Post by Drake on May 10, 2014 11:46:02 GMT -5
Spider-Man #16: Spider War Conclusion
Lessons Learned, Lives Lost
By Drake
Lessons Learned, Lives Lost
By Drake
Peter flexed his arms as he subtly tried to pull his way out of the metal restraints binding him to a large titanium chair. Nothing. No luck. The restraints had clearly been made to hold him…or someone like him.
Peter looked up into the eyes of his enemy and once-best friend, Harry Osborn, “You know, Harry, if you really wanted to get ahold of me all you had to do was call.”
Harry laughed, “Oh, classic Peter Parker! Throwing a quip no matter how dire the situation, no matter how angry you are! I really have missed you, Pete!”
“I can tell,” Peter retorted, shifting uncomfortably in the chair slightly. His black and red Spider-Man costume was bloodied and torn. The cuts in his chest burned with pain.
“Petey, Petey, Peter Parker, we’re entering the bonus round,” Harry whistled the jeopardy theme song, “And guess who’s gonna win?”
Out of nowhere Harry jammed a taser into Peter’s gut, “Me!”
Peter cried out in pain. Harry laughed maniacally. Peter tried his restraints with considerably more force. Again nothing. His only chance now was to wait it out, keep Harry from ending it. Now, Peter just needed Miles to swoop in and do what he always did—save the day.
“Another, please!” Peter shouted. Harry obliged. Peter roared.
“C’mon, you’re putting villains to shame, Harry! Electro would be so disappointed!” Peter teased. Another taser in the gut.
“Weak! Weak, I tell you!” Taser. Now with a punch.
“My Aunt May hit harder.” Harry threw the taser away and punched Peter with two hands.
“You like that, huh?” Harry growled, saliva dripping out the side of his mouth, his eyes ferocious. He punched Peter again. “Like that Oz-fuelled punch?”
Peter couldn’t look up. He physically couldn’t bring himself to. Blood dripped out his nose, mouth, and three cuts on his right cheek. He spit at Harry’s feet.
“Your dad liked me better,” Peter said.
Harry roared and pulled a pistol out from his jacket pocket, “You son of a—!”
“Gun down, Osborn!”
Harry looked up to meet the gaze of Bill Connors, who aimed a gun at the chest of the villain. “I said gun down!”
Peter smiled, “God bless Billy Connors,” he whispered.
Harry just laughed, “Oh, this is cute! Little lab buddy here to save your life, Pete? Adorable.” Harry quickly changed his aim and fired at Bill. The scientist barely had time to react. He moved to the side but the bullet pierced his shoulder.
“BILL!” Peter cried out, forcing his head up. Bill fell to the ground, but not before pulling something from his jacket. He threw that small metal chip at Peter’s chair. Pete knew what it was. The lights went off. Peter’s web shooters exploded.
The middle-aged hero lunged, his electrically-run restraints turned off and removed.
A few minutes earlier
Aaron Davis crashed through the door into the room where the hostages were held. Ganke, Rio, and Mayday all gasped at the sight.
“Aaron, what the…?”
The Green Goblin flipped up and ran around to Rio’s side, covering her mouth with his hand. He held a short goblin-themed blade to her throat. Spider-Man ran into the room and saw the hostage situation.
“Sorry, babe!” Aaron gave Rio a wet kiss on the cheek as Miles’ mother let out a muffled scream. “Not sorry!”
“AARON!” Miles shouted, “Put the blade down!”
“Sorry, kid, I ain’t letting up,” Aaron grinned wickedly, “The game’s on and I play to win…using any means necessary.”
“Just don’t do anything crazy, ‘kay?” Spider-Man begged, hands up, “Just don’t—“
Spider sense!
Aaron threw the blade at Miles. The webbed wonder ducked at the last second, grabbing hold of the blade with a string of webs. He flung the blade back at Aaron. The Goblin’s eyes went wide with shock as the weapon sunk into his shoulder.
“Agh!”
Miles used this as an opportunity to tackle Aaron away. He managed one solid punch before being kicked off by his uncle. The green-themed villain pulled the blade out of his shoulder with a shudder but couldn’t manage any more, as Miles webbed him in the chest and threw him back through the doors to the trophy room. There, he came into solid contact with the Prowler.
