Answers to reviewer's questions or statements:
superspiderrfan: I do have an X-men story with Spider-man in mind as for Grail, we'll see
Bobywhy: Diana's problem with the symbiote is well like she's said, it's a parasite and it turns people into monsters the longer they have it along with a few other rather nasty side effects that I will explore as the story goes on starting in this chapter. And you are right in that it'd make Peter harsher, but Diana would prefer that he's doing those things of his own accord and believes in what Superman and she stand for instead of being manipulated and to an extent controlled by something else. And while Diana is going down a dark path, Peter with the symbiote is going down an even darker one, one that may end up creating something that may even force Diana to possibly put Peter down. Diana and the people on Superman's side want peace and stability, the symbiote controlling Peter will be anything but that plus I've hinted earlier that Venom's kind and Kryptonians have a less than stellar history which will also be explored.
charger2040: Peter and Superman's long waited confrontation is coming, sooner than what most think. And yes, Diana and Peter will both fight to keep their marriage, won't be easy and at times they will come close to ending it as time goes on.
Disclaimer: I don't own any Marvel or DC characters seen, mentioned or used in this story
Year one…
"Sir, I'm beginning to grow concerned with Master Parker's recent behavior" Alfred said to Bruce as he sat in the Batcave monitoring his ward's status.
Batman was currently examining the remnants of an old base outside of Gotham that used to be one of Otto Octavius's. Spider-man was originally called in to help Bruce go through it and see if the duo could find out where Otto has slinked off to but then Arkham happened and since than things arguably more important just starting stacking up
"His wife struck him Alfred, it doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman. If your spouse resorts to physical assault it's bound to offset them" Bruce said over the comms
Alfred nodded in agreement even though he knew his ward couldn't see it "Of course sir but there's also another thing I wish to discuss with you. It has to do with his suit that we currently have in storage"
Alfred looked over towards a table that had a container on it that currently was containing the Venom symbiote. After Peter reappeared after almost two days of silence, he had Bruce help him remove the symbiote and place it in something to keep it secured for the time being. Alfred and Bruce have already forbidden Cassandra and Jason from going anywhere near it
"Is there something wrong?" Bruce asked with a hint of unease in his voice
"Not at the moment sir but I believe we need to limit the times that master Parker wears it. According to your scans while it does over time began to further enhance his abilities it also is beginning to greatly alter his mind set." Alfred said
"I'll talk to him after I get back Alfred, until then make sure he's fine" Bruce said
"Very good sir, if you require any further assistance I'll have an ear piece with me" Alfred said as he synched the device to the computer before getting up and heading for the stairs that led to the manor
…
"Your upset" Cassandra said as she, Peter and Jason sat in the kitchen eating leftovers from the previous night, or at least Jason was
Peter who was in the middle of eating a sandwich gave the girl a deadpanned stare "Oh shucks, I was trying so hard to hide it"
Jason snorted as he was busy eating left over chicken alfredo "Trust me webs, not even Bruce can hide anything from her"
"In that case I want her with me every time I ask him something" Peter said as he gestured to the girl who was now on the 'Two Towers' of The Lord of the Rings books "That way I know I can get an honest answer out of him"
Jason gave Peter a surprised expression "Why didn't I think of that?"
"Because you were too busy being dramatic" Cass said as she turned the page and kept reading with growing concern, the battle of Helm's deep wasn't t looking too good for Rohan
"Heh burn" Peter snickered as he allowed himself to genuinely smile for the first time in days.
