Disclaimers
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All original characters are the property of Celgress.
CONTENT/LANGUAGE WARNING –
THIS EPISODE CONTAINS EXTREME CONTENT THAT MAY OFFEND SOME READERS. READER DISCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED
Another Strand In The Great Web – Episode Thirty-Eight Superior Spider-Man Part Three Spider-Verse Prologue
Parker Residence Western Long Island, morning
"How does it feel to turn the big three-o, old man?" Ben teased slapping Peter on his back playfully. The extended Parker Family sat around their dining room table enjoying breakfast together.
"Last time I checked we're the same age," Peter replied a bit annoyed with his clone turned brother.
"Nah, I've died so many times I'm a least three maybe four years your junior, bro. Thirty is a long way off for me yet, you on the other hand." Ben said.
"Ben, don't tease Peter." Aunt May said with a gentle smile. "Turning thirty is an important milestone in anyone's life and Peter has already lived a far more interesting life than most."
"What do you want for your birthday, Peter?" Miguel asked.
"Nothing," Peter said. "I have everything I ever wanted." He glanced around the table at Mary Jane, his daughters, Aunt May, his brother, Miguel, Anya and Jarvis. "If I had one wish it would be that people see Superior Spider-Man for the jerk he is. Oh, and that Felicia comes to visit soon. We haven't seen her in ages."
"It'll happen, tiger. He'll expose himself for what he is sooner rather than later. Don't you worry." Mary Jane said.
"Jennifer Walters in legal told me I could get a cease and desist order issued against Superior Spider-Man on grounds of copyright infringement. But I'd rather beat him in the court of public opinion than a legal court. Plus, he'd likely paint me as the bad guy, once again, for denying him the right to be a 'hero' or something." Peter explained with a sigh. "We need to ride this out that's all. Surely in time, people will realize the type of guy SS is, am I right?" The others (save for MJ) did not seem convinced. A few awkward moments passed in silence.
Mary Jane winched slightly from discomfort. She rubbed her baby bump. "Are you okay, red?" Peter said concerned by his wife's distress.
"I'm fine. Whew, this one is going to be feisty. She's grade A kicker already. I bet she'll love soccer." Mary Jane said.
"How do you know the baby is a girl?" Anya asked her female mentor.
"A mother knows these things." Mary Jane said recalling the girl she and Peter met during their trip to a version of the future. What was her name again, ah, yes, Annie, that was it? A cute name for a cute girl.
"At least this time we know wher-," Ben began to say then decided he best not mentioned Norman Osborn. Thank goodness the monster was safely under lock and key. Ben dared not think about what Norman would do if he were free and learned of MJ's pregnancy.
"What were you going to say, Ben?" Jarvis asked.
"Nothing important," Ben said forcing a smile. He and Peter exchanged knowing looks. Some things were best left unsaid.
"Everything is ready for your belated birthday this tomorrow." Aunt May said Saturday was fast approaching.
"I've cleaned your grill and have all the cooking supplies ordered," Jarvis said.
"Miguel and I bought your balloons and streamers yesterday," Anya said proudly.
"You shouldn't have. It's just another day." Peter said.
"Nonsense, it is a special day, your special day." Aunt May insisted.
"Aunt May is right, tiger. We want you to enjoy your birthday. Forget about Superior Spider-Man and all the rest if only for one afternoon. You've more than earned it. You're a great hero to this city. More importantly, you're a great husband." Mary Jane said giving Peter a peck on his cheek.
"And a great dad," April said.
"Such a great papa," Mayday agreed.
"And a great brother," Ben said.
"And a great friend," Miguel said.
"And a wonderful nephew." Aunt May said.
"And the best mentor anyone could ask for, you too Mary Jane," Anya said.
"And one hell of a guy. If I had a son I'd want him to be like you." Jarvis said.
"Gee thanks, you guys are the best. You mean the world to me." Peter said tearing up slightly. "I promise I'll always be there for each of you." After taking a few bites of his meal Peter remembered a matter that required his attention tomorrow. He hoped he would have enough time to deal with it before his party. "I almost forgot I have to follow up on the lead I found about that missing girl, Cindy Moon."
"Is she the one who might have been bitten by the same radioactive spider you were?" Anya asked.
"I'm not sure if she is indeed the same girl, she could be. Her information fits. Cindy Moon is my age, from Queens, and she disappeared shortly after my field trip." Peter said.
"Papa you can't miss your birthday party," Mayday said.
"Yeah, dad, it wouldn't be the same," April said. "Please dad, don't."
"Please papa," Mayday said joining her sister.
"Girls we've been over this before. Your father has important responsibilities." Mary Jane said.
