Chapter 2
Meanwhile, Peter Parker was in his Social Development class, trying to catch up to what he missed in the first half of the class. His ribs hurting from the drastic move he pulled trying to save that little girl. He knew that later he was going to have to make his rounds as Spider-Man, regardless of the damage, but he wished that he could have one days rest. "Parker, what is the meaning of Berlinetti's puzzle?" the teacher asked him. Parker's head shot up and he looked at the board. He studied it a little bit as he tried to catch up on the topic. "Well, it's one of the most ancient puzzles Dr. Coliate, but no one has been able to solve it in almost 300 years." Peter replied. He was lucky it was just an easy question, otherwise he would have to stay after school. Something was puzzling Peter though, normally his spider sense would be going off, especially at the first sign of a pop question from the proffesor. He must have been more tired than he thought. But unknown to Parker, there was even greater danger lurking about. Because just right above him, Venom was watching through the window, their tounge almost twiching in anticipation. They watched as they noticed the worry on Parkers face. "Yes, Parker, just shrug it off, it's nothing. We aren't going to attack you." Venom said with anticipation. Peter kept on working on his homework, when a shadow from above caught his attantion. He looked up at the skylight, and for a split second he thought he saw something familiar. He took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and looked back up at the skylight. There was nothing, which made Peter think he was more tired than he thought. But what he didn't know was that his eyes weren't playing tricks, they were merely just correct for a split second. As soon as Peter looked away, the creature came back to the window, and licked it.
Later on, in the cafeteria, Peter was enjoying his lunch, what was left of it, and was trying to think of what seemed so wrong. A familiar voice sounded next to him, one that he knew to be Mary Jane Watson. His love of his life, and the apple of his eye. "Well, hello there stranger." MJ said. MJ was her nickname to everyone, including Peter. He turned around to see her standing behind him, and looking down at him. She looked even more beautifull in the shade. "Gee, hello to you too MJ, would you like a seat?" Peter replied. MJ gave him a funny look and replied, "Of course Tiger, I woudln't trade it for the world to sit next to my loving boyfriend." Peter blushed as she came around his right side, and kissed him as she sat down. "So, how'd it go last night? Was "work" good for you?" She asked with a smirk on her face. It still kind of worried him that MJ knew who he was, and the fact that he let in to what he knew he shoudln't do. But he figured, if he was taking a risk with his life as Spider-Man, then Peter Parker could take a few risks himself. And him having a relationship with such a beautifull woman, would seem normal. Not to mention, seem all the less likely candidate for Spider-Man. Spidey, had been, linked with a few other super hero women, which meant, that he couldn't be with any normal people. Those newspaper stories always cracked him up. Suddenly, his spider sense sky rocketed, and he grabbed MJ a split second before a car went flying into the table from above. A dark figure jumped down from the hole, and roared as it landed. The sheer weight of the figure shook the ground, and the looks of him frightened everyone. There were panic stricken people everywhere. The panic could almost be felt in the air. Peter looked up and horror struck him, he was lying directly under the most insane enemy he had ever faced. And he was staring right at Peter.
"Hello Parker, we're here to see Spider-Man, can he come out to play?" Venom said in a sadistic tone. The voice sent chills down Peter's spine. He'd never been this frightened in his life. Venom was hard enough to take down the last time, and Peter almost died. But now this maniac, who thinks he is a hero, is back, and about to take revenge. But Peter coudln't change into Spider-Man here, it would be too compromising. So Peter just did what he always did in a situation like this, he played stupid. "Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know Spider-Man, p-p-please, don't hurt me." Peter spat out in genuine fear. Venom's maw opened wider as he grined, showing his razor sharp teeth, and his disgusting tounge. "We know that's a lie Parker, we know you know the Spider. We want him. WE WANT HIM NOW!" Venom yelled loudly. This caused even Mary Jane to scream. The scream distracted Venom, and he turned to look at her. "Well, well, if it isn't the beautifull MJ, we remember you, how about a little ride?" Venom asked as he turned to grab her. Peter instinctively kicked, not realizing how much force he put in the kick. Venom tiped over and landed on MJ. Peter got up and tried to pry her out from under Venom's massive bulk. But Venom turned his head, grinned and belted Peter clear across the room. "We want the Spider, you better deliver, or we'll just have to feast on the little lady," said Venom as he licked MJ from ear to ear. She cringed at the disgusting gesture, and tried to kick Venom. He webbed her up and jumped out of the building. Peter ran out of the cafeteria and ran for the bathroom. He changed into his Spidey outfit, and webbed his street clothes to the back of the toilet tank. "Don't worry MJ, I'll save you, and then I'll kill Venom." Peter said as he jumped out the second story window, and swung away.