After he left Diana in the street Peter spent the next few hours roaming around through Gotham's sewers and catacombs and even through bits of the foundations of Old Gotham over near the old Arkham City installation. He also used the time to seriously evaluate his relationship with Diana
He still loved her, hell if she asked him to move heaven and hell right now he'd do it before she uttered the last syllable of her request. But what he couldn't understand is why she kept supporting Superman, it was obvious that the man needed help and was already beginning to show signs of a god complex. Superiority complexes and guys with Clark's powers, it never ends well for anyone
"So webs, not that I don't like having you around or anything but uh when you heading back to New York?" Jason asked as he finished his food
Peter shrugged "Well since most of my rouges have been rounded up and sent off to who knows where and the few who aren't have gone underground, New York just hasn't really needed me. Besides, my brothers, Black Cat and Anti-Venom have things covered. Hell, the Punisher is even helping out"
"It will not last" Cass said plainly "Evil never stays down for long"
Peter chuckled "Man you're really getting into those books, next thing we know your trying to speak the Elvish language"
"I've already have" Cass said in Tolkien's elvish language which earned a laugh from both men and a smile out of her
"It's nice to see you getting back to your old self Master Parker" Alfred said as he appeared with a small smile on his face
"Yeah… guess I just needed a few days away from that suit is all" Peter said as he scratched his head
"Not gonna lie, that suit makes you look and act like a badass" Jason said as he pushed his plate away "The only down side is it makes being around you hard"
"So I've been told" Peter said with a sigh before he held up his hand and examined a small little itch he's been feeling on his wrist. He gently touched it and nearly pulled his hand back when he felt the faint outline of a bony tip under his skin
'Great… I'm in the beginning stages of another episode' Peter thought with dread as an old memory of his began to flare 'First the venom blasts now those…'
"Your troubled, something bothering you" Cass stated as she kept an eye on Peter
"Really starting to hate that whole I know what you're possibly feeling or doing body read thing" Peter sighed before he waved it off "It's nothing serious, more of an annoyance than anything"
"Are you sure?" Cass asked as she and Jason kept a watchful eye on Peter while Alfred listened in while idly washing some of the dishes
"Yeah… I just need some time to think is all" Peter said as he got up from the table "I'm going to explore this place and see if I can find any bodies of old girlfriends that Bruce has hidden here"
"Heh than I recommend the east wing. There's a pretty suspicious smell around there and I've noticed Alfred here cleaning it a lot over the years. I think old Alfie here is in on it" Jason smirked
"Why master Todd what makes you think it's Master Bruce's girlfriends hidden up there?" Alfred said mildly
Peter chuckled as he left the kitchen to the sounds of Jason's laughing and made his way through the halls. After he was a certain distance from the others he let out a sigh and looked out the window towards Gotham city shining in the distance
Peter isn't sure just how long he stood there watching the distant lights twinkle in the night, but when he faintly heard someone approaching his neck cracked when he turned to see it was Cass approaching him
"Something up?" Peter questioned the teenager
"No, thought you could use some company" Cass said as she stood next to Peter
"What makes you say that?" Peter asked as he returned his gaze towards the distant city
"A hunch" Cass said with a shrug as she brushed some of her hair out of the way
"You sure Cain's your dad? Cause you're an awful like Bruce" Peter joked weakly
"It is something I wish was true" Cass replied before turning to face Peter "She's hurt you, hasn't she?"
Peter gave the girl a curious look "What?"
"Wonder Woman" Cass said as she took a step forward "She hurt you and you don't know how to handle that"
Peter felt his brow twitch slightly "I'm not talking about this"
"Talking I'm told helps" Cass said
"Well until you get a doctrine and a license to be a therapist, you won't be hearing anything from me" Peter said with a snort
"I have ways of getting people to talk" Cass said with a smile
"Like what, pain?" Peter joked as he looked at the girl
Cass looked up to him and flashed him a small grin as she leaned in and whispered "…Or pleasure"
Peter's eyes widened to the point he thought his eyes might fall out as Cass turned and started to walk away and he swore he saw an obvious sway in her hips. He stood there for a good several minutes as a sudden realization came to him
Cassandra Wayne had a thing for him! Batman's seventeen-year-old adopted daughter was attracted to him!
