UNDISCLOSED LOCATION SHIELD HQ

Teresa Parker was stitching herself up. The wound Hawkeye got her with wasn't fatal but she didn't want a scar from some carny like Clint Barton. She stripped out of her cat suit and put on her comfy regulation SHIELD garments. She looked at the walls. There were no bars but she could see bars. She sat on her bed and pulled out her phone and looked at an article. "The Side Effects of Oz Cola" By Peter Parker. She wished Peter would understand what happened. She needed to protect him. She needed to see him. Her door opened.

Nick Fury came in and Teresa stood up and saluted. He had a weird look in his eye.

"Why did you leave base today?" He asked calmly.

"Recon sir. I wanted to see how far the Lower East Side had gone."

"Don't lie to me. You have blood on your suit. You also checked out a dart and never returned it. Who did you hit?"

"I was hit by it sir."

"Who got you? The Molten Man?"

"Spider-man sir"

"The kid… He would only do that if provoked. I met him. He actually seems like he cares. You were tasked to monitor him, never to engage or even talk to him. You have never broke protocol before… You know who he is… So your little brother is Spider-man? He is the only person you have ever tried to see. Why are you trying to stop him?"

"Peter Parker is my little brother but he is that. My little brother. He is not ready for this life. I don't want him to become involved with SHIELD or HYDRA or HAMMER. I want him to have a normal life. Not one like mine."

Nick Fury actually felt for her, but still, "Lucky for you and him, SHIELD is not as big as we used to. When we get out of the mess, we will have to deal with him. You are a Black Widow. Act like it. The kid is strong. Don't write him off. He took down Raxton and survived Osborn. If anything he has a longer lifespan than you will."

Fury left and Teresa didn't know if that should make her happy or sad.

10:00 PM The Forest Hills Home of Peter Parker and Johnny Storm

Cindy Moon had been waiting on Peter Parkers steps for twenty minutes. She could smell him coming. He was close. She stood up and brushed her chest and stood seductively by the wood beam. She looked at Peter. His eye swollen. Burns on his back. More scars probably. This got Cindy excited.

"See anything you like Peter" Cindy said in an almost whisper.

Peter gulped, "We need to talk."

Cindy was enraged. She knew what that meant. "Is it Mary Jane? You're leaving me for a model who thinks she can act?"

"We would never have worked. We basically have a sexual relationship without sex. Besides haven't you felt the oddness between us since the party?"

"I have wanted you more since then. You want sex. You have a bed."

"No. What is your deal? Cindy I think you are cool but I don't think we will work out."

"We have to. The world depends on it. The Champion needs the Bride."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Leave." Peter said shocked.

"Why? Is Spider-man afraid of other totems? You aren't the only one you know. The Other. The Lover. There are plenty and if you want to live then we will be together. Not with some red headed whore."

"Get off my lawn, before I make you."

"You will come crawling back to me like the spider you are. The Evil One will spit you out like a bug."

"Cindy"

"Yeah"

"If I end up about to die by this Evil One, I will find you and snap your neck before I die."

Cindy punched Peter in the jaw. He went down fast. Spider sense didn't go off. She was strong. She kicked him in the face. Peter got a hold of himself and started to block her attacks. She stopped.

"How are you doing that?"

"The spider can infect all totems with his will. It made sure I was the Bride. Some Champion you are. I am willing to give myself to you and you don't want what's better for you."

"How did you get it to bite you?"

"It didn't. It bit you? Totems just need to be in contact. You know so little about your true self it is sad. I am as smooth as silk, and you want someone else."

"You came into my life to use me…"

"It is what fate wanted. I am the Bride. You are the Champion."

"Leave. I don't care about cults or totems. I like my life now."

"I will see you soon Peter…" Cindy said as she walked away.

Peter sat on his porch. He heard the door open behind him. It was Johnny.

"Pete you okay?"

"I was… Cindy talk to you?"

"Yeah asked if she could wait outside for you. What happened?"

"We are through and she is a totem and has spider powers."

"Wow any other bombshells?"

"Mary Jane and I are dating and my sister who killed my parents attacked me and is a Black Widow."

"I was joking. Want a drink?"

"My spider sense stops me from drinking."

"You must be fun at parties… There is something else."

"What could it be? Alligators in the basement?"

"The spider you have crawled into the house, died, came back to life, and said your name."

