From her vantage point high above the bustling city of Manhattan, Gwendolyn Maxine Stacy stared out into the dusk, taking the warm summer breeze that signaled the end of the day. A day she'd spent reflecting on the insanity that had been her life the last few months. It all began with her being bitten by radioactive spider, the accidental killing her closest friend Peter Parker; who had somehow managed to transform himself into a giant rampaging lizard. She also spent an uncertain amount of time traversing around multiple dimensions trying to stop a group of immortals called the Inheritors from killing her, and alternate versions of Peter that had gotten bitten by the spider instead of her. Apparently, he was the real deal. The chosen one. Deep down she wished she had a little more time to speak with him. She'd learned from another spider-person, "Ben Reilly, rest his soul…", that in some twisted alternate reality Peter had failed to save her and she'd been the one to die. Thus, she kept a respectable distance for the majority of the adventure. She had taken the jibe in stride, understood the pain he was probably going through… had gone through...
She shook herself from her memories, knowing that she did have the tech and option to visit Six-One-Six Spider-man as he was called…. As she often did, she quickly dismissed the thought knowing that it would be too weird. Too awkward… she'd probably just stumble over words and make a fool out of herself.
"You know Pete; you would've been proud of yourself. So strong, and brilliant." Gwen spoke aloud knowing full well that Peter Parker, her Peter Parker, was six feet under and there was no way that he would respond. "You were pretty witty too. Not as witty as me of course, or cool… even though it was your gig. Your costume was a little meh…" A slight gust of wind blew in response against the billboard she had been sitting under. It was, of course, the billboard highlighting a gigantic photo of Peter and a number for a tip line leading to the arrest of Spider-Woman. There weren't any other billboards that she hung around that made her feel quite this guilty.
She didn't know why she tortured herself like this. Didn't know why she'd been cursed with such horrible luck. Her cellphone hummed and vibrated a message. She plucked it up from its mesh-holding pouch on her back pack, unwinding the cord of her headphones as she unlocked the screen. A dozen missed calls from Mary Jane. Three from Glory. This one from her father. Since she had revealed to him her identity as the Spider-Woman Gwen had been avoiding him like the plague. In a short moment of strength and will she'd finally worked up enough courage to speak to him. To let him know that if she was ever going to make things right…his daughter would have to go. That Gwen Stacy, his little girl would have to die.
He left a voicemail like he always did. "Gwen, pick up its me." The same plea from a tired old man that didn't fully understand what was going on. Give up being Spider-Woman! He urged. Go back to college! Live a normal life! Honor Peter that way. A moment of silence passed then "Just…just come home tonight. Please. We don't have to talk. Just come home… I'll-" A loud explosion interrupted her father killing the call instantly.
"Dad!" She leapt off the building and pulled her mask down over her face. Luckily she always wore her costume underneath her clothes. The city rushed up at her as she changed into her Spider-Woman costume mid-dive and wrapped her loose clothing into a ball and shoved it into her bag and at the last second she shot out a line launching herself back up in the air through the maze of buildings that was New York. "I'm coming Dad!"
As a little girl Gwen had visited the Precinct her father worked at over a dozen times. She'd come and surprise her father after school with her mother. They would sometimes eat lunch or just talk. After her mother died she spent as much time with her father as she could. It was for the best. She remembered how the building reminded her very much of a stalwart sentinel standing vigil over the neighborhood. With the flames and semi-automatic gunfire, the sentinel now resembled a castle under siege. Minus the ballistae, catapults and battering rams. Soldiers dead, dying, wounded or otherwise were replace by cops, both rookie and veteran struggling to escape and secure the chaos exploding around the precinct.
