Chapter 18: Showdown
Hi above the concrete jungle was the Spider-Man, surrounded by his enemy like a cornered animal. As he was propped up by the Waldoes until they retracted, leaving the Iron Spider to stand on his own as a new Iron Man armor hovered above him with the shield agents in forming a perimeter. Tony commanded the sky like a divine being of crimson and gold. The red orbs which circled his frame made it appear that he was like a planet with his own asteroid belt.
"I see that the suit has caught your attention. It's my new Axis armor."
However, at this moment the spider was not alone, for Doctor Strange was also there by mental link.
"I apologize for Luke's actions-"
"Get to the point! Barked Spider-Man, gritting his teeth at the thought of Luke's betrayal.
"Who were you talking to Peter, Strange?" Inquired Tony as he turned toward Maria Hill and gave a nod. "Sorry Doc but this is an A and B conversation so I'll see you out of it."
The voice of Strange had then died out as though muffled by something until it had vanished altogether. Peter was alone again, cut off from any help for the foreseeable future.
"Looks like you're a little banged up Peter" said Iron Man. "come quietly and we'll fix you up."
"Is that so?"
"But first you have to tell me where is Venom. You haven't… bonded have you?"
"Venom is dead Tony"
"See now, that's a problem. Because I have the body of a ninja assassin that was found bone dry with symbiote cells trapped in its tissue. I know you used a part of the Iron Spider to preserve a piece of the alien for yourself."
For a moment he could feel his heart sink deep into his chest but he stood his ground. The Iron Spider leered up at the man of Iron. He could feel a rumble on the back of his suit. Venom was reacting, still attempted to break free but Peter stayed in place, appearing as though his weakened state caused his body to shake. The moment carried on before he replied simply "Can't help you."
Maria Hill scowled and exhaled as though tired. "Director, conversation is meaningless. We need to bring him in as soon as possible before he escapes."
The red orbs stopped circling Tony and his face plate pulled itself back to reveal his eyes to a former friend. With his face revealed he then looked back at Hill "Let me handle this Maria"
Tony turned to back to face the Spider-Man with a look of remorse. "Listen to me Peter. Cage has already given you up so there is no need for us to fight it out. Seems you were too much of a renegade for even his taste and that speaks volumes"
"So he cut a deal…"
"In a way. Think of me as a land lord, Luke is my tenant and his team exists because they are necessary. People need to feel like they have options so we let the New Avengers take them in and at some point down the road we capture a few. This ensures the status quo and keeps his team from getting too big. He just doesn't realize his place in the grand scheme of things. You're already responsible for the deaths of Mac Gargan and the ninja but it gets worse doesn't it? Wilson Fisk's body was found in the same area as the ninja. Peter Parker would never kill anyone, it's no wonder why he gave you up"
"Sounds like their pasts caught up with them in a world that allowed them to feed on the suffering of others. The system is broken and I have nothing to apologize for because Peter Parker and his family are just as dead as they are."
Tony's face was stunned with his mouth gapping open wide. "Mary Jane is died? Oh no, I am so sorry-"
In a heated rage the Iron Spider pulled off his mask to reveal the anger in his eyes. The shield agents tightened the grip on their weapons "I am tired of hearing that, the only thing that you can really do is put an end to registration and the initiative. This system takes killers and puts them in the in front of civilians to cause casualties and calls them heroes. You float up there and try to lecture me about my actions but you're no better than the man who killed my wife"
"I can't do tha-"
"Then we have nothing to talk about" said Peter as he stood up straight. "Because I will never change my mind."
"I guess not" said Tony as his face plate flipped into the down position. The ten orbs broke their circular formation and moved in front of Iron Man and fanned out. The air was tense and still they said nothing. The Agents of Shield hung back to witness the modern day western to unfold.
