Disclaimer: I still don't own the rights to Spider-Man. I know you're reading. I know you're watching. I can see you. If you don't stop that, you're gonna go blind.
Chapter IX
The Writing On The Wall
Jean DeWolff was used to seeing dead bodies. It came with the job. But the corpses were usually still in one piece. Jean was taken very much aback at seeing the mutilated remains of the orderlies as she investigated Ravencroft that afternoon. She was tough enough to stomach the scene, which was more she could for a couple of officers under her command. Coming up from another part of the crime was Stan Carter. He had a clipboard in his hands and a slightly pale completion on his face.
"I assume that's a body count on that clipboard." Jean exclaimed.
Stan took a deep breath, which was understandable consider the things he'd seen. "It's more like a body part count. I think some limbs are missing, and maybe an organ or two."
"Just give me the casualty rundown, Carter." Jean quickly interrupted.
"Uh, right," Stan fumbled on his words. "So far, we've counted nine victims; six orderlies and guards and three patients."
"No survivors?" Jean asked.
"Only one patient survivor, Sandra Deel, but she's in pretty serious condition," Stan said. "There's something else; the asylum has two patients unaccounted for: Eddie Brock and…"
Stan stalled on his report, prompting Jean to ask, "And who, Carter? Don't hold out on me."
"Kasady."
That was the last thing Jean wanted to hear. "Cripes, more good news," Jean said out of pure sarcasm. Then she was caught off guard by a sudden camera flash. It was Ben Reilly again. "Reilly, you little punk; get out of here."
"C'mon, captain," Ben pleaded. "The people deserve to know what happened in here."
Jean swiftly snagged the camera out of Ben hands. "Not on my watch, kid. Would you like to know what happened to the last guy who stuck his nose into everything?"
"Ned Leeds," Ben interrupted. "I know how he was murdered by the Hobgoblin. I did my homework."
"Then you ought to be able to learn from the past, or you'll wind up just like Leeds. Got it," Jean gave Ben no further thought and turned back to Stan. "Is there anything else of interest, Carter?"
"Yeah, there's something else," Stan continued. "I think you'll want to see this for yourself."
Stan led Jean to another area of the asylum. Ben followed close behind. Walking through the hall it troubled Jean to see the various mutilated bodies of orderlies and inmates alike. It was like something out of a Stephen King novel. Just more grotesque. The sight made Ben almost sick to his stomach, and he wasn't normally squeamish around blood. Stan led the pair into a room, asking them if they were at all ready to see what was inside. Jean nodded and entered the room, with Ben following. There were no bodies inside. Instead there was writing on the stone wall. Jean slid a finger across the writing and realized it was blood. Ben's jaw was agape at the sight. Jean took a few steps back took get a full view of the writing; it simply read: CARNAGE RULES!
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Later in the evening, the ominous figure of Venom swing across the skyline toward the Parker residence. He had a major score to settle with Spider-Man. Landing atop a building opposite the Parker residence, Venom stealthily climbed down the side and went still. He gazed into a window of the apartment and found Peter and Mary Jane enjoying a quiet evening together. How quaint! The symbiote receded and exposed Eddie's face to the frigid weather. The sight of Peter enjoying such moments, disgusted Eddie. He believed Peter had taken everything from him and was now living the life that belonged to Eddie Brock. Eddie wanted to lunge right into the apartment and tear his rival in half. So why was he hesitating? Eddie should've made his move right then and there. Peter deserved it. Didn't he? Eddie thought about it and was quickly brought out of his trance by a phone ringing inside the apartment.
Inside, Mary Jane answered the phone. "Hello, Parker residence," A momentary pause followed before MJ turned to Peter. "Peter; it's Capt. DeWolff. She wants to talk to you."
Peter was reluctant to speak to Jean after she'd deduced his secret identity. He answered anyway. "Capt. DeWolff; what can I do for you?"
On the other end of the line, Jean answered, "We've got problems, Parker. I need you… I need Spider-Man to meet me on the roof of the police department."
"What kind of problems?" Peter asked.
"Just get down here, Parker," Jean spat. "I won't ask again." Jean hung up and left Peter in astonishment.
Mary Jane was confused as well and asked, "What's going on, Peter?"
"I'm not sure," Peter said, reaching into the closet and removing his costume. "DeWolff was being pretty tight lipped about it."
"That's pretty unusual." MJ commented.
"Yeah, and it's making me pretty uneasy," Peter said as he pulled on his costume. "As if it wasn't awkward enough when she found out me identity."
