Chapter Five “Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut!”
Chuckling under his breath, Logan slowed to a halt before facing Spider-Man. “I still can’t believe that you actually got the better of Strange. That ain’t no small feat.” He folded his arms, nodding inwardly. “You’ve got potential. Now, I see why Fury’s so interested in you.”
“Nah… I just got lucky and caught him off guard. As weird as the whole ghost thing was, I can tell he wasn’t trying to hurt me, but I may be on his bad side now,” Spider-Man replied, perching himself onto the nearest wall. He glanced to the side, sharing a gaze with the girl. “How are you holding up, Eris? What was it like being boxed up like that?”
Eris brushed her hands over the goosebumps on her arms, shuddering involuntarily. “I don’t know how to explain it. There was just a void. A realm of emptiness.”
Logan smirked, poking the side of Spider-Man’s head with a finger. “Like the inside of his skull?”
Slow to respond, Eris shivered involuntarily. “I tried to scream, but found that I couldn’t. I was just alone in a cold white space. It was truly awful. I literally couldn’t do anything. Was that what my father went through for so long?” Her eyes widened as a realization came into mind. As if sobering, the girl bit down on her lip as her eyes softened. “Thank you, both of you. I’ve been a burden on you two all day.”
Logan shook his head dismissively before shifting his gaze to the side. “Forget it, kid. I know what it’s like when people try to cage you up. Everyone deserves a chance to make their own decisions.” Sniffing the air, Wolverine steadily stepped past the pair while pointing a thumb at Spider-Man. “Besides, thank him. He’s the one who saved you from Strange.”
Taken aback, Eris placed a hand over her chest as it tightened inwardly. “I don’t know what to say. I’ve only known you two for a few hours, and you’ve already done so much for me without hesitation.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s what I do,” Spider-Man lightly declared, leaping from the wall and landing next to the girl.
Eris furrowed her brow while staring intently at the masked man. “Such a simple answer. It hardly answers my question, and I suppose that’s what baffles me. If I may, why do you do this?” As Logan paused, glancing at Spider-Man from the corner of his eye, Eris leaned closer towards Spider-Man with a puzzled expression. “The podcasts and reports have nothing but bad things to say about you. I know it’s bologna simply from how much you’ve helped me, but why restrain yourself so much? You could do whatever you want, so why not use your powers for something more fun?”
“Someone needs to look out for the little guy. I may have power, but I want to use it to help those around me,” Spider-Man firmly stated with a simple nod, “Besides, helping those around me is a fun reward in itself. I got to meet you, right?”
Blinking, Eris felt the temperature in her face rise. “You devil. How am I supposed to respond to that?”
“However you feel,” Spider-Man whispered, shifting his gaze skyward, “By the end of the day, I know you’ll do what you think is right. It all starts with a leap of faith.”
Logan watched the pair silently, unable to stop the corner of his lip from shifting into a smirk. “Not bad, kid.” A set of thunderous booms echoed in the distance, snapping the trio from their conversation. Narrowing his gaze, Wolverine snarled. “I was ready to fetch the roses, but I knew this was going to happen sooner or later.”
Spider-Man shared a glance with the older man. “What’s going on?”
Opening his mouth, Logan readied to respond, but he stopped as a car soared through the air, crashing into the side of a building. “Juggernaut’s getting impatient,” he growled, pausing as another explosion roared from afar, “He’s making noise, trying to draw us out.”
“Seriously? That guy’s a walking tank! Anyone in his path is going to get flattened!” Spider-Man exclaimed, his masked eyes widening, “We have to get over there and stop him, before someone gets hurt!”
“You sure? Juggernaut’s borderline unstoppable, and you want to charge in without a plan?” Logan questioned, arching a brow.
Spider-Man huffed. “It wouldn’t be the first time, and I do have a plan: attack!”
Throwing a hand over his face, Logan burst into laughter for what seemed like minutes, but his smile remained intact as he cracked his knuckles. “Now you’re speaking my language, kid!” Sobering, the older man walked up to Eris and placed both hands over her shoulders. “Things are about to get ugly. Find someplace safe. We’ll find you when it’s over.”
