Chapter 15: The Hunt Continues
Unknown Location…
9 Days Ago…
"The bullet went through the metal plates…."
"Shrapnel in the spinal cord…."
"Lose the ability to walk by the end of the year…."
Otto Octavius shot up in shock as the voices he heard in his dream disappeared. Looking around, he found himself inside a small room with reinforced walls on all sides with a single wall of glass, allowing him to see out into a large hallway with similar rooms lining it.
He noticed that his metallic arms had been removed from the harness, which was still attached to his stomach. Attempting to get up, Otto stumbled forward, barely able to keep himself on his legs as they shook furiously.
Remembering the voices in his dream, he reached around and patted his back until his hand fell at a small hole in the harness. At first, he didn't want to believe it, but he remembered back before he fell unconscious.
Otto had been fighting against Spider-Man when the police arrived, and he was…shot. He must have been so high on adrenaline that he didn't notice at the time. Octavius determined that he must have been in and out of consciousness for a while and just happened to overhear a diagnosis.
"It's good to see you up, Doctor Octavius. You've been asleep for four days." A feminine voice called, catching Otto's attention.
Before him was a woman in her early thirties with a white lab coat and a clipboard. She also wore a pair of red glasses and had short black hair ending just under her ears. Moving back to the bed he was placed on, Otto sat down and stared at her.
"Where am I?" Otto questioned, still confused at his current circumstances.
"Before I answer, what is the last thing you remember?" The woman inquired, annoying Otto.
"Being strung up in a large web," Otto answered as the woman jotted this down.
"Right now, you are in a psychiatric ward. I am Ashley Kafka, and I will be overseeing you at your stay." Ashley explained, shocking Otto.
"Psychiatric ward?" Otto murmured as he brushed his hand against the harness on his stomach.
"Where are my arms?" Otto questioned as Ashley continued to write on her notepad.
"Confiscated," Ashely stated as Otto jumped up, narrowly avoiding falling down.
"I want them now! And I want a medical doctor to examine me!" Otto demanded as he slammed against the glass wall.
"You won't ever be seeing those arms again, Doctor Octavius. You're here after being arrested for your crimes, and you will not be leaving until I deem you fit enough to leave." Ashley stated, unfazed at Otto's behavior.
"As for a medical examination, you already received one. Unfortunately, you seemed to have taken a bullet into your back during your…escapade." Ashley began as she flipped through the papers on her notepad.
"The bullet went through the metal armor on your stomach and lodged against your spine along with fragments of the armor. Doctors tried to remove it and the armor to no avail." Ashley reported as Otto slumped down.
"By the end of the year, you'll…." Ashley continued before Otto interrupted her.
"Never walk again," Otto muttered as Ashley nodded.
"You're lucky it didn't kill you," Ashley stated, gaining a glare from Otto.
"Lucky?" Otto spat as he slowly stood back up.
"I'm lucky, you say?" Otto hissed as he glared daggers at Ashely.
"I am anything but lucky. I have never once been lucky in my life!" Otto stated as he held himself up.
"If I was lucky, I wouldn't have lost my job. If I was lucky, I wouldn't have lost my arms. If I was lucky, I wouldn't be here. IF I WAS LUCKY, I WOULDN'T HAVE LOST MY FAMILY!" Otto shouted as he shook with rage, nearly causing him to fall down.
"And I wouldn't have lost against Spider-Man," Otto muttered as he hung his head down.
Spider-Man. The image of that annoying hero was seared into his head. He had completely foiled his plans and ruined any chance of completing his research. Because of him, Otto got shot and is now losing mobility in his legs. It was all Spider-Man's fault.
"When I get out. He'll be first to pay." Otto stated as Ashley shook her head.
"You're mistaken. You will never leave this place with that attitude." Ashley replied as Otto sat back on his bed.
"Where am I?" Otto asked, repeating his first question to Ashely.
"The only nuthouse built to hold those like you. Arkham Asylum," Ashley answered, causing Otto to grit his teeth.
New York…
Present Day…
Tuesday, June 20, 12:02 pm…
"Alright, so if I leave you guys here, will you play nice?" Spider-Man asked as he tapped on the web that held three robbers off a lamppost.
"I'm going to take your angry muffles as a yes," Spider-Man smirked as he jumped off the lamppost and swung off.
"Good now, with that distraction out of the way, it's back to business," Spider-Man commented as he swung around a building.
"But man talk about out of the way," Spidey sighed as he jumped off the side of a building.
"Then again, it makes sense if this is some sort of hidden base," Spider-Man noted as he landed on a rooftop.
Currently, he was making his way toward the meeting spot Nightwing had given him for training. Having just recently healed up from his injuries fighting against Green Goblin, he was more than ready to get started.
He needed to get started if he wanted to be ready for his next bout with the Goblin. His thorough defeat by the Goblin's hands made him realize how much he still needed to learn. If it wasn't for Nightwing's last-minute rescue, Spidey would have died that night.
"Should I do something to say thanks?" Spider-Man wondered as he dropped down into a dirty alleyway.
"Uh…is there supposed to be something here?" Spider-Man questioned as he looked back and forth down the alley.
His eyes soon found themselves sitting on an old scrapped telephone booth with a note on it. Taking another look around the alley and making sure he was in the right place Spider-Man walked up and grabbed the which read:
To Jay
Get in the phone booth
"Really?" Spider-Man murmured as he tapped on the old rusty phone booth.
"Well, might as well." Spidey sighed as he put the note away.
Carefully opening the door, Spider-Man stepped inside the small phone booth before closing the door back up. As soon as the door shut, the windows darkened until he could no longer see what was outside.
"What the…" Spider-Man gasped until a camera opened up from a panel in front of him.
Scanning…
A robotic voice rang out in the small booth as a green light began to shine over Spidey, running from the top of his head before slowly moving down to his feet. Once it was finished, the light shut off, and the voice returned.
