The "Ultimate Marvel" RPG Season V IC Thread

[UltimateRPGs]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v313/Spider-Man9x17/UltimateLogo.jpg

The "Ultimate Marvel" RPG
Game Founder: Spider-Man9X17
GameMaster: Venom160
Deputy Mod: Feature
Deputy Mod: Matt Murdock
Seker is watching.....
This game is similar to the Marvel RPG, only based off of Ultimate continuity.
RULES:
-Players can choose any hero in the Ultimate Marvel Universe. Players who have proved themselves as good RPer's will also have the option to Ultimize a character, and/or take up a second character. No God-Like characters.
-Everyone exists in the Ultimate Marvel Timeline. No 616 or other alternate items may be used.
-No Killing. Unnamed faceless NPC's may be killed, but not comic characters. Someone else may want to take up the character, or they may be important to another story.
-You can go anywhere on Earth, or travel off planet, but do so within your characters means.
-You are your character, so act like it. Talk like them, use there dialouge. Do not exaggerate your powers, or pop-up here and there without explination.
-Several stories can be going at once, and you have the freedom to interact with other characters.
-No Time Travel.
-You must post at least once every two weeks, though it is preferred that you post more. If you go two weeks without a post without prior notice, your character is up for grabs.
-You must have at least 50 posts on the Hype boards to be eligible to play
-And of course, all regular rules of the Hype apply.
-Have fun.

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ULTIMATE MARVEL RPG SIGN-UP FORM
Screen Name:
Character you would like to play:
Powers and a brief description of the character in proper English:
Three reasons why you have chosen that character:
1.
2.
3.
What can you bring to this game?

How many times do you intend on posting a DAY IN the RPG:
Do you know how to post pictures on the hype boards:
Provide a small sample post for your character, about 4 paragraphs with at least one line of dialouge:




OFFICIAL SEASON 5 ROSTER

HEROES
Spider-Man
Master Bruce
Scarlet Spider
Matt Murdock
Tarantula
Venom160
Hulkling
Blacklight
Geldoff
Mr. Marko
Darkhawk
guitarsingerguy
Wonderman
Matt Murdock
Heimdall
SenseiofCheese

THE ULTIMATES

Captain America
Master Bruce
Thor
NowufaceDoom
Giant Man
Jono Starsmore
Iron Man
Matt Murdock

X-MEN

Angel
Venom160
Shadowcat
Blacklight
Wolverine
Mr.Marko
Colossus
Feature
Charles Xavier
Feature

FANTASTIC FOUR

Mr. Fantastic
Catman prb
Invisible Woman
NowufaceDoom
The Thing
SenseiofCheese
Human Torch
Eddie Brock Jr.

THUNDERBOLTS

Forge
Mr.Marko
Sandman
Feature
Ghost Rider
Byrd Man

VILLAINS

Kaine
Syn (Mercenary)
Cable
Syn (Mercenary)
Blackheart
Syn (Mercenary)
Sinister
NowufaceDoom




^ This roster won't be updated. Check the the OOC thread for the updated version.



Bios and References
http://www.ultimatemarveluniverse.com/
http://www.marveldirectory.com/ultimatebios.htm
http://www.mutanthigh.com/alternate...index.html#bios

[Eddie Brock]

"Welcome back to The Tonight Show! We have a great program tonight. A little later on, we'll talk to Paula Abdul of American Idol fame, but first -- y'know, I'm very excited to introduce my next guest. Are you ready for this, Kevin?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, Jay."

"Ladies and gentlemen, Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four!"

I walk out onto the stage where I am met with an uproar of applause and cheering. I fix my new Armani suit while flashing my pearly whites to the assembled audience. I naturally check their faces to find the most attractive audience members. It helps me concentrate if I can focus on them while being interviewed. Some people consider that shallow. I consider it simply good taste.

I walk over to Jay Leno's desk and shake his hand. God, his chin really is huge when you see it in person. Pushing that thought aside, I take a seat on the couch that I've seen so many times on television. I can't believe it took this long for me to get on this show.

"Johnny, look at you! You've got the suit, the smile...you're on fire!"

The crowd laughs softly at the pun.

"Okay, okay, seriously, you look good," Jay announces sincerely.

"I feel good," I explain. "No, you know what? I feel great."

"With good reason!" Jay admits. "You're famous, you're heroic, you're young..."

Jay leans over the desk and pretends to whisper.

"And word on the street is that you're seeing one of the X-Men."

I laugh. "I guess you can say that I don't have much to complain about," I respond happily.

"Seriously though, is Johnny Storm settling down? I'm sure our female audience would like to know."

At this, the women laugh nervously and make "woo" noises. I smile broadly.

"I wouldn't say that I'm 'settling down,' Jay. After all, I'm still young," I remind him with a wink. I lean back on the couch and throw my arm over the back. "But sometimes you have to focus your energy on one girl."

"But you're Johnny Storm! You could get any and every girl within 15 miles of New York! Am I right, Kevin?"

"More than that, Jay," Kevin Eubanks replies enthusiastically.

"Why settle for just one?"

I shrug. It's a hard question to answer, actually. Truthfully, I don't see much of my relationship with Kitty. I'm not the commitment "type," so - for me - this is nothing more than a close friendship.

"What can I say? I'm maturing," I answer jokingly.

Jay laughs. "Not too quickly, I hope," he adds.

Jay then sits up straight and adjusts his tie. "Now, I want to get serious here for a minute. Since you're part of the self-proclaimed 'world famous' Fantastic Four, you see things that most of us couldn't imagine," Jay begins. "Since you're located in New York City, I want to know how you felt about that tragedy a month ago."

I clear my throat. "It was terrible, Jay. I'm not going to sugarcoat it," I explain. What else is there to say? Five thousand, one hundred and ninety-two people died instantly. There are no statistics more frightening than that. "The Fantastic Four is doing everything in our power to provide assistance where needed, and we're hard at work trying to figure out what's going on. But first, as you know, our beloved home - The Baxter Building - was destroyed in the initial incident. Luckily, none of us were harmed."

Jay nods silently.

"Keep your eyes open, Jay. I have a feeling that this storm hasn't passed yet," I admit ominously. If only they knew the truth...

"Well, we're going to take a short break, and we'll be right back with Johnny Storm on The Tonight Show!"

[Byrd Man]

Hollywood, California

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"Do you think this letter on my head stands for 'France'?"

Silence fills the small room, then the three people sitting at the table across the room for me jot down notes.

"Okay, Mister...Blaze...nice stage name, by the way."

I clear my throat and get rid of the All-American sound of Captain America's voice.

"Thanks. But that's my real name."

I pull the Captain America mask I brought with me and start to look over the Ultimates movie script the producers gave me for the audition.

"Well, from your resume, you don't seem to have much acting experience."

"I was in the Spider-Man movie."

"For five seconds as a motorcycle punk Spider-Man kicks off his bike."

"Yes, and I also did some stunt work for McGuire. Who do you think made that jump between buildings when he was running from Doc Ock? You think Tobey did that? Hell no!"

"Well...Mister Blaze...don't call us...we'll call you."

I toss my Cap mask on the floor and turn on my heels as I leave the audition.

**************

"Well?"

Felicia's on my bike, waiting for me as I walk across the parking lot. She's got on a tight shirt complete with cut off shorts and a pair of black flip flops. That's the best thing about Cali, skimpy clothes all year round.

"I don't want to talk about it."

She kisses me on the cheek and wraps her arms around me as I slide on to the bike.

"That bad, huh?"

"Yeah. They pretty much told me to go **** myself."

"It'll me okay, babe."

"I mean, I was born to play Cap. Look at me!"

"I know, you're All-American..except the old thing about being from a broken home and selling your soul to the devil."

"Oh ha ha...I'm not in the joking mood."

"How about we hit the beach? You can watch me parade around in a bikini and take joy in the fact that, while everyone there drools over me, you're the only one I share a bed with."

"Now that you mention it...that might help a little."


I kick start my bike to life and Felicia holds on tight as I roar out of the parking lot and down the road.

[Matt Murdock]

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Ultimate Iron Man

Tony Stark flew through the air, spinning and narrowly avoiding the windows and girders that lined his city. Beneath the Iron Man mask, his breathing was labored, but steady. This part of the city always made him uptight. He hated approaching the site where Project: Nexus had been deployed, as he rolled through the air, he could almost feel the death around him.

He landed on the roof of Stark Tower, having finished his patrol. He tapped a few buttons on his wrist and felt his mask slide back.

"Uh... Tony... Come in." The voice of Jim Rhodes rang loud and clear in Anthony's ear piece.

"Go ahead, Rhodes."

Stark was sipping from a straw connected to one of his air-intake valves. A constant stream of alcohol kept the intrepid billionaire brash and pain-free.

"There's a situation in midtown..."

His friend's voice was timid, much like that of a child who's bracing a parent for a bad grade.

Stark heaved a sigh and tapped the buttons on his suit once more.

"I'm on my way."

The helmet locked in place around Stark's devilish face. The HUD illuminated on the back of his faceplate, registering communications with Iron Man HQ in the sublevels of Stark Tower.

"This is Iron Man." He muttered. "Rhodes is having some trouble in midtown, we're going to have to delay that routine service."

His assistant, on the end of the line made a brief acknowledgment of his remarks.

Grinning to himself, Iron Man hurled himself off of the building.

"Full power to the jets on my mark."

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The angle of his descent was such that he would collide with a full office building within seconds if he didn't take action.

"Mark."

The boots ignited with a roar, launching Iron Man into the air, narrowly avoiding a crowded office.

BWOOSH!

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His trip was a short one, to the center of town, but it gave him plenty of time to think about the life he'd been leading. Recently, he'd grown far more introspective. He didn't know how much the public knew about Nexus, if anything at all, and he didn't want to say something he shouldn't.

Then again, that hadn't deterred him from making an appointment to appear on Larry King Live this evening.

"Thanks for showing up to the party."

Rhode's robotic voice shook Stark out of his daze, and the two were glaring at each other in mid-air.

"It's nice to see that my War Machine armor is being put to good use." Iron Man jested.

The War Machine armor was outfitted to directly connect to the robotic components that Tony Stark would give to paramilitary soldiers. Essentially, it was a black and silver version of his prototype armor, with enhanced weaponry and stronger armor.

Finding it too cumbersome and slow, Stark left the prototype chip as an unmarked envelope in his storage warehouse which Rhodes, of course, thought was a bomb of some sort.

"LOOK OUT!" War Machine said as he snapped into action. He launched himself forwards, firing a beam of energy at their opponent.

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"Who are we fighting, anyway?" Iron Man asked, exasperated.




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CRASH!

"I'm gonna tear you boys apart!" The Rhino roared, demolishing part of a city block.

"This guy again?" Stark asked, exasperated.

"Again? AGAIN?! You've fought this thing before?"

Tony smirked from behind his helmet. Rhodes obviously hadn't been at this for very long, and it showed.

Narrowly dodging a car that had been hurled into the air, Stark barrel rolled towards the ground.

"The great thing about this armor we're wearing, Jimmy..."

Stark swooped under the gargantuan legs of the Rhino.

"...Is that most problems..."

BWOOSH!

Stark was above Rhino now, confusing the large, but dumb, behemoth.

"...Can be solved by taking them head on!"

"Eh?" Rhino's head shot up, his red eyes meeting Iron Man's white and blue ones. "Get down here!" He roared.

"Well, if you insist." Stark said.

VROO!

The jets in Iron Man's boots ignited and thrust him straight into Rhino, who was unable to withstand a straight shot. Within seconds, Iron Man had a firm grasp on one of the back plates that held many of Rhino's robotic components in place. With a simple tug, they were exposed.

BZZT-CLIK!

The machine gun mounted on Iron Man's forearm deployed and locked onto the wires and chips inside Rhino's back.

RATATATATATATATATA.

Bullets ripped through the processors and cables with ease, and the Rhino's robotic eyes slowly went dim.

"What now?" Rhodes asked, embarrassed.

"Now I fly back to Stark Tower and get ready for my interview while you wait for the proper authorities."

With that, Iron Man rocketed skywards, headed straight for his home.

[Mr. Marko]

IC: GELDOFF


He never thought he'd end up like this. Homeless. Alone. He waited in line for his next meal at the homeless shelter. He never wanted to be this way.

Suddenly, a black kid, around his age (16), butted in line a few people up from him. He sneered at a man in line, who mumbled under his breath.

"Uh, we were here first, pal. Back of the line."

The black kid turned around. "What did you say to me?" His neck seemed to get a bit thicker as he said it, and his muscles larger, like a cat that would have its fur stand on end.

"Back. Of. The. Line." Geldoff clenched his fists. He had learned that using his powers wasn't always the best thing to do in a situation, but he figured he might need them here. He'd at least be ready.

The kid's face grew more and more upset, and as he did, he seemed to get more muscluar. "Do you know who I am?" He pushed the old man behind him out of the way, crumbling to the floor.

Geldoff sneered. "No, but I'm afraid you must not know who I am either." He opened the palms of his hands, letting a small bit of energy release, causing a small localized shockwave.

"You havn't figured it out yet, have you?" Suddenly, the boy screamed in fury and grey twice his size. As he grew, his tattoos on his body glowed bright white.

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"Oh sh**." Geldoff backed up as people began to scream and run away. "You don't want to force me to do this."

The crazed man grabbed Geldoff and screamed furiously. "NO ONE MESSES WITH ME!"

Suddenly, a quiet voice...or was it more than one...came from the crowd. It normally would have been too quiet to hear, but it pierced the two of them to the core. "Real classy, fellas."

Geldoff turned to see three girls. Three twin girls.

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"Nehzno, this is the second time this has happened with you. What the hell?"

Nehzno, the black kid, almost instantly began to shrink in size, almost more scrawny than he was when he started. "I'm...sorry..."

One of the girls walked up to Geldoff. "I'm sorry, pal."

Geldoff brushed himself off as another spoke. "We saw what you can do. I think you should come with us."

Geldoff scoffed. "Uh, I've already been to Xavier's once. Don't need to be heading back anytime soon."

The girls looked at Geldoff. "We know where you've been. All the more reason you come with us."

Suddenly, police sirens began to wail not far away. "Well, if I go with you, all I have to do is out run the slowest of you. I can deal with that."

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"Good."

[Jono Starsmore]

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The Triskelion Laboratories



"If this is a new trick with your pet army of ants...I'm not interested." , General Fury muttered, while exhaling a swirling cloud of cigar smoke. There was a lot on his mind, especially with the catastrophe that took place just a month ago. The U.S. Government practically crapped their pants, and now they wanted to cower behind S.H.I.E.L.D. To be honest, everyone was a little shaken up. Something bad was coming; and it was not of this world.

"Not this time, my friend. Although, the ants can dance to Thriller...on time..."

Fury began tapping his foot, so Henry decided to get to the point. Standing up, he moved over to a cylindrical chamber, which was connected to another module with a series of tubes.

"Are you familiar with artificial intelligence, General Fury?"

The S.H.I.E.L.D. director narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms.

"I've seen a lot of crazy *****, Pym. Get to the point."

Hank grinned. The General was obviously expecting some lazily created experiment. But for the past month, Henry had been obsessing over his newest discovery, which could be the perfection of A.I.--By using his own thought and memory emgrams, he could actually "create" an extremely intelligent, yet artificial life form. There were many failed attempts, but just recently he developed a prototype that could evolve into something phenomenal.

"Meet....Ultron-I."

His right hand came up to flick a switch to the left of the chamber, it's metal doors hissing upward, only to reveal a chrome, oval shaped concoction, with what seemed to be two eyes, along with various wires and tubes. It was only the head of the entire invention.

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"A ****ing robots head, Pym..? Do you really think I have ti--"

Nick was interrupted by the cybernetic, though well spoken voice of the robot.

"Ah, General Fury. I've read much about you. You're the veteran, the leader around here. Am I correct?"

"Yeah....he read an encyclopedia in one hour..", Hank said boastingly.

Fury moved closer to the contraption, before blowing smoke into it's direction. In an instant, his cigar was snatched out of his mouth, and thrown onto the floor.

"Smoking is quite hazardous to your health, General Fury."

"I want you to stop working on this."

Henry looked at him in disbelief.

"What..?"

The general stomped out his cigar, kicking it to the side as Ultron-I watched his every move...absorbing every piece of information, much like a sponge.

"It's a bad idea. I've seen a lot of screw up's Pym, especially when your trying to play God. It just doesn't work."

"...It will save millions of lives, Fury. No more military casualties, less labor....--"

"I don't want to hear any more about it, Dr. Pym. Now get rid of R2D2, or I'll send some of my men to do it. That thing freaks the **** out of me."

General Fury then exited the room, the door screeching shut behind him. Dr. Henry Pym sat there, slumped upon his desk with even more feelings of hopelessness once again.

[Mr. Marko]

IC: FORGE

"I'm sorry, guys, this is a very prestigious night club. Invite only."

Forge, Spiral, and Scorpion, all dressed in large overcoats, stood outside of Ice, a night club that they had tracked for the last three weeks. It seemed like this was the place that everything was centered. Prostitution rings. Drug circles. Contract killings. It was time to track down the center man.

"We're on the list." Mac grinned slightly, who was wearing only a smaller portion of his suit beneath the jacket.

Forge pointed at the list with his robotic hand. "Right here." He then popped out his wrist-bound cannon and pressed it into the man's chest. "Let us in and nobody gets hurt. Got it, pal?"

The man glared at Forge. "I've heard about you guys. The Thunderbolts."

Forge smiled. "Then I'm sure you know we mean business."

"F*** you, kid."

"Have it your way." Forge fired the cannon silently into the man's chest, collapsing him to the floor.

As if on que, Spiral, who was wearing a large overcoat to cover her four extra arms, let out a piercing scream. "He's having a heart attack! Does anyone know CPR?!"

The crowd gathered around the man as a large man began to pump on his chest. Meanwhile, the three of them slipped into the club.

"Was that really necessary?"

Forge patted him on the back. "Oh, come on Mac! I didn't kill him! I fired a synthetic neurotransmitter that causes the symptoms of a minor myocardial infarction. He'll get to the hospital just as it wears off."

He stared at him. "A what?"

Spiral smiled. "He just gave him a fake heart attack."

Mac shook his head. "Oh."

Forge turned back to the two. "Alright, guys, split up. I'm going to check the back rooms for any information I can find on who is behind this. Look out for anyone who could cause us trouble."

Spiral and Scorpion nodded. "Look out for baddies. Got it."

They made their way to the back hallway, where another guards stood place. "Password?"

Scorpion stared at him. "We're here for the info."

Suddenly, before the man could move, Forge had injected his neurotransmitter into the man and he fell to the ground. "Alright, you two are the guards now. Look the part."

He moved down the hallway and found a large room.

CONTROL CENTER

The door was large and metal, with a small crack underneath. A dim glow leaked from underneath.

"Bingo." He pulled a small round disk from his pocket and pressed a button on it, sliding it under the door. Within ten seconds, the sound of four bodies hitting the ground was heard. He then fired his plasma cannon at the door knob, opening it. "You guys like my new toy? Straight from Ocean's 11." He sat in the seat and pulled out a small box with a USB cord attatched to it. "You know, the part where they're at the bottom of the elevator shaft by the bank vault and they knock the guards out with something like this."

The guards lay unconscious on the floor.

"No appreciation for ground-breaking technology." He shook his head and plugged in the USB to the computer. "I'm sure you'll appreciate this one. A mini-super-computer powerful enough to download every file on your main frame and then crash your own within a period of two minutes." The green light began to flash, and in two minutes, the process would be done.

Suddenly, a crackle came over Forge's communicator. "Forge, we've got trouble----cade----ound me here----sorry, babe."

"I can't here what you're saying. You're breaking-"

Suddenly, the door blew open and a man stood in the doorway.

http://image.comicvine.com/uploads/item/9000/8429/169112-arcade_400.jpg

"Tracking down a Genoshan citizen isn't hard, my friend."

Forge pulled out his wrist-cannon. "Who are you, and what do you want with Spiral?"

The man scoffed. "The name's Arcade, my dear friend, and I'm afraid that Spiral was simply a way to track you down. I have access to the trackers placed in every mutant that ever has lived in Genosha. I'm under new employment, however, and my boss wants all of you."

[guitarsingerguy]

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"Wake up Chris Powell...wake up...and remember."

Chris Powell's eyes spring to life, but all he witnesses is pain. He watches the memory of slaughtering his own family after being given the Darkhawk crystal. He can't look away as, for the second time, he sees his father put his service revolver into his mouth and pull the trigger. He relives his battle with Portal when Darkhawk became whole. He takes solace in watching himself deliver the death blow to the woman who set the whole thing in motion, when he finally thought the nightmare would stop. As usual, he was wrong. Finally, he remembers the events that led up to now. There was a little girl. She had been abducted, and Darkhawk was hot on her trail; however, his inexperience proved yet again to be his downfall. It was a trap and Darkhawk had been easily captured. He watched as the young girl was tortured and finally beheaded. The sick bastard wasn't even close to finished. The world spun out of existence and finally, Chris Powell was awakened by a soft voice telling him to, "Wake up and remember."

"Stop it! Stop it Goddammit! Kill me already and let's be done with it!"

"Human melodrama has no place here Chris Powell. You are in no danger."

Chris looks around the room and realizes that he has no clue where he is. He's surrounded by what appears to be organic machinery. Chris lifts himself off of the table in the middle of the room. There's a large window at the end of the hall. He approaches it slowly...unsure of whether or not he should truly believe his eyes. He presses his face to the glass and what he sees is the most beautiful view of his home planet...Earth.

"Where in the hell am I?"

[Gallagher]

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"Reed honey! You're missing it!" Susan Storm shouted over the television as she sat on a rather tatty looking couch. The living room area was much to be desired, a small room with one only one door. The floor was cluttered with machine parts and papers, evidence that the destruction of the Baxter Building had not stopped the famous Reed Richards from working all the hours god sends. After the tragedy that occurred last month the Fantastic Four had re-located themselves, to a not-so-fantastic apartment.

"Reed!" Sue shouted again, getting impatient. "This is his big moment, he's been on about this for weeks."

"YO! Suzie, would ya quiten it down? I'm tryin ta watch the little squirt!" Chimed in the orange behemoth known as Ben Grimm aka The Thing.

"Sorry Ben, I just get so frustrated when Reed is more focused on his work than he is his family." The Invisible woman explained, sighing slightly.

[Catman_prb]

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"Reed honey! You're missing it!" Susan Storm shouted over the television as she sat on a rather tatty looking couch. The living room area was much to be desired, a small room with one only one door. The floor was cluttered with machine parts and papers, evidence that the destruction of the Baxter Building had not stopped the famous Reed Richards from working all the hours god sends. After the tragedy that occurred last month the Fantastic Four had re-located themselves, to a not-so-fantastic apartment.

"Reed!" Sue shouted again, getting impatient. "This is his big moment, he's been on about this for weeks."

"YO! Suzie, would ya quiten it down? I'm tryin ta watch the little squirt!" Chimed in the orange behemoth known as Ben Grimm aka The Thing.

"Sorry Ben, I just get so frustrated when Reed is more focused on his work than he is his family." The Invisible woman explained, sighing slightly.
Reed looked up briefly from the mess of circuits on the makeshift worktop in front of him. He flicked a switch and a low humming filled the tiny little room. The circuits took a blue glow for a second then promptly started smoking and started burning. Reed grabbed a fire extinguisher and sprayed it over his work. As the flames diminished, he threw the extinguisher down in a rage, then threw the table over. He walked into the small living room, then sat down next to Sue.

"I was so damned close," he said, frowning and taking his glasses off, wiping them on his shirt absent-mindedly.
"Close to what?" Sue said looking at him.
"Replicating the wiring for my AI. My Vision prototype was far more advanced than Pym's Ultron piece of junk, but it got destroyed along with the rest of my research and the Baxter Building. And we need the grant money now more than ever!" Reed said, sulking.
"I know," Sue said.
"How do you know that?"
"You haven't shut up about it for a month," Sue said and gave Reed the look that men everywhere have learnt to fear through instinct alone. Reed turned the volume on the TV up.

"- I want to get serious here for a minute. Since you're part of the self-proclaimed 'world famous' Fantastic Four, you see things that most of us couldn't imagine. Since you're located in New York City, I want to know how you felt about that tragedy a month ago."

"It was terrible, Jay. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. The Fantastic Four is doing everything in our power to provide assistance where needed, and we're hard at work trying to figure out what's going on. But first, as you know, our beloved home - The Baxter Building - was destroyed in the initial incident. Luckily, none of us were harmed."

"Try telling that to Vision Mark I...I heard it screaming!" Reed muttered, before being silenced by Sue's Look. He hadn't even mentioned the Kaine Virus yet, and he'd decided to keep that under wraps until he could make any more headway.
"Keep your eyes open, Jay. I have a feeling that this storm hasn't passed yet," Johnny said, looking at the camera. Reed stood up, knocking the lamp off the little sidetable.

"What's he saying?! I specifically told him not to say anything that may panic the general populus, but does he listen? No cos, he's Johnny Storm!" Reed fumed.

[Saved]

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x90/Edge_027/ultimatexmen-771-1.jpg

The Next Step Part I

The streets run with blood. Blood of the innocent. Blood of mutants. It has been one month since the day Nathan Winters revealed himself as a super being, a god. He claims to be the savior of the Earth, purging its populace of all impurities. But to him, he only sees one race as the flaw. One race as the imperfects. The mutants.

It has been twenty five days since order Providence, the decree that labeled any mutant as dead. Ever since then, Cable has had his Supersoldiers, or as he calls them, Flagsmashers roam the streets with the assistance of the Ultimatum, the country‘s police, searching for any man, woman or child that’s DNA classifies it as a mutant. When they find them they are shot on sight. No mercy. No compassion. No regard for life. These are the days mankind had hoped to leave behind, but hate always lives in the hearts of man. Especially those who live for revenge.

Barjnov, Rumekistan

“Hey, Kane! I found one!”

“Kill him, Malik! Put a hole in his ****ing head!”

Midnight. Two of the seven Flag smashers fly over the streets of Barjnov, the capital of the country. Garrison Kane and Albert Malik patrol the streets searching for the remaining mutants that still live in the country.

The two super soldiers chase a young teenager, no older than fifteen down a long street. The young teen is branded by his skin. It is a light green pigment, reflecting the light from the moon, making him glow. In the dead of night, his mutation is like a target on his head. He runs for his life down the street, making turns in and out of alleys as he desperately tries to find a haven.

“Malik, this one’s mine.” Kane says with an evil smile.

“Fine, Kane. But I’m radioing the Ultimatum in this area. Where there’s one-”

“Oh come on, Malik. Live a little! When they get involved its always by the book. I want to have a little fun.”

“Alright you psycho ****, have fun.”

Malik says giving Kane a thumbs up. Kane nods and drops his altitude. He begins hovering off the ground by no more than ten feet. He chases the mutant as he runs, keeping pace with ease. The young mutant looks over his shoulder and sees the super soldier right behind him, closing in fast. The mutant leans down as he runs and picks up a rock. Quickly, he turns and throws it at his pursuer. He rock hits Kane in his face, causing him to close his eyes for only a second.

“Ah!” he yells, brushing the dust and pieces from his face. “Now you’re going to-” Kane looks around for the mutant, but to his dismay, there is no trace. “Aw, I get it. Hide and seek, huh?” Kane says as he cracks his knuckles. “Alright, I can play along.”

Kane slowly flies through the streets as he circles the block. He searches every area, looking into every corner, every dumpster, every small space he can find. As Kane continues to patrol, he reaches to the pouch on his upper thigh. He opens it, and pulls out a pistol. He loads a clip into the gun, making a clicking noise. As he rounds the corner, Kane lets out a quiet laugh.

Turning the corner, Kane spots his target. He sees the mutant leaning up against a stack of crates, cowering in fear. Kane laughs louder now, holding onto his pistol with both hands and aiming up the sight at the end of the barrel.

“I told you I’d find you kid.” Kane says as he pulls the safety off the gun with his thumb. “Now you have to die!”

“No! You die!”

“What?”

Before Kane can react, a man breaks through a window on the building to his left. Glass fills the air as the man lunges toward Kane. Replacing the man’s arms are large blades. The sharp edges shine in the moon light, glistening brightly. The man brings his arms down in a quick swipe, aiming for Kane. Kane pulls back, but not fast enough. Before he can realize what has happened, the man’s blades sever Kane’s arms at the elbow, chopping them off in a clean slice.

“AH! OH MY GOD!” Kane yells in agony as he falls to the ground. “You little ****ing mutant!” Kane stares at his arms, watching the blood spew from the open veins and arteries. His forearms his the ground with a thud, rolling around on the hard concrete in a growing puddle of mud. “You cut off my arms! YOU CUT OFF MY DAMN ARMS!” Kane falls to his knees, staring in shock at his severed limbs.

The man who attacked Kane walks to the teenage mutant. As he grows closer, his arms form back into human arms, the blades disappearing and morphing back. As Kane yells and screams, the man holds out a hand to the mutant teen.

“It’s okay, kid.” He says with a generous smile. “You’re safe now.”

“W-Who are you?” The mutant asks.

“I’m part of the resistance, son. We’re fighting back. We’re taking Rumekistan back.” He turns back to Kane, staring at him while he continues to scream as the blood flows like waterfalls from his arms.

“Taking it back from people like him. Like Cable.” The young mutant looks at the man’s hand and then up to the man’s face. He stares with joy, hope filling his body as tears come to his eyes. The mutant goes to put out his arm to grab hold of the man as he leans forward.

“I’m sorry, do you two think Cable is a tyrant?” A voice calls out. The two mutants look around them, searching for the voice. They hear the sound of a gun loading above them. They look up and see another super soldier hovering just overhead, his pistol pointing at them as he laughs. “No one questions, Cable!” The man yells as he pulls the trigger. Two bullets fire from the barrel in a loud bang. They fly through the air in the blink of an eye, moving like silver streaks. They embed themselves in the mutants heads, cutting through their skulls and entering into the brains. With a gasp for air as their souls leave their bodies, the two mutants fall dead.

The soldier above them laughs as he puts his pistol back in his pouch on his leg. Slowly, the man lowers himself to the ground. He looks over to Kane, his eyes staring in shock at the massacre of his friend.

“Kane!” he yells as he rushes to his friend’s side. “My God! Garrison! Stay with me!”

“Little…****er…cut off my arms.” Kane says, spitting blood from his lips.

“No, it’s not bad.” The soldier says, struggling to keep down his food. “We’ll get you fixed up. You’ll make it.”

“End up…like Straka…won’t I, Malik?”

“No. No, you’re not going to end up like him. We’ll fix you, buddy. You’ll make it.” Malik says as he puts his finger to the device in his ear. “HQ! This is Malik! Send units to my location now! Kane’s had an accident. Repeat, this is an emergency! We have a man down!”

“Make that two!” A voice shouts from behind. Malik turns to see a figure lunging at him. His arms are outstretched, at the ends of his fingers are sharp claws, stained with blood. The figure jumps in the air as he attacks Malik. Unable to react, Malik stares in shock at the attack. “You bastards are dead!” Suddenly, a gun shot sounds loudly, echoing off the buildings. The mutant falls to the ground dead, his eyes still open, completely caught off guard.

Malik looks at the dead body, still caught in a daze from the assault. Slowly he raises his head, looking up to see the shooter. To his surprise, he sees a man hovering in the air holding a smoking gun. The man lowers his arm and begins to descend down toward Malik. As the man grows closer, Malik soon realizes who the man is.

“Cable?” He says in disbelief.

“Yes, Malik.” He responds with a frown. “I hear there’s some trouble here.”

“W-Wow, sir…that was fast.”

“I intercepted the message. How’s Kane?”

“Fading, sir.” Malik says, picking up his ally. He holds up his bloody body to his leader, hoping for a miracle. Cable stares at Kane’s wounds, examining them closely.

“He’ll make it.” Cable says coldly. “Fly him to the base.”

“But, sir…he’s losing blood fast.” Cable stares at Malik motionlessly, his face showing an expression of aggression and disappointment.

“Are you questioning me, soldier?” He asks in a deep tone.

“N-No, sir. I’ll get him there stat.”

“Good.”

Malik holds his comrade in his arms and lifts into the air. The blood flows from Garrison Kane’s arms, staining Malik’s gray uniform with a dark red pigment. The two figures lift off into the air and fly off toward the government buildings in the distance.

Cable watches them leave, making sure they are out of sight before holstering his pistol. Cable looks down at the bodies of the mutants on the ground. He frowns as he looks into their eyes, still held open by the muscles in their bodies.

“The resistance.” Cable says with disgust. “Damn you, Bishop. Of all my high ranking officers, you were the only one I’d never have suspected to be a mutant.” Cable stares back down at the body of one of the mutants. His eyes soon veer off, following the stream of blood pooling in the alley way. Cable takes a deep sigh and closes his eyes. As he calms himself down, his head moves up, lifting it high. He opens his eyes and stares at the stars above, his eyes glowing in the darkness of the night.

“It’s a shame, Lucas.” Cable says with remorse. “We were good friends. For you, I might have tried to find a cure.” Cable lets out a deep breath. Unpredictably, Cable’s emotions change. The remorse and regret leaves his mind and soul, and is soon replaced with a feeling of resentment and hate. He squints his eyes in an angry frown as he closes his fingers into a fist, gripping tightly at his own hands. “Might have, Lucas. Might.”

[SenseiofCheese]

Reed looked up briefly from the mess of circuits on the makeshift worktop in front of him. He flicked a switch and a low humming filled the tiny little room. The circuits took a blue glow for a second then promptly started smoking and started burning. Reed grabbed a fire extinguisher and sprayed it over his work. As the flames diminished, he threw the extinguisher down in a rage, then threw the table over. He walked into the small living room, then sat down next to Sue.

"I was so damned close," he said, frowning and taking his glasses off, wiping them on his shirt absent-mindedly.
"Close to what?" Sue said looking at him.
"Replicating the wiring for my AI. My Vision prototype was far more advanced than Pym's Ultron piece of junk, but it got destroyed along with the rest of my research and the Baxter Building. And we need the grant money now more than ever!" Reed said, sulking.
"I know," Sue said.
"How do you know that?"
"You haven't shut up about it for a month," Sue said and gave Reed the look that men everywhere have learnt to fear through instinct alone. Reed turned the volume on the TV up.

"- I want to get serious here for a minute. Since you're part of the self-proclaimed 'world famous' Fantastic Four, you see things that most of us couldn't imagine. Since you're located in New York City, I want to know how you felt about that tragedy a month ago."

"It was terrible, Jay. I'm not going to sugarcoat it. The Fantastic Four is doing everything in our power to provide assistance where needed, and we're hard at work trying to figure out what's going on. But first, as you know, our beloved home - The Baxter Building - was destroyed in the initial incident. Luckily, none of us were harmed."

"Try telling that to Vision Mark I...I heard it screaming!" Reed muttered, before being silenced by Sue's Look. He hadn't even mentioned the Kaine Virus yet, and he'd decided to keep that under wraps until he could make any more headway.
"Keep your eyes open, Jay. I have a feeling that this storm hasn't passed yet," Johnny said, looking at the camera. Reed stood up, knocking the lamp off the little sidetable.

"What's he saying?! I specifically told him not to say anything that may panic the general populus, but does he listen? No cos, he's Johnny Storm!" Reed fumed.

Ben shifts his weight to face Reed, the tattered old sofa crying out in strain.

"Come on, Stretch, we all know that pretty boy ain't got nothin' between his ears. Only way you'd ever get him to learn something is ta beat it into him." he calls to Reed and gives out a deep chuckle.

Ben turns his body back and returns his eyes to the TV screen. Again the sofa squeaks, near breaking-point, under his massive frame. Grimm looks to Sue, who smiles awkwardly. " 'sides, we any closer to figurin' out just what the hell blew up half a' New York and our fancy crib with it?" he asks nobody in particular, eager to avoid the subject of the problems of living with an orange mountain.

[Eddie Brock]

After a brief moment of fumbling with my keys, I manage to find the one that corresponds with this crappy apartment. You know, you'd think Reed and Sue would at least spring for a nice hotel or condo or something, but I guess not. I realize that our money could probably be better spent on other things, but let's splurge a little. After all, we are the world famous Fantastic Four.

Swinging the door open wide, I enter the room with a victorious smile. "Ladies, gentlemen...Thing...please, no autographs," I call out gleefully.

I look over to see Reed standing with a shattered lamp at his feet. Something tells me that it wasn't broken in an abrupt fit of joy.

"Sheesh, who died?" I ask sarcastically while removing my sunglasses. Reed glares at me, and I half-expect heat beams to shoot out of his eyes. "Oh, your little robot thing, right?"

"It wasn't a little--"

"Johnny, it's not about that," Sue interrupts before Reed can go off on one of his tangents. The guy has his head screwed on way too tight. He definitely needs to loosen up and blow off some steam every now and then.

"Well, what then?" I ask seriously. Usually I can tell what they're mad about, but this time I'm truly in the dark here. I hop onto an empty armchair and put my feet up on the coffee table. "I thought you guys would be happy that I'm living out my dreams."

[Gallagher]

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l144/Gray_Fox_Lives/RPG%20stuff/Thorbanner.jpg

The barren plane of Hades was awash with flame, demons scoured the skys and the earth. Tearing into it with the burning fire of hell.

"LOKI!!" Boomed the voice of the enraged God "You wretched piece of filth! FACE ME!"

A shrill high-pitched laugh echoed around the caverns. "Poor poor Thunder God, not a hope in hell of saving them, all your efforts, all Odin's efforts are futile! In vain! Pointless!" Giggled the lord of mischeif with glee.

"No... no I... I trie-"

"You have failed your father Thor." Loki interrupted. "You can't save them. You can't win. They. Will. Die. Your friends will perish and burn, no one shall be safe, non shall be spared!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice disembodied, echoing around the very hell Thor had found himself in.

"NOOOOOOOOO!"

"Thor!" Came a familiar voice... and with it familiar smells... familiar feelings. "You were dreaming." Spoke a soothing voice. Thor breathed deep, gathering his thoughts and surroundings. He was on the very field where he had first met Nick Fury and Bruce Banner, the very same field the Latverian dictator Dr. Doom had visited.

"I'm... sorry if I disturbed you Jane." The Thunder God breathed finally.

"Hey, that's ok, we were just worried about you." Said the nurse-turned-follower. "Heimdall is in the woods with some of the younger guys. It seems they've taken a shine to him... the girls moreso." She said with a knowing grin.

Thor chuckled. "I'd best go show my face."

[SenseiofCheese]

Heimdall

As much as he would prefer not to admit it, Heimdall had sincerely missed being worshipped. The young people that had gathered around the two Gods upon their arrival in Norway never lost the childlike excitement in talking to them and, despite Thor's pleas that they not, they catered to their every whim.

"Ye would do good not to look a Frost Giant in the eye, fair ladies," Heimdall spoke in a dramatic voice to the mass of young women who had gathered around him and asked for stories of Asgard ", for surely they are the scum of this world and others. But no match are they for the Gods of Asgard."

Letting his eyes momentarily wander from the pack of giggling girls, Heimdall saw Thor approach and the look on his friend's face told him everything he needed to know. The vacation was over.

[Catman_prb]

After a brief moment of fumbling with my keys, I manage to find the one that corresponds with this crappy apartment. You know, you'd think Reed and Sue would at least spring for a nice hotel or condo or something, but I guess not. I realize that our money could probably be better spent on other things, but let's splurge a little. After all, we are the world famous Fantastic Four.

Swinging the door open wide, I enter the room with a victorious smile. "Ladies, gentlemen...Thing...please, no autographs," I call out gleefully.

I look over to see Reed standing with a shattered lamp at his feet. Something tells me that it wasn't broken in an abrupt fit of joy.

"Sheesh, who died?" I ask sarcastically while removing my sunglasses. Reed glares at me, and I half-expect heat beams to shoot out of his eyes. "Oh, your little robot thing, right?"

"It wasn't a little--"

"Johnny, it's not about that," Sue interrupts before Reed can go off on one of his tangents. The guy has his head screwed on way too tight. He definitely needs to loosen up and blow off some steam every now and then.

"Well, what then?" I ask seriously. Usually I can tell what they're mad about, but this time I'm truly in the dark here. I hop onto an empty armchair and put my feet up on the coffee table. "I thought you guys would be happy that I'm living out my dreams."

"We- This shouldn't be about you living your little dreams. The whole world is at stake here and we still have no idea what hit New York. You should be helping us hunt down whoever is responsible, not appearing on chat shows and warning the public to be vigilant. It's a super-villain, not a rapist! You'll cause mass hysteria for no good reason!" he said, looking around at the silent room. They all stared back at him.

"I'm going to bed," he sighed, walking towards his bedroom.

[SenseiofCheese]

"We- This shouldn't be about you living your little dreams. The whole world is at stake here and we still have no idea what hit New York. You should be helping us hunt down whoever is responsible, not appearing on chat shows and warning the public to be vigilant. It's a super-villain, not a rapist! You'll cause mass hysteria for no good reason!" he said, looking around at the silent room. They all stared back at him.

"I'm going to bed," he sighed, walking towards his bedroom.

"Sheesh, Stretch, calm down. We'll...you'll figure it out eventually. Ya always seem ta." Ben said in an attempt to comfort his friend but to no avail. As Reed crept into his bedroom, Ben turned to Sue. "Go do that magic you do, Suzie. He needs ya." he told her, before turning to Johnny, all softness in his face and voice gone. "What you need, kid, is some alone time with yours truly." Ben growled at Johnny, cracking his knuckles.

[Eddie Brock]

"We- This shouldn't be about you living your little dreams. The whole world is at stake here and we still have no idea what hit New York. You should be helping us hunt down whoever is responsible, not appearing on chat shows and warning the public to be vigilant. It's a super-villain, not a rapist! You'll cause mass hysteria for no good reason!" he said, looking around at the silent room. They all stared back at him.

"I'm going to bed," he sighed, walking towards his bedroom.
"Well, look who decided to take his high horse out for a gallop," I call out. Reed stops and clenches his fists. I'm getting under his skin.

Good.

I slide my sunglasses back on and add, "Don't be jealous that I've achieved more fame and success than you ever had with your little inventions."

Leaning forward, I grab the TV remote and flip through the channels. Other than The Tonight Show, there's nothing worth watching. After accepting this fact, I toss the remote carelessly back on the coffee table.

"What you need, kid, is some alone time with yours truly."

I literally laugh aloud. "Do you listen to yourself?"

[SenseiofCheese]

Leaning forward, I grab the TV remote and flip through the channels. Other than The Tonight Show, there's nothing worth watching. After accepting this fact, I toss the remote carelessly back on the coffee table.

"What you need, kid, is some alone time with yours truly."

I literally laugh aloud. "Do you listen to yourself?"

"Do you?" Ben gestures to the television screen. "The hell is that? You wanna be their little song and dance monkey, fine by me flame-boy, but don't go draggin' the three of us through the mud with ya. Now make yourself useful and heat up the stove, it's broken." Ben says as he pats Johnny on the shoulder, smiling as Johnny stumbles under the weight of his hand. Ben walks over to the table and picks up a small wooden spoon he had begun using for everyday situations that his size didn't allow for. Holding it awkwardly in his hand, he prods the remote control with it until he finally hits a button that takes Johnny's smug face off the screen.

[Eddie Brock]

"Do you?" Ben gestures to the television screen. "The hell is that? You wanna be their little song and dance monkey, fine by me flame-boy, but don't go draggin' the three of us through the mud with ya. Now make yourself useful and heat up the stove, it's broken." Ben says as he pats Johnny on the shoulder, smiling as Johnny stumbles under the weight of his hand. Ben walks over to the table and picks up a small wooden spoon he had begun using for everyday situations that his size didn't allow for. Holding it awkwardly in his hand, he prods the remote control with it until he finally hits a button that takes Johnny's smug face off the screen.
I'm so angered at Ben that I simply don't know what to do with myself. It would do no good to throw a fireball at him - he wouldn't feel it anyway. I watch as he uses that stupid wooden spoon to change the channel. The moron can't even change the goddamn channel by himself.

Suddenly, a mischievous grin creeps along my face. I lean forward, holding one hand on the couch. With my free hand, I grab the handle of Ben's spoon. Simultaneously, I set both on fire.

"Oops," I announce dryly.

Grabbing my leather jacket, I make my way briskly for the door. "If you'll excuse me, some of us have lives outside of this apartment," I announce indignantly.

I make sure to slam the door on the way out.

[SenseiofCheese]

I'm so angered at Ben that I simply don't know what to do with myself. It would do no good to throw a fireball at him - he wouldn't feel it anyway. I watch as he uses that stupid wooden spoon to change the channel. The moron can't even change the goddamn channel by himself.

Suddenly, a mischievous grin creeps along my face. I lean forward, holding one hand on the couch. With my free hand, I grab the handle of Ben's spoon. Simultaneously, I set both on fire.

"Oops," I announce dryly.

Grabbing my leather jacket, I make my way briskly for the door. "If you'll excuse me, some of us have lives outside of this apartment," I announce indignantly.

I make sure to slam the door on the way out.

Ben watches in angered bewilderment as the couch goes up in flames, as well as his trusty spoon, leaving nothing but charred remains. The doors is slammed and Johnny is gone.

"That little..." Ben growls.

Ben looks over to the window. One of the many ideas for how to get back at the brat flowing through Ben's mind is to hurl himself out the window before Johnny can get down, aiming his giant sized, orange and rocky behind right at his fancy car. That oughta teach him.

Ben chuckles as he makes his way towards the window sill.

"Next, a brand new episode of Family Guy!" a voice booms from the TV set.

Ben stops dead in his tracks, turns around, sighs and walks over to the television. With a heavy boom he sits down on the floor and his eyes glue themselves to the screen.

No problem, Ben thinks to himself. He'll just call all the tabloids later and tell them Johnny Storm was spotted making out with Chris Evans.

[Saved]

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x90/Edge_027/ultimatexmen-771-1.jpg

The Next Step Part II

Barjnov, Rumekistan

The medical bay. A place for the government and military officers to heal after near fatal injuries. After order Providence, this building has seen many new members come in and come out. Many men come in bloodied and mangled, many men leave fully healed and ready to go back for more. Unfortunately, some men never leave.

Michael Straka, Rumekistan’s first super soldier and public hero, lies in a hospital bed. He sleeps soundly, a smile on his face as his chest moves up and down. His head is wrapped in gauze, their color pure white, no longer stained with blood. In his month of restoration, he has healed better than any of the doctors could have predicted. No doubt, the super soldier formula running through his blood can be associated to this miracle. Where once his bones were smashed, broken like a piece of glass, they are now once again whole.

A nurse walks in the room and toward the window. She opens the curtains to the room, letting in the bright light from the rising sun. The nurse lets out a calm and cheerful laugh as she moves to Michael’s bedside.

“Wake up, Michael.” She says with a warm smile. She taps the side of his cheek, and Michael’s eyes flutter as he slowly awakens. “It’s a bright day, honey. There is someone here to see you.”

“Hmm?” He says with a yawn. “Is it Luft again?”

“No.” The nurse snickers. “It’s a girl.”

A slim figure walks through the door. Dressed in tight black pants, a white blouse covering her torso, the woman enters the room. A kind smile is on her face, an expression of worry and love. “Hello, Michael.” She says. Michael hears the woman’s voice and immediately springs up in the bed. His body sits up right so fast, he feels a slight rush of pain in his head. He puts his bandaged arm to his forehead, and stares at the woman in front of him.

“Neena?” He asks hopefully.

“Yes, Mike.” She says as she walks to his bedside. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Four years, Dom.” He says still surprised. “Too long.” The woman leans over him and the two embrace in a loving hug. They hold each other tightly as if to make up for lost time. Time they have spent apart from each other, without any communication, without any contact.

“I heard what happened to you.”

“Through your connections?”

“Yes.” She looks down at the ground with a frown, a look of sadness in her eyes. “They actually said you died. I thought I’d lost you.”

“Come on, Dom.” He says as he pulls back, his hands holding onto her by her arms. “You know I’m tougher than that.” The nurse in the room laughs with joy, watching the young lovers in their moment of reunion.

"I’ll leave you two kids alone.” She says as she makes her way to the door. As the two continue to stare at each other without a blink, their solace is suddenly interrupted by the sound of yells and screams of rage.

“You ****ing bastards!” A voice cries from the hallway.“What is this! Where are my arms!”

“Restrain him! He’s in shock!”

“Tell me! Where are they! What did you do? WHAT DID YOU DO!”

“You had an accident, Kane. Calm down!”

“No! I don’t have ****ing arms! I don’t have ****ing arms!”

“Sedate him! We need to begin the operation now!”

“No. No! NO!”

Neena and Michael watch as the raving man on a stretcher is wheeled past the door and down the hall. As he is pushed to his next destination in another room, his voice grows faint until it drifts off and the room falls back into peace.

“Who was that, Nurse?”

“Oh, it’s Garrison Kane. Poor dear lost his arms last night.”

“How?”

“Mutant. Cut them clean off.” The nurse walks through the door into the hallway, and shuts it on her way out. Michael stares at the door for a few seconds before looking back into the eyes of his lover.

“Michael, please tell me you’re not apart of this madness.”

“What madness?”

“I know what’s happened here. I know they are irradicating the mutant population.”

“What does it matter, Dom?” He asks in a reassuring tone. “You’re safe. I’d never let them kill you.”

“I’m a mercenary, Mike. I don’t need protection from anyone. I can handle myself.”

“I don’t know, Dom.” He says with a sigh. “Its like hell here. In twenty six days they’ve killed twelve thousand eight hundred forty six people. That’s about nine tenths of the mutant population.”

“Yes and it’s a disgusting act of murder.”

“You kill people everyday!”

“Yes, but, not because of their race or religion.”

“So doing it for money makes it justifiable?" He asks. "Murder is murder, Dom."

“Yeah,” she says with a heavy voice. "But being told to by your commanding officer isn't?" Neena looks away, staring off into the distance as she thinks to herself. “So, how’s Lucas?”

“He’s gone, Dom. After the law was put into effect, he went into exile. He knew Cable would find out he was a mutant.”

“So that’s what you call this war monger now? Cable?”

“He says he’s our connection to paradise. A cable.”

“Creative.” She says sarcastically.

“Dom, he really is a great man. He’s brought this country from nothing and made it into something. He’s given us a pride that we’ve only dreamt about.”

“Well, I don’t like him.” The two sit in silence for a few moments, their views conflicting, the opinions different. Michael sighs as he stares at Neena, looking at her with the same love he’s felt before.

“So,” he starts, breaking the silence. “How’s Solo?” He asks with a bitter tone.

“Dead.” She says emotionlessly.

“Oh.” He responds, not expecting her answer. “How?”

“We had a job in Tokyo. Sniper got him off guard.”

“I’m…sorry to hear that.”

“Well, that’s what happens in my line of work. You live, you love, you die. It’s all part of the job.”

“How long ago?”

“Two years.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Domino. He didn’t deserve that.” Neena looks back up at Michael with a weary smile. She moves her hand over his and holds it tightly.

“Thanks, Michael. I know you hated him.”

“He wasn’t right for you.” He quickly responds. “I should have never let you go. Never let you fall into his arms.”

“It’s okay. Our relationship wasn’t all that great anyway. The last few months he became so attached to the job,” she frowns. “and so detached from me.” Michael places his arm on her shoulder and begins to stroke her gently.

She puts her hand over his and rubs his hand passionately. As the two become lost in their emotions, they are suddenly violently jerked back into reality as the door opens. In walks Nathan Winters, Cable, president of Rumekistan.

“Well, hello.” He says with a smirk, staring at Neena. “I came to see you, Michael. See how you were doing.”

“Better, sir.” he says as he salutes his leader. Cable waves it off with a little laugh.

“You don’t have to salute me. Not today, soldier.” Cable walks closer to the bed, his eyes kept on Neena. “So, who is your friend?”

“This is Neena Thurman, sir. She’s an old friend of mine.” Cable holds out his hand to Neena in a friendly manner, his eyes fixed on the young mercenary. Neena reaches out and grabs his hand, her eyes lost in Nathan’s as they stare at each other in bliss.

“Nathan Winters.” He says kindly. “Pleased to meet you, Ms. Thurman.”

“Likewise.” She says speechless. The two gaze at each other, as if hypnotized. Michael watches the two in shock as he sees the chemistry between them grow. Suddenly a loud beeping noise brings the two back into reality. They stare at each other and let out an awkward laugh. Neena looks down to her belt, and sees her beeper buzzing as the red light on it blinks.

“Sorry, I have to take this.”

“Yes, yes. By all means.” He says pointing to the door. Neena slowly walks toward the door. She looks back at Michael, and smiles at him.

“I’ll be back later, Mike.” She turns to Cable. “Nice to meet you Mr. Winters.”

“Please, call me Nathan.” Neena smiles as she closes the door. Cable turns to Straka and gives him a pleased look. “Who was she?” He says as he takes a seat in a chair.

“An old friend. Someone from my younger days.” He says, taking a pause. "You know, I don't think she knew you were the president, sir."

“It's alright." He says unaffected. "Everyone else does. Nice of her to check on you, Straka.”

“We’ve been close.” He says nervously.

“Tell me, what does she do?”

“She’s into uh...contracts…” He says vaguely.

“Really? What kind?”

“Uh…any really.”

“She’s a mercenary, isn’t she?”

“How did you guess that, sir?” Straka responds shocked.

“Mh. I’ve been around a long time, Straka. Not much can get passed me.”

“You uh…don’t have anything against mercenaries, sir, do you?” He asks worried.

“Oh, no. Not really. Some people need special jobs done. I understand that.” He smiles, letting out a small laugh. “It’s funny, Straka.”

“What is, sir?”

“This. The timing. I have a new mission. A new plan. I was going to use one of our soldiers but, it’s too risky. They can be traced.”

“What kind of mission?”

“A covert mission. In fact, I was thinking of hiring a mercenary. You’re friend might be the person I’ve been looking for.” Cable smiles as he thinks to himself about his plan. After a few moments pass, he lets out a deep breath and gets up from the chair. “Well, Straka. I’m glad to see you’re healing. We can use you back out in the field. Things are getting pretty hectic out there.”

“What? With all the murder, sir?” Nathan looks back at Straka, a fiery look in his eye. He fills with aggression as his calm disposition fades.

“That wasn't a snide remark, was it, Straka?” He asks with a growl.

“No, sir.” Straka says with a tense tone. Nathan walks to the door, opening it and walking into the hallway.

“Get better, soon, Straka. There’s much work to do. Much.” Cable closes the door behind him making a loud slam. Straka falls back onto the pillow on his bed. He takes a deep breath of air and rubs his head in frustration.

“Oh great. Cable wants to hire Neena to kill mutants. My God! Why not just throw the hen to the wolf!” Straka hears the words Cable said come back to him, playing like a record over and over again in his head.

'Mh. I’ve been around a long time, Straka. Not much can get passed me.'

He thrusts his hand into the wall behind him in frustration, easily breaking through the drywall and other weak materials. “****!"

[Jono Starsmore]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/Treyzee/68.jpg


"They'll never understand, father..."

Hank looked up from his desk. Did his newest creation...just refer to him as father?

"What did you say..?"

The android turned it's head, the lights of it's eyes dimming and then illuminating periodically.

"I said they'll never understand, father. These....humans you work with. Wrapped within their own ego, and denying the very thought of change--evolution."

Henry sat up from his desk, walking over to the robot, who had seemingly developed it's own personality in such a short time. Rubbing the scruff on his chin, he examined Ultron.

"Extraordinary.."

"Why, yes I am. And you couldn't dispose of something so phenomenal, could you father..? I am quite alive, just like you."

The creepiness of Ultron's tone was odd to say the least. Yet the most disturbing thing was that while Hank was napping on his desk, the robot had welded a body onto it's form, along with claw-like legs.

"My God...you've been...working on yourself?"

"Yes, father. And my escape from these laboratories, so I can further research and become the epitome of human perfection."

The robot then stood on it's newly constructed legs, hopping down from the pedestal to which it stood. Multiple wires hung loosely from it's back, having been ripped from the station that kept him immobile.

"You're not going anywhere, Ultron. Power down!"

A screeching noise emitted from the robot's voice speaker, located on it's head...as if it were actually laughing.

"You simply do not understand, father. One day you will see. I apologize."

"For what?", Hank asked, still puzzled by the entire occurance. This was not supposed to happen.

"This."

Before Hank could react, a beam of light emitted from Ultron's right hand. It was the last thing he remembered before waking hours later, with one hell of a headache.

"Augh...."

All of the research that he had conducted within the past few months....stolen. It was as if Ultron-I never existed in those laboratories. Hank decided not to inform the authorities just yet. In a way, he did what Fury asked; yet knowing what the robot was capable of discomforted him very much so.

[Matt Murdock]

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj165/edlewis6571/Iron%20Man%20RPG%20Images/42223681.jpg
Ultimate Iron Man

Antonio Stark. What a sexy sounding name. Larry King's stage manager thought so, at least. She sat beneath him, in his dressing room, clutching his back as he thrust himself forward and back. Sweat dripped down the side of his face as the woman moaned with pleasure. Finishing quickly, he flopped on the couch next to her, panting.

Stark pulled himself up off of the couch quickly and dried himself off with a towel.

"Oh, God..." She muttered, stroking her chest. "That was wonderful."

"Yeah, wonderful." Stark said absentmindedly tying his tie and buttoning up his shirt. "Get your shirt on and tell Larry I'm ready."

She arched one of her finely plucked eyebrows.

"You don't wanna... I dunno... talk?"

Stark sneered.

"F**k no, you're a good lay, I'll give you that... but you're not that good."

Stark's belt clanged as he clumsily slid his pants on and stared at the nude, disheveled girl.

"Why are you still here?"

Pulling his suit jacket on, Stark slammed the door behind him as he headed out into the hall leading to the studio.

He passed an intern who clutched a clipboard and paced the
front of the stage in a panic.

"Stark! Mr. Stark. You're on in four."

Stark nodded simply.
"Then I suppose you'd better get me a dirty martini..." His voice was obviously commanding. "...Quite fast."

As the opening music to the show rolled, Stark was bemused to watch the man hurried to fill the drink order, splashing alcohol on his own shirt and pants.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Tony Stark!"

Stepping onto the stage, Stark felt the drink slide seamlessly into his hand and he began sipping it. He put the drink on the table and shook King's hand firmly.

"Great to see you again, Larry."

"As always, it's good to see you as well, Tony."
The stage manager moved slowly into view, brushing her hair and adjusting her skirt.

Stark smirked to himself as he took another long sip from the martini.

"Now, Tony, to get this interview underway, let's start with something upbeat. We've noticed that for the past month, you've had a black and silver partner who has yet to be affiliated with the Ultimates. Who is this new hero we've seen you flying around with and training?"

Stark leaned back quietly.

"That is, actually, a project I've been working on for close to three years. It's a prototype piece of armor that I had designed to redefine combat on the battlefield for our soldiers. The idea was that the soldier would wear a steel piece of Stark technology that had a small reader for a memory stick. On the chip are a specific set of instructions and code sequences that tell the armor and technology where to deploy what, and so on. That way, you could, essentially, have an Iron Man go from civilian clothes to full armor in a matter of seconds."

"What was wrong with it... why wasn't it put into production?"

"In the preliminary tests, I found it to be far too cumbersome than I would have liked. The movement is slow, simply because the parts are so intricate and interconnected. The armor is thicker than mine, and, while that may seem like a good thing, I prefer speed and agility rather than brute force. Plus, the costs of each suit would range in the high millions. I discussed the possibility of creating the armor at a lower budget, but that would compromise the operator's safety. In the end, I decided to simply stay with a single Iron Man suit that I would wear and perfect. That way, the person who knows the tech best is in control, and only one life is in jeopardy."

"If that's the case, how did this suit of armor get into the open?"

"Surprisingly, it wasn't. Due to the secrecy I required when I worked on the project, I deliberately didn't register it in the computer database. My chief of security found the unmarked storage unit and activated it."

"We keep calling this project 'it.' Your security chief found 'it' and turned 'it' on. Does 'it' have an official title?"

Stark chuckled quietly.

"Because of its slow maneuvering capabilities, powerful armaments, and increased strength, this second suit of armor has been tentatively labeled as 'War Machine.'"

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj165/edlewis6571/Untitled-1.jpg

"There's one question answered, folks." King said emphatically into the microphone. "Up next, we'll discuss the ramifications of Thor's abandoning of The Ultimates and Tony Stark's real feelings on the incident in New York City only one month ago. We'll be back on Larry King Live."

At this, Stark felt his face contort into a nervous sneer.

Ignoring King's efforts to make small talk, Stark simply watched as the stage manager was reprimanded by the intern.

"Who do you think you are, Jennifer?" He asked angrily.

"I'm sorry, Robert." She said, exasperated, as she poured a mug of coffee.

"No, really. I'd like to hear this." He continued.

Stark glanced at King.

"Which is why I think that the UN Securi--"

"Who's that?" Stark said, pointing at the intern.

"Oh, him?" King asked haughtily, "He's a new intern Robert. Very by-the-book."
"Fire him." Stark said, sipping his martini.

"Why?"

"Listen here, Larry." Stark's eyes were still fixed on the bossy clipboard wielder. "If someone is too keen on rules, then they never adapt. If they never adapt, they never evolve... and without evolution, there isn't any progress. He's an anchor."

None of that was true whatsoever.

Stark just didn't feel it was the snooty little intern's place to boss around his superior... especially if he had been inside of her less than twenty minutes ago.

"Er..." King didn't know what to say. "Ok, I will after the broadcast."

"No. Now."

Stark could hear the scales balancing and tipping in King's head. Billionaire or intern? Billionaire superhero or clipboard holding intern?"
"Robert!" The host called, "You're fired."

Jennifer's and Robert's jaws fell to the floor.

"You can leave now."

The music fading in cued that the show was returning to the air, and Tony slyly winked at the woman before returning his gaze to his interviewer.

"We're back with Tony Stark, famed billionaire and government sponsored hero. Now, Anthony... the world knows you as Iron Man and Tony Stark, each of whom are centered around New York City, so, I'm sorry because this may be difficult, but, I have to ask, what exactly happened last month?"

Here it was.

Lie?

Tell the truth?

This was the question Stark had seen coming from a mile away, and still hadn't thought about the answer.

"*ahem* I'm going to be perfectly honest with you, Larry, because I think the American people deserve it."

King nodded understandingly.

"Roughly one month ago, I was in the Triskellion briefing room with the rest of the Ultimates when my assistant delivered letters to each of us. Within each letter, was a personally addressed and written assessment of what was to come. They chronicled massive casualties, ranking globally. Each letter, though fairly vague on the details, said that the impending crisis couldn't be stopped... only controlled once the initial damage was done."

"Who sent them?"

"The letters were signed off by the notorious killer and psychopath Wade Wilson, better known as Deadpool. He's infamous for his bigotry and violence against mutants, and his showboating therein."

"Well, why not attempt to get an evacuation going? Something, anything, to save some lives?"

"Make no mistake, those stopgap measures were considered, but there wasn't enough time. There was a two or three day gap between the letters and the initial attack. What would've happened if the government had said 'Oh, hey, New Yorkers, there's a big chaotic event going down soon... but we don't know what it is or where it'll be.'"

King shrugged.

"Picture that. There would've been mass panic. People would be dying by the hundreds for those two days, and the casualty count would've only gone up with the deployment of the weapon."

"You say 'weapon.' Does that mean you know who fired it?"

Stark sighed.
"The instant before the weapon was deployed, we received a communication from a being known as The Silver Surfer. He told us that, basically, our end was nigh."

"A Silver Surfer? Does this mean that there will be a reprisal of the Gah Lak Tus attack?"

"No." The billionaire's tone was decisive. "Thor destroyed Gah Lak Tus. Our intelligence indicates that this being is acting alone and under its own authority."

"Well, speaking of which, what intel did the United States have to begin with?"

"None."

"None?"

"None except for the letters. That's why they were crucial, I think. At least we knew something was coming."

"Did the president know?"
Stark stared forward for a moment, weighing his options.
"Yes."

A few members of the crew gasped.

"He did?"

"The president was informed by General Fury when the Ultimates and the other superhero groups received their letters. I suspect that's why he cut funding to the Ultimates."

King was speechless.

"How about a break?" Stark asked, as the music began to fade in.

Once they were no longer on the air, Stark leaned forward.

"I don't want any viewer calls on this tonight, you understand me?"

King nodded.

"Perfectly."

"Good."

The music swelled once more, and the lights dimmed.

"After that bombshell, ladies and gentlemen, we're approaching our last segment with Tony Stark. Now, Mr. Stark, Thor has recently abandoned your team--"

"Let me stop you there, Larry." Stark said, swishing his drink. "Thor didn't abandon us. He had to find his own path. If he didn't want to stay on the team, it's his prerogative to leave. He's not a captive, and he's not a prisoner. He's free to do what he wants."

"Well, let's expand upon that. You two have been thought of as being close friends. Why, then, haven't you tried to bring him back to the States."

"Thor is a dear friend of mine, Larry, but, let's face it... a man who dresses up like a Norse God clearly has issues."

"Well, can't the same be said about a man who dresses like a modern knight in shining armor?"

"Absolutely." Stark admitted happily,"But I admit to my alcoholism and sex addiction."

He locked eyes with Jennifer.

"It's my cross to bear."

King chuckled.

"And on that note, we're going to sign off for now. CNN Headline News is next, where they'll be keeping you up to the minute with the fluctuating power outages spreading throughout New York. Once again, Tony Stark, thank you for coming."

"Always a pleasure, Larry."

Stark couldn't help but wonder how many more times he'd even be able to go on TV.

"Always a pleasure..."

[Venom160]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/Angel2.jpg

One month later.......

I stand silently in the middle of the danger room letting the silence of the cavernous room flood my senses. Ever sense Sinister's attack on the mansion professor Xavier has kept a strict tabs on where we go, almost too strict for my tastes. Ali and I talked about it and decided to hold off talking to my father about Fallen and the wedding until thing cool down here. Needless to say im starting to feel alittle caged. So that brings us to here, in the one room Iv spent the most time in this last month.

"Computer activate program "Fallen Angel"."

*Fallen Angel program activating*

The Danger Room shimmers than changes into a shattered version of New York. I slowly start scanning the skies search for my prey.

"Come on where are you......."

Out of the corner of my eye I spot a glimpse of bat wings. Without hesitation I open my wings and push off with all my strength rocketing me into the sky.

[Venom160]

http://i17.ebayimg.com/01/s/08/33/40/6a_11.JPG

"In the course of human history, few things come around that make a man look both at the world he lives in and into himself. World War II was one of them. The United States bore witness to a fundamental, government sponsored eradication of a helpless group of human beings. When we mobilized, our goal was to stop death, to protect human life. In 2001, we faced terrorism, the ugly side of the world we live in. In our humble city, we rarely have to see death and horror first-hand, unless, of course, it's with the latest installment of the SAW series. Sure, there's crime here, and sure, some people have to look over their shoulder as they walk home from work, but, for the most part, these obstacles only increase our resolve, our solidarity. We're New Yorkers. We're tough. We're resilient.

Then, last month, our strength was tested once more. As most of the American public knows, a formal Congressional inquisition into President Bronson's severing of the Government's funding of the S.H.I.E.L.D. program has begun, as it came just days before the attack on New York City.

As of yet, that's all we've been able to call it. "That attack." We as a nation, as a self-governing populous, haven't been told anything by the government. Though, Tony Stark is expected to make a statement to the press tonight from Stark Tower.

When the United States was attacked in 2001, her immediate reaction was to become offensive. "You're either with us or against us," President Bush said unto the world. His ultimatum was taken with the utmost seriousness and now, with him out of office, we're still in Iraq. We've kept the peace, established a democracy, and removed insurgencies. Why, then, are we still there?

