Post by Drake on Dec 8, 2013 10:59:50 GMT -5
A/N: So after seeing how the header looked last issue, I’ve decided I’ll stick with that. The centering makes it stand out, and without any bolding or coloring it doesn’t distract you or detract from the feel of the story.
Spider-Man swung a thousand or so feet above the ordinary New Yorkers below, speeding through the city with one goal in mind: information. More particularly, information pertaining to the murder of his father, and he knew where he would find it. Scarlet Spider wouldn’t escape him. Not till he had the info he needed or till Spider had been proved his innocence.
“Miles,” Peter’s use of his real name highlighted how upset he was, “Please, don’t make a mess of this. The cops are already after you and…well, I had a solid relationship with the Fantastic Four during my tenure as Spider-Man. I’d like for you to have the same.”
“Chill, Doc,” Miles used the nickname he knew Peter oh-so-hated, “I would never want to ruin your—or Spider-Man’s, should I say?—sterling rep with the F4. I fought with Johnny after all. He’s a friend. Sorta.”
“Just be careful,” Peter begged.
“’Course. Rational ol’ me’ll do the right thing, no questions asked,” Miles landed atop a windowpane outside the penthouse of the Baxter Building with a thump, drawing the attention of the heroes eating lunch casually inside. The heroes exchanged a few words. It didn’t take long for Johnny to get up and walk over to the window.
Spider-Man moved out of the way as the window slid open. That was one of the neat little tricks in the Baxter Building. Every window was engineered to open with a H.E.R.B.I.E.’s order.
“Um…pleasure to see you, Spider-Man. How can I help you?” Johnny asked.
Miles silently pointed inside towards Scarlet Spider, who slouched in his chair eating cereal, masked raised slightly to expose his mouth, while watching the whole thing. He couldn’t have been much older than Miles. Weird. Miles had pictured a big, muscular…well, bad ass.
“You wan’ me…?” Scarlet spouted through a mouthful of cereal.
“Naw, the robo-butler in the corner. Yes, I want you!” Spidey said, lenses contracting with anger.
“Kay, kay! ‘Coming!” Scarlet Spider set his cereal down and walked over to the windowsill. “Listen, if this is about the costume…”
Before Scarlet Spider could say another word, Spider-Man grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him across the street to a building that was at least a dozen stories shorter than the Baxter Building. Luckily, Scarlet reacted quickly, landing effortlessly on his feet.
“What the %^&* was that for?!” Scarlet cried, arms raised in anger. Spider-Man jumped down after him, landing in his famous three-pronged position.
“Who the hell are you?” Spider-Man growled.
“Miles…” Peter warned through the com link.
“Just your friendly neighborhood Scarlet Spider, dickhead,” Scarlet retorted.
Spider-Man glanced over his black and white costume, before quipping, “You don’t look very ‘scarlet.’”
Scarlet Spider suddenly became very self-conscious, looking down at his costume. Then, he glared up at Johnny, who just gazed down at the two Spiders, trying to figure out what was going on. “Told you I needed the red! I told you!”
“Enough,” Spider-Man grimaced, “I asked: who are you?”
“I told you, kid, chill out. I’m Scarlet Spider,” Scarlet argued, his attention back firmly on the arachnid problem at hand.
Spider-Man sighed, his lenses contracting again, “I know that. I mean your real name.”
“Uh, secret identity, doofus,” Scarlet stated, “Duh.”
Spidey grew impatient. He couldn’t take this anymore. He needed answers and he needed them now! Spider-Man sprung up and pounced on Scarlet Spider, slamming the older hero into the ground.
“Answer me!” Spider-Man growled.
“What the hell is up with you, dude? I thought you were a hero!” Scarlet kicked Spidey off his chest. The webbed wonder landed gracefully on his feet.
“I could say the same,” Spider-Man jumped immediately back into action, running forward and throwing a punch at Scarlet Spider, who ducked under the punch, matrix-style. Spidey’s spider sense went off. He jumped over an attempted kick, before Scarlet tried to knock his legs out from under him.
“Enough!”