Recognized F Zero One Spider-Man…
"Wait, what is this?" Spider-Man questioned as he was blinded by a bright yellow light.
"This is…a Zeta Tube?!" Spidey gasped before the light entirely encompassed him.
Once the light died down Spider-Man was gone, and the phone booth returned to normal as if he was never there at all. Unless someone had seen Spider-Man enter the booth, no one would have known anyone had touched it.
Unknown Location…
"Whoa…" Spider-Man gasped as he looked around, surprised to be in an entirely new location.
It was the first time he had ever used a Zeta Tube, and unlike from what he had been told, it didn't make him feel sick on his first time. Perhaps it was because of his powers, but he felt perfectly fine.
Taking a look at his surroundings, he found that he was in a large warehouse filled with crates of several sizes. It also held several vehicles, workout equipment, high-tech machinery, and computers.
"What is this place?" Spider-Man wondered aloud as he stepped out of the Zeta Tube.
"This is just a small base of operations I use from time to time," Nightwing informed as he jumped down from above.
"We'll be using it for your training," Nightwing explained as Spider-Man looked around, amazed.
"This place must be pretty well hidden to keep all this high-tech equipment around," Spider-Man commented, looking at the impressive equipment.
"It doesn't hurt to keep it hidden, and I trust you won't tell anyone about this place," Nightwing replied as Spider-Man nodded.
"Good." Nightwing smiled as he walked over to a shelf that held various items.
"Now, before we get started, I want to make a rule that you aren't allowed to use your webs or strength. This training is for you to be able to fight even without them." Nightwing stated, shocking Spider-Man.
"No webbing or strength? That smarts." Spidey sighed as Nightwing chuckled.
"Well, if you become too dependent on it, then you'll be helpless if you lose them." Nightwing pointed out as Spider-Man's spider-sense went off.
Ducking back Spider-Man avoided Nightwing's eskrima stick. Without missing a beat, Nightwing brought his other hand up and swung his second stick down on Spidey, forcing him to jump back and put some distance between him and Nightwing.
"From the fights I've seen, you're a reactionary fighter, and one of my best teachers once said you should always act, never react," Nightwing stated as he took a battle stance.
"It's best to keep the battle in your favor. Never wait for an enemy to attack first," Nightwing explained as he rushed in toward Spider-Man.
Thanks to his spider-sense Spidey just managed to dodge Nightwing's attacks. But that didn't last long when the crusader spun one of the sticks in his hand and slammed it into Spider-Man's stomach. Doubling over, Nightwing knocked the other stick into Spidey's face causing him to fall down.
"Because if you don't, the battle will never be in your control," Nightwing stated as he put the sticks away and helped Spider-Man up.
"I uh…see your point," Spider-Man murmured, rubbing the spot Nightwing had hit him.
"Kinda hard not to rely on my spider-sense," Spider-Man commented, causing Nightwing to raise a brow.
"Is that the sixth sense you mentioned before?" Nightwing inquired as Spider-Man nodded.
"Yeah, it basically tells me whenever I'm in danger, and I've uh…got dependent on it," Spider-Man explained as Nightwing rubbed his chin.
"Well, it isn't entirely bad. As long as you develop it with your skills, it can be incredibly handy." Nightwing commented, a little jealous of that power.
"So let's start with your footwork." Nightwing insisted as he began his lesson.
Central Park Zoo…
Footsteps, breathing, talking. The paths of Central Park Zoo were filled with this as guests roamed through the zoo. Hidden from sight, Kraven was listening and waiting. After days of preparation, he was ready.
Ready to continue his hunt and kill Spider-Man. But first, he needed to hone his senses. The last time they had fought, he had rushed in too fast. He didn't prepare himself beforehand, and it costed him.
This time it would be different. At the moment, he was honing his hearing as he made out the differences between each and every sound around him. He could tell the differences in footsteps, able to tell which footstep belonged to who and where a voice was coming from.
Kraven would not allow himself to be fooled by Spider-Man with such a simple trick as last time. As he continued to refine his senses, the guard he had restrained behind him began to stir. With a quick strike with the butt end of his machete, the guard was unconscious once more.
"Tonight. Tonight you shall die by my hands Spider-Man." Kraven smirked as he put his machete away.
Tinkerer's Workshop…
Tinkerer stared blankly in front of her as she mindlessly continued on with her work. She didn't know what to do. As she was forced to work for Kingpin, the crimelord had sent Kraven the Hunter to kill Jay.
She wanted to help Jay so that he didn't die, but if she did, then Kingpin would have her killed. While she may have got away with sabotaging Shocker, she couldn't outright help Jay. Additionally, if she did help him, it would tip Kingpin off that she knew who he was.
If that happened, the rest of her short life would be spent in constant torture until she gave out that Jay was Spider-Man. Of course, she wouldn't do that, which would mean they would have to step their game up to get her to talk. Like hurting Jett.
They would do anything to get information from her, and she had no doubts they would use Jett to get what they wanted. Even if he was a meta, Jett couldn't hold off Kingpin's forces. Especially after he gets done with his most recent project.
The very project she was helping in. Right now, she was putting together a small pod just big enough to fit an average human being. Its purpose was to forcefully activate the metagene in anyone who entered.
But the success rate was fairly low, just below fifty percent. It took her forever just to get the success rate to that, and she wasn't sure if it would stay that way. If she had more time, she would make sure the success rate was far higher before it was used, but Kingpin was losing patience.
Since Jay had stopped her other projects, such as Scorpion and her exoskeletons, Kingpin had been losing faith in her. If that happened, then she didn't know what she would be forced to do to pay for her father's debts.
What didn't help was how Kingpin had recently brought Alistair Smythe into his employ. He was clearly bringing him in as a backup or replacement to her should the need ever arise. Which meant she needed to be on her A game.
