Into the fire again. Part 2

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***

The New York of the future.

Ibid.

Parker senior and Parker junior.

- I swear, if I live, I'll kill you! - shouted Spider-Man in black, looking at the Wasp Queen emerging from the portal.

- I'm sure you'll be fine, kid.

Red calmly watched the action unfold.

Shatra emerged from the portal and began to sniff the air.

- Spider," she hissed, her jaws clacking, "prey.

The wasp was about to attack Peter, who was preparing for battle, but froze when he saw the pyramid between them.

- Don't let it take the artefact!

Zadira's shout sobered the younger Spider.

The hero in the symbiotic suit, shot a web at his opponent and swung and threw her in the opposite direction.

The mystical entity hissed, bending a metal beam with itself.

- Use the suit," Irresponsible said admonishingly.

- Stop talking under your arm! - exclaimed the younger Spider, turning his hands into symbiotic pins.

The rising Wasp lunged at his opponent with an unnatural speed inherent only in a mystical creature.

- You've changed since our last meeting, Spider," said Shatra, attempting to slash at her foe with her claws.

- And you're still just as ugly," the arachnid threw in a completely immature quip.

Rolling under the villain's arm, Stenolaz slashed her back with his symbiotic blade.

A loud screech erupted in response.

Shatra turned around, grabbed the hero's arm, and punched him in the jaw.

From the power of the blow, part of the symbiotic mask flew off the disorientated hero's face.

But Queen Os had no intention of stopping, finally feeling the flesh of her prey in her hands.

- What's the matter, kid? - The entity began to speak in a luscious tone. - Last time we fought, you were much more playful," she ran her finger over the part of Shatra's face that opened up. - No magic, flying, or other tricks?

- Perhaps I'm no longer attracted to you?

Abruptly grabbing his opponent with his hand freed from the symbiotic fabric, Spider began to concentrate the energy of the Bite.

Bioelectricity flowed down the hero's wrist and rippled sharply through the mystical entity's body.

In response, the villainess only laughed.

- Funny, the last time we fought, your bites excited more.

Grabbing Spider with her other hand, Shatra threw him so far that he crashed into the enclosing holographic net.

Stepping over Peter's body, Queen Os found herself in front of the net. On the back side stood a focused Red.

- 'Intriguing,' the entity muttered touching the net, which hit her lightly with energy. - Magic and something else," the villainess turned to the hero, who was struggling to stand up, "that explains why I can only sense enclosed space, but it doesn't explain why you've become so weak.

The spider in black did not answer.

Turning his hand into a tentacle with a blade, Stenolaz attacked with the symbiotic weapon.

The sealed weapon sliced lightly through the Shatra, causing it to recoil.

- Wow, you're warming up, kitty," the supernatural menace purred.

- Come here, slut," Peter ranted angrily, moving closer to his opponent.

This time Spider became more focused, actively using the Symbiote's abilities. Parker acted more on instinct than on skill.

But it was enough to crowd the Shatra.

Once again, the hero split the symbiotic tentacle into two slimy strands, automatically wrapped around the villain's hand.

Pulling it towards her, the Spider released its claws, which the fabric of the suit crawled over, lengthening them.

With a small growl, Stenolaz slashed at the Wasp Queen's torso.

Dark blood ran down the claws.

- Now that's more like you," Queen Wasp's voice was still as perky, but the steely note of steel was still there.

Suddenly, Shatra broke the distance and turned to Spider and let out an ultrasonic squeal.

Arachnid grabbed his head, trying to cover his ears.

The suit began to ripple and seem to beat in agony.

- AHHHHHHHHHHHH! - Blood spurted from Spider's ears.

Trying to overcome the pain, Peter stood up and, advancing under the sound wave, began to slowly approach his opponent.

Queen Os, seeing this, stepped up the onslaught.

Sparks of fear flashed in her eyes.

The suit began to flow harder off the hero. After a minute of pressure, the upper torso was gone.

But Parker continued to approach relentlessly.

Claws extended involuntarily from his fingers.

The bioelectricity of the Bite began to run through his body.

Senior Peter, who was watching this, smiled slightly.

Abruptly cutting the remaining distance, Spider-Man emerged in front of the terrified Shatra's face.

- 'Shut up,' Peter growled, sharply jabbing his sharp claws into the Queen Wasp's eyeballs.

A painful squawking sounded through the warehouse, like the voices of thousands of insects.

Black ooze flowed from the mystical entity's eye sockets.

Deciding not to stop, the hero let the accumulated energy of the "Bite" flow through his palms.

