Man it's been a while, huh? Sorry for the delay. Felt really lacking in motivation since this entire chapter is one big fight scene and reviews seem to have lowered (understandable considering the circumstances). I've been replaying some old games to pass the time.
I'm still not that confident in this chapter, but honestly I just wanted it over with. I'm generally more excited over Sleeping Beauties or The Watchdogs since that focuses more on interaction and expanding the world at large.
Bullseye was a twisted fuck.
That was the thought that ran through Peter's mind as he looked up at the dilapidated carnival gates. The same ones he faced more than a year ago for Jack's 'party'. Back then it was a twisted nightmare. The cops outside just waiting for their chance to bag him and Jack at once while inside the deranged games played out while everyone in the city watched.
Even now he couldn't stop his his hands from shaking or the hitch in his breath. He wasn't a therapist, but he knew enough about PTSD to hazard a guess that he had it. And since he couldn't exactly talk it out with a therapist or go somewhere nice and warm to take his mind off it, he couldn't exactly get rid of it. Like the nightmares, it was just something he had to deal with.
Being back here brought all the buried memories back to the forefront...and he got the feeling that was exactly what Bullseye wanted, "Hm..." He took a deep breath then opened the rusted iron gates. They opened with a loud, echoing creak that only made the desolate park feel even more haunted. Peter pushed it all the way through before the metal snapped off the hingers and fell to the wet ground with a dull thud.
Bullseye made it clear. No tricks, no sneaking in or anything but going through the front gates. If he didn't show up in thirty minutes or he spotted anyone else besides just him alone he'd kill both Lana and Matt. He wasn't going to risk them by playing smart. It was one thing to put his neck on the line, it was another when it was someone else's. Especially against someone who knew all his tricks.
Not that he was completely playing ball. He messaged everyone he needed to beforehand (after making them promise to keep a far distance until needed), but he didn't have that implanted communicator anymore. Had to ditch it after his fight with Murakami. Apparently keeping it on for more than a few weeks led to some issues with dead tech and Moon Knight didn't have any spares on hand.
Peter stepped inside and let out a cold breath, ignoring the rain that rand own his mask. The cloudy gray noon sky made the ravaged amusement park look all the more devastated. Hard to believe that just last year this place was packed with Lanterns. Now it was a ghost town.
Exept for the cameras. Stationed around the poles and still intact structures were hastily set-up security cameras that lazily followed his movement. He really was trying to make this just like last year.
Damn it, how the hell was this place still standing? Then again, he thought, a place like this had too many bad memories to be re-used, The debris that trapped him was still there and so was the ferris wheel that he jumped through. Place felt like it was stuck in time. Maybe one day this place would finally rot away and people could forget about what happened.
He stopped in front of a surprisingly intact merry-go-round. The painted horses seemed to stare back at him, their wide eyes and chipped paint soaked through from the drizzle.
He was about to leave when the merry-go-round suddenly sputtered to life and dull music filled the air. Peter stepped back and put a hand close to the holstered pistol. Knowing Bullseye he almost expected him him to be sitting on top of one of the horses like a kid who had too much sugar, but of course he wasn't there. Bullseye was a lot of things, but he wasn't stupid.
A sudden ringing cut through the deranged jingle. The carousel suddenly stopped and Peter saw a phone crammed into one of the horse's mouths, "Damn it, Bullseye..." He pulled it out and glared at the screen. Another selfie, the same one he sent before that mess with Jack. He was tempted to just toss the damn thing. Bullseye would just use it to try and get into his head, make him careless.
But then he remembered Lana was here.
He tapped the screen and put the phone up to his ear, "Petey! So glad you could make it!" Peter didn't say anything and just looked around, "Aww, nothing to say? Come on, I set this up all for you! Least you can do is say hi!"
"Where are you, Bullseye? Let's finish this already."
"What, you wanted to have a shirtless fistfight in the rain? Nah, that ain't my style. But hey, how'd you like my choice of locale? Figured I'd go somewhere nostalgic. I mean I was gonna pick my grave but that's just Moony's empty lot. Not very dramatic, if you ask me."
"If you're just going to be a fucking coward then you shouldn't have bothered with this. I would've hunted you anyway."
"Ooh, that hurts! And would you really? Cause it seems like you're spending a lot of time getting distracted. That's a bad habit, Petey. Thought you'd learn to ditch it after last year."
"Are you done?"
"Yeah, I guess so. By the way, heads up."
His spider-sense blared. Peter ducked and a bullet whizzed overhead, "Of course..." He ran, bullets rushing past his feet, and jumped behind a slab of corroded metal. Sniper rounds meant it wouldn't last long as cover, "Thought you wanted this to be a proper fight?" Peter looked up for just a second before ducking down again. Rain made it hard to see the snipers and, unlike what the movies told you, they didn't come with lasers announcing their location. Still, he managed to get a decent idea of where they were.