Gun fire and explosions shook buildings and shattered windows for dozens of city blocks. She didn't need her spider-sense to tell her that she needed to hurry. She shot out another line of webbing, and swung hard, launching herself as high up as her muscles could muster. The closer she got, the more of the chaos she could decipher. Officers calling for assistance from other precincts. As her father's precinct came into the view the gravity and chaos became very clear. A Hydra Securities Van was blocking the street. A few police cruisers had been hit and over turned by a rocket or a missile launcher of some sort. A squad of officers somehow managed to escape the initial chaos had taken up tactical positions around the main entrances and the garage. Though even Gwen knew that only three officers armed with handguns didn't quite constitute as much of a deterrent over whomever was assaulting the station.
She nimbly landed crouched, spider-crouched, down low on top of a light pole adjacent to the precinct. None of the officers below noticed her. They were too focused on the battle in front of them.
From her perch she spotted a figure bursting through the rooftop access. She couldn't tell who it was through the smoke, but instantly she hoped it was her father. She was already moving before her brain told her that maybe rushing in wasn't a good idea. She still didn't know who was assaulting the precinct and maybe this person was one of them. She leapt off the light pole, aimed her web-shooters at the corner of the closest building and shot out a strong line of webbing. When it caught she let herself glide up and around using the momentum to launch herself up to the rooftop. As she came upwards she quickly recognized the person who had escaped onto the roof.
Jean DeWolff had been a longtime family friend and confidant of her father. They were once really close when her mother died. Just another person who fell victim to the Lizard. A few other officers soon followed Officer DeWolff…or was it Detective now…
"Awkward place to put donuts dontcha think?" Gwen said as she landed in a low crouch.
"Spider-Woman!?" A uniformed officer shouted in surprise as he spotted her. Very unexpectedly she had more than a dozen handguns trained on her. Her Spider-Sense starting going crazy. Someone's going to shoot! Need to deescalate this…
"Hey now, it wasn't my idea!" She raised her hands up near her head hoping that would show that she was there to help. More officers poured through the rooftop access door. Some carrying injured, others covering the door to make sure that whomever was following them. She leaped over the officers and took position up above the door. "I mean I do like high places but really this much exercise for snacks? Not my thing."
The officers guarding the door quickly backed away and pointed their guns at her. She kept her hands raised, scouring the crowd for her father. Again her spider-sense starting going off.
"Incoming!" The officers shouted and began unloading their weapons down the stairwell.
"So that's where you little rabbits ran off to!" A thick Brooklyn accent came from below her. A large figure exploded its way through the roof. Officers went flying across the roof. Others began opening fire. Gwen herself was thrown off her perch from the explosion, unsure if it had been a bomb that had just went off or what. She landed hard on her back, quickly rolling to her stomach in order to avoid the shrapnel and flying rubble from the roof access door exploding. The owner of the voice was a large muscular man with dark ebony skin and more muscles than she could count. In his hands he wielded a large chain with a gigantic steel ball attached to the end. Etched into the steel ball was a smiling skull. "And there's the prize!" She couldn't tell who his target was but whoever it was she needed to keep them safe from this attacker. A few officers opened fire but he began stalking towards the crowd of wounded, confused and dazed officers as though he was an unstoppable juggernaut.
She was on her feet and in the air before she quipped, "Hey Smiler I'm pretty sure this is not the way to complain about being kicked out her fan club!" She landed on his back, her feet pressing down on his shoulders. A normal man would've been pushed down to the ground, but he simply looked up at her as if she was simply a parrot that landed on his shoulder. She resisted the urge to squawk.
"Spider-Woman! He did say you'd show up." He raised a hand to brush her away. She leapt backward pushing off with her feet sending him stumbling forward. Bad idea, Gwen. Need to get between him and the injured. "We're doing you a favor here. Why are you protecting these pigs?"
"Oh I dunno," She shot a glob of webbing at his face and he unexpectedly dodged out of the way. Moves fast for a big guy. "I've always had a soft spot for men in uniform."
The man hefted chain over his head and began spinning the ball over his head rapidly. "Is that why you keep protecting Captain Stacy?" He launched the ball at her and Gwen dodged to her right. "You also have a thing for old men?"
