Chapter Text
Emma POV
Hold firm.
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Bury these feelings.
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Hold firm.
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Those words played over and over in Emma’s mind as she looked into Peter’s rubies. Horror, disappointment, and sadness dominated eyes that had given her comfort during her time among Xavier’s staff.
Her grip on Celeste and Esme’s hand tightened slightly. There was a time when she believed she could bring her girls to Charle’s school. Allow them to learn in far better circumstances than she did. A chance to meet others like them and to make lifelong friends as opposed to the temporary allies that Emma had spent a lifetime flitting between. The moment Sinister upped his price, she knew she would pay it regardless of how dead inside she felt.
Taking Jean’s DNA should have been Emma’s clue to begin distancing herself from the others in the mansion…, but she didn’t. Between growing her relationship with Peter, spending time with Mary, teaching the bright-eyed children at the school, and even messing with Wanda and Jean…she enjoyed herself. She wanted to continue living this life, but it was not to be. Emma should have known Sinister would change the terms.
“Ah, Emma came to me some time ago with the desire to create children for her.” Sinister’s words pulled her from her thoughts. “I was flattered at first because I thought she wanted to combine genetics, but alas, she meant cloning.”
“Y-You c-can’t p-possibly b-believe s-someone w-would w-want y-you a-as the father to their kids,” Peter struggled out.
“I’ll have you know I’m quite the catch!” Sinister said defensively.
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The only noise was Peter’s haggard breathing.
“Rude all of you!” Sinister complained dramatically. “Whatever, all that matters is that Emma was willing to pay a heavy price for my help.”
Peter’s eyes found hers again. “S-Suppose money wasn’t enough.”
“No,” She replied with a grimace.
“I’d say Jean Grey’s DNA and tampering with little Rogue more than covered the additional expenses.”
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‘No,’ Emma thought in horror.
Looking at Peter, she found the previous sighs of struggle had seemingly vanished and that he was staring blankly at her. “What?” he whispered.
“Yep!” Sinsiter said, oblivious to the change in Peter. “I have been keeping tabs on you for some time and needed to know if there was anything that could actually harm you. When Emma informed me that you were training someone with such interesting powers, I had her implant hidden instructions in the girl’s mind. Worked like a charm!”
Emma couldn’t look away from Peter. “The whole time…you were responsible. You looked me in the eyes, told me how much you cared, and the whole time it was your fault.”
“I do care, Peter! I never wanted any of this.” Emma frantically.
Peter ignored her words completely and continued. “That’s why you looked guilty. Why you apologized. Ha, ha, hehe.” The laughter worried Emma. “The guilt has been destroying Rogue, but it shouldn’t. It wasn’t her fault. It was never her fault!” Peter’s laughter grew, but his face stayed blank. For the first time since meeting him, Emma Frost was terrified of Peter Parker.
Peter POV
So stupid.
SO FUCKING STUPID!
The pain from Sinister’s toxin seemed miles away in that moment. All Peter could think about was the absolute anguish on Rogue’s face. The trauma she experienced after thinking she was the cause of his coma and not knowing that the whole time…it was Emma.
The same Emma Frost whose only focus seemed to be helping students, teasing others, and flirting with him.
Despite his best attempts to avoid it, Peter had found himself falling for Emma. He was ashamed to admit it, considering he promised Wanda he wouldn’t have anything to do with her that way, but it was the truth. She was magnetic in a way that only the other women he was involved with were. It wasn’t quite love, but Emma had already wormed her way into Peter’s circle.
Those who inhabited said circle were locked in for life. Under no circumstances would he ever let them leave. He would live for them; he would die for them, and he would kill for them. As it stood, Wanda, Jean, his parents, Anansi, Phoenix, Anna, and, most recently, Emma were the only members. He never even considered the possibility of dropping someone once they joined…until now.
Emma had now become the first member of a new circle…those he hated.
Unable to help himself, Peter continued to laugh. He laughed at his failure to look beyond what was presented to him. He saw the signs but overlooked them because he trusted Emma. He genuinely believed her act.
“Well…It seems Mr. Parker is undergoing a mental crisis. Emma dear, several of my men will lead you to my office. I want a word before you go on your way.” Peter heard the man but couldn’t stop laughing.
“You are changing the deal again,” Emma said softly.
“I know, my dear, but I have something to discuss face to face. Humor me, would you?”
Emma sighed and nodded. Without turning to look at him, she and her daughters left the room.
Once they were gone, Sinister’s voice rose again, “Give Mr. Parker a couple more minutes to collect himself, then put him and Ms. Pryor back in her cell, please.”
Peter fell onto all fours as the pain resurfaced, causing him to stop laughing in favor of a coughing fit. “And Mr. Parker?” It was a struggle, but he looked up at the screen. “I look forward to working together.” The screen cut off.
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The room was quiet except for Peter’s breathing. Mister Sinister’s men watched in amusement as Peter struggled, while Madelyne stood by with a concerned face.
“You’re going to be ok, little Spider.” Phoenix’s voice suddenly filled his head.
“P-Phoenix?”
“I’m here, Peter. I’m so sorry.”
“W-Why a-are y-you s-sorry?”
“I couldn’t do anything to help you,” She said apologetically.
“W-what?” He asked.
“I don’t have full access to your senses. I only know what you know. I couldn’t warn you before that cunt infected you.”
“Don’t blame yourself. I should have had my guard up.” Peter managed to say clearly. Not wanting her to feel guilty about his situation.”
