Fan Fiction: Crossovers
Can't Get You Outta My Head
Chapter 6 (Pt. 2)
Spider-Man swung from the middle of New York, to the high end of town, where the millionaires lived. Reaching Cranston manor, he leaped over the fence, and vanished into some trees. Minutes later, Peter Parker was knocking on the door.
Victor opened it, saw Peter's face and closed his eyes. "You have more news don't you?"
"'Afraid so. Good morning by the way."
Victor sighed. "Something tells me that you're about to take care of that for me. Don't take this personally Pete. But I'm really starting to hate having you around."
"Try not to kill the messenger."
"Okay come on in."
Diane paced the room. Victor had gone to answer the door several minutes before, and had not yet returned. Left to her own thoughts, Diane started thinking about the previous day's revelations.
Stephen is The Shadow. She thought to herself. Which explains why he kept ducking out of dinners, why he was always so mysterious, and why she had come out of her last encounter with the sinister man unscathed. Stephen did not want to kill me. She thought. But he did not want me around. If he's going to help me now, then he'll help me as The Shadow. But what about after that? Am I to just disappear again?
Diane did not want to see Stephen hurt. Or do I? She wondered to herself, surprised by the sudden thought. He hasn't stopped lying to me since the night we met. We were together for months and he didn't give me the barest hint about his life. Did he think I would betray him to Kingpin? Would I have betrayed him to Kingpin? She followed that thought. No, she decided. I wouldn't have betrayed him then. The wording of that thought struck her as odd. "Then?" what about now? He lied to me, led me around like a sheep, put me out of business with the kingpin, sent me to jail, which meant I could never get a job, which led me to this whole predicament. She suddenly was struck by the irony of coming to Stephen for help. Of all the people, She mused, I go to the man who put me in this position in the first place.
She sighed as she realized the long term ending to the problem. When its over, he'll lie to me again, and just send me on my way. She thought, and then I'll be right back where I started, unable to get work, scraping for money.
Suddenly, she was struck by another irony. This is it! she thought triumphantly. This is the way to get my job back. She chuckled to herself. Stephen Cranston, she thought, you have just bought me back into Kingpin's good books.
Heading up to her room, Diane opened her purse, and pulled out her cell phone. She slid up the antenna, but sighed and turned it off. The antenna was broken. Wonder how that happened. She thought. Looking around, she saw another phone on the nearby table, and pulled out her little black book. Thumbing through the pages, and scrolling through the numbers neatly written, she found the number she wanted.
Heading over to the phone, she left the book open to the number she was dialing. At the top of the page, was written a name: Wilson Fisk.
Dialling the phone, Diane chuckled again. Kingpin my friend, she thought as she hit the numbers, you are going to be very interested in this.
"Destroyed." Victor said stupidly.
"Like it was never there." Confirmed Peter.
"Khan…blew up…the Sanctum."
"Nothing but a caved in building. Stephen is still there sifting through the rubble."
"The Sanctum. My sanctum, my father's sanctum, my nephew's sanctum."
"That would be the one."
Victor slowly, calmly sat down behind his desk, took a deep breath, and turned over the huge mahogany desk with one hand in a sudden blur of movement.
Peter let out a breath quietly and stepped back from the sudden destruction.
Just then, a light on the arm of Victor's chair lit up. Victor looked, and his jaw dropped. "She's not!" he whispered.
"What?" asked Peter.
Victor gestured him to remain silent. Peter nodded, and Victor picked up a cordless phone from the floor.
Victor pushed a button on the phone, and looked at the phone number on the small screen. His eyes widened as he saw the number.
Peter was about to ask what was happening, when Victor answered the phone. "Yes?"
Peter smothered a gasp. Victor was speaking in a perfect imitation of Kingpin's voice.
"Ah yes, miss Burke, I remember." Victor continued, scribbling on a pad. "Oh? Why would I give you your job back?" He slid the pad over to Peter. Peter read the pad. Victor had scribbled two words: STOP HER!
Peter nodded, and ran for the door.
"Because I have information that you want to hear." Diane said confidently. "I know who The Shadow is."
"Really? I would be VERY interested in this information. Who is he?"
"Now, I will tell you, if I have your word. I want my job back, and your guarantee that I will be safe."
"Of course dear woman." Answered the Kingpin's voice.
"The Shadow is Stephen Cranston."
There was silence on the other end for a moment and when it returned, it was with a very excited air. "Of course! How else could he get all those scoops on The Shadow's activities? He does it himself, and then writes about it the next day. It makes so much sense."
"We have a deal then?" asked Diane.
"Indeed. Where are you? I will have to send a car for you."
"I am, in fact at Cranston manor." Diane said.
"Okay then. It will be difficult to secure a discreet exit for you there. I will work on getting you here; you just act casual. Is he aware of your knowledge?"
"No. It's far too easy to fool him. I really can't believe he's-"
Suddenly Diane heard footsteps coming down the hall. "I have to go." She said, pulling a magazine out of her bag and opening it.
"I understand. Good work Miss Burke." Kingpin said.
Diane hung up, just as Peter walked in. "Hi Diane. Just checking up. Can't be too careful right?"
Diane gave him a grin, and turned on the charm. "How nice of you, just doing some reading."
Peter nodded, and left.
Diane tossed the magazine aside, and relaxed back into the chair. It really was too easy to fool them all. She caught herself on that thought. It may be easy to fool them, but one of them is The Shadow, and he is most certainly not a fool. Diane berated herself. I can't let anything slip about that. He must not know I know.
The memory of The Shadow's sinister laugh rang through her mind, and she shuddered again. Lord knows what he would do to me if he found out.
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