Aftershocks
"Ex-General Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross has been pronounced dead officially by the authorities after determining that the red monster from yesterday was indeed the disgraced General."
"I assume all of you are aware of what's happening in the country right now, specifically all the buzz surrounding a Hero based in New York-"
"I wouldn't call him a Hero Pamella-"
"An Anti-Hero based in New York who revealed that Ross was involved with Former Colonel William Stryker and they both had conducted an inhumane and illegal experiment on a superpowered individual for plans unknown which makes it all the more scarier."
"Scarier than a mass-murderer roaming free without being held accountable for all the atrocities he committed?"
"Yes, Josh. Scarier than the quote-unquote, 'mass-murderer' that's roaming free because you see the point is that this mass-murderer had the decency to not hide it. Although, as brutal, stomach-churning, disgusting and disturbing as his actions were, he still live-streamed it for the world to see. To see the punishment he dished out."
"The fact that the video still remains untouched on various social media platforms presses an even bigger issue. What the hell is our government doing?! They are incapable of shutting down a criminal who is exploiting the media to advertise his sickening brand!"
"Josh if you would just stop being overly emotional then you'd realise that it isn't that government isn't doing anything. It's that they haven't been able to tamper with his social media accounts in any shape or form for some reason. The only solution that they have come up with is to shut down all the platforms altogether. Just pull the plug but I'm afraid it would result in even bigger outrage."
"Whatever the case may be, what are we going to do about Spider-Man?! Are we just going to let him roam free?! Just do whatever he pleases, however, he pleases?!"
"What do you suggest we do Josh?"
"W-Well for one we could-"
"Just what do you suggest we as the people do that can result in the capture, arrest and perhaps the execution of a superpower individual that was strong and unhinged enough to turn a hulk-like monster into a meat patty using his frontal skull?"
"W-Well... I-I... Umm... We could-"
"That's what I expected. There isn't anything we can do that could even remotely affect Spider-Man and there are multiple reasons I'd advise the people to not engage with him in any form."
"..."
"One, we don't how his identity. He could be anyone. His anonymity makes him more dangerous if his unhinged personality wasn't enough. Two, according to our research from the fight we observed he could turn a normal human into a quote-unquote, 'bloody mist' with a single punch. Three, he is a psychopath with the knowledge of human anatomy. Four, bullets do not affect him. Heck rocket launcher couldn't hurt him, what is a bullet supposed to do to him. Five, if it wasn't clear enough, he doesn't shy away from killing. If he finds you annoying, you are done for, so the most logical choice would be to avoid conflict and just run."
"..."
"I can understand that this leaves a sour taste in your mouth Josh but even the military couldn't do anything. The only way to capture him would be with the help of other superpowered humans which your party has been trying to persecute for simply existing and being different."
"That's not the point-"
"That's exactly the point-"
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"Man the media has gone nuts."
"Not just the media, the world."
"Yeah, fucking criminals roaming and murdering in broad daylight."
"@bagleychips, then do something about it!"
"I did, I fucked your mom."
"I knew it, you impotent incel couldn't come up with a viable argument so you had to resort to this. Do us a favour, let go of your dick, put away your phone and get off the internet son."
"lololol, this comment section is hilarious! ಥ‿ಥ "
"What you laughing at Lil bitch?"
"Your mom gay."
"What-"
"Bwahahaha!"
------
"Hello guys, welcome to the Sunday night stream! And yeah crazy stuff is happening right now. It's been a week since Spider-Man went rogue and after a better understanding of the situation, I am all in for it-"
"I can't believe people are still supporting this mass-murderer, who is the representation of the corrupt patriarchy-"
"The fuck you talking about woman? He literally took a person, who in fact was part of your supposed patriarchy! Although his methods are a bit messy they are quite effective I have to admit that!-"
"Whatever, I didn't ask for your opinion. The fact remains that he has become the brand ambassador for violence and I can see more men following his example-"
"The hell? Don't want my opinion? Then get off my show-"
"B-But-"
"Now!"
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"Where is Spider-Man?!"
"He has to answer for his crimes!"
"He killed my son!"
"He brutalized my husband in front of the whole world!"
"He traumatized me and my kid by putting that video on the internet!"
(A/N: Now, people like this exist lol. Don't come at me lmao.)
