I do not own Spider-Man or Legend of Korra.

XXXxxx Republic City Park xxxXXX

Brown and gold leaves danced across the emerald park grounds. The citizens started to wear their long sleeves and scarves. The weather wasn't cold enough to warrant coats just yet. Peter walked through the park with food in hand. He wanted to see an old friend of his. He searched high and low but nothing turned up. A grove of bushes caught his eye. It took him a moment but he found a particular bush with a very subtle shine to it.

"Yo Gummu you home!?" Peter kicked the bush lightly.

The bush rustled a bit and the friendly vagabond pooped out and yawned. He squinted and went into a crisp salute. "Communication Specialist Gummu reporting for duty!" He looked confused and searched for the voice that interrupted his slumber. He found a dumbfounded young man at the foot of his bush.

"Hi, remember me?" Peter said.

Gummu eyes adjusted to the light and got a good look at him now. He paused of a second as he tried to put a name to the familiar face. "…Peter right? Long time no see how it is going kid."

Peter smiled; it was refreshing to hear someone use his real name. Vague interdimensional Brits didn't count. He shrugged. "Eh I can't complain."

"Sure you can but I'm glad you're not. So what brings you to my humble home Peter?"

"I was hoping we could catch up over some grub. What do you say?"

The hobo shuck his head. "No can do my boy. I'm much too busy today."

Peter cocked an eye brow. "You were sleeping."

"Ah to the untrained eye maybe but it's quite a complicated procedure. What I was actually doing was putting myself in a very brief state of hibernation for the task at hand."

Peter couldn't shake the feeling like he was getting the cold shoulder. "Which is?"

"Surveying dumpsters for proper street gruel production, gathering up enough newspapers for the coming winter, you can never have enough insulation, and finally networking this valuable information to the other vagabonds in the city. Finding the next meal alone will take me…"

"I brought food." He held up the bag of take out.

Gommu smiled. "And you just did ninety percent of my work for today so sure let's catch up."

The two found a park bench and started eating. Peter told the vagabond about his rise to fame and the pitfalls he endured. He omitted the twins and the other half of his life of course.

"Hehe that's a heck of a journey kid I knew you'd be a somebody." He took a hearty bite of a fist sized dumpling and patted Parker on the back.

"Thanks. To be honest I would've been happy with the factory gig. Guess fate had other plans for me. Let me tell you pal I thought Mr. Sato was going to bite my head off in that office."

"Oh who would blame you? Bumping into some big wig industrialist can be intimidating. But if you were trying to hide that big brain of yours why'd you jot all that stuff down on that note book?" Gommu asked.

Peter pondered on it for a second and looked up to the grey sky. "I guess I needed an outlet you know. I didn't have much of a social life here. Between work and…other stuff I just went home and listened to the radio. So I picked up a notebook and started writing stuff down. I brought it to work to add stuff during my lunch breaks and the rest is history."

"I see what you mean. Everyone needs a hobby right."

"So what do you think about all this civil unrest?"

"I don't think unrest is a civil thing my boy."

"I was talking about all the madness going on in the city. The Equalist, The Avatar, Spider-Man, what do you think?"

"Oh that's what you meant. Well for starters I don't care too much for the Epualist movement but those flyers I found are going to be real handy when the snow rolls in."

Peter was happy to hear his distaste of the so called revolution. Not everyone was falling for Amon's witch hunt.

"I got a funny story on the Avatar. I actually meat her when she arrived in the city." He pointed at a nearby stream. "Yep she was over there catching some fishies and she was kind enough to threw a few of them my way. So she's alright in my book."

"So you bummed a meal from the Avatar huh?" Peter teased.

"Hey now the life of a nomad is not an easy one. If the universe offers you a gift you don't refuse it."

Peter chuckled. "I'm just yanking your chain old timer. So the universe gave you a fish huh. Oh man that's rich." He waved his hands and made ghost noises. "And I bet the spirits made me bring dumplings."

Gommu didn't take the teasing personally. He just sat there with a knowing smile on his face. "I see you still don't believe in the mystical part of life. That's O.K everyone comes around eventually. And yes I think the universe set things in motion for you to bring me such a gracious meal and a healthy conversation. Its good karma for helping you out the first time we meat."

"Eh, you might have something with that karma bit." He admitted. His curiosity nagged him to move on to his alter ego. "So what about the spider guy huh?" He couldn't help but grin.

If Gommu was a normal man he would've found Peter's burst of energy strange but he paid to no mind. He finished off the rest of his dumpling before answering. "I feel sorry for the guy."

The vagabond's response left Peter confused. He wasn't ready for a neutral answer. "Why would you feel sorry for Spider-Man exactly? You should feel sorry for the people who picked a fight with him. I mean I think so anyway it's not like a care." He kept his emotions in check.

"I bet. I heard about that. He put quite the hurt on those mooks."

"I'm still not following why anyone would feel sorry for him."

The hobo sat back and contemplated the best way to convey his point. "How can I put this? I feel bad for him because he's fighting an unwinnable battle. He won't bend for the world. Get it?"

"Can't say I do."

"Look Peter, there's always some evil person out there meaning to do harm to others. Spider-Man can go out there night after night and beat a thousand muggers and you know what there would still be a thousand muggers waiting for him the next night. You see he's not fighting crime he's fighting the world. You either bend the world or it'll bend for you. Makes sense now?"

Peter's skepticism was still intact but we was starting to get the picture. "I think so. You're saying he's defying the natural order. Don't you think you're being a little dramatic? So he smacks around a few hoods here and there big deal."

Gommu sighed. "You youngsters always have trouble with this. Peter you're ignoring the consequences of Spider-Man's actions. He's a good guy and all but crippled the triads he made them an easy target for the Equalist. And now the chief has his number and she can't focus on the Equalist now."

"How did you came across that info? The papers didn't say anything about crippling the triads."

"Word travels fast in the city and it travels faster amongst the vagabonds."

A tension was in the air as the two stayed quiet for a moment. Peter kept his temper in check. Gommu words weren't easy to hear. "I get it now, can't say I agree with it but I get it."

"You gotta live a little longer to agree with it." He leaned forward and looked off into the distance. "Take it from me kid, I didn't bend for the world when I should've."

Peter hesitated to ask. He didn't want to reopen old wounds. "What happened to you?"

He continued to stare off into space. "You sure you want to hear it. It's a long sad story you know."

"You got me interested now. Go ahead."

"Wellp once upon a time the humble vagabond before you was a hot shot communication specialist in the United Forces."

"So that's where that salute came from huh." Peter pointed out.

He laughed. "Yeah some things never change. Anyway, one day the brass started rolling out fancy new radios for their bases and ships. So some time goes by and what do you know it my livelihood was deemed obsolete. They told me I was too old to be retrained on the new layout. They tried to reassign me. Heck they tried to make me an army barber of all things. I wasn't hearing any of it so I fought tooth and nail to get my old job back. I tried talking it over with my superior and some harsh words were tossed around. So I ended up hitting the guy. That stunt landed me a dishonorable discharge and a nervous breakdown came next. It took me a while but I eventually pulled myself together and here I am." Despite the tale of unfortunate events, the friendly vagabond smiled.

Peter was silent for a moment. The guy went through hell and still found time to smile. It was all a little unnerving. "Gommu buddy I'm sorry that happened to you."

Reliving is gloomy past didn't do much to detour his positive outlook. "Don't worry about it Peter. That's all water under the bridge now. You see I didn't bend for the world so it bent me. It's not a pleasant experience and I'd hate to see that do-gooder go through such a thing."

"Well maybe he could…" Peter was cut off by the clock tower chiming. It was one o'clock already. He got up with the paper bag in hand. "And my lunch break is over. Thanks for the talk old timer it was very enlightening." He waved good bye and started the trek back to Future Industries.

Gommu waved back. "Thanks for the grub kid!" He started to head back to his favorite bush. Then a thought stopped him in his tracks. "You know, you could bend the world. You'd have to be crazier than an angry buzzard wasp and Spidy definitely fits the bill…" He stood at the foot of his bush and thought about it for a moment and shrugged. "Eh what do I know?" He left it at that and dived into his bush.

XXXxxx Future Industries R and D Wing xxxXXX

Peter walked through the door finishing the last bit of his food. He didn't get a chance to finish his lunch with all the talking.

"You're late Takuya." A voice said behind a large bulky machine.

He turned and sees Kazuhira working on some odd looking device. It looked like some kind of radio emitter. Kaz didn't even look at him and continued to review his data. "Muff buff muff…" He tried to speak but Kaz caught him as he was chewing. He gulped it down and tired again. "Only by a few minutes Mr. Kaz."

The seasoned scientist adjusted the devices dials and prepared for another round of tests. "You're still late brain boy. I swear what is it with kids and being on time. You're worst then my eight year old daughter."

"Yeah being punctual was never my strong suit. Hey is Mr. Sato in today?" He asked.

Kaz got off Peter's case and answered. "He left a couple hours ago, said something about an emergency meeting with one of the investors. It must've been important. The dear leader looked pale on his way out." He flipped a few switches and started to charge the machine.

