AN: I've edited some of the previous chapters to better update the story, namely chapters 3 and 9.

Rest in peace, Alan Rachins and Tony Todd. Your performances as Norman Osborn and Venom were some of the greats.

"Kara?"

Kara looked up from the guitar in her hands at the sound of Diana's voice. She was looking at her with a furrowed brow, looking concerned yet curious.

"Yeah?" Kara placed the guitar down. She recognised that kind of look on Diana's face: usually, it preceded a question she really didn't want to answer or deal with. With her luck, it was probably her asking about her non-existent anger issues.

"I'd like to speak to you about Peter." Diana folded her arms. "Namely, about the... tumultuous relationship between you two."

Kara scoffed. "Seriously?" She stood up from the sofa. "What is there to discuss? Look, I think I've made my opinion pretty damn clear."

"That is precisely the point," Diana retorted. Her brow uncreased slightly. "Kara, I am aware that you are likely still very irritated about what happened with the Goblin, but we still subdued him anyway. Thanks to you, no less!" She frowned, seemingly confused. "I would have thought that would have pleased you."

Kara sighed. "Yeah, but he got away. Him and his little assistant. And if Karen had successfully hacked his dumb glider, he'd probably be in jail now." Her eyes narrowed. "But thanks to Peter, he had a means to get away."

Diana's own eyes narrowed. "You cannot blame Peter-"

Kara blinked. "Okay, that's not what I meant." She may have had an issue with Peter and his lack of good teamwork skills, but she didn't exactly want to make it seem like she was coming down on the guy. "I meant to say that he indirectly allowed Goblin to escape."

A few seconds of silence. "That just sounds like you are blaming him."

Crap. "I..." Kara sighed again, massaging her temples. "You get what I mean."

"No. I do not think I do."

Kara groaned. "Look, what I'm getting at is that he's a good hero, but not exactly a good teammate." She brought her hands together. "Karen was trying to hack his glider to disable it, and he ended up spraying her with that web stuff."

Diana hadn't uncrossed her arms. "I am aware. Yet, that was not intentional. You know that as well as I do."

Kara ran a hand down her hair. "That's not the point." She started pacing: apparently, she had a habit of doing so if she was troubled - or really annoyed about something - at least according to the Danverses. "If he keeps on messing up like that... then it's going to cause a lot more problems than it fixes." She saw Diana open her mouth. "I know I'm not... the best teammate." She frowned. "I mess up a lot, but I know how to function on a team." She folded her own arms. "It just seems Peter's not used to that."

She heard Diana sigh. "I understand. And... I suppose I see your point. However-" Her voice had taken on an authoritative tone. "-he is still a useful ally and a good friend. It is likely he will improve as well. So... I would say he should stay."

Kara grimaced at the last bit. She wasn't saying Peter should leave the team. Did Diana seriously think she thought that? That being said, she was too tired to really argue about it anymore. "Yeah, yeah." She turned away, turning to the exit. "I'm just gonna get some-"

"Hey, I'm back!"

Kara turned around, seeing that Peter himself had arrived in the lair. He was holding a coffee as he got up off the mattress. "I finished up some brainstorming on the project and got some coffee." He awkwardly smiled. "Sorry, I only had enough for one."

"You are fine," Diana said. "We were just discussing-" Kara got her to stop talking by shooting a glare at her. Thankfully, the 'don't say what we were talking about' look was one of the things Themyscira must have had, so it worked.

Peter raised an eyebrow. "Uh, what were you talking about?" Judging by the tone of his voice, he knew that it was somehow related to him. Kara just groaned as she was about to tell him to mind his business.

"Guys! Look at the news!"

They all turned to Babs, who had turned on the TV. Kara chuckled. "Nice save."

"It's not a save!" Babs increased the volume. "Listen!" They all crowded around her. The TV was showing a concerned looking reporter standing in front of some kind of warehouse. There was a hole in the roof, and the red lights of police cars flashed on the screen.