Both Spiders were forced to stop at each other’s throat. Johnny Storm floated above them, fully ‘flamed on.’ He was followed shortly by Valeria and Franklin Richards, who floated atop a silver disk. Johnny stepped in between the brawling arachnids, now powered down.
“What is this about?” Johnny demanded, facing Spider-Man.
“Scarlet Spider,” Spidey spit out the word ‘scarlet,’ “is not who you think he is.”
“What does that mean?” Scarlet exclaimed. Johnny held his hand out, silencing him.
“I assure you, Scarlet Spider is who he says he is. We don’t just let anyone into the Fantastic Four. So, unless you have proof that he’s a shape-changing alien or a demon from hell, I recommend you recant your accusation,” Johnny said.
Spider-Man wouldn’t have it. He couldn’t just be…nobody. Another hero. He’d seen…somebody swinging like one of them, one of the Spider-Men. There was only one other in town that Spidey didn’t know, and that was Scarlet Spider. He had to be involved in the bombing!
“But…” Spidey shouted over Johnny’s shoulder, “Where were you a few days ago during the ParkerCorp explosion?”
“Oh my God…” Franklin pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing himself to relax.
“Listen, Spider-Man…” Johnny began, but Spider-Man interrupted him.
“No, I want to hear it from him,” Spider-Man demanded, pointing to Scarlet Spider.
Scarlet frowned, causing the edge of his mask to lower, “You want to know where I was? In California, stopping a robot from destroying San Francisco. And no, that is not a joke.”
“No, you can’t have…” Spider-Man struggled.
“Miles, you heard them,” Peter said.
“What’s up with you, anyway?” Scarlet demanded, “I mean, coming here saying I’m some sort of…criminal, I guess? You weren’t specific. Anyway, you’re the one who’s wanted for questioning, not me.”
“I…” It was true. Miles had heard about it, and he’d guessed it, but now to hear those words coming out of Scarlet’s mouth. He was wanted for the bombing. BY THE POLICE. And it was all Scarlet Spider’s fault! He had to be mind controlling the Fantastic Four. He had to have done something because…someone had killed his father and it had to be Scarlet Spider!
“ARGH!” Spider-Man pushed past Johnny, attempting to tackle Scarlet Spider to the ground, but the not-so-scarlet hero leaped over him. However, while Scarlet was in mid-air, Spidey grabbed him by the ankle and slammed him down to the ground. Tears leaking down under his mask, Spider-Man pulled off the mask covering Scarlet’s face to expose the angry, fearful face of a young man not much older than Miles.
“No…no, no, no…” Spider-Man stood up from Scarlet Spider, who just glared at him as he did so, “This can’t be right. You really are just a kid.”
“Miles, please…” Peter began.
“No!” Spider-Man shouted, tripping and falling to the ground. None of the heroes around him knew what to do.
“I thought I’d had him! Damn it!” Spider-Man cried, slamming his fists into the ground.
“Do you…need help?” Valeria approached Spider-Man, holding out her hand.
Spidey hit it away, “Stay away from me!” Valeria recoiled from the strike. Scarlet stood up, cracking his knuckles, but Franklin held him back.
Spider-Man paused to look at Valeria, who held her hand. What had he just done? My God, he was losing it! He…he needed to get in control.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Spider-Man apologized, standing up and backing up towards the ledge, “I swear…I just…I’m sorry.” And without another word, he swung off.
“Miles, it’s alright. You’re alright,” Peter tried to assure the boy, but he wouldn’t accept. it Something was wrong. He was wrong.
“I’m losing it, Peter. My God…how did you do it? All these years, losing all those people,” Spidey landed atop a building and just sat down. However, luck wasn’t leaning his way. A helicopter hovered towards him.
“Spider-Man, you are a wanted fugitive. We saw what you did at the Baxter Building. Come with us now or we will use lethal force.” A voice spoke through a speaker.
“AGH!” Spider-Man yelled in anger, “Never get a god damn break!”
He swung off; the helicopter followed after him.
