This isn't the end
"PETER!" Lindsey screamed as she watched as her friend, lover, and only person in her life that ever understood her, slowly turned towards her with a glare of fear, but certainty in his eyes. "Don't" He said as his mouth was silenced by the disgusting black substance that surrounded his body, trying to take control over him. "I can't take this anymore, the pain is too much, this city is worth too much.....You're worth too much to lose Linsdey... I'm.....So Sorry...."
Peter then turned his back towards Linsdey and spread his arms out as if the wind was about to take him into the sky, but deep down Linsdey knew what Peter was about to do. He was going to do the unthinkable, the unbearable action that no person should ever witness, yet at this moment, Lindsey knew he was doing it for her... He was doing it for the city... And he was doing it for May.
Peter took one step out, and Lindsey watched as his deforming body of black goo and red and blue body disappear over the ledge. Lindsey screamed out in agony as she reached out to touch the ledge. She leaned out almost too far and could have slipped, but she gripped the concrete ledge as her eyes watched Peter, no, Spiderman fall slowly to his last act of heroism. The city street below cleared away of cars and people as the citizens from below and above watched just as Lindsey was watching. Spiderman's deformed body spread out like a bird with wings as it felt like an eternity for him to finally hit the ground with a loud thud. His body slammed into a parked car below, glass and metal shattering beneath his bulky body.
When Peter finally met the ground, there was a very distant and shattering silence as people, news reporters, helicopters, and window-gazing people watched the life of Peter Parker slip away from Spiderman's body. His long arms and legs stretched out over the car he landed on and the notorious mask that everyone knew to be the face of an epic hero was ripped into pieces. His hair was soaking with blood, and his face was covered in bruises and cuts. He almost didn't look recognizable. As for the black substance known as Venom, the grotesque black creature wriggled and wailed out in pain, as the pain Peter felt would ripple through Venom. The creature desperately tried to detach itself from Peter's lifeless body, as it did, its gross black goo looked like it was sizzling and burning. This alien creature knew its time was up, it had nowhere to go, no other human hosts it could attach itself to, for everyone was keeping their distance as the creature crawled away from Peter's body. Venom rattled and squirmed on the pavement of the street, screeching in a high pitch note that even Linsdey could hear from above. The creature let out one last final cry of help before the black inky goo that was once Venom sizzled into the concrete and melted away forever. The only thing left of this tragic scene was Spiderman, no, Peter Parker's lifeless body displayed all over the wrecked car. His body was disfigured and broken, yet despite all this, the only thing in tacked was his back. The silver emblem of a long-legged spider wrapping around his waist, still stitched together, as if the spider on his back was holding him together one last time. Conjuring up the powerful meaning behind that symbol. The meaning of hope and destiny, the meaning of caring and kindness, and the meaning of what responsibility meant.
After the long and heart-aching silence, a roar of screams ruptured from the city below and the citizens of Queens cried out in sorrow. News reporters were left speechless as they had nothing more to say but that Spiderman was dead. He was dead, the quirky, funny, outgoing, smart, cringy, and loving Spiderman was dead. To Linsdey, Peter Parker was dead, and now there was no one left for her to sneak off to when work was tiring her out. No one left for her to chow down with whenever Peter got hungry after every fight. No one to talk to in high-altitude buildings late in the night, just chatting away about life and things. No one left for her to be rescued by when villains decided to target the people he cared about the most. Linsdey didn't know if she loved Peter, but right now as of this moment, she did. She painfully did at this moment in time. She could feel her heart wanting to rip from her chest and fall off this building down towards Peter, so hers and his would never be separated again. But this time, she was separated from him for good. There was nothing left of him, nothing left but a corpse of a hero.
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A TV flickers on in a small dining restaurant above the customers and waiters, the volume being turned up just a tad above the bustling voices of hungry patrons as a woman with brown hair and a flickering sadness upon her face appeared in the static of the TV. Suddenly, the patrons and waiters stopped everything they were doing and had all eyes on the screen as they watched the woman take a deep breath in before speaking. The diner room felt anxious, even some passersby outside the diner stopped and glanced through the window to watch the TV.
The woman then opens her mouth carefully. "Today..." She hesitates, "Today marks the third anniversary of the death of our friendly neighborhood Spiderman. The one and only hero of New York City. The young and spunky 24-year-old hero, whose identity was revealed to be an urban-born New Yorker, Peter Parker, sacrificed himself on this day to prevent the heinous grotesque creature known as Venom from causing massive death in NYC. Today we see this as an opportunity and a time for mourning our greatest friend and ally we could ever ask for. Flowers and gifts have already covered the small hedge stone grave of Peter Parker in Brent Collins cemetery, where his Aunt, May Parker, chose to bury him next to his Uncle, Ben Parker." The woman quickly wiped away a single tear that ran down her cheek before continuing, "Folks, I ask of you this today, take some time to thank the loved ones around you and to thank our friendly neighborhood Spiderman for the greatest sacrifice he made for us common folks. He was the man that truly made this city feel more safe, night and day."
