After the Rainbooms escape from the Raft, Pip must rise up in order to defend his city against the new threat that he created...
A year into Pip's career as Spider-Man, things have been going smoothly-- his friends have banded together to defeat the Rainbooms, who have been locked away in a super-max prison for the last six months, new allies have shown themselves in the form of Venom, a symbiotic creature from another planet that has bonded to his best friend, Flash Sentry, and his girlfriend, Adagio Dazzle, is a five hundred-year-old being from yet another planet-- the same planet where his arch-nemisis, Sunset Shimmer, has travelled from. But when the five super-powered girls escape with the help of an old threat, the new heroes must band together once again to survive... but not all of them will make it out the same.
Almost a year had passed since Pip had first put on Spider-Man's mask... the city itself is still the ordinary, crime-ridden decaying husk that it always was, but now with a white-suited spider-themed vigilante swinging around in it, delaying the inevitable.
During the time that had passed, Flash Sentry had joined up with S.W.O.R.D as an agent... he’d just graduated and is now working full-time with the agency. Celestia, still a cripple, is awaiting her trial and mainly a lawyer that would fight for her innocence. While they all do what they do, the Rainbooms were still withering away inside the Raft—a supermax prison just off the coast-line. Other agents of S.W.O.R.D call it ‘New Alcatraz’, with the circumstances it brings.
The five were quite busy with themselves, and their new abilities that Sunset gave them... Rainbow Dash-- or ‘Electro’ as some call her, now—is using her powers to try and bring a brain-dead inmate back to “life”. It’s admirable how eager she is to prove herself... perhaps why she founded the Rainbooms to begin with—a chance for something greater that just happened to blow up in her face.
Fluttershy spends her days constantly put in solitary confinement, either punching the wall, working out, or practicing using her new bladed tail. One could suppose she truly is the Scorion, now...
Applejack is quite different—she hardly remembers much from her old life, and her skull is somewhat flatter, with plates of a virtually indestructible metal alloy implanted onto it. She usually behaved, and her family still look out for her, so she has her own little paradise in her cell, watching old mob movies and doing whatever one would do when one has a metallic skull, and one’s family is an old-fashioned mafia.
Pinkamena is quite fascinating... ever since the battle at the high school, she’s had another symbiote inside of her... apparently a result of Sunset’s energy blast with a piece of Venom attached to her. As such, she has been isolated from the others and locked in a padded cell at least a mile underwater, with a hatch for food or other needs... she otherwise spends her days moping and pathetically nuzzling with her parasitic friend, the poor girl...
And now... Sunset Shimmer. The one woman whose reputation used to strike fear into anyone who hears about her, but now...
The crown’s magic has taken its toll on her body—her once-beautiful form had now withered away, with her skin scaling and possibly itching, and the wings she’d grown to love are gone—reduced to ashes-- with only faded scars left behind... her hair has also started to fall out, leaving few strands here and there, that she had managed to mostly cover up with a large purple ski-cap. As for the inside, Sunset hasn’t changed, much—she'd gathered a following in the prison alongside Sombra, who was locked away alongside the five. The girl may look like a goblin, but she can still have anyone and everyone should she desire to do so.
Perhaps we should have a slice...
I playfully rolled my eyes at the large mechanical arm next to my head.
No, that would never end well.
“How do you know that? Perhaps we could, perhaps we should.” I said to the two mechanical arms whispering in my ear.
Come on, now... I thought the plan was to get Pip back.
Pip... he was possibly the first and only person who cared about me. I once swore that I would make him understand just how special I really am... but, plans change...
I’ve changed.
Then what are we?
“You are my invention—you don’t qualify.” I told them, looking over the prison cameras I was oh-so-generously exchanged in return of the warden’s family remaining on this Earth.
I then caught another glimpse of the goblin-girl... something about her—I couldn’t exactly put my finger on it—drew me to her—perhaps her savage nature? Or maybe her intelligence and strategy? I don’t really know, exactly...
But, all of that could wait until later—but first, they must be freed...
A year ago, our lives were being controlled... a year ago, we were all just trying to get by, at each other’s throats every day because of the Rainbooms.
A year ago, I was alone...
But now?
Now, I’m sticking to the side of a building, wearing an all-white body-suit composed of a virtually indestructible material, courtesy of my ex-girlfriend, as my current girlfriend flew over the building I was clinging to, us speaking through phone, on our way home to get dressed for a movie.
“So... the place is an old theater?” I asked her.
“Yep-- my sisters and I watched Space Wars when it came out, there... it was honestly a blast for Sonata and I, but Aria didn’t mind it. It took us over a week to beg her to come see the second... she liked that one.” She said, letting out a laugh towards the end.
I chuckled along, and we landed on a roof, where I took off my mask to take a breath, and Adagio smiled at me.
“What?” I asked her, still catching my breath.
“Who would’ve thought that Spider-Man got tired?” She chuckled.
I shook my head and put my mask back on.
“Oh, I think you know that better than anyone.” I laughed.
We were almost at the theater when a radio call went through to my mask—mainly thanks to the police scanner that Shining lent me.
“Come in, officers, we have a... masked magician, robbing the bank near the old drive-in in uptown—requesting back-up and possible ambulance, over.”
I then sighed, knowing that our job was far from over.
“Magician, huh? Let’s make their new fortune disappear.” I joked as I shot out my webs to a building and yanked on it, zipping me through the air as Adagio flew next to me.
We had reached the bank, and sure enough, a magician with what seemed to be a large fish bowl on their head and wearing a purple cape above a black skin-tight one-piece.
“Begone, plebs!” The magician—female—shouted as she blasted beams out of her hands, which sent two cop cars a few feet back, pushing four officers over.
“Okay... so what’s the plan?” Adagio asked me.
I let out a faint “hmm” as I then looked up at the bank behind the magician and noticed the larger bags of cash.
“Keep her distracted—I have an idea.” I said.
Adagio nodded as she flew down and got her attention.
“Ahh-- Adagio Dazzle, the Siren! We meet at last!” The magician shouted, very theatrically.
I simply rolled my eyes as I held on to one of the change bags, ready to catch her off-guard.
“You know me?” Adagio asked her.
The magician simply let out a hearty laugh and launched another beam at her, only for her to phase through it and prepared to send out another blast.
I then threw the bag at her...
Only for it to disappear as it hit her.
“Ah! Spider-Man! I confess that it is an honor to meet thee!” She said as she flew over to me.
I jumped past her and shot a web at her helmet, trying to pull it off of her head.
“Oh, come now—let us keep our masks—much more fun!” She said as she grabbed my webbing and pulled me back down, ramming me against the concrete sidewalk.
Adagio then flew over, punching the magician into the wall, allowing me to web her up, trapping her.
“Have at thee—oh, come on! No fair!” The magician whined.
Adagio and I then landed next to her, where I mockingly leaned against the wall.
“Alright, gang—now, let’s see who this ghoul really is!” I mocked as I pulled off the mask to see...
“Man! Tell me, how were the beams? That took forever to make!” Trixie said, her hair undone and in a tangled mess.
I was genuinely caught off-guard—I remembered her from my first date with Adagio...
“Well, well—what drew you to the life of crime? Magic show not good enough?” I asked her, still keeping up the act, with my accent and all.
Trixie simply smiled and moved her head next to my ear, as close as she could manage.
“I know who you are, Pip... the Six are coming for you, and they aren’t going to stop until you’re broken—just like this city.”
Before I could say anything, the cops marched up and pulled out pocket knives, cutting into my webbing and cuffing Trixie, taking her away.
“This is not the end—we shall meet again, Spider-Man! We shall meet again if my name is not... Mysterio! Mistress of Illusion!” Mysterio let out a hearty cackle as she was pushed into the police cruiser.
Two officers were next to us, admiring our handiwork.
“So... you two some kinda hero/sidekick duo or somethin’?” One of them asked.
I smiled as Adagio simply rolled her eyes.
“No, no—we're partners, I’d certainly be dead in a ditch if it weren’t for her.” I genuinely added.
It was true—I could name at least twenty times where Adagio managed to save my life, and I could name five when I saved her’s...
She never often needed it as much as me.
“Oh, Spidey, come on...” She said, laughing a little.
Sure enough, a few poparatzi car rolled up and the flashes of cameras quickly enveloped us.
“Oh, boy—here we go.” I chuckled, getting ahead of the cops.
Sure enough, it was like the horde was upon us, with news reporters and bloggers enveloping us, calling our names in vain attempts of asking their questions.
“Spider-Man! Are the rumors true that you and the Siren are a couple?” One of them asked.
I decided to tell the truth and let out a hearty chuckle.
“Yep-- a whole year, at least.” I said.
That only resulted in more name-calling and more photos taken. She and I kept answering questions, by now knowing that our movie-date was a pipedream, until one certain reporter got our attention by pulling out their phone and simply astounded...
“The Rainbooms have escaped!” He screamed.
Everyone stopped as their phones went off, as well... all showing the same headline...
Rainbooms Escaped Raft, S.W.O.R.D Agent Gives Speech to Press.
Sure enough, everyone was either running off scared, or had turned to us, not saying a word.
“I can assure you that... the Siren and I... will look into the matter, and ensure the safety of Canterlot, as always.” I said as I shot out a web and swung from it as Adagio followed...
The Rainbooms... escaped?
How? Were they the Six that Trixie mentioned? If so, who was the other member? Rarity? No, she changed her ways after the fight at the stadium.
Was it...?
No, it couldn’t be her... she hasn’t shown up since Flash was shot...
Maybe.
Either way, it was time to put the old gang back together.
If anyone had told me a year ago that I was going to break into a prison in the ocean, break out five of the six people who caused me to move out to my mother from said prison, and currently be escorting said people to the run-down, filthy warehouse that I call a lab via a stolen prison bus...
I would’ve called you crazy.
Yet, there I was, doing exactly that... and enjoying it.
“How’s the ride, girls? Bumpy, I hope.” I said as I let out a laugh.
The other five were sitting in their seats, with two of my arms acting as rails, boxing them in their seats, while one was on the pedal, and another was turning the wheel.
“Oh, yeah... just lovely.” Sunset commented as I noticed that her skin was partially flaking off...
“Gah! Keep your flakes over there, Sunny.” Fluttershy said, swatting flakes off of her bare arms.
Sunset simply cackled while I kept my eyes on the road, cautious of any less intelligent plebs who don’t think about avoiding the big, blue bus with prison credentials on the sides of it...
“Hey... who even is this chick? And why does she look like that other one from the whole... ‘crown fight’ last year?” Applejack asked.
I looked in the mirrors, glancing at the girl’s rather short hair, a result of the doctors removing her hair in order to install the plates into her skull.
“You really forgot about me, didn’t you? I’m actually hurt... but you’ll remember, soon....” I said to her.
After a few more minutes of listening to the group bicker with each other, we had arrived—my warehouse was possibly the closest thing I had to a safe house, but it’s done well, keeping me hidden for the last year...
“Hey... those arms, I remember hearing about them a while ago. Some kind of accident at Oscorp with the CEO and her... daughter...” Fluttershy started putting the pieces together and her face said when she discovered the truth—her eyes growing as wide as saucers and her mouth starting to drop.
I let out a smile and used my arms to walk over to her, lowering myself to the ground.
“So, you do remember me... great! Less time for exposition, now follow—we don’t have much time.” I said to the others as I took off my glasses and leaned to the door, allowing my retina scanners to do their task and open the doors.
The others seemed uncertain about following me, so I decided to make my case clear.
“How long do you think you’ll last out there before you’re snatched up again? Besides— I think you’re all going to want to hear what I have to offer...” I said, turning my back to them and “walking” inside.
The others followed and the door automatically closed as they did. The warehouse interior was dark and rather cluttered—mainly my fault, thanks to my extensive research on the five and their conditions.
“So... what's this extermination you talked to me about?” Sunset asked, scratching the back of her head.
I smiled, somewhat happy that she remembered our conversation, and turned to the group, holding the remote that I wired the entire lab to.
“First off... you all need to understand that I am in charge here... not any of you.” I said, using my arms to raise up above the others, a faint smile starting to form on my face.
I could see that not everyone was on-board for that—especially Sunset.
“Next, Pipsqueak is Spider-Man... just in case any of you didn’t know.” I threw at them, seeing some shock on Pinkamena’s face, but mostly everyone stayed agitated.
“I can see that there’s a disagreement with me being in charge...” I said, hoping that one of them would do something.
Sure enough, Sunset stepped forward, cracking her knuckles.
“I may be powerless, but don’t think that I don’t remember a thing or two about this world’s Twilight Sparkle.” She said, trying to sound tough, like she did before.
It was cute but futile as I simply rested one of my top two arms on her shoulder.
“What was that, little Goblin? Say it again, with your big girl voice...” I smiled.
That got her mad... she let out a shout as she swatted the arm away and lunged at me...
Only for my other arm to swat her to the side.
That act of violence encouraged the others to charge, with Pinkamena, her red symbiote enveloping her as she transformed into Carnage. She then extended her arms, forming two sharp blades.
“Oh, I’ve been waiting for some action!” She smiled through large, yellow teeth.
One thing I’ve noted was that Pinkamena’s symbiote doesn’t seem to have consciousness—it's rather an extension of her mind, some form of puppet...
But was this “Carnage” the puppet, or was she?
It was time to find out as I aimed my arms at her, and activating sonic cannons that I had installed just for this occasion, the waves of sound starting to overwhelm the crazed girl, causing her red, slimy friend to start to instinctively separate from her.
“No!” Pinkamena cried out, grabbing handfuls of symbiote in her hands.
I could’ve stopped there, give her a taste of what I could do...
But that’d make me look soft. I increased the power and watched as Pinkamena was almost spat out of the symbiote.
“Symbiotes can’t live in oxygen-rich environments, Pinkamena! Biologically speaking, that’s why they need a host. Your red little friend has at least 2 minutes before it’s just a pathetic... shriveled-up... corpse.” I said, moving closer to Pinkamena for every word I empathized.
Sunset got up again and started charging at me, but I responded by slamming her into the wall with one arm.
“Stop! Please... please.” She begged.
I couldn’t help myself at that point-- a psychopathic killer who brutally yet silently disposed of her entire family in one night, and made at least one student a year disappear... begging at my feet.
I was cackling like a maniac out of joy.
“I could... but how do I know that you won’t use those blades of yours just to try again? Hmm?” I asked her, using one of my bottom arms to hold her into the ground...
“I won’t... I won’t! I promise you... I won’t betray you!” She cried out, watching Carnage’s color start to fade.
I swiftly deactivated the cannons, allowing Pinkamena to crawl over to her little friend and hold... it tight as it bonded back to her.
I turned to see the others, none of them daring to move over what I had just done...
“Jesus...” Applejack whispered.
I flashed them a wide smile as I rotated myself towards Pinkamena, who by this point was enveloped into Carnage again. Before I could get up, I used my claw to hold her in place again, shifting the arms so I was a few feet away from her.
“Say it again...” I whispered.
She seemed confused at first, but I didn’t care—I applied more pressure to her, sicker parts of my mind enjoying her pain-filled screams.
“Say it... again. Just so I can hear.” I smiled again.
Pinkamena seemed to get the message as she took a pained breath.
“I... won’t betray you.” She whispered.
I finally let my smile fade and removed my arm from her back, setting it back into the ground as she cowardly walked back towards the others.
“Now... anyone else have anything they’d like to add?” I asked the group.
None of them responded, so I took it as them declining.
“Great! Now... for the part where you all get upgrades.” I smiled as I pressed another button on the remote, revealing all of the work I had accomplished in the last year...
The group was somewhat surprised as they saw the gear and armor I had created for them.
“Whoa... is... that mine?” Rainbow asked, seeing the glider.
“No, actually—that one is for the Goblin. So is this... form of an antidote I managed to concoct for your little... flaking problem, as Fluttershy put it.” I told her.
She seemed confused, somewhat stunned, so I decided to fill her in.
“This antidote should prevent your skin cells from dying, replace the hair follicles... but in the end, your skin will still be green...” I told her as I handed the antidote to her.
She didn’t even hesitate as she popped the lid and started drinking.
“The glider was tricky... but not impossible. I know how much you missed flight, so I did the best I could to return it...” I said as I moved my arms closer to her.
“Go on.... give it a ride.” I said to her.
She was acting like a little girl as she jumped on the glider and it activated for her, lifting her into the air at least a few feet. The awestruck and grateful look on her face didn’t really matter to me...
But the idea that the arms gave me was now starting to manifest.
“Hey, how about the rest of us?! I don’t see no cool-ass shit for me!” Applejack cried out in envy.
I sighed and lowered myself to the ground, limping towards her, much to the others’ surprise.
“Applejack... granddaughter of the Granny Smith—notorious mobster during the Great Depression... while the rest of the country suffered, your family lived in luxury, prospering off of the need for food and produce that your farm delivered... but your family’s farm was raided by another gang... your only source of security and income... gone. To top it all off, they killed your grandfather, right in front of your grandmother... so instead of backing down, she ordered a massacre on them... all of them.” I retold the story to her... she no doubt heard it from the woman herself many times throughout her childhood.
Applejack seemed confused... perhaps the result of her brain damage from Sunset crushing her skull...
“Your familial power alone tops anything I can possibly give you. Now, mix that with an indestructible skull and immense strength once you get your Geode back...” I implied to her.
She was now only more confused but understood what I was going for.
“As for you, Rainbow Dash... you have all of that electricity, but no clue on how to use it... until now.” I said as I used my hand to walk her towards the suit I designed for her, capable of harnessing her electricity and shooting it out as arcs.
“You founded the Rainbooms because you all wanted power... your paths just happened to cross, and you decided to all work together. Think of all of this as a redesign of that intention.” I told her.
Rainbow simply smirked, walking over and starting to put the suit on.
“Now, for Fluttershy...”
She seemed so... eager. I despised it...
“Tell me, where do you get off? First off, you join the Rainbooms and hook up with Rainbow Dash to secure your place of power, and when Sunset starts taking command, you leave her... for this.” I said, pointing to Sunset, who was now flying around carelessly.
I then turned towards the four mechanical legs that I had designed.
“But, since the others got something, then you have too, as well, I suppose. The legs will help you scale any surface, and should enable more possibilities for combat, something that I also know that you are a fan of...” I mumbled towards the end.
Fluttershy then walked over and used her tail to climb into the harness, securing herself as the legs soon came to life, using an upgraded version of my neural link.
“Well, as soon as everyone is ready... let’s talk about how to get rid of our little spider-problem...” I smiled once more, ready to finally show the world just how special we all are...
“Okay, remember... no killing on this one, keep it controlled. Got it, V?” I asked Venom as we both looked over the small compound.
You got it, but just remember that if we get cornered.
I let out a chuckle as Venom then began to envelop me, turning us into what we’ve dubbed as Agent Venom, mostly due to our military-like armor designed to mirror S.W.O.R.D’s agents and we leapt into the air, landing on the roof.
Alright, you know the plan, we sneak inside the compound, go past the guards, and capture the target with the help of the S.W.O.R.D sleeper agent—got it?
“Got it—no killing, stay in cover, find the agent-guy, get the bad guy, and take him in.”
A smile started to form on my face about Venom’s simplicity—you didn’t need to take much time explaining things to him, just give him the details and he’ll get it done.
We noticed an opening in the vents—possibly from the double-agent—and entered through it, reducing our armor so we can fit. The inside of the vent was covered in dust and grime, Venom growing slightly agitated with the particles sticking to us.
Remind me to shower when we get home.
“Okay-- shower when we get home.”
I laughed a little, grateful that no-one else could hear, and we reached the end of the vent, noticing the two guards watching nearby.
You ready?
Venom responded by shooting out two tendrils at the guards, zipping them towards us, and successfully knocking them both out, with a simple adjustment of our fists.
Ni-ice.
Venom formed a mouth just to smile as we zipped over to the guards where Venom unwrapped himself from me, allowing me to strip and quickly switch into the guard’s uniform, putting on their cap to fully disguise myself, storing the agents’ bodies into the vent.
“Alright-- the agent sent us a code-phrase to use, you remember it?” I asked Venom as I walked through the facility, testing Venom’s attention.
Hmm... Oh, yes—it's: ‘Have you seen my badge?’ and we’re supposed to say ‘Yes-- it was in the boiler room.’
I smiled, tipping my hat as armed guards passed us.
“And they aren’t supposed to be armed.” I reminded him as well as myself.
Yes—that, too.
After the guards passed us, I continued to search the compound until I spotted a lone guard, unarmed and looking around.
“Alright, I think I got him—just stay calm, and wait for my signal if things go wrong.” I told Venom as I approached the agent.
“Hey, have you seen my badge?” He asked me.
I felt the small jolt as I realized that he was the agent.
“Yeah-- it was in the boiler room.” I told him, completing the phrase.
