Episode 4: The Tail of the Scorpion Part 3

Daily Bugle

Jonah backs up in horror as the Scorpion walks from the window towards him.

Jonah: Gargan.. What do you want from me? W-Why are you in my office?

Scorpion: Can't you see? You're the only one who knows who I am.. Once I get rid of you once and for all, I will be free and I can do whatever I want! Now stay there with that face.

Jonah: Please.. S-Stay away… I can pay you whatever you want.. Please don't hurt me!

Nearby, Spider-Man starts to regain consciousness as he starts to get up with his costume becoming more tattered than before. He puts his hand on the wall as he tries to regain his footing.

Spider-Man: Whew… thank god for my Spider-Strength… whams that hard would have killed someone not so super like me… But no matter.. I need to find him and stop him… I have a new plan and-

Spider-Man lifts his head as he hears familiar screams of help.. And then insane laughter… The voices were from Jameson.. And the other was Scorpion.

Spider-Man: He's.. going after Jonah? If he kills my own boss, sure, they can finally stop slandering me.. But Peter Parker would lose his job and Aunt May would be in deep trouble once more… I can't believe I'm saying this.. But I need to save Jolly Jonah…

Spider-Man aims his hands and shoots his webline at a building as he tries to swing towards the Daily Bugle building despite the aches throughout his body. Meanwhile, Scorpion raises his tail, ready to impale Jonah with a grin.

Scorpion: Sorry Jameson, Your time is running out!

Scorpion laughs as right as he was prepared to thrust his stinger, Spider-Man crashes through the window and punches Scorpion in the face.

Spider-Man: Hey Scorpy! Before you go after Picklepuss here, finish off loose ends first!

Scorpion stumbles, but regains his footing.

Scorpion and Jonah: Spider-Man?!

Scorpion roars in anger as he swings his fist and tail at the desk. Spider-Man jumps onto a wall as Scorpion shattered the desk.

Scorpion: You should have gone home and licked your wounds, Bug Boy!

Spider-Man: Funny, I was thinking the same thing for you. Small world huh?

Spider-Man dodges Scorpion's tail swipes as he bounces off the walls and then kicks Scorpion through the office door into the city room where Betty, Ben Urich, and Robbie watched in shock as the two costumed combatants duke it out.

Spider-Man: You all! Call the cops! Get out of the way!

Spider-Man flips out of the way of the tail as some of the Bugle employees did evacuate, but some hid, including Betty, and took out their phones as they filmed Spider-Man and Scorpion fighting.

Spider-Man: Scorpion, Let's play a little game. Who would win? Your strength or my speed.

Scorpion: Oh we'll see.. One strike can prove it!

Spider-Man ducked and then aimed up and shot some webbing over Scorpion's eyes. Scorpion grabs onto the stuff over his eyes.

Scorpion: You idiotic kid! When won't you realize your webs can't stop me?!

Spider-Man: Oh, I know… But it will keep you busy right after I make sure your shoes look even more stunning!

Spider-Man rolls back and shoots rapid fire webbing to Scorpion's legs, ensnaring him to the floor. He then jumps over Scorpion and grabs Scorpion's tail.

Spider-Man: Hey, can I give you some fashion advice?

Spider-Man summons his Spider-Strength and pulls out the tail, disabling it and the suit itself as he throws the tail aside.

Spider-Man: Tails were so yesterday!

Scorpion turns at this opportunity and grabs Spider-Man by the shirt, ready to whack him.

Scorpion: I don't need my tail to destroy yo- AGH!

Spider-Man uppercutted Scorpion and knees him in the stomach. Spider-Man's Spider-Sense tingles as he leans back to dodge a punch from Scorpion.

Spider-Man: a swing and a miss, Scorpy! I have a plan this time! Instead of just slugging it out with your dumb butt, I prefer to move and dodge. Then, in each moment that there's an opening, I do THIS!

Spider-Man hit him in the jaw.

Spider-Man: You may be stronger than me… Faster than me… But that isn't useful when you're just standing still!

Spider-Man jumps and kicks him hard in the face as Scorpion finally goes down. Spider-Man lifts up his mask to show his mouth as he spits and regains his breath as he looks around, seeing the people watching in the distance and the damage caused by their battle.

