Ranma 1/2 usd without permission
Spiderman used without permission
C&C is, as always, welcome and appreciated

=============================

        "You failed." Despite himself, Wu Long felt a shiver run
up his
spine at Leung's declaration of the obvious. Resting atop Leung's
polished mahogany desk was a black briefcase which held the thing
Long had been sent for. As it rested there, the mystery of its
contents taunted him, the solution beyond his grasp.
        Leung had to pay out of his ass to get the whatever-that-
was away from the police, as well as to bail out the men who
survived the fiasco at the dock. Long knew that beneath his
employer's steely gaze a raging temper was straining to be free.
        "I'm sorry, Mr. Leung," Wu Long said. It was a pathetic
attempt at an
apology, but under the circumstances it was all he could say. He
had
explained how the Yakuza, there was no other explanation of who
they were, and Spiderman had ruined what was supposed to be a
simple operation. But was it really so simple?
        "Spare me your apology," Leung snarled. Wu Long inwardly
flinched at the venom in Leung's voice. "I had to pay premium yen
to retrieve this." His fingers lightly tapped the briefcase as he
said the last. A pregnant silence stretched between them, the
waning light of the evening sun casting the room in a golden
tint.
        "I will, however, give you one more chance," Leung said
after the
silence had become almost unbearable. Long looked up in shock,
doubting his own ears. With the Kingpin, it was usually one
strike and you're out.
        "Sir?"
        "First, you will locate the other case," Leung said, "and
then, you will bring me Spiderman. Or his head. Is that clear?"
        "Perfectly, sir," Long replied, hoping his relief wasn't
too evident
in his voice.
        "Good," Leung said. "Now get out!"

        Leung watched as Wu Long made his exit. Once the door
shut, he
allowed himself to bury his face in his hands. Anger and
frustration mixed
to create a maelstrom of powerful emotions that strained at the
bonds of
Leung's control. Preventing himself from ripping Long's throat
out with his
bare hands had taken a Herculean effort of will.
        He sat in that position for what felt like hours,
attempting to get
his emotions under control. Finally, he managed to bring himself
back to a
reasonably calm state, allowing his mind to think rationally.
        The yakuza intrusion had been a complete surprise. He had
taken
great care in setting up the entire scheme, and had left nothing
to chance.
However, his rivals had found out anyway. Such a breach indicated
a bad
security leak, one that he fully intended to find and have
plugged. He would
handle that particular mole hunt himself.
        Then there was the matter of the Spiderman. How did he
learn of the
pickup? Who was he working for? Could it be possible that he was
in it for
himself? Who was he?
        Leung ended that train of thought, following it would
only rile him
up again, and he needed to think clearly. What leads did he have?
The only name he could associate with Spiderman was... what was
that kid's name again? Hikaru... something or other.
        Activating the terminal that rested on the top left
corner of his
desk, Leung browsed through all newspaper articles on Spiderman.
So far, only two had run which really narrowed the playing field.
Looking through the by-lines, he found the name he was looking
for. Hikaru Gosunkugi. It wasn't much, but it was entirely
possible that it could also be everything. History showed that it
was most often the smallest, most unlikely detail that blew the
toughest mysteries wide open.
        Pulling up the file on Hikaru Gosunkugi, he printed out a
picture
and the vital information. He would have a team tail the kid
round the
clock. If he was indeed connected with Spiderman and not just
some geek kid with a camera who got lucky once or twice, then he
could lead Leung right to the Spiderman. Placing the hard copy on
the desk, he picked up the phone and summoned two of his best
street men. The sooner they got started, the better.

=============================================

        Hikaru Gosunkugi stared longingly at the deep blue sky,
the towers
of concrete and steel reaching up to the heavens. As he trod the
sidewalk,
which was starting to come alive with people, he found himself
drawn to the spaces up there. In the short time he had been web-
slinging; he had grown rather attached to it. The freedom, the
rush of adrenaline, the feeling of being ALIVE and not just him,
was highly addictive. After all, why just walk to school when you
could practically fly? Gangsters be damned, what was stopping
him?
        Common sense soon re-asserted itself, an attribute rare
in Nerima,
and affirmed that he couldn't take the risk of being spotted just
yet. It
was still too soon.
        The strange tingling feeling came back, nearly stopping
him in his
tracks. Gosunkugi kept moving forward, his eyes scanning every
inch of
visible surface. Somebody was watching him, the sense seemed to
say. He didn't know where they were, or who, but they couldn't be
up to anything good.
        Nervous anticipation stole over him as he picked up his
pace. The
tingling persisted, neither weakening or strengthening. It seemed
that his
shadow was keeping time with him, keeping a discrete distance as
they went along.
        The constant buzzing at the base of his skull was
beginning to drive
Gosunkugi mad. Fear and anxiety were beginning to give way to
irritation as his tail moved along with him. He had briefly
considered just taking to the air and losing whoever it was, but
decided that the risk was too great. He couldn't just stop and
look, either. He didn't want the mystery man to know that he was
onto him
        Finally, the gates of Furinkan appeared directly ahead.
Gosunkugi
almost let out a sigh of relief, he never thought he'd actually
be happy to
see that place. Keeping pace with the students still trudging in,
he
attempted to lose himself in the crowd. He stayed in their midst
as they all
approached the doors granting access into the school.
        The feeling of being watched vanished after he set foot
in the
school. The tingling, which had been constant and annoying,
stopped as
abruptly as it had began. Reveling in the feeling of his nerves
relaxing,
Gosunkugi made his way to his locker. Maybe some schoolwork would
get his mind off of his new shadow.

