Chapter 8
Good morning everyone! Hope you all are having a relaxing day without too much work now that the sun has finally returned! Anywho~ I won't keep you for long, just again constructive criticism is appreciated and a quick word about how the characterization is going would help a ton! Thank you and without further ado lets get into the show.
And quick side bar, i will be uploading a side story which is a Harry Potter/ Assassins Creed crossover sometime soon for any that are interested in seeing a forgotten Harry return to the wizarding world ensnared by the templar order.
Taiwoeretan1: I hope you enjoy todays chapter ;) Thank you for the review!
Boybay44: Great to see you again, hope today's chapter lives up to the hype!
Guest: Dang right hahaha, thank you for the words on his characterization, it's really appreciated!
"Spectacular" = Speech
'Spectacular' = Thoughts
"What is a 'Hero' though?" = Speach with a quote
*BANG* = Important Noise?
-Flashback- = Flashback settingF
"I love you" = Written words
{4:00am} = Important Time/ Date
Disclaimer: Spider-man, Marvel and related IP belong to their respective owners. The author of this story owns jack-shit and holds no fantasy that they ever will.
_
"So are we going to use the Silvermane's as our case study for the project?" Peter asked Liz and Hobbie who were sitting across from him in the Silver Spoon.
"Yeah sure whatever" Liz replied disinterested as opposed to Hobbie who nodded enthusiastically causing Peter to smile, Hobbie really did bring a bit of much needed cheer into the group.
Writing down in his notebook Peter continued jotting down points for their project, written on the page so far was Silvermane, psychology and influence.
"So how do you want to split this up, we have three areas of focus and three of us? Personally I wouldn't mind any section but it depends on you two." Peter said diplomatically as he tried to avoid meeting Liz's glare whilst Hobbie put a hand up to his chin in thought.
"I'd love the influence section if you don't mind. I know how gangs try recruit people from my work at the rec centre so tackling other areas like bribery and extortion shouldn't be too hard a pivot." Hobbie explained after he thought about it a bit to which Peter nodded his head.
"I see what you mean, that does give you the resident expertise in the area, Liz what do you think?" Peter asked cautiously as he turned to face the young woman filling her nails.
Said girl simply glared at Peter before turning away so that she could face Hobbie instead. "That's fine with me. I'll take the psychology part. We all know the clique i'm apart of so societal pressure and expectations are an easy topic for me to understand."
Wincing slighly at Liz's frosty tone, Peter wrote down both their names beside their respective section before he looked back up at his group.
"So that leaves me with the Silvermane's?" Peter asked, hoping to double check that they were all okay with their sections to which he received two thumbs up from Hobbie and a glare from Liz.
"Riiiggghhtt, gotcha" Peter said with a sigh as he wrote his own name down beside his area of focus for their project on 'The impact of organised crime on the surrounding enviroments crime levels.'
Finishing up with his writing Peter happened to glance around the room, spotting a pair of police cars darting past the window full speed with their lights on. 'Wonder what that's about...'
"Breaking news, a unidentified body has been found by New York City police officers that is believed to have connections to the recent killings that have been plaguing this fair city."
All eyes around the Silver Spoon darted towards the TV hanging against the wall as a reporter began informing the populace of another grizzly slaying.
"The police have refused to comment on the state of the body that was found in Mid-Town but eye witnesses recount the scene as something straight out of a horror movie, with a message in blood even being left behind at the scene. No word on what this message says at the moment but as soon as we know you will be updated. This was Robin Scherbotsky with Metro News 1 signing out."
The reporter on the TV was replaced by a weatherman and subsuqently lost the entire cafes attention as whispers broke out amongst everyone in the building.
Peter looked horrified at the screen as a bunch of harrowing thoughts raced through his head. Racing for his phone that was in his pocket, Peter quickly typed in his password and began texting Aunt May, Gwen, MJ and Harry to make sure that they were all right.
"Just saw the news, are you okay?" Peter wrote and sent off for the recipients to see, slight panic across his face afterall they hadn't said anything about the body other than that there was one, but with the location being so close...it was hard not to panic.
Peter wasn't alone in this however as both Hobbie and Liz had instantly grabbed their phones and began typing away aswell, no doubt doing the same as him and checking in on loved ones.
*DING*
Well there's Aunt May's text, she was safe at home having tea with Anna Watson so that was one worry off his shoulders.
