Chapter 47: The Criminal Clairvoyant Part II

Chapter Forty Seven: The Criminal Clairvoyant Part II:

“Mysterio, locked up in Ravencroft the last time I checked…yeah I know, means nothing, means nothing at all,” thought Spider-Man. “What’s strange this time the breakout hasn’t been reported. Oh well, I’ll find out when I get there.”

“Citizens of New York, for too long I have cleaned up after your mess!” shouted the voice of the Spider-Man duplicate and the real Spider-Man swung around, before he clung to the side of the building. “I have saved your pathetic lives time after time from villain after villain but no more. I will continue to be your hero, but for a price. I will rob every single house within this state and take the most valuable item as penitence for your crimes.”

The people booed.

“You can’t stop me and neither can the police, because of the fact they couldn’t even catch a random mugger off of the street,” taunted the duplicate but the real Spider-Man stood up from behind him and the duplicate turned around. “Oh what’s this, someone trying to be a hero dressing up like me, the real Spider-Man.”

“Yeah, right, you’re the imposter,” said Spider-Man. “If you were the real Spider-Man, could you do this?”

With a movement, Spider-Man sprung forward with a kick but the duplicate whirled around to avoid it and then launched Spider-Man over the side of the building with a kick.

“Oh but I can,” said the duplicate, as Spider-Man tried to pull himself up, but the duplicate sprung into the air, before pulling up Spider-Man and then he threw the real deal to the ground. “Anything you can do, I can do better.”

The faux web head wrapped Spider-Man up in webbing but the web head quickly broke his bindings and aimed a punch but with expert reflexes, the duplicate blocked and gave a twist to the arm, to force Spider-Man on his hands and knees. The duplicate struck Spider-Man with another kick right to the ribs.

“Anyone else willing to play the hero will get more of the same,” said the duplicate Spider-Man but the real web head caught into a television news helicopter that was flying low with a line of webbing, before pulling himself up and swinging. The tight grip of the duplicate proved to be his undoing, as the duplicate crashed down. It sprang back up.

“You’re going to have to get up earlier than that to beat….” Started Spider-Man before a net of webbing wrapped around him. This was a bit stronger than normal and the web head tried to get up, as the duplicate picked up a brick, before he raised it over his head, eyes glowing red.

With a burst of strength, the webbing was broken and Spider-Man caught the brick, pulling it away, before swinging it back and smashing it right into the duplicate, before he stepped back and launched himself right at the duplicate. Both foes spiraled over the side of the building, but at the last second, the genuine article grabbed onto the side of the building.

With a loud crash, the duplicate splattered on the sidewalk with sparks flying everywhere and two lines of webbing shot out. The dumpster was pulled around and the duplicate was smashed against the brick wall.

“EVERYONE BACK!” shouted Spider-Man as his spider sense had went off and the duplicate pushed himself out, overheating, his eyes blinking and Spider-Man braced for an attack, but the duplicate fell apart, leaving a mess of parts.

Spider-Man picked up a bag, with the golden plaque that the faux Spider-Man had stolen was slid right to the waiting police.

“I believe you can take it from here,” said Spider-Man as most of the crowd looked on in confusion, as Spider-Man swung off. He still had to get to the bottom of this Mysterio situation.

“Still don’t know what his plan his,” thought Spider-Man. “Nothing’s adding up. Especially considering he hasn’t technically broken out of Ravencroft. Surely he isn’t masterminding the entire thing from the inside. Oh well, I’ll figure this out when I get there.”

XXXXX-XXXXX

An orderly looked up from the desk, not really paying much attention to Spider-Man as he walked into the entrance of the asylum. Given that costumed individuals were rather common at Ravencroft, it was to little surprise that Spider-Man’s entrance was not even met with the slightest bit of shock.

“May I help you, Spider-Man?” asked the orderly.

“I need to check on a prisoner, Quentin Beck, Mysterio,” stated Spider-Man. “I have reason to believe that he is masterminding some scheme.”

“Don’t know why you’d think that Beck was up to something, the guy’s been a model patient, never says a word or speaks out of turn, unlike some of the people here,” stated the orderly. “Dr. Hamilton is confident that he will be let out soon, rehabilitated and ready to rejoin society.”

Spider-Man held his tongue. He decided not to voice his concerns that Hamilton might not be the best authority on what was considered to be rehabilitated.

“If it would give you peace of mind, web head, I’ll lead to Beck,” stated the orderly and Spider-Man followed the orderly down a hallway, where several patients stirred and many of them stared at Spider-Man with contempt.

