10Red-Back #2 "The Cookie Thief's First Heist"
Four years later. Open on Midtown Manhattan, early evening-
Peter is taking his four-year-old son out for a "swing" around the city. The boy clings to dad's back and squeals happily, laughing and holding up his first pair of hands in the air.
Peter(stern): "What did Daddy say, Hunter? Hold on with ALL hands, remember?"
Hunter pouts: "Sorry, Daddy. Forgot. Do I really haf'ta?"
Peter: "Yes. I don't want you falling off back there!"
Hunter giggles: "CAN'T fall, silly! I STICK! Just like you, Daddy!"
Peter's "Spider-sense" starts blaring a warning just as a small rocket whizzes past and explodes just ahead. Both are startled and knocked back by the blast; Peter throws out a new line and land on a nearby rooftop.
Peter(angry): "Can't a guy even take his kid out without getting shot at anymore? Stay here, son- Daddy's going to find the IDIOT with the rocket-launcher and give him a lesson in 'firearm safety'!"
He sets Hunter down and dives off the roof: "Don't move 'til I come back for you!"
He swings off toward the rocket's origin: When I find the $$hole responsible for that blast, I'm going to shove that thing down his throat sideways and fire it off! But why was my Spidey-sense going so crazy on the roof when the rocket came from THIS direction?
Nearby, on another rooftop...
(Man's Voice through a headset): "Wait until Parker is fully engaged with the decoy team before you fire the trank darts. I want him captured QUICKLY, Bullseye!"
A figure on the roof answers. Bullseye: "No problem. I still don't see why I can't just kill the little freak, though. What's the big deal, Mr. Fisk?"
Voice: "Perhaps, in due time. But I have much better plans in mind for our wall-crawling
friend. (chuckles) And what better revenge than to turn his own son to our side?"
The man on the roof watches a gunfight on the street below. Peter is dodging bullet from five men "robbing" a bank. He waits until Peter is occupied with shots from the ground, then fires two shots without looking.
Fx: Pft, Pft.
Bullseye: "Got him."
Meanwhile, on the street-
Peter ducks several shots; he feels a sudden sting as two dart hit him in the back. Peter: "Aggh! Wha...?"
He falls and collapses on the ground, knocked out.
Above, on a different rooftop, several minutes later-
Bullseye steps out of the exit door behind Hunter. The boy turns and sees him, then screams "Daddy!" and tries to scramble away in fear. Bullseye raises his gun and shoots. A dart hits Hunter in the neck and he falls over, unconscious.
Bullseye: "Both targets down. Mission accomplished, Kingpin."
Answer from headset: "Excellent."
Later-
A penthouse office, nearly midnight. Peter wakes up on the floor of a large cage without his mask, and with a pair of large bulky cuffs over his wrists, keeping him from using his webs.
Peter: What happened? Where am I?... Uh, oh. I KNOW this place- the Kingpin's office! I'm in BIG trouble!
Peter tries to stand, still groggy. He hears a voice from behind, and whirls to see the huge figure of Fisk
standing in the doorway.
Fisk: "Good evening, Mr. Parker. Please forgive the crude accommodations, but I assure you that this is only a temporary arrangement!"
Peter(angry): "Yeah, I'll just BET it is What do you want with me, and WHERE IS MY SON?!" He glares at him with gritted teeth and clenched fists.
Fisk, walks calmly to his desk, smiling slightly. "Calm yourself, young man. He is quite safe for the moment. Incidentally, my business is not with YOU, but with your son. You see, Mr. Parker, I have need of someone with his- or rather YOUR- unusual talents. I suppose you are wondering why I would choose to conduct my business with a mere child, but the answer is really very simple- a child can be easily controlled, while YOU, I'm afraid, cannot. I know full well that you would double-cross me at the first opportunity. The boy, however, does not even know HOW."
Peter (still glaring): "So why not just hire a professional? Why go to the trouble of kidnapping? You know I'll never let you get away with this! You mess with my FAMILY, and you have to deal with ME! And one more thing, Fisk- you didn't really think these puny bars would HOLD me, did you?!"
He grabs hold of the bars to try to bend them; a loud zzztt is heard as he is hit by a powerful jolt of electricity and thrown back.
Peter: "Aagghhh!" He tries to get up, wobbling from the shock. That was almost as bad as getting zapped by Electo! It figures he would have this thing electrified. Why do I feel like I'm in a giant bug-zapper?
Kingpin chuckles evilly. "Those 'puny bars' are pure vibranium, and supplied with ten-thousand volt for good measure. Get out of THAT, if you can, Spider-Man! Ha,ha,ha,ha!"
