It was now 3 days since the revelation of The Sin Eater's identity being exposed, along with Captain Stacy's alleged corruption which he was under investigation for. All while Eddie Brock was getting the job security he desperately wanted and Foswell was working behind his back to prove the validity of all the claims about The Sin Eater and their identity being true. Worst of all, Stacy still hadn't woken up.
All this happening made Spidey decide on doing something more reckless. He had to know the truth and wasn't going to wait around anymore. So, he decided on sneaking inside of where Jean Dewolff was being held temporarily, before her transfer happened where she'd be brought to Ravencroft until the trial.
It was easy enough sneaking inside having super spider powers at your disposal and it certainly helped she was locked away out of sight, out of mind. The only guards weren't even close enough to hear her. Which was a strange choice, but it differently helped him getting inside and finally standing before her.
"Alright, it's due time we have a chat!" He immediately said, while it seemed she couldn't bear to look at him. "Come on! I want the truth!"
"I don't know the truth myself!" She exclaimed back.
Spidey looked puzzled. "How couldn't you know? It's easy, are you The Sin Eater? Did you try to kill Captain Stacy?"
"Please believe me when I tell you, I honestly don't know! Up is, down, down is up. Nothing makes sense. My head feels like it's constantly spinning. Something is very wrong with me. I swear there is." She replied genuinely.
"How did this happen? You seemed fine the last time I encountered you. Something like that doesn't just happen!" He pointed out, very confused.
"Who knows, or cares. It doesn't matter just leave me here to riot! I deserve it, I remember wearing the mask. Saying horrible things. Being around those people following this ideology I must've jumped started." She reasoned.
He came off the ceiling and stood in front of her. "No, it makes no sense. I've got no idea how or why, but I'm certain you've been framed! My money is on officer Carter! You seemed to know him more personally, does he hold a grudge?"
"No, maybe. I don't know. I saw Carter before, dated briefly months ago now. He was always closed off, hard to get a read on. This? It's sick, framing me if he did. If anybody did. And captain Stacy. I, I don't know who'd hurt him. If it wasn't really me. If somehow my mind is playing tricks on me." She replied.
Spider-Man thought about it. "It stands to reason that a mutant or even dangerous technology these days could mess with a person's memories. It's just, you and Captain Stacy were affected by this and I can't wrap my head around it unless it was revenge, done by a jerk who held a grudge big time! I always got a pit in my stomach near Carter, I didn't even need super powers for that! He's not an upstanding citizen. No way and I'm going to find a way to prove it."
She nodded and looked around. "How good is your memory?"
"Pretty great, why do you ask? What? Do you think my mind is getting played with?"
"Not at all, I just want to give you Carter's address. Say your right, maybe he left a clue behind at his home. He wasn't a neat person." She pointed out feeling more like her old self from what Spidey saw before.
"Thank you." He got the address and left, determined to figure out what exactly happened here, believing more now Dewolff wasn't the culprit.
Sure enough, Spider-Man reached Stan Carter's home. A peek inside revealed indeed it was quite the mess and unfortunately had a security system too. It had a chimney as well, which gave him a bad idea.
Falling down, he landed and was grateful there wasn't a fire lit. Hohoho, I feel like I'm Santa. With no milk and cookies! Blastimenty, if I say so myself. He remarked and started looking around the crummy place. Man, this place is a complete mess! Why would someone want to live in this pig pen? Looking around on the ground floor and upstairs there was nothing, meaning unfortunately he'd be having to check on the basement which gave him that pit again. Please be kind to me universe, don't be an evil looking basement that totally is a serial killer basement.
As he kept moving down looking inside, yeah, it was a very unsettling place with few grim sources of light. To top off with a sinister board filled with all The Sin Eater victims, with the signature weapon of choice, the double barrel shotgun hanging above it. With a laptop playing Dewolff's confession. Only it was now shown completely staged he got her to tell the world, it was her. It was all a script!
The video showed her wearing a helmet, Spider-Man reasoned correctly about the technology being used to manipulate her thoughts and even her perception of what in fact was reality even.
"You are The Sin Eater. This is your mission. Tell them all of your mission."
She nodded in the video wearing the helmet.