Peter played it off. It wasn't that important anyway. "Oh well, I'll catch him later on then." He began to walk to his desk as Kaz activated the machine. He managed to take two steps before his Spider-sence went wild. The gentle buzz quickly built up to a full blown mind grain. His irises flashed from blue to red for a split second.

Kaz saw that his coworker was distressed and cut the machine off before rushing to the collapsed teen. It caused a stir amongst the other employees. "Takuya come on kid snap out of it!"

The scientist words slowly rang in Peter's ears as his mind reeled from the scratching. His eyes returned to its normal hue as Kaz helped him up. "I'm fine Kaz."

"Are you sure? I can get a doctor on the horn and he could look you over." Kaz suggested.

Peter held his hand in protest. "Relax Kaz it's just a sinus headache. The ocean air doesn't agree with me."

He looked at Peter quizzingly. "I never saw a sinus headache bring someone to their knees." Kazuhira wasn't buying it.

Peter stood up and rubbed his forehead, easing the residual pain from the sensual overload. "Don't worry I'll shake it off." The small crowd that gathered around him went back to their respective duties. The show was over.

"If you say so."

Peter turned his gaze to the machine Kaz was fiddling with, no doubt the source of his collapse. "What the heck are you working on?"

Kaz wrote off Peter's headache. He must've overworked himself. "It's a radio frequency generator."

"What does it do?"

Kaz sighed and answered. "It isolates a certain frequency and amplifies it. I was going to use it for pest control."

"Pest control?"

"Yeah, think of it like a human way to warding off pest by using high frequency radio waves. The pest wouldn't like being around it so they would naturally leave the infested area."

'That explains the episode.' Peter thought as he looked over the device. "You don't say. What frequency was it set to?"

"I'm not telling you. You're not going to steal my thunder whiz kid." The thought of Peter taking his idea made him forget all about the suspicious headache.

"Kazuhira I'm hurt." Peter's mock shock didn't go unnoticed. "I wasn't going to take what's yours. I just wanted to wish you good luck in your endeavors. I don't want to toot my own horn or anything but I have some sell ideas for that their thingy-ma-bob." He pointed at the emitter.

Kaz wasn't fazed by his humor. "Humph. A pat on the back from the boss man and some wet behind the ears rookie thinks he's king of the world. Is that what this is?" He folded his arms.

"Whoa settle down Mr. Kazuhira. Sheesh maybe I should head back to the assembly line. At least they had a sense of humor." He turned and started to walk to his desk. "Oh and Kaz, when I make your toy ten times better and operational, I'll make sure to put in a good word with Mr. Sato." He turned and flashed a mischievous grin.

"You're going to embarrass yourself kid!" Kaz yelled back. He picked up his data table and started recording observations. As he wrote a smirk grew on his face. The unsung wager reminded him of his university days. 'A little competition doesn't hurt.' He thought as he made in important note of the frequency the machine was set to when Peter got his 'headache'.

*90214 Hz*

XXXxxx Local Radio Station Chang and Mushu show xxxXXX

"Chang I got a good feeling from the Buzzard Wasps this year. Their firebender made some huge improvements from last year's tournament. She's packing a lot of heat behind those strikes." The radio personality, and the show heel, bellowed across the airways.

"You need to get your head looked at Mushu! Mark my words the Wolfbats are going to walk out of this with another championship title. They've been champions for three years running. We haven't seen that kind of performance since the Boar-q-pines dynasty." Chang shot back.

"The Wolfbats are pretty hot right now, I'll give you that, but they are nothing like the Boar-q-pines. They have five championships and they didn't use not stinking tricks like the Wolfbats. When they took that belt they just flat out did their opponents."

The audio producer watched the co-hosts go back and forth with each other. It could get heated at times but the two always walked out of the booth as friends. She heard a stir at the booths door. "Were on the Air come back later!" She shouted to whoever was at the door.

Before she could return to her seat the door was violently kicked in and a few metal benders spilled into the studio. Chang and Mushu saw this and immediately cut the broadcast.

The producer wasn't swayed by the violence. "Who the heck do you think you are kicking in doors huh!?" She yelled at the metal bender. The team wasn't prepared for such rage. "Well you and your goon squad just messed up royally!? She got in the metal bender face.

"Ma'am please this is a…" The man sheepishly said.

"ROYALLY PAL!" An ember of fire escaped from her mouth.

Mushu and Chang walked out of the studio. It was clear that the station's attackers weren't here to rob them. "Kita simmer down. We don't need you burning the station down."

The group looked confused but then a masked man walked into the room. He wore plan inconspicuous clothing and a mask that covered half his face revealing graying hair. "Let's all just take a moment and calm down." He held his hands as a sign of peace. He motioned for the metalbenders to take a step back and disarm. The bender the producer verbally assaulted just scowled as he backed off. He waited a moment to give the radio team a well deserved explanation. "Sorry for the intrusion maim Mr. Lee here got skittish and barged in. I guess training took over with the other meat heads." He said with a friendly tone while shooting daggers at Officer Lee. Tell a beat cop he would participate in a top secret operation and he thinks he's on Team Avatar. "Believe me he will be severally punished. I believe someone's pay grade will be used for the damages." He said, still keeping an eye on the 'inconspicuous' police officer.

The three seemed to be satisfied with the answer. "So what brings to our humble station Mr.?" Mushu asked.

"Prowler will do."

The radio team looked at each other with disbelief. "O.K 'Prowler' what do you want?" Kita said with air quotes. 'Where do these freaks come from?'

The Prowler dropped the hospitable tone and cut to the chase. "We need to commander your station for a brief broadcast. I can't get into the nitty-gritty of the operation. All I can tell you is that your compliance is required." He sounded like he was reading a stale official document. This leg of operation Spider-Slayer didn't sit well with him. Barging in on private property and imposing felt too much like the good old days.

"Alright big shot how are we going to cooperate with you or better yet why should we!?" Chang said.

"And he does all this with a mask on. Yeah let's trust you with some secret mission or whatever." Kita added.

Prowler didn't lose his composure. He pointed to his covered face. "First of all this wasn't my idea. Secondly, we intend to compensate you if you play ball with us. We're not trying to strong arm you to do anything. You can refuse and well be on our way and you'll never see us again."

Talk of compensation got them intrigued.

"What kind of compensation are we talking here?" Mushu asked.

Prowler was happy to hear them start to open up. "You radio station will receive a generous donation and a yearlong property tax exemption in helping us capture a dangerous felon." Prowler thought the deal was sweet enough to take.

They talked amongst themselves for a moment before Chang spoke up. "What's the catch?"

"You have to agree to a gag order. If you violate the order and tell an outside party on what transpired in this room then the courts will throw the books at you. I highly doubt your reputation or your business will survive if that happens." Prowler told them the consequences with a hint of sincerity. If this was Ba Sing Se it would be comply or spend the rest of their natural lives behind bars. Baifong was a lot nicer then the Dei-Lee.

The radio team whispered between each other before coming to a verdict. Mushu stepped forward. "We'll do it but we we'd like to add one condition."

"Name it." Prowler said.

"Lee over here fixes our door personally." He pointed to the befuddled officer.

The former Dei-Lee agent couldn't help but smile at that. He liked their style. "That can be arranged."

"But sir it was an accident I was only following…"

One look from the Prowler stopped the police officer's pleas. It would be best described and constrained fury. "Stop your belly aching and take some responsibility for your action."

The undercover officer backed off and quietly accepted his plight. It wasn't surprising. Intemidation was the first thing the Dei-Lee taught their agents. He didn't need to shout to get his subordinates in line. "Y-Yes sir…" He turned away and wouldn't dare look at the United Forces officer.

The insufferable complaining was put behind him. It was time to get the ball rolling. He turned to the modest radio group. "Let's get started."

XXXxxx Future Industries: Manufacturing Wing xxxXXX

The sound of machinery was significantly softer than normal. The factories yearly quota was nearly complete. Only custom orders were being worked on right now. Non-vital personnel had a choice to come in while others still worked. Future Industries may not turn out as many car units as Cabbage Corp. but they made up for it with quality. The assembly lines vacancy suited Peter just fine. He had an idea for a new kind of homing device. The device would emit a frequency that would react with his spider-sense when he's near it. The intense shock he got from the machine seeped into his mind as he pillaged a pile of discarded radio parts. "The signal will need some tweaking." He thought out loud.

He continued to rummage through the spare parts hopping to find gold. It needed to be small that he could carry it but the bulky transmitters made that a tall order. He had found a few gems in the labs but they were either bolted to the ground or too delicate for the rough and tumble life as Spider-Man. He got lucky with some aerosol containers lying around and thought he found the answer to his web shooter idea. The theory was feasible. He read up on this Swedish chemist named Erick Rotheim. He filed a patent a few years back. Rotheim's patent was burned into his mind. He remembered because his uncle had to fish him out of the library one night. Ben had some choice words for him to say the least. His mind drifted away from the pile of junk and on his Uncle. Hard to believe he misted the harsh times with the old flyboy. The sound of collective running stopped Peter's trip down memory lane.

