Peter's cell phone rang as he was doing homework. He grabbed it with his free hand while keeping his eyes on the papers. "Hello?"
"Hey, Pete." It was Harry's voice. "I need to talk to you about that Carnage guy in the papers."
"About who?"
"About... Didn't you see the news today?"
"No, I've been busy."
"Oh. Okay, then I'll tell you what happened last night. But before I do, I need to make sure: Peter, you know that we're friends, right?"
"Uh... yeah."
"So I'm not saying this because I dislike you or I'm mad at you. It's just because I can't resist telling someone 'I told you so'."
"Okay...?" What the heck was this about?
"There was a hostage situation in the middle of the night. Some guy calling himself 'Carnage' grabbed a bunch of people and used them to call out Spider-Man. One of the hostages was shot. Then Spider-Man showed up and saved the others. Carnage tied a bomb to himself and scared everyone so he could run away, and Spider-Man ran after him. Nobody saw either of them after that."
Peter thought about this carefully. It was nice to finally know what happened, but... "Why are you telling me this? Why should I care what Spider-Man does?"
"This isn't about Spider-Man, Pete. It's about Carnage... That was Cletus Kasady. You know, the kid who I said was dangerous."
"What makes you think it was him?"
"When I read this article, the first thing I noticed was the name the culprit used," Harry replied. "Cletus Kasady had that same nickname back when I knew him. Well... I wouldn't call it a nickname. He only used it around me. And never in a felony. Then again, I told you his stupid pranks were going to escalate."
Once again, Peter wasn't sure how to respond at first. "Should we tell the police?"
"No. The evidence is too circumstantial. It's not like he has a copyright on the name 'Carnage.' Besides, there's only my word that he was involved in those other accidents."
Peter realized that Harry never went into detail about those accidents.
"I know I'm being biased, but I'm not wrong either. Cletus did those other things, and he did this hostage situation too. That mere fact that it happened the same week he moved here is enough to convince me. Please keep your distance, Peter, for your own sake."
"Harry, what exactly happened between you and Cletus?"
He was silent for a moment, then he calmly said, "I accused him, and he denied it. Nothing happened."
And then Harry hung up.
Carnage Part 1 - Outbreak
Spidey woke up and jumped out of bed.
He wasn't waiting for anything. He mentally summoned his costume while walking to the window.
The bio-suit responded to Spidey's thoughts because it was part of his own body. Permanently attached, but invisible within his skin when not in use. Whenever he willed it, it washed over his body like a gel and dried into fabric-like texture. It was black, but shone dark blue under light.
Then Spidey added color to it. From black/blue to black/blue and red. Then the red gained a spider-web pattern. Then the pattern had a spider insignia in the center of his chest. It all took just a second or two. Spidey's control over the suit increased with practice, but he was pleased with the current design and decided a long time ago not to alter it further. But that was no concern to him right now.
He noticed a piece of paper taped to the window.
Stop keeping us in the dark! -Peter and Gwen
Spidey ripped the note off without a second glance and opened the window. He didn't bother checking if the coast was clear. Spidey jumped out and began web-slinging from telephone poles. He didn't waste time crawling around stealthily. He was going for speed.
He headed straight for Oscorp.
Oscorp Industries Science Research Lab.
Carnage was already inside the building, wearing his red mask with the jack-o-lantern smile. He stood in front of a door that read, "RESTRICTED AREA." In one hand, he held a security key card. In the other, he held a can of pepper spray.
Dissatisfied, he grabbed another bag and dumped the contents. Out dropped the pepper spray. "Bingo!" He took it and stood up. "I'll save this for later," he mumbled, stuffing the pepper spray into his pocket.
Carnage told Spidey that the hostage situation was just an excuse to introduce himself - just to have fun. That was only half-true. He was also hoping he could gather supplies for this exact purpose. He planned this visit to Oscorp a long time ago.
He swiped the security card through the card reader, and the door opened.
There were two technicians in the laboratory beyond. They noticed Carnage immediately, of course. "What are you doing here?!"