However, I digress. This editorial is not a critique of the former President's foreign policy, or a study on the War on Terror. No, as it stands now, this article is, in fact, a study on human life and human dignity.

As loyal readers of the Bugle know, I was kidnapped a mere two days before the attack on the city occurred. The man who kidnapped me was a menace, some sort of shape-shifting creature who took the form of a loyal and kind freelancer who works for me. I was heaved between the buildings of New York, fifty stories above the ground. It was at this point that I first met Tarantula.

I know this was his name, because my assailant called him such, and proceeded to attack him for no reason. The two were vicious, one fighting for my freedom, as the other fought for my capture. In the end, Tarantula's extra limbs weren't enough to stop the shape-shifter's vicious attack.

I was then taken to the top of the Empire State Building, where Spider-Man met his accomplice. I assume their plan was to kill me, but, of course, Spider-Man backed out and managed to prevent me from hitting the pavement in time.

Tarantula was a brave young man. And, though I did not know him on a personal level, I know that his parents and loved ones are proud of him as he looks down upon them with open arms, and an open heart, from heaven. He will always be with them, saving them and guiding them. Tarantula is not lost, but he is, instead, just lost from us.

That night, because of the psychosis of two, wicked men, an innocent hero was killed. No justice can ever be done for him, though, I hope, somewhere, that the man who killed him suffers every day for taking away the life of another. Such things cannot be tolerated in our society, and they must be stopped, but only by just means. The family of the shape-shifter shouldn't be killed or shunned, nor, even, should my kidnapper himself. If he is, then the life Tarantula lead meant nothing, because one inherently immoral act cannot be made right by circumstance.

Tarantula is dead, and that is a tragedy. But, if everyone takes an eye for an eye, the world becomes blind.

Rest in peace, Tarantula. You will be missed."

- J. Jonah Jameson
Publisher

ON PAGE B12: Where is DAREDEVIL? Has the Guardian Devil of Hell's Kitchen gone AWOL?






One month later.......


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/Tarantula2.jpg

OOC: Mad props to SSF for writing up this Daily Bugle article.

[Mr. Marko]

IC: GELDOFF
Geldoff entered the small town house, amazed at the detail of the house. It was absolutely immaculate. In fact, it reminded him alot of Xavier's place.

"Now, tell me again why you eat at soup kitchens?"

One of the girls, who he had discovered were called The Stepfords, chuckled. "Xorn says it provides us with an amount of balance and humility in our lives."

"Although, Nezhno still is having issues with that."

Nezhno rubbed his head. "It was a bad day."

"Who's the new kid?"

http://image.comicvine.com/uploads/item/5000/4552/162581-elixir_400.jpg

Geldoff shifted slightly on his feet. "Uh. Its Geldoff."

"Josh. Around here, they call me Elixir." He turned to Nezhno. "Gentle, has he met Xorn yet?"

"Not yet. We just got here." He turned to Geldoff.

Elixir grabbed Geldoff by the arm. "I'll take him. Come on."

Geldoff pulled his arm away from Elixir. "I'm a mutant, not a baby."

Elixir shrugged. "Whatever, buddy."

***************************************

Geldoff and Elixir stood before an oriental archway covered by a curtain. "Alright, just a warning. Xorn can be a little...whats the word..."

"Different." The sound of the voice came from within the curtain.

Elixir hung his head.

"I will speak with you later, Joshua. If you would give Geldoff and I time to speak, I would appreciate it."

Elixir motioned toward the curtain. "Good luck, pal."

"You may enter, my son."

Geldoff entered the room to find Xorn in a meditative stance.

http://image.comicvine.com/uploads/item/4000/3183/112144-xorn_400.jpg

"Have a seat."

Geldoff looked around, finding there were no chairs in the room. After a moment's hesitation, he knelt on the floor. Xorn's mask covered his face completely, leaving a sense of mystery about this man.

"Are you familiar with the concept of samsara?"

Geldoff shook his head.

"The concept spans over many different religions. The underlying concept is that one is in a cycle of birth and rebirth. This is repeated over and over again, and we are all stuck in this cycle until we can break free. The only way that we can do so is to reach nirvana. A complete, judgement-free realization of existence."

Geldoff shrugged. "Cool."
Xorn chuckled. "Yes, very cool. This is a sanctuary where people like us can reach that state of realization, and to do good in the world."

In a strange way, Geldoff thougt he could see Xorn smile.

"Welcome to the New Mutants, Geldoff. I hope you find yourself welcome."

[Charlie No-One]

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/9831/scarletwitchbyevelyexc9.jpg


Wanda touched Pietro’s slender, yet toned, arm. He seemed to be angry at her. Like usual, she had no idea what she did. Her brother was the jealous type. If her attention wasn’t on him 100%, he would flip **** and accuse her of “giving her affections” to someone else. It happened quite often and never lasted long. He would forgive her by the end of the day and they “made up” (in one way or another) all night long. So it was only reasonable for Wanda not to care about his grievances and have some fun. She had called for one of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s street cars to take them to Club Typhoid. The local buzz said it was an underground hot spot for mutants. The alcohol was cheap, the music free, and the sex? Incredible. It piqued both their interests.

As they stepped into the car, Pietro shrugged off her hand. He bitterly huffed as he made himself comfortable in a far corner of the limousine. His stunning white hair was combed gingerly back, held in place by gel. Feeling *****y, Wanda ran her hand through his silvery locks.

“Please brother, I’ve been looking forward to this all day. Can’t you at least lighten up for a few hours?” She looked into his radiant blue eyes. The passage ways to his mind seemed to be considering her request. He combed his hair with a brush of his hand and turned his head. “I said I was sorry,” she cooed, slowly placing her hands underneath his curt black Armani shirt. She ran her fingers up his abdominals before glancing at his face for a look of approval. One wasn’t given.

“Fine.”

Snapping back and composing herself, Wanda slid to the other end of the limo. If he wasn’t going to step over his huge ego for a minimum of 5 hours, she wasn’t going to either. Straightening out her Michael Core’s red mini dress, she looked out the window. The skyline was magnificent. All her life she had lived in locations that never even compared to New York. This was a change. This was a difference. This was beautiful. The concrete jungle was brightly lit with thousands of vivacious multicolored stars. The night swallowed the cares and worries of the world and regurgitated liveliness and energy. It was breathtaking.

The car pulled up to a small shop just outside of Greenwich Village. They had arrived there relatively fast. With New York traffic, what’s the probability of that? Wanda joked to herself. The storefront appeared to dwell in forgotten times and abandonment. It was once a CD store, now it seemed to be much of nothing. Wanda, ignoring Pietro completely, nodded to the driver and exited the vehicle. As the twins made their way to boarded windows and doors, an electronic voice rang out from the corners.

“State your business.”

“We’re Brianchild’s lap dogs.”

“Access granted. Enjoy.”

“Silly passwords.”

The door slowly opened. Fog, music, and light puked out of the opening. Wanda smiled before grabbing Pietro’s reluctant hand and leading him down a set of steep stairs.

The party came alive around them. Lights of blue, pink, and red flashed across their breasts. Trendy techno music deafened their ears. People of all different sizes, shaped, and colors moved together as one on the floor. They were in their element. At once, the brother forgot his problems and began to dance. He let the music take control of him. Rhythm moved through his veins. Wanda giggled. She wanted this way too much to let her brother ruin it. His mood swing was her doing.

“Brother darling,” she said sarcastically, “I am going to get a drink. Stay here.”


He nodded.

[Mr. Marko]

IC: Wolverine

Logan downed a beer while Ali aimed her shot. "You ready to lose, old man?"

He smiled. "Bite me, kiddo." The two were down at a nearby pub for pool and drinks. Warren had decided not to come, so it was just the two of them.

Suddenly, his cell phone rang from his pocket. He pulled it from his pocket. "Hello?"

The voice on the other side of the phone was slightly jittery. "Uh...yes...is this James Howlett?"

http://image.comicvine.com/uploads/item/2000/1440/28400-wolverine_400.JPG
Logan lowered his voice into a growl. "Who the hell is this?"

The voice chuckled. "Its Eugene. I know its been a long time...hell, twenty years, but I need a favor."

Eugene. The name, for some reason, rang a bell. "I don't do favors, bub."

The voice chuckled. "I knew you'd say that. I brought something with me that I thought you'd want. I found it in an old box. Its a photograph of us back in the good old days."

Logan stopped. "Where can we meet?"

"I'm in New York. Meet me in Central Park tomorrow morning at 10:00." Eugene's voice stopped. "Its been a long time, James. I hope there are no hard feelings."

Logan was desperately searching for answers in his mind, but couldn't remember anything other than the name. "Look, bub, I don't know if you know this, but..."

"I'm sorry, I have to go. Tomorrow at 10. See you there."

[Gallagher]

"We- This shouldn't be about you living your little dreams. The whole world is at stake here and we still have no idea what hit New York. You should be helping us hunt down whoever is responsible, not appearing on chat shows and warning the public to be vigilant. It's a super-villain, not a rapist! You'll cause mass hysteria for no good reason!" he said, looking around at the silent room. They all stared back at him.

"I'm going to bed," he sighed, walking towards his bedroom.

Susan Storm rapped lightly on the open door and peered in on Reed, the man she loved sat on the edge of the small bed they had been sharing since the disaster.

"It's not just Johnny is it?" She said softly, sitting down next to him. Reed seemed to stiffen up slightly, perhaps preparing to mount a defensive but almost immediately Reed breathed a heavy sigh and loosened his shoulders, letting them slump down.

"Talk to me honey, what's wrong?"

[Catman_prb]

Susan Storm rapped lightly on the open door and peered in on Reed, the man she loved sat on the edge of the small bed they had been sharing since the disaster.

"It's not just Johnny is it?" She said softly, sitting down next to him. Reed seemed to stiffen up slightly, perhaps preparing to mount a defensive but almost immediately Reed breathed a heavy sigh and loosened his shoulders, letting them slump down.

"Talk to me honey, what's wrong?"
"It's just this whole thing...we're one of the worlds greatest hero teams...and we're living in a dingy little apartment. The only reason I spent our funds on the damned robot is because we would've tripled it on the grant money if it'd worked. My lifes work was in that building. Every little piece of it was in there when that thing hit. And I still have no idea what that is. I'm one of the - hell I am the smartest man in the world...and I have no idea what it's going to do. All I have to go by is this letter," he said, waving Deadpool's letter to Johnny Storm
"A letter from a mercenary that predicts the future. What part of this is scientific," he said, collapsing back on the bed.
"And there's something else...which I haven't told you...there's some kind of virus going around. It's bad...real bad. I need to research it some more. And the only was I can do that is to find the host...a man called Kaine. He keeps on turning up at nightclubs and bars, and something bad always goes down. I can't do anything about this Project Nexus thing...so I may as well stop this plague. I can get him honey, I know it," he said " I just...I may need your help,"

[Gallagher]

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l144/Gray_Fox_Lives/RPG%20stuff/sinbanner.jpg

The Age of Apocalypse. Part I

New York. 2008.

The Waterfront.

Harsh spotlights cast dancing shadows against the adjacent buildings, the wooden piers creaked under the weight of a heavy pair of boots trudging slowly, but determinedly, along. The shadows seemed to follow the man, wherever he went he stood in darkness, avoiding the searchlights. Dressed in a long black overcoat and hat, he stopped for a moment and looked out to sea. His boat was right on time.

"You there, halt. Where is your pass? Civilians aren't allowed out passed curfew." Growled an armored grunt prodding a gun into the trespassers back. The man turned slowly, his arms raised, to face the man.

"By order of High Lord Apocol-"

"Go take a swim." The overcoat-ed man said calmly cutting him off as their eyes met.

The soldiers eyes went vacant as he lowered himself into the water and swam away.

Sinister almost smiled as he watched the grunt try to reach the horizon, he turned his attention back to the boat and approached the pier in which it had docked.

"Halt! You arent authoriz-"

Thump! Thump!

Essex took down the man with a silenced pistol and continued toward the cargo bay, not even slowing his pace.

"I've reached the cargo hold, inspecting now. Sinister out." He snarled into a communication device. Whilst turning the handle on the large iron door. Lifting the door upwards he peered in, the cargo cowered away. Human Cargo, battered bruised and mal-nourished. It reminded him of the time he found the only son he ever had in a similar condition.

"My name is Nathaniel Essex, I am here on behalf of Eric Lensherr, you may know him as the Mutant freedom fighter known as Magneto. I am here to free you."

The gaggle of slaves twittered amongst themselves and edged a bit closer, some crying with delight. One particular man pushed forward, his hair long and brown, a short beard adorned his face. Sinister merely stared at the man approaching him.

"Mr. Essex? Ah'm Remy LeBeau, thank you so much. You saved our lives." He said with a greatful smile.

[Gallagher]

"It's just this whole thing...we're one of the worlds greatest hero teams...and we're living in a dingy little apartment. The only reason I spent our funds on the damned robot is because we would've tripled it on the grant money if it'd worked. My lifes work was in that building. Every little piece of it was in there when that thing hit. And I still have no idea what that is. I'm one of the - hell I am the smartest man in the world...and I have no idea what it's going to do. All I have to go by is this letter," he said, waving Deadpool's letter to Johnny Storm
"A letter from a mercenary that predicts the future. What part of this is scientific," he said, collapsing back on the bed.
"And there's something else...which I haven't told you...there's some kind of virus going around. It's bad...real bad. I need to research it some more. And the only was I can do that is to find the host...a man called Kaine. He keeps on turning up at nightclubs and bars, and something bad always goes down. I can't do anything about this Project Nexus thing...so I may as well stop this plague. I can get him honey, I know it," he said " I just...I may need your help,"

Sue hated to see him in this state, she understood, Reed was a very proud man. For a man like him, not knowing what to do is the worst feeling in the world.

"Hey, you know I'll back you in whatever you do, I'll be standing right beside you." She said leaning in and kissing him on the forehead.

"Now get some rest. I think I'll go find Johnny, cool him down. Won't be gone long." She got up off the bed and moved toward the door, looking back she smiled. "Chin up darling, I'm sure things will look better in the morning."

[guitarsingerguy]

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d18/bld182/darkhawkbanner.jpg

"Fifteen months?! I've been here for fifteen months?!"

"Well...fourteen months, three weeks, five days, seven hours, and 42 minutes to be exact."

"What have I been doing for fifteen months here?"

"You've been in cryostasis. You've become excessively wreckless in the Darkhawk state, and with what is to come, we couldn't have you prematurely expiring on us."

"Great. So on top of all the other ******** that came along with becoming Darkhawk, I now have a ****ing computer babysitter. That's just wonderful."

"We're much more then simply a computer Chris Powell. The truth is, you know very little about the weapon you posess. We are Bay Station 46271, Darkhawk installation 5. Have you not wondered where the Darkhawk goes when you do not inhabit it's body?"

"You're talking about it like it's an entirely different person."

"That's because it is."

Chris jumps at the sound of motors turning over and gears rotating. Out of the middle of the floor rises a liquid filled chamber. Inside is the being Chris Powell has come to hate - Darkhawk.

"Have you never wondered why your physical appearance changes in the Darkhawk state? Why you wounds seem to heal themselves?"

Chris is dumbfounded. He has never stared the Darkhawk in the face...never knew it was possible.

"The Darkhawk is an android shell. The crystals that reside within your body act as neurotransmitters. They allow this installation to keep track of you at all times. When the crystals are activated, your body is transported here and kept in cryostasis. The neurotransmitters allow you to control Darkhawk as if you were one in the same. The only problem is the human mind can't differentiate between what's real and what isn't. It's why you feel pain when Darkawk is damaged. The liquid the crystasis chamber is filled with contains millions of nanobots. They repair any damaged tissue which is why your wounds seem to heal themselves."

"You mean to tell me that all this time I've been up here taking a nap while playing remote control robot with this thing?!"

"Precisely."

"Un****ing believable..."

[Jono Starsmore]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/Treyzee/CykeBanner-1.jpg

Club Typhoid..

The underground club which seemed to attract a high percentage of the mutant populus, especially for the past few days. Most were scum...criminals. There for three things: drugs, booze, and sex. In the midst of this rave-like setting, stood Scott Summers, leaning against the rather crowded bar.

"What can I getcha', shades?", the bartender asked, eyeing his form up and down, and flicking her tongue ring provocatively.

Scott looked over, having been distracted from scanning the area. The constant strobe reflected from the ruby quartz of his glasses, giving off a slight glare.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/Treyzee/182204-cyclops_400.jpg

"A Yuengling. Bottled, please.."

"Sure thing, sweetcheeks."

He placed the amount of money desired before grabbing the cold beer. Although he didn't drink much, he thought it would help him blend in with the scene. And plus, it was a really good beer.

Scott wasn't here to get down and dirty, that's for sure. He had a lead on a mutant that was running an underground crime syndicate. Basically, a wannabe Brotherhood of mutants. That didn't mean they would be easy to deal with, either. Their leader, a mutant who goes by the name of Dr. Hyde. Apparently, the guy had two personalities. Both *******s, of course, yet one posessed incredible strength, and mild invulnerability. The other was just a regular Joe. The only thing was; he could transfigure whenever he desired.

From the few patrons he had questioned earlier in the night, he learned that the "Doctor" occupied the V.I.P. room, which was located upstairs. Supposedly, on this very night, a drug deal was supposed to go down...and from what he heard, most of the deals made with Hyde, didn't go well. Apparently he was a greedy man, and never bargained with any of his business associates.

Scott would lay low for now. The deal wasn't for another thirty minutes, and it was starting to get crowded.

[Eddie Brock]

It's too late to actually start this search. I know that. Frankly, I'm not out here to search. I'm out here to get away from that crummy apartment. I'm out here to get away from my overbearing "family." I'm out here to get away from it all. My life may seem perfect - Hell, I even claim this from time to time - but I have stress, too. I have problems, and I can't handle them all. Other than the powers and the fame, I'm no different from anyone else. Every now and then, I need alone time to cool off. Unfortunately, it seems that I'm not going to get that time tonight.

While lounging on Lady Liberty's shoulder, my cellphone begins to vibrate. I lazily draw it from my pocket and examine the little screen. It's an incoming call from Kate. I hesitate for a moment. There's a part of me that really doesn't want to talk, but I do owe her that much.

"Yo," I answer indifferently.

"Hey, Johnny, just checking in," Kate explains. I know her too well. There's more to it than that, and we both know it.

"Really? Is that all?" I ask sarcastically.

Kate sighs. "Okay, I'm freaking out," she admits.

"Why?"

"It's been a month since you approached us, and what have we done?" she asks. "We haven't had any meetings. We haven't gone public. We haven't done a damn thing - even though New York was attacked."

I roll my eyes. More lectures? Haven't I had enough for one night?

"I've been busy," I explain.

"Doing what? Chatting it up with Leno?" Kate responds bitterly. Don't tell me that she's jealous, too. Is there anyone happy for me?

"Don't even go there," I warn irritatedly.

Kate scoffs. "What's wrong, hothead? Did I hit a nerve?"

"What is your problem?" I ask angrily.

"My problem is that you took on this responsibility, and you haven't done a damn thing!" Kate explains defensively. "Have you even tried approaching him yet?"

"He's...hard to find," I stammer foolishly. I have no excuse. I've been lazy and concerned with my own problems. Besides, I'm not lying. He is hard to find.

"That's a 'no,'" Kate responds bluntly. "If you want to be a leader so bad, why not try showing it?"

I grit my teeth. "You think you can do better?" I ask accusingly.

"Honestly?"

"Don't finish that thought," I growl. "It's late. Go to bed."

I slam the phone shut. God, why is everyone on my case? Half of me wants to chuck the cellphone into the water, but I don't feel like getting a new one. Instead, I shove it back into my pocket frustratedly. Who does Kate think she is? I'm a great leader! I'll show her!

...

Who am I kidding?

[Saved]

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x90/Edge_027/RPG%20banners/UltimateKainebanner2.jpg

Contagion, The Curse Continues Part I

Manhattan, New York

Manhattan. A city of lust and desire. A place where people come to fulfill dreams, live their hopes, and find their destinys. A place for theatre, a place for the arts, a place for crime.

Along the streets of this city stand many shops and establishments, built into their skyscraper counterparts. Outside of "The Intercourse Bar", police cars form a blockade around the small building. Their lights blink and flash a dull light as the sun rises in the sky. The policemen sit on the hoods of their cars, sipping their morning coffee.

As the police wait outside, guarding the doors, a man steps out from inside the bar. He wipes his forhead and takes a heavy sigh. The man is dressed in a dark brown trenchcoat, covering his unbuttoned shirt and loosened tie. This man has had a long night, one he thought was long behind him.

As he walks toward one of the police cars, the sound of sirens begins to grow closer and closer. The man takes a seat on the hood of one of the cars next to a police officer. He takes a deep breath, and leans back on the car.

"So, Alvarez, what did you find?" The policeman asks.

"Bodies." He says apathetically. "At least ten. Maybe more."

"Shot? Stabbed?"

"No." He says letting out a deep breath. "We pulled two of the bodies from a wall." He grimaces, wanting not to recall the visions from the bar. "We had to cut them out of the walls. Their heads were thrust through the concrete."

"No way!" The officer responds surprised. "Can anything really do that?"

"Perons, we're standing a few miles away from the biggest supervillain holding cell in the whole country."

"Oh, I guess you're right." He says, taking another drink from his coffee. "But, I thought they collected all the freaks."

"Yeah, for the most part. Which brings me to the other eight bodies."

"Oh, right. What about them?"

Two ambulances pull up behind the police car blockcade in a screeching halt. No sooner do they stop do the back doors to the vehicles fly open, and paramedics jump out onto the street. They drop stretchers to the ground and push them to the door of the bar. As they get close to the building, policemen bring out many bodies, each zipped up tightly in a air tight body bag.

The policemen help the paramedics put bodies onto the stretchers, placing the blue bags onto the clean white mobile beds. The paramedics quickly rush the bodies back to the ambulances, pushing their carts quickly to their convoys.

The young policeman sitting next to Detective Alvarez on the car watches as the bodies are brought out into the open, and stares in shock. In the year and a half he has worked for the NYPD, he has never seen such chaos.

"Death by virus." Alvarez says. "It's Kaine."

"Kaine?"

"Crazy nut. Thinks he rules this town." Alvarez breathes out a long sigh in the cool morning air. "Just like every other freak in this city."

"Oh, that mark, right? The virus that gives anyone exposed a familiar mark as is eats away at their tissues, right?"

"Yep. That's the virus." Alvarez frowns. He pushes himself up to a stand, and begins walking away back toward the building. "I thought I found someone who could stop this. I thought I had found someone to finish this." He sneers, shoving his fingers in his pockets. "I guess I was wrong."

Queens

Kaine walks down the streets of the suburb casually. He is dressed in civilian clothes, wearing a black jacket over a dark brown shirt. But beneath his clothes he wears something else. The suit, the item of his redemption, his second chance, hugs to his skin tightly. It hides under his clothing like a parasite hides inside its host. With its miraculous abilities, it conceals Kaine's scar, the mark of his disease.

As Kaine walks down the street, walking on the clean sidewalk, he watches the cars pass him. As the metal vehicles pass, they leave a cool rush of wind in their midst. The wind blows through Kaine's hair, whipping its lochs all around.

Kaine smiles as he makes his way to his destination, his mind thinking of the plan he has predetermined in his mind. To Kaine, his last few weeks have been meaningless. Filled with the question of, "what if?". As he ponders his regrets, he can't help but feel the pain of what could have been. But this pain doesn't stay with him for long. His internal agony soon turns to another emotion. One more dangerous and uncontrolable. Rage.

"Seven Months." Kaine says with a growl. "Twenty eight weeks. A hundred and ninety six days. This is the time I've wasted. Time I've spent reveling in my new found power. I've wasted so much time. Time that I may never get again." Kaine frowns as he turns a corner, continuing on his trek.

"Yes, I was close once. In all that time, only once was I close to doing something. When Ben arrived. Oh, how I wish I took his offer. Instead I took another deal. One that yeilded as much fruit as a thorn bush."

"I've been given a second chance! I wasted it! Used it for nothing! I've gained no ground, no power, no nothing since I got this thing. Therefore, it's been a waste. What would Miles say? What would he do had he known I've spent my time doing nothing?" Kaine suddenly smiles, a heinous expression coming across his face.

"I need to redeem myself. Somewhere he's watching me, somewhere in the other life he sees me now. I know what he'd want. I know what he'd do were he alive."

Kaine laughs, his teeth glistening in the sunlight. A loud bell pierces the air with its ring. The sounds of many disgruntled people follow its alarm, moaning and groaning with disappointment and unhappiness. Kaine stops in his tracks, staring straight a head at his destination.

"What else can one do when he's been wronged?" Kaine chuckles. "Simple. Get revenge." Kaine shakes his head as he walks forward, crossing the empty street to the building straight ahead. "Attention, Midtown High School. There's about to be an alarm set off. And it won't be a drill."

As Kaine steps onto the sidewalk on the other side of the street, he watches the students quickly move through the doors to continue their monotonous routine. One student at the end of the line turns back, looking to see what else there is to see before he enters the school.

To his surprise, he sees a man standing on the other side of the chain linked fence staring in at them as a cool wind blows down the street. To the child's surprise, the man looks familiar, resembling someone he knows very well.

"Parker?" The student asks.

"Come on, Kong!" Another kid yells, grabbing the overweight teen by his shirt and pulling him inside. "If we're late for homeroom again Ms. Spencer will have our heads!"

The two kids enter the school and the doors close, locking shut as they fall into place. Kaine continues to stare at the doors, smiling evily as he begins to execute his plan.

"No, kid. Not Parker." He says as his smile grows wider. "Disaster."

[Feature]

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/4545/zdandmanjc8.jpg
FLINT MARKO: THE SANDMAN
Season V - Prologue


Mr. Baker,
This is your daughter.

Flint Marko stared at the photograph of Hammerhead and the child, trying to force his brain into understanding. It had been over a month since Flint had recieved the picture, and each day he stared at it longer...

"Whatcha doin', big guy?"

As Sharon Carter entered the room, Flint quickly dropped the photo to the floor. It fluttered down and swooped silently under the bed on which Flint sat.

Sharon looked amazing. Silk pajamas, freshly showered, hair heavy with moisture... she crawled across the matress on all fours and planted a kiss on Flint that was anything but innocent. She began to to kiss his neck... his collarbone... his chest...

"Sharon... stop."

She looked up at him, confused.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just--"

"They're all out. The rest of the team... all of them. Felicia went with Johnny to his audition and Forge took the newbies on a routine bust. You know what that means?"

"Johnny's ego will be severely damaged when he gets back?"

She smiled faintly and looked at Flint through lowered eyes. She was all eroticism.

"It means we're alone."

She threw her arms around him and kissed him passionately, her body pressing hard against his.

"Sharon... Sharon... just... just hang on... just a sec..."

Flint finally untangled himself and put his hands up in a defensive gesture.

"What, Flint? What now?"

Sharon was no longer confused. She was angry.

"Sharon, I... I'm just not feeling good tonight."

Sharon sat there for a moment, expressionless, then got up and began to walk out of the room.

"Hey! Sharon... come back!"

"Seems like you haven't been feeling good many nights lately..."

"What did you say?"

Sharon turned around and sighed with frustration.

"What is it, Flint? What the hell is going on with you? If I did something to... to upset you or... well... just tell me! Just say so!"

"What?"

"For the past month or so you've been so damn cold and... strange! I've tried to bring it up, but you just shut me down!"

"Sharon--"

"I can't go on like this, Flint. I won't. So if you don't want this anymore... if you don't want me... then dammit, be a man and say so!"

Flint hung his head, sullen.

"It's not that... it's nothing like that..."

"Then what is it?"

Flint did not reply. He did not raise his head to make eye contact. Sharon sighed and moved to the door, where she paused.

"You're the best man I've ever met, Flint... now start acting like it."

Sharon left the room, he footsteps echoing through the empty underground compound. Flint sat corpse-still for a moment after she left, then he dug the photograph out from under the bed and stared at it.

Mr. Baker,
This is your daughter.

[Venom160]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/Angel2.jpg

One month later.......

I stand silently in the middle of the danger room letting the silence of the cavernous room flood my senses. Ever sense Sinister's attack on the mansion professor Xavier has kept a strict tabs on where we go, almost too strict for my tastes. Ali and I talked about it and decided to hold off talking to my father about Fallen and the wedding until thing cool down here. Needless to say im starting to feel alittle caged. So that brings us to here, in the one room Iv spent the most time in this last month.

"Computer activate program "Fallen Angel"."

*Fallen Angel program activating*

The Danger Room shimmers than changes into a shattered version of New York. I slowly start scanning the skies search for my prey.

"Come on where are you......."

Out of the corner of my eye I spot a glimpse of bat wings. Without hesitation I open my wings and push off with all my strength rocketing me into the sky.http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/Angel2.jpg

I breathless over the beat and broken holographic body of Fallen. I close my eyes and concentrate on lowering my heartbeat back to a normal pace.

*Program halted, codename Nightcrawler entering Danger Room*

A square of light appears out of thin air and Kurt walks in.

"Hey Varren....."

He trails off when he sees Fallen's body.

"Am I interrupting cause I can come back later."

"Nah Kurt it's cool. Danger Room shutdown."

The destroyed New York vanishes bringing us back to the large empty space.

"So whats going on pal?"

Kurt shrugs as we walk out of the Danger Room and head towards the elevator.

"Just alittle bored. Bobby challenged Pyro to a Halo tournament, they've currently at ze three hour mark. Kitty is hardly here anymore. Storm told me that shes really vorried about Beast, she thinking about leaving the school to go look for him. Not to mention you and Ali being so closed off from ze rest of us sense you proposed."

I freeze in my tracks.

"How did you......"

Kurt grins.

"Come on Varren give me some credit. I saw ze ring on her finger, not to mention that shes been sleeping in your room with you sense you guys got back from your fazer's house."

Im quiet for several minutes. Kurt must've read my mind cause he lets out a laugh.

"Not to vorry my friend, you secrets' safe wit me. I just vish you vould've told us."

"We're afraid that the Professor would try and stops us."

Kurt nodes his head as we enter the elevator that leads out of the sub-basement.

"I vouldnt be surprised concitering the way ze Professor is acting."

"Have you heard any word from Colossus?"

Kurt's shoulders fall at the mention of Piotr's name.

"Nozing."

The elevator door open onto the main floor.

"Ha I told you! Your no match for me!"

"Hell no you ****ing cheated!"

"You just aint got no skill."

Pyro looks up as we enter the tv room.

"Yo War, Kurt come join the fun. I got fifty that says I can beat all ya'll!"

Bobby pulls out whatever cash in his pocket.

"I got twenty."

"I got thirty."

I still wearing my uniform so I didnt have any cash on me.

"Im good for sixty."

Pyro smiles as he throws us acouple game controls.

"Easiest money I'll ever make."

[guitarsingerguy]

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d18/bld182/darkhawkbanner.jpg

”Look, when can I go home?”

“Home? What home would that be? The house you grew up in with your family or the abandoned warehouse you’ve been sleeping in?”

Chris cringes at the mention of his family. It seems that after all this time he’d be able to forgive himself.

“It doesn’t really matter Chris. Neither of those places is there any more.”

The statement hits Chris like a ton of bricks.

”What are you talking about?”

“It’s sheer luck you were here really. You were so careless when hunting down that girl’s abductor that we brought you here until we could decide what to do with you. Approximately one month ago, an energy beam struck New York killing nearly 6,000 people. Both the home you grew up in and the warehouse you were currently residing were within the blast radius. Had you been there, your body would have been incinerated and along with it, the Darkhawk crystals.”

”I…I don’t believe you.”

“Humans…you always think you’re being deceived. Very well. We’ll send you back for one day. Within that time, we will finish our calculations and make a final decision of what to do with you. You have 24 hours Chris Powell. May we suggest you use what you see to steel yourself? There is much more to come.”

In a flash of blinding light, Chris Powell is gone.

[SenseiofCheese]

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/thingsk7.jpg

Ben gets up off the floor as Sue bolts out of Reed's room and heading for the door, hardly noticing the charred remains of their couch. Fantasticouch, Ben called it.

"Hey, Suzie, I'm gonna head ou-" Ben calls to Sue, but she cuts him off before he can finish.

"Sorry, what? I'm gonna head out and look for Johnny, won't be long. Keep Reed company." she says absent-mindedly, before grabbing her coat and slamming the door behind her.

"Right, see ya later." Ben mutters to himself as he takes a few steps over to the coat-rack. Pulling his extra-extra large trenchcoat and hat off the stand he shouts in the direction of Reed's room. " 'ey Stretch! I'm headin' out fer a few. Be back later. Toodles."

His words are met with unenthusiastic mumbles from Richards, as he carefully closes the door behind him but still almost ripping it off it's hinges.

---

When first returning out in to public, Ben had worn his disguise so as to now frighten the people walking the streets. His appearance often caused people to gasp and stare, if not run in the opposite direction. After the Fantastic Four had become one of the world's most famous superheroes, he found himself needing to hide his looks so that people wouldn't flock around him and yell at him for an autograph. Any attempts he had made to be civil and sign his name on pieces of papers always ended in broken pens and embarrassment.

As he walked down a relatively quiet street in New York City, not even the light-brown trenchcoat and large hat that shielded his face from plain view managed to save him from a few curious glances from the people he met. Every look he got, be it filled with fear or even adoration, made Ben feel like a performing monkey in a circus show, and he hated it.

Finally, after walking for a good half hour, Ben came upon the building he had visited many times for the last year. He still hadn't told Reed or Sue about where he kept disappearing off to, and he would rather dress in a pink, fluffy dress than tell Johnny. As the previous times, Ben walked past the main entrance and when he was certain nobody would catch him, sidestepped into the dark alleyway between his building and the next. A rather large door was situated on the side of the building, a door built especially to accommodate to his body. Ben pushed the door open and stepped inside, greeted by bright lights hanging overhead.

Walking through barren corridors for a few minutes, corridors that seemed like a never-ending maze with eternal twists and turns, steps and stairs, Ben finally arrived at a nondescript wooden door. Tapping it lightly, which still resulted in the door shaking with force, Ben waited until a small-statured woman with glasses pried the door open.

Looking up at him, the small woman smiled warmly. "Oh, Mr. Grimm! Lovely to see you again, please come in!"

The woman stepped aside and motioned Ben to enter. He sidestepped carefully through the door-frame, watching not to break off a piece of the wall like the last time he had visited. When he was safely inside, he removed his hat and trenchcoat, which the woman gladly took from him and hung up on a coat-rack. "Hey Lizzy, the Doc in?"

"He's in his office. It's okay, go right on in. He's expecting you." the receptionist chuckled as she sat herself down into her chair and began tapping on a keyboard.

Ben returned her smile and walked over to a second door, identical to the previous one. Again Ben gently knocked and this time he was beckoned inside by a voice on the other end.

Ben entered the peacefully decorated office, where there was no shortage of books, diplomas and plants. "Hey, Doc."

"Oh, hello Ben. Please, have a seat. And how many times do I have to tell you," the psychiatrist said as he gave Ben a jokingly reprimanding look.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/160531-doc-samson_400.gif

"..call me Leonard."

[Mr. Marko]

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/716/geldoffmr8.jpg

Geldoff, Elixir, and a Japanese girl code-named Surge stood in a long concrete bunker. There were various wooden cut-outs of various people, cars, and other street materials.

"Alright, here's the deal. Surge is going to take a reading on your abilities while you show us what you've got."

Geldoff smiled. "So...you just want me to use my ability? On what?"

Elixir smiled. "I don't particularly care, my friend. We've got plenty more wooden people."

Geldoff was getting the sense that Elixir was some sort of leader among the students at Xorn's safehouse. That was what they called it, a safehouse. Apparently, every single student in the New Mutants was once like Geldoff, abandoned on the street. It was Xorn who gave them a home and a hope to achieve this realization of the world. All the Buddhist crap was useless to Geldoff, but he liked a roof over his head again.

"Hang on, I just have to calibrate the settings on this thing." Surge tapped on a small device in her hand, then turned back to Geldoff and Elixir. "Alright, I'm ready."

Geldoff faced the cut-out street with a large grin on his face. "You may want to stand back." He held out a hand and focused on a large cut-out moving truck. In a split second, the truck exploded violently, sending pieces of wood splinters flying towards the three.

http://image.comicvine.com/uploads/item/41000/40509/179211-surge_400.jpg
Instantly, Surge lifted up her hand and electric sparks fried the splinters in an attempt to protect them. "Ahhhh!" She fell to the ground hard as a large splinter jabbed into her left shoulder. "Oh God!"

Elixir laid her down flat on the ground. "Hang on, Noriko. You'll be better in no time." He ripped the piece of wood out of her and pressed his hands on the wound.

http://image.comicvine.com/uploads/item/5000/4552/59859-elixir_400.gif
Suddenly, a bright light blasted from his hands and her wound, and when the light faded, her leg was completely healed. He smiled at her and grabbed her hand to help her up. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah, thanks. We really need a new safety procaution in here. I don't like going through pain as often as I do." She then turned back to the device she was holding. "Holy s***! These are the strangest readings I have ever seen! I'm going to have to taken them into my lab to read them more thoroughly." With that she walked away from Geldoff and Elixir.

Elixir smiled. "She gets like that sometimes. Consumed with science, that one."

Geldoff stared at him. "You heal?"

Elixir laughed. "Yeah, and its a good thing too! One time, one of the Stepfords got zapped by Surge and it stopped her heart. Phoebe, I think. Or Celeste. Maybe it was Mindee. Anyways, if I wasn't here, they'd be twins instead of triplets!"

"And Surge...she..."

"Controls electricity. She wears those gloves so she can control her power better. Working with technology all the time isn't the best thing for someone who accidently is surging electricity through their fingertips."

"I suppose not...and your teacher?"

"Xorn? He's mainly telepathic, like that bum Charles Xavier. The difference is that Xorn has enough decency to keep out of the minds of his students. He also has a little bit of gravity manipulation going on there."

"Then why the mask?"
"Mainly has to do with the fact that his head is a concentrated gravitational energy field. That helmet is the only thing protecting everything around him from getting sucked into the Buddhist little head of his."


Geldoff rubbed his head. "This is all very strange. I think I will go and lie down for a while."

[Charlie No-One]

The place was crowded. Sweaty warm bodies, jammed packed together, all moving in synchrony. They were all part of one extensive machine. Without one element, the others would fall apart. The party was one with the quick rhythm and rapid beat. Wanda’s favorite song was playing. With a catchy chorus, and a fast paced hook, the music pulsated through her.

I just can't get you out of my head
Boy your loving is all I think about
I just can't get you out of my head
Boy it's more than I dare to think about

Wanda moved across the dance floor, shaking her hips with the music. A small group of people were crowded around the bar in front of her. Bent over, one of the mutants moved his face from one side to the other, snorting a thin line of powder with each movement. The ebony haired woman backed away. If S.H.I.E.L.D. found out her and Pietro were here, they would be done for. This place was everything the Ultimates wasn’t. Being ex-terrorists, they were already on thin ice.

Just as she was about to walk away, something caught her eye. On the far side of the bar, there was a man in a dark trim leather jacket. Where the jacket opened, a tight gray shirt accented his impressive six-pack. His cheek bones were square and well defined. His biceps, bulging out of the thin leather coat, were remarkable. The scruffy chiseled face of his was strikingly familiar. His eyes were hidden in shadow. Who could he be? Wanda couldn’t help but be drawn to him. Something was there, underneath her skin, yearning to approach him. They had met before. She was sure of it. The when, where, and who were totally obscure.

The enchantment grew every second. She was in a complete trance. Everything he did was so…sexy. The way he seemed to be scanning the crowd beneath the shadows. The certain fashion he drew upon his slick bottle of beer. Damn, what has come over me? As a spotlight moved across the bar, a single pair of ruby sunglasses gave away the man’s mysterious identity.

Wanda slowly walked forward, preparing herself. Ever since they had met in the Savage Lands, Wanda nursed a small crush on the X-Man known as Cyclops. He was strong, good looking, and compassionate. Just the kind of man the Scarlet Witch was attracted to. Leaders ran in her family. What could she say?

“I wouldn’t expect to see someone like you…” she began, grabbing his bottle of beer out of his hands. “…in a place like this.”

She grinned as she took a sip from the bottle, the loud thump of the music ringing behind her.

[Eddie Brock]

"Hey, Torch, there's a hot blonde here to see you!"

I look up to see Morty yelling over the noise of the music. After my blowout with Kate, I decided to come back to Morty's club. It's a hotspot that I visit every now and then. He lets me in since I'm famous, but he won't serve me any alcohol. Truthfully, I'm not sure I even want any.

"Send her over!" I smile. I'm faking it, but no one will ever know. Kate's words really got to me, and I find myself replaying them over in my head. However, I spend so much time in the spotlight that I can pretend to be happy and carefree no matter what. Everyone thinks that Johnny Storm doesn't care about anything, but they only judge me from my outer appearance.

Morty steps aside and Sue steps out.

"Morty, that's my sister, genius!"

Morty does a double-take. "Wait...you're the Invisible Woman?" he asks incredulously.

"What do you want, Sue?" I ask abruptly.

"I came to see if you're done being immature," she explains harshly.

I roll my eyes. "How did you even know how to find me?"

"Well, it's not like I had to go search at the library," she replies sarcastically. "Let's go."

I fold my arms indignantly. "I'm not going anywhere," I announce. Sue always thinks she's the boss of me. Well, I'll show her.

Sue turns to Morty. "You know that he's not 21, right?" she asks. Morty nods sheepishly. "Then you know I can have you closed down if I go talk to the cops?"

Morty turns to me with apologetic eyes. "You should listen to your sister, dude."

I can't believe that. Morty just sold me out. I throw my money down on the table and follow behind Sue angrily. Right before I exit, Morty puts a hand on my shoulder and stops me.

"You think you could set me up with your sister?"

I stare at him like I'm going to kill him. I can't believe that he wants me to set him up after that pathetic show of his. I increase the temperature of my shoulder just enough to lightly burn his hand. He jumps back slightly when he feels it.

"Is that a 'no?'" Morty calls out to me as I exit.

I stop and turn back. "More like a 'Hell no.'"

[Byrd Man]

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/TheRiderIsComing/gr2dy5.png




Rodeo Drive

Felicia has her arm wrapped around my left arm as we walk down the busy sidewalks of Beverly Hills' most popular shopping area.

"So, this is Beverly Hills....where's the hillbillys? Or where are those folks from Melrose Place?"

"Johnny, you sound like a total hick."

"Well, I am from Texas."

"Only two things come from Texas, steers and queers. I don't see no horns, so what are ya?"

She playfully pokes me in the ribs as I grab her shoulders.

"You think I'm gay? After what we did last night?"

Before she can answer, a chubby black haired woman pushes us out the way.

"Get out my way, ya'll!"

Cat and I exchange glances, we recognize that voice.

"Are you?"

"Yeah, I'm Brittany Spears! God, ya'll!"

She turns to leave, but a voice that isn't my own starts to speak through my mouth.

"Brittany Spears...."

"...yes..."

"You have two children, both of whom you ignore for a wild life style. You are leading a life full of sin. I've seen things that you've done...."

"Oh god..."

"No...I'm not god. I'm the farthest you can get from it. You will change your ways..or we will meet again..."

My eyes fade back to their normal blue, she turns on her heels and runs as fast as she can away from Cat and I.

"What the hell was that?"

"Zarathos. He didn't go all flamey, but he took over and used a bit of that Pennance Stare."

"Well, whatever it was. It was cool."

"I know. I think Z just saved Brittany Spears' music career."

No, Blaze. I did it for fun, I hate her music. I'm more of an Elvis fan.

How do you know what her music sounds like?

I share your thoughts and memories, remember?

That's right. You know, I find it creepy that you can look back at my life like it's a movie.

What's this memory involving Becky, the hunchback girl from your hometown?

Shutting up now.

[Jono Starsmore]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/Treyzee/CykeBanner-1.jpg

As Scott continued to observe the surroundings of the club, he turned to notice a figure, clad in a red mini-dress, approaching him through the fog. He also watched as each male she passed dropped their jaws in awe of such a symetrical form. As she moved closer, her identity was recognized. Scott had to admit, she was rather seductive.

Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch.

Scott had crossed path's with her before. Back when the X-Men were first recruited, Scott abandoned them after questioning Xavier's motives. Travelling to Genosha, he joined the Brotherhood, led by Magneto himself. Magnus saw him as a potential heir, and instigated a relationship between him and Wanda. Scott refused the offer of course, realizing his loyalty was with the X-Men. Still, Scott tended to be skeptical of Xavier's decisions at times. Even the greatest minds can be blinded by their own dreams. Supposedly, Wanda and her brother, Pietro, have collaborated with Fury's array of heroes he finds useful: The Ultimates. One couldn't help to wonder why they were here on this night. It wasn't official business, that's for sure.

“I wouldn’t expect to see someone like you…” she began, grabbing his bottle of beer out of his hands. “…in a place like this.”

"Well I'm definitely not here for my own enjoyment, Wanda.", Scott said, smirking slightly as he ordered another beer. Might as well go along with the whole flirting at the bar thing..it diverted attention. Plus, an old, rather unhealthy looking man who was sitting adjacent to the two had already seemed skeptical of Scott. He assumed it was the shades.

Catching a blurred apparition to his left, he watched as Pietro Maximoff whisked through the crowd, showing off, as usual. There was no doubt in Scott's mind that the ivory haired mutant was going to be there, clinging to his sisters side. He was obviously begging for attention, and that's something you didn't want in a place like this. Wanda, however, could prove a useful ally in what was to come, even though Cyclops had the communicator sewn in his fingerless glove.

"..And keep your brother on a leash for a while. Things are going to heat up soon."

And with that said, the doors of the establishment slammed open, as a trio of suited men strode through. The cluster of dancers and druggies parted like the Nile. Two of the men were obviously bodyguards, the man in the middle was slightly built, with a balding hairline. All were armed with metal cases. Then, Scott realized: this was a weapons deal. Each case was shaped differently, and thick in size. They entered the V.I.P. room after travelling up a long curled staircase.

Whether it was intuition or not, Scott knew that wasn't the only back-up this guy had. He could bet money that there was a suburban outside, packed with armed men, ready to raid this place if anything went wrong. The mysterious "Dr. Hyde" had a history of making bad deals, but always won. He, and his band of mutant criminals controlled this place. Scott was expecting a massacre now; and he needed a plan. Too many innocent people's lives were at stake to allow a war, between man and mutant, commence in such a place. It would be catastrophic. The extractable visor was snug within his jacket. It was a thinner, lighter model. Scott could only hope that things would not get out of hand.

[Catman_prb]

Reed Richards

Reed tapped away at his laptop, looking at the crime reports of anything that may have been connected to Kaine. Lots of homicide reports, and then some of the photos that Detective Alvarez had given him. He scanned a toxology analysis of the virus that had been found, comparing any results found to all known poisons and diseases. Then an idea struck him. He got a large map of New York out of one of his draws and layed it out on his bed. He got some thumb tacks, and placed them on each site of attack. He gasped, and ran out into the lounge.

"I've got it, I've got it! I know where-" it was several seconds before he realised he was alone in the apartment. He sighed, grabbed his coat and walked out of the flat, locking it behind him.

[Harlekin]

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/3240/logozu5.gif
THE BLACK KNIGHT'S TALE: PART I

“Get him!”

Shots ring through the air.

<BLAM!>

<BLAM!>

<BLAM!>

An explosion is heard.

Emerging from the fiery remains of the drug cartel’s hideout is the Black Knight, the roar of his motorcycle nearly droning out the sounds of gunfire. The Knight is smiling as he leaves behind him the blazing building. The flames still lick at his leather jacket. Turning his bike, dubbed ‘Strider’, the Black Knight comes to a screeching halt, facing the burning lair of the criminals.

Bullets zip past him.

Touching a button on his watch, the Knight activates the energy shield built into it, protecting his torso and upper legs. The bullets that follow are rendered ineffective by the shield, becoming inert upon impact with the energy field. The Black Knight watches as figures appear from the fire, aiming their guns at him.

There is fear in their eyes, but he stares at them undeterred.

“Him! A thousand dollars for the man that brings me his head!” one of the men frantically shouts.

The Knight smiles as he revs the engine of his motorcycle. Slightly intimidated, the criminals take a step back, but their leader encourages them into action with the typical death threats. Strider roars as the Knight races towards them, unclasping his prize weapon from his belt. With a strange, whirring sound, energy springs from the cylinder in the Knight’s hand, and effortlessly, the hero cleaves his enemies’ guns in half with his energy sabre as he rides past them.

All but the leader run. He lets them.

The Knight stops just before the drugboss.

The man whimpers. Pleads.

<POW!>

With a single hit of his leather glove covered hand, the Knight knocks out his opponent.

Throwing him over the back of his cycle, the Knight rides again, back into the night.

[Charlie No-One]

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/9941/witchjv9.jpg


Wanda surveyed the group of formidable men walking through Club Typhoid’s doors. Upon their entrance, the entire complex had such down. The music stopped, the dancing stopped, the people stopped. The machine literally stopped production. These men had some kind of power, some kind of fearful grasp, over the mutants here. Wanda had never seen any of them before, but by the looks on Cyclops’s face, he had.

“Ah, so that’s why you’re here,” she hissed seductively. “Pity, I thought I’d get at least one dance out of you.”

She took another swig from her newly acquired beer. A normal night on the town was ruined. Wanda obviously couldn’t have the kind of fun she imagined when a weapon’s deal was about to go down in her favorite club. Pietro nudged her.

“Wanda, may I have a word with you?” His voice was quivering with impatience and irritation.

The Scarlet Witch shot her brother a murderous look before turning to Cyclops.

“Scott, will you excuse me for a second?”

As her brother led her to a small set of chairs near the entrance, Wanda made her annoyance known.

“What’s wrong with you? Can’t you keep your jealousy in check for one moment?”

“Cyclops is here for those guys upstairs. Let’s not mix with the X-Men. We’ve never held good relations with them before; I don’t think that will change now.”

He was already making his way to the door. That is what killed Wanda. His need to be in control, his need to tell others what to do. To him, his sister was the sheep and him the shepard. When it came down to it, in his eyes, her opinion held little weight.

“No, Pietro. I am staying. You can’t just leave when someone like that man upstairs comes in. Do you realize what will happen? This will reach violence real quick. You want to be responsible for the deaths of all these people because you want to leave?”

“Wanda, Cyclops can take care of it. Let’s go. Now.”

“You just don’t trust him.”

“No-“

“And why is that? Is it because I like him? Or is it because he never showed any interest in you, my darling brother?” Her voice, vicious and sarcastic, was beginning to grow louder. They were beginning to attract the attention of a few nearby party goers. Suddenly the music came back on and the club members slowly resumed their previous actions. Wanda rolled her eyes, giving up this dead end fight with her brother, and turned to go back to Cyclops.

[Jono Starsmore]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/Treyzee/CykeBanner-1.jpg

The music started up again as the men entered the room upstairs, which was tinted to the darkest hue. Two guards remained at the door, while other's were stationed at different points of the club. Both men had a back-up plan...and if anything went wrong, it would be an all out war.

“Ah, so that’s why you’re here,” she hissed seductively. “Pity, I thought I’d get at least one dance out of you.”

That was the thing about Wanda. She had always been infatuated with him. He knew it, Pietro knew it, and Magnus knew it. Of course, there was also the fact that she and her brother condoned in an incestuous relationship, which was odd to say the least.

Scott looked up to see Pietro glaring at him, before distracting his sister.

“Scott, will you excuse me for a second?”

He raised his beer as if to say "Okay" as the two walked off. Pietro wasn't happy, obviously, and wanted to leave. It wasn't surprising to Scott at all. Even in the midst of danger or sorrow, jealousy can bring out the worst in us all.

Suddenly, even with the loud music pulsating through the club, there was a blood curdling scream, coming from the room upstairs. Jesus Christ...already?

Expecting to see the guards rush into the room after the noise...they did nothing. All they did was stand there with a menacing grin on their faces.

CRRRAAASHH!

Shards of glass rained on the patrons of the club as the three men were thrown through the window of the room. Scott, however, had already slid over the bartop to avoid the razor sharp projectiles, pulling Wanda with him. He knew she could take care of herself, but now that she was presumably an ally, his uncanny leadership intuition came into play; and that was to watch his team's back. He could hear the screams of people on the dance floor, who were probably severely injured.

"Wanda, you and Pietro take care of the guards on the lower level. I'm going to try and get up to Hyde. And be on the look out fo--"

His sentence was cut short as the doors of the club flew open once again, as a militia of armed men ran inside, unloading clips into whatever living thing that happened to be in their way. Mutants began morphing, leaping in their direction, only to sprayed with bullets.

Exchanging his glasses with his visor, Scott peered over the countertop, watching as three of the men were grabbed by a tentacle, and lifted up into the air. A Medusa-esque woman held them, screaming as she squeezed the life of them; blood squirting from their eyes.


"Jesus Christ..."

He looked over to Wanda, "I hope Fury taught you some new tricks."

[Eddie Brock]

http://www.samruby.com/Heroes/BlackCat/BlCatLogo.gif

I look around at all the stores on Rodeo Drive. I simply must be in Heaven. I turn to Johnny with a smile.

"You think you can stay out of trouble for an hour or two?" I ask.

Johnny arches his eyebrow. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well, if I'm going to be rubbing elbows with Hollywood's elite, I'm going to need a more fashionable wardrobe," I explain.

"So you want to shop?" he asks bluntly. Johnny always likes getting to the point.

"Would you mind?"

Johnny shrugs.

I check my pockets when I come to a sudden realization. "Man, I forgot to bring my credit cards..."

I then look at Johnny with suggestive eyes.

"Oh no, you don't!" he protests.

I lean in closer. "I'll tell you what - if you let me borrow your credit card, I'll make sure to buy something nice and silky for later," I promise. I then wink at Johnny with a big smile on my face.

Johnny sighs. "Don't spend too much. This Thunderbolt gig doesn't pay that well."

I kiss Johnny on the cheek as I take the credit card from his hand.

"You won't regret this, honey."

[Eddie Brock]

"I really can't believe you sometimes, Johnny!" Sue exclaims once we're in the street. She's walking so fast that I nearly have to jog to keep up. Suddenly, she stops and turns around. She stares at me angrily while asking, "Do you have any concept of how insensitive you are?"

I shrug - just to piss her off. Sure enough, it works. I know her buttons so well, and I get such a primal satisfaction from pushing them. I think it's ingrained in the DNA of siblings.

"I hope you enjoyed your little interview because you are not going out for a long time!" she shouts.

"I'm sorry. You don't look like Dad to me," I respond indignantly.

Sue walks right up to me and gets in my face. "You think Dad would approve of this behavior? Mark my words - once I fill him in---"

Without warning, the street shakes violently. Sue stops her rant and looks around. I, too, am curious as to the cause of the disturbance. Suddenly, the ground trembles again.

"What the Hell?" I ask aloud.

Without looking at me, Sue reprimands, "Johnny, you know I hate it when you use that kind of language."

"Johnny, you know I hate it when you blah, blah, blah," I mock in my most annoying imitation of Sue. I pay extra attention to make sure that my voice is nasally and everything. That really gets her.

Sue turns to me with fire in her eyes. She opens her mouth to retaliate.

"Sue, look out!" I yell while pointing behind her.

Sue turns to see a sedan flying at her head. She acts instinctively, throwing up a force field to protect herself. She looks back at me, and her anger has been replaced with confusion.

I watch as a dark figure jumps down and slams into the street. The buildings around us rattle upon impact. Sue and I stand defensively as the figure walks out from the shadows. When it gets under a streetlight, Sue and I both stare in disbelief.

http://image.comicvine.com/uploads/item/8000/7776/153718-stegron_400.jpeg

"What the Hell?" Sue exclaims.

I smirk. "What happened to--"

"Not now, Johnny!" Sue interjects.

The creature roars at us, and I can tell that it's not friendly. Sue doesn't even need to say anything - I've already flamed on.

"What about Ben and Reed?" I ask as I take the skies.

Sue shakes her head. "There isn't time," she explains.

I nod understandingly. "Just you and me, then."

[Venom160]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/Treyzee/CykeBanner-1.jpg

The music started up again as the men entered the room upstairs, which was tinted to the darkest hue. Two guards remained at the door, while other's were stationed at different points of the club. Both men had a back-up plan...and if anything went wrong, it would be an all out war.

“Ah, so that’s why you’re here,” she hissed seductively. “Pity, I thought I’d get at least one dance out of you.”

That was the thing about Wanda. She had always been infatuated with him. He knew it, Pietro knew it, and Magnus knew it. Of course, there was also the fact that she and her brother condoned in an incestuous relationship, which was odd to say the least.

Scott looked up to see Pietro glaring at him, before distracting his sister.

“Scott, will you excuse me for a second?”

He raised his beer as if to say "Okay" as the two walked off. Pietro wasn't happy, obviously, and wanted to leave. It wasn't surprising to Scott at all. Even in the midst of danger or sorrow, jealousy can bring out the worst in us all.

Suddenly, even with the loud music pulsating through the club, there was a blood curdling scream, coming from the room upstairs. Jesus Christ...already?

Expecting to see the guards rush into the room after the noise...they did nothing. All they did was stand there with a menacing grin on their faces.

CRRRAAASHH!

Shards of glass rained on the patrons of the club as the three men were thrown through the window of the room. Scott, however, had already slid over the bartop to avoid the razor sharp projectiles, pulling Wanda with him. He knew she could take care of herself, but now that she was presumably an ally, his uncanny leadership intuition came into play; and that was to watch his team's back. He could hear the screams of people on the dance floor, who were probably severely injured.

"Wanda, you and Pietro take care of the guards on the lower level. I'm going to try and get up to Hyde. And be on the look out fo--"

His sentence was cut short as the doors of the club flew open once again, as a militia of armed men ran inside, unloading clips into whatever living thing that happened to be in their way. Mutants began morphing, leaping in their direction, only to sprayed with bullets.

Exchanging his glasses with his visor, Scott peered over the countertop, watching as three of the men were grabbed by a tentacle, and lifted up into the air. A Medusa-esque woman held them, screaming as she squeezed the life of them; blood squirting from their eyes.


"Jesus Christ..."

He looked over to Wanda, "I hope Fury taught you some new tricks."http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/quicksilverkh6.jpg

Chaos insues in the club as my fellow mutants are pilferated before my very eyes. My hands ball into fists I take tabs on the locations of the gunmen.

Pathetic little apes.....

Within a blink of an eye I weave my way the terrified crowd towards the line of armed apes. Within seconds I took their weapons and stash them away save for a single AK-47. I come to an abrupt stop in front of them, taking great pleasure in seeing their confused faces.

"Boo."

I pull the trigger spraying a hail of bullets into these pathetic pieces of life. I finally ease up when the final creep falls. I disgard the empty weapon and turn back to my sister and Summers, his disapproval clear even through his vizor.

"Whats the matter Summers? Don't like how we Ultimates play? Might aswell go back to Uncle Charles' little mansion and let the professionals take care of this."

[SenseiofCheese]

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/thingsk7.jpg

Ben squirms uncomfortably in the lime-green sofa built especially for him. He had been coming here for the last few months, and although at the beginning the proud New Yorker in him wouldn't let him admit it, Ben found it to be quite helpful.

"So, Ben, how have you been since we last met?" Leonard Samson asks as he takes a seat opposite from Ben.

"Good, good. I've been good." Ben answers, avoiding eye contact with the Doc. When he finally looks at him, Ben is greeted by a man with a raised eyebrow and an understanding smile. Ben chuckles nervously and rubs the back of his head. "Heh, okay. Maybe not so good."

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Leonard asks, pulling from out of his pocket and a pad of paper from the desk behind him.

"Well, ehm.." Ben says as he shrugs. "..just the usual, really. Not ta sound like a broken record, Doc."

The Doc smiles and nods. "It's okay, we'll talk about something else. How's the gang?"

"Oh, they're good. Yeah. Reed's drownin' himself in some science crap like usual. Suzie's good. And Johnny was actually on tha Leno show." Ben says, trying to hide the very small hint of pride in his voice.

"Yes, I saw that. How does that make you feel, Johnny going on TV like that?"

"Oh, you shoulda been a fly on tha wall when he came back home, Doc. Reed and Suzie tore him a new one. It was great." he says, laughing to himself.

The Doc laughs as well, as he jots something down with the pen, before looking up at Ben. "But you didn't really answer my question."

"Heh, right. Oh, ya know, I'm happy for him. He's a good kid, underneat' the cockiness." Ben can't help but smile a little.

The Doc nods. "That's great, Ben. Really. Most people wouldn't be, seeing how he treats you."

"Yeah..." Ben smiles nervously and his eyes wander around the room.

"How are things, between you and Johnny?" Leonard asks, finally breaking the silence.

"Oh, they're tha same, I guess. He takes shots at me, I do tha same."

Leonard Samson shifts in his seat, taking on a more serious demeanor. "You know, Ben, you've been coming here for a while now. We've made immeasurable progress since you're first visit. But your appearance still causes you psychological pain, and I feel that until you've accepted the way things are, Johnny mocking and insulting you is far from helpful."

Ben looks at Samson for a while, trying to decide whether or not to say what's on his mind. Finally, realizing he trusts him quite a bit, Ben chuckles before speaking up. "Ya know, Doc, it's a funny thing. Out of all da things that make me wanna roll up inta a little ball and die...Outta all da things that make me want to kill myself, Johnny isn't one a them." he says, noticing that the Doc looks confused, he continues. "Johnny, out of everyone in my life, treats me now exactly the same way he did before the accident. Before this." he says, motioning to his own body. "Everyone else...even Reed and Suzie, I lov'em, but even they sometime treat me like they're walkin' on broken eggshells. Most people treat me like what they see, The Thing. But Johnny...Johnny still treats me like I'm Ben Grimm." Ben looks up to see Doc Samson smiling, and he finds himself grinning as well.

"That's great. I guess I didn't think about it like that."

The two share a moment of silent satisfaction, both realizing a breakthrough has been made but neither willing to ruin the moment by stating it.
Suddenly the ground trembles slightly. Taking it for nothing more than a slight tremor, the Doc speaks up. "So, Ben. It's time for that status report we agreed you'd give me every session."

Again the ground trembles, this time the quake even stronger. Ben hesitates for a moment, but replies. "Yeah...." he says uncomfortably, again avoiding the doctor's gaze.

"How many times in the last two weeks have you attempted to take your own life?" Samson asks in a grave tone.

For a third time, the ground trembles. This tremor, a great deal more violent than the previous, garners both Ben's and Leonard's attention. The two look towards the window, before looking at each other. They exchange only eye contact, before Samson nods and simply says. "Go. Be a hero. I'll see you in two weeks."

Ben smiles and cracks his knuckles.

[Jono Starsmore]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/quicksilverkh6.jpg

Chaos insues in the club as my fellow mutants are pilferated before my very eyes. My hands ball into fists I take tabs on the locations of the gunmen.

Pathetic little apes.....

Within a blink of an eye I weave my way the terrified crowd towards the line of armed apes. Within seconds I took their weapons and stash them away save for a single AK-47. I come to an abrupt stop in front of them, taking great pleasure in seeing their confused faces.

"Boo."

I pull the trigger spraying a hail of bullets into these pathetic pieces of life. I finally ease up when the final creep falls. I disgard the empty weapon and turn back to my sister and Summers, his disapproval clear even through his vizor.

"Whats the matter Summers? Don't like how we Ultimates play? Might aswell go back to Uncle Charles' little mansion and let the professionals take care of this."

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/Treyzee/CykeBanner-1.jpg

Scott watched as Pietro disarmed the men, only to become what they were themselves...a murderer. He was quick, that's for sure, but he also knew that Fury would have his head for something like this.

"Yeah, Pietro. Great way to build your celebrity status. Wouldn't want to ruin that, now would we..?"

The guy obviously needed a psychological evaluation. But that was beside the point. Standing up, Cyclops brushed off some small particles of glass. All of this commotion made him forget about the main reason he came here..and that was to subdue the mutant known as Dr. Hyde.

Within an instant, Scott watched as the female mutant, who in his mind, he named Medusa, sliver behind Pietro ever so quickly yet so silently.

"****. Watch out!"

Scott brought his hand up to his visor, releasing a high powered blast of ruby in her direction. It connected, of course, sending the snake-like creature twisting and flailing in the air, before landing in a coiled position. Red smoke rose from the edges of his visor, the ambient energy pulsating from within.

"We're not done yet. I'm going to tr--"

His torso cracked as he was grabbed by what seemed to be a monsterous hand. Dr. Hyde. Should have known he would have secret passageways mapped through this place. As he was lifted, he came face to face with the rather disgusting mutant. He was large, that's for sure. His clothes were ripped as well. Scott couldn't move his arms either.

"CaN't ShOoT yOuR pReTtY lAsErS aNyMoRe, CaN yA'?!", he growled, before squeezing tighter.

Wincing, Scott replied, "Wrong....*******."

By pressing a mechanism on his glove, he released a full powered blast from his visor, directly into Hyde's face. He was released immediately as the brute flew backwards, into the various bottles of liquor, which then proceeded to fall and break on his head.

[Venom160]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/Treyzee/CykeBanner-1.jpg

Scott watched as Pietro disarmed the men, only to become what they were themselves...a murderer. He was quick, that's for sure, but he also knew that Fury would have his head for something like this.

"Yeah, Pietro. Great way to build your celebrity status. Wouldn't want to ruin that, now would we..?"

The guy obviously needed a psychological evaluation. But that was beside the point. Standing up, Cyclops brushed off some small particles of glass. All of this commotion made him forget about the main reason he came here..and that was to subdue the mutant known as Dr. Hyde.

Within an instant, Scott watched as the female mutant, who in his mind, he named Medusa, sliver behind Pietro ever so quickly yet so silently.

"****. Watch out!"

Scott brought his hand up to his visor, releasing a high powered blast of ruby in her direction. It connected, of course, sending the snake-like creature twisting and flailing in the air, before landing in a coiled position. Red smoke rose from the edges of his visor, the ambient energy pulsating from within.

"We're not done yet. I'm going to tr--"

His torso cracked as he was grabbed by what seemed to be a monsterous hand. Dr. Hyde. Should have known he would have secret passageways mapped through this place. As he was lifted, he came face to face with the rather disgusting mutant. He was large, that's for sure. His clothes were ripped as well. Scott couldn't move his arms either.

"CaN't ShOoT yOuR pReTtY lAsErS aNyMoRe, CaN yA'?!", he growled, before squeezing tighter.

Wincing, Scott replied, "Wrong....*******."

By pressing a mechanism on his glove, he released a full powered blast from his visor, directly into Hyde's face. He was released immediately as the brute flew backwards, into the various bottles of liquor, which then proceeded to fall and break on his head.http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/quicksilverkh6.jpg

I can't help but laugh at myself as I tie up the snake woman.

Summers you idiot, why the **** would I care what these apes think of me? They should just be thankful im on their side instead of......

I loud crash snaps me out of my thoughts. I look up and see a giant mutant standing by the bar, it's hands wrapped around Summers.

Ha damn fool, should've worried about himself instead of my image.

Summers fires a blast sending the mutant (Hyde I think Summers said) against the wall, several bottles smashing against his head. I turn to Wanda and see that her hands were glowing.

"Your handy work dear sister?"

She winks at me as I streak forward with a chair and smash it against Hyde's head.

[Gallagher]

"I really can't believe you sometimes, Johnny!" Sue exclaims once we're in the street. She's walking so fast that I nearly have to jog to keep up. Suddenly, she stops and turns around. She stares at me angrily while asking, "Do you have any concept of how insensitive you are?"