"Come on something bigs going down on the radio!" One of the welders yelled out.

Peter shoved a few useful parts in a satchel and rushed to the fire. It didn't take long to see what the fuss was about. A small group of people huddled around an incomplete satomobile convertible. A quality control operator was sitting in the driver seat and she turned the radio on. A deep intimidating voice spoke through the modest sound system.

:/ You're a diluted fool Spider-Man. You think your changing anything out there? You think your some big hero for smacking around some triad goons. It'd be funny if it wasn't so pathetic and I intend to show the world that you're nothing but a fraud. I have seven hostages held up in the outskirts of the city. Now be a good little hero and come 'save the day'. Oh and just so you're clear on the stakes…/:

The sound of whimpering hostage could be heard across the airways. His pleas of help before a loud crack silenced him. His collapse on the floor could be heard by all. The exchange left the small gathering in shock and horror. They could only imagine what the villain did to the hostage.

:/Trust me it looked a lot of more painful then it sounded. By the way this is a private party. If I see a cop, equalist, or the Avatar try to interrupt our private war…well their blood will be on your hands. Don't keep me waiting spider. The Prowler is not a patient man. /:

The radio signal cut off and went back to its regularly scheduled programming. The factory was quiet. The talk of the upcoming Pro Bending tournament could be heard throughout the factory. Then an eruption of talking drowned out the radio. Amongst the sea of horrified and disgusted faces Peter's stood out. A fierce scowl contorted his face. His jaw was a vice and his fists were equally tight. It took everything he had to resist the urge to lash out. He never liked when the bad guys brought innocent people in harm's way. He calmly turned away from the now talkative group and calmly exited the building. The Prowler wouldn't have to wait long.

XXXxxx City Hall: Councilmen Tenzin's office xxxXXX

The tension throughout city hall could be felt through the air. Tenzen sat at his desk trying to make sense of the madness. He sat there, eyes closed, processing the flood of worries about the threat posed by the Prowler. The council was called in for an emergency session to discuss how they were going to approach this new threat. His fellow council members were mostly on the same page except for Tarrlok. He tried to shoe horn his task force in the hostage rescue but the rest of the council shot him down. Glory would not circumvent lives. Tenzin guessed Tarrlok's eagerness came from the fact that his taskforce has been losing steam as of late. After the initial Equalist bust his taskforce has been turning out goose eggs. Every lead the taskforce turned up was either a dud or the Equalist targets abandoned their hideouts before they could knock the door down. Tarrlok's taskforce was slowly turning into a joke. His Air Nomad upbringing taught him not to smile at another's misfortunes but he couldn't help himself this time. One thing didn't add up him though. The council's decision to take the non-confrontational strategy didn't bother Lin at all. He knew her for too long and she would never accept such a thing. He reclined in his office chair and pondered on it. "…Strange."

He almost fell out of his chair when his door flew open. "Lin! How can I help you?" Tenzin said as if he was caught stealing. It's been decades since their disastrous break up but it still came to mind whenever the two were face to face.

Lin gave the room a once over before closing the door and grabbing a seat. You never know whose listening. "You don't need to do much Tenzin I just need you to listen and keep your voice down."

Tenzin's personal feelings for his old flame started to fade. She never came to him with personal issues. "O.K Lin I'm listening. Now what do you have so say?"

She couldn't dance around the truth and she could only deliver it directly. "The Prowler hostage case isn't real. The whole thing is a sting operation to bring Spider-Man and ultimately Amon; Whenever Tarrlok gets off his ostrich horse that is."

Tenzin couldn't believe what he was hearing. The woman in charge of keeping the peace just admitted to in sighting a panic. "WHAT!?" He yelled and unintentionally made a guest of air. His paperwork danced around the room.

Beifong wasn't unnerved from Tenzin's outburst. It was expected after all. "I told you to keep your voice down!"

Tenzin got up. Blood rushed to his read. "Lin your job is to stop the threats not produce them. What were you thinking? You're going to risk your career and good name all for a single arrest…Why?" His experience with meditation helped to temper his anger and lowered his voice.

Beifong's expression was a blank as she could make it. She wouldn't defend her motives she would only explain them. "Because it was the only way we could take him down. The normal playbook isn't going to work with Amon or Spider-Man. We can't just comb the city looking for them. Spider-Man could be anywhere and Amon is next to impossible to find. If we're going to come out of mess on top then we have to think outside the box. I had to create a scenario that would lure Spider-Man into my trap."

Tenzin's temper simmered down. He sad back down and rubbed his arrow. "So why come to me with this? A guilty conscious maybe?"

Lin sighed. This part was the hardest. "I need you to grantee me that Korra won't stick her nose in my operation. The stakes are too high and her involvement would jeopardize the mission." Lin said in earnest. The thought of all her questionable actions yielding nothing scared her deeply. She couldn't look at Tenzin at the moment. Shame was not lost on her. "Tenzin please…"

Chief Beifong's break in composure did not go unnoticed by Tenzin. "O.K Lin. I'll make sure she doesn't leave the island tonight. You have my word."

Beifong let out a sigh of relief. She could go on with Spider Slayer without any reservations now. "Thank You Tenzin." She got up and headed for the door.

As soon as she left his office, Tenzin slumped in his chair. He wondered if he made the right move. He was unnerved by Lin's behavior. As long as he's known her he never saw Lin this unsure of herself. He wondered what his uncle would have done in this situation. He pushed aside the hypothetical and prepared to head home. Korra was a rebellious but reasonable at times. Keeping her on the island was going to be an arduous task to say the least.

XXXxxx Peter's Apartment xxxXXX

Peter against the wall and quietly forming a plan of attack. A dim lamp was the only light in small room. Most of his costume was on save for the gloves and mask. He sat there waiting for nightfall and planning how he would approach this. The Prowler was extremely vague about his whereabouts. That had to be by design. It was obvious that this was all a trap made just for him. But if he wanted to find and save the hostages the trap would have to be sprung. A faint buzzing entered his ear. He turned to see a mouth flying at his modest lamp. He took his eyes off the lamp and to the ceiling. "A scavenger hunt from hell. *Tch* Might as well wear that red and blue get up the other guy had." He vented his frustration and went back to figuring out a solution. He got up and put the rest of his costume on. There wasn't a way around it. He would have set foot in the unknown knowing next to nothing about The Prowler or his goal. He had a feeling the mad man wasn't alone in this. The window was already opened. As soon as he placed his foot on the window sill he turned back to his room. He could've sworn he heard someone laughing behind him. Peter's gaze stayed fixated for a moment until he chalked it up to the buildings thin walls and jumped off into heading straight to a trap.

XXXxxx Concealed Perch: Staging Area xxxXXX

A chilled mountain air blew through the abandoned town. The reports said it was originally used to mine metals for The Fire Nation during the Hundred Year War. The mines supplied everything from naval ships to jail cells. That all changed with the Harmony Restoration Movement. Of course the mines were cleared out by then and what was left was used to lay down Republic City's infrastructure. With most of the ore depleted the residents moved to a budding city with a booming economy. Some say there's still some ore lying around but the city's leadership didn't think it would be worth the effort to demolish the condemned town for so little ore. That changed in recent years. The council has been planning to knock it down for some time now but rule by committee led to gridlock and the massive public works contract was put on hold indefinitely. Either way the Spider Slayers found an ample playground. No one had to worry about collateral damage or civilians getting in the way. As soon as Spider-Man came into the area the operation would commence. Chiko smiled at that fact. With this king of freedom there wouldn't be any politically appointed United Forces officer trying to slap him with a court marshal hearing any time soon. His glee was put aside for the task at hand. There was no sign of their prey. Everyone was on edge as time went by. They had a good reason to be. The new equipment and skilled personnel wasn't a grantee for their success. Failure was not an option they could entertain. Yumi and the police escort knew this and they were ready to act in a moment's notice. His focus was slightly distracted when a voice came out of his radio.

:/ Slayer one status report./:

Chiko picked up the receiver and answered. "Nothing yet boss, I'll let you know if anything changes." He whispered into the receiver.

:/ As you were corporal./: Prowler said as he buzzed out of existence. He went back on watch and recalled the debrief at police headquarters.

XXXxxx Police Headquarters: two days earlier xxxXXX

The Spider Slayers were skeptical to say the least. They thought Beifong was going to roll out some state of the art ray gun not some old cripple wheeling himself into the room. The disappointed and shocked looks didn't escape Teo. "I didn't expect this kind of reception Lin."

"Give them a minute Teo they'll warm up to you." Beifong replied.

"Excuse me sir." Hanzo got the wheelchair bound inventor. The self proclaimed tinkerer nodded, giving him the go ahead to continue. "I don't want to sound disrespectful or anything but how are you going to help us with the target exactly? I don't know if you got the memo but were dealing with a monster here." No one interjected Hanzo's words. They were all eager for answers.