"…Why me?" Peter said with a sigh as he pinched the ridge of his nose before turning and headed for the Batcave "I really need to find something to take my mind off this stuff"
He had just started to make his way down the stair case when he heard a loud crash and multiple people yelling. Peter sprinted down the stairs and came upon the sight of Jason standing in front of what looked like a hurt Alfred aiming a gun at Damian while Bruce was brushing bits of debris off him
Oh, and Hawkgirl was there too, she was slowly lowering the giant penny to the ground
'When the hell did she get that strong?' Peter thought as he slowly approached the group
Hawkgirl placed a hand on Damian's shoulder and began to lead him away "I think we should go Robin"
"No, leave him!" Batman spat out a glob of blood and glared at the boy wonder
Hawkgirl to Peter's surprise stopped and tried to figure out why that was, and it seemed so was Damian as he slowly reached for his belt before he threw it on the ground between him and the winged heroine who backed away in surprise and revealed herself to actually be Martian Manhunter
'Wondered where he's been' Peter thought as he took a step back from the small flames
Jason quickly grabbed a nearby extinguisher and began to put out the flames while Peter slowly approached the slightly startled Martian and one of the most powerful beings on earth. Manhunter could easily match Superman in power and possibly surpass it from what he's been told and his own experiences with the last survivor of Mars
"So J'onn, haven't seen you in a while" Peter said with a couch as some of the smoke from the incendiary made its way into his mouth
"Peter…" Manhunter nodded as his old teammate "I wish our reunion was under better circumstances"
Peter chuckled "Than it wouldn't have been a real reunion"
"…That is true" J'onn said with a sigh as he turned to see Batman approaching "I'm sorry for compromising the plan"
"It was bound to happen eventually" Bruce said with a sigh
"Uh Bat's mind telling me why J'onn here was Hawkgirl? Because I remember you releasing her" Peter gave the man a pointed look
"I wasn't going to hold her forever, I just needed time for J'onn here to try and talk some sense into Superman and his people before things escalated any further" Batman said
"Really? Uh incase it's escaped your notice Bats but at this point trying to reason with Superman is about as effective as trying to stop a bolt of lightning from striking a tall building. It ain't going to work" Peter said with an eye roll
"So you're already giving up on him?" Bruce asked
"I gave up on him the moment he lifted Atlantis out of the sea and placed it in the dessert" Peter said with his gaze narrowing at the caped crusader "Hate to tell ya Bruce, but Joker and Otto won and to be honest I think you know how this whole thing is going to have to end"
Batman glared at Peter and took a step towards him "What are you implying Peter"
Peter gave Bruce a look "Really I have to spell it out for you? Bruce Clark isn't going to stop this whole starting the Kryptonain equivalent of the Third Reich, hell even if we do beat him than what? There isn't a prison on earth strong enough to hold him and thanks to the Justice League any Kryptonite that made it to earth has been destroyed"
"We're not going to kill him Peter" Bruce growled out "Clark needs help, not a bullet of Kryptonite to the head!"
"Well as far as I'm concerned at the moment it looks like that's what it'll take to stop him in the end" Peter shot back with a growl of his own
"Enough!" J'onn spoke up in a raised tone that stopped both men "We need to relocate and come up with a new plan of action. I have been around Superman long enough to know that he and his allies will respond to our course of actions these past few days"
"Yeah, like I'm scared of getting a scolding from Superman" Jason said sarcastically as he approached the group "Well it's obvious that the little bastard is gone and probably on his way back to his new master"
"Jason…" Bruce said in a warning tone
"What it's true" Jason shrugged before he looked at the cracked screen of the Batcomputer "Aww man, I was going to play Call of Duty on there later"
"I was going to check my Twitter account with it" Peter quipped before he took a calming breath and looked towards Bruce "So how do you think they're going to react? Whatever it is, it'll be bad"
"I know" Bruce said as he made his way to the Batcomputer and sat down with a grunt "You need to leave…"
"I do?" Peter said with a raised brow
Bruce nodded "This will be the first place they come to and I need you to go and release Hawkgirl. Take Jason and Cass with you"
"Alright, but what about you two?" Peter gestured towards Bruce and J'onn
"I will stay here and watch over him" J'onn said as he slowly cloaked himself
"I'm going to send word out to the rest and have them regroup at one of my safe houses" Bruce said as he sat down at the Batcomputer and began to input commands
Peter nodded before looking towards Alfred "What about you old timer?"
"Just a scratch master Peter, had worse" the butler waved off Peter's concerns "But I wouldn't mind some teas and perhaps a change of clothes"
"I'll help out with the tea part" Jason said as he helped Alfred up and escorted him towards the stairs
Peter watched the two go before his gaze flickered over to a table that held the symbiote's container.
"It's already gotten it's hold on you" J'onn's voice said quietly
"What makes you say that?" Peter said as he began to approach the table
"I can sense it in your mind… as well as something else" the Martian stated in a matter of fact tone
"Yeah, going through another episode" Peter said with a shrug as he picked up the container and placed it under his arm and looked over to Bruce who was busy typing away "So where exactly is Hawkgirl being held?"
Bruce pulled something out of his belt and turned and tossed it towards him. Peter caught it with ease and looked at the device that showed where the winged heroine was at "Oh…guess I'll go let Polly out of her cage than"
"Stay safe" Bruce said as he turned his attention back towards the computer
"Yes mom!" Peter said with a roll of his eyes as he made his way up the steps back into the manor
And done.
Yeah the whole Cass thing having a crush on Peter random I know but i thought it'd be kinda of funny. Peter just has a knack for catching women's attention.
Next chapter deals with a surprising revelation and the Spider clan is forced to make a difficult decision