The "Heroes vs. Villains: Marvel RPG” - Season V

"The Immortal Iron Fist"
Part 2

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It had been a day now since I knew who was after me. Does it need reminding? It's none other than Steel Serpent. Yesterday was just so weird, and now I have to watch my ever move, since i'm his target. My only guess is he's after my Iron Fist power. Not to mention that he's alive and running around New York. He could be doing anything right now.
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I had just arrived at Rand Corp., and was at the top level of the building. This part of my building, is were I become the Iron Fist. Some trouble happend here, so now I have repairs going on at a window that I broke when trying to flee those ninjas that were after me. There are alot of workers around, so I need to secure my one room that hold my Iron Fist garb.

I walk to the door, and put my hand on the scanner. I held it there for a good few mintues to make sure it was only my print that can access the room. Couple more seconds....there. Now it's secure and I have nothing to worry about. It just came to mind that I have an important businees meeting with a client of mine. Mr. Nakamura. He owns his own company, and helps tranfer whatever is needed for China. Food, shelter, train construction you name it. All to make the country better.

Mr. Nakamura wants to work with Rand Corp., and wants us to help out with what they're doing. So I hope all goes well. I go to another room and starting putting on my suit. It was made for me, and the mark was Brioni. The finest when it comes to a nice suit. I finish up, and then make my way to my office. I take the elevator and then reach the 22nd floor.

I greet some people here and there and then open the door to my office. I see Jeryn Hogarth. One of my trusted friends, and also someone who knows about me being Iron Fist. He was also there when I got the Iron Fist power....

"Hey Danny, how goes it? We have a big deal going on here woth Mr. Nakamura, so lets not mess it up ok? It could be big for Rand Corp."

He was right, it could be big, but if someonthing doesn't suit my liking, I am inclined to deny any involvment with Nakamura Enterprises.

I sit down at my desk, and it takes little time till I see Mr. Nakamura arriving at my door. He greets Hogarth, and then comes right at me.

"Mr. Rand, it's great to be here and let's hope we can work well together."

He extends his arm for a handshake, and I do the same. I insist for him to take a seat, and let the business talk being.

"I too hope we can do the best for China."

Mr. Nakamura puts both his hand on the table, and starts saying what he wants to do for China. He wants to build trains, and then start destorying land to establish them there?

Hogarth turned on the television screens behind us, to display the trains and from where to where we'd be building them.
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"Like a toy-train set, isn't it? She's 2,500 kilometers of Randtrack type II halbach array lines strecthing from Beijing to Hong Kong and back...10 RandRapid trains capable of speeds over 580 Km.H., and, at reception of funding, all appropriate tech transfers China's National Magley Transportation Technology Research Center."
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"Mister Hogarth. Mister Rand. We have prepared the 10.6 billion dollars for immediate transfer, and are prepared to sign."

He isn't kidding, he's really serious? I care about China. And destroying half it's land to build these trains, and it's tracks it not needed. Hogarth comes with the papers, to sign...

"Great. Let's get started autographing these contracts so we can--"

"Wait."

I stop Hogarth from saying anything else. I've already thought this through, and i'd be no one but me who'd make the decisions here.

"We're building trains and just destroying part of China's land? No. No deal."

"Danny.."

"No, Jeryn I don't care, it's China. There's no point in just destroying half it's land to build these trains. When there's already enough to help people get where they need to go."

"Mister Rand, above all this 10.6 billion will be money well spent. It would be a great deal for you and your company."

I didn't need to rethink this. Rand Corp. has enough money to finance anything that comes it's way. So this billions of dollars means nothing to me. I've made up my mind.

"No deal. Some-point whatver, billion dollars be damned. We're done here."

The look on Mr. Nakamura's face wasn't a good thing. He was just about upset, and wasted no time to leave my office.

"Very well. I guess we won't be working together after all. Here's hoping you can think this, till then it's been a pleasure coming here to talk this over with you."

"I don't think I need to rethink this, it's been finalized."

With that, Mr. Nakamura gets up from my desk, and heads toward the door. Before leaving he says one last thing that catches my attention.

"Mr. Rand, just be sure to watch yourself and the future of this business."

Was that a threat? I turn to Hogarth:

"Was that a threat?"

I look back, and it seems Mr. Nakamura wasn't done. He had me get up and wanted me to meet his daughter? He walks back to my door, and with him is his daughter. He hold her hand, and then brings her closer to me. She was...beautiful.

"Before leaving, Mr. Rand, i'd like you to meet my daughter. Shia Nakamura."

She had long black hair, and blue eyes. I couldn't stop staring at her.

"It's nice to meet you, Mister Rand. My father has told me that you declined his offer, but it's still nice to meet you."

Wow, things are done fast when it comes to Mr. Nakamura and his loved ones. Nonetheless, I still greet her in a nice way. How could I not?

"Likewise. It's nice to meet you to. And though I declined, let's just say your father is a nice man, and you are very beautiful yourself."

She smiles. And I look over at Mr. Nakamura, who didn't look so happy. Something about her voice though, I feel like I heard it before...

"That's very nice of you. And I hope we see eachother sometime again."

Once again Rand, you score!

"I could say the same, it'd be nice to get to know eachother a little bit more."

As soon as I was to say something else, Mr. Nakamura stops me from what I was going to say.

"Good day, Mr. Rand."

Dammit no, I didn't even get Shia's phone number!

"Goodbye Danny."

"Have a nice day."

They leave and I say goodbye to them both. But I couldn't help but hear them talking again. So I peeked my head around the corner, and saw both Mr. Nakmura and Shia arguing with eachother in chinese. Hmm...best to just leave it be, but it is odd that they're fighting right now...

I go back to my office, and decide to just leave for the readt of the day. I'm mostly done here, and when something comes up, i'll for sure be notified.

"Hogarth, i'm taking off. The meetin didn't go so well and things here seem to be ok. Hogarth?"

Hogarth? All he did was stare at me. And by the look on his face I could tell me wasn't to pleased right now.

"You turned down a deal that would put Rand Corp. on the map, all because you care so much about China? What the hell is with you Danny?!"

Ok, he had reason to be angry, but in the end, it was my call. And it was the right decision.

"Jeryn, yes I care about China, but what Nakamura was offering just wasn't needed. It was my call, simple as that."

"Whatever Danny, just whatever."

Soon later he takes off, and slams my door as he makes his way out. Meh, he'll get over it by tomorrow. I think to myself for a minute and decide I'll just relax over at Chinatown.

I pick up my briefcase, and lock up my office. I tell one of my associates to call me ASAP if there's anything that happens here. I wait for the elevator doors to open, and then enter in without hestitaion. I take a deep breath, and wait till I reach the double doors leading to the streets of Manhattan.

I don't need my limo, I just want to simply call a cab, and just reach Chinatown for a little relaxation. I give the signal, and soon later a cab comes right my way. The cab driver gives me a quick hello, and I tell him where I want to go.

"Driver, get me to Chinatown."

"Will do, Mister Rand!"

----------------------------------------------------------------

It had taken awhile to get to Chinatown, but I finally made it. I look all around me and just take in what I see. I love this part of New York. I decide whether I want to go back to my penthouse, or get a quick bit to eat. Best to go back to my penthouse, and then later i'll come back to eat. To be honest, I was exhausted. I have a secret entrance I take to go back to my penthouse when I'm Iron Fist, so what the heck i'll go that way, to the back of the building, and just enter the penthouse.

I make sure no one is watching, and quickly run to the alleyway, I slow down a bit now that none was really around. I all I have to do is climb up the ladder, and enter through the doorway. I'm about to climb, but a sudden scream that came from my right caught my attention.
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"Hiiiyah!"

Whoever it was landed a kick to my chest, and I flew off the ladder, right on to the ground. I was knocked on the head, but got back up to see mystery man that kicked me. He was bald, and built. With a serious look on his face. He's here to actually to more than hurt me. I have the feeling he wants to kill me.

"Who are you?"

Once I ask that, A second figure comes down from a ladder, and stand next to the man that kicked me. The second figure, looked exactly like the man that kicked me, cept he wasn't bald. I examined and spotted both had serpent tattoos on the left of their eyes. Assassins for Steel Serpent was my only guess.

"Steel Serpent sent you didn't he?"

They don't say a word, and just get to the point. Both come at me with force, and I try to block their attacks. Honestly, I said I had to watch my back, and I knew Steel Serpent was after. But why now?

I block both kicks, and then trip one of the assassins. The other one still stands, and then tries to deliver a blow to my head. I counter, hit him with my elbow, and then hit him with my Iron Fist. My Iron Fist glows, and now i'm ready to kick some ass.

I run to one of the assassins, and then hit him in the stomach, he flies across the alley and is knocked out. The other assassin jumps in the air, and comes down trying to hit me with a kick. I do the same thing I did to the other assassin, but with a little more force.

I block the kick, and then hit him in the stomach, but this time my Iron Fist rips his body into two. And with that he's dead.
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With one knocked out, and the other dead, I look around and then hear a voice all to familiar.

"I told you to watch yourself Mr. Rand."

"Mr. Nakamura?"

I turn around quickly, and then cut off guard with a punch that he gives me. I fall to my knees, and then hear yet another voice that I've hear before.

"Well done father."

Shia? Her and her father are after to me aswell. They can be working with none other than Steel Serpent!

"Shia? What is going here?"

Nakamura hits me with his knee, and then out of nowhere powder is thrown at my face. I cough, and then feel slightly faint. It was...It was sleeping power.

