"Your Unfriendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man."
by Gary Jones
"He flies through the air with the greatest of ease - THWIP - that dashing young spider on his flying – THWIP – on his flying…uh?...web" Spider-Man grinned broadly as he let go of the web line he swung on, the people in the office building he was heading toward gasped in fear as it looked like he was about to hit the building.
At the very last possible moment Spider-Man let loose another web-line to an adjacent building, which served as an anchor and changed his path at the last possible moment.
A booming laugh escaped his lips as he continued his journey through the city toward the building of the Daily Bugle, if there was one thing about being Spider-Man he loved it was the excitement of the web-swinging. A new selection of Spider-Man photographs for sale to its publisher, J Jonah Jameson, were safely fixed into a web-backpack, the money from their sale would be invaluable to himself and Mary Jane, now that she was three months pregnant, they needed every penny they could raise.
"Aaarrrrgghhh," a massive burst of his spider-sense tore through his skull, causing him to lose his grip on his web-line. Spider-Man tried to focus enough to fire another web-line but his spider-sense just wouldn't stop hammering his brain.
The man inside the mask, Peter Parker, began to focus on his wife and unborn child, he had to break through the pain as he had no idea how long he had been falling or how close to the ground now was.
Fortunately for Spider-Man, his last swing had given him enough forward momentum so that he crash landed painfully onto the gravel surfaced roof of an apartment block. He may have picked up scrapes and cuts from the gravel but at least that was better than becoming a spider-street-pizza.
"Man, I wonder what could have set my spider-sense off like that," Spider-Man's head was still pounding but it was now just an extreme headache and not the skull splitting blaring of his spider-sense.
"Sorry but that would have been me Peter," a voice came from the small slanted top of the roof access hut, Spider-Man looked up and saw….
"Ezekiel," he was excited to see the older man who had mysteriously come into his life moths ago, with powers and abilities to mimic his own "man I thought you'd cleared out of town; I haven't seen you since MJ got pregnant."
"Listen I don't have much time," as he spoke Ezekiel clutched his head, pain etched on his face "I can't keep it inside me for much longer, you have to get to Mary Jane and get her out of this city and away from me before it's too late."
"Ezekiel, if something is wrong we can get through this together," Spider-Man used the smallest fraction of his leaping ability to vault up next to his friend.
"Nothing at all now," Ezekiel's voice suddenly became grizzly and dark and in one swift motion he gripped Spider-Man in a bear hug, pinning his arms to the side.
"Zek, just what the hell do you think you are doing," Spidey tried to flex his muscles to break Ezekiel's grip but he found himself unable to do so.
"Surprised aren't you," Ezekiel leered "if I can boost this weaklings strength to hold you, imagine what is going to happen when I take you," the possessed Ezekiel shifted position to look Spider-Man directly in his lenses "and then your pretty wife."
"Leave her out of THIS," at the mention of Mary Jane, Spider-Man finally found the strength he needed, flexing his chest muscles and breaking free from Ezekiel's grip.
He shoved Ezekiel at the same time as leaping backward to a new position on the roof's flat surface "come on Ezekiel, your better than this," Spider-Man emptied a web-cartridge onto his friend but he didn't expect it to hold.
"He never told you what he did to come into possession of his abilities did he, the atrocities he had to commit before I would bestow even a fraction of my power unto him."
Spider-Man screamed again and fell to his knees as a vision of the past ran through his very mind. He could see into the past of the man he had come to call his friend, Ezekiel. Whole villages destroyed, there children murdered, its woman raped.
"Where did this happen," Spider-Man managed to croak out.
"Does it matter," Ezekiel said as he came to stand over him "some country in the south of this continent that once worshiped me," he looked around the all in his view "just like this city will worship me once I have taken you for my vessel."
Ezekiel reached down and placed his hands on either side of Spider-Man's head, who found himself powerless to resist as he witnessed the horrors that Ezekiel had committed as if they were his own.
Black tendrils of light flowed from Ezekiel's body and into Spider-Man, the process took no more than seconds but for both men involved, it was like an eternity.
