11-06-2004, 09:49 AM
He watched as his once happy home was invaded by his wayward daughter and her friend. From the safety of the shadows, Sinister watched as Victoria opened the secret door and walked inside. He almost couldn't help but smiling. However, the secrets that room held, were not for Victoria's eyes. Not yet.
She could sense him, feel his presence in this room that had once been his secret lair so long ago.
"What drew me here?" She asked aloud, her eyes adjusting to the minimal light flowing in from the study.
"I don't know, your all consuming thirst for knowledge?" Peter cracked from behind her, making her turn only slightly and glare at him.
It was then, she saw something on the old desk in the room that caught her attention. A black leather bound book with a single red diamond patterned on the cover.
"Ah ha..." she smiled and scooped it up. Bringing it out of the secret room and into the study to get a very in better light, her jaw almost dropped when she opened the cover and read the first words...
The Journal of Dr. Nathaniel Essex
"Peter..." she whispered, looking up at him with wide eyes.
"Come on Tory, let's get out of here." Peter knew they were being watched. His Spider-Sense had told him that they had been followed, and he knew exactly who would follow them here, and it wasn't Gambit.
"Ok..." she looked back into the secret room, almost disappointed that she couldn't explore it more. But for now, she at least had something.
"NO!" His mind almost screamed as he saw her pick up his private journal and walk from the room with it.
"A bigger fool than myself there never was. I thought it long lost, destroyed...and now..." Sinister felt a well of rage flow through him, but there was nothing he could do. He stood in silence and watched his Victoria and Parker leave. Granted, he could have faced her down, but not yet. Not now. Partly because inside somewhere he was curious to see what affect that journal would have on her, mostly because he knew he could never withstand the Phoenix Force should she decide to unleash it on him.
"You...you going to be ok?" Back at Victoria's apartment, Peter and Victoria sat on the sofa, the diary laying on the table in front of them. Neither had said a word in over an hour, simply staring at the tome as if they were afraid it was going to jump to life before them.
"Yeah...Peter, there's something I need to talk to you about. You know, when we were at Mom and Pop's and you asked if something was wrong...well... up until this morning, I thought perhaps I might be pregnant." it was all said so clinically, but Peter could sense the relief in her voice.
"Really? I mean, are you..." he wasn't really sure how to finish it. He watched her as she laid her head back against the sofa and stared at the ceiling.
"I'm ok. It's weird. I didn't even tell Hank. I never had the chance really. He's been so damned distant and I didn't want to just spill this in the middle of what we were doing. Besides, I didn't want it to come off as some desperate plea for him to pay attention to me." she rolled her head and looked over at Peter and watched his expression closely.
"You shouldn't have to plea to him to pay attention to you Tory. That should be a given. But...now, you're certian you're not pregnant?" the worry in his voice was evident.
"Yes, not only did I use one of the home tests, I ran the bloodwork myself. Something's going on with me Peter and I don't know what it is. It's like there's something building inside of me and I can't figure it out. Ever since Dr. Strange worked his magick on the Phoenix, it's been acting different. I can control it, but it's not like it always has been. It's voice is silent in my mind...I can't sense it as strongly as I always have..." she paused and rubbed her eyes and smiled at him.
"I'm sorry, I'm rambling aren't I? I just...I really haven't had anyone to talk to any of this about. Spider-Man tried, in his own way...Tessa could sense something I could tell. But Hank...I've gotten more attention out of Deadpool lately." she laughed a little as Peter groaned.
"Please! Don't say his name! It's just like Beetlejuice! You say it 3 times and he appears." Peter winked at Victoria and pulled her over to him.
"That guy...needs some serious help." He gave her a hug and let her just lay in his embrace.
"He's sweet, in his own psychotic way." Victoria laid her head against Peter's chest and giggled just a bit. This was nice. It had been a long time since she had been close to someone and this was a comfort to her.
"I don't know what you see in him. I mean, he was hired to kill you." Peter toyed with a lock of her hair, twirling it between his fingers.
"You know what they say, love and hate and all that. Besides, you should really meet the other versions of Wade...some of them aren't nearly as psycho as ours." Victoria looked up at Peter, then down at the book again on the table. Letting out a sigh, she closed her eyes for a moment.
"You don't have to do it today...you have it now, you can go through and read it any time." Peter's words of encouragement were whispered into her ear.
"Get out of my head Parker!" she whispered back to him, smiling.
