At the construction site in Midtown, Venom is biting into Spider-Man's skull, drawing blood as it tears into his mask and into his head.

SPIDER-MAN: "AAAAAHH!"

Spider-Man struggles to get loose, but can't. The webbing is too strong for him to get out it, but he had to keep trying.

SPIDER-MAN (thinking): "His teeth are like knives. I can't get out of this webbing..."

Spider-Man's struggling makes Venom bites down, harder, and the pain makes him suddenly stop struggling.

SPIDER-MAN (thinking): "He's - he's crushing my -"

SPIDER-MAN: "AAAGGHH!"

Blood flows down Spider-Man's head, with some drops dripping on the left lens over his left eye.

SPIDER-MAN (thinking): "Mary Jane, I'm sor..."

SPIDER-MAN: "...RRRAAAAAGGHHHH!"

WHOOSH! A fireball shoots out from behind and it hits Venom on his back. Venom's mouth gets off of Spider-Man's head and his head splits in half, revealing part of Eddie Brock's screaming face underneath.

VENOM: "AAAAAAGGGHHHH!"

Venom drops Spider-Man to the ground, bleeding from injuries the fangs made around his head. Venom drops to all fours, a little shaky and his symbiote is squirming in pain. The symbiote is lightly smoking from being hit by the fire.

VENOM: "F-fireball... How...?"

Venom turns around to see the Fantasticar behind him. The Fantastic Four have gotten out and are standing on the ground a dozen or so feet behind Venom. Mr. Fantastic holds a sonic blaster, while the Thing holds a small remote control device in his right hand. Human Torch is hovering in the air and he looks at Spider-Man in shock.

THING: "Aw, jeez..."

MR. FANTASTIC: "Get AWAY from him, Venom."

Venom shakes a little as he gets up to his feet.

VENOM: "The Fantastic Four? This is not your -"

Mr. Fantastic shoots another beam, while the Thing holds up his small remote control.

VENOM: "- EEEEAAAGGGHH!"

MR. FANTASTIC: "NOW, Ben!"

CLICK! Thing pushes a button and a red force field appears around Venom's body. Mr. Fantastic looks over his shoulder at Invisible Woman and Human Torch.

MR. FANTASTIC: "Sue, Johnny, get Spider-Man! Quickly!"

VENOM: "What... what is this?"

Mr. Fantastic looks back at Venom firmly.

MR. FANTASTIC: "We got the analysis of the energy traces left behind when Demogoblin and Rhino teleported away. We were able to match the energy source and we created this special force field to prevent you from teleporting away again."

Venom looks at Mr. Fantastic and he lets out a wide grin that shows off his fanged teeth.

VENOM: "How adorable. You think the ENERGY is what teleports us away. MORON."

Venom is suddenly teleported away in a flash of light, tinged red from the force field. Mr. Fantastic looks more shocked by Venom's exit than the Thing does.

THING: "Huh?"

MR. FANTASTIC: "That's not possible!"

Johnny Storm, already normal again, and Invisible Woman have gotten to Spider-Man's side. Spider-Man is glowing with white light.

JOHNNY: "Peter? Are you okay?"

INVISIBLE WOMAN: "What's happening to him?"

VOICE: "He'll be fine."

Johnny and Invisible Woman turn to see Dr. Strange, in his astral form, is hovering in the air. His hands spark with energy and he is healing Spider-Man's injuries, including the slash on his left side caused by the Vulture during his fight with the Sinister Six a short time ago. Even his mask is repaired and no longer torn.

VOICE/DR. STRANGE: "I was informed of what happened. I am using this healing spell to try and prevent any more injuries from befalling you. But I cannot help much longer."

Spider-Man sits up and he rubs his forehead with his right hand.

SPIDER-MAN: "Well, regardless, thanks for helping, Strange. What happened to Venom? Where'd he go?"

DR. STRANGE: "I am not sure. He has returned to wherever he came from, but I have a feeling he'll be back."

SPIDER-MAN: "They always do. Thanks for helping, all of you. I was..."

Spider-Man looks up and he sees Johnny crouched in front of him.

