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Issue #3 by A. Crute
May 2016 |
"THE HOUSE ALWAYS WINS - Part Two"
Las Vegas streets, 6pm…
The Scarlet Spider found himself standing in the street between the mutant criminal known as Mentallo and a group of suited men in what looked like black, white and grey demon masks. They were each brandishing weapons such as nunchucks, sais and katanas.
The odd part however was his emotions at this time, he had a deep abiding love and respect for Mentallo. He could remember growing up with him, riding their bikes, standing up to school bullies and the what-not. He knew he had to protect this man from the ninjas, this man who was like family to him. Ben however was he was aware that none of that was true and yet here he was standing in a fighting stance ready to crack some heads.
“Mentallo, whatever you’re trying to do in my head, STOP IT!” he growled the last words through gritted teeth under his mask.
“I don’t think I will,” he shook his head and gave The Scarlet Spider a dismissive hand wave urging him forward. The scarlet-suited hero bounded forward with three bouncing steps before spinning his body in the air as he made one last huge leap and delivering a roundhouse to the face of one of the demon ninjas whom spiralled sideways landing on his face like a classic Tokyo cop film.
A web-line thwipped onto the chest of another who had begun to rush towards him. Ben fired a wad of impact webbing towards a third who had started a rush at Mentallo with his sword drawn. The Scarlet Spider twisted the web-line which was attached to the demon’s chest and yanked him forward quickly tipping him from feet. He delivered a finishing blow to the back of his skull driving him into the floor.
‘That was a bit harder than usual,’ he thought to himself as he leapt back in a flip firing another set of impact webbing almost on autopilot.
There were a number of others who had now become involved in the fight. The tourists from the streets dotted around had rushed into the scene and were currently hurling themselves into the line of first against the enemies of Mentallo.
The Scarlet Spider even through his mind-addled haze of love for Mentallo was able to figure that they were going through a similar situation as he was. They were attacking the ninjas with their full level of fitness, skills and strengths whilst maintaining control over their own thoughts and vocalisations.
This was more than evident in the way that they were getting their asses kicked during the fights. He watched as one woman screamed an apology as a way to avoid retribution as she jumped at the back of a demon ninja who had just shoved his sword through the shoulder of another tourist. Her cries clearly meant nothing to the figure who simply reached back, grabbed her by her hair and yanked her over his shoulder before stamping on her head. He then began to move steadily towards Mentallo.
He ducked and dodged attacks as the suited demon faced ninjas rushed at him. He took them down with as little fuss but as much force as he could. He felt several bones break under the impact of his hand and it slammed against femurs and scapulas. The ninja didn’t shriek in pain or grumble, they just kept coming; that was something Ben admired about ninjas, they didn’t like to kick up a fuss.
His mind was racing, since his body appeared to be on total autopilot acting on spider reflex alone it was letting him think and figure out the plan.
His eyes trailed across the group of tourists who were not fairing as well as he was, they kept throwing themselves in waves at the ninjas slowing them an inch at a time. He could already see a couple of them were badly injured, blood stained their clothes. One man clearly couldn’t move his left arm at all, blood pooling at the shoulder indicated some bad muscle damage. He instead slammed his left shoulder into one of the demon’s backs with a yell of pain.
“Mentallo!” Scarlet Spider screamed as he leapt over one enemy whilst planting his feet in the face of two more, he used the momentum to spring backwards and drive his body weight into the villain who had just slipped underneath him. “You release them and us now! I promise you that I will protect you as long as you release us now!”
“I can’t trust you on that,” Metallo barked. His face was racked with concentration as he obviously tried to maintain control over the whole group of people, more were coming into his zone of effect and making mad dashes into the action as time went on.
“How about you trust me on this…You have to sleep sometime, have to let your guard down. If any of those people are seriously hurt because of you….” He let the dark thoughts creep into his mind. He pictured all of the thigs that he and Peter had wanted to do in their darkest dreams and nightmares to the villains in their lives. All of the people who had hurt MJ, hurt Aunt May, killed Gwen. It started with him silently perching on Mentallo’s ceiling as he watched him sleep and slowly lowered himself silently on a zipline.
Impact webbing to the face….suffocation.
Thrown from the apartment widow….sudden impact, internal bleeding.
He saw himself webbing Mentallo to the wall, removing his mask as little pincer like jaws clacked together. His six eyes watching his prey carefully as he struggled.
Then he felt Mentallo’s grip over his mind slide clear. He was in control of himself again. “Jeez Ben, where did that come from?” those would keep him up at night let alone Mentallo.
“Please don’t hurt me,” Mentallo begged. He was now backing away a few steps at a time as he spoke.
Ben let two web lines hit two of the demon ninjas in the chest and dragged them off balance to the floor. His eyes quickly surveyed the situation and fired another set of webs followed by a blob of impact webbing hitting three demons who were about to attack the tourists. The tourists were now aware that they were in control again and were currently running or dragging themselves in the opposite direction.
The demons began to move quickly in his direction.
He turned tail and ran. Neither Spider-Man nor the Scarlet Spider were known for their running, they after all had much more spectacular methods of travel, it however turned out that when push came to shove he was like Usain Bolt. He cut the distance between himself and Mentallo in a few seconds and without breaking his stride drove his shoulder and upper arm into the villain’s stomach winding him badly. He made a bounding leap followed by a whip of a web-line with Mentallo in a fireman’s carry position and was away.
“Got to lead them away from civilians,” he said mostly to himself but also in explanation to the villain should he get some ideas about controlling him again in a panic.
He turned his head to cast a glance over his shoulder to see the Demons spreading out. Some dashed from sight around the corner of casinos whilst a few fired grapples of their own and began to give chase as best they could.
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India…
The long-haired wanderer of the world sat quietly on the steps of the long forgotten temple looking out at the jungle which had grown up around it over the years. He could feel the sun beating down on his face even through the thick foliage and sat with his eyes closed for a second basking in its’ warmth. It had been a while since he felt the warmth of the sun on his face.