"Sally Floyd here," said the reporter. "I've just gotten word that the S.T.A.R. Labs Experimental Testing Facility has been breached. A group of thieves have broken in, led by the Gotham villain known as 'the Riddler'." An image of the criminal appeared at the side, dressed up in his green best and looking as smug as smug could be. "Other eyewitnesses mentioned seeing a giant mechanical scorpion and... some kind of man made of water? They've locked down the building and the police are trying to get in."

Before any of them said, 'we gotta go', Babs had already pulled out her cowl. "Come on, guys. Let's teach Riddler and his friends a lesson."

Kara couldn't stop herself from smiling. "Took the words right outta my mouth."

The safe door flew open with a swish, revealing a high-tech briefcase in the centre. The note on it read 'EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH'. Riddler smiled as he reached for it.

"Riddle me this..." He sneered, grabbing it and pulling it close. "How much will Luthor pay me for giving him the means to create his own super-mercenaries?"

"Do you always spout out braindead riddles?" His arachnid-themed accomplice was smashing several of the cameras with his long tail. "You're driving me nuts, I swear."

Riddler sighed. "It's not my fault you lack the brainpower to solve any of them."

"Oh, I do. I just don't wanna hear your annoying-as-hell voice?"

"Will both of you shut up?" Morris hadn't quit whining throughout the entire heist. "I feel bad enough stealing from these guys. I'd rather do it in peace without all this pointless arguing."

Gargan smirked. "What's the matter, Morris? Don't think the ladies will like a dude who can't go out in the snow without freezing?"

"Oh would you just-"

"Hey, I'm sorry for interjecting in this happy family discussion..." The three criminals spun around to face a man stuck to the wall. "...it's just that I don't think you guys have got visitor passes."

Riddler's eyes widened. "Spider-Man?!" He pulled out his cane. "I thought you were a New York guy!"

"Didn't you hear the news?" Spider-Man lowered himself down via a web-line. "I'm commuting. And..."

Six more heroes leaped in, all striking a pose as heroic as him. "I've got some help."

Riddler's face was so pale, he looked like a ghost. Morris, meanwhile, just looked surprised. And Gargan-

"Die, punks!"

A globule of acid shot out, only barely missing Wonder Woman's head. She pulled out her sword. "If it is a fight you want..." She threw her shield at Gargan's head, before lunging forward. The rest followed suit, and the entire lab became a battleground. Batgirl threw some stunning batarangs at the blonde, distressed-looking dude. Instead of knocking him onto his back, they just splashed into him.

"Sorry kid." The batarangs were sent flying into the roof. "Made completely of water. I don't wanna hurt you, so please just leave me be."

Batgirl blinked. "You're made of water? That's awesome!" She did a backflip to avoid a blast of water. "I mean, at least from where I'm standing. You're like some kind of... water dude? No. Maybe Hydro-Man?"

Zatanna shot a look at Batgirl from behind the shield she had put up to protect herself against the green stinger. "Is now really the best time to come up with names?"

Morris blinked. "...Not a bad name." He probably would have mused longer about this if a gust of freeze-breath didn't turn him into an ice sculpture. Supergirl smirked as she folded her arms.

"Gotcha." She looked to her left, spotting Gargan trying to stab Zatanna through the heart. "Hey!" She quickly rushed at him to body-check him. She just about missed as he ducked, and instead punched a hole in the wall.

"Heh." Gargan stood up. "This suit gives me enhanced speed as well, you dumb kids. With this baby, I can do anything!"

"Scorpion..." Riddler's voice sounded less fearful and more agitated as he hid behind a desk with the briefcase. "Stop bragging and just hit them already!"

"I mean, he has a point." Spider-Man was currently trying to hold his tail back, hoping he didn't remember he would crap out acid. "Trust me, I've dealt with a lot of crazy villains who never shut up when it's necessary. Though it makes my job easier."

"I don't need your second opinion, arachnid."