====================================

        Outside of Furinkan High, an old woman stood on the
sidewalk with a
vacant look on her weathered features. The simple red kimono hung
off of her bony frame, thin wisps of white hair limp around her
head. A
wicker basket dangled from her left arm, fruits and vegetables
layered in the small carrier.
        She idly wandered off toward the nearest alley, her
vacant eyes
seeming to stare at nothing at all. Those on the street paid her
no mind,
she was just a feeble old woman after all.
        Once her shuffling gait carried her into the shadows, the
vacant
look left her face. With her free hand, she reached into her
basket,
producing a small black cell phone from beneath the layers of
vegetables.
Flipping it open, she hit the speed dial and placed to her ear.
        "He's in the school," she said, "I'll pick up the trail
after he
leaves."
        "Excellent," came Leung's voice over the digital
connection, "keep
following him."

=====================================

        "Mr. Leung," the female voice said over the intercom,
"Your two o'clock appointment is here."
        "Excellent," Leung said a slight smile on his lips. "Send
him in." The large door opened a moment later, the sound of
footsteps approaching as the door clicked shut.
        "Well, now," a male voice said in English with a distinct
German accent, "to what do I owe this pleasure?"
        "Please, Dr. Octavius," Leung said pleasantly, "have a
seat." The large man sat in a plush leather chair across from
Leung, folding his tan trenchcoat benath him. He removed his
fedora, exposing brown hair in a neat bowl cut and a pair of wide
dark glasses on his face. "Care for something to drink?"
        "Mr. Leung," Otto Octavius snapped, "I am not a man for
formalities. Let's get down to business."
        "Very well," Leung said as he inwardly bristled. He was
not accustomed to such rudeness from his guests. However, Dr.
Octavius was renowned for his scientific genius, among his other
attributes, and a little rudeness could be tolerated. "I want you
to head up a little experiment."
	"What is the nature of this work?"
	"Are you familiar with this?" Leung asked as he slid a
sheet of paper across the desk. Dr. Octavius picked up the paper,
his face twisting in an angry scowl at the diagrams on the
surface.

	"This..." he sputtered, "... how DARE they tamper with my
work!" Leung allowed a small smile to cross his face. The hook
had been baited, and the fish looked eager to bite.
	"I take it you could build a better one?" Leung asked,
slipping just the right amount of unspoken challenge into his
words.
	"With my eyes closed!"
	"Just what I wanted to hear," Leung said, "You will be
set up in one of the finest laboratories in all of Japan. The
prospects for your own experiments are practically limitless."
        "Interesting," Octavius said in a considering tone,
"however, I require more than simply a laboratory for my work."
        "I realize that," Leung said, "and therefore, I can
provide you with more than ample funds. Think of it," he went on.
The fish had bitten the hook, now it was time to reel him in.
"You can finally get the recognition a scientist such as yourself
deserves."

        Otto Octavius sat in silent thought for a moment,
considering what Leung had just told him. One thing was certain;
the man drove a hard bargain. From his manner, and from what he
had heard of the Chinese man, he was also very accustomed to
getting his own way. Octavius had no doubts that the man could
deliver on his promises, but the question was if he would. He had
been lied to before by men promising just what Leung was. Could
he trust this man?
        "Very well, Mr. Leung," Octavius said as he rose from his
seat, "I accept your offer."
        "Excellent," Leung said as he rose from his chair. The
two clasped hands and shook briefly over the surface of the desk
between them. Sealing the deal, Leung said, "Of course, should I
need you for other work, you will be available, correct?"
        "I am a scientist!" Octavius shouted, his face flushing
with anger as his German accent became more pronounced. "I am NOT
a common thug for hire!"
        "I did not say you were," Leung replied in a placating
tone, "I only wish to use your special...gifts... for other
assignments should the need arise." Leung knew full well just how
dangerous Dr. Otto Octavius, or as some called him Doctor
Octopus, really was. If given half the chance, Octavius could
easily turn him into a wet spot on the floor of his office. "May
I see them?"
        "I don't see why not," Octavius replied, apparently sated
for the moment. Pulling the trench coat open, Leung saw something
moving beneath the concealing folds of tan material. Seconds
later, four metallic, snake-like appendages shot out into the
open air.
        Leung watched them in fascination as they writhed about,
seemingly of their own accord. Three pincer-like protrusions
rested on each end, snapping open and shut with a soft clack.
        "Remarkable," Leung whispered sincerely.
        "Indeed," Octavius replied with a grin. "They allow me to
do my work four times as fast. And," he said as the arms drew up
into an attack position, "they are the greatest weapons
imaginable."
        "Indeed," Leung admitted, genuinely impressed.

