Chapter One
Rise of the Ogre
A Week Later, Abandoned Subway Station, Downtown Meteor Heights..
Rhonda breathed deep, praying the small homemade communication device would work as intended. She hoped the modified cell phone had enough power to cross the barrier between dimensions just once. She needed to know what had been on her mind since Elliot had mentioned the Master Weaver just earlier. If there was any way she could truly control the pheromone-induced lust she felt for Nick, then there was a chance she didn't need to hide herself around him. The device chirped to life, Rhonda sighing in relief. "Master Weaver, are you there? Cindy? This is-"
"I know who you are, Rhonda Montero. Bride of the Prophecy of Universe 616A. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Came a voice from the other side of the line, the owner Cindy Moon, also known back in Universe 616 as Silk.
"I had a question, and since you're the only other Bride of the Prophecy I know, I figured you were the best one to ask."
There was a light giggle from the other end. "Then what is your question, young Spider?"
"How did you figure out how to control your emotions with Peter Parker? With the whole pheromone issue?"
"Honestly, I couldn't find a way out of that situation until I was offered to become the new Master Weaver. Taking this job, the powers that connected Peter and I diminished, not that I don't still miss him now and again."
"Oh. Damn it."
"Do not worry, Rhonda. The way I've seen things going, pheromones will not stay an issue for you much longer. I would worry about the next integral villain about to reveal themselves to you and your friends. I'm sorry to say, but your days of sitting on the sidelines, moping no less, are at an end."
"I don't mope! Wait, integral villain? Which one?"
"The one who seeks to control the world from his skyline office. He who shall be different from the one who's slate he was structured. The one who rules those most Sinister.." The Weaver chanted before the line went dead.
Skyline office? Rules those most Sinister? Ben told me about the Sinister Six, but their leader.. No, not the Goblin. "Shit. Guess I really am going to have to help Nick. Thank God the media doesn't know there are actually two Spiders crawling around. Then any of Nick's enemies would only try to make things even harder for him." With newfound conviction, Rhonda sprang forth from the abandoned subway and beelined it back to the apartment.
Meanwhile, Crystal Heights..
Nick laughed at the joke Sarina had just finished telling him, sipping the coffee he held as they sat outside the coffee shop Freeman's Brew. "So, how's your mom holding up?" He asked her.
Sarina smiled. "She's doing a lot better now, thanks to Mr. Zephyr's help." Sarina had been working at Sephirii global for the last three months as the CEO Stephen Zephyr's personal assistant. Recently, seeing the girl stressed more than usual, Zephyr had asked her what had been troubling her. After telling him about her mother's seemingly unending health issues, the philanthropist decided to lend a hand, moving Sarina's mother to a different wing of the hospital and bringing in several of his best health professionals in to help treat the ailment.
"That's lucky someone as powerful as Stephen Zephyr was nice enough to take care of his assistant. Most bosses wouldn't go that far in this day and age."
"Yeah, it really is. He told me he wanted to help me because I've been such a wonderful assistant to him the past three months."
"And yet, I still had to intervene in your robbery at the museum three weeks ago."
Sarina smirked playfully. "Well, a girl's gotta keep her man on his toes, doesn't she?"
Nick rolled his eyes. "I guess, but most girls decide to do it in less illegal ways."
Sarina shrugged as she frowned as Nick looked up toward the skyline of the city as Rhonda appeared suddenly next to their table. "Nick, we have trouble incoming. Something more dangerous than you've faced before." She sounded frightened as well as winded, surprising seeing as how much stamina Nick portrayed and therefore (she) would as well.
"What are you going on about, you horny-" Rhonda cut her off with a nearly invisible web shot, closing her mouth effectively.
"I'm not here for his dick, Sarina! This is serious. There's a new villain about to show up in all of our lives. And if we don't figure out how to stop them, we may not live to even see whether this fucking grudge you have out for me is worth it. And knowing you're our Universe's version of Black Cat, this could be just as troublesome for you."
