"I wanted to find out whether other people had undergone similar experiences. I never succeeded in discovering so much as a trace of them in others. As a result, I had the feeling that I was either outlawed or elect, accursed or blessed." -Carl Jung
Carnage Part 3 - The Truth About Cletus Kasady
Peter was turning it over in his head all morning - even though he was supposed to be concentrating on the teacher's lectures. He tapped his pencil on his notebook and tried to think of the missing puzzle piece.
For the very first time since Spidey appeared, he asked Peter for help. That was how seriously - how personally - he took stopping Carnage. Spidey wanted Peter to investigate Carnage in the daytime, something Spidey couldn't do alone. He had no way of knowing that the answer was already given to Peter on a platter.
Harry explicitly told Peter that Carnage was Cletus Kasady. His sixth sense corroborated this. He should just relay this to Spidey, but...
"It's not enough," he quietly muttered at his desk.
Peter knew Carnage's identity, but not his intentions. And unless he figured that out, Peter felt like he didn't understand anything at all. Gwen always hated being left in the dark. Maybe it spread to Peter?
He could actually understand other criminals, a little. They were usually driven by greed or revenge. The Hobgoblin and the Chameleon were like that, but Carnage was different.
Carnage told Spidey he was a Supervillain "just because he wanted it." Harry said Cletus hurt people because he didn't care about them. Neither was a good explanation, because it made no sense. He injured several classmates at his old school while never getting caught or even suspected. He organized a hostage situation the police were powerless to stop. And he snuck into a top-secret research facility and stole its most valuable subject.
It made no sense at all to think that these were random acts of violence. They were premeditated. They were difficult. There had to be a reason for it. And Carnage admitted to having a master plan.
Carnage was after something.
Peter was missing something!
But no matter how much he concentrated, he couldn't figure out what. He didn't have all the facts.
There was something else that bothered Peter, too. The only reason Harry didn't turn Cletus over to the police was because he had no solid proof. Despite that, Harry was convinced beyond all doubt that Cletus was hurting people. And he hated Cletus with a passion.
...So why didn't he try to stop Cletus himself?
Was Harry afraid of him? Or... was he waiting for something to happen?
Of course I don't understand Cletus, Peter thought. I just realized I've never even had a real conversation with him.
Thinking about this in his head wouldn't get Peter anywhere. He decided nothing would get solved until he took action. Everything he knew about Cletus came from a secondhand source. If Peter wanted all the facts, he had to get them directly.
He needed to talk to Cletus.
Once the last class ended, Peter briefly told Gwen that they couldn't walk home together because he had something you-know-who related to take care of, and he would explain everything later. She understood.
Peter was careful not to see Harry at all. If he suspected that Peter was trying to get involved, he would only try to stop him, again.
It took a little while to find Cletus. After asking several underclassmen, most of which didn't know where he was either (As it turns out, Cletus never spoke to his classmates, and several of them were surprised to find out the transfer student even existed), Peter eventually got a lead on where he was headed. Peter left school grounds and ran down the sidewalk in the direction Cletus was last seen.
This probably won't answer my questions - It's not like he'll make a big confession. But if I spend time with him, I might notice something Spidey overlooked. All I have to do is start a conversation and casually ask about his background without making him suspicious.
"Hey, Cletus!"
The redheaded boy stopped walking and turned around, eyes wide and curious.
Once Peter caught up, he continued. "You're Cletus Kasady, right?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"I-" Peter stopped. He just realized something.
My sixth sense isn't reacting.
Peter checked again, but he couldn't sense anything dangerous from him. And yet the first time they met, he got such an extreme reaction when Cletus wasn't even doing anything. This time Cletus seemed as normal as anyone else.
What was going on?
"U-Uh," I can't afford to mess up now, "I heard you were new in town, and I just wanted to make sure you were adjusting well to the school."
"Yes, I am." He nodded casually.
He seemed different to Peter's other senses too. Before, Cletus was completely emotionless, even robotic. His gaze could burn holes through people. But this person wasn't like that. He was calm, but not blank. Wide-eyed and innocent. His expression was warm, but his eyes... were just a little bit sad.