"Oh gross!" Gwen mimed as if she'd just vomited inside her mask. "Why! Why put that image in my head?" He yanked back the ball and arced it back towards her. Wielding it like a whip. Gonna have to take that off his hands.
"Don't worry Wrecker should have dealt with him by now." He whipped the ball at her once more. "Your imagination is where he'll remain!" Oh no he did not just! She nearly forgot to evade the giant ball as it smashed the ground next to her. She'd cartwheeled out of the way at the last second, attaching a line of webbing to the ball and dashing forward, letting her arm trail behind her hiding her maneuver. As he jerked the ball and chain back for another strike she tugged slightly on the web line and redirected the momentum of the massive projectile which threw him off balance and the ball out of orbit.
"I came in like a WREEEEECKING BALL!" she sang just a little off key. The heavy iron ball struck him dead on his chin with as much force as she could muster without outright killing him. The impact sent him nearly soaring off the roof. Still in motion and not missing a moment, Gwen chased after him at full speed, covering him with as much webbing until he was completely wrapped. As she neared the edge of the rooftop she attached a line of webbing to ground so he hung over the edge like cattle on a meat hook of a slaughterhouse. This all took only a minute. After she was sure he was secure she glanced back briefly to see if any of the officers that had escaped had been injured any further.
"You bitch!" he cursed. "Get me down from here!"
"Ah, I thought you were Smiler," Gwen quipped as she turned to peer down at him. "Don't worry, a lot of people think she's weird….and disgusting." Her Spider-sense went off again before the officer had gotten close enough that they believed they'd gotten the drop on her. "I know what you're thinking 'will she eat him.' The short answer is no, I'm kind've watching my carb intake,"
"Spider-Woman, you're under arrest!" Detective DeWolff's voice hinted at a bit of uncertainty. Just enough to fool anyone without a discerning ear. Gwen raised her hands up slow, the hood of her costume had fallen back across her shoulders. Still her mask didn't quite allow her full peripheral vision, which is why her spider-sense was nifty to have in situations like these. Though, ever since her little adventures in the multiverse they'd been dulled a bit. But she was dealing with it. DeWolff reached out for her mask and with the grace of ballet dance and speed of a viper, Gwen had her old family friend disarmed and webbed before the other officers could react.
"Tell me," Gwen said in a playful yet seriously urgent tone. "Where did you last see Captain Stacy?"
DeWolff glared hard at her, her glasses beginning to fall off her face. "He was covering our escape with Captain Castle." She said begrudged. "There were two more of these guys. A man in a skull mask and another one holding a crowbar. They're probably one floor below us."
"Thanks detective." Gwen quickly rushed past the other officers, snatching up the loose ball and chain as if weren't heavy and weighted. It was horribly unwieldy, yet somehow the unknown attacker had been using it as if was a piece of his own body. With the stairwell, utterly crushed into nothing and being in a hurry Gwen leapt off the edge of the roof, flipping over the railing and smashing through one of the windows of the top floor.
Almost immediately she was afraid. Where there were earlier signs and sounds of a major fire-fight happening, inside was quiet. Silence meant that she was probably too late to save her father. She strained her ears to listen for signs of life. Her spider-sense wasn't going off as she investigated further inside. She cleared the top floor in minutes, found the destroyed stairwell leading up and knew that down was the only way to go. She made her way through the second floor…and there was still nothing. At least that's what she thought until she heard something move in one of the offices.
"D-da-erm Captain Stacy?" She called out against her judgement. She hoped that whomever caused the noise wasn't the one who was attacking the precinct. She neared one of the open offices, and there was a man in a dark green outfit sitting on the floor in a pool of blood a large crowbar on the ground next to him. He was attempting to remove a small knife that had been plunged into his neck. After a moment he suddenly realized that he was being watched and glanced up at her. He quickly made a move for his crowbar, but Gwen kicked it out of the way. She still didn't know who he was so he could be an enemy for all she knew.
