Ch. 3: "Primalism and Territorialism"
Chapter Three “Primalism and Territorialism”
Amidst the school grounds, Flash Thompson sat with a somber gaze as he eyed the phone in his grasp. A dark silhouette of Spider-Man sat at its center, alongside a sketch of an intangible being with six arms, and underneath was a headline labeled, More Spider Than Man: Canterlot Entangled in its Web. Suddenly, a pair of slim arms snaked around Flash’s neck from behind his position, freeing the young man from his self-induced trance. He looked to the side, sharing a glance with a pair of violet irises and bright yet fair skin.
“Hi, Flash! Are you ignoring my calls? I’m hurt,” the girl stated in a mocking tone, brushing a hand through her poofy, orange hair.
As if on instinct, Flash slid his thumb over the screen until it dissipated to a black tone. “Sorry, Adagio. It wasn’t on purpose,” he murmured, clearing his throat. He glanced to the side, frowning, “There’s just a lot going on right now.”
“You poor thing. You’re bothered by this news about Spider-Man. It’s practically written all over your face,” Adagio whispered, caressing Flash’s shoulder. A small trace of clear and sparkling energy emitted from Flash’s body, prompting Adagio to motion her hand, and the essence snaked its way into the siren’s arm, earning a small smirk in return. Afterwards, she waved a hand dismissively. “I still don’t understand your fascination with Spider-Man. Shouldn’t this just prove that he’s a menace?”
Shaking his head, Flash narrowed his gaze. “There’s no way it’s him! I’m telling you. Spider-Man’s one of the good guys. That dumb podcast is always looking to blame him for something.” Standing from his seat, Flash straightened his jacket and turned to depart. “I’ll catch you later.”
Once the young man had stepped out of hearing range, Adagio’s expression darkened as her mouth fell into a frown. “I still don’t know what you see in him, Eugene, but I hope he drowns in negativity.”
Meanwhile, as Flash continued to traverse towards his class, he momentarily paused upon reaching the end of the hallway. Huffing, the young man could only gaze somberly at the ground. However, he snapped free from his self-induced trance once something lightly tugged at his jacket sleeve. Yet, his demeanor softened, evident by his lowered shoulders, once he recognized the hint of pink hair and large blue eyes of the meek individual.
“Oh. Hey, Fluttershy!” he cheered, gesturing a wave, “What’s up?”
The girl smiled in response, nodding as she gripped the straps of her backpack. “I’m fine, Eugene. Thanks for asking,” Alternating her gaze, Fluttershy’s eyes softened, “Have you heard the news about Spider-Man?”
“Hey. We both know it isn’t actually Spider-Man. This is just another of Jameson’s lies,” Flash reaffirmed, causing Fluttershy to blink in response. After an awkward amount of silence, the young man cleared his throat. “Sorry. It’s just that everyone’s too quick to believe Jameson, and I just know that Spider-Man would never willingly turn into a bad guy.”
The corner of Fluttershy’s lips curled into a smile before she patted Flash’s forearm reassuringly. “You’re right, Flash. I know Spider-Man is a nice person. Thank you for still believing in him.”
Stammering, Flash forcefully cleared his throat and waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t sweat it, but we’re going to have an emergency S.A.M.S Club meeting tomorrow. We’ve gotta make sure nobody’s buying the garbage rumors.”
As if a realization came to mind, Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “Oh, Eugene. I almost forgot. I wanted to ask if you’ve seen Peter today? I was really hoping I could talk with him about something important.”
“Peter? Oh. Puny Parker! Nah. I haven’t seen that dweeb in a couple of days,” Flash declared, blinking before chuckling at a thought, “I’ll have to get acquainted with him soon.”
Frowning, Fluttershy shook her head. “Eugene, that’s not nice. Why would you want to be mean to him?”
Sobering, Flash crossed his arms and huffed. “I’ve known him since we were in kindergarten. The guy’s a total flake. He acts all high and mighty.” As if catching himself, the young man inhaled deeply before letting out a low sigh. Just as he turned to leave, his gaze narrowed, “Trust me. He’ll just let you down. You give Parker anything, and you won’t get anything back for it.”
Fluttershy placed a hand over her chest, watching quietly as Flash departed from the area. Her gaze fell to the ground, as if she considered his words. However, a hand fell over her shoulder, causing the girl to let out a squeak and send her thoughts into a frenzy. Fortunately, her mind (and rapidly beating heart) settled once her gaze met a familiar tint of rose.