Once she was done placing the wires away, she closed the access hatch before grabbing onto a vial of dark gas. She carefully placed it inside the machine, ensuring it was secure before moving away. The last thing she wanted was for that vial to break.
That gas was not easy to acquire, and Kingpin would have her head if she wasted any. After all, it was a special import from Gotham courtesy of Scarecrow. The ability to induce fear and pain into a potential meta does give a high chance of success at great risk.
If something went wrong, whoever was placed within the pod would certainly die. As she typed away on her computer, Tinkerer questioned what she had become. She had done all these horrific things and just had to suck it up.
When she did pay off her father's debt, she didn't know how she would live herself afterward. Pushing past those thoughts, Tinkerer decided to save that for later as she continued on her task, continuing to bury her worry and sadness away.
"I'm sorry," Tinkerer murmured as she typed away.
Later…
Nightwing's Warehouse…
"Ow!" Spider-Man cried as he fell onto his back for what felt like the hundredth time.
Hours had passed since his training with Nightwing began, and he had already learned a lot. Though his execution of what he's learned was still lacking. It didn't help that Nightwing was far more experienced than he was or that he couldn't use his powers or webs.
"You okay?" Nightwing inquired while offering a hand to help Spidey up.
"Yeah. Just embarrassed." Spider-Man sighed as he took Nightwing's hand and stood up.
"You've got nothing to be embarrassed about. You're still wet behind the ears, so it's only natural that you can't always keep up." Nightwing explained as Spider-Man nodded.
"I think that's enough for today. Go back and rest up." Nightwing insisted, surprising Spider-Man.
"Really already?" Spider-Man asked, shocked that the lesson didn't last too long.
"There's no benefit overworking you, and you still have a life to get back to," Nightwing responded as Spider-Man scratched the back of his head.
"Oh right, I uh…guess I didn't think about that." Spider-Man laughed as Nightwing put his sticks away.
"Before you go, though, I would like to ask you a few questions," Nightwing stated, stopping Spidey before he could go into the Zeta Tube.
"Uh, sure. What do you need to know?" Spider-Man inquired as Nightwing crossed his arms.
"What dirt do you have on Norman Osborn?" Nightwing questioned, confusing Spider-Man.
"Before you say anything, I overheard your conversation with him at his apartment," Nightwing stated, answering Spider-Man's question before he could ask it.
"Man, you are just everywhere, aren't you?" Spider-Man sighed as Nightwing laughed.
"No, just in the right places," Nightwing replied as Spider-Man rolled his eyes under his mask.
"Well, uh…I sorta stole his hard drive from his office. On it was a lot of evidence that he was behind Hobgoblin and was supplying Kingpin with weapons." Spider-Man explained as Nightwing raised a brow.
"So that's what you were doing in Oscorp last month," Nightwing replied, remembering the wall crawler's break-in at Oscorp.
"Y-Yeah," Spider-Man muttered, thinking that Nightwing was disappointed in him.
"Well, next time you do something like that, at least be more discreet or use a USB," Nightwing suggested as Spidey shrugged.
"I only have a five-gig one," Spider-Man replied as Nightwing sighed.
"Well, would you mind if I have a look at it?" Nightwing requested as Spider-Man rubbed his chin.
"I uh…sure I'll bring it around next time," Spider-Man replied though a little hesitant.
He needed it to keep Norman from exposing his identity, but it couldn't hurt having Nightwing look at it. Besides, he could copy the important evidence on his computer if he really needed to so he could still have what he needed.
"Good. Now, what do you know about Kingpin?" Nightwing asked as Spider-Man shrugged.
"Not much. I know he's running a lot of crime in New York and that someone called the Tinkerer is supplying him with weapons, but I don't know much else." Spider-Man explained, remembering his encounters with the Kingpin's goons.
"I see. Well, in any case, I'd like for you to stay away from anything related to the Kingpin. I know you've dealt with 'worse' criminals before, but crimelords have other ways to hurt you." Nightwing insisted, shocking Spider-Man.
"Really?! I…I don't think I can do that. To be honest, I can't just look the other way if I see something, and sometimes it might be impossible for me to tell if I'm dealing with something with the Kingpin." Spider-Man replied, shaking his head.
"I understand. In any case, just try not to get yourself in too much trouble." Nightwing requested as he fished a small rectangular device from his belt.
"But know this. The main suspect for the Kingpin is Wilson Fisk. So be very careful around that man." Nightwing insisted as Spider-Man tilted his head.
"Wilson Fisk? You mean that….big guy?" Spider-Man questioned as he motioned with his arms.
"Yeah, the big guy. Just be careful if you see him." Nightwing responded as Spidey nodded.
"Alright, I'll be careful," Spider-Man replied though that being said, if this was true, then he planned to keep a closer eye on Wilson Fisk.
"Good. Then I'll see you tomorrow." Nightwing smirked as Spider-Man walked into the Zeta Tube and disappeared.
You think he'll actually stay out of it?
"Maybe. It ultimately depends on what moves Fisk makes." Nightwing replied as he looked back at the Zeta Tube.
Are you sure this was the right decision?
"It's the best option I have…what's with the sudden doubt?" Nightwing inquired, confused at why Oracle was asking so many questions.
Because he's still a kid, Dick. And M'Gann wants him to meet some of the others on the Team…
"Right." Nightwing sighed as he held his head.
"I'll set up a meeting soon." Nightwing assured before returning to work.
New York…
"You know, appearing back here is a little uncomfortable." Spider-Man sighed as he opened the phone booth and exited.
"How did anyone use those before cell phones?" Spider-Man wondered, giving the phone booth a quick look.
Shooting off a web Spider-Man swung off as he thought about what Nightwing had told him. He just couldn't imagine Wilson Fisk being the Kingpin. The man whose goons Spidey had been catching and defeating was that man.