He opened his eyes again and once again took in all of nature’s bounty, he saw the world not like a normal man would but in degrees of light. It told him how much energy different living beings have in much the same way a human eye could tell you the distance of an object by its texture gradient.
The leaves and the trees glowed with a gentle glow, gently but deep…not that this distinction would mean anything to the uninitiated, those who could not see life glow in such a way. The air was filled with tiny flecks of glowing light as insects flitted from plant to plant, animals like the snakes which slithered through the undergrowth were a deep warm red. Animal life being so much richer in energy than equivalent plant matter.
Still none of this was enough to even be a snack for him and so he turned back to reading. He liked to swot up on areas that he travelled to even though he had been then in the past. He watched movies, he read fiction stories and history books. He had enjoyed the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, loved the writing of Kipling and was currently enjoying familiarising himself with the tenets of Hinduism again.
“Greetings, traveller,” said a deep booming voice from behind him. The temple vibrated gently under footsteps “what brings you to this old temple to Ganesh today.”
The traveller turned and smiled at the gentleman who had stepped into the sunshine. He placed his book down as he rotated his body to regard him.
He was at least nine feet tall, a deep brown skin which was rough. His trunk swung backwards and forwards in front of his thick barrel like body. His huge ears, lined with piercings, flapped as he smiled wafting a cooling breeze over his face. He was like the Indian version of Babar brought to life.
“Well, it would seem that the wise man in the back alley of Calcutta did not do you justice, you are magnificent.” He clapped his hands in delight and smiled.
“Why thank you,” he smiled, you could see it in his eyes even if his face didn’t move into human emotions anymore. “I am nothing compared to the great gods on high though, merely a devout servant.”
“May I ask your name? and how you came to be here?”
“I am Tarun,” he nodded “My journey is much the same as many priests of many religions. I heard a calling, felt I was needed and surrendered myself. I have been chosen to represent our lord Ganesh in this life time and my physical form became a reflection of my devotion. You have come far, you must be seeking an obstacle to be removed?”
“No, I am very much one with Ganesh in that way myself. I’m very good and removing obstacles in my path. I think he was a lot like yourself….obviously I never met him so cannot comment but there is something very clearly totemic about him wouldn’t you say? Animal spirit mixed with man.”
“He is a high Veda. Whilst he may have looked like an elephant man in many representations he was neither,” Tarun was beginning to get an uneasy feeling about this gentleman and the way he spoke. The way his eyes seemed to bore into you.
“Men make up many stories for the things they don’t fully understand,” he smirked.
“Who are you and why have you sought me out at this holy place?” Tarun asked again, this time allowing some anger to creep into his voice.
“I am Morlun,” said Morlun as he watched massive waves of red energy emanating from Tarun’s already brilliantly dazzling glare “and I am here because I hunger”.
He leapt in one motion. He had been sitting perfectly still one second and then before Tarun’s eyes could register a movement he was above him in the air only a few feet away. It was enough time for his massive frame to react. Tarun tossed out his huge tree trunk like arm and slammed Morlun hard in the chest sending him backwards.
Morlun turned in the air and landed gracefully like a well-trained ballerina. “Sport,” he smiled to himself as he lunged forward.
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Las Vegas…
Ben stood on the roof of one of the buildings down town off from the strip. He walked the length of the edge checking up and down the block. Mentallo stood behind him.
“Any sign?” he asked. His telepathic scanning couldn’t detect anything but he wasn’t sure if he would be able to if they’d been standing right behind him.
“Not yet,” Scarlet Spider shook his head. “I’m not going to jinx it by saying I think we lost them.”
“You just did! That totally jinxes it!” barked Mentallo as he held his hands up to his face.
Scarlet Spider turned and gave him an incredulous look. It wasn’t that effective given that he was wearing a full face mask. “You can’t see right now but I’m giving you a look like you’re stupid….I don’t think it works like that. That totally wouldn’t count as a jinxing.”
“It wou…”
“Look, cut the crap…we are not bantering, we are not a kooky two-some. You’re a super-villain who no doubt did something to deserve whatever is happening and I’m the super-hero who is trying to help because it might put other people in danger,” he sighed “and because you probably don’t deserve to be hunted by weird black and white demon ninjas…very few people do. What are they?”
“I don’t know,” Mentallo “I’ve never seen them before tonight.”
“Why exactly are they after you?”
Mentallo shrugged, “You got me web….red head?”
Ben rubbed his forehead with frustration. “I have the feeling we’re playing a word game here. Level with me Mentallo, what have you done!”
Mentallo sighed. “Okay, okay you got me. I may have been cheating in the casinos, turns out one is owned by like the demon yakuza or something. They haven’t taken too kindly to the whole thing, even though I didn’t get to withdraw any of the money I won. That’s the real criminal act if you ask me.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” Ben turned angrily “All of this is about casino debt, you crossed the demonic version of the mob to win at cards. Seriously what is it with supervillains, have you thought about none of these things? What made you like this? You used to be a SHIELD agent for God’s sake.”
“You don’t know my life,” Mentallo sounded slightly offended. “You do you and I’ll do me okay…and you also do me by keeping me safe.”
“No seriously whist I figure out a plan and we wait to be attacked again level with me, what exactly turns a SHIELD agent into a criminal for hire. You could have been a hero to the whole world.”
Mentallo laughed loudly, “You’re a bigger boy scout than Captain America aren’t you” he shook his head. “Do you know that before I was a SHIELD agent I was a shoe salesman….seriously worst job in the world, nothing worse than jamming other people’s feet into shoes, soul destroying,” he smirked “a little shoe humour there.”
Ben crouched on the edge of the roof watching him carefully.
“When SHIELD came and recruited me it was like a movie, I’m called Marvin Flumm for Christ’s sake….my parents were setting me up for mediocrity. I had all these ideas of standing side by side with heroes,” he shook his head and looked disappointed “they’re not good guys you know...not all of the time. I don’t know how many minds I wiped, how many assassinations I managed to pick up mentally to the point I realised it’s all about looking after number one.”
“Didn’t you plan on world domination?”