The TV then went to some boring newscast of the weather for that day, and the patrons and waiters went back to their usual business. The people outside strolled away into the busy Monday streets of New York. The sounds of long conversations and raging beeping cars outside were all that was left in this scene. But the ringing of the woman's voice echoed harshly into Lindsey's ear as she noticed herself becoming dizzy from the thought. She grabbed her stomach and quickly paced back and forth in the kitchen area before running outside in the back ally and gagged behind a smelly dumpster the trash trucks have yet to take out. Linsdey didn't know if it was the sickness of PTSD from hearing the woman talk about Peter, or if it was the disgusting greasy-ass food that clogged up her nostrils. Regardless, the thought of both made her feel sick.
Behind her, a young woman with blonde hair appears and lets out a sigh of stress as she walks over towards Linsdey and rubs her back. Linsdey lets out one last gag before sliding down to her knees. The dirty pavement dirtied up her blue jeans.
"You get it all out honey?" The blonde woman asks as she still rubs Lindsey's back. Lindsey looks up begrudgingly at her and slightly nods her head. "Just stay out here for a sec, I'll go get you some water to sip on." The blonde woman opens the swinging kitchen door and Lindsey could hear the chefs and waiters yelling at each other over customers' food. The greasy and salty smell of meat and potatoes filled her nostrils again and this time, something finally came out from her stomach.
After about a good hour of vomiting and slouching over like a dead person in the ally way, the blonde woman, whose nametag wrote "Danielle", walked Lindsey back into the diner and told her to just quit work for the day. Lindsey's stomach hadn't quite settled yet, so she just sat in the diner barely drinking from her glass. Somehow, she had a bit of an appetite, so she ordered a small basket of fries, obviously asking Danielle to hold the grease.
"You know, it's not quite as bad as you think it is Lindsey," Danielle said as she snuck in a small bite of Lindsey's fries. " Because of Peter, there have been many other heroes that have come out of the shadows to take his place. Many of them even conjuring up in other countries." Danielle said as she chewed on the single fry she stole. Linsdey only slouched on the red torn-up cushion and gazed outside the diner. Watching every person walk by going about their day. Some small part of her, deep down, tricked her into thinking that the goofy smile of Peter Parker would emerge from the crowd, walking towards the diner to greet her before he went off to do what he could do best, be a hero.
"I'm not saying that Peter dying was a good thing, I'm just saying that what he did was an inspiration to others. Many folks who had superpowers were afraid to reveal themselves, but Spiderman taught them that every small corner of the world needed some friendly neighborhood Spiderman, and I think for one he achieved that." Danielle said. Linsdey glanced over at Danielle, then glanced back out towards the crowd. "Right, because his death meant that other heroes could emerge and become the rebels of the world against the ongoing crisis of villainous activities. His death meant a GREAT deal to those people." Lindsey said with a sarcastic tone. "Come on, I already said I didn't mean it like that," Danielle replied.
Soon, both Danielle and Lindsey were staring out into the busy streets of New York, watching people go in and out of small and large businesses. Other small diners like the ones Lindsey and Danielle worked at become crowded with noon rush hour. Eventually, Danielle had to go back to work, so Lindsey took the extra fries with her and strolled her way out of the smelly greasy diner and just walked down the street. Lindsey didn't know where she was going, she had no plans of where she would stop. She only wanted to be alone with her thoughts in the busiest city in the country. She liked the loud noise though, she always has ever since she moved here at the age of ten. At the same age, she met Peter Parker, neighbors that were destined to be the best of friends. Well, Lindsey knew she had always had feelings for him, but the thought of confession would fill her mind to the brim with fear and she would chicken out every time she thought of confessing. Though, somehow, both in her mind and heart, the last look Peter gave her before throwing himself off the seventy-five-story building, was a confirmation glance that Peter felt the same way for her as she did for him. But, over time, Lindsey began to forget the goofy smile Peter always gave her, the only thing that festered her thoughts and nightmares was the face of Venom over Peter Parker's face. His voice changed into a sinister growl of a man that she didn't recognize. His eyes and smile faded away as Venom slowly consumed everything that made Peter, Peter.
Lindsey always regretted not telling Peter his "new" biological suit he equipped that would soon become Venom was dangerous. Every time he would show off the new black suit he created from that... Thing, she always felt uneasy and sick to her stomach. Now, she wishes she could tell him to rip off that suit and burn it in an incinerator. The very thing that separated her and Peter in an eternal life, and the afterlife. She wishes she could tell him how painful it would become after putting on that devil of a suit again and again, but the power got to his head, and it was already too late before Venom began manifesting its alien powers into his DNA. Fusing itself into Peter so they would become one, and the Peter that she would know would be gone forever.
Yet, maybe it wasn't too late. Somehow, right toward the end, when Peter was facing off against Goblin high in the sky as Venom, Peters's demeanor changed after the fight. After throwing Goblin into the pit of wet cement, freezing into eternal suffocation. Peter had looked at himself in the reflection of windows and noticed how different he was. How the power had gone to his brain and realized that he was doing more damage to others than good. That he was taking it too far with the new powers he discovered in that meteorite he found in central park. He lost his mind, he lost his sanity, and he had lost so many people that had loved him. He couldn't lose anyone else, especially Lindsey; who was the only person in his life to ever accept him of his powers when he first pulled off his mask to reveal Peter Parker as Spiderman. She didn't care, in fact she was delighted to know that her childhood best friend was a superhero! Peter never thought that the situation would play out like this, the only other time he got a good reaction out of someone after revealing himself to be Spiderman was his Aunt, though she still worried about him fighting off bad guys every day.
