Episode 42: The Redemption of Rikoshay!

"How is this possible?" Thor remarked, watching Black Tarantula get to his feet and rub his shoulders. "No one has ever withstood my electric power before."

"I come from a long line of men who were gifted with superhuman strength because of a potion my ancestor drank," Black Tarantula claimed. "As a side-effect, I can withstand a lot of things including electricity. But a potion wasn't the only thing my ancestor obtained."

Black Tarantula then reached for a PDB on his belt and pressed the button. What appeared was a black spider-like creature that was bigger than Spidermin with six pointed legs tipped in white. Its head was round with a popped collar-looking appendage surrounding the back part, white pupil-less eyes, and a white spider-shaped emblem that was similar to the one on Black Tarantula's mask.

"A Tarantu," MJ realized. "They're only found in Argentino, and known to them as the Deathless Marémon."

"That's right, niña," Black Tarantula confirmed. "It was the blood of a Tarantu that went into the potion my ancestor drank, because they are incredibly strong, durable, and capable of doing things like this: Optic Blast!"

The Tarantu's eyes glowed white and a blast of energy burst forth from them. Noirstel created a Spider Web around himself and stood in the path of the blast. While the web absorbed most of the energy, Noirstel's body was left charred with smoke pouring from him.

"Noirstel!" MJ cried and she fell to her knees. "You sacrificed yourself…for us…."

MJ broke down into tears, while Peter glared at Tarantu. He was just about to speak to Spidermin when Noirstel's skin suddenly burst open as something emerged from the shedded skin. It was a slightly larger version of Noirstel with four long fuzzy dark-gray legs, a black popped collar-like appendage where a thin black web-like substance covered the creature's body that connected to two tufts of black hair sticking out from the back that resembled the flaps of a trench coat, and goggle-like eyes. On top of that, its new skin didn't look damaged at all.

"I can't believe it," MJ murmured. "My Noirstel just Matured into…a Noirspi, which can use Regenerate to heal itself."

"So what?" Black Tarantula interrupted. "My Tarantu can do that too. It can even heal other Marémon, but only those it considers worth saving. Tarantu, resume attacking!"

Obediantly, Tarantu shot another Optic Blast. But this time, Noirspi dodged it while MJ did the same. Then from Noirspi's upper legs emerged two gray cylinders that fired small black pellets that exploded upon impact.

"That's right," MJ realized as she wiped her eyes and smiled. "Noirspi has Twin Revolver, an attack that allows it to fire explosive pellets through cylinders that emerge from its front legs much like Spidermin's stingers."

Spidermin seemed to hear that, and unleashed its stingers before charging at Taran.

"We'll keep Black Tarantula busy," Peter said to Ben and Thor. "Find your PDBs so we can get out of here."

"Right!" Thor and Ben said at the same time.

They went into the room that was adjacent to the office they were in, while Peter and MJ ordered their Marémon to keep attacking Tarantu. But Tarantu kept backing away and firing his Optic Blast. But as Peter watched Tarantu, he saw that the spider's knees were beginning to wobble. He quickly dashed over to his backpack, which was next to the chair he was tied up at, and grabbed it along with MJ's. Reaching in, he took out his MarGuide and looked up Tarantu.

"Because Optic Blast requires a great deal of energy to use, a Tarantu will become physically exhausted each time it's used," said EDITH. "And if Tarantu uses the attack too many times, it will die."

"So that's what's going on," Peter realized. "Black Tarantula!"

"What, niño?" Black Tarantula asked.

"Tell your Tarantu to stop using Optic Blast."

"Why?"

"Because if he uses it too many times, he will die."

"I know that, but he won't die."

"How do you know that?"

"I can just have him use Regenerate to bring himself back from the dead."

"But isn't it cruel to drive your Marémon to the point of killing itself?"

"You have no right to question what I do with my Marémon, especially since you should be paying attention to your own."

Peter looked at Spidermin, who looked exhausted. Then just as Tarantu fired another Optic Blast at Spidermin, something leaped through the air and grabbed Spidermin. It bounced off Don Fortunato's unconscious face and landed on a nearby bookshelf.

"Rikoshay!" Peter exclaimed, seeing the familiar lizard-like Marémon with the discs along its arms which were currently holding Spidermin, who didn't struggle out of exhaustion. "Where did you come from?"

"I summoned him," said Delilah, who was lying on the ground with her hand on her PDB's button. "But I didn't ask him to save your little spider friend."

Rikoshay looked down at Peter and then tossed Spidermin towards him. Surprised by this, Peter caught Spidermin.

"Um, thanks," Peter said.

Seemingly understanding his words, Rikoshay nodded.

"Maybe he was repaying you for healing him earlier," Delilah guessed while she struggled to get to her feet. "But now that the debt is paid, I want to settle my own score. Attack Tarantu, Rikoshay!"

Nodding again, Rikoshay leaped towards Tarantu and threw the discs along his arms. The discs scratched Tarantu's legs, but they managed to heal themselves. Meanwhile, Noirspi decided to pull back and latched onto the window behind Don Fortunato.

"What are you doing?" Black Tarantula demanded. "I thought we were on the same side."

"The only one who gets to deal with the brats is me!" Delilah declared. "So back off, or I'll have to take you down by force."

"You have strange motivations for an assassin," Black Tarantula remarked. "And would you really try to take me down, considering we used to be lovers?"

To be continued…