"Thunderball…" He spoke grimly. "Here to finish the job your guy started? I didn't think it be this hard. Boss said you'd show up though. Bit off more than we- "
"Who ordered you to attack Captain Stacy?" She demanded. Was this the Kingpin? Or someone new?
"Like I'm going tell. Wrecker ain't no snitch." With that he cracked something in his mouth and swallowed.
"Oh no!" Gwen dropped the ball and chain she'd been lugging around as Wrecker slumped down to the ground, white foam around his lips and eyes staring blankly ahead. "NO!" She slammed her fist into the floor, angry that she'd just lost what was the only lead on her father when another gunshot reverberated through the building. One shot was quickly followed by another and then shouts of 'Police!' and 'Put your hands up!'. Leaving Wreckers corpse, she hurried down to the first floor and couldn't believe the sight she was seeing.
Just outside the stairwell entrance there was man dressed in full black armored suit with a hood covering his face. He was holding up a small round shield, using it to block the volley of semi-automatic gunfire being thrown at him. On his back he wielded a long sword. Something much like a katana from one of the many ninja films she'd watched growing up. Deciding to take a stealthier approach, Gwen quickly dove into one of the empty interrogation rooms trying to dodge the incoming gunfire. She lowered herself to the floor crouching as possible, peeking around the edge of the destroyed the doorway. The sounds of gunfire had died down. The silence made her heart leap in her throat.
The intruder was standing over a wounded S.W.A.T Team member, a hand-gun gripped firmly in his hand. "I don't know how you did it Stacy," The intruder called out. "But you can't run from me! I'll hunt down that precious daughter of yours…does Gwen still play the drums Captain!? You think she can be good as that guy from Def Leopard!" He placed his foot on the dying officer and aimed it at the exposed officers' face. "Your choice, Stacy! You, your friend here…or your daughter. Doesn't matter to me I get paid either way!"
Gwen stepped around the corner, aimed her web-shooters forward. In two quick presses she latched two strong sticky lines to the intruders' shoulders, twisted around and yanked hard. He went flying over her head smashing hard into the stairwell. She rushed to the side of the fallen S.W.A.T team member, he was pressing down hard on a wound to his leg. Blood was pouring over his fingers. As he saw her approach he reached for pistol that had been knocked just out of reach.
"Whoa, chill out. I can help. Not gonna hurt you buddy." She slowly approached the officer with her hands up. He was dressed ready for war. Kevlar vest, covered in magazine pouches with a few grenades tucked away across his chest. A balaclava covered his entire face while what she guessed was his helmet had been knocked away and was laying useless on the floor.
"You're with the Taskmaster and his wrecking crew?" She wasn't sure if this was a statement or a question.
"No, I'm here to…" She was going to say I'm here to make sure Captain Stacy is okay, but decided against it. She glanced behind over her shoulder, heard sounds of the intruder stirring. "Look we gotta get you to safety. I'm gonna try and stop the bleeding." If that was enough of an explanation for him to trust her, he moved his hand and reached for one of the pouches on his vest. He retrieved a square of gauze and handed it to her. She placed it on the open wound and webbed it tightly to his leg. She reached out and picked up one of the loose weapons on the ground and stuffed it into hands. She rose to her feet and offered him a hand. He took it and she pulled him up to his good leg and through an arm around his shoulder.
She hurried through the maze of busted offices and burning desks curious of where the explosion she'd heard earlier had originated from, and found a huge gaping hole on the backside of precinct where a few interview rooms had been completely obliterated. It was easy to deduce from there, that the gigantic hole in the wall was where this 'Taskmaster' had launched his assault.
"Please tell me that's not your teams entry point." Gwen paused for a moment to take in the carnage. There was bloodstains and loose clothing littering around the detonation point. She could see her father's desk lying in ruins just a few feet over. The pictures of her and her mother lay shattered on the floor around her.