Slack-jawed, Eris alternated her gaze between both men. “There’s a difference between being chaotic and just being stupid! You two are going to get killed if you fight him again!”
“We’re very stubborn. Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” Spider-Man reassured, sharing a nod with Logan.
Wolverine stepped back as another explosion erupted in the distance before sprinting towards its direction. “Let’s go!”
Just as Spider-Man readied to follow Wolverine, Eris reached out and grabbed hold of his forearm. “Please don’t do this! I don’t want you to get hurt,” she sweetly whispered, her voice wavering. She bit down on her lip while her gaze lowered. “I’ve only known you for a couple of hours, and the only people who have been nicer to me are my parents. Anyone else just gets fed up with me, but you’re different. I–”
“As far as I’m concerned, you’re my friend. It’s as simple as that,” Spider-Man stated, nodding. The girl’s eyes widened at the simple comment while she lost her grip. Shooting a strand onto the nearest street light, Spider-Man leapt into the air and swung into the distance. “Get somewhere safe!”
Eris watched as both men faded into the distance, running steadfast into danger. She turned in the opposite direction, as if contemplating their heeds of warning. Yet, she shook her head and scoffed before facing the direction Wolverine and Spider-Man ran towards. Nodding inwardly, Eris began to follow.
Several police vehicles stormed the scene as Juggernaut stampeded through the streets, knocking over every car in his path. He eyed a squadron of riot enforcers, all bearing shields and firearms. Cackling, the giant lowered his shoulders and knocked every individual into the air. Each crashed into the ground, landing in a heap, and Juggernaut huffed, catching a speeding rocket with a single hand before it could collide with his face.
With both massive hands, the man squeezed the item and contained the explosion while brushing the smoke off casually afterwards. The Juggernaut reached to the side, sliding a hand underneath a car, before flipping it high overhead. A lone officer watched as the vehicle careened towards him, bracing for impact. However, before the car could meet its target, a blue blur flew through the air and pinned itself to the roof of the car, halting its momentum instantaneously upon landing. The officer blinked upon spotting Spider-Man standing upright with the vehicle over his shoulders.
“Thank God you’re not one of those cops that rides a horse,” Spider-Man quipped, huffing before lightly tossing the car back onto the ground, wheels first. As Wolverine leapt onto the scene, landing on the roof of the car, Spider-Man motioned his hand at the officer. “Help your wounded. We’ll take care of things here.”
Many of the officers and enforcement heeded Spider-Man’s advice, pulling all injured away from the chaos. Logan stared intently at the Juggernaut, snarling. “We’re the ones you want, Cain. Leave these people out of it.”
Juggernaut smirked, cracking his knuckles. “I knew if I made enough noise, you’d come crawling from out of hiding, like the roaches you are.” The corner of his large mouth curled into a frown as he alternated his gaze between both heroes. “Where’s the girl?”
“Don’t worry about her. We’re your playdates for the day,” Logan growled, lowering into a defensive stance while unsheathing his claws with a snikt. “Got six reasons for you to walk away!”
Spider-Man perked up, raising a finger. “Playdate? We can read a book, play some board games, or watch a movie? I bet you are the type to cuddle.”
Gritting his teeth, Juggernaut slowly stomped towards the pair. “You know something? I wasn’t that mad at first. If you two just gave up the girl, I might have just broken one of your legs, but you made it personal by messing with my money.” Tremors coursed through the ground and nearby buildings as Juggernaut burst into a sprint. “Now, I’m going to smash you both until there’s nothing left! Time to bring the pain!”
Wolverine roared before lunging through the air towards Juggernaut. However, Marko swung his arm and swatted Logan out of midair, sending the man spiraling until he collided with the ground. Faster than anyone could react, Juggernaut grabbed Wolverine by the collar, tossing him through the nearest window. Glass shattered upon impact as Logan burst through a wall of concrete before skidding to a halt among shards of brick.