=====================================

        Maybe it was a fluke? Gosunkugi thought as he walked
blindly toward Trig class. He had to admit, it was plausible.
After all, he didn't know all that much about his powers or even
if they were permanent. Could his new abilities be fading? What
was going on?
        Gosunkugi hated the thought of losing his spider-powers.
They set him apart from everyone else, gave him an edge nobody
had. Without them, he'd be just plain old Hikaru Gosunkugi. He
couldn't stand to be that way again...
        "Oof!" He was brought back into the real world when his
erstwhile body collided with another. His bag landed on the floor
accompanied by a few books the other carried. The unlatched bag
spilled out its contents all over the tile floor, books, notes,
and a small yellow roll of Kodak film that he didn't notice. The
girl in the blue dress whirled about, revealing herself to be
none other than...
        "Sorry, Nabiki," Gosunkugi stammered as he groped about
for his supplies.
        "You should be," Nabiki said as she stood over him. "For
that, I may have to raise the interest rate on your loans."
Gosunkugi groaned in dismay at her haughty tone. He had managed
to pay off one or two with the money gained from his Spiderman
photos, but there were a few more that he really didn't have the
funds for.
        "Please, Miss Tendo," he said meekly, "I really can't
afford it!"
        "Well..." she said, seeming to consider his plea, "I
could probably let this slide once. Just make sure it doesn't
happen again. Also, pick up my books. That should be a sufficient
fee for now."
        "Thank you," he said his voice in direct contrast to his
true feelings. He despised the way Nabiki treated him. Perhaps
she should have a visit from the friendly neighborhood Spiderman?
After a second's worth of debate, he discarded the idea. Nabiki,
bitch that she was, simply wasn't worth it. Besides, if he went
around as Spiderman pounding everyone who had ever wronged him,
he would be no better than Keiichi and his goons had been.
Handing Nabiki her books and reclaiming his bag, he hurriedly set
off for his next class, not even noticing the roll of film that
had come to a rest just beneath one of the lockers.

        After Gosunkugi left, Nabiki bent down to retrieve the
small film roll that had fallen from his bag. She had been
curious as to how he got his photos of Spiderman, after all the
shots had to be worth a significant amount of yen for him to just
pay off two of his loans in one go like that. And where money was
concerned, Nabiki wanted to be in on it. Besides, Nabiki hated to
be shown up on anything, especially by an underclassman and those
photos were doing just that.
        Well, now, she thought as she tucked the roll into her
bra for safekeeping, I'll just take these to the darkroom and see
what develops.

=====================================

        Morning came as it always had in Nerima, the sun climbing
above the eastern horizon to shine its light on the world below.
Inside his parent's apartment, Hikaru Gosunkugi groggily walked
into the single bathroom they all shared.
        His senses weren't quite up and running at the time, and
as such didn't really notice his reflection in the full-length
mirror. After a good shower, though, he did take a good look.
        Hey... he thought as he looked over his body. A towel was
wrapped around his lower abdomen, reaching to his knees. Above
the towel was a sight he thought he'd never see.
        Muscle tone. Actual muscles on his arms and chest. His
stomach was beginning to firm up as well; perhaps he'd end up
with a decent sixpack before long. Looks like all that web-
slinging is paying off! He remained in front of the mirror for a
few minutes more, admiring his developing physique. Things were
definitely looking up.

        Gosunkugi flopped into his dad's recliner, the jacket of
his uniform unbuttoned. His third pop-tart of the day in one
hand, he picked up the day's paper from the table at the plush
chair's side. Gosunkugi stared at the large picture of the front
page, and nearly spat out the first bite of blueberry pastry.
        "What the hell?!" In the center of the sea of text was a
picture of none other than Spiderman, beating up on some armed
thugs. One of them had a small gun in his hand, and two familiar
looking briefcases rested on the ground in the shot. No doubt
about it, these shots came from that warehouse at the dock a few
days back.
        How? What? Who? Disregarding the article and the rest of
the pictures, Gosunkugi searched the by-lines for the name of the
one who had gotten those pictures. Finally, he found the name.
        "Nabiki Tendo..." Gosunkugi snarled as he visciously
balled up the newspaper. How had she gotten the film? He'd
destroyed it... hadn't he? Searching his memory, he dredged up an
image of him plopping the roll into his schoolbag, and then...
        Aw, damnit, I forgot! Gosunkugi berated himself for not
destroying the film. Now, somehow Nabiki had gotten hold of it
and published the shots. The fact that she had stolen his work
and slapped her name on it didn't bother him as much as he
thought it would. The idea that she may induce the wrath of the
ones who had been duking it out in that warehouse seemed far more
real.
        Gosunkugi hurriedly rose and buttoned his jacket. He
fully intended to speak with Nabiki about this the first chance
he got.

===================================

        "What... is... THIS?!" Leung struggled desperately to
reign in his temper as he glared balefully at the large picture
of Spiderman pounding his own men. There was no mistaking it;
these were pictures from the botched pickup at the warehouse a
few nights ago.
        Such publicity was completely unacceptable. He could not,
no, WOULD not allow anything like this, nor would he allow the
one who took the pictures to see another sunrise.
        His blood pressure soaring to new and dangerous heights,
Leung scanned the by-lines, expecting to see Hikaru Gosunkugi's
name. Instead, he found the name Nabiki Tendo.
        "Nabiki Tendo," He let the name roll around on his tongue
for a few moments, pondering this new development as he managed
to bring himself down to a reasonably calm state. It was time to
review the facts.

        First, Spiderman was definitely a threat. That had been
proven at the warehouse.
        Second, Hikaru Gosunkugi had been getting pictures of
Spiderman, so there was a possible connection.
        Third, pictures of the warehouse battle had made the
front page of the Tokyo Times, the photographer one Nabiki Tendo.