I shrug - just to piss her off. Sure enough, it works. I know her buttons so well, and I get such a primal satisfaction from pushing them. I think it's ingrained in the DNA of siblings.

"I hope you enjoyed your little interview because you are not going out for a long time!" she shouts.

"I'm sorry. You don't look like Dad to me," I respond indignantly.

Sue walks right up to me and gets in my face. "You think Dad would approve of this behavior? Mark my words - once I fill him in---"

Without warning, the street shakes violently. Sue stops her rant and looks around. I, too, am curious as to the cause of the disturbance. Suddenly, the ground trembles again.

"What the Hell?" I ask aloud.

Without looking at me, Sue reprimands, "Johnny, you know I hate it when you use that kind of language."

"Johnny, you know I hate it when you blah, blah, blah," I mock in my most annoying imitation of Sue. I pay extra attention to make sure that my voice is nasally and everything. That really gets her.

Sue turns to me with fire in her eyes. She opens her mouth to retaliate.

"Sue, look out!" I yell while pointing behind her.

Sue turns to see a sedan flying at her head. She acts instinctively, throwing up a force field to protect herself. She looks back at me, and her anger has been replaced with confusion.

I watch as a dark figure jumps down and slams into the street. The buildings around us rattle upon impact. Sue and I stand defensively as the figure walks out from the shadows. When it gets under a streetlight, Sue and I both stare in disbelief.

http://image.comicvine.com/uploads/item/8000/7776/153718-stegron_400.jpeg

"What the Hell?" Sue exclaims.

I smirk. "What happened to--"

"Not now, Johnny!" Sue interjects.

The creature roars at us, and I can tell that it's not friendly. Sue doesn't even need to say anything - I've already flamed on.

"What about Ben and Reed?" I ask as I take the skies.

Sue shakes her head. "There isn't time," she explains.

I nod understandingly. "Just you and me, then."




"Is it wrong that I feel bad starting a fight without a rousing chorus of 'It's Clobbering Time'?" Sue sighed almost absent-mindedly. The strange creature stared toward the Fantastic siblings and let out a ferocious roar. "Someone seems rather cranky." She said, pulling off her jacket and entering a defensive pose, her hands raised in the air. "We should end this... whatever it is... quickly before anybody gets hurt, we don't need another tragedy." Sue suggested with more than a hint of sadness.

[Catman_prb]

Reed walked down the street, desperately trying to remember a) where he was and b) where the night club he was heading for was. Just as he was trying to decide whether to go and look for a map, he heard a deep rumbling sound. Then he heard a roar...and then another. He turned around and started walking towards the noise. Another roar, and he started running. He ran round a corner and saw what looked vaguely like a gigantic dragon facing a flaming Johnny and Sue. People were running in all directions, mainly away from the creature.

"What in the good Lords name is that?" he shouted at Sue.

[Gallagher]

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l144/Gray_Fox_Lives/RPG%20stuff/Thorbanner.jpg

The flames of the campsite gave off a dim orange glow, bathing everyone around it in light. The few who had remained all grouped around Thor and Heimdall studying a map.

"They have hit three separate villages within two days, they number in the hundreds and seem to be gathering more and more followers with each day."

The thunder God explained, pointing to locations on the map. His eyes grew heavy, lack of sleep and excess of worry most likely.

"How he has managed to garner such support is beyond me. I'm willing to bet It's not through honest means, most likely deceiving his way into their good graces."

"Well he has to know you'd come after them." Spoke up the head camper, the former nurse Jane. "It's like he's just calling you out."

"I fear that is exactly what he's doing, but to what end? Just mere chaos and battle? Wouldn't surprise me." Thor sighed with a furrowed brow. "Word has it these 'Followers of Loki' are striking a small town just north of here. The population isn't huge but still the number of calculated losses is unacceptable."

"You're starting to sound like a general Thor."

Thor looked up from his map, surprised by his friends sudden comment.

"What do you mean by that?"

Jane shifts uncomfortably on the grass as she averts her gaze. "I'm just saying, you know, maybe you should try and find a peaceful solution to this mess."

"You think I haven't tried that? You think I didn't BEG Loki to give up this sad crusade against me and my father? After all these years there is no hope for him now, he has to be stopped... by any means necessary." Thor growled. Standing up he turned to Heimdall.

"You coming? Old friend?"

[Eddie Brock]

"Is it wrong that I feel bad starting a fight without a rousing chorus of 'It's Clobbering Time'?" Sue sighed almost absent-mindedly. The strange creature stared toward the Fantastic siblings and let out a ferocious roar. "Someone seems rather cranky." She said, pulling off her jacket and entering a defensive pose, her hands raised in the air. "We should end this... whatever it is... quickly before anybody gets hurt, we don't need another tragedy." Sue suggested with more than a hint of sadness.

Reed walked down the street, desperately trying to remember a) where he was and b) where the night club he was heading for was. Just as he was trying to decide whether to go and look for a map, he heard a deep rumbling sound. Then he heard a roar...and then another. He turned around and started walking towards the noise. Another roar, and he started running. He ran round a corner and saw what looked vaguely like a gigantic dragon facing a flaming Johnny and Sue. People were running in all directions, mainly away from the creature.

"What in the good Lords name is that?" he shouted at Sue.
"Reed, you're the smart one of the bunch!" I call back while hurtling a fireball at the creature. "If you don't know, then no one knows!"

The dinosaur swipes at me, and I spin away - leaving a fiery spiral in my wake. All the while, I continue to lob fireballs, to little effect. This thing has a strong hide - much like the Thing incidentally - and I don't think it can even feel the heat. I'm doing nothing more than annoying it, really.

"You guys can jump in whenever you feel like it!" I announce after dodging a particularly dangerous hook from the dinosaur.

[SenseiofCheese]

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l144/Gray_Fox_Lives/RPG%20stuff/Thorbanner.jpg


"You think I haven't tried that? You think I didn't BEG Loki to give up this sad crusade against me and my father? After all these years there is no hope for him now, he has to be stopped... by any means necessary." Thor growled. Standing up he turned to Heimdall.

"You coming? Old friend?"

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/heimdallvc2.jpg

Heimdall grunted as he pushed himself to his feet. Walking over to the God of Thunder with heavy steps, he placed his hand on Thor's shoulder.

"Of course, brother. My sword will be as your own." he smiled. Turning his head slightly to look at the people gathered around the two, Heimdall then turned to Thor and whispered. "I have seen, Thor, what will happen if Loki is not stopped. Midgard will run red with blood, the howling of the wind replaced with the screams of the dying. We must stop the God of Mischief, brother..." he said, his voice growing even deeper and graver. "..and all those aligned with him."

Heimdall knew Thor would do all in his power to avoid taking the lives of the people of Midgard, but he was worried that there was no other way.

[Eddie Brock]

http://www.samruby.com/Heroes/BlackCat/BlCatLogo.gif

After a hour of browsing and trying things on, I finally find a really sexy halter top at Saks Fifth Avenue. Johnny won't be pleased with the price tag, but I think he'll completely forget about that when he sees me wearing this top. Men are so easily manipulated in that way. It's almost like a game to me.

I take the halter top to the woman behind the counter, and I place it on the counter. The woman scans it and asks, "Is that all?"

I nod. "I don't think I could afford any more," I joke. The woman doesn't laugh. In fact, I think she looks down upon me for that comment. People in Beverly Hills are so stuck-up.

"Your total comes to $165," she states dryly. As I reach into my pocket to get Johnny's credit card, she points over my shoulder and screams, "Someone stop her!"

Everyone in the store - including myself - turns to look at the disturbance. I see a girl sprinting out of the store, carrying clothes underneath her arms. I know the prices in here are ridiculous, but shoplifting? My instincts kick in, and I take off after the girl.

Unfortunately, I don't have any equipment on me, so I have to rely on my natural abilities. Luckily, I'm in better shape than this girl is, and she has shoplifted clothes weighing her down slightly. In less than a block, I'm on her heels.

"Winona Ryder you're not!" I announce as I grab her arm. I stop abruptly, causing her to spin around. She loses her balance and falls. The stolen goods fall onto the ground as I stand victoriously.

I grab the girl and the clothes, and I bring them both back to Saks. A second employee returns the clothes to their rightful location while a third employee deals with the girl. Meanwhile, the first woman places my halter in a bag. "It's $165," she repeats.

"What? No hero bonus?"

She stares at me dully. I hand her the credit card while sneering. I can't stand snobs.

[SenseiofCheese]

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/thingsk7.jpg

Ben runs, having forgotten to take his coat and hat with him from this Dr. Samson's office, down block after block. The ground rumbles slightly under his hurried footsteps as he passes a multitude of people, all of them either stopping what they're doing and staring at him blankly, or shouting something at him. Passing phrases like "Oh My God!", "It's The Thing!" or "You freak!" fall on deaf ears, as Ben darts down wet NY streets.

After a while of following the quakes, Ben notices that people start running past him, all screaming and shouting in panicked voices.

"Guess I'm going tha right way." he mutters to himself, as he ducks and weaves through the crowd.

Finally Ben takes a turn, and the first thing he spots is Reed, Johnny and Sue.

"Hey, guys! What are we.." his eyes then drift upwards as he notices the massive dragon. His eyes widen and his jaw drops. "Stretch, what did you do?" he shouts at Reed, having become accustomed to his experiments ending in the group fighting something huge.

"Scratch that, I don't care. Whatever that thing is, I hope it's not our new mascot," Ben says, cracking his knuckles and beginning to run towards the group and the monster. " 'cuz it's CLOBBERIN' TIME!"

[Gallagher]

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/thingsk7.jpg

Ben runs, having forgotten to take his coat and hat with him from this Dr. Samson's office, down block after block. The ground rumbles slightly under his hurried footsteps as he passes a multitude of people, all of them either stopping what they're doing and staring at him blankly, or shouting something at him. Passing phrases like "Oh My God!", "It's The Thing!" or "You freak!" fall on deaf ears, as Ben darts down wet NY streets.

After a while of following the quakes, Ben notices that people start running past him, all screaming and shouting in panicked voices.

"Guess I'm going tha right way." he mutters to himself, as he ducks and weaves through the crowd.

Finally Ben takes a turn, and the first thing he spots is Reed, Johnny and Sue.

"Hey, guys! What are we.." his eyes then drift upwards as he notices the massive dragon. His eyes widen and his jaw drops. "Stretch, what did you do?" he shouts at Reed, having become accustomed to his experiments ending in the group fighting something huge.

"Scratch that, I don't care. Whatever that thing is, I hope it's not our new mascot," Ben says, cracking his knuckles and beginning to run towards the group and the monster. " 'cuz it's CLOBBERIN' TIME!"




"See? Now we can get started, it's a tradition." She quipped floating into the air using one of her force fields. "I don't know what this thing is but I bet its not going to like this!" Sue shouted letting out a tremendous shockwave, knocking the monster off balance slightly. "Ben! Now, while it's stunned!"

[SenseiofCheese]

"See? Now we can get started, it's a tradition." She quipped floating into the air using one of her force fields. "I don't know what this thing is but I bet its not going to like this!" Sue shouted letting out a tremendous shockwave, knocking the monster off balance slightly. "Ben! Now, while it's stunned!"

"You got it, Suzie!" Wasting no time, Ben lurches forward. Taking his fist in his hand, the Thing smashes his shoulder into the monster's leg, coming close to knocking it off it's feet. Grunting from the crash, Ben looks up at Johnny, engulfed in flames. "Yo, Match Boy! Hows about some fireworks!" he shouts.

[Matt Murdock]

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj165/edlewis6571/ScarletSpiderLogo.gif

Prologue
Season V

"Hey, buddy." I think to myself, as I stare at the headstone over Anton's grave.

"It's been a while since we last spoke... but I want you to know that you did it. You woke me up."

An umbrella is on my shoulder, and the sound of the drizzling rain echoes around my head as I stand quietly in the cemetery that holds Anton's body, along with those of a few other heroes.

"It's about time I returned the favor."

I place a contemplative hand on the granite headstone. It's damp and cold... lifeless. A month ago, I killed my brother. The worst part about it is that I don't even know why. I got caught up with a nutjob who I helped create, and now...

Well, now I'm glaring at a meaningless stone... a marker that represents the final resting place of a kid who died for nothing but my anger and resentment of the world.

I don't bother saying anything out loud as I walk away from the headstone.

After all, who's here to listen?

[Venom160]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

Cold.

Flashes of light and color.

My eyes.....

A girl with kind eyes, familiar eyes.

My eyes.....

A man with short black hair and a caring smile.

My father?

A man with an eyepatch.

My protector?

Other faces.

Strangers yet familar.....

A monster covered in red.

Blood?

A small Tarantula scurrying across a sidewalk.

Friend......

A robin swoops in an and takes the Tarantula away.

Pain......

The red monster again.

Darkness.........

[Feature]

http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/6375/chuckgr3.jpg
CHARLES XAVIER
Season V - Prologue


<What is your name?>

The man laid out at Xavier's feet twiches slightly, but does not respond.

<What is your name?> Xavier demands more forcefully.

"L... Lot... Sh... Shaun... Lot..."

Xavier grins as Omega Red responds in a broken and far away voice.

<That's very good, Charles... he's doing quite excellent...>

Xavier can feel Lot grin too. This past month had been trying, but it was finally starting to pay off. They had finally been able to achieve their desired result. Omega Red was now nothing but a body. A shell. A host. Arkady Rossovich was gone.

<I need you to stand up now. Can you do that?>

Laying on the dirty basement floor, Omega Red blinks. His glassy eyes stare at nothing, out into infinite space. For almost a full minute he does not move. Then suddenly, one of his legs kicks violently.

<Hmmm... that won't do...>

Xavier wipes some sweat from his forehead and tries again.

Colossus had to be dismissed from the school. He had brought Omega Red to the mansion, and therefore, was the only student who knew that the villain had been there. Though Xavier hated Colossus as much as any of the other X-Men, he felt indebted to him.

Colossus had unknowingly given them exactly what they needed. A vessel. A functional body. A big fat brain. Something they could project Lot into. A way for him to become his own person...

<I need you... to get up!>

Omega Red rolled on to his stomach and groaned.

Down here in this basement (a place the students didn't even know existed), Xavier and Lot had done it! They'd successfully moved Lot from one body to another. A neuro-transplant via telepathy!

<Come on... come on... up we go...>

Omega Red pushed himself up on his hands and knees, then straightened up. He swayed... kneeling... drooling...

They were still working out the kinks.

<Can you make him stop that?>

<I'm trying. He's a feisty little bugger... doesn't quite want to let me take over...>

Moving robotically, in a series of spasms and jerks, Omega Red finally got to his feet. His blank stare had altered somehow. Some small spark of intelligence shone out from behind those eyes...

"My... n-name... is... Shaun... Lot!"

Xavier clapped his hands together and smiled.

"Oh my! It speaks!"

[Matt Murdock]

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj165/edlewis6571/ScarletSpiderLogo.gif

Season V


I have limited security clearance granted to me by S.H.I.E.L.D., and it's starting to become more of a nuisance than a convenience. I get twelve hours of leave every week. That means I've only been out of the Triskellion for a total of two days since...

Well...

I don't even know what it was.

Fury didn't send me the memo, I guess.

I haven't been given access to the internet, televisions, or even a newspaper since my incident with Jameson. I deserve it, though. It's not like I was especially "Spectacular," "Amazing," or "Friendly-Neighborhood" that night.

And so, with my youth withering away and my free time perpetually boring, I've done nothing but dedicate myself to my current science project: bringing my brother back from the dead.

A lofty goal, to be sure, but it's not like I haven't created life in the past.

"Watch the ego, Ben." I mutter to myself as I grip the strap of my backpack.

The scenery around me is the same as it has been every time I return from my 12 hours of leave. A boring, gray service elevator at the back of one of the sub-levels of the Triskellion. The trek here is rather easy. All one has to do is take a civilian ferry to the island, head through a few doors, down a stairwell or two, and bam.

One poorly maintained, dirty, Manhattan elevator comin' right up...

Or down, in my case.

The elevator pings, and the doors slide open. My lab is waiting for me. Surprisingly, this floor is actually bustling with activity. People are darting too and fro, carrying test tubes and scans. Usually, I'd be excited to come here, but now it's just another day at the office.

Fury strides by me as I step out of the elevator and I catch up with him easily.

"General, are you going to tell me what happened a month ago yet?"

"No." His tone is bitterly flat.

"Come on, I deserve to know. I'm a New Yorker." Somehow, I know my protests are in vain.
"And a killer."

"Touché."I duck into my small, cubicle and see two other scientists sitting at a nearby desk, intently viewing a few computer monitors.

"Alright, guys, open him up."

My backpack slides off of my arm with a thud, and I heave on a white lab coat.

One of my colleagues taps a button on the wall and a chamber hidden inside is revealed. A thin, clear tube is sitting quietly inside the wall, with power being pulled directly from the S.H.I.E.L.D. cables.

I take my place at a chair in the corner with a small touch-screen monitor mounted on the arm and start the scientific process.

A spike on my review charts makes me raise an eyebrow.

"I'm picking up some remote readings here. What's that about?"

"We had a boom in the receptors at the front of the cerebellum earlier, about an hour ago. Nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about?" My snideness is unmistakable. "We've got upper level brain function. That's pretty important."

I tap a few buttons on my screen.

"When did you start the memory engram upload?"

"About an hour ago."

"And what about the internal organs?"

"All functioning normally, and fully developed."

"Alright, boys. The brain functionality indicates that this boy's ready to go. Start easing the drip of the anesthetic and give him a full push of the memory program. Let's see if we can get some conscious thought going."

[Venom160]

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj165/edlewis6571/ScarletSpiderLogo.gif

Season V


I have limited security clearance granted to me by S.H.I.E.L.D., and it's starting to become more of a nuisance than a convenience. I get twelve hours of leave every week. That means I've only been out of the Triskellion for a total of two days since...

Well...

I don't even know what it was.

Fury didn't send me the memo, I guess.

I haven't been given access to the internet, televisions, or even a newspaper since my incident with Jameson. I deserve it, though. It's not like I was especially "Spectacular," "Amazing," or "Friendly-Neighborhood" that night.

And so, with my youth withering away and my free time perpetually boring, I've done nothing but dedicate myself to my current science project: bringing my brother back from the dead.

A lofty goal, to be sure, but it's not like I haven't created life in the past.

"Watch the ego, Ben." I mutter to myself as I grip the strap of my backpack.

The scenery around me is the same as it has been every time I return from my 12 hours of leave. A boring, gray service elevator at the back of one of the sub-levels of the Triskellion. The trek here is rather easy. All one has to do is take a civilian ferry to the island, head through a few doors, down a stairwell or two, and bam.

One poorly maintained, dirty, Manhattan elevator comin' right up...

Or down, in my case.

The elevator pings, and the doors slide open. My lab is waiting for me. Surprisingly, this floor is actually bustling with activity. People are darting too and fro, carrying test tubes and scans. Usually, I'd be excited to come here, but now it's just another day at the office.

Fury strides by me as I step out of the elevator and I catch up with him easily.

"General, are you going to tell me what happened a month ago yet?"

"No." His tone is bitterly flat.

"Come on, I deserve to know. I'm a New Yorker." Somehow, I know my protests are in vain.
"And a killer."

"Touché."I duck into my small, cubicle and see two other scientists sitting at a nearby desk, intently viewing a few computer monitors.

"Alright, guys, open him up."

My backpack slides off of my arm with a thud, and I heave on a white lab coat.

One of my colleagues taps a button on the wall and a chamber hidden inside is revealed. A thin, clear tube is sitting quietly inside the wall, with power being pulled directly from the S.H.I.E.L.D. cables.

I take my place at a chair in the corner with a small touch-screen monitor mounted on the arm and start the scientific process.

A spike on my review charts makes me raise an eyebrow.

"I'm picking up some remote readings here. What's that about?"

"We had a boom in the receptors at the front of the cerebellum earlier, about an hour ago. Nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about?" My snideness is unmistakable. "We've got upper level brain function. That's pretty important."

I tap a few buttons on my screen.

"When did you start the memory engram upload?"

"About an hour ago."

"And what about the internal organs?"

"All functioning normally, and fully developed."

"Alright, boys. The brain functionality indicates that this boy's ready to go. Start easing the drip of the anesthetic and give him a full push of the memory program. Let's see if we can get some conscious thought going."http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

I glare at my brother from a across the roof.

"I don't care if it kills me im going to save my brother!"

I dodge a tenticle and land a kick to his jaw. Carnage turns on me and lashes out with several razor sharp tenticles cutting my skin.

"You'll never win Anton, your destined to fail. And everyone you care for will suffer for it!"

"Ben I know your in there somewhere, come on fight it!"

Ben laughs as he forms his hand into a large spike.

"Come now Ben. Who said I was wasent in control?"

He lunges forwas jamming the spike into my chest,

"Ahhh!"

I cough up blood as Ben laughs. His voice strangly high pitched.

"Hold for me Anton. I wouldnt want you to miss the grand finale."

He raises the tenticle that held Jameson but its now holding Jessica.

"No!"

He lets out another high pitched laugh.

"Oh yes."

In one swift movment he cuts her throat.

"No!"

I wake up with a sudden jerk.

Where......where am I?

[Eddie Brock]

"You got it, Suzie!" Wasting no time, Ben lurches forward. Taking his fist in his hand, the Thing smashes his shoulder into the monster's leg, coming close to knocking it off it's feet. Grunting from the crash, Ben looks up at Johnny, engulfed in flames. "Yo, Match Boy! Hows about some fireworks!" he shouts.
I stare in Ben at disbelief. "What do you think I've been doing?" I ask incredulously. I circle the creature once more, and it swats at me in confusion. I'm fast, but these swings are coming awfully close. It's only a matter of time until he lands one.

I fly low to the ground and create a ring of fire around the monster. If we can't stop it right away, at least we can contain it. If there's one thing I know, it's that very few creatures like fire. If this thing is as dim-witted as it is ugly, it won't be daring enough to cross the threshold of fire.

"So, Ben, were you off talking to your shrink?" I ask slyly. I'm pretty sure Ben was trying to keep that a secret.

[Batman]

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/6522/spiderpc0.jpg

"Did they have to make a third?"

Peter Parker's cries of agony had been heard with every poorly delivered line on the theater screen, as he and his girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson, finally exited out of one of Queens' local cineplexes. Mary Jane laughed, placing her hands around his shoulders as they walked across the concrete sidewalk.

"Oh, come on. It wasn't that bad. I thought it was kind of, like... touching, actually."

"Seriously, did they have to? I mean, the first was good. The second was fan-frikkin-tastic. But that? They seriously follow it up with that?"

"Apparenatlly they did, sweetie."

"The lead practically bawled in every scene, for crying out loud! Bawled! Not crying, not sobbing, straight-up bawled! I almost want my two fifty back."

"Dollar fifty. We split it, remember?"

"Yeah... don't remind me.", Peter embarassingly replied. "It's bad enough I couldn't afford to take you out to dinner. But having to split a ridiculously low tab?"

Mary Jane smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. "I had fun tonight, Peter. The dinner thing doesn't matter. I got just what I wanted."

Peter rolled his eyes, with a smirk.

"You are so just saying that."

"So not."

"So too."

"So... wow, I can't believe I'm doing this with you."

Peter blinked.

"Yeah, even I was a little surprised."

MJ stuck out her tongue. "Guess your immaturity's beginning to rub off on me."

"Please. You wish you had my complete lack of maturity.", Peter argued, placing his hand around her shoulder.

The two were a bit a silent towards eachother in the next passing moments, as they simultaneously dwelled on the evening. It had been the first date the two had been able to share in months, with all of the craziness in both of their lives. And contrary to what Peter believed would be a disasterous evening, it actually turned out okay, for the most part. Mary Jane was happy. His Aunt May had actually let him skip ahead of his last week of grounding in order to have this. His grades were caught up. And best of all, in the last few weeks... there had been practically nothing to do on the crimefighting front.

For once, it seemed all was going well for Peter Parker.

Just then, Peter's eyes widened, mid-smile to himself, as he felt the faint buzzing in the back of his ears come to a grinding start. He had been so used to not hearing it, lately, that even the sound had begun to be forgotten in his mind. But there it was, just as loud as ever, as MJ whispered something romantic to him with a lustful look in her eyes. But of course, per his luck, he couldn't hear it over the noise of his spider-senses, as he looked around cautiously. MJ looked up, confused.

"Peter? Peter, what's wrong?"

"I-I... uh..."

"Was it something I said?"

Peter's eyebrow shot up, in the panic. Now he really wanted to know what she whispered, but even that couldn't distract him from his blazing senses. Suddenly, MJ let out a loud gasp, as Peter turned, equally as amazed by the sight before them.

A speeding car was racing towards the street beside the two, firing rounds of bullets at squad cars that were giving chase. The drivers were wearing ski-masks, and hauling large duffel bags of cash, as some bills flew out into the wind. Peter's senses flared up once more, as he realized that the bullets would be coming his and MJ's way as the car passed. Instinctually, he whisked around, grabbing MJ by the shoulders.

"MJ, GET DOWN!"

Before she could respond, Peter pulled her to the sidewalk with him, and rolled, clutching MJ tightly as they both landed behind a steel mailbox. Bullets riddled the structure, as the tires screeched from the other end, and the chase continued. After a few traumatizing moments, Peter and MJ slowly rose from behind it, watching as the cars dodged into the traffic on the next street. Peter sneered, thinking of how many people could get hurt by those idiot robbers, if they kept firing like that.

"Uh... yeah,", MJ stated, astonished, still watching the fading cars. "If there was ever a "This looks like a job for Spider-Man" moment, it would probably be now."

Peter stood, silent. Mary Jane blinked, once, before pushing Peter in the arm.

"Peter! Seriously! Those guys could hurt somebody!"

"...I can't go."

"What do you mean you can't go?!"

Without looking her in the eye, Peter's head dropped.

"I... forgot my tights."

MJ stared, dumbfounded. But without a word, she grabbed him by the arm, and began running across the street, pulling him in tow. Peter's eyes widened, as she determinedly hurried.

"Mary, wha...?"

"We're getting your tights."

"We're getting my tights?"

"Yes, Peter. We're getting them. You're going to stop those guys, like you stop a million other losers just like them."

"Don't I, um, have a say in this?"

"No."

"No?"

"Nope."

After a moment, Peter smiled, widely. Even after all of the trouble he went through a month ago, to prevent Mary Jane from being killed by Otto Octavious... even after all of the mind numbingly awful things that he had brought upon her life, as a result of his superhero escapades... MJ was still determined to see Peter fufill his duties as Spider-Man. It was that kind of will that reminded Peter why he really loved her as much as he did. So it came as no surprise when he decided his next action, as he leaped forward, out of MJ's grasp, landed infront of her, and kissed her passionately on the lips.

As their lips broke, MJ looked at him, stunned. "What was-"

"For being the most awesome person, like, ever."

Before MJ could respond, Peter ran forward, into an alleyway, and promptly scaled a wall, heading towards the rooftops. With any luck, it would be only about a three minute run back to his house, and to the basement to grab his costume, and a three minute run back. By then, the criminals would either be caught, or speeding around somewhere near the area. As Mary Jane watched her boyfriend leap across the rooftops, she silently bit her lip, in a curled smile.

Go get em', Tiger.

[Feature]

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/1160/colossusultimateey3.jpg
PIOTR RASPUTIN: COLOSSUS
Season V - Prologue


Khankala, Russia
The Molotov Cocktail Lounge
01:57am


"Действительно ли Вы уверены?"

"Да."

"Если это действительно так, я буду навсегда в вашем долгу."

"Номер В конце концов, я сделал... это является наименее мной, может сделать."

"Спасибо."

"Я сожалею о... все, что Вы закончили."

With that, the griseled old stranger gets up and leaves the bar. Piotr and Jean Paul sit there in silence for a few moments...

"Okay... you know I didn't understand any of that, right?"

"Yes."

"So... come on! Tell me what he said!"

Piotr frowned.

"It's not good."

Jean Paul put on an expression that mirrored his companion's.

"Hey... whatever it is... we'll get through it. We'll figure something out. Just... just tell me what he said. Where can we find Mikhail?"

Piotr took a deep breath.

"He knows where Mikhail is... but he won't say. Unless..."

Jean Paul put a reassuring hand on Piotr's shoulder, urging him to continue...

"See, he owns this club. This, uh... strip club..."

Jean Paul gazed at Piotr sideways.

"Anyways... things aren't going so well for him. One of his best dancers... she... well... she was mangled in a horrible fire."

"Pete, I don't--"

"He... he needs a replacement. And he said that... well... he said that if, maybe... you would dance in his club... you know... erotically... well, then he'd tell me where Mikhail is."

Jean Paul stared at Piotr. He stared at him with shocked, widened eyes. They sat like that for long seconds. No words were exchanged.

Suddenly, Piotr smiled.

"You a**hole!"

"I'm sorry!"

"You're an idiot!"

Jean Paul got up and stomped towards the exit, Piotr following behind, slowed significantly by laughter.

"It was just a joke..."

[SenseiofCheese]

I stare in Ben at disbelief. "What do you think I've been doing?" I ask incredulously. I circle the creature once more, and it swats at me in confusion. I'm fast, but these swings are coming awfully close. It's only a matter of time until he lands one.

I fly low to the ground and create a ring of fire around the monster. If we can't stop it right away, at least we can contain it. If there's one thing I know, it's that very few creatures like fire. If this thing is as dim-witted as it is ugly, it won't be daring enough to cross the threshold of fire.

"So, Ben, were you off talking to your shrink?" I ask slyly. I'm pretty sure Ben was trying to keep that a secret.

Running over to a light post, Ben stops dead in his tracks. He grits his teeth and clenches his fists, growls furiously before gripping the steel post.

"DAMNIT JOHNNY! You better hope this thing kills 'ya, 'cause if it doesn't, I will!" he shouts, pulling the post from out of the concrete, torrents of rubble falling to the ground.

In a swift motion, Ben turns and hurls the lightpost directly at the monster. The post smashes into the creature's chest, as it reels in pain and stumbles back into the flames created by Johnny, causing it to screech.

Ben turns to Sue and Reed, noticing they are almost frozen with shock, staring at him. Both of them move as if they're about to say something, but Ben waves his hand dismissively.

"Let's not do this now. 'Case ya haven't noticed, we've got a city to save from a dragon, so howsabout you do a little silly putty magic, Stretch?"

[Eddie Brock]

Running over to a light post, Ben stops dead in his tracks. He grits his teeth and clenches his fists, growls furiously before gripping the steel post.

"DAMNIT JOHNNY! You better hope this thing kills 'ya, 'cause if it doesn't, I will!" he shouts, pulling the post from out of the concrete, torrents of rubble falling to the ground.

In a swift motion, Ben turns and hurls the lightpost directly at the monster. The post smashes into the creature's chest, as it reels in pain and stumbles back into the flames created by Johnny, causing it to screech.

Ben turns to Sue and Reed, noticing they are almost frozen with shock, staring at him. Both of them move as if they're about to say something, but Ben waves his hand dismissively.

"Let's not do this now. 'Case ya haven't noticed, we've got a city to save from a dragon, so howsabout you do a little silly putty magic, Stretch?"

"Watch yourself, Reed!" I call out. The creature swipes at me again, and its claws nick my costume. I almost yelp in pain as it tears into my ribs. Luckily, I fly away with only superficial damage. "You keep letting Ben make the calls, and he'll be leading the team!"

I'm only half-joking, too.

I pretend to shudder. "Can you imagine? The Thing-tastic Four!"

I make the stupid move to turning my back to the creature, which leaves me wide open for attack. Without warning, I get smacked by the monster's tail. I slam head first into a red minivan that's double-parked in the street.

Standing back up, I need to reignite. I take the skies again - albeit light-headedly - as I assure my team, "I'm good!"

[Catman_prb]

"Watch yourself, Reed!" I call out. The creature swipes at me again, and its claws nick my costume. I almost yelp in pain as it tears into my ribs. Luckily, I fly away with only superficial damage. "You keep letting Ben make the calls, and he'll be leading the team!"

I'm only half-joking, too.

I pretend to shudder. "Can you imagine? The Thing-tastic Four!"

I make the stupid move to turning my back to the creature, which leaves me wide open for attack. Without warning, I get smacked by the monster's tail. I slam head first into a red minivan that's double-parked in the street.

Standing back up, I need to reignite. I take the skies again - albeit light-headedly - as I assure my team, "I'm good!"
"What a shame," Reed muttered under his breath.

He ran at the dragon/dinosaur/lizard...monster...thing, extending his legs and jumping astride it, wrapping his arms around it's neck a couple of time. It shook and rocked him like a bull as he held onto it for dear life. He managed to wrench its head back, revealing its neck and the rest of its body, as it desperately clawed at it's back.

"Somebody hit it with something," Reed said, unable to think what would work best. Maybe Johnny was right...maybe Ben was getting better than him.

[SenseiofCheese]

"What a shame," Reed muttered under his breath.

He ran at the dragon/dinosaur/lizard...monster...thing, extending his legs and jumping astride it, wrapping his arms around it's neck a couple of time. It shook and rocked him like a bull as he held onto it for dear life. He managed to wrench its head back, revealing its neck and the rest of its body, as it desperately clawed at it's back.

"Somebody hit it with something," Reed said, unable to think what would work best. Maybe Johnny was right...maybe Ben was getting better than him.

"Oh, that'd be me." Ben fakes having not been paying attention, walks over to Sue and taps her very lightly on the shoulder. "Suzie, would you be so kind?" he asks courteously for a floating platform. She nods and smiles, as Ben begins to levitate. Rising higher and higher into the air, coming closer and closer to the beast, Ben whistles to himself and taps his foot until he's mere inches away from it's bare neck.
"Hey there, I'm the Thing." he states, before wrenching his hand back and sending it slamming into the creature's neck.

[Venom160]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/Angel2.jpg

I breathless over the beat and broken holographic body of Fallen. I close my eyes and concentrate on lowering my heartbeat back to a normal pace.

*Program halted, codename Nightcrawler entering Danger Room*

A square of light appears out of thin air and Kurt walks in.

"Hey Varren....."

He trails off when he sees Fallen's body.

"Am I interrupting cause I can come back later."

"Nah Kurt it's cool. Danger Room shutdown."

The destroyed New York vanishes bringing us back to the large empty space.

"So whats going on pal?"

Kurt shrugs as we walk out of the Danger Room and head towards the elevator.

"Just alittle bored. Bobby challenged Pyro to a Halo tournament, they've currently at ze three hour mark. Kitty is hardly here anymore. Storm told me that shes really vorried about Beast, she thinking about leaving the school to go look for him. Not to mention you and Ali being so closed off from ze rest of us sense you proposed."

I freeze in my tracks.

"How did you......"

Kurt grins.

"Come on Varren give me some credit. I saw ze ring on her finger, not to mention that shes been sleeping in your room with you sense you guys got back from your fazer's house."

Im quiet for several minutes. Kurt must've read my mind cause he lets out a laugh.

"Not to vorry my friend, you secrets' safe wit me. I just vish you vould've told us."

"We're afraid that the Professor would try and stops us."

Kurt nodes his head as we enter the elevator that leads out of the sub-basement.

"I vouldnt be surprised concitering the way ze Professor is acting."

"Have you heard any word from Colossus?"

Kurt's shoulders fall at the mention of Piotr's name.

"Nozing."

The elevator door open onto the main floor.

"Ha I told you! Your no match for me!"

"Hell no you ****ing cheated!"

"You just aint got no skill."

Pyro looks up as we enter the tv room.

"Yo War, Kurt come join the fun. I got fifty that says I can beat all ya'll!"

Bobby pulls out whatever cash in his pocket.

"I got twenty."

"I got thirty."

I still wearing my uniform so I didnt have any cash on me.

"Im good for sixty."

Pyro smiles as he throws us acouple game controls.

"Easiest money I'll ever make."http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/angelig2.jpg

"This isnt possible.......how could you of all people ****ing win!"

I grin as I seize the money pool that was sitting on the coffee table.

"Maybe you forget my friend, when your dating a gamer like Ali you eventually learn some tricks."

John shakes his head and gets up.

"Eh I need a drink."

"Same here, luckily a certain someone keeps breaking the lock on Logan's mini fridge."

John laughs as he grabs some beers from the fridge. While John has his back to me I quick give Kurt his money back and pocket the rest. Bobby walks in the kitchen while we settle down at the kitchen table.

"Guys the Professors' gonna kick your asses if he catches you."

I shrug as I take a long drink.

"Doesnt effect me, the healing factor keeps me from getting drunk."

"And im 21."

Bobby turns to Kurt.

"Im in AA."

A moment passes in silence than we all crack up.

[Eddie Brock]

"Oh, that'd be me." Ben fakes having not been paying attention, walks over to Sue and taps her very lightly on the shoulder. "Suzie, would you be so kind?" he asks courteously for a floating platform. She nods and smiles, as Ben begins to levitate. Rising higher and higher into the air, coming closer and closer to the beast, Ben whistles to himself and taps his foot until he's mere inches away from it's bare neck.
"Hey there, I'm the Thing." he states, before wrenching his hand back and sending it slamming into the creature's neck.

I circle back around and watch Ben lay a couple of hits into this creature. "Wow, you could cut the sexual tension with a knife," I joke as I watch the two battle fiercely. Ben's too "in the zone" to notice or respond, so I keep moving.

Placing my hands on the creature's scaly back, I unleash waves of fire across the creature's hide. Each wave extinguishes fairly quickly, but I'm still getting under its skin - metaphorically, mind you. With each repeated assault, the creatures grows a little more aggravated - which, of course, could be making Ben's job difficult. Oops.

"I think you owe him...her...it...a dinner after this, Ben," I add with a smirk.

[Matt Murdock]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

I glare at my brother from a across the roof.

"I don't care if it kills me im going to save my brother!"

I dodge a tenticle and land a kick to his jaw. Carnage turns on me and lashes out with several razor sharp tenticles cutting my skin.

"You'll never win Ben, your destined to fail. And everyone you care for will suffer for it!"

"Ben I know your in there somewhere, come on fight it!"

Ben laughs as he forms his hand into a large spike.

"Come now Ben. Who said I was wasent in control?"

He lunges forwas jamming the spike into my chest,

"Ahhh!"

I cough up blood as Ben laughs. His voice strangly high pitched.

"Hold for me Anton. I wouldnt want you to miss the grand finale."

He raises the tenticle that held Jameson but its now holding Jessica.

"No!"

He lets out another high pitched laugh.

"Oh yes."

In one swift movment he cuts her throat.

"No!"

I wake up with a sudden jerk.

Where......where am I?

Anton's eyes snap open from behind the liquid in the containment tube.
"Jesus Christ!" I shout. "Drain the serum from inside."

A mechanical fan activates and the liquid inside the tube holding Anton in place slowly begins to drain to the floor.

Before the liquid is even fully gone, I slam a fist on the stereotypical red button on the wall, and the remaining liquid pours onto the floor as Anton collapses onto the floor, out of breath.

"Whoa! He's alive!""Yup." I eye Anton carefully. "How ya doin', buddy?"

Like I don't know the answer to that question.

[SenseiofCheese]

I circle back around and watch Ben lay a couple of hits into this creature. "Wow, you could cut the sexual tension with a knife," I joke as I watch the two battle fiercely. Ben's too "in the zone" to notice or respond, so I keep moving.

Placing my hands on the creature's scaly back, I unleash waves of fire across the creature's hide. Each wave extinguishes fairly quickly, but I'm still getting under its skin - metaphorically, mind you. With each repeated assault, the creatures grows a little more aggravated - which, of course, could be making Ben's job difficult. Oops.

"I think you owe him...her...it...a dinner after this, Ben," I add with a smirk.

Becoming relentless in his bone-shattering assault on the beast, Ben looks up at Johnny, who is attacking the monster from behind.

"Whatever kid, this thing is still more attractive than half o' the girls you bring home." he calls to The Human Torch.

Not realizing just how enraged the dragon had become, Ben failed to see it's claw snap up and swipe him across the body. Flung from the invisible pedestal, Ben grunts as he flies through the air, finally crashing down onto the street. The ground trembles and the asphalt cracks and breaks under Ben's weight. Ben grunts again as he gets to his feet, muttering to himself, " 'Ey whaddya know, same personality as half a them, too."

[Eddie Brock]

Becoming relentless in his bone-shattering assault on the beast, Ben looks up at Johnny, who is attacking the monster from behind.

"Whatever kid, this thing is still more attractive than half o' the girls you bring home." he calls to The Human Torch.

Not realizing just how enraged the dragon had become, Ben failed to see it's claw snap up and swipe him across the body. Flung from the invisible pedestal, Ben grunts as he flies through the air, finally crashing down onto the street. The ground trembles and the asphalt cracks and breaks under Ben's weight. Ben grunts again as he gets to his feet, muttering to himself, " 'Ey whaddya know, same personality as half a them, too."

"Ben, jealousy green is not a good color on you. Stick to orange," I call out. Unfortunately, his words aren't entirely untrue. Every now and then, I do get careless and pick up a 'homely' girl. Luckily, I'm the master at giving out fake numbers. Man, it's tough to be me.

I look down at Reed who looks more flustered than a hooker in church. I'm telling you - that guy is so uptight that it's going to kill him some day. I need to take him to a strip club some weekend to blow off some steam.

I fly low and within Reed's earshot. "Look, as fun and redundant as this is, I'd really appreciate it if you figured out a way to take this thing out ASAP," I state matter-of-factly. I look over my shoulder to see that Ben has returned to the brute force method. "Just a suggestion."

I take back to the skies and rain fire on the creature from above.

[Venom160]

Anton's eyes snap open from behind the liquid in the containment tube.
"Jesus Christ!" I shout. "Drain the serum from inside."

A mechanical fan activates and the liquid inside the tube holding Anton in place slowly begins to drain to the floor.

Before the liquid is even fully gone, I slam a fist on the stereotypical red button on the wall, and the remaining liquid pours onto the floor as Anton collapses onto the floor, out of breath.

"Whoa! He's alive!""Yup." I eye Anton carefully. "How ya doin', buddy?"

Like I don't know the answer to that question.http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

I cough up several gulps of some kind of liquid as I lay sprawled on the cold metal floor. After one final cough I get my airway cleared. I slowly get my breathing under control while im trying to get my head straight.

Where the hell am I? Wheres Jameson? Oh god did Ben kill him! I gotta...

"Whoa! He's alive!"

Im alive? I survived that beating?

"Yup."

My blood turns cold, I recognize that voice. But it sounds differant. I raise my head and look at the people standing infron of me. Two anxious looking dudes in lab coats but I pay them no attention as I glare at the person standing behind them.

"You......."

I push off the floor and lunge for Ben.

[Eddie Brock]

http://www.samruby.com/Heroes/BlackCat/BlCatLogo.gif

I think I'm done shopping for the day, and the blunt rudeness of the locals has left a bad taste in my mouth. I sling my findings over my shoulder and begin the walk down Rodeo Drive. Lord knows what Johnny's doing, so I won't bother him. Instead, I decide that it couldn't hurt to walk for a little while. Besides, I still need to get a bearing for my surroundings here in our new home.

Truth be told, there's a part of me that's missing New York already.

As I walk, I look around at the Beverly Hill girls. I swear, they're all carbon copies of one another. I couldn't live with myself if I followed trends so stringently. Then again, I'm the chick who chooses to have long, gray hair - so I guess I've never been one for conforming. All I can think is that Johnny sure knows how to pick 'em.

I can't help but get the feeling that the men are staring at me like I'm nothing more than a piece of meat. I've always hated that feeling, and I do believe it contributed strongly to my need to defend myself. The world is a dangerous place for a girl who can't handle her own. Luckily, I don't have that problem. Like I said, Johnny can pick 'em, alright.

During my walk, I pass a tanning salon. In the past, I've never quite understood why women throw themselves into a cancer-spawning box, but as I look at my skin, it gets really tempting. While I genuinely don't envy the Beverly Hill girls, I do envy their tans. You don't get much sunlight when you run around on rooftops at night.

I pause for a moment outside of the tanning salon, considering my options. I shuffle Johnny's credit card in my hand. What could it hurt, right? I mean, sure, it does give you skin cancer, but at least I'll look good. That's the kind of thing that you can't buy - not easily, anyway. I grip onto the credit card tightly as a wicked smile slides across my face.

"What the Hell...you only live once."

Or, in my case, nine times. Actually, the number's probably down to six or seven, but you get the point.

[Saved]

Previously (http://forums.superherohype.com/showpost.php?p=14579103&postcount=37)

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x90/Edge_027/RPG%20banners/UltimateKainebanner2.jpg

Contagion, The Curse Continues Part II

Queens

Inside Midtown High School, the first bell rings loudly in the hallways. The doors to the class rooms open and the students make their ways into the open corridors. In only moments the hallway becomes a meeting place. Students meet up with friends and join their cliques and groups, huddling in circles and talking openly with their companions. In the corners and under the stairwells, teens find themselves deep in young love, hugging and kissing discretely out of sight from the administrators.

To these students, it is just another day. Another day to wake up, take a test, turn in a paper, and go home, only to continue the process the next day. The daily routine has caused everyone to become apathetic, unaware and uncaring of the events going on around them. To these teens, it's only a few hours until freedom.

The second bell rings loudly, its monotone noise sounding loudly over the chatter of the students. The teens sigh and part their ways, laughing as they move to their first class of the day.

In less than a minute, the hallways are clear again, devoid of any person whatsoever. The school becomes quiet as the teachers begin their lesson plans and a lull falls over the establishment.

Inside the principals office, the new principal Albert Jacobs sits in his chair. He leans back, putting his feet up on the desk. He takes a satisfied sigh and places his hands behind his head.

"Ah, I can feel it's a good day." He says with a smirk. He leans forward and hits the speaker on his intercom. "Mrs. Brenan?"

He sits there in his chair, waiting for the voice of his assistant to repond to him. After a few seconds of quiet pass, he presses the button once more, buzzing her impatiently.

"Mrs. Brenan?" He asks. "Hello, are you at your desk?"

Still, nothing. He takes his feet off the desk and leans forward to the intercom. Putting his mouth close to the speaker, he asks again. "Mrs. Brenan! Pick up!" He demands, quickly becoming frustrated.

As he hears no response, he gets up from his desk, flustered and irritated.

"What in the hell is she doing?" He asks as he storms toward the door. To his surprise, a man dressed in a dark jacket walks through the door to his office. The man is young, in his early twenties. He slowly closes the door behind him and raises his hand to Albert, motioning to him calmly.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Relax, Mr. Jacobs. Please, stay calm."

"Who are you and why are you in my office?"

"Questions aren't to be answered now." The stranger responds. "Please, have a seat." He says pointing to the chair. "It's very important for leaders to remain level headed in emergencies."

"Emergencies?" He asks confused. "What are you talking about?"

"See, there you go with those questions again. You've really got to stop that."

"Where's Mrs. Brenan." Albert asks impatiently.

"Oh, she's busy right now." He says moving closer to Albert. "You see, when I came in the room, she was very tired. So I told her to take a nap." A wide smirk comes across his face. "A long nap."

Albert pushes past the stranger as he runs for the door. He opens it and makes his way into the next room in a hurry. As he looks about the room he finds a horrid sight. Lying motionlessly is his assistant, her head flat face down on the desk, drowned in a puddle of her own blood.

"Oh...my God..." Albert says with a gasp.

"Yes, I am sure she's with Him right now. But don't worry, Al," the man says as he lifts his arm in the air. "You'll be there soon too." He points out his finger, aiming it at Jacobs. In the blink of an eye, a tendril fires from his finger tip, a long black dagger, fine and sharp as a sword. The tendril pierces Albert Jacobs neck, punching a hole through his throat.

Blood trickles down his neck as he takes a deep breath of air. He falls to his knees, desperately trying to get air. In only a few more seconds, he collapses completely, falling limp to the blue carpeted floor. His blood stains the tough cloth on the ground, and his eyes roll back into his head.

"If you're lucky, that is." The figure laughs quietly, reveling in his handy work. The tendril retracts from Albert's neck and returns to the man's finger, hiding itself beneath his clothing.

"Alright, Parker." The man says. "Time to flush out the spider."

[Sieben]

I could still taste it. The metallic tinge of my own blood as it trickled from smashed lips and broken teeth. The fat man hovered over me like an exitable vulture fluttering around fresh carrion. The club in his hand swung close to my face, the cool air soothing bruised flesh as it brushed over me. I thought of how long I'd been here, hands zip tied behind my back, knees aching on the damp concrete. But time was irrevelant now, soon the big man of the operation would be here and the .44 calibur round that poured my brain out the back of my head would be my finality.

It's strange really, kneeling here in the middle of a deserted warehouse, awaiting death to arrive. You'd have thought that my life would flash before my eyes, that I'd contemplate all the rights and wrongs in my life. I figured that I should be pondering regrets and all the other crap you hear about on TV. Fact of the matter is though, that kneeling here, bloodied and broken, on the verge of death, the only thing I could think of was the fact that I really needed a piss.

The fact that of all the people I've ever hunted down, and all the filth I've removed from society, it was these small time drug pushers that managed to get the drop on me really left a sickening feeling in my gut. The job had been as simple as ever. A crack house. A festering pit of needle riddled scum that the law had chosen to overlook. Even when the twelve year old carrier they were using was raped and shot. I'd stormed it and taken out most of the junkies but the bum that hid in the closet suprised me with a tazer to the back of the neck.

It went black after that.

Until I awoke here.

The fat man swung the bat again, grunting when i refused to flinch at his threats. His cell rang and a brief grunts later he flipped it closed and I knew it was only a matter of moments before that .44 smashed through my forehead. The fat man turned away from me and in that moment I knew that I had one chance. I surged to my feet and charged him, cannoning into him and knocking him to the ground. I followed through and rammed my head into the bridge of his nose, dizzying myself but managing to shatter his bones and knock him out. Clumsily I fumbled the knife hanging from his belt and managed to reverse it and cut the ties. Quickly, I dragged him to a dark corner and tied him up with his belt. Then I saw my coat, and my weaponry laying on a table at the far end. I picked up a sawn-off and my desert eagle, before slipping the coat over aching shoulders.

Suddenly the doors to the warehouse swung open and a small skinny man in a pinstripe suit entered, flanked by two burly guards. Both the guards dropped with a bullet to the head from the eagle. The small man turned and tried to run, but stumbled and fell as I blew out his kneecap. I strolled over to him and levelled the shotgun at his head.

"It's over DeBlaine. Time for your punishment".

"P-please don't kill me kill me Castle! I can get you money... cars... women... whatever you want..."

I thought of about three different lines to spurt as the little gangster wimpered and cried at my feet.

Tasting the blood in my mouth, I hawked and spat.

And pulled the trigger.

[Mr. Marko]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/Cyclone1906/forgeap1.jpg?t=1208885638


Arcade laughed wildly. "You can't keep running forever, Forge! Your friends are already down for the count. You can't last forever!"

Forge tapped wildly at his wrist-bound computer as he hunched behind an upturned desk. "Come on, you piece of junk..."

There! He had it! "God bless bluetooth!" He glanced over at the black box that was still attached to the computer. "Just download...come on..." As soon as the light on it turned green, Forge could upload the data wirelessly and make a run for it. He set it to do this automatically, then popped out three different guns on his arm.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/Cyclone1906/screenshot_2007-10-13-12-52-49.jpg?t=1208885467
"I didn't want to have to do this, but you left me no choice." He grinned slightly. "Tell your boss that the Thunderbolts are no ones b****." With that, he let a missile, three plasma shots, and a 500 volt shock into Arcade's protective chestplate, knocking him hard back into the wall.

The green light on the box beeped. "Ah. The fried network for table three seems to be ready." He unplugged the box and ran for the door where Spiral and Scorpion lay on the ground, unconscious and bound in thick black cords. He grabbed Spiral with one arm and Scorpion with the other. Damn, they were heavy.

Suddenly, Forge felt a sharp pain in his shoulder as he was shot. "Agh!" He clenched it tightly as blood seeped through his fingertips.

"Not so fast, kid. When the Kingpin asks for something, he gets it."

"The Kingpin?" Forge looked at Arcade, who somehow had survived the violent blast that he was given earlier, then at the exit to the club. He looked at all the innocent people in the club, still unaware of the danger as the loud techno music drowned out the noise. He looked down at Spiral and Scorpion, then realized he only had one choice.

He held up his tech-arm and fired one loud shot into the air, erupting screams from the dance floor as pieces of roof tile fell from the ceiling.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the last night of your lives!"

[Charlie No-One]

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/9941/witchjv9.jpg



Wanda turned around, leaving Pietro to fend for himself. The club was total chaos. What appeared to be a party was really a massive front for a weapons exchange. From what the Scarlet Witch could see, about 40% of Typhoid’s patrons were undercover agents for this Hyde character. Several men were now guarding the doors, shoots of flames erecting out of their hands. Blood was readily flowing from the wounds of slaughtered innocents. Crimeless mutants were fighting for their lives, trying to escape the inevitable end of their beating hearts. Evermore, the music played on.

There's a dark secret in me
Don't leave me locked in your heart


Wanda went airborne, stepping effortlessly onto invisible platforms. Something had to be done. While Quicksilver and Cyclops dealt with the heavy hitters, much needed crowd control would be delivered. Before she could even begin the heavy equations needed to activate her powers, a barrage of purple discs riveted past Wanda’s face. The shooter was a woman on the second floor balcony of the club. The purple discs were her powers: the crystallization of light energy. Typhoid’s surplus of lighting effects were fueling the girl’s ammunition.

“One has to wonder, would were power’s still function properly if you had your hands?” taunted she, still floating before the woman.

The mutant answered by firing another disc. With a crackle of magenta puissance, Wanda caught the projectile between her fingers. She flung it forward with uncanny accuracy, grinning as it severed the attacker’s wrists. The woman screeched in agony as her body slumped to the floor. Like a hydra when it lost one of it’s heads, she was replaced by five heavily armed men.

“Please,” sneered Wanda, “You’re not even on my level.”

Two small hex bolts sent the entire second floor balcony crumbling to the ground.

[Matt Murdock]

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj165/edlewis6571/Iron%20Man%20RPG%20Images/42223681.jpg
Ultimate Iron Man

Tony Stark felt a rock at the bottom of his stomach. It was sitting there, quietly resting at his core, making him more and more anxious and nervous as the minutes progressed. Stark was used to visits to his doctor's office, located at the top floor of the Triskellion, but he never was used to the anxiousness that came before his personal meetings with his physicians.

A damp sweat always lined his forehead and palms, and today was no different. Tony Stark was nervous, and he didn't have a suit of armor to protect him.

"Steady breathing, Tony." The billionaire reminded himself as he felt his lungs expand and contract faster and faster.

He had faced boardrooms full of executives, battlefields full of silver aliens, hell, he'd even come face to face with the most terrifying opponent of all: women. And, yet, nothing seemed to terrify him as much as a stethoscope on his bare chest.

The chair beneath him was stiff plastic, lacking in any luxury at all. The decor was blasé and indifferent to the worry that the patient sitting inside the small waiting room must feel.

"Alright, Tony."

Stark hadn't even noticed that his physician was standing in the doorway of the exam room, beckoning him in.

The office was the same as most other hospitals in America. A bland interior, with a few magazines on the countertop. The very same counter also supported various other devices used by doctors: tongue depressors, blood pressure gauges, and q-tips.

Stark hopped happily onto the paper-covered bed.

"What's the prognosis, Doc? Am I cleared to go kick ass and drink any time I please?"

Howard Stark, young Antonio's falsely imprisoned father, had taught him an adage when he was younger; never ask a question that you don't already know the answer to.

The question had a bittersweet answer. As far as the doctors and Stark himself were concerned, he could fly around in his steel death trap as much as he pleased. Despite his health exterior, and upbeat demeanor, Tony Stark was dying. A malignant tumor was lodged in the dorsal striatum of his brain. It was inoperable.

"Well, Mr. Stark. You and I have discussed my objections to your..." The physician was at a loss for words. "Activities... on numerous occasions, but you're quite obviously going to continue flying around in that tin can until the day you d--"

The doctor cut himself short.

"Well. This is an awkward moment." Stark said quietly. "Shall we talk about the test results?"

A bitter look slid onto the other man's face. Test results for Tony Stark were never good, or even better, they only got worse.
"I suppose."

The light-box on the wall buzzed to life, as the doctor jutted a sliver of film on top of the light.

"According to our measurements, the tumor has grown by 2.38 centimeters."

"My powers of deduction tell me that this is not a good thing."

The doctor sighed. At times, Stark's glibness could be a relief, and at others it could weigh the practitioner down. He couldn't understand how a dying man could be so upbeat.
"You're correct, Mr. Stark. This increased growth indicates that the disease is progressing. There's nothing we can do, and you're still going to be getting sicker."

Tony Stark's mother was dead. His father was in prison. His best friend had been torn limb from limb. And he was dying.

Life had dealt him a ****ty hand, and this was something he had learned to accept.

After a brief pause, he glanced at the floor. Each time he heard this news, the weight on his shoulders got a little bit heavier. He knew that at some point, he'd have to have an outburst.

"Not today, Tony." He thought, regaining his mental composure.

Glancing up at his doctor, he grinned.

"So, it's the status quo, then?"

"It is." The doctor said, realizing that there was no way he could convince Stark of anything else.

"Great." Stark said, pushing himself briskly off of the bed.

"Next month, then."

Stark was halfway out of the door before the doctor responded, still glancing over the scans on the wall.

"I'll see you next month, Tony."

Stark paused mid-step, and slowly drew himself back into the exam room.

"We're on a first name basis, now?"

The one thing Anthony Stark insisted on was maintaining his authority. It was the only thing he had that was his own, and the only bright spark in his life.

"Mr. Stark."

"See ya then, pal."

[Matt Murdock]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

I cough up several gulps of some kind of liquid as I lay sprawled on the cold metal floor. After one final cough I get my airway cleared. I slowly get my breathing under control while im trying to get my head straight.

Where the hell am I? Wheres Jameson? Oh god did Ben kill him! I gotta...

"Whoa! He's alive!"

Im alive? I survived that beating?

"Yup."

My blood turns cold, I recognize that voice. But it sounds differant. I raise my head and look at the people standing infron of me. Two anxious looking dudes in lab coats but I pay them no attention as I glare at the person standing behind them.

"You......."

I push off the floor and lunge for Ben.

If it was anyone else, they'd be lying on the floor with their face smashed in. This is Anton though. He's pissed... and has the right to be.

My hand snaps back, and my fingers instinctively clench into a fist. The urge to slam my fist into his face is overwhelming, but I resist and our bodies slam into each other, sending us toppling to the ground.

[Mr. Marko]

Previously...
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/Cyclone1906/forgeap1.jpg?t=1208885638


Arcade laughed wildly. "You can't keep running forever, Forge! Your friends are already down for the count. You can't last forever!"

Forge tapped wildly at his wrist-bound computer as he hunched behind an upturned desk. "Come on, you piece of junk..."

There! He had it! "God bless bluetooth!" He glanced over at the black box that was still attached to the computer. "Just download...come on..." As soon as the light on it turned green, Forge could upload the data wirelessly and make a run for it. He set it to do this automatically, then popped out three different guns on his arm.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/Cyclone1906/screenshot_2007-10-13-12-52-49.jpg?t=1208885467
"I didn't want to have to do this, but you left me no choice." He grinned slightly. "Tell your boss that the Thunderbolts are no ones b****." With that, he let a missile, three plasma shots, and a 500 volt shock into Arcade's protective chestplate, knocking him hard back into the wall.

The green light on the box beeped. "Ah. The fried network for table three seems to be ready." He unplugged the box and ran for the door where Spiral and Scorpion lay on the ground, unconscious and bound in thick black cords. He grabbed Spiral with one arm and Scorpion with the other. Damn, they were heavy.

Suddenly, Forge felt a sharp pain in his shoulder as he was shot. "Agh!" He clenched it tightly as blood seeped through his fingertips.

"Not so fast, kid. When the Kingpin asks for something, he gets it."

"The Kingpin?" Forge looked at Arcade, who somehow had survived the violent blast that he was given earlier, then at the exit to the club. He looked at all the innocent people in the club, still unaware of the danger as the loud techno music drowned out the noise. He looked down at Spiral and Scorpion, then realized he only had one choice.

He held up his tech-arm and fired one loud shot into the air, erupting screams from the dance floor as pieces of roof tile fell from the ceiling.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the last night of your lives!"



http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/Cyclone1906/forgeap1.jpg?t=1208885638

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the last night of your lives!"

Forge hoped that this was going to work. It had to work. It was their only chance at getting out of there alive. He quickly aimed his wrist cannon at a nearby woman in panic and fired his specially-designed neurotransmitter, sending her into temporary cardiac arrest. He had tested the formula before, and knew it wasn't going to kill her, nor cause permanent damage, but he still felt awful knowing he was putting someone innocent through such pain.

In a panic, people ran for any exit possible. Forge used the mayhem as a diversion, and quickly grabbed two large men heading for the doors and pointed to Spiral and Scorpion. "Listen to me if you want to live. I want you to take these two out of the building. If you listen to what I say, I promise no one will get hurt."

The men looked at each other silently with apprehension.

"Either that, or I could kill you both now." He pressed his wrist cannon into the belly of one of the men.

"You've got yourself a deal, pal."

With that, Forge turned back to Arcade, who was fighting to get to Forge through the crowd. "That was a cute trick, kid."

Forge clenched his wounded shoulder. "Bite me, Duke Nukem."

Arcade held up his large assault rifle and aimed it at Forge. "Look, we're going to make this nice and simple. Give up, and nobody else gets hurt."
"Go f*** yourself!" Forge held up his wrist cannon and fired three shots at Arcade, each narrowly missing him.

Arcade's face narrowed, now somewhat angry. Suddenly, without warning his gun moved slightly to the left and he fired, knocking a young woman to the ground. She clenched at her leg as blood began to pour from the wound.

"You b******!" Forge lunged at Arcade, activating his rocketboots and landed a solid punch with his robotic arm into Arcade's chest, sending him smashing into the bar and his feet flipping over behind it. "What the hell do you want with us?!"

Arcade lay on the ground, coughing up blood as he spoke. "The Kingpin...he..."

Forge turned away and ran to that had been injured. "Are you okay, Miss?"

She clenched her leg. "Oh God! Don't hurt me! I did nothing to you mutants. Just leave me alone!"

Forge pulled back. "I didn't mean..."

Suddenly, Forge heard another shot, and this time an electric shock went through his body, powering down all of his prosthetics and weaponry. "Agh!" He fell to the ground helpless as power to his legs let out. He turned to see Arcade, blood staining his grinning lips.

"Never turn your back on your enemy, Forge. I have toys of my own, you know." He walked up to Forge and pulled a small device from Forge's back.

Never before had Forge's inventions and weaponry felt such a burden. He couldn't move.

"And now, it is time for me to end this." He pulled a small tranquilizer cartridge from his pocket and clipped it into his gun. "When you wake up, this will all be a bad-UGH!"

Before Forge's eyes, three knives suddenly jabbed into Arcade's chest. In fear, he stared down, realizing what had happened to him. "How..."

Forge turned to find Spiral standing in the doorway, all six arms visible and prepared for battle. "I don't know if you heard him the first time, s*** head. The Thunderbolts are nobody's b****."

Arcade fell to the ground, clenching his chest. He quickly grabbed a small device and pressed a button on it.

Spiral ran up to Forge. "Are you okay?"

Forge nodded. "Except for the fact that half my body turned off, I'm doing fine."

"You're bleeding."

Suddenly, sirens could be heard a couple blocks away. "We've got to go. Is Scorpion okay?"
"He was just waking up when-"
"I need you to take the battery from his suit and put it in my power cell on my lower back. I changed his battery so it would be compatible with my backup power."
"Got it." She ran outside and was back in a moment. Within seconds, Forge's system regained energy.

"Lets get the hell out of here." Forge turned to Arcade, who was struggling to crawl away. He aimed his wrist cannon at him. "This is for that woman you shot." He pressed a button on his arm to activate the neurotransmitter darts he had been using.

NOT ENOUGH POWER IN BACKUP.

Forge stared at Arcade in hatred. He should just shoot him. The world is a better place without people like-

"Forge! The cops are coming! Let them deal with him!"

Forge turned back to his teammates. "Right." He ran out of the building along side them.

[Catman_prb]

"Ben, jealousy green is not a good color on you. Stick to orange," I call out. Unfortunately, his words aren't entirely untrue. Every now and then, I do get careless and pick up a 'homely' girl. Luckily, I'm the master at giving out fake numbers. Man, it's tough to be me.

I look down at Reed who looks more flustered than a hooker in church. I'm telling you - that guy is so uptight that it's going to kill him some day. I need to take him to a strip club some weekend to blow off some steam.

I fly low and within Reed's earshot. "Look, as fun and redundant as this is, I'd really appreciate it if you figured out a way to take this thing out ASAP," I state matter-of-factly. I look over my shoulder to see that Ben has returned to the brute force method. "Just a suggestion."

I take back to the skies and rain fire on the creature from above.
Reed was thrown off of the dinosaur as it bucked wildly under joint attacks from Ben and Johnny. He slammed into a wall, turning his body thin and flat. He slid down it, forming a pool at the bottom, then returning to his normal form. He studied the creatures movements, as the heavy stamps sent shockwaves through the concrete. He took the backpack of equipment that he had been planning to use on Kaine, and tipped the contents onto the street. There were a number of different tranquilisers that he was going to use to subdue the man, seeing which would have the most potent affect. None of them were strong enough to take this beast down on their own. But if he mixed them...

"Distract it for a minute, I've got a plan," Reed said, as he hurridely started going through the different chemicals and liquids.

[Jono Starsmore]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/Treyzee/CykeBanner-1.jpg


Scott watched as the entire balcony of the club collided, along with the female mutant that could apparently manipulate light. Wanda dealt with her easily, and Scott couldn't help but to be impressed. But this battle wasn't over yet.

As the second floor's balcony was destroyed, it landed on a few of the pyrokinetics, smothering them under the debris. Seeing as the entrace door was barracaded by another group of men, Scott turned the dial on his visor, setting it to a wide-ranged blast. The innocents needed a way out of this mess. Upon clicking his visor, the stream of ruby connected with the men, causing a mass explosion of debris as they were flung onto the streets. Where they once stood, was now a giant opening that was now filled with people, swarming out of the nightclub.

With his concentration broken, he forgot all about Hyde. Pietro was toying with him, running around in circles, and breaking multiple objects on his head, which angered him even more. Seeing that this would go nowhere in subduing the criminal, Scott motioned to Quicksilver.

"Step aside, Pietro."

Just as the words rolled from his tongue, the oversized mutant leapt from behind the bar, soaring in Scott's direction. With quick thinking, he used his knowledge in geometry and precision before sending a quick high-powered blast to his face. It sent him somersaulting backwards of course, but Scott wasn't done yet. Just above where Scott predicted he would land, hung a massive lighting fixture.

Another precise shot was made toward it's hinges, allowing it to fall and land on Hyde just as he slid to a halt, his face smoking, and his body slowly de-mutating into the man he was before.

"Get this guy to the Triskelion, with the rest of the scum.", Scott said, shoving a boot in his face as he tried to lift it.

"And Wanda...", Scott smirked, turning to the Scarlet Witch.

"Nice work."

[Eddie Brock]

Reed was thrown off of the dinosaur as it bucked wildly under joint attacks from Ben and Johnny. He slammed into a wall, turning his body thin and flat. He slid down it, forming a pool at the bottom, then returning to his normal form. He studied the creatures movements, as the heavy stamps sent shockwaves through the concrete. He took the backpack of equipment that he had been planning to use on Kaine, and tipped the contents onto the street. There were a number of different tranquilisers that he was going to use to subdue the man, seeing which would have the most potent affect. None of them were strong enough to take this beast down on their own. But if he mixed them...