Peter knew what he had to do to stop Venom from consuming him from the inside out. He knew that this thing would fight back and that it simply wouldn't leave his body if Peter asked it to. It's blood and alien DNA had already fused with him, and he felt it. Like hot pins and needles filling his veins. Peter knew that if he was too far gone, he would never come back. He wouldn't be able to face Aunt May without trying to kill her in his bloodlust. He couldn't swing around the bustling streets of New York without terrorizing people to death, or worse, feeding off of them. And worst of all, he wouldn't be able to see that funny and beautiful smile of Lindsey ever again. It hurt him to think that, but that pain was what was keeping him from falling into a pit of darkness.
He had no time to tell Lindsey what he was about to do, or more or less, he couldn't find the right words to tell her that he needed to kill himself to prevent Venom from attacking others. What would he say? Sorry Lindsey, I have to throw myself off a seventy-five-story building to prevent my internal hunger from taking me over and I bite your head off? No, she would want him to find another way, but the longer Venom stayed in his body, the more powerful he would grow. He wouldn't be the friendly neighborhood Spiderman people looked out for, they would be hiding in fear of his black shadow swinging in the night looking for another victim to feed off. Just thinking about the numerous people he had already killed made him sick.
Before taking that last step over the edge, he turned towards Lindsey to take in her glowing face one last time. He looked at her eyes, her funny-looking nose, her little freckles that sprinkled her cheeks, and her soft pink lips that he would never be able to kiss. Oh, how he longed for that moment to come at some point in their relationship. He had always dreamed of how he would confess to her about his affection. It seemed easy to reveal his true identity as Spiderman, but for some reason, it felt harder to confess his love for her, which he found very ironically amusing to himself. Some nights he would think of really corny ways he would kiss her; like kissing her at the top of the empire state building overlooking New York as he would hold her in his arms, or maybe he would kiss her after a big fight as a sort of surprise moment, although they both have had their fair share of frightening moments that the thought of kissing afterward was out of the question. Or maybe he would kiss her in that back alleyway of that greasy old diner she worked at, swinging upside down from his web and having one hand hold the web while the other held her cheek. The thought of that, however, made it seem more corny as he would ponder that sitting on top of a gargoyle.
Regardless, he most likely would have confessed to her sooner, he could confess to her now before plummeting to his death. But the thought of leaving her with those last words of "I love you" stuck a sword through his heart. Peter couldn't do that to her, he wouldn't do that to her. So, he did what he was always good at... Give her that goofy-looking smile of his before throwing himself off the building. He wanted to give her a memory of him in his dying moments, a happy one. No matter what, he was still the Peter Parker Lindsey who always knew and loved. That he would never let Venom take control of his mind and erase the fond memories they had together. He would always remember her laughter and her tears after her dad died during the fight with the lizard, and he would never forget the kindness she offered him after his Uncle Ben died. Other than Aunt May, she was the second person right there at his side and never left. He still remembers his tears rolling down her brown cardigan and almost soaking it. He would apologize tremendously over it, but Lindsey could care less. She just wanted to make sure Peter was ok. And in that last moment before falling to his sacrificial death, he was ok. He knew he would be ok, he knew Aunt May would be ok. He hoped that Lindsey would only suffer for a time after his death, but then soon would find new friends to hang out with. Maybe they won't be able to swing in high places or beat the crap out of supervillains, but he hoped they would love her as he did.
And even though the thought made him a tad jealous, he did want her to be happy with someone. Someone that could also catch her in his arms the same way he did every time she was kidnapped. Someone who could care for her in times of need. Someone who would sing corny-ass songs on rooftops at the top of their lungs and laugh it off after. Someone who could be there for her when her mother passes away, because, since she was there when Uncle Ben died, he would be there for her when her mother went. The next person she falls in love with may not be Peter Parker or Spiderman, but someone who would love her deeply as Peter did. And that's all he could wish for.
As Peter felt the warm breeze brush his face as he fell slowly to the ground, the images of every single person in his life flashed before his eyes. And then..............
Peter woke up suddenly in his bedroom, his head throbbing from a bad headache. He searched around his room and looked at all the gadgets and gizmos that cluttered his room. The numerous band and science posters hanging off his walls ever since he placed them there as a child. Peter slowly rolled over his bed and scratched his head, the headache he felt had already disappeared. Peter began to wonder if all the things he experienced might have been a bad dream. The radioactive Spider biting him in a lab, those radioactive substances turning him into a superhero overnight. Swinging up and down the streets of Manhatten as he felt the nice cool air brushing his cheeks. The sounds of cheers and chants roared below him as he swung above. Was it all a dream?
Suddenly Peter felt hungry and decided to walk into his kitchen, only to be met by someone unfamiliar to him. An old man sitting in the very small kitchen dining table sipping on a cup of coffee. The smell of both coffee and pancakes filled his nose. A sudden warm feeling came over him that everything was alright, that he could finally relax.
The old man suddenly turned around in his seat with his cup of coffee and gave Peter a big smile of approval. Peter then finally remembered, he did know this man, he knew this man all his life. How could he possibly forget the lifelong trusted father figure that taught him about responsibility?
