Spider-Man was mentally groaning at the latest Daily Bugle. Again, J. Jonah Jameson had publicly decried Spider-man as a threat. It wouldn't be so bad if the police hadn't bought into it and tried to arrest him and shoot at him.
'There are times when I really wish I could put up the Spider-Man costume, but....'
Spidey swung and landed on the side of building. He looked over to Central Park and shook his head.
'I wonder what the flaming bird was all about. Eh? What's that?'
The object that caught his attention was a descending group of lights. Underneath his mask, Peter was groaning.
'A Kree invasion? Why don't they leave us alone? We don't want to get involved in the Skrull/Kree war.'
As he swung towards the descending ships, he saw a girl doing an early morning jog. Spidey blinked a couple times, because on the girl's shoulder was a small purple dragon.
'Hopefully, she doesn't run screaming from me. I need to get word to the Avengers and try to slow them down.'
As the early Saturday morning air-cooled her body as she ran, Kitty Pryde felt a little better about her situation at Xavier's. She still felt that she should be allowed to go on more missions. Regaining her pet, Lockheed, took some of the resentment off. A red and blue blur suddenly dropped down in front of her and she skidded to a stop so fast, that she fell on her butt. Lockheed took wing and growled at the person who caused Kitty to fall.
Extending his hand, Spider-Man said, "I am sorry for startling you, but I need for you to get word to the Avengers or the Fantastic Four as quick as possible. There's a bunch of Kree ships landing just outside of Manhattan."
Before her anger at being caused to fall could manifest, she saw who had landed in front of her and registered the words said.
"Oh my god! You're joking!"
"Normally, I do. But not when it looks like we're getting invaded. I'm going to head over there and try my best to slow them down."
"By yourself? You'll get yourself killed!" Kitty cried out.
"That's why I need you to get word to the Avengers or the Fantastic Four. I know I need the help," Spider-Man replied. "Please hurry!"
Spider-Man fired a webline off and swung away. Kitty took one look at the direction Spider-Man went and started running after him. Lockheed quickly followed.
'Professor! We have a problem!' Kitty thought hard.
'What is it?'
Kitty's throat dried, as she saw what Spider-Man was swinging towards.
'It looks to be about thirty Kree vessels. Since I don't see any SHIELD or US Army forces, they must be landing in secret. I think the Avengers will be needed for this.'
'I'm having Logan contacting them now. I'm dispatching the X-Men to help out. I want you to head back here. This is too dangerous.'
Kitty pushed her anger down and replied, 'I can't. Spider-Man is heading towards them right now. He's the one who told me about it. I can't let him hold the Kree off alone.'
'He's been crime fighting for a couple years now. He should be all right.'
'What if he gets killed before anyone shows up? I'd never be able to live with myself. I could have helped him and he died because I was too much of a coward to fight for my world,' Kitty thought harshly.
Professor X remained silent for a long time, as Kitty kept running towards the Kree vessels.
'Good luck, Katherine. Try not to get yourself killed until help arrives.'
'Thanks, Professor.'
The young mutant stopped just inside the outskirts of the city.
"I thought I told you to get help," Spider-Man's voice came from above her.
Looking up, Kitty asked, "Do you know who the X-Men are?"
"Ah. How is the Popsicle doing anyway?"
"Iceman? He left a few months ago. I'm surprised that you aren't telling me to hide."
"Even though I want you to get out of here, I know it won't do any good. What's your powers?"
"I can phase through any object and apparently when I phase through electronic equipment, I foul them up."
"A controlled EMP linked to a dispersed state is not exactly my first choice, but I can work with it. Can you phase other objects?"
Kitty nodded.
"How large an object?"
"I'm not sure," Kitty replied, frowning. "Why?"
Spider-Man shrugged and pointed to a large vehicle with a wrecking ball attached to it. "Do you think you can use your powers on that and start swinging the ball through the Kree ships? You should be able to knock out the nav computers and hopefully an engine or two."
"I don't know how to use one of those," Kitty replied.
"Then, I'll have to do it and you use your powers on the wrecker."
"My powers are by touch. I can't do it from a distance," Kitty said, as she smiled.
"That's fine. Let's do it," Spider-Man said, as he grabbed Kitty around the waist and swung the two of them to the vehicle.
