//------------------------------//
// Ch. 6 "Great and Powerful" 
// Story: Ultimate Spiders and Magic: Episode VI "Smoke and Mirrors" 
// by Maximus_Reborn 
//------------------------------//

Chapter Six “Great and Powerful”

Jackpot stood at the center of the arena with a deepened and narrowed gaze in his armor. The stands had long been emptied, leaving only the sound of whirring to echo throughout the chambers. The man paused, rolling up his sleeves to reveal keypads strapped to his wrists. He soon pecked away at the devices before lifting his gaze, all while his clear and round helmet sat by his feet. 

Soon, a small machine materialized into existence in a burst of light, mere inches away from his being. It hovered in place, stirring to life as a holster opened at its center and clicked in response. Suddenly, a dozen others appeared throughout the arena and repeated the same action. Lights emitted from the drones, as if scanning their surroundings, and the environment soon distorted from sight, filling the area with darkness. 

Slowly, but surely, everything disappeared and left only Jackpot. However, before he could proceed further, the device over his wrist buzzed to life, and Jackpot removed a small piece from its side, sliding it into his ear. Inhaling deeply, Jackpot pressed the small button at its center and let out a small sigh. His stiffened demeanor lightened, evident by the small smile that graced his features.

“Hi, Pumpkin,” he gently stated, pecking away at the buttons on his wrist pad, and Trixie’s image soon appeared on the screen. Meanwhile, the drones steadily scattered throughout the arena, while Jackpot centered his attention on his device. “I haven’t heard from you all morning. Is everything well?”

Slow to respond, Trixie pursed her lips while brushing a hand through her hair. “I’m fine, Dad. I just…thought about you. After what happened yesterday, I was worried.” She glanced to the side, blinking as her eyes softened. “You’ve been attacked twice by Spider-Man, and now, all of a sudden, a second one shows up. I don’t understand. Were you being attacked by an imposter this entire time? Do you have any idea what’s really going on?”

Taken aback, Jackpot stammered. A lump formed in his throat, forcing the man to swallow before he laughed uproariously. “They both attempted to swindle your father, but the Great and Powerful Mysterio’s illusions and skills proved to be too much for the two of them!” Waving a hand dismissively, Jackpot’s smile widened until practically all of his teeth shone. “From what I’ve read, he is the city’s biggest menace, and the Great and Powerful Mysterio can only assume he is attempting to make a name at his expense.”

Trixie watched her father with an unreadable expression, remaining silent for an uncomfortable amount of time, but the girl soon nodded, smiling as if comfortable with the response given. 

“O-Of course! Trixie should have known that’d be the case!” Lowering her head until only her smile could be seen, the girl forced a grin as her mouth quivered involuntarily. “Will you make it home for our Friday night movie marathon? If so, could we invite Peter? He’s such a big fan of your work, and we didn’t get to show him the theater room last time. ”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he whispered, managing a small smile. Sobering, Jackpot’s brow furrowed momentarily, but he brushed aside all intrusive thoughts, nodding confidently while his smile only widened. “Of course your friend can join! I’d like nothing more!”

Both individuals shared a glance before their respective screens darkened. Once certain she was alone, the girl dropped her phone and threw a hand over her sore eyes. Before long, Trixie sat down and pulled her knees to her chest and sobbed uncontrollably. Meanwhile, Jackpot stared intently at his wrist pad for what seemed like ages. His confidence wavered while his eyes softened, shadowing with dejection. 

He lifted his saddened gaze momentarily, exhaling. “I’m so sorry, Trixie.”







Spider-Man swung across the city on a strand of webbing, relinquishing his hold before speeding into a brief glide. Eventually, the costumed hero landed along the side of the arena’s wall, perching himself in place. He crawled towards the nearest vent, removing the shaft before sliding within. The journey through the ventilation system was brief, with the boy navigating his way through the arena’s interior design, but he soon reached the center, crawling along the ceiling of the auditorium where the main shows usually took place. 