"Would you calm your-" Scorpion didn't even get to finish before he was sealed without a green translucent cage. "Son of a..."

Green Lantern just smirked. "Well, that's two down." She used her ring to move the desk, revealing Riddler hunched over the briefcase, trying to crack the code. "Alright, it's over, Eddie."

Riddler turned to look at them. Now there was a smile on his face: not a nervous one either. "Oh really? Well, what about our... other partner?"

Batgirl raised an eyebrow. "Other part-" Suddenly, a giant web pinned her to the ground. A giant... black web. All of a sudden, Spidey's entire body stiffened.

"Oh no..." He muttered. The girls had never heard him sound so scared.

"Foolish spider," a deep, distorted voice rang out. "Did you really think you could hide..." Then a shadow leaped out of the from its hiding place. "From us?"

Spider-Man took a step back in horror. Standing before them was a large dark monster. A white spider-emblem cover his chest, huge arms, and more teeth than anyone needed. And he was even larger, more muscular, more nightmarish than ever.

"Venom." Spider-Man took a step forward. "I-I thought the gene cleanser-"

"Did you really think your science project could kill us?" With that, Venom lunged forward, sprouting claws perfect for tearing heroes to ribbons. "Allow us to teach you pain!"

Spider-Man dodged out of the way, landing next to Zatanna, who was desperately trying to think of a spell that could quickly get rid of this guy. He didn't care how Venom had gotten even more jacked than before. He didn't care how the symbiote had found its way back to Eddie, when last he checked he was still stuck in Ravencroft. He just really didn't want to fight his bro again.

"Eddie!" Spider-Man held out a hand. "The symbiote is manipulating you! It just wants you for the-"

A loud cackle emerged from Venom's mouth. "No, spider. We are not the one who once had this mantle." The mask pulled back. The face definitely wasn't Eddie's. This was a fully-grown man and... wait.

Spidey's eyes widened. "You're that luchador dude?"

Bumblebee gasped. "Bane?!" She sounded terrified as she turned to her allies. "This is bad. Bane was bad enough without the symbiote!"

Bane smiled. "Don't worry, spider. This entity has not provided me with your identity. I do not share the same animosity for you needed, apparently." The mask covered his face again. "Not that it will make your death any less painful!" A flurry of web-bullets flew across the room, nearly taking his head off. The rest of the girls rushed around the room as Spidey ran on the walls. Unfortunately for the heroes, though, Green Lantern had been struck by a web-bullet, breaking her concentration. The cage she had created dissipated, releasing Scorpion.

"Thanks, pal." Scorpion added to the chaos by firing out some more blasts of acid. Right now, it was a challenge not to get your head either caved in by black sludge or melted off by acid. While ducking behind a desk, Batgirl pulled out a scanner.

"Okay, just gotta get a good scan of this guy. Hopefully then I can find a weakness..." She shoved Riddler away when he tried peeking over her shoulder. "Come on, boot up faster!" She peeked up over the desk to see the chaos going on. Venom now had Spider-Man by the leg and was smashing him against the wall and floor. She winced. She could practically hear his bones snapping. She pointed the scanner at Venom. Just needed a few more seconds...

"Not so fast." A black web snatched the scanner and it fell into the hands of the giant slimy monster. "Our weaknesses will not be yours to exploit." The device was smashed to pieces in his hand. Batgirl's eyes narrowed.

"You've crossed the line now." She slid on some bat-shock-gauntlets. "I saved up for five months to build that!" She quickly lunged at him to deliver some punches. While Tall, Dark, and Ugly was preoccupied with that, Spider-Man got to his feet.

"Ow... Feels like my back's broken in five different places." He rested a hand on a table, waiting for his everything to stop hurting. Looking back, he saw Batgirl repeatedly punching Venom in the face. The shocks seemed to be staggering him, at least until he grabbed her by the face. Right. No time to wait to stop hurting. Zatanna flew in front of him as he webbed a table and swung it towards Venom.