Teo just smiled and wheeled himself to the evidence on the table. "Yes, this Spider-Man is quite the beast isn't he?" He picked up some papers and continued. "Lin neglected to mention that his opponents, while thoroughly ruffed up, only suffered relatively minor injuries-this might come in handy." He put the papers on his lap and rolled towards the door. The Tinkerer wasn't so much answering Hanzo question but thinking out loud. It would appear the old man was in the early phases of dementia but he was a sharp as ever. "This leads me to believe that our target is holding back. Even with Lin's diligent investigation I don't think we have a clear picture of his limits. So, -Hanzo was it? - The monster nomenclature is an apt one." He rolled back to Beifong.

The slayers stayed quiet for a moment. The thought of one guy doing all this damage was pulling his punches struck a collective cord. It was like someone climbing a mountain with one arm tied behind his back.

"No worries though. Well there are plenty of those but let's focus on the positive. You see I didn't come with speculation alone no no I've come bearing gifts." He turned to Beifong. "Chief if you will."

The chief nodded. "Bring it in." She ordered her subordinates. The made hast and brought in two man sized crates that had the mandarin sign for bread drawn across it. The chief went through great lengths to maintain the operation's secrecy it would seem. They broke them opened to reveal two sets of armor. The more striking one looked like an intimidating monster. Its lines were aggressive and its face was hade a fierce look on it. The large black eye and mouth marks were fashioned into an animalistic face. It was like it had a permanent scowl drawn on it. The suit itself was dark green with purple high lights across it. The other one appeared to be more practical than its counterpart. It was clearly meant for a metal bender. It was a shade away from black and looked very sturdy. The thing that stood about the most was the large green visor that covered half of the helmet. Steel cables were lined across the extremities. The set up looked more complicated than the standard wire harness. The wire cluster was on a hinge that gave the user a wider range of use.

The oddball inventor waived his hand like a show girl at an auto show. "I present to you the slayer armor. Dark grey to help you blend into the shadows, reinforced steel plating with assorted shock absorbers throughout the frame making it three times stronger than your standard armor are its main features. The steel cables are equally malleable as your old harness so the learning curve shouldn't be too difficult. The extra features may need some practice but in a few weeks with it any you'll…" A gentle tap on his shoulder stopped him.

"Our time table's been moved up. The sting will start in two days." She whispered in his ear.

"Hmm I see." Teo understood her motive. The cities politics probably had a hand in it. "Anyway let's move on to the suits most interesting feature." He pointed to the armor's green 'eyes'. "The visor is constructed from the crystals found in the Be Sing Se's underground catacombs. Acquiring the material was…challenging to say the least but the reward was worth it. You see the visor allows the user to effectively see in the dark. It an amazing little thing really, it amplifies ambient light. I call it Evening Sight." Teo smiled at the christening of his new invention.

"Can we just call it Night Vision?" Chiko blurted out. His outburst got him a lot of dirty looks and a few from his team. He anxiously darted his eyes across the room. "What? It's simple, to the point. And Evening Sight sounds like an acappella group or something."

A few snickers could be heard in the group. Quan just faced palmed and Lu was indifferent. But Hanzo and Yumi were greatly amused.

The Tinkerer got defensive. "Mr. archer, when you create a state of the art ocular enhancement device you can call it whatever you want." He defended his title. He inwardly kicked himself though. It did sound better.

The snickers turned into chuckles. Chiko folded his arms and pouted like a child. "Night vision sounds cooler." He muttered.

Yumi grinned and flicked his head. "Wamp wamp." The turned and frowned at her. She loved seeing the cocky archer get knocked down a few pegs.

"Let's move on shall we. This particular armor was the prototype for the Spider-Slayer model. I didn't cut any corners with this particular suit. Of course sacrifices were made with the slayer armor to be more cost effective but don't worry it won't damper on their effectiveness. I don't want to bore you with the details. Let's just say I let my imagination go wild with this beauty. It is equipped with the same bells and whistles as the standard slayer armor except for these puppies." He reached for the prowler armor's gauntlet. "These are a special projectile launcher with several tactical options for the user. Smoke bombs, trankqualizer darts, fire extinguishers, flares and then there's the…"

"That's enough Teo." Chief Beifong stopped the old man's rambling. It was time to get to the meat of the plan. "The only thing you need to know is that this is our bait for Spider-Man. We can't just hunt him down street by street so were going to make him come to us. We will create the scenario that will draw Spider-Man in and that's when we'll strike!" She paused and gauged the slayers. There wasn't a dissenting word out of the bunch. It was a sound plan after all. "Now here's where things get tricky. Luring him into our trap is half the battle. We won't just pounce on him when he shows up. If we went with that route then we run the risk of him bugging out to fight another day. So we'll launch a multi tier attack. We will split up into three teams. This increases our odds of success. If one team fails then the next team will have a better shot of apprehending him. Our friends from the United Forces will head the teams and will have a contingent of slayers with them. Any questions?" Her words carried confidence and tact that embolden the taskforce.

"How are we going to keep the bug where we want him? I can't imagine the plan working if he wises up to what we're doing. What's stopping him from beating the first team and crawling back to his web?" Lou asked flatly. He was too cranky for pleasantries.

"We will have incentives to keep him in the area."

"Like?" The southern waterbender snapped back.

"A hostage situation." She knocked on the Prowler armor's chest. "This will be our artificial nut job and he'll take a few artificial hostages. We'll be vague with the hostage's location which will prompt him to investigate his attackers. If team one defeats him we go home early. If he beats the first team then he'll try to fish the information out of them. If that happens then whoever he asks will feed him false information which will lead him to team two. And by that point he'll be exhausted from all the action. That about sums it up."

"If that's the case do we even need the Prowler armor?" Hanzo asked.

"This armor is our ringer. If by some miracle the web head gets through two teams of the United Republic's finest then this armor will be our last shoot at winning this thing. I got a lot riding on this operations success so I'm not taking any chances." Lin's commanding demeanor wavered for a split second. A hint of worry seeped into her mind. She turned to Teo. "Our Tinkerer will help in deciding the best candidate for the job." She gave him the go ahead and he started the selection process.

"Thank you Lin, but there is one base I couldn't cover." He looked into the taskforce and started with the hard part of the presentation. "This armor platform is effective but it is my civic duty to warn you. Both the Slayer and Prowler armors haven't been tested. The strict timetable just wouldn't allow it." He saw the apprehension in the officers faces told it all. "Now now It won't spontaneously combust on your or anything. I've been at this for years and, not to toot my own horn, my craftsmanship is world class. When you face Spider-Man be careful. Just because it stronger than your standard equipment doesn't mean you're invincible." He cleared his throat and hopped the young officers headed his warning. "Now on to business, I have selection criteria here. Now does anyone have any type of allergies or pre existing conditions that will prevent you from using…"

"I'm your man." Captain Quon didn't hesitate to volunteer. The seasoned United Forces officer rose from his seat and started to step down to the floor.

Beifong grinned. Her UF contacts gave her the best of the best. "You sure you want to do this captain?" She tested his resolve one more time.

Quon gave the armor another once over. The disembodied face looked like an angry spirit ready to pounce. The Tinkerer must have added as a psychological weapon. "I'm sure. It this thing comes short then I'll ditch it and engage the target if I have to. Besides…" Quon held out his hand and started to earthbend his hidden rock glove. The time tested weapon rolled out of his sleeve and melded to his hand. Beifong's keen eye saw that they weren't the standard rock glove. The finger tips were made of a reflective black substance and they covered four of his digits. The index finger was covered by a dull grey metal which was a stark contrast to the glove. They were all sharpened to points. "It complements my talents."

"Hmm your file didn't say anything about you being a metalbender."

"I'm not. It's just rocks coated with meteorite. And the index fingers my ace in the hole."

"O.K captain you've got the job. Teo make the necessary adjustments for him." She ordered.

The rest of their time together was spent going over the finer details of the plan. There were detailed maps, points of interest, and a cluster of additional need to know information. It was clear that Beifong was planning this for a long time. She had to. Throwing a bunch of muscle at the web head wouldn't work. It didn't work with the triads for the equalist after all. The energy in the room was radiating. The police officers and the United Forces team felt their pride swell. It amazing what a little leadership could do to boost morale. The Spider-Man wasn't going to walk away from this. No one could.

XXXxxx Republic City: Outskirts xxxXXX

The Prowler looked on in the makeshift base. There were a few radio operators handling communications for the operation along with a few police officers decked out in Slayer armor. The stings master mind stood at the window looking out at the night sky, arms crossed and tapping her bicep constantly. He walked over to the police chief. His large build and intimidating armor would've scared the average person. "How you holding up?" He asked.

She turned back to face him and smirked. "You know it's hard to take you seriously in that get up right?"

Prowler shrugged. "Yep but that can't be helped, got a role to play after all. And honestly it's pretty comfortable. It doesn't impede my movement at all." He looked out the window. His world was green but clear. No activity. "I'm just happy you talked the Tinkerer out of that cape."