“Go big or go home?” he shrugged to himself. “Anyway the rest is history, I drifted around joining different heists, different groups, I tried to fight for mutant equality once….yadda, yadda, yadda….kicking back in Vegas and demon yakuza.”
Scarlet Spider shook his head “fair enough then.” Ben’s spider sense suddenly blared in his mind and he leapt backwards just as some shuriken shot through the space where his head would have been. His body somersaulted in the air and landed in a crouch right in front of Mentallo.
The edge of the building, one every said had the demon masked ninjas standing every couple of feet totally blocking off any escape route. “Is there any chance that you can be useful in this fight? Like SHIELD training, a move you picked up during villain henchman school….anything?”
Flumm shook his head. “Sorry, I’m a dab hand with a gun but I doubt you’re packing.”
“Okay, twenty ninjas, I can do this. If Daredevil can do this then so can I.” Ben dropped back onto his back foot and spread his hands along the length of his body ala Neo from the Matrix. He made a ‘come get it sign’.
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Elsewhere in the city….
Flint Marko sat in the leather chair in the opulent office which looked out over the strip from the top floor of the hotel which he had been ‘invited’ to. ‘Ordered’ might have been a better word but you couldn’t easily apply that word to Flint Marko. He held his hand a few inches above the chair’s arm letting sand fall from his hand scattering across the arm. He then drew it back into his body before letting it happen again. It was his equivalent of drumming his fingers.
The adjoining door opened and in walked two men. One was an Asian gentlemen, shaved head, dripping in gold entered. He was in a dark blue suit with a black shirt. He was however clearly the subordinate in this case, Marko glanced at the boss.
His skin was black with some blue-ish highlights and his hair was a bright snow white. He wore a white suit and looked exactly like a negative image of a man. Sandman wasn’t taken-a-back by this any though, when you’ve been in the business as long as he has you learn to take things in your stride.
“Thank you Mr Marko for agreeing to see us,” said the boss “I am Mr. Negative.” He smiled with black teeth.
“I’d make a comment about that being a bit on the nose but…” Marko turned his hand into sand “I ain’t one to be throwing stones, am I?”
Mr Negative laughed gently with a nod. “Anyway I’d say I didn’t have a choice, a limo pulls up, door opens and some demon masked fellas make it clear they want me to get inside.”
“That was not meant as a threat you understand,” Mr Negative said lying through his black teeth.
“I never took it as one but that has a way of peaking a man’s interest,” Marko grinned across the table.
“I understand,” Mr Negative nodded “I also understand Mr Marko that you are a very powerful man and would make a first class addition to my organisation which is why I have arranged this meeting. I want you to understand from me also that I too am a very powerful man, if in another way, and I hope you will consider my offer very seriously.”
“I’m listening,” Marko cocked his head in an ‘interested’ motion.
“I have big plans for Las Vegas,” he began as he motioned out of the window.
“Seems to be going around,” Marko smirked remembering his meeting not too long ago with ‘The Kingpin’ of Las Vegas and the work he had been conducting for him since.
“Mmm, I am aware that you have been working for some others who have similar business interests as my own,” he nodded slowly. “I wish to make you a different offer, work for me…possibly even with me if we can come to terms and you will sit at my right hand, not just an enforcer but an executive in a growing venture. You can wed the power I have with your own, make a lot of money and one day once I am confident in this area of my business and I move on it will be yours to rule over…obviously again with certain terms.”
Marko sat forward in the chair keeping his eyes fixed on Mr Negative’s before sitting back again. “I can get on board with some of that.”
“Some?” Mr. Negative raised an eyebrow inquiring.
“I came out here for a bit more ‘freedom’” Flint did air quotes and then instantly hated himself for doing so. “Away from the superheroes, away from the Frightful Four, somewhere…which I’m sure why you sought me out….that my powers can let me do pretty much anything I want. I’m not really into signing on long term in the near future.”
Mr. Negative sat back with a slight scowl. “This is not exactly the news that I wanted to hear Mr. Marko.”
Flint held out his hands and shrugged slightly. “That’s where I am at the minute, don’t see me budging much. I’m more than willing to come on-board in a freelance role?”
“How exactly would you perceive that playing out Mr Marko?”
“You come to me with a job, if I want to take it I agree….depending on the payment I most likely will agree….if I don’t I say no, you try with another one.”
“Hired muscle? Would I take it that you would also be working for others?”
Marko nodded, “I’ve got a couple of irons in the fire.”
Mr. Negative steepled his fingers across his mouth. “That isn’t at all the deal I had in mind. You have to understand that those terms would leave me vulnerable in many ways. You would be given access to my business without any fealty, your other activities could impact on my own should they bring the attention of a government agency.”
“I’m no grass,” Flint scowled.
“I am confident with that fact but there is nothing to stop surveillance following you from one job to another,” Mr. Negative nodded. “There is also the concern that your other employers could use you in direct competition with myself. You also understand that you would be selling yourself shot?”
Flint shrugged and pushed his weight up as he stood to his feet. “You see it as selling myself short, I see it as flexibility. Sorry we can’t do business, in which case I’ve got some work which needs doing.”
“Wait…” Mr. Negative held up his hand. “I’m sure there will be some business I could agree to those terms on. Understand me on this Mr. Marko, do not work in competition with my business and do not bring the heavens down on my head and I’m sure we can come to some arrangement.”
Marko nodded, again there was a clear threat in there, he chose to ignore it. “Great, you know where to find me.”
He turned and walked to the door.
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Back on the rooftops….
Scarlet Spider delivered a split legged dropkick to the chests of two of the masked men before spring boarding his elbows into the faces of two others who were rushing up behind him. His body turned as he tumbled to the deck on all fours.
He launched himself forward in a sprint and tackled another. These guys had been coming thick and fast for around five minutes and had managed to get several blows in against him, he’d had a shuriken jammed into his shoulder which was now bleeding gently onto his costume and a Sai had opened up a small cut on his inner thigh.
“Scarlet Spider, I need some help,” yelled Mentallo from across the roof where he had been crouching. Two of the ninjas were approaching him Katanas raised. Ben gently cursed under his mask.
