A/N: Hey guys so couple things, first I really hope you enjoy this I really enjoy the Rogue/Peter stories (My favorite being the SpiderX series) and thought I would try my hand at one. Second for Peter's costume it is the one from The Amazing Spider-Man 1, because that one is the one that I thought looks best, and finally Wilson Fisk is going to be based on the Netflix show version instead of the movies or comics I just thought he was amazing, and have a ton of ideas to do with him. That is all I hope you all enjoy
Also, I do not own the X-men or Spider-Man, all rights belong to Marvel and Disney.
In Memory of Stan Lee, this might be my story, but it's your universe, sleep well.
Chapter 14: The Dark Path
Symbiote's voice will be italicized
"Where are you kiddo.." Logan sniffed the air from atop the rooftop he was on. It had been hours since Peter had stormed out of the mansion with the sole purpose of hunting down Taskmaster. Taskmaster that's a name Logan can never forget. He stared off into the distance trying to gain some trail to find Peter. His mind wandered to his long gone friends, no that wasn't the word. Family.
"Richard, your genius was matched by none, but that wasn't what defined you. You were steadfast on being the best, you wanted to be at the forefront of every great breakthrough, S.H.I.E.L.D. saw this, they gave you everything you wanted a lab to yourself, everything you could ever imagine was suddenly a reality. It's funny you could talk for hours about that nerdy mumbo jumbo saying that you had a great power to help people thus making it your responsibility, needless to say your son carries on your legacy, he shares your brain."
"Mary. If Richard was the brain. You were the heart. You were the one who found me freezing in the cold, you gave me a place to call home. You saw this thing that was more animal than man, and you treated him like an equal. I never understood why someone as caring as you got roped into joining S.H.I.E.L.D. But I'm glad I met you nonetheless, and it was through that that you met Richard. Got married and had a son, who is as caring as he is stubborn. He gets that stubbornness from you ya know." Logan bowed his head.
"That day I found out what happened...I can never forget and I relive everytime I close my eyes. How could something so tragic happen to two people who didn't deserve it at all. You two made this world better...to have it snatched from you in cold blood, and for a quick buck. I vowed to avenge you, but I've never had the chance. I promise you this though. Your son won't go down the same path. He's a good kid, he looks like your Richard, but Mary he's got your eyes. With him the last of you two live on, and I won't let you two fade away forever, he's not gone yet. I will save him."
Suddenly something caught Wolverine's scent.
"There you are kid." he jumped on to the next roof and started running towards Peter's direction.
"Damnit….I can't believe this I'm too late." Peter cried frustrated. He looked down the hall of the hotel and saw several guards wearing 1920's looking gangster attire with a hammerhead shark logo on the fedora and suit jacket.
"I'm not so sure Peter...these are fresh. I feel like he's still here. Besides you know Hammerhead is a tough bastard he won't go without a fight, he is the leader of a crime family after all that's why we chose to look around here first."
"I know he is...but Taskmaster is just too good for someone like Hammerhead to take on." Suddenly multiple gunshots could be heard from upstairs in the presidential suite. The sound of a vintage tommy gun. Peter's eyes widened and he smirked. He was here. Without missing a beat he ran towards the elevator and ripped the doors open, he climbed into the shaft and started climbing up towards the suite, the sound of gunshots getting louder as he got closer. Then he heard voices.
"You come into my place! Kill my men! And expect me to lay down and wait for you to bury me! You got another thing coming buddy! And you can go tell Fisk to go shove it up his.." Suddenly a loud explosion was heard followed by the same thick italian accent screaming out in agony. Peter finally reached the top and busted the doors down entering a large room. And not large by New York standards, this was large as in it was the size of a mansion's living room. Fancy paintings were hung on the wall, they probably used to be expensive before they got a new coat of red blood and bullet holes through them. There was broken tables and furniture everywhere, shattered glass and bullets scattered all over the floor. The place would've taken Peter's breath away if he was here any other time but right now it looked like a main place in a horror movie. He decided to stick on the ceiling to gain an element of stealth. He followed the trail of destruction throughout the suite.
