Peter called Tasha for help following the Osborn return. She took a priority shield jet in to join him. He was still in the old building keeping watch on the captive purifier. He'd shot webbing down to keep him pinned. Although with broken arms there wasn't much he could do anyway.
Tasha came alone. Peter was glad for that. "Did you get anything from him?" "Not yet." People like mj or aunt may would have been horrified to see what he had done; but not Tasha. She was all business. She nodded then looked at him. "Are you okay?" "Do you... ever get used to it?" "No. But you know it serves the greater good. Trust me Peter. The world needs people like us. Like your parents." He nodded.
They walked up to the man. "I used my suit's webbing, which unlike my organic shooters can be adjusted to not dissolve as quickly." "Good. Because we're not done." "What do you mean?" She brought out a folding knife and cut through the webbing. The man was conscious but in shock.
She looked up at him. "We have to finish interrogating him." "Then what?" "Then you have to dispose of him." "Me?" "Yeah. He's your target." Tasha seemed different. But was she really being different? Peter: she's called black widow for a reason; and she was called that before you were born. Think about it dude...
Tasha hadn't changed any. She was doing her job. She was being an espionage professional. This was who she was: agent black widow. And she had a ton of experience.
"Have you learned anything else from the goblin message?" She asked while getting the man ready for interrogation again. "Uh no. Other than the fact Mephisto can apparently raise the dead." Tasha stopped working and sighed. She then nodded and stood. "That's a big problem. No one is really dead anymore."
"This war could go on forever." She exhaled. "It likely will Pete." He hadn't expected her to say that. He would literally be fighting the devil and his many agents forever. "But I'm only mortal, beyond what my powers permit." "I don't know Pete. There are things in this universe, this multiverse, that defy comprehension. We're all part of a celestial pecking order." "When did you get philosophy?" She gave a half smile. "There's plenty of downtime when waiting to snipe a target." "Oh."
She pointed her knife tip at the wall. "Pin him up there." He lifted the target set him against the wall and webbed him there by his limbs and torso.
"We will kill all the freaks like you..." the target said.
Tasha nodded as she walked up to him. "Is that so?" "That's right." "My partner says you have intel we need. Tell us the truth. What do you know about the green goblin's return?"
"Screw—"
She never let him finish. She jabbed the knife into his knee. He screamed anew. It had been so sudden that even Peter had jumped from it. Why? I know what she does. For god's sake we're peas in a pod now. This is your woman doing her job. Learn from her.
Tasha then twisted the knife while inside his knee. The purifier was nearly broken. Peter could now see it. He'd just had to push a little harder. Tasha was finishing the job.
"His profile said he wouldn't break easily" she said. "But he'll break. They always do." "I won't..." she twisted the knife the other way. He screamed again. "All right all right! I'll talk. I only know an address." "Now." Tasha was all ice. He did. "Thank you."
She ripped the knife out and offered it to Peter. She nodded at it. He slowly took it. "Go for the heart." He walked up to the purifier. The hate for them was still there in his face. Peter didn't wait. He did as Tasha ordered and stabbed the baddie in the heart. He then pulled the knife out and returned it to her. She cleaned the knife off on the purifier's shirt and pocketed it. She then pulled up a hoodie to hide her fiery hair. "Come on. We have a lead to follow."
He did so; giving one last look at the dead man hanging on the wall. Tasha was indeed a super badass. I'm gonna learn from her. I need to be the new Peter now...
Xxx
Not long later the couple were atop a roof prone at its edge. Tasha surveilled it with binos and Peter with his suit scanners. The address target was a church. And it was full of suspected purifiers. It seemed like a legit church but shield and suit scans had confirmed suspicious chatter present inside. Stryker wasn't confirmed present; but this was the next best lead. As for Osborn he wasn't around either.
Mephisto had told him goblin would remain his traditional enemy. He hadn't been wrong.
Why me? Peter couldn't understand it. There were any number of beings more powerful than he was: f4 silver surfer doctor strange Thor... Why me? I can't beat Mephisto in hell. No answers came.
But then they did. Mephisto did things like this because he enjoyed them. Peter's suffering was another of Mephisto's sadistic side projects. It wasn't like some rational reason like power or money. It was just for the mere sake of it.
For the mere fun of it...
"Peter." She pointed up. He saw it too. He couldn't believe it. The distinctive cackle traveled across the night air with it. I know that laugh anywhere. It was him. Green goblin. Or some hellish restoration of him. He was on his famous glider. He flew down to the church landed and went right inside without incident.
"What the hell?" These people never would have allied otherwise. Again. Mephisto.
They shared a look. This was only the beginning of what was to come they knew. And Teresa was still out there.
I made you Peter... Mephisto had said before as fake uncle Ben... I made you...
Peter's anger rose but he cooled. There was a job to do. Peter knew the consequences if he did nothing; If he didn't want to play Mephisto's evil games. He'd kill innocents anyway. At least he could try. It would have to be enough.
Tasha "let's go." They went to work.