BLACK WINGS Chapter 27 - Goodbye Blue Sky by Justin Anderson Saturday, March 8th, 2003. 12:04 AM, Manhattan The city was once again in chaos. The Empire State building had fallen, crushing those in and below. It took him only minutes. Carnage tore through the base of the building, steel and concrete, cutting it as if it wasn't there. It had been too easy. The late hour, the government's attention focused away from him, no heroes around. He wasn't sure if it was the pendant giving him some sort of mad rage, or if he just wanted it bad enough. Carnage grabbed a news camera, setting it on the rubble, amidst the dust, the flames, and the stench. "You see this? You see what I did? I did this! With my bare hands!" he shouted. "No airplanes, no hostages, no cause, no REASON, I did this! You see this? You think that I will be outdone? No God, no honor, no retribution, just glorious Carnage! You see this? You need me! I've seen what the world became while I was away, you deserve to die, each and every last living creature I see! "You want God? I AM GOD NOW!" Carnage proclaimed. He could see the city watching him. They stayed well back, too scared to confront him. Too scared he would do the same to them. He was enjoying this, having more fun than most men ever have. "Now, who should I do next?" He heard the rumble. The bike driving up a ramp of solid concrete surprised him, but he knew what was going on. He dodged the bike as it shattered near him, the explosion meant to kill him. The Black Wings landed in front of him, the Crater Maker trained on his heart. Carnage slapped the gun away. The Black Wings felt no sadness, no hatred, only anger. He saw red, allowing himself to lose all sense of honor. He jumped Carnage, trying to stab him with his own symbiotic blades. "Good to see you on my side, Cletus, but too little..." He dodged a massive chunk of concrete. "...too late!" The two fought, Carnage laughing off the Black Wings's attempts. He appreciated the clone body he'd been given. Less reactive to pain, all the drugs had increased his strength, and the part he liked best, the name Cletus Kasady was once again associated with murder. He grabbed the Black Wings by the throat. "This is what I am! What you are! Cut the hero bullshit, little man, wake up! I won't allow you to exist anymore, you are NOT Cletus Kasady! I AM!" Carnage tossed him aside. The Black Wings no longer mattered to him. Cletus stumbled in the wreckage. Leaping, he hoped to tackle the monster. Carnage swung. The blade severed Cletus's left hand, sending it flying. He clutched the stump, hoping to stop the bleeding. He noticed the pendant hanging from Carnage's neck. "What? This?" Carnage removed the pendant, dangling it. "See? I don't need this, neither did you. I just stole it to taunt you!" Carnage said. He placed it around his neck. He grabbed the camera. "See, New York? Not even my do-gooder clone can stop me! No cheap imitation is as good as the real thing!" He sat the camera down, turning his attention on the city once again. He walked towards the edge. Concrete chunks pelted him. "Oh, give me a fucking BREAK! Fine, you want more? I'll give you-" The shot echoed. Cletus balanced the barrel of the Carter Maker on the stump, shaking nervously. Carnage grabbed the back of his head. He felt the base of the skull. The vibranium bullet had clipped the right side of the base of his skull as he'd turned his head. Carnage suddenly grew extremely angry. He began walking towards the Black Wings, finally running at him. "You little son of a BITCH-" The second shot went off, the bullet shattering the pendant, splitting through Carnage's chest, tearing it to pieces. His back exploded. He dropped to his knees, his final breath leaving his body. the symbiote drew itself in, flailing wildly. The corpse dropped. The Black Wings huddled into a ball, ignoring the approaching jet. The Blackbird streaked forward as fast as it could go, coming to a sudden stop above the ruins. It landed quickly. Tobias ran for the body, setting it ablaze before the symbiote could escape. He could hear it screaming in agony. The intense heat reduced Carnage to a few ashes and a charred skeleton. The others checked the Black Wings. "He's losing blood fast!" Beast shouted. On the ground, paramedics tended to the injured. A fifteen year old girl had been severely wounded, barely alive. Her pulse dropped. As the paramedics attempted CPR, she awoke suddenly. She looked around. "What's going on here? Where am I?" "It's all right! We'll take you to the hospital and get you checked out." The X-Men helped the Black Wings up, letting him sit on a chunk of debris, tending to his wound. "Carnage was dead, but it was a moot point. We were all too little, too late. The damage has been done, and nothing can undo it. We knew better than to let something like Carnage exist... is our compassion so strong that it blinds us to the dangers? Can we live with the fact that we let killers live just to please our own morals? Why do many have to suffer for the stupidity of a few? I should have killed him when I had a chance and I didn't, and now, this city suffers even more at the hands of a madmen. They don't know what I know, they haven't been inside the head of a madman. They don't know the reasons because there are no reasons. But I do know one thing, we must fight harder than we ever have, or it's all for nothing." Notes: Set within the Marvel universe, I will be using my own continuity, mixed with new characterizations for some established characters from Marvel's story universe. These stories are a sequel to my fiction series Maximum Carnage. Cletus Kasady, Carnage, and others are copyright Marvel Comics. Jack Arden, Raicaak, and others are copyright myself. Other characters appearing may be owned by separate parties. I make no claim of copyright on any character I do not own, only on these stories and those I do own. Characters used without permission/not for profit. These are strictly fan stories. Permission to reprint extends to placing this text, unaltered, elsewhere online. It may not be altered, and especially NOT TO BE SOLD, unless Marvel wishes to license this series from me. Black Wings song and lyrics copyright Tom Waits.
