Choosing the Path

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***

1 May 2013

Peter Parker

Daily Bugle

- Your photos are processed and your fee is included in your next pay cheque, so here you go," the pretty shawl with the mischievous look handed the guy a slip of paper containing all of Parker's money for the month's work, "you'll have to get a dragon painting though," a slight nod towards the office.

- Thanks, Betty," Peter adjusted his camera strap and went inside.

Opening the door, the brown-haired man immediately fell victim to the famous temper.

- Parker! Great, I was just waiting for you," Jonah was unusually chipper.

Spidey was glad at least he'd stopped yelling.

- Mr Jameson.

- Just Jonah, my boy," said Editor-in-Chief Bugle.

- Shall we settle on J.J.?

- Absolutely not," the man reported just as cheerfully.

"Carrier, he's annoying me, why don't we eat his brain?" - said the symbiote with a lingering hope in his voice.

Pete even faltered in his stride.

"What?! Okay, I see, we'll have to start buying chocolate, lots of chocolate."

"Carrier?"

"I mean, what makes you want to do that, Raj?!"

"Just a word of advice," the Clintarian spat out guiltily.

Jonah, meanwhile, sat back in his chair and even spun around.

- You look cheerful, boss, are you all right? - Pete asked apprehensively.

- Better than can be, my boy, better than can be. That's the reason I called you in.

- But I came in myself.

- My son John is returning to Earth! - ignoring Parker's last remark, Jameson said.

- That's great, Chief, I congratulate you," Pete smiled sincerely.

- Thank you," Jonah adjusted his tie slightly, "actually I want you to film the conference, I'll pay you double, or no, I'm in too good a mood, triple.

Wow, that's almost two of my salary or a hundred of my best photos sold.

- My pleasure, chief," I didn't realise Jonah could be so generous.

- You know, still double the rate, though.

I know this Jonah guy.

"Should we eat his brains after all?"

I'm telling Raj in my head to calm down.

- I came here originally to get you to sign the cheque," I hold out the paper.

- Sure, sure," J.J. signed it quickly, "Now get out, I've got a lot of work to do.

With a slight chuckle, I left the office, waving to Betty as I left the newsroom.

Well, it's been an interesting few days.

I'd thought it would be the exam to confirm my status as a Shield agent that would squeeze all the juice out of me, but in fact it turned out to be a warm-up for a truly soul-sucking force.

Bureaucracy.

I had to fill out a lot of paperwork, and considering that the ID and everything was made out for Spider-Man...brrrrr, horror.

But still, all the circles of bureaucratic hell were passed, documents were drawn up and hands were shaken. The next day I was almost late to the office, where I was supposed to have a tour, but the girls were very happy for me and decided to congratulate me, so I had a stormy night.

But there was no fuck up and I had a quiet look at a typical office near the centre of New York, not Wall Street, but very much so. I was given a badge, a clipboard and sent straight to a meeting with Fury.

Oh, how I was looking forward to it and how I was bummed, because once again the meeting was not on an aircraft carrier floating in the clouds, but on a fucking training base. I was beginning to suspect that there was no such thing as an Aircraft Carrier and that all the news about it was just a hoax to mess with me, but I realised from Nick's mocking look that it was just a long-running prank called "No Spiders in the Air". But that's okay, we'll see what he says when I rip off his armband and replace it with a pirate's.

In all seriousness, I thought I'd be sent straight to meet the Team after that meeting, but Fury surprised me. The One-Eyed Eagle decided that I should try out my skills in real combat before I lead his capable fighters, and it's convenient that Fury will pick up the mission as soon as he's sorted out what he's got on his plate.

In the meantime, there's time to take a break from the superhero life and get my civilian life in order. So, for the sixth day, I've been swimming in the mundane. First time I solved problems with studies, passed debts, did additional work of teachers. I've finally started doing the senior lab technician's job, much to the delight of Connors and Gwen.

By the way, young Miss Stacey had a most amusing story to tell. After Felicia had decided to live with Mary and me, Kitten suddenly began to enter our civilian life, well, my civilian life and the usual MJ life. First she came to meet May, Anna and Gail, then she went to study with Carrot, and yesterday she met Gwen and suggested a girls' weekend get together. Who knew Cat was so social?