*DING*
"I'm grand Tiger, make sure you don't do anything stupid!" Well that was uncalled for MJ, but atleast she was safe.
*DING*
"I'm fine." Ouch Harry, Peter knew they weren't on the best of terms at the moment but that was a bit harsh.
Three out of four texts down, Peter began bouncing his leg under the table as he waited for that fourth and final ding. Seconds turned into minutes and at the ten minute mark Peter couldn't wait any longer, packing up his stuff quickly Peter gave a slight wave to Liz and Hobbie who watched the whirlwind that he was as he got up from his seat.
"Sorry gotta go, Buggle stuff you know." Peter hastedly called out as he ran out the door unaware of the weird looks he was getting as he did so, one of confusion and one of concern.
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Swinging down down Manhatten streets had Spider-man zooming on the way to his destination, it was a sunday so there were two likely locations for the person he was looking for.
Stopping by Mid-Town 3 Spider-man quickly changed out of his gear and back into Peter in a nearby alleyway before running up to the gates to find them closed.
'No band practice today then...her house!' Peter thought as he ran back into the alleyway he'd just come out of, quickly changing back into his Spider-man gear as he swung out of the alley like a bat out of hell and a new destination in mind.
Thankfully it didn't take too long to get to her house, using another alleyway to change, Peter ran up to the front door and knocked hoping for a response.
He was waiting maybe a minute until the door opened up and there she stood wearing her glasses and old salmon pink hoodie, Gwen. Most importantly however was the fact that she was safe, Peter let loose a sigh he didn't know he was holding.
"Gwen, hey?" Peter said awkwardly as Gwen affixed him with a weird look, one eyebrow raised as she smiled.
"Hey Peter, what can I do for you?" Gwen asked the nervously pacing young man infront of her as he bounced from foot to foot.
"Yes, that, em, I just saw the news and you know the body in Mid-town, so i was worried and I texted but..." Peter finished lamely as he avoiding looking at Gwen. Had he looked he might've seen Gwen's smile grow even wider at the admission.
"Sorry, my phone died about an hour ago Peter, do you want to come in?" Gwen asked as she stepped to the side of the open door, one hand gesturing towards the interior of the townhouse.
"Oh, yeah that'd be-" Whatever Peter was going to say was interrupted by another voice coming from the house's living room.
"Gwen is that the pizza guy?" Came Harry's voice from the nearby room.
"No, it's Peter!" Gwen called back into the house before turning back with an apologetic look to Peter who was wincing slightly at the sound of Harry's voice. "Sorry Peter, we've just been studying and working on our sections for the group project together"
Peter raised his eyes from his feet to meet Gwens apologetic eyes only to see Harry standing behind her glaring. Feeling uncomfortable Peter just gave an awkward wave as Harry wrapped his arm around Gwen's waist. Was that a wince on Gwen's face? Nah he's probably just seeing things.
"A-Actually I think the Buggle has me looking into the crime wave going on so i'd better bounce." Peter said as he awkwardly backed down the steps, his head darting back from the steps behind him to his frowning and scowling friends.
"O-oh, okay" Gwen said sadly with a frown as Harry pulled her closer by the waist.
"Great to see you two, i'm glad you're safe" Peter said with a wave of his hand as he began walking away from the duo on the steps, Gwen waving back at him slowly whilst Harry just glared from behind her.
lllllllllll
"Huh? W-where am I?" Mac Gargan groaned out, face flat against the floor of a warehouse as he gazed around at his surroundings through blurred vision. Why did he feel so weak, last he remembered was being stuck to that chair whilst that voice mocked him...the pain, gosh the pain was something he didn't think he'd ever forget. It'd felt like molten lava was poured into his veins and all over his body.
"I-I must've passed out or something" Mac said deliriously as he tried pushing himself up off the ground only for his eyes to widen upon seeing something green covering his arms.
"What in the..." Mac whispered to an empty warehouse as he tried to see his arms through his blurred vision. Shaking his head and closing his eyes tight, Mac rested himself on his forearms and rubbed his eyes with his hands. This seemed to do the trick as the next time he opened his eyes he could atleast mostly make out what it was that he was looking at.
But somewhere deep in his gut, Mac Gargan knew that he'd rather his previous state if it meant he didn't have to look at the hideous green hide covering his arms and hands. Sitting on his knees, Mac's attention was solely on his arms as he followed the green hide up from his hands all the way to his shoulders and down his chest.