SPIDER-MAN: "Johnny? What is it?"

Johnny quickly hugs Spider-Man, which takes Spidey by surprise.

Spider-Man hugs Johnny back.

SPIDER-MAN: "I missed you too."

Dr. Strange's astral form makes Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four glow, about to teleport them away.

DR. STRANGE: "Come. There is much left to do."

SPIDER-MAN: "Oh crap, are you...?"

In the Helicarrier's control room, Nick Fury Jr., Agent Coulson and the SHIELD agents at their control stations look over as Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four suddenly appear in the room. Dr. Strange is standing in person behind them and the energy fades from his hands.

COULSON: "Spider-Man!"

SPIDER-MAN: "I said it. I meant it."

Spider-Man lowers his head and he makes his hands into fists, shaking a little in anger.

SPIDER-MAN: "AAAAARRRGGGHHHH!"

Spider-Man shrugs at the Fantastic Four and Dr. Strange. Everyone in the room, except Strange, looks puzzled by his sudden outburst.

SPIDER-MAN: "Sorry. I couldn't help it. I'm just REALLY sick of being teleported."

DR. STRANGE: "I understand your frustration, but this is an urgent matter and we need all the time we have left to finish."

Spider-Man turns to face Nick Jury Jr.

FURY JR.: "Welcome to the Helicarrier, Spider-Man. We've missed you."

SPIDER-MAN: "Thanks. Would you excuse me before we have our little meeting of the Superfriends? I need to go to the clinic."

FURY: "You do? Why?"

Spider-Man walks off to the clinic.

SPIDER-MAN: "I need to get SOMETHING first."

In the Helicarrier clinic, Flash Thompson sits on a bed and he has electrodes on his temples, chest, heart and wrists that are hooked up to a monitor. He has on the Anti-Venom symbiote, but his normal face/head is exposed. A mid-50s, balding doctor with a beard, a lab coat over his shirt, tie, pants and boots, DR. PHILIP HADER, stands beside Flash.

FLASH: "So what's the verdict? Am I all right with this new symbiote?"

DR. HADER: "After all the test we've run, so far, from what we can tell, your vitals are completely normal, Mr. Thompson. This symbiote seems to be a perfect match with your previous one and you are actually STRONGER than you were before."

Flash looks at Dr. Hader, puzzled.

FLASH: "Any idea where it came from, Dr. Hader? Was there anything on the security cameras showing who gave it to me?"

DR. HADER: "No, sir. Whatever footage was taken of your mystery visitor meeting with you has been completely deleted from the cameras."

The doors slide open and Spider-Man walks into the room.

FLASH: "Spider-Man!"

SPIDER-MAN: "Flash? What happened to you?"

FLASH: "I could ask the same thing about you. You weren't exactly acting like yourself the last time we met when you attacked me and then drove my Venom symbiote off of me."

Spider-Man looks at Flash for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck with his right hand.

SPIDER-MAN (thinking): "Flash too? He even attacked my friends. Is there anyone you DIDN'T mess with, Otto? Who ELSE did you upset while you were impersonating me?"

SPIDER-MAN: "Doc, could you excuse us for a second? I... I need to have a word with Flash in private."

DR. HADER: "Very well."

Spider-Man looks at Flash as the doors slide closed behind Dr. Hader.

FLASH: "What is this all about? You've been acting pretty strange the past few months and you said it was because of my symbiote."

SPIDER-MAN: "Is THAT what he told you?"

FLASH: "You mean what YOU told me."

Spider-Man shakes his head.

SPIDER-MAN: "No, Flash. I was DEAD. DOCTOR OCTOPUS had SWITCHED MINDS with me and he took my place for MONTHS."

Flash and Spider-Man look at one another. Flash seems puzzled by this reveal.

FLASH: "Doc Ock switched minds with you? That's a bit hard to believe."

SPIDER-MAN: "Says the man wearing the alien symbiote on his body."

FLASH: "Touché."

Flash looks at Spider-Man a bit firmly.

FLASH: "Even if that's true, how did you come back? How did he pull it off for so long?"

