Not as much reviews as before but that chapter was set-up. Hopefully this does better :) Warning for shitty fight scenes for the first segment cause it's me. Just imagine something more epic happening.
Zarbait: Heard a rumor that Thor was gonna be joining the Avengers.
reply from jazmene: Dunno where you heard that but it seems legit. I mean an immortal Asgardian god of war? Sounds like he'd do really well over there.
reply from Da Demon: He'd also be the only guy there. Lucky bastard. Ten bucks says he's fucking at least half the Avengers by the end of the month.
reply from bleesev2: Why does everyone assume being the one guy in a group of girls means it's gonna lead to shit like that? I was the only guy in a group of friends in high school and guess what? We were just good friends. Not everything is about sex.
reply from Da Demon: You aren't a sexy Asgardian god dude. Pretty sure even Spider-Woman would be all for it. What's a vigilante compared to the literal god of lightning?
The Lizard Serum ruined a lot of lives. It ruined Gwen's when she lost her best friend and was accused of his murder, it ruined countless victims when Osborn dug it up and gave it to Moon, and it even ruined his own when he tried to use it to become special. Apart from him none of them deserved it. Gwen was just trying to protect herself and her friends from a monster and those people were Osborn's victims because of his damn ego.
But one of the dozens - hundreds - that suffered most was Curt Connors. It was his life's work. A regenerative formula to allow people with disabilities to be as good as they were. A veteran who lost an arm so he could hug his child, a kid strapped to a wheelchair could walk again...it was going to be a miracle to help so many people. And then Peter ruined it. Stole it from the man who took him under his wing because he just wanted to be special and become just like Spider-Woman.
Now his wife was dead, killed by his own two hands, and his kid despised him. And it was all his and Osborn's fault.
"...Dr. Connors?" Peter lowed the gun slightly and his grip slackened enough for the older man to wrench himself from his grip. Dr. Connors stumbled back slightly and his back slammed into the nearby table, jostling the chemicals inside. He recognized them. Same components the kid used - stole - so he could make his monster juice, "What...What are you doing here?" The sounds of continued fighting echoed behind him. He ignored it.
He expected relief, a panicked explanation about how he'd been kidnapped just like a year ago and that he needed to get out of here. Instead the professor's eyes flicked in slow recognition and his look of shock was replaced with a weak scowl, "Mr. Parker." He said the name like a curse, "I should've known you'd be here. Wherever this damned serum pops up you're not far behind."
"What are you doing here?" He put the gun back on its holster. He deserved better than a gun shoved in his face, "I heard shield freed you."
"Yes, after Spider-Woman cured me S.H.I.E.L.D was all too willing to let me go on 'probation'. At least until they were dissolved. Apparently I wasn't considered valuable enough to keep under surveillance." He laughed, soft and bitter, "Though I'm surprised you knew that. Your visits were cut short, after all."
"That's..." He stopped visiting ever since Jack showed his face all over the city. Connors always saw the resemblance - how could he not? - but there was never any proof. Someone coming back from the dead? Crazy even for this madhouse.
But there was also that guilt. As much as he wanted to blame Osborn for everything that happened it was the kid - him - that made the serum in the first place. Took what was supposed to be something good and perverted it to something monstrous. When he was still Spider-Man he could distance himself from it all and look Connors in the eye. Without it there was nothing he could do to stop seeing Martha Connors' gutted corpse.
"I suppose you're here to kill me then? Go ahead. I'm cured so I can't fight back."
"I'm not going to kill you." Peter ripped the mask off his face and set it down on the table. It was suddenly hard to breath. The professor's scowl soften slightly when he saw his face. Even now after everything he'd done the older man pitied him, "You didn't answer my question. Why are you here? Did the Hand take you?"
"Would that it was so simple." He smiled sadly, "No, they came to me with a deal. In exchange for my...expertise in this poison they promised to give me my wife back."
"What?" The fighting was dying down. The others would be here soon, "That's crazy-"
"Is it? You came back from the grave and so has numerous others of their group. If anyone can give me Martha back - give Billy back his mother - it's them. I don't care what price I have to pay if they can give me that."
"Even this?" He picked up one of the filled vials and, without so much as a sound, tossed it against the wall. The glass shattered with a sharp crack, "You know how many lives this damn serum has ruined. Yours, Spider-Woman's and god knows how many others. Giving this to the Hand is just making sure it can spread again."