Carter had an awful grin across his face, as the video ended.
Oh my god. I hate when I'm right! Carter planned the whole thing! He did frame her! I've gotta share this with Mr. Foswell asap! It then occurred that this was obviously now a trap and his Spider-sense agreed as the floor turned out to be wired with electricity and unfortunately the ceiling was too, as he discovered leaping up to it instinctively. The shock was powerful, knocking him down to the ground which did knock him out.
Then, Carter came back to find Spider-Man down and out, dragging him away.
Later on, Peter awoke completely panicked and bewildered by everything going on around him slowly opening his eyes, seeing the river and then Carter. As anybody would do, he started to struggle only to realize he was tied up real good and tight, with all his strength Spider-Man kept trying to break free.
"That won't work. At least, I'm highly doubtful it will. Unless you happen to be stronger and more resilient then you look, this is going to be your watery tomb." He began saying now wearing The Sin Eater mask.
"It was you all along! Why!" Spider-Man shouted at him.
"Revenge, it was a perfect chance to get rid of multiple birds. Easy enough." Carter expressed simply so.
Spider-Man shook his head. "That's sick! You're insane! All of this was for revenge? What could all those people have possibly done to you?"
"Well, all my now dead victims had loose lips and could've told secrets about me, which I'd never want to get out. After all, how'd you think a guy like me got access to technology that could rearrange a person's mind? It's not simple to gain access to such dangerous weaponry as that!" He exclaimed feeling cocky.
"Alright smartie pants, how the heck did you get it then? Steal it?"
Carter shook his head. "Not at all, I got it from some friends of mine who I helped cover for. You are no doubt aware of, A.I.M correct?"
"Them! You worked with those creeps! They hurt friends of mine with their reckless experiments, pills that brought out powers!" Spidey shouted at him, remembering Mark Allen and Liz unknowingly taking those with two different circumstances.
"They hooked me up with the helmet." He continued, ignoring him. "Once I told them of my plot, they happily helped me lowning me the helmet. Oh and manipulating Dewolff's mind was easy. She was a deep sleeper."
Spider-Man launched at him, managing to knock down Carter. Wacking him across the face even with not being able to move his body right.
Still, being tied up meant Carter was able to push him off. "That hurt a lot, I don't have any powers, I'm normal and more special then you. Though, that strength of yours is quite the annoyance."
"And my smart comments. Jerkoff!" Spidey exclaimed, trying to get up again.
"I digress. Captain Stacy was onto me, about my dirty dealings in the past and present too. So I came up with The Sin Eater to kill him, how was I meant to figure he was a persistent old man, just wouldn't lie over and die. Make life more difficult. I'll have him killed as soon as he gets his job back. Assuming he does."
"He will be a cop again! And the lies will be revealed to not be true!" Spider-Man said persistent and started breaking a little more loose feeling so riled up using all his strength wanting to grab Carter.
"Well, you'll not be living long enough to learn that truth. And Fredrick Foswell? Eddie Brock? I already got some of my foolish followers to prepare an attack on The Daily Bugle. Silence the lies or something along those lines. A foolish settlement they think will actually work. At least my track will be covered. And you'll be dead, at the bottom of the river. Your name and face didn't even matter to me, I didn't even bother pulling off that ridiculous mask. After this, I'm putting it all behind me. So long." Carter finally said and pushed Peter into the water, with what he was tied with dragging him deep down into the depths of the water.
Spider-Man shrugged as hard as he could, managing to get an arm free. Now having to think fast if he wanted to live. Above water, he could see Carter was waiting with his shotgun ready to fire. Thankfully, he didn't take off the web shooters. So in a last ditch insane effort, he decided to give himself a tiny little air pocket via large amounts of webbing. At least long enough for Carter to assume he drowned and left, giving Spidey a chance to break free heading back up for air, narrowly surviving and being surprised his idea even worked.
Don't know if that made any scientific sense, maybe somebody is looking out for me. He coughed up some water. Come on, focus Peter! I've gotta get to the Daily Bugle, right now! Cocky jerk like him wouldn't be lying, and I need to move. Peter stood up and struggled, considering being electrocuted, hit and nearly drowning, it wasn't pleasant. But he needed to move and did, starting to swing away, not seeing Carter which wasn't even top priority right now.
