The Uncanny Spider-Man

Chapter 14: Back From the Dead

By

The Uncanny R-Man

Disclaimer- All familiar characters belong to Marvel.

Avengers Mansion-

Peter Parker was presently dressed in his Spider-Man gear. he was having an impromptu training session with some of his fellow Avengers. He was joined by Black Cat, Squirrel Girl, and Wonder Man. Mary Jane was watching from the control room with Iron Man.

The training session was simple enough. All they had to do was cross from one side of the room to the other. Of course, there were a few obstacles thrown in to try and make the session more challenging. Giant robots, electro-nets, the usual stuff. Like I said, it was just a simple training session. Nothing too difficult.

Peter leapt through an electrified hoop and webbed a giant robot's optic sensors. Wonder Man then followed up with a super-strong punch to the robot's chest, smashing a hole in it.

Peter then dove under another robot's feet and webbed it to the floor. the robot struggled to free itself, but only ended up falling forwards. Black Cat saw that as her moment to move and leapt onto the subdued robot's head. She then slashed at it with the razor-sharp claws attached to her gloves.

Peter was about to swing over to the far side of the room where the button for the shut-down mechanism was. He leapt down on the ground to prepare for another jump, but was met by an angry squeak and a sharp pain in his ankle. There was a small grey squirrel attached to his ankle by its teeth.

'Tippy-Toe!' Squirrel Girl squeaked. 'Are you okay?'

'What about me?' Peter frowned under his mask. 'That thing just bit me!'

'Tippy-Toe is not a... thing.' Squirrel Girl slammed her hand on the shut-down button. She quickly scooped up her rodent friend and cradled her in her arms. 'Tippy-Toe is my closest friend.'

'Well, I sure hope that your closest friend isn't infected with anything.' Peter sniffed as he rubbed his ankle.

'How can you say such a thing?' Squirrel Girl glowered. 'Tippy-Toe is clean. A lot cleaner than some people I know.'

'Well, if I end up growing a giant fluffy tail and start to crave nuts, you'll hear form my lawyer.' Peter groused.

'And I thought you would be nice, Spider-Man...' Squirrel Girl turned her back and walked away. 'You're nothing but a big meanie.'

Peter's mouth hung open.

'But...'

Peter turned to Black Cat and Wonder Man. His fellow Avengers weren't even bothering to hide their laughter.

'Does this bite look infected?' Peter groaned as he removed his boot to inspect his wound. 'C'mon, be truthful.'

'I hope you're prepared for winter, buddy.' Wonder Man smirked. 'Better start hoarding your nuts.'

Peter looked towards the control room for some reassurance from his wife.

'MJ, the Avengers are teasing me!' Peter whined. 'Tell them to stop!'

'Keep me out of this, Peter.' Mary Jane held her hands up in defence. 'Although, I am kinda particular to the fuzzy tail. It'll give me something to snuggle up to.'

'What? And my studly bod isn't snugly enough already?' Peter tutted. 'You, Mary Jane Watson, are snuggle-mad!'

'Okay, just a little too much information there, thank you.' Black Cat stuck her tongue out with a wince. 'Although I'd have to agree with the snuggly bit.'

'Et tu, Felicia?' Peter mock sulked as he limped away. 'I don't need this junk. I'm going out...'

Later-

Peter was now swinging across the Manhattan skyline. He really shouldn't have worried so much about that tiny little squirrel bite on his ankle. Sure, it still stung a little and was slightly swollen, but he'd had worse.

Peter was so hung up with his squirrel-related injuries, that he almost didn't notice his Spider-Sense alerting him to danger.

'Well, at least I have an opportunity to work off some pent-up anger.' Peter muttered to himself as he swung down towards the sound of a woman screaming.

Unfortunately, Peter had arrived to late to avert a mugging. Somebody had already beaten him to it. A certain muscular and symbiote-wearing somebody.

'As if my day couldn't get any worse...' Peter sighed as he perched on the side of the alley. 'What brings you to Manhattan, Brock? I thought that you'd crawled under your rock indefinitely.'

'We are here for the same reason you are, Parker.' The sometimes-villain known as Venom retorted. 'This scumbag was trying to steal this woman's purse. We are fighting the good fight now, remember?'

'Yeah, don't remind me.' Peter rubbed the bridge of his nose with an exasperated sigh.

'And besides...' Venom continued. 'We wanted to say goodbye before we leave. We're getting fed up of New York. Too many bad memories. We were thinking of going somewhere like... Oh we don't know... Cleveland?'

Peter wasn't listening. He was too concerned with the squirrel bite he had received earlier.