Then I finally finished installing updates and completely improved the new Bugle website, for which I got my blood money today. Except why, I feel like I'm forgetting something?

I was pulled from my thoughts by the sound of the lift opening. I step out of the newsroom, put on my headphones, and start my journey to the underground.

"Carrier?"

"Yes, Raj?"

"You seem unusually quiet, is everything okay?"

"Just thinking. I feel like I've forgotten something."

"Why don't you try collating all the information you think is important in your head? I can help you with that."

"Really? How?"

"In case you haven't forgotten, I'm not just a very stylish suit, but an organism that sees, hears and remembers the same things you do."

"Well, let's give it a try. Let's start with Peter Parker's life. The girls are fine: Mary is studying, her audition was successful, so now she's actively preparing for her first play in the theatre; Felicia is busy with her mother's company and is in the office from morning till night; she doesn't talk about Black Cat's business, and I wouldn't know, since we're often patrolling the city together now."

"Then it's not about your females."

"I'm getting tired of correcting you. Okay, moving on. I've had my studies sorted out for five days now, lab projects sorted out too, and work on my father's notes is going on as normal, no super-soldier serum or Project VENOM. Doc said as soon as he needed me, he'd call me himself, so that's a bye here too."

"And you also oversaw the work in the newsroom, which is why we've left Bugle now."

"That's right, the only thing left to do is to meet with May, but that's exactly where we're headed in Queens."

"Maybe it's about your superhero life then?"

"Turns out it is. Let's go over it again. Spider-Man. I recently passed my exam and became a fully fledged field agent for Shield, I'm in the doldrums with missions, so while I'm free, I've checked my equipment, run diagnostics on the spiderbots and suit interface, created a spider-flash web, it's tested, so there shouldn't be any problems. What else...all my enemies are in prison and there's been no information about mass escapes, George hasn't been contacted either."

"Maybe it's a matter of internal senses?" - suggested the symbiote?

"I don't think so, I feel great. Still as fast, strong, agile, no discomfort at all. Okay, what else, Johnny still hasn't called, so either the FFs aren't ready yet, or they'll manage on their own. I took Tombstone's salary a month ago so it's quiet and Kingpin hasn't reacted since the Defenders and I put a stop to his drug supply.

Suddenly Pete jerked, so much so that the grandmother sitting next to him jumped.

"That's it!" - Peter remembered, apologising to the old lady in passing.

"Remember, Bearer?"

"What's the date today, Raj?"

"The first of May, why?".

"I'm supposed to meet the Punisher today."

"Oh, right, the man with the skull on his T-shirt."

"Right, can you remind me where we agreed to meet him?"

"Did he say Stilwell Street in East Brooklyn?"

"Right, thanks, I forgot. So I'll head there closer to eleven o'clock tonight."

Meanwhile the train had entered the boundaries of Queens.

*

After twenty minutes of walking, I knocked on the door of my home, which I had recently left.

A few minutes later, the door opened.

- Peter, darling, hello," May rushed in for a hug without even letting me in.

- Hi, Auntie," I returned the hug. Still, I'm an arsehole, it's been so long since I've been to see her.

- Come in, and I'll make some tea," May went into the back of the house, and I closed the door.

I look around the house, but not much has changed, the same armchairs, tables, chairs, and portraits on the walls, except that there's not much of my uncle's stuff left. The memories still hurt.

I shook off the obsession and quietly made my way to the kitchen, watching May lord it over her territory. She had aged rapidly since the accident. There were only sparse dark strands in her hair, mostly grey, though her aunt refused to dye her hair, joking that it made her look wiser. She was also having heart trouble, so May had to give up her hospital shifts and do only her main job as an accountant.

- You know, darling, your friend Felicia is a very nice girl," Auntie began, "Anna and I didn't expect her to want to meet such a wreck as us, but Miss Hardy was very sensitive and told me how she'd made friends with you and Mary Jane.

- I hope she didn't tell you everything? - I chuckle a little and sit down at the table.

- You mean about Felicia living with you? - Auntie's got a point. - I hope I don't have to worry about anything?