“Looks like the game’s not in your favor anymore, is it?”
…
Peter beat out against the darkness, using his slightly advanced vision to make out the form of Harry Osborn in the dark. Super punch was met by super punch. Fist against fist. Will against will.
Peter could make out the rushed sounds of Bill Connors trying to bandage his wound in the dark. Now wasn’t the time…not after everything Harry had done or could do!
“We were friends!” Peter hit Harry.
“You stole my father from me! TIME! AND! TIME! AGAIN!” Harry beat out every word with a punch.
“You’re not like him, Harry! Stop this now!”
“No…not now!” Harry pushed Peter away, “I’m too far gone. The plan…you don’t understand, Pete. This isn’t the end. This is just the beginning, and it starts with the death of you and your family!” Peter could barely see Harry pull something from his jacket pocket. He knew what it was—a detonation device!
“NO!” Peter tackled Harry. The switch got lost in the darkness. Harry reached out for it. Peter never gave him the chance to find it. He threw Harry through the only door he could make out and into the light.
…
Spider-Man made brief eye contact with Prowler after the older vigilante kicked the Green Goblin away and into a wall.
“How the hell did you get down here?” Spidey asked.
“Long story,” Prowler muttered, “Fight now, talk later.”
“No!” Spider-Man got in between Prowler and Goblin, who was now back on his feet, “You disarm the bomb. I’ll fight Goblin!”
“Bomb…?” Prowler muttered, before turning and seeing the large device in the adjacent room. He glanced at Miles, who was now grappling with the Goblin, before running into the hostage room.
Meanwhile, Green Goblin had gotten the advantage of Spider-Man, holding him against the ground and choking him out.
“This is it, Miles,” Aaron growled out through sick, sad, maniacal tears, “You get one last chance. Join me.”
“Nvr…” Miles coughed out.
“Damn it! Just listen to—“
Aaron got hit off Miles by a large form—that of Harry Osborn!
“I’m listening,” Miles joked, flipping up onto his feet and then massaging his throat. Peter walked through the broken doors he had just knocked Harry through.
“Bout time you got here,” Peter teased.
“Yeah, who drugged who here,” Miles retorted, “And at least I didn’t get caught.”
“Touché,” Peter said, turning to face the villains, who rose together.
“Together now,” Peter said to Miles. The teen nodded. Both pairs of partners charged at one another.
Peter punched Harry in the face and Miles kicked Aaron into the air. Both heroes webbed their opposing villains and threw them to each other.
“Heads up!” Miles shouted, roundhouse kicking Harry into the ground.
Peter two-handed hit Aaron into a wall, “Home run!”
Both villains rose back up quickly however. They were nowhere near done.
“We need to work together,” Harry spit out blood.
“Screw that,” Aaron charged Miles, laughing maniacally, “HAHAHAHA!”
Miles leaped over Aaron’s tackle, but got dragged down by his ankle in the process. Miles’ uncle threw him through a wall and into an entirely different room, an armory.
Meanwhile, Peter and Harry exchanged blow after blow. Each superhuman shook off al the pain aching through their bodies. With shouts and roars of pain, the two who were once closest of friends found themselves locked in mortal combat.
“Why, Harry?” Peter blocked a punch, “WHY?”
“Because you took everything from me, Peter! You took my father, my company, MJ, everyone and everything I loved!”
“We were friends!”
Harry paused, causing Peter to stop moving mid-punch.
“We were, weren’t we? You and me…we stood by each other as kids. Even after my dad shipped me off for years, even after I ignored you like nothing had ever happened, you still welcomed me back with open arms. Pete…”
Peter looked Harry in the eyes, “Yeah, bud. I loved you like a brother. I still do. Please, Harry, it isn’t too late.”
“I…you’re…” Harry reached out his hand to Peter’s. Peter took it, only to find himself thrown fiercely into a wall.
“You’re crazy! HA!” Harry hopped on top of Peter, “Go back to being friends with you? Like nothing ever happened? You would just take me in…?”
Pete gargled out a ‘yes’ through muffled gasps as Harry choked him out.
“You really are crazy, Pete. I never cared about you…” Harry teared up as the life began to leave Peter’s eyes. The old hero reached out for anything, silently begging for help.