“On that we can agree,” Anansi’s deep voice interrupted.
“My love!” Phoenix exclaimed.
“Heh, s-sleeping b-beauty,” Peter said with a strained smile.
“Bitch. I slept for a day…you went down for a week. These things are not the same.” Anansi responded in an annoyed tone.
Peter couldn’t respond as he began coughing viciously. It elicited chuckles from Sinister’s men and caused Madedyne to crouch down next to him in worry.
“Whatever, we don’t have time for this,” Anansi stated. “Return to your host, Phoenix.”
The fiery woman gasped. “What?! I’m not leaving the two of you alone!”
“There’s nothing you can do for us here, my love. But if you leave, you can alert them and bring reinforcements. Peter’s mother has no idea the Frost bitch betrayed us. She could be harmed if Emma tricks her into bringing the jet over.”
Peter’s breathing sped up. ‘No,’ he thought in horror. He had completely forgotten about his mother. She was waiting for Emma to contact her.
“Stay calm, Peter. We need all the time we can get to prepare. Sinister’s men will act if you seem to have gotten better.” Anansi warned when Peter started moving from his knees. “Please, my love.” His partner said to Phoenix.
“Fine. Don’t you dare lose!” Phoenix demanded before her presence faded.
Anansi sighed. “Good.”
“What’s the plan?” Peter asked.
“Quiet!” His partner snapped, halting Peter. “First, you are going to listen and answer my questions.”
Peter nodded mentally.
“Your blind faith in Frost was nearly your undoing. The fact that you gave her the same level of trust as you give your mates is astonishing. You barely know the woman, Peter! She has been giving you hints since the mission discussion! What the hell is wrong with you?”
“I didn’t think she-” “You didn’t think! That’s all I need to hear. I can’t fathom how you have lost so much of who you were before coming to the mansion. The boy from before never would have blindly trusted someone new like this.”
“It wasn’t like that…” Peter defended softly.
“Yes, it fucking was. You let the flirting and teasing make you think she cared. Never once considering it could be an act.”
“You never brought up any suspicions.”
“Because I figured I could trust you to be smarter,” Anansi growled. “I wrongly assumed that there were pieces of the old you still there. That my cold, calm, and collected little brother still had a place in you.”
“It hasn’t been necessary for that version of me to come out. Neither our battles nor my daily interactions required me to act that way. I’ve grown as a person! Besides, I promised to tone it down for all of you after I was made aware that it was a problem.”
“No…Jean had a problem with it. You buried that part of you based on the whims of your mate. Phoenix was amused, and I liked that part of you. It made me happy knowing you could be a predator when necessary.”
“I don’t know if I have that in me anymore.”
“Well, you better fucking find it, because he is the only thing that’s going to save you today.”
“Huh?”
“You are weak right now. Still strong enough to deal with all within this facility, but weak nonetheless.”
“Why haven’t you gotten rid of the toxin?”
“I have, but it was perfectly designed for us, and my powers are being weakened.”
“How?”
“There is another player on the board.”
“Who?” Peter asked in confusion.
“Doesn’t matter. You need to worry about getting out of here,” Anansi said, changing the subject. “In a few seconds, I will have completely flushed everything from your system. The pain and vertigo will vanish, but you will not return to top form. You will have to make do with strength and abilities consistent with your early time at Xavier’s.”
“Alright,” Peter replied with a shaky breath as he felt the awful feelings brought on by the Sinister’s concoction dissipate.
“No, not just alright. You need to be prepared to do what is necessary, little brother. I need you to be a predator, Peter. I need every bit of the little boy who hunted and killed a man for daring to harm Wanda.”
“I was wrong for that.”
“To some, I saw it as you protecting what was yours,” Anansi said. “Trivial as the reasoning was, you didn’t allow someone to get away with hurting your mate.”
“I don’t know if I can do that again.”
“Look to your right.”
Peter listened and found himself staring into Madelyne’s concerned green eyes, and finding it difficult to separate her from Jean. “Are you going to let someone who looks exactly like Jean be harmed? Can you accept knowing someone who shares her face screaming in anguish?” Anansi asked.
“No,” Peter responded quietly. Images of potential abuse began to flood his mind.
“Are you going to accept the bastard stealing your DNA and possibly creating clones that could harm Wanda, Jean, your parents, or the leech?”
Cold fury bubbled within Peter. “No,” he growled. “And don’t…call her that…again.”
“You’re right. Little Rogue isn’t to blame. But the woman responsible is still in this facility. Hurry…and you can catch her.”
Peter’s mind stopped short at that reminder. Emma hadn’t left yet. Sinister was meeting with her. His eyes cut to what remained of Sinister’s men. Three had left to escort Emma. Leaving over twenty human guards and fifteen or so large, pale men. He wasn’t sure what else was in the base, but he would deal with them all the same.
As his thoughts darkened, Anansi spoke one last time: “You can end it all tonight, Peter.”
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Calm.
Peter’s mind was resolute.
“Don’t hold back, little brother. Just remember your limit. The bulk of my power is trying to return you to peak form. The rest will continue to protect your mind and boost your healing factor. It won’t be your normal regeneration, but it will be good enough to heal most of what they can throw at you. Your spider-sense is also still not working properly, so be aware of your surroundings.”
Nodding, Peter stood with the help of Madelyne. Turning to her, he whispered, “Stay close. I’m sorry you have to see this.” She looked at him in confusion, but he turned away and feigned instability.
