Part 5 - Blood of the King

Chapter 79 - Ghost-Spider

Planet Earth in dimension 7065 had long been rebuilt. It was one of the many things restored in the years following the Imperial Civil War before the Animator's use was outlawed by Miles with the dawn of the Ethereal Legion. 7065 had become just as much of a bustling world as any other in the Republic. In the last couple of days, something strange had been happening: there had been a massive spike in the number of murder cases. So many were linked; witnesses reported seeing a ghost but all seemed too terrified to elaborate. Five men were sitting in a red car on their way to a house. Suddenly, something swooped past the vehicle and the two of its tyres blew out. The driver pulled over, grumbling about needing to find a better mechanic. As he made to bend down to inspect the damage, he felt something sharp pierce his back, go straight through his heart and out the other side. Witnesses screamed and began running as the ghost withdrew its blade and smashed the car window, pulling one of the passengers out and slicing their head clean off. The other three clambered out and began squaring up: one threw a punch, the ghost side-stepped whilst sheathing one of the katanas in a sheath on its back before grabbing the arm and hurling him into his two friends. The ghost stabbed its still drawn blade through his back and felt it go through the friend he was crumpled on top of. It slit the friend's throat just to be sure before turning on the last one who was running. It pulled out a small throwing knife and launched it straight into their back. Satisfied with its work, it pulled the knife free and sheathed it before running its sword along its forearm to clean off some of the blood. Suddenly, there was a roaring overhead. It looked up to see a familiar aircraft flying down the street. The machine came to a stop and deployed an array of weapons including guns and electromagnetic pulse cannons.

"This is the NYPD! Stand down and come quietly!"

Good old Phantoms. The ghost didn't know how old these machine were nowadays, but it made sense they had had their missiles removed and were serving a new life with the police forces of the multiverse. But the ghost had no intention of surrendering itself; it fired a web at the side of a building and began to swing away from the scene, picking up speed. Suddenly, it heard a vaguely familiar sound likes bubbles and the whistling of wind. Two slightly less familiar aircraft appeared bearing a logo it didn't recognise. Still, they wouldn't risk firing missiles in a city...would they?

Miles spotted his target; Charlotte saw it as well. They were standing on top of skyscraper, watching a pair of Ares aircraft and a lone Phantom pursue a black and white dot.

"Remember, stay back unless things get dirty." Miles instructed his daughter.

"I know, Dad."

"You knew not to open that box but you did it anyway."

"How long are you going to keep using that line?"

"My point is I'm wondering whether I can trust you to do the right thing."

"Shouldn't you be pursuing a ghost?"

Miles sighed and jumped, swinging close behind the target.

The ghost had pulled an extremely smart move, knowing the pursuing aircraft couldn't pursue it like this. It had swung onto the side of a building and climbed over the top. Now it was swinging down a street a block over from that which the aircraft were flying down. As it swung higher and higher approaching Manhattan, it suddenly felt something grab it and hurl it down at a roof. The ghost tumbled, rolling out of the landing and drawing one of its katana blades from its back. A person dressed in a black and red spider suit landed in front of it. Miles narrowed his eyes.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

"Oh. It's you."

The ghost sheathed its sword and pulled its mask off. Miles stared at Gwen in shock.

"Gwen? It's really you?"

"Nobody else is stupid enough to swing around downtown New York in a spider suit that symbolises the end of the world and the devil's reign. Yeah, it's me."

"This has to be some sort of trick. You're dead and the Animator hasn't been used."

"I don't really get it either. But it is me, Miles. I promise."

"You're sure you aren't a hologram or something?"

Gwen took a few steps closer and kissed Miles' lips.

"Did that feel like a hologram?"

"I...wouldn't know. I've never kissed one."

Gwen giggled.

"I dropped in at a really bad time..."

She and Miles looked to see Charlotte watching awkwardly.

"I thought I said..." Miles started.

"If things get dirty. Which it looks like they might have if I didn't intervene. Hey Mum."

Gwen smiled at her daughter.

"Wow...you've grown."

"I've got a lot of questions and you aren't going to like them all."

"If I hear the word 'Empire', I'll buy a one-way ticket back to Hell."

"I'll shorten the list. Max is gonna freak out when he sees you. Watch out for his pranks, by the way."