"Just setting the stage. What's a finale without a little build-up, right?"
"Go to hell." He tossed the phone and, after taking a deep breath, disappeared into smoke before rushing to where the snipers were. The falling raindrops made his sillhouete visible, but with the gray skies overhead and the narrow view of the scope it was still better than nothing, "Come on..." He jumped on top of one of the few intact structures - a food stall of some kind - and grabbed the sniper from behind.
He struggled briefly before Peter slammed him to the ground and webbed him down. He reappeared, ignoring the biting chill in his bones, and picked up the rifle. He never used these kinds of guns much, but Castle did give him some basic training. He raised the scope to his eye and spotted two more snipers standing next to the stand of the destroyed ferris wheel.
No silencer. He'd have to move once he got the shots off.
Two shots, one in the head and another in the neck. They both went down with dull smack and he dropped the rifle. Peter jumped, rolled and disappeared again as the remaining snipers zeroed in on his location. Still four of them left, though he doubted that was all of the men Bullseye had here. The amusement park was a big place. Lots of little corners for people to hide in.
The next sniper noticed his sillhouette just before he struck. The masked gunman turned to him, rifle raised halfway and his finger on the trigger. Peter grabbed it and pushed him against the corroded metal wall. The sniper's struggled briefly before he punched him in the face, wrenched the rifle from his hands and smacked him across the cheek with the tail end of it. The jaw broke with a painful snap and Peter stomped his head one more time for good measure.
A part of him couldn't help but wonder if this was the Spider-God giving him what he wanted. He always complained about how he hated the magical insanity and deranged mad science the city spat out. Well now here he was dealing with mooks using guns, just like he always wanted.
He took out two more of the snipers with a few more well-placed shots until he heard the click of an empty magazine, "Shit." He tossed the rifle and charged the last one. He was close, close enough that he had to focus to dodge the incoming shots. Time slowed to a crawl as he got close. The raindrops seemed to stop and every detail of the scene came into sharp focus. The water against their skin, the shocked scowl on the gunman's face, the the finger just an inch from the trigger...
Peter shot a line of white webbing at the gunman's chest and pulled himself forward. His fist impacted against the drenched face and he just barely heard the crack of the rifle as the sniper squeezed the trigger just a second too late. The bullet impacted the ground just before the gun fell and Peter kicked it away during the struggle.
The gunman stumbled back from the force of the blow and desperately grabbed for his sidearm. Peter shot another line of white webbing and yanked his arm up before he pulled the trigger. Another shot, and this time the bullet punched clean through the underside of his jaw and through the top of his skull. The gunman's eyes widened just barely and then he fell, blood pooling under him.
Peter let out a frustrated breath and glared up at the camera.
"Enjoying the show...?"
There was no loud announcement like with Jack. Instead his spider-sense blared again before multiple explosions came all at once, "Damn it." He swung up to one of the upright poles and winced when another explosion came from behind. Was he honestly trying to collapse the whole thing over their heads? He needed to get Lana and Matt out of here before he got them killed.
More gunmen were streaming out now. Peter jumped off the pole and unholstered his pistol. Here he was hoping to save his ammo, "Come on then!" He fired at them wildly and retreated into a half collapsed restaurant building. He counted over a dozen of them, all packing automatics. No matter how sure he was about his odds he couldn't afford the risk with Bullseye here. He wouldn't go into that fight with an even bigger disadvantage.
The restaurant was big, easily capable of holding heaps of people with room to spare. It'd give him a little breathing room, at least.
He pulled a cluster web mines and stuck them to the right wall, front door, back entrance and a few of the windows before ducking behind the counter. It was dilapitated enough that it wouldn't provide much cover. Taking a deep breath, he went invisible again just before the first cluster went through the door, unaware of the still-deactivated mine under their feeth. The seven of them were in tight formation before splitting up into pairs or threes.
He he had to time this just right.
Peter counted down from three as one of the pairs walked close to the mine, '...Now.' The pair were barely caught in the explosion of white silk before he slid across the counter with his gun drawn. The remaining five were too busy paying attention to their stuck comrades to notice him before he fired off a barrage of shots that put two of them on the ground. Dead or just bleeding out? Didn't matter, he guessed.
"Focus fire!"
He dodged the counter barrage and webbed himself to the ceiling. The gunfire would attract the rest. He activated the remaining mines and ran upside down, hoping that the adhesives wouldn't malfunction. He reloaded quickly and fired down while the sounds of screaming came from the sides and entrances. Anybody that slipped through the nets would be easy pickings.
The last of the goons fell and the rest were trapped inside the coccoons. He'd have to thank Gwen again for giving him her webshooters.
