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| Issue #7 May 2005 |
"Slayers" Written by Groble |
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By the time he arrived home the sun was already coming up over the Manhattan skyline, the thick night smog already burning away beneath it burning gaze, read for the sweltering New York day ahead. The events of the warehouse were now fading away with the night that had contained them as he dragged his weary body through the open window, collapsing on the floor once he was safely inside. He peeled off the charred mask that stuck to his singed skin beneath. He held it at arms length grimacing at the tattered mask that reflected the weariness in his soul. At times like this he found it hard to go on. The TV had been left on and was running through the morning stories, venom sightings and the incident with mysterio were the top stories but as the day continued to dawn more news would undoubtably flood in.
He stood up and staggered to the phone, the lights on the answering machine blinked indicting a message waiting for him.
"You have one new message." Chimed the monotone voice of the machine.
"Spider, It's Felicia I don't know what's going on but that person at the bank wasn't me. Peter? Are you there? I hope you don't go doing anything stupid, if you're their pick up?" the message ended and he smiled to himself.
"Thanks for the heads up cat."
He crashed down onto his bed and began to peel the rest of the melted costume off his weary shell.
"News just in" came the announcement on the TV. "Nearby to the canal street warehouse fire, a victim of severe electrical burns has been found. It is highly likely that these two events are connected. The identification of the victim has just been released and it would appear to be none other than Herman Shultz, otherwise known as The Shocker. Shultz has since been taken to the Manhattan metropolitan hospital and his situation is said to be critical. More news on this as and when it happens."
Before the news had a chance to fully sink in the phone rang and disrupted his chain of thought. He reached over and hit the speaker button.
"Peter is that you?" called Mary Jane's voice from the speaker.
"Hey MJ, what's up I only just got in, any chance I could call you back?"
"NO! Either you talk now or we don't talk again peter." He leapt of the bed and ran to the phone picking up the receiver and holding his to his ear.
"What is it MJ?" it was clear she was crying on the other end and it takes a lot to get to her.
"Don't you be acting all innocent on me, have you not seen the news, you can't lie anymore Peter?
"Whoa MJ is this about shocker? Because you know that wasn't me right?"
"This isn't about any of your super villains peter this is about her!"
"Who?" and before she could even answer his question the newsreader broke in once more.
".And back to today's top story, here is that remarkable footage taken by an anonymous spectator of spider-mans latest roof top escapades, as you can clearly see it shows him getting up close and personal with the former cat burglar and apparently current lover the Black Cat, and in a costume like that can you blame him. That Spider-man really is the luckiest guy alive. And now let's here you're views on this remarkable event.."
"MJ I can explain."
"I don't want to hear your lies right now peter, I just want to know how long it's been going on."
"Nothing is going on, you have to believe me."
"I don't think I can believe you anymore, once you put on that costume it's like you're a different person, living a different life without me."
"MJ I'm the same person, you have to trust me. Noth.."
"That's just it peter, I'm through trusting you, I moved away because we needed time apart to think, and it seems you've made up your mind."
"MJ it's not like that you have to understand.."
"NO! You have to understand, it's him or me. You want to play superhero fine go ahead but don't expect me to put up with it, I can't cope with the lies peter, and the worry. I want you to chose now, spider-man or me?"
"I can't do that MJ, you know that." The line went quiet, only the sounds of muffled tears could be heard on the other end. "I need some time, I need to decide."
"I think your decisions pretty clear.. Don't call me back peter, I need time to think about things, think about us."
"MJ no list.." The line went dead, and he was left alone with only the darkness in his soul, his broken heart and the ridicule of the American public for comfort. Suddenly I fire came alive in his chest.
"She can't do this too me, I don't deserve this I haven't even done anything wrong" he screamed at the top of his voice. He smashed the receiver back on to the phone, cracking the casing and causing it to spark.
"For god's sake Felicia why couldn't you have left me alone." He pulled his mask back on and leapt out the window driven my anger and rejection. He fell straight down, plummeting 15 floors the wind blasting his face cutting thought the lenses of his mask and stinging his eyes, and just before he was about to hit the floor he shot a single web line to the nearest rooftop. His arm wrenched and the muscles burned as he skimmed across the roof of a passing cab, before swinging off into the new day, rage and anger clouding his mind, while the painful screams of his body blocked out the growing sadness within.
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"Mr stark? Mr stark?"
"Yes the reporter from the bugle?"
"Mr Stark I'm sure the our readers and everyone here today would like to know why stark enterprises are funding this operation for a well known and highly dangerous criminal."
"To be honest.."
"Claire Rivers"
"To be honest Miss Rivers I think it's very important to understand that the person currently in this hospital is a human above all things, and as a human has as much right to live as any other, and this experimental operation is the only way that he has any chance of survival. So of course Stark enterprises were willing to foot the bill in the name of good will and the advancement of science."
The well-dressed man flashed the reporter a smile before leaning over to his aide and quietly informing him to extend Miss Rivers an invitation to dinner. He smiled once more and turned his attention back to the gathered press officials outside of the hospital. "Any further questions?"
"Yes Mr Stark, Eric Davis, New York herald. Would you be willing to tell us anything about the patient's current situation and just what this "ground breaking" operation entails?" asked a tall man standing up waving his pen in the air.