The old man raised his cup towards Peter, "Come sit with me son, you've had a long day. Have some good-ole pancakes with your old man" Uncle Ben spoke. Peter stood there in the kitchen doorway only thinking happy thoughts, and went and sat down with his Uncle, happily eating Pancakes.
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Ever since the death of Spiderman, things around New York City have only gotten worse. Far, far worse.
It seemed that there was a more rapid pace of bad guys rising from the slums than there were heroes. Bad guys were becoming more and more cocky as the years went on without Spiderman in the presence of the city. Robberies, murder, and terrible technological advancements only made those bad guys ten times worse to defend from. The people of NYC grew more anxious and weary of the politics that attempted to control this new era of villainous crime. They even attempted to recreate their Spiderman, but it turns out he was an average cop who was severely tested with high-powered chemicals that ended up making him chronically ill. After the news covered that story, people then began to question the authority of the politicians who were supposed to protect them. People began starting coalitions themselves to try and stop the villainous activities that went on in the streets. But how can a group of ordinary people fight off bad guys who have their hands on technological weapons far more powerful than their guns?
It was a massive mess. And Lindsey knew from then on that things would only get worse. NYC would soon become unlivable, as people would have to rely on their sort of protection since the law was beginning to have a hard time controlling itself. Of course, other heroes came and went, but every time they defeated one bad guy, another would emerge even more powerful. Some were suspecting that these bad guys were getting their high-tech weapons from OzCore, which was surprisingly still an up-and-running business after the Green Goblin incident. OzCore and KingPins super collider were the only things left that were holding up the city. Keeping its energy supply running after a couple of slums blew up multiple power lines to the major city. OzCore was the only one offering protection to the citizens, even though it was quite obvious that they were also selling their weapons on the black market to those very same slums who were causing chaos in the streets. The sounds of ambulances and police cars were the only music heard at night. The sounds of distant screaming and gunshots rang out from all around, and numerous shops and restaurants were beaten down so badly that most decided to stay closed until the outbreak of mayhem subsided.
But it never would. None of the horrible sounds from the streets below would go quiet. It continued for more than six months, eventually, the police were nowhere to be found, and the once happy public communities that once filled up bars on weekends turned into brawls between large fisted high-tech bad guys and lurking villains. All waiting for someone to drop their guard down and strike at their weakest moment. No one was safe anymore, some just stayed in their apartments, and others had left the city. Some places that still held jobs and a somewhat supportive system are struggling to keep afloat. But who would want to work in a city like this? Lindsey knew she couldn't for very much longer. She had already almost been caught multiple times by terrible people, and she knew the next time it happened, she may not see her mother again. Or even Danielle, who had stopped contacting Lindsey after the villain outbreak in NYC.
It was getting close to midnight. And the sounds of ambulances wailing through the night nonstop filled Lindsey's ear drums. It was the only thing she could hear in her sleep. That and gunshots from bars and shops, where the screams of innocent people followed after. It was increasingly unbearable to hear every night, but now the sounds are like white noise to Lindsey. The sounds drowned out her thoughts as she walked down the empty streets of NY, wearing a black with white sleeves hoodie that was too big for her size. She wore ripped-up jeans instead of her frilly soft blue pants for a bit more protection. Though she knew that a pair of jeans wouldn't do any protection against a stab wound or gunshot wound. However, she made the most out of her situation. Lindsey even cut her hair short, about the length of her shoulders. She stopped wearing any kind of jewelry, ended up tossing all her nice shoes, and kept only her running shoes. The most dangerous part of Lindsey living in NYC at this time was her identity. Not very many people knew who she was, only close friends who knew that she was close friends with Spiderman. If others found out, she would be dead for sure, and not it a hit-and-run, or pushed off a building kind of way. no, she would be tortured and used for things she didn't have the energy to think about as she continued in the streets.
Luckily, there was still some power in some areas that lit up the dark places. Lindsey only visited shops and markets that still have their businesses up and running. The bad part was that they were several blocks away, and in between those blocks were lurking bad guys and villains that would wait for her to drop her guard down. One moment of relaxing, one moment of letting your eyes not check every corner you walked by, and your life is over. The worst those bad guys could do was keep you alive until they had no use for you anymore. again, the thought of that brought shivers through Lindsey's spin.
Lindsey turned a sharp corner to see a small market shop with its lights on. The front door was wide open, and it seemed like no one was watching the store. Lindsey slowly tugged her hood tighter over her head as she sped walked over to the wide open door, and the silence in the store became eerie. Lindsey hesitated on whether she should just walk in and take stuff and get out, the store manager was nowhere to be seen, and Lindsey knew for a fact that he would never leave his doors like this. So, Lindsey crept her way into the store, stepping on shattered glass and metal as the scene started to play out in her mind of what happened. This place had already been robbed, but the robbers most likely only came for the money, not the food. So Lindsey ripped through every aisle in the small market and grabbed the things she only needed for herself. Of course, the only things left were canned foods and frozen pizzas. Not exactly nutritious, but it was all she could find that tasted good.
As Lindsey began to walk back to the exit of the marketplace, she heard a muffled groan coming from the back of the store. A muffled groan of someone in pain. Lindsey immediately dropped all her items don't the dirty floor and whipped out her small pocket knife. Of course, this is the only thing I brought to protect myself with, she thought. Why not bring a toy squirt gun while she's at it?