"I'm aware I'm spreading a cancer, but what choice do I have? I'm barely alive, Mr. Parker. Every time I close my eyes all I see is Martha's bloodied face asking me why." He closed his eyes briefly, "Spider-Woman got you back, I wasn't so lucky."
"And then what, Connors? The Hand lets you go and you go off to be a happy family again?"
"I'm not nearly as naive as that. I expect that they'll keep me caged in order to make use of my skills, and that's assuming they don't kill me outright to ensure that I can't spread my knowledge to other interested groups. On the slim chance they do free me there won't be a happy reunion. Even if both Billy and Martha despise me knowing that they're both alive is enough for me."
...God damn it. He wanted to condemn him, but what was the point? Would he have done anything different if it meant saving the people he loved? If Gwen or Lana died he'd have done anything to bring them back. Hell, he'd made 'peace' with Matt just to make sure Bullseye didn't go to hell even if he deserved it.
Footsteps came from behind, "Sowande isn't here," Moon Knight said. Peter didn't turn around even when they stopped, "Is this the scientist? Finish him quickly and let's-"
"Leave. I'll handle this."
"We should arrest him," Iron Fist said, "If he's making this serum then-"
"I said leave!"
A moment of silence passed before all four of them, even Matt, left without another word. The door closed behind them with a soft click, cutting them off from the rest of the building, "You really are different from before. The Peter I knew could've never raised his voice like that."
"The Peter you knew was a thief who stole your life's work." God, he was a hypocrite. He picked up the mask and stared at the blank visage. Spider-Man allowed him to hide. Made it easier for him to not feel like he was just some stupid kid who turned himself into a monster, "...Are you finished with your work?"
"Not quite. The serum hadn't been perfected in the way they wanted. Anyone who uses it still risks going feral or suffering from a heart attack given enough strain. Your appearance forced this Sowande to leave with the imperfect formulas. I expect he'll try to find another scientist to try and complete my work, though I doubt he'll succeed. You, I and Ms. Moon are the only ones to know its intricacies."
"Meaning he could come back for you."
"It's quite possible." Connors spread his arms, "And you want to make that doesn't happen. Well then, my previous offer still stands. One shot should be all it takes."
Connors grabbed the gun from his holster. Peter grabbed the handle on instinct and kept a tight grip as the older man's hands gripped the barrel tightly and pressed it against his chest where his heart was, "What are you doing?!"
"Do it. Kill me. That's what you came here to do, isn't it? Just finish-"
Peter punched him in the face. The former professor stumbled back and fell to the floor, "You wanna commit suicide? Do it yourself." Martin's empty eyes flashed in his mind and he gritted his teeth. He was tired of this, "...Leave. Leave the formulas and chemicals and go. Make sure the Hand can't find you again. With any luck we've already killed them so they'll have more to worry about than one escaped scientist."
"And then what?" he spat, pulling himself up into a shaky stand, "I can't keep doing this, Peter. What am I supposed to do after? I'm a free man with nowhere to go and no life to live. I have nothing left."
"...You wanna talk with your wife again?" The professor's eyes widened. Bingo, "Talk to Karen Page and tell her I sent you. Tell her I don't care what favor she wants from me or what price she wants. I'll do it. Just...don't give up."
"Why are you doing this? You said yourself I've unleashed this serum on this city."
Guilt? Sympathy? Or was it something else? "I'll get back to you on that." Peter put the mask back on. Time to be Spider-Man again, "Just leave and make sure you're still breathing after this. I gotta go find Sownande." Bastard couldn't have gotten far.
"He's...there a passage not far from here. On the right hallway behind cracked wall with pain in the front. There are vehicles there meant to be used for emergency escapes."
"Thanks, doc."
He left, closed the door behind him and almost sank down to the floor. What the hell was he doing? Giving Connors hope? Maybe, but it was cruel. Even if Page let him talk to his wife again, and that was a pretty big if, where would it end? Even if he apologized and confessed all his sins she'd still be dead and his son still hated him. He couldn't fix that. All he was doing was buying him a bit more time.
Matt was waiting for him as soon as he left. The Devil of Hell's Kitchen leaned against the wall to his right with his arms crossed, "You know Karen won't be happy." Peter ignored him, "She's not to keen on making deals based on referrals."