He sighed in relief and signaled us to follow him, eager to be alone.
We managed to reach a lone corridor where he looked around for cameras and he then confronted me.
“Thank God—I was starting to think you’d never show up... you’re Agent... Venom, right?”
I nodded, proud of our new name.
“Yep, that’s us.” I said to him.
The agent let out a chuckle, and then, suddenly and violently, kicked me against the wall and pulled his gun to my head.
“Good-- we knew that agent we caught snooping around was waiting for an Agent Venom. Come on out!” The guard called out as at least 20 other guards surrounded us.
I felt Venom swirl around in anticipation as I started to plan our attack...
“You ready, V?” I asked out loud.
“Ready? Ready for what?” The guard asked, his aim starting to shake.
I only answered him by handing control to Venom, allowing him to wrap around me as he quickly stuck to the wall, using our legs to kick the guard across the room, allowing us to shot a tendril at his gun and pull it towards us, where we then shot one guard in the leg and the other in the shoulder, incapacitating them.
“So much for the quiet way...” Venom said as we turned to all the other guards...
The guards all opened fire, and we quickly pulled symbiote from our back to form into a shield in the front, leaving a weak spot, but defending us from the fire in front of us.
Okay, are you ready, Venom?
Venom clearly hesitated, and I felt his worry.
“What if something happens, we never went through this, yet--”
It’ll just be for a minute, I promise— go!
Venom reluctantly took his aim and shot out of me in the form of several sharp spikes, nailing the 20 guards in non-lethal places. He then liquified and reformed himself, slithering over to me and quickly enveloping me again.
There, wasn’t so bad, was it?
“That was awesome! Now, I believe we have a bad guy to catch...”
Venom then zipped out of the room, sticking us to the ceiling, where we looked around to see that the coast was clear...
Keep an eye out for an ambush... this guy’s around here, somewhere. Hold up, lemme have an arm.
Venom shifted his essence away from my left arm, where I grabbed the thermal goggles I brought for the mission and put them over Venom’s eyes.
What do you see, buddy?
“He’s on the move, headed into the hallway we’re in... fool.”
I smiled as Venom took control of my arm again, just in time for the target’s breath to be heard as he ran down the hallway.
Wait for it...
Venom listened to me and waited... the target stopped to catch his breath, looking around in every direction but up...
Now!
Venom quickly lunged onto the ground, landing on top of him...
“Admiral Weaving, you’re time of tyranny ends here...”
Silence... and...
“Bon-Bon, what’s the time on that one?” I asked as Venom unwrapped himself from my face.
I stood up from the actor and helped him to his feet, ignoring the clapping from military generals in the background.
“6 minutes and 24 seconds... that’s an academy record.” Bon-Bon said as she pocketed her pocket-watch.
I smiled while Venom slithered out and waved a tendril “hello” to Bon-Bon. I internally smiled and rolled my eyes as she waved back.
One of the generals, Spitfire, stepped out of the viewing booth and approached the two of us.
“I gotta admit, we ran this scenario with 10 of S.W.O.R.D’s top agents last year, and they managed a 9-minute run. I liked what you did with the spikes and that shield—very creative, something that’ll keep you alive in the field.” She said to me.
Another one of the generals, Iron Will, seemed to have a different opinion.
“And like those other agents, you turned what was supposed to be a discreet mission into an all-out skirmish... you willingly disobeyed orders to complete the mission...”
Venom seemed angry at that, but I signaled him to settle, I knew he wasn’t done, yet.
“...but that was the point of the scenario—in a real mission, in a real battlefield, you never know what’s going to happen, and sometimes not all of the intel in the world can prepare you for a sabotage or an ambush. But you handled yourself—yourselves like a true soldier, as well as a true agent... keep up the good work.” Iron Will said as he held out his hand.
I smiled and shook it, Venom helping me compensate for Iron Will’s stong grip.
“Alright, cheer him on later—we just received word of a new mission for him.” Bon-Bon said, setting her hand on my shoulder and leading me away from the generals.
“Flash, Venom, we have a situation—there was a break-out at the Raft just 12 hours ago... the Rainbooms are among the escapees.”
My blood ran cold as Venom stopped moving around...
“...What?” I asked her.
“We’ve sent a disbatch of agents, and Spider-Man and the Siren are doing their part--”
“Take us to her... now.” I said, using Venom near the end.
Don’t talk to her that way.
“Don’t worry—we already have a ride for you.” She said with a knowing smile.
“Okay... Where's the jet?” I asked her.
Behind us, a rather loud engine roared over us and elegantly landed behind us.
“Well... not a plane, per-se...” She smiled, prompting me to turn around to see our ride...
If you had told me the other day that Adagio and I were going to spend our afternoon taking on an electrified monster draining out the city’s powerlines and shooting arcs of electricity back at us... I would’ve called you crazy.
Yet, here we were.
Adagio had taken a few hits, but she dealt them right back, as well. As for me, I was trying to find a way to overload her suit, which was using her mutation and allowing for her to shoot out the electricity she was draining, much more powerful that the stories I heard her doing without it.
“And where again did you get all that tech?” Adagio asked Rainbow Dash.
She didn’t answer—no boasting, no proud quip, she just shot out another arc.
“If I tell you too early... she’ll kill me.” Rainbow said, clearly exhausted and fear resonating in her voice.
That was something I never heard from her—in all of our free-running sessions and our... other activities, I never saw or heard fear like this from her... the only closest time I could recall was when we almost got splattered by a train during a run. But even that didn’t compare to the pupil-dilated, blood-chilling fear resonating from her...
“Who? Who’s going to kill you?” I asked as I web-zipped away from a lightning strike.
That got her mad, she took a moment to charge up again, the yellow lightning resonating from her turned blue as her eyes began to glow.
“Aren’t you listening?! I can’t tell you if I want to! I just... can’t!” Rainbow screamed as she let her power blast out of her in one focused arc, hitting Adagio in the chest, causing her to drop to the ground.
“No!” I screamed, my accent thrown out of the window as I quickly zipped over to her, feeling for a pulse.
None... for a brief moment.
Adagio quickly gasped back into life, me ignoring the gunfire for a brief moment to tend to Adagio’s shock.
“You okay?” I asked her in relief.
She took a moment and scoffed.
“For just dying, yes... I’ll be fine, now let’s deal with her.” She said as she rose to her feet, much to Rainbow’s surprise.
She began charging up again, focusing her aim on me... until out of nowhere, a loud engine started to ring, and a bright light shone in the distance.
And our comms were compromised.
“Hello, Pip—it's been a while. Miss me?” The very familiar voice asked.
No...
Rainbow was caught off-guard by a net shot around her, incapacitating her with the help of electric shocks.
“Hey! What the hell?!” She asked, receiving another shock.
Behind us, she, covered in some kind of metallic armor, landed, looking up in what can only be described as modernized knight’s armor, composed of metal and two large cylinders on her arms, and two more on her legs.
“Um... pardon me, but who exactly are you?” Adagio asked the iron-knight...
She turned around and pressed a button on the side of her helmet, allowing the face-plate to retract, revealing the magenta-skinned girl with grayish violet hair with white streaks...
“Diamond... Agent Diamond.” She said as I saw Flash leap next to her, Venom enveloping him.
Adagio was clearly confused, and I was simply aghast to see Diamond again, after all of this time...
“Let’s deal with introductions later... right now, we have an electric super-villian to question.” Flash said, gesturing to an unconsious Rainbow Dash...
Flash, Adagio, Diamond and I were all in a S.W.O.R.D base located outside the city. None of us said a word to each other, mainly due to Diamond and I possibly creating an awkward mood.
“So... Spider-Man, let me get this straight—you got the spider bite on a trip to Oscorp?” She asked, calibrating her repulsor-arm.
“Yep-- I still never found out what that spider was made for...” I said, wanting to avoid the small-talk.
She seemingly picked up on my mood and decided to play on it.
“So, how’s Rarity? Last I saw you, you were just 4-foot-8, wearing that damned collar.” She joked.
Adagio gave me a raised eyebrow and Flash flashed me a thumbs-up while I caressed my neck, that oddly started tingling again, clearing my throat.
“Well, last I saw you, you were holed up in your mansion while Sunset took the school away from ya’.” I said, recalling the days when Diamond was the “Princess” of Canterlot High...
Diamond was only called that because of her father’s wealth, nothing more... she was always laid back and only wanted to get school over with, just like the rest of us. Things were a lot quieter with her around—back then, the Rainbooms were just a small band, and I was just a kid trying to get by... but after Sunset arrived, everything changed.
“Yeah, and when you got your powers, what exactly did you do with them?” She asked, now tightening a screw in her armored-arm.
In reality, I started a vlog, but I wasn’t going to tell her that.
“I looked into Oscorp, started lookin’ for a college class I could take to look into my bite... sure enough, I got in. That... didn’t go as well as planned.” I said, remembering Twilight and that whole adventure.
Diamond finished with her arm, removing the armor and setting it back into place with the rest of the set, a loud click ringing out as Diamond backed away from it.
“So... what’s your hero name?” I asked her.
Diamond hummed and turned to face me.
“Never gave myself one—never got to. I’m kinda above that, y’know?” She said, taking a seat again.
Flash and Adagio were giving glances back and forth, possibly sensing that things were going to go off between the two of us.
“So... tell me, hero, when Sunset Shimmer was a power-fueled goblin shooting fire and wreaking havoc on Canterlot High, where were you?” I asked her.
Diamond, who was tinkering with a pair of glasses, had set them down and rose from her seat, me doing the same.
“Well, I was stopping my father from selling an entire nuclear arsenal to a terrorist ring, and after that, I was destroying every single weapon that my father’s company created and helped the rest of the world beyond of this hellhole--”
“That’s enough!” Bon-Bon said, stopping us from arguing further.
We both stopped and sat back down, unwilling to start a fight.
“I get that you two have history, but that’s over now—if we have any hope of bringing the Rainbooms back into custody, it’s going to take all of us. Together.” Bon-Bon said, getting in between us to make us see her.
I crossed my arms and Diamond simply put on her glasses, turning them into tinted sunglasses with the touch of the rims.
“Alright-- so where’s Electro?” Diamond asked.
Electro?
“Who?” Adagio and I asked at once.
Flash let out a grin and Diamond shook her head with a similar smile.
“Electro-- Rainbow Dash's new name in the streets. Did any of you even look into her file?” She asked.
Flash flashed a toothy grin and I was silently begging him to not say anything.
“No, but I think he looked into something else of hers back in the day...”
Adagio let out a laugh and Diamond grinned, my face burning up.
“Alright, save the jokes for later—we need to get Rainbow to talk, and none of our agents are able to... so, Flash, Diamond, Pip—you're up. Adagio, come with me—we gotta talk about your fashion sense...”
Adagio, still suited up in her black hooded cloak, rolled her eyes and got up from her seat.
“Sure thing, mom...”
Back when I... knew Rainbow Dash, she never took anything from anyone—she was always arrogant and cocky, but loyal to a fault... I knew she wouldn’t just give away whatever plan she has... especially if it involves Fluttershy.
The three of us entered the holding cell as the formerly boasting scandal was looking at the table, not once looking up at us, or showing any sign of boasting or crass...
“Rainbow. We need to talk about who gave you that tech. Who was it? Oscorp? Terrorist organization? Any leftovers from my father’s company?” Diamond asked her.
Rainbow only looked up to the sound of her voice and let out a chuckle.
“Diamond Tiara... long time, no see.” She laughed, shaking her head.
None of us said a word as Flash let Venom engulf him, save for his head, so he was partially in control... I think.
“So... how’s your year been? Is the education nice in the Raft?” He asked her, leaning onto the table.
Rainbow only smiled and shook her head.
“Is this your form of interrogation? Small talk and catching up? Trust me, it’ll take more than that to get me to talk.”
Flash only chuckled and pulled out a necklace from his pocket...
It couldn’t be...
“Remember this? I do—Sunset used this to read my mind against my will way more than once... Let me tell you, the sensation... it takes a while to get used to. So, you could either just tell me whoever freed you, and what their plans are, or I could just take that information for myself...” Flash put on the necklace, his eyes glowing white for a split second before returning back to normal.
“...so, what’s it gonna be?” He asked, slowly moving his hand towards her.
Rainbow didn’t say anything, she just glanced up and back down again, glancing at her arm...
I decided to get in front of the two and glance at Rainbow’s arm, noticing a large bruise on it...
“Who did this?” I asked her.
She quickly moved her arm away and adjust it so the bruise was hidden.
“I... won’t... betray her. She's not like Sunset, she's... worse.” She whispered in fear...
“Who?” Flash asked as he set his hand on her arm, his eyes glowing white.
There was silence for a moment as Flash somberly moved his hand away from her, not saying a word, and looking at the floor.
“I... I’m sorry.” He said simply.
Rainbow... started to cry.
None of us knew what to do, save for Flash, who removed the necklace and handed it to Bon-Bon, who just entered the room and saw the scene...
“It was Twilight... Our Twilight.” Flash said as the guards escorted her back to her cell...
My blood ran cold—Twilight wasn’t heard from for over a year, ever since she gave Flash the symbiote to save his life.
“What did you see?” I asked him, wanting answers.
He glanced at me, shaking his head and letting out a sigh... Venom emerged from him and turned to me.
“It’s better if you don’t know...”
“Why did I think Rainbow Dash could do this one simple thing?!” I asked, using my mechanical arms to toss an empty desk over in rage.
"I mean to be fair, you did... whatever you did with her once ya pummeled the rest of us..." Applejack said from the side.
Ah, yes-- I may have tortured Rainbow a bit-- just to ensure that what happened with her and Sunset won't happen to her and I.
The remaining four idiots didn’t do much, they just sat back and occasionally tested their new gifts—mostly Sunset, riding that damned glider, driving me insane.
“For the love of... would you stop with that damned glider for five minutes?!”
Sunset glanced at me and silently obeyed, deactivating the glider and joining the others on a small set-up where the others were playing a card game...
“Oh! Plus four, Fluttershy!” Pinkamena shouted with glee as Fluttershy used her tail to grab four more cards from the deck.
“Y’know, Twi’... maybe Sunset and the rest of us would be more on-board if you told us what this plan even is... other than that it involves our Geodes.” Fluttershy said, glancing at me...
I couldn’t tell those fools the whole plan—not until they absolutely needed to know it.
But, they somewhat deserve to know something...
“The Geodes that Sunset forged for you... I want one.”
They didn’t really react much, save for Sunset, who sat up a tad...
“But, to do that, we’d have to go back to Equestria...” She started putting the pieces together and simply nodded to me.
“But we can’t do this plan without all of you... so get ready... we break Rainbow out soon.” I said to the others, glancing at one of my boards where I saw the design I had come up with for my Geode—very much like that crown that gave Sunset her Goblin-powers before they were taken from her...
“Do... you have... any... fours?” Diamond asked, searching through her cards.
After a quick glance, I shook my head.
“Go Fish.” I said to her.
She picked a card up, and I figure that now was a good time to talk about Pip...
“Look, don’t take what Pip said back there to heart, he’s... just going through a lot, with the Rainbooms out of prison, and his sister... well, she’s another story.” I said, not wanting to get it into the grizzly details about her recent... “outings”.
“Yeah, I heard-- wasn’t she in a coma for a while?” She asked.
“Yep... Sunset Shimmer put her in it with her powers... thank God those’re gone, now...” I told her, not wanting to recall the things Sunset subjected a lucky handful of us to... including me.
Diamond hummed in agreement, but her usual cocky grin faded at my statement, her glance shifting to the floor...
“You alright?” I asked her.
She glanced at me for a moment, and the smile slightly returned.
“Yeah... just thinking about an old friend of mine.” She said as her glance fell back from the ground on to me again...
I’ve seen the look in her eyes before, and internally rolled my eyes at it.
What?
She’s into me.
How the hell can you tell that from a look?
Just trust me, V.
She started forming a smug grin as she scooted into the the table, a foreign, rather cold force slipping into my pant-leg...
V, what did I tell you about nuzzling me?
That isn’t me...
I fought the smile forming on my face as I started reshuffling the cards.
“So, Flash... what inspired you to join S.W.O.R.D?” She asked, a faint smile on her face as she went through her phone...
“Well, y’know-- after Venom saved my life and I learned about Pip being Spider-Man? I was pretty overwhelmed... things didn’t get any better when Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack almost killed me and crippled Celestia. When Sunset was beaten, when the Rainbooms were finally recognized for the monsters they really are... that was all I wanted. But I had a lot of sins to atone for, so... I looked into S.W.O.R.D after Pip and I met Bon-Bon at the stadium that day. Octavia came with me, but... that didn’t end well.” I recalled, happy to have someone else to talk to other than my alien BFF.
Diamond glanced at me for a moment, and simply hummed, going back to her phone and her foot moving around my lower leg.
“Now that you mention sins to atone for, I managed to look into your file—hope you don’t mind—and I found a criminal record... Mind telling me what you were doing at the Bar with No Name about two years ago?” Diamond asked, her foot starting to feel its way around my leg.
I chuckled and set the cards down, knowing that neither of us were into them, anymore...
“I was with Sunset back then, we went there to chat with people of our type of people... or at least what I thought was my type of crowd.
“Hmm... I see. Y’know, I’m an honest girl—at least I try to be, and I’m also not an idiot...” She said, her foot stopping at my shin.
And promptly pulled back out, and kicked it, causing me to recoil in pain as she rested her repulsor-arm on the table, her palm starting to glow.
“Ow! What was that for?” I asked her, massaging my sore leg.
“I also read that you were charged with involuntary manslaughter. Also that Sunset Shimmer had enough dirt on you to have you put away for 30 years minimum... What are you hiding, Flash Sentry?” She asked, crossing her arms.
Venom was agitated, emerging and getting into Diamond’s face.
“I don’t know who the hell you are, but in the time I’ve known Flash, he has been the best host any Klyntar could ask for! He isn’t perfect, but who is, really? He did things, things that ruined more than a few lives, but guess what? He’s owning up to it, all of it... and how dare you think otherwise?!“
Diamond only hummed, her face still, as Venom slithered back into me, disappearing into... wherever he goes once he’s inside me...
God, there’s got to be a better way to phrase that.
“The only reason you aren’t in cuffs right now is because I think that most of that dirt is bull, alongside the fact that Director Tempest respects you. Other than that, consider us partners, nothing else.” She said, setting her helmet back on her head and about to fly away as it started beeping to her.
Wait... DIRECTOR Tempest... respects me?
Don’t get any bright ideas, Flash... this one just blew up in your face.
Hey, this was different! She was lowering my guard.
Yeah, sure... like Aria?
“Uh, oh... Silver, what’s the situation?” Diamond asked in the background, not that I was able to hear her, due to Venom’s hurtful comment.
Oh, shit, sorry... I didn’t think that--
Watch your mouth, and no, it’s okay... and it wasn’t the same. Aria was... she wanted to go home, okay? She just didn’t tell me, or anyone else...
And that makes it okay?
I wasn’t able to respond as I tuned back into reality and saw Diamond, shaking her head and cursing out loud.
“Got it, thanks.” She said as she removed her helmet face-plate with the push of a button on the side of her head.
She turned to me, with Venom settling on the top of my head in curiosity.
“Suit up, you two... we have inbound.” She smiled as she set her face plate back on.
As Venom enveloped me, Diamond ran next to the wall, jumped on and off of it, and began to fly with her jet-packs...
A year ago, you wouldn’t have gotten me to say that sentence, but here we were.
Diamond flew through a large open window and we weren’t so far behind, Venom shooting out a tendril and whipping us over to it, beginning to climb the wall outside.
“Where’re Pip and Adagio?” We asked Diamond.
“Bon-Bon borrowed them for a moment, something about Adagio’s armor... or lack of it.” She answered as we climbed to the roof and felt the violent quaking as a snake-like mechanical arm drove its pincers into the roof and pull Twilight Sparkle upwards...
“Hello, plebeians... nice antique.” She taunted, the arms lowering Twilight to her legs, with the hint of a wobble in her stature.
Our eyes squinted while Diamond clearly didn’t like her armor being called an antique.
“Oh, let me show you what an antique looks like!” She said as she flew towards Twilight.
She only smiled and used her two top arms to hold Diamond back, much to her shock.
“Wha--?”
Twilight quickly slammed Diamond to the ground and used her two bottom arms to walk forwards, resting her left bottom arm on top of Diamond, causing a groan of agony from her.
“Ah, the parasite. It’s honestly nice to see you again, Flash... but I was hoping you’d be on my side.” She said, her bottom arms extending to rise her up.
I felt Venom’s face pull apart and expose my face to the warmth and also feel the hints of dust from the building...
“Like I’d ever join a mad doctor and a goblin...” I said to her, that insult clearly getting under her skin.
She responded by rising her arm stepping on Diamond and slamming it back down, embedding poor Diamond into the ground.
