The Spectacular Spinneret
ESKK: Lets star chapter 5 true believers.
(Start Parker/Watson Apartment Later Afternoon)
Afternoons in the apartment were subtle affairs when no crime was afoot. For Peter and Mary Jane, it was getting things in order for the wedding. For Mayday it was watching cartoons with a treat in hand, for Dylan it was either in his room or watching whatever Mayday was watching, and for Venom it was basically being a glorified house pet on the sofa. Well on the Sofa was a bad assumption he was actually on the floor mainly because Mary Jane didn't want Venom to leave any part of himself behind.
A good week had passed since Dylan moved in and the kid seemed brighter with Venom living here. Then again Mary Jane wasn't happy about it but after learning of his original plan she had taken a sense of satisfaction at ruining it. Of course, this was followed by both Mary Jane, and Peter going out to try to find leads on Eddie's whereabouts. The fact he was missing also played a role as to why Mary Jane won't kick the freeloader out.
Venom had of course was forced to stay in the Apartment 24/7 since he didn't have a host and had become something of their on sight babysitter for Mayday. Mayday was happy her black goop friend was staying despite her mom not exactly happy that he was staying here.
"So, I was thinking we can have the venue here." Mary Jane said as she showed some pamphlets to Peter.
"I like it but seems kind of pricey with our current budgeting needs." Peter said not wanting to take a loan so finance the event.
"Well, I know a few people who can help us plan it." Mary Jane said as she had other ideas for a venue. "Plus, if this one is outside our budget, we can try to contact my friends to see if they can host it." Mary Jane said as Venom heard everything from the other room and slimed his way over to the dining room.
"Am I invited?" Venom asked with a toothy grin at the pair.
"Are you paying rent?" Mary Jane asked with a small glare at Venom. Venom in turn grumbled and slimed out of the area as Peter sighed a bit.
"MJ maybe you should cut him some slack." Peter offered knowing that Venom was currently homeless without them housing him. "I mean he has nowhere else to go after all." Peter added as he was a nice guy.
"We'll bring him back a cake." Mary Jane grumbled out as it was a bit of a love/hate relationship with the Symbiote. Considering all her past trauma with Venom the fact Mary Jane was letting him stay at all was currently a step in the right direction. Now if only she doesn't have a snide insult every five minutes with the Symbiote.
Just then there was a knock at the door causing the two to look. "I'll get it." Mary Jane said as she needed some space from the current house pet. She passed by Mayday with a chocolate bar as she broke off pieces and threw it into Venom's waiting mouth. Dylan looked embarrassed by this as Venom laughed a bit. Yeah, Venom was not beating back any of those new house pet allegations anytime soon. Just then she got to the front door and proceeded to open it for whoever was knocking on the door.
Mary Jane was then met with the sight of a dark skinned young teen before her as he had a panicked look on his face. "MJ good you here!" The young man said as he looked to Mary Jane. "I went by Peter's apartment and found the place empty I was wondering if you and Paul had seen him?" The young man asked as Mary Jane tried to figure out who the kid before her was. Clearly it was someone the fake met while sabotaging her life wearing her face.
"Ok first of all Paul doesn't live here anymore and second." Mary Jane began as she did not like being reminded of Paul.
However, before Mary Jane could say anything Peter was heard from inside the house. "Is that Miles?" Peter asked as he came to the door with a smile on his face. Mile was shocked to see Peter here instead of Paul not that the teen was complaining.
"Miles? Oh Miles!" Mary Jane asked as she then recalled who Miles was. "Peter told me about you." Mary Jane said and thus Miles looked confused by all of this.
"Uh MJ did you hit your head?" Miles asked and thus Peter realized he had forgotten something after the Venom War. "And weren't you two done?" Mile asked as he tried to figure out what had happened.
"Oh, dang it I thought we forgot something." Peter said realizing Miles was out of the loop. "Come on in Miles meet our kid." Peter said as Miles was left surprised as Mary Jane was gesturing Miles to enter the apartment with her.
Once inside Mayday was swinging once more when she thought she could get away with it. "Wow web swinging kid!" Miles gasped when he saw Mayday swinging around.
"And there's our troublemaker." Mary Jane said as she saw Mayday.