"This place is kind of horrifying, like some kind of warzone."
"I know. Let's just hope Taskmaster is still here, I can't believe that in a fight between a bounty hunter and a crook...I'm cheering for the crook." Peter kept moving until he found two figures one wearing a fancy pinstripe suit, a super receding hairline and a large forehead on his knees, and the other figure standing over him with a sword at his neck. Taskmaster. Peter's blood started to boil just looking at him, he couldn't contain himself he shot a web at the sword and flung it out of Taskmaster's hands. It went flying through the air and stuck itself into a wall. Taskmaster slouched as Peter dropped down and Hammerhead piped up.
"Jesus Christ finally, took ya long enough webhead." But Peter just stared at Taskmaster who turned around to face him.
"I'm surprised you're standing here right now kid...I have to admit you got heart."
"I told you I am very stubborn." Peter darkly retorted.
"So what happens next? You come crawling back for a round 2? Hate to break it to you, but I'm not interested in you. I already collected your bounty." Taskmaster turned around to face Hammerhead again and pulled out a knife.
"What happens now is you turn around and tell me why you killed Richard and Mary Parker." Peter growled. He saw Taskmaster turn around to look at him.
"Who?" Taskmaster sounded legitimately confused. He didn't know their names. Peter just saw red. He couldn't control himself. He saw Taskmaster turn around again and rushed him. He tackled Taskmaster to the ground and started throwing punch after punch at his mask cracking the skull mask. Taskmaster kicked him off and kipped up to his feet.
"I'm warning you now kid...do not interfere with me and my money." Taskmaster pulled out a silver pole and clicked a button causing it to expand into a bo staff.
"Is that all you care about?! Money!" Peter screamed at him.
"What can I say kid? I like what I do and bullets, armor, and weapons don't come cheap."
"You like it?! How could you like it, you throw people's lives away like they are nothing for nothing more than a quick buck!"
"I assure you, it's more than just a buck, I don't come cheap.." Taskmaster was interrupted by a loud bang, he quickly covered his leg and turned to face Hammerhead who was holding a pistol. With a swift motion he knocked him out with his staff.
"And that is why I do what I do, not even a scratch, you would think with how big and rich the maggia is they would have moved on from cheap bullets and moved onto the armor piercers."
Peter was gobsmacked at what he was hearing. It was making him mad.
"You're sick...You kill good and innocent people, like my parents."
"Parents? Is that who you were talking about earlier? Heh, I genuinely don't keep track of those things, learning the names of my targets is pointless. Why bother getting familiar with a soon to be corpse."
"You're an evil bastard…"
"That's subjective. Kid let me give you some advice there is no such thing as good or evil. There are only people. People can be good, people can be bad. I have put bullets in the heads of people of all kinds. You're a good kid, but so was I, lemme guess. You hold yourself to high standards because you are top of your class? Got some cute babe? Hate to break it to you, but that was me back in the day. But then I became free from those stupid morals. I donned the mask and Tony Masters stopped existing the good kid disappears and Taskmaster the cold hearted evil killer comes out...But If I take it off…" He reached for his mask and slowly took it off. Suddenly Peter was face to face with a handsome man, no scars on his face like one would expect due to his line of work. He wasn't some monster….he was just a man.
"I have killed people for good people and for bad...but at the end of the day. People are people, and your dear old parents. I killed them because I was told to, not because I had some evil plot to take over the world, you want revenge, find the person who pulled the trigger. I'm just the gun."
Peter was silent. A million thoughts going through his head but Venom woke him up from those thoughts with one sentence.
"I agree with everything he just said...that being said. He killed your parents, he deserves to die. Don't back down now."
And with that Peter remembered his mission. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and made peace with the fact that this man that was standing across from him. He was going to kill tonight.
"For the record. You're right, but you took away my mom and dad. I can't let you walk away like you did last time." Taskmaster took a deep breath.
"So be it." He put his mask back on, and charged at Peter.