“The day that I willingly set foot anywhere near that freak is the day that I die, Flash!” She said as she launched her front-arms at us.
Venom covered my face again and we leapt out the way, dodging the arms that were now imprinted to the ground.
“Stand still, Flash! I just want to demolish you!” She cackled as she went for another strike.
Venom shot a tendril out at Twilight’s mechanical arm and yanked it to the ground, allowing Diamond to open fire at it with energy blasts from her hands.
Oh, shit!
We gotta get our hands on some of those...
Diamond clearly saw us marveling at her blasts and chuckled.
“Like it? It’s all from the arc reactor—think of it as a limitless battery--”
Twilight swatted Diamond away and glanced at her damaged arm, with the claws inoperable and sparks shooting out of it.
“Enough talk! Where is Electro?! Tell us, and maybe we’ll spare Venom from intense experimentations!” Twilight screamed, her eyes starting to twitch.
“Wait... us?“
The unasked question was answered with the sound of jets in the distance and a very distinct cackle...
We turned around and got treated with an orange, rapidilly beeping ball...
Get back, it’s a bomb!
Venom, instead of getting back, quickly unbonded from me and dove over the bomb, blocking us from the explosion that followed, accompanied with a horrifying screech.
“Miss me, Flashie?! I missed you!” Sunset faintly cackled as Venom quickly bonded back with me.
Sunset swooped down in a mechanical glider and we rolled out of the way.
“Oh, no! We aren’t doing this dance again!” We said as Sunset stopped swooping and hovered near us, allowing us to see her purple-colored armor with green-colored arms and legs, with her skin tone improved, now a deeper shade of pale, and her hair strands covered by a purple ski-cap. Her black-and-red eyes were covered by yellow-tinted tactical goggles.
“Nice get-up. A bit too armory, but all-in-all...” We said, letting out a laugh.
“Now!” I faintly heard Pip’s not-too-shabby American accent.
From above us, a green beam shot down, damaging Sunset’s glider.
“No!” She screamed out as the glider started to falter, dropping us.
Pip then swung in and shot webs into the thrusters, stopping their rotors and causing the glider to descend into the forest around the base.
“We’ll meet again, Spider-Man!” She screamed, smoke emitting from her glider as she threw one of those bombs against the building, blowing a hole inside of it...
As Venom and I plummeted, he started forming the parachute again, but Adagio swooped in and caught us, now donned with all-black armor and her cloak now traded in for a cape/hood mix, and her bandana replaced for an eye-mask.
“Need a lift?” She asked, her voice slightly modulated.
Venom slowly unwrapped from me, going back through the small in my back.
“Yeah... thanks.” I said, breathing in a sigh of relief.
“Good... ‘cause we’re not done just yet.” She said as we landed next to Pip, who was standing in front of Twilight, now lowered to the ground entirely...
“What happened to you, Twi’? When did things turn into this?” He asked her.
Twilight took a moment to... limp towards us, Pip’s for-some-reason expressive lenses widening in shock.
“After I ran out from Oscorp... I had to find funding for my experiments. The things that I had to resort myself to... it was all a blur for me, but then Kingpin found me. By then, the only concern I had was building up my inventions. So, in an agreement, I did some dirty work for him, and in return, he provided me the appropriate funding. After the incident at CHS, I cut off ties with him... he did his part, and it was time to move on to the next phase...”
Diamond was clearly getting bored of Twilight’s words, and decided to make it known.
“You talk too much.” She said as a piece of her shoulder-armor emerged, and a loud whirring started to emit, causing us to wince in pain...
A small missile shot out and started heading for Twilight, but she simply aimed her top-right arm and grabbed it, holding it until the flames out the back sputtered out, and dropped it.
“Diamond Tiara... you were quite the effort to study. A suit of armor composed of nickel/titanium, and the press calls you Ironheart?” She let out a chuckle.
I turned to Diamond, confused over the name, but she simply shook her head.
“Yeah, I didn’t choose the name... I didn’t choose any, actually.” She said as her voice still carried the shock from Twilight simply disabling her missle.
She then held up another claw, blasting an electromagnetic pulse that affected all three of us, with Venom starting to screech shoot out tendrils and have Diamond’s armor deactivate.
“Dah, son-of-a--” Diamond cursed as she turned to me and saw our effects...
“Wow-- I never thought that Venom would react better than Carnage did.” She said...
Carnage?
Oh, no...
Oh, no? What does oh, no mean?
“I see that Venom didn’t inform you about his little accident back at the Battle of the Bands. I’ll let him explain it to you--”
Pip then went for the offensive, shooting out webs towards her and trying to pull her down, but Twilight used her arm to gently pull him up and grab his arm, with Pip trying to beat her arm away.
“Oh, Pip... you always were straight-to-the-point.” She said as her grip tightened and she slammed him into the ground and flung him back next to us.
“Pip!” Adagio cried as she flew over to him, using her force fields to block Twilight’s arms.
We all turned as she flew up towards the roof, holding Sunset as they both landed.
“Hey, RD! How was the Raft?” Pip asked her, letting out a pained cough.
For a split second, she hesitated, her smug smile fading, but it quickly returned.
“Eh, it was on-and-off. The food sucked, so did the bedding... but, hey, you get what you get.” She said as sparks resonated from her body, her eyes glowing yellow.
The two of them were ready to fight, and the rest of us prepared to do the same, but Twilight set her mechanical arm on Sunset’s shoulder.
“That’s enough... let’s go.” She said as she turned towards Rainbow.
She smiled and walked in between the two, holding one hand into the air and charging her up, a loud boom ringing out as they all vanished...
Behind us, the roof-door slammed open as Bon-Bon ran out, seeing the black mark left from their teleportation...
“Where are they?!” She asked, her pistol trained.
We all turned to Pip, who Adagio was resting her hand on.
“Shhh, I know... this spell should help heal you...” She said to him.
I quickly walked over and signalled Adagio to move her hand away, and I replaced it with mine.
“Okay, Pip, this’ll feel a little weird.” I said as Venom left me and went into him.
He let out a strange noise as his veins started turning black and his bruises and cuts started fading away as Venom emerged onto them, healing him.
“Oh, God, this feels so weird!” He said, possibly not hearing what I said to him, earlier.
As Venom did his work, I turned to Bon-Bon, who was surprised at Venom’s healing ability.
“Huh... didn’t know he could do that.” She said, marveling as Pip started getting used to the feeling.
“Yeah... it just takes some getting-used-to.” I said to her.
Venom emerged from Pip’s chest, giving me a thumbs-up, letting me that his work was done. Pip just looked up in absolute discomfort.
“Okay, Flash, you can take him, now.” He said in a rushed voice as he looked away.
I set my hand next to him, and he lunged at me, slithering into my arm and disappearing.
Pip, a tad freaked-out, rose to his feet, feeling around for any sign of Twilight’s beating.
“Don’t worry, Pip—he didn’t miss anything.” I laughed.
He chuckled back, and I went over to Diamond, who was looking around in her helmet, possibly searching the city for potential hideouts.
“I think I got a lock—an abandoned Kingpin safehouse, just south of the old magic show. We could go in and bust them by the end of the day.” Diamond said as her face-plate shot back and revealed her confident smile.
“No.” A voice from behind us said...
I heard that voice once—during my initiation, she personally lectured us on the expectations of S.W.O.R.D...
Director Tempest.
She was wearing her traditional black trench coat, sported by her eye-patch barely covering the scar that went up to her eyebrow and down to her cheekbone, making her fearful aura known.
Diamond, Bon-Bon, and I quickly stood up straight, much to the confusion of Pip and Adagio.
“At ease... a frontal assault is just what they’d want us to do. I already have a group of scientists looking through the schematics of that neural link from Oscorp. We wait, take our time, and train so what happened today doesn’t happen again.” She said, taking a moment to glance towards Bon-Bon.
I turned to her and saw a hint of red emerging on her pale-yellow skin.
“As for you, Pip, we were hoping you could help us search the neural link for a weakness, seeing as you helped design it.” She said to him.
Pip, just getting to his feet, took a breath and nodded.
“Alright, but Twilight took out as many bugs and glitches as she could, and there’s no telling if she worked on it while she was on-the-run.” Pip said, still cringing from Venom.
Are you sure he’s gonna be okay? I mean, I was unconscious when you healed my gunshot...
He should be fine, but he might be a little strange for the next few hours...
I was clearly unable to trust these fools with anything, let alone my tech. Rainbow Dash flipping cars and almost overloading her suit in a day? Sunset hurling grenades at a government building?
I can only imagine what Fluttershy and Applejack have to offer.
After the attack, we had no choice but to move operations to another compound, an old Kingpin drug-running bunker... it was massive enough to comfortably house the six of us, but the rather... fascinating smell made conditions quite distracting.
Rainbow was enjoying herself, though...
“Oh, sweet! Looks like Sombra left some of the stuff behind... Flutters, you want some?” She asked, holding up a sealed bag containing a white powdery substance...
Before she could answer, Sunset swooped over on her repaired glider and pulled the bag from Rainbow’s hand and threw it onto the rafters.
“Hey! What the hell--” Rainbow didn’t get to finish her sentence as she set her hand on her throat and flew her against the wall.
“Now... is not the time for a high!” Sunset screamed.
Before any of us could say anything else, Applejack got between them.
“Okay, okay—that's enough! We’re supposed to be a team, a... a sextet, a sinister six, remember?” Applejack asked.
“Oh, of course the one nickname you remember...” Rainbow gagged.
“Y’know what? I think we all need a breather, maybe a few drinks? I know a spot downtown, or at least... I think I know a spot. It was the... the Bar--”
“The Bar with No Name. That could work...” Fluttershy interrupted Applejack.
I simply rolled my eyes and sighed.
“Fine. Drinks... but first, you’ll all need disguises.” I said as I manipulated my arms to walk over to a storage room and thoroughly searched for a certain set of technology...
“Here-- put these on.” I said as I handed out white masks to the group, who all looked on with confusion.
I set one on myself and tampered with the settings, the mask’s holographic technology activating, turning me into an ordinary citizen.
“Audio test—1... 2... 3.” I said out-loud, my vocal tone changing into one completely alternate from my own...
The others were shocked and I felt the need to explain the masks to them.
“Chameleon Tech— it turns out that my mother did a few deals with Kingpin, including holographic technology... apparently Sombra took a few, most likely for himself and his girlfriend, Chrysalis... I don’t know if you recall her from the Battle of the Bands.” I said to them as they all transformed.
I turned to see Sunset walk away, finding a mirror inside a separate room and messing with the settings...
The projections engaged and, to my shock, her normal, non-goblin self was projected. She slowly, hesitantly rested her hand on the mirror and what seemed to be a tear started forming in her eye...
Needless to say, I decided to leave her alone.
As for the others, they transformed into normal citizens—people who wouldn’t really spike any suspicion.
“Damn... I could get used to this tech.” Fluttershy’s disguised voice said.
I let out a chuckle as Sunset came out of the separate room, now morphed to a high-school student.
“Well? Are we just going to sit here and admire ourselves, or are we gonna go out?!” Sunset excitingly asked through her barely-disguised voice.
The Bar with No Name was exactly what I thought it would be—a mudhole, populated with what could be best described as cannon fodder for the mob bosses and what one could call... “bigger fish”.
Rainbow and Fluttershy—there Chamelion masks off, now that we were all in a safe area-- were trying their luck with the other bartenders, but most of them cleverly kept to themselves, save for a couple who heard the stories about the Scorpion and Electro.
Applejack and Pinkamena were sharing a drink—soda, since apparently criminal psychopaths respect drinking laws...
Pinkamena was a fascinating case... her symbiote friend seemed to simply be an extension of her personality, aside from a sentient being, unlike Venom, when I took him from Oscorp and transferred him to Flash...
He was quite talkative.
As for Sunset, she was sitting alone at the barstool, keeping her disguise on, fiddling with an empty glass, most likely having downed more than a few.
I sighed and decided to take a seat next to her, turning to the bartender, who was standing in place due to my mechanical arms releasing from my harness and climbing up the wall.
“I’ll just have a lemonade, please... I wish to keep my senses sharpened.” I said to him as I turned over to Sunset, who glanced up at me and sighed.
“Why the long face? I wouldn’t call this day a success, but it wasn’t exactly a failure.” I said to her.
She sighed and turned to me, her eyes somewhat puffy.
“Have you ever strived for something, Twilight? Power? Respect? A lover?”
I smiled and shook my head.
“All of the above, my dear...” I said, taking a sip.
She let out a snicker and disabled her disguise, revealing her scaly green skin...
“Well, I did, too... and I felt that power—it was incredible... All of this planet and Equestria, in the palm of my hand... and I managed to lose it to Spider-Man!” She said as she slid her glass onto the floor in rage.
Everyone in the bar turned to us, leaving absolute silence as Sunset shook her head and rested her head onto the table.
“Look, I get it... before I built this neural interface, it was always ‘yes, mother’, and ‘I’m sorry, mother’, and ‘please, mother’... I grovelledbefore that woman, Sunset Shimmer... she took me away from my father and brother when I was just a child, and you almost got me expelled from CH, so my mother sent me to Crystal in attempts to... improve me. Instead all she did was isolate me, and treat me like a leper. So... I refused to attend her funeral.” I said, now glancing at my empty glass.
Sunset turned to me, shocked by my statement.
“What? How about your parents?” I asked her.
She chuckled and shook her head.
“My brother was quite the expert in magic. My mother was overbearing, but she loved me, y’know? Celestia took me in along... the other you, and I saw that I was made for more. I... learned more than a few forbidden spells, and I ran through the portal.” She said without a care in the world.
I let out a hum, unphased by talks of magic and other versions of me, if anything, that was common place by now.
“How about Flash? How did you meet him?” I asked, darting my eyes at her.
She let out a dragged-out laugh and asked for another drink.
“It was Sophomore year, almost right after you left. I encountered him in a hallway and my journal dropped out. Sure enough, he read it, learned... what I was into. The next day, he was assigned as my tutor, and... I saw potential in him, mostly why I didn’t deny him when he made his move. I... saw a pet project in him.” She smiled, most likely reminiscing on old times...
I chuckled and turned to my arms, resting on the ceiling, away from the public eye, still controlled by my neural interface.
“I never really talked to Flash in the very short time we’ve met, but I have quite the lists of experiments I have for him and his symbiotic friend... who knows? Perhaps I’ll take Venom for myself, once I know how to tame him...”
Sunset let out a chuckle and rested her foot next to mine...
“Now, that, I’d like to see...” She chuckled, I joining along.
A moment after, Sunset finally deactivated her disguise, and one of the drinking criminals rose up and cleared his throat.
“Everyone-- give it up for the Green Goblin!” He cried as he started clapping.
Loud applause ruptured from the bar as Sunset simply lifted her head, astounded at the appreciation.
That shock and awe soon faded as her signature smile returned...
As I suddenly felt a warm, tight grip on my hand.
I didn’t do much, I simply allowed her gesture as my mechanical arms landed onto the ground and the harness reattached to me.
“So, what’s the plan, Doctor?” She asked me.
It was time they knew...
“Well, the portal won’t open for another year, but in that time, your Geodes need to be reclaimed from S.W.O.R.D, Spider-Man—along with the others-- needs to be squashed, Venom needs to be captured, and this world needs to be conquered. Then? When all of Earth bows before... what did Applejack call us, the Sinister Six? When that happens... Equestria is next.” I smiled, fantasizing about not one, but two worlds on their knees for us...
For me.
Sunset was awestruck and shook her head...
“How about you? You need a Geode, as well...” She said to me.
I smiled and shook my head.
“Sunny... Technology is it’s own magic...” I said as I used my arms to once again raise myself above her, my hand freed from hers.
She chuckled and stood on the table, smiling at me.
“Very true... but why not have both?”
Another day... another trafficking ring destroyed.
The walk back to my van was extensive, especially with the dark atmosphere of the deep city at night. The shady pedestrians on the sidewalks, the flickering street lights—everything was a red flag for me.
I kept my hand in my purse almost the entire venture.
As I trekked on, I noticed three men standing by a dark alleyway, one of them signalling towards me...
“Hey, cutie!” I heard, blocking out the rest of their creepy pickup lines.
I walked right past them, and they continued throwing lines at me.
“Wanna say no to us? Suit yourself...” I said as I heard footsteps behind me.
It was almost too easy, they forcibly grabbed me and angrily dragged me into the dark alleyway, me “screaming” out in “fear”.
As one of them ran to grab my purse, I reached into it and grabbed my silenced pistol, letting out a shot directly next to the man wrapping his arms behind me, him letting out a scream as I kicked the one in front of me and threw him to the other two, who were now holding up their hands and on their knees.
“Hey... let’s just take a breath, ‘kay...?” One of them whimpered.
“Shut up and listen—I’ve spent the last 5 months looking for scum like you lot—the sacks of shit who’ve gone unpunished for far too long.” I said, pushing the barrel against the ringleader’s head.
He started crying, the pathetic coward. He thought he could rob me, possibly assault me? He couldn’t even take being held at gunpoint.
“Look, I’ve just wiped out a human trafficking ring, and I’m tired... that, and I don’t want to waste my bullets. If I ever see you out here again—and I’ll be watching—I won’t hesitate to gut you three like a fish, do you understand me?”
They anxiously nodded, refusing to move...
“And why the hell are you still here?” I asked them.
They ran into the street, out of sight, as I sensed I wasn’t alone. I turned around and saw a shadowy figure on the rooftop above the alley.
“Ah, Spider-Man... I know what you’re going to say, and you cannot convince me to come back home.” I said to my brother as I holstered my pistol and started walking away from the alley, collecting my casing as I went...
“Octavia...”
I froze—that was not Pip.
I couldn’t even turn around as I felt my throat begin to burn and my eyes begin to water.
“You’ve been watching me?” I loudly asked so she could hear me.
No response, just the flicker of the light above us...
“So are you back, or just visiting?” I asked, hoping to get an answer out of her.
Nothing. I started feeling agitated and turned around.
“I didn’t want to be safe, okay?! I wanted you! I... I wanted you...”
Still no response.
“Say something! Please...” I begged her.
After a moment, I sighed, knowing that she was gone, and turned back around and continued walking away...
“I’m sorry, ‘Tavi... I had to leave. It wasn’t safe for me, anymore, not after...” She started, stopping soon after.
I stopped, hoping to actually see her—face-to-face. I turned once more to see her, a few feet from me, donning her dark red uniform with horns attached to her helmet...
“Vinyl...” I said, approaching her slowly.
She did the same, a faint smile forming on her face.
I held her in an embrace, and she returned it, my tears no longer restrained.
“I missed you...” I whispered to her, kissing her neck and returning into the hug.
She patted my back and held the hug tighter for a moment and pulling away, much to my disappointment.
“I promise, Octavia... I’m never leaving again. I’ll see you around.” She said as she shot out the top half of her billy club onto a piece of the roof and rappelling herself towards the roof, leaping into the darkness once she reached the roof.
And like that... the love of my life was gone yet again, and I continued on to my van, noticing that my kevlar vest was visible, rebuttoning my shirt, concealing the skull painting on it...
It felt like another lifetime, back before the Rainbooms became bloodthirsty, before Pip became Spider-Man...
Before my mother’s... accident.
The day was hot, and the pool alongside my parents’ mansion was opened, with only me dapping my foot into the water as I scrolled through my phone on my lounge chair...
The first post I saw was of Sweetie Belle, sneaking a pic of her sister and Pip—an old friend of mine who turned to the gimp life... as to why, I had a few guesses.
I scrolled past it and saw a selfie from Octavia, out on the beach, away from the havoc of the city.
Needless to say, things were quite normal... especially since...
Sure enough, I saw another old post about Silver Spoon...
‘Rest in Peace, Silver Spoon, suicide is not a laughing matter and is taken very seriously at Canterlot High ~ Vice Principal Celestia.’
I sighed and turned my phone off, not wanting to be bombarded with that dreaded place, anymore...
I would’ve, if my phone didn’t ring.
I grabbed the phone and read the I.D-- Vinyl Scratch, and instantly answered.
“Hey, what’s up?” I asked.
“Yo, yo, yo! How’s the summer, DT?” Her cheerful voice loudly asked.
“Pretty good...” I laughed, it was nice to hear her giddy voice after so long...
Along with Vinyl, another call—from Octavia.
“Oh, snap—Tavi'scallin’-- hold on, lemme make this a group call.” She said as she tapped away on her phone.
In a matter of seconds, I was now speaking to both Vinyl and Octavia, the closeted but not-so-secret couple at CHS...
“Hey, babe! Whazzup?” Vinyl asked.
Octavia giggled before shaking her head.
“Ah, not much, just enjoyin’ some time away from the city.” She said, a hint of discomfort in her voice...
I figured it was about Pip, but I decided not to say anything...