“Miles, just keep going. Circle around if you have to. You’re faster than them,” Peter said. Miles didn’t respond, still swinging away from the copter. He was losing it slowly. Too slowly.
“Pete, I…I think I’m going to…”
“No,” Peter interrupted, “Don’t do anything stupid, Miles. Just get to safety. I’ll meet you wherever you…” a faint voice came over the sound system, so quietly Miles couldn’t hear it.
“Damn it! Miles, I have to go. Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone. I’ll be right back,” Peter promised.
“What the hell could be so important that…”
However, Peter expected this response. He said one last thing before breaking off the com link.
“I have a meeting with Harry Osborn.”
…
Peter sat at his new desk in his new office on the fourth floor of ParkerCorp’s headquarters. A certain tall, redheaded man sat in front of him. The laughs and smiles that had greeted him at their reunion were gone. Now, all that was left was plain, potent resentment.
“I think you can tell by my demeanor that I’m done with pleasantries, Pete,” Harry unnaturally calmly said.
“Of course,” Peter admitted.
“I figured after you so quickly shut me out the first time that my…kindness was not fooling you,” Harry continued.
“What the hell do you want, Harry? My life?” Peter demanded, keeping his steely demeanor to match Harry’s.
Harry laughed, “Oh, Pete, still the funny one. I don’t want anything so small and insignificant as your life. I want my company back. I want my father’s company back. And, most of all, I want your legacy to be completely and utterly destroyed.”
“So you bombed the building?” Peter still followed his own plan of discussion, getting to the thing eating him up.
Harry laughed again, standing from his chair. He tucked his chair neatly in front of Peter’s desk, before saying, “The war has begun, Pete. Are you ready for it?”
Harry began to walk back out towards the door, but before he left, he left one last thing with Peter.
”Is the boy ready for it?”
With that final word, Harry opened the door and left Peter’s life…for now. This was not good. Harry had openly, explicitly threatened Miles, and more than likely that wasn’t the only person he intended with his threats. Everyone Peter cared about was in danger again. He’d left this life for a reason. Now, Mayday would be in trouble. And then…there was that final problem, that last word Harry had left him with…
Was Miles ready for war?
All Star Spider-Man #9
Darkest Nights Part 4: The War Begins
By Drake
Darkest Nights Part 4: The War Begins
By Drake
Spider-Man swung a thousand or so feet above the ordinary New Yorkers below, speeding through the city with one goal in mind: information. More particularly, information pertaining to the murder of his father, and he knew where he would find it. Scarlet Spider wouldn’t escape him. Not till he had the info he needed or till Spider had been proved his innocence.
“Miles,” Peter’s use of his real name highlighted how upset he was, “Please, don’t make a mess of this. The cops are already after you and…well, I had a solid relationship with the Fantastic Four during my tenure as Spider-Man. I’d like for you to have the same.”
“Chill, Doc,” Miles used the nickname he knew Peter oh-so-hated, “I would never want to ruin your—or Spider-Man’s, should I say?—sterling rep with the F4. I fought with Johnny after all. He’s a friend. Sorta.”
“Just be careful,” Peter begged.
“’Course. Rational ol’ me’ll do the right thing, no questions asked,” Miles landed atop a windowpane outside the penthouse of the Baxter Building with a thump, drawing the attention of the heroes eating lunch casually inside. The heroes exchanged a few words. It didn’t take long for Johnny to get up and walk over to the window.
Spider-Man moved out of the way as the window slid open. That was one of the neat little tricks in the Baxter Building. Every window was engineered to open with a H.E.R.B.I.E.’s order.
“Um…pleasure to see you, Spider-Man. How can I help you?” Johnny asked.
Miles silently pointed inside towards Scarlet Spider, who slouched in his chair eating cereal, masked raised slightly to expose his mouth, while watching the whole thing. He couldn’t have been much older than Miles. Weird. Miles had pictured a big, muscular…well, bad ass.
“You wan’ me…?” Scarlet spouted through a mouthful of cereal.
“Naw, the robo-butler in the corner. Yes, I want you!” Spidey said, lenses contracting with anger.
