The Devil You Don't Know

Chapter 9: The Key

A few moments ago…

"Tell him you had nothing to do with this!" Felicia pleaded frantically, shocked at Peter's behavior. She couldn't believe that Peter would just attack him out of the blue like that; it was not his nature. But why is he so certain that Paul has something to do with his family's kidnapping? she wondered.

"I… had… nothing… to… do… with… it…" Crusader grated out. And how could he? He is as much a victim here as the rest of us…

"And what about that vaunted spider-sense of yours? Didn't you tell me that you haven't felt any danger around him? There's no way…" A thought intruded through the haze. No spider-sense? Maybe that was the key…

Peter had once tried to explain to her the feeling he got when his spider-sense kicked in. Like time was slowing to a crawl, and the only thing you could focus on was the danger. Suddenly, the clues that had been there all along lined themselves up in a row before her. "Wait—" Peter turned his masked head toward her, as she took a step back in shock.

The way bullets had slid from his body… his reaction to the heat from the bank explosion… the way he moved as he bounded through the air… the way he had talked about Spider-Man and Jameson as if he were fully acquainted with both of them… and just how had he really known to come here, anyway…? Oh, my God…

"No…" She was horrified… repulsed… Paul is Gargan!

A wave of fury washed over her. "Don't let go, Spider…" she growled. Without a second thought, she popped out the claws in her gloves. "I want a taste of him first."

"What…? Cat?" Paul… or Gargan… tried to seem confused, but now she could see right through him.

She gave him a light kiss on his parted lips. "Did you enjoy that, honey?" Felicia murmured close to his ear. She trailed a sharp claw around the line of his chin. But instead of drawing blood, as she suspected, a thin layer of latex peeled back from the surface. "Because it's the last time you'll ever touch me…" With a harsh tug, she ripped the latex mask from his upturned face.

He blinked once, and then an evil grin spread across his countenance. Peter had stiffened in shock, but quickly recovered, tightening his grip on Gargan's neck. When the villain spoke, his voice held no trace of strain. "But didn't we have fun, kitty cat?"

With a contemptuous shrug, he easily tossed Spider-Man aside like a rag doll. The viscous, black symbiote morphed over his clothing, changing the jumpsuit and boots into the familiar muscular shape of Venom. The symbiote stopped short of covering Gargan's face, however. The man formerly known as the Scorpion was now unmistakable. Bald, sharp featured, a sneer curling his lips. "Parker," he addressed Spider-Man. He pulled stray bits of excess latex from his face as he spoke. "I'm a little surprised that it was the Cat here that figured it out before you." He had dropped his voice a few tones to his normal range.

Spider-Man wasn't riled, or hurt for that matter. He had landed on his feet, already crouched in a combat stance. "Mackie, Mackie, Mackie," he began. "I've known for a while that it was you." Felicia was sure he was bluffing – but she sure as heck wasn't going to let Gargan know that. Spider-Man, meanwhile, continued to taunt the him. "Leaving your webbing residue all over the place was a sure sign, because mine is Grade-A, while yours, well… yours just sucks." He stalked around to Venom's left side, poised to spring. "Where were you when they were passing out villain brains, in the can? That little faux pas of yours led me right to you."

Gargan let out a short, barking laugh. "You don't fool me at all, Parker. You forget, I've seen what a mess you are under that mask." The symbiote slithered over the rest of his features. "It burns you up that we have the skank and the hag locked up somewhere, and you have no idea where…"

Spider-Man's voice lost its touch of sarcasm. "Tell me where they are, you son of a bitch…"

"You'll have to catch us first…" With that, Venom leapt into the air and over the side.

Felicia and Peter looked at each other. No words were needed. The two heroes sprang after him, the wind whipping her long, pale strands behind her. She felt a welcome rush of adrenaline course through her – sharpening the edge of the anger she felt. Thought he could toy with me, did he? She aimed her grappling hook…

Ptang! The hook shot out violently and embedded in a wall, inches from Venom's swinging form. She swooped toward him, feet first. He laughed wickedly, twisting away from her. That's right. Felicia thought angrily. Enjoy your freedom while you still can, you arrogant bastard. Next time I won't miss.