“So, where’s Pip? Isn’t he with you guys?” Vinyl asked her.
Silence—cold, unbearable silence.
“Well... he didn’t wanna come. He practically begged Mum to let him stay home, so... we let him. I’m pretty sure you both know why...” She said, with a bitter venom in her voice.
We kept silent for a solid minute, each of us possibly thinking of a new topic to talk about.
“So, DT... find a guy yet?” Vinyl asked her.
I let out a laugh and shook my head.
“Nah. I don’t think the whole ‘love life’ is really for me, y’know?”
Octavia hummed and Vinyl simply scoffed, clearly not satisfied about my response.
“What?! I call bull, DT—just come over to my club tonight—I can get you a man, easily! N-not that I swing that way, Tavi’.” Vinyl said, quickly clarifying what she meant.
Octavia simply laughed.
“It’s all good, babe. Just make sure he treats Tiara right, or I'll have to beat him up.” She chuckled.
We all shared a laugh as I got another phone call.
“Ah, I’ll have to call you back, my mother’s calling me.” I said as I accepted the call.
“You there, Diamond?” Mom asked, clearly driving.
“Yeah, I’m here, Mom.” I said to her.
“Hey, sweetie, I’m going to be a little late from work tonight, make sure that Randolph and your father could manage to watch you until I get home.” She joked, drawing a laugh from me.
“Really? You think Dad can handle it? I dunno, it might be too much for him.” I laughed.
We both chuckled along as the door to the pool opened, and my father walked out.
“Hey, sweetie!” He said to either me or Mom, as I rolled my eyes and gave him a hug.
He then saw that I was talking to Mom and gestured if he could borrow it and I handed it to him.
“Hey, honey...” He said as he walked off into another room.
For a moment, there was peace... probably the last time I’d get it for a long time...
“Spoiled?... Spoiled!“
“...I caught up with the agents in the compound, there were 18 fatalities from Sunset’s little pumpkin bombing yesterday... Diamond? You okay?” Flash asked, my mind returning to Earth as I turned to him.
I sighed and shook my head.
“Sorry about that... I was... somewhere else. How many fatalities?” I asked him.
He sighed and repeated the number while I shook my head.
“We’ll make sure they didn’t die for nothing, we’ll honor them--”
“You can’t honor the dead, Flash... you can just avenge them.” I said to him.
He hummed, seemingly understanding, and took a seat next to me.
“Yeah... I get it, you know.” He said.
I scoffed and turned away from Flash, causing him to turn over to face me.
“I don’t think you do...” I said to him.
He simply sighed and shook his head.
“I was a student at Canterlot, too, you know. I was there for Silver Spoon’s suicide, everyone was ready to bust the Rainbooms, until their sympathy posts lured the authorities away, and--”
“And what that redneck bitch’s family did to Vinyl silencing anyone wanting to expose them.” I growled...
Flash seemed surprised by that, clearly not knowing about what happened to her.
“Huh? What do you mean?” He asked me.
I glanced at the floor and shook my head.
“The less you know about it, the better... Hey, where’s Pip?”
Flash glanced up at the window, with the sun starting to set...
“He’s... busy.”
Swing, run, jump, repeat...
I was getting closer to her, I felt it... I was not going to allow another cat burglary to go unsolved.
“Veronica, keep searching for any signs of her.” I ordered my A.I, not wanting to waste any more time.
“Scanning... Detected, Southern District—razor-cut hole in paned glass of museum approximately 8 minutes ago."
I don’t think I’ve ever leapt off of a building so quickly in my life, as I landed on a neighboring skyscraper, I glanced at an opening in the window—exactly the one Veronica described—and crawled in just in time to see her peeking towards me...
“Shit...” She said as she bolted in another direction.
I quickly followed suit, with her dashing up the stairs and me running and often jumping on and off of corners of every flight to keep the pace.
“Stop running, Rarity!” I called out, reaching the top floor and running up the last flight of stairs, reaching the roof where she was about ot jump off of the building.
I shot a web out and pulled her to the ground, causing her to drop a shining blue diamond onto the ground.
“No!” She cried out as she slashed at my webs with her claws and grabbed the gem again, leaping off of the roof and just landing on the other.
I ran and jumped as well, landing right behind her as I shot a web at her hand, keeping her from using her claws...
“No... no!” She tried to run again, but I webbed her again, pinning her to the vent duct.
“Damn it...” She mumbled, surrendering.
She changed her suit since last time—she swapped out her goggles for a sleek mask, her lenses tinted and the previously-mentioned finger-claws.
“Why are you running, Rarity? Don’t you know we can help you? It’s different now, the Rainbooms aren’t in power, anymore...” I panted for breath.
She sighed and sheathed her claws.
“...Let me go—please. I need this money, and I can name thousands of people who need it as well—more than that corrupt bastard.” She said, trying to break free of my webs.
I sighed and took off my mask, still trying to catch my breath.
“You’ve gotten slow, Spidey... when was our last chase, anyway?” She asked, trying to put on her brave voice.
“Far too long... I thought I lost your trail. Guess I wasn’t lookin’ hard enough.” I said as I webbed her gem and pulled it over to me, thinking of a way to return it without making me look suspicious.
“Wait!” She called out, catching my attention.
I turned to her and she was freed from the webs, standing in front of me.
“Sweetie Belle’s sick... she’s been hurting herself.” She said, holding her hands up to show me she was unarmed.
Sweetie Belle—I remember I’d see her sneaking selfies of Rarity and I when she thought we weren’t looking—decent enough, considering the competition.
“So get her a therapist—it's not too hard, nowadays.” I said to her, preparing to swing away.
“She enjoys it!” She screamed out, startling me.
I turned to her and tilted my head.
“What do you mean?”
Rarity seemed to hold back a tear as she prepared herself.
“She walked in on one of my... more intense sessions and wanted to try it herself... Pip, she carved her own face! She... used Opal to do it, and a just a few months ago, she tried to do it to Rumble... She wanted to... ‘Fix the Jigsaw’.” She trembled, letting the tears flow.
I ran over and held her— She immediately held me back as she began to sob into my shoulder.
“Rarity, why didn’t you come to us? We would’ve helped you.” I said, keeping the embrace.
“No... I’m not stupid enough to go to one of my former pets for help. That never ends well...” She whispered.
I sighed, knowing she had some truth to that statement—Mom never really trusted Rarity around me after the Battle of the Bands Incident.
“Well, things are different now. Don’t come to her as an old dominatrix—come to her as Rarity Belle, a citizen in a hard spot and she’ll understand... and if not, just let me or Adagio or Flash know.”
She chuckled and broke the embrace.
“I cannot imagine either interaction ending well, darling... but thanks for trying.” She said, preparing to run off again, gem in hand.
“You said something about that money helping others... what did you mean by that?” I asked to her.
She stopped again and didn’t even turn to me.
“The students and teachers of CHS weren’t the only lives the Rainbooms ruined.” She said as she leapt off the other roof-top, disappearing into the night.
I knew there was no point in trying to follow her again so I swung off in another direction when Adagio radioed in, thanks to S.W.O.R.D’s radio-tech.
“Well? Did you find her?” She asked me.
I almost didn’t even think about my next words.
“Yeah, I did. I’ll talk to you about it tonight, after I pay Mom a visit.” I said to her.
Tired, and quite bored after the latest meeting, I entered my office where I grabbed my things for the day, ready to close up shop, when a knock on my door took me by surprise.
“Ms. Mayor, your son is here.” My assistant said behind the door.
Pip—I haven’t really talked to him since the Rainbooms broke out.
“Let him in.” I said as I sorted a few loose papers.
With the creak of a door, I was face-to-face with my son again, for the first time in a handful of weeks.
“Hello, Pip.” I said to him, cracking a smile.
He smiled back and hugged me, an act that I returned.
“...We need to talk. About Rarity.”
My heart dropped as we sat in the table and we talked about her—apparently her sister has taken to masochism and attempted sadism, and was sent to a mental ward and Rarity has been stealing from corrupt businesses in order to pay for her sister’s medical bills, giving the rest to other victims of the Rainbooms...
“So... she needs help, but does not have anyone to turn to?” I asked him, wanting to make the story clear.
He sighed and nodded.
“Yeah. She doesn’t deserve this—she was probably the best out of the Rainbooms, she never partook in crime until now, and she never hurt anyone--”
I quickly shot him a look as he grew a shade redder and clear his throat.
“She never hurt anyone who never wanted to be hurt.” He corrected me.
I let out a chuckle as I nodded, seeing his point.
“I’ll consider reaching out, but don’t get your hopes too high.” I said to him.
My mother’s security was in dire need of upgrades—it was ridiculously easy to monkey-climb up City Hall’s windows.
I noticed that her window was opened, possibly expecting me, and I managed to pull myself in, seeing her in front of the shut door.
“Octavia...” She said, locking the door as she approached her seat, angled towards the window.
“...Mum.” I said, taking a seat in an old chair she set up for me.
We both sat there in silence as I prepared to start the conversation...
“Want one?” I asked her, holding out a can of pop I got at a local convenience store.
Luna smiled and shook her head.
“Sorry-- I'm on a diet.” She said, adjusting her seat.
I smiled, happy that her life’s gotten better since she ran for the election, and I just remembered about Vinyl...
“I saw her. Vinyl...” I said to her.
Luna stopped for a second, her eyes growing wide and instantly getting out of her seat.
“How is she? Where is she? Does she... is she okay?” She asked me.
I sighed and shrugged my shoulders.
“She’s... different. I’m assuming you’ve read the newspaper?”
After 2 weeks of searching, we finally located them—they were at the abandoned warehouse we tried to turn into Twilight’s impromptu lab, hiding away...
Come to think of it, why didn’t I ever swing by there to see if she would show up? Perhaps because I never thought she’d hide in plain sight? Maybe...
But now we were on to them.
I was swinging from building to building alongside Flash while Adagio—now wearing plated armor underneath her cloak—and Diamond flew in the air alongside us. We were a minute away as the warehouse entered our view.
“Alright, Twilight’s practically running Kingpin’s empire, now, so expect the place to be heavily guarded—they have to know we’re on to them.” Diamond said, moving right next to us.
We nodded while I glanced at Flash, where tendrils were starting to shoot off of him...
“Is there a chance you could move a tad? I am not the biggest fan of fire...“ Venom asked through Flash.
“You got it.” Diamond said as she slightly moved away from him, calming Venom as we all landed on the roof.
“Okay... so what’s the plan?” I asked the group.
“Simple-- we fight our way through the guards, we reach the Six, and we capture them.” Venom said, ready to charge.
“Wait! We don’t even know if the way in is trapped or not, let alone if the inside is guarded.” Diamond said, cutting him off.
“Yeah, I’ll look inside, see if the coast is clear.” Adagio said as she moved towards the roof and suddenly phased through it.
We all glanced at each other in awe as we all connected our comm-links.
“Dagi’? How is it in there?” I asked her, maintaining my accent.
“...Guys, get in here—it's safe...” She said, slightly disturbed.
We opened the door and we entered, being greeted by the scent of sulfur and the sight of blood, staining the walls.
“Damn... looks like a real big fight went down in here...” Diamond said as she walked past a bloodied gun, laying on the floor.
“Yeah... and the Six might not be here.” Adagio said as we started finding what can only be described as bodies—they were very much alive, but bloodied and beaten, some had their limbs bent in ways they were not meant to be bent...
Venom walked up to one and used his tendrils to lift him up into the air...
“Who did this?” He asked in his menacing voice...
The guard whispered and whimpered, clearly reeling from the severe beating he was dished out...
“The Devil... it was the Devil...” He barely said, Venom dropping him to the floor.
We all continued on, somewhat disturbed by the description of what happened... The warehouse was massive, and littered in papers machinery—a couple of them marked with something called Spider-Killer...
“Huh. Guess she has it out for you.” Flash said, his face unenveloped as Venom noticed a weed growing along the building.
“Hmm... how about... this one? I think she’d like it.” Venom said, pulling out one of the flower-like weeds.
Flash chuckled and rolled his eyes, not needing to look upon it.
“First of all, not the best topic of discussion right now, and second—that's a weed.” He said.
“Nonsense-- it is a lovely flower, and I am certain Bon-Bon will love it.” Venom said with confidence, slithering it inside of him for future purpose.
I let out a chuckle while Diamond looked on in confusion.
“...Venom has a crush on Bon-Bon. He’s been obsessed with her since our first day of training.” Flash chuckled.
We kept on searching, finding entire billboards covered with data about all of us, things that I never even told her about, and things I’d rather not know about Diamond...
“Who’s... Spike Drake?” I asked, glancing at one list of names-- with his name the first and the largest.
Diamond quickly fired a small blast at it, destroying it.
“He was my... ex-boyfriend. Twilight’s adopted brother.” She said, somewhat flustered.
“What?!” I whisper-screamed, confused on how I didn’t know that.
“Yeah, he moved out to CPA, you never once saw him?” She asked me.
I never recalled a Spike Drake, but maybe if I saw him I could recognize him?
We finally reached the center, where we were greeted by the entire area being trashed, with remnants of machines and chinks of Twilight’s arms on the ground.
“So this was this... ‘Devil’?” Adagio asked, still awestruck over the amount of devastation this one person caused...
None of us had to answer as from the rafters, we saw a shadowy figure move in the darkness.
“Who’s there?” I asked as Flash’s face re-enveloped and Diamond trained her repulsors.
Silence, for a brief moment as Adagio moved a tad closer to me...
“I was expecting you to arrive... sooner, but better late than never.” She said, her voice immeadiately sounding familiar...
“...Vinyl?” I asked as I pulled my mask off, hoping she’d recognize me.
Silence again as from behind us, we heard a light thud, causing us to turn and see her—Vinyl Scratch, hidden in the shadows, unmoving from the darkness—even hiding her face—but her silhouette showed two devil horns on her head and two batons sheathed on her thigh...
“Hello, Pip. It’s been a while.”
Flash quickly ran over and hugged her, an act of which she returned.
“Vinyl... What the hell happened to you?” His shocked voice asked her.
She remained silent, glancing over to Diamond, whose faceplate was set upwards, showing her tear-ridden, shocked face.
“Vinyl...?” She whispered as she approached her.
“Hey, DT... it’s been a while.” Vinyl said, holding her old friend.
Adagio glanced at me, confused over the sudden glee overseeing the person who fought their way through an entire compound of hired thugs...
“Wait, you... did all this?” I asked to her.
She stayed silent as she nodded, keeping her face hidden in the dark.
“They were disposable criminals, they’re lucky enough to have the luxury of breathing through a straw for the next two months.” She whispered in hatred.
We were all taken aback by that statement as Adagio took this chance to add her input.
“I’m as against the cruelties of some humans as you are, but this wasn’t justice... this was a bloodbath.” She said.
None of us said a word as Vinyl took only one step into the light, showing her helmet, and nothing else...
The color was a hellish dark-red, with her eye lenses tinted red, and her pale face only being shown by her jaw and mouth.
“You haven’t seen the worst of them... I read these files, you’ve only been a witness... but never a victim. Not like me, or even Aria...” She said, backing away into the darkness.
Adagio clearly didn’t take that comment too kindly as she started approaching Vinyl, her veins glowing red, but I set my hand on her, causing her to turn to me.
“Did you get them? The Rainbooms.” I asked Vinyl, and she responded by shaking her head.
“They split up—I injured them, though... they should be slow, not too hard to find.” She said as she pulled out her two sticks, connected by a cord running through them, and shot it up onto the open skylight, rappeling herself into the night...
“Vinyl? Vinyl, wait!” Diamond cried out as Flash set his hand on her shoulder.
“Let her go...” He said to her.
Diamond quickly moved her shoulder away from him and turned from him.
“Look... unless you want your face full of repulsor... you won't touch me again. Are we clear?” She asked him, flipping her faceplate back down.
“...Crystal.” He said, his face unmoved by the very-real threat.
“Guys... let’s just focus on finding the Six. We split up, groups of two, looking for traces of them... hold on, I’ll link Ironheart’s A.I with my own—Veronica, link up with... what’s your A.I’s name?” I asked her.
Diamond took a second before backing away from Flash.
“...Silver.” She simply said, grabbing his arm and taking off with him, flying into the city.
“Veronica, link up with Silver and send Diamond the material list used in this debris.” I said, holding up a small piece of Twilight’s arm-armor...
“Detected, sending to: Ironheart.”
“Alright, it’s on her way—start without me, I’ll catch up.” I said to the others.
“Wait! Where’re you going?” Adagio asked me.
“I gotta make a stop, first...” I said to her.
“And after we found out what happened... we tried to get a case together, but all Shining could do was launch an investigation that went nowhere. No arrests, no trials... no justice.” Mom said, her head in her hands.
The previous hatred that filled my heart for my half-year in that coma had returned, and it was stronger than ever.
“I promise, Mum... I won’t rest until I make sure that the Rainbooms are punished for what they did.” I said to her.
She only sighed and rose her head again.
“That’s what I’m afraid of, Octavia... you’re a criminal, a killer... if I knew that this was what our world would turn into... I...” She took a second, but took a shaking breath and continued.
“I would’ve taken matters into my own hands.” She gravely added, clenching her fist.
I walked over and set my hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at me.
“It’s okay, Mum... there was nothing you could’ve done.” I said to her.
She simply sighed and shook her head.
“I envy you, you know? I’m restrained by the law while you... you have no such confines. You see something wrong? You end it.” She said to me.
From the window, I saw my brother crawl up through the still-open window.
“That doesn’t make it right... Come on, ‘Tavi... we need your help. The Rainbooms are on the run, we can still catch ‘em.” He said to me.
I almost ripped my jacket as I tossed it to the floor, revealing my black bullet-proof vest, with a white skull spray-painted on it, over a Kevlar turtleneck....
“That’s all you needed to say. First, lemme make a stop... I’m going to need my guns.” I said to him, cracking a small smile.
I was taking the streets, searching for any sign of the Rainbooms, while the other “heroes” either swung for flew around the city... Flash offered me a ride, but I declined, knowing that they’d expect a swinging superhero.
As dramatic as revealing my uniform was, I had to conceal it again, at least until I found them—then I’d let them know who I was. But until then, a zip-up hoodie and sunglasses hiding my identity. The streets were mostly empty, since that area of town was known for its high crime rate...
It was also my stomping grounds, so there was that.
I glanced at the floor and noticed a drop of blood, leading to larger and more frequent droplets, leading to an alleyway. I slowly approached, prepared for anything, and saw small electric sparks shoot out from the side of a dumpster.
“I have eyes on Rainbow Dash—my position.” I radioed as I took off my sunglasses and unzipped my hoodie, showing my symbol as I approached her, my hand on my holster.
I heard her croaks and I walked over to her and gave her a moment to recognize me.
“Oh, shit... ‘Tavia...”
I knelt down to her and noticed the deep slash on her torso...
“Aw, what happened to you? Did your little girlfriend stab you in the back? Again?”
She growled at me while wincing, with me cracking a smile at her pain.
“I trusted her... and she just...” She mumbled as Venom and Ironheart arrived next to me.
They both took a second to wince at her wound and soon Flash was next to her, examining her stomach wound.
“Yeah... if this was her, odds are there’s poison laced on these wounds... Venom, think you can heal her?” Flash asked his alien buddy.
Just as I started protesting the idea, Flash set his hand on her wound, and Venom got to work. I sighed and glanced up at the roof, only to see a dark figure with an axe-head seemingly emerging from her hand...
“Flash, watch out!” I said as I ran behind and pulled him back, just as a dark-red axe slammed down right where he would’ve been.
We all stepped back and we all watched in shock as another Venom with a skinny build, blood-red "skin", and peircing yellow eyes retracted its axe-hand back, and its face began peeling back, revealing...
“Pinkamena?” Flash asked in shock as Venom enveloped him again.
She flashed a crazed smile as she started laughing when she saw Venom’s eyes...
“Hello, Daddy!” She manically cackled as her face was consumed by the symbiote again.
Most of us weren’t able to respond to that comment as she shot out a couple of spikes towards us, me taking cover behind the dumpster.
“Find a way around her! N-No, she was talking to me!” Venom was most likely talking to Flash.
Rainbow got up from the ground, now rubbing away the makeup from her stomach.
“It was almost too easy...” She chuckled as she turned to Pinkamena, who nodded, and Rainbow teleported away, leaving us with the red monster.
“Pinkamena, you don’t want to do this!” Pip hopelessly tried to negotiate as he swung past a spiked tendril.
“Stop calling me Pinkamena! There’s only Carnage!” Carnage laughed as she took another swing at my brother.
Diamond was blasting her with her repulsors, and they were somewhat effective in angering her.
“Those... HURT!” Carnage shot out tendrils toward her and yanked her to the ground, tearing off her helmet and licking her own lips...
