Part 2 - 'Til Death do us Part
Chapter 36 - Stronghold
New Year's Eve was filled with much celebration amongst the Sol Galactic Command officers. Gwen and Miles had limited their involvement since it was only June in their dimension. They sat alone in their quarters, watching as a squadron of fighter ships performed an aerobatics display outside. The fleet had moved to another dimension. Edward had explained that it was to keep Helltreader from finding and wiping them out. The fighters had just finished an impressive stunt when the door beeped twice.
"Enter."
It hissed open. An officer entered, stood to attention and saluted.
"Grand Admiral Melbourne gives his respects. He wishes to inform you that he has resumed his position as Grand Admiral and that he requires both your presence on the bridge immediately."
"We'll be there in a minute."
"Understood."
The officer saluted again and marched away.
"I don't know why we're being saluted nowadays. It feels weird." Said Gwen, getting up.
"Must just be a way of making us like them."
"Why wouldn't we? I mean...Edward's a bit weird with the symbiote now, but otherwise Sol is fine."
"I don't know."
The bridge was silent when the spiders entered. Edward's face was stern. He muttered something to Venom then looked at the pair.
"I'm not going to screw around with pleasantries. A few minutes ago we received an interdimensional transmission that is of importance to you two more than anyone else. Ops, put it up."
The view screen shifted to the side and another image popped up, one of a black and red logo. After a few seconds the logo faded and a man appeared. His face was covered in too many scars to count. His hair was black, as if it had been singed. When he spoke, his voice was deep and threatening. It boomed throughout the bridge.
"Before you start trying to speak to me, this message is pre-recorded in dimension 0,46,4377,7734. I speak directly to Miles Gonzalo Morales and Gwendolyne Maxine Stacy-Morales. For years, worlds have suffered either directly from your actions, or from the side-effects. No dimension has suffered more than 7,35,4928,7065 at the hands of someone once seen as a hero. The Reapers massacred innocents, and they could not have done it without help. Now, the few that survived the genocide have risen to take their revenge."
The image changed to one showing a large group of people armed with all sorts of weapons lined up in neat ranks. A banner flew above them sporting an image of a flame inside which was the number '65'. After a few seconds the image returned to the man.
"As well as those inhabitants of 7065, others have suffered as a result of your actions. The Inheritors: a family from dimension 7,35,4266,7001. One of them was murdered, the rest sentenced to a life of wasting away in a radioactive wasteland. All they wanted to do was eat. Is it right for a wolf to be hunted for doing only what is natural to it?"
The image briefly changed to a picture of the Inheritors.
"At long last these people are united under one banner, under one cause. They demand their vengeance, and on this day that vengeance shall begin."
The man beckoned to someone off screen. A person around Miles' age was shoved into the man's arms. Miles and Gwen watched in horror as the man held a knife to Ganke's throat.
"Justice shall prevail. Always."
The blade crossed. Blood spilled out of the wound as their friend collapsed out of the shot.
"I am sure you realise what this means if I have...or had Ganke. I look forward to our meeting."
The logo returned before the view screen slid back into its central position. Edward started to speak.
"That was Helltreader. It seems...you two aren't listening."
Miles and Gwen were staring at each other in horror.
"He has Peter." Gwen whispered.
"Oh crap." Was all Miles said.
The realisation hit Edward as well like a ton of bricks.
"I think this calls for some major action."
"Well done, you idiot." Gwen snapped at him.
She began pacing across the bridge. Miles did the same. She stopped in front of the view screen and collapsed to her knees letting out an enraged scream. Venom roared at her, clutching its head, bursting out of Edward. When she stopped, panting for breath, Edward fell back into his chair. Miles grabbed an electronic tablet and hurled it at a wall. The device clattered harmlessly and he was still seething.
"We have to do something." He growled.
"We go to 0734 and kill that son of a bitch before he kills our son." Gwen replied, getting up.
"Not dressed like that, and your current suits won't do anything. I'll ask the Doctor to grab some allies and be ready. Go down to R&D. Take your current suits with you." Ordered Edward.
The spiders nodded, their faces filled with anger and determination.
Stanley and Lisa were waiting for them as they entered wearing their suits. Lisa held up a USB stick of some sort. Miles noticed Stanley held one as well. The sticks were in the spiders' respective colours.
