Chapter 96: First Encounter of the Inheritor Kind
Holding May in my arms I felt cold. I didn't know what to say, all I could do was hold the girl that was slowly falling apart in her hands, like an ice sculpture that was melting.
She was crying, every sob felt like a river of ice crashing down over my head. I couldn't do a thing, I couldn't say a thing. Expect gently rub my hand down her back like I do with Hope every time she gets upset.
"This is getting too melodramatic," Superior spoke up, "pick yourself up girl, you are the daughter of Spider-man, you cannot wallow in self-pity."
I narrowed my eyes at him, while I agreed with the spirit of his message, he should have framed it better.
"She lost her father, people are allowed to drive," I hissed at the man, turning to the one I guessed to be Tobey McGuire underneath that silver web lined suit, "she needs to lie down, do we have a base of operations?"
"Yeah," the spider-man replied as he pointed to a faraway building that looked like a massive golden dome. It had pillars all around it, sort of like a goody western Taj Mahal, "it's where Master Weaver is. The Web Warriors use it as their base."
"You're one of us to Peter, better get used to it," Spider-Gwen replied, elbowing the Spider-man. She turned to me and the others and motioned to the translucent platform she was standing on, "come on, we can get you there on this."
We agreed and slowly got onto the transparent platform, Jean, however, chose to fly there on her own with Hope in hand as the platform seemed to get a bit crowded.
By now May's tears had dried up. She hung off my side, looking at the people behind us, giving Johnny a smile, "Hey Johnny, long time."
The Human Torch gulped, "hey girl who forgot to mention she was the daughter of my best friend who I certainly did not hit on."
May chuckled, "so you finally get how weird that was for me?"
Johnny shuddered, "yeah, trust me, I know. But am I getting used to the awkwardness of human spider relations."
May nodded, spotting Jean next with Hope in her arms.
"Wait, is that," she turned to me, her eyes wide open in surprise.
I smiled, "Hope Leia Parker. My daughter. You can guess who her mother is," I smiled at Jean. I held out a hand, "Princess, come here, there's someone I want you too met."
Hope looked at her mother who nodded encouragingly. Jean flew closer to us, allowing Hope to slowly levitate out of her mother's arms and into mine.
"Woah, how did she do that?" Anya, the spider-girl of Earth 616, asked, the others looking at her curiously.
"She's psychic, obviously," Superior explained, "I sunrise she inherited her mother's gifts?"
I nodded, "you would be correct," I held Hope in my arms and turned to May, "Princess, this is May...she's your aunt," I figured calling May Hope's sister would confuse the kid to all hell as May and I was around the same age.
"I have another aunty?" Hope asked, turning to May, now less shy, "is she a Spider too?"
I grinned, "she is," I motioned to the others, "they all are."
"Cool!" Hope cried out, her eyes glittering, "can you all climb up walls like my daddy? Can you shoot webs? Can you make cool stuff?"
"That and more," Superior said with a proud tone. Was this guy seriously showing off in front of a kid? Did he think my kid would ever, for one second consider him cooler than her own dad? Pfft, as if.
"She's an active one huh?" Spider UK chuckled, "how old is she?"
"One," Hope replied quickly, smiling at the compliment. Everyone looked confused, turning to me and the others. Jean looked away, I sighed.
"It's complicated, something's….affecting her growth rate," I explained, "in the last universe I visited I met a version of Doctor Strange that suggested it could be because of some childhood trauma she faced, but I can't be certain."
"What childhood trauma?" Spider-Gwen asked with an edge to her voice.
"The Shi'ar Empire kidnapped me when I was pregnant," Jean replied, looking at me curiously as she hadn't heard about my encounter with Strange before, "is that why…."
"It's my best guess," I told her, "I began training her in the ways of a sorcerer. She's good, hopefully, we can figure out what's going on before…."
I stopped myself, couldn't bring myself to imagine anything happening to Hope. And then I turned to May, who's eyes looked hollowed out, I smelt the despair come again.