"Mayday no web swinging in the house!" Mary Jane called out seeing her daughter was a ball of energy. She then went after Mayday using her own spider powers to bring her down.
"Miles meet Mayday Parker my daughter with MJ." Peter said gesturing to the scene as Mayday was wall crawling away from her mother who went after her daughter. During this Dylan and Venom watched from the sofa as Miles was left shocked here.
"You have a daughter and now Mary Jane has spider powers?!" Miles asked shocked by all of this. "Geez how long was it since we last spoke?!" Miles asked surprised with what he was seeing.
"All will be explained Miles." Peter said as Mary Jane caught Mayday and brought her down to the floor again.
"Web shooters young lady." Mary Jane sternly said as Mayday pouted but then surrendered her web shooters. "Good." Mary Jane said taking the shooters to hide them from her daughter. "So, I think some introductions are in order and explanations." Mary Jane said as she looked towards young Miles Morales.
(Later after a needed explanation)
"Wow that's crazy man." Miles said once Peter and Mary Jane explained to Miles what had happened at the End of the Venom War and all the revelations with it. "I mean no offense, but Mephisto and you guys were married!?" Miles asked as he looked to Mary Jane and Peter shocked over this revelation. "And now you have Venom as a house pet." Miles said as he saw Venom at the fridge rummaging through it for some chocolates bars.
"Not a house pet." Venom snarled as he then went off to do his own thing with the two kids.
"So basically, you only knew Paul for a year at most and ran when you found out his dad was using fake kids to mess with your memories." Miles said as he looked to Mary Jane to get the major parts.
"Either he was, or Paul was." Mary Jane as all she had on Paul was the genocide attempt and the possible brainwashing. "However, the main point still stands that I wasn't going to let it happen." Mary Jane said as she took a major risk to regain her freedom. "Madam Web found me and together we went to rescue Mayday." Mary Jane said not wanting to talk about that saga across the multi-verse to find her and Peter's daughter.
"Ok so now you guys are planning a new wedding." Miles said as he looked to the scene before him.
"Yeah, while also trying to get some security to keep any major villains or chaos from getting involved." Peter said as he and Mary Jane agreed security was a big thing they wanted to enforce. No surprises and no attempts by their enemies to ruin the day they can become a family as they should.
"That's what's up." Miles said as he was happy for the couple truly, he was. "No offense but something about you and Paul together just rubbed me the wrong way you know." Miles admitted as Mary Jane sighed in frustration recalling several of the people, they know saying something similar.
"Miles if I had a nickel for every person who said that or something similar, I'd have enough to finance the entire wedding." Mary Jane said causing a chuckle there. Just then Miles saw Mayday wall crawling to the cabinets and found a jar full of Aunt May's cookies and was about to take it. "You can have one young lady." Mary Jane said all without even looking causing Mayday to pout and take one cookie.
"Well, you definitely have that Mom sense." Miles quipped as he seen his own mom somehow know he was about to do something without even looking to see what he was going to do. "But for real I'm happy for you guys you two just work together you know." Miles admitted as he looked to the two budding parents.
"Honestly, I just wish I got back sooner." Mary Jane said as she hated what Vanna and Paul had done to Peter with her face. It's a damn miracle Mary Jane was able to keep the tabloid sharks from tearing into Peter and Mayday's existence.
"Come on Miles why not get to know your niece for a bit." Peter said as he needed a break from all this wedding planning stuff.
"Sure, why not?" Miles said as he and Peter stood up to talk to Mayday who enjoyed her cookie. Mary Jane smiled to the scene before Venom oozed in.
"Mary Jane, do you have a moment to talk." Venom said as he looked to Mary Jane who responded by glaring at the freeloading symbiote.
"Well since my husband to be is currently introducing Miles to my daughter it seems so." Mary Jane said her voice nippy at the Symbiote.
"I may need your help." Venom said as Mary Jane glared at Venom. "I think I have a possible lead on Eddie, but I can't make it there on my own." Venom said as Mary Jane kept her glare up.
"So, you need me to put you in a jar and take you over." Mary Jane snapped but it was clear what Venom wanted.
"Stop joking this is important to me and important to Dylan." Venom said as Mary Jane had to remind Venom of her issues with the Symbiote.
"I know what your asking and I don't trust you." Mary Jane said making it clear that she was not going to just trust Venom.