Seeing this, a pair of guards chuckled and approached. “Alright, kid, it’s time that you-,” Right as the two got within arm’s reach, Peter stopped swaying, snatched their necks, and tore out their throats with his gloved hands. Before the rest registered his movements, he fired twin lines of web into another guard, turned him so that the barrel of his gun faced his comrades, and forced him to pull the trigger. The man screamed in shock as he dispensed round after round into the other men. Leaving the guards dead or fatally wounded, while the pale men were forced to shield themselves.
As the gun fell silent, Peter was already on the move. He wrapped the remaining guard in webbing and charged into the pale men. What followed was a brief but efficient dismantling of his remaining combatants. None of them possessed technique or battle acumen, instead relying on strength that didn’t eclipse Peter’s own. Moments later, he was surrounded by fifteen broken bodies, all with either broken necks or spinal separations. One particularly unlucky clone had his entire head and spine removed from his body when he attempted to charge Madelyne instead.
Ignoring the gurgling sounds of the original pair, Peter stepped towards the guard he tied up. Based on the smell wafting towards him, the man had relieved himself in fear.
As he knelt, the man began blubbering, “P-Please h-have m-mercy, s-sir. I-I p-promise I-I w-won’t d-do a-anything.” The man pleaded through tears and mucus.
Unmoved, Peter asked, “Would you have shown me mercy?” The man’s crying intensified as he began hiccuping out frantic apologies.
Peter’s hand snapped forward as he tightly gripped the pathetic man’s scalp. “Luckily, I’m going to give you a chance to earn some precious time on this earth,” Peter said calmly. “You just need to tell me exactly how many enemies are stationed here. Can you do that for me?” Vigorous nodding. “Good. Go.”
Through tears, the man detailed the remaining makeup within the base. Surprisingly, Mister Sinister had been lying when he mentioned having plenty more to fight him. There were only about fifty more human guards, and ten pale clones. There was, however, a group called the ‘Nasty Boys’ still in play. They were supposed to be his very own mutant enforcers.
“Is that all?” Peter asked.
“Y-Yes.” The man nodded.
“If you’re lying to me…”
“I’m not! I-I promise!”
“Ok. Now you need to do one more thing if you want to get out of this room alive.”
“What?” He asked fearfully.
“You are going to exit this room and do your absolute best to convince at least half of your guard buddies to drop their weapons and sit in the elevator to the surface.”
“But-” “I will slowly…peel the flesh from your bones if you fail.”
“OK! I will get it done!”
“Good. I will check when I’m done dealing with the rest.” Peter removed the webbing and yanked the man to his feet.
Allowing the man to take off, he turned to Madelyne. She looked at him with wide eyes but didn’t flinch away when he looked at her. Carefully walking over, he was satisfied when she remained where she was and didn’t back away.
“I’m sorry you had to see that.” Peter said.
Madelyne grabbed his hand and frowned. “I have felt so many of them perving on me through the glass,” She said. “Fuck them.” She finished coldly.
Peter raised an eyebrow but accepted the answer. Squeezing her hand, Peter led her to the stairs. As they made their way past the observation area and up the next set of stairs, Anansi cleared his throat.
“You aren’t actually going to let that mongrel and his friends live, are you?” He asked with a growl.
“No. I’m hoping he succeeds in bringing the rest of them together.” Peter said calmly as he led Madelyne off the containment floor and into the original stairwell. “No one associated with Sinister is leaving here alive.
Anna/Rogue POV
Waking up in Peter’s bed after a short slumber had been jarring. She remembered his comforting words before she finally passed out. Anna hated how kind he was to her despite what she had done.
Currently in the room with her were Wanda and Jean. Neither had said much since she awoke, other than telling her that Peter had gone off on a solo mission with Emma almost four hours ago. When she tried to pry, Jean told her not to worry and that he would be back soon. Since then, the three had been sitting silently in Peter’s room.
Jean would send her smiles on occasion when their eyes met, while Wanda just looked at her coldly. The distance between the two was devastating. She had thought she and Wanda were building a great friendship, but it was obvious that harming Peter was unforgivable.
Fighting back tears, she was startled when Jean suddenly shot up in her chair.
“What’s wrong, Jean?” Wanda asked worriedly.
“Emma poisoned Peter and left him to be captured by Mister Sinister! The whole mission was a trap!” She said frantically.
“What?!” Anna and Wanda said simultaneously.
“Yes! We need to get the team together and contact Mary before Emma does. Peter’s abilities are weakened, but Anansi is awake and helping.” Jean hurried to the door. “Come on! We need to go, Wanda!”
Horrified, Anna struggled out of Peter’s bed. “I’m coming too.”
Both women turned. “You can barely stand. You’ll be useless,” Wanda responded snidely.
Mustering up a glare, Anna responded, “I’m coming, and that’s final.” They were trading glares when Jean shouted, “Enough!”
“Hurry up and get changed, Anna. If you aren’t ready in five minutes, we’ll leave you behind. I notified everyone else, and Hank is getting the backup jet ready.”
Anna nodded and hurried past the two towards her room. Her body was sore, but she was quicker than before. This was most likely due to the remnants of Peter’s power.
Crashing into her room, Rogue quickly found her costume and hurriedly took off her clothes. Peter needed them, and she would be damned if she let her issues stop her from coming to his aid.
Emma POV
She wanted nothing more than to leave with her children. Instead, she was still stuck in this facility, listening to Sinister drone on and on about all the things the two of them could do together.