It was just hard to see it as, from what little Spider-Man knew of Wilson Fisk, he was a charitable man. He provided aid to many different organizations around New York, along with running a very successful business.
Then again, it would make a perfect cover for a crime boss. Spider-Man couldn't help but think about it all. Sure, he promised Nightwing he would be careful and not purposely involve himself, but he couldn't just sit it out.
"Maybe I should pay his office a quick visit," Spider-Man murmured as he landed on a rooftop.
"No, that wouldn't be a good idea. I bet Nightwing would find out immediately." Spider-Man sighed, knowing that the crusader had eyes everywhere.
"It would be better to wait for a while before I even try doing anything." Spider-Man determined, feeling it would be the best option for the moment.
"I should at least go home and take a shower," Spider-Man murmured as he sniffed his pits.
"Augh…yeah, definitely a shower." Spider-Man nodded as he swung off.
Western Mongolia…
Maya sighed as she tossed one of her newest trophies on the ground before flopping into her bed. She had just returned from France after breaking into a museum to take a peak around and snatch up something small to prove she got in and out with no problem.
But the whole thing had been so…boring. She was able to do it so easily that it wasn't even fun for her to do. Ever since her father's little "lesson" began, she found all the fun in her escapades just disappeared.
All she wanted to do in her life was whatever she wanted to do. She hated the responsibility of lifting up humanity that her father wanted to push on her. He was going to live forever, and his way of lifting humanity up was survival of the fittest.
Wouldn't just leaving them alone do the job for them? Every time she thought about it, her head hurt. Especially since she had to prove to her father that she understood the responsibility he held in such regards or else return to living with the Shadows.
The last thing she wanted was for that to happen because not only would her Father Box be taken away, but she wouldn't be allowed to leave or have any kind of fun until her time with them was over. It reminded her of that girl she met in the shadows Tara…no Terra…whichever.
Apparently, she had the metagene in her system and was taken away from her home and forced to train with the Shadows. When she met her, she was basically brainwashed into believing in what the Shadows represented, and it seemed she was being swept into some sort of bigger plan.
To be honest, Maya didn't really pay much attention to her as she was so focused on finishing her training and getting out of the Shadows. But she knew that she didn't want to end up like her. Just a little pawn who went along with any order given to her.
"Ugh. I could use a shower." Maya muttered as he got up from her bed.
A shower was the perfect thing to get her mind off of her slump. As she moved toward her door, she took a quick glance at Spider-Man's mask she had displayed before shaking her head and walking off.
He was just another reminder of her troubles. After all, he held responsibility in such a high regard as her father did. Though perhaps for different reasons. From what Maya could tell Spider-Man's definition of responsibility was different than her father's.
To be honest, she still didn't know why Spider-Man did what he did, but after finding out his father died recently, she came to the conclusion he was doing it as a form of revenge. But then again, he refused to kill, so he was still a mystery to her.
"Whatever. It doesn't matter." Maya murmured as she shook her head.
"What doesn't matter?" A Voice inquired, causing Maya to freeze up before turning around.
"Jeeze, Olympia, don't sneak up on me like that!" Maya complained as her elder sister laughed.
"Sneak up on you? I haven't been able to do that for years. You must have something pretty big going on in your head to be so distracted." Olympia commented as Maya crossed her arms.
"It's nothing. Anyway, what are you doing here? I thought you were on Warworld with Father." Maya asked, curious why her sister was back.
"Just dropping by for a few things Father needs. But how about you? Have any fun adventures while I was gone?" Olympia inquired as Maya shook her head.
"I've been out, but I found no fun in it." Maya pouted as Olympia patted Maya on the shoulder.
"You've just hit a slump. Give it time, and things will get better." Olympia assured as Maya sighed.
"Sure," Maya murmured before slowly turning toward her sister.
"Tell me. How do you see things from beyond the surface?" Maya inquired, hoping to get a little hint.
"Well, most people don't just coast around in life. When Father traveled in his youth, he went to learn. Not just for fun." Olympia began pointing out that Maya only went around for fun.
"Not that what you do is bad. But perhaps you can stick around and take in what you're doing. It's not like you'll find the answer in one look." Olympia continued as Maya raised a brow.
"So I have to spend more time where I go then?" Maya asked as Olympia nodded.
"Of course. I mean, if you just walk through a street, will you recognize the features?" Olympia inquired as Maya reluctantly shook her head.
"Exactly. So maybe take your time when you're next out, and don't forget to have fun." Olympia smiled, causing Maya to do the same.
"Thanks, Olympia." Maya thanked as her sister nodded.
"Of course, dear. Now I have to go. Father sent me to fetch some things." Olympia stated, confusing Maya.
"Y-Yeah, you said that already." Maya pointed out as Olympia looked shocked.
"Did I? Oh well." Olympia smirked, waving off her forgetfulness as she walked away.
"Right," Maya murmured as she watched her sister walk away.
As she returned to what she was doing, she considered what Olympia had told her. Perhaps she should head back to New York and give it another look. It seemed that she hadn't seen the last of Spider-Man.
New York…
Daily Bugle…
Ned Leeds sat across Eddie Brock in his office. Not much exciting has happened for them since the Spider-Slayer incident, and Ned was getting bored. To be honest, the biggest reason he took this internship was to be able to see Spider-Man and other heroes in person.
He had always been a fan of them ever since he was a kid and wanted to see what they were like in person. So working as an intern for the Daily Bugle seemed like the perfect opportunity, and so far, it was.
But things were…slower than he imagined. When he was younger, it seemed that events that involved heroes happened every week, but it seemed that wasn't the case. Besides, he missed the last one since he and Eddie weren't assigned to report on Bruce Wayne's party.
"Getting bored, rookie?" Eddie questioned, snapping Ned out of his thoughts.
"Oh uh…just a little," Ned answered, not hiding his thoughts from Eddie.
"Yeah, it's not all the exciting. Sometimes there are just times when nothing big happens." Eddie replied as he typed away on his computer.
