Seems like I'm back in business. Whatever was the problem preventing me from uploading new documents has been rectified, so on with the show.
I greatly appreciate the kind words of support from everyone who has reviewed this story. You almost make it worthwhile...:)
The man stopped his work, again, and looked at the little midget disrupting his concentration.
"I thought I told you to sit in the corner." he snapped at the teen genius, who seemed to always be underfoot. What was this twerp's name? Gazmo. Ghismo, Giz-something. Who cared?
The doors slid open and two men walked into the workshop. One was over seven feet tall, and massive was not the word to describe him. One impetous wall-crawler would have said that this man had his own orbit, but hopefully such verbal jabs would be silenced by the end of this endeavor. The second man was smaller, and thin, wearing a white and red robe.
The giant spoke. "Alistair, how goes the preparation of the prototype unit?"
"It will be operational within the hour, Kingpin. I am making the final tactical adjustments now. The work would go more quickly," he narrowed his eyes and gazed at the technical genius behind HIVE Academy's foremost team. "if I could work without interruptions."
Brother Blood stepped foward. "Gizmo, why are you interfering? The importance of this mission cannot be stressed enough."
Gizmo stood straight. "I'm sorry, Brother Blood, but this is Alistair Smythe! The man who revolutionized tactical data processing! His superconductor designs are the stuff of legend! And this..." Gizmo gestured to the main assembly/analysis area, where the prototype unit was being calibrated. "...this is inspired!"
"It appears you have a fan, Smythe." The Kingpin chuckled. This Gizmo was young, but was highly talented in the fields of robotics and energy weaponry. Nearly as talented as Smythe. He would have to keep an eye on this one. In a few years...when the boy was older, more experienced, there could be a place within the organization for him.
"I am still unsure about this, Kingpin." Brother Blood had concerns. "Yes, the unit is well-armed. Very well-armed. But guns are not everything. Neither is strength. How will this compare to the original?"
"Brother Blood, today's operation is twofold. Spider-Man is the perfect test subject to test the viability of this model against a metahuman opponent. If it performs at least half as well as it has been tested to, mass production could be the next step. Imagine it: disposable soldiers. Ruthless, relentless, cunning. Willing to follow any order. Stronger than any mere mortal. Spider-Man is merely...a guinea pig in the larger scheme of things. At least for now."
"What about your men, these...Sinister Six?' Blood asked.
"They are to be held in reserve, for now. There is much to do, before they enter the game."
Blood grabbed his arm. "This is no game, Kingpin! I lost everything because of Spider-Man! This is my only chance to hold on to my place within this organization! I will not have it compromised because you want to play games and test new toys!"
Blood was quickly grabbed in a choke hold, a ham-sized hand closed tightly around his neck. "You had best watch your tone." Kingpin said calmly. "You lost your standing due to your own incompetence. Spider-Man made a fool out of you, and you suffered for it. Rightfully so. I asked for you because you and your young associates can be of some value to me in the completion of my goals. If I was mistaken in that assumption, I will correct it."
The Kingpin slowly released his hold, seeing that brother Blood had conceded. He really had no choice in the matter. The matter of executing Blood for his failure had seriously been considered behind closed doors. It was only due to Kingpin's request to use the man that Blood still drew breath. Revenge was a fickle motivator. it could push you one moment, blind you the next. He would do good to remind Brother Blood of his obligations, from time to time.
"Inform me when the unit is ready." Kingpin told Smythe. "One other thing. Is the specialized armor ready for it?"
Smythe smiled. "Oh yes. Installing it will be a simple matter, after this. I can only imagine what will happen when they do battle."
"Is the communications package installed?"
"Yes. It will broadcast all telemetry to this location."
"Good. Whatever the outcome, I wish to record this."
The doors slid shut as the Kingpin and Brother Blood walked out. Alistair Smythe looked at Gizmo, who looked as if he would burst into another bout of babbling and asinine hero-worship. "Not another word out of you, or out you go." He then turned back to his work. By noon, the unit would be ready and operational.
Then the fireworks could begin.
After the haze cleared, our young hero could think again. The pressure seemed to be gone. What had happened? All he remembered was a drilling, a hammering. Someone had been trying to get inside his head, and keeping them out felt like torture. How had he done that anyway?