"I'm sure I'll make it home before the party is over," Peter said apologetically but neither girl looked happy nor did Mary Jane or Aunt May. Ben felt he had to speak up.
"Don't sweat it, bro. I'll check into your lead you concentrate on having fun. I ask only that you save me a piece of birthday cake. Take note, I prefer a corner piece with a flower if possible." Ben said.
"Thanks, Ben, you're a lifesaver, consider it done," Peter said.
"Thanks, Uncle Ben," Mayday and April said.
"Hey, what else are uncles for if not to cover for parents so kids will be happy. Besides. How long can it take to check out one lead? It'll be a breeze, no doubt." Ben said smiling. Little did he know what he was getting himself into, or how drastically things would change as a result of meeting Cindy Moon.
Empire State University
"I do not require the services of a teaching assistant nor of a tutor to help me with my Ph.D. requirements," Otto Octavius aka Elliot Tolliver said dismissively to the diminutive young lady who stood on the other side of the desk in his cramped office.
"The Dean of Science disagrees. He says unless you accept me as your teaching assistant/tutor you'll lose your position and be removed from the Ph.D. program." The young lady said. She attempted to hand him a slip of paper which he refused to take. "I'm not leaving until you read it, Mr. Tolliver."
Faced with no other choice Otto operating under duress accepted the piece of paper. He quickly read what was written upon it. He then scoffed.
"If I must accept you being underfoot, Ms. Anna Maria Marconi, then so be it." Otto snapped.
"Was that a short joke?" Anna Maria said. She folded her arms over her chest and shot a glare at Otto that would make Dr. Doom envious.
"No, no, I would never. I judge others based on their intellects not according to their physical attributes." Otto stammered.
"So, you think I'm ugly?" Anna Maria accused while she continued to glare at Otto.
"Ah, no, um, perish the thought. On the contrary, I find your physical attributes make you quite fetching. If I could I'd ask you out for cocktails perhaps." Otto said.
"Are you sexually harassing me?" Anna Maria said stamping her left foot on the ground.
"Ah, um, I, uh, er," Otto stammered at a loss for words.
Anna Maria burst out in laughter. "Got you," She said holding her sides. "You should see the look on your face, priceless." Otto was about to verbally rebuke Anna Maria but instead, he joined her in laughter. "I like you, Tolliver. You have a sense of humor which is a rare find among so-called intelligent people."
"Thank you," Otto said. "I could say the same of you. I'm honored to work alongside you."
"Well, now you've accepted me as your teaching assistant and tutor how about that date?" Anna Maria said.
"Excuse me?" Otto said stunned by Anna Maria's forwardness.
"Cocktails, remember?" Anna Maria said. "I can be ready by 10:00 pm. Are you in or out? What will it be? Hurry, I don't have all day."
Otto grinned more broadly than he had in years. "I'm in all the way. And please call me Elliot, Ms. Marconi."
"Only if you'll call me, Anna Maria, deal?" Anna Maria said.
"Deal," Otto said.
Several Hours Later
Shortly after Anna Maria left following a day of challenging research and stimulating conversation Otto was lounging around his office. His secret Superior Spider-Man communication unit beeped. A message was incoming from Mayor J. Jonah Jameson of all people.
"This should prove most interesting," Otto said with a smirk. He applied his Superior Spider-Man communication filter so Jameson would see his SS avatar rather than his unmasked face. "Greetings this is Superior Spider-Man." He said.
"Superior Spider, Mayor Jameson here. I'm a big fan. I love your work." Mayor Jameson gushed via the video uplink. "I'll cut to the chase. How would you like to be New York City's official superhero mascot?"
"I'm listening," Otto said. "What exactly does the job entail?"
"Oh, the usual sort of stuff. Mostly ribbon cuttings, public appearances, we give you a symbolic key to the city, you get a parade. You keep doing what you're doing getting rid of scum and my police force will look the other way, wink, wink, nod, nod." Mayor Jameson said mock winking and nodding at Otto. Otto rolled his eyes confident his gesture of visible disrespect was hidden behind his avatar.
"You're in no way troubled that I slew Massacre?" Otto asked.
"Not in the least. The creep had it coming. Just between us if I had my way we'd send all his buddies to join him in Hell save on prisons and trials." Mayor James said. "Which brings me to the real reason I contacted you. I need an ask a big ask."
"You do, how may I be of service?" Otto asked playing along.
"I want you to make certain Alistair Smythe dies." Mayor Jameson said bluntly.
"I thought he was about to be executed for the murder of your wife, Mayor Jameson? I'm confused. Why must I execute him? The state who has the full legal authority to do so is about to exercise said authority, is it not?" Otto said.