"I know I do not have your trust but you and I both know that if we don't act any clues may be gone by the time we get there." Venom said making it clear what he wanted from MJ. "I just need you to be my host long enough for me to investigate the scene." Venom said as Mary Jane then sighed in frustration. "Please if not for me then for Dylan's sake." Venom said which got Mary Jane to act.
"Fine but if I start having black outs or whatever I'll be having Peter hit me with all the sonic weapons he can find even if I go deft." Mary Jane said as she glared at the Symbiote.
"Hurtful but also understandable." Venom said as he saw where Mary Jane was going with her distrust of the Symbiote.
"Hey Peter, I need to go out for a bit." Mary Jane said as she alerted Peter of something she needed to look into. "It seems Venom may have an idea on where to start looking for Eddie." Mary Jane said Peter heard this.
"Hey, hold up I can go with you." Peter said but Mary Jane stopped her love.
"No, I need you here to watch Mayday and Dylan." Mary Jane said as Peter saw what she meant.
"Hey I'm still here." Miles said as Mayday was currently showing off her toys to Miles.
"Miles, I appreciate it but Peter kind of needs this." Mary Jane said as Venom nodded in agreement. "Now come on Venom we got stuff to do." Mary Jane said and thus she offered a begrudged hand to the Venom Symbiote. Once the Symbiote latched on it spread across her body covering her form until eventually she was in a black suit similar to her Spinneret outfit. It exposed her mouth and her long red hair with a large white spider on the on her stomach that spread across her body.
The Black Suited Spinneret looked at the outfit and had some concerns about it. "You ok MJ?" Peter asked with concern for the love of his life.
"I think." Mary Jane said showing that she was ok now, but she couldn't be sure later.
"Mary Jane." Dylan spoke as he looked to his foster mother. "Please bring dad home… both of you." He said and thus Venom's head came out of the suit.
"Dylan he might not be there so I can't make any promises, but we will come back safely." Venom said as Mary Jane let the Symbiote have this moment with Dylan.
"Come on lets go." Mary Jane said as she gestured to the small earpiece in her ear where Peter can see. It was clear it was her way of saying that if something comes up, she'll call for Peter's help. With that Spinneret went to the window and sent out a web line before she swung out into the city.
(Scene Break later with Spinneret)
The Black Suited Spinneret arrived at her destination a good hour or so later where she landed on the wall. She was currently outside a seemingly abandoned warehouse that Venom had lead her towards. "Is this the place?" Spinneret asked and thus Venom stuck his head out to nod and speak directly to the woman.
"Yes, Eddie and I were investigating a few things here before the Venom War it's a good place to start looking for a trail." Venom confirmed to his temporary host.
"Well, the place looks abandoned." Spinneret said before she proceeded to swing on over to the warehouse so they can find clues about Eddie's whereabouts.
(Later inside of the Warehouse)
The black suited heroine landed inside the mostly empty warehouse as she began to take a look around the place. "Well, this certainly put things in perspective." Mary Jane said as the place was trashed by something or someone.
"It seems someone had beat us here." Venom voiced as he saw the damages and found it familiar. "Looks like Carnage's work but more controlled." Venom said never taking his insane offspring to be a controlled killer in such a way.
"Carnage and self-control does not belong together unless you have., "does not have any," in between that." Spinneret said as she found it insane that Carnage could have self-control.
"The strangest part is that I can feel that Eddie was here, recently." Venom added focusing on why they came here.
"Oscorp?" Mary Jane asked when she found the Oscorp insignia on some of the equipment in the room.
"Strange I thought Osborn had redeemed himself." Venom said as Mary Jane glared at Venom for that one. "Right, you were MIA for the past year." Venom added as the reminder alerted him that that had happened while the imposter Vanna Smith was wearing Mary Janes face.
"So, we have a lead and…" Spinneret began but trailed off when she found something that left her without her voice. Venom saw it and even he was shocked at what he and MJ found.
"Holy shit. ANOTHER ONE!" Venom yelled the last part as he and Mary Jane were met with the site that left them in pure shock. Spinneret stood in stunned silence in front of the translucent pod. Inside a sleeping child, a young girl, bobbed up and down peacefully. Her angelic face covered by a life-sustaining oxygen mask. Her long dark hair floated above her head like a clothesline sheet caught in a gentle spring breeze.
