Chapter 17: Family Business Part 1: Family Picnic
A/N: well, here we are. Peter Parker's had a hectic few months: he woke up in Doc Ock's body, faced a gauntlet of Supervillains including the Sinister Six, Electro, and Vulture, got back together with Mary Jane, killed a man in self defense (not his finest moment), took down the Kingpin, reunited with his 'brother' Kaine, helped defeat Kraven, had his first encounter with Eddie Brock since Spider Island, travelled to the future and met both his daughter and her future self, and most recently, learned his bully-turned-friend Flash Thompson was the current host of the deadly Venom symbiote, and merged with said symbiote to beat a ancient vampire-like being. But this chapter, the word 'hectic' takes on a new meaning as he meets not only the family he never knew he had, but also learns his TRUE origins.
One Week Ago, Egypt, 100 Miles outside of Cairo
A man in a green jumpsuit with red goggles and the symbol of a skull with tendrils coming out of it on his right shoulder made his way through a large camp, before coming to a large tent. "Permission to enter, sir." The man said.
"Granted." A heavily accented German voice said, and the man obscured, entering the tent to see the sole occupant sitting in the shadows. "What is the progress?"
"Sir, our drillers have finally entered the burial chamber, and found the entrance to our objective. However, there is a biometric lock in place, and the door is sealed so tight that the explosives we'd need to get through it would cause the chamber to collapse." The soldier said. "Commander Smith wants to know what we should do from here."
"(A biometric lock. Clever, Herr Parker.)" the man in the shadows said in German. "Contact our mole in the CIA. Find me anyone related to Richard and Mary Parker."
"Yes sir." The man said, and did a double fisted salute. "Hail Hydra!" With that, he left the tent, leaving the man in the shadows to contemplate this.
"Even from death, you Parker's continue to he a thorn in Hydra's side." The man said, and stood up, the light from the tent' opening illuminating his face to reveal his face was red and resembled a human skull. "No matter. Soon, I will have all I need." Johann Schmidt, known and feared throughout the world and history as the Red Skull, said.
Two Days Ago, Chicago
A young woman with brown hair and brown eyes, bearing a resemblance to everyone's favorite wall crawling scientist, entered an apartment complex, climbing the stairs to her floor. "Ugh, why can't they ever fix that damn elevator?" Teresa Durand said, and finally reached her floor. She went to her door, but stopped when she saw puddles of blood on the floor. She drew a gun from a holster on her pants, and slowly opened the door, expecting to find a burglar, only to find a man in his mid-50's clutching his bleeding side. "Dad!" She exclaimed, and ran over to him. "What happened to you?"
"Two men ambushed me…thought it was a mugging, but they were too well trained…and then their tattoos…they were Hydra…" the man said. "One managed to get me, and I ran here…"
"Save your strength, and let me get my first aid kit." Teresa said to the man who raised her like she was his own since she was four. Upon learning who she really was, and what happened to her real parents, their last meeting had gone…less than kind.
"It's too late, kiddo…lost too much blood…listen, Teresa, promise me one thing…" the man rasped out. "Get to your brother…they'll be going after him, and you'll need each other's *cough* help to stay alive. I called an old friend, and he's already making preparations."
"He won't even remember me. I barely even remember him." Teresa said.
"He'll doubt you…call you a liar…but he'll realize the truth in his own time…" Teresa's father rasped out. "The night your parents left you with me, I promised them I'd…take care of you…they'd be proud of you. They'd be…so…proud…" he said, his last breath leaving his body. Teresa couldn't stop the tears from pouring out, and cried for five minutes, before pulling out a phone.
"This is Agent Durand. Theodore Durand is dead, killed by Hydra. I need a plane to New York as soon as possible." She said. "And keep an eye on Peter Parker. Some had people are about to come after him." She ordered as she put away her phone. 'Dad…I'm so sorry. We haven't spoken in months…not since I learned the truth about who my real parents are. I said so many hurtful things last time, and I want to take them all back. I promise, I'm going to keep Peter safe. My name is Teresa Parker, and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure Hydra regrets ever coming near the Parker's!'
Now, Spider-Island II, site of Parker Industries
'My name is Peter Parker, and I am way out of my depth.' Peter thought, as he looked over the dozen employees he had managed to recruit over the past month since he had announced Parker Industries from the podium Sajani and Uatu had set up. 'What was I thinking, starting my own company? Maybe I should have just gone to work for Tony. Ok, calm down Parker. It's just a speech. Cap makes them all the time. Seriously, like, almost every time we march into hell. This is nothing like that, so this speech is a piece of cake. Just remember the note cards you memorized, and I'll be fine.' Peter thought.
"Thank you all for coming today." Peter said to his employees. "You're all here for one reason: to better the human condition by making scientific and technological breakthroughs." Peter said. "You guys know the saying 'knowledge is power?' Well, my uncle had his own saying: with Great Power comes Great Responsibility. Our brains are our greatest power, so it's out responsibility to use it any way we can." Peter said, getting thumbs up from Grady and Bella. "Now, Spider-Man, who is a good friend of mine, has agreed to donate a majority of Spider-Island II to us, with him and his equipment taking residence in what used to be Solitary Confinement, but since he's out most of the day either swinging around the city or doing Avengers stuff, we probably won't see him around here very often. You all understood the risks of working on a super hero's headquarters, so I won't bore you with the whole 'supervillain attack' possibility, but don't worry. Me and Spider-Man have spent the past month upgrading the defense systems left over from when this place was the Raft, so no one's going to attack Parker Industries without getting a few bruises. Dr. Marconi, head of our genetics section, was kind enough to volunteer her cooking services, and spent all night making us her amazing food. So head down to the cafeteria, fuel up, and let's get to work!" He stepped off the podium as his employees clapped for him, and headed towards his office, which used to belong to the warden. He had just sat down at his desk, decorated with pictures of Aunt May, MJ, Uncle Ben, and various other important people in his life, when he got a splitting headache. "Dammit…not again…" he groaned out as he shut his eyes. When he opened them, he was looking into the faces of his mother and father.
"Can you believe it's already their first birthday?" Mary asked.
"What I can't believe is that the director let us take the week off." Richard said. "Thank God he let us be here for Peter and Teresa's first birthday." As he said that, Peter looked around to see a baby sitting next to him, one that looked like a female version of him as a baby.
And just like that, it ended. Peter was back in his office, facing his desk. 'Another one? They're getting more and more frequent.' He thought. Since he had been bonded to the symbiote, he'd get random memory flashes. 'They're random…family trips, doctor appointments, birthdays, stuff like that…and each time they last for only a minute. I don't know what's causing this, but I think I may need to see a doctor.'
Hours Later, Sanctum Sanctorum
"Hmmmm." Dr. Strange said, an orange glow surrounding both his left hand and Peter's head. "Interesting, very interesting."
"Interesting? What's that supposed to mean?" Peter asked.
"Well, while your mind is not being telepathically assaulted, not is it being altered by other means such as the Cosmic Cube, it seems as though something has caused a certain set of memories your mind buried to reawaken." Strange said.
"Are you sure? How do we know it's not Mephisto? He could be messing with me for the same weird reason he sicked Morlun on me last week." Peter said.
"Unlikely. I asked Heimdall in Asgard to keep an eye on him and warn us if Mephisto tried anything on you, and so far he hasn't said anything." Strange said. "It's possible that this might be caused not by magical means, but by more scientific means. When did you say these flashes started?"
"Last month, when Flash took the Venom symbiote back." Peter said. "You don't think the symbiote has something to do with it, do you?" Earth's sorcerer supreme scratched his chin.
