Chapter 18: Family Business Part 2: Hostage Crisis
Two figures stood on the roof across from MJ's club. One was a woman wearing a black body suit, her face obscured by a full head mask, and the other was a man who's body was obscured by shadows, but it was clear that he was wearing some sort of black coat. "What are our orders?" The man asked.
"They haven't changed. We're supposed to keep an eye on the Parker's, at least until Command is certain that Hydra won't threaten them again." The woman said.
"How much longer?" He asked.
"Probably another week or so." She answered. "Hey, don't worry. You'll have time to see them."
"I know. I just wish I didn't have to hide in the shadows." The man said. "But with this monster I wear, it's best I stay as far away as possible."
The next day, New York Bank and Trust
"Attention, weak minded mortals, bow to the might of…Mysterion!" A man wearing black robes with red accents and wearing a fishbowl on his head said as he walked through the bank, purple smoke trailing behind him.
"Get on the ground now!" The bank guard said as he aimed his pistol at Mysterion.
"Fool, your pitiful peashooter will have no effect against my abilities!" Mysterion said, and a cobra shot out of the smoke and wrapped around the officer, changing into rope. "Now, give me the codes to the vault, and-"
"Let's see, same fishbowl, different colored costume, same arrogant attitude…same cheap tricks." A voice said from the ceiling, and Mysterion looked up to see none other than Spider-Man! "But it's a different voice, and I KNOW you're not good ol' Quentin Beck." Spider-Man said. "So who are you under that fishbowl?"
"Spider-Man? What are you doing here?" Mysterion asked.
"You're joking, right? Trying to rob one of the biggest banks in New York, and you wonder why a superhero showed up?" Spider-Man said, and the purple smoke produced two buzzsaws, and they flew at Spider-Man. He dodged, and landed in front of Mysterion. "Be honest: are you a robot made by Beck like that one in the other universe?"
"You moron, I'm Mysterion! A completely different person!" Mysterion said, and spears flew out of the smoke.
"You act like you're the first Mysterio wannabe I've fought." Spider-Man said as the spears hit his skin, dissipating on contact. "That's the best you can do? I've seen better special effects on a documentary about beavers."
"Shut up!" Mysterion said, and raised his hand. Instantly, all the smoke turned into Doc Ock, Electro, Rhino, Kraven, and Vulture.
"Really? A Sinister Six illusion? That's the best you can do?" Spider-Man asked. "I've got a thing called Spider Sense, not to mention lenses that can see through your tricks. As much as I liked making fun of Beck, at least his illusions seemed real sometimes."
"Silence! I am going to kill you, and then I'll-" Mysterion started to say, when Spider-Man punched him in the fishbowl, shattering it and knocking him out, causing the illusions to vanish.
Rookies." Spider-Man said as he webbed Mysterion to the ground. 'Rhino, White Dragon, Blaze, Bruin, Devil Spider, Beetle, Hobgoblin, and now this guy. All of them are new villains using old names and tech that have popped up in the past year, and no one I've talked to knows who they work for. Phil Ulrich may have known, but he escaped on his way to prison.' Spider-Man thought. 'Someone's out there selling old supervillain identities. I'm gonna have to look into that, but for now, I've got bigger problems. Problem one? Family dinner.'
Apartment of May and Jay Jameson
"Who are you, and what have you done with my nephew?" May demanded as Peter walked through the door. "Nice try, whoever you are, but my nephew hasn't been early for anything since he was 15!"
"You caught me, May. I'm really Chamelon in disguise." Peter said.
"Good to see you, Peter." Jay said. "Teresa and her…partner…should be here in a few minutes. Is MJ on her way?" Peter picked up on the discomfort in Jay's voice, but didn't say anything.
"She just texted me that she was leaving the club a few minutes ago, and if the traffic's good, then she'll be here in a few minutes." Peter said, when a *ding* sounded in the kitchen.