"I'll keep an eye out."

The pair of Ares jets pulled up beside the building, their full array of weapons deployed. Miles double tapped the side of his head and his mask morphed back.

"Ghostbuster One and Two, stand down."

The jets stowed their weapons. Gwen raised her eyebrows.

"Ghostbuster? And since when do you give orders to planes?"

"Since the founding of the Ethereal Legion. Long story, but I did what you asked me to do before you died."

"The thing about not letting anyone suffer like me again? What have advanced military jets got anything to do with that?"

"You'll see."

"Things have really changed. How long has it been?"

"Ten years."

"Wow...I guess I have the family record now."

"Gwen, we need to go to Legion headquarters. The other directors will want to speak to you."

"As long as they don't put me in exile again."

"They can't without Dad signing the order." Said Charlotte. "If you two are going back, what should I do?"

"Go home and work on your list of questions." Replied Miles.

"Don't tell Max. I want to see the look on his face." Gwen added.

"Whatever you say."

Teresa watched Gwen warily with crossed arms. Gwen raised a hand and waved awkwardly. The pair had made peace, but had never fully fixed their friendship. The former commander didn't trust Ghost-Spider one bit. Robert, Edward and Lisa were waiting in the meeting room.

"Gwen, you know Edward and Lisa of course. And this is Robert Montauk." Miles introduced her.

She and Robert shook hands as Teresa came in.

"Let's get this over with. Gwen, how are you alive? I've been through security records for the past week, and ELIS is checking them back even further. There have been no breaches at Site-16, the Animator hasn't been used for three years."

"I don't know. One minute I was lying in hospital dying of some sort of cancer. The next everything was dark, and the next I was in some really red place."

"Red place?" Pressed Lisa.

"Yeah. The trees looked like they were made from flesh and bones."

Miles sighed, leaning against the wall.

"It sounds like we've both had the exact same experience of death."

"I guess so. And now you're older than me."

"Not legally. You're still fifteen months older."

"So let me just sort this out in my head. Legally, you're forty-four but physically you're thirty-nine. Which means legally I'm forty-five, maybe forty-six but physically I'm thirty-five."

"Yeah."

"Can we get back to the main subject, please?" Asked Teresa. "Did you see anyone, or anything?"

"I saw two people dressed up like monks wearing hats like those spikes on the Scar..."

Miles slapped a hand over her mouth.

"We think the name is bewitched or something. Call him Tufto."

"Tufto...right. Sounds like someone with a bad haircut."

"The monks were Tufto's followers." Said Robert. "The Foundation found a lot of people like that in the raid where we captured Dipesh."

"We can't draw conclusions." Replied Edward.

"I think they were." Said Gwen.

"Why were you killing people?" Asked Teresa.

"I was killing members of the Children of...Tufto. It really doesn't have the same ring."

"Why?" Pressed Miles.

"Because I'm scared. I had a vision while I was dead. I saw dimensions being destroyed. I saw hatred and anger. I saw Eden in flames. I saw cavalry charges. And in every image, he was there saying the same thing over and over: that his reign is eternal."

"Whatever is going on, we now know Tufto has brought you back. Do you have any idea why?" Asked Lisa.

"None."

"Who was your mother?" Robert asked randomly.

All eyes turned to him. Gwen raised her eyebrows.

"What has that got to do with anything?"

"According to all the films and crap that's come out of 9633, her mother's name is Helen Stacy." Said Teresa.

"That can't be right..." Gwen breathed.

"Why can't it be right?" Asked Robert.

"Because I'm adopted and I really doubt my mother and adopted father shared a surname."

"We're speaking to George Stacy. There is something I must know."

"What?"

"You may understand some day. Are there anymore questions? I need to speak to him before I forget."

Nobody asked anything, so Miles stood up straight.

"In that case, we're finished. Robert, speak to George but please be nice to him about it. He's a human, not an SCP or an ELO."

"And he's ninety." Gwen added.