"Tough. She already owes me a favor." He rubbed a hand on his neck and grimaced. He didn't sign up to be her pet exorcist but that was where he ended up, "...Where are the rest?"
"Searching for Sowande. They're rather keen on ensuring the mistakes from before won't be repeated."
"Connors told me about an escape route. Let's go."
The passage ended up leading them to a makeshift garage. Peter whistled slightly at the collection of vehicles inside. Trucks, jeeps, vans, bikes...everything but the kitchen sink. Moon Knight knelt at a pair of tire tracks leading out of the garage and tapped the side of his mask, "Hm...these tires are very distinct. I should be able to track them down using one of my drones."
"Another chase, huh?" Peter frowned. Why couldn't these parasites make it easy?
"Someone else will have to drive if that's the case. My condition precludes me from seeing lights," Matt said.
"I can do it, but...I'm kinda rusty. Monks didn't really need cars," Iron Fist said.
"Don't suppose you can drive?" Peter asked. She just looked at him eerily with that patchwork mask covering her face, "...Take that as a no. Fine." He gestured to one of the bikes, "I'll go with Daredevil. Iron Fist, you ride with Echo. Moon Knight, what about you?"
"I will procure my own transport." He tapped his gauntlet and Peter saw a GPS trail fed to both his phone and the right eye of his mask, "I shall track the tires. Go on ahead and ensure that Sowande doesn't escape. We cannot make the mistakes as before."
Peter hopped onto the bike with Matt behind him. He twisted the right handle experimentally and it gave a loud thrum in return. Least the Hand weren't cheap here, "Did you ever consider that we would be sharing a bike?" Matt laughed.
"You wanna drive yourself?"
"Nowhere did I imply that." He laughed again, "Come on, let's finish this action movie style."
"Don't make me regret this."
He revved the biked and drove it down the dark passage to the entrance that led under an overpass. He waited a second to make sure Iron Fist was following on their own van before he followed Moon Knight's drone flying overhead. How did he afford this stuff?
Thankfully the early afternoon meant there wasn't as much cars as there could've been. He followed the tracks past the sparse cars on the overpass and tried to ignore how stupid it must've looked. Spider-Man driving a bike with Daredevil in tow while Iron Fist and a mute ninja followed behind them. He'd probably give Jameson a heart attack. Not that he cared much what happened to that old curve.
"Spider-Man, you should be close," Moon Knight's voice chimed in his comm line, "Be careful. If my guess is correct then he won't be empty-handed and will put up a fight. Your priority should be to ensure he cannot use any of his serums to empower himself."
"Easier said than done."
Finally he saw them. Sowande with his suit at the back of a truck followed by four escorts. His head raised and, for just a second, their eyes met. His face knotted in a scowl and he shouted something he couldn't make out.
The escorts immediately sprung to action. Men in suits - more Anvil mercenaries - popped their heads out and fired at them with submachine guns. Peter swerved to the side to avoid the barrage of bullets, "...Hope you know how to shoot." He handed Matt one of his pistols.
"Not my strong point, but..." And then, as if to completely contradict himself, he fired and shot one of the mercs clean through the forehead. Peter was too busy driving to give him a dirty look but Matt looked sheepish anyway, "Well, I did say it's not my best. I still prefer my own tools."
"Whatever. Keep shooting."
Matt fired off three more rounds and three more goons ended up with holes in their heads. Iron Fist drove past them and kept pace side by side with the other van. Echo opened the door and jumped on top of the van. She sliced through the roof with a few quick swipes and jumped inside. Even from where he was Peter winced when he saw how she cut and stabbed through everyone inside.
"Hey, you said you knew how to drive, right?"
"I can't tell traffic lights, but yes. Why?"
"Heads up." Peter turned the corner after Sowande, skidding against one of the unlucky cars to get caught up in the chase, jumped. Matt quickly took over while Peter pressed twice on the webshooters to line of white webbing, 'Hope Gwen's lessons paid off.' He shot another line and swung after Sowande's car. Just get in, shoot the bastard in the head and get out. They could deal with cutting his head off after.
Peter dodged the gunfire aimed up at him and flipped down, doing his best to copy Gwen's movements. It wasn't nearly as good but he did manage to land on top of the truck only for his spider-sense to ring, "Shit...!" He rolled to the side to avoid the bullets that shot through the roof and grit his teeth, "Damn it." He took out his other pistol and fired it down. Judging by the screams he got at least a couple of them.