“Just wait web head, you might be so big outside of that door, but when I get out, I’m going to fry you!” called Max Dillon, alias Electro, held back by his restraints but a few stray sparks flew from inside the cell.

“Hey man, Spider-Man, hey, I’m going to chew out your eyeballs and hang you with your own optical nerves when I get out of here!” taunted a crazed looking prisoner with wild red hair cackling like a hyena on laughing gas, as he rocked back and forth.

The Scorpion just gave Spider-Man a deadly glare as he walked by, looking like he would rip Spider-Man to shreds if there was not a door in the way.

There were several more threats, until they reached the cell, where they saw Quentin Beck, who sat there, looking many times calmer than pretty much any other prisoner in the asylum. The cell looked like a standard jail cell, only with electrical bars instead of iron bars.

“These cells are reserved for our more well-behaved prisoners,” explained the orderly. “The one’s who do not have powers, as those would cause problems.”

“Well Beck, good to see that you’ll still here,” said Spider-Man and Beck just responded with a calm nod. “What’s the matter, Beck? No dramatic retort.”

“He has made great strides, especially in the past three weeks,” said the orderly. “When he received a package from his mother, a birthday cake.”

“Wait a minute, he got a package and you gave it to him?” asked Spider-Man.

“Naturally we checked for any tools that could allow him out of the cell and found that it was just a normal birthday cake,” defended the orderly. “See the box that it came in.”

“With Mysterio, nothing is what it seems,” said Spider-Man, suddenly shooting a line of webbing right into the cell and it passed right through Mysterio but it caught onto a box, which as Spider-Man shifted it, so did Mysterio. “The tools weren’t in the cake. It was the box. The tools were the box! A disguised holographic image projector was smuggled in here.”

The orderly looked horrified when he realized that he and his fellow orderlies had been duped. He made a movement to inform Doctor Hamilton leaving Spider-Man in the hall, to hear the threats given by the restrained prisoners.

“Well, he’s out, I’ve verified that,” thought Spider-Man. “Now, I’ve got to figure out why. This doesn’t make any sense what he’s up to but since this is Mysterio, it has to have some kind of double meaning.”

Without another word, shutting out the threats of the patients of Ravencroft, many of which he had put there, he swung out, ready to keep an eye out for the tent. The next time “Reo” makes a prediction, Spider-Man would be ready to swoop in and take him out.

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“Boss, it’s just coming in on the police radio, they know that you’re out of the nut house,” stated a henchman, to a shadowed figure.

“Excellent, then all is going according to plans, the web head has deduced it in the manner that I had hoped,” stated the voice in the shadows. “The stage is now set for the grandest proclamation of Reo the Mystic. The police will be all over at the wrong end of the city once I am pulling my grandest heist yet. Now get in position, I must get into character.”

XXXXX-XXXXX

Throughout the entire city, the following words echoed in the same monotone that was prominent over the past couple of days.

Misdirection is the key.

Yet many will be sprung to serve as a distraction

Sinister forces are at work.

Time runs short for all.

Each criminal will be sprung.

Ravencroft and Ryker's will be broken open

In twenty minutes, the city will be flooded with the criminal element.

Only in the end will the ruse be uncovered.

“Captain Stacy, did you hear that?”

“Yes, it appears that we might have a fiasco on our hands, if this proclamation comes to pass.”

There was a momentary pause.

“We have little time to move but I can’t think that there is something unsettling. However, we can’t afford a mass jailbreak. Everyone move.”

Meanwhile, Spider-Man crawled around, having heard the source of the broadcast. He was unable to find where it was broadcasting from but he came to the conclusion that it was pre-taped. Pulling out his phone, he discreetly moved over to an area where he would not be overhead.

“Gwen, did you do what I asked you?”

“Yes, and you were right, Peter, there is a bit of a pattern. All of the places, including Ravencroft and Ryker’s, make a straight line when you line them up.”

“Good it’s pointing right to Mysterio’s true objective. What is it?”

“It’s a chemical plant, off the edge of town. Fits in right well with Mysterio’s MO, with all of his holographic tricks, he needs chemicals to make most of his illusions work….it works too well.”

“What?”

“Misdirection is the key and the ruse will be uncovered. It’s not pointing towards where he’s going, it’s pointing away. What’s on the other side?”

“An abandoned storage locker facility…what could he want there?”

“That’s the question. Give me the directions and I’ll figure out what he wants.”

XXXXX-XXXXX

A group of thugs walked into the abandoned facility, lead by Mysterio, who moved forward.

