Chapter Fifty-Three

On an alternate Earth.

New York City was in ruins, everything within sight was covered in flames and the skyline had been ripped apart and destroyed. The dead littered the streets and no sign of life was seen in the desolated city. The roads were cracked and even uprooted in many places. There was obviously a massive battle that had recently occurred in this city and hardly anything had survived afterward.

Although it might surprise anyone that seen this scene, there was actually a survivor inside these ruins. A black shadow scrambled through dark collapsed sewer tunnels attempting to live. Once this thing was considered to be a hero... But now, he was just another monster homeless and alone. It resembled the hero known as Spider-Man, but he was much larger and more spider than man. Grasping one of his hairy arms as the creature looked down at his severely injured appendage his spider face grimaced unnaturally. He guessed it was fine even if he lost this one… He still had five other arms now and he was pretty sure it would probably grow back eventually. What was left of his Spider-suit had been cut into pieces by his transformation revealing his spider-like body to the world along with his severely bleeding wounds.

The pain was hard to manage and he had already collapsed many times but eventually, he struggled back to his feet gasping out he said with a monstrous voice that sounded more creature than man, "They… will find… me… again… if I don't… hurry…"

Grasping the side of a wall his hand stuck to the slippery foundation regaining the will to get back up on his feet once more. Swearing silently to himself, after hearing sounds above as he passed underneath the city. Coming to a manhole cover he took a brief look above him, spotting a few men on what appeared to be silver gliders much like the green goblin used. He knew he wouldn't be able to escape without them seeing him, but the sewer tunnels were completely blocked from this point onward making his options limited. Deciding that he needed to make a run for the next sewer entrance to regain his trek onward he would have to get past this group of men wearing black combat uniforms.

They had been riding silver gliders and had recently landed on the ground between him and his next destination. They donned black helmets with red eyes on the shield covering their faces, which also had the effect of making them appear far more menacing than he expected them to be. They seemed to be a type of militant force each complete with advanced weaponry hanging over their shoulders.

One of them, whom Man-Spider guessed to be the leader of the group, observed his squad with an appraising eye. Seemingly catching on to something, then he quickly instructed one of the soldiers to get a scanner out and then proceeded to scan the area section by section.

A slow beeping noise permeated the quiet area but when the soldier pointed the scanner at him the device began to make a much faster pulsing noise.

Man-Spider was little more than an animal, but even he knew this wasn't a good sign. "Sir, he seems to be below us. How should we proceed? The soldier said making a salute to the taller figure.

With a smirk, the leader started towards Man-Spider at an even pace and stated, "Proceed with caution, this spider can easily kill us all."

The sewers were dark, cold and damp. Which was a perfect environment for a being such as himself to pick them off easily enough he decided. The soldiers activated their lights at the sides of their helmets and began their descent into the dark space beneath them.

Climbing down into the darkness below them they showed little actual fear of the unknown. Whether it be overconfidence or bravery no one would be able to tell. A confident voice spoke out distracting the few that dared to show fear at this point, "Where's the target now?" The leader asked sternly.

Looking down at the scanner he replied calmly, "Within fifty feet of our current location."

"Move lightly, we don't want to give away our location too soon." Ordered the leader.

Venturing further into the dark sewer the soldiers looked cautiously around them in an attempt to spot their targets. Still, a few of them couldn't help feeling nervous about the unknown, they kept feeling as if there were several pairs of eyes watching them from all angles.

Quietly skittering through the room unnoticed, only faint tapping noises could be heard, which was promptly dismissed by them thinking it to be unknown animals they weren't able to see in the dim lights from their weapons.

One of the soldiers briefly thought that he saw something at the corner of his eye and quickly pointed his weapon towards the area. Glaring he searched the tunnels around him. After a while, the soldier was convinced, he hadn't seen anything and started to turn away dismissing it as paranoia. But in the next moment, it became clear that he shouldn't have done such a stupid thing.

This particular spider had a special camouflage ability much like a chameleon he blended into his environment. Slowly climbing on to the ceiling he approached his unsuspecting prey. Suddenly a web shot out wrapping the soldier's head and without any warning, he was gone, no struggling sounds were produced. Yet not one of them noticed the lack of a comrade.

"Heh, this spider is such a coward, I bet it doesn't even plan to show his face!" A cocky voice remarked in the crowd while the more experienced soldiers completely ignored him.

A similarly like-minded soldier agreed with him chuckling at his side, "Yeah, I'd bet that the two of us could take him down before he'd even had a chance!"

They continued laughing until one of their laughter was cut short abruptly, catching everyone off guard startling everyone and making the other soldier that had been laughing earlier start to shake. It had just been mere moments before he had been feeling overly confident but now he was easily the most frightened person there.

Slowly the leader turned to see that the Man-spider was right behind them and a slight smile graced his handsome face as he stated, "Ah, finally you decided to show yourself."