"Oh, that's the lasagna! Let me go and take it out of the oven." May said, and hobbled into the kitchen. Once she was gone, Jay turned to Peter.
"I've never seen May more happy than when she sees you. She doesn't see you as her nephew, but as her son, you know?" Jay said.
"Seems fitting, since I think of her and Ben as my parents." Peter said.
"I figured, which is why I wish to talk to you about something." Jay said. "I'm worried you take May for granted. You rarely come over, and when you do it's without a call ahead, and you've missed or left early during several appointments with her. And then last week, when you went to Europe without even giving us a warning."
"Trust me Jay, I would have liked some warning for that too." Peter said. "But you don't need to worry. Now that I'm my own boss, I'm going to try and make more time for Aunt May, though there may still be a few things I miss. Running a science start up is a 24/7 job, and then there's all the work I do for Spider-Man."
"Yes, about that." Jay said. "I'm worried your involvement with Spider-Man may endanger you. I haven't told May this, but I heard about what happened last November, that the Hobgoblin kidnapped you right off the street. And now, he's donated his own headquarters to your company, which is sure to bring its own set of troubles." His Stepuncle said. "I know he pays you well, and you help him do good work, but as long as you work for someone with as many enemies as Spider-Man, I don't think you'll ever be safe, and it just kill May if anything ever happened to you."
"I see where you're coming from, Jay, but I think you misunderstand. I don't work with Spider-Man because he pays me: I do it because it's the right thing to do." Peter said as he looked out the window. "One of the last things Uncle Ben ever said to me was that with great power comes great responsibility, something Spider-Man understands too well, and we both live by that saying. I know the risks of working with him, believe me, and there have been times that I've thought about quitting, but each time, I realize that I couldn't live with him dying just because he was unprepared against an enemy." Peter turned to Jay. "But don't worry, Jay. Spider-Man's always looked out for me. In fact, me taking pictures of him was his idea. Without him, I wouldn't have been able to support me and Aunt May after Uncle Ben died." Peter walked over to Jay and put his hand on the man's shoulder. "Trust me when I say that I will NEVER let anything happen to Aunt May."
"You're a good man, Peter Parker." Jay said, and they both heard a *click*, turning to see Aunt May holding a camera.
"The two most important men in my life getting along…could this day get any better?" May said, when there was a knocking on the door.
"I got it, Aunt May." Peter said, and answered the door to see MJ, Teresa, and Sandy.
"Peter? Here before anyone else? Are you-?" MJ started to ask.
"Already made a shapeshifter joke." Peter said as the three walked in. "Looks like you three got here just in time. Aunt May just took out her lasagna so it could cool."
"If it tastes as good as it smells, we're definitely in for a treat." Teresa said.
"Trust me, there are few people who can rival May in cooking skills. Tiger, remember when we lived in Avengers Tower back when the New Avengers formed, and she and Jarvis cooked Thanksgiving dinner for the whole team?" MJ said.
"You guys lived in Avengers Tower?" Sandy asked.
"Oh yes. It was when Peter worked for Tony Stark, and all the projects he worked on kept him busy all the time, so instead of him spending little time at home, Mr. Stark offered to let us live in the tower." May said. "Peter kept busy most of the time, but we did see Spider-Man and the other Avengers very often." May said. "The food has just about cooled off, so if everyone could take a seat, that would be wonderful!" An hour and a half later, they were gathered around the table, their plates picked clean.
"That was some of the best food I have had in a while." Sandy said.
"We've eaten at some great places, but this takes the cake." Teresa said.
"That reminds me, how did you two meet?" May asked, and noticed Jay shift uncomfortably in his seat.
"Blind date a mutual friend of ours set up about two years ago." Teresa said. "We just…clicked, and then here we are now."
"Do you two plan on getting married?" Mary Jane asked.
"We've thought about it, but we live too far apart." Sandy said.
"Well, we did live too far apart." Teresa said. "I did some thinking, and well…I've decided to move to New York permanently."