Suddenly Iron Man flexed his index and middle fingers at Spider-Man and simultaneously two of the orbs inched forward. They fired one repulsor blast each as Spider-Man's Waldoes reached from out of his back came together like an umbrella to block the attacks. The projectiles dispersed into small specs of blue light, the mass of the blast was absorbed and then surged through the Iron Spider once again. Since Peter's last fight with Venom the repulsor function was down but not he had another option with which to strike back at his enemy from a distance.
More orbs began to drift around the spider's shield for another shot but he ran for the edge of the roof. After a spiral leap over the edge he disappeared from view. He straightened his body and parted his arms and legs just slightly and felt the wind carry him. He was gliding through the air. With the Waldoes still out they arched themselves with their ends pointing out like wings.
Maria Hill watched like an attack dog about to make a sprint when Iron Man put out his arm to block her path, preventing her from giving chase. She looked back at her superior stunned, as if insulted by his actions.
"Just sit back Hill, I've got this one" said Tony before he pressed some buttons on his forearm, calling the orbs to fit themselves upon the armor and an additional command before taking off. "I didn't make this suit for nothing."
The spider cut through the sky in a straight path without going below ten flights. Pain surged through his body as he tried to keep his body straight. The people below watched as he flew through the air and passed them. He needed to find a space to lay low before the Tony caught up in another moment or two. He could break away but for how long? Tony's suits always had some improvement that made the previous one obsolete. The most curious feature was the orbs and whether Peter wanted to or not he would find out.
He could still feel the Venom symbiote still wiggle free. Whether he wanted to or not it was time for the two to separate, divide and conquer. Allowing tony to get it back wasn't an option and Peter needed a little insurance.
The Axis Iron Man approached from the rear up until he was side by side with the spider. "Neat trick, you're using the suits glide option with the repulsor energy for sustained flight."
The Iron Spider performed a last minute roll in midair, allowing him to make a sharp turn to the right and down 7th avenue. There he saw and dove into a building that was currently under construction and landed into one of the lower floors. With his feet forward he slid across the dirt and dust into a wall of sheet rock. It was then that he reached into the gold disk on his back pulled and out Venom's orb. After opening it the black alien substance burst out and onto him, attempting to bond with a potentially suffocating grip.
"No, you idiot" said Peter, struggling to gain some leverage to resist. "I… said… NO!"
Still it wouldn't budge, its tendrils continued to wrap around him and lock. It was offering power to him, the power needed to crush his enemy but he still wouldn't accept that gift.
"I said no!" screamed Spider-Man as his Waldoes to undo the aliens hold. The result was splashed onto a nearby wall and slide down the side of it like sludge.
The Spider stepped back without breaking eye contact with the symbiote and stated his case. "You're not calling the shots here, I am! And you're going to go back to Luke's base, get what belongs to me and bring it to me. You've never had trouble finding me before and this won't be any different."
It did not move, only looked at Peter with reluctance to obey. He couldn't allow Venom to determine his actions now. Tony was coming and there may not be a chance they could get away. The best option was to get venom out and although both actions required trust this one made sure that Stark wouldn't get it. When it didn't move He stomped his foot on the ground shocking it to attention and forced it off into a nearby craves.
Now alone he held onto his ribs, potentially fractured if not broken earlier in the night. Struggling against Venom was not without without a price to be paid. Hunched over, he waited for the pain to die down.
One thing he knew was that the creature would survive, that it could find its way back to the base because each time it bonded with a member of the time the symbiote appropriated the host's memories. It was a part of Peter's plan to have it learn from each of them but that wasn't all. Each time it bonded with a new host Peter had allowed it to syphon off strength from them. This kept a permanent bond from forming and kept it nourished. The Ninja drained of his life also made the need to feed less demanding. Venom was a survivor and this moment would be no different.
Outside of the building the spider could hear the roar of thrusters approaching form outside, the Axis was close. As the enemy approached he leaped onto the overhead ceiling. He could hear a high pitch sound coming and then others followed. When he looked down he saw the red orbs drift through the air and turned as they scanned for his presence. Still hanging onto the ceiling Peter waited for them to pass but another one came out and scanned the wall.