Now on the move rushing as fast as he could and realized his cell phone wasn't working anymore as it most certainly wasn't waterproof. Fortunately everything on that was back up on his computer, still he couldn't inform the police of the incoming attack.
Upon seeing it in sight, he was just in time a van filled with people dressed like the Sin Eater exited and barged into the building. A couple of them stayed behind to cause trouble, scaring some poor innocent people in their way and keeping them out of the building armed with shotguns.
Spider-Man swiftly kicked them both into a wall, then leaped onto the van breaking through the window grabbing ahold of the driver. "Did The Sin Eater order you for this! How many of you are there!" He asked and got no response. "Wasting my time." Spider-Man threw them back into the van and knocked them out, webbing them up. Now he turned to the front entrance, only to have his spider-sense trigger, as he realized a bomb was left behind. "Everyone move out of the way!" He exclaimed and webbed pulled anybody nearby out of the way, as the entrance exploded. "Good haven! These people are out of their minds!" He rushed inside, finding thankfully nobody else was seriously harmed by the blast and now he rushed up stairs seeing they had taken the stairs, only to notice a second bomb. "For the love of!" He said and leaped back grabbing someone near the stairs pulling them away as it too exploded from the bottom.
"This is getting annoying."
Spider-Man rushed up stairs to stop any more trouble or explosions from happening hoping this was the end of this insanity, he was concerned somebody might get harmed during all this.
Upstairs JJ was talking to Robbie about his son now up into space having a fantastic time and how proud he was then immediately about that shaking. "What in the- Is Spider-Man destroying this city again! That wall crawling menace has finally lost it and is trying to blow us all to kingdom come! Call the police! The military! The girl scouts! Anybody, he's going down this time! He brought whatever is going on!" He exclaimed feeling completely certain somehow Spider-Man was responsible.
"Jonah, this is serious! Security warned of armed men! We need to get people to safety!" Robbie reminded him.
"Of course Robbie, we head down the stairs carefully, we don't know if it's safe! Chances are Spider-Man did something to the elevators, even if not internally I have no doubt he'd be reckless enough to not think of people around him!" Jonah expressed and then was in for a very bad surprise, as The Sin Eater's followers barged in.
"Nobody moves! We're here to end this paper's reporting, permanently! Line up!" One exclaimed in front of the group.
Jonah stepped forward bravely first and motioned everyone to keep their heads down. "There is no need for anybody to get harmed! Take me and nobody else! I'm the publisher, put the blame on me, not my staff!" He said genuinely and looked not intimated by the bunch of them.
"Give us Brock and Foswell first!" The guy in charge replied back.
"No way on earth would I ever be giving up my people!" Jonah expressed with his hands on his hips.
The leader grit their teeth. "Fine, we'll kill everyone in this building until we find them!"
Even more stand and heroically Jonah tried to struggle with the leader, who revealed unfortunately they had super strength.
"Nice try. Say your prayers!"
Spider-Man swung inside and knocked them all down like a bowling ball. "No way he'd ever be praying for me to save him! I'd have to imagine his final prayers would be me getting squished by a falling piano or anvil!"
"Spider-Man! I knew you were involved!" He shouted at him.
"Always so observant picklepuss! Now if you exclude yourself, please. I've got some real fine jerks to knock into next year!" Spider-Man remarked and punched out two of the thugs, webbing them to the wall.
"When this is over! You're paying for the damages!" He shouted back at him and hid.
"Take it out of my salary! Not that I have one!" He remarked and smiled to himself, then knocked out another despicable thug.
The leader of the group reached for their shotgun again, which Spider-Man webbed up and cracked them across the face, realizing they weren't as beatable as the rest.
"My savior gave me a gift." He remarked.
"Right, such a kind gift. Doubt he even bought it himself!" Spider-Man replied and kicked him back, spinning around to grab two more guys knocking their heads together as they tried shooting wildly.
The leader tried swinging at Spider-Man, but failed as they weren't a great fighter.