“I hate you, Peter Parker,” tears fell down Harry’s cheek, “I hate you with all that I am.”
Peter’s webshooters were crushed. Harry was stronger than him. There was nothing he could do.
Luckily for Peter, Bill Connors chose this moment to make his appearance, dive-tackling Harry off of him!
Peter gasped for air as his co-worker was kicked into a wall and knocked unconscious by Harry Osborn.
“Saved again by your lackey, Pete?!” Harry roared, “You really have lost your touch.”
Peter stood up, tears in his eyes both from his near-death experience and the emotional abuse, and slugged Harry, “At least I never lost my way!”
Harry fell to the ground, dazed. Peter reversed their previous positions by falling over him, taking control.
“I’m sorry, Harry, but this has to end!” Peter beat Harry down with punch after punch.
“It’s—just—beginning.” Harry cryptically whispered before falling unconscious. Peter stopped. This was it. The death blow. Should he or…
“Dr. Parker!” Peter swiveled around to come face to face with Prowler, who supported both Rio Morales and Bill Connors, keeping them on their feet. The other hostages stood around the vigilante. Ganke appeared unusually alert; Mary Jane was calm as could be. Mayday mimicked her mother’s expression, but Peter could see the frightened look behind his daughter’s eyes.
“I got the hostages free, but the bomb’s still set to go off. I delayed the timer, but, well, it’s counting down.”
“Dad—you’re…” May began but was interrupted by her father.
“Get them out of here,” Peter ordered, “I’ll help M—Spider-Man.” Peter glanced at his daughter, seeing the odd look she was giving him and then corrected, “The other Spider-Man.”
“With all due respect, sir, you’re needed with these people more. Spider-Man can handle himself. They, on the other hand, are trapped down here with a bomb counting down. I can only carry so many people,” Prowler admitted.
Peter thought over the situation. There was only one solution that seemed viable, “Fine. Let me help out. May, MJ…”
“No, take Bill,” MJ stepped away from Peter and pointed to the injured scientist.
“Really, Mary, it’s fine,” Bill, having regained consciousness, said before grunting in pain, gripping his shoulder wound tightly.
“No, it’s not. Peter, take May and Bill. The other guy will get Ganke here and Rio. I’ll be fine,” MJ looked Pete in the eyes, “I will be fine.”
Peter knew there was no winning this one. He nodded. “Wife’s always right.”
He held out his hand to Bill and May.
“Let’s get going…”
Elsewhere, Not too long ago
Miles kicked Aaron off of him and through a wall into an empty room. The teen hero jumped around and dodged bomb and knife after bomb and knife.
“Whoa! Heads up! That’s a close one!” Miles joked as he dodged each attack.
“You ain’t funny, Miles! Ain’t funny at all!” Aaron roared.
“Tell that to my adoring fanbase,” Miles kicked Aaron in the face, knocking him to the ground.
“What? A fat Asian kid and some dorky CEO? Some fanbase,” Aaron flipped up, only to be kicked back down again.
“Stop getting up,” Miles demanded, stamping his foot on Aaron’s chest.
“Like hell,” Aaron grabbed Miles’ ankle and pulled him onto the ground. The webbed wonder flipped away before Aaron could get the advantage.
“You really gonna kill your dad?”
“You aren’t my father!” Miles shouted back.
“And Captain America doesn’t like the colors red, white, or blue,” Aaron retorted.
“God, I hate you…” Miles muttered.
“Believe me, the feeling’s mutual,” Aaron tried to tackle Miles but his nephew dodged him.
“Stop being a whiny crud head!” Miles said, “Get over your issues! You’re the bad guy here!”
“SHUT UP! HeheHAHAHA!” Aaron lunged out at random, but Miles dodged each attack. The teen hero had it down now. Everything flowed for him. Each tingle of spider sense alerted him to an attack well before it happened. Nothing Aaron could do could hit him. Meanwhile, Miles landed little blow after little blow against his uncle, wearing him down.
“You’re sick and evil…but still sick,” Miles stated punching his uncle into a wall, “I’m not gonna kill you. But you only get one last chance before I do get rough…give up.”