Peter quickly sat up, which was a bad idea. Quick movements brought about a sharp headache that felt like glass breaking in his skull. Okay, Parker. You are not where you should he. I never remembered the ground being this soft. Or red. Or a kitchen in the corner.
Where am I anyway?
An all too chipper voice rang iun his ears, and he was quickly embraced in a bear hug. "All is well! Friends! The Spider Man is awake!"
He barely managed to speak. "It's just Spider-Man. You seem happy...Starfire, wasn't it?"
This chick seemed to be all sunshine. "Oh yes. I am Starfire. After you collapsed, we took you to our home." she stood up, her arms in a grandiose gesture. "Welcome to Titans Tower!"
Spidey rubbed his head, trying to get himself straight. "Thank you for your hospitality." Cyborg, Robin, and Beast Boy entered his field of vision.
"Good to see you once more among the living, man." Cyborg extended a hand, and Peter took it, getting to his feet. "Raven really did a number on you."
"Feels like I hit a brick wall at mach five."
"A psychic probe will do that to you." Robin said.
"Is that what it was? Felt more like a psychic meltdown."
"I don't know why Raven acted that way." Beast Boy said. "She's never tried anything like that before. She said she couldn't scan you."
"Huh." Spidey scratched his neck. "I don't know about that. But then again, I haven't come up against too many psychics in my career."
Cyborg went over to a console linked up to the main computer screen. He tapped a few keys, and a newspaper article came up. It was dated from two years ago. it was an online article from a New York based paper, the Daily Bugule. MASKED MENACE TERRORIZES CITY was highlighted in bold letters, and right below was a picture of Spider-Man, larger than life and in living color. He was scaling the sheer face of a skyscraper, several dozen stories off street level. The light level, the angle...it was a classic shot of our scrappy hero at work.
Spidey chuckled. "Those were the days. I had just gotten my powers. I was so afraid that they were going to cut out on me at any minute, and I'd become street pizza."
"Quite a resume you have." Robin said. "We found over two hundred articles in this paper about you. The other city papers cover you to a lesser extent. The Daily Bugle seems...fixated on you."
"That's Jameson for you. He may hate my guts, but I do sell papers."
"Who is this 'Jameson'?" Starfire asked. "You appear to be a great hero. Talented, strong. Who is he to spread such slander about you?!" She actually sounded angry.
"Hey, cool down a little. It's not a problem. You ever heard the expression 'sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me?' That's my philosophy. J. Jonah Jameson...the guy's an asshole. But he's my asshole, and he needs me."
"On my world, I would be well within my rights to challenge this man to a rite of combat, for his words. Who is he, to speak out against you?"
Spider-Man sat back on the couch. "A little intense, princess. And half the reason I tolerate Jameson is because he pays my bills. He pays quite well for pictures of Spider-Man, and I always need the money."
"You mean to tell me that you're running a game on this fool?" Cyborg asked. "Selling him pictures of yourself when Spider-Man is right under his nose? Sweet." he grinned.
"It does seem like poetic justice." Star conceded.
"I'm glad I have your seal of approval." Spidey said. "What time is it anyway?"
"It's after 11, man." Beast Boy said.
"In the morning? I really have to get going back to my hotel. I could use a shower, and some sleep. Springing you was an all-night affair."
Robin took Spider-Man aside for a moment. "Listen, we've been talking, and we were wondering if you'd like to bunk with us, for as long as you're here. We have the room, and it's free of charge. We could always use a helping hand, and you did pull us out of the fire. We owe you."
"Well I'm never one to turn down something free. You've got room for me, I'm in. I have a couple of weeks to kill, and you guys seem like fun. I'll just have to make a run and get my stuff and check out of my hotel. I better do that quick. After 12 noon, they charge for an extra day."
"Great. We'll get a place ready for you." Robin looked at Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg, who seemed to be waiting for something. "He said yes, guys."
Star gave a squeal of delight, while Beast Boy and Cyborg clapped each other on the back.
"I should be going." Spidey said. "I'll be back in about an hour."
One other thing." Robin said. "About Raven. What happened earlier, that was really something. We've all known Raven a long time, but she's never apologized to anyone. We've also never met anyone who gets her up and on fire so easily. I think it would be good for her."
"How do I know she won't play mamba with my membranes again? She seems kind of disagreeable."