Spinneret had thought nothing could shock her any longer. Since first dating her husband about a decade before she had experienced so many seemingly unbelievable occurrences. Part of her was jaded to the inexplicable, or so she thought. Spinneret now realized she was wrong. Nothing could have prepared her for this. A million unanswered questions swirled through her mind.
Spinneret knew not how long she stood there. The insistent beeping of her earpiece communicator stirred her from her trance. Apparently, Peter was getting worried, or Mayday was getting worried. Regardless it was time for Mary Jane to respond to Peter.
"Peter, we have a situation." Mary Jane said as she needed to let Peter know the problem.
"What's wrong MJ?" Peter asked with concern for his wife-to-be.
"Peter, listen I need you to tell me, is Mayday still there?" Mary Jane asked as she looked to the sleeping child in the tank.
"Yeah, she's hanging around Miles and Dylan." Peter said and thus Peter nodded to this.
"Does Miles have his suit?" Mary Jane asked as this got Peter to go quiet for a second likely to ask.
"Yeah, he does, red what's going on?" Peter asked his tone etched with concern.
"Ok Tiger listen carefully I want you to ask Miles if he can watch Mayday and Dylan for a couple hours offer him babysitting money if you have too." Spinneret said making it clear what she needed. "I'm at Brooklyn Warehouse and I need you here right now." Spinneret said making it clear that something was going on.
"Alright MJ I'll be right over." Peter said before he hung up. Once that was done Mary Jane looked at the girl in the tank and feared that this might turn into another Ben Reilly situation here. Whatever was going on was going to cause them pain she just knew it. And a part of Mary Jane feared for Mayday and the security of her future. Mary Jane would not allow her daughter to be taken for a second time.
(Scene Break an hour later)
After an hour of waiting Spider-Man showed up where he found the tank Spinneret had found. "Is she alive?" Spinneret asked hesitantly as she walked back and forth while Venom did his best to sooth her.
"As far as I can tell it is alive," Peter said after inspecting the five-foot-square tube thoroughly.
"I don't understand." Spinneret said frowning behind her mask. "How can she be here?" Spinneret said to her husband-to-be. "You said it yourself Mayday was with Dylan and Miles when you left." Peter said as she was thankful to Miles for babysitting her daughter even though the request had come in suddenly.
The little girl in the pod was a dead ringer for Mayday down to her smallest detail. "Logically speaking it's a replica of some sort; an android, or perhaps a clone." Spider-Man said as he began to list off the possibilities. "Of course, there are a few other possibilities although more remote." Spider-Man mused his mind locked in scientific analysis mode.
"And those would be?" Spinneret asked with concern in her voice.
"An alternate universe version of Little May or a magical illusion even a living one isn't entirely out of the question." Spider-Man responded as he had experience with this, they both did. "It could be any number of things." He said but the way he spoke got on Spinnerets nerves.
"Stop calling her an 'it'." Spinneret snapped at her husband-to-be. "She's a, she. No matter where she came from, she's a little girl, our little girl." Spinneret said as looking at the girl reminded her of the deal with Mephisto.
"We don't know that" Spider-Man said in a calm tone to Spinneret. He understood her emotional state but there was a lot of unknown in this situation. "The similarities between it and Little May might only be superficial." He said before he fished a communicator out of a hidden compartment of his suit.
"What are you doing?" Spinneret asked as she saw what Spider-Man was doing.
"I'm contacting the Fantastic Four," Spider-Man said activating the unit which bore the insignia of the Future Foundation. "Reed Richards has more experience with this sort of thing that I do. Together we can get to the heart of the matter far quicker than I could working alone." Spider-Man said as he was calling in the expert on the subject of cloning.
After Spider-Man exchanged words with Sue Richards who promised the Fantastic Four would be along shortly he put away the communicator. Spider-Man again addressed Spinneret. "I think you should head on home. No doubt this will be a long night." Spider-Man said as he knew his wife-to-be needed rest.
"Okay," Spinneret said as she knew Peter had a point. "Let me know the moment you learn something." Spinneret said as she didn't want to leave Miles taking care of the kids for the entire night.