“I wonder how you will taste...” She giggled as she unhinged her jaw like a snake and prepared to bite her...
Until I pulled out my sawed-off and blasted a massive hole through her stomach, going clean through the other end.
She just smiled as she released Flash and her stomach hole was quickly covered and she let out a primal roar as she charged at me.
Only for Diamond to fire her jet-boots at her, causing her to screech in pain as Carnage quickly hid inside of Pinkamena, letting her slide to the ground, weakened from the tussle.
“Alright-- who wants to call Bon-Bon?” Adagio asked, glad the job was done.
Just as Flash went to call, she was already behind us, with Rainbow Dash in a form of sleep, and agents quickly coming to take Pinkamena. Pip let out a smile, walking alongside the agents, except he was on the wall.
“Nice goin’, guys—so, what’s the new security like at the Raft? Oh, did they double up on those drone-thingies?” He asked the agents.
“They’re not going to the Raft.” A very familiar voice said as Bon-Bon dreadfully approached us, taking a second to glare at me.
The rest of us took a moment to comprihend where they’d be going until Bon-Bon pulled out a tablet, while looking ashamed...
“The recently-dubbed Sinister Six are going to be part of a new S.W.O.R.D program, using meta-powered felons as agents... a project called ‘Suicide Squad’.” She said, her voice failing to hide her bitterness.
Adagio wasn’t having it—she quickly warped towards Bon-Bon in a fit of rage, her amulet starting to glow.
“What?! After all of the damage they caused—the S.W.O.R.D agents they killed, you’re just using them for your dirty work?!”
Diamond tried to interfere, but stopped once she remembered that Adagio is super-powered, and she isn’t.
“It’s not up to me! If it were, they’d be sentenced for life inside the Vault, but Director Tempest ordered otherwise, keeping tabs on them for the last year, hoping they’d improve, but they just got worse. You think I want this, Ms. Dazzle? I was a Canterloter, too—I lived every day of my life in terror, waiting for one of them or... all of them to get me expelled, way longer than your week at CHS!”
Flash and Venom quickly got in-between them, but I was already gone, watching from outside the alley, considering hopping on the transport Electro and Carnage were in, but I decided against it, biding my time and gathering information.
“That’s enough! Come on, Bon-Bon, you can’t just let Tempest do this.” Flash said, hoping to make a deal with her.
“...I’m sorry, Flash, but there’s nothing I can do. Trust me, I tried, already.” She said to him.
Flash took a minute, possibly thinking, before taking hold of his S.W.O.R.D badge and tearing it off his shirt, handing it to Bon-Bon.
“Then we’re out.” He said as he started walking away.
None of us were able to say something—even me, who was leaning against the wall, listening in. Venom then pulled out of Flash, trying to yank him back over.
“No! Flash, think this through, you can’t do this!” He fruitlessly begged as Flash quickly gained the upper hand.
“We can, and we are! The Rainbooms—the... Sinister Six need to either be arrested... or executed. They are not soldiers, and neither are we... not anymore.” Flash said as he walked away, only stopping once he walked past me.
I quickly zipped up my hoodie and followed him, much to his annoyance.
“Why are you following me, Octavia? I’m sure there’re other crimes going on in this street, alone...” He said.
I remained silent and caught up to him, walking right beside him.
“This is why I left S.W.O.R.D, Flash... most of them have good hearts, but the ones in charge? They don’t give a damn about justice. Only whatever suits them most.” I said to him.
Flash just grumbled as we kept walking until we were out of the street, and I set my hand on his shoulder.
After we joined up with S.W.O.R.D, the paychecks we received were... bountiful.
We were able to move out of the apartment and buy a house instead... Aria and I were going to live there, together, but I should’ve learned from the first time I tried settling down.
Octavia was out, leaving a still-upset Venom and I alone.
...V, you there?
Silence.
Come on, V? Talk to me. Please?
...You shouldn’t have left.
Venom...
Venom then swirled out of me, facing me with hints of anger on his face...
“Why did you just leave?”
“V, they were going to use meta-powered killers to do their dirty work—you know some of the missions we’ve been on, imagine if we had to fight alongside Rainbow, or Fluttershy... or ‘Carnage’.” I added in bitterness, finger-quoting Pinkamena’s new persona.
Venom let out a growl as he started lifting himself above me.
“Then I would have, without question.”
“Then you’re just as delusional as they are...” I let out a growl.
Venom let out a quick gasp, before quickly throwing back his rebuttal.
“At least I’m not delusional enough to think that I can settle down with Aria Blaze.”
I clenched my fists as my breathing started become sporadic...
“Take... that... back.” I whispered to him in pure rage.
Venom remained silent as he started swirling more mass to him, becoming larger with his teeth extending.
“Make me.” He growled, preparing to charge at me.
I let out a shout as I started trying to choke him out, only for him to glare at me like I was an idiot.
“Really?”
I then decided to try to pull him out, only for him to start using his tendrils to glue my arms together. I then decided to ram him against the wall, mildly hurting myself, but Venom was letting out growls of pain as he then changed his target, emerging from my back and wrapping me in a chokehold.
“You took me away from her... why?!”
I struggled for breath as I began ramming myself against the back of the wall in attempts to release his iron grip. Once it loosened, I gripped him and yanked him out of me, holding him in my hand as he started bonding back with me.
“I wasn’t going to be on their side, again! The last time I was...” I started, unable to finish.
Venom stopped, swirling out and listening to me.
“...I almost turned into something else...” I whispered, my eyes growing misty.
Venom slowly swirled in silence before forming back into a small tendril and nuzzling his snake-like head against my shoulder, an act that I returned, tears starting to run down my face.
“I’m... sorry.”
I took a breath, knowing what I had to do.
“No, I’m sorry.”
I ripped him out of me and held him out the door, ready to let him go...
“Find someone who’s worthy of you, V...” I said as I released him and shut the door as he leapt to latch back on to me, only to be met by the door.
I sat on the floor next to the door and let the tears flow, no longer caring about holding myself back. The slow tears soon became sobs as I slammed my fist on the hardwood floor.
After a minute, the tears stopped and I slowly opened the door to see if Venom was still there, hoping he wasn’t...
Sure enough, he was gone. Where he went, I didn’t know—but I knew that he could find happiness with someone else, someone... worthy. I let out a shaky breath as I shut the door again, turning around to see Octavia, who immediately held me in a hug, an act that I returned, feeling the tears return again...
Once Flash walked out, we all returned to Adagio’s apartment—where she and I were living together. The place was seemingly expensive, almost like it was pulled from the pages of a Top 10 Penthouse Suites article. It easily fit me, Adagio, Diamond, and Bon-Bon.
We were still arguing about a Suicide Squad, with Diamond somewhat on-board while Adagio and I were completely against it.
“There’re just too many risks in this—what if they break out? What if they use what they learned from us against us?” I asked Bon-Bon.
She wasn’t clearly on-board, either... but she had orders, and I respected that. Wasn’t my fault that they were dumb-ass orders.
“You think I want this, Pip? I already told you earlier, I’d sentence them to the Vault if I had my way... but Tempest has other plans.” She said, turning away in anger.
Adagio sighed and got up and walked off into another room, with me deciding to follow.
“’Dagi? You okay?” I asked her, while she clenched her fists and took a deep breath.
“I’ve been on this planet a long time, Pip. I’ve been in wars, before, and one thing I learned? Compromises never work—exceptionsnever work. All they do is make things worse, and they’re cheap...” Adagio said, her amulet starting to glow again.
It was abnormal for it to be glowing under normal circumstances, yet I’ve seen it glow normally for a while, now...
“I’ve been meanin’ to ask you—your amulet, it’s been glowing...” I said to her.
She sighed and sat back on the bed, gesturing me to sit with her, which I obliged.
“...Over 70 years ago, I fell in love.” She started.
I let out a hum and turned to her—she never really talked about her past before... not like this.
“He was a scrawny, skinny kid from Brooklyn, he wanted to fight in World War 2, but he was far from qualified. Then, something happened—he was part of an experiment to make a super-soldier. They succeeded, and they created Captain America.” She smiled.
I almost jumped off of the bed once I heard that name.
“Yep. When his comics were being made, I asked them to keep my name anonymous so they give me a fake alias: Peggy Carter.”
At this point, I was shaking in the bed—I figured she’d been around for so long, but she met and fought alongside the Captain America?
“But like I said: That was 70 years ago. The Super Solider serum was almost perfect... but it couldn’t stop aging. A few months after the war, he asked me to marry him... he knew the truth about me, that I’m immortal... he said he didn’t care, that he wanted to spend his life with me. I told him no, and that was the last time I saw him...”
I heard the shakiness in her voice and saw her eyes begin to water. I scooted over and rested my arm on her and she leaned her head on my chest. As we embraced, I felt an odd shiver run down my spine, but I ignored it, holding her tighter.
“I don’t want to make the same mistake again.” She said as she once again set her hand on her amulet, the necklace starting to glow...
At that moment, I understood what she meant.
“’Dagio...” I said to her as she tugged her necklace off, its power fading away.
She held it in her hand, admiring it as she turned back to me.
“After all of these years, I never took this thing off... I guess I was always afraid my powers wouldn’t come back... but all it does is go dull.” She smiled, putting it back on, sighing as the power returned to her.
As we went back out into the living room, we were greeted by Twilight—without the mechanical arms, her hair running down to her back, and a sword sheathed, with the purple gem from the Battle of the Bands imbedded into the guard.
“Where is Flash Sentry?” She simply asked.
Then, from my chest... Venom swirled out, turning to Twilight.
“Who’s asking?”
I let out a scream as Twilight simply turned to Venom, beginning to talk to him.
“It’s about Aria Blaze.”
Before I could ask more, Bon-Bon came back into the room, holding a tablet.
“Guys-- Applejack has been located by S.W.O.R.D-- she’s downtown in some old abandoned bar.” She said.
I chuckled and turned to her.
“If you think that we’re going to the bloody Bar with No Name for you and gathering one of your Suicide Soldiers--”
“I’m not doing this for S.W.O.R.D anymore—I sent them a dummy location, you guys have at least 2 hours before they actually locate her.” She said, turning to leave, stopping after seeing Twilight.
“Your Highness...” She said as she walked out the door, shutting it behind her.
We all looked at each other, the new Twilight hopping for the ride.
“Your Highness, you get to Flash, take Venom with you--”
“And miss this epic team-up? No way.” Venom seemingly swirled in anticipation.
I groaned and nodded to Venom, letting him slither back inside of my stomach, causing me to cringe.
“Okay... the rest of us have one job—get to this bar and get Applejack—and let’s try to turn her in to the proper authorities, this time...” I said, going to grab my suit.
You won’t be needing that...
Venom began emerging out of me, enveloping me in his essence, soon morphing my body into an all-black suit, with raised webbing running down it and a large, white symbol stretching across my chest and back.
“Oh, shit! Okay... let’s roll!” I said, shooting out a symbiote-web and swinging into the city while the others followed.
As I swung throughout the city, with Venom... inside me, I came to a realization.
“Wait, when you were with Flash, why were you always talking when you two were... merged?” I asked him, not knowing the right word for their state.
He was always afraid to take control, whether he knew it or not... But the main reason you’re in control right nowis because I want you to be—I cannot wait to see how you use your improved abilities—and also because he... always felt like he wasn’t worthy of me. He felt like he should’ve died in that apartment, and he won’t admit to it... but I know it.
“...Remind me to talk to him once this is all over.”
Okay... talk to Flash once this is all over.
I let out a chuckle as we got closer and closer to the Bar with No Name...
“So, what’s the plan?” Ironheart asked, flying next to me.
I took a second to land on a building and turn to the others.
“Alright, I’m basically the only one of us with experience in the Bar with No Name, so I’ll go in.”
Adagio flew up towards us while Ironheart removed her faceplate.
“Wait, you’ve been in the Bar with No Name?” She asked me.
“Y-yeah... y’know... on all-fours... on a leash.”
Diamond let out a chuckle as Adagio smiled and shook her head.
“But I have an in. As long as Applejack doesn’t see me, Venom and I could slip right in and apprehend her with no trouble.” I said, jumping off the building and swinging to the ground where I let Venom form a hoodie on me and I approached the bouncer who took a moment to recognize me.
“Damn, kid—you got taller.” He smiled, letting me in.
Wow... just like that?
Just like that.
As I went through the entrance, I immediately saw Applejack with a small group of her family at the bar-table, sharing drinks.
Oh, shit.
I hid on the ceiling as I listened in on their conversation.
“...so why should we even trust this ‘Twilight’ chick, anyway? How do we know she won’t ditch us like y’all did to Sunset?”
She simply chuckled and shook her head.
“Sunny and I made up terms—she may have crushed my head like a soda can, but hey—now I got a bullet-proof head. As for Twilight, she’s a bit advanced for me—but trust me, with her help, and our Geodes back with us, we can rule this world with an iron fist, and no-one will stop us! Not even Spider-Man!” She rose her glass high as the other members let out a proud cheer.
So, on a scale of one to ten, how bad can we rough them up?
I clenched my fists as I leaned over to Venom.
“9.5.” I whispered, spotting Big Mac—that goddamned animal who--
“Alright, y’all-- he’s here.” Applejack smiled as she looked dead at me, as I signalled to Venom to form my suit again.
Animal who what?
I didn’t answer him as I swung down and grabbed Big Mac by his throat, ramming him against the table.
“Is that Flashie in there?” Applejack taunted, tilting her head.
I turned to her and let out a growl.
“Nope. Just me.” I said as I threw Big Mac over the table, his back landing on the drink counter and then falling to the floor, the countless alcoholic glasses tumbling down with him.
Oh, shit!
"That was for Vinyl!"
A handful of the group pulled out guns and started opening fire, the bullets being absorbed by Venom who slowly pulled them back out.
Pip, just take a breath before you do something you’ll--
I let out a scream as I charged at Braeburn, but before I could punch him, Big Mac grabbed me by the legs and swung me into a pillar, shattering it.
Thanks to Venom, all that did was piss me off.
I sent Venom’s tendrils onto Big Mac’s arms, which cause him to shout in horror as I jerked my legs inward and held him into the air, letting out a powerful kick that sent him flying onto the wall, my ordinary webbing restraining him.
Good thing you packed those—no need for another Carnage.
I ignored his comment as I leapt on to Braeburn and started to beat him down—hard—thanks to Venom’s powers.
“Tell me... how does it feel?!” I screamed as I continued to beat him until I could see mostly see blood on his face and hardly anything else.
I would’ve kept going if it weren’t for Venom pulling me back.
That’s enough! We’re done!
I hesitated, but I then took a look at the devastation I created—the bar was a mess, with splintered pieces of wood littered throughout, and unconscious thugs and Apples littering the room. I let out a guttural growl as I turned to the bloody mess I created and I glanced up at Big Mac.
“If you and your family ever come near Vinyl Scratch or my sister again... And I won’t stop until you’re all a bunch of bloodied husks, do you understand?”
He desperately nodded and I walked over to Applejack, who was hiding behind a lopsided table.
“And you... you’re coming with me.” I said to her.
She didn’t respond well—she head-butted the table, breaking it, and prepared to charge at me.
“You ain’t takin’ me, Spider-Freak!” She shouted as she charged, using her head as a battering ram.
I easily jumped over her and her head went through the wall, getting stuck through the other end.
“There... done.” I said as I pulled out the radio and contacted Captain Shining Armor, who Bon-Bon talked into working with us.
“We got her-- Braeburn and Big Mac, as well.” I said as I walked up the steps, leaving the bar.
I had it.
After 6 months of wondering if Aria was ever going to come back, regretting never asking her about the nightmares she had been having, the trances she’d had... I finally let go.
A couple hours had passed since I... “broke up” with Venom, with him hopefully finding someone else who is compatible... hopefully a better choice than me.
I was looking outside, noticing the storm we were having, with rain droplets landing on the window and sliding down as more mass built up on them. The soothing sound of quiet thunder kept me awake as I heard Octavia let out a yawn from the other room... my room.
I don’t know how to describe what we had, but it was... a moment. Maybe several, but that was an hour ago, and I hadn’t said a word to her, yet. I sighed, deciding that it was time to talk to her, and entered the room again, only to find her bundled up in various blankets.
“I know what you’re going to ask...” She said to me.
I slowly approached the bed, taking my time as to not startle her—startling the Punisher wasn’t really the wisest idea.
“...and I don’t know what happens next. Vinyl’s back, and... I’m going to be honest, Flash, I missed her, y’know?” She asked, her voice starting to crack.
I gently took a seat on the bed, facing her.
“Should I wait on her? Does she even want to be with me again? I’m not sure what happens next... but all I know is that in here? Right now? Nothing else matters. No-one's taken hostage, no-ones getting robbed or threatened or worse. No Sinister Six, no S.W.O.R.D, no Mum, no Pip... just you and me.” She said as she sat up, the blankets managing to completely cover her.
I saw a tear starting to fall from her cheek, so I set my and on it and wiped it away.
“...You do what you want to do. I’m not gonna make you stay here, or do something you don’t wanna do.” I said to her, as she started resting her head in my hand.
I then scooted closer to her, my face a couple of inches away from hers...
“I’ll think about it once we leave this room, but for now?” She cracked a smile as she leaned forward for a kiss, and I started doing the same...
KA-KOOM!
The lights flickered and the ground shook as Octavia went for her gun while I borrowed one of hers.
“Here, dress up.” Octavia whispered as she handed me a robe.
“Okay... how about you?” I asked her.
She quickly changed into a baggy shirt and shorts and approached the door, leaning on one side and me tip-toeing to the other.
“One... two... three!” She whispered as she opened the door with her pistol drawn, to see nothing...
Until someone knocked on the door.
“Flash Sentry. This is Twilight Sparkle of Equestria... We need to talk about Aria Blaze.”
My blood ran cold as Octavia started lowering her gun. I slowly approached the door and opened it, seeing the same girl I fought a couple days earlier wearing metallic armor and her hair running down to her back as opposed to the bun Doc Ock has, and a glowing purple sword sheathed on her side.
“Oh... am I interrupting?” Twilight asked, noticing Octavia barely wearing anything and me only covered by a robe.
We took a moment to glance at each other and back to Twilight.
“No... just let us get dressed first, and then we can talk.” I said to her as we both quickly went back into our room.
After that dramatic entrance, we were all sitting at my table, where none of us really knew what to say, so I decided to start.
“So... what, did Aria finally decide to say hi after all of this time?” I asked her.
Twilight sighed and leaned forward, clearly knowing why I shouldn’t have said that...
“Mr. Sentry, how did you acquire the knowledge that Aria was in Equestria?” She asked me.
“She left a note one night, left without a trace...” I said to her.
“Did you ever get the notion that perhaps Aria was kidnapped? Taken somewhere other than Equestria?” She asked me.
I sighed and scooted forward, knowing my answer.
“Of course I did—I looked into every S.W.O.R.D report of missing persons to try and find a connection for 5 weeks before I faced the truth.” I said to her.
Twilight sighed once again and rose from her seat.
“Well, Mr. Sentry, perhaps you were right to begin with—Aria Blaze was never in Equestria.”
I froze, having no clue what to say.
“That’s... that can’t be true, she—she left a note! M-maybe she never made it.” I said to her.
Octavia started counting her guns in her duffel bag and Twilight walked closer to me.
“Maybe she tried to make it but never did, or maybe the letter was forged, but what matters is something else befell Aria Blaze. I’ve been working with your S.W.O.R.D associates in attempts to locate her, and we believe we’ve gotten a location—Alkai Lake, in Canada.” She said.
I knew that location—I was told about it by Director Tempest, it was going to be my next mission before the Rainbooms broke out of the Raft.
“Okay... first thing’s first: I’m going to need some armor.” I said.
“What happened to you and your Klyntar friend?” She asked me.
Assuming she meant Venom, I let out a sigh.
“We... went our separate ways, I don’t know where he is.” I said to her.
She cracked a smile as she held up her sword.
“I know exactly where he is.” She said as a bright light started ringing in my apartment as...
BOOM!
After the fight at the Bar, two of the few remaining Apples were taken away by Shining Armor, with us calling the Raft’s security to load up Applejack.
“Alright-- just try to keep them in the prison, this time.” I said to them as we heard the roar of a S.W.O.R.D veichle, and knew who was on their way.
“Don’t take another damned step!” Director Tempest shouted as she screeched on her brakes and left her jeep, furiously approaching us.
Oh, shit.
I scoffed and approached her as well, not taking any more of this nonsense.
“The Sinister Six are S.W.O.R.D assets, hand Applejack over or you can be arrested.” She growled to me.
I took note that Tempest was a couple of inches taller than me, but I neglected that and let out a growl as well.