Lindsey made her way through the back aisle with cautious movements. Making sure every step only made a few small sounds. It was challenging, she never had quiet feet, that was one thing Peter always made fun of her for. She would always complain to him that he never keeps a pack of deodorant on hand everywhere he went. Peter always reassured her that he took showers every night, but Lindsey doubted that.
Suddenly, the thoughts of Peters's smile flashed in Lindsey's head for a second before being shoved away in the back of her head. This wasn't the time to think about him, this was the time to think about how she could defend herself. Yet, of course, she's the one running the danger, and Peter always told her that if she sees something, or she sees Peter runnings in danger, just run the other way. She didn't know why she wanted to investigate the muffled groans, it was a bad move, and Peter would be scolding her in spirit form right now. But there was another thing that Peter taught her that she would always consider. "If it looks like a situation where you can intervene safely and help someone, do it. You never know that you might be the person to save their life", of course, she was being told that from a person who ran into a burning building to save a little girl before he got his powers, and who was also the person to be bitten, stabbed, shot multiple times. Yet, those words filled her with a fearless motivation that she could quite possibly stand up to a challenge she had never faced before. If the person at the back of the store had a gun pointed at her, she knew all she could do was do what they said, and when finding the right opportunity, she would find their weakest point. Maybe even helping the muffled groans of an injured person. Lindsey knew it would happen very fast, so she had to become a part of that swiftness. She may not have superpowers, but at least she still helps a somewhat humane character of helping people out in these drastic times.
Lindsey noticed the muffled groans coming from the back employee's only door, which was slightly opened a jar. Lindsey moved her knife in front of her and inhaled a deep breath as she stepped closer and closer to the door. Thoughts ran rampant in her mind like bees, and she almost drowned out all sounds coming from outside the shop. The only thing she could hear and feel left was her heartbeat. The thumping of blood vessels coursed through her veins, which felt like some sort of magic was rippling through her.
Lindsey inhaled one last time and lifted her right leg and kicked open the door. The door went swinging, revealing the old manager tied up on the ground with several cuts and bruises on his face and arms. He was sweating profusely and almost had no energy left to keep his eyelids open. Lindsey let out a gasp before sliding the knife back into her pocket.
But before any words could slip through her mouth, a cracking noise came from her left side, and she quickly turned her head towards a dark figure dressed in black breathing heavily. His nostrils flared, and sweat was dripping from his forehead, down to his neck. On his left arm was a large object that looked like he was holding. But upon further inspection, the dark wasn't holding the weapon, he had the weapon on his right arm. Lindsey Felt herself freeze, unsure if she moved that the figure would spring toward her. She then felt sweat dripping down her neck, and the room becomes slightly warmer. She could feel her blood boiling with nervousness, as she stared down the dark figure that was continuing to stand there with his eyes closed in on her. Like Predator to prey.
Suddenly, like a flash of lighting, the strange sprang forward on both his feet, practically flying towards Lindsey with a speed that sent her falling backward on her bottom. The figure had his gauntlet smashed into the freezer aisle, bent pizzas and frozen dinners falling to the ground. Lindsey almost didn't have enough time before the tall dark figure sprung towards her again, this time his gauntlet aimed straight for her head. Lindsey fell on her back and let the mystery man fly past her, knocking himself into a bunch of chip bags. Lindsey jumped to her feet and ran towards the front door, but she could already hear the stranger getting back up again. She could feel the burning intensity coming off of him like an aura. It freaked the hell out of Lindsey.
Lindsey found herself stranded in the middle of the street. The dim lamposts guided her in certain directions she glanced around at. She could run back to her apartment, but that would mean she would be leading that stranger straight to her mother. No good, she looked over her shoulder and saw the figure, who wasn't a silhouette anymore, but a tall and lanky pale man with a massive green gauntlet on his right hand. his gauntlet thrumming with power and electricity that Lindsey knew was from OzCore. Why in the hell would OzCore be giving weapons like that to bozos like him, Lindsey thought. In fact, how would people even have the money to buy something so dangerous? The thoughts came and went as the tall and pale man began to sprint towards her quickly. Linsdey didn't have time to think, she just lept to whatever street she decided to go down. No time for stalling, she had to make sure she could get this man off her tail. Yet, somehow, this man never seemed tired. This man seemed like he was injected with the primal urge to KILL, for he never stopped sprinting at the same pace he was chasing Lindsey. However, being kidnapped multiple times and running from numerous monsters and evil people for most of her life, Linsdey got pretty good handling on running for a long time. But she knew it wouldn't last forever. Whatever OzCore gave this man, it was something that was meant to keep him from getting tired. Could he possibly be an experiment? Lindsey thought for a moment as her feet were almost lightly off the ground as she sprinted with all her might.
hope would run out like how Lindsey would soon grow tired of running, and sure enough, one more right turn she took ended her in front of a blocked-off area. Construction signs and cinder blocks blocked her path from running anywhere else. Beyond the blocked point, was a massive crater that was made several months ago by a man who set off an explosion, killing thirteen people. Lindsey came to a halt and watched as the small pebbles dropped several feet down into the crater, where there used to be apartments with living people inside before it was reduced to rubble.
