Author's note – Hi people. This chapter has been crucial for me. I hope you like it. Suggestions are always welcome and reviews are like sipping lemonade on a hot sweaty summer. They inspire me to write more. SO please keep them coming and if I get anything wrong, please don't hesitate to leave behind a PM or a review. Enjoy J.
And as usual I don't own Spider-man or Agents Of SHIELD.
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Peter made his way to the top floor. This floor's condition was worse than what he had imagined. The entire place was in torn apart, as though a giant has picked up the entire floor and then shook it with everything it had.
Before he had time to analyse his surroundings, his spider sense blared, warning him of an incoming jab. Thanks to his spider sense, dodging it was a piece of cake. He back flipped twice before he landed right on his feet. Spidey crouched on the ground and looked his assaulter.
As he had already expected, there he was, as disgusting as ever. Just as he got ready to take him down, there was a slight rustle among the debris. Spidey turned around to the sound of the rustle and soon there were almost ten of them came up, tripping and falling over each other as if they were high on drugs.
An ambush. A trap.
One look at them and Spidey knew that they were lost.
Some of them had a few chunks of flesh missing. The calf muscles were gone, one even had a piece of wood sticking out from its shoulder. They were moaning, moaning to exhibit their insatiable hunger, a typical zombie.
A zombie apocalypse.
The entire scene reminded him of the zombie movie "28 days later". Those mindless monsters trying to get to you like they were lost. There was no distinction between their iris and cornea. Their eyes were completely milky, the one and the same like mindless zombies murmuring unintelligible words. The only difference he found between them and the zombies were that at least they were not contagious.
So far there has been no outbreak among people, all of them running around, tearing and peeling their skin apart, no such incident had been reported so far and he wished with all his heart for it to stay that way.
His train of thoughts were broken by his spider sense again blaring. This time, he squatted down and he could feel the powerful gust of air move past his head as something swept above his head. Spidey looked around frantically to source the attacker. And this time what he saw, made him sick. His assaulter could be easily be a six feet and a five inch and he held on to a club like a thingy rested on his shoulder. He had a broken nose. Blood trickled from his temple and had paved a thin river along the rotten contours of his face to his already torn shirt, that somehow covered his meek figure. He had one eye missing and the numerous scratches on his face made him unrecognisable. Peter imagined how he actually once looked like. Veins bulged along his long lanky arms that faintly reminded him of tennis players' awesome bulging wrists and biceps. The man gave him a crooked smile as he revealed a set of unclean teeth. The front incisors were missing which made him look somewhat comical.
Judging from his demeanour, he sure looked like the leader of the group.
"Let's see what you are made of made of, you oversized hare – brained nut sack?" and spidey said mimicking the zombies that he had already faced before. Twisting his hand at awkward angles as far he could twist it and forcibly tangling his legs.
Oh my, I could join the drama club, I would surely cook up something great up on the stage. Thought spidey as he tittered a laughter.
Hearing his laughter, he looked at the Peter and he slowly brought his club down slowly which had sometime stuck in between the jagged ends.
Is that a finger?
A bloody finger was stuck in between the end jagged end of the club.
Disgusting. Spidey almost welched at the sight.
The man spoke in a broken rasped British English that was obnoxious.
"We know where you live, and that blonde girl that you regularly hang out with, yeah."
When he heard of the man threatening Gwen, this was it. He snapped out of the comical Parker laugh that he gave. He became serious.
The only thing that really turned him on real bad was dirty speaking and holding people accountable for something even when they are not involved at all. This was besmirching, a disgrace which he hated with a lot. But it got him concerned.
What if he is saying the truth? Then Gwen could be in major trouble. He had to go to her, find her and keep her safe, away from harm.
Seeing Peter not moving anymore the zombie spoke up.
"What is it, you red – blue punching bag? Don't you just stand there? Got you thinking didn't I? I am gonna feast on your flesh till I lick every bone from your body free of your worthless blood."
"Savour the moment, it won't be long till you have any limb left on your socket and good to know that at least you speak." said spidey meaning every word of it
"I have earned the right to obey my master and he has bestowed upon me powers that you could never fathom."
Peter heard him mention about the master stuff and then he remembered what the Kung-Fu-glowy-fist guy, what he had once told him about. The Steel Serpent.
Even the mystical fiery fist was concerned about him.
Their master was the main culprit here now, all he had to do was track him down and see where he would lead him to.
"That is what you all do, like a sheep herd. Take out the main leader and the rest will be alone without a slightest clue." said Peter thinking to get on his nerves.
"Oh really? You think I will let that happen, my people will enjoy letting themselves smeared in your bug blood."
"Spiders are not bugs, you oaf. They are arachnids."
"Well, that won't matter anymore. They are all the same to me, once you are completely disassembled, there won't be any difference. But I wonder if it is the same with pretty ladies, their smooth skin, lady parts and all that, you know what I am saying? But I seriously doubt about the old hag with whom you reside with"
There comes certain situations in life when things get so messed up that the logical part of your mind completely switches off. It could be consider like a circuit board and during these situations, the wiring that represent the composed and collected suddenly tear off or get short circuited, things just go haywire. Just one wire, it takes to tear everything off, like an emotion switch that sees just red and that was exactly what Peter saw.
Peter leaped off the ground and lunged at him, his fingers were all curled up, as though he would tear him apart with his bare hands. He shot a web line at the club which was on his hands and pulled it.
It seemed like the man expected him to do that and he countered him by yanking him back with a much greater force. This destroyed his momentum on air and he fell on the shiny tiled floor that was now covered with grit and dirt.