He slipped back down and ran out of the entrance when his spider-sense blared again. He expected more gunmen, instead he heard the revs of multiple engines. His eyes widened as two black vans crashed through the outer perimeter and drove straight for him. 'Seriously? Where the hell did they even hide these things?' He scowled and swung to the air to avoid the rush of vans that nearly ran him over. He couldn't stay up long. A place like this didn't exactly have buildings to swing from.
The cars stopped abruptly. Their windows rolled down and more guys leaned out with guns drawn. Peter made one last swing, spun around on a vertical pole and landed on top of one of the vans. The goon's eyes went wide right before Peter shot him in the forehead then tossed a grenade through the gap his limp body made.
He jumped off the car and it exploded behind him. The sounds of screeching, tearing metal were followed by the the blast of hot air that engulfed the area around them. Peter coughed and tightened his grip on his pistol as the second van tried to run him over again.
Time slowed to a crawl and he took aim. A few shots to the tires popped the rubber and the van swerved to the side as the driver tried to keep it in control. Peter ran ahead and slid down. The car careened out of control and flew to the air on its side. Sparks flew towards his face and the chassis was just a few feet away from decapitating his head altogether.
The goons inside flailed around helplessly. Their screams were drowned out by the screeching metal and the booming crash of the vehicle impacting the ground soon afterwards. Peter shot the driver through the head before they landed and finished off the rest before they could regain their bearings.
He didn't get a chance to catch his breath before his spider-sense blared again. Peter tilted his head to the right and a blur of metal zipped past him. A throwing knife, "...Finally here?" He looked back and raised a brow. Instead of the usual ensemble of leather jackets or trenchcoats Bullseye wore a black bodysuit with multiple knife sheaths draped around his chest, arms and legs that left everything but his head covered.
"Like what you see?" Bullseye smirked.
Peter pulled out his gun and shot him right in the center of the target tattoo. A spike of guilt ran through him before he forced it down. This wasn't the time to hesitate. He'd done that too many times now.
He expected him to crumple to the ground in a bloody heap. Instead Bullseye just stumbled back and raised a hand to his bleeding forehead, "Ouch. That one kinda stung." His lips curled up in a manic smile and he wiped the trail of blood away.
"What the hell...?" Peter kept the gun trained on him, "Gao loaded you up with magic, huh?"
"Magic? Please, what do I look like to you?" Bullseye scoffed, "Okay, so maybe I got a little something, but it was only so you wouldn't use those fancy magic webs of yours! Honest!"
"So how are you still standing?"
"Went for a little something more natural." He cracked his neck and slowly took a knife out of its sheath. Peter watched warily as he spun it between his fingers, "Adamantium lacing in the bones. I'll tell you, hurt like a bitch coming in, but it was worth it just to see that look on your face. The hag was pretty happy to pony up the bill. You really must've pissed her off, trust me. Those zeroes were something else. "
"It won't save you from me."
"Ooh, so dramatic! Practice that in front of the mirror?" Bullseye clicked his tongue, "You really need to work on your lines better-"
Peter shot him three more times in the torso. This time he didn't even stumble back.
"Wow, rude!" Bullseye scoffed in dramatic outrage and rolled his eyes when Peter aimed the gun at his head again, "How many times before you figure that's not gonna work? Suit's bulletproof, Petey, and my bones are as hard as diamonds!" He picked up another knife with his spare hand and tossed it right at Peter's feet, "No, you see, if you wanna do this then we gotta play by my rules. Like I said before, just you and me."
"Uh-huh?" {eter looked at the crumpled bodies around them.
"Hey now, they were the appetizers! Needed to make sure that you didn't lose your edge!" He spun around in a circle and spread his arms wide, "And man, you did not disappoint! I mean I had my doubts even after you dealt with the hag's buddies, but I'll tell ya, that's on me. My bad. You put all my doubts to rest. All I had to do was dangle Boomgal and Mattie and you came in here smelling blood."
"...Are you done?" He picked up the knife and held it in a vice-grip, "Cause if you are I just wanna make sure of something. No matter how this ends, Lana's walking out of here. I don't want to gut you and find out you put her in a room rigged to explode."
"What kind of monster do you think I am, Petey?!" He gasped in mock offense. Peter resisted the urge to chuck the thing at his neck, "Boomgal's safe and sound. In fact she's watching us right now." He turned around - confident prick - and waved at one of the cameras, "I didn't put a collar on her like that creepy Jack guy. She can walk out of that room right now...only, if she does then all her friends and mother dearest get a new hole in their head." He shrugged his shoulders, "Man, it's gotta suck for her. Betcha she really wants to get out and come to your rescue right now."
"..."