"May...what happened?" I asked the girl I considered a sister of sorts.
"He….he came at night, we were having dinner, all four of us."
"Four?" I blinked, trying to recall what I was forgetting.
"Four," May nodded with a smile, "I have a baby brother now, Ben. He was born a year or so after you left."
My eyes widened, "holy...alright, baby brother, go it..."
May sighed, "he was fussing that night. God, I can remember it, I can remember it so clearly...he...he wanted a cookie, mom was doing her best to keep it out of his reach. Which was when Ben started to climb up a wall."
May smiled, a ghost of a smile that seemed to light up her broken spirit, "dad was in shock. Ben's powers were developing faster than mine did and we...we were all so happy. Then they came crashing in…..Daemos….an Inheritor….he was after Ben. Dad fought him, he ordered me to run out with mom and Ben...I….I should have stayed, I should have done something! I should have-"
This world's Gwen placed an arm on her shoulder, May broke down, passing Hope back to me before turning away and walking to one corner of the platform, facing away from the others, crying her eyes out.
"We found them soon after that," Spider UK explained, "we drove Daemos away but he...he did his damage."
"I'm sorry, but I feel like I'm missing something here," Wanda from the Cinematic universe spoke up, "who is her father? How do you," she looked at me, "know her?"
"Her name is May Parker," I explained, "in another world, Earth 982 to be exact, Peter Parker married a woman named Mary Jane Watson. May is my daughter, technically, yours too," I motioned to the Amazing Spider-man and the MCU Spider.
Wanda's eyes went wide. The amazing Spider-man looked like he was going to have a broken jaw by how low it hung while MCU Peter looked like he was going to have a heart attack.
"What?" Hope looked up, confused, "aunty May is like my sister too?"
"Ah," I sighed, "yeah, aunty May is like your sister." Hope looked at May and slowly slipped out of my arms, flying to May's side. She floated away from Me for a moment, long enough for May to notice her, and when she looked up, Hope moved in, hugging the girl.
"It's okay, mommy says it's okay to cry when you're sad, it's what makes us human," she tried to be comforting. May hugged her, I could smell some of the sadness in her come down, comforted by the little girl hugging her.
"You said they were after Ben, why?" Jean spoke up, flying close to us.
"Jean," I warned her, "now's-"
"No, this is important," May wiped a tear as she smiled at Hope in her arms, "she's sweet...I don't know why they were after Benji, but they were. Daemos said as much. Hell, he all but demanded him when he stepped through the door, said he would spare my life and mom's."
"But not your father?" my Wanda asked.
"No...I think whatever experience Daemos had with other versions of my dad made him dislike Peter Parker, all Peter Parkers," she looked at us, "he didn't say why he wanted Benji though..."
"Peter," Jean spoke up, her eyes narrowed, "a portal appeared to be kidnapping Hope and we find another child of Peter Parker is the target for a kidnapping? It's too much to be a coincidence."
I groaned I hadn't thought about that, too distracted by Peter Parker's death. The man was the closest thing I had to a father figure in this life. Even Richard Parker wasn't as supportive as Peter of Earth 982 was.
He helped me when I was at my lowest, he helped me when I was broken. He helped me and now...he's gone...and someone was after his children.
No, fuck that. He's dead. Whoever this douchebag is, he's dead.
"It isn't," I turned to the Web-Warriors and quickly explained what had happened to them. About Hope, about how I intervened and even how the Web of Life seemed to be involved in some manner.
"It sounds to me like something was trying to kidnap your daughter," Superior explained, "we can ask Karn, he will explain it fully."
"Karn? Who's Karn?" Johnny asked.
"You'll see," Tobey MacGuire Spider replied.
God, so many fucking Spider-men! I need nicknames to keep it all in check!
We arrived at the Taj Mahal knock. The structure was massive, now that I was closer I could tell that the building was large enough to carry several 747's inside it with ease. It had stairs leading up to the giant wooden two-door entrance with massive pillars like structures placed on the four corners of the building.