Analyzing his surroundings, Spider-Man’s masked eyes widened upon spotting Jackpot sitting along the edge of the stage, with his helmet on his lap. Yet, Peter squinted in response, before leaping from his perched position. Jackpot glanced in the costume boy’s direction, remaining undeterred, while a distant stare remained on his face. The air remained silent, as Spider-Man steadily walked towards the man, but the surrounding environment distorted, fading from sight as darkness spread. Soon, Spider-Man and Mysterio stood in a void, but neither faltered, holding their respective positions mere feet apart.

“You know,” Jackpot stated, brushing a hand over the dome-like helmet in his grasp, “it wasn’t meant to be personal. The last thing I wanted was a fight.”

Spider-Man’s eyes narrowed further as he alternated his gaze about, noting the lack of buzzing within his cranium. “Seriously? You commit fraud at my expense. Then, you drugged me, set me on fire, dropped something really heavy on me, led me into the path of a bullet train, and left me to drown in the slime soup that’s the Hudson River.” 

Shaking his head, Jackpot pursed his lips and forced a wry smile. “I hadn’t had intentions of torturing you, my good fellow. All of those attacks were meant to be quick and painless, but you are far more… hardy than I anticipated. It wasn’t a personal or vindictive endeavor.”

Turning sharply, Spider-Man pointed a finger at Mysterio. “Oh, that makes it so much better. You still made this personal! Why make a fake me? Why even target me in the first place?”

Jackpot winced, closing his eyes, but he shook his head, frowning. “I don’t blame you for being angry. I merely saw you as a means to improve my reputation. I mean, you are the biggest menace in this region of the country, according to the media.” Lifting his gaze, the man shared a glance with Spider-Man and huffed. “If I took you down, I’d be regarded as a hero, and all would come to see my performances as the Great and Powerful Mysterio. That was as far as I intended to take it.”

“My reputation already sucks. One mistake, and everyone thinks I’m a bad guy. Glad to see you were willing to take advantage of that,” Spider-Man spat, crossing his arms. Slow to respond, the boy gathered his thoughts before exhaling. “So, what changed? You wanted to kill me because you were afraid of being exposed?”

While that is a fair and warranted accusation, I promise you that is not the case,” Jackpot declared, slowly standing from his position. The world began to shift, as stone and metal pillars materialized into existence, soon forming a crumbling bridge. Spider-Man inhaled sharply at the change of scenery, but once he glanced back at Mysterio, the individual levitated from the ground, with his arms stretched out to the side. The clear helmet faded from sight, placing itself over Beck’s head. “I only targeted you because Oscorp wants you captured, and before you ask, I have no idea why. They desperately want a sample of your DNA. I only know if I do as they say, my family will be safe, and I can provide for them without issue.”

“There are better ways to provide for your family. What would they think if the truth came out?” Spider-Man responded, pausing while a buzzing sensation coursed through his cranium. 

Growling, the boy extended his hands and fired a pair of strands of webbing at Mysterio. However, the projectiles simply passed through Beck’s image, and his form distorted from sight, fading as green smoke enveloped him. Myserio’s laughter echoed throughout the vicinity, while the surrounding landscape fell apart. Broken shards of stone and steel fell from the bridge, as flames steadily spread across the ground. 

Spider-Man flipped out of the ember’s reach, landing at the top of a lamp post. “I’ve a friend who was hurt by Oscorp, and she didn’t think there was a way out either. Don’t let this become your legacy. It’s not too late.”

“I’m afraid it is, Spider-Man. It’s a shame you have to die. My daughter is quite a fan,” Beck stated, his voice echoing across the airwaves. The clouds in the sky darkened, spiraling until Mysterio’s image morphed into existence. Beck’s face within the helmet faded from sight, leaving a blank void. Soon, lightning crackled across the sky and thunder rumbled, sending tremors coursing through the earth. Mysterio soon cackled wildly, vanishing within the clouds. “Now, there is only the Great and Powerful Mysterio!”