Emma had no interest in continuing their association. She wanted to stay as far away from the madman as possible. It was already incredibly difficult to even remain here at all because of the guilt etched onto her soul. Choosing not to look at Peter as she left prevented her from falling apart at the seams. She needed to get the hell out of this place.
As Sinister began another angle to convince her, Ruckus burst into the office. Slab and Gorgeous George flanked him. “Parker is on the loose, boss!”
“What?! Sinister said in surprise. Turning on a screen behind him showing the containment area. Emma gasped and pulled her girls closer as the blood, gore, and bodies were shown.
She had never pictured Peter as a killer!
Sinister grunted before moving from camera to camera, each showing increasingly graphic scenes: headless clones, dismembered guards, wrecked checkpoints, web-filled halls, and bullet-riddled walls. One camera even showed a group of twenty or so guards huddled together near where she and Peter entered from. After a few more swaps, the group finally found Peter. He was currently advancing on a pale man after apparently dispatching his brethren. Before their eyes, Peter batted the creature’s arms away, buried both hands into the creature’s chest, and tore it in half vertically.
Tossing the remains of his foe, Peter was about to move when he was accosted by the other members of the ‘Nasty Boys’. He was forced to dive away from Hairbag’s poisonous quills and several wooden figures sent by Ramrod.
Cheers rang out in Sinister’s office. “Our boys will handle the kid,” Ruckus said confidently. Slab and George nodded along in agreement.
As soon as he rose to his feet, Peter acted quickly by trapping the hairy mutant in webbing before engaging Ramrod. Unprepared for Peter’s ferocity, Ramrod buckled and had his neck snapped loudly.
Gasps filled the room as Hairbag roared in outrage. Unfortunately, any attempts to get revenge for his comrade were halted when Peter fully encased the enraged feral mutant in webbing. Once secured, Peter examined the room before walking over to one of the metal pillars and ripping off a long chunk of metal. Calmly moving to the struggling Hairbag, Peter viciously buried the metal through the crown of his head, killing him instantly.
As the horror set in, Peter’s crimson orbs turned slowly towards the hidden camera. When Madelyne exited her hiding spot to grab onto his arm, he raised his other hand and gave a small wave before blocking their view with webbing.
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“We are leaving,” Emma said while ushering her girls towards the door.
“You don’t have to. I’m sure the rest of my men can handle him,” Sinister said. Ignoring the flinches from the remaining enforcers.
“No. Your only option will be to gas the facility, and I am not risking my children’s safety.”
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The silence that followed her statement caused Emma to pause. Turning back to Sinister, she noticed him looking at her with a grimace. “What?”
“There was never any gas.”
Emma’s heart dropped. “You’re kidding?” She asked in a small voice.
“I am not.”
“So you tricked me into betraying Peter.”
“You already betrayed him, Emma. I just made sure you didn’t have any second thoughts.” Sinister said with a shrug.
“Don’t worry, beautiful. WE-,” Gorgeous George’s head exploded in a burst of gore as Emma screamed in rage. When Slab reacted, his head popped in the same way. All that remained in the room was Emma, her girls, Ruckus, and Sinister himself.
She glared at the architect of her troubles with rage. Before she could act, he smirked. “Careful, Emma; I will hurt your girls while you try to harm me. I’d suggest following my remaining men to your exit.” Turning with a huff, Emma exited and led her daughters from the room.
Accompanied by Sinister’s remaining three guards, Emma and her daughters hurriedly moved through the halls towards the hidden elevator. Luckily, the path they took seemed to avoid the carnage Peter caused. Unfortunately, something (likely Peter) messed with the facility’s power, leaving the hallways pitch-black.
They sat in total darkness for a couple of moments before red emergency lights lit up the area. Emma sighed in relief and pulled her daughters close when a guard’s shaking drew her attention.
She was about to snidely remark on his fear when she noticed that he was the only guard left.
THWIP THWIP
The man was pulled screaming into the darkness. Emma heard a brief plea for mercy before a vicious crack ended it.
Pulling her children behind her, she repeatedly scanned their surroundings until she heard soft footsteps all around her. Little hands squeezed tighter on her clothes as the sounds got louder.
“Peter! Please stop!” She begged into the darkness.
Moments later, Madelyne stepped into the light in front of them. For a second, the clone stared at her blankly, but soon enough the woman pointed behind Emma.
Turning slowly, Emma found herself looking up into a set of cold, red eyes.
Peter POV
Looking into Emma’s terrified blue eyes…Peter felt nothing. No anger. No hatred. No sadness. Nothing.
A part of him wanted to, but he just felt hollow as he looked at one of the people he had grown to care about. His time since leaving the containment area had been filled with constant chaos, and he hadn’t really taken the time to analyze his feelings. He was far more focused on systematically destroying Mister Sinister’s operation. All the clone soldiers were dead; all the guards, including the ones that his terrified assistant had gathered, were dead, and several members of the ‘nasty boys’ were dead. Peter only needed to track down the remaining members of the group and Sinister himself.
Finding Emma was on the to-do list, but not immediately. He and Madelyne had been searching the area when they came across Emma’s group. Thus far, Madelyne had proved good at spotting targets, keeping hidden, and giving him solid ideas. Turning off the power was a prime example of such an idea.
Pulling back from his thoughts, Peter noticed Emma’s clone daughters shaking in fear as their mother gave him a brave face. Deciding to move things along, he put a hand flat against her chest and pushed her slowly until she was up against the wall.