SPIDER-MAN: "I don't know. That's what I'm trying to find out. Listen, I need to pick up something in here, but I'm about to talk to pretty much every hero I know. The Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Daredevil... the gang's pretty much all there. But I want you to be there with me. I need you involved in all this. I'd like you to help me. Just hear me out."

Flash looks at Spider-Man, a little skeptical. Spider-Man grabs his mask with his hands.

FLASH: "Why should I? How do I know something isn't going on with you right now?"

SPIDER-MAN: "I want to earn your trust back, Flash. And to do that, I'm going to show you something to try to set things right between us."

FLASH: "Wait, are you going to-?"

Spider-Man takes off his mask, showing Flash his real face. He forces a sad smile.

Flash looks at Peter, shocked.

FLASH: "Parker?"

Flash looks at Peter, suddenly very serious and a little angry. All the memories that he had about knowing Peter's secret had all come flooding back with his reveal.

FLASH: "Oh, you know I've GOT to hear what you have to say for yourself about all THIS."

Inside a large assembly room, the Fantastic Four have joined Nick Fury Jr., Agent Coulson, Daredevil, Black Cat, Prowler, Blade, Cloak and Dagger and pretty much every Avenger and X-Man you can think of. Among the Avengers and X-Men present are Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Bruce Banner, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Julia Carpenter/Arachne, Firestar, Cyclops, Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Gambit, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Iceman and Shadowcat.

BLACK CAT: "Where is he?"

JOHNNY: "He's on his way. He had to get something from the clinic."

ICEMAN: "The clinic? What's he getting?"

Mr. Fantastic shrugs.

MR. FANTASTIC: "He didn't say. He was healed by Dr. Strange. Venom tried to crack open his skull and eat his brains. He almost DID."

HAWKEYE: "So, Brock's gone back to his old stereotypical 'we want to eat your brains' schtick. Who's surprised?"

Daredevil turns to the doorway.

DAREDEVIL: "Wait. Here he comes."

WOLVERINE: "I know. I can smell 'em."

The door opens and Flash and Spider-Man enter the room silently.

Spider-Man stands at the table and he holds something behind his back with his right hand, while Flash joins the other heroes.

SPIDER-MAN: "Hello, everyone. I have something I need to say before we start this little talk, but before I do, let me just say how GOOD it is to see you all again. Some of you guys are some of the best friends I've ever had. But I've always considered you all my friends, regardless of how well we knew each other."

Spider-Man looks over the heroes for a moment.

SPIDER-MAN: "So, ladies and gentlemen... and Logan..."

WOLVERINE: "Grr..."

SPIDER-MAN: "I have something very important to give you. ALL of you."

Spider-Man tosses a small object over to Mr. Fantastic.

SPIDER-MAN: "Catch."

Mr. Fantastic catches the object in his hands.

Mr. Fantastic sees he's holding a small prescription bottle, but a label with SMART PILLS written in black marker has been taped onto the bottle. Mr. Fantastic looks puzzled.

MR. FANTASTIC: "'Smart pills'?"

Spider-Man looks over at Mr. Fantastic. He takes off his mask with his right hand.

SPIDER-MAN: "Yep. Go on. You can pass them around."

CAP: "Is this supposed to be some kind of a joke?"

Peter looks over at Captain America, his mouth in a humorless line. He looks serious, upset, and a little hurt.

PETER: "I'm not laughing. I figured all of you could use them. You guys have been kind of LACKING in the whole THINKING department lately."

BLACK CAT: "Hey!"

Peter keeps his eyes on the heroes, his hands made into fists.

PETER: "Octavius switched bodies with me. He took over my life, as Peter Parker AND as Spider-Man. He abused my enemies. He ran his own headquarters with henchmen and Spider-bots. He treated all of you like dirt and acted like an egotistical jerk. And those are just the things I KNOW ABOUT."

Peter looks at them, getting more upset. He is nearly in tears and shaking lightly.

PETER: "You had TELEPATHS, you had the smartest guy alive in REED RICHARDS, you all knew me for YEARS. Some knew me better than others, but even so... Let me ask you all, in the most restrained, kindest way I can put this to words..."