He was disoriented from the fall, but he immediately scrambled up to his feet.
Shit! He is fast.
And this time he charged at him with the mace moving it around his head and shouting. His voice was a like grinding two rocks together so rough was his voice.
Peter realised that his strength probably matched that of his own and he had to think this through. Brute force won't do him any good.
He had to find a weak spot, a blind spot that could render him vulnerable. He just had to figure what it was.
He was already charging at him when he noticed something. Something which was so minute that he could have missed it if he did not have a keen eyesight.
There was something peeking underneath his torso, it had an amber hue.
This distracted Peter long enough in spite of the continuous blare warning in his head, he didn't get enough time to dodge it. He wanted to try out something. He just hoped that it would work out.
He was too focussed on the amber hue on his chest and his plan, too distracted to take any notice of the incoming charge.
BLAM.
The club landed square on his head and soon impact made him soar across the ground the floor till he hit an already overturned shelve. There was no cushion on his impact. His back bone made contact with a tumbled over, broken shelve.
"Unhh". Spidey could literally see lights dancing in front of his eyes. His vision hazy.
Somehow he got up to his feet and he looked at the man now and everything was so clear to him.
Just before the club struck him spidey had managed to hold his shirt before he took off flying which got ripped. The amber glow was because of the centipede that as attached throughout his chest like tattoos with intricate design.
And just above that Spidey saw a faint red light glow on the handler's breast bone. A spider tracker that he placed on him. At the very least, he could track him later if he ever got away.
Spidey had seen it before, in the classified file that Agent Coulson showed him. It was this device that allowed him to keep his logical reason completely intact. He could speak in complete sentences maybe because of the centipede program and he looked sane from most of them. And the rest of people that had surrounded him were moaning in a never ending tone that was a total discomfort to his ears and it was taking a serious toll on his concentration.
"You have the centipede on you and I figure that is giving you control over them." spidey said in a strained voice as he stood back up on his feet as he pointed at the herd of people behind him.
"Beautiful isn't it? What money can buy for you? And of course become a part of something that would be a change the revolution." said the man almost admiring that the tattoos on his chest as though they looked cool on him.
"Revolution? You are kidding me. We already had the alien onslaught tearing up New York and now yet again another evolution .You are not thinking straight. The extrimis has already corrupted your logical thinking. Look at the destruction around you? Ask your heart, mister. Ask yourself, do you really want this?" asked spidey trying his best to reason out with him, trying to appeal to his humanitarian self.
The man been quiet for some time searching for the answer his mind would come up with.
He looked at Peter once again and laughed like a maniac.
Peter swore to twist his vocal cord if he could ever lay hands on them.
"That is the problem right there you know. I like being bad."
Saying so the man the man charged at him with ferocious acceleration. He looked at Peter, his face had an evil sneer that spread through the length of his cheeks.
"You want to play rough, huh? Bring it on!" bellowed Peter at the top of his lungs. He was ready for him. He dashed forward again and he decided to go for his legs this time.
Of all numerous fights that Spidey had so far, he had learnt one thing - never loose your footing. And he hoped to make full use of it.
The problem was that the man was lanky and so probably did not have to carry much weight on him, but still it was worth a try.
Just as he was about to hit him, he slid on the floor. Other than the grit on the floor, the floor was pretty smooth and Spidey slided with ease and whipped him right on his feet.
True to his word, he fell down and a perfect face plant. His club slid across the floor somewhere and disappeared beneath a pile of rubble.
Spidey waited for him to get up on his feet. His face was a complete mess.
Mind you, his face was already messed up abut now it just seemed to him that there could not have a face as fucked up as his. There no longer any nose attacked to his face and the place where his nose had once been, now there was a deep bloody hollow, the remnants of his nose lay on the floor. His face reminded him of Voldemort. The only thing left was to wrap him around in a black robes and shave off his head.
A fucking terrible specimen of Voldemort but he might eventually get a chance to star in one of Harry Potter films.
And the man looked severely pissed off now. He brought his shivering hands on the gaping hole on his face as more blood spilled on hands, like a fountain.
He looked back at Spidey with those harrowing lifeless dark eyes that were a burning and smouldering like coal.
"Do you know that this has made me realise how puny humans actually are, but they could never truly realise their potential. They could be revolutionised like me and I don't blame my master for a game changing vision like this and the best part is seeing yourself play apart that would eventually shape it to a better tomorrow. Emotions are their weakness, they would never understand what it feels like to be unbound, free from all shackles that hold you down. And the most interesting part is that I can't feel pain?" said the handler pumping his fists up in the air as though the broken nose had no effect on him.
"All of that is nothing but loads of crap. And for emotions, it is us humans who actually differentiate from people like you. I should say people have a free will and I don't think you have one. Isn't yours tied up with The Steel Serpent?"
"You dare mock me. I could persuade you to try and follow me but I don't think that this would be of any worth to you. So it will be better if I let my minions carve up your face." saying this he let a blood curdling scream that tore Spidey's ear drum, an ear splitting noise.
And then the deafening uproar was something that spidey could never forget.
All the men who were once behind him, rushed at him forward full on charge.
Heck, this is serious. I have got to try something new. I don't want to end up being buried in this shit hole. I have a life left ahead of me. I have to go on.
Saying so Peter launched himself forward with ferocity that he never expected to. He was on overdrive. He punched his way and rolled in right through them.