"But I think I've got something for us," Eddie smirked as he turned the monitor toward Ned.
"Got some reports on guards going missing in the Central Park Zoo. I'm thinking of going over and investigating." Eddie explained as Ned rubbed his chin.
"Sounds interesting," Ned noted as Eddie stood up.
"Then let's get going!" Eddie insisted as the two exited the office.
"Perhaps this will be something good." Ned thought as he followed Eddie.
Curtis Conner's Home…
Jay rubbed the back of his neck as he fell onto his bed. His training with Nightwing had been more tiring than he imagined. Though being thrown around by a far more experienced hero would do that to anyone regardless if they had superpowers.
"Now that I think about it, this is the first real exercise I've done," Jay noted, knowing he really only 'worked out' during gym class.
"Actually, I guess swinging around the city counts, too," Jay murmured as he rubbed his shoulders.
When he first started over a month ago, his arms got really sore from all the swinging around he was doing. But eventually, he got used to it, and hopefully, the same would happen with Nightwing's training.
Thinking back on Nightwing's training, he remembered his warning about Wilson Fisk. The Kingpin. Though he decided not to go after him just yet, doing his research on him would be a good start.
Getting up from bed, he opened his father's laptop and began looking up records on Wilson Fisk. Not surprisingly, the man looked clean. Not a single stain on his record, and by all counts just seemed to be a charitable businessman and entrepreneur.
It almost made Jay question if Nightwing was right about Wilson Fisk being the Kingpin. But he had figured out his secret identity, so it wouldn't be surprising if there was something Jay couldn't see.
But he could see Fisk's public businesses and find out where would be the best place to find and spy on him in the future. If he really was the Kingpin, then he would be sure to find out. Hours passed as the sun set over the horizon, and Jay finished his notes on Fisk.
He had been noting down every public building he owned and places he seemed to visit often so Jay could find him and tail him. Satisfied with his results, he went to turn off his computer. He received a notification from the Daily Bugle webpage.
"What's this?" Jay wondered as he clicked on the link.
Central Park Zoo…
"Now, this is a story!" Eddie smirked as he and Ned stood behind a line of police and firemen staring at a large burning wooden structure.
Originally they had come because of the missing guards, but this would be an even bigger story. That was because the wooden structure currently ablaze was shaped like a giant spider. A clear call for Spider-Man.
Unfortunately, neither police nor firemen could enter the zoo as several vicious animals had escaped and were guarding the gates. With Eddie and Ned being the only reporters on site, it meant everyone would be watching them as the events unraveled as several minutes passed.
"Wonder who's trying to get Spidey's attention." Ned wondered as Eddie shrugged.
"I'm sure we're going to find out," Eddie replied as he watched the smoke from the fire rise into the sky.
Curtis Conner's Home…
"Could it be…" Jay murmured as a certain hunter came to mind.
Jumping out of his chair, Jay grabbed onto his suit and leaped out of his window, swinging as fast as he could toward Central Park. If this was Kraven, then he needed to get there and make sure he couldn't hurt anyone.
"It's about time he's shown himself again. Since this doesn't have anything to do with Kingpin, I'm sure Nightwing won't mind." Spider-Man thought, not knowing how wrong he was.
It didn't take him long to get to Central Park though he did have trouble getting to the zoo as he couldn't swing well from the trees. Once he was finally there, the amount of police there had increased, and a strict barrier was laid out.
Zipping over the barrier Spider-Man landed on top of the zoo's entrance. Ignoring the cops shouting, Spidey began to observe inside the zoo. With no sign of Kraven anywhere and vicious predators all around, he had to move in.
"Just great. At least there's a…warm welcome," Spider-Man muttered as he watched the burning spider collapse and burn out.
The roars of the escaped animals caught Spidey's attention as he peeked at them below. It gave the arachnid hero some pause as he didn't know what to do against said animals. Before he could devise a plan, his spider-sense went off, forcing him to jump off the gate as it blew up.
Hitting the ground hard Spider-Man rolled onto his stomach as he attempted to regain his bearings. His ears were still ringing as he pushed back onto his feet, but he didn't find a moment of rest as his spider-sense warned him of several lions charging at him.
"Shit!" Spider-Man cursed as he jumped back and out of their reach.
He landed on the railing of a sunk-in pen and stared down the lions as they waited for an opening to pounce. Thinking quickly Spider-Man leaped over the lions and fired several web nets pinning them to the ground and causing them to be unable to move.
"Sorry, but I can't have you running about. I'm sure you'll be brought back home in no time." Spider-Man apologized as he landed on a light post.
"I'd do it myself, but I don't really visit this zoo often, so I don't know which enclosure is…you've got to be kidding again!?" Spider-Man hissed as his spider-sense went off again.
Jumping off the light post, Spidey avoided a spear that hit the light, causing it to shatter. Suddenly several bolas shot out and wrapped around Spider-Man, pinning his arms and legs together. But it didn't bind him long as Spider-Man broke free soon after he hit the ground.
"Good. Very good. You've improved since we last met." Kraven commented, his voice reverberating around Spidey coming through the speakers of the zoo.
"If it isn't my favorite hunting addict. How about you come out so I can put you back into a cell?" Spider-Man requested only for Kraven to laugh.
"Oh, but the hunt has only just resumed Spider-Man. Why end it so soon?" Kraven questioned as the zoo lights turned off, leaving only ones deeper within the park on.
"Okay, so just follow the lights, huh? Sure. Fine. I'll play along." Spider-Man muttered, trusting his spider-sense would warn him of danger.
"It's best to keep the battle in your favor. Never wait for an enemy to attack first,"
"Or perhaps I should act more careful," Spider-Man noted, remembering Nightwing's words from his training.
Spidey carefully moved forward, knowing that Kraven might have set some traps for him. As he walked, he fired a few web lines around the zoo, creating his own traps, much like he did against Otto Octavius.
