Issue #13: Maximum Mayhem (Part V)

Prologue: The Mark of Mayhem

The stink of raw bovine was potent within the dimly lit warehouse on Brooklyn's north side. Even for a graveyard shift, the inside of this building was too deathly quiet for a certain wall-crawler to ignore. Upon entering, the masked man raised his fists as he ventured into the darkness. 'I almost forgot the stench of this city.'

Walking through rows of boxes, a whiff of raw beef drew his gaze to a half-open door of the warehouse's freezer. Turning on a light attached to his belt, he enters to discover the whole freezer nearly empty. Usually, there were over a dozen rows of hanging, frozen cow carcasses, but they were all gone. 'No,' he thought, 'eaten.'

The frozen meats' thick bones were shattered like simple sticks. Deep claw marks were scattered across the steel walls, patterns he felt he had seen before. 'This better not be what I think it is,' he said.

Taking a step, his foot kicks up a pile of frozen shell casings. 'Our elusive late-night eater got caught.' Examining the floor, he pondered, 'No blood. The ballistics were all flattened. Whoever did this, if they can take bullets like it's nothing, this thing ain't going to be easy to kill.'

"Kaine!"

He winced at the yell of his name. Running back to the main grounds, he finds his accomplice sitting on the floor. "Hummingbird," he grunted, "for the thousandth time, only use cape names when we're doing capeshit!" His annoyance subsided when Hummingbird showed him a wounded man in her arms.

"There's three others like him who are badly hurt," Hummingbird told Kaine as he grabbed the man.

"He got a badge. He and his fellow piggies must've gotten a call about a disturbance and messed with the wrong crook. Hey," he said, but got no response. With a loud SLAP, Kaine struck the man's face with the palm of his hand. "WAKE UP!"

The guard screamed, then proceeded to shout louder at the sight of a masked man and a hooded girl with a bright, green face. "HEY! I'm going to make you regret fainting on me if you don't give me some answers," Kaine demanded, "now, who did this?"

The man coughed, trying to collect himself. Kaine sees the loss of blood from the slash across the man's abdomen is making it a struggle. The officer took a deep breath and mumbled, "I don't know. It looked small but was fast and strong. It wasn't human. It was…a monster…"

Seeing him begin to fall unconscious, Kaine sets the officer down and, with a tired look, says, "Call 911; they'll take care of them." Before further pondering the description, he noticed Hummingbird clutching her head. "What's wrong?"

"Such rage," Hummingbird said with a tremble as if holding back a flood of hate. "So much anger and fear. I never felt this before."

"If you can feel it, use your powers to read its thoughts. We can pinpoint where it is and catch it!"

"No, no," Hummingbird mumbled, shaking off a rush of emotions. "Something's clouding her mind so much it's blocking me out. Urgh, she's gone, hiding somewhere in the shadows."

Kaine crossed his arms, an evident scowl across his face. "Three days, and we're not closer to figuring this shit out. I didn't want to do this, kid, but we might need some extra hands—" Kaine paused upon registering a particular word he almost dismissed. Turning to Hummingbird, he leaned forward and asked, "Did you just say 'her'?"

And Hummingbird nodded.

Part I: Nightmares & Monsters

April opens her eyes to find herself in the passenger seat of the family car. It is stuck in traffic, and the outside air appears hazy. Her mother, driving the car, looks tired. It's a feeling April's been seeing whenever it involves her. She shuts her eyes when a sudden headache sets in, unable to recall how or why she is here. April looks down at her hands, the hands of her seven-year-old self. She remembered this because this was the exact pattern of dried blood coating her bandaged knuckles.

"Sorry, Kit. It seems the ice cream will take a while," Mary Jane sighed. No amount of honking would make the cars move.

"My hand doesn't even hurt anymore," April said, "and stop using the nickname. It's April."

"I know," M.J. chuckled, "but isn't Kit your favorite character that movie you like? You know, the one with a girls' baseball team in the forties? So sweet how that movie inspired you to pick up your own bat."

"Even after today?" April feels a rush of memories of this day. What was supposed to be a simple practice between two of her school's little league baseball teams ended with her being kicked out.

Her mother exhaustedly said, "No matter what happens, I won't deny your passions, April. I can't, however, ignore how this is the third fight you had at school."

"He only got a broken nose and lost one tooth," April mumbled.

"And yet you kept going," Mary Jane reminded. April winced at the memory, feeling her hand tremble at the flashes of each punch she delivered. "Again and again until the coach had to yank you off."

"I only did because he threw that ball on purpose," April complained. "Just because he's older and bigger, he felt he could pick on one of my teammates. He was the one who threw the ball so hard that it knocked a tooth out of one of the girls."

"A tooth for a tooth mentality isn't the right," M.J. said, stopping herself from getting more frustrated. With a deep breath, she continued, "April, I understand your anger. When I was your age, I felt so lost from the absolute mess called my life—so much that I wanted to scream, and I ended up doing things I regret down the road."

"I don't regret it. And no, you don't understand."

"Yes, I do. I've been bullied and been called disgusting things. I remember those feelings all too well. Despite that, I've never—"

"Maybe you should've," April yelled, stubbornly crossing her arms. "This boy was not going to stop unless I did something, so I did!"

"And because of that, your hands are bandaged, you're off the team you wanted so badly to be in, and the girl you were helping is scared of you."

April fidgets at this. "S-she is?"

"April, she didn't stop hiding behind her parents until you and I left."

She remembered it now: how the girl shivered in fear, staring at her like one would at a wild animal. She didn't like how that made her feel. What's worse, April feared her mother viewed her the same way, even for the briefest moments.

"Mom…are you scared of me too?"

M.J. flinched at her question. "Why would I ever be scared of my little girl?"

"Because…I think something's wrong with me." April felt the swell of burning fill her throat as she began to choke up. Looking at her bandaged, bloody hands, she whimpers, "I try. I really try to be normal, but I'm broken, aren't I?"

Right as she began to quiver in fear, her mother gently placed her hand over them. Such a simple gesture radiated such warmth that April grabbed her mother's hand and leaned on her forearm, sobbing. She felt her mom's fingers comb her lengthy, black hair, hearing her lovingly say, "I don't find you scary, April. And just because you're not seen as normal doesn't mean you're broken."

"How?! I'm just a big idiot who messes everything up!"

"April Kathrine Parker, you are NOT an idiot," M.J. said firmly, turning her daughter's full attention toward her. "You're a smart and strong girl. I see a fire burning within you. So bright it is that no one and nothing can extinguish it—your spectacular, April. You just…it's simply hard to show people this side of you. I think if you do, however, then they won't be scared anymore."

April wipes her eyes, trying to remember the smiles she brought to the team, but even then, she can't shake away the meanness and fear in other kids, even some teachers, at school. "I'll probably still screw that up, too," she mumbled, "and so what if I am scary? Maybe they should be scared."

"You don't mean that, April."

April clenched her hand, the flames of anger canceling out her mom's voice. Anger at others and anger at herself were quick and easy feelings to grab onto and rely on to push back against a world that always keeps pushing her down. 'I do,' a part of her thought, 'because when I make them scared, make them pay, then father will be proud of me…'

April shuddered, an intense fear taking over as a sharp pain struck her mind. 'ARGH! W-what's wrong with me? Why did I think that?!' she thought, clutching her head. 'Can't think!' She felt her mother grab her, trying to tell her something, but April couldn't hear her. Her dilemma is amplified tenfold when all the cars surrounding her suddenly begin to honk continuously. The collective high-pitch blare of their horns might as well be the sounds of a thousand bells ringing in her ears.