Oblivious, Rainbow Dash gently spun the girl around. “Where have you been, Fluttershy?” Shrugging before a response could even be muttered, Dash furrowed her brow and raised a finger, “Anyway, Twilight’s on her way to meet us. We’ve got something big planned for tonight!”
“Um, like what?” Fluttershy asked, tilting her head to the side.
The corner of Dash’s mouth curled into a coy smirk. “We’re going to catch Spider-Man before he causes any more trouble!” Just as Fluttershy meekly opened her mouth to potentially protest the idea, Rainbow Dash grabbed the girl by her forearm and led her away hastily. “Let’s go!”
Aria furrowed her brow as she followed Doctor Octavious’s movements as he paced throughout the laboratory. Documents were spread and piled throughout the entire room, some pages scattered across the floor. The older man inhaled deeply before sighing, reaching for the coffee machine as fumes escaped from its opening. Aria blinked, spotting the bags underneath the man’s eyes as he steadily ingested the brewed material.
“Miss Aria, correct?” Octavious whispered, shifting his attention to a pair of vials. All lightness left his voice before he straightened the shades over his eyes. “What happened?”
Shaking her head, Aria could only shrug. “I don’t know. I remember hearing him stumbling last night. I’ve noticed it’s kind of his thing, so I just went back to sleep like usual.” She paused, clutching at the burning sensation. “But something happened. There was a really loud crash in the middle of the night. I even heard a roar. Like, a really loud one. When we checked Peter’s room, there was nothing but a massive hole in the wall. I figured something either dragged him off, or–”
Octavious slammed his hands into the table, cursing under his breath as the girl jumped involuntarily from his response. “Damn it! His mutation has progressed far faster than I expected. I estimated that I still had a couple of extra days, but his metamorphosis has triggered.” He glanced to the side, eyeing the young girl from the corner of his eye. “So, the reports are true. This Man-Spider is indeed Peter and not pure speculation.”
Aria frowned. “Peter’s been coming to you a lot lately, so you know what’s going on. Explain. Did YOU cause this to happen?”
“Straight to the point. I can respect that,” Octavious retorted, turning back the dial before sorting through an array of tools within the desk, “Long story short, no. Peter’s mutation comes from the spider that bit him, long before we even met. While he survived the initial metamorphosis, I fear he has entered the second stage of transfiguration, and his DNA is being rewritten further. He is losing the human side of his genetic makeup, and the spider is beginning to take over completely. At this rate, we have maybe a few hours before Peter’s mind completely deteriorates, and he loses his humanity to the animalistic portion of his brain.”
Stepping forth, Aria threw her hands to the side. “A few– A few hours?! Is there anything you can do?!”
Nodding, Octavious managed a small smile. “Well, the good news is that I worked tirelessly and managed to formulate a cure. The suggestive agent will dial back the mutation and give the human portion of his DNA priority over the spider genes while allowing him to keep the enhancements without the physical… anomalies.”
Blinking, Aria’s expression grew blank. “Okay. I know too good to be true when I see it, but Peter trusts you. Guess I have to, also. So, what’s the bad news?”
Letting out a low sigh, a dark glint flickered across the man’s shades as he retrieved a fully loaded syringe from the desk. “Unfortunately, the dosage has to be administered through a direct injection. And considering the damage our friend is already causing, I’m not sure how to go about attempting such a feat.”
“Are you *&%^ing kidding me?!” Aria blurted out, clutching the item. Her anger soon shifted to exasperation, evident by her bemused expression. “Then, just make a bigger dosage!”
Otto shook his head, pausing to rub at his sore eyes. “Trust me, Miss, I’ve tried, with what little time I’ve been given. I’ve missed out on two days’ worth of sleep, and Peter’s acceleration has forced me to increase my efforts. That dosage was all I could conjure with the circumstances.”
Rolling her eyes, Aria exhaled. “Ugh! Of course. Things are never easy. Fine.” Grumbling under her breath, Aria reached out and placed her hand over the syringe. “There’s an annoying group of girls that have… special abilities. I can ask them to help me give Spider-Man the cure.”
“Ah, yes. Young Twilight and her friends. Please. Practice caution and keep Peter’s secret in mind. They are not partially fond of him or his alter-ego,” Octavious whispered, gently placing his free hand over Aria’s. “This has to be fully administered. Any less, and the spider’s genetics will overpower the sedative. You have only one chance at this, and time is not on your side.”
As if considering the man’s words, Aria bit down on her lip and nodded. Her stoic demeanor softened, evident by her warm gaze. “Thank you. We’ll make sure to get Peter the help he needs.” Sealing the syringe away in a small pouch, Aria placed the item in her jacket pocket before turning to take her leave. “I just hope whoever May called can actually help.”