Mary Jane sighed, "Here I was, thinking we could finally put the secrets behind us."
Peter sighed and sat down next his wife. "Hey, don't worry about it. It's probably just a false alarm."
"But what if it isn't," MJ asked. "I'm not sure I can take more chaos. And what about the dreams you've been having lately?"
"MJ, they're just dreams," Peter said in reassurance. "Dreams pass, but I understand your concern."
"I'm concerned about lot of things, Peter." MJ said.
Peter nodded and gently touch Mary Jane's chin. "Don't worry about it."
Peter stood up and walked toward the window, opening it. After pulling his mask on, Peter said, "I'll see you soon, honey."
MJ quickly stood up and said, "Peter, wait. I have to tell you something."
Peter impulsively said, "Don't worry, I'll be back soon and then we'll talk."
Without a second though, Peter shot out a web line and vanished into the night. Mary Jane moved to the window to hopefully get a brief glimpse. Peter was so impulsive sometimes. Mary Jane covered herself with a blanket to keep warm from the frigid weather. Mary Jane looked out briefly across to the opposite building where there was nothing. She was generally unaware that Venom had been there earlier, but he was gone now. Leaning her head against the windowsill, Mary Jane remained deeply worried for Peter. She sighed and held her free hand against her stomach. She'd have to tell Peter sooner or later. It was just a question of how Peter would react to the news; Mary Jane was pregnant.
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Jean paced back and forth around the room of the police department. She gazed at her wristwatch. Thirty five minutes! What the bloody hell was keeping Spider-Man? Did he web swing into heavy traffic? Jean would've thought that after deducing his dirt little secret, Spider-Man would at least have the decency to show up on time. Shaking her head, Jean paced for about a few more minutes before finally deciding to return indoors. It was pretty cold, even though it was the early days of March. Then Spider-Man appeared out of thin air and startled Jean to the core.
"Cripes, you nearly gave me a damn heart attack."
"Sorry," Spider-Man said. "Old habits die hard. What did you need see me about?"
Jean took a quick breath. "I'll cut right to the chase; there was a breakout at Ravencroft last night; a number of orderlies, guards and a couple of patients were massacred. I'm doing everything I can to keep the story suppressed , but it's bound to break sooner or later."
"Something tells me that's not the worst of it," Spider-Man quipped. "And for once, I don't need my spider-sense to tell me that."
"That's a pretty good way of putting things," Jean said. "Your old buddy, Eddie Brock, he was one of the escapees. Cletus Kasady was the other one."
"If Brock got out, that means the symbiote found him," Spider-Man mused. "I have to track him down, of course I'm not thrilled about it."
"What about Kasady?" Jean asked.
"One man or an alien lunatic; Kasady can wait."
"You do what you have to do, and I'll do what I have to," Jean said. "Just one thing: if you feel the need to go after Kasady, you should try searching at St Estes Orphanage. He has a habit of hanging out there before going on a murder spree; some kind of religious thing."
Spider-Man nodded and told Jean, "My primary concern is Venom, but I'll look into it when I get a chance."
Jean nodded and before Spider-Man could leave, she called out, "Peter," Spider-Man turned, knowing it was the first time the captain of the NYPD had addressed him by his real name. With a slight nod, Jean said, "Good luck!"
"Thanks, Jean!" Spider-Man said before shooting a web line and vanishing into the night.
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It must've been an odd twist of fate that Spider-Man happened across St. Estes Orphanage. He came to rest on a building ledge opposite the orphanage. The place was a mess. Actually, Spider-Man did recall reading an article about it. Apparently, it was Cletus Kasady who burned half of the orphanage to the ground, killing the head administrator and several orphans. Kasady even pushed a girl in front of an oncoming bus at one point. Kasady was only 15 at the time, so he must've been a seriously sadistic pup. Spider-Man swung into the burned out portion of the building, crawling further into the darkness. He noticed light from a dim lit area and crawled to it. That was where Spider-Man found Cletus Kasady, sitting in front a pyre. Weird! Spider-Man very silently crawled down to the flimsy floor on which Kasady sat until he landed right behind him.
"Hey Kasady! Long time no see!"
Kasady slowly turned his head toward Spider-Man and grinned wide. "I hoped I'd run into you again, Spider-Man."
"You're going back to Ravencroft." Spider-Man declared.
Kasady's grinned widened and he stood up, no taller than the web slinger. "Who's gonna make me?"