The truck swerved left and right to try and shake him off. Peter activated the adhesives on his gloves and held on tight, "Kill him!" Sowande's voice shouted. The armored doors behind him opened and a merc raised his head to try and shoot him. Peter de-activated the adhesives, rolled and kicked the mustached goon right in the face. He flew and landed right on top of another unlucky car. At least they didn't crash.
Peter continued his roll, grabbed the edge of the truck and flipped his way inside to the back. The cramped interior was filled with four men, Sowande included, with two goons out front driving.
"Going somewhere?" Peter sneered. The goons raised their guns but he was faster. He shot a net of webbing at two of the goons while the third and Sowande got their shots off. Peter ducked, face practically pressed against the floor, then shot another line of white web to the goon's feet and pulled. The rifle continued to fire as the goon fell, first through the roof and then to the front seats.
And right through the driver.
He barely let out a curse before the driver's head smacked against the wheel and they suddenly swerved. The last thing he saw before the crash was Sowande desperately grabbing for a briefcase and the contents inside spilling all over him.
Peter didn't know how long he'd blacked out. Could've been hours or even just seconds. When he opened his eyes again the truck was turned over on its side and everyone inside was dead. And Sowande was gone, "God damn it..." Cockroaches always managed to skitter away. Shaking his head, he crawled through the wreckage and broken glass. It was his own fault really but how else could they stop that damn truck?
He was barely out before a red gloved hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him out roughly. Peter coughed and nodded at Matt, "Thanks..." Iron Fist, Echo and Moon Knight were behind him. Gang was all here. Peter looked back and winced when he saw the tipped over van crashed onto the side of a small building. No one inside as far as he could see, "...Anyone hurt?"
"If you mean us then no. The building is spared any casualties as well; it appears the employees were on their afternoon break. You were lucky," Matt said.
"Yeah..." Thank God. He didn't need any more innocent people on his conscience, "Where's Sowande."
"Your guess is as good as ours." Matt shrugged, "We got held up dealing with his escorts and by the time we arrived you were alone. Still, he couldn't have gotten far. I expect we can-" He stopped and looked up slightly.
"Got something?"
"Screams and...something inhuman. Hm, it appears Sowande's gotten desperate." Matt's smile was manic and looked far too fitting on him, "Murakami was right. The fear of death has taken hold of them so much that they're giving up their very humanity in exchange for continued existence."
"Where is he?" Peter hissed.
"A place I believe you'll recognize." He pointed to the left and Peter followed. At first he had no idea what the blind bastard meant till he narrowed his eyes and saw the faint sign from the raised board, "Midtown High..."
"Indeed. By the sounds of things it appears they're having a football game. Given that he's consumed numerous serums and attempted to create his own symbiote I expect he's planning to consume biomass in order to sustain himself. And what better place than a gathering filled to the brim with people?"
"If he consumes everyone there then he'll be impossible to kill, at least by our hands," Moon Knight said.
"We have to stop him then," Iron Fist said, unexpectedly serious, "We can't let him hurt anyone."
"Agreed." Peter took his pistol back from Matt and inserted two fresh magazines back into both guns, "Let's finish this."
Peter never imagined he'd ever come back to Midtown. Even before he got his memory back he found the place leery. Probably because he kept dreaming about that night at prom when Gwen killed him. Hard to think the place was good when you had nightmares about it every night.
Seeing Sowande turned into some kind of grotesque...thing didn't do much to improve that thought. It was hard to describe him. The Beast was an overly grown tick ape thing with a cloak but at least it looked vaguely like it made sense in its own messed up way. Sowande didn't. He was big, easily 20 or 30 feet in height, with skin that looked grotesque and stretched out. The bones on his arms, legs and chest poked out of the skin unnaturally and, if he looked close enough, a smattering of scales across the skin.
"What the hell...?"
"He must've consumed all of the serums at once," Moon Knight muttered, "The Lizard serum, Hyde formula...all of the toxins have mixed to create an abomination."
Sowande roared and the people who were frozen finally took notice. They screamed and ran all at once, pushing past one another in their attempt to escape. It didn't help. He grabbed the two closest people - a couple of football players - with his main hands while a few more bony limbs that reminded him of Gwen and Mary's tentacles sprung out of his back to grab as much as he could.
They had to stop this. Now.
