Part Six
Nick Fury grinned widely as his choppers circled the roof of the church. "Continue suppression fire." He ordered demandingly. The black image of Spider-Man contorted in pain as bullets shredded its exterior apart, "How much longer until the sonic gun is charged and ready?"
"Just a few more minutes left, sir." Replied the chopper pilot anxiously.
Spider-Man could hardly stand. His shattered black form had beams of light glowing through the bullet holes in his chest. Another spread of bullets sent him spiraling across the battered roof. He screamed and trashed his arms from side-to-side desperately.
He spotted a chopper that moved by him menacingly. Working on instincts alone, he fired a web-line that latched onto the tail of the vehicle. Pulling on his immense strength, he pulled the line as hard as he could. The results were immediate and pleasing to the wounded creature. The helicopter lost altitude and tumbled to the ground.
Fury watched in horror as the vehicle crashed onto the street resulting in a massive explosion. "Back off!" He ordered behind clenched teeth, "Is the gun ready yet?"
"Just give me another minute." The pilot answered.
"Damn it." Fury grabbed the radio and gripped the device tightly, "Jan are you there?"
The female member of S.H.I.E.L.D responded almost immediately, "Yes sir?"
Fury sighed, "Can you get over here anytime soon?"
"Yes, why is something wrong?"
"Spider-Man is giving us tougher resistance than expected. Do any other choppers have the gun outfitted on them?"
Jan seemed hesitant to answer, "Only one."
"It'll have to do." Fury replied, "Meet us at the church. Hopefully, this will be just a precautionary move."
Eddie Brock came in to the church through the ruined walls. Debris was scattered across the floor. He held the camera in his hands tightly and looked for any sign of action. He could see some green hand sticking out from a pile of stone.
He wasted no time in taking a shot and moving on. Eddie could hear the sounds of gunfire from above quickly followed by some sort of animalistic roar. It shook him and he considered running away.
Suddenly, Brock could hear the insults of Jameson and groaned loudly. Determined to see his course of action through to the end he focused on an old stairway that led to the roof and began to ascend its rickety frame.
Spider-Man collapsed to his knees as another barrage of gunfire ripped his throat apart. He spit out blood and shielded his elbow as it took another volley of shots. The suit was strained as it tried to repair numerous injuries and trying to focus on survival.
The second helicopter loomed in, guns blazing. Spider-Man rolled onto his back and fired a spray of webbing that got caught in the rotary blades. The failure was catastrophic and following the death of its predecessor fell down to the streets.
Fury wiped his hand across his face angrily. "Please don't tell me that we've just lost another one."
"You're the boss." Replied the pilot, "But I think you should know that we're alone now." A blinking light on his instruments drew his attention, "Hey, some good news, finally. The sonic gun is fully charged."
"Bring us in and get into firing position. We'll take out that little bastard right here and now!"
Spider-Man crawled along the roof, weakened and battered. He gasped for air, savoring every minute of this short recess. "We must hold on." It murmured to itself, "We'll die alone."
Unbeknownst to him, Fury's helicopter swung around and stopped just at the edge of the roof. The pilot swung the vehicle around showing Spider-Man, its side.
The doors slid open revealing Fury at the helm of what looked like a turret that had been bolted down into the interior of the chopper.
Spider-Man raised his head and looked at it for a moment, puzzled. He began to crawl away from it, too tired to stand. Before he could get far, Fury fired the weapon.
Waves of sonic sound blasted through the air and enveloped Spider-Man. Suddenly he was faced with the worst pain he had ever suffered in his life. The blaring noise felt like it was tearing his skull apart. His symbol looked as if it was vibrating suddenly, then the rest of his suit followed. It was losing focus, stability. He couldn't hold on any longer, he placed his hands on his ears and wailed.
"It's working!" Fury declared with a wide grin. "Once the suit is off Spider-Man bring us around and shoot that little freak to pieces!" He ordered the pilot.
Spider-Man raised his hand weakly and made a closed fist. "No." He mumbled and fired a web-line. The projectile connected with the front of the chopper. "We won't go!" He barked, "We won't leave!" He pulled on the line with every meager bit of strength left in his body.
The pilot jerked back, stunned, "Sir!"
"Keep us steady!" Fury said from his gunnery station, "I almost have him! I said keep us steady!"
The pilot covered his face with his hands, "We're going down!"
Fury grimaced angrily, "I said keep us steady!"
The helicopter smashed into the side of the church and exploded in a fiery inferno that consumed its occupants.
Spider-Man watched the smoke pouring out from the wrecked chopper and smiled. He immediately investigated his surroundings and saw no sign of any additional choppers. "Yes." He said quietly, "We did it!" He rose to his feet, "We did it! We killed them all!"
He smashed his fist down on the surface of the roof, creating a huge hole through which debris fell down through. Spider-Man cackled loudly and raised his hands triumphantly, "We are one! We are Spider-Man!"
"Peter?" A gentle voice called out from his rear.
Spider-Man spun around with his fist closed and raised it, "Who dares!" He screamed at the person who had snuck up on his rear, "We'll cru-."
There standing behind him was Mary Jane. She had reached the roof via some stairs and the hatch she had come through was still open. "Peter, I'm here."
He looked at her, confused for a moment and took a step away from her like a frightened animal.
"What's happened to you?" She asked, "What did this to you?"
He grimaced and looked at his hand; the talons that replaced what were once fingertips and trembled.
"Peter, I need to see you again, please." She pleaded.