For a moment Peter froze. His face was tense but the next reaction came naturally. He let go of the wall to allow his body to drop and struck the object on his way down. It crashed into the floor and smashed into a crushed mound of metal. The other orbs stopped dead like animals and swung around to get Peter in their sights. Iron Man came crashing in through the window. The Waldoes sprang out again but before they could blast at Iron Man the orbs took shots at the spider, causing him to skitter across the floor. Tony came in close but failed to land a hit and Spider-Man pushed him into a nearby wall.
Tony pulled his head from out of the drywall in time for Spider-Man's fist to make contact with his head. In retaliation three of the orbs had rammed themselves into the spider, hitting his ribs and causing him to hold them tight. In that time Tony followed up with a back hand slack from his right hand and then a straight punch with his left.
The sharp edges of the Waldoes thrust forward toward Iron Man but they couldn't penetrate the armor plating like last time. Their sharp edges merely skid across the surface as Tony came in for his third attack, a grab on the Iron Spider suit and threw him into a nearby wall.
A Waldoe switched to repulsor mode and fired, denting Iron Man's shoulder and forcing him off balance. The two were separated by 6 meters at least. Peter could feel the pain in his skull coming back.
"I see that you're a bit under the weather Pete." "If you keep going it'll only get worse"
All four Waldoes fired a repulsor blast each and to block the attack five of the orbs came together and form an energy shield. The resulted force of the blasts caused a dust to rise. The remaining four orbs drifted in front of Iron Man's shield and blasted back at the Iron Spider.
Instinct took over, bringing the four Waldoes coming together to form a shield. This time when the repulsors made contact with the shield it shattered, forcing Peter back and out of a window. Peter tumbled down, accompanied by shattered glass and into a dumpster. Part of his mask was now only covering half of his face, allowing the rancid smell of old milk invade his nose. He even noticed that some of the energy from the blast singed Peter's suit. Adrenaline prevented him from feeling the pain in that moment but his skin was slightly bruised and burned.
Tony had overpowered up his suit so much that it broke his shield. The visor in his mask blared red, signaling a potential overload of power. Tony would shortly return to finish the job. His waldoes twitched with extra power as they elevated their owner above the rim and onto the pavement and on his feet. Peter's headache was steadily coming back, he needed to move.
Iron Man came flying out from another side of the building and into the alley head first and slowed to an upright position. His palms were open and aimed at Peter as the Iron Spider took aim with his Waldoes
"Don't do it Peter!" called Tony but it was too late. The energy burst the spider's cannons released their power and in response the man of Iron gave his answer.
More orbs had swirled in a circle ahead of him, forming a red transparent glass. When Iron man fired his repulsor blasts they went through the red boundary and came out two times bigger than when they went in. They collided with the ground just before the Iron Spider and forced him off the ground and tumbled backward. Pain surged through his head again in great amounts. Tony grabbed onto the Iron Spider and pulled him through the air and onto a roof.
Like all of the other times the headaches grew progressively bad and this time was no exception. His vision was getting blurry because of something Tony did, it had to be because the last time it stopped was when Shield cornered him and again in that moment. Iron Man stood over the spider victorious.
"How does it feel? Pretty painful I imagine" said Peter. "Some time ago the city had a little pest problem so we developed a weapon. I call them spider-jammers. They emit a frequency tuned to that spider-sense of yours, cancelling it and causing that headache. We've keyed to such a level I doubt even Matt could pick up on it. Now where is the symbiote?"
On his knees Spider-Man was so disoriented looked the Iron Man in the eye. "Venom is dead"
"You can't expect me to believe that"
"It doesn't matter. You wanted an answer, that's what you got."
"Peter, I know it is have to believe but I am not your enemy. Up until the war I felt responsible for you. I suppose in a way you were like my son. You are spiraling out of control… and I know it doesn't look like it but I'm trying to save you now."
"That makes me feel so much better" groaned a sarcastic Peter. "I thought we were done talking."