"Nice try, it's over!" Spidey punched them hard across the face, knocking them down, however they started to glow. "I was really afraid of that." He realized and picked them up not exactly sure of what to do, besides his spider-sense going bearzerk. "Please, please work!" He webbed them up a parachute letting them fall down slowly away from the main office. It was indeed the right call, as the leader exploded nearly in the face of the unsuspecting Spider-Man. However they didn't become like Mark or Liz, just exploding into nothing. "A man bomb, taken that suck tatic to a new low. Internally or not. Sick as can be! Monsters disgusted as men would do such a thing! At least that hopefully means A.I.M can't give people super strength, properly." He hoped and headed back up checking to make certain none of the others were glowing. It only seemed to be the leader, a sacrificial lamb of sorts it appeared.
As expected from JJ, he wasn't exactly pleased by the damages. "Why you Wall Crawling menace! Look at what you've done! The Bugle is in ruins, it could take days to fix all this! Weeks at worst! Trying to take the spotlight from my son aren't you?"
"Actually sunshine, I was here to protect you. At least Foswell and Brock. The Sin Eater wasn't after me, he wanted them dead! To keep his little dirty secrets silenced permanently!" Spidey expressed crossing his arms.
"Him? I know you're a few screws loose, how could you possibly forget that the mastermind is safely locked behind bars!"
Foswell cleared his throat. "Well, unfortunately it's true I've been finding evidence on who the true Sin Eater really is. Stan Carter, I'm afraid to say. He framed the woman, Jean Dewolff. The guy is completely dirty and holds grudges against all the people affected by the actions of The Sin Eater. I was just about to tell you, before this happened." He shared, with a frown.
"What! Foswell! How couldn't you tell me you didn't believe him! We could've talked about it!" Brock exclaimed, coming over upon hearing it. "I could've sworn it was the truth! I put a lot on this being true!"
"Spider-Man gave me the tip after your report, I warned you to look over the evidence better and check your source's validity."
JJ looked ferrous, steaming from his ears. "You're telling me, Spider-Man is right! This menace to society is right about something!"
"Happens once in a blue moon, I know." Spider-Man remarked with an eye roll.
Jonah continued. "And the story I published on your entire livelihood wasn't properly investigated Brock! This is an embarrassment if this is in fact true! An innocent respected woman is sitting in jail then! I'll have your head!" He shouted, making the building rock around.
"It is JJ, I've almost got the proof I need to bring it all together." Foswell replied.
Brock frowned and walked away shaking his head while grabbing hold
"This isn't over Brock! We're going to have a long chat! About your worthless future!" JJ shouted and went into his office slamming the door.
Spider-Man turned to Foswell. "Carter showed me that he had evidence, he was keeping it all as trophies the sicko he is. And he thinks I'm dead, along with anyone who could've learned the truth. "Hold tight, I'm going to get you the evidence you need to finally put the real Sin Eater away, for life!" He then leaped out a window, now going to return to Carter's home to finish the job.
Spider-Man soon arrived, kicking down Carter's door having enough of this guy and immediately spotted him webbing onto him pulling him down to the ground.
"You're alive! Let this end already, die!" Carter tried shooting him and failed, as Spidey grabbed the gun tossing it outside.
"It's over Carter, you're a disgrace and it's over!"
Carter grit his teeth and managed to press a button.
Ah crap. His spider-sense triggered and gun turrets revealed from the wall opening fire at him firing a lot of bullets. "Good grief man! A little overkill!"
"Not quite, if I kill you I'd say I've gotten what I wanted." Carter expressed.
Spider-Man quickly avoided all the incoming bullets, managing to break the turrets ripping them to shreds and chased after Carter who ran down stairs.
"Oh no you don't!" Spider-Man exclaimed webbing onto him, as he realized he tried to destroy the evidence left behind. "It's over!" He then punched Carter out and threw him against the wall.
Carter smiled at him. "I'll confess the accusation of bribery was a lie, for Stacy. However, covering up crimes? Oh yes, he did. In fact it was for you and other people he was close with throughout the years. Stacy covered his tracks well, maybe nobody will learn the truth. Besides you and me. Cover ups was to protect you! Ironic isn't it? You made him into a criminal by being so reckless and needing his help! You compromised him! You live with it." Carter admitted, chuckling softly.
