Here we finally are. The climactic finale to Dead Bird Studios! Sorry for splitting it into 2 parts. I know a good amount of you have been waiting on this one so I'll get right to the chapter. Enjoy!

And I apologize for the time between updates as of late. Been pretty busy and only getting busier because of college and me working on my ARK and Transformers crossover. I'll try to get more frequent with updates here again though

Warning: Near the end, things might get a bit graphic.

The descent into the studio didn't last, as before long Spider-Man and Hat Kid were greeted with the ring of the elevator. As the door parted, they could see DJ Grooves perched on top of a large stage, the Time Piece in his grasp. Below him, a disco dance floor glittered as rowdy Moon Penguins cheered and whistled in the adjacent stands. Spidey and Venom flexed their muscles and Hat Kid pulled her hat a bit higher as they marched forward.

"Look who we've got here darlings! I guess you found my little secret, huh?" DJ Grooves said with a sinister undertone.

"When you kidnap someone as loud as the Conductor, silence is deafening," joked Spider-Man before turning serious. "Jig's up Grooves. Trust us when we say you really don't want the problems that Time Piece comes with. Don't make us fight you for it"

"Yeah!" Hat Kid yelled with a pointed finger. "We can't let you hurt yourself." In a much lower voice, she added, "Even if you deserve it."

DJ Grooves looked back at them, defiance in his posture as he grasped the Time Piece closer to his chest. "This last Time Piece is all for me darlings. If you want it, well, you'll have to come and get it!"

Grooves struck first, taking a stage dive at the two challengers at speeds unheard of from a bird of his stature. Spider-Man barely managed to avoid getting his head stomped in by the Moon Penguin's giant platform shoes by web zipping towards a wall. Hat Kid nearly had her ankles shattered by the DJ's left foot as well if she hadn't dove away.

"Don't do the superhero landing. Trust me, it's terrible for your knees," Spidey joked as he returned the pounce with a bounce off the audience stands, looking to strike the insane performer in the face. The attack landed, forcing Grooves to backpedal from the blow, straight into Hat Kid's waiting umbrella. The swipe to the gut winded the DJ for a moment as he jumped back to the stage.

Jumping above the view of the two Time Protectors, the mad penguin surprised everyone as he came back down on a golden discoball.

"Here we go!" the performer announced as he slammed the ball into the dance floor, causing the ground to shake everyone off their feet, including Spidey and Hattie.

"Help!" yelped the little girl as she hung in midair, looking as if she would faceplant into the shockwave that resulted from the slam. Grabbing the hatted child by the arm, Spider-Man pulled her close as he allowed himself to take the electric shock.

"Rrrghh!" he groaned as he tried to keep himself from showing his pain. He wouldn't give the director the satisfaction of hearing it. "Nothing like 2nd degree burns in the morning," he joked, reassuring Hat Kid with a wink after seeing her worried expression.

Seeing that the two combatants had survived the shock, the angry DJ saw red as he shouted, "Darling, darling, you're so rude!"

"Didn't your mother tell you it's not polite to shock your guests? Especially literally?!" jabbed the arachnid as he and the little alien scrambled to their feet.

Shutting the lights out, DJ Grooves jumped down from the stage as he yelled from the darkness, "Check this out!" before brandishing a genuine knife. Spider-Man sensed the danger immediately as soon as the blade pointed at a disoriented Hat Kid.

"Huh?" she said aloud as she tried to find her footing in the dark, only to gasp from shock when they turned back on as she saw Spider-Man bury his boot in the penguin's face again. Right before the steel knife was about to pierce her in the stomach.

"You sicko!" growled the black suited hero, almost forgetting to pull his strength as he gave the theatric bird a flying roundhouse kick back towards the center of the dance floor. The DJ didn't say a word as he started menacingly walking towards them, throwing out more stabs than humanly possible.

Hat Kid dashed past Spider-Man to bonk the deranged avian on the head, leaving him with a noticeable bump under his large afro. Gritting his teeth, he shouted into the mic he held, "How could you do this to me, darling?"