        So, what did this tell him? Could this girl also be
connected with Spiderman? Could it just be a coincidence? He
dismissed the latter almost immediately. Leung didn't believe in
coincidence, it was something too random. So therefore it was a
safe bet that the first idea was the correct one. Even if by some
odd twist of fate that it wasn't, she had still taken pictures of
his people performing an operation for him, and had published
them no less. One thing was clear: Nabiki Tendo had to die.
        Before he could pick up the phone to arrange it, a
thought occurred to him. If she, Gosunkugi, and the Spiderman
were all connected, then he could very well end up killing three
birds with one stone. All he had to do was kidnap one, and have
the other bring him Spiderman in exchange for the first one's
life. Then, he could kill all three.
        Smiling for the first time in what felt like forever, he
picked up the phone and began making the arrangements. Things
could turn out all right after all.

==========================================

        This is endlessly fascinating! Doctor Otto Octavius stood
in the center of the sprawling research lab at Tokyo University,
poring over a data readout that scrolled slowly up the small
monitor before him.
        Vast arrays of research equipment surrounded him, large
banks of computers filling the spaces the assorted microscopes
and test tubes didn't. In one corner of the lab, an immense
electron microscope sat idle, lights on its control panel
blinking on and off intermittently.
        In the center of everything, across from where Doctor
Octavius sat, rested a small, squat cylindrical structure. The
mostly-assembled machine came up to just mid-thigh to Octavius,
numerous wires and circuits still exposed for maintenance and
adjustment.
	He had been surprised to find nearly all the materials
necessary already gathered and awaiting assembly. The unit was
still far from finished, such an art could not be rushed, but
once done would cement his name in the annals of scientific
history.
	The final, and most important, components were still
missing which served as a minor annoyance. If Leung was even half
as resourceful as he seemed to be, then they would be delivered
soon.

	For a brief moment, as he took his eyes away from the
readout to rest them, he recalled his first experiment with this
admittedly dangerous technology. He had been called a lunatic,
stripped of his funding and equipment for daring to dream of such
a feat as he was trying to attempt. Even so, he would not be
deterred. He set up what one would laughingly call a laboratory
and continued his work. The results had been both a curse and a
blessing. The explosion had destroyed all his work, but had fused
the metal tentacles to his spinal cord, giving him the power to
crush his enemies once and for all...
	And he would start with the imbeciles at Tokyo
University, who had stripped him of the funding he had struggled
so hard to obtain. To think that they would kill off his project,
and then assign it to some half-wit like Ryo Sanzaki! Of course,
they wanted a JAPANESE to finish the project first, not a gaijin.
Sanzaki would pay with the others on the board...

        At first, he didn't hear the annoying sound of the pager
at his hip going off. After a few minutes, though, it finally
managed to irritate him enough for him to grab it and see what it
was that Leung wanted. He was a busy man; he didn't have time to
be an errand boy! Growling, he exited the lab and pulled out his
cell phone.

=====================================

        There she is, Gosunkugi thought as he spied Nabiki
leaving the school. His spider sense, which had been buzzing
steadily that morning, had failed to activate once he cleared the
gates, a fact that Gosunkugi noticed with some relief.
Apparently, his shadow had decided to take the afternoon off. It
was just as well, really, it would make his job so much easier.
        It was time to have a serious discussion with Nabiki, but
how should he go about it? She was well known for her ability to
take control of nearly any conversation, steering it as easily
and expertly as a pilot would his plane. If he revealed too much,
it was possible for her to maybe figure out just how closely he
and Spiderman were connected. And that was something he had to
avoid at all costs.


        Perhaps he should go with the "You Stole My Work and Now
I'm Pissed" routine. It seemed to be the best route.
        Without warning, his spider sense blared throughout his
skull. A sensation of imminent danger slammed into him, bringing
him up short and setting all his senses on high alert as
adrenaline began pouring into his blood. Something very bad was
about to happen very soon.
        Almost on their own, Gosunkugi's eyes locked on a black
Mercedes from which three men dressed in equally dark suits
emerged. Gosunkugi stood on the fairly empty sidewalk, watching
them take up positions up ahead. His spider sense kept blasting
away about a threat, and fingered them as the source. So, it
looked like his shadow was about to make its move.

        Nabiki knew that Gosunkugi had started trailing her, she
had caught a glimpse of him for an instant in the reflection on a
window she passed by. He was probably going to give her the "You
Stole My Work and Now I'm Pissed" routine, to which she would
reply that she stole nothing, and then maneuver him into telling
her about his connection to Spiderman. From there, she would cut
herself into the deal, Spiderman does the work, Gosunkugi gets
the snaps, and Nabiki gets a modest eighty percent of the
profits. It couldn't miss!
        The sight of the three men exiting the Mercedes up ahead
didn't register as a threat, Nabiki was concentrating on getting
around behind Gosunkugi and setting her plan into motion. Those
pictures that he had dropped had been solid gold, filling her
coffers quite nicely. If he could get more like that....
        Her train of thought derailed when she felt the cold tip
of a knife poke her just under her ribcage. Nabiki stiffened in
fear and surprise as a harsh male voice whispered for her to come
along quietly.
        Nabiki's eyes darted frantically left and right, seeking
aid from anyone at all. The people on the sidewalk paid no
attention to her as the men changed her course toward the waiting
black sedan. From they way they hung about her, there was no way
anyone would see the knife. She felt the fear and frustration
well up inside as she realized that nobody knew that she was
being kidnapped right there in front of them. For once, she
wished that she walked home with Ranma and Akane instead of by
herself. A little of that martial arts stuff would be really good
right then, and would easily be worth the price of their constant
arguing.
        She slid into the leather interior of the Mercedes, the
others following suit, and the car sped off to who knew where.