Peter suddenly shouts at them all in a burst of anger.

PETER: "... HOW THE $%^ DID IT TAKE YOU GUYS SO LONG TO FIGURE OUT THE 'SUPERIOR' SPIDER-MAN YOU MET WASN'T REALLY $%^ ING ME?!"

All of the heroes stare at Peter, a look of shock and surprise on their faces. Even Wolverine is a bit surprised by the outburst.

After a moment, everyone still has the same shocked look on their face.

MR. FANTASTIC: "THAT was the most restrained, kindest way you could ask that?"

Peter nods, still shaking a little. He is trying his best to keep calm.

PETER: "Pretty much. It's been a difficult resurrection."

MR. FANTASTIC: "Are you done?"

PETER: "I had a few dozen more rants, a bit more shouting, more profanity to say... but that can wait."

FURY JR.: "We've managed to talk two of your old enemies into helping us out. They've been told everything about what's going on. Including your real identity."

PETER: "Sure, why not? I'll add 'em to the list."

Peter turns around to see the Lizard and Morbius, the living vampire enter the room.

LIZARD: "Hello, Peter."

PETER: "Dr. Connors? Morbius?"

Agent Coulson walks over to join Peter.

COULSON: "We know you don't exactly get along with Morbius and Dr. Connors was reluctant about being released from custody, but with everything that's happening, they have agreed to help us out."

Peter looks over at Fury, a little firm.

PETER: "What kind of deal DID you make with them?"

VOICE: "I wouldn't worry about that, Peter."

Everyone in the room suddenly looks around the room in shock. Whoever said that is not in the room.

PETER: "Wait. Who said that?"

FURY: "How the hell did we get an intruder in here?"

Everyone suddenly looks up at the ceiling. That's where the voice is coming from, but they still see no one.

VOICE: "I am not in the Helicarrier."

PETER: "Reed, Fury, can any of you track his location?"

VOICE: "That won't be possible. Or necessary."

Everyone present starts to glow with white light, about to be teleported out of the room.

VOICE: "Please. Allow me to explain."

PETER: "Aw, geez, THIS again?"

FURY: "Hey! WAIT! Hill -!"

Too late. Everyone has been teleported away. The room is completely empty.

Inside the monitor room of his secret hideout, Hobgoblin looks at the security monitors on his wall. He rubs his chin.

HOBGOBLIN (thinking): "I know he's here somewhere. He attacked Phil. He thought it was me. I'm sure of it."

Hobgoblin looks at Monitor 3 and he lets out a wide grin.

HOBGOBLIN (thinking): "Finally! There it is! The footage I was looking for!"

Hobgoblin watches the footage, seeing Phil Urich in his Hobgoblin uniform lying unconscious on the floor.

HOBGOBLIN: "All right, Osborn. Let's see where you..."

Hobgoblin's grin fades at what he sees next on the screen.

HOBGOBLIN: "Wait a minute."

Monitor 3 shows footage of the Hobgoblin standing over the unconscious Phil. Hobgoblin removes Phil's mask and sees Phil's real face. But this Hobgoblin has a cybernetic left eye and a blue cloak and cape.

Hobgoblin looks at Monitor 3, a little shocked, as he watches the footage.

HOBGOBLIN: "Macendale?"

Back in his office in an unknown warehouse, Norman Osborn sits at his desk and he holds his cell phone to his ear.

NORMAN: "When all of the targets have been found, inform me immediately. I don't want this plan to fall apart."

VOICE: "Understood, Mr. Osborn."

Norman hangs up the phone. He keeps his eyes on the Enforcers, who stand before his desk. Norman smiles at the undead Montana, who eyes him firmly and his red eyes glowing red.

MONTANA: "What was the point of all that?"

NORMAN: "I haven't been a thorn in Parker's side like this for a while, Montana. I have a lot of CATCHING UP to do."

Norman sets the phone down on his desk as he stands up.

FANCY DAN: "You're supposed to help us KILL the bug, remember?"

NORMAN: "True, and we shall. But that's not enough. I made him suffer ONCE before, a failure that STILL haunts him to this very day."