"It's possible. When I looked into your mind, I saw all the signs of memories that were repressed in response to a traumatic event during childhood. It's possible the symbiote undid that trauma and unlocked these memories during the separation." Stephen said. "You said these memories revolve around your parents and a supposed twin named Teresa. Have you asked your aunt?"
"Yes, and she told me I never had a twin, but when I asked her…she got the same look in her eyes that she gets whenever I ask her about me parents." Peter said. "She knows something that she's not telling me, but I don't know what. I've looked into everything regarding my parents, but it's classified beyond top secret. Missions, year they joined, how they met, even my birth records…you'd have to be either Nick Fury or the President to get access." The arachnid said. "I've still got a few people I can ask. Maria Hill owes me a few favors, and I'm sure Cap and Natasha can help me out."
"Good luck, Peter." Strange said as Peter exited the Santorum. He was about to duck into an alley and change into his costume, when it started to rain.
'Wonderful.' Peter thought. 'I hate web swinging in the rain. When my costume gets soaked, it REALLY gets soaked, and half the time I get a cold. Great, now I have to walk.' He thought as he stuck close to the buildings of Greenwich Village, and before too long he had entered Tribeca, where his and Mary Jane's apartment was located. 'Ok, finally! Now I just need to…wait a minute. Ah crap, I forgot to get milk!' He thought. 'Good ol' Parker luck. Memories about a supposed sister, Doctor Strange has no clue what's causing it, it's raining, and I forgot milk. Wonderful. At least the neighborhood market is…oh come on!' Peter thought. He had went to the convenience store near his apartment, only to find it was closed, with 'back in five minutes' written on a sign on the door. "You have got to be kidding me!" Peter yelled, when his spider sense went off. 'What now? Doc Ock back from the dead? Hulk on a rampage because Thor ate all his pickles again?' He thought, when he realized his spider sense was pointing towards a nearby truck with a tarp over it's back. 'What do we have here? Oh ho!' he thought as he looked under, seeing rows of laundry detergent. 'Well, if it isn't the newest currency of New York's extortion rackets: Krash. This stuff is good, cheap, and easy to steal, making it hard to keep on the shelves.' Peter thought as he removed his clothes, his Spider-Man uniform underneath. 'Crooks steal 'em, Jack up the prices, and sell it to convenience stores like these. Though doesn't explain the-' Peter was cut off from his thoughts when two men in ski masks ran out. 'Ah. There we go, that's more like it.' He thought as he changed into his costume. 'This is the strangest series of crimes ever since Vulture got addicted to laxatives, but, y'know, crimes is crimes.'
The two criminals hopped into their truck, started the engine, and began to drive off, when Spider-Man landed on the hood. "Stop, in the name of both love and Mr. Clean!" He said.
"It's the Spider! Waste him!" One crook said as they pulled out their guns.
'Y'know, calling me 'the Spider' doesn't work anymore, since there are so many of us now." Spider-Man said. "There's Scarlet Spider, Anti-Venom, Crimson Spider, Agent Venom, all the Spider-Women, that other one in Philadelphia, Black Widow, Spider-Girl…" the crooks aimed their guns at Spider-Man, who easily dodged their bullets. "Hey guys, some advice? Instead of investing in infinite ammo clips, how about you guys go for some target practice?" Spider-Man leapt off as the car hydroplaned off the road, and quickly created a web net to keep the car from crashing into a building, but not before the detergent splashed all over the street. Spider-Man tried grabbing a wall, but slipped off due to how slippery the soap made the buildings. "Stupid. Soap." He said as he fell towards the pavement, but not before webbing the doors of the truck shut. "You guys should just stay there and dry off until your ride to Central Booking gets here, alright?" Spider-Man quipped, and looked around. "Now where are my…clothes." He flatly said, as he noticed his clothes laying in the street…the same street that had just been soaked by the detergent. A few minutes later, he was back in his soaked clothes, and went to the store…only for the door to be blocked off by police tape. "Why god, why?!" He yelled at the sky.
5 minutes later, he was in his apartment, and saw a note on the table. Reading it, he saw that it said:
Tiger, one of my bartenders was dealing drugs out of the bathroom, so I had to go in and do some damage control. Love you, MJ
'Looks like MJ's already getting my Parker luck, and she's not even a Parker yet. Thor, can you please put in a good word with the luck gods?' Peter thought, when his Spider Sense went off. 'Oh can this day possibly get worse? What could possibly kill me in my own-' he was cut off by the sound of breaking glass, and a bright light was shined in his face.
"Get on the ground now!" A voice said, and Peter saw several men, all with assault rifles, all pointed at him, standing where his window once was.
'And there's the answer to my question.' Peter thought. 'Damn floodlight! If it was dark, I could bust out some Spider-Fu and have these guys crying for mommy, but if they don't know I'm Spidey-wait, of course they know! Why else would armed gunmen storm Peter Parker's-?'
"Target is secure. No signs of Spider-Man or any other costumes." The man said.
'Guess I'm about to find out. For now, I'll take a page from the spy playbook and play along, at least until I learn just what they want from me. THEN I'll bust some skulls.' Peter thought.
"Get the tow rope. I'll gag him." Another man said, and as Peter's vision was obscured by a bag over his face, he felt a rope and harness being connected to his waist.
'A tow rope? This isn't just your regular home invasion…these guys are professionals.' He thought. 'Maybe I should start taking these guys a little more seriously.' Peter felt the rope dragging him out of the apartment and up into the air. He quickly applied some spider strength to the rope, and snapped it as if it was made of paper.
"S**t, the rope broke! He's falling!" One of the men said.
'That's where your wrong. I'm flying to safety. Oh wait, that's Tony.' Peter thought as his web shooters triggers unfolded into his hands. 'Amateurs. Don't you know that when you take a hostage, you're supposed to strip anything that could be used to escape? Pens, watches, bracelets, phones…web shooters. And in the darkness, those guys won't see me fire a line.' He monologued as he fired a webline, swinging towards an alley. 'If I can make it their, then they'll just think that I fell into a dumpster or-' his eyes widened as he saw the headlights of a car rapidly approaching him. '-or I bounced off a windshield.'
"Hey watch it!" Peter yelled, and hit the windshield, only to feel the driver grab him by the jacket.
"You!" The driver, a woman, yelled, and pulled him into the passenger seat, the top of the convertible quickly closing. "Buckle up! I'm getting you out of here!" She yelled as she changed gears. "Are you hurt?"
"Not yet, you maniac! Slow down!" Peter yelled, when an attack chopper appeared in front of them, a missile launching towards them. "Did I say slow down? I meant speed up!"
"Relax, Peter. I'll shake 'em." The driver said.
"Not unless this thing turns into a set of Iron Man armor!" Peter yelled. "Wait, how do you know…my…name." He said as he noticed the driver. She looked almost exactly like him, only female. Same hair color, eye color, she even looked like him in the face!
"Name's Teresa Parker. I'm your sister. Your TWIN sister." Teresa said.
'Chameleon Smythe Skrull Mesmero Changeling Mystique Mysterio Kraven?' Peter thought, rattling off the names of various villains who could pull off stunts like this. 'No, this ain't a villain. My spider sense sense would be screaming worse than Banshee, and that's not all. Teresa…that's the name in the memory flashes. And she looks like me too.'
"You're lying." Peter said, more to himself than to her. "I-I don't have a sister. I-I'm an only c-child, not to mention I d-don't have a-"
"You obviously don't think so." Teresa said. "You've been looking into our parents, and into your birth records. That set off some flags, and that's how THEY found you."
"Who are they? Why are they after us?" Peter asked.
"No time. Jump in three…two…one!" Teresa said, and pushed Peter and herself out of the car as the missile hit it, causing it to explode. Teresa quickly hailed a cab, and shoved Peter into it as she handed the cabbie a wad of cash. "JFK, and you can keep the change if you can get us there double time!"