Beifong chuckled at that thought. The old man but up quite a fuss. "Well you got to draw the line somewhere. A cape would be a bit much, along with the cleaning fluid, and the net…Augh the man's a great inventor but he really lets his mind wonder when he's tinkering."

"I'll take your word for it. You didn't really answer my question though." His voice got deeper.

"I'm fine. I just want to get this over with." She frowned. Spider-Man was wearing her patience thin. "Bug boys taking his sweet time."

The two stood there for a moment before Prowler broke the silence. He had to get this hog monkey off his back. "I know it's not my place to ask but are you sure you're doing the right thing."

Beifong turned and frowned. She didn't need time to think of a response. "I'm removing a dangerous, superhuman thrill seeker off the streets. Yeah I think I'm doing the right thing Prowler." She used his code name despite her frustration. You never know whose listening.

The chief was a tuff as nails. Prowler was a head taller than her but she talked to him like he was an unruly child. "That's not what I meant. I was talking about your methods. You're inciting fear and falsifying information…"

"The ends justify the means. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't have to captain." He looked into Prowler false face and the two got into a stare down.

The radio operators and small security detail were distracted by the outburst. They looked onward for a moment before returning to their respective jobs.

"You sound like the Earth Queen." He told her flatly.

The similarities were not lost to her. She lost the staring match and turned her gaze back to the window. "Captain I don't care who I sound like and I don't care what people say about me. The only think I care about is maintaining order and I'll do anything I can to achieve that. Let the historians decide if I'm right or wrong."

"Chief I…"

:/ This is Slayer One. I got movement on the south side. I think our guest of honor as arrived./:

Prowler took one last glance at Beifong before reaching for the radio receiver. "Alright people you know what to do. Yumi, Chicko, you're up. Show the bug what you can do."

XXXxxx Republic City Outskirts Concealed Perch xxxXXX

A sly smile grew on Chiko's face. "Yes sir." He clipped the radio to his utility belt and turned to convey the orders. "He's here and heading for the public square. We'll cut him off and engage got it."

Some nods and 'rogers' was all he needed to hear. Yumi simply removed her service coat and tied it around her waist. Her arms were drenched with traditional Sun Warrior tribal marks. She always went into battle wearing her marks proudly.

"Good. Let's move!" Chiko ordered.

They ran across the roof tops moving to intercept Spider-Man. The metalbenders reframed from using their cables as much as possible. They moved sparingly and stopped. Then they saw a rare sight. Spider-Man swung by them their hiding spot at unbelievable speeds. It was clear how he could cover so much ground in the city.

The captain made the right call putting Chiko in charge of team one. His scouting background would be instrumental to this phase of the operation. It was easy to forget that with Chiko's ego.

Spider-Man stopped and clung to an old telephone pole, no doubt surveying the area. "He's stopped." He turned to the three metalbenders in his team. "Alright, you three get on his left and right flanks and wait for my signal. Yumi and I will be right behind you. If he moves then stay on him. Don't reveal yourself until you get my signal. Move!" He whispered to them.

They followed his orders whipped their cables and slowly got into position.

Chiko put his evening sight goggles to get a better look at the famed vigilante. "You believe this Yumi? All this fuss from a scrawny looking side show freak am I right?"

"You know what they say. Big things come in small packages." Yumi said. She focused on the wall crawler and her breathing. Each time she let out a breath a small heat distortion danced across her body.

"He can be as big as he wants in his cell." Chiko tried his hand a tuff talk. Yumi wasn't impressed. He waited calmly for the metalbender to get in position when a thought crossed his mind. He picked up the radio and changed the frequency. "Han. Lou. You there?"

:/ What do you want coon eyes./: Lou said. His annoyance was evident. :/You know this lines only for emergencies./:

"Are you out of your mind!?" Yumi whispered.

He covered the receiver. "I know. Relax this will only take a sec." He talked pack to his radio. "Look it's a given that we're going to nap the Spider tonight but I think we can make it a little more interesting."

:/ What do you have in mind?/:

Yumi dug her face into her palm. "I don't believe this!"

"Oh nothing much just a little wager. Whoever catches the Spider-Man first gets a thousand yuans and loser has to buy dinner. Take that bet?"

Muffled laughter could be heard behind some static. :/ O.K. kid your on. Can't wait to go home with some roasted duck and some folden money…Ha! And Han wants sushi.:/

Chiko cut his radio off and reached for his grappling arrows. "Suckers." He looked over to Yumi. "What do you want when we win?"

"You stop to make a petty bet with Spider-Man a block away from us! I knew you were stupid arrow boy but I didn't think you were that stupid." Yumi was too dumbfounded to be angry with the archer.

"Look I'm just giving us a little incentive for success that all." He pulled two arrows out of his quiver and shot them to an adjacent building. "So stop being so childish, grab this rope, and tell me what dish Han and Lou will be buying you?"

Yumi was going to argue using a delicate operation to bum a meal off his team mates and how petty the whole thing was. It boggled her mind so she gave up trying to make sense of it. She grabbed the rope and scowled at the archer. "I'm getting tofu…"

The archer grinned. "That's the spirit."

"BITE ME!"

XXXxxx Republic City Outskirts xxxXXX

The cold air caused a shiver to run up Peter's spine. He guessed it came from the mountain top. The ocean front wasn't helping things. It was a good sized town with many avenues and hiding places. He didn't know where to start. He landed on an old telephone pole. "If I was some crack pot trying to make a name for myself where would I hide?" He said as he moved to get a better vantage of the area. Spider-Man knew the Prowler had some surprises in store for him. He wished the trap would spring already. Then he would have something to work with. He went to web swing to another area when spider-sense tripped. Time slowed down as his web line went slack. He could've sworn he heard a whizzing noise before it happened. There wasn't a cognitive thought in Spider-Man's head. All of the twists and turns were in humanly agile as he righted himself and landed on his feet. His momentum made him skid across the coble stone road. He did a 180 and faced his attacker. His conscious mind kicked in as he found the source of his fall. Three armored men with green visors came in and landed on the rooftop facing him. Before he could react two more figures filled in behind the armored thugs. It was a man and a woman. They both had strange markings on their faces, though the man's tattooed face took the cake. They were wearing similar green colored goggles as armored enforcers. The man looked down at him and flashed a confident grin.

"Ha! A fast moving target in low light conditions and I still hit my mark. Man I'm good!" He walked closer to the ledge and put a foot up casually.

Peter's eye caught the long bow in the raccoon face guy. He had to give him credit. No one has ever shot and hit his webs. "I'm guessing you're the Prowler's lakys." He said as he stood up right.

Chiko chose his words carefully. Everyone in Spider-Slayer was ordered to play along with the ruse Beifong manufactured. He moved his goggles up, showing the finer details of the tattoo covering half of his face. "I wouldn't use say we're lakys but yeah that's the general idea." The women by his side looked cold and uncaring but her eyes were locked with Spider-Man's white lights.

"Good, then you can tell me where the Prowler is and I promise I won't hit you that hard." Peter didn't fell like playing games with these people.

The three armored men and the archer found his words amusing.

"Oh boy that's a good one spidy. Alright ultimatum time, you can surrender and save everybody a lot of time or you can make this fun and not go with the first option. What do you say?" Chiko gripped his bow getting ready for Spider-Man's inevitable choice.

"Hmm. Let me think about that." He jumped and high tailed it out of there. He had to change the venue before fighting them.

"Let's go boys. We're going to bag us a Spider!" The Slayer said.

With that the metalbenders whipped their metal cables and traveled across the old telephone lines. They were almost as fast as Spider-Man and left their UF counterparts in the dust.

Chicko stood there with a confused look. Even Yumi had a hard time believing the disguised police officers just started a high speed chase with the slinger. "Di…Did they just ditch us!?"

"And I thought you were the fast dumb one." She said as she leveled her breathing for what came next. "Chicko I'm going ahead. Get the word out to the others." She walked back to get a running start. She went into a full sprint and firebent herself towards Spider-Man direction.

Chiko went for his radio. "I hate it when she does that." He chimed in with the others to give them a status report. He then started his slower pace and pursued his runaway team.

XXXxxx Twelve Blocks Away xxxXXX

Spider-Man continued to swing away from the Spider-Slayers. It was obvious that his pursuers were metalbenders. He saw a wide clearing off to the right and landed there. The wall crawler dropped into his freestyle stance and faced the tin soldiers.

The rogue metal benders landed in the same clearing and immediately went on the offense. The apparent leader swiped his arms and the cables flared out of his gauntlets. The other benders moved to surround the wall crawler. Spider-Man ducked and the wires sailed past over his head. He then dived to get in arms reach of the metalbender. To the metalbenders horror the web-head was as fast as Beifong told them he was. He didn't even have a chance to defend himself.

Spider-Man threw a heavy haymaker and the slayers head whipped to the left. He hit the slayer with such force that he slid back a few paces. His quartz visor shattered and fell on the pavement like green snow.

"Ah!" He said as he held his hand. "What are you made of?"

