Season 4 Chapter 9: Homecoming
"Ur-Urrrngh, hm? What?" Michael groaned as he groggily opened his eyes before flinching from the bright light glimmering over his pale face and then noticing that his arms and feet are tightly strapped to his bed. "W-What? Where am I?"
"Oh! Doctor! He's awake!" Says one masked healthcare assistant while checking on Michael Morbius' health over the monitor.
"Are you sure? If so, I'll have to notify the director immediately," The doctor in charge replied while looking over Michael with a heavy heart as if he knew him from somewhere.
"Notify me with what, doc?"
Entering the room with an intimidating aura and his most loyal agent Maria Hill, was none other than the commanding director of SHIELD, Colonel Nick Fury.
"D-Director Fury!?" The doctor and his assistant quickly greet their superior with salutes.
"At ease, I just wanted to check on our li'l "vampire" friend of ours. After all, we called you here since you also know him quite well, right doctor?" Nick replied.
"H-Huh? W-Who are you? Tell me! Where are we?!" Michael demands while struggling to break free in his currently normal condition.
"Calm down, bat boy, we mean you no harm. In fact, we are the reason that we could keep your "condition" under wraps without any trouble of disclosure to the public," Nick explained, walking up to Michael's bed.
"But this is no different from kidnapping me, isn't it!?" Michael barked back, still struggling while slowly trying to reawaken his inner mutate.
"Kidnapping is a strong word, Morbius," Nick pointed out, silencing Michael upon calling out his name. "Think of this as a relocation. We have better facilities that could aid you in controlling your abilities and your condition."
"And why should I put my trust in you?" Michael skeptically retorted.
"Because a friend of yours claimed to have suspected that you would have done the experiment that turned you into this mutated state, and offered to help us help you," Nick briefly explained as he glared at the doctor. "Doctor Nikos?"
With the director ordering him to show his face to Michael, silence filled the room as a sense of familiarity rose within the pale-faced patient.
"What… Emil !?" Michael exclaimed in shock.
"Mike, it has been a long time, old friend," The doctor named Emil Nikos, replied with a smile.
—
Meanwhile, in the house of the Stacy's, located at a humble neighborhood around Queens...
"...whew. Okay, c'mon, work with me..." Peter mutters anxiously as he slides what seems to be a blue-colored web cartridge into his web shooter before aiming at a dart board from a distance.
However, after he sees the chance to trigger his web shooter to shoot, the cartridge that was loaded instead bursted and turned into solid ice, rendering his web shooter unusable and heavy with a slight frostbite as it froze on his wrist.
"Gaaaaghooow! Owowowow, cold cold cold!" Peter screamed while frantically waving his freezing hand as if to lessen the tension in his wrist.
"What the—Peter! I thought we were supposed to test it out on a later date. You said that it's still a prototype," Gwen urged as she walked to Peter and wore the symbiote around her arm to remove the frozen web shooter from his wrist with ease. "Do you still have a spare, just in case?"
"Oh uh, about that, that was my "last" spare?" Peter nervously replied with a grin, shrugging his shoulders. "Hey, I never got the time to make another."
"Or— you were just overly confident enough to not ever break them, like this," Gwen scolded as she put the shattered web shooter on her desk.
"Aw c'mon, it's not that bad," Peter nervously replied before being given "the look." "Agh— look, it's quick and easy to fix one of them. I made them after all."
"Yeah, sure you do," Gwen sarcastically replied and rolled her eyes before noticing her smartphone ringing, getting a call from Liz. "Hold up, Pete. It's a call from Liz."
After Peter throws a thumbs-up to her, Gwen turns and proceeds to answer the phone.
"Hey Liz! What's up?" Gwen quickly replied, turning her back on Peter while he was fixing his broken web shooter.
—
In the main laboratory of the Baxter Building, home to one of the world's famous superhero teams, The Fantastic Four…
"Hi Gwen! I just want to ask if you and Petey got anything to do tomorrow?" Liz casually asks over the phone while reclining on a lab counter.
'Nothing really important so far. Why do you ask?' Gwen replied, confused by what she meant.
"Oh well, it's just—some of the guys we know back in Midtown High have planned and organized a cool high school reunion," Liz explained.
'Oh really? That's kinda quick. I mean, it has been like, I dunno, a couple of months since college started,' Gwen pointed out in a surprised tone. 'Not that I am complaining though— I would love to come!'
"Nice! I've already told Kitty and the others about the event. The date and place have also been decided. So tell Petey later, 'kay?" Liz explained.
'Why me? Can't you text him or give him a call?' Gwen nervously replied.
"It's 'cause he told me that he's seeing your place," Liz playfully replied, catching Gwen off her guard.
'Wait, what!? Peter!' Gwen yelled out loud that her smartphone picked up her yelling.
'Whoa! Wh-what's up?!' Peter nervously replied, startled by Gwen yelling at him.
"Ohhh, so he really is with you right now," Liz smirked in response, dumbfounding Gwen from her remark.
'Wha— hey!' Gwen stuttered over the phone.
"My "girlfriend-senses" were tingling, Gwen. I'll see you guys tomorrow then with everyone. Oh and speaking of girlfriend, there was a notice that each of us have to bring a date," Liz slyly adds.
'O-Oh, I see, well uhm…' Gwen nervously trailed off upon hearing the notice.
"Yeah, wanna make this our first "pseudo-threesome" with Petey? I'm so sure he might enjoy that," Liz playfully suggested, intriguingly surprising Gwen from her suggestion. "But it's not like I wanna get our relationship an incredibly huge misunderstanding. I just wanna have a go at it for this rare occasion."
'Well this is probably a really bad suggestion to do that sort of thing, especially for that kind of occasion…!? Peter might think less of us—I mean, me!' Gwen quietly screamed in a low whispering tone.