Miles had stayed behind at HQ to sort things out and fill in some paperwork, but he had told Gwen where he and their kids lived and given her the key. She stopped at the end of the driveway, knowing Charlotte would inevitably have her list of questions ready. On the other hand, she was looking forward to seeing Max again and she couldn't wait to see the look on his face. She took a deep breath and pulled the key out of her pocket, suddenly aware she was attracting some looks with the katanas sheathed in an X shape across her back. It hadn't been hard to get them since it seemed the Republic didn't care much for the whole idea of money. It made sense; why did the government need money when it could get all of the resources it needed from itself. Gwen pushed the door open and closed it behind her. The first thing she noticed was a picture of her, Miles and their kids almost twelve years ago. Max was only three then. As she was thinking about him, he walked into the room staring at his phone.

"FYI, the Wi-Fi is being weird. Does that ELIS thing have a hotspot?"

"Err...I don't know."

Max looked up, suddenly aware it wasn't his father who had walked through the front door. He stared, his jaw hanging open.

"Mum?"

"Hey Max."

He poked her shoulder, unsure if this was real.

"It's...really you?"

"Yeah. Don't ask me how, I'm not sure."

His mouth spread into a wide grin and he threw his arms around her.

"Does Charlotte know you're back?"

"She does."

"She has a massive list of questions she always wanted to ask you."

"So I hear. But what about you? What's happened in ten years? I see you've grown a lot."

"So much has happened. The world is crazy nowadays."

He dragged her through to the living room. She was going to sit, but decided it was best to take the katanas off first. Max stared at them curiously.

"Have you been an assassin for ten years?"

"No, just a few days. I'm not sure how much your dad would want me to tell you."

"So you were actually dead."

"I was. But seriously, what about you? I want to know everything. Have you got a girlfriend? Have you got loads of friends? I hear you're a prankster."

"I've got some friends, yeah. And prank people a lot. We had this really boring English teacher back in first year so I put web fluid on all his whiteboard pens. The whole lesson was just him trying to get them off his hand. People found it hilarious, although I got lines. But it was worth it."

"And what about a girlfriend?"

"Nah. There is one girl but she's like most people nowadays."

"What do you mean?"

"They can't decide whether to hate me or love me. Everyone likes Dad cos of the whole rebellion thing, but everyone hates you. It kinda rubs off on me and Charlotte. Sadly she drew the short straw and doesn't have much of a sense of humour to help her out."

Gwen stared at the floor.

"Well if she is judging you because of your mother, she isn't the one. Find someone who looks at you, not your family tree."

"There is one who hangs out with me sometimes, but I just like her as a friend."

"Never doubt how far a friendship can go. Me and your dad started off as friends...well, actually we started off with things a little bitter cos he made me lose half my hair, but that's a story for another time."

"Dad tells it every time he thinks someone needs relationship advice. Should I get my hand stuck in her hair?"

"Absolutely not."

They laughed.

"And what about spider stuff? What's your alias?"

"Spider-Boy, not that I get to use it much. It's been more of a nickname than a title."

"Why?"

"Dad won't let me do the whole spider thing. He's scared I'll get dragged into some mess and end up getting killed. Charlotte does some every now and again, but he can't control her. She get's pushed around a lot."

"I'll talk to him about it. Is Charlotte OK?"

"Like I said, she get's pushed around and bullied. There's this guy, Flash, who's far too big for his boots. She punched him a couple of weeks ago, but it was all kinda forgotten because Dad was shot."

"Who did it?"

"I don't know. It's Legion business, and given what's been happening recently I'm not gonna investigate."

"What's the whole deal with the Legion?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure. They're hiding a lot, that's all I know. Something about a crimson queen or something."

"Tufto."

"Tufto?"

"Oh, you don't know that codename. Never mind. What do the Legion do, then?"

"They protect the multiverse, close ties with the Quintari and stuff. Dad is the senior director. Wait...should I be telling you all of this? Nobody is supposed to know he's in charge. Or who any of the directors are."

"I don't know. I've been dead for ten years. I came back and the multiverse is completely different."

"Things have really changed. Sometimes I don't know whether it's for better or worse. Usually I think it's for the better, though."

"It can't be any worse than some of the times I've seen. Or caused."

"I don't blame you for the Empire. Everyone else does, including Charlotte, I don't know about Dad. But I think you were suffering and you didn't mean for so many people to get hurt."

"Thanks. That means a lot. But there were a lot of forces at play I can tell you don't know about."

"It doesn't change much."

"I'm really glad."

Crossovers in this Chapter

- SCP Foundation