"As you know Eric patient confidentiality prevents me from disclosing too much, but I can tell you that his current situation is stable but critical. As for the operation itself..." Tony Stark was cut short when his aide tapped him on the shoulder and handed him a small white piece of paper. ".. As for the operation I'm sure it's creator Dr. Connors could tell you about it in much more detail." He gestured to a man in a white coat standing to his side, before turning away and heading back into the hospital. The man in the white coat walked forward and clasped his hands together before addressing the assembled press.
"Well the procedure is fairly simple, it works by injecting an altered form of Various Reptile DNA into the patient and the stimulating the area with a rays of low level gamma radiation. It was this same procedure that allowed me to grow back my own arm, which as you can see if in perfect working order."
"But what about side-effects Doctor?"
"As yet there are no known side-effects, and I have been monitoring the effects on my self for well over 6 months now and have never felt better."
"What connections does this procedure have to your earlier experiments which turned you in to the monster known as the lizard?"
"Ahh.well. yes this current procedure is a refined version of my earlier work, but it has had the best minds at stark enterprises working on it and is barely recognisable to my early work. This procedure is much safer and if this operation is a success will hopefully gain wide spread application."
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"Someone stop that man, He robbed my store."
The shout cut through buzz of traffic noise and the chatter of the city as it filtered through the ears of spider-man. His head turned mid swing as he tore through the air, skating past the steel and concrete giants that lined his path. He released the strand of webbing he was currently holding onto and began to plummet down to the ground, his arms out stretched as the air roared past. An subconscious movement sent another strand of webbing flying out towards the building next to him causing the direction of his fall to change immediately as his shoulders wrenched taking the strain as he swung round the corner and out onto the main street.
He spotted him. Below him heading along the sidewalk was his prey, crashing repeatedly into passers by, clumsy in comparison to the figure that now raced down towards him, feet first cutting through the air like a missile. He didn't slow down and instead carried on rocketing towards the man. The kick connected with a sickly thud which jarred the thief, knocked him off balance and sent him flying through the air till he impacted once more with the concrete and continued to skin along until coming into contact with a parked car.
Spider-man leapt down beside the man, the flesh grazed from his face. He grasped his shirt and lifted him off the pavement, the thief's hands bloody and burned from the friction of the pavement wrapped around spider-man's arms.
"Take the bag take it!" screamed the man gesturing to his side where a black sports bagged filled with dollar bills lay.
Beneath he mask spider-mans face was twisted into a snarl, the phone call with Mary Jane and the news footage still weighed heavily on his mind, making his blood boil with anger. None of it was his fault but this thief was in the wrong time at the wrong place. Spider-man raised his fist and brought it down heavily on the man's jaw. Blood sprayed across the sidewalk as the growing crowd looked on in horror as the so-called hero continued the pummel the already beaten thief.
He raised his fist again to continue his unrelenting barrage of rage, but found it stopped by a firm grip. Spider-man turned his head to see standing over him middle-aged man, whose grey hair gave him the appearance of a much older man but whose strength was equal to that of someone much younger. In his eyes burned the fiery resolve of a familiar face.
"Don't you think he's had enough?" asked the man, in a calm and steady voice that reminded him instantly of his deceased uncle.
Spider-mans grip loosened and the thief collapsed to the floor.
"What have I done?" he asked himself standing up and backing away in horror from the thief that lay bloodied on the floor and the man so like his uncle. The crowd instantly jumped in
"Some hero you are!"
"You're no worse than those thugs you lock up."
"Way to go spidey."
"Hey where you going spider-man I think he's still breathing."
The insults and shouts from the crowds rose up and mixed with the adrenaline and blood thumping round his brain, his visions blurred red as fiery tears stung his face. For the first time in years he felt lost. He was back at school in the corridors, with the lines of students calling him names. "Puny Parker. Puny Parker." the insults echoed around his head his body began to ache, it had been so long since he had last slept or even rested. The fight with MJ and this current show anger had taken it out of him. He fell to his knees.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it, I. i."
As the tears streamed down his burning face something about the atmosphere changed. The crowd noise changed, it became more high-pitched, more familiar. Gone were the insults and taunts and in their place was the familiar sound of screams. Screams of terror! The dull throb in his head had also died down and in its place was the far too real feeling of danger. His spider sense!
His eyes darted about taking in the scene as the animal side of his brain told him how to act. His primal nature took over and his body burst in to action, his muscles swelled as the chemicals in his bloodstream kicked them into action. He leapt to his feet and lunged at the grey haired man, sending them both flying over the bonnet of the parked car and away from the area a large smoking crater now lay.
Spider-man with the man now lying at his feet looked up. Standing in the middle of the road, the sun glinting of their sleek silver metallic bodies were 4 large robotic nightmares. Giant killing machine's designed and built with one goal in mind to kill Spider-man. It had been so long since he had last seen one, but they were a sight you couldn't forget. As real as life and there they were in the middle of the road, the latest model. ..The Spider Slayer XX
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Dun Dun Derrrr!!! Yes folks this roller coaster ride for one Spider-man isn't stopping anytime soon. With not only his relationship with Mary Jane hanging in the balance but also his life will spider-man be able to prevail? For all this and more, you will just have to tune in for the next pulse-pounding edition of amazing spider-man available only at Altered Visions! ***