He shifted his weight throwing one of the enemies to the floor before firing out a web-line to connect with a katana. He yanked his arm sharply backwards pulling the weapon from the villains hand and to his own. He span it in his grip and threw it forward into the leg of the second. He leapt over the head of one of the attackers who slashed at him with a Sai, he twisted his body to avoid it before landing in a roll.
He covered the distance of the roof in a few seconds and delivered a jumping high knee between the shoulder blades of the now unarmed enemy. He wrapped his arm around the front of the villains throat and threw him to the ground in a backwards hip toss.
In one smooth motion he launched forward catching Mentallo under his arm pits and with a burst of spider strength sent him flying across the gap to the next roof. He landed a spinning kick on the masked face of one of the enemies and turned to look.
He hadn’t even really been needing skill to fight these ninjas. They were all over him to the point that all he had to do was fling a limb or tighten a muscle to slam it into one of the enemies. He had effectively managed to plough his way through these villains and left them sprawling across the rooftop.
They however had apparently summoned reinforcements. Thirty or so more figures were currently bounding from the shadows of surrounding rooves. Scarlet Spider sighed “round three,” he nodded to himself as he bounced on his toes.
His head quickly jerked to the side as a shuriken whizzed through the air, he realised a split second too late where it was going. He fired a webline after the weapon as he turned to chase it. He watched it as it sliced into the shoulder of Mentallo on the roof across the alleyway. Ben’s webline contacted him a second later, then tightened with it’s usual elastic bounce pulling the telepath forward. He tumbled off the building’s edge.
Ben leapt after him. He lined up his grab just as his spider sense tingled, he had to ignore it to make sure he could make his grab. The bola that had been thrown caught his legs. He managed to catch Mentallo but then he had no option but to tumble the three storeys to the ground below.
He landed on his still bound feet before slamming sideways into the ground with Mentallo in his arms. “Urgggh,” groaned the telepath. “I thought you were supposed to be graceful.”
Ben reached down and snapped the bola cords before standing to his feet. He had tweaked his ankle in the landing which caused a throb of pain. It was nothing that an evening of sleep and his enhanced physiology wouldn’t take care of but at the minute it was just another complication he didn’t need.
He looked up to the rooves above as the masked ninjas slid down the wall using them to guide their fall. They landed effortlessly and moved as one down the alley towards him.
“I’m going to give you all one last chance to give up guys,” he raised his fists “we all know how this is going to end really so why don’t we save me the bruised knuckles and call it a night?”
There was a deep low growling rumble which suddenly seemed to fill the air, it reverberated around the alleyway. The masked ninjas looked from Ben to one another, this obviously wasn’t their doing.
Two sets of glowing eyes appeared behind them moving down the alleyway. Two darkly coloured wolves who were roughly the size of horses padded in behind them. Their teeth were bared and they growled deeply.
They as one, without any sign, launched forward flashing their teeth as they fell upon the ninjas. They moved through them like foxes through a hen house. Their teeth clamped onto one, their jaws grinding together whilst they tossed their head from side to side before throwing their prey sideways into the walls, then moving onto the next.
They moved like quicksilver through the group, the enemies weapons slashed into their furry body mass but they massive creatures gave them no credence.
It took only a few second of this vicious attack which resulted in splashes of black blood spattered across the alleyway before the ninjas began to flee. They did it in one massive wave as if they had been given a signal to withdraw. They bounded into the shadows and in finest ninja style were simply gone.
The two wolves regarded one another, checking for injuries before casting one last look at the scarlet spider and turning to pad their way back along the alley silently before dashing out of sight.
Scarlet Spider turned and looked at Mentallo. “That was not expected,” he shrugged. “That really did happen didn’t it?”
“It did,” Mentallo nodded, “you think that’s it done? The ninjas are gone?”
Ben suddenly felt a slight spider sense tickle in his mind. It wasn’t like a normal warning, it did however carry with it a trace of familiarity, he thought of Madame Webb. He launched forward and landed a hard right into the jaw of Mentallo flooring him instantly.
“Okay let’s just take an overview of this situation,” he thought to himself for a second “Las Vegas has a demon ninja mob I’m going to have to take care of at some point, giant wolves…and I can apparently sense when someone is trying to telepath me, if they’ve done it before.” His alarm on his wrist watch started to beep “and I’m going to be late for work.”
He crouched to haul Mentallo up onto his shoulder and tried to remember where the nearest police precinct was.
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9pm…
Ben stood outside Circus Circus cursing himself out. He was feeling tired, beat up and in a damn irritable mood. He had to pad his shoulder quite heavily to stop the bleeding, the same for his leg which meant he was late for the show starting at 7.30 and had got the chewing out of all chewing outs from Madame Yemelin.
One quick costume change later and he had managed to make his cue but had put on a sloppy performance due to his injuries. Everything was just slightly off, cue another chewing out. He could kiss his promotion in the show goodbye for now.
The Parker luck followed him even when his name was Reiley.
Then he saw her. Cindy Moon stood across the strip letting a cab pull away before she stepped out into the road. She looked beautiful, her hair was long and flowing and the lights of the strip behind her made her look like she was in some love at first sight scene from a movie. She was wearing a black summer dress with little pink flowers embroidered onto it. Despite the heat she looked cool, calm and collected and totally unlike the sweaty mess Ben currently felt.
“Good night?” she asked as she stepped up onto the curb where he stood.
“It just got a whole lot better,” he smiled back totally unrepentant on how cheesy that sounded.
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Elsewhere…
Marvin Flumm sat in the holding cell nursing the worst head ache he had ever felt. His jaw ached, his shoulder ached and his whole body ached. The pain plus the drugs that the on call Doc had prescribed were enough to keep his telepathic powers from causing the police any trouble until the relevant authorities could arrive so until that time Marvin Flumm sat silently in police custody.
The door to his cell opened slowly and in stepped three men. Two demon masked ninjas and the man who had questioned him in the casino. He nodded curtly “You think we can’t get to you in here?” he laughed. “My boss Mr. Negative would like a word.”