Spider-Man's head nearly bust a vein under the costume as he roared, "To you?! This isn't a game you crazy cross-dressing pigeon! Does it even occur to you in that walnut brain of yours that you just tried to stab a child?!

Under the star-shaped glasses where nobody could see, DJ Groove's pupils switched from purple to their original light blue as he started clutching his head realizing what he had come so close to doing. He wore a mortified expression as he dropped his glasses for the duo to see.

"D-Darlings! Please... stop me... Hurry!" he strained, as if fighting off an invisible hold on him.

"It's the Time Piece! He's trying to shake off its effects!"

Spidey looked quizzically at his companion as he asked, "What effects? He wasn't always an rocket lighting jerk from the start?"

"The Time Pieces have a strong hold on their users. Unless they were trained in the Time Core to negate the effects or have someone who was to resist it, Time Pieces can bring out the worst in even some of the nicest people," explained Hattie.

Spider-Man nodded as he absorbed the information. Great, now I feel kind of bad for him. Seriously? Can my life get even more conflicted he inwardly groaned.

As DJ Grooves started to cease his thrashing, the lights went out again for a longer period of time. Spidey's augmented spider sense allowed him to sense they weren't near anything dangerous, but he was still taken aback when a lone spotlight showed DJ Grooves sitting at a table with 2 seats.

"Let's have a little heart to heart. Have a seat darling."

The change in demeanor was startling to the duo. Unsure what to do, Peter glanced at Luna as she whispered, "Don't trust him, it's his Time Piece self talking." Nodding, Spider-Man cautiously took a seat beside the Hat Kid across from the DJ.

"Now, ever since you two arrived on this planet, these Time Pieces have fallen from the sky. Now, I can understand if you feel they belong to you darlings, I understand. But did you know they allow for rewinding time?"

Seeing the uninterested faces on the two across from him, he wasn't surprised to here Spidey sarcastically reply, "Yeah, hence why they're called "Time Pieces?""

The DJ nodded as he presented his motive. "With one Time Piece, I could reclaim all the trophies that belong to me, darlings. Every trophy I've lost to the Conductor, where he has cheated his way to victory." The penguin clenched his fist as he continued, "I can't prove it darlings, but I'm certain the Conductor has been manipulating everything to make sure I never win."

Spidey's lenses went wide. "That's a hell of an accusation there. Have you not won two awards already?"

Grooves scoffed. "We've been competing for years darling. I know I'm not perfect, but don't you think our movies are equal enough that I should've won more than 2 measly times?"

The arachnid had to scratch his head to that. It did seem odd considering how many years it seemed these two were going at each other, but then again, at least the Conductor's movies had plot.

Seeing that he got the gears turning in Peter's head, the penguin focused his attention on the younger of the two seated at the table.

"I need just one Time Piece to fix years of cheating and fraud. Can't you spare me just one Time Piece, darling?" he practically begged. His voice nearly teetered on delirium as he finished his proposal.

Hat Kid had to admit, she did feel bad for Grooves. Years of second place really hammered on one's self esteem, so they no doubt had some root in the DJ's normal personality. But this wasn't the same bird that she had a ball with running around the moon taking pictures. This was the same bird who tried to put an end to them for the sake of cheap effects for a parade.

"Sorry Mr. Grooves, you're not thinking clearly. I need to take the Time Piece back for your own good."

The DJ's hopeful smile faded into an anguished frown as he glowered, "Darlings, darlings, darlings. You're so persistently selfish. I've brought you to stardom, and all I ask in return is a single Time Piece, but you won't share?"

Hat Kid frantically waved her hands in refusal. "No! It's not like that!"

Her words fell on deaf ears as he finished, "Well, if you want this Time Piece so bad, come and get it."

The lights went out again, and when they turned on, a much more horrid sight greeted the two ex-actors as they looked at the device strapped to Hat Kid's back.

Cackling manically, DJ Grooves grabbed the microphone as he said, "Remember this bomb darlings? I stole it from the Conductor's movie set, and now, it'll be your demise!"

"One minute and twenty seconds until self destruct," the calm voice of the AI announced.

"Kid! Come here!" shouted a panicked Peter as he tried to find a way to defuse the bomb. However, every time he put his hand near a circuit, his spider-sense went off, causing him to pull his hand back.