"You can't just run away from an explosion like that!" Peter said.
"Gives us time. They'll be too preoccupied avoiding the police that they'll ease off for the time being." Teresa said, and pulled out a wallet. "Sorry for the sudden introduction, allow me to properly introduce myself." She opened the wallet, causing Peter's eyes to widen at seeing the SHIELD logo. "SHIELD Agent Teresa Parker, level 6 Agent. Formerly called Teresa Durand, up until a few months ago."
"What the-? You work for SHIELD?!" Peter said.
"What can I say? I'm in the family business." Teresa said. "I'll explain more on the plane ride to Monaco."
"I hope you mean Monaco, Indiana, because my passport is back in my apartment." Peter said.
"I had my people make you a new one." Teresa said.
'She works for SHIELD? Could she be the one who contacted me right before Massacre broke out?' Peter thought. "So just how much do you know about me?"
"Quite a bit. I know you make tech for Spider-Man, and I know he donated his base to your company, but I don't know just how you two met, but I'm guessing it has to do with how you used to take pictures of him." Teresa said as they pulled up to JFK. "Alright, we're here." Teresa said as they exited the cab. "Wait right here while I make sure our arrangements were made. Don't speak to anyone." Teresa ordered, and left Peter by himself.
"Trust her." A gruff voice said behind him, and Peter turned to see a man with stubble, an eye patch over his left eye, and graying hair.
"Nick Fury…" Peter gasped. "What are you doing here?"
"Paying back a debt I owe to yer folks." Nick Fury said. "Agent Parker is exactly who she says she is. She's yer twin sister, no doubt about it."
"But how? Why haven't I heard anything about her?" Peter asked.
"Kid, in this world, some secrets stay buried, like what you do at night, but other times they always have a way of coming into the light." Fury said. "I can't tell you much, but what I can do is give you this. It doesn't explain why you were separated. It should give you some insight on why you are who you are." The former SHIELD director said, and handed Peter a briefcase. "Your aunt called me, and asked me to keep an eye on you, at least until you were under the protection of Teresa."
"Aunt May?" Peter mumbled. "She called you?"
"Yeah, but that's not important. What is important is what's comin', kid." Nick said. "I've called in a few favors, so you're goin to have some help along the way. Remember, trust Teresa." Before Peter could say anything else, Fury had already disappeared into the crowd.
'What was that all about?' Peter thought. 'Aunt May called Fury? He knew my parents? Just what the hell is going on?' Peter was kept from further thought when Teresa grabbed his arm.
"What's in the brief case?" She asked.
"Business documents. I texted a friend to bring it to me." Peter said. "It was someone who I trust."
"Are you sure it's not a bomb?" Teresa asked, not believing his answer.
"Trust me when I say that I have a sixth sense for that kind of stuff." Peter said. "Now are we going to go or what?"
30 minutes later
'Somehow, Teresa's credentials bypassed the TSA. Before I know it, I'm on a first class plane trip to Monaco.' Peter thought as he eased into his seat. 'Teresa sure does plan ahead. Now, if only she had called ahead.'
"Champagne, sir?" A flight attendant asked.
"No thanks. Alcohol doesn't really sit well with me." Peter said.
"That makes two of us." Teresa said. "Apparently low alcohol tolerance runs in the family. Now, to answer your question."
"Which one?" Peter asked.
"About who's chasing us." Teresa said. "How familiar are you with Hydra?"
"WHAT?!" Peter yelled. "Why didn't you say so earlier?! If Hydra's chasing us, then-oh god, Mary Jane!"
"Don't worry about your fiancée." Teresa said. "We staged the bartender incident so she would be out of your apartment, and we have agents watching her."
'I appreciate the effort, Teresa, but I trust my Spider Bots and the Avengers more than SHIELD to keep an eye on her.' Peter thought. "So, are you going to tell me more about yourself, or what? How you joined SHIELD, how-"
"I'm gay." Teresa said, causing Peter to stop talking, his jaw dropping. "You might wanna close your mouth. You'll catch a fly. You don't have a problem with my preferences, do you?"
"I,l uh, I don't, uh." Peter stammered. "I'm just a bit shocked with how open you are with it." Teresa shrugged, sipping a water bottle.
"I'm not ashamed of who I am. Sure, I tried denying it for a bit, but after a while I realized I was just lying to myself." Teresa said. "Pretending to be something I'm not, lying to yourself everyday…that's one of the greatest crimes someone can do. Luckily, SHIELD is a lot more accepting of diversity than the CIA."
"Huh. So…anything serious going on?" Peter asked.
"Actually, yes." Teresa said, a small smile on her face. "Going on about two years. Met her through the agency. We've had our fair share of difficulties, namely that she lives in New York and I live in Chicago, but we make it work."
'That smile…it's like mom's. And her eyes are just like dad. But that isn't the only thing that's telling me she's my sister.' Peter thought. 'Not only what Fury said, but my mind, it's been filling in the blanks since we got to JFK. I remember birthdays, picnics, family pictures…but there's still one thing that's black: the night they left me with Aunt May and Uncle Ben.' Peter thought, and Teresa yawned.
"Look, I'll tell you more about both me and why Hydra's after us, by first, give me ten minutes." She said as her eyes began to close. "Been going for two days now…trying to find you…keeping our family safe…keeping our loved ones safe…just give me ten minutes…" Teresa said, before her eyes closed, soft snoring coming from her.
'Two days? She's been up for two days, keeping the ones I care about safe?' Peter thought. 'Well, she's certainly got my work drive. There's only one thing left to check to confirm it.' He looked at the brief case Fury gave him, and opened it, and reading the name of the project on the file. 'Project Silk? What do we have here?' Peter mused, and opened the file. 'Overseen by Richard Parker, the goal is to duplicate the effects of the original super soldier serum using…genetically altered spider venom? After a year of tests, only one subject displayed success: Agent Mary Fitz-Patrick. Not only does the subject display the proportionate strength of a spider, but she also displays the ability to cling to walls?!' Peter started to sweat as he continued to read. 'Other abilities displayed include a limited precognitive sense when danger arose, increased agility, and increased reflexes. In other words…all of my powers!' He thought. 'All these years, something's bugged me: how did radioactive spider venom give me spider powers? The science was all wrong, but I didn't care. I was too busy trying to make a profit from them to concentrate on the cause. If what this says is true, then my mom was a Spider-Woman!' Peter said to himself, reading on. 'It says here that my dad theorized that the serums effects would transfer to her children's DNA, but would lie ancient dormant until a catalyst appeared in the child's bloodstream. Guess radioactive venom was good enough.' Peter looked out his window, watching the ocean below them. 'So that's the true source of my powers. Not radioactivity…not an ancient spider god…just an attempt at the super soldier serum.'
"What are the odds, huh?" Peter mumbled. "Wonder if Teresa got any powers." He looked out the window for a few more minutes, before he looked back at the file, noticing a picture sticking out. Pulling it out, he saw that it was of Richard and Mary, baby Peter and Teresa in their arms. 'Why were me and Teresa separated? What does Hydra want with us? And why didn't Aunt May tell me I had a sister? All of these are very good questions, and I wish I had some sort of inkling as to who has answers for me.' He asked himself, before looking at Teresa, the fatigue of the past day catching up to him, and he felt his eyelids grow heavy. 'What happened all those years ago?'
"Excuse me, Monsieur and Mademoiselle Parker?" A female voice said, waking Peter and Teresa from their sleep. "We have arrived in Monte Carlo, and the car you asked for is here."