"But don't you worry, Petey! You kill me and guess what? The snipers I position go away." His spider-sense was quiet. Not a lie, "I mean I already paid them in advance so they're not gonna complain."
"Why bother with all this? If you just wanted a fight then you could've just called. I would've come alone if that was what it took to get you out in the open."
"Oh, you'd love that, wouldn't you? Just the two of us all alone with no casualties and innocent bystanders. You're so predictable." He sighed fondly(?), "But no, see, I needed to bring Mattie and Boomgal here. And you know why? Because we're all the people you fucked." Peter's face knotted in disgust, "All of us fell into this rabbit hole because we were in love with you. You think Baumgartner'd be here if she didn't get her panties wet thinking about you every night? Or if Mattie didn't hope that his little redemption quest could make you forgive him? We're all here because of you. What do you think about that?"
Peter disappeared into smoke and Bullseye laughed. One way or another it was gonna end today.
Bullseye was a twisted fuck.
That was the thought that ran through Lana's mind as she stared straight ahead at the unlocked entrance just a few feet in front of her. The room she was in was a serial killer's wet dream. The walls were painted white - fresh judging by the smell - and small enough that she could walk from one end to another in just a few steps. No windows, no holes...nothing except the chair at the center and the exit that didn't even have a door.
...And the tv screens showing the people she loved at the other end of a sniper's scope.
Lana took a deep breath and gripped the edges of the chair so tightly it was a miracle she didn't snap them off. There weren't any traps, no explosives or buzzsaws or a collar at her throat. No, Bullseye made sure she was 'comfortable'. Just take a seat and enjoy the show, he said.
The 'show' being Pete and that asshole fighting to the death.
Above the exit, separate from the other screens around her, was the 'show'. Lana's mouth pursed and she barely managed to keep herself from screaming as she was forced to watch. This was Bullseye's idea of a joke. Showing her what was happening with Pete while she couldn't do anything to help. Oh sure, she could walk out just fine, but the second she did - or if she even got up from the fucking chair - the sensors would kick in and it'd give the signal to those snipers to start shooting.
He was making her choose. Pete or the rest of the people she loved.
'Come on, Pete.' She watched him deal with the snipers and smiled at every one he took down. She hated being stuck here, just watching like a fucking kid while he had to save her. Again. She stopped watching for just a second to look back at the other screens. Her mom and the rest of her friends were there at their homes just going on like nothing was wrong.
God damn it. She shouldn't be here. She should be out there right now kicking Bullseye's teeth in next to Pete, 'Fuck!' She grit her teeth when more goons popped out and started taking potshots at him. She couldn't stay here. Had to be a way out, "Come on..." She looked around the room again even though she already knew it was pointless. Bullseye was a depraved prick but he was thorough.
So she just sat there feeling useless while Pete did all the work. He got through the goons Bullseye sent him then met the fucker himself, 'Come on, Pete...' She watched as he disappeared and the fight started. She just hoped he wouldn't hesitate. She never liked Bullseye - none of them did - but for some reason Pete always had a soft spot for that fucking psychopath. It was the reason he didn't die in that subway when they first met up a few months ago.
The cameras struggled to keep up as they moved across the park. Lana had to focus to see Pete's sillhouette in the rain but Bullseye didn't seem to have any issue. The second Pete got close or had a decent shot he'd throw another one of those knives and barely just barely miss him. A part of her wondered if he was doing it on purpose to make it more exciting. As much as she hated the guy, he was insanely good at what he did.
Her breath caught in her throat when Peter managed a shot that grazed Bullseye's cheek. The blood barely dribbled down before Bullseye laughed and tossed another knife that hit Peter's neck in turn, "No!" She nearly stood up until she noticed it only slashed at the right side instead of dead center. Peter disappeared again and Bullseye cackled before running deeper into the park.
Lana shut her eyes and covered her face with both hands, 'Fuck, fuck, fuck!' She stamped her foot and screamed into her palms. She almost would've preferred if he just drugged or cut her up like that Jack-o-Lantern fucker. But no, he wanted her nice and 'cozy' while the people she loved got cut up or got put at the other end of a rifle barrel. Cause he knew it'd hurt more than any stab or bruise.
Her throat went scratchy and hoarse from the constant screaming that she barely even heard the sudden call.
'...Lana?'
Her head snapped up and she looked around in a panic. Her phone? No, that fucker took it with him. And she doubted it was Bullseye calling her. The voice was...familiar.
'Lana.' The call was soft and she had to focus to make it out over all the other noise.
She knew who it was, "A...Aracely?" She whispered. There was no way she'd mistake her for someone else.
'Yes, it's me.' Her voice was...it didn't feel like she was talking, more like the voice was being projected directly into her head.
"Wh-Where are you?"