"Don't d-do- this..."

I lose sense of awarness, and slowly lose grip of myself. All I hear is Mr. Nakamura talk to me before I go black.

"Steel Serpent will be pleased to know we've attained you."

N-no... And before I know it, I go black. I have no idea what will happen to me next....​
 
It was unseasonably warm for a January day in New York City, with the mercury hovering just above 50 degrees. Johnny unzipped his jacket as the twins ran back and forth in front of him, leaping and diving for an old beat up kickball. Their giggled carried through the crisp air of Central Park and calmed his soul. He was finally home, yet it didn’t seem quite right. His family wasn’t his family anymore. Reed and Sue didn’t want to be part of the Fantastic Four anymore, and the were well into the process of moving. He could feel the void every time he walked back into the Baxter Building. Ben hadn’t really said much about it, but Johnny for one wouldn’t be picking replacements anytime soon. The Fantastic Four was all or nothing as far as he was concerned.

A mother and he two little boys walked passed. The moment she noticed Johnny, she pulled her sons a little closer and picked up the pace. It disappointed him a bit, but it also set a wave of anger through him. His name had been cleared. Thanks to Thor, they had been able to prove that it was Loki who had framed Johnny. Yet people still didn’t trust him. He still heard the murmurs of murder and death. All the times he had saved this planet, all the sacrifices he had made for these people, and this is what they gave him in response. The price of celebrity. It had had its benefits, its perks, but he could also understand why so many of his friends decided to put on the masks. And now even that was in danger.

Johnny thought of poor Rhodey, sitting in some federal prison, his life all but over. Tony Stark had lived, but Jim would almost certainly be made an example of. No doubt, he would be charged with treason and sentenced to death. As it were, there were rumblings that all the heroes would pay for Jim’s melt down. And it was all too easy to blame War Machine for what had happened. Everybody wanted to say that they would have done it differently, that it all could have been reasoned out. Johnny wanted to believe that too, that he could have done it differently, but the truth was, he had been forced into that situation not that long ago. He had had his life and his family ripped away from him and been betrayed by those he loved the most. And he had felt them venom poisoning him from the inside. He felt the vengeance welling up inside. And when he got back home, when he confronted those who threw him out in the cold, did he reason? No. The first chance he got, he blasted Reed right in the face with the hardest left hook he could and proceeded to lay a beating down on his brother-in-law. Truth be told, Jim Rhodes had acted the same way as Johnny. And it scared Johnny. He lay awake every night, afraid to fall into that pit, and knowing that he was being pushed back into that situation.

The arguments had already started, even though Registration was still some conspiracy theory rumor. His identity was already public knowledge, why wouldn’t he register. It wasn’t a draft, his name would just go into a catalogue. He would have the opportunity for new and extensive training. He and Sue had sat up for hours already arguing in circles. It was his choice to be public, and it was others’ choice to keep their identities secret. It was a right, a freedom. He wouldn’t support something he didn’t believe in and force others to loose there very identities, their freedoms and a chance for a normal life when the mask came off. He had been pushed around enough. He wasn’t going to budge another inch. And, of course, it always ended with the same admonishment that this was the attitude that was always getting him in trouble. He didn’t care. Johnny wasn’t a dumb person. He had a ton of street smarts, and he knew how to think his way out of some pretty tough situations. But he had decided long ago that his mind would be used for thinking, not feeling and loving. He was driven by his passion, and his heart was pointing him down the path of resistance.

“Dada, fuball!”

Johnny looked down as J.J. pulled on his pant leg.

“Football?”

“Uh huh.”

“What about your sister.”

“Blitz!” Mary yelled, running into Johnny’s other leg.

“Guess that answers that,” he said, picking up the Nerf ball.

“Go long.”

Johnny smiled as the twins ran, their little legs throwing their pattern into some odd zigzag. Maybe things weren’t that bad. He had his health, he had his children, his wife, a good home and great friends. Life was never going to be perfect, he just had to grab onto those good times and enjoy them while you could. And when the darkness fell, when the battles came and the other side tried to take away all he held dear, all he could do was hold his head high and fight as hard and valiantly as he could. There was no shame, as long as he could always look back and say “I gave it my all.” And he would.

The End.

Next: Civil War
Flame On!: A Civil War tie-in.

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Lazarus took great pleasure in watching Captain America slump to the ground, a broken man. Was he crying? God, he hoped he was. That would be priceless!

"So, what, you just gonna sit here and feel sorry for yourself? The President's still alive, no thanks to you I may add. But this is gonna cause some major-league chaos. America needs you now, more than ever."

With as much reluctance as he would prod a turd, Lazarus placed a hand on Captain America's shoulder.

"Us heroes need to stand united..."

For a second Cap said nothing as he looked into Lazarus' masked face and tried to read him. Of course Cap had never been the best at reading people, and he knew it, the mask didn't make it any easier.

Eventually he decided it didnt matter and he hauled himself to his feet. Lazarus seemed sincere enough, and in the end his actions would confirm or refute this.

"You're right soldier"
Cap said as he retrieved his shield from the ground and walked towards a gaping hole in wall.

"There's work to be done, and the president needs us now more than ever." Cap said as he looked out over Washington DC. For a split second there after discovering that Rhodey had attacked Tony he had felt real despair. The feeling chilled him to the bone, and god only knows how it must have affected Tony. Now that thought brought back memories Steve Rogers wished he could forget forever.

*******
18 Months Ago
Washington DC
A Grand memorial Service for the Victims of the Thanos War


Steve Rogers stood inconspicously amidst the solemn crowd. No costume, he didnt want to stand out. Today he was just a man paying his respects to the fallen.

Much of the city lay in ruins and it was being said that everybody had lost someone in this war. Steve had lost people as well, Crystal, a fellow Avenger, had been killed by his old nemesis the Taskmaster, countless elite Shield agents, friends of his, had been killed as they fought the invasion forces, Avengers support staff murdered when the Hulk tore down the Mansion, Thor's wife, the Lady Sif, was still missing, and Thor was off looking for her.

All this and more had happened while Cap wasn't around to stop it. He had been trapped in another dimension while his evil counterpart used his name help Thanos. The world had nearly been destroyed, but Captain America had made it back in time to defeat his doppelganger and help stop Thanos. At least he was there at the end, if only he could have been there sooner, maybe he could have saved a few more lives.

Cap shook his head and banished the thought that creeping into it. He had done all he could, they all had done all they could. The Aftermath of war did this to people, made them question themselves. The heroes had saved the world, now they had to help rebuild it.

That would be a job for Captain America, now Steve Rogers mourned for the fallen.

It was at that moment that Steve noticed Tony Stark in the crowd as well, several rows in front of him. Tony didnt deal with losss very well, and Cap thought it best to check on him. Gently he made his way through the crowd and to his friend's side.

Stark didnt even notice as Steve approached. His face was ashen, his head was bowed low, he really needed a shave, and it looked like he might have been crying.

The sight took Steve by surprise. This was not the Invincible Iron Man he knew. At least he didn't smell any alchohol, the good news was that Tony hadn't been drinking.

Slowly, so as not to alarm Tony, who seemed oblivious to his surroundings, Steve patted Tony on the shoulder

"Tony...." he whispered "....are you ok?"
 
Bobby Drake finally laid down in his room at the mansion.

Man, have I been looking foward to just relaxing. Everything that has happened lately, I haven't had time to relax. First I get sucked inot Xorn's head, spit out into Shi'ar space, and then help them fight a war against the Brood. Finally after spending a year with the Shi'ar, they bring me home to find out my fiance, Lorna is dead. Well, maybe not dead. She is a statue at the top of the Empire State Building. Then I thought we had lost Scott. Now all that is over and time to relax.

An alarm starts going off on a small tech device on Bobby's dresser. Bobby picks it up and looks at it.


"No f*$#!^& way!"

Bobby ices up and speeds out of the mansion to take to the skyies faster than he ever has before.

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Could that alarm be right? It has to be. I set the mini Cerebro unit in that device to alert me if it ever picked up Lorna's energy again. Now it did, and it is located at the Empire State Building!

Iceman arrives at the top of the building to see Lorna out cold on the edge of the building.

"Lorna!"

Iceman glides down and brushes the hair from her face and checks for a pulse.

"Good, your alive. I better get you home and have Hank check you out."

Iceman de-ices his face as he leans down and kisses Lorna on the forehead.

"B...Bobby?"

"Sshhh, sweetheart just relax now. I have you and everything will be fine. I will take care of you from here on out."

Iceman glides bcak toward the mansion with Lorna in his arms.

"What a way to end this crazy chapter of events. I have Lorna back now. I am sure together, we will have a brighter tomorrow.
 
Clint gently rubbed Wanda’s bare back, pulling her closer as she nestled her head against his shoulder. Her breasts pressed against his chest, her smooth, silky skin like heaven against his body. His head lay gently against the top of hers, and with every breath he got a welcome scent of lavender and fruit from her beautiful, curly chestnut locks of hair. And he thanked God that he had this chance. He thanked him everyday, for a life well lived, for the friends and loved ones he had been given, for the second chances and the opportunity to find that which he thought was lost.

He gently kissed the top of her head. He felt some safe here, in each other’s arms. Nobody could touch them, nothing could go wrong. It was warm, it was comforting, it offered all the security in the world. As long as they had each other, they could overcome everything. They would never be alone. They would always have love, someone to look after each other and pick them up when they were down.