"Thank you. C'mon, Pete." Teresa said, and the two exited the airplane, where a car was waiting for them. "Hotel Metropole, s'il vous plait." She said in perfect French to the driver.
"SHIELD agent AND fluent in French? You're a woman of many talents, aren't you?" Peter asked.
"My parents…adopted parents…made sure I was well rounded." Teresa said. "Sorry, I still think of the Durand's as my real parents."
"Don't apologize for anything. I don't blame you." Peter said. "I've known Ben and May Parker aren't my parents my whole life, but thats how I think of them."
"I only found out last year." Teresa said. "I was on a mission to take out an AIM cell in Madripoor, and I slipped and hit my head on the floor. The impact must have knocked a few things loose, because I started experiencing memories of people named Richard and Mary and a brother named Peter." She explained. "I asked my father, and he told me the truth. What I said to him that day…" tears started to cloud her eyes as she recalled that day. "I wish I had taken it back before they killed him. That's when I realized Hydra was after us."
"So why ARE they after us?" Peter asked. "Surely you have some idea."
"I don't. Anything relating to Richard and Mary Parker, including something called Project Silk, has been classified at Level 8, and I'm only level 6." Teresa said. "I don't suppose you would know anything about Project Silk, do you?"
"Hey, I thought they were CIA agents for years, not SHIELD." Peter said.
"Project Silk…what I could find out about it said that they tried using spiders for a super soldier formula, and that dad was involved in it." Teresa said. "Everything else was classified by Nick Fury before he was removed from command."
"Really now? How strange." Peter said, and the car pulled up to a rather majestic looking hotel. "Whoa. I…I'm trying to come up with a credit card joke, but I'm too overwhelmed with this place to even try, so I'm just going to say whoa, so whoa."
"Impressed? Brother, you haven't seen anything yet." Teresa said as she lead him to an elevator inside the hotel. "I hope you don't mind, but I got us adjoining rooms. We have an appointment in an hour. Be ready." She said as the elevator served at their floor.
"For what?" Peter said as Teresa lead him to a room, opening it to reveal two men waiting for him.
"For your fitting, Monsieur." One of the men said, and before Peter could protest, Teresa closed the door behind him. "Now, does the gentlemen dress left, or right?"
"He dressed alone, thank you very much." Peter said as he ducked into the bathroom. He quickly removed his Spider-Man costume from under his clothes, and before long he was getting his measurements taken. His phone rang, and he looked to see Aunt May's picture. "Hey, Aunt May. How ya doin'?" Peter asked.
"Peter where are you? We've all been worried sick!" May said on the other line. "Mary Jane hasn't slept since you disappeared, and your apartment is a disaster!"
"Relax, Aunt May. I'm with my sister." Peter said, and heard Aunt May gasp.
"P-Peter, y-you don't have a-a s-sister…" she stammered out.
"Well, considering how I just got off a plane ride with her…" Peter said. "Fury told me you called him, Aunt May."
"Peter, I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't. Not without going against the promise me and Ben made to your parents." Aunt May said, a sob in her voice noticeable over the phone. "That night they left you with us, they said that it was too dangerous for the two of you to be kept together, and that we could never tell you what happened. After that night, you didn't remember Teresa at all. The doctors said that, in rare cases, when two twins are separated without warning at a young age, they repress all memory of the other twin."
"So my four year old mind repressed my memories of Teresa?" Peter asked. 'Looks like Strange was right. The symbiote DID repair the trauma to my mind.'
"You had no idea she ever existed. We had to remove every picture of her we had, and we had to lie to you every single day." May said. "Nick Fury said that if you started to remember her and look into your parents, to contact him."
"I see. So, any other secrets I should know about? We're not Skrulls in disguise, are we?" Peter asked.
"You're not angry?" May asked.
"Nah. From what's happened the past few hours, I'd say my folks had a good reason to keep that a secret." Peter said. "Aunt May, if anyone comes after you or Mary Jane, get on a plane to Houston. Look for a man named Kaine Parker, and he'll protect you. I promise I'll explain everything as soon as I can. Love you." Peter said, before hanging up. 'I need to tell Aunt May about my…hobby…one day, though I think she already knows.' He thought. 'Better get through this adventure before I focus on my personal life.'
Hours Later
Peter, now dressed in a black dress shirt with a white jacket, opened the door of his room to see Teresa dressed in a backless black dress that accentuated her curves, her brown hair tied in a bun. "Wow, you really know how to clean up." Teresa said.
"Right back at ya. Guess that's another thing we have in common." Peter said. "So where are we going?"
"Tell me, Peter, how good of a gambler are you?"
Monte Carlo Casino
'Ok, so, let's run down the list of crazy things that's happened to me in the past few hours: my apartment was trashed by goons; I met my long lost sister; learned that my spider powers come from some sort of super soldier project my mom was a part of; and now I'm in one of the most famous casinos in the world.' Peter monologued as he and Teresa entered the casino.
"We're here to meet a contact, but he wasn't expecting me to bring a guest." Teresa said, and handed Peter some poker chips. "Hope you're as good at gambling as you are at science."
"Uh, actually-" Peter started to protest, before Teresa disappeared. 'Great, this is poker night at the Tower all over again. I make a few bad moves, and all of a sudden I owe Logan and Jess a hundred bucks each.' "22 black." He said to one of the tables.
"This baccarat, sir." The dealer said.
"Then I rescind my bet." Peter said, when his spider sense went off as a man jammed a gun barrel into his side.
"I need you to come with us, Dr. Parker." The man said.
'Man, do I have the worst luck or what? Some god up there must be getting a real kick out of this. I'm looking at you, Loki!' Peter thought. 'Time for a little distraction.' He threw his chips into the man's face, before flipping over the baccarat table and using it as cover. The man fired his gun a few times, and the gunshots caused a panic, which was only escalated when a squad of armed Hydra soldiers dropped in. 'Things are about to get crazy. Luckily, crazy is what I deal in best.' Peter thought, unbuttoning his shirt to reveal his red and black Spider-Man costume.
Teresa stepped out of the bathroom, tucking a card into one of her shoes, when several people ran past her. "What the hell is going on?" She asked, when a man pulled a knife on her.
"Everyone's attention is elsewhere, that's what." He said, when webbing hit him in the face.
"Not everyone, Buster." Spider-Man said. "Ze Parker's, they are under my protection, oui?" He said in a fake French accent as he took down the Hydra soldiers.
"That so?" A voice said behind him, and Spider-Man dodged as a wind tornado formed around a man wearing a trenchcoat.
'Great, I know that human wind tunnel. He's not just any super human.' Spider-Man thought as the trenchcoat was removed to reveal a man wearing a white and blue costume, a whirlwind swirling around him. 'He's a superhuman merc named Cyclone! Just how badly does Hydra want me and Teresa? Obviously enough that they'd send costumes after us.' Spider-Man thought.
"Peter! Peter, where are you?" Teresa yelled over the howling winds.
'Better wrap things up fast before Teresa gets too suspicious.' Spider-Man said, and took into account all the flying tables and people on the floor. Doing a few quick calculations, he fired off several strands of webbing, which landed on the casino goers and webbed them to the wall and floor, safe from any flying debris. "Hold on, boys and girls! Santa says you can't open your gifts until Christmas!"
"Spider-Man? No one said anything about him!" Cyclone muttered, and kicked up his wind a bit.