He taps a button on an intercom: "Bullseye, please bring the boy in." He turns back to Peter. "And in answer to your question, it would be more simple to hire a professional to do the job I have in mind, but it will be so much more satisfying to see YOUR OWN SON turned into a criminal- and at such a tender age, too! Better still, this gives me the chance to exact some long-overdue revenge. DO enjoy your next few minutes with the boy- they will be your LAST!"
Bullseye enters with Hunter in heavy ropes. and led by two suited thugs.
Hunter is struggling and crying. He sees dad in the cage and shouts: "Daddy!"
Peter: "Hunter!... Let him go, Kingpin. It's ME you really want. Leave my family out of this." He takes a step toward the bars, then stops, remembering the cage is electrified. He glares at them, shaking with rage.
Fisk gloats, picking a cookie off of a plate on his desk, and dunks it in a glass of scotch.
Fisk: "Ah, yes. Your FAMILY. I had almost forgotten your lovely wife and that adorable little daughter. What was her name again? Terra, isn't it?"
Peter is suddenly enraged, almost beyond reason: "Don't you DARE touch them, Kingpin, or so help me, I'LL KILL YOU!"
Fisk(calmly, turns to Hunter): "Tsk- such behavior in front of the child! Now Hunter, my name is Wilson, and I
am an old acquaintance of your father. Would you like a cookie, my boy? Double chocolate chip, I believe."
He unties Hunter: "But first, there is something I would like for you to get for me. There are several very large, sparkly pieces of jewelry I would like you to retrieve. Can you do that? I will give you anything you like if you will bring me the gems. What do you say?"
Peter(agitated and angry): " Don't DO it, son! He's LYING! Don't listen to ANYTHING he says!"
Hunter looks from one to the other, confused and scared. Suddenly he turns to Fisk, defiant. He stamps his foot and yells.
Hunter: "NO! Not gonna'! You bad men- Daddy told me not to take nuffin from strangers. Wanna' go HOME!"
Fisk looms over Hunter, shaking a fist at him, impatiently: "You may leave AFTER I have those gems. Ad if you don't, you will NEVER see your father again!"
He turns back to Peter: "I will leave you two 'spiders' alone for five minutes to consider your fates. Mr. Parker, I suggest you take the time to convince the child to do as I have ordered. Otherwise, I shall have you BOTH
exterminated."
He leaves with the two goons, and Bullseye, who is smirking as he waves at Peter before he closes the door. Just as it closes, Peter suddenly throws himself at the bars again in furious desperation.
Peter: "Fisk! You bastard!"
He slams into the cage door and gets zapped again. The door rattles slightly. Hunter runs over to help him up, but Peter holds up one hand, shaking his head.
Peter: "Stay back son. I'm okay, just a little fried. Hunter, I need you to listen carefully. Do you remember what I told you about taking things that belong to others?"
Hunter nods hesitantly: "Uh-huh. That's stealing. You said it's bad, and I'd get in big trouble. I don't like the big fat man- he's MEAN!"
Peter: "That's right, kiddo. Stealing is bad. But Daddy's got a plan to get us out of this mess. I know I told you not to do it, but just this once, I want you to do whatever the big mean guy tells you to. I want you to steal those jewels for him, and do everything he says, but I want you to mess up. Drop things, set off alarms, make noise, break something. Do whatever you have to do to get caught- but make it LOOK like an accident. You're smart, big guy, and I know you can do this. Find ways to make mistakes so the police come find you.
Can you do that for me?"
Hunter looks confused. This is more than his young mind can handle, it seems.
Hunter: "Okay, but why you want me to get caught? Won't they take me to jail? And what about YOU? The bad man said he would HURT you!"
Peter shakes his head to reassure him: "Don't worry about me, Hunter. I'll find a way out of here. I just have to wait until they leave. But as long as we're alone, go check in that desk and see if you can find Daddy's
mask, and maybe the key to these cuffs." (He checks his suit) "Ugh, and my belt, too, if it's there." I just hope I can get out of this thing...
Hunter brightens: "Okay, Daddy!"
The boy goes over to the desk, while Peter is checking the cage for weak points. Hunter opens a drawer and...
He sees the mask, belt, and a key!
Peter notices the hinges on the door. He suddenly grins, elated: Eureka! These BARS may be vibranium, but those screws and hinges are ordinary steel! Pete, you're a genius. Shouldn't take more than a couple of good kicks to break 'em loose- just have to wait until those goons leave.
Hunter looks around, grabs the stuff, and hides it in his pockets. He also grabs three cookies off the plate, checking to see if he's being watched, and stuffs them in, too. He goes back over to the cage and hands the belt and key to Peter, who hides them just as Fisk and Bullseye reenter.
Fisk (looks at them impatiently): "Well, What is your answer?"
Peter gives him a sarcastic sneer: "How about a good, hard kick in the..."