There were no windows and the top was hued gold. And as we landed I felt… something.
It was a tingle in the back of my head. Just there, right in the back, just out of reach. "Follow me, don't touch anything," Superior ordered as he led us inside.
The massive doors opened leading down and long straight hallway that was covered wall to wall with empty hooks and discolored shadows on the walls that indicated removed paintings.
"What was on the walls?" Felicia asked, being the first to scale out the place. My kitten was probably casing the place already in her mind.
"Trophies," Anya explained, "eh, this kind of used to belong to...ah, well-"
"-The Inheritors," Spider UK explained, "they used to live here."
"What happened?" my Wanda asked.
"We drove them away," Superior explained, looking over his shoulder, "we lured them away from their home and then locked this dimension away from their reach. As long as we are here, they can't enter."
"Locked?" my eyes widened, "you can lock dimensions?"
Anya shrugged, "not us, Karn."
I narrowed my eyes, this wasn't….right.
I remember Spider-verse, the comic version at least. This did not fit in with what happened before or after the events. Granted it could have developed after I arrived into this body but still...this was all wrong.
This leads me to one conclusion, my meta-knowledge of this event was out the door. Fuck.
Soon the hallway ended and we came upon what looked to be the one and only room in this entire building. And it was massive.
It could have housed two football stadiums and I couldn't even tell where the roof ended as shadows covered everything above 100 feet from the ground. The floor was marble, echoing our footsteps, the walls grey, and gold.
But in the middle of the room was something that made my every hair stand in attention and pull upon my focus like nothing I had ever seen before.
It was massive, starting ten feet off the ground it grew until it covered the whole chamber. A web spun out of gold, a single strand came from it to touch the ground, digging into the ground and ending where I did not know, but the rest, the rest spread out into the darkness above and the walls of this room, anchoring it to this place.
Almost on instinct, my eyes went into Web Vision and I saw...everything.
The Web of Life was unlike anything I had seen before. What could even come close to its massive power was maybe the Dark Tower inside my own head. Its physical form was limited, but it's metaphysical form was...like calling a skyscraper big.
I quickly remembered the last time I saw the Web of Life. Earth 982, in the home of that world Doctor Strange. I entered the world between worlds and I landed on a strand that belonged to the web of life.
That was a small sliver of it, this...this felt like more. Not the heart, no, it can't be that. But….it was...it was…
"Peter!"
Something grabbed me as I snapped out of Web vision. I turned to Felica's concerned face, blinking away the confusion, "w-what happened?"
"You began staring off into the distance, ignoring everything around you," Superior sounded very cross, "I was in the middle of explaining what this is."
"I know what this is," I replied, holding Felicia's concerned hand in mine, turning to the massive web, this time I managed to stay off the tempting call it gave off, "it's a physical embodiment of the Web of Life."
"How did you know that?" Superior asked, growing tensed by the second.
"It's a giant glowing web dude, what else could it be?" Amazing Spider snorted.
"That thing you did, with your eyes," Anya spoke up, narrowing her eyes, "what was that? You started giving off energy similar to the Web."
I opened my mouth to explain, when my new voice cut me off, "that's because he is channeling the energy of the Web, as I do. Only he can access it through his blessing of the totem hood, while mine is a curse."
We all turned to the source of the voice. A figure crawled down from the darkness above. He wore a Victorian-era blue overcoat with golden buttons and linings, like naval captain of old. On his mask was an ancient nautical diving helmet and the lower half of his body was inserted into a robotic golden spider body complete with 8 working mechanical legs.
"This, is Karn," Spider UK spoke up, "he's the current weaver of the Web."
"Current?" Jean asked.
"Atonement, for my crimes of murdering the previous Weaver," the...thing, explained.
"You what now?" Johnny asked we were unsure how to react to that.
"In his defense, it was kind of his destiny," Gwen spoke up, "his family rejected him and enslaved the previous Weaver. To free him Karn had to kill him and took his place in exchange. It's thanks to him we can keep the Inheritors out."