Octavious watched as the girl left the room, letting out a somber sigh as he slumped back into his seat. “I know your mind is still intact, Peter. It’s the only reason you haven’t hurt anyone directly yet.” His demeanor stiffened, evident by his straightened shoulders, and the older man removed his shades, staring intently at the ceiling, “I can only pray that you aren’t antagonized before the cure is administered.”
Wind steadily blew across the vicinity, rustling through the leaves of the park trees. While the sun steadily set, Man-Spider sat deep in thought, keeping his eyes fixated on its image within the reflection of the pond’s surface. A defeated whine escaped from its mouth as it rubbed a hand over its face. However, it twitched to the side, weaving out of the flight path of a blue laser as it sliced through the nearest tree.
Man-Spider unleashed a roar in response, leaping high into the sky while more lasers shot into the place where it previously stood. Several SHIELD agents rushed into the vicinity and eyed the creature, keeping their weapons drawn, but once the creature vanished into the wilderness, they eased into position. Soon, Sweetie Drops walked past the men, with her gaze locked on the device over her wrist. Meanwhile, nearly a dozen heavily armored agents flanked the young girl, all holding their silence, as if waiting for the next order.
“B-Team, it's heading for your position! Remember to shoot on sight!” Sweetie Drops exclaimed while pressing a small button on her headpiece. She motioned her hand forward, prompting the surrounding agents to march ahead. “We’re following the target’s path and will flank it while you engage.”
“Copy that, Ma’am! We are engaging the target. Attempting to neutralize– Ah!” a voice cried out, screaming at the top of their lungs as laser-fire echoed throughout the forest. Sweetie Drops and her squadron ceased all movement, lifting their gazes. The screams of the compatriots echoed throughout their headsets, reaching the skies. Amidst the chaos, a high-pitched screech could be heard above it all. For several seconds, the sound of laser fire lessened, as each individual scream grew silent. Erratic panting was all that was left within their headsets, followed only by thunderous footsteps. “Nooooooo—!”
Feedback and static buzzed throughout everyone’s ears before falling deathly silent. Sweetie Drops bit down on her lip, shaking her head. A bead of sweat trailed down the side of her forehead, and the surrounding agents alternated their gazes with each other, all while stammering.
One agent approached the girl, clutching at his firearm tightly. “Ma’am? Perhaps we should wait for Commander Fury’s lead? We’re walking in blind, and Unit 616-1962 just wiped out the Bravo team.”
The girl’s eyes widened at the comment before her expression sharply shifted from concern to anger, evident by the glare she bore. “Are you questioning my authority?” she growled, walking up to the taller male until they were inches apart. In spite of their evident differences in height, the agent avoided eye contact with Sweetie Drops as she glared at him. “Commander Fury left me in charge during his absence, and I will not report back to him a failure because we failed to apprehend some out-of-control, hotshot rookie! Is that understood?!”
“Yes, Ma’am!” the agent exclaimed, straightening his posture.
Nodding, Sweetie Drops frowned. “Set your lasers from ‘stun’ to ‘kill’! That thing does not leave this forest standing!” She pointed in the direction the other squadron took before taking a firearm into her possession, “Now, move out!”
Just as everyone readied to follow the girl’s order, a pair of squadmates were swiftly pulled into the shadows and vanished into the nearest shrubbery. Just as everyone took aim, the same instance occurred across from their position with a pair of guards. Sweetie Drops could only inhale sharply as a blur rushed past her in a flash, snatching away another agent while leaving only a brief gust of wind in its wake. Suddenly, another guard was jettisoned into the air before a ball of webbing struck him, enveloping his entire body in a cocoon once he struck the nearest branch of a tree. All within the span of a few seconds, half of the squadron had been apprehended.
“Oh, my God…” Sweetie Drops whispered, her eyes wide and mouth agape.
The world slowed to a halt once a massive being plummeted from the sky, landing mere inches away from Sweetie Drops. Tremors rushed throughout the ground, causing the surrounding soldiers to lose their footing. As they stumbled, Man-Spider stood upright with all six of its arms stretched out before unleashing a deep roar that generated a shockwave. The surrounding agents clutched at their ears, dropping further into kneeling stances as the creature’s roar grew in pitch. Afterwards, leaves from the trees fell, while some of the agents readied their weapons.