“At last the crime of the century will be committed and most importantly, funding for my next production will be acquired!” cheered Mysterio loudly, as his thugs just nodded and clapped, humoring their boss. “None will be able to stand up to the magnificent malevolence of the masterful Mysterio!”

“Yeah, but I betcha can’t say that three times fast,” quipped Spider-Man as he climbed in a window, to face Mysterio and his gang, which caused them to back off.

“Spider-Man, but it is impossible!” shouted Mysterio in a horrified manner. “You could not have deduced my plan, it was such a masterful tapestry of twists and turns and red herrings! I had everything planned out perfectly!”

“A bit too perfectly, Mysterio. Much like any great director, you used foreshadowing but you overplayed your hand a bit too much,” said Spider-Man before he paused. “Not like you’re a great director. Nothing but a cheap special effects artist of a bunch of Z-Level movies.”

“How dare you!” bellowed Mysterio as he motioned for his henchmen to attack, but Spider-Man ducked and dodged their attacks. Two henchmen attempted to jump Spider-Man but they clonked heads and he webbed them together. Spider-Man flipped over another henchman and webbed his feet together, before bouncing off his back and then taking out his adversary. A henchmen choked Spider-Man from behind, but Spider-Man elbowed him, before he gracefully flipped over.

“When we these guys learn that they are out their league?” said Spider-Man as he dodged another attack bored and a blast of webbing had gift wrapped another thug for the police. “There, that’s the hired help, now onto the big guy.”

Spider-Man walked forward, as Mysterio managed to force his way into a storage locker.

“The game is over, Mysterio!” yelled Spider-Man.

“On the contrary, Spider-Man, I am merely into the second act!” shouted Mysterio as he raised his arms and suddenly, the ground beneath Spider-Man appeared to crumble beneath him.

“At ease Spidey,” thought Spider-Man as he braced himself. “Just illusions, really vivid illusions.”

A large boxing glove appeared in front of Spider-Man and a loud crack echoed, as Spider-Man was flung right to the ground.

“And really painful illusions,” thought Spider-Man groggily. “Okay, get it together, he’s obviously using some kind of chemical to trick my brain to think that this is real and this hurts….get it together and remove his little toys.”

Spider-Man pulled himself up, as two large hooks swung around him. He dodged them both, if he had received the very vivid illusion that he was hacked to pieces, he shuddered what effects it might have in the real world.

“Okay, Mysterio, stop with the tricks and fight me!” yelled Spider-Man, as the ground beneath him appeared to turn into quicksand but Spider-Man shook it off.

“But I thought they were a bunch of Z-Level special effects!” cackled Mysterio. “Surely, someone of your caliber could figure out how to fight them? Unless you are willing to concede that I am your superior!”

Spider-Man braced himself before he began to move. The floor rumbled from underneath him and the web slinger was forced to evade each attack. Illusions of flame throwers and buzzsaws flew right towards Spider-Man and images of spikes shot through the floor. Spider-Man leapt onto the wall but it began to appear to melt.

“Just wait, Mysterio, I’ll find you!” yelled Spider-Man as he swung forward but at that moment, Mysterio appeared to be further and further away from him, as if he was at the end of the tunnel. Spider-Man aimed a kick right at Mysterio but just before he connected, Mysterio appeared to have split in three before his very eyes.

“Great, this trick,” thought Spider-Man as he somersaulted in the air but several more Mysterio’s appeared around him in a circle.

“You know Beck, this one’s getting really old,” commented Spider-Man in an agitated tone.

“Come on, Spider-Man, pick the right one out!” bellowed Mysterio. “I am here, I am there, I am everywhere but is the real Mysterio anywhere?”

Punches were swung but then Spider-Man just paused and took a deep breath, before he discreetly closed his eyes and tried to focus on anything that would point him to the source of Mysterio’s holographic tricks.

“What’s the matter, Spidey?” taunted Mysterio loudly. “Given up?”

“A hum, there we go,” thought Spider-Man as he shot two lines of webbing out and there was a grunt.” Bingo!”

Mysterio’s gloves were ripped from his costume, as the dozens of holographic duplicates vanished, once, Spider-Man smashed the holographic devices in the gloves to the ground, with a cloud of dust erupting from them. Mysterio stepped back.

“Stand back,” said Mysterio, a little less boisterous than he was previously. “I’m warning you.”

Spider-Man punched Mysterio right in the gut, knocking the wind out of him, before Spider-Man webbed Mysterio right to the storage locker and smashed his helmet open, to reveal several more wires and the face of Quentin Beck.

Spider-Man turned around and looked around.

“Okay, Beck, what were you after?” asked Spider-Man.

