Forgot the disclaimer. Spider-Man, Carnage, and all the other characters you see in this story belong to Marvel. I don't own a damn thing. So there you go.



CHAPTER TWO: The Experiment



"Peter? Peter, dear, is that you?" asked Mary Jane as the silhouette of a masked man appeared in her bedroom window.

"Yes, darling, I'm home," said Peter as he stepped inside and removed his mask.

"How was your day, dear?" asked Mary Jane.

"Ah, business as usual. First I beat the Hulk arm-wrestling again, then I captured the Sinister Six by lunchtime. Oh yes, I won another Pulitzer Prize for my photos, and Mr. Jameson wrote another article about how amazing and commendable Spider-Man is," said Peter.

"Oh, that's wonderful, dear! Well, why don't you get out of that costume and have dinner? There's lobster and drawn butter waiting for you in the kitchen."

"Mmm, lobster! That's great. I was starting to get kinda tired of having rack of lamb every night."

Just as Peter was about to leave the bedroom, a little girl ran into the room and hugged him.

"Daddy, Daddy, you're home! Did you beat up any bad guys today, Daddy?" asked little May.

"Oh, just the Sinister Six, honey. Oh yeah, and I beat up Galactus on the way home. Nothing too big. How was your day, sweetie?" asked Peter.

"Um...oh yeah, I got my report card today, Daddy," said May as she handed it to her father.

"Alright! Straight A's again! My little girl's a genius. That Franklin Richards's got nothing on my daughter!" said Peter happily. "Well, I think I'll go have some of that lobster!"

Peter started walking out of the room, but then stopped when he felt his Spider-Sense buzz. Turning around, he saw and felt an explosion from the wall of his bedroom. Everyone inside had been knocked down. When he looked up, he saw somebody in green and purple armor floating outside of his window.

"You!" exclaimed Peter as he stood up.

The Green Goblin did not reply. He only laughed.

"Daddy, I'm scared!" said May.

"As well you should be, my dear!" said the Goblin as he swooped in and grabbed May. He then turned and flew away.

"No! Get back here, Goblin!" yelled Peter as he drew his mask and leapt out of the window.

Almost immediately, the costumed foes found themselves at the Brooklyn Bridge.

"All too familiar, isn't it Spider-Man? You know what happens next, don't you?" said the Goblin. The Goblin immediately turned and tossed May over the side and toward the water.

"No!" screamed Spider-Man. He instinctively dove over the edge toward his daughter.

He seemed to be falling forever, but he never came close to May. She was always just out of his grasp. He tried firing a webline, but nothing came out of his webshooters.

"Help me Daddy!" screamed May.

"Oh my God! I'm coming, May! I won't let this happen to you!" screamed Spider-Man.

Just then, May's form seemed to shift. She became taller. Her hair changed to a blonde color. She wore black boots, a green jacket, and a black dress.

"Peter, why did you let me die?" cried Gwen as she fell out of Peter's view.

"Gwen? Gwen, please, don't leave me again!" cried Spider-Man.

As if out of nowhere, the ground suddenly formed under Spider-Man. He crashed into it with a resounding thud. However, he was still alive. From the corner of his eye, he could see an airplane, and Mary Jane was boarding it.

"Mary Jane? What...what are you doing?" asked Spider-Man.

"I'm leaving you Peter. I've had enough of this life. Enough of this torment. Enough...enough of you," said Mary Jane as she boarded the plane. It immediately took off, leaving Spider-Man alone on the ground.

"No...please...Mary Jane...May...Gwendy..."

"Peter, help me!" screamed somebody from behind.

Spider-Man willed himself to his hands and knees and turned around. He could see the Green Goblin, holding his Aunt May by the throat.

"Aunt May!" exclaimed Peter.

"She's the last one, isn't she Peter? Without her you'll be all alone," said the Goblin.

Then, with a quick turn of his arms, he snapped Aunt May's neck. Her body hit the ground.

"There. Now you truly are alone. You will never be happy, Spider-Man. Do you hear me?" said the Goblin as he lit a pumpkin bomb. "Never!"

The Goblin hurled the bomb. It stopped one inch from Peter's face and exploded. And then...

"No!" screamed Peter as he sat up in the bed, cold sweat running over his face.

Looking around, Peter surveyed his surroundings. He was home. In a very empty home. In a very empty bed. Back in his very empty life.

"Damn...that dream again..." complained Peter. "This has been happening for a week. Why does this keep happening? And the worst part is, I wake up knowing that I'm stuck in the same rut. MJ is still in California. I do not have my daughter to bring home good report cards. I do not have a Pulitzer Prize. And Jameson, saying positive things about everyone's favorite webhead? Please..."

