New York
The Spectre was flying through the city at full speed.
«Spider-Man is a threat to humanity! He must be arrested! - shouted J.J. across the giant screen.
«Good morning to you, too, J.J.," Arthur said, pulling up in front of the screen.
«Okay, let's forget about the masked villain for a while," and then a picture of Graydon Creed appeared on the screen.
Spectrum, on the other hand, pressed a button on his glasses and saw the information. Creed was going to suggest isolating mutants from humans in custody.
«Oh, man. First Leo was kidnapped. Now this. Isn't that disgusting? - Specter asked.
Evans' mobile phone rang and he picked it up.
«Yes? He asked.
«Evans, get over to City Hall! Creed's performing there in half an hour and I need the latest pictures! - JJ shouted.
«Yes, Chief," Arthur replied, then hung up the phone and pulled out his camera.
Evans flew to City Hall.
***
Spectre landed on the roof of the building right in front of City Hall. After that, he was himself again.
«I can get a good shot from up here... - Arthur started taking pictures.
Then his phone rang.
«Yes?" the brown-haired man asked.
«Evans, where are you?! - Jameson asked.
«Look back, on the roof... - he replied.
JJ turned round and saw Arthur on the roof.
«Genius...
«I'm in... Smile and wave - the brown-haired man pointed the camera.
JJ did just that. After that, Arthur took a few pictures of Graydon.
«I'll draw his horns on him later.... - said Evans.
But he suddenly heard footsteps and hid. The Tuskmaster came up on the roof with a rifle. He was preparing to shoot Graydon. Arthur came quietly up behind him, swinging at him with the edge of his palm. Tuskmaster saw Arthur in the reflection of the rifle's sight and struck him in the stomach with the butt of his rifle. The brown-haired man fell backwards, clutching his stomach. The assassin then pointed his rifle at him.
«So, who do we have here? - he asked.
«Just a photographer who was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Evans said, raising his hands.
«That's a good point about the wrong place... - Tuskmaster replied. - I don't want to kill you. I don't want to kill you, and I won't even get paid for you.
«Maybe we should just part ways quietly...? I don't want any trouble... - said Spectre.
«No, you don't. You'll call the police, you'll call S.I.T., and I don't want any fuss," he said, reaching for the fuse.
Arthur took advantage of the moment and kicked the rifle aside, then kicked the Taskmaster in the head with his other foot. The man dropped the rifle, which Evans pushed aside.
«Not bad... I remembered," the assassin said, setting his jaw.
«Just did karate and judo, nothing more, nothing less," Arthur replied, getting into a stance.
«Karate and judo don't teach you that.... Trust me, I know," said the Taskmaster, then drew his sword and shield.
«Hey! That's not fair! - he shouted.
«Who says we're having hand-to-hand combat?
«Okay, I remembered that...'' - replied Arthur, then changed his stance to one that looked like boxing.
«Boxing? No, something else... You're a copycat, said Taskmaster.
«Well, then, attack...
Immediately after that, the assassin started attacking with his sword. Evans dodged like a boxer, but in an instant he kicked him in the ankle. The assassin almost fell, but then kicked himself. Arthur, on the other hand, took advantage of a gap in his defence and kicked him in the stomach.
«Combining different martial arts into one... Genius. Who taught you? - Tuskmaster asked.
«I learnt it on my own, they don't teach it," Evans replied and then jumped back, dodging the sword.
«I can see that... - he swung his sword, and at that moment Arthur took a flash photo, blinding him.
Tuskmaster reflexively covered his eyes, and Evans tossed his rifle up and smacked the villain in the face with the butt of the rifle. Tuskmaster was knocked out.
«Phew... - The brown-haired man scratched the back of his head, then pulled out his phone and dialled a number, putting the receiver to his ear.
«Yes, Evans? - JJ asked.
«Warden, I have a question... What's my bonus for the article about how I apprehended the killer who wanted to slap Graydon Creed? - Arthur asked.
And then there was a beep.
«So there's a lot of... - he nodded, looking at his mobile phone.
Evans then pulled out some duct tape and tied the killer up as best he could.
***
Arthur watched the Tuskmaster being bagged and the media taking pictures. And then he was surrounded by reporters asking him questions.
«Er, no, mates, sorry, I'm sorry, the chief will kill me if I talk to you - said Evans, and then went to the chief.
«Arthur... I'm proud of you... Such a plot... - Jameson was literally crying.
«Can I get some kind of award for such a story? - Evans asked.
«3... - he said.
«3,000...?
«Three grand! And I'm also promoting you to journalist at half the rate! - shouted JJ.
«'Congratulations,' said Robertson, who came over and held out his hand.
Arthur shook his hand. Then suddenly Graydon Creed and his guards came up. This got the attention of the media and Arthur.
«'Thank you for your non-involvement,' the sabre-toothed son held out his hand.
The chestnut-haired man looked at his hand, and, holding back the urge to spit in his face and on his hand, shook it.
«Bravo, you don't have to, he replied.
School
Arthur was washing his hand, which he had shaken with soap and water. He was washing his hand while outside and in a special washbasin.
«Is it really that disgusting to shake hands with someone you saved...? - asked Gwen, standing next to him.
«If it were up to me, I would have spat in his face right then .... - he replied. - Fucking racist.
«Yeah... - she said.
«That's a relief. A triple bonus and a promotion.... - said Evans.
«Congratulations...
«Thank you... - he replied.
«Arthur! - Chestnut heard and turned round.
Running towards him was Felicia.
«Oh, Hardy... - Arthur said.
«Hi - she smiled, stopping in front of him. - 'I hear you're our hero of the day?
«Don't remind me... - he replied. - I had to this... Man... I had to shake his hand.