"Sure," Spider-Man said before he then added the following words though quickly regretted having done so. "You shouldn't get emotionally involved with it until we discovered exactly what it is." Spider-Man said which then served to anger Spinneret on the spot and Venom could not be blamed for it.
"I can't believe how heartless you're being. I thought you had more compassion." Spinneret said flabbergasted by Spider-Man's continued intransigence.
"And I can't believe how naive you're being." Spider-Man fired back as Venom then acted as peacekeeper.
"Wait I think both of you make fare points." Venom said stepping in between the two. "Parker is right that this clone could easily be part of a larger scheme of sorts." Venom said as he gestured to Spider-Man. "But Watson is right that its still a child in there whose only crime is existing as far as we know." Venom said as this got the duo to calm down and give off a sigh.
"Your right." Spider-Man said admitting the Symbiote was right. "I'm sorry." He said a tense moment later. "I don't want you getting hurt in case this is some sort of ploy by one or more of my enemies." Spider-Man said showing he had past experience with this. "It wouldn't be the first time any of them went after those I hold dear." Spider-Man finished, and Spinneret understood why Spider-Man was being cautious about this situation.
"I know," Spinneret said admitting to being wrong as well. "I'll see you at home." Spinneret said as she wanted to go home and go hold her daughter close.
"See you there," Spider-Man said and thus the pair parted ways as Spider-Man waited for the Fantastic four to show up and help transport this tube out of the warehouse.
(Scene Break the next day)
After returning home the night before Mary Jane paid Miles for his time in watching the kids. He tried to turn it down, but Mary Jane insisted so Miles took the cash. It was late when she and Venom got home but thankfully Mary Jane arrived in time for bedtime. After letting Venom slide off of her, she had gone to Mayday's room to tuck her daughter in. Afterwards she stayed for a few hours to watch her, and it appeared she would pass out in the room had Venom not showed up to take over in watching the girl.
Venom stayed in Mayday's room that night while Mary Jane slept in her and Peter's room. The next day Mary Jane dropped off Mayday and Dylan at May Parkers house and after explaining the situation to her she happily took the two in. Venom came along because Mary Jane didn't trust him to stay home alone and not make a mess of the apartment somehow.
"I didn't think I'd find you here webs." Came Ben Grimm AKA the thing as he entered Reeds' lab. "What you doing here playing sciencey stuff with stretch-o?" Ben asked wondering what brough Peter to the Fantastic Fours abode.
"Sorting a few things out," Peter said in his Spider-Man uniform minus the mask. He rubbed his tired eyes with his hands while he stifled a yawn. Peter had not slept since discovering the pod last night. Reed Richards entered the main room from a smaller connected room where he had been double-checking their test results an unreadable expression on his wise face. "So, what's the verdict?" Peter asked as he looked to Reed who had a look of concern on his face.
"I have good news… and bad news." Reed said and thus everyone got worried when mentioning this. "The good news is that the girl in the tank is genetically identical to your daughter May Parker the second." Reed said as he explained the situation to the young parents. "She is even the same age from my data." Reed said which suggested flash cloning was a role here. However, Flash Cloning an entire human being had adverse effects which brings in the bad news.
"Reed what's the bad news?" Peter asked as Mary Jane was also worried about it.
"You both may want to sit down for this." Reed said and thus it was clear what was about to happen. After the chairs were brought in Reed got down to it. "Her genetic structure its flawed intentionally so." Reed revealed which nearly caused Mary Jane to gasp in horror.
"Intentionally you mean they made her for the sole purpose of dying?" Peter asked as that was a horrifying thought.
"Yes, removing her from the tank will likely begin the process a slow process so you would have a few years with her before she expires." Reed said as this didn't make sense, why would someone make a clone of Mayday just to have her die… unless Mayday dying was the point.
"Dr. Richards… do you think its at all possible that someone may have planned to replace Mayday with this clone?" Mary Jane asked with fear for the clone.
"In all likelihood yes." Reed said as that was his best guess.
Mary Jane upon hearing this did not need to be a genius to put the pieces together. This was clearly a ploy by Mephisto still seeking to remove the threat Mayday posed to him should she grow up. Mary Jane was upset but right now the child in the tank had her concern.
"Is there some way to help her fix what was made wrong?" Mary Jane asked as Peter was all for helping those in need especially since they share his blood.