He then placed his hands beside her head and stood over her shaking form.
“Peter.” The usually strong woman whimpered out pathetically.
“Don’t speak,” He commanded softly. “All you are going to do is listen.” Emma nodded. “Every feeling in my body and thought in my head is telling me to kill you for what you’ve done,” Peter stated in a calm voice.
He saw the first tears fill her eyes but continued. “What you’ve done here today is…I don’t even have the words to describe it. Anger, rage, hatred…don’t seem powerful enough. Part of me takes your throat in my hands and squeezes until those gorgeous blue eyes of yours burst from your head. End all thoughts of you there and take this as a lesson on my stupidity.” Emma was silently crying, and he heard tiny, terrified gasps from the girls around him.
“But fortunately for you, I won’t be doing that today.” Hope blossomed in his eyes despite the continuous tears. “I can’t bring myself to kill you in front of your daughters, clone or otherwise. So what is going to happen is you’re going to tell me where Sinister is so I can kill him and whatever remains of his enforcers.”
“W-Will…you let me in your mind so I can show you exactly?” She asked hopefully.
“No. I will never allow you to have access to me like that again. Give me directions the old-fashioned way.”
Emma looked down at her feet. “It’s a straight shot back the way we came. We took two lefts and a right. His office door has a portrait of himself on it.”
Peter scoffed. “Of course it does. Anything else?”
“Only one of his enforcers is left. I killed two of them myself.” She said with a tiny smile.
“At least you can do something right.” The smile evaporated.
Fighting back more tears at his casual denigration, Emma said, “He will know you’re coming.”
Peter shrugged. “Good. Hopefully he’s arrogant enough to wait for me,” he said coldly. “The elevator is a little further down the hall. You will be taking Madelyne with you.”
“But Peter!” The woman in question protested.
“No, Madelyne. He will use you against me if I bring you. Wait for me at the top. I’ll join you once it’s done.” Seeing her nod, he turned back to Emma. “If something happens to her…”
“She’ll be safe.”
“Good.” Peter stepped back and pulled Emma off the wall until she pressed tightly against his chest. To her utter shock, He pulled her into a kiss. The shock lasted mere moments before her eyes fluttered closed. When she tried to hug him closer and deepen the kiss, Peter responded by shoving her onto the floor. Her daughters immediately rushed to their fallen mother.
Gazing down into her shocked eyes, he spoke softly. “I did that so that I would never wonder if what I felt was real. That I was beginning to feel more for you than I should.” Peter heard the sharp intake of breath from the downed woman. “It was stupid of me. I should have known you were putting on an act.” Peter nodded to Madelyne and turned around.
“W-wait, P-Peter, p-please. It wasn’t like that. I wasn’t pretending.” Emma pleaded rapidly.
He paused. Turning his head, he found Emma on her feet, looking at him with tears streaming down her face. “I don’t believe you. Make sure that this is the last I see of you for a long time. If we meet again soon…I will kill you.” He turned the corner without another word, ignoring the horrific sob that followed in his wake.
“You did well, little brother,” Anansi spoke up as soon as Peter was no longer in earshot of Emma.
“Surprised you didn’t say anything.”
“This was between you and her. No reason for me to interfere.”
“Was I too lenient?” Peter asked as he came to the first turn.
“The kiss might have been a bit much, but everything else was good in my opinion.”
“I’m surprised you aren’t pushing for me to kill her.”
“Would killing her have made any of this better for you?” Anansi asked curiously as he came to the second turn.
“No. I would have felt just as empty inside,” Peter admitted.
“Then your choice was acceptable. Killing Sinister and his lackeys is necessary. Emma’s death would have only offered you temporary relief.”
Peter nodded and continued on his way. Seeing the giant portrait on the wall, he knew he had arrived. Before he could walk towards it, however, he was thrown into a wall. Covering his ears, he noticed that a large, flamboyantly dressed man with pink hair was standing down the hall with a cruel smirk.
“Must be his last enforcer.” Ignoring Anansi stating the obvious, Peter pulled himself from the wall.
“I’m going to enjoy killing you, asshole. Avenging my boys is-mmph.” Peter shot a large wad of webbing into and over the idiot’s mouth. Before he could remove it, Peter’s hand had ripped through his heart.
Peter shook his head as the now-dead man’s body slumped to the ground. “What the hell did he think talking to me was going to accomplish?”
“I assume he wanted to give a speech about avenging his friends.”
“Stupid.”
“Yep.”
Peter walked over to the portrait and tore through it to reach the inner door. Slamming it open, he found himself staring at a vacant-eyed Sinister. Cautiously approaching, he poked him and watched the body tip over.
“What the fuck?/What the fuck?” Peter and Anansi said simultaneously.
Suddenly, the screen above the body turned on. Sitting happily on a throne, sipping wine, was none other than Mister Sinister. “Hello, Mister Parker!” He said with a wave.
“Should have expected you’d run,” Peter replied, crossing his arms.
“Can’t run if I was never there.”
Peter raised an eyebrow and looked at the husk. “Clone? He asked.
“More like I was piloting with a telepathic link.”
“So what now?”
“Now I scuttle this base, as you’ve killed all my people and released my experiments.”
“Am I about to do a movie escape before it explodes?”
“Nope!” Sinister pressed a button, and another hidden elevator appeared. “You can take this right to the surface!”
“Uh-huh. Why would I trust you?” Peter asked skeptically.
