Enter the Teacher, Part 1

"Enter the Teacher, Part 1" is the first episode of the 1st season of The Gray Ghost: The Animated Series, created by David and produced by Marvel Studios. The episode first aired in 23 March of 2015.

The plot features the introduction of the main character, Ron Murdoch, of the main antagonist "The Teacher" and the vast criminal organization known as F.E.A.R.

Plot
- "No, I can´t do it." - He said in a low tone. - "I´m just a kid. This is too big for me."

Suddenly, the phoen rang. He took the call but only listened in fear, without saying a word.

- "Murdoch, the time has come. The time to prove yourself to the Teacher that is. Tonight, meet us at 11:40 pm near the security facility of Stark Industries. Oh and bring your revolver. You are going to need it. Did I make myself clear?" - He asked.

There was no answer.

- "You know the cost for failure or for not showing up, don´t you?"

- "I do, sir".

- "Wonderful. Remember, Mr. Lencaster has high expectations. We can´t let him down. I´m just like you. We are just some street thugs messing with the big boys. But this is our chance to go up in the world. Think about that, mate."

He finished the call, put the phone back and placed his hands on his head in a feat of desperation. He didn´t know what to do but he knew he couldn´t just run away. If he did, it would be the end. It was amazing how it had all changed in one year. Back then, he still had his father, his normal life as Ron Murdoch, a student nearly finishing high school and getting his degree. Now, his father was gone, his mother couldn´t bear the struggles of the everyday anymore, the drugs he was so addicted to had ruined his future and now he was caught in the web of a criminal gang he almost knew nothing about. All he knew is that they were dangerous and felt no remorse by killing, either others or themselves. He made up his mind. He needed to go. He opened the drawer of his closet and took out the gun one of them had given him.

Then he just waited in agony as the time approached. Until it finally did...

It was finally 11:40. Ron passed the guards with ease. He was standing near the facility when he heard someone coming. He didn´t know what was worse, if the ones coming were guards or if they were the rest of the members of the gang who had organized this entire "meeting". However, it was neither.

- "Oh, one more" - Said the mysterious figure. - It was a voice he didn´t know.

He took up his gun. - "Stay Back!" - He screamed.

"Your friends had guns too but now they are taking a long nap, courtesy of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man."

- "Spider-Man?"

- "Yes." - The stranger answered.

They both came a little closer to each other. The light revealed both the red and blue hero and the scared young man that stood against him with a revolver in his hand.

- "Hey, kid. Put that thing down. I don´t want to harm you, ok?"

Ron moved his eyes and slowly lowered the gun.

- "Ok, that´s better. What´s your name?"

- "Ah.. Ro... Ron, sir."

- "Ok, Ron. I´ll take home, ok? Let´s just forget this, ok? You don´t need to worry about these guys anymore. The police are on their way. And if there´s something New York has, it´s good cops."

Ron agreed and gave me the hero a sweet and brief hug.

Then, a group of thorny vines appeared out of nowhere and attacked them both, forming a circle around them.

- "Ah, look out" - Screamed Ron in an attempt to save Spider-Man.

Spider-Man pushed Ron out of the way and was then immediately grabbed by the vines, who with their thorns, caused him excruciating pain and began to fully trap his legs and his arms.

- "Ah! Ron, go!" - He screamed.

- "No, I won´t leave you". - He insisted.

- "Just go".

But Ron stayed, long enough to see the vines pushing him to the dorr and taking him outside with great speed. It was obvious someone was behind this, but who? It couldn´t be the thugs, they were all knocked out cold on the ground. He ran outside and looked around, only to get the answers he was demanding a few seconds ago.

What he saw was a figure eveloped in thorns and ancient robbes, like the product of an Egyptian nightmare. That "thing" had crimson blood in her eyes and somehow manipulated the vines that wrapped around Spider-Man.

- "Hey you! Who are you? What do you think you´re doing?"

The vines stopped for a moment and he got their new enemy´s attention.

- "My name is Thorn, you meddling brat. And if you insist to know, my mission is to to destroy both you and your little friend." - Said a woman´s voice behind that mask.

- "Not going to happen" - Retaliated Spider-Man as he used his superhuman strength to break free of Thorn´s grip.

He then jumped and kicked her in the right side of her chest, causing her an odd and extreme pain.

- "You´re a bit weaker than what I expected." - Said Spidey.

- "You dare to mock him, you little bug?"

- "Him?" - Asked Spider-Man.

- "Yes, my master, the Teacher. When you mock his servants, you mock him. And NO ONE mocks the Teacher!" - She screamed, as she launched her thorns at the young hero.

He eluded them every time and managed to get close enough to start a direct confrontation. But even at his peak, she would avoid and counter all his kicks and his punches. She then used her thorn as a powerful whip and knocked him into the ground.

- Ah, that hurts..." - He replied.