The metal bender staggered a bit but quickly regained his composure. "That your best shot bug!" He tried to sound as intimidating as possible. Truthfully he was frightening how strong the vigilante was. That blow would've sent him to the hospital without the helmet.

The heat of battle made him ignore the buzz in the back of Peter's head. "I'll show you what AGH!" Was all he could manage to say before a steel tendril snaked around his leg. The lucky slayer pulled hard and threw Spider-Man through a wall. A moment passed, then another. The Slayers regrouped and waited for the wall crawler to come out the pitch black whole swinging. But nothing happened. There wasn't even a rustle in there.

"Did we get him?" One of the slayers finally broke the silence.

"Not sure, didn't think he was such a lightweight."

The lead officer tried to readjust his helmet and what remained of his visor. Spider-Man did more damage then he thought. "Rookie, go check it out. Don't worry we got your back." He ordered. Upon further inspection of his armor, he found that one of the fasteners was warped beyond repair.

The rookie cautiously approached the hole in the wall. It was Pitch black and his evening sight wouldn't help until he got closer. He placed a hand on the hole and immediately regretted that action. His hand was caught in a clump of webbing he missed. He turned and looked into the darkness. The goggles barely made out what was happening. A faint silhouette was crouched with its arms straining to keep hold of the webbing. They must have been attached to the foundation. The slayer didn't have a prayer. He knew his fate was sealed but there was still time for this teammates. "GUYS LOOK OUT HES!"

Spider-Man didn't let him finish as he slingshotted himself and dived kicked his solar plexus. The rookie flung helplessly into the air and his body bounced off of the ground and into an old fountain. His luck didn't run out though. Despite the spectacular display of his armor took the brunt of the assault.

"You thought that love tap was enough to put me down?" Spider-Man flipped and dove towards the slayer he punched earlier. It only took him a few seconds to reach for his damaged helmet and ripped it off its remaining hinges. He stood up and off handedly observed his prize. "I'm insulted. Hmm, this is some quality craftsmanship." He turned to see the rag tag squat regroup. The lead slayer looked on with hate filled eyes. It appeared he didn't take them too seriously. Peter saw this in his peripheral vision. "How'd a couple of mooks like you get a hold of this?" He said, hopping they would let out some details. It didn't work. "Oh I get it, strong silent types." He threw the helmet in a nonchalant manor. The origin didn't matter right now since he had a good idea on how to beat them now. He could whale on the tin soldiers all night and still wouldn't get through. Probably just break his hand trying. He noticed a few things while observing the helmet. There were slightly mechanical in nature. That meant there were structural weak points he could exploit. The armorer did a good job hiding them but they were there. How else would the metalbender get into the contraptions. "Doesn't matter anyway, the only thing I need from you is the Prowler's location. What do you say boys? My offer's still on the table." His spider-sense gave him their answer.

The leader's face went into a deep scowl and his jaw was clinched. "COCKY PUNK!" His cables left sparks as they escaped their prison. The other slayers followed suit and attacked the wall crawler.

Spider-Man turned there well organized assault into a furious mess. He was a blur of motion. The slayers didn't let up. They came at the vigilante like angry hornets. He bobbed and weaved from the metal and rock barrage. They had him on the offensive but it was nothing he couldn't handle. It did give him time to dissect and analyze their movements. There strikes were savage but experienced. If he didn't piss them off then he'd really have something to worry about. 'This calls for a venue change.' He thought as he jumped high and crashed through a tall buildings. The slayers were hot on his heels and crashed through the other windows. He hopped the darkness would hide him but those hopes were dashed when two of the green faces were fixated on him. The wires came after his shock. He didn't even have time to fathom the possibility that they found a way to see in the dark. That's when he made the decision to strike before any more surprises flew his way. He stood his ground and waited. It only took a millisecond for another wire to fly his way. Time slowed down as his heightened reflexes took over. They gave him ample time to catch two of the assaulting wires. The cables cut into his and stung like hell. With all of the excitement going on he didn't notice the blood trickling to the floor boards and down his sleeves. He yanked hard and pulled the helmetless slayer in and took hold of his metal collar. He lifted him up and slammed his head into the hardwood floor. The vocal leader lay sprawled on the floor, silent and still. The building was constructed well. The floor didn't collapse under the tremendous force.

The other slayers didn't let that stop them as they moved for a counterattack. Spider-Man quickly grabbed the naturalized slayer's wire harness and yanked them out. He jumped and avoided the attempted foot sweep and stuck to a support beam. The frustration of one of their own started to affect their effectiveness. That and the fact that they were limited to their onboard weapons wasn't helping the situation. One of the slayers rapped their cables around the beam and propelled himself towards the wall crawler. The metal melted over his fist and came down on Spider-Man with a bending punch. The beam turned into splinters as Spider-Man avoided the attack. He landed on his feet and spooled the wires around his fists. The other slayer continued the assault and bent the coils in his boots in an axe kick. Spidy side stepped and the foot based coils shredded the ground. The rookie slayer panicked and swiped his cables in two wide arcs. The web head fell and slid under the attack and closed in for the kill. He returned to his feet and started pummeling. He didn't hold back as he let the punches fly on the hard armor. Even with the improvised brass knuckles his hands flared with pain but he wouldn't dare stop.

The remaining slayer looked on with shock and awe. He didn't believe what he was seeing. His arms were a blur as the pounded into the rookie's body. Each blow contorted and gave way when they made contact. If he didn't know better he could've sworn he saw little gust of wind forming around the web slinger. The unyielding barrage ended with a final, powerful, uppercut that sent his helmet flying out the window he came through. The poor rookie stood there wobbling. The last bit of his energy was used to keep himself on his feet. He swayed and struggled to stay upright. Pieces of his armor fell to the ground as he did so. His eyes rolled up as he collapsed to the floor.

Spider-Man's breathing staggered for a moment but quickly evened out. His hands were on fire but he shrugged it off. He turned to the last man standing. "Just aint your night eh pall?" He joked. He was relieved his plan worked.

The slayer maintained his stance but inched back to the window. He couldn't beat the Spider on his own. His only hope was to stall and hope the UF guys would arrive shortly.

"I'll try this one more time. Where is the Prowler?" Spider-Man walked towards the slayer. His intent was evident. He was going to get the information one way or another.

A cold sweat rolled down the slayer's face. His eyes darted around the room looking for anything that could free him from the increasingly negative situation. "If I tell you, will you let me go?" He said buying himself some precious time.

"Eh why not, besides I got better things to do then smack you around." He said in a clear and cool manor. He won after all.

The slayers policing background reared its head. "You'd let me go after all that? You do know I work for a kidnapper right? Oh and smart guy, what's stopping me and my boys from trying again huh?" He said hoping to buy himself more time.

"You won't. Now where's the Prowler…" He walked closer and the slayer instinctively inched back.

The slayer gritted his teeth. He hated sounding so spineless but his feelings didn't matter now. "He's held up in the old steel mill at the base of the mountain. Rock slide buried the joint forty years ago but you can get in through the sewer system." As he talked his nerves settled down and his salvation revealed himself. Spider-Man neglected to take off the cables wrapped around his arms.

"Alright you can…" His spider-sense cut him short.

"But you aint gonna see him!" The slayer assumed a simple earthbending as the coils on the web slingers hands.

His spider sense screamed for him to act but it was too late. The coils moved at their own accord. The tables had turned. He dangled their thrashing trying anything he could to break out of trap to no avail.

It took a lot of focus to keep Spider-Man at bay. He was trapped but keeping him there was another story. "I gotta admit…your something else web head but you aren't getting out of this." His words were mixed with grunts. Keeping a superhuman bound was a tall order. "It's over Spider!"

Spider-Man twisted and turned. He was suspended in the air so his clinging wouldn't work. The steel cables molded around his forearms so he couldn't simply snap out of them. The cables acted as tunicates, closing his web glands shut. That and he couldn't make the necessary hand gesture to let it flow either. 'Damn it! I got careless.' He thought as he thrashed about. He was in deep trouble. He couldn't even get a foot hold from where he was hanging. 'Come on…COME ON!' He wouldn't let up. It was all on him after all. The hostage's screams over the radio crept in his mind. The sound of complete panic only fueled his efforts. The thought of letting them down for his oversight was unbearable. He couldn't fail them and it was all on him. He turned to the metalbender and to his shock the slayer's visor started to crumble away. It chipped away to reveal a mangled grin. It was a monster he was well acquainted with. He didn't know why or how but the Goblin had found him.

/*It's all on you huh? Ha then there as good as dead. Face it Spider you blew it.*/ Goblin laughed at his expense. The shock left Peter motionless. His eyes were wide opened and he still couldn't believe what they were showing him. /*You let that spider bite gas you up eh Spider. So you puffed your chest out and throw a mask on and you think you can change things!?*/

As the Goblin laughed the other side of the visor flacked away revealing the temple and the cheek. The other side was in stark contrast to the other. The skin was pale and grey. It looked like a reanimated corpse. It wasn't recognizable until he looked it in the eye. It's amber color and fearl twitching was a dead giveaway. The Vulture gazed at him like slab of meat at the butcher store. /*Spider's going to die here isn't he. Going to be someone's science project. Grrr Going to pay the old lady a visit and finish where we started!*/ Vulture didn't even try to sound amused as he rasped out his taunt. He sounded like a hungry dog ready to pounce.