'Spider sense going nuts…danger everywhere…but don't worry. Relax, and assess.' Spider-Man told himself, and times seemed to slow down. 'Find an opening…survey the situation…there!' Spider-Man leapt off the column he was on onto a roulette table, before hopping off of that onto a craps table, before landing on a wall behind Cyclone, webbing a small fan on his back. 'Different guy, same tech. Needs a central cooling unit to keep going, or else it'll overheat, like on three, two, one…' cyclone screamed in pain as electricity surged from his equipment, the wind generated by his suit stopping, and Spider-Man grabbed him by the neck. "What does Hydra want with the Parker's? Why are they so important?" He asked, only to find Cyclone was unconscious. 'Dammit all to hell, I over did it. And just when I thought I could get some answers.'
"Spider-Man?" Teresa said. "Funny seeing how you're so far from home."
"Uh, pardon, mademoiselle. You have moi confused with someone else, see? Moi name is Arachne, Cherie. French Spider-Man, oui?" Spider-Man said in his accent. "You see, we Spider-Men, we are international. We are, how you say, a brand? Vive lé Spider Hood!" He said before web swinging away. 5 minutes later, Peter, dressed back in his tuxedo, made his way over to his sister. "Teresa! What happened? I hear a gunshot and duck under a table, next thing I know said table is flying!"
"Hydra sent more goons after us. We need to move now before they send more." Teresa said, and lead the Friendly Neighborhood Avenger to the car that they had driven over, and before long they were driving along the country road.
"Teresa, just why IS Hydra after us? I know it has something to do with our parents, but I don't know what." Peter asked from the passenger seat.
"I know as much as you. Luckily, I know someone who will." Teresa said. "That was the purpose of the meeting at the casino: find someone who can tell us about them. All my contact told me was to find someone named 'Agent 10', and that he'd find us. I don't know what that means, but-" as she spoke, Peter's spider sense went nuts.
"Get down!" He said as he put his foot on the brake, and Teresa ducked just as bullets whizzed over their heads. 'Now what? Who is shooting at us?' Peter thought as he peeked over the door. Shooting at them with two SMG's was a man with a skull mask and a right black muscle shirt with two bones crossed in an X on it.
"Come on out, Parker's! Nowhere for you little weasels to hide, and no tricks!" Crossbones yelled. "Might as well give up!"
'Crossbones? Hydra isn't playing around if they're sending him after us!' Peter thought as he ducked back down.
"Stay down, Peter!" Teresa yelled as she loaded her gun. "That's-"
"I know exactly who that is, and I can't let you go out there!" Peter said as he grabbed Teresa's wrist. "That's the guy who shot Captain America! He can hold his own with people like Spider-Man and Venom. Do you honestly think you stand a chance against that?"
"So what're we supposed to do?" She asked, and Peter debated with himself for a moment.
"There's something I can do, but you have to promise me you won't freak out." Peter said, and was about to unbutton his shirt, when the winds changed. It had originally been at their backs, but now it was blowing towards them, and it carried a scent Peter was familiar with, having fought alongside that smell for years. It smelled of beer, cheap cigars…and metal.
*snikt* *snikt* Crossbones' eyes widened at hearing that noise, and was barely able to dodge two sets of three adamantium claws. Standing where Crossbones had been only a moment before, wearing his black stealth anymore, was none other than Peter's Avengers teammate and longtime friend and ally, Logan, better known as the Wolverine! "Bub, you picked the wrong day to visit Monaco." Wolverine said.
"What do you think you're doing here, Avenger?" Crossbones asked as he reloaded his guns.
"None ya damn business, Rumlow." Wolverine said, and the two rushed at each other. Crossbones was well trained, yes, but he was nothing compared to the 200+ year long experience that Wolverine carried with him. Wolverine slashed at Crossbones wildly with his claws, and Crossbones dodged each and every slash, but after a minute, Wolverine stabbed him in the right shoulder. He retracted the claws of his left hand, and socked Crossbones straight in the jaw, both the force of the blow and Wolverine's adamantium skeleton knocking the elite Hydra soldier unconscious. "Amateur." Wolverine spat, and turned to the Parker's, who were still crouched in their car. "C'mon, I've got a safehouse a few miles from here, and we need to hurry before they send more once they realize their little Captain America wannabe didn't work."
Wolverine's Safehouse
Peter looked around the dingy shack, Teresa sitting beside him on an old couch across from Logan, who was in an old chair. 'What is Logan doing here? How did he know we were in trouble?'
"Looks like you two have gotten yourselves into quite the mess." Logan said.
"I'm sorry, but before you say anything, I have a questions: why is an Avenger and an X-Man helping us?" Teresa asked.
"Because I owe your parents a few debts." Logan said. "Ran a few missions with 'em back when I was with the Canadian government. Damn good people, both of 'em."
"Wait, so you're telling us that one of the world's most infamous mutant went on missions with our parents?" Peter asked. 'Furball, you have got a lot of explaining to do! How many years have we worked together, and you kept silent?'
"You're Peter, right? Spider-Man's told me a lot about you." The Feral Mutant said.
"I bet he has." Peter said, glaring at his longtime friend. Teresa picked up on this, but didn't ask.
"So, how'd you find us?" Teresa asked.
"Nick Fury heard that Hydra was biting at the heels of the Parker children, so he asked me to make sure you guys were pointed in the right direction." Logan said. "As for how I found ya? I've got a good nose. So how much do you know about your parents?"
"I know that they left me with some good friends of theirs when we were four, and that they died soon after." Teresa said.
"And I know that they were CIA agents." Peter said, causing Wolverine to chuckle.
"That's what they told you? Eh, Fury sure did love his cover stories back then." Logan said. "Your parents were SHIELD agents, two of the best in the history of the organization. They saved the world a few times, and managed to piss off Hydra quite a bit. Right before they died, Richard and Mary called me and said they were working on a vital mission, one that would keep Hydra from taking over the world. Richard said that it was too dangerous to keep the both of you together, and that you had to be kept apart."
"Why?" Peter asked.
"He told me it was a biometric lock that he had designed to only open in the presence of two 'keys' that had his and Mary's DNA." Logan said. "In other words, his twin children. He didn't say what the lock was too or where it was, but mentioned something called 'Operation Egyptian Gold.'"
"So that's why Hydra wants us? And here I thought it was because they wanted the secret to my stunning good looks." Peter said.
"Smartass." Logan said. "He didn't tell me much else, but I've got a good idea of where you could find out more."
"Where?" Teresa asked.
"They had a safehouse a hundred miles from here, where they kept all their equipment and information." The old mutant said. "I have a map in the other room under some old files. Teresa, could you get them for me?" Logan asked, and Teresa nodded , leaving Peter and Logan alone.
"Alright, furball, talk." Peter said. "I think you owe me a few answers."
"Hold on before you give me the third degree, web fer brains." Logan said. "I had my reasons for never telling you."
"Really? I'd love to hear the reason for why you never told me, even after all we've been through together." Peter said.
"Because when I first met you, you were still hurting from Gwen Stacy." Logan said. "It was still a fresh wound, and I didn't want to make a deeper one by getting your hopes up. You hadn't seen Teresa since you were four, and didn't even remember her. I didn't want to see you hurt yourself looking for a family you might not have. And as the years went by, as you and I became friends, it became less about hurting you, but more about what you thought of your parents."
"Explain, please." Peter said.
"Richard and Mary were great people, Peter, two of the best I ever knew, and I knew you saw them as heroes. I didn't want to destroy your image of them just because they kept you and Teresa apart." Logan said. "Besides, it wasn't my place to tell you." Peter thought on his teammate/friend's answer for a moment, before folding his hands together.
"So anything else I should know?" Peter asked. "Did you know about project Silk?"
"I knew your mom had enhanced physical abilities, but I figured that she was some sort of mutant." Logan said. "Y'know, I put my hand on your moms stomach when she was pregnant with you." Logan said. "Of course, back then, I had no idea how much of a pain in the ass you'd be. There is one more thing, now that I think on it. Your dad wasn't just smart as the devil, but he was also a hell of a fighter, and when the heat came down, he'd always burst out a bunch of quips and jokes, just like a certain web head I know." Peter smiled slightly, and Teresa came back into the room.