Sweetie Drops slowly fell to her knees, falling into a blank trance once the creature vanished from sight, leaving a light image. Nearly in an instant, Man-Spider appeared behind a pair of the squad members before throwing a wild swipe. The blow sent them careening across the vicinity, until they crashed into the earth with a crack. Everyone else screamed, firing their laser weapons, but leaves whipped by where Man-Spider previously stood, leaving the projectiles to strike only the grass.
“Where did it go–Ack?!” one cried out, nearly choking on his own words as a massive claw wrapped around his neck.
Man-Spider hissed, heaving the agent into a pair of his compatriots. Sweetie Drops trembled fiercely as the last of her comrades screamed at the top of their lungs, dropping their weapon before turning to retreat. However, the creature twitched one of its arms before unleashing a strand of webbing, latching it onto the agent’s back. The force of the gossamer struck the man with enough force to send his body violently into a tree, causing it to quake upon impact.
Man-Spider shifted its head about, analyzing its surroundings. Once certain all threats had been dealt with, it turned to face the lone girl in the vicinity. Sweetie Drop’s breathing grew erratic as the creature stomped towards her. A low growl bellowed from its fanged features, while all six of its eyes seemingly furrowed. A low silence filled the air, leaving Sweetie to hear only the thumping of her heart. Unfortunately, Man-Spider’s claw swiftly reached out and covered the entirety of her face. The girl could only let out a deafening scream potent enough for a city to hear, ultimately to no avail, while her world faded to black.
Aria stopped in her tracks just as she reached the door to her home, inhaling sharply as a cold sensation rushed through the center of her chest. An overwhelming sense of trepidation took hold, evident by the siren’s widened gaze and sweat dripping from her forehead. Biting down onto her lip, Aria shook her head furiously in a desperate attempt to free her mind. She soon opened the door, letting out a relieved sigh upon meeting a welcoming gaze from May.
“Good news, May. I’ve got something that can help,” Aria declared, retrieving the pouch from her pocket. Yet, she paused upon noticing a figure kneeling in front of the hole in Peter’s bedroom. Blinking, Aria furrowed her brow. “Who is that?”
The individual soon turned to the side, glancing from the corner of his eye. “Hey, kid.”
Aria stared intently at the man, sighing upon recognizing his muscular stature and grizzled facade. “Oh, it’s you. Uh, Honey Badger or whatever.”
Logan blinked, his brow twitching at the name. “It’s Wolverine, but stick with Logan.” He paused, raising a finger. “Did the runt tell you that was my name?” Once the girl weakly nodded, the older man grumbled under his breath. “Little troll… I’m going to kill him.”
Shifting her gaze, Aria pursed her lips once making eye contact with May. “You actually got his number?” A realization struck her mind like lightning to a rod as the corner of her lips curled into a knowing smirk. “That explains the late night calls.”
Flustered, May frowned while a faint blush filled her cheeks. “Shush, child.” Sobering, the woman dismissed the thought and placed a hand over her chest. “You said you had something that could help Peter?”
“Yeah. It turns out that Octavious guy that Peter works with knew this was coming and created a serum that can return him to normal,” Aria stated, holding out the pouch. Before she could respond further, Logan took the item from her possession and stole a glance at the syringe within. Simply nodding, as if willingly surrendering the object, Aria crossed her arms. “That’s the only dosage we’ve got, and you have maybe a couple of hours left to give it to him, so please don’t waste it. I trust you more with this than those magical girls.”
Logan nodded, sliding the pouch into his jacket pocket. “I’ll handle it. Thanks, kid. Just wait here while I…”
The man ceased all motion, glancing to the side. Aria and May watched him with narrowed gazes, tilting their heads respectively once he sniffed the air. A loud snikt echoed throughout the home as Wolverine unsheathed his claws, causing both women to yelp involuntarily. Logan’s eyes widened before he sharply turned with his claws raised, narrowly deflecting a spear mere inches away from his face. The weapon ricocheted from the adamantium, spinning until it embedded into the wall. In the distance, a silhouette of a man stood in the shadows.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Wolverine snarled, lowering his body into a defensive stance.
A burst of laughter escaped from the shadows as a bearded man stepped forth, bearing a tribal necklace with teeth and pearls. He also wore an open vest with a lion’s face etched onto it with a mane-like material draped over his shoulders, all while revealing his muscular physique. Wielding both a machete and spear, the man garbed in what appeared to be hunter’s attire smiled widely.
“Same as you, Wolverine!” he boasted, clutching at his weapons tightly, “I am here to indulge… in the hunt!”
To be continued
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Are they dating???
I dont remember that
This is such a DUMB idea
I can even say suicide because you know why
Im not really sure how the magic of friendship can fix THIS SITUATION.