"Get the arms!" Peter shouted. He unsheathed his knife and aimed for the closest limb. Peter jumped and cut through the bony tentacle that raised one of the cheerleaders to the monster's mouth. The creature screamed, its rancid breath washing over him, and Peter grabbed the girl before she hit the ground. He rolled against the ground roughly and pulled her up, "Get out of here! Go!"
"Sp-Spider-Man?"
"Go!" He shoved her away and looked back. Echo cut through two more limbs though she made no effort to look after the victims. He grabbed the two football players and dragged them away as Moon Knight and Daredevil dealt with the main hands. Iron Fist stood behind the montrosity and, after a quick exhale, aimed a strike to the back of its leg with his glowing fist that put the creature on its knees.
"Hey, over here!" He shot it twice in its ugly face while Matt and Iron Fist led the last victims out of harms away. The monster glared at him with an inhuman hate and growled, "Yeah, that's right. It's us you want, remember?!" Three more shots. Echo slashed at its legs only for the wounds to immediately heal. It roared and Peter watched with morbid fascination as the three bony tentacles they cut off before grew back too.
Just like the Lizard.
Echo cut open its stomach and jumped back before it could reach her. They all regrouped at the other side of the field while the creature lowered itself into a crouch and pushed its guts back inside, "Any ideas, people?" Peter grimaced.
"I'm afraid I don't carry nearly as lethal weaponry in order to puncture through his hide. Iron Fist?" Matt turned his head.
"I can definitely hurt it but what's going to stop it from healing?"
"Might have something." Peter pulled out the sheath inside his jacket and raised the hellfire knife, "Problem is a stab's not gonna cut it. We're gonna have to make sure that thing can't get up before this thing'll work."
"Leave that to us," Moon Knight tapped his gauntlet, "We shall do as much damage as possible. Just be ready to do your part."
"..." Echo nodded.
"Alright then. Let's go."
The creature finished healing and they charged towards it. Echo and Iron Fist were first, slashing and hitting at wherever they could reach and dodging its clumsy strikes. There was no more finesse or training, just the mad flailing of a monster. Moon Knight and Matt followed behind. Spector grabbed a cluster of bombs and tossed it at the monster's mouth while Matt threw his escrima stick straight through its right eye.
It roared and lashed out with a new barrage of bony tentacles. Peter flipped over its sweeping strike and slashed it as he came down. It growled again, louder and more pained this time, and pulled the tentacle back. The limb bled black blood and didn't heal.
The creature snarled and charged towards him. Peter lowered himself into a crouch in preparation to dodge before Iron Fist let out another wave of chi energy strong enough to knock it on its side, "Spider-Man, now!" Moon Knight tossed a few more grenades that emitted a thick blanket of smoke.
Peter jumped onto the thing's back and started stabbing. He managed half a dozen stabs before another tentacle sprung from its back and grabbed his wrist, "Ngh." It pulled him away and threw him at the bleachers. Peter impacted the wood harshly with a loud crash. He coughed and shook his head, vision swimming. Through blurry eyes he saw the rest of his team doing their best to keep it at bay.
"Get up..." He stood up shakily and gripped the knife like his life depended on it. They had to finish him here.
"Spider-Man, are you still capable of fighting?" Moon Knight's voice chimed on his comm line.
"Yeah. Can you distract it one more time? Need one more hit..."
"Understood. "
Echo clambered onto the creature's back and stabbed at the still-bleeding wounds while Iron Fist punched the bent over bastard's gut in a barrage of quick, powerful strikes. Matt threw his last escrima stick and it embedded in the creature's right eye. The eye healed immediately after, leaving the red projectile to stick out grotesquely from its misshapen eyeball.
Moon Knight tapped his gauntlet again.
"Everyone get away now." At his warning both Iron Fist and Echo jumped away just in time to avoid the drone that suddenly flew past and crashed into the creature's face before exploding with a loud boom. Heat washed over them and, just barely, he saw the monster stumble back
Now was his chance.
Peter charged, ignoring the fire and the smoke that almost choked him, and shot a line of webbing to pull himself towards it. He landed on the monster's chest and slashed at the tentacles trying to grab him. He clambered up to its head and stabbed its forehead. He stabbed it at least three times before he aimed for its eyes, one stab each, and cut its throat. The skin was thick and hard but he grabbed the hilt with both hands and dragged till its neck was cut open. The noxious smell of the black blood almost made him vomit.