One of them ran towards him, but Carnage nonchalantly shot the pepper spray into his face. The scientist collapsed on the ground, clutching his face. The other scientist, seeing what happened, had the presence of mind to grab safety goggles from his worktable.
But while he was getting them on his face, Carnage dropped the bottle, reached behind his head - into his backpack - and pulled out his lead pipe. Carnage struck once from behind, onto the man's head. He wouldn't be getting up for a while. Carnage put the pipe back into his backpack and walked to the other end of the lab.
There was another door, but larger, thicker, probably titanium. Carnage swiped the card through the card reader. The electronic screen read, "INSUFFICIENT CLEARANCE. ENTRY DENIED."
The boy looked at his card in confusion. "Huh. I guess it's NOT one-card-fits-all." He looked back at the technician he hit with the pipe. He walked over, rolled the groaning man onto his back, and took a new card out of his lab coat. "I'll be taking this, thank you!"
Carnage returned to the giant door and tried the new key card. The door parted in the middle and slowly slid open.
"Man, the security around here sucks," Carnage said as he walked through. The door closed behind him.
Carnage was completely unaware of the camera on the lab's ceiling.
Norman Osborn watched the scene from a laptop on his office desk. His expression was cold and seething.
"Sucks, he says. We'll see about that."
On his desk, Mr. Osborn pressed a green button.
The room Carnage entered was very different from the last one. The room was large and barren. There was only a glass tube in the center, stretching from floor to ceiling.
There was no obvious light source except from the glass. It cast a faint, unnatural glow against the walls and Carnage's body. Carnage stepped forward slowly. He gazed into the glass.
On the bottom of the case was a dark, sludge-like object. Black and red. Blood red.
Carnage reached behind his head and pulled out the lead pipe again.
"With this, I'll finally be able to destroy him... With him gone, I'll get everything I want..."
He raised the pipe.
"Everything!"
He swung.
Howard Backyard and Natasha Quarter were working late in their shared office. This was the same place they hid the bio-suit they created, and where Spidey acquired it later.
And now Spidey had returned, knocking on the window. The two scientists glanced at each other in surprise. Then Backyard walked over and opened the window for the visitor. "Peter, what are you-"
"YOU LOUSY, SCUM-SUCKING TRAITORS!" Backyard jumped away just before Spidey could throttle his neck, while Quarter backed up against the wall.
Spidey climbed inside the room but didn't chase them. He stood straight with his fists clenched at his sides. "Correct me if I'm wrong - even though I'm not - but I thought you promised to never tell anyone about my identity or powers!"
"We... didn't..."
"Clearly, that isn't true, because someone I met last night knew things that even I didn't know! He knew my powers came from this super-costume and he knew how to beat them! He didn't figure it out by reading tea leaves. SOMEBODY must have told him. It couldn't be anyone but you two!"
"Please, calm down." Backyard stepped forward with open hands. "We haven't told anyone your identity... but anyone in Oscorp could look up information on the bio-suit."
"What are you talking about? You two made this suit secretly."
"We made the working version secretly," Quarter countered, "but the concept of an organic bio-graft has been around for a while. We actually copied your suit from the incomplete model."
Spidey stopped and stared for a second. "Model... You mean there's another suit like mine?"
Backyard explained. "We told you before that Oscorp used to experiment with bio-grafts - machine parts that are installed in human bodies. Things like electric generators, mechanical arms, even a flying suit shaped like vulture wings. Of course, human experimentation is illegal so Oscorp had to stop... but only officially. The labs are still doing research behind the scenes."
"And the guy who runs the lab is okay with that?" Spidey asked.
"It was Mr. Osborn's idea," Quarter answered.
Spidey didn't respond.
"The old bio-grafts were crude machines," Backyard continued. "They were implants - you couldn't take them out. So Oscorp began trying to develop an organic bio-graft: a bio-suit. It would be something that wouldn't need to be installed and, ideally, could be taken off anytime with no damage to the wearer."
"In that sense," Quarter cut in, "your suit is a failure, because the bond became too strong and now it's attached to you. You see, the bio-suit works with a BCI that receives signals from your nerves and-"
"I didn't ask for a science lesson!" Spidey yelled. Then he calmed down and tried to get a straight answer. "Are you saying that another suit was made before mine, and it's been hiding in the lab here this whole time?"