"No, we breached in through the garage. Captain Stacy brought some survivors out with Captain Castle and we came in to cover and subdue the intruders." The officer replied. "Didn't think the rumors about Taskmaster were true. He eats bullets as though they were spitballs."
"Eats bullets? Too much iron in his diet will-" If he could see behind her mask he would see the puzzled look and raised eyebrow painted across her face.
"Can't be killed or so they say. I've put an entire magazine into his skull and he kept coming." He said through strained teeth. Gwen could tell his leg-wound was bothering him.
"Hey Listen," She kicked over an overturned desk and sat him down behind it.
"Cage, Luke Cage." The Officer pulled his balaclava off revealing his dark brown skin radiant with sweat.
"Look I'm going to go back and take care of that dude. Gonna need you to guard that hole in case more of his friends show up. Can you handle that?"
"As long as you're not asking me to run any marathons." Cage popped his magazine out of his weapons, checked to see how many rounds he had left and reloaded his weapon with speed and ease of a practiced soldier. But by the time he looked up she was already clinging to the ceiling and making her way back towards where she'd last left the Taskmaster. She carefully searched the first floor, not locating him anywhere she made her way back up to the second floor. She found him sitting in a chair, sword and shield in hand next to his fallen henchman formally known as the Wrecker. It was hard to tell with the lights out and damaged, but she could swear that she caught a glimpse of pristine ivory skull hidden beneath the hood covering his face.
"I knew you'd show up. Stacy's your man on the inside isn't he?" He rose to his feet, his face still half-hidden by shadows. "They call me Taskmaster. I'm not contracted to kill you…just your man Stacy. But just in case you showed up my employer asked that I make you an offer." Gwen cocked her head slightly. Pass me message? Taking her silence as having her full attention Taskmaster continued. "He's not sure what you have on him, but he'll forget Stacy if you agree to come work for him…"
Thwip!
With the speed of a wild west gunslinger Gwen shot out a ball of webbing at his face and with surprising agility, Taskmaster raised his shield blocked her shot and threw his shield into her chest before she could counter. She was knocked flat on the floor, the air pushed out of her lungs and she could swear that a rib had been cracked just then. Okay this guy is fast. Can't use the normal playbook.
"Figured that be your answer. Should warn you. I do get a bonus for bringing your head in too." Gwen hopped up to her feet, normal taunts and banter hadn't been on her mind all night. Was throwing her off her game.
"Bonus? Just for me? You could snatch any ol' girl off the street. With a pretty face like yours." She lowered herself to the ground, her ribs screaming in protest, but she didn't have time for pain. This man in the white skull mask attacked her family. She had been too concerned with the safety of her father to even allow her full anger to register. And right now, she was seeing lots of red. But simply being angry wouldn't help her defeat the Taskmaster. She needed to keep cool. The man obviously had some tricks up his sleeve, and Gwen wanted to beat him before he pulled out his aces.
Taskmaster harrumphed as he stalked towards her, his sword resting lightly in his hand. She half expected him to start twirling it around needlessly like all the ninjas did during those cartoons she watched. He wasn't that sort of villain, and she wasn't that sort of hero. With a short twist of his wrist he made a low slash at her face. She dodged by pressing backwards on her toes and fingertips, tossing herself up into the air away, keeping a comfortable distance between him.
"Running away isn't going to help you."
"Running away?" Gwen snorted. "Why would I run away when you're taking me dancing?" She aimed a line of webbing at his sword hand and again he dodged her. Does this guy have a Spider-Sense too?