"Distract it for a minute, I've got a plan," Reed said, as he hurridely started going through the different chemicals and liquids.
"Distract it?" I repeat as I take the skies yet again. I circle once around the creature - leaving a spiral of fire about its body. Then I add sarcastically, "Gee...why haven't we been doing that already?"

I look down at Reed who's messing with some canisters filled with God knows what. I get a little anxious every time Reed starts messing around with unknown substances. I try to remind myself that it's Reed - he knows what he's doing.

Then again, I thought that when I went with Sue to watch the teleporter experiment. And I need not remind you how that turned out.

"Let's make this fast. I'm starting to feel light-headed."

[Mr. Marko]

XORN


Xorn grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. "I will be back later on. I have an important errand to run to."

Geldoff, the newest member of Xorn's New Mutants, and Gentle, also known as Nehzno with incredible strength, nodded slightly from their bowls of cereal. "Okay."

Xorn placed a small hat on his head as he walked out into the streets. In the streets of New York, the people would have normally gawked at a man in a metal mask that he wore, but they did not. Xorn always put up an illusion that he was, infact, an average day human. Although this was technically a contradiction to his own teachings, Xorn felt that he had good cause to be covert. Most people would not appreciate a masked man in their presence, and so, to prevent public panic and hysteria, he placed an illusionary mask over his already present mask in the face of humans.

He walked around the side of the house where his car was parked. He climbed inside and started the ignition.

His OnStar beeped. "Where to, Mr. Xorn?"
"The Triskelion."

*********************************************

William Stryker sneered at Magneto over his glasses. "Mr. Lensherr, I'm not sure if you've met my friend, Mr. Xorn."

Magneto narrowed his vision.

"He's somewhat of a spiritualist." He snickered. "Like me, I guess you could say. Except he's not like me at all. In fact, some of him is quite alot like you. You see, Mr. Lensherr, Kuan-Yin Xorn is a telepath, not unlike your friend Charles Xavier. Mr. Xorn, however, is less..." He paused for a moment. "Psychotic."

Magneto glared at him. He knew Charles well enough to know that of all the words that could be used to describe Charles Xavier, psychotic was not one of them.

Suddenly, the door to his plastic prison opened, and a tall oriental man entered the room. He bowed slightly to Stryker, then turned his attention to Magneto.

------------

"Hello, Mr. Lensherr. It is good to finally meet you."

Xorn kept his illusion up. He had to make sure that Magneto had no idea that his entire head was encased in metal. As long as he was vigilant, Magneto would never know that.

"Mr. Xorn. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Xorn sat down infront of Magneto and motioned to Stryker to leave. <I've been sent here to cure you, Eric.> He preferred to use telepathy to ensure privacy of those he spoke with.

Magneto seemed taken back by this. "And how do you intend on doing that?"

<I'm afraid it would be quite a simple process. Simply remove you as a potential threat to society.>

Again, Magneto cringed. "So this is how my years of fighting for mutants to take their rightful place has brought me. Some sort of reconciliation before God. Is that what this is?"

Xorn smiled. <Quite the contrary. Do you believe in karma, Mr. Lensherr?"

Magneto scoffed.

<Simply put, cause and effect. You provoked the humans, they came back with backlash. Now, as a people, we take action to ensure that karma is once again restored to the positive nature that we so desperately need in our society. I, for one, do not believe that this process needs to be a painful one for you, however. You will simply be placed into a deep telepathic coma. No pain. No suffering.>

Magneto stared into space. "A coma..."

<If I may say so, Mr. Lensherr, there are millions of people looking for a release from the vicious cycle of like on Earth. Perhaps now is the time to ponder on that fact.>

[Charlie No-One]

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/9941/witchjv9.jpg

“You shouldn’t expect anything less, Slim,” said the Scarlet Witch, feigning a lustful voice. What she was feeling now was the polar opposite. Her confidence was just a convincing act of bravado. She had done a terrible job.

Wanda gazed at the destruction around her. The club was destroyed. It would months to repair this damage, but with expenses these days, it was unlikely that Typhoid would ever open again. Her usual blameless attitude was now absent. She felt responsible for this carnage. Less pernicious measures could have been taken.

The innocent patrons of Club Typhoid were struggling to get up. As they came to, the shock of missing appendages and detrimental injuries hit them in the face like a frigid blast of water. The horrible look on their faces as the reality of the situation sunk in was piercing. What had they done to deserve it? They came to a club to party and what they got was anything but. The savages that entered the establishment just minutes ago had ripped bullets through them. A single alteration by Wanda could have stopped it, but she needed excitement; she needed her high. She teased and took the long way of doing things, the fun way. It was her fault. She had the power to change this set of events and she didn’t.

Putting on a show once more, she acted normal, dismissing the thoughts in her mind for a second.

“Well, let us get this man to the Triskelion, my darling brother.”

As the twins gathered around the fallen weapons dealer, Wanda muttered a few numbers aloud. A dim scarlet flicker emitted out of her smooth hands. Within a second, a coruscation of fiery energy erupted around her. Flames scorched the skin of nearby mutants. The overhead spot lights exploded, showering everyone with falling bits of shrapnel. A sharp bit of debris entered a teenaged girl’s eye, spraying a thin line of blood across the dance floor. She screamed in agony, desperately trying to get it out. Her jagged shrieks were accompanied by the heavy smell of smoke. The club was on fire.

http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/3998/avscwwebhd0.jpg



Somewhere during the equation of a simple teleportation spell, Wanda had dropped a number. The result was tragic.

[Venom160]

If it was anyone else, they'd be lying on the floor with their face smashed in. This is Anton though. He's pissed... and has the right to be.

My hand snaps back, and my fingers instinctively clench into a fist. The urge to slam my fist into his face is overwhelming, but I resist and our bodies slam into each other, sending us toppling to the ground.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

My minds' a blur as my fists makes contact with Ben's face, I feel his nose break under my fist.

"What did you do Ben! What did you do to Jameson! I swear Ben im gonna take you down if it........"

I look around at my surroundings and the half dozen SHIELD agents that has stormed into the room. I let go of Ben and slowly get to my feet, suddenly feeling lightheaded.

"Where.......where am I?"

[Venom160]

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/9941/witchjv9.jpg

“You shouldn’t expect anything less, Slim,” said the Scarlet Witch, feigning a lustful voice. What she was feeling now was the polar opposite. Her confidence was just a convincing act of bravado. She had done a terrible job.

Wanda gazed at the destruction around her. The club was destroyed. It would months to repair this damage, but with expenses these days, it was unlikely that Typhoid would ever open again. Her usual blameless attitude was now absent. She felt responsible for this carnage. Less pernicious measures could have been taken.

The innocent patrons of Club Typhoid were struggling to get up. As they came to, the shock of missing appendages and detrimental injuries hit them in the face like a frigid blast of water. The horrible look on their faces as the reality of the situation sunk in was piercing. What had they done to deserve it? They came to a club to party and what they got was anything but. The savages that entered the establishment just minutes ago had ripped bullets through them. A single alteration by Wanda could have stopped it, but she needed excitement; she needed her high. She teased and took the long way of doing things, the fun way. It was her fault. She had the power to change this set of events and she didn’t.

Putting on a show once more, she acted normal, dismissing the thoughts in her mind for a second.

“Well, let us get this man to the Triskelion, my darling brother.”

As the twins gathered around the fallen weapons dealer, Wanda muttered a few numbers aloud. A dim scarlet flicker emitted out of her smooth hands. Within a second, a coruscation of fiery energy erupted around her. Flames scorched the skin of nearby mutants. The overhead spot lights exploded, showering everyone with falling bits of shrapnel. A sharp bit of debris entered a teenaged girl’s eye, spraying a thin line of blood across the dance floor. She screamed in agony, desperately trying to get it out. Her jagged shrieks were accompanied by the heavy smell of smoke. The club was on fire.

http://img373.imageshack.us/img373/3998/avscwwebhd0.jpg



Somewhere during the equation of a simple teleportation spell, Wanda had dropped a number. The result was tragic.


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/quicksilverkh6.jpg

Everything around me slows to a crawl as I see the horrifying events happen around me.

Oh god Wanda, what happened?

Wanda's ability has always been a little touchy, the slightest miscalculation could become disastrous. I speed off taking the injured to a hospital three blocks away making sure I don't go fast enough to injure them. I tap the comunicator on my suit as I head back to the club.

"This is Quicksilver of The Ultimates reporting a fire at Club Typhoid, multiple casualties involved."

I re-enter the club and spot Wanda. Within a flash im at Wanda's side.

"Dear sister, are you alright?"

[Matt Murdock]

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/Daredevil%20Game%20Pictures/ddheader.gif

"The Kitchen is MY neighborhood, Bullseye!" A figure in a horned mask screamed as he sent a kick into the villain's jaw.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/Daredevil%20Game%20Pictures/dd_by_ArneSReismueller.jpg


"And nothing you can do is going to change that!"

Bullsye's body slumped to the ground as he rolled along the sidewalk.

To chronicle the events of the evening, Bullseye, a notorious criminal in Hell's Kitchen, had once more attempted to cause a mass panic. In his sick, twisted mind, all Bullseye had to do was kill a few people in a bar. Before Daredevil had even been able to get to the scene, four bodies had fallen to the ground, with Bullseye pacing the scummy bar hoping to scare his victims before killing anyone else.

Enjoying an evening at his home, Matthew Michael Murdock had been pouring over case files, ensuring that each of his clients would be able to get the best case they could. His lover, Electra Natchios, lay bare in their bed, sleeping soundly. The television was nothing but a dull roar to Murdock, and it hardly bothered him. No, instead, that which bothered him most was the unshakable stench of blood and gun powder emanating from his bedroom. The odor met his nostrils as he sat in his living room, and he seemed unable to shake it.

It was then that he heard the first screams of terror.

His ears raised in the air, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end, and his pupils dilated from behind his crimson glasses.

His Daredevil costume had been folded up and locked in a trunk at the back of their closet for about a month. He couldn't really remember. A month is a long time, after all. His memory was cloudy at best, and blank at the worst. His legal partner, Foggy Nelson was out of the hospital, with a full recovery from his amnesia. Life was good for Matthew Murdock, and he wasn't sure if he was willing to give it up just because of a single scream.

Shaking his head and removing his glasses, the lawyer pinched the bridge of his nose. Nope. One scream wasn't enough to bring Daredevil back.

Why had he even given up his crimson-clad alter ego in the first place?

His blank memory was coming back to haunt him.

Murdock pushed himself off of the sofa and headed to the bedroom. As he stood, his back cracked. His bones weren't used to such long periods of relaxation. The vibrations and shocks echoed through his blood, right beneath the surface of his sensitive skin, and Murdock twisted his head to the side in discomfort.

He strode into the bedroom and opened the closet, ready to take off his shirt and pants and head to bed. He glanced at the floor, staring at the crate that held his costume.

One scream is enough. The Man Without Fear Thought, running through Murdock's psyche.

No, it's not. Murdock replied, simply. He was in control now.

As he glanced at the trunk, he felt himself snarl for a split second.

"Matt, honey? Come to bed." Electra said, lifting her head slightly off of the pillow. Her black hair draped along the side of her face as she glanced at her partner's scared back.

He stood in silence, glaring at the box as another scream rang through the steel and brick maze of the Kitchen.

After a moment, she asked, sitting up fully, "What's wrong?"
"Two screams." Murdock said, glancing over his shoulder at her. "Four blocks up, two east."

"Matt..." She said, cautiously.

"I know. We can't do it anymore."

"You're always going to want to, but we promised each other." She said with tones of understanding and sympathy. "But, face it, Daredevil is who you are. He'll be in your mind until the day you die."

With this, Murdock turned on his heel, glaring at her from behind his glasses.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/Daredevil%20Game%20Pictures/DD_82.jpg

"I'm NOT Daredevil." He said.

For a second, the odor of cordite and blood grew stronger, and he felt lightheaded.

"Not anymore, at least."

He heaved his shirt and pants off and hung them over the trunk, closing the closet door unceremoniously. He laid down next to Electra and their lips met. He gripped the side of her head softly, letting her long, black hair flow through his fingers. As their embrace ended, he took off his glasses and met her eyeline.

"I promise."

As if all at once, another scream rang out through the air, the stench of cordite filled the room, and Murdock could taste blood. The side of his head was in agony, and his muscles began to shake.

Inside his head, Daredevil spoke again.

People are dying, Matthew. You have the power to stop it. And, if you chose not to, you're no better than the people who themselves take lives.

Murdock knew the devil's words were right, and, after a month, he had to do something. He refused to stand idly by as people suffered.

He got to his feet, to the shock of Electra, ripped the closet open, and delivered a sharp kick to the top of the trunk.

"Matt! What are you doing?" Electra asked, shocked.

He wasn't Daredevil yet, and as Murdock pulled his boots and spandex on, he stared at her.

"People are dying." He said, simply. With more emphasis, he added, "People are dying in my neighborhood. I promised my father that I would help people who couldn't help themselves."

Withing seconds, his belt was around his waist, and it clicked into place. With a heave of the strap, it was tight.

"But, you're still wrong, babe. Daredevil's not who I am."

He pulled his mask on over his neck, and covered his eyes with the dusty, red lenses. It was a perfect fit.

He turned around slowly and looked at her.

"He's what I can become." Daredevil said.

Clutching his cane in his hands, he unlocked it, separating the two billy clubs.

"Murdock is gone, isn't he?" Electra asked, toying with her lover's changed demeanor.

"Not for good." The Man Without Fear growled as he sprinted to their balcony. He fumbled slightly with the grapple lodged in his club, but managed to fire it, wrapping the cord around a cable. As he soared through the night, he heard Electra run after him, the wooden floor creaking beneath her.

Daredevil was back.

A fourth scream rang out through the night, along with the cheers and cries of onlookers.

"He's back!" One woman whispered under her breath as Daredevil soared over her head.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/Daredevil%20Game%20Pictures/dd29fullsized.jpg

The trek through the city was difficult, as Daredevil was out of practice, but he got back into the swing of things, literally, with ease.

He made short work of the trip, and manged to land right in front of the door to the bar before another body fell.

His bedroom was nothing compared to the smell of the bar. Blood was the new floor covering, and a group of patrons were huddled together in the corner. Someone had lost control of their bowels, adding a distinctively distasteful scent to the area.

"It's about time you showed up!" A familiar voice said, as Daredevil stepped inside of the bar quietly.

A boot slammed into the side of Daredevil's head, and he collided with a wall of liquor.

Shoulda seen that coming. Matt Murdock thought dryly.

Yup. Daredevil thought.

That voice was so familiar, though... it was.

"Bullseye." Daredevil said, simply.

"That's me! HAHAHAHAHAHA." The lunatic responded, drawing a card from a pack strapped to his belt.

"Didn't I take care of you once before?"

"You certainly did, but a Higher Power..." Said the lunatic, distinctly looking to the floor, "...wanted to ensure that we saw each other again!"

Daredevil pulled himself up the wall as Bullseye inched closer.

"And what a reunion this will be!"

The card was in the air before the out-of-practice hero could react. It slid along the back of his knee, sending the man to the ground. He grunted and grimaced, but wasn't afraid.

Bullseye slammed his fist into the side of Daredevil's head and sent the hero reeling. The villain packed quite a bit more of a punch than Daredevil remembered.

"Adamantium bones now, Red-boy. Quite a trick, eh?" Bullseye twiddled his fingers in front of the dazed devil's face. "Like I always say, though. I'm magic!"

Bullseye struck Daredevil again, and he slammed his head into the marble bar.

"Before you die, though. I want yo to know something. Even if I do kill you tonight, which is what's going to happen, I'm gonna keep killin' people. They'll scream, and they'll weep. They'll mourn the loss of their Guardian Angel. And then, and only then, Hell's Kitchen will be my town."

Daredevil gritted his teeth and spat a glob of blood onto the sea before him.

Get up. Murdock thought.

Way ahead of you. Daredevil responded.

Leaning back towards the floor, Daredevil threw his arms around the bar and vaulted into the air, narrowly missing a slew of cards in the air.

"First of all," Daredevil said, smirking, "I'm a Guardian Devil. Angels aren't as reliable. People look for miracles everyday, overlooking tragedies."





Glaring at Bullseye from atop the bar, Daredevil sent his boot flying.

"Secondly...The Kitchen is MY neighborhood, Bullseye!" The Man Without Fear screamed as he sent a kick into the villain's jaw.

"And nothing you can do is going to change that!"

Bullsye's body slumped to the ground as he crashed through the window of the bar and rolled along the sidewalk.

[Venom160]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/angelig2.jpg

"This isnt possible.......how could you of all people ****ing win!"

I grin as I seize the money pool that was sitting on the coffee table.

"Maybe you forget my friend, when your dating a gamer like Ali you eventually learn some tricks."

John shakes his head and gets up.

"Eh I need a drink."

"Same here, luckily a certain someone keeps breaking the lock on Logan's mini fridge."

John laughs as he grabs some beers from the fridge. While John has his back to me I quick give Kurt his money back and pocket the rest. Bobby walks in the kitchen while we settle down at the kitchen table.

"Guys the Professors' gonna kick your asses if he catches you."

I shrug as I take a long drink.

"Doesnt effect me, the healing factor keeps me from getting drunk."

"And im 21."

Bobby turns to Kurt.

"Im in AA."

A moment passes in silence than we all crack up.http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/angelig2.jpg

I leave the rest of the guys hanging out in the tv room and take a quick shower than head back to my room. I pick up my cell and dial my dad's number for what seems to be the millionth time in the last month. Fallen's voice constantly nagging at me about Project Rebirth.

Hello?"

"Hey Alfred."

Alfreds' our family's butler, he raised me after my wings started to grow in. He was really the only on that didnt look at my wings with disgust in his eyes.

"Hello Warren, how have you and Alison been?"

"We're good, listen is my dad home? Im really need to talk to him."

"Im sorry Warren he isnt, he said he's still cleaning up that incident at one of his labs."

My shoulders slump, yet another excuse.

"Alright, could you tell him I called? I really need to talk to him."

"Ofcourse sir."

"Thanks."

I hang up the phone and rest my head in my hands.

"Still not talking?"

I look up and see Ali standing in my doorway.

"Yeah...."

I notice the blood on Ali's shirt.

"Ran into trouble?"

She smiles and shuts the door behind her.

"Eh some creep was getting too touchy feely, I made him think twice."

I smile as she pulls off the shirt and throws on one of mine. She looks at me as I stare into space.

"So lets go track your pops down. Find out what connection he has with this Fallen nut."

"What about the Professor?"

"To hell with the Professor! Besides the way he's been acting he really has no room to cast judgment on any of us!"

She flash me that mischevious smile that iv grown to love.

"Besides, can he really stop us?"

[Matt Murdock]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

My minds' a blur as my fists makes contact with Ben's face, I feel his nose break under my fist.

"What did you do Ben! What did you do to Jameson! I swear Ben im gonna take you down if it........"

I look around at my surroundings and the half dozen SHIELD agents that has stormed into the room. I let go of Ben and slowly get to my feet, suddenly feeling lightheaded.

"Where.......where am I?"

Every time a normal person would say "ow" in a fight, I have to say it three times, because I am undoubtedly getting struck by three fists whenever I brawl with Anton.

Owowow.

Anton's pretty pi--

Owowow.

--ssed off.

Boots trample along the ground, automatic doors slide open, and bullets click into chambers.

Anton stands up slowly, and I groggily get to my feet.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, broseph." I say with a smirk.

[Venom160]

Every time a normal person would say "ow" in a fight, I have to say it three times, because I am undoubtedly getting struck by three fists whenever I brawl with Anton.

Owowow.

Anton's pretty pi--

Owowow.

--ssed off.

Boots trample along the ground, automatic doors slide open, and bullets click into chambers.

Anton stands up slowly, and I groggily get to my feet.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, broseph." I say with a smirk.http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

"Welcome back to the land of the living, broseph."

Ben's voice....it sounds...friendly...

Confusion and anger flood my mind as my gaze shifts between Ben and the SHEILD agents.

"Ok I want answers, what the **** happened to me!"

[Matt Murdock]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

"Welcome back to the land of the living, broseph."[/font]

Ben's voice....it sounds...friendly...

Confusion and anger flood my mind as my gaze shifts between Ben and the SHEILD agents.

"Ok I want answers, what the **** happened to me!"

I smirk. Why is it that EVERY brother I've killed, cloned, and gotten into a fight with has to ask this question?

"Long story short?" I ask briefly, "I killed you and brought you back to life because I like to play with your mind."

[Venom160]

I smirk. Why is it that EVERY brother I've killed, cloned, and gotten into a fight with has to ask this question?

"Long story short?" I ask briefly, "I killed you and brought you back to life because I like to play with your mind."http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

Without even thinking I throw another punch hitting Ben in the jaw knocking him on his ass again.

"Just to play with my mind?!"

[Matt Murdock]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

Without even thinking I throw another punch hitting Ben in the jaw knocking him on his ass again.

"Just to play with my mind?!"

Blood tastes like ****, for the record.

"Well, I guess it would be more accurate to say that I was under the influence of the Carnage suit and ended up getting too much of a chemical jolt to my mendula oblongata." My legs shake as I stand up. "But, you know, sometimes that just happens."

[Venom160]

Blood tastes like ****, for the record.

"Well, I guess it would be more accurate to say that I was under the influence of the Carnage suit and ended up getting too much of a chemical jolt to my mendula oblongata." My legs shake as I stand up. "But, you know, sometimes that just happens."http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

Silence passes as I stare at my fellow clone. I finally just shake my head and walk towards the nearest door hoping for an exit. The SHIELD agents doesnt move out of the way.

"Im really not inna good mood, get out of my way...."

One of the SHEILD agents looks at Ben than back at me.

"Im sorry but can't....."

Without another word I fire weblines from all six arms webbing the agents to the nearest walls.

"I wasent ****ing asking."

I grab a lab coat thats hanging on a rack next to the door and throw it on without breaking stride.

[Matt Murdock]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

Silence passes as I stare at my fellow clone. I finally just shake my head and walk towards the nearest door hoping for an exit. The SHIELD agents doesnt move out of the way.

"Im really not inna good mood, get out of my way...."

One of the SHEILD agents looks at Ben than back at me.

"Im sorry but can't....."

Without another word and fire weblines fromall six arms and web the agents to the walls.

"I wasent ****ing asking."

I grab a lab coat thats hanging on a rack next to the door and throw it on without breaking stride.

Of course he's ****ing leaving.

"You wanted me cured, Anton? Here I am."

The simplicity of my sentence is enough to stop him from walking.

"I'm sorry for the things I said. You know I am. Don't walk out on us. We're still brothers. That's why I brought you back."

[Venom160]

Of course he's ****ing leaving.

"You wanted me cured, Anton? Here I am."

The simplicity of my sentence is enough to stop him from walking.

"I'm sorry for the things I said. You know I am. Don't walk out on us. We're still brothers. That's why I brought you back."http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

"Your cured and It only took me dieing to do it. Great work."

I regret the words after I see the hurt look on Ben's face.

"Look im willing to talk to you but just not here, meet me at our Uncle's grave......"

I turn and leave.

[Gallagher]

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l144/Gray_Fox_Lives/RPG%20stuff/Thorbanner.jpg

Norway.

Just North of Thor's encampment...

Screams and smoke fill the night air, men shouting after their wives and children, some caught tragically in the blaze.

"Run non-believers! Run at the might of the Servants of Mischief!" Cackled a young man, his head shaved, tattoos engraved on his bare chest. "None shall be spared! Tis the will of our one and only lord! The true All-Father! LOKI!" He screamed at the masses fleeing before him. The rest of the vicious mob racing around the village brandishing torches and knives, burning and carving their way through the innocent civilians. One of the rioters runs straight into a tall muscular man, knocking himself to the ground.

"YO! YOU WANNA DIE MAN!?" The young man said, swinging his knife wildly in front of him, thrusting and slashing at thin air. The larger man moved suddenly, his boot connecting with the other's jaw.

"You handle these 'Followers of Loki' I'll get the people out of here." Thor shouts above the din, looking down at the poor young man that lay unconscious in the dirt, the rain lashing down on his unmoving body. His thoughts on Loki and what he would have to do to put an end to this charade once and for all...

"HERETIC!!" Came a roar from behind the mob, the bald leader was racing toward the two Gods, brandishing a large machete. Thor lifted his mighty war hammer and swung upwards as the savage came hurtling toward him. The hammer connected with tremendous force, enough to cave a giant's skull, sending the mere human hurtling toward a nearby hut.

"Heimdall, cover me my friend! Those people are trapped by the debris!"

Thor yelled over the shrill screams and cries for help, pushing his way through the crowd.

[Jono Starsmore]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/Treyzee/CykeBanner-1.jpg


"...Jesus Christ.."

Those were simply the only words that could come out of Scott's mouth, just after he blasted multiple shards of glass, caused by the miscalculation of the Scarlet Witch. The blast was high powered, so the transparent blades of death were obliterated into a fine dust, swirling about the club. But that wasn't all. Club Typhoid was on fire.

Scott watched as Pietro rescued a good bundle of the injured patrons, giving him a better respect for the man. It was really he first time he'd ever seen Quicksilver "save" a life--but those days were long gone.

As flames erupted from the sides of the club, he knew that Club Typhoid was done for...but not entirely. Turning to Quicksilver, he adjusted the knob on his visor.

"Pietro. Use your speed to create a vortex of some kind, to get rid of the smoke."

Pietro's face curled into a sneer, as he apparently thought Scott was barking out orders. Which, really...he was. But for the lives of the people that remained. Many had already fallen unconscious from the fumes..and it was starting to even get to Scott. Letting out a series of coughs, just after getting a good gulp of the fumes, he turned to Wanda.

"Wanda. What's the probability of you giving this another try?"

Hopefully the odd's were good, because the roof was beginning to crack, showering hot embers on them both.

[Venom160]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

"Your cured and It only took me dieing to do it. Great work."

I regret the words after I see the hurt look on Ben's face.

"Look im willing to talk to you but just not here, meet me at our Uncle's grave......"

I turn and leave.http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

The swing from the Triskelion to Queens helped get my head somewhat straight.

Ok lets see if I got this straight, I died but I didnt die. Im a clone of Tarantula but Im still Anton. Is that it?

I let go of my current webline and land ontop of the fence that surrounds the graveyard. A strong wind blows the lab coat im wearing backwards almost like a cape.

Ya know I kinda wish I grabbed more than a lab coat....

I fire a webline and snag a nearby tree and swing in a tight fast arc. I let go at the last minute and send mysel soaring through the air than landing gracefully infront of the tombstone that I came to see. I smile as I run my fingers along the ingraved words.

"Hey Uncle Ben."

[Saved]

Prologue

Wars. Wars rage on everyday. It is a constant, as true as the stars in the sky. Like the stars, war is a never ending fire. A torrent of pain and suffering that only continues until the end. But, what is the end? How does someone classify an end? Is it the point where things cease to be, cease to exist? A moment when everything falls, like a piece of glass to the ground, shattering into pieces and scattering, never to be fixed. Or, is the end mearly a term for a begining? A time when one thing stops, and a new starts.

I was born into war. I was never given the choice to choose which side I wanted. For me, I was born to swear my allegiance to a rebel. The first real villain of time. My father.

Ever since the day he betrayed everything, the day he took it upon himself to stage his mighty coup, the world, the universe, and every being ever to breath has had to suffer.

When I was born, I swore my loyalties to my father. I became his heir, and one of his warriors in his vendetta. I have served him to the best of my abilities, trying not to falter nor fail. But to him, I am still a disgrace. I am still the black spot on his perfect image. He cannot disown, he will not disown me. But I know if he could, he would not hesitate.

The question I ask myself is no longer, "why do I fight?" It is not, "Whose side am I on?" The question I ask myself now is much darker, much more severe. "Why serve someone, fighting a means to an end, who you do not respect or believe in?" But for that matter, why follow someone who doesn't believe in you?

Kansas

In the large open farm lands of the central state the wind blows gently over the crops. The setting sun casts a heavenly light on the grains, causing them to shine like gold. On the edge of the property rests a house, a small dwelling for only a family.

Inside the house, children sit in the kitchen, seated in their carved wooden chairs. The oldest stares out the window, watching the world pass him as he tries to forget what he knows is coming. At the table sit his two younger brothers, fidgeting carelessly as they naively wait for what the do not expect.

Inside the next room, behind a closed door, stands a man. He watches a woman, his wife, lying in the bed. She is dying, her life fading fast from a pernicious disease that eats away at her body from its core. The father tries to stay strong, hoping to set an example for his children in their desperate times. As he gazes at his wife, he sees her pain, feels her anguish, and the tears begin to fill in his eyes.

He walks to his wife's bedside and falls to his knees. He gently grabs her hand, holding it tightly as he remembers the good times in his mind. He touches her hand to his forehead, straining himself to hold back his sadness.

"Don't leave us, Mary." He asks her. "Don't go."

The husband stares at his wife's face, gazing at her eyes as they flutter. His grip tightens on her hand, holding onto her as if he can keep her from passing into the next. A strong wind blows through the room as the sun dips behind the hills into darkness. The mother takes her last breath, and her body falls still.

"Don't leave us, Mary!" The father begs. "Please!"

"Such a sad time." A voice states from the darkness. The room suddenly becomes cold, sending a shiver through the man's spine. He turns around quickly, his eyes searching for the unknown intruder.

"Who said that!" He yells in anger, his stress begining to consume him.

"Don't be alarmed." The voice calls out, it's figure still obscured in the shadows. "I am here to help."

"W-Who are you?" The man asks in a studder, his body begining to shake with fear.

"What if you could save your wife?" The voice asks persausively.

"She's dead!" He says in a sob. "Can't you see that?"

"Ah, but she is not too far gone. There is still a chance. It's slight, but you can still keep her from death."

The man's eyes light up at the word's from the stranger. Save his wife? Is it possible. He gets to his feet and stares into the darkness, a new found hopefulness in his body.

"Really?" He asks as he wipes the tears from his eyes. "She can live?"

"Of course."

"How? Please tell me how? I'd do anything for her. Anything!"

The voice laughs in a low tone, it's sound quiet and discrete.

"Tell me, are you truly willing to do what you must?" The man nods, his uneasy feeling still strong in him. "Are you a religious man?"

"I was once." He responds coldly, a bitter tone lingering on his words. "Before Mary..."

"Before she fell ill?" The voice asks, its tone seeming as if it already knows the answer. The man nods again, and looks back at his wife's body.

"Life will be nothing without her. She was my sun...my moon...my love."

"Time is short, my friend. You must choose now. Are you ready?"

"Yes." The man says turning back to the figure still masked by the shadows. "What do I have to do?"

"Give up your hold to your self. Let go of your spirit, set it free. Give it freely, like a gift. It is your essence, used to bring your wife from damnation and bring her back into the light."

The man takes a deep breath and does as the voice instructs. He feels himself let go, releasing any hold he has on everything. He exhales in a deep breath as his body becomes weak. He falls to the floor, and the figure from the shadows laughs.

"Good." The voice responds proudly. "Now, look on your wife."

The man turns to the bed, looking over his shoulder with excitement. He sees his wife lean forward, her body come back to life. He smiles widly and uses all his strength to stand. He hugs his wife lovingly, and he holds her tight.

"Mary! You're alive!"

"I take it you're satisfied, then?" The voice asks.

"Yes! It's...It's a miracle."

"A miracle?" The voice asks confused. "I thought you said you weren't a religious man."

"I'm not. I'm just so glad she's alive. Thank heaven."

"Heaven?" The voice asks again. "What makes you think this is an act from above?" The man suddenly fills with a uneasy feeling once more. He turns fully to the voice, his mind begining to question who he really speaks with.

"What do you mean?"

"Man doesn't sell his soul to heaven."

"Sell...my soul? What do you mean?"

"When I told you to release your spirit, what did you think I meant?"

The man fills with a strange sense of panic and anger. He stands to his feet, struggling to stay straight on his two legs.

"What are you!" He screams. The figure steps forth from the shadows, it's blue scaly body coming into the faint light. It is Blackheart. Son of Mephistopheles, heir to the throne of hell.

"I told you." He smiles. "I came here to help."

"What...What in the hell are you?" The man studders in fear at the sight of the being.

"I'm the entity who saved you're wife's soul." He smirks evily, his tail slithering like a snake behind his body."And the one who took yours."

"Y-You...you're a demon?"

"Feel kind of foolish for telling me you weren't religious now, don't you? Yeah, moments like these always make people wish they had held on to that tiny strand of faith they had before they lost it."

"I'm going to...I'll..."

"You can't do anything. You can't touch me. In years to come you'll think back to this day and wish you had never made the deal. You'll pray that you can go back and change your choice...but you'll never get the chance."

The man lunges at Blackheart, snarling like a rabid dog as his rage consumes him. As he tries to grab the being, his hands move through his body as if it were air, and Blackheart's image suddenly dissapears.

"You made the deal..." His voice still speaks. "Enjoy it while it lasts. When your end comes, there will be no one to save you from me."

Season V - Ascension of a Prince

[Matt Murdock]

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"You're SCUM!" Daredevil roared as he slammed his billy club into Bullseye's soft cheek. He disregarded the solid metal behind the fleshy exterior, hoping only to make the freak bleed.

Bullseye coughed up blood, cackling slightly under his breath. He was a lunatic, Daredevil was aware of this. Their mentalities were, in truth, the only things that distinguished the two men. Each had near-perfect aim, could take barrage after barrage of punishment and beatings, and neither man knew fear. All that stood between Daredevil becoming a sick man like Bullseye was the value he held on human life. This simple fact is what made Bullseye so very dangerous. Chaos was his purpose, fear his goal.

As the criminal lay flat on his face, choking back blood, he tried to push himself up. The bones in his arms cracked, nearly breaking, but he didn't waiver. Instead, he got straight to his feet and glared at Daredevil.

"Oh, come on, now. A guy who throttles people for a living is calling me garbage? Take a look in the mirror, Devily! WE'RE NO DIFFERENT!"

Daredevil cringed. It was true. In their form and in their being, the pair were virtually the same, but Daredevil would always have the upper hand, because he'd always have that which he believed in.

"We're certainly not the same." Daredevil said, trying to convince himself more than anyone.

"Take a look around you, DEVIL. We're both covered in BLOOD, standing in the STREET, battering each other until the other DIES."

Bullseye drew a card from thin air and held it in front of his face. Daredevil, in kind, swung his billy club in front of his chest.

"Now tell me we're not the same."

Daredevil didn't have time to think about the statement, and, even if he did, he probably wouldn't like the result of his deliberation. Bullseye had already launched the card at Daredevil, who used his club to stop it in mid air.

They were a perfect match.

Daredevil soared through the air with ease, planting his boot on a brick wall nearby. He vaulted sideways, over Bullseye's head, and landed behind the criminal. Within the blink of an eye, the Man Without Fear had attached his billy clubs to each other and was suffocating Bullseye.

"I'll live." He said, through gritted teeth as Bullseye struggled, "You won't... not this time."

Bullseye simply laughed wildly, disregarding Daredevil's cable as is slit his flesh. He jammed his hand into a pouch on his belt and withdrew a small, spherical object. Within seconds, it was between his teeth, and Daredevil heard a small metal object fall to the ground.

A grenade.

"My god."

"Tick tock!" Bullseye sneered as the Crimson Knight instinctively pulled away from the maniac to stop the bomb.

He was too late. It was already soaring through the air towards the bar.

The striker spring was slowly extending towards the bottom of the explosive, and Daredevil could hear it drifting away from him.

Then, another item, rocketing through the air. Razor sharp, and much faster than the grenade itself. A playing card.

Before the grenade even crossed the threshold of the window, the card was inside the bar, and struck a small pipe, siphoning gas into the room. Murdock and Daredevil could both smell it from across the street.

The gas main was one that ran through out the street on the eastern side. As soon as the bomb exploded, the neighborhood, literally, went to hell.

BOOM!

http://www.hollywoodonlocation.com/hol-explode.jpg


Onlookers sprinted away, as countless innocent people were killed. The gas ignited quickly, bringing the block to flaming rubble in seconds.

In the midst of it all, Bullseye still cackled. Now, though, he was on his feet, staring down at Daredevil.

"Just like home, huh, Devil?" Bullseye said happily.

Flames reflected off of the lenses in Daredevil's cowl. As flames encircled him, Daredevil swore he could hear a deep, cruel laugh. Above the screams, above the chaos, was a harsh, suffocating laugh.

Why are you still on the ground? Daredevil asked snidely inside his own head.

Matt Murdock didn't offer a response.

Feeling the death all around him, Daredevil felt himself scramble to his feet. He wasn't truly in control of his actions anymore. Instead, a single driving force thrust him towards Bullseye.

Revenge.

His clenched fists were already behind Bullseye as he tackled the madman. The pair flew through the air viciously.

BUMBUMBUMBUMBUMBUM

Daredevil couldn't tell if the heartbeat inside his ears belonged to him or his foe, but it was incredibly loud. A glass window didn't prove to be much of an obstacle for the two men, as they soon ripped through a storefront. Any patrons who were inside had no doubt scrambled away as soon as the buildings across the street had exploded.

Bullseye hit the ground first. Daredevil could smell the linoleum tiles before they had even broken the threshold of the glass.

It took everything he had not to break, to give up. He had seen death, he had seen crime, but in those moments, he could feel the essence of fear. The stench of charred flesh, the heat of blood flowing through the streets, the vague calls of lone fire engines answering the call. But he refused to stop attacking Bullseye. They didn't call him a "Man Without Fear" for nothing. He would not give up.

As Daredevil gnashed and gnarled his teeth, his skull slammed into the wall of the tiny room, temporarily disabled his echolocation. Instead of his sense of hearing, Daredevil was left blinded, with nothing but his senses of touch, taste, and smell to rely on.

The smell was enough to give away their location. Dried blood was on the floor, the taste in the air was thick and rotten, but the smell... The scent was somehow cold, lifeless. They were in a butcher's shop.

Bullseye was already on his feet, his boots were sticking to the dried blood. Daredevil didn't need his extrasensory 'sight' to know what the lunatic was going for.

Knife handles clattered as Bullseye scooped them up in his arms, standing only a few feet in front of the temporarily incapacitated hero.

"You keep fighting, DEVIL." Bullseye spat. "I DON'T THINK YOU SEE MY POINT!"

The knives were in the air. As they parted the molecules, Daredevil slowly began to hear the world around him again, and drew his billy club free in a second. He swung it left, right, up, down, and anywhere he could to avoid the knifes.

As the final knife landed on the floor, Daredevil felt himself smirk. His heart was racing, and his shoulder was in immense pain. His eyes drifted down to his chest quietly, and he saw a blade burrowed in his shoulder. His breathing became labored as blood seeped onto his costume.

"AHAHAHAH!" Bullseye laughed, and laughed as he made his way through the butchery. "Oh, Daredevil, as much as I'd love to stay and chat, I've got more people to kill, heroes to haunt, you know the drill. It's been fun, though."

He strode to the back of the room, at the hall to the rear exit. With a jab of his adamantium-laced fist, he had shattered the lock and the door slid open easily.

"We must do this again sometime... really."

Daredevil heard Bullseye's feet heading down the hall to the alley behind the building, passing pantries and freezers as he went.

I need to rest. The Man Without Fear thought, touching the skin around his wound. It was tender, and applying the slightest amount of pressure made him cringe.

No. Matt Murdock thought, as he forced Daredevil's gloved hand around the handle of the knife. His hand was shaking as he gripped the blade, wriggling the point within his muscles, causing him more and more agony. Whenever we face Bullseye, whenever, he can never win. He can never leave with the upper hand. If he does, he'll just keep hunting me. Over, and over again, until I die.

Without another moment's hesitation, Murdock heaved the blade out of his alter ego's chest.

"GAH!" He roared, as blood spewed onto the tile. "****!"

Bullseye was almost out of the building. Daredevil couldn't waste any more time.

With his billy club in his right hand, Daredevil sprinted after Bullseye, his heartbeat growing louder and louder.

"BULLSEYE!" Daredevil roared, as the lock to the door leading the alleyway clicked open.

Before Bullseye could even respond, Daredevil was hurling his club at him.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/Daredevil%20Game%20Pictures/daredevil.jpg
"I'll see you in hell."

The projectile crushed Bullseye's jaw with the utmost precision, sending him careening backwards into a meat freezer. His sweaty face slammed into the ice cold floor and was frozen in place.

Not missing a step, The Daredevil was upon him, with his hands around the back of his foe's outfit. With a single heave, the flesh of Bullseye's cheek had been torn off, left to freeze on the ground. Carcasses of cows hung limply from hooks attached to the ceiling. Continuing his push forward, Daredevil thrust Bullseye onto one of the hooks, hanging him by his metal ribcage.

In a matter of moments, the weight of the man grew too heavy for the hook, and it snapped unceremoniously. In a slump at Daredevil's feet, Bullseye could have easily been thought of as a defeated opponent.

In these few seconds, Daredevil's mind wandered to Bullseye's words from earlier in the evening.

"Take a look in the mirror, Devily! WE'RE NO DIFFERENT!"


Was Bullseye right? Were they the same person on different sides of the law? Or was Bullseye the counterpoint to Daredevil? Was it the other way around? Daredevil was so lost in thought that he didn't have enough time to react to Bullseye rocketing into his torso.

"KILL YOU!" Bullseye screamed as the pair collapsed through the freezer door and into the wet alleyway.

Daredevil rolled head over heels until eventually skidding to a stop on the pavement.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/Daredevil%20Game%20Pictures/dd49full.jpg

Paper was pushed against paper as Bullseye drew his last few cards, gripping them tightly between his thumb and index finger.

The muscles in Bullseye's wrist went taught, and Daredevil felt himself smile. Each card brushed past him easily, as he only had to move himself slightly to avoid them.

The came to a halt on the other side of the street, landing gracelessly in a puddle.

"Give it up, Bullseye. You can't win." Daredevil said, trying to reason, as the rain ran over the bridge of his nose. Steam rose from his body as the air around him cooled down. His breathing was heavy, but Bullseye was done. He had no other options.

"Come on, Daredevil." Said Bullseye as he ran his hand along his belt. "Don't tell me you thought that that was the end of my little show."

The Crimson Knight froze as he smelled metal sliding through the air. Cordite was in the air once more.

Bullseye had a gun.

"You know what they say, don't ya?" He said, the inhumane tone returning to his voice, "Sometimes the simplest solution is the right one."

"No..." Whispered the guardian devil.

"I'm the bad guy. Remember?"

KA-CLICK

The bullet was in the chamber now, pointed straight at Daredevil's head.

Blood was still running down Bullseye's chest, and down Daredevil's shoulder. After all of it, the fight, the struggle, the wounds, Daredevil was going to lose.

"Checkmate, Devil."
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/Daredevil%20Game%20Pictures/Bullseye-1.jpg

And, like that, something was spinning through the air, cutting it with perfect aim. Blood spilled onto the sidewalk, and a combatant fell to their knees screaming. Only, it wasn't The Man Without Fear.

The gun fell to the ground as Bullseye lost his grip on it, clutching his forearm in agony. His screams illuminated his body, and Daredevil saw a sai had been driven through his arm.

The scent of roses filled the air, and the sound of leather rubbing against leather was in Daredevil's ear.

Bullseye was screaming, but that didn't stop his attacker. Another sai was lodged in his chest within seconds. Pivoting on her heel, the woman saving Daredevil sent a kick onto the handle of her blade, driving it directly into Bullseye's torso.

His heart was beating, but the pain had become too much, and he drifted backwards, quietly collapsing.

"I guess that makes us the good guys, then." Elektra said, turning to Daredevil.

He picked his clubs up off of the ground and watched as she retrieved her knife.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/Daredevil%20Game%20Pictures/ultimateelektratpbfullsized.jpg


"I guess so..." He said, crossing his arms.

[Eddie Brock]

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I place the half-empty jar of peanut butter down on the carpet as I lick the spoon clean. I always assumed that they were just exaggerating in health class about pregnancy cravings, but I have been proven oh-so-wrong in the last month. As you can tell, right now my craving of choice is peanut butter. I think I've ingested enough Nutter Butters in the past week to clog my arteries twice over, and yet I still come back for more. I'm in a constant state of binging, and I can only imagine the cardio that I'm going to need in seven months to burn all of this off.

Resting my head on the foot of my new bed, I reach lazily for the remote. After a few futile attempts of aimless groping, I manage to wrap my fingers around the plastic device. Gripping it tightly in my hand, I hold up the remote so that the signal can reach the television. Genetics or no genetics, I can't stand another hour of Lifetime programming. I don't care what my chromosomes say. I break into the old habit of flipping on the news, even though I'm well aware that web-swinging is completely out of the question for someone in my condition.

Heh. My condition. I make it sound like I have a disease.

After some uneventful stories on the news, I decide that I'm not going to see what I'm looking for. Other than the initial incident a month ago, nothing further has progressed with Nexus. I feel so guilty for abandoning my team like that, but it's not like I planned this. My heart goes out to them as they fight it out against...whatever Nexus really is. Meanwhile, I relish in the buffering distance between New York City and Eli's house in the upstate. If the proverbial doo-doo hits the proverbial fan, I'll know well in advance, and I'll have ample time to ensure the safety of myself and my fetus.

I click off the television and toss the remote effortlessly across the room. It hits the wall with a sharp thud, and the batteries fall out. "Oops," I groan emotionlessly. For a minute or two, I lie on the carpet, listening only to the soothing sounds of the ceiling fan as it spins quietly. I try my best not to think about anything, but I clearly have a lot going on in my head. It's hard to zone out when your mind is constantly racing.

I look over at my stack of DVDs that keep me company when Eli isn't around. My eyes skim across the titles - Juno, Knocked Up, Saved!, etc. - and I stare dully. Leave it to Eli to get me a bunch of pregnancy movies. I bite my lip as I picture Eli thinking that he's so funny. Yeah, you're a regular comedian, I think to myself.

Nonetheless, I reach out and grab Knocked Up. I could use someone who understands my condition.

See, there I go again.

[Blacklight]

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/7032/hulklingwo8.jpghttp://img241.imageshack.us/img241/6701/shadowcatgw8.jpg


It was an anxious month for the Hulkling as Ted Altman endured the effects of the attack on New York in the first phase of the unbeknownst to him Project: Nexus. Since then, more determined than ever, Ted and his friend Kate Bishop had trained harder than they ever have before to prepare for what happens next and for when they face it standing next to the Human Torch's resistance force. But SHEILD has it's own plans for the two and won't take lightly of them going out in public with their abilities and backing out of their training, which adds more stress to Ted's load, but also more willpower to help his allies overcome the obstacles laid before them...

Meanwhile, Katherine Pryde had less on her plate. Her relationship with Johnny is growing stronger, she's slowly starting to mend her friendship with Bobby Drake, has had barely any dangerous X-Men missions, and has also been able to train herself to fight alongside her boyfriend. The only problem she has really had a hard time with is contacting Peter Parker, also known as the web-slinging hero Spider-Man, but she, Johnny and Bobby are all trying their hardest to remedy that situation. For the enlistment of Spider-Man could be their most crucial chance of survival...


Currently, both the Hulkling and Shadowcat both have important appointments to attend to...


* * *


"Where did you say we were going, Ted?"

It was late evening as Kate sat atop the "Hulked out" Ted Altman as he sprinted using his super-strength at great speeds rivaling that of jets along different paths and alleyways to reach their destination without being detected.

"We're meetin' these guys at the Midtown High Football field."

"Why there?"

"I dunno, Katie. Theys the ones who said to meet there. Not me."

"Well hurry up, Gumbi! Before we're late!"


* * *


"We're are these guys at, Kitty? They're supposed to be here by now..."

Bobby stood leaning against a nearby tree, all iced up as usual with that stupid bandana drooping down of his icy head as I kept checking the clock on my phone and trying to call Johnny. It keeps going to his voicemail, so he must be on FF business. So I guess it's just me and Bobby to face these guys.

"Give them time, Bobby. They'll be here..."

At least I hope so...

"They better. We're gonna need al the help we can get to find Parker."

"Shhh! I hear something..." I said cupping my hand around my ear. I was hearing a short rumbling noise at it came closer and closer and closer....

Until it just stopped....

Bobby looked in amazement, but I just smirked.

"Heh. Johnny said you guys had a thing for the theatrical..."

"Well you know J, always exaggeratin'. Kitty, right?"

"Nice to finally meet you, Ted. This is Bobby..." I said as I shook his massive, green hand with my own as his friend stepped off his shoulder and Bobby walked up to my side.

"'Sup, bro."

"Nothin' much. Just chillin'."

I sighed as I put my palm on my face at Bobby's utter lameness.

"Please, Bobby. No more ice puns..."

"Sure. That's cool..."

"Ughh..."

Ted's friend (Kate, I'm assuming) then walked up to me and held out her hand as I shook it.

"Kate. Kate Bishop."

"Kitty Pryde. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. But wasn't Johnny supposed to be here too?"

Good question...Well, he would be, only he sorta doesn't know I planned this for him and I haven't been able to tell him because he won't PICK UP THE GODDAMN PHONE!!!

"Hold on. I'll call him and see if he's coming..." I said pulling out my phone and dialing Johnny's number.

Please for the love of God, Johnny! Pick up the damn phone!

[Saved]

Previously (http://forums.superherohype.com/showpost.php?p=14550633&postcount=22)

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x90/Edge_027/ultimatexmen-771-1.jpg

The Next Step Part III

Barjnov, Rumekistan

In the heart of Rumekistan, President Nathan Winters resides in his government office. He sits in his chair, turned slightly to face the large windows at the back of the room.

As he watches the city, a knock comes from the door to the office. In walks Neena Thurman, also known as Domino the mercenary. Following close behind her is one of the Ultimatum, his hand carefully grasping his weapon.

"Ms. Thurman, sir." The Ultimatum says. Nathan nods and waves him off. The man salutes his leader and exists through the door, closing it behind him. Cable stands to his feet and turns to Neena. With a kind smile, he holds out his hand and points to a chair in front of his desk.

"Here, have a seat."

Neena walks slowly toward Nathan, cautious and wary. She takes her seat in the cushioned chair and stares at Nathan. He turns back to the window, picking up a glass of wine on his desk and holding it in his hand.

"Beautiful view, isn't it?"

"I suppose." She responds blankly. Nathan smirks and takes a sip of from his glass. He turns back to Neena, and extends his glass.

"Wine?"

"No thank you."

Nathan nods and turns back to the window, resuming his proud stance as he views his country. A few moments of silence pass, the room's tension growing thicker as Neena wonders why she is here. She changes her position in the chair as she sits uncomfortably. A few more moments pass, and Neena's patience wears thin.

"Um, Mr. President, sir, President Winters..."

"Please, Neena," he says with a charming smile. "Call me Nathan."

"Um, okay then. Nathan. Why did you call for me?"

"Don't you enjoy it here?"

"Not exactly." She responds carefully, masking her true feelings. "I mean, I'm a little...uh...homesick."

"Oh, I understand. I'm homesick myself."

"What? You are?"

"Of course. We all long for the days of the past. Those days when things seemed...simpler." He raises his glass to his mouth once again, taking a deep sigh. He takes another drink, swallowing all the wine from the glass.

"I thought you were born here?" She asks confused.

"Not exactly, my dear. It's all very...complicated." He pauses as he looks down at the empty glass in his hand. He turns back to Neena, and places the glass on the table. "So, do you want to know why I called you here?"

"Yes. If you wouldn't mind filling me in." Nathan laughs at Neena's wit, admiring her beauty. Neena blushes and she smiles lightly, trying to mask her feelings.

"So, I understand you are a mercenary. How are times now?"

"Rough." She states coldly. "But people die. It's part of the job."

"Yes. I am sure people hire you for many dangerous missions, right?"

"Naturally. Why hire me to do something that you can do yourself, right?"

"Well, that's easy." Nathan says with a smirk. "Surprise."

"Um...I don't think I follow."

"Neena, I want to hire you for a contract. Now, despite your abilities, I am an old fashioned sort and I'd hate to put you in the line of fire. The mission I have in mind is strictly reconaissance. That is, if you accept."

"Well, Nathan, I don't know...I mean, I don't really like working for government officials and-"

"I'll pay one million euros in advance. And 500,000 more for every week you are under contract." Neena's eyes light up at the offer. A wide smile comes across her face as she fills with pride and the thoughts of the quantity of the money.

"Well," She says in a cocky tone. "I'm really interested now. I'm in." She leans forward in her chair and gives Nathan a sly smile. "What do you want me to do?" Nathan smiles as he takes a seat in his chair.

"Tell me, Neena. How familiar are you with the X-Men?"

"Mutant group in America, right?"

"Yes. It is a school for young mutants, lead by a 'Professor Charles Xaiver'. From what I have heard, a few of their "instructors" are quite powerful and "gifted." As are some of the students attending this establishment."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"Infiltrate them. I don't care if you do it covertly or overtly. The bottom line is, I want to get as much information about them as possible."

"So I should set up cameras and wiretaps?" Nathan smiles proudly, leaning back in his chair.

"You are good at this, aren't you?"

"The best."

"Excellent." Nathan says as he stands from his chair. He walks around the desk and up to Neena as she slowly rises to her feet. Cable places his arm around her shoulder and the two slowly walk toward the door. "So you understand you mission then?"

"Get you as much intel and information about the X-Men as possible."

"Good, girl. Oh, one more thing. I know you're very skilled but, be careful. Those mutants have deadly abilities and I wouldn't want you getting hurt."

"Yeah, right."

"Charles is apparently a psychic so...watch your thoughts. Lest he tries to read your mind."

"I'll do my best, Nathan."

"I know you will. The odds are in your favor, Domino. Good luck." Nathan opens the door and Neena slowly walks through into the hallway. Under her breath she mutters something to herself as she heads off down the corridor.

"You have no idea."

Nathan watches as she turns the corner to the next hallway, and dissapears from sight. He smiles and closes the door to his office, tightly locking the door in place.

He walks back across the room to the window, his eyes drawn to the extravagant view in front of him through the double paned glass.

"Phase one is complete." Nathan laughs. "The pieces are falling into place. Soon my plan will be complete." Nathan takes in a deep breath, basking in his own glory. "And soon, I will save the world."

[Matt Murdock]

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/ScarletSpider-2.jpg


Fury stands next to me for a moment after Anton leaves. His bald head turns quietly and I can feel him staring. I ignore him. He doesn't matter anymore. All that matters now is making things right with Anton.

Fury mutters something. I don't bother listening.

Within seconds, my costume is in a backpack, my hoodie is on, and my iPod is cranked all the way up.

"Whoa, kid. Where exactly do you think you're headed?"

His tone is enough to make me want to deck him. I brush it off. I just don't care anymore.

This is not the beginning of the end
This is the return to yourself
The return to innocence.
Love, devotion
feeling, emotion.


"Out of my way, General."

"Reilly." The way he's talking, he makes it sound like I've lost my mind wanting to leave. "You killed a guy."

"Really?" My tone can be summed up in two words: **** you. "Show me the body... Prove it."

He chuckles beneath his breath and steps aside.

Don't be afraid to be weak.
Don't be too proud to be strong.
Just look into your heart, my friend
That will be the return to yourself.
The return to innocence.


Once I'm halfway down the corridor I've become so familiar with this past month, he turns around and calls out to me.

"You've got a second chance. Don't waste it."
If you want, then start to laugh
If you must, then start to cry
Be yourself, don't hide
Just believe in destiny.
"I won't."

As I walk down the hallway, I realize I should probably be grateful for everything I've got. Life. Friendship. No more of that Suit. I can only pray that it's gone for good.

Every other day, I've taken the elevator to the roof for my leisure time. Today, strangely, I feel compelled to take the stairs. My iPod rattles around in my pocket and the zippers on my bag bounce away as I stand on top of the roof, overlooking the city.

He would've loved this.

Uncle Ben.

Well, not this. Not the whole "killed a clone, brought him back" disaster... but this. My powers, my life, Mary Jane. He would've been a part of it.

And now he can't be.

Don't care what people say.

Just follow your own way.
Don't give up and use the chance
To return to innocence.

In my life, two things will always be constants. The first is the lingering responsibility I have for my Uncle's death. The daunting, oppressive condition that I'll have to carry to my grave. If I had just listened to him... he'd be alive. That's something that I can never fix. Anton may be able to be brought back from the dead, but Uncle Ben deserves his peace. I cannot save him, simply because I failed to save him.

The other thing that'll always be a constant? My mask. The Scarlet Spider. My backpack slides open with ease, and there, staring up at me, are the two vacant eyes of my old spandex mask.

Still fits.

Thats not the beginning of the end,
Thats the return to yourself.
The return to innocence.

The trip to Uncle Ben's grave flies by. I've traveled there from almost every corner of the city.

When I arrive, I take a moment to watch Anton. He's simply standing there, observing the headstone. Sometimes I wish I could do that... just stand by and watch, and remember. But, the world moves too fast, people are in danger and they need saving. I was given great power, and with that great power...

Don't care what people say.
Follow just your own way.
Don't give up, don't give up.
To return, to return to innocence.

...Comes great responsibility.

[Venom160]

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/ScarletSpider-2.jpg


Fury stands next to me for a moment after Anton leaves. His bald head turns quietly and I can feel him staring. I ignore him. He doesn't matter anymore. All that matters now is making things right with Anton.

Fury mutters something. I don't bother listening.

Within seconds, my costume is in a backpack, my hoodie is on, and my iPod is cranked all the way up.

"Whoa, kid. Where exactly do you think you're headed?"

His tone is enough to make me want to deck him. I brush it off. I just don't care anymore.

This is not the beginning of the end
This is the return to yourself
The return to innocence.
Love, devotion
feeling, emotion.


"Out of my way, General."

"Reilly." The way he's talking, he makes it sound like I've lost my mind wanting to leave. "You killed a guy."

"Really?" My tone can be summed up in two words: **** you. "Show me the body... Prove it."

He chuckles beneath his breath and steps aside.

Don't be afraid to be weak.
Don't be too proud to be strong.
Just look into your heart, my friend
That will be the return to yourself.
The return to innocence.


Once I'm halfway down the corridor I've become so familiar with this past month, he turns around and calls out to me.

"You've got a second chance. Don't waste it."
If you want, then start to laugh
If you must, then start to cry
Be yourself, don't hide
Just believe in destiny.
"I won't."

As I walk down the hallway, I realize I should probably be grateful for everything I've got. Life. Friendship. No more of that Suit. I can only pray that it's gone for good.

Every other day, I've taken the elevator to the roof for my leisure time. Today, strangely, I feel compelled to take the stairs. My iPod rattles around in my pocket and the zippers on my bag bounce away as I stand on top of the roof, overlooking the city.

He would've loved this.

Uncle Ben.

Well, not this. Not the whole "killed a clone, brought him back" disaster... but this. My powers, my life, Mary Jane. He would've been a part of it.

And now he can't be.

Don't care what people say.

Just follow your own way.
Don't give up and use the chance
To return to innocence.

In my life, two things will always be constants. The first is the lingering responsibility I have for my Uncle's death. The daunting, oppressive condition that I'll have to carry to my grave. If I had just listened to him... he'd be alive. That's something that I can never fix. Anton may be able to be brought back from the dead, but Uncle Ben deserves his peace. I cannot save him, simply because I failed to save him.

The other thing that'll always be a constant? My mask. The Scarlet Spider. My backpack slides open with ease, and there, staring up at me, are the two vacant eyes of my old spandex mask.

Still fits.

Thats not the beginning of the end,
Thats the return to yourself.
The return to innocence.

The trip to Uncle Ben's grave flies by. I've traveled there from almost every corner of the city.

When I arrive, I take a moment to watch Anton. He's simply standing there, observing the headstone. Sometimes I wish I could do that... just stand by and watch, and remember. But, the world moves too fast, people are in danger and they need saving. I was given great power, and with that great power...

Don't care what people say.
Follow just your own way.
Don't give up, don't give up.
To return, to return to innocence.

...Comes great responsibility.





http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

Nothing much is said as I stand at Uncle Ben's gravestone reliving memories that isnt mine.

"Sorry I havent visited you inna while. I've been kinda dead."

Out of the corner of my eye I see an approaching shadow. My spider sense doesnt go off so I don't bother, I know who it is anyway.

"Hey Ben."

[SenseiofCheese]

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l144/Gray_Fox_Lives/RPG%20stuff/Thorbanner.jpg

Norway.

Just North of Thor's encampment...

Screams and smoke fill the night air, men shouting after their wives and children, some caught tragically in the blaze.

"Run non-believers! Run at the might of the Servants of Mischief!" Cackled a young man, his head shaved, tattoos engraved on his bare chest. "None shall be spared! Tis the will of our one and only lord! The true All-Father! LOKI!" He screamed at the masses fleeing before him. The rest of the vicious mob racing around the village brandishing torches and knives, burning and carving their way through the innocent civilians. One of the rioters runs straight into a tall muscular man, knocking himself to the ground.

"YO! YOU WANNA DIE MAN!?" The young man said, swinging his knife wildly in front of him, thrusting and slashing at thin air. The larger man moved suddenly, his boot connecting with the other's jaw.

"You handle these 'Followers of Loki' I'll get the people out of here." Thor shouts above the din, looking down at the poor young man that lay unconscious in the dirt, the rain lashing down on his unmoving body. His thoughts on Loki and what he would have to do to put an end to this charade once and for all...

"HERETIC!!" Came a roar from behind the mob, the bald leader was racing toward the two Gods, brandishing a large machete. Thor lifted his mighty war hammer and swung upwards as the savage came hurtling toward him. The hammer connected with tremendous force, enough to cave a giant's skull, sending the mere human hurtling toward a nearby hut.

"Heimdall, cover me my friend! Those people are trapped by the debris!"

Thor yelled over the shrill screams and cries for help, pushing his way through the crowd.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/heimdallvc2.jpg

As his brother-in-arms rushed to the aid of the innocents trapped in the destruction, Heimdall extended his fist, trying as he could to hold back his own strength, into a maniac's body. Slumping over, the man was flung several feet back and crashed down into the snow.

"We shall end your undeserved reign and be basked in the glory of Loki!" a furious scream came from behind Heimdall, who quickly turned and was met with a large knife to the shoulder.

Heimdall merely grunted in annoyance, as his armor did it's job and prevented the blade from even connecting with his skin. Shaking the knife from it's lodged place in his armor, Heimdall raised his massive and grabbed the his attacker's shirt, raising him from the ground. The man's eyes widened in fear as he began quivering.

"Loki....Loki help me.." he silently plead, as Heimdall simply sneered.

"Pitiful." he growled, as his eyes suddenly glowed a brilliant blue. The man he was holding began to violently shake, attempting to free himself, but Heimdall's grip was much too tight. Brighter and brighter Heimdall's eyes became, the light demanding the attention of everyone, save Thor, who knew exactly what was taking place. Heimdall's attacker suddenly stopped struggling, his body going limp as he stared in awe into Heimdall's eyes. "Gunnar Bjarkason. You are a good man, thine life pure, still. Let Loki's deceit not change this. Go." Heimdall's voice powerfully stated, the sheer force almost melting the icy snow surrounding his body. His grasp on the now visibly-shaken man loosened, as the man fell to the ground with a thud. Covered in snow, the man looked up at Heimdall with wonder in his eyes, before turning and running as fast as he could away from the battlefield.

Suddenly, all those who had been advancing on Thor had their eyes planted firmly on Heimdall, some in amazement, others in fury. Slowly, most of their filthy hands moved to their sides as they softly unsheathed various blades and swords. Grimacing, Heimdall let out a furious growl that shook the entire battlefield, as his hand found his own magnificent sword. The sound rang through the air as he brandished his blade with divine prowess, his sword cutting air as surely as it had cut the throats of giants. "Who dares? WHO DARES?" roared Heimdall.

No sooner had the words left his mouth, before more than half of Loki's so called followers dropped their weapons and ran crying and screaming back to wherever they had come from. The hot air coming from Heimdall's mouth made visible by the cold night air almost boiled with rage. As most of Loki's followers abandoned their objectives, still many stood fast much to Heimdall's surprise. He had underestimated their bravery, as misguided as it was.

Turning to Thor, who he saw was smiling, Heimdall laughed. "I believe I am somewhat rusty. Now, my brother, shall we?" he asked, as the remaining followers of Loki howled furiously and ran towards the two gods.

[SenseiofCheese]

"Distract it?" I repeat as I take the skies yet again. I circle once around the creature - leaving a spiral of fire about its body. Then I add sarcastically, "Gee...why haven't we been doing that already?"

I look down at Reed who's messing with some canisters filled with God knows what. I get a little anxious every time Reed starts messing around with unknown substances. I try to remind myself that it's Reed - he knows what he's doing.

Then again, I thought that when I went with Sue to watch the teleporter experiment. And I need not remind you how that turned out.

"Let's make this fast. I'm starting to feel light-headed."

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/thingsk7.jpg

"What's da matter, Johnny-Boy, getting tired up there? Granted, it's no Jay Leno, but 'dis guy ain't so bad!" Ben shouts up toward Johnny as his hands envelop a manhole cover. With a clumsy throw, the manhole cover is flying through the air. "Whoops." Ben mutters as the manhole cover barely misses Johnny, flies past the monster and clanks on the ground near Reed. Both shoot him looks, as he smiles apologetically and waves to Reed, who gets right back to his potions.

Settling for good old fashioned manpower, Ben runs straight for the dragon, which swipes at Johnny, who is circling the monster, enraging it. For a moment, Ben can't help but wonder about whatever Reed is cooking up. There's a good chance he's going to be able to cooks something up to defeat a dragon in the middle of New York City, unprepared. That's how good Reed is. What was stopping him from coming up with a cure for Ben? Something to make him normal aga...

No, Ben. Ain't Reed's fault. Ain't nobody's fault. Like the Doc said, what happened happened. It's up to you what you do with it.

Ben makes a fist and jumps through the air. Not making much altitude, Ben comes slamming down on the monster's spiked tail, causing it to howl terribly in pain. Grabbing a tight hold on the tail, which begins flailing wildly with Ben hanging on, he shouts over to Reed.

"Any....day....now....WHOOP....Stretch....!"

[Catman_prb]

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/thingsk7.jpg

"What's da matter, Johnny-Boy, getting tired up there? Granted, it's no Jay Leno, but 'dis guy ain't so bad!" Ben shouts up toward Johnny as his hands envelop a manhole cover. With a clumsy throw, the manhole cover is flying through the air. "Whoops." Ben mutters as the manhole cover barely misses Johnny, flies past the monster and clanks on the ground near Reed. Both shoot him looks, as he smiles apologetically and waves to Reed, who gets right back to his potions.

Settling for good old fashioned manpower, Ben runs straight for the dragon, which swipes at Johnny, who is circling the monster, enraging it. For a moment, Ben can't help but wonder about whatever Reed is cooking up. There's a good chance he's going to be able to cooks something up to defeat a dragon in the middle of New York City, unprepared. That's how good Reed is. What was stopping him from coming up with a cure for Ben? Something to make him normal aga...

No, Ben. Ain't Reed's fault. Ain't nobody's fault. Like the Doc said, what happened happened. It's up to you what you do with it.

Ben makes a fist and jumps through the air. Not making much altitude, Ben comes slamming down on the monster's spiked tail, causing it to howl terribly in pain. Grabbing a tight hold on the tail, which begins flailing wildly with Ben hanging on, he shouts over to Reed.

"Any....day....now....WHOOP....Stretch....!"