“Doesn’t matter if you do. I can’t exactly capture you from here, and I won’t miss the chance to examine your genetic material in the future. So consider this a temporary olive branch with the hope that I will capture you in the future.” Sinister said with a shrug.
“It’s annoying that you are actually making sense right now.”
“I’m a genius. Of course I make sense.”
“I will kill you someday.”
“I’m sure you’ll try. Ta-ta?” The screen went black.
Peter stared at the elevator. Wondering if he should actually use it.
“Just take it, little brother,” Anansi said. “I have a feeling he’s serious when he says he doesn’t want to lose out on experimenting on us.”
Sighing, Peter steps inside, presses the up arrow, and feels the elevator begin to ascend. The inside was cramped, but there was a mirror inside. Looking at himself, he realized what a horrifying sight he must be. The previously black material was drenched in blood and viscera, while his face seemed hollow. The number of lives he took tonight had taken its toll.
Feeling the elevator stop, Peter watched as the door slid open to a starry sky and a bright full moon.
“Pretty sight. Odd considering what I’ve done tonight.”
“Life’s full of little ironies like that. Best not to think too much about it. You survived. That’s all that matters in the end.” Anansi replied.
“Feels like everything has changed,” Peter retorted as he checked his surroundings.
“Everything changes, kid. Be grateful you didn’t pay a heavier price.”
Peter’s thoughts went to Emma. “This price feels heavy enough.”
“Don’t dwell on her, Peter. It will only make things worse. Take this for what it is and move forward. Think of Wanda, Jean, and your little life stealer.”
Hearing voices, Peter started walking. “Would it kill you to use her name?”
“Once she’s earned it, I will. She still has some making up to do.”
“You know now that it wasn’t her fault,” Peter said.
He noticed two blackbirds had landed and that Madelyne was being interrogated by his mother and Scott, while a wide-eyed Jean looked on in shock, with Wanda and Ororo beside her.
“Meh. That’s why she upgraded from leech.” Anansi said in amusement. “Speaking of…there she is.”
As his big brother had pointed out, Peter saw Anna leaning against a tree, scanning the area. Based on the strain he could see on her face, it was more to keep herself upright than a casual position.
Because she was constantly looking around, Anna was the first to see him approach. She let out a loud gasp that caught the others’ attention. When they turned to her, she shakily pointed towards him.
As soon as they saw him, hands covered their mouths, and shock rippled through the area as they took in the sight of him.
Undeterred, Madelyne escaped from his mother and Scot and rushed over to him. Uncaring of the filth, she threw her arms around his neck and pressed against him. This instantly pulled everyone from their stupor. With Wanda and Jean leading the charge, everyone rushed over.
“Peter!” They exclaimed. The flurry of questions that sprang forth was hard to follow.
“Enough!” Peter shouted. “I can’t understand anything anyone is saying, but even if I could, I don’t want to talk right now. I will talk in the morning. For now…I’ve had a long night, and I want to go to sleep.”
“Of course, baby.” His mother took charge. “But can you explain the woman still clinging to you?”
Calming himself, Peter nodded. “Her name is Madelyne Prior. She is a clone created by Mister Sinister using Jean’s DNA that Emma provided him. She will be staying with us.”
“That stuck-up bitch did what?!” Jean raged.
From there, everything was a whirlwind of activity as everyone began discussing this revelation. Peter eventually tuned it all out as he made his way to the black bird his mother flew and took his original seat. Staring straight ahead, he didn’t acknowledge anything. Not the plane taking off, not the arguing over Madelyne deciding to take up the spot on his right, not even the comforting words Wanda whispered into his ear.
Soon enough, he found himself standing under the shower in his room. Suit discarded into the trash.
Stepping out of the shower, he toweled off and looked into the mirror. His red eyes seemed duller than normal, while his skin was unusually pale. Shaking it off, he slipped on the boxers and shorts he haphazardly placed on the counter and stepped into his room.
Without a word to his worried girlfriends who were waiting for him, Peter got into his bed. Feeling the shift as Wanda got in on his right and Jean on his left, he drifted off to sleep.
Anansi POV
As Peter slumbered peacefully, sandwiched between his mates, Anansi took a deep breath and allowed his power to build.
“My love?” Phoenix asked, appearing in front of him. “What’s going on?”
“I need to meet with someone, my love. Watch over them,” he said as a portal opened before him.
Phoenix frowned when she sensed where the portal led. “Are you sure you need to go there? What if you aren’t allowed to return?”
Pulling his mate and love of his life close, Anansi kissed her softly. “She would have done so much sooner if that was her intention.” He said, pressing his forehead against hers. “I’m not sure what game is being played, but it won’t involve imprisoning me.”
Phoenix nodded, but her power flashed menacingly within her eyes. “If you’re wrong and that prissy bitch tries to take you away from me…”
“Don’t, my love. If I’m wrong, I set up a contingency that will force the entirety of my power into Peter. You will need to be here to make sure he doesn’t lose himself.”
“But Anansi…”
“No, Phoenix. Your involvement would set off a chain reaction we could never overcome. You are fully aware of how many of the higher existences would use this as an excuse to act. Please don’t do anything drastic. Have faith in me.”
She looked away until she felt an additional connection attach itself to her. “What?” Phoenix’s eyes widened dramatically.
“Tonight’s events showed me that I was being lax. I’ve been so focused on nurturing Peter and our connection that I overlooked the obvious.” Phoenix could now feel Peter’s full being. “That bitch wouldn’t have gotten the drop on us if you had this access earlier.”
