Chapter 5. Chaos in His Wake
A/N: Fact Check
Aunt May's Miracles - https://www.cbr.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/03-Aunt-May-2.jpg
Sorry about Spider-Man in Advance.
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(Spider-Man's POV)
Pressured to constantly improve, the costumed hero was driven to excel, but it was never enough. Despite occasional bouts of negativity, he pushed the dark thoughts behind the red door in his mind and locked them away. Memories of losing Uncle Ben to a criminal and resentment for the injustice remained sealed behind that red door.
Peter Parker battled untold depression, witnessing his Aunt May suffer from a terminal illness he couldn't cure. He had to step up and become the provider. Despite the challenges, he drew inspiration from his heroes, particularly Captain America's unwavering positivity.
Putting the Spider-Man mask on and swinging through the city was like leaving all his worries behind. The rush of adrenaline pumping through his veins made him feel alive, pushing aside the weight of his troubles for a while.
It was a temporary escape, a brief respite from the heaviness of reality.
However, returning to reality, he found support in his girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, who helped him carry the heavy baggage of his emotions and added vibrant colors to his world, reminding him that he didn't have to face his struggles alone.
She brought out the teenager in him, and on the outer shell, Peter remained... Peter Parker.
But threatening the pillars of his sanity - his beloved Aunt May and Gwen Stacy - struck an extreme nerve. Venom's words hinted at destroying Spider-Man's life, unleashing a flood of panic and fear, ultimately unlocking a certain metaphorical red door.
The fight had already gotten desperate for Spider-Man, despite a certain stranger's intevention to enlighten the web-slinger.
"Losing Uncle Ben..." The red door trembled as the thought emerged. "I can't bear such loss again!"
"I can't lose the people I love!" Panic surged, his mind racing with dreadful scenarios. "Aunt May! Gwen! Nooo."
"No! No! Nooo!" His cry echoed as he landed the ground after Venom's throw. "I can't! I can't! I can't." The red door swung open wide, shielding him from the shock but unleashing his darker impulses.
With Great Power, follows a Great Darkness. Something the symbiote had been looking forward to.
(Kai's POV)
Having found my way back to the solid ground below, I deftly maneuvered through the crowds, my focus fixed on locating the iconic duo, Spider-Man and Venom. However, my intention was clear: I aimed to confront Venom myself, doubting Spider-Man's ability to handle the situation effectively.
However, even amidst the escalating chaos in the Financial District, I stumbled upon something intriguing.
"Hey!" A man in a worn brown apron called out urgently from his hotdog stand as I dashed past.
"Arigato," I managed to mumble between greedy bites of the hotdog, my legs propelling me forward with haste. In my rush, I inadvertently flung the payment at him, the bills landing in a haphazard pile at his feet.
"No more annoying grumbling." I reassured myself as I took another bite.
He hurriedly collected the crumpled notes, his voice rising in frustration. "Can't you read?" he shouted. "The sign clearly says 10, not 5!"
Ignoring his protest, I chuckled, "10 bucks for a hotdog? What's it made of?" My laughter mingled with the sound of my pounding footsteps as I continued on my way.
"Greedy bastard," I muttered as I ran, the taste of the hotdog still lingering on my tongue, its warmth fueling my hurried pace. "Who sells hotdogs amidst chaos? Doesn't he value his life?"
"Oh, and by the way," I called back, an impulsive quip escaping me, "your hotdog might be cursed." I didn't pause to see his reaction; I was too focused on reaching my destination, my cursed energy surging with every stride.
With each hearty bite, the cursed energy within me pulsed, filling me with the vigor needed to continue sprinting towards the impending confrontation between Spider-Man and Venom.
"Hot dogs – a mystery for later," I jotted down in my mental notes, briefly acknowledging the triviality of my current snack in the face of the impending showdown.
"Now that I'm brimming with energy, it's time to employ a few of my tricks." My gaze narrowed on the distant figures of Spider-Man and Venom, locked in their iconic clash.
As I moved forward, I willed a shadow to coalesce in the palm of my hand, activating Shadow Concealment to retrieve the club I had stashed earlier.
"It's better than relying on bare fists," I reassured myself, my anticipation mounting as I envisioned the satisfying impact of striking Venom with the weapon. Despite my excitement, I remained focused, mindful of the tactical advantage the club afforded me.
With a swift motion, I brought the club into my grasp, its weight reassuring in my hand. Anticipation surged within me, fueled by the desire to deliver a decisive blow to Venom that would send him hurtling into the sky.
Excitement coursing through my veins, I acknowledged the cost of retrieving the club: 20 units of cursed energy expended for the activation of Shadow Concealment, but I had already rejuvenated from eating a mysterious hot dog. (Rejuvenation by consuming cursed substances).