"It hurts!" she cried, "everyone just shut up!"

In a panic, April opened the car door beside her and leaped out, only to begin falling into a deep, black void. Her mother and the world vanished as she fell. "I-I'm dreaming! Only dreaming!" She suddenly lands on something soft and gooey. April sees her appear in a long, circular tunnel of strange black slime. An echoing roar drew her attention to a light behind her, where the shadow of some wild, shapeshifting beasts was seen. April ran for an eternity, her senses warning her this monster was always behind her.

A pit opens beneath April, and as she falls, a rush of water all over, like a giant tidal wave devouring a surfer. Floating, April held her breath as she opened her eyes and felt an immense dread in her heart. She was in a dimly lit tank filled with some green liquid. April could barely move as dozens of spikes, cables, and plugs were punctured into her body. 'No!' Though every word uttered filled her throat with that burning liquid, she didn't care as every fiber in her being screamed, "Let me out! I don't belong here," even as the spikes punctured deeper into her bones.

"Why? This is where you were born, after all."

She saw a shadowy figure approach on the other side of the tank.

"You've had your fun playing make-believe."

A black ooze formed out of her body's wounds, threatening to consume her.

"The sooner you see that they'll never accept the real you, the sooner you can come home and finish what you were born to be."

April pulled back her fist, defiantly crying out, "NOOOOO!" Bashing through the glass, the shadowy figure disappeared, and April felt free. Out of the tube and seemingly out of the dream.

Opening her eyes, April finds herself beneath a Brooklyn Bridge, hanging over the deep, cold river below. April could barely utter a word, not noticing her hands were stuck onto a steel beam until she started to slip. "Wha—? Where am I?!" April winced as an ample light shone at her; a fishing boat had caught sight of her. April desperately clung to the beam until all her fingers unstuck at once, sending her hurdling towards the water.

Then, bizarrely, right as she struck the water, she finally woke up in bed.

With a sharp gasp, April fell out of bed, clutching her blanket. Her heart pounding while she wipes tears from her eyes. Fresh sweat dew fell down her brow while the serene sounds of an early morning filled the air. Glancing down at her hand, April sees it looks normal. She was normal. "What a nightmare," she mumbled. Such words were harder to say when every passing night had her trapped in some new, even worse kind of nightmare. Though they had been mere nightmares, they each felt completely real somehow. It's how each time they haunt her that leads her to cry so hard she gets lightheaded. April ponders if she should share such dreams with her parents, but the sooner she considers that the sooner a part of her will quietly shoot down the idea. It was like a cricket whispered the suggestion in her head, and April accepted it without question. "Only a nightmare…"

After huddling in bed for a long time, April got ready for the day. Slumped forward, hair tangled, she stomped down the stairs to find her sisters already eating breakfast with their parents in the kitchen, discussing something. "Forgetting someone," she muttered.

Mayday perks up. "April, you're up! Sorry, Annie woke up early cause of some weird dream and—" she said, stopping upon getting a good look at her twin. "Dad?"

Peter walks out to see April disheveled and exhausted. Kneeling beside her, he presses his hand on her forehead. "April, you sleep, okay? It looks under the weather."

Peaking over, Annie's eyes widen. "Woah, you look gross." She flinched at April's glare, stammering, "I-I mean tired, you look tired."

"I slept fine," she sighed.

Peter asked, "Then why are their bags under your eyes, April?"

"Yeah," Mayday added, "is something wrong?"

"If there is, it's probably cause' of you and your dumb powers."

Peter immediately tries to calm her. "April, she's only worried about you."

"What's to worry?! I look weird, and now everyone's on my case!" April saw her family confused at her outburst, but she didn't care; she needed some way to vent. The way she sees it, what's a little attitude to superhumans who have everything she doesn't? This anger briefly fades when Mary Jane comes forward and presses her palm on April's forehead.

She asked gently, "You feel pretty warm. Do you think you're sick, April?"

April grew shy from the question. She tended to ignore others' questions, but the one person she never did this to was her mother. "N-no, Mom. I'm good."

"Alright, I'll take your word for it after you apologize to your sister."

April rolled her eyes but reluctantly said, "Sorry…" Mayday nodded, and April saw a quiet understanding and lingering worry in her eyes. April pondered whether May's spider-sense was the reason.

"How about you quell this old lady's nerves and take medicine before eating?"

April nods, taking her mother's hand and sitting at the counter while her mom soothes her by sharing an old, fun, sick day story. Over in the living room, their big TV blares out the latest news report, but it fails to reach April's ears.

"A violent attack by a strange assailant struck Brooklyn Bridge late last night. Police arrived to find three fishermen wounded, their boat severely damaged. While at the hospital, one of the fishermen has shared with police a description of their attacker that's identical to the assailant responsible for a dozen other incidents reported over the past two and a half weeks. When asked about this individual, who's seemingly eaten their entire fish catch, fishermen shared how they could only describe it as a monster."

[Later…at The Champion's Facility]

One can tell April was making her grumpy face when everyone in the room shared how cute it was. 'I'm not cute. I'm mad!' she thought, following her mom to the stands located at the sidelines. She had a clear view of her sisters, decked out in their superhero gear while standing in an extensive training field. Located underground, the whole room was like a huge school gym, modified personally by Ironheart herself to create any scenario a hero may find themselves in.

Like the other buildings above them, the training room is open to the superhero community if they want to test their skills quickly. It also helps that the famed hero Ultimate Spider-Man is a close friend of the family and has a particular other hero who finds the time to help.

"Do we have to be here?"

"This is their first big test, April. It's only right for us to cheer them on," M.J. reminded. April's sisters noticed and waved at them, and her mom waved back, cheering out, "Good luck!" April pouted, and her mom took notice. "Come on, hotshot," she kindly encouraged. "One cheer for me?"

April groaned and gave the dullest and most drawn-out, "Yippee…"

"Good enough, my little grumpy grump," M.J. chuckled. April slumped in her seat as her mom smiled sweetly at her, saying, "April—" until the red light from the observation deck ahead turned yellow. "Oh, cover your ears."

"I know, I know," April sighed. Even when she did, the ringing of the loud buzzing noise made her feel a bit dizzy. When the alarm ended, Mayday and Annie sprang into action. Their training had begun. The scenario was simple: cross a hundred obstacles to reach a civilian tied up and hanging over a fire pit. April gets goosebumps from the sight of fire, yet Mayday is hardly phased.

"Woo! You got this, sweeties!" M.J. cheered as Mayday and Annie swung over the first set of obstacles, mainly high walls, swinging objects, and paintballs simulating bullets.

"Pfft! A reality show contestant can do this," April mumbled. Her sisters quickly swung and wall-crawled through this first set, crossing over thirty yards. April notices Annie is easily the slowest of the two. Having powers for not even three weeks, April sees Annie spend more time figuring out those odd visions than practicing the rest of the powers. She loved her, but that behavior seemed like a massive waste to April. To her, if you're strong enough, you can punch through any problem a vision presents. It also didn't help that April thought her armored blue chest plate, joint pads, and bright red helmet looked utterly ridiculous.