The End.
The Scarlet Spider found himself standing in the street between the mutant criminal known as Mentallo and a group of suited men in what looked like black, white and grey demon masks. They were each brandishing weapons such as nunchucks, sais and katanas.
The odd part however was his emotions at this time, he had a deep abiding love and respect for Mentallo. He could remember growing up with him, riding their bikes, standing up to school bullies and the what-not. He knew he had to protect this man from the ninjas, this man who was like family to him. Ben however was he was aware that none of that was true and yet here he was standing in a fighting stance ready to crack some heads.
“Mentallo, whatever you’re trying to do in my head, STOP IT!” he growled the last words through gritted teeth under his mask.
“I don’t think I will,” he shook his head and gave The Scarlet Spider a dismissive hand wave urging him forward. The scarlet-suited hero bounded forward with three bouncing steps before spinning his body in the air as he made one last huge leap and delivering a roundhouse to the face of one of the demon ninjas whom spiralled sideways landing on his face like a classic Tokyo cop film.
A web-line thwipped onto the chest of another who had begun to rush towards him. Ben fired a wad of impact webbing towards a third who had started a rush at Mentallo with his sword drawn. The Scarlet Spider twisted the web-line which was attached to the demon’s chest and yanked him forward quickly tipping him from feet. He delivered a finishing blow to the back of his skull driving him into the floor.
‘That was a bit harder than usual,’ he thought to himself as he leapt back in a flip firing another set of impact webbing almost on autopilot.
There were a number of others who had now become involved in the fight. The tourists from the streets dotted around had rushed into the scene and were currently hurling themselves into the line of first against the enemies of Mentallo.
The Scarlet Spider even through his mind-addled haze of love for Mentallo was able to figure that they were going through a similar situation as he was. They were attacking the ninjas with their full level of fitness, skills and strengths whilst maintaining control over their own thoughts and vocalisations.
This was more than evident in the way that they were getting their asses kicked during the fights. He watched as one woman screamed an apology as a way to avoid retribution as she jumped at the back of a demon ninja who had just shoved his sword through the shoulder of another tourist. Her cries clearly meant nothing to the figure who simply reached back, grabbed her by her hair and yanked her over his shoulder before stamping on her head. He then began to move steadily towards Mentallo.
He ducked and dodged attacks as the suited demon faced ninjas rushed at him. He took them down with as little fuss but as much force as he could. He felt several bones break under the impact of his hand and it slammed against femurs and scapulas. The ninja didn’t shriek in pain or grumble, they just kept coming; that was something Ben admired about ninjas, they didn’t like to kick up a fuss.
His mind was racing, since his body appeared to be on total autopilot acting on spider reflex alone it was letting him think and figure out the plan.
His eyes trailed across the group of tourists who were not fairing as well as he was, they kept throwing themselves in waves at the ninjas slowing them an inch at a time. He could already see a couple of them were badly injured, blood stained their clothes. One man clearly couldn’t move his left arm at all, blood pooling at the shoulder indicated some bad muscle damage. He instead slammed his left shoulder into one of the demon’s backs with a yell of pain.
“Mentallo!” Scarlet Spider screamed as he leapt over one enemy whilst planting his feet in the face of two more, he used the momentum to spring backwards and drive his body weight into the villain who had just slipped underneath him. “You release them and us now! I promise you that I will protect you as long as you release us now!”
“I can’t trust you on that,” Metallo barked. His face was racked with concentration as he obviously tried to maintain control over the whole group of people, more were coming into his zone of effect and making mad dashes into the action as time went on.
“How about you trust me on this…You have to sleep sometime, have to let your guard down. If any of those people are seriously hurt because of you….” He let the dark thoughts creep into his mind. He pictured all of the thigs that he and Peter had wanted to do in their darkest dreams and nightmares to the villains in their lives. All of the people who had hurt MJ, hurt Aunt May, killed Gwen. It started with him silently perching on Mentallo’s ceiling as he watched him sleep and slowly lowered himself silently on a zipline.
Impact webbing to the face….suffocation.
Thrown from the apartment widow….sudden impact, internal bleeding.
He saw himself webbing Mentallo to the wall, removing his mask as little pincer like jaws clacked together. His six eyes watching his prey carefully as he struggled.
Then he felt Mentallo’s grip over his mind slide clear. He was in control of himself again. “Jeez Ben, where did that come from?” those would keep him up at night let alone Mentallo.
“Please don’t hurt me,” Mentallo begged. He was now backing away a few steps at a time as he spoke.
Ben let two web lines hit two of the demon ninjas in the chest and dragged them off balance to the floor. His eyes quickly surveyed the situation and fired another set of webs followed by a blob of impact webbing hitting three demons who were about to attack the tourists. The tourists were now aware that they were in control again and were currently running or dragging themselves in the opposite direction.
The demons began to move quickly in his direction.
He turned tail and ran. Neither Spider-Man nor the Scarlet Spider were known for their running, they after all had much more spectacular methods of travel, it however turned out that when push came to shove he was like Usain Bolt. He cut the distance between himself and Mentallo in a few seconds and without breaking his stride drove his shoulder and upper arm into the villain’s stomach winding him badly. He made a bounding leap followed by a whip of a web-line with Mentallo in a fireman’s carry position and was away.
“Got to lead them away from civilians,” he said mostly to himself but also in explanation to the villain should he get some ideas about controlling him again in a panic.
He turned his head to cast a glance over his shoulder to see the Demons spreading out. Some dashed from sight around the corner of casinos whilst a few fired grapples of their own and began to give chase as best they could.
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India…
The long-haired wanderer of the world sat quietly on the steps of the long forgotten temple looking out at the jungle which had grown up around it over the years. He could feel the sun beating down on his face even through the thick foliage and sat with his eyes closed for a second basking in its’ warmth. It had been a while since he felt the warmth of the sun on his face.
He opened his eyes again and once again took in all of nature’s bounty, he saw the world not like a normal man would but in degrees of light. It told him how much energy different living beings have in much the same way a human eye could tell you the distance of an object by its texture gradient.
