Chapter 3: Double Date
"FASTER!"
"SLOW DOWN!"
"FASTER!"
"SLOW DOWN!"
"Both of you, QUIET!" Harry cried from the driver's seat of Cyclops' Mazda RX-8, looking at Hermione in the passenger seat, and Peter in the back, both glaring at each other.
"Stop showing off, Tiger," Mary Jane said with a coy smile on her face as she leaned back in the back seat.
"You are one stubborn girl, Harmony," Peter said with a confident smirk, "I see why Harry likes you. You remind me of MJ."
"If I knew you were going to show off, Peter," Mary Jane sighed, "I would have just gone to the library."
Hermione's head snapped up and she turned quickly to the girl, "Library?" she inquired curiously.
"Yes, I'd much rather be at the library reading than almost anything else," Mary Jane explained as Hermione's face lit up.
"Oh I love reading as well," Hermione chirped cheerfully, "What types of book do you enjoy?"
"Oh God …" Peter groaned.
"There's two of them …" Harry finished for him, shaking his head.
--
"If Voldemort truly has joined arms with Magneto," Professor Xavier said, rolling along the corridor with Cyclops, Wolverine, and Storm, "Then it is anything but a good situation."
"From what Harry's told us about Voldemort it seems he could be a greater threat then anything we faced," Cyclops added, "Paired with Magneto we're in for a hard road."
"I've been monitoring Genosha with Cerebro," Xavier stated, "They are making light movements, but I don't see any heavy activity yet. I'm not sure if they will organize at Magneto's base or some other place arranged by Voldemort. Once I determine an area where they are gathering their forces, Cyclops, I want you to take a small team and go on a reconnaissance mission to see exactly what we're up against. Needs be we can contact S.H.I.E.L.D., Richards, and Wanda in the Avengers for backup."
The group then rolled into another chamber with a very attractive Asian woman in a very tight blue martial arts outfit, with her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail standing at a control panel, looking over a sealed chamber.
"How is he, Betsy?" Xavier asked as the chamber opened to an unconscious Archangel.
"Warren's still in terrible shape, Professor," The woman said sadly, "He doesn't remember any of us, not even … me."
"Don't lose faith," Xavier said with a reassuring smile, "Warren was always a fighter. You know that better then any of us."
"Anyway, any idea on what Magneto is up to?" Betsy asked looking away from the comatose Archangel.
"Not as of yet," Xavier said looking thoughtful, "But whatever he's up to, and if he's truly teamed with Voldemort. We are going to have to be ready for anything."
--
"Harry how on earth did you ever get us a private room here?" Hermione asked looking around at the large private dining room. "This looks like a very expensive restaurant."
"Prof. Xavier said this is my birthday present," Harry said shyly cutting into his steak.
"You know what they say, Harmony," Peter said with a smile, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."
"Hermione," she corrected him on her name, "What did you say you were a photographer?"
"Yup, I'm a freelance photographer, but I usually work for the Daily Bugle," Peter said biting into his steak, and then giving Harry a quick questioning gaze.
'You can trust her,' Harry telepathically sent him, 'I trust her with my life, but it is up to you.'
"Actually I specialize in taking shots of Spider-Man," Peter said an odd seriousness taking his face, causing Mary Jane to give him a quick strange look.
"I have read that this … Spider-Man is very reclusive," Hermione mused, giving Mary Jane a curious look when she started coughing and spitting her drink out of her nose. "How do you take photographs of him," She inquired, "it must be difficult."
"Well …" Harry started but a large explosion across the street caused the closed off room to shake. "What the?"
The four looked out the window to see the office building across the street in flames and outside it two men were locked in combat. One of the men had light brown hair, and his eyes were hidden behind a large visor. He was wearing a green bodysuit and the strange thing about it he had four leg-like tendrils coming out from his sides. The other man was in a strange green and purple costume, its full mask covered his face in a hideous smiling demonic goblin's smile, and he was ridding on top of a large bat-shaped glider.
"Listen you jerk!" The Goblin barked, "This is an Oscorp building, you eight limbed idiot! I will not let you steal from Oscorp, I'll blow it all to hell first!"
"Go bother someone else, fool!" the other man growled, sending a tendril at his airborne enemy.
--
"Green Goblin and Doc Ock … together …" Peter sighed, "Wonderful. And I didn't bring my costume."
"Wait," Hermione said furrowing her brow, "You're … you're … are you a mutant?"
"No, not a mutant," Peter chuckled, "But you don't have to be a mutant to have a gift."
"I'll give you a hand, Peter," Harry said pulling out his wand, "Accio costume and uniform."
"You're … You're … Spider … Spider …" Hermione stuttered staring at the red and blue tights Peter laid down on the table of their locked private dinning room.
"Yup," Peter nodded, "I'm just your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man."
"Why is it you didn't go into that state when you discovered I joined the X-Men, Hermione?" Harry asked in a mock pout.
"Oh buck up, Harry," Hermione teased when another explosion rocked the building.
