"Captain Marvel!" a voice shouted. She couldn't see clearly, there was to much light. The speaker's voice was also distorted by a white noise. She could feel herself lying on her back, against cold gravel. Shaking herself to alertness as the light faded, she remembered where she was. "Are you hurt?" Captain America asked as he held out a hand, she brushed it aside and wobbled to her feet. Her eyes fell on the body that had been thrown backwards like a rag-doll. Blood polled around the armoured form that she first took to be Stark. But it wasn't him, it was Peter Parker. Chunks of metal littered the ground around his body, having been blown from his body in the explosion. Large portions of the chest plate where gone, along with most of his helmet, revealing a bloodied hole where his eye had been. Carol gasped as she ran to his side, nearly slipping in blood as she checked for a pulse. There wasn't one.
"Oh shit!" she shouted as she tore what remained of the chest-plate free with one hand and begaan to preform compressions over his heart. "Cap!" she shouted as her eyes fell on the stump of a limb, "get something to stall that bleeding!" she huffed as she leaned down and pressed her lips to his, breathing life into him, before returning to the compressions.
"Stark says EMT's are on the way," Captain America replied as he tore a portion of his uniform's sleeve and wrapped Peter's arm in it. "He's helping clear out the last pockets of resistance, then we'll take him to the raft."
"The raft?" Carol said between compressions, "he needs a doctor first. Then we can throw him in a cell."
"There's a team of Doctors waiting for him there," Captain America replied as a loud whoosh sang out over their heads. "And we'll need to get you checked out as well."
"I'll be fine until-" she began.
"That's an order," Captain America snapped as Stark landed with a metallic clunk.
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"Through here," the dark-haired Woman, who was named Jessica, "said as a door slid open. She had changed into a sharp uniform and tied her hair back before leading May onto a jet and taking off for an unknown location. For security reasons, May had been forced to wear a blindfold as she was led down the ramp. Although she had been unable to see, she could smell the sea air, and hear the seagulls overhead. "And now I can take this off," she said as May felt cold fingers slide under the wrapping and pull it free.
May's eyes where greeted by white walls and bright lights. On one wall, a series of monitors stretched the length of the wall, each displaying a different individual, in various states of despair or anger. Some where rambling on incoherently, while others just stared into blank space.
"Those are two-way monitors," Jessica said calmly as four grim-looking guards approached. "Live broadcast from each cell. Twenty-Four hours a day. The cells themselves," she continued as they walked over to the nearest set of doors, "are underwater. So we've gotta go down."
"Does she have clearance?" one of the burly guards asked as he shifted his grip on his rifle.
"She's with me," Jessica replied sharply. "We're here to see inmate 50427. He's entitled to a visit." She finished as she handed the guard a plastic badge. The man nodded and handed it back.
"Where is-" May began to say.
"First level of cells," Jessica said smoothly as she keyed in a number on the combination. "In what qualifies for minimum security in this place," she said as the doors split open, revealing an elevator that was large enough to fit a whole car. May cautiously entered it, followed by the four armed guards and Jessica. The doors slammed shut with a mighty clank! And May began to feel the effects of a rapid descent. Fortunately for her, the nauseating sensation lasted only a few seconds. The doors opened, revealing a long hallway that was dimly lit with flickering lights.
"Who else is-" May began.
"Pretty much everybody who we've had to bust over the years," Jessica said smoothly. "We drug them so they can't use any of their powers to escape. Though that would be futile, as the walls are literally unbreakable. But, we didn't drug Spider-man," she said as they turned a corner, which looked very similar to the last one. Maybe they designed it that way, May thought, so people get lost in here if they try to escape. "His...condition is to unstable for us to even think about removing his healing abilities."
"What do you mean, 'his condition?'" May snapped viciously as they continued to walk down the metallic hall.
"I'm not sure if I should be the one to tell you," Jessica said solemnly as they continued their pace. "Just...just be prepared. And he's not exactly in a talkative mood."
"What do you mean?" May said briskly, "is it because he's been locked up for no-"
"He's broken arms and legs of six guards since he got here," Jessica cut in smoothly as they came to a halt outside a door. "And he used a selection of words against Captains America and Marvel that would make a nun's ears bleed." She pressed a button on the side of the door and said, "he's in here. You've got five minutes. We'll wait outside and close the door."
"Agent Drew," one of the guards piped up, "regulation says one of-"
"I said," Jessica snapped at the man as she opened the cell door, "we will wait outside." Their conversation continued, but May paid them no attention as she entered the dank room. It resembled the corridor in many ways. The air was thick and something smelled. But she put that out of her mind as her eyes fell on the sleeping form on a cot that lined the farthest wall. The first thing she noticed where the bandages, which covered a large portion of his body. Her heart stopped as she realized that half his face was bandaged.