A huge tremble rocked the facility when a shadowy figure leaped from the ceiling, grew five times her size, and landed at the halfway point of the field. This was the second phase of their test, a superpowered henchman, who, in this case, is standing in front of the marvelous hero, Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel.

"FEE-FI-FO-FUM!" As she raises her giant fists, Kamala's deep voice booms, "I smell the bones of puny spiders; be they alive or dead, I'll grind their bones to make my bread!"

"Do henchmen even say stuff like that?" April asked.

"You'd be surprised," M.J. answered.

Kamala stretched her right limb to grab one of the sisters while using her other to squash her foes. It's from this struggle that April sees a change in Mayday. Ever since they were little, April noticed something about Mayday that made her a natural leader of the three. Whether it be misadventures in the park, a school assignment, or errands, Mayday always had the most convincing plans and seamlessly stepped into the role.

Now, April sees how that lends to Mayday's heroics. Her twin swiftly saved Annie from being snatched while avoiding Kamala's swipes. Sure, she had almost three months of training, but heroics fit like a glove for Mayday. 'Would it be so easy for me if I ever get powers too? I'm her twin, it should be…right?'

"Something bothering you?"

April flinched from her mom's sudden question, a quizzical expression on her face. "Uhh, no, mom."

As they returned their attention to the training, the sisters began to fight in synch with one another, with a bit of help from silently speaking to each other through their spider senses. Their webs soon began to entangle Ms. Marvel, as those spaceships did those metal walkers in that one movie they loved. With webs entangling her ankles, Ms. Marvel fell over, clearing the way for the sisters.

April hears Annie cheer, "We're going to make it!" However, there was one last opponent. Before either sister could spot their foe, Annie's web was cut mid-swing, and she webbed up before landing on the cushioned ground. "Aww phooey…"

"Annie!" Mayday shouted. April could see she was conflicted about freeing her sister or saving the hostage. Ultimately, Mayday decided to push forward.

"Dang, he's fast," April gasped while Mayday dodged a barrage of bright yellow electrical blasts from the shadows. April tried to spot him, but her eyes were suddenly blurry as if a green filter filled them. Through it, she spotted a green and purple figure flying out of the shadows by way of a glider. A bright, deadly energy filled the palm of his hand as he aimed at Mayday from behind. "Why isn't she sensing him? Mayday, watch you!"

Listening to her sister rather than her spider-sense, Mayday maneuvers away from her target to avoid a rear attack. Scanning for a sneak attack, Mayday appears confused until two stray webs wrap around her, capturing her. The session ends, and both fail to reach the hostage in time.

A perplexed M.J. turns to April and asks, "Hotshot, I know you're worried, but you got to let them focus."

"Mayday wasn't focusing because the weirdo was right—" April said, but upon a second look, she noticed the green and purple figure vanished as if he was never there. "What? N-no, didn't you see him too, Mom?"

M.J. only looked more confused. "Saw what, April?"

April gawked at the stage as the lights flickered on. Rubbing her eyes, she also noticed the odd green vision was gone. As her mother guided her to the court, April was silently bewildered at what she had just witnessed, so bewildered that she could barely pay attention to Mayday.

"Dang it, so close," Mayday sighed. Her optimism shined through as she laughed it off to her twin. "April, did I at least look cool just now? Say, why'd you throw me off? Did you see something I didn't? Wait, if you did…does that mean you and Annie share vision powers?! Oooh, I'm so jelly!"

"He wasn't there…" April muttered, her mind a world away. "Why was I the only one?"

Mayday tilts her head, "the only one to what?"

"…Huh?"

The sisters' confusion broke when Annie struggled to wiggle herself out of her restraints, "Umm, little help?"

"I gotcha!" Kamala, adorned in her fabulous super suit, expands her hands and tears the web off like it was paper. "There you go," she chirped, "Good teamwork with your sis, Spiderling! That spider-sense you two share must be crazy good to maneuver so quickly."

Annie blushed at such a compliment, especially from a superheroine as great as Ms. Marvel. "Really?! Thank you, Ms. Khan!"

"Haha, just Kamala is fine, Annie! Welp, what do you think, Miles? I think we've got ourselves some fast learners."

Landing from the hidden scaffolding above was college grad Miles Morales, the renowned hero of Brooklyn who dons the Spider-Man mantle alongside their uncle Ben Parker. "They got the spark, but still much to learn." Looking at Annie, he asked, "Is following your senses still tricky for you?"

"Yeah," Annie sighed, "it's like several voices yelling at me all at once. I try to see ahead to anticipate better, but..."

"Keep your head in the here and now; those visions aren't gonna be clutch until you know you've mastered it," Miles advised, "but don't get frustrated; this is why we practice, and you still have plenty of time to handle those powers." Approaching Mayday, he advised her, "You are improving, kid. You are a real natural, but you tend to react rather than think."

"What does that mean? I barely had time to react."

"See, it's like basketball. You're the biggest player on the team, and they're counting on you, yeah? Being in that position means you can't just react to whatever you face in the court; you need to think beforehand about what is best for others and what needs to be done. You reacted and tried to save the hostage, but you left your sister behind. When April warned you, you reacted but didn't think through what to do and got sniped."

"I guess," Mayday mumbled.

Miles finished his point by saying, "This comes from being a team leader, kid. Be it with friends or family, it'll always be tricky thinking through when to be their leader and when to be their sister. Finally, remember this: it's up to you to look after them while trusting they can stand up to the challenge."

"Yes, sir…" Mayday sighed. April could tell from her tone that she was taking it to heart. Mayday does tend to be a good listener.

"It's alright," Miles reassured. "As your pop and uncle said, this is all just to help you understand your gifts."

"That's right," Mary Jane spoke, "I know we haven't had the best luck the past few months, but hopefully, you three won't find yourselves in another dangerous situation for a long time. By then, I'm sure you girls could take on anything."

"Sure, all three," April mumbled. Right as she did, April's head pounded as an alarm blared across the training room. Her mother helped shut her ears as Miles shouted, "That's the automatic security alarm!"

Though confused, Kamala and Miles nonetheless shielded the sisters. "Someone must be breaking in," Kamala said. The main entrance door of the room opened as Peter and Ben ran over to them. "What's going on up there?"

"We don't know," Ben said, "we were up in the control room but didn't see anything out of the ordinary."

"Our spider senses aren't picking up any sign of danger either," Peter added.

"Whatever it is, can someone shut off that alarm already?" Mary Jane shouted as she hugged April in the confusion, shielding her from the noise.

Suddenly, the alarm stopped, which it was not supposed to do. A moment later, everyone with spider sense picked up a presence they didn't think was dangerous. It wasn't apparent to Miles, Mayday, and Annie, but to Ben and Peter, they had sensed this man before. A piece of the vent above crashed onto the training floor, and the whole group turned to see two people drop to the floor.

"You need a new security system," the man in the dark and scarlet suit said in a stern, irritated tone.

"He means we broke it just now, 'cause it suuuucks," the young woman beside him clarified.

Upon noticing the man glare at Kamala and Miles, Ben whispered, "Hey, we got this handled. I'm sure you two got important stuff to do, right?"

"T-that's right," Kamala said nervously, slightly creeped out by the masked man. "Oh my gosh," she gasped, enlarging her ear, "Miles, you hear that?"