Cursed Energy: 80/100
"I'm coming for you, Venom." I said as I took another stride that made it look as if I was pulling the club behind me. I was burning with the desire to get there quicker and cause some Kai Mayhem on Venom.
(Spider-Man's POV)
Darkness surged within Spider-Man, clawing at the walls of his psyche, hungry for release. Venom's menacing presence loomed over him, descending to confront a new iteration of Spider-Man. In that pivotal moment, Spider-Man's resolve hardened.
No one! No one makes such a threat against his beloveds and gets away with it. Not on this day. Not for this Spider-Man.
Rising to his feet, he locked eyes with Venom, fury blazing within him. Every sinew in his body tensed, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The weight of his responsibilities, the fear of loss, and the suffocating grip of his past traumas converged into a singular, overpowering force.
With a primal roar, he launched himself at Venom, the sheer force of his assault sending shockwaves rippling through the air. The symbiote countered and evaded, engaging in a frenetic exchange of blows with renewed vigor.
Spider-Man's senses dulled as he urged his body to evolve and adapt. He refused to relent until Venom was subdued!
He fought with the ferocity of a cornered beast, his attacks fueled by raw emotion. But for every strike he landed, Venom retaliated with equal force, brushing off the blows as if they were mere annoyances.
Utilizing his surroundings, Spider-Man swung from poles and hurled objects at Venom, attempting to ensnare him in webs. However, Venom proved equally resourceful, hurling cars and evading Spider-Man's traps with instinctive ease.
The city watched in awe and horror as the two clashed, their battle reaching dizzying heights as they leaped to the skyline, each singularly focused on obliterating the other.
Venom's seemingly boundless strength matched Spider-Man's unyielding rage, forcing them into an unrelenting duel with no end in sight. As onlookers and authorities pondered how to intervene, the combatants remained locked in their personal struggle, a narrative woven by fate itself.
(General POV)
"That's more like it!" Venom roared, his voice echoing through the city as he hurled a bench at Spider-Man, who was scaling a building, hoping to catch him off guard. "That's the Spider-Man power I want!"
"You and I will make a great team," Venom declared as he deftly dodged the bench Spider-Man flipped over and redirected using his weblines.
"It's a long road ahead, but now that you've shown me what you're capable of, I choose you," Venom proclaimed, his anticipation palpable as he prepared for their inevitable merger. "I choose you, Spider-Man. Let us end this madness and head for symbiote glory."
But before Venom could make another move, he was interrupted by a sudden assault from an unexpected assailant.
Wham!
Pow!
"Pooowww!" Kaiji exerted all his strength, landing three powerful blows that seemed to only scratch Venom's surface, much to his frustration.
"Mmmhh?" Venom grunted, turning to face the newcomer who had dared to challenge him. "What is this? I only sensed his shadow. Is he that insignificant?"
Amused by the audacity of the young challenger, Venom couldn't help but find the situation laughable. But as Spider-Man seized the opportunity to launch another attack, Venom quickly refocused his attention, raising his fist to counter the assault.
Maintaining his composure, Spider-Man utilized his enhanced agility and web-slinging abilities to maneuver around Venom, delivering swift kicks with precision.
Meanwhile, Kaiji strategized his next move, meticulously analyzing Venom's vulnerabilities and devising a plan with precision.
"Good. He's not focused on me," Kaiji thought to himself. "If I can strike him in a sensitive spot, Spider-Man will have the opening he needs to heed my counsel."
Swinging his club with all his might, Kaiji propelled it towards Venom's vulnerable spot with lethal precision. The club soared through the air, homing in on its target, and struck Venom squarely in the groin, eliciting a pained cry from the formidable foe.
Seizing the opportunity, Spider-Man delivered a decisive blow and swiftly ensnared Venom in webs, relentlessly binding him in place.
"Who would have thought?" Kaiji exclaimed in astonishment. "That someone as formidable as Venom could be incapacitated by a strike to the groin?"
"Snap out of it!" Venom growled, grappling with the inner turmoil as Eddie's resistance hindered his movements. "You're encased in my armor. You're practically invulnerable. Stop acting as though we have actually been hurt!"
"You've gone too far," Eddie's consciousness persisted, refusing to be silenced by the symbiote's dominance. "This isn't what we agreed to. I didn't sign up for you to take over completely. I didn't sign up for you to wreak havoc on the city. You need to stop! It's time to put an end to this madness!"
"Return to where you belong!" Eddie demanded, his voice filled with determination. "I want no part of this anymore."
"Now that I know who Spider-Man really is, I have better ways to deal with him other than destroying a city I love." Eddie persisted.