"We all know that. But I want you to understand. She has never apologized to anyone, for anything. The fact that she did, for you, we all think that's worth exploring. That's half the reason we want you around."
"Ah, you want me to wake the fair maiden. No offense, but she seems kind of an ice princess."
"Come on. You and I know that's both an act. If you're not up to the challenge, I understand..."
"Hey. You didn't hear me say no, did you? I'm in. I like a challenge. But if she lobotomizes me, it's your fault."
"Agreed."
A launch door opened, revealing a beatuiful ocean view. This facility, one of the Brotherhood of Evil's tertiary bases, was several miles down the coastline from Jump City. It was well hidden, built into a cliffside. The Sinister Six were here, training and sparring. None of them had worked together before this operation, although they all had dealings with the Kingpin and Spider-Man. Kingpin had outlined to them the necessity of training together, becoming a single unit. Spider-Man was a master at divide and conquer strategies, turning those who were against him against each other. The Kingpin had to combat that. The commission that they would be paid for this was specified to be distributed equally, as to discourage greed. Spider-Man had in the past defeated squads hired to eliminate him by playing on their love of money, and their suspicion of one another. It would not happen again.
A large single-bore missile launcher was set up, and a missile was loaded. It was hollow, with a compartment large enough for a man to stand in. Smythe entered the launch bay, hovering in his anti-grav chair. The Kingpin had gifted him with it after he had entered into his service. It was extremely versatile, a far cry from a wheelchair.
Gizmo quickly came after, followed by the prototype unit. The Six were also there, as was Brother Blood and the other two he had requested, a girl named Jinx and a behemoth named Mammoth. Kingpin noticed that Jinx seemed very interested in Scorpion. She kept passing him looks, something Scorpion scowled at. Jinx was at least five years too young for his tastes. Vulture kept laughing at his discomfort, and the term 'cradle robber' was used more than once.
Kingpin cleared his throat, and all noise ceased. Smythe pulled out a portable control unit and tapped several keys. The prototype stepped foward and assumed a standing position inside the missile. The compartment closed and sealed.
A dry chuckle came from the man leaning against the far wall. "Something amusing, my good Doctor?" the Kingpin inquired.
Four tendrils hissed and snapped in the air around the good Doctor. Their heads were constantly changing shapr and form. One moment, one was an electron stunner, the next it was a plasma thrower, then a minigun. The nanotechnological upgrades installed made Doctor Octopus even more of a force to be reckoned with.
"I disapprove of this, Kingpin." he said, in his distinct Austrian accent. "Your toy, no matter how advanced, will not measure up to the original. He will defeat it."
"We will see, Doctor. This is only the beginning, you forget that. This is a feint, a probing action. You will all have your pound of flesh soon enough."
Doctor Octopus was nonresponsive. Kingpin turned to Smythe. "Fire."
A thrumming sound, followed by a loud BOOM and a wave of pressure filled the small hangar. The missile had been launched. It would touch down near the Downtown area, on top of the Hierlark Building, the largest skyscraper in the city. The primary and secondary targets would undoubtedly be drawn towards it. If not, the unit would activate and actively pursue them.
Everyone assembled left the bay, quickly emptying it. They all gravitated towards the main control hub. The linkup would be established in a matter of moments, and no one wanted to miss the show.
The Kingpin lingered for a moment, watching the missile's exaust trail. It would touch down shortly.
"From hell's heart, I stab at thee. For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee."
Everyone turned around to see raven quetly entering the common area of Titans Tower. She had been in her room meditating for nearly ten hours, her door locked by her dark energy. It seemed to be a good sign that she had come out again.
"Have you regained your peace, friend Raven?" Star inquired.
Raven opened the fridge and took out some milk, pouring it in a cup. She drank slowly and deeply, trying to find her center. It seemed to be eluding her. They really had no idea how heinous it truly was, what she had done to him. On Azerath, so long ago and far away, one of the highest laws had been never to use one's psychic gifts to break into someone's mind, which was precisely what she had attempted to do. She had put a significant amount of effort behind her probe, and gained nothing. If she had aqquired some knowledge out of the whole exchange, she could at least take some consolation in that she learned whatever truth he had hidden. But she had not. She had caused pain to another being for no purpose. It was because of this that she was off balance, and was ill at ease.
"No, I have not, Starfire. None of you truly understand what I did, or tried to do. I hurt him, for nothing."
