Spider-Man Mayhem

[Third Person's PoV] 

2 days later…

Date: June 11th 2008, Tuesday 

Location: Midtown High School

Time: 3:05 PM 

Peter and the others were walking down the street, backpacks slung over their shoulders, having just left school.

"Why do we have to walk?" Felicia complained, exaggerating her steps like a child.

Peter glanced back at her with a scoff. "Looks like someone's gotten too used to their cushy lifestyle of being chauffeured everywhere," he teased.

Felicia rolled her eyes. "No, I just mean there are faster ways to get there. You know, like a little thwip-thwip," she said, mimicking the sound of webs shooting. "We'd be there in no time."

"I actually enjoy the walk," MJ chimed in. "It's nice to slow down and just be among everyone else for a change."

"That's some hippie nonsense," Felicia shot back, her tone dripping with disdain.

Ignoring her, the group continued on, eventually arriving at Peter and Gwen's part-time job.

As they entered the building, Gwen glanced at MJ. "I'm surprised Jameson gave you the day off."

"He didn't," MJ replied flatly, her expression deadpan. "I just texted him saying to clock me in because I saw Spider-Man and needed to follow him for a scoop."

Gwen snorted, shaking her head. "So, you're basically getting paid to ditch work."

Peter returned from the reception desk with visitor passes. He handed one each to MJ and Felicia, then passed the others to Harry and Lizzy.

In the elevator, MJ turned to Lizzy. "You know, I've been meaning to ask—why don't you have a part-time job? You and Felicia are the only ones who don't. I mean, I get why Harry doesn't; he was supposed to work for his dad, but… you know."

Lizzy shrugged as the elevator doors slid shut. "It wasn't mandatory, and I don't really need the extra money." She scratched her cheek, looking a little uncertain. "I also don't know what I want to do yet. I don't have any big aspirations right now. I'm still figuring things out."

The group nodded in understanding before turning to Felicia.

Felicia gave them a nonchalant look. "I'll just follow my mother's career path. But there aren't any jobs or internships for someone my age in her field. Those only start in college if you're aiming to be a lawyer."

"You want to be a lawyer?" they asked in unison, their voices a mix of surprise and disbelief, as the elevator doors opened.

"Why does everyone sound so shocked?" Felicia said, deadpan, as they stepped out.

They mumbled half-hearted apologies just as Peter knocked on a nearby door.

Johnny Storm swung it open, a grin on his face. "Why are you knocking? Oh, right—you brought guests. Well, come in, ladies and gentlemen, and witness greatness!" he said dramatically, sweeping his arm to usher them inside.

As they walked in, it was clear the others had been waiting for them.

"You're finally here!" Reed Richards exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement. "You have no idea how hard it was to restrain myself from starting without you."

His gaze shifted to the group behind Peter and Gwen. "And you must be the friends Peter mentioned. Welcome!"

"I've met you all before," Johnny said confidently. "Let me do the introductions and see if I can remember your names correctly."

He pointed at MJ first. "The redhead is Mary Jane."

She gave a timid wave. "Correct," she said simply.

"And that's Felicia, if I remember right?" He gestured toward her.

"Right in one," Felicia replied flatly, nodding politely toward the others.

Johnny squinted at Lizzy. "The other blonde… Lizzy?"

Lizzy nodded, and Johnny grinned, moving on to Harry. "And last but not least… Larry! Boom!" He pointed at Harry, looking quite pleased with himself.

The others immediately stifled their laughter, their shoulders shaking.

"Larry," they repeated in unison, struggling to keep straight faces.

Harry's eye twitched as he glared at Johnny. "It's Harry. With an H."

"Ah… sorry about that," Johnny said, looking sheepish.

Reed took the opportunity to introduce the rest of the Fantastic Four. "This is Susan and Ben," he said with a nod toward them. "No need to introduce Johnny; I see you're already acquainted."

Johnny gave a cocky wave.

"Now, can we get started?" Reed asked, barely able to contain his excitement.

"Hell yeah!" Peter said, just as enthusiastic.

Reed didn't waste another second. He quickly led them to a large room, and the group followed, their curiosity piqued.

When they entered, they were left speechless.

The portal was an enormous metallic circle connected to both the floor and ceiling, with countless wires branching out to various devices. Its opening was blocked by a massive metal gate.

"Watch your step," Reed warned as they approached.

He stepped to the side, picking up a black plug attached to a cable and an outlet on another wire. He handed the outlet to Peter, smiling widely. "You ready?"

Peter took the outlet with a smirk. "Always."

"Good," Reed said, connecting the plug to Peter's outlet. A faint spark passed between them, and they both grinned like madmen before dashing to different devices connected to the portal.

"How's it looking?" Peter shouted from across the room.

"All systems are green on my end!" Reed called back, flipping switches. "How's the interdimensional radar? Any activity from the other side?"

"Nothing here! It's all clear!" Peter replied, scanning a large radar screen. The display looked like a sonar system, with rippling waves radiating from the center—but the screen was blank. "No anomalies on the other side. We're good to go!"

"Excellent!" Reed said, adjusting more dials. "Containment shields are up and fully operational. On my count, we'll open the gate."

The rest of the group stood near the wall, watching Reed and Peter's frenzied movements with amused expressions.

Johnny leaned against the wall, hands behind his head, smirking. "Yo! Let us in on the fun. Let us do the countdown!"

Reed glanced at Peter, who shrugged and nodded, chuckling.

"All right, Johnny," Reed relented. "You can do the countdown."