"Spider-Man is my hero!"
"This is true justice!"
"We stand with Spidey!"
"Scums like those deserve to die!"
"Saviour-"
"Murderer-"
"Monster-"
"Spider-Man!"
"Spider-Man!"
"Spider-Man!"
------
"The whole city is in frenzy, two weeks ago Spider-Man massacred Ex-General Ross and his associates. The violence that occurred was live-streamed for the whole world for me. Organized marches have taken place throughout the country, especially in New York. Some protesting, calling for Spider-Man's head to be mounted on a spike, some to detain him and some want him to be left alone."
"What is going to happen to New York now? Will Spider-Man be caught? Is he the one who needs to be held accountable for everything that's wrong with the world? Or is he the hand, we need to strong-arm crime into non-existence. That... Only time will tell us. As of now, the question remains..."
"Just who is Spider-Man and where is he?"
------
"That's a pretty big trunk on my Lincoln town car, ain't it?" Peter smiled with his eyes closed as he sat on the couch, as his long calloused fingers plucked at the strings of an acoustic guitar. "Big enough to take these broken hearts and put em in it"
"Now I'm driving around on the boulevard, trunk bleeding." Gwen was on the other end of the couch, Peter's legs on her lap as she leaned back smiling, looking at his face. "And every time the cops pull me over, they don't ever see them, they never see them."
"And I've got this black suit on, Roamin' around like I'm ready for a funeral." Peter smiled, loosening his vocals as he did minor vocal riffs in between. "Five more miles till the road runs out~"
"I'm about to drive in the ocean, I'ma try to swim from somethin' bigger than me." Jennifer who was sitting on the bed in front of Peter on another couch, smiled softly with her eyes closed as she enjoyed Peter's voice. "Kick off my shoes and swim good, and swim good."
Peter smiled opening his eyes, red slitted eyes glowing as he looked at Jennifer.
"Take off this suit and swim good, and swim good, good~"
(A/N: The song is called Swim Good by Frank Ocean. One of my all-time favourites. If you haven't heard it, I definitely recommend it to you, you won't be disappointed. Also, do me a favour and drop some new song suggestions, I need new sounds.)
*Clap!**Clap!*
"Wooh~" Jennifer have a small cheer as she clapped along with Gwen. Peter grinned, standing up before taking a bow. "That was really, really good!"
"I would hope so too, I've been practising for a while." Peter smiled as he looked at the guitar and then at the two women. "Glad to know, I was able to entertain you both."
"You are such a sweet guy, Pete." Jennifer said leaning on her hand while Peter just grinned putting the Guitar beside the couch on the floor.
"I know right!" Gwent squealed as she hugged Peter from the side which made Jennifer giggle.
"You both are so adorable." Jennifer cooed and Peter just winked at her.
"I know, I know." Peter grinned. "I'm fabulous."
"Boooo!" Jennifer booed in a light-hearted manner while Gwen just pinched her boyfriend for being cheeky before her phone began ringing. Taking the call, she nodded before walking towards the door.
"What's up?" Peter raised an eyebrow and Gwen just smiled.
"Dr Susan Storm~ She needs a hand to upload the new patch for Juno. Since we are putting Juno in charge of the AfterLife arsenal then she needs to be optimised for the task."
"Well, she could have just called me-"
"Where the fun in that, one-shot man?" Gwen winked as she opened the door and blew him a kiss. "I'll be back with dinner, don't miss me too much."
"You know, I will."
"I know, I know. I'm fabulous." Gwen blew a raspberry before leaving making Peter laugh along with Jennifer.
"You really love her, don't you?" Jennifer asked all of a sudden but Peter just smiled before nodding slowly as he leaned back and laid himself on the couch.
"I do. Very much so, with all my life. All of them." Peter echoed. He smiled to himself, reminiscing how it started and how far he had come with his women before his face adopted an inquisitive expression as he turned to look at Jennifer. "Have you come up with a decision?"
"I... I haven't yet. I'm sorry."
"No, no. It's fine. Take all the time you need to make up your mind. It is a very critical decision after all." Peter said and Jennifer smiled in gratitude.
"This... Still feels really surreal to me. I hope you understand."
"I do. Trust me, I do." Peter stared at the ceiling. "This... And everything that leads up the this is still very new to you. I understand. A few months ago, you were just a normal attorney and then somehow you got tangled in my web and here you are now."