Spider-Man swung through the air on a strand of webbing, speeding towards his attacker. However, the Juggernaut quickly slid a hand under the nearest car before flinging it behind him. Flipping in midair, Peter managed to avoid the object, but he spun back, managing to latch a strand of webbing onto its front. The gossamer stretched as Spider-Man hurled the vehicle back. Juggernaut’s eyes widened as the car slammed over his body, folding into mangled steel.
Landing on his feet, Spider-Man’s eyes narrowed into the wreckage before his head rang profusely. Suddenly, the folded car shot out. Peter readied himself to dodge, lowering into a stance, but his eyes widened upon spotting a pair of spectators standing in the store directly behind his position with their phones in hand.
“Seriously? Is posting on social media worth dying for?!” Spider-Man exhaled as he planted his feet and raised his hands, bracing himself while the steel neared.
The car reached his grasp, generating a shockwave potent enough to shatter the glass within several meters. Yet, Spider-Man stood firm and held the vehicle in place, dropping it to the side after what felt like an eternity. He shook feeling back into his hands before turning back to be greeted by thankful waves from the spectators. Meanwhile, Logan stirred while his wounds healed, turning onto his stomach. Juggernaut stomped into the room before grabbing hold of his shoulder and tossing the man high behind his position.
Wolverine burst through the ceiling before gravity took its toll, causing the man to land back on the floor behind Marko. Just as he readied to stand, Juggernaut drove his foot into the smaller man’s ribs, punting his body through the nearest wall. Wolverine skidded across the ground for several meters before stopping. Juggernaut cracked his knuckles as he slowly approached the X-Man, but a shadow appeared from overhead, causing him to stop momentarily.
Juggernaut peeked up just as a large round object sped in his direction. Spider-Man spun its chain, revealing the object to be that of a wrecking ball, and he flipped forward with his grip intact, hurling the object into the ground where Cain stood. The earth shook violently, cracking upon impact as the ball embedded itself halfway into the ground. Large tremors coursed through the entire vicinity, causing the steel girders at the nearby construction site to tremble.
“You just got wrecked, dude!” Spider-Man exclaimed, landing on top of the cracked ball amidst the spreading dust. Kneeling in place, he exhaled under his breath. “Now, that’s what I call a Coup De Grace.”
Suddenly, a hand erupted from within the cracked opening of the ball before snatching Spider-Man by the collar. “I hate French food!” Juggernaut growled loudly, pushing the broken pieces of the wrecking ball to the side. He pulled Spider-Man closer until their faces were inches apart. “And I hate annoying little insects more.”
Spider-Man strained, attempting to pull himself free from Juggernaut’s grasp. “Technically, spiders aren’t insects. Common mistake. They’re arachnids, and Coup De Grace actually means…”
“IT MEANS YOU’RE OUTTA HERE!” Juggernaut exclaimed, turning sharply before hurling Spider-Man with all of his might.
Peter cleared over several buildings, crashing through a window before eventually tumbling into what appeared to be a warehouse. He remained prone, groaning while rubbing the aches from his head. “It’s not often a guy gets straight yeeted across half a city, but here we are.”
Meanwhile, Logan flipped to his feet, while Juggernaut faced the opposite direction, and he lunged out, managing to land on the giant’s back. Driving all of his claws into Cain’s shoulders, Wolverine planted himself, while Juggernaut attempted to shake him off. In spite of being stabbed, no blood was drawn, even as Logan repeated the process multiple times. Juggernaut reached over his shoulder, attempting to grab the smaller man, but upon failing, he sprinted forward, into another building.
Shards of stone scattered upon impact as Juggernaut stomped through the main floor of the building, with Wolverine in tow. As they slowed to a halt near a wall, Logan eyed a circuit breaker before flipping from his position and landing in front of Marko. He slashed at Juggernaut’s helmet, managing to drive a pair of claws underneath the lid, but Marko used a hand to grab Wolverine’s forearm, lifting him from the ground.