"Jesus Christ Ben, I'm working on i- I've got it!" Reed shouted holding up the tranquilizer truimphantly. There was a cocktail of mixtures in that so powerful, that it could knock out a full grown elephant three times over...the question was, was it powerful enough to knock out a full grown dinosaur/dragon/giant lizard?

"It needs to be injected into the top of the spine!" Reed yelled, running towards the monster, the long hypodermice needle clutched in his hand. He stretched his legs, boosting up until he wrapped his hands around the creatures neck again. He positioned himself until he could see the top of the spine, then started pummelling on the hard scales, hoping to make some kind of gap between them. The monster roared in protest, and heightened its frenzied assaults. Sighing, he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a small scalpel that he kept on him at all times. He grimaced, thinking of the comments he'd get from Johnny once this was found out. He chiselled away at a single scale, until eventually it fell away. He took the end of the needle, and jabbed it into the monsters neck.

[Harlekin]

EDIT: Nope. Can't do.

[Harlekin]

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/3240/logozu5.gif
THE BLACK KNIGHT'S TALE: PART II

Suddenly, the members of the Fantastic Four hear the roar of a motorcycle. Barrelling forward from the streets is the Black Knight atop his trusted bike ‘Strider’. In his right hand he holds his energy blade, harmoniously whirring. Those bystanders unfortunate to still be around might well notice the grin on the Knight’s face and come to the horrifying realization that the hero is enjoying this.

The Thing, still holding onto the dragon’s tail, turns to see the newcomer and his mouth falls open as the Knight comes charging at him. At the crucial moment, the Knight jumps from his stead, allowing the vehicle to swerve and ride past the Thing. It crashes loudly into the creature’s stomach. With a smile, the Knight runs up the dragon’s tail, the Thing watching on. Tightening the hold on his sword, the Black Knight runs between the dragon’s wings and across its back.

The dragon hardly notices the Knight upon his form, its scaly hide highly resistant, and of course, far more concerned with Mr. Fantastic’s attack. So, to the creature, the Knight might as well be a fly. As he leaps to cross the distance to the dragon’s neck, the Knight lifts his blade above his head, while Mr. Fantastic screams at him to stop. Landing near the fearsome beast’s head, the Knight brings down the sword with all the strength he can muster.

Without nary another move, the dragon collapses to the ground.

Smiling, the Knight looks to the similarly awestruck Mr. Fantastic.

“Howdy.”

[Venom160]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/Treyzee/CykeBanner-1.jpg


"...Jesus Christ.."

Those were simply the only words that could come out of Scott's mouth, just after he blasted multiple shards of glass, caused by the miscalculation of the Scarlet Witch. The blast was high powered, so the transparent blades of death were obliterated into a fine dust, swirling about the club. But that wasn't all. Club Typhoid was on fire.

Scott watched as Pietro rescued a good bundle of the injured patrons, giving him a better respect for the man. It was really he first time he'd ever seen Quicksilver "save" a life--but those days were long gone.

As flames erupted from the sides of the club, he knew that Club Typhoid was done for...but not entirely. Turning to Quicksilver, he adjusted the knob on his visor.

"Pietro. Use your speed to create a vortex of some kind, to get rid of the smoke."

Pietro's face curled into a sneer, as he apparently thought Scott was barking out orders. Which, really...he was. But for the lives of the people that remained. Many had already fallen unconscious from the fumes..and it was starting to even get to Scott. Letting out a series of coughs, just after getting a good gulp of the fumes, he turned to Wanda.

"Wanda. What's the probability of you giving this another try?"

Hopefully the odd's were good, because the roof was beginning to crack, showering hot embers on them both.http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/quicksilverkh6.jpg

I glare at Summers with pure hatred.

I swear you bark one more command at me im gonna smack that visor off your....

"Don't worry brother im fine."

The glare vanishes when I look into my sister's eyes, I never could be angry while her eyes are on me. I give her my hand and help her to her feet.

"Take care of the smoke, I'll handle the rest."

Within the blink of an eye im running around the room pouring on the speed. The air starts pick up speed in my wake blowing the smoke out of the shattered windows.

[Charlie No-One]

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/9941/witchjv9.jpg


Wanda stood perfectly still, trying her best not to move a muscle. She was in utter disdain. Sure, she had lost control of her powers before, but never to this extreme. People were dead. Innocent lives were taken and not just any lives, mutant lives. This act of terror, this sin, was far worse than anything her father had ever done. He had fought for homo superior. The human lives he took were just causalities in a war of survival. Her own race was a victim here. She was a murderer.

"Wanda. What's the probability of you giving this another try?"

Words were floating around her. Pietro moved in front of her line of vision. Cyclops seemed to be talking directly to her. It was all a blur; all jumbled and happening at once. Wanda slumped to her knees, shards of metal digging into her rosy flesh. She couldn’t feel it. Her body was empty. Her mind was on a lunch break. Everything taking place around her was a dream. It had to be.

“Wanda?”

A quick switch of pain traveled through the Scarlet Witch’s face. It was caused by the calloused hand of Cyclops making contact with her skin.

“Wanda! Pull yourself together! Can you give that hex another try?”

She rose from the floor, ignoring the pieces of shrapnel in her knees. Her eyes ignited in turbid lust. The smack had turned something on in her head. Wanda wasn’t herself. She was confused; lost in her own agony, searching endlessly for a way out. She needed a release. These people around her needed help and only if she focused would she be able to assist. The pent up emotions within her needed out. Without turning to her brother, she cast him aside with a few words.

"Don't worry, brother. I'm fine. Take care of the smoke, I'll handle the rest." she said, moving closer to Cyclops. She draped her hand around him, and pulled him close. Wanda pressed her lips to his, delicately slipping her tongue into his mouth. Their connection was sweltering. Her skin was buzzing with different sensations. A fever was running rampant within her body. She was free, irrational, and crazed. She liked it.


http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/3446/9524scarletwitch400ml9.jpg

During this moment of passion, the environment dissolved around them. All the civilians found themselves sitting on the street in front of the club, watching as the entire building collapsed to the ground. A bevy of savage reporters stampeded into them, full of irritating questions.

“What are the odds of that?” Wanda giggled, pulling away from Scott, a minute collection of scarlet sparks popping around her.

[Venom160]

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/9941/witchjv9.jpg


Wanda stood perfectly still, trying her best not to move a muscle. She was in utter disdain. Sure, she had lost control of her powers before, but never to this extreme. People were dead. Innocent lives were taken and not just any lives, mutant lives. This act of terror, this sin, was far worse than anything her father had ever done. He had fought for homo superior. The human lives he took were just causalities in a war of survival. Her own race was a victim here. She was a murderer.

"Wanda. What's the probability of you giving this another try?"

Words were floating around her. Pietro moved in front of her line of vision. Cyclops seemed to be talking directly to her. It was all a blur; all jumbled and happening at once. Wanda slumped to her knees, shards of metal digging into her rosy flesh. She couldn’t feel it. Her body was empty. Her mind was on a lunch break. Everything taking place around her was a dream. It had to be.

“Wanda?”

A quick switch of pain traveled through the Scarlet Witch’s face. It was caused by the calloused hand of Cyclops making contact with her skin.

“Wanda! Pull yourself together! Can you give that hex another try?”

She rose from the floor, ignoring the pieces of shrapnel in her knees. Her eyes ignited in turbid lust. The smack had turned something on in her head. Wanda wasn’t herself. She was confused; lost in her own agony, searching endlessly for a way out. She needed a release. These people around her needed help and only if she focused would she be able to assist. The pent up emotions within her needed out. Without turning to her brother, she cast him aside with a few words.

"Don't worry, brother. I'm fine. Take care of the smoke, I'll handle the rest." she said, moving closer to Cyclops. She draped her hand around him, and pulled him close. Wanda pressed her lips to his, delicately slipping her tongue into his mouth. Their connection was sweltering. Her skin was buzzing with different sensations. A fever was running rampant within her body. She was free, irrational, and crazed. She liked it.


http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/3446/9524scarletwitch400ml9.jpg

During this moment of passion, the environment dissolved around them. All the civilians found themselves sitting on the street in front of the club, watching as the entire building collapsed to the ground. A bevy of savage reporters stampeded into them, full of irritating questions.

“What are the odds of that?” Wanda giggled, pulling away from Scott, a minute collection of scarlet sparks popping around her. http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/quicksilverkh6.jpg

Next thing I know im outside staring at the club collapsing.

Good job Wanda, knew you had it in ya.

My happy mood evaperated when I see Summers and Wanda in a passionate embrace.

Thats ****ing it Summers, iv had it with you! Now im going to **** you up!

I start pushing through the crowd drawing closer. Reporters are already arriving and swarming around the survivors.

Pathetic vultures! Foaming at the mouth for their precious exclusive!

"Quicksilver! Could we get a comment about what happened here today and...

I push the microphone out of my face not even breaking stride.

"Get out of my face."

I push my way past the reporter as I draw closer to Summers and Wanda.

[Saved]

Previously (http://forums.superherohype.com/showpost.php?p=14610976&postcount=85)

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x90/Edge_027/RPG%20banners/UltimateKainebanner2.jpg

Contagion, The Curse Continues Part III

Queens, Midtown High School

The clock turns its hands to nine o'clock AM. The teenagers inside Midtown High sit in their classrooms going about their normal routine. As the teachers speak aloud, writing various equations and notes on the boards, some students fall asleep, bored and disinterested in the events.

Suddenly, a loud crackle comes over the loud speaker, and all the students and teachers stop. They wait eagerly, expecting the announcement that is soon to follow.

"Attention staff and students." The voice over the intercom states. "I would like everyone to slowly and calmly move to the gymnasium for an important meeting. Thank you." The speakers make the familiar closing click, and the message ends.

The teachers look to their students, stopping what they were doing and preparing to move out. The students smile, praising the unexpected break from their school day.

Ten minutes pass and the clocks in the school read nine thirteen. The last of the students enter into the gymnasium and move to the crowded bleachers. The room is filled with the loud noise of chatter as the students carry on their own individual conversations.

On the floor below the bleachers, the teachers talk, discussing what the sudden meeting could be. Some theorize an important change in the curriculum or scheduling. Others think the worst, wondering what disaster it is this time.

As the last of the students take their seats, the two large open double doors leading into the gym suddenly close shut. The teachers stare at the doors in confusion. One of the staff turns to the other with a concered look.

"Did we get automatic doors?" He asks.

"I thought that new budget didn't pass." The other responds.

"It didn't." A third voice buts in. Another teacher, dressed sharply in a tie and shirt, walks over to the small cluster of staff. "Has anyone seen Principal Jacobs?"

"No, I haven't. Isn't he here?"

"Maybe he didn't come in yet."

Suddenly, a loud noise screams through the speakers in the large room. The noise screaches like the sound of a nails on a chalkboard, but continues its reverberation like the sound of two pieces of metal clanging together.

The chatter and side conversations come to a halt, stopping almost instantainiously as the people place their hands over their ears. The noise cuts short and the speakers turn off. As the dull silence lingers in the air, the people look around the room, searching for anything odd or peculiar. As the heads move about in their search, a voice calls down from the rafters at the roof of the enclosure.

"Good morning, boys and girls!" The voice announces, its tone echoing loudly. A figure suddenly emerges from the metal trusses and jumps off. It descends to the ground slowly, like a spider on a web, dangling on a thin black line of material. "You're attention here, please."

As the figure moves closer to the floor below, his image becomes clearer. It is a man dressed in a tight black fabric, the material glistening in the light. On his face are two large triangular shapes overlapping its eyes. The man is none other than Kaine, fully cladded in his "other"; his suit.

"Stay calm now, staff." He says as he drops to the floor gently. "I am taking over from here."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" One of the teachers yells, storming toward Kaine angirly. "You think this is funny, student? Dressing up like Spider-Man and pulling this stunt?" The teacher stands in front of Kaine, staring him right in the face, waving his finger in the air violently in his fit of anger. "This some senior prank?"

Kaine smiles benath the suit, his henious smirk growing wider as he fills with pride. He feels the suit over his skin, gripping at his pores and moving through his veins. For the first time in months, Kaine finally feels alive.

"No, this isn't a prank." He replies slyly.

"My ass it isn't, boy! Now take off the mask! We're going to go see what the principal has to say about this stunt!"

"Oh, I doubt he has much to say." He snickers.

"And what makes you say that?"

"Well...he's dead." Kaine slowly balls his hands into fists, subtly preparing to strike.

"What? How would you know that!"

"Simple. I killed him." The teacher steps backward, shocked by Kaine's words. The teacher stares at the black figure in front of him, surprised by the gaul of the alleged student prankster.

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x90/Edge_027/RPG%20banners/Blacksuit4.jpg

"We're getting the police involved, young man. This...this is a serious offense."

"It's about to get much...much worse."

Kaine smiles evily, shifting his weight back on his leg. In a quick manuver, he thrusts his fist forward, his knuckes connecting with the teacher's jaw. The man's body is propelled through the air, moving like a thrown rag doll. With great force, the body crashes into the concrete wall, breaking off large chunks of debris.

Like a pile of bricks, the man's body falls down to the ground, hitting the gym floor with a thud. As he lies lifeless, his eyes remain wide open, still expressing the same face of fear and surprise. The students in the bleachers stare in horror, gazing at the dead body of one of their former instructors.

Kaine looks at the teacher's body, his eyes intently watching as the pool of blood below his head grows bigger and bigger. He takes a deep sigh of pride and turns back, diverting his attention to the students in the stands.

"I'd advise none of you get up from your seats. You cannot possibly escape."


"**** that!" A teen screams as he jumps from his seat. He lands on the floor roughly, hurting himself from the fall. Panic setting in, the boy runs toward the exit, his eyes focussed on his goal.

As the boy nears the door, Kaine suddenly jumps down in front of him, blocking his escape. The teen shakes in fear, staring at the killer in terror.

"You know, kid, it doesn't make me feel to happy when someone directly does what I told them not to." Kaine walks closer to the boy, slowly approaching him. In the blink of an eye, Kaine grabs the teen by his neck, hoisting him off the ground in a strong hold. "Do you know what I feel right now, boy?"

Kaine asks as he stares into the male's face, eye to eye. The kid shakes his head in alarm, his mind suddenly becoming blank as shock sets in. Kaine lets out a small laugh as he brings the boy's face closer to his. In an instant, Kaine's face suddenly changes, morphing into a new appearance. Sharp gnarled teeth jut out from the smooth black suit, and the eyes begin to move back along the head, their border resembling a large fire. Kaine's face changes into a horrible monster, a thing only seen in nightmares. As a large strand of drool falls from Kaine's mouth, he growls and snarls like a rabid beast.

"I feel...HUNGRY!" Kaine roars loudly, his horrible voice deep and terrifying like the sound of a behemoth, or a lion just before its kill.

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x90/Edge_027/RPG%20banners/venomultk.jpg

Outside the gym a piercing scream can be heard, the sound of the boy in Kaine's clutches. He makes his finally cry, his yell of terror with his last breath.

The suit wraps around his body, gripping him tightly like an anaconda on its prey. It pulls at his skin, ripping and tearing the flesh into large open gashes, exposing the pink tissue beneath. The suit continues to rip at the teen violently, shredding him to pieces in front of his schoolmates, his teachers, his friends.

With a loud thud, Kaine drops the mutilated body to the ground. He feels the suit taking over his emotions, feeding off his hatred and inner evil. He knows he is loosing control, but instead of fighting it, Kaine embraces it, unleashing the beast within.

"Like I said..." Kaine bellows in the deep and grotesque voice. "No one leaves..."

"My God!" One of the teachers exclaims. "He...h-he was just a boy!"

"The weak die...the strong survive. Natural selection!" Kaine growls. "I'd think a teacher would know that much."

"W-what...what do you want?"

"What do I want?" Kaine asks with a snarl, the saliva still dropping to the ground beneath him as he breathes loud and heavy. "Revenge!"

[Eddie Brock]

Woah, woah, woah! This party is invitation-only!

"Hey, jackass, what gives?" I ask irritatedly as I float gently to the ground. The flames on my body extinguish, and I fold my arms defiantly. "Did we look like we needed help?"

I look around at my teammates while adding, "'Cause in case you didn't notice, we're the freakin' Fantastic Four."

I don't much care for this guy stealing my - I mean, our - spotlight. I'm going to have to give up some of my camera time for this gratuitous hero. Did he really not realize that we had the situation handled, or was he simply too overzealous to care? I swear to God, if he's in this for the fame, we're going to have a problem. There's only enough room for one ego in these parts.

"So what happened? Did you not recognize that we were about to win, or did you not care?" I inquire accusingly. I eye him up and down and then audibly scoff. "Furthermore, if you were going to invite yourself to the party, you should have dressed the part. Are you kidding me with that outfit?"

[SenseiofCheese]

Woah, woah, woah! This party is invitation-only!

"Hey, jackass, what gives?" I ask irritatedly as I float gently to the ground. The flames on my body extinguish, and I fold my arms defiantly. "Did we look like we needed help?"

I look around at my teammates while adding, "'Cause in case you didn't notice, we're the freakin' Fantastic Four."

I don't much care for this guy stealing my - I mean, our - spotlight. I'm going to have to give up some of my camera time for this gratuitous hero. Did he really not realize that we had the situation handled, or was he simply too overzealous to care? I swear to God, if he's in this for the fame, we're going to have a problem. There's only enough room for one ego in these parts.

"So what happened? Did you not recognize that we were about to win, or did you not care?" I inquire accusingly. I eye him up and down and then audibly scoff. "Furthermore, if you were going to invite yourself to the party, you should have dressed the part. Are you kidding me with that outfit?"

Running, slightly out of breath, to Johnny and the mysterious man who had crashed the party, Ben came over to Johnny.

"Furthermore? That's kind of a big word for you, isn't it?" Ben mutters to Johnny, before turning to the strangely attired man. "What I think the kid is trying to saying, is who the hell do ya think you are? It's just rude to butt in on another man's dragon-slayin', no matter how cool or badass it may be to kill said dragon with a motorcycle-sword combo." Ben says, trying to mask his near-admiration with anger, folding his rocky arms as Reed and Sue catch up with the three men.

[Matt Murdock]

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj165/edlewis6571/Iron%20Man%20RPG%20Images/42223681.jpg
Ultimate Iron Man

Tony Stark was soaring through the city. At just the right altitude, at the right time of day, it seemed so quiet. Everything seemed to be in place.

As he rolled through the dusky skyline, Stark heard a voice ring in his ear.

"Tony, it's Jim."

Stark smirked to himself.

"I hear you, Rhodey. What's the scoop?"

Iron Man ducked seamlessly under a skybridge.

"There's a situation over at the Midtown Hospital. I'm going to go check it out."

"What kinda situation?"

Iron Man's robotic voice echoed between the skyscrapers he was flying behind.

"I dunno something about a ---BZZT ---"

"Sir, it seems an electromagnetic field has distorted your comlink to Mr. Rhodes and Iron Man HQ."

Stark's robotic butler, Jarvis, rarely spoke, but his input was usually of crucial tactical importance.

Stark felt the jets at the backs of his boots slow down and he landed on a rooftop, taking a few steps to brace himself.

"Can you reroute main control of the armor to my tactile interfaces, J?"

"Affirmative. Rerouting now."

Iron Man's eyes glowed as he surveyed the cityscape around him. Central Park was a few blocks east, and the birds were chirping merrily.

"Reroute complete."

Iron Man twisted his forearms to the right and locked his shoulders back.

BZZT - KTCH.

The machine guns mounted on his forearms snapped out of their holsters and bullets were loaded in the chambers.

Something wasn't sitting right with the Ultimate.

And then, as if someone flipped a switch, every light in a four-block radius went dead. Apartments, billboards, neon signs... everything. All that was left was the quickly setting sun.

Stark's eyes narrowed behind his helmet as he took a few more steps forward.

Jarvis' voice made the hero twitch.

"Sir, it appears that a large electromagnetic disturbance is headed this way."

Stark pivoted and looked around. He couldn't see anything.

"From which way?"

"Beneath you."

In a split second, the top of the building was destroyed, and a cloaked figure with steel wings was soaring through the air above Iron Man.

"Full power to the jets!"

Before the boots even ignited, Iron Man was in the air, hurtling himself towards the ground.

"JARVIS!" The Iron hero screamed, "Develop a way to work around the ElectroMagnetic field stat!"

The street was approaching quickly. Iron Man plowed through it into the subway system, dodging a set of tracks quickly. He heaved his body backwards and began following the tracks.

What the hell was strong enough to create an EM field that could disrupt the city's power supply?

"Communications channel open."

The tracks split, and Iron Man barrel rolled right, heading down a new path.

"Iron Man to War Machine, Captain America, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, or Giant Man... ANYONE. If you can read me, respond!"

Rhodes' voice was loud and clear.

"Stark?! What's wrong?"

"Rhodey, I need you to mobilize and converge on my position as soon as possible."

"Sure, but what's wrong?"

"I haven't got time to expla--"

Jarvis' interrupted.

"Channel lost. Sir, the anomaly is approaching quickly from due south."

Horns chimed as trains spotted the thing trailing Iron Man.

"Alright, Jarvis. This thing wants a fight? It's gonna get one."

Iron Man glanced in his rear display and saw the cloaked creature heading straight for him.

"How far away is the closest oncoming train?"

A small panel appeared on the HUD that followed a set of holographic tracks to the front of an inbound train.
"8.6 seconds ahead at current speeds."
"And how long until the thing behind me catches up?"

"7.44 seconds at current speeds."

Iron Man smiled behind the helmet.

"Push the jets to 45% power."

"Sir, the maximum safe power range has only been 37% at this point."

"Well, you know what they say, Jarvis... records are meant to be broken."

At his sides, Stark's hands clenched into fists.

"Punch it."

Spurred on by more fuel, the jets roared to life, and Iron Man lurched forward, gaining speed as the seconds ticked away.

Within a few seconds, the light at the end of the tunnel shone clear and Iron Man rolled over in mid-air, with his chest to the sky. Playfully, he waved goodbye to the predator and thrust his head upwards, sending him over the train.

Instead of slamming into the creature, the train was demolished by it. The front of the transport caved in and the wheels came off of the tracks.

"Incoming communication from Jim Rhodes."

"Put him through." Iron Man said, launching himself through the concrete, narrowly missing the explosion from the destroyed train. Flames enveloped him, and Stark rocketed into the sky, leaving behind the flaming, molten pavement.

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj165/edlewis6571/Iron%20Man%20RPG%20Images/WarMachine.jpg

War Machine crashed into the ground and looked up at Iron Man.

"What's up? What's goin' on?"

The being appeared below War Machine, destroying the pavement below. It's silver claws punctured the armor as it hurled Rhodes into a building.

Iron Man knew that War Machine could survive the blow with ease. His armor was virtually indestructible as a whole.

The machine guns hummed back to life as Iron Man aimed them at his new foe.

"Alright, pal. Who are you and what do you want?"

The figure panted behind it's cloak, still turned away from Iron Man. Slowly, deliberately, it twisted it's head towards the hero. Their glowing eyes met each other and it spoke, finally.

"My name..." It said, a whispering quality to its voice, "Is Azrael, and I am going to destroy you."

"Deadpool?" Iron Man whispered.

The being's eyes glowed more intensely red.

"Not anymore."

With that, it lunged at Iron Man, claws extended.

[Matt Murdock]

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Nothing much is said as I stand at Uncle Ben's gravestone reliving memories that isnt mine.

"Sorry I havent visited you inna while. I've been kinda dead."

Out of the corner of my eye I see an approaching shadow. My spider sense doesnt go off so I don't bother, I know who it is anyway.

"Hey Ben."

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/ScarletSpider-2.jpg


I leap off of the tree quietly and land next to Anton.

Out of respect, the headstone is all that I look at for a moment.

"If you want to deck me again," I mutter half-heartedly, "I'd be okay with that..."

[Venom160]

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/ScarletSpider-2.jpg


I leap off of the tree quietly and land next to Anton.

Out of respect, the headstone is all that I look at for a moment.

"If you want to deck me again," I mutter half-heartedly, "I'd be okay with that..."
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

I don't even look up as Ben takes a spot beside me.

"If you want to deck me again I'd be okay with that..."

I shrug slightly.

"Eh the moments past, I'll take a raincheck."

Silence settles back in as we look at the headstone. It's amazing how this one man has made such a an impact on so many people. Granted five of those people are clones of another but they still count. I finally break eye contact with the piece of stone and look at Ben.

"Were you serious about the Carnage suit being gone? Am I really talking to Ben or to Carnage in a Ben mask?"

[Harlekin]

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THE BLACK KNIGHT'S TALE: PART III

“Cool your jets there, Cinderella,” the Black Knight replies to the Human Torch as he turns and slides off the downed dragon’s scaly back. “Saw you fellas struggling with this beast, figured you wouldn’t mind a hand. But I guess you had everything under control, right?”

Gracefully landing in front of the Thing and ignoring the Torch, the Knight extends his gloved hand for the rocky hero to shake. “You can call me the Black Knight. Dragon-slaying’s kinda in the job description, don’t you think?” the Black Knight says with a smile.

His hand still extended, the Black Knight turns to Mr. Fantastic. “So what, science experiment gone wrong or are we going to have to chase down a bad guy?” he asks, referring to the dragon.

[Jono Starsmore]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/Treyzee/CykeBanner-1.jpg

Scott...being completely surprised by the rather intense kiss, stepped back a bit, only to notice that all three of them were now outside, along with the civilians. Watching through the ruby tint of his visor, the building collapsed in a heap of smoke and embers.

Suddenly surrounded by reporters, Scott simply pushed them away. Publicity was something he did not want right now, especially after there were casualties. However, Hyde still remained with them--knocked out cold. Even though there were lives taken, Wanda still managed to get everyone else out; with minor injuries. Somehow, that passionate kiss that she snogged him with triggered it.

"That was close. Er...nice job, Wanda."

Either way, Scott was impressed with the act of selflessness. He didn't know what the whole kiss was about, though he did know the woman was infatuated with him.


He then turned to see Pietro, pushing his way through the stampede of reporters. Something in his eyes told Scott that he was coming right for him. Personally, he thought the guy was full of it--and an X-Men vs. Ultimate brawl would not be the wisest thing to begin, while surrounded by the media. Not only that, but more people could get hurt in the process. As the ivory haired mutant approached him, Scott shook his head.

"You look pretty pissed off to have just saved dozens of lives, Pietro."

Quicksilver was literally about to go berserk. Apparently he held a sort of jealousy over his sister, which was odd..to say the least. With a flash of ruby gleaming from his visor, he sneered a bit. Always causing trouble.

"Back off, Quicksilver."

[SenseiofCheese]

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Gracefully landing in front of the Thing and ignoring the Torch, the Knight extends his gloved hand for the rocky hero to shake. “You can call me the Black Knight. Dragon-slaying’s kinda in the job description, don’t you think?” the Black Knight says with a smile.

His hand still extended, the Black Knight turns to Mr. Fantastic. “So what, science experiment gone wrong or are we going to have to chase down a bad guy?” he asks, referring to the dragon.

Ben quickly and clumsily extends his hand to meet the Black Knight's, his own massive palm enveloping the Knight's.

"Black Knight, huh? Was Captain Cool taken?" Ben asks with feigned sarcasm. Truth be told, if not for crashing his motorcycle into a dragon and then killing it with his sword, the Black Knight had won Ben over the moment he called Johnny Cinderella.

"Anyway, this little beauty.." Grimm stated, as if he was a police officer giving a report, releasing the Black Knight's hand and gesturing over to the still body of the monster. "..came outta nowhere. We had nuthin' ta do with her." Ben puts his hands on his hips and strikes a failed attempt at a relaxed pose in his hope to impress the stranger.

Suddenly his eyes grow wide. Turning to Reed, Ben mutters under his breath. "Uh, Stretch? We do have nothin' ta do with it, don't we?"

[Harlekin]

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THE BLACK KNIGHT'S TALE: PART IV

The Black Knight smiles at the Thing’s awkward antics and gives his hero colleague a friendly pat on the shoulder, although he doubted the Thing could even feel it through his rocky exterior. “Either way, I hope there’s more of these suckers,” he says as he moves to pick up his motorcycle. “Because that was fun.”

“What ya say we let the brainiacs here figure out what caused old big, mean and ugly to come from the ground and you, me and Magic Earring Ken here go get a beer?” the Knight asks as he points his thumb towards Johnny. “Or ain’t he old enough yet?”

[SenseiofCheese]

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Ben looked at Black Knight with a hint of surprise. Go out for a beer? With a fellow superhero? Ben could barely hide his enthusiasm. He quickly glanced at Reed and Sue, who both shot him a scolding look. Returning their expressions with a frown of his own, he turned back to face the Knight.

"I've been dying for a beer all day. Fightin' a dragon'll do that to ya. Although Baby here just got put in the corner," Ben gestures towards Johnny, smiling. ", but as long as we buy him some milk and a coloring book, he oughta be just fine." Ben chuckles and gives the Black Knight a friendly nudge with his elbow, carefully holding back his strength.

[Harlekin]

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THE BLACK KNIGHT'S TALE: PART V

The Black Knight laughs along with the Thing. “I know a place that should be,” the Knight begins but then stops, hesitating, as he looks around and sees the destruction caused by the battle with the dragon. “Well, at least, I hope it’s still around. Man, Mindy sure did some damage didn’t she?”

Setting his bike Strider against a half broken and bent lantern, the Knight quickly took out the lock from under the seat and fastened the bike to the pole. She’d sustained some damage, but it was nothing he couldn’t fix. Besides, he did slam her into a dragon. That made whatever he had to do worth it.

“Transformers, move out!” the Knight says with a grin as he points to the bar he was referring to and the Thing make their way over to a place called ‘The Naked Lady’. “Man, am I glad this place is still standing. Best damn pub in the city,” the Black Knight remarks as he holds open the door.

[SenseiofCheese]

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/thingsk7.jpg

The Black Knight holds open the door to the bar, and Ben walks up to it.

"I...well.." he says awkwardly, turning to his side and trying to fit himself in the door, the people inside already looking on in fascination.

"Not really...my...uhm.." he continues, finding himself uncomfortably lodged ni the door frame. He tries to gently pull himself loose. "Embarrassing, really..." Finally, the Black Knight puts a hand on Ben's shoulder and pushes. With a small cracking sound, Ben finally stumbles through the door and into the bar. Oblivious to the crack now running up the wall by the door, Ben walks through the dimly lit bar. "Yeah, yeah, can't two superheroes get a beer? Jeez." he states, offended, over the entire bar, not even realizing that the look of fear in people's eyes may be because of the giant dragon that was outside not a minute ago, not because of how Ben looked.

"So....what's good here?" he turns and asks the Black Knight.

[Harlekin]

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THE BLACK KNIGHT'S TALE: PART VI

“I’m glad you asked,” the Knight replies, grinning from ear to ear as he motions to the bartender. “Yo Largo, how about you give me and my dragon-slaying pal here two of your finest brewskies?” The bartender shakes his head at the Knight, but nonetheless places two large glasses of Guinness on the bar.

Appreciatively, the Knight raises the glass. “Ah, you ever taste a good pint of Guinness, uhm, look, you got anything else I could call you besides ‘Thing’?”

[SenseiofCheese]

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/thingsk7.jpg

Staring at the glass of beer laid out in front of him like it was Mount Everest, Ben turns to the Knight.

"Uh, sure. Call me Ben. You could also call me Rocky, but I'd advise ya not to. What about you? You got a name 'sides Black Knight?" Ben asks, as he finally builds up the courage to take the glass, gently as he could, in his hand and raise it to his mouth. Taking a sip, that happened to be half the glass, he puts the glass back on the counter and wipes his mouth with his arm. "Really, what's 'yer story?"

[Harlekin]

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THE BLACK KNIGHT'S TALE: PART VII

“You can call me Dane,” the Black Knight replies as he lifts his helmet and places it on the bar. Although the Thing had been able to note that the Knight had somewhat of a scruffy exterior, his facial hair is at a permanent five o’ clock shadow, the hero’s facial features had otherwise been obscured by his helm. In fact, Dane Whitman is quite a handsome fellow, with clear but masculine features. Truth be told though, his hair is a little on the long side and unkempt.

Whitman’s eyes twinkle a little as he continues talking, looking away from the Thing: “The spirit of my long-dead ancestor possessed me a few months ago, leading me to a cave beneath our family mansion, where I found these weapons and the cycle. Swearing to do good by our name, I set out to become a hero as my forefathers had done.” He looks to the Thing, who simply stares at him, his mouth agape. To the surprise of the Thing and the other patrons, the Knight bursts out into laughter at the sight of the rocky hero’s face.

“Oh, I can’t continue this,” Whitman says as he gives the Thing another slap on the shoulder and motions to the bartender. “More beer.”

With a new pint of Guinness in his hand, the Knight tells his tale, a smile still on his lips. “Thing is, I’m a bit of a geek and a tech nut, so after getting drunk and watching too many Star Wars movies, I created this little baby,” Whitman says as he pulls out the hilt of his energy sword. “A helmet and a tricked out bike later and I’m a superhero. Funny how those things go, eh?”

[SenseiofCheese]

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/thingsk7.jpg

Ben stares at the Knight in disbelief, but finally starts laughing with him, albeit nervously. Taking another very careful sip from his beer, Ben takes stock of the bar.

"Yeah, I hear that. The story behind me and the others is pretty much just a big ol' glorification of someone pushing the wrong button at the wrong time." Ben says, staring down into his glass before emptying it into his mouth and motioning to the bartender for another.

"One screwed up science project and I could go ten rounds with the Hulk. Funny..." Ben says mournfully, before looking back up at Dane and seeing the expression on his face. Shrugging his shoulders and chuckling to relieve the tension, Ben tries to change the subject. "So, erm, Dane, any chance of getting me one of those?" Ben asks jokingly, gesturing to the the Knight's sword, welcoming another beer from the bartender.

[Harlekin]

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THE BLACK KNIGHT'S TALE: PART VIII

“Depends. You ready to be a Jedi?” the Knight responds with a bit of a chuckle. “Get me the right materials and I could hook up your whole crew with these, but hey, where does that leave me? Suddenly got five Knights walking around these parts. Besides, can you imagine that pretty boy flinging around that sword?” Dane pointed his thumb back to outside, where the others of the Fantastic Four still stood examining the dragon.

“Cut off his ding-a-ling in the john, most likely,” Dane says with a laugh as he takes another sip of his beer.

Meanwhile, as Dane and Ben talk and laugh, a shapely woman in a short red dress takes a seat besides the Knight. Her lips full and red, she practically exudes sex. Her sharp red nails rasp impatiently on the counter as she gazes towards Dane. “Excuse me,” she finally says when she doesn’t get the attention she wants. “Any chance you’re going to buy me a drink?”

The Knight turns to her, looking her up and down before replying: “Lady, can’t you see I’m talking to my friend?”
Snorting in disgust, the woman slides off the chair, walking onto another man.

“So, Ben, being the experienced one here: This hero thing come with any perks?” Whitman asks as he turns back to the Thing.

[SenseiofCheese]

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/thingsk7.jpg

Ben's eyes follow the woman, now trailing furiously back to her seat. Stunned, his eyes meet Dane's.

"Man, if Johnny had seen you blow off that girl, his brain would explode." Dane and Ben shared a laugh, before Ben finally settled down. "Perks? Well, right now we got our fundin' cut off so we're livin' in a dingy apartment. That, plus a whole lot of supervillains want to kill you every single day o' the week. For me it's like what just happened to you just now, except swap the beautiful lady out for Dr. Doom and you get the picture." the two laugh again.

"Aside from that, being a superhero can be a real ****. No paycheck, no women...well, not for me at least, heh...and you can't even kill the guy who just tried to blow up the whole country." Ben stated jokingly, taking another sip from his beer.

[Harlekin]

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THE BLACK KNIGHT'S TALE: PART IX

“You guys any idea yet who did that?” the Knight’s expression turns a little more serious as he asks the Thing, referring to the recent massacre of over five thousand New York citizens. “Sure like to catch the sonuva***** that did that. Go all Zorro on his ass and a little more.” Dane looks to the hilt of his energy sword before calling for another beer.

[SenseiofCheese]

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/thingsk7.jpg

Ben sighs. "I hear ya, man."

For a moment, Ben is completely silent. He doesn't even look to Dane, who calls for another beer. For the first time in a long while, Ben feels something...sitting here, in a bar, talking with a mysterious superhero who came out of nowhere, drinking beers...Ben feels like he belongs.

Suddenly he snaps out of the trance, realizing Dane had just asked him a question. "Uh, ahem, Nah, we don't know much more than everybody else. Or, at least, I ain't bein' told. Who knows what Stretch...that's Reed, by the way..what Stretch keeps in his head."

Ben's mind wanders to the incident. Over 5000 people dead in a single attack. "Makes ya wonder, though. Whatever did that can wipe out half of NYC in one swipe, what's it gonna do when it really gets going."

[Harlekin]

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/3240/logozu5.gif
THE BLACK KNIGHT'S TALE: PART X

“Well, by the time he/she/it comes around, I’ve got this little baby at the ready,” the Knight says as he flicks the switch on the hilt of his sword and with the familiar light sabre sound effect, the energy blade zips out of the hilt. The bartender looks towards Dane, a little frightened, and apologizing, Dane flicks the switch again and the blade disappears.

“By the by, you catch the Lakers game last night?”

[Venom160]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/Treyzee/CykeBanner-1.jpg

Scott...being completely surprised by the rather intense kiss, stepped back a bit, only to notice that all three of them were now outside, along with the civilians. Watching through the ruby tint of his visor, the building collapsed in a heap of smoke and embers.

Suddenly surrounded by reporters, Scott simply pushed them away. Publicity was something he did not want right now, especially after there were casualties. However, Hyde still remained with them--knocked out cold. Even though there were lives taken, Wanda still managed to get everyone else out; with minor injuries. Somehow, that passionate kiss that she snogged him with triggered it.

"That was close. Er...nice job, Wanda."

Either way, Scott was impressed with the act of selflessness. He didn't know what the whole kiss was about, though he did know the woman was infatuated with him.


He then turned to see Pietro, pushing his way through the stampede of reporters. Something in his eyes told Scott that he was coming right for him. Personally, he thought the guy was full of it--and an X-Men vs. Ultimate brawl would not be the wisest thing to begin, while surrounded by the media. Not only that, but more people could get hurt in the process. As the ivory haired mutant approached him, Scott shook his head.

"You look pretty pissed off to have just saved dozens of lives, Pietro."

Quicksilver was literally about to go berserk. Apparently he held a sort of jealousy over his sister, which was odd..to say the least. With a flash of ruby gleaming from his visor, he sneered a bit. Always causing trouble.

"Back off, Quicksilver."




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"Back off, Quicksilver."

My sneer grows larger as I stare down Cyclops.

"Was that a threat Summers? Doesnt matter....."

I appear behind him.

"....you'd be down before you even knew what happened."

I step forward and get into his face, lowering my voice so only us will hear.

"This is your only warning Summers, you touch my sister again and I'll ****ing kill you."

[Jono Starsmore]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/quicksilverkh6.jpg

"Back off, Quicksilver."

My sneer grows larger as I stare down Cyclops.

"Was that a threat Summers? Doesnt matter....."

I appear behind him.

"....you'd be down before you even knew what happened."

I step forward and get into his face, lowering my voice so only us will hear.

"This is your only warning Summers, you touch my sister again and I'll ****ing kill you."

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/Treyzee/CykeBanner-1.jpg

Scott simply stood there as Pietro sped around him, feeling the wind against his face as he did so. A show-off, as always--he didn't expect any less from the man. He obviously thought that Scott was the one who engaged the kiss, though really, it was his own sister. In the back of his mind, he almost wanted Wanda to grab him and kiss him again, just so he could blast Pietro's face off.

"You could try; but you're too predictable, Pietro. That's one thing you and you're father don't have in common."

Suddenly, his comlink went off inside his jacket.

"Iron Man to War Machine, Captain America, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, or Giant Man... ANYONE. If you can read me, respond!"

Iron Man? Scott couldn't help but to be curious as to what was going on. Something important, no doubt. The transmission was sent to all frequencies. Something was happening. Looking to the sky, he disregarded Pietro before responding to the message on his transponder.

"Iron Man, this is Cyclops of the X-Men. What's the situation, and where the hell are you?!"

Now this was definitely a time to inform the rest of the team as well. However, he was in civilian clothing. The dark blue kevlar uniform was still at the mansion. It didn't make a difference to him really, although the extra perk could prove useful.

[Gallagher]

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l144/Gray_Fox_Lives/RPG%20stuff/Suebanner.jpg

"How utterly charming." Susan Storm quipped, stood with arms on her hips as Ben and this 'Black Knight' character waltzed off into a bar.

"Reed honey?" Reed Richards was examining the carcass of the beast, muttering to himself. "I'm going to call in for a clean up. We can't take care of this ourselves." She explained, planting a finger to her ear.

"This is Susan Storm, Codename: Invisible Woman. Patch me through to General Fury."

"Good evening Ms Storm. This is Agent Hill. I'm afraid General Fury is pre-disposed." Came a soft female voice from the communicator, surprising Susan slightly. "Can I be of assistance?"

"Yeah, you can send a clean up crew on our position. We just got attacked by some sort of wild reptilian creature."

"So... Godzilla huh? Boy, I'm sure Tokyo is jealous."

Caught off guard by this woman's tone, Sue grew impatient.

"Look, can I please speak to Nick Fury?"

"I told you he's busy. So, you always make a habit of having SHIELD clean up your mess?"

"Our mess!?" Sue shouted, surprising herself. "For all I know this whole thing could be SHIELD's fault! Now send us some backup or I'll march over to the Triskellion myself an-"

"Understood Ms Storm." Agent Hill interrupted, sounding very bored. "Maria Hill out."

"Of all the..." Susan muttered to herself in near-disbelief turning back to Reed who was scribbling notes down onto a pad. "SHIELD are on there way."

[SenseiofCheese]

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/3240/logozu5.gif
THE BLACK KNIGHT'S TALE: PART X

“Well, by the time he/she/it comes around, I’ve got this little baby at the ready,” the Knight says as he flicks the switch on the hilt of his sword and with the familiar light sabre sound effect, the energy blade zips out of the hilt. The bartender looks towards Dane, a little frightened, and apologizing, Dane flicks the switch again and the blade disappears.

“By the by, you catch the Lakers game last night?”

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/thingsk7.jpg

"I tell ya somethin', buddy, the day I miss a Lakers game is the day I..." Ben stops mid-sentence as an enraged voice calls from the other side of the bar.

"GET OUT OF HERE, FREAK!"

A man had risen to his feet and hurled his half-empty bottle of beer clear across the room and it smashed on Ben. His whole back was covered in sparkling bits of broken glass and stained with beer, but he didn't feel it. On the outside, at least.

Dane had instinctively covered his head when the bottle had made impact, but like a predator had immediately jumped to his feet with fire in his eyes. Ben simply sighed deeply and turned his back to his attacker. "Nevermind them, man. Look, I should probably go. Before this gets outta hand, an' all. Thanks for tha beers." Ben rises, a heavy thud on the floor when his feet make contact. He gives Dane a somewhat wounded smile, before turning and making his way outside.

[Harlekin]

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/3240/logozu5.gif
THE BLACK KNIGHT'S TALE: PART XI

<CRASH!>

The Thing, having reluctantly left behind the Black Knight at the bar, turns back in surprise as a man flies through the pub’s main window, landing just outside on the street. The superhero instantly recognizes the man as the one who had called him a freak. Maybe even to Ben’s greater surprise, it is the Black Knight that then steps out through the window, cracking his knuckles. He’s donned his helmet once more and there’s a smile on his face.

“You were saying something about this getting out of hand?” the Knight says, looking to the Thing and grinning as he helps up the man only to punch him back down to the ground again.

“And that? That was for calling my friend a freak,” Dane says before turning to the astonished Thing. “Well, the first punch was for throwing that bottle. Waste of a good beer, don’t you think?”

[Venom160]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/Treyzee/CykeBanner-1.jpg

Scott simply stood there as Pietro sped around him, feeling the wind against his face as he did so. A show-off, as always--he didn't expect any less from the man. He obviously thought that Scott was the one who engaged the kiss, though really, it was his own sister. In the back of his mind, he almost wanted Wanda to grab him and kiss him again, just so he could blast Pietro's face off.

"You could try; but you're too predictable, Pietro. That's one thing you and you're father don't have in common."

Suddenly, his comlink went off inside his jacket.

"Iron Man to War Machine, Captain America, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, or Giant Man... ANYONE. If you can read me, respond!"

Iron Man? Scott couldn't help but to be curious as to what was going on. Something important, no doubt. The transmission was sent to all frequencies. Something was happening. Looking to the sky, he disregarded Pietro before responding to the message on his transponder.

"Iron Man, this is Cyclops of the X-Men. What's the situation, and where the hell are you?!"

Now this was definitely a time to inform the rest of the team as well. However, he was in civilian clothing. The dark blue kevlar uniform was still at the mansion. It didn't make a difference to him really, although the extra perk could prove useful.http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/quicksilverkh6.jpg

"You could try; but you're too predictable, Pietro. That's one thing you and you're father don't have in common."

My nails digs into my hands as I balls my hands into tighter fists. Its taking every fiber in my body to keep from caving this uptight control freak's face in.

"I am nothing like my father! Nothing!"

"Iron Man to War Machine, Captain America, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, or Giant Man... ANYONE. If you can read me, respond!"

Great what does this drunkard want?


"Iron Man, this is Cyclops of the X-Men. What's the situation, and where the hell are you?!"

"This isnt your buisness Summers. Why don't you go back to Uncle Charles and your little comatose fiance."

I turn my back on Cyclops and walk back over to Wanda.

"Pietro what the hell is wrong with...."

I press the SHEILD logo on my suit activating the comm link.

"This is Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, whats the situation Stark?"

[Charlie No-One]

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/9941/witchjv9.jpg

Wanda stood still as Scott pulled away from her. What just happened? How did they get outside? Questions were racing through her head. The wind felt cold and relentless against her exposed skin. Sometime during the fracas, she had hexed her costume on. Things were not right. Never before had she lost control to this extent. Not remembering spells? Killing innocent mutants? This was so unlike her. Something tapped her shoulder.

“Excuse me, Scarlet Witch? I am with Channel 4. Can you comment on the accusations that this incident was caused due to your inability to control your powers? Some of the victims seem to think that’s the case.”

The young mutant froze. If this got out, everything would go to hell. It would be a media disaster. They would have a field day. S.H.I.E.L.D., if they decided to not fire her, would have her grounded for life. She would be off the public team and back to Black Ops, if she was lucky. Things would even get worse than that. The looks and stares from her fellow teammates would kill her. They would always have the thought in their mind about what would happen if she lost control again. Just then, her S.H.I.E.L.D comm link went off.

"Iron Man to War Machine, Captain America, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, or Giant Man... ANYONE. If you can read me, respond!"

Wanda turned to the reporter. It was time to get serious. Stop sulking, starting focusing. Dealing with the depressing details would be handled later.

“That is preposterous. I don’t have time for this right now, so get out of my face. You’re nothing more than baseline scum.”

The blonde ditzy sorority girl of a reporter looked stunned as well as the camera man behind her. The fact that Wanda’s comment would be heard all over the country meant nothing to her at this moment. She walked towards Pietro only to see him arguing with Cyclops.

“Pietro, what the hell is wrong with you? This isn’t the time or place. Iron Man seems like he is in deep **** right now. We could use the extra assistance.”

She could tell she was being ignored. He was already talking into his comm link. The Scarlet Witch placed her palm flat on Cyclops’s chest. He had just finished his attempt at contacting Tony.

“I’m serious. We could use the help. Ignore my brother.”

[Matt Murdock]

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/9941/witchjv9.jpg

"Iron Man to War Machine, Captain America, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, or Giant Man... ANYONE. If you can read me, respond!"

Wanda turned to the reporter. It was time to get serious. Stop sulking, starting focusing. Dealing with the depressing details would be handled later.

“That is preposterous. I don’t have time for this right now, so get out of my face. You’re nothing more than baseline scum.”

The blonde ditzy sorority girl of a reporter looked stunned as well as the camera man behind her. The fact that Wanda’s comment would be heard all over the country meant nothing to her at this moment. She walked towards Pietro only to see him arguing with Cyclops.

“Pietro, what the hell is wrong with you? This isn’t the time or place. Iron Man seems like he is in deep **** right now. We could use the extra assistance.”

She could tell she was being ignored. He was already talking into his comm link. The Scarlet Witch placed her palm flat on Cyclops’s chest. He had just finished his attempt at contacting Tony.

“I’m serious. We could use the help. Ignore my brother.”

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/quicksilverkh6.jpg


I turn my back on Cyclops and walk back over to Wanda.

"Pietro what the hell is wrong with...."

I press the SHEILD logo on my suit activating the comm link.

"This is Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, whats the situation Stark?"

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/Treyzee/CykeBanner-1.jpg

Suddenly, his comlink went off inside his jacket.

"Iron Man to War Machine, Captain America, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, or Giant Man... ANYONE. If you can read me, respond!"

Iron Man? Scott couldn't help but to be curious as to what was going on. Something important, no doubt. The transmission was sent to all frequencies. Something was happening. Looking to the sky, he disregarded Pietro before responding to the message on his transponder.

"Iron Man, this is Cyclops of the X-Men. What's the situation, and where the hell are you?!"

Now this was definitely a time to inform the rest of the team as well. However, he was in civilian clothing. The dark blue kevlar uniform was still at the mansion. It didn't make a difference to him really, although the extra perk could prove useful.

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj165/edlewis6571/Iron%20Man%20RPG%20Images/42223681.jpg
Ultimate Iron Man

Azrael was slashing at Iron Man with his claws, tearing through layer after layer of the modern-day suit of armor as if it was tin foil.

Two voices rang clear in the comm unit in Stark's helmet, first Quicksilver, then Cyclops of the world-famous X-Men.

The transmission was distorted to say the least, but Iron Man's on board computer could handle it.

"This is Qu-BZZT-ilver and Sc-BZZT-t Witch, whatzzz the zzzzituation Stark?-BZZT-"

Before he could formulate a response, Iron Man was being hurtled through the air, and slammed through the middle of a level of an office building.

"Christ, he packs a punch."

The being was standing in the street, waiting for Iron Man to emerge from the building once more.

"Jarvis, damage report."

"The main Striker Core System has sustained notable damage. Power lines are being rerouted to compensate."

"Time until the reroute is complete?"

"Roughly two and one half minutes."

"Are the jets still operational?"

"Affirmative."

"Tony!"

Jim Rhodes was back up and running.

"Rhodey! What happened?"

"My suit slammed into an electrical cable. Had to reboot, nearly fried the system."

"Jarvis, what's the status of Rhodes' suit?"

"The War Machine Mark I armor is fully operational."

Iron Man balled his hands into fists and pushed himself to his feet. Exposed wires on his suit buzzed and hissed.

"Weapons?"

"The core repulsors mounted in your palms have sustained critical damage."

"Can we switch to secondary systems?"

"Affirmative."

"Do it."

Iron Man's forearms shook and rattled as his repulsors were transformed from the inside out into plasma firing gauntlets.

"Plasma systems engaged. Overheating fail safes in place."

"Overheating?"

"On the energy scale, plasma is one step above lightning in terms of heat and power. Unfortunately, I'll only be able to get off six, maybe seven shots, before my energy is depleted."

"Sir, it is also important to note that the ammunition in your forearm-mounted machine guns has been reduced by 23%."

"Shut up, Jarvis."

"Power reroute nearing 50% completion." Jarvis said.

From out of the blue, the AI robot spoke again.

"Incoming transmission from channel designated X-MEN Alpha."

"Cyclops? Patch him through."

"Iron Man, this is Cyclops of the X-Men. What's the situation, and where the hell are you?!"

Azrael had been stepping closer and closer to Iron Man as the seconds ticked by.

Their eyes met, and the pair stood glaring at each other for a moment, before Iron Man hurled himself upwards, demolishing the ceiling of the ground floor of the building he had landed in. He crashed through floor after floor, destroying the center of the building's foundation.

"Cyclops, this is Iron Man. I'm currently at 93rd Street and Lexington Avenue. I'm being pursued by a being known as Azrael. Research indicates that he's, basically, a creature genetically designed to hunt down superhumans and destroy them."

Iron Man tore through the rooftop and blazed up the city street.

"Incoming energy projectile." said Jarvis.

Iron Man glanced over his shoulder to see a massive ball of energy hurtling his way from Azrael's fist. The two were soaring between buildings in the Big Apple.

Narrowly dodging the blast, Iron Man watched in shock as it collided with a building, shattering every pane of glass in the place, and demolishing the support columns within the building's interior.

Within seconds, the building had imploded, leaving a cloud of dust for Iron Man to fly through.

"I dunno if your people got any letters from the mercenary Deadpool, Cyclops, but we did and they warned that Azrael has unspeakable power. If you do come, be advised that Azrael is incredibly dangerous and can take out a building with a single discharge of pure energy. Iron Man out."

He abruptly cut the line and began speaking with Quicksilver.

"Did you get all that, Quicksilver?" he asked, dodging energy shot after energy shot.

"Yeah."

His response was simple enough for Iron Man to cut the line at that, and begin speaking with Jarvis once more.

"Jarvis, what's the status on my power reroute, dammit?" Iron Man was growing increasingly frustrated with the situation at hand. All he had done to prepare for this thing was install an AI chip in his suit's helmet and outfit some more weaponry. He hadn't thought of the human component, evacuation, even after the events of a month prior.

"Power reroute is at 93% completion."

Activating his transmitter again, Iron Man directed his next words to Jim Rhodes.

"Alright, Rhodey... whenever you feel like giving me a miracle..."

For the first time in his tenure as Iron Man, Antonio Stark was actually sweating.

"A brain tumor actually sounds pretty nice right about now." He thought.

[Eddie Brock]

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l144/Gray_Fox_Lives/RPG%20stuff/Suebanner.jpg

"How utterly charming." Susan Storm quipped, stood with arms on her hips as Ben and this 'Black Knight' character waltzed off into a bar.

"Reed honey?" Reed Richards was examining the carcass of the beast, muttering to himself. "I'm going to call in for a clean up. We can't take care of this ourselves." She explained, planting a finger to her ear.

"This is Susan Storm, Codename: Invisible Woman. Patch me through to General Fury."

"Good evening Ms Storm. This is Agent Hill. I'm afraid General Fury is pre-disposed." Came a soft female voice from the communicator, surprising Susan slightly. "Can I be of assistance?"

"Yeah, you can send a clean up crew on our position. We just got attacked by some sort of wild reptilian creature."

"So... Godzilla huh? Boy, I'm sure Tokyo is jealous."

Caught off guard by this woman's tone, Sue grew impatient.

"Look, can I please speak to Nick Fury?"

"I told you he's busy. So, you always make a habit of having SHIELD clean up your mess?"

"Our mess!?" Sue shouted, surprising herself. "For all I know this whole thing could be SHIELD's fault! Now send us some backup or I'll march over to the Triskellion myself an-"

"Understood Ms Storm." Agent Hill interrupted, sounding very bored. "Maria Hill out."

"Of all the..." Susan muttered to herself in near-disbelief turning back to Reed who was scribbling notes down onto a pad. "SHIELD are on there way."
"You guys have the situation handled, then?" I ask abruptly. Then, before Sue can muster a response, I add, "Good. Some of us have places to be."

Igniting and taking to the skies again, I rise a few feet above the ground and examine the scene. This really was a mess, and I truly have no clue what we just fought. Then again, it's not like that's an unusual occurrence. It seems that weird follows us everywhere we go.

"I may or may not be in touch...I make no promises," I explain. I realize that I really have no excuse since my phone is almost always glued to my hip when I'm in my civvies, but I really am too indifferent to "check in" like I'm a kid or something.

"If I'm not back in 24 hours, don't try to find me. I'm probably out somewhere having way too much fun for you guys to handle."

And with that, I take off - my fiery wake allowing all of New York to see me blazing across the sky.

***

The next day, I find myself bored to tears when my phone rings. Looking down, I see that the caller ID reads "Kitty."

"Johnny Storm - the most successful, famous, and attractive member of the Fantastic Four - speaking. How may I help you?"

[SenseiofCheese]

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/3240/logozu5.gif
THE BLACK KNIGHT'S TALE: PART XI

<CRASH!>

The Thing, having reluctantly left behind the Black Knight at the bar, turns back in surprise as a man flies through the pub’s main window, landing just outside on the street. The superhero instantly recognizes the man as the one who had called him a freak. Maybe even to Ben’s greater surprise, it is the Black Knight that then steps out through the window, cracking his knuckles. He’s donned his helmet once more and there’s a smile on his face.

“You were saying something about this getting out of hand?” the Knight says, looking to the Thing and grinning as he helps up the man only to punch him back down to the ground again.

“And that? That was for calling my friend a freak,” Dane says before turning to the astonished Thing. “Well, the first punch was for throwing that bottle. Waste of a good beer, don’t you think?”

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/thingsk7.jpg


"Damn, you're fast. That's pretty impressive, Dane." Ben states in utter shock at how quickly the Black Knight had sent the bastard flying through the window. "But if I beat up everyone who called me a freak, half a' New York would be in weelchairs, you know what I'm sayin'?"

Ben looks down at the man, glass covering his face and blood dripping from his mouth. Doc Samson had told Ben time and time again not to think this way, but damnit, he couldn't help but smile on the inside. The bastard did deserve it, far as Ben cared.

"But damnit, I like 'yer style. Dane, this is the beginning of a beautifu.." Ben begins, but stops cold when he sees the expression on Dane's face. A mix of laughter and nausea, Dane can barely help himself before he bursts out chuckling. Ben, embarrassed, rubs the back of his head awkardly. "Right. Bit of a cliché, isn't it. I uh...erm...You wanna be friends?" he finally blurts out like a 5-year old boy in a schoolyard, with an clumsy smile plastered over his rocky face.

[Harlekin]

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/3240/logozu5.gif
THE BLACK KNIGHT'S TALE: PART XII

“Why would I coldcock this punk otherwise?” the Black Knight replies with a smile, “If you’re not out saving the world, give me a call, we’ll get a drink and slay some dragons.” As affirmation, the Knight gives the Thing an encouraging fist bump to the shoulder.

“I gotta go,” the Knight says as he steps over the man’s body and the window shards. Before he can walk away, the bartender appears through what remains of the glass.

“You’ll never have another pint here, you sonuva*****.” He’s shaking his hand at the Knight.
Dane just shrugs. “Didn’t like the place anyway,” he replies, smiling as he does so to the Thing.

Wobbling a little, the Knight makes his way over to his motorcycle, still chained to the lamppost. He turns back to the Thing, who gives him a bit of an odd look. “So yeah, okay, maybe that last beer got to me. I’ll walk. See ya around, Ben. You’ll find me under Whitman in the book.”

With another wave, the Black Knight turns and starts the long walk home.

[Matt Murdock]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

I don't even look up as Ben takes a spot beside me.

"If you want to deck me again I'd be okay with that..."

I shrug slightly.

"Eh the moments past, I'll take a raincheck."

Silence settles back in as we look at the headstone. It's amazing how this one man has made such a an impact on so many people. Granted five of those people are clones of another but they still count. I finally break eye contact with the piece of stone and look at Ben.

"Were you serious about the Carnage suit being gone? Am I really talking to Ben or to Carnage in a Ben mask?"
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/ScarletSpider-2.jpg


I jam my hands into the pockets of my sweatshirt.

"Carnage is dead."

It's as simple as that.

[SenseiofCheese]

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/440px-Ultimate_cap_hed.jpg

Almost 60 years and they still hadn't learned. Those who preyed on the weak, using their strength and abilities to keep those they saw as inferior down, still hadn't learned.

The sound of metallic weapons discharging a hail of bullets filled the air as Steve Rogers' back hit slammed against a wall, a few of the bullets narrowly missing him.

"I'll give you gentlemen one more chance to surrender." he called from his cover, but the only response was a flurry of swears and more bullets.
"Suit yourselves." Steve muttered to himself as he tightened his grip on his shield and peered his head around the corner.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/thefilmcontinuestofocusoncaptainame.jpg

A quick glance was all he needed. Four men, all heavily armed. Obviously trying to make up for what they lacked in strategical planning with artillery, they were simply sloppily spraying bullets left and right. And if Steve remembered correctly, the rifles they were all clinging so hopelessly to held approximately...


*CLICK* *CLICK*

"****!"

The disappointed shouts and signature clicks of an empty gun replaced the sound of gunfire. In the blink of an eye, Captain America was on the move.
Shooting out from under cover, he spotted two of the men attempting escape. In true cowardice, the men discarded their weapons and turned to flee. A swift motion sent Captain America's shield slicing through the air with the certainty of a heat seeking missile.

http://www.superherostuff.com/Biographies/captain_america3.gif

"GYAH!" one of the men screamed in surprise as the shield whirred past him, a red blur. "HAH! HE MISS--" he was cut off as, with the sound of metal crushing metal, the shield ricocheted off a nearby dumpster and slammed straight into his stomach. He howled in pain as the blow sent him careening back into his partner, sending both tumbling to the ground.

"MOTHERF****" a third man shouted in panic, as he threw his rifle to the ground but was quick to withdraw a small pistol from his waistband. But it was useless, as Captain America was on him in a mere moment.

The gun went off, a bullet flying from the chamber and into the sky as Rogers forced the gunman's hand upwards with his own. Steve slammed the side of his open palm into the gunman's wrist, who howled in pain as he heard his own hand break. "Watch your language." the Captain spoke through gritted teeth, as the fourth man had brought forth a knife that cut through the air, heading towards Roger's head.

Rogers put all his weight on one knee, crouching and dodging the blade which instead found it's mark in the other man's side. Another pained scream before Captain America sent his elbow crashing into the man's stomach, and his fist connected with the other's nose. Both men fell to the ground, one unconscious, the other whimpering like a child.

"Iron Man to War Machine, Captain America, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, or Giant Man... ANYONE. If you can read me, respond!"

Steve's communications link crackled to life with Tony's panicked voice. Pressing two fingers against the comm link in his right ear, a technology he still found eerie no matter how many times he used it, Captain America replied. "This is Captain America. Iron Man, what is your situation? Status and location, Tony, come on!" he barked as he hurriedly jogged over to his shield and picked it up.

[Venom160]

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/ScarletSpider-2.jpg


I jam my hands into the pockets of my sweatshirt.

"Carnage is dead."

It's as simple as that. http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

I turn back to Uncle Ben's grave. I replay what Ben just said over and over trying to find some inkling of dishonesty, I find nothing.

Plenty of questions come to the front of my mind: Where is Jessica and is she safe? Is MJ and Peter ok? Where are the other clones and what are they up to? But one question stands out above all else....

"How long have I been dead?"

[Matt Murdock]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

I turn back to Uncle Ben's grave. I replay what Ben just said over and over trying to find some inkling of dishonesty, I find nothing.

Plenty of questions come to the front of my mind: Where is Jessica and is she safe? Is MJ and Peter ok? Where are the other clones and what are they up to? But one question stands out above all else....

"How long have I been dead?"
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/ScarletSpider-2.jpg

"Just about the same time as Carnage, actually. A month."

I ease my bag open and see Anton's Tarantula suit at the bottom, jammed inside like a bad memory. I toss it to him.

"Figured you might want that."

[Venom160]

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/ScarletSpider-2.jpg

"Just about the same time as Carnage, actually. A month."

I ease my bag open and see Anton's Tarantula suit at the bottom, jammed inside like a bad memory. I toss it to him.

"Figured you might want that."http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

A month!? I'v been dead for a month? Hmm thats helluva way to get some beauty sleep.

I watch as Ben opens his backpack and throws me a Tarantula costume.

"Figured you might want that."

I look at the mask and than down at the spider symbol.

"Thanks."

A nearby tree and a quick change later and I rejoin my brother at our Uncle's grave.

"Ah much better, it was alittle chilly out here."

Ben smiles and nodes his head.

"So...."

He turns to look at me.

...we cool Anton?"

I node my head slightly.

"We're gettin there."

Ben nodes than turns.

"Alright I gotta get back to the Triskelion or else Fury will have my ass. Oh I almost forgot, report back to Fury later today. We still gotta get you a place and everything."

"Alright."

"Stay outta trouble than."

"I make no promises."

I my hand ontop of Uncle Ben's headstone.

"Talk to ya later.."

With that I fire webline and pull on it launching me into the air.

"Wooohooo!"

[Matt Murdock]

Rogers put all his weight on one knee, crouching and dodging the blade which instead found it's mark in the other man's side. Another pained scream before Captain America sent his elbow crashing into the man's stomach, and his fist connected with the other's nose. Both men fell to the ground, one unconscious, the other whimpering like a child.

"Iron Man to War Machine, Captain America, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, or Giant Man... ANYONE. If you can read me, respond!"

Steve's communications link crackled to life with Tony's panicked voice. Pressing two fingers against the comm link in his right ear, a technology he still found eerie no matter how many times he used it, Captain America replied. "This is Captain America. Iron Man, what is your situation? Status and location, Tony, come on!" he barked as he hurriedly jogged over to his shield and picked it up.




http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj165/edlewis6571/Iron%20Man%20RPG%20Images/42223681.jpg
Ultimate Iron Man

Iron Man heard Captain America's voice ringing through his headset.

"This is Captain America. Iron Man, what is your situation? Status and location, Tony, come on!"

"Rogers!" Iron Man was somewhat relieved to hear his teammate's voie. "I'm currently at 85th Street and Lexington Avenue headed due south."

A blast of energy tore into Iron Man's back, and Jarvis spoke.
"Lateral jets have sustained heavy damage, sir. Emergency protocols are activating."

A portion of Iron Man's chest plate pulled back and three emergency jets ignited, slowing his descent enough to prevent the destruction of his core systems.

"Just follow the sirens."

Azrael roared from behind him as Iron Man fell to the streets. Taking off faster than before, the being surged forward, bringing a trail of dust with him as he flew.

Iron Man slammed into the concrete, creating a small crater, knowing that Azrael would be making another pass within seconds.

[Eddie Brock]

http://www.samruby.com/Heroes/BlackCat/BlCatLogo.gif

When I got out of the tanning salon, Johnny was still nowhere in sight. I didn't feel like sitting around like some helpless dunce, so I decided to head back on foot. There's no need to bother Johnny, anyway. He's probably off doing something important.

...Is it bad that I couldn't keep a straight face for that?

I got back to base just in time to see an upset Sharon. Oh great - now I have to try and give advice. Trust me, that is not my strong suit. I hardly know what to tell myself...much less anyone else. Even so, friendship forces us to do things that are out of character, so I slump down on the couch next to Sharon. The tension is making me very uncomfortable.

"I'm not sure how to go about this kind of thing, so why don't you start by telling me what's wrong?" I suggest jokingly.

Sharon folds her arms. "It's nothing," she insists.

I arch an eyebrow. "Since when does 'nothing' make you sit and pout like your favorite TV show just got cancelled?"

"Felicia, I really don't want to talk about it," Sharon mumbles. I lean back and respect her wishes, but after a moment, she adds, "It's about Flint, if you must know. I understand that curiosity can kill you."

You know, it's really not fun when someone ELSE does the cat puns. I can see how it might get annoying.

"Sharon, the day I let a man make me feel like this is the day that I hang up my leather," I explain. "If there's one thing I've learned, it's that men are genetically incompetent. You can't hold it against them, really."

She smirks.

"I really don't want to know what you and Sandy do in your free time, so I won't press the issue any further. Just remember -- us girls have to stick together. Speaking of which, where's Spiral?"

"On a mission with Forge and Scorpion," Sharon explains. "They should be back soon."

I nod. "In the meantime, I'm going to take a cat nap."

Sharon cringes at the pun. It sucks when the shoe is on the other foot.

[SenseiofCheese]

"Just follow the sirens."