But her opening salvo had given Spider-Man a chance to gain the upper hand. Peter tackled Venom in mid-air, caring little for how high above the street they were. "Decided to take a page from Osborn's playbook, huh?" He tried to pin Gargan's arms behind him, as they rushed toward the pavement. "Or couldn't you come up with anything more original?"

Venom thudded into the cement, his limbs entangled with Spider-Man's. Without a beat, the fiend pounded a heavy fist into Spider-Man's head. "We thought, 'Why mess with tradition?' It pissed you off before…" Peter sailed backward, catching himself on a railing. Venom winked one ghoulish white eye at the Black Cat, who had landed beside her friend. "And everyone knows how much you care about the women in your life…"

He leaped up again, chortling, as if he were playing some twisted game of tag. He swung directly into the oncoming traffic, daring them to follow.

Tires screeching, cars and trucks swerved out of their way. Venom took the path of greatest resistance. He bounded from car to car, swinging between trucks with glee. Spider-Man quickly gained altitude, swinging above the wreckage left in Venom's wake. Felicia breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that if Peter were really hurt, he wouldn't be able to continue the chase.

The Black Cat veered through the maze of vehicles, keeping pace with the monstrous black form. Gargan had made a fool of her, but her pride was not the only thing at stake... Peter had always been there for her, even when she hadn't deserved it. If she didn't help him in his time of need, she didn't deserve to be counted among his friends.

"Spider!" she shouted above the wail of blaring horns and colliding metal, "I'll take him! He's just doing this to distract you!"

"Don't worry, Cat!" Suddenly, he let go of the strand of webbing, and soared into the air, arms outstretched. "I have a few surprises waiting for him."

She grinned, watching him glide through the air. He wasn't kidding about that new suit…

Venom didn't even have time to look up as Spider-Man plowed into his back, aiming to knock the scoundrel into an alley. Felicia, meanwhile, vaulted to the roof, dropping down behind Gargan.

Venom stood, shaking slightly as he found himself being stalked by his two opponents. "Do you think you have us trapped?" he asked wickedly, bearing his slimy teeth. Then, without warning, he slammed his body through a service door, and clambered inside.

Spider-Man and the Black Cat charged in after him, disrupting a brightly lit restaurant kitchen at the height of the dinner hour. Felicia heard shouts for orders turn to screams of terror as they burst through the twisted entrance. "Get down!" she ordered.

All over the kitchen, the wait staff, busboys and chefs hit the floor – and just in time. Spider-Man grabbed the Black Cat around the waist and flipped them both neatly out of the way as a rain of sharp knives planted themselves in the wall behind them.

She saw a large pizza oven, its door left open… Her hook sprang from its holster and attached itself to the back of the oven. Using every last ounce of strength, she pulled the oven toward Venom. Immediately sensing her intentions, Spider-Man vaulted across the stainless steel countertops, ramming Gargan against the open oven door. "Arrrggghh!" he shrieked. A sickening smell of burning… flesh?... filled Felicia's nostrils.

Venom snarled as he hurtled into the main dining area, which was filled to capacity. Tables overturned and wine bottles shattered while frightened patrons ran for the nearest exit. Spider-Man shot out web-line after web-line, vainly trying to stop Venom, but to no avail. The symbiote crashed through the plate glass window with a roar, with Spider-Man and the Black Cat right behind him…

Felicia and Peter looked at each other, nonplussed. Gargan had vanished completely.

"Crap!" Peter punched the wall beside the ruined window, leaving a sizeable hole. Belatedly realizing that he had caused property damage in front of witnesses, he shot a strand of webbing skyward and vaulted upward out of sight, cursing to himself so softly that only Felicia could hear him.

Felicia shrugged at the curious faces peeking out of the restaurant, and quickly followed.

She found Peter crouched on the roof above, still as a gargoyle. "Spider…?" she offered.

"Gargan never used to be that difficult to beat, Cat," he said tonelessly. "I should have had him, no problem. He's cleverer than I remembered…and a lot more dangerous."

She crouched beside him, and placed a hand around his shoulders. He never turned from gazing toward the city lights. "And you are one of the smartest guys I know. It's different now that he's bonded with that thing." She gave his shoulder a squeeze. "We'll get that bastard. He really doesn't know who he's messing with here."