It was only when he felt the heavy fluid in his hands that he finally jumped off and stumbled back. He gripped the knife weakly and panted, glaring at the monster through half-lidded eyes. It twitched and gurgled on the ground with more and more tentacles trying to block the tide of blood. It was no use. A hit with this thing was a death sentence without someone to heal you.
It groaned and gurgled pathetically for a few more seconds before its bony tentacles went limb and it lay still on the ground, "Is...Is it over?" Iron Fist asked.
"Seems like it." Peter looked down at the knife covered in blood and frowned, "...Should we cut off his head?"
"It will not be necessary," Moon Knight shook his head, "Given the corruption of his body there is no return from what he has become.
"Huh...one of the Fingers is dead. You never cease to amaze me, Peter." Matt smiled.
"Just three more to go." Murakami was next. Gao and Bakuto would be more complicated.
"..." Echo nudged her head behind them. Peter looked back and winced when he saw the crowd just watching in a mix of horror, awe and, for a rare few, excitement. It was only now that he really felt the cold wind on his cheek and he raised a hand to his face. His mask had torn enough to expose the right half of his face from his jaw to his eyes.
Perfect, just what this place needed. Lizard Parker back in Midtown High.
"...We should go." Let the cops and the Chaste handle the body. But first they had to find that briefcase if it was still around. Last thing they needed was someone getting curious and another monster on their hands.
"Sure you don't want to stay and talk to your adoring fans?" Matt asked with a grin.
"Stop talking before this knife goes into your throat next."
big bruh: Holy shit! Attack at Midtown High by some giant monster! Spider-Man and the Defenders stopped it! -embedded video-
reply from Truc Machin: WTF is that thing?!
reply from big bruh: No clue dude! We were just watching the game when this giant fucker pops in and starts grabbing people! Then Spider-Man and his team go in and fight the damn thing. It was fucking intense! Like there were swords, guns, glowing fists and exploding drones!
reply from Mc Dixon: Was there too, can confirm. Holy shit I thought I was gonna die!
reply from I am Fluffeh: Where the fuck were the Avengers?! This seems like something they should be fighting!
reply from big bruh: Don't know, don't care! Doesn't even matter dude. Defenders were there and fucking kicked ass!
reply from jou1ar0: Looking at the vid I can see some scales on that thing. Think it's related to the Lizard?
reply from januco j: Maybe? All I know is it's fucking ugly.
reply from Nerex: Am I the only one who finds it weird that Peter Parker died in Midtown High as the Lizard and now he comes back and kills an even bigger, uglier Lizard?
reply from big bruh: Dude who even remembers him as the Lizard anymore? To me and everyone else he's Spider-Man.
"So...you killed a giant Lizard monster in Midtown High? Am I getting that right?" Gwen asked for what must've been the sixth time the past five minutes. Mary Jane couldn't blame her. When she, Peter, Gwen, Cindy and Lana met up again to give an update on what happened she expected it to be weird - they were fighting a bunch of immortal ninjas - but this was pretty weird even for that.
"Asking again and again won't change the story, Gwen." Peter said with a sigh. He looked terrible. Even with the blood washed off him he looked just about ready to collapse, "I don't know if Sowande drank all those damned serums or he the crash spilled all of it on him. Either way he turned into a monster and he died like that."
"Yeah, Daisy's getting on me about it," Cindy blew a tuft of hair out of her forehead, "First that demon tick thing and now a giant Lizard Frankenstein tentacle monster. Gotta make sure that thing's not a biohazard that'll kill us just being near it."
"Sorry." He rubbed his eyes and groaned softly, "At least we stopped Sowande here. No more serums and poisons from him."
"Now you just have to deal with an old Chinese lady with that stupid chi bullshit and a guy who made a deal with a demon so he can mind control people. No big." Lana smiled wryly. She didn't have that much trouble dealing with her building. None of them did, really. Then again none of them had to deal with a giant monster that looked straight out of Inhabitant Vile.
"Don't forget Murakami..."
"About that. You sure this whole honor duel thing's a good idea, Tiger? If you want I could take your place," Mary Jane said. Hell she was pretty sure everyone else here would take his place. And if killing was the issue then only Gwen wasn't a good fit.
"It's fine. I'd...rather be sure." Right...no idea what that meant, "What about you, Lana? Any sign of Bullseye?"