"Hey hey, it's going to be okay, Gwen. I can go to be Petey's date, all the while you… can also date him if you want to whenever you can. I have no problem at all with that," Liz explains in an assuring tone.
'...A-are you really sure about that?' Gwen sheepishly asked, feeling guilt in the air between their distance.
"Yeah, pretty sure Petey will pay more attention to me in the end anyways," Liz taunted while filing her nails.
'...it's a deal then. I'll play along if you want me to,' Gwen replied in a strange unfamiliar tone with confidence.
"Great! See you guys tomorrow at my place first then! I'll take everyone else to the spot from there. Take care!" Liz playfully replied before ending the call.
"Heyo Liz! What you doin'? Are you done? Sue's got your suit ready!" Johnny called out from another room in the laboratory.
"I hear ya! I hear ya!" Liz quickly yelled back in response and got off from the counter.
She then makes her way to the room, meeting Johnny, his sister Susan, and their huge sleeping stone-faced friend Ben lying on a recliner. In the center of the room was a huge glass case, displaying a red sleeveless, spandex-like outfit that is fitted for female users, accessorized with a white neck collar and white gloves and boots.
"Oh…wow. You've got to be kidding me. Is this—!?"
"Yes Liz. I'm sorry if it does not really "suit" your taste," Susan apologizes in a quipping manner, guiding Liz to her newly-customized superpowered suit. "The suit's fabric is made of unstable molecules that's in tune with powers like Johnny's. This one's tailored just for you, but we are just not sure if you like it."
"Like it? I love it! It's freaking cool, if you asked me!? And for your information: I love the color red! Or white, whichever color!" Liz squealed as she tackled Susan into an embrace. "But wait, so this means that it won't burn into ashes or anything? And do you have like— an underwear version for that kind of thing?"
"Uhm... that's too much info to ask. Let's talk about it elsewhere, 'kay?" Susan nervously suggested, making Liz suddenly conscious of Johnny and Ben in the room before getting ehr nod in response.
—
Meanwhile, back in the Stacys' household, shortly after ending the call with Liz a few minutes ago…
"Peter, guess what: we have a huge event tomorrow, some sort of high school reunion and— Peter? What's wrong?" Gwen asked in a concerned tone, a bit anxious from looking at Peter's depressed look on his face as he stared at his mask.
"Huh? Oh— it's nothing. I'm just uhm, thinking about something," Peter quickly replied.
"About what? You can tell me," Gwen assures, placing her hand over his shoulder.
"It's not anything big really. I was just thinking about what to do with the assignment we got in Dr. Morbius' class, now that he seems to be MIA after recent events…" Peter explained in a tone that's mixed with jokes and sadness.
"...I think he will be back when the time comes, I hope. But look at the bright side: you don't have to do your homework if he can't come back, right?" Gwen nervously pointed out.
"Yeah but, I'm just wondering if he is even doing alright…" Peter trailed off, recalling his fight with Morbius in his crazed mutant form.
—
In the outer gardens of the Ravencroft Institute's Asylum, pouring out of the small garden tap was the red symbiote that escaped the Jackal's laboratory before it self-destructed. The sentient red ooze then made its way sneaking around the premises undetected as it sensed its main body's host. Soon after it finds the cell of its deranged host Kletus Cassidy, it slips under the cell door before slithering over to Cletus' bed and to wrap itself all around his sleeping body.
While that was happening, a cell warden strolls down the hallway to inspect the patients through the small metal sliding window. After checking on Francis Barrison's cell, he goes on to check Cletus' cell, only to be slammed into the wall and knocked unconscious by the metal cell door. Clinging onto the doorposts were giant red talons, freeing the all-new Carnage, appearing in a black-red suit with muscle-like flesh.
"Mwahahahahahahahahahaha! Finally! I'm back in the red!" Cletus, going by the name Carnage once more, laughed out maniacally with excitement.
The reborn symbiote giddily looks at his surroundings before looking at the cell of his neighbor Frances Barrison with a nasty grin. He then pierces his talons and tendriled tentacles to grab hold of the metal cell door. But before he could do anything else…
"Huh!? What the—oh no…!" Eddie trailed off in fear.
"Ohhhhh, hiya, Eddie boy! It has been soooo long!" Carnage playfully replied.
"Eddie!" Ashley called out of fear.
"Doc, stay outta this!" Eddie urges as he pulls out a tranquilizer gun and points it at Carnage, loaded with a vial of the new gene cleanser formula that Dr. Curtis Connors concocted. "Cletus, I can stop you once, I can stop you again. Stand down!"
Unfazed by Eddie's threats and before he could react, Carnage whips the gun off to the wall with a tendril before slamming and webbing him to the wall.
"Awwww. Me scared, we scared. Booo hooo hooo!" Carnage childishly cried out playfully before opening the cell door with ease and slamming it to the end of the hall adjacent to his cell.
"Eddie! Hrrnrgh! Urrgh!" Ashley groans as she struggles to pull or even tug the webs off that are trapping him to the wall.
"Doc, it's no use. You need more hands to pull these off," Eddie warns before noticing Carnage enter Barrison's cell. "Cletus! No!"
—
Inside the cell, Carnage locks his gaze on Frances' muffled face and her straitjacketed body with a feeling of interest.
"Mrrrph! Mmmph!" Frances mumbles under her muffled face upon the horrific appearance of Carnage.
"Uhmmm, I don't quite get what you're saying," Carnage nervously replied before turning one of his tendrils' tips into a knife and proceeds to cut off the straitjacket's straps and shirt, freeing his eerie neighbor.
In response to Carnage's seemingly noble gesture, Frances undoes her muffle and tosses it aside, showing her unexpectedly pretty pale face with what appears to be a gunshot wound on her face. The red clad host was left speechless with greater interest after this revelation that he also unmasks his face and reveals his identity to her.
