Erma ? Outcast Comix/Brandon J. Santiago

Spider-Man ? Marvel Comics/Stan Lee and Steve Ditko


Atop the underground building that was the home of the Rat King.
Percy (still in his hybrid form) was perched at the edge, overlooking the Undercity.

While still very much amazed at an secret community of rat people living within a hidden city..
Percy still felt troubled at recent revelations that Sidney's father revealed to him.

He had his own people..SPIDER People (and, a Spider Queen at that!)
and, they had once lived closely with the Rat Colony.

Percy began to think hack to his interactions with Sidney, and wondered..

..was it Fate for them to meet?

Was him saving Sidney's life REALLY just being in the right place at the right time?
Or, was it all part of the fabled 'Web of Destiny' that his mother told him stories about.

The more he thought about it..the more he started to believe it wasn't an accident.

"P-Percy?"

Percy looked back to see Sidney emerge from the 'skylight', and climb onto the roof.

"what are you doing up here all alone?"

Percy resumed staring off at Undercity before him. "I..I needed to clear my head." spoke Percy.
"I feel more relaxed when I am up high where I can see everything."

Percy then chuckled. "not easy to do when you are Underground."

Sidney chuckled lightly..she then approached Percy, and sat beside him.

"are you feeling okay?" asked Sidney. "I know my father's story was alot to take in all at once."

Percy breathed out softly. "it was quite a shock..I'm still trying to wrap my head around it.
I mean..a whole community like this one?..only of Spider People like my mom!?"

"I wish they were all still alive." said Sidney, her voice soft and kind.
"I know all too well how much it hurts lose someone that you never knew."

Sidney then frowned. "and..to feel that overwhelming guilt at being the one who lived."

Percy looked at Sidney. "sidney..You are not to blame for your mother's death."

"I know.." spoke Sidney, sadness in her voice. "I was just a baby trying to live.
But, I still feel responsible for what happened..despite knowing I did nothing wrong."

Percy looked down..and, nodded. "I guess you really do know how I feel, Sidney." spoke Percy.

"And..perhaps I shouldn't feel responsible for what happened to this Spider Guild.
I wasn't even born yet when my mother lost her people..It really wasn't my fault."

Sidney looked at Percy, and smiled. "sooo.." began Sidney. "do you wanna go exploring?
I think we should do something fun to take your mind off of things."

Percy thought for a moment. "I suppose I could use a distraction..Okay. let's go."

Sidney stood up, and helped Percy onto his own feet.
She was about to walk down to the open sky light..but, Percy grabbed her hand. "wait a minute.."

Sidney looked back at Percy. "Huh?"

"I know a faster way down." said Percy. "that is..IF you trust me."

"of course I trust you, Percy." said Sidney.

Percy smiled. "good..then, put your arm around me."

Sidney blushed bright red at this. "excuse me?!"

"I'm not flirting with you, I swear." said Percy, also blushing.

Sidney shrugged, and approached Percy. repressing her awkwardness,
the rat girl wrapped her arms around Percy's neck..who put his arm around her back.

"percy.." growled Sidney, getting suspicious.

Percy grinned..as he jumped off the roof with Sidney.

"PERCEEEEE!" screamed Sidney.

((*Thwip!*))

With one hand, Percy shot a webline from his web shooter,
and swung himself and Sidney from the estate, and across to the town square.

Upon landing onto the ground, Percy released Sidney as a small group
of startled Rat People stepped back, and stared in astonishment.

"sorry..I didn't mean to scare you, Sidney." said Percy.

Sidney breathed out as she brushed her hair back with her clawed fingers.

"It's..fine." spoke Sidney. "but, WARN me next time, Okay!?"

Percy looked down. "got it."

At that moment, Percy took note of the many eyes looking at him.
Eyes filled with shock and fear were all directed at him like rifles.

Rat children pointed at him, while the adults kept their distance
(even shielding the children as if Percy was a dangerous monster.)

It made him feel VERY uncomfortable.

"oh, man..this was a mistake." muttered Percy, feeling exposed.

As Percy pulled his hoodie hood over his head,
Sidney took his hand, and the pair ran off far away from the other rats.

Once they were isolated, Percy pulled down his hood..and, frowned.

"so much for Rats and Spiders being friends.." spoke Percy. "did you see how they looked at me?"

Sidney put her hand on Percy's shoulder. "it's okay..I am sure they were just startled."

Percy huffed. "maybe I should chang-"

"NO." exclaimed Sidney, suddenly. "no..don't. you don't need to look human here.
You are like me, Percy. and, you can be who you really are here: no lies..no false faces."

Percy looked at Sidney. "I hope you are right."

Sidney gave Percy a tight hug..which Percy found very comforting.
As the two parted..Percy noticed something at a distance.

"hey..What's that?!" spoke Percy, who ran over to a wall.

Sidney followed Percy. "What's what?"

"THIS!" said Percy. "this part of the wall..it's a different color."

Percy slowly glided his palm over the surface of the wall.
the darker parts felt like stone..but, the lighter area did not.

In fact, it felt more metallic.

"this..This feels like a door." mused Percy.

"a Door?.." spoke Sidney, puzzled "Are you sure?"

As Percy moved his hand..a blue light suddenly illuminated underneath it.
Percy gasped, and leaped back as the square light flashed green.

(("PARTIAL DNA MATCH. DISABLING COUNTER-MEASURES."))

Both Percy and Sidney stared dumbfounded at the computer voice that just spoke.
Their confusion only increased when the hidden door creaked, and budged open a little.