Meanwhile, in a dark alley, clear across town, there was another watching Venom as he swung through the city. He kept on switching screens, trying to catch up visually with his prey. "Voice log 125643, it is the first day of hunting, and I've already captured pictures and video of the suspect. He is reacting exactly as expected, and it seems he has captured a hostage. Remember to use lethal ordiances only if neccesary. Don't want to hurt the young woman, at least, as little as possible. But her loss is acceptable, as long as the creature is captured and destroyed." the man in the shadow of the interior said. His face comes into view, and he is none other than the Punisher. Punisher keeps replaying the scene at the college and notices that Peter Parker actually knocked Venom down. "Side note, if Parker get's involved, then let him take suspect out and then demand he be place in my custody. Parker is easily manipulated, but if he goes as the guise of Spider-Man, he may be harder to get at." he said into a hand recorder. He put the recorder down on his little desk in the back of the van and continued to watch Venom as he swung through the city. He was sure to get the suspect this time. And not even Spider-Man would get in his way.
Venom stopped on a building top and paid attention to thier surroundings. Thier spider sense was going crazy, and they knew it wasn't from Parker. They both cancelled each other's spider sense out, so it couldn't be him. So either it was time to play Lethal Protector, or someone was going to try to kill them. They assumed it was the latter. Venom then jumped down, and webbed MJ to the side of a wall. Unlike Parker's webbing, Venom's was part symbiote, so it would not disolve until they told it to. And if it was dangerous, they may even have to let their little captive escape. MJ may be their captive, but she was still an innocent. No matter what Brock told the symbiote. It was the one thing that the two beings dissagreed on. Then, something caught Venom's ear, and they jumped up onto the wall, and dissapeared in the shadows. Venom was right, it was the Punisher. The Lethal Protector knew him very well, and knew what he was after. They would not sit around, and let him snoop out the area. They knew he had technology to find them. Was just a matter of how they would get rid of him. They didn't want to kill him, after all, they knew him to be as like as them. Another lethal protector, not a hopeless hero like Parker. The thought of Parker brought them back to thier senses and they quietly climbed back up the wall, while they carried MJ in their arms. Then the Lethal Protector, jumped down the other side of the building, and swung away.
Meanwhile, Spider-Man swung from building to building, stopping at one or two to rest and look around on the streets. It was driving him mad that he couldn't find a 6 foot tall black monster. Especialy one on par mentally with a rubber ducky. Peter sighed and shot another web line to the adjacent building and continued to swing. Then he noticed a familiar van, and swung hard. He caught up to the van, and then suddenly his spider sense went off. Peter had barely a second before a missle went flying past his head, and kept on going into the early evening sky. "Whoa, that's close. Come on, it can't be Spidey hunting for at least another month Punisher," Spidey quipped. He shot another web line and kept on dodging missiles, making sure they only went harmlesly into the air. Spidey then realized that Punisher might not be after him at all. Mainly cause the van kept on its original course. But it was just trying to get him off its tail. Parker then let go of his web line and at the last second shot a web line at the back of the van. He hoped that there were no more missiles back here. He started to pull himself towards the speeding van, when it stopped and turned suddenly. Spidey tried to hang on as best as he could, as he was swung almost into oncoming traffic. He finaly got to the back of the van, and ripped the back door off and webbed it to a building. Spidey then webbed up the hole and walked towards the driver's seat. He ripped his mask off, and pulled on the hand brake in the center of the cab. The van screeched to a halt in an abandoned parking lot and Peter grabbed Punisher by the throat.