“Let’s say you go through with this little Suicide Squad of yours. Twilight’s a bloody mastermind, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are netoriousfor being traitors, Pinkamena is uncontrollable, Applejack still has friends in high places whether she knows it or not, and Sunset is a puppet-master at heart. How long can you control this little Squad before innocent people die? Or maybe they’ll try and get close with S.W.O.R.D, syphoning every juicy secret and weakness they can. What’ll you do when that happens? Besides... try and stop us.” I said to her.
Tempest’s face changed to shock for a split second until morphing back to a straight face.
“I see you have the Symbiote. Tell me, Pip, have you shown aggression recently? Done brash actions, acted... different?” She asked.
No...
I couldn’t even ask what she meant as Venom started unbonding from me.
“Venom? What’s going on?” I asked him.
“...You aren’t compatible. If I stay with you, I’ll change your personality until you’re treating everyone you come across like Big Mac and Braeburn.” He said, completely pulling away from me, and my mind almost immediately clearing.
Oh, God...
“No... Are Big Mac and Braeburn going to be okay?! I... I think I killed them!” I shouted to Tempest.
“They’ll have intense headaches for a while, but they should make a full recovery in prison.” She said.
I turned to Venom, who was moving around on the ground.
“We need to find Flash, right now--”
BOOM!
From behind us, Flash and Octavia appeared alongside the other Twilight, with Flash furiously approaching Tempest, moving over Venom.
“Tell me you didn’t know!” He said, grabbing her shoulders.
“I was going to tell you, but then the Rainbooms broke out—I didn’t want to break your concentration.” Tempest said to him.
“Break my--?! Venom, let’s go—we have a highly protected ex-S.W.O.R.D facility to break into.” He said, Venom bonding back to him.
I was about to let him go, but I decided to make full of my promise to Venom.
“Flash? You gonna be okay?” I asked him.
He turned to me and glanced at... Octavia, oddly enough.
“I’ll be fine. You stay here, we need someone looking for the Rainbooms.” Flash said, approaching Tempest again.
“And speaking of which... we’ll give you the Rainbooms, but if you think that Pip’s mother will let you use them as soldiers... you’ll be mistaken.” He said to her as he then started walking back to Twilight as Adagio ran over to him.
“Wait! What’s going on?” Adagio asked.
Venom started enveloping Flash once again as Adagio started to worry.
“Aria isn’t in Equestria. She was taken by an ex-S.W.O.R.D scientist who started experimenting with other-worldly magic and genetics. He has a facility in Canada where he experiments on people whom he considers has potential... he called it Project X.” Flash said, Venom finally covering his face.
Adagio didn’t say a word, she turned to me, very quickly kissed me, and skimmed over to the group.
“Why didn’t you lead with that?! Pip, kick Sunset's ass for me, love you, babe!” She called out, with Twilight quickly warping them away before I could even take a breath.
“Love you, too...” I said back, turning to Tempest who simply adjusted her trench coat.
“So... who wants to help find Twilight and Sunset?”
With help from Twilight, Octavia, Adagio, and I arrived a couple of miles outside the lake in a matter of seconds, and we started running, since only two of us could fly, but all but one of us can run super-fast, and Octavia was latched to Venom’s back. After a moment, I peeked my head out from his back, startling her for a second before she cleared her throat.
“So... Flash... I know that this probably isn’t the best time to talk about it--”
“Probably the only time we’ll have for a while.” I said, knowing that the next couple of days or maybe weeks were going to be busy.
Silence for a moment, until Octavia cleared her throat.
“First off... I don’t regret a thing.”
“Likewise.”
Venom then turned his head 180 degrees to face us, keeping on of his eyes on the road.
“Wait, what am I missing, here?”
“We... kinda... um...”
“Flash slept with me.” Octavia said without a care in the world.
This act resulted in everybody coming to a halt, all of them turning at the two of us, with Adagio starting things off.
“What?!”
“What?!”
“Knew it.” Twilight said, laughing to herself.
“Oh... this is far from over.” Adagio said with her crooked grin.
We all went back to running in silence, with Octavia a shade redder, as Venom decided to add something else.
Oh, and I had no idea that was how you and Pip met...
VENOM WHAT DID YOU--
With a screeching halt, we’ve arrived... and it was exactly what the intel gave us—a plain, ordinary lake.
At least, on the surface. Underneath it all was a massive complex where innocent victims and a handful of inmates were experimented on, transformed into weapons of mass destruction... and Aria was one of them.
“What’s the plan?” Octavia asked, watching as Adagio suited up in scarlet armor with an odd crown-shaped head piece.
“Twilight and I will distract the guards—we can take the shots—while you and Octavia go inside and free the test subjects.” Adagio said, taking a moment to admire her new look.
Octavia then tilted her head, possibly not liking that idea.
“Okay... and what if some of ‘em are too far gone? What do we do if the subjects can’t be saved?” She asked.
Adagio clearly didn’t like that comment and approached her as I got in-between the two.
“We’ll do what we can, but she has a point. Some of these people have been here for years.” I said, hoping to break the two apart.
Adagio let out a sigh and turned to Twilight, who held her sword up in the air and lightning blasted down on her, suiting her up in what seemed to be Equestrian armor, shining and coated with... was that polish?
“Well then... let’s fry some small angry men with guns.” She smiled as she and Adagio flew up over the base while Venom enveloped me.
“Do me a favor, buddy... don’t get me killed.” I said to him.
Got it.
The base was relatively easy to break into, mostly because the few guards were too occupied by the two flying goddesses raining hellfire and lightning outside their gates...
Venom and I were crawling on the ceiling, concealed by the darkness, while we latched on to Octavia, holding her rifle while we crawled deeper into the compound.
“So... you and Flash, hmm?” Venom asked her.
I peeled out, turning to Venom.
“Dude, not the best time to bring that up.” I said to him, creeping back in.
He let out a deep chuckle while Octavia simply took a breath.
“Yeah. Us. Got a problem with it, slime boy?” She asked him.
Venom kept silent as we soon saw a bright green aura resonating off of a separating room, the door labelled...
Subjects.
We unlatched ourselves from the ceiling and Venom used his hand to form a fingerprint based off of the samples S.W.O.R.D spies sent us a few weeks earlier.
I once again pulled out of Venom, just enough so she can see my head.
“Not everything...”
The door opened and I whipped back into Venom and we all entered the room, seeing...
“Oh, my God...”
Entire rows were filled with massive containing tubes holding bald, nearly nude people, suspended in a green fluid with respirators connecting them to breathing units, and tubes running throughout their bodies, with computers next to them giving off information about them.
Test Subject 4507—Enhanced Regenerative Factor
Test Subject 4295—Gamma Exposure
Test Subject 2035—Aura Manipulation
The lists were almost endless, as were the amounts of people they took from the streets or from prisons, and tortured or experimented on them...
“These... goddamn... animals....” Octavia gritted her teeth as we ventured deeper into the chambers.
We made a turn, and we saw--
Are those... babies?
Sure enough, entire rows of newborns were stored in the same capsules as the other subjects.
“We can’t leave, Flash... not until every god-damned waste who built this place is dead.” She said, looking around for more subjects.
Out of all of them, Aria wasn’t anywhere to be found.
I could feel Venom’s anger starting to grow as he soon started shifting into... a different form.
V, you okay?
He let out a growl, a noise that I never heard from him, as he started growing in height, his limbs extending and growing in girth...
Venom, talk to me.
“Octavia is right... they all need to die.”
The change was finished by bared teeth ripping out of our once-mask-like face...
“Who’s there?”
Venom let out a roar as he leapt on to the guard, pinning him to the ground as he let out a horrified scream.
“Where is Aria Blaze?! Answer or we will tear you apart!”
The guard didn’t react—not even when Octavia walking over and picking up his gun without a care in the world.
“Aria Blaze: Weapon X Testing in 3 minutes, reprogramming to follow—Alpha Sector.”
I didn’t have enough time to ask what that meant as Venom... made full of his promise.
Only for sparks and metal to be shooting out of him... or it.
“What...?” Octavia asked.
Venom didn’t care—he just set the pieces on the floor and took his keycard.
“Let’s go—we don’t have much time to lose.”
We slowly began to move on, looking at the other subjects while I made a promise to myself to contact the local authorities after this was over and make sure they were all safe.
We continued on, briefly stopping to ask how Twilight and Adagio were doing, with them learning the same thing we did about these guards—they were all robots... They joined back up with us and we showed them what we saw, and sure enough, they seemed to regret their compassion as well.
The Alpha Sector was up ahead, and we all knew what was behind there, considering that barely any guards showed up to fight Twilight and Adagio.
“Be ready for anything...” Octavia said as she loaded her new second gun.
Venom stretched out his arm and swiped the card into the slot, and the doors began to open, showing the sillouete of a lot of guards behind the doors.
“Just so we’re all in agreement... nobody tells Pip about this.” Adagio said as her eyes started to glow red, as opposed to her green.
“Why not? They’re robots, after all.” Octavia said as she put her safeties off.
We all nodded in agreement as bullets started to fly from the other side, met by Twilight’s sword, Adagio’s powers throwing the guards to the side or crushing them, us charging in and slashing and beating them down while absorbing the bullets and shooting them right back, and Octavia letting loose, with her two guns down by her side and letting out a hate-filled scream as she mowed down whatever was in front of her.
“WEAPON X PROGRAMMING IN T-MINUS 1 MINUTE. DR. CABELLERON REPORT TO ALPHA SECTOR.”
We all turned to each other and smiled as we marched to the massive chamber in the next room, where.... Aria was there, suspended in whatever fluid she was surrounded by, and a massive helmet covering her head...
“She... she really didn’t leave...” I whispered as Venom pulled back from me, letting me see her.
“Adagio, fly over there and see which one of those consoles controls the other sectors.” Twilight said as she prepped her sword and threw it, shattering the glass as Aria fell to the ground, waking up and gasping for breath.
I quickly crouched down to her and removed the respirator from her.
“’Ria? ‘Ria, it’s okay... you’re safe now, we’re getting you out of here--”
I went to remove the helmet off of her head and she let out a scream and pinned me to the ground, holding out her hand and balling it into a fist as 3... metal... claws retracted out of her knuckles...
“Aria...?” I managed to whisper as Venom formed up around me and held her hand back, just as her claws were a few millimeters away from my face.
“’Ria, come on, it’s me!” I cried out, only to be met with more of her screams of rage, slashing into Venom only for him to reform and tighten his grip.
“You... you left me!” She screamed as she began biting through the tendrils restraining her.
From behind us, the doors opened, and about 2 dozen guards stood behind us, readying their weapons.
“Code 19—Wolverine has escaped.” One of them whirred out as she slowly turned to them, let out another cry of rage and bolted towards, them, slicing the robotic guards to pieces as Venom formed around me again, prepared for another scuffle with her.
Jeez...
Once she tore through them all, she turned to me and let out yet another scream and ran again, only for Adagio to fly over and hold her back.
“Aria, stop! It’s us!” She shouted.
“You... you let me burn!” She roared as she just missed Adagio’s eye with her claw.
Adagio seemed shocked by this and lost her grip as Aria fought her way out of the hold and turned back to me...
Oh, why is she so fixated on me?!
Hold on, I have an idea... get me close!
V, with all due respect, she’ll tear into us!
We didn’t have time to react as Aria started running towards us with inhuman speeds and Venom returned the speed, and once we were close, he shot me out of him like a bullet and wrapped around her, forming a cocoon around her.
“Venom!”
I had done it—It wasn’t easy, Aria was... stronger than I had anticipated, but I had bonded to her, and now it was time to talk to her.
I buried deep into her mind, into her subconscious, and began forming... something, a plane we could talk in, and after a moment, I saw her, Aria, with a small gather of people around her. The houses seemed old, as if they were built in the old days, as well as the way the people were dressed, wearing the silly hats Flash was shown in history class. I looked further and I saw Adagio and Sonata being held back by two men, restraining them as one of them began to speak. I couldn’t make out what he was saying, but I got closer and I saw what was actually happening...
Aria was tied to an assortment of branches and in front of her, what must have been the judge stood there, holding a bible in one hand, and a torch in the other. I couldn’t do anything but watch as the torch was set under Aria’s feet... igniting her in flames. Moments passed before pure, painful screaming followed...
As she burned, the fire spread to everything around us, forming into a lab... Project X. I turned around to see Aria being restrained into a pool with tubes running all around her, all connecting at containers of a grey substance... not a Klyntar, but... it looked like metal. A loud countdown rang out in my ears as the substance then shot into the tubes, and into Aria in seconds, causing her to twitch and scream, with only one word being eligible...
Flash.
I then knew what I had to show her, using my powers to change the scene completely, from Aria’s suffering to Flash’s old apartment, where he was in the kitchen with Aria, arguing about something while the stove behind them showed scorch marks from the day the stove decided to shoot up flames next to Aria.
“Aria, please just talk to me. I didn’t think I’d startle you by--”
“Don’t... it’s fine.” She said, fear and anger very clear in her tone.
Silence for a moment... until Flash took a step closer.
“It... doesn’t seem fine to me.” He said to her.
She seemingly tensed as he rested his hand on her shoulder, and she eventually started to cry, prompting Flash to hold her in an embrace as she began to sob.
“I’m sorry... It’s just... I...”
“Hey, it’s okay, I get it—that shirt was probably expensive.”
Aria let out a chuckle and shook her head.
“No... it’s not that. I’ll... tell you about it some other day, okay?” She asked him.
He smiled and nodded.
“Of course... I love you.”
She trembled and held him tighter.
“I love you, too... Hey, Flash—have you ever thought of leaving?” She asked him.
Flash took a moment and chuckled.
“Are we talking Fiji or Equestria?”
She laughed at that and Flash joined in.
“No... to Equestria.”
“I mean, I won’t not go, but this is our home, y’know? We owe it to everyone else to defend it, but one day? Yeah, I’d like to see where you used to live.”
“...How about stay?” Aria looked up at him and he smiled.
“Babe, wherever you go, I go.”
The entire scene then paused, the apartment room turning grey, and Aria released Flash and kicked him, causing him to break into dust. She then turned to me and jumped over to me, the anger from out in the lab still on her face...
“So why did he just abandon me to die?!”
That was what this was about...
“He didn’t...”
Aria let out a snarl and walked closer to me, while I did the same.
“14 months, Venom! 14 months of... this!” She shouted, shooting out her claws again, slightly wincing in pain as she did.
I let out a sigh and changed the scene once again, but this time Flash and I were alone, with him on the phone while holding a note.
“What do you mean you didn’t see her leave? She must’ve gone up there to grab her stuff!” Flash said, his eyes puffy and old tear stains littering the small piece of paper.
“Sorry, Flash—she was never here.” Adagio said over the phone, clearly in a panic as well.
Aria then realized what the note said—it was in her handwriting, a perfect forge. It said that she left for Equestria, and told Flash that she was sorry, but she could do better.
“I... I’d never say that to him.” She whispered, clenching her fists.
“Well he’d thought you did. Sonata already left, and you talked to him about it before... That’s the thing you and Flash have in common, you know. You loved each other, but you were both waiting for one of you to hurt the other.” I said, shaking my head at that logic.
Aria then walked back over to him, looking at the note and back at me.
“Wake me up... please.”
I anxiously sat back, waiting for Venom to release her, and while I did, Twilight flew over next to me and rested her sword in the ground.
“I’m assuming those were the last of the guards... not my busiest fight, but not my worst.” She said.
I didn’t say a word, still waiting.
She took a sigh and glanced at her sword again.
“This gem caused so much pain for your world... along with Sunset. I’m... sorry for that.” She said.
I turned to her and gestured to the sword.
“Uh, can I--?”
“Ha! You can try, but only the wort--”
I picked it up and glanced at the glowing purple gem, recalling how much Sunset ranted about it back in the day.
“This thing? It didn’t bring Sunset here—not from what she told me. She was exiled here from what I heard, right?” I asked to her, while her eyes were as big as saucers.
“What?” I asked her.
She took a moment to clear her throat before she gestured for her sword back.
“N-nothing... You’re right... Sunset Shimmer was exiled here by Princess Luna, but because I... took the spotlight, in a way. My power far outstretched hers, and Luna took a liking to me, while Sunset fell into the shadows, forgotten. She was talented, but I had more power. Sunset--”
Her story was interrupted by Venom unwrapping around Aria and swimming back over to me.
Aria was on her knees, and she slowly rose up while Twilight prepped for another fight.
She slowly walked over, her head hung low as I did the same, not knowing what else to do. Once we were a few inches away, she looked up, and she ran over to me and held me in a bone-crushing hug.
“I’m sorry... I’m so sorry!” She bawled—bawled-- as I returned the hug, with Venom saving me from the pressure of Aria’s now-stronger vice grip.
I held her back with tears running down my face with Venom trying to wipe them away.
“I... I thought you left me...” I whispered, my voice cracking.
When I thought her grip couldn’t be stronger, she would’ve popped me like a flower if it weren’t for Venom holding my bones and organs together.
“I thought you left me...”
After a moment, I noticed that her amulet was gone, and she looked up at me and smiled.
“Turns out I don’t need it...” She said to me as she rested her head back on my shoulder.
A minute passed, and then we broke away as we turned to see who must’ve been Doctor Caballeron stood before all of us, and Venom bonded back to me, letting out a deep growl, Aria shot out her claws, Adagio charged up her amulet, and Twilight held out her sword.
“Flash, take Octavia home... this part Pip doesn’t need to know about...” Adagio said as she, Aria, and Twilight all started to approach him while I set Octavia down and followed them.
“We’re not going anywhere...” My voice came from Venom as he enveloped me but... I was in control.
I walked over to the mad doctor and grabbed his head, lifting him off of the ground.
“New plan—Octavia, and Twilight, there’re plenty of victims here who need to be liberated. You do that, we’ll take care of this guy.” I said to them, shocking them about my voice coming through Venom.
F-Flash... you’re in control!
Yeah, I guess I am... now gimme a second.
The doctor let out a scream as I threw him to the side, closer to Adagio and Aria.
“So... who wants to show this monster what happens when you miss with our family?”
The former charged up her powers while the latter drove out her claws, both of them slowly approaching him...
Never... trust... anyone to do your own job.
The live feed from Alkai Lake had went down, and Sunset was yet to return from a calibration of her glider.
The last thing I saw before the cameras went dark was... me. The alternate me from Sunset’s home-world... she radiated confidence, with her shining purple sword and all, but at the end of the day, she was me... and only I can defeat myself.
After a moment, I heard Sunset’s glider in the background while I kept mixing the new compound together.
“Twi’! You won’t believe where the others are being kept!” Sunset cackled out as she landed the glider and jumped down to my level.
I kept silent, and she picked up on it, approaching me.
“Twi’? I know where the others are...” She said, trying to get my attention.
After a small drop of another chemical, it was ready, prompting me to smile as I turned to Sunset.
“Sorry about that, I was... busy. Alkai Lake went offline and now the alternate me is out there... but I have something to help with Spider-Man... permanently.” I smiled, holding up what I’d dubbed as ‘Spider-Killer’
Sunset was clearly confused and I decided to elaborate.
“Pip’s powers are a result of a genetically altered spider’s DNA splicing and replicating with his own. I researched the project Oscorp was working on and I’ve developed an anti-body. This will block off the spider-cells in his blood and depower him—theoretically.” I said as I looked back up at Sunset to see her in awe.
“What?” I asked her.
“N-nothing, you just... remind me of her.” She said, scratching at her green arm.
I hummed at that, turning to her.
“Really? How’s that?” I asked her.
“See... in one way or another, you’re both obsessed with what you love. Either friendship or science or revenge. That was what I liked about her.” She smiled and looked off into space.
I had almost forgotten that Sunset and the alternate me were in a relationship... I never really thought much of it until right now...
“Oh, how’s that serum doing? You’ve been using the lotion I’ve provided, right?” I asked her, much to her humor.
“It’s working... give me a few weeks, and I actually might have to buy shampoo again.” She laughed.
I let out a brief chuckle as Sunset decided to come closer and lean on the table.
“So... where’re your arms?” She asked me.
I chuckled and wobbled over to her, taking a seat and almost falling as I did, if not for her catching me and helping me into my seat.
“Thank you... the neural link Pip and I designed... has imperfections. It’s disturbing my brainwaves to my limbs... as well as... other effects.”
Oh yes... us.
Who could’ve thought that you’d get your own split personality split in two? Ha!
I clenched my fists for a moment as I realized that... Sunset never really released my hand after she grabbed it to help me sit. I glanced at it and she noticed, starting to pull away...
But I clenched as tight as my weakened limbs would let me.
“We never talked about what would happen after we take Equestria over...” I said to her, using the new support to help myself up and guide her over to my arms, where I broke away for a moment to attach myself to the arms.
Once I was connected, I walked down the steps, using my mechanical arms for support as I walked over to her, resting my real arm on her shoulder.