"That's wonderful news." May said. "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask me. You too, Sandy." The clock chimed, signaling it was almost eight.
"Well, me and MJ better get going. I've got a meeting in the morning with some more investors, and I should probably rest up." Peter said as he and MJ got up.
"Same here. I'm meeting some movers who're bringing my stuff from Chicago." Teresa said as she and Sandy got up as well.
"Good night, everyone. Thanks for coming." May said, and as soon as they all left the apartment, May turned to Jay. "Jeremiah Jonah Jameson Sr, what is the matter with you?"
"What do you mean?" Jay asked his wife.
"The whole time Teresa and Sandy were here, I could feel your disapproval." May said. "Do you have a problem with my niece?"
"No, May, it's just…it's her lifestyle choices." Jay said. "I know I'm old fashioned and that you don't here my opinion, but I'm just not comfortable with who she's decided to spend her life with. I know that it's a new age with new customs, but I was raised to believe that marriage is a bond between a man and a woman."
"Jay, who loves what gender is no one's business." May said. "Love is love, and I think people make it out as a much bigger deal than it really is! Now, Sandy is a lovely woman, and Teresa is free to spend her life with whoever she chooses, just as any other human can!"
"Then I hope you'll settle for me." A sinister voice said , and May and Jay turned to see Blackout standing in the door. "Mrs. Jameson, you, me, and your nephew are about to get to know each other really well."
"Oh my-!" May said as Jay moved in front of her, grabbing a fire poker.
"Get behind me, May!" Jay yelled, and Blackout grinned.
"You really think that can stop me? Let me show you why I'm called Blackout!" The half-demon said, and darkness spread out across the room from his body, enveloping the whole room. Jay felt something knock him down, and Blackout ripped the fire poker from his hand, bending it at a right angle. "Don't tell anyone, or she died, got it?" A minute passed, before the darkness faded, and Jay saw no sign of May or Blackout. Unknown to Jay, hidden behind the TV, a spider bot watched the whole thing.
Minutes Earlier, D Train to TriBeCa
"Man, what a day." Peter said to MJ as they sat in the subway. "First, I have to approve multiple projects, then I fight some Mysterio wannabe, and then family dinner. I don't know about you, MJ, but I am exhausted."
"Well, I hope you're not TOO exhausted. You've still gotta make it up to me for running off to Europe." His fiancée said with a wink. "By the way, why are we taking the subway?"
"Because I upgraded my spider bots' signal strength, and I need to make sure that it'll be able to reach me when I go underground." Peter said, when he felt his phone buzz. "There's one now. Probably just saw someone with an active warrant against them. I'll just send it to the cops and-no!" Peter said as the scene in May's apartment played on on the screen. Without warning, he darted trough the crowded metal tube to where the cars connected, and leapt off as he changed to his costume. He swung towards May's apartment, monitoring the scene, when the whole screen went black. "Spider bot, switch to infrared, ultraviolet, thermal, anything!" He ordered, only for an error message to appear in his lenses. "Dammit! C'mon webs, get me there faster!" Spider-Man yelled, when his lenses showed that Jay was calling him. "Jay?"
"Peter, something terrible's happened!" Jay said over the phone. "Get over here right away!" One minute later, Peter, now on his civilian clothes, burst through the door.
"Jay, I'm here! Where's-?" Peter started to ask, when he saw Jay holding his head in his hands.
"She's gone, Peter. That monster… he called himself Blackout…took her, and it's all my fault." Jay said.
"Jay, don't blame yourself over this. I'm sure you did everything you could." Peter said.
"He…he was after you. He left me something with a note on it." Jay said, and handed Peter an envelope. "His face…I've never seen anything so hideous. It was like something out of a horror movie."
"You said he called himself Blackout? That name sounds familiar…" Peter said, and opened the envelope, taking out a cell phone, with a note that said 'talk to you soon'. "Cheap, disposable…untraceable. That's good. It means he wants something, and that he won't kill May. If he did, then he'll have gotten rid of his only leverage."