"Umm, hear wha—"

"It's the Champions! They need our help, like, right now!" Kamala proceeded to enlarge her hand and firmly grasped Miles. Waving farewell, she said, "Hope we train again, girls!" and left the Parkers to deal with…whatever this was.

Feeling better, April gasped when the stranger took off his mask, revealing a face nearly identical to her dad and uncle. "Uncle Kaine!"

"Welp, this isn't going to be good," Peter sighed, sharing a look of concern with Mary Jane. Peter's second brother wasn't a fan of visiting family, so the two knew it was serious business whenever Kaine was involved.

"Of course, he's already broken something," Ben muttered before clearing his throat and giving introductions. "That's right, your kind-hearted and lovable uncle Kaine is the Scarlet Spider."

"Woah," April gasped, "wait a second, don't that mean YOU were the one who almost killed Ambassador Logan last year? The news wouldn't shut up about it."

"Kinda. It's a complicated stor—"

"Yep, he almost did," Ben interjected, "nothing but wholesome stories with this big guy."

"A good fuck you to you too, brother," Kaine grunted.

"Kaine!" M.J. and Peter shouted, covering their daughter's ears. April giggled at his casual swearing.

"Look, I don't like this any more than you do, but—" Kaine continued until he suddenly had a glass jar shoved in his face. "Aracely, why are you doing this?"

"I excused the previous swears, but I won't excuse one made in front of children. That's one dollar in the jar."

"Hehe, I like her," Mayday giggled. "Who's she?"

As Kaine begrudgingly tossed in a dollar, Aracely turned around and introduced herself. "I am María Aracely Josefina Penalba de las Heras! Known to all as the mystical and proud hero Hummingbird…but you can call me Aracely!"

"Kaine saved her when she was fifteen," Ben added, "and though he'll never admit it, he has adopted her ever since. How long has it been now, bro? Three years?"

"I told you; I'm still looking for a good home for her," Kaine refutes.

Upon noticing the Parker sisters, Aracely floated in the air and excitedly hovered over them.

'Does everyone in the family have powers?!' April thought.

"Heeey, are these the nieces you and Annabelle always talking about? They're so cute!"

"Really?! Aww shucks," Annie giggled.

"Aracely…" Kaine groaned.

"Woah, the little one sees all and knows many, many things! Like learning Spanish from Ms. Sanchez," she said, looking at Annie. "Hola, ¡puedo enseñarte español si quieres!"

Speaking for her shocked sister, Mayday asked in awe, "How'd you know all that?"

"Oh, I know everything."

"No, she just reads minds and emotions," Kaine specified, annoyance present in his tone.

Aracely gasped as she looked at Mayday. "Kaine! Mayday's heart is unlike anything I've sensed before! As strong as a hurricane, yet her compassion is endless!"

"I try my best," Mayday said, blushing from praise.

'Creepy,' April thought, catching Aracely's attention as she whips her gaze towards her.

'And you,' Aracely telepathically said until her tone and expression dropped. 'You are…different. Afraid, and yet—'

"That's enough!" Kaine shouted, grabbing everyone's attention. "Aracely, come here."

As she did, Peter suggested, "Hey, let's move this somewhere more private. Girls, go change and wait in the—"

"No," Kaine said, "all of you need to hear this."

Seeing Kaine still has little patience, the Parkers do what he says. April remained particularly quiet as she waited for her sisters to finish changing. She worried about even thinking of anything lest the new girl reread her thoughts. After her sisters were done, the family sat in one of the comfortable guest rooms. Kaine closed the windows' blinds before turning to the Parkers and announcing, "There's a monster loose in this city."

April flinched at such an announcement, a reaction that came almost instinctively. Her uncle Ben quickly responded, saying, "It's New York City, Kaine. You're going to have to be a bit clearer."

"How's this for clear? Each of you has a target on your back, and this monster has its sights on all of you," Kaine hissed.

April stared at Kaine as she walked past her, a fear growing in her heart, yet she knew not why it was there. "Despite trying to track down its trail, it left a spree of mayhem to anything and anyone unfortunate to cross its path," Kaine uttered, and then April noticed Annie starting to creep out. "It's a monster who does not think, does not feel, and will not stop until its prey is dead." April tried to hide her fear while glancing over at Mayday, unable to tell if she was hiding hers or maintaining her resolve in the face of this description.

"Am I being clear now, brother?"

"Crystal," Ben replied, recognizing the gravity of Kaine's tone.

April saw her father step forward. "Kaine, you still glance at the news, yeah? You wouldn't happen to be talking about the same culprit behind a spree of random attacks, are you?"

"Seems so," Kaine answered, "several spots I investigated ended up being called by the news as the handiwork of some elusive attacker."

"Of course, we can't go a month without something bad happening," Peter sighed.

Ben asks, "Alright, Kaine. You made your point. Now, how did you learn about this threat in the first place?"

Kaine nodded to Aracely, who had been floating beside him. "I only recently begun to master my powers, trying to extend my reach and find ways to help others with their emotions," she said. "Then, almost three weeks ago, I was in deep slumber when I suddenly sensed an intense spike of someone's emotions. She was unlike anything I felt before."

"She?" M.J. asked.

April leaned forward as Aracely vividly recalled, "Uh-huh, she was so far away, yet the immense wave of her emotions made it felt she was right next to me. Her mind was clouded by fear, her heart filled with rage. She wanted to lash out against the world itself. I woke up moments later, tears rolling down my eyes. My heart ached like it hadn't had in years, probably because I felt what she felt."

April was stunned at such a reaction, and an unnerving fear grew in her heart as if the tension in that room was directed at her.

"I'm sorry you had to go through something so…visceral," M.J. said gently.

Mayday asked, "Why would something so dangerous, hurting many people, also suffer so much pain?"

"I don't know," Aracely admits.

"As unhealthy as it is, Mayday, that's how some deal with too much pain," M.J. said.

"This thing is very odd," Aracely continued. I sensed her emotions, but her mind was blocked. That is partly why I insisted on Kaine helping: to find this source of rage and despair that sprung up nearly every night."

"Good to see you still care, Kaine," Ben said.

"Hardly! I only did it so she and Annabelle would stop bugging me. We're only talking to you because the trail's gone cold, and I'm about to run out of money for the motel we're staying in. So, I bit the bullet and finally came here to get this nonsense over."

"Then you came to the right place; dealing with nonsense is a Spider-Man specialty, after all," Ben said. "What does our elusive culprit look like?"

"I won't lie, you're not like what I'm about to tell you. From what I gathered myself and discerning what Aracely senses…I believe our problem is a symbiote one."

Peter and M.J. tense up at the mere mention of the alien species. April freezes entirely; the name is utterly foreign to her, yet she suddenly feels she has known it her whole life. April ends up so stunned that she barely catches the look of worry her mother has toward her. 'Why did Mom glance at me like that?'

Annie squinted at such a name, tapping her chin as if trying to remember something while asking, "Dad, aren't those the creepy alien things you fought as Spider-Man?" April remembered clearly how their dad tended to share little about the symbiotes. All she knows is they're why the formidable Venom exists, one of the most terrifying and formidable foes her father ever faced. Though she knows little of Venom, there is a sense of familiarity with him that April's unable to discern why.

"Unfortunately, yes. Kaine!" Peter said, "You're sure it's one of these things? Like, completely certain it is?"

"I've beaten Carnage with the help of our old symbiote-covered football star buddy once, brother. Don't insult my ability to recognize a symbiote when seeing them."