Unless your nephew has become the centre of an interesting threesome.

- Not at all, Auntie, believe me, we are in harmony.

- Good, if so, - the woman smiled, pouring boiling water into cups.

- By the way, where is Anna? - I changed the subject slightly, taking the mug from my aunt's hands.

- Oh, she and Gail went shopping for clothes for little Timmy.

- That's great," I stir the tea with a spoon, "do you like living with Mrs Watson?

- You know, Peter, after Ben died and you moved out, it's been lonely.

- I'm sorry," I touch May's palm guiltily.

- No, don't apologise, darling. - Auntie patted my hand kindly. - I didn't mean it like that, all children leave their home sometime and create their own, it's natural and there's no point in grieving over it.

- This is still my home and always will be, and you will always be the woman who became my mother.

- Oh, darling," May's tears were streaming down her face, "you don't know how nice these words make me feel.

- I'm just telling the truth," I smile warmly and hand my aunt a tissue.

The woman wipes the moisture from her eyes.

- We're fine, Peter. Besides, look how life changes, the walls of Anna's house can already hear children's laughter, so who knows, maybe you'll be bringing your little ones here soon too?

May's comment made me choke on my tea, but Aunty just laughed.

- It's not funny, Aunty," I mumbled, coughing up my tea.

- I'm sorry, darling, but I couldn't help but tease you.

Now we're both laughing.

***

In the meantime.

George Stacey.

- Hello, Dad, I'm going to be late in the lab today, but I'll be at the shop afterwards, what do you want for dinner?

- Anything you make, I'll eat, sweetheart," the captain replied to his daughter as he went about his business.

- I'm on a diet, are you sure you want celery and carrot sticks?

- Then a juicy steak and chips.

- Roger that, Captain, see you tonight, love you, Dad.

- Love you too, squirrel.

George hung up the phone and continued to stare at the board.

On the one hand, everything was fine in his life, even if he couldn't fully recover after his wife ran away with a young lover, but his relationship with his daughter had finally improved. There had been problems at work due to the recognition of his cooperation with Spidey and his service to the community, but last month, thanks to the actions of the Coalition for Mutual Aid to Superheroes, rumoured to be sponsored by Shield, and the fact that the new commissioner was a man who advocates working with street heroes, he was reinstated and even paid for all the days he was banned from duty.

And now it shows up. Every free day he's off duty, the captain returns to the other side. He never made any progress on the Parker accident.

Yeah, George never abandoned his vow to look into it and help the guy who lost his uncle.

Stacey knew that some cases could take years to investigate, but here it was possible to get to the bottom of it. George had been trying for months to get permission from the city administration to see the footage from the cameras on the bridge, but the hookworms had refused, justifying that it was a routine accident and because of the lack of evidence, no one would let the cops into the system.

- Bloody bureaucrats! - George threw the file aside in annoyance.

The facts need to be pieced together.

The man ruffled his greying hair.

'So, on the cameras of the general entrance to the bridge, there was a lorry that is normally used for transport. No markings, no names, nothing clean bodywork, standard colouring, but you could get a hold of that too. Often such vehicles are used by either very small businesses that rent cars, or large corporations that didn't want to be responsible for the goods inside. Even if their employee is driving the car, there is a legal way to deflect the charges. That's the dark side of the law.

Next, dozens of witnesses are talking nonsense of various kinds, from an accidental collision, to the fact that the Parkers were being hunted and the car was hit on purpose. However, even through the thick blanket of panicked delirium of the crowd, George managed to grasp a thread. One guy had seen the passenger and driver and noted that they were wearing uniforms.

Another clue, except that there was a definite dress code at most large companies, from Stark Industries and Oscorp to small European businesses. Uniforms were worn everywhere. More data is needed.

George gave himself up to thought again.

The phone rang again.

- Hello?

- Captain Stacey?

- Yes

- I have some information you might be interested in.

***

Later this evening.

Peter Parker.

- It was good to see you, darling," my aunt hugs me goodbye.

- Me too, I'll be sure to visit you again, Aunty.

- Take care of yourself, darling.

- I will.

I wave goodbye and walk down the familiar streets of Queens.