"What in the hell were you thinking? Trying to kill me, not to mention every civilian on that block!" Peter yelled. Punisher just looked at him and smiled. "Nice to see you too Parker." Punisher said with a grin. Peter put his mask back on and sat on the passenger seat. "What in the hell were you thinking?" Peter asked again. Punisher got up and motioned for him to follow. Peter got up and stood behind Punisher as he sat at a computer chair. He tapped a few keys and pulled up a video file. It was of Venom swinging through the city, with MJ in tow. Peter looked on surprised and patted Punisher on the back. "That's great, maybe you should get a job for Candid Camera." Peter replied. Punisher looked at Spidey, who just shrugged. "Yea, but he knows I'm following him." he replied. Spidey looked at him as quizzicaly as he could. "What's that mean?" Spidey asked. Punisher played another clip, one from earlier in the alley. "I took this when I almost had him pin pointed. See MJ in the corner? He set her out of the way, why would he do that?" Punisher asked. Peter looked at him and made a crazy gesture. "He's nuts? I don't know, all I know is he attacked me in broad daylight. It's not usualy his style. Something is bothering him, and I think that Brock was trying to tell me." Peter replied. Punisher looked at him quizzically. "Brock?" he asked. Peter looked at him and then slapped his head. He forgot his promise to Venom a year ago. "Well, to make the story short, and not like Readers Digest, the suit he wears is an alien, and it uses Eddie Brock as a host. It feeds off of hate, and adrenaline. And to make matters worse, it bonds with you. And I kinda was the original wearer of the alien. I ruined Brocks career, and the alien suit hates me for separating. So now they think I'm an ultimate evil. But it took my sense of right and wrong, and twisted it. He sees himself as a 'Lethal Protector', and kills those he deems evil." Peter explained. Punisher looked at him and just chuckled. "Nothing is simple with you is it Parker?" He asked jokingly. Peter just turned back to the screen. Then he turned back to Punisher who was getting ammo and weapons. "Why you after him anyways? I thought you two settled your differences?" Peter asked. Punisher just looked at him, and threw a folder at him. "I was hired." Punisher said. Peter looked through, and then sighed. "Sucks, but he pushed my buttons, and he's mine. He'll be back behind whatever bars I can find." Peter finally said.
Meanwhile, Venom finaly stopped at an abandoned warehouse. The Lethal Protector set down MJ and then proceded to set up the trap. They knew that now, both Parker, and Punisher were on thier tail. And if Punisher had decided to take the job he put off for a year, then Venom had no choice but to fight back. But this time, they would be ready, and have all they needed. They proceded to make a web nest, and make the neccesary traps to disarm any assault from Punisher. This would be a battle of strength, not weapons. And when it came to strength, Venom had them both beat with one arm tied behing thier back. It was time to make them both pay for betraying thier trust. Inside though, Brock was trying to assertain the symbiotes plan, and though he knew that it was going to be gruesome, he wanted MJ to be out of the bloodshed. She was innocent, and she had done nothing to them. That was the only thing that both symbiote and host agreed on. The rest was another matter. They argued verbaly out loud for a few hours, and then finaly, they accepted what needed to be done, and then they set MJ free, with a message. Either come to play, or there would be hell to pay. If they needed to hurt innocents, Venom would put all the blame on Spidey, and take the revenge out on his family first. Brock was weary about it, but with all his hatred, he could not dissagree. It WAS time for Parker to pay, as himself, and as Spider-Man. And they would see to it, that there would be no surprises. Their plan was going to be perfect, and there would be no way of either Punisher, or Spider-Man escaping alive.
Back in the van, Spidey, and Punisher were trying to figure out where Venom was going. Then Punisher yelled for Spider-Man to come over to the screen. "Is that yours?" He asked Peter. Peter looked on with relief, "Yep, and the woman in the dress too." Punisher just looked at him with a smile. They sped off to where Mary-Jane was and got out of the van. MJ was surprised to see Peter with Punisher, and almost lost her mind. She fainted, and Peter caught her. "We need to get her somewhere comfortable. I don't suppose you got one of those famous bases around here do you?" Peter asked. Punisher just noded and got into the van after Peter. They sped off, with Peter watching MJ and the cameras for any sign of the mad man.
MJ looked up, and saw her Peter watching her and patting a wash cloth over her head. His mask was off, but she did not recognize the place. She got up suddenly and pushed Peter's hand away. "Who are you and why are you pretending to be Peter?" she asked with fear. Peter looked at Punisher in the other room, and then chuckled. "Keep your cool baby, or you'll disturb our distinguished host. Don't worry, Punisher and I are almost old friends." Peter replied. MJ slid down the back of the couch, and sighed relief."Only you could make such a corny joke, and not die." MJ said. Peter looked at her insulted, "Corny? What's corny about my jokes?" Peter said. MJ shook her head and kissed him. "Don't worry my Spider, I still love ya'," MJ said. Just then Punisher came into the room, a look of gratitude on his face. "Thanks for helping out Peter, I got him narrowed down to the east docks warehouses. But I don't like the looks of it, too quiet, and way too enclosed. I won't be able to use much amunition in there." Punisher replied. Peter looked back to MJ and then just smiled. "No prob, I'm not looking for his head anymore, I just want him behind bars, and I want him to get help. He's been in symbiosis for so long, I am affraid he might have finaly cracked. He's never been stupid enough to attack me in broad daylight, especialy in front of so many people. And it's not like him to break a promise either. It can be only one thing. The symbiote is getting more violent." Peter stated. Punisher looked at him, and then turned around, "I still would like to have ammo, he won't be easy to take down, and when he goes down, I want him to stay down." Punisher explained as he left the room. Peter looked at him and just sighed.