Jennifer rubbed her shoulder as she looked down at her lap.
"The She-Hulk. That's what they are already calling you and frankly, it's a fitting name. I've never met the man, but from what I've seen from his old videos, you frankly resemble him in quite a few areas." Peter complimented as Jennifer nodded with a smile. "The world of superpowered individuals. Heroes, not-heroes and villains. The light, the dark and everything in between. It's new. It's unknown. It's frightening."
Jennifer bit her lips as she looked at her hands as they were shaking slightly.
"It's like being stripped naked, thrown into an unknown abyss and told to swim. It's difficult." Peter said as he raised and looked at his own two hands, his eyes softened remembering all he had done with those hands. "But it's not impossible to improvise."
"Huh?"
"Even when you are neck-deep in water, if you have the will to live then you can learn to swim against the tides. No matter how strong the currents maybe." Peter smiled as stood up. Walking toward Jennifer, he took a seat beside her and smiled. "For a moment, just forget about the world, forget about everything, you have this power now. The choice is yours, do you want to keep it or do you want to get rid of it and go back to your old life, to how it used to be before you meet me? What do YOU think?"
"I... I'm scared. This power is too much. I thought I was dying, when I woke up I was stronger than ever but still trapped in a cage, a slave to a man who hated my guts. Though I dreaded this power, there were moments I had wished I had more of it so that I could snap that bastard in half and the other half blamed this power for all the pain I was experiencing, wishing I never got it, wishing I had stayed the same, normal, an average lawyer leading an average life." Jennifer poured her heart out as she clenched her fists. "I am free now and the bastard that put me through the pain is dead now. All thanks to you. You freed me and you avenged me. And now you give me the choice, whether I want to keep this power or not. It's just... A lot for me."
"It's your power now, it's a part of you now. So, obviously, you are the one who should decide what's it that you want to do. But frankly, I may have a bit bias, not gonna lie." Peter winked. "You already know the deal with Spider-Man and you have an idea about the Creed. I need more allies, I need more friends. You would very much welcome and frankly Gwen pushes this more than me."
"Gwen does?"
"Yep. She thinks you'd be one heck of a badass." Peter grinned as he leaned into Jennifer's ears. "And frankly, I can't disagree."
Jennifer shivered as Peter pulled back.
"Why not give it a try?"
"I want to but there's a part of me that doesn't want to go through what I had to back then ever again and frankly..." Jennifer looked at Peter with an honest look as she intertwined her fingers with Peter's. "I thought I would be happy leading a normal life but deep inside, I have always wanted to be something more and now that I could be something more, I don't think I am fit to be-"
"Yet." Peter said cutting Jennifer off before she could finish it. Patting her cheek Peter smiled at her. "You wouldn't know until you give it a go."
"Mmhmm." Jennifer nodded unconsciously leaning into his touch.
"I know the feeling well. The feeling of insignificance, of being just another face amongst million others. The desire to be a unique individual, the fear of being different from your peers. The drive to make a change, the dedication helping you push through obstacles, killing and slaughtering, left and right. The joy thinking, your naive dream of making a change coming true." Peter looked at the window, his eyes casting a faraway look on his face. "The despair knowing you failed. The bitterness knowing nothing would change. The indifference, of having to settle with what you do best and do it, over and over again because it needs to be done. I know it all well."
Peter looked at Jennifer with a sad smile before getting up and turning to leave without a word. Peter jerked, stopping in his track. Turning his head, he saw Jennifer grabbing his hand, stopping him from leaving.
"You know... When you want to convince your client to agree with something, you just have to tell them the best part and tell them it's going to be alright, no matter the case. You know right?" Jennifer asked as Peter smiled. Turning around he leaned down and kissed her cheek.
"I know." Peter said kissing her cheek once again.
"Then... Why not do the same?"
"Because that would mean lying to you." Peter replied softly as he pulled back. "It's not going to be all sunshine and rainbows, the road is dark, demented and bloody. It's not an easy one. Lying to you would mean keeping you ignorant to this fact."
"..."
"Take your time Jen, I'll be waiting for you." Peter said as he turned to leave.
"...thank you." Jennifer said looking up with tears in her eyes. "Thank you for everything."
