Fan Fiction: Crossovers
Why Wasn't I There?
Part 1 (cont.)
Peter Parker was just finishing a McDonalds milkshake, when his Spider-sense buzzed, and a dozen people suddenly screamed.
Leaping to his feet, Peter ran out into the street and saw something that made his stomach drop.
A plane, flying far, far too low, speared into the tower. The World Trade Center had been wounded, struck and was bleeding smoke and flames.
As people swore and whispered the names of various deities, Peter Parker stood in numb silence. But the awful voice in his head, the voice he had heard every time he had put on Spider-Man's mask, told him to move.
In the empire State building, on the observation deck, Stephen Cranston closed his eyes. The few dozen people around him were aghast, running, some for the exit and a few for the telephones. But Stephen Cranston just closed his eyes, and then ran for the elevator with the others.
Running into the nearest alley, pulling the jacket off, pulling his gloves from his pocket, he heard the voice again. And for some reason, it sounded a lot like his uncle Ben.
"You have great power Peter," the inner voice told him. "That means you have a great responsibility. There are people in trouble. You have a duty to help them. Never forget that."
Spider-Man, still wearing Peter Parker's trousers, ran up the wall, his mask still only half on. By the time he got to the top, the costume was complete, and Spiderman was firing a web line toward the burning tower. "I won't forget Uncle Ben. I'll never forget."
Burbank picked up the newest report, and smiled at the smell of the fresh coffee. As he poured himself a cup, he read the new note.
Moments later, the coffee pot shattered on the floor.
The Shadow was in the hit tower's fire escape, and was climbing fast, when his ring flashed. Not even slowing down, he pulled a radio from his belt, and set it the correct frequency. "Yes Burbank. I know."
Spider-Man had swung as high as he could, and was still about 10 floors short of the impact damage. He was climbing normally, and frantically, looking for a way in that wasn't burning.
He managed to pull himself into a broken window, a floor beneath the serious damage, but the office was still a scene of carnage. Broken windows, furniture everywhere, flames and sprinklers and broken pipes were everywhere. Pieces of debris rained down, and smoke was suffocating. But that was not the sight that stood out most to him.
He had seen destruction before, in a thousand different places, and a thousand different ways. But the one thing that really got to Spider-Man was his partner. He was on his knees. But most disturbing of all, was his face.
The Shadow was crying.
"Are you okay?" asked Spider-Man quietly.
"W-Why couldn't I stop this? Why didn't I know? WHY WASN'T I HERE?" said The Shadow.
Spiderman had no answer.
A low moan from a pile of wreckage distracted him. The two heroes scrambled and pulled away the wreckage. As the plaster and broken cement came away, a hurt man was unearthed.
"Are you alright?" asked The Shadow.
The man was not injured, just pinned down, and he stood on his own, wobbly legs. "I think so." He said. "Thank you. Do you think the elevators still work?"
"They do from about two floors down to the ground. Take the stairs to the elevator floor. Can you make it yourself?"
"I think so. Thank you again. You guys are heroes you know." And with that he was gone.
"But I didn't know." Said The Shadow softly.
"Stop beating yourself up." Advised Spider-Man. "I know that you pride yourself on knowing everything, but this could be a simple accident. Even you can't predict blind chance."
Even as he spoke, only a few hundred meters away, a second jet flew by, and smashed into the second tower with a deafening roar.
Neither of the men said anything for several minutes. But then the Shadow wiped his face.
"Not an accident." He said crisply. "Spidey, you have to web up a ladder or something, to get the people above the damage, to some working elevators. I am going to try and find the black box from the upstairs wreckage. Move!"
The two heroes parted company.
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