A/N: 10/09/2022
THREE MONTHS?! That's ridiculous! I can't believe it took me this long to update this! Sorry, everyone! I really hope chapter four will be out a LOT sooner!
Chapter 3: The Quicker Strike
Over the next couple of weeks, Peter, Yuri, and MJ aided Sable by performing their journalism duties and diving into Brimstone's actions. At the same time, Sable escorted MJ, Peter, and Yuri through different regions of Symkaria as Peter and MJ documented the other parts of the civil war. In between time, Yuri launched her own investigation into finding Brimstone's location.
MJ and Peter were out doing some field reporting with some of Sable's men while Yuri and Sable stayed back at the bunker to continue attempting to track down Brimstone. While they were taking a break, Peter and MJ looked at each other, awkwardly, then laughed.
"Oh, God, this is so weird sometimes!" MJ admitted.
"Tell me about it!" Peter agreed.
"I wanna ask you some stuff. It's been killing me not to!"
"So ask."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Okay!" MJ smiled. "And thank you!"
Peter laughed.
"So… how are you two doing?" MJ asked.
"Actually?" Peter responded. "Really good."
"That's good."
"That's not weird for you to hear?"
"I asked," she reminded.
"And?" he replied.
She shrugged, "A little. But I had to know. Tell me about it."
Peter thought for a moment. "It just… works, I guess. We have a few ups and downs, standard. But… it's really been great. I… haven't felt like this in a while."
MJ smiled, warmly. "It's really good to know you have someone. That puts my mind at ease."
Peter smiled, understandingly. "Yuri always thinks I did more for her than she did for me. I really don't think that's true. Like you said… having someone. It… means a lot more than I realized to have that again."
At that, MJ heard something in Peter's voice. Something familiar. It took her a second, but she soon realized what it was. She smiled, excitedly. "Oh. My. God!"
"What?" Peter asked.
"You're in love with her!"
Peter froze in place. It took him a long time to finally speak. "I… got… nothin'! No joke, no comeback, no… nothin'! I… I got nothin'!"
"I know you got nothin' 'cause you're in love with Yuri!" MJ said, enthusiastically.
"Stop shouting that!"
"It's not like she can hear us!"
"You don't know that!"
"Wait!" MJ blinked. "You haven't told her yet?"
"Oh, gimme a break!" Peter replied. "'Hey, Yuri! It's only been over a year but, screw it! I'm in love with you! Well, gotta go! Rhino just broke outta prison again!'"
"Word for word, that's exactly how you said it to me," MJ informed.
"It was not!"
"Oh, you're right. My name's not Yuri, we've known each other forever. And it was Vulture who broke out of prison, not Rhino."
Peter groaned.
"Pete! Why are you fighting this? Just tell her. She probably feels the same."
Peter sighed, taking a moment. "She's been through a lot. Between the job, her dad, the Maggia, not to mention the therapy… and we're only a year in. I mean… her therapy's been helping and she does seem like she's doing better, 'specially since she left the police force. But… I don't know. I don't wanna scare her off or put her on the spot."
MJ started to smile. "Oh, wow. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I know this look. I've seen this look. I've been the reason for this look."
"What look?"
"You don't want this to end. You… don't want to lose her."
Peter shrugged.
"Ohhhh, you've got it bad," MJ observed.
"Yeah. I do."
"And that makes me so happy!"
"Are you serious?"
"Yes!" MJ said. "I'm thrilled to see you like this! That's why you have to tell her!"
Peter shrugged, "Maybe I will. Later! Not while we're in the middle of a war!"
"Oh, whatever! Like this is any different from New York! You two only got together because you kept her from going John Wick on the Maggia."
"I'd be mad if that wasn't so amazingly true."
MJ giggled softly.
Peter froze as his mind flashed back. "It was Vulture who broke out of prison the day I confessed to you!"
"Told ya," MJ replied. "Did you think I made that up?"
"Kinda." Peter blinked. "You remember that day?"
"Just because we aren't together doesn't mean I don't remember the good days."
Peter smiled, warmly. "Thanks, MJ."
"Back at ya, tiger," MJ replied.
A few minutes after MJ and Peter came back to the bunker, they were speaking with Sable when Yuri came up to them with some papers, "I just got word of a plane that touched down in a nearby airfield."