"Nope. Trust me I'd blown that asshole's head open like a grape if I saw him. So far he's keeping his distance." She shrugged, "I'll give you a heads up if I see anything, don't worry. Without that weirdass curse knife you haven I'm not too worried."
"Don't underestimate him. Bullseye's dangerous regardless of what he has on his hands."
"Looks like your fight's making the rounds." Gwen frowned and tapped the screen of her phone. They all looked at it and Peter sighed when he saw the various tweeter threads and blurry youwebs videos, "I guess we shouldn't be surprised. As far as Midtown is concerned you're the Lizard...no offense."
"None taken."
"Maybe this'll stop them from defacing the library finally," Lana said, "Anyway, we done here? I kinda got homework to do and there's only so many times I can pull the 'Initiative business' excuse before the teachers call bullshit."
"Yeah, should be good. Don't forget we're going to comic-con in two weeks so prepare your costumes everyone!" Cindy said with a grin.
Mary Jane rolled her eyes slightly and smiled. Comic-con. Back in high school she wouldn't have been caught dead in something like that. Dressing up in costumes seemed like such a nerd thing and Mary Jane Watson was not a nerd. She was the cool rocker girl who led her own band and made her own songs. Now going out and pretending to be a hero actually sounded relaxing.
They said their goodbyes and their separate ways. Mary Jane put her hands on the jacket Crimson shifted to and looked up at the night sky. What was she going to do now? Felicia was still investigating so she didn't really have anything to occupy her time, 'We could always stalk the alleys for for old time's sake,' Crimson whispered, 'This city's such a cesspool we can find someone who deserves death.'
'Don't you ever think of anything else? We've been together a year and it's always murder this and murder that.'
'What else is there?'
'I dunno, having fun? Gwen's partner does things like watch webflicks or read books. You wouldn't be so damn bored all the time if your watch wasn't set to murder-o-clock every freaking day.'
She expected Crimson to make some snappy comeback and slither to the back of her mind. Instead it was quiet for a moment and then, '...What do you suggest?' Mary Jane stopped. Was it being serious right now? 'If you were to suggest something...'fun' then what would it be?'
She shook her head and continued walking, 'Depends. I like listening to music, helps me come up with lyrics for my own songs too. When I was younger me and Gayle loved watching b movies and shitting on all the horrible acting.'
'Why would that be fun?'
'It's...it just is! It's hard to explain. You know what, I'm gonna borrow a few DVD's and we can watch them together. I know an old place me and Gayle used go to. ...Actually, not sure if it's still open. Everyone downloads everything these days.'
Surprisingly enough it was still there. The CD shack, an old place that looked dated even when she was a kid. She stepped inside and smiled slightly when she saw the old man at the counter, "Hey, Mr. Shepard."
"Huh? Who are...wait." He adjusted his glasses and gave her a closer look, "Mary Jane? That you?"
"Yeah, been a while, huh?" She looked around the store with a slight smile, "Surprised this place is still open."
"That's what everyone tells me. Bah, just you wait! I'll make a comeback!" He laughed, "So what're you in for?"
"Uh just looking for some B movies to pass the time. Need something to riff on."
She picked out a decent list of classics from 'My mom married the loch ness monster' to 'My life as a teenage narcissist'. It was perfect. Poor production values, stupid or pretentious premises and a budget so small it made her look like a millionaire. She carried the DVD's with a soft hum. It felt...nice. She doubted she and Crimson would ever be friends but not getting nagged to murder people all the time would be nice.
"...Mary Jane?"
And just like that her good mood was gone. Her grip on the plastic bag tightened and she took a deep breath before she turned around, "...Philip." She looked up at him with her lips pressed into a thin line. He looked...less terrible than usual. There were still some scars and bruises that stuck around from the beating he took last time but he looked better than he had in years. He didn't stink of booze and his clothes looked like they were actually washed.
"I...didn't expect to see you here."
"It's a public place. Not like I was looking for you." She raised the plastic bag and shook it, "Why're you over here? I don't see any bars nearby."
"I haven't...I'm clean. Haven't drank since...since you saved me." She raised a brow in a very unimpressed way. Yeah, like she hadn't heard that before, "I've been to AA meetings. Trying to...put things into perspective." He paused, "Hey...listen could we ta-"
"No, we can't." Her passive look turned to a scowl, "I'm not gonna listen to your fucking sob story about how you've changed and how things are different now. I've given you more chances than you deserve." Damn it, she didn't need this now. Philip was a piece of shit and didn't deserve a second of her time.