“Just shut up, will you? You and your self-righteous bull shit is driving me absolutely crazy!” Aaron finally managed a blow on Miles, breaking one of his lenses. The teen took the hit well, however, continuing to stand straight up.
“Fine.” Miles tightened his hands into fists, tears of anger leaking from his eyes. The webbed wonder dodged a punch from Aaron and leaped onto his back. He grabbed his uncle’s head and flipped him onto the ground. Before Aaron could move, Miles webbed him back onto his feet and kicked him into a wall. Again, as fast as he could, Miles webbed Aaron’s chest and threw him into a wall, then another, and a third. Finally, Miles ended it by pulling Aaron to him and punching him straight in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.
“Finish it,” Aaron heaved. Miles looked down at Aaron and shook his head. This was the moment where he truly stood up. No killing. That was the rule. Miles didn’t want to be Spider-Man.
Miles was Spider-Man.
“You’re done,” Miles stepped away.
“He’s not the only one!” Miles swiveled around to see Prowler.
“The bomb’s about to go off! We need to get out of here!” Prowler stepped towards Miles. “C’mon!”
“But Aaron…”
Prowler grabbed Miles by his collar and dragged him away, “Not now!”
“STOP!”
“MILES!”
The hero pushed Prowler away, “I won’t leave him!”
“He killed your father!”
“We do not act as judge, jury and executioner, Prowler!” Miles argued, “That isn’t our job! We save people!”
“No, that’s your job!” Prowler retorted, “My job is to keep you safe…by any means necessary.”
The vigilante hit Miles over the head with the barrel of his gun. It wasn’t enough to knock Miles out, but it hit the daylights out of him. He couldn’t tell up from down. All Miles remembered when he came to was the abrupt feeling of rapid movement and climbing, and the sick deathly laughter of his uncle echoing across the underground facility.
One Week Later
The rain pattered against the umbrellas of every attendant of Jefferson Davis’ funeral. Miles stood with his mother, holding her in his arms as she sobbed into his shoulder. It had been one week since that fateful struggle in Parker Tower. The bomb went off. Whole floors of ParkerCorp’s headquarters were lost. Dozens were injured. Both perpetrators of the bomb, Harry Osborn and Aaron Davis, were seemingly lost in the explosion under floors of rubble.
On the bright side, somehow Peter had managed to get away in the chaos with his identity intact…relatively speaking. He had a lot of explaining to do to Mayday.
It came time for a speech to be made over Jefferson’s coffin. The pastor in charge looked over at Rio. She shook her head, too distraught to speak. No one else moved. Someone needed to do something, say something.
Miles spoke up.
“I’ll—I’ll say something.”
All eyes were suddenly on Miles. Dozens of people in attendance and no one could speak, but all had it in them to stare at Miles as he walked up towards his father’s coffin.
Miles looked around. He met the gaze of the Lees, the Connors, even Tommy. Hell, Principal Bendis was in attendance. The bald man gave Miles a reassuring nod. Finally, Miles looked towards the Parkers. Mary Jane smiled at him. Mayday couldn’t meet his gaze. And Peter…oh Peter.
Peter’s eyes were those of someone who’d seen this too many times, who’d done what Miles was about to do more times than he cared to count. They were red; his expression was grim. Peter didn’t do anything but look Miles in the eye. His look said more than a thousand words.
“Jefferson Davis wasn’t a perfect man or a perfect father. He held grudges like no other,” some people chuckled; Hobie stared at the ground shamefully.
“But no one can resent my father for all his faults because—like each and everyone of us in attendance today—he was human. Humans aren’t perfect. They make mistakes. They struggle. They fall, but in the end, if they’re anything like my dad, they rise up again. He…my father, he was a big supporter of humanity. He wasn’t a religious man, nor incredibly scientific, but he believed that man was born one way and that was the way he should always be. I think he was right in a lot of ways, and wrong in so many more.” Miles could tell people began to get uncomfortable.
“We are born weak, fragile, and most importantly good. But no one stays the same. Everything changes. That’s one thing everyone can expect, that one constant—change. The weak become strong. The good become bad…” Miles’ hands turned into fists, “But sometimes, if we’re lucky enough, we come out of this change better than when we started. Sometimes the good become better. Sometimes if we’ve got someone or something keeping us going, change…change can improve us. My father, despite all his faults, was that someone.”