"That the only trick you got? Old man Stacy was an even-" He didn't have time to finished his sentence. Gwen didn't even have time to think as much as she simply reacted. Her rage taking over she darted forward and landed a hard straight punch to his chest, not holding back like she normally did. She felt something crack then shatter beneath her knuckles. Without missing a beat, she swung at his face. When her knuckles connected with his mask he stumbled backward, his sword coming up to slash at her. She batted it away, spun around and threw her leg out so that her heel connected with his mask, shot a glob of webbing over his sword. As she came back up and around she attached a web line to his shoulder and yanked him forward. She side-stepped him as he fell forward, she straightened her hand out flat so it was parallel with the floor thumb tucked in. When she connected he went tumbling backward, the combination of speed, power and force she struck him rewarded her with a very gratifying sounding crack.
This had all happened in a process of a few seconds.
"Good, that's much better. Thought it was gonna be boring." Taskmaster was on his feet, his back to her before she knew it. Not as though he could see the complete utter look of shock her face behind her mask anyway. "Since you're special I'm gonna tell you something that's a bit of a secret." He turned his head slightly to look at her over his shoulder. His mask was cracked, revealing a bright shining gold eye.
"I have this nice little talent of learning a person's moves once they hit me. Cant replicate all their moves if they don't connect. And based on what I've learned about you," Her turned fully around this time, raising his fists. "Is that you're just some punk," His fist connected with her stomach, pushing all the air out of her lungs. She didn't see him move at all. Had he'd been toying with her this entire time? Trying to learn her moves?
He swung again and Gwen barely had time to get her arms of to deflect the full impact of his next strike. He batted her arms away and worked her face like a boxer on a speed bag. The next three hits dazed her…after her body finally registered that he'd even hit her at first...Sent her stumbling backward, tripping over her own steps. He then struck her hard in the ribs where his shield had connected with her earlier. If the ribs on her left side hadn't been broken then, they were now. She dropped her arms, hugging her sides but that was instantly a mistake. He grabbed hold of the back of her head, and slammed her face hard against his armored knees. Her head snapped up and back exposing her throat to a knife-hand chop. Then a elbow strike to the back of neck. An uppercut was his final strike that knocked her flat on her back.
If she was a normal person, it would have killed her, yet he left her dazed and spinning which was just as worse. She lay still on the ground contemplating the beating she'd just received.
"Too easy," Taskmaster chuckled, then he sighed as he turned to retrieve his sword and shield. "Another joke of a challenge."
Gwen rolled onto her knees, pulled her mask up over her mouth as bile escaped her mouth. Taskmaster turned at the sound of her vomiting, looking very surprised. As much as someone could behind a skull mask could.
"Hey, not bad for a first dance." Gwen coughed, stumbled to get to her feet. She wiped her chin with the back of her glove as she spread her feet still struggling to stay upright. He's fast. Confident. Real strong, can't take any more hits. Need to be focused… "Hate to tell you though…. your kung-fu is weak."
Taskmaster threw his head back and laughed. "Really? I don't believe this."
"Who gives you your lines? FUNimation?" Gwen raised her hands up, palms open. Trying to think back to an animated Kung-fu movie she'd once watched with Peter. Big dippers Fist of Fury…? "Come on Tasky, you hit like a little girl. I can give you a few lessons on how to hit like a big girl."
He moved again, vanishing for fraction of a second. Copying my speed! Gwen thought and twisted her body at the last second dodging the initial slash of his sword. Gotta listen to Spidey-sense…need to focus! He twisted over to slam his shield down onto her shoulder. She leaned back further as painful as it was and pushed his arm back towards him with her left hand subvertly attaching a string of webbing to his sword. He bought the feint and pulled back inadvertently leaving himself open.
Gwen drew in a deep breath, remembered the move she'd seen long ago and prayed her muscles could replicate it. Painfully she ducked low to dodge his counter swing, webbed his feet to the floor to cement him place. Taskmaster grunted raised his shield to guard against her strikes…just like she wanted. She placed her palms on the hard metal and pressed it hard against his chest and webbed it there in place leaving only his sword arm free. He swung down at her but she was already moving, darting in and out around his body until he was completely wrapped in webbing, leaving only his head visible. She could only imagine the angry glare he was giving her behind that cracked mask of his.