Peter rose from the bed and looked down at his clock. It was seven A.M.

"Crap, I gotta be to work in an hour. No rest for the wicked...or the webbed..." said Peter as he walked into his bathroom.

******

Jennifer Hardesty entered her home room and sat down. For once, she had actually been there before her teacher, Mr. Parker. She sat down beside her three friends, Kyra, Jackie, and Sharia. They were all talking, and then they all turned to Jennifer.

"Hey, Jenny, you hear what happened?" asked Jackie.

"What?" asked Jenny.

"Jason, Aaron, Nate, and Richard all got killed last night," said Kyra.

"What? How?" asked Jenny.

"They all got cut up. Bad too. Police don't know who did it, though," said Sharia.

"But that's not all. Nobody knows where Mark is either. He always hangs with them, but his mom said he didn't come home last night, so the cops think it's connected," said Jackie.

"Wow...where did this happen?" asked Jenny.

"I dunno, some cemetery," said Sharia.

"Yeah, it was the cemetery where Spider-Man beat that dude Carnage a couple years back," said Kyra.

"I wonder what could have happened to them..." said Jenny.

"It's scary, Jen. Whoever did it left a message in blood that he was coming. Could be a serial killer or something," said Kyra.

Just then, Mr. Parker arrived in the classroom, although he was looking very tired.

"Hey, guys, uh...whatever you were doing...uh...keep doing it until first period begins," said Peter. A moment later he saw two students kissing in the back of the room. "Except that. Hey, you two, cut it out!"

The bell rang, and the students left for their first class. Jenny stopped at Peter's desk.

"Mr. Parker, did you hear what happened last night?" asked Jenny.

"Yeah, I did. That's awful," replied Peter.

"Do...do you think it could be somebody targeting kids?"

"I'm not really sure, Jenny. I wish I had an answer for you."

'I really do wish I knew what had happened, though. And it doesn't comfort me that the scene of the murders just so happened to be an old stomping ground for Carnage,' thought Peter.

"Well, I'd better get to class. See you later, Mr. Parker," said Jenny as she left.

"See you, Jen," said Peter.

Peter watched Jennifer leave, and then he prepared for his first period class to come in.

******

The door swung open, and the light blinded Mark's eyes. He raised his hands over his face to shield his eyes.

"Please, no more..." Mark pleaded.

"Oh, quit being a wuss. Come on, it's time for another experiment," said Cletus as he drug Mark out of the closet he had been locked in and tossed him into a chair. Holding out his hand, he fired a red and black tendril from his arm that held Mark to the chair.

They were in a house that had been built on the outskirts of Queens. There were no houses near it, because the owner had decided to build it in a secluded area so he could have privacy. Now he regretted that fact. He, along with his wife and children, were each tied to chairs on the opposite side of the room with red and black cords that had been formed from Carnage's symbiote. They all watched as Cletus, who now wore a silk robe that had belonged to the father, grabbed the father, rose him from the chair, and tossed him to the ground by Mark's feet.

"Know what? I just realized something. I don't even know your name," said Cletus.

"Jonathan," the father replied.

"Got a last name, Johnny?" asked Cletus.

"Johnson," the father replied.

"Wait a minute...your name is John Johnson? Ha! Now that is funny! What were your parents on that night?" said Cletus. Nobody in the room laughed. "Oh, that's not funny? Well, fuck you too!" said Cletus as he lifted John into the air and slapped him. "So, how's about the misses?"

"Please, leave her alone..."

"Shut up!" Cletus threw John back to the ground. He then walked over to the wife. "What's your name, sweet thang?"

"M...Michelle," the wife managed to stutter.

"Ah, such a beautiful name. Michelle, can I ask you a question?" Cletus's arm suddenly formed into a red and black tendril, and he ran it ever so smoothly along Michelle's cheek.

"O...okay..."

"Does your husband satisfy you?" asked Cletus.

"What?"

"Be honest. Come on, I'm serious. You know, in bed. Does he satisfy you?"

"I...yes, he does..."

"Okay....does he have a little...y'know....webshooter?"

"I...I...I..."

"AHA! The truth comes out! Johnny, my man, your wife is not satisfied with you in bed! I'm afraid I'll have to satisfy her for ya!"

"Don't you dare touch my wife!" yelled John.

"Uh oh, I've struck a nerve. Fine, I won't touch your wife," said Cletus as he moved over to John's son and daughter. "But the kids..."

"No...my God...Dillon...Amber..." John cried.

"Choose which one gets their throat cut, Johnny. Come on, I'm in a sporting mood," said Cletus.