“My dad, he loved me despite all my faults, and lord knows I’ve got plenty…he supported me, and he supported my mother. Till the day he died, if my dad was good for one thing, it was staying by our side even when he hated that side the most. I know he died disappointed in me…I failed him in ways none of you can imagine, but I’d like to think he died loving me despite it all. I truly think he did. My dad, Jefferson Davis, was a good man and because of him…” Miles choked up, tears falling down his cheeks, “Because of him, I think my mom, me, and all of you here…we’ll come out of this better, stronger. Change isn’t always bad; sometimes it hurts like hell, but—but it isn’t always bad. My dad…his death…I…”
Miles wiped away his tears and gulped down the sobs.
“We are who we are because of others. Today, I can proudly say that everyone here is a better person for having known my dad, and—and having suffered through this. Thank you.”
Miles was pulled aside by his mother immediately upon finishing. Rio hugged him and kissed him as the two cried into each other’s shoulders. This was it. That change…everything Miles had said, now he had to follow through. He had to be a better man. He had to be a better Spider-Man.
Miles’ phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled away from his mother to look at it. Wiping away the tears, he glanced down at the screen. It was from Peter.
NEGATIVE. HE LIED.
“Oh my God!” Miles pulled his mother back into an embrace.
“What is it?” Rio wondered.
“Nothing…just…Jefferson’s my dad,” Miles whispered.
“Of course he was!” Rio said.
“I know, I’m just…so blessed,” Miles smiled.
And he was. His dad had been a jerk at times, but he’d done more for Miles than he’d ever realized. Because of his dad, Miles would be a better Spider-Man.
This wasn’t the end. This was just the beginning.
Definitely not the end…
EPILOGUE 1
The last gangster fell to the ground in front of Prowler, bullet holes riddled over his chest. The gang war was getting worse. Scorpion’s men were taking control slowly but surely. This could only spell doom for New York.
“You know I can hear you…” Prowler swiveled around and aimed down his sights at—Peter Parker?!
“Down, boy,” Peter teased. Prowler relaxed his trigger finger and let down the gun.
“I hope you’re not here to convince me to stop killing.”
“Oh no. I gave up on you from the start,” Peter began, “Truth is, I’m here to tell you to get out.”
“What?”
“Get out of New York. It’s pretty self explanatory,” Peter explained.
“Hell no! Miles needs me—“
“Gone! You are nothing but a bad influence! I don’t care what Bill thinks of you, Prowler. If you don’t leave now, I swear to God, I will call up Nick Fury and tell him all about you. I’m sure he’d love to catch the Moscow jewel thief,” Prowler flinched, “Prime Minister Arudani’s assassin…a member of HYDRA.”
“Ex-member of HYDRA,” Prowler retorted.
“Like that really matters. With your rap sheet, your sentence is secured,” Peter said, “Get out or get dead.”
“Are you really blackmailing me? Mr. Black and White Spider-hero??” Prowler roared.
Peter crossed his arms, “I will do anything if it means keeping Miles safe and…”
“Good?” Prowler retorted, “He’s fine as it is.”
“Prowler…”
“Fine,” the vigilante turned away, “I’ll be gone tonight. Just don’t ever—and I mean EVER—expect any help from me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
EPILOGUE 2
Stitches held a man’s skin together as deep wounds healed over. The man sat in front of a large screen, a silhouetted figure present on the screen.
“We failed…I’m sorry…” shadows turned to light and Harry Osborn revealed his horribly cut face. All his hair had been shaved clean off.
“I shouldn’t be surprised.” Harry recoiled at the harsh words. “Where is the thief?”
“I lost Aaron Davis in the explosion. I believe he is dead,” Harry explained.
“I never trusted him. Too weak…too inferior…”
Silence held control of the room for a few brief moments before Harry spoke up again.
“What will you have me do now?”
“Nothing. I have other plans that must be engaged first…” the man on the screen growled back in a gravelly voice.
”When the time comes, the Sinister Six will rise again! And Peter Parker and his little Spider-boy will never see us coming!
That’s it! Join me next month for the SPIDER-MAN one shot: #16.1- Green Goblin, featuring Aaron’s origin!