"If this had been a case of fault handling maybe but this was intentionally done it's a different ballpark." Reed began as he got down to it. "About 36% of her total Genetic Code is either missing or designed to break down at a cellular level all to make you both think your daughter had died young." Reed said as Venom listened in on this. "I wouldn't even know where to begin with a treatment without more data." Reed said which meant that they needed a miracle to help her.
"Dr. Richards you said at a Cellular level, correct?" Venom said as he stuck his head out from Mary Jane's black Spinneret suit. The group here were aware of what Venom was doing here so they had no qualms beyond keeping a close eye on him in case of trouble.
"Yes, why do you ask?" Reed asked with a raised brow at the Symbiote.
"I may be able to help." Venom said as he then brought a tentacle out as MJ was wary of Venom. "My kind bonds with a host at a cellular level perhaps if I offer to her a part of myself, it may be able to compensate or even heal what is broken." Venom said making his offer to the couple.
"And why should we take your word for is slimy?" Ben asked glaring gat the Symbiote attached to Mary Jane.
"I do not expect you too, but I am a parent as well and I would do the same if it was Dylan instead." Venom said as Mary Jane actually considered the Symbiotes generous offer. "Please let me try." Venom said and thus all eyes went to Reed.
"It could work but it's a risk." Reed said meaning Peter and Mary Jane had to make the call on this one. The two parents looked at each other and then the girl in the tank. They imagined it being Mayday in there instead of this clone and with it their choice was made on what to do.
"Do it." Peter and Mary Jane said to both Reed and Venom and thus Reed nodded ready to try.
(Meanwhile with Mayday and Dylan)
Mayday were enjoying a plate of cookies with Aunt May. May was a sweet old lady and was happy to watch the kids for Peter and Mary Jane. Of course, she seemed a bit smothering towards Mayday, but it was to be expected after she learned the truth about her.
"Such a sweet little girl you are." May gushed as she smiled towards Mayday.
"Thank you, Great Aunt May." Mayday smiled as Dylan nodded with cookies in hand.
"Yes, thank you Ms. Parker." Dylan said in a respectful tone to the old woman.
"It's my pleasure enjoy yourselves." May said happy to care for the young ones while Peter and Mary Jane deal with their emergency. May was glad that everything was turning around and for her it also served as a helpful method of dealing with what Peter and Mary Jane did. May did not approve of it and had let the couple know that should the EVER make such a deal again May will used, every bit of energy to remember so she can knock some sense into them.
However, there was another thing she was concerned about one she knew was happening. She coughed lightly into a cloth she kept getting the pairs attention.
"May are you ok?" Mayday asked with concern for the old woman.
"Don't worry sweetie I'm fine." May said before looking to the side not making eye contact. "I'm going to do some knitting feel free to let me know if you need anything." May said and in turn left the room for a bit. As May left, she took out the cloth she coughed into and on the white sheet was a red smear on it, blood. Deep down May knew what was happening to her almost like an instinct. The Deal has been broken with the return of Mayday and with the approach of the wedding what had been sold was being returned. Mephisto's final cruelty.
However, May would not let Mephisto have the last laugh she will do everything she can to protect her nephew and with it his marriage. May was an old lady but she was a fierce woman when she was angered. After all, not many people can drug the Chameleon after he tried to impersonate her nephew. She will see to it that Peter gets his wedding, and she will make sure that Mephisto leaves her nephew and his family alone.
(Back at the Baxter Building)
The Tank was open not fully but just enough to allow for Venom to do his thing. The Symbiote had one of his tentacles moving through the life sustaining liquid inside towards the sleeping girl. Venom focused on the girl as he knew that this was her only chance at survival. Neither Peter nor Mary Jane wanted this girl to become a second Ben Reilly back when he wasn't evil.
Eventually the tentacle reached the girl and in turn began to seep into her. Venom got to work as he waited for the group to sever it from him. Seeing this Reed used a laser to amputate the tendril from Venom and in turn Venom pulled back to watch as the rest of the tendril entered the tank and melded with the little girl inside. She looked to be experiencing discomfort from the ordeal but when your having your genetic structure repaired it made sense for there to be discomfort.