"Peter, what are you going to do?" Jay said. "He said if we told anyone…Spider-Man, the Avengers, SHIELD, the Police, even my son…he'll kill May."
"Don't worry, Jay. I'll get her back. I promise." Peter said.
15 Minutes Later, Spider-Island II
The cell phone rang, and Peter answered it, clad in his costume minus the mask. "This is Peter Parker. I'm going to assume that this isn't the Blackout with the stupid lightning bolt on his head." Peter said.
"Correct, Doctor." Blackout said over the phone. "I suppose you'll want proof the old bag is still alive. Here you go."
"Peter, don't do what he wants!" May's voice said. "Call Spider-Man, or the police, just don't-"
"That's enough out of her." Blackout said, replacing Aunt May. "Don't listen to her, Parker. I gave you proof of life, and I can just as easily give you proof of death, piece by piece."
"What do you want?" Peter asked, careful to keep the anger out of his voice.
"I want you to sabotage Spider-Man's equipment. His web shooters jam, his googles go dark, those robots of his catch a virus, his mech legs break…I believe I could kill him regardless, but having an advantage never hurt." Blackout said.
"I don't know when I'll see him next, and-" Peter started to say.
"Well I hope it's soon, for your aunts sake." Blackout said. "I'll check in daily, each time from a different phone and location. You better hope it's not on silent, or you won't like what's on your voicemail."
"If you hurt her, I'll-" Peter started to say, when he collected himself. "Alright. I'll do what you want. Just don't hurt her."
"Good boy. Call you later." Blackout said, before hanging up. With a cry of anger, Peter flung the phone across the room, shattering it to pieces.
'God f**king dammit! You made a mistake, Blackout: underestimating me.' Spider-Man thought, an image of a truck appearing before him. 'I had you found the minute you called. My eyes are watching you, and I will make you hurt unlike anything you've ever seen if I see so much as a scratch on Aunt May! You found my weakness because you did your research on me? Well, it's time I did some on you.'
Undisclosed Safehouse, New York
"The Parker's Aunt's been kidnapped by Blackout." The woman from the rooftop said to her shadowed partner.
"Which one? If I remember correctly, there are two." The man said.
"The Demon. The cameras we planted in her apartment to monitor her in case Hydra came Showed him before they went dark." The woman said. "He left a burner phone for Peter Parker, but I tagged the frequency it uses for calls."
"So we'll be able to track down Blackout as soon as he calls?" The man asked.
"Right on the dot, partner. Hope you're up for a fight." The woman said.
"Alway am, and is be lying if…it wasn't excited as well." The man said.
Parking Lot of Jim's Bar, Brooklyn
"…so that's the situation." Spider-Man said to a man with dusty blonde hair wearing a leather jacket and a Harley Davidson t-shirt said. "Blackout's taken someone who's very important to a close friend, and I need your help to beat him." Johnny Blaze, the original modern day Ghost Rider, said nothing as he sat on his motorcycle.
"Blackout, huh? Ketch told me about him, said he's one of the most dangerous beings on this plane of existence." Johnny said. "Why me? Why not Doctor Strange?"
"Because he's off world doing something in Oz or whatever magic place he does his stuff in." Spider-Man said. "Your name was the second that came into my head, and I figured that you'd want a piece of him."
"You figured right." Johnny said, and he instantly changed. His head burst into flames, his jacket turned pure black, zipped up with spikes on the shoulders, two spiked gauntlets on his hands, and a chain wrapped around his chest. His bike changed as well, becoming more demonic in appearance as the two wheels burst into flames. "So where do we start?" The Ghost Rider asked.
Abandoned Shipping Yard, 20 minutes later
"Cmon, woman, it's time to go." Blackout said as he pulled Aunt May out of a chair.
"W-where are we?" May asked.
