Author's note - "Someday I will learn to love these wounds still fresh from the red hot blade of your words." A Bleach quote that was very stubborn to leave to leave my head so I had to write it down.
Anyway I was very busy this time. I am terribly sorry and I think maybe from now on I might be able to update the story now. My exams are finally over. Hurrah!
kindleflame5, Winterrain36, Highlander348, Plasma57, Nico2883, Ravenmore45, guest reader Loana and all of you likewise, I could never thank you enough for the dear support that you have given me. And of course the pile of ideas that I had received from Ravenmore45 and the constant support I got from Highlander348, Nico2883, I could never thank you. It implies for all of you supporting me throughout. :)
Please rate and review cause reviews fuel and inspire me. They give me a warm fuzzy feeling every time I get one. They are the most positive aspect that keeps me going on and on. Anything bad or anything worse in my story, I am all ears. PMs and reviews, anything at all.
And as usual, I don't own any characters of Spiderman or any of Marvel and neither do I want to make a profit out of it.
Okay then. Enjoy …
…..
The crowd of infected were shaking their heads, the mindless beings dazed and confused but they were sure of their target now.
Their jaws hung open, the darkness inside their mouth was ghastly, like an abyss, an infinite pit of pain.
There almost around thirty that came pouring inside, pushing and pulling each other so that they were the ones who would enter the room first.
More of them kept piling, some of them were so desperate that they had even began to ran off over each other, their arms outstretched and flailing, like the two of them were some prized possessions. Peter and MJ hurried forward to face them head on.
They were confident. Their minds were again completely one joined to form one single mind.
The two of them jumped into the herd of the mindless beings. They were a dynamic duo, two perfect lethal fighting weapon welded into a single ultimate marauder's blade against an enemy that was this strong which almost seemed other worldly. They looked like, as if they were at the pinnacle of fighting, both of them with enhanced super strengths and their unrivalled fighting spirit, body and mind. There was absolutely no doubt about it.
And the most jaw dropping sight was when the two of them would team up together. They looked like one giant organism, webbing and at times stunning them with unimaginable voltage shocks (courtesy to Agent Leo Fitz and they belt that he now carries.)
The best part was the belt that he now carries. It has been a constant companion of his ever since, helping him store extra web pellets, spider tracers, special webbed up cartridges and hoards of other knick knacks that might one day come in handy.
MJ on the other hand was zapping and tossing them around like they were bags of sand bags that was undesirable filling up and occupying unwanted space. She was strong when she needed to be, but never as strong as Peter. Peter as times even picked up two infected with his bare hands and then toss them around like they were play things.
In this fight there was something else that was driving him. He had never fought this efficiently before. Every time for Peter, it was like playing a three dimensional moving picture game, but this time, it was him who was tossing and turning things around ferociously. For some reason, it seemed that everything was less weighted, like moving on plane which had been dimensionally altered, he was having the time of his life.
This was fun.
MJ was enjoying her fight as well. Their synapses firing at insane levels. Some time, Peter would dodge deliberately to face the other opponent that takes stand before them. MJ would sweep right from somewhere up and slap them aside like they were worthless beings wanting to be beat up real bad and the two of them never ceased to comply their wishes. Sometimes, Peter would web a few of them for MJ to find and finish them up. She would use her stinger or sometimes beat them up in a continuous flurry of punches leaving them broken.
It was almost fun like but the feeling was somehow short lived.
The infected kept pouring into the already stuffed room. It looked like a room that is meant for only three people but people would continuously pour inside that was already pinned and filled with bodies. The place looked outrageously dirty, blood, gore and slime stuck to the walls.
Peter felt for his the watch that lay camouflaged, strapped with his wrists. He felt for the minute button that protruded from the side of his watch.
"Should I call for backup?" Peter mused within his own thoughts.
"Peter I think it would be the right choice. You never what could befall us. Having extra helping hands is what I personally would prefer."
MJ was right. Backup would always come in handy and they never knew what would happen if fate ever decided to play against their odds.
Peter pressed the homing signal. The watch glowed for a second as its GPS activated.
It would be a matter of minutes before SHIELD showed up and it would be better if the two of them would make their jobs easier.
The dynamic duo charged forward leaving behind broken, pale and injured bodies and they sure took their time. The way they moved was like a sewing needle and how easily they punctured through the fabric of infected monsters.
Maybe, they themselves could clear up the entire zombie invasion in a night. At least Peter was sure of that. Something must have triggered in him, something was fuelling him beyond his limit. Not that he got tired easily, but they was not even the slightest stupefaction in him and he could say the same for MJ. They were surpassing themselves.
At the corner of the room, there were exactly five test subject who were being infected with an extrimis solution. Their faces were already contorted due to the excruciating pain that was inflicted upon them due to the passing of the miraculous poison in their system.
Peter had to help them but his hands were already full.
"MJ we have to take care of those people. They seem to be in agony."
"Shit, I had almost forgot about. What do we do?"
"I could go and try to help them, but could you handle them on your own? Your load will be doubled."
"Are you kidding me? I can handle this."
"You sure?"
"Just go on and then I would give them a piece of me."
Peter kicked the last on with all his might that sent him airborne across the floor such that MJ would be near them now, like ten pin bowling. The person that Peter hit was like a bowling ball and the herd that he hit were like bowling pins, disrupting their logic less thoughts. Collateral damage could never get better than this.