The leaves and the trees glowed with a gentle glow, gently but deep…not that this distinction would mean anything to the uninitiated, those who could not see life glow in such a way. The air was filled with tiny flecks of glowing light as insects flitted from plant to plant, animals like the snakes which slithered through the undergrowth were a deep warm red. Animal life being so much richer in energy than equivalent plant matter.
Still none of this was enough to even be a snack for him and so he turned back to reading. He liked to swot up on areas that he travelled to even though he had been then in the past. He watched movies, he read fiction stories and history books. He had enjoyed the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, loved the writing of Kipling and was currently enjoying familiarising himself with the tenets of Hinduism again.
“Greetings, traveller,” said a deep booming voice from behind him. The temple vibrated gently under footsteps “what brings you to this old temple to Ganesh today.”
The traveller turned and smiled at the gentleman who had stepped into the sunshine. He placed his book down as he rotated his body to regard him.
He was at least nine feet tall, a deep brown skin which was rough. His trunk swung backwards and forwards in front of his thick barrel like body. His huge ears, lined with piercings, flapped as he smiled wafting a cooling breeze over his face. He was like the Indian version of Babar brought to life.
“Well, it would seem that the wise man in the back alley of Calcutta did not do you justice, you are magnificent.” He clapped his hands in delight and smiled.
“Why thank you,” he smiled, you could see it in his eyes even if his face didn’t move into human emotions anymore. “I am nothing compared to the great gods on high though, merely a devout servant.”
“May I ask your name? and how you came to be here?”
“I am Tarun,” he nodded “My journey is much the same as many priests of many religions. I heard a calling, felt I was needed and surrendered myself. I have been chosen to represent our lord Ganesh in this life time and my physical form became a reflection of my devotion. You have come far, you must be seeking an obstacle to be removed?”
“No, I am very much one with Ganesh in that way myself. I’m very good and removing obstacles in my path. I think he was a lot like yourself….obviously I never met him so cannot comment but there is something very clearly totemic about him wouldn’t you say? Animal spirit mixed with man.”
“He is a high Veda. Whilst he may have looked like an elephant man in many representations he was neither,” Tarun was beginning to get an uneasy feeling about this gentleman and the way he spoke. The way his eyes seemed to bore into you.
“Men make up many stories for the things they don’t fully understand,” he smirked.
“Who are you and why have you sought me out at this holy place?” Tarun asked again, this time allowing some anger to creep into his voice.
“I am Morlun,” said Morlun as he watched massive waves of red energy emanating from Tarun’s already brilliantly dazzling glare “and I am here because I hunger”.
He leapt in one motion. He had been sitting perfectly still one second and then before Tarun’s eyes could register a movement he was above him in the air only a few feet away. It was enough time for his massive frame to react. Tarun tossed out his huge tree trunk like arm and slammed Morlun hard in the chest sending him backwards.
Morlun turned in the air and landed gracefully like a well-trained ballerina. “Sport,” he smiled to himself as he lunged forward.
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Las Vegas…
Ben stood on the roof of one of the buildings down town off from the strip. He walked the length of the edge checking up and down the block. Mentallo stood behind him.
“Any sign?” he asked. His telepathic scanning couldn’t detect anything but he wasn’t sure if he would be able to if they’d been standing right behind him.
“Not yet,” Scarlet Spider shook his head. “I’m not going to jinx it by saying I think we lost them.”
“You just did! That totally jinxes it!” barked Mentallo as he held his hands up to his face.
Scarlet Spider turned and gave him an incredulous look. It wasn’t that effective given that he was wearing a full face mask. “You can’t see right now but I’m giving you a look like you’re stupid….I don’t think it works like that. That totally wouldn’t count as a jinxing.”
“It wou…”
“Look, cut the crap…we are not bantering, we are not a kooky two-some. You’re a super-villain who no doubt did something to deserve whatever is happening and I’m the super-hero who is trying to help because it might put other people in danger,” he sighed “and because you probably don’t deserve to be hunted by weird black and white demon ninjas…very few people do. What are they?”
“I don’t know,” Mentallo “I’ve never seen them before tonight.”
“Why exactly are they after you?”
Mentallo shrugged, “You got me web….red head?”
Ben rubbed his forehead with frustration. “I have the feeling we’re playing a word game here. Level with me Mentallo, what have you done!”
Mentallo sighed. “Okay, okay you got me. I may have been cheating in the casinos, turns out one is owned by like the demon yakuza or something. They haven’t taken too kindly to the whole thing, even though I didn’t get to withdraw any of the money I won. That’s the real criminal act if you ask me.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” Ben turned angrily “All of this is about casino debt, you crossed the demonic version of the mob to win at cards. Seriously what is it with supervillains, have you thought about none of these things? What made you like this? You used to be a SHIELD agent for God’s sake.”
“You don’t know my life,” Mentallo sounded slightly offended. “You do you and I’ll do me okay…and you also do me by keeping me safe.”
“No seriously whist I figure out a plan and we wait to be attacked again level with me, what exactly turns a SHIELD agent into a criminal for hire. You could have been a hero to the whole world.”
Mentallo laughed loudly, “You’re a bigger boy scout than Captain America aren’t you” he shook his head. “Do you know that before I was a SHIELD agent I was a shoe salesman….seriously worst job in the world, nothing worse than jamming other people’s feet into shoes, soul destroying,” he smirked “a little shoe humour there.”
Ben crouched on the edge of the roof watching him carefully.
“When SHIELD came and recruited me it was like a movie, I’m called Marvin Flumm for Christ’s sake….my parents were setting me up for mediocrity. I had all these ideas of standing side by side with heroes,” he shook his head and looked disappointed “they’re not good guys you know...not all of the time. I don’t know how many minds I wiped, how many assassinations I managed to pick up mentally to the point I realised it’s all about looking after number one.”
“Didn’t you plan on world domination?”