'What's the matter, Parker?' Venom smirked. 'Baby keeping you awake?'

Peter momentarily forgot that he was talking to one of his most deadly enemies.

'To tell you the truth, I was bitten by a squirrel earlier... Wait. Why am I even telling you this? How do you even know that I have a kid?'

'News gets around.' Venom shrugged. 'Besides, we frequent a bar that She-Hulk has been known to visit. And you know how much she likes to talk...'

'Well, that's just peachy.' Peter sighed. 'Just... make sure the guy gets taken in by the authorities, okay? I have to get back home.'

'We were going to eat his brains.' Venom grinned, holding up the unconscious thug upside down by one leg.

'Please tell me that was a joke...' Peter groaned. 'I really don't need to add one of our infamous brawls to my agenda today.'

'Of course we were joking, Parker.' Venom grinned innocently. 'Why, did you think that we would even dare to eat him? Muggers give us gas.'

Peter just shook his head and swung away. Perhaps the miscellaneous evil-doers that frequented Manhattan would have the common decency to stay in for the rest of the day. Yeah, fat chance.

Later still-

Peter had almost arrived home at the Avengers Mansion when his Spider-Sense started to go nuts.

Peter barely reacted in enough time to dodge a pumpkin bomb that somebody threw at him.

'What the...?'

Peter looked upwards to see an all-too familiar figure flying above his head atop a bat-shaped glider. It was a figure that Peter hoped that he would never have to see again.

'Dammit, Norman!' Peter hissed as he set off in pursuit of the Green Goblin. 'Why don't you stay dead?'

'Who said that I was Norman Osborn, Petey-O?' The Green Goblin smirked under his mask.

Peter's eyes widened in shock. He knew that voice! It was Harry Osborn. But... Harry was supposed to be dead. He died from an overdose of the Goblin Formula! Didn't he?

Peter was so caught up in the sudden return of his formerly dead best friend, that he didn't notice the hunting spear flying through the air until it was too late. The spear cut straight through Peter's webline, making him plummet down towards the ground.

Peter reached out and tried desperately to shoot out another webline. Peter's web-shooters just gurgled in protest. He was out of web-fluid!

Fortunately, Peter was soon saved from being splattered across the sidewalk. Unfortunately, he was saved by a robotic tentacle that was presently wrapped around his neck.

'Hey, nice to see you, Otto...' Peter croaked as he struggled to get free. 'But couldn't our enmity wait for now? I'm kind of in a pickle.'

'What makes you think that I want to save you, Spider-Man?' Dr Octopus sneered as he dangled Peter over the edge of the roof he was presently perched upon. 'Has it struck your tiny little arachnid mind that I may be working with these people?'

'To tell you the truth, I was kind of hoping that you weren't.' Peter commented. 'So, what is this? You reforming the Sinister Six?'

'Oh no, it's nothing as paltry as that...' A voice seemed to speak from thin air. 'They are all working for me...'

Peter struggled to look around him as mist began to swirl around.

'Oh God.' Peter groaned as he realised who tended to appear in swirl of smoke and mist. 'Not this. Not now...'

'What? Aren't you glad to see and old enemy?' The mystery figure chuckled. 'Aren't you glad to see that I'm not dead?'

Peter could barely believe his eyes. First, Harry Osborn comes back from the dead, as the Green Goblin no less. Then Kraven the Hunter cuts his webline. Kraven looked pretty well for a guy that blew his brains out with a hunting rifle as well. And now, Mysterio was screwing with his head.

'Okay Berkhart, what is it this time?' (1) Peter sighed in exasperation. 'Can you at least make it quick? I really have to be someplace else...'

'Oh, I'm afraid that Daniel Berkhart can't be with us right now.' Mysterio chuckled evilly. 'I'm afraid that he had to take a trip... down a rather long flight of stairs.'

Peter's eyes widened in surprise under his mask.

'No. Not...'

'Oh yes...' Mysterio nodded. 'Quentin Beck is alive and well. Which is more than I can say about you, Spider-Man.'

Mysterio then sprayed some knockout gas in Peter's face, subduing him enough to carry away.

Mysterio rubbed his hands in glee.

'Now it's time for the real fun to begin...'

TBC...

Next: Mysterio Returns!

Will Spidey be able to escape from Mysterio's clutches? Has Ol' Goldfish-Head really resurrected Harry and Kraven? Wasn't Mysterio dead anyway? To find out the answers to these questions, tune in next time. Same Spidey-Time! Same Spidey-Channel! Excelsior!

Author's Notes-

(1)- Daniel Berkhart took over the role of Mysterio after Quentin Beck 'died' in Daredevil #7.