Mysterio appeared behind Spider-Man’s position with his hands raised, prompting a trio of blue orbs to faze into existence. Each glowed brightly before unleashing a bolt of electricity, forcing Spider-Man to leap out of their path. They continued to fire in his direction, as he hurdled over every broken piece of stone and steel in his path. However, Peter fired a strand of webbing onto a broken pipe and pulled it into his waiting grasp. 

Suddenly, the buzzing within his cranium amplified and sent bolts of pain searing through his skull. Spider-Man stopped in his tracks, groaning as he struggled to gather his bearings. Meanwhile, a pair of turrets rose from the ground mere inches away, before taking aim at the costumed individual. Their chambers spun, whirring to life while bullets began to fly, but Spider-Man shook the cobwebs free from his mind, narrowly managing to contort his upper body out of the pathway of the hell of steel. 

Vanishing in a blur, Peter dashed behind the closest mounted gun, and he swung his pipe with great fury, shattering the steel turret, as if it were like glass. Just as the second turret turned, readying to return fire, Spider-Man tossed the pipe like a spear. The impact pierced the core, causing the mechanism to spark uncontrollably, before it eventually collapsed to the ground. The imagery of the broken turrets distorted, morphing back to the original shape of Mysterio’s drones. 

With a narrowed gaze, Peter took hold of one of the devices, but before he could proceed, the trio of blue orbs soared back into proximity. All three unleashed electrical bolts at once, this time connecting to their target as they struck Spider-Man. The force of the blow generated a shockwave, igniting a light potent enough to disrupt the holographic background momentarily to reveal the interior of the arena, before it stabilized back to the bridge settings. Peter was launched and spiraled violently across the air for several yards, until his back cracked against a steel beam, folding the material upon impact. 

Yet, he managed to keep hold of the drone, tightening his grasp. The boy lifted his head, humming as his body was shielded by debris, and the blue orbs slowly began to congregate towards his position, electricity crackling across their shells. Peter peeled back the hull of the drone in his grasp, exposing an array of wires and circuitry. He studied the anatomy with a narrowed gaze, soon retrieving a small pair of tuning forks from a hidden sleeve near his thigh. 

“This tech is amazing. I wish I could take time to really admire it, but I’m on a tight schedule. I just hope this stupid idea works!” Spider-Man whispered as he rearranged the wiring, wincing as the device sparked in defiance. Within seconds, the orbs began to glow, but Peter closed the shell of the drone, tossing it to the side. Inhaling deeply, before sighing, the boy cracked his knuckles and huffed. With a steady gaze, Spider-Man nodded. “Okay. My turn.”

Suddenly, Spider-Man sprang into the air, before latching a strand of webbing onto the nearest orb, swinging it overhead until it smashed directly into the others. Shards of steel scattered from the impact, as Peter landed on the ground. Meanwhile, Mysterio materialized into existence mere inches behind the costumed hero, with his hand reared back while flames poured from his palm. Spider-Man’s cranium blared wildly, prompting the boy to spin around with a clenched fist, but his mind screamed internally, forcing him to draw back his punch, before it could connect. 

Both individuals stood in place, with Mysterio staggering, while Spider-Man’s fist hovered inches away from his face. A crack soon formed at the center of the glass, spreading like a fissure. Eventually, the world rolled back into motion, and Beck vanished from sight, appearing several yards away down the street. He frantically pecked away at the keyboard strapped to his wrist. 

“Activate all drones now! Full power!” Beck exclaimed, grinding his teeth to the core. A warning message appeared on the screen, flashing in bold crimson letters. However, this only seemed to have evaporated what little patience Quentin had left, before he unleashed a wild scream. He snatched his glass helmet away and hurled it to the ground, shattering it upon impact. Slamming the keys on his device, the man howled. “Override the fail safes! ACTIVATE! ALL DRONES! NOW!”