And since MJ was already near the herd, they chose to fight her instead of him.
"That's right come to momma and I will give you disciplinary lessons."
He voice was dripping with malice. No wonder she was all amped up. She leapt on the remaining infected like a ferocious lethal spinning top.
Peter left her and headed where the people were tied up.
He was sure she could handle herself.
Peter neared them. They were in agony. He could see why. The extrimis concoction was like venom that was an obvious discomfort to them. Peter could clearly see where the extrimis was running in their system. The veins, arteries throughout the body had the same amber hue that set them apart from rest of the flesh and blood.
One of them had suddenly turned red and gold all of a sudden.
He cried out in excruciating pain. His face had already started to peel off now as new skin started to reform at an exponential rate.
Instant healing.
But something was wrong. There were large cracks that had started to form in a linear fashion that extended through his neck and spread through his face like a glass that was on the verge of being completely shattering.
This was bad. The man was emitting a lot of heat, temperature was going through the roof, like he was gonna explode, a live wire, that would short any moment now.
Peter took a few step behind, if he was gonna explode, he would well be away from the radius of impact. There nothing good about getting second or third degree burns.
Your skin starts to bubble and melt off your muscles, thereby partially revealing the never endings. And after that, you become more sensitive than ever. He was already sensitive and he had seen people with burns. The amount of screaming that they did was not at all pleasant and Peter did not have even the slightest interest to be one of them. Aunt May was already worried and she would be sick with worry. Nothing was worth all the trouble that he might later have to go through. The unanswerable questions that he would have to whip up stories for …
Not good at all.
And most importantly of all MJ was with him and even in God's most uncherished dreams he could never let anything happen to her. He was guilty enough of himself for failing her, the secret that she now had to bear with him.
Nothing was clear to him at times. Sometimes all of this, his parents leaving him with his uncle and aunt, turning out to be a fantastic dork in his school days which he still is, the fated school field trip that he hated so much, only if it had not been Dr Connors, nothing would have happened, no lizard, no spider man but everyone would have been safe, another less mutant to be running around in this world. But it had to go that way. Like his fate was sealed, they moment he saw Gwen or was it his inquisitive nature that drove him inside Oscorp, impersonating one of the interns, was it all worth?
The cadence of his tortured consciousness was eating him up.
Peter had started to his see run behind, the man was in agonizing pain. But Peter was saving as many people he could, he had to and judging the amount of temperature, he did not require a thermometer to tell him that whatever it was, it was way more than the normal, almost burning now. His skin had started to blacken and disintegrate by the unnatural amounts of heat that was being emitted by him. Peter turned and looked at the rest, some of them were already limp, looked lifeless as the potion tried its best to heal them up but none of them had the strange reaction that he was seeing in him.
All of them were probably gone. They did not have a heartbeat, there was no way even one of them would actually survive.
But now, he had to distant himself from the inevitable that was about to happen. He took one last look at the man.
He was gone.
His body slowly crumbled and turned to dust. Peter looked at his eyes, they had become smouldering red and it was even hard to say that this man actually had life in him. All that remained in his place was giant real living doll.
All of it was futile. And now it is just that he looked like a failed version of a sculpted masterpiece by someone great. Peter felt bad for them now. They were held against their wish. There was nothing consenting over here, all of this was a show. Although Peter knew of the greater picture. It had to do something with the fiery fist.
And then it seemed like it was his enemy causing all of this, partaking in this mischief, the Big Bad Ass fighter of the mystical city, his villain, who had commitment issues. For him it was one and the same.
It had really been quite some time since the last time when he had actually seen him. It seemed like the man had completely vanished straight from of the face of earth. It was all very confusing.
He touched the lifeless blackened face of the man that was absolutely still now.
God knows what kind of poison this extrimis is. But I hope he is in a better place now.
Peter could feel a building sympathy in his chest. He touched the man lifeless face.
His touch was light enough now, but the slightest touch was enough. The place where he had touched, his face crumbled to dust. The dust seeped through his fingers.
There were slight occasional wisps of fire that erupted from the crumbling corpse.
Peter was horrified. This was beyond his explanation. It seemed like the man had completely been fried and defaced. Peter had seen burnt bodies but this was a severe case of incineration.
Peter was shaken. He trembled as the body now lay in a small heap of ash, his clothes plopped down on the remains of his body thereby making a large cloud of ash erupt out.
This was too sick, too sick.
He turned his head away from the mess that was left behind. MJ was still fighting for the infected. She was getting tired from all the fighting, Peter knew that never in her life she had exerted herself this long.
xxxxxxxx
The sound of a hovering aircraft tore through the dicey atmosphere, it seemed like its powerful blades was sweeping the entire warehouse, as if rejecting whatever that was going on there. The powerful twin jet engines were like the presence of a much superior force that had been looking at them.
Peter rushed forward to help MJ. She had not experienced continuous fighting like he had had.
It was he who had finally managed to fend off the Lizard who was rampaging throughout New York. She had to learn a lot before she could come on to his league. And anyway, he wanted to save the people on his own that he never thought that he would be the one who would be taking charge of the people that he was concerned about the most. This was not justifiable in his opinion, he should have taken the physical part and should have let MJ handle the saving part.
Peter let it go as he rushed towards to aid MJ. She might have been to subdue the remaining hundred or so who were beside her. The pile of bodies beside her was impressive.