The first one neared him and he had no change. A straight hard jab right to the lower jaw. The man went down as though he was hit by a baseball bat. He fell down head first with his legs up in the air. And then there were three. Spidey didn't give them a moment to spare. He webbed one of them right to the floor as he struggled to get up on his feet but the web held him down. And as for the other two, he leaped on top one the head of the assaulter and pinned right to the floor and bashed his head right to the floor with his knee caps. As the other approached him, he aimed for his face. He wanted to perform an axe kick on him as he had seen in a Bruce Lee movie. Spidey pulled his right leg in the air as he had seen in the movie as waited for the infected to come in range. Once he was in range, he brought down his kick leg as hard he could. Peter could hardly feel a thing as his heels made impact with its head. The infected fell down on his knees, his eyes were rolled over, remained there for a second before finally falling eagle spread on the ground.
K.O.
And by that time another one had already leaped on top of him threatening to bite off his shoulder. Spidey tried his best to wriggle him off him and it was in vain. His grip was too strong.
"You wanna play dirty, huh? Then let's play dirty." said Peter as he leaped of the ground and fell down his back to the floor with a sickening crunch. Spidey loosened his grip around the assaulter and looked at the fallen unmoving body. His mouth was trying to make up something, unintelligible words. Before he could figure what it was, seven assaulters leaped on top of him and held him, pinned him to the ground. Before he could find his grip on the floor and push himself from the vulnerable position that he was in, more bodies kept piling on him.
Spidey could count the number of thuds that kept falling on him one after the other in a random fashion. And as far he had counted there were fifteen so far. He could feel the crushing weight that beginning to pile up on his back bone. They were strong and spidey had a hard trying to loosen their grip from his. This was serious. He had to find a loop hole before he gets crushed on by their weight. He could already feel the growing weight that had already began to creep up his spine like a needle poking his skin and it was pretty painful. He could no longer think logically.
So far, there were already twenty two effected assaulters on top of him and then he could feel then weight could growing simultaneously heavy but he could no longer register the exact number of people above him. He was literally getting squashed beneath their weight and this was proving to be very annoying.
He was surprised that he could hold so many people on top of him. He never expected it learn this fact to turn out in this way. This was the type of attack that he never expected them to resort to. All of them together pilling on above him crushing above him, smothering him. And the most disgusting part was that all of them smelled like puke and rotten eggs.
The stench was more overwhelming to him than the pain on his back. Spidey somehow tried to move forward and through the pile of people when he saw the handler staring at him wide eyed, nose less and grinning at the chivalry that he had created.
But soon that grin in his face slowly faded away and it was replaced by the most horrible looking face that he had ever seen.
Oh god. Help me I am surely have nightmares. Provided if I get out here alive.
Peter knew that he had no way out.
He struggled to move forward with the whole pile of weight on his back.
And for some reason, the weight behind his back got reduced substantially as though one by one each one of them fell of his back. He didn't have any idea what drove them off his back or the smug dirty look on the handler's face.
At a distance he could hear shots in in the air.
Gun shots.
Oh the cavalry's here. And on time. Thought Peter. He was really greatful for the timely arrival of the SHEILD's team.
The subsiding pain on his back was like branding his back with hot iron it was so unpleasant. And there were just three of them pinning him down on the floor. Peter somehow manage to scramble up on his feet with the three people on his back. And the most irritating part was that there were still three of them clinging onto him. Spidey did his best to shake them off but the most he shook himself, they clung onto him by digging their nails deeper into his neck, back and shoulder. This was really irritating. If he could just manage to hold one of them away from him, the two would be a piece of cake.
And then there was two shots and the load on his back grew considerably lighter.
There was a large plop and a dull thud as the weight in his back grew lighter than ever. The sudden weight reduction was like heaven, caressing his back with soft hands, which he had never ever felt before.
There was just one of them on his back. He moved his hand on his back and pulled his assaulter from his back. It was a female. Bits and pieces of skin were already peeling off from her. One look at her expressionless face and even Peter could figure out that she was scared and made hissing sounds as she desperately tried to scratch his face. Another shot rang out through the air and hit the aldy straight on the head. The body immediately slackened off and it was like it had no life on it.
Peter placed the body softly to the ground.
His back was killing him.
SHIELD was killing people. They make their own bloody rules and they are the ones who disobey them the first place. Awesome. Wait this isn't right. Where is the blood on her head?
When Spidey examined it close enough, he didn't find any blood oozing out of her forehead. There was a purplish webbed mark in her head. And the throbbing of her temple were unmistakable. And Spidey looked at the Agents in action but none of them did have any muzzle flash. It was something different like a spitting sound, only that it was more refined and light.
Okay, they are using icing guns. Nice.
He looked at the agents all of them in action. One look at them and there was absolutely doubt how practiced there were in their job, their efficiency was unprecedented.
They were an organised lot, shooting at them and throwing in kicks and punches with calculated adeptness. It was like an art from them. It was almost mesmerising.
There was a loud crash. More of the infected people poured into the room and there was chaos everywhere. The handler was nowhere to be seen at room got flooded with dozens of them.
Agents May and Ward were barely holding on. Agent Coulson had a nasty bruise on his face and he was bleeding profusely and this made him an easy target. He was on the ground. Somehow managing to push the last apprehender before more poured in and pinned him to the ground.
Agent Coulson was in danger.
He looked at the apprehender. They seemed to be more vicious than the previous batch, fresher, stronger and there was absolutely no way, they could stop them on their own. He had to lend a helping hand no matter how much he was pissed off at them right now.