Ezekiel collapsed to the floor, just as Spider-Man rose to his feet with a new vigour. As the last shreds of consciousness left Ezekiel, guiding him into a restless sleep, all he could hear was a dark voice laughing, a voice that had once been his own.
Five Months Later
A massive burst of light cracked the darkness of the dirty, litter strewn alleyway, a light that as it faded left behind five figures new to this world.
"Man remind me never to take that trip again," Mimic rose to his feet "those trips through realities where a lot easier when we had the Vanisher on the team," Mimic made use of his powers and shifted his form, first into a copy of Mystique, then he used her powers to appear as himself but dressed in a fine Italian suit.
"Where are we...now?" Captain America struggled to his feet, the past few day's activities finally catching up on his body.
"Sorry to interrupt," Stalker pulled at the waistband of his costume which had started to feel odd "but could we pay more attention to those giant spider-things that are crawling toward us from each end of the alley."
The three of them turned around to face Stalker and could now see clearly the misshapen monstrosities that were coming closer to them with every passing second.
"Defensive positions," Captain America struggled to his feet, every part of his body aching from the effort "then we try and push for the street, this alley benefits them in this fight," he recalled all the lessons given to him by the best military minds at Project: Rebirth, number one being 'don't let the enemy pick the battleground.'
"What you'll do is come with me if you want to live," Ezekiel had felt the Lost arrive in his reality, he wasn't sure how but he suspected that his version of the spider-sense was changing now that the spider-spirit had left him.
"No-one can say that after the Terminator movies you know," Stalker said as the closest of the spider-demons lunged at the group. He reacted in an instant and even though he had only had his web-shooters for a matter of days he handled them like an expert, snagging the spider-demon with a web-line and smashing it into another of its kind "next thing I know you'll be spouting lines like, I'll be back."
"Look we don't have time for funnies; these are only scouts," Ezekiel leapt deftly from the wall as a spider-demon charged toward him, only to meet a blot of cosmic flame, courtesy of Sue Storm "the main hunters don't leave the nest in Central Park unless they find some food of the super-powered variety or under the orders of their master."
"Just why should we trust you buddy," Fixit demanded to know "just give me one good reason."
"Well," Ezekiel mused for a moment "how about I'm not the one who is trying to eat you," Ezekiel couldn't help but smile at a smaller spider-demon gnawing futility on Fixit's leg, its teeth unable to pierce his super-tough grey hide.
"The man has a point Joe and we need a place for Cap here to rest," Sue thumbed at Cap who even despite his weakened state was wrestling with one of the demons, using his shield to block the creature's poison laced fangs.
"Fine! We follow the wall crawler," Fixit snatched the demon attacking Cap and casually threw it away, a small plume of dust rising from the building that it impacted into "but the moment there is any funny business," he cracked his knuckles and sneered at Ezekiel.
Mimic had transformed himself into a duplicate of the Psylocke from his reality, a blonde English woman with telekinetic powers that carried a pinkish energy signature and was using her abilities to carry the weakened Cap, who had lapsed into unconsciousness.
While Fixit bounded from roof to roof, nearly caving some of the in, Sue flew near him. He could tell she was a confident women but it was unnerving him slightly how closing she stuck to him at times.
Stalker on the other hand was having the time of his life. Not only had he got to take some of his pent up frustrations out in some mindless violence but he was finally getting in some good practice with the web-shooters that Kingpin had given him. The short hops to MJ's hotel room, then to the penthouse of the vampire lord and that encounter with, what did he call himself again 'Red Wind' something like that, had barely given him a taste of the freedom that swinging on the end of a thin line, high above the city streets, could give.
Ezekiel was highly suspect of the black clad figure swinging just behind him. He wore a pair of borrowed web-shooters but had not taken up a costume as it felt too much like a betrayal to a man he had already cruelly hurt.
It was some kind of buzzing in the back of his mind that had led him to the alley to see the arrival of the visitors, a buzzing that grew stronger the closer the man in the black costume got to him. The way he moved, the way he swung on a web-line, it was almost like…but no it couldn't be him, Peter was still possessed by the leader of the spider-demons that were terrorising the city.