"Let me out of this…!" He demanded furiously.
"Aw, what's wrong Tasky? You don't wanna dance anymore?" She latched two pieces of webbing on either side of his body on the ceiling above him. She ran to the farthest wall she could until the lines were taught. "Ya know you can dance if you want to," She launched herself forward feet first with as much power and force as she could muster. They both went flying through desks, furniture and into the brick wall. The wall itself exploded outward in a cloud of mortar and dust as they went sailing through the air. She quickly latched herself onto his body aimed toward the street into a parked S.W.A.T van that immediately folded on impact. The vehicle flipped and rolled over onto its side, and Gwen tumbled away safely. "No match for my crouching tiger hidden spider," She laughed painfully. Ow!...ribs! Gwen clutched at her sides, tired and sweaty she sat down on the street, suddenly aware that her breathing was becoming longer, more shallow.
The officers that had been standing watch on the street seemed to take forever to process what had just happened. After what seemed like forever plus ten minutes, a group finally rushed to check to see if the Taskmaster was alive. A string of curses and insults told her that he was. A mixed group of S.W.A.T officers and normal uniforms circled around her, guns drawn, hammers cocked. She didn't need her spider-sense to tell her the obvious.
"Freeze!" A S.W.A.T officer demanded.
"HANDS UP!" Shouted another.
A third screamed "HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!"
Gwen glanced at her surroundings. Behind the guns and the obvious show of force, she spotted her father trying to push his way through to get to her. She raised her hands up in the air, her right hand was stained red. Wait, when did he…? She glanced down at her side, saw that her entire right side was stained dark red. There were cuts up along her arm that she hadn't noticed before…. couldn't remember exactly when…Just then something inside the precinct exploded followed by a loud and guttural roar that came from high in the air.
When the thing smashed down into the middle of the street, the cops spun around to see what new menace had come to betwixt them. The figure in the middle of the street was a giant seven-foot-tall hulking green monster with more muscles than an Olympic body builder. Wrapped around his body was the shredded remains of a green and purple uniform. The remnants of a purple ski mask wrapped around his head. The monster threw its head back and roared a second time, scanning the defensive line of cops as if daring them to shoot.
"WRECKER!" Taskmasters voice carried over the hulking silence. "SMASH!" The monster roared an acknowledgment and then began to rampage. Vehicles of all sorts went flying in every direction possible. Officers let loose an intense salvo of small arms fire to no avail. It didn't take long to see that their attacks were doing nothing. Meanwhile, Taskmaster had freed himself of her webbing through all the chaos, had cut down a few officers and honed in on Captain Stacy.
With everything quickly going south Gwen paused. The decision of who to attack first wasn't easy. The giant green monster that was quickly slaughtering all the surviving officers…or her father. The one she came to save in the first place. All this and bleeding out at the same time…Only one shot at this.
Thinking quickly, Gwen pulled herself up to her feet, shoving aside an officer than made an attempt to cuff her. A second came running up and she ducked around his wide angled grab. Her movements were getting sloppier and slower with each passing breath.
"Well now Tasky, you're the first dance partner I've had that's been able to hang." She called out to the skull-masked man unsure if he'd heard her. "Tell you what. I'll take you up on that offer you made." She watched painfully as the Taskmaster paused, unsure of the exact look he was giving her. She hoped it was consideration. "But you gotta call off your monster…and let mah peoples go. Ya know. Like in the Bible. Show a bit of faith."
He was staring at her now as she made her way over to him. Taking his attention away from an familiar looking figured that hobbled his way into a flanking position. Don't be a hero Officer Cage! Don't…
"What are you playing at girl?" He spat. "That was a one-time offer. Only thing you could give me is your head."