"But I drove them out," Peter said, talking to himself, "there shouldn't be any more on earth. Unless…"

"Pete, are you sweating bullets?"

"N-no, Ben. A concerning thought crossed my mind, is all."

"Well, either way, I think Kaine's right on his approach here," Ben continued.

Suddenly, Aracely, who stared at Peter, blurted out, "He's trying not to think of something—something about one of his daughters."

"Aracely stop that! That's very rude," M.J. said assertively, almost urgently.

Innocently, April asked, "Dad, what's wrong?"

"Yeah, brother," Kaine said insistently, "what's eating at you so badly that you want to withhold it?"

"Everyone, just be quiet!" Everyone but Kaine flinched at Peter's sudden outburst. April kept her mouth shut, watching her dad pinch his brow. "It not your concern, Kaine. It's only personal stuff."

"He's thinking—" Aracely said before Kaine spoke. "Stop," he said. "Okay, keep your secret. Just know I'm taking the first plane out of here as soon as we kill this monster."

"NO," M.J. suddenly shouted, causing all the brothers to tense up in shock. April felt her mother hug her, and the warmth and grasp of it felt very protective. "I mean…you heard what Aracely said. It sounds like whoever this is needs help, and she hasn't killed anyone."

"Yet. She hasn't killed yet," Kaine said, "All three of us seen and bonded with these things at one point. I guarantee you that anyone with a symbiote knows fully well what they're doing, whether they can or can't help themselves. The symbiote will not stop because it needs to satisfy its host to stay strong and survive. When one's life is on the line, it ain't going to leave us with much choice but to destroy it."

Neither Peter nor Ben rebukes this. Both refuse to kill this new symbiote, but these aliens are also complex and, thus, tricky to talk to. That's not even going into how, from their own experiences, they tend to bring the worst out of their hosts. The kind of tendency that leads the two to resort to deadly means to stay bonded.

Annie raised her hand, asking, "Sorry for interrupting, but I remembered something from this morning. Aracely, is there any chance you caught a glimpse of the alien?"

"Vaguely, yeah."

"Did it look small and have long hair with blue swirls everywhere?"

"It did, but how'd you—Oooh, I see, your mind contains glimpses of events before they transpired."

"Annie," Peter said, "you had a vision about this?"

Annie proceeds to explain herself, "I wasn't sure until now. I'm still trying to figure out how this power works, and it came to me while sleeping. I couldn't tell if it was a nightmare or a vision."

"What did you see?" Mayday asked.

"First, I saw an old building covered in webs," Annie shared. "Laughter echoed everywhere before a big thing leaped out of the darkness, claws like razors and teeth like dinosaurs! The monster scared me so bad I woke up crying."

"Just like how I was crying," Aracely pointed out. "What could this mean?"

"If Annie saw it, and it attacked her, then it means Kaine's right. This alien's going to attack Annie," Mayday said. April winced at such words, the pain in her chest growing faster.

"Mayday, I know that look, don't get any ideas," Peter asserted.

"Dad, Annie saw it! It's going to happen unless we change it, and I refuse to let this alien hurt my sister."

Her mother whispered, "April?" upon noticing April was taking quick, sharp breaths. The pain in her heart began to strike her head, and she didn't know why, nor this sudden compulsion to NOT tell anyone.

"Pete," Ben said, "if this host is after us, then we gotta take action now and get the kids somewhere safe before this thing does."

"I'll do it," M.J. proclaimed. I'll take them to the Baxter Building tomorrow." Everyone turned to see her trying to comfort a stressed-out April. "I think the girls heard enough of this."

"Of course," Peter said.

Kaine looks away, scratching his beard while looking quietly guilty over scaring the girls.

"Just leave this one to us, okay? Annie, stay close to your sisters."

"Yes, Dad," Annie said, her head down as she tried not to think about this mysterious threat.

"Mayday, stay put and no heroics, understand? They need you here, not out there."

"Yes…" Mayday answered, looking over to her sisters.

"And April," Peter said, gently touching her shoulder, "everything will be okay."

April stays silent, trying not to let the lingering headache get to her. "Pete, she needs some air," M.J. said.

"Take her to the car. We'll be right there."

Clinging to her mom, April tried not to tip over from the dizziness. The outside provided some relief, more so when the two sat by a bench in front of the car. "I'm sorry," April mumbled.

Concerned, her mother gently asks, "What for, sweetie?"

"I don't know," April said somberly, "it feels like I'm always screwing something up."

April's gaze stayed glued to the floor, even as her mom pulled her in for a warm embrace. "I don't think that's true, April, but I get how hard it must be for you to think that," her mom said. She wiped a tear from April's cheek, saying, "You are a human being, April, and humans aren't perfect. It's okay to feel scared by this, but you have all of us here to help you."

"Hasn't felt like it recently. I'm barely ever normal compared to Mayday."

"April, normal isn't molding yourself into what everyone else thinks or into someone else. Normal is being who you are."

"But…" April stammers, "But what if who I am is scary?"

"And why would anyone ever find you scary?"

"Because…I feel like I did something horrible." For the first time in April's memory, she felt her mom tense up as she held her in her arms. It was only for a few moments, but as April looked up, she saw worry and trepidation in her mom's eyes. M.J. was speechless; something was gnawing at her intensely, something April sensed she was hiding from her. "Mom, are you scared of me?"

For a long, agonizing second, Mary Jane was silent. April felt as if there was a splinter in her heart. Then, out of the corner of her eye, a man suddenly appeared behind her mom—an old man in a dark suit with the most sinister sneer she had ever seen.

His slimy voice echoed, "See? All it takes is a little fear to toss you away."

April screamed, both at this man's presence and from her headache spiking in pain. She falls onto the sidewalk, trying to crawl away from the specter haunting her.

Her mother is quickly beside her, trying to hold her as April squirmed in fear. "April, baby, what's wrong?!"

April points to where the man stood. Yet, upon a single blink, he vanished out of thin air. "I…I don't see anything, April," Mary Jane said, confused and concerned.

Tears began to fall down April's cheeks, rubbing her eyes as she sobbed, "I'm going crazy."

"Shhhh," M.J. hushed softly, embracing her daughter. "There's nothing wrong with you, sweetie. Just focus on me. Whatever's going on, we'll be there beside you. You are April Parker, and that's all you need to be."

As she clung to her mother, April wanted to believe every word she told her. Yet, a gnawing feeling in her head drilled into her that every word was a lie.

Part II: Monster, am I?

[That night…]

To the family's luck, the owners of the famed Baxter Building were able to take them in sooner than expected. Their entrance was a low-key affair compared to their past visits. Mayday and Annie were jovial, barely able to hide their excitement toward seeing the famed family again. April, meanwhile, kept quiet and focused on finishing packing her stuff. Upon greeting the kind receptionist, Roberta, they were guided to the resident levels. April and her sisters were accompanied only by their mother. Their father, meanwhile, was at Parker Industries and using its systems to do his part in searching for this threat by being his brother's eyes and ears. 'Worried over a dumb alien,' April thought with a tinge of resentment.

Upon the elevator doors opening, a great light shone on the family, the light as powerful as the sun. April returned from such heat, but her family smiled as the man on fire landed and welcomed them, "Hello, hello! Welcome to Casa del Baxter!" With a snap of his fingers, Johnny Storm, known to all as The Human Torch, extinguished the flames that once engulfed his body. He sported a finely cut mustache, complimenting his well-combed blond hair, and wore his signature blue and white FF uniform.

