Disclaimer: I do not own any of the series created by 'Marvel' 'Black Star Rock Shooter' 'Fallout' and the 'Metal Gear' Franchise or its cast of characters. All the writing written below was only copied and pasted by me, the credit for the literature belongs to their rightful owners while the majority is entirely by Cosgrove as well as anyone who posted their piece of literature to him and he decided to add in his thread of the actual 'Peter Parker Quest'. Also give out your thoughts on each chapter or ask questions in the review sections and I'll check them frequently.
Enjoy.
[THE WORLD WITHOUT]
[MAXIMUM CARNAGE]
ARC
CHAPTER 28
End of the Road
Having met Stella, the clone girl who looks up to you as a mentor, you've grown attached to her through stories and time spent. You think you might've really got through to her, too. Seems like she trusts you and values every lesson you have to give, even if she doesn't get them fully at first.
The night has come again- you're only two more nights and one day away from reaching DOOM's fortress. Well, hopefully. You haven't seen that mysterious figure following you again, but you're still sure CARNAGE is following- her cry in the night is harrowing.
So far you've spend time fiddling with video games- they were recharged, but their batteries will probably last only until tomorrow- there's no real way to charge them on the truck- you didn't grab any adapters for vehicles and you don't see any ports even if they were. To your side, Stella is sitting there wrapped in a blanket, reading a book she grabbed.
Having asked her about her powers, it seems like she can make illusions- currently she can't hold them long- only half a minute but eventually they'll increase in duration. But, more importantly, she can use the chains she can summon to interact with things- she can use them to move herself by latching onto something and winding in the chain, or use them to wrap others up. However, damage to the chain seems to damage her, so she's not necessarily too fond of using them when enemies are about.
Alice has, if anything, seemed a little annoyed lately. Her tone is more tense and she tries to spend more time out on patrol- when she sits to recharge inside, it is on the far side of the bench as far as she can get from the two of you.
The symbiote's been pretty docile- you think it watches you, but it seems a little more subdued. Thoughtful, even. You aren't sure if that's a good thing, though.
You take one of the three laptops. There's some power, so they'll work. For a short period of time, anyway. Still, better to work on something and get an understanding of future technology. You've read the manual for one of them and you should see how much programming and technology have advanced in twenty years. Powering up one of them, you look it over, but the interfaces are touch based and it wants you to register the computer. But you have no internet and probably couldn't do that anyway. Powering it down, you pull out the case of tiny screwdrivers and get to opening the case. Well, might as well see how the guts of these things have advanced, you've got three of them, too.
Besides, you're skilled with engineering, so what's the worst that can happen?
An hour and a half later, you push the ruins of the last laptop into the bag and push it away from you before wrapping a blanket around yourself. Stella carefully puts her handheld far away from you, scooting the videogames away with one foot.
Everything is ruined. Forever.
You feel something patting you on your head. Glancing over you see Stella giving you a smile. "Well, just remember that failure is just the first step towards success, Peter! You've just made a bunch of first steps, so you're… a lot closer to success now."
You glance at her and try to give her a weak grin. "…thanks, Stella."
You sit trying to ignore the monument to your failure as you try to tell Stella another story. She listens intently as you tell her about the time you and Uncle Ben lost Aunt May at the Zoo, The time you and Uncle Ben built the model boat that won an award, and the time Uncle Ben tried to cook.
Stella wipes a tear from her eye. "I don't believe you. Nobody could make cornflakes burn."
You raise a hand. "Scout's honor. Aunt May and I were mystified, too. It was the last and only time he was allowed to cook."
The door out back opens as Alice walks in, pauses and then goes to sit down.
"I could tell you about my neighbor Mary Jane as a kid- she was kind of a nightmare that haunted me for a while."
"Oh, tell me, tell me!"
"Well…"
You tell her of several of the funnier times you were bullied, but you make sure to avoid the spaghetti incident. You pause as you see Alice cross her arms, but she doesn't do anything more as you continue your stories. Eventually you find yourself rather tired and call it a night.
When next you wake, it's early in the day. The Doktor shakes you awake. Her skin, artificial as it is, looks waxy and she seems exhausted. "Get up. Zere is business zat needs zo be done."
"..hmm, what is it?"
"Ve are destroying ze symbiote."
In the glass tank you see the symbiote try to hide.
You snap awake as you force your mind to coherence. "Wait, what now?"
The Doktor crosses her arms. "Ve are destroying ze symbiote. It is dangerous to have around, und zere is no vay you are using it. Zis vas ze plan if Agent Venom was ever terminated."
You scowl and look away. "I'll do it. I was the one who saved it, so I might as well do it. I want a little time though, alright?"
Stella tugs on your sleeve, looking confused and upset.. "What? We're destroying it? Why?! It hasn't done anything wrong."
You grimace and look away. "Just give me an hour, Dok. Then I'll do it."
She crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow before letting out a sigh. "Fine. Vone hour, zen it burns."
Stella looks at you confused and hurt as you hand her the gaming console you gave to her. "Just… play some games, Stella. I need to be alone for a while."
Picking up some of your things, you go and sit away from the truck for a while, your back to it.
OO
Stella doesn't look at you as you get back inside. The space that has the Symbiote's tank is now unoccupied, leaving the area emptier, more lifeless. You sit down and let out a sigh.
Great.
It's still day for a while, so you might as well do some lookout duty- moments later, you're on top of the truck, halfheartedly looking for any possible trouble.
DOOM's fortress can't come soon enough.
You sit for a while- feeling miserable and generally being in a bad mood. Things haven't been your day- week whatever the fuck it is. Between the general problems you had back home and the shit you've seen, you're sick of the future. Everything you've known is gone, turned upside on its head, or has covered you in its gore. You haven't slept well for the past few days, barring that one night, and you've been hunted by a monster that might've been your friend.