“Once this is all over, once we conquered Equestria... we’re coming back here and we’re laying waste to this hell of a city... setting an example of what happens to those who oppose us.” I laughed as I used another mechanical arm to grab the vial of ‘Spider-Killer’ and gave it to Sunset.
“Free the others, give this to Fluttershy for her tail... it’s about time we committed to that extermination.” I cackled with joy as Sunset joined along, thunder ringing outside...
“Okay, what do you mean you lost... all of them?” I asked Bon-Bon through the radio-link in my mask while desperately swinging through the city, landing on the side of a building.
“I mean that Sunset just showed up and bombed the place—barely any of our agents survived the attack... but on the bright side, they couldn’t have gone far, but you gotta move fast.” She said back to me.
“Don’t need to tell me twice.” I said as I continued scaling buildings and using Veronica to scan the area for thermal scans of the Six.
I had to find them... I couldn’t let them be outside in the city for another moment.
None of them truly knew what they were capable of before, and even now, I only feel like it’s a matter of time before they find their true potential... if that happens...
PRIORITY TARGETS LOCATED—OSCORP.
Oscorp... what could be at--
Oh, my God...
“Bon-Bon—they're at Oscorp. The statue... the gateway, Equestria... the Geodes... Oh, fuck!”
I don’t think I’ve ever swung faster in my life—I looked for every fault in the city’s buildings, every vehicle I could jump off of and gain just a bit more speed. If they opened the gateway back up... if they got more of those Geodes... God knows what would be left to fight for.
I knew going in alone was suicide, but if I did nothing, possibly two worlds would be conquered by the Rainboom--
No, those formerly somewhat innocent school girls--besides Applejack and Pinkamena-- are gone. They’re only the Sinister Six now, and I need to stop them.
I saw the Oscorp building in the horizon, and I knew that I had to get there as fast as possible, so I landed on a roof and shot out two of my webs onto parts of the roof, pulling myself as far back as I could, the vents holding my webs starting to pull back with me, until I was out of room. I took a deep breath and I jumped and let go, shooting me into the city like a bullet from a gun.
That must’ve been what they wanted because one I was a few hundred feet from Oscorp, I was smacked into... something I couldn’t see. Then, the Oscorp building faded away and bricks surrounded my lenses... I backed away and saw that I was right above a large building on the outskirts of the city...
“Chamelion tech... it’s a wonderful little thing, isn’t it, Mysterio?” Twilight’s voice asked.
From behind me, someone tapped my shoulder and I turned to see Trixie—donning her Mysterio outfit, with her face projected from the fish-bowl helmet—turn to Twilight.
“Yeah-- now how about my payment?” She asked in an angered tone.
Doc Ock’s one arm landed next to Trixie, startling her, and she lowered herself by her.
“Your payment is enough of those Chameleon projectors to make a typical illusion and walking out of here alive... now go!”
The scared magician obeyed as I was left alone with the Doc, backed into an alleyway, as Electro flashed next to her, and Hammerhead and Carnage came through the building wall besides me, and the Goblin flew down on her glider, hovering just behind Twilight.
“What, am I supposed to be intimidated by a bunch of Heathers copycats in Halloween costumes?” I asked, preparing for a long and exhausting fight.
Doc Ock laughed and shook her head, looking up and nodding.
Before I could even look up, I felt my back being slashed and burning chemicals enter the wound. I growled in pain as I went to my knees, turning to see Scorpion perched on the wall.
“Dead-on—I'm kinda proud of myself... Feeling dizzy, Spidey? Maybe a little... powerless?”
I didn’t know what she was talking about until I started feeling... weaker. I felt like my body was weighing itself down and I was struggling to even get to my feet.
I didn’t have time to as the Goblin dealt the first blow, flying at me and hitting me with the wing of her glider, knocking me to one of the three walls surrounding us, and with my mask lenses shattering.
“The compound’s working sooner than I thought... this dosage won’t last forever, but a few more... or one well-place stab and you’ll be permanently depowered.” Twilight smiled as she used her mechanical arm to slam me against the wall, my suit thankfully taking the majority of the blow.
“Rarity really outdid herself on that new suit of yours... we’ll have to pay her a visit after this.” The Goblin smiled as she cracked her knuckles and I got out of the wall, trying to gain my senses.
I wasn’t even able to steady my footing as the Goblin swooped in and grabbed me, carrying me into the city as I started struggling to break free.
“Stop fighting, Spidey! I’m no expert, but I doubt you’d survive that fall!” She cackled.
I eventually kicked myself off of her and began free-falling into the city—I shot out my webs and began swinging away before I quickly realized that I was losing blood from my back and things were getting blurry...
Before I knew what was happening, my hand slipped away from my web and I had fallen into a thankfully-nearby roof. As I started to crawl away, I saw the shadows of the Six form behind me, and I knew what was about to happen...
I just reached the end of the roof when Doc Ock’s arm stepped on my hand, causing me to wince in pain...
“You shouldn’t have come, Pip...” She said as she tossed me back into the middle, and I was just starting to get back up to my feet, stumbling as I did...
I felt blood dripping down my back and shot my webs on the wound, creating a bandage as I took a step forward, not willing to give up without a proper fight.
“You... you wanna fight? Come on, then... let's fight...” I said, readying my guard.
Hammerhead smiled and cracked her neck, charging at me as I just managed to jump over her, landing on my back as I did.
“Not so nimble without your precious powers, Spider-Man?” Scorpion asked, prepping her tail for another slash with whatever compound her tail-blade is laced with.
I threw myself out of the way, just missing her blade as I got up and used my webs to trap her tail into the roof. Rainbow was next, using her electricity to almost fry me, but I managed to improvise, shooting my webs onto my fists and using them for insulation.
I ran as fast as I could towards her, dodging a bolt of lightning and one of Goblin’s bombs as I leapt up and delivered a web-coated uppercut to Electro. She stopped for a moment to wipe a drip of blood away from her lips.
“Heh... not bad, kid... but you just made a big mistake!” She said as her eyes turned yellow and she shot out volts of electricity into me.
The last thing I could remember was letting out a pain-filled scream... and everything started going numb as I fell to the ground and the Six gathered around me, each of them starting to kick me down as Hammerhead walked over to me and lifted me by my suit, reared her head back, and prepared to slam her head into my skull...
“Pip? Pip!” I heard Bon-Bon radio out to the open channel.
I had Venom hand me the radio mic that must have fallen off at some point, and I answered into it.
“Bon-Bon? What happened to Pip?” I asked her.
“Flash, thank God—I don’t know what happened or even where he is, he must’ve been set up!”
Adagio quickly grabbed her phone and dialed a number, waiting for whoever was on the other side to answer.
“Rarity, are you there? Come on, I know you’re listening to this—I need you to activate Pip’s tracker, and fast!” Adagio said as she hung up in rage.
Aria and Twilight reentered the room, both of them cleaning their blades off of remaining Cabelleron...
“I assume that your friend’s in a pickle... stand close to me—I'll get you back into the city.” Twilight said as her sword started charging up purple energy...
BOOM!
In a flash, we were back into the city where Aria quickly started sniffing.
“What’s his suit made of? I’m smelling D30, Spandex, and... I think that might be Rarity’s old Diamond-Shield stuff... this way!” She said, running with her new inhuman speeds and lunging from rooftop-to-rooftop, with the rest of us doing our best to follow—Twilight, Diamond and Adagio flying above us while I used Venom to keep up with Aria while carrying Octavia.
The situation... was kinda awkward, to say the least.
“So... Aria...” Octavia started.
“I already know about you and Flash, just to save that awkward conversation.” She said.
We both glanced at each other and we both asked the same question.
“How?”
Aria chuckled and gestured to her nose.
“I can smell traces of you both on each other, along with very faint traces of sweat. I just put two-and-two together.” She said.
None of us knew what to say, so we kept following Aria as she turned away from the Oscorp building and we soon heard the beating from up on a rooftop...
“There! He’s up there—and he’s not alone.” Aria said as she stopped and shot out her claws.
We just managed to see Pip launch into the air and give Rainbow Dash an uppercut before she delivered probably one of the largest lightning strikes I’ve ever seen at Pip, and he fell back to the roof, with the others gathering around him and kicking him as Adagio’s eyes began to glow a bright red as she flew over before the rest of us, just as Applejack was about to ram her head into Pip’s...
“Let... him... go!” Adagio’s booming voice called out.
The Six stopped, turning to us and dropping Pip to the ground, where we were able to see that his back was deeply cut and his webbing was barely bandaging the wound.
On you...
I used Venom to envelop me—back in our usual form-- as Aria let out a roar and leapt over with me, shocking the Doc.
“How... how did you escape?!” She asked Aria, who simply snarled.
“So, you’re the one who had me sent to that dump. Good—I was hoping that Cabelleron wasn’t the only thing I’d get to cut up today.” She smiled and charged at Aria as Twilight used her mechanical arm to whack her back, only for me to use my webs to try and pull her down.
Sunset saw, however, and sent one of her bombs at me, only for Venom to absorb it and shoot it back out like a cannon. She couldn’t really do much as it exploded right beside her, burning part of her face.
“AGH! Damned... Oh, you just made a mistake, Flashie!” She screamed as she swooped down in an attempt to grab me, only for Twilight to use a barrier to protect me.
“That’s enough, Sunset! End this, before it’s too late!” She said to her.
Sunset stopped after hearing her voice, and she turned to see who I assume was her old friend.
“You... I knew you’d come. NOW!” Sunset screamed.
Before we could even comprehend what that meant, Doc Ock (Just avoiding saying Twilight twice) used her mechanical arms to snake over to Twilight’s sword, firmly grasping it and lifting it above her, confusing Twilight.
“So... you’re me. Time to kick my own ass.” Doc Ock smiled as she swung the sword around until Twilight lost her grip and was flung into the city, with Adagio turning to me.
“Go! We’ll take care of--”
Adagio just barely turned back to the Six as they transported away, using the sword.
I turned to save Twilight, but I saw that Venom already did it, holding her in the air and gently setting her down.
“No... it’s gone again...” Twilight whispered as Adagio flew down and staggered over to Pip.
“Pip?! Pip!” She cried out, picking him up and feeling for a pulse.
Pip lets out a weak cough as he smiles through his torn mask.
“’Dagi? You look... well... I guess dazzling is the only word I can think of...” He let out a croaked laugh.
Adagio let out a laugh as well as I ran over to Pip, starting to transfer Venom over to heal him, but Venom reacted differently.
“V, what’s wrong?” I asked him.
“Something’s wrong...I can’t re-bond with him.”
Well wasn’t that just convenient?
“Well, what do we do?! We can’t just... we can’t just sit here!” I panicked, starting to pace.
Twilight then grabbed a bottle containing bright pink liquid out of her pocket and went over to Pip.
“Drink this... it should help with the bleeding.” She said.
Pip didn’t even hesitate to gulp down the liquid, letting out a sour reaction as he did. After a few moments, the small puddle forming underneath him stopped growing, and the medivac chopper Octavia called finally arrived.
“Load him up—come on, let’s go!” Octavia cried out as Adagio and I lifted Pip off of the ground and carried him onto the helicopter.
We were up in the air, and Pip took my hand.
“Flash... if anything happens to me...”
“It won’t. You’re going to be fine.” I promised him.
He took a moment, and took a croaky breath.
“If anything happens to me... after this... promise me you’ll protect this city.”
I kept silent for a moment, and nodded to him.
“I will... I promise.”
Adagio came over and sat next to him.
“So will I... this is my city, too...” She said to him.
He cracked a smile and rested his second hand on Adagio’s cheek.
“I... like your new suit.” He said to her.
She smiled and took his hand.
“You just like it because it shows more skin on it.” She laughs.
Pip laughs along and lets out a cough as the chopper lands, and we carried Pip to a nearby stretcher alongside a handful of medics...
“We’ll take care of him—you guys have to get back out there!” Bon-Bon said as she started helping the other medics move him inside the S.W.O.R.D outpost.
Adagio and I looked back to the chopper and started walking towards it, when Venom emerged and started spreading around me while Adagio charged up her amulet. By the time we were at the chopper, we were battle-ready and eager to find the Six before they made their next move...
Alongside me was Captain Armor—we were just a few blocks away from the towering Oscorp Building... a few blocks away from them.
“So why again are we going to Oscorp?” Shining asked me.
I turned to him and began to recall the aftermath of the Rainbooms’ arrests.
“After the Rainbooms were arrested and Princess Twilight went home, Oscorp approached me about the school statue that happened to be the gateway to Equestria and asked permission to take it away, saying that it could be the key to Multiversal travel. I gave it to them—I just wanted to get the damned thing away from my school... turns out that all that did was make it easier for them to find it.” I said as I took the spare handgun Shining gave me earlier...
“You still have to tell me where you’ve learned how to shoot so well.” Shining said to me as we parked...
I turned to him and smiled.
“I would, but you may decide to arrest me if you did.” I said as I loaded the pistol.
Behind us, over 20 other cars parked and we all marched towards the smoking building, the heat soaking our faces as some of us started to cough from the smoke.
“Jeez... the first floor’s on fire, someone call the Fire Department! The rest of you, look for survivors!” Shining coughed, while I felt the ground beneath us shake and rumble...
“What the hell’s that?” An officer asked as Shining grabbed an oxygen mask from the cop car and handed me an extra.
I set it on and I went over to the elevator, noticing that it was gone, and underneath was a seemingly bottomless pit...
“So Oscorp decided to bury its secrets underground... we’re going to need rappelling equipment, everyone stand--”
Behind us stood Adagio and Flash, each of them in new looks, with Adagio wearing an odd M-shaped crown on her head and her suit colored red, while Flash was somewhat the same, save for being slightly bulkier and his logo somewhat changed. With them was the other Twilight, wearing a set of armor unlike anything I’ve ever seen, holding a small sword—unlike the one she was reported using on the news recently.
“I think we can help.” Flash said... through Venom as he used the alien creature inside of him to form a tendril wrapping around a hook atop the shaft and he started rappelling down while Adagio lit the way with red beams.
A moment passed as I realized that Pip wasn’t with them, I went to ask, but Twilight cut me off.
“They found him on a rooftop a few miles from the city limits... he was beaten pretty bad. S.W.O.R.D has him at an outpost somewhere... he should be okay.” She told me.
I began shaking with anger and clenched my fists, and Shining didn’t pretend to not see it.
“They won’t get away this time... we’re ending this—tonight.” He assured me.
He then turned to the other Twilight, which admittedly would be a strange experience...
“Twily...?” He asked her.
“BBBFF...” Twilight said to him, somewhat happy to see an alternate version of her brother.
Unwilling to ask what that acronym meant, I kept silent, believing it was part of Equestrian culture. Another moment passed, and Flash then called out to us.
“Ok! Come on down, nice and slow!”
Shining cleared his throat and turned back to his officers.
“Alright, guys—you all know your training, you all have your assignments. When we’re down there, do not engage with the Rainbooms—they have their Geodes back, and along with their new powers, they’re a force to be reckoned with. Just stand on the sidelines, look for civilians, and let the heroes do their job. Now, I want half of you with us, the rest of you evacuate the building, and maybe the next few blocks... we have no idea what’s down here... Let’s move!” Shining ordered.
I slowly, painfully opened my eyes as the first thing I heard was a heart monitor... with my sister next to me.
“You’re up...” She said, much to my surprise.
I tried to get up, but powerful aches put me right back in.
“Easy, hero—you still need time to heal.” Diamond said to me, still wearing her Ironheart armor.
I groaned out as I soon noticed that Octavia was wearing that damned vest, and it had bullet holes and blood riddled all over it.
“This was my fault... I should’ve been out there with you—this wouldn’t have happened otherwise...” Diamond lamented.
I let out a faint smile as I’ve found myself in this position countless times...
“It’s not on you—that Chameleon tech could’ve fooled all of us. So... Octavia, who did you murder this time?” I asked.
She chuckled and adjusted her seat as Diamond took a step back from us.
“Robots, actually. Yeah, they had a whole facility of robotic guards—good for you and your precious code, right?” She mockingly asked.
I scoffed and shook my head.
“I became Spider-Man because of you... when Sunset put you in that spell, all I could think about was bringin’ her to justice--”
Octavia loudly scoffed and got up from her seat.
“Pip, they are out there, right now, killing innocent people, and you’re talking to me about justice?! You want to know what justice looks like? Look at the Apple Family.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s the shining example of justice-- you butchered them all, for Christ’s sake!”
“You know full well that they deserved it!”
“That doesn’t make it right--”
Octavia let out an angry growl as she gave up and threw her chair across the room, causing one poor nurse to give a startled shout.
“Right?! Let me tell you what isn’t right! Vinyl Scratch was beaten and... violated by the Apples, and the police didn’t do a damned thing about it! One day, Pip, you're going to meet someone-- someone who tests your code, your allegations to it, and they won’t give you a choice! I learned the hard way that the only way to stop hate? Put a gun to its head and pull the trigger.”
Diamond finally stepped back into the conversation.
“I hate to say it, Pip... but she has a point. I don’t regret letting the Apple Family get wiped out, and neither should you.”
I kept silent for a moment, sighing and lowering my head...
“You agree with me, don’t you?” Octavia mockingly smiled.
“...I do... somewhat. When I was bonded with Venom, I found Big Mac and Braeburn in the Bar with No Name... I almost killed them, ‘Tavi... I almost turned into you.”
She didn’t say anything, she sat on another nearby chair and leaned forward, wanting to hear more.
“In that moment... I felt what you feel, every day. It scared me; it was like... like a drug. You may be right—some people do deserve to die, to make sure that they don’t commit their sick actions ever again... but who are we to decide that? It’s not our call on who lives and dies—the moment we decide that, we become no better than the bad guys...”
I clearly saw Diamond go to say something, but she hesitated and stopped. Octavia barely reacted to me, aside from raised eyebrows which lasted for a split second.
“And you’re trying to tell me about how you killin’ people’s making a difference? You know what I’ve noticed about history? Every time someone tries endin’ hate with hate, it just leads to more hate... How long do you think before someone else uses that skull as a symbol for their actions? What if they decide that if one cop is dirty, that they’re all dirty? What if a confused person interprets your killings as a calling and shoots down people who they consider awful? It’s only a matter of time before you become a symbol of hate, Octavia... and I’m not going to be here for you when it does...”
Octavia scowled, and before we could say anymore... Aria walked past us, holding a vial of blood.
“Aria? Good to see you back.” I smiled, relieved to be able to change the subject of conversation.
She cracked a faint smile, and let out a sniff, much to my surprise.
“That weird smell in your blood’s almost gone, you should be able to fight...” She said, glancing at Octavia before walking away.
“What was that about?” I asked the now-shaken Octavia.
She kept silent as she got up from her seat and glanced at me, my pains starting to feel smaller and smaller,
“Nothing. Get better soon, we’re heading out as soon as you are.” Octavia said as she walked off in a huff.
I turned to Diamond, who simply sighed and walked away as well, most likely to get ready, because my former aches were now just small pains... I was able to move my hands around slightly, and as I did, my other limbs soon followed, and I started moving out of the bed, setting my feet on the ground as I suddenly realized that my suit was gone...
“My, my... looking for this?” A familiar voice asked as I turned around and saw my suit in the air, being held by...
“Rarity... Heh, not the worst person I’ve seen all day.” I chuckled as I took my suit from her and started putting it on, thankful that it was slightly bulky and somewhat held its form as opposed to skintight.
“For your sake, I shall take that as a compliment. So, the ‘Sinister Six’, hmm? Not my favorite title, but beggars cannot be choosers, I suppose.” Rarity giggled as I pulled up the zipper in the back and pulled the mask over my face, becoming Spider-Man once again.
“I’m just glad that the suit’s okay.” I said, admiring the fact that there were no signs of the beating I had taken.
Rarity let out a scoff and put on her eye-mask.
“You have no idea how difficult patching that suit up is—perhaps you shouldn’t start fights you cannot finish.”
I tilted my head in agreeance as Octavia and Aria reentered the room, with Aria and Rarity glaring each other down.
“Ah-- I could smell your perfume a mile away before I was in Alkai Lake. Hope there’re no hard feelings about last year, not my fault we kicked your friends’ asses.” Aria chuckled as she walked off.
We were all marching through the massive corridors beneath Oscorp with Adagio lighting the way—these must’ve spanned out into the entire city...
“Jesus... all of this-- just below our feet?” Flash asked as we continued on, noticing the scorch marks on the walls.
“It turns out Oscorp had more secrets than we thought.” I said to him.
“Yeah... but why did Oscorp bring the statue all the way down here?” Flash asked back.
“We’re close... I’m sensing Equestrian magic nearby... a lot of it...”
Flash and the police all had their guns trained as I stepped ahead, stopping at a larger door with light flashing from the other side, and I used my magic to blow the door open, allowing all of us to enter.