Spidey took off and ran the vertical wall with all strength that he had. And pushed himself back into the air making full use of his aerodynamic body. He shot web lines on all of them all pulled them all away from him, high into the air. Their mouths revealed faces of pure terror and bafflement and they started to scratch each other as trying to grab each other and pushing the each of them down not wanting to take in the impact of the complete fall. The three of them fell down at a greater speed, gravity doing all most of the work. The three of them fell down in a huge mound.
Nice. Thais just what I needed.
The three of them were together this time and he took no time to wrap them up in his web entangling them. And they tried their best to free themselves of the nightmare in which they were stuck in. Howling with rage and crass stupidity.
Spidey landed on the floor and there almost fifteen of them this time who had cooped the agents in a central cage. From the corner of his eyes he saw the handler escaping through a vent, mumbling something inaudible and spidey did not think of taking care off. He just wanted his head. He was about to pursue him when there was large thud. He looked behind him to find Agent Ward flying through the air.
He had to look for the agents. They were loosing and this was not turning out to be favourable.
I have the spidey tracer on him. I can track once I am done with here.
Thought spidey turned on his back and went to aid Agent Ward.
He had crashed on a pillar and he was knocked unconscious by the impact.
Agent May was loosing energy. She could not hold for long. And Agent Coulson had a nasty bruise on his eye which had turned all blue black by now. He was in a pretty bad shape and still there were at least ten of them. They were seriously handicapped. Spidey swung forward and leaped on top of one of the infected. He placed his legs on his shoulders and leaped off into the air, shot another line of web that entangled him completely and swung him around like a bowling ball, the infected around him were like bowling pins. He swung him around where ever there were any infected nearby and since they were literally dumb and all of them literally followed him as though there was something interesting thing going on. And with the handler missing, there foundation was in complete chaos. They were just mindless soldiers without a guiding hand and Spidey took full advantage of that.
There were only groaning pained voices filled the first floor like a ghastly roll of infantile immortality that was not purged of the hostility that lay around.
He grabbed the unconscious Agent Ward and picked him up and slumped his body across his shoulder. His back pain proved to be a real pain in the ass but he had to overcome his pain.
He limped a few steps and headed to where Agent Coulson was.
His face looked just like Rocky Balboa's face and there was a swelling in his left arm.
Probably a fracture.
A swelling that big could only be a fracture or a bone displacement.
Agent may came running to his aid and she looked grim, her mouth was vile. She looked dire and tired.
Still her demeanour was the same that he had previously seen. Cold, calculating and assessing Phil Coulson's damage level. A true leader.
"Spiderman, could you try to give me a helping hand to pick him up if you can?"
"Yeah sure, why not. I had almost fifty of them leaping on my back and Lord be praised, I have not been crushed to pulp so far." He managed a strained chuckle.
A weak joke. Agent May didn't even look at him. She was busy trying to figure out a way to move his leader's body with minimal damage.
Peter stood up. His back was not providing much of a problem so far, almost adapting itself to the extra weight on his shoulder. Like an organism, changing itself too the harsh environment. A mutant that he was, a freak of nature.
Peter put a helping hand around Coulson's right and heaved him on to Agent May's shoulder. Peter helped her out of the first floor as she called for backup to wrap up the scene. Soon the cavalry and the medical staff came flooding in making their way to the ground floor.
The fight had been more strenuous than he imagined it to be. He could almost feel his legs almost buckling underneath the weight of the agents. But somehow he pushed himself on.
Fitz – Simmons and agent Skye came rushing to aid him. He carefully managed to shift Agent Ward's weight onto the stretcher and almost dropped Agent Coulson.
The last thing he remembered was handing him to Fitz as he carried him to safety before he saw himself drowning in a swirling pool of darkness, engulfing him completely soothing his skin, muscles senses.
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An overpriced restaurant around The Times Square. And the centre table, Peter was sitting with Gwen. Peter in his black tux and Gwen in a dashingly beautiful gown that almost elevated her existence in the room, illuminating her beauty and complimenting her swag. Like she was the only one present in the restaurant. She was the limelight of the entire show. The radiant smile that erased away all darkness from his heart, it had. Peter beamed at her. The flutter in his heart was made him light headed like he was he was being astral projected. As he neared her, he could see her pink red lips. He was so near her and all he needed was a push himself forward to take in the kiss. Just a few centimetres away from a beautiful lip lock. Peter was almost shaking with excitement. He was so near to her that he could make out the faint pink blush on her pale cheeks. Her golden bangs fell down conveniently on her forehead making her look like a real life Barbie doll. A living one and of course, her blue eyes would be the one that no man had ever seen. That could only be seen in the depth of Blue Ocean that had the stars in shinning in the entire the galaxy, while her pupils dilated in passion that she was about to experience.
And then his lips touched her. It was soft smooth, creamy, vanilla and something in her was so fragile, that not given care, she would fall apart, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle held together.
And then suddenly, all of it was replaced by hungry lips, lips caressing his mouth, exploring the depths of his mouth, and the hunger to want him, almost forcing herself on him. It was rough, strange gritty, sexy and erotic, skyrocketing the endorphin levels in his blood. He kissed her back and then there was a lot of pushing and pulling each other until she pushed him to her bed.
He was shocked to see her. It was MJ.
"Face it tiger, you have just hit the jackpot."
Her red hair fell around her shoulder like an untamed fire that could go up in flames any moment now and her green eyes were like emeralds shining and piercing its way through the dark night.