- "That´s the thing about pain, it demands to be felt. But some embrace it. My master for example, he always taught me that pain is what tells you, you are alive. So embrace it and enjoy it for soon you won´t feel anything at all."

She used her whip once again but he evaded it. He used his agility and jumped to the branch of a nearby tree. He then directed multiple web shots at her and trapped her in a cocoon.

But even that was of no avail.

- "Haha, you fool. When spiders battle a carnivorous plant, who do you think emerges the victor?"

- "What do you want us?" - Asked Ron.

- "From you? Nothing, my dear boy. What I wanted was something hidden deep within Stark Industries. That was why myself and all those brainless idiots came here. And now I have it in my pocket."

- "If you already have it, why are you doing this?" - He asked again.

- "Simple. I´m just eliminating the part of the plan that did not go as expected, and that part is you two!"

Spider-Man approached once more but this time, Thorn got the upper hand. She then used her thorns to grabb him with an even mightier hold.

- "And now for you, pathetic child."

- "No... wait..." - Said Spider-Man while still her under hold. - "The police are on their way. You must know Captain George Stacy is well known to be efficient.  If you delay yourself even more, you´ll never get out alive. Leave the boy alone, take me. He´s just a kid. If you wait even one more minute, you´ll be captured. It´s me or no one. - Ron, get going!"

Just as he said this, the police sirens that had been heard for some time began to grow increasingly louder.

- "So that is your name. Ron. Know that I will be back to finish what I started. I want you to be aware of that and I want you to cower in fear until that time arrives."

She increased her hold on Spider-Man and from her ancient robbe, took out a smoke bomb. She launched it on to the ground and with that veil of shadows, made her escape with the hero under her control.

- No, Spider-Man! Come back, please! - Screamed Ron as he saw him fade away, until the smoke cleared up and he realized he was alone.

The police arrived seconds later. He knew he couldn´t be there but he knew he needed help. After all, someone had just sacrified their life for him. He needed to repay him. The first thing to do now would be to go home.

Meanwhile, in the private study of a mansion in Cardiff, England.

- "Ah, Mr. Lencaster. Do come in. I trust you bring good news."

He bowed respectfully to a figure in a shadowy cloak sitting besides the desk.

- "My Lord" - "What you desired from Stark Industries is now in possession of one of your agents."

- "Wonderful."

- "But my lord...."

- "Yes, Arnold?"

- "There was an unexpected turn of events."

- "Unexpected?"

- "Yes, my lord. The team set out to recover the object was composed of Thorn and a few of our minor FEAR agents. Street thugs. But I´m afraid they were captured by the police and arrested. They know too much.

- "If I remember correctly, Arnold, you had some contacts in the New York Police Department. I want you to eliminate those "street thugs" as soon as possible. We can´t make mistakes like this anymore. And to make sure of that, I shall return to America with you. Britain has become tiresome and as the Teacher, I demand excitement."

- "But, my lord..."

- "What now?"

- "One of the thugs was not captured, my Lord. In his place, Thorn captured the superhero known as Spider-Man.

- "Interesting. Spider-Man may yet be of use to us. Make sure Thorn´s emotions are controlled. I want to see him alive when I return, not as a rotting corpse.

- "I shall, my Lord. And the boy?"

- "I trust you have done something about it."

- "I have my Lord. His name is Ron Murdoch. A high school student who lives with his single mother. He doesn´t know much but he is still a problem. We have traced his house. Thorn and her partner, Anubis, are there to remedy their failure. I just came to ask your permission for the deed."

- "You have it. Finish Mr. Murdoch and his filthy mother."

- "As you wish, my Lord."

- "Arnold."

- "Yes, my Lord?"

- "Remember what you say to your own servants. I also don´t tolerate failure and I want you to remember that torture and death are the punishments when I am in a generous mood. And right now, I´m not feeling very generous."

- "I shall, my Lord, I shall..."

30 Minutes Later, Sun Drive, New York, USA

- "Mum, I´m home." - Said Ron as he opened the door to the house. He had to pretend it was just a normal day. All he he did was go to bar and get a few drinks with his friends. Nothing more. But deep down, he couldn´t stop thinking about Spider-Man and what had happened. Was he still alive? Then he got distracted when his mother didn´t answer. She always did.

- "Mum, are you there?"

There was still no answer. There was some noise in the kitchen. She had to be there.

- "Mum, won´t you stop playing. This really isn´t the best time."

He went to the kitchen and opened the door. What he saw shocked him. There was Thorn and someone else, another mutant. Thorn´s vines were holding his mother in a cross. She couldn´t move, her eyes were closed and she didn´t say a word. She could either be unconscious or worse.

- "I´m afraid Mummy can´t talk right now, my dear little Ron. But don´t worry, I´ll take good care of you." - Said Thorn with a pleasure in her voice and death in her eyes.

Next Episode: Enter The Teacher, Part 2

Trivia
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