The discharge of electricity snapped rapidly, scorching his opponent's brain through her eye sockets.

Shatra began to thrash around in agonising spasms.

As soon as the entire Bite charge dissipated, Peter fell to his knees, struggling to bring his breathing back to normal.

Queen Os didn't move.

Red nodded satisfactorily and was about to switch off the Grid, but Shatra's sharply twitching body made him stop.

The Parkers, both younger and older, watched in shock at the writhing body shell of the seemingly already defeated fiend.

Queen Wasp's entire body became covered in dark scales, huge claws like those of a pteranodon erupted from her feet, her waist became thinner, and four insect-like wings emerged from her back. Sharp claws emerged from the fingers of his hands, completely replacing any hint of flesh. Wasp-like stingers erupted from the human mouth. Flesh once again filled the eye sockets.

Now the Spider was staring at him with completely dark beetle eyes.

- 'The other...' Shatra shrieked, in a voice that held not a hint of reason.

The entity swung sharply at the seemingly hypnotised Spider.

"NOBODY!"

Peter's body was thrown aside, and, bursting out of his body, dozens of symbiotic harnesses tried to stop, cutting through the symbiotic outgrowths of the Shatra, protecting their host.

"Raj?" - Peter's "voice" was shockingly tired, but joyful.

"I awakened after experiencing a tremendous amount of damage. But it doesn't matter. How are you?" - Symbiote's tone radiated concern.

"Better now that you're here," added a visibly cheerful Parker.

Meanwhile, Shatra, having lost a little of her fervour, was bogged down in mindless extermination of the tentacle-like offshoots.

"I can't sense an ounce of intelligence from this creature, Bearer," the Living Suit saw fit to share.

"Can you sense such a thing?" - the hero in black inquired in a completely ill-timed manner.

Symbiote's silence was the most eloquent answer.

"Alright, let's get it over with!"

Gaining a second breath, Spider formed a blade and hammer from his limbs.

The Clintarian was surprised at how natural it came out naturally from his master, but remained silent.

Meanwhile, Parker organised an increased onslaught. Completely allowing Raj to control the additional symbiotic offshoots. Parker focused on the Tent, finally immersing himself in the fight and relying on his partner.

In fact, Spider-Man in the Black Suit, was a smoothly working mechanism of Peter Parker and Symbiote.* At this point, they were attacking Shatra from every possible angle and direction.

The partners worked as one, having achieved symbiosis.

The unfolding picture was watched shockingly by Irresponsible, who had not thought that such a thing was possible. Red involuntarily raised his own palm, framed in symbiotic tissue.

When he had destroyed Raj's mind, guided only by the symbiote's betrayal.

He himself had never had a battle that so united him with the Clintarz.

Meanwhile, the young Spider had stepped up the onslaught.

Shatra tried to spit brown acid at him, but the Arachnid dodged. The tentacles flung out and wrapped their steel grip around Queen Wasp's ankles and wrists. She did not speak now, only mimicked the sounds of insects.

The spider began to approach its symbiotic tendrils bound foe.

Prey and Hunter switched places.

Shatra shuddered, trying to break free, but Spider raised his palm and clenched it into a fist, giving his tentacles the command to tighten their grip. The crunch of flesh, cartilage and bone made the fiend stop.

Peter stepped close to the Queen of Wasps, who was staring at him warily.

Red watched, not daring to move.

"Bearer, what are we going to do?"

But Peter didn't answer Raj's question, looking intently at the subdued huntress.

None of the observers, including Parker himself, realised what happened next.

Giving in to an inner feeling. Instinct. Spider-Man released his claws and pierced Shatra's heart.

The spurs dug into the flesh and the torrent of roar-squeal from Queen Os intensified.

The spider clenched its fist without letting go and swiftly tore its opponent's heart from her chest. In turn, the tentacles, obeying his command, swept towards Shatra's head, instantly tearing it away from her torso.

- That was it now.

After Peter had finished speaking, the remains of Queen Os exploded with corrosive liquid. Parker bounced back, but some of the slurry got on his suit.

Peter, already exhausted from the fight, hadn't expected his synchronisation with Raj to be so powerful that he could feel the Symbiote's pain. The heightened sensorics overloaded the Spider's brain, sending him into unconsciousness.

Seeing that his younger version had won, Red deactivated the Grid.

- I told you you could do it, champ," Irresponsible quietly spoke with genuine pride.

But as soon as he approached, Peter jumped up as if nothing had happened.

- Well done, kid, I told you it would work out.