Peter waited for his first strike with the staff and ducked it sending a punch directed at his gut. Taskmaster sidestepped his punch and kicked him in the leg. Peter let out a slight groan as his leg gave out a little but he quickly recovered in time to evade another strike from the staff. Peter jumped onto the wall and shot a web at the staff. Taskmaster caught the webbing and pulled Peter at him, but Peter was able to adjust in midair and send a dropkick to Taskmaster's chest causing him to slide back a couple feet. Peter backflipped into the air and landed near the unconscious body of Hammerhead.
"I see you got a couple of new tricks, doesn't matter, I am matched by none when it comes to hand to hand combat, and don't even try that stunt you tried last time, I don't fall for the same trick twice."
"Jesus Christ does he ever shut up?" Peter mentally laughed at the irony of that thought.
"Don't worry. I have no intention of running." Peter barked back. In an instant the two charged at each other again, taking turns delivering blows and dodging. Neither one of them gaining an edge against the other. Peter attempted to gain some distance but Taskmaster was relentless and vice versa. Punch after punch, counter after counter the two of them were relentless. A rematch better than the original, no more was this a game of chase, this was a battle between two equal forces trying to gain an edge against the other. Both of them with a similar train of thought. Brute force won't win this, they needed a strategy.
"Peter….I have an idea...the lights." Peter didn't have a better idea so he decided to go with it. With a final dodge and a kick he separated himself from Taskmaster enough to shoot a web ath the light switch and turn off the lights. Soon the room was pitch black Peter wasn't able to see a thing, but that meant neither could Taskmaster.
"I already told you that trick won't work on me kid, just admit it you can't beat me and walk away." Peter remained silent he jumped onto the roof to gain the stealth element. Taskmaster pushed a button on his mask and his eyes glowed green.
"Of course he has night vision why wouldn't he?" Peter mentally asked Venom.
"Just trust me and stay still." Peter obeyed Venom and froze in place while Taskmaster looked around for him.
"Turn them back on." Peter smirked and found the light switch again and flipped the bright lights back on. This disorientated taskmaster enough for Peter to charge him and send a powerful kick at him causing him to crash into the wall hard and Peter sent a punch with enough force to break his skull mask a little bit on the side. Taskmaster groaned out in pain as he was pinned against the wall while Peter attacked him relentlessly. He regained his bearings and kicked Peter off him. He opened up his shield and blocked more of Peter's attacks. He grabbed a taser from his belt and after pushing Peter off him quickly stabbed him with the taser. It made contact with his chest. And Peter cried out in agony and fell to his knees. This pain was unbearable. He forgot Venom was weak to electricity and thus so was he.
"Looks like the bug doesn't like getting shocked. How about some more?!" He again attacked Peter with the taser this time making contact with his neck and again Peter and Venom screamed out tears falling from his eyes and the suit starting to turn to a liquid.
"Hey bub…" Taskmaster turned in time to see a fist come in contact with his face making his mask fully breakaway from his face. Peter stopped writhing in pain to look up and see Logan clad in his yellow and blue costume offering his hand to help pick him up. Peter accepted his hand and allowed himself to be picked back up. Taskmaster recovered and made eye contact from his attacker.
"Well well well, the infamous Wolverine, I wondered when our paths would cross."
"Unfortunately for you today is your unlucky day."
"On the contrary I have been studying you for sometime, I know how you fight. You can't touch me."
"Funny, that black eye says otherwise." Wolverine got into a fighting pose as did Taskmaster.
"Webs you sit this round out."
"You can't do that! This is my fight as much as it is yours if not more!" Peter argued. Taskmaster chuckled.
"I can take on the two of you. I've gone toe to toe with an army and none of them lived to tell the tale. You're not different from them."
"Shall we test that theory" Peter replied and with that both him and Logan charged at Taskmaster who decided to hang back and take a more defensive approach to this assault. He caught Peter's kick and flung him across the room with enough time to spare to dodge Logan's clothesline and elbow the back of his leg. Logan fell to a knee while Peter hit a wall hard and landed next to the taskmaster's sword which fell out of the wall upon Peter's impact with it.