Before any of them could say another word, four young kids popped out behind Johnny, each jubilant at the sight of the Parker sisters. April groaned at the sight of them, but her sisters had already run up to give a big group hug.

"Franklin! Valeria!" Mayday cheered, hugging the son and daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Richards. Though she had hung out with them only twice so far, they quickly built a great ripour. It'd also helped that they were roughly within the same age range, with Mayday only one or two grades behind them.

"Mayday, it's so cool to see you," Franklin said. "talk about a surprise visit! Is everything okay? This is super sudden."

"Observant as always, Franklin," Valeria said sarcastically, stepping between them. "Let's see: the odds of the Parkers dropping at this time of year were thirty-seven thousand and eighty-three to one. Thus, the two most plausible 'Parker' scenarios to create such odds are either a powerful alien symbiote is after them, or they failed to pay the mortgage and are now homeless."

"Umm, it's the first one, Val," Mayday answered.

Valeria began to shake her hand, saying, "Congratulations, Parker, on beating those odds and not being homeless!"

"Jo-Venn! N'Kalla!" Annie giggled while Ben and Alicia Grimm's adopted children hugged her.

Though they were very young for their respective species ages, the two eight-year-olds were as fierce in battle as they were adorable. N'Kalla used her Skrull powers to stretch her torso around Annie, a hug exclusive to best friends and family in Skrull culture. "Salutations, Anime the human," she greeted.

"Nicki, it's Anna-May," Annie said, annoyed.

Nicki's brother, Jo, asked, "Is that not what my sister just said?"

Slapping her forehead, Annie sighed, "Okay, I give up. Call me Annie from now on."

"As you wish, Anniefromnowon," Jo loudly stated, "amazing, humans never cease to have the worst names in the galaxy."

While her sisters walked ahead and chatted with the other kids, April kept her head down and stuck close to her mom. "Thanks so much for this," M.J. said sincerely.

"Of course, this isn't the first time I've helped Pete with symbiote shenanigans. This one's a first, though," Johnny said.

"We just want the girls to feel safe," M.J. reasoned, protectively tightening her grip on April's hand. "We never...we should've told them of this sooner."

"Better late than never is what I say," Johnny said, "hey, when Reed, Sue, and Ben get back, I'm sure they can offer some help themselves. Perhaps break out the ol' sonic blaster?"

"I...would rather wait and see how things develop."

For the rest of the evening, there was little time for the two families to have a proper get-together. April focused on eating her dinner alone while her sisters asked the FF kids about their adventures since they last met. She found it annoying that they casually chatted with the alien siblings despite those two being on Earth for barely a year. 'Bet they wouldn't be so chatty with'em if they had sharp teeth,' she grumbled. It may seem like an odd, vindictive comment, but it was another sign of a rift between them in April. 'A rift that's always been there,' she thought.

A few hours passed before Mary Jane, somewhat hesitantly April noted, told the three of them to go to bed early. Her mom pulled April aside before Johnny showed them to the guest room where they could bunk together. Sharing a hug, she said, "April, there's...I think there's something you should know."

April tilts her head, "what, mom?"

Mary Jane pulled back, looking at her daughter. April could see the ends of her mom's lip twitch, unsure what to say and how to say it. "You..." she sighed before forcing on a smile, "you get a good night's sleep, okay?"

"O-okay," April mumbled, feeling like she'd been lied to. M.J. kissed her on the forehead before sending her off to bed. Of course, rather than sleep in, April and her sisters naturally huddled beside a warm, orange lamp and lay on the floor, staring at a holographic projection of the night sky on the ceiling.

"Uncle Kaine," Mayday whispered, "he seems less angry but more angry. Does that make sense?"

"Maybe it's an uncle thing," Annie commented. Hey, Mayday, do you think he's right about destroying this thing?"

"It's not up to heroes whether one should or shouldn't be destroyed, Annie. Besides, Dad, Ben, and Kaine can handle this. I mean, they're three spider-men. Who can stop them?"

"Nothing's invincible, May," April muttered. "Not even them."

"Yeeesh, a bit dark, April?"

"Hey, if everybody's being honest about their true feelings today, why can't I?"

Annie nervously twiddles her fingers, asking, "Why is it after me? I barely even thought about symbiotes."

"Maybe it's an old foe. One Dad hasn't told us yet," Mayday suggested.

"Wouldn't be surprised," April whispered to herself.

"I'm not sure," Annie said, "you know, thinking about it harder, there was something...scary about that vision. I think it tried to speak to me."

"Woah," Mayday quietly gasped; even April's interest was piqued. "What'd it say?"

A chill ripples across Annie as she recalls to them, "It was warbly, but it sounded hurt. Then it screeched, 'kill you.'"

A heavy silence fell over the sisters. April could almost sense how unnerved they were by such an ominous reminder. For herself, she couldn't deny that this symbiote sounded creepy, but there was something else she felt was missing. Perhaps it was a stretch, but April can't help but wonder if her nightmare of being chased by a monster has something to do with this symbiote. 'But why? And why do I feel a strange...kinship with this thing? It's like thinking about an old friend.'

"We should go camping out west," Mayday suddenly suggested, lying on her back. I heard Yellowstone has spots where you can see the Milky Way. Can you imagine that?"

"There's something after us, yet all you can think about is camping. Brilliant," April said dismissively.

Annie quietly asked, "Can we not talk about it?"

"Exactly," Mayday concurred, "we're not helping ourselves worrying about it. So, let's think of something else."

April rolled her eyes. "Like what?"

"Like, what adventure are the other Fantastic Four doing now? Oh! What if they're in the Phantom Zone, wrapping up their latest expedition in some unexplored land!"

"Or maybe they're in another universe," Annie happily suggested, "maybe they saw how quickly the world's supply of chocolate is diminishing and traveled to a dimension where everything is chocolate!"

"Both are dumb," April huffed, "how does that even work, Annie? How does a choco-version of you even talk?"

"It's not dumb! With the multiverse, anything is possible; that's the point of a multiverse!"

"Well, the multiverse's dumb, too, 'cause it made me exist in a world where I always get the short end of the stick!" April turned her back to them, and her sisters were stunned by her outburst. 'She's gonna ask,' she thought, 'she's always butt in.'

Knowing her twin well, she hears her ask, "Hey, where did that come from? April, you okay?"

"Like you care, May."

"Course she does," Annie said to her defense, "we're asking, aren't we?"

"It ain't something either of you will get, so drop it."

Mayday scoots closer. "Not even a little?"

"Not even! You two made that clear when you made friends with those stupid Osborns."

"We were just trying to be friendly," Annie insisted.

"And, like doofuses, you nearly got killed!"

"Hey," Mayday said assertively, "don't blame us for not expecting a freakin' supervillain attack."

"Oh, sorry for assuming the brat who can see the future could see the danger those creeps bring with them." From the corner of her eye, April sees Annie shrink down with guilt, which stung her with a tinge of regret.

"There you go again," Mayday huffed.

"What?!"

"Being a jerk for no reason! We're always there for you, but you can't help being 'you.'"

April sat up, her back still turned at them. She can hear a slight hiss from Mayday; she said more than she meant to say, but it meant little to April. With a cold tone, she asked, "And just what does 'you' imply, May."