"Alright, slow down, Ro. Rina, will you just let her speak?" Nick asked calmly, pinching his nose in annoyance at the rivalry between the two women. Sarina glared at him but begrudgingly nodded, letting Rhonda poke at the web shutting her mouth as it just unstuck itself and fell to the floor. "Alright, what's going on?"
"You know those comics you always read when we were kids?" Nick nodded, already confused. "Which villain was as dangerous as they came when it came to New Yokio?"
Nick had to think for a moment. "That was.. Oh, yeah. Jameson Kylock, the head of KyloTech. He was the top villain for a long time against Wallslinger, known under the alias as the Troll King. What does that have to do with-"
"Just listen. Remember when I mentioned a man named Norman Osborn yesterday? The original timeline this one exists from?" Nick nodded. "The Master Weaver told me that his counterpart here is about to appear. He'll be just like the Troll King from the comics."
Nick nodded. "Yeah, and he formed a team of villains, right? Specifically Webslinger-centric called the Murderous Legion. Jeez, those comics were actually really dark. Anyway, go on."
"That's just need to figure out who that counterpart is. Like, now. Osborn owned a tech company, and so did Kylock. That means that the head of one of our resident technology firms is going to be going through a similar change sometime in the next week or so. How many companies are there like that in Meteor Heights?"
Nick had to think harder about that one, but Sarina knew part of the answer. "One is my boss, Stephen Zephyr, the head of Sephirii Global."
Rhonda nodded as Nick continued the pretty short, limited list. As big as Meteor Heights was, crime had driven several of the tech companies out to neighboring cities, leaving the three bigger companies standing. "Then there's the head of Solomon's, Rick Solomon. And the last one is Antonia Tracer, CEO of Tracer Corp. You really think one of them is about to become our own version of the Troll King?"
"I don't think so. I already know. Sarina, how well do you know your boss?"
"Pretty well, all things considered. He's helped my mother a lot since hiring me on as his assistant. He doesn't seem to be the kind of guy to be power hungry, honestly."
Rhonda hummed and nodded. "Well, if the trends are really the same, then Solomon is probably the Korscon Industries of our comic universe, and that means Roxxon from the original 616. Still bad news, but not Oscorp. And I already know about Tracer Corp, since Antonia is actually Steel Maiden, one of the Heroes Alliance. That can only leave Zephyr, I'm sorry to say. If he hasn't already gone through with the testing.." The three continued talking about the possibilities and what they would do once they figured out how they would figure out whether Stephen Zephyr was the person they were looking for or not.
Early the Next Morning, Sephirii Global, Private Medical Suite..
Stephen Zephyr opened his eyes, not knowing where he was for several moments until an overwhelming stench of disinfectant reached his nose. Groaning, he heard Ace's shuffling footsteps enter the room. "Oh, good, sir. You're awake."
"Why am I in the medical suite, Ace?" Stephen asked, feeling an innately inhuman urge to suddenly tear this feeble-bodied scientist to shreds.
"You don't remember, sir? You were leaving the building last night when you suddenly collapsed. It was quicker to bring you up here rather than Meteor Heights General downtown. We ran the usual tests just to make sure the serum hasn't affected you.." He trailed off as Stephen leveled a murderous glare at him. "D-don't worry, sir. No one but me knows about the serum test."
Stephen smiled in a way to mirror the Clown Prince from those children's comics, maniacal and hungry. "Good. That makes this all the more easier. Let me see those test results, please."
Although frightened, Ace was always the good lapdog to the CEO. "Y-yes, sir. Of cour- agh!" He said, handing Stephen a manila folder before his heart stopped, his own boss wrenching the organ from the unfortunate scientist's chest cavity with little effort. His arm dripping the dead man's blood onto the floor, Stephen cackled like a stereotypical mad scientist would in a bad horror movie.
"There is no Zephyr here, only I, the Ogre!" Not bothering to even wipe the blood from his arm, the newly named Ogre rushed to the lower R&D levels to find the gadgets he would need to take over the city.
Later that day, Nick walked into the apartment to find Elliot and Rhonda sitting on the couch, both looking flabbergasted. "What's wrong with you two?"