"Hey waitaminute, you're my nextdoor neighbor? Is this the real you?!" Frances squealed with excitement and a high pitch that made Carnage flinch and wince painfully, shut her mouth in response for his good. "Oops."
"Oghhhh, tone your trap down a bit. I don't like sharp noises," Carnage groans.
"Hey, do you plan on escaping? If you are, take me with you!" Frances begs, catching Carnage off guard.
"No! First of all, your voice hurts. Second, it seems much more fun to kill you than take you along," Carnage slyly replied as he showed off his talons before slowly retracting them. "However, as respect for a fellow neighbor, you get off easy, for now, until—"
"Hold it right there! Hands where we can see them!"
By the door were two officers Carter and DeWolff, pointing their guns at the both of them. However, not backing down, Frances stretches out her hand and levitates the two officers off the floor and pushes them against the wall. Awed and dumbfounded, Carnage reacted late as he tried to process the fast paced situation.
"I am not ever going back to jail! Not now! Not ever!" Frances yelled out as she flung the two officers aside.
"Ohhhhhh, I take it back!" Carnage screams as he tightly wraps a tendril around Frances' waist. "You're a whole package of surprises!"
"Whoa what!?" Frances yelped, startled by the sudden gesture.
Carnage then enlarges his talons to smash and cut down the concrete wall before jumping out with Frances and running off to who knows where.
'...Awwww crud. Pete's gonna have his hands full right off the bat…' Eddie softly groaned as he watched the two escapees run freely with a passenger and facepalmed.
—
Finally, the day of the reunion comes around, Peter just met up outside the Allans' Hotel with the rest from his gang— namely Gwen, Kitty, Bobby, and Hobie— and the former in-crowd of Midtown High—namely Glory, Sally, Mary Jane, Randy, and Kenny. Although, the only person who actually brought a third-party date was Hobie with Janet, who gladly accepted the invitation. Everyone's all dressed in either semi-formal wear or just casual clothes as was suggested.
"Hey guys! Sorry I'm late!" Peter apologizes, wearing his uncle's brown jacket, a pair of normal jeans, his usual sneakers, and his favorite satchel carrying his important stuff.
"Oh no! You're actually on-time," Gwen assures, wearing a white cardigan over her green shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and sneakers.
"Aw whew, thanks. Now that's a relief," Peter sighed in relief.
"Oooh, I love your jacket! It expresses a side of maturity around you for some reason," Kitty commented, wearing her favorite pink cardigan over her yellow blouse.
"Gee, thanks! Love the compliment! Actually, it used to belong to my late uncle Ben. Pretty great if you asked me, and it feels really warm," Peter thanks and adds.
"Hmph, still doesn't change the fact that he's a nerd," Sally scoffed, wearing a flannel crop top and jeans, much to Randy's annoyance.
"Petey! You made it!"
Like the giddy cheerleader she once was, Liz runs out of the hotel entrance to Peter, wearing white gloves under the sleeves of her brown coat, worn over her red t-shirt and a pair of jeans, along with her same old pair of sneakers with retractable skates when she used to fight crime as Screwball. She tackles him into an embrace before pecking affectionately on his cheek as usual, a cringey sight for her former best friend and some of her love rivals.
"Well, it seems like the gang's finally all here," Mary Jane quiply put. "You most especially."
"Uh huh, so is everybody ready?" Liz rallied.
"Aww yeah! Man, I skipped breakfast for whatever's coming!" Bobby yelled excitedly before getting an elbow to his gut from Kitty.
"Geez Bobby, you wouldn't fast if you didn't oversleep," Kitty nagged.
"Agh—Kitty, c'mon!" Bobby screamed, making everyone laugh in response to his hysteria.
"Hey hey, enough chit chat. We're wastin' time now. There's a reunion to attend," Hobie reminds.
"Yeah, and actually, we all got rides ready for the day. See?" Liz points out.
Driving around from the other street and onto the sidewalk are a couple of family-sized vans that are spacious enough for everyone.
"Wow… those are awesome-looking rides," Peter thought out loud in awe.
"I asked my dad if he could lend us a van to travel, but he kinda went the extra mile on this one," Liz nervously shrugged her shoulders.
"Hey sis! Ready when you are!" Mark called, popping out of the driver seat's window of one of the vans with a smirk, signaling the other drivers to open their own van doors.
"Mark! H-How are you doing…?" Mary Jane nervously asks.
"Doin' great. I'm learning the ropes on how to assist my pops and sis in the future. Slowly, but getting there," Mark replied.
"Wait, what do you mean by "assist"?" Mary Jane and Peter wondered, making everyone else curious about his answer.
"I am not cut out for the job of running the place like they do, so both my dad and I agree that Liz should take over in his stead when she's ready," Mark confesses, nervously scratching the back of his head.
"Whoa, that is mighty generous of you, Mark," Mary Jane comments with a smile. "Glad that you're being kinda positive with it."
—
"Ow! Hey! Mind slowing your pace!?" Frances yelled, with Carnage responding by halting his tracks on a building before gently releasing his hold on her. "Well what do you know? You do listen."
"Heyyyy, we do listen pretty clearly ya know!?" Carnage barked back.
"Wait, "we?"" Frances asked, looking confused.
Before he could reply, Carnage first unmasks his grinning face, catching Frances off her guard for a moment.
"You see, it is a very long story: this slimy suit of mine has a mind of its own, and we happen to have the same old interests, so we became buddies!" Cletus exclaimed before masking his face again. "Wicked buddies indeed!"
"Ooooh, I like the sound of that," Frances purred. "Tell ya what: mind if I join your little rampaging spree?"
"Oh? And will you not slow us down?" Carnage asked, tilting his head.