To strike back, the spider drew in one of the orbs to his hands and bashed it against Iron Man repeatedly until it was crushed and discarded. Iron Man took the strikes as the remaining eight orbs stayed at a distance and simply observed.
Punches rained down, colliding with steel in loud dings and crunches but in the middle of his onslaught when the eight remaining orbs returned. They converged upon Peter, latching onto his wrists and ankles. His Waldoes sprang into action but were also caught, leaving him totally restrained and at the whims of the enemy. His body was brought up into the air by the orbs which pulled him up against gravity. Iron Man flew up to meet his prey with closed fists.
"You think I enjoy this! The war is over, you lost and the world has a chance at peace" yelled Iron Man as he threw two hard punches. "It's a shame you'll have to see it from the wrong side of a cell."
Tony backed off at least two yards before crossing his arms over his chest piece which started to glow. Surging with Repulsor energy his arc reactor grew so bright that it overcame Peter's eyes. Blood flowed from his nose as his Spider-Sense attempted to warn him of an attack he couldn't escape. Tony released the energy which burst forward, hitting Peter's chest like boiling heated water. It pushed against him like an unbearable force which quickly burned through the Iron Spider's protective layer.
The force of the blast sent Peter flying through the air like a ragdoll. He must have flown three city blocks before landing a roof covered in a dirty pool of water. The splash brought relief but fear of an infection to come later. It stung so fiercely that he was almost sure it would scar over time.
Pain radiated through his head but still he didn't want to give up. Stubbornly he came to a stand and watched the Axis as it made its approach to finish the job. His Waldoes were also busted, now completely limp from either the fall or the blast itself.
Peter ripped the top half of the Iron Spider suit from his chest, letting it drift aloft into an alley below. His head ached like a pulsating wound, unyielding but still he would not give up. With his left hand he released webbing from his wrist, encasing his right hand in a webbed glove. Tony was coming in fast for the last punch. Peter started into a run leaped into the air and braced for the impact when he attempted land his punch and his vision went black.
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There was nothing but black, nothing but pain to be felt all over in waves. There were vibrations as well and then muffled voices. Medical jargon was part of their language but Peter could not make it out just yet. He strained to tune his ears in to what was being said but by then they had noticed.
"Doctor, the subject appears to be waking up"
"Administer the sedative and keep him under until we are done."
"Understood"
He could feel the mask being placed over his mouth and nose. As the assistant attempted to place it on him, Peter struggled to resist. With the mask secure the gas invaded his mouth and nose. After the hissing sound came was the drowning out of all noises and his vision grew black until he was out again.
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A suited Tony Stark waltzed into prison 42, the containment facility in the Negative Zone. It was a vast jungle of steel in and of itself. He spotted guards to greet him at the portal gate. This gate was one of five, all lined up side by side.
Tony walked down to the ramp toward the guards and they straitened their stance.
"Ease up boys. It's not like Hill is here" said Tony as he fixed his suit.
"You should know better than that, Director Stark" said Maria as she strode up to her boss in uniform with two agents of her own.
"Oh Maria do I detect a little irritation? Don't be mad, I did say there was a ten percent chance you'd catch him. I just didn't say I was part of the ninety."
It's not a game Tony.
"And I completely agree with you. It just so happens that I swooped… that is the word isn't it?"
Maria folded her arms and glared at her boss's unique humor.
"Where is he now?"
"With Richards"
"I'm sure you'll get a crack at him soon after the tests are finished"
"With all due respect sir we would have had him in hand if you didn't show up. Your suit did more harm than good."
"You want to reach Cage so badly you'd bad mouth your superior? My, my, aren't you the go getter. Don't worry, he's not going anywhere because the city is in his blood just like Peter. At least the president can rest easy"
The two walked down the hall of the prison side by side to the lab section of the facility. There they peered through the glass to find a man in a navy blue jumpsuit with a "4" symbol on it, the lower section of his face was covered in a full beard. He stood over Peter's unconscious body. The doctors eyes met there's and at that
"How are the tests old friend?"