But the younger Parker didn't react at all, eyeing Irresponsible warily.

- Pete? - Bully stepped a little closer.

The spider stepped back.

- 'So not Pete,' the older Parker sighed, 'Raj, right?

Continuing to watch Red closely, Symbiote nodded.

- 'Okay, I'm not the enemy, let me take Pete back to my house and help, I promise I won't hurt him.

For a while Living Suit pondered the words he said and still gave in, allowing Irresponsible to catch, the falling Pete.

- Well done, champ, we're going to fix you up now," the older Parker spoke up, knowing full well that the younger version couldn't hear him.

Snatching the younger self's carcass more comfortably, Peter walked out of the warehouse and flew home, taking to the sky.

***

Twenty minutes later.

Peter Parker and Annie Parker's house.

- Sheryl, open access to the workshop and have the couch ready with the examination protocols.

Upon entering his home, Red quickly began giving instructions to his home AI.

- Got it, Master, is everything alright? Report your arrival to Mistress Annie?

- 'In full,' replied Irresponsible as he walked up to the first floor. - You can tell Annie we're back, she's probably awake.

The elder Parker went into his sanctum sanctorum, activating the artefacts hidden by spells.

Techno-magic, the best of both powers. Why oppose when you can combine?

Laying his younger version down on the couch, Zadira began his examination.

- Sheryl, what's his condition? - Red clarified, scrolling through a hologram with a 3D diagram of the examination results.

- Going by the analyses, the subject shows clear signs of overexertion and sensory shock.

- Interesting. What about Sense?

- Alas, I have no data.

- Wait, what about your mysticism sensor?

- No readings.

Stunned by the AI's words, Red was about to personally check what that meant, but the Symbiote drained from the younger Parker's face.

Peter's eyelids began to tremble and slowly unclenching his eyes, Spidey came to his senses.

- 'Welcome back to the world of the living, Pete,' Red said cheerfully. - How do you feel?

The younger Spider jumped up abruptly, but so abruptly and returned to his previous position, clutching his head.

- Quietly, fighter, you should come to your senses, and then jump on the roofs, - lightly pressed the Spider in black by the shoulder to the couch, Irresponsible.

- Red? What...what...what happened? - Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Pete asked.

- What happened? You fucked the bitch, that's what happened! - yelled the older Parker aggressively and cheerfully. - The moment you fried her brain through her torn pupils, I thought that was it, but apparently the bitch needed you to take her to pieces. Heart ripped out and head ripped off. Powerful, proud.

- There was no choice," the younger Pete replied tiredly.

Though there was no remorse in his voice.

- It's okay, kid, it's either you or you," Irresponsible patted his younger version on the shoulder. - I knew you could handle it.

- And that's why I locked you in a cage with the enemy. One, - the younger Spider's voice was tired, - if I could move at least an arm without difficulty, I would be glad to send you to the hospital bed already, - Pete's voice was filled with notes of real irritation and anger.

- All right, all right, don't be sad," Red tried to lighten the mood, "let's celebrate! Scotch whisky thirty years old, what do you think?

- Where did you get it from?" said Peter, too tired to argue.

- From a smokin' Canadian," said the Irresponsible One, "so what? I'm sure you could use some.

- Bring it.

With a pat on his shoulder, Red walked out.

*

Ibid.

Peter Parker.

He hadn't felt this bad since the first bite. Even the fights with Kraven and Electro combined hadn't exhausted him this badly.

At least he could move his limbs after them.

"Carrier?" - The quiet murmur of Symbiote's voice was almost akin to favourite music for Pete, at the moment.

"It wasn't the most appropriate situation that time, but it's good to hear your voice, mate," Parker replied, smiling to himself.

"How are you feeling?" - The Clintarian inquired, pleased by his host's words.

"You seem to be the one here who knows how to check a host's system for such things, so I ask you, Doc, how am I doing?" - Spider half-jokingly asked the important question.

"I may not be a certified specialist, but I can safely say that your condition can be described as - the highest form of overwork. To put it mildly," also, endeavouring to maintain his master's mocking tone, Raj replied.

"Nothing irreparable?" - Inquired the lad in a markedly more serious tone.

"Unfortunately, I can only ascertain obvious physical injuries and fix them, anything more is beyond my power," the Living Suit admitted brokenly. - "Which is why I let that strange individual help you."

Peter stood up from the couch. He had the strength for it.

His head felt as heavy as lead after the battle with the Shatra.

"So you covered for me when I passed out?" - Parker began to look around leisurely.

"I didn't mean to control your body, extraordinary circumstances..." - The Symbiote tried to start making excuses.