"You sealed this world from them?" I asked.
Karn nodded, "yes."
I narrowed my eyes, "you're an Inheritor yourself."
The comment shocked my people, each turning on Karn, Jean's eyes glowing with power. May, however, moved, standing between Karn and us, "he's on our side! He betrayed his family for us!"
"And why would he do such a thing?" MCU Wanda asked.
"Because I saw the error of my family's actions...and I regret not doing anything to stop them," Karn replied, crawling down the web until he stood just above, he turned to me and then slowly bowed, "I have waited a long time, Sorcerer of the Web."
Everyone turned to me, Superior growled, "what are you on about Karn? What does that title imply?"
"The Sorcerer of the Web is a spider totem who has accessed the Web of Life's primal energy. He has done so, taking a step into its massive energy reserves...but," Karn's head turned, "it is not enough. You have not been training in the use of power. You barely have touched the surface of what you can do...shame."
"I'm strong enough," I replied.
"Not for what is to come," the Weaver whispered, "you need to grow, to evolve. That is why I locked your world, you all would not be safe there, you need to be here ..."
My eyebrow twitched. So he locked our world? That's why we couldn't go back when we wanted to? Damn it, what is this guy playing at?! "What is coming?" I asked.
Karn turned back to the top of the Web, "Doom….but first, we must attend to other matters. The child, where is she?"
I looked to Hope, standing next to Felicia.
"Ah, yes, the Key," Karn hissed, "you have kept her safe, good. I was worried you had done something irrepressible when you interfered in my extraction."
"That was you?!" I cried out, stingers exploding out of my hands.
"Woah!" MCU Spider cried out, jumping away in shock.
"Holy-is that Wolverine claws?!" Anya exclaimed.
I leaped onto the Web before anyone could stop me. Spider UK seemed to want to try, but Superior stopped him. I grabbed Karn by the throat, holding the other hand next to his throat, "why? Give me one good reason or I swear to Lee-"
"-You will kill me?" Karn asked, scoffing, "no Spider, you will not. But I will explain. I attempted to bring her here because she needs to be protected. My family is searching for her. If you find her then it would spell certain doom for us all."
"Why? What could they possibly want with a child?!" I cried out.
"A spawn of a great Spider with a woman of red hair will come, bringing the Originator's pieces back to one. All may unite against this threat, but in the end, only a Spider may remember to regret."
Suddenly the Web of Life below me began to hum, vibrating at each syllable that came out of Karn's mouth.
I growled, "what was that?"
"A prophecy...the last prophecy that will be fulfilled in this multiverse," Karn replied in the same tone as before, almost as if my hand around his neck didn't affect him at all, "it was one we knew since the dawn of time. One we feared but now...it would seem it is being fulfilled."
"How? Why?" I asked, trying to make sense of what he was saying.
"Enough," Tobey MacGuire Spider jumped up onto the web and put a hand on my shoulder, "you need to calm down, Karn is our only ally in this. You can't lose control like that."
I turned to him, I growled but...seeing the mask of one of my childhood heroes made me a little relaxed. I removed my hand and moved back slightly, "explain."
"They are called the Inheritors," Karn explained, "didn't ever wonder what they inherited?"
"I thought it was something like, 'inheriting the world'," Spider Gwen suggested, "sounds like the kind of thing they would call themselves."
Karn nodded, "it's what they consider the name to mean now. The truth is my father never told us the truth. He never told us that we are called Inheritors after the one known as...the Originator."
"The name came up in the prophecy, who is this person?" Jean asked as she flew up, levitating next to me.
"The creator of this multiverse," Karn replied, "the one responsible for the creation of these worlds you all inhabit."
I got confused, "the...One-Above-All?"
Karn shook his head, "no... The Originator is….something else. I know not what, even the Web of Life cannot show me. But what it is is dangerous, chaotic. It has the temperament of a child but the powers of a God. And it is sealed away. We Inheritors inherited its will, it's hunger even a sliver of its power. What it was is lost to time...what it is now….we cannot imagine."