The police barged in raising their guns at Spider-Man, not hearing what Carter admitted.
"He's delusional! Take him down now!" Carter shouted at them.
Spider-Man raised his hands up high and shook his head. "Check the computer! He's got the evidence on it!"
Captain Watanabe entered. "Arrest Spider-Man."
"No! Carter is The Sin Eater! Check the shotgun! Do your police stuff! For heaven shakes he's got turrets and an electric trap inside of his home! No other police officer would have a house rigged like that!" He proclaimed as Carter moved close to the computer about to delete the evidence.
"Captain, that sounds too outlandish not worth consideration. That was a lot of bullets and a lot of money to set it up, more than our salary!" One officer pointed out.
"I come from a rich family." Carter replied about to finish the job.
Spider-Man sighed and flipped up as the officers didn't react believing his word apart from Captain Watanabe surprisingly who tried to shoot him, but he managed to avoid making a web to catch them, kicking Carter again and revealed the video on the computer of what he did.
"Oh my god." The officers realized upon seeing it and turned their weapons finally and rightfully so on Stan Carter.
"Damn." He frowned and raised his hands.
The officers put cuffs on him.
"I only wanted to clean up this city and my legacy will continue on." He began looking at Spider-Man. "My followers already got a video that I deleted sharing my intentions if I was to be captured. This isn't over and the consequences will be felt. My goals were successful and even if I'm locked up, this is not over." He then glanced at Captain Watanabe who looked away. "My legacy will be carried on. Believe me."
At long last, The Sin Eater was in custody.
Spider-Man sat down outside and sighed in relief. Captain Stacy, I might've cost him his job. I might've cost Eddie's his too. Officer Dewolff could be having trouble from all this mess. Carter's followers are on the loose. On the brightside, I've exposed him and in time I'll put everything right. It's over, thank goodness.
Captain Watanabe came over to him. "Looks like you were right about him."
"Unfortunately, I guess this might be a big scandal?" Spidey replied.
"Could be, at least we've got the real killer in custody now. That's all that really matters in the end. Go home, you've earned some rest." She responded and walked away.
"Wait! I think I'm owed an apology! You nearly did shoot me and the computer! If not for my quick thinking he could've gotten away with this!" He recalled and called out to her, which rudely she ignored this. Rude.
Spider-Man thought about turning in for the day, but wanted to see Gwen and Harry instead with MJ by his side he'd have a lot to catch up on. Not to mention what was happening Gwen was going to need her friends.
So he left to see his friends.
Peter arrived at the hospital finding MJ and gave her a massive hug. "I got him, he won't be hurting anyone else ever again." He said immediately to her.
"That's good and now that Dewolff can get off. Awful how she was framed."
"Yeah, after some help and maybe deprograming." He paused. "I'll tell you everything later, I promise. I've got a lot to say!"
They walked over to Harry, who was again sitting alone. "Hey Pete, you just missed Gwen, she was hanging out with her dad. Still waiting for him to wake up, maybe he's wanting to sleep off everything that's happening!"
"Maybe, I heard through The Sin Eater, the real guy was captured!" Peter said immediately looking pleased.
"He was! Wait? I thought that other person was The Sin Eater?"
"No, it was an officer under my dad." Gwen surprisingly popped up behind them. "That lady was pretty nice, I met her a couple of times, I had a feeling she wasn't actually the real Sin Eater. Hope Carter will riot."
Peter hugged Gwen. "At least things are starting to look up right?"
"Perhaps, when dad wakes up. That'll make it better." She responded.
"He will totally wake up soon. Like we've all said, that dad of yours is a fighter!" Peter replied to her and looked at his friend with a bright smile.
Harry was looking at the tv. "Wait, The Daily Bugle was attacked? Were you there at all Pete? Must've been pretty insane!"
He shrugged and chuckled softly. "I thought of swinging by, but glad I didn't."
"Good thing Spider-Man is always around to give a helping hand." MJ remarked.
"And it probably gave old JJ a few blood vessels to burst!" He replied back and laughed together about it, enjoying the victory.