The Man-Spider ignored his words and grabbed the other soldier that had been saying mocking words earlier by the throat making him gasp for air than with a 'crack' sound he tossed a corpse behind his back and roared at the soldiers that were left in front of him. The more experienced soldiers laid down suppressing laser fire making the large spider disappear in the darkness of the sewer. Man-Spider would reappear in quick bursts only to slam one of them into a wall and web another completely to the ground. Repeatedly, this happened when eventually their group of twelve soldiers had been cut in half. The other soldiers heard this and quickly ran towards them.

He then threw them across the room. They then shine their lights at the figure. "Anyone Else wants to try me, I assure you that no one will have any remaining limbs once the fight is done!" he snarled at them violently.

"OPEN FIRE!" The leader ordered as they all proceeded to fire at Man-Spider.

Quickly move around the room madly taking a few soldiers down via slashing them by the chest or purging his claws into them and throwing them against other soldiers. One tried to get up close and tried to shoot him in his face. But that, of course, failed when Man-Spider grabbed him by his Shar mandible and started to break his body.

The captain and his few soldiers then proceed to continue fire, but the Man-Spider was using this soldier as a shield. He threw him at another and continued to attack them. He continued to fight managing to take down one by shoving him up in the ceiling and throwing another out the wind while also webbing him up in a hard cocoon.

There was only the captain left, he saw as Man-Spider towered above him. "I'm giving you one chance leave or I will make you endure a lot of pain. A "lot" of pain!" Man-Spider said as he angrily clenched his fist together.

"I told you before, you are requested. And I am bringing you to my master one way or another" He said while pulling out a sword. Man-Spider then snarled at him. They both ran towards each other, Man-Spider gaining the upper hand by using his advanced strength so much they both fell out of the building.

They both collapsed to the ground both of them clearly hurt by the impact. Man-Spider gained the advantage, he attempted to bite his head off but the captain's sword blocked him as the captain was fiercely holding his sword. He tried to push him off but not only did the Man-Spider had advanced spider's strength but he also had the strength of a monster as well. It was difficult to try and get him off him without getting his head bit off.

The captain managed to get a few of his teeth, Man-Spider started to stop resorting to his teeth and instead used his claws to slash his sword. "Give up! I didn't want to come to this but you gave me no choice. My abilities are more powerful than your own there's no way you can win!"

The captain gave him a threatening glare and admitted "Your right I can't win. Like this I mean"

Man-Spider was confused until he was in a sudden shock of pain. He looked down at his chest and saw blaster holes and that the captain had shot him.

Man-Spider fell to the ground holding his blast wounds, but it would do him no good as blood poured out of his body.

The captain stood up and took a brief look at him. From the sky a few soldiers standing on similar gliders they had originally come on. "Wow sir you really did a number on him"

The captain didn't reply to the soldier only pulling out a small communication device and stated, "Lord Venom, our mission was a success the target is down. How may we proceed?"

From nowhere a blackish-purple portal appeared and a large figure in black came walking out of it in a slow regal pace towards them.

"Ah, I love the smell of destruction and death in the air." A deep bass voice said as he gave his best smile to the people around him. As he approached the group's leader bowed before the man and calmly stated, "My apologies for the delay."

Looking at the ground around them Venom spotted the wounded Man-Spider clutching to his last strand of life. "Regardless you've done your job and you have given us new spider to add to my collections."

Turning his attention to the Man-Spider completely, the small group's leader retreated and his men followed briskly.

The man in black walked purposely towards the Man-Spider and just grinned manically kneeling down beside him "Now then, friend. How would you like to be added to a fine collection of being's just like yourself?"

After several minutes of conversing with the dying spider the man known as Venom asked, "So this is your final word?"

Man-Spider angrily glared at him "YES! YOU MONSTER! ONE DAY, I SWEAR I'LL RIP YOU APART FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE!"

The figure gave him an unimpressed sidelong look and spoke, "Ha! I'm a monster? Have you looked in a mirror lately?"

The spider's multiple eyes stared back at him without blinking and he replied, "Yes, I am one too… But at the end of the day, you're still so much more of a monster than I ever could be."

Sneering down at the unremorseful creature he pulled out his blaster and stated, "Well, if you wanted to die that badly, then I will be more than happy to oblige." The man said coldly.

A few minutes later…

A soldier using a complicated scanning device that would pin-point another dimension called out in joy, "Lord, I've found another world with the correct key signature."

The man was surprised by this "Hmm, let's not waste any time and maybe we can find another one to add to the collection."

They all then went inside the portal and it shut behind them as the left. In the background, a cloaked figure was watching the whole time but couldn't do anything about what happened to that… whatever it was.

"No more. No more of this onslaught you murderer. This time I will stop you and your Venom faction once and for all. Once I find the spider before you. You will be stopped once and for all" He then pulled out a device similar to the soldiers and started to evaporate leaving the now wasteland world.