Peter rushed to her and leaped on top of one of the infected. The infected howled at him and tried to grope him in the air. Peter balanced himself on the palms of his hands, clutching him by the hair in his head as Peter's legs moved straight up, perfect hand stand.
Peter twisted his arms as far, it would allow him to do so. The crunch was sickening as its head made a full three hundred and sixty degrees. Peter leaped himself off the lifeless body and landed softy on the floor on all his fours. He leaped up once again. He had to draw the crowd on to himself. MJ loosing strength, there were nasty bruises on her skin, particularly the gash along the length of her thigh looked deep. But still she continued to fight with the same vigour with which that she had fought previously.
Peter shot web lines on the nearby equipment and tables that were broken and strewed around. The web completely encased them.
"Mary Jane, wait for me. When I tell to duck, leap off or just run away right from there. It would be good if you are away from what I am about to do."
"Humph, right." MJ grunted. The fight had severely sapped her strengths and it was time for Peter lend her some breathing space. Peter moved forward and wrapped his wrists around the web line and started to move them around. The jagged ends at the end could be potentially life threatening.
"MJ, now." Peter screamed out loud as he approached the rest of them. He moved the hundred pound debris around like a battered and a broken weapon. MJ zip lined herself to the ceiling as she watched from above.
Peter put on more power as he increased the speed of the moving debris as. He approached to rest of them. The debris made contact with them and the crushing and crunching sounds were obnoxious, still he did not stop, he put on even more power. The sling had no intention of slowing down.
The gravity, centrifugal and inertia had been exponentially improved the arc of destruction that he had created. He kept moving forward, completely blind but he was sure of the general direction that he was going through and that was when he kept moving forward.
He went round and round, like a spinning top obliterating everything that was on his way, he was unstoppable.
Finally he stopped, he slowed down gradually and took a look around, a good hard look.
There was no one left standing, a few of them were staggering but most of them were gone. Either knocked out or they were in a very critical state. Limbs missing or dirty black blood had made a mess around. He let go of the web that he had been holding.
He looked up. MJ gave him a thumbs up.
All was good.
SHIELD showed up right then. Agent Coulson lead the swat team, Agents May and Ward flanked him from the side. Troopers, almost fifty of them showed up. The combed the entire place, searched every nook and corner, like some kind of protocol that they had to follow.
All very intricate and meticulous.
Perfect without flaws, a well-disciplined team, each one of them giving silent hand signals and taking hold of the remaining infected and subduing the few that were moving.
Peter could not help but marvel at the way they did things. This was not his first time but every time, he looked at them, it felt like he was seeing something else.
Every single time.
The leader of the squad reported Agent Coulson.
"Sir, the area is secure, sir." His voice was strong, devoid of any fear or recklessness whatsoever.
"Good going gentlemen. Nevertheless, I would like you all to keep your guard and make another routine check for a few block radius."
"Got it sir." The soldier quick marched back to his troops.
The soldier turned and barked orders to another small group of soldiers and they stated to disperse just like Agent Coulson had said.
MJ dropped beside him Peter and looked at them, they were busy like bees, professional and completely ordered.
It was even a pleasure to watch them go around.
Agent Coulson walked to him briskly. He had the same small lopsided smile upon his mouth.
He folded his hands as he looked at him.
"I see you have held on to your ground. And I really appreciate of you calling on to us. And for that I would let on to you what we have learnt this far. I don't know if you have heard of this but there was this thing about something weird going on a few blocks away. I thought you had noticed, with all your enhanced senses and all…"
Agent Coulson trailed off.
"I did not feel anything that had been going on anywhere, the two of us had our hand full already."
"Oh so this is your friend then. So she inherited similar powers, like yours, I assume?" Agent Coulson looked at Mary Jane with judging eyes.
"Right then, I see you have made our job a hell lot of easier now, but just try to be sure no to make too much of collateral damages the next time, you decide to stop them."
But before Peter could speak to defend MJ blurted, "Hey, Mr AC I know what you have been doing, the both of us had just made your jobs a hell lot easier and to get results, you always have to let go of something to achieve something and I had to learnt it the hard way."
MJ looked Peter. Peter knew what she was thinking off. It felt like the two of them shared the same emotions. This time Peter was pissed at people trying to mend his own way, and MJ was the source of release. SHIELD did not see the good that he sought finding fault within him was they saw.
During intense emotions it was always both their minds were one and this time, she felt the terrible loss that Peter felt, the void that had left a huge hole in his heart, the first time when he had come to know of the terrible news about his Uncle Ben. It was all the same for her too.
Peter looked away from the two of them. He looked at the BUS that stood a distant.
As gorgeous as ever.
Agents May and Ward nodded towards him as he looked at them. He nodded back at them.
Right then Fitz – Simmons came rushing towards him, as usual, the two were discussing something vehemently on something. Something about magnets and stuff.
Peter smiled at them as they approached him.
"Neodymium magnets is going to do for this I tell you but the moment you .."
"No Fitz, I am telling you, you are absolutely wrong in there, I tell you, it is too strong to be used for any human, the rare earth metal creates a lot of hazards … oh hi Pet… sorry Spider man, I didn't mean to."
"Jemma you have got to be more careful now. Come now. Hi man, how have you been? I see that you have been using my belt. How is it going for you?"
Fitz spoke to him, like he hadn't seen for ages.
He thumped his back.
"Dude, your belt is really awesome. I carry so many cartridges on it all thanks to you."
Peter hugged him hard.
