All characters appearing in Spider-Man are copyrighted to Marvel Entertainment and Stan Lee. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of TVfan.
Note: this story is continued from the end of "All the King's Men" and will run through my version of Marvel's Civil War. If you wish to know the exact plot of my version of the "Civil War", you will need to read my story in the Captain America section titled, "Civil War", although it should not be necessary to understand the events of this story.
The Laws of Terror and Joy
By TVfan
Chapter 7: Mysteries Revealed
Avengers Tower
"You're going along with all this?" Steven Rogers, more commonly known as Captain America, questioned, "but you've held on to your secret identity harder then most. I would have thought you'd be against the act."
Peter sighed heavily and sat back in one of the office chairs in the room that Stark had set aside for the Avengers and affiliated heroes to meet in. Things had been crazy since the incident in Stamford. The Registration Act had quickly, and in an unorthodox manner passed Congress, although it was yet to officially go into effect. This kept Steve in a rather nervous and frustrated manner as he appeared to be gathering heroes who wouldn't be following the Registration Act. At least not the way that S.H.I.E.L.D. would be enforcing it.
"I don't have much choice, Cap," Peter said nervously, as he respected the star spangled Avenger tremendously, "but with MJ pregnant again, I'm no really in a position to go against the Registration Act. She'll need monthly medical check ups, and I can't leave her."
"The act is wrong, Peter," Steve spoke, sounding to Peter much like Uncle Ben did when he was trying to explain something, "It'll be worse for you and Mary Jane and for your children if it lasts."
Peter sighed again. This all played with his dislike of the Registration Act and the overall situation that it played to. It seemed like the Red Skull was trying to get America's superheroes to fight each other. It was a rather straightforward plan on the Nazi's part, but it was a tough enough situation that it wasn't likely that he was going to be dethroned anytime soon.
He wanted to help Cap, but with MJ pregnant again, she needed him more in the short term then Cap did. Especially since he had always beaten the Red Skull before. He hoped that Cap could beat his long time foe, and thus thwart the worst of what seemed to be coming. That would allow him to look after MJ while she went through her second pregnancy.
And from what Tony had told him and MJ, that he and Cap had worked something out to try and keep America's heroes from fighting each other.
"I can't chance MJ getting hurt, Cap," Peter sighed, "besides, you remember what Hill did when Xorn attacked Genosha through Canada and us."
Steve slowly nodded and gave a heavy sigh.
"Thanks to Hill's paid psychics, she already knows who I am, and has likely figured out Arachne's real identity by our association together," Peter continued, "And in Mary Jane's current condition, it wouldn't be wise for her to go into hiding, at least not in the states anyway."
"What will you do if things get to the point where you'll have to go into hiding regardless?" Steve asked him.
"I don't know," Peter sighed, giving him a very defeated look, "that's one of the things that I really don't like about his whole mess. There seems to be good bits and bad bits to this whole thing, and I'm running out of ways to keep track of it all."
Steve only shook his head and sighed, sensing he wasn't going to get much out of the situation. He was about to stand up and thank Peter for his time when a blonde haired woman in a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform rushed in.
"Sharon?" Steve asked in a surprised voice.
"I came as quickly as I could," Agent 13, Sharon Carter answered, ignoring Peter, "but Director Hill just had the New Warriors arrested."
"WHAT?!" Steve roared.
"She really didn't want us letting them into the battle at Stamford, Steve," Sharon told him, "They're being held on various charges, including violating the Registration Act."
Steve only gave a low growl of frustration and turned back to Peter, "I need to go and deal with this. Think about what I've said, Peter. Tony and I may try to avoid a real fight, but that doesn't mean that Hill or the Skull will make that easy. I pray you're doing the right thing."
Peter then watched him exit the room with the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and sighed, "me too, Cap. Me too."
Meanwhile Aunt May and Mary Jane were looking through a series of documents that Tony had put before them to look through. Most of it were print outs of the Registration Act and one or two pieces of S.H.I.E.L.D. documents that indicated how Hill intended to enforce the act.
"I'm not lawyer, but a lot of this looks rather harsh," Aunt May spoke.
"It's ideologically driven," Tony sighed, "the government wants absolute control over America's heroes and Hill wants to look the person who's ordered everything perfectly."
"This isn't right," Mary Jane spoke, "it will essentially enslave us to the government."
"That is generally Cap's opinion," Tony sighed, "both of us fear that all of this is part of the Red Skull's plan to destroy the country, to try and get us to fight one another."
"You don't intend to fight him do you?" Aunt May asked nervously.
"Cap?" Tony asked back, "No. I might be able to win, but Cap is a good enough leader that we'd destroy the country fighting each other. Which I would think is why the Skull has put forward these plans."
There was an awkward silence for a few moments before Tony continued.
"I think the Registration Act has its good points that could make it worth it," Tony spoke, "there are new heroes being born every day, one way or another. And the Avengers can not train all of them. We've been working to train the Young Avengers on our own…"
"Peter's been training me," Mary Jane added.
Tony nodded, "but we can't train everyone. Not all at once. Using S.H.I.E.L.D. as a training institution might prevent new heroes from making a terrible mistake."
"The divisiveness is not a good thing though," Aunt May told him in a scolding voice, "If the government wants heroes properly trained, that's one thing. But they're using a lot 'vinegar' in this act. And everyone knows you'll catch more flies with sugar."
"I know," Tony answered, backing away from the elderly woman, "And Cap and I don't like the divisiveness in it either. I know Cap is against the act, and if he ends committing a rather extensive act of civil disobedience to stop the Red Skull, I'll do my best to make sure that no one actually fights him or anyone who sides with him while the Red Skull's plans still function."
"Seems like that's the only good thing we're going to get out of all this for now," Mary Jane said nervously.
"It's another good reason to reconsider what you will do about your pregnancy," Tony commented, "at least until all of this is cleaned up."
"I'm not aborting he child, if that is what you're asking me to do," Mary Jane said firmly, "The circumstances may make this tough, but I have to hope that things will turn out okay eventually. And besides, Peter and I both agreed to 'register' so I can continue to see a doctor."