'I'm at the apartment.' The apartment? How the... 'I...I think I'm talking to your mind. Talking instead of just hearing. It's different. New.'
'How are you doing that?' Lana thought back, not sure if it would even be heard.
'I don't know. All I know is that I heard your thoughts screaming and I wanted to help you. You weren't answering your phone so I tried to focus on your thoughts over everyone else's. Then I called your name.'
'O-Okay, we can talk about this later.' Lana tried to calm her breathing heart and sat up straighter. This was an out and she was gonna take it, 'Alright, I need you to listen to me and don't panic, okay? Do exactly as I say, do you understand?'
'Yes.'
'Alright.' She looked at Aracely on the screen. The other teenager was sitting at her room's desk and focused on the customized laptop. As far as the sniper was concerned she had no idea what was happening, 'Okay, there's a sniper nearby. He...He has a shot right at you.' Aracely didn't move at all. Good, 'I want to help you, but the one who took me locked me in a room. If I leave the snipers shoot.'
'I think I can knock him out like I did that Beetle woman. I just need to-'
'No!' Aracely winced slightly at the sudden mental shout, 'It's not just you, he has snipers with everyone else. Anya, MVP, Sue, Gabe, my mom...I think they might be talking to each other. If you knock one out the others might start shooting. We need to take them out at the same time.'
'Okay, what do you want me to do?'
'Alright, uh...I need you to call everybody else. Make sure the sniper can't see who you're calling and do it slowly so the others don't panic. If they see any signs that the others know what's going on they might start shooting.' God, she didn't even want to think about that, 'Once you do that we need to take out the snipers at the same time. If we screw up even a bit we could...'
'I understand, Lana. I'll do my best.'
For the first time that day Lana felt a glimmer of hope and smiled, 'Yeah, we can do this. First we should contact MVP and Anya. They can take care of their snipers. Sue might be able to block the bullet too.' They did some testing beforehand with Wasp. Her barriers could stop at least rifle rounds during their experimenting but she didn't want to test it when her head was on the other end.
'What about the rest? Michael, Anya and I can only take three of them.'
'You need to call the others.' She shut her eyes and tried to remember. Cin made sure they memorized each other's numbers instead of just putting it in their phones. What if your phone gets wrecked, she said. Back then Lana just rolled her eyes and made a joke about her being old. Now she could kiss her, 'Alright, I have a few numbers you need to write down. You need to call Spider-Woman, Spinerette and...and Scarlet Spider.' Watson attacked MVP just a day ago but she wasn't gonna risk her friends lives over a grudge.
'Okay.' Aracely typed down the numbers she dictated. Lana had to bite down the paranoia that grew as the seconds passed. It should be alright. As long as she didn't stand up or walk out of here the snipers wouldn't do anything. She just had to stay calm and trust that her friends could take care of themselves.
Her eyes drifted back the central screen and her face knotted in determination.
'Hold on for a just bit longer, Pete.'
Peter fired off another bullet then ducked behind a deflated tent before reappearing again. He was freezing down to his bones and the drizzling rain felt like ice cubes shattering against his skin, "Damn it..." He reloaded quickly and pressed a hand against his bleeding neck. The cut was relatively shallow but it left a trail right to him. Blood that dripped down to the ground didn't share his invisibility and Bullseye was like a bloodhound. He'd track it even if the rain washed it away.
"Come on, Petey! Break time's over!" Bullseye shouted.
Peter re-checked the webshooter one last time then jumped back into the fray. One of Bullseye's knives hit it right in the center and now it was useless. He'd have to make do without.
He ran across the length of the center and fired at Bullseye's head. The suit was bulletproof and his skull had that metal implanted so his only options were the smallest bits of flesh he could hit: his eyes and the arteries on his neck. Whatever enhancements he had it wouldn't help if he was blind or bleeding out.
Easier said than done.
Peter emptied the magazine and slid behind another broken attraction. So far they hadn't done much but give each other grazes. Every time it seemed like he'd finally get a solid hit in, Bullseye would dodge at just the right time or throw something that'd somehow knock the bullet of course. More than ever he regretted not questioning Bullseye on his skills when he was actually alive.
"This hit and run shit is weak! You wanna kill me then you gotta get in close!"
Much as Peter hated to admit it, he might've had a point. He was down to his last magazine and scrambling for the rifles wouldn't give him much better luck. At range Bullseye had the edge. He needed to close the distance.
Peter jumped out again and charged towards him, firing the last of his bullets as he went. Bullseye dodged the barrage of fire and grinned manically when Peter unsheathed the knife he took, "That's what I'm talking about!" Bullseye took out two knives of his own, "Come on, Petey! Let's get up close and personal!"