Fisk whirls on him, snarling: "I was SPEAKING to the child, IF you don't mind!" Peter thumbs his nose at him, but Fisk ignores him.
Hunter looks at dad, who gives a thumbs up. He nods: "Okay, but you gotta' let us go HOME after!"
He folds all six arms and looks up at Kingpin with an air of authority, as though he has the final say.
Fisk suddenly becomes civil again, thinking he has won: "Yes, of Course, dear boy. I am a man of my word, I assure you. I shall send you both back to your family once the job is complete."
Hunter nods, not realizing that Fisk is lying: "R'member, you promised."
Later-
Inside an air duct in the Manhattan Museum of Natural History- a segmented, multiple-image view of the vent cover, with a display room beyond. A voice comes over a comm unit.
Voice: " Now, open the vent just ahead, and it should lead into the room where the China Star and its two sister stones are being kept. Do you remember what you are looking for?"
Hunter answers, sounding bored: "Uh-huh. Big blue stone with a pretty star in it in a necklace, and two littler ones in earrings. This is EASY!"
He opens the vent and looks down into the room. Several display cases full of gems are scattered around the room, with one large case by the far wall. Security cameras are mounted on the walls at every corner, and above the doors into the room, with motion sensors, on each. Hunter crawls on the ceiling to the nearest camera, and disconnects the wires, then goes to the one over the doors, and at the other end of the wall. He crawls back around until he's over the case with the stones in it. He shoots a web strand onto the ceiling and climbs down it.
Hunter whispers into the comm: "Kay. Now what?"
Voice(Bullseye): "There should be a wire to the case that connects to the alarm. Look for a thin metal wire that goes to each corner, then follow it into the wall, and cut it there to keep the alarm from going off, DON'T touch the case until you cut it!"
Hunter hesitates. "Uh. okay."
Meanwhile, back in the Kingpin's office...
Fisk: "This is going even better than I had anticipated!" He looks at the plate of cookies and pauses: "Well... It would seem our little burglar is even more of a natural thief than I might have thought. It appears he has 'liberated' some cookie from my desk. Perhaps I'll keep him around for a while..."
He pauses as he notices the partly open drawer. He yanks it open and sees that it's empty: "That larcenous little BRAT!"
He turns on Peter, still in the cage. "YOU! No doubt you put him up to it, no matter- soon you will both be nothing more than a brief entry in a newspaper obituary. Perhaps even a small editorial in the Bugle, out of respect for the man who spent so many years taking those amazing photos!" He laughs evilly.
Peter gives him a suspicious look: "That's funny, I swore I heard you tell my son we could leave once you had what you wanted. So much for being a man of your word!"
Fisk gloats. "Did you actually think I would let either of you off so easily? I said I would send you both home, and so I shall- in PIECES!" He sneers and laughs.
Peter stares at him, angry, but not surprised: That's what YOU think, Kingpin. As soon as I'm alone, I'm outta here! I just hope Hunter knows what to do; but he's a smart kid- I'm sure he'll find a way!
The museum-
Hunter cuts a wire (snip!): "Got it."
Bullseye: "Now pick the locks on both sides of the case, and open it. Pull the jewels out CAREFULLY, without touching anything else. There may still be other alarms on the case. Then put everything else back the way it was."
Hunter looks at the lock-pick and suddenly grins mischievously. He whispers into the comm: "This is tooo easy. I play video games harder than this!"
He opens the case with a soft click, and picks up the jewels. He puts them in a bag on his belt, but "drops" the lock-pick in the case as he closes it: Oops! Hee, hee! He climbs back up the web-line onto the ceiling.
Hunter: "All done. Wanna' go HOME now!"
Bullseye: "One last thing- you have to reconnect all the cameras before you leave. Remember- put them exactly how you found them!"
Hunter: "Whatever. I just wanna' go..."
Back in Fisk's office-
Peter is finally alone: Good. I thought they'd NEVER leave! Oh, boy- this is really gonna' hurt... Well, Petey old boy, it's now or never! He bends over into a handstand and mule-kicks the door.
Fx: Zzaaappp!
The hinges rattle and crack, while he's shaking on the floor, trying to recover from the shock.
Peter: Aggh! I think my HAIR is smoking! Come on, just one more...
He sets up for one last kick, and...
Whamm! The door flies off!
Across town-
Hunter is hooking up the wires on the last camera. He pauses, for a moment: Hee, hee! Daddy SAID to make some NOISE! He puts the wires in backward, and...
Rrrriiinnggg! The alarm goes off!
Hunter, stares, his eyes wide as bars slam down over the doors and windows: "Uh-oh!" He dashes toward the
vent, but drops the bags and jumps down to get it.