Just as Juggernaut raised a clenched fist back, ready to strike the X-Man, Spider-Man swung into the room on a strand of webbing. “Good idea! Let’s take a look at that gorgeous mug!” Peter declared, sliding his hand underneath the mouth’s opening of the helmet before hurling it outside. Marko scowled at Spider-Man while a vein throbbed over his forehead, and Peter spun, kicking the side of his jaw with enough force to free Logan. “Hey! With a little makeup, you’ll go from ugly to… passable.”
Logan climbed back onto Juggernaut’s shoulder, before thrusting his claws into the back of his neck. Within that same second, Wolverine slammed his free hand and claws into the circuit box. Electricity erupted from the wall, surging through the metal in Logan’s body, and the energy channeled into Juggernaut, causing massive sparks to ignite within the vicinity. Soon, the electricity dissipated, leaving both men still, as smoke sizzled from their bodies. Wolverine staggered back before falling to a knee, while Juggernaut shook his head, grumbling weakly.
Spider-Man’s masked eyes furrowed as he watched Marko keep his footing. “Geez! We almost hit this guy with everything, but the– hang on,” he trailed off, firing a strand of webbing onto the kitchen sink across the room before yanking it from the wall. Once the object landed in his hand, Peter smashed the sink over Cain’s head, and the marble item shattered into pieces, while the giant remained unfazed. Spider-Man groaned inwardly. “Okay. Everything, including the kitchen sink, and he’s still not down.”
Marko grinned. “Don’t you know who I am? I’m the Juggernaut, *****!”
“Unstoppable ain’t an exaggeration,” Logan growled, managing to stand once his burn wounds faded. Yet, he lowered back into a defensive stance, with his claws drawn. “We’ll wear him down somehow.”
Spider-Man mirrored his action, taking a stance. “We can fight him all day, but there won’t be much of a city left, if we don't stop him soon.” Pausing, he clenched his fist tightly. “If he’s unstoppable, then we have to be unstoppable, too.”
The Juggernaut stood upright, towering over both Spider-Man and Wolverine. “You won’t last that long. Trust me, I’m just getting warmed up.” He steadily walked forward, while driving his fist into his palm. However, crimson energies began to spiral out of his body. Juggernaut’s mouth fell agape as he stared at his form. “What the heck is going on?”
“I thought something felt odd,” a girl’s voice stated from behind, causing all three men to turn to the source. Eris floated near the ceiling with her hands extended, straining while the sparkling energy spiraled into an orb. “Such chaos. You reek of magic, and your strength is drawn from it. Let’s see how strong you are without it!”
“With great power comes great vulnerability?” Spider-Man questioned as Juggernaut staggered to a kneeling stance.
Wolverine nodded. “Hell yeah, it does. Let’s take him down, while the kid’s draining him.” He faced Peter, smirking. “How’s your throwing arm? Familiar with the Fastball Special?”
The pair conversed briefly before Spider-Man nodded feverishly, firing a strand of webbing onto Wolverine’s back. Both men jumped high into the air, and Peter spun in midair, with Logan in tow, their images fading into blurs respectively. Juggernaut lifted his gaze just as Spider-Man relinquished his hold. Wolverine sped through the air with the force of a missile while his claws extended, roaring before ramming into Marko.
A shockwave generated at the point of impact, while a loud metallic clang echoed throughout the vicinity. A cloud of dust erupted from the ground, as tremors coursed through the earth. Once the dust settled, Juggernaut laid flat on his back, at the bottom of a crater. Wolverine pulled himself to his feet, climbing over Marko’s unconscious form. Spider-Man extended his hand, prompting Logan to accept the gesture, and he soon helped the man climb from the hole.
“Nice throw,” Logan affirmed, managing a smile.
Spider-Man nodded, chuckling weakly. “Nice form.”
Eris strained, her hands quivering as the energies steadily spiraled out of control. “I don’t know what to do with this!”