Rhonda pointed to the television, on which there was a breaking news report starting. ".. I'm Raul Johnson, down in front of Sephirii Global Technologies, where we have gruesome reports of Ace Chacharia, the head scientist for Sephirii Research and Development dead in the private medical suite of the building. According to sources, the scientist was found with a hole in his chest and, worst of all, no heart! Other scientists and the few doctors on call report that only the CEO of Sephirii was present in the suite, but he is now currently missing. Is this the doing of the masked menace, the Arachnid? Stay tuned for details as we receive them.."
"Holy. Shit. The fuck?!" Was all Nick could find to say.
"Still think your girlfriend knows Zephyr as well as she said?" Rhonda asked matter-of-factly.
"We have to call her over. She probably doesn't know, and if she does then Sarina's going to be a mess about this. Her mother could be in danger."
"She's already on her way. Called your phone minutes before you got here. Good job leaving it at home, Nick." Elliot said.
"Yeah, yeah. I woke up late, fuck you. You were right, Ro. We may have a new villain out there.. And I sure as hell don't want that kind of strength aimed at me. Ripping a guy's heart out? Who is he, fucking Scorpion?!"
Sarina then burst through the open window, shutting it as quickly as she entered. "This is bad, Nick. My mom.." Sarina had been crying, that much was obvious from the tear streaks still shining down her cheeks.
"It'll be okay, Rina." Nick said, embracing his worried girlfriend as Rhonda half-frowned unnoticed by the other three present in the room. "I doubt he has anything in mind for an older, possibly terminal mother. But, I don't want you stepping foot in Sephirii Global again, alright? If Zephyr is still there, he could be hiding out anywhere in the building."
"He'll be down in the R&D labs, where even the cops won't be allowed to look." Rhonda said, arms crossed in front of her chest as Nick and Sarina looked at her. "Zephyr will be looking for gadgets, weapons, anything he could use to cause mass hysteria."
"What do we do, then? If you're right about this, we'll need your help, Ro. I'm not fighting him alone and Sarina doesn't have enhanced speed or strength."
"Of course I'm going to help you fight him. I promised you that much, didn't I? We have to wait for him to show his face, though. Unless you have a way to get into Sephirii undetected?" All heads turned to Elliot, who sighed heavily.
"I may have a way, but it isn't tested yet. And Rhonda doesn't have a complete suit, yet."
"And what's wrong with a face mask and hoodie?" Rhonda asked.
"The fact that it's not nano-polymer that's practically bulletproof? Unless you're up against a tank shell or mortar blast? Nothing, really. Our boy went out in that shit for the first few months, too. But he did get shot at, and while none actually hit his person, they did damage the hoodie and we couldn't have anyone find out about Nick being the Arachnid. How long do you think we have until Zephyr decides to blow something up? Or at least kill someone else?"
"Not long. He's already killed and if he's anything like the Troll King, then he'll be after total control of the city. Does that mean you've been working on a suit?"
"Of course. Using your nanobots with the limiter Kyrie programmed in helped a lot. The Fabricator should be finished with the suit by tomorrow morning."
It was still early in the day, which made Nick curse at the delay. "Then we're going to have to risk the untested plan. What did you have in mind?"
"I built in a holo-reflective function to the nanobots already in your suit. If it works correctly, then you could blend in seamlessly with your environment. Total invisibility. But as I said, it's still untested. There's no telling how long you could go invisible before the nanobots may have to recharge themselves."
"So, stay out of sight from the Sephirii Global cameras, or above them, when the suit goes into cooldown?" Elliot nodded. "Alright then, I'll take that. You still have the schematics of the building, right?"
"They never left the storage in your mask's visor, being connected to the cloud through our computer here. I'll download them permanently while you're on your way to the Sephirii building. There's probably tech in there to block signals coming in and out of the building in the lower basement levels."
Nick nodded and pulled Sarina back slightly. "I'll make sure he can't hurt your mom, baby. Just stay safe for me, alright?" With a nod, Sarina tearfully walked back to the couch, sitting down while Rhonda stood up.
"You sure we can just break into one of the most secure companies in Meteor Heights?"
