CHAPTER TEN
The white-suited gargantuan stood, towering over Chase and staring intently at Lydia. Before Chase could react, the man swatted him like a fly, sending him several feet out of the way, into another table. The table flipped with a crash, landing on top of him.

Chase looked back in time to see the big man knock the table in front of Lydia out of the way, directly at his head. The table spun twice in the air and came down, tabletop first, on Chase’s face.

It took Chase a moment to free himself of all the tables and chairs that covered him. He tossed them all aside, though, and stood up.

White-Suit was facing him, Lydia held out in front by her shoulder. She was wiggling and clawing at his hand. “Uh-uh-uh,” the giant cautioned, “just lay right back down there, jackass, or I’ll snap her pretty little collarbone.”

“Don’t do it, Chase,” Lydia hollered, but she was cut off by White-Suit squeezing her shoulder tighter. She gasped.

“There, there, little lady,” he cooed in the creepiest way Chase had ever heard, “you’re about to have a brand new boyfriend.”

Chase tried to gauge his chances of getting to the man before he hurt Lydia. Then he remembered AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #121. He had visions of Lydia’s neck snapping even as he landed a devastating blow to Wihte-Suit’s face. He put his hands up and slowly dropped to his knees.

“Now, you’re just going to lie there while I kick you until candy comes out. Got it?” White-Suit took a step forward, pushing Lydia along. She let out a little whimper and Chase nodded his assent, lying face down on the cold, hard tile. He hoped that he was going to be able to handle the punishment until the big man’s legs got tired or he got bored.

“Let me go! Ow! Put me down! Put me down!” Chase could hear Lydia struggling, but she quieted down with a strangled little moan. She fell to the floor next to him, unconscious.

“I like ‘em quiet, anyway,” the behemoth said.

Chase felt the rage rising but he thought of Peter Parker’s guilt over Gwen Stacey and stayed down. Lydia was safer that way.

“Nighty-night, jagoff,” he heard the ogre say. He saw one of the man’s gigantic feet lift off the ground. He braced for the impact.

There was the sound of shattering glass followed by another strangled little cry, this time from White-Suit. His other foot, the one that had been holding him up as he prepared to stomp down on Chase’s head, was gone. Chase propped himself up and looked around.

The giant laid in a crumpled heap against the far wall. Blood ran from his mouth, nose, and ears. An overweight man in a green, yellow, and white spandex outfit stood over him.

“Adam,” Chase whispered to no one in particular.

“Turnabout is fair play,” Adam said to the prone form of White-Suit. He stabbed a finger in the air to punctuate his banter. “Now, to ensure that you remain agreeable until the authorities arrive,” he said, then reared back his left leg and unleashed a vicious kick to White-Suit’s midsection. The force of the blow drove White-Suit an inch or so into the brick wall, shaking the entire shop.

“Adam…” Chase hollered without thinking. Adam turned to glare at him almost instantly. Chase drew out the last syllable and then added, quickly, “…-antium! Adamantium, stop, he’s down! You’ll kill him.” Chase got to his feet as he yelled, crossing the store and grabbing Adam by the shoulders.

“At ease, bystander. I have the miscreant well in hand,” Adam said through gritted teeth, trying hard to maintain his jocular, golden-age tone.

“He’s bleeding to death,” Chase whispered angrily.

“He hurt Lydia,” Adam countered in his own angry whisper. “Let him bleed.” He turned to the people that were slowly coming out from behind the counter, up from under tables, emerging from wherever they had hidden when the fight started. He put his hands up triumphantly. “Dear people,” he started.

Chase tightened his grip on Adam’s shoulder. Adam grimaced with a twinge of pain. “Have them call an ambulance,” he hissed into Adam’s ear.

Adam shook free of Chase’s grip and continued, “would someone please alert the constabulary?” He shot a look at Chase. “And the paramedics?”

Chase crossed back to Lydia. She was still out cold, but seemed fine otherwise. Her breathing was regular and there were no visible injuries. He picked up her ball cap from where it had fallen and dusted it off.

Chase was shoved roughly aside. Adam stepped into his place and stooped to pick up Lydia. “No need to fret, fellow,” Adam boomed, “Adamantium will make sure this beautiful young lady gets to the hospital.”

Chase grabbed his arm before he could lift. “Don’t move her,” he said quietly. “She might have internal injuries and you yanking her around could make them worse. Leave her here for the paramedics.”

“I scanned her with my X-Ray Vision. She looks fine,” Adam assured him.