"Peter...?" she said softly as she placed her hand on his back. He shot to alertness, causing her to jump back slightly as he shifted his body from her, as if he was trying to hide something.
"Leave," he said forcefully, barely opening his visible eye as he spoke. "Now. You shouldn't be here. It's not a safe place..."
"I'm here to help," May said as she edged closer. "Peter you're in a lot of trouble right now. I want to help you. Mary-Jane wants to help you. C-"
"Yeah?" he shot back, not even bothering to look at her. "Why couldn't anyone help when I needed it? Why is it people only noticed the problem after it was fixed?!"
"No one knows what was wrong!" May snapped back, "you killed people, Peter. That's what we all saw. And we aren't going to really know what happened unless you tell us," she finished as she sat down on the end of his cot. She had a brief flashback of many similar conversations and situations that had taken place in his bedroom years ago.
"You wanna know what happened," he muttered as he shifted his body, causing the sheet to fall from his body and May to step back, at the shock of her nephew's stumped limb. "I had everything that was dear to me ripped from my life. Otto played my memories like movie. He laughed at Uncle Ben's death. He explained the physics of Gwen's death, about how I killed her. My first night with MJ? He used that to jack off!" May was to shocked to speak, but instead backed up slightly as her Nephew got to his feet. "He took everything I ever cared about and twisted it for his own machinations while everybody else just sat by and watched like nothing was wrong. Well guess what," he hissed, "something was wrong. Something was very wrong."
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She sliced through the New York air, taking in all the sights and sounds around her as she did so. Normally, she flew at sonic speeds over-top of the city, but today she wanted a more scenic route. I'll bet this is the way Spider-man sees...saw the city, she thought as she turned the corner of a large skyscraper. She smiled as she outstripped a flock of doves and spiralled downwards, letting the breeze run through her hair as she flew past the Avengers Mansion.
Jessica had called her a few hours ago to tell her that Peter's Aunt had show up at the doorstep of the mansion. Although she had never met the woman before, Carol knew that if anyone in the world could get him to open up, it was her. She had often heard him spout stories of near-misses when it came to keeping his secret. For some strange reason, those stories had always brought a smile to Carol's face, even on a gloomy day. Unfortunately, her peaceful flight was interrupted by a shout. Normally, she paid little attention to such sounds, deciding that such work was best left to the cops and street-level vigilantes. But they're down a man, she thought as she descended even further, towards the commotion. In no time at all, she came across two men threatening a young couple with guns.
"Give us the goddam money!" one man shouted as he waved his gun, "or Ill-"
"Hey!" Carol shouted from above, earning all four gazes at once. "Put the guns down and I'll go easy on you."
"Oh shit man!" the second man stuttered as he took a series of steps back. "No way I signed up for this shit, man. No way I-"
"Cut it out John!" the first man said as he raised his gun and fired. The bullet whizzed through the air and struck Carol in the shoulder before bouncing off harmlessly.
"You sir are lucky," she said as she brushed a small fragment of metal off of her shoulder. "Lucky that you didn't rip my new outfit. Then I'd have to punish you." She regretted these words as soon as they left her mouth, as she knew the effect she had on some men.
"How 'bout you punish me anyways?" the first man said as a crooked smile crossed his lips.
"You wish," Carol snapped as she shot forwards, coming to a stop less than a foot from him, with on hand on her hip and the other compressing the gun into scrap metal. "Touch me and I'll see to it that no woman will ever spend the night with you again. No matter how drunk, high or well-paid they are," she finished as she snatched the weapon out of the second man's hand.
"Fuck, the spider was never this hard-ass," thee second man snorted as he threw his hands into the air. "Why couldn't he bust us?"
"Yeah," the first man replied, "but the Spider never gave me a hard-on l-" He was cut off by Carol striking him across the face with the back of her hand. The man stumbled to the side from the force of the blow, shouting, "bitch!" as sirens wailed behind her. A police car pulled to a stop, and Carol smiled as two women in uniform exited.
"Attempted assault, robbery and sexual harassment," Carol said coolly as the two officers moved to cuff the men. "and get the tall one something for his jaw. And if you don't need me," she continued as she began too walk away, "Give Iron Man a call. Now I've got a meeting with the mayor." She finished as she shot into the sky, re-prioritizing her destination at a new realization.