"I found the map. Are you coming with us?" She said.
"Nah. Place has a DNA scanner built into it. If it detects anything that isn't Parker DNA, the whole place'll blow." Logan said. "Good luck, and don't forget to call for hell if you need it."
Three Hours Later, Cairo, Hydra Dig Site
Red Skull watched as his loyal soldiers worked to try and unlock their goal, and took the phone a Hydra soldier handed to him. "You failed your objective, Brock." He said into the phone.
"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't expect Wolverine to show up when he did, and he took me off guard." Crossbones said. "Docs patched me up, and some of our magic guys are helping me heal faster. I'll be good to go by the time they get here."
"Excellent news, Herr Rumlow." Skull said. "Get your men and wait near the safehouse and tell them to move on my mark. Soon, we will have what we desire, and Hydra shall rule this world!"
Mountains near Monaco
Peter as Teresa stomped through the snow towards an old log cabin facing a cliff. "This is the place on Logan's map." Peter said as they walked up the stairs. "So how do we-"
"Scan activated." A computerized voice said, and a blue light scanned over Peter and Teresa. "Identity confirmed. Welcome, Peter and Teresa." They heard a click, and looked at each other.
"Well then. That was a thing." Peter said, and moved to grab the knob, when Teresa stopped him.
"We need to be fast. In and out, less than ten minutes." Teresa said. "This place has been preserved. No telling when this was last opened. There could be clues that could be destroyed if we air it out."
"Got it, boss." Peter said. "On three. One…two…three!" Peter said, and flung the door open, the twins quickly shutting it behind them. Red lights switched on, and their jaws both dropped.
"Whoa." They said at the same time. The cabin was bigger on the inside than it was on the out, easily a little bigger than Peter's apartment in New York. A window at the back faced the cliff, and one wall was decorated completely with pictures from throughout the years. One of Richard and Uncle Ben as children, Ben and Richard joining the Army, Richard and Mary's wedding, a pregnant Mary, a picture similar to the one Peter found in the file Fury gave him, and Richard and Mary holding a three year old Peter and Teresa, and various other pictures.
"Look at all these pictures…" Teresa said, looking at one of her and Peter. "Look at us…we were so happy."
"Yeah, we were." Peter said. "There's one of you and Aunt May, and then one of all of us together. Just what happened that night to make them separate us?"
"Systems check. Long range warning system: offline. Defense systems: offline. Subterranean level lift: offline." The same mechanized voice from before said. "Recall system: online. Initiation video file BM1." Instantly, a hologram of Richard and Mary Parker appeared.
"Hello Peter, Teresa." Richard said. "If you're seeing this, then one of two things have happened: either we survived our mission and we're showing you all our stuff; or Hydra succeeded in killing us, and have forced your reunion."
"Right on the dot, dad." Peter said.
"If that's the case, then we hope you're both alive and in one piece." Mary said. "We understand if you're furious at us for separating you, but I want you to understand we have our reasons."
"Yes, reasons that were brought upon by my own foolish decision." Richard said, and image of several bars of good with swatstikas on it appeared. "Our mission was to retrieve Nazi gold and keep it from falling into Hydra's hands, for if they got their hands on it, they would have been able to finance their organization for hundreds of years. However, we were unable to destroy it. So, as a plan B, I instituted a biometric lock that would require two different strands of DNA to open. However, instead of making it me and your mother, I keyed it to the DNA of the two of you. My reasoning was that there would be no way for Hydra to get to you in the safety of American borders. However, three days before we made this message, two Hydra agents tried abducting you from your preschool. We managed to stop them, but that made me realize that keeping the two of you together was too dangerous, and that all it would take is the two of you being kidnapped and anyone would have access to all that gold."
"We were forced to separate the two of you." Mary said. "Peter went to your Uncle Ben and Aunt May, and Teresa went to the Durand's, trusted friends of ours. The idea was for us to find a way to destroy the gold, but that brings back to the reason we had to place the lock into the first place." An image of a giant, mechanical head appeared, it's green eyes gazing at them.
"A sleeper. A Nazi attempt at creating a new super weapon, comparable to those Sentinels Bolivar Trask is developing." Richard said. "Captain America fought them in World War II, and most were destroyed after Germany surrendered, but a few were scattered all over the world. We found one of them lying in wait with the gold, and any attempt to enter would cause the Sleeper to awaken, causing untold amounts of death and destruction."
"It would have been simple. Call in the cavalry, wait for I to wake up, and blast it to Hell." Mary said. "But it's location was another difficulty. It, and the gold, was buried 100 Miles from Cairo, and it would go after the people there, killing them all." Numbers appeared before Mary. "These are the coordinates. With the technology of your time, you should be able to destroy it without causing too much collateral damage."
"Our time is limited. Right now, Hydra is at our heels, and we're headed for our last mission. We love you both, more than life itself, and we hope that you'll forgive us." Richard said, his and Mary's eyes tearing up, before the hologram winked out.
"So that's why." Peter said as Teresa wiped her eyes. "All that, because Hydra got greedy."
"I need to call the Triskelion and tell them about this." Teresa said. "They'll send a Helecarrier to Egypt, and-"
"We can't call SHIELD for this. Dad compared them to sentinels, which means that if one of them is that had, then SHIELD is out of their league on this." Peter said.
"Then who? Who do we possibly know that can fight a Sleeper?" Teresa asked.
"We need to call in the Avengers. They're the only ones who can take it down before things get too messy." Peter said.
"Then how do you suggest we contact that? Wolverine is probably on his way back to the states, and I don't know their phone number. Do you?" Teresa asked.
"Yes, actually." Peter thought. "Look, Teresa, there's something I need to tell you about me. You see, I'm-" Peter's spider sense shrieked, and an explosion ripped through the building.
"Target hit." Crossbones said to his men as he dropped his empty rocket launcher on the ground. Unlike regular Hydra Agents, they were dressed like old fashioned Nazi Storm troopers. This was Crossbones' personal division: the Department of Occult Armaments, otherwise known as the DOA. "Alright men, out orders are clear: we take the Parker's alive, or the Boss Man is going to have our heads for dinner."
Teresa expected to be either burning to a crisp, or falling to her death. Instead, she felt her legs dangling over open air, Peter's arms wrapped around her. She cracked open her eyes, and gasped at what she saw. "Peter? You-?" She asked. Four red mechanical legs had erupted from his back, and were currently holding onto the cliff. Peter's clothes had been ripped away, revealing his black and red Spider-Man costume.
"Yeah." He said, and had his legs carry them up the cliff. He discarded the rest of his shredded clothes and pulled on his mask and gloves, motioning for Teresa to stay down as the DOA reached the site. "Wait here. I'll be right back."
"I'm a trained SHIELD agent, I can handle these guys!" Teresa protested.
"Yeah, and these are magic Nazis, and have you ever faced magic Nazis before?" Peter asked, and Teresa looked like she was trying to find the right words. "That's what I thought. Now stay down, and let me show you how the Parker's roll in New York."
Crossbones and the DOA looked through the wreckage, trying to find any trace of the Parker's they could. "Boss, are you sure they're still alive?" One of the soldiers asked.
"Positive. Somehow, the boy knew I was on the road before I even fired the first shot. He's got some sort of ability, and if they didn't survive, I'll take the blame." Crossbones said, when he heard what sounded like shifting behind the rubble. "What the-?" Before he could finish, Spider-Man leapt out and slashed him in the chest.
