Chapter 24: The Reckoning Part 2

Peter looked at Sandman (Flint Marko), the next target of his wrath.

Flint: "Spider, I was made to do this. Believe me, I had no choice. Please."

Peter: "Yeah, yeah, I know you were in need. But how many times has this happened, Flint? Oh, let me guess: too many fucking times. And your dumb ass never asked for help from me or any other hero. You go back to this shithole every time."

Peter then took out a strange device and looked at Sandman.

Peter: "Flint, from now on, whenever you are in trouble and the idea of asking for help from them crosses your mind, I want you to remember this pain."

Peter performed Desiccation on Sandman. He used the specialized equipment to dehydrate Flint's sand form, causing intense pain as Flint struggled to maintain his physical integrity. Flint's cries of agony echoed through the room as his sand particles dried and cracked.

Peter started walking towards Scorpion (Mac Gargan).

Scorpion: "Spider, we were never enemies. It's just that you helped that son of a bitch Rand. I had to lay my stinger on you."

Peter: "I know choices have consequences, just like now. These are the consequences of your choice. If you had tried such a thing on Danny, he would have surely died. But you messed up."

Peter used Garou's martial arts to target nerve attacks on Scorpion. He delivered precise nerve strikes and hit pressure points, incapacitating Scorpion and exploiting his enhanced physical sensitivity. Then, Peter tore off Scorpion's stinger from his armor and stabbed it into Scorpion's leg, causing him to scream in pain.

Hammerhead, watching Peter: "I wouldn't beg, Spider. I've watched you for much longer than some of them. You may hurt us, but you never kill."

Peter laughed: "Hahaha, oh Hammer, a mere sidekick like you judges me? Do you see them clearly? Look at them." Peter turned Hammerhead's face towards the other villains who were still suffering from their torture. "That is not mere hurt you inflicted. That is something more. Every fucking one of you has a weakness, and I am not just exploiting it; I am abusing it to its core."

Peter then looked Hammerhead in the eye: "I had a weakness that I left you all alone for way too long with unnecessary kindness, but no more. You are right; I still don't kill, but it doesn't specify what kind of life you will lead."

Peter used electromagnetic pulses to disable Hammerhead's cybernetic enhancements, causing physical pain and disorientation. He made sure that Hammerhead would be crippled for life, his cybernetic body twitching and failing.

Peter then turned to Shocker (Herman Schultz).

Peter: "Hey Shocker, did you think I forgot about you?"

Shocker, beyond terrified, cried out: "Let me go… let me go, please! I am just a small-time criminal. Please, let me go."

Peter: "Whoa, whoa, whoa, I am that terrifying? Come on, Herman, don't do me like that."

Peter walked towards Shocker and activated Shocker's shockwave tool, then used his sound manipulation to produce a Vibration Reversal. He exposed Shocker to counter-vibrations that interfered with his shockwave generation, causing painful feedback and internal damage. Peter put both of his hands near Shocker's ears and created such a noise that it led to Shocker's ears bleeding.

Tombstone (Lonnie Lincoln): "Sir, please let my daughter go. You can do anything you want with me, but please let her go."

Peter: "You remember, Tombstone, that time I begged you because you had captured and were going to kill my girlfriend in front of my eyes? Remember what you said?"

Tombstone put his head down: "…"

Peter: "Tell me what you said, fucker, or else your daughter wouldn't have it easy."

Tombstone, in a low tone: "Know your place. I fuck up people who fuck with my business and me."

Peter: "Yeah, so now know your place. You fucked me up pretty bad. So pay up time, but maybe I can change that..."

Tombstone looked up to Peter with a hopeful expression, but it faded with Peter's next statement.

Peter then took out a coin: "If it's heads, you and your daughter can get out of this mess safely. But if it's tails, I fuck your daughter, Mr. Lincoln."

Tombstone was angry: "You fucke--"

But Peter punched him in the face: "You are not in a state to ask for anything, fucker. If you want my fucking kindness, then too late."