"We best hurry," Harry said quickly unbuttoning his shirt. The two boys began to remove their shirts when they realized something, and turned to their respective girlfriends, whom were both gaping at them. "Um, Girls …" Harry started.
"Do you mind?" Peter finished as the girls quickly spun around to face away from them with double humphs.
--
Ok, MJ, Hermione," Peter said sliding his mask over his face, "You two stay right here where it's safe, ok?"
"We won't be but a tick, Hermione," Harry said reassuringly removing his regular glasses and placing on his now trademark sunglasses.
"Harry, how can you see without your glasses?" Hermione asked as he handed his regular glasses to her to hold.
"Oh, when I borrowed Sabertooth's healing factor," Harry explained, adjusting his uniform collar, "For lack of a better term it fixed my vision. Those have clear lenses in them."
"Then why do you still wear these things?" Hermione asked in confusion.
"You were the one who told me I wasn't Harry without the glasses," He said with a wink, "Now you two stay here, we'll be right back."
"Ok, Harry," said Hermione, as Harry made the glass from their covered balcony overlooking the crime scene. She then rose up on her toes and gave him a quick peck kiss on the lips, "Do be careful …"
"I will be," Harry nodded at his girlfriend before he and Spider-Man dove out the now clear window.
--
"Mr. Potter?" Madam Pomfrey said walking out of the hospital wing of Hogwarts. James Potter shoved his glasses up on his nose as he leapt to his feet.
"Is she … are they …" James stuttered nervously, looking fearfully at the nurse.
"They're waiting for you … Dad," She smiled opening the door for him, but almost was knocked down as he ran through.
"Lily!" He cried running into the private room, but stopped dead still when Lily brought a finger to her lip as if to say 'be quiet'.
"Oh my God," James whispered as he looked at the scene before him. Lily lay, half sitting with pillows at her back, with a very tiny child sleeping at her chest.
"We decided Harry James if the child was a boy, correct?" Lily said smiling.
"I'm a dad," James said in disbelief as she handed the sleeping child to him. He held him in his arms so carefully it appears he was afraid he'd break. "He's … he's not like me … is he?"
"James, you know it's impossible to tell until he reaches puberty," Lily said knowledgably, "Besides I don't care if he's mutant, normal, wizard, or squib, he's our son,"
"And I'll be sure he has the love I never got growing up …" James finished for her as he kissed his small head, "Or I'll die trying."
--
Logan set up quickly breathing heavy. The dream he had already returning to nothing but fuzzy thoughts, with only the feeling of failure remaining. "What did I do?" He asked no one in particular as he climbed out of his bed, "Why? Why can't I remember?"
He walked out in the hallway toward the living room, and chuckled when he heard loud curse words.
"What is that, Mr. Weasley?" Beast asked as Logan walked into the living room, "24 for me, and 0 for you?"
"You're not bad, Dr. McCoy," Ron said with a faint growl, "But I'll beat you this time!"
"Lets go," Beast said leaning over the board as the two replaced their pieces.
"Do you two ever stop?" Logan asked, rolling his eyes, going toward the kitchen.
As the feral X-Man walked into the kitchen he spotted two young people still seated at the table with some novel Logan didn't know laid open before them. They were both fast asleep with Kurt leaning back in his chair and Kitty resting her head on his shoulder. "Cute kids," Logan said as he gently picked the two carefully not to wake them and carried them into the living room and laid them both on two opposite couches. Quite surprised they were both completely out of it.
"Heavy sleepers then," Logan smiled as he reached for two blankets and placed them over the two sleeping teens.
"You two be quiet," Logan growled narrowing his eyes at Beast and Ron, then unsheathing his claws, "Or else."
"Yes, sir," Beast and Ron said timidly as Logan returned to his room.
--
"Hey, you guys! Just wondering but …" Spider-Man asked as he swung down between Doc Ock and Green Goblin, "Can't we all just … get along?"
Doc Ock and Green Goblin looked at each other before smiling, "As much as we hate each other, Spider-Man," Doc Ock said with a menacing smile.
"We hate you ten times worse," Green Goblin finished, "And unless I've forgotten how to count, there are two of us, and one of you."
"You've forgotten how to count then, Mate," a voice called from behind Spider-Man, "I'm here too."
"Who the blue hell are you?" Goblin asked eyeing Mage.
"Must be an X-Man," Doc Ock mused looking over Harry in his X-Men uniform.
"I have the bug," Goblin said preparing a pumpkin shaped grenade, "You take the X-Boy!" He barked as he threw the grenade at the two young heroes.
The two teenagers jumped to dodge the grenade. "I'll take the ugly one," Harry said back flipping.
"Wake up, Mange," Spider-Man mocked, "They're both ugly! Tell you what, you take the one with the legs, I'll take the one in the air."
"Sounds like a plan," Harry nodded using his telekinesis to fly toward Doc Ock.
Harry jumped and flipped dodging the tendrils striking as if they were snakes. "Is that the best you can do?" He asked dodging another attack, moving slightly closer. Then one struck faster then he expected and sliced across his shoulder, "Ok, that's a little bit more of a challenge."