Azrael roared from behind him as Iron Man fell to the streets. Taking off faster than before, the being surged forward, bringing a trail of dust with him as he flew.

Iron Man slammed into the concrete, creating a small crater, knowing that Azrael would be making another pass within seconds.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/440px-Ultimate_cap_hed.jpg



As if beckoned by Tony's voice, a police car sped past the alleyway. A white and blue blur, another went by, sirens blaring, and a third followed. Taking a moment to think, Captain America finally pressed his fingers against the comm link again. "Sit tight, Tony. I'm on my way. Captain America out." he said as assuredly as he could before turning and bolting out of the alley.

This would be risky, but if he timed it just right....

Taking only a mere second to let his eyes adjust to the light, Captain America was airborne within moments. Soaring through the sky, shield in hand, he landed with a heavy thud on the metallic roof of a police car.

"WHAT THE F***" the officer inside shouted, the car swerving frantically. Almost losing balance, Rogers grabbed a hold of the siren, the red and blue light rotating wildly.

"I apologize, officer, but I believe we're both heading in the same direction." Rogers called to the officer, visibly shaken, watching the Captain through his rearview mirror. Once again picking up speed, the car sped through New York, amazed onlookers on every street pointing and taking pictures.

[Venom160]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

A month!? I'v been dead for a month? Hmm thats helluva way to get some beauty sleep.

I watch as Ben opens his backpack and throws me a Tarantula costume.

"Figured you might want that."

I look at the mask and than down at the spider symbol.

"Thanks."

A nearby tree and a quick change later and I rejoin my brother at our Uncle's grave.

"Ah much better, it was alittle chilly out here."

Ben smiles and nodes his head.

"So...."

He turns to look at me.

...we cool Anton?"

I node my head slightly.

"We're gettin there."

Ben nodes than turns.

"Alright I gotta get back to the Triskelion or else Fury will have my ass. Oh I almost forgot, report back to Fury later today. We still gotta get you a place and everything."

"Alright."

"Stay outta trouble than."

"I make no promises."

I my hand ontop of Uncle Ben's headstone.

"Talk to ya later.."

With that I fire webline and pull on it launching me into the air.

"Wooohooo!"http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

I keep trying to run through what im going to say to Jessica as I swing towards her aparment.

Surpsrise! Ow please don't punch me again, no its really me.

I notice the time on a digital clock infront of a bank as I swung pass.

"10:30? **** Jess wouldnt be at home she'd be at school, or on some super dangerous Ultimates mission. "

I let go of my current webline and run up a nearby building just enjoying the wind rushing past me. I jump off and fire another webline this time throwing alittle more upper body strength into it to add on the speed.

"Ok I'll head over to Midtown High and see if shes there. If she is then I'll work from there."

J. Jonah Jameson stands in his office looking upon the the city as he takes a drag from a freshly lite cigar. Hes' tried to quiet several times but this extremely stressful day made him crave on terribly. He was about to turn away when he sees a webline attach to his buidling. He looks out expecting to see Spider-Man but gets a nasty surprise: the form of the Tarantula.

Jameson's mouth drops open causing the cigar to drop on the floor.

"What the....."

The cigar causes the carpet to burst into flames.

"Oh ****!"

Fifteen minutes later.....

I let go of the webline and land into across the street from Midtown High.

"Now lets see 10:45 the students should be swarming to the cafeteria"

I fire a webline and swing down to the building that houses the cafeteria. I stick to the wall and climb up to the nearest window and peak in.

"Empty? Whats up?"

I swing to the closest classroom and look in.

"Empty to. Whats goin on?"

My spider sense suddenly goes off.

"Oh thats not good."

I relax and let my spider sense guide me. It leads me to the school Gymnasium. I land infront of the entrance and stop, the door is webbed shut.

"Oh this is so not good....."

I take a step back and kick the door off its hinges. My shocked expression visible even through my mask.

"Oh god......"

[Jono Starsmore]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/Treyzee/CykeBanner-1.jpg

“I’m serious. We could use the help. Ignore my brother.”

Scott shook his head.

"That won't be a problem."

Iron Man's response was most definitely urgent. They needed to get there as quick as possible--and Scott was not going to let Pietro give him a piggy back ride, by all means. The crowd of reporters was even starting to disband, finally. There was a bigger story. A much bigger story. Sirens echoed throughout the streets, and Scott could almost hear the fight in the distance. Lexington Avenue wasn't far from here.

"You guys do what you need to do to get there...and fast."

With that said, he busted into an all out sprint down the street. It almost slipped his mind that he held a spare official uniform in a satchel on the back, just for cases like this, along with an extra visor. Reaching the Harley Davidson in the nearby parking garage, he quickly changed into his uniform. There were too many useful utilities on his suit to just go dressed as an average joe--not to mention the fact that the material had a considerable amount of damage resistance.

Mounting his motorcycle, he turned the ignition and darted out into the street, the back tire screeching and burning rubber as he accelerated further. Pulling his glove up to his lips, he spoke into the communicator.

"Cyclops to Iron Man--I'm on my way. Hang in there buddy."

He sped through the streets with the utmost grace, weaving in and out of traffic at a high speed.

[Jono Starsmore]

Edit: >_<

[Saved]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

I keep trying to run through what im going to say to Jessica as I swing towards her aparment.

Surpsrise! Ow please don't punch me again, no its really me.

I notice the time on a digital clock infront of a bank as I swung pass.

"10:30? **** Jess wouldnt be at home she'd be at school, or on some super dangerous Ultimates mission. "

I let go of my current webline and run up a nearby building just enjoying the wind rushing past me. I jump off and fire another webline this time throwing alittle more upper body strength into it to add on the speed.

"Ok I'll head over to Midtown High and see if shes there. If she is then I'll work from there."

J. Jonah Jameson stands in his office looking upon the the city as he takes a drag from a freshly lite cigar. Hes' tried to quiet several times but this extremely stressful day made him crave on terribly. He was about to turn away when he sees a webline attach to his buidling. He looks out expecting to see Spider-Man but gets a nasty surprise: the form of the Tarantula.

Jameson's mouth drops open causing the cigar to drop on the floor.

"What the....."

The cigar causes the carpet to burst into flames.

"Oh ****!"

Fifteen minutes later.....

I let go of the webline and land into across the street from Midtown High.

"Now lets see 10:45 the students should be swarming to the cafeteria"

I fire a webline and swing down to the building that houses the cafeteria. I stick to the wall and climb up to the nearest window and peak in.

"Empty? Whats up?"

I swing to the closest classroom and look in.

"Empty to. Whats goin on?"

My spider sense suddenly goes off.

"Oh thats not good."

I relax and let my spider sense guide me. It leads me to the school Gymnasium. I land infront of the entrance and stop, the door is webbed shut.

"Oh this is so not good....."

I take a step back and kick the door off its hinges. My shocked expression visible even through my mask.

"Oh god......"
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x90/Edge_027/RPG%20banners/UltimateKainebanner2.jpg

Contagion, The Curse Continues Part IV

Queens, Midtown High School

The clocks in the school point their hands to ten thirty eight. It has been roughly an hour since Kaine's attack on Midtown High School. Up until this point, Kaine has kept the students and faculty reletively safe, only harming those that dare to escape. But as the time passes, Kaine's patience wears thin.

As he stands in the middle of the gymnasium silently, he feels the suit pulling at him, increasing his emotions and pushing him to a place he never thought he would go.

As Kaine continues to wait, the teenagers watch him from their bleachers, silently whispering to eachother as they hope for the best. In the fourth row up on one of the bleachers, Flash Thompson, Liz Allen, and Kenneth McFarlane whisper to one another silently.

"What do you think he's waiting for?"

"No idea." Kong responds. "He hasn't said anything since...you know."

"How long has it been?" Flash asks discretly.

"About an hour, little more." Liz responds.

"How long you think he'll wait there?"

"I don't know, Kong. Maybe he's the patient type."

"Flash, do you think before you speak? He killed Tom Greger! Ripped him to pieces right before our eyes!"

"Well, Tom did try to escape. Maybe this guy only wants us as a saftey net."

"What the hell are you talking about, Kong?"

"Well...I'm not justifying it. I'm just saying, maybe he wants us here so he can't be captured or arrested."

"Arrested? This guy looks like he could take on the Ultimates!"

"No way!" Liz refutes in an aggravated tone. "This guy couldn't take on Captain America, Flash!" Flash sighs and looks down at the floor. He looks back up with a weary expression, and lets out a heavy breath.

"You think...you think Spider-Man could take him?" Liz frowns and looks away, distracting herself from Flash's question.

"I...I don't know, Flash." Kong says solemnly. "Maybe...I mean, the guy's a hero! He's...he's taken on impossible odds and-"

"Hey guys," Liz interupts. "Where's MJ and Peter?"

On the floor below, Kaine's head suddenly turns as he hear's the familiar name mentioned. He looks in the direction of the voice, and sees the three teens, staring down at him with a nervous expression. Kaine smiles beneath the mask as he continues to keep his attention fixed on Liz.

"Now you did it, Liz." Flash says in a cowardly tone.

Kaine suddenly jumps into the air, lunging toward them. He fires a tendril from his arm, sending it grappling around the rafters above. He dangles from his extremity above the teens, staring at them upside down with an evil smile.

"Hello, my dear." He hisses. "What was that you said just now?"


"Uh...I um...I..." Liz stutters in fear as she tries to look away from the black suited killer. Kaine reaches out to her, putting his hand gently on her face. He turns her head to face him, staring at her directly eye to eye.

"Don't be shy...what did you say?"

"I...I don't remember..." She says as she shakes in fear.

"Oh, I think you do..." Kaine says as he begins to grow impatient. "Something about Peter...and MJ..."

"Hey, lay off her, dude!" Flash cuts in, pushing Kaine's hand from Liz's face. Kaine growls at Flash, turning his attention toward the young man. Flash puts up his arms defensively, suddenly filling with fear. Kaine smirks as he raises his other arm, pointing it toward Flash.

"That was a risky move, boy. Either you're very brave...or very stupid."

"Uh...don't hurt me, man. I...I wasn't thinking... heh..heh."

"Yes." Kaine snickers. "Clearly." The suit suddenly pulls back from Kaine's hand, revealing his wrist. He fires a webline onto Flash, encasing him in the thick wirey rope. Whipping the line back, he strings it to the ceiling, dangling the teen from the ceiling only feet off the ground.

Kaine laughs evily, the suit begining to increase his emotions once more. He turns back to Liz, her face turned pale with fear. Kaine smiles beneath the mask as he stares at her.

"Don't be so nervous." Kaine hisses. "I only want to talk. Now tell me...where...is...Parker..."

"I...I don't know." She responds.

"Yes you do...I'm going to find out, one way or another. So just tell me, huh."

"I...I swear I don't know."

"What's your name?"

"Elisabeth."

"Oh, right. I remember you now. Liz Allen."

"Y-You know who I am?"

"Vaguely. My faintest memories are mostly about how...attractive you are..." Kaine's voice trails off into an ominous laugh.

"Hey, buddy leave her alone." Kong interjects. "Liz only asked where Peter and Mary Jane were. That's all. She knows just as much as you."

"Really?" Kaine asks as he drops from his tendril. He pulls the black tentacle back into his arm and stands on the seat where Flash once sat. He leans in on one knee and gets close to Liz. "When did you last see Parker, babe?"
"I...I..."

"She doesn't know, man. Let it go!"

"You're testing my patience, boy...do you want to see me get upset?"

"Just wait 'til Spider-Man gets here...he'll-"

"Do what? Kick my ass? Beat me to a pulp? Let me tell you something, kid, web head is overrated! I am superior to him in more than one way! I was made to be!"

"You're all talk!" Kong mocks, his courage showing valiently as he defends Liz. "You're just a rip off of him. I mean, webs? Come on! What else did you steal from him?"

"Uh...Kong..." Liz quietly interupts. "Maybe you should just be quiet..."

"Mhh...you're friend has a point." Kaine says, pushing off his knee and standing on his feet. "I know someone here knows where Parker is...and I'm going to find out."

Kaine suddenly grabs Liz by her shirt, tearing it slightly as he jumps down from the bleacher. As he hits the ground below, Kong shouts for his friend, his fear growing larger by the second as he worries for his friend.

Kaine holds her over his shoulder as she screams, kicking and punching, desperately trying to escape. Kaine laughs as he walks toward Flash, still hanging upside down from the ceiling.

"NO! NO! NO! Let me go! Let me GO! Please! PLEASE! LET ME GO!" Liz screams.

"Women. They never know when to keep their mouths shut." Kaine throws Liz to the floor, her body making a loud thud as her back hits the wood ground. Her screams stop, and are replaced with the sounds of moans in pain. Kaine snickers as he steps closer to Flash.

"That's better. Now, Liz, I know you know something. And I'm going to get the information from you...one way, or another." Kaine smiles maniacally beneath his mask as he pulls back his fist. He turns toward Flash, and stares at his helpless body. "Now, tell me..." Kaine throws a strong punch to Flash, his fist hitting him hard in the stomach. Flash yells out in a painful shriek, spit shooting from his mouth from the punch. "Where is Peter Parker?"

"I...I don't know." Liz says as tears begin to form in her eyes.

"Alright." Kaine throws another punch at Flash, this time hitting him right in the chest. Flash's yell is cut off by a strenuous cough as he chokes on his own air. He coughs violently, spewing more saliva, this time mixed with blood, dripping to the floor. "I'll ask again. Where is Parker?"


"I don't know!" She screams in desperation.

"Tell me now!" Kaine yells in rage as he continously hits Flash, landing blow after blow on the defenseless teen's body. "Where is he?"

"I don't know!"

"Where!?" He yells, his fist slamming into Flash's ribcage.

"I don't know!"

"WHERE!?"

"Stop this please!"

"That's not an answer!" Kaine kicks Flash in the side, knocking him back and forth on the line. "Where is Peter Parker?!"

"Stop this, please! I don't know!"

"Where?" Kaine yells, punching the teen again and again.

"I don't know! I DON'T!"

"Where?!"

"Stop!"

Kaine storms over to Liz and grabs her by her throat, lifting her off the floor. He growls viciously as the suit begins to distort; his rage consuming him once more. As he holds her high in the air, Flash chokes and coughs, his body beaten badly as he desperately gasps for air.

"Where is PARKER?"

"I...don't...know..." She struggles to say, Kaine's grip tightening.

"Tell me!" He roars, striking Liz with a strong hit across her face. "Where is your friend?"

"I...don't know!" She cries out, tears running down her face like rivers. Kaine raises his hand to strike her once more, holding it back preparing to hit her once more. Suddenly, the door to the gym opens with a loud noise. Kaine stops his attack, and stares at the door, looking to see the identity of the intruder. To his surprise, he sees a figure he recognizes, someone he knows very well.

As Kaine stares at the figure in the doorway, his rage suddenly decreases. He begins to laugh as he lowers Liz a little toward the floor. His grip on her throat lessens and she takes a deep gasp for air.

"Hey there, arms." Kaine says in a cocky tone. "What a surprise..."

[Blacklight]

The next day, I find myself bored to tears when my phone rings. Looking down, I see that the caller ID reads "Kitty."



"Johnny Storm - the most successful, famous, and attractive member of the Fantastic Four - speaking. How may I help you?"

(OOC: Takes place before Kaine's attack, BTW.:up:)

Y'know, I like the guy, but Johnny can be so conceited sometimes, but I guess that's one of his more charming qualities...

"Johnny, honey? Could you do me a favor and meet me by the Midtown football field? I've got a surprise for you..."

[Venom160]

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x90/Edge_027/RPG%20banners/UltimateKainebanner2.jpg

Contagion, The Curse Continues Part IV

Queens, Midtown High School

The clocks in the school point their hands to ten thirty eight. It has been roughly an hour since Kaine's attack on Midtown High School. Up until this point, Kaine has kept the students and faculty reletively safe, only harming those that dare to escape. But as the time passes, Kaine's patience wears thin.

As he stands in the middle of the gymnasium silently, he feels the suit pulling at him, increasing his emotions and pushing him to a place he never thought he would go.

As Kaine continues to wait, the teenagers watch him from their bleachers, silently whispering to eachother as they hope for the best. In the fourth row up on one of the bleachers, Flash Thompson, Liz Allen, and Kenneth McFarlane whisper to one another silently.

"What do you think he's waiting for?"

"No idea." Kong responds. "He hasn't said anything since...you know."

"How long has it been?" Flash asks discretly.

"About an hour, little more." Liz responds.

"How long you think he'll wait there?"

"I don't know, Kong. Maybe he's the patient type."

"Flash, do you think before you speak? He killed Tom Greger! Ripped him to pieces right before our eyes!"

"Well, Tom did try to escape. Maybe this guy only wants us as a saftey net."

"What the hell are you talking about, Kong?"

"Well...I'm not justifying it. I'm just saying, maybe he wants us here so he can't be captured or arrested."

"Arrested? This guy looks like he could take on the Ultimates!"

"No way!" Liz refutes in an aggravated tone. "This guy couldn't take on Captain America, Flash!" Flash sighs and looks down at the floor. He looks back up with a weary expression, and lets out a heavy breath.

"You think...you think Spider-Man could take him?" Liz frowns and looks away, distracting herself from Flash's question.

"I...I don't know, Flash." Kong says solemnly. "Maybe...I mean, the guy's a hero! He's...he's taken on impossible odds and-"

"Hey guys," Liz interupts. "Where's MJ and Peter?"

On the floor below, Kaine's head suddenly turns as he hear's the familiar name mentioned. He looks in the direction of the voice, and sees the three teens, staring down at him with a nervous expression. Kaine smiles beneath the mask as he continues to keep his attention fixed on Liz.

"Now you did it, Liz." Flash says in a cowardly tone.

Kaine suddenly jumps into the air, lunging toward them. He fires a tendril from his arm, sending it grappling around the rafters above. He dangles from his extremity above the teens, staring at them upside down with an evil smile.

"Hello, my dear." He hisses. "What was that you said just now?"


"Uh...I um...I..." Liz stutters in fear as she tries to look away from the black suited killer. Kaine reaches out to her, putting his hand gently on her face. He turns her head to face him, staring at her directly eye to eye.

"Don't be shy...what did you say?"

"I...I don't remember..." She says as she shakes in fear.

"Oh, I think you do..." Kaine says as he begins to grow impatient. "Something about Peter...and MJ..."

"Hey, lay off her, dude!" Flash cuts in, pushing Kaine's hand from Liz's face. Kaine growls at Flash, turning his attention toward the young man. Flash puts up his arms defensively, suddenly filling with fear. Kaine smirks as he raises his other arm, pointing it toward Flash.

"That was a risky move, boy. Either you're very brave...or very stupid."

"Uh...don't hurt me, man. I...I wasn't thinking... heh..heh."

"Yes." Kaine snickers. "Clearly." The suit suddenly pulls back from Kaine's hand, revealing his wrist. He fires a webline onto Flash, encasing him in the thick wirey rope. Whipping the line back, he strings it to the ceiling, dangling the teen from the ceiling only feet off the ground.

Kaine laughs evily, the suit begining to increase his emotions once more. He turns back to Liz, her face turned pale with fear. Kaine smiles beneath the mask as he stares at her.

"Don't be so nervous." Kaine hisses. "I only want to talk. Now tell me...where...is...Parker..."

"I...I don't know." She responds.

"Yes you do...I'm going to find out, one way or another. So just tell me, huh."

"I...I swear I don't know."

"What's your name?"

"Elisabeth."

"Oh, right. I remember you now. Liz Allen."

"Y-You know who I am?"

"Vaguely. My faintest memories are mostly about how...attractive you are..." Kaine's voice trails off into an ominous laugh.

"Hey, buddy leave her alone." Kong interjects. "Liz only asked where Peter and Mary Jane were. That's all. She knows just as much as you."

"Really?" Kaine asks as he drops from his tendril. He pulls the black tentacle back into his arm and stands on the seat where Flash once sat. He leans in on one knee and gets close to Liz. "When did you last see Parker, babe?"
"I...I..."

"She doesn't know, man. Let it go!"

"You're testing my patience, boy...do you want to see me get upset?"

"Just wait 'til Spider-Man gets here...he'll-"

"Do what? Kick my ass? Beat me to a pulp? Let me tell you something, kid, web head is overrated! I am superior to him in more than one way! I was made to be!"

"You're all talk!" Kong mocks, his courage showing valiently as he defends Liz. "You're just a rip off of him. I mean, webs? Come on! What else did you steal from him?"

"Uh...Kong..." Liz quietly interupts. "Maybe you should just be quiet..."

"Mhh...you're friend has a point." Kaine says, pushing off his knee and standing on his feet. "I know someone here knows where Parker is...and I'm going to find out."

Kaine suddenly grabs Liz by her shirt, tearing it slightly as he jumps down from the bleacher. As he hits the ground below, Kong shouts for his friend, his fear growing larger by the second as he worries for his friend.

Kaine holds her over his shoulder as she screams, kicking and punching, desperately trying to escape. Kaine laughs as he walks toward Flash, still hanging upside down from the ceiling.

"NO! NO! NO! Let me go! Let me GO! Please! PLEASE! LET ME GO!" Liz screams.

"Women. They never know when to keep their mouths shut." Kaine throws Liz to the floor, her body making a loud thud as her back hits the wood ground. Her screams stop, and are replaced with the sounds of moans in pain. Kaine snickers as he steps closer to Flash.

"That's better. Now, Liz, I know you know something. And I'm going to get the information from you...one way, or another." Kaine smiles maniacally beneath his mask as he pulls back his fist. He turns toward Flash, and stares at his helpless body. "Now, tell me..." Kaine throws a strong punch to Flash, his fist hitting him hard in the stomach. Flash yells out in a painful shriek, spit shooting from his mouth from the punch. "Where is Peter Parker?"

"I...I don't know." Liz says as tears begin to form in her eyes.

"Alright." Kaine throws another punch at Flash, this time hitting him right in the chest. Flash's yell is cut off by a strenuous cough as he chokes on his own air. He coughs violently, spewing more saliva, this time mixed with blood, dripping to the floor. "I'll ask again. Where is Parker?"


"I don't know!" She screams in desperation.

"Tell me now!" Kaine yells in rage as he continously hits Flash, landing blow after blow on the defenseless teen's body. "Where is he?"

"I don't know!"

"Where!?" He yells, his fist slamming into Flash's ribcage.

"I don't know!"

"WHERE!?"

"Stop this please!"

"That's not an answer!" Kaine kicks Flash in the side, knocking him back and forth on the line. "Where is Peter Parker?!"

"Stop this, please! I don't know!"

"Where?" Kaine yells, punching the teen again and again.

"I don't know! I DON'T!"

"Where?!"

"Stop!"

Kaine storms over to Liz and grabs her by her throat, lifting her off the floor. He growls viciously as the suit begins to distort; his rage consuming him once more. As he holds her high in the air, Flash chokes and coughs, his body beaten badly as he desperately gasps for air.

"Where is PARKER?"

"I...don't...know..." She struggles to say, Kaine's grip tightening.

"Tell me!" He roars, striking Liz with a strong hit across her face. "Where is your friend?"

"I...don't know!" She cries out, tears running down her face like rivers. Kaine raises his hand to strike her once more, holding it back preparing to hit her once more. Suddenly, the door to the gym opens with a loud noise. Kaine stops his attack, and stares at the door, looking to see the identity of the intruder. To his surprise, he sees a figure he recognizes, someone he knows very well.

As Kaine stares at the figure in the doorway, his rage suddenly decreases. He begins to laugh as he lowers Liz a little toward the floor. His grip on her throat lessens and she takes a deep gasp for air.

"Hey there, arms." Kaine says in a cocky tone. "What a surprise..." http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

I glare at Kaine as I walk through the doors. I hear a few gasps and a couple "I thought he was dead?" remarks but I ignore them. I recognize the the black suit and spider symbol immidiatly.

Great not only am I confronting the only clone I havent seen sense the big blowout at that old Oscorp lab but he also has either Eddie's suit of another "suit"!

"Kaine im only gonna tell you once...let...her....go."

Even with the mask I cane see my brother sneering.

"Now come on Arms."

"I said let her GO!"

I bring my arms forward and fire weblines from each. The webs pushes Kaine backwards causing him to let go of Liz while also encasing him in a webcocoon.

"Alright everyone calmly and quickly move to the exit behind me!"

I head over to Liz whos slowly getting up.

"Liz are you alright."

"I don't know, I feel dizzy."

She stumbles slightly and falls against me.

"Liz!"

I look back and see Kong pushing through the crowd to get to me.

"Here get her out of here."

I gently pass her to Kong.

"What about Flash?"

"I'll get him, just get out of here!"

I turn and see that the webbing keep Kaine in place is starting to give in places. I reach up and wrap acouple arms around the webbing holding Flash.

"Hey....I thought you were dead..."

I let out a small laugh as I tear the web line holding him to the rafters.

"Yeah I get that alot."

I fling the still tied up Flash over my shoulder and bring him outside.

"Oh god Flash!"

I head over to where Kong and Liz is standing and lay Flash down besides them.

"Anybody who has a cell call the cops and have them get and ambulance out here! And no matter what you hear nobody ****ing comes back into the gym!"

As I turn and head back into the gym I hear Kong's voice.

"Yeah kick that creep's ass Tarantula!"

"Kong? How did he know our names?"

[Gallagher]

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj165/edlewis6571/Iron%20Man%20RPG%20Images/42223681.jpg
Ultimate Iron Man

Azrael was slashing at Iron Man with his claws, tearing through layer after layer of the modern-day suit of armor as if it was tin foil.

Two voices rang clear in the comm unit in Stark's helmet, first Quicksilver, then Cyclops of the world-famous X-Men.

The transmission was distorted to say the least, but Iron Man's on board computer could handle it.

"This is Qu-BZZT-ilver and Sc-BZZT-t Witch, whatzzz the zzzzituation Stark?-BZZT-"

Before he could formulate a response, Iron Man was being hurtled through the air, and slammed through the middle of a level of an office building.

"Christ, he packs a punch."

The being was standing in the street, waiting for Iron Man to emerge from the building once more.

"Jarvis, damage report."

"The main Striker Core System has sustained notable damage. Power lines are being rerouted to compensate."

"Time until the reroute is complete?"

"Roughly two and one half minutes."

"Are the jets still operational?"

"Affirmative."

"Tony!"

Jim Rhodes was back up and running.

"Rhodey! What happened?"

"My suit slammed into an electrical cable. Had to reboot, nearly fried the system."

"Jarvis, what's the status of Rhodes' suit?"

"The War Machine Mark I armor is fully operational."

Iron Man balled his hands into fists and pushed himself to his feet. Exposed wires on his suit buzzed and hissed.

"Weapons?"

"The core repulsors mounted in your palms have sustained critical damage."

"Can we switch to secondary systems?"

"Affirmative."

"Do it."

Iron Man's forearms shook and rattled as his repulsors were transformed from the inside out into plasma firing gauntlets.

"Plasma systems engaged. Overheating fail safes in place."

"Overheating?"

"On the energy scale, plasma is one step above lightning in terms of heat and power. Unfortunately, I'll only be able to get off six, maybe seven shots, before my energy is depleted."

"Sir, it is also important to note that the ammunition in your forearm-mounted machine guns has been reduced by 23%."

"Shut up, Jarvis."

"Power reroute nearing 50% completion." Jarvis said.

From out of the blue, the AI robot spoke again.

"Incoming transmission from channel designated X-MEN Alpha."

"Cyclops? Patch him through."

"Iron Man, this is Cyclops of the X-Men. What's the situation, and where the hell are you?!"

Azrael had been stepping closer and closer to Iron Man as the seconds ticked by.

Their eyes met, and the pair stood glaring at each other for a moment, before Iron Man hurled himself upwards, demolishing the ceiling of the ground floor of the building he had landed in. He crashed through floor after floor, destroying the center of the building's foundation.

"Cyclops, this is Iron Man. I'm currently at 93rd Street and Lexington Avenue. I'm being pursued by a being known as Azrael. Research indicates that he's, basically, a creature genetically designed to hunt down superhumans and destroy them."

Iron Man tore through the rooftop and blazed up the city street.

"Incoming energy projectile." said Jarvis.

Iron Man glanced over his shoulder to see a massive ball of energy hurtling his way from Azrael's fist. The two were soaring between buildings in the Big Apple.

Narrowly dodging the blast, Iron Man watched in shock as it collided with a building, shattering every pane of glass in the place, and demolishing the support columns within the building's interior.

Within seconds, the building had imploded, leaving a cloud of dust for Iron Man to fly through.

"I dunno if your people got any letters from the mercenary Deadpool, Cyclops, but we did and they warned that Azrael has unspeakable power. If you do come, be advised that Azrael is incredibly dangerous and can take out a building with a single discharge of pure energy. Iron Man out."

He abruptly cut the line and began speaking with Quicksilver.

"Did you get all that, Quicksilver?" he asked, dodging energy shot after energy shot.

"Yeah."

His response was simple enough for Iron Man to cut the line at that, and begin speaking with Jarvis once more.

"Jarvis, what's the status on my power reroute, dammit?" Iron Man was growing increasingly frustrated with the situation at hand. All he had done to prepare for this thing was install an AI chip in his suit's helmet and outfit some more weaponry. He hadn't thought of the human component, evacuation, even after the events of a month prior.

"Power reroute is at 93% completion."

Activating his transmitter again, Iron Man directed his next words to Jim Rhodes.

"Alright, Rhodey... whenever you feel like giving me a miracle..."

For the first time in his tenure as Iron Man, Antonio Stark was actually sweating.

"A brain tumor actually sounds pretty nice right about now." He thought.

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l144/Gray_Fox_Lives/RPG%20stuff/warmachine.jpg

"Ask and you shall receive!" The young airman growled ramming into the being in pursuit of the armored Avenger. The assailant turned to face Rhodes his claws flailing in all directions, its eyes squarely transfixed on its new victim.

"You think those piece of **** claws can get to me in here?"

Rhodes accelerated, the engines in his boots roaring as the two men picked up speed.

The being once known as Deadpool growled and hissed. "You test my patience."

"I'm just... getting started." Pushing with all the armor's might, War Machine grabbed this 'Azrael' by the arm and flung him downwards rocketed toward the pavement. Not missing a beat, he followed through with a vertical dive, amping up the speed, catching the being in mid-air and slamming him into the ground. The impact cracked the pavement for miles around, leaving the two men in a crater.

Rhodes hovered in the air, hanging over the downed Azrael.

"Aww, come on man, you start a fight with the Iron Man and you get too much War Machine that you can handle huh?" Jim quipped, aiming a wrist rocket directly at the being's heart. Without warning Azrael lurched forward thrusting his fist toward his attacker, a ball of pulsating energy charging toward the relentless War Machine.

"Oh ****..."

[Saved]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

I glare at Kaine as I walk through the doors. I hear a few gasps and a couple "I thought he was dead?" remarks but I ignore them. I recognize the the black suit and spider symbol immidiatly.

Great not only am I confronting the only clone I havent seen sense the big blowout at that old Oscorp lab but he also has either Eddie's suit of another "suit"!

"Kaine im only gonna tell you once...let...her....go."

Even with the mask I cane see my brother sneering.

"Now come on Arms."

"I said let her GO!"

I bring my arms forward and fire weblines from each. The webs pushes Kaine backwards causing him to let go of Liz while also encasing him in a webcocoon.

"Alright everyone calmly and quickly move to the exit behind me!"

I head over to Liz whos slowly getting up.

"Liz are you alright."

"I don't know, I feel dizzy."

She stumbles slightly and falls against me.

"Liz!"

I look back and see Kong pushing through the crowd to get to me.

"Here get her out of here."

I gently pass her to Kong.

"What about Flash?"

"I'll get him, just get out of here!"

I turn and see that the webbing keep Kaine in place is starting to give in places. I reach up and wrap acouple arms around the webbing holding Flash.

"Hey....I thought you were dead..."

I let out a small laugh as I tear the web line holding him to the rafters.

"Yeah I get that alot."

I fling the still tied up Flash over my shoulder and bring him outside.

"Oh god Flash!"

I head over to where Kong and Liz is standing and lay Flash down besides them.

"Anybody who has a cell call the cops and have them get and ambulance out here! And no matter what you hear nobody ****ing comes back into the gym!"

As I turn and head back into the gym I hear Kong's voice.

"Yeah kick that creep's ass Tarantula!"

"Kong? How did he know our names?"
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x90/Edge_027/RPG%20banners/UltimateKainebanner2.jpg

Contagion, The Curse Continues Part V

Queens, Midtown High School

As the students walk down the bleachers and begin exsiting the gym, Kaine suddenly bursts into laughter. The crowd of students stops and look back, staring at the black suited killer maniacally laughing.

"What's so funny, Kaine?" Anton asks as Kong and Liz exit through the doors.

"You, brother. I mean, you must not know me very well." Kaine suddenly throws out his arm. A long tendril fires from his forearm and grips tightly onto a student, wrapping around her body. "Nobody leaves."

Kaine pulls the girl closer to him as he pulls back on the tentacle. He holds her close to his body, an evil smile on his face as he stares at Anton.

"I heard you were dead, bro." Kaine says with animosity. "I would've come to the funeral, but you know, I had better things to do."
Anton walks toward Kaine through the crowd, pushing on students as he approaches his fellow clone. Kaine holds the girl up in the air. He squeezes the tendril tightly on her, choking her, cutting off her air. She gasps for air, desperately trying to scream but to no avail. Kaine only laughs as he stares at Anton, flaunting his hostage.

"I came here for revenge, Anton. Do you really think I care about high school kids? Do you think I'd be here if I didn't have a reason!" Kaine squeezes tighter on the girl, his teeth clenching beneath the suit as it tugs at his skin. "I'm not leaving without Parker...and if you try to stop me...neither will she."

[Venom160]

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x90/Edge_027/RPG%20banners/UltimateKainebanner2.jpg

Contagion, The Curse Continues Part V

Queens, Midtown High School

As the students walk down the bleachers and begin exsiting the gym, Kaine suddenly bursts into laughter. The crowd of students stops and look back, staring at the black suited killer maniacally laughing.

"What's so funny, Kaine?" Anton asks as Kong and Liz exit through the doors.

"You, brother. I mean, you must not know me very well." Kaine suddenly throws out his arm. A long tendril fires from his forearm and grips tightly onto a student, wrapping around her body. "Nobody leaves."

Kaine pulls the girl closer to him as he pulls back on the tentacle. He holds her close to his body, an evil smile on his face as he stares at Anton.

"I heard you were dead, bro." Kaine says with animosity. "I would've come to the funeral, but you know, I had better things to do."
Anton walks toward Kaine through the crowd, pushing on students as he approaches his fellow clone. Kaine holds the girl up in the air. He squeezes the tendril tightly on her, choking her, cutting off her air. She gasps for air, desperately trying to scream but to no avail. Kaine only laughs as he stares at Anton, flaunting his hostage.

"I came here for revenge, Anton. Do you really think I care about high school kids? Do you think I'd be here if I didn't have a reason!" Kaine squeezes tighter on the girl, his teeth clenching beneath the suit as it tugs at his skin. "I'm not leaving without Parker...and if you try to stop me...neither will she." http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

I tense up as Kaine holds the hostage infront of him.

"Oh **** Kaine use your damn head! You had the whole school in here! Did you see Parker here! Besides im if he was you would've known. I mean come on Miles was inept but not enough to let one of his children go without a brain."

[Eddie Brock]

[/LEFT]

(OOC: Takes place before Kaine's attack, BTW.:up:)

Y'know, I like the guy, but Johnny can be so conceited sometimes, but I guess that's one of his more charming qualities...

"Johnny, honey? Could you do me a favor and meet me by the Midtown football field? I've got a surprise for you..."
Yeah...I have a little one for you, too...

Nevermind that, right now. We'll get there. Scratching the back of my head, I repeat, "Midtown?"

I try my best to think what Kitty could be doing over there - except, maybe, looking for him. Even if she was, I'm not sure she'd make such a show out of it. After all, it's not like she's unfamous. People will recognize her if they see her. So why has she ventured out into public like this? I'm not big on surprises - unless they're the kind of surprises that I leave in Ben's bedroom.

A smirk comes to my face as I relive some good pranks I've pulled. Pushing that aside, I refocus on the task at hand. "What the Hell are you doing over there?" I ask.

[Matt Murdock]

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l144/Gray_Fox_Lives/RPG%20stuff/warmachine.jpg

"Ask and you shall receive!" The young airman growled ramming into the being in pursuit of the armored Avenger. The assailant turned to face Rhodes his claws flailing in all directions, its eyes squarely transfixed on its new victim.

"You think those piece of **** claws can get to me in here?"

Rhodes accelerated, the engines in his boots roaring as the two men picked up speed.

The being once known as Deadpool growled and hissed. "You test my patience."

"I'm just... getting started." Pushing with all the armor's might, War Machine grabbed this 'Azrael' by the arm and flung him downwards rocketed toward the pavement. Not missing a beat, he followed through with a vertical dive, amping up the speed, catching the being in mid-air and slamming him into the ground. The impact cracked the pavement for miles around, leaving the two men in a crater.

Rhodes hovered in the air, hanging over the downed Azrael.

"Aww, come on man, you start a fight with the Iron Man and you get too much War Machine that you can handle huh?" Jim quipped, aiming a wrist rocket directly at the being's heart. Without warning Azrael lurched forward thrusting his fist toward his attacker, a ball of pulsating energy charging toward the relentless War Machine.

"Oh ****..."
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj165/edlewis6571/Iron%20Man%20RPG%20Images/42223681.jpg
Ultimate Iron Man

Tony Stark's helmet was dark, and the eyepieces on the exterior of his helmet had stopped glowing.

"System reboot initiated."

Without the power from his suit's core system's the armor was literally sitting in an anchor.

Within a few seconds, his HUD blurred to life, and his comm system was back online.

"Status report, Jarvis."

"Core systems at 73.5% structural integrity. Main thrusters offline. Power reroute to life support engaged. Oxygen feed tubes have suffered minor damage. Repair nanites activated."
A large chunk of concrete was on top of Iron Man's back, pinning him down.

"Structural integrity is at 61%. Interior armor exposed at junctions 3, 7, 10, and 23. Internal power regulators nominally damaged. Electrical currents disrupted at left shoulder armor and ribcage defenses."

Iron Man's eyes were glowing and he glanced at his arm and ribs. Sparks were flying from both areas, disrupting his power regulation.

"How much more of a beating can the suit take, Jarvis?"

"Main systems can endure two more energy blasts, twelve direct punches, twenty glancing punches, and fifty concrete impacts at high velocity."

"Where are we at with weapons?"

"Plasma conduits are functioning normally, sir. Machine gun ammunition remains at approximately 72%"

Iron Man felt the concrete pressing down on him. Pressing with all of his might with his right arm, the armored warrior was able to roll beneath the concrete, lodging himself beneath it face-up.

"Are communications channels operational?"

"Affirmative."

"Patch me through to Iron Man HQ."

"Communications channel opened."

Like waves on a shore, the voice of Pepper Potts washed over Tony Stark. The reception was crackly at first, but, soon, it cleared up.

"Tony? Tony are you alright? Can you hear me?"

She seemed to be in a panic about something or another.

"Yes, Pepper. I can hear you, and I'm alright."

"Thank God. We thought we'd lost you over here."
"Why? It's just another incredibly powerful bad guy that I'm going to have to take down a couple of pegs."

Before she could reply, Jarvis spoke up.
"Sir, it appears that Jim Rhodes has appeared in the War Machine armor and is about to take a direct hit of energy from the being attacking the city."

"Sorry, Pep." Iron Man growled, gripping the chunk of street in front of him. "Gotta go save my amputee buddy."

Thrusting his arms upward, Iron Man launched the chunk of debris into the path of the energy burst.

The two collide and create a shockwave of sorts, knocking everyone involved to the ground. Iron Man stands between War Machine and Azrael, ready to take the next blow.

"Whenever you're ready, Jarvis, I could really use my thrusters right about now."

"Repairs underway."

"Time until completion?"

"Two minutes and twelve seconds."
"Alright, then... looks like we need some time. Patch me through the the communicators of all of the Ultimates."

A few beeps indicated that the channel had been opened.
"Done."

"Ultimates..." Iron Man said loudly into his mouthpiece. "Unify!"

[Saved]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

I tense up as Kaine holds the hostage infront of him.

"Oh **** Kaine use your damn head! You had the whole school in here! Did you see Parker here! Besides im if he was you would've known. I mean come on Miles was inept but not enough to let one of his children go without a brain."Contagion, The curse continues Part VI

"Ah. Ah. Ah." Kaine smirks, pointing to the hostage above him. "Loose lips sink ships, brother. And we wouldn't want to kill her just because you weren't discrete." Kaine brings the student closer to his head, putting her in front of his face. He stares into her eyes, looking at her without the slightest bit of remorse. "There are so many other good reasons to kill her." He chuckles.


"But you bring up a good point. So, where is Parker? I'll spare her, I'll spare you, and I'll spare the whole school if you tell me where he is."

[Venom160]

Contagion, The curse continues Part VI

"Ah. Ah. Ah." Kaine smirks, pointing to the hostage above him. "Loose lips sink ships, brother. And we wouldn't want to kill her just because you weren't discrete." Kaine brings the student closer to his head, putting her in front of his face. He stares into her eyes, looking at her without the slightest bit of remorse. "There are so many other good reasons to kill her." He chuckles.


"But you bring up a good point. So, where is Parker? I'll spare her, I'll spare you, and I'll spare the whole school if you tell me where he is."
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

Dammit this is exactly what I didnt want to happen.....

"Get the suit out your ears Kaine, I don't know where Parker is."

I look over my shoulder and see the last of the students leave the gym.

Good now if I can only save the life of Kaine's hostage.

[Saved]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

Dammit this is exactly what I didnt want to happen.....

"Get the suit out your ears Kaine, I don't know where Parker is."

I look over my shoulder and see the last of the students leave the gym.

Good now if I can only save the life of Kaine's hostage.Contagion, The curse continues Part VII

"Watching to see if it's safe to attack me, aren't you?" Kaine says in a slick tone. "Oh, arms...you gotta understand something..." Kaine forms a tendril on his arm, having the suit extend into a thick whip. He pulls back his other arm, still holding the young teen in his grip. "With me...it's never safe!"

In one swift motion, Kaine thrashes his tentacle toward Anton. Like a whip, the tendril strikes Tarantula, knocking him back and onto the floor. As Anton falls, Kaine throws the girl into the air, releasing his hold on her as he tosses her high.

"Come on, brother. Let's see if you can still play the hero!" Kaine lunges toward Anton, the suit screaming in a loud shriek as tendrils whip up from its surface.

[Venom160]

Contagion, The curse continues Part VII

"Watching to see if it's safe to attack me, aren't you?" Kaine says in a slick tone. "Oh, arms...you gotta understand something..." Kaine forms a tendril on his arm, having the suit extend into a thick whip. He pulls back his other arm, still holding the young teen in his grip. "With me...it's never safe!"

In one swift motion, Kaine thrashes his tentacle toward Anton. Like a whip, the tendril strikes Tarantula, knocking him back and onto the floor. As Anton falls, Kaine throws the girl into the air, releasing his hold on her as he tosses her high.

"Come on, brother. Let's see if you can still play the hero!" Kaine lunges toward Anton, the suit screaming in a loud shriek as tendrils whip up from its surface.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

Moving in one swift motion Anton brings his legs up and lands a solid kick right to Kaine jaw. Anton uses the momentum and pushes off the ground into the air.

Please let this work.....

Anton fires a webline and snags the uncouncious girl and pulls her towards him. He wraps a couple arms around her and swings toward the exit. Anton flies through the door and into the air landing gently infront of the terrified students.

"Dude did you get him?"

I look over and see Kong nearby. I run over to him and pass the girl to him.

"Take her...."

I runback into the gym and web the door shut behind me.

"It's you and me now brother."

[SenseiofCheese]

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/440px-Ultimate_cap_hed.jpg



"Ultimates..." Iron Man said loudly into his mouthpiece. "Unify!"

And like that, the police car Rogers had been surfing on through the crowded streets of New York City came to a screeching halt. The rear of the vehicle rushed forward to meet the bumper, as the smell of slightly burnt rubber filled the Captain's nostrils, smoke was kicked into the air, and the car nearly flipped over. Wasting no time, Captain America released his grip on the now loosely bolted sirens as he was catapulted into the air.

Wind slammed against his face and he reached with both hands, loosening the leather straps that held his shield to his back. Tucking his head to his chest and flipping his whole body through the air, Rogers managed to survey the immediate are before his feet even touched the ground. On one side stood Tony Stark, enveloped in his Iron Man suit. Small sparks flew off certain parts of the armor, as Stark stood his ground. Behind Iron Man was another armored avenger, one that looked more like a tank than a superhero. James Rhodes. Stark had spoken highly of him, and that was enough for Rogers.
But it was the third being that Captain America brought his full attention to. It's form was almost completely cloaked, the two things Rogers immediately saw was that it had two massive wings that looked to be made from some sort of metal, and large silvered claws.

"You!" Captain America roared as his shield whizzed through the air in a circle, going around both Iron Man and War Machine before slamming into the monster's leg. "Get the hell out of my country."

[Venom160]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/Treyzee/CykeBanner-1.jpg

“I’m serious. We could use the help. Ignore my brother.”

Scott shook his head.

"That won't be a problem."

Iron Man's response was most definitely urgent. They needed to get there as quick as possible--and Scott was not going to let Pietro give him a piggy back ride, by all means. The crowd of reporters was even starting to disband, finally. There was a bigger story. A much bigger story. Sirens echoed throughout the streets, and Scott could almost hear the fight in the distance. Lexington Avenue wasn't far from here.

"You guys do what you need to do to get there...and fast."

With that said, he busted into an all out sprint down the street. It almost slipped his mind that he held a spare official uniform in a satchel on the back, just for cases like this, along with an extra visor. Reaching the Harley Davidson in the nearby parking garage, he quickly changed into his uniform. There were too many useful utilities on his suit to just go dressed as an average joe--not to mention the fact that the material had a considerable amount of damage resistance.

Mounting his motorcycle, he turned the ignition and darted out into the street, the back tire screeching and burning rubber as he accelerated further. Pulling his glove up to his lips, he spoke into the communicator.

"Cyclops to Iron Man--I'm on my way. Hang in there buddy."

He sped through the streets with the utmost grace, weaving in and out of traffic at a high speed. http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/quicksilverkh6.jpg

I watch as Summers drives off and Wanda climbs onto a Harley and starts to hotwire it.

This ****er better stay outta my way or else he'll be the unfortunate victim of friendly fire....

The world slows to a crawl around me as I speed off heading to Stark's location.

"Ultimates unify!!!!!!"

I appear nearby with a smirk on my face.

"Unify? You couldnt come up with something else? Report, gather, assemble, something."

[Saved]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

Moving in one swift motion Anton brings his legs up and lands a solid kick right to Kaine jaw. Anton uses the momentum and pushes off the ground into the air.

Please let this work.....

Anton fires a webline and snags the uncouncious girl and pulls her towards him. He wraps a couple arms around her and swings toward the exit. Anton flies through the door and into the air landing gently infront of the terrified students.

"Dude did you get him?"

I look over and see Kong nearby. I run over to him and pass the girl to him.

"Take her...."

I runback into the gym and web the door shut behind me.

"It's you and me now brother."Contagion, The curse continues Part VIII

Kaine slowly gets up from the ground, recovering from the blow inflicted by Anton. Without flinching or showing any signs of injury, he rises to his feet, his laugh slowly growing and getting louder.

"You don't really think that happened by chance, did you?" Kaine asks in a cocky voice. "I knew you'd save her and rush out of here in a hurry. Gave me enough time to do this."

Kaine jerks his head upward to the ceiling, pointing with his gesture. Anton raises his head, looking for something odd or peculiar. Kaine smiles evily as he jumps into the air, thrusting his feet out in front of him. With a powerful kick, Kaine strikes Anton dead in the face. Anton flies backward, crashing into the wooden and metal bleachers. Kaine flips in the air and lands gracefully on the smooth floor.

"I can not believe you fell for that." Kaine snickers. "Then again, you always were slow. You were the only one of us to die, after all."

[Venom160]

Contagion, The curse continues Part VIII

Kaine slowly gets up from the ground, recovering from the blow inflicted by Anton. Without flinching or showing any signs of injury, he rises to his feet, his laugh slowly growing and getting louder.

"You don't really think that happened by chance, did you?" Kaine asks in a cocky voice. "I knew you'd save her and rush out of here in a hurry. Gave me enough time to do this."

Kaine jerks his head upward to the ceiling, pointing with his gesture. Anton raises his head, looking for something odd or peculiar. Kaine smiles evily as he jumps into the air, thrusting his feet out in front of him. With a powerful kick, Kaine strikes Anton dead in the face. Anton flies backward, crashing into the wooden and metal bleachers. Kaine flips in the air and lands gracefully on the smooth floor.

"I can not believe you fell for that." Kaine snickers. "Then again, you always were slow. You were the only one of us to die, after all."http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

"True....."

I pull myself out of the broken wood and bent steel bleachers and glare at Kaine.

"But I came back!"

I fire a webline and hit Kaine in the chest.

"Get over here!"

I pull the web and yank Kaine right in a three armed punch hitting his nose, chest, and stomach.

[Saved]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

"True....."

I pull myself out of the broken wood and bent steel bleachers and glare at Kaine.

"But I came back!"

I fire a webline and hit Kaine in the chest.

"Get over here!"

I pull the web and yank Kaine right in a three armed punch hitting his nose, chest, and stomach.
Contagion, The curse continues Part IX

Kaine moves back as he feels the punches hit his body. He feels the pain in his skin, the blow of the hit going deeper into his body like a ripple. He stumbles backward as he tries to catch his balance. Suddenly, the pain in hos body dissapears. He feels his strength return, and his body recover to its perfect state.

"I love this thing." Kaine says with care as he stares at the black liquid-like suit covering his body. "I'm curious, arms." Kaine says as he balls his hands to fists, slowly walking back toward Anton. "Who killed you?"

[Venom160]

Contagion, The curse continues Part IX

Kaine moves back as he feels the punches hit his body. He feels the pain in his skin, the blow of the hit going deeper into his body like a ripple. He stumbles backward as he tries to catch his balance. Suddenly, the pain in hos body dissapears. He feels his strength return, and his body recover to its perfect state.

"I love this thing." Kaine says with care as he stares at the black liquid-like suit covering his body. "I'm curious, arms." Kaine says as he balls his hands to fists, slowly walking back toward Anton. "Who killed you?"http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

I watch as Kaine stumbles back.

I actually hurt him this time...

Kaine suddenly straightens up and acts fine.

****

"I'm curious, arms."

I take several steps back as Kaine advances.

"Who killed you?"

"Well scabby thats none of your damn business."

[Saved]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

I watch as Kaine stumbles back.

I actually hurt him this time...

Kaine suddenly straightens up and acts fine.

****

"I'm curious, arms."

I take several steps back as Kaine advances.

"Who killed you?"

"Well scabby thats none of your damn business."
Contagion, The curse continues Part X

"Aw, come on now. We're family." Kaine jumps in the air. He throws his arms out in front of him, holding them straight and pointed toward Anton. In a sudden movement, three tendrils fire from each of his arm. "Families don't keep secrets!" The tendrils hit Anton hard, striking him in various places on his body. The tendrils force him through the floor, sending his body through the smooth wooden board and into the concrete slab below.

Kaine retracts the tendrils and continues his jump, ending it with a tactful flip, and landing carefully on the floor. He stares at Anton in the floor, his body slightly stunned.

"Pathetic, brother. I expected some kind of challenge." Kaine fires a tendril and moves toward the door. Landing in front of the exit, he stops, staring at Anton's large web next blocking his exit. "Cute." Kaine says, raising his arm. He swipes his arm downward, cutting through the webbing and ripping it in two. He brushes off his arm and scoffs as he leaves the gym.

Soon, Kaine walks outside into the bright sunny day, exiting the school through one of the fire doors. Outside, he sees the students and staff, standing by the road, waiting safely. Or so they had thought.

"Kong..." Flash says as he sits on the ground in pain. "I think he's back..."

"Oh ****..."

"Well good afternoon, boys and girls." Kaine yells with a smirk. "Miss me?"

[Blacklight]

Yeah...I have a little one for you, too...

Nevermind that, right now. We'll get there. Scratching the back of my head, I repeat, "Midtown?"

I try my best to think what Kitty could be doing over there - except, maybe, looking for him. Even if she was, I'm not sure she'd make such a show out of it. After all, it's not like she's unfamous. People will recognize her if they see her. So why has she ventured out into public like this? I'm not big on surprises - unless they're the kind of surprises that I leave in Ben's bedroom.

A smirk comes to my face as I relive some good pranks I've pulled. Pushing that aside, I refocus on the task at hand. "What the Hell are you doing over there?" I ask.

"Well...you know how you wanted to organize a meeting for our new team so me and Bobby could meet your friends and we can look for Pet...uh, I mean Spider-Man? Well.....I kinda took the liberty of caling them and having them meet me here at the football field and I kinda lied to them and told them you'd be here with me, but I didn't get the chance to tell you before they came because you didn't answer your phone...but now you answered so I thought you'd be happy that we finally get to have a chance to talk about the attack with Kate and Ted and find some leads and do something instead of doing nothing...So...what do you think?" I said sheepishly.

Man that was a mouthful...

[Venom160]

Contagion, The curse continues Part X

"Aw, come on now. We're family." Kaine jumps in the air. He throws his arms out in front of him, holding them straight and pointed toward Anton. In a sudden movement, three tendrils fire from each of his arm. "Families don't keep secrets!" The tendrils hit Anton hard, striking him in various places on his body. The tendrils force him through the floor, sending his body through the smooth wooden board and into the concrete slab below.

Kaine retracts the tendrils and continues his jump, ending it with a tactful flip, and landing carefully on the floor. He stares at Anton in the floor, his body slightly stunned.

"Pathetic, brother. I expected some kind of challenge." Kaine fires a tendril and moves toward the door. Landing in front of the exit, he stops, staring at Anton's large web next blocking his exit. "Cute." Kaine says, raising his arm. He swipes his arm downward, cutting through the webbing and ripping it in two. He brushes off his arm and scoffs as he leaves the gym.

Soon, Kaine walks outside into the bright sunny day, exiting the school through one of the fire doors. Outside, he sees the students and staff, standing by the road, waiting safely. Or so they had thought.

"Kong..." Flash says as he sits on the ground in pain. "I think he's back..."

"Oh ****..."

"Well good afternoon, boys and girls." Kaine yells with a smirk. "Miss me?"http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

"Ah Aunty Em I had the weirdest dream......"

I slowly get to my feet, my body feels like its been hit by a bus.

"......oh I forgot I live it."

Screams coming from outside snaps me out of my unfunny banter.

The students, oh god!

I bolt for the door not breaking stride as I head straight for Kaine.

"Well good afternoon, boys and girls. Miss me?"

"Like a kick in the face scabby, speaking of which!"

I fire a webline and come in swinging, literally. I hit Kaine head on wrapping three arms around him while firing another webline. I can't help but smile as the crowd of students and teaching staff cheers. I come to the top of the swing arc while I try and fight to contain Kaine.

"Man I hope this works cause if not than this is really gonna hurt us both. Ya know instead of just hurting you."

I let go of the webline over a small two story convenience store and use all six arms to bring Kaine into position.

"Banzai!!!!!!"

I land a perfect power bomb onto the roof sending Kaine's head smashing into the roof. I stumble away from Kaine's still form.

"Now who said watching wrestling was a waste of time?"

[Eddie Brock]

"Well...you know how you wanted to organize a meeting for our new team so me and Bobby could meet your friends and we can look for Pet...uh, I mean Spider-Man? Well.....I kinda took the liberty of caling them and having them meet me here at the football field and I kinda lied to them and told them you'd be here with me, but I didn't get the chance to tell you before they came because you didn't answer your phone...but now you answered so I thought you'd be happy that we finally get to have a chance to talk about the attack with Kate and Ted and find some leads and do something instead of doing nothing...So...what do you think?" I said sheepishly.

Man that was a mouthful...
It's times like these where I truly appreciate the meaning of "facepalm."

"Let me get this straight," I begin hesitantly, "You assembled a group of TEENAGE SUPERHEROES to meet IN PUBLIC outside a FRIGGIN' HIGH SCHOOL?"

I shake my head disbelievingly. No one - not even myself - could be that poor of a planner.

"Expertly done, Kitty!" I snap condescendingly. "I can understand your dilemma. I mean, it's not like any of us have a supercool, SECRET meeting place."

Even though she can't see me, I still make a sardonic shocked face.

"Oh...wait a minute...oh, that's right! I HAVE FRIGGIN' SHIELD CONTACTS WHO CAN PROVIDE US WITH ANY COOL GOVERNMENT PLACE WE WANT!"

I sneer and add, "If you want to try and lead this team behind my back, that's your prerogative. But at least do it right."

[Saved]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

"Ah Aunty Em I had the weirdest dream......"

I slowly get to my feet, my body feels like its been hit by a bus.

"......oh I forgot I live it."

Screams coming from outside snaps me out of my unfunny banter.

The students, oh god!

I bolt for the door not breaking stride as I head straight for Kaine.

"Well good afternoon, boys and girls. Miss me?"

"Like a kick in the face scabby, speaking of which!"

I fire a webline and come in swinging, literally. I hit Kaine head on wrapping three arms around him while firing another webline. I can't help but smile as the crowd of students and teaching staff cheers. I come to the top of the swing arc while I try and fight to contain Kaine.

"Man I hope this works cause if not than this is really gonna hurt us both. Ya know instead of just hurting you."

I let go of the webline over a small two story convenience store and use all six arms to bring Kaine into position.

"Banzai!!!!!!"

I land a perfect power bomb onto the roof sending Kaine's head smashing into the roof. I stumble away from Kaine's still form.

"Now who said watching wrestling was a waste of time?"
Contagion, The curse continues Part XI

Anton stays on top of the roof, staring at the large hole in it's roof. Below the surface, Kaine lies on the floor inside. Covered in rubble and debris, the people in the room stare at him in shock.

"Oh my God!" One of them exclaims running over to Kaine.

"Is he...dead?" One asks.

"No," the one responds, putting her hand to his neck. "But...this is odd...his pulse isn't normal."

"What do you mean?"

"It just keeps...moving..."

"He's probably one of those damn alien vigilante's. Damn 'heroes', causin' more trouble then their worth."

"This guy may need medical attention, Frank. Come on, help me here."

"Alright, fine." The man grumbles.

As the two people begin to pull Kaine from under the large wooden beam, Kaine suddenly awakens. He turns to the woman grabbing his left arm. She notices his head move and smiles.

"You okay?" She asks compasionately.

"Fine..." Kaine says grogily. Suddenly, an evil smile comes across his face and he stares back at the woman. "But you won't be."

***

On the roof, Anton continues to wait for Kaine to emerge, hoping to find his body weakened and beaten. To his surprise, he hears a loud scream come from the hole. Before he can react, two bodies shoot out from the hole, flying high into the air. Following close behind them, Kaine jumps out of the hole, growling and snearing.

"Nice move, brother." He says sarcastically. "Now they will die!" He says with a loud roar, the suit begining to gain control once more. "If you try really hard, you might be able to catch them before they slam into the hard unforgiving asphalt!"

Kaine suddenly whips a tentacle around in the air. The black line grabs onto a piece of broken concrete from the roof, and whips around. Kaine sends the tentacle toward Anton, releasing the concrete piece in a throw. The broken slab of concrete hits Anton in his chest, knocking him off the roof.

Kaine jumps into the air and sends out tendrils from his arms. They latch onto nearby buildings and street lamps, holding securely like ropes. Just as the other clones websling, Kaine moves through the air, back toward the school.

"Good luck, hero!" Kaine mocks.

In only a few minutes, Kaine arrives back at the school. He falls from the sky like a rock, landing with a loud 'thud' in the middle of the crowd of staff and students. Kaine comes to a stand quickly, his body barely needing to recover. The suit fuels his body like a renewable power, keeping him from feeling any injuries or fatigue. Instead, his body only feels stronger, faster, and deadlier.

The people back up slowly, staring at him in shock and fear. Kaine looks out at their faces, laughing to himself at the panic in their eyes. He sees Kong and Liz standing at the back of the crowd, huddled around Flash as he sits, injured, on the ground. Kaine moves toward them, the people parting to form a path for the evil clone.

Kaine soon stops in front of the group, staring at them with an evil look. Kong moves in front of his friends, ready to fight to protect them. Kaine laughs at the teen's courage, mocking him without words.

"I thought you'd have been ground to a pulp by now." Kong says with anger.

"Well, it appears I had different plans. Go figure." Kaine folds his arms over his chest, watching Kong unaffected. "You don't really plan on fighting me, do you?"

"I'll do anything to protect my friends."

"Noble." Kaine says surprised. "But oh so foolish."

In one quick action, Kaine grabs Kong by his shirt. He throws the teen aside like a rag, sending him halfway across the property with ease. He walks closer to the others, staring at Flash on the ground.

"What about you? Plan on stopping me?"

"Come on, man...don't you just die?" Kaine laughs, grabbing Flash by his shoulder. He lifts him off the ground and into the air, an evil grin on his face.

"Not easily, boy." Kaine tosses him aside carelessly, throwing him into the ground. Flash groans in pain, trying to ease his already broken body. Kaine walks right up to Liz, starring down at her with a heinous look. "You still don't know where Parker or his red headed harlet are, do you?" Liz shakes her head back and forth, conveying the answer "no" as she stares at her attacker, paralyzed with fear.

"Unfortunate." Kaine responds blankly. "But there's still use for you yet."

Holding out his arm, Kaine retracts the suit, exposing his skin. He fires a line of web at Liz, entangling her in the sticky solution. Tightly the web binds her, snaring her arms to her torso. Kaine makes the suit form back around his hand, protecting his entire body once more.

"It's funny, Liz." Kaine says, his tone changing. "I never really noticed how hot you were before." Kaine leans closer to the young woman, his voice trailing off in a hiss. "I can't really imagine why...looking at you now..." He says as his voice turns to a laugh. "But there's time for that later...I'll show you the whole city. Just wait."

Kaine snickers as he grabs her by the webbing wrapped around her torso. He grips it tightly, shooting a tendril from his other arm. The thin tentacle latches onto the flag pole, errect high in the air. Kaine jumps in the air and swings on the tentacle, carrying his hostage close behind. He releases his tendril, and pulls it back into his arm. His feet hit the top of the flag pole, and stick securely in place. Kaine holds onto the metal pole easily, the wind blowing strongly in the air. He keeps a tight grip on Liz, dangling her above the crowd below.

"I will find, Peter Parker, my dear." He says to Liz reassuringly. "And, like it or not, you're going to help."

[Blacklight]

It's times like these where I truly appreciate the meaning of "facepalm."

"Let me get this straight," I begin hesitantly, "You assembled a group of TEENAGE SUPERHEROES to meet IN PUBLIC outside a FRIGGIN' HIGH SCHOOL?"

I shake my head disbelievingly. No one - not even myself - could be that poor of a planner.

"Expertly done, Kitty!" I snap condescendingly. "I can understand your dilemma. I mean, it's not like any of us have a supercool, SECRET meeting place."

Even though she can't see me, I still make a sardonic shocked face.

"Oh...wait a minute...oh, that's right! I HAVE FRIGGIN' SHIELD CONTACTS WHO CAN PROVIDE US WITH ANY COOL GOVERNMENT PLACE WE WANT!"

I sneer and add, "If you want to try and lead this team behind my back, that's your prerogative. But at least do it right."

"Hey! Don't get sarcastic with me, Johnny Storm! At least I'm doing something!" I said with my voice slightly raised. Suddenly the thought of phasing my hand through his brain until he straightens out seems like a very good idea. Here I am, trying to do something nice for him, and he flys of the handle...

"I'm not trying to lead behind your back, but at least I'm leading... something I can't say about you... Now how about you get your flaming a** over here before I come over there and drag you here myself! Got it?"

[Eddie Brock]

"Hey! Don't get sarcastic with me, Johnny Storm! At least I'm doing something!" I said with my voice slightly raised. Suddenly the thought of phasing my hand through his brain until he straightens out seems like a very good idea. Here I am, trying to do something nice for him, and he flys of the handle...

"I'm not trying to lead behind your back, but at least I'm leading... something I can't say about you... Now how about you get your flaming a** over here before I come over there and drag you here myself! Got it?"

Sitting down on the only couch in our apartment indifferently, I reach for the remote.

"Actually, I'm going to rent Cloverfield over pay-per-view," I state defiantly, my tone still ringing of aggravation. I flick on the TV, but I don't really care. I'm just doing this to defy Kitty. "When you and your little bunch of misfits finally realizes how EXPOSED and STUPID your meeting place is, you're free to meander over here to my apartment, and we can find a much better place."

I don't feel like listening to her incessant whining any longer, so I slam the phone shut and toss it across the room. As I sit in near silence - with only the sounds of the TV in the background - I start to think. Strangely, I'm not thinking about the fact that I just told off my girlfriend.

No, I'm still thinking about the fact that I used "meander" during an argument.

[Blacklight]

Sitting down on the only couch in our apartment indifferently, I reach for the remote.

"Actually, I'm going to rent Cloverfield over pay-per-view," I state defiantly, my tone still ringing of aggravation. I flick on the TV, but I don't really care. I'm just doing this to defy Kitty. "When you and your little bunch of misfits finally realizes how EXPOSED and STUPID your meeting place is, you're free to meander over here to my apartment, and we can find a much better place."

I don't feel like listening to her incessant whining any longer, so I slam the phone shut and toss it across the room. As I sit in near silence - with only the sounds of the TV in the background - I start to think. Strangely, I'm not thinking about the fact that I just told off my girlfriend.

No, I'm still thinking about the fact that I used "meander" during an argument.

"Why that mother..." I said growling. I take back what I said about his self-absorption being attractive.

"So whas' the deal? What's J up to?"

"He wants us to meet him at his apartment. Might be best if were in civvies. Meet us there?"

He and Kate both nodded. I signaled to Bobby to start making a icetrail so we can start slidin' back to the Mansion. He started to wave goodbye to Ted and Kate as they started off.

"It was ice meeting ya."

"Just shut up and go!"

* * *

An hour later...


After a quick change, all four of us gathered at Johnny's door and I knocked...

[Matt Murdock]

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/ScarletSpider-2.jpg


I run along the rooftops of Midtown, trying to figure my life out.

What have I done to get in such a variety of messes? Carnage, Alloy, S.H.I.E.L.D.?

A payphone jutting out of the street gives me an idea. With an elegant maneuver or two, I'm on top of the steel housing, dialing the direct line to Fury's office.

"This is Fury."
"I'm not coming back."

I consider hanging the phone up with that, but something visceral tells me not to.

And, then, like magic, the esteemed General gives me his reply.

"Kid, I'm going to be perfectly honest with you, here. I've got too many things on my plate to care about what you're going to do or not do. I have a being of unspeakable power tearing his ass through midtown and a deranged nut killing kids at Midtown High sch--"

Midtown High? MJ!

WHAM!

My webs are in the skies, and me with them, before the phone even hits the switch.

[Matt Murdock]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/quicksilverkh6.jpg

I watch as Summers drives off and Wanda climbs onto a Harley and starts to hotwire it.

This ****er better stay outta my way or else he'll be the unfortunate victim of friendly fire....

The world slows to a crawl around me as I speed off heading to Stark's location.

"Ultimates unify!!!!!!"

I appear nearby with a smirk on my face.

"Unify? You couldnt come up with something else? Report, gather, assemble, something."

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/440px-Ultimate_cap_hed.jpg



"Ultimates..." Iron Man said loudly into his mouthpiece. "Unify!"