Her mouth carved up into a sinister smile as her face moulded and disfigured in to a monster. Evil yellow eyes replaced MJ's Green eyes and the horns on its head was unmistakable. Peter looked at himself and found no mask on his face. The costume was almost shredded apart. The only piece of tunic was stuck on his chest due to the excessive blood clot on his muscular chest.
It had the most terrifying voice that was beyond description.
"Peter Parker. I knew that it would be you right from the beginning. You are destined to die in my hands you disgraceful bug."
So saying, it plunged its claws deep in him. His manic like laughter reverberating through his body.
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"Haaaah" cried out Peter in extreme pain. His eyes fluttered open to a very bright light in front of his eyes. His body was burning, as though it was set on fire. Peter felt like running his hearts out and immerge himself into the coolness of the sea and become one with it. Tears blurred his vision as he tried to sit up. The pain in his chest was unbearable. There were people in front of him. The low hum of the BUS's turbine engine greeted him.
He looked at them dazed and confused. Agent Simmons and Agent Fitz were standing near him. He was in his module.
Agent Fitz spoke up, the relief in his voice was undeniable.
"Oh Lord. Peter we almost lost you for a moment there."
"Peter, thank God you are alright. Oh and that burning on your chest is because I had to use an adrenaline shot on you. Not to worry anyhow. It would subside in a few minutes" Agent Simmons was already beside him as she spoke to him and held a high powered torch light to his eyes, checking his eyes.
"What? Adrenaline? I was dead?" asked Peter, he was drenched in his sweat.
"How long was I out?" asked Peter wiping his eye brows.
"Just a few minutes and I think it was probably because of the strenuous things that you did back up there." said Jemma breathing a sigh of relief.
"Yeah and about that, it was not normal at all" Fitz added.
"I would like to run some tests on you after you are rested sufficiently and I would recommend you rest, because whatever you did back up there was …"
Agent Simmons was racking her head hard, trying her best to find the appropriate word.
"Jemma, you know that he need rest right." countered Fitz.
"Yeah, oh I am so sorry Peter, just occupational curiosity and hazard I would assume."
"Wait, how's Agents Ward, May and Agent Coulson? How are they?" said Peter.
He was scared. Scared that something bad might have happened to them. He was responsible for them. He was ready to take the blame for them.
"Oh, they are fine. May is fine. Agent Ward is fine other than a nasty bruise up on his shoulder and Agent Coulson has a fractured left arm and other than a few bruises on his face that he is absolutely fine. Really you mustn't worry about them."
"And there is something I have to tell you about Mary Jane."
"What is it?" asked Peter thinking it to be the worst.
"I think she is fine for now but there are minor pulse fluctuations in her heart monitor now and then, but the main problem is that we don't particularly have her blood type with us. Whatever's left we used all the remainder we had on her. And none of us has the same blood type as yours but I know the repercussions that might take place if we use your blood as a substitute."
Peter knew what she meant. His DNA was already genetically altered and if he could give her blood, who knows it might be compatible or may be her body might reject it completely or she could turn out to be like him. He did not know how much of it was true but the idea wasn't very enticing to him. There just couldn't be another one with spider like abilities him running in the streets of New York. It was dangerous. It was not safe for anyone or she could just be gone.
She was her friend. He could not think of anything more. He had to see her.
"I need to see her." said Peter adamant. His body was in pain. He was just burning up.
Everything else was insignificant. Nothing else mattered to him other than his friends. His friends are what that shaped him, moulded him into the person that he has become.
His mind was blank like a room without any light, groping around in the darkness trying desperately to find a way out of the macabre. He was like a free bird flying around in darkness.
He struggled his way to the lab below where MJ's body lay as still just as he had seen during the previous visits. Her face had grown pale. She had lost weight. Her collar bones poking out, like she was malnutritioned. He had to help her, hands down.
"Take my blood, if it helps her in any way."
There was not going to be a question regarding this. She needed his blood. He will give it to her.
"Peter, don't you think we need to discuss about this?" Simmons countered him.
"There is nothing to discuss about this. If she needs my blood, give it to her."
"But you need to be sure, if it would harm her or help her or worse turn her."
Peter knew what was at stake here. She was right. He she might even loose her life if the transfusion fails.
"What is Agent Coulson saying about this?"
"He is does not support the idea of course. Just think of it. If she does survive this, the she will like a loose cannon, no one to keep a check on her."
"I could handle that." said Peter after thinking about it for a considerable amount of time.
"What do you mean by that? You seriously can't be saying that you would teach her to help in your nightly liaisons."
"No of course not, but … "
A constant beep tore through the quiet atmosphere and then the beeping quickened down. The number of troughs on the heart rate monitor increased. Peter turned his head.
Agent Simmons turned her head to witness this.
"Oh no. This should not have happened."
Both of them rushed to her side.
"Oh no her heart is spiking. We have to make a transfusion right now, if we have any hope of saving her. Her heart is failing"
"High pressure. Low blood count." said Peter.
"Yup, so Peter you are ready to do this."
"Yes of course. Take whatever you have to do. Just make sure that she is sound and healthy. I can never really handle another loss."
"Okay, then hold your right hand out." said Jemma as her hand flew over her syringes and bottles with careful expertise.
She rubbed Peter's wrist with an antiseptic liquid as she plunged the needle in his vein. Peter's face contorted with pain. He concentrated on MJ, almost expecting her to leap out of the bed anytime and laugh everything off. Sometimes he wished it so bad to happen to him.
He concentrated on her as more pints of blood drained from his wrist and flowed through the tube. Agent Fitz came rushing in
"What was that I heard? It sounded like a constant beep. Is everything all right? … Oh no no no. This is not happening." Fitz looked stressed out as well. There was someone who entered alongside him but Peter was too distracted to notice.