Peter shook his head in a vain attempt to get the terrible image out of his head. "No this can't be real" He whispered as he tried to hold on to his sanity.

The slayer was in awe at Spider-Man's apparent mental breakdown. One minute he was thrashing like a gemsbok bull and he takes on look at him and turns into a wet noodle. Beifong was right to target him first. Who knows when he would snap and kill someone. That didn't matter now. This bust would make him famous for sure.

The two faced monstrosity continued to taunt Peter. His shock eroded and rage took its place. He balled his fist as he looked on. He would never let them win. "NOT AGAIN!" He cocked his leg back and kicked as hard as he could. A small wake trailing his heel went unnoticed. The gale of wind caused small debris to flail around the room. The slayers mental hold on his wrists was broken as he was launched out of the window. Spider-Man landed on his fed and ran to the window. He didn't have time to question the strange occurrence. The only thing on his mind was the slayers life. The web head jumped and saw him falling to the uncompromising ground. The angle sealed his fate. The armor wouldn't save him from a face first collision. The slayers life flashed through his eyes as he closed in on his demise. He closed his eyes before he met the ground. He waited and waited and wasn't sure if this was the afterlife. The answer came to him when he opened his eyes and was greeted by the pavement. He looked up and saw webbing stuck to his boots. Spider-Man had caught him in the nick of time and started to hoist him up. The wall crawler didn't give him a chance to utter a word as he was promptly thrown back into the building and webbed to a support column. The slayer was speechless to say the least. Spider-Man making his exit was the last thing he saw. With all the excitement along with the near death experience was too much for the policemen as he passed out a short time afterwards. His report would be hard to swallow.

Spider-Man tried to ignore what happened in the derelict building. He attempted to focus on finding the old mill and save the hostages but failed. He needed a moment to digest what just happened. He intercepted a structure and clung to it. Then the questions came rushing in. Why did he hallucinate the Goblin and Toomes? Where did that wind come from? He remembered doing something similar with Hammerhead's soldiers but he just chalked it up to throwing hard punches. He was still learning to pull his punches back then. Maybe there was more to it. He turned to his hand as it held him in place. 'Could I be manipulating the van der Waals forces subconsciously?' He pushed the conjecture aside. This wasn't the time to be side tracked. "Guess I got lucky." He said as he gave his wounded a glance. The bleeding had stopped a while ago. If he didn't know better it was already starting to close. He guessed it would scab over by tomorrow. He was thankful for his accelerated healing. It was scary to think what he would do without them. The wire trap alone would have snapped his ulna and radius bones like twigs. His brief reprieve was cut short when an odd noise could be heard in the distance. It sounded like blowtorch was getting closer. He gained some altitude to get a better look. "What the…"

A blue flame appeared in the sky. It got closer and closer and the odd sight was on full display. It was the serious looking girl from earlier and it looked like she was riding a blue flame. His spider-sense tripped and he started to move from his perch. A powerful blast of heat leveled his previous spot in an instant. The attack flew faster than any firebender he fought before. The explosion still rang in his ear. He swung fast as a lightning quick fire followed him. None of the blue death she shot at him made their mark and his spider-sense wasn't buzzing which meant one thing. She was toying with him. He got up and landed on a slightly angled gable. His impact shattered a few of the roof tiles.

Yumi saw that the wall crawler was ready to fight when he stopped running from her. She grinned and rolled onto the gable. As soon as her heel slapped the roof a blue flame coursed towards Spider-Man. He dodged it easily enough but he didn't expect the line of fire to circle around him. The blue flame changed from blue to red and intensified. The fire's diameter was the size of a boxing ring. Peter never saw firebending with this much control before. The web head was treading in uncharted territory now. He was bewildered to see her casually walk past the inferno without a single burn. She yawned and whipped her eyes of the excess moisture. "Hate night ops." She complained. She then went and sized him up. Yumi couldn't help but smirk at how ridged he was. Of all the things that were thrown at him, he wasn't expecting small talk to come tonight. "You're a hard man to find Spidy. I was scared you ran home or something."

The wall crawler tilted his head in confusion. 'What's with this dame?'

She took a closer look at Spider-Man and saw the cuts and marks over his costume. "I'm guessing you beat our metal friends." She mentally put out the flames much to Spider-Man's astonishment. It was clear that she wasn't taking seriously.

Peter cocked an eye brow. "Yeah I did. They made me work for it but I came out on top. You don't seem too broken up about it."

Yumi shrugged. "Eh. Can't say I am. Heck I expected it. I told the boss this would happen. An amateur with some fancy toys is still an amateur." She looked utter indifferent through the exchange.

Yumi's jab at psychological warfare had some effect on Peter. He had a hard time with those 'amateurs'. "So what is this you trying to stall until your raccoon boyfriend drops in to beat me?" He shot back.

She went from indifferent to deadly serious in a heartbeat. He struck a nerve. "O.K one, I would never give that idiot the privilege of being by boyfriend. And two, don't flatter yourself Spider-Man. I'm not trying to pull anything. I don't need to." She went into the ancient sun warrior bending stance. A blue ring of flame materialized around her opened palms. The rings moved like a gentle stream of exothermic energy.

Peter would be moved by the beautiful display under different circumstances. He could feel the heat resonating out of her. He couldn't put words to such a feeling. It was like a small heart beat was tapping on his senses.

Yumi steeled herself and prepared to attack. "…I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about. And if you ask me, you're overrated." With that she charged the web head.

He didn't need his spider sense to tell him this was coming. But nothing could tell him what was in store for him. 'Throwing me a hell of a party Prowler.'

She threw the disks at him. He jumped over the rings. As they passed over him he felt a stifling heat. It reminded him when the Vulture's little fry up at the apartment building. He also felt that same strange heartbeat sensation wash over him. His senses picked up a threat forming behind him. A fire blast found a way around him and his defenses. He expected his seared flesh but got was a substantial force punching his back. The blow took the wind out of him. He was right where Yumi wanted him. She went the traditional route and shot a blue flame at the unbalanced wall crawler. In a split second he held his hand out and shot a web line. It made contact with something and yanked hard, just missing the flame. He rolled to his feet and turned. Yumi was sprinting. She slid and a plume of fire erupted through her feet. He jumped over her and the fire. She stopped and turned, pointing her index and middle finger at the airborne spider. The fire was small and concentrated. The fire came at him like a machine gun trying to get a bead on him. Spider-Man used his surroundings to dodge the raining death from the sun warrior. The battle spilled from roof top to roof top.

Peter was starting to get frustrated. His usual bag of tricks wasn't working. Agility and a little imagination were usually enough for the firebenders he fought in the past but not her. She was in a league of her own. He wasn't getting anywhere with him. It was time to get creative. He zipped towards a chimney and hid away from her.

Yumi confidently walked over towards his hiding spot, all the while stretching her arms. "Good warm up Spidy. Really got the blood flowing now."

"Glad I could help." Spider-Man maintained his mask of confidence. Truthfully he was racking his brain on how to beat the firebending master.

"You got moves kid." She said as she got her game face back one. "In all my years I've never seen anyone dodge my fire like that. But it's getting late and I'm ready for my tofu."

"What?" Was all Spider-Man could say when a wide blade of fire cut his cover was cut down.

Years of ash and soot blanketed the immediate area. Yumi waived trying to clear her vision while coughing furiously. Her breathing was erratic and the confusion almost overcame her. She turned and tried to get a visual on her target. The smoke was dying down but Spider-Man was nowhere to be found. "Now where …*cough*…did you run of to bug boy?"

Spider-Man jumped out of a volley of web clods at her. She caught the first couple of clods and incinerated them instantly but two of them landed on her boots. "Still think I'm overrated!?"

She formed a few clumsy fire rings. They lacked their natural grace from earlier. The first incarnation flowed like a gentle stream but now they were a raging rapid. A firbender's breathing was everything. Her worsening mood wasn't helping either. Most of the sun warrior's techniques required a calm and cool head. The wall crawler found a way to turn the tables on her. "Congrats you got a lucky shot in." She said as another fit of coughing. With each cough her fire waned and dimed.

He grinned when she lashed out. He was getting under her skin. 'Dig deeper.' He thought. "Lucks got nothing to do with it sister. I mean look at you, you couldn't light a fireplace!" Peter imitated the kids who teased him during grade school.

She gritted her teeth and bottled her anger. The fiery chakrams matched her anger and started to rage. "I'll show you a fire punk!" Her ancient sun warrior posture was exchanged for a brutish street fighter one. He open palms slammed shut as she discharged an impressive attack at her tormentor. The wall crawler ducked as the attack missed its mark. The ball hit and the half of the building behind him. "Sheesh lady relax. It's not my fault you're out here and work for a psychopath. Just like I didn't make you get those stupid tattoos." He jumped in for the final blow, taking full advantage of her limited mobility.