He had searched so long for a family, for a place to belong. The Avengers had finally been that answer, that lost sense of loving and belonging he had been looking for, but never could he have imagined finding all this. Having the Avengers, finding love again, and discovering two families, one he never knew and one he thought long lost. Even in the midst of all the turmoil and betrayal, he was happy, truly happy. He had everything he could ever want. Nothing else seemed to matter. Nothing was worth risking this perfection. He would fight to the bitter end to keep this forever, would give his last breath to preserve this love.

He smiled, nestling against his wife, as he finally drifted off to sleep.

-

Clint was woken by the scent of fresh coffee and eggs the next morning. He rolled over and sat up stretching the sleep out of his muscles. Wanda was already awake, her nightgown missing from the end table. Clint stood up and shuffled to the small dresser across the room, grabbing a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt, and headed downstairs for breakfast.

-

Heidi was just taking the sausage off the stove as Clint entered the kitchen. There was a mini-buffet set up along the counter: scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, pancakes, English muffins, toast, orange juice, milk, and coffee. Clint grabbed a plate and filled up with a fair amount of everything, pouring himself a big glass mug of orange juice.

“Morning sleeping beauty,” Heidi teased as Clint dug into his breakfast.

“Shhhh, eating.”

Wanda tussled her husband’s hair.

“Such a cute boy when he’s sleepy.”

Clint glanced out the window at the fresh snow on the ground. The skies threatened to dump even more on the small town.

“Everyone better eat a good breakfast. You’re going to need to need the energy for this afternoon.”

“I thought you would have had enough after your whooping yesterday.”

“Just warm up. It’s down to business today.”

“Nothing good on TV anymore,” Heidi noted as she flipped through the channels on the small set sitting atop the dishwasher.

“Ahh, just shut it off. You need to finish eating and get changed…”

“We interrupt this program to bring you up to date on the late breaking news out of Wa…” Heidi clicked the TV off.

“Let’s go people,” Clint said, clearing his plate off the table. “It’s a new day. We have to grab it while we can.”


To Be Continued...
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Erik smiled at Clint's love for life as he enjoyed the delicious meal Heidi had prepared for them.

Clint, you better be ready for a real butt kicking today. The master of..."He quickly catches himself and glances at Heidi who just stares at him, wiating for him to finish his sentence."The master of snowball throwing is going to win this day."

Good one Erik, now you just sound dumb.



To be continued
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"You are extremely handsome aren't you Stephen? With your little moustache and grey streaks, heck I may not be a Captain America with muscles you can see from miles away. But between me and him, No choice at all.. None at all."

Strange was stood infront of the mirror wearing his suit, he was going out as "Stephen" rather than "Sorcerer Supreme" for once. He was to have dinner with the rather beautiful Night Nurse, she had seemed rather flattered by his attention and effortless charm; it was not as effortless as he would like it to appear, he had been standing infront of the mirror for a good ten minutes giving himself a pep talk and making sure his suit looked good.

"Strange.. what in the name of the Vishanti are you doing? You have been standing infront of my mirror for nearly a quarter of an hour now, have you forgotten you disowned vanity, greed and your selfish ways? Where are you going?"

"Oh right that had slipped my mind it would appear, Master I have a date with a charming young woman named the "Night Nurse" cute isn't it?"

"Stephen you are no longer bound by lust, or the need for flesh that burns at men weaker than you. You have more important things to deal with, have you forgotten young one? There are men who are planning to arrest men like you, to put them in cells if they do not com.."

"With all due respect Master, I don't have time to stand around and talk with you, a rather dashing young woman is waiting for me and damned if I'll waste the oportunity to have dinner with her today."

He swung the mirror over so it was facing the other way, he could hear the Ancient one complaining on the other side but he wasn't in the mood to listen to him rant. He picked up his keys and left the sanctum, walking down the street he noticed how people stared at him in his tuxedo. It made him self concious, but he was comforted by the fact while they judged him he could read their deepest secrets like a book. A tall black youth stared at him hostiley, "Cross dresser" Stephen thought a continued walking along.

Something the Ancient One had mentioned troubled him as his mind wandered, the registration act that was being discussed behind closed doors; what was Stephen supposed to do? Signed it and be a servant of the government? Never, he'd rather die than be a slave again. He sighed and decided that it was best to leave that until after his date, maybe he'd pay a visit to his friend Tony afterwards and discuss it with him. I don't think the secret service would take kindly to him teleporting into the White House at such a delicate time, maybe later?

He thought about Wong and how he had sacrificed himself, what would Wong want him to do? Wong had spent his life in service to him, would he think that registering was the right thing to do? After all he had been following his order's for many years now, would Strange working for the goverment be the same? He couldn't be sure, it started to trouble him greatly and the faintest sign of a headache appeared.. it slowly started to fade as he saw the Night Nurse standing outside the restaurant looking beautiful.

What was more important at the moment: Her? or the Registration act? Her undoubtedly.. for now that is.

Not for long...

TO BE CONTINUED
 
For a second Cap said nothing as he looked into Lazarus' masked face and tried to read him. Of course Cap had never been the best at reading people, and he knew it, the mask didn't make it any easier.

Eventually he decided it didnt matter and he hauled himself to his feet. Lazarus seemed sincere enough, and in the end his actions would confirm or refute this.

"You're right soldier"
Cap said as he retrieved his shield from the ground and walked towards a gaping hole in wall.

"There's work to be done, and the president needs us now more than ever." Cap said as he looked out over Washington DC. For a split second there after discovering that Rhodey had attacked Tony he had felt real despair. The feeling chilled him to the bone, and god only knows how it must have affected Tony. Now that thought brought back memories Steve Rogers wished he could forget forever.

Lazarus gave Captain America a salute.

"God bless America."

God, people actually said that with a straight face! Good thing Bullseye's smirk was hidden behind his mask. With that parting line, Lazarus flew out of the hole in the wall, and off into the horizon. Now, all he had to do was wait for orders.

...

"I am very disappointed in you, Trevor."

"I'm sorry, really, I am. But what happened tonight was due to circumstances outwith our control..."

"Nothing is outwith our control, Trevor. You should know that by now."

The sweat was pouring down from Trevor's face in streams. He wasn't a man who lost his cool often. But after what had just unfolded, he was afraid.

"Look, I...I have a backup plan. Just give me time to put it together..."

"Time is one thing you don't have. You better fix your mess, Trevor, and fix it quick. This organisation isn't a charity. If you can't get the results we desire, you will be replaced. Are we clear?"

"Ye...yes, sir. I promise I won't let you...hello? Hello?"

No response. The speaker at the other side of the line had already hung up. Trevor slammed the phone down, then wiped the sweat off his brow.

"Think, think, think!"

Trevor paced around the room, all the contingencies he'd meticulously set in place whirling around his head. So many of them had become irrelevant in this situation. Damn you Rhodes! If Stark died...

Trevor shook the thought from his mind. If what The Wisemen had planned was going to work, they'd need a strong figurehead leading the country. And Stark was their man. He needed to survive, and get back into office. But until that happened, Trevor had a temporary solution lined up.

He walked over to his discarded phone, and once again picked it up, dialling a number.

"Hello, Andrew."

"Trevor?"

"That's correct. Are you still loyal to us? To our cause?"

"Of course..."

"Good. Because we need you. An attempt has been made on the life of The President. He is on his way to hospital as we speak. The Vice President would normally take on the role of Acting President in this situation, but as you know, the Vice President died in a fishing accident. That means you're next in line for the Presidency."

"I...I don't think I can do it, Trevor."

"Of course you can, Andrew. I'll be right by your side..."
 
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"I am here if you fall, Spider-Man. If you surrender to these, then your opponent shall be me, and you will not live through the night."

"...Well, I know one person who'd make a terrible motivational speaker!", Spider-Man quipped, leaping from the gravestone and onto another.

Peter couldn't deny that with the time that passed, he was becoming more confident in his chances against these monsters. His spider-sense had returned in full force, alerting him of the ever present danger that had somehow triggered it back to him. Not that he'd complain, given his circumstances. But as the reality of it all started to creep in, Spider-Man was left horrified as to what he was being forced to do. One by one, it was as if he himself was killing the people he had loved all over again. And that startling realisation is what caught Spider-Man off guard long enough to notice that his senses had been ringing for the past few seconds. Peter's eyes widened, beneath his mask, as he turned to meet the danger that faced him.

:spidey:

"Oh, boy. Here we go again..."

Before he could react, Spider-Man was tackled by not one, but two minions of the undead. Both sent him flying from atop one of the gravestones, and onto the grass, slamming him back as they piled ontop of him, and began to form. As he struggled, he looked up, seeing who they were. And immediatley regretted doing so. Because he was looking at two of the people he had failed the most: Captain George Stacy, and the worst of all. Ben Parker.

"Why did you do it, Pete?", Ben asked. "Did I not do well enough for you? Was I not good enough of a father to you?"

Spider-Man gasped for air, as he released his windpipe from both corpses' grips.

"Funny... I don't remember having The Cryptkeeper as a father.", Spider-Man coughed.

"It's all jokes with you, son.", Captain Stacy intruded. "Never any discipline... Are you ever going to learn?"

Before Spider-Man could interject and argue, He found himself hoisted up by his arms, and held by the iron grip that was surely given to the corpses by their otherworldly inhabitants. Peter tried to fight it, but it was too late. Because in an instant, he found himself facing the barrel of a shotgun. One being held by a ravage beast of a man. Kraven, The Hunter.