He took a deep breath as if exerting himself. The mask slowly retracted into the rest of the black suit, revealing a bruised and weary face underneath. Sweat poured down its brow and dripped off his chin. There was a natural kindness in his face that had been washed away by the brutality it had given witness to it. The face was that of Peter Parker.
"Dear God." She said quietly, shocked that her suspicions were true, almost hoping she had been wrong. "What's happened to you?"
Peter frowned and tears poured out from his eyes. He quietly wept, ashamed of what had transpired. MJ saw this and recognized the man that she knew so well, "Its okay, tiger. She took a step towards him and he moved back. "Please, don't run." She took another step and he retreated again, "I've been running from things all my life and it never made anything go away. Please, Peter."
He stared at her for a moment and outstretched his hand towards her. She smiled and did the same. Their fingers played with each other for a moment, exploring their curves and lines. Peter then saw his own hand; that twisted black claw and retracted suddenly.
"Don't." She said quickly, "I know you're not responsible for what's happened. You couldn't do any of things that you were forced to do. Don't be afraid." She took several more steps towards him, but he did not run from her this time.
"Peter, there's something I need to tell you and I've been hiding it all this time. And it was because I was afraid of being vulnerable, but I'm not afraid anymore." She placed her hand on his chest, "When I'm with you, I feel safer and stronger than I have ever been in my life. I lov-."
"No!" Peter roared, as the mask suddenly grew back over his face, "I won't let you!"
MJ frowned, "What's wrong?"
Peter reached out to MJ with his hand and shoved her out of the way as a volley of bullets suddenly tore apart the roof and ripped through his body.
MJ stumbled back uncontrollably. She couldn't even manage a call for help when she fell through one of the holes on the roof. MJ tumbled down to the floor of the church helplessly, everything was slipping away.
Moments before she hit the ground, somebody leapt through the air and grabbed her in his arms. Her savior landed on the floor powerfully and stared at her.
MJ found herself face-to-face with the Lizard. "Are you hurt?" He asked grimly.
She shook her head slowly, "T-thanks." She said.
"Don't." The Lizard replied letting her down, "It wasss an accccident." He took a sniff of the air, "Ah, it ssseems Missster Fury isss dead, how pleasssant. Excussse me, please." He turned away from her and made his way back out the breach in the side of the building.
Jan surveyed the surroundings of the church in an uncontrollable rage, "They're all dead. Every last one of them is dead." She focused on Spider-Man, reeling from their attack on the roof. "Get us into position, I'll be damned if he gets away with this."
Peter roared as bullets ripped apart his arm. The suit was doing its best, trying to keep him alive, but it was difficult work. The chopper spun around much like it had Fury's, and the side door opened and Jan could be seen behind the gun station.
He could see her from here, the anger on her face and the determination in her posture. It was his only chance.
Peter planted his hands and feet tightly onto the roof and watched as the gun fired. Waves of sonic sound blasted him with their full force. "Come on." He screamed, "Leave!"
The black suit began to vibrate uncontrollably. "No!" Peter said without willing it, "We are one, you can't do this!"
"Watch me." He responded, yelling over the noise emerging from the weapon. "I've had enough of you."
"We gave you power!" The suit argued, "We gave you life! Let us defend ourselves." He raised his closed fist and aimed for the helicopter.
Peter stopped it by clasping that fist with free hand, "No you don't."
"Why?" The suit begged, "Why? We would have died for you!"
Peter clenched his teeth, determined to hold on for as long as it took, "Let me give you a piece of advice, buddy: never threaten the people I love!"
The suit was torn from his body; it struggled to hold on, fought for as long as it could, but it was all over. Patches of it came off, revealing the red and blue costume underneath, still intact but worn down. The black suit fled from him, resolved in its desire to survive. The slick of black slid across the ground and vanished through the cracks.
Peter gasped for air as the suit vanished from his sight. He felt a sudden weight lifted from his shoulders and smiled. His spider-sense flared and he hurtled himself through a hole to safety, as a volley of machine gun bullets followed his every movement.
Inside, the church he came down, relying on his agility to keep him from crashing down. Peter landed on the ruined altar loudly and immediately spit out blood onto the floor. He wiped his mouth and turned around to see MJ. "Did you miss me?" He said as the sound of police sirens became louder.
"You have no idea." She said melancholy while looking at his blue and red duds and smiled, "We better go."
"Before we do, there's something I need to know." He placed his hand on her shoulder; her skin was so soft; "I didn't do anything to you, did I? I only got a few peeks here and there as to what was going on."
She shook her head, "I think it wanted to, but it couldn't, you were holding it back." The patrol cars could be heard driving up to the church.
Peter fired a web-line through one of the shattered stain-glass windows; his web-shooters had survived the ordeal through some miracle. The line connected with a nearby building and he grabbed MJ in his arms. "Hold on, one Spider-Man style exit; coming up free of charge." He tugged on the line and they both swung out the window, the only sign of their presence were her fading cries of excitement.
Meanwhile, the suit had been hard at work in these few minutes. It slowly and methodically poured across the surface of its prey. He could do little to stop it. After leaking the cracks it had found somebody watching Parker. Taking advantage, it snuck up on him and using its remaining power stabbed him through the chest with one of its tendrils.
Now he belonged to the suit. It entered his blood stream and began to contaminate his thoughts. This one was weak willed, not like Parker, but he would have to do. Once in the blood stream it began to transform the DNA to suit its needs. As the suit began to get a hold on its new host it spoke for him, "If Parker denies us then we will make him suffer. Show him the downfall in turning away a gift such as this one. We must make him beg for death by the end." It shared a common bond with this host. As much as this suit loathed Peter Parker, so did Eddie Brock.