Hello one and all! Welcome to my next Spider-Man story, Spider-Man: Survival of the Strongest! It's been long and coming but I've worked out all the kinks and planning and I'm ready to go! For those who read my first Spider-Man story, this is my gift to you! This new story picks up after Spider-Man 2, and has ties to my first story as well. SO it does help if you read my first story, but it isn't necessary. Anyways, here you are, the next chapter of Spider-Man: Survival of the Strongest!
I do NOT own these characters, they are owned by Marvel Comics!
Spider-Man: Survival of the Strongest: Issue 9: Staging
Sirens are coming in closer now, the wail echoes in through the broken skylight. Broken glass litters the floor, sun catching a reflection in the shards and reflecting the hate filled face of The Purple Man.
Zebediah Killgrave has his right arm raised; a large metallic device was strapped to it, buzzing with power. The glove wields the power to convert solar energy into a concentrated energy beam. On the receiving end of this weapon is the one and only amazing Spider-Man.
Both men are battered and torn, blood covering their faces and bodies. Scratches and bruises are added decorations to their adorned temples. Purple man spits once more, his blood splattering in the deafeningly quiet room.
Around both of these men stood a large crowd of various guests who have come to stark center to see new innovations in technology. They are also under purple man's control.
"I want you to get on the floor, now." Purple man hisses.
"I want your neck broken." Spider-Man growls.
Killgrave raises his weapon toward the crowd, "I mean it, or ill blast!"
His eyes gleam with excitement, tongue revealing itself as it rolls over his top layer of teeth. The webbed wonder crouches low, getting close to the floor but not close enough.
"Your knees kid, get on your knees!"
He doesn't move.
"Kid I swear to god I will blast a hole through you and all of these slaves if you don't do it!" Killgrave screams.
"Do it."
"What?!"
"Go ahead and do it," Spider-Man snarls, standing back on his feet. "I can still dodge you."
"You're an idiot!" he retorts.
"There's no way you can possibly fire at them." The wall crawler adds.
"Why the hell not?!"
With one swift motion, Spider-Man sticks a firm web line to the mechanized glove and tugs in an upward motion, pulling the glove like a puppet string. He uses his other hand to web the first line into place. Killgrave was now stuck with his arm straight in the air, and Spider-Man was heading straight for him.
"Knock it off! Damnit!fu-…!"
A clean uppercut, it collides so perfectly and powerfully into Killgrave's jaw. Teeth fly through the air, littering the ground in smaller trails of blood; the glove lets off a powerful blast at the ceiling.
"KRA-KOOOM"
Bits of plaster and cement rain down on the crowd below meanwhile the web slinger is on the offensive once more. He pulls Purple Man from the floor, raking his face with another hard right fist. He swears to himself he heard Killgrave yelp but he ignores it as he punches again.
"Get ofF OF MEE!!" He cries, the arm letting out another powerful blast, it destroys a panel near the podium on stage.
"HOW DARE YOU!" Spider-Man cries, he elbows down hard and another cut forms on killgrave.
The violet skinned monster was now screaming wildly raking at the web slinger's face, trying to claw at him. Spider-Man punches again for what seems like the millionth time, his arm feels like it could fall off.
Never in his life had he felt the rage he felt now, his body trembled with hate for this man. He had been given his uncle back to him, as quickly as he was stolen away. The trick didn't even last long before Uncle Ben was gone again. This bastard needed to pay. With that the young hero fastens both of his hands around killgrave's throat and begins to squeeze.
"Gaakk!!!….Grraaghh!" He chokes in protest.
Spider-Man is hell-bent on crushing the monsters windpipe, he bellows back maliciously.
"SHUT YOUR FACE!" He cries, tears and blood leaving the inside of his mask.
"S-S-STOLEN!! HE WAS STOLEN BY YOU!"
Purple Man's violet colored hand found its way to Spider-Man's facemask and pulled it off, exposing him and his blood-covered face. Purple man was now shifting to a dark violet, borderline blue tone.
"Get off him."
The webbed wonder is forced violently off of killgrave, tossed onto the floor. Daredevil now stands over him, his arm cupping his left shoulder. He winces as he steps forward again, scooping up the facemask from killgrave.