To answer the question, Frances stretches out her arms and palms, trying to forcefully pull a flat sheet of metal from nearby and stands over it like a floating platform.
"See, I can move around easy," Frances huffed with a smirk.
"Whohoho! Now, you are one amazing lady, erm, what's yer name again?" Carnage asks.
"The name I loved and branded myself is Shriek. And thank you for the compliment, partner," Frances, aka Shriek, replied with a smirk.
—
Thanks to Mark and the drivers of the vans, the group safely arrives at the venue of the reunion, in a restaurant that is located within a hotel called "Da Costa Comfort," a recommendation from Bobby and Kitty, saying that an old friend of theirs happens to own it. They all went to one of the party room boxes that was reserved thanks to Liz and the others as they slowly settled down in their respective seats of choice.
"Man, this is one place that can surely wring my wallet dry," Peter nervously commented and tugs on his collar.
"True that. I feel the pressure of status from the atmosphere alone," Kitty nervously adds with sweaty palms, tucked under the pockets of her pink cardigan.
"This could've been a great date venue for just the two of us, huh babe?" Hobie wondered.
"Maybe, maybe not. It's already nice and all," Janet answered while holding tightly onto Hobie's hand under the table.
"Ohhhh yeah, now I'm bettin' that the food's good…!" Bobby excitedly thought out loud with a smile before getting his ear pulled. "Gyahowowowow!"
"Geez, when are you ever gonna mature and learn some patience. Try to show that you're not hungry, unlike a certain someone I knew," Glory deadpanned and scolded before letting go of Bobby's ear, making everyone laugh and turning Kenny sour from her remark.
"Yeah, you're right. My bad," Bobby apologizes, rubbing on his sore ear before getting an affectionate peck on the cheek from her.
" 'Least I could do," Glory replied back with a smile before turning to Liz. "Hey Liz, I recall that we're supposed to be waiting for someone, right?"
"Uh huh. We're supposed to be expecting them right about… now!" Liz exclaimed as she saw the noted limousine from a messaged image text by Randy, just about to head into the parking lot with Sha Shan just disembarking along with three other people.
"Gee, who are we expecting? Celebrity friend of ours?" Peter quipped.
"Sorta. You'll be in for a shock," Liz replied as she sat beside Peter.
"Oh really? It better be good," Peter replied back.
"HEY HEY HEY! Midtown High's number one football star's back, baby!"
Opening the door with his great smirk and loud voice is none other than Midtown High graduate, jock, and former bully Eugene "Flash" Thompson, wearing a cadet uniform that's accessorized with his identification pin named "Eugene."
"No way, Flash!?" Peter jumped up from his seat out of shock.
"Eyyyy Parker! Long time no see!" Flash exclaimed with a smile, which is extremely odd, especially for Sally.
"It's been a long while, man!" Randy greets as he pulls Flash for a tough bro-hug.
"Yeah boyyy!" Kenny screamed as he hugged both Randy and Flash with his bulky chunky body, making Sha Shan facepalm in embarrassment, though not complaining about it.
However, Flash was not the only surprise guest. Following from around the corner of the door with slight hesitation was the guy everyone would least expect to come: the cowering rich problem classmate Harry Osborn.
"H-Hey guys," Harry nervously greeted by the door.
"Oohhhh, it's you again," Kenny sighed in disappointment, glaring at him after recalling all the screwups he did around his life.
'No… freaking… way…!' Peter mutters softly as his eyes anxiously lock onto Harry by the entrance. "H-Hey Harry! Over here!"
"Harry!?" Gwen thought out loud, surprised by his appearance.
'Wait, Liz, you knew about this!?' Peter nervously whispered hysterically to Liz.
'Yeah, about that: I am sorry for not telling you. He did want to keep his arrival a secret, and hey! Aren't you his best friend? Be glad that he's back in town for a while!' Liz explained, not assuring Peter however, due to the fact that Harry carries a dark secret only Peter, Bobby, and Kitty know. (A/N: If you want a refresh, check season 3 chapter 4)
"Gee Har, you sure have lots of cool friends back home."
Beside Harry was a young and gorgeous blonde woman with wavy long hair, wearing a similar set of matching attire with him. Her appearance caught the eyes of all the boys except Peter and Hobie, whose dates are keeping their own eyes on them. Whereas for Bobby…
"Wowsers. Who could have thought… what…!?" Bobby thought out loud before Glory pulled and pinched him by the ear out of a sense of jealousy.
"Well Harry, it's been a long time. Who's your lady friend here?" Mary Jane wondered, breaking the awkward atmosphere.
"Oh, right! Ahem, everyone, I'd like you to meet Lily, Lily Hollister, my girlfriend," Harry introduces.
"Wait, Hollister? As in, the attorney Hollister?" Sally asks out of curiosity.
"That would be my dad. Great pleasure to be here!" Lily adds, astounding the other boys excluding Peter's gang.
"Wow, so how'd you two meet?" Randy curiously asks, accidentally inciting jealousy in Sally.
"It was a coincidence actually, kind of?" Harry replied. "We met in the same college where we both enrolled. I am in business. Lily, on the other hand, she's like her dad."
"Awwww, well that's cute," Kenny teased, acting the same as he used to be, making Glory cringe at his antics.
While members of the in-crowd try to rekindle the relationship with Flash around and try doing a rain check on Harry and his newfound partner, on the other side where the gang is sitting together…
"Wow, that sure was kinda quick," Gwen deadpanned, watching Harry with his new girlfriend.
"Why? Jealous?" Peter teased, getting "the look" from an annoyed Gwen Stacy. "I'm kidding, just kidding."
"Still not funny, Pete. You know how Harry's been acting up before he left for Europe, not to mention when I— you remember…" Gwen lightly scolded.