Spider-Man: Ok, Maybe I should have kept this clean… I'm going to be blamed for this…

Spider-Man pulls down his mask as he walks back to the window he entered in past a surprised Jonah.

Spider-Man: He's all yours, Jolly Pants. You better hope the police come fast to take him.

Spider-Man aims his wrist and fires a webline and swings off. Jonah looks around and the unconscious Scorpion as he sighs in relief.

Jonah: Phew.. No one knows for now… Funny.. the one man I wanted destroyed saved my life from my own creation…

Nearby, Spider-Man lands in an alleyway as he pulls off his mask. He grabs his backpack as he feels his beat up face and sees his tattered mask and costume and groans.

Peter: Damn it… I'm wounded.. What excuse do I have to make towards Aunt May… Gwen… Harry.. All the kids at school… I need to figure one out fast.

Peter changes out of his damaged costume and puts on his clothes, but he ruffles them up just so he can give the appearance of an average brawl. When he put on his backpack and stepped out of the alleyway, his eyes widened as he saw Flash and his band of highschoolers approaching.

Peter: Crap… of course Flash and his band of morons come all at once.. Here we go…

Flash: Aww, looks guys, Mister King of the Nerds is here with an itty bitty bruise? Didn't expect some timid idiot would actually want to fight you.

Flash and his goons laugh as they surround Peter.

Flash: What happened huh? Did an old store owner whack you with a cane because you took an apple without paying?

Peter growls as he grabs Flash by the shirt.

Peter: I had it Eugene! I can't withstand your jokes anymore! Now, I'm going to show how capable I a-

Peter's eyes widened as he remembered that Flash isn't a superhuman. He could kill him with his Spider-Strength if he lost control. Peter lets him go and backs off as Flash and his gang laugh.

Flash: No way Parker! I ain't fighting you while you're hurt just so you can have some excuse. When I do fight, I don't want to show regret to you.

Peter just watches as Flash and his crew walk away having joy in messing with him as Peter sighs and walks off the other way.

Peter: I'll let him laugh for now. He is lucky I hesitated… I was going to lose myself.. I could have killed him.

Parker Household, Later

Peter walks into the house as Aunt May was making dinner. When Aunt May turned to greet him, she was shocked at Peter's current condition.

Aunt May: Peter Benjamin Parker! What happened to you?!

Peter tries to think of an excuse fast.

Peter: You see Aunt May.. It's not too bad, I was walking home and accidentally ran into a.. street pole and the corner of a building. That's all.

Peter: God… I hate lying to my own aunt.. But I have to… Something bad might happen if she learned that her own nephew is out there, fighting supervillains…

Aunt May grabs Peter and sits him down at the dinner table as he she heads to the bathroom and comes back down with a medkit as he takes out some medical alcohol and dab it on a cloth as she rubs it on the bruise and such.

Aunt May: Now please stay still so I can clean up those wounds… I wish you still wore those glasses you used to wear just so you won't hurt yourself again. You forget how fragile you are.

Peter sighs and closes his eyes.

Peter: If only she was a bit younger and that her heart can take it.. Then I could tell her I'm Spider-Man.. But, It's too risky now…

After Aunt May was done and she bandaged up the wounds, she went off to finish dinner as Peter heads up to his room as he takes his costume out of his backpack as he takes out a sewing kit he bought with the thread that matches each costume section as he tries to repair it.

Peter: How strange that I never did manage to figure out who that Gargan guy was and what he wants with Jonah.. But that's a story for another day… for now, the pain that is repairing this thing is what matters more.

Daily Bugle, Meanwhile

Jonah sat at his surviving chair as he thought about this whole day's events as he's deep in thought.

Jonah: I know now that with that much power and no responsibility will become a menace to society eventually. That punk Spider-Man's no exception. It is my duty to combat him.. Expose everything about him.. Destroy him for good…

Jonah gets up and looks out his destroyed window.

Jonah: And I will, even if it takes the rest of my life.. Someday, Spider-Man.. I will bring you down myself!

Next Time on TASM: The Crime-Master!