"Wow, wow, you are might try not to break up my rib cage right here, I don't help fast or I don't even have any things in me augmented senses like you or your friend … over there does. Wow, that's her isn't it? She is a real looker. Wow. Huh."
The two of them looked at her.
True to every word. She looked even more ravishing now. The bit of bloody skin that she revealed was a real turn on.
"Uhmm… ". Agent Simmons, coughed and hiccupped loudly. That was just way inappropriate. But for some reason, even Peter didn't hold back. He enjoyed the view that he got standing right there.
"Boys we have got work to do. I won't wait for you Fitz, join me if you feel like it." Agent Simmons quickly walked away from the two of them, her head turned away, she looked downtrodden as though she was sad.
"Bollocks, I should not have done that. She will be pissed at me." Fitz ran his fingers through the curly locks of his hair, tugging it slightly.
He was mad. But Peter didn't blame him. After all, they were men and this is usually what happen when they see someone eye popping. That is supposed to be normal for every guy. Especially when the two of them have mountains of testosterone surging through them.
The two of them walked to Agent Coulson and Agent Simmons as he was speaking with MJ right over there. Peter went and stood beside MJ and Fitz stood beside Simmons.
Agent Fitz looked down, probably embarrassed at what he had said, he knew this wasn't a sign of professionalism.
"So I see you have been able to handle her pretty well. She is strong enough and most of all she is unfazed. I don't understand how well, she has been able to take in all of this so quickly, you know I must give her credit for this. If it were me, I would have taken in an embarrassing whole amount of time." spoke up Agent Coulson.
"My, my you have become quite a leader in own way haven't you?" spoke up agent Simmons cheerily.
Peter was happy. Agent Simmons knew the pain that Peter had gone through when MJ was on her death bed. She just looked at Peter and smiled, a smile that was genuine, nothing short of a sisterly affection.
Agent May came out right out of the blue. Her demeanour as cold as ever. There was nothing warm about her just like the time when he had seen her previously. Just the same slight curl in her lips. All business like, no bullshit.
"There is something that I would like to you to see. Something that struck the radar right now."
Her voice demanded attention. She was serious about something that was clearly bothering her.
"Alright, people, please excuse me, I will be right back. Come on lets go." Agent Coulson excused himself from them and followed Agent May back to the BUS.
Just as Agent Coulson, left them, MJ spoke up.
"Hell that is some big ass oversized aircraft you people have got right there. I was waiting to say this but I thought it might be inappropriate to say this in front of Mr Suit. I wonder how you people manage to even keep it air borne and those turbines are one of the biggest I have ever seen."
"Ah, the BUS is another piece of awesome tech where SHIELD has not comprised and has poured in some loads of funding." Agent Simmons spoke up proudly.
"Well you can call it our headquarters. We basically travel everywhere right in this aircraft. I should say that this one of a kind." added Agent Fitz.
"And by the way I am Agent Fitz and this is Agent Simmons but you know, you can simply call me Fitz."
MJ stared at the craft with awe and wonder hardly registering what Agent Fitz had said to her.
Peter remembered the first time when he first saw the huge gigantic airbus that fell out of the sky, it was a sight to behold and especially its appearance when the aircraft slowly grew transparent to translucent. It was more than one could ever ask for. Peter had already fed these images into MJ's mind the first time. But the truth was that to watch it close, was a first-hand experience and it was again a completely different reminder altogether that it nowhere comes near to the vivid images that he sent her the first time.
"You mean to tell me that you have got your homes in the air itself?" questioned MJ.
"Yup, everything, from missions and orders, sleeping and what not, everything in the air itself. All of us have our own modules, you know like small little rooms."
MJ raised her arms in defiance. "Ah, hell that is way beyond me. I like to be in the ground, not that I would like to have a trip in that oversized aircraft of yours but no more than a day, but that's it."
"And how many people you have got living in there. Peter here …"
MJ froze right there itself. "Shit. Spidey I mean…."
She slapped her forehead realizing what she had done. She mouthed the word "sorry" at Peter, realising what she had just done.
"Peter I am extremely sorry. This would never have happened but there was not nothing I could do. I swear, I didn't do it on purpose." pleaded MJ with her mind.
MJ was already looking at Peter pleadingly, to forgive her. She meant every word of it.
"Don't worry, they know who I am and you too. Moreover it is an honest mistake and I knew that it could happen every moment but you see I had been dreading for this moment. Thank god that it happened in front of these people."
MJ fell silent.
"What do you mean that they know you are? Oh right, you had to reveal yourself didn't you when you had to do that blood transfusion. So I guess all that ends well, I guess."
"Wait, not so fast, MJ you have got to make a habit of not blurting out our names in front of unknown people. We were lucky that they knew us beforehand but that might not be the case for everyone around." said Peter to her.
"You are right." MJ fell silent.
"Hello, guys, we are here." said Fitz moving his right hand in front of Peter's mask, trying to get their attention.
"Did you just zone out or something? We didn't practically hear anything coming out of you mouths unless that is something else ... or wait a minute… that was…"
"Telepathy wasn't it?" completed Agent Simmons her mouth hung open, like she could hardly believe what she herself was saying.
Peter looked MJ as she looked at him and then the two looked at her.
"You are right. We have this telepathic link. Helps us transfer our thoughts, knowledge and pour memories into each other." MJ said.
"That is one kick ass ability." Fitz blurted out. "Hell. I want that, too."