"Very optimistically minded of you," Tony sighed, "I'm afraid I can't share in it. The world's become an awfully scary place of late."
Elsewhere
"It's happened," the chief Scrier Priest spoke nervously before the Scrier that lead the entire Brotherhood of Scriers, "America has passed this Registration Act, essentially allying itself with the Red Skull."
"What of the 'black spiders'?" the leader of the Scriers asked, "have they made an appearance, yet?"
"Not yet," the Priest answered, "but I would seriously consider preparing now for whenever they will appear. We must prepare our spells and warriors, and it would be preferable to get warriors ready to fight Spider-Man for us."
"The Manhattan sect tried that, to take out both Osborn and Spider-Man," the leader replied, "and failed both times. I believe these super powered criminals are largely overrated. Unless some of Norman Osborn's caliber lands in our laps, I doubt we'll get much in the way of adequate cannon fodder."
"We're trying to kill Norman Osborn," the priest pointed out.
"Exactly my point," the leader answered, "We sent Venom after Spider-Man and Arachne, and he was defeated. The only one who stands a chance is Norman Osborn and his Green Goblin persona, but since he must die, we must turn to other defenses. More powerful magics, and up our training. There are no good super villains available to us, and with our Manhattan base destroyed, we can't even get sub-par super villains to distract the arachnid."
"Perhaps we do not need to use a villain," the Priest offered, "Not every hero share's Spider-Man's personal nobility. There are some that quite willingly dive into darkness to stop the crimes they notice."
"But few of those heroes would stand a reasonable chance against Spider-Man alone," the leader responded, "Let alone with his partner."
"We may not have a choice, sir," the priest answered, "as our bases in other countries might be able to get in touch with local heroes outside America's borders, which could be our only hope to keep Spider-Man distracted and find out who these 'black spiders' are."
Avengers Tower
Maria Hill stalked angrily through the tower that Tony Stark had set aside for his Avengers. She was reasonably impressed with the technological facilities at his disposal, especially with its compatibility with most S.H.I.E.L.D. programs, which she didn't initially expect.
"You seem to have installed everything one could need in this business," Hill spoke calmly, trying to hide the fact that she was impressed.
"Well, for me, it never hurts to have the right technology," Tony answered her as he followed the S.H.I.E.L.D. Director in his armor with the helmet removed, "and I've never been against working with S.H.I.E.L.D. in case you're wondering about how our systems are compatible."
"It's a shame that more of your compatriots were more willing to work with S.H.I.E.L.D.," Hill responded remembering why she was moving S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters to the Avengers Tower, Cap's betrayal and Namor's attack on the helicarrier.
Sensing the moment wasn't right to argue, Tony moved toward a nearby door, hoping what was behind it would make the S.H.I.E.L.D. director feel better.
"Well, this may make you feel better," Tony said, "but not all of the heroes in or associated with the Avengers entirely agree with Cap."
Hill looked in to see a red headed woman and a brown haired man, both in the red and blue costumes of Spider-Man and Arachne. Hill sensed the man's identity was real as she remembered that her psychics had easily discovered Spider-Man's identity. She would have to guess that the red head was who she was dressed as.
"Am I supposed to be impressed by this, Stark?" Hill questioned coldly, "the hero that causes more property damage than any other and 'look my top fell off'?"
"I was never in any nude pictures," Mary Jane growled back, "We're willing to register, but…"
"But nothing," Hill snapped back, "You register, you work for me, you do what I say, understand?"
"We understand," Peter answered, restraining Mary Jane slightly.
"Good," Hill answered, "and I am grateful that you are deciding register. It shows that some of you people have some common sense. Although, it will be better that your identities are not released beyond S.H.I.E.L.D. for the moment."
"Why is that?" Peter asked curiously, "I was to understand that the Registration Act said that everyone had to go public."
"Everyone has to go to S.H.I.E.L.D.," Hill corrected, "If it doesn't suit us for you to go public, your status will be kept on file, and for the first mission we intend to send you on, it would be best that your identity is not broadcast to the world, yet."
Peter and Mary Jane traded glances. Mary Jane was only in costume to register and let Hill know that she was pregnant.
"You're not sending us after Cap, are you?" Mary Jane asked nervously.
"No," Hill responded, "You couldn't beat him. Too amateurish against a trained soldier. You are to report to the main computer rooms at six hundred hours tomorrow morning and your mission will be explained then. You're both dismissed for now."
Peter and Mary Jane glanced to Tony who only shrugged and let them leave.
"That could have gone better," Peter sighed as he and MJ began walking toward the private area where the Avengers resided, which Tony assured them that the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents wouldn't get access to, "Her attitude hasn't changed any."
"I half expected her to have us go through three dozen 'basic training' drills," Mary Jane responded, "Maybe she's softening."
"I think that has more to do with what happened to the helicarrier," Peter sighed, "Tony invited her, since Namor and the Atlantians trashed the helicarrier, but she likes to appear powerful, and accepting Tony's 'charity' doesn't appear strong. She'll be fully back to her rude self tomorrow."
"I think she was rude now," Mary Jane grumbled, "Implying that I'd take my top off for anyone."
"One, I think she's jealous," Peter answered, "Two, I don't think she was hugged enough as child, and three, there is no way she knows that you're a very sensible person. Not some 'floozy' as Aunt May would put it."
"Careful, Tiger," Mary Jane gave him a slight grin, sensing he was trying to keep their spirits up, "You might get yourself in trouble with someone other then S.H.I.E.L.D. for that."
"Me in trouble?" Peter quipped, "Perish the thought."
The two then entered the main kitchen area where they found Aunt May making a pitcher of lemonade. She noticed their arrival almost immediately.
"So, how did it go?" Aunt May asked as she turned around and placed the full pitcher on the table and then went for some glasses.
"About as good as can be expected with Director Hill," Peter sighed, "She'll accept that we'll register, but she doesn't like us and considering the fight between Namor and the helicarrier and Cap going underground today, I don't think she had time to deal with us right now."