        Oh, not good, not good! Gosunkugi couldn't believe his
eyes as he watched them abduct Nabiki right out in the open. It
went down smooth as glass, with nobody else the wiser. As the car
drove off into the distance, his spider sense faded, meaning that
the threat was over and more importantly nobody was watching him.
        Vanishing into the alley, he chanced one last look around
just to make sure he didn't have an unwelcome audience. Satisfied
that he was indeed alone he leapt up, hands and feet making
contact with the brick surface of the building before him.
       Gosunkugi easily scrambled up the side of the building,
the pavement growing farther and farther behind as he climbed.
After what felt like an hour, which was only little more than six
seconds, he reached the roof and began removing his uniform.
        The jacket and shirt came off first, revealing the blue
sleeveless sweater beneath. His pants and shoes came next,
exposing the red material of his costume. Hurriedly balling up
his school clothes, he pulled the final touches from his bag,
donning the mask and gloves as quickly as he could. Time was of
the essence, and he couldn't afford to waste even a second.
        Once his uniform was in the bag, which he then affixed to
the side of the building with a thick web, Gosunkugi leapt into
space in pursuit of the car. He fired a web across the street to
another building, a story or so taller than the one he just left.
On feeling the line connect, he stuck his legs out perpendicular
to his torso and let his momentum carry him forward.

        C'mon, c'mon, Gosunkugi thought as he soared through the
air, where the hell are you? The black sedan had already vanished
into the river of automobiles pulsing through Tokyo's streets in
the time he spent changing into his costume. They could be
anywhere by now! First off, he had to find her. Then he could
worry about what to do next.

=====================================

        "Mr. Leung," the driver of the car said into his phone as
he maneuvered the car through traffic, "Phase one was
successful."
        "Excellent," came Leung's voice over the connection.
"Which did you get?"
        "The girl, sir," the driver replied, sparing her a glance
in his rearview mirror. Her hands had been bound behind her, a
black cloth wrapped over her eyes and a wide piece of silver duct
tape over her lips.
        "Outstanding," Leung replied, genuine praise in his
voice. The driver smiled himself, winning the favor of Mr. Leung
definitely had its rewards. "Implement phase two."
        "Immediately, sir," the driver said, ending the
conversation and placing the phone back in its cradle. "We begin
phase two," he said curtly, steering the car toward the east.

======================================

        Night fell over Nerima, blanketing the city in its inky
darkness. Lights flickered to life as the sun retreated below the
western horizon, illuminating the numerous walkways and windows.
Neon signs cast their garish glow into the mix, advertising
things from beer to books.
        Above the garish scene, Gosunkugi swung back toward his
apartment, frustration and fear filling his conscious mind. Where
had that car gone? He had spent hours scouring the city, and
hadn't found a trace of it. Gosunkugi had no idea that there were
so many black imports in Japan. It was like looking for a needle
in a haystack out there.
        Finally realizing that mindless searching would get him
nowhere, he had elected to return home and think things through.
Maybe he had missed something over the past several hours,
something he already knew but hadn't managed to see yet. It
wasn't much of a plan, but it beat running around like a rat in a
maze.

        Home sweet home popped up from out of the darkness,
Gosunkugi releasing his webline and flying across open space to
land gracefully on the wall. Crawling to the window, he pulled it
open and slid inside his bedroom.
        Out of habit, Gosunkugi activated the monitor of his
computer. It wasn't exactly state-of-the-art, but it got the job
done. Reaching into one of hs dresser drawers, he pulled out a
sixpack of candy bars and ate one right away. For some reason,
his appetite had picked up dramatically after gaining his powers.
He wondered if that meant anything was wrong as he dove right
into a second one.
        Sitting down in front of his computer, Gousnkugi's gaze
fell on his mailer program, which he had left running earlier
that morning. At the bottom of his In box was a blinking message,
from someone calling himself Anonymous. Gosunkugi nearly passed
it over until he saw the lone word in the subject line,
Spiderman.
        A cold, tingling feeling settled over him as he double-
clicked on the message. The new window popped open, revealing a
short and to the point message:

        Gosunkugi,
        We have Nabiki. If you want to see her alive again, send
Spiderman to the following address:

        He read the address, instantly recognizing it as being in
the industrial area of Tokyo, an old warehouse not too far away
from the bay. Another line below the address stated that he had
until one a.m. to deliver Spiderman, or the next time anyone ever
saw Nabiki again would be face-down in a canal.
        Why not come after me? he thought as he looked at the
return address. It turned out to be a dead end, the address being
a web-based email account that had probably been deleted right
after sending the message. Shutting off his computer, Gosunkugi
crawled out of the lone window to his bedroom and swung off into
the night after closing it behind him.
        What was their plan, though? They obviously wanted
Spiderman, and intended to use Nabiki to get Gosunkugi to deliver
him, but why Nabiki? Why not just come after him directly and
force him to lead them to Spiderman?
        Maybe that was their plan at first, he thought as the
epiphany struck him, that would explain the tail my spider sense
had been picking up lately. But that still didn't answer the
question of Nabiki's involvement. The only thing he could think
of was...
        Those pictures! Of course! Nabiki had gotten hold of the
pics from the warehouse, and published them under her own name no
less. Those weren't just shots of Spiderman, they were shots of
him busting up a major crime. Unintentionally, but there it was.
They probably thought that SHE took the pictures, not knowing he
had and that she stole them.
        In place of the usual exhilaration he got from
webslinging, a cold lump of anxiety settled in his gut. One part
of him deigned this as Nabiki's fault, and voted to leave her to
face the consequences. Another part of him considered Nabiki's
kidnapping his fault for not destroying the pictures. Regardless
of who shouldered the blame, however, was the certainty that she
was in terrible danger and he had to do something.

