate a cookie when you weren't supposed to.

"So what Bishop, we could use the money and plus it's not like anybody followed me," Felicia says with the sass of a child getting in trouble.

"Oh, really then do you want to explain why Spider-Man is here and looking for you," The soldier who seems to be called Bishop points to me and Felicia's eyes widen in the realization that she's been caught.

"What are you doing here!?" Felicia shouts.

"Looking for you apparently I told you this would happen, girl," Bishop chastizes her.

"Look Its obvious no one wants me here just return what you stole and I'll be on my way," I interrupt having enough of the confusion and threats.

"We need that money I can't give it back," Felicia says looking to Bishop for reassurance. Bishop rubs his eyelids clearly tired and done with this conversation.

"Hey, Boss I'm just gonna throw a radical Idea out there why don't we just explain who we are and maybe he'll leave us alone," Blink throws in her two cents.

"We can't trust him," Felicia interjects while still looking at Bishop for approval.

"Sketch would disagree with you," Blink says smugly.

"Leave Sketch out of this she has-" Felicia begins to fight with Blink when Bishop interrupts her.

"Enough!" Bishop shouts and all fighting stops. "Blink's right Spider-Man's a mutant and despite his bad press goes out of his way to help people it's probably our best bet,"

"So you gonna explain what this place is and why cat lady here keeps stealing," I say hoping for some clarity. Felicia growls at the cat lady comment but Bishop ignores her.

"My name is Lucas Bishop and we are mutants rejected by society so we choose to live apart from them give ourselves a better life instead of trying to integrate into theirs we call ourselves the Morlocks,"