Robin approached. "Look, Raven. It's alright. I think you'll have plenty of time to try and make it up to him. We asked Spider-Man to bunk with us for his stay in Jump City."
"You did what?!" Black energy surged, and the large bay windows cracked, as did many of the glasses in the cabinets. "Why was I not informed about this?"
"If you had opened your door and answered when we called, we would have told you. As you didn't, we came to a unanimous decision without you."
"That doesn't matter. I don't want him here."
"Why?"
"I get...nothing from him, except white noise. Trying to break into his mind was even worse, and it was a mistake."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm an empath. I pick up emotional signatures and I can interpret them, among other things. I can't pick up anything from him. His mind is too different. I don't like it."
"What do you mean his mind is too different? We all spoke to him. His mind seems fine to us."
"You know what? Do what you will. But he is your guest, not mine. I refuse to deal with him."
"You're being kind of hard about this, Raven." Cyborg said.
Before Raven could speak, a silvery streak of movement sped past the Tower, heading towards the city at high speeds, trailing exaust. The sonic boom of the missile's passing shattered the windows, completing the job Raven started.
"Titans, GO!" Robin barked, all five of them mobilizing, all personal issues stowed for the moment.
Spin. Webline. Grab that flagpole and backflip. Traveling high above the city streets were more than second nature to Spider-Man. Although the means by which he was webswinging were artificial, specialized webshooters he had designed, in very short order he had felt beyond natural using them.
Why was Raven unable to scan him? He thought about that, and really couldn't come up with an answer. He had no training in resisting psychic probes. In all fairness, he had no training in how to use his powers at all. He had adapted and made it up as he went along. The fact that he was so good was a surprise, especially to him.
It had been a little over two years ago when he gained his powers, at a scientific demonstration at Empire State University. He had been there for a class trip. The 'Art of Neogenics'. A new science, less than ten years old, officially. The means by which stable control over genetic structures could be achieved, and manipulated. This in conjunction with the Human Genome Project meant the sky was the limit in regards to understanding the hidden potential of human DNA. But Peter had heard about other things, over his tenure as Spider-Man. It was an undersgound legend that Project: Rebirth, the creation of Captain America during World War Two, was a primitive variant of the Neogenics sciences. The fact that it had been successful was something, considering how much was not understood at the time, and the risks they took.
The biggest spider he had ever seen had bitten him at the demonstration, expiring seconds after. For several days afterwards, he had missed school, running a fever. Aunt May and Uncle Ben had really been worried. For some reason, it seemed important that he tell no one about the spider. No one had noticed that puny Parker had been bitten, so he had surrepticiously taken the spider's body home with him. On the third day, he had woken up, and was literally a new man. Everything felt clear and in focus. Thought and action seemed like one. Strength, speed, he no longer needed glasses!
But how had this happened? Not that he was complaining, but he had a right to know. He had a relatively high-powered microscope, a generation or two behind current specs hooked up to his computer. An analysis of the spider had revealed that it was a genetic hybrid. Genetic characteristics from over seventy species were present. But the spider's genetic structure was not up to the task of stabilizing all of these characteristics. Undoubtedly Neogenics was involved. This spider had been some sort of test subject for genetic manipulation.
After this readers, you all know the struggles of Peter Parker, the transformation from Peter Parker to Spider-Man, the loss of his Uncle Ben due to inaction, Peter's vow to use his powers responsibly. But let's explore something for a moment. Beyond the obvious changes on Peter, from man to a web-swinging superman, something else had been changing. So slowly, Parker was barely aware of it. He had some suspicions, but nothing concrete. His mind...was changing. As said before, the day Peter gained his powers, he had noticed that everything felt sharper. Thought and acion felt as one. That is an understatement. In humans, instinct as been in competition with logic, reason, since the beginning. As creatures who can exist beyond base instinct, we are different from every other lifeform on this planet, as are all sentient beings, be they human or extraterrestrial.
But with Spider-Man, the line between instinct and reason, cold logic has been blurring. Unbeknownst to him, or literally everyone else, he is still changing. Mentally, he is still evolving. Let's take for example Robin. Years of intense training have made him a human weapon. His intincts have been sharpened, and are an invaluable tool to him in battle, and in investigative work. But he is still only human. There is a limit between reason and instince that cannot be breached. It's just a fact. With Spidey, our hero is becoming. Not quite human, not quite spider. Let us say that he is as much a man in wolf's clothing as he is a wolf in man's clothing.
