A/N Here we go folks! Another day, another set of chapters. We're getting deeper and deeper into the story now. What will happen? Peter doesn't know it, but his ultimate test is going to be soon...

Chp 21-Recovery

Peter burst through the hospital doors, dragging the covered and unconscious Dr. Connors into the hall.

"Help," he called as a nurse ran over to him.

"What's going on?"

"He's been electrocuted and unconscious for about 10 minutes now."

She placed a stethoscope over his chest and listened to his heart beat. His heart rate was elevated slightly and his breathing erratic. She motioned over a stretcher.

"Quickly, we need to get this man taken care of, stat!"

Two other men helped the beaten Connors onto the stretcher and took him into the back. The nurse motioned for Peter to come over to the desk and fill out paperwork.

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Mary Jane threw on a coat and left the house. As she left, she looked over and saw the old Parker residence, still un owned by anyone. The cold air nipped at her as she stuffed her hands into her pockets. Her warm breath left her mouth in slow intervals as she walked along. She got down one block and heard footsteps behind her. She turned and saw nothing. The sun shown high above and revealed no one behind her. She shrugged.

"I must be losing it," she said softly to herself.

As she turned, she found herself in front of the trench coated figure.

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(Slow Spidey Theme)

Peter sat in the room with Connors, the man still out, his apparatus making low beeping noises signifying he is alive. Peter sat in the chair watching over him. His breathing was slow. Seeing Connors in the hospital bed stirred up a thought within Peter.

"What if this is the future Mary Jane saw for us? Me, broken and beaten in a hospitable bed, or worse? I can't say I blame her. I worry about myself too, but maybe I wasn't thinking about what she wanted out of us," he said to himself quietly.

"Maybe it's because you're too busy watching over fools like me," a groggy Connors said as he began to stir.

Peter looked up and saw the dull eyes of Dr. Connors staring at him.

"How did I get here?"

Peter smiled. "Spider-Man brought you in. Then he called me and told me to come by and let him know how you were."

Connors laid his head back.

"My God Peter, what did I become? And most of all, how did I get back like this?"

"I think it had to do with the explosion at the lab that caused it to happen. Maybe the fact that all the electricity could have caused a chain reaction to make your body recede back to human form."

Connors smiled lightly.

"Ever the intelligent one. Well, I think I'll be fine for now. Peter, you should just go on home. I'll be fine."

Peter stood up.

"Thanks Dr. Connors. I'll see ya around."

"No Peter, thank you," he said smiling.

Peter smiled and left the room.

Chp 22-Ultimatum

Peter knocked on his aunt's apartment. It was the third time knocking.

"Maybe she's asleep," he said to himself.

(Symbiote theme begins to play, gets higher pitch and faster as he opens the door)

He pulled his spare key from the pocket of his jacket and slid it into the door handle. As the door slid open, Peter's eyes went wide. The entire home was destroyed. Aunt May's couch was torn apart, the pictures on the wall destroyed, and claw marks indented upon the walls. Rage quickly filled Peter Parker as he began searching the dilapidated apartment for his aunt. She was nowhere to be seen. Then Peter saw on the wall. Written in blood, was the words "Carnage Rules" with an arrow pointing down. Peter saw a broken picture of his Uncle Ben on the ground. It was a picture of him and Peter in front of their old home. Peter turned it and saw writing on the back. The instructions read "Home Coming!" Peter grit his teeth and set the picture down.

(Symbiote theme begins to play when Carnage's hand goes through the door)

Peter crawled around the roof of his home and slid himself through the window in the top floor he opened. He crept through the abandoned room to the door and pressed his ear to it. Suddenly, a black, red, clawed hand broke through the door, grabbed Peter's collar, pulled him through it, and threw him down the stairs, his body bouncing off the wall. He staggered up and saw Mary Jane, unconscious and hanging by her arms in the living room, tied with tendrils of Carnage's symbiote.

"Mary Jane," he called just as Carnage jumped down and knocked Peter through an adjoining wall.

"So disappointing," the duel voice said, "Here we go through the trouble of setting this up for you and you don't even come in properly dressed?"

Peter jumped at Carnage and nailed him with a punch to the face, followed by a kick that knocked Carnage through a wall and into the kitchen. He then ran to Mary Jane as a piece of the Carnage suit, whipped out at Peter, wrapping around his neck, choking him. He held Peter up with it.

"Now, here's the deal Parker. I'm going to have myself a little fun spree, without your interference. If you so much as look at me from a distance, I will take your beloved Aunt May and slowly slide my razors all the way up her fragile frame right in the middle of Times Square," he said in a dark tone, giggling towards the end.

Peter's eyes were wide with rage and anger. Carnage knew that and kept smiling.

"What? Don't like my proposal so far Parker? Ok, here's your chance at redemption. If you let me have my way, I'll let you have a chance to save your precious Aunt. Meet me at the Empire Stat Building at exactly 9 o clock Pm tonight. Not a minute sooner or your aunt will will be seeing the city from the sky down as she falls, capeesh?"

Peter continued to eye him. Carnage frowned, for the first time. His face receded and revealed Cassidy. He walked over to the unconscious Mary Jane and shook her.

"Wake up sleepy head," he said as he shook her. Mary Jane slowly opened her eyes and looked at him and Peter, getting frightened.

"Ah, enjoy the sight, my darling," Cassidy giggled as the tendril held a fatigued Peter in front of her.

Cassidy then smashed his fist into Peter's gut and then into his face a few times, laughing with every hit. Then his claws enlarged and he made 5 slashes against Peter's face. Mary Jane was begging him to stop. Cassidy laughed.

"What do you think of your hero now, babe," he asked without a hint of humor, "Does he make your heart flutter now?"

Cassidy punched Peter again.

"He's so pathetic. What did you ever see in this nerdy little pansy?"

Mary Jane looked at Peter, then Carnage.

"I love him, that's why," she said as she kicked both of her feet up and hit Carnage square in the jaw.

His tendril dropped Peter and he stepped back. Peter slumped to the ground and rubbed his neck looking up at Carnage. Carnage grinned back and his head reformed. Then his hand formed a blade the length of a switchblade and threw it at Mary Jane. Peter jumped up and took the blade in his right shoulder. Mary Jane screamed as Peter held his shoulder, tugging the blade out of his arm and dropping it to the ground. The blade then slithered back to Carnage, who couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, Parker, remember what I said! I'll not stand for any type of interference! Au Revoir, my bug eating friend!" Carnage laughed and jumped through the wall of the home and outside.

Peter staggered up and helped Mary Jane down. She looked at his injury as he held onto it.

"What are you going to do Peter," she asked inquisitively.

Peter grit his teeth through the pain. "I have to stop him now. No matter what the cost."

He started towards the door. Mary Jane took his hand and turned him around.

"I don't want you to go. I don't want to lose you. Peter, I love you and I', sorry if I came off bad but I feel so strong for you I can't lose you!"

Her eyes formed tears as she held him close. Peter held her. Then he looked into her eyes.

"MJ, I love you so very much too. But this is my gift. My curse. Who am I? I am Spider-Man. And right now, I'm the only one that can stop him. But I need some help. And I need you to stay at your parents home until I get back. I love you Mary Jane."

He kissed her deeply. She kissed back and they held each other close. Then they broke the kiss. Mary Jane just looked at Peter and nodded her head. He smiled and left through the hole Carnage made, heading to where he needed to get help.

A/N Dun Dun Dun! We're coming to a head here! Is everyone as anxious as I am for what remains?!?! Don't forget to vote in my poll!!!! I haven't had any luck yet, but someone needs to for the ending credits! As usual, please read and review! More to come soon!!