"Yes, I remember that all too well. I do hope that he changed from all the time being separated from everyone, but it seems kinda hard to tell if you ask me," Peter admits, still feeling skeptical and wary around his former buddy Harry.
"Petey, mind if we talk about that some other time? I don't think "here" is a great place to talk about that, especially when we're supposed to loosen up a bit," Liz suggests, caressing Peter's forearm.
"Yeah you're right. There are just um, things bothering me, but nothing's gonna stop me from having a good time today, believe that," Peter assures.
Just when the tension settles down, Peter's smartphone vibrates and rings out loud to get his attention. As Peter checks it, he notices that it was getting a text message from his naggy boss, J. Jonah Jameson, the name he had hoped to not encounter just for the occasion, texting him to come to work.
"Awgh crud, why now?" Peter curses in response.
"Really? Of all the times, really?" Liz sarcastically adds as she looks at his phone.
"You should probably pick that up. Your job's on the line after all, right?" Gwen suggests, with Peter reluctantly nodding and goes to excuse himself out of the room.
"Way to go, Gwen. You blew your chance to be with him for the day," Liz deadpans.
"Well, I just hope he could come back in one piece at least. You know how he is," Gwen replied.
"Yeah, I agree with you on that. He's had things tough," Liz sighs in agreement before sipping on some iced tea.
As Peter makes his way out of the room, Harry, who's hanging around by the entrance, sees and greets him as if the past never happened.
"He-hey, Pete! It's been a long time man!" Harry greeted with open arms.
"Uh-uh yeah! Yeah man! How was studying abroad doing for ya?" Peter nervously asks as he bro-hugs Harry.
"Oh you know, seeing new places, doing new things, and meeting new people. And speaking of new people, I'd like you to meet Lily, my girlfriend," Harry replied and introduced.
"Hey! You can call me Lily! You're Peter, right?" Lily jubilantly replied. "Har told me lots about you, although you guys did have rough things and so on. Hope you guys can still stick closeby as buddies, 'cause he'd want your help when he needs it."
"Um yeah, yeah. Thanks, and sorry. I gotta go 'cause—"
"Lemme guess, another photoshoot with the hero, huh?" Harry deadpans in an annoyed tone.
"Wait, what? Photoshoot? Hero?" Lily asked, looking confused as she wondered what Harry meant by that.
"Oh nothing big. He's the ace photographer of a daily local newspaper. He takes shots of that vigilante—"
"Wait hold up, vigilante? Is this about that menace you kept telling me about?" Lily asked. "What's his name again? Spider-man, right?"
"Ummm, yeah, yes, and I have to go or else I'm off the job. Sorry to leave early, but…it's awesome seeing you again, Harry," Peter nervously replied.
"Whatever, just go already," Harry responded as he and Lily watched him leave the hotel.
—
Once Peter's outside of the hotel, he quickly calls up his boss Mr. Jameson over the phone for confirmation on why he's urgently needed.
"Hey JJ! Sir! Is something happening? What'd you want me to do for the day? And mind if I could get some overtime pay in this case?" Peter called. "Boss?"
'Well well well! Quite energetic now, are we?!' Carnage spoke maniacally through the phone.
"Waitaminute, who is this?" Peter asked out of fear with eyes wide open. 'Oh no, nononononono! Was that Carnage?!'
'Say kiddo. I heard that you're the only go-to guy for the Webhead's photos, and you two seem pretty tight from the sounds of things. Sooooo…' Carnage paused, toying with his anxiety before finishing his sentence. 'If you want the people and place here to stay clean and scar-free, come here, along with that so-called hero in tights, or just make him come alone. Otherwise, I'll start to paint the entire building in red!'
"Don't hurt them! I promise! Just please, wait for me!" Peter cried before ending the call and ran off to find a place he could change into his costume. 'Ohhhhh man, looks like I gotta play along with his demands, or else…'
—
"You sadistic psychopath! He's just an ordinary kid with extraordinary luck! Why waste your time on him!?" Jameson barked out loud while being webbed to the ceiling.
Not long after Carnage and Shriek escaped from Ravencroft, he decides to first get some payback with the only last standing foe that annoyed them before his time of separation with the symbiote: Spider-man. And after recalling and studying about his whereabouts around the city, they targeted those that are connected to him, first being his widely known "personal" photographer Peter Parker, who works at the Daily Bugle. They stormed into the premises of the office and trapped everyone inside to hold them all hostage, and being superpowered psychos, they easily rendered the police outside useless and helpless.
"Huh. Guess this could be your lesson for smearing a hero's name and dragging it around the mud, right JJ?" Robbie jokes, trying to lighten up the situation while being trapped in red webbing to the wall.
"You won't get off that easily, sickos!" Ned barked while struggling to break free from the red webbing. "Spidey's gonna get here, and when he does—"
"Ugh, would you please just shut up!" Shriek shrieks as she levitates a roll of tape and takes a piece of it to tape his mouth shut.
"Now now, settle down innocent bystanders. We are just having an unannounced visiting hour with your colleague, who seems to be quite close with a friend of ours, get it?" Carnage playfully assures. "So calm yourselves and be good boys and girls, or I will make you! Starting with ummmm… ah—you!"
Catching Carnage's eyes was the secretary of JJ and the girlfriend-soon-to-be-fiance, Betty Brant, who is webbed to the floor. With his sadistic grin of excitement, he holds the girl with one of his tendrils, menacingly scaring her as she's targeted. Ned couldn't even do anything to talk the madman out since his mouth's taped shut.
"Huagh! Noo!" Betty screams as she pointlessly struggles to break free from his webs.
"No! Don't you touch her, you monster! It's hard enough to have a well-trained secretary as efficient as her!" Jameson barked out loud, making Robbie shake his head in embarrassment.