The Enforcers watch as Norman walks over to the left side of the room. Four enormous crates are placed by three empty tables.

OX: "That why you sent out your troops after those people Spider-Man knows?"

NORMAN: "Partly. You see, Octavius knocked my triumph down a few pegs when he took over PARKER'S BODY and dubbed himself the SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN. Octavius thinks he can replace me as Parker's greatest enemy, his worst nightmare. ME!"

Norman takes a lid off one crate with both hands, showing Goblin equipment and parts of the Green Goblin costume inside, including several pairs of boots, gloves, masks, etc.

NORMAN: "But he never can. Parker's worst nightmare isn't the GREEN GOBLIN, a mere costumed identity more than one person has adopted over the years..."

Norman drops the lid down with his left hand and smiles as he holds up a Green Goblin mask with his right, looking down at the mask's face.

NORMAN: "... but NORMAN OSBORN. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

Inside Jackal's monitor room, Kaine/Scarlet Spider still has Jackal held by the throat with his back to the wall with his left hand. Scarlet Spider's right hand is made into a fist.

NORMAN (narrates): "... I have some UNPACKING to do."

JACKAL: "My plans for Peter are of no importance to you, Kaine."

SCARLET SPIDER: "You'd better tell me if you don't want me to break every bone in your body!"

Jackal grins at Scarlet Spider like a Cheshire cat.

JACKAL: "Ah, yes. I could tell you so much if my jaw was broken, and I could write down what I knew if you broke my fingers. Moron. You might want to think of a NEW strategy, Kaine. Your friends, Peter's loved ones, are vanishing and reappearing left and right. You might want to keep a better eye on them..."

Jackal's eyes look over to the monitors. By the way Kaine had a hold on his throat, it wasn't easy to turn his head at the moment.

JACKAL: "... like I am."

Scarlet Spider sees footage of security cameras throughout New York. At a stop light, Arthur Stacy and Carlie Cooper wait in their parked police car. In an office of Goldberg Industries, Paul is seated on a couch with some policemen standing in front of him.

SCARLET SPIDER: "Paul Stacy? Arthur?"

Scarlet Spider looks back at Jackal.

JACKAL: "I'm afraid lovely JILL has escaped my sight for the moment. I lost her a few blocks from her new apartment, thanks to some meddling policemen."

SCARLET SPIDER: "If you hurt one hair on their heads, I'm going to-"

JACKAL: "HARM them? You think I'd hurt anyone related to a girl as kind and fond as GWEN? You misunderstand my intentions. I am not trying to kidnap them -"

Jackal looks at Scarlet Spider firmly, suddenly dead serious.

JACKAL: "- I'm trying to keep them SAFE."

SCARLET SPIDER: "Safe? From who? Who is-"

Scarlet Spider pauses, his spider-sense going off.

Scarlet Spider looks over his shoulder and he sees five of Jackal's henchmen, in tactical combat uniforms, standing in the room and holding guns at him.

JACKAL: "Right on cue."

Scarlet Spider looks back at Jackal, while Jackal simply smiles.

JACKAL: "You might want to set me down, dear boy. They are all highly trained assassins and will have no problem opening fire on you."

SCARLET SPIDER: "Would you really let them kill one of your 'boys', Warren?"

Jackal's evil smile grows wider.

JACKAL: "You know I have a FAVORITE, don't you, Kaine?"

Scarlet Spider looks at the monitors for a moment,

SCARLET SPIDER (thinking): "Wait a second. What's that?"

JACKAL HENCHMAN #1: "Set him down! Now!"

Jackal notices that Scarlet Spider is looking at the monitors.

JACKAL: "Hold it. What is it? What do you see?"

Scarlet Spider quickly turns and he throws a startled Jackal at his henchmen, sending them all falling to the ground.

SCARLET SPIDER: "Wouldn't YOU like to know!"

JACKAL: "UGPH!"

Scarlet Spider quickly leaps over them and out of the open doorway, bolting to the exit.

SCARLET SPIDER (thinking): "Don't have time to deal with these clowns now! I've got to get MOVING!"