"Take the suits off and pass them over." Stanley instructed them.
They complied, handing over the balls of programmable matter. Stanley took Miles' and examined it closely before pushing the spider symbol in. A USB port emerged. After a few seconds of the stick being plugged in, the scientist handed the suit back.
"Software update. New HUD with night and thermal vision. In addition, it detects the presence of an Ethereal Plate and will change shape to allow it to be plugged in." Explained Lisa, handing Gwen her suit as well.
"Thank you." Said Miles before grabbing Gwen's hand and dragging her to the hangar where the Doctor was waiting with the old spider gang.
None of the spiders spoke. The Doctor had explained the situation so they realised Gwen and Miles were not in the mood for small talk.
"Before you two swing in there we need a plan. Helltreader has a stronghold in 0734. It's surrounded with a force field making it TARDIS proof. In addition, trenches surround it filled with who knows what, but certainly nothing good. To get inside we have to cross the trenches and through the force field, then past the guards on the stronghold's walls. Finally, we navigate the fortress to Helltreader. The good thing is Helltreader has one hell of a heat signature. Your new suits, flick 'em to thermal and we'll get him easily."
"I'll go in and wipe out the trenches." Snapped Miles, agitated by the wait.
"Singlehandedly?" Enquired the Doctor.
Suddenly, he disappeared. The Doctor nodded.
"You'll need weapons. Punching will take too long. A couple of knives will do it. There's some in the TARDIS. You can take out the guards as well like that. Once they're done, all six of you can storm the stronghold."
Miles reappeared.
"Then what are we waiting for?"
The TARDIS materialised in the sky above a concrete monolith. A bubble surrounded it, reminding the Doctor of the Citadel on Gallifrey. The sky was filled with puffs of black smoke from guns in the trenches. Miles walked to the door. Gwen kissed his lips one last time.
"Whatever happens to our son, don't get captured as well. I can't lose you both." She said.
Miles nodded, morphing his mask over his head. A red display appeared around the edges of his vision displaying his vital signs. Two knives were strapped to his waist to make him a more efficient killing machine. He turned invisible as he leapt out the door, unfolding his wingsuit. With a single thought his vision turned blue and orange for thermal imaging. A glance at the stronghold showed him that Helltreader was in the core of the structure. Right now the trenches were his concern. They were dotted with thermal signatures. Miles spread his body as wide as he could and touched down in the mud like a leaf. He drew the knives and dropped inside the nearest ditch. Nobody looked. The next thing they knew, one of their comrades collapsed, blood gushing from a hole in their neck. The cry alerted them, but they saw nothing. One pulled out a gun and fired a shot. Miles stepped aside and leapt forwards, webbing the person and kicking them against the next one along. A heavy artillery gun was next. The operator was intent on shooting the TARDIS down but was struggling. Miles grabbed them by the throat and hurled them to the ground, stomping on their head. He turned the gun down the trench and pulled the trigger. A shell flew from it, exploding at the other end and killing more of Helltreader's troops. He used the weapon to shell more of the trenches, clearing a path through before turning visible again and staring at the stronghold.
"There's the fu..."
A bullet shot from a pistol Miles had picked up. The enemy collapsed with a hole through their skull. The spider leapt into the next trench, a mega venom strike tearing apart another gun emplacement. He flipped behind another soldier, grabbing them in a choke lock. Bullets thudded into their body as their comrades tried to fight back. Miles snapped the soldier's neck and hurled them at a pair of enemies before slitting their throats. He hurled one of his knives into the last person in this trench. As he jumped into the next, he heard a revolver shot which shattered the skull of a soldier about to shoot him. Spider Noir hopped down to fight alongside him. When this trench was cleared, Noir plucked a packet of matches from one of the bodies and pocketed it. That was the final trench. The TARDIS touched down. Miles didn't stop. His chest was heaving as he venom struck the shield. It shattered for just enough time for him to get through. The entire dome collapsed as the Doctor zapped it with his sonic screwdriver. Miles turned invisible again and scrambled up the ramparts, throwing Helltreader's soldiers from the wall. The guards were almost clear when Miles came face to face with something he hadn't even considered. A humanoid creature stumbled towards him, growling and sputtering. It reminded him of a zombie. He jumped on it, only to find himself hurled down again. This was a dead person. The dead lunged at him. Miles ducked and stabbed his remaining knife through the back of its skull. Nothing happened. A revolver shot struck it in the chest but nothing happened. The dead lunged again, catching Miles around the neck and sinking its teeth into him. He grabbed it and hauled it off, ignoring the pain and blood. It struggled, but was soon plummeting into the mud below where the Doctor did something to it which seemed to do the trick. Miles hopped down, turning visible again. The thought didn't even cross his mind that the dead had seen him even while he was invisible. Gwen glanced at the wound but the programmable matter had resealed itself over it.