"What does Hope have to do with all this?" I demanded.
"'A spawn of a great Spider with a woman of red hair will come, bringing the Originator's pieces back to one,'" Jean quoted, "whatever this thing is, Hope, is the key to bringing it back?"
"Maybe," Karn waved as hand and suddenly every hole in the web of life began to display images of people dying. They were a mix of them, all different people, some in costume, some without. Most had red hair, some did not. But all of them met their end at the ends of a being dressed in Victorian-era garb.
"Who are they?" Jean asked.
It hit me like a bolt of lightning, "c-children of Spider-men," I whispered, "they are….my Lee, are they different versions of my children?!"
"Not just children of Peter Parker, but any child born between a Spider and a woman of red hair," Karn explained, I felt Tobey Macguire Spider stiffen next to me as Karn continued, "my family is merciless, ending them all."
"Why?!" Jean cried out, "why are they killing them?"
"To prevent the Originator's rise to power."
"But why?" Superior asked, "if they inherited their power from the Originator, why would they wish to kill the key to bringing him back?!"
"Would you willingly become a slave after you've gained freedom?" Karn asked, turning to Superior, "my father is an arrogant man. He has grown used to his freedom. He will not return to serving another if he can avoid it. I tried to bring Hope Parker here because she is the closest child I have ever seen that matches the description. A child of the Sorcerer of the Web and the Phoenix Force is one destined for greatness-"
"-But she's not the only one," the silver webbing Spider reached up and pulled off his mask, revealing his face. Holy fucking shit, Tobey is old! His head was turning grey at the temples and he had a beard like mine, though he was peppered with white and grey.
"Da-" I heard May whisper to herself and stop. She realized quickly enough he wasn't her dad.
"I married a red-haired woman and we had a child. Is my son also a candidate?" he asked. I blinked, it made sense, he got older and I can't imagine MJ splitting up with him after all they had been through.
"...yes, it may be possible," Karn nodded.
"Fuck!" Toby cried out, turning to Superior, "You told me they would be safe if I came with you!"
Superior shrugged, "obviously I didn't know about this prophecy Peter."
"We are going back to my world, now! We need to get MJ and Harry back here!"
"Agreed," Superior nodded as he held out his portal watch, "the rest of you stay here, we'll be back soon."
"I'm coming with you," MCU Spider spoke up.
Toby sighed, "Kid, I appreciate the help but-"
"-But nothing. If the Inheritors are searching for kids that ah, might be, kind of is, mine, then I'm doing something to help."
"As am I," Amazing Spider nodded.
"Me too," my Wanda nodded.
"No," I hissed, jumping off the web, landing next to Toby and Superior, "you all stay here, keep Hope safe and find out more about whatever this Originator thing is. I literally don't know a better magic researcher than you Wanda."
"We're coming," Spider UK and Gwen stepped forward.
"No, too many people and we'll attract the Inheritor's attention, four totems is already risky enough," Karn warned, turning to the four Peter Parker's in the room, "go. Bring your child and wife back soon Peter Parker of Earth-96283. I will do my best to support you from here."
Superior snorted, "hardly need your portals thanks to my technology," he held out his watch, opening a portal before us, "come, we must be quick," he said, jumping through.
"Kind of a dick isn't he?" Amazing Spider snorted jumping through.
I turned to Hope and Jean, "I'll be back as soon as I can."
Jean smiled, "go, we'll be safe." Hope waved, I waved back before turning around and activating my suit. My costume came alive around and I dashed through the portal.
Earth-96283
I landed on the other side in the middle of an alleyway with the other spiders. The alleyway was dirty and it was the middle of the night, but the streets outside were still crowded. Which meant it could only be one place in New York.
"We're home," Tobey whispered with a smile, turning to us he put his back on, "alright, follow me."
We climbed the building in the alley and got to the top. I took a deep breath and sighed, nostalgia for New York hit me hard, doubling it was the knowledge that this wasn't my New York, not really.