"He is not going to learn. That is the point.", Kraven bellowed, loading the weapon. "He must realise that he is the prey. And that there are no jokes in the hunt."

Spider-Man closed his eyes, as he realised he couldn't fight it anymore. They had him. There was no way out.
 
Ben helps me lift the couch into the EZ-Haul trailer and close it shut.

"I just can't believe ya doing this,Reed. I mean it was your idea we become superheroes. Now, you and Sue and Franky are leaving us."

"Yeah, well like I told Johnny. Things change, people grow up and see that you can't run around in a funny costume forever."

"But were more than just superheroes, Reed. Were family."

"Ben, Will be just across the bridge in Long Island. You can visit as much as you want to."

He turns around and his massive frame shudders.

"But still, Reed. What are we gonna do with out you and Susie? She was tha conscious of tha team and you was the brains."

I stretch and put my arm on his shoulder.

"Yeah, but you and Johnny are the heart of the team. The Fantstic Four will live on."

"Yeah well...I've said my good byes to Susie, Frank, and Val. Now it's your turn."

He reaches and puts me in a massive bear hug. If I wasn't so flexible, he would have broke three of my ribs wit his hug.

"I'm gonna miss ya, Stretcho."

"Same here, Ben. Same here."

"I love all of ya, no matter what. Don't forget that."

"I won't. We all love you too, Ben. No matter what."

He lets me go and looks down at me. Tears start to well in his eyes and he turns back to the Baxter Building.

"I just remembered. I got something I need to do."

Ben walk off quickly and tries to keep from breaking down.

I slid into the driver's seat of the mini-van and look back at Franklin and Valerie. She's asleep while Franklin just stares out the window.

"How you holding up, champ?"

"I'm fine, daddy. Daddy? What's gonna happen to unca Ben and Johnny?"

"I wouldn't worry about them. They'll be fine."

I start the car up and look back at the Baxter Building. I've had my regrets about this sometimes, but I believe that's just guilt pangs for Ben and Johnny. Plus with the arrival of Crystal makes me want to stay even more. If only to find out where she's been. But I've made my choice, it's not for me or for Sue. I look back at the children once more, Franklin gives me a small smile and goes back to looking out the window. I remind myself it's for them. I look over at Sue in the passenger's seat. That's where she's always been, my co-pilot through life. The one person I knew would always be there for me no matter what life holds.

"You ready, honey?"

 
US Agent

I watched the television with a huge grin on my face as James Rhode (Yeah that's right, from US Agent and Friends fame.. You remember? My TV show that ran for all of one episode before being cancelled. Bloody shame, it was a good show) stabbed Tony Stark, wow I never thought you had it in you buddy. He'd followed Stark around for years trying to get in his pants, believe me that really isn't hard, just ask any school girl within a hundred miles of New York, So for whatever reason Rhodey had gone a bit looney tunes and stabbed our lovely man****e of a President. I peered down at the man laying on the floor below me in his SHIELD uniform, tied up and gagged.

"Can you believe it, good old James stabbed the posterboy for protected sex and is sitting somewhere in prison right now? It's a conspiracy if you ask me, Oh yes by the way if you're wondering why I broke in here beat all of your men up, tied and gagged you all up.. well guess what? I'm not going to tell you that.. It'd ruin the suprise."

I threw my shield at the TV smashing it and causing smoke to pour out of it, the shield bounced back and I caught it and put it on my back. I picked up a chocolate bar from the side and stared down one of the fatter SHIELD agents and chuckled.

"This is yours isn't it tubby? I hope you don't mind me borrowing it, I'm just going to go ransacking through your files and blow stuff up.. It makes for hungry business."

I walked into a room labelled "Top Secret, Champion Level Clearance Needed", wow SHIELD really was getting low budget nowadays, labelling doors: Top Secret? How pathetic, there was a retina scanner and several hefty looking security devices on the door. I smashed them with my SHIELD a few times and walked in; in the centre of the room there was a filing cabinet with the words "Registration Act" printed on the side, I searched through it and found a musty old porn magazine. I looked at the man on the cover in horror and I felt my eyes bleed as I did so..

"Stark?! Dear God no!!"

I threw the magazine onto the floor and attempted to run out of the room, only to be faced with hundreds of pissed off SHIELD agents staring back at me, Crap. Why do these things always happen to me? A blonde dude stepped through the crowd in bright orange spandes, Quatermaine.

"I can explain.. See, Nick set me, He wanted me to test you? That's right, to make sure that all of your security was working properly and guess what? No. It's the worst I've ever seen in all my time of.. security..Checking?"

"I may be blonde Walker, but I'm not stupid. Nick sent the order for us to take your ass down, do you really think I'm going to take your word over his?"

"No of course not.. But.. Well.. I thought you were hanging around with She Hulk man?"

"Yeah, I am.. She's a hell of a babe."

"Yeah, she's great in the sack aswell. Took a ride on the John Express a few times I can tell you that."

"Who hasn't had a go on She Hulk man?"

"Northstar?"

"Well played, so how about me and you go get a be-"

"Sir, with all due respect Mr.Fury told us we had to take him in didn't he? Not ask him out on a date."

The agents laughed loudly and Quatermaine blushed and stepped towards me, damn it's going to come down to this now? Oh well, there's nobody here I can't handle. They're all grunts except Quatermaine who's more concerned about his hair than anything else.

"Let's go John, don't make this harder than it has to be."

"Hard? That's the way I like it jerk ass!"

I threw my shield through the crowd, it richoceted off five heads and I jumped into the crowd and beat them back. They fired their guns at me but all it managed to do is sting, I smacked them around and threw them through walls effortless. There was so many of them, I started to get bored and decided to take the fight to another level, I spotted the window behind me and leapt out of it. The only problem being was that I was fifty stories up.

"This is going to hurt like hell."

I plummeted through the sky tearing through it effortlessly, I'd love to say that my life flashed before my eyes but all I could think of was how crappy the ending to Civil War 7 was. I looked down below and could see Clay on the ground floor in his tight orange spandex looking up at me, bloody queer. I spun around through the air madly, I never did pay attention in paratrooping training, but you can't blame me can you? If you didn't need to use a parachute then what use is training with one? The last thing I remember before hitting the floor is seeing that bloody magazine in the back of Clay's pocket. Heh, I'm not suprised.

"Now John, was that really neccessary? Do you see this cut on my face? You did that to me you bastard, if you weren't already nearly comatosed.. "

It was Clay again, Jesus Christ why won't that man leave me alone? Atleast I know I survived my little sky die I guess, I opened my eyes and he stared down at me.

"What the hell are you still doing here? I'm fine, all I needed was a few minutes to recover. I'll be on my way home now if you don't mind."

I got up from the floor, cracking several of my bones back into place and sighing loudly, I began to walk off and Clay grabbed me by my arm.

"I swear to God i'm going to kick yo.."

Hulk Busters? Isn't that a bit much? Sometimes I really should know when to stop, or when to not break into SHIELD bases to see if the rumours of a registration act were true.

"I'll make you a deal, you come with us.. Work for SHIELD now on, we'll make this all disappear. You know you are actually now an international terrorist right? Attacking a SHIELD base is no small matter. US Agent, I'm taking you in."

Work for SHIELD? Hell It's not like I haven't worked for the government before, this time it doesn't look like I have much choice though. I stared at the Hulk Busters, could I take them? What are you thinking John they are designed to take the ****ing Hulk down, but you have been punched by the hulk.. he didn't punch that hard.

"Fine, It's not US Agent anymore.. It's John Walker. Now hurry up before I start to cry over how pathetic this is, John Walker handing himself in? I guess the A on my head does stand for France."

"Shut up."

"I hate Captain America."

"Who doesn't?"

TO BE CONTINUED IN...
Civil War: John Walker: Agent Of S.H.I.E.L.D
 
For a second Cap said nothing as he looked into Lazarus' masked face and tried to read him. Of course Cap had never been the best at reading people, and he knew it, the mask didn't make it any easier.

Eventually he decided it didnt matter and he hauled himself to his feet. Lazarus seemed sincere enough, and in the end his actions would confirm or refute this.

"You're right soldier" Cap said as he retrieved his shield from the ground and walked towards a gaping hole in wall.

"There's work to be done, and the president needs us now more than ever." Cap said as he looked out over Washington DC. For a split second there after discovering that Rhodey had attacked Tony he had felt real despair. The feeling chilled him to the bone, and god only knows how it must have affected Tony. Now that thought brought back memories Steve Rogers wished he could forget forever.

*******
18 Months Ago
Washington DC
A Grand memorial Service for the Victims of the Thanos War

Steve Rogers stood inconspicously amidst the solemn crowd. No costume, he didnt want to stand out. Today he was just a man paying his respects to the fallen.

Much of the city lay in ruins and it was being said that everybody had lost someone in this war. Steve had lost people as well, Crystal, a fellow Avenger, had been killed by his old nemesis the Taskmaster, countless elite Shield agents, friends of his, had been killed as they fought the invasion forces, Avengers support staff murdered when the Hulk tore down the Mansion, Thor's wife, the Lady Sif, was still missing, and Thor was off looking for her.

All this and more had happened while Cap wasn't around to stop it. He had been trapped in another dimension while his evil counterpart used his name help Thanos. The world had nearly been destroyed, but Captain America had made it back in time to defeat his doppelganger and help stop Thanos. At least he was there at the end, if only he could have been there sooner, maybe he could have saved a few more lives.