Nick flashed her a grin she remembered fondly, even if it had always led the three friends into trouble in the past. "Oh, I'm sure. I already know where we can get in that won't be guarded. Come on." Nodding, Nick and Rhonda sent shots of webbing out into the city and swung out of the apartment.
Elliot looked at Sarina, who had a frown on her face as she watched them swing away towards the skyscraper that was Sephirii Global. "She isn't going to make a move, you know. That jealousy is going to become an issue if you keep letting it eat at you."
Sarina glared at him. "I'm not jealous. Rhonda abandoned Nick, out of nowhere apparently. I was the one who picked up the pieces of his heart and put it back together. I earned Nick being mine."
"Then why still act like a total bitch around her? Is it because you don't have the same powers and can't help Nick like Ro can? Because you know we can't really fix that. I mean, I guess it would be possible, but we don't know if the spider that bit the two of them was the only one who could do such a thing. It may have just been a genetic fluke, you know?"
"I don't want spider powers. It's actually kinda icky to think about, really. I mean, who's to say Nick isn't going to grow four extra arms or something?"
Elliot chuckled. "Alright, you may have a point there. But then why? Sarina, if you won't talk to them about it, then please just explain it to me. We're the odd couple out in this situation, you know. I wish I could help them more than I do."
"Don't. Elliot, your tech skills are amazing, possibly even Antonia Tracer level skill. You are the unsung hero in this team. It's me who drew the short straw." She held up the medallion that gave her the uncanny luck she was known for. "All I have is this, and it just makes me super lucky against others. I don't have fancy powers or a suit that at least has the equivalent to a nuclear arsenal in power behind me. What do I do to help?"
"You answered your own question before, Rina. You helped bring Nick back from his depression. It may not be a superpower or anything, but if he didn't have you, who knows how Nick would have turned out, especially once Ro showed back up. He was pissed at her, you know? The day she came back. He webbed his entire bedroom and started throwing shit everywhere. His alarm clock was literally in the corner of the room like a camera would have been placed."
"Nick? Pissed? I find that hard to believe."
"Well, he was. He calmed down quickly enough, though. Then he cried for like ten minutes or so. Rhonda leaving home so suddenly affected a lot of us back in school, none more so than Nick."
"I know that. You three were a set, going everywhere with each other. I.. I remember you all, back before I graduated. He was always so happy when she was around, it was easy to notice how down he could get when she wasn't with you two. I wanted that feeling, to be happy like that. I wanted Nick, even back then without any of the courage to ask him out.."
"And then you found that medallion." Elliot said matter-of-factly.
Sarina nodded. "Exactly, and when I figured out what it could do, I took advantage of it. I asked him out, but then my mom got sick like some fucked up consequence of doing it. But I made Nick happy, and I couldn't lose that. So I started thieving to find some money to try and help my mom. You know the rest of the story, Nick figured out it was me, stopped me and gave me the ultimatum that he would leave me if I kept doing it, so I stopped. Mostly. Now it's more of a weird date night kind of thing with us."
"That is a bit weird, but in this world, what isn't? Even the comic books in this reality reflect the reality itself, and that in itself is weird. I mean, there's a multiverse, right? All connected to this Web Rhonda speaks of."
Sarina nodded. "I guess. She hasn't really explained it too much, other than that our world isn't technically original, just a reformatted version of the original timeline. There's no telling how much the Multiverse was actually affected without asking this mysterious Master Weaver ourselves."
"And it seems Rhonda is the only one who can communicate with them. Man, life got so much more complicated since Rhonda came home." He shook his head.
"Well, from what she said it was inevitably going to get more complicated. Every reality must follow some form of continuity between them, right? Like the emergence of certain villainous characters or even the origins of another superhero? I mean, I remember the Komodo incident."
"Ah, yes. Doc Lowell from high school chemistry. Man, that was some shit Nick had to pull off to beat him. Even with enhanced strength, Lowell as Komodo outmatched Nick easily."
"Wait, that was Doctor Lowell? How the fuck?"