What that ultimately means...only time will tell.
The missile had touched down on top of the Hierlark building, the tallest building in the city. On the roof there was a large communications dish that cast a large shadow of the rooftop. The missile was imbedded nose first in the roof. Robin noticed that a compartment was open in the side, and that it was empty. So it wasn't a bomb. It had been carrying something. That was even more troubling.
The Titans had been teleported from an adjacent builting to the rooftop by Raven. They quickly spread out, looking for any signs of trouble. A glint of light flashed from a circle built into the casing of the missile. It glowed, and a holographic signal appeared in front of them. It was of a man, quite enourmous, but radiating power and command. He wore a large wgite suit jacket and black pants. He carried a diamond tipped cane. His eyes seemed to sparkle with amusement.
"The Teen Titans." his voice sounded smooth as butter, designed to find a chink in the armor. "Your repuation precedes you."
"And you are?"
"You may call me the Kingpin."
"I recognize you. You're Wilson Fisk. You're the second person we've met who's visiting from New York City."
"You must be Robin. I have been briefed of your...uncanny investigative skills. Trained by the Batman himself. Very good. You know who I am. That makes no difference. I am currently beyond your reach."
"Is Spider-Man beyond your reach?"
"Very soon, he will be beyond anyone's reach."
"We'll see."
"Ah. Here he comes now. We can begin."
Spidey diverted course when he saw the missile speeding toward the Downtown area. It crashed on top of the city's largest building, the Hierlark Building. He landed on a building several blocks away and dropped his bag. He dug through it and pulled out several spare web fluid clips. He then stowed them in his belt, and webbed the bag to a corner of the roof. He then shot a strand of webbing at a tall pipe, and another at the support for a water tower. He then pulled back, until he was leaning over the lip of the roof at the far end. The tension was great. Letting go, he shot fowards like a cannon, clearing four city blocks in less than five seconds. A web line attached to the side of the Hierlark, a sharp pull, and he was speeding up to the top. He flipped and landed on his feet, in front of the Titans and the holographic figure.
Spidey straightened up and looked at the figure.
"It's been a while, Slick Willie."
"Ah, Spider-Man. I have missed that acerbic wit."
"What are you doing here? I took a vacation to get away from my problems, and you're one of them."
"The same could be said for you, my friend. But I have come up with a solution. Very soon, you shall trouble me no more."
"That's what they all say. Less talk, more action."
"You shall have more action than you can handle, I think."
Peter tensed. His spider sense was on full blast. To his right. A figure stepped out of the dark shadow of the communications tower. He was fairly tall, and looked thin. But who could tell? He was wearing some kind of stealth cloak, all grays.
"Around here, it's polite to show your face." Spidey snapped. He was geting some bad vibes.
With a sharp movement, the cloak was snatched off and thrown away. The newcomer stood for all to see.
The Titans stepped back a moment, in surprise. And Spidey raised an eyebrow under his mask.
"Well. This is new."
The figure was fairly tall, about 5'9, 5'10. The same height as Spider-Man. In fact, the figure was the spitting image of Spider-Man, except for the colors. Where Spidey's suit would be red, it was a cold silver, with Spidey's web motif etched into the metal, as was the spider on his chest. where Spidey's costume would have been blue, a black, slightly shiny material was present. Robin identified it as flexible meshed-weave body armor.
Spidey wiggled his hand. The double copied him. He stood on one foot. The double followed.
Fisk smiled. "I call it the Spider-Slayer. It is the first of many. Today is this unit's test run against the original."
"A robot, Fisk? I'm touched. I'm the guinea pig in this? We'll see about that. I'll smash this Terminator wannabe into the ground."
"This is not just a robot. It has been built to be your superior-" Fisk was cut off as the Titans leapt to attack this thing. They barely got five feet before the Slayer's left arm came up and a panel opened. Peter's spider sense flared. "STOP!" he yelled. A mini plasma cannon fired, stitching a line across the roof, stopping the Titans in their tracks.
"Stay back." Spidey said. "A test, Willie? Okay. But you'll fail. That's for sure." With that, he leapt off the rooftop, the Spider-Slayer in hot pursuit.