Lindsey didn't have enough time to move out of the way before she realized that the stranger was several feet away from her, still giving her that insane glare of a monster. The tall lanky man sprang forward and placed a harsh punching blow to Lindsey's stomach. She could feel her insides about to come bursting out of her back, but they didn't. She felt her insides move around and felt herself flying towards the brick wall of an abandoned building. Her back slammed against the concrete, and her whole body dropped to the ground. Lindsey let out a scream of pain as she cradled her stomach. Her head started to throb, and this time she could feel her heart ready to jump out from her chest as she felt the adrenaline kick in. The tall lanky man jiggled and thrusted his gauntlet out into the air, releasing a pummel of energy into the night sky as if he was recharging its punch. Lindsey was on her hand's and knees hunched over the ground, the effects of the punch weighing her down, and preventing her from getting back up. The slightest movement felt like moving fourteen pounds of brick in her stomach, and it hurt like hell. She didn't know if she had broken her ribs, or possibly torn a stomach muscle from that impactful punch.
Lindsey spat on the ground, and weak as she was, looked up towards the lanky man who was stalking her very slowly. She could see his tall figure, but her vision started to become blurry in an instant. What was in that gauntlet that made her feel so much pain like this? Lindsey pushed her whole body backward and leaned on her right hand, as the left was holding her painful stomach. Her stomach burning with pain and adrenaline. The tall figure crept closer to her with a burning bloodlust in his eyes. He had dark circles and a chilling stroll with his walk.
The man eventually crept toward her, and looked down at her like she was his next meal.
Lindsey only knew of one question she could ask him, and it wasn't why he wanted to kill her, but a question that Peter would ask someone when he knew that something bad had happened to them. Lindsey looked the stranger dead in the eye and opened her mouth. "Did OzCore do this to you?", it was a hard question to ask, but she knew from when this strange man started chasing her that he was under the influence of something. Something that turned him into a crazed animal. The gauntlet was just one part of what made this ordinary person powerful. Had Ozcore been secretly taking victims off the street and using them in abusive experiments? She remembers numerous newscasts talking about a large number of people disappearing off the streets. Almost as if they never existed. They weren't just slums or thieves or murderers, but ordinary innocent people. Like this tall and aggravated man that looked down upon her.
The man suddenly lifted his gauntlet hand into the air, his hand turning into a hard fist. Lindsey knew that this was it, that she would just drop dead and now by a lethal punch. She watched as the man started charging up his gauntlet, the green substance in the glove becoming brighter and brighter.
The last thought she had was of Peter. Peters messy brown hair and a quirky smile that she could see again after months. Lindsey thought she wouldn't be able to see him for years, but so soon? Well, she didn't mind, at least she wouldn't have to live in this miserable world without him. She could live with him in the afterlife.
Lindsey closed her eyes and heard the cracking electric sounds of the gauntlet moving through the humid air of the night as it made its way toward her head. Lindsey squinted and waited for the final blackout... Wait... What's that sound?
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The stranger's gauntlet stopped mid-air, only inches away from Lindsey's face. His face was drenched in sweat as he paused and looked at his surroundings, as he also could hear the rumbling sounds coming from all around.
Lindsey opened one eye slightly and noticed that the air suddenly felt warmer, at least ten degrees warmer. Her face moved away from the gauntlet, still holding her stomach in pain, looked around in confusion. The air felt thicker, and the smell of electricity rippled through the air. She felt a massive chill go down her spine and felt herself become very still.
In an instant, the ground started to shake, and the construction signs wobbled back and forth, as the sound of rumbling become more concentrated towards the distant street lamp. Both the man and Lindsey glanced over at it and watched as the lamp started to flicker rapidly. The concentrated sound getting louder and louder. The sounds of electricity rippled through the air, as Lindsey felt an electrical current run through her body. It sort of tickled her feet. All of a sudden, there was a brief silence as Lindsey watched in awe at the spectacle before her eyes, the polygonal shapes twisting and changing shape as they took up the empty space of the alleyway.
Like a flash of lightning, another dark figure flew out of the colorful portal and slammed right into the stranger with the gauntlet. Sending him flying into the crater below Lindsey. The sounds of painful grunts came from the crater as the man fell deeper and deeper into the pit. His Gauntlet scraped against the rubble. A loud thud echoed from the crater, and the sounds of rocks sliding into the pit along with gauntlet-man crashing to the bottom. The quiet air filled the silence as Lindsey watched a dark silhouetted figure stand over the crater, his stature expressing a completely stoic stance over the rubble beneath his feet. His breathing was rapid but set a rhythmic pace. Lindsey adjusted herself slowly on her bottom, still holding her stomach which was burning even worse than before. She watched as the dark figure seamlessly stepped over the large rubble, and began to look out towards the city skyline of New York. His stature now seemed much taller in the bright lights that illuminated the portal he appeared from. Lindsey thought to herself that she had never seen someone so tall with a posied mannerism about him. He seemed calm, even after sending that gauntlet maniac flying into the crater.
The dark and extremely tall silhouetted man turned his head towards her and saw her aching body slumped over on the ground. She couldn't help but feel weak before this strange man that had just saved her life. Lindsey attempted to sit straight up, but the pain from her stomach shot to her head, and the throbbing of her veins made her head droop. The pain was starting to become unbearable, she wanted to cry so badly.
The man suddenly turned his entire figure to her, his appearence becoming more visible to see now.
Lindsey thought this was a deception of her throbbing mind. A possible headache that was making her see things. There was no way she was seeing who she was seeing.