Logan and Taskmaster were now trading heavy haymakers two heavyweights going at it. Logan was holding his own but sure enough Taskmaster soon gained the edge and got Logan to his knees again. He pulled out a tiny silver pistol.
"She might not look like much Wolverine but she was designed just for you. 4 rounds of pure adamantium." He pointed it right at his head but before he could pull the trigger Peter slashed his back with his sword causing him to cry out in pain. Wolverine looked at Peter shocked as he continued slashing at Taskmaster, no rhyme or reason, he was just trying to draw blood. Logan got up to his feet and extended his claws, perhaps the kid had the right idea. He sprung at taskmaster who had knocked Peter back again at the same time disarming him and regaining his signature sword. He parried Logan's attacks, claws against swords. The two were soon in a struggle.
"Lemme guess…..Adamantium as well." Logan commented about Taskmaster's sword.
"Well you know what they say. When you're the best, you get the best." Peter interrupted the struggle sending Taskmaster sliding with a dropkick and shooting webs pinning his arms and legs to the wall. In the same motion he webbed Logan's feet to the ground and picked up Taskmaster's sword.
"Kid what are you doing?!"
"We've had enough of this. We are done waiting for the perfect moment, so we are taking what we want!" Peter walked up to Taskmaster who was struggling and pushed the sword against his throat. Logan's eyes widened in realization of what was happening.
"KID STOP THIS ISN'T WHAT YOU WANT"
"Don't listen to him, you know what you want to take. You have the power, he can't stop us, do it just end his worthless existence." Venom seductively whispered to Peter. Peter pushed the blade harder against Taskmaster's neck.
"Pete...I'm begging you to think of the consequences. You're not a killer. You're not like him, you're not like Fisk."
"I am thinking of the consequences Logan. If I don't kill him nothing changes. He will keep murdering helpless people."
"Maybe so. But you aren't like him."
"How do you know who I am?! I've killed before just ask my aunt….my uncle….you can't. They're dead, they are dead because of me! At least this one I will be making a difference for good…"
"Enough stalling just end him now."
"Peter. I do know you, everytime I look at you I see them, my only two friends, the ones he stole from us. I know that they wouldn't want you to go down this road. Just like I do. You don't know what it does to a man. Knowing how many times you wash your hands or bathe, the blood that is stained on your hands will never disappear. You kill him, you become him, you kill your parents, maybe not literally, but what's left of them inside of you. They disappear forever, and they won't come back." Peter was frustrated it shouldn't be this hard. He should just be able to do it.
"I'm not weak…..I can do it Logan…..I have the power."
"I know you have the power, we all do. But you are right you're not weak that's why you haven't killed him yet. Because you can't, because you're stronger than that. You're better than that. You are the best out of all of us. You're not a monster, like him."
Peter felt tears streak down his face. He retracted his mask to look Taskmaster in the eyes...except he didn't see Taskmaster. He saw a man, Tony Masters. A man who had fear written in his face knowing his time on Earth might be cut short...He wasn't a monster. Just like the man who killed his uncle wasn't a monster or like the Green Goblin was just a man in a suit...A Human.
"Don't chicken out you can do it…."
"I-I….I can't do it…." Peter lowered the sword and cut Tony Masters free from the wall. Unbeknownst to him Logan had broken free as well.
"I know you can't, it's cause you're the only one who cares, that's from your mom. Your hands weren't meant to kill. They were meant to help. That's why you're the only Hero in a world full of flawed people. Peter turned away and started to walk away. Taskmaster seeing an opportunity picked up his sword.
" . .ME!" He yelled and charged at Peter who turned around just in time to see Logan punch Taskmaster in the gut. Taskmaster spat out blood.
"The Kid might not be a killer…..but I sure as hell am bub, that was for Richard and Mary." With that Peter heard the noise of Logan's claws being retracted and he knew what happened. Even before the body of Tony Masters or Taskmaster hit the ground he knew Logan had just killed him. He sprinted forward and caught Tony's lifeless body.
"OhmygodOhmygodOhmygod...Logan! We have to help him! It's not too late!" Peter leaned forward to try and hear a heartbeat….nothing.