I cover a certain distance and, going into the nearest back alley, start climbing up the wall of the building to the roof. In the process, a Symbiotic suit crawls over my civilian clothes.

And here I am once again at that familiar height.

"There's a place to stop by before the meeting, Raj."

"Lead the way, Carrier."

I jump off the roof and catch myself on the wall of the building. I swing and swing across the blocks, the familiar movements repeating themselves, in the process not noticing that instead of cartridges I'm releasing a synthetic web created by the symbiote.

A couple of dozen minutes later, I land on another rooftop in New York, so similar to hundreds of others in this city. But this one is special to me. I walk up to the water tower to be dismantled and, climbing up the sashes, tear off the package I left here, which seemed so long ago, but in fact, not long ago.

Tearing through the long-soluble cobwebs, I pull out a dark suit.

"Bearer, I'm not quite sure what you need this rag for, there's me, isn't there?"

"Well, for one thing, I'm not allowed to glow in any of my normal suits, including you, so I'm sorry Raj, I'll have to go back to Invisible protocol."

The symbiote is absorbed and I take off my civilian clothes, donning my Rukt suit.

"And secondly?"

"What?"

"Usually when people say, firstly, they mean there's going to be a sequel," Symbiote complements in the tone of a real professor.

"Well, secondly, if I'm wearing this costume, it means Friendly Neighbour is no longer at home," I put on the mask and, leaving the equipment along with my clothes, except for one item, let's see how it goes with Castle and if it will be useful at all.

Jumping down onto a nearby roof.

"Carrier, is it wise not to take your weapon? I of course believe you can handle any threat with your bare hands as well, but still I'm...worried," the Clintarian murmurs slightly embarrassed.

"Oooh, that's very nice, Raj, but don't worry. Like you said, you're still with me and hopefully we'll have practice practising some moves."

"Like what?" - Symbiote wondered.

"Remember when you were strengthening my claws during practice? So I was thinking, what if symbiotic tissue isn't limited in its applications and I could, for example, create a whip-whisk or sharpen my arm, push a dozen tentacle-like outgrowths out of my body, or, for that matter, make hammer-like limbs?"

"I'm...sure it's possible, Bearer, but it's not like we've had any training in that direction."

"That's right, that's what it comes down to - practice. I have a feeling that if push comes to shove, we'll have a great opportunity to practice."

"Agreed, Bearer."

We both spent the rest of the journey to the rendezvous point immersed in our own thoughts.

*

1 May, 2013, 23:17

East Brooklyn. Stilwell Street.

Peter Parker.

Carefully I land on a street lamp and survey my surroundings.

If I were Frank, where would I hide? Except, of course, that I'm the fucking Punisher and I'm only as tough as my balls. Okay, Pete, you've been through training and ironically, after training, Castle and I should think plus or minus the same, adjusted for mental state, experience...whatever.

Okay, he's travelling in a van, and he's probably watching the place we're gonna storm, so what? Back alleys. Tight enough to camouflage, but spacious enough to fuck off if we do.

Oh, I'm getting nervous.

"Carrier?" - The symbiote seemed to sense I was nervous.

"It's alright Raj, I'm fine, no need to worry."

"I wasn't worried at all. I just wanted to tell you that Skull is on the jersey to our right."

I turned my head to the side and did indeed see Frank's van.

"Oh. Okay. Thanks for the clue."

Damn, this is embarrassing.

I jump away from the lantern and try to crawl along the wall where there's more shadow, reaching my final destination.

I jump down beside the van and knock on the passenger door.

The glass slowly slides down, and just as the driver is about to come into view, Spider-Sense kicks in. With a quiet pop, a gunshot rings out, and I filigree my head out of the way.

- Damn it, Frank! It's me!

- A spider?

- No, the Pope! - I open the door and sit down, "Anything you want to repent of, my son?

- "You're too late," Frank said, putting the gun in his pocket as if nothing had happened.

- Wow," I couldn't help but throw up my hands, "what if you'd shot somebody?

- Decent people don't walk around this neighbourhood at night, and they don't knock on the doors of suspicious vans. And if there's a criminal," Castle shrugged, "one more body, one less.