Peter put Bone-Breaking Restraints on Tombstone. These restraints were designed to apply pressure to his bones, causing fractures and intense pain due to his dense, resilient mutant body. Tombstone's groans of pain were mixed with his daughter's cries of terror.

Peter moved towards Hydro-Man (Morris Bench).

Hydro-Man: "You can't do anything to me, Spider. I am made up of an element; nothing works on me."

Peter: "Bitch, just how much of a God complex can you have? I can't hurt you because you are made of water? Didn't you fucking see what I did to Flint, who is made of sand?"

Peter, in his anger and annoyance, used Natsu's Fire Dragon Slayer magic. He exposed Hydro-Man to superheated steam or boiling water, causing him to rapidly evaporate and experience intense pain. Hydro-Man's body constantly evaporated and reformed at the same time, his screams of agony echoing through the chamber.

Peter walked towards Vulture (Adrian Toomes).

Peter: "Vulture, why do this? Are you seriously tired of living?"

Vulture: "Some people don't have a choice, Spider."

Peter: "No, there are always choices. It's just that you aren't looking for them because of how much you are attracted to the wrong ones."

Peter then methodically destroyed his mechanical wings while Vulture was conscious, causing physical pain and psychological distress. The sound of tearing metal and Vulture's screams filled the air.

Peter walked towards Speed Demon (James Sanders).

Peter: "Did other squads throw you out or something?"

Speed Demon: "No, just wanted to deal with you once and for all, Spider."

Peter smiled: "Well, congrats. Once I am done with you, let alone me, you will be done with this villainy once and for all."

Speed Demon was dumbfounded: "Spider, what are you going to do? You know that even if you break my legs, they will regenerate at super speed."

Peter took out some bands: "Hey speedy, ever heard of scabies? They are also known as itchy skin mites. They are insects with a peculiar ability. They get attached to the host's skin and burrow on the top layer, causing itchiness. These bands here do something similar, but instead of itch, they use high gravity." Speed Demon's eyes widened in shock as Peter continued. "Now every time your legs regenerate, this band will apply gravity so high that your leg bones will crumble. And the best part is, you can't take it off. The only way to take it off is to amputate your legs, and we both know that no matter how fast your regeneration is, you are no Wolverine to get back another leg, right?"

Speed Demon, scared out of his wits, tried to run away but the magic restraints stopped him: "Thi—this is wrong, this is cruel... this is injustice, Spider... Sir, please don't do this to me."

Peter tilted his head in confusion: "Wrong? Injustice? Cruel? Compared to what they told me to do?"

Peter pointed towards his clones.

Peter continued in a heavy voice: "This is 'MERCY.'"

Peter put the High-G Parasitic Restraints on Speed Demon's legs, restraints that applied high gravitational forces, causing physical pain and preventing him from using his speed while also inflicting severe damage to his legs. Speed Demon screamed as his legs buckled under the pressure.

Beetle (Janice Lincoln): "Do—don't come near me, Spider. You will pay for all you have done. I-I—I..."

Peter: "You what? Complain to your daddy? Look, bitch," Peter pointed towards Tombstone, "there he is, beaten, tortured. He couldn't even save himself. How will he save you? What confidence do you have, you spoiled criminal-ass bitch? Take off that suit, and you are just a normal girl whose dad is a mutant mafia boss. Remove him from the equation, and you are nothing. No... wait, no, you do have looks. If you spread your legs, you could become some fucker's bitch."

Beetle felt extremely humiliated. She just knew that she couldn't possibly do anything to Peter, and what he was saying was right even though she didn't like it one bit.

Peter: "This suit, isn't it a thing you are most proud of? The source of your power? Let's make this a nightmare for you."

Peter resorted to Suit Destruction for Beetle, but it wasn't simple as that. He used energy manipulation to short-circuit and destroy her advanced suit but kept it on her, making it attached to her. He manipulated the suit to constantly short-circuit, causing immense physical pain and rendering Beetle powerless. Making the suit attached to her skin also gave her psychological trauma as it would always be on her.

Peter, after finishing his torture sessions, walked back to the center of the room.

Peter's clones approached him, and Peter with his clones again transformed to Echo-Ditto and became one. Peter was again in his

Peter was again in his Spider-Man suit.

