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Another Strand In The Great Web – Episode Thirty-Five Superior Spider-Man Prologue: Dying Wish
"Could you delete me? Would it be easy? Will you put me in my grave? Will you erase me or could you face me? Will I haunt your every save?"
"Do you believe in God, or will write the script and become one?"
Delete Me (2018) NateWantsToBattle
Parker Residence on Western Long Island, late afternoon
"Where have you have been, tiger? I was worried." Mary Jane said giving her husband a quick peck on his cheek when he entered the living room.
"I've been busy," Peter said not returning her gesture of affection or even smiling at her. He had been out of contact since he went on a solo patrol after finishing work the evening before.
"Hey bro did you hear the good news?" Ben said from the sofa where he was watching TV alongside Miguel and the girls. "Doc Ock's dead. He passed away last night at the Raft. Good riddance I say."
"Ben you're being awful. While Dr. Octopus was a supervillain we shouldn't take pleasure in his death." Mary Jane said.
"Sorry, MJ," Ben said an expression of shame on his face.
"Peter, did you get the thing?" Mary Jane said glancing at the twins.
"Huh," Peter said.
"You know the thing." Mary Jane said this time a little more forcefully.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, woman," Peter said.
Mary Jane took him by his arm and led him into the next room. "You were supposed to book entertainment for the girls' birthday party. And what do you mean by calling me 'woman'?"
"If you care so much about their little party, you book the entertainment." Peter snapped shrugging off her grip.
"They're your daughters too." Mary Jane said dismayed by Peter's combative comments.
"Not really, from my understanding, they're just clones of my actual daughter who is deceased. It isn't like you gave birth to them or I sired them," Peter said.
Mary Jane gasped shocked and appalled by Peter's words. "How could you say such a terrible thing about May and April?"
"It's factually true," Peter said without so much as batting an eye. "If you'll excuse me I'm tired after a night of keeping this city safe, alone I might add."
Peter started to walk towards the second-floor staircase, which led to the master bedroom when Anya passed him. "Hi, Mr. Parker," The girl said on her way by. Peter did not bother acknowledging Anya which caused the teenager to frown.
"Anya please go wait for me in the garage. I'll be out to start training with you in a minute. I need a word with my husband first." Mary Jane said.
"Okay," Anya said walking off.
Mary Jane knew Anya took many things she shouldn't to heart because of her fragile sense of self-esteem. Mary Jane was less than pleased by Peter's actions but this was too much. "Why were you so rude to Anya? Would it have killed you to say hello to her or smile?" Mary Jane said.
"Maybe because I don't think you should be wasting your time or my valuable resources on a pity project like her. I know they say charity begins at home but this is ridiculous." Peter said.
"Anya is a very sweet girl with a great deal of potential. I really like her. She's had a hard life and needs to be nurtured. I wish we could take her in. I was thinking maybe we could be her foster parents or even adopt her, but I guess not." Mary Jane said.
"Just what we need around here another freeloader like my clone and that twit from the future. How about we put her up in her own place like your worthless, ungrateful lout of a father. She'd make a fine addition to the various parasites slowly draining my company of its vitality." Peter said.
"Gee and here I thought we were partners in everything and that it was our company and our resources." Mary Jane said angrily.
Peter literally laughed in his wife's face."I'm Spider-Man you're only my wife. I invented the tech kit, not you. I'm in control here, be sure you don't forget that." Peter said putting his finger in Mary Jane's face which she quickly slapped away. "I'm going to bed. See that my rest is not disturbed, woman." Peter stomped upstairs he left a confused and deeply upset Mary Jane in his wake.
Once alone Peter reached into his pants pocket. He removed a shiny golden colored sphere about the size of a baseball. He smirked at the sphere before hiding it in the bottom drawer of the dresser underneath a pile of his clothing. He would have to find a safer home for in when time and opportunity permitted.
"You won't get away with this Doc.," said a blue-hued image of Peter Parker only the alien consciousness current occupying his body could see, hear or interact with in any way.
"I already have." The faux Peter Parker who in truth was none other than Doctor Otto Octavius responded to the phantom's words. Otto-Peter sat down on the bed then he laid back with his hands clasped behind his head.
"Not why I'm still here." Phantom Peter said.
"You can't do anything. Only I can perceive you. You are but a fragment. In time you will fade away completely." Otto-Peter said confidently. "However, should you in any way impede my actions before do I promise your loved ones shall suffer my wrath."
"You wouldn't dare." Phantom Peter exclaimed with alarm.
"My good man you know I would. Now do be a quiet ghostly nuisance. I require my beauty sleep." Otto-Peter said closing his stolen eyes. Soon he had drifted off to sleep.
The Next Day, morning
"I'm not ill. I in no way require the services of a medical doctor." Peter said while seated at the kitchen table. He had spent the night alone in bed as Mary Jane was in no mood to sleep near him, she instead used a spare room.
"Peter listen to Mary Jane. She's only worried about you, we all are." Aunt May said.
"Your aunt is right Peter. You don't seem well," Jarvis said.
"Maybe you should see someone," Miguel said.
"Did anything strange, well, stranger than usual, happen to you while out on solo patrol the other night?" Ben asked.