There is complete silence in the van.

"I basically agree with him."

"Raj!"

- Okay, you know, I'm starting to regret this whole thing.

- Shh, look," Frank hands me one of the binoculars.

As a side note, build zoom lenses into all kinds of costumes.

I look and see a suspiciously large number of cars of all sorts, from Cadillacs to vans like Frank's, parked across the street, near the most aloof building.

- Is that what I think it is?

- Look at the van doors.

After no less than two dozen or so doubles lined up in a convoy, the doors began to open. The thugs blocked the procession as best they could, but I saw dozens of half-naked figures imprisoned in chains. Slaves. I think I saw even children.

- We can't act outside," I put aside my emotions and tried to assess the situation intelligently, "there's too much open space, they'll be able to disperse, and people might be in danger.

- I agree," Castle's tone sounded...approving? - So we'll wait until they're done and locked inside. Then you'll step in, get us inside, and then we'll eliminate them all.

- I don't agree, if there's a firefight, they'll use the men as hostages, we need to be quiet and preferably discreet.

- According to my information, they lock people in basements for the night, once we start the assault, they won't have time to react.

- How accurate is that information?

- Whoever's bringing it to me is the best of the best.

- Look, Frank, I don't kill.

- It's never too late to start, Castle's about to get out of the car.

- Look," I grab his shoulder, stopping him, "I'm serious.

- If memory serves me right, the last time I saw you, I said I could show you why your methods don't work and you promised to give me a chance.

- No, I said I wouldn't give you a bloodbath," I take my hand away, "but I'm not going to coddle you, you want a bloodbath, I won't stop you, but if you shoot someone unarmed, someone who surrendered, or, God forbid, one of these people," I point to the line of chained men, "I swear I'll put you deep in the bowels of Raft, breaking every bone in your body.

- Believe me, Spider, if I ever kill an innocent man, I'll put a bullet in my own forehead.

Oh, I believe that, Frank. That's the only reason we're talking right now.

The process is finally over, and there are five guards left at the front door, armed with everything from assault rifles, to shotguns.

- And by the way," I say after we get out of the car, "when I'm in this costume, call me Rukt.

- Why not the Tooth Fey? Do you heroes care so much about those nicknames? Do you hide behind masks because you're afraid to take responsibility for your actions?

- I respect your rules, respect mine.

- Fair enough.

I pick Frank up and climb up to the roof with him. It doesn't take long to jump from one building to the next until we're on the outermost building from the one we want.

I climb down with the Punisher and we run carefully to the wall.

- I'm going upstairs to scout, and if there's a patrol, jump up there," I point to a bush, and I crawl up before the Italian-American can protest.

I try to open the window. It's closed, but spider power solves this unfortunate misunderstanding. I look in, and there's a slave trader sitting on a chair, and another one looking round the storeroom.

- Hey, Phil, what are you looking for in there?

- Joe said when they razed this place, they put all the junk in the storerooms.

While the criminals are talking loudly, I open the window wider and climb in quietly. Judging by the silent gut feeling, they shouldn't react. And, yes, I end up on the ceiling without incident.

-Why do you need junk? - The man in the seat checks his submachine gun.

- Yes, I want to find a porno, - Phil answers, digging through the junk.

- Are you going to jerk off?

After Joe asks a question, I jump down and take him in a chokehold, covering his mouth.

- We're gonna be here all night anyway, at least I'll sleep better this way.

The one called Phil keeps talking, unaware that his partner has already been knocked out and neatly laid on the floor.

I approach the other one.

- What the fuck are you doing?!

Shit!

I run up to the shocked bandit, gag him and take him for a chokehold as well. To the criminal's credit I can say that he didn't try to get free from my grip, but immediately started hitting the body, an effective approach. However, to my joy, it was an ordinary bandit, not a trained mercenary, it would be more difficult to deal with such a person. So in a minute, there were two unconscious guys in this room.

Man, I wish I had something to tie them up with.

"I can help you with that, Bearer."

Before I could clarify what the Symbiote meant, a coating forms on the palm of my hand and begins to drip down onto the criminal, a dozen seconds later the bandit is glued to the floor by a dense coating of black substance.