He scratched his head as he neared the Jemma Simmons. He saw the blood flowing from his veins to MJ's body.
Fitz backed away a few paces and spoke up.
"Jemma, if you need anything I am here." said Fitz as he put on the surgical gloves on his hands.
"Thank you Fitz. But I think I should be able to handle it from here."
Peter stood there, as blood drained from his blood into the almost skeleton frame of MJ.
After drawing on considerable amount of blood, Peter's knees started to buckle due to sudden weakness that overwhelmed him.
A pair of soft hands held him as he was almost on the verge of falling of down.
He allowed himself to be held up and he could feel another prick,
The needle was probably being pulled out of his veins. Something soft was dabbed on the place where the needle had once been.
He opened his eyes. And looked into a pair of delicate brown eyes, eyebrows manicured.
It was not Fitz. It was Agent Sky, who bent over him.
She was holding him, helping him to regain his footing before he fell down, pushing him.
"Thank you." Came a meek response from him.
There was a shuffle of footsteps. Fitz came rushing to his aid. It was only best thing he could come up with. He was weak as he tried to control the violent tremors on his legs, as though his legs would fall apart from the socket itself.
"Yup, no problem" said Skye softly as she helped him get up on his feet.
Jemma came rushing forward.
"I had to draw more than a pint of your blood for transfusion …" said Simmons desperately.
"Nothing matters to me. Just ensure that she would be alright. I don't want anything to happen to her."
Nothing can happen to her.
Peter said to himself. People always seemed to die around him. He won't be able to absolve himself enough if he anything ever happened to her. He was quietly to his room and tucked him on his bed by the aid of Skye and Fitz.
Peter was too weak to think of anything else. He just wanted to disappear beneath the soft feathery cotton pillow.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Peter woke up with a start. He was hungry. It was like his innards twisting among themselves, it was nauseating like he might throw up. His throat was parched. He leaped up to his feet and opened the mini fridge and pulled two large double decker ham sandwiches and a bottle of fruit juice.
He ripped the plastic open on top of it and took a large bite as far he could shove the sandwich into his throat. He chewed on it hard, desperately trying to force it down his throat.
Oh God! If there was something he could describe that was beyond heavenly, then that was it.
The rich cream, mayo, lettuce, olives, slices, spices of cucumber, tomato and a dash of pepper, with a thick slice of ham in between the soft floury bread.
Mmm.
He finished the sandwiches and the fruit juice and burped with great satisfaction.
He found himself to be significantly better, his full stomach was helping him think.
MJ received a blood interfusion from him.
He prayed the gods with all his concentration and strength, hoping that she would be already up.
He slipped into something decent, a pair of trousers and headed where Mary Jane was still lay.
Peter literally rushed out of his room, almost knocking down Agent Coulson.
"Agent Coulson. How are you?" said Peter a little shocked not expecting him to turn up so suddenly. Agent Coulson looked fine other than the tourniquet that was around his left arm. His face was fine., other than a few extra creases that should not have stayed on. His face was no longer bruised up bad.
"I am fine thank you. Actually I had come to check up on you."
Peter was speechless. He did not expected him to turn up and check on him let alone take care of him. He was embarrassed.
"I wanted you to know how truly sorry I am for my rude behaviour. I was way out of line and I promise you that this won't happen in future."
"Oh certainly, I hope so. But still I should say you were right to correct me. You are an outsider, someone with a completely different perspective how people should really behave with each other. And for letting me realize my wrongs I am thankful to you. I belief we are slowly losing our way with people here. You know staying away from people and all that."
Peter was happy. He was surprised that Agent Coulson had actually listened to him. He could almost find himself blushing with awkwardness as there was nothing he really had to say to whatever Agent Coulson spoke up.
"And I think I should tell you that Mary Jane on the other hand is fine. She is almost conscious. I think you could go and speak to her."
What? MJ is finally speaking up.
Now this is news.
Peter thanked Agent Coulson and he rushed downstairs where he found Fitz, Simmons and Skye coped up around her. She was speaking to them. This was good, probably one of the best days of his life, well nothing could compare to the time when had agreed to go out on a date with him. That was still his perfect moment but for now this was perfect for him. This would do for now.
Peter put on a big smile as he rushed inside.
"Oh thank god. MJ"
Peter almost ran at her. She was still looking pale but she was looking a lot healthier the last time he saw her. She was recovering quickly.
"Peter. Oh Peter. "Both Peter and MJ fell into an embrace like they had been away from each other for such a long time.
"Oh, look at you. You are fine, now I was really worried for you."
"The good doctor here Simmons had told me that I had an accident that I just can't seem to place. Were you hurt?".
Oh. She does not remember me being Spiderman.
Peter felt light headed. Before she got attacked, in her last fleeting moments of consciousness, she overheard the masked man revealing his identity to her, But it seemed that she had no memory of that incident.
"Not as bad as you. How are you feeling?" Peter bent down and put a hand on her pressing it softly.
"I feel a little skimmish and a high and what place is this. Which hospital is this? I have never seen a hospital around her like this, and my goodness what is that sound. It almost seems like I am in an aircraft.". MJ burst out laughing as Fitz tried to control her.
"Mr. Parker may I have a moment alone with you please." Agent Simmons was giving him a googly eye stare obviously trying to tell him to play along.
He decided to play along.