"Venom's in the midst of an internal struggle," Kaiji observed, turning his attention to Spider-Man. Seeing him up close for the first time, Kaiji couldn't help but notice something peculiar.
"Do Spider-Man's eyes glow red?" Kaiji pondered to himself, intrigued by the unusual phenomenon. But there was something else, an unmistakable aura of raw power emanating from Spider-Man.
"Cursed Energy!" Kaiji realized with sudden clarity. "And it's not just a trace like I've encountered elsewhere. It's potent, dangerously so."
"Spider-Man?" Kaiji approached cautiously, his instincts warning him of the danger posed by the web-slinger. "What's going on?"
As Spider-Man advanced towards Venom, Kaiji couldn't shake the sense of impending violence radiating from him. The surge of Cursed Energy only intensified, unsettling Kaiji despite its invigorating effect.
This wasn't the Spider-Man he was accustomed to. He had failed to exploit Venom's weaknesses as advised, and now, he seemed driven by a vengeful intent to kill. Was this truly Earth-616?
"First, he disregards Venom's vulnerabilities, and now he's set on ending him," Kaiji mused, growing increasingly uneasy. "What kind of Spider-Man have I stumbled upon?"
Kaiji attempted to approach further, his senses on high alert. When he reached to tap Spider-Man on the shoulder, concern evident in his actions, Spider-Man abruptly hoved him aside with a powerful force, sending him stumbling backward.
Shocked by the unexpected aggression, Kaiji struggled to regain his footing, his mind racing with confusion and concern.
"What's gotten into you, Spider-Man?" Kaiji exclaimed, his voice tinged with a mixture of apprehension and disbelief. But his words fell on deaf ears as Spider-Man continued his relentless advance towards Venom, his movements fueled by an unyielding determination to secure his life.
Ignoring Kaiji's protests, Spider-Man advanced towards Venom with determined resolve, his grip tightening on the struggling symbiote. Within Venom, Eddie battled fiercely to regain control from the relentless influence of the symbiote.
Spider-Man's eyes blazed with an intensity that seemed to pierce through the chaos surrounding him, as memories of his past flashed before his mind's eye. The image of Uncle Ben, smiling serenely yet hauntingly, lingered in his thoughts.
"No one should get away with it. No one," Spider-Man growled, his voice laced with resentment from the injustice as he exerted more pressure on Venom.
From his sidelined position, Kaiji watched in disbelief, struggling to comprehend the hero's descent into darkness. The sight filled him with a profound sense of disappointment.
Brushing away a tear, Kaiji made a solemn decision. "Enough is enough! You're not the Spider-Man I once knew. You've become something else, something twisted. And for that, I've reached a conclusion."
"I cannot stand by and support you," Kaiji declared, his fists surrounded by a crackling purple aura. "Not when you allow your darkest impulses to dictate your actions."
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(Mission Update)
4. Training & Meditation. - In Progress
4. Make your Stand on Spider-Man. - In Progress
<New Mission>
5. Feeding on the Dark (self, Weapons, Shikigami)
<Info. You are in a well of Cursed Energy. With bit imagination, lot can happen.>
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With a swift motion, Spider-Man hoisted Venom off the ground, his muscles straining with the effort as he poised to unleash what seemed to be a decisive, devastating strike. Tension hung heavy in the air, the atmosphere pregnant with the impending downfall of a once revered hero.
Kaiji, convinced that there was no saving Spider-Man (sensing all the dark energy Spider-Man was exuding), put his abilities to work by first summoning the Divine... Pup.
Next, he relied on Shadow Concealment to retrieve his trusty club from the ground beneath Venom. A veil of darkness coalesced from Kaiji's left hand, weaving through the air to merge with the shadow cast by the club. As the two shadows intertwined, the club vanished from its previous location, reappearing in Kaiji's grasp as if by magic.
<A N: Once an object is banished to the Shadow Realm, a connection forged. This can only be severed if annihilated or displaced beyond specific radius.>
"With this much cursed energy around, maybe I do have an edge," Kaiji pondered as he assessed his surroundings. Spider-Man's intense rage served as the source of the cursed energy, emanating from his negative emotions.
Woof!
"Attack, Divine Pup," Kaiji commanded, knowing that the Shikigami had no limit to its summoning duration, for now. "Stop Spider-Man from killing Venom."
"Let's try something new," Kaiji envisioned, and reality obediently bent to his will as the weight of the club in his hand increased, indicating its newfound resilience.
"So I can channel my cursed energy into weapons and enhance their power," Kaiji realized. "It seems I may have been able to best Venom in the skies after all."
"But first, I must confront Spider-Man," Kaiji resolved. "I must knock some sense into him. This is not the hero I remember."
Edited.
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