I remember the few days I spent in New York back in the MCU universe, but it was too little and again, not my NY. Then, I saw Tobey swig away, the others following right behind him and I felt...excited.
I ran, rushing to the edge, every step I took recalling every time I shot out my web line. I grinned, jumped at the edge and shot out my hand, forming the shape to throw out my webs and the webs exploded out.
It touched the edge of a building and I swung. The momentum of the swing pushed my legs outwards, my hands stretched out, my body was being pulled along for the ride and when I let go at the crescendo of the swing it was….heaven.
I was Spider-man again. Not the Destroyer of the Shi'ar Empire's sun or the leader of the Galactic Avengers, I was just...me.
I swung from building to building, the other Peter Parker's, including Superior, mimicked Tobey's path, but I strayed, jumping, leaping, curling and dashing through the skyline, enjoying myself and maybe showing off a little along the way.
I felt like screaming in joy, laughing, just for a moment, forgetting everything that had happened to my life. Except for my daughter and my family...those I didn't want to forget.
We arrived soon enough at an expensive-looking apartment complex in the better part of town. We landed on the roof and Tobey turned to us, "stay here, getting Harry and Mary Jane to agree to this will be hard enough without having to explain," he looked us up and down, "this."
"What? Your family has never met several versions of you before?" The Amazing Spider asked with a scoff.
"Right," Tobey rolled his eyes, jumping off the wide, crawling to a window several floors below us. I turned to Superior, the man playing around with his device.
I sighed, turning to Amazing and the MCU Peter, "we need to patrol this block, just in case the Inheritors manage to track us."
"Cool, I'll take North and West," Amazing pointed.
"South and East," MCU shrugged.
"I'll go up and keep a bird's eye view," I turned to Superior, "you can manage here?"
"Obviously," Superior snorted.
I sighed, "prick."
"You do realize he's a different version of us, right?" MCU Peter pointed out.
"Don't," I hissed back, flying straight up into the air.
I heard Amazing whistle and shared with MCU, "I have got to learn how he does that."
The others moved, keeping an eye out around the building while I looked down from above, doing my best to track any sporadic or strange moments around the city. Or a group of weirdos dressed like vampires or Purebloods from Harry Potter, either or.
The night was cold and windy. I could smell so much, it took effort for me to ignore it all. The stench of the city, the reek of civilization, I didn't miss that for sure. But the lights...I missed that.
It was then when I felt it..a wave of Web energy. I don't know how or why, but I could feel it. It must be some form of sensitivity I gained. Maybe seeing a physical representation of the Web of Life awoke it, either way, I felt a disturbance. Something or someone had ripped open a hole in the fabric of space and time.
And if I was a betting man I would guess the company had arrived.
I swooped down to Superior, "they are here, I can feel them."
He looked up at me and snorted, "how? Sorcery?"
"Yes."
"Forgive me for not giving your arcane believes much weight," he snorted, turning back to his portal watch.
I sighed, "I'm a man of science too Superior, magic is just science yet to be understood. Trust me on this, the Inheritors are here. I'll go buy you some time. Get the others and get out of this universe."
"And what about yourself?" he asked, though I doubt it was a concern in his voice.
"I have away," I held out the portal watch Superior gave to Amazing, "I'll be fine."
"You will not," he hissed, "I doubt you understand just what you're dealing with Sorcerer, but these things are beyond us. We need to plan ahead and strike with a proper plan of attack."
"I have a plan, and I'm plenty strong enough, trust me," I felt the portal close, I turned towards the West. Whatever these things were...they were coming from Central Park, "I have this, get the others."
"But-" I didn't listen to him argue, instead of blasting off towards where I felt their energy signatures last.
I flew across New York, it wasn't the same as swinging, there was no thrill in it, just….me.
"ARGH!" a scream came into the night.
KABOOM!
An explosion from the south. I turned and rushed over and arrived just as a group of six individuals dressed in Victorian-era clothing stepped out of the southern Central Park gates. A lamp post had been thrown into a nearby car, people were injured and those that weren't were running away.