"This is a fish packaging plant down by the Harbor." Blackout said as he walked May to a closed garage door. "After Hurricane Sandy hit, this place was shut down and forgotten, and it makes an ideal hiding place for us." He said as he started opening the door. "Now, enough talk. I was thinking maybe we could go to Long Island, and-wait, what's that?" Blackout asked, and May heard what sounded like a motorcycle engine. "Is it getting closer, or is it-?" The half demon was cut off when a chain wrapped around his leg, and it pulled Blackout through the door and outside the plant, where Spider-Man and Ghost Rider were waiting for him.
"Didn't even try to dodge. Dumbass." Ghost Rider said.
"You messed with the wrong person, Blackout." Spider-Man said. "Some advice? Next time, make sure the person you're trying to blackmail doesn't have amazing friends."
"So Parker talked? A pity. I was hoping I wouldn't have to kill anyone but you, but if you think killing the woman and Ghost Rider bothers me, then-ooof!" Blackout started to say, but was cut off by Ghost Rider's chain hitting him in the face.
"Why do bad guys always have to monologue?" He said.
"I think they teach that in supervillain school." Spider-Man said as Blackout recovered.
"Always throwing out jokes like bad take out, typical. Well, Spider, I wonder what joke you'll tell Parker-" Blackout said as he leapt at Aunt May. "-that you killed his aunt!"
"Bad dog!" Spider-Man said as he fired a webline and Ghost Rider threw his chain, both wrapping around Blackout, and both pulled him back. "Down, boy!"
"Blackout, I'd be lying if I said the Rider wasn't going to enjoy this." Ghost Rider said, and picked Blackout up by the neck and looked into his eyes, using his penance stare. Instantly, Blackout started chuckling.
"You think you can turn my sin against me, Blaze? You fool, I don't regret my sins…" Blackout grabbed Ghost Rider's neck, and darkness enveloped the Spirit of Vengeance's head, and Blackout flung him away, causing Ghost Rider to revert to human form. "…I draw pleasure from them!"
"Blaze!" Spider-Man yelled, when Blackout grabbed a meat hook and hit Spider-Man in the face with it, shattering his lenses.
"You're little eyepieces won't help you now, Spider. Though I doubt they'd have been much help." Blackout said as darkness spread from him, enveloping Spider-Man in darkness. His spider sense buzzed, but before he could figure out which direction the attack would come from, he felt one of Blackout's claws dig into his side.
"Yearghhhh!" Spider-Man yelled, and the darkness parted to reveal Blackout's smiling face.
"Hmmm…while I could go ahead and kill you, I think I'd prefer to see the life leave your face." Blackout said, and was about to rip off Spider-Man's mask…
"Get the hell away from my nephew!" May yelled, and hit Blackout in the head with a crowbar. It barely phased him, and he turned to her, releasing Spider-Man and grab in her.
"Nephew, eh? Guess that explains why Parker makes that tech for Spider-Man." Blackout said, and licked his lips. "Tell me, Parker, when you and your aunt are lying dead on the ground, will it have been worth it? All this effort, for this old crone to have been killed anyway?"
"Let's hope we don't have to find out." A female voice said, and a bright searchlight illuminated the area. Red tendrils shot out of the dark and separated May from Blackout, before tossing him a few feet. Spider-Man followed the tendrils back to their owner, taking in its appearance as he stepped into the light. The top half of his head was red and skull-like, with the lower part being black and leading down to the chest which was predominately red armor with black designs on it, with a black cape/coat coming down from two red shoulder pauldrons.
"Spider-Man, it's a pleasure to see you again. Wish it was under better circumstances, though." The man said, and his partner from the rooftop entered the illuminated area.
"That makes two of us. Finally good to see you face to face, Spider. Hope that call helped you find detective Cooper." The woman said.
"You-? You're the person who called me?" Spider-Man asked, his eye pieces repairing themselves as he webbed the wound he got from Blackout. "Who are you?"