The knife cut through the air, almost slicing through Bullseye's throat. Bullseye deflected the slash and made a quick strike of his own that Peter hopped back slightly to avoid, "Tch." He set the knife in a reverse grip on his right hand. Stick's training resurfaced but he knew it wasn't enough. One month could hardly compare to Bullseye's decades of experience.
So he wouldn't play fair.
Peter made to slash him again. Bullseye moved to block when Peter shot a net of webbing at his face. The additions he had meant the web wouldn't stick, but it was enough to disorient him for just a second. He still managed to block the blow, though the knife's edge managed to cut right above his throat.
Spider-sense.
He shot a net of webbing behind him and used it to tug himself back. He rolled to the side to avoid the blindly thrown knives and tossed a grenade at his foot, "What happened to mano-e-mano?! I-"
The grenade exploded with a deafening boom. The suit and metal lacing protected him from the worst of the damage but it was enough to knock him on his back. Peter cut through the smoke with the hellfire knife and aimed a stab down at Bullseye's eye. Bullseye raised his arms at the last second to block his wrists and kept the point from making impact.
Peter was straddling him now. He pushed down against Bullseye's arms and slowly inched the knife downwards. As many upgrades as he got he was still physically weaker than him.
The knife was close to his eye now. Peter grit his teeth and slammed the bottom of the hilt over and over, breaking through the last of Bullseye's defenses.
The knife crashed down at Bullseye's right eye. He turned his head to the side at the last second as the knife cut through the eyeball and the the right of his head before impaling itself on the ground.
He didn't get the chance to make another attack before Bullseye grabbed his right hand and impaled it on the dirt. Peter bit back a scream and grabbed the bloody hilt while Bullseye scrambled back, one hand holding onto his bleeding eye while another kept a death hold on another knife.
"That's what I'm talking about, kid!" Bullseye crowed, "Come on, keep going! We can do this! Kill me like you mean it!"
"Shut up!" Peter growled. He pulled the knife off from his still bleeding hand, grabbed the hellfire knife and charged Bullseye again. He was already hit, he'd bleed out given enough time, but he wasn't going to take that risk. He escaped him twice before. There wasn't going to be a third.
The next slash was aimed at his neck. Bullseye continued to smirk then raised his left hand to grab the blade before it made contact. The flesh and bone were cut through in seconds, but the delay was enough.
Bullseye threw another knife over his head. He didn't even get the chance to look back before he felt a quick prick of pain at the base of his back and his legs gave out from under him, "Ngh..." Peter pushed against the ground while Bullseye stepped back with a hum.
He couldn't...feel his legs.
"Wouldn't keep trying if I were you." Bullseye crouched down in front of him and, with a vicious smile, reached forward to pull the knife from his spine, "Almost didn't think I'd make the ricochet, but I've still got it."
Peter reached out to grab his neck. Bullseye stepped back and clicked his tongue, ignoring the wounds on his right eye and left hand, "I'll still kill you..." He tasted blood and his head swam. Both hands reached out for the discarded knife but Bullseye kicked it away with disgusting ease.
"Oh, I bet you are." Bullseye knelt this time, "You wanna kill me, yeah? Wanna wring my neck till my eyes pop right out of my head? Thing is, you can't do that from down there." Bullseye grabbed the top of his head and pushed him hard into the dirt, "You need to be monster, kid. Isn't that how the saying goes? Be a monster to kill a monster?"
Peter didn't say anything.
"Here's a little pick me up." Bullseye fished a syringe out of his suit pocket and set it in front of him. Even through his blurring vision he recognized the contents inside.
Lizard serum.
"...Fuck you."
"Come on, what's a little more of the green juice, huh? You're already a monster, kid! The only difference is that you refuse to admit it!" Bullseye went down more till their faces were just inches apart, "Stop denying it. If it wasn't for little miss goodie blue shoes and Boomgal you wouldn't even try. Just admit it and go down to hell with me!"
Peter swiped for his face again. Bullseye pulled back then walked away, leaving Peter to futilely reach out for him. As much as he struggled his legs remained limp and eventually he was forced to look at the syringe in front of him. He could crawl after Bullseye, but that wasn't a fight he'd win in his current state. He needed something else.
He shifted his gaze to a nearby puddle and grimaced. He was going to have to beg.
Bullseye looked down at the kid and whistled loudly. He'd break, he knew it. As much as he pretended to be the misunderstood hero he knew who he really was. A killer, a thief, a monster who put on the mask. Sure his victims were 'guilty', but in the end it was just an excuse. An excuse they both used to justify themselves when they looked in the mirror.
His smile slipped when Petey grabbed the syringe and tossed it to the side, "...I'm disappointed, kid." Bullseye took out another knife with his spare hand. The wounds hurt like a bitch and he didn't have much longer. Not that he was expecting much. Adamantium poisoning meant he wasn't walking out of here anyway.