Bullseye: "What in blazes is going on? Incompetent brat! Hurry up and get out of there with those gems!"
Hunter backs into a corner with the bag, and covers his ears, huddling from the noise as he feigns fear: "I'm scared! Daddy!" He pretends to cry.
Bullseye: "Stupid kid- I knew this was a bad idea. Get OUT of there!" Hunter just cries louder.
Five minutes later-
The sound of sirens is coming from outside as two police officers enter. One is in plain clothes. They hear
soft sobbing coming from a far corner of the room, and shine their flashlights to look.
Cop# 1: "Hey, Lieutenant, you hear that?"
Cop# 2: "Yeah."
They see Hunter curled up clutching the bag. He looks up at them with tears in his eyes, and holds up the bag. He wipes his face with one hand. Hunter: "S-sorry. Am I in trouble?"
The cops are stunned.
Cop#1: "What the...?"
Cop# 2: "A KID?!"
Suddenly, Hunter gets up, pulls off the headset, and throws it on the ground, stomping on it. He looks up and grins. "Okay. Bad men can't hear now. Can you help me find my Daddy? Mommy will be MAD, cause it's
past my bedtime!"
Cop 1: "Lamont, do you SEE that? The kid's a mutant!"
Hunter gets indignant: "Am NOT. Daddy says I'm just different cause I got his chro- chromo- somethin's." He pouts. "Anyway, some of his best friends are mutants, so THERE!"
Lamont(plain clothes): ""Hmm. Hi, kid. What's your name? Your daddy doesn't happen to wear a red-and-blue outfit and swing around on a web a lot, does he?"
Hunter nods, and Lamont smiles.
Cop# 1: "So this is HIS kid? I'd heard he had one, but didn't know he was a mutie!"
Lamont waves him quiet. "It's okay son. But what are you doing here? Where's Peter?"
Hunter looks worried: "My name's Hunter. The bad man has him, and he MADE me take those big stones."
Lamont: "Do you know where? Who is the bad man?" He crouches down to look Hunter in the eyes, and offers his hand.
Hunter shakes his head: "Uh-uh. I don't know where. But the bad man said his name was Wilson, and Daddy called him Kingpin. Please, help us!" He starts to cry again, for real.
Across town- above the city-
Peter swings on a web-line, past Times Square: Hope I can find him before those creeps get their hand on him again. Once Kingpin realizes I'm gone, he won't hesitate to have Hunter taken out. Why do these things always happen to MY family? I'd better check and see if he remembered what I told him. Maybe the police already have him safe.
He swings down toward the streets and sees a police car below. He lands on top of it, and leans over to look in the window.
Peter: "Hi officers. Nice night, isn't it?"
Cop# 1: "Get off our car!"
Peter: "and I love you, too, sunshine. Say, you guys haven't heard anything about a jewel heist anywhere tonight, have you? One with- say- a little guy with about as many arms as Otto Octavius?"
Cop# 2: "Now that you mention it, there was something on the scanner a few minutes ago about an alarm at the Natural History Museum. I think they had some kind of famous gems on display over there. You expecting
trouble from a power?"
Peter: "No, not really. In fact, I think you may have just saved me a lot of searching, Thanks! I owe ya!" He leaps up and swings off.
Cop# 1: "That guy's a nut."
Several minutes later, outside the museum-
Lamont is leading Hunter out, when they hear a voice from above.
Peter: "Well, if it isn't my favorite Lieutenant! Hello, Lamont. I see you found my son."
Peter drops down and walks over to shake his hand. Hunter runs over to him and leaps into his arms.
Hunter: "Daddy!"
Peter: "Whoa! Hiya, kiddo! See, I told you it would be alright. Nobody gets the best of your dad!"
Lamont grins: "Hello Pete. I had a feeling this little guy belonged to you. But he said some bad guys had you- something to do with Kingpin. What's going on?"
Peter shrugs: "Just a run of the mill kidnapping, assault, and hostage sort of thing. Nothing a couple of spider-guys like US couldn't handle; right, son?"
Hunter (nods emphatically): "Uh-huh!"
Peter(mock stern): "By the way, kiddo- did you take some of those cookies?"
Hunter looks down guiltily: "Sorry. But he SAID I could!"
Lamont just stares, confused. "Cookies? What's that all about?"
Peter (thoughtful): "Hmm. You know, that gives me an idea. Did you already eat the cookies, Hunter?"
Hunter shakes his head, and pats his pocket, grinning: "Uh-uh. Savin' them for later!"
Peter chuckles, and turns to Lamont mischievously: "Say, how fast can you get a warrant to search Fisk's office? I'm in the mood for some double chocolate chip cookies!"
Lamont laughs, suddenly getting the point: "Ha! Consider it done, Pete!"