"Huh… That's new. I figured it could talk. It would stare at me weird. How was your day?"

"Netflix and pizza.."

"Lucky. I am just going to go to bed."

"You earned it hero."

Peter walked up the stairs to his room and saw the spider sitting on his bed. Its eyes locked with his.

Peter looked at it again, "If you want to tell me something say it already, I want to go to bed."

It was silent. Peter stripped and laid on his bed. The spider crawled into a jar on the ground and Peter shut the lid. The spider looked scared. Peter untightened the lid and the spider looked happy.

"The hell is wrong with me. It's a spider." Peter put the lid back on and went to bed.

Peter woke up in complete darkness. He walked around and was walking on total darkness. He looked at himself and he was in his Spider-man suit.

"I have had enough for today" He said with a hand on his face.

He heard a feminine voice, "The Champion is never given more than he can handle."

"More of this crap. Can we do this when I am awake?"

"I cannot enter your realm yet. I can only watch. I want to aide you Peter Parker."

"Who are you?"

A woman in a red gown came into view, "I am Madame Web and I think we need to have a talk.

"Then talk."

"My time is limited, but you need to know about a man named Ezekiel. He is a false totem. He has the powers but none of the responsibility that goes with it. He knows of the totems but is confused by what they mean. He has been controlling the Bride. He is the reason for her actions. She is scared of what is to come to her. She never asked for any of this either."

"Okay. She still acted crazy and Ezekiel? What do I do to him?"

"You talk with him. He could be your greatest ally or your greatest enemy."

"Okay. My luck he will be an enemy. Is he the Evil One?"

"No. the reason I can no longer walk is because of him."

"Is his name really the Evil One? It's kind of lame."

"His name is Morlun and he needs to feed. He will be their soon. You need to be ready. Find the other totems."

"Morlun? Weird name. Find totems. Got it."

"I will try to talk to you again soon. Good luck Spider-man. For your journey remember it's not just a spider, learn from it."

Peter woke up and saw the spider on the floor in the jar. He undid the lid and it cuddled next to his head and Peter went to sleep without interruption.

Peter woke up and looked in the mirror. He was healed. It was strange to him. He looked back at his pillow and saw the spider and they met eyes. Peter thought. "Did it heal me?" Peter walked down the stairs into his kitchen and saw Johnny eating breakfast with Mary Jane.

"Johnny. Mary Jane? What are you doing here? I thought we were going to meet for lunch?"

"Tiger, I wanted to know more about your more spidery side and Johnny texted me saying he knew some so I came over and we have been talking about, these totem things."

Johnny stood up and went to the sink, "There is some weird cult stuff about totems I found. We also talked about your fighting technique."

"What about my technique?"

"The past four months when you blew me off you were fighting an Avenger in hand to hand combat and ended up winning. That would be cool to know."

"I beat up Johnny too."

Johnny just shrugged his head and went into the living room. Peter heard the television come on. Mary Jane kept eating and Peter just smiled at her. She slurped a lot and it made Peter chuckle.

Peter heard Johnny yell, "Peter get in here.'

Peter walked in and on the television was Norman Osborn in front of HAMMER podium. He was giving some speech.

"People of New York, we have overcome many obstacles and today we have to do something necessary to save our city. We need to quarantine the Lower East Side of New York so none of the criminals and thugs will be able to escape. It is what is needed. Speaking of what is needed. The trial Robert Drake has already commenced and he has found guilty be way of mental disease because of his mutate. It corrupted him. He will be detained at Ravencroft for the rest of his life. This also brings us to the matter of Spider-man. He helped supply Mark Raxton and the Molten Men, so he could look like a hero. I won't have phonies where I live. His bounty is doubled. Dead. If you turn yourself Spider-man we will make it quick and painless. Thank you. God Bless America!"

Peter turned the channel on the television. He saw people dying and being shot in the Lower East Side. People their needed a hero. They needed Spider-man. His new found rage would help. He looked at Johnny with death in his eyes.

"Mary Jane. I am going to have to rain check lunch."

Johnny looked at him, "Suit up?"

"Suit up."

AN: Thank you all for reading! It means a lot. Please review those make my day and have any questions or suggestions send them my way.

Coming Soon: A Ravencroft visit, Hawkeye and Nick Fury talk, and all out gang warfare continues...

Until Next Time...