He didn't know whether it would work since Kraven was most likely used to traps. But it was good to have a backup. Especially since what Kraven was leading him to didn't look all that great.
"Yeah, I'm not going in there," Spider-Man commented, staring into the enclosure that was bathed in light.
"You don't have a choice!" Kraven shouted as Spidey's spider-sense went off.
Spider-Man easily moved out of the way of another arrow that hit the ground beneath him. Suddenly a thick red mist shot out of the arrow covering the area Spider-Man stood. His spider-sense had gone off too late, leaving him no chance to avoid the mist as it surrounded him.
The mist sent Spidey's senses into disarray, with his vision blurring and his ears ringing. The only thing that still seemed to work properly was his spider-sense which warned him to no avail of Kraven's attack.
Kraven appeared from the darkness and tackled Spider-Man into the enclosure. The web-headed hero attempted to fire a web at the top of the enclosure, only to miss completely as his body hit the ground hard.
"Do you like my little concoction Spider-Man? I made it just for this occasion." Kraven smirked as he stood above Spider-Man before throwing his bow on his back.
"It overloads the senses making it near impossible to move normally. At least for normal humans. So I made sure to give you a concentrated dose." Kraven explained as he drew his machete.
Before he could swing it down on Spider-Man, the arachnid fired a large web net big enough that it couldn't miss. It quickly hit Kraven, causing him to fall down and struggle against the webbing that pinned him to the ground.
"Lot good it does when you get close," Spider-Man commented as he struggled to get up.
"You're little webs won't save you!" Kraven yelled as he cut through the webs that bound him and got back up.
Turning toward Kraven Spider-Man attempted to make out his form, but his eyesight had yet to recover, let alone his hearing or sense of touch. Which meant he had to rely on his spider-sense to fight against Kraven.
It didn't take long for it to go off as Kraven rushed forward at Spider-Man, aiming his machete at the hero's heart. Doing his best to remain steady, Spidey allowed his spider-sense to guide him as he allowed Kraven to get closer.
Just as he was about to reach him, Spidey grabbed onto the arm that held the machete and used his strength to throw Kraven over his shoulder like Nightwing had shown him earlier that day. However, due to the effects of Kraven's poison, he couldn't put all his strength into the move, which allowed Kraven to recover quickly.
The hunter was shocked but smirked as he picked himself back up and sliced at Spider-Man's chest, cutting into his suit but not the skin. Spider-Man backed up as Kraven sliced at him again. He knew that the machete wouldn't be able to cut into his skin, but he wasn't taking any chances.
Spidey attempted to trap Kraven in another web net, but the hunter jumped out of the way hiding behind the enclosure's greenery. Taking shaking breaths, Spider-Man waited for Kraven's next attack as his vision began to clear.
It wasn't much, but he could finally make out objects around him. Firing off a web to the top Spider-Man attempted to flee the enclosure as he zipped up, only for an arrow to cut the web, causing Spidey to fall down.
He attempted to grip onto the enclosure's wall, but he found it to be far too slippery to cling to, causing him to fall onto the ground. Shaking off more of the dizziness Spider-Man picked himself back up as Kraven's laugh hit his ears.
"I've prepared this little enclosure just for our hunt Spider-Man! Why would I let you leave?" Kraven laughed as Spidey groaned.
"I really don't like you." Spider-Man spat before jumping forward to avoid Kraven, who fell down from above.
"So he can go out, but I can't? Just great." Spider-Man moaned as he got back to his feet.
"So the effects are starting to wear off already. It's good that I made plenty more." Kraven smirked as he grabbed onto a vial on his belt.
But before he could use it, Spider-Man leaped forward and tackled Kraven to the ground. The two struggled as Spider-Man attempted to hold Kraven down, but the hunter was so easy to catch. Kraven slammed his head into Spider-Man's before trading out his machete for a small knife.
He quickly slashed at Spidey's stomach forcing the hero off of him. Spider-Man was surprised to see blood coming from the wound but quickly webbed it up and decided to avoid that knife from now on.
"Your skin is tough. Very interesting." Kraven smirked as he grabbed onto another vial of his poison and rushed toward Spider-Man.
But this time Spider-Man was ready as the effects of the poison had completely worn off. As Kraven came at him, Spider-Man effortlessly dodged the blade before firing a web bullet to knock the vial out of Kraven's hand.
Moving quick, Spidey grabbed onto Kraven's arm before spinning around and sweeping his feet, knocking the hunter to the ground. Compared to Nightwing, Kraven wasn't as fast. Though it was mostly thanks to his spider-sense that he was able to pull the move off.
"Sorry, Kraven, but I'm not playing around this time," Spider-Man muttered as he held Kraven down.
"Y-You've improved since our last meeting Spider-Man. But that only makes things more interesting." Kraven laughed as he pressed a button on his belt.
Suddenly a door opened behind Spidey, triggering his spider-sense. Turning around Spider-Man was met with a large gorilla who charged toward himself and Kraven. Jumping up Spider-Man crossed his arms as the gorilla knocked him back with a swipe of its hand.
Kraven took this chance to escape leaving the gorilla to attack Spidey as it jumped at the arachnid hero, who jumped out of the way. The gorilla spun around and swung its fist down at Spider-Man, who held it back with his own arm.
"Sorry big guy…or girl…I really hate to do this, but you leave me no choice." Spider-Man stated before uppercutting the gorilla in the chin knocking it on its back.
Spidey quickly covered the gorilla with webbing before looking around for Kraven. Suddenly the lights shut off, surrounding the enclosure in darkness. Not wanting to fight in the dark or near an angry gorilla Spider-Man ran off, grabbing onto the dropped vial before jumping up.
Knowing that Kraven would try to cut his webs again, Spidey opted to fire several web nets above him to use as footholds and slingshots. As expected, Kraven shot at him, trying to cut Spider-Man's webs apart.