"How long ago?" Sable asked.
"45 minutes ago. And it took off 15 minutes later."
MJ blinked. "That's not suspicious at all."
"It must be Brimstone," Sable deduced. "Perhaps he brought it in his mercenary."
"And maybe we could track him," Peter shrugged. He looked at Sable, "Wanna check it out?"
"Indeed, I do."
"I'll go change."
Sable and Spider-Man took a jeep and arrived at an old airfield. They snuck around the facility and found active drones surveying the area.
"That's a problem," Sable whispered.
Spider-Man took note of the closest drone. "Is it hackable?" he, quietly, asked.
"Yes, but it's difficult."
"Let's get it."
They moved far enough away to stay out of the drone's sight but within its listening range. Sable made a quick noise, pulling the drone closer. Once it was close, Spider-Man webbed its camera and yanked it down. Sable quickly rushed to the drone and deactivated it.
Spider-Man walked over to her, "Nice!"
"We must be quick," Sable began removing panels. "The other drones will soon notice this one off its watch."
"How do you know?"
"A team of mine designed these. Brimstone infiltrated their systems and stole them."
"I get why you hate that guy." Spider-Man looked at the circuitry. "Let me try." He started fiddling with the wires and settings. "Got it!"
Sable narrowed her eyes. "Got what?"
"I can hack the drones and disable them," Spider-Man started typing.
Sable jerked her head back. "It took a team of programmers eight weeks to program these drones."
"Should've called me. I could've done it in about three… days. Aaaaand it'll take me about… 15 minutes to completely know how throw 'em outta whack."
"You're a very dangerous man when you wish to be."
"Only when someone takes over one of my friend's home countries."
Sable stared at Spider-Man. "I may have underestimated your virtue, Spider-Man. You don't cross the lines that you are more than capable of crossing."
"There's a price for crossing those lines," Spider-Man replied. "Call me a coward… but I don't wanna pay."
"I don't call that cowardice. As I said, it's called 'virtue'."
Spider-Man smiled. "Thanks, Sable." He stopped. "Hey! I think I we can track down Brimstone!"
"How?" Sable asked.
"Some other drones are designed to guard a few other locations but some were recently reprogrammed to follow a convoy."
"Convoy…" Sable growled. "Brimstone!"
"Could be our chance to catch him," Spider-Man said. "Whadda ya wanna do, Commander?"
Minutes later, Sable was driving as fast as she could, pushing the jeep to its limit, to catch Brimstone. Spider-Man was bouncing around in the passenger seat, actually feeling his pulse speed up. Sable didn't even want to wait for reinforcements. She gave her soldiers the general coordinates that Spider-Man had found and, before Spider-Man knew it, Sable shifted the jeep into gear and they were off.
"Is this what it feels like when people webswing with me?!" Spider-Man asked, nervously.
"I wouldn't know," Sable answered, focused on the path ahead. "I never focused on that when you forced me to travel with you via that method."
"It was only ever to save your life! C'mon, it had to be a little fun!"
"I didn't care about the fun of it."
"Given we were usually being shot at in those moments, I get that." Spider-Man paused. "Did you ever wanna find out or-"
"No."
"Yeah, I didn't think so."
About fifteen minutes later, they arrived at a war-torn town. Not that different from others in the country but the battles, here, seemed to be one of the earliest in the conflict.
"Pilvi," Sable informed, answering Spider-Man's unspoken question. "That was the town's name. Years ago… some of the early fighting began here. The populace was 5000. Perhaps about 300 escaped."
"I'm sorry," Spider-Man replied.
Sable scanned the town. "We go on foot from here."
"Following your lead."
They got out and carefully trekked through the scorched town. They soon came across a hollowed-out building that seemed to be a market and residence once upon a time. They heard movement inside and went to an upper floor. From the balcony, they saw Brimstone and a few soldiers standing around Sable International tech crates.
"More of my weapons!" Sable hissed.
"And the Baron himself," Spider-Man noted.
"We take him. Now."
"But where's his mercenary?"
"I don't much care." Sable looked at Spider-Man. "Are you in?"
Spider-Man looked back at her. "Damn, right, I am."