Spider-Man raced towards Mysterio in a sprint, closing the gap within a virtual second, before leaping into the air, but once they were inches apart, a pair of drones materialized into sight between them. Both drove into the boy’s chest and carried him into the air. Faster than he could hope to react, the drones detonated in a burst of light. A cloud of flame and smoke engulfed Peter’s body, as a shockwave sent tremors coursing through the vicinity, and he was launched back, spiraling into the ground. Steel and stone ruptured upon impact, giving way for yards, until Spider-Man eventually grinded to a halt, on the back of his head. 

A high-pitched hum echoed throughout Peter’s ears, as the world seemingly slowed. Straining, he pulled himself back to a standing position, all while an array of drones surrounded Mysterio. Each faced Spider-Man’s direction, as if on command, and the boy simply staggered to his feet, taking in bated breaths. All of his senses roared at once, disorienting his equilibrium, but Peter inhaled deeply before closing his eyes, tuning out the screams of the outside world. Meanwhile, darkness and a green smog spread across the area, enveloping everything in sight, with the exception of Spider-Man. 

However, Peter managed to regulate his breathing, before inhaling deeply, exhaling once he opened his eyes. “Trust your instincts and follow your senses.”

Nodding, Spider-Man raced towards the void and ducked underneath a storm of bullets. He flipped overhead, throwing a kick, and the blow crashed into a drone, making it visible as it shattered to pieces. Spider-Man blurred from sight, as a wave of bullets rained down where he previously stood. Suddenly, a crimson wave blitzed through a trio of drones, sending the machines careening to the side in a sea of broken pieces of steel and circuitry. 

Flames spun across the vicinity from multiple angles, attempting to envelope him, but Spider-Man continued to sprint through the dark corridor, grabbing one of the drones as an unwitting shield. Soon, the boy rammed his way past what remained of the machines, before slamming the drone in his grasp against the wall. He sprinted forth into the darkness, focusing on a tiny beacon of light at the end of the path. His emotions cried out, flooding the confines of his mind, but his heart screamed, begging for a merciful triumph. 

Yelling, Spider-Man threw a straight punch at the center of the light, and a crunch echoed throughout the area, soon revealing a crack in Mysterio’s chest armor. The environment distorted, shifting back into the arena’s setting, while Beck skidded across the floor. Peter panted with a furrowed gaze, never averting his line of sight from the fallen Mysterio, but he soon stood, as the buzzing in his cranium finally ceased. 

Peter limped towards Beck, holding a hand over his aching torso. “It’s over, Mysterio.”

Wincing, Quentin struggled to remove his dented chest plate. “I must say, I know when I am outmatched,” he whispered, eventually managing to free himself from the armor. Yet, the corner of his lips curled into a dark smirk. “However, I’m a man with contingencies.”

Beck vanished from sight, materializing into existence in a burst of light just behind Peter, with a firearm in hand. A loud bang echoed across the arena as a bullet pierced Spider-Man’s cranium from the back. The boy limply fell to the ground, collapsing to a knee, before folding to the ground in a heap. Quentin watched with a look of grimace, lowering his head shamefully. However, his eyes shot open as an invisible force grasped his wrist and lifted his arm. 

“What?!” Quentin yelled out, straining as he attempted to free himself to no avail. He lowered his gaze, inhaling sharply as Spider-Man’s downed corpse suddenly sprang back to his feet, seemingly unharmed. He soon glanced to the side at the source holding his arm, finding Spider-Man in place, and Beck’s complexion paled while he took in the splitting image of two webbed heroes. “What is the meaning of this?!”

Spider-Man huffed, tightening his grip until the wrist device crumbled to pieces. “Easy. I hacked one of your drones and implemented my own dummy hologram program, just in case you tried something funny.” The boy shared a glance with his holographic counterpart, snapping his finger once the last remaining drone’s camouflage fell. “Say hello, dummy.”

