Dear Diary,
Last night, a horrible thing and a wonderful thing happened. First, some guy came into my house, and might have tried to kill me. But then, Peter came over and stayed up with me all night.
I could have stayed like that forever. Curled up on the couch, his arms around me . . .
It's that weird feeling I get every time he's around. I've never felt like that around any other guy other than him.
And then, this morning, he was sweet enough to even go down to the police station with us.
"Now this isn't what I pictured myself doing on a perfectly good Saturday morning," Peter remarked as he stood in front of an empty desk.
"It's not that bad," Mary Jane replied. "At least we've only been waiting for five minutes."
Peter looked around. Mary Jane and her aunt were sitting in the two chairs in front of an old wooden desk. He could see the clerk in the back of the station, talking to someone.
Hey, that guy looks familiar! Just then, the man turned and Peter could see his whole face. It's Captain Stacy!
The three watched as the clerk returned with the captain.
Stacy extended his hand, first shaking Anna Watson's hand, then MJ's, and finally Peter's.
"I'm Captain George Stacy," he said, sitting down. "I'll be taking your statements. Based on what you have already told the clerk, it sounds like your incident might be related to a case I am currently working on."
"Would that be the serial killer?" Peter asked.
"Why, yes. How did you know that?"
"I'm a photographer for the Planet. Peter Parker. I was at the crime scene yesterday."
"Oh, yes. I knew I'd seen you before. You were the one that noticed the mark on the victim."
"Yup, that's me."
"Excuse me," Anna interrupted. "But what exactly does a burglar in my house have to do with a serial killer?"
"We can't be sure, ma'am," Stacy replied. "The intruder in your home may have intended to murder either you or someone else in that house. Because he ran off, we can't be sure if he was even planning on that."
"Murder one of us?" Anna asked, shocked by the captain's statement.
Stacy grabbed a pen and pad of paper. "Please," he began, "tell me everything that happened last night."
Half an hour later, outside the station . . .
"I have to go to work," Anna announced. "But since we only brought the one car, and you have to be at work soon, I'll just take the bus."
"You don't have to do that," MJ said. "The Crib isn't that far from here."
"I insist. It's easier for all of us. Besides, I need some quiet time to do some prep work."
"Okay," MJ replied. "Thanks." She turned to Peter as her aunt walked off. "So, I do have a little while before I have to be at work. You want a ride somewhere, or maybe just cruise around for a while?"
Peter chuckled. "I think you just want some time alone with me."
"Maybe," MJ replied, blushing. "So, what is it?"
"Well, I told Victor I'd meet him at The Crib. If we just went cruising around New York, we'd never get there in time."
MJ laughed. "True. Traffic is a mess." She began walking to the car. "So, you wanna ride or not?"
"Right behind ya!"
As soon as Peter walked into The Crib, he saw Victor Cranston sitting in a booth, waiting for him. He began to walk over.
"Hold on," MJ said. "You want me to bring you something?"
"Sure," Peter replied. "Do you serve root beer here?"
"Of course! One root beer coming up, as soon as I go change!"
"Peter!" Vic called.
"I'm coming."
As soon as Peter slid into the booth, Victor leaned forward. "I was able to pick up on your signal. But I couldn't follow him for very long. I finally found this a few blocks away." He held out a small device. It was the spider tracer Peter had attached to the guy as he ran away.
"Shoot!" Peter exclaimed. "He must of found that. Oh, well, at least you tried. Thanks."
"How's she taking it?"
"MJ? She's doing okay, I guess. We just came from the police station."
"'We'?"
"The comforting neighbor," Peter said. "Just like when I stayed up with her all last night."
"Oooh," Victor teased. "Sounds like there's something between you two."
"I don't know," Peter replied. "It's not something I want to talk about right now."
"Here's your drink," Mary Jane said, as she walked up to the table, setting the glass down. She had changed into her waitress uniform of a red top and black skirt.
"Thanks," Peter said.
MJ turned to Victor. "Hi, Vic. You want anything?"
Vic shook his head. "Nah. I'm fine."
"Okay, I'll see you guys later." She walked off.
"Dude, how did you time it like that?" Vic asked.
"Spider-sense," Peter answered. "It's goes off when I'm in danger."
"Wow. It even works for your social life!" Victor paused for a moment. "You like her, don't you?"
Peter sighed. "Yeah. But I'm not sure when we can take our relationship any further. Right now, we're just friends. Anyway, we need to talk about the case." He pulled a folded up piece of paper out of his jacket. "I got this printout from the Planet."
"Let's go over the basics, just to make sure I heard everything right over the phone this morning. We have a serial killer, but no one has found a connection between the victims."
"Right. But the biggest mystery is who was he after last night? Mary Jane, or her aunt?"
Victor thought for a moment. "What makes us all certain that this is the work of a serial killer?"
"We're not. Everyone is just going by the assumption of Captain Stacy. We know for certain that everything before last night is connected."
"Does anyone even have a description of the guy?"
"Not really. Last night is the only time anyone currently alive has seen him, if it was him. And MJ couldn't see properly. All she knows is that he was big."
"That's the impression I got as well. I have a feeling it might not be a mere man."
"You mean a meta?" Peter asked.
"Using the DEO term, huh?"
"Sorry. I had a run-in with them recently. It's still irking me. But, back to the problem at hand, can we find a connection here?"
Victor looked over the printout. "I don't think this printout has enough information on it. All it has are names and addresses. There are so many different ways we can look at this."
"Maybe we should go over to the Planet," Peter suggested. "Lois is working on this story. Maybe she's found something."
From the Diary of Mary Jane Watson
Sometimes I wonder what's going on. Does he like me? Do I really like him? When are we ever going to get it out in the open? I mean, we've had some pretty close calls. We've come very close a few times, but something happens. Either we're interrupted, or one of us realizes what's going on, and ends it.