"Well he's breathing but it will take more time for the healing process to fix his bones and damaged tissue. I wish that you would take better care."
"Sorry, but it couldn't be helped. He's more of a fighter than he's ever been"
"Is the holding cell ready?"
"Yes and I've made sure to give him a special one next to the loud one. One of them will be really excited. Any closer to finishing the stew Reed?"
Reed rubbed his forehead in a slow motion and gave a slow breath of exhaustion "I wish you wouldn't call it that."
"And I wish you would go home once in a while but it looks like we can't always get what we want. What's the status?
"I'm close but there is still the question of testing."
"Hill, take a walk. I want those caves as big as She-Hulk's by the time you're done too."
Maria started her stroll while slowly looking back at Tony with stern eyes before she got three yards and off into the distance. The two men of science gauged each other for another moment before continuing their conversation.
"By all means" said Tony with his arms out. "Take your pick, we have all the subjects you need but just pick one. I've invested countless funds, pooled resources for us to get this far."
"I know full well what you gave up Tony. Given that you burn through cash every day that doesn't say much compared to my sacrifice.
"I just don't want you to go mad scientist on me from being cooped up in here. We knew there were risks but what did we do?"
"We weighed the outcomes" the two said simultaneously.
"Damn right we did and I gotta tell yeah right now. We have a good lid on things but with Peter there is no telling what he could do and he's just one example. We made a choice, we ran with it and now have to maintain it, that's all I'm saying. You know what I'll go by the Baxter building and I'll talk to Sue."
"No… it's because of where I am that I can't reach her. As long as she's safe I'll be fine. I'm more concerned with Peter"
"To put it simply he came back a few months ago broke into Stark tower and attacked me in a rage after I mentioned his aunt. We finally had him cornered today and he still wants me to stop the initiative even after I told him it was too late."
Reed nodded as Tony spoke. "Always the free thinker"
"He fought hard which why he's so banged up But you want to know what the funny thing is? Even though I washed my hands of him just seeing him like this… I feel responsible."
"Hmm… So the Iron Man does have a heart."
"Don't forget the magnificent brain. The point is we started something here so there is no stopping now, we owe it to Peter and everyone to show them that we made it better for everyone. Now let's get started."
Tony extended his hand to Reed and Reed received the handshake.
"How about I get you a new razor?" said Tony "cause you're looking a little too much like Grizzly Adams."
Reed gave a weak laugh "is that so?"
"Ha ha Yes, it's very unsettling."
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His eyes slowly crept open to find bright florescent lights took up most of his vision. The blurs slowly came into focus, the room began to form as a white block with six sides, a bed, toilet and a gray circle in the center of the floor. The circle took up half of the area in his room.
Every inch of his body hurt, his burn marks were still tender. His right eye hurt as well, unable to open fully. His arms couldn't move, they were bound together by metal cylinders which covered his fists to his mid-forearm, this made it especially difficult to pull himself up. He rolled upon the ground until he was right side up and onto his feet, face to face with a mirrored reflection of himself. His right eye was black and swollen. Bruises, scratches and scraps covered his skin, there would surely be some left over scaring.
His hair was also cut down to his scalp, he was a prisoner. After all of this time he was finally defeated and for the first time he felt isolated and cold. Not only was he beaten but he was stripped of his identity to become a loser, a prisoner of that which he fought against. After he was done looking upon himself he turned away to find a window to another room.
Peter walked toward that window slowly the gain a new perspective when a figure jumped out and slammed itself against the glass. Peter was shocked as his spider-sense did not respond. The figure looked like a ghoul with skin scared beyond repair, its eyes had no pupils and its head had sparse strands of hair on its head. As close as it was to the glass the person pressed its face against the glass and made a face. It appeared to be breathing through its mouth, filling its cheeks with air that was unable to escape.
It then smiled at Peter with a smile from ear to ear as if seeing an old friend after a long time a part.
"Hey, Pete buddy. It's your old pal, Deadpool!"