His trance broken, he nodded. "You're right. Time to plan." Peter laughed a little self-consciously as he stood up. "Thanks for not letting me stew in my own angst."

She winked one brilliant emerald eye. "What are friends for?"

Gargan reappeared slowly, his figure coming into focus. The symbiote rapidly transformed into a pair of jeans and a light jacket, completely non-descript. He watched Parker and Hardy swing off, presumably toward Stark Tower. Smiling slightly, he headed off down the sidewalk, in the opposite direction.


Mary Jane went over to the cot, gently awaking the sleeping May and explained, "I think I found a way out of here."

"How so, dear?"

"With these."

Mary Jane lifted the silvery bracelets on each wrist into the light. "Peter gave these to me last Valentine's Day..."

May looked at them, confused. But she couldn't know that these weren't your run-of-the-mill costume jewelry pieces. They were specially designed web-shooters, so that if Mary Jane ever needed to defend herself, she would be able to. And I needed them sooner than either of us could have figured, she thought anxiously. "Here, I'll show you..." She pressed the triggers, and with a thwip, two fine cords of webbing shot out and struck the bars across the cell.

May gasped. "Oh, my!"

"I tried to use them when Venom grabbed me, but the way he pinned my hands, I couldn't reach the triggers." She walked over to the bars of the cell. "But these are very useful contraptions…"

Sticking her hand outside their cell, Mary Jane aimed to fire webbing into the lock, just like Peter would have done. She made sure that the lock was completely filled with the web fluid with just a little excess sticking out.

May watched as Mary Jane completed her task and asked, "What is that going to do?"

"Peter once told me that his webbing hardens once he sprays it inside a lock, so that it acts like a key. I have no idea if he ever tested that theory, but if it can get us out of here…"

The next part of the plan was indeed the most difficult, waiting for the webbing to harden. Luckily, it did not take long.

"Let's give it a try," Mary Jane said, giving the web 'key' a clockwise turn.

With a miraculous click, the door swung open.

"Time to go, Aunt May," Mary Jane said, overwhelmed with relief at their relatively painless escape. Mary Jane quickly closed the cell door and locked it. "The webbing should dissolve in about an hour," she warned. "Venom will be none the wiser."

But now they had the door to the room to worry about. There wasn't a keyhole to fill with web fluid on this door… Mary Jane turned the knob, but it was locked, of course.

"Now what?" she wondered aloud. On a whim, she pulled on the doorknob, not really expecting it to do much good. But without warning, the door popped open. "Whoa!" she exclaimed, surprised.

The door must not have shut completely when he left. Well, his negligence was their opportunity. She carefully opened the door to see if there was anyone out in the hall. "I think we should get out while the getting's good." Taking May's hand, she led the elderly lady out of the room, closing the door behind them.

They entered a lighted hallway with doors on either side. As they slowly checked each one, Mary Jane was very conscious of the time. How long before that monster discovers we're missing? The feeling of dread felt overwhelming as they discovered that most of them were locked or simply led to an empty room. Peter, she pleaded silently, I never meant to leave things between us so unsettled. Please, darling, find us soon…

"Mary Jane, I think I found a way out of here," May said happily, breaking MJ out of her trance.

"Good going, May."

May had revealed a dark stairwell, heading downward. Wishing for a spider-sense tingle, the two women crept carefully down the few stairs. Mary Jane fumbled around for the doorknob, and opened the door… to total darkness.

Damn it, she thought. What now? "You go to the right, I'll go to the left. Maybe there's a light switch."

Her hands felt carefully along the walls. The air was filled with an odd smell she couldn't quite place. The smooth plaster ended in what felt like… a window frame. But why was there no light, not even moonlight?

From down the hallway, she heard May call out, "I think I found the switch, dear."

The lights went on, briefly blinding her. When she looked around, she was dumbfounded at what greeted her eyes.

The hallway that lay before them was nearly identical to the one they had left. With one exception.

Directly in front of her, the window she had found was completely plastered over. Freshly plastered. All up and down the hallway, every window had been sealed off the same way.

May's voice was filled with the same exasperation and fear that MJ was feeling. "Here we go again."