"Is that you like, Raj?"

"You could say that this matter is mine, dead cells. Usually I just recycle them like people do dead skin particles or hairs without even noticing, but now I've found a use for them."

"Won't there be any marks?"

"Don't worry, Bearer, in half an hour they'll start to dry out, and in an hour they'll turn to dust altogether."

"Convenient. Thanks, mate."

I walk over to the second enemy, do the same thing to him, and climb out the window again.

- What took you so long? - asks Castle, who's merged with the wall.

- I tried in vain to prolong my plan of quiet infiltration before you started the firefight," I answered the Punisher, taking him under my armpit.

A brief familiar crawl across the steep surface and we are back in the room.

Frank takes a quick look around the room and focuses on the bandits.

- What are they wearing?

- How about I say I'm a mutant and can spit out a thick black sticky slurry and you just believe me?

In response, Castle stares intently, but only nods.

Suddenly there's a knock on the door.

- Hey, guys, food's here, hungry?

We glance over at the Punisher. Trooper pulls out his M4 and gestures for me to take a seat on the ceiling.

- Guys? - the door opens.

As soon as the bandit came in, he was immediately met by two single shots from Castle, the one in the chest could have been a comma, but the one in the head was a dot.

So, here we go.

I leave the room, crawling along the ceiling and see a dozen bandits running out of similar rooms.

To my delight, they're distracted by Frank, who starts firing from cover.

I crawl behind the back of the furthest bandit and jump down, yanking him by his jacket, dropping him. I finish the job with two punches to the face, knocking out a few teeth and knocking the criminal out.

No one standing around paid any attention, and they should have, judging by the sounds, Frank had already managed to injure two more people, if not kill them.

I ran up to the two criminals standing nearby and shooting at Frank, grabbed their heads in a leap and let gravity do the rest, slamming both of them to the floor with my forehead. The bald one was knocked out instantly, but the younger one tried to pull out a gun and shoot me. I let out my claws and, to the shocked look of the bandit, cut the metal barrel into several pieces.

- I-I surrender. I-I surrender! - the guy put his hands up.

- Face the floor and don't you dare move!

The kid complied without objection. I tied his hands together with a symbiotic web just in case.

Meanwhile, Castle shot all the other armed bandits. Yeah, even though I despise the way of the mindless butcher, I can't help but recognise its effectiveness. At least without further evaluation of the method.

- What about this one? - Frank nodded at the shaking young man.

- He's given up.

- He's one of the scum.

- And he'll get the punishment he deserves," I turned to the prisoner, "where do you keep your men?

- A-long way down," the bandit said in a raspy voice.

- I see. You got a phone?

- Back pocket.

I'm taking out my mobile.

- What's the password?

- 9561

The Punisher's looking at me like I'm fucking crazy.

- What? We have to call the cops somehow when we're done.

Frank nods at my explanation, and we move on.

- The wise thing to do would have been to kill him," the soldier said coldly.

- He's disarmed and not a threat," I added irritably, "and that's enough of that.

We reach the stairs.

- The others are probably on the upper floors, along with the leader," Castle said, checking his guns.

- So I'll go upstairs, and you check the prisoners.

- That's a good one," the Punisher went upstairs.

Of course he did.

I go downstairs, and when I get to the end, I'm about to open the door, but my instincts kick in.

Stretch. Good thing Shields taught me how to defuse them.

I disarm the mine and go inside. It's very spacious inside, with dozens of people crammed into huge cages.

They flinch at my appearance, the men try to hide women and children behind their backs.

- Don't be afraid, I've come to help," I raise my hands slightly.

But they are also wary.

- Do you understand me?

A dark-haired woman comes forward.

- Si, I know a little English.

- Please translate that my friend and I are disarming your captors and as soon as it is safe, you will be released.

The translator began to speak and there was visible relief on the faces of many, though some, mostly men, were slow to dispel their doubts.

Suddenly a young girl ran up to the cage.

- Te lo ruego, se llevaron a mis niñas allí, arriba, por favour ayúdalas, por favour!

I turn my head to the interpreter.

- It's Antonia, her daughters are to be taken upstairs to the leader of these people," the woman's voice trembles slightly, "she's begging you to save the girls.