"I want you to be the special guard who escorts Smythe from death row to his date with the needle. I've already signed off on it. You make sure Alistair Smythe doesn't pull anything. I want him dead. Kill him yourself if you have to. Let him make a break for it then stop him using whatever force is necessary if you know what I mean." Mayor Jameson said.
"I think I do. And in return, I become the official superhero mascot of New York City? A little quid pro quo." Otto said.
"Precisely," Mayor Jameson said. "Do we have a deal?"
"Of course we do, Mayor Jameson," Otto said.
"It has been a pleasure doing business with you." Mayor Jameson said.
"Believe me, the pleasure is all mine," Otto said breaking the connection.
"Jameson you pompous fool," Otto said. He immediately sent copies of their incriminating conversation to multiple remote hard drives. "This will no doubt come in handy."
Another Earth one of many connected by the Great Web of Life, night
Atop a series of skyscrapers, Spider-Man Miles Morales ran, jumped and dodged his incoming opponents who sought to tackle him. Somehow he kept avoiding contact. They kept coming and coming and coming. The Spider Soldiers in their slate grey armor with their yellowed-eyed masks were bad enough but the Man-Spiders were in a league of their own. These hairy, fanged, clawed, eight-limbed abominations clawed and hissed at him as they tried like mad to gouge out his eyes or hack off a hand or foot.
"Struggle if you like. Your pathetic attempts will come to naught. My master's armies are invincible. I will claim this world in the name of my master soon enough." Declared a hulking male figure who dropped down directly in front of Miles. He wore a black Spider-Man type outfit with white eyepieces and spider symbol. His mouth was uncovered leaving his fanged jaws visible. Green slime dripped steadily from his long tongue.
"In your dreams, Poison. No degenerate clone of Peter Parker from another universe called Spidercide bonded to the Venom Symbiote will ever get the best of me, not happening. The Peter Parker of my world was twice the man you could ever hope to be." Miles said fending off yet another attack this time from a Man-Spider. Miles then swerved off to the right away from Poison.
"I've heard the same bravado from countless spiders across countless worlds, each failed. Now, these deluded doubters either serve Spider Reaper as Man-Spiders or lay in their graves forgotten by all save their conquerors. Your fate will be no different, little one." Poison stated. His voice full of the unshakeable faith only found in the heart of a zealot. "Aiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"Poison screamed as his body was engulfed by flames. His alien symbiote half convulsed in agony peeling slowly away from his modified human half.
"Took you two long enough." Miles panted.
"Sorry, we almost didn't get out of the Baxter Building with his." Spider-Woman Jessica Drew said holding up a silver-colored projector like device. She kicked away a small swarm of Spider Soldiers along with a pair of Man-Spiders. Miles then knocked out the last members of the latest wave of his attackers.
"Where are others; Reed, Sue, and the Big Orange Rock Guy?" Miles asked noticing only Spider-Woman and Human Torch.
"They didn't make it," Jessica sniffed fighting back tears.
"And I'm going to see that this sick dimension-hopping freak doesn't either!" Johnny Storm Human Torch said from where he hovered about ten feet above them in the air. He poured an increasingly intense blast of fire energy down on Poison.
To the shock of our heroic trio Poison smiled up at Johnny. "Kill me if you want. My death is meaningless. I have served my master well. You will never defeat Spider Reaper. You had your chance to willingly join him but you refused. Your world is doomed, doubters." He said.
"Shut up!" Johnny yelled further increasing the intensity of his flame output to the point it was blinding.
"Johnny we have to go!" Jessica said. She inputted commands into the device via a side-mounted control panel.
"Not until I avenge Sue and the others, make this monster pay!" Johnny said.
"He's not worth it!" Jessica advised.
"Making him pay is worth it to me!" Johnny said grimly.
"There is no time! We have to go now!" Jessica warned. The building swayed beneath her feet and those of Miles.
"Incoming," Miles warned.
A huge wave of fresh Man-Spiders and Spider Soldiers laser rifles in hand were scaling the slowly collapsing building. Just when Miles and Jessica thought things could not get any worse, they did. A sickeningly familiar whirring noise signaled the approach of a new threat - eleven Spider Goblins of various types on their web gliders. The Spider Goblins were lead by A Blued-Masked Hobgoblin.
"Forgot Poison, Johnny we can't wait any longer!" Jessica frantically shouted. "Please, for me." She pleaded. Johnny stared down at her. Their eyes locked. "If you ever cared about me you'll come with us." She said.
"Dammit, Jess," Johnny said releasing Poison from his death ray.
Poison collapsed on his hands and knees. His face was mostly visible, the face of a twisted Peter Parker. Unnoticed by our heroic trio his symbiote half had already begun to regenerate being far more resistant to fire than most of its kind due to its host's partially plasmic body.