Aunt May gave a really heavy sigh. It clearly showed that she was uncomfortable with everything that was going on in the background.
"Are you sure you two are doing the right thing?" Aunt May questioned, "all of this being so divisive. You shouldn't be fighting other heroes, and this Hill woman seems determined to help the Skull start a fight among the heroes."
"I really don't know, Aunt May," Peter sighed, "but I'm certain that I don't have much of a choice. Hill's people are already calling Cap a terrorist and a traitor for not following the act. If we were to go against the act, we would be driven underground too. With MJ pregnant again, I don't think we can afford to do that."
Aunt May then gave a defeated sigh. Both Peter and Mary Jane had been so happy when they learned that she was pregnant again, now it seemed that her pregnancy was forcing decisions that they would regret. Aunt May knew she couldn't force anything the other way because she also knew that Peter was right. Even if 'registration' was wrong, Hill would make sure that the two sides fought. Siding with Cap didn't look like it would make the situation better, and with Mary Jane pregnant, she couldn't afford to be on the most wanted list.
"This is all so frustrating," Aunt May sighed, "it doesn't look like anything we could do would be right."
"I'm sorry, Aunt May," Peter sighed.
"There isn't much you could do to avert this," Aunt May sighed again, "you're caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Hopefully your friends are able to fix this situation quickly."
Symkaria
The mercenary heroine, Silver Sable, was working out alone in a gym that the Wild Pack ran in Symkaria. Around her were several dummies made to look like the Red Skull. Many of them had her chias embedded in the material. She leaped into the air and decapitated one of the dummies with a strong swinging kick. Like many around the world, she hated the current situation involving the Red Skull and his 'axis' with the United States. She had dedicated her life to hunting Nazi war criminals and other high level criminals around the world, and usually for a very good price.
Now, the ultimate Nazi was ruling a country he raised out of nowhere, and the US had allied itself with him over their 'war on terror' policies, which the Symkarian government criticized as too aggressive and motivated by arrogance. But the Symkarian leadership had told Silver that she couldn't lead the Symkarian army against the Red Skull or event take the Wild Pack in because of border threats from Latveria, and the concern that such action cut off American aid, which Symkaria continued to need since the end of World War II.
That did not change Silver's opinion of the Red Skull and what she wished to do with the criminal who had overseen many of the SS's crimes in Symkaria. As she landed she heard the sound of someone clapping behind her, which made her turn quickly. She found it was a lone man standing near the door to the gym. He was dressed in black robes and appeared to have white skin.
"Who are you?" Silver Sable demanded, "How did you get in here? This is for the Wild Pack, only."
"You can relax," the man spoke, "I am an agent of the Brotherhood of Scriers and we have a proposition for you."
"How did you get in here?" Silver Sable demanded again.
"I have my ways, now would you please listen to me?" the Scrier answered, "I promise you and your Wild Pack will be paid extremely well."
"Go ahead," Silver Sable spoke, willing to listen if the strange robed man was willing to pay for work that the Wild Pack could do.
"I'm sure you're well aware of the Red Skull's present actions, by your gym here," the Scrier spoke, "but I feel I must inform you that the Red Skull's plan is far more devious then raising an island."
"He likely seeks to destroy the United States as he has tried to do several times before," Silver Sable answered, "it is the fact that America has not rejected him that caused my government to recall me and the Wild Pack from Symkaria's New York Embassy."
"Yes," the Scrier nodded, "by forcing America's heroes to fight each other. To our knowledge, S.H.I.E.L.D. and Tony Stark are working together to support the Red Skull's plans, while Captain America is working to thwart his long time foe."
"I have seen the news," Silver Sable retorted, "I and my Wild Pack are more then willing to fight the Red Skull, but my government is fearful that he is too powerful, and such a battle would leave Symkaria weak before Latveria and the other nations of the Balkans."
"If there is likely to be a battle with the Red Skull, Captain America will fight that battle," the Scrier spoke, "what we want you to do is to take down a hero who has just signed on to help S.H.I.E.L.D. in its plans to aid the Red Skull."
"You wish me to take down Stark?" Silver Sable asked, "that would be dangerous considering the technology and allies at his disposal."
"Not Stark," the Scrier answered, "Our sources indicate that he is somehow working with Captain America. We want you to kill Spider-Man."
That made Silver Sable blink.
"I know Spider-Man," Silver Sable spoke, sensing that this Scrier wasn't entirely telling the truth, "He is many things, including non-professional, but he is not a Nazi or even a Nazi supporter. I highly doubt he would side with those that are supporting the Red Skull."
The Scrier then produced a small laptop from inside his robes and handed it to Silver. She looked at the screen to see that it was on the S.H.I.E.L.D. webpage, and specifically the list of registered heroes. The list started with Tony Stark/Iron Man, and about halfway down there was Identity Classified for Training Purposes/Spider-Man and Identity Classified for Training Purposes/Arachne.
"We believe S.H.I.E.L.D. will soon be using Spider-Man and Arachne to go after heroes throughout the United States who support Captain America and his drive to save his country from the Red Skull," the Scrier spoke.
"I can't believe this," Silver Sable spoke with some disbelief.
"It is always hard to believe things when it's a friend who betrays one's friendship," the Scrier commented.
"I expect to be paid one hundred thousand dollars, American, for Spider-Man per day it takes to capture him and fifty thousand dollars, American, per day for Arachne," Silver Sable then demanded, "If they have sided with the Red Skull, I will turn them over to you and you can do what you want with them."
"Agreed," the Scrier bowed respectfully, "that is suitable, I suppose."
Avengers Tower, Next Day
Spider-Man and Arachne found themselves walking toward the main computer rooms that the Avengers used. Neither was really tired, but they were both uncertain of what to expect. Other then being insulted and told they were expected go through boot camp, they didn't know what would happen. As they entered the room they were totally shocked by what they saw.