But maybe Peter was imagining that last part.
"My name's Peter. We met the other day, remember?"
"No," he bluntly answered. "Sorry, but I can't remember everyone I meet."
"I see..."
"Sorry, I don't want to be rude, but if that's all I'd like to get home now." He turned without waiting for a response.
"H-Hold on!" Peter ran to his side and kept pace with him. "I'm not trying to bother you. I just wanted to talk."
"Talk? With me?"
"Yeah."
"Why me?" He looked really confused, like he couldn't imagine why someone would want to hang out with him.
He seemed really innocent. It was the complete opposite of Peter's first impression... and everything Harry ever told him since then.
Peter had a cover story prepared. "Just because you're the new kid. I didn't want you to feel unwelcome. Besides, I'm really shy myself, so I'm trying to fix that."
Cletus nodded. He seemed to buy it. But the next thing he said was, "You probably shouldn't get attached to me."
Peter wasn't expecting that. "Are you planning on moving again?"
"No."
But that's not what you said the other day, Peter thought.
"If you get involved, I might cause trouble for you," Cletus said. "It's just a feeling I have."
The reality was completely different than what Harry said it was. It gave Peter more questions than he started with.
Was Cletus not Carnage after all?
But then who else if not him?
Before Peter could ponder this more, a long black car suddenly pulled up alongside them. The driver got out and looked at the boys. He was an impassive, dark-skinned man.
Peter was certain he never saw the man before, but he still seemed familiar. That might mean he's someone Spidey met.
"Cletus Kasady?" the driver asked.
"Yes," he answered.
The driver opened the passenger door. "I work for Norman Osborn. He's requested to speak with you."
Cletus stared at the stranger for a moment, then he nodded his head in a submissive way. "Okay."
"Wait, what?!" Peter grabbed his arm as he stepped forward. "You can't just let some strange guy pick you up like that!"
"It's okay." But Cletus' expression was despondent. It wasn't okay; he merely surrendered to it.
"He doesn't have to go anywhere with you," Peter told the driver. "I don't know what's going on but-"
"Peter..."
Cletus pulled his arm away from the other boy. Then he smiled. "Peter, you're a really nice person... That's why you shouldn't get involved with me."
He didn't understand this at all.
Cletus tried walking away again, but this time Peter grabbed the bottom of his shirt. "Just one more thing."
The redhead looked over his shoulder.
"Just... be careful," Peter said. Then he let go.
Cletus got into the black car without another word. The driver calmly closed the door behind him, and then he entered the car himself and drove away, leaving Peter alone.
Peter quickly took a handheld device out of his backpack. He extended the antenna and looked at the screen.
Nobody noticed that Peter stuck an electronic bug onto Cletus' shirt. Peter invented the Tracers and their Scanner a while ago, in case Spidey ever needed them for his work. It was practically a toy, but if he stayed within range, he would be able to keep tabs on Cletus.
However, in order to stay in the range of a moving car, Peter would need to rely on a special mode of transportation.
A young man in a Spider-Man costume jumped from rooftop to rooftop. He stopped frequently to recheck the handheld scanner, or search for the car with his own eyes. He avoided web slinging unless it was absolutely necessary - partly to stay hidden, partly to concentrate more on spying, and partly out of immeasurable fear of falling.
This was the first time Peter used Spidey's costume while being Peter on the inside. He never practiced with his powers and had no actual recollection of Spidey practicing, so he had to rely solely on muscle memory. It seemed to be working pretty well. After all, Spidey only learned it in one night, too.
It sort of feels like I'm impersonating someone, Peter thought. Is this what Spidey feels like when he's not in costume?
The black car drove into a construction site. The work was apparently on hiatus - there were no other people or equipment inside. It was nothing but half-finished stone walls and dusty grounds. Very large, very barren. Peter carefully followed them from the air. He waited for the best moment, and quickly swung onto the tallest almost-building in the site.
The driver parked the car and both occupants stepped out.