"Besides, you never know when Dr. Strange will send his calling card of service to you. I need answers...soon...and this book, I think is where I'll find them."
She could sense him, feel his presence in this room that had once been his secret lair so long ago.
"What drew me here?" She asked aloud, her eyes adjusting to the minimal light flowing in from the study.
"I don't know, your all consuming thirst for knowledge?" Peter cracked from behind her, making her turn only slightly and glare at him.
It was then, she saw something on the old desk in the room that caught her attention. A black leather bound book with a single red diamond patterned on the cover.
"Ah ha..." she smiled and scooped it up. Bringing it out of the secret room and into the study to get a very in better light, her jaw almost dropped when she opened the cover and read the first words...
The Journal of Dr. Nathaniel Essex
"Peter..." she whispered, looking up at him with wide eyes.
"Come on Tory, let's get out of here." Peter knew they were being watched. His Spider-Sense had told him that they had been followed, and he knew exactly who would follow them here, and it wasn't Gambit.
"Ok..." she looked back into the secret room, almost disappointed that she couldn't explore it more. But for now, she at least had something.
"NO!" His mind almost screamed as he saw her pick up his private journal and walk from the room with it.
"A bigger fool than myself there never was. I thought it long lost, destroyed...and now..." Sinister felt a well of rage flow through him, but there was nothing he could do. He stood in silence and watched his Victoria and Parker leave. Granted, he could have faced her down, but not yet. Not now. Partly because inside somewhere he was curious to see what affect that journal would have on her, mostly because he knew he could never withstand the Phoenix Force should she decide to unleash it on him.
"You...you going to be ok?" Back at Victoria's apartment, Peter and Victoria sat on the sofa, the diary laying on the table in front of them. Neither had said a word in over an hour, simply staring at the tome as if they were afraid it was going to jump to life before them.
"Yeah...Peter, there's something I need to talk to you about. You know, when we were at Mom and Pop's and you asked if something was wrong...well... up until this morning, I thought perhaps I might be pregnant." it was all said so clinically, but Peter could sense the relief in her voice.
"Really? I mean, are you..." he wasn't really sure how to finish it. He watched her as she laid her head back against the sofa and stared at the ceiling.
"I'm ok. It's weird. I didn't even tell Hank. I never had the chance really. He's been so damned distant and I didn't want to just spill this in the middle of what we were doing. Besides, I didn't want it to come off as some desperate plea for him to pay attention to me." she rolled her head and looked over at Peter and watched his expression closely.
"You shouldn't have to plea to him to pay attention to you Tory. That should be a given. But...now, you're certian you're not pregnant?" the worry in his voice was evident.
"Yes, not only did I use one of the home tests, I ran the bloodwork myself. Something's going on with me Peter and I don't know what it is. It's like there's something building inside of me and I can't figure it out. Ever since Dr. Strange worked his magick on the Phoenix, it's been acting different. I can control it, but it's not like it always has been. It's voice is silent in my mind...I can't sense it as strongly as I always have..." she paused and rubbed her eyes and smiled at him.
"I'm sorry, I'm rambling aren't I? I just...I really haven't had anyone to talk to any of this about. Spider-Man tried, in his own way...Tessa could sense something I could tell. But Hank...I've gotten more attention out of Deadpool lately." she laughed a little as Peter groaned.
"Please! Don't say his name! It's just like Beetlejuice! You say it 3 times and he appears." Peter winked at Victoria and pulled her over to him.
"That guy...needs some serious help." He gave her a hug and let her just lay in his embrace.
"He's sweet, in his own psychotic way." Victoria laid her head against Peter's chest and giggled just a bit. This was nice. It had been a long time since she had been close to someone and this was a comfort to her.
"I don't know what you see in him. I mean, he was hired to kill you." Peter toyed with a lock of her hair, twirling it between his fingers.
"You know what they say, love and hate and all that. Besides, you should really meet the other versions of Wade...some of them aren't nearly as psycho as ours." Victoria looked up at Peter, then down at the book again on the table. Letting out a sigh, she closed her eyes for a moment.
"You don't have to do it today...you have it now, you can go through and read it any time." Peter's words of encouragement were whispered into her ear.
"Get out of my head Parker!" she whispered back to him, smiling.
"Besides, you never know when Dr. Strange will send his calling card of service to you. I need answers...soon...and this book, I think is where I'll find them."
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