"Your range of powers are then completely different from that of his. Its almost looking into a completely different form, an altered gene pool with things excess … stuff. You know that I would have a gala time trying to figure out your gene pool. And the most awesome thing about it is how your body would find compatibility with hers only and no one else's. Well, both of yours actually. Peter being the parent and the source and how his blood selected her according to body's requirement how it may change to suit the user I mean only her. Awesome."
MJ was shy. She had never been complemented by other people and especially someone who was obsessed about her, a scientist, who thought that she was special.
Peter could feel her blushing hard.
"And just for the record, have you decided what to call yourself? You know our spider guy right here call himself Spiderman and so have you thought of a name for yourself?" added Agent Simmons suddenly.
The sudden change in the topic caught her off guard. "Uum… I haven't thought of any name of such but I don't think there will a name absolutely required do you?"
"Oh come on. Get real. People nowadays name themselves, its almost like a christening ceremony, the first and the foremost rule of a budding superhero with powers so vast as our friend here. And if you don't mind, might I make a suggestion?" said Fitz with sudden enthusiasm.
"Please by all means. I would like to hear a few of them." said MJ.
"Well, your spider based powers are truly your great strength so I would prefer that you use something like Spider girl, spider woman that directly related to the spider DNA in your blood thanks to our friendly neighbourhood hero over here."
"Ok. That was lame. Or what do you say going for something for a bit dramatic like the Reaper or Talons or what about Toxin, since we saw you use those fingers of yours. I am guessing, they release a toxin that temporarily incapacitates the prey, a very potent and deadly technique. What do you say?"
"Toxin seems badass. Peter what do you say?"
"Hell, I am happy if it suits you but mind you, you are the one using it. And just for the record if you would ask me I would say that Toxin suits you just perfect, considering that unique strength of yours."
Just then, came a hush warning from Fitz and Simmons.
Agent Coulson was heading their way and he was accompanied by two of the most senior agents May and Ward. Agent Skye follow the three of them with a laptop. His facial expression was a lifeless one. Peter knew that something was wrong for him to show that expression.
Agent Coulson stood right before them, the three of them forming a small little circle. Agent Skye forced her way inside it with her laptop, holding it close to her chest.
She looked at Peter. Peter looked at her. She smiled at her, gave him a warm and a comforting smile looking at him. Peter acknowledged her and smiled back at her.
"Hello everyone, this is Agent Skye and there is this satellite picture that was captured a few moments not far from here. It looks like there has been some activity going on not very far from here, right after Spidey sent us a distress signal that came up. Okay, now since we have come up over here, there is something I would like to mention. Something that struck us as mildly vapid that was nearby near-by just this location. I thought it would in the best interest for us to check it out. Such little things always tend to make a huge difference in investigations, as they could provide us with important clues. Agent Skye would give you all a complete demonstration here."
Agent Skye zoomed in the satellite images and all of them looked at the area that she was trying to highlight. The entire screen was green and there was were numerous red dots at one corner of the screen and there were a few of them at the centre. The red dots at the centre of the screen was a bit too large to Peter's liking. There was exactly two of them.
"This is a thermal image that was just received by the satellite. Those dots at the corner are us and these at the centre are the ones we are concerned about. This is a thermal image that was taken by the satellite. Those tiny pin pricks at the corner of the screen are us. And these fast moving dots are people trying to run away it seems. Now what would they do that?" Agent Skye dabbed her forefinger at the corner of the screen.
"Ops, they are gone now. How is that possible?" Agent Skye seemed to be as confused as ever.
"Now that I think of it, it makes perfect sense. The old lady disappeared right among the crowd of those scientists and even something that seems to be mildly eye catching could give us clues." thought up Peter.
"You are right. Maybe she might have a hiding place somewhere nearby and I could use my sense to track her down. You know send it on overdrive. We could track them down in a jiffy." suggested MJ.
"No, let us wait and just listen to what they have to say first."
"But this is what caught our attention. There two of them at the centre. But now only two remain and their heat signatures are ... Well, you could say they are a bit unnatural. I myself have … pfft … have never seen anyone with such high heats signatures." said Skye disbelievingly.
"You are right this is just absurd. People with this high about of heat to have been caught by a satellite is way beyond me I can't tell you anything about it unless I have seen it with my own eyes. This is .. " Agent Simmons laughed knowing that she was seeing something impossible.
"And you know the funny part. People with this high heat is other worldly, well first of all they should not exist, they should just melt off."
Agent Fitz started to type in something furiously on the screen and the screen went into some command menu and the rest was very gibberish to him.
Peter moved forward to look at what Fitz was trying to type in. by the time he reached him, he was already done. Peter stared at the screen.
"Looks like it is some kind of an override command to check if there are any online cameras available or not. A smart move." thought Peter.
"Oh, sir, I think I should tend her wounds, those cuts and bruise look rather nasty," suggested Dr Simmons to Agent Coulson.
"Yes Agent Simmons, tend to her wounds. Meanwhile we try to figure if we can find any information about this." Agent Simmons nodded and asked MJ to follow her to the BUS.
Peter could sense her excitement building up. She was going to see the BUS after all and this was something worth an achievement, she might never ever get a chance to get to enter and see it. They should consider themselves to be lucky regarding this matter.
"Hey MJ, try to coax her to show you the entire the craft. I am sure you will be stunned. You know right this is usually not possible for the normal people to see it, right?"