And with their horrible treatment to Parker, the elements will problanly reject them
The moment where The Rainbooms get their arses kicked comes will be treasured in my mind forever! When it comes at least
WHAT!!!!!?
So next chapter is the rainbooms vs man-spider, and they lose and most of them get captured except for Fluttershy, am I missing anything?
https://images.app.goo.gl/VpCkzDL1fK43vfQCA
So Logan's got the cure. That's good.
Kraven's here. That's bad.
Octavius has brought Aria up to speed and gave her the serum he just finished needed to cure Peter. But they only have just a few hours and only one chance to administer the whole dosage before the mutation fully takes root and Peter remains as Man-Spider forever. Wolverine has come to help after receiving Aunt May's call and Kraven the Hunter seems to be joining in the hunt, whether he comes as an ally or a rival remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, Man-Spider had completely overwhelmed Agent Sweetie Drops and the entirety of her SHIELD squad in retaliation and self-defence with nothing held back. If they couldn't take it down, then Rainbow and the Rainbooms definitely don't stand a chance and are in for an utterly humiliating butt-whooping if Fluttershy can't reason with them to reconsider their approach.
Whoa now! Sweetie Drops is really over-stepping her authority here. She's willing to put down a teenager she views as a potential threat and she's not even going to try to help Peter. She is taking after Maria Hill more than Fury.
Ooooh things are heating up. As from all sides of things Man-Spider is being surrounded. From S.H.I.E.L.D to Rainbooms. From Logan to Kraven.
I just wonder when all is said and done. Who will find out whos beneath the mask? After all I feel someone not already In the know will see the cure being administered. Maybe the Mane 6?
If the cover is anything to go by, all the Main 6 aside from Spike and Fluttershy will be caught. Maybe Kraven and Logan will team up for the "hunt"?
Also, it's interesting to see why Flash hates Peter. I wonder how he'll feel when he figures out his Idol is also his rival?
All in all, I eagerly await the rest of the story to unfurl.
Have fun with your suicide. And I wont be rooting for you
Well, I'm glad I saw the other side of The Flash, I want to know what happened with Peter, that he pestered him, practically, throughout Midtown High School and to this day in Canterlot. Also, I hope that the Rainbums will get what they deserve and it will be like beating a baby. Keep writing, you have good work. Hello from Russia
Um…did Peter just…kill those agents?
11525943
Makes sense.
the only thing they can do is hold hands and wait for a rainbow laser.
And some can’t rely on musical instruments either as some need to be plugged into something. And you can’t carry drums with you 24/7
It’s gameover if he yanks just one girl away
I have a theory,
Fluttershy has the power to talk to animals now
Just like chat from marvel
Maybe if she could talk to the man spider as he’s mostly animal now,
Maybe she can calm him down?
oh my, I must say,
meme-arsenal.com/memes/e4ea924a091639066da3b82277aded97.jpg
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For future reference, please compound everything into one comment instead of multiple next time.
I bet twenty bucks on Rainbow Dash, she pees when she's in a real life or death situation. 🤑
11526394
I'd pay to see that
For the record, honey badgers are very, very fierce.
11526589
Exactly. They don't give a ****.
She mentioned an absence, what kind of absence is fury in?
11526841
That’s why Gabby is named honey badger
Pardon my impatient self but, how long does it usually take to write these chapters?
I've noticed some of the previous stories were actually quite fast, while this seems to take a slower burn.
Again sorry, I'm just REALLY excited for the next chapter considering its finally gonna be Rainbooms vs Man-Spider
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Fury is off doing other stuff with the Avengers or whatever. He's a busy guy.
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I'm far busier now than I was then. Back then, I only had two jobs, and both were so laxed that I was able to work on the story while on the clock.
Now I have four jobs (teaching special needs, retail, and two in delivery), own a home, have three dogs, and I'm back in school part-time. So I'm stretched completely thin, and even when I am off, I'm exhausted.
So pardon my slower turnouts. That's why.
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aaaah alrighty, no worries. Thanks for the reply! I just wanted to know
11528192
Haven't you thought of using your vacation days?
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Vacation days? What are those? The jobs I have don't really have those.
Ah I hope Man-Spider doesn't hurt the girls but puts them in their place except for Fluttershy, and yeah like Aria I trust Logan more than them and well well look how came for the hunt
Oh no. It's Kraven the Hunter. I bet you guys millions that he's responsible for Spidey's transformation. I saw this on one of the TV shows.
Ooohhh, Sweetie Drops is SO fired. She should be so lucky as not to become an enemy to SHIELD.