"Helltreader is in the middle of the building. As for our kid, no I think he's there as well. There's a faint heat signature." He told them.
"Let's hope it's faint because he's small, not dead." Replied Gwen, leading the way through the gate into the fortress.
The inside was a labyrinth of corridors and tunnels, but it took the spiders little time to navigate. The Doctor had stayed behind to guard the TARDIS and watch their backs. The group readied themselves for the fight, Heltreader was on the other side of the door. Miles turned invisible, drawing the knife he had recovered from the body of the dead. The steel door groaned open. The spiders charged in, firing webs and revolver shots. Helltreader seemed amused by this. When they realised it was having no effect, they stopped. Miles crept around behind his enemy.
"What a show of force that was. Taking on all those soldiers by yourself, Morales."
Helltreader's hand shot up. Miles turned visible again, pulling at the hand clasped around his throat. His knife clattered to the floor.
"You're a curious individual."
Helltreader raised his other hand: the other five spiders were slammed against the wall and pinned there. Miles joined them a second later, gasping for breath. Gwen tried to take his hand but she couldn't move from her neck down. Helltreader admired his catch.
"I must say, I wasn't expecting you so soon. Otherwise I would have had the trenches manned with dead instead of incompetent fools. But this way it is much more personal."
He moved so his face was merely an inch from Gwen's.
"We meet at last, Gwendolyne. I've heard so much about you. Your people will love the sound of your screams as you die."
"Leave her alone!" Yelled Miles.
Helltreader spat in her face. His saliva burned like boiling water, but sizzled away after a few seconds. He smiled at Miles.
"Young love. Such a fickle thing. You stand beside her, but tell me. Would you actually take a bullet for her like you so often say in your sleep?"
"What the..."
"I see in your mind, Miles. Your dreams are strange. I have something that belongs to you two."
He spat in Miles' face before turning to a cardboard box on a table opposite. He tipped it over. A small body rolled out. Baby Peter didn't move, he didn't cry. Helltreader kicked the body to Miles and Gwen's feet. Their son was very clearly dead. Helltreader released them both, watching them collapse to their knees at the sight. Both were crying, clutching the small corpse. Gwen screamed in anguish. The child she had carried for months, given birth to, was dead. Helltreader lapped up every moment of it.
"Having your insides torn out while you're alive is no way to go. But this pain is what so many people felt when you tore their homes apart, shattering the labours of their love, setting the gears of wedding vows in motion: 'til death do us part. Many moved on, many still remember. This is just a taste of what you have done."
Miles slowly stood up, his wife sobbing violently at his feet. The image of his son being torn apart from the inside out filled his mind with anger. His eyes narrowed. Blue, then orange energy crackled in his eyes, spreading down his arms.
"You. Killed. My. Son."
He leapt at Helltreader, driving his fist at his worst enemy's face. Energy exploded in all directions as Helltreader couldn't react at the speed which Miles moved. The near invincible person was thrown backwards against the wall, causing it to crack. The spiders were released by the shock to Helltreader. This was not part of his plan, but it was a mere setback. Let them run. They would be back, and he would slaughter them like pigs in a butcher, quite literally in Spiderham's case.
The Doctor was holding back a group of dead with his sonic screwdriver when the spiders returned. When they were inside, he let the dead go and sprinted to the console, pulling the levers in a hurry. The doors closed themselves. He looked around; the spiders were clustered around Gwen and Miles. He hurried over.
"Is everything..." He began.
Peter B Parker slapped his hand over the Doctor's mouth and led him away as the TARDIS doors burst open. Edward, Stanley, Lisa and a few security officers entered. Edward surveyed scene.
"Oh no." He murmured.
Crossovers in this Chapter
- Doctor Who