"Hey, tall dark and roided out, didn't anyone tell you that it's rude to blow up people's cabins?" Spider-Man said. "And you guys, don't you know that storm trooper went out of fashion last year?" He quipped as he webbed two together and flung them into the others. "Stee-rike! I love Hydra-bowling!" Spider-Man said, when something very loud and very hard knocked him off his feet.
"Like that?" Crossbones said, holding what looked like an amulet. "This used to belong to an ancient god of some long forgotten culture who killed people with his song. A few months ago, I got my ass handed to me by Venom, so I figured I'd carry this around just in case."
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not Venom. But I understand your confusion." Spider-Man said.
"No s**t. Turns out, this thing works on other people as well. Course, your suits protected against sonics. I can fix that, though." Crossbones said, and took out a pistol. "Just imagine how much my boss'll pay me when I bring him your mask. Who knows, maybe I'll-Yearghhhh!" Crossbones yelled as the shoulder Wolverine had stabbed erupted in blood, and Peter looked behind him to see Teresa holding a smoking gun.
"And that's how Parker's roll in Chicago." She said.
"Same goddamn shoulder…this just isn't my day." Crossbones said, and pulled out some sort of vial and threw it on the ground, a red mist causing him to face away.
"Teleporting spell. Three guesses as to where he's headed." Spider-Man said. "How fast can you get a plane?"
"As soon as we can get a cell signal." Teresa said. "And trust me, you have a LOT of explaining to do."
Hours Later, Cairo
'Teresa was full of questions. After the first hour, I have her the Project Silk files I got from Fury, having kept them in the pack.' Peter thought as their plane touched down. 'Took her half an hour to read that, and after another hour of questions, we landed. Sibling bonding, anyone?'
"This is as close as we could get." Teresa said as they climbed into a car, and sped away from the Cairo airport towards the pyramids. "You sure this is the right way?"
"According to GPS, it is." Peter said. "Hey, Teresa, there's something I want to ask you."
"Fire away." Teresa said.
"A few months ago, I was contacted by someone who told me they could help me if I needed intel, and that I once helped out their brother. Was that you?" Peter asked.
"No, it wasn't. Though I have heard rumors of a Spec Ops agent helping out a New York superhero, I didn't think twice on it. I've heard all sorts of rumors about Special Operations, like how one of our agents was a superhero once, or that Bucky Barnes is still alive."
"Really?" Peter asked. "That's one I hope is actually true. He was a good man who was controlled by some bad people."
"What about the Avengers? Any bizarre rumors with you guys?" Teresa asked.
"Once everyone thought me and Ms. Marvel were an item. Sure, we had a few misty eyed moments, but they passed. Then there were the ones about Thor and Storm, but those died down when she went back to the X-Men. Oh, and let's not forget the time everyone thought Cap and Iron Man were dating." Peter said. "And them there are the rumors about me and Deadpool."
"Seriously?" Teresa asked.
"Seriously. The internet thinks that because we both wear red and don't shut up that we're dating." Peter said.
"Let's not forget the game plan." Teresa said. "We go in, plant the charges, and bury the gold so deep that Hydra will have to pull out."
"Good thing I ordered the right clothes." Peter said as he removed his clothes to reveal his Big Time stealth outfit. "Thank god SHIELD was able to get this from Spider Island. Should make things a bit easier."
"Alright, GPS says we should…be…close…" Teresa said, and she and Peter's jaws dropped as they saw the full size of the operation: Hydra drilling machines and tents littered the area, easily numbering dozens of men. "Change of plans. I'll distract them, you make things go boom."
"What?! You, against all those guys? No chance." Peter said.
"I've faced more than them before. Trust me, Peter." Teresa said, and exited the car, opening the trunk to retrieve weapons. Peter, however, wasn't that confident in the odds his sister faced, and pressed the communicator in his ear.
"Assemble at my location. Just follow the fireworks." He said, and five minutes later, he was fully cloaked, and he was creeping through the dig site to where the most men were standing guard. 'So for so good. Hopefully, Teresa won't do anything too stupid before I blow this place.' He thought, and went down the hole where the men a ere standing guard, coming into a large, open tomb with a giant swatstika and two hand shaped markings in the floor.
"Impressive, isn't it, Herr Spider?" A German voice said, and Spider-Man whirled around to see the Red Skull. "You can quit the disappearing act now. You see, since I merged with brain of Charles Xavier, I've found that even the most buried thoughts become available to me." Spider-Man tightened his fists, before uncloaking.
"Oh look, you found me. I'm so impressed." He said with thinly veiled sarcasm. "This the part where you tell me your master plan?"
Very well. You see, during the final days of the war, once defeat became inevitable, I sealed away a good portion of Germany's reserves down here to be used at a later date to find Hydra. Of course, when the original Red Skullc returned to life years after the war, he became preoccupied with destroying Captain America." Red Skull said. "But I, a clone of the original, kept the gold fresh in my mind, and dedicated Hydra to recovering it."
"And that's when you realized that the Parker's had locked it so that you can't get it there." Spider-Man said.
"Very astute of you…Doktor Parker." Skull said, and a DOA soldier dragged Teresa down the way Spider-Kan had just come from.
"Found this little rat near the drills. Didn't even put up a fight." He said.
"Excellent. Place her hand on the stone." Skull commanded, and the guard force Teresa onto her knees and her hand into a slot. "Doktor, I have been in your mind. I have seen your life, and know that nothing pains you more-" Skull pulled out a side arm and aimed it at Teresa. "-than loosing family. Your hand, please?"
"Don't do it Peter!" Teresa said. "Let him kill me! Just don't let him win."
'Know what's nice?' Peter said as he got down on one knee. 'Having a choice sometimes.' He placed his hand on the other slot, and the swatstika opened, and out on a glider flew a giant mechanical face with two large arms and two bulky legs. The glider smashed through the ceiling, causing falling debris to separate Peter and Teresa. 'Dammit, I lost her! Don't worry: that means Skull has too.' Peter thought as he fired a webline at the sleeper. 'Cant worry about her, not right now.' Over the howling wind, he heard the roar of a familiar engine. 'And it looks like I won't have to.'
Teresa ran out of the tomb, and doom cover behind a drill as several Hydra troops began to fire at her. She took out her pistol and fired 10 times, each one dropping a goon. She pulled out a grenade, pulled the pin, and threw it, the drag killing even more. 'Dammit, I don't have unlimited grenades, and I can only carry so many clips. Should've brought more-'
"Avengers, disassemble!" An authoritative voice said. Energy blasts, arrows, a hammer, bullets, a shield, repulsor blasts, claws, and webbing were all things that tore through the hydra ranks, and when the smoke cleared, Teresa saw Spider-Woman, Hawkeye, Thor, Black Widow, Captain America, Iron Man, Wolverine, and Agent Venom standing under a Quinjet. "Fan out! Widow, make sure Agent Parker is alright. Spider-Woman, Wolverine, they've surely got some Dreadnoughts here. Find them, and take 'em out!" Captain America ordered. "Venom, Hawkeye, Crossbones and the DOA are down here somewhere. You know the drill. Iron Man, Thor, give Spider-Man some assistance with that thing! Leave Red Skull to me!"
"As you wish, Captain." Thor said, and he and Iron Man flew towards the sleeper, which was rapidly closing the distance to Cairo.
"Agent Parker? Does that mean-?" Venom asked Wolverine as they ran through the camp.
"Yep. It's a long story, and I'm sure Webs'll explain it to you in time." Wolverine said, when a creature that looked like a cross between a Minotaur and a goat crashed through the tents and picked up Wolverine.
"Well well, look who it is." Crossbones said as the DOA appeared behind him. "Been looking forward to this, Agent Venom."