"Mary Jane, I-"
"I don't fucking care if you've changed. Tell it to someone who cares. Dropping the bottle and going around in a circle confessing your sins doesn't erase all the fucked up shit you did. It doesn't just fix all those years me and Gayle spent scared hiding under our blankets cause you failed to get published again. You don't scare me anymore, and if you try anything you know what'll happen."
It was just for a second but she'd shifted half her face to Crimson's monstrous mask. Philip stepped back, shaky and eyes wide, and Mary Jane smirked. Now he was scared of her.
"Stay away from me, Gayle and mom." She turned around and walked away. Just before she rounded the corner she heard it.
"I'm...sorry."
He'd never said sorry before. It was always an excuse, always some explanation how it wasn't his fault - or more likely how it was their fault. It just made her angrier. Where was the apologies years ago when she was a kid who couldn't fight back?
She didn't turn around. She just kept walking till she was out of the mall and back out into the open streets. It was only then that she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, '...Are you okay?' Crimson asked. Surprisingly enough it sounded sincere.
'I'll deal. We've dealt with worse than a shitty dad.' She took a deep, slow breath and tried to ignore how angry she felt, 'Come on, let's get to watching. Loch ness monster first.
Pizepi: I've heard people say they're jealous of Thor or whoever ends up being the first male Avenger but I'm more jealous of Ninja Lady! The only female in the Defenders!
reply from LucidJoe: Why? The Defenders are a group of dangerous vigilantes. At least the Avengers are legit heroes.
reply from Pizepi: But they're hot! We've seen what most of them look like. Punisher's a total DILF, Moon Knight looks a real life Bruce Wayne and even Spider-Man has that nerdy charm. Dunno what Iron Fist and Daredevil look like but with bods like that who cares what their faces are like?
reply from Anna K: Iron Fist isn't really a bad guy either if I'm hearing things right. Whenever he's doing solo work he's super nice, takes pictures and autographs and we never actually see him kill anyone. I guess he's like Spider-Woman? Someone to keep them under control?
reply from rokuako: My little bro has a picture of Peter Parker back in high school when he was in band club. Do you really think this guy's got any charm? -embedded image-
reply from Pizepi: He obviously looks different now. It's pretty blurry but we see a bit of his face during the Midtown attack earlier. He definitely looked older. That was some mean stubble and his jaw's more pronounced.
reply from DaScorp: I'm stilll confused on why he's the leader since he's the youngest. You'd think someone like Punisher wouldn't take orders from someone young enough to be his kid.
reply from VoidFrog: How do we even know he is the leader? People just assumed that.
reply from DaScorp: He's always the one giving them orders and Striker confirmed most of them were part of the group either because they hated the Kingpin or they trusted Spider-Man. Apparently everyone hated everyone else except for him.
reply from LucidJoe: Jesus. Wonder how they managed to stick together so long...
One Finger down, three to go. Turning into a giant monster was kinda lame but it allowed all five Defenders to fight him and fits the mad science theme. The other Fingers will be fought one on one now so we can add a personal flair. Moon Knight already dealt with Sowande alone before he escaped so that counts as well.
Questions:
1. Do you guy still want the comic-con chapter or do we skip it? People might wanna keep the plot going since we're 48 chapters in and we just dealt with one side's antagonists. If you guys want we can skip comic-con and advance the plots more.
2. Which plot do you guys wanna advance first? Gwen, Lana and Mary Jane are lagging behind so pick one you wanna focus on first.
Review Answers:
henchman213: Noir's really the glue who holds everyone together. Ironic considering his loner personality. Also don't know who Atomica is.
NoisyCricket: Lana and MJ work well together because they have no pre-established conflicts.
Hardlight: Noir has a bad habit of running into former friends turned baddies...
Cyclopz: Flatter Peter? What do you mean? Murakami's comments were backhanded compliments at best.
Yohart Meltz: Thesis being delayed is the reason.
Dr. Sugarcakes: Read it. Yeah, pretty cringe, but also funny. As for Wasteland I'm on my third playthrough after achieving the good November Reigns ending. With the characters, a lot of Noir's segments count. The prison and kid arcs are very much built on survival.