Which is now another problem you have to get on when you get back.
Time travel is the worst thing ever. When you get back, you're destroying the machine and making sure DOOM never builds another.
Eventually, as the day passes you hear something. It sounds like the sound of engines as several mad max style bikers come out of side roads and surround your vehicle. They've got guns in their hands and several of the ones on the back have ropes- like they're trying to board.
As they see you one of them raises a hand- "TUNNEL SNAKES RULE!"
Before they can even fire on you, you're webbing their guns shut before grabbing them, one by one and webbing them to buildings or telephone poles- it probably hurt a bit, but better than what they'd do. As you continue on, there seems to be no more left as you pick up a radio- one of the several you got.
"There were some raiders, it seems. I webbed them up, they shouldn't be a problem."
"Understood, Spider-man."
The Doktor comes on over the radio before drawing quiet. You're beginning to dislike her, but so long as she gets you to DOOM, you don't care anymore. That's what matters right now.
Just a little longer.
One more night.
As the night approaches, you head back inside as Alice heads roof-side. Stella's still not talking to you her head stuck in her game, so you pick up yours and do the same. There's a silence here, a weight that feels suffocating. You glance over to see Stella glancing at you before she pulls her blanket over her head.
You glance down at your game console- almost out of power. You finish what you were doing and take a quick rest, making sure to get up before dawn comes. Heading roofside, you see it- not far away. The dawn hasn't begun yet, but the sky has lightened up.
On the horizon there's a large metal fortress that gives off an ominous feeling, but it reminds you of how DOOM styled his gauntlets and mask- lots of rivets and cold edges. Finally. Almost there.
And then, you hear a cry, one last time.
"WWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"
As something shoots past you overhead like a rocket, gaining distance before unfurling itself. With large webbed wings where there should be arms, CARNAGE has taken the lead. Ragged, worn and half-way fallen apart, it must have prioritized chasing you over anything else.
It's beating you to DOOM's Fortress now.
The Doktor curses over the radio as Alice struggles to her feet, clutching her head. You hear an aggravated growl coming from her.
You aim carefully with your webshooter- you have to get it before it can get out of dodge. Anchoring yourself, you fire as you web its back and pull. Carnage looks back and screeches as its eyes narrow.
Alice staggers on her feet, but she's not down as you hear her take a deep breath.
Webbing the radio to yourself, you use your free hand to use it. "Stella. CARNAGE is here, I need some anti-air support, now."
A few seconds later, hearing the sound of rattling chains behind you, you then hear footsteps as Stella approaches, anchoring herself to the roof by stabbing her sword into it and wrapping chains around it. Holding up the rather ridiculous looking revolver compared to the girl holding it, she closes an eye before firing. You've been busy as well, too.
You've been webbing CARNAGE up, more and more, slowing it down- it's visibly stressing to keep itself moving. Finally it moves to turn around as Stella strikes true, blasting a large hole into its chest as it screeches in agony as the dawn finally breaks, dropping to the ground in a large, webbing covered mess as the vehicle runs it over with a loud set of 'THUMPs'
Heading towards the back, you see a disfigured form trying to drag itself from the truck as it breaks down and disappears into the distance with a horrid cry. You let out a sigh of relief.
It's day and CARNAGE is finally gone- you'll be able to make it there.
It only takes another hour or two as the three of you stay up top before you reach DOOM's gates, which are large and open. Up close, you feel a pang of worry, it looks rather beaten and unkempt up close.
You've seen too many horror movies- you know how splitting up ends up. "Alright, everyone. Let's go in together and make sure everything's good."
Alice looks a big ragged still, but she seems to be holding herself together well all things considered. The Doktor comes out a few minutes later wearing a large cloak over herself, but you can see her arms crossed. "Indeed. Let us go."
Heading into the entrance, you pass through the doorways- everyone's alert as you step onto a large room with an open sky- what used to be an open entrance walkway to the building is now cleared and full of rubble. Walking in you freeze as you see a large, monstrous green man scratching his head like a dog. "Ah, I was wondering when you'd arrive."
He snaps as dozens of large snarling beasts-men approach from where they hid amongst the rubble. He chuckles in a way that reminds you of a hyena as Alice and the Doktor move to guard you and Stella.
And then you see Alice inhale suddenly and stagger as you drop to your knees in agony.
DIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDEATHBYEMBALMINGDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDEATBYDECAPITATIONDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDEATHBYTORTUREDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDEATHBYVIVISECTIONDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDEATHBYEXSANGUINATION
As you feel something stab into your arm. Letting out a rough chuckle, Gwen's battered face begins quickly healing itself as you feel her draining your blood. Dropping you, she steps back. "I wondered if that decoy would trick you, Peter. I'm glad it did."
She turns and lets out a sigh, spreading her arms towards the morning sun. "Ah, it's been so long since I've been able to enjoy the sun, its rays feel so good."
Stella grits her teeth and fires at Gwen's back, who merely tilts her head to the side and catches the bullet as it flies past her. She looks at it like one would a toy before turning and throwing it into the Charging Alice's arm, the large bullet impacting and severing it.
"Finally, the Spider-sense is mine again. At last I am no longer limited, my fully body's functionality has returned to me!"
She laughs enthusiastically spreading her arms as the sun illuminates her form from behind.
"I HAVE BECOME THE ULTIMATE BEING!"
END
To Be Continued...
Publisher's Note:
Tunnel Snakes: If you didn't catch on early these guys are from the 'Fallout' Franchise.
Ask any questions.