"Easy, Raj, I'm not offended. Good work, partner," Pete's gaze this time came across that strange door again, different from the others.

Pleased by his master's words, the Symbiote didn't even catch Parker's changed mood.

Finding the strength to rise, a frowning Peter began to move in the direction of the strange door.

With each step, the flair began to ring a little louder.

Approaching the large, solid-coloured door that matched the walls of the workshop, Peter legitimately expected it to be locked, but against his better judgement, it was unlocked.

Parker walked on, and suddenly the total darkness of the room was illuminated by the faint glow of dim lamps.

What he saw in that room plunged the hero into true horror.

In the room, which turned out to be a kind of laboratory, where three of his bedrooms could easily fit, there were several rows of white capsules, filled with a murky solution. But that wasn't what shocked the lad.

In the centre of the room was a huge floor-to-ceiling pole with chains attached to it.

Chains to which three girls were shackled.

And each of them had Annie Parker's face.

If that was all there was to it.

Each of the girls was completely naked.

After the lights came on, two of the girls rushed to embrace each other, and the last one just curled up in a fetal position, left lying on the floor.

Shocked Pete forgot about his condition even for a second and quickly walked over to the shrinking girls.

- Please don't," one of the girls whimpered softly, clinging to her "sister".

- Calm down, everything will be alright, what happened to you?

- What do you care?! - snapped at the hugging girl. Though there was hardly less fear in her voice. - You're his sixth man, after all.

- You can't...talk...rudely to Master..." the red-haired girl on the floor whimpered quietly, squeezing herself even tighter.

- What's wrong with her? - Pete asked in horror.

- An educational process.

The sound of the voice made his insides go cold. But the sight of the girls, even more frightened than before, gave him strength.

Anger.

Turning towards Red, Pete was about to find out what was going on here.

But Spider Sense rang out.

- 'Restraining Wands of Sumagitarius,' Irresponsible muttered, pointing towards the younger self.

The spell was slow. Terribly slow. It would have cost the spider nothing to dodge it.

On any other day. In any other state.

The silver-steel slings reached the hero, immobilising him completely with dense, belt-like material. The gag tape robbed him of the ability to speak.

- And why couldn't you just stay lying there and come to your senses? - Red asked rhetorically.

Following the man into the room was his daughter.

Amazingly, the imprisoned girls went into an even greater panic at the sight of her. And Peter would have wondered how that was possible, if not for the hate-filled look Parker was throwing at her copies.

- Honey, look after your sisters, and I'll talk to our guest in my office, - said the elder Spider, running his palm on his daughter's waist.

- As you say, Daddy, - the girl threw a carnivorous look at the same red-haired girls.

- Let's leave the sisters alone," Red waved his finger and set his spell in motion, forcing the bound Peter to fly after him.

Leaving the workshop, they walked along the first floor through several corridors, stopping at a large oak door at the end of the hall.

Stepping inside, Irresponsible lightly swept his fingers, changing the weave of the spell and allowing the younger himself, to settle comfortably in the chair without releasing any of his limbs. The elder Spider then picked up one of the glasses of whiskey that had been flying nearby all this time. To which, focused on something else entirely, the younger Parker paid absolutely no attention.

Without thinking long, the Riddler drained the second glass as well.

- It's not as bad as it looks," Red began after a while.

The young Spider's gaze, burning with anger and hatred, made it clear that Irresponsible had not chosen the best tactics.

Sighing, the man removed the gag.

- I'm sorry about that, but knowing you, the questions would have flowed in rivers.

Contrary to the older man's expectations, the younger man sat quietly, only his eyes expressing barely contained anger.

- What. That. Was? - The boy said, watching the man intently.

- Did your gut warn you about the spell? - Red suddenly asked a counter-question.

- Yes," the young Spider said curtly, deciding it would be a mistake to let his blind rage get the better of him.

While the younger was torn by his own feelings, he didn't notice how the bully exhaled in relief.

- You know, if you were a little fresher, that weave wouldn't hold you," Irresponsible said with a small smile, leaning against the large mahogany table.

Pete, on the other hand, continued to stare with barely contained rage in his eyes.

- I'm helping them," the man said, clamping his eyes shut.

That was the last straw.

- Oh fuck yeah, I've seen what a fucking great service your help centre provides!!! Tell me, is chaining and walking naked a fucking service in your shelter for a select few or for those who haven't paid in advance?!!!!? А!? - shouted Peter angrily.

The irresponsible one swung his palm, putting the gag back in place.