"Where are we going anyway?" Miles asked.
"No idea, but anywhere is better than here," Jessica said her two companions readily agreed. "We'll get help then we'll come back." Jessica activated the device which created a shimmering blue-white portal of swirling energy.
An inky black-blue tendril wrapped around each of Johnny's ankles before he could properly land. Johnny was violently smashed face-first into the rooftop. Jessica and Miles both yelled Johnny's name as he screamed out for him. Before they could grab him the blue-masked Hogoblin pulled off his mask to reveal another Peter Parker. This Peter grinned maniacally before he started raining down pumpkin bombs upon them.
"Time to die, kiddos!" He cackled hysterically.
"Leaving us so soon? I think not." Poison said. Poisoned reeled Johnny towards him all the while more of Johnny's form was subsumed by black-blue tendrils. Johnny could barely use his flames. Whenever he tried to light up his fire was quickly smothered by the invading symbiote.
"Go, save yourselves!" Johnny screamed. Jessica ran towards him. "Miles stop Jess, she can't save me!"
"Johnny, nooooooooooo!" Jessica cried.
Miles grabbed Jessica from behind. She kicked and screamed struggling to get free. It took everything Miles had but he somehow managed to pull her through the portal with him before it vanished. In their haste, they dropped the dimensional portal projector which cracked upon impact.
"Poo, no fun, they escaped." The Blue-Masked Hobgoblin said with a frown putting his mask back on. He landed his web glider next to Poison.
"Except for this one." Poison said hoisting the fully cocooned Johnny high overhead using his left arm.
"Golly, what do we have here?" The Blue-Masked Hobgoblin said picking up the damaged dimensional portal projector.
"Hopefully the coordinates of our next conquest, assuming the target dimension proves of sufficient value." Spider Reaper said from behind his pair of underlings. Every minion either bowed their heads, fell to one knee, or did both surprisingly even the Man-Spiders lowered their gaze respectfully.
"Accept this humbling offering, oh master." The Blue-Masked Hobgoblin said being careful not to look directly at Spider Reaper's masked face.
Spider Reaper causally took the dimensional portal projector. He inspected it dispassionately. "I've grown bored of this pathetic little world. There is nothing of value here other than the populace which I shall enslave for the greater glory of my design. Raze the city." Spider Reaper said.
"Happily, oh master," The Blue-Masked Hobgoblin grinning behind his mask.
Central Parker Another Strand Universe, dawn
Miles and Jessica landed together in a heap. Once Jessica got to her feet and extracted herself from the tangle of limbs she shoved Miles, hard, Miles toppled backward into a mud puddle.
"What was that for!?" Miles exclaimed.
"You know perfectly well what that was for!" Jessica said.
"For saving your life?" Miles said once more getting to his feet.
"Johnny is probably dead because you 'saved my life', Miles!" Jessica said.
"It's what he wanted!" Miles said.
"Who cares what he wanted! What about what I wanted, huh!?" Jessica said. "He was our friend! We could have saved him!"
"Or we could have died with him which seemed more likely all things considered," Miles said.
"Where is Reed's dimensional portal projector? I'm going back to get Johnny." Jessica said searching around for the device.
"Um, yeah, about that," Miles said scratching the back of his head through his mask something he did when nervous. "You kind of dropped it when I pulled you inside the portal."
"What!," Jessica said incredulously. "You mean we're stranded here!?" Jessica gazed around at the trees that surrounded the dirt path they found themselves on. "Wherever the heck here is."
"Yup," Miles said, "Hee hee, sorry."
Jessica took in a deep cleansing breath to calm her shattered nerves. 'Keep it together, Jess.' She told herself. 'He's only a kid. He's still learning the ropes.'
"Are you angry?" Miles asked sheepishly.
"Miles, dear, whyever would I be angry?" Jessica said gritting her teeth.
"We'll be okay. I mean there has to be a Spider-Man or Spider-Woman in this dimension or maybe a Reed Richards? They'll help us, right?" Miles reasoned more for his benefit than that for Jessica's.
"Maybe," Jessica said. Recognizing how frightened Miles appeared to be from his body language she added. "Either way I'm sure we'll make it if we stick together." She put her arm around Miles in a sisterly fashion. 'At least I hope so.' Jessica thought.
To Be Continued
Next Up - Peter turns the Big Three-O and you know there is no way that the old Peter Luck won't rear its ugly head.
Author's Note -
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, my first in a considerable amount of time (sorry). Another chapter should be coming soon. Like many people, I now have plenty of time to work on my various hobbies (for the foreseeable future) due to Covid-19.