"Well have to make introductions later." The man said as two pistols assembled in his hands. "Spider-Man, I'll take on Blackout. Get Mrs. Jameson and Ghost Rider, and get them out of here."
"I'm fine." Blaze said as he limped over to the group. "He caught me off guard, but I'll be good to go in a minute."
"Really? Well, it's a good thing you won't last a minute, humans." Blackout said, and the unnamed man simply fired his guns. Blackout dodged each and every shot, until both pistols clicked empty. The man dropped his weapons and ran at Blackout, both of his arms morphing into blades. The two collided, and launched into the darkness.
'The way those guns came out of his wrists…the way his arms morphed into blades…it's almost like a…no, they're all accounted for. Still, asking never hurt.' Spider-Man thought. 'But first things first.'
"Aunt May, you knew?" Spider-Man asked, turning to his aunt.
"I've always known, ever since that first picture you sold." May said. "I'm proud of you, Peter. Prouder than I could ever say into words."
"We'll talk about this later. Right now, you need to get out of here." Spider-Man said, and grabbed a nearby pipe, handing it to May. "Use this as a cane, and get out of here. Find a police officer, and tell them-"
"Tell them to keep people as far away from the area as possible." The woman said. "If my partner gets…overwhelmed…then no one will be safe."
"A-alright." May said, and hobbled away. As soon as she was out of earshot, Spider-Man turned to the woman.
"I want some answers. Who are you, and how do you know who I am?" Spider-Man asked.
"I didn't. Not until your aunt called you her nephew." The woman said. "Maria Hill dialed the number, them gave me the encrypted cell phone."
"Why would she call my phone for you? She KNOWS how important it is my identity stays a secret." Spider-Man said.
"Because of the debt I owe you." The woman said, and removed her mask, causing Spider-Man's eyes to widen as blonde hair fell out, belongin to a face Peter knew all too well. After all, she looked just like her mother.
"Sarah…" he gasped, looking into the face of Sarah Stacy, one of two illegitimate children born of a one night stand between Gwen Stacy and Norman Osborn. "How-? What-? I thought you were with Interpol!"
"I was, at least until the Goblin Formula in my blood started acting up." Sarah said. "SHIELD helped stabilize the formula in both me and Gabriel. Out of gratitude, I joined up with them."
"What about your partner? Who's he?" Johnny asked, when Blackout and the as of yet unidentified man crashed through the wall of the shop Blackout had holed up in.
"Ah, how I love killing rookies." Blackout said, and plunged his teeth into the man's neck, only for something to keep his mouth from reaching the jugular.
"Heh. My partner doesn't really like it when people try to do that." The man said. "I give it a home, it let's me stay awake. We both hate each other, and neither of us are particularly happy about it, but there really aren't any other arrangements for the two of us."
"Well, that sucks for your partner. Looks like you'll both die together!" Blackout said, and rammed the man's head into a fuse box. He screamed as electricity coursed through him, and his body slumped. "Well, that takes care of him." The half demon said as he creeped towards the group.
"Blaze, are you ready?" Spider-Man asked as he readied his claws.
"Five more seconds. Don't think we have that though." Johnny said.
"Oh how right you are, Rider." Blackout said. "After I kill the three of you, I'll find and kill the Parker family! Your fiancée, your Stepuncle, your sister, her little girlfriend, and anyone else with even a smidgen of your DNA, no one will be-hurk!" Blackout was cut off as a long tongue wrapped around his throat. Instantly, Spider-Man's blood went cold.
"Sarah, what's your partner's code name?" He asked, when a chuckle that was more like bonds grinding together sounded.
"I'm hurt, Spider. Sure, this is a new meat bag wearing me, and those walking blood bags he works for gave me a new look, but it really hurts my feelings-" the owner of the voice stepped into the light, revealing that it was none other than Sarah's partner, only an elongated you the was coming out of his mouth. "-that you don't recognize yer ol' pal Carnage!"