“Kay, kay! ‘Coming!” Scarlet Spider set his cereal down and walked over to the windowsill. “Listen, if this is about the costume…”
Before Scarlet Spider could say another word, Spider-Man grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him across the street to a building that was at least a dozen stories shorter than the Baxter Building. Luckily, Scarlet reacted quickly, landing effortlessly on his feet.
“What the %^&* was that for?!” Scarlet cried, arms raised in anger. Spider-Man jumped down after him, landing in his famous three-pronged position.
“Who the hell are you?” Spider-Man growled.
“Miles…” Peter warned through the com link.
“Just your friendly neighborhood Scarlet Spider, dickhead,” Scarlet retorted.
Spider-Man glanced over his black and white costume, before quipping, “You don’t look very ‘scarlet.’”
Scarlet Spider suddenly became very self-conscious, looking down at his costume. Then, he glared up at Johnny, who just gazed down at the two Spiders, trying to figure out what was going on. “Told you I needed the red! I told you!”
“Enough,” Spider-Man grimaced, “I asked: who are you?”
“I told you, kid, chill out. I’m Scarlet Spider,” Scarlet argued, his attention back firmly on the arachnid problem at hand.
Spider-Man sighed, his lenses contracting again, “I know that. I mean your real name.”
“Uh, secret identity, doofus,” Scarlet stated, “Duh.”
Spidey grew impatient. He couldn’t take this anymore. He needed answers and he needed them now! Spider-Man sprung up and pounced on Scarlet Spider, slamming the older hero into the ground.
“Answer me!” Spider-Man growled.
“What the hell is up with you, dude? I thought you were a hero!” Scarlet kicked Spidey off his chest. The webbed wonder landed gracefully on his feet.
“I could say the same,” Spider-Man jumped immediately back into action, running forward and throwing a punch at Scarlet Spider, who ducked under the punch, matrix-style. Spidey’s spider sense went off. He jumped over an attempted kick, before Scarlet tried to knock his legs out from under him.
“Enough!”
Both Spiders were forced to stop at each other’s throat. Johnny Storm floated above them, fully ‘flamed on.’ He was followed shortly by Valeria and Franklin Richards, who floated atop a silver disk. Johnny stepped in between the brawling arachnids, now powered down.
“What is this about?” Johnny demanded, facing Spider-Man.
“Scarlet Spider,” Spidey spit out the word ‘scarlet,’ “is not who you think he is.”
“What does that mean?” Scarlet exclaimed. Johnny held his hand out, silencing him.
“I assure you, Scarlet Spider is who he says he is. We don’t just let anyone into the Fantastic Four. So, unless you have proof that he’s a shape-changing alien or a demon from hell, I recommend you recant your accusation,” Johnny said.
Spider-Man wouldn’t have it. He couldn’t just be…nobody. Another hero. He’d seen…somebody swinging like one of them, one of the Spider-Men. There was only one other in town that Spidey didn’t know, and that was Scarlet Spider. He had to be involved in the bombing!
“But…” Spidey shouted over Johnny’s shoulder, “Where were you a few days ago during the ParkerCorp explosion?”
“Oh my God…” Franklin pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing himself to relax.
“Listen, Spider-Man…” Johnny began, but Spider-Man interrupted him.
“No, I want to hear it from him,” Spider-Man demanded, pointing to Scarlet Spider.
Scarlet frowned, causing the edge of his mask to lower, “You want to know where I was? In California, stopping a robot from destroying San Francisco. And no, that is not a joke.”
“No, you can’t have…” Spider-Man struggled.
“Miles, you heard them,” Peter said.
“What’s up with you, anyway?” Scarlet demanded, “I mean, coming here saying I’m some sort of…criminal, I guess? You weren’t specific. Anyway, you’re the one who’s wanted for questioning, not me.”
“I…” It was true. Miles had heard about it, and he’d guessed it, but now to hear those words coming out of Scarlet’s mouth. He was wanted for the bombing. BY THE POLICE. And it was all Scarlet Spider’s fault! He had to be mind controlling the Fantastic Four. He had to have done something because…someone had killed his father and it had to be Scarlet Spider!