Spider-Man didn't dare take the time to answer and grasped Kasady's arm. Kasady never stopped grinning. Out of nowhere, Kasady quickly and violently backhanded Spider-Man clear across the run down area. Spider-Man went crashing into an old kitchen stove. The fall hurt like hell, as if Spider-Man was thrown out of a moving vehicle. Spider-Man started to pick himself up and wondered how Kasady was able to waylay him like he did. Where was Kasady? Spider-Man wondered this as he leapt up and clung to a wall. Kasady must've slipped out of sight after knocking the hero around. As Spider-Man scanned the surrounding area, he was unaware of a series of red and black tendrils creeping their way behind him. Then the wall exploded behind Spider-Man and threw him to the floor again. Cletus Kasady landed in front of the web slinger, and Spider-Man was shocked upon seeing the monstrosity he'd become.
"What do you think of me now, Spider-Man?" Kasady snarled in a dual tone.
"Kasady?! There's another symbiote," Spider-Man yelled. "That's impossible!"
The symbiote opened it maw and revealed Kasady's face. Kasady broke into a psychotic cackling and declared, "Kasady? Not anymore; you can call me..." Kasady's face disappeared behind the crimson mask of the new monster. "Carnage!"
Without a second thought, Carnage lunged at with breakneck speed. Spider-Man barely jumped out of the way and over Carnage, shooting a pair of web lines. The lines snagged Carnage in the arm, and Carnage easily cut through them. Carnage shot a series of blood darts at Spider-Man, all of which the web slinger barely avoided. Spider-Man swung right at Carnage but had to abort an intended swinging kick when Carnage literally tackled him to the floor. Carnage reared his right arm back and willed it into a scythe. Spider-Man managed to kick Carnage away in time and back flipped out of range. Carnage chased after Spider-Man, wilding swinging the scythe and cackling maniacally. Spider-Man managed to get a free shot and nailed Carnage right in the jaw. Carnage simply smiled, revealing his needle like teeth, before continuing his relentless attack. He willed his left arm into an axe and slashed relentlessly at Spider-Man. Spider-Man had to back off and clung to a wall.
"Your big brother couldn't pull off those tricks." he quipped.
"That old pile of ooze ain't got nothing on me." Carnage snarled.
Carnage reared his right arm back and his claw like fingers extended out like lances. Spider-Man jumped away and tried to swing behind his foe. Carnage was on to him and swung his arm wildly. Spider-Man ducked and tried to strike but Carnage slashing at him, not giving Spider-Man a single chance to strike. Venom was never this relentless. This vicious! Carnage hardly gave Spider-Man any sort of breathing room. Spider-Man finally found what he hoped was an opening and threw a straight punch. Instead, Carnage caught the arm and swung Spider-Man in a 360, throwing him across the area. Carnage released a series of tendrils after Spider-Man, snagging him in mid air. Laughing madly, Carnage slammed Spider-Man into every available wall, always retaining his grip. One last throw sent Spider-Man flying through a rotted wall. Spider-Man cringed in pain; more pain than he ever endured in all of his past battles. Carnage wasn't even close to finished and dragged Spider-Man to his feet. Carnage punched Spider-Man right in the face, laughing as he did it. Spider-Man was steadily losing consciousness.
"Don't go on me now, Spider-Man," Carnage snarled. "I'm just starting to have fun," Carnage gazed at Spider-Man and realize he was out cold. "Aw, too bad! Guess I'll have to kill you next time. So many zombies to slay and so little time."
Carnage broke into another demented laugh and tossed the unconscious Spider-Man into a far wall. By the time Spider-Man regained consciousness, nearly thirty minutes later, Carnage was gone. Spider-Man pulled himself into a seated position and leaned against the wall he'd hit earlier. He wanted to remove his mask, but it was a safe bet that if Cletus Kasady had a symbiote, that meant an ineffective spider-sense. Spider-Man touched the wall. It felt sticky, and not because of his adhesive powers. He checked his hand; there was blood on it. Spider-Man was very sure that Carnage never lacerated him and stood up to get a look at the wall. The wall was covered with blood; Kasady's blood. Cletus Kasady really was a sick freak. Spider-Man backed away and to his unending horror, noticed the blood spelt out a disgusting message:
CARNAGE RULES!
Author's note: I think it's safe to assume that the web head was very thoroughly thrashed. So, let me know you think, and please don't write stuff on the wall… with your blood. That would be extremely disturbing!