«Oh, how... Oh, Gwen, hi - the blonde smiled as she spotted Stacey.
«Yeah, hi... - replied Gwen.
However, at that very moment Arthur's attention was drawn to a girl with green wavy hair down to her shoulder blades, fair skin and green eyes. She had green lipstick on her lips and was dressed in a green turtleneck, jeans with a belt and shoes.
«Arthur, why don't we go out? - Felicia asked, but then she saw that the chestnut was hovering. - Hey... Arthur...
«Arthur! - shouted Gwen.
«Huh? Sorry, I was thinking - Evans replied, smiling.
«Came down from heaven to earth... What's on your mind? - Stacey asked.
«Oh, nothing... - he replied, scratching the back of his head.
«No reason...? - the girls asked, and then looked in the direction where the guy was looking.
But there was no charming girl there.
«Okay, sorry, I'll go - Arthur headed towards the exit.
«A hundred...! - The girls didn't even have time to call out to him.
They looked in the direction Arthur was looking again.***
Arthur walked quietly into the house.
«I'm home! - He shouted as he took off his shoes.
When Evans walked into the hall, he looked a little pale. Laura was sitting on the sofa with her arms crossed over her chest and a look of displeasure on her face.
«Laura, what are you doing? Where's Mum? - asked the brown-haired man.
«Aunty went to the shop.... And I'm angry, because for once we could have killed the bastard, and it was prevented.... - she said. - You did, by the way.
«Jesus, Laura, I'm disgusted, but there were innocent people there, what if someone had been hurt? - he asked.
«From a Taskmaster? A pro with experience? - Kinney asked.
«Yeah, why me," the brown-haired man replied, sitting down next to her. - You don't take offence to me, do you?
«I do. - She answered in a childish manner, and then she climbed up on his shoulder and put her hands on his shoulders. - But as a brother I forgive you..... - she replied.
«Sister mine... - he laid his head on hers.
The sibling smiled widely after that.
Hallicarrier
Aria sat in the interrogation room, and in front of her was Tuskmaster in handcuffs.
«Well, shall we talk? - She asked.
«Huh... Agent Evans, do you think you'll be able to crack me? - he asked.
«I've never had a silent interrogation before," Miss Evans replied, pulling out a firecracker. - Do you know what happens if it explodes in your hands?
«Nothing," the killer replied, but then added: "Or a small burn at most.
«And if you put three of them up your arse? - she asked.
«You wouldn't dare, Aria. You're not a shield agent anymore. And if you hurt me, the courts will be on my side.
«Exactly, I'm not a shield agent, the cameras are off and how are you going to prove I was here? - Evans asked.
«Although... I won't tell you who hired me, but-- - There was a snicker from underneath his mask. - I know you're looking for information about Sigma.
«What do you know?
«That's not the way it works, Arya. You know I don't give out information-- For free.
«What do you want? - She asked.
«The same as always, Aria, money. I know you have the means to buy information. And this one.
«He was a way to get to me. - Aria exhaled, realising that all these events had only started because the Tuskmaster wanted to make money out of her. - But you know... - the face of Satan appeared on her face.
And then the assassin turned pale.
«What's going to happen when everyone finds out that the master assassin was tied up by some schoolboy...? - she asked.
«Don't try to scare me about losing my reputation. Everyone who needs to know knows he's your son. - The Tuskmaster said grudgingly. - Keep in mind the time on the offer is limited. The agents will be here soon to take me away.
«Yes, he's my son, and he's just a schoolboy who knows the basics of hand-to-hand combat," Aria replied with a hand on her head. - And who would want to hire you if they knew that? And how will you work with a burnt anus? - she pulled out a lighter. - Are your trousers new? If so, take them off.
«Who are you trying to scare?
«Okay, at least I tried. - she took out a chequebook and a pen. - Five zeros is good enough for you?
«5,000,000 and I'll tell you everything.
«Hey, you. I'm a single mum, have a conscience, Aria said.
«I already gave you a discount. 5,000,000 is a fair price for this information.
«Three years' savings. Bastard. - she wrote out a cheque. - Speak, and it's yours.
«What do you know about Alexander von Doom?
«Dr Doom's nephew. Ran into him and his robots a couple of times.
«He praised your fighting skills and even hired me to practice the fighting style of his latest project... One that has a good chance of succeeding.
«What does he want? - Aria asked firmly.
«Your son's genetic material. And something else.
«What?
«I'm sorry I couldn't find the second reason. All I know is that it's inextricably linked to your son. And the last reason is Sigma's own. Revenge for past humiliations.
«That's nothing new. - Aria sighed, handing the Tuskmaster the cheque. - Look, why don't you tell me who hired you to slap Creed? Honestly, I'll shake that man's hand.
«I don't give up suicides. - he replied, and that's when the agents came in.
«Tuskmaster, stand up! - shouted one of them.
«See you soon, arachne - Tuskmaster stood up and was led away.
«Suicides.... - Miss Evans thought.
***
Arthur sat thinking. There was one thing he couldn't stop thinking about. The rifle Tuskmaster was supposed to shoot with had its sights off.
«If he had shot Creed, he wouldn't have hit him.... - the brown-haired man thought, and a second later his head clicked. - But that means that...
***
Graydon Creed sat quietly to himself in his office behind his chair and stared out the window.
«Chief, are you sure the plan worked? - The man with the Friends of Humanity armband asked him.
«Quite - answered the son of the sabre-tooth. - Tomorrow I will present the "proof" that Taskmaster was hired by Magneto to kill me, and then everyone will support my project to take the mutants into custody. Set up a press meeting.
«Yes," his man left the office.
Graydon smiled as he closed his eyes.
To be continued...
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