"Nick's first villain, too, technically. Nick only managed to stop him because I had reverse-engineered a cure from the original serum Lowell used on himself. He did it to grow his missing leg back, you know. It was a noble mission, but science apparently still goes sideways even with the best intentions."
Sarina nodded, remembering the teacher. "That's right. He had been working on using lizard DNA to regrow lost limbs, help thousands of veterans around the world. And it just backfired."
"Yeah. Seems like that may have been predetermined, but who knows?"
"Nick's never faced anyone sporting mechanical tentacles or anything, right?"
Elliot looked at her, confused. "No.. Something else Rhonda mentioned?"
Sarina shook her head. "No, but I've been having strange dreams lately. People floating tracing circles out of what look like sparks in the air, tentacles glowing with red eye-like lights swaying back and forth, electricity crackling and forming a human body, the same thing with sand or maybe wet concrete, and even maniacal laughing and a biological-looking scorpion tail. I don't know what any of it means, but Rhonda mentioned something called the Sinister Six and Nick likened that to something called the Murderous Legion from comics, and not counting the floating person who seemed maybe to help, not destroy then that makes five villains coming, and I have a feeling the laugh signifies whatever is going on with my boss."
Elliot nodded as the two sat in silence, waiting for word from Nick and Rhonda.
Sephirii Global Lower Levels, A While Later..
Nick panted as he swung himself into the vents, the laser from the defense turret just missing him as it flashed on impact with the steel walls of the lower levels. Rhonda rolled her eyes at him. "Still sure you can get down there?"
"Ha ha. I didn't realize the turret was just outside the vent. At least it's not a camera."
"Yeah, yeah. Use the thing Elliot gave you and shut the damn thing off. Or at least gum it up with webbing."
"Alright, fine. Jeez, stop being so impatient. It doesn't suit you."
"Oh, really? And what does, then?" Nick looked at the girl and saw the flirty look in her eyes.
He smirked and shook his head. "Just because she's not here, huh? That's definitely not like you, either. Or maybe it always was and I was too much of a dummy to notice." Without another word, he activated the stealth feature and swung back out of the vent, leaving a thoughtful Rhonda silent in the small space.
The turret didn't see him and the stealth hadn't run out by the time Nick had crawled along the ceiling into the room at the end of the hallway, conveniently labeled as the secret tech lab. This seems way too obvious.. He thought as he saw the missing person in question. Stephen Zephyr stood over a worktable, setting an injection needle up with a glowing liquid.
The mogul jabbed the needle into his arm and pushed the plunger, Nick's eyes widening behind his mask as he watched the liquid lessen in the vial until nothing was left and his sensitive hearing began hearing sickening snapping noises as Stephen let out a screaming laugh that rivaled that of the devil himself. The man's skin bulged and expanded as he grew taller and into the shape of a bodybuilder. Then, his skin began to darken and turn sickly green, deepening to that more akin to a forest green. His nose elongated and curved downward, and his toes and fingers became terrible clawed digits. "Yes, now to begin my conquest!" He roared out, his voice oddly higher in pitch than Nick had expected of the beastly form.
"Fuck this. I've seen this anime and movie. Just nope." Nick whispered to himself and backed out of the room.
Rhonda was startled when she heard a bang near her in the vent before Nick deactivated the stealth feature of his suit. "Jeez, Nick. Give a girl a heart attack, why don't you?"
"Oh, don't be so dramatic. But, we gotta get the fuck outta here." He said, somehow squeezing past Rhonda towards where they had infiltrated the building.
"Now who's being dramatic? Hey, wait up! Nick!" Rhonda had to pick her own pace up as she crawled through the vent to catch up to Nick. "What the hell did you see? Was Zephyr there?" Nick didn't acknowledge the question, further annoying and confusing Rhonda as Nick speed crawled his way out of the vent and swung away on a web. She growled and followed. "Seriously, Nick! What did you see?!" She said as she got fed up, shooting her own web at Nick to get him to stop in his tracks.
They had already swung about a block and a half away from Sephirii Global when Nick got pinned to the roof of the apartments he had been passing over by Rhonda's webbing. He struggled to get out and stopped when she landed next to him.