The spiders, along with Hope, Laura, Roxanne, and the cameraman, approached him.

Miles: "Sir, that was awesome! What you did at the end—can you teach me that power too?"

Ben: "Yeah, Sir, that was so cool. Also, your suit—can you make one for me?"

Hope: "Have you become a mutant, perhaps, Sir?"

Laura: "Yeah, if you did, then you could come to the X-Mansion with us."

Roxanne: "Sir, if you're willing, please answer some of our questions..."

Jessica: "You did a great job there, hubby..."

Gwen: "Spi—"

Peter interrupted: "I am not obligated to answer any of your questions. Also," Peter looked towards Gwen and Jessica, "don't make it seem like we are close or something. We're not really that familiar."

Roxanne: "Sir, I just have one question. May I ask?"

Peter nodded at her to ask.

Roxanne: "Don't you think you were too cruel, and this will lead to backlash?"

Peter: "Don't judge goodwill as a service. This is the misconception that people tend to have in our world. Let me ask you, do I get paid for all of this?"

Roxanne: "No."

Peter: "Do any of the heroes apart from me have the ability to subdue even half of them?"

Roxanne: "No."

Peter then pointed at the spiders, Hope, and Laura: "Were they having an easy time against them and didn't need my help whatsoever?"

All of them had their heads down at this moment due to shame, including Roxanne: "No."

Peter: "Then you have no right to question my actions. I am not even obligated to help you whatsoever. It's not like this job pays me or something, or that I get any kind of recognition for my actions. Do you have any idea who I am? What is the face behind the mask?"

Roxanne's eyes sparkled: "No, but you can show us, right?"

Peter tilted his head in confusion.

Roxanne: "The mask—take it off."

Peter: "Show my face?"

Roxanne, in a determined tone: "Yes, Sir."

Peter: "Negative."

Roxanne: "Are you ugly?"

Peter smiled behind the mask: "Quite the opposite, actually."

Peter then jumped towards the top of a building: "I am nobody's servant. I will come whenever the city needs me. I will protect it because this is my home. This is a message to all criminals:

I don't know who you are.

I don't know what you want.

If you are committing crimes for money, I will advise you otherwise.

As you may have seen, I have a particular set of skills.

Skills that I have acquired through a long career and training.

Skills that are a nightmare for people like you.

If you let go of this path of crime, that will be the end of it.

I will not look for you.

I will not pursue you.

But if you don't,

I will look for you.

I will find you.

I won't kill you, but I will make you suffer pain so unimaginable

That you will wriggle and beg and pray for the gift of death."

All of them gulped at his message.

Peter then turned towards them again and said: "And this is for the heroes: don't do anything that will make me your enemy. In your terms, if I may,

I have been a hero once.

I have become an anti-hero or vigilante of sorts.

I don't mind becoming a villain."

All of the people present became alert.

Peter's eyes glowed red as he continued.:

"And when I become a villain,

No hero can stand in front of me."

Peter then swung towards home.

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Jason: "They were disappointing."

Peter: "Tell me about it."

Ben: "You know, the way you handled them was... different."

Peter: "Different how?"

Natsu: "It was more... personal. Like you were exorcising some inner demons."

Peter: "Maybe I was. Maybe it's time they realized that their actions have real consequences."

Issei: "Do you think they'll ever come back after this?"

Peter: "If they do, they'll remember this pain. They'll think twice before crossing me again."

Garou: "And what about the other heroes? Do you think they'll understand?"

Peter: "They don't need to understand. They just need to know that I'm serious."

Togi: "And what about you? How do you feel after all this?"

Peter paused, considering the question.

Peter: "I feel... liberated. Like a weight has been lifted. For too long, I've been holding back. Trying to play by the rules. But now, I'm free to do what needs to be done."

Goku: "Just be careful, Peter. This path you're on... it's dangerous."

Peter: "I know. But it's a path I have to walk."

Peter then swung off into the night, the city lights reflecting off his suit as he disappeared into the darkness.

(End of Chapter)

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