Cap shook his head and banished the thought that creeping into it. He had done all he could, they all had done all they could. The Aftermath of war did this to people, made them question themselves. The heroes had saved the world, now they had to help rebuild it.

That would be a job for Captain America, now Steve Rogers mourned for the fallen.

It was at that moment that Steve noticed Tony Stark in the crowd as well, several rows in front of him. Tony didnt deal with losss very well, and Cap thought it best to check on him. Gently he made his way through the crowd and to his friend's side.

Stark didnt even notice as Steve approached. His face was ashen, his head was bowed low, he really needed a shave, and it looked like he might have been crying.

The sight took Steve by surprise. This was not the Invincible Iron Man he knew. At least he didn't smell any alchohol, the good news was that Tony hadn't been drinking.

Slowly, so as not to alarm Tony, who seemed oblivious to his surroundings, Steve patted Tony on the shoulder

"Tony...." he whispered "....are you ok?"

IC:
logoIron.gif


Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, New York: 18 months ago

NY1.jpg


Deep in thought Tony failed to notice his teammate at first “….Fine” Tony hesitated. “I was just paying my respects”. Disturbed by Steve’s appearance Tony promptly exited the Cathedral. and still concerned for his friend Cap followed behind.
 
IC:
logoIron.gif


Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, New York: 18 months ago

NY1.jpg


Deep in thought Tony failed to notice his teammate at first “….Fine” Tony hesitated. “I was just paying my respects”. Disturbed by Steve’s appearance Tony promptly exited the Cathedral. and still concerned for his friend Cap followed behind.

Steve followed Tony out of the Cathedral and grabbed him by the arm, turning him around.

"Dont walk away from me Tony...you're not fine, I can tell"
Cap wasnt going to leave Tony alone in this state, that might lead him to the bottle, or worse. Cap instinctivly knew that something was deeply troubling Stark and for all his invincibility the Iron Man had never been good at dealing with loss or failure.

"Now talk to me Tony...please. I'm your friend"
Cap said earnestly as he looked Stark in the eyes.
 
Steve followed Tony out of the Cathedral and grabbed him by the arm, turning him around.

"Dont walk away from me Tony...you're not fine, I can tell" Cap wasnt going to leave Tony alone in this state, that might lead him to the bottle, or worse. Cap instinctivly knew that something was deeply troubling Stark and for all his invincibility the Iron Man had never been good at dealing with loss or failure.

"Now talk to me Tony...please. I'm your friend" Cap said earnestly as he looked Stark in the eyes.

IC:
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“Huh, are you the same friend that disappeared for months? That left the Avengers to fall apart and crumble under Thanos’ fist.” Tony’s anger began to boil over. “You act like you live on this pedestal of ideals that no one can ever reach, but when it counted where were you!”

The Golden Avenger lent in close “That’s why you’re here today, your conscience caught up with you.”
 
kaine200oq2.jpg

IC Kaine
Season V - Part Fourteen

Kaine picks himself up off the warehouse floor, brushing away some sand from his shoulders. He watches as the sand hits the floor and moves unnaturally, drawn back towards the man who is taking shape a few feet away.

"Here to help out your boyfriend?"

The Sandman turns one of his fists into a giant mace and swings it downwards in an attempt to crush Kaine. With amazing speed, Kaine propels himself off the ground and somersaults over the Sandman's head, coming down behind him and kicking him hard in the back. The Sandman is sent staggering into the wall, where he explodes into a cloud of dust on impact, and immeadiately reforms, facing Kaine once more.

"You're fast kid, gotta give it to you."

The Sandman then transforms into a living wave, trying to blow Kaine through the wall. Just as he is about to be enveloped by his opponent, Kaine leaps skyward and clings to the ceiling. He remains there, watching as his opponent slowly reforms below.

"Cripes! How many of you spider-people are there?"

"This is not your fight. You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into. Leave now."

"Make me, hero!"

The Sandman turns one of his arms into a solid beam of sand and thrusts it towards Kaine, who avoids the blow by mere microseconds. A large hole is punched in the ceiling where Sandman's intended victim had been.

As he lands on the ground, Kaine springs forward, attempting to land a double-fisted blow on his enemy. Unfortunately, the Sandman is able to shift his body to into sand before Kaine can connect, and the trouble clone flies right through his nemesis.

"See that? You can't hurt me! Maybe it's you who should be leavin'!"

Kaine turns his attention away from the battle for a moment and sees Ben crouched over the Jackal, screaming furiously.

"Die!"

"Ben, don't!"


The Gwen clone tries to reason with Reilly; tries to prevent him from doing something that Kaine feels must be done. Kaine realizes he is running out of time. He must get rid of the Sandman fast, before he loses what might be his last chance to kill Warren.

"This business is none of your concern! LEAVE!"

The Sandman swings an enlarged fist at Kaine, missing by inches.

"Yeah yeah, keep talkin' big shot! I'm gonna pound you one..."

As Kaine dodges a series of attacks from the Sandman, a voice begins speaking to him internally.

"I've fought this man before, you know."

"You have? Jeez... you picked a fine time to speak up."

"Sorry."

"Well? You got anything helpful to say?"

"Perhaps. I defeated him. Brock and I."

Kaine jumps over another of the Sandman's attacks, taking a swipe at his enemy as he does so. "I'm really happy for you. Both. So what should we do?"

"We bit him. Took a large part of him away."

"Classy. What did that do to him?"

"I'm not exactly sure. But I seem to remember it causing him alot of problems... I believe he thought he would die from it."

"Did you think he would?" Kaine asked as he ducked beneath a punch and flung himself through his opponent.

"Actually, yes. Yes I did."

"Then I don't want to do that."

"What? Why not?"

"We don't have to kill him, I can handle this."

"Oh please, I thought you wanted to get this over with. Don't get all soft on me."

"Shut up. Think of something else."

"Keep talkin' to yourself nutball, I got somethin' here that'll make all the voices stop, don't you worry."

"Alright, I got one more idea..."

The symbiote shows Kaine an image in his head. Kaine understands what it is that the symbiote intends to do.

"Fine. If you think that will work."

Kaine jumps on a wall and kicks off, rocketing towards the Sandman with an outstretch fist. The Sandman, unable to react in time, is knocked to the ground and dazed. When he opens his eyes, he comes face to face with his worst nightmare.

ramosvenombo4.jpg

"LEAVE THIS PLACE!" Kaine roars, his voice sounding somehow different.

The Sandman scurries to his feet and backs away. His movements are sudden... he is trembling.

"Where... where d-did you... what h-happened to--"

"LAST CHANCE!" Kaine growled.

The Sandman looks around him nervously, then steps near the edge of one of the many holes he had made in the wall. Stepping out into the moonlight, the Sandman transforms into a mist and is gone. Kaine's appearance immediately shifts back to his own.

"See? He's gone. No killing."

"Baby."

"Shut up."

Kaine rushes over to Ben, who is holding the Jackal in the air.

"I'm no son of yours. You can give my regards to all my old friends in Rykers."

"You disappoint me Ben. That seems to be all you're good at."

The Jackal moves quickly, slashing Ben's face and grabbing hold of the Gwen clone, which he then uses to taunt Ben. As Ben stands hestitantly pondering what to do, Kaine strides by him and faces the Jackal.

"You may not be his son, Ben... but I am. If I am nothing else, I am this monster's son."

"You? If ever there was a bigger dissapointment than our little Ben over here, it was you Kaine. Just the sight of you makes me sick."

Kaine's hands tighten into fists.

"Say what you will. In a moment, it won't matter. Someone's got to stop you. Stop you forever."

As Kaine moves forward, Ben reaches out and grabs him by the shoulder.

"You don't have to do this. You don't have to become like him."

As Ben says this, the symbiote begins to creep up his arm. He immeadiately releases Kaine and stares at him in horror. Kaine hangs his head. Ashamed.

"Brother... you have no idea what I've become."
 
"I say we put him on ice!" Cable snarled, shouldering his way to the front, a very large weapon in his hands. "I'm tired of Mauraders and freaks always messing with my family! If it's not Apockalips, it's Sinister or his goons. It ends now..."

Cable's own eye glowed brigt yellow, his real arm flexing and swellin then relaxing as he placed the rifle's butt into the pocket of his shoulder. His breathing was always slow and steady, you shot better that way; the only give away to his mood was the red face and popped vein along his neck. He had no trouble achieving that strong, high pistol grip and it was natural to relax into the weapon, his firing arm rotating down to his side, making it nice and tight.

Warpath walks up to Cable and places his hand on his shoulder.

"It is the life we lead Cable. This is but one of the sacrifices that we give in return to make this world a better place. My brother believed this so much that he gave his own life for the cause. Your father is alive. Be thankful for that."
 
IC:
logoIron.gif


“Huh, are you the same friend that disappeared for months? That left the Avengers to fall apart and crumble under Thanos’ fist.” Tony’s anger began to boil over. “You act like you live on this pedestal of ideals that no one can ever reach, but when it counted where were you!”

The Golden Avenger lent in close “That’s why you’re here today, your conscience caught up with you.”

"I..." Cap began to reply but then he froze as Tony's accusation brought memories of his time in the alternate dimension flooding back. The thing's he'd seen, the things that he'd been forced to do, what he'd gone through, the people he saw die, the times he thought he'd never make it back. That world was a horror Cap wished he could forget, but he knew he never could, and just thinking about it sent an involuntary shiver through the star spangled Avengers bones.

Cap swallowed hard and pushed the memories back out of his mind. Now wasnt the time for them, and Tony was right about one thing, he did feel guilty that he hadn't been there to help fight Thanos.

