"As you can see it's not much, but many Christian groups are linked to it," said Rogers. Peter nodded as they looked over the holo data. A number of respected churches and faith groups had links to the restored purifiers as well.

"And from what we can tell Stryker is definitely back in the picture" said Rogers. "We're trying to track his movements but they've been hard to monitor. He's managing to stay ahead of us somehow." Mephisto or his agents remained the likeliest explanation Peter believed. The rest would just depend on time.

"We're also aware of the parameters that shield has given us to engage them" said Rogers. Peter could read between the lines easily enough on that. Tasha had said "take them out." This was real spy/assassin stuff. Real deal. What he'd signed up for. What his parents and sister had done when needed.

There seemed to be no timeframe on when or even if he'd really get that Thor hammer. And Peter couldn't wait for that. And wouldn't. He had to go with what he knew. That was the truth. That was fact.

"Do you need any field support for this?" "No cap. With the spider armor I think I got this." Rogers nodded. "Okay. Holler if you do." "Will do."

Everything was sent to his suit. Marvel would arrange everything accordingly. He left the tower reformed his suit and flew off for the first target area that marvel had highlighted for investigation. Another cool feature the armor had was a full cloaking shield. He enabled it and vanished in broad daylight. This tool would become helpful in many ways.

He was now in East Manhattan. It was still a few hours away from sundown. He landed in an alley that was a known meeting spot for purifier agents and began scanning around. Nothing came up. It could just as well have been covered up.

This "is" Mephisto we're talking about here.

"Boss, I have a possible match." "Where marvel? Approaching from the southeast. Subject is linked to a known purifier cell." All right. Finally something going right for a change.

He walked in that direction. If he had to do a takedown of any kind having the cloak would definitely give him the extra advantages. "Marvel, is the target enhanced in any way?" "No boss. He's good old fashioned Homo sapiens." That's what I like to hear.

The target passed by. His hud confirmed the match. Making sure all was clear, with both suit and organic spider sensors remaining clear, Peter made his move. He shot a web line onto the baddie's back and yanked him back hard into the alley. He cried out as he flew through the air.

Peter caught and lightly punched him to knock him out. Throwing him over a shoulder he walked up to an old building. Marvel with her useful intuitive Ai matrix anticipated his need and showed that the old building was empty. He ripped off the doorknob and entered. He laid the target on the ground and prepared to do what he needed to...

This was where being a spy got tricky. This was where he could become the punisher, legitimately, and get away with it.

As ever marvel anticipated his moral dilemma... "boss, you are fully authorized by shield field protocol to interrogate this target as needed to extract any needed intelligence to save innocents." Extract? What am I a dentist? This was his version of a license to kill. And here I took down the punisher for going off the deep end... hypocrisy...?

His humor there was to escape the moral dilemma he now faced. Facing his darkness wasn't new. He'd done it with Venom in the beginning... he knew how power felt. What the alien symbiont posing as a costume could do... been there done that...

But now there was no evil influence. There was no tripping accident to kill his uncle's killer to prevent him from doing it. There was only a choice to be made... and a result to be achieved...

It did go against his uncle's greatest lesson Peter felt. Called the Parker principle. But he was an agent of shield now. And his parents had tortured to when needed to save lives. He'd read that. He had also watched 24. He was actually a fan of Jack Bauer. Punisher was the real version of that.

Now Peter, agent Spider-Man, had to torture this man to save lives.

Sighing Peter shot a web line onto the ceiling attached the other end to the target's feet and then hoisted him up to hang like dead meat upside down.

He then slapped the man lightly across the face. "Wake up sunshine." The man came to. "You!"

"That's right. Me. You have intel I need. And I'm permitted to beat the crap out of you to get it if I have to..."

He laughed. "You're Spider-Man. You don't kill people." "That was when I was just a city vigilante. Now I'm an operative. You're with the purifiers. You're out to exterminate mutant kind. You're back. How and why is this?"

"Lord god, protect me from this abomination—" Peter took his arm and broke it. The man's prayer abruptly ended and he howled in agony. His profile indicated he wouldn't give in easily. But he'd never dealt with Spider-Man before. Especially agent Spider-Man...

"Everyone forgets I have spider strength too. I can benchpress ten to fifteen metric tons and that's an average..."

The purifier steeled himself against the pain and muttered prayers again. Peter nodded. "Fine." He broke his other arm. The baddie convulsed from the pain.

I am Frank castle now... so be it. I'm a hypocrite. I'll live with it.

Peter grabbed him by the throat. "Talk!" The man remained defiant. Peter ripped him from the web line and threw him into a wall. This knocked him out.

Peter sighed. "Boss... I have a message for you." "From who?" "From... the green goblin..." "Norman Osborn is dead..."

"Peter. You remember me." It was his voice. "I'm back from the dead and aiding the purifiers. It's gonna get interesting. And you know why. Mighty Mephisto brought me back... and I'm coming for you..."

The next round in Peter's eternal war had just started...