"Don't you worry tiger. I am going to utilise it fully." she snickered at him silently.
The two of them went their way and clambered onto the BUS.
"Guys, I don't think there is any way other thank to follow those enormous heat signatures. This is not good and this is just bad. We don't even know if the kind of heat emitted will harm us or what?"
"You are right there is no possible way of determining if it would really harm us."
"It could be a harmful radiation for all I know."
"Agent Coulson. If I may, myself and MJ, I mean Toxin, sorry I have to got to get myself get into the habit of calling her that or I might risk exposing us, so I was saying that you could send us and then we could assess the situation and then tell you about it."
"I will consider your options but seriously I don't think right now is the time to discuss this." said Agent Coulson "And since that is completely wild card, if anything happens to the two of you, we might not be able to provide you backup on time. It will be entirely upon me."
Peter thought for a moment.
Peter knew she might take a few seconds, at max to find out any available anomaly in the direction they had just been showed and then the rest would just depend on fate and what luck would have in store for them.
"Okay, we won't come dangerously close to them but once we figure out what is taking so long, we will turn back to follow your lead."
Agent Ward had been quite the entire time.
Right then he cut in. "Boss. If I may, I think the spider kid is right. We let the two of them do the stake out and let them return to us. And in that way, assessing would be way simpler than any other way it could be."
Agent Coulson had grown pensive for a moment.
There was no denying that the plan was unflawed. Peter and Gwen were their trump cards, the two mutants who had single handedly took care of the entire warehouse. Agent Coulson knew about that and he could utilise their speciality, make use of their full potential and let them take on lead.
"You are right. We allow them to take lead and then things would get safer then onwards. Okay then people lets roll. Agent Fitz please inform Miss Toxin and tell her the mission that we have got to carry out."
"No that's all right. Let me." said Peter as he tried to access her.
"Anyway, Toxin is an apt name. I mean her diverse powers and specially the thing that knocks others cold and by the way how are you even going to do that?" asked Agent Coulson.
"Toxin has extreme sensitive senses and she could find out if there is anything that we have to be concerned about. And then after that we could inform you." confirmed Peter.
He reached for his subconscious and called out for her.
"MJ, its been decided, you and I get to do a stake out, first of all before the others. Have your wounds been tended?"
"Yup, I must tell you, she is gentle. She is so very gentle. I love her hands." thought MJ rather dreamily.
"Okay then, get down her quick, we have work to do." said peter almost in a commanding voice.
"Peter Parker, trying to order me around? Hell, I never saw that coming. Oh boy you are in for a rough night." said a cheerful voice.
"Okay then. You have to get down anyway. We have aid them. Come down quick, before the men in black change their minds. That will be bad."
"Give me a second, let me finish up this awesome ham sandwich. I am hungry."
"Well then hurry up. We haven't got all day."
"Still you manage to tick me off don't you?"
Peter snickers silently.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It was dark in the middle of nowhere. The two of them snuck up through trees and abandoned and dilapidated buildings. It was a place that was brimming with filth. They could literally smell them everywhere across the old torn mossed rocks.
"Oh, I hate this among all the others. Flying my ass off through filth. That is just way unfair. They let us do the dirty work."
"Calm down Mary Jane. We have to go get pour hands dirty to remove filth. I have told you haven't I. And any way it was me. I had suggested them to make us do the stake out. its better this way. Minimum casualty."
"What? Come on now Peter that is just not right. We have our lives too, don't we? If we keep doing this and who will clean up after us?"
"You are right but you know there is a reason, I wanted take this into me. My gut tells me something that tells me to keep them out of this."
"What? That is your problem Peter. You try to be there for everyone. For once think of yourself. That will ultimately consume you, and nothing will ever do you any good. Listen to me. Leave all of this behind. You could start off somewhere fresh. take your aunt, Gwen whoever you like, but these people aren't going to go for you unless that screwed up hot head Jameson gets something shoved up in his cracked up bleached ass. And I will make sure of that."
MJ was trying to make Peter understand something crucial. Something Peter could never ever understand, his sacrificing nature. She understood all that crap about being there for people but there was something, she saying the truth about one thing. He laid off his life for the people of New York and this was what came up for him that was not at all what he had been expecting. Peter knew he deserved better.
Peter thought of Gwen once. What would she say to him of this? She believed in him and there no way she ever gave up hope on him. What would happen if it had been Gwen on his side instead of MJ? Would she say the same thing? Peter held on to the dear thought of his Uncle Ben, nagging at his conscience.
A small incident came up in his mind. Peter could feel his consciousness being poked and pried as MJ tried to see it. He allowed her to see his memory.
xxxx
It was another normal day at his school. People were getting ready, a few of them even were trying to get their homework done by someone else. It was an incident right when Gwen and he were already dating. Everything was smooth as butter.
Gwen had already come to her class and has to do some school work since she was the famous one and people were trusted her. Who wouldn't? After it was Gwen Stacy we are speaking about. She was the girl that you could entrust with. It was the same with the teachers and the professors around.
Peter was late. But his class hadn't started yet. He was just in time to see his locker getting all beat and pried upon by Flash and his hooligan friends. The entire place was a mess.
Flash spoke to him in a gruff voice.
"Hey Parker. You think yourself to be so strong and smart, huh? That basketball incident has made you quite famous hasn't it and now you are with Gwen Stacy. Come on man… what are the odds. right? Then come on show me what you have got. You are the one who started all of this in the first place. Show me what you are made off. Right now, you hear me, now Parker."