“Go big or go home?” he shrugged to himself. “Anyway the rest is history, I drifted around joining different heists, different groups, I tried to fight for mutant equality once….yadda, yadda, yadda….kicking back in Vegas and demon yakuza.”
Scarlet Spider shook his head “fair enough then.” Ben’s spider sense suddenly blared in his mind and he leapt backwards just as some shuriken shot through the space where his head would have been. His body somersaulted in the air and landed in a crouch right in front of Mentallo.
The edge of the building, one every said had the demon masked ninjas standing every couple of feet totally blocking off any escape route. “Is there any chance that you can be useful in this fight? Like SHIELD training, a move you picked up during villain henchman school….anything?”
Flumm shook his head. “Sorry, I’m a dab hand with a gun but I doubt you’re packing.”
“Okay, twenty ninjas, I can do this. If Daredevil can do this then so can I.” Ben dropped back onto his back foot and spread his hands along the length of his body ala Neo from the Matrix. He made a ‘come get it sign’.
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Elsewhere in the city….
Flint Marko sat in the leather chair in the opulent office which looked out over the strip from the top floor of the hotel which he had been ‘invited’ to. ‘Ordered’ might have been a better word but you couldn’t easily apply that word to Flint Marko. He held his hand a few inches above the chair’s arm letting sand fall from his hand scattering across the arm. He then drew it back into his body before letting it happen again. It was his equivalent of drumming his fingers.
The adjoining door opened and in walked two men. One was an Asian gentlemen, shaved head, dripping in gold entered. He was in a dark blue suit with a black shirt. He was however clearly the subordinate in this case, Marko glanced at the boss.
His skin was black with some blue-ish highlights and his hair was a bright snow white. He wore a white suit and looked exactly like a negative image of a man. Sandman wasn’t taken-a-back by this any though, when you’ve been in the business as long as he has you learn to take things in your stride.
“Thank you Mr Marko for agreeing to see us,” said the boss “I am Mr. Negative.” He smiled with black teeth.
“I’d make a comment about that being a bit on the nose but…” Marko turned his hand into sand “I ain’t one to be throwing stones, am I?”
Mr Negative laughed gently with a nod. “Anyway I’d say I didn’t have a choice, a limo pulls up, door opens and some demon masked fellas make it clear they want me to get inside.”
“That was not meant as a threat you understand,” Mr Negative said lying through his black teeth.
“I never took it as one but that has a way of peaking a man’s interest,” Marko grinned across the table.
“I understand,” Mr Negative nodded “I also understand Mr Marko that you are a very powerful man and would make a first class addition to my organisation which is why I have arranged this meeting. I want you to understand from me also that I too am a very powerful man, if in another way, and I hope you will consider my offer very seriously.”
“I’m listening,” Marko cocked his head in an ‘interested’ motion.
“I have big plans for Las Vegas,” he began as he motioned out of the window.
“Seems to be going around,” Marko smirked remembering his meeting not too long ago with ‘The Kingpin’ of Las Vegas and the work he had been conducting for him since.
“Mmm, I am aware that you have been working for some others who have similar business interests as my own,” he nodded slowly. “I wish to make you a different offer, work for me…possibly even with me if we can come to terms and you will sit at my right hand, not just an enforcer but an executive in a growing venture. You can wed the power I have with your own, make a lot of money and one day once I am confident in this area of my business and I move on it will be yours to rule over…obviously again with certain terms.”
Marko sat forward in the chair keeping his eyes fixed on Mr Negative’s before sitting back again. “I can get on board with some of that.”
“Some?” Mr. Negative raised an eyebrow inquiring.
“I came out here for a bit more ‘freedom’” Flint did air quotes and then instantly hated himself for doing so. “Away from the superheroes, away from the Frightful Four, somewhere…which I’m sure why you sought me out….that my powers can let me do pretty much anything I want. I’m not really into signing on long term in the near future.”
Mr. Negative sat back with a slight scowl. “This is not exactly the news that I wanted to hear Mr. Marko.”
Flint held out his hands and shrugged slightly. “That’s where I am at the minute, don’t see me budging much. I’m more than willing to come on-board in a freelance role?”
“How exactly would you perceive that playing out Mr Marko?”
“You come to me with a job, if I want to take it I agree….depending on the payment I most likely will agree….if I don’t I say no, you try with another one.”
“Hired muscle? Would I take it that you would also be working for others?”
Marko nodded, “I’ve got a couple of irons in the fire.”
Mr. Negative steepled his fingers across his mouth. “That isn’t at all the deal I had in mind. You have to understand that those terms would leave me vulnerable in many ways. You would be given access to my business without any fealty, your other activities could impact on my own should they bring the attention of a government agency.”
“I’m no grass,” Flint scowled.
“I am confident with that fact but there is nothing to stop surveillance following you from one job to another,” Mr. Negative nodded. “There is also the concern that your other employers could use you in direct competition with myself. You also understand that you would be selling yourself shot?”
Flint shrugged and pushed his weight up as he stood to his feet. “You see it as selling myself short, I see it as flexibility. Sorry we can’t do business, in which case I’ve got some work which needs doing.”
“Wait…” Mr. Negative held up his hand. “I’m sure there will be some business I could agree to those terms on. Understand me on this Mr. Marko, do not work in competition with my business and do not bring the heavens down on my head and I’m sure we can come to some arrangement.”
Marko nodded, again there was a clear threat in there, he chose to ignore it. “Great, you know where to find me.”
He turned and walked to the door.
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Back on the rooftops….
Scarlet Spider delivered a split legged dropkick to the chests of two of the masked men before spring boarding his elbows into the faces of two others who were rushing up behind him. His body turned as he tumbled to the deck on all fours.
He launched himself forward in a sprint and tackled another. These guys had been coming thick and fast for around five minutes and had managed to get several blows in against him, he’d had a shuriken jammed into his shoulder which was now bleeding gently onto his costume and a Sai had opened up a small cut on his inner thigh.
“Scarlet Spider, I need some help,” yelled Mentallo from across the roof where he had been crouching. Two of the ninjas were approaching him Katanas raised. Ben gently cursed under his mask.