"I thought we were going to Oscorp?" Cletus asked.
"You're not allowed to enter Oscorp ever again. Mr. Osborn will speak with you here."
"I see... No witnesses."
"That's right."
Peter spied on them from above, peeking around the edge of a high wall.
The driver positioned a laptop on the hood of the car. "Stand over there," he instructed. Cletus politely walked about fifteen feet away from the car and turned back to face the screen. The driver moved to the side of the computer, facing Cletus.
Once the scene was set, the computer screen lit up, revealing Norman Osborn's face. "Good afternoon, Mr. Kasady."
"Good afternoon," he replied with a resigned tone.
"I hope you don't mind if we get right down to business," Osborn continued. "You know why you're here, right?"
"You're going to execute me."
"What? No. Don't be morbid. My first priority is to get back what was stolen from me. I can't do that if you're dead... At least I don't think I can." He stopped to wonder for a moment, but quickly resumed. "Carnage is too difficult to deal with directly, so I'm dealing with you instead. After all, you're his accomplice, of sorts."
"I'm not his accomplice," Cletus shot back. "If he told you I am, he's lying. I'm not involved in what he does."
"But the fact remains that you're my only connection to Carnage," Osborn replied. "You may not support him, but I must use you as an intermediary. You understand."
Peter, still in his hiding spot, narrowed his eyes.
So Cletus ISN'T Carnage after all. Harry WAS wrong. But he does know Carnage, somehow.
"So tell me, where is the bio-suit right now?" Osborn demanded.
"Is that the thing Carnage stole from you?" Cletus asked.
"It is. Did Carnage keep it on, or did he store it in some secret place?"
"...I don't know."
"Are there any places Carnage would be likely to hide something?"
"I don't know."
"Did he force you to lie?"
"No! I'm not covering for him."
"Then did he leave the suit on after all?"
"I don't know! Carnage doesn't tell me things like that. I swear, I don't know!"
Everyone was silent for a while.
Then the driver scoffed. It did not go unnoticed.
"Is something on your mind, Mr. Jones?" Osborn asked.
He moved to face the laptop screen. "Sir, do you really believe this kid's story?"
"Don't you?"
He hesitated.
Osborn sensed the unspoken question. "Yes, you may speak freely," he said with an eye roll.
"Of course not! It's obvious that Carnage is Cletus Kasady himself! Can't you see he's just blaming someone else to get out of trouble?!"
"That's not true!" Cletus desperately cried out.
"Indeed," Osborn said. "Carnage and Mr. Kasady are different people. I've confirmed it myself."
"Are you... sure?"
"Yes," he said without a bit of hesitation.
Osborn's insistence confused his assistant, but he quickly resumed his argument. "Sir, even if his story is true, everything is still Cletus' own fault."
Those words were like an electric shock to Cletus' spinal cord. "My... fault...?"
"That's rather harsh, Mr. Jones."
"It's not... my fault!"
He turned back to Cletus. "The so-called Carnage is obsessed with you. So it's not a stretch to say that everything he did is because of you."
The redhead bit his lip. "That's not the same as it being my fault."
"If you didn't exist, then Carnage never would have started these crimes. Whether you're Carnage or not, that is an undeniable fact."
It was getting a lot harder for Peter to watch this silently.
Cletus lowered his head and clenched his fists. "Don't you think I know that? ...But it's not like I wanted any of this to happen."
"Are you saying it was inevitable?" Osborn's assistant asked, lacking both anger and gentility. "If that's the case, then who exactly is supposed to take responsibility for what happened?"
Cletus couldn't answer. And everything was silent again.
This time, Osborn was the one to break it with a frustrated sigh. "Mr. Kasady, would you please call Carnage here?"
He snapped his head back up. "What?!"
"I still need to get the bio-suit back. If you can't give me any leads, the only other option is to negotiate with him directly."
Growing scared, Cletus took a step backwards.
The assistant took a gun out of his coat. "If you don't call him, I'm prepared to make you."
That was when Peter couldn't wait anymore.