“Did you get Super-Doctor powers, too,” Chase whispered sarcastically. “Leave her for the pros.”

“But then she won’t know who saved her.” He managed to whine even though he was whispering.

“Leave her,” Chase repeated. He looked into Adam’s eyes. “You know I’m right.”

Adam paused a moment, then asked, “What do I say to all these people watching? I just said I would take her.”

“Pretend that you hear another crime or something. Then jet off and I’ll stay with her.”

Adam smiled. “Good idea,” he whispered, then shot upright. “Hark,” he bellowed, holding a hand to his ear, “I hear another innocent in distress!” He looked down at Chase and said, “Young man, stay with this woman and make sure she receives the medical attention that she needs! I am off!”

With that, Adam took six or seven large strides across the shop, back toward the shattered window. He jumped out the window, laying himself out parallel to the ground, like a wide receiver stretching for a reception. He rose instead of fell, though, and soared away in the blink of an eye.

Chase watched as most of the onlookers rushed the window. He could hear people saying things like, “That dude flew,” and, “Are the filming a movie?” He turned his attention back to Lydia. She was still lying with her eyes closed, breathing normally. He heard sirens he looked up but didn’t see any flashing lights. None of the onlookers seemed to notice the sound. He heard them getting closer and closer. He realized that he was hearing the ambulance miles away. He focused and could hear the drivers talking. “Starbuck’s on North…” one was saying. They were coming for Lydia.

“Hey.”

Chase looked down to where the weak voice had come from. Lydia had her eyes open and was looking at him. “Asshole choked me,” she said in a ragged whisper.

“Shhh, don’t try to talk. The ambulance is on its way.” She took his hand. “Are you okay,” he asked.

She nodded yes. She mouthed, “Need to tell you something,” amd motioned with her head for Chase to lean in. He did. He put his ear close to Lydia’s mouth. Her breath sent chill down his back.

“What,” he asked softly.

She craned her head and kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks for saving me,” she whispered.

Chase sat there, stunned. Then he said, “It wasn’t me, it was Adam.” After a moment, he pulled back and looked at Lydia. Her eyes were closed again and she was breathing deeply.

Chase thought about the fact that he’d been a superhero for less than an hour and already he had endangered someone he cared about. That didn’t bode well for either his criefighting career or his love life.

Someone near the window shouted, “I see the ambulance! There’s two of ‘em!” Several men ran outside to wave them down. Chase kissed Lydia lightly on the cheek and got up. He crossed over to the man in the white suit.

The man’s breathing was labored and shallow. There was blood caked around his ears, nose, and mouth, but the bleeding seemed to have stopped. Chase wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

“What happened,” a man stormed in and called out. “Where’s Lydia?”

Chase turned to see Dylan approaching him. “What happened, Chase,” he growled, grabbing the front of Chase’s jacket.

“Whoa, whoa, calm down Dylan. Calm down. This guy was pissed at me and, since I was talking to Lydia, grabbed her too. Then…some guy…in a cape flew in and beat the crap out of him.” Chase shrugged.

“This is your fault? Why were you talking to her, anyway? What did you say about me?” Dylan shook Chase roughly as he barraged him with accusatory questions.

“Knock it off, Dylan,” Chase said firmly. He brushed Dylan’s hands away, using the lightest touch he could. He didn’t want to hurt him. “The guy’s crazy and he did something crazy. As for why I’m here – I was getting some coffee. We started talking. That’s it. Nothing else. Just a coincidence that she was working when I came in.” Chase didn’t want to get Dylan angry. He wasn’t sure he could get in a fight and not pulverize him. Better to play the coward and avoid the risk, he figured.

“Get out,” Dylan said, pushing Chase out of the way. He stalked over to where Lydia was laying. “Oh, baby,” he said, tenderly. He dropped to his knees and took her hand. “Did he mess up your face?”

The paramedics rolled in with a couple of stretchers. “Sir,” one asked him, “are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Chase said, watching the other paramedic get Lydia’s information from Dylan. “Yeah, I’m fine. That guy in the suit needs help immediately, though.” The paramedic brushed past him and headed to white suit.

“Hold on, Lyd,” Dylan said as two paramedics hoisted her onto the stretcher and began wheeling her out. Dylan grabbed her hand and followed, brushing right past Chase. “I’m here now, baby.”

Chase waited to leave until both ambulances had pulled away. He heard, from three blocks away, one of the drivers say they were taking Lydia to Northwestern. He’d head over there after he had a chat wth Adam.