“ARGH!” Spider-Man pushed past Johnny, attempting to tackle Scarlet Spider to the ground, but the not-so-scarlet hero leaped over him. However, while Scarlet was in mid-air, Spidey grabbed him by the ankle and slammed him down to the ground. Tears leaking down under his mask, Spider-Man pulled off the mask covering Scarlet’s face to expose the angry, fearful face of a young man not much older than Miles.
“No…no, no, no…” Spider-Man stood up from Scarlet Spider, who just glared at him as he did so, “This can’t be right. You really are just a kid.”
“Miles, please…” Peter began.
“No!” Spider-Man shouted, tripping and falling to the ground. None of the heroes around him knew what to do.
“I thought I’d had him! Damn it!” Spider-Man cried, slamming his fists into the ground.
“Do you…need help?” Valeria approached Spider-Man, holding out her hand.
Spidey hit it away, “Stay away from me!” Valeria recoiled from the strike. Scarlet stood up, cracking his knuckles, but Franklin held him back.
Spider-Man paused to look at Valeria, who held her hand. What had he just done? My God, he was losing it! He…he needed to get in control.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Spider-Man apologized, standing up and backing up towards the ledge, “I swear…I just…I’m sorry.” And without another word, he swung off.
“Miles, it’s alright. You’re alright,” Peter tried to assure the boy, but he wouldn’t accept. it Something was wrong. He was wrong.
“I’m losing it, Peter. My God…how did you do it? All these years, losing all those people,” Spidey landed atop a building and just sat down. However, luck wasn’t leaning his way. A helicopter hovered towards him.
“Spider-Man, you are a wanted fugitive. We saw what you did at the Baxter Building. Come with us now or we will use lethal force.” A voice spoke through a speaker.
“AGH!” Spider-Man yelled in anger, “Never get a god damn break!”
He swung off; the helicopter followed after him.
“Miles, just keep going. Circle around if you have to. You’re faster than them,” Peter said. Miles didn’t respond, still swinging away from the copter. He was losing it slowly. Too slowly.
“Pete, I…I think I’m going to…”
“No,” Peter interrupted, “Don’t do anything stupid, Miles. Just get to safety. I’ll meet you wherever you…” a faint voice came over the sound system, so quietly Miles couldn’t hear it.
“Damn it! Miles, I have to go. Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone. I’ll be right back,” Peter promised.
“What the hell could be so important that…”
However, Peter expected this response. He said one last thing before breaking off the com link.
“I have a meeting with Harry Osborn.”
…
Peter sat at his new desk in his new office on the fourth floor of ParkerCorp’s headquarters. A certain tall, redheaded man sat in front of him. The laughs and smiles that had greeted him at their reunion were gone. Now, all that was left was plain, potent resentment.
“I think you can tell by my demeanor that I’m done with pleasantries, Pete,” Harry unnaturally calmly said.
“Of course,” Peter admitted.
“I figured after you so quickly shut me out the first time that my…kindness was not fooling you,” Harry continued.
“What the hell do you want, Harry? My life?” Peter demanded, keeping his steely demeanor to match Harry’s.
Harry laughed, “Oh, Pete, still the funny one. I don’t want anything so small and insignificant as your life. I want my company back. I want my father’s company back. And, most of all, I want your legacy to be completely and utterly destroyed.”
“So you bombed the building?” Peter still followed his own plan of discussion, getting to the thing eating him up.
Harry laughed again, standing from his chair. He tucked his chair neatly in front of Peter’s desk, before saying, “The war has begun, Pete. Are you ready for it?”
Harry began to walk back out towards the door, but before he left, he left one last thing with Peter.
”Is the boy ready for it?”
With that final word, Harry opened the door and left Peter’s life…for now. This was not good. Harry had openly, explicitly threatened Miles, and more than likely that wasn’t the only person he intended with his threats. Everyone Peter cared about was in danger again. He’d left this life for a reason. Now, Mayday would be in trouble. And then…there was that final problem, that last word Harry had left him with…
Was Miles ready for war?