One of them, a woman dressed in gothic clothing, stepped forward and picked up a man by the neck, "hm, pretty," she opened her mouth and suddenly a rotten orange light came out of the man's body and into her mouth.
I moved, fast as I could I landed before her, the road cracking under my weight. I moved before she could do anything, grabbing the man by the collar with one hand while the other grabbed her wrist and squeezed, hard.
"ARGH!"
KRACK!
I felt it snap, like uncooked pasta. I released my grip and punched her stomach, my gauntlets activating in the last moment as a crack of lightning exploded from my fist into her gut.
KRAKOOM!
She was sent flying backward, exploding into the iron fences around Central Park. The others turned from the hole she had made to me. And Morlun snarled, "you."
"Two minutes," I held up two fingers, "give me two minutes to clear up your mess and we can fight this out."
The large white-haired man that looked like a depressing Santa Claus raised an eyebrow, "what's in it for us?"
"You get to live for two more minutes," I replied.
The younger ones looked confused, though the older man looked amused. He snorted, "well...that's bold. Son," he turned to Morlun, "is he the one?"
"Yes father, it is him," Morlun growled.
"Get to safety," I whispered to the man in my arms. He looked dizzy, confused even, but he nodded. I let him go and though he tripped and almost fell, he managed to run away. I looked around, everyone was clearing out, giving us nearly half a block to ourselves.
"I see," the evil Victorian-era Santa Claus hummed, "I'm sorry Spider, while if you were anyone else I would have accepted your deal, just for the sheer amusement of it, you are a special case. It seemed you hurt my son. That is a crime I cannot forgive. You shall die now, I apologize for the inconveniences."
"Hm….fine, by the way, what's your name?" I asked.
"It's rude to ask for another's name without first giving your own," he snorted, "but I suppose there would be no point. I am Solus, father of the Inheritors and we-"
"-Okay, cool," I cut him off, turning to the others, "which one of you is Daemos?"
One of the others scoffed, the large one with a green trench coat, long black hair and large meaty hands. He was built like the Hulk-Banner hybrid I saw from the MCU universe, only not green.
"I am Daemos," he replied, stepping forward, "what's it to you, bug?"
I pointed at him, "you die first."
"Hahaha! Really?! I die first?! May I ask why?"
"You killed a friend of mine. From Earth 982."
Daemos raised an eyebrow, turning to his father, "does he mean the totem?"
Solus shrugged, "who knows, I don't keep track of all this."
Daemos snorted, turning to me, "well bug, I assure you he suffered greatly. The sound of his bones snapping, my oh my, music to my ears. I do however like your moxie, I assure you Bug I'm not as weak as my brother, I'm-"
KRAKOOM!
Lightning exploded out of my gauntlets and into his person, blasting him into the side of a building. "I changed my mind," I said with a chill in my tone, "you'll die last. I'll kill the rest of your family first."
"Kill him," Solus hissed, the others charged. Morlun along with a set of blonde twins, one male one female, dressed in red and white Victorian vanity hunting gear.
The sound of their footsteps hitting the pavement step up a tempo. Two steps, I moved one leg back. Three steps I lowered myself into a crouch. Four steps and then one more for them leaping at me. I pushed my back leg and jumped up to meet them.
Skit!
My stingers came out. Morgan's eyes went wide, so did the twins. They moved in almost slow motion as I moved my hands across their necks. Morgan's head was separated from his body. The male twin's face was sliced apart at the jaw.
I landed and rolled. I turned, the female twin looked down in horror at her twin's rolling head, blood coating her fully. I moved, she noticed a second two late. One set of claws went into her heart, the other swiped across her neck.
I stood up and flicked her dead body away. It landed on the hood of a destroyed car nearby with a loud thunk.
I turned to Solus, "I didn't catch the twins names...doesn't matter now I suppose."
"...You are skilled, for a bug," Solus radiated power, he clenched his jaw, I could see the physical strain on him to stand still in place. It radiated out of him, pure unfiltered killing instinct, "I will have to make you suffer for that."