HENCHMAN #2: "Come on! We've gotta stop him!"

A henchman gets to the door and he sees Scarlet Spider has already gotten to the door to the stairway that leads outside. Jackal quickly looks over at the henchman.

JACKAL: "No! Let him go!"

HENCHMAN #1: "But boss -"

Jackal looks at them, gritting his teeth.

JACKAL: "LET. HIM. GO!"

The henchmen quickly lower their guns and put them in their holsters. Jackal looks at the monitors for a moment, puzzled.

JACKAL: "I can find out where he's going here, on the monitors. He SAW something. But what was it? Or WHO was it?"

Jackal smiles as he looks at the monitor.

JACKAL: "Oh, I see..."

At Goldberg Industries, Paul Stacy is seated in an empty office, with three policemen standing around him. One policeman, DETECTIVE HOPPER - 32, with wavy brown hair and wearing a trench coat and business suit over his lean-muscled physique - stands in front of Paul.

PAUL: "And what would be the purpose of dragging me back here again? It doesn't bode well for my future here at this company that my boss had to see me called away by the police barely a month after I landed this job."

HOPPER: "Relax, Mr. Stacy. Detective Tompkins is speaking to your boss about this matter. We're only here to keep you safe."

Paul looks at Detective Hopper, confused.

HOPPER: "We are going to place you in a private location until this threat is over. Your father thinks your life and your sister's life are in danger."

PAUL: "What? Why would we -"

Paul looks at his cell phone and he sees the number on the Caller ID screen.

PAUL: "Just a moment. Speaking of my sister..."

In the back seat of a police car, Jill is seated in the back seat. She has on a seatbelt and has her Iphone to her ear.

PAUL (on the phone): "Jill."

JILL: "Paul? Where have you been?"

PAUL (on the phone): "Busy. I'm with the police now. Are you?"

Jill lets out a smile as she talks on the phone. It was nice to hear from her brother again after being busy doing who knows what the past few weeks.

JILL: "Yeah, Dad sent two policemen to pick me up. We're on our way to some kind of safe location right now."

PAUL (on the phone): "Are you all right?"

JILL: "Yeah, I'm fine. Where are you, anyway? You still haven't told me where your new job is ye-"

Jill looks ahead at the windshield of the police car and she looks puzzled.

JILL: "Wait. There's something up ahead."

A black portal appears in the road, right in front of the road in front of the police car.

JILL: "It's some kind of portal."

PHIL (on phone): "A por-"

The police car drives through and appears in the basement of a large hideout. It slows down and parks with a SKREEEE!

POLICEMAN #1: "Whoa!"

Jill looks at her Iphone, which has suddenly shut off. Policeman #2 looks behind them and sees the portal is gone, already closed.

POLICEMAN #2: "What just happened?"

JILL: "My phone went dead. Where are..."

Jill looks to her left and she looks out of her window in shock.

JILL: "...we?"

About fifty henchmen in black leather uniforms - black masks that cover their faces, purple goggles, black gloves, black boots, purple belts with handguns holstered on either side, and purple piping down the arms and pant legs of their suits - stand around the car. Each henchman holds a gun at the parked car, just as another "black hole" portal appears near the left back passenger door.

Sitting in the portal is the Spot, who smiles at Jill in amusement.

SPOT: "Good evening, Miss Stacy. THE ROSE bids you WELCOME."

Inside the main office of Kingpin's hideout, Jack O'Lantern stands in front of Kingpin's desk. He is pulling down on the glove over his left hand, having just put it on.

JACK O'LANTERN: "Everything fits perfectly, boss."

Kingpin is seated behind his desk and he smiles at Jack O'Lantern. Alistair Smythe is in his wheelchair, typing on the laptop on his desk.

KINGPIN: "Good. I would advise you to consider some more training with the hover disc and the weaponry. I want you to know how to properly use everything before I send you out on your first assignment."

Jack O'Lantern nods at Kingpin.

JACK O'LANTERN: "I will continue my training immediately, sir. I won't let you down."