"NONONONONONO!" Peter screamed and started pushing on Tony's chest. Tears freely flowing from his eyes.
"It's too late kid...Let me ask you this. Could you have lived knowing you did this?" Logan asked solemnly as Peter slowly stood knees wobbly. He didn't know what came over him but he embraced Logan in a hug, and Logan held him til he stopped shaking.
"Come on. Let's go home.."
The two of them traveled in silence on the hour long journey back to the mansion. Logan opened the front door for Peter who entered the pitch black mansion the only sound being the wind blowing through open windows. Peter rushed up to his room and opened the door to his bathroom collapsed on his knees in front of the toilet and vomited. He was sick to his stomach. He had almost killed someone, he almost made the line that divided him and fisk non existent. For what seemed like hours he kneeled in front of the toilet dry heaving. When his chest started to hurt he decided to stand up and take off the black suit he needed to shower. And so he did and he was in there for awhile just recounting the events of the night. He looked down at his hands and sure enough the red tint of blood was still there. Slowly washing off but his hands were still stained. The man who killed his parents was dead, but he wasn't happy...he was sad. He had almost lost who he was forever. He got out of the shower after an hour and a half and he dried off and changed into pajamas. He had been in such a rush he didn't notice a sleeping figure on his bed, a sleeping figure with familiar red curly hair.
"Anna?" He asked quietly his voice cracking. She moved a little and slowly woke up.
"Sugah?" She asked half asleep still.
"Yeah it's me...I'm sorry for everything" He couldn't continue though because Rogue shot up to hug him, it was a tight loving embrace, and something Peter really needed right now.
"Oh thank God ya are okay, ah was so worried bout you." she cried into his shoulder.
"Yeah..everything is okay...promise." Peter tried to convince himself more than her but she caught on.
"Pete? What's wrong?" She sat up and looked at his face, a hand stroking his face she saw that his eyes were back to their caring nature and they were red and swollen showing that he had been crying.
"Nothing…" Peter lied and turned away
"Sugah, talk to me, please." She made Peter look at her again, he took a shaky breath.
"I almost made a mistake tonight….I just wanted revenge, I almost...I almost had it, I almost crossed a line." Peter stuttered out trying to keep his composure and not break down.
"What do ya mean?" Rogue asked caringly, again Peter looked away.
"I-I….I almost killed him." he whispered out. Rogue's eyes widened as if she couldn't believe what she heard.
"Hun I'm so sorry come here." She enveloped him in a hug as he started to break down.
"I'm so sorry."
"Why are you sorry?"
"Because I feel like a monster, like I am the Green Goblin."
"Sugah! No! You are not like him in the slightest, and don't even think for a second you are."
"But I almost killed him…"
"I know love, trust me I know how it feels."
"H-How" Peter cried looking at her. Rogue took a deep breath.
"Be-Before I knew about my...gifts...I had a boyfriend, long before you or Remy, his name was Alex….He was my real first kiss…..But when that happened he fell into a deep coma, he was asleep for six years..but as far as I care I killed him. Ever since then I have spent my life closing my self off and refusing to touch anyone….until you came around. I thought that my power defined who I was, but then you came around and helped me. You feel like a monster Petey, because of who you are as a person, you're sweet, you're caring and loving, you believe in the sanctity of life. That's why you couldn't kill him, and that's what makes you the man I fell in love with.." She kissed his forehead softly.
"You love me?" Peter asked momentarily distracted.
"...Yes and I'm tired of pretending I don't. I love ya sugah." She smiled at him and for the first time in what felt like a long long time he smiled back.
"I love you too Anna…" The two hugged and kissed and for that brief moment all of Peter's thoughts melted away. For the first time in a long time….The sun was gonna rise in the morning for him, he didn't kill Taskmaster. He didn't kill Tony Masters and in doing so. He didn't kill Peter Parker, in fact, Peter Parker has become a stronger person for it because no matter how gloomy things as Spider-man get, maybe things as Peter weren't that bad.
Chapter 15: A boy named Timmy