Last year, the mayor hated Spider-man with a passion. Then six months later he gives him an island. That's not right. Something's definitely up there. She thought as she continued through the air. She careened around a large skyscraper and shot forwards, towards her intended target. She hovered from window to window, looking for the infamous publisher-turned politician, earning numerous glances in return. Finally, she found him on the third floor. Luckily, there was a large window which opened from the outside as well as inside.
"Everybody out," she snapped, grabbing Jameson's collar as he attempted to leave. "Not you. We're gonna have a nice chat." She continued to hold him as everyone else departed the room. Including several amused aids.
"You have no right to-" Jameson began to rant in his best boss voice, as if he was trying to shout her into submission. And because of both her father and military background, that didn't work one bit.
"I'm just here for information," she snapped, stopping the words right in his mouth. Bet Peter would enjoy this, she thought as she inhaled deeply. "You've hated Spider-man for years," she said firmly as she released Jameson.
"Yes, I..." he said as he bolted for the door. Using her enhanced speed, Carol blocked his path.
"I'm just here for information," she repeated with force as she pushed him backwards. "You've slandered him for the duration of his career. Then, suddenly you say he's a godsend to the city. Why?"
"Because he finally decided that he needed someone to control him," Jameson snapped. Despite the man's vicious demeanour, Carol could see the fear in his eyes. After all, he had allowed several scandalous articles about her supposedly explicit sex life to be published.
"You mean yourself?" Carol replied calmly as she circled him. "Why not the chief of police? Or why not put your faith in the Avengers?"
"Why are you defending the man?" Jameson said with false fearlessness, "as I recall, he betrayed you during the SRA."
"We're not here to talk about the SRA," Carol barked as she pressed a finger against his chest. She took a step forward, and he took one back. "That man has done more for this city than you or I could ever hope to match. He didn't betray us, we betrayed ourselves. Now I'll ask you again," she said as they continued towards the wall. "Why? Why give him an entire island?"
"Because," Jameson said as his face turned sour, "because he blackmailed me."
"What?" Carol asked as she took a step back.
"I went to transfer the last of the prisoners out of the raft. I called him, so he could provide backup, in case anything went wrong," Jameson said as he moved around Carol's form and towards the large desk in the centre of the room. "As you might recall, things went wrong. Spider-slayer broke out and went on a rampage with Scorpion. I couldn't stand by after...after that man killed Marla," he said as he pulled open a drawer and pulled a small glass and bottle out. He began to pour as he continued, "I chased him, and took several shots, but he disarmed my. Spider-man arrived just in time to stop him." He took a swig before finishing, "then he showed me the recording he had made of my confrontation with Scorpion. He threatened to expose me if I didn't comply."
"Do you have any idea what he needed the island for?" Carol asked.
"No," Jameson replied stiffly, "he never told me anything, aside from the fact that he needed uniforms for his personal army."
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"You sure this place is deserted?" MJ asked as they stepped out of the small boat and onto the rocky shore of the former prison-island. "No dangerous psychopaths?"
"Chief told me personally," Carlie replied as she wobbled her way upwards.
"You'd think this place would have guards," MJ said as the two of them finally stepped onto a solid surface. "Given it's history and all."
"But the mayor gave this place to Pe...Spider-m...you know," Carlie remarked as they approached the thick doors, which had been blasted open by something. As the darkness swallowed them, the two women pulled out their phones and used them as improvised flashlights.
"This place smells worse than the morgue," MJ snorted as she covered her nose. "The air tastes so bad I-"
"I'm sure you've swallowed worse," Carlie quipped as they took a left, revealing a large room, filled with a wide assortment of gadgets and machines. Hanging on the wall, as a familiar-looking apparatus. "Definitely Ock," Carlie hissed as MJ examined one of the workbenches. She stopped at a strange helmet-type object.
"Take a look at this, Cooper," MJ said as she handed her the helmet.
"Surprised he didn't wear this for Halloween," Carlie replied as she examined the interior. "Unless he wore it under his mask to keep Peter down?" She said as she slipped the helmet on. MJ watched as something sparked and Carlie fell to the ground.
"Cooper!?" MJ screamed as she rushed to her side.
"I'm fine," Carlie coughed as her eyes fluttered open and she removed the device.
"Damn right," a man's voice said as it's speaker stepped out from behind the wall. "You're both fine," the man said as he brought a gun to bear, and several more men joined him, each of them sporting both a weapon and a wicked grin.
"Arach-Nauts," MJ spat as the four men encompassed them.
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The door opened, and six men entered the dimly lit cell. All of them where fully armoured and carrying batons, with the exception of their leader.
"It's time, Spider-man," Captain America said solemnly. "We're taking you to court."
A/N: Tick, tock, tick, tock...
Concrit reviews are appreciated!