"Let's finish this!" Zatanna yelled, her eyes glowing purple. "Tes erif ot-"

The spell probably would have left a mark on Venom. Unfortunately for all our heroes, a table smacked her at the back of the head, breaking on impact. Spider-Man's eyes widened.

"Zatanna!" He ran up to her. "I'm sorry, I-"

"Rargh!" They were interrupted by the sound of Venom roaring and Batgirl being sent flying into a wall. "We suppose we should thank you for the assist, spider," he added with a cruel smirk.

As if he couldn't feel worse. Spider-Man even saw Zatanna glaring at him when he looked back at her. "I'm fine." She sounded less-than-fine, arguably a little angry, though she was keeping her voice steady. "We just gotta-"

The stinger tail of the Scorpion lunged at her, and she dodged out of the way. Scorpion quickly grabbed Spider-Man by the head and started to apply force. "You made a mistake coming here, bug." A wide smile spread across his face. "Let me show you how much of a mistake it was."

"H-Hey..." In spite of everything, Spider-Man couldn't resist a quip. "Shouldn't arachnids stick together? I mean, even though scorpions usually hunt spiders-"

"Just." More force. "Shut." Scorpion's teeth seems to be very close to being ground into dust. "U-"

Suddenly, his entire body crackled with yellow lightning as he screamed. Letting go of Spider-Man, Old Scorpy fell to the ground like a sack of bricks. Fluttering behind him was Bumblebee, smiling as she regrew.

"I knew upgrading these stingers was worth the time." She helped Spidey to his feet. "You okay? Venom really did a number on you." Her eyes moved to said alien, who was currently in a fight with Wonder Woman.

"Well, my head's throbbing in pain, my legs feel like they're going to collapse, my back feels like a slinky..." He straightened up. "It's not the worst I've ever felt."

Bumblebee laughed. "Good to know." Then her face hardened. "We get the Riddler. He's trying to unlock the case to get the research."

That much was obvious. Riddler was still huddled in the corner, punching code after code into the number pad. All of which were answered by a buzzer.

"Hey, Ed!" Supergirl hovered in front of him, folding her arms. "How about you just give up?"

Surprisingly, Riddler looked less like he was going to have a panic attack, and more like everything was going according to plan. "Why would I? I have no reason to be afraid. Especially of such a dullard."

Supergirl's eyes widened. "What did you say?"

"Oh, you know what I mean." Riddler stood up. "Such lack of wits are only exceeded by your sheer worthlessness as a hero!" He accompanied such a statement with a hearty chuckle.

"Worthless?!" Supergirl felt her jaw clench. "I'll show you worthless!" She quickly lunged forward with a swift right hook, holding back so that she didn't punch this nerd into the stratosphere. However, she didn't feel Riddler's skin or spandex. Instead, something... metallic.

Green Lantern gasped. "No!"

The briefcase collapsed to pieces, leaving all the precious, precious research to be pocketed by the Riddler. "Wow." His voice was dry. "You sure showed me."

Supergirl looked shocked. "No! Well, you're still not gonna-"

A giant fist punched her away, shaking off the last pieces of ice. Hydro-Man had finally thawed. "Sorry about..." He blinked. "What happened here?"

"We got what we needed." Riddler aimed his cane at the ceiling, firing his grappling hook. "Let's book." He quickly retreated, with Hydro-Man following. Venom, meanwhile, turned to look at the team. Wonder Woman was lying down, clutching her side. Venom had done a number on her.

"This is not over," Venom sneered. "Next time, we will not be so merciful." He quickly leaped out, leaving the lab empty except for the heroes.

"That..." Batgirl coughed. "Could have gone way better."

Spider-Man just bowed his head. "Now the bad guys have a lot more resources on their hands..." He really didn't want to know what they wanted with them. Something told him Lex and Norman were involved. It wouldn't be surprising.

The look on Bumblebee's face was pretty disheartening: pure defeat. "Let's... just go back to the base. We should probably discuss things there."