"I didn't—"

"Don't lie. I heard you. What does 'you' mean, May?"

"Stop fighting again," Annie said, urging.

April ignores her completely, pointedly saying to her twin, "Let me guess, the 'you' means me being the runt of the litter."

"No! April, just because we have powers—"

"It's not even the powers. It's just you. All of you!" April shouted, "You don't get into trouble, you don't hurt someone, you don't make yourself look like a disappointment."

"I don't-?! April, I saw my new friend get paralyzed because of me! I screw up too, but I don't shove all my little problems onto others like you do."

April clenched her fists, her teeth gritting as her oil fueled the fire of anger in her. "Little...little?! I lost five years of my life! MY LIFE! And what did you two then do? Forget all that and be friends with those who took all those years away from me!"

Annie covered her ears, tears welling up at all this fighting. Mayday stared at April, who was so upset that her clenched hands were quivering. Shock and regret displayed across Mayday's face as she said, "April, I didn't...I don't mean to make you feel like an outsider. You're not some freak to us."

April scoffed, "You sure like to pick and choose when and what you think a freak is. You two shiver over an alien you see as a monster, and a second later, you chat it up with those two alien kids. How can I be sure you won't ever do the same to me?"

"Because there's nothing wrong with you," Mayday insisted.

April almost wanted to laugh at such a naïve answer. "Then you still know nothing of me," she whispered. Having had enough of them, April climbed up to the top bunk and pulled the blanket over her. Her sisters whispered to each other but neither dared to disturb her. They respected her enough to know when she wanted to be alone.

'You idiot,' she thought. ' Why did you have to make Annie cry? Why am I always like this?'

Before long, the weight of her eyelids grew heavy, and the utter exhaustion from today finally caught up to her as she drifted off to sleep. A sliver of her hoped she would be given a break and have one peaceful night, but fate had other plans. Once in deep slumber, April finds herself back in that dark, ooze-ridden corridor, the growls of some beast echoing from behind. "You again," April gasped, seeing its shadowy silhouette against the faint light looming closer. "Leave me alone!" The same old routine then plays out: the dream beast gives chase, and April runs down this maze-like corridor, hoping to escape. It did not matter, ultimately, what she did. Whether she turned right twice or made only left turns, April would still be stuck in a maze of her subconscious creation, running from a beast she didn't even know what it looked like.

It wasn't just hopeless; it was suffocating. The isolation, the fear of the unknown, the directionlessness of everything. April was trapped in a collage of her worst fears, with her greatest fear chasing her now. "I'm not like you," she whispered, hugging the slimy walls while hearing the echo of the beast's screeches. "You're not me." Every word uttered came naturally to her despite never knowing why she spoke them in the first place. A deep, buried part of her was finally speaking, and it said, "I'll never be you. You nothing but...a monster!" April shivered as the beast's shadowy veil was lifted as it entered the light.

What she saw could be described as nothing but an outcast from beyond the stars, one almost indescribable. All April could discern bright, silvery chains from that looming mass of blue and black ooze. Coming from the void above, these stainless metal chains were clamped onto all of the beast's appendages, not too dissimilar to strings on a wooden puppet. This was the first time April saw this beast, and for all the harsh words she had spat at the beast before, she couldn't help but feel almost sorry for it. "Why are those on you?"

The beast, suddenly more subdued, answered by reaching out its hand. Suddenly, the chains yanked the beast's limb away, and bells clamored from above. April could feel the beast's pain as the chains dragged it away. Before she could process any of this, hands formed from the walls and gripped her arms. April was pulled into the wall and saw only darkness.

"She's lying to you," that elusive voice speaks. One could practically hear the corner of his mouth curling into a malicious sneer.

"They all are. They don't love the real you. Don't believe me? Go and see."

April's eyes shot open, and she awoke in the guest room. Her wide-open eyes gazed down to find her sisters asleep on the carpet floor. It appeared barely an hour had passed. Then, almost as if possessed, April quietly leaped out of bed. 'Mom. I gotta see Mom,' was all she thought. In her mind, it felt like the right thing to do. Due to the low fear of danger in such a highly secured building, April easily slips past Johnny, sleeping on the living room couch, and finds her mother's room. Her hand is compelled to open the door, but there's a moment of hesitation. 'What am I doing?'

"Do it..."

As if she jumped forward in time, April's hand was suddenly on the door handle, now slightly open. 'What? I...need some sleep.' Unfortunately, before she could leave, her ear caught the concerned voice of her mother.

"This isn't a discussion, Peter," Mary Jane said, "we are telling April the instant she's awake. We should've told her when we learned Mayday got her powers."

"We can't jump to conclusions, especially for a matter as big as this one," her father's voice echoed from the phone. "Yes, Kaine and Ben haven't reported any sightings of this symbiote, but we can't possibly take it to mean-"

"Peter, listen to me," Mary Jane earnestly urged, "I saw the look in your eye when Kaine, and especially Annie, described what this symbiote looked like. Those were the exact patterns her blood had the day we found her. You saw it, I saw it, and Doctor Conners confirmed they moved exactly like your old suit did."

"He also said those cells were all docile, practically acting no different from any other cell activity," Peter refutes. "April's human and that's all she needs to know. We agreed on this-"

"Because that's what it seemed like she was, I know," M.J. sighed, "but things change, Peter. Our little girls have changed so much these past few months, and I think April will be next. I'm just afraid that she's doing this alone. She's hiding something, and I want to respect her privacy, but if it has something to do with this symbiote..."

"Two days," Peter said, "let's look for two more days, and we'll decide. Doing so now with Kaine here is too risky, and by that time, Reed should be back so we can do another test. If anybody can give a solid second opinion, it's him."

"April hardly seems to be in the mood to do one."

"Well...Reed will only need a lock of hair."

"Peter Parker, what are you thinking? Are you even suggesting that?" Mary Jane said with shock and slight disgust.

"M.J., it's a simple confirmation test. One of which we probably already know the result."

"I don't care if it's even a lock of hair; I will not do this without her consent. That's the end of this."

"I'm sorry," Peter said in a low, worried tone. You're right. Of course, you're right. I can't see her doing all this. You haven't seen what I've seen. People are in emergency care because of how deep and traumatic these wounds are. Forgive me for wanting to believe April, the little girl lying next door to May and Annie, would never inflict such mayhem."

"I believe there's something bigger to this too," Mary Jane said, "but I don't think we're helping her anymore by hiding this."

Peter is silent for a long time, long enough to make one think the line got cut. Finally, he answered, "Two days, just to be sure. It's not like you told her we'll share the truth."

"No..." Mary Jane said with deep remorse. "I'll sleep on this, but we'll continue this when once you get back." Exhausted over this decision, Mary Jane hangs up the phone and sits down, her mind eager to sleep. "What's wrong with me?"

"Mom," M.J. shoots out of bed, and her heart drops. She sees April standing beside a fully open door. The look on her face could be nothing else but one of utter betrayal. Her hands quivered, gulping before she asked the biggest question she had ever asked: "What are you hiding from me?"

"April..." her mother gasped. Her mouth was agape, but she did not answer.

"M-mom," April stuttered, "w-what's wrong with me that you and dad need tests?"

Mary Jane shut her eyes, clenching her jaw, trying to find the right words at such a critical moment.

SLAM!