Sable and Spider-Man moved to a better position and dropped in the midst of the Brimstone's dozen soldiers, immediately taking them down.
Brimstone stared in shock at seeing Sable and Spider-Man. "Well, what have we here?!"
Sable aimed her guns at Brimstone, "If you ever wish to breathe without an apparatus, you'll come along with me quietly. Right… now!"
"Is that so, Commander?" Brimstone laughed. "And how do you propose to accomplish this?"
"By any means necessary."
"Hmm. I feel the same about eliminating you."
Spider-Man's Spider Sense immediately, and near-violently, went off.
Spider-Man pushed Sable out of the way of an energy whip slamming into the ground where Sable was just standing.
Spider-Man and Sable looked to see Whiplash, in all his armored glory, glaring at them.
Spider-Man's eyes widened. "Ohhhhh… crap! Whiplash!"
"Spider-Man," Whiplash said, his voice heavy with his Russian accent. "It really is you!" He chuckled. "You and Sable are allies! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised."
"Back at ya." Spider-Man looked to see Brimstone running out of the building. He glanced at Sable. "Go after Brimstone."
"I'm not leaving you alone with this psychopath!" Sable declared.
"Not my first psychopath. Go."
Sable growled and ran off while Spider-Man turned his attention back to Whiplash.
Whiplash walked toward Spider-Man, "A long way from New York City."
"Yeah, I decided to use those frequent flier miles," Spider-Man replied. "Thought I'd come to beautiful Symkaria! See the sights, stop an insurrection. Ya know, the usual!"
"You simply came a long way to die!"
"That usually happens if I ever leave Greenwich."
Whiplash swung one of his energy whips at a near-lightning speed, forcing Spider-Man to dodge. They fought for a few minutes, consisting mostly of Spider-Man dodging Whiplash's attacks. After another exchange, Spider-Man landed on the ceiling, looking down at Whiplash.
"Crap…" Spider-Man whispered.
"Don't run, Spider-Man!" Whiplash wound a whip. "I'm just now having fun!" He threw the whip at his enemy.
Spider-Man dodged the strike and landed on the wall. "Does Iron Man know you're still ripping off his armor?!"
"When Symkaria is Brimstone's, Iron Man is my next target!" Whiplash declared.
"You two are always at each other's throats! Have you considered hanging out and getting to know each other? Maybe go see a Formula One race or something? Or how 'bout just sitting down over a nice cup of tea and talking out your problems?"
"I'll empty a bottle of whiskey over his corpse!" Whiplash hurled a strike at Spider-Man.
"Whiskey?!" Spider-Man dodged the attack, landing on the floor. "Shouldn't it be vodka?!"
"That's a stereotype and you know it!"
"You're right! My bad." Spider-Man groaned, "Great! I'm gonna get cancelled by a supervillain. Honestly, I wouldn't be that shocked if that actually happened."
Sable raced after Brimstone only to see him getting into a personal airship and taking off. She fired her guns at him but the projectiles merely bounced off. Brimstone just smiled and waved, then activated the ships cloaking device.
Sable growled, muttering a curse.
She looked back toward the market building, "Spider-Man!"
Spider-Man crashed into a wall, thanks to Whiplash wrapping a whip around Spider-Man's ankle then flinging him into a wall.
Whiplash heard a series of noises outside. He realized that it must've been Sable's forces as Brimstone was gone and most of his men were down.
Whiplash looked at Spider-Man, who was getting up. "We'll finish this next time, Spider-Man," Whiplash declared. "Be more prepared next time." He used his whips to create a whole in a nearby wall and escaped.
Spider-Man wanted to chase after him but decided to go find Sable.
Spider-Man made it outside to see Sable approaching him.
"Where's Whiplash?" Sable asked.
"Ducked out when he heard your troops on the way," Spider-Man answered. "Brimstone?"
"Escaped."
Spider-Man groaned. "This isn't over yet."
"No." Sable looked at her approaching troops, "Not yet."
A/N: The "cancelled" thing was probably one of the things that I wrote that I laughed the hardest at.
Well, Whiplash and Brimstone have escaped for now. But we all know there will be a rematch. When? We'll see.
Hopefully, IT'LL BE SOONER THAN THREE MONTHS! Sorry. That was me yelling at me.
See you all soon!