- They were alone in their worlds! Their fathers, mothers, relatives were dead. There was no one left! NO ONE! I'm protecting them, they're my girls! All I ask in return is obedience, What's wrong with that?! - Red shouted something he hadn't spoken to anyone in a long time.

The older Spider looked up at his younger version.

There were all sorts of feelings splashing around in the guy's eyes, and it was hard to guess which prevailed.

The man waved his hand again.

- Say something," the Irresponsible One slumped helplessly in his chair, loosening the magic weave again.

- Listen," Pete began in a calm and even soft voice, "release me. Let's go to Zanuda, I'm sure he'll help you....

- Stop talking to me like I'm crazy," Red asked tiredly.

Seeing that the chosen approach was not working, his true emotions came over the guy's face.

- What kind of scum are you? - Pete asked contemptuously.

Red grinned slightly.

- You sound just like Matt when I confessed to him," the older Parker recalled, "although Christians have a saying, 'Judge not, lest ye be judged'?"

- You told Daredevil?

- As a friend," Parker confirmed sadly. - But instead of understanding, instead of helping, he attacked me! I had no choice...

The guy didn't have to explain what his older version had done.

- What would MJ say if she saw you? - Spider in Black said in disgust.

In response, Irresponsible easily threw the heavy oak desk into the nearest wall. The multi-tonne object crashed into the bookcase with a tremendous clatter.

- Don't talk about her," the older Parker ordered in a deadly serious and quiet voice, putting his palm over the younger man's mouth.

- I'm the only one who can," Pete said, as the demon-torn bully pulled his hand away.

- You didn't save her! - I didn't save her," Red shouted, "I didn't save her," the man repeated devastatedly.

There was silence in the room for a while.

Pete looked at his older version, who just sat on the floor and covered his face with his hands.

- She was pregnant.

Irresponsible's words caused Pete's mind to explode.

It felt like the images emerging in his head didn't belong to him.

There's Peter mastering a new invention while MJ changes one-year-old Annie's nappies.

Here he is at Mae's funeral and only Mary's hand for him is all the support in the world.

Here's his beloved announcing that she's pregnant.

Here they are on the sofa, the day before the scan, discussing who they're having. He insists on a second daughter, but she vows it will be a boy.

A son.

The joyous news causes a few unsolicited tears to flow from his eyes and he hides in her red curls.

There he cradles her against him, unnaturally pale, just moments ago alive.

But her heart does not beat. Their hearts don't beat.

Here he continues to live on automatic, realising that in this life he still has his daughter and responsibility for her.

As the years pass, he notices Annie becoming more like her mother.

Then MJ comes to him, in the form of their daughter. They've been inextricably linked in his mind ever since.

Here he crosses the line, irrevocably changing his own life forever.

- Now you see why I'm doing this," the older Parker said, finishing broadcasting his own memories into his younger self's head.

Pete just can't begin to speak, reliving the memories of the Irresponsible One.

- I did what I did. You think I don't realise how wrong it is? Don't realise I'm a monster, a monster?! - Red drew closer to himself again. - But I can't help it. Annie's the only thing keeping me from going completely insane.

- Mary's loss has broken you," the younger Peter began quietly, "but don't you dare use her death as an excuse for your own vices," Spider looked at Parker with firmness and conviction. - Instead of taking care of Annie, you're obsessed with Mary's image and projecting it onto your child. Good Lord, you've seduced your own daughter.

In response to the younger Peter's statement, the man only smirked crookedly.

- Do you feel how everything fits with your way of thinking?

The change of arrows sharply rekindled the fire that had settled.

- I'm nothing like you! Take it back!

- Oh yeah, and you didn't use Tombstone's money and you didn't wear Rukt's suit," the man said sardonically, "You didn't cover for the Punisher," Irresponsible stepped up to his younger self and placed his palms on the armrests of the chair, "Face it, kid," Red moved closer to his younger version's ear, "I'm who you're going to be.

Pete twitched.

"I am what you will become."

The monolithic nature of the statement hanging in the air established complete silence.

Only after several long, very, very long minutes did the younger Spider find the strength to say a single phrase.

- Stop," he said very quietly, as if pleading.

- No," answered the bully, crossing his arms behind his back.

- Then listen. Listen very, very carefully," he said, raising his darkened, almost black eyes to his companion. - The next time we meet, and I'm sure we will, I will kill you.

In response to the serious statement, Red only smiled tiredly.

- I wish you luck, kid.

Irresponsible walked over to his younger self and touched two fingers of his right hand to his forehead.