"Oh dear god." Spider-Man said as Carnage's appearance shifted to his more infamous one. "Why? Just WHY would SHIELD do this?"
"Dunno. My guess? They saw the 'success' they had with dead old dad, so they gave me the same treatment. I'll have to pry it from Blondie as I rip her limb from limb!" Carnage said, and pulled Blackout over to him, impaling the half demon on his claws. "Gimme a minute though, alright? Although I'm grateful for the little shock that shifted out the little robots they controlled me with, u still hurt, so let me return the favor!"
"P-please, n-no! I-I'll do anything! I'll leave the Parker's alone, hell I'll leave the continent!" Blackout said.
"Oh, you think I'm pissed about that?" Carnage said as four blades tendrils stabbed Blackout. "Nah, I'm killing ya because I feel like it!" What followed was an inhuman scream coming from Blackout as he was ripped in two, blood and guts flying everywhere. Our three heroes stood paralyzed by the horror of realizing that Carnage was loose.
"T-t-this wasn't s-supposed to happen. T-t-they said that the nanobots were foolproof." Sarah stammered out, and Blaze turned back into Ghost Rider.
"Doesn't matter who said what. Right now, I'm sending this thing back to Hell!" Ghost Rider said, and threw his chain at Carnage. It wrapped around the symbiotes neck, and the Spirit of Vengeance spun Carnage in a circle before throwing him on the ground.
"That tickled. Say, can I use your head as a fire so I can roast the spider like a marshmallow?" Carnage asked, prying at the chain around its neck.
"At least it's more… is polite the word I'm looking for?" Spider-Man said, and Ghost Rider looked at him. "At least it's asking people things in a nice manner."
"Whatever. Imma put this thing in a coma now." The Rider said, and pulled Carnage over to him, grabbing it by the throat. He used his Penance stare, and immediately regretted it. He had forgotten that the symbiote carries all memories of former hosts, and saw all the murders Cletus Kasady had ever committed. He then saw the symbiote going to Ben Reily, to the Silver Surfer, then finally back to Cletus. "Gahhhhhh!" Ghost Rider yelled, dropping Carnage as he clutched his head. "So much sin…God have mercy on us…" Ghost Rider said, when Carnage wrapped tendrils around his neck and simply threw him like a pillow.
"Uh oh." Spider-Man said as his legs extended from his back. "Hey, Carnage! You want someone to fight? Come here!"
"The Superior Spider-Man, huh?" Carnage said as four bladed tendrils emerged from its back. "Y'know, those blood sacks in SHIELD named me after you. I'm supposed to be the Superior Carnage. Why don't we figure out who's Superior right here and now?" Carnage said as a blade emerged from its wrist. Spider-Man and Carnage leapt at each other, and a struggle between warriors commenced. Carnage attempted to use his tendrils to stab Spider-Man, but the mechanical legs blocked them. They both slashed with their claws, and Spider-man managed to rip away part of the symbiote, revealing a closed eye, but the creature quickly covered it up.
'This guy, whoever he is, is unconscious! If I can wake him up, he may be able to suppress the symbiote!' Spider-Man thought as he tried keeping Carnage from ripping him apart. 'Dammit, I need something loud! If only- yes! That's it!'
"Plan Tango 3, now!" Spider-Man yelled at his Spider Bots, and they quickly formed a circle around him.
'Warning. User detected in range of sonic burst.' The spider bots said.
"I don't care! Do it!" Spider-Man ordered, and Carnage howled in agony as the sonic pulse rippled across the area, it's body exploding in tendrils. Spider-Man couldn't see the face of the man, but he saw an eye open just before the symbiote surged back over its host, returning to the form it had before the host lost control.
"Hn. Guess that's twice you've saved my life from Carnage, Spider-Man." Carnage said.
"Oh my god, are you alright?" Sarah asked, getting over her shock.
"A little tingly, but I'll live." Carnage said. "Remind me to talk to Fitz about making sure these little robots of his can handle an electric current, or else the next slip may be a bit more public."