"what in.." Percy and Sidney stood frozen in place for a moment.
Finally, Percy approached and pushed the metal door open further.

On the other side was an old, civil war era lift.

"Sidney?" spoke Percy, wanting an answer.

"Don't look at ME.." said Sidney. "I've never seen THIS before."

Percy looked at the strange metal cage on the other side of the door.
while he probably should be cautious..he was also quite curious.

After a minute of hesitation, Percy's curiosity outweighed his dread.
and, he began to walk through the door, and into the metal cage

"Percy, WAIT!" called Sidney, running after the Spider Boy. "You don't know where that leads!"

"No, I don't." spoke Percy, his voice echoed.
"But, if there is something bad..my spider senses will warn me."

Sidney exhaled sharply. *boys..* muttered Sidney. "WAIT FOR ME!" called out Sidney,
as she also walked through the old metal door after Percy.

Percy looked at a hanging cable with a remote at the end.
As he examined it, he found the remote had two triangle shaped buttons.

He quickly realized they were arrows pointing UP and DOWN.

"nowhere to go but Down." said Percy, as he pressed the Down button.

*CHIK!*

At that moment, the metal door closed back up..leaving the two kids in darkness.
They then felt the lift move, slowly lowering down a shaft of some kind.

"I don't like this." said Sidney.

"nothing's tingling yet, so I think we'll be okay." said Percy.

"I still don't like it." said Sidney.

Eventually the lift came to a stop, and another door opened up.
Percy approached the door with Sidney, and as they opened it..light spilled out from the other side.

As the two walked through, they found themselves in a medium size interior
that almost looked like the inside of someone's garage that hadn't been cleaned in years.

Tables were set out just piled with various pieces of gear.
The walls were plastered with crudely drawn schematics.

and, one table against a wall was lined with several of old computers linked together.

"what..IS this place?!" spoke Sidney, awestruck.

Percy took a moment to examine the interior.

"If I had to make a guess.." began Percy. "It's an old bomb shelter turned into secret laboratory."

Sidney looked at Percy. "oddly specific guess."

Percy approached one of the tables, and looked at the many items upon it.

"look at all this stuff..just a handful could pay big money at a thrift store."

"I bet whoever this place belonged to got most of it from places like that." said Sidney.

Percy chuckled..but, then suddenly gasped and froze in shock.

"What is it, Percy?!" asked Sidney, worried.

Percy grasped something off the table, and turned to Sidney.
Sidney looked, and saw a familiar looking device in Percy's hands.

"it..It looks like-"

"a web shooter." finished Percy. "It looks like a web shooter..only Bigger, Older looking."

"It can't REALLY be that." mused Sidney. "Only your dad made web shooters..You said so yourself!"

"I did, yes..and, he did build them. HIM, and no one else." said Percy.
"and, yet this thing..It's old, but I recognize my dad's craft anywhere."

Sidney tilted her head. "If that really is true..then that means this place is-"

((*beep-beep-beep-beep-beep..*))

Sidney and Percy looked to see one of the old computers flashing a red dot over and over.
Percy immediately approached the monitor..which proceeded to shine a beam of light at his face.

(("IDENTITY CONFIRMED: B. PALMER, PERCIVAL.")) spoke the computer voice. (("PLAYING MESSAGE."))

Sidney approached as a grainy video began to play over the monitor.

On the screen was an adult human man with dark brown hair,
and wearing glasses similar to Erma's dad.

Percy dropped the web shooter in his hand as he stared wide eyed at the screen.

"d-dad.." spoke Percy, stunned.

Percy's father sighed as he looked at the screen. (("hello, son.")) began the man.
(("if you are watching this..then, I am unfortunately dead..I'm sorry."))

all four of Percy's eyes grew moist as he stared at his father's face.
Sidney remained silent as a church mouse. daring not to ruin this moment.

(("With things going the way they are, I've decided to record this message
for you to watch once you are old enough to understand..")) continued Percy's father.

(("lord, I don't know where to start with this..(deep sigh) Okay..let's do this one last time.
My name is Barton Palmer. I am a scientist who met and fell in love with a Spider Woman.

and, she..She's Amazing. a Spectacular woman who inspired me to a better man.
I tried to be like her..but, I failed. that is..until YOU were born.

I now realize that..I was never meant to change the world: YOU were, son.
All that you see in this lab. I thought I made it for me, but I actually made it all for you.

My only regret..is that I won't live to see the good man I know you will become.
All I can say is that..Don't try to be like me, OR even like your mother."))

a tear fell down Percy's cheek.

..ironically, Percy's father removed his glasses to wipe his own eyes.

(("I love you son.")) spoke Percy's father, as he put his glasses back on.

(("and, remember: while I have made many impressive equipment in this lab.
the One Thing that I consider to be my greatest achievement..is YOU, son."))

With that, the recording ended..leaving Percy at a loss for words.

[End of Part Eight]


[Author Notes]

This chapter expands a bit more on my interpretation of Spider-Man.
In that I decided to write in a secret "Spider Cave" in the form of a hidden bunker

(which is conveniently located in what is now the Rat People's Undercity.)

I based a bit of the scene with Barton Palmer's pre-recorded message for Percy
on a similar scene from The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

in which Richard Parker sent a similar message to Peter at his secret lab
located within a hidden subway car at a closed off subway station

(which I almost copied before going with the Bomb Shelter idea.)

What else can be said here, other than more of Sidney and Percy relating to each other
when it comes to guilt, loss and personal responsibility (even for things that weren't really their fault.)