Flash growled at him.
Peter knew that he could silence him with just one punch. It would seem impossible for the rest of them, but then people would question him.
Things would get ugly.
"No Flash, I am late and I don't want to be late for my Chemistry class."
"Knew it, puny Parker is just pussy Parker. Spit on him, he would swallow it instead of falling it to the floor in a heartbeat."
Peter stood right where he stood. Things had gotten way far than he had imagined.
Peter just let it slide, you are better than him. There is no way you could get provoked by a man like him.
Peter walked past him silently, his fists clutched hard, the knuckles had grown white as a sheet.
Peter looked down. He had to be the cool one. There was no way, he could ever screw this up. He looked at the squared tiles, cream textured.
Flash guffawed. "That was what I thought, the biggest pussy of our school walks right in front of me. Yup, get your puny ass out a here."
Flash walks up slowly behind him and kicks Peter on his butt. That was it. Peter stood right there.
He could hear his heart pumping hot acid madly through his veins.
There was only one thought that was going through his head again and again.
Should I punch his head off or should I break his leg, ending his basketball career?
All of their attention was drawn towards the disorder in a small section of a particular group of students. Gwen tears through the group of students creating a large ruckus.
She walked quickly towards Flash. Her face had no expression on them. Her brilliant blue eyes were soul piercing. She stood just a few feet away from Flash's grinning face.
His grin disappeared the moment he looked at Gwen. She was small and vicious and that look was dead dropping. She pulled her right hand and planted a tight slap on his face.
The sound echoed through the hallway. There was no more hustling in the crowd, a pin drop silence as the crowd echoed to complete silence.
Gwen, the goody girl had done this and saved Peter's ass.
This was humiliation on a completely different level for Flash. He staggered by the force of impact and stood still for some time. His mind was literally shaking from the slap that he had to receive from her. He looked at her, thinking of something bad.
But before that, Gwen spoke up.
"Flash you are so done, your impudence is going to take toll on you. Don't you get tired of all this? Huh? Hubris softens the earth beneath the feet of victory. You know what I would have been ashamed of myself for having to do that. I was wrong to think you had anything good left in you. You are just rotten from head to toe. There is no way you could ever come up with anything not even a way to … pfft, just leave it. You are a severely rotten apple aren't you? You will do anything to get back at him for someone who had done an honest mistake. He said he was sorry, didn't he? Yeah. Real mature. No more tuition classes for you. Remember I had warned you before but you know what? That's it. You have to look after yourself from now on."
She left him standing right there, along with the other jocks. All of them were stunned.
Peter himself was shaken. What did just happen?
She slapped Flash.
She really slapped Flash.
And that felt good. Really good.
How he wished he could slap him too.
Gwen walked past Peter. She grabbed hold of his hand as she tore through the awed looking classmates. Peter literally tripped as he got dragged on by her.
She pulled him into an open classroom and closed the door behind her.
Peter looked her quizzically.
"Gwen did you know what you just did?" asked Peter completely wonderstruck to think that Gwen had it in her too.
"Peter do you know what I believe? People especially like Flash, you know. Or just people take people in general, people can be bad but there is also good in people. It does not take even half the effort for people to go bad in the first place but once people are brought within their senses it would not take much time for them to understand the good in everyone. And I believe that with all my heart. That goes on without saying. And whatever I did, I wish that he would just realise where he had been going wrong. Even if he does not, every time he goes off, there will be people to keep a check on him. This time it was me and maybe the next time there will be someone else. But remember Peter no one can ever substitute what you are destined for. Your time is yet to come. And when it comes, there is no way there will be any way to avoid any mistakes. You have to make the biggest of all sacrifices. Sacrifices that other people can only dream of. People like us will there to take care of you for now but there is something that other people can only take so much. Remember the reason Peter why you had been given this chance. Remember …"
xxxxxxx
The real world slowly transpired into his existence. He felt himself moving forward, MJ silently moving on beside him,. She had nothing to say.
What was there to say anyway?
This was the principle that Peter followed. This was the principle that he held on to.
Peter's focus was now sharper than ever. He would protect people that was his only main goal at becoming something transcending into something big. It was all in his mind. He knew of that but this transcendence in his mind was what inspired him to take up a costume and there was very reason behind it. This transcendence is what every hero looks for, they thrive on it.
Peter could feel MJ's sadness radiate towards him, although she did not speak much.
Peter was silent. She was sad and the way she thought felt pure like the thoughtfulness of a small child.
She looked at him and nodded curtly. It was time to get back to business. She focussed her ability as he felt her range increase, the sudden spike in her concentration. Her senses picked up anomalies, the feeling was similar to him but it was way stronger than his. Like lamps of linked souls, two of them, her concentration amplified, pin pointed by her, hearing the echoes, stronger than words themselves.
"There is this slight disturbance, and like they said, there are exactly two of them to be precise. There is something unnatural about them. It seems they are releasing some form of … I don't like it. There is something very bad, I have a bad feeling about this."
Her thought were disturbed.
MJ was slowing down all of a sudden. Something was effecting her. Peter stopped for a moment and looked at MJ.
Peter was scared stiff seeing her reaction, like a bottle of acid was poured all over her. She was sprawled on the ground, like a fish in dire agony when taken out of water. She was stuttering. She was trying to tell him something but all of that was gibberish to him.