"Damnit! None of these circuits work!" he yelled in frustration as the hatted child trembled.

"Better cover your ears darlings, this bomb is about to be loud!" taunted the penguin as he started skating around them.

Enraged, Spider-Man shifted into Spider-Venom as he let loose a sharp tendril that surprised the DJ and his audience as he boomed, "SHUT! UP!"

Picking himself back on his feet after the symbiotic surprise attack, DJ Grooves grew slightly fearful at the spider-darling raising his voice as he did. Retreating to the seating stands, he hopped on a corner as he tried to hit him and the little girl with saw blade records.

This only angered the symbiotic hero more as he caught a blade between his hands. Tossing it aside, he web zipped at the penguin as he prepared to throw more, knocking him off the seating stands. Jumping onstage, the possessed bird cursed them some more at them as he prepared another attack. Meanwhile in the stands, Hat Kid could here a familiar voice pushing to the front of the crowd.

"Get off me you suicidal peck necks!" The Conductor's voice demanded as he shoved his way forward. "Lad! Lass! Over here!"

Hat Kid looked up with hope as she cheered, "Conductor!" Spider-Venom only gave a nod as he remained on the offensive, driving back DJ Groove's attacks with his own lethal set of weaponry. Spider stingers met saw blades as he deflected them away from the child on the dance floor.

"Hang in there! I'll find a way to defuse the bomb!" And with that, the Conductor dashed back into the crowd, looking for something to assist the lad and the lass before the entire studio went up in smoke.

"Come on, there has to be something in this pile o' junk that can defuse a bomb!" ranted the Conductor to himself. As he dug through a series of boxes, he finally found what he needed. "Aha!" he shouted, holding a ridiculously large set of safety scissors up as he rushed back through the crowd.

"Me defuser is ready! Come here!" he shouted. Seeing that the Conductor had a way to defuse the bomb, Hat Kid dodged more saw blades as Spider-Venom motioned for her to make a break for it. Diving over a set of saw blades, Hat Kid turned the bomb towards the Conductor, ducking and closing her eyes as the bird lifted the giant scissors just above her head. With a slice, she opened her eyes and found the bomb laying on the ground, no longer sending rumbles throughout the studio.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she gave the Conductor a smirk before running back in to assist Spider-Venom.

DJ Grooves had caught on to his rival's act, fuming angrier than ever as he hopped back on stage. "That does it! Time to bring out the big guns!"

At his beck and call, 5 penguins appeared to jump down from behind the stage, each bearing a knife. Focusing their attention on Spider-Venom, they stampeded at him as he tried to get away.

"Hands off the boss!" one yelled.

"Yeah! Nobody hurts our DJ!"

The black suited hero retorted, "Then he should know it's a two way street."

Hat Kid meanwhile was left to face off with the deranged DJ by herself. "All eyes are on you now darling, let's see if those hats can save you from this!."

Hat Kid gulped as the DJ kicked in all his attacks into overdrive. The little girl switched to her sprint hat, as it was all she could do to avoid the barrage of knives the penguin unsheathed. She almost missed her chance to attack if it weren't for the sprint hat letting her slap him as he jumped back to the stage. Going in the rafters again, the DJ brought down another golden disco ball. This time, Hat Kid prepared herself.

"Here we...!" On the 'we', Hat Kid jumped, realizing too late she was baited. "GO!" And with that, the disco ball came crashing down, catching the little lass as she touched the ground and carrying her over the shockwave.

Right into the second one behind it.

"Aaaahhhhh!" she cried as the electrical current shocked her young body. As the wave passed, Hat Kid dropped to her knees in the middle of the dance floor. The intensity dazed her as she struggled to look her opponent in the face.

"Lass! NO!" screamed the Conductor from the stands as he watched the resilient little girl struggle to stand.

"Hat Kid!" shrieked Spider-Venom as he held back 5 knives aimed at his throat. "Get off me you damned dodos!"