Inside the room was a massive machine, stretching across the massive lab, with the Canterlot horse statue on the side, linked to wires and computer monitors that Doc Ock hand two of her mechanical arms manage, while holding the other Twilight’s sword in her claw. The machine itself had four main parts, curving up and settling at an angle aiming down at the base. While the others entered behind me, I noticed the other five, their silhouettes visible from the bright light piercing the entire room, with their Geodes shining across their necks.
“Silver, what’s going on over there?” Diamond asked from behind us.
“SCANNING... COSMIC ENERGY LEVELS ARE OFF THE CHARTS, STRUCTURAL INTEGRETY IS LOWERING.” I barely heard Diamond’s A.I through her helmet, but it was there.
“We need to stop them—fast.” Diamond said as she fired a repulsor into Doc Ock’s mechanical arm, only for her to move her arm out of the way at the last moment.
Twilight hopped down and turned to face us, revealing that she has the gem in the sword removed...
“Hmm... now, where do I give this to? Sunset, you’ve handled its power before, and your body didn’t react too well, the rest of you have your Geodes back... decisions, decisions...” She pondered for a moment before slamming the gem against her forehead as it sunk into her, just like it did to Sunset that faithful night.
“Twilight, stop! You don’t know what it’ll do to you!” Flash shouted as he used Venom to form tendrils to the wall behind her and tried to zip over to her, only for Sunset to fly over and wrap her arms around him, holding him in place.
“Oh, no—you aren’t ruining this one!”
Doc Ock began to float, her arms raising from the ground as her eyes began glowing blue, and she was wrapped in magic—the shell forming around her seemed like a cocoon, or an egg.
I ran in first, flying up to try and get to her, but Rainbow used her old super-speed and her new electricity powers to jump up and grab me.
“Oh, I missed pushing people around!” She cackled as she tossed me across the room, with me stopping just before hitting the wall.
As I flew back into the fight, the gateway started shooting out arcs of magic, grinding into the walls of the lower level like paper, showing daylight from the city above...
“Shut it off, Doctor! You don’t know the first thing about what you’re doing!” Twilight cried out as she used a lead pipe as a replacement sword.
Doc Ock didn’t respond as her cocoon broke open, and the first thing we saw were the four mechanical arms, now flowing purple and light blue as they sank into the ground and Doc Ock rose out of it... but she wasn’t the same. Her skin was a darker purple, her eyes were glowing blue, and her mechanical arms seemed almost endless as they continuously stretched out like clay. Topping the new form was an alicorn’s horn extending out of her head.
“Twilight...?” Sunset asked as she started flying towards her.
Shining’s hand was on his mouth in horror as Doc Ock began to laugh, but her voice was... different.
“Just her inhibitions...” The new voice smiled as Shining took a step forward.
“M... Midnight?” He asked.
This new person looked up to him and smiled yet again, but this time, she cackled.
“You called?” Midnight asked him as she used her new magic to transform her mechanical arms into a pair of wings.
Shining backed away and shook his head as Midnight lowered herself and took a moment to stretch her legs before letting out a cold laugh.
“Twilight never told you all her plan, did she? Well, allow me to shed some light: ever since last year, something has happened in the Omniverse—the multiple Multiverses have begun collapsing with crisis after crisis and multiple universes being extinguished... Twilight believes that the only salvation for our world is to take it... and expand... and she was just missing one small ingredient...” She said as her horn let out a glow as she cackled maniacally.
“...and now, using the Elements of Harmony and the Geodes... we will conquer Equestria, and beyond, until this whole universe knows the Sinister Six!”
She dove towards us and I flew out of the way, only to land next to Scorpion’s tail and narrowly held it back with my magic. Hammerhead’s head began to glow orange through crack-like scars as she charged at me, only for me to outstretch my free arm and form another barrier that Hammerhead managed to crack with her enhanced strength mixed with the unbreakable metal over her skull. As I fought to hold the two back, I saw Carnage slither over to me and extend a blade from her arm...
Just before she drove it into me, Flash got involved and used Venom to pull her back. Carnage turned to him and cackled, changing her form into an outstretched version of her.
“Ooh, I love this game! Follow the Killer, Daddy!” Carnage cheered as she slithered her way into another corridor, with loud slashes being heard, along with screaming.
“Flash, you and Venom go get her—we'll focus on them!” I shouted as Flash charged in after Carnage.
I pushed Hammerhead and Scorpion away and rallied next to Ironheart, with us standing back-to-back as the Six swarmed around us, with Sunset and Doc Ock in the air, Hammerhead and Electro on the ground, with the latter shooting out sparks and arcs of electricity that touched the walls, and Scorpion was on her mechanical legs, overlooking us as they crept closer towards us.
I ran as fast as I could after Carnage, thanking Venom for his enhanced stamina. As we ran, we saw the... well... carnage she left behind, with the bodies of officers covered in blood and some of them... wrinkled and decayed.
“So, V—you never told me about how a piece of you turned into... this.”
Well... do you recall when Pinkamena was blasted with Sunset’s powers?
“Yeah, but that doesn’t make any sense—how could that magic turn your piece into a separate creature?”
Klyntar are a mysterious species, Flash—there's no way of telling how magic affects us, that’s why I would prefer to avoid it when possible.
As we continued, I saw more and more devastation and corpses from Carnage’s killing spree, with drawings on the wall drawn out of blood, depicting stick figures Carnage, Venom, and I as some sort of family, almost like a kindergartener’s drawing. In the background of the scribbles were several stick-figure bodies with parts of them missing, and on top, big sloppy letters...
WE ARE FAMILY.
So... what’s the plan?
“I was kinda hoping you had one...” I said as behind me, I heard the sound of slithering as well as sounds I could have only associated with Venom.
Heads up!
I rolled out of the way as Carnage came crashing down from the ceiling, now about 15 feet tall and pieces of her latching to the walls and ceiling.
“Where’d you go? I was getting worried?” She asked in a somewhat concerned voice as I noticed bodies getting absorbed into her...
Oh, no... she’s draining their life force!
Okay, and what the hell does that mean?
Expect a long fight ahead of us...
Sure enough, Carnage charged towards us, far more massive than we are, and trapped us inside a form of cocoon, and inside was Pinkamena, who began approaching us with a maniacal trance in her eyes.
“Look at what we can do! We can have so much fun, now, Flashie!” She hopped and giggled.
“This is over, Pinkamena...” I said, slowly getting closer to her.
She let out a laugh and charged at us, letting out a loud scream as she did.
I was close... I could feel it.
I followed the parade of cop cars to the Oscorp Building—but that was the easy part. The elevator was out and I assumed that they all went to the bottom. I pressed a button on my billy club and a grappling hook formed on the top, and I stabbed it into the ground, beginning my descent down to the depths of Oscorp...
They weren’t getting away, this time-- not without facing penance for what they had done.
The fight with the remaining Sinister Six had not gotten any easier, Ironheart and I were pinned against the wall as the rest of the Six continued fighting, with Electro fusing lightning with her super-speed in attempts to cause a short in Ironheart’s armor. Hammerhead was my main opponent, given her enhanced strength was genuinely starting to wear me down...
I had sworn against mind control many years ago, but tonight, my vow was getting tested...
“Aw, what’s wrong, little witch? Gettin' tired?” Hammerhead asked with a sinister grin on her face while cracking her knuckles.
Panting for breath, I adjusted my stance and formed two shields from my hands...
“I can do this all day...” I said as I charged back into the fight.
Without a second thought, she punched me back and into the wall... I tried to free myself, but I was starting to feel weak, and my vision was blurry...
“Man, I don’t even remember who you are all too well... but I can’t help but feel like you deserve this...” She laughed as she began to charge towards me...
Only for a part of a baton attached to a cord to smack her in the face and pull back to reveal...
“Applejack... your time for penance has come.” Vinyl said as everyone stopped fighting and turned to her, who was finally exposed to the light and standing above us on a safety rail.
Vinyl’s suit was a deep shade of red, almost black, wearing thin, armored pads on her chest, elbows, knees, and forearms. Her cowl was all-black with what seemed like devil’s horns on her head and all-red eye lenses... the most noticeable part on her suit was her utility belt, which had throwing knives, smoke bombs, and her baton, which by now was put back together and in her hands.
“And... who the hell are you?” She asked as she noticed the other four backing away in fear...
Vinyl finally removed her cowl with a click of a strap, and she revealed her face...
Her blue hair ran down just past her neck and it was straightened, one red eye pierced into each of our souls as her other had a long scar and was whitened out.
It was almost as if Hammerhead had seen a ghost, as she started panicking and backed away, just to fall on her back and begin crawling away.
“Y-you... You!” She screamed in horror.
Vinyl screamed back, but in rage as she lept off of the railing and landed next to Hammerhead, who went to punch her with her enhanced strength...
But Vinyl shifted out of the way and grabbed her arm and drove it against her knee, breaking it. I cringed in shock as Hammerhead let out a painful scream and got to her feet, now holding her limp arm.
“You... you... bitch!” Hammerhead screamed as she reared her head back and went to slam it against her.
She jumped past it, wrapped her legs around her head, and shifted her weight towards a set of consoles, wedging her head into them as electricity shot out and her body started to jerk out. Vinyl then backed away and ran towards her, using debris from our fight to gain higher ground, and lept above her and dove down, giving her a flying elbow drop as blood shot out from the now-fried consoles... after a moment to catch her breath, Vinyl went over and yanked her Geode away, holding it in her hands.
As I gained my footing and recharged my powers, I saw Ironheart’s armor start to fail.
“No, no, no... damn it!” She said as her armor plates exploded away from her, and her suit’s exoskeleton disconnecting from her...
The other four were too terrified by Vinyl to do anything, save for Midnight, who charged towards her with a demonic screech...
Only for webs to string her up to the roof.
The crater in the street was pretty hard to miss, and just after I webbed Doc Ock’s new, glowing purple form up, I swung over to Adagio, who I noticed was barely able to stand and had blood running down her head.
“’Dagi, you okay? You’re bleeding, you’re--” My worries were cut off her putting one finger up against my mask and she slowly pulled the very bottom of my mask up with it...
“Just come here, Spidey.” She smiled as she pulled me into a kiss, one that I returned.
We held it long enough for me to just barely hear a gunshot, which caused me to pull away and turn to see Octavia standing over Applejack’s corpse.
“No!” I cried as I used my webs to pull her shotgun away from her and snapped it in two in my hands.
Octavia glanced at me and didn’t say a word, with spots of blood on her face as she turned to the remaining three, who were all backing away in fear, save for Doc Ock, who was webbed onto the ceiling.
“It’s over! Stand down, remove your Geodes, and turn yourselves in!” She said, pulling out a handgun from the side of her armored vest.
The others didn’t need to think as they pulled their Geodes off and tossed them towards us, getting on their knees and surrendering as Doc Ock let out a growl and used her new wings to slash through my webbing and break out.
“You... insolent fools! Why did Twilight ever rely on you for something she should’ve just done herself?!” Doc Ock screeched as she dove towards us...
Before she could get close, however, the alternate Twilight threw a pipe at her head, causing the gem to be gently knocked out of her skull, just reaching her forehead...
“No! I won’t let her take control again!” ...Whoever this is screamed as she tried pushing the gem back in...
I took the opportunity, shot my webs towards it and began to pull downwards. As I did, this person inhibitingthe body of my world’s Twilight Sparkle started to scream out as with one final yank, the gem hit the ground with a clink and the other Twilight wasted no time pacing over to it and picking it up.
“I am never losing this thing again...” She said as she held out her hand and her sword flew over to her, allowing her to set the gem back inside of it.
A moment later, we heard a shout coming from deeper in the facility.
“Oh, no—Flash!” Aria shouted as she shot out her claws and Twilight began levitating in the air and they both ran/flew into the corridors.
While they ran off, the machine that the statue was wired to started to glow as a large, blue substance started forming and growing in the center.
“Uh... guys? That doesn’t look good...” Diamond said as she pointed to the growing blorb as Doc Ock/Midnight looked up from the floor.
“No... no, it’s not good at all!” She began to laugh uncontrollably as S.W.O.R.D agents entered the facility from the crater in the ceiling.
As we all struggled to understand what was happening, an arc of lightning shot out from the portal that was forming and struck my mother, with her letting out a painful screech.
“Mom!” Octavia, Adagio, and I shouted as we ran over to her and checked her pulse, feeling a very faint one...
“Get her out of here, now!” Shining paniced as a few officers ran over with a stretcher and began lifting her up, preparing to escort her from the scene...
After a long and exhausting fight, I was covered in small cuts and had a black eye as I turned to see Carnage on the ground, trapped by Venom’s tendril-webs, and giggling to herself.
“I can see where you got your experience from, Flashie—this ain’t yer first rodeo, is it?” She laughed in a fake accent as I limped over to her.
“...Why? Why are you doing all of this? What are you trying to achieve?” I asked her.
She stopped laughing and she turned to me with a genuinely tragic look in her eyes.
“I... just wanted us to be a family... a... a happy one.” She whispered to me, with her voice starting to crack.
I hesitated at that comment and sighed, knowing what I had to do. I had Venom remove the tendril restraints on her and as she got up on her feet, I had Venom unenvelop me.
What are you doing?!
Venom, just trust me...
Pinkamena saw my gesture and unenveloped from Carnage. She took a step towards me, and finally ran towards me in an embrace, one that I returned.
“It’s okay... it’s okay.” I said to her as she began crying on my shoulder.
As I held her, I saw Aria and Twilight run in, and I held my hand out to stop them.
“It’s okay...” I told them as I pulled away from Pinkamena.
“Turn yourself in—I'll make sure they’ll take care of you.” I said to her.
She looked up at me and wiped a tear from her face.
“Will you visit?” She whispered.
I let out a small nod as she jumps for joy as S.W.O.R.D agents come in and put handcuffs on her. As they take her away, I let out a sigh of relief over how well that went.
I’ll admit—that could have gone worse.
The poor girl just wants a family—her first one wasn’t exactly picture perfect...
As I walk over to the other two, we are knocked down by a rumble and an explosion ringing out from the lab... we started running as fast as we could towards the lab, hoping that everyone was okay...
The loud intercom was enough to send most of the S.W.O.R.D agents packing as they carried the Six away, their Geodes falling to the ground.
“Fall back! We need to evacuate the city, now!” Diamond panicked as pieces of her armor began levitating in the air, along with the Geodes...
I noticed a computer screen still on and I began walking over to it, only for Adagio to stop me.
“Pip?! What’re you doing?! You heard her, we need to get out of here—I can’t contain this one!” She said as her amulet was a bright red as she tried her hardest to maintain a forcefield around all of Oscorp.
I let out a sigh, pull my mask off, and took her hands.
“Adagio... it’s okay. I can stop this, at least minimalize the blast radius...” I glanced over to Shining, “Tell your men to evacuate the nearest buildings in at least a 5 block radius!” I shouted to him.
"Already did! Come on, men, fall back!" Shining shouted as I turned back to Adagio.
A tear started to fall down her face as she took hold of the hand holding my mask.
“No... I’ll stay, too-- I can help you control it, I--”
I took a moment to wipe the tear away and I then leaned my head into hers.
“It’s okay... this city’s gonna need someone to look after it...” I said as I held her in an embrace.
She held me back, letting her sobs be heard.
“I can’t lose anyone else... not you, too, please...” She begged.
I let out a sigh as I knew that I was short on time and broke the embrace.
“You can, ‘Dagi... you can do anything. I know you can... I need you to get the others out of here, okay?” I asked her, and she sniffled as she nodded.
“Okay... I’ll do it.” She said as she backed away and formed a field around everyone else, with my mask still in her hand.
As she did, I saw Flash, Aria, and Twilight walk in and see what I was about to do...
“Pip? W-what're you doing? You can’t... Pip?!” Flash asked as Twilight set her hand on his shoulder and started lifting him off of the ground until he pulled away and ran over to me.
“Pip... don’t do this...” He said to me, and I just let out a sigh and set my hand on his shoulder.
“Help Adagio look after this city for me... I’m sorry, man...” I said as I held him in a hug and shot a web out towards the force field, which latched on to it...
“Don’t do this... I can help you, I can--” I shot the web to his back and let him go, shooting him back into the force field.
I couldn’t hear them, but I saw the looks on Octavia and Flash’s faces when they realized what I was doing. They started trying to break the field, and Adagio stood her ground and let out a weak smile, with me waving one last goodbye, as she flew up and carried the others away from the scene.
With the emotional part out of the way, I ran over to the console and started typing away, using every shut-down code, every different line of code I could find, and it seemed like it worked, as the large portal forming in the machine began shrinking...
“Okay... progress...” I said as I kept typing away...
It was going so well, too... until I ran out of shut-downs, and the portal let out a roar as I was quickly and violently sucked into it...
BOOM!
A loud explosion of energy shot out into the city as Oscorp’s lights went out and back on, along with every building nearby as the roads below us cracked and broke...
And Octavia let out a blood-shrilling scream as we continued flying away...
Pip was gone...
And I had no idea what to do.
There was nothing you could’ve done, Flash... he made his choice.
Adagio flew down and we wound up on a rooftop, where Adagio fell to her knees and began sobbing, holding Pip's mask against her face, while almost all of us forming tears and my throat beginning to burn. I walked over to her and knelt down with her, resting my hand on her shoulder, with tears beginning to flow, as well...
I saw someone move next to us, and I saw Diamond kneel down and set her hand on my shoulder. Aria and Twilight went to the other side of Adagio and knelt down as well.
We didn’t say a word to each other, we didn’t do anything at all... we just knelt for what felt like hours, as rain began to fall...
“...Is he still alive...?” My vision was blurry as I heard a voice that sounded like Fluttershy ask.
…
“Make way...!” I heard a voice with a hispanic accent shout.
…
“Keep him stable...!” I heard a doctor say.
…
…
…
I slowly opened my eyes, in a hospital room, as I began to notice my surroundings.
I was in a hospital room, with tubes sticking into me, as I noticed that I was still in my suit, and it was torn in numerous places...
I then turned to my left, and I saw the Rainbooms sitting there, along with Flash and another person...
“You okay, desconocido?” The other guy asked as I began to panic...
I yanked the tubes out of me and rushed to get up, only for odd pains and overall weakness stopping me.
“Whoa, whoa, easy, there, dude—you were in pretty bad shape when we found you... so, what’re you Pipsqueak’s older brother or something?” Flash asked me, acting like I was a stranger.
I had no idea how to respond to him other than opening the door and starting to run down the hall, only for trip and slowly limp back up. As I went, I heard a voice that I had never heard before...
“No, I can’t say that he’s my brother... Why, what’s the resemblence?” A british accent like mine asked as I saw a small, frail figure down the hall turn and see me...
He had white skin, like me... brown hair, like me... and the exact same birth mark on my eye...
It took me a moment to realize that the gateway sucked me up... and I was in an alternate dimension...
Behind me, the kid from earlier ran up to me and helped hold me up as my legs started to give.
“Easy, tough guy—my name’s Sky Armor, we aren’t gonna hurt you... we just wanna know why you were saying my friends’ names in your sleep, and why you look like the pequeñinover there, you feel me?”
I was in complete shock—I was surrounded by people I knew, but they were complete strangers...
“Because... I am him...” I said as my vision grew blurry again and everything went dark around me, with my body hitting the ground with a thud...
BREAKING NEWS: SPIDER-MAN DECLARED DEAD AFTER OSCORP ATTACK
The headline was almost hard for me to believe, even 2 weeks after the fact, but my agents were there and confirmed it themselves... I let out a frustrated sigh as I activated the displays, showing the names I had saved a few weeks before the Sinister Six broke out of the Raft...
Flash Sentry, bonded with the symbiote Venom. Advanced firearms training/combat effeciency.
Adagio Dazzle, 500 year-old siren from another world, possesses extraordinary psionic abilities.
Octavia Melody, vigilante named the Punisher, advanced firearms training, currently serving a life sentence for the murders of 128 criminals, including Apple Family crime lord Granny Smith and her lieutenants.
Diamond Tiara, gifted prodigy donning the Ironheart armor, skilled engineer/mechanic/mathematician.
Rarity Belle, cat burgular, former inhibitor of a magical Geode.
Thunderlane, S.W.O.R.D's top agent, expert firearms training/stealth operations.
Trixie Lulamoon, illusionist known as Mysterio, recently turned herself in to authorities in exchange for evidence against the Sinister Six.
As I glanced at these names, I turned to another set of headlines that showed attacks all over the world.
ZOMBIE ATTACKS IN RUSSIA! GOVERNMENTS RUSH TO RESPOND.
WINGED MONSTER LAYS WASTE TO VILLAGE IN AFRICA, SURVIVORS CALL IT A DRAGON.
NEW SUPERVILLANS ATTACK SMALL MOSQUE IN SEATTLE, DECLARE THEY WERE 'AKUMATIZED'.