Lockheed landed on Kitty's shoulder, as Spider-Man started the machinery up. He nodded to Kitty and she concentrated hard, as she touched the frame of the wrecker ball. The Kree ships started opening fire upon the two teen-age heroes. Fortunately, Kitty's phasing power caused the shots to go through the vehicle and the three occupants without damage.
"Here we go. They'll have a ball with this," Spider-Man said.
"That was a bad pun," Kitty muttered, as sweat formed on her brow.
Spider-Man caused the wrecking ball to swing through two ships. The first ship the ball went through was straight through the center of the ship. The second ship had the ball pass right in front of the thruster rockets. Kitty smiled, as she saw electrical discharges play across the two ships and they crashed to the ground.
"Two down. Twenty-eight to go. By the way, what's your name?"
"Katherine Pryde," Kitty replied, huffing. "I'm usually called Kitty."
"Are you all right?" Spider-man asked, as he swung the wrecking ball through a third Kree ship.
Kitty coughed. "This is tiring."
"I'm hurrying as fast as I can. Well, Kitty I wasn't after your real name. I was after your code name."
"Sprite," Kitty replied a bit chagrined
Small fighter craft left the Kree vessels and started firing at the heroes and the city behind them.
"It doesn't fit. If Wasp wanted to change her name to that, then I could see it," Spider-Man commented, and looked up at the Kree ships. "They're not coming down where we can hit them. Any ideas?"
Before Kitty could reply, a sound of jets was heard and the two of them saw the Avenger Quinjet, the Fantasticar, and a dark blue jet with a bright red X painted on the side. Spider-Man nodded to Kitty and she dropped the phasing. Spidey wrapped his arm around her waist and swung the two of them away from the wrecker ball. One of the Kree ships quickly fired on the wrecker-ball and destroyed it.
"At least I'm not going to get charged with joyriding," Spider-Man said.
"Do you have to make jokes like that?" Kitty asked with a wry look on her face.
"I do it to keep the fear in check. If I didn't, I'd be a nervous wreck during a battle."
Spider-Man set Kitty down and looked at the three downed spaceships. Kree solider started pouring out of the ships.
"I'd say take cover, but I don't think they'd let you. So, pick a target," Spider-Man said.
Kitty nodded and she used the martial arts she learned from Wolverine to fight off some of the Kree. Spider-Man used his abilities and web-shooters to deal with a small platoon of Kree soldiers.
"It's clobberin time!" The Thing called, as he knocked some Kree soldiers through the air with one punch. "Gee Web-head, you could have waited for us to start the party."
"Sorry Thing, but there wasn't much time," Spider-Man called back. "Where's SHIELD?"
"They are on their way," Thing replied. "We have to hold the line and not let any into the city."
Spider-Man nodded and looked up. "Why hasn't that one dispatched any fighters or came down yet?"
Spider-Man felt his Spider-Sense tingle and he ducked a soldier trying to hit him with a laser. He jumper over and grabbed the laser away from the Kree and looked back at the unmoving ship. He saw that Kitty had stopped fighting and was also looking at the Kree ship.
"What's with that ship, Spidey?" Kitty asked.
"I'm not sure. If I had some way to get up there and in, I'd find out. There is something wrong."
The two of them glanced around the battlefield and saw the various heroes fighting Kree soldiers. Captain America saw that Spider-man and Kitty had halted fighting and were examining one of the ships.
Kitty frowned. "We could have Colossus toss Wolverine up there and he could use his claws to cut through the hull."
"There might be a force-field in the way and there might be a problem if there is a bomb ready to be dropped," Spider-Man replied. "Does he know how to dismantle a bomb?"
"No. Do you?"
"If I have to. I once had to dismantle a nuke that Doctor Doom had placed in the city."
"How long have you studied nuclear bombs?" Kitty asked.
"It was the first time I ever saw one."
Kitty stared and then shook her head. "Well, my phasing isn't stopped by normal force-fields and I can phase through adamantium. If we could get up there, I could get you in."
"Getting up there is the problem. You said Colossus tosses Wolverine."
"They call it the fastball special," Kitty said. "Colossus is on the other side of the battle. Why?"
"Thing! Get over here," Captain America called.
"Whoa! Cap what are you doing over here?" Spider-Man asked.
Captain America pointed at the hovering Kree ship. "I don't like the idea of sending a kid into a battle, but I have no choice. The two of you can be spared from the battle to handle whatever is going on up there."
"What's up Cap?" Thing asked.