Director Hill was there, looking as cross as she normally did, but that wasn't what shocked the two arachnid themed heroes but the being that was in the room with her, and heavily restrained. It was the massive black and white form of Venom, yet there were things that creped them out because of their differences with recent memories. The white spider symbol on his chest was not the new style that Mac Gargan wore, but the symbol that had been on the black costume Spider-Man had worn in the past. The mask of the symbiote was also gone, and showed the face, not of Mac Gargan, but Eddie Brock.
"What the hell…!" Spider-Man gasped in shock while Arachne was not even able to say one word.
"Surprised to see us, Parker?" Brock asked in a rather sarcastic voice, "You look as though you've seen a ghost."
"In a way I am," Spider-Man gasped, "You're dead. I saw the news report that you committed suicide. And I've fought two Venoms that were using someone other then Eddie Brock as a host"
"You shouldn't believe everything you read in the Bugle," Brock replied with a smirk, "You of all people should know that."
"Ahem," Maria Hill coughed to get the attention of the people in the room, "I believe this is best explained from the beginning, as part of the mission that Spider-Man and Arachne are to go on for S.H.I.E.L.D."
"That brings up a different topic," Arachne stepped forward, "I am willing to register, but at the present time, I'm pregnant. Spider-Man and I are going to have a baby.
"Are you showing yet?" Hill asked.
"Not yet," Arachne answered confused, "but that shouldn't be an issue. I'm still carrying a human life within me."
"You will serve S.H.I.E.L.D. until your pregnancy becomes physically apparent," Hill answered, "just as female police officers and soldiers do in your present situation."
Arachne backed away from arguing further. Hill had spoken in a voice that didn't seem to allow for an argument. Spider-Man, however, wasn't deterred.
"I didn't know there were desk jobs for super heroes," Spider-Man quipped.
"There aren't," Hill growled icily, "Your wife will aide you in field work until her pregnancy becomes physically apparent. Then you will receive a new partner. If not, I will release Venom here. The REAL Venom, and let him remove two of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s minor annoyances once and for all."
Spider-Man gasped at that, and while he felt he could beat Venom eventually, he couldn't risk MJ in her condition, and right now he was to curious about how Brock could be there to really want to fight.
"Fine," Spider-Man sighed, defeated, "But what do you mean, 'real' Venom. Venom is the symbiote. Brock was only a host. And Brock committed suicide after selling the host to Don Fortunato, who gave it to his son Angelo."
"Director Hill is referring to your encounter with me prior to that battle," Brock said with a smile, "surely you remember our engagement when I was dying? Don't you, Pete?"
The Past…
The Venom Symbiote lunged forward toward Spider-Man hoping to bond with him for the last time.
"No! You still do not understand," the symbiote shrieked, sounding desperate, "can not have Brock. Must have YOU! A child grows within me."
"A child?" Spider-Man repeated confused as he tried hop away, "You're pregnant?"
Spider-Man then remembered that the Venom symbiote could reproduce asexually. It didn't need either a host or a female symbiote to produce offspring, necessarily. Figuring that out didn't help him much as the symbiote made contact with him and knocked him to the ground. It then loomed over Spider-Man.
"Please, Spider-Man…" the symbiote seemed to beg, "you must accept. Life depends on it. Will give you so much in return."
Spider-Man glared back at the symbiote. It's attacking cancer patients to feed weighed on his mind, the fact that it feed off of Brock's cancer for so long. It wasn't a 'symbiote' really. Symbiotic creatures help one another for mutual benefit with neither being harmed. Outside of Brock, the symbiote would likely kill him by draining him of adrenaline, unless it found some other way to get it.
"Uhh… ehh… sure," Spider-Man retorted sarcastically, "for as long as I can keep up the supply of adrenaline… You're not a symbiote. You're a PARASITE!"
The symbiote then landed a powerful blow on him that sent him flying, conveniently near Brock, who while weak, was still breathing.
"Brock is diseased!" the symbiote growled, "he can not sustain us. You are the one."
"Uhh… become plant food for the pansy from Planet X?" Spider-Man quipped shooting out a webline, "That's not much of a choice."
The webline successfully hit Brock, although the symbiote didn't realize that at the time.
"You missed," the symbiote taunted, "you are weak."
"I never miss," Spider-Man answered, pulling on the webline, pulling Brock into the symbiote, and forcing it to bond with him.
The symbiote screamed as it bonded with Brock again, forming Venom. Supposedly forever.
The Present…
"But the papers, Angelo Fortunato…" Spider-Man gasped.
"Lies," Brock answered in an angry voice, "Fortunato, Gargan, they bonded with the child that we carried. The child you rejected and refused to raise with us. How else do you think that their version of my costume looked so different from us?"
"But you'd said that I'd stolen it," Spider-Man retorted, "Killed it."
"You stole it, yes," Brock answered, "but not in the way you think. We only wanted to raise it with you, possibly give our child to your wife so that we could always be together and so that she would never be in danger again, but you put us with Brock insuring that our child would feel his anger and hatred that we would feel his anger and hatred, making our child much like Carnage. One who does not even have Brock's sense of honor."
"But then if Fortunato and Gargan bonded with your 'child', what about Brock?" Arachne asked, "the Brock that died, I mean."
"That is where your friends the Scriers came in," Brock answered, "Shortly after your husband forced us to be with Brock, we left to have the child that your husband rejected. We knew it would be deformed… imperfect… but we couldn't stop its birth…"
Trenton, New Jersey, the Past…
Eddie Brock slumped quietly into darkened hotel room to watch some television, hoping to catch something that would lift his spirits or at least the symbiote's, which had been angrily demanding revenge on Spider-Man for making them bond again. Brock, personally didn't mind. The symbiote and he could never be separated, and thus symbiote's desire to return to Spider-Man didn't matter, although he did resent the fact that symbiote still wanted Spider-Man.
