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Another Strand In The Great Web – Episode Ten Web of Shadows Prologue
"How far will you go to save New York?"
Web of Shadows (2008)
The Trask Building in Manhattan, afternoon
"I don't give a damn about your divinely ordained mission Eddie!" Spider-Man yelled. "I only care about saving my wife, one of my best friends and the people of New York City!"
"I should have known better than to trust you again!" Anti-Venom yelled back. "You've never had the guts to do what is necessary! Stand aside, Parker! Let a real hero handle this!" Anti-Venom roughly pushed the black and white clad Spider-Man out of his way.
{Are you going to let him treat us with such disrespect?} A sinister silky voice whispered in Spider-Man's mind. {He is nothing. Show him his worthlessness. Crush him before he ruins everything. Think of Mary Jane, of Felicia of our responsibility to protect the innocent. Stop him before it is to late.} The voice urged.
"Stop Eddie or I'll be forced to hurt you!" Spider-Man growled. He tagged Anti-Venom's back with a strand of webbing. He tugged on the strand turning Anti-Venom around to face him.
Anti-Venom snarled bearing his sharp black teeth. His eyes flashed with anger. "Not if I cleanse you of your parasite first." He threatened.
{Don't let him touch us. His touch hurts us. Keep him away.} The voice in Spider-Man's mind warned.
A tense standoff ensued. Spider-Man and Anti-Venom squared off. They were about to attack each other with abandon when the voice of their ally of convenience the Tinkerer spoke from his position beside the main transmission tower of the building on the terrace above their position.
"Gentlemen I highly recommend saving the fisticuffs for another time. I'm afraid our guests have arrived."
"Hello there Spiiiiidddddeeeer. We've been searching for you everywhere." A Venomized Black Cat said. Behind her were scores of civilians likewise encased in facsimiles of Venom Symbiote complete with claws, teeth and long flicking tongues.
"Felicia I know you're in there fight it!" Spider-Man urged.
The Venomized Black Cat laughed. "The mortal Felicia is part of us now. She belongs to us to the darkness. We are legion. Join us Spider belong."
"Never," Spider-Man said firmly.
{Never} The voice in Spider-Man's head mirrored his words.
"I'll cleanse your souls of evil monsters," Anti-Venom said.
"No," Spider-Man said firmly. "You can't. Eddie you promised. Give me plan a chance."
Spider-Man had seen first hand what "cleansing" did to the hosts. They typically died of shock shortly after from the forcible separation. He would not allow Anti-Venom to kill Felicia or anyone else here today if he could prevent it.
"Although it is against my better judgment. I did give you my word." Anti-Venom said. "For now we'll do things your way."
"Thanks Eddie," Spider-Man said.
Any further debate on their part was prevented from taking place when the infected people led by the Venomized Black Cat attacked the pair. Soon they were desperately flinging bodies left and right. Proficient as Spider-Man and Anti-Venom were at combat, however, the numbers game soon caught up with them especially once Venomized Wolverine, Venomized Electro and Venomized Vulture arrived with hundreds of reinforcements.
"Tinkerer we could really use that surprise you've been working on right about now. How is it coming along buddy?" Spider-Man asked.
"It'll be ready in under a minute. If you can keep them away from me until then I think we just might pull this off." Tinkerer said.
The building shook causing Spider-Man. Anti-Venom and Tinkerer to almost lose their footing. A gigantic multiheaded hydra type Venom monster reared its ugly drooling heads followed by its tree trunk sized pair of upper limbs over the lip of the rooftop. It must have been at least fifty feet tall! Twice as big as when the trio of would-be saviors had last seen it earlier that day. The largest and centrally located of the five heads opened its fanged mouth forming words. In response, the Venomized metahumans and ordinary people alike ceased their relentless assault.
"The age of humans is at an end. Become one with us belong or perish." The multilayered voiced boomed.
"You are in way over you multiple heads Legion," Spider-Man said defiantly. "You are going down. This is your last chance. Release those you've corrupted and return to your abode or we will be forced to destroy you."
"I think not." The Venom Monster boomed. "We cannot be stopped. We shall become one with all life in this world. Our victory is assured."
"Mary Jane," Spider-Man said his voice seemed pained by the very words. "Fight this thing. Don't let it hurt anyone else. Think of our daughter. Think of her future. Think of our family. Think of our love. Help me stop this thing."
"Your wife has become such a small part of us of what we now are mortal. Appealing to her for assistance is pointless. She cannot save herself, how could she save you?" The Venom Monster boomed. "You can do nothing. We are beyond your feeble abilities. We are invincible. Once we become one with you and the other two here we shall become ever greater." The Venom boomed.
"Over my dead body Legion," Spider-Man said his hands balling into fists.
"I couldn't agree more," Anti-Venom said. "Bring it, beast!"
"I've got nothing better to do." Tinkerer said nonchalantly.
"As you wish mortal fools." The Venom Monster boomed.
Spider-Man stood rigid as a rod before the monster. He wore on his body the last uncorrupted portion of the Venom Symbiote. He had bonded with it in large part to compensate for his absent Spider-Sense. As he stared into the jaws of almost certain death his mind pondered the events that brought him here. How had he gotten into this mess. Things had started innocently enough more than four days ago in the house he and Mary Jane purchased for training in their Long Island Neighborhood.
To Be Continued