"Hell yeah!" Johnny straightened up, clapping his hands together. "Okay, everyone, from five!"

"You're such a child," Susan muttered, rolling her eyes.

"5!"

"4!"

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

Here's the continuation with edits for clarity and flow:

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Peter and Reed exchanged a brief, determined glance before both reached for the red button to their side. They pressed it simultaneously and then rushed to the center of the room, their eyes glued to the portal as the metal door began retracting.

The group held their breath as the gate fully opened, revealing the world beyond.

It was as though a perfect circular hole had been cut into the fabric of their reality, leading to an entirely new dimension. Through the portal, they could see a desolate, rocky terrain. The wind whipped fiercely across the landscape, carrying reddish dust and small rocks. Yet, something invisible—a shimmering barrier—kept the chaotic elements from passing through the portal into their world.

"Whoa…" Peter and Reed breathed in unison.

The others, who had been leaning casually against the wall, moved closer, drawn by the sight.

"This is straight out of a sci-fi movie," Felicia said, her mouth slightly open in awe.

"I've seen some crazy things in my life, but this…" Lizzy trailed off, her voice tinged with amazement.

Susan pressed her hands against the invisible shield. She tapped it lightly and turned to Reed. "Will this hold?"

"It should," Reed said, though his casual shrug wasn't exactly reassuring.

"Man, I should've brought my—!" MJ exclaimed before flipping her bag around to the front. She rummaged through it and pulled out a camera. "Can I take a picture?"

"That's a good idea!" Ben said with a nod. "We should document this."

Reed nodded his approval. MJ stepped back and began snapping pictures of the portal and the group, capturing their wide-eyed expressions and the swirling red landscape beyond the barrier.

"Are you planning on going in?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Later today," Reed replied. "For now, we're just testing to see if the portal works and observing the other side."

Susan still had her hands pressed against the shield when a loud, blaring alarm cut through the room. Everyone froze, exchanging apprehensive glances as red warning lights bathed the room in a pulsating glow.

Johnny broke the silence. "Uh… should we be worried about that?"

Peter and Reed sprinted to the interdimensional radar. On the screen, something fast and massive was approaching from the other side. The radar displayed it like a forecast map, a swirling mass moving rapidly toward their location.

Reed's face paled. "A cosmic storm! And it's moving faster than—"

Before he could finish, he saw the speed of the storm's approach on the monitor. His heart skipped a beat.

"PETER, CLOSE IT! IT'S ABOUT TO HIT!" Reed shouted, bolting toward the manual override controls.

Through the portal, the group saw a multicolored wave—a churning storm of energy—bearing down on them. Peter's hands flew over the controls, closing the metal gate just as the storm reached the portal.

BOOM!

The room trembled violently as a surge of power ripped through it. Lights flickered erratically, and a deafening sound like shattering glass filled the air.

Reed turned in horror. He didn't need to look at the control panel to know what had happened. "The containment shield… it's gone!"

"BEN, DISCONNECT IT!" Reed yelled, his voice tinged with panic.

Ben lunged for the main power cable, but before he could pull it free, the storm's energy pierced the metal gate. A surge of raw, cosmic energy burst into the room, engulfing them in a blinding light.

Everyone's instincts kicked in.

Peter's body crackled with faint electric sparks as he stepped forward. Gwen's hands instinctively released a wave of ice, trying to block the incoming energy. Felicia tried to summon her magic and forming a glowing shield of protection. MJ's eyes glowed with a fierce psionic-chi, radiating an unseen energy.

Harry grabbed Lizzy and turned her away, using his body as a shield.

But the Cosmic Storm was too fast for anyone to react. A wave of energy erupted from the center of the room, sending chaos in every direction.

Ben, who was the closest, was hit first. Rocks and dust that had been swirling in the air earlier flew toward him, clinging to his skin as he was violently pushed backward.

Susan was next. Fragments of the containment unit broke apart, dissolving into the storm and washing over her. She was lifted off her feet, her body absorbing the storm's energy in a way that seemed eerily unnatural.

Johnny let out a scream as he was engulfed by an intense wave of heat. His entire body burst into flames, a fiery glow radiating from him as he struggled to control the sudden transformation.

Reed was hurled across the room, slamming into the wall with a sickening thud. The force of the storm stretched his body unnaturally, his elongated form pressed against the surface as if molded by the storm's chaotic energy.

Harry and Lizzy were also flung into the air. Harry twisted mid-flight, cradling Lizzy protectively as they smashed into the wall. The impact left a massive dent, and Lizzy's skin began to glow with an unearthly light, her entire body radiating an unnatural hue.

Felicia was lifted off her feet, her magical aura reacting violently to the storm. The energies intermingled, swirling around her in a chaotic dance as her body curled instinctively, glowing with a strange fusion of power.

MJ's camera shattered around her neck as she was hurled backward. She struck the wall spread-eagle, her face contorted in pain. Boils began to form at the corners of her eyes, a grotesque reaction to the storm's radiation.

Gwen, in contrast, remained grounded. She crossed her arms in front of her as the ice coating her body thickened. The storm's power intensified her transformation, encasing her in a frozen cocoon that resembled an ice statue.

Peter was slammed against the wall with tremendous force, the impact denting the structure. His body absorbed the electricity from the exposed wiring, the energy surging through him and connecting to the portal's systems. As the power drained into him, the building plunged into darkness, the portal shutting down in a cascade of sparks.

In the aftermath, all that remained was chaos.

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