"Aw come on Tasky." Cage had moved into position, took aim but seemed as though he was biding his time, waiting for someone. Was he waiting on her? "If I just accepted every proposition thrown my way how would that look? People have to prove themselves." Cage motioned with his hand for her to move to her right just a hair. A little more…good…stay still…
"Call him off…" She pleaded. From behind his skull mask Gwen imagined the man was giving her either a satisfied smirk, or something else more sinister.
"WRECKER!" The Taskmaster called out. "EXTRACTION!" The hulking giant suddenly stopped throwing around cops and cars and began rushing his way towards them.
Good, big mean and green is out of the picture…maybe…
"See? That was easy," Gwen dropped down to a knee, the pain in her sides nearly too much at that point. "Now we're all friends, we can start a band. How's Public Enemy? Don't like it? Sure yeah they were an okay rap group but I think we can really take back…. the name…" By now she could feel herself start to lose consciousness. The Taskmaster stood over her, sheathed his sword and placed his shield onto the ground next to her.
"Sorry girl, you're gonna bleed out here." He said grimly. "You were fast, sure. But still an amateur." He tapped her forehead once with a gloved finger and then suddenly he lurched forward. His mask shattered in an explosion of white plastic and blood. Just as quickly as this happened, the giant hulk that was the Wrecker leaped high into the air and landed, facing towards the shooters position. Then it Dawned on her, it was going to go after Cage.
She could hear cage open up with his weapon. Could feel the Wreckers footfalls as he slowly stalked his way towards cage. She lifted her head up; Saw Officer Cage dive behind a turned over car just as another was thrown at him. Get up Gwen! Gotta finish this!
Somehow, Gwen willed herself back up to her feet. Knowing she didn't have much time she did the only thing she could do. She quickly felt her wrist for her the device that activated the gateway into the multi-verse. She plucked it off her wrist and moved it into her right hand.
"Hey jolly green!" She shouted. Wrecker turned its head, but still headed towards Cage. Legs still wobbling and quickly going numb Gwen willed herself forward into a jog, then a sprint. At the same time, she dialed in a random universe into her portal device and kept her thumb hovering over the enter button. Somehow she managed to close the gap as the Wrecker neared Cage. The giant had picked up a cop car, tore it in two like he was tearing a sheet of paper. He threw the first half towards Cage, and she couldn't tell if hit him. The second piece he launched at her. Gwen leapt as high as she could, barely managing to clear the large piece of car. As she went tumbling over she attached a line of webbing to the car, used the last bit of muscles she could muster to redirect the car at the back of the Wrecker's head.
The Car nailed him square in his left shoulder. The Wrecker turned to face her and Gwen depressed the enter button.
The portal opened just behind the Wrecker with a soft familiar sounding FWASH! He didn't seem to notice the portal opening. He roared again and started towards her, but Gwen as already halfway to him. She drew back her fist and swung as hard as she could. Her strike didn't hurt him, but was just enough to send him stumbling backwards into the portal. Gwen rushed forward but coming in low she landed a swift uppercut into his chest, but the strike was weak. The effect was more like a wet noodle hitting a wall.
CRAP! She thought.
The Wrecker quickly snatched her up by the neck, pulling her into the portal with him. With monstrous speed pivoted and launched her straight into an oncoming car as if he was doing nothing more than throwing a baseball into a catcher's mitt. Dazed and still reeling from the impact, Gwen made an attempt to get back up to her feet. Need, to get back…before… The portal suddenly closed, her teleporter destroyed. Great…just…
BAM! The entire street vibrated as Wrecker landed with enormous impact in front of her. He leaned in close to her face and roared. He scooped up Gwen, and the vehicle she'd been thrown into and hurled it towards the nearest building. She tried to free herself from the wreckage but it was too late. She wasn't fast enough. The vehicle exploded as it collided with the side of the building. As the fire engulfed her body the combination of velocity and blood loss finally took its tool. She struggled to stay awake and conscious, but the darkness took her, long after Wrecker turned away, its attention suddenly on other things.