"So old man, where are you taking us," Stalker picked up the pace of his swing until he was side by side with Ezekiel "please tell me it's not an abandoned warehouse somewhere because that would really suck."
"We're going to the home of a friend of mine…"
"Oh you have just got to be kidding me," Stalker shouted as he pulled off his mask "of all the places you could have brought us, you bring us to Queens."
The group once again found themselves in front of the home that had once belonged to Ben and May Parker, a house where just days ago they have faced that couple, transformed into murderous vampires.
"But I suppose I can't complain, I do use this place as a safe house back home," Stalker pulled off his mask and looked at the house, some part of him remembering the happier times.
Ezekiel looked shocked as he saw the face of Peter Parker; it didn't seem possible he thought. But before he could raise any questions a woman's voice pierced the night.
"Peter you're home," Mary Jane passed the three small steps at the front of the house in one leap, a thick white dressing gown was wrapped around her and her feet were bare "I'd almost given up hope of you coming back," Mary Jane wrapped her arms around Stalker but he stood unmoving.
Mary Jane knew in an instant that something was wrong. She did feel her husband's arms wrap around her, didn't feel him return her warm embrace and as she shifted her gaze upward Stalker's blonde hair was the final certainty.
"You're not Peter are you," MJ said, her voice low in sadness.
"Give the girl a gold star," Stalker took a step back as Ezekiel put an arm around MJ.
"Do you think we could all go inside," Ezekiel asked Mary Jane "I don't think the neighbours would like seeing a group of visitors like this in the street."
"Of course, you can all come inside," MJ's eyes found their way to Captain America, who was being supported upright by Mimic, still in his Psylocke form "and I might be able to rustle up something to eat too, as well as some clean clothing."
Inside the Parker Household
"This belonged to the Captain America of our world so it should fit you ok," MJ handed a clothing bag to Cap who had just finished showering and was wrapped in one of Peter Parker's bathrobes, one that was a little too small for his more muscular frame.
Sue had given a very hasty explanation to Mary Jane about the situation the Lost had found themselves in and had gratefully swapped the costume she had gotten on the vampire world for a classic Fantastic Four costume 'something's don't change, no matter what reality you are in,' she had smiled as she pulled it on.
"This is perfect," Cap said as he pulled the cowl down over his face "but this material doesn't feel like the chain-mail in my costume, what sort of metal is it?" he asked.
"It's was a gift from the Black Panther and is a replica right down to the last link but the metal is Vibranium, a special material that absorbs vibration."
"Well it's certainly an excellent fit and a lot lighter than my old uniform," Cap said as he slug his shield over his shoulders, to sit in its usual resting place on his back "but if it was a gift to your Captain America, I don't see how you came to possess it?"
"Ah well the thing is…" MJ ran her hands through her hair "when Peter was last at Avengers Mansion, he borrowed a few things, like your new clothes," she gestured to Cap and Sue "and we used them to…well…" MJ's hands came to rest on her baby filled stomach, her face flushed with red.
"You mean you…oh ewww," Sue pulled a face as playfully brushed herself off with her hands "please tell me it's been washed since then."
"It has," MJ laughed "you're both quite safe."
"I have no idea what you two are talking about," Captain America said, his face flushing red, telling the ladies that he did know really.
"Oh," smiled MJ mischievously "how about we explain a little for you?"
A look of horror came over Cap's face as the two women began to tease him without remorse.
"Where do you think you're going," Fixit growled from the attic doorway as Stalker opened the skylight.
"Got to get away from this place and that woman, thought I'd go for a spin to clear my head," Stalker had been fighting a near overwhelming desire to kill Mary Jane but he knew better than to give into a rage, especially when Fixit was keeping such a close eye on him. The Kingpin had taught him better than that.
"Just don't screw things up for Spider-Man more than it already is."
"Me?" Stalker replied with a grin under his mask "what could I possibly do that could cause trouble."
The Scorpion's tail lashed out at the cashiers desk, splintering it into a thousand pieces, he then wrapped it roughly around one of the female tellers and pulled her toward him "if you don't open the vault in the next ten seconds this girl is going to get a taste of my sting," he shouted at the manager who was cringing on the floor.