Oh, being a teenager in love can be so hard! But sometimes, it can be extremely fun.
Diary, I think I'm in love with Peter Parker. I just don't know if he feels the same way or not!
Peter and Victor walked into the conference room, where a special map of the city had been set up to follow the case. Victor was wearing a visitor pass, to identify him to the other reporters.
Lois was studying the map when the boys walked in. Peter noticed the pushpins.
"What are those for?" he asked.
Lois turned around. "The pushpins? Oh, they're just for identifying locations. The red ones show where the victims lived. The blue ones show where they were murdered."
"Is there a pattern?" Victor asked. "Was the killer trying to write something across the city?"
Lois shook her head. "No. Nothing like that. Perry, Ben, me, and a couple of others were pouring all over the map for hours this morning, trying to find a pattern, but we found nothing."
"Have you looked for any other connections?" Peter asked.
"Only the most obvious at this point," Lois replied. "Should we go over to my workstation and compare the victims again?"
"Sure," Peter said.
Lex Luthor looked at a map similar to the one at the Daily Planet laying on an easel in his office. He was leaning back in his large executive chair.
"I don't like this," he said out loud, to no one in particular. "New York is my city, and I don't need someone coming in and killing everyone in it!"
The intercom buzzed. "Mr. Luthor, your eleven o'clock is here."
"Send him in," Luthor said, sitting up in his chair, and facing the desk.
Norman Osborn entered the office. "Hello, Lex," he said. "I take it things are well."
"Yes they are, Mr. Osborn," Luthor replied. "And I would prefer that you called me Mr. Luthor."
"It looks like your plan is beginning to work so far. In only a couple of months, the Daily Planet should be ours."
"Yes, Osborn, I am aware of that. But, keep in mind that it is my plan. I only brought you along for the support. Besides, I need to do something with the printing plant. My online news site won't be needing it."
Osborn nodded. "I have been doing a few things on the side of my own."
"Like what?" Luthor asked.
"I'm not ready to reveal them yet. It might spoil the surprise."
"I hate surprises."
"You'll like this one. However, it's still in the planning stage."
"Osborn, if you do something stupid, I will have you taken care of."
Osborn changed the subject. "Has there been any opposition to our takeover?" he asked. "No one is really noticing are they?"
"Of course not. And if anyone does, they can't do anything about it. I'm sure Jameson and his lackeys are aware of it, but they can't alert the public."
"Because then, the paper might go under on its own."
"And there would be nothing left." Luthor paused for a moment. "However, there might be some people within our own corporations aware of our plan."
"They are either in agreement with us, or staying in line. If not, they can be easily taken care of."
"Excellent." Luthor leaned back in his chair. "Now, we have some legal and business aspects to take care of. Do you have the time to do it now?"
"I have all the time you need."
"Okay," Victor remarked with a sigh. "Let's try height."
"Man, we are getting desperate," Peter commented. "We've already gone through race, hair color, eye color, and hometown. But now, we're going for height."
"It's about all we have left," Lois said. "Maybe the killer just didn't like people taller or shorter than he was."
"I doubt it," Peter said. "Something that ridiculous wouldn't be so well planned."
All three were silent for a moment. Lois looked closer at some of the names. "Wait a minute," she said. "I think I recognize something about those names."
She opened up the Daily Planet database and typed in one of the names on the list. Almost instantly, an article appeared on the screen.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Victor asked.
"I remember seeing some of these names in stories over the past couple of years. In this one, it says that the lady on that list was dissatisfied with something at her place of employment, and tried some drastic measures to show her resentment. And in this one . . . " Lois pulled up another article. " . . . this gentleman was fired from his job for something he did, but quickly rehired. He has been very vocal about that."
"Sounds like the people weren't happy with their jobs," Peter noted. "But why would someone go around killing them."
"Maybe the boss is planning on doing something, and knows he will get opposition, so he's trying to eliminate it," Victor suggested.
"Good thinking," Lois said. "I'll try another search to see if there are any connections with their places of employment."
Before Lois could do anything, Perry White stuck his head out of his office door. "Urich! Lois! Come here now!"
Lois stood up and hurried over to Perry's office, where Ben Urich had already arrived. Peter and Victor were standing behind Lois.
"I just got a phone call," Perry explained. "Someone has just targeted Harry Osborn for murder. I have a feeling it might be connected to that serial killer story you're working on. I've already alerted the police, but I want you trying to find out everything you can."
"Sure thing, chief!" Lois said, turning around. "Well, boys, it looks like that search might . . . just . . . be . . . Uh, where'd you go?"
Spider-Man and the Shadow walked into the precinct. The Shadow was wearing his traditional gear, and was not invisible.
"Hold it there, now," an officer said. "We can't have you superhero types just coming in like this."
"We're here to see Captain Stacy," Spidey announced.
"It's okay, officer," Captain Stacy said. He looked at Spider-Man. "Bold move."
"I felt like we left things in a good place," Spidey commented. "You figure out your idea?"
"Yes, I did," Stacy replied. "And that deputization idea was ridiculous. However, considering how many drug dealers that we work with as informants, I don't see why I couldn't work with someone with a less shady past."
"So, we're going with informant?"
"Unless you want to take that mask off and spend six months in the academy." He looked around the webslinger and saw the Shadow. "Who's your friend?"
"He's the Shadow. We're here to help find Harry Osborn."
"Oh, yes," Stacy said. He grabbed two mini-headsets from a nearby desk and handed them to Spidey. "Use these to stay in contact. Now, move out!"
Next issue: The search for Harry Osborn leads the NYPD right to the serial killer!