"Stay out of this, all of you! I'm perfectly fine!" Peter snapped.
"Go see Reed at least. Have him check you out." Mary Jane insisted.
"No," Peter said slamming his right fist down on the table so hard he cracked his nearby plate. "I'm not a child or an incompetent! I will do be lectured to by any of you on matters of my own health!"
"Calm down Peter we're just trying to help," Miguel said.
"I don't need any of your help but I do not some fresh air." Peter stormed out of the living room. On his way upstairs he heard the girls laughing at a TV show. "Keep it down you brats!" He yelled before vanishing upstairs.
In the master bedroom, he put on his Sider-Man gear and fished the golden sphere out of the bottom of the dresser. "Not so easy is it, eh Doc?" Phantom Peter said.
"Silence," Otto-Peter snapped. "Rest assured this problem is not beyond my genius to solve."
"What do you want with that?" Phantom Peter asked spotting the golden octobot which had caused this mess in the first place. According to Otto, it was meant to swap their minds but Otto's ailing body expired just before completion of the process thus why they were stuck together, Otto's consciousness in a dominant position.
"Never you mind, irritating shade," Otto-Peter said.
A knock was heard on the closed door. "Peter let me in! We need to talk!" Mary Jane said jiggling the doorknob. Otto-Peter had locked the door so no one could follow him.
"We don't," Otto-Peter said opening one of the bedroom windows he pulled on his Spider-Man mask and was gone.
A rooftop somewhere in New York City, hours later
After a brief period of darkness, Peter thankfully found himself back in control of his body. He had no clear idea where he was or how he got there. More importantly, he no longer sensed Dr. Octopus' presence in his mind or saw the golden octobot.
Peter got unsteadily to his feet. "Thank goodness it's over," Spider-Man said with a profound sigh of relief.
Parker Residence on Western Long Island, afternoon
"Please let me conduct a thorough examination, son." Reed Richards said.
"I already told you Doc Ock took over my body. I'm okay now," Peter said while he sat down so Reed could do his work. "He used some kind of specialized octobot which was gold colored."
"Where did the golden octobot go, Peter?" Sue Storm asked.
"I'm not sure. I woke up on a rooftop in Brooklyn after blacking out. The golden octobot was gone as was the presence of Ock's mind in my head." Peter explained.
"We'll have to find it," Sue said to which everyone agreed. Who knew what the devilish device could be doing this very moment.
Mary Jane threw her arms around her seated husband. She began to pepper his face with kisses while she softly sobbed.
"Don't cry, red. I'm fine now." Peter said.
"I knew there was something wrong." Mary Jane said refusing to let go of Peter.
"We all did," Ben added. Everyone was currently crowded around Peter in the kitchen.
"And you because of you guys Ock called it quits. His plan failed. I shudder to think what would have happened if I'd been isolated without anyone who cares about me around to stop him. I'd probably still be his puppet." Peter shivered at the thought.
"I'll always look out for you, tiger. Together until the end." Mary Jane said squeezing Peter's hand he squeezed back as she smiled at him.
"Together until the end," Peter said with a smile of his own.
"Please, people I need to examine my patient," Reed said. In good-natured fashion, Johnny and Ben Grim herded everyone out of the room so Reed could do his work.
A Spidey Inc Storage Facility in Brooklyn, not far from where Peter had awakened, two days later, afternoon
"Otto Octavius reborn." Declared the naked male figure who was dripping fluids all over the cement floor of the small warehouse. "Thank you for your informative memories, Peter Parker, this proto clone you liberated from Jackal months ago will serve nicely as my new vessel. A powerful vessel free of other troublesome occupants." Next to the stasis pod from which he had emerged lay the golden octobot its power supply finally spent. New Otto knelt down and picked it up. "A pity, but alas all things must end in due time excluding myself of course."
Otto looked back at four other pods each of which was presently occupied by a Gwen Stacy clone held in a state of suspended animation. Perhaps with proper genetic or cybernetic modifications, he could make some use of them. Spider-Man had a team so why not the so to be Superior Spider-Man? He would a least hold them in reserve.
"In the meantime, I best move them and this equipment to one of my underground bases. Preferably a location unknown to others including the authorities." New Otto said. "But first, I simply must cloth my nakedness."
New Otto wandered off to find something he could wear while he plotted his next move. Yes, he would revive a recent scheme. A nefarious plan which involved global warming and if Superior Spider-Man stopped the potential world-ending damage would make him a household name. Luckily for Otto, the criminals behind the scheme were nothing more than his pawns thus manipulating them so he could play hero would be beyond simple given his intellect. When everything was prepared he would enact this grand spectacle with himself cast as the star attraction.
To Be Continued
Next Up – Superior Spider-Man makes his debuts with Ends of the Earth.
Author's Note -
While different than the canon version this upcoming storyline will get very dark at times, perhaps more so than 616 as Otto does not have the restraining influence of Peter in his mind or Peter's memories going forward. While Otto will try to be "a better Spider-Man" than Peter he'll be even more outwardly villainous in his actions than in 616 even although he'll consider himself an anti-hero. You have been warned, my loyal readers.