“Then you should have the same with Jean.”
“Not when I am still beholden to another. I don’t want to give her any avenues to reach you.” Anansi said seriously.
Phoenix’s eyes narrowed. “She wouldn’t dare.
“I’m leaving it to chance.” Anansi let go of his mate and backed away. “Please do what I asked. I’ll be back before you know it.”
Phoenix sighed. “I will. Come back to me, my love.”
Anansi smiled before turning and entering the portal.
The Great Weaver’s Domain
Anansi had almost forgotten what it was like to be somewhere other than Earth. Something that should have been impossible, considering the majority of his existence had been spent traversing immortal planes such as this. He assumed it had something to do with how seriously he took immersing himself in Peter’s life.
Walking along a gold-and-black brick path that was surrounded by dense forestry, Anansi ignored the numerous hidden eyes that followed him. Nothing in here, aside from the domain creator, posed a threat to him.
As the forest ended and the path opened up, he couldn’t help but sigh as he gazed upon the structure in front of him.
A gleaming golden pyramid decorated with intricate black silk webs stood proudly atop a raised platform. Stretching from his position and leading up to the raised platform was a single large staircase guarded by four giant tarantulas. Besides the spider guards, the area had spectral Egyptian archers stationed in guard towers spanning the clearing.
The moment Anansi stepped forward, the tarantulas let out warning hisses, and the sound of arrows being nocked was heard. Pausing, he looked at the hissing spiders and the archers and scoffed. Were they serious?
Anansi was sorely tempted to obliterate all of them but refrained because he didn’t want to cause himself any more problems.
Instead, he rolled his eyes, disappeared in a flash of gold, and reappeared at the entrance to the pyramid, surprising the spearmen standing guard.
“Gentleman,” he said nonchalantly as he walked past.
The inside of the pyramid was a mixture of gold and black, lined with all the trimmings of a lavish lifestyle all too similar to what he would expect of wealthy mortals: expensive rugs, delicate pottery, detailed paintings, and beautiful handcrafted sculptures. Surprisingly modern electrical work provided the lighting and powered the massive projector above the room’s center.
Speaking of the center, an intricate throne perched on a dais featured spider and archery motifs.
Currently occupying the throne was his reason for coming here…the Elder Goddess, creator of the web, and his superior…Neith.
Neith had olive colored skin, shoulder-length black hair, and bright blue eyes. The outfit she wore was an Egyptian battle bikini with black-and-gold wraps, matching arm cuffs, gold jewelry, and a black headpiece with an emerald at the center.
As one would expect of a goddess, she was almost painfully beautiful. Perfect skin, large expressive eyes, pouty lips, full hips, and immaculate breasts. Anansi had no problem admitting the chief pain in his ass was delightfully fuckable.
Ignoring the various guards and sycophants that made up the Elder goddess’s court, Anansi marched right up to the smirking goddess’s throne.
“Hello, my dear Anansi. To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?” Neith said in a sweet tone. She acted as though this was a social visit and not brought about by her own design.
Ignoring the question in favor of looking around at the laughing immortals around him, Anansi’s eyes narrowed. “I would like to have this discussion in private, so if everyone outside of Lady Neith could vacate the premises, that would be much appreciated.” He said formally.
….
….
The laughter resumed.
Anansi hummed and let it continue for a few seconds before taking a breath and shouting, “EVERYONE GET THE FUCK OUT BEFORE I SEND YOU OUT IN PIECES!” To really drive his point home, he amplified his voice with a fraction of his power.
Moments later, Anansi and Neith were the only ones present.
Neith uncrosed and then crossed her legs, giving Anansi a full view of her pantyless crotch. “That wasn’t very nice, Anansi.”
“What’s not nice is you meddling in the life of my partner.”
“Your partner happens to be one of my totems.”
Anansi crossed his arms. “Your totems? I don’t recall you ever creating a single one of them.”
Neith stood up from her throne and walked down the dais until she was standing in front of him. Anyone who saw this would be confused to see such a small woman glaring menacingly up at a massive man. Unaware that she was considerably more powerful than he was.
“Last time I checked, ANANSI…It’s MY WEB. Every totem and anything else that resides on MY WEB is under my control. I give you the privilege to manage it for me.” Neith said, power leaking through.
Not backing down in the slightest, Anansi leaned in until their faces were mere inches apart. “If that were true…you would have replaced me long ago. Not play petty games with the life of someone I care about.”
“I wouldn’t have to if you played by the rules.”
“What rules?!” He asked in exasperation.
“How about unnecessary favoritism? Every action you’ve taken with Peter Parker has been to his advantage! No balance at all! All you have done is give him boon after boon, and that’s not to mention making him your avatar!” Neith poked his chest. “Leave him an orphan, make his love life chaotic, something!”
“I didn’t want to watch another of my totems suffer like that!” Anansi raged. “No matter what you say, it was never balanced. The suffering always outweighed the positives!”
“It builds character!”
“It builds nothing!” Anansi screamed back. “You can be a hero without losing everything all the time.”
Neith took a step back and turned around. “If you felt so strongly about this, then you should have talked to me about it. We could have come up with a plan together. I would have been lenient if you had given me proper reasoning.” She turned around and glared. “Instead, you colluded with the fucking Phoenix to create the perfect variant and attached her host to him!”