The two children started crying. Cletus clamped his hands over their mouths.

"Quiet, kids. Daddy's making a decision," said Cletus.

"Please, we'll give you anything you want. Just please, don't hurt our..." Michelle said shortly before a glob of red and black goo flew forward and held her mouth shut.

"Shut up, bitch! I'm waiting for Johnny's decision. Come on before I kill them both!" said Cletus.

"Please don't do this...I don't want to hurt my children..." John pleaded.

"Ah, just what I thought you'd say. That's where my experiment comes in," said Cletus.

The symbiote covered Cletus's body in an instant. Carnage now stood over John and held his head in one hand. He held his other hand in front of John's face.

"Mark, if this works on Johnny, imagine how much fun you're gonna have!" Carnage said over his shoulder.

A small red spike grew from Carnage's hand and crawled over John's face. Eventually it moved up to his nose, and then went inside. John's body began to shake violently, while he made gagging and choking sounds. Eventually his head went back, and he let out a scream. But then, his face was blank. There was no expression. Carnage removed the cords that held his hands behind his back, and John stood up.

"How you feelin', Johnny-boy?" asked Carnage.

John said nothing.

"No foolin'! Well, now it's time to see if my experiment payed off." Carnage formed a knife and a sickle in his hands and handed them to John.

"Your tools, Maestro," said Carnage as he presented the weapons.

John took the weapons, and then he looked at Carnage.

"The boy," commanded Carnage.

Michelle screamed through the goo on her mouth as John walked over to his son. Dillon looked up at his father with silent fear. Michelle shut her eyes and turned away. She could feel her son's blood splashing on her as the deed was done. Dillon only screamed for a moment, and then the room was filled with the sounds of flesh tearing and blood splashing. When it was all over, only the sounds of Michelle and Amber's crying and Carnage's laughter could be heard.

"Good job, Johnny! Well, it's nice to see that I can actually accomplish something." Carnage then turned to Mark. "Your turn will come up shortly. But first..."

Carnage walked over to Michelle, lifted her from the chair, and carried her upstairs. Seconds later, Mark could hear her muffled screams as well as Carnage's laughter.

********

Spider-Man had been perched upon Bruce, his gargoyle/buddy for nearly an hour before he decided it was time to start moving. It had been a week since the murders that were all over the news, and still there was no sign of Mark Powell, the student who had gone missing. Peter had known him as a troublemaker and knew that he ran with a gang, but what had happened did not seem like the modus operandi of a gang. The boys who died had been cut, some of them with limbs severed, one of them decapitated.

"Well, I'll see you later, Bruce. Gotta do the superhero thing," said Spider-Man. He leapt from the gargoyle, let himself fall for awhile, fired a webline and started swinging.

A few blocks away, a policeman was walking down the street, just patrolling. Suddenly, a body crashed through the window of a nearby jewelry store. The body landed in front of the policeman. A second later, a man leapt through the window to the street. It was John.

"Freeze!" yelled the policeman.

The second the policeman drew his gun, John moved forward with inhuman speed and slapped the gun out of his hand. He then lifted the policeman into the air by his throat and hurled him across the street. The policeman hit the ground and rolled backwards. He managed to draw his radio and call for help before passing out.

Within minutes, John had knocked out several police officers who had come to apprehend him. One officer managed to shoot him in the stomach, but he just glared at the officer before rushing forward, grabbing him by the head, and snapping his neck. He then threw the policemen's body at two of his fellow officers.

Another officer tackled John and slapped the cuffs on him. With no effort at all, John snapped the cuffs, turned, and punched the officer in the face. The officer hit the ground, and then John stood over him with his fist raised in the air. His assault was halted by a web that snared his arm.

"Dude, I don't like cops anymore than you do, but if I got a beef with 'em, I just pull their pants down, not beat on 'em," said Spider-Man, who was perched upon a nearby lamppost.

With a quick pull, John pulled the webline and Spider-Man along with it. Spider-Man landed on his hands and performed a handspring to his feet. He then turned back to John.

"Okay, that was unexpected..."

Spider-Man looked John over and saw that he was covered with dirt and dry blood.

"Who are you supposed to be? The Butcher? Meat Cleaver Man? Oh wait, I got it, Horror Movie Ripoff Man!"

John said nothing back.

"Deaf Man? Mute Man?" Spider-Man suggested.

John said nothing back.

"I-Have-No-Sense-Of-Humor-Man?"

John rushed forward and punched Spider-Man in the face. Spider-Man stepped back.

'Weird...I should have been able to dodge that punch...' thought Spider-Man.