“Ha, like I’d tell you what Mysterio was after!” yelled Mysterio loudly. “His plan has went on as it was intended.”

“Yes, I’m sure you intended to be sent back to Ravencroft,” said Spider-Man. “There’s nothing here, just old papers left and a few broken artifacts. This place was cleared out.”

Mysterio just responded with a crazed, maniacal laugh.

“Okay, I’m just going to call the nice men in the white coats right now,” said Spider-Man. “Looks like you inhaled one too many of your chemicals, Beck.”

Spider-Man moved over, checking Mysterio to ensure that he had no way to free himself, before securing him with more webbing and then moving to call the police on the payphone across the street.

XXXXX-XXXXX

Mysterio was hauled off in shackles and lead into Ravencroft, where several orderlies meant him.

“Hey, hands off me, I have rights, you know!” shouted Mysterio.

“Just checking to see if you’re a robot, Beck,” said the orderly.

“I AM MYSTERIO!” bellowed Mysterio loudly but the orderly reached forward and some make up was removed from the prisoner’s face. The orderlies looked at each other in horror, slowly realizing what happened.

XXXXX-XXXXX

“Sorry for being so short, Peter,” said Captain Stacy as he walked past him when he walked out the door, when Peter arrived to walk Gwen to school. “We have a situation, it appears that Beck duped everyone.”

“What?” asked Peter in confusion as Gwen walked over, looking curious herself.

“Yes, the Mysterio that Spider-Man caught was not a genuine article, it was one of his henchmen in a good make up job,” said Captain Stacy as he walked off without another word.

“Dad’s rather stressed out about this,” said Gwen. “And judging by the look on your face, you’re too.”

“Yes, I managed to capture Mysterio and it wasn’t really Mysterio,” said Peter as he rubbed his temples. “His entire scheme doesn’t make any sense at all. I don’t know Gwen, I really don’t.”

Gwen responded with a slight shrug. She looked about as baffled as Peter was and they left the house in confusion, completely confused.

Why would Mysterio waste so much time and energy to commit a crime at a place that there was nothing of value and basically sent a henchmen in his place?

It made no sense at all.

XXXXX-XXXXX

“It made perfect sense, naturally!” bellowed Mysterio in his most boisterous voice. “The foolish spider tried to ensnare the masterful, magnificent, malicious, malevolent Mysterio, but he was ensnared within his own web! The scheme, the object of this production, was procured right before the first proclamation of the Criminal Clairvoyant was made! It was in a discreet low budget production shortly after I had quietly left Ravencroft through my own masterful means and then swapped for a similar looking piece of paper. No one will have known that the transaction had been made. The duped arachnid was run ragged for a production that was the prequel to my original low budget scheme! Spider-Man will find himself searching for some deeper meaning but the truth is, I have won this battle, hero, through my superior masterful manipulating. The day belongs to MYSTERIO!”

Despite no one being in the run down abandoned movie studio, Mysterio still liked to rehearse his grand standing speeches that he would give once his next production co staring Spider-Man would occur. The profits from this one would pay off masterfully.

A knock on the door and a man dressed in a trench coat, with sunglasses and a scarf obscuring his face stepped inside.

“You have it.”

“As promised. You have my payment.”

“Naturally, it is all here.”

A briefcase was tossed to Mysterio and it clicked open, to reveal stacks upon stacks of hundred dollar bills. Mysterio thought that he got the better end of this deal, given that the piece of paper contained a bunch of scribbles that appeared to make no sense. Still he was not about to pass up a multi million dollar deal. He handed over the folded piece of paper and his mysterious employer just responded with a nod.

“There’s an extra million in there to indicate that we never met.”

Mysterio responded with a nod, as he made his way with the briefcase full of money. All things considered, he came out ahead in this scheme and he had the added bonus of driving Spider-Man to the point of madness, as there was little doubt that the web head was trying to figure out any hint of what Mysterio was truly up to.

XXXXX-XXXXX

“I have the paper and have decoded it. Mere child’s play.”

“I suspected a man of your talents would have little trouble. It will direct us to the second component of the device.”

“That fool Beck will never have an idea how much he got shortchanged, given the value of the information he stole for us. Yes it’s….well this is quite interesting and it could be problematic.”

“Problematic?”

“Yes, but doable. Given what was built on top of the second component, this is going to take some careful planning.”

“You do have something in mind.”

“I always do. You will have the second component within the week.”

“You best deliver, Dr. Essex.”

“Believe me, I shall and you know what I want.”

“If you succeed, you will have all you want and more.”

The conversation was concluded on that note and the line of communication went dead.

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