Eventually the Discomfort came to an end and the child was back to being in a stage of calm sleep. When that was done the couple looked to Reed and knew he had to run more tests to see if Venom's crazy plan had worked.
(Scene Break One Hour Later)
After Reed had done another round of testing the girl was ready to be let out. Thankfully, the prior round of tests had given him something to compare to and for all intents and purposes the child was no longer in danger. This meant they can remove her from the tank without fear and any adverse effects to her health.
Slowly the pale blue liquid drained from the tube. Mr. Fantastic who was operating the controls next released the seals of the pod. He then disengaged the oxygen supply. Peter and Mary Jane stepped in at this point. Peter gingerly removed the oxygen mask while Mary Jane wrapped the girl in a warm blanket. The girl violently coughed several times which greatly worried everyone present save Mr. Fantastic. When the leader of the Fantastic four said it was perfectly normal given the circumstances everyone began to calm down.
Just then the girl's eyes slowly fluttered open. "Where am I?" The girl groaned as she tried to recall what had happened prior to all this.
"What's the last thing you remember?" Mr. Fantastic gently prodded her wanting to make sure he got all the information correct.
The girls eyes squinted as she tried to recall what the last thing she recalled was. "I was going to bed mom read be a bedtime story and dad was off on patrol fighting bad guys." The girl said revealing to Peter and Mary Jane when the ones who made her planned to make the switch.
"Do you recognize anyone in this room?" Mr. Fantastic asked as she looked around seeing her parents, The Thing, and Mr. Fantastic.
"You guys are two members of the Fantastic Four, Mr. Fantastic and the Thing I think." The girl said glancing at Mr. Fantastic and the Thing before she looked to her parents. "And I see mom and dad… what happened?" the girl asked honestly thinking she's Mayday Parker and not a clone.
"Nothing sweetie." Mary Jane omitted as she knew she had to be gentle with how she explained what was happening.
"Can I go to sleep now?" The Girl asked as she felt the call of sleep once more. "I'm really tired." She said not knowing why she was tired right now.
"Please do, thank you." Mr. Fantastic said before the girl soon fell asleep in Mary Jane's arms. Meanwhile Peter, Mary Jane and the Fantastic Four exchanged worried looks.
"What does this all mean?" Mary Jane said carefully placing the girl on the floor.
"I wish I knew." Mr. Fantastic said scratching his chin thoughtfully. Was Norman back to his old ways or was Mephisto on the move once more?
(Scene Break a Week Later)
"What do you mean I'm a clone?" the second Mayday asked as she and the original Mayday sat in the living room of their apartment where Mary Jane and Mayday sit down with her twin. They had brought the girl home and had gone through with the introduction of the pair. Needless to say, it was not something any of them anticipated to happen here.
"It's complicated." Peter said before he sighed and tried to sugar coat it. "We think… someone made you to hurt us." Peter said looking to the second Mayday.
"But I don't want to hurt you!" The second Mayday cried out as she looked to her parents or the couple, she though were her parents.
"We know but your body was made in a way where it would happen regardless." Mary Jane said and thus got to the worst part. "They made it so you would die, and we wouldn't be able to stop it." Mary Jane said as this made the second Mayday eyes widen in horror at that revelation.
"So… I'm dying?" She asked but then Peter cut in.
"No, we managed to stop it but… we think it changed you." Peter said as he had yet to see any major changes from the girl.
"Changes what changes?" The girl asked her voice raised and panicked. The result was several black tendrils shooting from her back causing her to scream in shock.
"Easy, easy there just breath and calm down." Mary Jane said as she breathed with the girl to calm down her panic. It eventually lead to the tendrils easing back into the girl's body suggesting they may be linked to her emotional state much like most Symbiotes when they fully formed. "There better." Mary Jane said but then the other girl turned her head.
"No, it's not." She said as she began to tear up. "I'm fake… I'm not real." The girl said rubbing the tears from her eyes as the truth began to set in.
"Hey, listen you're not fake your as real as anyone here." She said realizing the little girl was going through the thoughts of her being a clone. "Your just as much our daughter as Mayday is." Mary Jane said long since having come to this decision.
"And trust me when I say you're not the only clone in this family." Peter said as he joined in on the discussion with her. "Someone once cloned me and for a good while I thought I was the clone." Peter said using his own experience with clones to help.
