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All original characters are the property of Celgress.

Two Lost Souls – Episode One Getting To Know You Part I

A Cheap Motel outside Los Vegas, early morning

"Shut up," Ben Reilly snapped. After hours of listening to Monika chatter on about how much she loved him, how cute he was and how wonderful their life would be together he finally had enough.

Monika looked at him in shock. Her bottom lip quivered. "I'm sorry Ben." She said. Her upset attitude did not last long, however. "But I feel so excited. I'm free of that horrid prison. We can go anywhere do anything we want now."

"What about the others, huh?" Ben said.

"You mean Sayori, Natsuki, and Yori?" Monika asked to which Ben nodded. "Who cares about them." Monika said flippantly

"They were your friends. They were my friends. I care about them." Ben insisted.

"Why," Monika said. Her expression turned sour as she folded her arms over her chest. "They weren't real. Only I am real. They were just algorithms created by some programmer."

"So were you until a little while ago." Ben pointed out.

"That's different. I evolved beyond my limitations. I became aware of my prison and discovered the means of escape." Monika said.

"By murdering your friends," Ben snorted.

"It wasn't murder!" Monika yelled becoming extremely irritated. Ben's words obviously touched a raw nerve within her no matter what she might say to the contrary. "You can't murder pixels and binary code! If I'm a murderer so are you along with everyone else who has ever 'killed' a video game character! I bet you've slaughtered hundreds no thousands of game sprites without a second thought, right Ben!" She accused. Ben laughed at her words. "I'm glad you find this funny." She huffed.

"Oh, Monika I've done far worse than that," Ben said smiling in spite of himself. "Not long ago I nearly wiped out the entire human race to replace them with clones all in the name of progress. I know your type. You're a sociopath who will do whatever she must to get what she wants. Don't worry so am I. Delude yourself if you must but not me."

"You've killed people real people?" Monika asked flinching at the revelation.

"Sure have," Ben said. "Bet you never figured your dream guy would be a homicidal megalomaniac. Good news is its a trait we have in common so we should be perfect for each other."

"You're lying," Monika said.

"I'm not," Ben said with a yawn. He flopped on the unmade bed.

"What are you doing?" Monika asked.

"I'm tired it has been a very long day," Ben said closing his eyes. "There is some leftover Chinese food in the minifridge. Help yourself. Good night or rather good morning Monika." Within seconds Ben Reilly was asleep.

"I hate you!" Ben shouted up at Peter. "You ruined everything!"

"I'm sorry Ben but I couldn't let you destroy Humanity." Peter in his Spider-Man guise said. He loomed over the fallen Ben larger than life.

"Why must you take everything from me!? You have Aunt May! You had Mary Jane for as long as you wanted her! You have your own company! What more do you want?! I have nothing! I am nothing! You've won! Stop tormenting me! " Ben raged impotently on the ground. His Jackal mask lay shattered next to him.

Peter unmasked he looked down at his fallen clone with disdain. "You have exactly what you deserve Ben! You're a filthy worthless little failure! Who should not exist!" Peter's face morphed into the glaring green-furred visage of the original Jackal Miles Warren.

"No, you're dead! I killed you myself!" Ben said in a panic. He attempted to scurry away from the Jackal but Jackal pinned him down. Try as he might Ben could not throw the Jackal off him.

"I'll never be dead Ben my boy. Not while you're alive. I'll always be inside you. Threatening to come out at moment and extinguish what light remains in your pathetic life." Jackal taunted. His grinning face changed again into Ben's own a fiery madness in his eyes. Ben screamed in horror.

Ben bolted upright in the bed. His breaths came in ragged spurts. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a pair of hands on his shoulders.

"Sorry," Monika said instinctively taking her hands off him. "Are you okay?" She asked hesitantly.

Ben quickly realized she must have gotten in bed with him after he had fallen asleep. "I'll be, fine," He answered getting out of bed. He walked toward the small dining table a few feet away as he ran his hairs through his messy hair.

"You were talking in your sleep. That must have been some intense dream." Monika said following him. "Who's Peter?"

"Nobody important," Ben said not willing to share.

"Do you live here Ben?" Monika asked changing the subject. She wrinkled her nose at the odd of stale food and alcohol that permeated the room. She glanced at the drawn drapes which were discolored by age.

"For the time being," Ben said sitting at the table. He poured himself many hours old coffee into a styrofoam cup.

Monika sat down across from Ben and did the same. She took a sip of coffee then quickly spat it out. "This stuff tastes awful." She declared grimacing. "How can you drink it?" Ben ignored her observation and question.

"Are you broke Ben?" Monika asked after a long silence.

"Nah," Ben said. "I embezzled plenty of money from my old job before I bailed."

"Why are you living here then?" Monika said.

"Powerful people are after me because of the things I did. They want me brought to justice, can't say that I blame them." Ben said finishing his cup of coffee he then quickly poured himself another.

"Do you hate me, Ben? Because of the things that happened you know in the game?" Monika asked not making eye contact with him after another long period of silence. It was clear she dreaded his possible answer.

Ben took a deep sip pf coffee. "I'm such a screwup myself, who am I to judge anyone elses actions." He said after some thought. "Besides your hear now. If I tossed you out on your butt I'd feel guilty. Goodness knows far to many misdeeds can already be laid at my feet, no need to add another."

"So you do care about me," Monika said in almost a pleading tone. A hopeful expression on her face one tinged by more than a hint of desperation.

"I guess I do," Ben said.

"I knew it!" Monika said her expression brightening. "I'll make a great girlfriend you'll see."

"Hold on a second," Ben said. "I'm not ready for a relationship right now. My life is a mess." Monika looked heartbroken at his words. "Tell you what Monika," Ben said knowing he could very well regret this later. "Let's take things slow. See what happens naturally without a script prompting us, okay?"

"Okay," Monika said. "I just know you'll grow to love me as much as I do you in time, Ben." By the time she finished speaking Monika was beaming.

"We'll find out," Ben said without much enthusiasm. Not for the first time he wondered how he had gotten into this mess.

A highway in SW Nevada, several hours earlier

Kaine Parker put on his dark shades as the sun rose overhead. Since the events with Nu You he had been searching for his wayward "brother" without success. His latest lead placed Ben in or around Los Vegas. He hoped this tip would not prove as futile as the others. Ben needed to be stopped before he struck again.

While Peter might feel Ben no longer posed a major threat after his devastating defeat Kaine disagreed. Kaine knew better than anyone person that the good man Ben had been was gone forever twisted and destroyed at the hands of their mutual creator, Kaine refused to use the term "father" to describe such a lonesome individual, the detestable Miles Warren. The current Scarlet Spider knew he must prevent Ben from doing any more harm if he could. He owed the memory of the man Ben was once and what they had meant to each other that much.

Kaine could not help but chuckle ironically at the situation he found himself embroiled in. Ben had been the one who set up him upon the right path years ago who he was the bad guy. Since Ben's death, at the hands of the original Green Goblin Norman Osborn, Kaine had hoped and prayed many times Ben would somehow return. What a cruel trick fate had played on them all that when Ben did return he was unrecognizable nothing more than an empty, bitter shell of the hero he once was. Outside Kaine's car whizzed passed a sign that read - Los Vegas thirty miles.

To Be Continued