He was about to reach for the remote when he suddenly doubled over in pain and took on the form of Venom. He screamed with pain as the symbiote birthed the offspring that it had wanted to have with Spider-Man. Unlike the Carnage symbiote, which was red, this one was the same shade of black as Venom. As the new symbiote crawled away from Venom, the door to the hotel exploded under the blast of a sonic weapon, which sent pain through both Venom and the newly birthed symbiote. Weakened from birthing the new symbiote, Venom was in no position to fight and dropped unconscious. The last thing he saw were several Scriers standing over him.
"Can he kill Osborn?" one Scrier asked.
"He has the power to do so, if he can be controlled," the leading Scrier answered, "if he can be controlled."
"What about the baby symbiote?" a third Scrier questioned.
"Contain it," the leading Scrier ordered, "it may prove useful should the original prove unwilling."
The Present…
"The Scriers told us of their revenge plot against Norman Osborn," Brock explained, "but we learned that they didn't want Brock either. They wanted the symbiote, and when our bond proved permanent, they took our child to use it."
"But the Brock that showed up here and sold the symbiote and committed suicide?" Spider-Man asked, "that wasn't a clone, was it?"
"That was a Scrier who had used a specialized spell to disguise himself as Brock," Director Hill interjected into the conversation, "unfortunately for the Scriers, the use of dark magic made such an idea difficult. The Scrier gained not only the appearance of Brock, but also seemed to gain his suicidal tendencies. As a result that plan failed and they gave up on using Venom to kill Osborn."
Spider-Man and Arachne then turned to look at Hill looking slightly surprised that the S.H.I.E.L.D. director knew that.
"Their plans involving Venom were among the documents that we collected at their Newark base," Hill answered, "among many other things. We then used that information to find where they were holding Brock to get additional information and find a possible agent to defeat the Scriers."
"You can't use him," Arachne said, pointing at Brock, "he' a bad guy, psychotic serial killer. He's just as likely to kill you as help you."
"S.H.I.E.L.D. will work with whoever it wants to work with," Hill answered, "and if you want to remain on the right side of the Registration Act, you will not question my orders. Understood?"
"Fine," Arachne sighed.
"Now," Hill spoke calmly, going into the main mission briefing, "our discovery of the Scrier base in Newark has uncovered a lot about their 'brotherhood', in addition to finding the real Eddie Brock."
Hill then pressed a button that activated a holographically projected map of the world. On it were several dots that looked like a Scrier's head, while there were a few others that looked like the letter 'X'.
"Now, S.H.I.E.L.D. has been working to shut down these Scrier bases, and has been relatively successful," Hill explained, "but with the present Registration crisis and Cap betraying his country, we can not afford to continue this hunt on our own. That is where you come in."
Hill then turned to face both of them rather then the image she had projected.
"The Scriers are criminal threats, but their threat is only large so long as their global network remains in tact," Hill spoke, "The job of breaking down that network falls you two, and when Arachne's pregnancy becomes physically apparent, we'll partner Spider-Man with someone else."
"So where do you want us to start?" Spider-Man sighed.
"Today you will be working to finish of the Scrier activity in the US," Hill instructed, "which will mean stops in Detroit, Denver, and Seattle. We'll provide you with transport to those locations and directions to each base once you get there. There will also be a squad of cape-killers who will supervise the mission."
Spider-Man and Arachne then nodded.
"You'd best get going," Hill spoke, "your transport is already waiting and you have a long day ahead of you."
Detroit, Two Hours Later
Spider-Man and Arachne looked out the window of one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s hover cars as it came down over a small suburban part of the city. It wasn't the rows of skyscrapers that were common in New York, but a checkerboard of small stick built homes that had more in common with the home that Aunt May had raised Peter in then with the apartments that Peter and Mary Jane had lived in.
"You're certain this is the lair of a secret society?" Spider-Man asked he saw nothing that would indicate a 'villain's lair'.
"That's what the map says," the cape-killer driving the hover-car replied, "we'll be watching and waiting for the two of you to return with prisoners. Now get going."
Spider-Man glanced at Arachne and sighed heavily and lead the way through an area that the other present cape-killers allowed them to travel through to descend toward the house that was suspected of being used as a Scrier base. The descent was short and both heroes bounced off the ground and through two front windows of the house.
They found that the interior of the house did not match the exterior. There was a lot of stainless steal and four armed Scriers. Spider-Man quickly activated a small radio that his cape-killer supervisors had made him wear under his mask.
"Yeah, this 'spider-one' to the cape-troopers," Spider-Man spoke, "Definitely a Scrier base. We got four of them. Nothing Arachne and I can't handle, though."
All of the Scriers then attacked in unison making Spider-Man and Arachne leap up to avoid being sliced with a sword or run through by a spear. Both landed on the ceiling and easily clung to it. Before the Scriers could react and redirect their weapons, the arachnid themed heroes wrapped all four of them in webbing. Both then easily dropped down and disarmed them. The Scriers were unconscious shortly after.
"Well, that takes care of this group," Arachne sighed as they looked down at the unconscious Scriers, "I'll drag them out to the hover-car. S.H.I.E.L.D. can figure out what to do with them while you look for anything of any importance."
Spider-Man nodded and began moving about the house, looking for anything that would constitute evidence.
Meanwhile, crouching in a sewer drain was a rather dirty looking man in a black costume that had rather insect-like trappings.
"What do you see, Humbug?" came Silver Sable's voice over a radio.
"There are no insects in the house," Humbug answered, "strangely. I can only barely hear what Arachne is saying to the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents parked on the front lawn."
"Surely there are insects in the grass," Silver Sable answered, sounding rather grossed out.
"Sorry, ma'am," there are a few ants nearby," Humbug answered.
"What do they hear?" Silver Sable demanded.
Humbug sat there quietly for a few moments before saying, "Something about 'only four of them there' and 'Spider-Man searching evidence'."
"It can't be," came Silver Sable's voice in a distracted slash disappointed manner.
"Ma'am?" Humbug asked as the S.H.I.E.L.D. hover-car took off with Spider-Man and Arachne on it.
"Nothing," Silver Sable answered, "what's happening?"