=============================================

        Now where am I? Nabiki thought as she listened intently
for any clues. The area was deathly silent, and had been since
being brought in and her abductors left. The blindfold was still
over her eyes, and the strip of tape, which had been changed
along with a rag stuffed in her mouth beneath it, still rendered
her mute.
        She had been placed in a standing position, long coils of
what flet like chain wrapped around both her and the beam she
stood against. No doubt about it, her chances of escape were
roughly equal to those of a snowball in hell smoking a cigarette
and roasting a marshmallow.
        Footsteps began to echo in the darkness, suggesting that
wherever she was had to be a large, almost cavernous space. She
couldn't tell very much with the blindfold, and the gag made
asking whoever had joined her quite problematic.
        "Well," a male voice said. His Japanese was decent,
thought the strange accent obscured some of his words. "I don't
think we need this anymore."
        Something pulled the blindfold off of her head. Nabiki
blinked her eyes in the dim light several times, attempting to
regain focus. After a few seconds, her vision cleared and her
heart nearly stopped.
        Before her stood a man wearing green armor with yellow
boots, gauntlets, and a breastplate. From his back, though, came
four undulating metal tentacles that waved about in the air. A
muffled scream came through her gag, her eyes widening with
terror.
        "Now, now," the man said, "there's no reason for fear. I
want nothing from you."
        Nabiki, however, didn't quite believe that. There she
was, chained to a pillar in the middle of a dark place, alone
with a strange man with four extra arms, and he said she had
nothing to fear?

=======================================

        Hikaru Gosunkugi landed softly on the roof of the hulking
structure. The address had been that of an old warehouse,
surprisingly still in use. He didn't stop to wonder just what was
kept there, he had more important things on his mind.
        Making his way over to a raised skylight, Gosunkugi pried
the pane of glass open silently and crawled inside. The light was
dim, but more than enough to see by. Several barrels and wooden
crates lined the walls and floor, three rows of support pillars
running across the width of the building. He found Nabiki chained
to the middle pillar of the first row, a man standing in front of
her.
        What the hell? Either he needed glasses, or that guy had
four metal tentacles coming out of his back. Gosunkugi was
briefly reminded of a few hentai mangas, which he quickly pushed
from his mind. He didn't need perverted thoughts right then.
        He quickly affixed his camera high up on the wall and set
the timer. May as well get some good shots. Crawling farther
along the wall, he noticed the wide strip of duct tape across
Nabiki's mouth. He actualy liked her better that way...

----------------------------------------------------

        "Where is Spiderman?" Doctor Octopus asked impatiently.
He was a busy man, he had experiments to run and test data to
analyze. He didn't have time to waste babysitting some bound girl
while waiting for some dork in a costume!
        "Right here!" came a voice from out of the darkness.
Octavius felt something connect with two of his tentacles and a
force pulling him backward. Caught by surprise, his feet left the
floor as he flew through the air, coming to a hard landing on his
back.
        "You impudent worm!" he shouted, "You dare attack me?
I'll teach you to respect Doctor Octopus!"
        "Respect?" the voice asked mockingly as the speaker came
into view on the floor, "You want respect with a name like Doc
Ock?"
        Doctor Octopus glared at his enemy, anger boiling his
blood. If this little twit thought he could just come in and take
him down, he was sorely mistaken!

------------------------------------------------------------

        He doesn't look so tough, Gosunkugi thought as Doc Ock
regained his feet. The four tentacles on his back looked rather
short to be of any use to him. He'd just whop this guy, untie
Nabiki, and go home.
        Without warning, the top two tentacles streaked toward
him at breakneck speed. Spider sense blaring, he barely managed
to leap out of the way.
        Shoulda known, he groused as he dodged another swipe from
one of the tentacles. Then another, and another...

------------------------------------------------------

        Nabiki watched the battle unfold, unable to quite believe
what she was seeing. Spiderman kept dodging Doctor Octopus'
rapid-fire strikes, ducking, bobbing, and leaping clear of each
tentacle with amazing speed and agility. He could give Ranma a
lesson or two in evasive tactics.
        As the two went at it hammer and tongs, Nabiki began to
wonder just who was inside that red and blue costume. His voice
seemed strangely familiar, as though she'd heard it a few times
before, but for the life of her she couldn't place it. Was it
someone she knew?

