Chapter 4: Hollow

The moment had come. Kraven could feel it, but still he wanted the moment to last. He wanted to see the beast's face before he took it.

Pulling the knife free, the man slashed at the side of the cocoon with the blade. He repeated the motion over the same area, cutting shallowly, but making progress into the belly of the cocoon. He had no way of knowing how thick the webbing was around the creature and he didn't want to damage it further if he could help it. Not yet anyway.

The Russian slashed again then paused as the sides of the deep gash he had made in the cocoon peeled away from each other. There was a sudden snap as the webbing gave. Kraven grinned wider, almost manically. He could see the body now, dark against the white, held in place by a few final fragile layers of webbing that strained to hold the creatures weight.

Snap.

Blood dripped steadily down, wrung from the strands as they were pulled taunt by the weight.

Snap-

The knife clattered to the floor. Kraven stared in shock, his stomach dropping out of his former excitement as the creature's head lolled back, obviously unconscious or dead, out of the cocoon. The rest of the body was still held in place by the remaining webbing, but that face. He had seen it's face. It was a boy. A child. A cub.

Another snap, startled Kraven out of his shock as the body started to slip from the safe confines of the webbing. The man lunged forward as the strands finally gave, spitting open and the body plunged downward towards the unforgiving cement below.

The hunter grabbed the falling body out of the air with one arm, bracing for a weight that didn't come. The boy was light! He couldn't weight more than one, one-ten.

Kraven hefted the body into a better position, his left arm wrapped around the boy's waist as his right clung to the wall. The teen grunted in pain at the new position and Kraven felt the unconscious boy stir for a second then go limp as he fell into unconsciousness again.

The Russian felt numb, unsure of what to do now. He hadn't expected the Spider-man to be so... so young... Or so human. He thought the creature hid itself behind a mask and covered its body with cloth completely for a reason. With its strength and speed the hunter had never imagined it would be a human. It had talked like a human and walked like a human, but Kraven knew from experience that did not mean it was human. He had met many things in his life that seemed to be human, but where not, but this… it was just a boy. A dying boy…

Kraven carefully slid down the wall with the boy in tow, jumping the last few yards to land softly on the ground. He immediately laid the child down, feeling like he was doing something bad by just touching the teen, and sat back staring as the kid moaned softly then settled, breathing hard.

This couldn't be right... But there was no mistaking it. This boy had been his prey. The child was still wearing the ragged costume remains of the costume. Shit.

Uncertain, the Russian leaned over the body, his hands in his lap as he looked over the prone figure in front of him. Could the boy really be human?

Kraven frowned, feeling sick as his eyes lingered on the ragged wound in the kids shoulder. It was obviously still bleeding. The ground was already wet with news smears of the red stuff. The child couldn't afford to lose any more. His breathing was already too labored for the man's liking as it was.

With a new goal in mind, Kraven scooped his knife up off the floor as his other hand fished a roll of bandages out of his belt. He knelt over the boy, lowering the knife to cut the dirty costume away from the wound.

The man paused when his patient gasped, feeling the dried blood that had plastered the cloth to the skin around the wound pull at the injury. The boy yelped as Kraven tried again and jerked violently away, his eyes blinking open.

Kraven froze as the kid did the impossible and blinked several more times, obviously conscious again despite the tranquilizer coursing through his blood. Whether the child had something in his eyes or if they just weren't focusing well the Russian didn't know. What he did know was the way the teen's eyes widened with fear as soon as they landed on him. Crap.. Kraven could think of nothing he could do or say that might put the boy at ease so he tried for something simple.

"Uh... Hi?"

The boy opened his mouth and screamed. Really screamed. It was a sound full of terror and pain and it made the man wince despite himself. No matter what the boy really was, he certainly feared like a human.

In retrospect, Kraven didn't know what other response he could have expected. He must have looked like some kind of demon to the boy - his face lit with an orange glow from beneath, a knife glinting in his hand, blood slick on his skin... not the best first impression, or even the best third impression. Dammit.