Elsewhere, later into the day after everything was all said and done. Captain Watanabe had returned home, looking on her computer as she received an email for Stan Carter early in the day. An encrypted one, which nobody would find. It was a long list of names, a few with checkmarks next to them. The Sin Eater's victims, from the past and future one, smiled upon seeing the list and remembered a private conversation they had, from about a month or two ago now.
He came to visit her home, to discuss a secret he found out about herself.
"It appears you have a secret, it's obviously true or otherwise you wouldn't have invited me into your home." Carter began saying and got pinned to a wall by her.
"If you're intending to blackmail me, this isn't going to end well for you." Watanabe said, grabbing onto his throat tightly.
"I'm not! I swear, all I want is to offer help. We can help each other!" He replied and so curious, she let go.
Watanabe stared at him. "Explain yourself?"
"We both have our private lives. Secrets, a great despise for criminals that being police officers doesn't exactly give us satisfaction. Am I right? Wraith?
She clenched his fists. "Get to your point."
"I've got a long list of corrupted filth infecting our city, a kill list. Including personal information making it easier to target them. I'm planning something and with my plans, I could use help. You could too. We both want to clean up our city, why not together? The Sins of this city need to be fixed, why not do it together?"
Watanabe sighed and looked back at him. "I'm listening and I like where you are going."
"Of course, I should say. To complete the plans, we might need to hurt people. Like Captain Stacy for example, he's into me." Carter confessed.
"It's fine, sacrifices need to be made for the greater good. Let me hear about your plans exactly and what we can offer each other." She smiled at the prosation.
And so, unknown to Spider-Man, the trouble wasn't over. Wraith was still on the loose and had gotten enough resources from Carter to continue the schemes of cleaning the city in their own twisted fashion. Having a lot of leftover secrets and access to The Sin Eater's followers, prepared to finish the mission set forth.
(Wrote the below months ago, thanks for the patience, feel free to leave thoughts/reviews)
Wow! This was certainly my longest chapter yet! (Probably) There you all go, the end of this arc shaking up everything. Thank you for sticking with me. I nearly considered breaking this story up into a four parter, but couldn't think of a good ending cliffhanger and I didn't want to drag out this story. Next chapter and the next major arc will have consequences from the events of the past few chapters.
Speaking of which. Stan Carter is now heading to prison, while Captain Watanabe is a wolf in sheep's clothing, unknown to our hero. (Hope that revelation didn't come out of left field) Captain Stacy, for now, is still in a coma. Jean Dewolff is going to need a bit of deprograming as Peter said. Those followers are on the loose. Lastly Eddie Brock appears to be losing his job, it seems Spider-Man could've treated him better, right? Hope that won't bite Spidey in the behind.
I'm honestly shocked writing the end of The Sin Eater's major first appearance here. I planned a long time ago now, about the original plan involving The Sin Eater. Now it's been drastically changed, after the next major arc I believe I'll share the original idea. Until then, it feels great to be finished with this arc.
Next time, will take a breather. Then, leading to the longest arc since I finished The Crime Master storyline. It won't be as long and it'll certainly be stronger, considering the subject of it. A Spider-Man stable.
Response to C.G
I apologize, I don't really have much to say. Not really sure how to respond genuinely, my head just isn't clicking really sorry. Hate these pills. Feel free to continue to post, just don't have anything to say and don't want to leave you hanging any longer. My current new medication has made my head very foggy. I read and understood everything said though. Can't give any update on Batwoman sadly, progress has come to a stand still pretty much. I think I won't be on these meds much longer. They haven't helped me, so hopefully that will get things back on track. Also just to add, that Spider-Woman story posted wasn't any new writings, wrote it over a year ago like this story just a long backlog of stuff never posted. I've got my fingers crossed about doing Batwoman again soon and giving a far better response. Really sorry about the writer's strike. I hope it'll be cleared up shortly. Mom is also annoyed that NCIS and FBI will be off during that time too. Though got her a show called Jag for her birthday so something to keep her occupied she never finished it. Hopefully you can have some shows or something to help the lack of the usual shows, sucks it happening because of greed by the higher ups. Anyway, thank you again for all the responses here, very sorry I haven't been able to muster enough brain power to reply better. Feel so foggy in my head, hopefully that'll pass soon enough. Keep hoping. Best wishes to you.