Spider-Man : The Morales Trilogy

Chapter 20

"It was remarkably easy," Smythe began, "capturing the new specimen. You're disappointing. It's going to be fun opening you up."

Miles groaned as he snapped back into consciousness. He was strapped to a wall or something and Smythe was standing in front of him, looking at some data on a tablet.

"What do you want from me?" Miles muttered.

"A lot. A lot of blood, hair and skin samples and I'll conduct much more studies. For example, I'd like to see how you react to certain stimulus."

"I'm going to break free of these straps. They can't hold me for very long. Once my strength kicks back in, you're going back to prison."

"You're more than welcome to try, kid. But you see, these straps are made of an adamantium-vibranium alloy. Only thing that could cut through them is Xandarian metal. Good luck finding that on this planet. You're going to be here until I feel like letting you go."

"Why are you doing this?! Who are you working for?!"

"A grandmaster. I'm a big fan of chess so I was more than willing to join his game, even if it's just as a pawn but you see, I'm a very unique pawn. I captured a knight."

"You're demented."

"That could be true. But you see my real intentions are to capture as many pieces as possible and hopefully get promoted to bishop. And when I'm at the king's side, I'll usurp him."

"Where's Connors?"

"He's still alive if that's what you want to know but he's a bit preoccupied helping me build weapons of mass destruction that will be used to bring this city crumbling down to the ground."

"He wouldn't."

"Sure he would. Every man's weakness is their family, isn't that right, Miles Morales?"

"I don't know what the hell kind of twisted chess game you're playing but don't you dare involve my family in this?!" Miles yelled and twisted and squirmed, trying to break loose of the straps.

"Miles Morales. Son of Jefferson and Rio Morales. Jefferson's deceased, of course. Rio, soon to be deceased probably. You're uncle's Aaron Davis, a known criminal and fugitive who's been in hiding for a year or two now in Palm Springs, California?"

"SHUT UP!" Miles yelled.

"I can stop talking. It doesn't mean your family or friends would be any safer. Oh, and speaking of friends, I know of a young Mr. Casen and Ms. Johnson. That's just two of four of your friends that I also have captive. Miles, no matter how the next three days unfold, it's game over for you."

"What the hell do you mean three days?"

"Oops, can't believe I let that slip. But I might as well just let it out since you can't do anything to prevent it. This city falls in three days."

"I'm going to get out of here! And if you lay a hand on my family or my friends, Smythe, I'll rip you apart inch by inch."

"You're just a teenager. Don't try to sound like a Hulk or a Wolverine. I'm about to put you in a series of simulations that could take about 12-24 hours to complete. Probably longer depending on your state of mind. Any lack of cooperation will result in swift demise of numbers 1 and 2 on the list of Morales family and friends. That's Rio Morales and Michelle Hammer."

"Please, I'm begging you. Don't do this!"

"Now, that's more like it," Smythe said and chuckled as he grabbed a syringe. "Try to be cooperative in these simulations. If you try to resist, you might end up killing yourself. And your friends and mother, of course. And dear uncle Aaron too."

Miles stared in horror as Smythe neared closer to him with the syringe and injected the blue liquid into his neck. Miles gulped as a cold sensation spread throughout his body and he kicked and twisted in an attempt to break out but he knew it was pointless so he stopped. And cooperated.

Daniel smiled and walked to the glass that was keeping both him and Richard Till in their prison cell and each time he looked at this thin yet ridiculously strong pane of glass that had them trapped, his smile became wider.

"Quit grinning like a creep, would you?" Till complained and made tapping sounds on the floor with his feet. He'd gotten bored and tired of sitting in this prison cell. The real fun was out there in the world.

"I just can't contain my excitement," Daniel said and grinned at the huge clock that hung on a wall outside the cells. It was already time.

"It's glad to see you're optimistic about serving a life sentence in a maximum security prison."

"It's not going to be a life sentence, dummy. I don't let myself get defeated in combat, especially not by pesky little teens unless I have a goal. And that hooded freak brought me closer than ever to my goal."

"What are you talking about?"

"Grandmaster."

"What?" Till said and the expression on his face went from neutral to a frightful expression. "Who the hell are you and how do you know that name?"

"I work for that name. And it's already time for the endgame," Daniel said and rubbed his hands against each other. "Powers should be working again by now."

"Who are you?"

"Daniel Wilson. But apparently, the media has labelled me as Shockwave and I like that name a lot."

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm getting us out of here, doctor," Daniel said.

"Stop! I can't get out of here. The Grandmaster will kill me the moment I'm out there. This glass pane is the only reason why I'm still alive."

"If the Grandmaster wanted you dead, you'd be five feet under already." Daniel stretched his hands at the window and let out a massive shockwave that shattered the glass of every cell in this wing. The lights in the prison all turned red and the alarms blared.

"Checkmate," he said and smiled.