"They're leaving," Humbug reported, "Fly inside the car heard something about Denver before they went beyond my range to communicate with it."
"Return to the hovercraft," Silver Sable ordered, "We'll need to keep up with the S.H.I.E.L.D. car."
Sable's Hovercraft, Two Blocks Away
"You look rough," Paladin commented as the heavily armed mercenary moved into the front of the hovercraft to talk with the Silver Sable.
"Relax," Silver Sable answered, "we will be paid. You have no need to worry."
"I have no worries about being paid," Paladin answered, "You've always paid my tab, which I can't complain about. It's just that you've looked rather nervous for the past few hours. Almost as if you didn't want to take this job."
"You want to take on Spider-Man?" Silver Sable questioned, "remember that while he has been a foolish unprofessional, he is still a formidable opponent in any situation."
"Every opponent is beatable," Paladin answered confidently, "and besides, Humbug just proved that he's helping S.H.I.E.L.D. help the Red Skull. I thought you were willing to take on the Nazis for free."
"I do," Silver Sable answered with a frustrated sigh, "I just didn't think that Spider-Man would be one to side with them."
Seattle, Early Evening
The day had been a long one as Spider-Man and Arachne made their way through an area that they least expected to find in Seattle. A bunker that reminded Spider-Man of some of the mazes of tunnels that Norman had secretly constructed to hid his goblin equipment. The stop in Denver had been a short one as all of the Scriers were caught trying to flee, and while the two webbed heroes pursued, it was the cape-killers who took the Scriers down with a barrage of tranquilizer darts. That left them moving through a hidden tunnel underneath Seattle.
"Not what you'd expect from the Pacific coast," Arachne commented as they walked along.
"Yeah," Spider-Man nodded and then joked, "it's dry."
"You know what I mean," Arachne answered, "seeing tunnels like this."
"Maybe they've been into some program on the underworld or something," Spider-Man shrugged, "It makes for a more serious headquarters. We'll likely find something of greater importance here the drugs and stolen items found at the other Scrier bases."
There was a quiet pause for a moment.
"Although that leads me to wonder what they could want out here that would require such an instillation," Spider-Man commented s they continued on.
They had taken one a few steps more when both heroes felt their respective spider-senses go off at full force. Spider-Man immediately dodged right while Arachne dodged up. Five Scriers then seemed to jump, literally out of the walls at the spot where Spider-Man and Arachne had been standing. Three were wielding swords, one had a crossbow, while the final Scrier had no weapons, but his hands seemed to glow a very dark shade of purple.
"New York is not the only place where foes of the Brotherhood of Scriers live," the fifth Scrier spoke in a low voice, "And New York is not the only place the Brotherhood of Scriers lives."
"I know that," Spider-Man replied, webbing up the first two Scriers from the ceiling while Arachne webbed up the other two and actually disarmed the fourth of his crossbow, "What I want to know, is WHAT are you after out here?"
The fifth Scrier raised his arms, and fired out two purple beams of energy at Spider-Man and Arachne. They dodged the attack, but the beams did do heavy damage to the roof of the tunnel they were in. As the dust from the falling dirt cleared, the Scrier lowered his hands and the energy beams disappeared, although the Scrier's hands were still glowing.
"Only what is necessary to secure our master's plans for the future by any means necessary," the fifth Scrier spoke, "and I will not tolerate the interference of S.H.I.E.L.D. thugs like you."
"Actually, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s thugs are topside," Arachne quipped, "You're stuck with the heroes in this case."
Arachne then fired a pair of weblines that wrapped around the Scrier's hands. The webbed hands still glowed purple, but both Spider-Man and Arachne noticed that the energy beams weren't penetrating the web cocoon that Arachne had wrapped around them.
"Well, whatdaya know?" Arachne smirked after that.
"No!" the Scrier protested, "this can't…"
The Scrier couldn't protest further as Spider-Man used his distraction to club him from behind. The Scrier then fell to the ground unconscious.
"How do you suppose he did all that?" Arachne questioned gesturing at the Scrier's hands.
"Likely magic," Spider-Man shrugged, "I don't think the Scriers use much in the way of advanced technology and I doubt they recruit mutants… although since M-Day, there aren't that many of them any more to recruit."
Arachne slowly nodded while Spider-Man moved to activate the communications device he had on them. He got no response on the other end, which puzzled him slightly. While he thought the S.H.I.E.L.D. cape-killers were overall on the wrong side of the present superhuman argument, they were diligent. It wouldn't be like them to duck off for donuts.
"Where are those guys?" Spider-Man then asked aloud before he felt his spider-sense go off like crazy.
"Your Fascist aids are indisposed at the moment," came a new voice inside the tunnel.
They both then turned to see several new arrivals in the tunnel with him. Closest to the front was a powerful looking man in black and purple. Spider-Man vaguely remembered him going by the name Paladin, but he couldn't pinpoint ever working with him before. The next was a small man in a black leather costume, whom Spider-Man didn't recognize. The third was a man that reminded Spider-Man, outwardly of Montana from the Enforcers, but he was too big physically to be him. The last man, bringing up the rear of the group was a man in a blue costume with a white shield on his chest. Spider-Man had no clue who this man was, but he easily recognized their leader, a woman he had worked with off and on from time to time, Silver Sable.
"I am very disappointed in you, Spider-Man," Silver Sable said in a firm voice.
"What? Why?" Spider-Man asked, too confused to make a joke.
"Who are these people?" Arachne asked as she didn't recognize anyone standing in front of her.
"Silver Sable and her Wild Pack," Spider-Man answered, "a mercenary, but one I've thought at least willing to fight on the side of good."
"I still do," Silver Sable answered, "It is you who has betrayed all that is good by siding with the S.H.I.E.L.D. and their hero, the Red Skull. Wild Pack, Attack!"
"Excuse me," Paladin said confidently as he rushed forward toward Spider-Man, "big dog coming through."
He launched a series of punches at Spider-Man who easily retreated down the passageway to gain some room, avoiding each punch thrown.
