کلید و بوسه

Chapter five

The key and the kiss

The huge crowd of people were shouting and cheering for Spider-Man. Suddenly, someone called to Mary Jane.

‘Hi, MJ,’ She turned around and saw Harry Osborn. She had visited him in the hospital and he looked so much better now.

‘Where’s Pete’ Harry asked as he looked around.

‘Taking photos, I guess,’ she said.

In the past only two people knew Peter was Spider-Man - Mary Jane and Harry. But now only MJ knew Peter’s secret and she wanted to keep it.

Harry asked why she wasn’t at the theatre. She looked into his smiling face - at last someone had time to listen to her. She told him everything. He said he was really sorry.

‘You look so good, Harry,’ MJ said after a moment.

Harry smiled. ‘A knock on the head and you’re as free as bird.’

MJ replied, ‘Knock me on the head then, please!’

They laughed together. For the first time that day she stopped thinking about her problems.

Harry was just what she needed.

Gwen Stacy looked out nervously at the huge crowd in the square. She had never spoken in front of so many people before. She was nervous too because Spider-Man was out there.

She stepped up to the microphone and started to speak. She told the crowd about Spider-Man and how he saved her life. Everyone cheered loudly. A band started to play. And suddenly there he was! Spider-Man swung over the crowd. The crowd went crazy.

Slowly, upside-down, Spider-Man lowered himself to face Gwen.

She reached out and pulled down his mask to show his mouth. Gwen gave Spider-Man the key and then kissed him. It was a long, slow kiss. ‘I just want to thank you for saving me,’ said Gwen. The crowd went wild.

But one person in the crowd wasn’t cheering - Mary Jane. Her first kiss with Spider-Man was exactly like this. Her eyes filled with tears and all the horrible feelings returned. Not even Harry could help her now.

A huge sandstorm was blowing through the streets. It was heading for the square. Suddenly, it blew through the crowd. Everyone ran to escape the angry winds. The cloud of sand raced round a corner and then disappeared…

Peter’s spider sense woke up. A moment later the sandstorm shot down from the sky. WHOOOSH! It blew an armoured truck round and round like a leaf in the wind. The truck was taking lots of money and gold to a bank. Then the storm winds tore the top off the vehicle - Sandman had arrived!

The guard in the front of the truck turned and shot Sandman in the face. Sandman cried out in pain and then disappeared. But a moment later he rose up from the back of the truck and crashed down on the driver and the guard. Under the weight of the sand the two men could hardly breathe. The driver’s foot pressed down hard and the vehicle shot down the street at high speed.

Spider-Man landed silently in the back of the truck. He stood next to Sandman who was normal size now. He looked more like the old Flint Marko. Spider-Man looked him in the eyes, but Marko wasn’t afraid. Marko knew he had special powers, too. Then Spider-Man hit him hard, but his hand went straight through Sandman’s body.

Suddenly, Sandman’s hand began to grow. Soon it was huge. He used it to hit Spider-Man with all his power. Spider-Man and Sandman flew out of the truck, tearing off the back doors.

Spider-Man landed on one of the doors. He shot a line of webbing at the truck and it pulled him along like a surfer. There was a lot of traffic on the road. Spider-Man had to move quickly to avoid the cars racing towards him.

Then he realised that the truck was heading straight towards a wall. He had to do something to save the men in the truck - and fast! He pulled himself along the webbing to the front of the truck. He made a web around the two men and threw them out of the truck. Then he shot another web for them to land in. Spider-Man was still in the truck and there was no time for him to get out…

CRASH! The truck crashed at top speed into the wall.

At first nothing moved. Smoke was rising from the pile of metal. But then, very slowly, Spider-Man pulled himself out. He was in a lot of pain but he wasn’t seriously hurt. He was Spider-Man, after all!

The next day the Daily Bugle printed a story about Sandman on the front page. In big letters, it said, ‘SANDMAN! EVEN SPIDER-MAN CAN’T STOP HIM!’ There was also a personal note to Spider-Man from Jonah Jameson: ‘GIVE BACK THE KEY!’

Peter shook his head and put down the paper. The story didn’t even say that Spider-Man rescued the guards. And worst of all, the photo of Sandman was by Eddie Brock.

‘Don’t think about it,’ Peter told himself. Tonight was his big night. He had more important things than Sandman to think about. Things like Mary Jane

He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the diamond ring. Still there. Still safe.

He took a deep breath, put the ring back in his pocket and left the room. He didn’t see the sticky black goo moving across the wall towards his clothes cupboard.