And like that, the police car Rogers had been surfing on through the crowded streets of New York City came to a screeching halt. The rear of the vehicle rushed forward to meet the bumper, as the smell of slightly burnt rubber filled the Captain's nostrils, smoke was kicked into the air, and the car nearly flipped over. Wasting no time, Captain America released his grip on the now loosely bolted sirens as he was catapulted into the air.

Wind slammed against his face and he reached with both hands, loosening the leather straps that held his shield to his back. Tucking his head to his chest and flipping his whole body through the air, Rogers managed to survey the immediate are before his feet even touched the ground. On one side stood Tony Stark, enveloped in his Iron Man suit. Small sparks flew off certain parts of the armor, as Stark stood his ground. Behind Iron Man was another armored avenger, one that looked more like a tank than a superhero. James Rhodes. Stark had spoken highly of him, and that was enough for Rogers.
But it was the third being that Captain America brought his full attention to. It's form was almost completely cloaked, the two things Rogers immediately saw was that it had two massive wings that looked to be made from some sort of metal, and large silvered claws.

"You!" Captain America roared as his shield whizzed through the air in a circle, going around both Iron Man and War Machine before slamming into the monster's leg. "Get the hell out of my country."




http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj165/edlewis6571/Iron%20Man%20RPG%20Images/42223681.jpg
Ultimate Iron Man

Captain America's shield slammed into Azrael's knee and did little more than knocking the creature off balance.

"Take a seat!" Iron Man said, aiming his open palm at Azrael.

A stream of super-heated ionic plasma streamed forward and struck the being in the chest.

He simply took two steps backwards as the blast struck his chest.

"Sir, it seems that the attack was ineffective."

"Watch this."

Iron Man fired three more shots successively into the creature's chest, knocking it off of its feet.

Glancing into the distance, Iron Man saw a series of helicopters flying to the scene, and a woman's voice rang through his head.

"Dis is Natasha." He Russian accent was heavy, thick, and sexy. "Black Widow inbound."

The helicopters pulled up to reveal a large Pelican, a military vehicle transport. It hovered about forty feet off of the ground, kicking up dust and chunks of rubble. The rear door slid open loudly and a few red lights illuminated from within the beast's belly.

An engine within the aircraft roared to life, and the Black Widow surged forward on a motorcycle. Landing hard on the street, the bike bounced up and down a few times before she lurched forward, pulling up just behind Stark, Captain America, and War Machine.

"Nice tits." Stark said, staring at her body in the jumpsuit. From within the helmet, his eyes opened wide.

"Er... entrance."

Bouncing between the buildings and car's Captain America's shield eventually skidded to a halt at Iron Man's feet.

He bent down and gripped the edge of shield. Tossing it through the air, it met with Cap's outstretched hand. Tapping his communicator, Iron Man spoke up.

"So, Quicksilver... I guess you're not as fast as you'd like us to think, are you?"

[Venom160]

Contagion, The curse continues Part XI

Anton stays on top of the roof, staring at the large hole in it's roof. Below the surface, Kaine lies on the floor inside. Covered in rubble and debris, the people in the room stare at him in shock.

"Oh my God!" One of them exclaims running over to Kaine.

"Is he...dead?" One asks.

"No," the one responds, putting her hand to his neck. "But...this is odd...his pulse isn't normal."

"What do you mean?"

"It just keeps...moving..."

"He's probably one of those damn alien vigilante's. Damn 'heroes', causin' more trouble then their worth."

"This guy may need medical attention, Frank. Come on, help me here."

"Alright, fine." The man grumbles.

As the two people begin to pull Kaine from under the large wooden beam, Kaine suddenly awakens. He turns to the woman grabbing his left arm. She notices his head move and smiles.

"You okay?" She asks compasionately.

"Fine..." Kaine says grogily. Suddenly, an evil smile comes across his face and he stares back at the woman. "But you won't be."

***

On the roof, Anton continues to wait for Kaine to emerge, hoping to find his body weakened and beaten. To his surprise, he hears a loud scream come from the hole. Before he can react, two bodies shoot out from the hole, flying high into the air. Following close behind them, Kaine jumps out of the hole, growling and snearing.

"Nice move, brother." He says sarcastically. "Now they will die!" He says with a loud roar, the suit begining to gain control once more. "If you try really hard, you might be able to catch them before they slam into the hard unforgiving asphalt!"

Kaine suddenly whips a tentacle around in the air. The black line grabs onto a piece of broken concrete from the roof, and whips around. Kaine sends the tentacle toward Anton, releasing the concrete piece in a throw. The broken slab of concrete hits Anton in his chest, knocking him off the roof.

Kaine jumps into the air and sends out tendrils from his arms. They latch onto nearby buildings and street lamps, holding securely like ropes. Just as the other clones websling, Kaine moves through the air, back toward the school.

"Good luck, hero!" Kaine mocks.

In only a few minutes, Kaine arrives back at the school. He falls from the sky like a rock, landing with a loud 'thud' in the middle of the crowd of staff and students. Kaine comes to a stand quickly, his body barely needing to recover. The suit fuels his body like a renewable power, keeping him from feeling any injuries or fatigue. Instead, his body only feels stronger, faster, and deadlier.

The people back up slowly, staring at him in shock and fear. Kaine looks out at their faces, laughing to himself at the panic in their eyes. He sees Kong and Liz standing at the back of the crowd, huddled around Flash as he sits, injured, on the ground. Kaine moves toward them, the people parting to form a path for the evil clone.

Kaine soon stops in front of the group, staring at them with an evil look. Kong moves in front of his friends, ready to fight to protect them. Kaine laughs at the teen's courage, mocking him without words.

"I thought you'd have been ground to a pulp by now." Kong says with anger.

"Well, it appears I had different plans. Go figure." Kaine folds his arms over his chest, watching Kong unaffected. "You don't really plan on fighting me, do you?"

"I'll do anything to protect my friends."

"Noble." Kaine says surprised. "But oh so foolish."

In one quick action, Kaine grabs Kong by his shirt. He throws the teen aside like a rag, sending him halfway across the property with ease. He walks closer to the others, staring at Flash on the ground.

"What about you? Plan on stopping me?"

"Come on, man...don't you just die?" Kaine laughs, grabbing Flash by his shoulder. He lifts him off the ground and into the air, an evil grin on his face.

"Not easily, boy." Kaine tosses him aside carelessly, throwing him into the ground. Flash groans in pain, trying to ease his already broken body. Kaine walks right up to Liz, starring down at her with a heinous look. "You still don't know where Parker or his red headed harlet are, do you?" Liz shakes her head back and forth, conveying the answer "no" as she stares at her attacker, paralyzed with fear.

"Unfortunate." Kaine responds blankly. "But there's still use for you yet."

Holding out his arm, Kaine retracts the suit, exposing his skin. He fires a line of web at Liz, entangling her in the sticky solution. Tightly the web binds her, snaring her arms to her torso. Kaine makes the suit form back around his hand, protecting his entire body once more.

"It's funny, Liz." Kaine says, his tone changing. "I never really noticed how hot you were before." Kaine leans closer to the young woman, his voice trailing off in a hiss. "I can't really imagine why...looking at you now..." He says as his voice turns to a laugh. "But there's time for that later...I'll show you the whole city. Just wait."

Kaine snickers as he grabs her by the webbing wrapped around her torso. He grips it tightly, shooting a tendril from his other arm. The thin tentacle latches onto the flag pole, errect high in the air. Kaine jumps in the air and swings on the tentacle, carrying his hostage close behind. He releases his tendril, and pulls it back into his arm. His feet hit the top of the flag pole, and stick securely in place. Kaine holds onto the metal pole easily, the wind blowing strongly in the air. He keeps a tight grip on Liz, dangling her above the crowd below.

"I will find, Peter Parker, my dear." He says to Liz reassuringly. "And, like it or not, you're going to help." http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

"Good luck, hero!"

Oh god! I won't be able to save them both! How...

The idea suddenly comes to me.

Oh this is gonna hurt.

I fire two weblines snag both of the falling victims. I tub on the line send them flying towards me. I quickly catch them in my arms and hold them tight.

"Go limp!"

Seconds later I slam into the pavement my body absorbing the impact.

Silence falls one the scene as the Kaine's victims get to their feet and look down at their rescuer.

"Is he?"

"Not yet."

I slowly get to my feet, every muscle in my body aching.

Alright I can't take much more hit like that. Come on Anton use your ****ing brain man! This is definatly Venom's suit or a suit similar. And all these suits had the same weakness.

I look up at the power lines that run along the street.

Now just to find him. And knowing Kaine's thinking right now he'll head back...

I hears screams coming from the direction of the school.

I hate being right.

One I get back to the school I see Kaine sitting ontop of flag pole. The person he was carrying was webbed up but I know who it is by the breifest flash of blonde hair.

"Kaine!"

I land on the school roof.

"Let Liz go and I'll help you find Peter!"

[Venom160]

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj165/edlewis6571/Iron%20Man%20RPG%20Images/42223681.jpg
Ultimate Iron Man

Captain America's shield slammed into Azrael's knee and did little more than knocking the creature off balance.

"Take a seat!" Iron Man said, aiming his open palm at Azrael.

A stream of super-heated ionic plasma streamed forward and struck the being in the chest.

He simply took two steps backwards as the blast struck his chest.

"Sir, it seems that the attack was ineffective."

"Watch this."

Iron Man fired three more shots successively into the creature's chest, knocking it off of its feet.

Glancing into the distance, Iron Man saw a series of helicopters flying to the scene, and a woman's voice rang through his head.

"Dis is Natasha." He Russian accent was heavy, thick, and sexy. "Black Widow inbound."

The helicopters pulled up to reveal a large Pelican, a military vehicle transport. It hovered about forty feet off of the ground, kicking up dust and chunks of rubble. The rear door slid open loudly and a few red lights illuminated from within the beast's belly.

An engine within the aircraft roared to life, and the Black Widow surged forward on a motorcycle. Landing hard on the street, the bike bounced up and down a few times before she lurched forward, pulling up just behind Stark, Captain America, and War Machine.

"Nice tits." Stark said, staring at her body in the jumpsuit. From within the helmet, his eyes opened wide.

"Er... entrance."

Bouncing between the buildings and car's Captain America's shield eventually skidded to a halt at Iron Man's feet.

He bent down and gripped the edge of shield. Tossing it through the air, it met with Cap's outstretched hand. Tapping his communicator, Iron Man spoke up.

"So, Quicksilver... I guess you're not as fast as you'd like us to think, are you?"http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/quicksilverkh6.jpg

I glare at Iron Man.

"Don't push me Stark, im trying not to knock out the teeth of one ******* today. Don't be a second....."

[Matt Murdock]

Contagion, The curse continues Part XI

Anton stays on top of the roof, staring at the large hole in it's roof. Below the surface, Kaine lies on the floor inside. Covered in rubble and debris, the people in the room stare at him in shock.

"Oh my God!" One of them exclaims running over to Kaine.

"Is he...dead?" One asks.

"No," the one responds, putting her hand to his neck. "But...this is odd...his pulse isn't normal."

"What do you mean?"

"It just keeps...moving..."

"He's probably one of those damn alien vigilante's. Damn 'heroes', causin' more trouble then their worth."

"This guy may need medical attention, Frank. Come on, help me here."

"Alright, fine." The man grumbles.

As the two people begin to pull Kaine from under the large wooden beam, Kaine suddenly awakens. He turns to the woman grabbing his left arm. She notices his head move and smiles.

"You okay?" She asks compasionately.

"Fine..." Kaine says grogily. Suddenly, an evil smile comes across his face and he stares back at the woman. "But you won't be."

***

On the roof, Anton continues to wait for Kaine to emerge, hoping to find his body weakened and beaten. To his surprise, he hears a loud scream come from the hole. Before he can react, two bodies shoot out from the hole, flying high into the air. Following close behind them, Kaine jumps out of the hole, growling and snearing.

"Nice move, brother." He says sarcastically. "Now they will die!" He says with a loud roar, the suit begining to gain control once more. "If you try really hard, you might be able to catch them before they slam into the hard unforgiving asphalt!"

Kaine suddenly whips a tentacle around in the air. The black line grabs onto a piece of broken concrete from the roof, and whips around. Kaine sends the tentacle toward Anton, releasing the concrete piece in a throw. The broken slab of concrete hits Anton in his chest, knocking him off the roof.

Kaine jumps into the air and sends out tendrils from his arms. They latch onto nearby buildings and street lamps, holding securely like ropes. Just as the other clones websling, Kaine moves through the air, back toward the school.

"Good luck, hero!" Kaine mocks.

In only a few minutes, Kaine arrives back at the school. He falls from the sky like a rock, landing with a loud 'thud' in the middle of the crowd of staff and students. Kaine comes to a stand quickly, his body barely needing to recover. The suit fuels his body like a renewable power, keeping him from feeling any injuries or fatigue. Instead, his body only feels stronger, faster, and deadlier.

The people back up slowly, staring at him in shock and fear. Kaine looks out at their faces, laughing to himself at the panic in their eyes. He sees Kong and Liz standing at the back of the crowd, huddled around Flash as he sits, injured, on the ground. Kaine moves toward them, the people parting to form a path for the evil clone.

Kaine soon stops in front of the group, staring at them with an evil look. Kong moves in front of his friends, ready to fight to protect them. Kaine laughs at the teen's courage, mocking him without words.

"I thought you'd have been ground to a pulp by now." Kong says with anger.

"Well, it appears I had different plans. Go figure." Kaine folds his arms over his chest, watching Kong unaffected. "You don't really plan on fighting me, do you?"

"I'll do anything to protect my friends."

"Noble." Kaine says surprised. "But oh so foolish."

In one quick action, Kaine grabs Kong by his shirt. He throws the teen aside like a rag, sending him halfway across the property with ease. He walks closer to the others, staring at Flash on the ground.

"What about you? Plan on stopping me?"

"Come on, man...don't you just die?" Kaine laughs, grabbing Flash by his shoulder. He lifts him off the ground and into the air, an evil grin on his face.

"Not easily, boy." Kaine tosses him aside carelessly, throwing him into the ground. Flash groans in pain, trying to ease his already broken body. Kaine walks right up to Liz, starring down at her with a heinous look. "You still don't know where Parker or his red headed harlet are, do you?" Liz shakes her head back and forth, conveying the answer "no" as she stares at her attacker, paralyzed with fear.

"Unfortunate." Kaine responds blankly. "But there's still use for you yet."

Holding out his arm, Kaine retracts the suit, exposing his skin. He fires a line of web at Liz, entangling her in the sticky solution. Tightly the web binds her, snaring her arms to her torso. Kaine makes the suit form back around his hand, protecting his entire body once more.

"It's funny, Liz." Kaine says, his tone changing. "I never really noticed how hot you were before." Kaine leans closer to the young woman, his voice trailing off in a hiss. "I can't really imagine why...looking at you now..." He says as his voice turns to a laugh. "But there's time for that later...I'll show you the whole city. Just wait."

Kaine snickers as he grabs her by the webbing wrapped around her torso. He grips it tightly, shooting a tendril from his other arm. The thin tentacle latches onto the flag pole, errect high in the air. Kaine jumps in the air and swings on the tentacle, carrying his hostage close behind. He releases his tendril, and pulls it back into his arm. His feet hit the top of the flag pole, and stick securely in place. Kaine holds onto the metal pole easily, the wind blowing strongly in the air. He keeps a tight grip on Liz, dangling her above the crowd below.

"I will find, Peter Parker, my dear." He says to Liz reassuringly. "And, like it or not, you're going to help."
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

"Good luck, hero!"

Oh god! I won't be able to save them both! How...

The idea suddenly comes to me.

Oh this is gonna hurt.

I fire two weblines snag both of the falling victims. I tub on the line send them flying towards me. I quickly catch them in my arms and hold them tight.

"Go limp!"

Seconds later I slam into the pavement my body absorbing the impact.

Silence falls one the scene as the Kaine's victims get to their feet and look down at their rescuer.

"Is he?"

"Not yet."

I slowly get to my feet, every muscle in my body aching.

Alright I can't take much more hit like that. Come on Anton use your ****ing brain man! This is definatly Venom's suit or a suit similar. And all these suits had the same weakness.

I look up at the power lines that run along the street.

Now just to find him. And knowing Kaine's thinking right now he'll head back...

I hears screams coming from the direction of the school.

I hate being right.

One I get back to the school I see Kaine sitting ontop of flag pole. The person he was carrying was webbed up but I know who it is by the breifest flash of blonde hair.

"Kaine!"

I land on the school roof.

"Let Liz go and I'll help you find Peter!"

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/ScarletSpider-2.jpg


The east entrance to the high school is dead silent. Swinging out of sight, I land perfectly in front of an entrance to the gymnasium and ease the door open.

Nothing.

Sprinting down the hallway, my shoulder slams into the doorway to the locker room.

Nothing here, either.

No blood, no spider-sense, and no screams of fear or agony. Something is most definitely wrong.

Being the typical lax students that they are, the Gym class that had changed before whatever happened today left their clothes all over the floor. As I make my way to the back of the gym, a phone in the teacher's office disturbs the tranquility.

BRRRRRRING!

I stare at the phone for a moment as it continues to ring.

BRRRRRRING!

My hand stretches downwards to the phone and part of me certainly wants to answer the call, but I resist. If a teenager is still in the school, they'll only think I'm going to be a part of what's going on, an accomplice even.

To my surprise, the ringing stops, and another line is activated. I pick up the phone, keeping my finger down on the hang-up switch so I can listen to the conversation on the other end.

"Ma'am. Ma'am, we need you to calm down."

This guy sounds like a cop.

"Omigod. Omigodomigodomigo."

Teacher. Panicking.

"What's going on, Miss?"

She gasps, trying to get a hold of her thoughts.

"There's a guy... a boy. Black suit. He looks like Spider-Man. He's screaming bloody murder for a student named Peter Parke--"

I hang up without a second's hesitation.

Kaine is here. And he's looking for Peter. Good ol' mashedface has gone a step too far this time.

Doc Ock never set foot here, neither did Shocker. Eddie Brock, The Green Goblin, and now Kaine are the only people to set foot on this quasi-hallowed ground, and I'll see to it that he pays.

I heave my sweatshirt off and toss it into a corner of the locker room. Within seconds, I'm perusing the locker in my tighty-whities, looking for jeans and a t-shirt. In a moment, I've found them.

My webshooters fit into the pockets with ease, and my mask can fit in the back corner.

I sprint out of the locker room, top speed and crash through an emergency door, leading to a stairwell to the roof.

I burst through and find myself in a cool breeze.

"I will find, Peter Parker, my dear. And, like it or not, you're going to help."

Liz Allen. Easily one of the hottest girls in the school, and Kaine has her around the throat.


"Let Liz go and I'll help you find Peter!"

I stare at the three of them, a triangle of sorts, and, in my most Peter-Parker-y voice, I speak up.

"You don't need to look!"

Is Pete's voice usually this high?

Well, it doesn't matter. With the hair-dye out of my hair, my new voice, and in a set of civvies, I'm the spitting image of Peter Parker.

Can't be too heroic, here. Need to get Liz out of the way and take Kaine down a peg.

I sprint forward and duck under a stray tentacle from The Suit. Reaching out, I wrap my right hand around Kaine's wrist, and jam my left into the bone. It cracks, loosening Kaine's grip.

I snatch Liz from his grasp and shove her towards the broken door.

"Liz go!"

She tries to speak up.

"I SAID 'GO' DAMMIT!"

And, like that, she's gone, downstairs out of harm's way.

I pivot and glare at Kaine.

"Alright, Scarface. Tell me who you are and what you want before I kick your ass up and down this rooftop!"

[SenseiofCheese]

Ultimate Iron Man

Captain America's shield slammed into Azrael's knee and did little more than knocking the creature off balance.

"Take a seat!" Iron Man said, aiming his open palm at Azrael.

A stream of super-heated ionic plasma streamed forward and struck the being in the chest.

He simply took two steps backwards as the blast struck his chest.

"Sir, it seems that the attack was ineffective."

"Watch this."

Iron Man fired three more shots successively into the creature's chest, knocking it off of its feet.

Glancing into the distance, Iron Man saw a series of helicopters flying to the scene, and a woman's voice rang through his head.

"Dis is Natasha." He Russian accent was heavy, thick, and sexy. "Black Widow inbound."

The helicopters pulled up to reveal a large Pelican, a military vehicle transport. It hovered about forty feet off of the ground, kicking up dust and chunks of rubble. The rear door slid open loudly and a few red lights illuminated from within the beast's belly.

An engine within the aircraft roared to life, and the Black Widow surged forward on a motorcycle. Landing hard on the street, the bike bounced up and down a few times before she lurched forward, pulling up just behind Stark, Captain America, and War Machine.

"Nice tits." Stark said, staring at her body in the jumpsuit. From within the helmet, his eyes opened wide.

"Er... entrance."

Bouncing between the buildings and car's Captain America's shield eventually skidded to a halt at Iron Man's feet.

He bent down and gripped the edge of shield. Tossing it through the air, it met with Cap's outstretched hand. Tapping his communicator, Iron Man spoke up.

"So, Quicksilver... I guess you're not as fast as you'd like us to think, are you?"


http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/440px-Ultimate_cap_hed.jpg

Gripping his shield once again, Steve turns to face the newly arrived Black Widow as he catches a grey blur streak across the battlefield.
Age old instinct had always kept Steve from trusting Black Widow, but he had learned to keep his mistrust to himself. In this day and age, it wasn't PC, he had been told.

"Widow, I hope you're not too attached to that bike. You and I are going to get in there with Pietro and keep the creature off-balance. We need to be flies, people, take your shot and get the hell out of it's range." Steve barked at Natasha, keeping his finger on his communicator so Pietro would hear as well. "Iron Man, War Machine, you two are our tanks. Hit it with all you got!"

Natasha smiled and revved the engine of her bike in acknowledgment. "Ultimates...." Rogers began, before cracking a smile. "...what Tony said."

[Saved]

"You don't need to look!"

Is Pete's voice usually this high?

Well, it doesn't matter. With the hair-dye out of my hair, my new voice, and in a set of civvies, I'm the spitting image of Peter Parker.

Can't be too heroic, here. Need to get Liz out of the way and take Kaine down a peg.

I sprint forward and duck under a stray tentacle from The Suit. Reaching out, I wrap my right hand around Kaine's wrist, and jam my left into the bone. It cracks, loosening Kaine's grip.

I snatch Liz from his grasp and shove her towards the broken door.

"Liz go!"

She tries to speak up.

"I SAID 'GO' DAMMIT!"

And, like that, she's gone, downstairs out of harm's way.

I pivot and glare at Kaine.

"Alright, Scarface. Tell me who you are and what you want before I kick your ass up and down this rooftop!"
Contagion, The curse continues Part XII

"Parker..." Kaine growls, staring at the alleged teen superhero in front of him. "I've waited for this moment for so long." Kaine sneers, cracking his knuckles as he walks closer toward him. "What's a matter? You look nervous? Worried I'll expose your secret?"

Suddenly, Anton drops down from the sky, landing behind Kaine, his body positioned ready to fight. Kaine stops and turns his neck slightly, staring at his clone brother.

"The great Tarantula!" Kaine yells sarcastically. "Two spider's tonight, I see?" Kaine laughs, his body tensing with the thrill of the fight. "Good. I was hoping I'd get to taste the flavor of victory tonight. Do you know what it tastes like?" Kaine asks, turning back to the disguised Ben. "It tastes like your blood."

Kaine lunges at Ben, his tendrils whipping around in the air, jetisened from the surface of the suit. Just before he can grab the young hero, he is caught by four weblines, fired by Anton from behind. He pulls back on the lines, causing Kaine to fall to the ground just out of reach.

"Good move," Kaine growls, his voice deapening as the suit increases his anger, feeding off his rage. He lifts himself up, slowly rising as the suit begins to expand, Kaine's body growing a little larger, the tendrils still whipping around him. "But a little advice, arms," Kaine snickers. "Let go of the lines next time!"

Two tendrils suddenly take hold of the lines on his back, securely attaching themselves to the ropes of web. With a violent shake, Kaine jerks himself in a turn. Anton, still holding on his lines, tries to resist, but soon looses his balence, and falls from his stance. Kaine takes advantage and spins with great power, sending Anton flying across the rooftop. His body slams into the heating unit, breaking through its vents and causing a light gray smoke to emit in a steaming explosion.

Kaine turns back to Ben, his mind filling with the memories of Peter's first encounter with the suit. Kaine laughs maniacally, slowly approaching Ben. His hands suddenly distort, changing into large claws, strong and deadly.

"You know what, Pete? I almost took up the chance to kill your boss in a ploy to get to you a while ago. With Ben, of all people. I had really wished I joined with him, but seeing you now? Helpless, out of your suit, in front of all your classmates on this roof?" Kaine grins, the toothy smile showing through the suit. "I'm glad I waited. Just so I could do..." Kaine lunges at him, grabbing hold of his neck in a quick move. His large fingers wrap around Ben's neck, slowly tightening, cutting off his air flow. "This!"

Kaine jumps to the edge of the school roof, breaking off bits of the building as he lands. He cackles in a deep voice, his rage consuming him. He holds Ben out over the building, dangling him above the students and faculty below.

"You want to live to see Aunt May? You want to live long enough to see Mary Jane's loving smile?" Kaine throws Ben's body downward, careening toward the crowd of people below. "Save yourself! Show them who you really are!"

[Venom160]

Contagion, The curse continues Part XII

"Parker..." Kaine growls, staring at the alleged teen superhero in front of him. "I've waited for this moment for so long." Kaine sneers, cracking his knuckles as he walks closer toward him. "What's a matter? You look nervous? Worried I'll expose your secret?"

Suddenly, Anton drops down from the sky, landing behind Kaine, his body positioned ready to fight. Kaine stops and turns his neck slightly, staring at his clone brother.

"The great Tarantula!" Kaine yells sarcastically. "Two spider's tonight, I see?" Kaine laughs, his body tensing with the thrill of the fight. "Good. I was hoping I'd get to taste the flavor of victory tonight. Do you know what it tastes like?" Kaine asks, turning back to the disguised Ben. "It tastes like your blood."

Kaine lunges at Ben, his tendrils whipping around in the air, jetisened from the surface of the suit. Just before he can grab the young hero, he is caught by four weblines, fired by Anton from behind. He pulls back on the lines, causing Kaine to fall to the ground just out of reach.

"Good move," Kaine growls, his voice deapening as the suit increases his anger, feeding off his rage. He lifts himself up, slowly rising as the suit begins to expand, Kaine's body growing a little larger, the tendrils still whipping around him. "But a little advice, arms," Kaine snickers. "Let go of the lines next time!"

Two tendrils suddenly take hold of the lines on his back, securely attaching themselves to the ropes of web. With a violent shake, Kaine jerks himself in a turn. Anton, still holding on his lines, tries to resist, but soon looses his balence, and falls from his stance. Kaine takes advantage and spins with great power, sending Anton flying across the rooftop. His body slams into the heating unit, breaking through its vents and causing a light gray smoke to emit in a steaming explosion.

Kaine turns back to Ben, his mind filling with the memories of Peter's first encounter with the suit. Kaine laughs maniacally, slowly approaching Ben. His hands suddenly distort, changing into large claws, strong and deadly.

"You know what, Pete? I almost took up the chance to kill your boss in a ploy to get to you a while ago. With Ben, of all people. I had really wished I joined with him, but seeing you now? Helpless, out of your suit, in front of all your classmates on this roof?" Kaine grins, the toothy smile showing through the suit. "I'm glad I waited. Just so I could do..." Kaine lunges at him, grabbing hold of his neck in a quick move. His large fingers wrap around Ben's neck, slowly tightening, cutting off his air flow. "This!"

Kaine jumps to the edge of the school roof, breaking off bits of the building as he lands. He cackles in a deep voice, his rage consuming him. He holds Ben out over the building, dangling him above the students and faculty below.

"You want to live to see Aunt May? You want to live long enough to see Mary Jane's loving smile?" Kaine throws Ben's body downward, careening toward the crowd of people below. "Save yourself! Show them who you really are!" http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

I pull myself out of the heating unit and get to my feet.

"Ah!"

I look at my side and see a small shard of metal jammed into my side.

"****....."

I reach down and in one quick move jerk the metal out and web the wound shut. The crowd below screams as Kaine drops Pete off the top of the school.

"Dammit!"

I fire acouple webline at the roof and pull hard on them slingshotting me at the roof towards Pete. I quickly catch Pete and fire a webline.

"Pete after this is over you better ****in thank me for keeping your secret safe."

[Saved]

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I pull myself out of the heating unit and get to my feet.

"Ah!"

I look at my side and see a small shard of metal jammed into my side.

"****....."

I reach down and in one quick move jerk the metal out and web the wound shut. The crowd below screams as Kaine drops Pete off the top of the school.

"Dammit!"

I fire acouple webline at the roof and pull hard on them slingshotting me at the roof towards Pete. I quickly catch Pete and fire a webline.

"Pete after this is over you better ****in thank me for keeping your secret safe."
Contagion, The curse continues Part XIII

"Dammit!" Kaine roars. Kaine looks down at the two swing through the air. He follows the webling back, seeing where it connects to the building. To his pleasure, he sees the line sticking to the side of the building only a few feet away. Kaine smiles as he grabs hold of the line. He rips the line from the wall, pulling out pieces of the building with it. He shakes the line violently, the suit causing a horrific scream to come from his mouth as he laughs.

The vibration moves through the line down to Anton's arm. The shaking of the line causes Anton to loose his "flight". He drops Ben, in the commotion, trying to keep hold of his webbing. Luckily, Ben's fall has been shortened, and his body drops only a few yard to the soft green grass below.

Kaine sneers in rage, watching as the suppossed Peter safely lands. With his rage building, Kaine pulls up on the webline, dragging Anton up to him. After a few tugs, he comes face to face with the six armed clone.

"You..." he says with a growl.

"Yep. The terrific Tarantula at your service, scabby. Man...I need to think of a better adjective..."

"You won't be getting in my way again, brother." Kaine releases the line from his hand. Immediately, he grabs hold of Anton, tightly grasping him and his six arms as he clasps his body between his two large hands. Kaine's jaws open wide, showing his snarling dagger teeth and verocious tongue. With a loud roar, he bites on Anton, his jaws closing onto Anton's shoulder. His teeth sink deep into Anton's body, the long fangs penetrating through the other side.

Kaine laughs as he continues to bite down harder on his brother. The blood from Anton's wounds drip down Kaine's teeth, pooling in a large puddle inside his mouth. He releases Anton from his arms, still clenching hard. He shakes his head violently, the wounds tearing larger on the clone's body.

With a strong shake, he throws Anton from his jaws, sending his body sliding across the rooftop. Kaine laughs as he swallows the pool of blood in his mouth. His tongue licks the outside of his face, wiping the excess blood from the surface of his 'skin'.

"Mmhhh..." Kaine hisses. "Delicious."

[Venom160]

Contagion, The curse continues Part XIII

"Dammit!" Kaine roars. Kaine looks down at the two swing through the air. He follows the webling back, seeing where it connects to the building. To his pleasure, he sees the line sticking to the side of the building only a few feet away. Kaine smiles as he grabs hold of the line. He rips the line from the wall, pulling out pieces of the building with it. He shakes the line violently, the suit causing a horrific scream to come from his mouth as he laughs.

The vibration moves through the line down to Anton's arm. The shaking of the line causes Anton to loose his "flight". He drops Ben, in the commotion, trying to keep hold of his webbing. Luckily, Ben's fall has been shortened, and his body drops only a few yard to the soft green grass below.

Kaine sneers in rage, watching as the suppossed Peter safely lands. With his rage building, Kaine pulls up on the webline, dragging Anton up to him. After a few tugs, he comes face to face with the six armed clone.

"You..." he says with a growl.

"Yep. The terrific Tarantula at your service, scabby. Man...I need to think of a better adjective..."

"You won't be getting in my way again, brother." Kaine releases the line from his hand. Immediately, he grabs hold of Anton, tightly grasping him and his six arms as he clasps his body between his two large hands. Kaine's jaws open wide, showing his snarling dagger teeth and verocious tongue. With a loud roar, he bites on Anton, his jaws closing onto Anton's shoulder. His teeth sink deep into Anton's body, the long fangs penetrating through the other side.

Kaine laughs as he continues to bite down harder on his brother. The blood from Anton's wounds drip down Kaine's teeth, pooling in a large puddle inside his mouth. He releases Anton from his arms, still clenching hard. He shakes his head violently, the wounds tearing larger on the clone's body.

With a strong shake, he throws Anton from his jaws, sending his body sliding across the rooftop. Kaine laughs as he swallows the pool of blood in his mouth. His tongue licks the outside of his face, wiping the excess blood from the surface.

"Mmhhh..." Kaine hisses. "Delicious."http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

The pain in my shoudler is unbearable. I can already feel the blood pooling under me.

"Wow this is eerily familiar...."

I slowly get to my feet.

"That....that all ya got ****face."

[Saved]

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The pain in my shoudler is unbearable. I can already feel the blood pooling under me.

"Wow this is eerily familiar...."

I slowly get to my feet.

"That....that all ya got ****face."
Contagion, The curse continues Part XIV

"Still alive?" Kaine questions. "How...annoying..." Kaine suddenly charged Anton, running toward him with tremendous speed and power. With each step, the roof shakes as Kaine barrels toward his enemy. "You wanted to be a hero?" Kaine asks as he forces his head toward Anton in a headbutt. Anton jumps in the air, narrowly evading the attack. Kaine quickly grabs Anton's leg, pulling him from the air and slamming him into the roof. "Well sometimes you have to die trying!"

Kaine opens his jaws wide, preparing to bite Anton once more. As he thrusts his head downward, Anton throws up his arms, grasping onto the saliva covered mouth of his adversary. With all his might, Anton holds Kaine at bay, forcing back his deadly teeth.

"I died once already. Didn't enjoy it too much."

"Aw, don't be like that! I can put in a good word for you. I have connections!"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Probably setting up a special place just for you!" Lifting his legs under Kaine's body, Anton kicks Kaine in his chest, sending him stumbling backward. Anton gets to his feet quickly, holding his injured shoulder with one of his many limbs.

"I tasted first blood, arms." Kaine laughs. "I want to taste it again!"

Kaine lunges at Anton, his arms outstretched in front of him. Anton evades once again, jumping slightly to the left. Kaine quickly reacts and swipes his hand toward Anton. Missing only slightly, Kaine's talon's scrape the top of Anton's back, ripping the suit and spilling more of his blood on the rooftop. Anton falls backward, yelling out in pain.

"This is going to be a closed casket funeral, brother." Kaine cackles. "That's if they can put your body back together when I'm finished!" Kaine roars with rage as he jumps high in the air. As he begins his decent, he aims for Anton's body, laughing as he drops toward the injured hero. "I'm going to bite off each of your arms and drink your blood like wine! You will not stop me, brother! NO ONE WILL!"

[Matt Murdock]

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Elektra and Daredevil stood perched on a gargoyle quietly holding hands. The city was incredibly loud, but to Daredevil, and the man behind his cowl, the only sound that mattered was Elektra's heartbeat. It was constant, serene, and contemplative as it pulsed behind her breast. As his pulse returned to normal, and the thrill of battle wore away, Daredevil found himself wanting to return to his apartment. Sweat was dripping down his body. The stench of a street vendor's hot dogs had made it's way to his nose. Three blocks over, a child was blowing out the candles on a birthday cake next to an open window. A pair of handcuffs clicked as a mugger was being arrested, and the chains on a swing in the playground at the heart of central park rattled and squeeked.

Still, nothing met Daredevil's ear with more resonance than Elektra's heartbeat.

"Let's go home."

She nodded, and gripped his hand tightly in acknowledgment.

"Okay." She said simply.

There were times when Matt Murdock heard her voice and it seemed so melodic, like something out of a poem or song. But, at those very same times, it seemed to cut him to his core. He was standing next to the love of his life, and never would he be able to see the color of her eyes. He would never see a sunset with her as he held her in his arms.

Sometimes he wondered if it was all worth it.

She ran her hand along his shoulder blades as she gracefully slid down the gargoyle.

Her boots squealed, a sound that would be almost imperceptible to a normal human's ear, but Daredevil heard it with ease.

As he stared at his city, a feeling in his gut made the Guardian Devil somewhat anxious. He felt like he was being watched, stalked even, by an emotion, or a memory... perhaps both.

"Hurm..." He said, turning around, ignoring his instincts.

In an elegant frontflip, Daredevil was soaring between the buildings of New York, twisting and turning, sending his billy club for each ledge or broken piece of wall that he could.

The same anxious chatter about his return followed the hero home, and he leaped onto his balcony with ease and grace.

Elektra was already there, waiting for him.

"Can you hear them whispering about you?" She asked. "The excited murmurings about their savior's return?"

He turned, gripped her firmly and and pressed his chest to hers.

They embraced, locking their lips for a few moments, feeling one another's tongues and sharing a moment of supreme passion.

They parted, hold each other for a moment in the moonlight.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/Daredevil%20Game%20Pictures/ultimate-daredevil-elektra-1.jpg

"I hear everything."



Murdock quietly heaved his Daredevil mask off of his head and massaged his worn eyes.

Elektra gripped his hand tightly before kissing him softly again on the lips.

"I'm going to shower." She whispered.

Her high heels were like massive drums as they landed upon the wooden floor.

Elektra didn't even bother to close the door behind her as she entered the bathroom. The sound of her zippers and straps unbuttoning rang throughout the home and she draped her clothes on a hook. Reaching towards the ceiling, she stretched her flawless figure, and a few of her bones cracked.

For a moment, Murdock stood somberly gazing at her. She reached into the shower and turned the water on. As she stepped beneath it, her figure illuminated in the darkness. Every curve, every arc, every lock of hair rang brightly through the blindness that Murdock had to contend with each day. And, though his eyelids were hanging limply over his pupils, he could see her perfectly formed features. Murdock could hear as a single drop of water burst free from the jet, landed gracefully on her cheek and ran past her chin. It slid easily along her neck and between her breasts, making short work of her torso, until sliding down her muscular, tone thigh, running along her arched foot into the drain.

Murdock tossed his mask on the bed and pulled his shirt off. It was damp with sweat, and the odor was easy to smell. Murdock didn't care. He made his way to the kitchen, passing Elektra as he went. As he moved closer, he could hear the water running and sliding down every voluptuous ounce of flesh on her impeccable body.

Opening the refrigerator, he pulled out a bottle of soda and drank half of it, exhaling deeply as he finished his drink. He felt the cool air wafting out of the box, and it stopped his sweat dead in its tracks. Wiping his cooled brow along his forehead, Murdock put the soda in the fridge and closed the door. The water in the shower stopped, and as Elektra ran her hands along her body, Murdock heard her flesh squeek and bit his lip.

Entering the bedroom, he heard her feet land on the tile. Picking up his Daredevil shirt, he placed it in the closet, hanging limply over the broken chest. He looked at it for a moment. The scent of blood and cordite was nowhere to be found. He was, at last, in peace. Elektra was making her way to the bedroom, droplets of water lit her path in Matthew's mind's eye.

As he stood glaring at the chest, he felt her hand make it's way over his shoulder and along his pectoral muscle. She was still wet from her shower. Her other arm circled below his ribs, under his arm, and connected with her other, letting her rest her head on her lover's neck and shoulder. She playfully extended her tongue and nibbled on his ear and kissed his neck.

He reached up, and wrapped a hand around her forearm, savoring her touch. She pressed her bare chest against his scarred back and whispered softly into his ear.

"I love you."

He moved gracefully in her arms, turning to face her and placed his hands on the small of her back.

"I love you, too."

He cupped her chin in his hand and kissed her delicately. She ran her hand through his red hair, as he ran his free hand up the side of her thigh and along her torso. The pair fell backwards, onto the bed, and as Matthew ran kisses down Natchios' neck and body, she ran her feet up and down his back.

He stood up, at the side of the bed, and Elektra leaned forward and began fumbling with his belt. The metal clanged and rattled, but after a laborious minute, he was on top of her once more.

They moved to the center of the bed, and began caressing each other's bodies as they were locked in a passionate kiss. Murdock pushed himself up and thrust his hips forward. He was inside of her.

The bed moaned, as did Elektra, and Matthew began to pant. The filament within the lamp on their nightstand bean to shake. As he grew more vigorous, Elektra began to sweat. Her heart was thundering in her chest as she groaned. She ran her fingernails up Murdock's biceps, a feeling that made his nerves stand on end. As he began to push slower and harder, her entire body moved to move up along the bed with every motion. She gripped the backs of his shoulders with her nails, and, thought it hurt, Murdock seemed to get a strange sensation of pleasure from it.

As Elektra began to climax, her body and pelvis shook violently and she moaned slightly louder.

"Matt..." Elektra whispered between pants. "...N-now."

He nodded and began going faster.

The headboard thudded against the wall and the mattress springs creaked. Beads of sweat slid down Murdock's forehead, and heard them landing on Elektra's supple form.

"Matt..." She reminded him.

He nodded once more and tried to move even faster.

Elektra rolled her head in joy, and ran a hand down the front of his chest.

After a few moments, Matthew leaned back, trying to finish, but couldn't.

As if on cue, the stink of blood burst into his room, and he felt covered in cordite. He heard a deep chuckle, seemingly in tune with Elektra's heartbeat. His pupils shot open, every muscle in his body tensed, and he gripped his sheets in shock.

He fell next to Elektra, carelessly draping an arm over her bosom. He was winded, blindsided.

And, what's worse, he hadn't been able to satisfy her.

He gained his composure in a few seconds, wishing he could see her eyes as they gazed into his.

"Don't worry." Her tone was so supportive, so sincere. "We'll try again tomorrow night. It happens to every man at some point."

She wrapped her hand around his head and brought him in close to her.

"It's just stress."

He had tangled with psychotics, sociopaths, and megalomaniacs, and yet... something as simple as sex, fulfilling the physical desires of the woman he loved, had proved too much for Matt Murdock.

He rolled over and hung he feet over the edge of the bed as Elektra put on a thong and tanktop.

"I'm sorry."

He was ashamed, deprived of his manhood.

"Tomorrow." Was all she said in reply.

She got into bed and pulled the sheet over herself, draping it breezily over her fresh figure.

"I love you, Matt." She said, as she turned the light off with a click.

He didn't respond, he simply stared at the floor, alone in the darkness.

[Matt Murdock]

Contagion, The curse continues Part XIV

"Still alive?" Kaine questions. "How...annoying..." Kaine suddenly charged Anton, running toward him with tremendous speed and power. With each step, the roof shakes as Kaine barrels toward his enemy. "You wanted to be a hero?" Kaine asks as he forces his head toward Anton in a headbutt. Anton jumps in the air, narrowly evading the attack. Kaine quickly grabs Anton's leg, pulling him from the air and slamming him into the roof. "Well sometimes you have to die trying!"

Kaine opens his jaws wide, preparing to bite Anton once more. As he thrusts his head downward, Anton throws up his arms, grasping onto the saliva covered mouth of his adversary. With all his might, Anton holds Kaine at bay, forcing back his deadly teeth.

"I died once already. Didn't enjoy it too much."

"Aw, don't be like that! I can put in a good word for you. I have connections!"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Probably setting up a special place just for you!" Lifting his legs under Kaine's body, Anton kicks Kaine in his chest, sending him stumbling backward. Anton gets to his feet quickly, holding his injured shoulder with one of his many limbs.

"I tasted first blood, arms." Kaine laughs. "I want to taste it again!"

Kaine lunges at Anton, his arms outstretched in front of him. Anton evades once again, jumping slightly to the left. Kaine quickly reacts and swipes his hand toward Anton. Missing only slightly, Kaine's talon's scrape the top of Anton's back, ripping the suit and spilling more of his blood on the rooftop. Anton falls backward, yelling out in pain.

"This is going to be a closed casket funeral, brother." Kaine cackles. "That's if they can put your body back together when I'm finished!" Kaine roars with rage as he jumps high in the air. As he begins his decent, he aims for Anton's body, laughing as he drops toward the injured hero. "I'm going to bite off each of your arms and drink your blood like wine! You will not stop me, brother! NO ONE WILL!"
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/ScarletSpider-2.jpg


I seem to have been lost in this scuffle.

How the hell have I been lost in this scuffle?!

The student body has it's attention fixed on the rooftop. There's gotta be a way I get in the brawl while protecting my... Peter's... secret identity and getting these two away from the kids.

I scale the building in seconds and see Kaine rocketing through the air towards Anton, who just happens to be bleeding.

No time to be fancy here, just have to get him out of the air.

I sprint forward and leap into his path, slamming both fists into the side of his face.

"GOD! What is it with all you psycho-wacky-loony-insane nutjobs coming to MY school? Don't you have a bank to rob or something?"

[Venom160]

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/ScarletSpider-2.jpg


I seem to have been lost in this scuffle.

How the hell have I been lost in this scuffle?!

The student body has it's attention fixed on the rooftop. There's gotta be a way I get in the brawl while protecting my... Peter's... secret identity and getting these two away from the kids.

I scale the building in seconds and see Kaine rocketing through the air towards Anton, who just happens to be bleeding.

No time to be fancy here, just have to get him out of the air.

I sprint forward and leap into his path, slamming both fists into the side of his face.

"GOD! What is it with all you psycho-wacky-loony-insane nutjobs coming to MY school? Don't you have a bank to rob or something?"http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

Thanks Pete I owe ya one....

I get some distance and check out my wounded shoulder.

"**** he took a bit outta me. I don't taste like chicken you ****in jerk!"

I pull a tooth outta my wound and start to web it up.

[Saved]

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/ScarletSpider-2.jpg





I seem to have been lost in this scuffle.

How the hell have I been lost in this scuffle?!

The student body has it's attention fixed on the rooftop. There's gotta be a way I get in the brawl while protecting my... Peter's... secret identity and getting these two away from the kids.

I scale the building in seconds and see Kaine rocketing through the air towards Anton, who just happens to be bleeding.

No time to be fancy here, just have to get him out of the air.

I sprint forward and leap into his path, slamming both fists into the side of his face.

"GOD! What is it with all you psycho-wacky-loony-insane nutjobs coming to MY school? Don't you have a bank to rob or something?"
Contagion, The curse continues Part XV

Kaine's body flies across the roof from the hit. His flight is stopped by the air conditioning unit on the roof, his body slamming into its hard metal side with great force. A few of Kaine's teeth shatter, breaking off and falling to the ground.

Kaine recovers slower than before, the hit effecting him greatly. Kaine moves out from the dent in the machine, standing to his feet. He shakes off the pain, his body numbing itself to the pain.

"Rather risky, Peter." Kaine says as he cracks his neck."But enlighten me," Kaine reaches behind him, grabbing hold of the air condition unit. He pulls it from the roof, holding it in his hand with ease. "Do you ever shut up?!"

Kaine throws the large metal machine toward Ben, hurling it through the air. As the machine closes in toward Ben, Kaine lunges at Anton, distracted as he webs his wounds. He grabs hold of him tightly, his hands clasping the hero by his sides once again. He holds Anton in front of him, using him as a shield.

"Tell me, Peter," Kaine says as he begins to force his hands together, crushing Anton's body in between his arms. "How much do you care for this clone? This...copy of yourself. After all, all us clones do is ruin your life. Why not let him die?" Kaine frowns as his rage consumes him once more, his cruelness reaching its pinnacle. "Why not toss us aside like before! Forget we exist!" Kaine pushes harder on Anton's body, the pressure increasing as he forces his hands closer together. "Ha! Ha! I wonder how much more Arms can take. I mean, he is only a clone. Right, Pete? AM I RIGHT?" Kaine squeezes harder, his grip on the young hero's body tightening. Anton screams out in pain as his body is slowly compressed between Kaine's large slimy hands.

"Show your friends below how much of a hero you are! Show them your courage! Show them your true face!" Kaine roars as a loud crack sounds from Anton's body. "Kill me, hero! KILL ME!"

[Matt Murdock]

Contagion, The curse continues Part XV

Kaine's body flies across the roof from the hit. His flight is stopped by the air conditioning unit on the roof, his body slamming into its hard metal side with great force. A few of Kaine's teeth shatter, breaking off and falling to the ground.

Kaine recovers slower than before, the hit effecting him greatly. Kaine moves out from the dent in the machine, standing to his feet. He shakes off the pain, his body numbing itself to the pain.

"Rather risky, Peter." Kaine says as he cracks his neck."But enlighten me," Kaine reaches behind him, grabbing hold of the air condition unit. He pulls it from the roof, holding it in his hand with ease. "Do you ever shut up?!"

Kaine throws the large metal machine toward Ben, hurling it through the air. As the machine closes in toward Ben, Kaine lunges at Anton, distracted as he webs his wounds. He grabs hold of him tightly, his hands clasping the hero by his sides once again. He holds Anton in front of him, using him as a shield.

"Tell me, Peter," Kaine says as he begins to force his hands together, crushing Anton's body in between his arms. "How much do you care for this clone? This...copy of yourself. After all, all us clones do is ruin your life. Why not let him die?" Kaine frowns as his rage consumes him once more, his cruelness reaching its pinnacle. "Why not toss us aside like before! Forget we exist!" Kaine pushes harder on Anton's body, the pressure increasing as he forces his hands closer together. "Ha! Ha! I wonder how much more Arms can take. I mean, he is only a clone. Right, Pete? AM I RIGHT?" Kaine squeezes harder, his grip on the young hero's body tightening. Anton screams out in pain as his body is slowly compressed between Kaine's large slimy hands.

"Show your friends below how much of a hero you are! Show them your courage! Show them your true face!" Kaine roars as a loud crack sounds from Anton's body. "Kill me, hero! KILL ME!"
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/ScarletSpider-2.jpg


I stare at Kaine for a second. My brother. A lunatic.

For a second, I'm back to being Peter Parker... no clones, no Suit. Just a crazy guy and a bystander. Classic hero game.

"Well..." I slide my hand into my pocket, and my webshooter. "If you INSIST!"

My hand springs out of my pocket, and I fire a webline straight at a damaged pole. I heave it from the air conditioning housing and get it firmly within my grasp. I sprint forward and leap into the air, landing right behind Kaine.

I heave back with all of my might with the pole.

"Swing batta, batta..." I unleash a devastating blow to the side of his head. "SWING!"

[Venom160]

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/ScarletSpider-2.jpg


I stare at Kaine for a second. My brother. A lunatic.

For a second, I'm back to being Peter Parker... no clones, no Suit. Just a crazy guy and a bystander. Classic hero game.

"Well..." I slide my hand into my pocket, and my webshooter. "If you INSIST!"

My hand springs out of my pocket, and I fire a webline straight at a damaged pole. I heave it from the air conditioning housing and get it firmly within my grasp. I sprint forward and leap into the air, landing right behind Kaine.

I heave back with all of my might with the pole.

"Swing batta, batta..." I unleash a devastating blow to the side of his head. "SWING!" http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

Kaine drops me instantly as he stumbles around visibly stunned.

"Ha!"

I sweep kick his legs out from under him and land another kick to his mouth take great pleasure in feeling acouple of his teeth break. I quickly get some distance away from him as I hear police sirens approaching.

Oh now they ****in show up.....

[Saved]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

Kaine drops me instantly as he stumbles around visibly stunned.

"Ha!"

I sweep kick his legs out from under him and land another kick to his mouth take great pleasure in feeling acouple of his teeth break. I quickly get some distance away from him as I hear police sirens approaching.

Oh now they ****in show up.....
Contagion, The curse continues Part XVI

Kaine roars and yells in pain, holding his head in agony as he writhes on the roof. He falls to one knee, his hands clasping his skull as he recovers from the powerful hits.

"You bastards!" He yells in rage. "That hurt! That ****ing hurt!"

As the two clones celebrate their victory with shared smiles, Kaine continues to rub his wounds, hoping the pain will subside. As his yells subside, the battleground begins to grow quiet.

Kaine soon brushes off the pain, its pangs still lingering on his skin. He looks up to the two heroes, staring at them as they prepare to fight. Kaine growls agressively, his mind filling with evil thoughts. Suddenly, the sound of police cars fills the air. Kaine hears the sound of tires screeching, and the sound of doors opening.

He smiles, his toothy grin projected through the suit. Anton and Ben look at Kaine, and than at each other, knowing exactly what Kaine is thinking. They run toward him, hoping to stop him before the face, but it is too late. With a large jump, Kaine is off into the air, and soon decending toward the street below.

***

"Stay back!" One of the policemen yells to the teens outside. "We've got this covered."

"Get the left side, Johnny. I got this one." He says, taking his gun out of the holster as another police car pulls up behind him.

As they move into positions, they stare at the roof above, hearing the sounds of roars and screams. Suddenly, a large dark object moves from the roof into the air.

"Holy ****! What is that?" One of them yells.

The object falls to the ground, hitting the road with tremendous force, breaking through the asphalt and sending pieces of rock into the air. Before the police know it, they stand face to face with a monster. A beast of unforgiving might, a creature of no mercy.

"Whoah, damn!" The policeman says, pointing his gun toward the creature. "Uh...don't move. Freeze!"

"Guns?" It scoffs. "Do you think that will stop me?"

"Hands in the air! Now!"

"Go on." It taunts. "Shoot me. See what happens."

"I warned you, stay back!" He shouts. Kaine smiles as he slowly walks toward the nervous policemen, showing no reguard for his threats. "I warned you!" He yells, pulling the trigger. Soon, three bullets embed themselves in the monster's chest. The beast continues moving, unaffected and uninjured. As it draws nearer, the bullets drop from its skin, falling to the ground with a high pitched 'ding'.

"Oh God..." The policeman says in fear.

"Not God..." It says with a smile. "The devil!" It grabs the policeman's head tightly in its fist, crushing the man's skull like a clump of dirt. Blood spills out from his fingers, and drips to the ground like rain during a storm. The other policemen begin to fire on the beast, opening their unrelenting asault.

Just as before, the bullets have no affect, sinking into the monster's skin only to be spit out and tossed aside. The creature drops the body to the ground, the man's head crushed like a soda can. It moves to one of the police cars as the bullets fly through the air. Laughs as it grabs the car, it sinks its fingers through the metal structure. It lifts the car above its head, and yells in pleasure.

"Tell me, Peter! How many more must die!" It turns its head, his eyes caught by the crowd of students watching from a close distance. He grins as he lifts back, winding his arms up. With great strength, he hurls the car toward the teens, laughing as it moves through the air.

[Venom160]

Contagion, The curse continues Part XVI

Kaine roars and yells in pain, holding his head in agony as he writhes on the roof. He falls to one knee, his hands clasping his skull as he recovers from the powerful hits.

"You bastards!" He yells in rage. "That hurt! That ****ing hurt!"

As the two clones celebrate their victory with shared smiles, Kaine continues to rub his wounds, hoping the pain will subside. As his yells subside, the battleground begins to grow quiet.

Kaine soon brushes off the pain, its pangs still lingering on his skin. He looks up to the two heroes, staring at them as they prepare to fight. Kaine growls agressively, his mind filling with evil thoughts. Suddenly, the sound of police cars fills the air. Kaine hears the sound of tires screeching, and the sound of doors opening.

He smiles, his toothy grin projected through the suit. Anton and Ben look at Kaine, and than at each other, knowing exactly what Kaine is thinking. They run toward him, hoping to stop him before the face, but it is too late. With a large jump, Kaine is off into the air, and soon decending toward the street below.

***

"Stay back!" One of the policemen yells to the teens outside. "We've got this covered."

"Get the left side, Johnny. I got this one." He says, taking his gun out of the holster as another police car pulls up behind him.

As they move into positions, they stare at the roof above, hearing the sounds of roars and screams. Suddenly, a large dark object moves from the roof into the air.

"Holy ****! What is that?" One of them yells.

The object falls to the ground, hitting the road with tremendous force, breaking through the asphalt and sending pieces of rock into the air. Before the police know it, they stand face to face with a monster. A beast of unforgiving might, a creature of no mercy.

"Whoah, damn!" The policeman says, pointing his gun toward the creature. "Uh...don't move. Freeze!"

"Guns?" It scoffs. "Do you think that will stop me?"

"Hands in the air! Now!"

"Go on." It taunts. "Shoot me. See what happens."

"I warned you, stay back!" He shouts. Kaine smiles as he slowly walks toward the nervous policemen, showing no reguard for his threats. "I warned you!" He yells, pulling the trigger. Soon, three bullets embed themselves in the monster's chest. The beast continues moving, unaffected and uninjured. As it draws nearer, the bullets drop from its skin, falling to the ground with a high pitched 'ding'.

"Oh God..." The policeman says in fear.

"Not God..." It says with a smile. "The devil!" It grabs the policeman's head tightly in its fist, crushing the man's skull like a clump of dirt. Blood spills out from his fingers, and drips to the ground like rain during a storm. The other policemen begin to fire on the beast, opening their unrelenting asault.

Just as before, the bullets have no affect, sinking into the monster's skin only to be spit out and tossed aside. The creature drops the body to the ground, the man's head crushed like a soda can. It moves to one of the police cars as the bullets fly through the air. Laughs as it grabs the car, it sinks its fingers through the metal structure. It lifts the car above its head, and yells in pleasure.

"Tell me, Peter! How many more must die!" It turns its head, his eyes caught by the crowd of students watching from a close distance. He grins as he lifts back, winding his arms up. With great strength, he hurls the car toward the teens, laughing as it moves through the air.http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

"No!"

I fire six weblines each snagging a differant section of the car. The force of the moving car throws me onto my stomach.

"Oh ****...."

I bring my leg up infront of me as im dragged across the roof.

"oh **** oh **** oh ****!"

My feet collides with the raised ledge at the edge of the roof. The webs starts to strech, I tighten my grip and push against the ledge.

"Come on come on! Please don't snap....."

I webs finally starts to loosen up as the webs halts the car's momentum.

"Here Kaine take it back!"

I pull on all six arms and push off with my legs cause the car to slingshot back on Kaine. The car smashes into him and send him flying through the wall and into the school.

[Saved]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

"No!"

I fire six weblines each snagging a differant section of the car. The force of the moving car throws me onto my stomach.

"Oh ****...."

I bring my leg up infront of me as im dragged across the roof.

"oh **** oh **** oh ****!"

My feet collides with the raised ledge at the edge of the roof. The webs starts to strech, I tighten my grip and push against the ledge.

"Come on come on! Please don't snap....."

I webs finally starts to loosen up as the webs halts the car's momentum.

"Here Kaine take it back!"

I pull on all six arms and push off with my legs cause the car to slingshot back on Kaine. The car smashes into him and send him flying through the wall and into the school.
Contagion, The curse continues Part XVII

As Kaine crashes through the brick wall of the school, the car follows suit, slamming his body deeper into the building. Smoke shoots out as the wall collapses on Kaine, showering him in bricks and debris.

A silence falls on the battle field as the rubble stops falling, and the smoke grows thicker, lifting higher into the air. Through the smoke shines the dull lights of the police car, acting like a beacon in the blinding dust. The siren of the police cars makes a final dying whine as a piece of wall falls on the car, crushing its speakers.

Moments pass as the tension slowly subsides. Nothing stirs from the school's damaged wall, no sound's come from the hole. All that can be seen is the flashing of the lights. The policemen cautiously walk closer to the area, their guns extended in front of them.

Following behind, the civilians approach the scene. They stand at a close distance, trying to catch a glimpse of the wreckage. Liz stares in shock, her body slowly relaxing as she falls at ease. Kong holds onto her tightly, her body shaking from the turmoil. Flash limps up behind the two, an expression of relief on his face.

"It's over?" He asks in a quiet voice.

"I...I think it is..." Kong responds in disbelief.

"So...that other guy in the black suit got him?"

"Tarantula..." Kong says, his eyes still focused on the cloud of dust.

"Dude...that guy's a hero!" Flash says, patting Kong on the back with his injured arm. "Holy ****! Ow! Ow! Ow!" He cries in pain holding his arm tightly. Kong looks over his shoulder and laughs at his friends stupidity.

"Still as thick skulled as ever, huh Flash?" He chuckles. Kong looks down at Liz, her body still tense. "You okay, Liz?"

"Peter..." She responds.

"What do you mean?"

"I saw him, Kong." She says worried. "He...saved me."

"No, Liz, that was Tarantula. Guy's a hero!"

"No...it was Peter." She mutters softly. Kong looks up to the roof, brushing off Liz's comment as a dillusion from the excitment. He sees Anton peer out from the top of the roof, standing proudly over the hole in the school wall. Kong throws his arm up in the air, and begins to chant.

"Tarantula! Tarantula! Tarantula!" The crowd of people around him slowly begin to follow, chanting his name and throwing their hands in the air with gratitude. Anton stands with pride, looking out over his adoring fans. He looks back to Ben, his smile so wide it shows through his tattered mask.

"I could get used to this."

"Tarantula! Tarantula! Tarantula!" The crowd screams.

"Oh my God!" Someone from the crowd screams. "It's alive!" The crowd's chanting suddenly dies as the look toward the hole. Surprised, they see Kaine standing hunched, his body breathing heavily.

"Alive?" Kaine questions. "I'm ****ing angry!"

Kaine looks up at Anton, peering over the side of the building. He throws his arm up in the air and fires a tendril toward the hero. The tendril wraps around Anton's neck, securely taking hold. Kaine pulls down on the line with great force, pulling Anton from the roof and sending him, head first, into the ground.

"You've disgraced me for the last time, brother!" Kaine roars as he releases his tendril from Anton's neck. Kaine walks quickly over to Anton's body. He lifts his foot in the air, and stomps down onto Anton's back, driving his body deeper into the conrete sidewalk.

"Now who's name were you chanting? This piece of filth's? He's gum under my shoe! A minor annoyance!" Kaine laughs as he grinds Anton into the ground, abrasively rubbing his fleshy skin into the hard unforgiving sidewalk.

"You think I can be beaten? You thought it was over?" Kaine asks the crowd, snarling and salavating like a rabid dog. "It's over when I stand over your cold, dead, bloody bodies! It's over when I crush Parker's head between my fingers! It's over when I...kill...you...all!"

Kaine fires multiple tendrils from his arms, sending them like snakes into the ground. The tentacles find their targets, randomly wrapping around a body and squeezing tightly, sucking the life from their victim. Kaine laughs loudly over the screams of terror, cackling evily and reveling in his revenge.

"Come on, Parker! Stop hiding! Come see what you've created! See the monster you fear to face!" Kaine taunts angrily. "Come face yourself!"

[Catman_prb]

Reed Richards

Reed stared as the Black Knight slayed the dragon. That was a specimen he had never seen before! It may even be a completely new species that was now extinct. The unbridled rage that was building up stopped Reed from saying anything, other than a small high pitched whine. As the Black Knight talked to Ben and Johnny, Reed dropped to his knees, close to tears at the loss of this new being. He pulled a clipboard out of his backpack, making notes on the monster before him.

As Johnny flew off into the sky to do something...irritating and showboating Reed decided, he felt a buzz from inside his jacket. He pulled the mobile out of his pocket and put it to his ear.

"Reed? This is Fury," Nick Fury's voice came down the line "Have you got rid of the giant lizard yet?"

"Fury! I want to make a complaint! Some hotshot calling himself Black Knight just turned up and killed the creature! I haven't even had a chance to analyse it yet," Reed said. Sue waved at him, and Reed put his hand over the phone.

"Yes dear?" he said.

"Are you talking to General Fury?"

"Yes, I am,"

"How? I got patched through to some Agent Hill woman!"

"I have a private line," Reed said dismissively and put the phone back to his ear as Sue looked outraged.

"Richards do you hear me, godammit? I need the Fantastic Four at Midtown High School in Queens now! I have no agents over there and some meta-powered hostage situation,"

"Okay, send a SHIELD helicopter over,"

"It should already be there Richards," Fury said as the helicopter came into view, the wind whipping Reed's hair back "Don't let me down on this Reed. If you can sort this out for me, I may well be able to swing you the funds to rebuild the Baxter Building,"

"Understood General. Mr. Fantastic out,"

"Don't call yourself that Richards, you sound like a 5 year old," Fury said, hanging up. Reed rolled his eyes and turned around to the helicopter, where the SHIELD agent was beckoning to Reed and Sue.

"Ready for a little trip honey?" he said. He cowered slightly under her withering glare, and got on the helicopter.

[SenseiofCheese]

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/thingsk7.jpg

Ben waved as the Black Knight made his way down the street before turning to Reed and Sue. He took a quick glance at the massive lizard that now lay dead.

"Phews, that smells like one a Johnny's dates." Ben said to Sue, with a grimace on his face. Reed was on the phone, no doubt talking to some bigshot.

Suddenly a whirring that had started out in the distance came closer and closer, growing louder and louder until a jet black helicopter was hovering above the Fantastic Four...or three, Ben thought, realizing Johnny had left.
Reed stood up and walked over to Ben and Sue, putting his cellphone away.

"Are we going 'ta Disney Land?" Ben asked jokingly, finding himself in the mood to kick some more ass.

[Catman_prb]

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/thingsk7.jpg



Ben waved as the Black Knight made his way down the street before turning to Reed and Sue. He took a quick glance at the massive lizard that now lay dead.



"Phews, that smells like one a Johnny's dates." Ben said to Sue, with a grimace on his face. Reed was on the phone, no doubt talking to some bigshot.



Suddenly a whirring that had started out in the distance came closer and closer, growing louder and louder until a jet black helicopter was hovering above the Fantastic Four...or three, Ben thought, realizing Johnny had left.


Reed stood up and walked over to Ben and Sue, putting his cellphone away.



"Are we going 'ta Disney Land?" Ben asked jokingly, finding himself in the mood to kick some more ass.


"More like High School," Reed said "I was wondering where you had got to Ben. So who is this 'Black Knight'?"

[SenseiofCheese]

"More like High School," Reed said "I was wondering where you had got to Ben. So who is this 'Black Knight'?"

"Oh, you mean Dane? He's ´friggin' awesome, that's who he is." Ben says to Reed, almost taking offense to the question. Catching himself, he coughs and shrugs. "So, erh, where we headed?" Ben asks, hoping to change the subject, as the dust flies off in every direction under the massive helicopter's blades.

[Catman_prb]

"Oh, you mean Dane? He's ´friggin' awesome, that's who he is." Ben says to Reed, almost taking offense to the question. Catching himself, he coughs and shrugs. "So, erh, where we headed?" Ben asks, hoping to change the subject, as the dust flies off in every direction under the massive helicopter's blades.
Reed raised his eyebrows. So Ben had obviously formed some kind of connection with this...Dane...character. Interesting.
"Midtown High School, Queens. It seems there is some kind of meta villain taking the children hostage...so General Fury has asked us to go in and sort it out," Reed said, slightly jealous of Ben's new friend.

[SenseiofCheese]

Reed raised his eyebrows. So Ben had obviously formed some kind of connection with this...Dane...character. Interesting.
"Midtown High School, Queens. It seems there is some kind of meta villain taking the children hostage...so General Fury has asked us to go in and sort it out," Reed said, slightly jealous of Ben's new friend.

Ben nodded silently at Reed. Sure would be nice, Ben thought, to have someone on a motorcycle with a lightsaber come and help out. Chuckling to himself, Ben looked at both Sue and Reed before cracking his knuckles.

"Go in, save tha day, get out? Sounds good 'ta me."

[Catman_prb]

Ben nodded silently at Reed. Sure would be nice, Ben thought, to have someone on a motorcycle with a lightsaber come and help out. Chuckling to himself, Ben looked at both Sue and Reed before cracking his knuckles.