"So, someone was willing to pay you to come after me?" Spider-Man asked as he grabbed one outstretched foot from Paladin and threw him into the wall, "and one that's got Silver thinking I'm bad now?"
"Don't know the name of the employer," Paladin answered, pulling out his stun blaster, "but he promised to pay, so here I am."
He then fired the blaster on its widest possible setting. It did damage to the roof and brought the steal crashing down. Spider-Man avoided being directly hit by the blast, but he was unable to catch the falling steal.
"I got 'em, I got 'em!" Humbug yelled as he rushed forward while Spider-Man wrestled with the metal.
Spider-Man had just thrown the broken pieces of the roof off of him when he saw the guy in black leather rushing forward with what looked like four horse flies following him. He quickly dispatched the flies with a web-ball, caught Humbug with a webline and then, like a slinger throwing a stone, threw Humbug into Paladin, sending both of them crashing into the wall.
"And that takes care of that," Spider-Man chuckled as Humbug was knocked out and Paladin was struggling to get the unconscious bug lover off of him. Spider-Man's triumph was short lived as it was at that time that Silver Sable directly entered the picture, landing a kick on Spider-Man's chest that sent him flying into the other wall.
Arachne, meanwhile, found herself facing the Montana look-alike and the man in blue. The massive 'cowboy themed' man swung his massive fists like twin wrecking cranes, hoping to make some contact. Arachne easily dodged the two blows and landed between the two of them.
"Shouldn't you be with the Enforcers?" Arachne questioned, trying to figure out who he was.
The man then drew an old west style six shooter and fired it at Arachne at point blank range. Thanks to her spider-sense, Arachne easily avoided the shot, but her dodging leap carried her directly into a force field that she didn't originally know was there.
"You think I'm Montana?" the large man asked back, "that dumb city-slicker who decided to mimic a western drawl? I ain't that little weakling. Name's Tex and I am the real deal, lady, and in Texas, we don' take kindly to Nazis. Blue Shield feels the same way."
"Great," Arachne thought to herself, "these guys must somehow think that she and Spider-Man were working for the Red Skull in some way. She guessed that the only one that could have hired them, and fabricated the story were the Scriers.
Arachne sensed something coming from behind her and quickly back flipped up to see the impact of another force field-ball thrown at her position by Blue Shield. She caught herself with a pair of weblines and swung both legs down to kick Blue Shield into Tex, who was rushing to catch up. The blow didn't take either down, but it sent them tumbling back a few steps.
"I think you people are mistaken," Arachne spoke, "Spider-Man and I would never side with anyone like the Red Skull."
"That's not what we heard," Blue Shield shot back, "we heard you and your partner sided with S.H.I.E.L.D. with the Red Skull against Captain America."
Arachne fired a pair of web balls that caught Blue Shield's eyes and leaped up, bounced off the ceiling to land a kick on Tex's chest, knocking him into the wall again.
"We may have Registered, but we ain't workin' for or with the Red Skull," Arachne shot back, "believe me. Both Iron Man and Cap are working on some way to beat him. And Spidey and I will help both of them when the time comes."
"Forgive me, ma'am if I don't believe you," Tex growled and threw a punch at Arachne.
Arachne easily ducked under the intended blow, and Tex ended up punching Blue Shield instead. The blue clad 'hero' had a small personal force field, but Tex's fist and blow was so powerful that he ended up knocking Blue Shield into he air and sending him flying back toward the entrance to the tunnel.
"Ouch," Arachne commented, "sucks when you miss, don't it?"
Tex only growled and fired at Arachne with his six shooters. Arachne easily avoided the shots and after three shots, she caught both hand guns with a pair of weblines and ripped them out of Tex's hands. She then crushed the guns in her hands.
"Spidey has a saying that is rather appropriate in this case," Arachne smirked, "Never bring guns to a spider-fight."
"Those were Colt originals!" Tex growled angrily and rushed forward, "Collectors items!"
"Then you shouldn't actually use them as a weapon," Arachne spoke as she leaped over the charging Tex, "you should have left them in a display case in your ranch. But you attacked me with them, and I do not like guns. Especially at the present time."
Arachne then turned, pivoted on one foot and tripped Tex with the other. He fell flat on his face. Before he could respond, Arachne webbed him up in a thick wrapping of webbing. Once Tex was adequately webbed up, Arachne turned to see how Spider-Man fared in his fight.
Spider-Man found himself in a tougher fight then Arachne did. Unlike his partner, Spider-Man had had dealings with Silver Sable and the Wild Pack before. He felt they were too merciless for their use of mercenary tactics, but at least felt that Silver Sable was a good person somewhere. But apparently someone had played her mercenary lifestyle against her morals, and money won out. He had to guess that it was the Scriers that hired her, but he wasn't sure how they got her to believe that he and Arachne had sided with the Red Skull.
"Come on, Sable," Spider-Man spoke, "You know me. I'm too naïve to follow someone like the Red Skull."
"I thought I knew you," Silver Sable replied, "Unprofessional, but good at his work. Then I learn you've signed on with S.H.I.E.L.D. which has promised to aide the Red Skull. Which has driven Captain America underground."
"It's complicated," Spider-Man answered weakly as he dodged a barrage of chais that Silver Sable threw at him.
"Maybe you can explain it after I've beaten the stuffing out of you," Paladin said confidently as he blasted at him with his blaster.
Spider-Man avoided the blast and looked back to see that the blaster had blown a hole in the wall and compressed the dirt behind it.
"If you're wanting to take me alive, Paladin," Spider-Man said firmly, knowing that he was showing his distaste for the man clearly, "you're doing a lousy job."
Spider-Man then leaped forward, bouncing off of one wall and landed a swinging kick on Paladin's head, which finally knocked the mercenary out and leaving Spider-Man with Silver Sable who had thrown more chais at him, which caught him in mid air, and pinned him to the wall. He was surprised by how strong they were. Silver Sable then slowly approached him.
She was caught by a webline from behind before she got too close and then turned to see Arachne standing behind her, holding the webline.