"She doesn't know. Of course not. How can you not see this through? The less the people know about us the better. We are better off operating in shadows. As you have already guessed she is under the influence of morphine. She is going to fall asleep anytime now."
Peter looked at her. She was acting all weird. Like she really was in some in some pub, shooting her hands high up in the air, to an imaginary music that her mind was playing only to her. It was not long when she finally fell asleep.
"Peter I have to tell you something. It is about the blood that was transfused from you to her and she recovered at an exponential rate."
Jemma Simmons was obviously scared as though something was really bothering her.
"Well, that's good isn't it? Unless she is really starting to show some side effects …"
Peter trailed as the realisation hit like a pile of bricks slipping down into his stomach. His throat tightened as he expected the worst to hear to hear from her.
"No, no, it is not that. Her body accepted your blood like you know a jigsaw puzzle fitting straight into place, like it is her own blood and that is what fascinated me. All her injuries, internal, external, all gone in a jiffy. Like, pooff, all of a sudden, her body is in her optimal state, without a sign of any trauma that she had to face. Physically, she is top notch. I could discharge her right here if you want but I cannot guarantee anything about her mind. How much trauma she had to endure. It is very unlikely that all of that might ever resurface gain. I don't think it would ever resurface again. And how can I forget the most important part. Her uncanny resistance to powerful drugs."
Peter looked at her. He was scared. Thoughts tumbled in his mind like an insatiable volcano. This was not happening. It was not that he might actually like having a partner in crime. It would be handy but the repercussions would be tremendous. His blood could be the cure to the most destructive of all human diseases. Cancer, leprosy, AIDS and how knew what not.
Maybe, he was overthinking himself but this might come up anytime and this was dangerous.
"Peter, I respect you for what you have done for us and her. As already mentioned, you are our asset and your safety is our concern and your secret stays safe with us. But I tell, you it won't be much good a use to us anyway if this information somehow leaks out into the open world."
"That means, it was the same for me?" Peter looked at her as she gave a tight nod. He was in danger.
"To tell you the truth, I even tried to inject you with dendrotoxin, a very potent drug that we use it in our icing guns but it seemed to have almost no effect on you. You were mostly knocked out by the stress your body had to endure and no sleep. So it is pretty much the same for you."
Peter looked at her, he was going cryptic, and his eyebrows knitted close together trying hard to make out whatever she just revealed to him. It had never occurred to him that his blood could possibly be the key to unlock man's true potential.
Seeing all the confusion erupt in his face, Jemma spoke up once again.
"Peter I am reassuring you. I have not taken any sample from you for my own selfish needs. I am not like that of course. Why would I ever betray you? You could speak to Agent Coulson. If Agent Coulson wants he could make a call and SHIELD would be all over this place and then you would have no place to turn to. We are concerned about your safety. We want you lead the normal life you do. Part time high school genius and part time superhero. You know that you are doing this country a great a great service, right?"
Agent Simmons place a hand on his shoulder and further spoke on.
"And most importantly we are here for you. You can trust agent Coulson. If you could ever get to know him, you would realise what a big heart he has."
Peter spoke.
"I know that you really want me to succeed and be safe and I appreciate you all for it really and of course Mary Jane would have been in a much critical position by now if it had not been the joint effort of all of you all. Thank you." Peter looked at her meaning every word of it.
"I should probably go and speak to Agent Coulson now, I belief he has loads to say to me."
"Yeah, I bet he does. Go, on as I go and do a check up on her." Agent Simmons went back to MJ's cot to check up on her.
Peter went, moved through the corridor and found Phil Coulson seating coolly seating behind his desk.
Peter spoke up first before the conversation ever had a chance to become awkward.
"I guess Agent Simmons have already informed you about my curious case."
"Yes, she has." Agent Coulson spoke up with the same cool demeanour that he had in the beginning, his face had the same small puckered little smile.
"I can't really thank all of enough for keeping all of this a secrets. I don't know if I could ever be able to repay you guys."
"Oh you could do that, right now."
This could be expensive Peter. Think this through before you strike any deal with them.
"Okay, I just hope that you just don't make it too awkward whatever you are trying to offer here."
"The first thing I would want you to do is that if you ever find out that she has abilities like yourself here, I want you to take full responsibility of her. She would be completely your business. And as your well-wisher, I would advise you to keep a check on her. I would have no hand in here and this thing about your physiology, should never ever go out in public. I know you. I have studied you and I now realise that you would literally go any lengths to help people around you and I would like to remind you that you would be responsible for your own demise you fail to keep this nature of yours at check. And I realise that you have been a very valuable assistance to us and I would like you to assist us till we figure out and clear out this mess. Obviously, you are a lot more experienced than us and I see you did a pretty good job back on field and handled yourself pretty well. I would like take this chance and extend this partnership. What do you say?"
Peter thought for a moment. This seemed fair, his options were open. He wanted take the infected guys down and he would have a team with him.
"Yes, I will help you as a freelancer. And since this is all over when can I get back home. Sorry for being so blunt but I need to get back. It has been too traumatising for me and for the people I am close to. And there is my school work of course." said Peter.
"I understand and I get it that you need to get back and I really appreciate it. Truth be told, I see a my younger in you and I am sorry being harsh on you previously."
Peter looked at him once again and he didn't have anything to say to him. Agent Coulson, a secret agent was empathising with him. Even his dreams won't be able to concoct something like this. Peter wanted enjoy this, savour the moment as long as this went.
"Okay that's nice, I guess."
"I will make a few phone calls and make a few arrangements and get you and your lady friend safe passage. You could use that time to pack your belongings, say your good byes."