"I want you to toss Spider-Man and this girl up to that ship up there. The girl will phase through and force field they have and the hull armor. At that point, Spider-Man will have to deal with any bombs that ship might be ready to drop. We don't have time to argue, so just do it."
"Well Kitty, climb on to my back and let's get this show on the road."
Kitty nodded and did as Spider-Man said with he pet dragon riding on her shoulder. Captain America pointed at Lockheed.
"Can that thing breathe fire and cover you?"
Kitty replied, "Lockheed is not a thing, he's my pet and yes he can."
Captain America nodded. "It's better than nothing. I'm not sending you totally defenseless."
"Well Web-head, are you ready?" Thing asked and cupped his hands in front of him.
"Top floor James," Spider-man said, as he jumped onto Thing's hands.
"Going up!" Thing called, as he shot Spider-Man and his two passengers up towards the Kree ship.
Kitty activated her phasing and the trio felt the shield pass through them. Kitty was about to call out that they were going to miss the Kree ship, when Spider-Man called out.
"Kitty, drop the phasing," Spider-Man said, and he fired a webline at the tail fin of the Kree vessel.
Kitty quickly complied and she felt the jerk, as Spider-Man used the webline to change directory and landed on top of the vessel. Kitty climbed down and quickly phased the three of them through the hull. The first thing they noticed was that the vessel had no one on board.
"What's going on? Why would the Kree send an empty vessel?" Kitty asked.
Spider-Man said nothing and quickly led the way to the bridge and started typing on the keys in front of one of the monitors to activate internal cameras. Kitty found another monitor and did the same.
Spider-Man shook his head. "There is something really wrong here."
"Spidey, I found something."
Spidey rushed over to where Kitty was and saw the hanger. There were a few fighters scattered around, but in the center was a large box with various flashing lights.
"What is it?" Kitty asked.
"I can't be in two places at once. I need to get down there, but I also need to work at getting this ship out of Earth's atmosphere."
"Spidey, you go deal with that box. I'll handle the ship. I'm an expert at computers and I did study Shi'ar computers," Kitty said.
Spider-Man hesitated a bit and then nodded. He quickly rushed down to the hanger and looked over the huge box.
"This is not good."
'What is not good, Spider-Man?'
"Whoa. Who said that?" Spider-Man asked, as he looked around.
"Calm yourself. I am Professor X, the leader of the X-Men and I'm telepathic."
"Sorry about that, Professor Xavier. I didn't know you could do that," Spider-man said, and went back to studying the Kree device. "This bomb is about ready to go off."
The intercom crackled and Kitty's voice came over it. "Spider-Man, I've got control of the ship and I'm taking it. I'm going to head beyond the moon. I found out that the Kree have some sort of teleportation device set up. It'll put all the Kree soldiers and ships into five seconds of transport and then put them back where they started. I can't figure out why."
Spider-Man walked up to an intership comn station and hit the button.
"The device down here is a large bomb for the most part. Once it activates, it would get rid off all of Manhattan. I don't have time to dismantle it."
"We're going to die?" Kitty asked, in a shaking voice. "I'm not going to let this bomb kill my friends."
"Die? No. If it exploded on Earth, it would kill a lot of people. It's some sort of large-scale dimensional shunt. It would force all in the area to be shoved into another dimension. If it's another Earth, two New Yorks would occupy the same place at the same time. That would lead to chaos and a lot of death and destruction. If it shunted Manhattan into outer space, decompression and asphyxiation," Spider-Man explained. "All that's going to happen is that the two of us, three if you count your pet, is that we get tossed into another dimension. It'll be very likely that we wind up in space after we jump, since we are going to be in space before we jump. Hopefully, I can figure a way back using this dimensional bomb. If we switch places, I can keep the ship in space until it goes and you can use one of the fighters to head back to Earth. You just phase a fighter through the hull as you're flying...."
"And the fighter's internal workings go nuts, since that effect of mine works both ways," Kitty said.
"I'm heading back up," Spider-Man said.
After a minute, Spider-Man was back on the bridge of the Kree ship and looking out towards the Earth. He had taken a quick look at the autopilot and shook his head. It had been linked to the bomb going off and would automatically take the ship back down if it were engaged before the bomb went off.
"I have no idea how I'm going to explain this to my Aunt May," Peter muttered.
'I could take a message for you, Spider-Man. What do you want me to tell her.'