He linked himself to her mind.
Peter did not need her telling him, what she was feeling. It was somewhat strange. It was like plunging your world into a swirling pool of darkness, followed by excruciating pain like she inside her own nightmare.
Peter desperately tried to calm her but to no avail. She was gone. Her breath came out rasped and jagged like was having difficulty in breathing. Peter locked himself onto her memories.
He felt her swim through the profanities at which she was gasping and fighting in her own way.
He pulled her mask from her face. Her hair was messy. Her eyes were bloodshot. He had to get her away from wherever they were.
Maybe it was the unnatural vibe the place had. It was creepy and that was what was taking a toll on her.
Peter remembered, once had a similar feeling before. The same feeling that he had when the weird glowy fist Mr fortune cookie guy had messed with his head. It was just too intensified and the same that he once faced. Then was it him fighting with someone. He had to see. He had to make sure but before that he had to take her to safety.
MJ was in no position to get up and let alone take another stride. She was completely handicapped and keeping her nearby would further complicate things up. He had to keep her safe.
Picked up MJ's body. She slumped her over his shoulder and carried her back, back to the Agent's team.
He could not keep her waiting, he had to take her away as far as possible.
xxxxxxxxxx
Peter rushed back, how much he hated himself for it, his inquisitiveness was barely hanging on to a thread. He hurried back to SHIELD's base and found the rest all of them slumped over at the computer screen. Peter stomped his right foot deliberately to get their attention.
They snapped their head from and looked at Peter like they are seeing a ghost.
"Um… Hello. Toxin over her needs some assistance." Peter was shaking his left hand trying in vain to get their frozen brain into action.
"How? How? Just how is that possible?" Agent Fitz stammered at Peter gawking at him.
Agent Coulson's face was stern, his eyebrows knitted into a tight knot, joined into a straight line, Agent May and Ward had the same faceless expressions but it had a sudden hint of wonderment. Agent Skye face hung open and she looked at him. She quickly closed her mouth. She was the first one to come to her senses and nudged Simmons.
She still looked awed and shook her head with disbelief.
"Wait, wait, what is it? Please, guys speak up …." Peter waited patiently.
"And I am done with you guys being tongue tied."
Peter stormed in front of them and headed to the med bay as the agents looked at him with disbelieving eyes. Peter rushed forward.
He could feel MJ's body quiver. It had started to quiver all of a sudden and then it stopped equally suddenly. Peter hurried. The last thing he needed was her loosing her consciousness once again. Not this time, maybe never again. He wondered why it was always with her.
She has had enough. Peter cursed himself for transfusing his blood into her.
Peter had grown sombre. He rushed to the med laboratory inside the BUS. The slight of the pristine cubic room brought down harsh memories and there was the bed where MJ once lay.
The very sight was a bit too overwhelming for him.
Peter could hear pattering of rubber soled shoes hitting the soft mushy ground. The agents were hurrying over to him.
Peter placed MJ softly on the plush pristine white mattress. Her head disappeared beneath the soft mushy pillow. Peter took a good look at her.
She was stabilising. Her breath had become normal. Peter almost heaved.
"Thank God, she is fine." Peter felt like the weight of the world lift from his shoulder.
Her eyes fluttered open.
Peter smiled at her.
MJ turned her head and looked at Peter.
She was scared. She green eyes and eyebrows were strained.
Seeing her stressed out so bad, concerned Peter.
"Peter there is something very bad out there. I beg of you … please."
She was desperate. Desperate tears hung out at the corner of her eyes as all of them tickled from the corner of her eyes.
"Peter you have to promise me. You can't go there. Never look back again ..."
"Why ? What was it?" Peter looked at her perplexed. He never had an evil vibe, the way MJ sounded terrified, just didn't make any sense to him. And those Agents were another question.
Something was ticking them off.
He wanted to know what was it?
MJ was hiccupping. Like something stuck in her throat. She coughed desperately. Trying to puke and belch.
Peter took a few steps away from her. Now this was scary.
Peter thumped her back.
Helping her break the fit of cough that was taking over her.
After a few painful, coughs, she stopped.
Drool seeped from the corner of her mouth.
MJ looked at Peter with reddened eyes that barely looked human. It looked like a pool of bloody red wine with white vines that joined to form a brumal latent pea green seed right at the centre.
Gone was the rich emerald green she once had.
She seemed tarnished and violated beyond repair.
"I saw a world. Pete, heaven. I had a glimpse of the afterlife." she stuttered.
Peter stood there completely stunned.
Her memories, her vision could not reveal anything else what she had already seen. It was nothing like he had seen. He could see why MJ seemed so trippy. What was the reason behind all of it.
Peter gasped.
Fitz and Skye came running and held Peter to his feet while Agent Simmons rushed to tend MJ.
"Peter we had witnessed a worm-hole open up right where you were heading. There was no way to contact you. Your coms were fried…"
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Readers, I hope you did like the name that I gave MJ. I thought it to be apt. Anyway suggestion are welcome as usual. And by now I hope all of you have guessed the final fierce fight - the eternal fight between Steel Serpent and Iron Fist. I hope that I would be able to satisfy all of you. And after that there would be a new storm brewing, one of Spiderman's classic villains would finally show up, even if I fail to mention about it, I would make it up for you.
So folks, stay tuned, because the next fight would be epic and this time there would be another Spider hero who would show up.