Venom began to drip from the Scorpion's stinger as the manager hurried to his feet, his age and weight, both of which had passed their best, slowed him up from going any faster.
"Too slow little man," Scorpion dropped the terrified teller from his grasp onto the floor "this girl dies, speed up to save the next one."
The girl could only look on in horror as the venom dripped stinger of the Scorpion came straight at the centre of her chest, only for it to stop inches from her.
"WHAT THE…!" the Scorpion cried out in confusion "that's a blasted web."
"Don't tell me you've forgotten me already?" Stalker stood in the doorway of the bank, the Scorpion's tail held at the end of his web-line.
He had been perched on a rooftop overlooking the bank, giving great consideration to robbing it, when he had observed the Scorpion exiting from the manhole in front and smashing his way inside.
"I thought you'd gone all psycho web-head," Scorpion swished his tale, yanking Stalker toward him "still at least now I get to kill you without having to fight my way through a bunch of monsters," Scorpion growled as he landed a double fisted punch into Stalker's jaw.
The force of Scorpion's punch cancelled out the momentum of his pull, Stalker landed unceremoniously at his feet "even in this dimension you hit like a girl," Stalker spun on the ground, using his legs to knock the Scorpion to the ground before flipping himself upright and resting his right knee on the Scorpions throat.
"The pressure I'm applying now is only choking you," Stalker said so only the Scorpion could hear "with just a little more I could kill you."
The Scorpion struggled for breath but managed to get out a few words "you can't be Spider-Man," he wheezed "dude is set up in the park."
"Never said I was that colourful idiot," Stalker said as he relaxed the pressure on the Scorpions throat a little "just a concerned citizen going about his lawful business."
Stalker's spider-sense had alerted him to the presence of police at the door, their guns trained equally on him and the Scorpion.
They tensed as Stalker webbed up the Scorpion and dragged him outside and dumped him on the bonnet of a squad car. He figured that they hadn't tried to shoot him yet because they weren't sure what to make of him since this world's Spider-Man had gone bad.
A young female officer raised enough courage to approach him, keeping her service pistol aimed directly at his heart. She wouldn't even get a shot off if he wanted her dead but she was kind of cute so he let her have a moment of glory.
"You're under arrest Spider-Man," even though she was shaking her voice remained unwavering.
"I'm not Spider-Man and I'd appreciate you not calling me that again," Stalker aid, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Oh please! You're wearing the black costume you used to wear and have web-shooters on your wrists. You are Spider-Man and you are under arrest."
"Look sweet cheeks," Stalker moved and in a flash took the cop's gun away from her, a move he had done many times before but this time he didn't end it by the snapping of the persons neck "I'm leaving and there isn't a damn thing you can do to stop me."
Stalker flipped backward and fired a web-line at the roof of the bank, quickly reaching the top and then webbing away.
"I guess he really wasn't Spider-Man," the female cop said to her partner as they dragged the Scorpion off the bonnet of the squad car "I met him once before and he was always really polite and full of jokes but that guy was just cold and full of anger."
Man I still can't believe I didn't kill that bitch," Stalker had stopped on a roof of an old apartment block some distance from the bank "I can't believe that grey prick has got me acting all heroic," Stalker pulled off his mask and punched through the chimney which was standing next to him "man I need to work out some of this frustration."
"Hey Spider, I'm not too fond of the new hair colour but it's nice to see you back in the hero game," a sultry female voice purred from behind Stalker.
Stalker turned around to see the woman behind him, he recognised her as the Black Cat, a minor thief the Kingpin employed every now and then when he didn't want any of his own people connected to a crime.
He had to admit that her costume on this world, a tight fitting black velvet bodysuit with a highly revealing slash that teased just a little too far below her belly button, was a damn site better than the combats she wore on his world.
"And I thought today was going to be a total bust," Stalker smiled as he pulled back on his mask "baby I promise that this is going to hurt, A LOT."
Next Issue: The team come face to face with the Spider-Demon to free Manhattan from his evil influence but will Stalker arrive in time to help them, or will he let them die.