"What the hell is wrong, Nicky? I haven't seen you bug out like that since the night Elliot dragged us ghost hunting at the asylum before they refurbished it. Was Zephyr in the research lab?"
"Oh, he was. But whatever the hell comes back out of that lab? That wasn't fucking human." His eyes were wide, and Rhonda could see his chest heaving in some weird fight-or-flight response telling him to get the hell away from whatever had caused the state. He was having a panic attack, and Rhonda cursed. "Of course it's a fucking panic attack and Sarina isn't here to help her boyfriend." She sighed heavily, shaking her head. "I gotta do it. Otherwise he's just gonna pass out and then I'll have to lug his ass back to the apartment. Fuck. Sarina, you're gonna owe me big time for this." She grabbed the sides of Nick's face, Nick's eyes meeting hers. "Don't be mad. Just relax, baby." She knew her tongue had slipped but she didn't care as she threw herself forward, her lips on Nick's.
Gradually, Nick's breathing became less shallow and Rhonda sighed internally in relief. Unfortunately, the pull between their powers was stronger now that she had done one of the things she had sworn she wouldn't, crossing a line she shouldn't have needed to cross. Their kiss deepened until Rhonda's mind finally caught up to her actions and she backed off, backpedaling herself several feet back. "Shit. Fuck. Damnit!"
Nick, coming to his own senses moments later, was able to finally break the hold Rhonda's webbing had on him. "Rhonda.."
"Just go, Nick. I.. I need to collect myself. Tell Sarina that we three need to have a long talk later." Confused as to why he specifically had to be present for something that seemed like it encompassed the two girls more than himself, Nick sighed and nodded.
"Just don't leave town, Ro." He didn't need to say anything else, but he knew that she wasn't going to cut and run again anyway.
Rhonda's answer was the almost silent thwip of her webbing shooting her away from the rooftop he was on. Nick made his way in the opposite direction, back to the apartment to report what he had seen inside Sephirii Global. Nothing else.
Late That Night, Apartment Rooftop..
Rhonda looked over to one side of the apartment building, seeing Nick sling himself and Sarina onto the roof. Nick didn't meet her eyes, and Sarina was attentive enough to notice this. "Alright, so there is something going on with you two. What did you do, Rhonda?"
"It wasn't her fault, babe-"
"Shut it, Nick. I asked her. Now, answer me, Rhonda. Why the fuck can't you two even look at each other right now?" She sounded pissed, and Rhonda knew she had every right to be suspicious with the two old friends unable to currently look each other in the eye. "Nick told us what he saw inside Sephirii.. I had really hoped it wasn't going to be him, but that's beside the point that Nick never said why you weren't with him when he came back. So what. Happened?"
Rhonda sighed, not wanting to look at either of them at that moment. "Nick had a panic attack because of what he saw Zephyr become in that lab, alright? I did the only thing I knew to deal with it since you weren't there to!"
Sarina narrowed her eyes at her, trying to figure out what Rhonda meant until she remembered several TV shows where the exact same event had happened, and her eyes widened when she realized what the solution to those attacks had been as she sneered at the younger girl. "You fucking kissed him?! And you just let her?!" She further screamed at Nick, the boy looking down.
"I had no choice in the matter, Sarina. It was a panic attack! If she hadn't, then I would have been passed out instead of able to tell you and Elliot about Zephyr's transformation."
"She still kissed you, Nick! You're my boyfriend, not hers!"
"Oh, fuck off, Sarina! Yes, I kissed him, but you know what else? I also stopped myself before our powers and this fucking pheromone issue made it impossible to stop. I would have taken him, Sarina, but I'm not trying to be a homewrecker about this so please just calm down! I called you and Nick here to talk, and I meant it seriously."
Something in her statement had softened the harsh stare Sarina gave Rhonda, not knowing whether it was the soft, pleading tone of her voice or the look the younger girl sent her way. "Then talk, Rhonda."