"Hmmmm, I'm tired of waiting. Time for a little warm-up!" Carnage screams out of boredom and transforms one of his hands into an ax, making Betty scream and struggle for her life helplessly in his tendrils as he grinned. "Time to paint this office red!"
"Then get yourself some real paint!"
Storming and crashing into the office through the window before delivering a swift kick to the madman's face was the web slinging Spider-man, who came just in time after swinging with all his might from a great distance.
"Oof, gotcha miss Brant," Spider-man quipped as he caught Betty in his arms before setting her down and ripping off the webbing with hands.
"Spider-man! B-But how!?" Betty yelped.
"Uhm, some guy was calling for help? And uh, told me to get here? He seemed pretty desperate," Spider-man explained, lying underneath his mask.
"Spider-man! So it is true! You and that Parker kid really are conspiring with each other! Taking photos and selling them for your own hidden agenda!" Jameson ranted out loud under half-truthed baseless assumptions.
'Well, Sourpuss is not exactly far from the truth,' Spider-man depressingly thought to himself before noticing Shriek behind him. "Whoa! Uhmm, hi?"
Silently grinning at the Webhead, she retaliates with a shrieking scream so strong that it shattered all nearby glass-made items and structures while blasting Spider-man out of the office and down into the streets.
"Awrrrrgh! We already said that you should shut up!" Carnage groaned angrily before recollecting his bearings.
"Ohhh riiight. He's all yours then," Shriek offers, standing aside with the grin on her face as she gives way for Carnage out of the broken down office wall.
—
'Peter…!' Gwen quietly gasped with a slight mutter, sensing something terrible that's happening to Peter at the moment, getting everyone's attention from her startled reaction.
"Whoa girlfriend, is something wrong? Your face is turning pale," Mary Jane points out and asks out of concern.
"Huh? Oh it's nothing! I just need to use the ladies' room for a bit. Sorry to scare you guys. I'll be back shortly," Gwen replied in an assuring tone, getting off her seat before leaving the box for the ladies' room.
"Okay, that was—kinda odd, especially coming from Gwen," Mary Jane thought out loud with a dumbfounded face.
"Nah, it's fine. She gets jumpy sometimes," Liz defended before giving Gwen a wink and a smile to excuse her from the reunion.
"Is that so?" Mary Jane snickered, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrow.
Meanwhile from a far side in the room, glaring at the moments that just passed by, Harry stared into space with malicious intent and skepticism concerning his ex, that was until…
"Har dear, hey Har? Har!" Lily called, trying to get his attention and snapping him back.
"A-Ah yes babe?" Harry responded.
"Would you please get me some more fruit punch?" Lily asks in a cute tone.
"Sure babe," Harry replied, getting off his seat and going to get her a drink.
Leaving in the middle of their reunion, Gwen quickly heads out of the hotel and into a small alley where she could don the Mania symbiote to change into Ghost Spider before going out swinging to the Daily Bugle, Peter's workplace.
'This has got to be the worst timing to stop crime,' Mania points out. 'You—know that, right?'
'I'll say. I guess this is where Peter's troubles keep on piling on top over our friendship,' Ghost Spider thought to herself while swinging her way around the bustling streets. "Hang tight, Spidey! We're on our way! Please be alright!"
—
"I am so not doing alright," Spider-man groaned before his Spider-sense tingled, making him dodge several gunshots from police officers, all the while being tangled in a fight with Carnage. "Whoa! Officers! Friendly Fire!"
"I can't—control—my hands!" DeWolffe cried out while being forced to shoot her gun at Spider-man.
"Wha-what is this!? Why can't I stop!?" Screamed one of the fatter police officers.
"Hahahahahaha! Yes! Embrace your true dark desires! Show the Spider your terror—and your fear! Hahahahahaha!" Shriek laughed out maniacally in an excited tone.
"Yikes! This just has to be my—gughowgh!" Spider-man grunted as he was whipped by two of Carnage's tendrils and then pinned to the pavement by his long sharp talons. "...Worst day ever yet…!"
"You leave him alone!" George roared before being knocked out by a slap to the cheek from the manipulated DeWolffe's revolver.
"Captain!" DeWolff cried out helplessly.
"You little tart!" Carter roared before being levitated from the ground and then thrown to a nearby police car door, incapacitated in the end.
"Sarge!" DeWolff and other officers cried out.
"Hihihihihihi, this has been the most fun I've had since the day I lost the other part of me. And I have you to thank!" Carnage laughed, close to licking Spider-man's face. "Too bad Eddie boy ain't here to see this. But don't worry! I will send him your regards, as my gift to him!"
"Hrngh, hrngh! Please tell me you'll do the cutting-a-person-in-half trick!?" Spider-man nervously asked while struggling to get Carnage's talons off from pinning close to his neck down.
Shriek then manipulated the controlled officers to point all of their guns at the pinned down Webhead, preparing to fire with a huge grin on her face.
"A firing squad? That is so cliched," Spider-man nervously joked.
"Well, you can't beat the classics," Carnage laughed.
"Hey eyepatch! Try this!"
And just before Shriek could command the bodies of the officers to shoot, Ghost Spider enters the scene with a flying kick in the gut to Shriek, pushing her off from her feet and concentration, which momentarily freed the officers from her manipulation and caught Carnage off guard.
"Shrieeeek!" Carnage roared before getting a sharp kick to his chin from below, releasing Spider-man from his grasp as it staggered and startled him. "Grrrrgh!"
"Sorry I'm late. Whatever happened to work?" Ghost Spider apologizes, standing beside Spider-man after helping him stand back up.
"Sorry to bother, but how'd you find me?" Spider-man asked. "And yeah, funny you should ask…"
"Mania helped, really convenient, and you're missing out on a lot of action when you left," Ghost Spider replied before getting into a passive defensive stance after seeing Carnage and Shriek regroup. "Although, I find dealing with this kind of action rather much more amusing than around Harry."