"Go in, save tha day, get out? Sounds good 'ta me."
"The usual deal then," Reed said, as the Fantastic Three got on the helicopter. The SHIELD agent that was piloting closed the door and flew off without saying anything. Reed assumed that they had been breifed not to talk to any heroes...or villains for that matter. A shoot-on-sight policy probably. Reed leaned back and rubbed his eyelids. Still no progress on the Kaine problem; no idea where he is and no way to stop the contagion. It was getting to the point where he should inform SHIELD of the situation.

"Sir," came the prompt from the agent. Reed opened his eyes. The door was open again and he could see a High School football field below him. Dozens of children were scattered around a figure in a black suit. Tentacles were coming out of him, choking his victims. The thought hit him like a brick in the head. The Venom Suit. It had a new wearer. This was much more dangerous than he had thought. SHIELD agents were aiming at him from the air, but Reed waved a hand before they could fire.

"No. You'll hit the civillians. And I don't think it will do much good anyway,"

"Kaine! Stop this!" came a cry. Kaine.

"Oh good God no," Reed whispered. Without waiting for the helicopter to set down, Reed jumped out of his seat and out of the open door. He expanded his body, making it almost flat against the wind. He landed on his feet, returning his body to normal.

"Kaine I presume," Reed said, enlarging his fist and punching a shocked Kaine in the face.

[Saved]

"The usual deal then," Reed said, as the Fantastic Three got on the helicopter. The SHIELD agent that was piloting closed the door and flew off without saying anything. Reed assumed that they had been breifed not to talk to any heroes...or villains for that matter. A shoot-on-sight policy probably. Reed leaned back and rubbed his eyelids. Still no progress on the Kaine problem; no idea where he is and no way to stop the contagion. It was getting to the point where he should inform SHIELD of the situation.

"Sir," came the prompt from the agent. Reed opened his eyes. The door was open again and he could see a High School football field below him. Dozens of children were scattered around a figure in a black suit. Tentacles were coming out of him, choking his victims. The thought hit him like a brick in the head. The Venom Suit. It had a new wearer. This was much more dangerous than he had thought. SHIELD agents were aiming at him from the air, but Reed waved a hand before they could fire.

"No. You'll hit the civillians. And I don't think it will do much good anyway,"

"Kaine! Stop this!" came a cry. Kaine.

"Oh good God no," Reed whispered. Without waiting for the helicopter to set down, Reed jumped out of his seat and out of the open door. He expanded his body, making it almost flat against the wind. He landed on his feet, returning his body to normal.

"Kaine I presume," Reed said, enlarging his fist and punching a shocked Kaine in the face.
Contagion, The curse continues Part XIX

Kaine stumbles backward, caught off guard by the attack. His foot lifts off Anton's body as he moves back a few steps, his mouth dripping saliva from its sharp fangs. As Kaine recovers, he begins to laugh, turning his face toward the elastic hero.

"Reed Richards..." Kaine hisses. "I didn't expect to see you here." Kaine squeezes his tentacles harder, slowly breaking the bones of the students caught in his grasp. "I'm afraid you're a little late. There won't be anyone left to save in a few minutes."

Anton grogily comes to, his body injured from Kaine's crushing press. He lifts himself off of the ground wish his arms, struggling to stand. Before he can react, Kaine's foot slams into his back, pushing him back down into the concrete.

"You're welcome to stop me, Richards" He says with a loud cackle. "If you want to die, that is..."

[SenseiofCheese]

Contagion, The curse continues Part XIX

Kaine stumbles backward, caught off guard by the attack. His foot lifts off Anton's body as he moves back a few steps, his mouth dripping saliva from its sharp fangs. As Kaine recovers, he begins to laugh, turning his face toward the elastic hero.

"Reed Richards..." Kaine hisses. "I didn't expect to see you here." Kaine squeezes his tentacles harder, slowly breaking the bones of the students caught in his grasp. "I'm afraid you're a little late. There won't be anyone left to save in a few minutes."

Anton grogily comes to, his body injured from Kaine's crushing press. He lifts himself off of the ground wish his arms, struggling to stand. Before he can react, Kaine's foot slams into his back, pushing him back down into the concrete.

"You're welcome to stop me, Richards" He says with a loud cackle. "If you want to die, that is..."

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/thingsk7.jpg

The very moment the words leave Kaine's mouth, Ben's feet touch the ground.

Having ignored Sue's plead to be careful, Ben had hurled himself out of the carrier. As the wind slammed against his face and the ground rushed up to meet him, Ben couldn't help but wonder....Why were they fighting a black Spider-Man?

THRAKOOOOOM

Ben hit the ground, sending a massive quake in all directions. Everyone who wasn't already on their knees were now, as even Reed and Kaine stumbled.

" 'Scuse me. We just killed somethin' a lot bigger than you twerp..." Ben called to the black suited stranger. "..so unless you want a me-sized bruise, I suggest you stop stealing other heroes' outfits and let these kids go."

[Saved]

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/thingsk7.jpg

The very moment the words leave Kaine's mouth, Ben's feet touch the ground.

Having ignored Sue's plead to be careful, Ben had hurled himself out of the carrier. As the wind slammed against his face and the ground rushed up to meet him, Ben couldn't help but wonder....Why were they fighting a black Spider-Man?

THRAKOOOOOM

Ben hit the ground, sending a massive quake in all directions. Everyone who wasn't already on their knees were now, as even Reed and Kaine stumbled.

" 'Scuse me. We just killed somethin' a lot bigger than you twerp..." Ben called to the black suited stranger. "..so unless you want a me-sized bruise, I suggest you stop stealing other heroes' outfits and let these kids go."
Contagion, The curse continues Part XX

"Twerp?" Kaine asks, looking down at the orange brick textured creation in front of him. "Oh I get it," Kaine says with a chuckle. "That was a joke." Kaine laughs obnoxiously, his sarcastic cackle echoing off the broken and damaged area around him. Kaine's laugh is suddenly cut short, ending with an abrubt halt. "I mean, you couldn't possibly be challenging me, right?" Kaine questions. Ben simply slams his fists together, grunting as he prepares to engage.

"Fine." Kaine says with a growl. "You both can die."

Kaine grabs Anton's beaten body with his foot, tossing him into the air like a rag doll. Reaching out, Kaine grabs Anton around the waist, his body limp as he slowly awakens.

"But before we start, let's play my favorite game." Kaine snickers. He throws his arm back, winding up as his muscles tensen. With great strength, Kaine throws Anton's body into the helicopter hovering a few hundred feet in the air. "Catch!"

Taking advantage of the two hero's distraction, Kaine grabs Reed. Using his body like a whip, he strikes Grimm with his comrade's body. Reed's flexible body wraps around Ben, entangling himself on his friend. Kaine pulls back on the part of Reed's body he holds tightly in his fingers and begins to spin. Letting go abrubtly, he throws the two heroes through the hole in the side of the school, sending their bodies crashing through walls and stairs.

"Too easy." He mocks. Kaine steps out further, walking out into the road. He turns around and stares at the rooftop, looking for Peter. "Come on, Parker. Stop hiding! Face me!" Kaine waits, hearing no response. He grunts in anger, dissapointed by the hero. Kaine lifts his tendrils holding onto the children hostage higher into the air, raising them higher than the roof of the school.

"Alright then. You just made things more complicated!" Kaine releases his hold on the teens, flinging their bodies into the air all at once. He retracts the tendrils into his body, slithering back to their host and dissapearing beneath the skin of the suit. The students scream in fear as they begin to fall, plumeting to the hard ground below.

"Come on, Parker. You wouldn't let them die, now would you? Show them your face!"

[Matt Murdock]

Contagion, The curse continues Part XX

"Twerp?" Kaine asks, looking down at the orange brick textured creation in front of him. "Oh I get it," Kaine says with a chuckle. "That was a joke." Kaine laughs obnoxiously, his sarcastic cackle echoing off the broken and damaged area around him. Kaine's laugh is suddenly cut short, ending with an abrubt halt. "I mean, you couldn't possibly be challenging me, right?" Kaine questions. Ben simply slams his fists together, grunting as he prepares to engage.

"Fine." Kaine says with a growl. "You both can die."

Kaine grabs Anton's beaten body with his foot, tossing him into the air like a rag doll. Reaching out, Kaine grabs Anton around the waist, his body limp as he slowly awakens.

"But before we start, let's play my favorite game." Kaine snickers. He throws his arm back, winding up as his muscles tensen. With great strength, Kaine throws Anton's body into the helicopter hovering a few hundred feet in the air. "Catch!"

Taking advantage of the two hero's distraction, Kaine grabs Reed. Using his body like a whip, he strikes Grimm with his comrade's body. Reed's flexible body wraps around Ben, entangling himself on his friend. Kaine pulls back on the part of Reed's body he holds tightly in his fingers and begins to spin. Letting go abrubtly, he throws the two heroes through the hole in the side of the school, sending their bodies crashing through walls and stairs.

"Too easy." He mocks. Kaine steps out further, walking out into the road. He turns around and stares at the rooftop, looking for Peter. "Come on, Parker. Stop hiding! Face me!" Kaine waits, hearing no response. He grunts in anger, dissapointed by the hero. Kaine lifts his tendrils holding onto the children hostage higher into the air, raising them higher than the roof of the school.

"Alright then. You just made things more complicated!" Kaine releases his hold on the teens, flinging their bodies into the air all at once. He retracts the tendrils into his body, slithering back to their host and dissapearing beneath the skin of the suit. The students scream in fear as they begin to fall, plumeting to the hard ground below.

"Come on, Parker. You wouldn't let them die, now would you? Show them your face!"
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/ScarletSpider-2.jpg


Hero time.

I back away from Kaine in surprise, edging closer and closer to the side of the building. With surprising accuracy, I place my foot just on the edge and feel myself teeter.

"No!" I say, whimpering, putting on a show for the kids below. "Don't hit me with one of those things!"

My head snaps back, as I pretend to get hit by a tendril. The weak bricks under my feet crumble and I fall backwards.

"SPIDER-GUY! HELP!" I scream like a girl.

Sorry about your popularity, Pete... or lack thereof... but sometimes you've just gotta act like a wimp.

Anton glances down at me. It's then that I seize my opportunity. I whip my hand out of my pocket and create a net of webbing to catch the other people falling, while also making a hole big enough for me to fall through. Before the line breaks, I slide my wrist through the shooter, leaving my forearm bear.

"OOF!"

I land on the grass with a hard, but not really painful, thud. I roll onto my side and Liz Allen comes to my side.

"Pete!" She says, clutching my head. "Are you okay?"

"Nnng. Headache." She taps my head and finds blood at the back of my skull.

"I'll be fine..."

I wearily get to my feet.

"Some knight in shining armor."

Liz gives him an angry glare as I catch my breath against the wall.

"I just watch a lotta cop shows. That's all, Liz."

Her head bobs in approval. I glance up at the Fantastic Four in awe.

"I wish I could have one of their autographs."

Liz and her posse stalk away, headed home to show their loved ones their alright.

"Finally!" I say angrily.

I burst into the school and beeline for the locker room. I snatch my costume and things up into my arms and bolt through a back exit. I leap into a bush, change in seconds and fire a webline out.

"Heads up!" I cry, as I soar through the air towards the top of the building.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/RPG%20Images/Scarlet01.gif

"Big time superhero, coming through!"

[SenseiofCheese]

Rubble collapses down onto Ben and Reed, the two heroes lying beneath broken walls and concrete. Both grumble in pain, as Ben let's out a rough cough. Looking down he sees Reed still wrapped around his mid-section.

"I've never felt so close to ya, Stretch."

Realizing they're both trapped under what must be and entire floor, Ben sighs as he prepares himself for the challenge. "I'd tell ya I was gonna kick his asss.." Ben mutters to Reed as his palms meet the concrete, his hands pressed flat up against it. Ben lets out a grunt as he presses up. "....HNNNNg...but Sue just saw this clown hurt you. I almost feel sorry for him." Ben finishes, before pushing with all his might. He closes his eyes and is instantly transported in his mind's eye. This is where he is untouchable. This is where nothing can get at him. This is where he is not a freak, he is not abominable, he is not a monster.


It's here, under a ton of rubble after just having been thrown through a wall by a crazed supervillain, that he is Ben Grimm. The Thing.


And it's clobberin' time.


"HNNNNNNGGGGYAAAA!!!!" Ben screams out as the flat bed of rock that had collapsed down on them gets forced off the two.

[Gallagher]

Contagion, The curse continues Part XX

"Twerp?" Kaine asks, looking down at the orange brick textured creation in front of him. "Oh I get it," Kaine says with a chuckle. "That was a joke." Kaine laughs obnoxiously, his sarcastic cackle echoing off the broken and damaged area around him. Kaine's laugh is suddenly cut short, ending with an abrubt halt. "I mean, you couldn't possibly be challenging me, right?" Kaine questions. Ben simply slams his fists together, grunting as he prepares to engage.

"Fine." Kaine says with a growl. "You both can die."

Kaine grabs Anton's beaten body with his foot, tossing him into the air like a rag doll. Reaching out, Kaine grabs Anton around the waist, his body limp as he slowly awakens.

"But before we start, let's play my favorite game." Kaine snickers. He throws his arm back, winding up as his muscles tensen. With great strength, Kaine throws Anton's body into the helicopter hovering a few hundred feet in the air. "Catch!"

Taking advantage of the two hero's distraction, Kaine grabs Reed. Using his body like a whip, he strikes Grimm with his comrade's body. Reed's flexible body wraps around Ben, entangling himself on his friend. Kaine pulls back on the part of Reed's body he holds tightly in his fingers and begins to spin. Letting go abrubtly, he throws the two heroes through the hole in the side of the school, sending their bodies crashing through walls and stairs.

"Too easy." He mocks. Kaine steps out further, walking out into the road. He turns around and stares at the rooftop, looking for Peter. "Come on, Parker. Stop hiding! Face me!" Kaine waits, hearing no response. He grunts in anger, dissapointed by the hero. Kaine lifts his tendrils holding onto the children hostage higher into the air, raising them higher than the roof of the school.

"Alright then. You just made things more complicated!" Kaine releases his hold on the teens, flinging their bodies into the air all at once. He retracts the tendrils into his body, slithering back to their host and dissapearing beneath the skin of the suit. The students scream in fear as they begin to fall, plumeting to the hard ground below.

"Come on, Parker. You wouldn't let them die, now would you? Show them your face!"

"Leave the kids alone..." Susan Storm glared into the eyes of the black suited Kaine, keeping one hand firmly steady lowering the pupils back to the ground in a telekenetic bubble. As soon as they were safe the two lunged at each other, Sue balling her hand as tight as she could, projecting a forcefield acting as an armored glove, crashing into the black entity's body as they collided in the air.

"What scumbag attacks a school!? Norman Osborn you aren't you little... ARGH hold still."

[Saved]

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x90/Edge_027/RPG%20banners/UltimateKainebanner2.jpg

Contagion, The curse continues Part XXI

Kaine watches the events take place before his eyes, happening too fast for him to comprehend. He sees the children get saved, the other civilians rushed off to safety. He sees Peter dissapear once again, heading off into the school in a sprint.

To his surprise, Susan Storm walks up to Kaine, standing in front of him without fear. She holds her hands out, holding thei in a certain position as she activates her forceshields.

"You're not going anywhere, ugly." She says with a smirk.

Kaine growls at the couragous hero, his teeth dangling jaggedly from his lips. His attention is suddenly diverted by a noise from behind. Slowly, he turns to face the origin of the sound. To his surprise, he sees Reed and Ben Grimm walking out amidst the smoke, exiting through the large broken school wall.

"You're a serious threat, Kaine. We can't let you escape."

"Heh. It's clobberin' time, bud."

Kaine sneers viciously, his anger increasing as he sees the heroes regrouping from his attacks. Before he can attack, he hears another noise, the sound of a body landing on the concrete ground. He looks over his shoulder to see Anton slowly rising from his landing. He stands ready, poised to fight with an immistakable sense of courage.

"Yeah, scabby. This isn't over yet. You're staying right here."

Kaine growls again, his tone deepening as his rage grows. He hears a clicking noise from the sky above. In only seconds, he hears the sound of a body hitting the ground once again, and he frowns in dissapointment. He turns his head back to face his front, and to his surprise, he sees Ben Reilly, fully suited in his scarlet spider outfit.

Reilly smiles beneath his mask, its so apparent, that anyone who looks can tell. Kaine moves his fingers in the air nervously, his body cornered in the middle of a circle of heroes.

"This ends now, Kaine. You're going to pay for what you did here today."

"Reilly..." he growls in anger, taken off guard by the arrival of the new hero. "Amazing!" Kaine yells, his voice making a terrifying hiss. "I can't tell what's harder to break with you heroes. Your bodies, or your spirit."

"You started this."

"Now we're finishing it."


"Good! Do it, heroes! Let's see what you're all really made of!"

[Charlie No-One]

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/9941/witchjv9.jpg



Wanda got off the motorcycle. The air was crisp and warm. Odors of smoke and burning asphalt filled her nostrils. Around her was mass destruction. Buildings were reduced to ruble, cars smashed into tiny little pieces. It was like chaos ran through this city. Hours ago, she enjoyed the vibrant lights and breathtaking sights of downtown Manhattan. This wasn’t New York. This was hell.

Iron Man stood a few feet in front of her, the ground cracked and damaged around his armored boots. Pietro was already on scene, as well as Black Widow and Captain America. They seemed to be fighting a massive winged creature. The absence of light that came with the night shielded him from her view. Any recognizable details were impossible to determine.

The beast flew upward. Its metallic winged apparatus fluttered furiously in the air. It shot into the sky, circling about a mile up. Wanda backed away, squinting her eyes to see what it was up to. The rest of the Ultimates seemed equally as confused. Suddenly, the roaring sound of its broad wings stopped. The creature’s silhouette seemed to hold in the air for a second before the reality of the situation clicked into Wanda’s head. It was planning a smack down maneuver. Its weight and size would cause a significant amount of damage to the area.

Wanda had to stop it. Lifting her hands, she began to channel her energy into her palms. Just then, the memories of Club Typhoid came rushing back to her. What if things went hay-wire again? What if she screwed up? Her eyes darted to her hands, as if a sign would be there. She needed help. She was the only one who do anything in this situation. Iron Man couldn’t stop the creature’s momentum in time before it hit the ground. But could she risk it?

What is your problem? Just do it! We can do this girl!

Fire shot through her mind. Images of her colleagues’ lifeless body appeared vividly in her brain. Their corpses were crushed and mutilated. Puss and thick crimson blood covered a beat-up ruin of a street. Bones and filthy excrement adorned the piles of debris. What was she seeing? Was this the future? She could hear laughing. Tons and tons of laughing. Who was it? Another image filled her head. Pietro. Beautiful Pietro was nailed to the crumbling remnant of a wall. His skin was rough and pale. All the color had left his body. Blood collected in a caliginous puddle at his bare feet. The most terrifying part was his eyes. They were muddled, clouded. She couldn’t see the wild determination that normally held residence there. It was gone.

The sheer shock of this abrupt prophecy caused Wanda to unleash an agonizing scream. With that came unrestrained power. Scarlet energy exploded from her sweaty hands. Blinding. Intense. Words couldn’t even begin describe it accurately enough. As the puissance made contact with the creature, windows from the nearby buildings threw their glass onto the streets. Shards rained forth onto the floor. It brought things back to Club Typhoid. A strong sense of déjà vu overwhelmed her senses. Then time seemed to stop. The beast, who was only seconds ago in the air, was now, along with the rest of the Ultimates, firmly on the ground. The lush green surroundings indicated they were at Central Park.

[Matt Murdock]

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x90/Edge_027/RPG%20banners/UltimateKainebanner2.jpg

Contagion, The curse continues Part XXI

Kaine watches the events take place before his eyes, happening too fast for him to comprehend. He sees the children get saved, the other civilians rushed off to safety. He sees Peter dissapear once again, heading off into the school in a sprint.

To his surprise, Susan Storm walks up to Kaine, standing in front of him without fear. She holds her hands out, holding thei in a certain position as she activates her forceshields.

"You're not going anywhere, ugly." She says with a smirk.

Kaine growls at the couragous hero, his teeth dangling jaggedly from his lips. His attention is suddenly diverted by a noise from behind. Slowly, he turns to face the origin of the sound. To his surprise, he sees Reed and Ben Grimm walking out amidst the smoke, exiting through the large broken school wall.

"You're a serious threat, Kaine. We can't let you escape."

"Heh. It's clobberin' time, bud."

Kaine sneers viciously, his anger increasing as he sees the heroes regrouping from his attacks. Before he can attack, he hears another noise, the sound of a body landing on the concrete ground. He looks over his shoulder to see Anton slowly rising from his landing. He stands ready, poised to fight with an immistakable sense of courage.

"Yeah, scabby. This isn't over yet. You're staying right here."

Kaine growls again, his tone deepening as his rage grows. He hears a clicking noise from the sky above. In only seconds, he hears the sound of a body hitting the ground once again, and he frowns in dissapointment. He turns his head back to face his front, and to his surprise, he sees Ben Reilly, fully suited in his scarlet spider outfit.

Reilly smiles beneath his mask, its so apparent, that anyone who looks can tell. Kaine moves his fingers in the air nervously, his body cornered in the middle of a circle of heroes.

"This ends now, Kaine. You're going to pay for what you did here today."

"Reilly..." he growls in anger, taken off guard by the arrival of the new hero. "Amazing!" Kaine yells, his voice making a terrifying hiss. "I can't tell what's harder to break with you heroes. Your bodies, or your spirit."

"You started this."

"Now we're finishing it."


"Good! Do it, heroes! Let's see what you're all really made of!"

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/ScarletSpider-2.jpg


I smirk from behind my crimson mask."I dunno about anyone else, Kaine, but I'm made up of flesh, blood..."

My muscles surge forward, and I vault into the air, soaring right for him. My fist connects with his jaw, sending particles of The Suit flying.

"And a killer right hook."

My right leg juts forward and slams into Kaine's shins. The other heroes stand tentatively watching as I begin my assault. Part of me doesn't want to fight Kaine, part of me even pities him. The other part of me wants to pound the snot out of him until every bone in his body lies broken. This is my mess, and I'm going to clean it up. Even if it kills me.

How ironic.

I ram my fist into his face, knocking him backwards slightly. A rapid twitch of the fingers sends a spray of webbing into a steel pipe lying on the roof. I spin around and slam the pipe into Kaine's side.

A tendril comes my way and hits my thigh. My face turns into a wince and I wrap a palm around the stray piece of The Suit.

It heaves me in and I roll forwards in midair, landing a spring-kick on Kaine's forehead.

[SenseiofCheese]

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/440px-Ultimate_cap_hed.jpg

It was sheer chaos. There was no word that could adequately describe what was going on. Screams. Lights. Explosions. A massive wave of scarlet energy engulfed the entire battlefield. And like that, everyone was surrounded by the welcoming Central Park.

Steve found himself face down on the ground, his body aching. "Wanda..." he called out, his eyes still burning from the tornado of light. "...Ultimates, Sound off! Is everyone okay?!"

Steve Rogers had seen many friends perish this way. Too many. There was not a force in this world that would stop him from preventing it happening again, as he grunted in pain, raising his body off the ground.

[Catman_prb]

Clint looked around at the tall figures in black around him. There was an electronic countdown, its blaring tone filling the air. Three. He pulled back the string on the bow. Two. He slotted the arrow in place. One. He aimed the arrow. A loud bleep signalled the end of the countdown.

Clint loosed the arrow into the head of one of the black figures who fell backwards and the to the ground. He turned and pulled another arrow from his quiver, firing it into the closest figure, knocking it backwards. As the men closed in, he grabbed one by the head and threw him over his head, knocking over another two. One jumped with a flying kick, Clint stabbed an arrow into his stomach.

Two men grabbed ahold of his quiver, ripping it off and throwing it to the ground. They gripped his forearm, holding him in place. He reached down into his leg sheath, and pulled forth a long bladed knife. He sliced off the hands of both men, then pulled two pistols from holsters on his legs. He span in a circle, firing and hitting all the men as they dropped to the floor. He put the guns back in his pocket as the loud artificial voice shouted:

"Clint Barton - 2 minutes 30 seconds - 3 seconds behind record set by Natasha Romanov. AI shutting down,"

"Flash *****," Clint muttered to himself.

"Clint, where in god's name are you?" Fury's voice shouted over the comms link in his ear, crackling.

"What is it Nick?"

"We're getting murdered out here is what. Azrael is loose in downtown New York and we can't stop him. We need to nip this in the bud now,"

"Okay, I'm on my way. Have a helicopter and my equipment ready,"

"Already done. Get your ass in gear Barton,"

"Yes sir,"

5 Minutes Later - Manhattan

Clint sat near the door of the SHIELD helicopter, as it circled around the island of Manhattan. He looked down the scope of his RPG, hoping to find the silver figure in the carnage below. Then his eye caught a gleam in amonst the debris.

"I see him. Hold her steady," Clint shouted. He held his breath, holding the rocket launcher steady and aiming carefully. He fired, and a stream of smoke came out of the back end, and the small rocket headed towards Azrael. There was a loud boom as it made contact. Clint surveyed the scene, hoping to see a crippled figure perhaps. But instead, the silver beast stood upright. He held up his hand and something shot out. Immediately it hit the helicopter, bringing it down. Clint Barton held on, putting his bow on his back and dropping the RPG.

"You have got to be kidding me," he said through gritted teeth.

[Venom160]

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/440px-Ultimate_cap_hed.jpg

It was sheer chaos. There was no word that could adequately describe what was going on. Screams. Lights. Explosions. A massive wave of scarlet energy engulfed the entire battlefield. And like that, everyone was surrounded by the welcoming Central Park.

Steve found himself face down on the ground, his body aching. "Wanda..." he called out, his eyes still burning from the tornado of light. "...Ultimates, Sound off! Is everyone okay?!"

Steve Rogers had seen many friends perish this way. Too many. There was not a force in this world that would stop him from preventing it happening again, as he grunted in pain, raising his body off the ground.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/quicksilverkh6.jpg

I ignore the nausea and get to my feet.

"...Ultimates, Sound off! Is everyone okay?!"

[COLOR="DimGray"]"Im here...."

I spot Wanda not far away and head over to her. I take her hand and helps her to her feet.

"Wanda.." All anger and jealousy is gone from my voice as I look into my sister's eyes. "....whats happing?"

[Eddie Brock]

"Why that mother..." I said growling. I take back what I said about his self-absorption being attractive.

"So whas' the deal? What's J up to?"

"He wants us to meet him at his apartment. Might be best if were in civvies. Meet us there?"

He and Kate both nodded. I signaled to Bobby to start making a icetrail so we can start slidin' back to the Mansion. He started to wave goodbye to Ted and Kate as they started off.

"It was ice meeting ya."

"Just shut up and go!"

* * *

An hour later...


After a quick change, all four of us gathered at Johnny's door and I knocked...
Opening the door lazily, I stare dully at the assembled group. I'm really starting to have my second thoughts about this whole thing, to be honest. I've been lucky enough to avoid teenage drama by staying out of high school. Why would I willingly bring it upon myself?

"Please, make yourselves at home," I offer indifferently as I move out of their way. The four teenagers shuffle clumsily into the cramped apartment room. It's times like these where I really miss the Baxter. I'm going to need to bug Reed about getting a new home base soon. "There may be drinks in the fridge. I don't know, really. We've sort of been scraping the bottom of the barrel recently."

Ted shrugs and makes his way to the kitchen. Kate follows, but I can tell she's not getting a drink. She just wants to talk to Ted alone - out of my earshot. There's way too much politics involved in this.

I turn back to Kitty and Bobby. I can tell Kitty's still annoyed about my treatment of her - and she may have a right to be - but she's going to have to put that aside for, like, 60 seconds. "Kitty, can we talk for a sec before this 'meeting' begins?" I ask hesitantly.

Kitty nods. "Sure."

I lead Kitty over to the bedrooms as Bobby plops down on my couch. Once I'm sure that he's not listening, I drop the bombshell.

"We're breaking up,"I state bluntly. I'm used to doing this, but not usually to someone so nice. In fact, I actually feel guilty for this one.

Kitty stares in disbelief. "What?"

"Kitty, you know what kind of guy I am," I remind her while putting my hands in my pockets. "Commitment just isn't my 'thing.' I like to be free to do whatever, and I feel like I'm holding us both back."

[Venom160]

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h163/edlewis657/ScarletSpider-2.jpg


I smirk from behind my crimson mask."I dunno about anyone else, Kaine, but I'm made up of flesh, blood..."

My muscles surge forward, and I vault into the air, soaring right for him. My fist connects with his jaw, sending particles of The Suit flying.

"And a killer right hook."

My right leg juts forward and slams into Kaine's shins. The other heroes stand tentatively watching as I begin my assault. Part of me doesn't want to fight Kaine, part of me even pities him. The other part of me wants to pound the snot out of him until every bone in his body lies broken. This is my mess, and I'm going to clean it up. Even if it kills me.

How ironic.

I ram my fist into his face, knocking him backwards slightly. A rapid twitch of the fingers sends a spray of webbing into a steel pipe lying on the roof. I spin around and slam the pipe into Kaine's side.

A tendril comes my way and hits my thigh. My face turns into a wince and I wrap a palm around the stray piece of The Suit.

It heaves me in and I roll forwards in midair, landing a spring-kick on Kaine's forehead.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

I push the pain away and charge Kaine landing a knee to the gut as Ben lands a kick to hir forehead. Kaine roars as Ben lands gently behind him.

"Oh shut up!"

I pull back and slug him right in the mouth knocking out acouple more teeth. Kaine stumbles back walking right into another punch from Ben. We move as one, each knowing the other's moves like the back of our hand. A few minutes pass and we stand side by side staring down a very shaky Kaine.

"Shall we?"

Ben nodes as we charge Kaine once more each landing an uppercut to his chin. Kaine's head snaps back and hes' lifted off his feet and crashes to the ground.

[Eddie Brock]

Hrm?

Am I unconscious or asleep? Worse still...am I dead? No, it can't be the last one. I don't think I'd be thinking so much if it was. So for the sake of argument and peace of mind, I'll rule out the "pushing the daisies" option. Well then, I must be unconscious...or asleep. Aren't you technically unconscious when you're asleep? Why am I worrying about technicalities right now? Okay, Mac, let's think. What's the last thing you remember?

Forge.

Okay, that's a start. You might be gay, but it's a start nonetheless.

I remember Forge and Spiral.

We're doing better now. Let's try to piece it together - 'cause right now, it sounds like something you really don't want to remember.

I remember Forge, Spiral, and I were entering a night club. We were - Ow! Ow! Ow! Headache! - we were tracking all of the crime that was being run from this place. It was a standard mission, and we were supposed to be able to handle it easily. Everything was going great, and then...

Arcade. The last thing I remember is Arcade. He caught us off-guard. He interrupted the mission. He took down Spiral, and then...

Oh.

You're unconscious, then.

Well, this royally blows.

"...are you doing on the floor?"

What's this now?

"Sulking."

Hey, that sounds like me!

"You sulk on the floor?"

"Sure."

Suddenly, an image comes into focus. It seems like a memory, but I don't remember it. It must be another vision - like the ones I have in my dreams. Heh...I call them dreams, but I believe "nightmare" is the apropos term. Anyway, I watch as the image becomes clearer. Mind you, it's still very fuzzy, but I can make out what I'm looking at.

There I am - in a room that I've never seen before - and there's...someone else. I don't recognize her, yet she seems familiar - if that makes any sense in any remote way. In any case, she's really attractive. I don't know if that has any relevance, but I felt that I should make note of it.

"What's this?" I ask her as she hands me a sheet of paper. Why don't I remember this?

"This is a list of everyone who knows you're Spider-Man," she explains.

Spider-Man? That's not right. I'm not Spider-Man. For one thing, we now reside on opposite sides of the continent. There's no way I can be Spider-Man!

I sigh. "Don't."

"I just want to point out to you that--"

"Don't," I repeat, slightly more forcible.

This girl leans down and sits on top of me. I definitely think I would remember that. "--that waaay too many people know you're Spider-Man and it's going to come back to--"

I'm not Spider-Man!

"Bite me. Yeah," I concede. Why don't I remember this?! Did this ever really happen? Is it just another side effect of my condition? God, I hate being schizophrenic. It's nowhere near as cool as TV and movies make it seem.

"Sweetie, I worry," this girl explains in a concerned tone. Well, it's nice to know that someone worries and cares about me - even if she is just a hallucination.

I throw up my arms in defeat. "What am I supposed to do?" I ask her exasperatedly.

She bites her lip. "Be more careful," she suggests.

Okay, I've grown tired of this hallucination. I'd really much rather wake up now, if you don't mind.

"No. I mean about this list. What am I..."

And just as quickly as they appeared, the hallucinations vanish. I once again find myself alone in a dark, empty abyss. It's not the most comforting feeling in the world. Maybe I'd feel a little more assured if I knew what just happened. After all, it's very confusing to have memories from a life that isn't yours.

“So, what is your name again, son?” the familiar voice of Agent Carol Danvers asks. This time, I know what memories I'm sifting through. The only difference is that I have no pictures to accompany the sounds. This time, the voices of months past echo through the darkness uninhibited.

"Macdonald Gargan," I respond obediently.

That's right. Macdonald Gargan.

Not Spider-Man.

[Mr. Marko]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/Cyclone1906/forgeap1.jpg?t=1208885638


"Last night, a crazed mutant gang attacked a small night club in downtown L.A. Though there were several wounded, there were, luckily, no deaths involved in the incident. All surveillance systems were knocked out, so no one knows who these mysterious attackers were, though one man has been taken in for questioning."

Sharon Carter walked into the bedroom as Forge and Spiral lied on the bed, Spiral nursing Forge's shoulder wound. "What the hell happened out there? That was the club you were targeting for a covert operation."

Forge chuckled. "Yeah, well we didn't know that somebody had tabs on us. He came looking for us! I had no choice but to cause a scene." He winced as Spiral finished with the dressing on his shoulder. "We got what we went for. Look." He sat up and turned to his computer alongside the bed. "It looks like this little joint was a very very small branch of a crime ring originating in the Big Apple. Run by a guy named Wilson Fisk. You know they guy?"

Sharon looked at him in disbelief. "You don't? He's only the single greatest crime lord in the history of New York. He was the guy that Hammerhead threw off a building and took over his regime."

Forge looked back at Sharon. "Oh..." He shrugged. "Well, anyways, I pulled a list of his employees and major projects, and it seems like Arcade was a fairly new recruit, hired specifically to find us and give us an offer."

"An offer?"

"Yeah. I don't know what it was about, but he's been looking for us, and I don't think that it will be long before he finds us."

[Saved]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

I push the pain away and charge Kaine landing a knee to the gut as Ben lands a kick to hir forehead. Kaine roars as Ben lands gently behind him.

"Oh shut up!"

I pull back and slug him right in the mouth knocking out acouple more teeth. Kaine stumbles back walking right into another punch from Ben. We move as one, each knowing the other's moves like the back of our hand. A few minutes pass and we stand side by side staring down a very shaky Kaine.

"Shall we?"

Ben nodes as we charge Kaine once more each landing an uppercut to his chin. Kaine's head snaps back and hes' lifted off his feet and crashes to the ground.
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x90/Edge_027/RPG%20banners/UltimateKainebanner2.jpg

Contagion, The curse continues Part XXII

Kaine growns on the ground, lying on his back from the powerful blow of his two brothers. He thrusts his arms on the ground, breaking through the concrete. He lifts himself to his feet slowly, panting and salivating like a wild beast.

"I just want you to know," he starts, wiping his mouth with his large hand. "I'm going to rip you in two! And throw your body to the buzzards!"

"Dude, this is New York. We don't have buzzards here."

Kaine roars and lunges at the two clones. They jump in the air, evading his attack, and land on either side of him.

"Tarantula, you get the front."

"Hit 'em hard and fast, bro!" The two clones run toward Kaine as they prepare for their attack. Suddenly, their strides are interupted by the sound of Reed's voice, shouting out in panic.

"No! Wait you two! STOP!" The two clones jump to evade Kaine, and quickly recover from their last minute evasion.

"What, Reed?"

"Yeah, what gives?"

"Kaine's dangerous." He starts.

"The guy tried to kill a school full of children. I think we got that part."

"No, I mean he's deadly. Contagious. I'm almost positive he doesn't even know." Kaine grunts in confusion, his attention now diverted to Reed's warning.

"Contagious? What do you mean?"

"Ah...dammit, I didn't want to tell people publically...I was hoping I could make this a quick action of containment."

"Containment?!" Anton replies, his voice confused and slightly paniced. "What is Kaine packin' here? Some new STDs?"

"No, Kaine's body has a deficiency. A disease brought about from what I can only hypothosize is a cloning defect."

"Defect?" Kaine roars in rage. "You stupid human fool! I am perfection!"

"Yeah...that giant scar on your face proves it." Ben quips sarcastically.

"The disease Kaine has is...highly contagious. Spread by contact with his skin. It's killed almost twenty people, now. It incubates fast and within ours, kills its host."

"What!?" Anton replies in frustration. "You mean if we touch him we'll get infected?"

"Precisely. You have to stay away from him."

"Wait, how come he's not dead...I mean, you said it kills within hours. He's had it forever." Anton smiles at Kaine. "He's always been our ugly duckling."

"My guess is it's the suit. It's healing his body at a pace fast enough to keep his new cells alive and able to produce more as the old cells die."

"Lies!" Kaine roars, his rage controlling him completely now. "You're lying!"

"Alright, Reed." Ben says, his voice tired and aggravated. "If we can't touch him directly, how far away is safe?"

"I'd say about ten feet at minimum."

"Well...way to be the barer of bad news, Reed. We were having fun before you got here...well...as much fun as getting bit by your deranged diseased brother can be."

"Rrraaagghh! You are liars! All of you! You think I have a defect? I am perfect! I am the pinnacle of what Spider-Man should be! I'll kill you all!"

Kaine lunges at Anton, his arms outstretched in front of him. He swipes his arms swiftly, the large talons and claws at the ends of his fingers sharp and jagged.

Anton jumps around in the air, narrowly missing each of Kaine's attacks. He flips in the air and lands behind Kaine, laughing at his own speed and tact.

"How? Looks like the suit's slowing you down, Kaine. Can't touch this."

"Oh, but I can." Kaine says with an evil smile. A tendril shoots out from his back, its tip sharp and fine. Without warning it jabs at Anton, propelled like a thrown spear. The tendril cuts through Anton's body, exiting through his back and wrapping around his torso, firmly locking into place around him.

The tendril extends, making itself longer. Like a mace, the tendril swings around, using Anton's body as the flail. Before the others can notice, Kaine swings Anton's body into Ben, knocking him to the ground. He then swings it at the others, missing a few but knocking the others too slow to respond down.

Kaine laughs in a deep bellow, his voice almost sounding like two. He releases his tendril's grip of Anton and loosely tosses him in the air. As the tendril returns to Kaine's body, he grabs Anton from the air, grasping him with his hand. He holds Anton in front of him, laughing in his face as his warm moist breath drenches Anton's already sweaty suit.

"You think you're sneaky?" He questions in a calm and brooding voice. "I'll show you sneaky. See my fist?" Kaine asks, raising his other arm close to Anton's head. "Now you don't!"

Suddenly, Kaine releases Anton from his hand. With superhuman speed he swings his other fist toward the hero, hitting him squarely in the side of his head. Anton's body flies through the air before being stopped by the hard surface of the school's exterior wall.

Without wait, Kaine quickly turns to Ben, now rising and rubbing his head from the previous attack. Before he can recover, his eyes see Kaine's leg coming toward his head. Evading fast, he flips backward onto his hands, Kaine's leg missing him by an inch.

As Ben flips back to his feet, he is caught off guard by a powerful swat of Kaine's arm. The back of his hand hits Ben in the chest, and sends him flying through the air like a bullet. His body soon stops its flight as it crashes into a parked car, breaking through the hood and smashing the glass windows.

Kaine laughs with an evil tone, his smile bigger than ever. He turns to the Fantastic Four, smirking widely as he crushes his fist together in his palm. He stares at Reed, looking at his distraught face, continuing to laugh.

"Good move, Reed. Tell them not to touch me. What's your next plan, huh? Tell them to stand still? Ha! Ha! Ha!"

[Saved]

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/6522/spiderpc0.jpg

"Did they have to make a third?"

Peter Parker's cries of agony had been heard with every poorly delivered line on the theater screen, as he and his girlfriend, Mary Jane Watson, finally exited out of one of Queens' local cineplexes. Mary Jane laughed, placing her hands around his shoulders as they walked across the concrete sidewalk.

"Oh, come on. It wasn't that bad. I thought it was kind of, like... touching, actually."

"Seriously, did they have to? I mean, the first was good. The second was fan-frikkin-tastic. But that? They seriously follow it up with that?"

"Apparenatlly they did, sweetie."

"The lead practically bawled in every scene, for crying out loud! Bawled! Not crying, not sobbing, straight-up bawled! I almost want my two fifty back."

"Dollar fifty. We split it, remember?"

"Yeah... don't remind me.", Peter embarassingly replied. "It's bad enough I couldn't afford to take you out to dinner. But having to split a ridiculously low tab?"

Mary Jane smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. "I had fun tonight, Peter. The dinner thing doesn't matter. I got just what I wanted."

Peter rolled his eyes, with a smirk.

"You are so just saying that."

"So not."

"So too."

"So... wow, I can't believe I'm doing this with you."

Peter blinked.

"Yeah, even I was a little surprised."

MJ stuck out her tongue. "Guess your immaturity's beginning to rub off on me."

"Please. You wish you had my complete lack of maturity.", Peter argued, placing his hand around her shoulder.

The two were a bit a silent towards eachother in the next passing moments, as they simultaneously dwelled on the evening. It had been the first date the two had been able to share in months, with all of the craziness in both of their lives. And contrary to what Peter believed would be a disasterous evening, it actually turned out okay, for the most part. Mary Jane was happy. His Aunt May had actually let him skip ahead of his last week of grounding in order to have this. His grades were caught up. And best of all, in the last few weeks... there had been practically nothing to do on the crimefighting front.

For once, it seemed all was going well for Peter Parker.

Just then, Peter's eyes widened, mid-smile to himself, as he felt the faint buzzing in the back of his ears come to a grinding start. He had been so used to not hearing it, lately, that even the sound had begun to be forgotten in his mind. But there it was, just as loud as ever, as MJ whispered something romantic to him with a lustful look in her eyes. But of course, per his luck, he couldn't hear it over the noise of his spider-senses, as he looked around cautiously. MJ looked up, confused.

"Peter? Peter, what's wrong?"

"I-I... uh..."

"Was it something I said?"

Peter's eyebrow shot up, in the panic. Now he really wanted to know what she whispered, but even that couldn't distract him from his blazing senses. Suddenly, MJ let out a loud gasp, as Peter turned, equally as amazed by the sight before them.

A speeding car was racing towards the street beside the two, firing rounds of bullets at squad cars that were giving chase. The drivers were wearing ski-masks, and hauling large duffel bags of cash, as some bills flew out into the wind. Peter's senses flared up once more, as he realized that the bullets would be coming his and MJ's way as the car passed. Instinctually, he whisked around, grabbing MJ by the shoulders.

"MJ, GET DOWN!"

Before she could respond, Peter pulled her to the sidewalk with him, and rolled, clutching MJ tightly as they both landed behind a steel mailbox. Bullets riddled the structure, as the tires screeched from the other end, and the chase continued. After a few traumatizing moments, Peter and MJ slowly rose from behind it, watching as the cars dodged into the traffic on the next street. Peter sneered, thinking of how many people could get hurt by those idiot robbers, if they kept firing like that.

"Uh... yeah,", MJ stated, astonished, still watching the fading cars. "If there was ever a "This looks like a job for Spider-Man" moment, it would probably be now."

Peter stood, silent. Mary Jane blinked, once, before pushing Peter in the arm.

"Peter! Seriously! Those guys could hurt somebody!"

"...I can't go."

"What do you mean you can't go?!"

Without looking her in the eye, Peter's head dropped.

"I... forgot my tights."

MJ stared, dumbfounded. But without a word, she grabbed him by the arm, and began running across the street, pulling him in tow. Peter's eyes widened, as she determinedly hurried.

"Mary, wha...?"

"We're getting your tights."

"We're getting my tights?"

"Yes, Peter. We're getting them. You're going to stop those guys, like you stop a million other losers just like them."

"Don't I, um, have a say in this?"

"No."

"No?"

"Nope."

After a moment, Peter smiled, widely. Even after all of the trouble he went through a month ago, to prevent Mary Jane from being killed by Otto Octavious... even after all of the mind numbingly awful things that he had brought upon her life, as a result of his superhero escapades... MJ was still determined to see Peter fufill his duties as Spider-Man. It was that kind of will that reminded Peter why he really loved her as much as he did. So it came as no surprise when he decided his next action, as he leaped forward, out of MJ's grasp, landed infront of her, and kissed her passionately on the lips.

As their lips broke, MJ looked at him, stunned. "What was-"

"For being the most awesome person, like, ever."

Before MJ could respond, Peter ran forward, into an alleyway, and promptly scaled a wall, heading towards the rooftops. With any luck, it would be only about a three minute run back to his house, and to the basement to grab his costume, and a three minute run back. By then, the criminals would either be caught, or speeding around somewhere near the area. As Mary Jane watched her boyfriend leap across the rooftops, she silently bit her lip, in a curled smile.

Go get em', Tiger.
Queens

I reach my house within five minutes. It should've taken less time, but I was being cautious. I mean, how many people know my identity? I don't need any more people knowing my only secret.

Covertly, I sneak into the house. I don't know if Aunt May is home or not but I really can't risk bumping into her. It would only waste more time and...well, I'm not really a fan of lying to her.

I enter in through the back door. Carefully I close it, squeezing my eyes shut hoping that will somehow make the hinges quiet. Carefully, I tip toe to the basement, watching all my sides as I lurk around.

As I walk down the stairs to the basement, I can't help but find the irony in the fact that I have to sneak around my own house more than when I am out fighting crime.

As I step off the final step to the floor, I immediately run to the chest at the far end of the room. I hear a noise and stop, closely listening for who or what it may be. As I listen carefully, I notice it's only the radio, left on from the day earlier. I ignore it and open the chest. As I pull out my suit, a smile.

Suddenly, my attention is once again drawn to the radio. I hear the newscaster on it say something about urgent news. Could be related to the robbers I was just about to go stop. Better listen.

"Thanks, Tom. I'm hear in Queens a few blocks away from Midtown High School. Tom, a few hours ago, the school was attacked by a masked killer. The eyewitness reports stated that the students inside were held hostage in their gymnasium for hours. The suspect was hoping to find a specific student at Midtown, but his name has been kept a secret. Little is known about what actually happened right now, but somehow, another masked individual arrived there. He distracted the killer long enough to allow the students to escape. The death count is unknown right now, but the casualties were, unfortunately high."

"What about now, Diane? Still any commotion?"

"Yes, Tom, there is still a large conflict taking place on the High School grounds. We are not permitted to get any closer because SWAT, Police, and other units are locking down the area for two blocks. What I can tell you is you can hear the madness from here, and what my ears hear, is chaos."

"Chaos..." I say in a soft tone. How can this be happening? How? My first day off in months. All I wanted was to go on a nice date with MJ. A time for us to get away from everything. But what happens? Insanity! Everytime I find I'm enjoying myself just a little bit, the world decides to go to hell.

I quickly slip on my costume, pulling it over my skin tightly. I click the webshooters into place on my wrists, checking to make sure they are filled as I pull the gloves over them. I pull the torso piece over my body, my mind fills with thoughts. There are some positives. MJ isn't at Midtown. I know that for sure. If she's far away, I know she's safe. And if she's safe...I have nothing to hold me back.

I run up the stairs, paying no attention to how much noise I make. I run out of the kitchen and slam the back door behind me. Pulling the mask over my face, I feel a strange feeling come over me.

I take a running jump into the air, propelling myself over the house next to mine. I hold out my arm and fire a web from my web shooter. I begin to web sling through the air, my pace growing faster and faster as I head in the direction of Midtown.

"Who ever attacked the school came looking for me." I say to myself in a worried tone. "And anyone who has ever come looking for me was never friendly."

Sorry, MJ. Hold tight downtown. I'll be back for you later, and I'm sure the police can handle some run away crooks. From what I heard on the radio, Midtown's in trouble. And when someone attacks my friends to get to me, it's personal.

[Mr. Marko]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y55/Cyclone1906/forgeap1.jpg?t=1208885638


Forge stared at the small screen on his wrist. He had slipped away from HQ for a few minutes when the silent vibration in his robotic arm signaled that he had a call. A secret call. A call from SHIELD.

"Forge, its been a while. How are things?"

Forge ran his fingers through his hair. "They're fine." Forge hated this. He knew that he was going behind everyones' back.

Fury chuckled. "I know you well enough by now, son. You can't lie to me."

Forge scoffed. "Is that because you have five different spy satellites tracking our movement, or because you think you're a good judge of emotion and character?"

"Both. Its only four, by the way, but thanks for noticing."

Forge waved his hand in disgust. Fury had been trying to buddy up with him lately, which pissed him off even more. "Can we get this over with? They're going to-"

"How's Project Scorpion?"

"Good as far as I can tell. He's showing no sign of personality disfunction, and he is still brainwashed to think that he's a life-long SHIELD employee."

"Excellent news."

Forge scoffed again. "Is it? Who are you to decide what happens with him? Just because he's a clone? Is that it?"

Fury rubbed his forehead. "What about Marko?"

Forge was fuming at this point. "What about him?"

"How is he?"

Forge stopped for a moment. "He's fine." He then abruptly changed his tone. "Look, what the hell do you care anyways? Why are you always prying for the little details about our lives?"

"Forge, your information is giving us crucial evidence for the tracking of several of America's most dangerous superhuman individuals. Project Thunderbolt fell off the map, and your information is the only justification that I can provide to prevent a full scale mission and assault against the likes of the Scorpion, Sandman, and the Ghost Rider. Even you, former inventor for Magneto himself, is at risk here."

Forge fell silent.

"Now, what do you know about Marko?"

Forge stopped for a moment. "Flint is a changed man. He's been doing things differently lately."

"How so? Why do you think that he's left his criminal ways?"

Forge looked at Fury on his screen? "Criminal?" He glared furiously. "The last thing that Flint Marko is is a criminal!"

"Forge, I simply meant-"

"You know what, Fury. F*** you! We're a family out here, and you've got no business digging your nose in places where is doesn't belong!"

"Hmm...a family of two mutants, an illegal genetic experiment, a former SHIELD agent, a cat burgler, a possessed man, and a brainwashed psycho version of Spider-Man. Nice family."

Forge angrily pressed a button on his wrist, ending the call. He moved back toward HQ. A few seconds later, his wrist vibrated. A text from Fury.

We'll talk again next week. If you're really a family, you'll protect their safety.


Forge quickly deleted the message. He didn't know what else to do, but he felt that somehow, things weren't going to be pretty when this was all over.

[SenseiofCheese]

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x90/Edge_027/RPG%20banners/UltimateKainebanner2.jpg


Kaine laughs with an evil tone, his smile bigger than ever. He turns to the Fantastic Four, smirking widely as he crushes his fist together in his palm. He stares at Reed, looking at his distraught face, continuing to laugh.

"Good move, Reed. Tell them not to touch me. What's your next plan, huh? Tell them to stand still? Ha! Ha! Ha!"

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g173/BDagur/thingsk7.jpg

The Thing grimaces at Kaine, knowing full well that he won't be able to attack the monster head on. Any physical attack Grimm would throw at this guy, a clone of Spider-Man for god's sake, would be easily dodged by the fiend.

"Any ideas, Stretch? Sue? J.." he catches himself, realizing the Human Torch isn't with them.

" 'Cause right now, I am itchin' to have him get a taste of my boot up his ass."

[Jono Starsmore]

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a123/Treyzee/CykeBanner-1.jpg

As Scott arrived at the scene, he could only watch in awe as the winged creature swooped and dived in the air.

Christ, what is this thing?

Stepping off his Harley, he examined it closer through his ruby quartz visor. Whatever it was, it was sure packing a punch; especially if it could throw Iron Man around like that. Scott turned, only to notice a good portion of the Ultimates had arrived, and Wanda...who was apparently attempting another spell. Before he knew it, he was covering his ears in agony as a massive explosion sent shards of glass onto the streets. The last thing he remembered hearing was Wanda screaming bloody murder, a nd before he knew it...he woke up in Central Park; the grass greener than ever.

He looked around him. The other Ultimates were there as well. Wanda must have used a teleportation "spell" again, only this time she didn't snog him while doing so. Scott stood up, and looked over to see the beast...who was on the ground. Suddenly, it rose with ease in front of a rather attractive female reporter, who was constantly taking pictures of the thing.

Idiot!

The girl was quickly snatched up like a rag doll.

"Oh no you don't..."

Before Azrael propelled into the air, Scott quickly jumped onto his back, being carried along with the reporter. They gained a tremendous altitude while Scott connected a series of punches to the beast's temple.

[Eddie Brock]

http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u118/EBJ05/RPG%20Banners/Spider-Woman-1.gif

"Knock, knock?"

I smile faintly at Eli as he peeks his head through the door. I'm lying with my legs crossed on the bed, reading What to Expect when You're Expecting. Sometimes I feel like a walking cliché, I swear. Nonetheless, apparently reading these things prepares you better. Don't ask me how, but that's what they tell me. Anyway, I don't want to mess up somehow, so I blindly follow any instructions I'm given. Unfortunately, every woman on the face of the planet thinks that she - and she alone - knows best about pregnancy, and they all insist that their method is the only way to have a safe, happy pregnancy.

Yeah...right.

"I know you just LOVE my family's cooking, but I thought that you might enjoy going out to eat," Eli explains with a grin.

I put my book down on my lap. "What are we talking here? A Taco Bell run or should I actually get dressed?" I ask, looking down at my pajamas.

"Let's go somewhere way beyond our budget," he suggests.

I nod. "Getting changed it is, then," I announce as I bounce down from the bed. I suddenly feel a little light-headed as I realize that I can't be as energetic as I'm used to being. "I'll be down in five minutes," I promise.

Eli nods as he closes my bedroom door. I make my way over to the closet and look for something to wear.

***

I decided to wear black since it's apparently slimming, but I don't feel any slimmer. In fact, I still feel like the whole world is staring at me. What's worse is that I can feel them judging me. Usually I'm not one to care what other people think, but whenever I go out in public, I can practically hear them whispering about me.

Yes, we get it. I'm a teenage mother. Hey, look at my hand - I have no ring. Satisfied? You now know that I'm an unmarried, teenage mother. Now get back to eating, shopping, or whatever else it was that you were doing.

Maybe that's the hormones talking, but it needs to be said. I've fought a guy who can throw fireballs - I think I can handle a child without a husband. Besides, Eli has been absolutely perfect since he found out. Sure, his sense of humor can get on my nerves, but a lot gets on my nerves nowadays.

What to Expect warns that you may become more irritable during pregnancy.

Well, I'm so glad I invested in a book that states the obvious.

[Eddie Brock]

"Time to get up, sunshine."

I groan as I roll over in my bed. Forge and Spiral must have brought me back here. I guess that means that we escaped. That's a good thing.

"Don't you ever sleep in?" I ask tiredly.

Randy smiles. "See, the advantage of being a hallucination is that I don't sleep at all," he explains.

I rub my eyes furiously as I sit up in bed. "I didn't take enough medication," I announce to myself.

"Apparently not - otherwise, I wouldn't be here, would I?" Randy asks. Randy is a recurring hallucination of mine, and though we get along, I still don't like having him around. It just reminds me that I'm not normal. Y'know, if the tail and the suit didn't do that already.

"I'm going to get another pill," I state determinedly. I hop down from the bed and shuffle across my bedroom lazily.

Randy stands in front of the door. "You sure you should do that? After all, you're only supposed to take a certain dose..."

I wave Randy off casually while responding, "You just don't want to go away. Move." Randy reluctantly gets out of my way, and I start heading for the kitchen.

"Okay. Okay! You go get your pill, and I'll stay right here."

"You won't be there when I get back," I mutter.

[Venom160]

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x90/Edge_027/RPG%20banners/UltimateKainebanner2.jpg

Contagion, The curse continues Part XXII

Kaine growns on the ground, lying on his back from the powerful blow of his two brothers. He thrusts his arms on the ground, breaking through the concrete. He lifts himself to his feet slowly, panting and salivating like a wild beast.

"I just want you to know," he starts, wiping his mouth with his large hand. "I'm going to rip you in two! And throw your body to the buzzards!"

"Dude, this is New York. We don't have buzzards here."

Kaine roars and lunges at the two clones. They jump in the air, evading his attack, and land on either side of him.

"Tarantula, you get the front."

"Hit 'em hard and fast, bro!" The two clones run toward Kaine as they prepare for their attack. Suddenly, their strides are interupted by the sound of Reed's voice, shouting out in panic.

"No! Wait you two! STOP!" The two clones jump to evade Kaine, and quickly recover from their last minute evasion.

"What, Reed?"

"Yeah, what gives?"

"Kaine's dangerous." He starts.

"The guy tried to kill a school full of children. I think we got that part."

"No, I mean he's deadly. Contagious. I'm almost positive he doesn't even know." Kaine grunts in confusion, his attention now diverted to Reed's warning.

"Contagious? What do you mean?"

"Ah...dammit, I didn't want to tell people publically...I was hoping I could make this a quick action of containment."

"Containment?!" Anton replies, his voice confused and slightly paniced. "What is Kaine packin' here? Some new STDs?"

"No, Kaine's body has a deficiency. A disease brought about from what I can only hypothosize is a cloning defect."

"Defect?" Kaine roars in rage. "You stupid human fool! I am perfection!"

"Yeah...that giant scar on your face proves it." Ben quips sarcastically.

"The disease Kaine has is...highly contagious. Spread by contact with his skin. It's killed almost twenty people, now. It incubates fast and within ours, kills its host."

"What!?" Anton replies in frustration. "You mean if we touch him we'll get infected?"

"Precisely. You have to stay away from him."

"Wait, how come he's not dead...I mean, you said it kills within hours. He's had it forever." Anton smiles at Kaine. "He's always been our ugly duckling."

"My guess is it's the suit. It's healing his body at a pace fast enough to keep his new cells alive and able to produce more as the old cells die."

"Lies!" Kaine roars, his rage controlling him completely now. "You're lying!"

"Alright, Reed." Ben says, his voice tired and aggravated. "If we can't touch him directly, how far away is safe?"

"I'd say about ten feet at minimum."

"Well...way to be the barer of bad news, Reed. We were having fun before you got here...well...as much fun as getting bit by your deranged diseased brother can be."

"Rrraaagghh! You are liars! All of you! You think I have a defect? I am perfect! I am the pinnacle of what Spider-Man should be! I'll kill you all!"

Kaine lunges at Anton, his arms outstretched in front of him. He swipes his arms swiftly, the large talons and claws at the ends of his fingers sharp and jagged.

Anton jumps around in the air, narrowly missing each of Kaine's attacks. He flips in the air and lands behind Kaine, laughing at his own speed and tact.

"How? Looks like the suit's slowing you down, Kaine. Can't touch this."

"Oh, but I can." Kaine says with an evil smile. A tendril shoots out from his back, its tip sharp and fine. Without warning it jabs at Anton, propelled like a thrown spear. The tendril cuts through Anton's body, exiting through his back and wrapping around his torso, firmly locking into place around him.

The tendril extends, making itself longer. Like a mace, the tendril swings around, using Anton's body as the flail. Before the others can notice, Kaine swings Anton's body into Ben, knocking him to the ground. He then swings it at the others, missing a few but knocking the others too slow to respond down.

Kaine laughs in a deep bellow, his voice almost sounding like two. He releases his tendril's grip of Anton and loosely tosses him in the air. As the tendril returns to Kaine's body, he grabs Anton from the air, grasping him with his hand. He holds Anton in front of him, laughing in his face as his warm moist breath drenches Anton's already sweaty suit.

"You think you're sneaky?" He questions in a calm and brooding voice. "I'll show you sneaky. See my fist?" Kaine asks, raising his other arm close to Anton's head. "Now you don't!"

Suddenly, Kaine releases Anton from his hand. With superhuman speed he swings his other fist toward the hero, hitting him squarely in the side of his head. Anton's body flies through the air before being stopped by the hard surface of the school's exterior wall.

Without wait, Kaine quickly turns to Ben, now rising and rubbing his head from the previous attack. Before he can recover, his eyes see Kaine's leg coming toward his head. Evading fast, he flips backward onto his hands, Kaine's leg missing him by an inch.

As Ben flips back to his feet, he is caught off guard by a powerful swat of Kaine's arm. The back of his hand hits Ben in the chest, and sends him flying through the air like a bullet. His body soon stops its flight as it crashes into a parked car, breaking through the hood and smashing the glass windows.

Kaine laughs with an evil tone, his smile bigger than ever. He turns to the Fantastic Four, smirking widely as he crushes his fist together in his palm. He stares at Reed, looking at his distraught face, continuing to laugh.

"Good move, Reed. Tell them not to touch me. What's your next plan, huh? Tell them to stand still? Ha! Ha! Ha!" http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

Every part of my body screams in pain as I lay on the ground, an indent left in the wall where I hit.

Ow that hurt, did he just use me as a ****in mace?! Dammit this day can't get...

A brick comes dislodged from the wall and hits me in the head.

I had to ask........oh look at the pretty stars......

Anton's eyes roll back into his head as he slowly slips out of conciousness. From the safety of the of the Swat teams and paramedics Liz, Kong, and Flash watches the fight continue.

"Damn can't anything take this guy out?"

"Where'd the six armed dude go?"

Liz scans the area around Kaine and the Fantastic Four. Her eyes widens as she point to the broken heap against the wall.

"There!"

Kong follows where her fingers pointing and spot him.

"Oh **** he isnt moving either."

Liz pushes past Flash and heads over to a group of police officers.

"Officer you gotta go help Tarantula!"

A large gutted officer looks down at Liz like shes crazy.

"Young lady havent you notice the huge ****ing monster thats right there!"

"He could be seriously hurt! Go help him!"

"Im sorry young lady our orders..."

"Oh **** you orders!"

She turns and runs back towards Kong.

"Come on Kong."

"Um I don't think.."

Liz grabs his arms and pulls him.

"Come on!"

The large gutted officer spot the kids crossing the police barricade and heading towards the fallen hero.

"Oh dammit."

He pushes acouple officers around him.

"Go get those ****in kids before they get themselves killed!"

Kong looks back as Liz reaches Anton.

"Here come the cops."

"Kong help me!"

Kong takes an arm and Liz takes another as the officers escort them to the nearest ambulance.

The fat officer watches all this go down and just shakes his head.

"Stupid kids......"

[Saved]

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/venom160/Banners/tarantulagw5.jpg

Every part of my body screams in pain as I lay on the ground, an indent left in the wall where I hit.

Ow that hurt, did he just use me as a ****in mace?! Dammit this day can't get...

A brick comes dislodged from the wall and hits me in the head.

I had to ask........oh look at the pretty stars......

Anton's eyes roll back into his head as he slowly slips out of conciousness. From the safety of the of the Swat teams and paramedics Liz, Kong, and Flash watches the fight continue.

"Damn can't anything take this guy out?"

"Where'd the six armed dude go?"

Liz scans the area around Kaine and the Fantastic Four. Her eyes widens as she point to the broken heap against the wall.

"There!"

Kong follows where her fingers pointing and spot him.

"Oh **** he isnt moving either."

Liz pushes past Flash and heads over to a group of police officers.

"Officer you gotta go help Tarantula!"

A large gutted officer looks down at Liz like shes crazy.

"Young lady havent you notice the huge ****ing monster thats right there!"

"He could be seriously hurt! Go help him!"

"Im sorry young lady our orders..."

"Oh **** you orders!"

She turns and runs back towards Kong.

"Come on Kong."

"Um I don't think.."

Liz grabs his arms and pulls him.

"Come on!"

The large gutted officer spot the kids crossing the police barricade and heading towards the fallen hero.

"Oh dammit."

He pushes acouple officers around him.

"Go get those ****in kids before they get themselves killed!"

Kong looks back as Liz reaches Anton.

"Here come the cops."

"Kong help me!"

Kong takes an arm and Liz takes another as the officers escort them to the nearest ambulance.

The fat officer watches all this go down and just shakes his head.

"Stupid kids......"

Contagion, The curse continues Part XXIII

Kaine laughs as he stares down the three members of the Fantastic Four. Ben Grimm stares down Kaine, his body tense as he tries to keep from attacking the large black suited creature.

Suddenly, Kaine's laugh is cut short. Behind him, his ears hear the sound of voices. Familiar voices. He looks over his shoulder to see Kong and Liz carrying Anton's unconscious body off the battlefield. Kaine snickers evily, his voice trailing off into a hiss.

Kaine turns his head back to the Fantastic Four, a heinous and hideous smile widely placed upon his face. Kaine tenses his legs as he prepares to move, his fingers slowly moving in anxiousness.

"You know what this is?" He asks with a terrifying voice. The heroes stare at him with angry frowns, their minds fed up with the depraved killer. "This is when people start dying."

No sooner do the words leave Kaine's lips, he jumps off backward, propelling himself toward Liz and Kong as they load Anton onto the ambulance.

Landing with a powerful quake, Kaine's feet smash into the ground. He makes a loud proud roar, showing his dominance and pleasure. The two teens shake without turning, knowing what they face behind them.

"Hello, kids." Kaine growls. "Leaving so soon?" He laughs. "I wouldn't do that. The true fun is just about to start!"

[Byrd Man]

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/TheRiderIsComing/gr2dy5.png



"Where ya going, baby?"

Cat stifles a yawn as she lays covered up in the bed. I pull up my jeans and slide a shirt on over my exposed torso.

"I'm gonna see what's going on wit the other Bolts. See how that mission with last night with Forge, Spiral, and the rookie."

She sleepily nods and rolls back over in bed.

"Mmkay. Oh, Johnny?"

"Yeah, darling?"

"Can you get me some water or something?"

"Sure thing."

I walk out our room and look around. All's quiet, or so I think...I can hear Forge talking angrily down the hall, the other voice I can't make out.

"Forge?"

I walk down the hall towards his voice. By the time I get there, he's messing with his wrist gizmo. He quickly looks up as I turn into the hallway.

"Johnny?"

"Hey, man. How'd it go last night? Ya'll find anything?"

[Eddie Brock]

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/TheRiderIsComing/gr2dy5.png



"Where ya going, baby?"

Cat stifles a yawn as she lays covered up in the bed. I pull up my jeans and slide a shirt on over my exposed torso.

"I'm gonna see what's going on wit the other Bolts. See how that mission with last night with Forge, Spiral, and the rookie."

She sleepily nods and rolls back over in bed.

"Mmkay. Oh, Johnny?"

"Yeah, darling?"

"Can you get me some water or something?"

"Sure thing."

I walk out our room and look around. All's quiet, or so I think...I can hear Forge talking angrily down the hall, the other voice I can't make out.

"Forge?"

I walk down the hall towards his voice. By the time I get there, he's messing with his wrist gizmo. He quickly looks up as I turn into the hallway.

"Johnny?"

"Hey, man. How'd it go last night? Ya'll find anything?"


"I found a new lump on my head," I announce as I walk past my teammates. I rub my head groggily and force a smile at Forge and Johnny. Man, I must have been hit hard by Arcade. I just wish I remembered most of it. "Don't mind me," I state as I move past towards the kitchen.

Grabbing my pills, I take two out and place them in my palm. Dropping them into the back of my throat, I pour a glass of water and wash it all down.

"Happy now?" Randy asks as he appears in the kitchen.

I grimace. "Not yet - you're still here," I explain crankily.

Moving back into the hallway - glass still in hand - I ask Forge, "What DID happen last night? I can barely remember it."