"Yes and no," Quarter said. "The higher-ups started to make something: Protoform X. But they could never finish it. When the Kingpin - I mean, the fake Kingpin - contacted us, we used Protoform X as a blueprint for making a new bio-suit. We tried to correct the incompleteness by grafting traits from a pre-existing life form. In this case, a spider."
Spidey put a hand on his forehead and slowly paced around the room. "Let me see if I understand this... You made this suit by yourselves, but it's based on something the whole lab was working on. Carnage found out about that suit, and he figured I must have gotten my powers from something just like it. And that's why he knows about my powers?"
Backyard stepped forward. "Listen, Peter-"
"Don't call me Peter!" he snapped.
"Don't worry. No one can hear us."
"I can hear, and I don't like being called that!"
"Uh, okay... Spider-Man... What is all this about? Who found out about your powers?"
Before Spidey could respond, a loud alarm began buzzing through the entire building.
"BRRREEE! BRRREEE! BRRREEE!"
An explosion broke down the metal doors. And flying through the smoke came a glider - a machine shaped almost like a giant bat. A single rider stood with a foot on each wing. He wore dark green Kevlar and a helmet. The glider stopped in midair as the man surveyed the scene.
The glass containment tube was shattered. A lead pipe was on the floor nearby, discarded and forgotten. And huddled on the floor was what could only be described as a mass of red... A mass of slime that continuously stretched out and collapsed upon itself. It wasn't even humanoid. There might have been a human figure inside it, but it was obscured by a collision of tendrils, blades and teeth.
The man on the glider touched his helmet. "This is Hector Jones of Goblin Platoon One. We're too late. The target has begun to bond with Protoform X. I'm requesting authorization to terminate."
Norman Osborn's voice sighed through the transmission, then he said, "Granted."
"Roger." The man squatted down and pressed a hand onto the back of his glider. The left wing shot out a missile towards the red maelstrom.
But in a fraction of a second, a long tentacle whipped out from the target and swatted the missile into the ground. It exploded and covered the room in smoke.
As the smoke dissipated, a figure stood up straight. It was human-shaped now. A dark red body. Claws instead of fingers. Giant crystal eyes. And a gaping mouth with jagged, misshapen teeth. It seemed to be grinning like a three-dimensional jack-o-lantern.
The man touched his helmet again. "This is Hector Jones of Goblin Platoon One. The target now has full control of Protoform X. Requesting backup. This is not a drill!"
"BRRREEE! BRRREEE! BRRREEE!"
Backyard and Quarter ran down the hallways, trying to find the source of the problem.
"That alarm is really loud. Can't you turn it down?"
Quarter looked over her shoulder and saw Spidey running along the ceiling. "Why are you following us?!"
"Because the waiting room was out of magazines."
"You're the one who didn't want people to find out we know each other! You should be hiding!"
"If there's an emergency going on, there's no way I'm gonna sit around twiddling my thumbs."
"BRRREEE! BRRREEE! BRRREEE!"
The hallway led them to an open, cylindrical room, connecting every story of the building. A number of video monitors and computer consoles lined the walls below, and more monitors hung from the ceiling above, all turned off. Backyard and Quarter leaned over the banister to look. Something dark red came crashing through a door on the lower story. It was small and thin, but monstrous.
"What is that?!" Spidey cried.
"It can't be," Backyard said. "Protoform X?!"
"That's the other suit you were talking about?"
"But I thought they couldn't complete it," he added. "Who's wearing it?"
Something new came following the red figure: Four men in SWAT-like armor, each riding a mechanical glider. They surrounded the red figure, and it hissed like a caged animal. Their outfits were different, but Spidey recognized the gliders.
"Hobgoblins! Lots of them! ...What's going on?"
The moment Spidey said that the alarm went off, and all the monitors turned on simultaneously. They all showed Norman Osborn's face.
"Correction," the displays proudly said in unison. "These are my 'Green Goblins' - Oscorp's private security force. Don't forget, Hobgoblin stole his glider and arsenal from us. THIS is what it was meant to be used for. For your own safety, you should stay away from the friendly fire. We'll handle this."