Spider-Man returned the punch with a cross of his own. John's head snapped back, and then snapped forward again in a headbutt. Spider-Man stumbled back, and then jumped back to perch on another lightpole.

'Maybe he's a mutant,' thought Spider-Man.

John ran forward, leapt high into the air, and kicked Spider-Man in the abdomen. The kick sent him off of the lightpole and he crashed into the windshield of a nearby car. Before he could even get over the shock of both the jump and the kick, John had jumped upon him, slammed him into the car, and then threw him several feet away. Spider-Man flipped in midair and landed on his feet.

"Alright, stand still for a second while I think up some more dumb jokes," said Spider-Man.

Spider-Man held his hands out and bound John with webbing. John strained a little, and then he tore the webbing. Under his mask, there was a look of shock on Peter's face, but it wore off after a second as he tried to come up with a strategy to use against this man. John leapt forward again and threw several punches, which Spider-Man dodged. He blasted John in the face with webbing, and then delivered two hard strikes to his jaw. He followed them up with a punch to the stomach, and then he rose into the air and kicked John in the jaw on the way up. John fell to the ground, and then Spider-Man drove both feet into his abdomen upon his landing. Finally he backflipped away and waited to see if his opponent would rise again.

John did rise again, but before they could continue fighting, a loud bang filled the air. A bullet entered the back of John's head, and blood exited it. John's body hit the ground. A man in a brown trenchcoat placed his gun back in its holster and walked toward John.

"Was that really necessary?" asked Spider-Man.

"He killed one of my men. Yes, it was necessary," the man replied.

"And you are?"

"Payne. Captain Jackson Payne."

Captain Payne was a tall black man with a muscular frame. He stood about five inches taller than Spider-Man, and his physical appearance seemed to be just as well toned as that of Spider-Man's, although Spider-Man was still much stronger. His hair was a military style crew cut, and he had a thin black mustache. He knelt over John's body and examined it. Suddenly, Peter's Spider Sense went off.

"Step back!" Spider-Man warned as he pushed the captain back.

A red spike emerged from John's head and flew into the air with lightning-like quickness. Both men stared into the sky while trying to make some sense of what they had just seen.

"What the hell was that?" exclaimed the captain.

Some more officers ran to the captain's side.

"Sir, are you alright?" one of them asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's get this guy out of here. I want an autopsy done pronto," said Captain Payne.

"Yes, sir. Let's get moving, boys!" the officer said.

"I'd like to know the results of that autopsy myself," said Spider-Man.

"You're not a cop. It's none of your business," said Captain Payne as he got into his car and drove away.

"Sorry, Captain, but I have to make it my business..."

Little did the captain know that a Spider-Tracer had been placed on him...

******

Cletus lay on the bed, smoking a cigarette, with a big grin on his face.

"I tell ya, baby, you ain't never had lovin' til you had some of that symbiote lovin'. Granted, you're not nearly as good as my last girlfriend so you couldn't get that big of a rise out of me, but still...But my last woman, man oh man could she hit a high note! There's a reason they called her Shriek, ya know," said Cletus.

Michelle lay on the bed next to him, her hands bound to the bedpost with symbiotic cords. She did not respond, she only closed her eyes and wept silently.

"What, are you crying? Damn, I was that good, huh?" said Cletus. He grabbed the remote and turned on the T.V. A news program was on. When he saw a guy in familiar red and blue tights on the screen, Cletus sat up.

"And this is where it all took place, ladies and gentlemen. This is where several people were injured, including six police officers who have been hospitalized. Also, one officer has been pronounced dead at the scene. The assailant, shown here in battle with the vigilante known as Spider-Man, has also been pronounced dead due to a gunshot wound to the head," said the reporter on the T.V.

"Hey, lookit, Spidey got beat up by your hubby!" said Cletus.

Michelle slowly opened her eyes and saw her husband leap into the air and kick Spider-Man in the midsection. She closed her eyes again and lay her head back.

"Or, should I say, your late hubby?" Cletus added. "Well, time for me to get to work. See ya, sweetums. Don't go anywhere while I'm gone. Oh yeah, you can't..."

Cletus walked downstairs, back to the closet, opened it, and drug Mark out of it. He was now a shadow of his former self. He was skinny, pale, his clothes were dirty and torn, and he was covered in blood. Cletus covered himself in the symbiote again.

"Guess what, Mark?" asked Carnage as he held his hand out.

"No...no more..." Mark tried to get up and run, but Carnage grabbed him by the face and slammed the back of his head into the floor.

"Your turn..." said Carnage.



END OF CHAPTER TWO