"Now boy-" Kraven started to say something he hoped would have sounded reassuring (even though he wasn't sure what it would have been), but the kid lashed out instinctively, his kick catching Kraven right in the gut.

The hunter folded, the air rushing from his lungs. He tried to gasp, his hands clutching his belly. It had been a long time since anyone had managed to knock the wind out of Kraven the Hunter. He cursed himself as he finally managed to suck in a lungful of air, anger seeping into his thoughts, but when he glanced up at the boy again his anger quickly turned to pity.

The child was trying to crawl away, but he was too weak to get up onto all fours. His body wouldn't listen to him even though he was struggling so desperately hard. All he could manage was a sort of slide-flop motion as he held his wounded arm protectively to his front and even that was not long lasted. The kid had only managed a few feet before his strength gave out and he collapsed, sprawling on the filthy ground with a whimper.

Kraven could see the boy shivering even from where he was and his brow furrowed in concern. The Russian took one more deep breath, relishing the ability to use his lungs again then slowly moved towards the kid.

The child was immediately aware of his approach, but all he could manage was a whimper, tears dripping down his cheeks. He was obviously still terrified, but too weak to do anything about it.

"Easy boy," Kraven said softly, holding his hands out in front of him in a universal sign of peace. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The kid didn't seem to take any comfort from those. Instead his shoulders started jerking as if he was struggling to push himself up, but his limbs just wouldn't obey.

"Whoa, whoa," Kraven hurried to kneel by the kid's side, reaching down to halt the struggles that were not only sapping the kid's strength, but also quickening flow of the precious little blood the teen still had in his body.

"Calm little cub," Kraven whispered, gently brushing a lock of hair out of the kid's eyes to feel his forehead for fever.

The boy cringed away from the touch, his tired, sunken eyes locked on Kraven's face.

The Russian tried to smile, feeling suddenly very old. "If you keep struggling-ah!"

Sudden pain shot through Kraven's forearm making him yelp in surprise. He tried to pull him arm away from whatever was hurting it, but the limb seemed to be weighted down by something. It took the hunter a moment more to realize the boy had bitten him. He glanced down to see the child still had teeth sunk into the flesh of his arm, unwilling to let go even as the rest of the kid's body lay limp on the floor too weak to move.

"What the fuc- What are you doing?! Let go!" Kraven demanded, trying to pull away. "I'm trying to help you!"

The boy just blinked at him, his too-wide eyes showing white all around, his pupils so dilated with pain and fear his honey-brown irises had turned black. Kraven realized then the kid was not comprehending a word he was saying. The child only saw threat and reacted. Kraven had seen men dragged to the edge like this before in one battle or another. To that place where thought disappeared in the face of danger and fear and pain, leaving only the desperate need to survive behind. The boy was no more than that now. Kraven could see it in his eyes. His empty, hollow eyes. The mind was gone. Only instinct remained.

And Kraven knew he was the cause of it... The man felt shame at the thought. He had not set out to harm a child. No, he had thought he was hunting some great beast that was trying to pass as human, but this...

Kraven closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly through his nose as he tried to shut out the pain. The boy was still very strong for being so close to death. The little human teeth dug into his arm hurt a lot, but that was not what mattered. Kraven needed both arms if he was to help.

"Boy I need you to let go," the man said gently, trying to pull his arm away from the kid's mouth. The teen just bit down harder.

Kraven grunted, feeling his flesh tear further. He let out a deep sigh, trying to close himself off from the new pain. "Calypso give me patience," he whispered softly, almost like a prayer, before gritting his teeth and reaching over with his free hand to feel for the hinge in the kid's jaw. The boy immediately started growling at the touch and the rumbles just got louder as Kraven pressed down on that soft spot, trying to force the teen's mouth open, but it just didn't work. The teen held on like a little terrier even though the Russian could feel the bone start to creak and give under the pressure of his fingers. The man sighed, easing up when it was obvious that approach wasn't going to work. He didn't was to break the child's jaw and clearly the boy wasn't going to let go that easily. The poor kid was putting everything he had left into holding onto what he must have thought of as 'his attacker's' arm. The man knew fighting the boy would just make him hold on stronger, putting all he had in this one last act of defiance. Kraven could have made the teen scream and in doing so the kid would have to open his mouth, letting the arm go, but the man didn't want to hurt the child. He doubted the boy's body would be able to take any more damage and survive, but what else would work?