Rhonda nodded. "I would be lying if I said I have my hormonal issues with Nick completely under control. I don't, and I may never have full control over those feelings. I hate it, alright? I've been gone for three years, and maybe that was what kept it at bay, but now it's hard. That kiss was only meant to get him out of his sudden panic attack, nothing more. But that's where this stupid messed up connection with Nick comes into further play. Sarina, I don't want to come between you two, I can and have seen how you two love each other and I won't take that away like a jealous bitch, even if that's how I'm feeling.
"I just want my friends back, at this point. Elliot is easy enough because I'm not attracted to him like that, but the two of you? That's a whole nother story."
Nick and Sarina looked at each other, the latter mouthing 'Both of us?' at the former. "Wait, Ro. You lost us. What do you mean by both of us?" Nick asked.
"The two of you, obviously. More specifically, the pheromones haven't entirely been exclusive to affecting me with Nick. It's just harder to resist the heterosexual side of it."
Sarina understood what she meant, something else Elliot had only mentioned in passing to her earlier that day. "That's right, Elliot said something about you being bisexual like I am. But, how do your pheromones work exactly, then? If it's somehow attracting you to Nick and me?"
Rhonda shook her head, eyes glistening with tears threatening to fall. "I don't know! That's the million dollar fucking question, isn't it? The only thing I can think of is that Nick's own pheromones probably keep rubbing off on you, and that in turn affects me even though it isn't physically Nick."
Sarina frowned, realizing now just how out of control the younger girl's own powers seemed to be, even though Nick had no control over that particular aspect either. But Rhonda had known and practically suffered with this pheromone issue for three years already. Sarina didn't want to admit it, but Rhonda was definitely stronger than she was when it came to her own shortcomings. Like with her medallion. It created outstanding good luck for her, but the consequences were a coin toss. On one side, someone else would have luck just as bad as hers would be good, potentially killing them. Or, on the other side of the cursed coin that was her abilities, the medallion itself compelled her to continue stealing and being the villain she didn't want to be. "Rhonda.."
"Don't say it. I know, I'm fucking pathetic. Three years trying to keep myself from giving in to this damn supernatural attraction only to be affected by two people instead of the one I left behind in my cowardice." Rhonda looked down, opting to gauge if the fall off the ten-story building would completely kill her if she had no other choice.
"Stop." Nick and Rhonda both looked at Sarina, who was visibly shaking, with what emotion exactly they couldn't tell. "Rhonda, I hate to admit it, but you're much stronger than I am, especially with this pheromone situation." She looked at Nick then, sadly. "You don't know the extent of my abilities from this stupid medallion, Nick." She said, fiddling with the coin in question. "It's not just good luck for me. It's my own double-edged sword. Yes, it can grant me insane luck, but if the luck is too good? Someone else could get hurt or even die from the after effects. And, while I don't want to steal or anything like that anymore, I can't help it because of this thing. It compels me to do it, and again someone could get hurt if I ignore that compulsion too much. That's how.. It's why my mother is so sick. But if I try and get rid of it, it shows back up the next day like it's alive. And it looks like there's nothing I can do about that.."
Nick smiled sadly. "I've known about the side-effects, Rina." Sarina looked at him. "You really think I didn't get Elliot to email me anything he could find on that amulet?"
"Then why would you let her keep it, Nick? It obviously hurts those she cares for. What if the next target for that effect is you?"
"I'm immune, actually, thanks to that sixth sense of ours. I've probably dodged death by that amulet's hands more than a handful of times."
"Then again, why?"
"Because it's connected to Sarina, bonded if you will. And I don't know how to help her."
"What about the sorcerers?"
"Sorcerers? Where the hell do you expect us to find a goddamn sorcerer in modern times?"
Rhonda facepalmed herself. "Really, Nick? You're a superhero and you know about the Heroes Alliance but not the sorcerer faction?"
Nick shook his head. "Nope. Plus, how would we even go about finding them?"
"I.. I don't know, actually." Suddenly, there were sirens sounding all around the apartment building, emergency vehicles flying down the streets towards what seemed like the direction of Sephirii Global. "What the.. Zephyr!"