"I…I'm sorry."
Daredevil glares down at him, "You almost killed him."
"I Lost control, I let the mind control thing get to me. I thought I'd gotten past it." Peter groaned, sitting up Indian style.
"It's not over."
"What?"
"Its not over." The devil repeats, dropping the mask in front of the young hero.
"He looks pretty out of it to me." Spider-Man replied.
"No he's conscious otherwise the crowd would be normal. That wasn't what I was talking about though."
"What then?"
He sighs, "The decisions you have to make aren't going to get any easier. The point is to make the right ones, because depending on what you chose; you could end up like him. Or you could end up like me. You have to exert some control over those emotions man, other wise your going to become the very thing you choose to fight against."
Peter nods, he feels completely ashamed and horrified at almost killing the Purple Man. He sighs deeply, the glass lenses on the eyes of his facemask reflect back at him.
"Put that on so we can finish this, the cops are outside now" He says, softer this time and steps away.
Without any further hesitation the wall crawler slipped his ripped mask over his head. The devil steps forward to a paralyzed woman, he waves a bare hand in front of her face. She doesn't snap out of her daze.
"I don't get it, he's out cold. They should be…"
"Heh heh heh…Heh heh HAHAHA!"
The purple man's haunting laughter rings through the air, he was on his feet once more. The villain grins widely, a smile missing teeth and coated with blood. The metallic glove was raised once more, it revved with raw power.
"Son of a…" Daredevil trails off, revealing his billyclub once more.
"Now we end it, I'm going to massacre the both of you, then the cops outside!" He cackled.
Suddenly the metallic display plates imbedded on the floor began to vibrate wildly. Purple Man pays it no attention as his glove summons the power necessary to melt the devil's head clean off. The plates wrench themselves from the floor and hurl themselves toward the purple man. The plates collide with a deadly "thack", each one of them cracking against the side of his temple.
The violet villain collapses to the floor, unconscious. From the stage Tony stark stepped down, revealing the other mechanized glove. It hummed with a high-pitched squeal, which he silences with the shifting of a knob.
"You two alright?" Stark asks.
"Yeah," Spider-Man gasps, completely dumbfounded. "How did you free yourself from his mind control?"
"Yeah Stark, how the hell did you manage that?" The crimson avenger inquires.
Tony stark smiles smugly; he removes the glove from his arm with several touches of switches. He stops walking just short of the two heroes.
"Nanites." He answers.
"Which are?" Daredevil asks.
"Small microscopic robots that exist in and on my body. I designed them specifically to help me run my inventions. They allow me to do multiple tasks at once. They also exist as a defense mechanism for my body."
"And when killgrave put you under his mind control they sensed something was wrong." Spider-Man added.
"Precisely. My brain was filled with the Purple Man's pheromones, which the nanites didn't recognize as a natural gas. Immediately the nanites when to work to figure out the problem, however it did take much longer than it should have," Stark said, narrowing his expression.
"What about the others? Why haven't they snapped out of the trance?" the wall crawler questioned.
"It takes several minutes for the pheromones to clear out." Daredevil answers.
Stark grins, looking interested. "You know quite a bit about killgrave."
"I've been tracking him for a while."
"Listen, I can't thank you both enough for helping me out here." Tony said.
"No problem," the web slinger replies.
"Yeah, a pleasure." Daredevil says.
"I better be going, I uh ran into a photographer from New York, and uh told him to lock himself in the uh bathroom. Check on him for me will ya?" Spider-Man asks.
"Will do. And are you taking off as well?" Stark asks.
"That I am, it's been a blast. The cops are here by the way." Daredevil replies, wrapping his billyclub around a column.
With that Daredevil leaves through the window, Spider-Man follows suit. He swings toward the top of the center, glancing down at the street. Several squad cars lay toppled, large dents in their hoods. The windows to the vehicles had been smashed and the cops were nowhere near the cars.
The rhino was gone as well. Remnants of the webbing that held him to the ground were all that proved he was even there.
"Damn rhino." Spider-Man scowls, entering a ventilation shaft.