Before her was the tall and muscular man that was covered in a dark blue and red suit. His eyes slanted the same way Spiderman's mask used to be. Lindsey could see his muscle tense up every time he breathed, and even with the mask on his face, she could tell the look he was giving her was distasteful.
Lindsey watched this man lift his wrist to his face, as he also had something wrapped around it. It wasn't a gauntlet, however, a small screen padding that had numbers and letters gliding across its tiny screen. There was a small timer in the corner, which only raised more questions as to who this guy was. Lindsey watched as he tapped the screen on his wrist, making beeping noises. He then dropped his arm and started staring at Lindsey intently. Even with the mask on, Lindsey could sense he was watching her move her body ever so slightly. And he seemed to be analyzing her.
Lindsey finally let go of her stomach and tried to prop herself up on her knees, but the man raised his hand at her to pause. "Don't. You'll only make your injuries hurt even worse. Try not to move too much. " He had a surprisingly deep voice, which matched his stoic body language. Lindsey looked at him for a split second before letting herself drop back on her bottom, the sharp pain in her stomach moving through her once again. The tall man looked at his screen around his wrist again and typed something once, and a small beeping noise came from it.
"Jess, it's worse than we thought. It seems the disruption of the canon event in this universe is causing everything to collapse in on itself faster than I thought. Get the others here now. I want to make sure this city is secured from any cave-ins." He spoke into his wrist with a stern voice. "I told you you shouldn't have waited this long. Do you ever listen to me? no." A woman's voice replied through his wrist. " I make decisions that I see fit. Lyla told me that this disruption wouldn't cause too much damage, but it seems it overran her calculations." He said. "Then you'll have to ask her why her calculations were wrong this time. You told me Lyla was never wrong about canon events?" The woman replied with eagerness. "She's not, I made her myself. We'll deal with this when we get back. For now, send the others here right away." The man tapped his screen and let out a great sigh of exhaustion. He placed his hands on his hips and nodded his head. Whatever was going on in his situation, it sure was not helping Lindsey anymore now that she found herself in a completely new situation.
The tall man finally strutted over to Lindsey and bent to the ground to get a closer look at her. Lindsey leaned on the brick wall and watched as this man looked at her stomach with curiosity. He suddenly reached over to lift her shirt, but Lindsey held her stomach close, still feeling the burning pain. "Why should I trust you? I don't even know who you are." Lindsey spoke. "I just need to asses your wounds, I noticed that your holding in your stomach like you were trying not to vomit all over the place. Just let me take a quick glance." He said with his stern voice. Lindsey sighed with annoyance but winced as the smaller breath she took felt like pins and needles were stabbing her insides. The man looked at her face, and Lindsey knew she had no choice but let him help her. Lindsey couldn't tell if she should be scared or awe-struck by his height, he still towered over her even when bent over on his knees.
The man gently lifted up her T-shirt to reveal a horribly nasty discolored bruise that was about the same size as her actual stomach. Lindsey winced as he lifted her shirt up a little more to see how far the bruise went. "You might have some internal bleeding from this. Best get you to a hospital to get it healed." Lindsey then let out a snort of amusement but winced once again as the pain shot through her stomach. "You kidding me? Do you not see the state this city is in right now? Hospitals are practically filled up to the brim with victims off the streets. Street crime rules these parts, and it would take me hours before I can even see a doctor. And besides, they would just send me off to a medical clinic where it's cheaper. You do know we live in America, right?" Lindsey explained as she winced even more from just talking too much.
The man looked out towards the city, and nodded his head once again, "It is much worse." He whispered to himself. The man hadn't realized that he was still holding Lindsey's shirt up before he moved away swiftly. He looked at his wrist and checked the time. "I have to leave this place before another disruption occurs. It was already bad when the Spiderman in this dimension was killed." He said as he tapped his screen.
"Wait a minute, hold up. Are you not supposed to be some replica of Spiderman that is trying to take Peter Parker's place in this city? Because with that whole suite and everything, I really thought you were trying to imitate him." Lindsey said with a confused look on her face. "My name isn't Peter Parker." He replied coldly. "Well, I know that," Lindsey said with a mocking tone. "I'm also not from this dimension either."He said with a straight voice.
Not from this dimension? Who the hell even is this guy, Lindsey thought. At this point, Lindsey gave up on trying to understand what was happening at that moment. Instead, she sucked a big gulp of fresh air from the alleyway. Her stomach was on fire when she took that breath, but she didn't care. Her head felt dizzy, and she knew that she would pass out at any moment.
Fear began to fill her mind when from the corner of her eye, she saw something move in the shadows. A slight wobbly figure crawled up from all the dirt and rubble from the crater. A loud clanking noise echoed from the pit.
Shit, it's that gauntlet guy, he must have survived the fall. OzCore really must have put something in him to make him feel invincible.
She looked over toward copywritten buff Spiderman to see if his spider senses could sense the gauntlet guy's presence. But he just continued staring at his watch, unfazed. Confusion struck Lindsey, and she knew she had to get his attention toward the Gauntlet man fast, But she also didn't want to raise any alarms with the gauntlet man. For it seems this crazed maniacal man had his senses heightened.