The red figure was confused by the announcement. Then it looked up and saw the trio. It burst out laughing. "Man, it really is a small world!" It waved. "Nice to see you again, Spider-Man! If I knew it was this easy to bump into you, I wouldn't have bothered with that party last night."
Spidey couldn't believe it. "Carnage?!"
Now that he concentrated, he could feel it. Beneath the dangerous suit Carnage now wore, there was the same vague "danger" he felt when Carnage was only in civilian clothes.
Spidey's Spider Sense was meant to warn him of the potential to destroy. Last night, Carnage only had the desire to destroy, but it was so strong it triggered his sixth sense anyway. Now he had the will and the means.
"Exactamente, Spider-Face! How do you like my new, full-fledged Supervillain costume? Is it 'stylish'? Is it 'me'?"
Spidey glanced over the teeth and claws. "It's 'you' all right."
"Carnage," Norman Osborn resumed. "This is your last warning. If you keep Protoform X, I will be forced to destroy you both. Return it and surrender, and I'll see that you're treated fairly."
"Tempting offer, Boss-Man, but you can stuff it. This suit is MINE!"
The hands of Carnage's gelatinous suit stretched out into spears. They pierced two of the gliders and brought them crashing to the ground. The machines blew up right beneath the pilots' feet and sent them flying into the wall.
The two remaining gliders launched missiles towards Carnage's back, but whips grew from his shoulders and smacked them in midair. They exploded harmlessly on the ground behind him.
Carnage turned around and jumped. He tackled a Green Goblin in the air. The final Goblin couldn't get a clear shot.
"Friendly fire, my butt," Spidey said, "I'm not watching this!"
Spidey jumped down from the balcony. Before he touched the floor he shot a web-line from his wrist. It stuck to Carnage's back and Spidey pulled him away.
Spidey landed on his feet. Carnage landed on his back. The fourth Goblin finally launched another missile, but Carnage shot a string of gel - not unlike Spider-Man's webs - caught the missile in midair and sent it into the glider he was just attacking a moment ago. A third glider was destroyed, and its pilot passed out on the floor.
Norman pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's going to cost so much money to replace those gliders..."
The Green Goblin - now the only one left - launched a barrage of smaller missiles. Carnage and Spidey both ran away a scarce second before they hit the ground.
The explosions rocked the room up to the second story, and Backyard and Quarter decided to run for cover.
"Hey watch it! I'm on your side!" Spidey shouted.
"Mr. Osborn tried to warn you," the Goblin callously replied. He flew after Carnage.
Carnage literally bounced off the walls, dodging everything the glider threw at him. He seemed to be enjoying the excitement.
"Mr. Jones," Norman called, "the contingency weapon is ready now."
"Roger." The Green Goblin stopped his assault and flew down a corridor.
"Hey man, I'm not done with you yet." Carnage yelled, running towards the doorway.
"Neither am I!"
Spidey jumped at Carnage and slammed his fist into Carnage's head. The monster went sliding across the floor.
"Alright, Laughing Boy, spill it!" Spidey yelled. "What are you really after?"
Carnage got back on his feet. "I already told you last night, man. I'm just causing trouble."
"Liar. It must have taken a lot of planning to break in here and steal that thing. Not like last night when you had other people do all the work. Plus, even over that screeching, I heard you talk about your 'master plan'."
Carnage stared for a moment, then he chuckled. "Okay, you caught me. There IS something I need this suit for... Something VERY important."
"Like...?"
He chuckled again. "Sorry... No more hints."
He's not taking this seriously at all, Spidey thought. Is this how I sound like to other people?
"I MIGHT give you another hint later. Try again tomorrow or something," Carnage said between snorts of laughter.
"You'll be locked up in a cell by tomorrow."
"Ohhhh..." Carnage stopped laughing. "Big words, considering you got your butt handed to you last night. You didn't stand a chance BEFORE I got this power, Spider-Face. I'll take you down again and it'll be just as boring as-"
A shockwave cut him off. Carnage instinctively guarded his face, then he lowered his arms to look again.