"Uh, are we not going to talk about the fact that he just ripped a guy in half?" Spider-Man said, gesturing to Blackout's remains. Or rather, where his remains used to be. Now, there was only a smoky outline of Blackout.
"Half-demons. His spirit probably hightailed it back to Hell. He'll be back." Blaze said, recovering from his style with Carnage.
"I'll be in touch, Spider-Man." Sarah said, and Carnage pulled out a flash bang grenade, the detonation temporarily blinding Spidey and Johnny.
"What the hell was that about?" Johnny asked.
"Either I just made a new friend, or a time bomb is ticking down."
The Next Day, May and Jay's apartment
"Sorry I'm late!" Peter said as he entered the apartment. "Had to pick up some flowers and-"
"It's just me, Peter." May said, sitting in a chair. "Jay went to go get me some takeout. It's good you showed up when you did. Gives us a chance to talk about last night."
"Trust me, there are some things about last night id rather not think about." Peter said. "Aunt May, when did you figure it out?"
"When you first started selling pictures." May said. "I'm not exactly sure when, but I know it was around that time."
"Listen, I-" Peter started to say, when May raised her hand.
"You don't need to explain anything, not even why you do it. I just want you to know I'm prouder than any mother could possibly be. After all, not every mother can say their boys a hero." May said, and Peter smiled.
"Thanks, Aunt May." Peter said. "Now that you know about what I do with my spare time, there's someone I think I should tell you about…"
Epilogue I: Houston, Texas
Kaine was in a BBQ restaurant with Aracely, watching with a mixture of awe and horror as the young girl scarfed down plate after plate. "I've lived with you for almost a year now, and I still don't understand how you can eat so much and stay so skinny." Kaine said.
"That's my power." Aracely said between bites, when Kaine's phone rang. He pulled it out, surprised at the number he saw.
"Pete? Something wrong? Hold up, she knows? Alright, I don't-she wants to meet me? I dunno, that might be a bit difficult. I'm kinda in the middle of putting down a gang war, and I can't really leave right now." Kaine said. "You'll come here? Uh, is that really a good idea? I know she's not as agile as she once was, and you've got your company to run."
"Is that Peter? Tell him I said hi!" Aracely said, and Kaine motioned for her to be quiet.
"I don't have a problem with the two of you coming down, but be warned, it's gonna be crazy. Alright, Friday? Got it. See you guys then." Kaine said, and hung up, before rubbing his temples.
"I sense you're stressed." Aracely said.
"No s**t." The clone said. "Looks like we've got some cleaning to do. I'm having family coming over soon."
Epilogue II: Cat's Cradle
Upper East Side
The sound of running water echoed throughout the apartment, the sole occupant enjoying a nice shower while talking over her phone via Bluetooth. "I understand that you're offering to pay me a freakin' huge amount of scratch, but I don't steal f**ked up s**t like what you want." The female said. "I don't see what's so important about-oh, it's HIS head. Why didn't you say so earlier? Now I see why it's so important to you? Yeah, I'll steal it. Where is it? Texas? You want me to drop everything and fly to f**king Texas? You'd better be paying my travel costs as well, buddy. What city? Houston, huh? I may knock a few grand off, considering there's an…individual…there who's of a certain breed I like." The woman said as she got out of the shower, grabbing a robe as she did, though it barely covered her curvaceous body that drove most men and some women insane with desire, drying her long white hair with a towel. "Don't worry, Mr. Jackson. Silvermane's head will be yours by the end of the week." Felicia Hardy, better known as the Black Cat, said.
A/N: you've all been waiting for this! The meeting between Peter Parker, the Superior Spider-Man, and Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat! Add in Kaine, Aracely, Aunt May, a few more sinister elements, a dead mobsters head, and a surprise guest who's been described as downright nuts, and you get a recipe for insanity as we kick off the last arc before Goblin Nation!
Next time: The Coming Storm Part 1: Head Hunt