"Can't we talk this out?" Arachne asked, "I think some one has held off from giving you all the information before sending you after us."
Silver Sable looked at the red and blue clad woman and lowered her arms, placing her hand on her hips.
"I'm listening," Silver Sable spoke, the entire mission had gotten very bizarre, and with her Wild Pack either unconscious or webbed up, she would stand much chance of defeating Spider-Man and his partner, "Why did you side with the Red Skull?"
"We didn't," Spider-Man spoke, "we registered with S.H.I.E.L.D. but we didn't agree to work with the Red Skull."
"Why did you register?" Sable asked, "You both know that S.H.I.E.L.D. has decided to ally itself with that Nazi. Even if you aren't working for him, you're indirectly working with him."
"Because things are rather complicated at present," Spider-Man sighed, "The Registration Act was proposed in the hopes of using America's superheroes as weapons against all perceived enemies. That includes the Red Skull. Something I don't think the person who hired you told you about."
"What are you saying?" Sable questioned.
"The people that hired you to kill us are lying creeps," Arachne spoke bluntly, "They wanted you to fight us and would stop at nothing to get you to do so."
"How do you know that?" Sable questioned suspiciously.
"Because we have a good hunch who the people who hired you are," Spider-Man answered, "It wasn't by chance an organization called the Brotherhood of Scriers?"
Silver Sable's eyes widened as he had guessed exactly had hired her, which brought back the suspicions she had about them when their representative hired her. She only listened to the Scriers because they promised to pay well.
"Who are they?" Silver Sable questioned.
"The Scriers are a secret society that has dabbled in just about everything, legal or illegal, for years," Spider-Man explained, "they've recently opened a blood feud with Norman Osborn, which has involved Arachne and I. They've since added us to the list of people they want killed. S.H.I.E.L.D. currently has us hunting down the various Scrier bases to try and defeat their organization. Largely because I don't think the current director doesn't want us in the current Registration mess."
"They lied to me?" Sable growled, now noticing the unconscious Scriers in the hallway, angrily that she had let herself get led into this situation.
"Likely to get you to fight me," Spider-Man sighed, "If they told you the truth, you may not have sided with them."
"They played me for a fool," Sable growled.
Spider-Man reached for his belt and pulled out the map that S.H.I.E.L.D. had 'given' him to help find the Scrier bases.
"But you can get payback," Spider-Man commented, "if you wish to get even for that."
"What about S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Silver Sable asked, sounding slightly nervous, "They've still condoned the Red Skull's rule and likely know my dislike of Nazism, and they will know that my Wild Pack attacked them to get to you."
Spider-Man sighed, "You might have to return to Symkaria to avoid legal prosecution until Cap figures out how to beat the Red Skull and all the Registration mess is settled, but if you turn the Scriers over to S.H.I.E.L.D. you might gain a good bargaining position."
"And if he can't?" Sable asked.
"Then, I don't know," Spider-Man sighed, "Arachne and I registered because of Arachne's current pregnancy, and thus the need for the ability to see a doctor without risk of being arrested."
Silver Sable glanced at both heroes for a moment and then spoke, "So the rumors in the New York papers are true, Spider-Man has found a girlfriend."
"I've been his WIFE for years," Arachne spoke firmly, "I only just became Arachne recently."
Silver Sable only sighed in response. And then took on a much tougher tone.
"I will deal with the Scriers in Symkaria," Silver Sable spoke, "You can tell S.H.I.E.L.D. that they will pay for their deception."
Spider-Man nodded, "Of course. Good luck."
"Oh and Spider-Man," Silver Sable spoke up, "if you can, make sure that the Red Skull is defeated quickly and that your country breaks all ties with him. Or you might not be able to talk your way out of fighting me."
"Right," Spider-Man sighed and lead Arachne out, dragging the unconscious Scriers with them.
Symkaria, One Week Later
Maria Hill was very much agitated by the call to come to the small Balkan nation. It was small and had no military force aiding the US anywhere, which put it well off of the S.H.I.E.L.D. director's radar screen. On top of that, the nations main source of income was from a private mercenary force run by one Silver Sable. Now, Hill did approve of normal people controlling super humans, to insure the natural order remained, but since Symkaria didn't give her control over Silver Sable's organization, she didn't trust the silver haired mercenary.
She entered a small office area to find Silver Sable seated at a desk with three unconscious Scriers laying in front of it.
"Good afternoon," Silver Sable spoke calmly, although in a tone that did not endear herself to the S.H.I.E.L.D. director.
"I take it you're offering some bargain to get you out of five years in a maximum security federal prison for assaulting a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents?" Hill asked, "because I'm willing to cut it down to two and a half years."
"Symkaria would not allow that," Silver Sable answered, "and remember, you have to follow the UN's guidelines, not America's present leaders. I've called you here because Spider-Man told me you have him dealing with these people."
Hill only looked at the unconscious Scriers.
"My attack on your agents was because of their manipulations," Silver Sable continued, "they lead me to believe that you and Spider-Man had sided with the Red Skull."
"S.H.I.E.L.D. is not allied with the Red Skull," Hill answered.
"Yes," Silver Sable sighed, "Spider-Man explained that. So, I have rounded up the Scriers operating in my country. You can have them."
"And what of your attack on my people?" Hill questioned, "regardless of how it happened, you still committed a crime."
"Symkaria will not allow that," Silver Sable repeated, "We are willing to assist S.H.I.E.L.D. in dealing with the Scriers, but my government will not act as your lapdog. If you don't want our cooperation, please leave and return to your own country."
Hill only sighed. The visit was a waste of time, in her opinion, but she figured that if Iron Man continued to not attack Captain America, Silver Sable's Wild Pack might come in handy.
"I'm sure we can work something out," Hill spoke, "You're willing to help hunt down the Scriers?"
Silver Sable nodded, "Free of charge, even."
"Very good," Hill replied, "I'll have some agents pick up these men and leave you with mission instructions."
Silver Sable only nodded as the S.H.I.E.L.D. director left.
To Be Continued…