"STOP IT!"
Peter leapt down from his hiding spot and landed squarely between Cletus and his interrogators. It was a shock for everyone.
"Well, well. It seems we had a fly on the wall - sort of," Osborn murmured.
"I don't know what's going on," Peter started, "no, it's because I don't understand that I can't just sit back and watch this!"
"This has nothing to do with you, Spider-Man," Osborn's assistant said. "Don't get involved."
"You're wrong," Peter responded. "A lot of people have been telling me not to get involved, but I just realized something... Getting involved isn't something you choose. It's something that happens. And I've probably been a part of this since I first heard of Cletus Kasady."
Cletus just stared at the costumed newcomer in confusion.
"If you knew who that kid was, you wouldn't be protecting him."
Peter's sixth sense flared, a second before the other man aimed his gun at Cletus. The redhead paled.
"NO!"
Peter jumped at the shooter, pushing his arm away. A red laser flashed through the air. Peter looked over his shoulder.
The shot didn't touch Cletus, but it came close. The boy fell to his knees, and then down on his face. He fainted on the spot.
Peter turned back and grabbed the gun out of the man's hand. "What is wrong with you?!"
"That's a laser gun," he callously replied. "The damage wouldn't have been lethal."
"That's no excuse!" He threw the gun on the ground.
"That's not your decision," he shot back. "Don't act like you can give orders when you don't know the situation!"
"I don't care what the situation is or how bad you want your stupid suit back! You don't have the right to-"
Something interrupted Peter. It was a feeling. A silent aura of danger was emanating from behind him. It was vague, but powerful... and familiar. He turned around. "This is..."
Hector Jones, who didn't have a danger sense; and even Norman Osborn himself, who was only watching the scene through a webcam; also seemed to sense the change in atmosphere. "He's here," Osborn said.
The "danger" was coming from Cletus' collapsed body.
A few moments later, strands of red and black gel appeared and started wrapping up the body, while the boy pushed himself to his feet. He staggered drowsily like someone who had been sleeping for a long time.
"I see," Osborn muttered. "So Carnage didn't take the suit off after all. He just left it in stealth mode."
"Carnage?" Peter stared at the computer. "But you said he wasn't Carnage."
"I never said that. I said Carnage and Mr. Kasady were different people."
"So he is but he isn't? They can't both be true. That's like saying..."
Peter felt like his heart skipped a beat. He looked back to the other boy, now in full costume.
No way...
The person in the red costume glanced at the barren surroundings. "Why am I here?" he hissed in anger.
Hector hurriedly opened the trunk of the car. Inside were his helmet and the folded Goblin Glider, which quickly floated out and extended its wings, preparing for battle. But Peter was frozen to the spot.
No way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way...
The being they were looking at... It was in Cletus' body... but it wasn't Cletus.
Carnage glared at the others. "Why were you TALKING WITH HIM?!" Spike-tipped whips shot out from his fingers.
And that was when Peter remembered to move. He dodged behind the black car. The car protected him completely, but it had several new holes to show for it. The Goblin pilot hopped on his machine and took to the air.
Peter suddenly understood everything. This was why his sixth sense had two different reactions to the same body.
This was the real reason why Carnage wanted to be a Supervillain... It was to establish a concept of his own identity... Exactly like Spidey did...
Cletus is exactly like me...
Cletus and Carnage are exactly like us...!
The red monster jumped over the car and landed directly in front of his antithesis. "You're a lot nosier than I pegged you for, Spider-Face. You weren't supposed to learn my secret yet."
Peter forgot himself and grabbed Carnage by the shoulders, shaking him. "Carnage, is it true?! Are you Cletus' alter? Do you have dissociative identity disorder?!"
"SHUT UP!" Carnage head butted Peter, forcing him away. "Shut your mouth! Don't talk to me about him!"
Carnage swiped at Peter with his scalpel fingers. He jumped away from each grab. He may have had superpowers from the bio-suit, but Peter had absolutely no fighting experience (unless you count running away from school bullies). He was too scared to do anything but dodge.