"Oh please, I know you have a cloning device somewhere in the multiverse, for you lot death is just a stepping stone isn't it?"
"Compared to you, even a single clone body is far more valuable," Solus snarled.
"ARGH!" a flash of black exploded out of the whole I sent the gothic Inheritor through. She came charging at me with such speed and precious I was almost impressed. That didn't stop me from forming a psionic barricade of pikes in her path, snapping shut around her body.
"ARgh-ACK!" her scream was cut off as I crushed her in the psionic version of an Iron Maiden. I let go once she stopped struggling.
"Impressive," Solus commented, turning to me, his anger gone, genuine intrigue in his face, "tell me, how did you grow to be such a powerful bug?"
"Plenty of exercises," I exploded forward, throwing a punch at Solus's head. To my surprise, he moved, he was fast enough to keep up with me, grabbing my fist with his own.
BOOM!
A shockwave exploded out of our connection. He closed his giant hand around mine, raised me up and slimed me into the ground.
KRACK!
The road shattered underneath me. I sent a blast of lightning into his stomach with my free hand. It hit his stomach ripping apart his shirt, but it didn't move him.
He growled, "power will not save you, not from this," he opened his jaw and I heard him suck in some air.
I felt myself being pulled in. My power, my essence. Everything. He was absorbing me. I saw a hint of golden energy being drawn into his mouth from my body. It reached out to his lips and when he touched it, his eyes exploded.
"GAH!" he threw me across the block, reaching in his place. I flipped and landed on my feet a little dizzy and a little drained.
"W-what are you?" he hissed, looking at me in disgust, "you are no totem. You-you are a vile chimera!"
"Yeah, that's what people say," I panted, slowly getting on my feet. He tried to absorb my energy but couldn't, what the hell?
"F-father?" Daemos was finally back on his feet. He wobbled up to us, looking around, his eyes going wide in horror as he saw the mutilated bodies of his family played out before him, "w-what has happened?"
"An underestimation of grave error," evil Santa replied. He reached up and raised his hand, a portal forming next to him, "come, we're leaving."
"Y-y-yes father," Daemos looked shaken, he didn't argue.
"Oh no you don't!" I screamed, rushing forward, but before I could even reach them Daemos and Solus escaped through the portal,, it closed down behind them.
"Damn it to hell!" I hissed, turning around. People were gathering, photos were being taken. I cursed, I just caused this world's Peter Parker a lot of bad press, especially with the killing. But there was no time, I needed to get rid of the bodies, fast.
I formed psionic scoopers and gathered them all together. I flew into the air and once I was far enough from public view I brought the bodies into one large psionic bowl and set it on fire with a simple ignition spell.
IT took a while, but the bodies soon were reduced to nothing but bones and ash, which I flew over to the Manhattan river and dumped. Plenty of dead bodies in this thing for a couple of bones to get lost in.
I then flew back towards this world's Spider-man's apart, finding the others waiting on the roof. Along with them was a woman that seemed to be approaching her late forties with red hair that was greying around her roots. Though I would recognize Mary Jane in any reality. Along with her was a teenage boy around MCU Peter Parker's age. He had brown hair and looked like an almost carbon copy of a younger Tobey Macguire, I guess he really took after his dad in that aspect.
I landed in front of them, the teenage boy's eyes went wide. "Cool," he turned to Tobey, "can we do that too?"
"No, we can't," Tobey smiled, his mask now off.
"What happened?" MCU Spider asked quickly.
"They came, I stalled them. They might be back so we need to hurry," I turned to Superior Spider-man who was fiddling with his metal gauntlets..
"You stalled them? How?!" Amazingly asked.
"He's full of surprises," Superior said as he opened a portal and stepped through. Tobey insisted his son and wife went through first before following behind. Then Amazing and then the MCU Spider.
I stepped through arriving on the other side safe and sound. I turned to Karn who nodded in greeting, "you need to tell me where your family does their cloning. Next time, they stay dead."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone