[THE WORLD WITHOUT]

[MAXIMUM CARNAGE]

ARC

CHAPTER 29

Saviors and Martyrs: Escape 2035

TIME UNKNOWN

It's getting harder to breathe. All that sustains me is the very willpower to keep my body moving. My nemesis might kill me, but I, too, have ended him. Perhaps now the world shall have a chance.

Regardless, there is one matter that I must still attend to.

I am a man of my word.

So, I leave the world one last gift.

The greatest gift DOOM could ever give the world.

Man of Spiders…

I leave everything in…..

CURRENTLY

Gwen looks at your group as you grab at your shoulder. The wound isn't deep, but she took a decent amount of blood- your head is a bit dizzy. You grit your teeth.

"How the hell?"

"Oh, you didn't realize it Peter? From the beginning, everything has proceeded according to my designs. The constant harassing of you, driving you single-mindedly towards DOOM's fortress. Once I figured out where your destination would be, it wasn't hard to use our helicopter once Jackal was well out of visual sight, by keeping low and taking a large arc, you'd never be aware of his faster approach, especially with your attention always being focused upon me."

She tucks her hair behind her ear. "Of course, I needed you to think I was desperate, too. So I let myself run a little ragged. I honestly was pretty close to death there after expelling that Decoy. It was a pretty risky expenditure. But, after several days without a good night's sleep, the rest of your group would be frazzled enough to not pay too close of attention.

"You, meanwhile, would be too focused upon your goal- going back to the past to even care."

She stretches with several audible cracks from her joints. "Still, all went according to my plan. So, I'll show you a gift. She's not as pretty as she once was, but years of torture and experimentation will do that to you."

She gestures at the Jackal who whistles as a large monstrous white cat monster appears with a roar, clawing at its head in agony.

"It was hard to get her to listen until I placed a small bit of my cells to… persuade her. Even a beast will do as it's told to avoid pain."

Your fists clench as you struggle to your feet. This is monstrous, horrible. You lock eyes with the beast, its green eyes look back at you.

"Kill them."

You stare at it before it screams in agony again, clawing at the Jackal's minions that are nearby before charging at your group. And then, as it is about to attack, it leaps over you- straight at CARNAGE, pouncing on her and trying to maul her.

You pause and look back. Felicia…

"I love you."

There's still several Goons in the way as something stabs into one. A white rabbit, stained in red cackles menacingly. "New Target Acquisition. Sights locked on: CARNAGE!"

Its torso cracks open as it sheds its 'skin', revealing guns and blades.

You run past it as it gives a nod of acknowledgement. "Farewell, Fleshbags."

As the Jackal and his beats move to intercept, they're shredded by bolts of plasma from behind you. "WORTHLESS CONSUMER MODELS!"

It isn't long before the doors shut behind you. The Doktor removes her coat, revealing three sets of arms- none of them unlike the other flesh-like sets is shiny and metallic, along with several hanging on the inside of her coat. Moving as she works, she grabs one of them before disconnecting Alice's arm and replacing it with a new arm.

"Vell, here ve are. Omega can only buy us so much time, he iz on limited battery life, vich iz vhy he vas deactivated until now, ve have to get you back in time und stop-"

"She freezes as the room lights up green as a figure on a throne in the distance stands up.

"Halt. Who dares enter DOOM's domain?!"

His voice is old, more worn, but it is definitely evocative of Doctor DOOM. His hands are lit up with green energy that crackle with lightning.

You wave, rather nervous. This guy kinda scared you before. Twenty years later, he's still scary. "Um, it's me, the Man of Spiders. Sorry for being late, I couldn't catch a taxi for about twenty years."

He pauses for a second before waving a hand, your companions tense as you're lit up with green light before it fades. DOOM nods, his cloak billowing around him as he moves.

"There is no time to be wasted, Man of Spiders. Follow."

The four of you glance at each other before following him down a passageway. As he's about to cross a threshold he pauses and begins chanting. Is that Latin? Eventually, the threshold lights up with symbols before they begin dissolving.

"There are precautions DOOM has set into place to see this place untouched."

He leads you through several such rooms before you enter another laboratory. It's mostly empty except for a refined looking version of the time machine. There's three other things here, though- a field surrounding a notebook and a vial, a large opened capsule, and beside that a form slumped against the wall- clad in a green cloak and metal armor. The Spitting Image of the DOOM ahead of you.

DOOM ignores most of this to go towards the time machine. You feel Stella cling to you, she seems to be looking at the body. The Doktor is looking around with interest, while Alice is flexing her new arm reflexively, like a nervous tic.

Song: love theme Microwave Hall

You grimace. "DOOM, is there anything I can do to help?"

DOOM pauses and shakes his head. "This body has had but one purpose. To protect this place and provide a charge to return you back to your time. Once this has begun, this body will be unable to do anything but open and maintain the portal long enough for you to return with what you will."

He gestures over at the field. "That contains the cure, along with notes, so that a new one may be prepared if ever needed. I have waited and prepared for this day to keep my word."

Behind the mask, the eyes close as if pained. "Please, let this body of DOOM's complete its task, so that I may finally be at peace. Let nothing interrupt me, for things to go right, nothing can interfere in the process."

You glance over at the body laying there. To have died alone, yet to have gone this far to complete his promise…

"How do I know what I can or cannot bring back?"

DOOM chuckles. "You should be able to tell, Man of Spiders- your innate mystical connection will warn you."

Alice grabs at her head. "She's coming."

You hear lightning channeling as DOOM grabs the controls. "I need time. Let nothing disturb me."

Alice's visor lights up a crimson red. "There's four incoming. One of them… It's CARNAGE!"

"You three take care of the others. I've… I've got a score to settle."

The Doktor seems like she's about to disagree, but Stella drags her off. You give her a nod as Alice's fist clenches again and she too heads off as you head down to the original throne room you met DOOM in.

The green lights are on her but dimmer, giving a light illumination to the room. Gwen Stacy's form is waiting. "So it was /you/ who came. I thought it might be…"

She shakes her head. "Regardless. Let me guess, you want some answers? How things happened this way? How I can claim that I'm the ultimate being?"

"No. I've already figured all of that out."

You extend a finger. "Firstly, it comes down to the origin of your powers. You got them from a super-soldier experiment. I'm betting Oscorp, probably the weaponized suit that my father worked on. It was probably based on his DNA. As you're naturally incompatible, it gave you weaknesses. UV lights from the sun damages the cells, and you were undoubtedly damaged by it- unlike a normal person who can get cancer, you're already one. It just kills you."

Gwen's face stills from its smirk as you raise another finger. "That's why the clones wouldn't work for you. They're naturally flawed from the cloning procedure, they lack something both physically and spiritually causing them to degenerate. They could maintain you, but they're not able to fix you. Only -I- could do that."

Her face turns ugly as you raise another finger.

"Thirdly, you've told me things that only Gwen might know, but they were flawed, imperfect. Either genetic memory carries actual memories in a clone or you're possessing her body and it's been resisting you- you're true form was the red hideous ooze- you're a symbiote. Or, rather, you became one. When on death's door, fighting Gwen, you let her kill your original body, or nearly, and jumped ship to her."

A fourth finger. Her hands are clenching and unclenching. "However, that link, too was incomplete. As it wasn't your body, you had filtered and distorted memories. You could manipulate her body, use her superhuman strengths and augment them but it lacked something. The Spider-sense- you couldn't make the body truly your own unless you were completed, you needed me for that, too."

"As to how you tricked my spider-sense, that's quite simple. You devoted your mind utterly to something, but its new, alien nature means you could deviate from that at the last second. As to how you snuck up on me, you probably sole devoted your thoughts to reaching the spot right behind me- not attacking me or anyone else. Just moving. It wouldn't trigger my spider-sense until you reached there, where you quickly gained a new objective.

"As for how you overloaded my spider-sense. You were actually intent on killing me in each and every way you thought of and devoted yourself to it until the very last second. As you'd been able to observe it from Gwen's perspective, it probably wasn't hard to think around a countermeasure over at least a decade, especially if you were able to utilize her intellect even a little."

Her face is like a Balkan stone carving of Satan as she looks at you, her hand clenching and unclenching. "So? Even -if- what you said is true, that doesn't mean that you can beat me."

You shrug, unconcerned.

"I've been buying time, honestly. However, an interesting note- you can't trigger your own spider-sense. I figured that out when I punched myself- the body doesn't recognize itself as a threat."

"SO? So -WHA-"

Blood flies out of her mouth as something slams into her stomach from the shadows of the room with enough force to send her flying.

Gwen gets up, completely shocked. "How… HOW DID YOU ELUDE MY SPIDER-SENSE?!"

You shake your head. "-Your- spider-sense? Don't be ridiculous. What you're using is 'Peter Parker's' spider-sense. As such, things that would be a threat to 'Peter Parker' would be included. Unless something was to not be able to trigger that. For example. I'm sure -I- might be able to trigger it, but I'm sure a clone of me could trigger it, because the brain and its connection goes and assumes 'I am Peter Parker, thus, that cannot be Peter Parker.'

"Really, all you've managed to do is trick my power into thinking you're me so you can use it. And assuming that you've focused yourself into being the flesh now, instead of being the symbiote -in- it, as you've fully integrated with the body as to use the Spider-sense, you'd fall prey to anything that had the condition 'this is Peter Parker as well' if it had been part of me as well that when you stole my blood."

Gwen staggers to her feet in confusion and rage. "WHAT DOES THAT -EVEN MEAN?!-"

"It means you've fallen prey to -My- trap, CARNAGE. Everything from the moment you drank my blood to the moment you decided to encounter me here was part of my plan. It's pretty dark here, isn't it? Hard to see what lurks in the shadows."

Gwen's eyes widen as she's struck several more times, again and again. Each powerful blow you hear a -snap- before she lands. You hear the bones setting themselves as you take the amount of time into account. She stares up at you in comprehension as she's hit several more times as you once again time it. There's a slight delay, more miniscule, almost unnoticeable.

Looking up, her eyes narrow before widening. "No, way. Impossible. I know that thing died! HOW IS -THAT THING- BEHIND YOU?!"

You smirk over at her as you feel the presence behind in the shadows. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Flashback

/I have a plan, Stella. I need you to trust me./

You send the message into the portable console to the player in wifi range. You sit there and wait quietly, hoping for a response.

/…what is it?/

You smile as you see the reply, hesitant as it is.

I need your help to save the symbiote. You illusion powers can't work on me, but they work on others right? You'll need to play along, though./

/OKAY!/

You watch an empty container burn as you feel it, on the bottom of your shoes and in your shadow, lurking out of sight. When you go to board the bus, it goes to wait for you on the roof.

It doesn't take you long to realize, but after wearing it the first time, it doesn't trigger your Spider-sense anymore. If that's the case, then maybe you might have a plan. The symbiote agrees to you, silently, agreeing to act as an extension of your will in this scheme.

As night approaches, it goes to hide underneath the wheels as to not be seen.

As you get off the truck you feel it attach to you, informing you. You don't react outwardly, but know the truth now- all that remains is to not show your hand yet. To be able to avenge Flash, you can't blow this!

Gwen scrambles to her feet as she continues to cough up blood again and again as you beat her down. And you listen and calculate the healing- the worse the damage, the harder it is to heal, the longer it will take.

As you have Venom lay another set of barrages on her from the shadow, again and again, you see CARNAGE's arm clench into a fist as she vomits up blood again, wiping it from her jaw, furious.

"You think you're all that? That you're the only one able to manipulate a symbiote?!"

She steps down into the puddle of blood as it rises into a red parody of Venom behind you as it forms a few. No, dozens, no HUNDREDS of weapon-like projections.

"I'll just need to hit ONCE, Peter. Once I hit you, you're done for!"

She launches them, every projectile at once. However, she still hasn't adjusted from adapting from being inhuman to human as your Spider-sense pings each and every one as the Venom symbiote responds to your will, knocking each and every one back at her before they can even touch you. You spent all day on this plan and all she's doing is mimicking you-

More importantly there's no doubt or dissention here- both you and the symbiote have one goal.

Stop CARNGE from -ever- being.

As she stares in disbelief, the symbiote pummels her prone form powerfully, as you hear -every- bone I her body break as the symbiote behind her crumples in response to the agony she's been dealt.

You have a few ideas on how to take her down.

Song: Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Opening 1 ENG Sub

You keep pummeling CARNAGE, not letting her take a moment to recover. She tires, again and again to get up, but you continue to pummel her. The sounds of bones breaking and healing has become a constant sound over the past ten minutes.

However, all that you've managed to do is slow down the healing to a ten second delay. You don't know how long this will take and you can't have her adapting to a new plan, so there's only one thing to do.

Something sickening and desperate.

You have Venom pummel her again with a barrage of blows as you ready it into a blade as she goes flying back, you sever her head from her body as Venom knocks her body flying through the doors behind her out into the day. Her head crumples to the ground. As it wiggles.

"Next you'll say 'Was this all part of your plan, Peter?"

You see the CARNAGE try to move, remnants of the symbiote forming as her head looks at you, eyes widening in realization. "Was this all- WAS THIS ALL PART OF YOUR PLAN, PETER?!"

She hisses at you as red tendrils extend from her neck.

"DAMN YOU, PETER. I WILL NOT DIE LIKE THIS!"

It seems like she's going to charge for you. You ready Venom to intercept as a figure stumbles between the two of you. Damaged by numerous claw marks, with a hole through her torso filled by a green arm and her visor broken Alice catches CARNAGE's head.

She looks back at you with only one working eye and a soft smile. "You should get going Peter. You don't belong here."

She hugs CARNAGE's head to her torso as she staggers backwards and collapses back into DOOM's throne. You hear a high pitch whine from her left arm, which is glowing red, which is setting off your Spider-Sense.

"…Go."

"WAIT WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! ANSWER ME!"

You pause and look back. "Thanks, Alice."

For the first time in forever, she's showing emotion. She shakes her head, clutching tightly to CARNAGE "Get going, Parker."

"Wait! Stop, Peter. I'll tell you everything, just save me!"

You school your face and head off into the fortress back towards DOOM's portal. When you arrive there, you see the Doktor and Stella sitting there. "Time to go."

The Doktor shakes her head as her three sets of arms, one of them severed on the forearm, wave you off. "I cannot. I am over ze age of tventy und ze gut doctor here has told me ze rules. Just give zis letter to me, vould you?"

Taking the letter, you pause. "But how will I be able to find who you were?"

The Doktor leans back and smiles. Mine name is Natascha Spyral und I lived in New York tventy years ago. I've done a lot of zings both gut und zerrible, but vith zis letter, I… she should be villing to help you."

Stella walks up, looking nervous. "Is… is it alright for me to go? I.. Don't exist back then, Peter."

You kneel down and pat her head. 'Of course. You'll just have to become my little sister, is all."

She grabs at the hand on her head. "…Really?"

"Really."

"…really, really?!"

"Yes, Really, really. I'm taking you back with me, Stella."

She grabs you by the arm and smiles as tears roll down her cheeks. "Alright, let's go, big brother!"

You smile, pausing only to grab your backpack, the notebook and the cure before the two of you head to the portal. Well, except one last thing. Venom detaches itself as it forms into the form you last saw it on Flash, a black and white Military style Spider-man, as it Salutes you.

There's nothing tingling from your Spider-sense, so it's fine to take her and the rest of the stuff to your timeline.

DOOM's robot has slumped over, electricity leaving its hand. You'll never be able to repay the debt you owe that man. The two of you step into the center as the portal opens, drawing the two of you in.

"You bitch, I won't forget this! Do you know what you've cost me?! What I've been reduced to being forced to do?!"

"I don't know, last time we met, which was the first time the two of US met, it was the opposite way around at the end. Fitting our second and last encounter should be like this, considering our bizarre circumstances."

"…IMPOSSIBLE YOU- YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY BE-"

-TIMELINE ERASED

OO

The portal opens as you two travel through that realm, your hand tightly wrapped around Stella's, and eventually you reach the other side. You hope, desperately you're back in DOOM's embassy and on time.

The two of you stumble out of the tunnel as you land on one knee. The two of you are on a familiar ramp in a familiar looking laboratory. But, there doesn't seem to be anyone here. Heading back out towards DOOM's study, you quietly open the door to see Johnny, Sue, DOOM, and Felicia there. DOOM seems to be working on paperwork while Johnny's playing some sort of video-game and Sue is reading a book. Felicia is over in a corner sleeping against it.

They haven't seemed to have noticed you yet.

You're tired, worn and hate the future. Forever.

All you want to do is cure your girlfriend.

Opening the door wider, you stride in with Stella clinging to you as everyone's attention shifts to you as you approach DOOM.

"I know it probably doesn't mean much coming from some kid like me, but twenty years and your own death didn't stop you from keeping your promise. I don't care what anyone says, past, present, or future, you're a good man, you have my eternal respect, and you can call on me for anything.

"But, please, destroy your time machine. The future is a horrible, horrible place."

DOOM seems taken aback as you hand him the notebook and antidote. "This is the cure for Felicia and your robot you left for me told me that these were notes left so a cure could be made again if needed."

In the corner, Felicia opens her eyes before widening them and charging into you, arms wrapped around you. Pulling back she gives you a teary smile. "You look pretty ragged, how was the future?"

"…I hate the future, Felicia. So very much. It was a terrible place, I missed you."

You hug her tightly for a while before you feel a tugging on your sleeve. "Big brother, who's the lady?"

Felicia pauses and looks at you, confused. "Big brother?"

"Let's get you cured first."

Five minutes later and Felicia's back to normal. Johnny and Storm look rather nervous while DOOM, surprisingly, actually crushes the panel of his time machine. When Sue asked him about it, you could hear him, barely, comment about 'how some things are perhaps best not to be meddled with, and even DOOM isn't reckless enough to disregard council.'

DOOM sits down, curious. "I must ask, Man of Spiders, what exactly did you see, who is this girl, and would you mind removing your mask? You would have DOOM's word to keep your identity safe, but you do have me curious."

You're tired, sore, probably traumatized, and it'd be nice to be able to trust people. You take off your mask. "Well, my name's Peter."

Sue's eyes narrow. "I thought you'd be young, but you're younger than Johnny."

Johnny's eyes widen. "Dude, you and I are going to have awesome adventu-OW"

He rubs his head from where Sue smacked it. "That's not cool, sis."

You let a sad smile cross your face as you look down at the bag you brought back with you. Felicia's got one arm wrapped around your shoulder while Stella sits next to you. "Well, first let me go ahead and introduce Stella, I'll get to her in the story but I brought her back because she's all but become my little sister."

Stella gives you a smile as you take a deep breath. "Alright, let's begin from when I first arrived-"

END of [THE WORLD WITHOUT] and [MAXIMUM CARNAGE] ARC
To Be Continued…