To his relief, the Green Goblin intervened. He split up the melee fighters with rapid-fire lasers, then the lasers followed Carnage as he ran.
Carnage turned abruptly and swung his whips into the air. The glider stopped firing and moved higher, trying to get out of Carnage's reach.
"Mr. Jones!" Osborn struggled to see the action through the computer screen. "That's my last glider! Don't you dare get it broken!"
"Don't you think I'm trying?"
"Carnage! I want to negotiate the return of that bio-suit! You know I can match any price you name. Stop fighting and-"
"Shut up, man!" Carnage shouted at the laptop. "You can't BUY me! There's only one thing I want, and that's to kill Cletus Kasady!" He ended the negotiation by punching his claw through the screen.
"That kid has no appreciation for how expensive our equipment is," the Goblin growled.
He flew down low and fired a barrage of small missiles. Carnage tried swatting at them with his long tentacles. Some were deflected. Many weren't. They struck him and the whole area around him, kicking up dust and smoke into the air.
The Goblin flew through the cloud to clear the smoke faster. But by the time the scene was visible again, he was the only one there. Carnage and Spider-Man had both snuck away.
Peter was in civilian clothes again, running down the sidewalk as fast as he could. He ducked into an alleyway only when he couldn't run anymore. He leaned against the wall and slowly slid to the ground. Peter didn't hear any screaming from the other pedestrians, so he guessed Carnage wasn't following him - not in costume, at least.
It can't be... Peter could barely hear his own thoughts over the sound of his panting and the heartbeat in his ears. It's impossible, but it's real. Cletus has DID... There's two people in this city with DID...
He has a bio-suit... Carnage and Cletus are exactly like Spidey and me... but Carnage is dealing with the frustration by being a Supervillain...
"What... What am I supposed to do now?"
At that moment, Carnage was the mirror image of Peter. Hiding in civilian clothes, he was standing in another alley in a different part of the city.
He banged his fist against the brick wall. "Man, what the hell was that ABOUT?! Osborn, Cletus, AND Spider-Man were meeting each other?! Why don't I just call EVERYBODY I know so they can ALL get in my way?!"
Carnage kicked the garbage dumpster. It hurt, but Cletus would feel it later, so that made it okay.
"Never expected Spider-Face to know what 'dissociative identity disorder' was... Well, I guess it's not a secret. I WAS gonna tell him eventually, but damn. He might actually have a brain inside that mask."
He shouted up into the sky.
"Cletus! I don't know if you'll remember any of this, but if you think Spider-Face can save you, you're KIDDING YOURSELF! I'm going to UTTERLY DESTROY YOU!"
Author's Notes: (4/21/2013) I'm so excited to finally have this chapter up! The big reveal!
I planned from the very beginning (and by "very beginning" I mean the VERY beginning - as in when I first thought of this Spider-Man AU, before I even got an account on this site) for Spidey and Pete's greatest enemy to also have a split personality. The only question was who that enemy would be, but even that was decided very early.
It couldn't be the Green Goblin. That'd be redundant. Venom was also too obvious a choice, but then I thought Carnage would be a little more interesting. Carnage is always introduced as a "Second Venom," when he's introduced at all. I thought it'd be neat to use him by himself.
Ever since I introduced Cletus in "Before the Calm," I was scared of someone figuring it out too soon and spoiling it in a review (how stupid, to be scared of reviews) so I was very careful not to drop any hints about the split personality. I only implied that Carnage knew something he wasn't telling anyone. Also, I was sort of setting up Harry to be a red herring, but maybe that was too subtle (laughs). The problem with that is, now that I have revealed it, I'm worried it seems less "revealing" and more "impromptu." I assure you this is not some random plot twist I pulled out of my hat just now.
Special Shout-Out to JustNobody for reviewing again. Looking back, I guess Kougami!Osborn was pretty obvious to anyone who watches Kamen Rider. Maybe I should tone it down... Nah.
Disclaimer: I do not own Spider-Man nor Carnage... Nor Peter Parker nor Cletus Kasady.