"I..I'm sorry Tony. You'e right. I should have been there. I wish I had been." Cap finally replied fighting hard not to make mention of his own ordeals in the alternate world.
 
Untitled-2-2.jpg


Eddie Brock / Venom Chapter 2

We're back in our apartment, lifting weights.
Edward, why do you insist on this primitive muscle building? You know that with but a thought I could increase your muscular strength by a tenfold. Why do you insist on this idiotic workout?

For the same reason you didn't seep into my mind to find the answer to that question. We like to keep the things that define us as our original species. Together, we may be the next step in evolution... but we still like staying separated.

Our discussion is interrupted by the cry of a woman from a nearby alleyway.

We leap out of the window, taking our heroic form.

The woman's assailant is none other than the boy we'd let go a few days earlier.

"YOU!" we scream at him, " We let you go free. You promised you would never hurt another person."

He curses under his breath and tries to run away.

"No! Not this time, buster. You'll get no mercy from Venom this time. "

We web his feet together and tie him to a nearby fire escape.

"What did we tell you would happen? Don't you remember? We said we'd eat your spleen for lunch! Well... it's noon, we're hungry, and you're hurting an innocent. Looks to us like all the pieces are in place."

He screams as I tear his hoodie off and throw it to the ground. He drops the woman's purse to the ground. I wave a sharp finger in front of his eyes. His fear-filled pupils follow my pointed fingertips.

"Please... I'm sorry... please, have mercy."

"MERCY?! We showed you mercy and you threw it to the wind. Now... now you must suffer."

I ease the claw into his abdomen and he screams in pain. He tries to writhe in my web cocoon, but it holds him steady. I slice through his flesh... slowly.

The pain in his eyes grows and grows and he screams in terror.

We web his mouth shut.

Blood drips along his chest onto the ground. We lick the trail of blood off of his chest.

"Oh... you'll be good. Still fresh!" we say with a chuckle.

We put our hands into the slice in his chest and pull. He peels easily... like a banana. Blood pours out of his chest and his tears stop flowing...

His eyes grow dim and grey.

He's long gone.

We remove his liver and toss it in a nearby garbage can. We can hear the woman's sobs behind us.

We take out his intestines and throw them out, too.

Until, at last... there it is.

His spleen.

We reach in and take it.

"We told you, didn't we?" We say, shaking the spleen in front of the dead man's face.

We start to chew it.

"Oh! What are we thinking? We're being rude." We say through a mouth full of spleen, picking up the blood soaked purse.

"Here ya go ma'am."
we say, extending the purse towards her. She looks down at it in disgust. We swallow the spleen and lick the blood away. We then hand her the blood, spit, and spleen soaked purse.

She slaps it away and runs for the street.

"Well, it was worth a try." we mutter.

We go back into our apartment and drink a glass of water.

Then, we turn on the TV, looking for any word about Spider-Freak
 
kaine200oq2.jpg

IC Kaine
Season V - Part Fourteen

Kaine picks himself up off the warehouse floor, brushing away some sand from his shoulders. He watches as the sand hits the floor and moves unnaturally, drawn back towards the man who is taking shape a few feet away.

"Here to help out your boyfriend?"

The Sandman turns one of his fists into a giant mace and swings it downwards in an attempt to crush Kaine. With amazing speed, Kaine propels himself off the ground and somersaults over the Sandman's head, coming down behind him and kicking him hard in the back. The Sandman is sent staggering into the wall, where he explodes into a cloud of dust on impact, and immeadiately reforms, facing Kaine once more.

"You're fast kid, gotta give it to you."

The Sandman then transforms into a living wave, trying to blow Kaine through the wall. Just as he is about to be enveloped by his opponent, Kaine leaps skyward and clings to the ceiling. He remains there, watching as his opponent slowly reforms below.

"Cripes! How many of you spider-people are there?"

"This is not your fight. You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into. Leave now."

"Make me, hero!"

The Sandman turns one of his arms into a solid beam of sand and thrusts it towards Kaine, who avoids the blow by mere microseconds. A large hole is punched in the ceiling where Sandman's intended victim had been.

As he lands on the ground, Kaine springs forward, attempting to land a double-fisted blow on his enemy. Unfortunately, the Sandman is able to shift his body to into sand before Kaine can connect, and the trouble clone flies right through his nemesis.

"See that? You can't hurt me! Maybe it's you who should be leavin'!"

Kaine turns his attention away from the battle for a moment and sees Ben crouched over the Jackal, screaming furiously.

"Die!"

"Ben, don't!"


The Gwen clone tries to reason with Reilly; tries to prevent him from doing something that Kaine feels must be done. Kaine realizes he is running out of time. He must get rid of the Sandman fast, before he loses what might be his last chance to kill Warren.

"This business is none of your concern! LEAVE!"

The Sandman swings an enlarged fist at Kaine, missing by inches.

"Yeah yeah, keep talkin' big shot! I'm gonna pound you one..."

As Kaine dodges a series of attacks from the Sandman, a voice begins speaking to him internally.

"I've fought this man before, you know."

"You have? Jeez... you picked a fine time to speak up."

"Sorry."

"Well? You got anything helpful to say?"

"Perhaps. I defeated him. Brock and I."

Kaine jumps over another of the Sandman's attacks, taking a swipe at his enemy as he does so. "I'm really happy for you. Both. So what should we do?"

"We bit him. Took a large part of him away."

"Classy. What did that do to him?"

"I'm not exactly sure. But I seem to remember it causing him alot of problems... I believe he thought he would die from it."

"Did you think he would?" Kaine asked as he ducked beneath a punch and flung himself through his opponent.

"Actually, yes. Yes I did."

"Then I don't want to do that."

"What? Why not?"

"We don't have to kill him, I can handle this."

"Oh please, I thought you wanted to get this over with. Don't get all soft on me."

"Shut up. Think of something else."

"Keep talkin' to yourself nutball, I got somethin' here that'll make all the voices stop, don't you worry."

"Alright, I got one more idea..."

The symbiote shows Kaine an image in his head. Kaine understands what it is that the symbiote intends to do.

"Fine. If you think that will work."

Kaine jumps on a wall and kicks off, rocketing towards the Sandman with an outstretch fist. The Sandman, unable to react in time, is knocked to the ground and dazed. When he opens his eyes, he comes face to face with his worst nightmare.

ramosvenombo4.jpg

"LEAVE THIS PLACE!" Kaine roars, his voice sounding somehow different.

The Sandman scurries to his feet and backs away. His movements are sudden... he is trembling.

"Where... where d-did you... what h-happened to--"

"LAST CHANCE!" Kaine growled.

The Sandman looks around him nervously, then steps near the edge of one of the many holes he had made in the wall. Stepping out into the moonlight, the Sandman transforms into a mist and is gone. Kaine's appearance immediately shifts back to his own.

"See? He's gone. No killing."

"Baby."

"Shut up."

Kaine rushes over to Ben, who is holding the Jackal in the air.

"I'm no son of yours. You can give my regards to all my old friends in Rykers."

"You disappoint me Ben. That seems to be all you're good at."

The Jackal moves quickly, slashing Ben's face and grabbing hold of the Gwen clone, which he then uses to taunt Ben. As Ben stands hestitantly pondering what to do, Kaine strides by him and faces the Jackal.

"You may not be his son, Ben... but I am. If I am nothing else, I am this monster's son."

"You? If ever there was a bigger dissapointment than our little Ben over here, it was you Kaine. Just the sight of you makes me sick."

Kaine's hands tighten into fists.

"Say what you will. In a moment, it won't matter. Someone's got to stop you. Stop you forever."

As Kaine moves forward, Ben reaches out and grabs him by the shoulder.

"You don't have to do this. You don't have to become like him."

As Ben says this, the symbiote begins to creep up his arm. He immeadiately releases Kaine and stares at him in horror. Kaine hangs his head. Ashamed.

"Brother... you have no idea what I've become."
ScarletSpider3.jpg


I jerk my hand away and was as the suit calms back down. I look up at Kaine.

"Brother... you have no idea what I've become."

Before I can say anything Jackel's shreiking laughter fills the room again.

"Oh this is great! I didnt know you could stoop so low Kaine. Now back to buisness....."

He presses his claw harder into Gwen's neck finally drawing blood.

"Pick up the syringe Ben!"

"No Ben don't do it!"

"Shut up!"

"Ben I......."

"The hell with this!"

The Jackel's hand jerks to the right cutting Gwen's throat.

"No!"

Jackel pushes Gwen toward me and makes a run for. I catch her and gently lay her down.

"No god no not again!"

I gently press on her neck trying to stop the bleeding but its no use, the damn blood won't stop!
 
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"...Well, I know one person who'd make a terrible motivational speaker!", Spider-Man quipped, leaping from the gravestone and onto another.

Peter couldn't deny that with the time that passed, he was becoming more confident in his chances against these monsters. His spider-sense had returned in full force, alerting him of the ever present danger that had somehow triggered it back to him. Not that he'd complain, given his circumstances. But as the reality of it all started to creep in, Spider-Man was left horrified as to what he was being forced to do. One by one, it was as if he himself was killing the people he had loved all over again. And that startling realisation is what caught Spider-Man off guard long enough to notice that his senses had been ringing for the past few seconds. Peter's eyes widened, beneath his mask, as he turned to meet the danger that faced him.

:spidey:

"Oh, boy. Here we go again..."