-----------------------------------------------------------

        I'm gettin' nowhere like this! Gosunkugi thought as he
evaded yet another strike. At the rate Doc Ock kept swinging, he
didn't have a chance of getting close, not head on, anyway. He
had to immobilize at least some of those arms!
        First, though, he had to get out of their range. With a
backwards leap, Gosunkugi affixed himself to one of the
warehouse's walls and clambered up its surface. Maybe if he could
get high enough...
        He barely managed to avoid the double-tentacle strike
that demolished the small catwalk just above him. Siezing the
opportunity, he fired two thick strands of webbing at the metal
appendages, binding thoroughly with the silken substance.
        "Curse you!" Doc Ock bellowed as he retracted the two
webbed-up tentacles. Before Gosunkugi could react, Doc Ock had
managed to rip the two tentacles free of their sticky cocoon and
began attacking in earnest once again.
        "Don't you ever quit?!" Gosunkugi shouted in frustration
as he dodged yet another strike.
        "Never!" Doc Ock shouted in reply. Gosunkugi leapt off of
the wall, twisting to avoid what would have been a crushing blow.
However, he left himself open for another, which landed on his
back not even a second later.
        The pain seemed to rattle every bone in his body as he
slammed into the concrete floor. Spider sense blaring again, he
rolled to the left to dodge a tentacle strike that left a large
dent in the floor.
        All right, freak, Gosunkugi thought, Time to get serious!

------------------------------------------------------------

        Across town, Leung sat in his office watching the battle
with a tumbler of prime scotch in his left hand. A large monitor,
recessed beneath a wall panel when not in use, displayed the
action in crystal clarity, the sounds piping in from several
strategically placed and well-hidden speakers.
        "Words do not describe, eh Fixer?" he said to Wu Long,
who was sitting in a chair beside him. Long simply nodded mutely
in agreement.
        Leung had heard Wu Long's account of Spiderman's agility,
but actually seeing it for himself really brought it home. The
man was almost untouchable.
        He was beginning to doubt Octavius' ability to defeat him
when finally a vicious blow to the back sent the Spiderman
tumbling to the ground. A smile crossed his lips before Spiderman
rolled away from another shot and regained his feet as though the
tentacle had never connected. Spiderman was much stronger than he
had first anticipated.

----------------------------------------------------------

        "You think that's going to help you?" Octavius bellowed
as Spiderman disappeared into the shadowed rafters above. The
little moron was obviously trying to get out of the range of his
tentacles, a ploy that was easily countered.
        Planting two tentacles on the floor, he used them to lift
himself up into the darkness above. The shadows, along with his
dark glasses, conspired to hide his prey, but that didin't
matter. Spiderman wouldn't have as much room to move in the
cluttered rafters.
        "Come out, Spiderman," Octavius cooed, "I promise I won't
hurt you. Much."

----------------------------------------------------------------

        Just a little more, Gosunkugi thought as Doc Ock walked
on his bottom two tentacles away from his position. He had come
up in an attempt to get the drop on the Doc, and his chance was
almost there. Finally, he fired a web onto the ceiling
        His feet slammed into Doc Ock's back, sending him
tumbling forward out of control. "Careful what you wish for,
Doc," Gosunkugi said as he affixed himself to another rafter,
"You might get it!" Two more webs shot out of his spinarettes,
each one wrapping around one of the tentacles holding the Doc in
the air. With a mighty heave, he sntached Doc Ock's support out
from under him.
        With a shout of surprise and anger, Doc Ock hit the floor
face first. Not wasting a moment, Gosunkugi covered the Doc's
prone form with sticky webbing, adhereing him to the floor.
        "Score one for the Spiderman!" he shouted triumphantly as
he leapt to the floor. Now, to get Nabiki...
        The sound of webbing being torn asunder turned him back
around to face the Doc. Gosunkugi's anger rose as he watched his
adversary break free. It was time to take this guy down, NOW!
        With a yell, Gosunkugi charged Doc Ock, who was still
gaining his feet. His fists slammed into Doc Ock's stomach and
chest, striking wildly at any available surface.
        He felt something metallic coil around his chest,
squeezing him like a python as it lifted him away. Doc Ock rose
to his feet, an enraged scowl on his face as he hoisted Gosunkugi
into the air.
        "You miserable worm," he snarled as his tentacle
constricted tighter and tighter, "I'll crush the life out of you!
Then," casting a menacing glare at Nabiki as he passed by, "I'll
send her to join you in hell!"

---------------------------------------------------------------

        Nabiki felt her stomach knot in fear at Doctor Octopus'
words. Spiderman, her only chance at going home alive, was being
crushed before her eyes.
        Come on! she mentally screamed, Fight! Get me out of
here!

----------------------------------------------------------------

        "Ahhh..." Leung intoned as he watched Octavius crush the
life out of Spiderman, "Success." His faith in Otto Octavius's
abilities appeared to have been justified.