- Por favour! - the girl continues again in a broken voice.

- I will save them.

The interpreter translates my words and the girl collapses to her knees.

- Gracias! Gracias!

But I wasn't listening.

I left the basement and sealed the door with symbiotic cloth just in case.

I get to the middle floor and go upstairs.

After a few flights of stairs, I see Frank's work. Scattered corpses all around, several dozen, some still squirming. Not giving up worrying about the fate of the slave traders, I step over a few of the criminals reaching for me and go higher.

My instincts kick in.

I bounce away from the automatic queue, hiding around the corner.

Not professional, Frank, you didn't take them all out.

I grab a nearby chair and lunge at the enemy, throwing furniture at him. As expected, the enemy decided to fire a clip at the sharply approaching object instead of at me, so, breaking the distance, I tear out the gun with one hand and cut the enemy's forearm with my claws with the other.

The slave trader roars horribly in pain.

I grab him by his wounded forearm, forcing out another cry of pain.

- Punisher, where is he?

- Wh-who?!

- The guy who took out all your people, where's he going?

- Upstairs to the main man.

- Thank you," I knock the thug out with a punch to the face.

I go up to the top, watching the same scene of carnage. Though I try to ignore the fate of the slave traders, it's still a lot of human corpses...

I finally start to hear the pop of gunfire.

I look round the corner. Frank is methodically shooting away criminals hiding behind makeshift barricades. Castle's not in the best shape, though; his leg's bleeding, albeit hastily bandaged, and his left shoulder's not in the best condition either. Got to cover the man.

I run across the adjoining room, judging by the few dead bandits, they were also trying to rear-end Castle. I end up on the same level as the criminals. The slave traders don't notice me and keep pouring lead on Frank. To my surprise there are only three of them left.

I grab the closest one and slam him against the wall, the guy keeps twitching, so I just send him into the opposite wall with a swing. I'm ready.

The second one sees me and, to my shock, grabs a nearby RPG.

My only thought is, why wasn't it used on Castle?

The bandit pulls the hook.

I'm about to jump back, but to my genuine shock, symbiotic tissue bursts out, abruptly forming a sort of shield and taking all the damage from the missile, only damaging it by thirty percent.

"Raj, are you okay?"

"Tolerable."

"I could have just dodged it."

"I was reminded of what you said about 'if you're in a pinch you can practice your skills', and I didn't want to risk you, explosions in tight quarters aren't very pleasant."

"Thanks, mate."

I pull all the symbiotic tissue back in and see that the hapless rocketman is already lying on the floor with his head shot through. Yeah, you shouldn't be distracted when you're in a firefight with the Punisher.

The last bandit drops his gun.

- I surrender, I surrender!

In response, Castle only shoots him with his digil.

- He drops his gun.

But Frank ignored me and kicked in the two-step doors of the alleged ringleader's apartment with his foot.

We step inside. The furnishings are quite lavish for such a middling building. Carved furniture, paintings, the typical trappings of the not-so-wealthy.

I walk further in and see a flicker of shadows in the side room. I push it open and it turns out to be a bedroom.

In the centre stands a heavyset man holding a table knife to the neck of a little girl. She doesn't look more than ten.

- Don't come any closer!

Frank stands to the side and pulls a gun on the fat man.

- I said freeze! - He scratches the skin on the hostage's neck with a little pressure.

The girl starts to cry.

I step forward, blocking Castle's line of fire.

- What's next? You're gonna kill the girl? - I walk a little closer and see another girl, even younger than this one, lying by the bed, covering her ears. - Then your end will be just as swift and, believe me," I take another step, "more painful.

Once at the right distance, I throw my arm up sharply, forming a small symbiotic spike that hits the ringleader's shoulder. As expected, he reflexively moved his hand with the weapon away from the girl's neck.

I walk over and, grabbing the man who had fallen on the bed and was screaming, more from surprise than shock, I throw him into the wardrobe. The arsehole's carcass shatters the wooden object.

- You all right? - I turn to the girls rushing towards each other.

Legitimately, they don't understand me, but only watch warily, casting frightened glances at the ringleader.