"What the fuck is going on!" Mac said panicked as he began breathing rapidly, his hands raising to rest itself in his hair only to feel a smooth exterior instead. This only served to make him panic more as he stood up on shaky green covered legs and began walking slowly towards the warehouse's doors.
As he drew closer to the metal doors he was able to make out the presence of a piece of paper stuck to the gap between the two large imposing metal constructs. Upon getting closer Mac desperately reached out for the paper, hopeful that it might explain his current predicament and it did, but in hindsight he wished it hadn't.
"Kill Spider-man and you'll be returned to normal" The paper read, an intense fury building up inside Mac at the words that dared to extort him. That blasted spider. It always boiled down to that fucking spider. Jamesson didn't pay him cause of the spider which led to that horrific experience in the chair and now his sense of normalacy was being held hostage because of Spider-man.
If there was one thing that could be said about Mac Gargan it was that he wasn't the best at reigning in his temper, so upon seeing all this his rage grew fiercer and fiercer now that he had someone to blame. The key to his life lay with the one who'd inadvertantly ruined it, Mac was furious and this caused something shocking to happen.
*CRASH*
"What the fuck..." Mac whispered as he gazed at the metal door which was currently stabbed through by a large metal worm, the sides of the hole slightly melting as he watched horror struck as it pulled itself back into the warehouse. That worm had a fucking huge stinger at the end! Panicked and still furious, Mac followed the worm to see where it had come from but as he followed it he found a startling discovery. It wasn't a worm. It was a tail.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
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"You know just because everyone else is stealing things, doesn't mean you have to join in?" Spider-man said to a group of thugs strung up in a web between two lamp posts outside a jewelers with a broken window.
"Shut up!"
"Eat a dick!"
"Prick!"
"Wow, you speak to your mothers with those mouths? Maybe I should get some soap webs to clean out that filth" Spider-man joked in retatliation to the curses being thrown his way by the obviously pissed off group of would-be thieves.
Wiping his hands clean of imaginary dirt, Spider-man gave the bound thugs a bow before he swung up on to a nearby lamp pole, atleast he would have had a nearby window display not caught his attention.
"This just in, breaking news! Police are currently evacuating 42nd street in East Harlem after reports of a man in green rampaging through the area were confirmed. Evacuation is going slowly as they try to avoid the rampaging man fro-" Whatever the lady was saying afterwards was lost to Spider-man whose mind was focused on one thing.
'Man in green...Gobby?' Spider-man thought worriedly as he froze on the ground, his feet feeling like concrete blocks. Turning his eyes in the direction he knew 42nd street to be, Spider-man shook his head and and slapped himself in the cheeks.
"Not now. I have a job to do." Spider-man whispered as he slowly put one foot infront of the other, breaking out into a run and finally a swing as he began swinging his way towards the commotion over in East Harlem.
Spider-man didn't know what was going on, but what he did know was that people needed his help and that's what mattered, regardless if it was the Green Goblin ressurected or not.
llllllll
Cars were upturned whilst windows and the concrete were smashed when Spider-man arrived, swinging past the police barricade as they hastily evacuated more civilians from the area that was beginning to look at tad bit like a war zone.
*CRASH, BANG, WALLOP*
Zipping his way onto a lamp pole Spider-man got his first look at the cause of all the trouble. A tall muscular man covered in what appeared to be a mix of a light and dark green exoskeleton-ish material that spread from head to toe, the only place where normal skin could be seen was the around the eyes, nose and mouth, other than that he was completley covered. Oh, and did he forget to mention the big swinging tail that seemed to randomly stab things? Yeah lets not just ignore the pointy stabby thing.
'Bright side, it's not Gobby...Bad side, I have no idea who long butt is here.' Spider-man thought as he decided on the best course of action, remembering his interaction with Max, now Electro.
*CRASH, CRUNCH*
"Hey, eh...Tails? Think you could calm down for a second and we could talk this out?" Spider-man hollered over to the man who had been in the process of smashing in a cars roof only to stop when he heard Spider-mans voice.
Turning to face him fully Spider-man saw a few things, one he had a scar on his lip, two he had a snarl on his lips and three, boy was he pissed.
"Spider-man!" The man said glaring before throwing the door of the car he'd been smashing at him.
Ducking to avoid it, Spider-man realised that this situation wasn't quite like Electro's in that Electro tried to avoid attacking him until provocked initially, man why couldn't that be the case now? But anyway, if the glare he was getting was any indication Spider-man got the feeling that this was similar to last villain he'd faced whose face was exposed.