"We're not going to force anything on you sweetie." Mary Jane said as she sat close to the girls. "You can stay with us if you want… or we can arrange other housing for you." Mary Jane said knowing a few heroes who would be happy to take the girl in if she didn't want to stay with the Parkers.
The young girl sniffled a bit but seemed to understand the choice was solely in her hands. "I want to stay with mom and dad." She said and thus Mary Jane nodded in understanding and smiled.
"Alright but we're going to have to give you a new name." Peter said but then the girl got upset with that. "See Mayday here already has a Birth Certificate and everything so it wouldn't be practical to make her change it." Peter said as this got the clone to respond.
"But I like my name!" She said not wanting to change it. However, the way she said it showed she was very much a child, like Mayday.
"I know and it's a lovely name but I'm afraid its first come first serve champ." Mary Jane said and the first one to have the name Mayday was the one sitting next to the girl. "How about April since it comes before May." Mary Jane offered as April considered the name for a brief moment.
The girl then smiled as she looked to her parents. "I like that." The girl now dubbed April said with a smile towards her parents.
"Then welcome to the family, April Parker." Peter said welcoming April to their budding family.
"This is going to be so much fun!" May cheered hugging her new sister. "I have a sister." Mayday said happy to get a sister, a twin sister of all things. The scene was a joyous one and Peter knew they were going to have to go shopping again for April's belongings. Right now, the girls can share a room, but Peter feared they may need to finance for a bigger place to stay soon.
(Scene Break Later that Evening)
Getting April settled was an easy task though the only issue was the bed which can be fixed with a bunkbed. It was going to be an adjustment and Mary Jane was happy that Venom kept Dylan distracted in his room. As of now Mary Jane was a mother of two and most of all she had a certain Symbiote to thank for that one.
In the dinning room Mary Jane met with Venom as the Symbiote was currently enjoying chocolates Mary Jane got for him. As he ate the sweets Mary Jane approached him knowing she had to swallow her pride for this one.
"Venom." Mary Jane began as she got the Symbiotes attention. "I want to say… thanks for helping April." Mary Jane as the pair saw Peter in the living room entertaining the kids with Mayday and April climbing all over Peter. However, April seemed to be using Black Goo to emulate her father Spider-Man which suggest Mary Jane can make almost anything from that black goop.
"Its not an issue if it had been Dylan, I'd have done the same." Venom said showing that he did it because he was a parent like Mary Jane and Peter.
"It's not just that… you could have easily said no, kept your mouth shut, or even just kill her yourself and you chose not to." Mary Jane said as she then got down to it. "What I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry for assuming these negative things about you." Mary Jane said as Venom simply took it in stride.
"I do not blame you with our past history I would not have trusted me either had our roles been reversed." Venom said understanding why Mary Jane had been hostile towards his presence. "But for the sake of the children we must be better." Venom added which Mary Jane admitted Venom was right.
"Yeah, I know." Mary Jane said but then got down to it. "Look I'm not ready to forgive but the least I can do is be a bit more respectful towards you." Mary Jane said and in turn Venom nodded to this.
"That's all I ask for." Venom said and in turn the two agreed on the matter. While they didn't bury the hatchet, they can still learn to be respectful towards each other here. However, no one in the house would realize what would result from this sudden shift.
(Scene Break Oscorp Norman Osborn)
Mephisto roared in fury as he slammed Norman against a wall glaring at him. "You let them get the girl!" Mephisto roared as he glared at Norman.
"This was just an unfortunate turn of events." Norman said trying to assure Mephisto they can salvage this. Whatever had attacked his employees had somehow attracted the Parkers to finding the young clone.
"No, the unfortunate mistake was entrusting things to you." Mephisto said as he needed someone with more power to them. "I need a demon." He said taking out a familiar vial of green liquid. It was clear what was about to happen… Mephisto was bringing back the Green Goblin by force all so he can destroy the Parkers and prevent the birth of the greatest thorns to his ambitions. Mephisto will claim victory regardless of if the Parkers and their wretched spawn are there to stop him or not.
(TBC)
ESKK: Another chapter is done; I hope you all enjoyed it and will join us next time for Chapter 6 once I get work done on it. Until then be sure to leave a review for me and as I always say here folks, ja-ne.