Just as the men readied to help, a portal materialized into existence behind their position. Doctor Strange stomped out of the opening, glaring intently at the pair. He levitated towards Eris, slamming his glowing hands together. Suddenly, the orb in the girl’s grasp vanished in a burst of light. Juggernaut’s body emitted a bright light before he shot up, alternating his gaze wildly.
“Come on, Strange!” Spider-Man exhaled, staring blankly at the giant while he climbed from the crater.
Strange nonchalantly waved his hand to the side, causing a portal to open in front of Juggernaut as he sprinted towards Spider-Man and Wolverine. He leapt through the portal, landing in a desolate environment. Juggernaut looked around, pausing upon spotting the Earth in the distance, and he eyed the ground, noticing he had been placed on the moon. Just as he turned around, the portal closed before he could hope to return.
Spider-Man’s masked eyes furrowed after an awkward amount of time passed. “Did you just open a portal to the moon?”
Logan simply nodded. “He did.”
“That is scientifically implausible!” Spider-Man spat out, pointing at Strange, “All of the oxygen in this vicinity should have been sucked out, or we should have vacuumed away, like that scene in Aliens! There are so many reasons that shouldn’t have worked! Can Juggernaut even breathe in space?!”
Wolverine shrugged. “It’s magic. It ain’t really supposed to make sense, and this ain’t Juggernaut’s first time being stranded on the moon. We’ll let Magneto know to pick him up later.”
Peter stared blankly at Wolverine, grumbling. “I really hate magic. The fact that you’re so casual about this is worrying.”
Strange frowned as he faced Spider-Man and Wolverine. “Don’t change the subject! You left me stuck to a wall for an hour!”
Spider-Man chuckled sheepishly, raising his hands defensively. “Okay! I’m very sorry about that, but you were rather hasty in wanting to seal my friend away!”
Eris placed a hand over Peter’s shoulder, shaking her head. “It’s okay. I don’t want to run.” She walked towards Strange with her hands held together. “I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me. I just want to learn how to control my powers. Could we please talk with my father, too?”
Strange’s eyes widened. “Oh! Speaking of,” he trailed off, waving a glowing hand.
A portal opened overhead, before Discord fell through, crashing to the ground. He bounced up immediately, raising a finger at the sorcerer while fuming. “I’ve been falling… for three hours!” Bearing his fangs, Seth paused upon catching a glimpse of his daughter, and his demeanor softened, before he cupped the girl’s cheeks in his hands affectionately. “Oh, cupcake. Are you hurt?”
“Cupcake?” Spider-Man whispered, tilting his head to the side.
Nodding, Eris placed her hands over Seth’s forearms before shifting her attention to the pair. “I’m okay, Father. These two have been protecting me. They’re friends.”
Discord smiled sweetly. “Thank you so much. My little girl means everything to me.” Inhaling deeply, the man relinquished his hold of Eris before facing Doctor Strange. He lowered his head politely. “What’s happened to Eris is not her fault. It’s mine. I thought I had prepared her for when her powers activated, but I underestimated how powerful she could be. Don’t banish her because of my mistake.”
Blinking, Strange stared at the father and daughter with a bewildered expression. “For embodiments of chaos, you’re being quite reasonable.” Holding a hand over his eyes, Stephen shook his head and sighed. “Damn it. I jumped the gun. I can’t believe the kid was right.”
“I’m sorry. Can you repeat that?” Spider-Man questioned, raising a finger. “I am almost never told that.”
Logan folded his arms and scoffed. “He said you were right. Don’t ruin it.”
“Let’s just say when you’re nailed shut to a wall for an hour, one is forced to reevaluate their circumstances that put them there in the first place,” Strange dryly retorted, his brow twitching. Inhaling deeply before sighing, the sorcerer waved his glowing hand and prompted a portal to open into existence. “Let’s go to my home. We can talk there.”
Meanwhile, back on the moon, Juggernaut sat on stone with a rock in hand. He tossed the item repeatedly before it inadvertently hit the top of his head. Exhaling, the Juggernaut frowned. “This sucks!”
To Be Concluded…