Lindsey grabbed a small pebble and tossed it at the new Spiderman. Spiderman watched the pebbled bounce off his leg and looked over at Lindsey. His face mask squinted at her with confusion. Lindsey tried her best to make her eyes point toward the gauntlet man who now was slowly getting on his feet at the edge of the crater. His large gauntlet seething with power.
Luckily, Spiderman noticed Lindsey's nodding head and quickly turned around to see the gauntlet man standing up now, but his balance was a bit wobbly.
Spiderman then crouched to his knees quickly, standing on all fours in order to hide from the gauntlet man's line of sight. Lindsey propped her arms to her left, but the pain in her stomach finally gave the final blow, and she could no longer lift herself up anymore, not even turn over. Spiderman glanced over at Lindsey, then back at the gauntlet man, then back at Lindsey. He put a finger over what she presumed was his mouth and gave her a single signal to be quiet. Lindsey nodded her head in agreement and watched as Spiderman crawled over towards her in one swift movement.
His large body mass was basically covering hers. He was much larger up close than Lindsey realized. She could feel his breath, however, his mask had been made of some other material other than the elastic fiber her Peter Parker wore. This new Spiderman gripped both Lindsey's legs with one arm and used his other to carefully wrap her waist so he could pick her up. She could feel his muscles tensing up around her own body, his body heat engulfing hers. It was kind of... Comforting.
He then pulled her in his chest as he kept his eyes on the wobbly gauntlet man who was trying to find his way out of the rubble. His gauntlet still glistened with green light.
Spiderman then crouched ever so slightly on the ground while carrying Lindsey in his arms. Lindsey felt the surging pain in her stomach roar to life, and she had to bite her tongue so she wouldn't make painful noises. Lindsey felt every muscle tension of this new Spiderman, his arms flexing beneath her legs and his hand gripping her side, but not too hard as to harm her. Lindsey has never felt such power holding her in this way. It was something more primal, more instinctual. Of course, she had been carried by her Peter Parker many times before and could remember every muscle that held her close to him, but nothing felt like this. She felt like she was being held by a massive tree, but it was more alive than ever.
Spiderman finally lifted himself up off the ground, along with Linsdey in his arms, and began to shuffle slightly faster toward the polygonal portal. Wait, was she about to be taken to where this Spiderman was from?
Suddenly, the gauntlet man let out a loud grunt and shook his entire body like a riled-up dog. His head snapped over to Lindsey and Spiderman, and before they could both react, Gauntlet man had already thrown himself at them. Lindsey shut her eyes and felt her body move swiftly with this new Spiderman. Feeling his muscles rage with tension as he held her close to him, not once relaxing his arms.
Lindsey all of a sudden felt a rush of air channeling all around her, and the feeling of falling rumbled in her chest. She held even tighter to Spiderman and shut her eyes. Spiderman let go of his arm that was holding her legs, and Lindsey squirmed, thinking he was about to drop her. But his arm instead reached all the way around her, he was basically holding her in a bear hug position. She could then feel him looking down at her. "Don't look out! We're almost there!" He shouted. The loud wind and electricity ruptured her ears, and her stomach felt like it was bouncing up and down while it was on fire.
Then, like a tornado leaving behind its dusty trail, there was a calm sensation all around Lindsey. The air stopped screaming, and the feeling of falling was no more. Instead, everything was dark but glistening. Numerous lights were above and below them. The distant sound of conversation never filled more joy in Lindsey for months. She wanted to know where it was coming from.
Spiderman then jumped from a small platform onto solid ground. lindsey wanted to kiss that solid ground after that horrible experience. In fact, she wanted to know where she was, but when she looked around her, the environment wasn't something of a building or road, but a plaza of some sort. All around her were screens and technological sights she had never seen before. It was breathtaking, and also a bit scary to take in.
Spiderman then began to walk towards the bright light that looked like the entrance to the outside, where the conversation was coming from. She was ready to see what was out there, but suddenly Spiderman took a left turn and there were two people waiting dressed in Spiderman suits. This confused Linsdey even more and she could feel her headache coming back. However, the color scheme on them was slightly different than the Spiderman that was currently holding her in his arms. And they both had the medical symbol strapped on their chest. "Might have some internal bleeding from a nasty punch to the gut. Be sure to asses her carefully. I don't want to bring her here after all that and have her dead when I came back."The new Spiderman ordered. "Will do, boss." One of the medics Spiderman replied.
Both Spidermans gently lifted her legs onto the stretcher, while the Spiderman holding her gently placed her on the soft bed. He then swiftly turned around as fast as he could and jumped back onto the platform with a great leap. "I'm Kate, by the way." The spiderman on the left said to Lindsey. "You can call me Winslow, so you don't get confused about who's who." the Spiderman on the right said jokingly. Lindsey smiled painfully at them, and soon Kate and Winslow rolled Lindsey away. She watched as the Spiderman who carried her in through the portal make another one, and leaped into it, disappearing into thin air.
"His names Miguel by the way, but don't tell him I said that to you," Winslow said. "He likes to act like his name is classified or something, even though there are thousands of variants of him in this facility," Kate added.
Miguel. Huh, not an uncommon name. But a Spiderman who is named Miguel. And two other Spidermans named Kate and Winslow? Lindsey wanted to process all the information she was just told, but suddenly a wave of dizziness overcame her, and the last thing she sees is the bright ceiling above, and everything faded to black.