Yay. He was getting off the BUS. It was an awesome aircraft but he was not ready to embrace a life of secret missions and cut out from the entire human society. He liked being near people and he still had his entire life lined ahead with tremendous opportunities, hopes and dreams, get into college and other materialistic stuff.
Peter smiled. But he would really miss Fitz – Simmons. They were good to him and helped him out here. He went to his room and packed his belonging, stuffed them inside and went to meet Fitz Simmons and Skye. They were cooped out around MJ's cot and all of them were having a good laugh. It seemed MJ was having a wonderful time along with them.
"Yo, Pete, What up? Did my aunt come to visit me?"
Shit he had to lie to her again.
"She is on her way now. She will be coming within a few minutes now."
Seeing his back packed up and ready, MJ spoke up.
"Where are you going Pete? You are not leaving me are you? You could at least stay till my aunt gets back. And anyway this place is awesome. These doctors here are unnaturally friendly."
Oh, this was turning out to be a bit more complicated than he had expected it to turn out to be. But fortunately, she was preoccupied with them. Them Fitz excused himself from the group and met up with Peter.
"Peter I have something to give you come follow me." said Fitz with anticipation gleaming in his eyes.
"What is it?"
Fitz jogged up to his room, his was all pumped about something.
"Fitz entered his room and pulled open one of the drawers and drew out a belt like object like that had his signature colours on it – red and blue.
He handed it to Peter.
"This is a belt that I designed for you. I figured, you might be able to store up a few things in here like check this out. You press this button and this become a living bomb with a capacity enough to tear down a ten storied building. There is this compound that can knock out almost any enemy …"
"Dendrotoxin" Peter spoke for him.
"Oh, so you know about this. Anyway, you add this to your web and you have your own knock out cold web."
"Cool." Peter was stunned. He never actually thought that he would be getting all this cool tech, It would make his day a lot easier.
"And there are a few empty compartments on your belt and I figure that your web shooter and your webbing components are different."
"Yes it is"
"So you could store extra pellets in her if you ever running out of webbing."
Peter kept listening to whatever Fitz said to him with rapt interest. He looked at him with renewed respect.
This guy is a genius and a thoughtful inventor. I hope I can work with him about something in future.
"Fitz, I don't know how I can ever repay you. I just wish I could have spent more time with you. I would have showed you my web shooters and there is not enough time. It is time for me and MJ to take off."
"No, no. It was my pleasure to have shown you and I wish we could have really got along provide the time was not so short. And of course this is a watch that Agent Coulson wants you to have."
Peter looked at it. It looked just like any other digital watch.
"This is a two way com. A very standard piece of equipment, of course designed by me. Agent Coulson can speak to you directly and you could speak to him. And the best thing about this is its merging capabilities. You press this button and voila."
The watch went invisible. He could feel its weight in his palm but other than that it looked like his palm were opened for no reason.
"There is a button up here. You press this and.."
The watch was visible again. This some something beyond cool.
"I might end up figuring out exactly how this operates one day, particularly the invisible part and I would be there to show it to you, maybe on my suit." Peter spoke up
"I would be counting in it, mate." said Fitz giving him a thumbs up.
Peter was unhappy for not being able to have spent more time with this guy. He knew that the two of them could get along really well and he really wanted to spend more time with him.
"Maybe be next time." said Peter as he shared peculiar handshake with him.
He looked out for Agent May who was busy working out in her room.
And Agent ward was still in weak from the impact he had taken.
Agent Ward thanked him helping him and looking out for the team.
He went back and exchanged good byes with Jemma Simmons and agent Skye. It was a bit awkward with Agent Skye as they really didn't get on a positive note in the beginning.
But Skye then gave a very awkward hug that Peter found a bit over whelming. His face grew beet root red when Fitz and Simmons burst out laughing. He looked at them as he hung his head. He couldn't stop smiling.
"That is Skye's way of saying thank you and all that you have done for us," said Jemma as she tried to control her laughter this time.
Right then his watched beeped and vibrated he looked at it. Fitz came running down to help him.
"Oh and to accept calls, you have to press this button."
Fitz pressed a small button that was at the periphery if the watch and he could see Agent Coulson's face lit up in the small screen.
"Peter. We set up an appointment in the New York's general hospital. Mary Jane Watson will be admitted there and all arrangement have already been made. And we will be landing in a few minutes"
"Yes Agent Coulson."
His face disappeared from the screen and it was replaced by a soft glow of digital watch. The time was half past ten.
Peter was eagerly waiting to resume his old life as New York's web slinger and Gwen's boyfriend and trying to resume his life as a model student. He had to look out for his aunt as he knew better not to take their threats lightly. They had invaded Gwen's place and they might do it again and this time it could be his aunt. He had to be careful.
And of course there was MJ. He had to look for too. She had his blood in her. Would she really turn out to be a mutant like him or would she be normal. Would she be head over heels, would she misuse it? Or would she secretly resort to crime fighting like himself. And the escaped handler, he had to take care of him sooner or later. He knew awfully lot about him and his life. This what scared him? He had to pursue him soon. Maybe he would call in SHIELD. Subconsciously, Peter reached for the blare in his head, reached for his spider sense and the undying beep in his head was undeniable.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
NOTE-
I hope that I have been able to satisfy you. And regarding the powers, MJ had to have a blood transfusion to obtain superhuman qualities. You know that the radioactive spider bite was compatible to Peter's DNA exclusively, right? And that later will be the foundation of something big. And Gwen is going to have to play a role in this.