Several seconds later he found himself quick changing in the bathroom stall. Once again he was dressed as the confused photographer from the daily bugle, however he had many cuts and bruises. Using the sink and some paper towels he managed to scrub most of the blood from his face. Spider sense alerted him to stark approaching the door.
Tony stark entered the bathroom to find Parker sitting in one of the stalls, pretending to be scared out of his mind. He tells peter the coast is clear, that Spider-Man and daredevil saved everyone. Parker smiles at this.
"And of course I miss every opportunity to take a photo."
"Don't worry, my security cameras have plenty of footage. Maybe we can make a deal with your editor."
"I bet we can" Peter replied.
The damage to the center was horrible. The purple man had damaged most of Tony Stark's inventions in the assault. His temperature altering floor panels were ruined, the solar powered arm cannon suffered minor damages, and a new power antenna was missing. Peter sat on the stairs to the center; one of the paramedics was wrapping his knee after removing the glass.
"Jeez kid, your lucky you're alive. You could've lost the rest of your leg. I think you should head over to the hospital now for a shot of tetanus. We can drive you in the ambulance."
"No thank you, I'm here with work. They'll give me a ride." Peter replies, standing shakily.
His whole face was sore. Small cuts formed a trail along side of his forehead down around his eye socket. The side of his lower lip was swollen and purple. His ribs were also aching but he didn't tell the female paramedic about that. She grabbed her medic box and moved over to another injured person.
"You okay kid?" A voice said from behind him.
He turns to see Ben Urich, an ice pack under his chin. He grins weekly and sits down next to parker.
"Ben are you alright?!" Peter asks, his expression shocked.
"I'll be fine kid. Couple a teeth, nothing the dentist can't fix up. Jonah is crying like a baby." Ben chuckles.
The duo glance over to see a paramedic trying to rotate Jonah Jameson's arm, the editor wails in pain. Robbie Robertson looks like he's going to faint. Peter laughs weakly, glancing down again at the spot where he webbed up the rhino. His face flushes hot with anger that Rhino got away.
"I'll get him." Peter mumbles softly.
"What was that?" Ben asks.
"Nothing."
Peter checks his pockets for his cell phone, it had been a long day and he wanted to check in with Mary Jane. He waits for the welcoming screen to show on his cell phone.
"Ah goddamn press is here." Urich groans, standing quickly.
A voicemail icon pops up on his screen, Peter begins to dial quickly then pressing the phone to his ear. Reporters flood the scene taking photos of the injured people, the flashes blind parker. Finally his voicemail connects.
"You have three new voicemail messages. New message:
"Hey Pete it's me, just thought I'd give you a call. I'm on my way to audition now and hopefully I'll see you tonight. Be careful. I love you."
Next message:
"Peter its May, I was just calling to make sure you're alright. I have a hair dressing appointment this afternoon but I'll be in by three. Call me later and to make sure you're alright."
Next message:
"Mr. Parker? This is Anita from across the hall in 307. I was calling you because I heard strange noises coming from your apartment! I opened the door to see what was going on and something heavy slammed against the door! I heard Mary Jane scream and then I couldn't open the door! Call me back as soon as you get this, my number is 917-553-0976."
Peter's eyes widened in panic, he glanced at his phone to check the time. Quarter past five. His body began to tremble, something happened to Mary Jane. How was he going to get back?! His phone beeped again indicating a new voicemail. He presses a button pushing the phone against his ear.
"You have one new voice message and three old messages. New message:
"Pete…it's Harry…I saw you. Here, fighting Killgrave. Look I just…Thanks."
With that the call ends. Harry. He just remembered Harry was here under the purple man's mind control. After knocking killgrave out he must have bolted out of here. Again Peter's face flushes red hot, his emotions mixing and boiling around.
"We have to head to the hospital with Jonah." Robbie says stepping up to the two of them.
"Yeah, okay." Ben replies.
"I can't go." Peter said.
"What? Why what's going on?" Urich asks.
"Someone broke into my apartment. I have to go back to New York. Now."
To Be Continued. Next chapter, back to New York, our hero finds M.J. missing and a lead on her whereabouts, be sure not to miss next chapter of Survival of the Strongest! Thanks Please review- Peechman