But Spider-Man managed to avoid falling down by moving between his web nets and using them to launch himself up. Eventually, he managed to reach the surface, getting out of the enclosure and leaving Kraven below, at least for now.
"Not bad Spider-Man. But this entire zoo is my hunting ground." Kraven stated as several arrows shot over Spidey.
Each one broke apart, pouring more red mist over Spider-Man, who thought quickly and fired webs over his mouth and nose. After applying the web, Spider-Man rushed out of the cloud of mist, only suffering a small amount of the effects.
"Maybe I should add a filter to my mask." Spidey coughed as he tore the web off his mask.
He didn't get to think too hard about that thought before the smell of smoke reached his nose. Confused Spider-Man turned to see all the web traps he had set up earlier on fire and burning away.
"You've got a long way to go if you think you can trap me with that," Kraven muttered as he stood before the burning webs.
"Worth a shot." Spidey sighed before firing several web bullets at Kraven, who rolled out of the way before throwing another vial at Spider-Man.
The arachnid hero easily dodged it as he jumped onto a nearby lamppost and fired two webs to launch himself toward Kraven. Spidey tackled Kraven to the ground landing a few blows on the hunter's head before pinning his arms down with webs.
"It's over, Kraven. Time to go back to jail." Spider-Man declared, only for Kraven to laugh.
"This hunt will never end until either you or I die!" Kraven shouted before letting out a loud whistle.
Suddenly a large tiger sprang from the darkness and pushed Spider-Man off of Kraven. The tiger attempted to bite and claw at Spider-Man, but the arachnid hero held it back with his superior strength.
"I really hate doing this!" Spider-Man growled as he pinned the tiger to the ground before webbing it up.
"Sorry about this. Soon you'll be back in your pen." Spider-Man apologized before turning to see Kraven had disappeared.
"Hopefully." Spider-Man sighed as he leaped onto the nearest lamppost for a better view.
Taking a quick peek behind him, he found his webs had finished burning, meaning he didn't need to put out any fires. However, the police, along with animal control and firefighters, were finally starting to move into the zoo.
"I really hope they don't get in the way." Spider-Man sighed as he jumped off the post and went deeper into the zoo to look for Kraven.
Moving slowly Spider-Man continued deeper into the zoo, keeping his guard up for Kraven's next attack. It didn't take long for it to happen as a large net shot out toward Spider-Man, but he was easily able to dodge.
But no sooner did he do so. A second net shot out from the darkness forcing him to jump back. Just as he landed, his spider-sense warned him of Kraven's attack as the hunter came at him from behind, aiming his knife at Spidey's throat.
Spider-Man quickly dropped down to avoid the attack before firing a web to pull Kraven down, allowing him to kick him in the chest. Putting some force behind his kick, Spidey launched Kraven into the air as he grabbed onto the vial on his belt.
"Time for a taste of your own medicine!" Spider-Man shouted as he cracked the vial and threw it at Kraven, causing it to shatter and cover him with the poison.
When Kraven landed, he coughed violently as Spider-Man backed up to wait on the mist to dissipate. He watched as Kraven struggled to move as the poison entered his body, but as he waited, he fired a few webs in preparation.
"Didn't you say something about upping the dosage for me earlier? Can't imagine what it's doing to you." Spider-Man commented as he approached Kraven.
"I wouldn't worry too much," Kraven stated as Spider-Man's spider-sense went off.
Ducking back, Spidey avoided Kraven's knife as it passed over him. Grabbing onto Kraven's arm, he knocked the knife out of the hunter's hand before throwing Kraven behind him. Snickering, Kraven released another vial of his poison, forcing Spider-Man to back up.
"Did you think I would make a poison that could harm me? I have the antidote always on hand for that very purpose." Kraven revealed as he waved a small vial around.
"I like to be hopeful," Spider-Man replied as he fired a web behind him, hitting a nearby trash can. Pulling it up, he threw the can at Kraven, who easily dodged.
However, the can hit the web Spider-Man created and slung back toward Kraven, hitting him in the back. Kraven fell forward, allowing Spidey to run in and land a blow to the hunter's chin. The attack sent Kraven flying into the web Spider-Man had created, and after removing one of the threads, it wrapped him up in a cocoon.
"How's that trap?" Spider-Man questioned as he walked up to a struggling Kraven.
"Truly, you are a magnificent prey Spider-Man," Kraven smirked as Spider-Man pulled him off the web.
"I'm no one's prey," Spider-Man stated before knocking Kraven out.
Outside…
"Authorities have finally entered the zoo and are returning the animals to their enclosures. However, this is still no sign of Spider-Man or the responsible party for tonight's events." Eddie reported as he looked into the camera.
"We can only wait until…." Eddie continued before he was interrupted by Spider-Man landing behind him on the nearest cop car with Kraven in tow.
"Here's your little zoo thief! The missing guards are unconscious in the guard building." Spider-Man stated as he tossed Kraven to the nearest cop.
"Do me a favor and keep him in prison this time." Spider-Man requested as he turned around and jumped off before the police could attempt to arrest him too.
"Well, it seems Spider-Man has settled the situation once more!" Eddie exclaimed while Ned filmed Spider-Man leaving.
"Amazing," Ned whispered as Spider-Man disappeared into the night.
Chrysler Building…
Kingpin watched the live footage very displeased. He had been hoping that Kraven would actually give him results and kill Spider-Man for him, but he failed just like all the others. At least he gave Kingpin what he needed for his next little project.
Hopefully, it will provide him with what he needs to take care of both Spider-Man and this new goblin. Turning off the news, he thought of Green Goblin's attack. It came out of nowhere, and Kingpin immediately recognized the glider he used was an upgraded version of Hobgoblin's.