"Rhonda, let's go." Nick said, turning to a frowning Sarina. "We have to deal with this, baby. Rhonda is on par with me, I'll be okay. I just want you to stay here and stay safe."
Sarina only nodded as Nick threw himself backward off the roof, the telltale thwip of his webbing sounding as Rhonda sighed, about to follow him. "Rhonda, wait." The younger girl turned to the other. "Keep him safe, please. I'll think about it." Before Rhonda could ask her what she meant, Sarina flipped backwards over the side, landing silently on the fire escape landing outside Nick and Elliot's apartment before climbing in before some nosy neighbor happened upon her entrance.
Elliot turned from his computer, whatever schematics he was working on- Probably for Rhonda- showing across the screen. "So? How did it go?"
Sarina sighed as she sat back down on the couch. "I hate that I can't help them, but.. I know Rhonda isn't going to let Nick get hurt.."
Elliot saw the far-off look in the older girl's eyes. "What's going on in that head of yours, anyway?" He asked.
"Hmm? Oh, don't worry about it, Elliot. But, hey, listen. I'm sorry Nick and I lied to you about cutting our relationship off."
"Meh. I wasn't really that angry about it, honestly. More shocked by the fact you two hid it so well for so long. I mean, Nick told me you had broken it off with him over a year ago."
Sarina giggled. "Yeah, we're both pretty sneaky when we need to be. Why aren't you mad about any of this? Surely something's rustled your jimmies?"
Elliot cackled. "Oh my God, you did not just use a meme in real life."
"Why not? It's true. You act like things anger you, but it's all an act. How are you so carefree?"
"I just go with the flow, really. Nothing bothers me because I trust Nick and you to make sure that whatever happens, it doesn't end in total disaster. Like the Siren debacle."
Sarina groaned. "Ugh, don't mention that. I almost killed Nick then. What do you think about Rhonda, Nick and I? Like, all together?"
"You mean in one relationship?" Sarina nodded, a blush on her face as Elliot shook his head, laughing. "It was only a matter of time."
Sarina looked at him quizzically as the news came back on. "We bring this breaking news from downtown Meteor Heights! I'm Cassie Vickers and the scene in front of Sephirii Global is absolutely ludicrous as the Arachnid seems to be battling a literal ogre! There is also another person with powers similar to the Arachnid swinging around attempting to help stop the creature. Is this the beginning of the end for Meteor Hei-" Sarina muted the television.
"Jesus Christ! Was that Zephyr? What the hell did that shit do to him?!"
"You heard Vickers. He's turned into an ogre. If he can do that to other people, he'll become unstoppable. You two.. You both better come home."
Elliot looked at the older woman and nodded thoughtfully as they continued watching the news report, both worrying for their friends.
Downtown..
Nick panted as he landed on one of the buildings near the battlefield the mutated Zephyr had chosen. "Stephen! We don't have to do this! Just surrender."
"Don't try to talk to him, Arachnid! He's only after power, he won't listen to anything else!" Rhonda called out as she slid between the huge man's legs, webbing both and pulling them to trip him up.
Nick's breath caught as the tactic didn't work and Rhonda was pulled back towards the giant as Zephyr popped one leg back. "Get away from her!" He shouted as he used his webbing as a slingshot, speeding through the air to kick Zephyr in the back of the head which made the now superhuman fall to the ground as Rhonda cut her webbing from before, regrouping with Nick feet away.
Zephyr roared. "I will not lose! I am the ruler of this pitiful city! I am the Ogre!" Before he could say anything else, Nick and Rhonda had both webbed the former CEO's mouth, arms and legs together with as much webbing as they could muster, hopefully enough to keep the now named Ogre in place until the proper authorities could arrive. Nick pulled Rhonda close, the girl sighing as he did so.
"Thank God you're okay. Ro, that was so stupid! He would have killed you."
"I'm okay, Nick. You made sure he couldn't. What happens now?"
Nick looked over at the monster laying on the street, his eyes darkened. "I don't know.." Without another word, he shot upwards to get back to the apartment, Rhonda following close behind. Things were never going to be as simple as they had the last three years, but whatever happened the two Spiders knew they would take care of it together.