Time slowed down as Yumi turned to Spider-Man. His heart almost skipped a beat. His spider-sense flared as her face met his. He upturned a fury that was long sense dormant. She pulled her foot out of her webbed boot. Her leg propped her leg into position and threw a powerful kick. Fiery hell followed soon after. The only thing Spider-Man could do was cross his arms and prey he would walk out of this. He was rocked to his very core. The force of the blast felt like a freighter train and almost threw him off the roof.

Yumi quickly pulled her other foot free and ran over to the ledge he fell off of. Her temper got the better of her. That attack would've killed an ordinary man. It couldn't be helped. She wouldn't let anyone bad mouth her adopted people. The wall crawler crossed the line when he insulted her marks.

Spider-Man got up. The explosions kinetic force rocked him but he returned to his feet. His forearms were nearly bear. The attack left him with superficial burns and a damaged costume. The gloves were surprisingly unscathed from the surprise attack. "Ugh was it something I said?"

Yumi's rage was replaced with a shock. She burned and blasted him around. After all of that he gets up largely unfazed. And he still finds time to joke around. She snapped out of her stupor. Her tactical mind came back into play. This was her chance to turn the tide. She threw the basic fire attack at him. Her emotional imbalance blocked off the exotic firebending.

Spider-Man didn't need his powers to see she was on her last legs. One of her attacks actually back fired. The back draft sent her to her butt. She quickly cleared the smoke away. The web head pulled another disappearing act. A moment passed and she felt a presence behind her. She wouldn't dare do a full turn. "Yeah I think you had enough for one night."

She angled her head to see that Spider-Man managed to sneak up on her. The wall crawler was a head taller than her and she got a good look at his damaged costume. It appeared that he went through more scrapes before coming to this city. A bead of sweat rolled down her temple. She still had a mission to complete.

"Now that I finally got a quiet moment with you I gotta ask. What the heck is tofu?"

She didn't bother answering and took a swipe at him with a fire dagger. She slashed the air and was promptly swiped off her feet. She fell on her back as the cold webbing stuck her to the roof top. She could see Spider-Man standing over her.

"Fine doesn't answer me." He guessed 'tofu' was slang for victory or something. "Tell your not-boyfriend I said hi" He said as he swung away from her.

"What?" She got her answer as the whiz of an arrow became audible.

Chiko finally made his entrance. He ran as fast as he could when he instinctively ran to check on his downed teammate.

"Don't worry about me. Get him!"

"On it!" He dropped his radio and the evening sight goggles. They would only weigh him down. He jumped off the roof and shot his grappling arrow. It latched onto a telephone pole and he performed a swing of his own. He needed the extra elevation if he was going to get a good shot in. In another smooth motion he drew from his quiver and urgently took aim. 'Dang he's fast.' He thought as he pulled hard on his bow. Time went to a crawl in the archer's world. He was high in the air and upside down to boot but none of that mattered now. He blocked out the mission, the world even. It was nothing but him and an already distant Spider-Man. Chiko wouldn't dare take a breath and endanger his chances. He would only have the one shot after all. The bow string was released. He left the rest to fate and gravity.

The heat of the fight still coerced through Peter's veins. Despite his cool act back on the roof he was anything but. Decked out metalbenders, the air and illusions, it would be odd if it didn't bother him. Instead of worrying about it he compartmentalized it focused on saving the hostages. Not on second passed and his spider-sense was already sounding off again. He didn't think he just moved. Unfortunately the warning didn't come fast enough. The whizzing arrow cut deep into his left thigh. The white hot pain rushed in and the wall crawler's graceful mode of travel was gone. He impulsively clenched his pierced thigh. In the three second he winced he was horrified that he was falling to the ground. The pain was ignored as he haphazardly to web swing to a stable surface. The blood ran like a faucet all the while. The web line clung to an unstable surface. It slowed his decent but it gave way and the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man met an unfriendly boarded up window. The impact looked worse than it actually was. The wood was old and brittle. He lurched onto a wall as he nursed his wounded leg. A good sized whole was made when he crashed through. Moonlight shined through as tiny snowflakes danced through the opening. The blood trail of blood was clearly visible. A minute passed and then another. He sighed in relief, no one was following him. He turned his attention to his wound. Blood stained his pant leg. Upon closer inspection, the bleeding was already coming to a stop. He would thank the nine divines for his accelerated healing. The life threatening part was past him but his agility would take a hit. He tried to stand tall but he doubled over when he put weight on his left leg. "This night just keeps getting better." The pessimism oozed out with vitriol. He forced a small amount of webbing and fashioned it into a makeshift bandage. He wrapped it tightly around his injured leg. He tried to stand again and was more successful. The pain was still their but the added support did remedy things. He limped over to the window sill and prepared to make his trek to Prowler's location. It would take more than a glorified scratch to stop him.

A/N: Let me start this out with an apology. This update took fare longer then it should have. Had a lot of things to deal with and there was absolutely no time to publish this thing. Alright there were some bad reasons too. Like the new candy crush expansion called Destiny. (Seriously stay away from that game. I had to go to gaming rehab for a few weeks)

Well I decided to split up this arc into the final part. I felt that this was a good cut off point in the chapter. A lot of mystery's in this arc and believe me this was all according to plan. If you ever played the game this story was based off of then you'd know that noir had a wind motif to it.

Beenox's reasoning: "We thought it would look cool."

Stark Jegan's reasoning: "Wouldn't you like to knwow!"

Again guys sorry this took so long.

Jason 123456: Yeah I'm kind of messing around with the character a bit there. And truthfully I don't think Spider-Man has any scientific specialties. I actually looked into it before going this route and Peter's making advanced stealth suits and spider tracers when I thought he was primarily a chemist. Personally I think writhers use his intelligence as a plot device in a lot of his stories.

Jebest4781: I don't think I'll take things that fare. Truthfully I'm debating starting the next story during season two. The whole season just lacked something for me.

Aztec 13: Oh god that's just too much. Peter might have some choice words for Mako but I pretty sure it won't get that bad.

Glittering Turquoise: Oh yeah. His limits will be tested by the slayers that for sure.

HaywireEagle: I can't help it I'm a typo magnet and a super procrastinator.

Scrolon: I kind of got Korra in mind but hey who knows. Things may change…maybe.

Spider-Mane15: Can't say I'm too familiar with spidercide. I was just a kid when clone saga came out and I never felt the urge to read it. And yeah feel free to be that guy man. I have a bad habit of spelling things phonetically and MS word guesses the word I was trying to type. Autocorrect slips by me sometimes. Oh and the overall crappy spelling.

Dante C. Emerys: Yeah season two felt like a giant filler episode after it ended. And Verrick and Wan was the highlight of the whole thing. Oh and one does not simply meet a spider god in season 2. That will come sooner than you think actually. Responding to reviews is my bread and butter friend. I love seeing you guys respond to the story.

Coldblue: Thank you. My thinking when creating the slayer OC were previous threats from the original series. I always wanted to see how Spider-Man would fare against them.

I'm not aiming for an actual strength boost or anything like that. If he were to get physically stronger then he would go the Ben Grim route and hit the gym. What I'm aiming for is for Peter to get a better understanding for his powers. The powers always been there he just needs to learn how to properly use it. The differences with Noir and the other Spider-Men's spider sense is a good indicator. Why can the other dodge gun fire while he can't? You'll find out.

I don't want to pull the mystic elements of bending but there may be some self testing in future chapters.

You got your answer for that one.

Thanks for the suggestions, you've given me a lot to think about.

Spider-Mane15: Yeah that just me having a little fun at the shipping fanatics expense. Good lord people plot before romance.

Web shooters: Absolutely not. Adding firearms to this world would change the overall feel of the world and it would be a little distracting and harder to write on my part. Lol a lot of dead benders would come from that. Now you got something with the different webbing mods. That could happen along with the titanium thing.

Guest: RIGHT FRIGGIN NOW BABY! (You're experience may very)

lincoln time: My favorite Spider-Man stories always involved a certain black and white grinning monster. So it's safe to say a venom analog will find its way to a humble little fanfic.

SpartanWarrior1: I liked book four out of the gait but ultimately hated it as it went along. I'll flesh out my opinion on the next profile update. Oh and Prince Wu could die in a ditch for all I care. That whole book could've gone on without him and nothing would've changed. Sigh, again refer to my profile for my thought on book 4.

You're a fan so no I don't hate you. PS. Nick wanted money so yes they had to do that.

Guest who needs a name: I'm trying to deliver on those promises. I've been up all night putting the finishing touches on this bad boy.

Hyper Peter: Like a said earlier, I had some problems with the way LOK ended. And those hula hoop sized loose ends were definitely one of them. And a super incredibly late marry Christmas to you bud.

Present: "What are any of us doing here? Wow, food for thought."