He was about to get close and cut the kid's neck when he saw shadows 'leaking' out of his back, "Well hello..." He raised a brow and his smile returned when the shadows turned into four spider-y limbs. The shadows legs pushed against the ground and raised the kid up like a fucked up puppet on strings.
Bullseye's smile turned into a full on grin.
"Oh my God, this is even better! You really are just like me, Petey!"
One of the limbs shot out. Bullseye jumped to avoid it and laughed, "Shit, now I know why the hag's pissing her pants! Come on, let's make it a fucking show!"
He threw a few more knives then raced through park's guts. The kid followed, crushing through anything in his path with those new legs of his. Still, he knew it looked creepier than it was. One thing he knew about this magic bullshit: a lot of it was something anyone could do if they had to.
Bullseye led him through a maze of broken corridors and rubble till he got the perfect stage. A wide circular area surrounded by broken buildings with one of the guests of honor at the center.
And he was awake too.
"...Mr. Crest. A pleasure to see you again," Mattie boy gave him a bloody smile.
A loud crash came from behind him and Bullseye looked back. The kid was there and still as fucked up looking as when the chase started. It would've been suicide to fight him like that.
Good thing he was so focused on him he didn't notice the explosives he hid.
Bullseye pulled out a detonator from his pocket and pressed it. Petey was covered in a fiery blast. Bullseye raised his good hand and breathed in the hot air. Least when they died they'd do it warm.
When Bullseye put his hand down Petey was on the ground again with no shadowy limbs in sight. Figured it'd do that. Or kill him. He would've been happy either way, "Huh, neat trick..." The kid was out of it and most of his mask had burned off from the blast. Bullseye grabbed the back of his collar and dragged him down to the center of the circle. His damn ears were ringing from how close he was to the explosion.
Bullseye barely heard the voice cut in, "What's the point of this?" Mattie boy asked. Real chatty for a guy hung up on a cross, "Is this some form of twisted reversal to our previous circumstances?"
"Exactamundo!" Bullseye kicked Petey onto his back. The kid coughed and groaned weakly when Bullseye stepped on his right hand, "You know how it feels coming back from the dead and finding out the guy you gave your life for is hanging out with his best friend's murderer? Cause I gotta tell ya it sucked."
"If that's the case then why not simply kill me and be done with it? Why all this pageantry?"
He scoffed and took out another knife. His last one, "Cause it's not you I want. It's the kid. It's always been him. You know what I'm talking about, right?"
"More than you know."
...That sounded a lot closer than before.
Bullseye looked back and got a kick to the face. Bullseye coughed, his right eye finally slammed shut, and let out a choked laugh when he saw the devil of Hell's Kitchen struggling to keep standing. His hands were torn and bleeding from pulling himself off the cross and he looked like he was seconds away from passing out.
Oh, if everyone could see them now. Spider-Man, Bullseye and Daredevil, the scourge of Hell's Kitchen. And all of them looked like they were banging down death's door.
Well, if Mattie wanted to go first then that was fine with him.
Peter had no idea how much time passed before he finally regained full consciousness. All he knew was that everything hurt and he wasn't alone with Bullseye anymore, "Ngh..." He turned to the source of the noise and found Matt and Bullseye tearing into one another...and it was clear Matt was losing.
Move...he had to move. His legs had regained some feeling,
Falling down onto his stomach again, Peter agonizingly crawled forward to the struggling duo. Neither paid him any mind, though he had no doubts Matt saw him judging by how he tried to keep Bullseye in place and faced away from him.
Now.
Peter shot a net of webbing at Bullseye's back and pulled. The web snapped away almost instantly but the force of the pull was enough to make Bullseye fall on his back. Before he could get back up Peter grabbed him by the neck in a desperate chokehold and kept him pinned to the ground.
Matt kicked him in the face over and over, focusing on the shut and bleeding eye. Blood what felt like bits of flesh fell down onto his skin and he felt his grip weaken. He just had to keep holding on, just had to-
Bullseye broke out of his hold and, with a pained scream, tackled Matt hard enough to knick him to the ground. When he looked back Peter barely recognized him. The right side of his face was mangled and bloody and even his smile had gone from looking manic to outright inhuman.
Peter forced himself up punched him in face with his non-impaled hand as hard as he could. His fist hurt from the impact, but it was worth it. Bullseye fell to the ground again, unmoving, and Peter practically collapsed on top of him. He didn't stop. Peter forced himself to sit up and, ignoring the pain in his hands, kept punching.
He hit him close to a dozen times before the pain became too much and he was forced to stop. Peter panted and pressed both hands against Bullseye's chest to keep himself upright. Bullseye was still breathing. He...He had to...
Bullseye's remaining eye cracked open and he let out a hoarse laugh, "Hehe...why you crying, Petey?" He smiled, exposing his bloodstained teeth.