- Good work, Rukt, I'll take it from here," Castle drew his digit and pointed it at the begging and sweating criminal.

- Stop! - I pull the Punisher's arm away just before he fires, the bullet hits the wall.

- You want to kill him yourself? Please.

- We're not gonna kill him.

Frank's looking at me with a very expressive look.

- Maybe you don't get it, but this scum is behind the slave trade," Castle pulls his hand out, "and these girls, you think he took them here to feed them? - nodding towards a table with a pile of fast food wrappers and empty plates. - You're not a little boy, you should know what men like that - a look of disgust and cold hatred directed at the shrinking criminal - do to slave girls.

- Then it's a good thing we got there before something irreparable happened. And believe me, he will be held accountable to the full extent of the law.

- You still don't get it! - Frank's calm, cold mask was shattered by a beastly grin. - You can't let people like him live. They don't deserve to live.

- You think I don't want to kill him?! - The stamina is breaking a little. - You think I don't detest that piece of lard! I don't want to kill him for threatening to slit a little girl's throat in front of me!

- Then why?!

- Because he's useful! Think, Frank! You kill him, and then what! How are you gonna find his suppliers?! How do you shut down the network? How do you help the other victims?!

- There are many ways to get information.

- But this way, you'll always be behind. Think of all the things he could know, and you kill him? Then someone else will just take his place. You don't destroy the mechanism by disabling the gears, the watchmaker will always replace them. To change anything, you have to go to the watchmaker.

- Or I could just destroy so many gears that the parts can't be replaced. And you're just a coward who can't get his hands dirty with blood.

God, I can't stand his stupid stubbornness!

- Crime existed long before us, Castle. It exists now and it will exist when we're dead. In fact, our struggle is pointless because evil has always been and will always be in people, it's in our nature. But the opposite is also true. From the beginning, I try to do my best to do the right thing, to help good people by remaining a good person. What are you doing, leaving behind a mountain of corpses? Would your wife and kids be happy to know that's how you avenge them?

The boiling point had been reached.

The words about family had an effect on the Punisher and he pointed a gun at me. I dodge by grabbing his arms and pinning him against the wall.

- Wait, Frank! - but the vigilante tries to hit me with his forehead, I duck my head and keep my grip on him. - Look, I'm sorry. The family thing was unnecessary. But even if I sound idealistic to you, believe me, I believe there must be necessary evil. I'm not going to arrest you, some people do deserve to die. I'm just asking you to be reasonable. Don't go on a bloodbath, punishing everyone indiscriminately, Frank, that's a road to nowhere, you'll only breed more evil that way.

The Punisher stopped kicking and just glared at me.

- You can let go now," he muttered.

- Only if you put the gun away.

- Okay.

The fighting stopped, and we finally turned our attention to the fat man trying to crawl out of the room.

I grab his leg and drag the struggling, screaming man across the floor. Throwing his carcass on the table.

- Going where?

- Please don't kill me.

- It'll be up to you," I put more coldness in my voice, "who your supplier is, where the slaves come from.

- Please, they'll kill me," the hog begins to sob.

- Your problem now is not these mystical 'they'," I release my claws, "it's me.

- Please, stop, I'll tell you, I'll tell you!

- Oh, great. Frank?

- I'm all ears.

After ten minutes of questioning, we've established that the flow of people is coming from a cartel from South America through Mexico. It's a pretty serious organisation.

- I'll get on it," Castle said after he got the answers, getting ready to leave.

- Wait, Frank.

The Punisher turned around, putting the cold mask back on his face.

- Look, we did a pretty good job, so," I pulled a spider beacon out of my pocket and tossed it to Frank, "here. It's one-way. I can't follow you. Throw it away if you want, but if you need help, press the middle and I'll know how to find you.

Castle looked at the beacon more closely and nodded, tucking it into his cloak pocket. Maybe I imagined it, but there was something resembling...respect? No, it was definitely imagined.

- Oh, and, Frank, about that black substance...

- Don't worry, 'mutant'," Castle smirked slightly, "I'm a grave.

I watch the Punisher leave, and turn to the girls still sitting there.

- I think it's time to take you to your families.