Which could only mean one thing. Norman was involved. There was no doubt in his mind that Norman was now against him, as this attack must have been an attempt against his own life. Things were already getting bad, with Spider-Man interrupting his business.
Now he had to deal with this new Goblin and Norman as well. He'll have Smythe work on that while Tinkerer focused on the metahuman project. All he needed was for the medical records to arrive for him.
"Perfect timing, Chameleon. Do you have what I requested?" Kingpin inquired as he turned to see the shapeshifter standing in front of him.
"Of course, boss. Snuck them out from the hospital. Unfortunately, not all of them actually have records." Chameleon responded as he placed an envelope in front of Kingpin.
"That's fine. With the amount of them at F.E.A.S.T, I'm sure there'll be more with the metagene." Kingpin replied as he flipped through the files before stopping at one labeled [Max Dillon].
"Now, then I'm going to need you to get into Oscorp and look around for me," Kingpin stated, confusing Chameleon.
"What about F.E.A.S.T, sir?" Chameleon questioned, making Kingpin chuckle.
"Don't worry. I have a plan for them." Kingpin answered as he pressed a button on his desk.
"Send in Montana and his men." Kingpin requested as the door to his office opened up.
Once the door was open, three men walked in. One was dressed like an old cowboy, another in a fancy suit, and the final was a towering giant who stood at nearly seven feet tall. The three men walked up to Kingpin's desk before standing behind Chameleon.
"You wanted to see us, sir." The Cowboy, AKA Montana, inquired as Kingpin nodded.
"That's right. I have a job for you three." Kingpin answered, earning a smirk from Montana.
"Is that so? Well then. What's the job?" Montana asked as Kingpin stood from his chair.
"I'm going to be obtaining some test subjects for metahuman experiments. I need you three to ensure people like Spider-Man don't get in the way." Kingpin explained before grabbing onto a suitcase.
"Do it well, and you'll be paid twice this amount when the job is done," Kingpin stated as he placed the case on his desk and opened it up, showing the money that filled the inside.
"Not bad." Montana chuckled as he inspected the cash.
"When do we start?" Montana inquired.
Author's Note:
Whew finally got this done! Sorry for the wait, but I wanted Kraven and Jay's fight to be the best I could make it. Honestly, I probably should have chosen a different zoo as I'm pretty sure most of the animals I used don't live in the Central Park Zoo. But honestly, it doesn't really matter since I can just say they do in this universe, lol.
Anyway, I'm happy with how this chapter came out. I would have made the fight with Kraven last longer, but I wanted to show off how much Jay has improved since their last fight and what he learned from his first session of Nightwing's training.
There's also the fact that while Kraven did take over the zoo, he wasn't as familiar with it as he was with his island making him on more even terms with Jay. I also wanted to show Jay using his head more, as he definitely used a little more strategy than normal, thanks to Nightwing's advice.
While he still depends on his spider-sense, he uses it to better fight and set up traps against his opponents. With more training on the way, Jay will just be getting better from here on out. Funny enough, I actually based this chapter on an Xbox-exclusive level of the Spider-Man movie (Rami) video game.
Evidently, in the Xbox version of the game, you had an additional level where you fought against Kraven the Hunter, who lures Spidey in with a burning spider (Just like I did for fun and the reference). Then he did something similar as Kraven did here, but I made sure to keep it everything else different as I didn't want to just completely copy it.
Though that being said, I can barely remember how it went past Kraven using some poison that made Spidey loopy, and I think snakes… either way, I liked the concept. I still can't believe that level existed, though, because I only owned and played the Game Cube version of that game. I only ever learned about it through YouTube last year, oddly enough.
But a lot of other things happened in this chapter, such as an update on where Doc Ock ended up! I could have included Ravencroft, but that would be no fun. I mean, Arkham is just way more iconic. Plus, since it's still relatively close to New York, it makes sense.
We'll be seeing more of Otto in there before his eventual escape, so look out for that! We even got a small update on Maya, as I wanted to include a small bit with her before I bring her back for a full chapter!
She's still mulling over her feelings and confusion, but thanks to her sister's help, she's getting closer to her answer. Then we have everything revolving around Kingpin's scheme, which will be fully realized next chapter! Can't wait to get to it, as it will lead to some big moments for Jay later on and the birth of a villain (I think you all can guess who, lol).
Now then, onto the reviews:
Joabear – I'm happy you've enjoyed the story and all the buildup I've made, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much as the others. As for your questions, the answers are as follows:
There will definitely be some cloning happening later in this story, but I can't say too much about it as it will hold a lot of spoilers. Unfortunately it won't happen for a while so you're going to have to wait. As for some Superior Spider-Man, I will neither confirm nor deny the possibility of it happening :).
SpdrNja – Thanks! Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Zetsunaflames – On your point about Jay not being able to leave New York, while that is true for an extended period of time, he can leave for a day or two which means he could go on a few missions here and there. That being said, it would still be a hard sell for him because of that point (Especially if a supervillain is at large).
The biggest reason for him not joining the Team is because he doesn't want to work in the shadows. He wants to be around to help people whenever not just for undercover missions. But you're right, as M'gann is and will be the one to push the hardest, and we'll soon see her next efforts when Jay meets members of the Team.
As for which team Jay will join, well, I can't fully say because of spoilers, but I will say that he'll be helping a lot with Nightwing's team at the start of Season 3, so more so his team.
Fictionreader23 – Just a select few. Too many will just overwhelm Jay and also be unnecessary.
Thunrady – Like I said above, there will be some cloning happening in this story, but it will happen later on. That's all I'll reveal on that for now :).
Reader202italia – Exactly which is why Jay has been refusing because he knows it'll mean he can't go out and help people when he wants to and needs to.
Vfc15650 – Goblin will be on a little hiatus of his own until the time is just right for him to strike again, but I also can't wait to write more with him fighting against Jay. Hope I didn't take too long to update lol.
That's all I have for today, so I'll see you guys next time!