"That makes two of us." Venom said. "Can you handle these guys?" Wolverine popped his claws and slashed off the arm of the creature before stabbing it in the head.
"Does Cyclops have a stick up his ass the size of Texas?" Wolverine asked, and Venom just looked at him.
"Is that a-?"
"Yes!"
"Oh. Alright then." Venom said as he turned to Crossbones, leaping at him as his body morphed into his bulkier form. "Round Three!"
Hawkeye and Spider-Woman traded venom blasts and arrows with Hydra's bullets while searching for the war machines. "Don't say I never take you anywhere nice!" Hawkeye said as he fired an explosive arrow.
"Oh, you mean like that place in Chinatown we went last week?" Spider-Woman asked as she punched a Hydra soldier in the face.
"Hey, how was I supposed to know the Triads used that as a front?" Hawkeye said as three goons surrounded him. He stabbed one soldier in the leg with an arrow, hit another across the face with his bow, and took the arrow out of the first guys leg and stabbed the third one in the shoulder. "Besides, you had fun!"
"True, but it would be nice to have a date where things didn't end in a fight." Spider-Woman said, when two tents ripped themselves apart. From them arose two robots that resembled the Martians from War of the Worlds, only they had skulls on them.
"Hey cap? We found the Dreadnoughts." Hawkeye said.
"I'm a little busy at the moment!" Cap said as he threw his shield at Red skull, only for his longtime enemy to dodge.
"Give up, Herr Rogers. Surely you realize your little Spider is no match for Hydra design?" Red Skull said as he fired a gun at Captain America.
"I've beaten your monstrosities before, and Spider-Man is every bit the man I am! If anyone can take that hulking metal Sentinel knockoff, it's him!" Captain America said as his shield returned to him.
"Well have to see about that, won't we?" Red Skull said as the two figures of the Allied and Axis powers fought. Meanwhile, Teresa and Black Widow were fighting off Hydra soldiers.
"How many of these guys are there?" Teresa asked as she shot two soldiers.
"You know Hydra: cut off one head, two more shall take its place." Black Widow said as she used her widow stings to take down several soldiers. "That's why you need to go for the body."
"Be honest: what are Peter's chances?" Teresa asked as she chopped a soldier in the neck.
"He's one of the toughest guys I know, and he's mixed it up with the best, and he's as smart as he is strong." Widow said as she kicked another in the face. "He'll be fine." Speaking of Spider-Man, he was currently trying his best to disable the Sleeper, but tendrils had extended from the robot and wrapped around him.
'Great, this thing is half Spider Slayer, half Scorpion, and Half Doc Ock. I hate math!' He thought as he pulled himself free. 'Downloaded the designs from SHIELD's database and studied them on the way over. According to the schematics, the stabilizer control is on the back. Without that, this thing'll crash into the ground.' He crawled up the Sleeper to his back, and opened a hatch, seeing a bunch of wires. 'Oh boy. With time, I could probably find the right one, but I don't have time. So, when in doubt-' he grabbed all the wires and started pulling. '-pull out everything!' He started pulling as hard as he could, and his Spider Sense buzzed as the Sleeper's head cannon aimed at him. Just as it started charging, the wires gave in to his spider strength.
"Error. Stabilizers off line. Collision eminent." The Sleeper said, and fell towards the ground. At the same time as Captain America punched Red Skull in the face, Venom punched Crossbones in the jaw, Hawkeye and Spider-Woman took down the Dreadnoughts, Wolverine took down several DOA soldiers, Thor and Iron Man struggled to keep up, and Black Widow and Teresa finished off the soldiers, the Sleeper collided with the ground, causing a massive explosion that caused the burial chamber to cave in. Thor and Iron Man circled the wreckage, searching for any sign of their ally.
"I've got something!" Iron Man said, and from the wreckage emerged Spider-Man, his costume torn in multiple places.
"Well that was fun…" he mumbled.
"The gold…mein fortune…it's gone." Red Skull said as Spider-Man walked over to the group. "Buried even more than it was before…and it's all your fault!" He yelled, unleashing a telepathic blast that caused everyone to drop to their knees. "You have no idea how much suffering you have brought yourself…but maybe you do. I can see in your mind, Herr Parker. I see everything…all your mistakes, all your failures…allow me to bury you in them!" He declared, and Peter was overwhelmed by the sudden memories, seeing the robber who shot Uncle B4 run past him, then to Green Goblin throwing Gwen Stacy off the Brooklyn Bridge. Red Skull was about to increase the intensity of the memory, when Teresa hit him in the head with the butt of her pistol.
"Jackass." She said.
One Day Later, JFK International Airport
'After Skull was knocked out, Hawkeye and Widow took him back to SHIELD. Teresa tells me that they have a special weapon for people like him.' Peter thought as he and Teresa exited the airplane. 'Of course, they had a bunch of questions for Teresa and me. Of course, it's a good thing that Teresa answered most of the questions, since I didn't want to explain as to why both Peter Parker and Spider-Man were in Egypt. I think they're giving me a medal.'
"Peter!" Mary Jane yelled, running up and embracing it. "Next time, call before you try to be James Bond."
"Please, I'm more like Indiana Jones." Peter said, and MJ noticed Teresa.
"Um, who's this?" She asked.
"I'm Peter's sister. Trust me, it's a long story." Teresa said. "My name is-"
"Teresa Madeline Durand, or Parker, or whatever!" A female voice yelled, and Teresa cringed.
"Uh oh." She said, and turned to see an attractive woman with blonde hair stomping towards her.
"Not only did you stand me up for our date, which you know we can only have about every few weeks, but then you run off on some crazy adventure!" The woman said.
"Look, Sandy, I-" Teresa started, when the woman, now named Sandy, embraced Teresa.
"I'm glad you're alright." Sandy said, and noticed Peter. "Is this the brother you told me about?"
"Clearly we have a lot of catching up to do." Peter said. "Welcome to the family, Teresa."
Epilogue: City Wide Blackout
A man in a blue suit stood in a dark room filled with meat house. "Dark in here…anyway, thanks for answering my call. Not a lot of guys like you left." The man said.
"Yes, that's putting it lightly." A voice said from the darkness as the hooks made *tink* noises. "Do you have the info?"
"Yeah. A few months ago, right before Doc Ock croaked, when I was with Kingpin, we got a tip that some test tube jockey named Peter Parker made all of Spider-Man's equipment. And it was true, because as soon as we grabbed Parker, Spider-Man came running. Nothing that amazing about him. Orphan, grew up with his aunt and uncle, and worked at Horizon up until it went boom." The man said. "His uncle bit it in a home invasion few years ago, and his aunt's married to the Mayor's dad."
"Thank you. This is very helpful indeed." The voice said, and the man was handed a briefcase.
"See, I knew you'd come through. I remember you from when I worked with the Hood, and I remember that you were one of the best. Man, with Kingpin pushing daisies, things sure have gotten tough." The man said, and opened the briefcase to reveal several $100 bills. He picked one up, but upon feeling it, he realized that the bills were simply painted newspaper.
"Yes, I've fallen on hard times as well." The voice said as a pale hand grabbed the man's throat, and a set of sharp fangs tore into the man's throat. Moonlight filtered in through a window, illuminating a pale skinned man with long white hair and vampire like fangs. "But soon, the name Blackout shall once again be synonymous with murder!"
A/N: I apologize for the excessive use of plot devices, but I needed to find a way t move things a long, and things are hectic around my house as our school year winds down. I hope you'll come back next chapter, where I cover the much talked about Superior Spider-Man Annual! Also, remember that thing at the end of chapter 12? The one that everyone talked about? Yeah, more on that next chapter.
Next time: Family Business Part 2: Hostage Crisis