"Okay long butt, I tried the diplomatic approach, now we try the police approach. Stop what you're doing and surrender. The more you resist, the more trouble you will find yourself in." Spider-man said with his hands up in a show of what to do, except the man didn't pay much heed to him, instead choosing to bum rush the pole he was standing on, tackling it to the ground as Spider-man web slung over to the side of a nearby building.
"I'll take that as a no, I guess it's time for my favourite approach, the superhero one."
Attaching two webs to a piece of nearby rubble, Spider-man did a flip mid-air and slammed the piece into the green covered man who barely staggered. Shaking dust off his head, the man tore off another car door and threw it at Spider-man who jumped onto the street to avoid it.
"Swing and miss long butt, gotta get that arm checked" Spider-man chuckled only to be surprised when the man closed the distance between them rapidly, slamming a fist into the side of his head as he did so and sending him flying into a car that bent around him at the impact.
"Oh gosh someone get the number of the truck that hit me. No more Spider." Spider-man said shaking his head only for his eyes to widen when he saw the man charging like Rhino right at him. Jumping up and over the man Spider-man thanked his lucky stars for the Spidey sense as the mans tail shot up towards where he'd been mid-flip.
"Geez first you take fashion advice from the Rhino, now battle tactics? If your IQ is lower than 50 he's gonna sue your pointy ass." Spider-man chuckled as he tried webbing the man to the car he'd just plowed into, only to find him already moving at him with a yell.
"Raaahhhhhhhh, fucking die already you bug!" The man screamed as he began throwing punch after punch at Spider-man who was dodging slightly effortlessly as he avoid the mans frantic attacks.
"You know i'm actually an arachnid, common mistake but I would hope the guy with the tail like a scorpion would know how to identify an arachnid?" Spider-man said cheekily as he countered a few of the mans punches, even sending a few back himself that appeared to do hardly anything to the ol' long butt.
The man didn't respond, he just glared at him and kept pushing Spider-man back towards what appeared to be a nearby rec centre if Spider-man had to guess. "Guess you really are made of thicker stuff, guess you can take a punch eh, sure as heck know you can give one" Spider-man rambled as he continued dodging, this time sending a few stronger punches back, one in particular hitting him in the chin and staggering the man for a second.
This victory was short lived as before he knew what was happening, he was jumping to the side to avoid the tail that shot out from behind the man as he snarled. It was interesting though, the man might've been pissed but he had a look of surprise on his face when he saw the tail attack. Something told Spider-man he might've been new to the whole super villain shtick.
Realising that he had the advantage from a distance and away from that tail, Spider-man prepared to jump away from the man again only for him to once again get caught by surprise, this time literally. Gripped onto his heel the man held tight as he swung Spidey around like a ragdoll in the air before throwing him at the rec centre and clean through its walls.
"Yeah, that's gonna leave a mark." Spider-man groaned from the rubble as he stood up to inspect his surroundings, finding himself in a hallway surrounded by lockers.
Casting his eyes around the dust filled space Spider-man had barely any time to react before he was nearly closelined by the man running at him from the whole in the wall.
"Geez Tails, If i knew you'd missed me that much I wouldn't have walked away." Spider-man called out to the man below him from his spot on the ceiling, dodging to the side as the tail shot up and impaled the ceiling beside him.
"Get down here and die like a man!" The man roared in outrage as he began picking up lockers and throwing them at Spider-man, often missing and instead simply sending the lockers through whatever ceiling or wall they happened to hit. Spider-man just kept doding as he ran upside down on the ceiling towards a set of double doors at the end of the hall. Spider-man knew those types of doors and if his bet was right then he would be in a much better position in there rather than in stabbing distance out in the hall.
Going to burst through the double doors didn't work out so well for Spider-man however as the man had got him in a blind charge, taking the two of them through the doors and crashing into the bleachers on the other side.
"My ribs, someone call a doctor" Spider-man groaned from the rubble as long butt himself stood back to admire his handiwork. This step back however would screw him over as Spider-man used the space to zip up and onto the high ceiling above him once again as he cast his eyes around the room for things he could use.
This gaze came back with one of the worst possible results at the moment, sat watching with wide eyes, and a notebook in hand was Hobbie in the opposite ends bleachers, a bunch of ten kids huddled around him in fear.