Anansi scoffed. “Don’t pretend you’ve ever given me the kind of flexibility that I would have wanted. Also, what does it matter that I involved Phoenix?” He threw his arms up. “She’s my mate! The most important person in existence to me. Why would I not want her involved?”
As he was speaking, Anansi caught a flash of something across Neith’s face. Hurt? Jealousy maybe? There was more to this than annoyance at him for breaking her so-called rules.
“Then why merge with him?” She asked softly.
“Because I want him to have the best possible chance at a happy life with those he cares for,” He responded.
“Even at the cost of your own existence?” She pressed. “All this talk of loving the firebird, and you would be leaving her to be absorbed into your vessel.”
“I won’t disappear. We will still be separate entities. It will be a synchronization that gives Peter full access to all of my abilities and an unbreakable connection. Every ounce of my knowledge will be at his disposal.”
Neith looked at him critically. “So Peter Parker will become the one managing my web?”
“If he wants to. Even now I still keep tabs on it. That’s not going to change.” Anansi answered, lifting an eyebrow.
He watched as various emotions played across his face before finally settling on a mischievous smile. “I understand.”
“You do?” He asked cautiously.
“Mhmm.”
“Does that mean you will stop attempting to get him killed?”
“Yes.”
“No more using our connection to the web to dull his senses and weaken us?”
“Of course.”
“And you will do this for free?”
“Not at all!” She answered cheerfully.
Anansi facepalmed. “Fuck.”
“We are going to make a deal, my dear Anansi!” Neith’s hands were on her hips, and a bright smile filled her face.
“What do you want?” He asked with a sigh.
“In a perfect world…you, but I will accept Peter instead.”
“What?”
“Peter Parker will become my immortal husband.”
“I got that,” Anansi answered blandly. “What I don’t understand is why?”
“I have spent several millennia alone. Through that time, I have only ever wanted one person…you.” Neith crept closer. “Since that isn’t possible, I shall take Peter instead.”
“You expect me to pimp out my vessel?” Anansi asked skeptically.
“I prefer arranged marriage.”
“And if I deny this request?”
“Then I will continue meddling at the worst of times until tragedy befalls him. I’m sure I will be able to give someone all that they need to eliminate him,” Neith answered with a shrug.
Anansi frowned. “So not only did you hamper his abilities, but you also helped Sinister create his concoction?”
“Of course. Nathaniel Essex is quite intelligent, but he still needed a bit of a nudge in the right direction to ensure success. His own attempts would only have annoyed Peter.”
Anansi took a deep, calming breath. “Is there no other option?” He asked sadly.
“Are you willing to leave Phoenix or convince her to share?”
“She will erase your existence.”
“Then no. If you want to avoid dealing with my attempts, Peter will be mine.”
“You are aware that he already has two mates, with a third in the mix? And knowing how others are drawn to him...possibly more.”
“I have no issues.”
“Fine. How do you plan to do this?”
“Once the two of you have merged, I will come to him.”
“That could be a long time for now.”
“I’m willing to wait.” She shrugged. “There is also the possibility that I will have my own host soon. There are several mutants I find interesting. Particularly the little weather witch Peter is acquainted with.”
‘Fuck,’ Anansi thought with a grimace. He hoped he could rely on Peter avoiding near-death situations. If she joined with one of the girls at the school, things would get much more complicated.
“Fine.”
“Good.” Neith grabbed his hand in a firm grip and dug her nails in. A couple of drops of golden blood stained her fingers. She smiled, brought her fingers to her lips, and licked them clean.
Feeling an odd sensation, Anansi looked at his hand and noticed a small golden spider tattoo that faded after a moment. “We have an accord. Should you attempt to break our deal or otherwise delay it intentionally…YOU WILL EXPERIENCE THE FULL FORCE OF MY WRATH! I WILL THEN TAKE PETER PARKER BY FORCE.” The power radiating from the small woman receded. “Understand?”
“Was that necessary?” Anansi asked blandly.
“Absolutely!”
“Idiot.”
“Rude,” Neith said with a pout.
“I’m leaving. You better keep your word.” Anansi said as he turned away.
“Of course I will! If you hadn’t started merging with the boy, none of this would have happened.”
Shaking his head. Anansi teleported back to the brick path. After a brief walk, he found himself at the sight of his previous portal. Reopening it with another flare of power, he walked through and found himself immediately grabbed by a worried Phoenix.
“My love! You came back!” She said, burying her head into his chest.
“Did you truly doubt me?”
“Of course not! I doubted that weaving slut! I swear I’m going to turn her to ash one day.” Phoenix replied darkly.
“Unnecessary for now, but I appreciate the enthusiasm.” Anansi placed a soft kiss on her cheek.
The fiery woman preened before looking at him with concern. “Is everything alright?”
“We came to an understanding.”
“How so?”
Anansi shook his head. “I’ll tell you tomorrow. For now, I want to lie down with my beloved mate and rest.” He snapped his fingers, and the two appeared in the bedroom they shared in the combined minscape. Stripping down to just a pair of boxers, Anansi fell into the comfortable mattress and sighed.
Phoenix responded by burning off her clothes and cuddling up against him. “Are you sure this is what you need?” She asked, batting her eyelashes. “You’ve slept a lot recently.”
“Yes. Too much happened in such a short time. I’ll make it up to you in the morning.” Phoenix nodded and rested her head on his chest.
Drifting off to sleep, Anansi had one final thought. ‘I hope I didn’t make things worse for Peter.’
Neith: Just in Black and gold