He shifted his weight throwing one of the enemies to the floor before firing out a web-line to connect with a katana. He yanked his arm sharply backwards pulling the weapon from the villains hand and to his own. He span it in his grip and threw it forward into the leg of the second. He leapt over the head of one of the attackers who slashed at him with a Sai, he twisted his body to avoid it before landing in a roll.
He covered the distance of the roof in a few seconds and delivered a jumping high knee between the shoulder blades of the now unarmed enemy. He wrapped his arm around the front of the villains throat and threw him to the ground in a backwards hip toss.
In one smooth motion he launched forward catching Mentallo under his arm pits and with a burst of spider strength sent him flying across the gap to the next roof. He landed a spinning kick on the masked face of one of the enemies and turned to look.
He hadn’t even really been needing skill to fight these ninjas. They were all over him to the point that all he had to do was fling a limb or tighten a muscle to slam it into one of the enemies. He had effectively managed to plough his way through these villains and left them sprawling across the rooftop.
They however had apparently summoned reinforcements. Thirty or so more figures were currently bounding from the shadows of surrounding rooves. Scarlet Spider sighed “round three,” he nodded to himself as he bounced on his toes.
His head quickly jerked to the side as a shuriken whizzed through the air, he realised a split second too late where it was going. He fired a webline after the weapon as he turned to chase it. He watched it as it sliced into the shoulder of Mentallo on the roof across the alleyway. Ben’s webline contacted him a second later, then tightened with it’s usual elastic bounce pulling the telepath forward. He tumbled off the building’s edge.
Ben leapt after him. He lined up his grab just as his spider sense tingled, he had to ignore it to make sure he could make his grab. The bola that had been thrown caught his legs. He managed to catch Mentallo but then he had no option but to tumble the three storeys to the ground below.
He landed on his still bound feet before slamming sideways into the ground with Mentallo in his arms. “Urgggh,” groaned the telepath. “I thought you were supposed to be graceful.”
Ben reached down and snapped the bola cords before standing to his feet. He had tweaked his ankle in the landing which caused a throb of pain. It was nothing that an evening of sleep and his enhanced physiology wouldn’t take care of but at the minute it was just another complication he didn’t need.
He looked up to the rooves above as the masked ninjas slid down the wall using them to guide their fall. They landed effortlessly and moved as one down the alley towards him.
“I’m going to give you all one last chance to give up guys,” he raised his fists “we all know how this is going to end really so why don’t we save me the bruised knuckles and call it a night?”
There was a deep low growling rumble which suddenly seemed to fill the air, it reverberated around the alleyway. The masked ninjas looked from Ben to one another, this obviously wasn’t their doing.
Two sets of glowing eyes appeared behind them moving down the alleyway. Two darkly coloured wolves who were roughly the size of horses padded in behind them. Their teeth were bared and they growled deeply.
They as one, without any sign, launched forward flashing their teeth as they fell upon the ninjas. They moved through them like foxes through a hen house. Their teeth clamped onto one, their jaws grinding together whilst they tossed their head from side to side before throwing their prey sideways into the walls, then moving onto the next.
They moved like quicksilver through the group, the enemies weapons slashed into their furry body mass but they massive creatures gave them no credence.
It took only a few second of this vicious attack which resulted in splashes of black blood spattered across the alleyway before the ninjas began to flee. They did it in one massive wave as if they had been given a signal to withdraw. They bounded into the shadows and in finest ninja style were simply gone.
The two wolves regarded one another, checking for injuries before casting one last look at the scarlet spider and turning to pad their way back along the alley silently before dashing out of sight.
Scarlet Spider turned and looked at Mentallo. “That was not expected,” he shrugged. “That really did happen didn’t it?”
“It did,” Mentallo nodded, “you think that’s it done? The ninjas are gone?”
Ben suddenly felt a slight spider sense tickle in his mind. It wasn’t like a normal warning, it did however carry with it a trace of familiarity, he thought of Madame Webb. He launched forward and landed a hard right into the jaw of Mentallo flooring him instantly.
“Okay let’s just take an overview of this situation,” he thought to himself for a second “Las Vegas has a demon ninja mob I’m going to have to take care of at some point, giant wolves…and I can apparently sense when someone is trying to telepath me, if they’ve done it before.” His alarm on his wrist watch started to beep “and I’m going to be late for work.”
He crouched to haul Mentallo up onto his shoulder and tried to remember where the nearest police precinct was.
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9pm…
Ben stood outside Circus Circus cursing himself out. He was feeling tired, beat up and in a damn irritable mood. He had to pad his shoulder quite heavily to stop the bleeding, the same for his leg which meant he was late for the show starting at 7.30 and had got the chewing out of all chewing outs from Madame Yemelin.
One quick costume change later and he had managed to make his cue but had put on a sloppy performance due to his injuries. Everything was just slightly off, cue another chewing out. He could kiss his promotion in the show goodbye for now.
The Parker luck followed him even when his name was Reiley.
Then he saw her. Cindy Moon stood across the strip letting a cab pull away before she stepped out into the road. She looked beautiful, her hair was long and flowing and the lights of the strip behind her made her look like she was in some love at first sight scene from a movie. She was wearing a black summer dress with little pink flowers embroidered onto it. Despite the heat she looked cool, calm and collected and totally unlike the sweaty mess Ben currently felt.
“Good night?” she asked as she stepped up onto the curb where he stood.
“It just got a whole lot better,” he smiled back totally unrepentant on how cheesy that sounded.
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Elsewhere…
Marvin Flumm sat in the holding cell nursing the worst head ache he had ever felt. His jaw ached, his shoulder ached and his whole body ached. The pain plus the drugs that the on call Doc had prescribed were enough to keep his telepathic powers from causing the police any trouble until the relevant authorities could arrive so until that time Marvin Flumm sat silently in police custody.
The door to his cell opened slowly and in stepped three men. Two demon masked ninjas and the man who had questioned him in the casino. He nodded curtly “You think we can’t get to you in here?” he laughed. “My boss Mr. Negative would like a word.”
The End.