Hearing the little girl's scream, DJ Groove's true self started to come to again, pushing his envious and dark persona back as tried to comprehend what was going on. "H-Hat Darling?" he stammered, but from behind him, 4 cars came screaming from back stage just as he had earlier rehearsed them to do. "W-wait, stop! What are you doing?" he tried to say to his penguin subordinates.

"We got this boss!"

"Yeah, lights out kid!"

"Mr. Grooves, please!" the young girl cried, already bracing for the impact.

Upon seeing this, something inside Spider-Venom snapped. The almost unbreakable vow Peter Parker had honored in his mind was broken, just this once. Because he was about to kill a little girl

"GROOOOVES!" thundered Venom as he grew to his true form, sharp teeth and muscle appearing on the normally sleek and streamlined hero's body. Looking to his right, Venom saw one of the penguin's knife arms dangling close to his mouth. Blood stained the blade, but not his. Using his sharp ivories, he bit into the knifed hand, eliciting a shriek of pain from the moon penguin and dropping his knife. The rest of the penguins attempted to get away, but Venom encased them all in black web cocoons. Whether he remembered to put air holes in them or not, he didn't care

"We will end you, scum!" roared the furious symbiote as it jumped up into the air. In a panic, the penguins surrounding Hat Kid gunned their engines and intended to plow straight through the child. However, their faces paled in horror as they found two black fists holding each of the cars by the hood. Venom hissed as he applied more strength, crushing the metal of the automobiles in his bare hands and throwing the wrecks against a wall. The penguins that were driving suffered a concussion as their heads banged against the wheel, leaving them unconscious but otherwise alive.

DJ Grooves gasped at the devastation he had wrought forth by angering the arachnid as he ran to check on one of the penguins

"Darling please, this isn't you! Stop hurting everyone!"

Venom towered over the afro wearing penguin before growling, "Hurt you."

Seeing that the superhero who had saved the moon was not the one calling the shots, DJ Grooves made a lunge for the figure, trying to keep him away from his penguins and everyone else in the room.

Venom responded by giving the performer a staggering left hook mid lunge, throwing him harshly in the other direction. While recovering from his monstrous punch, the lethal protector shot out a tendril from his shoulder, wrapping around the platform shoes before whipping the bird back into the stage, causing the structure to come tumbling down on top of his head.

The symbiote pounced immediately on the injured bird as he dug him out of the wreckage. "You're not done yet!" he boomed as he raised both fists over his head. Venom continued laying steel shattering blows into the DJ's face, shattering his glasses and eventually his nose.

As he prepared to morph his arm into a blade and finish the job, Venom felt a tug on his arm. Looking back, his rampage was halted as he looked into Hat Kid's large blue eyes.

"Please stop Peter, you two are scaring me," she shivered, hoping to stop Spidey and Venom before they made a terrible mistake.

Looking past the girl behind him, Venom's lenses went wide as he truly surveyed the destruction he caused in his loss of control. Injured penguins lay all over the the dance floor and against the walls. All of them had an injury of some form, and the one he had bitten had just now patched up the bleeding.

Turning his gaze to the Conductor, the yellow avian cautiously said, "It's over lad. No need to do something yer going to regret."

Finally, the white lenses flashed to the victim of his rage. DJ Grooves had no doubt broken his nose, judging by the blood that was leaking from his face. The cracked glasses revealed two blue irises instead of a possessed purple sitting inside two swollen black eyes. The shallow breathing was the only indication that he was still alive.

Venom grasped his head as he muttered, "What have we done?"

Instantly morphing back into his regular build, Spider-Man immediately took a fistful of the inky black substance as he demanded, "Get off of me!" Unlike the first time they had separated, Venom willingly parted from Parker, feeling shame at the fact he had lost his temper again when bonded the the arachnid hero. No doubt he would ook upon him with distrust again.

"W-W-We need to get all the injured back to the ship to heal. Can you help me round them all up so we can teleport?" Spidey requested.

Hat Kid and the Conductor nodded, and without a word from the gathered audience or the combatants, they brought all the penguins who had been hurt to the center of the dance floor next to their unconscious boss. Taking the Time Piece that was in DJ Groove's pocket, Hat Kid raised it to the sky as they all teleported back.