Chapter 8
Bonding
The sun had hung in the air for over an hour. The air was still cool before the heat and humidity was set into the day. It was nice feeling to experience after being on a train for over an hour. Mary Jane smiled as she came off the train and into Washington D.C. She had been in the city before on school trips but she wasn't there to visit the new FDR memorial. She had a mission and that was to find Peter Parker. Before leaving for D.C. Mary Jane found that Stafford County was about an hour away from the city. While it did take her some time to get the money needed for this trip. She knew that whatever the cost may be it was completely worth it.
The lab was quiet and the sound of a pin dropping on the cold tile floor could be heard. It was dark as everything was shut off. The two pieces of symbiote extracted from Peter and Travis were destroyed.
Travis finally awoke and found himself in a darkened cell. He was still in 'Vengeance form'. Despite being in the cell there were no restraints and there was even a window that he could look out of. He noticed that Spider-man was several feet away in a similar cell.
"Where am I?" He said to himself. He tried to figure what had happened. The last thing he remembered was that he stopped some guy with a gun. The next thing was that he was here. While there was a lot he would like to know. Travis had only one desire and that was to get out of cell.
He picked himself off from the table and walked around.
"The place is dark and this doesn't look like jail." He looked at the long scythe-like segments that would become his hands. He then thought of something.
He went over and pulled his arms back and then threw them forward. The claws sunk into the wall and left large gashes in its place. Travis continued to hack at the wall and finally created a way for him to get out of the cell. There was another benefit of this symbiote other than speed.
He moved to where Spider-man was being held. It appeared that Spidey was still asleep.
"Might as well." Travis said before tearing into the cell. He was able to make large gashes and then pulled the wall away making the space bigger. While it did make a lot of noise Spider-man was still asleep.
Travis walked into the cell and went over to Spider-man. He stood above him and wondered who was that person under that symbiote. While he was intrigued, Travis figured that if whoever brought him here wasn't able to figure it out. Then he wouldn't either, not for now anyway.
He grabbed Spider-man by the shoulders and shook him violently trying for him to wake up. After about a full minute of shaking Spidey finally woke up.
"Where am I? Who am I? What am I doing here?" He said groggily. "My head is pounding like the morning after a kegger."
"I've never drank but I figure that's one bad headache." Travis remarked
Spider-man looked at Travis. "Vengeance, they got you too?"
Vengeance nodded. "Yup"
Spider-man looked around at his surroundings. "Not again."
"What again?"
"I'll explain later. How did you get in here?"
Vegeance held up his claws.
"I see, well I guess we'll get out of here. Find out what's going on."
"Good plan."
Spider-man picked himself up and walked out of the cell. Vengeance walked behind him. Both of them approached a large steel door.
"Think those meat hooks could get through that?" Spidey asked
"I hope so." Vengeance raised his claws and began to work. Spider-man used his strength to pull back the pieces. The work was going faster than expected and soon they found themselves inside of a long tunnel.
"What do you think this place leads too?" Vengeance asked.
"Well it could be any number of things, a massive government complex, a prison, a mall."
"Mall?"
"I'll explain later. By the way we can't be going out there like we are now. So I guess we'll get to know each other a little better by the time this is over."
"I thought so."
Both Spider-man and Vegeance walked through the tunnels. They approached at what must've been an exit.
"Okay I guess we better change our style of dress." Spider-man said to Vegeance. "You know how to do that right?"
"Yeah, sure"
Spider-man and Vegeance stopped and had their symbiotes change into that of regular clothes. When it is was over both Travis and Peter could see their true selves.
"Travis, Travis Carpenter?" Peter asked
"Yup the one and only, well I knew this would happen but now I'm surprised.You of all people is Spider-man."
"Who did you expect, Howard Stern?"
"That would explain the lankiness."
"Anyway we'll talk about this over a cup of International coffee. Let's find out where this leads."
Peter and Travis walked out of the tunnel and found themselves on what must've been a very manicured estate.
"What is this place?" Peter asked
"Wherever it is we must be in Virginia." Travis pointed to a couple of cars with Virginia licence plates.
"What is this place?"
"Some estate" Travis looked around and then remembered something. "Oh yeah now I know. This is the Creed compound."
"Who?"
"Creed their like the southern version of the Kennedy's. I remember reading about them in some magazine I brought with me to the pool."
"I never figure you for following politics."
"Well I never figure you for a wall-crawler either."
"Let's just get out of here."
Travis and Peter moved stealthy around the compound and were able to sneak out of an unlocked gate near the rear of the compound. They soon found themselves on a deserted tree line street.
"What would the Creeds want with us?" Peter asked
"Dunno but that lab wasn't set up for drug testing. Maybe they had that place set up for those what do you call them?"
"Symbiotes"
"Yeah that's it. Anyway maybe they're trying to get a something from these symbiotes and using it for their own evil purpose."
"Why won't I be surprised if that's the case."
Out of the silence a car came up quickly. Peter turned and noticed it had the appearance of a taxi cab.
The cab pulled right up to the two of them and the door opened. Mary Jane came out with tears in her eyes. She instantly embraced Peter.
"I'm glad we're finally together again."
"Same here, by the way that man over there who saved my life is Travis Carpenter."
Mary Jane went over and hugged Travis. "Thanks"
"You're welcome."
"So where did you come from."
"D.C."
"How far away?"
"About an hour. You're a couple of county's away. Now get in the cab so I don't have the meter running too long."
"How are you paying for this?" Peter asked
"I've got my ways Tiger. I've got my ways."
The three got back into the cab and soon were heading back to the Nation's capital.
To Be Continued