Spidey's suit changed to black from head to toe - not dark blue like before, but true black. Spike-tipped tendrils shot out from his back, shoulders, and arms. He looked as monstrous as Carnage now. This was a power Spidey hadn't used since the battle with the Hobgoblin: Rage Mode.
"The only one going down is you!" Spidey yelled.
Though Spidey couldn't see it, Carnage's real face grinned to match his bestial mask. "That's more like it!"
The two bio-suit wearers launched themselves at each other. Carnage's arms were a blur, swiping with his scalpel fingers. Spidey's suit acted as armor. That combined with his driven focus on attacking, Spidey barely felt the slashes. His powerful arms slammed into his opponent. His extra limbs slashed and Carnage slashed back. There was no give on either side.
However, they didn't have long to fight before the Green Goblin came back. He was carrying a weapon shaped uncomfortably similar to a bazooka. The two were so immersed in their fight they didn't even notice.
The Goblin jumped down from his glider, planted his feet firmly on the floor, aimed at the intertwined combatants, and fired. But the weapon wasn't really a bazooka. It didn't shoot missiles - It shot sonic vibrations.
"Aahhh!"
"Augghh!"
Spidey and Carnage instantly stopped fighting and covered their ears. Their suits rippled along their skins, matching their pain. It didn't really matter where the Goblin aimed; the sound filled the entire room up to the roof of the building. Even Backyard and Quarter winced from their hiding spot.
Backyard went back to the railing and looked down at the scene. Spidey dropped out of Rage Mode and collapsed on the floor. Carnage was still staggering around, covering his ears and thrashing his head.
"Why is the sound hurting Spider-Man more than the other one?" He yelled to be heard over the deep bass.
Though it was directed at Quarter, Mr. Osborn answered through the myriad monitors. "It's possible that, unlike Spider-Man, Carnage is merely wearing his bio-suit and hasn't made a permanent bond yet. Even so, it DOES hurt him."
Carnage slowly staggered towards the Goblin. The Goblin held his ground and kept the sonic weapon aimed directly at him. The closer proximity clearly caused more damage for each step Carnage took. But he slowly gathered his strength... and then shot a tendril from his hand. It tore precisely through the length of the weapon.
The sound groaned and died down. All was silent.
"That... was a most... provoking... thing," Carnage growled.
The Goblin lowered the now-useless device. If he was panicking, he hid it well.
Carnage brandished a claw. He took a step forward... and then he wobbled. He kept his balance, but...
"On second thought," he said in a voice that sounded like he was trying not to throw up, "we'll finish this later. 'Sides, I have what I came for."
He glanced over his shoulder. Spidey was slowly trying to get to his feet.
"See ya later, Spider-Face. Good luck trying to stop my evil plans, and all that."
Carnage shot a line of his red webbing straight up. It reached all the way to the ceiling, and then it retracted and pulled Carnage up like a zip line. He quickly escaped through an air vent.
Once he was gone, Backyard and Quarter rushed down the stairs and tried to help Spidey to his feet. But he jerked his arm away and got up on his own, glaring at the roof.
"That's the second time I watched that creep run away gloating."
The sore loser feeling was only getting worse.
Mr. Osborn's voice resumed. "Mr. Jones, get the rest of the platoon to the intensive care unit. I'll send some people to assist you."
The video screens suddenly went blank, save one. Osborn's face was still showing on the display closest to the trio."And also, Mr. Backyard, Ms. Quarter, and Mr. Spider-Man, please come to my office. There is something I must discuss with you as soon as possible."
And then there were none.
To be continued...
Author's Notes: (3/16/2013) When I first started the Dual Identity series (waaaay back then), I never intended Backyard and Quarter to be anything more than a plot device. And yet they keep coming back. I really didn't see that coming. It's not that I like them, but they somehow became important to the story.
On an unrelated note, I wonder if anyone noticed the Green Goblin's name?
Special Shout-Out to Paradise Alley for reviewing.
Disclaimer: I based "Rage Mode" from the feature in the video game "Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions," which I do not own.