"Go!" Spider-man yelled as he waved his hand towards them causing them all to begin running down the bleachers and towards the doors he'd crashed through to get into the room. Hobbie stood behind them guiding them carefully, one eye kept on the kids and another kept on the fight on the other side of the sports hall.
Spider-mans yell didn't go unnoticed by long butt who turned and glared at the group rapidly fleeing, however a single step towards them is all he'd make before a plank of wood found itself slamming into the side of his head.
"Uh uh, stabby, you're with me." Spider-man said as he zipped down to punch the man in the head, stunning him and giving Hobbie and the kids enough time to escape the room.
Pushing up off of the dazed man, Spider-man zipped onto a nearby wall as he gazed down at the man shaking his head and glaring at him.
"If I asked you to please die, would that help?" The man asked with a snarl.
"Now you try the diplomatic approach! Well sorry Scorpion butt, but that ship has sailed." Spider-man said mockingly as he tilted his head.
"Must you be so annoying!" The man yelled at Spider-man from his place on the bleachers.
"What can I say Scorpion butt, it's a gift." Spider-man said with a dramatic sigh before laughing at the fuming man below him.
"My name isn't Scorpion butt you prick, it's Mac! Was Mac...I can't go back to that life...not like this, not as this 'abomonation'!" The man roared as he seemed to have a panic attack there in the middle of the fight.
"Okay Mac then, just calm down and we can still sort this out" Spider-man said gently, hoping that the situation might have a peaceful ending afterall.
"No! Weren't you listening, this thing isn't me, i'm not me! i'm, i'm..." The man seemed to pause in his insane ramblings as if a light had finally lit itself in a dark room as a look of clarity spread across his face. "I'm...Scorpion!"
"Okay naming yourself after the animal you seem based off? Yeah Rhino has a sure fire case right there." Was Spider-man's quick response as he positioned himself on the wall. 'Great another wackjob to deal with, and this one's gonna stain the name of arachnids everywhere.'
Pushing himself off the wall Spider-man punched Scorpion clean off his feet, sending him into the rooms other bleachers where Hobbie had been not a few minutes ago. Pulling himself out of the rubble, Scorpion glared at Spider-man before charging him and throwing punches once again.
This time proved slightly more tricky however as in his rage, that blasted tail of his was becoming a much more involved participant in the fight. Ducking, dodging and weaving every which way, Spider-man had to avoid haymaker after haymaker after incredibly sharp pointy tail, not exactly how he envisioned spending his evening if he does say so himself!.
Scorpions newest asset would prove to be his downfall however as the tail shot down to spear Spider-man in the foot, only for him to jump back at the last second. The tail went straight into the concrete and got wedged in it, no doubt helped by the veritable mountain of webs that Spider-man shot at the hole to keep it there.
Thinking quickly, and hoping to react before Scorpion did, Spider-man kept webbing the man up, running around him and shooting web after web at the man who seemed lost until he was eventually cocooned, the only thing visible being his head.
Snarling and spitting, Scorpion threw insult after insult at the retreating back of Spider-man as he made his way through one of the ruined buildings many new holes and over to the police where Captain Stacy was.
"Done and dusted Captain" Spider-man as he cracked his back, whilst the man in question simply nodded his head with a smile.
"Thank you Spider-man, I don't know what we would've done without you." George Stacy replied with a small smile on his face whilst officer DeWolff scoffed behind him, only to be elbowed in the gut by her sheepish looking partner.
"No problem Sir, just doing my job." Spider-man said somewhat ignorant of the looks of hatred being sent his way.
"On the mention of that...One second." Captain Stacy said as he reached in to pull something out of the glove box of his police car, something that he then passed over to Spider-man.
"What's this?" Spider-man asked confused as he gazed down at the piece of paper that'd just been handed to him.
"A photo of the area we found the serial killers most recent victim in." George Stacy replied with a hard frown on his face as he watched Spider-man nod in understanding.
"No offense, but why show this to me?" Spider-man asked again.
"Read the wall."
"Read the wall?" Spider-man said to himself as he gazed back at the picture which showecased a stereotypical New York City alleyway.
"The itsy-bitsy spider, climbed up the water spout, down came the blood, and washed the spider out, out came the knife that brought out more love, and the itsy-bitsy spider drowned all over again"
"What in the world?" Spider-man asked the grim faced police captain as sirens wailed into the nighttime air, heralds of future pain to come to the city which they all called their home.