Before he could react, Spider-Man was tackled by not one, but two minions of the undead. Both sent him flying from atop one of the gravestones, and onto the grass, slamming him back as they piled ontop of him, and began to form. As he struggled, he looked up, seeing who they were. And immediatley regretted doing so. Because he was looking at two of the people he had failed the most: Captain George Stacy, and the worst of all. Ben Parker.

"Why did you do it, Pete?", Ben asked. "Did I not do well enough for you? Was I not good enough of a father to you?"

Spider-Man gasped for air, as he released his windpipe from both corpses' grips.

"Funny... I don't remember having The Cryptkeeper as a father.", Spider-Man coughed.

"It's all jokes with you, son.", Captain Stacy intruded. "Never any discipline... Are you ever going to learn?"

Before Spider-Man could interject and argue, He found himself hoisted up by his arms, and held by the iron grip that was surely given to the corpses by their otherworldly inhabitants. Peter tried to fight it, but it was too late. Because in an instant, he found himself facing the barrel of a shotgun. One being held by a ravage beast of a man. Kraven, The Hunter.

"He is not going to learn. That is the point.", Kraven bellowed, loading the weapon. "He must realise that he is the prey. And that there are no jokes in the hunt."

Spider-Man closed his eyes, as he realised he couldn't fight it anymore. They had him. There was no way out.

The shotgun blast rung out like he had expected, like he had feared. Everything went slow, time itself seeming to stop. He expected the smell of gunpowder, then a flash of pain, then nothing. The smell came first. It was sulfur. His eyes snapped open to see a blast of fire impact the Hunter's shotgun, knocking it away. Spider-Man, George Stacy, Ben Parker, and Kraven the Hunter looked to the Ghost Rider, who stood with his still-smoking shotgun drawn. "Not yet. The Tribulations have not started."

Behind him, Ghost Rider heard a voice. Husky, feral, and changed, but still unquestionably hers. "And who are you to decree it thus, Ghost Rider? You no longer have a place in Mephisto's realms, and the rules have changed since the last time we were freed."

He spund with all his hellborn speed, and found his gun pointed at the pale, ghostly face of Karen Suthers. She smirked, revealing the smallest of ivory fangs. With one pale hand, she slowly, almost daintily, turned his weapon away. "You must not have been paying attention, Rider. The Tribulations had already started. With that little intervention of yours, things have changed. Now it's my turn."

Coldness ripped into his chest. He hadn't even seen her move, didn't see her draw the sword, didn't see her drive it into his chest. Spider-Man watched as the point of a hideously long sword tore out of Ghost Rider's back, flames spilling out of the wound like torch fire. Coldness spread throughout Ghost Rider's body, and he recognized what the blade was coated in. Soul toxin, like wildfire, spread its way through his body. The cold of the grave gripped his limbs, made him slow, dulled his senses. Brutally, she kicked him in the ribs, sending him flying through the air. Embers of fire trailed after him, flickering in the night sky then dying. He landed with a thud next to Spider-Man. Kraven, Ben Parker, and George Stacy all stood, eyes raptly focused on the pale, ghostly white woman who had attacked Ghost Rider.

The Rider's face was emotionless. But if one could decipher the feelings of the Rider, one could sense an overwhelming happiness, an overwhelming determination. The being inside Karen Suther's body, the being that had perverted it and controlled it since that dark night in Truth or Consequences, thought that it had killed her. Thought that Karen and her innocent soul were no longer important, if they even existed at all. But Ghost Rider had heard her as the demon attacked. A voice so small calling it a whisper would be generous. A voice that had given him all he would need to drive back the Necropotence.

"Save him, Ghost Rider."
 
"I..." Cap began to reply but then he froze as Tony's accusation brought memories of his time in the alternate dimension flooding back. The thing's he'd seen, the things that he'd been forced to do, what he'd gone through, the people he saw die, the times he thought he'd never make it back. That world was a horror Cap wished he could forget, but he knew he never could, and just thinking about it sent an involuntary shiver through the star spangled Avengers bones.

Cap swallowed hard and pushed the memories back out of his mind. Now wasnt the time for them, and Tony was right about one thing, he did feel guilty that he hadn't been there to help fight Thanos.

"I..I'm sorry Tony. You'e right. I should have been there. I wish I had been." Cap finally replied fighting hard not to make mention of his own ordeals in the alternate world.

IC:
logoIron.gif


Tony curled his fists and gritted his teeth. “If you had been there, they’d still be alive! You would have saved them.” Tony sent his fist into Cap’s jaw. “Pepper and Happy would be alive if it weren’t for you!”
 
IC:
logoIron.gif


Tony curled his fists and gritted his teeth. “If you had been there, they’d still be alive! You would have saved them.” Tony sent his fist into Cap’s jaw. “Pepper and Happy would be alive if it weren’t for you!”

Steve saw the punch coming and instinictively tensed up, but he didn't move. He let the shot connect and his head snapped back as he rolled with it to blunt the force of the blow. He had already decided to let Tony get the shot in and work out his frustratios before he heard the words.

Now those words hurt worse than any punch could. So that was what had happened. Pepper and Happy, Tony's best friends, people who were like family to him, friends of Steve as well...gone. Killed along with countless millions who had fallen victim to the mad titan's ambitions.

For a second Cap was speechless and the two heroes stared at each other as a miniscule trail of blood appeared at the side of Steve's mouth.

Finally Cap broke the silence.

"Tony...I'm sorry...Happy and Pepper were...they were friends. But you can't let anger consume you. I mourn for them too but we can't...." Steve paused unsure of how to continue.

"Listen Tony, I've seen more than my fair share of war and death and I've seen what loss can do to you if you let it take over. Anger won't bring them back, despair won't bring them back." As Cap spoke he thought back of how he must have been when he was first saved from the ice, when all he could think about was Bucky's death and getting revenge. How like him Tony looked right now.

"We have to keep fighting. We have to honor the memory of the fallen by doing everything we can to make sure nothing like this ever happens again."
Steve continued as Tony listened "Thanos was...my god Tony...we did all we could, we'd like to think that we don't fail but we can't save everybody, not all the time. I wish I could have been there, but I wasn't, and the Avengers did all they could. Everything that could have been done."

 
"My fellow Americans..."

Trevor sat alone, in his darkened office. All the lights had been left off, plunging him into shadow, with the cold blue light of the computer screen all that was illuminating his features, the light reflecting off his glasses, making him appear almost spectral.

A haze of smoke formed a fog around him, spiralling from the cigarette he held in his hand. He'd quit, or at least he'd tried to. But after the immense strain of the past few hours, he felt like he'd needed one badly. But it seemed now like everything was going to work out okay.

"I speak to you today, not as a leader, but as one of you. An American citizen, shocked and horrified by the tragic events that have unfolded over the past few hours. Tony Stark is a great man. And what makes this attempt on his life all the more difficult to comprehend, is that the attempt was made by a man The President has long called a close personal friend. One cannot attempt to understand the workings of a mind so clearly disturbed and depraved. But what we can do, and what we all should do, is pray for Tony Stark."

Trevor spoke the words into the microphone in his headset, the speech coming to him naturally. He didn't even need any notes. He was a natural at this kind of thing. He probably could have made a good stab at running for office, if he'd cared for all that shallow posturing and showmanship. But he didn't. Trevor liked to have real power.

"I didn't want this. The very fact that I am standing here today should tell you that this great nation faces one of its darkest hours. I had no interest in becoming The President of the United States. I had no interest in..."

...

"...becoming The Vice President. I didn't feel I was worthy of holding such a position. As Speaker of the House of Representatives, I felt I was serving my country, without the crushing pressure of being a world leader. To be honest, the thought that I was third in line to the Presidency rarely occured to me. But after the tragic death of Jonathan Powell - a close personal friend, who is sorely missed - and with Tony Stark currently in critical condition, that fact has become crushingly, terrifyingly clear to me."

Andrew Freeman, the man sworn in as Acting President only a few minutes ago, was giving his first address to the nation. The whole world would be watching, listening to the words he said. This was without a doubt, the most important moment of his life.

So far, he was doing well. He was doing as he'd been told. He was playing the part of the ordinary joe who felt like he was way out of his depth. The part wasn't hard to play, as it wasn't too far from how he really felt. He made a pause, seemingly for dramatic effect. But really, he was listening intently to the feed from his earpiece, so small that nobody in attendance at the hastily-organised public address could see it.

"But in these trying times, what I want is of little consequence. It doesn't matter that this is not what I wanted. It doesn't matter that I don't feel ready. It doesn't matter that I'm afraid, just like all of you. I'm doing my duty for my country. Now, more than ever, America needs direction and leadership, and I hope I can offer you that until Tony Stark is ready to return. And I know in my heart that he will return. I am only Acting President, taking over this role for him until he is ready to resume it for himself."

What if Stark never returned? What if he died in the hospital tonight? A tingling of both ambition and blind terror worked its way up Freeman's spine.

"And like me, you, the American people, must set aside your personal interests, and do what's best for America. Your country needs you, all of you. Now is not the time to be divided. Now is the time for America to unite, to come together to face the gathering storm, to fight against the evil forces that lurk in the shadows, that could very well be among us..."

...

"Good, ain't he?"

Bullseye watched the President's address on a 50 inch plasma TV screen. He needed to get one of these. This one belonged to Gerald Wilkins, a balding old relic who had been serving as Tony Stark's Chief of Staff in Washington. That was a post he'd soon be retiring.