"You are most welcome." Peter replied without turning back, but Jennifer could almost hear the gentle smile in his voice.
------
"Ugh!" Peter vomited, grunting in pain as tore off his blood-soaked clothes. Looking from the sink, Peter wiped the blood off his lips as he observed his naked body. His skin was tearing itself apart in random places, cracks would appear on his chest, abdomen, hands, and feet and blood would gush out briefly before his healing factor kicked in and healed the cracks.
"Peter! The energy build up in your body is faster than I expected. You need to release it now or I'm afraid your body will fall apart before it can heal itself and adapt." Eryl said.
"Noted." Peter said as he put on a black, stretchable spandex suit. "We need to increase the rate my body heals then."
"That would be the most viable solution as it would allow your body to break and build back stronger at an increased pace." Eryl agreed. "But that's for later! Right now you need to let it all out. I've already set up the training room and toggled it to the max, but I think you are still going to wreck it."
"I think so too. I'm too unstable right now."
"I'm a monster."
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Alternative Titles:
- Action Triggers Reaction
- Messiah Or Monster?
- Jennifer Can't Decide
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Yo, didn't expect an update so early, aye?
Warning, there is a detailed rant below. Kindly, skip it if you aren't in the mood to entertain it.
Well, there is a reason. I just saw the She-Hulk trailer and man it was something. And it wasn't something quite right. At first, I felt nothing, unsure what to feel about it, then I watched it a couple more times and when K began to feel something, it was wrong. And no, I'm not horny. No matter how much Marvel/Disney wants us to jack off a canonical sexy character, we as respectable men of culture can't bring ourselves to jack off to a modern version of Fiona from Shrek.
Unnecessary shitting aside, onto legit issues.
One, CGI is not up to the 'Marvel' mark. The thing from 2015 was a better CGI than this one.
Two, goofy as hell. I understand that Marvel has a really goofy sense of humour but the comic storylines of Hulk and his associates are anything but goofy as hell. Sure they can be light-hearted but mostly they are quite tragic. I don't know what the arc is so I'll just let go. Ignore this one for now.
Three, She-Hulk is a strong female CHARACTER, not a STRONG FEMALE character, these are two different things. There was that one line about anger and fear being the baseline women just existing and man I rolled my eyes so damn hard that they got lost in my skull. I get feminism, but you don't have to be so damn in the face with it. Try to disguise it at least!
Four, I would have been fine with the feminism as well cause it isn't really real feminism anymore but an anti-masculine weapon, but that one line ruined it for me. "Superheroes are for billionaires, narcissistic and adult orphans." Really? Really?! Tony Stark! Your cousin's best friend died for your sake, you stupid piece of bad-writing!
Just billionaires? Spider-Man, Luke Cage, your fucking cousin and many more superheroes are dirt poor! Some barely making the money to pay rent and some are neck-deep in debt!
Just Narcissistic? Captian American is the icon of a humble hero! Spider-Man, Wolverine, Black Widow, Storm, The Thing, The Punisher and I could go on with a list of heroes that have remained throughout their careers.
And apparently Adult Orphans... I don't know what to say even more. How come I don't see the outrage with this one? Sigh... I get it was a shot at Tony Stark but why? Why is it necessary to emasculate our Legacy Heroes? Tony was a narcissistic son of a bitch that was born with a 'golden spoon' but it didn't take away from the fact that the guy had brains bigger than the fucking galaxy. The guy learnt humility, preservation and sacrifice to protect the world he didn't have to care about and paid the ultimate price for it. His own fucking life. You are shitting on a dead man's legacy.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, God I hope I am wrong.
I had no real issues with Marvel before this. It was something I could move past and not care about at the end of the day. SJW issues, identity politics because as an Indian I have some real issues to worry about but now, it is a fucking problem.
What happened to good storytelling? What happened to all the innovations? All that crazy VFX and ideas, the joy, the hype, the hope that came when we all saw Tony Stark suiting up for the first time?
As I guy who was practically raised on stories from various cultures it doesn't sit right with me when the modern definition of storytelling is, token characters, tearing down established characters, dividing fanbases and putting out the garbage for a quick money grab.
That's why I made this chapter. To show that an amateur 'Fan-Fiction Writer' like me can design a likeable character and write decent dialogue.
Anyways, I'll see you in the next one.