-----------------------------------------------------------

        Can't.... breathe... Hikaru Gosunkugi's lungs burned for
air as the metal appendage gripped tighter. He could feel his
ribs begin to buckle and crack under the pressure. He couldn't
take much more. If he lost, he and Nabiki would die. He couldn't
let Akane down like that.
        Desperate, Gosunkugi managed to raise his arm just enough
to fire a splotch of web across Doc Ock's face. Caught completely
by surprise, he began to frantically claw at the sticky substance
covering his face.
        C'mon! Drop me! Gosunkugi silently pleaded. The pressure
on his ribcage lessened slightly, then relaxed completely.
Gosunkugi slipped to the floor and immediately had to dodge Doc
Ock's wildly flailing tentacles.
        Somersaulting out of range, he realized that he had to
draw the six-armed lunatic away from Nabiki or else he would end
up hurting her, if not killing her.
        "Hey! Over here!" Doc Ock stumbled blindly toward him,
tentacles lancing out in a desperate attempt to nail him.
Gosunkugi easily evaded the attacks, many of them flying wild
shatter boxes and crates.
        Large drums were scattered here and there on the
warehouse floor, filled with what could have been anything. A
stray tentacle slammed into one of those drums, splitting it open
and releasing a strong-smelling fluid onto the floor. Gosunkugi
moved back further, realizing that he was almost at the wall. Two
more drums were shredded, spilling more of the same substance.
        Finally, Octavius managed to rip the webbing off of his
face. Almost at the same time, he sent a tentacle sweeping in
from the left. Gosunkugi leapt clear as the tentacle ripped
through the wall and the large cable above the fusebox affixed to
it.
        Several fat blue sparks flew from the severed cable,
landing on the liquid from the eviscerated drums. Doctor Octopus
barely managed to get out of the way of the flames that raced
across the floor, thick acrid smoke billowing up into the air.
        The flames spread quickly, engulfing boxes and crates. A
thin line of fire ran up the length of the cable that stretched
into the shadowed ceiling as lightbulbs began to explode.
        Okay, time to go! Gosunkugi thought as he ran toward
Nabiki. Before he could close the distance, however, his spider
sense flared. Leaping upward, the tentacle narrowly missed him as
it sliced the air.
        "What're you doing?" Gosunkugi shouted, "We gotta get out
of here!"
        "Correction, Spiderman," the Doc replied, "I have to get
out of here! You just have to fry!"
        "I don't have time for this!" Gosunkugi fired two webs at
Doc Ock's top two tentacles. Once they hit, he turned and pulled
with every ounce of strength he possessed. He felt Dock Ock leave
the ground as his adversary flew in a ballistic arc toward the
large roll-up door at the front of the warehouse.
        A resounding boom ripped through the warehouse, rattling
Gosunkugi's teeth. Wondering just what had happened, his eyes
fell on the outlines of several drums of what he realized was
diesel fuel dotting the floor.
        Oh, FUCK! If any more of those things blew... A muffled
scream of fear from Nabiki grabbed his attention. He saw a
flaming piece of debris dangerously close to Nabiki's right leg,
the chain around her ankles holding them in place. Rushing over,
he kicked the piece of shrapnel away before snapping the chain
around her ankles and legs.
        What now? he thought as he heard an omninous groaning
sound from the ceiling, followed by the shriek of tearing metal.
Turning around, he saw Doctor Octopus scowling ferally with all
four tentacles stretching into the darkness above.
        With a loud screech, a good deal of the rafters came
crashing down. Doc Ock disappeared through a side door. Gosunkugi
cursed as the smoke began to burn his lungs, depriving him of the
oxygen he needed. The dancing flames cast erratic patterns of
garish orange light in all directions, seeming to change the
dimensions of things around him with the shimmer of the heat.
        Almost reluctantly, he ripped the tape from Nabiki's
mouth. She let out a small shout before coughing from the smoke.
Forcing himself to remain calm, he pulled away the remaining
chains.
        Can't go through the door, he thought, ducking as another
drum exploded, just gotta go up! Not bothering to snap Nabiki's
handcuffs, Gosunkugi put her over his shoulder in a fireman's
carry and shot a web up to where the skylight rested. Making a
brief stop to retrieve his camera, which Nabiki didn't see due to
her head being at the small of his back, he continued to the
roof.

        The air outside filled Gosunkugi's lungs, refreshing him
almost completely. The sound of wailing sirens and blasting horns
assaulted his ears, drawing his gaze to the street below. Several
fire trucks, accompanied by police cruisers, rumbled up the
street, gawkers on the sidewalk pointing at the burning
warehouse. Lights from the approaching emergency vehicles washed
over the sides of neighboring buildings as the noise grew
steadily louder.
        "Would you mind putting me down?" Nabiki asked with a
hint of irritation.
        "You might want to reconsider that," Gosunkugi said as he
leapt into space. Nabiki's shrill scream merged with the sound of
the sirens as Gosunkugi swung into the night.

=================================

        "Hey, Nabiki," Spiderman said, "We're home." She opened
her eyes to find the familiar wall of the Tendo Dojo before her.
Still woozy from the wild ride, she managed to resist the urge to
drop to her knees and kiss the sidewalk. The handcuffs had been
removed during a stop on the impromptu flight home.
        "Not that I'm ungrateful," Nabiki said, facing her
rescuer who was crouching on the wall, "But just who are you? And
how do you know Gosunkugi?"
        "Damnit, don't you ever give up?" Spiderman replied with
a note of annoyance. "You almost got killed over those pictures,
and you still want to know what's going on?"
        "Just call it my need to know," Nabiki said with as cool
a tone as she could manage. She'd never admit it, but the
experience had scared the life out of her. But Nabiki giving up?
Never.
        "Take it from me," Spiderman said, "back off. You don't
want to get involved." With that, he leapt into the shadows and
vanished.
        "NABIKI!" She turned only to be almost bum-rushed by
Soun, who gripped her in a fierce embrace, "Where have you been?"
        "Long story, Daddy," Nabiki said while trying to
extricate herself from Soun's bear hug.

=========================================