"Now, you see, Jerry - can I call you Jerry? - this man ain't just gonna be The President. He's gonna be our President. My employer has seen an opportunity to make good on a bad situation here, and get himself some more direct power and influence in the White House. One limitation to that power has always been you - Mr. Honest-Do-Gooder. My employer wants The President's ear in Washington, and will be replacin' you personally. As for you..."

Bullseye produced a syringe from his belt, moving towards the terrified Chief of Staff, cornered against the wall in his bedroom.

"...It'll be quick, relatively painless. Leaves no trace. Coroner's gonna think it was a heart attack. Not a bad way to go, really, you should be thankful..."

"You...you'll never get away with this!" Wilkins nervously stammered, "The American public isn't just going to accept that I...that I died of a heart attack!"

Bullseye grinned, his face pressing right in against Wilkins'.

"They accepted that the Vice President drowned, didn't they?"

Upon hearing this, the Chief of Staff tried desperately to make a run for it, but Bullseye shoved him to the ground, punning him down and injecting the deadly serum into the side of his neck.

"It ain't nothin' personal, Jerry. Just business."

Bullseye kneeled over Wilkins, grinning at him triumphantly as the life slipped away from him. Like putting a dog to sleep. Tucking the empty syringe into his belt, Bullseye once again turned back to the TV.

"Heh, Trevor, I can practically see the strings on your little puppet here."

Trevor had filled Bullseye in on his future plans, and Bullseye liked the sound of them. The Wisemen had big plans in store, and from the sound of things, Bullseye was set to play a large part in them. And that would mean one hell of a payday. He might end up with one of these TVs after all.

The future's bright.

...

"The future is bleak."

Andrew Freeman continued reciting the speech as it was told to him. He felt he was putting on a pretty convincing charade of being The President.

"Or, I should say, it appears bleak. We face an uncertain future. Dark times lie ahead. How are you going to face them? The choice is yours. I've made my choice. I refuse to let what America stands for be destroyed while we are weakened and vulnerable. I choose to fight for what I believe in. I believe in freedom. I believe..."

...

"...in justice."

Trevor couldn't help but smile. Only a few hours ago, Trevor had let himself believe that his carefully structured plans were falling apart. How foolish! In a strange way, the attempted assassination of Tony Stark had been a blessing for Trevor.

It had allowed him to install a weaker-willed President that would be easy to manipulate. And if Bullseye had done his job, Trevor would be in the position to assume the role of this new President's Chief of Staff. The Chied of Staff had long been called "The second most powerful man in Washington." But in Trevor's case, he'd be the one really running the show. And from that position of power, he'd be able to set in motion some plans The Wisemen had been sitting on for quite some time now, so when Tony Stark returned - if he returned - he'd have little choice but to play along. If Trevor played his cards right, he might even be able to make Stark believe it was his idea.

Yes, everything had worked out just fine. Not only had the mistake been erased, but Trevor now had more power at his fingertips than ever before. And if there was one thing Trevor loved more than anything else, it was power.

"I believe in America."


THE END...FOR NOW
 
Steve saw the punch coming and instinictively tensed up, but he didn't move. He let the shot connect and his head snapped back as he rolled with it to blunt the force of the blow. He had already decided to let Tony get the shot in and work out his frustratios before he heard the words.

Now those words hurt worse than any punch could. So that was what had happened. Pepper and Happy, Tony's best friends, people who were like family to him, friends of Steve as well...gone. Killed along with countless millions who had fallen victim to the mad titan's ambitions.

For a second Cap was speechless and the two heroes stared at each other as a miniscule trail of blood appeared at the side of Steve's mouth.

Finally Cap broke the silence.

"Tony...I'm sorry...Happy and Pepper were...they were friends. But you can't let anger consume you. I mourn for them too but we can't...." Steve paused unsure of how to continue.

"Listen Tony, I've seen more than my fair share of war and death and I've seen what loss can do to you if you let it take over. Anger won't bring them back, despair won't bring them back." As Cap spoke he thought back of how he must have been when he was first saved from the ice, when all he could think about was Bucky's death and getting revenge. How like him Tony looked right now.

"We have to keep fighting. We have to honor the memory of the fallen by doing everything we can to make sure nothing like this ever happens again."Steve continued as Tony listened "Thanos was...my god Tony...we did all we could, we'd like to think that we don't fail but we can't save everybody, not all the time. I wish I could have been there, but I wasn't, and the Avengers did all they could. Everything that could have been done."

IC:
logoIron.gif


“Dammit Steve that’s not enough anymore!” Tony pulled back his anger “Together we saved the world but I couldn’t save the people who mattered to me most, the people who depended on me most and that’s the only thing that matters.”

The Golden Avenger popped open an umbrella and stepped out in the rain.

eerggh.jpg


Tony turned back to Cap “We could have done more; we could have been better prepared, organized. There’s has to be a better way Cap and god help I’ll find it.”
 
IC:
logoIron.gif


“Dammit Steve that’s not enough anymore!” Tony pulled back his anger “Together we saved the world but I couldn’t save the people who mattered to me most, the people who depended on me most and that’s the only thing that matters.”

The Golden Avenger popped open an umbrella and stepped out in the rain.

eerggh.jpg


Tony turned back to Cap “We could have done more; we could have been better prepared, organized. There’s has to be a better way Cap and god help I’ll find it.”

Steve had watched Tony walk off into the rain that day without saying another word. He had hoped that Tony would eventually get over the loss of Pepper and Happy, had hoped that he would find that better way he had been looking for.

Now as he stood in the ruined oval office while Tony was sped to the hospital and James Rhodes was being carted off to prison; he wondered what they had accomplished in the 18 months since that conversation.

He still wasnt sure what they could do to better organised, better prepared, but he was sure of one thing. The next time two Avengers tried to kill each other it would be over his dead body.

Captain-America-Magnet-C11747782.jpeg
 
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IC Herman Schultz: The Shocker
Season V - Epilogue

Herman Schultz held the cinder block in his hands and squeezed. He pressed hard on either side of it, until it was no more and his hands were covered in dust.

"Fantastic, Mr. Schultz." Alistaire Smythe said enthusiastically from the shadows. "The implants are working just as I hoped they would. Better, in fact."

Herman grabbed a thick iron bar that was nearby and twisted it into a pretzel.

"Your strength is impressive. The bionic arms have amplified your natural abilities."

Herman pointed his new arms at a safe that had been brought into the room and fired. A blast, identical to those provided by his old Vibro-Shock units, rocked the safe, blowing its door open.

"Excellent. The arms are operating your Vibro-Shock units flawlessly. They are working up to your standards now, are they not?"

"Yeah." Herman said simply. "They're workin' just fine."

With that, Herman abandoned his training excercises and sat down on a crate, gently dabbing at his perspiring forehead with a towel. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and it almost made him smile. He was in full costume, and looked like his old self again.

"You don't seem very enthusiastic, Mr. Schultz. Something the matter?"

"Nah. Everything's alright."

While in costume, it was impossible to tell that Herman had bionic arms. They moved like his old arms and operated his Vibro-Shock units just as effectively. More than that, they gave him super-human strength. He could punch a hole in an armored car if he wanted to. But for some reason, he couldn't shake this lingering despair...

"Something troubles you." Smythe commented. "Are you not content with the implants?"

"It ain't the implants." Herman said with a frustrated sigh. "I just... nah, forget it..."

"Do share, Mr. Schultz. I can't have you moping about if you are to succeed in killing Spider-Man. I need you to be absolutely lethal. This mood of yours simply won't do."

Herman shook his head. "Yeah... Spider-Man. I guess he's what this is about... He's what everything is always about."

"Go on..." Smythe said, his interested piqued.

"I... I just don't know if I want to face him again. I don't know if it's the right thing to do."

"What do you mean? Is he or is he not the bane of your existence? The perpetual thorn in your side? The one obstacle that seperates you from success, time and time again?"

"Christ, I don't know... I mean... yeah, but... I don't... I don't know..."

Herman rubbed his temples as he struggled to collect his thoughts. Smythe grew angry inside. Schultz was his Spider-Slayer. And this uncertainty would not do.

"My father... I hate him so much. And I just feel like... this ain't about Spider-Man. It's about me and my old man. It's about me proving to my old man that I can get the job done. And if that's the case... then maybe I'm doin' this for the wrong reason."

"Interesting." Smythe said. "You do this to insult your father, as I do it to glorify mine."

"Huh?"

"My father, Spencer Smythe, was a genius, Mr. Schultz. He was decades ahead of his time in terms of robotics. He was going to change the world through his machines, he simply needed to garner support. That's where Spider-Man came in. My father thought to do the world a service by apprehending this costumed criminal, and in return, the world would buy into my father's work."

"Unfortunately, Spider-Man continually eluded my father. My father was forced to churn out new machines... to get support from the wrong kind of people... to use less reliable materials... materials that were hazardous to his health... the stress of it all drove him mad. And if it wasn't enough that Spider-Man had taken my father's sanity, he was soon responsible for taking his life as well."

Herman listened silently as Smythe concluded his tale.

"All sons feel they have a certain duty to their fathers. A duty to prove them right, or prove them wrong... But we also have a duty to ourselves and to society. I assure you, Herman... we are going the right thing. We cannot stand for his creature's continual interference. People such as us are capable of reshaping the world, if only we are given the opportunity. If only selfish beings at the top of the food chain didn't take it upon themselves to make sure nothing occurs that would even the playing field."

"We are doing the right thing."

Herman took in the speech and stood up.

"Let's kill that freakin' bug."
 

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