"Well—sad but true," Spider-man shrugged before facing off with the two psychos alongside Gwen. "We need to take this fight elsewhere. I suspect that the weird lady got some sort of mind-control powers that can control people."
"To do what? Nevermind, let's do it!" Ghost Spider nods in agreement as she webs a line from her side with Spider-man doing the same on his side, sticking close to each other shoulder-to-shoulder.
Together the two Webslingers make a giant human slingshot and stretch their line with each step backward while aiming at the deranged villains.
"On three! One...two...three!" They both yelled.
By the time they released, they shot themselves at them with simultaneous backflipping kicks that launched them up high before zipping close at them to kick them farther away to a greater distance, giving chase with a couple of web swings and saving the police fromany further harm.
"You know what!? Before I forget, we should switch enemies!" Spider-man suggested while swinging beside Ghost Spider.
"Wow! And leave me with the big guns?! You're joking!" Ghost Spider yelled back.
"That girl blasted me out of the Bugle with her supersonic voice! Your suit won't be able to take any hits from that!" Spider-man points out.
"Sorry I yelled!" Ghost Spider yelled back.
They soon stopped and hid behind metal vent turbines for cover as both of their enhanced senses detected their foes' hostile nature, barraging at them from midair with needlelike symbiote projectiles and sonic wave blasts while floating atop a levitating metal roof that Shriek forcefully pulled.
"Hahahahahaha! C'mon! Don't be shy, my little bug friends!" Carnage jeered as he continues to fire a rain of symbiote needles at Ghost Spider's position.
"Wow, talk about improvisation," Ghost Spider scoffed while taking cover.
"Aghhhh! Would you please just quiet down!?" Spider-man yelled as he took the risk to jump out of his cover and shoots at Shriek to web her mouth and face shut before making another human slingshot and then quickly launches himself at her while she's distracted.
However, to the deranged maiden's rescue, Carnage blocks and catches Spider-man before he could even reach her, looking at the helpless hero with his usual sadistic grin.
"Tag! You're it!" Carnage quipped as he threw Spider-man to the sky with full force and chased him down with all his might.
"Spidey! No!" Ghost Spider cries out before screaming in agonizing pain as she was crippled by Shriek's supersonic voice. "Aghhhhh!"
"Come now! Hear me sing! Be my one-man audience!" Shriek screamed with her numbing voice at the symbiote Webslinger.
—
Half an hour passes after Gwen went out for her supposed bathroom break and an fifteen minutes more after Peter left for his call from his workplace, some of the gang are getting more anxious about their absence and contemplate about what could have happened to them.
"Something's not right, they should be back by now," Liz points out in an anxious tone, looking at the virtual clock on her smartphone.
"Chillax, I'm sure that they're just on a wild pursuit out there, you know what I mean," Kitty assures as she caresses Liz's sleeved forearm. "They'll be back in time."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Liz nervously replied back, convinced by her assurance.
"Hey hey! Guys! Guys guys guys!"
Coming from outside of the hotel, Flash returns to the room as if he got some exciting news.
"Whoa at ease, cadet! What's all the buzz?" Randy calms him down.
"It's Spider-man! In action! Just outside the hotel! How wicked is this day or what?!" Flash exclaimed like a fanboy, but worrying Liz and the gang with his report.
'Petey!' Liz exclaimed internally out of anxiety as she jumped right up from her seat and bolted out of the hotel in a panic.
"Liz! Wait!" Kitty urges before running after her, followed by the rest of the gang and Mary Jane.
"We should go," Harry urged, taking Lily's hand before chasing after the others, followed by the in-crowd people.
—
The moment Liz steps into the scene outside of the hotel, she witnesses another suspenseful sight of her boyfriend, along with the rest that caught up with her. The Webhead, looking all bruised and wounded in his tattered costume, could barely stand on his knees in his ongoing standoff with the red symbiote while keeping one of his sharp morphed axes just an inch away from his face. That was until Carnage erupts another tendril from his back and whipped him in the gut. For fun, he catches the launched Wall-crawler by the leg with the tendril and slams him to the ground before erupting another tendril that grabs his other leg, tossing and holding him up by his wrists as the hero's form of humiliation before the people of New York. Shriek then arrives shortly after and tosses an incapacitated Ghost Spider under the hung Spider-man with her levitating abilities.
'What...the…' Bobby muttered.
'Gwen, no…!' Kitty holds her scream with her hands on her mouth.
"Hahahahaha! So much for this "hero of New York!" A weakling like him still has lots to learn!" Carnage gloated out loud while swaying the Wall-crawler in midair. "Ahhhh, if only he never met us, he would still be alive. Now, he shall be the paint to stain your corrupt city!"
Just right after Carnage finished his gloating, an aluminum can flies and hits his face, thrown by the bold and reckless former bully Cadet Flash Thompson.
"Let him go, you creep! And get outta town!" Flash yelled out angrily.
"Awwwww, does the little boy scout wanna play the hero, eh? Why don't you join us then?!" Carnage grinned as he quickly tried to reach Flash with another tendril.
Mustering all of her courage in the spur of the moment, Liz swiftly tackles Flash out of the way and gets herself caught by the tendril, scaring everyone bystanding along the sidelines and the gang with her recklessness.
"Liz! Noooo!" Flash cried out as he watched his ex get snatched away in his stead.
"Huagh!" Liz yelped as she was pulled close by her waist and raised above the ground beside Spider-man.
"Liz!" The gang and most of the in-crowd yelled out of fear and worry.
"Ugh… ungh…" Spider-man groggily groans in pain, lifting his heavy eyelids to suddenly spot Liz held up near beside him. 'Liz…?'
"Hrngh! Hurrrngh!" Liz groaned as she pretended to struggle and break free.