Kraven let out a soft huff, quietly appraising the panting child beside him. The Russian wasn't much of a fatherly sort... but he did know how to care for a wounded animal. He had been the one who had nursed Kijani back to health when he found the little cub left for dead by his pride after being kicked in the head by an antelope. Kraven knew if he could endure raising a baby lion and all the bites and scratches that came from that, he could do this too. First the child had to feel safe.

With a few creative contortions, which allowed the boy to keep a hold of his arm, the man managed to gather the wounded teen in his lap. The child was alarmed at first, but quickly quieted as Kraven brushed his free hand through the kid's hair, whispering soft nothings meant to calm as he held the child close to his chest. The teen's eyes drooped as he relaxed into the warmth and comfort of another body. Soon enough Kraven felt the grip on his arm ease then let go completely.

The Russian breathed a sigh of relief, then was startled when the boy tried to push himself up, but his legs collapsed and he fell back against Kraven's chest again with a cry, clutching his wounded arm.

"Easy kid," the man said gently, letting himself wrap his arms around the small, trembling body before him.

The boy pressed his face into the Russian's chest in response and simply started bawling, all of the emotional stress of the day being violently expelled in a rush or tears and sobs.

Oh god. This was too much. Kraven had never felt so deplorable in his whole life. The man stared straight ahead of him, his back tense as a board, having no clue what to do now. He was not the sort of person others used as a shoulder to cry on, but the boy...

Kraven forced himself to relax and cradled the child's body, rocking him gently. "Shh boy. Shh. It's okay."

The teen quieted quickly and for a second Kraven thought he was doing a good job of comforting the boy, but then he realized the child had passed out.

Kraven leaned back, holding the limp body out before him and was shocked to find he was now covered in the boy's blood. The kid let out a low moan, his breath rattling disturbingly in his chest. The child was far too pale and clammy for the man's taste, sweat glistening unhealthily on his skin, turning his brown hair nearly black . Kraven could feel the fever burning within the kid even now. The boy's condition was just getting worse.

The kid gave a sudden weak cough, snapping Kraven out of his horrified daze. The man shook his head, knowing simply bandaging the boy's wounds wouldn't be enough anymore.

The Russian stood, lifting the child in his arms and started down the tunnel as fast as he could without jostling the boy too much. He moved faster, registering how hard the teen was struggling to breath. The child was fading so fast. Too fast.

Kraven picked up speed until he was running full tilt down the tunnel, the boy drifting further away from life with ever second that passed.

No. This wasn't right. This couldn't be right! The kid couldn't just die like this. Not like this.

"Kijani! KIJANI!" Kraven roared up the passageway as he ran, straining his ears for a reply.

His heart seemed to stop as he waited, panting for breath, his legs pumping under him as the seconds stretching until they felt like hours then the lion roared back.

Relief flooded into Kraven's at the sound. "Kijani get Calypso!"

"I'm here love."

Startled, Kraven whirred at the gentle voice, the limp boy held tightly in his arms, but his face softened into a relieved smile as he saw the beautiful women now standing before him, seeming so out of place in the dank and disgusting sewers. "Calypso," he breathed, holding the wounded child out for her to see.

The strange woman who had appeared from nowhere walked to stand beside the hunter, her fingers gently trailing over the boy's chest and belly as she stared at him as if in a trance. Her hand finally came to rest over the wound in his shoulder and she frowned ever so slightly, making the man mentally wince at her displeasure.

"This will not do."

TBC...

Well the chapter's a little longer this time. It also might be a little rough but I hope you like it anyway and, as always, I love reviews.