KINGPIN: "Given your loyalty to me and your level of combat skills, I don't doubt you'll do your best. Leave us."

Jack O'Lantern walks away and to the exit.

Kingpin looks on as Jack O'Lantern leaves the room and Smythe looks at Kingpin.

SMYTHE: "Why did you pick a NEW Jack O'Lantern so soon after the old one was just murdered? Doesn't he know whoever killed him could go after HIM next?"

KINGPIN: "He knows. He doesn't CARE."

Kingpin looks over at Smythe.

KINGPIN: "I've worked with this young man for MONTHS now, and he's proven himself a WORTHY candidate. He was already dangerous BEFORE I gave him the Jack O'Lantern arsenal and costume. Besides, if he IS attacked, we can discover WHO murdered his predecessor."

Kingpin smiles as he pushes a button on his desk, switching on his speaker.

KINGPIN: "Janice, send in my new recruit."

The door opens and Shocker walks into the room.

Kingpin rises from his seat. Shocker stands in front of Kingpin's desk with his arms folded over his chest.

SHOCKER: "Is it time?"

KINGPIN: "Yes. I have a meeting to attend and I would like you both to accompany me."

SHOCKER: "You've got it."

Kingpin walks around to the front of his desk as Smythe and Shocker watch him.

SMYTHE: "Why are we going with you?"

KINGPIN: "I still don't fully TRUST some of the attendees of this little meeting. If anyone tries to double-cross me, I want to be prepared."

SMYTHE: "I still don't understand what the point of this meeting is."

Kingpin reaches over and he grabs an unseen object from the edge of his desk.

KINGPIN: "There are a few matters we need to discuss."

Kingpin holds up a red rose and he looks at it grimly.

KINGPIN: "Including a possible new THORN in my side."

In limbo, everyone from the SHIELD meeting room has reappeared standing in the black void. Everyone looks around in confusion.

PETER: "Huh? Where are we?"

VOICE: "Limbo."

The heroes turn to see Madame Web is standing with Scarlet Spider, the Sinister Six, Harry in his Green Goblin outfit, and Mary Jane.

SCARLET SPIDER: "Welcome."

BLACK CAT: "Green Goblin? The Sinister Six? What are THEY doing here?"

SCARLET SPIDER: "Don't worry, they're with us. They're here to help... FOR NOW, at least."

BLACK CAT: "Wait. They KNOW who Spider-Man is?"

DOC OCK: "Don't worry, we mean Parker no harm. Though I'll understand if you don't BELIEVE me."

Mary Jane walks over to join Peter.

MARY JANE: "Are you all right?"

PETER: "Yeah, I'm fine. So who's the mystery man that was talking to us?"

VOICE: "You mean me."

Peter looks up, puzzled. Mary Jane keeps her eyes on him, frowning.

PETER: "Um... yeah, you. Where are you, exactly? WHO are you, anyway?"

VOICE: "A friend."

Peter looks up and to his right, confused.

PETER: "Thank you for being so honest, yet so vague."

FURY: "What is going on? Why are we all here?"

VOICE: "You all have a lot of questions. You want to know the answers."

A dim white light starts to appear to the right of the heroes and they turn around.

VOICE: "Very well. I will tell you all what is going on."

A large viewing screen hovers in mid-air, about the size of a movie theater screen. The heroes look over at the screen.

VOICE: "Shall we begin?"

A/N: Some scenes, like Carlie Cooper's startling discovery mentioned from Chapter 12's "Next time" teaser and the Ben Urich and Phil Urich scene mentioned in last chapter's "Next time" teaser, have been moved to a new chapter, but will soon be explained. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten them.

NEXT TIME: It has all been leading to this and now the time has finally come for answers. Who is the mysterious man who recruited Madame Web and Dr. Strange to help him? What does he have to tell Spider-Man, Mary Jane and everyone else in limbo? What does this mean for Peter and Mary Jane? And once the truth comes out, what next? How will this meeting change not only Spider-Man's life, but the entire Marvel Universe as well? All of these questions WILL be answered in the double-sized Chapter Fifteen: TRUTH BE TOLD.