"Liz, I can—!" Bobby yelled before being cut off by Liz showing him the hand, telling him to not make any sudden moves.
"Wow, you got some spunk for a gal. Such a shame for you, really," Carnage jeered.
"I got you!" Kitty roars as she runs to save Liz, only to be intercepted by Carnage spewing a gust of acidic breath, keeping her at bay. "Whoa! Okay, that's just gross."
"You'll regret that, pal. I'll make you sorry!" Liz barked pretending to struggle.
"Awww, don't worry, you'll get your turn and you'll fall for my devilish charm, girly," Carnage quipped with a grin.
"Um, ew, not thanks, buster," Liz replied as she suddenly increases her entire body's temperature and bursts into a fiery display, wearing her red spandex uniform under her scorched ashen clothes, all the while floating in midair. "Besides, I'm already taken."
"Agghhhh! Owowowowowow!" Carnage screamed in pain from the explosion and dropped Spider-man to the ground.
"Baby!" Shriek shrieks out of worry.
The scene startled and shocked all nearby bystanders, most particularly those who obviously knew her personally.
"No…way, Liz?!" Flash exclaimed out of shock.
"Ughh, huh?" Ghost Spider groaned as she woke up, startled by the ongoing sight of Liz in her current fiery state. 'What…the what…?!'
"I see that you can't handle a little fire huh. Well, this is just a warm-up for you!" Liz quipped as she kicked Carnage in the face with a spinning fiery roundhouse while floating in midair above the ground.
The red villain suffered painful burns from her basically physical attacks before being struck and launched to a nearby car from a hot blast of microwaves, cinching most of his suit into ashes and incapacitating him temporarily. With that, Liz turns her attention to Shriek, sending scorching chills down her spine before dashing towards her and landing a solid uppercut to her gut, launching her against a nearby wall that easily knocks her out.
"Whew, that was for my friends. Spidey! You okay?" Liz asked out of concern, tending to the injured Ghost Spider. 'Gwen, how many fingers am I holding?'
'I-I'm fine, but…Pete isn't…' Ghost Spider softly replied.
"Don't worry, just hold on, we'll get you both to the hospital, stat!" Liz assured, carrying Ghost Spider like a princess. "Bobby, don't just stand there!"
"Uhhhh right! Right!" Bobby replied and went to help carry Spider-man by his shoulder while he made a floating ice bridge with his free hand.
"Quickly call the cops. We'll… be missing out on many things later, and I'll… try to explain, I promise…!" Liz bids before swiftly flying away with Ghost Spider in her arms.
"Liz! Wait! Liz!" Mary Jane shouted, but was unable to reach her.
—
In one of the top floors of the Da Costa Hotel, where the executive office is located…
"Wow, that is one spicy gal out there. Strange, could've sworn that I've seen her before," says the young entrepreneur watching from above the sidelines with a glass of champagne, who appears to be of Brazilian and American ethnicity.
"Why yes sir, she is the daughter of Mr. Wilson Allan, an acquaintance of ours actually," a female secretary answered.
"That so? Well, that makes things much more convenient then. Wouldn't hurt to pay an informal visit with a friend and fellow investor," the entrepreneur thought out loud before sipping his champagne.
—
"Ughhhh, huh? What?" Spider-man groaned.
"Rise and shine, sleepyhead. You've been out for more than an hour. Took a while for HERBIE to seal your wounds with your fragile state."
Nursing the hero's injuries in the Baxter Building's sickbay was one of the smartest men on the planet and leader of the Fantastic Four: Reed Richards. Not long after the fight, Liz and Bobby made their way to the Fantastic Four instead of the hospital to protect their friends' secret identities while also seeking help from people whom they are familiar with.
"What? Wait, where is this…?" Peter asks but trails off, quietly realizing his face is unmasked.
"Don't worry, you're in safe hands, again. I'll see you later in a bit. C'mon HERBIE," Reed bade before leaving with his robotic assistant out of the sick bay and met with Liz who was standing by the entrance. "He is awake now. You can stay with him, but not for long. He needs rest."
Heeding the genius' words, she discreetly enters the room to see Peter laying down on the medical bed, all patched up while wearing his tattered costume.
"P-Petey?" Liz whimpered, creeping up close to him.
"Liz? Is that you?" Peter wondered. "What's with the new look? What did I miss?"
"Relax, Petey. It's…kind of a long story to tell…" Liz assured with a smile, holding and caressing his hand.
—
Even though it was not intentional, the news of recent events soon made it on the Daily Bugle's newspaper and its television news channel, with the appearance of Liz coming out as some sort of mutant and the apparent arrest of Carnage and Shriek by shady specialized personnel wearing emblem patches of SHIELD before further details were soon censored for some reason.
"All these infernal mutants, spreading quickly like wildfire. Soon enough they will become a pestilence to this peaceful city," Boliver scoffed as he shatters a glass cup with his bare hands before standing up from his couch. "No matter. It would seem I will have to get things started for what's to come…!"
He goes to his company elevator and types a numbered passcode on the pad that directly sends him down to a secret facility, containing research labs, workshops, and several kinds of menacing-looking robots in different heights.
"Dr. Trask! Is there anything you need?" Asked one of his subordinate scientists.
"Yes. Begin the "Sentinel Program." Run diagnostics if they can be fully operational," Boliver smiled.
"When should they be ready?" The scientist asks.
"...soon…" Boliver replied as he stared at the face of the huge scary robot, clad in a blue-violet color pattern.
—To be continued
A/N:
Merry Christmas guys!
Sorry for the extremely long update.
I got sidetracked and preoccupied, plus the crash of the typhoon Rai/Odette.
Now I am able to write again since my college semester is over till next year.
Feel free to question, comment or review in any way.
Thanks for sticking around. God bless and merry Christmas!