"Professor X? Maybe this is the best time to tell her," Spider-Man said, and looked over at Kitty. "She might as well know, since she got stuck here with me."
Spider-Man pulled off his mask and looked at a startled Kitty Pryde. "My name is Peter Parker."
"H-how old are you?" Kitty whispered.
"I just turned seventeen last month. Professor X, I don't have much time to explain before the bomb goes off. Read my mind on what I'm doing, how I got my powers and why I'm doing this."
'I..see... If I had know you were so young,... I will let your Aunt May know what has happened and that you are okay. Peter before you go, you are letting your greatest gift go to waste your mind. If you applied yourself, you could be as great a scientist as Reed Richards. Think about it. Katherine, Peter I wish you the best of luck in trying to return home.'
"Thank you," the two teens said in unison, before the universe turned white.
On the ground, the Kree forces vanished for five seconds and then reappeared. They lost heart when they saw the various heroes and US armed forces still arrayed against them. Captain America looked up at the sky and saw the expanding ring of light and bowed his head in grief.
"They are not dead, Captain America."
America's premiere hero turned and saw a man on a wheelchair heading his direction.
"I am Professor Charles Xavier and I am telepathic. From what Spider-Man told me about the device before it exploded, they are still okay. It was some sort of dimensional transport device. Other than the three you sent up there, there was no one on board that ship."
"Clever. That explains the vanishing and reappearing act that the Kree just did. I still don't believe I sent a kid up there."
"You sent two kids up there. Kitty is fifteen and Spider-Man is seventeen," Charles said.
"What? You have to be joking," Captain America said shocked.
Professor X shook his head. "I wish I was. Spider-Man managed to fool everyone into thinking he is older than he really is. I was asked to convey a message to his aunt to let her know that he is still all right and everything about him being Spider-Man."
"I'm going with you. I'm the one who ordered those two up there. I'm the one who should explain what happened," Captain America stated.
"I kind of figured you would."
Professor X told his students to head back to the mansion after helping to mop up the Kree invaders. Captain America told the Avengers to let the X-Men go and hold off questions until later. The two men left the battlefield and stopped in front of a two-story house. Captain America rang the doorbell and waited. An elderly woman opened the door and her eyes widened when she saw who it was.
"Peter? Something has happened to Peter, hasn't it?" May Parker said.
"Yes. I'm afraid it has. Your nephew was sent into another dimension by a Kree device. He's going to try and find his way back using the device, but he wanted you to know that he's okay and he will be back," Captain America said.
"How did this happen?"
"This will take a long time to explain," Professor X said. "Can we come in?"
"Yes. Please. I want to know everything."
"And everything is what you are going to get. This mess started just before your husband was killed," Professor Xavier said.
"I don't understand what Ben's death has to do with what happened to Peter," May said.
"Peter wanted you to know it all, just in case," Professor X replied. "It began with a science exhibit."
Captain America frowned as he heard the life story of Peter Parker being told to his Aunt May. The sudden downsurges in Spider-Man's appearances were now finally explained with the Parkers' day to day struggle to keep ends met. Captain America shook his head as he heard the reasoning behind Spider-Man's heroic activities. As soon as the story wound up at the Kree Invasion, Captain America took over and explained how it was his order to send two kids up to the Kree ship to foul up what they had planned.
"I did not know your nephew was only seventeen," Captain America said. "But even if I did, I would still have made the order. They were the only ones who could have saved the city from what the Kree had planned. I will personally make sure that will be treated as heroes when they get back."
"Are you sure they will get back?" May asked, with tears in her eyes.
"Your nephew is working on his end. I'm going to talk to Reed Richards and get him to work on this problem from our end," Captain America said. "Your nephew is a hero. He keeps helping the citizen of New York, even though the media and the police hate him. As to your house, I'm going to see if some of the Avengers' funds can cover it."
"I don't want to take charity."
"I have a solution for that," Charles Xavier said. "I teach a school for gifted youngsters. I could use someone that the girls could talk to about stuff that they would be embarrassed to talk to me about."
May Parker nodded. "That will work."
"Besides, when your nephew gets back, I'm going to do my best to get him to join the X-Men. He has talents that are going to waste, and I'm not talking about his Spider-Man abilities."
"When he gets back..." May said.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Kitty and Peter wound up in the universe of.....
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(Posted Sat, 13 May 2006 19:21)
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