--
"HARRY!" Hermione gasped from the second story window of the restaurant. "I'm going down there to help!" Hermione announced, spinning around and starting toward the door.
"Don't, they can take care of themselves," Mary Jane said grabbing her arm, "If you went you'd just get in their way. Trust me, I know from experience."
"I'm not helpless …" Hermione said, in a huffy tone.
"Then you're saying they are?" Mary Jane asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Hermione turned and faced her with an exasperated look. "Look, Hermione I know how you feel. I've been with Peter for over a year now, and he's been Spider-Man for almost three years." Mary Jane explained, "And I know Harry wouldn't be an X-Man if he couldn't fight. I know you're worried, because I am too. To tell the truth my stomach's in knots right now. I know Harry wouldn't want you to be in danger. Heck, I'd be willing to guess he probably isn't happy to have Peter down there helping him either. I know, because he and Peter are just alike. That's why Professor Xavier introduced them, because they're split down the middle. Two stubborn guys who are too bull headed no let anyone help them bare their burden. But that's just who they are. Like Peter always says: 'With great power, must always come great responsibility'. They have to do what they have to do, and all we can do is pray for them, and be there when they come home. Do you understand?"
Hermione sighed, and sat down in a chair in defeat. "Very well, I don't like this though," She pouted, turning her attention to the fight outside.
--
"We got to end this," Spider-Man said dodging a pumpkin bomb, "I have to have MJ home by eleven, and it's ten forty five!"
'Well in that case,' Mage said mentally dodging laser blast from a tendril, 'Let us simplify our problems. And let them deal with themselves.'
"Have an idea?" Spider-Man asked kicking at the Goblin.
'Just play along,' Mage sent, before looking up at Doc Ock, "Is that really all you have? I've seen Gilderoy Lockhart with more dangerous maneuvers!"
"Why you insolent fool!" Doc Ock cried diving at Mage, while Spider-Man provoked Green Goblin at his back. The two heroes leapt to the side, leaving the two criminals to be flying on an unavoidable collision course. "NOO!" The both cried before plowing into each other, knocking them both out.
"And that's that," Mage said wincing as he touched his cut on his shoulder.
"You alright?" Spider-Man asked as he webbed up Goblin and Doc Ock.
"Yeah, just a little cut," said Mage, before looking up to see blue lights coming up the street. "Here they come."
"Late as usual, rooftop?"
"After you," Mage mock-bowed signaling for Spider-Man to go on ahead.
--
Spider-Man swung up to the rooftop of the restaurant with Mage telekinetically floating behind him.
"That was probably the most insane, foolish, and bravest thing I have ever seen," Mary Jane said walking out of the roof exit, as Spider-Man removed his mask. "I'm proud, Tiger," She teased giving a quick kiss on the lips.
"Harry, you're hurt!" Hermione gasped looking at the cut on Harry's shoulder as he removed his uniform sunglasses. She quickly pulled a handkerchief from her purse and placing it on his shoulder, then preceding to glomp him.
"It's just a small cut, Mione," Harry said with a smile, "But thanks for the warm welcome back."
"Well, MJ just lives around the block, I may just swing her home from here," Peter stated, giving Harry a wink, "That is … if you two don't mind driving back to the mansion alone."
"I believe we can manage," Harry muttered blushing wildly, making the web slinger laugh.
"Well, have a happy birthday tomorrow, Harry, and I take you'll be spending the day tomorrow with your friends from 'across the pond', and not going to be at the statue tomorrow evening," Peter said sliding back on his mask, and using a terrible impression of a British accent, "I'll tell Johnny, and we may drop by to give your birthday whooping in the danger room."
"Ha, like you two could whoop me," Harry mocked as Mary Jane jumped excitedly in Harry's waiting arm.
"We'll see, Magic Boy," Spider-Man said firing a webline, "See ya, wouldn't want to be ya!"
Harry and Hermione watched the couple swing away before turning and making their way to the car.
--
"I'm sorry the date was ruined, Mione," Harry sighed buckling his seatbelt. "I really wanted it to be special."
Hermione smiled brightly, "Harry, I had a marvelous time! You have nothing to worry about, and besides … the night's still young you know …" she said, her voice slowly going into a purr toward the end. She then laughed lightly as Harry gulped when she brought her hand to rest on his leather clad thigh, "Have I ever told you how good you look in that uniform, Mage?" she asked, giving him a seductive smile.
"Ohh boy …" Harry gulped, 'this is going to be a long evening …'
To Be Continued …
C. Cowboy: this chapter is dedicated to the finally continuing canon saga of HP, LETS US ALL REJOICE!!! For the record don't expect any updates for a while, until I finish reading Order of the Phoenix. ^^ Anyway, thanks go to Xavien for betaing this. Well now I'm off to watch Hulk and then on to get me a copy of HP5. TTFN everybody and one final note:
DOWN WITH H/C! H/HR FOR EVER!!!!!
That is all … please review now ^^