April loudly shut the door behind her, unknowingly creaking a crack in the wall and busting the lock shut. It was just the two of them now. "TELL ME!" she roared, a second voice reverberating with her own. Her mother looked in shock at what she witnessed; the power to break metal and her voice meant only one thing. This something nearly awakens a deep, traumatic fear in Mary Jane. "Please," April whimpered, tears and snot streaming down her cheeks, "just say you're scared of me already."

Such words from her daughter shattered Mary Jane's heart. "April," she cried, rushing to hug her little girl. "No, god no. I would never be-"

"Don't touch ME!" April screeched, shutting her eyes and swatting away her mother's right arm. Tragically, this was no mere swat. It never is for a symbiote. April's eyes shot open the instant her mother let out a cry of pain. The first thing she sees is red, not the red of her mother's hair but the red of her blood. April has inflicted a terrible cut wound on her mom's forearm. "No," she gasped in pure horror. A horror that's only just begun as April looks at her arm to see a black and blue layer of dark skin sporting dagger-like claws engulfing it. She fell to her knees and cried out in anguish. The visceral intensity of such despair made only her symbiote side stronger, strong enough to spread across its eternal host rapidly.

"April!" Mary Jane rushed over to stop the spread, but the symbiote effortlessly shoved her off.

Now almost totally consumed, April could only cry out for her mother. "No! You're just a nightmare! Mommy, help me!"

"APRIL!" Mary Jane screamed, watching the symbiote completely engulf her daughter and quickly morph into a fully awakened Symbiote hybrid. The long, curly dark hair M.J. would help comb was now a large clump of black ooze, each strand capable of becoming razor-sharp. The sweetest smile she'd ever seen was rows of sharp teeth with toxic green saliva dripping. Mary Jane couldn't see her daughter's bright blue eyes, which were replaced with blank white eyes aimed directly at her.

"Kill."

April clenched the sides of her head, hearing this order echo in her skull until she completed it. With struggle, she inched closer to her mom and turned her arm into a large, deadly blade. "April," M.J. urgently said, "April, stop. It's me, April, your mother. Do you remember? Please, don't do this!"

April raised her blade arm, aimed directly at her mother's heart.

"I'm sorry!" The earnest apology snaps April out of the command, her voice guttering from pain. "I'm sorry for hiding this from you, April," she sobbed, extending her hand and gently placing it on April's cheek. "I'm so sorry for hurting you."

"M-mom," April's distorted voice uttered before reeling back from a surge of pain. She squirmed on the ground, her mind locked in a battle over what to do and who she was.

M.J. tried to comfort her daughter, but April's strength was too strong, and she was shoved aside. "April, I'm here. I'm not leaving you! We'll get someone to help you!"

"I don't need help!"

A fully awake Johnny Storm kicks the broken door open. He sees a new symbiote thrashing on the floor and blood on Mary Jane's arm. With a cry of "Flame on!" his body becomes as hot as the sun, and he aims his arms to fire a heat blast.

"Johnny, no!"

Mary Jane's desperate plea gave April time to morph her arm into a large hammerhead, which she bashed against Johnny. The FF member was slammed through the wall, and April made her escape. 'Need to get away,' she thought, 'dangerous to mom. dangerous to everyone!' With the help of her fingers, now dark talons, she climbed up the Baxter Building until she found a good vantage point to swing away. A voice echoes in the distance as she spots a good jumping-off point.

"Oh no you don't!"

April sees her suited-up twin, Mayday, swinging right toward her and kicking her square in the jaw. April screams in pain as she plummets, barely stopping her descent by digging her armblade into the side of the building. She cringes from the throbbing pain of such a kick and looks up to see Mayday sticking to the building, ready for a fight.

"Kill."

"Yes, father." April shoots towards her sister like a bullet, nearly striking her with her arm blade. Mayday narrowly dodges the attack, but she would be lying if she said such an attack didn't scare her half to death. Seeing her sister try to fire a web, April leaped high into the air. "Oh no, you don't," she shot back, firing a web that stuck onto Mayday's back and slamming her against the building. Mayday barely moved before April stretched her arm and torso to grapple with her sister. "We're not done yet!" April's massive fist squeezed her twin's body before steering her across the building as she raced towards the top.

Mayday's face grided against metal and rock until they reached the roof and were thrown against the floor. "So...strong," she gasped, barely lifting herself and trying not to cry from the pain stinging half of her face. April dashed at her, but Mayday's reflexes were fast enough to fire webs at her foe, ensuring she had a funnel of steel-like strings. "Try getting out of that, freak," she gasped.

"Freak," April muttered, a dark chuckle creeping out. Then, Mayday watched as thin dark tendrils slipped through the webs wrapped around April, growing into two axe heads. "FREAK?!" April cut through the webs like butter and stretched out her arm to entrap Mayday. Reeling her in, April charged towards a metal supply crate and slammed her sister against it.

The immense strength of it completely knocked the wind out of Mayday, and her head slumped down. With that one attack, any energy left in her was gone. Barely conscious and the grip around her torso squeezing the life out of her, she could only ponder to herself, 'What is this thing?'

"Mayday."

Mayday gasped over her foe, seemingly having just read her thoughts. Even worse, this thing seemed to know her name. She coughed out, "Y-you know me?"

"Why wouldn't I? You said it yourselves all those years ago..." April stretched over to the twin's ear and whispered, "Only family calls you Mayday."

Her heart sinks, and any coherent thought ceases after she processes such words. Mayday's eyes are shot open, her body frozen, as her mind instantly flashes to the night their family was complete—the night her twin returned. With a quiver of shock and despair, Mayday gasped, "A-april?"

"No," she replied with a low growl, "No April. Only you, only Mayhem!"

Morphing her arm into a blade, Mayhem lifts it and aims for her sister's head. Seemingly obedient to her silent command.

"Hey!"

A blast of searing heat nearly hits Mayhem, causing her to lose her grip and flip away. She roars upon seeing the Human Torch in the air, arms extended, ready to fire another blast.

"Escape."

Mayhem quietly obeys. She looks at Mayday one last time before leaping off the edge and swinging away.

"No! April," Mayday screamed, "APRILLL!" Her cries were fruitless, and her twin vanished into the night. Johnny flies down to her and carefully burns the organic webbing off Mayday.

The staircase door bursts open, and Mary Jane & Annie rush out. "Mayday! April?"

"Over here!"

Hearing Johnny yell, she and Annie run over to find Mayday. Her mind is worlds away when she realizes who she is battling—her twin, whom she just called a freak.

"Oh, Mayday," Mary Jane cried, seeing the bruises and cuts on her daughter. "Where's April?"

"She ran off after she nearly...nearly killed Mayday," Johnny said, his upbeat attitude gone.

"Go," Mary Jane ordered, "before we lose her. Go and don't hurt her!" Without a word, Johnny did as she said and flew off.

Annie, weeping over her hurt older sister, grasps Mayday's hand and hugs her. Mayday blinks as she registers the love emitting from the warm hug. "Annie. Mom."

"We're here, hotshot, " M.J. somberly comforted.

"Was," Mayday stuttered, "was that really April?"

Her head was down low, and she felt deep shame toward herself for driving her daughter away. Somberly, Mary Jane said, "Yes. That's your sister."

A chilling gust of wind blows over the Baxter Building rooftop, a deafening silence hanging over the Parker family. Broken apart once again.

To be Continued...