A line of static trickled through the image of Spider-Man before he nodded, gesturing a thumbs up. “Hello, dummy.” The projection posed, holding his hands out. “I have to take a shot in the dark, but I almost lost my head there! Wacka wacka!”

Spider-Man shook his head and exhaled before smacking the drone with the back of his hand, causing the holographic image of himself to vanish from sight. “Am I really that awful? I’ll work out the kinks on that,” he declared, using his free hand to unleash an array of webbing onto Mysterio. The gossamer spread upon impact, binding the entirety of Beck’s upper body, and Peter pushed him to the ground, leaving the man in a sitting position. After a few seconds, Spider-Man let out a low sigh. “It’s over. Consider this your final curtain call.”

Beck strained, unable to free his arms from the binding, but a small smile graced his features before he peeked up at the costumed hero. “Well played, Spider-Man. I yield to the superior showman.” Sobering, the man lowered his gaze as if accepting his fate. “So, what happens now? Do you take revenge for my attempts on your life?”

“Don’t be stupid. The last thing I’ve ever do is take a parent away from their child,” Spider-Man scoffed, lowering to Beck's side before removing the other wrist device from his second arm. He pecked away at the board before dropping it to the floor. “Now, you answer to the police. It’s out of my hands.”

Taken aback, Quentin’s eyes widened. His expression softened and shoulders slumped, as the reality of the world sank in. “Even after what I did, you’re still doing the right thing? You’re nothing like the media portrays.” Jackpot let out a low sigh, before shaking his head. “Forgive me. I know what it is like when the media destroys one’s reputation unjustly. I believed the false rumors, without giving you a fair chance.”

“I still wish it didn’t come down to this,” Spider-Man gently interjected, his masked eyes narrowing. Suddenly, the door to the main lobby opened, before a plethora of local law enforcement swarmed into the area. Peter returned his attention to Mysterio as the officers neared the stage. “So, what happens now?”

As if contemplating the boy’s question, Beck was slow to respond, but he eventually nodded, holding a firm expression. “Simple. I confess to my crimes and serve time. I owe you… and my daughter… that much. As a showman, I must keep some semblance of honor.” Once the officers were within hearing range, Jackpot cleared his throat and growled in an exaggerated manner. “Curse you, Spider-Man! You foiled the Great and Powerful Mysterio’s plan to exploit you! One day, Mysterio will have his revenge and destroy you next time!”

Spider-Man reached out, as if to stop Beck, but one of the officers readied his weapon, pointing it in his direction. Raising his hands defensively, Peter blankly stared at the policeman. “Seriously? Why aim at me this time?”

The officer glared, pursing his lip. “You’re still under arrest for the assault of an officer!”

A long silence filled the air as Spider-Man awkwardly stammered about. “Oh, right. That’s… actually reasonable. In that case, here’s my disappearing act.” He paused, pointing dramatically to the side. “What’s that?!”

All three officers shot their bewildered gazes to the side, attempting to locate what the vigilante was referring to. Faster than anyone could react, the boy fired a strand of webbing across the arena and swung throughout the air, until he reached the vent near the highest point of the room. The officers could only watch as Spider-Man crawled into the shaft, each cursing amongst themselves. 

However, Jackpot quietly nodded his approval, before allowing himself to smile briefly. “Don’t watch the mouth. Watch the hands.”

After what seemed like minutes, the officers escorted Mysterio from the premises and to their squad cars. The media, ever present, waited outside, with their cameras ready. All in one fell swoop, the Great and Powerful Mysterio’s reputation sank beneath the depths of the earth. 

Spider-Man watched from afar, perched on the side of a building. “I found a way to win, but somehow, everyone still loses.” He shook his head sadly, before unleashing a strand of webbing into the distance, falling into a swing, away from the media frenzy. “I’m sorry, Trixie.”

To be concluded…