"...I should've saved you." He was a monster...that's what he should've been. Except now, seeing him like this, all he was reminded of was the friend he couldn't save, the one who gave up his life to make sure he'd keep living.
"Awww, having regrets?" Bullseye lolled his head back and stared at the gray sky above them, "Remember when we first met? You looked like such an idiot, running with your tail between your legs after your girlfriend cuffed you. You know, I kinda figured that'd be the end of it. That in the end you'd just see another freak and keep your distance. But you kept coming back...even after everything I did, you were still here. You ever wish we could go back to that?"
"...Of course I do."
His spider-sense rang but he was too weak to avoid the the knife that Bullseye stabbed into his right side. Before he could fall to his side due to the pain, Bullseye grabbed him by the collar again and tugged dow till their lips met. He tasted blood - both Bullseye's and his own - and the taste lingered even when Bullseye let go and Peter finally collapsed on the ground next to him.
Bullseye let out a forced laugh, "Yeah, me too." He turned to his side and pulled out another detonator, "Rigged the place to blow. The perfect ending, right? Just you, me and Mattie boy going down. Lana can make it out of here now...if she lets her friends' heads go pop."
He pressed the trigger and threw it away. Peter glared at him weakly and clenched his fists. He couldn't run, not in the state he was in, and even if he did he wasn't strong enough to carry Matt out with him.
The choice was made for him when a flash of yellow light zipped up to them and he felt a tugging on his wrists, "Hold on, Pete! I'm here!" Lana pulled him up to his feet and let him lean against her. Bullseye looked up at her in slight disbelief before he let out a roaring laugh.
"So I guess you let everyone you loved die, huh? You really have it bad for him-"
Lana kicked him in the face, "We got rid of your snipers, asshole! They're safe!" She kicked him in the face again before he could reply and tugged Peter harder, "Come on, we gotta go!"
"W-Wait, Matt. We can't just-"
"Fuck it, just leave him! He's not worth-"
He held Lana's wrist and looked her in the eyes, "I'm not leaving him." He wouldn't be alive right now if not for him.
"Rrgh, fine! But we don't hav time for a gentle touch!"
Lana grabbed the back of Matt's collar then sped to the entrance. It was an odd feeling being forced along with Lana at the speed she went. He closed his eyes from the pressure and cold winds and held on tighter as she turned and moved away from the debris blocking their path.
They were just past the entrance when his spider-sense rang and the explosion knocked them through the air. Peter opened his eyes again just as Lana wrapped her arms around him and used herself as a cushion when they hit the ground. Lana grunted as she took the force of the impact and they rolled along the ground for moment before stopping.
Matt wasn't as lucky, though judging by his groaning he was still breathing.
"...You okay, Pete?" Lana asked softly.
"I'll live...I think. Thanks." He looked past her to what remained of the decrepit carnival. It wasn't cratered exactly, but it did some damage. Still... "Bullseye...we need to make sure he's dead..." And he had to get the knife back.
"We'll deal with it."
She grabbed his shoulders to keep him steady and looked up. His consciousness was fading, but he heard an all too familiar sound followed by Gwen suddenly landing nearby. She rushed to his side while a few others - he recognized at least Cindy and Moon Knight - either looked over Matt or at the destroyed battleground.
Gwen said something but at that point it was too much. His head fell against her chest and he finally lost consiousness.
That's the end for Bullseye. I know I stole from Telltale Villain Joker at the end there but hopefully the rest of the chapter being (mostly) original gives me some leeway.
Next chapter will be Gwen introducing Mary Jane to the Initiative then a segment of Peter recovering and dealing with the aftermath of what happened with Bullseye. Chapter after that will be either Sleeping Beauties or The Watchdogs. If you want a specific arc please vote or review your preference.
Question:
1. What did you guys think of Jack-o-Lantern? Strange question to ask but looking back on it I realized that he's the biggest villain that wasn't the main villain who got multiple focus arcs. I mean there was Carnage but he died at the end of his while Jack remained a persistent problem and even forced Noir to retire for a while.
2. Would you guys be fine with at least the Defenders going to different countries? I'm thinking of plans to have Gao be fought in China or Hong Kong while Bakuto is dealt with either in Los Angeles or Japan. And yes, Japan means I'll reference the magical girls everyone seems super curious about for some reason.
Review answers:
x1923 - I could at least use villain POV's to show how the heroes come across from an outside perspective. As for Matt, he can still get POV's in the current day. People seemed to like when he had them early on.
Magic Magician - Fight angsty enough for you?
KasugaRomio - RIP Mary Jane's mental health :P
Esquire-Man - Villain POV's allow more exploration and make a fight seem more balanced, at least in my opinion.
